Thank you!!!!

I had the best birthday! It started off the night before my birthday with a little surprise party from my Bible study girls. Jennifer even made my favorite buffalo chicken dip, Rebecca brought cupcakes and Sandi brought lemon squares. We ate and laughed and talked about how to be submissive and respectful wives. That was fun!!!

The next morning, Allen and the kids had me a cake from Savage's bakery. My favorite! Allen got me a cross necklace and a gift certificate to get my Bible commentary. Laney had painted a beautiful painting with Aunt Emily's help. It's pretty big and just wonderful. She was so proud of it! We had birthday cake after breakfast, so Allen could celebrate with us. Then the kids and I went to the Thrift Store and the library. Our two favorite places to go!

I had phone calls all day, beautiful cards and presents from my sweet friends, and family too. From my very oldest friends (My favorite memory of Lee was his introducing me to Madonna in 7th grade...) to my old friends (who I've known for 10 years and more) to my new (5 years old about) sweet friends who put up with me on a daily basis!

THANK YOU to everyone who called and/or sent a card and/or a gift. I felt so loved and treasured on my birthday! I am blessed with the most wonderful, thoughtful and preicous people in my life. I am truly humbled to be a part of your lives! *smack*

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!