The Greatest Blessings.

I am moving my blog...

2008-03-26T21:36:00.002-05:00

I AM MOVING MY BLOG TO WORDPRESS INSTEAD OF BLOGGER. MY NEW BLOG ADDRESS IS: http://thegreatestblessings.wordpress.com/

Please change your links or favorites if you check it regulary. Chris uses wordpress and it is SO much easier for me to use. Thanks so much!

BTW, I posted new Easter pics on my new blog..... and to leave a comment you just have to put your name and email address (it doesn't show your email address on the comment.) You do not have to have a wordpress account to leave a comment!! So, don't forget to comment.

Love,
Heidi

I've been tagged...

2008-03-26T20:24:00.002-05:00

I've been tagged and am suppose to list 10 interesting things about myself. I have no clue what to write...so, here goes nothing!!

1. I want to have 6 kids.....(I think maybe I should have started earlier.)

2. I now LOVE to workout. It used to be a burden but it is relaxing and calming to me now.

3. I am a germaphobe (if that's a word??)..

4. I struggle with worrying about stupid things...sometimes to an extreme (I've learned to hand that one over to God.)

5. I love to watch teeny bopper, romance comedies. They are the ONLY genre of movies that I like.

6. I love the Oakridge Boys and the first record I ever owned was Elvira.

7. I smell of everything and remember things by their smell. So, I am really picky about the way my house, laundry detergent, perfume, kids, etc... smell.

8. I love to change my hair color A LOT....but I am growing it out and decided to go back to natural a few weeks ago. We'll see how long that lasts!

9. I am running out of stuff to say....oh, I thought of another thing. Nice, landscaped yards make me smile and feel happy. When we are driving around town and I see a nice yard I always tell Chris, "That yard is making me happy..." I know, I'm weird.

10. I can't stand when people smack, chew with their mouths open, or chew loudly....oh, and I LOVE Francine Rivers books. All of her books are AWESOME!! I know that's eleven but oh well!!

I am tagging Hollie B, Tammy B, Rachel W, Rachel E, and Lindsay Mc.

Weigh in day #3....

2008-03-24T10:34:00.002-05:00

There were three days this week that I did not eat my minimum amount of points, so I was nervous about today but I had a -1.8 loss. That is a total of 22!!! Until next Monday....I will post some pics later in the week of Easter!!

Chappotin Update....

2008-03-21T12:12:00.006-05:00

Sorry it has been so long, but my camera is not working and I hate to make updates with no pictures. Let's see...what have we been up to??

Last weekend Tammy and Tyler came to spend the night with Ryan and I. Torie was with Grandma C and Chris was at Matt's bachelor party extravaganza, so it was us and the boys! Tyler and Ryan had SO much fun playing together and they did so well....except right before bedtime Ryan decided to pinch Tyler's face. But it was over quickly and they were friends again! Their visit was too short but we'll see then next weekend for the wedding. Tammy took some cute pictures (because her camera actually works) and I will post them after I steal them off her blog!

Torie is on Spring break this week and informed me that she was ready for summer and did not want to go back to school. She is having a blast! On Wednesday we "camped" with our neighbors Ross, Chrissy, Libby and Hannah. We put our fire pit in the driveway, roasted weenies and roasted marshmallows (for smores.) Then the girls went to Libby's house and had their first sleepover (with a friend.) We really were going to put tents up in the backyard but it rained way too much the day before, so the girls camped in Libby's room and the grown ups camped in our own beds (my personal favorite...hehe!!) Chrissy did get some pics of the girls but I will have to post those later when I get them. Torie also got to spend the weekend with Grandma C this past week and I will post some pics of her having some Easter fun with Grandma later on in the post. Wow, Torie has had a busy Spring Break....No wonder she's not ready to go back to school.

Ryan is growing and changing daily. I am not kidding, he does something new everyday....This is the hardest stage that he has been in (for me) but the most exciting at the same time. He got another haircut yesterday (and busted his lip in the salon while I was getting mine trimmed) so I will post pics of both of those things soon! He NEVER stops...from the time he wakes up until bedtime (except for naptime) he is running full speed and getting into EVERYTHING!! Ryan makes me very tired....but what a joy he is!

Chris and I got AWESOME tickets to the Mavs game (thanks Mark and Jennifer)!! So, we headed out last night to watch the Mavs get beat by the Celtics. They should have won and ALMOST did. After the game we headed to the Kiser's house to hang out and catch up. What I love about the Kiser's is that we can be COMPLETELY ourselves and we always laugh SOOO much when we're together. We miss you guys and love you and know God is going to do amazing things through ya'll in Uptown Dallas! While we were out and about Ryan and Torie were with Grandmom and Grandad. It was the second time that I have ever left Ryan overnight (and his first time to spend the night with Grandmom!) I know they had LOTS of fun and I didn't know what to do when I woke up and only had to get myself ready.... and did not have to be thinking of what to feed kids, what they will wear, getting them ready, packing their bags, etc...

Torie posing for Grandma C.

making Easter Art @ Bear Creek Park in Keller
Torie & Grandma C posing with the Easter Bunny
(I don't really know what the Easter Bunny was looking at :)

We are looking forward to this weekend and all that comes with celebrating Easter. We serve an awesome God and we are continually amazed at the ways He is working on us and in us. Please continue to lift our family up and Christ Journey up as we seek to shine the light of Christ into our community. Like having an 18 month old, it is the HARDEST and MOST rewarding thing we have experienced in our ministry careers! May your Easter weekend be a blessing!

Weigh In Day.....

2008-03-17T08:06:00.005-05:00

Man, I did NOT want to get on the scale this morning. I just knew it was going to be bad. We had company all week and ate out a LOT more than we usually do....and it is much harder to eat as healthfuly when you are not cooking at home. I also used a lot more of my extra flex points (on Weight Watchers) than I normally do, and only got to work out twice last week. All that to say, I was not looking forward to this morning. But I lost 1.6 this week....YAY! That makes a total of 20.2!! My goal is to lose 4.8 in the next two weeks and be at 25 by the end of the month. It will be tough but hopefully I can come close. Thanks for your encouragement and prayers!

BTW, I am going to make a post later today with new pics and updates of the kids....sorry for the delay in posting about them but I always have to wait and get pics from other people because our camera is out of commission.

Weigh In For The Week...

2008-03-10T08:08:00.003-05:00

Okay, here goes nothing. I said I would post my weigh-ins once a week and I am starting today! I was nervous this morning when I weighed in but I was excited when the scale said I lost 1.6 pounds this week for a total of 18.6!!

This was a quote on the Weight Watchers website and it was a great reminder to keep on keeping on..... "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."..... Aristotle. Have a wonderful week!

Not so fun....

2008-03-06T12:54:00.004-06:00

Recently, Chris and I have been convicted of many things in our lives that are not God's. We have been willing to give Him some parts of our lives for a long time but not every part. It would take me a long time to list all the things that we have not given to Him but I want to point out one that I have been trying to hand over.

I have come to the realization that my body is not my own and yet I abuse it and treat it like it is mine. The spirit has placed a heavy burden on me to turn over that part of myself. To let God claim what is rightfully His......so, I have been struggling over the last 6 weeks to start releasing that part of me. Isn't it amazing how much peace there is when we let go and let God be in control. I asked Chris to pray with me and over me as I made the HARD decision to change my eating and exercizing habits.....and to remind myself that being a follower of Christ means taking care of the temple that God has placed in my trust. So, after many weeks I decided that I wanted to share this revelation in my life so that you can help keep me accountable. It is not easy to admit where I fall short (especially with the whole blogger world) but I know that sharing my struggles is also freeing. A friend of mine has been sharing her struggles with the same thing on her blog and has been an encouragement to me in SO many ways. I pray that this will be a blessing and encouragement to someone else.

I weigh in every Monday morning and will post my losses and once a month I will post my measurement losses. Here is the first loss entry (an update of the last 6 weeks) In the last 6 weeks I have lost 17 pounds and a total of 12 1/2 inches. My prayer is that knowing I have to post my weight losses each week will be one more step of accountability in this process. If you notice I don't post, call me on it!! I need your help. Thanks for allowing me to share this "not so fun" part of me! I know God is teaching me to be patient and to lean on Him in EVERY area of my life. My prayer is that God continues to reveal areas of me that I have not relinquished control of. Have a blessed Thursday.

Kleenex's, Swimming, and His promises....

2008-03-03T20:40:00.013-06:00

Sorry for the long time between pictures posts but our camera is only flashing when it feels like it, so we have very few pictures turn out. Since I do have a few new pics to share (thanks to Grandma C.) I thought I would post them.

Torie spent last weekend with Grandma C and had a BLAST.

Here she is helping Shelly, Josh, and baby Jake get their stuff

from the hospital. She is SUCH a sweet, helpful, "always thinking

of others" young lady.

While she was with Grandma C they went swimsuit shopping...always

a fun thing to do. And along with the swimsuit comes swimming. Another

purchase was her "big" sunglasses, like mommy has, that she wears

EVERYWHERE!!!

Here is a pic from January that I just received, but I wanted to share it...Torie is

helping Ryan swing...she is his "other" mommy!

Ryan and Torie sliding!

I have been sick for the last few days (and it just won't go away..) Along
with sickness comes Kleenex's and boy was Ryan happy to find them. I thought
he had been quiet for a while so I walked into our bedroom and this is what I
found. He did not see me and continued to pull one out after another. When he
did finally see me his eyes got big, he put a kleenex up to his nose, and started
making blowing sounds. I guess he thought he would trick me and convince me
he really did need them to blow his nose! I couldn't help but laugh and run for
the camera (which decided to actually work...yay!!) KIDS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!
Just maybe not their messes......

Contuining the mess.....

And now taking the mess to other rooms in the house!

I took these last two pictures a couple of weeks ago when our camera WAS working!

Isn't it awesome to see the reminder of God's promises in nature. We were in awe

when we looked in the sky and saw this full rainbow. It was SO much prettier in person...

but we wanted to try and capture it on camera. It was fun to tell the story of the flood and

the rainbow again to Torie and Ryan....and remind them of the God we serve and how

He is faithful, loving, caring, strong, and above ALL else!!

Have a wonderful week! And maybe our camera will be fixed soon.

One blessing after another....

2008-02-28T16:47:00.003-06:00

I was having a "pity party" this morning and wishing I had 48 hours in a day to get all the things done that I need to get done. I have been sick since Sunday and have not been able to take care of my kids, hubby, house chores, dinner, homework, etc... Chris is leaving today to go to Abilene. We have really tried to dig our heals in and be disciplined when it comes to our Dave Ramsey course (which means a big lifestyle change for us.) I have changed my eating and exercize habits over the last 6 weeks (which has been another huge lifestyle change.) Ryan has been sick and at the doctor, and the list could go on. I explain all these things to let you know my lousy excuses for being grouchy and easily annoyed......

I finally was feeling a little better today and sat down at my computer desk to get some things done.... I looked up at my calendar and at the bottom of the picture was this scripture, "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." John 1:16
Isn't it awesome when God speaks to us and pierces our hearts with EXACTLY what we needed to hear? My prayer is that I will focus on all the blessings He has poured out and not on the hard or more difficult things going on in my life. My prayer will also be that you look at the blessings in your lives! I am writing this scripture on a notecard that will go on my bathroom mirror. I want it to be the first thing I see every morning.

We have a new nephew!

2008-02-25T14:58:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the world, Jake. We are beyond excited to have a new member of our family. Congrats to Josh and Shelly! He was born on Friday, the 22nd. 6 pds, 2 oz and 19 1/2 in long. He is just precious!

Baby Jake

Shelly & Jake

Too cute to pass up....

2008-02-22T08:27:00.002-06:00

Ryan and I were home yesterday afternoon and he was playing in the living room and watching The Backyardigans. I was on the phone with Chris and sitting on our couch. Chris had called and while we were on the phone we started praying together. When I was praying for Chris I opened my eyes and looked over at Ryan and he had stopped playing, was looking at me, and had his hands folded and was praying with me. It was the CUTEST thing I have ever seen. It made me realize even more that our kids (even at only 18 months old) listen to everything we say.

It was so cute, I had to share it!! Thanks for letting me share....... Have a blessed week!

What they're doing now....

2008-02-18T09:42:00.004-06:00

Kids change and grow SO quickly. So, I wanted to make a post of all the fun things they are doing/ saying now.

Torie:
She is starting her own Dave Ramsey program. She is learning that some of her chores she does just because she is part of the family, but there are extra ones she can do to earn money (to learn that work=money and that it is not something we just handout.) She is learning to save some of her money, to give some of her money, and that she can spend the rest. We don't want to do a disservice to her, we want her to grow up knowing how to control money so that it never controls her. Who would have known you could start when they are so young...we are so excited about this and what we have learned so far in our Dave Ramsey class...and she is even more excited!! She already has some things that she is saving for!

She is really trying hard in school and working just as hard when she gets home. We are going to be testing for dyslexia and hoping that they can find the reason for the reading problems. She is excelling in everything else but reading, and that is a major factor with dyslexia....so, please say a prayer for her!

She LOVES art and playing teacher. She runs to her room after school to start playing school. She has a dry erase board and all the teacher supplies she needs!

She is really starting to take an interest in what she is wearing and how she looks. I still pick out her clothes, but she would always choose skirts and dresses above anything else....every morning after she gets dressed she heads for her full length mirror to make sure it looks ok. She is also starting to get really excited when I buy her new clothes or shoes. I am not looking forward to the teenage years...I want her to stay a baby. She did tell me that it was still okay to put bows in her hair as long as they were the smaller ones!! Too funny!

Ryan:
He is changing so fast it's scary. He has really started talking in the last few weeks so I will try to give a list of some of the words he is saying (in his language.)

Mama
Daddy
TiTi (Torie)
Dun (down)
bup (up)
muu (more)
mmmmm (when you ask what a cow says)
wu wu (when you ask what a dog says)
si (outside, while he is pointing out the window)
bye bye
des (yes)
bi (bite)
dank (thank you)
and he repeats (tries to anyways) anything we say...I know I am forgetting some, but my mind is blank...

He can point to his ears, nose, belly button, and sometimes eyes when you ask him.

He still does not love toys, but would rather get into all the drawers and anything else he shouldn't. When you tell him to "come here" he starts backing up away from you (when he knows he is in trouble.) He loves to dance and loves to play with his sister.

I know I am leaving stuff out, but I can't think of anything else right now. Raising kids is the BIGGEST blessing and the HARDEST thing we have ever done. Chris and I thank you for letting us share our kids with you! We ask that you keep us and our kids in your prayers. Have a blessed week!

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T20:44:00.004-06:00

My Valentines Tribute to my precious family.....

10 Reasons I love Chris:

1. He makes me laugh (and he's really HOT..hehe)

2. He loves his children with all of his heart

3. He loves me with all of his heart

4. When I've had a hard day he will draw me a bath

and tell me to go relax and read

5. He has a passion for God like no one else I know

6. He is always looking for ways to serve others

7. He cannot pick good movies...and everytime we go to a movie

he picks we both end up hating it...another thing that makes me laugh

8.He is one of the smartest people I know

9. He is the most driven person I know

10. He can sing and play the guitar so beautifully....SO talented

10 Reasons I Love Torie:

1. She is the sweetest child I know...

2. She tries SO hard at everything she does

3. She is always noticing others around her and is in tune with their feelings

3. She is always singing her heart out (even if most of the time its not in tune..hehe)

4. She draws me the most sincere, lovely pictures

5. She is SOOOO pretty

6. She says prayers that bring tears to my eyes

7. She is a miracle child in our family

8. She has survived things most of us never will have to go through

9. She loves God so innocently and purely

10. She loves her brother SO much and is his second Mommy

10 Reasons I love Ryan:

1. He is such a cuddler when he is sleepy (and is the cutest little boy I have ever seen)

2. He is a show off and will do anything to make people laugh

3. Anytime he hears music, he stops what he is doing, and dances

4. He dances by bouncing up and down and swinging his left arm

5. He loves his sister "titi" and will follow her anywhere

6. He loves his "dada" and gets SO excited when he hears him come home from work

7. When he is playing he will randomly walk over to me, put his head

in my lap, and just love on me for a few minutes..then he's back to playing

8. He has the cutest, most contagious laugh (when he starts giggling uncontrolably,

it makes me laugh until I cry)
9. Before we eat, he holds his hands together while we pray (I LOVE IT!)

10. He makes my life more fulfilled that I could have EVER imagined...

I just wanted to reflect on some of the reasons why I love these three special people. They are the best Valentines gift ever!

Falls and Recipes...

2008-02-07T19:01:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a night we had....and its only just beginning. I was making dinner, just put the casserole in the oven, and decided to check something online. Chris was in the living room with Ryan when I heard this loud crash, Chris scream, and then Ryan start screaming & crying. I jumped up and ran in the other room as fast as I could and Ryan had fallen from his chair and hit his head on the floor. We had dinner at the Young's house last night and had taken Ryan's chair with us. This morning it was still sitting on the floor so I set it in the kitchen chair to get it out of the way (without strapping it onto the chair.) Chris assumed it was strapped to the kitchen chair and buckled Ryan in it. Well, when Ryan leaned forward him and his chair fell on the floor. He has a HUGE knot on his head that is purple and black, but he did not throw up or show any other signs of a problem. Needless to say, it scared me to death and made me feel SO sad :( I hooked his breathing monitor back up and am using it tonight so that I can sleep better! My camera batteries were dead tonight but I will take a picture of his head tomorrow and post it!

On a happier note, the spicy chicken spaghetti I made tonight was EXCELLENT and it was a Weight Watchers recipe. So, I wanted to share it with you. I hope you guys like it just as much as we did? It made so much that I cut it into the serving sizes and froze a few single servings to use for lunch (it's better than a frozen dinner from the store.)

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:
8oz uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
cooking spray (5 seconds)
1/4 cup reduced calorie margarine
1/2 large onion (diced)
8oz chopped low fat Velveeta (2%)
1 can Rotel
8oz chicken breast (I used the bag of pre-cooked chicken strips)
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 baking dish. Cook spaghetti and drain well. Melt butter in a large skillet and saute onion until it is tender. Add chicken, cheese, and Rotel. Stir until cheese melts. Add soup and blend well. Pour cooked spaghetti into mixture and stir well. Pour into baking dish and heat until bubbly (about 20 minutes.)

It makes 6 large servings (could make it 8 servings if you want them smaller, you would have to recalculate the points)
8pts per serving (if you count points for Weight Watchers)

Have a blessed weekend!

Pictures and More Pictures....

2008-02-04T11:06:00.000-06:00

Where do I start? There has been lots going on the last few days, so I will touch on just a few. Last night we had a SuperBowl party @ JJ Mocha's and had lots of fun. I couldn't stay for the whole thing because at Ryan's age he is in to EVERYTHING. But Chris managed to get a few pics before Ryan and I split. I don't think I put the pics of the girls on here, but we took one of all the ladies (well most) who were sitting in the back talking with their backs to the screen!! The fun part about the SuperBowl for me is sitting around talking not watching the game...hehe!! Ok, the pics are gonna be a little out of order b/c I accidently deleted one and had to go back and add it again. Sorry, but it was my favorite one and I couldn't leave it out!

While I was singing with the worship team yesterday Becca caught
the sweetest thing and snapped a picture of it. You can see part of
the worship team in the front and Ryan imitating us in the center. I saw
this picture and my heart swelled. I pray that he sees God in all we do
and continues to imitate those things as he grows older.

And now the jumping around begins...

During the SP party the kids were hanging out in the
back room. Here is a picture of some of them! Silly as always.

After lunch Amaya came over to play for the afternoon.
Becca and Caden came a little later to make their food
for the SB party. The boys were having fun!

Ryan WILL NOT sit still for any reason, but we have found that
he loves the intro song to The Backyardigans. As you can see,
he is very interested in Pablo and the rest of the gang from
The Backyardigans!

Torie and Amaya hanging out after worship yestreday...

See what I mean by out of order. I had to add this pic because Ryan K. looks
like he has a hat on. It cracked me up!! By the way, yesterday was awesome!
You guys rock!! I was so glad it was my week to participate with ya'll...

Ryan was wanting to be held...Doesn't he look grown up?

As promised, more basketball pics. Torie is number 15.

She gets nervous sometimes and starts chewing on
her fingers during the game and Chris had to
get a picture of it!

Ryan trying to entertain himself during the game...at least
he got to get down and run around some!

An action shot...Torie is passing the passing the ball in....

Thanks for checking out this random blog entry. Sorry the pics were so scattered. Hopefully I won't delete pics during the middle of the post next time. Have a blessed week!

Our Precious Torie....

2008-01-30T13:50:00.000-06:00

Chris and I went to Torie's awards at school this morning. We were SO proud of her and she was even more proud of herself...she got the Most Improved award.

She really is such a hard worker and wants to please us, but I noticed on her last report card that some of her reading grades were not as good as they have been. Since the first of the year they have gradually declined. I sent a note to the teacher asking if we could meet about the issues. We were able to talk to her teacher for a little while today after the awards, and her teacher is concerned about her reading skills. She has seen a lot of improvement but not enough to get her where she needs to be.

As most of you know, when Torie came to live with us she was very behind verbally. We would have to help "translate" a lot of what she said (which makes me smile thinking of some of the cute, funny things she would say.) Our sweet girl has come SO far, but she has a long way to go to get where she needs to be. I have struggled to keep the tears at bay today because I don't want her to have to struggle, I want things to be easy for her. Why is it as parents we don't want our kids to have to hurt or have a hard time with things. I have always known that she had, and still has, a hard time putting words together when she is talking and struggles with recollecting things (like peoples names, colors, shapes, numbers, letters, etc.) But until recently I didn't realize that is was truly going to be a problem in school. Chris and I never struggled in school and my prayer is that God will give us understanding and patience as we work extra hard with her. Torie has NEVER had any concerns when it comes to her self esteem :) and I want it to stay that way!! Please pray for us (patience, understanding, discipline to work with her) and for Torie (that she knows no matter what we love her and God loves her, strength to work extra hard, that she keeps her spunky little attitude!!) Thank you in advance!

10 1/2 years and counting...

2008-01-26T18:58:00.000-06:00

I was making some changes on my blog yesterday and was looking at the ticker for our anniversary when I realized that yesterday we had been married for 10 1/2 years. That does not seem possible.... it truly feels like we should still be dating and in high school. Yet, we are married, finished with college, have kids, are planting a church, planning family vacations, etc. How does all that happen so quickly?? I have learned SO much in the last 10 1/2 years... about marriage, myself, God, family, friends, and growing up. I feel blessed that Chris and I were able to grow up together and I am thankful that God led us together. There have been some hard times but WAY more wonderful times. On a lighter note, I found some pics of our earlier years and thought I would post those in honor of our 10 1/2 year anniversary. I tried to pick some different ones than what I posted on our 10 year anniversary.....

I think this might be one I posted on our 10 yr anniversary, but

can't remember. Wow, how styles change??

Chris thinks he's so cool with his toothpick and silver chain...hehe
Prom pictures....

and a picture of the Chappotin's in 2007

...I could not find many recent pics of us together (with no kids)

so I had to pick one where we have paint clothes on and I have zero makeup on :(

it'll have to do....

My prayer is that the next 10 1/2 years are more fun and eventful than the last have been! Have a blessed day! btw...I will post some basketball pics from Torie's game today in a few days!!

Just one more thing....we went to see 27 dresses last night...great flick if your in the mood for a romantice comedy....okay maybe one more thing.... If you are ever in Burleson and you want some GREAT pizza try Gina's Pizza. The BEST pizza ever! We used to eat there when I was little and nothing has changed about the place....they make everything homemade and it is amazing! They have not changed the inside of the place sine 1971 but it is worth it to eat the pizza there!

No more restaurants...well, maybe one or two!!

2008-01-21T19:10:00.001-06:00

The Chappotin's have been blowin' and goin' as usual...but I thought I would take some time and update you on a few things that have happened recently.....we are in the process of making a BIG change (no more eating out....well, at least not NEAR as much as we used to.) It has been a really hard change for us, but a much needed one. It is amazing how much money you save and how much healthier you eat! I am telling you all this so that you can help keep us accountable....if you see us eating out TOO much, call us on it!

Ok, onto to more exciting things. Torie had her second ever Upward Basketball Game on Saturday and in this game she scored 2 goals...YAY Torie! She was SO nervous before her game she couldn't even eat breakfast. She did awesome and we are SO proud of her for working and trying so hard. Thanks also to uncle Josh and aunt Shelly who came all the way from Lewisville to watch her...you made her day!! Oh, and the reason I don't have any pics of the game is because Chris was in Abilene again for class and by the time I got both kids ready, got to the game (it was also our week to do snacks), and got her to the right place....I had totally forgotten the camera. But more basketball pics next week, I promise!

Our last bit of exciting news is that Ryan finally got a "big boy" haircut...Thanks Mom for cutting it!! Almost everytime we go out (85% of the time) we hear comments like these, "How old is she?" "What a beautiful little girl." "You must be so proud to have two pretty girls!" "Your mommy must be buying you a new purse?" -when I was buying a present for our neighbors little girl. So I decided, with much sadness, that it was time to cut his hair for good. I am showing some before and after pics. Sorry the after pics aren't so great (they were taken when Chris wasn't here, so I was trying to pose him and take the pic.) I will post some more next time.

Before the hair cut...posing for Grandmom

Another before pic...see all those little curls around his ears :(
After, no curls hanging over his ears..or on his collar...

Looks more like a boy now, right???

I am almost finished with this post, I promise! I just wanted to make a plug for some AWESOME books I have been reading lately. I have always LOVED Francine Rivers and am trying some more of her books. The most recent were "Leota's Garden" and "The Atonement Child." I told Chris today that although the books are fiction, I feel like God speaks to me through each one of them in different ways!! I walk away from reading each of her books a changed person. If you are looking for something to read..they are a must.

Oh, the fun ;)

2008-01-15T09:57:00.000-06:00

Chris was gone to Abilene in class all of last week and we were all VERY happy when he came home on Saturday. He has not been gone that long since Ryan was born and it is hard to not get much of a break...so, I was very happy when he got back!! He is leaving again on Thursday for his next class!! I thought I would share some cute pics from the last week and let you know what the Chappotin's have been up to.

We have been getting up extra early the last week (Chris and Torie even eariler...more on that in a minute) so that we can go to the gym right after we take Torie to school. I decided I was going to be brave and let Ryan stay in the Kids Klubhouse while I worked out...and I so much enjoyed walking and listening to music and just relaxing, but when I went to pick up Ryan he was crying and all by himself. I felt SO horrible and kept telling myself not to cry until I could get out of the room. As soon as I left the Klubhouse the tears couldn't be stopped. My heart just ached thinking that he was crying and sad and no one was helping him... So much for being brave...my Mom came to the rescue and said she would watch him in the mornings so Chris and I can go workout together. Why is it that as soon as you become a Mom you feel like your heart is out and exposed to everything....your kids feel like an extension of you and the thought of them being hurt is more than I can bear.

I don't have a picture to show but wanted to share something that Chris and Torie have been doing starting this past week. They get up @ 6:45 every morning and have a devotional together. Chris was saying this morning how cute it is each morning for Torie to come out of her room with her blanket and bible!! I am so proud of her because she doesn't complain about having to get up 15 minutes early...she is excited about being with Chris and sharing in God's word together. And I am proud of Chris for coming up with the idea and getting up early to share God with his daughter!!

Last night we were waiting for Torie to finish her shower so that Ryan could have his turn. I thought it would be cute to let him run around in his birthday suit...and it was SO cute...until I realized that the puddle on the floor (that he was playing in) was his pee pee!! NOT SO CUTE ANYMORE!!

I let Ryan try feeding himself with his spoon for the

first time ALL by himself. He got most of it down

and a lot of it ended up on him. He had fun though!

More eating pics...he'll be a pro before we know it!
Becca and I dressed Caden and Ryan alike on Sunday.
They were so cute...someday they will be mad that we did
that!! I tried to get them to look at the camera and smile.
This was the best I could do!!
Torie had her first basketball game on Saturday. She did great...
their team scored 4 points and two of them were hers!!
She was SO excited and proud that she made a basket.
Go Cheetah Girls!!!
There goes that dribblin' girl!!

She's gotta have cheetah hair thingys..since they're the

Cheetah Girls!!

Runnin' down the court....

This is what Ryan thought of the game...he was

not happy about having to sit in my lap for an

entire game :)

more basketball pics!!

Thanks for looking at SO many pics! Have a blessed day!

babies, babies, and more babies....

2008-01-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

Our friends Ryan and Jill had their new baby girl, Kylie, today. As I was holding her it brought back SO many wonderful memories of holding Ryan for the first time just a little over a year ago. It is an incredible reminder of God's love and devotion to us, His creation. Once you have a child it makes the death of Christ take on a whole new meaning.....I could never sacrifice my child for anyone, much less people who are SO undeserving. Thank God that He is way bigger and way better than me. Congrats to Ryan and Jill. My prayers are with you guys as you begin this incredible new journey!

Our First week of 2008....

2008-01-07T21:02:00.001-06:00

2008 has already been full of lots of adventure for the Chappotin bunch....This past Thursday night we headed down to Stephenville to watch the Tarleton State girls team play. Misty's girls and Torie had lots of fun playing! We also had to take some other cute pics of the kiddos....fun at Home Depot, Ryan's first night away from us, and some house projects!!

Jade, Torie, Mya and Kevin @ the Tarleton Game...

they all had on their purple and white.....Go Texanns!!

Who knew Home Depot could be so fun??

Torie & Ryan racing around the store....Ryan was
making car noises and steering...too cute!

This past Friday night Ryan & Torie stayed the night @

Grandma C's..it was his first night to spend away from
home. I only cried a little...but they had so much fun...and

it gave Chris and I some time to get our painting project finished.

Now they're both looking at the camera!

I decided that I was tired of our walls in the living room...and my aunt
Kim and uncle Danny were giving us some couches...so, I decided I wanted
to paint and redo the living room! Well, we tried picking paint

that was the same color as our bedroom walls....as you can see, we were

off just SLIGHTLY....but I LOVE IT even more than I thought I would. Here are some

pics our our finished project!

another view of the living room....

the last pic of the living room!!

I am looking forward to 2008 and what God has instore for the Chappotin's. I pray that we are able to honor and glorify Him in all we do. I pray blessings on each of you as you begin 2008!!

Christmas 2007....

2008-01-02T09:35:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas? We had a great time and the kids had an even better time....!!! Our Christmas was very spread out this year....the 22nd we were at my Grandma and Grandpa's, the 25th at our house, the 29th at my parents house and yesterday at our house with Chris' family. So, Christmas seemed to last a long time this year.....

Here is Torie and Ryan at my parents...what a cute bow head!

Ryan pushing his new toys around...

Santa brought Torie a pink guitar....

Torie posing next to her Santa note, cookies, milk, and carrots...

I will make another post later today with some pics from yesterdays Christmas. I have got to get busy taking all of our Christmas stuff down!! Hope you all have a blessed New Year!!

Tea Parties & Hair Cuts!!

2007-12-21T23:05:00.000-06:00

It seems that the Chappotin's are forever having crazy, busy, hectic weeks and this last week was no acception...maybe even busier with all the Christmas things to get done...but it was fun, nonetheless! I wanted to share some of the fun that Torie got to participate in. She was invited by her friend, Mary Alice, to a Christmas Tea. She got to wear her Christmas dress, makeup, fancy boas, drink tea, eat appetizers, and made a cookie nativity scene. She had an awesome time and I wanted to share some pics from the party and say a big "THANK YOU" to Mary Alice!

Torie making her nativity scene!

All the pretty girls posing for the camera!

Enjoying their yummy food.

The other big event this week was Ryan's first "real" haircut. Of course, Julie O. cut his hair and did such a great job! He was so cooperative and SO needed a little trimmed. The curls were getting out of control and I was afraid after we trimmed it, it wouldn't be curly anymore.....but the opposite happened. It is curlier than ever. What a cutie!!

Being a good boy....

It really had gotten long....

Poinsettias & Pictures...

2007-12-19T20:40:00.001-06:00

My Mom took some cute pictures of the kiddos and I wanted to share them. I hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas!

The post of never-ending pictures...

2007-12-12T19:21:00.000-06:00

We finally decided to take our Christmas card pictures tonight, and as you will see later we had a hard time finding a good one of both of the kiddos (Ryan is not into sitting still for longer than a few seconds at a time :) I won't put the pics we decided to use for the cards in this post so they will be a surprise...I will just put the ones that were funny!! Last Christmas was such a blur because Ryan was so young...but I am really enjoying (and remembering) this holiday season. I hope each of you find yourselves having a blessed holiday!

I tried taking some pics and Ryan and Torie a few days ago...

Ryan was NOT having it!! I thought it was cute anyways!

Torie is a great big sister and a great helper!! She loves

to help feed her little brother.

Before the Christmas card pictures started!
Torie was trying really hard to keep him in one place.
He finally escaped!

Torie decided to just post by herself...isn't she a cutie!?

Merry Christmas from The Chappotin's!!

we are elves.....

2007-12-11T15:43:00.000-06:00

Becca called and told me I had to click on this link....so, now you have to click on this link!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1309956637

What do you think of the Chappotin elves???

Thanksgiving and more..

2007-11-26T10:20:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted on my blog. Our lives have been so crazy lately. I guess since we just celebrated Thanksgiving I will start with that...we had a wonderful time at my parents Thursday for lunch, Chris' moms for dinner, and Saturday at my grandparents. My grandpa is famous for always giving a speech before a meal at each of our family gatherings...but this year he had each person tell what they were thankful for...remember how many people we have in our family ;) What a blessing to sit and listen to how God had blessed each person....and to hear the kids tell what they were thankful for!! My top two blessings for this year were my family and God allowing us to do what we love for a living. I look back over my life and see God's handiwork and marvel at it...I would be SO lost without Him. 1)My family... I cannot even begin to describe how in love I am with my kids....I could have never imagined how much they would change my life but in the most amazing way!! 2) Our Job.... There are days when I wish we didn't have the stress and the never ending work of church planting, but more days than not I am overwhelmed with how God is working to change and transform people all around us. And I am just thankful that we get to be a part of that. My prayer is that this year I remember to be thankful everyday and not just on Thanksgiving Day. I hope your Thanksgiving was awesome?

And now on to the pictures.

Torie and Ryan out at my parents house.

Ryan and Torie posing for Grandmom

(gotta have that thumb)

Ryan and Jamas playing.

We were trying to pose them
in the highchair.

You can see here that they just

won't cooperate.
(well...Ryan won't cooperate!)

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

We spent our Halloween evening trick-or-treating at Grandpa and Grandma's (and all of their neighbors), a fall festival, and ending the night at Grandmom and Grandad's. Torie was a witch ("a good one" in her words) and Ryan was a bumblebee (although I wonder how much he enjoyed this whole dressing up thing!!) We hope you all had a wonderful, safe evening. Enjoy the pics!

Posing for a picture with Grandpa and Grandma

after trick-or-treating in their neighborhood.

Our little bumblebee...who was finally happy after

we gave him a sucker. Everytime someone would talk to

him tonight he would stick out his bottom lip, scream,

and bury his head in my shoulder :(

Our sweet, "good" witch. She looks so grown up!!

Torie and Ryan posing before we were off
to our night of Halloween fun!
(as you can see Ryan is not enjoying his costume)

Torie and I carved this pumpkin last night...

she was so proud of it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Andres Chappotin

2007-10-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

My father-in-law passed away on Saturday, October 27th. I wish I could write all the incredible things that Andy has experienced and gone through in his life, but there is no way to write all those wonderful things in one email. Please pray for Chris, his mom, his sister, and the rest of our family. Thank you.

The things our kids say.....

2007-10-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, Torie has been sick on and off for almost 3 weeks now. Since September 25th the nurse has called me 3 times to come and pick her up for throwing up. She has had SO many stomach issues, gets better, goes back to school, gets re-exposed, and then comes down with it again. On Tuesday, I get another phone call from the nurse saying that Torie has thrown up again and could I come get her. I immediately called the pediatrician and scheduled an appointment. The doctor said she looks great, has no temperature, her color is great, etc, etc. She suggests that I put her on a very strict, VERY bland diet for a week, make her rest and stay home from school for 3 days, and then allow her to go back to school. Tomorrow she gets to go back to school!

Tonight after she got ready for bed we sat down on her bed and she pulled a seed out of her packet (they are learning about being seeds that land in the soil in class on Sundays this month) and the seed says "Say a Prayer to God." This is what she just prayed, " Dear God, thanks for healin' up my body, and lettin' me go to church to worship you, and lettin' me go back to school. Oh, and for not making me be on that funny diet anymore. Amen"

Don't you just love your kids and how innocent and heartfelt their prayers are??? I couldn't resist sharing her sweet, comical prayer. Have a blessed weekend!

Am I Being a Servant??

2007-10-17T15:14:00.000-05:00

I was reading through part of my study book for my Transformation group that meets today and I really feel like the Spirit was challenging me. The overall theme of this week's chapter was Love and Servanthood and what that means for me as a follower of Christ. He was using the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet in John 17 to give us insight into the servanthood of Christ. The author was telling how washing someones feet was something that even a Jewish servant was not suppose to do, but something only a Gentile servant could do....it was the lowest of the lowest tasks. And yet, Jesus takes off his outer garment, wraps it around his waist and proceeds to wash his disciples feet. WOW, am I willing to do the lowest of the low to serve the people around me?? The author writes, "We want to keep Jesus polished on a mantle reserved for religious times. We don't want a Jesus who mucks around in the rough-and-tumble of real life. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in the cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap...at the kind of place where cynics talk smuk, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what He died about. And that is where the churchmen (women) should be."

Amen!! My prayer is that I will be about the hurting, broken, addicted, depressed, sorrowful, and angry people in this world. May I not be so much about me and may God make me into a servant like Jesus.

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Torie!

2007-10-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that my sweet, little Torie is 7 years old! I always say that time flies so quickly but it really does. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating her 4th birthday (it was her first birthday with us!!) So, since we have had 4 birthdays together I thought I would let you know how we celebrated each birthday.

4- Strawberry Shortcake Family Party
5- Tropical Friends Party (Grandmom got out her waterslide and the kids had a blast)
6- SpongeBob Family Party (she was so determined to have a SpongeBob party...the funny part was that I never even let her watch it)
7- A Cuban Fiesta Party (The night before she asked if Grandpa Chappotin was going to be there. When I told her I didn't think so, she was very sad because she knew he would have LOVED the party because it was a Cuban Fiesta......such a sweet, sweet moment.)

Before I share pictures of her Cuban Fiesta Party, I want to share some of the things that I LOVE about Torie. Torie is such a spunky little girl with SOOOO much personality. She loves to tell people what to do and how to do it. She is learning when that is appropriate and when it is not. Speaking of appropriate, Torie loves to point out people who are not dressed "appropriately"!!! She has always loved to watch older girls and imitate how they dress and act and we've had to have many discussions about what it means to dress appropriately, so now she uses that word often!! Torie is very observant and can tell you where ANYTHING is in our house or her Grandmom's house.....if you don't know where something is, just ask Torie. Torie is creative and loves to play with her art and craft stuff....she invents lots of things daily. She is the most compassionate child I have ever met and is ALWAYS looking out for ways she can help. I could go on and on, but these are some of my favorite things that came to mind.....I love my precious daughter more than words can say and thank God everyday that He blessed my life with her. I can't wait for the next 7 years!

Torie and Amaya playing clubhouse under the table after her party!

Torie swinging at the pinata.

Torie's shirt from Grandma C...."God's Little Princess"

Torie and Grandpa posing with her Cuban Flag cake!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday sweet Torie, Happy Birthday to you!! I love you more than you'll ever know.

My Chains are gone....I've Been Set Free

2007-09-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to begin with this entry because I am so overwhelmed right now. As many of you know, I have struggled with worry most of my life but worrying has MAGNIFIED into obsession since I've had Ryan. I won't go into detail about the things that I worry about, but let me just tell you they are absurd and they really do at times consume my mind. Almost like an addiction....no, JUST like an addiction. I have tried to rationally think through these thoughts and talk myself out of worrying about them, but what I have learned is that it is a spiritual issue and God is who I need to turn to. I grew up in a church family where the Spirit, and things of that nature, were not discussed and surely not thought about much. But God has grown me and shown me what I was missing. I have seen the Spirit work in MIRACULOUS ways! I heard stories of him speaking and working through people that have just blown me away. Now that that has been said, Chris and I have been pouring over and praying over a verse in Luke 4 18-20, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor......The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

As we have been praying and reading this we have been overwhelmed by our calling.....our calling to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and release the oppressed..... Why have I been so lazy in my requests from God? Why do I think that He isn't waiting to set people (AND ME) free from my oppression? Why don't I pray with the authority that has been given to me? Why do I not trust God to speak to me? Why do I not trust that God still does AMAZING miracles in the lives of people? No longer will I listen to the amazing stories of God's miracles....I will live in those miracles (And today was one of those days.)

While waiting in line today to pick Torie up from school I was working through my Discipleship Essentials bible study and I started praying. I prayed for God to release these bonds that Satan has on me (obsessively worrying), to bind Satan up and cast him away from me, I prayed that I would be set free from the chains that Satan is holding me down with, that I would live in freedom, that I would live in peace, that I would trust that God wants the best for me, and that I would hear God speak, and lastly I prayed in Jesus name that these things would come about in my life. After I finished praying (near tears) I felt overwhelmed with peace and acceptance. I turned the radio back on, and this is what I heard....

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

Amazing how He answered all my questions/requests in this one song by Chris Tomlin. If I ever again wonder whether God is listening to me or if He speaks to me....I will think back to September 12th, 2007 when he sang me into sobbing tears with just exactly the words my soul needed to hear. My prayer is that each person who reads this will pray expectantly and KNOW that God will give freedom to you who are imprisoned in sin, recovery of sight to those who are blind, and release those of you who are oppressed. Our God is beyond Incredible!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!

2007-09-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that our baby boy, Ryan, has turned one year old. When I think back over this year it seems really long at times and really short at the same time. A lot of it seems like a blur...especially the first few weeks and months. Ryan has been one of the biggest blessings that we have ever been given. He has developed into a spunky little man who LOVES to make everyone laugh. Ryan has gone from a helpless little baby to a sweet boy with so much personality. I miss the days when he would let me hold him all day but it is worth it to see him smile and squeal when I come into the room. He is wanting to talk and walk SO badly. He just babbles on an on and waves his hands around...I would love to know what is going on inside that head. He is walking around with his little push walker and standing up and balancing but he just hasn't taken off yet....it will be anyday now! Yesterday he picked up my mom's cell phone and stuck it up to his forehead because he thought it was a camera (do you think that means we take too many pictures???) It has really amazed us to sit back and watch him change and develop a personality.....most times he is very sweet but he is also very strong willed. I pray that our next year with him will be even more of a blessing and that our future children will bring as much joy to us as Torie and Ryan have!! Happy Birthday, Ryan!

I had to include some pics from the beginning!!
This one is a few minutes after Ryan was born.

In the hospital the day after Ryan was born.
This is one of my favorite pics from the hospital.

Celebrating 1 year!

Ryan and Torie...he loves his cake!!

Shoveling it in!

Mommy and Ryan@ his party!

Ryan really enjoyed opening his presents!!

Family Fun (I really don't know what kind of face I was making, but I had to
have this picture of Ryan with the moroccos!!)

We're off to see the Wizard....

2007-08-30T08:41:00.000-05:00

What a fun time we have had over the past couple of weeks! We were invited to a Wizard of Oz birthday party for Torie's friend Mary Alice. Lucky for us, our neighbors were different characters from the Wizard of Oz for Halloween last year. So, we got to borrow their costumes!! YAY! Torie was Dorothy and Ryan was a flying monkey. Torie had so much fun.

Sleepy Flying Monkey!

Posing Flying Monkey.

Torie's First Day of First Grade.

Torie is showing off her new backpack & lunchbox that Grandmom got her for school.

Ryan really loves bathtime...as you can see!

Ryan will be 1 year old on Wednesday....so I will post some 1 year old pics next week. I am SO sad even thinking about him being a year old :(

August already???

2007-08-08T14:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that summer is ending and school is about to start. I will admit that I am a creature of habit and I really function at my best when in a routine. So, I am looking forward to that part of the school year. I am not looking forward to Torie being gone so much of the day, but I know it is good for her and she ENJOYS it SO much! I thought I would share some about our kiddos since my last post was all about Chris and I.

Torie is looking forward to school starting and always looking to be entertained. She is very excited about going to NRH2O tomorrow with Misty and Jade. She spends many hours in the backyard on the swing set and can never get enough time in the water.

Ryan is ALL over the place. He has mastered crawling fast and is slowly learning to walk along the couch, wall, chair, or basically anything he can get his hands on. He has started throwing fits...not just whine and cry fits, but throw your head back, arch your back, scream at the top of your lung fits! At home we just leave the room and ignore him but in public it is hard to do that. It is very frustrating at times and is a new phase we are learning about!!

I am excited about our upcoming vacation....Chris is off for a week starting tomorrow and I have informed him he is not allowed to answer calls, check email, or solve any problems....so, please pray we have no major issues at Christ Journey that he has to deal with this week. It has been TOO long since we have had so much time together as a family. We are heading to Argyle tomorrow for a church planters retreat and then from there we will go to Paris, TX to visit some wonderful friends. I will post more pics when we get back. Have a blessed week.

Ryan has already learned to pick on his sister. She was trying to watch cartoons and he tried to steal her blanket.

He has started making this funny face where he scrunches up his nose....I couldn't catch him at the right time..I clicked this one too soon....but you can see his cute little teeth on the bottom. I haven't been able to capture any top teeth on camera.
Here's Torie enjoying morning cartoons!!

10 years and counting!

2007-07-30T10:09:00.000-05:00

On July 25, 2007 Chris and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. In some ways it does not seem possible that we have been married that long but when I think back to all the things we've done in these ten years it seems longer. I am going to try and list some of the things we have done: Chris graduated from ACU in 1999, I graduated from ACU in 2000, we worked as Inner City Ministers in Abilene for 4 years, I taught Kindergarten for 2 1/2 years, Chris worked as a youth minister in Cleburne for 2 1/2 years, Chris worked in Information Technology in Dallas for 1 year, I've been working as an insurance agent for 4 years and counting, we've moved 8 times, bought a house 5 years ago, we adopted our beautiful daughter, had a beautiful son, planted a church in Burleson, made so many wonderful friends, and I could go on and on. It is amazing to look back over the years and see the ways that God has blessed us. We have had MANY HARD times, but God has been there through those times as well. My prayer is that the next ten years are more fruitful than the last. I couldn't ask for a better husband and father for our children. I am truly blessed by having Chris as my husband.....He finds ways on a daily basis to serve me and treat me better than he treats himself. He is SO selfless and always thinking of what would make me happy. He is an INCREDIBLE dad who always is looking out for the kids and how he can serve them. Chris preached on being a servant yesterday and how we need to look for ways to get on our knees with a basin of water and a towel and wash someones feet.....he is the truly an awesome example of a servant in our family. I am so looking forward the the next 10 years.

Here is a picture of us when we were still dating....not too long from when we got married. We got a good laugh when I found this one. Have a blessed day!

Chris had the long braided belt that you loop over and under and I had on a hat....what were we thinking!!!

Finally posting pictures...they may be random, but they're pictures!

2007-07-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

And now let the randomness begin!! I haven't posted pictures in so long and decided to use Chris' computer because mine is not working....and I found lots of pics on his computer that I don't have saved on mine....and that is the story behind this post. As I write this, my sweet boy is napping and my creative daughter is flipping playdough pancakes with MY spatula. Luckily, she is using her play knives, forks, and plates...but she REALLY needed to use a real spatula to flip the playdough pancakes! Aren't kids fun?

Here is a picture of Ryan at church last week in his Ladies Man shirt.
Torie and Ryan both LOVE the water.....here is one of them in the front yard swimming in our pool that we later found out has a huge hole in it....as you can see the water is running over the side in this picture!

I had to share this one because I thought it was so cute!! Even with his runny nose......
After Torie's adoption day we had an Adoption Party to celebrate her. Because of the ladybug theme (read the adoption post if you need the whole story) we (Becca and me) made a ladybug cake.....here was the final result!
When I posted the adoption pics in an earlier post I never could get this picture to download on my computer....so, here it is! Our wonderful judge who made our dream a reality!
Torie and I decided one of our summer projects would be to re-do her and Ryan's bathroom....Originally it was lime green with pink, purple, yellow, turquoise, red, etc.... But I was tired of it and wanted something kind of funky and fun....but still kid friendly. So I decided to do brown and green!!! We had fun and wanted to share the pics! Torie is modeling in the pics!
Our polka dot wall!
And finally, I thought I would share what Chris and I do for entertainment....we take random pictures of ourselves.....not really! You know how all the kids always take pictures of themselves with their friends.... so, we decided we would try it too!! Don't we have exciting lives ....hehe!!!

Ok...now I am finished with all the random pictures!!! Hope you enjoyed them. Have a blessed day!

It's been too long....

2007-06-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has been almost one month since I have posted. Things have been crazy in the Chappotin household. I cut my hours back at work but it seems I am busier now than before...I guess that is just how life is! I am trying to recall all the exciting things that have gone on during this last month but don't seem to have anything coming to mind.

Chris and Torie are in New Orleans on a family mission trip with our church and Chris has the camera, so I can't post any new pics this time. They are having a blast and are in awe at the destruction that is still evident after almost two years. Everytime I talk to him he has another story of something they saw or someone they talked to. I wish I could be there experiencing it with them :( I knew that with a 9 month old I would not get any work done and the 8 hour trip would feel like 15 hours. Luckily I stayed here because Ryan has had a fever the past 3 days and is VERY grouchy. And on Monday morning we got a call from my Grandma that my grandpa was being rushed to the ER. He had had a seizure and was unconscious for about an hour. We were in shock after the phone call and began praying that God would give comfort and healing to Grandpa. He was given a CAT scan, MRI, and an EEG. All the tests came out clear except for something small that showed up on the EEG....but they don't think that played a role in his seizure. I ask that you keep my Grandpa in your prayers. Our prayer is that this was a one time thing and that he will be back to his busy self soon!!

I hope you all are doing well! I will post some new pictures when Chris gets back with the camera.

It is FINAL at last....

2007-06-02T05:57:00.000-05:00

So many people have asked me to share our adoption story and I thought it would be most appropriate to share the whole story now that it is final. Chris and I had always said that we wanted to adopt and had began to think we were ready to start our family.... My Mom and I were going to lunch one day when she mentioned that there were 3 children in our family that were probably going to be taken from their parents and they would be looking for homes. That sparked some interest in us but we knew that was a long way off, so we decided to pray about it until the time came. My Grandma kept me updated on the progress of the kids and their situation. After many updates we heard that the kids had been moved back to Texas and were staying with their aunt and uncle (who were amazing and rescued them from a terrible situation!!) They were really wanting to keep them in the family and were looking and praying about how to proceed. The aunt and uncle already had 3 children and knew that taking on 3 more children (who would need lots of attention) was more than they could do. So, Chris and I really began to pray about what God was calling us to do. They were discovering that it would be very hard to find a family that would be able to take all 3, so with much thought and prayer, they decided to look for a home for the twins and the aunt and uncle were seriously considering adding Torie to their family. In spite of that, Chris and I told them of our decision to add Torie to our family if they decided that they wanted to place her also. It was a very anxious time for us because we were just waiting on a decision from them. In the meantime, we decided we would go ahead and make a room for her so that when she came to visit she would have her own place and her own things. We painted the room red and went with the ladybug theme. As we were driving to meet Torie for the first time we prayed and asked God to give us a sign if this was His will for our family. (Remember we did her room in ladybugs) As we walk outside to meet her, she turns around, and I look down at her dress and see a little ladybug embroidered on her dress (sign1) and not five minutes later someone says, "Heidi, you have a bug on your shoulder!!!" I look down to swat it away and it was a ladybug (sign 2.) As we drove away from our first meeting we decided that God had spoken to us and we would soon be a family of 3.

A few weeks after our initial meeting Torie came to visit for the night....we had so much fun and were sad to take her back. A couple of months of ups and downs finally led to July 17th, 2004....Chris and I were having a garage sale and I came in to get a break from the heat and decided to call and check on Torie. When I called, her aunt said that she had been asking for us...when she would get hurt she would cry for "Hily", she would ask where "Hily" and "Tis" were and when she could see us again. Her aunt said that if we were ready we could come pick her up. I remember my heart pounding in my chest with excitement as I ran to the garage to tell Chris to pack up all the garage sale stuff we are going to get our daughter. As we made the drive to Grapevine I could hardly contain my excitement....when we walked in the door I saw Torie coming down the steps and she yelled out, "HILYYYYYY!!!" and came running in my arms. We had dinner, packed her stuff in our car, took lots of pictures, and shed many tears that night! But the most amazing part was bringing her home at last. I can't even begin to explain all the emotions we felt....excitement of having a family, scared that something would happen with all the legal stuff, anxious about being immediate parents to a 3 year old, but most overwhelming of the feelings was JOY. God had SO many incredible things in store for us. And as I look back over the last 3 years I am amazed at all the ways He has worked to change all of us for the better. On Tuesday, as we were driving to the courthouse for the last time, many emotions were pouring over me, but again the most overwhelming one was JOY!! We don't deserve to be blessed with such an amazing gift but I am SO glad that God doesn't look at our worthiness when he chooses to bless us. Thank you God for working your miracles in our lives. We are officially a family of 4. Thank you for your prayers throughout this amazing journey! Here are some pictures of our day in court.

All 4 of us waiting to go into the courtroom.
Torie posing next to the sign outside the courtroom.
Torie with Grandmom and Granddad.
Torie with Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, and Papa....still waiting to go in!!
I just had to add these in....Torie with her Kindergarten class!!
Ok...and now I have to brag just a little. When Torie came to live with us (she had already made lots of improvement) you could not understand very many things that she said. Chris and I would joke that we had to translate for her. She knew no colors, no shapes, no letters, no numbers, no nursery rhymes, no Christmas songs, none of the things most all 3 year olds know. I say all of that so that you have some background info and to also tell you why we are SOOOOOO proud of her. She had an awards ceremony at school the last week of school and she got three awards for that six weeks....Spelling Award (she could spell all 30 sight words with no help) Reading Award (she could read all 30 sight words with no help) and Super Student (1 boy and 1 girl out of the 150 Kindergartners at her school got this award for overall behavior and performance.) I cannot begin to tell you how hard she works at school and how much she has overcome!! There were tears in my eyes as I read over her last report card. She excelled in every area accept one (she mastered it, but it could improve some) and that was when she's writing sentences sometime she forgets to capitalize the first letter and sometime forgets to punctuate at the end. Who would have thought 3 years ago that she would be doing so amazing in school and be headed to first grade!!! (side note: thanks for letting me brag, and for reading the never ending blog, I promise I am almost done!!!)
Receiving one of her awards!!
At Jade's Birthday Party!! She is a busy little girl....
Thanks for letting me post the LONGEST blog ever!! Please continue to pray that God would help us be the kind of parents that always direct Torie towards God, that we are able by God's power to instill a passion for Jesus in her, and that someday she will choose to follow Him!!

We love you all.

Ryan and Jamas

2007-05-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

Our new little nephew made his entrance into the world this past Thursday...it has been a roller coaster ride, but a joyful ride none the less. I am more than excited about our baby boys growing up together. They are 8 months apart and will even be in the same grade. I keep teasing Torie that is about 3 years they are going to be driving her crazy!! When I found out my brother and his wife were having a boy I thought it would be really neat if they looked alike and were so close in age....but, my dreams are not a reality at this point because they don't really look alike at all!! I thought I would share some cute pictures with you from when Ryan was the same age as Jamas. Have a blessed week and continue to pray for baby Jamas.

Ryan around 2 weeks old....snuggled up in his blanket.

Another one of Ryan snuggled up...

a closeup...isn't it crazy how much he has changed??

Baby Jamas on his car ride to the doctor's office

Mother's Day!!

2007-05-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

I always rack my brain trying to think of creative gifts to give to my mom and mother-in-law for mother's day...and this year was no different. I didn't want to do the usual flowers, candy, etc... So, we came up with the idea of taking some fun pics of the kiddos, do some neat effects with our Kodak program, and then find cute frames for them. These were our favorites and the ones we decided to give our moms....well, the second one we didn't give them but I thought it was cute! I hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day!

We were trying to pose them in the pics but decided to just take pictures of them without posing them...and this is what we got!! (he has his thumb in his mouth most all the time :)
This is one we didn't give our Moms, but I thought it was so cute with the bubbles and flowers in the background.

Here's a closeup of Ryan squinting in the sun!! I loved this one!

My Grandpa built a clubhouse for the grandkids and we thought we would take some pics of Torie in it.

Here is one we did on their feet...I loved it in black and white..!!!

2 Cute Kiddos....

2007-05-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

I had to share some recent pics of my kiddos. Ryan wore an outfit that used be his cousin Ben's outfit. It came with a hat...but as you will see later he didn't like the hat so much!! Torie got her hair cut (I was wanting her to cut it and she did not want to...then when she saw her sister Kimmi's hair, she decided she wanted to cut it...thanks Kimmi)!! I knew it would be so much easier and cooler for the summer! I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed week!

Ryan's closeup...
Smiley Ryan...

As you can see...he is not happy about the hat...

And here he is "ok" with the hat....at least ok with it long enough for me to snap a picture!!

Torie is showing off her new do!!

Here is a view of the back!!

And the last one is where she posed herself...she really loves to be in front of the camera!

The Never Ending Post.....

2007-04-30T22:25:00.000-05:00

Okay...this will be the "never ending post" because so much has happened since I was last able to blog. I will start with the last weekend....we had a retreat at ChristJourney called Marvelous Light...and man was it ever marvelous....I have told many people that I had the most amazing encounter with God this weekend that I have ever had in my entire life...I have never truly walked in His grace and light like I have since the retreat. Some things that were strongholds in my life were revealed this weekend and I feel set FREE!!! And I am loving it!! I better stop because if you get me started I won't ever quit!!
This past Monday some friends of our called and asked if we would like to go to the Mavericks game on Wednesday?? They had two platinum level tickets and a platinum level parking pass....of course, Chris was beyond excited and we quickly told them "YES, WE WOULD LOVE THE TICKETS!!" It was great for Chris and I to get away by ourselves for a night...my parents graciously offered to watch the kids.....and Torie had to wear her Mavs jersey even though she didn't go with us...here's a family Mavs picture!! Ryan doesn't have a Mavs jersey yet!

Ok...I had to add this one late...and couldn't figure out how to move it down with the other zoo pics...but this is what Ryan did at the zoo. I was was writing in his baby book about his first trip to the zoo and there wasn't much to write!!!

Go Mavs!! Maybe we should go to every game because they only win when we are there :(

I was trying to get a cute picture of Ryan and I together...but he was not havin' it!! I tried!

A couple of weekends ago we went to Memphis, TN for some time away....on Sunday afternoon we took the kids to the Memphis Zoo...we all had a blast. We drove by Graceland (I am a HUGE Elvis fan and really wanted to take the tour, but I WILL NOT pay $35 a ticket to tour Graceland), ate at some great restaurants, stayed with a a wonderful elderly woman who made us feel like family (we stayed up talking to her for hours one night), and had an awesome and relaxing time!!

Oh, no....she's hatched!!

Mommy and Torie posing!!

Torie and Daddy by the giraffes!!

Torie petting the donkey!

Torie takes great pics doesn't she!!.....hehe

Ok...now that the longest post ever is coming to an end...I hope you enjoyed it!! I have more pics to show but didn't want to overwhelm the computer!! Have a blessed week.

back home and back in the swing...

2007-04-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

I am glad to be back home and back in the swing of things! We had an awesome trip to Memphis last weekend and made it home on Monday. Being out of town and getting home late Monday kind of threw our week off. I have laundry baskets overflowing in my room, Ryan's room, and Torie's room. I didn't have time to make our cooking menu for the week and therefore, was not able to make an organized list for the grocery store....so, to make a long story short, I am SO glad to be starting our week like we always do. It was also SO good to be back at Christ Journey today....I sure miss everyone when we are not able to be there. I will post some Memphis pics this week....Have a blessed week!

The best kiddos in the world!!!

2007-04-11T18:20:00.000-05:00

Things have been crazy for me lately. Certain things seem to be going so well in my life and other parts seem to be doing the opposite...I guess that is just how life is. Wouldn't it be nice if all things could be in line and in order all at the same time. I guess then I wouldn't have to trust God to take care of me. Well, I hope this post finds you all doing well? Please keep our adoption process in your prayers (we meet with our social worker for our home study on April 18th)...we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and for that we are SOOOOO thankful!! Of course, I have to share some pics of my sweet, precious babies!!

Too much playing makes Ryan a sleepy boy!!
Torie and Ben hunting for Easter Eggs!

Ryan is a party animal....we had so much fun at Ryan Kiser's 1st birthday party!!

Torie pulled another tooth last night....6 and counting!!!

I pray you have a blessed week!!

Just our lives....

2007-03-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

Let's see...what has been going on with the Chappotin's?? We have going, going, going but loving every minute of it! Last week was kind of crazy with all the stormy, gloomy weather. We were relieved to have sunshine today. Torie came running to the car (in the rain) after school on Monday SOOO excited because she got Super Bee for having super beehavior. One child gets Super Bee everyday for being Kind, Caring, and Careful. When you get Super Bee he has to go everywhere you go and then at the end of the day you have to draw pictures and write about what Super Bee has done and it goes in a book for their class for the year. Pretty Cute!! You can see her here with him before going back to school! Ryan has been saying so much!! His latest is "dadada"...I keep reminding Chris that he doesn't know what he is saying, but Chris insisted that I write in his baby book that his first word was "dada". He is loving his food and can't get enough of most things....well, maybe not green beans and peas!! Christ Journey is starting a family worship gathering that meets before worship on Sundays...so we have been busy tyring to get it all organized and running. We are really looking forward to seeing the ways God is going to use it to bring the hurting to Him. Please keep it in your prayers. We are still waiting to get our papers back....don't forget to lift that up a few more times! Have a wonderful day!

Ryan playing at work!!

Wow...I love my prunes!!

Torie and I trying to entertain ourselves while waiting in the car for Daddy!! Isn't she a cutie pie??

Discipleship Essentials...

2007-03-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

We just had our first "official" Discipleship Essential group and I am SO pumped about our group. This week our homework was the Great Commission in Matthew 28. God spoke to me through this in so many ways:
1) Jesus chose 12...not 500.
2) the 12 he chose had to sacrifice greatly; he told them to go with no money, no extra shirt, no bags, etc...and to stay where they could and with whom they could
3) when they returned to him they reported on what they had done and then retreated for some quiet time

What does this mean for me personally:
1) I need to remember that Jesus' example of discipleship is with a few...not the multitudes. When I focus on numbers I am trying to please people, but when I focus on reaching out to "the few" then I am trying to please God.
2) That when I choose to be a disciple (a true disciple) I am going to make huge sacrifices...sacrifices with my time, my money, my family, my free time, my desires, my wants, etc... And it will be a blessing when I allow God to transform me.
3) I need to be accountable to God and to my Christian brothers and sisters and that I need to take time away to focus on God, spend time in prayer, and spend time re-lighting my fire!!

I am really looking forward to the transformation that God will do in my life through our new Discipleship Essentials group. Please pray that we allow God to work through us and in us as we journey together!

*sorry no pics in this post, but I will post some cute ones tonight*

God is always SO patient.....

2007-03-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

I am always amazed at how patient God is with me. He continues to cover me with his grace even though I don't deserve it. I am so impatient and untrusting with most everyone but more importantly I am that way with God. Most all of you know our adoption situation and our waiting on the papers to be returned from the biological mother. My sweet babies are the most important thing to me and so you can imagine the anxiety I feel while waiting for those to be returned. I keep reminding myself to turn to God and give it to Him, to trust Him and KNOW He will make things right. I have had this song stuck in my head for days now and don't know why...I haven't heard it anywhere but can't seem to get rid of it. I started going over the words of the song (since it won't seem to go away) and realized that God was speaking to me through this song. It is a song taken from Psalm 3...sung by Sixpence None The Richer...here are the words....
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all of your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.
Don't worry about tomorrow, He's got in under control.
Just trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and He will carry you through."

Ok, Ok, Ok God..I get it. It is all yours. By the way, I talked to Torie's grandmother today and she called the bio mom and she is going to mail the papers on Tuesday. She has been extremely busy and will actually have the day off on Tuesday. Her spirits seemed high and she is really excited about a job promotion she may be able to get. Please pray that God would bless her with that promotion and that God would bless her life...I am eternally grateful to her for the most AMAZING gift anyone has ever given us...Torie!

And of course I had to share some pictures...Ryan has never taken a pacifier and doesn't really like bottles either so you can imagine our excitement when he found his thumb...now he can put himself back to sleep. We love his new discovery...we just may not like it in a few years when we want him to stop.

Ryan at work today!
I had to share these pics of Torie...they are some of my older favorites.
Torie and Aunt Shelly...Halloween 2006

Weekend at The Chappotin's

2007-03-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a weekend!! The Chappotin Household is always extremly busy but always having fun...for the most part. This weekend was no exception...Saturday we went to Irving to join Ayjah (our cousin on Chris' side) as she celebrated her 6th birthday....we met at Skateland and Daddy and Torie skated and had a blast. We also went to Westside Church in Cleburne on Sunday to join them in their homecoming celebration. Then on Monday we had our first co-ed softball game...We only lost by 7...YAY!! Being excited about only losing by 7 may seem odd to you, but it is good for us...last season we lost almost every game by 15 or 20. Most of you have heard us say (all the time) that we are about Christian Community and about living out our faith and mission everyday....and last night was a testimony to God's work through Christ Journey. We go to take the field and I notice one of the umpires talking to Chris. Later on, I found out that the umpire was asking what time Christ Journey met on Sundays because he noticed last season that CJ players were always so kind, so fun, so encouraging, and seemed like really good friends. He said that was a place he would want to check out. Who'd have thought that softball would reflect Jesus. I continue to be amazed at the Spirits work in our lives! Ok...thanks for letting me preach for a few minues!!

Cousin Jahmal, Cousin Messiah, Chris, Torie and Ryan.

Ryan and cousin Raul.

Ryan and cousin Esther.

Daddy & Torie (skating buddies....)

Way to go CJ softball girls!!!! We rock!!!!!

Have a blessed week!!

Pigtails, Grandpa C, and bathtime fun....

2007-03-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

Oh the fun we've had lately! Spring break has been a much needed vacation...not that we went anywhere but we really enjoyed being able to have some freedom with our schedule. Hope you enjoy our newest pics.

Here is Torie with her friend Amaya (they had matching braided pigtails.)

Here is Ryan and I after his bathtime a couple of nights ago.

Here is Ryan and Grandpa C (we went to visit him last week.)

Chris, Torie, Ryan and Grandpa C.

Ryan in his new bathtub. He LOVES to splash and play...we had alwasy given him a shower with one of us and the other day I needed to give him a bath when Chris wasn't available to help me so I put him in the kitchen sink and realized how much he loved playing in the water. So, we went to Target and got him a rubber ducky bathtub that quacks when you squeeze his bill. Ryan really loves it!

Thank you so much for letting us share. Have a blessed week!

God is so good.

2007-03-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to give you an update on our adoption news. We heard from Torie's grandmother that she had spoken with Torie's biological mother. Her grandmother said that she seemed to be doing really well. Her bio mom also said she had received the papers but hadn't had the time to fill them out and send them back yet (she had been working a lot.) We were so relieved to hear that she was not upset and was going to mail them back just hadn't had time yet. Thank you most of all to God for answering our prayers and thank you for lifting this up. Please continue to pray that she will mail them back quickly and we can get on with it!! I will make another post today with new pics of the kids. Thanks again.

My Names.

2007-03-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

1. YOUR REAL NAME: Heidi

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (the first 3 letters of your first name, with -izzle at the end) Heiizzle

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three of your last) HCHA

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color and fav animal) Red Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, Street you live on) Mashele Nathan

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom’s maiden name) Chaheike

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (favorite color, favorite drink) Red DrPepper

8. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dad’s middle name, 1st letter of a sibling’s first name, last letter of your moms middle name) Halkeru

9. YOUR STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/body spray) Ralph

10. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father’s middle name) Sue Lee

I saw this on someone's blog and thought this was funny!! Kinda fun to do.

Ryan Cut His First Tooth!!

2007-03-09T21:11:00.000-06:00

My sweet hubby had surprised me and set up with Julie Owens to do my nails (he knows I am weird and only like to get my nails done by people I know, who will use my own files ;0 ) So, I get home from getting my nails done and Ryan decided he likes them and wants to chew on them....he was chewing away when I felt something sharp in his mouth!!! YAY...his first tooth popped through today!! I never knew you could get excited about a tooth coming in. We have one child getting teeth and another one pulling them. I never knew being a Mommy could be so exciting. We also had to put a pictures of Aunt Lindsay and baby Jamas. Ryan and Torie can't wait for cousin Jamas to be here.

Ryan's First Tooth Picture (even though you can't see the tooth in the pic..I had to take one.)

Aunt Lindsay and cousin Jamas (only 9 more weeks!!)

Why does time fly by so fast...???

2007-03-08T16:19:00.000-06:00

I can't even begin to tell you how fast time has flown by for us when it comes to Ryan. He is 6 months old now and doing so many new things. I just started him on food this week and he is loving it. He has tried carrots, squash, bananas, and pears this week.....he eats so well and barely makes a mess....it is going better than I thought it would. He is just about sitting up on his own and tries to get his legs under him to crawl....he knows his legs need to help him crawl but just doesn't quite have it. We just can't believe 1/2 a year has already gone by. Happy 6 month birthday Ryan, we love you! Here are his before and after pics. Thanks for letting us share his life with you.

Ryan and Torie the day he was born. Sept 5th

Ryan and his basketball outfit. March 8th

More BBALL pics.

Peace that passes understanding....

2007-03-07T08:57:00.000-06:00

The past few days I wake up thinking about one thing and I lay my head on my pillow at night thinking about one thing......what you ask?? Getting the signed papers back from Torie's bio mom. I tend to be OCD about many things but I just can't help but be anxious about getting them back. I love to take showers and always use that time as my "out loud" prayer time...to me there is something powerful about praying outloud. I have spent the majority of my "outloud" prayer time asking God to deliver those papers, to give her bio mom peace, to bless her bio mom for her selflessness, and to make this process go smoothly. He gives me peace that passes understanding everytime I finish but I continue to allow Satan to discourage me. So, I write all this to ask you to pray for me to have peace, to pray for Torie's bio mom to HURRY, to pray for God to bless her bio Mom, and for us to be the kind of Godly parents that Torie needs. Oh...and for my sweet, patient husband who answers my neurotic questions (do you think she will send them back? do you feel good about this process? do you think this will be over soon? how fast do you think this will all happen? etc.) without ever getting frustrated with me or calling me OCD!! I couldn't do it without him. Thank you for your prayers. Have a blessed day.

I had to add a picture to this blog....its an older one, but one of my favorites!

Here I go....

2007-03-05T15:35:00.000-06:00

Everyday I turn on my computer and check about 5 peoples blogs...I absolutely love hearing about peoples lives, their children, their relationships with God, their next planned trip, what is happening in their churchs, etc... So, I've decided that a blog would be a wonderful way for me to share my life, thoughts, children, pictures, etc.. with those that I love. I hope you enjoy and thanks for letting me share.

p.s.-don't forget to check it and comment.

Torie and some of her friends @ a birthday party!