My 28 Thanks:

1. Strength.

2. The ability to continue on even when your body is tired.

3. Muscles.

4. My mom’s help today.

5. My sister’s help today.

6. There are 15 less boxes in my garage.

7. My bed. I have missed it!

8. My pillow.

9. Comfortable clothes.

10. My kitchen is unpacked.

11. My closet is unpacked.

12. I found $20 in a box that I was unpacking.

13. My new neighbors are so talkative. Looking forward to getting to know them.

14. They left a giant sand pile in our backyard.

15. Judah loves playing in the sand pile.

16. A nearby grocery store.

17. A young man offered to help me load my groceries at the grocery store today.

18. Meg and the boys stopped by today. I love seeing family.

19. Bob, Kyle, Eric, and Pa-Pa were great helps moving.

20. Danielle and Rony stopped by to say hi. They are always a cheerful hello.

21. My friend, Lorry Gail, had great help moving today.

22. I can still feel my legs.

23. Judah got to spend lots of time with my mom and sister today.

24. They all had a big game of hide and seek. I loved hearing the laughter.

25. Life is never boring.

26. Air Conditioner.

27. Good smells.

28. The Lord is good and He is forever Faithful.

As I write this blog, I pray that the words written will speak to your heart the way that they have spoken to mine.

Matthew 6:22-23 says that “the eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But, if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Please note that the last part of that sentence doesn’t end in a question mark asking you to gauge the level of darkness (if your light is dark) on the inside of you, but rather it ends in an exclamation mark, declaring that the darkness is truly great.

You see, we don’t actually see with our eyes. We see with our brains and our eyes are the lenses through which we see. In our minds, we define the image as good or bad, a source of peace or fear, and we accept it or reject it. Mixed with both our faith, past experiences, and our choice, we determine if it is good for us or bad for us.

When I was in high school, my parents decided to take the first of many family ski trips. My brothers and sister and I were so excited. We didn’t have a clue how to ski, but it couldn’t be that hard, right? On day one, I looked at the mountain from the base and thought, “This won’t be so bad after all. All you have to do is move your skis to the left and then to the right.” After a few falls on the ski lift, I headed up the mountain to the top of what is known as the bunny slope. Once at the top of the mountain, my perspective changed! The mountain looked a lot more intimidating from that angle. Let it be known that I fell ALL THE WAY down the mountain. Let is also be known that my brother, Kyle, was a natural skier and picked up the sport immediately. And, he laughed at me all the way down the mountain, which only fueled my frustration more. My mom, who skied by our sides, kept encouraging us to get back up and keep trying. She kept giving us pointers and none of them were working.

When we got back to the base, both tired and sore, my mom told us we were going back up to try again. Then, she said something very important, “Kara, quit looking at the whole mountain. Change what you are looking at. Cut up the mountain, piece by piece and then it won’t be so overwhelming.” DING DING DING…the light bulb came on. The size and the slope of the mountain were intimidating me, but when I changed how I looked at the mountain, it lost its ability to bully me.

Did the mountain change? No. I changed my eyes!”

The second and third attempts became easier and easier and by the end of day one, I was a fairly good, safe, cautious, slow skier. I would like you all to know that even though I prefer the beach, I am a good skier. I have even conquered black mountains!

I once read that the way we view our problem is often our problem. What a powerful statement! The way we perceive something will emotionally and even physically affect us. This can become a problem if it messes with the way we perceive God or a situation in which our perspective is misleading us.

I have worked on changing my perspective about a few things this week. I have actually said out loud to myself, “Kara, your perspective is starting to have adverse reaction on you both emotionally and physically. So, change it.” Often times, where we are standing affects our perspective. The base of the mountain looks different than the view from the top. Where you stand, or who you hang around, or who you hear, will always affect what you see. Wow! That’s good stuff. I am preaching to myself right now.

Going to keep working on my persepctive…

My 28 Thanks:

1. God is good.

2. I started the day with a nice conversation with God and a good stretch.

3. I can change my perspective.

4. If my eye is clear, my whole body can be clear.

5. Judah gave me a really big kiss this morning.

6. Judah loves to sing “You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine” with me.

7. I love the way he says, “Dear.”

8. Judah and I used a lent roller as a microphone and sang a duet together tonight.

9. Judah thinks that I have a GREAT VOICE! Ha Ha…

10. Creative meeting was at an off campus location today. Loved it!

11. We planned an awesome 10,000 reasons worship service for Sunday night, July 14.

12. I love working with the creative team. So thankful they let a kids pastor come to their meetings!

13. Collaboration and brainstorming.

14. Shared funny marriage stories with my friend, Danielle, today.

15. Girl Talk.

16. The landscape for my house is perfect.

17. The Sprout channel is awesome. I love watching pajanimals with Judah. You can tell they have done extensive research on how to communicate with preschoolers. It helps me too.

18. My leaders for kids camp are so excited about camp this year. They are more excited then the kids.

19. My SIL, Laura,  made an awesome dinner tonight. The sweet potato casserole was amazing.

20. She shared with Judah and me.

21. I love open communication and opportunities to talk out confusion.

22. Eric Cheatham construction company. Eric and Austin are incredible to work with. They are men of integrity and make building fun!

23. We close on our house tomorrow.

24. Staff lunch was super yummy today.

25. Even when I have a rough day and feel like I wasn’t at my best, God still loves me. He smiles at me because I am His girl.

26. My mom told me tonight that she is proud of me.

27. My in-laws selflessly opened their home to us for the past 9 months. They have been incredible. They are so caring, giving, supporting, encouraging, and fun! Even though I am so excited to move into my home tomorrow, I am going to cherish the memories made while living with them and probably miss it too.

28. All the lessons my momma taught me. I love my momma!

29. I am married to Gary Hendrickson.

Quotes to Remember:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost more than 300 games. Twenty-six times, I ‘ve been trusted to make the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan

My 28 Thanks:

1. Failure is not final.

2. Failure often leads to success.

3. Jesus is always on the journey with me.

4. Words of Wisdom.

5. Got to talk to my sweet mom 2x today. Morning and Evening.

6. My family is coming to help us move this weekend.

7. Frozen blueberries.

8. My sister in law finally got some answers that will help her. She has been waiting a long time for these answers. I am glad she got them and it will help.

9. Had fun taking a personality profile today.

10. I am an interesting human being.

11. Michelle Halbrook has been a huge help with kids camp admin stuff. She put it all together and made it simple.

12. Michelle brought me lunch today for our meeting.

13. Quality is in the details. Thankful for details.

14. I slept well last night.

15. My college roommate and friend, Stephanie, brought 32 Women of Faith tickets to the church today. She wants me to bless women who had substantial damage in the tornado.

16. Giving people.

17. Rest. Rest. Rest. It is in my future.

18. Kids Camp 2013 is ready to go.

19. My huband is so calm. He always responds to me so sweetly, so patiently, and shows me that he cares about me.

20. Evening time cuddles with Judah.

21. Judah’s smile.

22. Spontaneous texts of encouragement. My friend Debby is gifted at that! Glad she is in my life.

23. Staff Chapel song lineup was great.

24. I don’t have to be anyone else. I can just be me.

25. My friend, Danielle, is passionate about ministry to young adults. Love passionate people.

26. I get to experience the role of MOMMY.

27. Experiences that I learn from.

28. Got to read for a while tonight. I devoured the words on the pages. This book was truly ordained for my life at this time.

I can’t believe today marks the 50 day journey of blessing the Lord. On this road to 10,000 reasons, I am learning more about myself and my Lord than I ever imagined.

My 28 Thanks:

1. Today is my dad’s birthday. Happy Birthday, dad. I celebrate you. So thankful that God created you and chose you to be my dad.

2. Today is my high school friend and college roommate, Sharbee’s birthday. She had such a big impact in my life. Her drive, dedication, passion for life and others had great influence on my life. She also taught me how to write. She is a grammar genius and spent hours helping me understand grammar and different writing techniques. I spent thousands of dollars on my college degree and Sharbee taught me more about writing than any other Professor. I miss my sweet Sharbee.

3. Don’t judge Sharbee for any typos…judge my late night writing in the dark! Ha Ha…just a touch of humor.

4. Jc Penney’s has a new line of clothing called JCP. I am in love. The pants are amazing and affordable and stretchy.

5. My outfit today was extrememly colorful. It made the sun look dim.

6. I love color!

7. I am ahead of the game in service planning.

8. Two more puppet recordings done and done well!

9. Aaron Rowin is the man of the day! After a miscommunication, (my fault) he dropped everything and drove from Norman to the church to make our puppet recording happen. That is dedication and love for kids ministry!

10. Gary and I had to pick out a tree today for our front yard. We found a tree with a scar on it. We thought the scar gave it character. The owners thought it made it cheap. We loved that. We got a BIG tree for a very very very cheap price.

11. Scars have a story and a testimony.

12. God is working behind the scenes.

13. The Holy Spirit is my advocate. He is my helper. He goes before me.

14. Discernment.

15. Spent some time outside in the beautiful evening.

16. Cool Breezes.

17. Gary prays over me.

18. Judah and I had a nice chat with our neighbor who lost his young wife from cancer about a year ago. Judah talks like such a big boy now. He likes to talk to Mr. Mulkey about his dirt pile.

19. Rony taught me something on planning center today that is going to save me  A LOT of time in the future.

20. Smart people who understand how to make things work smart for you.

21. Pastor Marcia’s wisdom, example, and discernment.

22. Accountability.

23. Judah is almost done with his antibiotic.

24. Truth in Love. I love when people tell me the truth in love in order to help me make good, wise choices.

25. Sturdy boxes.

26. Camp Wow is completely planned out.

27. I picked a big batch of fresh green beans from my pallet garden today.

28. I have found 1,400 reasons to bless the Lord so far and it is just beginning.

Winston Churchill once said, “We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.” Just think about it…David, in the Bible, became one of the greatest hymn writers of all times during moments of distress and sorrow. It is during trial and tribulation that we experience the greatest comforter of broken hearts this world will ever know, as well as moments of revelation, inspiration, and a will to survive.

As a Christian and a woman in church leadership, I have often felt guilty of feelings that seem to be opposed to my Faith. I sometimes put myself under pressure to always “be on”, to never have a moment when I am not okay, and to be immune from all struggles of this world. Christians aren’t supposed to have struggles, right? WRONG. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 states, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness’…Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Scripture reveals that it is in those moments of trial, of struggle, of distress, when Christ is made strong in us. Remember, the key is to feel the feelings, don’t deny them…just don’t follow them. Allow Him to be perfected in your weakness. 

My 28 thanks:

1. Mighty men and women of God who have positions of leadership. 

2. Quotes that speak to the very core of your soul.

3. Words that heal.

4. David’s time spent in the caves…he wrote some great Psalms down there:)

5. Jesus is perfected in my weakness. When I am weak, He is strong.

6. My in-laws let Judah ride to church with them on Sunday morning. Gary and I had kid free setup time.

7. Gary happens to be an amazing puppeteer and saved our service in a pinch.

8. If my husband is assigned a task, he makes sure it is done well.

9. Our KidMotion praise and worship has gone to a new level of excellence.

10. Debbie, Gary, Dale, Deborah, and our kidcrew put in so much effort to make it excellent.

11. Our small group application turned out really well.

12. The kids came up with great examples of putting others first.

13. Sande and Michelle help me so much when it comes to camp sign ups. 

14. Sande is always a bright smile every morning. I don’t think she ever has a bad morning.

15. Holly always greets me with a smile too. 

16. I have a great check-in team. Ava is an amazing leader who makes our ministry look good as a first impression for families.

17. I love the new excitement in the air for our Off the Rails series. 

18. Jacob, a boy in KidMotion, loves our puppet sketches. He is even giving Lorry Gail some writing inspiration. 

19. I love when kids get involved in service.

20. We had a productive, short, and fun kids camp parent meeting.

21. The leaders I am taking to camp are going to be so much fun. I may have to watch them a little closer than my kids. Ha Ha.

22. Love is an action and I can actually get better at loving everyday. 

23. Had  a fun time catching up with some old friends at Valerie’s wedding shower.

24. So excited for my friend Valerie. I can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle in July.

25. Marriage is a beautiful union. Thankful for mine! 

26. David Barton spoke in both our services. I am excited to watch them online.

27. Our praise team is practiced and ready for kids camp.

28. Job, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., David, Charles Spurgeon, and Abraham Lincoln are just a few dynamic, God-fearing, God-serving, God-loving leaders who made an unmistakable mark on histroy, and had struggles with various things. Their experiences are great examples of GOING THROUGH with the Lord.  

I have so much on my mind. But, it is going to have to stay there a little longer. The days have been so full and so busy. Unfortunately, I run out of time to write in abundance. Regardless of the day, My Lord deserves to be praised.

My 28 Thanks:

1. Gary and I both enjoyed early morning quiet time while Judah slept in a little longer.

2. Experienced new revelation from a scripture/Bible story that I have read many many times.

3. I started making a list today of the top 6 things that fuel me and the top 6 things that drain me.

4. New Revelation from the Word fuels me.

5. I had time to read many pages from two separate books today.

6. David Barton is coming to Crossroads Church tomorrow. Everyone is excited. But, Zip and Flip are coming to Crossroads Kidz Ministry tomorrow-we are excited too.

7. Tomorrow we are teaching about putting others first. Such an important principle-even good for us big kids to understand and apply in our lives.

8. My Father-in-law absolutely loved his father’s day gift. He got to fly around the City today in a B-17. There are only 13 restored. So excited that he got to have this experience.

9. Kaden got to come and hang out with us again this weekend.

10. Judah and I had a fun swim in the kiddie pool today:)

11. Gary worked hard mowing the lawn so his parents wouldn’t have to do it when they came home.

12. Gary is always thinking about others before himself.

13. Today was extremely restful for me. I cherish these days. I even took a 30 minute nap.

14. Gary and I attended a beautiful wedding tonight in Guthrie, Ok.

15. We held hands and talked the entire drive.

16. We got to visit with some friends we haven’t seen in a really long time.

17. I got to hear precious wedding vows spoken.

18. Weddings make Gary and I relive our most precious day.

19. Guthrie is a beautiful Historic town. Really glad we got to visit it.

20. The wedding was beautiful and I am sure it was perfect for both the bride and groom.

21. Gary and I had a deep, uniterrupted conversation tonight.

22. Old, Colonial style homes with big wrap around porches.

23. Brick streets have so much History and character.

24. Personal growth.

25. Learning the difference between a CONCERN and a RESPONSIBILITY.

26. Stories. Everyone has one.

27. Committment.

28. Chit Chat…just simple conversation.

I had planned to talk about some thoughts on insecurities in this blog. But, I started reading a book tonight and the thoughts of my mind have taken another path. I have been carrying this book around in my bag for the past month. The title of the book both intrigued me and frightened me. It intrigued me because the carefully selected title evoked an immediate emotional repsonse when reading the simple short phrase. It frightened me because I knew its contents would force me to act upon something that I have tried to ignore. Thinking a lot about the pages I read tonight. It was written a few years ago, but I know it was written specifically for me. I am excited to share its contents with my husband tomorrow morning. I am sure in the coming days, I will talk more about its impact on my life. For now, I will keep everyone wondering…

My 28 Thanks:

1. I opened up the pages of a book tonight.

2. The first 100 pages were like my own personal diary entries.

3. The friend who gave me the book from his book shelf. I hope I don’t have to return it…Ha Ha Ha!

4. The writer who shared his own very personal experiences.

5. Transparency.

6. Freedom to not have to be perfect. There is only One who is perfect and I am not the One.

7. My eye is no longer swollen.

8. I accomplished much today.

9. Judah had fun with his cousins today.

10. Gary returned safely to the station tonight after an all day dive.

11. The team had a great creative meeting today.

12. Excited about Pastor Ted’s new series, Divin’ In.

13. Pastor Ted encouraged me today.

14. I am surrounded by a team of people who always help me find solutions to problems.

15. I was able to encourage someone today.

16. I got a sweet shout out from one of my new teammates, Jessica Fellers. She has the cutest of families and is so sweet. I am really glad she is teaching our preschoolers.

17. Super excited for my sweet Rowin family. They are going to take an awesome 2 week vacation this year to the East Coast. They deserve some RandR.

18. Fun designs.

19. Bright colors.

20. 8 days until I close on my house.

21. I picked my first bunch of garden green beans tonight. I love fresh veggies.

22. Sonny, the owner of Little Kings Pizza, goes to our church. He is such a great guy and has a great small business. Tonight, he blessed our family with an extra crazy bread.

23. Judah gave me two big kisses on the lips today.

24. Judah asked me not to leave today when I headed out to work. He said, “Mommy, please stay here with me today.”

25. Back roads and shortcuts that keep you out of busy traffic.

26. Police officers. I saw several today protecting our streets. Glad I didn’t see any flashing lights.

27. The way Judah says Oatmeal is so cute.

28. I miss my husband every single day and night that he is away at the fire station. After nine years of this schedule, I still miss him with all my heart and would prefer that he was close to me.

The day began early and it is ending late. But, my heart will always find time to Bless the Lord.

My 28 Thanks:

1. I got to begin my day with some Joyce Meyer teaching.

2. Out of all the rules, regulations, and requirements, LOVE prevails. If you will just love, the greatest commandment, everything else will just work out.

3. God is love. He can’t be anything else.

4. I am valuable to God. He loves me.

5. Gary always carries my heavy computer bag for me when he is with me. It really saves my back.

6. Gary brought me lunch today and helped me setup for tonight’s service. I love my man with muscles.

7. Gary found another firefighter who agreed to work for him on July 4th. Because of this, Gary can come to kids camp with me.

8. Found my nurse for kids camp.

9. I don’t have to drive down 4th and 19th street in order to get home. Don’t think I would like seeing the devastation on a daily basis.

10. More kids signed up for Kids Camp today.

11. Melissa Eddens told me that she reads my blog every night before bed. Thankful for her support and encouragement. She and her husband, Brad, love serving our Youth Ministry. They do a great job.

12. Little Miss Naomi always greets me on Wednesday night with a big hug and a special piece of art. Tonight, she worked extra hard and made the envelope special too.

13. I was greeted with so many hugs tonight from my sweet kiddos.

14. Lori and I were able to discuss some future kidmin plans today. Really glad she is my sidekick in ministry. She is one preschool talented lady. I wonder if she will ever grow old.

15. Had fun picking out my landscaping tonight.

16. Cody was a great help at the landscaping place.

17. Two of my Wednesday Night team leaders text me after service tonight and thanked me for allowing them to be a part of the team. Wow! They love serving our kids. I am so thankful for their hearts.

18. People find joy in serving others.

19. The stage team did an amazing job tonight.

20. Judah had a blast in his class and was so excited to give me his craft. I love that he loves church.

21. Our preschool department is one of the best around!

22. Kids ministry was so peaceful and smooth tonight.

23. We were able to clean out a lot of stuff tonight. It is a season of purging.

24. Heard a story tonight about some kids who were rescued from a terrible situation. Thinking about those kids tonight.

25. We have implemented a lot of change in our Wednesday Night Kidz Ministry and the leaders are doing so well and being so flexible.

26. I saw so many leaders taking their small groups to another level of greatness tonight. I love seeing people think outside the box.

27. Gary was really confident in leading the praise set tonight. Really proud of him and how he is growing in confidence on the stage.

28. Tomorrow night I am going to talk more about insecurities. Read something today about Miriam in the Bible. She was insecure at one point in her life because Moses was getting all the attention. God gave her a 7 day trial of leprosy. Hmmm…thankful that God doesn’t strike people with leprosy anymore. Ha Ha…

My 28 Thanks:

1. I will have a special place to go in my new house to write my blog and have quiet time.

2. The countdown to our home closing date has started. 10 days to go!

3. Eric Cheatham Construction company is the best. Thankful to work with Eric and Austin once again.

4. We have met two of our neighbors and they seem like great, sweet people.

5. I loved the song list this morning in staff chapel.

6. We had great discussion this morning about the scorecard of a team.

7. People who are usually quiet on the team really spoke up today and shared their thoughts.

8. I love when quiet people speak. It takes some of the pressure off the loud people who always feel obligated to speak…ha ha ha!

9. Teri Darrah asked my opinion again today about an orchestra song. I love that she likes to ask me my thoughts especially since she knows how “uneducated” I am when it comes to music. However, she thinks I am trendy, I guess, and know what people like. Ha Ha.

10. Teri and I talked about Abby today. Teri is so proud of her daughter. I love to hear parents brag about their kids.

11. Abby is a great young lady who will do great things this summer in the Dominican Republic.

12. Sonic ice.

13. Judah didn’t have any fever today.

14. Gary and I got a fantastic deal on our blinds. We couldn’t believe the final price and we got to get exactly what we wanted.

15. Gary, Judah, and I played in a big pile of dirt tonight. We pretended that it was surrounded by hot lava and I had to be rescued. Judah loved it. I loved it until I saw a GIANT worm in the dirt. Seriously, it was the BIGGEST WORM I have ever seen. I had to leave the dirt at that moment.

16. The older I get, the more of a “girl” I become. I love being a girl.

17. Fun Family Pillow Fight.

18. Starla helped me put together a huge packet project today. She saved me lots of time and I am so thankful for her help. And, she brought me lunch. So sweet of her.

19. The copier didn’t run out of paper or break down…I used it a lot today.

20. Worked with Camp Wow staff today and finalized our 2013 kids camp schedule.

21. I am so excited to go back to Camp Wow. Our kids love it.

22. I love the staff at Camp Wow. They are so flexible, kind, and easy going.

23. Gary put gas in my car. It is the little things…

24. Judah thought it was hilarious to chase me around the yard with the water hose. He totally soaked me when I wasn’t looking. Glad that I could bring a big belly laugh to his life. Gary enjoyed it too.

25. We saw the cutest family of baby ducks tonight. Life is so precious at every stage. We should treasure everyday.

26. The more time I spend outside listening to birds, looking at plants, and walking in the woods, the more I realize how creative, how awesome, and how detailed God is. I serve a phenomenal God.

27. My Uncle Danny was released from the hospital today!

28. Received a new book today by Jon Acuff entitled, Start. Excited to START reading Start.

Psalm 91:1 states that “he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, shall find rest in the shadow of the Almighty…”  The key word in this scripture is DWELL. When you DWELLl in the secret place, when you spend time there everyday, when you live there, THEN you shall find rest. I am certain that not only do I find rest when I DWELL in the shelter of the Most High, but I also find understanding, revelation, and peace. Your quiet time is so important. Where do I dwell the most? Do I dwell the most in my secret place with the Lord? If I am lacking understanding, revelation, and peace, then I need to check out where I am spending most of my time dwelling.

My 28 Thanks:

1. God meets me in my Secret Place.

2. I can Dwell in the shelter of God.

3. I find rest in Him.

4. I find understading, revelation, and peace when I dwell in Him.

5. I was able to work from home today and take care of Judah.

6. I didn’t take Judah to the Fire Station last night for the Father’s Day cookout. Both Judah and I were so bummed. But, I am so glad I didn’t get him around the other kids because he tested positive for strep today.

7. I am so glad I didn’t take him to kids church yesterday and expose other kids. Even the kids pastor follows kidz ministry policies:)

8. Dr. Rodgers is an amazing family doctor. We are always able to get in to see him when we need to. He makes Judah laugh.

9. Quick acting antibiotics.

10. Antibiotics that taste like fruity flavors. We don’t have to hold Judah down to take it!

11. I had a wonderful conversation with a new friend today. She has such a sweet, encouraging spirit and she is super pumped to serve in Kidz Ministry.

12. Judah felt well enough to play outside this evening.

13. The evening weather was amazing. It was actually a touch too cool and I had to wear a hoodie. My husband thinks I am weird.

14. My plants continue to survive the night time storms.

15. My pallett garden plants are now producing food.

16. Finished the service plan for Wednesday Night Kidz. We are going to have so much fun.

17. Marrell is hosting the game segment again. He loves doing it and he is good.

18. Nurse Donna gave Judah two orange suckers (because he is a boy and orange is the color for boys) and he was so excited.

19. Judah is starting to use his manners all the time…he says, “Please, Thank You, and Excuse me.”

20. I have friends and co-workers in my life who cheer for me.

21. I lost 5 more pounds since April. Portion control and healthy choices are what it is all about my friends.

22. Gary went to the pharmacy for us tonight.

23. Enjoyed a very funny conversation with Gary and my in-laws tonight. Although I am super excited about moving into my HOUSE NEXT WEEK, I will miss time with my in-laws.

24. Judah’s fever has stayed below 101 since this afternoon.

25. Judah cracked me up this morning. When he first woke up, I asked, “Judah, does your throat hurt? Can you feel it when you swallow?” He responded, “No, Mommy. I can’t feel it because it is on the inside (he points to his throat) and I can’t touch it on the inside, so I don’t know how it feels.” Duh, Mommy! Duh! I love my little man.

26. Judah picked up a bug tonight-one of those nasty, gross locust that attacked me the other day to be exact. He brought it over to me and said, “Look, Mommy. It is a bug and bugs are nice.” He is such a boy. So thankful that he is not afraid of bugs like his mommy.

27. Singing Jesus Loves Me and My Best Friend, Jesus with Judah right now! Doesn’t get much better than that.

28. The faith of a child. Jesus welcomes the children and says that we should all have the Faith of a Child.