Sister Time

I am so proud of my sister Courtney.

For one, she is a super hard worker--graduated with honors from her college and then went on to medical school and got a degree to be a Physician's Assistant. She has a good job that she still works part time, even though she now has 2 young children at home. What makes me the most proud, though, really isn't any of this. It's her heart. As busy as life is for her and her husband Brian, and as comfortable as they were in their good life--they have listened to God's call for their family to grow. This time it will involve a LOT of money and time and several trips to Bulgaria where they are planning to adopt a little nephew for me! :)

They have made major cutbacks in their budget so that they can do this adoption without going into debt, which will be a real challenge. It is exciting, although very slow, to watch them make progress. She and her family live closer to my family than any other of our extended family, and although Nashville is 3 hours away, I am grateful for the random times we get to spend together. Yesterday was one of those days.

We decided to meet at McDonald's in Eddyville to swap some things and have a chance to catch up. McD's, you say? Well, with 5 children 9 years old and under, it is the best place to grab some adult conversation since it has an inside playplace. :) We don't get together enough, but I loved every minute we had together yesterday! Even though we do have an age difference of 11 years, we are walking through life together. . .we want to be Godly wives to our husbands, and we swap parenting struggles (and a few triumphs!) pertaining to our extremely active, independent and strong-willed 3-year-old sons! The blue-eyed, smiley face Alanna is as precious as they come and seems to grow and change with each visit!

I love Courtney's family so much and am so grateful for any time that we have to get our two gangs together. Praying for the day we meet the little fellow from Bulgaria!

End of Summer Review

While I will definitely NOT get the award for "Blogger of the year," I might very well be in the running for "Mom with the craziest summer ever!" Jason and I went with the girls (and 23 other children) to CentriKid in June while Taylor went with a group to Kentucky Changers

AND the two youngest boys went to Nashville. Later in June Taylor went with his friend Ty's church youth to Camp Merge in Millington, TN for a week, all the while 4 out of 5 Sipes kids are playing baseball. July 4 found us at the farm with the Senters for a few days and then back at it. VBS, then off to Centrifuge with 26 teenagers, then Jason, Taylor, and Marlena went on a work trip across KY to Clear Creek Bible College--pretty much sums up the month of July! But then came the most amazingly wonderful finish to our crazy summer: we took just the 7 of us on a much-needed vacation to Gulf Shores for a whole week!

It was the perfect ending to a busy summer. Jason planned some exciting things to do besides fry on the beach, so we got to experience things like a Pirate Cruise,

seeing a movie in 3-D with the whole family, lots of eating out including Lambert's, special breakfasts with dad for each of the kids, a date night for mom & dad, school shopping, and even a walk down memory lane back to the college where we first met. :) Then like icing on the cake for a family with no t.v. at home, it was Olympics all week on t.v. so whenever we just wanted to relax, there was wholesome entertainment for the whole family! Now that's a vacation! Thanks to a great provider (Jason) and THE great Provider (our Heavenly Father) for making this week possible.

Another March Birthday (Blog that forgot to get posted)

Exactly a week after I reached the "40 mark," my darling daughter decided it was time for her to turn 12! Could it really be that it's been 12 years since that day her daddy and I went to Baptist East hospital in Memphis to wait for her to be born? Since the date was chosen (I was induced), we expected a long wait, but she had other plans. She came quickly and is still shaking things up in our house today! :) She's been one of the easier Sipes kids to raise so far because she is not strong-willed like the odd-numbered kids have been. However, this being her first year of middle school AND just being an emotional female, she is definitely making herself known in our home daily. Drama? Yes. Trouble? Not so much. She makes us smile and her daddy and I are so proud of the lady she is becoming. She is growing so quickly (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) and sometimes dad has trouble accepting it. We're determined not to rush things but I don't think it's an issue with her. She likes herself, her girlfriends, her books, her music, her clothes, her new bike, and not boys yet. We're good! :) She may be quiet around adults, but I'm told that she isn't with her friends; and she for sure isn't when she gets home from school. I love it that she tells me what's going on in her life. I hope it stays that way. Even though she and I are very different, which frustrates both of us many days, we love each other. We don't embarrass each other. We usually enjoy each other's company. And last night we chose to make a late night trip to Walmart to buy her birthday present. It was her official birthday but not her party-day. That's tomorrow, when we will have 7 loud, giggling 11 & 12 year olds over for a sleepover! So yesterday we went and picked out a new bike for her. It has been years since she got a new one and with spring arriving, it seemed like the right gift. (Plus, she had hinted that she wanted one but was afraid she couldn't have one.) Apparently, stopping by McD's for a late-night snack of french fries, the late-night trip to Walmart, a special dessert for the after-school snack, and all the attention she received at school from friends made it "feel like my birthday. Remember how last year it didn't feel like my birthday since I didn't have my party ON my birthday? Getting all my wishes granted today helped. . .from YOU!" Then she looked over at me in the car and I realized I had done something right! Woohoo! I pumped my fist in the air! Birthday girl is happy and so is her mom!!

Schaeffer plays ball

"Hi, This is Derrick and I'm Schaeffer's coach for t-ball this summer. Just wanted to see if he could be at practice at . . ." Jason and I shook our heads while listening to this message on our answering machine a week ago. What?!? Schaeffer, our baby, has a COACH?? We laughed! It sounded so funny to us. Yes, we did sign Schaeffer up to play his first season of t-ball, and yes, we had bought him a mitt, but it still sounded so "big boy-ish" to us. Last night was our 3 year old's first ball game ever and I was so proud. Proud that he batted each time like he was supposed to do.

Proud that he ran the bases when he was coached. Proud that although he wanted to stay in the dugout and play in the ice cooler, he put on his glove and chased many balls.

Proud that he waited until the inning was over to run pet the dog. Proud that he stood up on the field instead of rolling around in the grass, like others on his team. :) It's the small steps towards growing up that are fun to watch as mom of this increasingly independent, 5th in line, 3-year-old child of mine.

Turning 40 is awesome!

Everyone's been saying that "it all goes down hill after 40," so I've been eagerly waiting to prove them all wrong! :) Well, my time has finally come. Yesterday I turned 40 and made sure that I went to the gym, just like usual, and ran the usual 2 miles, walked the 1 mile (and added an extra 1/2 mile for good measure) just to make sure that nothing "magical" would happen now that I turned 40. So far, so good. Of course, this morning, someone changed it to, "no, it's 50 when everything starts going downhill." I guess the good news is that for everybody it's different. For me, I am trying to live a life of balance under the direct control of the Holy Spirit, so I don't dread the 40's or even the 50's.

Actually, yesterday was one of the most fun birthdays I have ever had! My husband made an appointment for me at Styles on Broadway (in Martin, TN) to get a massage and a pedicure at their spa--it was fantastic!!! The place is amazing! Everything they do is about making the client feel special and calm and relaxed. After two hours of being pampered, I was looking for my chauffeur to drive me home! Well, that might have gone to my head, so it's a good thing Jason didn't think of that. But when I got home, SURPRISE!! He had invited 3 couples over to eat dinner with us while Jena Bea took our kids to a movie. All were happy. It will sound so very selfish, but I must say that for 15 years I have wanted a surprise party! Jason really couldn't believe that he pulled it off, and I couldn't believe that I didn't figure it out either. I felt so special, like Cinderella stepping out of her magical coach for a few short hours. Yes, I did enjoy the attention! I tried to justify my pleasure in a "me day" by saying that 364 days out of the year I am giving of myself to everyone else. Not sure if that's godly or not, but one thing I am sure about--I am a very blessed 40 year old. After everyone left and the evening was winding down, I began to think about all the blessings of my life and on something untrue that I have been told most of my life. It is this: Pastors and their wives should not have close friends. Can I just say, that is a bunch of hooey! We have been living and ministering in Hickman, KY for 7 years this coming May and I have struggled with this idea for most of this time. But it is so clear to me that God has given me many different relationships for different reasons. These three couples that helped us celebrate my birthday are all walking through parenting children, just like we are. They are wanting to grow spiritually in their personal lives and in their marriages. It is such a blessing to just "do life" with these couples. This is not a "group" that I have chosen, but I believe God has given each one of these friends to me. We rarely do things all together, and I guess that's why last night was so special. Just being together is comfortable for me. I don't have to "be" anyone special with them--just myself. They love me, even knowing my struggles and my weaknesses. None of them expect me to be perfect, they know better. And each one of them challenges me to walk closer to God and to be consistent in my time with Him. For that, I am so blessed! Honestly, I hope that our "group" grows as God brings more couples along who desire to live radical, sold-out lives for Christ. I watch these couples making hard decisions to do the right thing, and it encourages me. God is working! I feel sure that there will be some who read this who think this is not a good choice, posting about a few close friends, but I can't help but feel so blessed that at this time in my life, I feel surrounded by positive relationships! And it makes such a difference in my spiritual walk. Thank you, Girls (and your wonderful husbands!), for taking the risk of being talked about or labeled, and still being a friend to a pastor's wife who desperately needs to do life with others. I was not created for isolation, and I have grown so much just knowing you all. I love you, Girls!

Another thing I have pondered about friendships, is how God seems to keep giving me others who aren't necessarily in my same walk of life, but who have "already been there and done that." What a treasure, to be able to talk to a mom or grandmom who has already raised her children and can encourage me with mine. Ladies who are committed to living for the Lord and encourage me to do that as well. That is one of the joys of being part of a small church. I have made friends with ladies of all ages, not just those in my same age bracket. Wisdom is found here and many times has given me something to look forward to in the years to come. I guess a new revelation for me has been that in this wonderful, small town of Hickman, I am enjoying relationships with other ladies who are not a part of my church, but are dedicated to their own church family. Instead of viewing each other as competition, we are able to work together for the kingdom of God and for this community. What a blessing! I love these ladies! I love how God just keeps adding to my "girl friend" list, although it is not a list I have ever written down. :) This just seems to be a time when I am reflective and so grateful for God's gifts. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the forever friends that I have within my own family--godly members who build into my life, as well. And over the years, there has been one friend who I can call and I don't have to explain myself. She just knows. She gets it. She understands. She's loved God longer, deeper, and more passionately than I ever have--and she loves me unconditionally. When things are troubling me and I can't talk to anyone in my church or town, I can call her. We were blessed to live next door to each other twice in our lives and some of our kids have "forever friends" between the two families. This has been enough to carry me through times when I felt all alone in Hickman, or when I wondered if God would give my kids a close friend here in town. The Penas have blessed our family and in many ways, have become like family to us. We had dreams of buying land and living out on our own farm, teaching our children school together, and simply "living off the land." Things have changed and those dreams are gone, but our friendship still remains. I am humbled by the blessings in my life. Always amazed at the healthy, energetic children God has given us; still in awe of the gorgeous, godly husband I'm married to these 15.5 years, and now the realization that I have been given so many friends to walk through life with. Wow! What a blessed 40 year old I am!

Computer Crash!

It's been about a month now that we have been without our computer at home--and we've found that it is very challenging to adjust to life without the internet and all the things we have stored on our computer! Pictures, for one. Of course, I have not backed up my pictures in several months, so the crash made me very nervous. I now have a camera memory card that is full of pictures, waiting to see what has been lost. The good news is that before the computer guru wiped out our whole laptop, he did call to see what we might want to save. "Pictures and documents," I quickly replied. But what else from our busy lives that was saved has now been lost? I had no idea how dependent on my computer I was! It's been a good break, and the word is that our laptop is now ready to be picked up. Tomorrow. I'm sure once we pay the bill, we will expect to find it covered in gold, but I'm just hoping it will be "back to normal." It sure makes life so much easier. Borrowing this laptop for today has allowed me to catch up, but I've also noticed how much time I waste with this screen in front of me! :( Ughhh! I guess self-control is necessary in every area of life. It seems like so much has been going on since the first of the year. Let's see if I can recap in a nutshell with no cute pictures to attach. :( That will have to wait until our computer comes back home. Taylor got his braces off and has a gorgeous smile now! It is a rarity so you'd better enjoy it when you see it. ha! ha! Lindy won the Spelling Bee for the whole Fulton County Middle School! We were so proud of her! Then she went on to compete at Fulton City to see who would go on to Memphis and she came in 2nd place. It was a hard disappointment for her because she felt she should/could have won, but they did things differently. And they had given us a 14-page list of words with roots from 10 different languages to study. We didn't get all the way through them, but she surprised me at how well she did with those! Then at the Spelling Bee, Fulton City used the old list from the original spelling bee that we hadn't even looked at in 2 weeks! She was so disappointed when she forgot to put two "c"s in the word "accrued," but I was proud of her anyway. She is a great speller and has next year to look forward to! This past week Taylor and Lindy gave speeches to their whole grade during a 4-H competition at school. We haven't gotten the results of those speeches yet, but I was so very proud of them both! That was a first for them and they both did great! Lindy gave a demonstration speech on making an origami crane. She was so calm and poised. Taylor gave his speech titled "The Art of Annoying Siblings," and began by saying, "Do any of you have younger siblings? Well, I do. I have four, and I can pretty much say that I have mastered the art of annoying my siblings, especially sisters." It was so funny and creative. Their dad, Marlena, and I went to watch them and we were very proud! Marlena and Jay are doing well in their school work. They are not ready to go to public school yet, but we are trying to get them to that place. I'm not in a hurry to send them, but we're praying that we'll know when the time is right. Today they are enjoying the day off (President's Day) with Taylor home and playing with them. The house may be destroyed when I come out of my room in a few minutes, but they will have had fun together! Lindy is at Daisy Major's house and I can only imagine all the giggles Mindy has had to put up with since last night! Those two are a pair, and I am so very grateful for the Majors' friendship with our family. Lindy has officially concluded her first year of cheerleading and loved every minute of it! She's already excited about tryouts for next year's squad. Taylor finished basketball and has just begun playing Saturday league basketball with his dad as his coach. He looks to get a lot of playing time in, which will be great practice for next year's school team. He has just started track practice for the spring season, so we'll see how that goes. He enjoys running, and since this is his first time ever to run track, we'll see what they have him competing in later on. I love it how he wants to try everything this year! By high school, he might know what he prefers most, but this year he has enjoyed learning football, basketball, and now track. He's a great team player. Enough catching up for now. Hopefully our computer will come home very soon and be well. I'll try to do better writing then. Oh, can't close without saying something about Schaeffer. He is still the energy that keeps our family laughing. He is doing well with one aspect of potty training, but completely NOT well with the other. :) The great part is that everytime I have to clean him up, he says, "I'm so, so, so sorry, Mom! I won't do it again! Tomorrow I'll go poop in the big potty!" He wants to make me happy, but just not yet! He sure makes me smile, though!

A Farmer at Heart

When I married my wonderful husband, there was still a lot I didn't know about him.  Now, after 15 1/2 years of marriage, I am convinced that I will spend the rest of my life discovering new things that he is interested in.  Who knew that the "preacher boy" I married would have a desire to farm?  For the past 7 years we have lived in a small, rural farming community which has intensified a desire that was birthed in him many years ago by his grandfather.  So, he started a garden.  Each year it gets a bit bigger.  It gives him a sense of satisfaction to provide food for his family, and it provides an avenue for him to work outside because he could never be satisfied with a full-time inside-the-office job. :)  Once gardening became somewhat routine, he decided to branch out and raise chickens.  There have been ups and downs as we have learned what this entails, but we are now being richly rewarded with an average of 5 fresh brown eggs daily to stock our refrigerator.  As a city girl, I never knew to appreciate the quality of fresh farm eggs, but thanks to my man, I do now!  I even have enough to share a dozen or so if anyone else loves them as much as we do.  We have enjoyed watching featherless baby chicks grow into laying hens--what a treat for our family.  Marlena, especially, likes to keep her eye on the babies around here.  This is our child who plans to become a vet (and also a missionary--can't wait to see what plans God has for her!).  I remember telling her dad that she would be so happy growing up on a farm where she could watch baby animals being born and raised.  Well, her daddy is bringing as much of a farm upbringing to her as he can!  A few months ago, she and her dad went to the auction and brought home a couple of rabbits.  SURPRISE!  She just happened to pick out a boy and a girl so now we have babies!  This, too, is a learning process as we knew nothing about raising rabbits before this.

The internet has been a helpful tool, but it looks like experience might be the best teacher.  Now how to make this profitable for the family since we are clearly NOT going to eat these adorable little rabbits?  New venture--sell baby rabbits (preferably for pets and not meat, but what we don't know won't hurt us).  The goal is to have a new litter ready for sale by Easter time.  And in the meantime, my kiddos get the pleasure of loving and learning along the way.

(I wouldn't be surprised if 2012 sees sheep added to the Sipes Farm--just a prediction from a casual observer.)