So Thankful!

Rex and I just got back from our annual marriage retreat and it was so amazing! Nothing makes you appreciate your family and your life as much as spending a weekend focused on God's amazing power. We had the opportunity to hear so many stories that make you so thankful for your life and the things you have been blessed with that often go unnoticed or fall out of focus. The weekend was centered around forgiveness. Although it is a marriage retreat, many of the stories focused on forgiving someone on the outskirts of the marriage. Many of them were about fathers. Listening to some of the tragic and powerful messages was so overwhelming and the realization that we have such an opportunity to screw things up with our children if our sight falls away from God. I have an ability to put so many things first in my life and often realize that God is falling down the ladder in my thoughts and my daily attitudes. Having weekends like this helps me remember to strive each day with my eyes on Him.

On this weekend away, Maryn and Dylan spent the weekend with Papa Bear and Grandmama. It is such an amazing blessing to see them smiling from ear to ear as you leave because you know they are safe, happy, and well taken care of. What is even better is coming back and seeing that they are still smiling from ear to ear after having such a great weekend. Maryn was so happy to have gotten to see Payton while they were at Britni's beauty pageant. And Dylan walked in the door, filthy from head to toe and pee all over his pants (which only happens once in a blue moon when he is having too much fun to stop and go). Papa Bear had taken all the kids fishing and I see them come in and I know...these are the moments. The ones they will never forget. I found out that Papa Bear had to give Dylan a spanking while they were fishing because he was slinging his rod around and not listening. I asked him if a Papa Bear spanking hurt and he assured me he did not want another one. It reminded me of a time when my Papa had to give me a spanking for being too loud. It devastated me and I never forgot it. I think it was the only one he ever had to give me.

I just feel so blessed. I know I will never be a perfect mom or a perfect wife, but I have come away from this weekend knowing beyond all that with God first everything else will fall into place. So with my eyes to Him I want to continue into this new year with a brighter frame of mind. One not so obsessed with what I do not have. I pray to remember to seek Him for guidance in becoming the wife and mother that he meant me to be.

Other News:

The kids second swim class is this weekend. The first started off great but by the end Maryn was "frustrated" and didn't ever want to go back. I am hoping after this class she will warm up to it a little more. Dylan loved it and was a great listener, just going along doing what he was told. Maybe all that practice of taking Maryn's orders have paid off! It is in these times that you notice the differences in them. Maryn is so analytical and wants to understand the big picture of it all before she begins, Dylan just jumps in head first and waits for the first order of business and gets to it.

Maryn's Kindergarten interview at Cherokee Christian is tomorrow. More to come...

Happy Valentines Day!