Queenies Little Kingdom

My latest obsession! Is this guy! I cannot find a song that I do not loooooooove! For those of you who know me…..I have a Leeland thang too! I’m a whack when it comes to music…..I know I am! It takes me somewhere amazing! I love this first video (it is obvious this dad got super creative to a most wonderful song by MR. AMAZING, Phil Wickham), these sweet kids and even the family dog. Just precious! I heart this song! The second video……I can’t even explain how very beautiful this song is. It is beautiful! I’m thinking this guy surely could possibly wait and marry one of my daughters, don’t you agree? Go see him….he’s precious!

Can\’t Preach That

To follow along with lyrics, go here first:

http://newcreation-phil.blogspot.com/

Scroll down to May 21 entry (TommyInTheBox’s Music Interlude)
You may recognize a few names. If you are not familiar with them, try googling their names.
Joel Olsteen, Creflo Dollar, Fred Phelps, Dave Hunt, Robert Schuller. Watch out! Know the truth for yourself.

2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.”

Remember him? From yesterday? Well, you won’t believe this news! He’s in Ms. A’s German II class and guess what? Yes, he’s sitting right beside her…..ASSIGNED SEATS!!!!! For-EVAH! Need I say more? I think not!
Ohhhhh isn’t God good? Teehee!

What are the chances??? Oh so funny!

First day of school is always exciting. New classes, clothes, friends and the best part a whole new school-year! Today went great! Gates only had one complaint, her new choir teacher “didn’t even know her!”. It seems that she missed a little camp day that the new teacher held a few weeks back in the summer. Oh the pathetic memory of a mom! I put it on the calendar and everything! I still forgot it! So, not only did Mrs. Thompson not know who Gates was (personally), but the other kids knew the songs and the dance moves! Ahhhhhh! What is the deal with me? I had that sick mom feeling that I knew there was nothing I could do to bring back July twenty something???!
Does this stuff happen to any other moms? I am obnoxiously anal about stuff like this….how did we miss it? It’s just crazy! Surely, it happens to everybody some time or another.

Ally had the greatest lunch day. Her BFF had the same lunch as her and oh-mister-wonderful-I-have-a-crush-on-you did too. Guess where HE sat? Oh yea, at her table! Can you say exciting? Oh and as she and BFF were getting up to go to the french fry line, oh-mister……. asked BFF to buy him some fries and handed her dollars from his very own pocket (the pockets that he stuck his very own hands in and retrieved said money!!!). Wow! Then as soon as they were in line (out of oh-mister’s……. view) BFF handed the touched money to Ally and she was forever grateful!!!! (SHE STILL HAS THE ACTUAL MONEY!!!!). I saw it with my own eyes in the car as we peeled out of the school parking lot. Ahhhh, remember being a sophmore? Still sweet, yet trying everything in your power to GROW UP!!!

Gavin is a total dude! He blew in only to blow right back out. He was heading to a cool after school hang out session at the youth building at church. Which is where I might add that he had to park today. Our school is under MAJOR construction and it’s full to capacity for parking. Lucky me, staff can still park there. Most of our students are being bussed from different locations in town to the actual campus for school. They have to park at two other school’s and the perk is that they are only charged half the permit cost for their trouble. He will have an actual permit to park on campus by Monday (only Jr’s & Sr’s that have extracurricular) will be given permission to park at school. So he won’t have to hoof it across a highway from church for too long. Oh and he also dropped a class today. He has been on an engineering track heading to Purdue……not anymore! He made a total life decision without even asking ME!!!! What!? So, it begins. My journey of stepping back and letting my first-born go. It’s hard, ya’ll! Really hard! He’s ready…..but am I? I’m way too deep into this mom thing, I’m afraid. God, please help me!

All in all, we all survived and tomorrow is another day. We’ll be right back at it. Singing new songs and dancing new dances, hanging with BFF’s at lunch, and making life choices without even asking me. Oh me, time just seems to fly. I better hang on. We only have 179 more days to go!

Gavin, Ally & Gates 1996   (How do you yike us, mommy?  We ahhh tigurs!?)  Notice the ink stripes?

Gavin, Ally & Gates 2008 They grew out of their stripes!

Ok. For those of you who have the privilege of living with teenage girls, you’ll appreciate this. Today has been a bit hectic with getting ready for the first day of school. My girls (13 & 15) are trying to plan out their outfits for the big day. While shopping yesterday, both picked out some really cute dresses. So one would think that a cute little dress number would be the choice for tomorrow’s big debut back at ye ole schoolhouse! Naaaah, I don’t think so! This would be way too soon to dress “too” cute!
We must, afterall, not appear too dressy and showy. Our first outfit must be subtle, not too new and not too fancy! Do you remember your first day of school? Way back when? I do. I was so excited to wear those new Erf shoes (I slept in them!)….so new shmew! I couldn’t wait to be seen in my NEW stuff! That’s not how they roll these days.
I do remember the….”let’s be fashionably late” to all extra-curricular events. In hopes of gaining all attention as one enters. It was cool to not get there when everyone else did. You were some VIP if you moseyed in “as if”……obviously you were so important that you were somewhere else before arriving at this hot spot! It gave you status! Whatever! Looking back, what a bunch of insecure snots we were! But that’s just the same as planning out your outfits today.
My HS sophmore girl told me today that she had it all planned out. I’ll wear my new dress from PacSun on next Tuesday (that way I won’t look like I’m being too excited to wear it!). Oh the hysteria! I love it! There is a ton of pressure on teens (I see it every day working in a high school) and they have a hard time managing it. I wish there was a way to tell them the truth about these years. The teen years are not as critical as they think! The stuff they worry about….will be so stupid to them later in life. If only they could see the stuff that really matters. Like having a relationship with Christ and trusting Him with all their worries. Or even being a good friend to others. It all comes back, someday! I went to school with mean girls too! Nowadays, they are trained from birth to be “mean” girls. It’s a survival tactic, I believe. It’s heartbreaking!

Here’s my prayer for my three teens as we begin our new school year!

God, let my teens seek you in all they do and say as they enter into a new school year. Open their hearts to loving and accepting those around them that you send their way. Touch them and show them how to be more like you and not like the world. Fill them with desire to tell others about you and your incredible forgiveness and promise of salvation. Make them hunger and thirst for your word and for time to spend with you. Let them feel safe, secure and confident in who they are and to whom they belong as they walk day-by-day. Give their dad and I wisdom and courage to parent them in a way that honors you, Lord. Show us when we fail and correct us when we fall short that we may stay in sweet harmony for what you have in store for each of us. Protect us, shield us from the enemy and guard our hearts and minds. May we be Christ in our schools. We love you, our heavenly Father. Wherever you lead, we’ll go! In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Today, August 12th is our final day of summer vacation. I am so sad to see it go. I spent today in Louisville with my girls shopping. We managed to hit 3 different malls and only bought a few things here and there. It’s not easy to find adorable things at affordable prices these days. We did find a store that we all three really liked, Forever 21. They are supposedly a christian company, we noticed John 3:16 on our bag as we left the store. Each of us tried several things on but only Ms. Ally bought something, skinny jeans. Can you believe those are still in? I’m not a fan, maybe because all my fat would show if I wore them. Blak!
I also made the huge mistake of trying on some swimsuits! Talk about depressing! Oh man! What was I thinking? Needless to say, I didn’t purchase anything in that department. But I did make a new pact with myself in the mirror…….TIME TO GET FOR-REAL BUSY! I’m getting back into shape or else! I have a walking partner (now that school is starting back up) in a fellow teacher at school. She teaches freshman PE. We like to hit the streets and walk and talk about our day. It’s good for us both….physically and mentally. After seeing myself today in the mirror….I’m thinking I may need to run instead of just walk. But, no need to kill myself so early in the school year. I’ll just work my way up. Maybe by the time it turns cold here, my jeans will fit again.

Here are some highlights of our summer:

June
1) Sweetboy turned 18!!
2) Ms Gates went to Crossings camp in Kentucky
3) Sweetboy went to Hoosier Boys State
4) Southern Baptist Convention in Indy
5) Girls went to Kentucky Lake for a week
6) Hubby gets full-time job
7) Our family joins FBC North Vernon in membership

July
1) Gavin, Ally & I went to Mfuge in Greenville, SC
2) Our family & friends trip to The Beach Waterpark in Cincinatti
3) Hubby started supply preaching
4) Ms Gates went to Holiday World with FBC
5) Ally flew to Florida to visit grandparents
6) Gavin & Gates spent a day on the river tubing/skiing with youth group

Time sure flies by when you’re being lazy….staying up too late and then sleeping in. I’m so spoiled! I don’t wanna get up and go to school. Pray for me, I’m the rebellious type. I’ll be tossing and turning all night tonight since tomorrow is the first day of school. Oh well, all good things must come to an end including summer. Don’t blink, it will be Christmas before we know it.