George Party of Five

Time Flies!

2011-03-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Time sure does fly when you're having fun doesn't it? The kids are older and so am I! Life is good. Bryson is in fourth grade. He is doing great in school and still loves his sports!! We went from soccer, to basketball, and now into baseball. He made it for the Little League team. He is the youngest on the team but doesn't seem to mind. He has never known a stranger. He makes friends very quick. He is having a great time so far. The first game is in April. I am hoping the weather cooperates. He had practice today and it was in the 40's. Too cold for me. Me and another mom sat freezing while Morgan played with one of Bryson's team mates little sister. Morgan played soft ball and soccer last year for the first time and did a great job. Turns out she is a natural like her brother. She is getting ready to start another soft ball season. Well, am getting ready to sign both kids up for soccer. I will probably coach both teams again. I love soccer season! I have so much fun with the kids. Morgan is doing good in school. She has lots of friends. She makes friends easily like her brother. She is in second grade. She is quite the fashion Diva. She is starting to pick out her own outfits. Sometimes it can be hard when we don't see eye to eye about the outfits she picks. I am learning to see things outside of the box when it comes to her taste in fashion. Chris and I are good. It's work and kids non-stop. I wouldn't trade it for the world!!! Take care until next time!!

2010-08-17T11:43:00.001-07:00

It has been a very long time since I have been on here!!!! Life is busy and you tend lose time to just do little things in life. the kids are getting ready to start school. Trevor is going to be a Senior this year, Bryson is going to be a 4th grader, and our little Morgan will be a second grader! Time sure does fly by. Work is busy. Chris and I are coaching the kids soccer teams. Both of the kids are having fun. Morgan has really come out of her shell! She played softball this year. She did so good! Both Bryson and Morgan are very athletic! They get that from Chris for sure!!! I will try to get on to update more often, and try to post some pictures of soccer!

Take care!!
Julie

Over Already?

2009-08-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the weekends always go so quickly? It seems like it just started! It was very busy! It started out with a soccer game on Friday night. It was wet and cold! by the time the game was over the team was wet and muddy! They had a good time. We lost 3-2. Even my little Morgan got in on the mud action. From her knees down was nothing but mud. It was really gross. We turned around and had an 8:30 game the next morning and tied with the other team. It was a good game. The kids had fun. Bryson scored two goals. The rest of the day turned out to be a good day. I cleaned and then we went to the park. We saw a wedding party there getting their picture taken. It reminded me of my wedding day. Chris and I will celebrate 9 years this Wednesday. I can't believe it! Time sure has flown by. I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday! It was so much fun! Trevor, our 16 year old, was my dance partner at our reception most of the night. He seemed so little then. I remember when Chris and I dropped him off at his mom's house that night after the reception he said, "Can't I stay with you guys tonight." It was so cute. I let his dad answer that one. ( : We walked him to his door and told him goodnight. Nine years and two more kids later, here we are. I love Chris very much and look forward to more gray hairs and laughs together!

God bless!
Julie

Blessed

2009-08-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hello......yes it has been a month since I have been on here. So much has happened since I was last on. I am excited to say that my blog is in the middle of a makeover that I won.(Thank you Amy and CJ!!!!) I about fell off of my chair when I found out that I actually won! I appreciate Becky who is transforming my blog! I can't wait to see the finished product!

Okay, moving on to other things.............God is awesome! He continues to be faithful in spite of life's struggles! There have been so many things in my life that have been devastating whether it be relationships with family, work, life demands, and feeling stretched until you think you are completely transparent. That is how I have been feeling these days...................transparent. Now this might sound absolutely nuts to some people, but for me, this is a good way to be! I have talked before how I have felt a strong calling by God to do something that makes me question if God is sure he knows what he is doing. I know for sure what he wants me to do, and so I am finally surrendering my will to him. (This is a process mind you!) Here's the part that I am excited about. Being transparent means there is less of me......that makes room for more of HIM! Get it? Hold on, I can say it again.............being transparent is what I need to be so people see less of me and more of HIM!!!!!!!!! I have a mix of emotions with this. My human nature sees this as loss of control, which means I have to depend on someone else. My spirit nature knows that this is exactly where I need to be. I want to be transparent so people can see Jesus in me. Now, I am not perfect and I screw up. That is okay. I know I am on track for what God has called me to do. I couldn't be more excited about that! God knows what he is doing. I know that my struggles are not going to be in vain. I will run this race with my eyes on the prize, no matter how hard it gets. I keep thinking about that saying, God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Eph. 3:20-21

God Bless!
Julie

Just In Time!

2009-07-22T13:47:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard the saying, "God is seldom early, never late, and always on time."? I can't tell you who the author of this is, but they knew what they were talking about. I have been struggling lately with Life and questioning God on why things in my life are and have been the way they have been. I was at the brink of just being numb. I was talking to my sister on the phone last week, and she told me that I need to ask God to show me He loves me daily. She said He loves to prove who He is to us. So, taking her advice, I did it and have been since our last conversation. It has been a whirlwind of Him being so mighty in my life! I can't even express to you how in awe of Him I am right now. Before asking Him to do this, things just seemed so bleak. I was down and wondered if He really did have my best interest at heart. I thought maybe He had just given up an washed His hands of me and my "junk"! I have to tell you that I am thrilled to say that I was so wrong! God has moved every day since that day and I am telling you, it has been so cool to just sit back and watch Him have control of my life. We all tend to want to have control. We want to fix things that are broken, and change things we have no control over in the first place. It has been a great ride watching things unfold right in front of my eyes, knowing my Father, the one who does love me and promised Jeremiah 29:11, (my life verse!), to me, use people and situations that I would never have even fathomed to prove Himself to me! I love it! It is like watching miracles on a daily basis. Sure, it's not the burning bush or anything, but I tell you what.........it is good stuff!!!!! I want everyone out there who may come across this blog to know that God loves you so much. He will move to whatever lengths necessary to prove that to you. Your past doesn't matter to God. He sees the you he created and wants to give you a hope and future. He has plans for good and not disaster in your life. Do you want to know what the key is to that? Are you ready? GIVE UP! Stop trying to change people, things, and situations that you have no control over.....including your life. You have no control over your destiny, but God does. He is the only one who can change you. Just ask Him to. He will. Trust me! I am living proof of that! I want to thanks people who have prayed for me! I still covet your prayers.

God Bless!
Julie

Catching Up.....

2009-07-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been almost a month since I posted. Not much has really gone on. Work is work and I still feel like everything in life is just a hum drum kind of thing. (I don't even know if that makes sense or not) / : I don't want to sound like a downer, but I don't feel like I am in a summer season in my life. I feel like I am smack dab in the "black and white" or "gray" of winter, you know when the trees have no leaves and it's a cloudy overcast day, and you just feel like hibernating. This is not a fun place to be. I read my Bible in the mornings, because I feel like it gives me a boost. I know I am not the only one who has been where I am at. It seems like this is dragging on for way too long, but I don't know how to snap out of it. Anyway, I celebrated my birthday last week with the family. It was a rainy, dreary day on my birthday, so instead of spending the day outdoors, we went to lunch. It was nice. I have been trying to get ready for Vacation Bible School which is coming up next week. I am on my own with the music this year. The person that I usually do it with will be at camp next week with some of the church kids. I have to prepare a little more than usual since it is all up to me. I love VBS! It is so awesome to watch the kids sing and praise God inhibited. I know that will lift my spirits. I get emotional when I see the kids lifting their hands and praising God so sweetly!
I am in the process of checking out other employment options. I need to work full time. The 20 hours a week just doesn't cut it anymore. I feel like I was all over the place with this blog. I guess it kind of matches the way I feel with life right now. I am glad God is in control, I just wish He would give me more insight. It's hard to have faith like a child when I want to know more than what He is showing me! I know we all go through these seasons in our lives, I just feel like this one has gone on for way too long! I just have to keep on praying I guess. Well, take care and God bless!

Life...........

2009-06-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am so tired! Life is wearing me out and I feel like I can't keep up! Something always seem to get me down and I feel like the trials never end. But...............I am going to grow in the Lord. I want to leave you with scripture for those out there that might be struggling just like me!

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
James 1:2-4

Thank you Lord that you deem me worthy for trials! Bring me to the place you want me to be!

God Bless!

Another School Year Done!

2009-06-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it this school year is already over. Trevor still has some school to finish up at home, but he will be a junior in high school, Bryson is a third grader, and Morgan is a first grader. Where does the time go? It seems like not so long ago I met Chris and became an instant family with our oldest Trevor who was only 7 at the time. Now Trevor is like a grown man. It is the strangest thing to watch your kid drive away in his car all by himself! I had a hard time with him driving. Chris and his mom Amy seemed to take to it better that I did. He would ask me to go driving with him, but I was too chicken! He is a very responsible driver, but I guess I just wasn't ready for him to be so grown up! He has grown up so fast. He is a great big brother. Bryson is 8 and to think about how fast Trevor has grown up just makes my head spin! I know other mom's out there can relate to what I am feeling. Bryson is trying to push his limits. He wants more freedom, and we do give him more, but it is so hard to let go! He wants to stay up later and do more things. I tend to be a little overprotective with all the kids. Bryson is in baseball right now and will play soccer in the fall. Morgan is our little princess. She has all the boys wrapped around her finger. Her and Bryson fight quite often. They have gotten into some knock down drag out fights. But they do love each other. Morgan loves when Trevor comes over. She always runs to him and gives him a big hug. She loves to sing and dance, but only at home. She wants to do a tennis camp this year! Thank God! I didn't think she would ever break out of her shell. Chris and I told the kids that this summer they could have all of June off, but come July they would have to do some kind of refresher work so they don't lose what they learned over the school year. I am still working, much to my dismay! That's okay. I just keep praying that some day I can be a stay at home mom again and get involved in the kids schools and also maybe some much needed girlfriend time while they are at school during the school year. It would be nice to get involved in a couple of Bible studies. I hope to start blogging more often than I was and visiting more people on their blogs! God bless!

Fundraiser!!!

2009-05-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone! I just wanted to let you know that Trevor's mom and step dad are in the process of adopting there second child from China. They have set up a fundraiser for the orphanage in hope that they can raise money for supplies such as diapers, medicine, etc. for the orphanage that their soon to be adopted daughter Madelyn is coming from. Please visit www.bringingmadelynhome.blogspot .com to help them reach there goal and bring some children much needed supplies. This could be a great way to show God's love to orphaned children. Thank you so much for checking this out! I will try to blog updates on this as I get them!

Quick Catch Up!

2009-03-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time to update on this. I have gotten out of the blogging mode and have struggled to get back to it. I am behind on photos and all kinds of things. Well, work cut my hours in half. Apparently they are felling the crunch of the economy and they are cutting peoples hours. I can't say that I hate that! I am only working from 7:30 am until 11:30 am. I get home in time to get Morgan off of the bus and I LOVE IT! No more babysitters. I get to be home to see them both off the bus and this summer will be GREAT! It turns out to be a blessing. I am not happy at my job though. I am glad I have one, but since I am part time now, they took the liberty of changing everything on me. I am tired of doing customer service and was happy going to work when I worked full time. I enjoyed going there. Now they have changed everything I do and have put me back at customer service. I have to be honest when I say that I HATE IT!!! I have done customer service for many years, and one tends to get burned out dealing with the public..especially when it comes to people calling in about a bill they got that they are less than thrilled about, especially since they are feeling the economy too! UGH! Anyway, I really shouldn't complain, but it's hard to go to a job that you used to like, and now dislike with a great passion!!!! I guess I better go! I will try to post more soon and update the photos!

2009-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I have blogged! The holidays were busy as usual. Work has been crazy! I am going to try to devote more time to blogging again. This blog will be short and sweet, but stay tuned...........I will return!

2008-10-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope all is well. I just wanted to post some pictures of Bryson playing soccer. He is nuber 8 in the white. He makes his mom and dad so proud. There is also a family picture and one of Morgan holding up her White Sox hat after a big win. We are a White sox family!

SMART GIRL!!!!

Here is a family picture. We look like a mess. This was taken after a day of soccer and a birthday party with family.

God Bless!

Julie

Busy, Busy!

2008-10-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so lon since I have blogged! We have just been busy between school, soccer practice for dynamo then old mill, bible study, choir practice, work, and homework. I just haven't found much time to blog. Tonight however is a different story. Although it is a Friday night, the kids are in bed early like it is a school night because Bryson has an 8:30 game tomorrow morning. Yeah, I said 8:30 in the AM on a Saturday! TOO EARLY!! This is our only day to sleep in and we have to be at the soccer fields at EIGHT O'CLOCK!!!!!! UGH! Oh well. This is Bryson's last game before tournaments. I have had so much fun being the assistant coach on his team. The kids have been great and have improved so much! I just hope they go a long way. Anyways, with Halloween right around the corner, the George household has been thinking up what we are going to be. Morgan is going to be a star wars character. It was Natalie Portman's character on the newer Star Wars series. Her cousin Keegan is going to be Anakin Skywalker. They both have matching buckets for trick or treating. Bryson isn't sure what he wants to be. He mentioned a vampire, but I'm not sure if he wants to do that or not. I want him to be a Jedi to go along with Morgan and his cousin Keegan, but he wants to be a scary character. He is getting to that age I guess. I remember when my brother was a wherewolf. He might have been around Bryson's age. Um.... what else......Oh, Chris' job is going well. I am having a ball with my Bible study, and Trevor is still a very busy teenager. He is doing well in school. He is taking an art class, and I have really enjoyed seeing his drawings. He's got some talent! He is going to homecoming with his friend Amanda. He said he is really excited. He will have so much fun. We are going to have two additions to each side of our families. Our niece Taylor will have a baby girl in February and my cousin Gina will have a baby in April. We are not yet sure of the sex of the baby. It is too early to tell. I guess that is a quick overview on our lives lately. I hope everyone is healthy and happy! Happy fall to all!

God Bless!
Julie

Yuck!

2008-09-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I have spent the last couple of days doing absolutely nothing!!! Monday I woke up and felt like I had hardly slept. I got up and got ready for work like usual. I woke the kids once I was ready so they could get dressed and I could fix Morgie's hair for school. Off to work I went, but all I wanted to do all day was sleep. I kind of had a feeling that I might be coming down with something. I stuck out work and came home. I had the chills. I put on my winter pj's and laid around. I took my temp and sure enough, I had a fever. I slept on and off the rest of the afternoon and after dinner. I was in bed around 7:00pm! That is very unusual. I slept a lot yesterday. People at work had been sick with the aches and pains and stomach ache. I went to bed last night pretty early again, only to wake up around 3'ish with a migraine. I got up around 5:30 to get my shower for work, but my head was hurting so bad I could barely see straight. I get migraines, but I didn't know if it was that or part of the virus I had. I was so sick to my stomach that I couldn't go to work. I slept until about 11 and got up and went to the couch and dozed on and off for another couple of hours. The kids got out of school early and the neighbors had them over for a couple of hours to play. Thank God! Chris stayed home with me most of the day. He is so sweet! He is always such a big help when I don't feel good. He went out later in the afternoon to work and did very well. I just hope no one else catches what I had.

The kids are doing very well in school. Tomorrow night is Morgan's open house at school. She is so excited. She has been talking about it for days!!! Bryson came home from school with dirty legs and muddy clothes. The boys were playing football. Apparently the ground had not had a chance to dry up. Oh well! Boys will be boys. He is definitely 150% boy!

Well, I hope all is well with everyone. Take care!

God Bless!
Julie

Lord, give me strength!!!!

2008-09-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

I finally have the pictures posted!! The boys got a hold of my camera and I thought I would put a few pics of them on here! Goofy kids!

How sweet is this?!

Here is the pictureof the fight Morgan and Bryson got into the other night. This was after what Morgan thought was a victory. You can see the devious smile on her face and Bryson's feet hanging out of the tub and the shower curtain over his head. Nice!

*****Edit- I am having some issues downloading the pics of my kids. I will try yo figure out what is wrong and post them later!

I just don't understand why siblings can't just get along with each other! Our two younger kids get a long for the most part, but look out when they get going! I get so tired of breaking up fights! Morgan will be playing so well all by herself.......but then here comes Bryson. He will tease her so bad until finally, she has had enough and she will unleash on him. Today was one of those days! Here is a picture of the result of the fight. Please tell me I am not the only mom breaking up fights!

God Bless!
Julie

Fun Weekend!!!

2008-09-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

My husband and I went away Saturday night. My sister in law and her husband offered to take the kids Saturday night. My sister offered to keep the kids. I had her take the kids Sunday until we got home. We went out for dinner on Saturday. It was nice. We just took our time and enjoyed each other's company. After dinner we drove around enjoying the scenery and then we went for dessert. I love my kids to death, but I didn't realize how much Chris and I didn't talk because the kids would be talking or we were stopping fights or listening to them being loud making each other laugh. So needless to say, it was nice to be able to hear each other talk and to just take our time and relax.

Anyways, we came back to reality late afternoon yesterday. Everything went smooth with the kid's sleepover with their cousin. I knew they would be fine. So we picked the kids up, had dinner and got back into the same routine for school/work nights. So that was our weekend. Oh, Bryson had a soccer game on Saturday. We lost. I was a little dissapointed because the team that we played was undefeated. I was hoping our team was going to be the team to beat them. Oh well. The kids are having fun out there, that's all that matters.

Hope you all have a great week!

God bless!
Julie

Hello!

2008-09-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since I have been on here to share. Life has been busy. work, school, homework, soccer practice and games. It wears me out to just type it all in. I think I have the hang of posting pics. They are all of our kids.

School is back in session. Trevor is a sophmore ane driving. WOW! He is having fun so far. He has a great group of friends. He was sad to see summer go, but I think he is enjoying being at school with his friends. He is taking art this year. He says they haven't done much as far as drawing goes, but he is looking forward to it.

Bryson has a great teacher again this year. He is having fun with his friends and is already saying that he wants to be challenged a little more. He is loving soccer! I am one of the assistant coaches for his team and I am having a ball! It is so much fun! Bryce is averaging about 4 goal per game. He is a spitfire out on the field. Him and another little boy on hius team seem to connect really well and when they both are forwards, they tend to score quite a bit.

Morgan entered into kindergarten without any hitches. Last year, pre-school was rough at first. We sent her the first couple of days kicking and screaming. Turns out she ended up being the "social butterfly of the class" per her teacher. She love school this year and has a really good teacher as well. She is looking forwad to learning how to read.

Chris and I celebrated 8 years of marriage this past Tuesday! My how time flies when your having fun. It's hard to believe that Trevor was Bryson's age when Chris and I got married. He stood up for us in our wedding. Watching the video reminds us how fast our kids grow up.

Well, that about wraps things up for now. I have two kids in line waiting for their turn on the computer!

God bless!
Julie

Hello Again!!!!

2008-08-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I have blogged or gotten on to "connect with other bloggers. I will do some catching up, and I hope that I don't bore you.

First and foremost, I have a prayer request. Our oldest son, Trevor, has a cousin named Lindsey on his mom's side. She was diagnosed with breast cancer fairly recently. She is a wife and mother of five. She recently had surgery to remove the cancer, I am pretty sure both of her breasts were removed, but not positive. When they went in they found out that it was in her lymph nodes and the prognosis is not very good. She was diagnosed with stage three cancer. I am asking that everyone who reads this blog to pray. God is the great physician, and I believe that He can heal Lindsey. This has got to be very hard for her husband and children, and the extended family s well. Please pray for them as they travel through this valley. I want to pray for specific things for them. Please pray that Lindsey has the strength not only physically, but mentally to fight this cancer. As a mother, I can't even begin to imagine the "what ifs" that may cross her mind regarding her children and her husband. Please pray that the doctor's will have wisdom to know what will be the best treatment for her. Pray that her husband and children will also have strength to get through these hard times, and to be a source of strength for her. Pray for the family who has traveled there to help her in her recovery. pray for the extended family, such as Trevor and his mom and the rest of his mom's family as they are concerned for Lindsey and her family and their well being.Pray that she will stay positive as that will make a big difference in her recovery. I appreciate all of the prayers that will go up for all of the family.

Okay, now for the little things to catch up on. Last week was vacation Bible school at our church. It was such a blessing to serve during the week for this. I helped lead the children in praise and worship. There is nothing better than watching a bunch of kids from the age of four to twelve lifting their hands is praise and singing to God. They are so uninhibited! I wish that I still had the faith of a child. They listen and believe without doubts. They aren't afraid to sing out as loud as they can, and they just know how to have fun without worrying about what other think. I was so blessed every night I was there just watching them. That is why I volunteer. I know that I will walk away from the experience feeling changed and energized, even as tired as it is with the crazy routine of work, rushing home, giving the kids baths, feeding them and rushing of to VBS to lead praise and worship to a room of screaming noisy kids. It was TOTALLY worth it! I have to admit that my favorite part was watching my daughter Morgan, the terribly shy one, sing and lift her hands to the motions with the songs. I almost cried it was so sweet! Other than that there really isn't much going on. we had some nasty weather yesterday that knocked a lot of peoples power out. Trevor is going to stay with us until the power at his mom's house comes back on. Work is work. Wish I was a stay at home mom. I would love to find work at home that doesn't involve marketing and that I could make my own hours. I am still praying about that.

Well, I guess that about wraps up my thoughts right now. Please remember to pray for Lindsey!

God Bless!!
Julie G.

Not So Perfect!

2008-07-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever since I have been on here. Sometimes it seems like life just slips right by without even giving you a chance to take it all in.Well, I have been realizing some things in the past few months, or years, that God has brought to my attention. I'm not exactly ready to share all of the things that He has shown me, but I will try to explain.
When I was a teenager, I felt a strong calling from God. It was, well, I guess you could say it was a vision He gave me. Ever since then, I have felt completely inadequate to live this vision out. I have in fact run away as far as I think I possibly could from that day. I know God's purpose for my life, but can he really use me? I am so far in my mind from being ready for what God has laid on my heart, yet the passion burns so strongly inside of me that I can't put out the flame, even if I tried. I hope this makes sense to whoever reads this. I think some will be able to relate because I think that once Satan know that we know God's purpose for our lives, he does everything he can to try to get us as far from that reality as he possibly can. So, for many years, I have not taken this "vision" very seriously, but I have never felt as strong as I do about it at this time in my life. So, back to feeling so unable to do what He asks of me. I have made many mistakes in my life that I feel like God surely is making a mistake giving me this "vision", right? Could this be God's first mistake ever? Nope, He doesn't make mistakes. The problem with me is that I feel that I am never going to be smart enough, theological enough, good enough, perfect enough.......STOP!!!! I don't have to be......HE IS! So I have decided to shift my frame of mind to just that, I will NEVER be good enough, theological enough, smart enough, or even perfect. God is all of those, and I don't have to be. I just need to surrender, and let Him use me! I am going to say things that I shouldn't, yell when I shouldn't, get angry when I shouldn't, and do things that I shouldn't. All I need to do is try to be the woman of God that I have been called to be. God will change my heart and do all of the work for me, if I will just surrender myself as a vessel. Now that is one thing that I can do very easily. I just tend to take things back from Him and try to do it myself. We women are like that. We are natural born "fixer-uppers", right? So, this is going to be quite the adventure for me. I am going to just trust that God knows what he is doing, even if I am not sure how He is going to do it. I am in good hands.
This might not have made sense to anyone reading, but I just needed to vent and get these things out of my head. I hope you all have a great week!

God Bless!
Julie G.

A new heart...

2008-07-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hello! I hope all is well with whoever visits this blog today. I really don't have a lot to catch up on. We have been looking unsuccessfully for a place to live. We have to rent. Our ideal situation would be rent to own, but we haven't been able to find a place where we feel like we should be. The search goes on. God knows the place he has for us, he just hasn't shown us yet.

Anyways, I was watching a TV show that was showing a little toddler getting a heart transplant. All went well. His body took the heart successfully and the surgery went off without a hitch. I have to share what popped into my head. When I came to a point in my life where I realized I needed a savior, I prayed that God would forgive me of my sins and give me a new heart. So He forgave me, and I received a "new heart." Now, it may not have been a physical heart transplant, but it was a new heart all together. After thinking about that for a moment, I realized something. That little boy has a new heart that needs to be taken care of. He will go to his doctor for check ups, take in the right medicine, and even have to eat a healthy diet and exercises to maintain a healthy heart. I thought of how as a Christian with a "new heart", we also have to have check-ups by asking God to search our hearts for anything that is unhealthy, and take in the right "medicine" by reading Gods word, and exercises to keep our hearts right by living as an example. Oh my! I have not had a "healthy heart diet." I have not had my check ups or gotten the right dose of medicine or exercises to keep my heart healthy. I don't want to die of heart failure, and I surely don't want to face my heavenly Father someday with the gift he gave me looking unhealthy. I need to be doing the things it takes to keep my heart "healthy". I am FAR from perfect. As a matter of fact, when I talk about going to church to people, I tell them I go because I am a sinner. I want to start living a healthy heart diet. I want people to see right through me to my heart and see that although it isn't perfect, it is healthy.

Lord, forgive me for not taking better care of my heart to keep it "healthy". You have given me every tool I need to maintain a heart like yours, please help me to use them! Amen

God Bless!
Julie G.

Re-cap

2008-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, this week FLEW by! Monday my grandmother turned 85! Wow. I hope I get around as well as her when I turn 85. We celebrated her birthday on Sunday, the 6th, and she was salsa dancing with my cousin! What a blessing she is to all of us. I am so glad she is still alive. She is the only grandparent I have left and I just love her to death!

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on Thursday the 10th. It was a good day. My co-workers made food for the day and someone baked me a cake. My husband and kids took me out for dinner. After dinner a huge storm blew in. A lot of local businesses and residents lost power. When I got to wok on Friday, we had only partial power and no internet. Needless to say, I had a 3 day weekend! Thank you Lord. I went out and worked, if you can call it that, with my husband. I mostly watched him do his thing. It was nice. The rest of the weekend was okay. Today I played baseball and basketball with the kids. I am pretty tired right now.

The highlight of the weekend was church service this morning. I can't even ell you how much of a blessing it was for both my husband and myself. I think it was more of a blessing for me watching how it touch my husband. Our pastor, Derrick, is very gifted at giving a message. He paints a very truthful picture with his words. This morning was no different. We have been studying the book of Ephesians for quite some time, kind of picking it apart. The best part today was when he started talking about how people around us can say things that hurt. He talked about conditional love, such as, I'll love you as long as you get good grades, hang out with the right crowd, wear the right clothes, etc. This struck a cord for my husband. Derrick also talked about how some people may have never heard the words I love you, or been shown a lot of affection growing up. Then, what Derrick said next for some reason just hit like a tone of bricks. Jesus loves you! Yep, without conditions or limitations, he loves us completely! (look up the word completely in the dictionary and see what it says.) We will not know, or begin to live up to the plans that God has for us until we live and realize his UNCONDITIONAL love. It doesn't matter what we have done in the past, or what our hang ups are, or how many times we have sinned or turned our backs on him, !HE LOVES YOU So I want to leave you with that thought.............

Jesus Loves YOU!

Thank you Father in heaven for you mercy and unconditional love! Touch our live in a mighty way! Help us all to realize your unconditional love so that we can live to the fullest potential and be the people you have called each of us individually to be. Amen

God Bless you!
Julie G

Joy thieves!

2008-07-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

Have you ever met anyone or had to deal with someone that tries to steal your joy whether intentional or not? There are some people and certain situations in my life that I truly believe Satan uses to try to steal my joy. Did you catch that? MY JOY! Mine!!! For a long time I lived without my joy until one day....... I took it back! I was home alone, dealing with some giants in my life. I decided to turn on my praise and worship. I sat there and just started singing, something I love to do, and realized that I needed to take back the joy that had been missing in my life for quite some time. There were people and things in my life that just stole my joy that was not theirs to take! Very difficult situations and people became so overwhelming that my joy just slipped right out of my life. Well, I have my joy back. I spent a very sweet morning in worship, and my joy returned. Now I protect it carefully! I looke back on that day and realize that having joy is definately a priceless gift from God!

I am so thankful to have my joy!

God bless!
Julie G.

Wedded bliss!

2008-07-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wedding to go to today. My friend's daughter got married. I feel so old! my husband and I got married in 2000, and My friends daughter was in jr high. To see her today looking so grown up and absolutely beautiful just made me think of how fast time flies by. Her dad got up and made a speech about how when your kids are young, you start praying for a good Christian spouse that will be loyal to them and before you know it, you are walking them down the isle. Yikes!!! I felt so guilty hearing that because I don't pray like I should for my kids. I mean, I pray for them, but in the present. i need to focus just as much on their future. So that was a little wake up call for me. (Thank you father of the bride!) We had a good time tonight. The kids are staying at my sister's house, another thing I am very grateful for, and wouldn't you know it, my husband and I are in separate rooms. Ha!

I am going to go, but I want to say that I am thankful that my heavenly father is concerned just as much with our lives both present and future and that He has already gone before us to prepare the way, even when the path is uncertain for us.

Good night and God bless you!
Julie G.

His first tooth!

2008-07-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, after about 7 or 8 months of being loose, Bryson has FINALLY lost his first tooth. We are all soooooo excited. (Well, he is now that it's out.) I asked him if I could wiggle his loose tooth, and he let me. I was a little sneaky and wiggled it harder that normal, and it popped. After that it was really loose. If I could have had one more good wiggle, I could have gotten it out, but Bryson freaked out. It took me an hour to pull the tooth because he kept on stopping me as soon as I touched his tooth. I told him that he should just leave it alone and it would eventually fall out. He said he wanted to be the first between him and his cousin, Jordan, who he happens to be one month older than. So he got his wish. I was excited for him. So the tooth fairy will be visiting our house tonight. I wonder what the going rate for the tooth fairy is these days.... Anyway, I just wanted to share the news! It was too eventful not to share.

I am thankful for and cherish all of the moments that may seem so little to some, but so exciting for others. Cherish one of those moments today!!!!

God Bless!
Julie G.

Catchin' up

2008-06-29T19:49:00.001-07:00

Well, I haven't posted for a few days. The annual festival in our town was this weekend. It started on Wednesday night. The kids had a lot of fun. We went Wednesday just for a little while. Bryson's friend Josh was there so Bryson road a couple of rides with him. Morgan does not go on any rides. She is very shy. She has fun watching. Now, she doesn't mind playing the games. She begged to play a game that you can win a gold fish if you get a ping pong ball into a little fish bowl. I told her that she could play it, because I truly thought she wouldn't win. I was so wrong! The child got a ball in there. She was soooooo excited. She named it Sparky. We warned her that a lot of times those gold fish don't live very long. We put it in a vase, and I crossed my fingers. I woke up the next morning before Morgan got up and held my breath. I walked into the kitchen and was relieved to see sparky alive! I was worried that she wouldn't do well losing her first pet. Well, sadly enough, Sparky only lived for four more hours. Morgan cried for a little while. It was so heartbreaking. She had already fell in love with her little fish. We flushed poor sparky down the toilet. Bryson had a ball riding on the rides. He goes on the big rides. I don't let him ride them without a friend or an adult. I happen to be the designated adult. Chris can't handle any rides that spin, not that I am able to handle it a whole lot better. So there is this one ride that Bryson likes to ride called Storm. Now, this is the ride that is the fastest and the one that spins you the most. I know that I can't handle this ride very well. I get off of it and can hardly walk straight. Last year when I rode it, some kind gentleman asked, "Ma'am, do you need some assistance?" (I've never felt older in my life!) I assured him that just as soon as the ground stopped moving, I would be just fine. It took a couple of hours for me to recover. This year, I kept my eyes closed most of the time accept to peak at Bryson to make sure he was okay. I didn't feel so bad when I was a teenager that was sitting across from us on the ride, puke after getting off of it. He rode all of the bigger rides accept for the tilt-a-whirl and sizzler. There was a great band out there on Friday. They were from L.A. I think there name was Dot to Dot, or something like that. I was pretty impressed. They played a wide variety of music, and put there own touch to the songs. They were high energy and fun to watch. We stayed there until about midnight with some friends of ours and their kids. They have three. The ages of their kids and our kids are eight, seven, five, five, and almost four. So they all play really well together. We all had a good time. We went Saturday and stayed pretty late with the same friends again. We watched the fireworks and the kids rode a couple of rides. Today was the last day, thank God because I am tired! We watched the parade and Bryson and his cousin rode a few rides. So it turned out to be a good weekend.

I get to go back to work tomorrow. I can't say that I am excited about that. Sometimes we just have to do things we really don't want to do. At least it is a short work week with the Fourth of July on Friday. Which means that my birthday is next week already! July 10Th is my birthday. I had a hard time with my birthday when I turned 30. I swore I would never cry over another birthday ever again. I am going to be 32 and I am looking forward to it. Age is just a number, and if I live my life worried about my age, I will miss out on all of the good things around me.

Well, It's getting late, and I am getting very tired. I hope everyone has a happy Monday. I want to end with something that I am grateful for. I am grateful for my beautiful children. I am grateful that God gave them to me. I am so blessed! Feel free to share with me the things that you are grateful for. I've learned that when you share what you are grateful for nothing else matters!

God bless!!
Julie

God Bless!
Julie

Surviving!

2008-06-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, today was my second day back to work, and I am still alive. Ha! I wish I could just walk out and not look back. I know that is the wrong thing to do, but it is sooooo tempting! When I got back yesterday, I found out that my job responsibilities have changed once again. I am doing things that I have never done before. (This should be fun!) There are a bunch of medicare denials that I have to work, oh, and they have to be done by Friday. Oh thank you Lord for my job! I hope I still have it after Friday. /: I guess I will have to learn very quickly. On top of answering the phones, which happened to be ringing off the hook today! Oh the joys of working in the billing department for an orthopedic practice with about 10 doctors and physician assistants in it! Oh, and on top of wanting to lose my mind, I hit my knee that I had surgery on at lest 3 to 4 times a day. Aaaahhhhh!

Okay, I need to move along! My kids are looking forward to this weekend because the festival is in town. Every year we have the Friendship festival, and if we let them, the kids would live there from the time it opens on Wednesday until it closed Sunday afternoon. The weather never fails to be less than desirable every year as well. Most of the time it rains and gets muddy and gross out there. The kids don't seem to mind, but there is just something about mud covering my shoes and getting between my toes that tends to gross me out. Yuck! I won't complain, it is fun to watch the kids have such a good time. Now, Saturday is family day where all the rides are only one ticket. Unfortunately, I am the designated parent to ride the rides that spin with Bryson. My husband can't handle spinning. Not that I can, but I do it better that Chris does. Bryson is so adventurous. He loves to ride the big rides that turn you everywhere and leave me struggling just to walk off the ride. Last year a guy was asking me if I needed assistance off the ride. I told him I would be okay as long as the ground stopped moving. HA! HA! I was a little discombobulated for a couple of hours after that one. Morgan is less that thrilled with rides. I'm sure once she is a little older she will get a little more like her brother and ride some faster rides. Trevor usually goes with his friends to the festival. I don't blame him. I was like that at his age. I never wanted to go to that sort of thing with my parents.

I guess that just about wraps things up. I want to end with something I am grateful for. I am thankful for my heavenly Father who just takes me as I am. One that I can say whatever I want to, and He always understands, never gets angry, and loves me unconditionally.

God Bless!
Julie

Vacation is over : (

2008-06-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, my vacation from surgery is over. I saw the doctor today, and he released me to return to work on Monday. I knew it was coming, but have been dreading hearing those words. Well, I broke the news to my kids that mommy has to go back to work. Needless to say there were almost tears shed. I feel terrible. I want to be a stay at home mom or a mom who works from home part time. I don't want to miss time with my kids! I feel like they are growing so fast. I need to find some way of being with my kids. I know many women have to work, but I want my kids! I was a stay at home mom until Bryson went into kindergarten. My husband was having health issues and I had to find a job. I have been working ever since and feel like I am missing so much with my kids. We have gone to parks, the library, the children's museum,(Tuesdays are free!), and have had so much fun since I have been home for almost four weeks. I am a mom first and foremost. So I will enjoy these last couple of days with my kids and try to put Monday in the back of my mind. If anyone out there is reading this and you know a great way for mom's to stay home with kids but still work on the side, please let me know! I have looked into many web sites, but haven't been able to find something that would really work. My job now is VERY stressful. I deal with the public concerning their medical bills and it is not an easy thing to do. People can be very rude. I have even been cursed at and had a lady say she was going to kill someone after she walked away from me. (I'm pretty sure I was her target.) It is very hard to have a good attitude when people are so cruel. I really shouldn't complain because a lot of people are out of work right now. So I apologize for being a baby. But I would love to hear from anyone who knows of a way for a mom to work from home. Please leave any comments or suggestions. They would be much appreciated!!! Well, I hope all is well with everyone!

God Bless!
Julie G.

A beautiful day!

2008-06-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day! The sun was shining, the temperature was in the mid seventies, and there was an awesome breeze! I had therapy at 8:00 this morning. (YUCK!) When I got home, the kids were just starting to eat their breakfast. They have been playing so hard outside that they crash at night and sleep in a little later in the mornings. We love the summer hours! I took Bryson's stitch out. He asked me to take it out for him because he didn't want to have to go to the doctor. Boy was that a lot of fun. The poor kid just freaks himself out thinking that it was going to hurt. He told me not to use scissors. I told him that I had to use scissors to get them out. He has had stitches before. The last time he had them, my mom took them out, but he thought she only used tweezers. So I told him to call Grammi and ask her if she used scissors or not. Well, he didn't like the answer he got. She in fact did use the scissors, she just didn't let him see. So after a half and hour of him freaking himself out, i told him to put a pillow in front of his face and not to look until I said to. He was crying and almost hysterical. It was over in 15 seconds and he didn't even realize that I was already done. He pulled the pillow away from his face and asked when I was going to do it. I just held the stitch up with the tweezers and smiled. We both started laughing and he realized how silly it was for him to act the way he did. I realize telling this story to you that many times we do this to our heavenly Father. We know what He wants us to do, we put our lives in His hands, but sometimes we stick a pillow over our faces and get ourselves freaked out that it is going to hurt. Now, my intentions taking Bryson's stitches out, was not to harm him. He put his heel in my hands and I told him I would take care of it, but he didn't quite trust that I was going to take the stitches out without hurting him. I am so guilty of this with God. I want Him to have control of my life, and yet I don't always trust that His plan for me will only make me a better person. I am going to learn from my son. I need to trust that God knows what is best for me. Just like Jeremiah 29:11 says.

God Bless!
Julie

Feelings....

2008-06-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just get a certain feeling? Well, I do. I don't know why, but usually when I get them, something in my life changes. It's almost like driving in the fog, you know that there is something ahead, but you can't see it yet. I have got that feeling and I just don't know how to take it. The Holy Spirit will just lay something on my heart, and then I just wait.......it's very hard to wait! I don't know what I exactly I am feeling, but my heart is very heavy tonight. I need to ask for prayer from any believers in Christ that might run into this blog. Pray for me that whatever this feeling is will become more clear to me, and that I will know what it is I need to do.

Goodnight and God Bless!
Julie

I love warm weather!!!!!!

2008-06-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

The weather finally dried up after some yucky weather. The tornado sirens have already gone off a couple of times so far. The tornadoes did not reach us, but they weren't too far away. A little too close for me. I must admit though, there is just something about watching a storm roll in. The lightning and thunder, then the rain. It truly amazes me. God has thought of everything. I am in awe of his glory and power, from the storms and the beautiful sunrise and sunset. He just made everything so perfectly.
So now that the weather has cleared up, it has been fun in the sun! My sister-in-law has a pool, so the kids have been swimming. My sister-in-law's yard is under "construction". They had the pool put in at the end of the summer last year, so they want to put a deck next to the pool and landscape the back yard. I told Bryson and Morgan that they needed to wear their shoes in the back yard. Just past the back yard is a field. One of the posts from the fence broke off and there was a piece of metal stuck in the yard. I had just told Bryson to put his shoes on before he goes out into the field. Well, Bryson unfortunately learns things sometimes the hard way. He ran out into the field with no shoes on and sliced his left heal open. OUCH! I went over to him and he was trying to put his shoe on while blood was pouring out of his heal. He was screaming . He does not do well when he sees blood, so he was freaking out. I told him he needed to calm down and sit so I could look at it. Debbie went running into the house for a towel. There was blood everywhere, all over me, him, and the grass. When I looked at it I knew he would need stitches because the fatty part of the inside of his heel was visible. After soaking the towel, we got the bleeding to slow down. I called the doctor to make sure Bryson's tetanus shot was caught up and it was. Needless to say, he has a stitch in his heel. He played in his baseball game last night. It really didn't seem to slow him down at all. I am just glad it wasn't any worse. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to swim now. That is very hard for a seven year old, when his sister and cousin get to swim. I told him that I was sorry he couldn't swim. His response made my heart swell. He said, "it's okay mom. It's my own fault because I didn't listen to you." Lesson learned. I was so proud of him for taking ownership for his actions. As an adult, sometimes it's hard for me to take ownership of things, so to see my son do just that made me so proud of him. I commended him for that. As far as my recovery goes from my knee surgery, I am still going to therapy three times a week. I went to the doctor yesterday, and he still doesn't want me to go back to work. my leg still swells up a lot, and there is still quite a bit of pain. They told me it will be a good four months before I fell really good. UGH! I know it takes time, but I am not a patient person. I will have therapy for another four weeks at least. I must be honest, I don't want to go back to work. I love being home with my kids and the thought of going back to a job that I have to be at Monday through Friday while my Bryson and Morgan go to a day camp or babysitter kills me. I wish there was something that I could do that is very part time. I want to be home with the younger kids and doing things with them. They grow so fast and I don't want to miss these times with them. Before you know it, they will be going out with there friends all the time, like Trevor. We see him, maybe once a week. If anyone out there has any great stay at home mom jobs, Please let me know!! I'll try to post more often, but I just get so busy with the kids, I forget to keep up with this!

God Bless!!
Julie

Finally some warmer weather!

2008-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it is finally going to stay warm around here! I am still unexpectedly off work due to my surgery, but it has been a blessing. I have been able to spend the beginning of the kids summer at home with them. I don't get around like I would like to, but I am still able to sit at the park or outside with them. I am able to draw with sidewalk chalk and enjoy seeing them play in the water. Morgan has a new bike. We have put off getting her a bike for a long time. I'm not really sure why. We finally got one for her and she lives on it! She does good on it. Bryson's baseball season is almost over. He only has two games left. Unfortunately we have not had a good experience with his coach this year, so I think we are all looking forward to being done with baseball. I am just glad he loves the sport and still has fun in spite of the lack of enthusiasm from the head coach. Trevor started driver's ed yesterday. That to me is just CRAZY! We don't see much of him anymore. Chris is doing well with his job. He enjoys his work. He is trying to get me to go to work for him so that I don't have to work as many days of the week. I have been praying about it. God is working in our lives and we welcome the changes he is making. I can honestly say I am not looking forward to going back to work. It is going to be very hard getting back into that schedule. I feel bad for the kids because they will have to go back to being babysat. Progress from my surgery has definately been slower than I expected. I tried to get around without my cruch, but when I went to physical therapy they scolded me. They said I have to use it.

So that is my update. Hope all is well with everyone!

God bless!
Julie

Bryson's Birthday

2008-05-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

I think I finally got the picture from Bryson's birthday on here from the White Sox game with the help of my Brother-in-law. I will try to post more pics of the family as I get the hang of this!

Julie

Please Pray!

2008-05-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

We found out that Stephen Curtis Chapman, a well known Christian singer, lost his daughter. His son was pulling into the driveway and did not see his little sister and ran her over with an suv, and she was killed. Please pray for this family. They are strong in their faith in Christ, but will still need prayers of other believers to help them through the rough days ahead of them.

God Bless!
Julie

Road to Recovery......

2008-05-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted. I was very busy the week leading up to my knee surgery. All went well. I guess the miniscus was not torn. That's a good thing. The doctor did a lateral release. Apparently my knee cap was being pulled to the outside of my knee because of the tendons or whatever. So they did a lateral release. As soon as they cut, they did compressions for about five minutes. When they released the compression, my leg blew up like a balloon! Nice, eh? Well, that was on Monday. Tuesday I went to my first therapy session. That was interesting. my foot had swelled up quite a bit. My toes looked like little cocktail weenies! It was not very cute. My foot was very cold too. The physical therapist was afraid that I might have a blood clot. I was just along for the ride....those drugs they gave me were working very well! After working on me for two hours, and I didn't mind the foot rub, he said it was not a clot. So they gave me a couple of exercises and I was on my way home. Unfortunately when I got home, I started vomiting from the nice drugs that were helping me with my pain. (not so fun!) SO I didn't take any. Today when I went to therapy, I was in a whole lot of pain! I have to admit, I did cry a little through therapy, but they got my leg to bend to 110% and yesterday I couldn't get it past 80%. So today the pain has been pretty bad. I worked so hard in therapy that now my leg is worn out and I can barely get it to cooperate. I have to will it really hard to get it to work. I did end up taking more drugs, and yes I am under the influence of a orescribed narcotic. So if I am rambling or this doesn't make sence, that is why. I hope everyone is doing well. I will try to post again soon. Please pray for a speedy recovery for me so that I can get back to work!

God Bless!
Julie

Back to Work.

2008-05-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

The weekend went by way too fast! It always does. Bryson had a birthday party sleep over on Friday, so we got to have some one on one time with Morgan. We played outside and she wanted an ice cream cone. When we got home we got our pj's on and snuggled on the couch. We fell asleep watching TLC. Saturday we played outside all day long. We were at my sister-in-law's house. The kids love to p[lay with their cousin Keegan. We ended up having dinner there. Sunday we got up and went to church. Service was good, as usual, and then we came home and just hung out. The kids and I made cards for Grandmas, since we didn't do it on Saturday. We went visited my mom and brought her her mother's day gift and card. Then that night we had dinner with the family. It was a good weekend. Tomorrow I am going to the zoo with Morgan's class. I went last Thursday with Bryson's class. It went by so fast. we only have a short time to see things since we had to be back at the school by 3:00. My surgery is scheduled for Monday, May 19th. I am a little nervous, but can't wait to get my knee fixed. I have osteoarthritis in both knees, but my doctor thinks I have a tear in my meniscus. Anyways, I hope all the mother's that read this had a great mother's day. I just feel blessed that I was able to have children and be a part of their lives. They are awesome kids and I wouldn't trade being a mom to my three kids for anything!!! They are definitely a gift from God. I can't imagine my life without them!

Blessings!
Julie

Blah!!!

2008-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

I just feel blah. I went to the zoo today with Bryson's class, and ever since we got home, I have been feeling blah. My knee started bothering me with all of the walking and I am just tired. I guess we all go through these days. I think I must need a vacation or something. There is only one problem, after my surgery I won't have any vacation time left. Well, I'll just have to make the best of being laid up for about ten days. Thank God tomorrow is Friday!!!!

Goodnight!
Julie

Pain in the Knee!!!!!!!!

2008-05-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I found out that I get to have surgery on my right knee. Let me back up and explain.

I was on my way out the door about a month or so ago, running a little bit behind. My knee was hurting when I woke up that morning, but I didn't think anything of it. When I walked out the front door and stepped off of the porch, POP went my knee. Immediately I though, "this cannot be good!" I hobbled to the car and drove to work. I happen to work at an Orthopedic doctor's group, so I had my pick of who I wanted to see. I was seen immediately by one of the doctors. He ordered me an MRI of my knee and took some xrays. The MRI said there was no evidence of cartilage damage. So why was I in so much pain? I hobbled around on cruches for a few days. After two cortizone injections with a needle that I swear was a foot long, and might I add that getting those injections were a very strange feeling, I will need to get a scope to see why I am still in pain. This is the good part. The other thing that I found out by my xrays was that I have HORRIBLE knees. As in, I am looking at knee replacement for my other knee! WHAT!! I am only 32 yrs old. Now they won't do them any time soon, but sometime down the road, there is the strong possibility that I will have to have a knee replacement done. Alright, I admit, I had a hard time turning 30. I did cry and get depressed. I swore I would neve get upset about another birthday, but with the way my knees looked in that xray......I don't want to get any older!!!! At 30 I had to get my first mammogram. OUCH! All of those stories about, excuse me, your boob getting smashed like a pancake.........it is soooooooo true. I happened to look down during my mammo. WOW! I had a hard time with that because most people start getting mammograms when they are 40. Not me though! I have to be outside of the normal box. I had a lump in my breast. Everything turned out to be okay, but now I have to get a mammo every year. Better that than the alternative, right? So I am very surprised at the new I got. Yes, it could be worse. I am just very suprised at the degeneration in my left knee. I asked him when he thought I would be able to start running. He said that I could ride a bike, or swim the river, but I would never be able to be a runner. I was bummed. So anyway, my surgery is May 19th. Please pray that everything goes well, and that my aging joints would be young again!

I need to get some sleep. I am going to the zoo with Bryson's class tomorrow. Next Tuesday is Morgan's class.

God Bless!
Julie

I love my kids!

2008-05-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

I am in awe of how much love I have for my three kids! We started with Trevor. He was six years old when Chris and I met. Trev and I had our ups and downs trying to adjust to the new situation. He had spent a lot of time with just him and his dad. He didn't want to share him. There were other outside influences that mad our relationship a struggle, but I feel like we have come such a long way. I love him just as much as I love our other kids. He is so loving and tenderhearted. I'm so blessed that I have him in my life. Bryson and Morgan are just two of the most opposite kids you will ever know. Morgan does not like any attention, and Bryson demands a lot of it. One minute they are hugging each other, the next minute I'm having to pull them off of each other. Morgan may be little, but look out when she gets mad. (She is not afraid to take her brothers on.) Bryson is just a little sport nut. He was born with a ball in his hand, his first word was ball, and he sleeps with a football at night. He is 100% BOY!!!!! They are all so different, but my love for them is all the same. I can't imagine life without them. I love their smells, not so much the feet, but you get my drift. I just love them all to pieces. Take the time to enjoy your kids! You won't regret it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Julie

Another day........

2008-05-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't know how to download pics to this so you can see my beautiful family. I tried, and as you can see, I failed. I will eventually figure it out. If anyone has tips, feel free to share.

On another note, I have been thinking a lot about things in my life. I have been reading a blog about a sweet mother and father, and the loss of their daughter. You can see their story if you go to Inspiring People and click on Bring the Rain. Their little precious baby passed away on April 7th, two hours after she was born. It is an awesome story, and it completely inspires me. I have been praying for their healing daily, every moment I think of them. Today was no different. I tried to fathom the gravity of their loss. The grave has robbed them, but in spite of that they continue to praise the Lord for his goodness and for this plan and trial set before them. So I thought of how many times I complain or get angry because I don't get my way, because God brings me down a path that I was not wanting to go. So I go, as if one without a choice, sometimes kicking and screaming. I am ashamed at my behavior. I am embarrassed to say this, I am like a two year old in the toy section at Target whose mommy hasn't allowed her to get the toy she wanted. God forgive me me for being that way. Then I see Angie and Todd's story and think, wow, they praise Him in the storm. They don't understand why God chose Audrey's life to be just over two hours, but they are still trusting God. AMAZING! Sure they have questions, and sometimes she said she has even screamed at God, but they still trust in Him. I am so completely moved by this. I have been through a lot in my life, struggles, heartache, almost losing my husband to depression. Through all of that I can SHAMEFULLY say that I gave up on trusting God's plan. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself and freezing up so to speak, and forgetting the promise that God has a purpose and plan for my life. So I have been moved to this.......I need to ask for forgiveness for not submitting my life to God completely. I have been putting things in God's hand, only to take them back with questions and concerns, and "God are you sure you know what you are doing." I question the God who placed every star in the sky in it's own space, knows every hair on my head, feeds every animal, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and sacrificed His own son on the cross for me, who has the nerve to question Him. Um, does anyone else see a problem with that? It's okay, I confess how wrong I am. I am sorry for all the times that I failed to trust. But the great part about all of that is that I am forgiven. It is never too late to start over. God gives us many chances, Lord knows I have had my share of them. So right now, with whoever read this as my witness, I am committing my life into the hand of the one who made me. Yes this will probably be a struggle because I have always liked to do things myself, and fix things myself. (My mom and dad will testify to that!) But, since I have come to the realization that I don't do such a good job directing my own life, it is best left in the hand of God. Angie and Todd gave up their will when it came to their sweet Audrey. Yes they still hope for a miracle up until her last breathe she took. But now they are her voice. They are spreading the word of God healing her, and in their loss, how he is healing them and bringing them to a whole new level of trust. God is good all the time! He never makes mistakes. I am so glad for that. I know I will still stumble on the trust issue, but I am committing to do my best, even when it is hard and I can't understand why God does the things he does. He is always faithful, in every situation! So that is what I wanted to share. I will always be grateful to Angie and Todd for their testimony, even though they don't know me. Please go to Bring the Rain and read their story. It will change your life in some way. I know it changed mine.

Blessings to you all!
Julie

Bryson's Big Day

2008-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Bryson!!!

2008-04-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a great day. Chris and I surprised Bryson with White Sox tickets. We had a get together Sunday night for his birthday. We let him know in the card that he opened up from us that we were going to the game today. Well, it wasn't the greatest weather, it was down right NASTY, we had a wonderful day. (BTW, Chris and I were the coolest parents in the world today!) Bryson really enjoyed every minute of it. His face was absolutely priceless when we walked into the stadium to go to our seats. Morgan was very well behaved. It might have had something to to with the nap she took through the home run and fireworks. Anyway, it turned out to be a great birthday in spite of the weather. I'm not sure which he was more excited about, the game or the fact that he missed school. Well, when I figure out how to get some pictures on here I will post some of us at the game. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Take care!
Julie

TGIF!

2008-04-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I LOVE WEEKENDS! Being a working mom, to me there is nothing better than the weekend to spend time with the family without feeling rushed to do the things that need to get done during the week. I don't know what it is with me lately, but I have been the biggest scatter brain! I can't remember things, I have misplaced things, and I truly believe that if my head was not attached to my body I would forget where I put that too! Other that that, I'm right on track.

So let me give you some details about the family....

Chris, my husband is almost 39. (oh so close to the BIG 40! HA!) I give him a hard time about it, but I go by the saying that you are only as old as you feel. He is a wonderful husband and father. He adores his kids and he is so hands on with them. He is in sales and he is a sport nut. I love him to death!!!

Trevor, a.k.a. Boo-boo, is our 15 year old. My husband and I met when he was six years old. (It's crazy how time flies!) He is a very loving, caring, smart, and gifted kid. He has aspirations of being a producer, actor, writer someday, and let me tell you, I believe he will be someday. He has such a gift for writing! He must get that from his mom, because Chris can write, but Trevor, he is just an amazing writer! Trevor is at that age where he is always on the go with friends. Oh and by the way, he about gave me a heart attack when he told me, gulp, that he is getting his permit NEXT WEEK!!!!!! My head is still spinning from the news. His mom has taken him out driving a couple of times, but neither Chris or myself have found the courage to do that yet. Not that he is a bad driver, but I am just in shock that my Boo-boo is driving. He loves to read and is an awesome big brother to all of his siblings!

Bryson, a.k.a. Bubbee, is our seven year old! He is a complete sport nut like his daddy and a DIE HARD White Sox fan. Bryson is very competitive! He plays soccer, baseball and basketball. He doesn't like to lose. His daddy is his best friend in the whole world and he loves and love to pick on his little sister. Him and Trevor have a special bond. He loves when Trev is staying with us. They play together, and now that Bryson is older, I think Trevor enjoys no having to play with little toy figurines. It's more like baseball, catch, basketball, etc. Bryson is a very smart boy. Straight A's in school. He loves to make people laugh. He is such a clown that he would do almost anything for a laugh. Sometimes that can get him into a little trouble. But he has a tender heart and still lets his mom and dad pull him up on our laps for some good ole' snuggling. He has always been a snuggler since he was a baby.

Morgan, a.k.a Morgie or Paigy, is our five year old daughter. I just have one word.....WOW! Girls are so different from boys! I learned that the day I gave birth to her. Let's get this straight, I knew boys and girls were different, but I guess having kids puts it into a little better perspective. Morgan loves the Disney Princesses. Her favorite color is purple, just like mom, and she has got a great imagination. She will play with you, or by herself. She is very shy. We got her into the pre-school program at school because she was so shy that she would literally cling to our legs. I thought there was something really wrong with her. Come to find out that unlike myself, Morgan is just very shy and in fact does not need counseling. I am a very outgoing person who doesn't mind attention and loves to get in front of crowds to sing on the praise team at church. I was very active in our community theatre group prior to having kids. So with that, I really have a hard time understanding why it is so hard for my baby girl to get in front of people. She is quite a gem and loves her brothers and is a Daddy's girl through and through.

So that just about wraps this blog up. I hope to get this blogging thing figured out a little more so that I can post some pics for you. I am hoping that I can keep family around the states updated on family stuff.

God bless!
Julie
Jeremiah 29:11

I've never blogged before!

2008-04-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, this is all new to me. I have never blogged before, and I have chosen 10:30 at night to start. This working mom of three is walking on the wild side. So my name is Julie and I am the proud mom to three beautiful childen. I have been married to my loving husband Chris for 8 years. Since it is very late, and I have to get up at 5:30am, I am going to let this be all I say for today. This is kind of fun and exciting!

Julie