The Difference in Kids.....

Everyday it amazes me so much how different 2 kids can be from each other but come from the same family. Chase and Kori are 12 months and 2 weeks to the day apart. In other words very close. In many ways they are just like twins: they look exactly alike, they are the same height, Kori actually outweighs Chase by about 10 pounds, play very well together, like alot of the same stuff: dinosaurs, spaceships, animals, did I mention dinosaurs. Also did you notice how nothing was girlie at all. Kori is a total tomboy and has said a few times that when she grows up she wants to be a boy. But putting aside all of their similarities that they do have they are so different in how they act is what amazes me. Chase is our sensitive one-Kori is our strong one most of the time. Chase never wants to get into trouble, Kori doesn't care if she gets in trouble. It is worth it to her. Chase wants to please everyone, Kori doesn't care about pleasing anyone but herself and her current boyfriend at church. She will do anything for Reid. ( He is 17.) Her other boyfriend that moved away was 40 something. Not too worried yet. You can convince Chase to do just about anything if we really try hard, well with Kori your not going to convince her to do anything she doesn't want to. (Which I see as a great trait when she gets older with peer pressure.) Chase doesn't care to much about being a leader whereas Kori is a born leader. Chase doesn't like change-Kori is all about change. Chase fights his sleep with all his might- Kori will tell us that she is tired and ready for bed. Chase is very picky about his food and lets just say Kori loves food and will try anything at least once. Chase is afraid of anyone new and Kori knows no stranger. Everyone is her friend. Chase is very nice and sweet and Kori is willing to pick a fight with anyone and everyone if need be. Chase is just takes a about once or twice to mind Kori it is several times and usually ends with a spanking because she still isn't doing it. All and all they are great, wonderful loving kids that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Oh and lets not forget about Reef. I am anxious to see if he is more like Chase, Kori, or a nice mixture of the both of them. Right now he loves dinosaurs as well, He is like Chase in that he fights his sleep, he does mind at times, but yet he has Kori's temperment, can get very hostile if things don't go his way. He is a cuddle bug and seems to be very bossy to Chase and Kori- even though you can't understand a word he is saying it just sounds very bossy. So as of right now I would say he has a mixture of them both. Thats all for now just thought that I would pass on how alike and different my kids are and wondering how same and different everyone else's children are. It is simply amazing how alike and how different your kids can be from each other being raised in the same house by the same parents. Simply amazing!!!

I Am Thankful For.......

I am thankful for my health as well as my families health. Besides my brother's heart issues- we have all been very healthy this year. This year there seems to be an outbreak of cancer going around and I know that it is not contagious but it just seems like there is alot of it affecting people that I know. My papa died about 6 months ago from it, and another man at church, died shortly after that as well. I know that there are several out there that are fighting cancer right now, and to all them my thoughts and prayers go out to Jolie, Jason, Adam, Robert, and to your families during this hard time.
I am thankful for the strong, sound church that I attend. Being raised in this church I think that I just assumed that every Church of Christ was the same way. But after moving off and having to attend a different one, I realized how important elders, a full-time preacher, and church discipline is. And I am sooo thankful for being under a group of elders that are strong, sound, stand firm in the truth, and will practice church discipline. And for a preacher that isn't afraid to step on a few toes to say the truth. Who isn't afraid of addressing the big issues such as marriage, divorce, and remarriage, drinking, dancing, forsaking the assembly, etc., as well as addressing the "small issues" such as gossip, lying, musical instruments or hand clapping during worship, etc..
I am thankful for being part of a christian family. Most of my family on my dad's side are strong, faithful Christians. A few years ago it was all of my dad's side- but we have a few that have fallen away, and some who are as Jason Rollo calls it "glad-handing" them. I am sad for those who have gone astray and for those who aren't as strong as they used to be. And while I am sad and disappointed at some, I am more proud and happier for those who remain strong and faithful.
I am thankful for being a mother. I love every aspect of being a mom: pregnancy, labor, changing diapers, smiles, cries, laughs, fights, hugs, kisses, all the "firsts", teaching, etc. I could go on forever with everything that I love. And though at times it is very stressful, annoying, and frustrating, at the end of the day when you have put that last child to bed, all of those feeling go away and you start a new day all over again. I am thankful for Chase in that he is very sensitive, and wanting to do what is right all the time, and has remorse whenever he does something hes not suppose too. I am thankful for Kori for her willingness to learn new things, and at very seldom times she can be the most sweetest, caring little girl that I know. And I am thankful for Reef for his happiness, for being way over excited about the little things, and to put a smile on my face almost all of the time.
Those are just a few things that I am very thankful for this year. Hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and travels safely to their destinations and back.

School, Sports, and Sickness.....Oh my!!!!!

Well we have been quite busy since school started that I haven't had any time to write so while Reef is sleeping and the kids are watching cartoons I think I will try to get in a few words. Chase is loving Kindergarten- he is learning new stuff everyday- lots of sight words, how to tie his shoes, math, etc. I enjoy watching him come home and tell me about what he has learned that day, but he seems to be more obsessed with who gets in trouble or not. His teacher, Mrs. McVay, has a train of green bears with all the kids name on each bear. If they get in trouble she will write their name on the board as a warning, then if they proceed to act up she then goes on to take the green bear out of its train, then put in a yellow bear , and then a red bear goes in if they can't seem to get it together, and then finally off to the principal. Chase everyday when he gets in the car tells me who got their name on the board, who lost their green bear, and whose got yellow and red ones. He is very proud that he hasn't ever lost his green one only gotten his name on the board twice, which he was devastated, for talking too much. He loves buying his lunch which I allow him to do twice a week. He would love to buy everyday but it gets expensive with it being $2 a day. He comes home and we do our homework right away, then practice our sight words, and then work on learning the books of the New testament which he knows all of them and we will see tomorrow at church if he can say them to his teacher and get a new Bible and his picture up on the wall. He is very excited and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he gets it this time.
Kori is loving her preschool as well. She goes everyday from 8:30- 11:30 and she wishes it was all day. Go figure. She has gone on 3 field trips already, bowling, Pizza Hut, to make a pizza, and to the firehouse. She is having the time of her life, learning new songs everyday and coming home to sing them the rest of the day to me. I am surprised at what she memorizes after just a day of learning it. She is learning her letters and of course knows most of them from watching Chase last year learn his and is already learning alot of Chase's sight words for this year. She is my first one up in the morning already wanting to eat breakfast and start getting ready for school- and has only gotten in trouble a couple of times for not sharing- so for her that is very good.
And of course Reef is loving being home with me for a few hours all by himself and then just playing with Kori until we get Chase. He is in to everything all day long. He is constantly trying to climb something that he is not suppose to, but he does get Kori's lunch bag for her and heads to the car. And if I tell him "You want a spanking" he raises his hand and hits himself on the leg before I can get to him. He is a quick learner as well but doesn't always like to do what I tell him, which gets him into alot of trouble. Right now we are trying to get him to stay out of Chase and Kori's room while they are trying to go to bed at night. But he does have personality- I will give him that.
Chase is doing tball this fall and lets just say he needs alot of work. I played softball from the age of 6 to my senior year in high school- so I was very excited about Chase playing tball. Well his first practice he hits the ball off the tee and goes running full speed to second base. I about died. I had worked with him on his throwing, and catching grounders, and covering his glove so the ball wouldn't fall out and his hitting but I guess I left out or just assumed that he knew how to run the bases. Well he has now fixed that and now we are just trying to work on the attention span to last through the whole game- instead of kicking the dirt around, or picking grass, or finding holes int he ground and trying to find out what is inside the hole. The whole game me and Clint are yelling for him to watch the ball, watch the batter, back up first base. So my hope is for him just to master the attention thing before the season is over and I will be happy.
Now on to the sicknesses- the swine flu has been going around down here at our church and a few days ago Reef started having very high fever- so we took him to the doctor which they tested him and put him on tamiflu just in case- well turns out he didn't have the flu but I guess just a cold. He has been getting better, but then last weekend my sister was down and the kids were all playing out back of my parents house and when they came in I noticed red dots on them and just assumed they were chigger bites. Well Chase's cousin aka his BFF had them too and his mom took him to the Dr. and he had chicken pox, well much to say Chase now has them even though he has been vaccinated twice for them, along with my nephew, and a girl from church who all have been vaccinated have the chicken pox. It is sooooo weird- they are not all over- Chase has about 100 spots on him, and they are just in the hot spots of the body, arm pits, ankles, groin area. they don't itch him at all, no fever. So I guess since he has been vaccinated twice he has a very mild case of them. So all in all besides all of that we have a gospel meeting coming up starting tomorrow with Jason Rollo. I am sooo excited and can't wait to see him again. I enjoy listening to him preach the Word. Well I will leave you with that- since the kids are apparently starving.

Summer and School

I need to apologize for not writing these past few months- we have had a busy summer and now school is in session so I might have a little more time to blog more. We had a great summer starting off going to the Frio river for our family reunion, then on to Reef's first birthday. In July we took off to my sister's house in Cleburne, TX- and took the kids to the zoo and to Dino world (which Chase and Kori loved), we have been swimming almost daily in my parents pool, playing with friends and family and being fully exhausted every night. In August we started off with our VBS. It was a great week on being Fishers of Men. Me and my friend teach the 1st and 2nd graders and I think that they learned alot. Then a few couples from the church went out bowling one night without kids and had a blast. Its been a crazy fun summer. And now we are finishing up Chase's 2nd week of kindergarten and Kori's 1st week of preschool. Let me tell you how opposite my children are:

Chase was very nervous about the first day of school and even a little scared, but he didn't cry- so that made me a little happier. I ask him everyday if he likes kindergarten yet and he tells me, "not yet mommy"- he does love buying his lunch and carrying a tray around, and playing outside, but isn't all that excited about all the learning and the homework. He is a little hesitate on meeting new friends- he has a boy in his class that goes to church with him which makes kindergarten ALOT better. And I told him that he is good the whole week then I will ride my bike down there to pick him up and we can ride our bikes back home together. Oh yeah and today when I went to drop him off the teacher had put up pictures that they had drawn the day before and his was sharks and they were eating people and he told me that "the sharks were eating Mrs. McVay"(his teacher)- I told him that is wasn't nice and hope that his violent streak won't get him kicked out of school on the 2nd week of school- Oh well!!

OK now on to Kori: she wanted to go to school when Chase did but hers didn't start till that next week. She was mad at me because I didn't just drop her off but took her in. I told her that I would if I could but I have to sign her in and out. She goes in to her class yelling " Good Morning Mrs. Beck." "it me Kori." She had show and tell today in which she was going to give a whole lecture on this one piece of coral that she has- on where she found it(it was given to her), what is does, and a whole bunch of other stuff that she can make up. Kori wants homework- and is mad that she doesn't have any so she does Chase's with him and tell him what ones he is doing wrong. It is quite comical actually how different they are. Oh yeah we had promotion week at church for the kids to more up to the next class- well Chase and Kori are in the same class now this year and in the 4 and 5 year old class they have them start learning their books of the New Testament and they have a chart for who can say them without any help, and they get a bible when they say them all. Well Chase hasn't quite said all of his yet b/c he is anti- learning, and Kori on the first day said to Romans. She was the most excited ever she came out of class yelling "mommy I said 6 of them and I have 6 check marks now isn't that great" She loves to have memory verses. When she was in the 3 year old class they didn't give memory verses and she was very upset about that and would learn Chase's and go in and tell her teachers "her" memory verse. I really hope that she continues this excitement about the Bible and learning all of her life. It makes me very happy that she is so eager to learn new stuff.

So Reef hasn't changed much except for the fact that he is a climber. Chase and Kori were never climbers and I have come to the fact that I really don't like climbers. I have to watch him constantly: he has been found on top of the table eating Kori's food, on top of my computer desk pushing all sorts of buttons, on top of the couch, and from the couch he has made his way on to the bar and in to the sink. He is very loud, screams at Kori when she comes near him, very bossy, loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show he can say "toodles" from the show, mama, dada, papa, Doc, Kori, bye-bye, he can tell you what a horse, dinosaur, sheep, duck , puppy ,and a kitty all say. He still only has 4 teeth, I am beginning to wonder if the other ones are even there, but it doesn't slow him down any when he is eating. He has a toy firetruck that he rides all over the house and it has to be playing the music for him to ride it- so when the music stops so does he and pushes the button again. He is a character and I think that we have our hands full with this one- he is alot like Kori. He gets lots of little spankings all day for climbing, doesn't listen when you tell him no just looks at you and starts laughing and continues with what he was doing. Other than that we have been great and continue to stay busy. Hopefully I can keep this up better and I won't have to write so much the next time. Here are some pics of Chase and Kori's 1st day of school, and one of Reef. Enjoy!!!!

Birthday and Camping!!

Well yesterday was Reef's first birthday. Wow!!! I can't believe that it has been a whole year since he was born. Time flies by so fast that it is kind of sad. He is walking all over the place, but yet we still have not one single tooth yet. Amazing though it hasn't slowed done his eating at all. He is starting to show his personality off very well. He looks just like Chase but acts just like Kori. (I think that could be some big trouble in the near future). He says mama, dada, go-go, thank-you, gone-gone, and dog, and of course the famous no word.. He loves the water and gets very upset when its time to get out of the bath. He loves playing with Chase and Kori (when they let him) and I think that he enjoys seeing Kori get in trouble. He hates wearing shoes, which it doesn't seem to bother him to be barefoot. He has a bit of a temper, which is already getting him into trouble at the tender age of one. We have already had a few of our many spankings I am sure of it. He loves to be outside and playing with the animals and anything that he can find to put in his mouth is a great treasure. His sleeping habits are not all that great yet but I think that has alot to do with him being so sick all the time and plus me babying him b/c he is probably our last one. So we are still working on the sleep thing. So Happy Birthday to Reef!!

We just got back from our to the River for our family reunion. Clint did not get to go b/c of work so it was me and the 3 kids in a tent for a week. The weather was nice, the river was low, and the company was great. There was about 75 there, give or take a few. We had a ladder ball tournament in which me and Emily , my cousin took 3rd in. A washer tournament, just for the guys, a movie night for the kids a couple of times, we had a fish fry one night, and dessert night with homemade ice cream a couple nights while we were there. There was swimming, floating the river, and volleyball every day and night. It was a great time that was had by all. There were no serious injuries this time- thank goodness. I did my part as mother of the year and took my kids fishing almost everyday at the pond with the help of Travis and Jamie and a few others. Chase and Kori were most proud of the fish that they caught and the ones that they stole from other people and claimed as their own. They painted rocks and themselves, played in the sand pit, dug for dinosaur bones, caught lots of bugs, fish, craw daddies, and even a snake that was eating a catfish, went on adventures, stayed up late, and all around had a blast with friends and family. They were sad to see it end although I was a little happy to head back home and completely exhausted. They are already talking about next year and what they will do again and who they will see, and eat, play with, swim with, and all that good stuff. Great memories that will last a lifetime, and enjoy watching my kids doing the same things that I used to do when I would go there when I was little. Very neat to watch that. And with that ends another year of the Frio- until next time.

Buzzy

My Papa

This past Sunday morning my papa passed away after a very short but painful battle with cancer. It was very sad but at the same time a big relief because we knew that he wasn't hurting anymore and he was off to a way better place than this. He was 78 years old and was one of the most strongest Christians that I knew growing up. He was an elder in the church for 27 1/2 years before he had to step down due to the Alzheimer's. He lived his life the way that God would have intended us to live and he passed that on down to his 6 kids, his 20 grandchildren who are passing it on to his 21 great grand kids that he has. He was the youngest of 8 kids and was converted after he was baptized by watching my granny's example that she led. We had the visitation for him which my uncle had set up a slide show of his life (which was great) and then his 12 year old autistic grandson who doesn't talk much went up to the coffin and his mom asked him "Who is that?" and he said "papa" and then kept giving him kisses and rubbing his head and trying to smooth out his wrinkles on his forehead ( that is one of his OCD's that he has) - it was very sweet, sad, and touching to see him act with him. It was very overwhelming at the amount of people that came to the visitation and the funeral- and how many people were literally "breaking down" at the loss of him. That is the kind of man that he was. He had the best sense of humor, but then was very serious and very stern when needed. He has filled my life with so many memories that I can't even begin to start numbering them or even recalling them. I am glad that I was with him in the end. Me and my sisters sat with him the day before he died and looked at old photos and laughed and played cards, even though he wasn't talking or playing we interacted with him as if he was. Our preacher, my father-in-law, wrote in our bulletin a tribute in a way to him and I would love to copy it for you b/c it sums up just the kind of man that he was. So here it is:

BUZZY

Another soldier of the cross has laid his armor down. Sunday, Buzzy finished his battle for his Lord. What a faithful courageous fight! Often we do not look upon things as God does. He told His own people this in (Isaiah 55:8-9). He says, "Blesses are the dead, who die in the Lord" (Rev. 14:13).

I first met this disciple of Christ several years ago when we began the work at Riverside. It was decided I would preach a Gospel Meeting there and Buzzy came about every evening. A few months later, I conducted another meeting at Bayside; again, Buzzy came just about every night. Soon in my encounters with this man, I believed he truly loved the Lord. We had not been at Riverside long until I heard about the Preacher's Meeting in Portland. On one occasion at that meeting, Buzzy was asked about some problems the Portland church had undergone in years past. He said, "I can't remember, was that the first ulcer or the second." A quality of this man that really impressed me was his love for the Lord's church. Why is this such an admirable quality? Jesus loved the church, and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). He purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). When someone loves the church as Buzzy did, we ought to be impressed. This man was one of the ones who really impressed me with the Portland congregation before we ever came to work here. For some time, I have thought of him as one who loved God's truth. what an admirable quality (John 8:32).

When I consider all the loving brethren who have really encouraged me to preach the gospel Buzzy comes to my mind. He would often say to me. "I love to hear you preach the truth, may God bless you for it."

The word that reminds me of this Christian gentleman is the word faithfulness: faithful to the Lord and His church, faithful to his family, faithful to the Word of God. Jesus taught about the importance of this quality (Matthew 10:22).

Buzzy was very serious about serious things, yet he possessed a wonderful sense of humor. He learned a lesson many need to learn: the ability to laugh at himself. I loved to hear him laugh- especially when I caught the little fish and he caught the big one. Even during the hard times, Buzzy had humor. One of my biggest temptations is becoming bitter. His example will help me, if I allow it to do so.

This man was also a humble servant. Jesus spoke of the beauty of serving others (Matthew 20:25-28). Buzzy served as an elder for years, he helped a preacher with an old pick-up, he helped serve refreshments at VBS, he helped prepare with annex for the Preacher's Meeting, he helped Mary Ann with her classroom, he was always ready to help someone in need. During his final days, God allowed some of you who were so close to Buzzy to serve him.

How this faithful servant of the Lord will be missed: by his family, by his congregation, by his community. Our community will not be as blessed as before. Yet, hopefully his example will motivate us all to be more dedicated to our Lord, His Word and His precious church. Thank you Buzzy.

Oh how I pray that one day when I am gone that these same words will be written about me. Something to strive for and to live that God would want me to live. I will miss him dearly, but be glad that he led the life that he had to live to get the reward that he deserves.

Back Again

Well tonight starts the 17th Annual Gulf Coasts Lectureships here in Portland and I couldn't be more excited. The topic is "Challenges the Church Must Face" and some of the lessons that will be talked about will be about God's Authority, Apostasy Among Our Youth, Unity, Reaffirmation of Elders, Social Drinking, The Emerging Church Movement, Church Discipline, Immodest Dress, Doctrine of the Baptism of the Spirit, Christian Ladies (a ladies class), Biblical Ignorance Among our Brethren, Denominationalism, Loving the Brethren, Indifference Towards God's Work, Instrumental Music and Hand clapping in Worship, Evangelism, and Producing Sound Gospel Preachers. All of these topics are challenges the the Church is facing today and if anyone is interested in any of these topics just let me know and I will get them a tape and mail it too you. WE have some great speakers from all over coming to speak on these topics and they are Darron Fantroy, Tyler Young, Wayne Jones, Tommy Hicks, Matt Gibson, Bob Patterson, Richard Massey, Johnny Morris, Floyd Johnson, Jerry Moffitt, Linda Simmons, Jason Rollo, Israel Rodriguez, Cody Westbrook, Shawn Paden, Don D'Herde, and Don Walker. So over the next 3 days I will be attending this and hearing some great lessons in which I can't wait.
An update on my Papa, Last Friday he fell and cut his head a little bit but bled alot sine he is on blood thinners, and then the next day he wasn't able to move his arm and leg on one side almost like he had a stroke- so now someone is having to stay with him and my granny around the clock to help move him from his wheelchair to the couch and to the bathroom and back and forth out of bed. So my aunt flew in and is staying with them, my brother, dad, and uncle stay during the day with him for the lifting. It is not looking good right now- his memory is all but about 5 minutes and then its the same questions and comments all over again- He forgets that he fell so he keeps trying to get up and keeps falling so that is where the extra help is coming in to sit right beside him to keep him in his chair. He is getting very agitated b/c he can't remember anything and everyone is telling him what to do to try and help him- and the only thing that seems to bring him joy is his dogs and Reef- so me and the kids have been going over there every morning so that he can light up and be the papa that we all remember and know- and I feel that maybe by me doing that I am helping in some sort of way by making him smile, laugh, whistle again( he was always whistling songs-he is a great whistler), and being silly again. So I want to ask for prayers for my papa that for the little time that he has left to not be in pain or at least be comfortable, and for my granny as she is dealing with this burden right now and to comfort her during this time. She told my mom the other day that she gets mad at her self for becoming impatience with him and has to keep reminding herself that he can't remember anything and that it isn't his fault and told her "What a way to end 57 very happy years together." They also brought in a hospital bed for him to stop him from getting out of bed and falling so The night before last was my grandparents last night to sleep in a bed together- which really makes me sad to think about and I know that it is just tearing my granny apart not to be able to sleep next to him at night. I can't even imagine going through that with Clint. So sorry that I am rambling on probably bored y'all out of your minds but oh well. Just wanted to ask for prayers on their behalf.