Boys,

In the last two days Kent got an award for being “Most Cooperative” and Parker received an “Outstanding Helper” award. These two pieces of paper are more significant than any sports accolades and academic achievements. Being recognized for character far outweighs any other accomplishment, and I am beaming with pride. When you are honored for internal character, it’s simply a reflection of WHO lives inside you. I am so blessed to see you two shaping up to be fine young men, and I know that Jesus is getting glory for how you two behave and interact with others. I’m proud to be your momma.

Mother’s Day:

Parker, here are the contents of the book you made for me, “Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Mom”.

1) You teach me things about the Bible

2) You let me have friends over

3) You make sure that I am safe

4) You cuddle me, you hug me, and you kiss me

5) You tell me words that I don’t know how to read

6) You always give me advice when I do something wrong

7) You always say “I love you”.

You are funny.

9) You help me with my homework

10) I love you Mom most of all, because you are always by me.

Kent, you made me several cards and they all said “I love You” and “#1 Mom”. You did such a great job coloring and drawing pictures of me and you. You also told Parker to be extra careful not to step on any cracks or lines so you wouldn’t break my back or spine on Mother’s Day. I love you for being so thoughful.

You make this job the best there is in the world. I love you both with every inch of my heart.

I have dropped the blogging ball! We’ve had a jammed packed schedule, and unitl my 1/2 marathon is over next Sunday, I won’t have opportunity to sit and recount all of our activities.

I really don’t like to do this, but here is our life in bullet point format.

*Parker, you have been playing baseball and soccer non-stop. You had a slow start to the baseball season, but you are picking it up!!! Your glove has improved so much, and you caught 2 line drives at short-stop the last game. Your bat speed has gotten faster as well, and you are making much more contact…and your fast little legs have you safe more times than not. Soccer is presenting a bit of an issue for us, because although we like your current coach and the club, we aren’t sure you are getting the best training possible…and you’ve got the raw talent, so we want to be sure to set you up for success.

*Kenters, you can’t wait for your T-ball season to start. You have shown a sudden interest in soccer and baseball, and it thrills my heart! haha. We also signed you up for an art camp that the Mrs. Keller is hosting, and you are very excited about it. Really, you have a well rounded area of interests. You still love to snuggle. Last night you and Parker and Daddy were on one couch and I was on the other couch, and you just walked over to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and went back to sit by Dad. Your heart is as big as your appetite.

*Lastly, we held our 2nd annual garage sale for Missions. Last year our proceeds went to the Wyatts in Vietnam, and this year we are sending our income to Jamie and Tasha Kemp in Indonesia. I was so proud of you boys. You sold over $100 of lemonade, pretzels, and homemade ninja stars. You put in a solid 4 hours of work even though it was almost 90 degrees. You worked hard, and I am hoping that it inspired you to give to missions.

Honestly Kenters. There is no one like you in this world.

Your Sunday School teacher, dear Ms. Delores, was telling me about a recent prayer request time in Sunday School.

“Does anyone have a prayer request?”

“Yes. I have the squirts.” you stated. As serious as serious could be.

God bless Ms. Delores for validating your concern. This sweet saint took the time to prayer for your “squirts”.

You had been sick the week before, and the doctor put you on an antibiotic, which upset your tummy for a few days. Instead of saying that, you chose to reveal your most intimate of details.

There is no pretense with you. Yous say what you mean, and you mean what you say.

And I love you for that.

You boys sat in this evening’s service as Pastor Ramon Gernados from a church plant in Washington, IL shared his testimony. He relayed to us how he grew up in a violent part of Jaurez, Mexico. At the age of 16 he came to the United States, and sadly got involved in a life of crime. While in prison, the Lord grabbed hold of his heart, and he has been serving Jesus ever since.

On the way home from church you were talking about how Pastor Ramon shared that he had stabbed someone 15x, and that Jesus forgave him. I asked you, “Isn’t that such a great testimony? God forgives us and loves us and uses us no matter what we do.”

“What’s a testimony” Parker asked?

“It’s when you tell about what God has done for you and in you. So, Parker, what is your testimony?”

“Well, you know. God has made me a really good soccer player.” (no self esteem issues here!)

“Yes, that’s true. And what about when we moved here you cried and cried because you were afraid you wouldn’t have any friends. And look what happened. On your very first day of kindergarten here, you met Peyton, and he has been your best bud since. See? God knew you were afraid, and he gave you a friend. THAT’s a testimony.”

“Yes! That’s MY testimony.”

“What’s my testimony mom?” Kent asked. (you cannot be left out of anything! haha)

“Think about it. What has God done in you and for you?”

“Hmmm. He gave me another chance to be good. He gave me forgiveness, and He gave me a really big tummy so I could eat a lot of food.” (you were as serious as could be)

“Umm…yes. That is a great testimony!” I reiterated.

“And Kent, he gave you the talent of silliness so you can make our family laugh.” Parker chimed in.

You boys have testimony. God blessed you by giving you godly parents who are teaching you to walk in the ways of the Lord. God has been faithful to you. God has loved you with an everlasting love.

Amen and Amen. Now I pray that you will share freely what God has done so that His name can be glorified and His kingdom expanded.

I will preface this blog by admitting that I am a self proclaimed pizza snob. Growing up near Chicago and having Italian roots means that I have tasted some of the best pizza out there. I love my cousin Danny Alberga’s pizza that his restaurant Bella Luna (Chicago and Glendale Heights) serves. I also love a good stuffed pizza as any Chicagoan, but if I had to pick, I’d probably choose Lou Malnadi’s. I’m also a glutton for a nice thin but hearty pizza, like Rosati’s. 

Since being here in Bethalto for almost 2.5 years, I have come to adore a Roma’s sausage and onion pizza. YUM. I was diagnosed with food allergies over a year ago,and when I violate the diet I’m in a great deal of pain. But for a Roma’s pizza…I’m willing to pay the price. It’s that good.

I had been hearing good feedback about Dewey’s Pizza in Edwardsville, so today the fam and I gave it a try. My first impression was positive, but that was based soley on the atmosphere of the eatery. They industrial and contemporary decoration gives the place a clean, sleek, and “yuppy” feel….and it reminds me of a place I’d see at home near Naperville, IL. My children LOVED that they were able to observe the pizzas being made through a glass window. The pizza maker playfully indulged my children as they watched, and he preformed several “tricks” while tossing the dough. My boys stood at that  observation window from the time we walked in, and they stayed there until our pizza was served.  The service was also excellent, if not superb. The waitress was attentive and proactive with the refilling of our drinks, and she continually checked on us to see if we needed anything else to make our visit great.

Now for the unfortunate part. The pizza. I feel sad saying that, because of all of the positives, I really really really wanted to like the food so that we could return here, but the pizza was not great…maybe even “bad”. I know! I feel terrible! We ordered a “build your own” with simply their house sauce, seasonings, and sausage. I found the sauce to be pasty and bland, and the actual dough was soggy and mushy. It reminded me of how my pizza turns out when I attempt to make it at home(that was my husband’s lovely comment)…and we all know I am not an “ace” in the kitchen.  I was very disappointed, because the outward elements of the atmosphere and service were superb.  But nice decorations and polite staff aren’t going to be bring me back to a restaurant. I have to like the food. Isn’t that what I’m paying for, afterall?

Erik made a comment about how maybe because we ordered a very basic pizza we missed what Dewey’s really has to offer, and that would be a specialty pizza. Maybe we will give it another try and be more bold with our choices of toppings, but that means we have to go on a night when our children are not present. I may like to try the goat cheese and artichoke pizza, but I’m pretty sure the boys would pass on that.

Our total came to $35 with drinks and a side Greek salad, and when I compare it to Roma’s we usually spend around $10 less to eat there. So, the verdict is in. This Northern Illinois girl with Italian roots will still choose Roma’s every time to satisfy the craving for pizza when I’m in the St. Louis area.

“Do not awaken love before it is time..” (Song of Solomon 2;7, 3:5, 8:4, )

Three timesSolomon’s wife, and the object of his affections highlighted in the Song of Solomon, gives this advice to the young women in her life. When something is repeated 3x in a short book, it’s worth investigating and heeding.

Solomon’s wife knows the powerful force of love. She understands the blessings of intimacy with another and satisfaction that comes from loving someone with all of your being. However, she still tells the young women to wait. Love is wonderful, but it also requires a complete emotional and spiritual investment, which is why she advises them to not enter into a relationship prematurely. “Before it’s time”, indicates that there is a juncture in one’s life when the stage is set for the makings of a healthy relationship, but there is also a time when it is not. Just because you are a young adult and you can date, doesn’t mean you should date.

Using Pastor Andy Stanley’s principle of asking “In light of your past, present, and future, is it the wise thing to do?”, we examined the probabilty of having a successful relationship at this point in our lives.

Past: What do your past relationships look like? Why did they fail? Did you date with integrity and holiness? If not, have you changed? Are there patterns in your life that need to be broken before you can have a healthy and holy relationship?

Present: Are you stable? If you are in the midst of a 20 hr credit semester and working a full time job, you may not have the energy to invest in a relationship. If you are not emotionally secure, and are nursing wounds from hurts, you may need to go through a period of healing before you are open to another relationship. If you are not spiritually solid in your relationship with Christ presently, than you are not ready connect yourself to another person…that is a recipe for failure. EEkk. I know that may seem extreme, but it’s true.

Future: Are your plans for your immediate future conducive to a dating relationship? If you have dreams, chase them now. If you want to pursue various interests, do that now. Marriage is a beautiful institution, but it does limit the activities that you as an individual are free to explore. If have any inclination to see the world, or play video games until your fingers are numb, or go on an international shopping spree, by all means, indulge those desires before opening yourselves up to the possibility of a permanent relationship.

You’ve heard it said that “timing is everything”, and I do believe that to be the case with dating. You can meet the right person at the wrong time in your life, and the relationship will never take off. God’s sovereignty, coupled with your diligence in learning from your past, stabilizing your present , and solidifying your future can lay the foundation for love to be awakened in your life.

Kent, it has been an uphill battle to get you to read. You LOVE getting read to, but you don’t like to participate very much. I may have used your teacher’s name to my advantage earlier in the week. I told you that she instructed me to nudge you to begin to read chapter books. You resisted, but then I sweetened the deal. I proposed giving you $5 after you finished your very first chapter book. You still weren’t super thrilled, so I compromised. I read a page, and then you would read a page. Then I passed you along to Daddy, who continued in the same routine. By chapter 3, your interests were peaked, and you needed no more wooing. On Monday night you stayed up until 9:30 pm, and I had to force the book out of your hands.

I’ve been asking you questions about the book as you read, to ensure your comprehension. You are so impressive little man! Now our summer incentive includes $1 for each finished chapter book, upon the passing of an oral comprehension test.  I am so proud of you, Kent. Reading will open so many doors for you, and now your world has just expanded.

Go Kenters!!!!!

Kenters….you are never short of adventures.

I can usually count on you and Parker walking through the door at around 3:15 pm, after the bus drops you off two houses down. A few weeks ago Parker came bursting through the door after school. I hugged him, took his back pack, and started to ask him about his day…all the while assuming you were a few feet behind. You usually like to stop at our mailbox at the end of the driveway to check the goods, so I was expecting you to walk through the doors in a matter of seconds.

But you didn’t.

“Parker, where is Kent?” I asked frantically. My heart was racing, my knees were weak, and my mind was running away with itself to some dark and scary places.

“I don’t know. I saw him on the bus, but he was sleeping.”

“So you just left him?”

“I tried waking him up, but he wouldn’t move.”

“How come you didn’t tell me this as soon as you walked in?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think about it”

“You left your brother on the bus, and didn’t think to tell me???!!!!”

I immediately called Daddy and told him to go to the school in case the bus went there, while I called the school and attempted to get a hold of someone there. The secretary I reached called the bus driver, who was pulling in to the bus garage as the call came in. Sure enough the bus driver finished the route and was on her way to take the bus back. She pulled over and went to look in the seats, and there you were, Kenters, fast asleep. The bus driver drove you all the way back to our house, where we were tearfully re-united. Actually, let me rephrase that…I was bawling my eyes out, Parker was crying, and you were as apathetic and nonchalant as could be.

We had quite a scare. I lectured Parker about he wasn’t allowed to leave the bus without you, and then I lectured you and told you that you had to try really hard not to fall alseep on the way home. Then I snuggled you both and didn’t let you go for a long long time.

Boys, I know I am not supposed to worry about future events that may or may not ever even happen, but I’ve been considering the issue of peer pressure. Typically, this issue climaxes in the teenage years, but if I wait until then to discuss it with you, I’ve waited too long.

Certain situations have come up recently that have opened my eyes to the pressure that exists even now (at 8 and almost 6) for you to conform or for you to compromise what you know is right.  I want you to not only know what the right thing to do is, but I want you to feel EMPOWERED to act on your convictions.

I pray that the Holy Spirit reminds you of the right choices to make, and I pray that you feel strong enough to stick to your intuitions. As a parent, I feel responsible to equip you with the esteem and security necessary to make bold choices, as unpopular as they are.

I made choices as a teenager that ultimately determined my direction in life. I said “no” to alcohol when it was offered to me as a 15 year old at a party, and then continually after that. I said “no” to smoking when it was offered to me as a 7th grader, and then contiunally after that. But, I give my parents credit for the bold choices I made. They made me feel secure and loved, and empowered me to stand up for what I believe in. I pray that Daddy and I can lead you in that same manner. We can’t make the tough choices for you, but we can certainly train you and equip you to boldly do the right thing. And when we see areas of compromise in your actions, it’s our responsibility to discuss the matter, discipline the poor judgement, and then direct you to making the right choice in the future.

Love you my little men-in-training. I pray for you to be strong, to resist pressure, and to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There is blessing in obedience.