Grease is the Word

Mackenzie has been going to Artworks this semester, to do the musical Grease. I was so excited when we found out they were doing Grease, one of my all time favorites! She has had a good time, but it has also been hard...its all the way in Norman, on Monday nights from 6:15-8:45, and it is a big time commitment, especially the week leading up to the performances. She had practice every night this past week, from 4:30 to 9:00 PM. (insert eye roll here) I'm not sure that we will be doing Artworks again, but I'm so glad she had the opportunity to do it this time. 

Mackenzie was in the ensemble, which she was sad about at first, but since this was her first Artworks production, we weren't completely surprised by this. It's kind of one of those things where you have to work your way up. She did have a small speaking part, so that was good, and she got to sing and dance to so many fun songs. I went to all 4 performances, and loved it every single time! So proud of our girl!

Here are some pics and videos from the Friday night and Saturday afternoon performances! These are some talented teenagers right here...they were all amazing!

Look at her beautiful headshot pic for the program, wow!

I thought it was neat that they had this little tribute to Olivia Newton-John since she passed away this past year.

Beauty School Drop Out was my favorite!

Born to Hand Jive, Baby!

We Go Together, Like Whap-ba-ba-loo-bop-a-whop-bam-boom! (How did I do with that?!)

Mack's behind the scenes lines!

Take a bow!

Saturday afternoon Performance 2:00 PM

Just me and Jamie at this one...

Sat PM Beauty School Drop Out

Sat PM We Go Together

Sat PM Shake It

Sat PM These Magic Changes

Sat PM Hand Jive

Sat PM Bows

Go Away, Ear Infection

Ear infections are NO FUN...this baby got lots of extra cuddles this week. On top of the ear infection, he got a viral infection, and the antibiotic they gave him caused tummy issues. He just didn't feel well at all the last few weeks of January. I hate it when my babies are sick! 

That little hand though...

Middle of the night...who needs sleep? Anything goes when you're sick, right?!

Oh My Heart

One of my favorite pics of all time.

I would give anything to kiss those precious little faces again! 

That's all.

Most Likely to Succeed

A friend sent me these pictures from the Newcastle Pacer recently...I had forgotten that I was voted Most Likely to Succeed...that made me stop and think. I'm not sure I have "succeeded" in the eyes of the world...I don't have a real job, I don't make money (cookies barely count), I didn't finish college, I don't have expensive things...BUT...I wouldn't trade my life for anything. 

I have a beautiful marriage and I love my husband deeply, I have 4 amazing children that I have had the privilege of staying home to raise, I have a pretty home and all of my needs are met, I have a little cookie business that helps with extra expenses that pop up along the way, I have so many family members and friends to share life with....just to name a few things.

Do I sometimes wish I would have finished college and established a career for myself, outside of being a wife and a mother? Yes. I do. 

But when I stop and really look at my life, I think my classmates were right...I have most definitely succeeded. 

Thanks, Mom

I have had the best, and I hope to always be the best for my kids. I want to make their lives easier, just like my mom has always done for me.

My parents have been making life easier for me my whole life. And given the chance, I intend to do the same for their grandchildren.

Not "easy.” My parents did not overprotect me. They did not swoop in to solve all my problems for me. They did not try to shield me from real life. They did not try to make life artificially painless.

But they made life easier. They still do.

When I text them and ask, "Do you know where I can get some good boxes to use for charitable clothing donations?" my mom shoots back, "We've got some in the attic. I'll bring them for you." And then they show up in the back seat of my car in the church parking lot. (The boxes, not my parents.)

When I'm pretty sure I've blown out the gears on my hand mixer while making a double batch of caramel buttercream, I send it (the mixer, not the buttercream) to my dad to confirm its demise, which he does...and then an hour later, an article about "best hand mixers including some that can handle bread dough" shows up in my email in-box.

When my husband and I needed backups to get busy children from where they were to where they needed to be, with dinner and a stop at home to change clothes in between, my parents jumped into the gap and kept things humming along.

They've made life easier by doing things for me that I can do for myself. (I can get my own boxes.)

They've made life easier by doing things for me I can't do for myself. (I can't add a new outlet on our enclosed front porch to plug in the string lights. But my dad can. And did. Thanks, Dad.)

I hope with all my heart to follow in their footsteps.

I intend to lighten my big kids' loads. I intend to fill in some gaps. I intend to smooth some rough edges. I intend—as much as it's within my power and for my children's good—to do what has been done to and for me. I intend to repay my parents forward.

At some point, there may be a switch. I know grown children who are now doing all they can to make life easier for their parents who can no longer make life easier for them. This is not easy at all. It is the hardest thing they've ever done. These children are trying to make life easier for parents whose minds or memories or bodies or spirits are failing. They are trying to repay love backward...to do what was done for them to and for the people who did it.

Too, I know so many grown children who do not have a story of life made easier to tell.

They have parents who made (and make) life harder for them. My heart breaks and aches for them. If this is you, my heart breaks and aches for you.

But as parents ourselves, we are still writing our stories with our children. We still have the chance to earn this telling by them: "My parents made life easier for me."

This is not enabling. This is not co-dependence. This is not stunting growth. This is relationship. This is love. This is life. It's rarely easy for long. But lived together, it can be made easier.

@Guilty Chocoholic Mama

Youth Evangelism Conference

We spent this weekend at Falls Creek for YEC. It's always fun to be at Falls Creek during the winter. Golf cart rides in January are FREEZING though! Brian works so hard on this event, and it is always such a blessing to see it all come together. We got to spend some time with Jamie and our friends from Open Door, and we always love that. We stayed in a different room than usual, and it made me very thankful for our summer accommodations. Something I will always remember about this weekend was Jack playing in the dirt...I bet I looked away for 3 seconds and he managed to find an ant hill...I scooped him up and got the ants off of him as fast as I could, but they got him good. Poor little guy! 

He's too cute for his own good! 

Golf cart rides just make you sleepy, ya know?!

He finished his nap on the couch in the green room! 

Ouch!