A Story of Courage

This past weekend our oldest son, McKay, played in his first kid pitch baseball game and tournament with his select team.  We were all giddy Friday night, and could hardly sleep thinking about his game the next morning in Waxahachie!  His first game was unbelievable and not at all what we expected.  These kids had never pitched, catched, been able to steal and lead off bases, but they came out with a huge win and looked like they had been doing it for years!  McKay played catcher the whole game and looked like a pro.  The pitcher was flawless and the two of them made a great team.  Their second game immediately followed their first game, but with their huge win they were pumped and ready to go!  The next team was tough and we struggled with our pitching, but our boys fought hard and came close, but ultimately lost.  One of the coaches said it was great the boys got to experience a huge win to build up their confidence, and then lose to a great team to humble them and remind them how much work they have to do to compete with the big boys!  The next day we found out the team that beat us was actually 10 year olds and got disqualified from the tournament because they were in the wrong age bracket.  All of a sudden we were in first place for the next round of games the following day.  Our first game on Sunday was awesome and all the boys played great.  Again McKay got to play catcher and again looked like a pro.  He had an amazing hit in the middle of the game and Wess and I were so proud and couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces.  We were not expecting our team to play so well and be in the championship game of their first tournament, but there they were.  Unfortunately, Wess and I had a prior obligation we had to be at that evening, so we left McKay with his proud grandparents and our good friend and his coach- Coach Spikes!  We hated not being there, but knew there would be more baseball:)  The next team was tough and it was a close game the whole time until the end.  McKay played catcher AGAIN and apparently he was so exhausted he could hardly get the ball back to the pitcher.  We went through several pitchers and tried to hang on, but everyone was exhausted.  They pulled McKay and had him rest on the bench.  This is where the story of courage begins.  Our good friend Newley Spikes, who has been McKay's coach since pee wee tells it like this...The team was losing and going down fast.  We had exhausted our pitchers and catcher and our situation seemed hopeless.  The coaches needed to pull the pitcher but didn't know who they could put in after him.  They had gone through the pitchers they had seen in practice (only 3 practices), so they thought.  Newley turned around and saw McKay sitting on the bench and said "lets put in Peterson.  I know he will do it."  The two other coaches thought he was crazy because McKay could hardly move after catching almost 2 whole games back to back.   Newley went and asked McKay if he wanted to pitch and he said his eyes got SO big and he jumped up and said "yes coach, please let me pitch."  Newley told him their situation wasn't good and he needed him to go in and pitch strikes and get 3 outs.  It was the 5th inning and there were no outs and lots of previous runs from the other team.  Newley said McKay promised him if they let him pitch he would pitch strikes and get 3 outs!  You gotta love his confidence and excitement after being completely worn out!  The story ends with McKay making his pitching debut without either one of us there, and striking out the next 3 out of 4 batters and ending the inning!  He did exactly what his coach asked him to do and exactly what he said he would do!  He displayed enormous amounts of courage and proved he will never give up and do whatever he needs to do for his team!  Their team lost, but played their hearts out and got 2nd place in their first tournament!!

I love that Wess is calling this "a story of courage" because I have been struggling with teaching my boys to be brave, bold and courageous for their Lord and Savior.  We had an incident with McKay the day before on his song choice for his walk up song (song they play when they are up to bat).  He initially chose "Trust in Jesus" by Third Day and then got embarrassed and wanted to change his song.  I was so disappointed but knew he had to see boldness in me in order to be bold himself.  I didn't want to force him to keep the song, but we did a lot of talking, praying, and even watched a movie about what Jesus did for us on the cross hoping to convince him to be bold and brave.  Of course, I completely understood how he felt because I have been there and sometimes made the decision to be bold and other times not.  When he decided to keep his song we were thrilled, but we told him it was a huge responsibility and he needed to do his very best and play his hardest.  We explained to him that if Josh Hamilton wasn't as good as he was, McKay would've never wanted to use his same walk up song.  So, the best way he could be bold for Christ on the baseball field was to play his absolute best!  That is exactly what he did, and I was reminded being bold for Christ is a process and McKay showed great courage and proved himself to his team and coaches.  Hopefully, they will listen when he talks and think twice about the song he reluctantly but boldly chose!

Happy 7th Birthday Owen!

I feel like I just wrote my "happy 8th birthday McKay" post yesterday.  That's what happens when your boys are just shy of 17 months apart, and you haven't updated your blog in months!!  Owen turned 7 years old on June 12th, and has a special connection with my grandfather because they share the same birthday.  Each year Owen has several celebrations.  He had a large party with his friends, a family party with my side of the family to celebrate my "Papa" and Owen, another family party with Wess' family, and of course our own immediate family celebration.  I figure you can never celebrate the middle child too much:)  Owen has always been the baby in my eyes, so it is hard to believe he is 7!  He was the smallest of my babies, weighing in at 6 lbs. 15 oz.  To this day he is still the smallest in frame of his two brothers, but don't let his size fool you!  He can do more pull ups than his older brother would like to admit, run until we make him stop, has a set of abs that David Beckham would be jealous of, and has been known to stir up trouble with 4th graders after school.  He can hold his own and one of my friends affectionately calls him feisty!  But, don't let that nickname fool you because he is incredibly sensitive and affectionate.  He loves to snuggle each morning in our bed and LOVES to have his back scratched each night.  He is the sweetest big brother to Chapel and truly puts his needs before his own.  McKay and Owen have shared a room since Owen was 2 years old, and even today they have a hard time sleeping without each other.  He looks up to McKay and wants to do everything he does!  They are both extremely competitive and therefore fight like cats and dogs, but they are each others best friend.  Owen loves to be with Wess and me by himself and have all the attention.  In fact, just the other night McKay and Chapel were with my parents at the lake, and we had the privilege of taking Owen to dinner and spending the whole night completely focused on him.  It was such a joy for Wess and me to have that one on one time with him.  The next morning Owen told me it was his best night ever!  It was one of those priceless moments.  But, it wasn't always that easy.  As a toddler, Owen was very sick with allergies and asthma.  He took 2-3 breathing treatments everyday and never felt 100%.  He was grumpy and rarely smiled, which is documented in pictures.  I worried about him all the time.  After we found a wonderful doctor who truly changed Owen's life, and thousands of prayers later Owen is a healthy, vibrant, thriving young boy.  He is a miracle in my eyes.  We are so blessed and grateful that God healed his sick body.  Today he is confident, healthy, goofy, affectionate, sensitive, selfless, bright, full of energy, compassionate, caring, obedient, loyal, and the cutest, sweetest 7 year old I've ever seen!  I am truly blessed by Owen and I look forward to see how God continues to work in his special life.        

You know you are a boys mom when...

you have your very own dirt bike- yes I said DIRT BIKE!!  Of course I have a pink jersey and helmet to remind my boys that their mom is a girl:)  Sometimes I think they and Wess forget there is a girl living in the house.  I get no sympathy for being deathly afraid of snakes, not being able to catch anymore with McKay because he throws too hard, preferring to use a toilet rather than the great outdoors, and no understanding for how long it takes me to fully fix my hair and makeup.  Of course, sometimes I can't remember the last time I did my hair and put on pretty clothes!  I can't imagine life any different, except maybe the dirt bikes.  The other day the boys went "snake hunting" and I almost broke into tears over the idea of snakes in a trash bag in my backyard.  They looked at me like I was from another planet, and truly did not understand my fear, nor did I understand their fascination with such an evil animal!!  They asked me if I would be happy if they found one, and I almost ruined the whole experience by answering "NO".  Thankfully, I stopped myself and said I would be happy because I knew it would make them happy, but it was not easy for me to respond that way.  God blessed me, because they did not catch a single snake:)  Despite their empty trash bag, Wess said the hunt was a blast!  I feel so privileged to raise these 3 precious boys.  Daily I am reminded how different they are than me, but how important my role is in teaching them the fruits of the spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

You know you are a boys mom when... you have eye black and big league chew in your purse, you get depressed when you don't have a baseball game, you make bacon and biscuits every morning for breakfast, catching lizards is a daily activity, you picture a baseball diamond in your backyard, and even a dirt bike sounds fun!

The Cowtown

Well, I've barely started my blog and I am already 2 months behind!  Oh well, I am all about NO PRESSURE these days.  Back in February, Owen, Wess, my mom, my sister, and I ran in the cowtown.  They did the 5K and I did the 10K as a soft start to my half marathon training.  We all did great and finished better than expected!  I was most proud of Owen who finished not only among the top in his age group, but also in the top among 8 and under!!  He was truly born to run and has forever inspired me.  We were so proud of him that Wess took him to get a new pair of running shoes after the race.  I think he was more excited about the running shoes than how well he finished the race.  But, as his proud mother, I will always remember how well he finished his first race!

Happy 8th Birthday McKay!

I can't believe my firstborn is so old, although I feel I've been cheated a little because he is the size of a 10 year old!!  I love birthdays with my boys because we have some traditions we all look forward to each year.  Like donuts with a candle waiting for them when they wake up, a night out to their favorite dinner spot, a celebration with extended family with their favorite meal and cake, and of course a birthday party with their closest friends!  I fixed tacos this year (McKay's favorite) and McKay requested a cookies and cream ice cream cake, which I outsourced to marble slab.  He also had a party with his friends, which I have to say was pretty cool.  We took 5 boys to Adrenalina at Willow Bend Mall, which is a surf store with an indoor wave that you can surf on- VERY FUN!!  On their birthdays Wess and I like to talk about their birth story, and all the things we remember about them when they were a baby.  I like to remind McKay how big he was (8 lbs. 15 oz.) and how I pushed for 3 1/2 hrs to get him out!!  I also like to remind him how he was the best snuggler and would lay in bed for hours with Wess and me without making a peep.  He would sit on the bathroom floor for over an hour while I got ready and organize all the bathroom soaps and shampoos.  He was the most calm and laid back baby EVER.  He was such a pleasure to be around, which is probably why we got pregnant so soon with Owen.  We thought babies were a piece of cake!  To this day McKay is still a pleasure to be around.  He never has a bad thing to say about anybody or anything.  Nothing bothers him.  He is tender, sensitive, kind, loving, clueless, loyal, tough, sweet, athletic, clumsy, compliant, and he still loves to snuggle with his mamma!!  He is a follower of Christ which makes us the most proud.  He is more strong willed than we ever thought he would be, but his true love for everyone and everything is an inspiration to me daily.
I'll end with a story about McKay that sums him up beautifully.  About six months ago I had my dining table painted, which I had planned out for weeks.  As soon as the painters left, they told me to make sure no one touched it for a few hours to make sure it dried properly.  Wouldn't you know as soon as they walked out, Owen walked in and immediately put his hands on the wet paint!  I ran over and showed my frustration, but held myself together pretty well.  Not 2 minutes later, Chapel did the same thing and my patience was definitely being tested.  I yelled a little and told them to get away from the table.  As soon as I got them away from the wet paint, and felt like I had avoided a potential disaster, in walks McKay and as he drags his dirty hands across the table he says "mommy why is the table wet?".  I was beyond mad, and completely lost my temper!!  Typical McKay was out in left field while his younger brothers had done the exact same thing and had already been yelled at for touching the table.  I felt bad for yelling but, I was SO upset I had lost touch with reality.  Thankfully, Wess lovingly brought me back to reality and I realized I needed to apologize to my boys.  I sat each of them down and told them how sorry I was for losing my temper, and no table was that important for me to act like that.  When I sat McKay down and begged for his forgiveness, he looked at me in the eyes, put his arms around me and said, "mommy I'll ALWAYS forgive you!"  I am crying as I write this story because it was one of the sweetest things he has ever said.  It describes him so well and reminds me how blessed I am to be his mom!  I love you McKay!!    

Amazing Owen

My middle son, Owen, ran 3.5 miles yesterday without stopping!  I am amazed.  He has been running 1 and 2 miles fairly consistently since this past summer.  Wess and Owen have been sharing this together, and often Owen has woken Wess up early in the morning if Wess forgets.  The first time he ran a mile, we were shocked because he had just turned 6 and he acted like he could've run forever!  Yesterday when he ran 3.5 Wess was truly shocked, and said Owen never hesitated or needed to stop.  Even Wess, who is in good shape, was breathing pretty heavily afterwards.  Before their run Wess set him up with an i touch with his favorite praise and worship songs, and as he was belting out the lyrics he seemed to have extra energy as he ran.  I know music helps me run, so why would Owen be any different?  One of Owen's new years resolutions was to "run more", and he is definitely off to a good start!  He wants some new shoes and so we have told him when he runs a total of 20 miles we will buy him some.  I have a feeling we are going to need to increase that number or we will go broke off new shoes.  Way to go Owen- I am so proud of you!!  

SILLY prayers!

On the last day of the boys Christmas break, they had some of their best friends over to play, David and Ryan Jones.  They had a great time and everything went smoothly until we went to take them home.  David went to put on his shoes and they were no where to be found.  Of course with 5 boys running around in and out of the house, on and off of the trampoline, misplaced shoes is a given.  I assured him they would turn up and put him in some of McKay's and took him home.  But, when several days went by and I had searched all over the house inside and out, even I began to worry.  I called Summer and told her they still had not turned up, but Summer who is always laid back and composed, didn't seem worried.  However, it was starting to consume me.  They had been lost in my house under my watch, actually Wess', and I felt responsible.  He had gotten them just a couple of months earlier for his birthday, and they were not cheap!  Then, a glorious thing happened.  My amazing friend/neighbor TJ came over to visit while we let our kids play.  I was sharing with her the vanishing shoes story, and telling her how I had looked everywhere and how upset I was about the whole situation.  She looked right at me and said "well, have you prayed about it?".  It was more than convicting when I had to tell her no.  In my head I was thinking "that's not really on the top of my prayer list".  But, I quickly realized it should have been on the top of my prayer list.  It had consumed me all week, and I should have modeled to my boys praying without ceasing and nothing is too small for God.  But, sadly I had only shown them worry.  So, we stopped right in the middle of my kitchen and McKay prayed for David's shoes.  Even sweet Essie prayed for the lost shoes.  It was so sweet and I thought if nothing else it gave us all a chance to pray together.  I was very moved and was so grateful for my dear friend TJ who had pointed me to God.  She is a wealth of spiritual and mommy insight, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life.  Within 20 minutes McKay came running in shouting "I found the shoes, I found the shoes!!".  TJ and I looked at each other and broke into tears and laughter.  We were both thinking "NO WAY GOD, SERIOUSLY?!?!?".  It was truly amazing and such a great experience for our kids to see the power of prayer no matter how small.  What probably no one knows until now, is I believe God used the situation to teach ME!  I have no problem praying over big things, but the idea of praying for David's shoes just seemed silly.  Thankfully, God proved me wrong.

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18