"Repeat" and be Baptized!

My second little girl, Jordan Elisabeth, was baptized in the precious name of Jesus two Sundays ago, January 27th!  Words can't express how proud of her I have been over the past few weeks.  She is only 6 years old, but her understanding of the Scriptures is enough that she comprehends the need for water baptism in Jesus' name.  I believe we all need a little more of that child-like faith Jesus spoke of in the Bible.  We don't need years of study and more degrees than a thermometer to simply understand the need for Salvation.  Jordan has been taught this truth from infancy, and she decided on her own that she needed to "repeat" (as she first called it) and be baptized in Jesus' name.  We asked her a few more questions to gauge her understanding of the subject, because we as parents don't want our children to just mimic and go through the motions.  We want them to comprehend.  There was no doubt that she understood, so we set the date!

During this time, her father and I were in the middle of a Daniel's Fast as part of our church-wide corporate 21 days of fasting and prayer. (see www.ultimatedanielfast.com).  Our girls had been watching us, taking notice of the fact that we were not eating and drinking the same things they were and they had lots of questions.  Rachel, our oldest daughter (8), asked specifically why people fast and pray, and after we had a talk about it at the dinner table she told us that she wanted to fast and pray for her sister to receive the Holy Ghost. (see Acts chapter 2)  Jordan was also listening, and she wanted to participate as well.  So the next day she and Jordan, of their own free will, chose to forgo breakfast with the main purpose of Jordan receiving the Holy Ghost.  I can't tell you how that made me feel.  I don't think I have ever been any prouder as a mother than at that very moment.

 Here are a few more pictures...

   

She was so small, we had to use a metal chair for her to stand on.  :)

 

On a side note, Jordan was baptized in the very same homemade dress that Rachel was baptized in.  It was first intended for a Bible character costume made for Rachel by my husband's grandmother (AKA "Bikkie").  I thought it was sweet.  :)

They had been playing dress-up with it among their other play clothes, but I have now pulled it out of the box and put it away.  Maybe we'll baptize Ellie in it in a few more years.  :)

Jordan is presently seeking the Holy Ghost, and we pray she will be filled with God's Spirit very soon!

Bridges and Gates

On the ride home from our annual family check-ups, my husband and I were talking about what we usually talk about more than any other topic:  our three girls.  You parents know how it works.  Just about anytime you and your spouse are able to talk about anything without much interruption, no matter how far away from the subject of children the conversation starts, you inevitably end up talking about the kids somehow.  No getting around it, it's just the way it goes.  But this time, the subject went a little deeper than normal.  The topic shifted to innocence and how easily it can be lost in the most unexpected places.

As parents, we can try so hard to protect our children from outside influences, from harmful situations, from dangerous scenarios.  But so many times, we tend to overlook what should be one of the most obvious sources of innocence lost:  animated films.  No, this is not a blog post harping on the horrors of TV; though in my opinion, it isn't worth rummaging through the trash in order to find a piece of cake so to speak.  But how easy is it these days to plop our little ones down in front of a screen, pop in (or flip to) a "good cartoon", and then walk away to do other things?

My husband pointed out the fact that it seems like a lot of parents think that anything animated is perfectly acceptable for young eyes to watch.  But let me ask you this:  Have you ever sat down to watch one of these films or cartoons and found yourself laughing at a scene more than your kids?  Why is that?  Because a lot of the time, the content is more mature than we realize.  Way too many DVDs and network episodes, all supposedly for kids, have more adult humor in them than we really realize.

Innocence is one of the most precious gifts we are ever given as children.  But once it's gone, it's gone...forever.  My dad once wrote a poem for me as a then 15 year old girl.  He wrote about how my innocence was priceless.  I can't quote the poem from memory, but one of its phrases will forever remain imprinted upon my mind.

...that bridge is crossed, then burned.

Parents, we have one shot—just one shot—at doing our best to get it right with our kids while they are still young.  Every birthday we celebrate marks another year gone that we will never get back with them.  You know as well as I do how quickly the time zooms past us.

Imagine with me, if you will, our children's innocence as bridges.  These bridges connect to many other bridges that lead to many, many places.  Now imagine those bridges sealed off by strong iron gates...gates with locks...intended to be opened at a later time but that need to remain closed for now.

Mom and Dad, we are the gatekeepers.

When we expose our children to new things, we unlock the gates.  Then, they can cross over.  Once crossed, the bridges are never again operational.  They serve their purpose no matter how prematurely they were crossed.  Then, they are burned.  These bridges are one-way bridges.

I understand that children can be exposed to horrible things from which parents can not always protect them.  We live in a sick, dark world full of sin and perversion.  Innocence can be stolen.  But what I'm talking about today are the things that we as parents CAN control.

The next time you have the chance to watch a cartoon or film with your kids, take a closer look.  Pay attention to the seemingly innocent jokes and humor.  Some things are truly funny that make all of us laugh, and that's great and can be a bunch of fun.  But take notice if there are any times that you laugh, smile, roll your eyes, or "get a joke", that your children don't.  There's a reason for that.  It wasn't on their level, or it shouldn't have been.

Pay attention to the images, as well.  These worlds may seem fantastic to you, but they are much more real to your little ones than you realize.  Would you let them watch the very same thing if it were not animated?  Would you let them watch the very same thing in real life?

You as an adult have already lost your innocence.  They haven't.  Hold the keys.  Guard the gates.  Shield the children.  Stand in front of those gates until the day comes when the time is right to step aside.  I challenge you today.

Be the gatekeeper.

The "Thank You" Party

My living room is huge... and very empty.

We use one side of it as a classroom where I home school my pre-schooler and first grader.  In that space we have two school desks, my office desk, a floor lamp, and an electric piano against the wall (thanks, Mom T!)... and it's still an empty cavern.  It's actually a cool place for the kids to run around and burn pent up energy, and I'm very thankful for the space.  I have often walked through it, longing for pretty furniture, but such things are just not practical, or feasible, at this time in our lives.  Maybe one day.

But I needed to preface this blog post with an explanation of this seemingly empty room and why I'm so excited to post pics of it for the world to see.  I do not have expensive, pretty furnishings to grace my home and fill it with elegance.  I never have, and probably never will.  But I do have one thing I want to brag about.  I have two children under the age of 10 who know how to say thank you, of their own volition, of their own free will, and in their own way.  I couldn't be more proud.

I had been busy around the house, cooking, cleaning, all that mommy jazz.  I remember being very tired, stressed out (shocker), and maybe even downright crabby.  (It happens to the best of us, lol.)  I had been in one particular end of the house for a bit, and then Rachel and Jordan come running up to me, all smiles and giggles.  They had something they wanted to "show me".  So, I dropped what I was doing, and was led by the hand to this particular room, with strict instructions to keep my eyes closed.  When I opened them, I cried.

The girls had decorated my empty room.

They had made their own streamers from construction paper.  They had set out my fine dining room chairs (folding, plastic chairs, ha).  They had put up little signs to instruct one where to place socks and shoes.  They had put up little stuffed animals in various places.  And they had covered the floor in rugs and blankets to "jump on".  I asked why.  They told me with bright eyes and smiling faces, "It's a 'thank you' party!".  They quickly explained they wanted to thank mommy and daddy for all that we do for them.  They wanted to have a party just for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I broke on the inside.

I gathered them in my arms and told them how proud I was of them, then I explored the room as they gave me a guided tour of all the things they had done.  Of course, we went and got daddy out of his office right away.  (He works a full-time job at home on top of being a full-time pastor so that I can stay home with my children.)

My girls.  My wonderful, beautiful girls.  They are already learning as children what a lot of adults never seem to grasp... the gift of thankfulness. 

 

Christmas 2011

Thanks for sending these today, Mom!

The girls did a little holiday baking with Mamoo...

Some family snapshots...

And these... love them!  They were taken at Nana's house...

I snapped these on Christmas morning...

Such sweet faces... such sweet memories.  Love my girls!!!!!

"What a beauiful mess I'm in..."

My hand held kitchen mixer is in my den floor. There's a tiny purse in my kitchen.  A giant hula hoop graces my  living room.  One shoe each of about 4 different pairs lies scattered near the piano.  A huge stuffed green frog is looking at me from my foyer.  Daddy's left shoe and a couch pillow found their way into the hall.  A transformer and baby doll bottle are in the girl's bathroom.  An empty Capri Sun container is on my dresser.  A tiny red t-shirt is in the office.  Wow... and in the time it took for me to type all that, a bottle of Children's Tylenol and Ibuprofen now decorate the hearth.  The more I pick up, the more things magically appear.  I am surrounded by little noses to wipe and spilled drinks to mop.  I have a points reward account online for all the diapers and wipes I buy.  Chocolate milk and apple juice is in my fridge more than any other liquid.  I have detangled more curls than Rapunzel could ever dream of.  The cover warming me right now is an old baby blanket instead of a nice throw.   

This is my world.  And I wouldn't trade it for anything.   

A look back... a step forward.

Wow. What a year. It feels more like a lifetime instead of 12 months. By far, this year has been the most significant of my life. I wish that I could say that because of all my wonderful achievements, goals met, or improvements made. But no, it's just been a year of significant change. It's been a year of self reflection. It's been a year of lives turned completely upside down and inside out. It's been 2011. So, if you care to take a trip with me through last year, then walk with me for a bit. I'll share a few highlights.


This time last year, my family and I were living in Ecru, MS. I specifically remember January for all the snow we had in one month, which was quite unusual for northeast MS. It was the first time we all went outside and built a snowman... or snow woman, not really sure which, seeing as how ours had a big yellow plastic sunflower stuck in the top of the head next to the striped maroon toboggan. The girls also learned how to build a snow fort, which was really pretty cool if you ask me. Jordan got her wish of making a snow angel. I can still see her face as she plunged into a pile of snow and furiously waved her arms and legs. I spent that month doing a lot of thinking, a lot of soul searching, a lot of worry over dear friends going through difficult times, a lot of dreaming, a lot of debating, and I did it all classic Jennifer style... all very quietly and inwardly without really speaking of any of it to much of anyone.

February. Just thinking of that month brings innumerable emotions back to the surface. Moving along.

March. My 10 year anniversary trip to Saint Simons Island, GA. (thanks for the idea, Brittany!!) My husband and I enjoyed a few days on the Georgia coast, including our first tour of a lighthouse (all the way to the top!), incredible food, and a beachfront hotel suite. Who knew that you could have your own little piece of paradise only one day's drive away from MS?

April and May kind of run together in my mind. The biggest thing that happened for us during this time was Rachel graduating from Kindergarten. She had her own special day with just mommy, she got to choose where she wanted to eat lunch (Chili's) with mommy and daddy, she got to go shopping, and then that night was filled with family, fun, and lots of smiles and pictures. Yes, I cried. Twice.

June. My chubby ray of sunshine, my Ellie-Belle, turned one year old. Unreal. Her party was Strawberry Shortcake themed with pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. I'll never forget walking through Walmart battling 10 helium filled balloons, causing all kinds of unwanted attention. Ugh.

July. Ever heard of the phrase "at a fork in the road"? Always makes me think of Kermit and Fozzie singing that song in the Muppet Movie where they come to a literal, huge fork in the road...ha. Anyway, that was me. And, much like the song, "movin' right along".

August. This is where it all got interesting. My husband accepted the call to pastor a small congregation in Greenville, MS at Greater Faith Tabernacle. If you missed reading about this time in our lives, go back to "A new chapter" and "The first week of a new life" in my blog. This month is also when Rachel was filled with the Holy Ghost and was baptized! We packed up our belongings, with the help of Del's parents, without whom we'd NEVER have gotten moved (THANK YOU!!!), we said our goodbyes as best we could manage, and off we went. During this time, the girls were able to start the school year off at Oxford Christian Academy (Jordan's first day!) while everything went underway with the move. I'm ever so thankful for this school and I'm so glad the girls can still be a part of it through fun field trips and activities.

September and October are flurried memories of unpacking, beginning the adventure of homeschooling my girls, starting a new job as a private duty nurse for a 4 year old special little boy with SMA, and of course, starting a brand new role as a pastor's wife. What a whirlwind! It's all just a blur. But I do specifically remember one thing, and it's hilarious in light of all the change in my life. I hung curtains for the first time ever. Haha!

November. I turned 32, Jordan turned 5, Rachel turned 7, and my Mother remained her beautiful, young age of 29. :) I was treated to a delicious dinner at my new favorite restaurant here in the Delta, Posecais. My husband and I also packed up the girls and drove a total of 6 hours in one day to vote on Proposition 26. Oh, and on a side note, I received 110 birthday wishes on Facebook! Wow. In comparison to my 15 the year before, that's quite a difference.

December. We put up our Christmas tree with the girls, and they delighted in hanging pretty ornaments in the oddest places, most of which were clumped together along the bottom. I discovered online shopping!! For those of you who truly know me, you can appreciate that small fact, seeing as how I LOATHE shopping of any kind. But this year, I didn't fight the first crowd or stand in the first line. I simply clicked a mouse. Beautiful. And the girls had a wonderful Christmas, probably the best ever.  Amazing things happened at Christmas this year, most of which are personal and private victories. In fact, the biggest events that happened in my life this year are things I will remain silent about.

We ended this year in a special way. We took a quick trip to North Little Rock, AR. Just an overnight, post-holidays getaway. It was fun and relaxing. We brought in the new year in a quiet house, just the two of us. (the girls were on their own vacation with grandparents) It was the most special new year's eve I've ever had. If there was any way I'd want to start a new year, it's not in a crowded room filled with loud, drunk people. It's not even with a small group of family and friends with games and fun conversation. There is no better way to bring in a new year and turn over a new leaf than in the arms of someone you love, that same someone who loves you back. That's the way it should be. That's the way I hope to bring in each new year to come.

I will not make any new resolutions, because, let's face it... who really meets those goals anyway? I will not set myself up for disappointment by making a list of things I can't accomplish. Instead, I'll list a few things I actually DID accomplished this past year, things that were good.

• I started a blog! Yay! A hobby!

• I lost weight, quite a bit, actually. Yes, I gained a few pounds of it back, but that's to be expected. Overall, I have maintained my weight loss very well. I'm quite proud of myself for it.

• I talked my Dad into starting Facebook. Haha!!

• I learned the value of friendship. True friendship.

• I closed a few doors that needed to be closed. Closure is a wonderful thing. It hurts, yes. But it really does help.

• I opened doors.

Here's to a new year. A new beginning. Let's move forward, shall we?

The Louvre in my kitchen

"Zommies", by Jordan Tritsch

Rembrandt, Delacroix, da Vinci... none can hold a candle to the works of art I have in my possession. Displayed proudly on my refrigerator is a treasure trove of masterful drawings and paintings that rival the world's best known artists. I have always been one of these moms that insist on immediately showcasing beautiful pieces that are given to me by my babies. In fact, my main problem is space... I need a bigger refrigerator... or maybe just a few more altogether...

"Traffic Light", by Jordan Tritsch

But as I was walking by the other day, I stopped and admired yet again the masterpieces gracing my main kitchen appliance. It occurred to me I have never owned an original work of art by anyone "famous". I'm not even sure my eyes have actually seen any important art form other than in a textbook. But what I do have, (in my biased, motherly opinion... hey, I proudly wear my mom badge and claim the rights that go along with it), what I posses are irreplaceable, priceless, beautiful treasures. They were given to me in love, they were given to me in free will, and they were each carefully created by little hands that will all too soon grow up and leave my home.

"Healthy Lunch", by Rachel Tritsch

"Love Note", by Rachel Tritsch

Say cheese!

If you've never had family pictures taken... outside... with three sleepy, cranky children who have missed their routine naps... you've not lived!! :) It was definitely an experience, and I want to thank Amanda Permenter for doing such a great job with us. She is a young photographer who has just started seriously taking pics. She was infinitely patient with us. Hats off to you, girl! I wanted to post a few of my favorite pics, but if any of you would like to see the complete album, you can check it out on my Facebook page.

This is one of all of us. Here we have Del's mother, Leslie, and his two grandmothers, Lucille Taylor (Leslie's mom) AKA "Bikkie", and Yvonne Meskimen (Terry's mom).


And my girls... ohhhh, my girls...

It's simply amazing to sit and look at pictures of them. I'm with them everyday, and in doing so, I sometimes miss how fast they're growing up, if that makes any sense. What living dolls! (ok, so maybe I'm just a tiny bit biased...)

Rachel was a bit dramatic in her sleepiness, wanting to go to different locations, getting "things" in her eyes from the wind... but she eventually warmed up to the idea and got into the rest of the afternoon shoot.

Their individual personalities really shine through in some of these pics. Especially the "prissy shot" of Jordan, lol. She really got into the posing when it was just her.

Ellie just wanted to be left alone to explore the strange, grassy, muddy world around her... at this very moment I'm trying to get those lovely stains out of the leggings she was wearing... which I'm beginning to believe will be a vain second attempt...

All in all, it was a good afternoon. Thanks so much to Mamoo for setting this up! Too bad Daddy was away at work, involved in some training. That just means we'll have to get some more with him later. :)

This 'n that...

It's hard to believe we are fast approaching our first month of being permanently moved to Greenville. The days are really flying by now, especially with homeschooling the girls on top of getting things all organized and settled after the move.

There's been so much going on at the church as well. How wonderful it was to see all the effort put into getting things nice and clean, including fresh paint and yard work, in preparation for my husband's instillation service last night. The church really came together and worked so hard to get everything done in time, they even repainted and decorated the Pastor's study! They created a bulletin board display of childhood and baby pics of us, as well as the girls. The reception and food were wonderful! Everything was perfect. I can't say thank you enough to all who worked tirelessly for two weeks, even in the evenings after working a full-time job! To the Colorado Baptist church family, I would also like to say a special thank you for all that you did for us, and for those of you who came and helped us celebrate. To all our friends and family who came last night, it was so wonderful to see you!! You all truly helped make last night so special, and we love each and every one of you. Mom T, I have NO IDEA what I would have done without all your help this week. Love you more than words can say, you have been such an angel to me. Thanks, Sis. Ellard, for bringing the delicious food, Ellie LOVED the cinnamon rolls! :) Thanks to Bro. and Sis. Whipple for taking us all out for breakfast this morning at Shoney's, what a treat! I am so delighted to have my wonderful parents with us this weekend. Can't wait to get to hear my Daddy preach tomorrow! This has truly been a great weekend.

Things have really come together the past few weeks, and I'm truly beginning to feel more at home here each day. I know it will take time for the aching in my heart I feel for the friends and family we left behind to subside, if it ever will. But times like this weekend help to remind me that we're not THAT far away. It helps to know that a simple 3 hour car ride is all that's between us.

Next up on the family agenda... birthdays! November is truly a celebration month for us. What with my birthday, followed by Jordan's, Rachel's and then my mother's birthday, then Thanksgiving, we celebrate all month long. :) And, my goodness... Christmas is just around the corner... peeking it's head around at me, with that knowing smile that I see every year... you know the look, "Haha! I snuck up on you yet again." Guess I better put on my ACME rocket boots the coyote loaned me... that is, if I remembered to pack them...