I was reading

It's funny how sometimes the simplest of messages strike you. I was reading today in Matthew 18 how in the Parable of the Lost sheep, "not to despise one of these little ones." I thought about how simple a message that is and how it shouldn't be hard to apply it. He goes on to say "unless, you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Here again, a simple message, or so it seems.

Today I appreciated the comparison since spending the day with my children has proved that they totally and completely rely on ME. I am here for safety if something should happen like Ava Grace falling and hurting her head. I am here for food when they get hungry and Kate wants more milk in her sippy cup. I am here for comfort since Ava needs cream on her diaper rash. I am here for hugs and giggles as we played airplane. (where they "fly" on my feet) I am even here for the harder part of parenting....discipline as I had to spank Kate for disobeying mommy for the "umpteenth" time.

God is asking us to rely on HIM and live freely just as our kids do each and every day. I don't see Kate running around worried about her morning snack or Ava Grace stressed over her diaper rash. They play, run, giggle, and they know WHERE to go when it's time for comfort, food, love, and even where the discipline comes from. We can do that, can't we? Trust in Him as our Father, who is a better stay at home parent than we'll ever be.

It's almost over...soak it up!!!!!

All of our families birthdays are now over for the year, Jen's wedding too and Christmas is in a few days, and then what? There is all of this preparation for birthdays and Christmas between parties and church activities and then we are left with cleaning up afterwards.

On top of all of the regular festivities, my sister-in-law got married last week which topped off this season with another dose running around. After all is said and done it was better to have been busy with it all than to have nothing. I am tired and I have been a little stressed but in two weeks when the new year begins, I will have a lot to look back on and appreciate. It was in those busy stressful times that I got to spend with family and friends, to get out of my comfort zone and rely on the Lord, and to experience new things that I normally wouldn't be a part of.

So, it is almost over, but I am going to sing the heck out of some Christmas songs for the next few days, my tree will stay lit 14 out of the 24 hours in a day, and most importantly I am going to soak up every sweet minute with my family because that has been such a gift to me.

Again, Merry Christmas to our dear friends in other states and countries and to whoever is reading this.

A Christmas Update!

I do apologize to my sweet friends who have visited our blog time and time again only to find the same things.  Josh and I just spent the sweetest evening as a family and it made me think of how I needed  to update all of you on what's going on in our lives these days.

Ava Grace turned one almost a month ago and she's such a blessing to us.  She is loving just as we prayed for but it is ALWAYS on HER terms.  She is growing well according to her pediatrician.  She'll follow in her Daddy's footsteps and be tall, skinny with a large head.  (We won't tell her so that she doesn't develop a complex or anything)

Kate just turned three a week ago.  She is so articulate and loves to dance, read, and play dress up. She has asked for Sleeping Beauty from Santa and a microphone.  She's still a little leary of him, but she's warming up slowly.

Josh is working hard as usual.  He is staying busy helping out around the house too.  With all three of his girls Birthdays within a month of each other, he has had to stay on his toes.  He is still at Little Mountain Baptist Church, and yes I am his wife, but lately God has really led him to preach some amazing sermons.  OH, and he celebrated his birthday in November too!

My birthday is quickly approaching and I will be the sassy 30 this year!  I am busy being mom, but I love it so much.  I have started to tutor students after school and have found a new favorite occupation.  I am also very busy with AWANA at our church.  I am the commander and Trek leader in AWANA which is a new children's program at our church.  God has been so good!  We have (children and workers) anywhere between 40 - 50 people just in AWANA on Sunday nights.  Thank you LORD!!!!

I had planned to send out a newsletter as a Christmas Card, but Josh reminded me of the newfangled internet :) and how I should utilize it!  So to all of you in different countries, states, and cities that we love so dearly.....Merry Christmas.  Amidst all of this craziness of a "poor" economy, bailout talks, and going green.......  We know that we serve a risen Savior and celebrate with you the birth of sweet Jesus.

Love in HIM,

The Phillips

Pink Ice Cream

Kate can count to twenty and sort of knows her abc's, but when it comes to colors she just guesses. Tonight we had an ice cream social after church and it was so wonderful. It kind of felt like a big family getting together in the fellowship hall to snack on sweets and catch up. All night Kate had one thing on her mind..........ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but PINK ICE CREAM. They had chocolate, banana, peanut butter, peanut butter with chocolate, walnut, and I must add these are all in homemade churns - YUM. She could care less, she wanted pink ice cream and that was all there was to it. This simple experience with our 2 year old made me think of something quite serious.

Needless to say Randy found her some pink ice cream in the freezer. It's so funny how children get their mind on things and just won't deviate. I wish we as adults would be just as "sold out" for things that really count in the world. (without variableness) This is how James describes God and how He is unchangeable. Kate wouldn't change her mind, she was SET on pink ice cream. I hope that I can be just as SET on living like Jesus and not settle for some cheap imitation or substitute.

Have a blessed week!

As Promised...............

As Promised I have included a picture of our family at its best.......RELAXED.  We are enjoying every moment with our children and each other.  I am so thankful for my husband and children and parents.  There is nothing quite like family.  Here is a moment that we want to remember !

What Does God Do in His Office and other Memorable Vacation Quotes

We're trying to capture some of the funny things Kate has said while we're on vacation.  She picks things up now so incredibly quickly, and it's impossible to capture everything.  Here are just a few of the more amusing things.  She's learned the difference between the word "elevator" and "alligator" with one simple phrase; "Don't feed the alligators on the elevator."  This morning she woke up, crawled into bed with her mom-mom and pop-pop, and they talked.  She looked at mom-mom and said, "Mom-mom, what does God do in his office?"  They said he helps people.  I thought that was just as good an answer as any.  She's becoming a little planner too, like her mom.  While we were riding through the resort, we heard her in the back seat say, "Mom-mom said we would go to the beach.  That's the options.  Yep, that's the options."  She's a sponge, and if we stop for a second, we'll miss it.  That's all for now.

What is to come.......

Our last post was in March.  Yes, quite a long time ago.  Ironically, this post is about the same subject - vacations. 

 It's funny how during the summer, "we" talk as if, we can barely make it to the weekend or week of our vacation.  What is it?  Do we have less stamina in the summer or is it that we push ourselves through the fall, winter, and spring, and when summer gets here, we are barely crawling.  It makes us sound weak, but nevertheless, it "feels" to be true.

Our vacation is next week and it feels as if the days are slowly passing.  I am so excited and I know Josh is even more so.  Kate has been talking about her floaties (the arm floats) for two weeks now.  Pictures will come to capture our vacation for your sake and ours.  If the ideas mentioned earlier are true, we'll need these pictures to hold on to until next summer's vacation.

Funny Vacation Sayings

We had to write this down or we'd forget it.  Sometimes kids say things and you have absolutely no idea where they got it, where it came from, what was going on in their mind when they said it. The place where we're staying is undergoing some off season renovations.  So there has been some mild noise as the construction goes on outside our suite.  This morning at the breakfast table, Josh, me, and Kate were having cereal.  Outside there was a pretty loud noise, and Kate looks up at us, and says "What that?"  She always asks this, and we said something like, "I don't know."  And matter of factly, with an air of confidence, Kate spoke back up and said, "Boys...Must be boys."  Then she brings her juice box up to her lips to take a sip as if she'd just nailed it.  We laughed like no tomorrow, and have quoted it all day, and tried every chance we can to get her to repeat it.  Where she got that?  We don't know.  The answer to every ruckus, however, we found out today, is always, "Boys...Must be boys."  Later she was out on the back porch playing by herself.  I suppose she wasn't getting enough attention, so she invents a new story.  She comes running up to the back door, yelling, "Daddy, come out, daddy, Turkey. Turkey out there."  Josh goes outside to have a look, and seeing no Turkey or even a bird, realizes she made it up.  He said, "The turkey must have gone away," and Kate agrees, and proceeds to ask him to color with her.  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.

A Perfect Day at the Beach

Today was our first day at the beach.  It was every bit of perfect.  It was a little chilly and the clouds rolled in at lunch but nothing ruined our day.  We walked, we played, and we rested.     After countless discussions on where to go and what to do as a family...... the beach was a perfect choice.  

This vacation was highly needed.  Josh and I have revisited our childhood vacations.   We see how differently we view "just getting away."  It always seemed so simple to go on vacation, but with children, we pretty much had to pack an arsenal to just get away for a couple of days.  It was worth every trip to and from the car and every step we took with our hands full of children and bags.

We will be home soon but will be able to look back on these few days and smile.  They were such a blessing!

Brooke

We're laughing!

Valentine's has come and gone. I admit that I, like any other girl, likes to be doted on, but with children that doesn't happen as easily as it used to. Josh and I had the opportunity to spend last Friday night with our church for a special Valentine's dinner. There we had wonderful music by a talented church member, great food, and fellowship. Our church members also took part in a game that tested their knowledge about their spouse. It was hilarious. All in all the night was a success and all for the Lord! Josh shared how important it is that we see what TRUE LOVE is. It isn't in any Meg Ryan movie (although I love them) and it isn't in the soap operas that are on tv. It is in Jesus, and only through Him can we love effectively other people that are imperfect and sometimes impossible to love. To look at our picture, please understand that we are silly people, but if you heard us at our house, you would believe that the picture matches us perfectly. We find that laughing helps us enjoy each other more. I hope that you had a great Valentine's Day but that you ask Jesus to help you love someone either for the first time in a long time or more effectively this year!

New poster, and it's NOT the pastor

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.  I don't know who was happier, Josh or Kate?  While AG and I were inside making muffins, Josh and Kate played in our first snow. 

I, Brooke, will be taking on the family blog as my little hobby.  I hope to keep up with all of you better.  I know I have been doing a poor job of sending pictures, but I HOPE this is the answer.

More pics and posts to come. 

Brooke