No Time for a Nap...

A 4 Year Old and the Good Ol' Days!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Andy came up to me today and said "Dad, do you remember the good ol' days?" I said, "the good ol' days?"

"Yes," he said. "Last week!"

I busted up laughing! I guess to a 4 year old, the good ol' days can fall as recently as last week. He never did get around to telling me what about last week was worth remembering. I think my laughter threw him off.

The above picture was from the archives. We took it at our favorite ice-cream shop, which sadly, has closed for the winter. This means we will not get to go there again before we move.

Family Time

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Just playing around... a few moments before bath time!

The Reason We Are Called

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:52:00 +0000

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,^a]">[a] leaving us^b]">[b] an example, that you should follow His steps:
²² “ Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;^c]">[c]
²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

Shower Card

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:19:00 +0000

This is Elisa's work for a baby shower. The mother-to-be wants to have a cook out, instead of the traditional baby shower where all the women sit around and go, "Awwww! That's sooooo cuuttte!"

Instead, we will have hamburgers, hot dogs, etc., and sit around a go, "Awwww! That's sooooo cuuttte!"

It ensures that the men will be there too!

Welcome To Texas!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Smelling the Roses!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Joey stops for 2.3 seconds to smell the roses.

My Boys!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Learning to Read

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:48:00 +0000

We are trying to teach Andy to read and it has been a challenge. He doesn't want to learn. He likes watching movies, and loves for us to read to him, but doesn't want to read himself. So, I'm about to ban all movies until he learns to read. I don't believe this is an ability issue. The boy can memorize all kind of songs, and even will recite the Lord's Prayer, etc. So I know he has the ability. But he just doesn't have the desire.

Hopefully the desire will be there after we give him a tad bit of incentive!

The Many Messy Faces with Joey

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Some boys just have a propensity to pour things on their head, or smear it on his head. The first is Red Velvet cake. The second one is some sort of linguini pesto sauce. I guess he thought it would taste good and smell good. And finally, the last one is after he got some baby powder to add to the pesto sauce. I'm hoping he grows out of this fascination with dumping things on his head very soon.

Snow Day

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:33:00 +0000

We had our first snow day of the year on Tuesday. In fact, it was pretty much OUR neighborhood that got the snow. The rest of the county missed out. They got the flurries, but not enough snow to stick to the ground.

Needless to say, it was exciting for Andy as he learned some of the joys of snow, like removing it from the car, taking it, balling it up and throwing it at Daddy. Yes, he threw his first snowball on Tuesday. Subsequently, he got his with is first snowball on Tuesday as well, courtesy of his Daddy! We had fun getting the car ready.

We didn't get to build a snowman, so that will have to wait. But it was fun for a day.

Why Is It???

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Why is it that toddlers feel a need to turn their cereal bowls upside down on their heads after finishing the cereal? Seems like both boys have taken up this practice at some point. Joey did it this morning. Is this sort of like the drunk and a lamp shade?

We took the photo of the boys at the zoo last week. We were at the penguin exhibit waiting on the zoo keepers to feed the penguins, but we left instead because it became to crowded for our liking. It's really hard to chase two boys around an exhibit, watch a wagon and carry a camera.

Monday Morning and Mr. Bean!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Yup! Monday morning, is like most people's Saturday mornings. And when Elisa sleeps in, which she is doing today, I get to watch the boys. Which means nothing is normal. Before I could make coffee, Joey was into things trying to find something to eat. One obvious difference between the two boys is that Joey is the eater! Andy is far too picky to be an eater, unless it has to do with peanut butter and jelly.

So I gave Joey the can of raisins and a piece of bread. He took the raisins and wrapped them in the bread, and then threw the bread. Wasn't he hungry!

Needless to say, breakfast was a circus, and things have only returned to normal since I put on Mr. Bean's Holiday. Andy always wants to watch a movie. Only he's not watching the movie. He's running back and forth from Joey's room to the living room, with Joey. They are playing in there, making me worry.

By the way, if you have seen Mr. Bean's Holiday, allow me to highly recommend it. It's hilarious AND clean. Something that is rare in movies today.

OK, I've just discovered that Joey has learned how to dial long distance using Elisa's cell phone. The receptionist in the doctor's office was very nice. What fun! This how Monday mornings go.

Overheard in the Pastor's Household

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:11:00 +0000

We were talking about the early days when we first were getting to know one another. Elisa and I met over the internet, via a friend, and the relationship really started while I took a vacation on the beach in Destin, FL. I think one of our conversations was about this skanky beach babe, that was hitting on me. I really wanted nothing to do with her.

In the process of talking about it this morning, I told Elisa that I wanted nothing to do with the Skanky babe. She replied, "I know honey, you made the abundantly clear."

"Well, don't say that you could read me like a book. You couldn't. I was far to mysterious at that point for you to read me like a book."

She smiled and said, "No, honey. I couldn't read you like a book. You were more like a pamphlet, with simple language."

My dear sweetie. She always seems to find a way to put things in perspective.

Snippet on Sunday Morning...

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:22:00 +0000

Here is just a snippet of a conversation Andy and I were having as we were getting ready for church on Sunday morning. Since it was my week off, I was taking the opportunity to worship with our sister church up the road because I wanted to hear their new assistant pastor preach. I'm glad I did. He gave a solid sermon.

But in getting ready, I told Andy that I was going to be sitting with him in worship. His reply, "Is Mommy going to preach?"

I got a full hearty laugh out of that one.

From the Mouths of Our Babes

noreply@blogger.com (Elisa) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:32:00 +0000

November 26, 2008

Family Worship
Tonight at our family worship time, we prayed and sang the Doxology, which Andrew loves to sing very loudly and with joy. Joey sat and listened and clapped, giggling in delight at the end. We sang Jesus Loves Me as well. Andy danced around the room with his mouth wide open. After the “Amen!” Andy said matter-of-a-factly with his hand in the air, “Now I want to sing another song about God and Jesus. It is…” He paused for a brief second “… the A,B,C Song!”

Joey’s Catechism
Then I looked at Joey (19 months today) sitting in Timothy’s arms and asked him “Joey, Who made you?” The little guy smiled and said “Od eed!” (God did!) I asked him again and he pointed up and with a cheer said “OD EED!”

Learning About Heaven
Andrew, a month shy of being four, became very upset one Sunday during a sermon about Heaven. With tears, he cried out in the service “I don’t want to go to Heaven! I don’t like Heaven! Heaven is yucky!” He was so loud and unhappy that I had to lead him out of worship into Timothy’s office to sit and calm down, telling him more about Heaven. We were shocked, saddened, and wondered what was going on. In the following days, it dawned on us that the little boy thought we had to leave right then, and was so very scared that he’d leave behind all those he loved, or be all by himself. Lost in a strange place. That idea of “heaven” is as terrifying to a three-year-old as the contemplation of hell is to adults.

Since then, we have worked harder teaching him the Gospel and telling him how wonderful Heaven is. We have said that Heaven is a special place that God has made for His children, those who Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to to live in their hearts to have Jesus be their Savior. We have described Heaven as this marvelous place, better than any fairy tale castle where we all get to go to an amazing party, bigger and fancier than any birthday party and wedding ever. We also told him of all the people he loved who would be there, Aunt Brenda, Daddy, Mommy, his brother Joey, Mom-Mom, Grandaddy, JP, Letitia, Raye-Raye, Mr. Pat, and Uncle Mark, and a few others he loves. We’d all be there at the biggest party in Heaven with God and Jesus. Then he asked about Adam, Father Abraham and Moses, King David, and Joseph. Would they be there too? Yes, we taught, we’re all a part of the family of God. We’d all be at that wonderful party and get to live with God and Jesus in Heaven, since we believed in Jesus.

Andrew has been thinking and taking it all in.

We have been praying for Julian Pilgrim for a while and Andrew knew that he was very sick and in the hospital. After learning about Mr. Pilgrim’s death Monday, I was making several phone calls. Andrew came up to me and asked what I was doing. I replied that Mr. Pilgrim had died and I was helping Daddy.

Andrew paused for a moment and then asked “Is Mr. Pilgrim in Heaven?”

I replied “Oh, yes. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to live in his heart and he was a great believer.”

Andrew immediately began jumping up and down in joy, clapping his hands and shouting at the top of his voice a whopping “Yea!!”
“We did it!!” the little guy jubilantly exclaimed.

“No,” I smiled in reply, “Jesus did all the work. Mr. Pilgrim is in Heaven because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in his heart and forgave his sins.”

Andrew burst forth in another loud wave of happy celebration and praise of Jesus. As far as he saw it, another person is coming to the great party in Heaven.

Now, that IS something to cheer about!

Reformation Day

noreply@blogger.com (Elisa) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I am glad Timothy posted these pictures from Friday for me. No, we don't celebrate Halloween. We went to a Reformation Day Celebration at our sister church. The boys had so much fun... and we did too! Timothy, Brenda and I even got to go in the inflatable with Andy, who went in so much, we lost count. Joey loved playing with the apples and water in the bobbing game.

The children could dress up as something good for the celebration. Ya'll will be really proud of me. I made their costumes! By hand! My sewing machine does not work, so I hand stitched them. Knowing that they would not wear masks nor have their faces painted, I made tiger and frog hats from foam. I re-worked an old orange and white t-shirt to fit Andy as a long vest and sewed on that white fluffy chest. From the left over material from the shirt, I hand sewed a tail and attached it to the back of the costume. Andy's black stripes on his re-made t-shirt vest were hand colored. THAT took the longest of all. Joey's dark green t-shirt was new. I recycled an old light green t-shirt to make his collar and embrodered part of it and painted "ribbit" and a frog on to it as well. In the end, they were so cute in their costumes. I think this is the first time that I have ever made a costume(s).

In the process, I learned something about myself, I love hand-sewing clothes. Who would have thought? But... who does that any more?

The Latest!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:54:00 +0000

Happy Reformation DAY!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:20:00 +0000

From days gone past when I naively celebrated the dark celebration!

One of a Kind

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Elisa wrote:

Andy was finishing his cereal. He ate all the Fruit Loops and picked up the bowl and slurped down the milk in the bowl. He looked at his father and plopped the bowl down in front of him with a grin. Toast time! Shocked that Andy ACTUALLY ate all of his meal, Timothy asked "Who are you?!"

Andy looked at him, pointed up and said "One of a kind!"

He certainly is!

Joey!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:53:00 +0000

This One???

The New Spokesman for Netflix

noreply@blogger.com (Elisa) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:39:00 +0000

I got a call from Aunt Brenda this morning, on her way back from Andy's overnight trip to her house. She was telling me how sweet and good he's been and the different things they did since leaving the football game last night.

Then she said that he was so smart, starting on the tale of his latest Andy-ism. She said that they watched a Thomas the Tank Engine movie and an episode of Sesame Street. Then, when they were over, he asked if she had a Baby Einstein movie. We have started watching those again for Joey. The boys love the music in them and will dance. The toys are pretty neat, and they tie in early reading skills, too. When she said that no, they did not have any Baby Einstein, Andy replied matter of fact "Well, you need to get Netflix."

Timothy and Andy go to mail box every day or so to see what has come in. I can't tell you how much money we've saved in not getting cable/dish and in late fees at the movie gallery by getting Netflix. We're even able to get foreign films, A&E, classics that we can not at the local movie house. Most of the are the crude blow-em-ups that we just aren't interested in because of the violence, sex, and language. We are also able to get quality movies for the boys, since we do not watch television. Before you think that we have a ideological purpose for this other than I don't want them seeing the dark and sexually explicit ads, know that since we don't have cable, our antenna doesn't pick up much without a LOT of snow and other bad signal issues. Time is the other constraint. We can be DOING so much more when not watching television. It's a heck of a lot more fun. Going to the mailbox to see what surprise Daddy ordered is pretty neat for Andy.

The "You need to get Netflix." was pretty funny coming from a three-year-old.

Ivy Tagged Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Elisa) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:25:00 +0000

My friend Ivy tagged me. I have to write six unspectacular quirks. Here are the rules:
So here are the tag rules
Link to the person who tagged you
Post the rules on your blog
List 6 unspectacular quirks you have
Tag 6 bloggers by linking them
Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

There are two tricks here. The first is finding six people to tag and link and the second is to find ONLY six quirks.

1. I do not like getting anything under my fingernails. I will clean them so thoroughly that sometimes they are clear. This is the reason I want to get a garbage disposal. With two little boys, there is NO WAY not to get gunk down in the sink, that I have to reach in and pull out so the sink does not run over. Then, for the rest of the day, I'm picking at my nails.

2. I have to turn the milk carton label away from me at breakfast because I will read and re-read the thing through out the meal, not realizing I'm doing it.

3. I can whistle like Thomas the Tank Engine, a fact that thrills my little boys.

4. The grocery store we go to has shopping cars that look like racecars. The boys "drive" and I provide the sound effects. This, of course, I don't realize I'm doing so that other people besides my sons, who are laughing in delight especially and the tight, fast turns, until older ladies look at me either in mirth or disgust.

5. I'm the queen of spiderwebs when it comes to a story. I make Charlotte look like a "humble" spider. For this reason, I can not tell jokes. I spider web so much, the only thing I remember about the punch line by the time I get around to it is that it WAS funny.

6. I didn't have a security blanket until college. Now, I can't sleep well without it. I will jack the ac to 68 degrees so that it's cool enough in the height of summer to have both the comforter and my blanket on my bed. If I get hot, I will venture to stick one foot out from the mound to cool it off. Then turn over to cool the other.

Now, I've got to tag six people.
Timothy
Julie
Paige
Patty
Heath

You're Fired!

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Yes, those are the words I heard from Andy today. "What?" I replied.
"You're fired!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Yes, my Daddy approval rating may have been down a bit since my knee surgery. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time on the floor with Andy. But I never realized it would lead to this.
"Who says you can fire me?" I asked.
"You did. You put me in charge, and you're fired!"
"OK," I replied.

Now one might ask, "where does a 3 year old learn about being in charge, and firing people?" I have know idea.

However, I think I may have gotten my job back. I took him shopping today and bought him a Transformer. He likes it, even though it turns out to be one of the bad guys. Elisa knew that, I didn't. Hopefully my Daddy approval rating will increase over the next few weeks.

Happy Birthday Amy

gracepastor7@hotmail.com (Timothy) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:35:00 +0000

It's time to wish my sister, Amy Anna-Catherine, a happy birthday. Today is her day!

So without further ado, here is the Hammons Boys Trio, singing that famous song to my sister!

Life Walk 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Elisa) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:34:00 +0000