Facelift

I got my blog a facelift today! Thanks to my friends April and Erica, we look like ourselves now! Check out April's awesome work at www.aprilzphotography.com. She took our most recent family pictures. You can find Erica's blog at www.haphazardhappenstances.blogspot.com. Erica blogs A LOT and it's my favorite one to read!

SNOW!

All week, we heard snow was a comin'! Well, it did. For five minutes. See:

Mrs. Klepper's 2nd Grade Class

This year, I have tried to be more involved in Brett's class. He has a wonderful teacher and he is doing really well in school. Recently, I went with the class downtown to the Austin Children's Museum. Seventeen kids, three teachers and four moms followed the buses down. Here's a picture of Brett trying to be "too cool for school" with me. He wouldn't smile for the camera.

After the museum (which was supposed to be educational, but was more like herding a bunch of cats), we trekked over to Zilker Park to have our picnic lunches and to play on the playground. Here's the whole class: (Brett is the one laying on his stomach acting crazy!)

I took Brett for an ice cream and a walk after the rest of the class headed out on the bus. We made a special memory and I am so glad I went!

Happy Birthday Sydney Claire Allen

One year ago on November 5th, a dream came true.

The baby I had longed for finally grew-

So big in my tummy that she had to come see

The family she had waiting for her, all three.

Sydney Claire Allen weighed 7-15.

A calm and quiet baby unlike any I had seen.

She slept and ate well from the start

My baby doll had surely stolen my heart.

The year has flown by and I can hardly believe

All the things she has grown to achieve.

No hair on top, 6 teeth in her mouth

Not walking, but just about

Smiles are given freely to anyone she meets

A snuggle on my shoulder is how she greets

Music, clapping, giving kisses and hugs

These are some of the things my precious girl loves.

We have been everywhere together

Sporting events following brother

Church several times a week

When Sydney smiles, you can see a dimple on her cheek.

Our life together will be exciting each day

Sydney, may love and happiness find their way

Into your heart and life

This is what your mommy prays!

Diamond "J" Ranch

God has blessed us with wonderful friends. We were invited to spend a few days at the Diamond "J" Ranch on birthday weekend for myself and Sydney. Now, if you know me, you know that I am not much of an outdoorsy gal. I might have grown up in small town Belton; my family might be rednecks; but, I like the mall. "Roughin' it" means staying at a hotel to me. After all, living out of your suitcase and walking around in flip flops so you don't get someone else's germs on your feet inside IS an inconvenience, right?

I have to say, this trip was all about the boys for me. I was excited to spend time with my friends and to play cards, but getting dirty, shooting guns, and killing animals is not my cup of tea. Greg was thrilled to be able to attempt to shoot a deer and even more exciting were his thoughts of showing Brett what a "man's weekend" was all about!

We packed up everything and even had to borrow a friend's SUV in order to make the trek to the ranch. A two and a half hour drive and 6 mile dirty, bumpy road later, we arrived. I must say, all I could think about was how far we were from a grocery store, hospital, and gas station. The only sounds I heard were crickets and hogs as we were driving in. The sky was beautiful and I couldn't remember the last time I stepped outside and couldn't hear a car, a neighbor, or see a light in the distance. Despite my hesitations, it was nice.

When I stepped outside the next morning and saw the view from the porch, I gasped. A beautiful pond with small cliffs overlooking it was in the distance.

You could see for miles and the recent rains had made everything look vibrant and healthy. It was breathtaking. The sun was shining and the temperature was a perfect 70 degrees. I didn't get the memo that everyone would be dressed in camouflage. However, we found a perfectly sized camo hoodie that fit my girl.

We first went out exploring on the four wheelers. After all, there was corn to put in feeders and timers to set. Sydney enjoyed the rocky ride and we even saw a giant tarantula on the road. After about an hour, it was time for the girls to head inside. I realized quickly that a shower was unnecessary until bedtime because we were covered in dust.

Brett took his turn at the shooting range. He did great:

On the last morning, Greg went on his hunt with the owner of the ranch. We had explained to RJ that we didn't have any desire to post a big dead deer on our wall so killing a pretty one was irrelevant. I think this made him happy since he has been working for five years to get his stock/breed/herd (whatever you call a gaggle of deer) to its perfect state. Currently, a 1-1 ratio of buck to doe live on this land. Apparently, in the wild, it's more like 6-1 doe to buck. (Impressive, huh?)

Greg went into the stand to wait for his chance. All I know about how it went is that he came back with a deer missing its brow tines.

I'm not exactly sure what this means except that it's bad to lack them. And, you might even make babies sans brow tines which would be even worse. So, Greg took one for the team- the Diamond "J" team. He shot his first buck albeit a deformed one!

All in all, we had a wonderful time at the ranch. We are processing the meat so I will now have to learn what to make and how to make it. Seems like a lot of work for a weekend getaway, but I am glad to help.

Gattiland Lock-in

Brett is finally old enough to attend our Gattiland Lock-in for elementary kids at the church. He was so excited for weeks as the date drew near! Here we are getting ready to head out at 10:30pm. Brett took a little snooze beforehand.

We packed his sleeping bag and pillow even though I was pretty sure it would not be used. We're talking about the same kid who did not shower once at camp in four days! After eating some pizza and drinking all the soda he could down, the unlimited games began!

Some of Brett's best buddies were there and low and behold 6am came and Brett had not stopped going for five minutes. He stayed up ALL NIGHT LONG! WOW!!!

Mom left at 3am and went to bed!!

World's Best Bro

The older Sydney gets, the more I realize how blessed she is to have Brett as her big brother. He is so kind to her ALL THE TIME! He is always helpful... whether it's taking out stinky diapers, carrying one of our many bags to the car, putting her shoes back on for the 10th time, or playing with her while I'm in the shower, Brett is available and happy to be of service.


Brett always says Sydney is the best sister ever. He comments about how cute she is and how much he loves her. At night, he prays for her too. He dreams with me about her future and I often get choked up when I think about how he cares about her. It is beautiful.



Sydney loves Brett just as much as he loves her. Her big brother can do anything in her eyes. Brett is the only person who can make her laugh SO HARD without tickling her. He can just jump around and act silly and she will crack up. She reaches for him and "talks" to him when he walks in the room.

We have had some fun times lately... from Halloween to hunting and Sydney's first birthday, Brett and Sydney have been making memories. Although she may not be old enough to express her love in words, Brett has won her heart for sure.

I can't wait to watch them grow up together. Sydney will always have a watchman and role model that's for sure!

Mansion at Judges Hill

After two months of not one blog, I am going to attempt to catch up on everything my family has been doing. Greg and I finally celebrated our 10th anniversary in mid September. We stayed at the Mansion at Judges Hill downtown in Austin. Here's a few pics:

We had a wonderful room. We went to Greg's dream restaurant, Fogo de Chao, for dinner. It's an all-you-can-eat MEAT FEST! I was thoroughly entertained just watching him savor every bite. After dinner, we went on a nice walk downtown and finished the evening with a show. Even though we were a month late celebrating, it was worth it!

Brett's Burgeoning Faith

My little second grader, my firstborn, my "mini-Greg," my talker, my "remind-me-of-myself-child," is growing up. I can hardly believe Brett can read chapter books, add, subtract, spell, and receives number grades on homework instead of letters like 'S' for Satisfactory and 'N' for Needs Improvement. Yes, our little guy is growing up.

Last week, we watched videos of his birth, his first steps, first words, and first birthday. I remember all of it like it was yesterday. I also remember praying for him since he was in the womb... praying that he would know God and love God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and spirit. That he would love others. That he would have a faith in God that is all his own based on his experience and God's word.

Brett is in church a lot as you can imagine. After all, his parents work there and he is required to go! I have often wondered what his personal relationship with Christ would look like in light of his "socialization" in all things Christianity. Just like we teach our kids to speak our native tongue, we teach our kids about faith based on our own experiences. The beauty of our faith, of Christianity, is that we serve a LIVING GOD who speaks to us through his Holy Spirit. This means that even though we teach Brett foundational truths about our faith, our God actually speaks to Brett all on His own without us. Brett prays and reads his Kid's Bible and I know the God of the Universe speaks to him.

Brett says the most profound things about his faith. It might not be profound to you and me as adults, but in his own age appropriate way, Brett is learning to articulate what it means to be a Christian. Brett recently prayed the ABC prayer as we like to call it:

A: Admit that we are sinners (we have all thought, done and said things that do not please God, Romans 3:23).

B: Believe that when Christ died on the cross, it was the ultimate sacrifice for those sins. He rose from the dead on the third day and now lives eternally in heaven (Romans 5:8 and 10:9).

C: Choose to follow Him.

Praying this simple prayer means we have died to our old self and we are a new creation in Christ. Brett asked us a few weeks ago if he could now be baptized. Water baptism is an outward symbol of this experience according to Romans 6:4, "By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father's glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life." When we are submerged in water, it symbolizes our old self being buried with Christ; and, when we come up, we are a new creation in Him.

It was really cool that Greg got to walk him through this experience and baptize him. Here is Greg asking him if he has accepted Christ as his Savior:

And, here is Brett coming out of the water:

*Lighting not so good!

Brett is just beginning his walk with Christ. He has a lot to learn just as I, an adult, do. I know life will come with challenges and difficulties. His faith will be tempted and tried (even Jesus was tempted). My prayer is that those experiences will continue to build Brett's faith in a God who loves him and who created him for a purpose.

CPYFL

Brett has been begging us to play football for two years now! I wasn't ready for tackle and somehow thought he would decide not to play after trying basketball, soccer, and baseball. BUT, we live in Texas and when kids play football *everyday* at recess in Kindergarten, there is no avoiding football! By the end of first grade, there was no doubt we'd be playing in the Fall. After all, he can do a mad spin move!



So, this fall, we signed Brett up to play Flag Football with Pop Warner (good first step for me). Turns out, he's pretty good at it. He can run fast and he's super coordinated. It is so much fun to watch! We had our first game today. Here's Brett studying his playbook last night:


Although we lost at the five yardline about to score the winning touchdown when time ran out, the Wolverines had a great game. Brett scored our two TDs breaking free from the defense and running over 30 yards each time. He also made an amazing diving catch during one play. Here's his team just before the start:

I have to admit, this is FUN! Maybe next year, we will play tackle like most everyone else we know. Cedar Park Youth Football League is competitive and we certainly wouldn't want our seven year old falling behind his peers...



Oh, and on a side note... he lost his two front teeth this week. Check it out:

10 Years of Wedded Bliss!

Greg and I celebrated 10 yrs of marriage on August 21, 2009. We have a wonderful tradition of planning a surprise for each other every other year. The longer we are married, the more likely we both are to forget some of these fabulous celebrations so I thought I'd share them here; they will forever be saved electronically (or at least as long as Google is alive).

Year One: We lived in East TX so Hot Springs Arkansas wasn't too far of a drive. Greg planned a wonderful getaway to a bed and breakfast in Hot Springs. All I remember was that the beautiful woods surrounding the house were surprising to me and that our room had a huge spa tub with columns around it. Oh, and the breakfast was yummy; we ate outside.

Year Two: I planned an amazing trip to NYC. We were about 8 weeks pregnant with Brett and I was nauseous the entire time. But, we stayed at the Renaissance Hotel on Times Square, saw Aida on Broadway, went to a Yankees game, shopped, and ate nonstop. It was wonderful!

Year Three: We lived in San Diego and Brett was a nursing baby so we couldn't go too far away. Greg surprised me with a hot air balloon ride in Del Mar overlooking Rancho Santa Fe and the Pacific Ocean. It was a truly amazing experience, but equally as frightening. I could write an entire blog about the trauma that nearly occurred when Greg was hanging onto the side of the balloon's basket with his feet off the ground while we all scrambled to jump inside. But I won't. Oh, and this was also the first night Brett slept through the night because we forgot to turn on our baby monitor!

Year Four: We were going on a business trip to Oregon for AdvoCare so I wanted to surprise Greg with a jet boat ride on the Columbia River. It promised views of bald Eagles and all sorts of other rare and awesome animals and vegetation. Unfortunately, a few hours before the scheduled ride, I got a phone call saying the boat did not sell enough tickets so our time slot had been cancelled. We went on a double date instead with our friends at Multnomah Falls. It was beautiful if not romantic.

Year Five: Living in Southern California provided some great opportunities within driving distance. One of them was Las Vegas! Just a five hour jaunt away, Greg took me for one night at the New York, New York Hotel. We had so much fun, but as they say "What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!" I won't elaborate!

Year Six: We were back in Texas and I planned a nice getaway to San Marcos to stay in a wonderful (or so the advertisement on the web claimed) B&B. Once we got there, we realized the bedding, curtains, and wallpaper was as old as the 1929 house. We had to help ourselves to food in the kitchen and the sounds of traffic lurked outside our windows. I DO remember a nice dinner and roses in my room. Note to self: only stay in hotels or other accommodations upon referral from a trustworthy friend!

Year Seven: I had just been on staff at the church for two months and life was very busy. Greg surprised me by picking me up one afternoon and taking me downtown for a swing dance lesson. We were terrible, but it was hilariously fun and luckily, it was a private lesson!

Year Eight: I am sad to say that after much thought, I cannot remember what I planned. I think this is because I didn't plan a thing. Yes, it's true. We got so busy (and Brett started Kindergarten the week of our anniversary) that we just did nothing. My fault.

Year Nine: San Antonio Riverwalk! We stayed in a great hotel walking distance to the Riverwalk, ate yummy Mexican food, rode the boat with the funny tour guide, and shopped. Greg did an amazing job planning for us.

Year Ten: Here we are, it's August 22nd, and a theme has emerged. Brett will start 2nd grade in two days, and Stacy neglected to plan anything in advance. She DOES however, have a loose plan (meaning nothing has been formally booked, but she knows where they're going) for a one night getaway on September 17th. I'm really glad I typed this blog because I do not want year 12 to be so pitiful. I am going to start planning NOW! Oh, and even though it's my year, look what Greg bought me:

I absolutely LOVE my Australian Man and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life making fun memories like these every year on our anniversary!

Lake

We had the privilege of going to the lake for a few days to stay at a friend's house. They have two Sea Doos (is that how you spell that???), a boat, a great swimming area right out back, nice lawn, food, and comfy beds for napping and sleeping! We needed some family time away from everything since we have been traveling so much lately so we enjoyed every minute.

I went knee boarding for the first time in years and I must say, the bruises on my shins and forearms are totally worth it! Brett even tried it on a kid's knee board. We went tubing and stayed up late playing Euchre with our friends.

Here's a picture of my little peanut on her first boat ride:

Carnival Cruise

I am now 8 hours off the Carnival Fantasy Western Caribbean Cruise that I had the privilege of embarking on with 10 amazing women. My friend Molly invited us all to come with her to celebrate her 40th birthday. She paid for each of us to go... I just had to get myself to New Orleans last Thursday in order to set sail that afternoon.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into it with virtual strangers. My roommate Chris, Molly's childhood friend from Minnesota was someone I had never laid eyes upon. There was Dianne, an aquaintance from California and Barbara to whom I had heard Molly refer many times in San Diego as her beloved Growth Group Leader for years. Stephanie from Saint Louis and Leslie from Chicago were blond bombshells I met on Thursday in front of the pool on the Lido deck. Kristen, an author and long distance runner roomed with Rachel, another Minnesota girl (Molly's college roommate). Nancy, Molly's sister, was the youngest girl on the trip, just eight months my junior. Would we like each other? Would there be cliques? Would we all disagree on where to go and what to do or would we mesh?

Well, from the first afternoon when we all met up, I knew we were going to have a blast! By Monday morning, we were all friends and I have to say, I would travel with these ladies again! We had an amazing time laying out, dancing, eating breakfast, eating room service, eating lunch, eating dessert, eating dinner... did I mention that we had a great time eating?

Our one stop was in Cozumel and 9 of us signed up to do the Amazing Cozumel Race excursion. We drew names and divided ourselves up into three teams of three. We competed against 5 other teams of 2-4 people and had a great time. From looking for clues at a museum, to snorkeling off a glass bottom boat in order to see the name on the side of a shipwrecked boat to running all through downtown in search of clues, we had a blast! My team arrived at our final destination first and we won the grand prize t-shirt that says "WINNER" on the front (cannot be sold in stores:-))!

Our waiter at dinner, Joseph from India, was fabulous. We took photos each night with our favorite photographer, Jay. We watched all of the shows and danced to a Michael Jackson tribute! We even sang karaoke one night. We were so bad, I think they turned off the song before we were even finished. I lovingly blame Nancy for picking that stupid song!

I loved coming to our room at night to find the bed turned down, chocolates on my pillow, the next day's itinerary waiting patiently for a perusal and some sort of animal made out of towels on the bed. It was nice to sleep in, get a tan, read a book, and have late night girl-talk every day. My blackberry didn't work so I even stayed away from emails, Facebook, and Twitter! A true respite.

Although I missed my family terribly, I am so thankful to Molly for bringing me along. And, I know some of these girls will become friends for a long long time. We created all sorts of fabulous memories and I will post some pictures when they all start to share them... I forgot my camera so only have two over-priced "Jay's photos" from the entire trip. Thanks again, Molly! And, Happy Birthday again! Too bad we don't have any diet cake to share tonight!

Growing Girl!

Sydney is now eight and a half months old. She crawls everywhere and has starting pulling herself up to standing this week. She is always smiling and makes everyone around her smile too. My girl likes all baby foods in a jar and has started eating a few table foods like bananas, grapes (peeled and chopped into tiny pieces), and my crouton from Fuddruckers yesterday. She also tried a dill pickle slice at the same restaurant and loved it!

Sydney has also found her voice. She often shrieks and screams when she sees someone she likes (mostly her brother) and she says "ba ba, da da, ma ma, and mu-mu-mu" none of which actually have any significant meaning despite what her daddy thinks. He swears she is calling him when she says "da da," but I told him she used that phrase when she was beating her spoon on the high chair so I think it could mean "food" instead of "daddy!" She also has been known to say "da da" when she is eating a toy in the bathtub or crawling across the room to get something!

She has four top teeth all coming in at the same time right now. She has been dunked in the swimming pool a few times and you can tickle her and she will laugh really really hard. I can hardly believe how much time has already gone by since she was born in November. I want to cherish this year as I know so many "firsts" will occur. We are so totally blessed to have a "ba ba gur" as we like to call her... we even have a song for her, but only Brett and I are allowed to sing it!

Playing with her toys!

Notice how big these 3-6 month pants are around her waist!

She now weights 13 and a half pounds!

`

I'm Here...

I have been a horrible blogger lately. If you read my blog you have already noticed and have probably stopped trying to find out if I have posted anything new... since I am a horrible blogger. I have no time today to post anything cool.

I have lots of cute updates- like the fact that Sydney has FOUR teeth coming in on top; Brett is saying all sorts of amazing stuff everyday; our new Celebration Church Cedar Park Campus is coming together for a fall launch; Greg preached an amazing sermon Wednesday night; we just went to Jacksonville for a visit to come satellite campuses for research (Syd's first plane ride); Elementary camp is going to be AMAZING and, Brett gets to go for the first time; my beautiful hydrangea has died, and so on and so on.

I also have some really cool photos to share. But, not today.

I wanted to just let you know that I haven't forgotten about my blog.

Great Wolf Lodge

Our summer vacationn got downgraded a little this year due to a large tax bill we had to pay in April! However, it worked out for the best b/c we drove to Grapevine, TX (3 hrs away) and checked into a hotel complete with an indoor waterpark. We had a great time with our two kids... able to go straight up to our room when Syd needed a nap (and mom too). Here are a few pics:

Opinions

Since my first child HATES vegetables and all things healthy, I have prayed that Sydney would love them from the start. I have dreams of us sharing my favorite salad from Z Tejas, complete with goat cheese, spinach, and tomatoes. I dream of slicing up an avocado for her to feed herself on her high chair... that she will relish summer berries with me like I am doing this week-blueberries, strawberries, blackberries... all gracing my fridge, just waiting for her little fingers to lay hold of them.

When she first tried baby foods in a jar, she gobbled them up like a champ! I gave her peas, carrots, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, even a jar with the aforementioned all pureed together. She ate them! She LOVED them.

Then, something happened about a month later...

One day last week, out of the blue, she decided she didn't like peas or squash anymore.

WHAT??? Maybe she was just joking... see what you think:

She has opinions. She has opinions! She has OPINIONS!!

If I could make a face to show you just how I feel about this, it would look something like this:

Army Crawl

Sydney weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds, 13 ounces today. She is seven months old and so much fun! She can now move across an entire room in a matter of seconds. Check her out:

Memorial Day

We had a great day with friends on lake LBJ this Memorial Day. We moved back to TX four years ago on Memorial Day weekend. We feel so blessed when we think about all of the fun times we have had and the great friends we have made. Here's a snapshot of our day:

What shoes should I wear?

Maybe these?

Ta-Da... aren't I cute?

Tubing with friends...

Chillin' in the shade...

Hangin' with my friend...

Resting with my Daddy...

New Skills

Sydney's new trick in the "Johnny Jump Up"

Uniquely Beautiful

Last Saturday, we hosted the most amazing women's event to date at Celebration Church. We called it "Uniquely Beautiful" and every element of the day shouted this theme. Forty-eight tables were decorated by forty-eight amazingly special women. The flavor of the tables ranged from classically simple with a bouquet of beautiful flowers to whimsical butterflies and tulle draped across a white iron centerpiece. Eiffel Towers, silver boots, lighted glass vases, chair covers, picture frames, candles and even fondue surrounded the tables. Everyone had beautiful china or dinnerware, napkins and stemware. It was uniquely beautiful.

All eyes moved toward the fashion show after eating the yummy quiche and strawberries Romanov from Texas Pie Company. Twenty Celebration women of all shapes, shades, and sizes strutted their stuff on the runway. Stein-mart Boutique in Round Rock provided all of the adult clothing and 10 spunky little girls wore adorable outfits from Just Kidds and More. The music was fun and the energy was electric.

We heard the video testimony of how Celebration Church has impacted Stacy Nash and we honored her with a makeover. All four hundred and fifty women sat teary eyed as we heard about her husband's tour of duty and how she kept her four children and home in order awaiting his return. She came from backstage all made over and sassy as the last set of the fashion show began. Through the generosity of the women in Stacy's Bible study at our church, the Nash family has been transformed. Our event was a perfect marriage of fun and inspiration.

Each of these fantastic elements prepared the way for Pastor Lori Champion, our wonderful Women's Pastor, to share her life-changing message. She spoke about Deborah and the role of women: we are made to bring life; we protect in adversity; we engage through transparency; we add beauty to every environment. This was truly the best part of the morning and I was inspired once again by our Pastor's insight and anointing.

I am still thrilled about what a uniquely beautiful event we were able to host. I feel blessed that God picked me to help facilitate the outworking of our Pastor's vision. None of the special pieces of the day would have come together had it not been for the 150+ volunteers who gave their time, money, effort, creativity, organization, and love to our house!

Wanna see a picture of the table I was at?

Tiger Baseball Tournament

Tigers played in the Mother's Day tournament called the Round Rock Super Series weekend before last. It was serious business. Brett submitted his birth certificate, proving that he is really seven years old and we were set to go. Playing baseball on the weekends isn't easy for our family since we work all day on Sundays. We geared up for the first game and Tigers won easily against the Longhorns. The second game was played right away on Saturday and the easily also beat the Bobcats from Kyle.

Luckily, the Sunday games were scheduled for the afternoon. First up: Longhorns again. Tigers easily beat them and we were in the final. Brett was so excited when he found out that he might win a trophy and anticipation was high since we were playing the Bobcats again. Here's Brett scoring a run:

We beat the Bobcats to take first place at the tournament. Here's the First Place trophy:

Go Tigers! And, Go BRETT!!!

First Swim

We took Sydney swimming for the first time on Saturday. She LOVED it! Her big brother is a great swimmer and picked up right where he left off last year! Check it out:

Grow, Girl Grow!

Sydney went for her six month check-up yesterday only to find that she only gained one ounce in a whole entire month. Yes, that's not a typo... one ounce. She went from 11 pounds, 5 ounces to 11 pounds, 6 ounces. I thought for sure my little chicken legged girl was going to break the 12 pound mark when I laid her on that cold metal scale. But no, the digital numbers bounced around and yelled back at me that she only gained a measly OUNCE during her fifth month of life.

She still wears 3-6 month clothes all baggy around the waist. Her diapers are still size 1-2 and the little Velcro strips touch the middle when I close them. She's small and I'm on a mission: to get her to grow.

Well, truth be told, it's a mission to get her FAT! She grew another half an inch in length this month and her head is smack dab in the 50th percentile. It's her weight that's the problem. Her chicken legs and scrawny arms just need to fatten up.

{I'm writing all this down for my dear girl so that one day

when she's staring in the mirror at her tween age body,

thinking she's all fat,

she'll know the truth-

It's all my fault because when she was 6 months old, I fattened her up.}

What's my plan, you might ask?

Step One:

Measure her milk to make sure she's getting enough.Feed her as much as she will take, even if that means thawing some of that liquid gold and going for another round.

Step Two:

Feed her solids every time she's awake. Give her as much as she will take and mix it with rice cereal to add calories.

Step Three:

Repeat steps one and two everyday until she's fat, Fat, FAT!

I don't know about you, but I'm not worried. I can do this one.

By the way, does she look like anything is wrong with her?

Purpose

Last night, Pastor Joe preached an amazing service and I decided 1 Peter 4 is one of my new favorite passages of scripture. Verse 2 says once you follow Christ, "You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God." We have been in a series called "One Month to Live" and PJ brought up a great question... if you knew that you had one month to live, would you spend that month chasing your desires or would you try to do everything you could to please God and win others to Christ? I honestly had to think for a minute about that one.

Even though I would say I spend my days seeking to follow the will of God for my life (after all, I AM in the ministry!), I have always thought if I knew I had little time left here on Earth, I would take big trips, spend lots of money, splurge on anything and everything... sort of "live it up" if you will. It has honestly never crossed my mind to spend each day racing to share the Good News of Christ with as many people as I can. To be "ANXIOUS" to do the will of God.

The will of God for all of us is that we spread the news of His son Jesus and help others come to heaven with us! I can honestly say I live my life like I have all the time in the world to do this. Oh, I get excited to invite people to my awesome church. I willingly share my story with those who might ask. I reach out to those in need around me and I always talk about what God has done in my life. But, I would not say that I am anxious to do this...

What would our church look like if we all got a little more serious and urgent about doing the will of God? I know I am challenged today.

Bluebonnets

I'm not one much for Texas traditions. I DO know that bluebonnets are our state flower, however. A lot of Texans take their kids wherever bluebonnets grow in order to take pictures of them sitting amongst the flowers. Some folks even stop on the sides of roads and it always amazes me that so many people love this. Thanks to Sydney's teacher at daycare, we have a bluebonnet picture:

A Note for Syd

Dearest Sydney,

As I watch you approach your half-year birthday, I see your changes and I am torn...

Between sheer excitement and thrill against sadness -
That you aren't the small tiny child who would sleep on my chest,
Knees pulled up for hours on end.

You are growing, my child.

On November 5th, when I first laid eyes on you,
I had no idea what kind of love affair would transpire.
You are smart and beautiful in every way.
A Baby Girl, a blessing I cherish...

Sydney Claire, Your Mother Loves You.

When I think about your future, I imagine all of the mistakes you will avoid-
All of the ones that I somehow did not.
I pray for and dream of the STRENGTH you will have to STAND UP to peer pressure
To be yourself no matter who you are around.

I know you will love our God with all of your heart, soul, mind and spirit.
I believe you will love your friends selflessly and protect and honor them as yourself.

You are one-of-a-kind, my dear.

Your Big Blue Eyes reflect a sense of wonder and pleasure at all things family...
I pray this never changes.

Your one-little-half-tooth smile makes everyone around you smile in return.
It always will.
A dimple below your right eye appears during intense joy and sadness alike... your trademark!

I love your long legs and tiny little waist.
You could be a runner someday.

Sydney, you already love to talk; I pray my ears are always hungry to listen.

My daughter, I am here for you.

You bless me with your tender touch and innocence.
When I look at your dainty hands, I think about moments we will share:

Manicures

Lifting our hands in worship

Shopping

Reaching out to those in need.

Sydney, you are going to change the world with those hands.

There's so much we still don't know-
Like what color hair you'll have {I think some will grow eventually}

Your personality and personal style
How you'll respond to pressure

And what kind of books you'll like to read.

Somehow, I know I will love your choices.

God knew you before you were formed in my womb...

He has plans for you, my love.

I pray that I never stand in the way of your fulfillment of those plans.
May I be a voice that teaches you to hear His Voice for yourself.
May my unconditional love when you make a mistake
Model Christ's love and acceptance of you.

God, may my ceiling be her floor.

Broken

The past week has been really busy with a conference in Dallas and the usual Allen calendar. I have many things I wanted to blog about in this diary of my family, but guess what? My camera is BROKEN! Yes, BROKEN... I pulled it out to take a photo of all my friends eating BBQ in Dallas and the screen is white.

SO...

I can't show you Sydney's first tooth-

Or, her orange face after eating carrots-

Or, Brett's latest Lego creations all over his playroom bed-

Or, his adorable "Kid Manual" he had to write for homework this week.

No, you can't see any of those things. You also can't hear Sydney's new sounds (they are SOOOO cute and Greg thinks she's saying Da-Da. It's not true).

My camera tricks me by making the clicking sound a camera makes when it takes a picture, but the picture is just white. It is broken.

4D

I heard a great leadership teaching by Steven Dilla, the Preschool Pastor at Fellowship Church yesterday. We were attending the C3 Kids Conference at the Grapevine campus and it was an amazing 2 days with 17 of our team from Celebration. About midway through Steven's message, I had an epiphany: this was the same message I heard 3 years ago when I attended this conference with Elizabeth and she asked me to work as a volunteer Director on her team. WOW!

The message applied to my life in a much different and bigger way, but impacted me greatly again! The Four D's represent the process in making a dream become a reality.

Dream asks the question "What could be?"
Design asks the question "How will it be?"
Develop asks the question "What is needed for it to be?"
Do asks the question "When can I begin?"

When I heard this message three years ago, it was more geared toward figuring out whether or not you are a Dreamer, Designer, Developer, and/or Doer. Yesterday, the talk inspired me to think about the actual process. I remember specifically sitting in my chair daring to DREAM some dreams about ministry three years ago yet not having any idea how they would come to pass. I can honestly say that more than I imagined would happen has already happened in my life at Celebration Church.

I assessed myself back then as a Dreamer and Developer and I must say that hasn't changed. I am able to see a big picture and Dream big things. I know God has called me to do this and He has gifted me with the ability to Develop those dreams using a great team. I was inspired to dream even bigger and to push the envelope yesterday. I know there are people in all four of these categories on my team and I can only imagine the potential we have to move mountains as we work together.

I am so excited to get started and to watch God work through all of us!!!

Milestones

Today was a big day! Sydney is just over 5 months old and she tried some rice cereal AND we can see her first tooth just below her gums. So exciting to watch her grow and develop. I think we'll wait to try cereal again in another week or two. Here's why:

The Nut Club

I found out that my precious son is a proud member of "The Nut Club" last night. I am wondering how I missed this very detailed and obviously important part of his life. It seems that the Nut Club has been around for quite some time.

Brett is the Second Master. Courtney is the Commander. Your favorite color must be purple to be in the Nut Club. Who decided this? Court-Nut, of course. She's the Commander. Who is in the Nut Club? The entire 1st grade Mrs. Burkett class, even Mrs. Burkett is a member. How do you get in? Well, you have to do the midget hop and say the password like this:


What does the Nut Club do? They do midget hops at recess and say things like, "We are in the Nut Club. We're in the Nut Club." Everyone has a Nut Club name. For example, there's Brett-Brett-Nut, Morgo-Nut (she's not in Mrs. Burkett's class, but she's in the Nut Club anyway), Chris-Nut, Bay-Nut, and on and on.

Court-Nut started this whole thing. After hearing about her great influence and how she rallied everyone around her cause in such an overwhelming way, I'm thinking she might be President one day!

To Cry or Not to Cry?

I don't know about you, but I am a proponent of letting my babies "cry it out" in their beds. As soon as Sydney was old enough to squirm and fight her sleep while I was holding her, I decided she was old enough to squirm and fight her sleep in her own bed. Oh, don't get me wrong. I hate it. I hate listening to her cry especially when it's the kind of crying that leaves her sighing and sniffling even when she's done.

I have a strategy: If she's fighting her sleep, I flip her on her tummy and pat her bum firmly. If she slows down enough to slip a binky in her mouth, I do that. If not, I keep patting and hope that she will settle. When she doesn't settle, she just gets to cry in her bed for a bit. After 10 minutes or so, if she is still crying I will go back in and try again. Today, she was screaming so hard and flipping over when I tried the "lay-on-your-stomach-while-I-pat-your-bum-technique." So, I gave in and held her until she calmed. When I laid her back down, she still cried.

So, I let her "cry it out." She cried a few more minutes while I walked away, closed the door and distracted myself by talking to Brett. Suddenly, just when I got used to the screaming and it didn't really bother me anymore, I stopped to listen. Oh, she's not screaming anymore. VOILA... here she lays, fast asleep:

Easter...

Spring is my favorite season; I love the chilly mornings and warm afternoons. The smell of my jasmine blooming and all of the new growth on the trees sets off a feeling of great anticipation within me. Growing up, I loved this time of year because the countdown to school being out is ON... I think all those years of excitement to finish classes must have ingrained something in me that will never go away. I just get excited when it's Spring!

This weekend is Easter weekend, or "Superbowl weekend" in the church-world. We have been preparing for some time now. Spring cleaning, budgets, fresh paint and wood chips, decor, service planning, etc. Why do we do this? Why all the fuss about one weekend every year?

Well... the facts are more people come to church on Easter weekend than any other weekend all year. I have been pondering this phenomenon and I can't seem to put my finger on it. Tradition? Easter dresses and bonnets? Egg hunts? Why is it that so many people come to church on Easter when "Bedside Baptist" was much more popular most of the year?

The fact is, Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity is the only religion where God came out of heaven to earth, paid the ultimate sacrifice and then conquered death and the grave after 3 days! All of this for YOU and ME so that we can have eternal life with God in heaven. Hmmmm... sounds like something worth celebrating to me.

I find myself so moved this time of year... thinking about the hope of what's to come because of the sacrifice of Christ. For us, Easter is about celebrating this hope. Because we work in ministry, Easter is also about laying down our lives to prepare for the thousands of people who will come to the "hill" at Celebration Church to experience a taste of this new life that's available to them in Christ. We want to put our best foot forward... have the MOST FUN services... make parking a breeze... serve coffee and doughnuts so no one gets a headache... we are opening the doors for lives to be changed forever.

My prayer this year is that the people who come b/c of the helicopter candy drop, to show off their new bonnets, or because grandma's tradition says to come or Easter lunch will be tense will experience something so life-changing that they will be compelled to come back! Christ rose from the dead so that we could experience a real relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. This spring motivates me to do more to get to know Him. I'm excited about Easter weekend, yes. But, I am more excited about the weekend after that and the weekend after that. I really believe in what happened on Resurrection Day. I am compelled to come back to church every weekend to find out more!

I Love My Church

Today is Sunday and our Sundays are busy! I walked around our church today and thought about how blessed we are to have a place like Celebration Church to spend our Sundays. I saw people drinking coffee and hanging out in the Blend. Happy families were dropping off happy kids in the nursery. Four year olds said things like, "I am so excited to go to the green room. Green is my favorite color!!" Hundreds of elementary kids had an awesome time and my first grader came home singing "Jesus... you are the light to the darkness around me." I love my church.

We dedicated babies and toddlers to God along with their parents today. Our pastor, Joe Champion, spoke over each of their little lives and I could hardly hold back my tears as he prayed over two beautiful adopted girls and their precious parents. The sermon was about creating a SERVOLUTION as we ramp up to serve and reach our community like never before. The music was off the hook and thousands of people were touched by a living God who has the power to transform lives and set people free! I love my church.

Birthdays

We created a new tradition in the Allen Family this year: big birthday parties will occur every other year. "Big birthday parties" are defined as inviting 15 or more friends somewhere so that mom and dad can drop $300 for the kids to have fun, eat, play, and give us a headache overall. Don't get me wrong... we love creating memories for our kids and allowing them to spend all of our money. However, I think once every two years is memory enough.

Yesterday, we celebrated Brett's 7th birthday with friends at Main Event, where I get overstimulated about five minutes after crossing the threshold. You can play laser tag, rock climb, putt-putt golf in the dark, bowl, and play video games and pool. This year, Brett wanted to have a rock-climbing party, but we weren't sure all of his friends met the 48 inch height requirement so bowling it was.

Of course, Brett wanted to invite about 50 friends (he IS his mother's son, after all) but we decided he could either invite his baseball team or his class at school. He chose baseball. Then, he tacked on a couple of girls, his cousins, a neighbor and a few church friends. Lucky for us, Spring Break caused a few of them not to come!

All in all, 12 of the coolest kids in town accompanied Brett to his party and here's the proof:

Bee-Bo

I love the "Belly Button Book" by Sandra Boynton. It's all about how Hippos love their "belly b's" b/c they are "round and cute and funny." Belly buttons aren't always cute and funny. Although they look like a button on some people, they are more like a protruding nose without nostrils on others. I have funny stories about belly buttons: My friend's 2 year old likes to rub hers and suck her thumb to put herself to sleep. My East Texas friend said her belly button was hurting when she was pregnant b/c the baby was pulling on it. I reminded her that it's the baby's belly button attached to something inside her, not the other way around!

Needless to say, belly buttons are interesting. I am so glad someone wrote a book about them!

My new name for belly buttons is one that I learned from Boynton. Sandra says "You might not know what 'Bee-Bo' means. Or maybe you've forgotten. It's just the tiny hippo way of saying... BELLY BUTTON!" The hippos take their Bee-Bo's to the belly button beach during summer; they sing the belly button song, and they wear cute swimsuits to show them off.

The only caution is not to let your bee-bo show in wintertime. I would add that you should only show your bee-bo if it looks like this:

World's Smartest Kids

I have some breaking news... hold onto your seats. I know if you have kids, you probably think they are smart. You probably think they are cute; you might even thing they are smarter and cuter than the average kid. You might be right. However, no kid, not one, can compare to MY KIDS. You heard me: I have the world's smartest kids living in MY HOUSE.


Brett is 7 years old today. He is handsome and kind; he loves others and is very obedient. And, he's smart. Smarter than any kid who has ever lived. He got his smarts from his parents, but we were never THIS smart. Brett can put together 400 piece lego sets by following the instructions all by himself. He can do addition, subtraction, and even some multiplication. He knows how to ride a bike without training wheels. He is articulate and can argue like a Harvard Law graduate. Did I mention he's only seven?


Sydney, well... she's only four months old. She's smart too, however. Most babies can't do half the things she can do at her age. She sucks her thumb. She rolls from her back to her front. She rolls from her tummy to her back. She smiles and coos. She even knows how to follow me with her eyes as I walk across the room.

You don't believe me that my kids are this smart? Watch this video of Sydney kicking her legs and Brett reading and you'll see...

p.s. If you don't think the same things about your kids, shame on you!

"Turned Around" Does NOT Mean "Lost"

If you're anything like me, you do not pay attention to how you get somewhere if you are not behind the wheel. That's what happens to me when I am riding somewhere with Greg. I don't pay attention. So, when I have to go there on my own, I get "turned around." See, there's a difference between getting "lost" and getting "turned around."

When you are lost, you have no idea where you are. You can't find your way home. You are not sure how you got there and you have to stop to ask for directions.

When you are turned around, you are just off track a little. You know where you are, clearly. You know the name of the street and how you got there. You're just unsure of how to get where you are going from there. All it takes is calling your husband for help. He will help you and tell you you are always getting lost. But, it's not true. You are just turned around.

Saturdays with Brett

So, I am sitting here with Brett (letting him stay up extra late on a Friday night) and he wants to write a blog. I type faster so he's going to dictate what I write... here goes:

Tomorrow, I am going to play my Nintendo DS a lot. What are you going to do tomorrow? I have baseball practice and I also plan on going on a bike ride while my mom runs. I have a batman bike and it is so cool. I like it so much, I'd like to ride it every day that my mom wants me to. I am going to try for three miles.

I am going to eat Captain Crunch cereal because it has fruity tasty stuff. What are you going to eat for breakfast (question mark, he says)? I wake up at six o'clock every morning. What time do you wake up? Did Lincoln live in a log cabin? Yes or no? I can't think of anymore. This is hard.

Top Ten Reasons Greg and Stacy Love Children's Ministry

We have some of the most amazing kids at Celebration Church. We feel so blessed to help pastor over 1000 kids in a week! We find ourselves in this place under Pastor Joe and Lori Champion's leadership being more thankful than ever that God's plans for us are more than we can even think or imagine for ourselves (Eph. 3:20). Here are the top 10 reasons we LOVE working with kids:

10. We are always cool in their eyes!

9. They are always ready to give a great hugs or a big smile.

8. They share important things with us like, "I lost a tooth today" or "Check out my new Bible!"

7. Kids never limit themselves or God... He can do ANYTHING! Such great faith...

6. Hearing a preschool kiddo recite his monthly memory verse is priceless!

5. Sometimes, we get to see God's calling and potential in kids before anyone else does (besides mom and dad).

4. No dressing up on Sundays... jeans and tennis shoes is our typical wardrobe!

3. Camp is part of our required job description every summer!

2. We can deliver sermons without the fear of rejection. Kids love to hear a good message and they don't scrutinize your every move!

1. We get to be a part of kids' first time decisions to follow Jesus!!

Allen Genetics

"She looks just like you, Stacy," says every other person who sees sweet Sydney.

"Oh, my... She is a little Greg," says my best friend Amanda.

"Brett has your smile."

"Brett looks just like his daddy, doesn't he?"

Truth is, we're their parents so I hope our kids look like us! From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I wondered what my kids would look like. Whether Sydney and Brett look just like me, just like Greg, just like each other, or a perfect combination of us all, I still can't figure out how these genetic traits work.

Exhibit A: Greg's Eyes

• Hazel


• Medium Sized


• Long Thick Black Lashes
  

Exhibit B: Stacy's Eyes

• Green
• Sparse Brown Lashes (must wear mascarra)
• Evenly Set

Exhibit C: Brett's Eyes

• Blue
• Thick Blond Lashes
• Bright and Shiny!

Exhibit D: Sydney's Eyes

• Blue
• Not many lashes
• Round

So, two parents with Hazel and Green eyes produce two kids with blue eyes. I think Brett and Sydney look like each other. And, the longer I'm married to Greg, I think we even look alike.