We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post...

So...I had planned to write about how I was praying for my little man today (and I had a really cute picture of him already to load onto this wonderful post) but God has something different for me to think about.
Yesterday, I stopped at Meijer on my way home from work. I was heading into the store to get some mangoes, blueberries, pomegranates, and kiwis, so that I could make a fruit salad to have on hand during the fast. As I was walking into the store I was giving myself a pep talk about not looking at the bakery, deli, or bread section. It was then that I realized...I am walking into a huge grocery store...to get all the yummy fruits I want...then I am going to go and pay for them...drive home in my car...and make a wonderful fruit salad in the comfort of my own home... Wow...I am so blessed! I was almost complaining at the thought of having to eat fruit...fresh fruit...that I love! That was sad to me.
I want to have a heart of thankfulness...TRUE thankfulness. I want to see all of the blessings that surround me each day. I want to focus on those things...not the silly things that I can so easily get frustrated about.
So...my prayer for today has been and will be to have a heart that oozes with thankfulness. I want to be thankful for the fast our church is doing...thankful for what God is and will teach me through it...thankful for my fruits and veggies...thankful for my sweet babes and the joy they bring into my life daily...thankful for my amazing husband...thankful for my cute house...thankful for good health...thankful to be making hot chocolate for Maddie and her sweet little friend who are playing dress-up...thankful for my amazing friends (one of whom is coming over tonight to watch American Idol with me)...Thankful for grace...thankful for my restored relationship with my momma...thankful for my church family...thankful for my cuddly dogs...thankful for my clothes...definitely thankful for fun shoes :-)...thankful for the chance to be used in spite of myself...thankful for prayer...thankful for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 50th chances...just plain thankful for everything.

21 days...

Our church (CLC) is doing a 21 day Daniel fast that starts today and goes to Feb. 1st. (It is basically a fast of fruits, vegetables, and water) So...for the next 21 days I am going to try to write a little tidbit about what I am/have been praying for that day and what God has been teaching me. I am actually excited to see what God is going to do through this and I am so thankful to have a wonderful church family to go through this process with!!


SO...my prayer for today is for my hottie potattie husband (yes..I just said 'hottie potattie')

Even though he would not agree...he has a little bit of a love for Dt. Mountain Dew.

And when I say "a little bit of love"...I really mean that he is totally addicted!! :-) I am sure that the next few days will be hard and have a few caffeine head aches involved as he adjusts to only drinking water.

If you know my husband...you know that he is the most amazing worship leader ever!! He writes the most beautiful worship songs and he has a heart for worship like no one I have ever met. He also has a huge heart for people. There have been many times that I have listened to him give advice to a friend that is hurting, or watch him comfort a family when they are going through a difficult time and I have learned so much about what truly ministering to someone looks like. I can honestly say that in almost 9 years of marriage...I love him more now than I ever thought was possible...and I know that somehow I will love him even more tomorrow. He is an amazing husband and he is also my best friend. I love that we laugh together...about the most ridiculous and stupid things. I also love knowing that he will always support me and he wants all of my dreams to come true. And...don't even get me started on how wonderful of a Dad he is!! He is the ultimate "Fun Dad". If there is snow to play in...he is playing in it with the babes, if there is a pool to splash in...he is throwing the babes in it, and if there is ice cream to be eaten...he has made sure to already buy ALL the toppings we could possibly need to have the ultimate ice cream sundae night! He is also Ty's wrestling and Wii game partner...and he is Maddie's tea party guest and dance partner. The babes just adore him...and so do I. He truly is the man of my dreams.

I say all of that...because today...I am going to pray for my husband. I hope that these next 21 days are just an amazing time for him. My prayer is that he can hear God even more clearly than he already does and that he can see even more of the plan that God has for his life. I am going to pray that his dreams and desires will become reality for him.

And (selfishly) I am also going to pray...that he is not in a bad mood for the next few days due to lack of Dt Mountain Dew. :-)

Snow Day (Also known as "Burke family fun day")

*Warning...there may be a lot of pictures in this post*

Yesterday school was cancelled for the babes + Dustin was off of work and his bands show was cancelled that evening due to the weather + I was off work as well = a family fun day!!! We started off the day right...with marshmallow filled, homemade hot chocolate and cookies. Then we all decided to bundle up and go out in the snow... The boys were rolling around and Harley LOVED her first time in the snow...



You might notice that this adorable, sweet, and guilty puppy face is not in the snow...she decided to run and not come when Daddy called her. She also decided to make him chase her almost three blocks in the snow. Daddy was not happy...at all!! I think she might be going through a "dog mid-life crisis" But her face is just so cute and squeezable that I couldn't even get mad at her (of course...I also did not have to run after to her and bring her stubborn 80 lb body back home)

Now...back to the snow playing...

This sweet babe just loved playing out in the snow. She just kept laughing and throwing snow on everyone...including herself.

The boys wrestled and Harley kept trying to "save" Ty by jumping on top of Dustin...it was a funny site. Then Dustin suggested that we go sledding...the babes LOVED that idea. So...I put my camera safely in the house and headed out to walk to our neighborhood sledding hill. We were surprised that no one was there yet but we were happy to have the hill all to ourselves. After a few runs...sweet Maddie decided that she was just too cold and needed to go home. Maddie and I started on the walk home while the boys followed (well...they followed at a distance because they kept taking breaks to throw each other in the snow!!) After we got home and warm Dustin told everyone to get ready because he was taking us out for lunch and a "surprise" afterwards. The kids were very excited so they got ready in record time. We ate lunch and then got back into the car and headed to the pet store. Yes...you heard me right...I said pet store. Let me give you a little background...

Tyler had received two hermit crabs from Nana and Papa for his birthday last summer. He LOVED those hermit crabs!! *Fast forward* to before we left for NY 2 weeks ago...eating with Daddy...Ty says, "Hey daddy? Can you make sure to give my hermit crabs a full dish of water and food so they will be set for while we are gone?" "Sure buddy" said a very busy Daddy who was trying to get everything ready for not only his family to go out of town...but himself and the band as well. *Fast forward* to the tragic loss of the hermit crabs. (and I never told Ty that they had not been fed and watered...per Daddy's request and promise to buy him 3 new ones!!)

So...we were at the pet store...and Ty's face just lit up. We walk in to pick out his crabs and somehow it was decided (between Daddy and the babes) that Maddie NEEDS a fish in her room. I agree (it is better than a puppy!!) *Fast forward* even a little more and Maddie's fish turns into a fish and a dwarf water frog to go with the fish. So now we are checking out with 1 fish, 1 dwarf water frog, 1 bag of pink pebbles, 1 round plastic fish/frog bowl, 3 new hermit crabs, and 1 fresh bag of sand.

So I figured you should all meet the newest members of the Burke household...
Meet Shelly...she is the most outgoing of the 3. She loves her new little cage and even climbs up her climbing wall (something Ty's previous hermit crabs wouldn't do and he is very excited that Shelly does!!)

This is Hermie. He is a little shy...but we have gotten him to come out a few times...and he even crawled on my arm. He and Shelly have played together a little...and he likes climbing over things in his cage.

This is crabcake. He is very shy. We have actually only seen him come out of his shell once. He is super tiny and Maddie already refers to him as the "baby".

This is Ariel. Maddie's Beta fish. Her body is red and she has puprple and blue fins. I always thought that Beta fish were mean...but...come to find out...they are only mean with eachother. Which is why it is fine to have Ariel in the round fish bowl with this little one...

This little dwarf frog is Dory and he swims all the time...which is why he got his name. Maddie already sings, "Just keep swimming...swimmimg...swimming..." to him...it is very cute.

So after all of our new additions we had a family movie night complete with juice boxes and timbits...YUM!! It was an absolutely perfect day.

Careful...He's a talker

My little Ty man tends to be a talker. When he knows a lot about a topic...he loves to tell ALL about it...and I mean EVERY detail!! And when he asks a question about something...he will ask it in 5 different ways to make sure he is getting all the info he needs. All this being said....
We were driving in the car tonight on our way to church. We had just gotten off our exit and we were waiting at the light. Ty asked me, "Mom...why is that street named 'W-Yes'? To which I replied it is actually pronounced 'Wise' even thought it is spelled W-Y-S-E." Ty replied, "O...that is a weird name. " Thinking the conversation was over...I did not respond...but he kept going..."Who would name it that?" "I am not sure buddy." I responded. "Well who decides the names for the streets...and why would they spell it funny?" I don't know buddy...that is just the name" I said "But why? I mean why is it called Wyse? Who wanted it to be called that? Maybe they weren't a good speller? How do you get the job of naming streets?" At this point...I was SO done with hearing about street names...so I replied in a very firm/kind of frustrated tone, "Buddy...I DON'T KNOW! I don't know why they named the street that...or who named it...it is just the name of the street...that is just the way it is...OK? He paused for a moment and said, "Oh...well you know what mom?" "What buddy?" (I tried to respond like I was not totally done with the conversation). "If there was a street named Jessica...that would be my favorite street because that is your name...and you are my very favorite person!" My heart just melted...I love my little man!!

Super Powers

So...I need a super power...and not just any super power. I need the one like the guy on Heroes has (the guy whose name I cannot pronounce or spell). He makes a really weird face...closes his eyes...concentrates really hard...and makes himself instantly travel to anywhere he wants to be. Because I would travel to see my brother at least once a week to have lunch with him at Cabo Fish Taco (the most amazing little restaurant that we both love!!) I loved getting to see him so much over the holidays...but now i miss him. I am going to go and work on my Super Powers now.

NY trip (Reader's Digest version)

SO...me and the babes went to NY last week. It was actually not a planned trip...(my dad had two strokes in a little over 2 weeks and I really wanted to go to check on him and make sure that everything was ok) but we had a great time! The babes and I stayed with my mom and she totally spoiled us!! She let me sleep in and had coffee ready for me when I got up (It was hard to leave that :)!!!) and the kiddos got cookies and orange juice for breakfast (and they didn't want to leave that :)!!!) We went to Carousel center...Heids...Aunt Linda's...Dad's...the Buzzell's house (to see them and Sheri)...and SO much more!! The babes were amazing with all of the driving and I loved getting to be on a mini-vacation with them. Now we are trying to get back into our little routine (NO fun!!) and they are off to school and I am off to work and cleaning. Even though we miss everyone in NY we are glad to be back home safe and sound.
Here are a few pics from the visit...

Resolution

So...my New Years resolution is to be a better blogger. We'll see how it goes :-)