BST's Blog

Here are some photos from the Music and Molasses festival last weekend!

Maddie and Ella pose in front of a very large cow statue. (This is in no way meant to endorse Mayfield ice cream over Bluebell!!!) They have purses in hand with their coins ready to purchase a pumpkin.



We stopped to watch this family playing blue grass music. The kids were just amazingly talented.




Maddie and Ella loved watching the boys playing guitar and upright bass!





This was a family of cloggers. You know what they say...the family that clogs together, stays together.





Baby Sam was enjoying the day. He was kicked back taking it all in--imagine that!




We took a picnic lunch (fried chicken, grapes, goldfish crackers--who could ask for more?) and sat and ate under a tree.



The festival people had put out all these old fashioned wooden toys and other things for kids. Maddie and Ella were enjoying the twirly things.




Maddie and Ella pause to pose during lunch. We were listening to some guy dressed up in cowboy attire do covers of Johnny Cash.





Some funny moments from last night...

While we were stripping wall paper in the bathroom Ella announced that she had to go potty. I told her to wait a minute or go upstairs and she said, "But I have to go poo-poo and Jesus likes for us to go poo-poo." Yes, he does, Ella.

At dinner, Maddie was really hungry and about to dive in to her dinner. I asked her to wait til after we prayed and as we grabbed hands she whispered, "Hey daddy, make it a real short one!"

Last night as we tucked them in Maddie grabbed me and squeezed my neck saying, "You're the best daddy in the whole world!!" Moments like that cannot be described. What a gift!!!

Finally, in answer to Shannon's question yesterday (she and Sheryl talked by phone last night but I wanted to answer on here anyway), yes, there are so many moments when we fail to parent in a way that honors God. There are many moments of frustration. Ask our life group members! However, God has been teaching and showing us how to handle them and how to walk with Him through all of these baby/pre-school years. They really are short years and I really believe that through prayer He is giving me a deep sense of appreciation for them--even on the hard days. Even when we've been ready to put them in bed at 5:30 pm, we can still sit and look at each other that night and feel extreme gratitude. There are times when they get on our nerves and we're ready to put a for sale sign on them and stick them in the yard, but those days are fewer as of late. It's just such an adventure, isn't it?? These are great days--and ones we'll always remember!!

Finally, I was thinking about Sam last night and the direct correlation to the story of Samuel in the Old Testament. Hannah prayed and prayed for that special son. Sheryl and I feel the same way. We prayed and prayed and prayed for a baby with his disposition. I secretly prayed he'd be a boy. Seeing him, watching him smile, cuddling with him, and watching the way the girls adore him just makes me pray like Hannah prayed:

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
"There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

1 Samuel tells us that he "grew up in the presence of the Lord and the Lord let none of his words fall to the ground." He grew up to judge Israel and even got to anoint young David. I pray that my Samuel will have such experiences as he walks with the Lord!

Have a great day, everyone!