I love These Girls

Sunshine(14yrs old) and Sweetheart(15yrs old)

I'm so lucky to be thier mom!!!!

I can Shoot

Several months ago my dad and brother attended a gun training program called Front Sight. It's a real "kick butt and take names" sort of course. They loved it and love telling how well they did in the competitions and scenerios.

I mentioned that we have a 9mm locked up at the house but I'd never fired it and wasn't even sure how to use it. I know...I know...if you've got guns you should know how to use them and be safe with them. At that point I figured safe was locked up with a combiniation only my husband and I knew. So my dad said he would be honored to show me how to care for the gun, shoot it, clean it, store it, etc. This week was the time. My dad brought up several of his own guns and gave my kids and my sister and me two days of instruction. The culmination of the training was a trip to the shooting range.

Me and my dad.

(The head shots are his the rest are my shots)

Pretty dang good I think.

Me and my sister

I definately out scored her.

Bad Guys better watch out 'cause I will stop 'em if they try to mess with me or my family!

SUNSHINE's Humor

I have another blog that I keep as a private blog. It's more of a family enterprise...all of my kids are set up as authors...sometimes they suprise me with the posts they make. I thought I'd share a recent one SUNSHINE posted.

She is 14 and has been reading through the Old Testament. She has done really well to make certain that she doesn't miss a day. I love her dedication, even for me the Old Testament is difficult at times. One time when I was talking to her about her dedication she complained about the geneology..so and so begat so and so who begat so and so and SO ON.... I told her that I usually skip and skim those parts. She told me that she thought about doing that too but then thought about what it might be like in the next life when she has a chance to meet these people and have one of them confront her with, "I can't believe you thought I was not important enough to even read my name." So she reads every single name.

So with that bit of introdution I share part of her posting....



"During my studying of the Bible I have done the imposible! I found something in there that I think is hilarious! In Numbers 22:28-30 I found this. K so in the story this guy, Balaam, is talking to his donkey. Well accually the donkey is speaking to him. So the donkey is saying all this stuff and it asks Balaam a question. And Balaam answers "nay".

In case you didn't understand the humor in that, I'll break it down for you: The donkey is talking and the guy says nay. That seems a little backward to me.

New Beginning

I've taken a LONG break from blogging...pushed through some tough stuff...maybe this space has been left unattended and private for long enough. Maybe I'll continue to find things to write here and maybe I won't but I've put it back up. And... I'll let it become whatever my hands let it become.

For now a new post..a new look...maybe a new beginning.

$100

I was talking to my sister just before Christmas. She told me she'd been at party and was talking someone about parenting teens. His youngest is 22yrs old, so he spoke with some wisdom and experience. One of the things he told my sister, is that when his kids discovered the wonderful, crazy feelings members of the opposite sex could spark in the heart, he offered them $100 if they didn't kiss anyone before they turned 16. My daughter, SWEETHEART who is 15yrs old, overheard this conversation and blurted, "Hey, I'd have done that! If I don't kiss anyone for the next year will you give me $100?"

I've had several conversations with my kids about kissing and touching and all that other stuff they will save for marriage. One of my favorite "discussions" is about -closed mouth kisses-. (Some time I'll have to "discuss" it here, but not today) So, knowing that she had already crossed the kissing line I offered her $75. She negotiated for $85. The next time she hung out with her group of friends (and her "kissing friend") I asked her how it went and whether our deal was still in place.

She told me the following story:

"I told Kaid that we couldn't kiss anymore. He said that $85 was pocket change. I asked him if I kissed him if he would give me $85. He said, "No." So I didn't kiss him. But mom it's really hard! You should give me $200."

Ya, I know...maybe I should...I know once you've crossed a line it's harder to go back...It was a great opportunity to talk about physical intimacy and those boundaries the Lord has set and how easily the adversary can push us across them and the struggle that repentance is and how difficult it can be to stay back the next time. It is better not to cross or get close to them in the first place.

Somewhere there is the happy medium of freedom and control. Parenting teens is certainly a tedious exercise in finding the right balance between the two.