tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677656900214413692024-02-22T08:06:28.077-08:00I wonder what she's thinking...a blog by Tatumabout mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-8489590082691137442009-06-24T23:09:00.000-07:002009-06-24T23:21:38.663-07:00The Same PowerI was driving home with my music blaring as usual (I even had one of Elias friends tell me this week that it was hurting his ears, no worries I turned it down) we were rocking out to a kids worship album, having a dance contest (which by the way, my kiddos have some really great moves, so if you're looking for a dancer... I'm just saying). There is this one song that gets me every time, the lyrics are "The Same Power that conquered the grave lives in me, the same love that rescued the earth lives in me", oh there is so much in those lines. It's a reminder that slaps me in the face every time. When discouragement sets in, and I feel weak, what a reminder, that all that power is accessible to me anytime and all the time. God didn't just demonstrate that power once and now it's over, He demonstrates that power today, now. When I am stuck between a rock and hard place, that same power and love lives in feeble lil' me. I have victory in Christ. Be encouraged today, that no matter where life has you right now, no matter what your circumstances are, be they relational, financial, health, that same power and love lives in you and will be victorious in you! about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-91615847775693151742009-06-23T23:33:00.000-07:002009-06-23T23:41:39.252-07:00VBSVBS has been a success so far, it really has. Especially in our family, our kiddos are really getting a lot out of it. Ryah was trying to tell me about the bad man Stanley that makes us say bad things. I kept questioning her, telling her I didn't know who she was talking about, soon to realize it was Satan, not Stanley (those two names are commonly mistaken for one another I'm sure, sorry if you're reading this and your name is Stanley, you have my apologies). Then there was the story of how to obtain a rabbit if she wants one. You see a magician came to VBS and made a bunny appear in a cage. So she tells me, all she has to do is put an old toy in our dogs cage and then put a blanket over it and say some words and then when she lifts the blanket off there will be a bunny in there. It's all good though they all have learned some legitimate great lessons this week and are having a blast! Great job Brenda!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-6596139868477121022009-06-22T23:00:00.000-07:002009-06-24T00:07:45.534-07:00I won't do that again!I went for a run today on my new favorite trail. It's in a field of beautiful flowers, it's peaceful and no one is around. My ipod was dead and so I thought it was going to be a painfully long run, but it actually turned out to be one of the best. I was on my way back home and I passed up a grandmother with a jogging stroller and then approached "the mom" who was pushing another stroller, she was stopped. I thought maybe she was waiting for her mom, but she informed me of my worst nightmare. There was a rattlesnake sitting (I guess they don't actually sit, nor stand, just lie there) in the middle of the road. You see I have a fear of this happening, so much so I even pray when I start my run that I won't see any. So, I stop and ask what are we going to do? She says go past it, and "the mom" takes her stroller and goes by. I stand there amazed. Next, her mother comes strolling up and she too passes by with her stroller. So, there the two of them are with the kids on one side of the snake and I am on the other. They stare at me waiting for me to do something. I am not planning on doing anything until the snake goes away. "The mom" then offers to scare the snake away for me and proceeds to throw a stick at it, which did nothing. So, there I am, my dog and I on one side and the ladies on the other. They are staring at me and waiting. I tell them I am scared. She tells me to put my dog on the opposite side of the snake and just go for it. Now that sounded absurd to me (and if you are an animal lover you might want to stop reading as of here), because in my mind I have been thinking that my dog would go on the snake side so in case in does decide to attack, my dog will be stricken first and I will have a chance to get away. But now I couldn't possibly even think of doing such a thing with "the mom" (A.K.A apparent animal rights activist lover) standing there watching me. So, I stand there for a while longer and decide I've got to do this, these poor ladies need to be able to go home. So, slowly I inch forward, taking baby steps (the kind like in the movie "What About Bob") and I put my dog in front of me (I thought that was a nice compromise) and push her slowly forward while keeping my eyes on the evil beast, and I see that it is not moving and so I move forward bit by bit, until I arrived safely on the other side. I have never been so relieved! I was feeling like a huge wimp until "the mom" tells me a story about having 2 rattle snakes in her house a couple of weeks ago and how she caught them with kitchen tongs and killed them. I realized this isn't no ordinary mom I'm dealing with here, so I am not feeling so bad about myself anymore! As I ran off thanking the Lord I wasn't eaten alive, I was a bit upset at first that I even had to run into one, but then realized I was thankful God had "the mom" there to help me or I'd still be standing there waiting for it to move. Needless to say, I am running on the streets from now on.about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-12608889857501351212009-06-20T23:21:00.000-07:002009-06-20T23:25:56.861-07:00KissingSo my 6 year old tells me, "Mommy, daddy is only allowed to kiss his daughters and his woman". ( I thought that was a very interesting way to refer to me as his woman, but nonetheless, I accept it). So, I tell her that is so true and ask her where she learned about that. Her reply, "Well, I've never seen him kissing any other women." That's good to know!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-23193561138161966402009-06-09T00:15:00.000-07:002009-06-09T00:20:00.857-07:00Hoola Jumping!What do hoola hooping and jump roping have in common? Absolutely nothing until you've met my 6 year old daughter. She mastered the hoola hoop so she moved onto jump roping and mastered that. So, now she has combined the two! It's hysterical, she actually hoola hoops while she jump ropes. I will get this on video and post it. I challenge you to try this and let me know if you master it as well, I'm working on it...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-46746449277422400262009-06-03T23:29:00.000-07:002009-06-03T23:44:56.999-07:00Growing up...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmY4_MRsJr7ysMQGUZZFKlIougQR4EQR2wjIXHsLvMy_WW1Oouospm_ffvAb58-35oBGILRt6GiSUT30fkKx9kuPIkSWjpjVJPPF5tzui5nPnoSpMI6upyx2sDhDkD9MeibhoAFHYnMwE/s1600-h/4161_97233233200_603273200_1913015_7851883_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmY4_MRsJr7ysMQGUZZFKlIougQR4EQR2wjIXHsLvMy_WW1Oouospm_ffvAb58-35oBGILRt6GiSUT30fkKx9kuPIkSWjpjVJPPF5tzui5nPnoSpMI6upyx2sDhDkD9MeibhoAFHYnMwE/s320/4161_97233233200_603273200_1913015_7851883_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343359727342019138" /></a><br />There is officially only 2 weeks of school left for my kiddos! I can't believe how fast time goes by. Next year I'll have a 3rd grader and 1st grader. Tonight we had open house and my son was Christopher Columbus, he did an amazing job! My daughter was so proud to show us around her classroom and all of her accomplishments from this year! I am so proud of them! I am excited for the summer, to soak in time with them. They are growing up so fast and each stage is exciting and fun! Everyone always says it goes by in the blink of an eye and I am already feeling it! I want to take advantage of every moment with them. Being a mom can sometimes seem so unimportant, but it is by far the greatest job that I could ever be given. 3 lives to invest into, 3 little people to pour Christ into, 3 kiddos to give my all to. God has counted me worthy to take care of 3 of His kiddos, to make sure they are loved, cared for, poured into, and grow up to know and love Him. When I'm old, I want to have 3 kiddos who still love hanging with their mom and are serving Jesus with their whole heart, and that begins now.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-29810442717543877092009-06-02T21:00:00.000-07:002009-06-03T23:55:25.893-07:00Oh Scout!So do I need to be worried when my 6 year old daughter tells me she wants pink hair and a tatoo? I tell her she has to wait until she is 18 to make these decisions and she tells me 14 would be a good age! I am seeing a lot of me in her and I guess I turned out o.k. (for the most part)! She is so adorable, everything this girl sets her mind to she takes to the next extreme. For instance you have to see this girl hoola hoop, she does trick while hoola hooping and since she's mastered that she's now moved on to extreme jump roping! I'm not kidding! Her art is amazing, she goes out on the street in front of our house with her sidewalk chalk and doesn't come up for hours until her masterpiece is finished, and at that point she is covered in chalk and her hair is always wild! On Saturday we were at a wedding reception at someone's house and the lady of the home comes out to me with her camera and tells me she has a picture she wants me to see. She said she glanced out her kitchen window and there is my daughter laying down on a limb of a tree she had climbed, just sitting there chilling! At a wedding reception! All this to say, she is amazing and I love her!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-49556173152051078472009-05-06T22:12:00.000-07:002009-05-06T22:29:35.160-07:00"give me an undivided heart"When I was in Albuquerque (I seriously spent a good majority of time there trying to remember how to spell that and I still had to google it!) the worship leader Kristian quoted Psalm 86:11" Lord, give me an undivided heart". I haven't quit thinking about it. It hit like a ton of bricks. I so often live my life divided. Part of it belongs to God and honors Him, and other parts I keep to myself. How many areas in my life are divided, where I am standing with one foot on this side and one on the other. I don't want to be half hearted, half devoted to my Savior who gave all for me without holding back! How ashamed I am! I want my life to be completely given over to Christ! When I am hanging with my kiddos, driving, shopping, alone, with friends, with family, thinking, reading, running, eating, cleaning, laundry, cooking, wherever, with whoever, that my heart is not divided. Everything would belong to Him and be given over to Him. I challenge us to examine our hearts daily and ask the Lord to show us any areas that are not completely given over to Him, if there is any area we are divided over...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-82538441960111848162009-03-11T00:09:00.000-07:002009-03-11T00:21:37.496-07:00Kitty PantsLast Friday I taught on Col. 3, which is a great chapter. It talks about Putting off sin, putting on Christ and Reflecting Him in all you do. Visuals are always a great way to help people remember, so I got a great outfit for my illustration. An amazing outfit worn by Jenny Porter for her Kitty character (a character from several church dramas we've done). It consists of bright tye-dyed stretch pants, a lime green shirt and a pink blazer equipped with shoulders pads and all! It's nothing short of amazing! I was trying to decide whether to wear the visual or not and so I was trying it on and in walks Elias. He asks, "Is that a new outfit mom?" "No", I replied. "Oh, well I really like it", he says. He's going to be a great hubby someday! Regardless, I decided I can not get away with wearing this outfit and be taken seriously. Nonetheless I think the viusual on the hanger went over just as well to accomplish the task at hand. I shared with the women how our sin, our old way of life is out of date, it's out of fashion. That Christ has a new wardrobe for us, one that does not go out of style. I want to cast off the sin that so easliy entangles me and brings me down and live the life Christ has created me to live. At the end of Col. 3 Paul challenges us to make sure that all we do can have Christ's name attached to it. When I drive, when I speak, whatever I do I need to make sure I can attach Christ's name to it. Examine your life today and ask God what sin He wants you to put off; and put on Christ.about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-26845217012944120352009-03-09T23:00:00.000-07:002009-03-11T00:09:10.848-07:00Zaccaheus was a weee little man!So, I love my son Elias! For a school assignment he had to do a biography book report and share it with his class. So I thought we'd be sneaky and slip a Bible story in there. We worked hard on it and wrote it as evangelistically (not a word, but it works) as we could. But leave it up to Elias to seal the deal. When I got his report back, I was reading through the comments and at the end it says, "Elias, I liked the song. You were very brave to sing to the class." I ask Elias about it and he tells me, "Yah, mom no one in the class ever sang during their book report so I thought I would sing Zaccahues Was A Weee Little Man". I love the innocence!!! I pray it stays with him...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-39107136054344487182009-01-14T21:56:00.000-08:002009-01-14T22:13:17.715-08:00She lost her tooth!This morning Ryah informed me that she was going to lose her tooth today and that I had to check it. So, I checked it and didn't really agree with her that it was loose enough to come out today. But she insisted that it was and that it would happen at school. Now why she insisted that it be at school I am not sure, other than in a Kindergartners mind that would surely be the talk of the school it it were to happen. So, as I am driving her to school she tells me that she is going to tell her teacher that her tooth is going to come out today at school. Well... when I picked Ryah up at school sure enough there was her tooth in a baggy. Such determination, I love it! The story behind it was that her and her friends were at recess and that she was talking about her loose tooth and how it needs to come out. So, her friend Haley goes, gets a napkin, and proceeds to pull Ryah's tooth right out of her mouth. That couldn't have been hygenic! Now if you know Ryah, this is truly a Ryah story. Only Ryah would have a friend get a napkin and rip her tooth out. She was so proud, smiling extra BIG to see who would notice. She's in bed now and as I have reflected on the event I feel bad because with your first child the whole tooth loosing thing is such a big deal and you have to call everybody and tell them, with Ryah we barely got a call in to her dad. And to make matters worse I actually contemplated if it was ok for the "tooth fairy" to leave a check! I didn't have cash, but then I realized my name was on the check and even though she can't read her brother can and since it's the first, I made a trip to get some cash. It actaully worked out because I needed some cash to back pay the kids piggy banks from all the money we've "borrowed" for the other "tooth fairys". Congrats Ryah!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-23276530532505242012009-01-04T22:36:00.001-08:002009-01-04T22:45:21.295-08:00New Year's Resolutions???Chris always loves the beginning of a new year, he says it feels like a fresh start. I on the other hand, with my rebellious side, doesn't like the fact that everybody holds off until Jan. 1st to straighten out their life. I mean if you have goals and things you want to change, change them, why wait till Jan1st? So with that said, I don't make New Years Resolutions, but if I did... I want to love on my hubby and kiddos, and show them more of Jesus. I want God to deepen my commitment to Him this year. I don't want to test the endless grace He offers me over and over again. I want to get past myself and to sacrifice a life a comfort so others can know no pain. I want to serve without limits. I want to know God more today than I did yesterday. I want to love without limits. That's what I resolve for this year.about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-72078218316215575422009-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:002009-01-04T22:36:06.517-08:00Why do we need vacations to recover from vactions?The kiddos have been off school the last 2 weeks and I was so looking forward to getting sleep! That didn't happen, needless to say... Christmas was great! We surprised the kiddos with a bengal cat this year that we pre-named Bella (we did this because Chris says kids always pick lame names like sugar or something wierd, so instead he names her Bella, is that really any better? I don't know). Bengal cats are part leopard and they are really cool looking cats with great temperments. She is 9 weeks old and can already scale her way onto the counter tops! The best part is the kids (and maybe Chris and I) fighting over who gets to hold her every second of the day! I would have pics on here but for the second year in a row Chris and I have managed to lose our camera on Christmas day, how does that happen 2 years in a row??? Then we took the kiddos up to Lake Arrowhead for a week. It was beautiful! Snow was everywhere! We went snowboarding for Chris 33rd birthday. We took our boy Elias and he did amazing! I want to take him up there every week just beacuase I think he could become a professional one day! I on the other hand was a little rusty. You see I have this fear of getting hurt! I didn't have that fear last time I went, I don't know what happen to me, but I don't like it! Chris spent a good amount of the time trying to teach me the "proper" way to snowboard, but I think my way is just fine! We also took the kids sledding. Cade, the one who I thought would be whining about the snow, was our wild sled momma! She would sled down these huge hills alone and then drag her sled back up, it was so cute. Then there were boat rides, jacuzzi soaks, game board matches, ping pong competitions, pool competitions, and eating, eating, eating! Anyways after all that craziness I am exhausted! I need some sleep this week!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-76923123869652887032008-12-20T21:43:00.000-08:002008-12-20T21:58:55.356-08:00Christmas story review...I have been waiting all day to sit down with the 3 munchkins before bed and go through this Christmas in a box story. Now, in my head I am imagining this sweet time with the kids reviewing the glorious story of Christ's birth. Where all of the kids are hanging on every word I say and that each of them share with me in turn the story of Christ's birth, as we reminisce together. Needless to say things didn't go as planned... The girls fought over who opened the box and from there it was fights over who opened the little boxes, who was moving the figures in the nativity, who was touching who, who was tackling who and who could talk louder than mom while I am trying to read the story. Chris says I often envision these lovely moments and more often than not they never end up the way I am thinking. Oh well, I got the story in there. Now at least they know Gabriel wasn't Mary's friend (that was Ryah) and that baby Jesus didn't come to bring us food (that was Cade), by the end they could've lead anyone to Jesus with the gospel story! Take every advantage to pour into your kids that Christmas is the celebration of the life of Christ and not how many presents are under the tree...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-55622213859266535472008-12-12T10:54:00.000-08:002008-12-12T11:24:37.951-08:00The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!It's that most wonderful time of the year again... I love Christmas! But, I must admit, I do lose my mind a bit more than usual during this time because of the busyness. Our friends, the Yuen's, had invited us over for dinner and I asked them if they could just come over to our house because the kids have school and it would be easier. She said no problem and that she would bring a pot roast and all I had to do was provide the sides. Fair enough easy for me. That was on Sunday, well Wednesday rolls around and I'm getting my day together and trying to figure out what I shall make for our guests that evening. I decide on spaghetti. So I make a trip to the market, come home and start making my (or should I say Brenda's) homemade sauce. It's 6:00 and the doorbell rings and as I am walking toward the door I can see the Yuen's through the window and they are holding something. I think to myself oh good they brought dessert, I hadn't thought about that. As I get closer and place my hand on the doorknob and we are looking at each other through the window, I realize they are holding a pot roast! In a matter of seconds my brain is processing what to do now. I think should I run to the kitchen and hide the spaghetti dinner I made, and then I realized how awkward that would be to go from holding the doorknob staring at them through the window to running away into my kitchen. So , I decide to face the music. The music, not only that here Nancy had slaved all day over a pot roast that she told me 3 days earlier she would bring, to the fact that at 32 I am losing my mind! I don't know which is worse. Thankfully they are some really great people and went with it! Thank you Yuen's!!! All that to say, I was reading a devotional about Christmas and it was talking about how John 3:16 reads during Christmas time "For God so loved the world that He gave His only <span style="font-weight: bold;">forgotten</span> son". It hit me because I am so guilty of getting caught up in the celebration of the season that I forget the very One I am celebrating. In a world that pushes Christ out of Christmas more and more every year, it is our responsibility to make sure that we always pointing back to Him. I went into a store the other day to buy stamps and the lady said, "we only have Christmas stamps, oh I mean holiday stamps. We aren't allowed to Christmas this year, because it has the word Christ in it". I asked her, "isn't that the very one were suppose to be celebrating this year?" She said, "well maybe you are but other people are celebrating something else". "Like what?" I asked. This world has so diminished itself that we are celebrating whatever it is you want to celebrate. Be loud for Christ this Christmas and use every opportunity to share the true reason for celebration this season.about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-60842441970379636612008-11-08T22:41:00.001-08:002008-11-08T22:55:52.264-08:00What do you do???<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKnzwSj1HbXhup3D3biRLbwpUNW3cfcDeHL7ALXFYAcFA4ukwSGJt4XE7pB-IIOT9qtLR8CWVJRJwQ4z0hqZBIXjc7aP9oGKYMfld7r-ADN6Gdwi3oj6J31SeIRdsIZZ0j_-TCrIz-1c/s1600-h/photo-715169.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKnzwSj1HbXhup3D3biRLbwpUNW3cfcDeHL7ALXFYAcFA4ukwSGJt4XE7pB-IIOT9qtLR8CWVJRJwQ4z0hqZBIXjc7aP9oGKYMfld7r-ADN6Gdwi3oj6J31SeIRdsIZZ0j_-TCrIz-1c/s320/photo-715169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266544370256243394" border="0" /></a></p>about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-67247713590617773292008-11-08T22:20:00.000-08:002008-11-08T23:18:05.551-08:00What do you do???As many of you may know, I take some pride in how my kids look. I mean we all know that our kids are a reflection of us and so I always make sure to iron my kids clothes and do their hair and make sure they look good. I'm actually really kind of obsessed about this! Well, yesterday I went to pick up Ryah from Kindergarten and I am laughing and talking with other moms and out the door runs Ryah with her adorable cute smile, and poor thing, little does she know... Well, Fridays are Daddy-gets-me-dressed-and-takes-me-to-school days and I really try to help him out by setting out the kids clothes for the day. We've had some mishaps of Ryah wearing Cade's clothes and Cade wearing Ryah's clothes and we've had some strange shoe situations and crazy hair days. But Friday was a new one I must admit! When I picked Ryah up she had her shirt on inside out, and it was the kind of tank that has a built in bra (why they put a built in bra in a size 4 shirt for girls is beyond me), so the bra part was on the outside (if you can see it in the pic), and if that was not enough her pants were on backwards (notice the BIG back pockets in the pic)! I was devastated for her and for me. Luckily Ryah is still young enough that she had a great day at school and wasn't bothered at all by her clothing. I'm sure her substitute teacher that day thinks we are a little weird and I'm not quite sure why she didn't help a girl out! I called Chris to ask him if he bothers looking at the kids before he takes them to school and he said yes. But, I'm still not so sure about that. What do you do? Be thankful that your hubby tries and that your daughter is only 5!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-11680984348093071842008-11-03T21:19:00.000-08:002008-11-03T21:32:47.983-08:00Homework:(Mondays is our day off and we take full advantage of it. Chris and I like to start the day with going out to breakfast, which we did. Then we shopped for a friends birthday present and spent some time at Peet's Coffee (have I ever mentioned they have the best coffee ever!!!) relaxing and talking. We grabbed the kids from school, did some grocery shopping, what a great day, huh? Who could ask for more? Then there's this little part of our day called HOMEWORK! Now, I know teachers give this to the kids under the pretense that they are suppose to do it, but let's be realistic here, it's really the parents that are doing this stuff. Tonight I was interviewing my dad (for Elias), collecting info from my mom-in-law (for Elias) while Chris was transcribing a story about Halloween (for Ryah). And if you ever run across this Elias' teacher I didn't do the WHOLE assignment for him, but let's be real, my dad did not want to sit on the other end of the phone and wait for Elias to correctly write out what school was like when my dad was little, what his chores were and what he did for fun as a boy. Now I am putting down teachers, I have many beloved teachers in my life, my own sister, sister- in-law, brother-in-law, Lisa, Melissa and the list goes on... But I've graduated now and I don't want to do homework anymore...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-21983440363279507942008-10-24T23:09:00.000-07:002008-10-24T23:23:31.905-07:00MasterThis week in SHEminstries we have been studying the name Adonai, which means Master. Today in our study Simone was teaching about how slaves were consumed with their masters. They even tried to take on their masters way of thinking, so they could better serve them. There was no room or time for them to even think of their own wants or desires. I started thinking about how self-consumed our society is. Everything we do is for us, for our benefit. We put ourselves above our husbands, children, friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, everybody. Christ exampled a life of constant self- sacrafice. Could you imagine our world if we all took on selflessness. Think about your day. What did you do today, what did you think about today, who did you serve today? Was it yourself or others? As Chris and I were flying out over Montana, it was such a clear day and you could see the trees changing colors and the snow capped mountains and for miles you could see. I was reminded how BIG God is and how little my view is. God who created the vastness of the heavens and earth, formed me in my mothers womb and knows my name. I need to get off the planet "Tatum" and see the bigger picture. To remember I am not here for me, I am here for Him. To be His hands and His feet to people. To live a selfless life, to be abandoned to my Master, my Jesus. Lord help me...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-80446953678463393942008-10-24T22:27:00.000-07:002008-10-24T23:24:01.752-07:00One of "those" weeks!Have you ever had one those weeks? One of those weeks when everything seems to go wrong, or in my case everything seems to break??? Well, everything broke this week (I know maybe I am being a little dramatic but that is what we women do, we're a little dramatic every now and then). It all started on Wednesday, Chris came home from work and we headed to Yogurtland (the best ever yogurt spot by the way, if you can find one even remotely near you it is worth the travel). I was sitting there enjoying my plain and blueberry tart, with peanut butter and coffee topped with chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles (yum!), with my hubby and kiddos. When all of sudden out of my pocket slips my brand new iphone right onto the floor. This man picks it up and hands it to me and I just want to cry, my brand new iphone is shattered. I had to be strong and blow it off like no big deal, I mean what are you going to do in front of a bunch of strangers, cry? I was mourning inside though. Then we get home and I make Chris stay up late with me and rearrange the furniture in our bedroom. Of course that is not something he wanted to be doing at 9:30 at night, but when I get something in my mind, I have to do it! So, needless to say their might be some slight tensions in the room when Chris grabs a weight to move it and accidently hits his guitar and puts a scratch in it. We decided it was best to just go to bed and end the day. Well yesterday I wake up to a fresh new day and decide to have my friend Trish come over to help me rearrange the rest of the house. Much to Chris dismay, he doesn't like change, but I thought we needed a little revamp. Well we ended up rearranging the living room and then turning the family room into a dining room and the dining room into a reading room with a cozy chair and table. So, Trish leaves and I am upstairs cleaning and the kiddos are down stairs with a buddy and all of a sudden I hear a crash and go running to find the glass tabletop broken on the floor. I politely tell our neighbor to go home because the kiddos are in BIG trouble. I tell them all to go to their rooms, and then Cade starts crying and I see lots of blood on the couch and and realize her hand is cut. So I shout out for the kiddos to get on their shoes and we're off to the the emergency room. On the way we meet Chris and pull over for him to check out the cut. He is holding Cade who is crying and Ryah is in the back seat crying too. I ask her what is wrong and she says "Nobody needs me!" (this is what Reinhardt calls the middle child syndrome), so we calm everyone down. Chris decides Cade is ok and we should just go home and treat it. Well going home was another story because he still hadn't seent the lovely redecorating. Now was defintaely not the best time to be showing off the new arrangement but what do you do. So we get home and I run inside and act busy in the kitchen like nothing is new and Chris says what is this room, pointing at the room with the cozy chair and table and I tell him it's the reading room. He wasn't so impressed that I turned the dining room into a reading room and the family room into a dining room. Trust me it all looks really good. I told him I was willing to move it all back, i'll keep you posted! End of another day. So today, started off well, then Cade, Ryah and I went to the grocery store. My cart was FULL, and Cade was hanging on the side and I told her to get off because it would tip. She gave me one of her looks like, make me. Well, the very next instance the whole cart falls over on her, she is trapped. Men come running from every corner of the store to lift it off her, she is screaming and everyone is staring. I want to crawl in a hole, is this really happening right now. Her back is cut, her ankles are cut and bruised. I have people offering her water, juice, ice-paks, phone calls (did I really look that stressed), candy, stickers, anything. I wanted to just run out of the store, but the Sanchez's were coming over for dinner and iIneeded to buy food. So I held Cade trying to calm her down and in a way so no one could see her ankles and think I was crazy for continuing to shop and not tend to her wounds. We got our stuff and left, all with her screaming and everyone staring at me. I was trying to act like I was completely fine, when in reality after everything that had happened this week, I was going crazy inside. Then I balance myself out by saying at least were all still alive and mostly well! It could be worse, but I sure hope not!:) But a cute story to end with is Ryah went to girls scouts today and we got into the car and I asked her what she did and she said that they made pumpkins. I asked her what for and she said because her teachers know a lot of papas and grandmas that we don't know and they are going to give them to them. What is actually happening is they are going to give them to a convelescent home. I love kids simplicity, even in all my chaos this week, they just keep smiling and enjoying life (well except for Cade- for obvious reasons)! I'm trying too! :) Pray for us to have a better week!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-48718221013369735382008-10-22T21:00:00.001-07:002008-10-22T21:31:11.727-07:00StormsI've been thinking a lot about the story of Jesus calming the storm at sea lately. We're all the like the disciples in one way or another (or in a lot of ways!). Here they have Jesus in their boat with them and a storms starts brewing and soon the experienced fisherman are overwhelmed because the waves are out of control. This must have been some crazy storm! Fisherman are used to these kinds of things and they are usually tough guys. You know how guys don't even want to ask for directions, nonetheless help with their boat during a storm. How many of them are there, and how many of Jesus are there? Finally, as last resort, after toughing it out for as long as they could, they go to Jesus. Now why didn't they go to Him sooner, why did they wait until their boat was full of water and they were zapped of strength? And what was Jesus doing, oh He's just sleeping. You see He's not worried at all, He's got it all under control, in fact with one word He ends the storm, He calms the sea, and the disciples. This is just like me, I get into a stormy situation and I try to weather it on my own, thinking I am experienced and tough, and if not I've got friends to turn to. Then all of sudden it gets much too big for me to handle and as last resort I'm running to Jesus with a "you've got to do something now!" Why do I forget Jesus is there with me in the circumstance. He was ready to help in the beginning, but He is still ready to help in the end as well. I hope I learn to weather storms with Him and then be able to see how He decides to calm them. Remember God is in the boat with you too and He will calm the storm...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-27480924066170609572008-10-20T22:18:00.000-07:002008-10-20T22:48:58.398-07:00Fresh Life in Montana!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpRzUAiVrEPtyPnOtD_3uyfUekB3ujopQRdXe4k8pcIzQXAqmQLfTB8hExVPQAKINsq6yVvUGLs0Xv9_6WpdMxkk1fBzbcRwW5addMmu3dJQlQ96sE2fy8uQeB65EQ5RmVjBWT7tZtO4/s1600-h/IMG_0420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpRzUAiVrEPtyPnOtD_3uyfUekB3ujopQRdXe4k8pcIzQXAqmQLfTB8hExVPQAKINsq6yVvUGLs0Xv9_6WpdMxkk1fBzbcRwW5addMmu3dJQlQ96sE2fy8uQeB65EQ5RmVjBWT7tZtO4/s320/IMG_0420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259478102393808242" border="0" /></a><br />Well Chris and I arrived late on Saturday night in Kalispell Montana. Sunday Chris spoke at our friend Levi Luskos church called Fresh Life. Kalispell is a small resort town and the church meets in an old movie theatre built in the early 1900's in downtown. It's a great building to have a church. The church is exploding, it has grown to about 700 in just 2 years. The staff is amazing and the people are so sweet. The service was great and Chris did an amazing job challenging people in God's Word. After we had lunch with the staff and then spent the evening having fun at the Luskos. Today we headed to Glacier National Park. It was a beautiful day, o<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1x_nTY5tn1moZkMmSLhSrRw0ibh0va9_RDoDjpSvFdNFpxggc4YkJhlMGJYZTn7mPvzqAJ6I_0AhTIypcnLBkwCYuhow8kfWSVFv_Gx-AAZ6ULz9r6vQEj5lpBeL3ya7Z78yyKaaJfM/s1600-h/IMG_0429.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1x_nTY5tn1moZkMmSLhSrRw0ibh0va9_RDoDjpSvFdNFpxggc4YkJhlMGJYZTn7mPvzqAJ6I_0AhTIypcnLBkwCYuhow8kfWSVFv_Gx-AAZ6ULz9r6vQEj5lpBeL3ya7Z78yyKaaJfM/s320/IMG_0429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259478338370293586" border="0" /></a>vercast and cold, but so beautiful. You can't even describe the scenery, it is so picturesque! We went on a 4 mile hike to Avalanche Lake, but we didn't make it all the way. It was raining pretty hard and I have an amazing fear of grizzlies! Pretty much I spent a lot of the time discussing with Chris how I was afraid of bears and that all the brochures talk about how common it is to come across one in Glacier and how there have been people eaten by them and that I didn't want to be one of those people. But, Chris kept <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKBv4itfkH8DGfXrDakHBz697mDUNxtHAZIl3ba23KXgmhP2Sza0NpCgutSe_UpkitPZRLMfPByiw4wYBcMVa8sO0vPxWouTTMIMBuyeVNMQRdhJc83B-ZPaUllXt9zsgGXKMUlOfvj8/s1600-h/IMG_0466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKBv4itfkH8DGfXrDakHBz697mDUNxtHAZIl3ba23KXgmhP2Sza0NpCgutSe_UpkitPZRLMfPByiw4wYBcMVa8sO0vPxWouTTMIMBuyeVNMQRdhJc83B-ZPaUllXt9zsgGXKMUlOfvj8/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259478691761209730" border="0" /></a>pressing us on, so this was my conversation with the Lord, "Lord, you know I don't feel good about this and I don't want to be doing this, I don't want to see a bear, but I am being submissive and going on this hike with him, so please don't let us get eaten by a bear or for that matter even see one, thanks!" God was faithful and we had an amazing bearless hike in an amazingly beautiful place! Tonight we had a Montana date night including a great dinner, a walk through Target and a McDonalds ice cream (when you don't have 3 kids with you anything you do<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZzwGGKtR3WCBmlClLDowE9vBsstvBN3jm4Jyxq0usHvl3b7o7LU21_DrzGoczo5TE3J1gH5jeiKapyOwU1SfcXlZScJe0D_knGkJcKl-XijbchjBFur_tYhKXo3v2PbZlFfl2DFiNME/s1600-h/IMG_0399.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZzwGGKtR3WCBmlClLDowE9vBsstvBN3jm4Jyxq0usHvl3b7o7LU21_DrzGoczo5TE3J1gH5jeiKapyOwU1SfcXlZScJe0D_knGkJcKl-XijbchjBFur_tYhKXo3v2PbZlFfl2DFiNME/s320/IMG_0399.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259479096096206578" border="0" /></a> is fun!). We even thought about getting these amazing jammies, I wouldn't mind being caught in these!:) It has been a great trip and I am so thankful for the opportunites God has given us to go and see His amazing creation and to see how He is moving in other churches and communities. Tomorrow we head home to the kiddos and warm weather, California here I come!!!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-1336540737650022602008-10-18T18:44:00.000-07:002008-10-18T20:42:15.785-07:00Seattle!!!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWRimvqw3pIqqzLaR_f4avX9gWKXG-DARRiHOps1iJvSe3quF-_C2ca-nAd9RH56HpZxPQmcIcqDbqa26wqaJoplwL5DG2qPFekf0HxZ6UprR1VVUEDHgQrHvrsrsvr3O5oP2RvqBThQ/s1600-h/photo-789192.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWRimvqw3pIqqzLaR_f4avX9gWKXG-DARRiHOps1iJvSe3quF-_C2ca-nAd9RH56HpZxPQmcIcqDbqa26wqaJoplwL5DG2qPFekf0HxZ6UprR1VVUEDHgQrHvrsrsvr3O5oP2RvqBThQ/s320/photo-789192.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258677597763076722" /></a></p>Well Chris and I got a wild hair today and decided to miss our early <br />flight into Montana and take a 10 hour layover in Seattle! This is a <br />truly amazing city! The color of the fall trees, the ocean,lakes,the <br />city and all the cute neighborhoods. Everything you could ask for all <br />rolled into one cool place, not to mention the beautiful day God gave <br />us! We went downtown to Pikes Place and saw the original Starbucks, <br />then we met Bethany and Maritza for lunch at Roxy's Diner in Fremont, <br />drove around, saw where the girls live and go to school and now Chris <br />and I are at Petes Coffee in Queen Anns. I went for a walk while he <br />studied,so beautiful, such a neat town. Tomorrow Chris speaks at <br />Fresh Life Church in Montana and we're excited to see Jen, Carrie and <br />the gang, and to see all that God is doing there!about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-37464409685466296012008-10-16T23:19:00.000-07:002008-10-16T23:25:58.051-07:00Should This Be Happening In Kindergarten???Ryah comes home from school today with this story:<br /><br />Ryah: Mom, I know there is this boy at school that has a crush on me.<br /><br />Me: How do you know?<br /><br />Ryah: I was sitting in the dirt at school by myself playing and this boy walks over to me and asks me what I am doing and I tell him I am playing and he says do you know there is one girl in this school that I like and it is you.<br /><br />Me: You tell him that your daddy owns a really big gun! (just kidding, maybe!):)about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-767765690021441369.post-28708637418748988042008-10-14T23:41:00.000-07:002008-10-15T00:09:25.400-07:00Just another Tuesday...Well Tuesdays are the craziest of all days in my week. It started with running late to get Elias to school, so I slip on my jacket and leave on my pajama shorts and think to myself I am just running out to the car in my driveway no big deal. So out we go and I realize my car is not in my driveway it is in the street. I check to make sure the coast is clear and tell the kids to run, and as I am loading the bunch in the car I realize my neighbor is backing his car up all the way down the street towards me, (mind you I am in my jammies, and all of this seems to be happening in slow motion), I am thinking if I can just get these kids in the car and myself then I am clear, but getting in the car is a very long ordeal with 3 kiddos because we fight about who gets in first and who is going to sit where and all I care about is getting in the car as fast as I can. Well, I don't make it in on time and he stops at my car and there I stand in all my glory in my jammies, and he rolls down the window and offers to give Elias a ride to school. I gladly accept, just wanting them to hurry and drive off, so now I am working to quickly get Elias out of my car and trying to ignore the fact that I am still in my jammies. Elias gets out, I shove him in their car and say a quick thanks and goodbye and as they drive off down the street I am wondering if he noticed, then I realize who am I kidding! <br /><br />Then I quickly get the girls ready and rush over to Target to get some things (including a lunchable for Ryah because I haven't done any grocery shopping in weeks, what else is new? Side note, Lunchable are disgusting and they are only bought in desperate situations like today), and there I am looking at cotton balls when Cade shouts out, "look mom, that baby is huge!!!" I look over and this poor mom is staring back at us, probably heart broken that her child was referred that way, I try and make it better by saying you were a huge baby too Cade (do I think that was a comfort to her, probably not but it was the first thing that came to mind). After Target we take Ryah to school and then off to the church for a staff meeting. Those are always fun! :) Pick Ryah up from school take her home, change her into her gymnastics leotard and then pick up Elias, go back to the house because we forgot his piano books and then off to gymnastics. Cade informs me in the car out of the blue, that she doesn't like me and then when I tell her I am going to cry, she tells me she loves me (wow!). Ryah does great in gymnastics, and I wish I could jump on the trampoline (they do have a night where adults can come and have open gym time but I don't think I could actually let myself do that, it would be weird. But if I could have the whole gym to myself, I would be all over those trampolines.) Then we head to Elias piano lessons. During which I get to snuggle and play with Steven (a baby they took in from Haiti for the last 3 months), he is adorable. Cade had so much fun with him, every time he drooled, she would wipe his mouth and shout out "he's drowning mom!". After that we went to In-N-Out for the sole purpose of their name (in n out, meaning fast service), but it was more like In- and in a while, you'll be-Out. No problem, rush home, clean up the house real quick, bathe kids, do homework, and then our home fellowship. Let me say, we have an amazing home fellowship group. Great discussion on the gifts of prophecy and tongues. After we all sat around like a bunch of spoiled orange county people and added each other to our Loopt application on our iphones! It's now midnight and I should get to bed. And men wonder what we moms do all day, well there you go...about mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10445236106278548010noreply@blogger.com2