A List of Things

1) Seeds Family Worship CDs have been a staple in our home for a few years now. I love that the lyrics are straight from scripture so my kids (and me & Kyle) are hiding God's word in our hearts as we memorize the songs. And Kyle appreciates that the music is cool and not the intolerable kiddie music that many children's songs are made of. Lucas even likes it - and that's saying a LOT since he's going into middle school and so-very-cool-now and all.

2) Pinterest has become my summer addiction.

3) This will also be a summer addiction. Mostly due to the incredibly large numbers of cucumbers we have coming out of our garden right now.

4) And if this chalkboard contact paper lives up to its claim, it just may change my life. Or at least my house.

5) I'm reading this book right now. It's definitely challenging and convicting. And, unfortunately, much needed in our home.

Vacation Video Diary Day 1 (& bonus birthday footage)

Things I Never Though I'd Hear Myself Say #778,912

"Get the cat off your head!"

Perfectionism

Upstairs I hear the rat-a-tat-tat of drumsticks beating. More than likely, they are not hitting the intended target. Sounds more like a wall. Yes, that's definitely a wall. So much for the "newness" of our house.

I yell at Lucas to stop the incessant drumming on the walls. I'm told he's not the culprit.

Jacob quickly speaks up and says he is the one practicing the drums. Which is great, except Jacob doesn't know how to play the drums. He tries, bless his heart, but the boy has not an ounce of rhythm (I just spelled that word at least 52 times before I got it right.)

Jacob suffers from what I like to call "I have to be able to do everything anyone else has even remotely succeeded at" syndrome. If Lucas plays guitar, so must Jacob. If Lucas hits a home run, so must Jacob. If Lucas can dive into the deep end, Jacob can surely do the same. If Lucas can play the drums, then it's obvious that the same talent must course through Jacob's veins.

The problem is ..... for most of those things ...... Jacob can't. Not that he won't ever. As he gets older, he will certainly accomplish many things that his older brother can already do. But, for now, he can't.

Sometimes this can be good. A little determination goes a long way in trying to learn a new skill. But this intensity and drive mostly just makes him miserable. He is a little boy with huge ideas. And when he can't do those things just the way he envisioned, his life falls apart. It's perfectionism at its deepest.

God has shown me recently (as in today) that these moments are God-given. Moments where the gospel should step in. Instead of taking 10 deep breaths to lower my blood pressure when he is in a heap of tears against the pool fence because he can't dive perfectly the first time, I should be using that time to remind Jacob that no one is perfect. Not me. Not his dad. And certainly not his oldest brother who he tries to keep up with.

But, we do know one who is. And through Him we can do all things.

So I teach Jacob that only through Christ will he ever succeed.

Will Christ work in Jacob to do that perfect roll on the snare drum? Maybe. Maybe not.

But, when we find our identity in Christ, when we seek Him and allow Him to work through us, we will be successful. Maybe not as the world defines success, but certainly as God defines it.

And that, my friends, is all that matters.

Now, if only I can explain that to the 8-year-old upstairs throwing drumsticks against the wall.

Random Thoughts

1) I thought life would slow down when school ended. I was wrong.

2) Our family has grown by two four-legged, furry creatures. We adopted kittens about 3 weeks ago. They are extraordinarily cute.

3) The poor things have become Ellie's sole source of entertainment. She follows them. She carries them (like newborn babies). She scolds them. She bosses them. She "reads" to them. She would like to brush their hair and teeth, but that hasn't happened. Yet. I'm also waiting on the "kitty hair cutting salon" to happen.

4) I'm amazed the cats have survived the past 3 weeks in our home. (See previous bullet point for explanation.)

5) I have only recently been overwhelmed with the realization that my eldest offspring will be entering middle school in the fall. MIDDLE. SCHOOL. M-i-d-d-l-e S-c-h-o-o-l.

6) I think I'm way more nervous than he is.

7) When in the world did I become old enough to have a child in middle school? Shouldn't I still be in my dorm room wondering if I have enough "skips" left to ditch my night class in order to go to IHOP with friends?

(Not that I ever skipped class.)

8) This is the last week of the summer that has nothing on the schedule, which means this will be our busiest summer in, well....., forever.

9) Kyle & I have started P90x again. Though we haven't made it consecutive days, we are doing pretty well and have lost some weight. Okay, so he has lost some weight. But, I haven't gained any. So I consider that a victory.

10) I don't have a 10 but needed one to even out my list. (My old college roommate, Robyn, will be the only person who understands this need in my life. That, plus the fact that speaking the word "infinity" before bed will only lead to insomnia. And, yes, I did just call you old. And, yes, I am speaking to an individual in my blog post. Told you this list was random.)

Random Pics

My baby boy will be starting middle school in the fall. YIKES!

Naptime in the car. The only place this ever happens anymore.

On the beam. 

painting

Face paint at First Friday downtown.

Noah painted like a goateed superhero. 

my crazy bunch after a day at the pool.

powerade popsicles

One of Lucas' drawings recently chosen to be displayed at the courthouse.

PICTURES

Too much going on in my brain to form coherent sentences. Here are some very overdue pictures of the past few months.

Jacob was baptized at our church's first baptism service. It was at the river

We celebrate God's faithfulness to our family!

Ellie and one our college friends, Molly, after baptism.

I found this on my camera. Jacob has been playing sports photographer, I think!

Lucas has been playing catcher this season. He loves it and is getting better and better!

We finally bought a house here - no more renting! 

The kids and I spent the day at UGA recently for their annual vet day.

Another picture I found on my camera. Seems Lucas was a bit bored during one of his online classes.

Ruff-Ruff

In December of 2002, Noah turned a year old. A few weeks after that, we received a package from my Aunt Marge. It contained two stuffed animals, a brown dog and a green bear. Lucas immediately chose the green bear and we handed the dog to Noah.

The dog has not left his side since that day.

Ruff-ruff has become a part of Noah. He is now tattered, torn and missing some of his insides, but still Noah loves him. He wakes up in the morning, grabs Ruff-ruff and heads downstairs. He watches tv with him, he goes in the car with us and, most importantly, Ruff-ruff goes to bed with Noah every night. We've even been told that Ruff-ruff is talking to him (or to us!).

I keep thinking that one day, soon, Ruff-ruff will be packed away with other memories of childhood. But, so far, that is not happening.

I guess until that day, we'll still be hunting Ruff-ruff at bedtime every night and watching Noah as he rubs Ruff's tail on his nose while watching tv.

And I'll make mental photographs so that one day, when I'm old and wrinkled and yearning for days of noise and activities, I can look back through my memories and remember my sweet boy and his best doggie friend.

How long has it been....

Wow. I think life gets so busy sometimes that I can't narrow down which part to write about. So I don't write about anything. For a month. yikes.

Here's a little list today just to get back in the groove of things.

• We started a new homeschool curriculum in January. I thought I would love it but it's not turning out that way. However, we're stuck with it until May.

• Lucas is in a community theater group. His first assignment is to do a mime performance for a downtown event in March. If you know Lucas you will find it as ironic as I do that his first acting performance requires him to be silent.

• I have taken a freelance writing job. It's a great job. I write. They pay me. We'll see if I can keep it up.

• I have also decided that no matter how hard I try to make myself be a runner I am not one. I am okay with the fact that a 5K is as far as I will ever run. I would rather do an hour of an intense weight workout or even a P90x video instead of run. That's who I am and I am proud. 

• We went to the dentist yesterday. The boys had chocolate and cookie dough flavored toothpaste. I found that a little odd.

• Ellie is at Kyle's parent's house all week. I have constantly had this feeling that I'm missing something or leaving something behind.

• I am ready for spring. 

• I don't really have another one but can't stand to end with an odd number. Yes I have issues.

So. This is probably the most disconnected list of nothing that I've ever written. But I can say I posted something today. Now I must go see what God has in store for today that I can write about tomorrow. :)

I'm sure you're all familiar with the Old Testament story of Jacob & Esau. Esau, in a moment of impulsivity, gave his birthright to his younger brother Jacob in order to get some food to fill his hungry belly. Something he greatly desired at that moment. He wasn't thinking into the future, only about the desire for the moment. Jacob wasn't innocent in this, though. He was a manipulator throughout the entire thing.

Fast forward to the Brogdon house, 2011.

For Christmas, the boys got a rather large lego set to share.  They had been looking forward to putting this set together since Christmas morning.  Yesterday, they opened the box to begin. Lucas and Jacob started arguing over who was going to put the trailer of the truck together. Lucas had been "wanting since he saw the box" to do it, but Jacob insisted that he was "good enough to do it." This went on ALL. DAY. LONG.

(I must insert here that Noah was happily putting together the smallest portion of the set and was in no way involved in this brotherly disagreement)

Until finally, sometime later in the afternoon, I heard the following conversation.

Lucas: Jacob, please let me put the trailer together.
Jacob: NO.
Lucas: PLEASE?!?!
Jacob: Okay, you can put it together, but you have to clean my whole room.
Lucas: Okay. Deal.
Jacob: Deal.

Lucas clearly wasn't looking into the future. He was only thinking about what he desired in that moment.
Jacob, wasn't innocent in this, though. He definitely knew what he was doing when he made that deal.

This morning the deal is being completed. Lucas is not happy about this. (I wouldn't be either. Jacob & Noah share a room and it is a disaster!) But he is learning a lesson about making decisions, thinking ahead, and fulfilling promises made. (though he insists he did not PROMISE. He just made a deal.)
Our modern day Jacob & Esau story is done.

All this analogy has made me think. How many times do I make a decision based on my momentary desires? Do I stop and consider future effects of my decisions?  On the other side of the story, how much do I try to manipulate circumstances to fulfill these desires? How many times do I try to help God out by taking things into my own hands?

If I'm honest, I have to say I'm not good at thinking ahead and I certainly have been known to manipulate and take control of something to "help God out" a bit.

Hmmm ..... maybe I have something to learn from Jacob & Esau myself.