Ruidoso & Valentines Day

We went to Ruidoso over the weekend. It is always nice to go back home, see my mom and family and just hang out. A group of couples from Levelland were up there, but I unfortunately never caught up with them. It is just so hard to squeeze everything in. I took Rayden and my niece, Katlynn, skiing on Saturday. It was both of their first time skiing so they took lessons and both did really well. Driving up the mountain Rayden kept telling me he didn't need to be taught, he was a big boy and could do it on his own. He assured me that he wouldn't fall down and that I didn't even need to hold his hand cause he could do it all by himself!!! I love that he is so brave and so independent..... sometimes.......other times it just gets him in trouble!!! ha ha. When we got up the mountain we found Chance and I told him we just needed to get Rayden in his skis so he could get a feel and would maybe agree to do lessons. I was shocked at how good Rayden did. He really didn't fall down!!! We did convince Rayden to take the lessons so he could learn to stop and turn, and besides that, Rayden really wanted to go on the ski lift and Chance was headed off to ski with the guys, and I wasn't about to pay for a lift ticket just to take Rayden on the ski lift.!!!!

Oh, and Casen got both of his bottom teeth over the weekend!! The first one popped through on the drive up on Thursday and the other was in by Friday!!!!

Rayden & Katlynn dressed and ready to get to skiing!

Chance would push Rayden and he did really well, he thought he was such a big guy!

Rayden on the ski lift during his lessons.

Rayden & his ski instructor.

Learning how to put his skis on.

Rayden getting a push from his daddy

Casen looking out the glass door at my mom's dogs. He really liked it this way, he could see them and "pet" them, but they couldn't jump on him!!!

Rayden at this Valentine's Day party at school with his cookies that he made & decorated.

These are the adorable "doggy" cookies that me and Rayden made for Valentine's Day.

Random Pictures!!

I had a few minutes to finally upload some recent pictures. They are just kinda random, but hope you enjoy them anyways!!

Rayden doing his breathing treatment

Me, Brody Moore, and Casen

Rayden thought Uncle Casey was soooo cool wearing his eyepatch. Rayden thought he was "playing" pirate, and had to go and get his eyepatch and one for Gage so they could play too!!

Casen all pooped out. Actually, Chance gave him a few sips of his coke at lunch and he got so wired that he couldn't sit still. It was nap time, but he was too hyped up to go to sleep. Finally he had used up all of his energy and stopped, and was out like a light in the middle of the living room floor!

So happy to have gotten the newspaper. The baby loves paper!!!!

This is the Valentines cake I made for Rayden to take to school.

Sick Kids & "The Shack"

I just survived nearly two weeks of sick kids. Rayden started running a high fever two Sunday's ago, and a visit to the Dr. that Monday concluded that he had RSV. Not too much of a concern for him, but not the best news for little Casen. Rayden was hit really hard with it, developed ear infections and such, and then on Wed of that week Casen spiked a fever. We were lucky to not have ended up in the hospital! Needless to say, two weeks of rocking babies, coughing, puking, boogers, and all nighters, I am lucky to be alive!!!! During the middle of it, my mom was quick to ask "are you sure you want another one?". No, I'm not sure.........

Not to worry, I am alive to talk about it. One good thing is that I actually read an entire book!! Yes, I love to read, but it is not something I get to do much. I began reading The Shack and could not put the book down!!! I read and rocked babies, and didn't worry about anything else. I had decided the laundry, dishes, and house cleaning would just have to wait (yes, I am still paying for that one!!!!) I loved the simplicity of the ideas in this book. I found myself hoping and praying "God, let this be the truth" I mean, for those of you who have read the book, isn't the way God portrayed so much more appealing than our traditional teachings? You have to question, even though this book is fiction, is it not really the truth. Isn't love and kindness a huge part of it all, and having a loving "friendship" with God really what it's all about. I find that we, as a society, put so much emphasis on "religion" We so easily become consumed with church, and the beliefs we are supposed to believe, social networks, and all of the stuff (that which is both good and bad) butt seems to only interfere with our relationship with God. When we get so caught up in what is expected of us as Christians, don't we start to loose sight of exactly how simple it all really is? No, I'm not saying that we should forget church, bible studies, or any of that, I'm just saying, doesn't it make more since that God just wants us to walk with him, confide in him, and include him in every step that we take, and we should take off some of the pressure of performing to the standards of others? That we shouldn't feel guilty when our kids are sick and we can't make it to church or when, yes, I am going to just say it, we just decide to sleep in because our kids actually haven't stirred for once?

I also found a lot of comfort in this book regarding things that we don't understand. As hard as it is for us to comprehend, we are not supposed to have all the answers. Sometimes we (I) just have to have faith that God has a plan and the hard times are part of the bigger picture.

For anyone who hasn't read the book, go out and get it! I promise you won't want to put it down, and on the other hand, you won't want it to end. God is amazing and I believe that this book is NO substitution for the Bible, but it has been, and will continue to be a great advertisement for God. I can only imagine the lives of non-believers that have been changed by this book. How could you not want to be part of someone/something when they are painted as amazing as this man painted God to be????

On another note, for those of you who know Cody & Melissa, it is another BOY!!!!! Is this proof that the Potter boys are not capable of producing girls?? I am not sure where that leaves me in my decision to have more kids, does it make me hopeless that there is no hope of a girl, or does it mean that the odds have got to be in my favor????