How We Are Spending Our Nights

It's spring time and that means softball around here for us.

Faith is playing 1st base.  Look at that tongue...That's concentration for sure.

This is the first year Beth has played catcher.  She usually is at short stop but there team needed help in the catching position.  Beth has now found her favorite spot.  She is good, I tell you, good.

We are blessed that a girl on her team is the daughter of the girl's softball coach at our local community college.  Beth has already been spotted and we are hopeful that this is the beginning of a beautiful realtionship.  Can we say, please scholarship, please.  We still have a few years, but we are starting early.

This girl is massively strong.  She has natural strength.

She hit an infield homerun at this game.  Go Beth...

So this is where we will be spending our next few weeks. 

After the rec league is over, Beth will then be joining a travel team until the end of the summer.  Yes, she is a happy girl right now.  She LOVES all things sports.

Faith likes sports...Beth loves sports.

Wish We Had a Pool...

Boy, how I wish we had a swimming pool.  It would be so nice on hot summer days to go outside and jump in, instead of having to drive somewhere and pay all the money.

But, right now we will be happy and content with the little pool that we have.

At least, Faith will be content, because she and Diet Dr. Pepper are all that would fit in this pool.

I just found out that this is actually a hot tub not a pool.

Do you like how we improvise around here?

Romans 15:1,2...Bear One Another's Burdens

Romans 15:1,2..."We then that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak..."

Can I just tell you that it seems like their are a lot of hurting people all around me right now?  It seems as though my prayer list is getting longer and longer and my heart is getting heavier and heavier.

I do believe in the power of prayer and believe it is my responsibility and privilege to pray for others.

I am going to do something I have not done on here before.  I am going to ask my believing friends to join me in praying for a few people that are on my heart tonight.  I don't have to give all details because God knows the details and that's what matters.  So if you don't mind, would you please take just a moment and lift these needs up in faith in agreement with me.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, from the bottom of my heart.

Please pray for:

The Abbott Family who just buried their 7 year old daughter today.  Samantha fought a long hard battle with leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant.  She is now in heaven with Jesus, but this family truly needs our prayers.

Greg who has recently been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  Husband, father of three, and friend of mine.

Ronnie, husband's twin brother, who has been living about 400 miles away from his family of five for months now because he can't find a job close to home.  This is a consulting job, so he can't move his family closer at this time.  Interviewing closer to home and praying for God's will with this job interview.

Personal...A church home for my family.  We are actively searching for where God wants us to serve.

My son Keith, who has been diagnosed with vision problems; specifically depth perception.  This has prevented Keith from doing many things throughout his life and we are just now learning what the problem is.  God is awesome in showing us specific needs and sending us to the right Dr. to help him.  We are going through twelve weeks of vision therapy and are driving an hour and a half one day a week for the therapy.  Please pray for 100% success with this therapy.

I am going to stop here as to not overwhelm and take advantage of your kindness. 

Thank you in advance for praying with me about these things.  I appreciate each and everyone of you.  God bless.

Keith's Birthday and Our First Professional Hockey Game

Our family plus a friend of Keith's went to see a Nashville Predators game for his birthday Tuesday night.  None of us had ever been to an ice hockey game, so what a treat it was for us all.

There's not much to say about it except that it was great fun.  There was lots of loudness, lots of words being thrown all around us that, frankly, I really don't hear very much anymore, and great athletic abilities.

I want to show you a few highlights of the evening...

This message came flashing across the screen for all to see. 

I have played dodge ball as a child but never have I played dodge puck.  With Keith's depth perception problems, we could have had a big big problem if a flying puck came towards his head.

The game itself was great.  The Preds won in overtime during a shootout.  Yes, friends, I had a little hockey education that night.

This guy sat in front of us.  He was a fan from the Philadelphia Flyers.  He was, well let's just say, a very dedicated man who loved his team.

Donnie says, "that's my boy". 

 Keith asked this cheerleader to have a picture made with him.  Can I just say that was very brave for Keith who usually would do nothing like that.  I think this will be his Facebook profile pic for awhile.

Of course, Faith wasn't going to pass up a chance to have a photo with a cheerleader.  Faith wanted to be right out there with them.

Speaking of cheerleaders...

My sweet hubby will forever be the cheerleader.  This is when the college cheerleading comes out in him.

What a treat!  Vince Gill sang during halftime.  We didn't know he was going to be there. 

Do any of you remember Billy Gilman?  Probably not unless you have a teenage daughter now who loved him back when...My teenager daughter is one of those girls who said she wanted to marry him.  He was popular as a child singer, but I don't think he sings much anymore.  Beth was still beyond excited though.

So our day in a nutshell...

Keith had breakfast in bed

Went to an eye doctor appointment

Had delish frozen yogurt at Sweet CeCe's

Walked around downtown Nashville and had people ask us for money

Took Faith's picture with the fake Elvis statue

Ate at the Big River Restaurant and Brewery (no alcohol was consumed)

Went to Preds game and watched them win

Stopped at McDonalds and had dessert on the way home

All fell into the bed exhausted around midnight

WHAT A GREAT DAY TO CELEBRATE KEITH

Happy 18th Birthday, Keith

Our baby boy turns 18 today.  It is so hard to believe, but it's true.  I now have a son who can vote.  (Always vote conservative, my child, or mama will come get you)  (Sorry...Just thought I would throw that in)

I have already cried my tears, because that's just what I do.  I don't cry over my birthdays, jut my children's.  It's just hard to think that one day very soon...ummm not gonna go there.

Anyway...today I just want Keith to have the  happiest birthday ever and I want him to know how very much
I love him.  I want him to know that he is the best son in the world and that he is just perfect to me.  He is my buddy and always will be.

My little buddy...

And, now a young man...

Can't believe how grown up he is!!

Keith got three of his favorite things for his birthday a day early because today we are taking him to a Nashville Predators game and won't be home to celebrate.

First, he got his all time favorite dessert..

This boy loves his cheesecake and Wal-Mart has a great one.  Not as good as Donnie's homemade gourmet cheesecake, but still good. 

Keith's favorite soft drink is Sun-Drop.  Some of you probably don't know what Sun-Drop is.  It's a citrus type soda loaded with all things bad for you, but Keith loves it.  We really don't buy it very often so for a special occasion, it's a great gift.  This was from Faith.

Did you notice the look on his face?  It really doesn't take a whole lot to excite the Kinser family. 

And then, just what every 18 year old needs...

His very own laptop. 

 He was beyond elated.  He has been using an old laptop that was his daddy's for awhile now.  This baby should last him through college and so on...

What does today hold for Keith on his actual birthday?

We are headed to Nashville for eye an appointment for Keith.  I know, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun to do on his 18th birthday, but we were going to be there so we're killing two birds with one stone.  (I'll share more about the eye appointment sometime in case there is someone out there it could help)

After the appointment, we are going to one of Keith's favorite places to eat...Olive Garden, and then we are taking the family and a friend of his to a Preds Ice Hockey game.  How fun does that sound?  Hopefully no pucks will hit us in the head.  Of course, that would be a memory maker...

Again to Keith...I love you, buddy.  Happy happy 18th birthday!  You are amazing and I am blessed to call you my son and my friend!

I've Come a Long Way, Baby...

I want to show you how far I have come as a mommy...

This is Faith as Hannah Montana.

Guess where we were...

We were in public...like a restaurant with lots of people around public.  Do you understand what I am saying?  I let one of my children go out to eat dressed like a pop star.  Obviously you see the wig, but did you also notice the microphone in her hand?   Let me just tell you that people all over the place were staring at her with amusement and curiosity.

Why have I come a long way you might be asking?  Let me tell you.  When Keith and Beth were little, they had to be dressed UP nicely to go anywhere.  There is NO way I would have let them go out in public in any way that might...ummm...okay...I'm gonna be honest here...in anyway that might embarrass me.  How awful but true is that. 

Can we all say pride together?  That's all it was.  My st--id (we don't let Faith say that word, so I won't either) pride.  I let that sinful nature get in the way of my children having fun.  I let it prevent them from feeling free to just be who they wanted to be.  I had them in this neat tidy little box that I thought they needed to be in.  How uptight I was and how uptight I made my first two babies. 

Keith and Beth, I am so sorry.  Keith, I'm sorry that I didn't let you go out with red shorts, an orange shirt, and green socks on.  And, Beth, I'm sorry that I didn't let you go out of the house in red plastic high heels with your church dress on. 

So, with your third child, I guess you finally begin to learn to let loose and not fret about very unimportant things.  You learn that it is so okay for your daughter to go out to eat on Daddy's birthday dressed as Hannah Montana.  It's okay for her clothes not to be picked out perfectly by mom.  It's okay for her to be who she wants to be, to be outside of the box a little.

Anyway...who defines what the box is!  The only box I want my children to be in is the box designed by God.  That box will be the one that defines who they are in Him.  That's what matters after all.  I am reminded of the verse in 2 Samuel that tells us that man sees what's on the outside and God sees what's on the inside.  Therefore, I believe as long as Faith is dressed modestly as Hannah Montana, then Hannah Montana she can dress like.  (even at a restaurant)

One last thing...Keith and Beth were SHOCKED and very pleased with this change of heart.  Of course, Faith was thrilled.  I wonder who she will go out as next.  I'll let you know.

Our Chicken Named Hope

Meet Hope, one of our youngest hens...

Do you notice anything strange and sad about this pretty little thing?

I know, it's gross...

Can you see that big patch of feathers that are gone? 

So sad, in my opinion, but that is just part of being a hen.  It's not part of being a rooster...know what I mean?  The roosters are rough on my poor hens.

Is anyone wondering why she is named Hope?

Beth named her that and she had a whole list of reasons why...

1.  She hopes she will never get stuck on the top of the chicken pen again.

2.  She hopes she will stop being abused by the roosters.

3.  She hopes the feathers on her back will grow back.

4.  She hopes Keith will never trap her in the net again.

5.  She hopes she won't end up on the kitchen table.

I'm thinkin Hope is a great name for this hen.  Don't you agree?