Pics FINALLY!!

John is dressed in the 'costume' he wears daily... our Hero!!!

We had BEAUTIFUL weather this evening...

adorable Miss Aliese, the Butterfly, came by for some treats!

A random little trick-or-treater said to me, "Are you a Fairy Princess?" I was so overjoyed that she got my costume!!! :)

We had a Ninja with some serious skills,

an adorable dalmatian pup,

and the cutest kitty-cat I have ever seen!!!!

Jacob

got

outside

for

the first time in about a week today. John was piling up some leaves and got the kids out for some pics.

Couple random shots of Nate and Jacob.

And the football pic! Jacob is right there on the end in yellow, his number was 20.

The girls were in a play a few weeks ago. Ellie in orange hair and a yellow romper. And Phoebe was a chameleon.

WHEW!! I feel so much better to have some pics on here again!!! Enjoy!

Stolen...

1. I’m going to wake up each morning dedicated to doing my best; and accept that on some days my best will be excellent and on other days my best will be allowing my good enough to be good enough.

2. I’m going to cover my children in prayer. I’m not going to ever have all the answers. Despite my desire to control my life, I was not given that responsibility. It’s not my job. But I’m on a first name basis with the One who is in charge. And I can call on Him…not just for the answers, but as the Answer.

3. I’m going to enlist my inner “Mama Bear” to capture, shackle, and kick out every stinking lie that invades my heart. Lies like I’m a failure as a mother; God made a mistake by thinking I could handle this (fill in the blank); and, I’m going to ruin my kids. Once those culprits are vanished, I’m going to plant truth in those empty spaces. Truth such as, I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind – 2 Tim., 1:7; I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit – John, 15:16; and, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength – Phil., 4:13.

written by Angela Nazworth, to see post in its entirety visit here: http://www.incourage.me/2009/08/the-question-mark.html

~Yep, I copied and pasted this. It struck me and I want to remember it and read it again. Maybe you will get something from it as well!

Love, Adrian

God Bless!

Nicknames

Nicknames!

I just realized... I love them!

I surely didn't used to...

remember in school the meany-pants kids who figured out a way to taunt you using your NAME, OF ALL THINGS! I mean this is the lowest... come on, a person's name?! Tease me about my horrible hair, my non-name brand jeans, or the fact that I tripped over nothing! But my name?! I can't do anything about that! My parents picked it! And secretly, I like it! But, I had nothing to do with it! And it won't be forgotten tomorrow like the tripping thing!

I remember vividly 'the incident' in grade school when my name came under attack by the cute, popular (MEAN) boy in school. My middle name is Nichole and my parents nicknamed me Nicki as a baby. So this is what I went by. On the day I was the lucky one to be picked on, he called me... Icky Nicki. Noooooooo... but then I remembered! I have another name! Ha! I replied, It isn't my real name! My name is Adrian! Ha! But the Name-Taunter has a talent. He can rhyme with almost anything!!! If only my name was Orange...

Anyway, he triumphantly, retorts with... Adrian the Alien.

Oh no...

Ah, well...

I like the quote about childhood being what you spend the rest of your life getting over. True story.

And now, years later,

I love nicknames! And I am a Nick-Namer!

I shower my children with nicknames, a new one falls from my lips without warning, almost every day!

Sickening example: When Nate was born, we baby-talked to him. Frightening, isn't it? Have you heard people or yourself talk like this? It is very... laughable. But in the privacy of our own home we did baby-talk to him. There. Confessed. So, 'Nathan' became 'Naffin', which then became 'Finners.' Cute, huh?!! Ha!

Then when we named our second son, Jacob, he had an uncle already nicknamed Jake, so I started calling our baby 'Cub', 'Cubbie,' which becomes

'Cubbie Wubbie was a Bear!'

Nicknames that fly around our house:

Cookie, Jammie, JellyBean, Zoobah, Macky, Natey, Tater, Punkin head,

La-la, Pheebs.

Good stuff, huh!
And the best ones of late:

Ciabatta and Wasabi!

HA-HA!

Wanna share your nicknames???

~Butterfly~

These are the things I'm thinking of today (and Google-searching)...

I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about being a new creation: Therefore if any is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

And butterflies are such a lovely representation. They start out as caterpillars (wormy little things), and then transform into beauty. Kind of like us, eh? From inching along on the ground to flying free through the air. Ahhh.... flying free. Our souls get to experience flight in the peace and joy we receive from His Spirit within, still, at times, or often, we are abruptly grounded by our flesh. But one day, my friends, one sweet day, we will be free of our bodily cocoons and our wings will fully unfurl to carry us forever away from the distractions and weights of this world that hold us down. Mmmm...