Life is a Highway....

besides it being my 3 yr olds favorite song (thanks, CARS) that has been my theme song for this past month! We have put a lot of miles on the car!

We just drove up and back from Washington, DC for the Every Nation North American Conference (the ministry we work for, NAC09 was AMAZING by the way) and back down to pick up our boys from my parents (can't thank them enough for watching them for a week!) and now over to Panama City for a few weeks to meet with our ministry partners.... and in a few more weeks back down to Tampa to meet with more! It's a whirl-wind Summer to put it lightly!

So much time on the road has got me thinking. Highway driving is SOOOOOOOOO much better than back roads, and more gas efficient. Our 14-16 hour drive up and back from DC to Tampa felt WAY faster than our 6 hr drive from Tampa to Panama City. Why? because we were on the interstate the whole way to and from DC, and were on back roads the whole way from Tampa to PC. (plus we had 2 kids w/ us on that leg)

So my contemplation is: How do you stay on the Highways of life? In other words, staying the course, and not getting detoured by small towns and stop lights. We listened to some sermons in the car on these trips and I heard a great one by Pastor Andy Stanley where he talks about our Direction determining our Destiny rather than our Intentions determining our destiny. Your intentions DO NOT determine your destination. You may have the best of intentions, but it is your direction that will determine your destination. For example: If you intend on having a great marriage, but are spending more hours at work with your secretary than on dates/at home with your wife what direction are you heading in?

We must be intentional on the direction we are going in if we want to arrive at that particular destination. If I want to go to Harvard Law school one day, I shouldn't just have really high hopes I make it, and be taking a scuba class and watching Legally Blonde.... I need to be actually taking the classes, studying, immersing myself in law, applying to the program to get there.

Where do your dreams want to take you? What has God spoken to you in your heart? What is a destination you look forward to? What are you doing to get there? Are you just having good intentions or are you heading in that direction?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Happy Father's Day Ross!
This is an older picture of my amazing Hubby and the boys, but it's one of my favorites. I am so honored and proud to be married to this awesome man. He loves God. He loves Me. He loves our boys. He loves our family & friends. I LOVE HIM!

There is not enough I could say to do justice to this man for what he does for our family, they way he loves us, and cares for us. We don't deserve him, but I am so thankful and grateful God has placed us together.

I just had to give a shout out to the most incredible man on earth! :) I love you, Happy Father's Day!



I must also give major props and love to MY DAD! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! You set the bar, thank you! I love you!

The BEST Free Magazine!

If you haven't yet, you must...

Sign up for this FREE magazine! My bff, Kelly, introduced me to it's glory. It's the Kraft Food & Family Magazine. You can sign up for free at www.kraftfoods.com

It is full of recipes and tips for cooking that are all, I mean ALL yummy! Stephanie (my housemate) and I get giddy when we get one in the mail every season! I use recipes in it atleast 2 times a week, minimum... they are just so easy and always taste good!

My disclaimer.... it takes awhile for the initial magazine to arrive after you sign up. So prepare to wait 6-12 months to receive it. But it is WORTH the wait, I promise! :)

p.s. those cupcakes pictured there are to die for.... i ate 4 large ones in one sitting they were so good. no kidding. (regretted it a few hours later though, haha)

KONG is King!

I have found it; the best dog toy yet! It is called the KONG. Our beloved Bichon, Porter, is a great dog, But he has a whining problem (ever since we had kids). I think it's cause he gets bored & doesn't get the attention from Ross and I like he used to, although the boys play with him SO much.

I read an article about these dog toys called KONGs and figured I'd try it out. It has worked! You stuff some treats inside the rubber toy and it takes him over an hour to try to get it out. It not only keeps him busy but it bounces & rolls all around so he's moving too (not just laying around like he usually does).

Porter never ceases to amaze me. Every toy we have gotten him from simple plastic/ rubber balls to knots, and stuff he chews through and eats the entire thing. (I have a nasty story I'll share another time if the mood strikes me, having to do with a dog toy he ate.) So the Kong is great, it's the most durable dog toy yet.

So if you have a dog, you gotta try this toy- it will totally make them happy!

Proud Sistah :)

I just have to brag on my brother, now Dr. J. Matt Hoch!!! He completed his Doctorate yesterday after many long, hard years in school up in NY! Even though I am his sister he is making me call him Dr. Matt now. :)

I'm so proud of him on many levels... one being that I know I will never pursue any more degrees so I can live vicariously though him in that, and say at least there was one smart one in our family. haha. On the other levels seeing his hard work, persistence, and endurance in a hard program was inspiring!

Way to go bro! Anyone looking for a mad scientist to hire out there, my bro is the best in his field in studying Ecology & Evolution in Marine Biology... his disertation was on Barnacle penis' and reproduction (made for some hilarious conversation starters!). :) Here's a pic of THE Dr. Matt & of the celebration cake Olivia, his girlfriend, made for him... very creative & well done!

Confessions of a Shoplifter

Oh Goodness, I really did it today. In my whole life I have never shoplifted.... today was a first.

OOPS!

So here's the story. My 3 yr old and I made a quick run to Wal-Mart to pick up some goods and hand soap. He was really into the hand soap smell so he was holding it while I went to the self-check out line. I got all done paying and bagging and was headed out the door.

I walked through the sliding doors and headed to the parking lot and looked down. There was the hand soap. Immediately I thought "aww man, I'm gonna have to turn around and wait in the mile long customer service line to pay for that"....then it went straight to "nah, it's only $1, Wal-Mart won't miss $1."

WHAT?! What in the world made that my first thought? So I continued on to the car. (with the thought floating in the back of my mind that there was a security guard headed behind me about to club me over the head because I just "casually shoplifted" $1 hand soap.)

I loaded the car up and buckled Aiden in and was backing out of my parking spot. No sooner did I start backing out that I started feeling what you call CONVICTION. My heart started beating so bad, a mental war started raging in my head. You can say it was your classic angel/devil on your shoulder thing.

I pulled down the aisle and I seriously felt like I could have a heart attack by the conviction of not turning around to pay for that. All the while I was reasoning in my head "it's only $1, not worth the 10 min. to go stand in line and pay". But then I clearly heard God say “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Which is from Luke 16:10.

WOW! I immediately turned around.

It was funny when I walked back in, 2 Wal-Mart ladies were at the door to help people with returns get the little stickers, and they were like "excuse me mam, are you returning that?" I had to explain that we walked out with it in the cart and I forgot to pay for it.... needless to say they and my cashier all looked at me like I was crazy to not just walk away with.

It not only turned into a valuable lesson for Aiden, but for me most of all! What was going on in me to try to cut corners like that, laziness!? Wow, it humbled me. It brought to reality how easy it really is to cut corners and hide sin, and try to get away from it. I also realize if I give that a little foothold it will become a snowball effect and my heart would get hardened to the voice of God and conviction. Which, least to say, puts the fear of God in me!

Have you ever found yourself trying to cut corners?

"Haha, I Am Funny!"

Today was a very Bittersweet day for me.... Sweet in that it was the Awards day for the last day of school for Aiden at Mom's Morning Out at our church (it's a 2 day a week preschool). Bitter in the fact that it was the last day of school, this year... and for Aiden in MMO. boo!

So I am just so proud of my boy- he won the award "The Best Comedian". It just made my day! Sometimes you wonder, do other people see what I see in my kid... and I'm so thankful for the amazing teachers at that school, they do see his humor! :) He asked me what comedian meant and I told him it meant he was funny, and he said "Yeah, haha, I AM funny!".

Seriously, that school has blessed me beyond measure... it has been amazing watching Aiden learn, develop and grow there. I am so sad it's time for him to move on..... it makes me really look forward to the future and more school days.

Have you ever won any awards in school? The only one that comes to my memory was my senior year of high school I won one... it's shallow so I won't even mention it here. lol but I did get ONE! hahaha