Spirit League Baseball!

Excited for her first Spirit League Baseball game of the season!

(while chowing down on a cheese stick before the game ;)

Tessa has some super sweet friends to be her buddies this year!  She could tell things were gunna be a little different when Brianna, Logan and Ella showed up!!

Parker, Brianna and Ella watching and cheering as Logan helps Tessa bat!

This is what it's all about.

Logan and Tessa were like pros!  First time hitting and they got it on the first try!

 Ella and Parker helping Daddy and Tessa in outfield.

It was pretty chilly this night...but any time Tessa even thought about getting upset...Miss Ella was quick to grab her hand and tell her everything was just fine :)

These two.  

A priceless gift ~ friends make everything better.

 The Spirit League here in Yukon is as much about the individual players as it is the buddies that help make it so fun.
We look forward to it every year!

~Whitney

Life in a Week!

Love her and her snuggles.

Look at this face!!  

'It's all gunna be okay' when she's in my arms :)

Parker had his Kindergarten school muscial last week.

He was a happy farmer!

"How Does Your Garden Grow?"

"How Does Your Garden Grow?"

Parker's line: "All that happy hoeing has cleared away the weeds!"

(he did such a good job :)

 Parker was so happy when I surprised him for lunch!!

Tessa was a huge fan of the bread at Outback!

 When she's so intent on feeding herself, she looks away from me.

As if to say, "I can handle this now leave me alone!" ;)

A blow up Minnie Mouse bow in a card.  Brilliant!

Tessa loved it.

I mean LOVED IT!  She giggled from the time her daddy blew it up.

It's the simple things ;)

 We had Saturday morning breakfast in the garage!

We like to change it up from time to time ;)

And then we had Saturday morning cartoons snuggled in mommy and daddy's bed!

And then we had the most excellent performance of Frozen's "Let it Go"

by our most excellent 6 year old!

  Saturday night was a doozie.  Tessa had a pretty big seizure.  We were able to use her Diastat to get it stopped, but it definitely took a toll on our little Miss.
Not sure why this redness happens to her face, but it's been consistent with the seizures she's had.

This picture was actually from Sunday afternoon...so hard to see how much those stupid seizures steal away from her :(

Sunday night was more definitely more peaceful and we were thankful for peaceful rest for our precious little girl.

Monday evening snuggles were in order immediately after work!

Tessa wasn't super enthusiastic....but she WAS super snuggly!

And Parker...well he does his best to humor his ol mom ;)

Okay, so this is me exhausted after carrying 80 lbs on a walk.  But, Parker was still all smiles and little miss was able to get in an evening cat nap.  Works for me!

I figured once I got her out of the carrier, she'd wake up.

Haha, not so much.

When being a working mother carries such heaviness, the Lord is faithful to offset it with a beautiful sunrise.  It's hard to report to Downtown OKC some days because of what I leave behind...but on this particular morning, God blessed me with a new perspective.

He knows my heart, even when I forget to tell Him what's heaviest on it.

~Whitney

Heavy on My Heart

This is amazing.  There are so many beautiful moments in this video.

 (10 minute video - I laugh out loud, every time, around the 3:36 mark!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFTxjtkVbxg

http://cuerdasshort.com/

As Tessa turned 4 this week, this is what has been on my heart. Inclusion is what we dream of, what we hope for. I pray constantly for the little ones just like this precious little girl in this video....their creativity, their gentle spirits, their courage, their bravery, their selflessness, their strength, their compassion...their gift to love as they do. 

You don't have to be able to understand what they are saying to see the magnitude of what is happening.

~Whitney

The BEST Sounds!!

Lots of GIGGLES and Lots of Talkin :)

A favorite!!!

~Whitney

Birthday Celebration!

We had lots of fun celebrating Tessa's 4th birthday with sweet friends!!

She thoroughly enjoyed her cake and ice cream!

Serious business :)

Ready to go outside and enjoy the rest of the beautiful day!

   

Showing off her 4 year old driving skills

It was a good day!

Turning 4 is exhausting ;)

~Whitney

Happy 4th Birthday Tessa!!

My goodness it's hard to find words to express the love I have for my sweet girl! Celebrating her precious joyful life today and the true gift she is to so many. I had no idea the plans God had for you Miss Tessa, and I hope and pray that every day we continue to open up our hearts and our minds, more and more, for the good He has for you and for His glory. 

Happy 4th Birthday Tessa Rayne!

1 month

9 months

1 year

2 years

3 years

and 4 years!

  

~Whitney

Simplicity in my Cluttered World

Jesus Calling April 1st:
I am calling you to a life of constant communion with Me.  Basic training includes learning to live above your circumstances, even while interacting on that cluttered plane of life.  You yearn for a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be uninterrupted.  But I challenge you to relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world.  Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all.

Talk with Me about every aspect of your day, including your feelings.  Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me.  A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day.  Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life.  Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment.  He will keep you close to Me.

1 Thessalonians 5:17; Proverbs 3:6


"Transition" - the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
We all go through periods of transition.  They typically bring with them a range of emotions, and at times, unmanageable levels of stress.  This is me, this is where I'm at.  Not only can I not relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world, I find myself settling on a determination that all is lost and that anything that once was good, is no longer. It is a terrible approach to life and it quickly reveals a vast number of insecurities and shortcomings within me.  

A very Godly encourager in our lives wrote this morning about his own life: "Little by little over the last 10 years God has brought us to the edge of the cliff, so to speak, and seemed to ask us each time, 'Do you trust Me?' "  He proclaims his amazement at what God has done in and through them for His glory and makes careful clarification; "I do mean what HE HAS DONE...for HIS glory! God's ways are not like ours."


The raw reality for me today is that I am so tired of the cliffs. I can't pretend like the question at the cliff doesn't challenge every single human reaction within me.  I feel like I'm standing here screaming how tired I am, pleading for provision without heartache...begging for a transition, for once, with flawless resolution.  But I am reminded today, that what I want, and all MY to-do lists, likely have disaster written all over them and have no business directing my life.  I might be stuck in this moment for a time...but I'm confident that God will take my heart and my hand and guide me back away from the cliff and on to trusting Him.

The challenges of today, and stressful uknowns in transitions ahead, do not negate the history of God's glory in our lives.  I believe He does indeed make our paths straight, but not without the acknowledgement of Him and that His ways are not like our own.  Transitions in our lives are terrifying at times, but accepting each day as it comes and realizing it may come and go with many things left undone, is definitely the simplicity that I need to stay in touch with Him.

~Whitney