Pasta Deliziosa.

Technically, I believe he's only 1/16 Italian.


Try telling him that.

"Just wait..."

I just LOVE this perspective on parenting.

Deep in the Heart of Texas.

It's spring in the South, y'all! Taking pictures in the bluebonnets is a rite of passage for little cowboys in Texas. Families pull over all along the highways and children run through waving blue fields while parents give chase with cameras snapping away. It's a must. Like sweet tea and well-worn boots.

Let me take a minute to say that if you live in the Arlington/Fort Worth area, you must contact Anthony Palagi in the next week (while the flowers are peaking!) to schedule a shoot with your kids. Seriously. Anthony's pricing is great and you will get some really unbelievable, priceless images.

Need proof? Check out these shots Anthony took of Ben today. I am just dying trying to decide which one(s) to print and frame.




Look at those teeth!

Nothing like a little wind in your hair, huh?

Sweet enough to make your teeth hurt!

Oh, that chin!


I literally have dozens and dozens of shots to choose from. Thank you, Anthony, for some perfect pictures this Texas Mama will treasure forever!

He's Mine.

Ben is (quite obviously) Tim's son. Dr. Evil and Mini-me have nothing on these two. Ben has Tim's eyes, Tim's ears, Tim's build, Tim's smile, Tim's chin, and he's even beginning to walk like Tim. Anyone who knows Tim and sees Ben just says, "Waaaaaaahhw." I nod in agreement. There is no denying that Ben is Tim's.

None of this bothers me (because Ben is pretty dang cute), but I do relish seeing little bits of myself in him. Every once in a while it's nice to think, "Yes, this child I spent 22 hours delivering does have a little of me in there."

Here are a few similarities I've noticed we share:

1. We both love books





2. Neither of us likes going to the doctor



3. We both greet the day in a similar fashion



4. We both have dimples in our cheeks



5. We both like to lay around the house in our pajamas



6. We both like sleeping with Tim



7. We both like apple pie
8. We both like steak



9. We both like sweet potatoes
10. We both like burritos
11. We both like avocado
12. We both like blueberries
13. We both like ice cream
14. We both like pancakes
15. We both like tortilla chips



See? The similarities are virtually endless.

Rule Following vs. God Following

I've read this post by Lysa TerKeurst a few times after seeing it all over Pinterest. The post keeps getting re-pinned with the comment, "I don't want to raise good kids." Mmmmmm? I'm intrigued. I clicked on the link eagarly. I find myself hungry for any nugget of parenting wisdom these days.

Lysa recalls the horror she felt when her young daughter, Hope, slipped away from her and ended up frolicking in the fountain at the mall. Ugh. I can't even imagine. My days of public humiliation at the hands of a child have just begun. Lysa cried all the way home. Hope seemed so "determined, independent, and insistent." As Hope has grown, Lysa has seen God use those traits to make Hope into a God-following young adult.

The conclusion of the post is, "Maybe God’s goal wasn’t for me to raise a good rule following child. God’s goal was for me to raise a God-following adult. An adult just determined and independent and insistent enough to fulfill a purpose He had in mind all along."

I've thought a lot about this since first reading it several weeks ago. Ben is just now really starting to assert his independence. We are still in the outskirts of The Land of Tantrums. I find myself wondering exactly how much of our instruction he understands, how much correction will "stick," and whether or not we should just let certain things go.

Already, at eleven months old, Ben is exhibiting some strong shades of "determined, independent, and insistent." Like Lysa, I acknowledge that God can use those personality traits throughout childhood and adulthood to accomplish His purposes. Still, "determined, independent, and insistent" can be incredible strengths, or, left unchecked, great sources of vulnerability.

The conclusion I've come to is that I really do desire to raise a "good, rule-following" child. Certainly not so I can tout my mad parenting skills, but because "goodness" and "self-control" are, after all, fruit of the Spirit.

God-following is all about obedience. I believe one of the best things I can do for Ben is foster a heart of obedience in my boy. If a "good" child is an "obedient" child, then I think that's important.

I'll make certain demands of Ben because I know what's best for him, and he will benefit from being a "good rule-follower" and obeying. When Ben is grown, God will ask things of him that might not be easy. Those requests might conflict with that "determined, independent, insistent" spirit of his, but I want what's best for Ben, and that's a heart of obedience. Ben will benefit from yielding his independence to a higher authority, and that begins now.

Lysa acknowledges that we, as parents, can't take too much credit for our children's actions, good or bad. I'm thinking there is a delicate balance between "credit" and "responsibility." Working in youth ministry, I've seen some of the best, loving, diligent parents deal with rebellious kids, and some pretty amazing teenagers come from parents who don't seem too invested.

Ultimately, every good thing in our lives is a result of the grace of God. I'll thank God for the good things I see in Ben, and ask God to give me wisdom to help correct the "bad." And, as far as the "good, rule-following child" and the "God-following adult," I'll keep praying for both.

Call First.

If you're coming to our house, you should call first.

If you don't call first, we won't know you're coming.

If we don't know you're coming, there won't be anyone waiting anxiously at the door.









You wouldn't want that, would you?