Balancing Act

While I was at Colorado Springs for the Hearts at Home Conference, I spent a little time at Garden of the Gods.  I would love to go back when I have more time and I think the family would love it!  It is a place at the base of Pike's Peak where these massive red rocks seem to have been tossed out there for some reason.  This is from a distance.



Then I drove down to walk around these rocks that are just towering giants!  It is hard to get a perspective in these pictures. 

I saw pictures of this next formation and saw it on the map, but decided that I better get started home and not take the time to find it.  (Now that I have looked better at the map, I don't think it would have taken that much time.  Just FYI if you ever go and want to take that tangent road.)  It is called Balanced Rock.  Countless people stop to take pictures by this rock and no doubt try to push it over, but it still stands.  Even in this setting of seemingly out of place red rocks, this one is different.

So here is the God Stop I want to share.  I had just been to a Mom conference where I was renewed and energized to jump back into life as a Mom, and I see this picture.  In this scenic place, what do you think when you see this rock? 

Beauty, strength, awesome, balance, constant... 

I know this sounds silly, but if you were the rock, how do you think you would feel? 

Unstable, big responsibilities balanced at one point, odd--why can't I have a base like the other rocks?, easily toppled, worried that the next storm or wind, man or child would push me over... 

I don't know about you, but many days that is how I feel as a Mom.  The reality is, God placed me in this place with these people at this time for a purpose.  I am not out of place.  I don't have it all together and often feel unbalanced, but if I will keep my focus on Him, He will hold me through every storm that may come.  It is His strength that gives me stability and holds me together.  My job as Wife and Mom is imortant.  Any beauty that may come from my life is because my Creator.

This Momma says, "Thank You, God!"

(I didn't take the picture of Balanced Rock.  I found it on Rian Houston's site.)

For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and

in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:16-17  NIV

2011 Fall Catch Up

We are just about caught up!  This fall started with the first day of school.  I cannot believe my kiddos are getting so big!  I have one more year with SweetTate and then he will join them on the first day of school on the porch for the picture.  Crazy! 

For our traditional First Day of School ice cream, Mamaw, Meme and Granddad were here.  That was a real treat!  (They were here to attend a funeral.  We would rather had them for a happier occasion, but it was good to see them.)

Fall also brings with it football, of course.  The kids have each run with the school flag down the field after we scored.  They think they are so cool!

It also brings the routine of gymnastics every week.  This year all three kids are participating.  Like everything else here, it is 30 minutes away.  Thankfully it is on the same day, but the boys are in one class and SweetDoll is in a different class which makes for a long evening.  We really like the coaches and they are all learning balance and corrdination that will help them in whatever sport they do. 

SweetBoy has a show lamb again this year.  This is "Thunder."  He decided on that name really hoping it would inspire the weather to let it rain a lot!  Snowflake and Lightnin', his predicessors seemed to have that affect!

Then the craziness of the fall sets in...but it is a good crazy.

A friend contacted me last spring about doing a retreat at her church.  I was so excited to be part of what God was doing there with those ladies!  We had a wonderful day, and it was great to reconnect with my friend who I hadn't seen in a while.  The adventure to this story is that I put in the address to the Tom-Tom and said "shortest route."  Whoa!  I went about as straight as the crow flies on some back, back roads!  But I arrived safe and sound.  On the way home, I found a little more traveled roads.  ;)

Then it was time to meet my newest nephew!  We had a cousin's wedding that my brother and his family came down for.  It was great to see them!

That brings us to SweetDoll's birthday.  And is anyone surprised that she wanted to go ride horses?  No.  So that is what we did.  We had just had a good rain and the pasture didn't look quite as dry as it had been.  It was pretty and a fun day!  That place also has a great spot to take pictures!

 I love these kids!

A while ago I was reading Jill Savage's blog and she was having a giveaway.  The prize...tickets to the 2011 Hearts at Home conferences.  Eleven years of being a mom and I have never been to a conference specifically for Moms!  Oh it was good!  Just what this weary Mom needed!  Part of the adventure here was that it was in Colorado Springs.  I had not ever been there, but it is absolutely gorgeous!  More on this on the next post, and there is more about the confernce on my guest post on her blog!  If you ever have an opportunity to go to a Hearts at Home conference, you will be blessed!  Here is a picture of Jill and I. 

Fall is also our town's festival where SweetDoll rode in a float for the first time.  The boys did the bike parade and they all had a good time.

And of course the festival in SweetHeart's hometown.  Mamaw's corn chowder. Y.U.M!  It was good to be with family there too.

And there you have it.  Whew!  You are all caught up--well, the reader's digest version anyway.  Now I feel like I can post something without feeling like I left something out.  And I have a backup of my scrapbook.  ;)  Thanks for following along!

Go Rangers!!

I want to interrupt my string of catching up with a shout out for my Rangers!  We love us some baseball at the Sweet house, and we could not be more excited that the Rangers are back in the World Series!!  Sadly, the only game we have seen in person this year is the Spring Training game we saw in Surprise, Arizona.  But we are with you all the way!  Go Rangers!

2011 Colorado Camping

Have I mentioned how hot and dry it was this summer!  So when we went to Colorado where it was cool and rained every day, I don't think I'm exaggerating too much when I say it was refreshing to our mind, body, and soul.  These were some of my favorite memories from this year's trip.

SweetTate and Great-Granddaddy

SweetTate and his cousin spent so much time in the river, they were wet more than they were dry!  And loved every minute of it!

 My Dad and his brother cooking breakfast and swapping stories.

SMORES!!

Horseback riding...absolutely beautiful!  And one happy SweetDoll!

My Dad on the hunt!

This was our crew this year.  My kids had four of their great-grandparents here.  Pretty neat.

 Hike with Granny and Papaw around the lake.

SweetBoy thought there was gold in them thar hills!  No such luck!  Snap.

I loved this tree, but I thought this picture was especially cute with Grandma and Granddad enjoying its afternoon shade by the river.

Sighhh...makes me happy just thinking about it again.  :)

2011 Summer Rundown

It seems like ALL we did was baseball this summer, but when I was working on the summer scrapbook, I realized that we did squeeze in some other fun stuff.  Here are the hightlights:

SweetTate's birthday

We met Curious George.

SweetBoy's birthday.  Gotta love trick candles!

We saw Cars 2 at a drive-in!  (I thought that was so cool!)  It was our first time to a drive-in.  The drive-in promoted the movie by putting cars all around town with eyes in the windshields.  By the theater, they had several cars lined up there including "Frank."  I thought it was clever and cute!

Bowling...SweetTate got a strike and I asked him to show me that celebration again and this is what I got.  Such a ham!

Fourth of July with SweetHeart's family

Kid's nature hike at a state park

Trip to our favorite kids' hands-on center

Trip to cool Colorado where it rained every day!  That was so sweet!  We had the hottest, driest summer I have ever seen.  (I couldn't narrow the pictures down, so that will be the next post.)

SweetHeart's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  We had so much fun hosting a reception for them.  Here they are with their kids and grandkids.  So blessed!

Aaaah.  Then we had a little break before school started!

Baseball 2011 Recap

When last I left you, we were gearing up for baseball at the SweetJourney house.  Oh. My. Word. did we baseball this year.  Having all three playing kept us hoping...well, literally driving 6 days a week to a ballfield here, there, or yonder!

SweetBoy had a good season.  He did a great job off the bench making the most of opportunities he was given.  He even tried pitching!  His team won the district tournament for the first time!  By that point it was late into the summer and our plans were up in the air about pretty much everything.  "It depends on if we are playing baseball,"  became a common phrase around our house.  After district, we advanced but that was as far as we got.  And it happened that it was the week before camping.  It would have been neat to advance to the next round, but it just didn't happen.  And since it didn't, we were really looking forward to a break from the heat in cool Colorado!  It was a record setting HOT summer and we had been out in it a lot!  Here is SweetBoy in action.

 SweetDoll's team had a rough beginning but continued to get better through the season and finished 2nd!  (There were only 3 teams, but hey, 2nd still sounds good!)  She had another good season and contributed to her team on the field and with her bat.  Great job, Sis!

 After cheering Brother and Sister all these years it was finally SweetTate's turn!  This was SweetTate's rookie season.  He loved every minute of it!  It didn't matter if it was practice or a game, he was ready to play.  He played well and had a blast!  It was so fun to watch him play.  And his favorite part...the free snow cone after every game!  (For some reason they are so much better than the ones you pay for.)

So for most of the beginning of the summer, this is where you could find us--on the ballfield or in the car on the way to a ballfield, but I would not have it any other way.  :)

Hello?

Blog?  I have a blog?  What was that password again?  I usually tried to keep the blog current for family and friends would know what was happening.  It also served as a reference when I was working on my scrapbook because, you know, I can't remember details that long.  Well, we had a crazy summer with baseball mostly.  Then we had a breather before school started.  And it has been a whirlwind ever since.  The wierd part is...I have finished my scrapbook, not only for last school year, but the summer also!  Crazy, right!  (My book should arrive tomorrow, and I'm so excited to see it!)  There was a sale to get it published, so I was really motiviated!  So here we are at another breather before the busyness of the holidays.  I think I'll catch you up...if you are still there that is.  See you soon!