Happy Birthday!!!

To my blog! I'm two days late, actually, but on March 24th, 2007, I started this little thing called my blog. It has changed my life just a little. I post to it constantly, in my mind. Pretty crazy, huh? I can almost not process my thoughts unless they are in Blogger form. This thing is either making me really good at decoding thought processes, or making me really stupid. It's not up for a vote either...

It's become a place to sort through my thoughts, record our life events, and keep up with friends near and far. I wasn't too sure about starting a blog. I really was a journal girl before this. I was looking through my journals the other night, and I was a little sad about how lonely they were. It was nice to see my handwriting, my doodles and my mood reflected in how I wrote physically. Things you can't do here.

The cool thing about this, though, is that it is easier to post to. For me, anyway. And there are companies who can take your blog and make it into a book. Really nice ones, with glossy pages and a hard cover and everything. I think that would be so neat.

So happy birthday, little Overthinker spot. Here's to many more years together! (and a huge thank you to those who read it. i know it's not always easy. someone actually told me that the other day! lol. oh well. i am what i am!!!! ;P for better or worse. or until God gets His work done on me. which may be awhile. oh anyway....)

Happy Resurrection Sunday

It  was a fun filled, fast paced, action packed celebration of family, food  and fun. After a touching, humbling, challenging, emotional and thought  provoking service at Brook Hills, we hosted 15 members of our family all  together for the first ever Allen Barlow family Easter extravaganza. We  ate, talked, laughed and played. Jude said it was the best Easter ever  and wanted to know when it would be Easter again.

My sweet babies!

Laney and Jude got presents from Grandmother

Mimi and Laney play in their Easter finery.

"Us girls", as Mama calls us.

Allen and Amy, better known as "Mama and Daddy."

Shelley and Joey

Grandmother and Laney

Sandy and Van

Mimi can ride too!!!

Jude and Brandon strike a pose.

Zane really loves his helmet.

Laney and Nicky

Laney and Jude now know what Webkinz are. Oh boy


Zane in his new favorite helmet. And his Easter outfit.

When everyone was gone, the kids and Allen went outside for some baseball. Jude was the seated pitcher and wore his new baseball outfit from Grandmother. Allen had on his matching baseball jersey. Laney was up to bat in her Easter dress. Zane is in the swing. Not swinging, mind you. That's much too scary. He likes to SIT in the swing. And watch baseball. My sweet family.

Embracing Accusation

This song was sung in church on Sunday. I can't express what my soul felt.

"Good" Friday

I've been reflective today. I guess I should be. I don't really understand completely the celebration of Easter. It's not mentioned Biblically, omitted as is the celebration of Christ's birth. Jesus never said to celebrate it. He himself celebrated Passover and the Feast of the Tabernacles. Easter isn't mentioned in the Bible at all, and I feel a little uncomfortable with the modern Easter celebration.

It's probably no surprise that we don't do the Easter Bunny or decorate for that stuff. Nothing against those that do, but if you'll remember my rants about Christmas, you can only imagine how uncomfortable I feel with the commercialization of Easter. We celebrate the coming of Spring this week too, so we have 4 little bunnies holding flowers for our table for family dinner on Sunday. The kids play with eggs, but we don't associate them with Easter. They play with them from now until they all get lost or broken. I love to get together and eat with the family. I dress the kids in matching clothes, and I have no justification for that except that I'm a clothes freak.

I feel weird at Easter service too. When I was faaaar from the Lord, I didn't go to church on Easter. I didn't want to offend Him by coming only that one day. Some look at it like, "Well, one day is better than nothing." I'm not sure how I feel or even if it's important. We go to church every Sunday, so we'll be there on Easter. As for all those who are only there that day? It doesn't matter what I think, and it's between them and God. Hopefully some people will come to Him that day.

Some denominations don't celebrate Easter at all. They celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection all year. (waving to my "weird" friend) I like that way.

All that being said, I've thought a lot about Jesus today. Not that I don't every day, but more of what he went through and why. What was it like? How did he feel? What about those who loved His? His mother watched Him die. Can you imagine??? My heart aches for her. Her baby-the Savior. What conflict. The thief on the cross, who believed. How thankful is he today, that he believed? He came so close to hell. Those apostles. I can't imagine. Peter. Precious Peter. He really blew it. And Judas. I'm trying to imagine his anguish.

This was a "nice" reminder of what He went through: http://www.carm.org/misc/crucifixion.htm

I bought the Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack today, and it's so beautiful. (If you are going to watch the movie, watch the director's cut, please.) It reflects how I feel, and the music reminds me of Jesus. I love watching movies like those. Just to get closer to where and when Jesus lived. Silly, I know. That movie was about the Crusades, not really when Jesus lived, but you know what I mean. Hopefully...

We were in the car today, and we were talking about Good Friday. Laney said, "Why is it called 'Good' Friday ? It's not a very good day for Jesus."



I stammered around, trying to answer her. Was that information I knew at one time, but lost during those labors or during the myriad of sleepless nights? I came home and looked up the answer, and this nice fellow, Ken Something-or-other, put it rather succinctly and nicely:

"Calling the day of the Crucifixion ‘Good’ Friday is a designation that is peculiar to the English language. In German, for example, it is called Karfreitag. The Kar part is an obsolete word, the ancestor of the English word care in the sense of cares and woes, and it meant mourning. So in German, it is Mourning Friday. And that is what the disciples did on that day—they mourned. They thought all was lost.

I’ve read that the word good used to have a secondary meaning of holy, but I can’t trace that back in my etymological dictionary. There are a number of cases in set phrases where the words God and good got switched around because of their similarity. One case was the phrase God be with you, which today is just good-bye. So perhaps Good Friday was originally God’s Friday. But I think we call it Good Friday because, in pious retrospect, all that tragedy brought about the greatest good there could be.

I can see virtue in either terminology. If we call it Mourning Friday, as in German, we are facing reality head on, taking up the cross if you will, fully conscious that the Christian walk is seldom a walk in the park. But if we call it Good Friday, as in English, we are confessing the Christian hope that no tragedy—not even death—can overwhelm God’s providence, love, and grace. Either way seems fine to me!"

There was some relief in finding that answer.

I think the most important thing about Easter to me is making sure I am this thankful for Jesus' sacrifice ALL year. I don't want to be this reflective just these 3 days a year. That shrinks down what Jesus did to a mere trivial smidgen of insignificance.


What really stuck with Laney today, what she really talked about, is that Jesus died for people that He knew would never love, believe in or accept Him. That gets me to. That is love that we as humans can't even comprehend.



I was watching a thing on the Shroud of Turin (http://www.shroud.com/) this morning. Looking at that face, wanting it to be His. Just so I could see it. I just needed to see His face. It's hard not to know what someone looks like when you love them this much.




This holiday makes me really want to go look in that face and tell Him "thank you." How shallow and how much those word pale in how I really want to thank Him. I'm really trying to thank Him with my life.

Spring has Sprung

I can feel it. Spring is here. Or officially tomorrow, on the 20th, it will be here.

Ice cubes back in drinks
Ceiling fans on
Shorts and tee shirts
Longer days


Spring equinox. 12 hours of day. 12 hours of night.

Long walks
Days at the park
Breezes flowing through open windows
Sundresses

I'm a little sad winter is over.

No more cold feet
No more hot tea
No more warm sweaters
No more down comforters

Summer will be fun. Each one that the kids get older are more and more fun.

Spring is a sweet season.

Flowers
Kites
Rain
Sun

Fleeting thoughts from a tired blogger who is sad to pack away winter.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Since our St. Patrick's Day parade on Friday was canceled, as I already mentioned, we decided to have our own parade on the Brook. I was keeping my neighbor Pam's sweet children, so the parade family brought the parade to us. We were so excited, and it was hilarious and sweet and precious. We had a blast, and it was the perfect ending to a great St. Paddy's day weekend!

Getting ready. That's Pam's little girl in the pink. No, I didn't acquire any extra children permanently!

Waiting on the parade. Pam's little boy was in the stroller.

Here they come!!!! Abi and Isaac threw candy and bead necklaces. It was a real parade!!!

Jennifer, James and Baby Elijah tearing up the parade route.

Look at that precious baby!!! He was such a good sport. And check out Jenn's killer sign. That girl has some talent.

Abi and Laney

Jen and James

Ronda, Alyson and Drew

The crazy Barlows

Sandi, Grant and sweet baby boy!!!!

My amazing girls. (Notice I resisted the urge to say "homies.") Sandi and Ronda are looking waaay to normal. James put the shamrock on Sandi - that was not her own doing. Ronda looks nice and neat. Come to think of it, she and Sandi are always nice and neat. And normal. Jenn is too, usually. She channeled her wild and crazy side today. Guess that's why we're all friends. We balance each other out!!! lol...

We do have the best friends in the whole world! We missed the other daddy's too. It was a great day!

"This day is so fun, it's like a vacation!"

This was Laney's summary of our day on Saturday...

Our St. Patrick's Day parade was rained out on Friday, and we were really sad. We decided to go on some St. Patty's day fun on Saturday to make up for Friday.

Our first stop was Target, where I got my first new pair of glasses in 7 years! My other pair is 10 years old!! Zane has broken one pair and the other pair is being held together by a small screw. I'm hoping they make it through the week. I got contacts too, which makes Allen very happy!!! He says he likes to see me without glasses some times! I got my eyes dilated, so I had to wear my sunglasses all day. I looked really silly, but I was really not able to see anything. Allen said it was a taste of what I was going to be like when I am old! I got two really cute pair of glasses, and I can't wait to get them on Saturday. I love having contacts too. I can wear sunglasses!!! Woo hoo!!!

After Target, we headed to eat. We saw the Mellow Mushroom, and got REALLY excited! We love that place but never get to go. It was so yummy and delicious. They have the best pita break and hummus dip you will ever have. YUM!

Then we headed to the Clover Walk in Homewood. There were green stations everywhere, and it was a green awareness/St. Patrick's celebration. Right up our alley. We were even able to recycle the huge bag of batteries we've been collecting for years. (Fyi - You CANNOT throw away batteries, ever. Now back to your regularly scheduled program...)



Our first stop was to Fretted. The kids wanted to see Sugar, and to say "hi" to Mr. Herb. They love going to Daddy's work and seeing all the guitars. They love Sugar the most. This is Laney saying she'd eaten too much sugar. Not the dog. The real kind. Hayes got us addicted to Nerds jelly beans. We'd gotten those at Target and eaten them already along with the Shamrock cookies. (Jennifer is shuddering right now...)

We got clover cookies from Savage's Bakery. My favorite. *sigh* I love their cookies so much. I'm not the only one too, let me tell you...

Laney slid down a huge slide for a bit, and Jude and I even went once. That was enough for Jude! I was proud that he went once, though.

Then we headed to Vulcan. The last time we were there was when I was pregnant with Laney and he was disassembled. It was so neat and the kids loved it. It was SUPER windy and just so cool up there. Whew. We were tired, but having the best day!

Jude went down the stairs walking only on one color stone. I love it when my kids do things just like I would have done when I was a kid!

Jude found a rainbow. He said, "Mom, look! There's violet!!!" Pure homeschooling moment. We studied rainbows and colors not that long ago.

Looking straight down to the bottom of Vulcan. Vertigo, man!!!

Allen and the kids at the kids' station.



We topped the day off with a huge trip to Costco, which is impossible without Daddy. We came home, ate dinner, bathed and tried to sleep. Yes. Tried. But I'm tired of talking about that.

So that was our vacation at home day!

THE END!!!