Pocketful of Sunshine

See this cute girl?


Her name is Sunny Brooke, and there is absolutely no other name on this planet that could ever fit so perfectly (unless we named her Miss Sassy Wonderfulness, and that's really too long to embroider on anything, and besides you never know how many other Miss Sassy's there might be in her kindergarten class. . .)

Anyway, here is a quick update on what Sunny has been up to lately (you know, the things you would normally write down in a baby book. . . and by "you" I mean all the "good moms" out there who make scrapbooks for their children.)

1. She puts her hands on her hips all the time! (exhibit A)

exhibit B

I have no idea where she gets this from. I know that I do not do that (or flip my hair or constantly talk on my cell phone while laughing and saying "yeah, yeah, yeah, um, yeah." )

2. She is trying to potty train herself. (Yes, I know this is technically my job, but I'm not really feeling up to it right now.) At least 5 times a day I have to ask "Sunny, do you have a diaper on?" "Did you just pee pee somewhere?" "Was it in the potty?"---cringe, fingers crossed. This is a picture from this morning when she came downstairs carrying her frog potty and put it in the middle of the living room (Hey, we're classy like that! Did I mention that we are in a rental house?)

3. She adds the middle name "Sue" when she is calling for someone. . . most of the time it is for "Walker Sue" and "Sawyer Sue" in a sweet sing song voice, followed by "comere wightnow! woooooooooon, twoooooooooooo, treeeeeeeeeee" in a mean mommy voice that I'm not really sure where she picked up.

4. She has a certain phrase she likes to yell over banisters and out of car windows, "Hey Pee Pee head!" Sometimes she even mixes it up with a "Hey Poopy head!" It's horrible and awful and terrible and bad parenting and it's also the funniest thing that I've ever not been allowed to laugh at!

(I think she was thinking about yelling it right here. . .)

5. She says "Who?" instead of "What?" ALL the time. For example, I just laughed when I typed #4 and she came running in the room saying "Who? Who you lapping bout?" (Don't worry, I didn't tell her I was lapping bout pee pee head!)

6. She is her "daddy's pumpkin" and has him officially wrapped around her finger. (He is convinced that she IS NOT saying pee pee head. . .and doesn't need a spanking, and besides, "she's too little to spank")

7. She is everything wonderful about having a little girl! She is precious and dramatic and emotional and funny. She is the constant imagery that I need to remind myself that I too am Someone's little girl and that He rejoices over me with singing! (even when I want to yell Pee Pee Head!)

My FAVORITE NEPHEW......

I have 10 amazing nephews and nieces, and I love them all very much.

However, I do now officially declare George as my favorite nephew, from now until eternity and happily ever after until death do us part forever and ever amen. Here's why...

The other night while watching the 2009 Miss America Pageant (I mean scholarship competition)George came in the room while Miss Iowa was competing in the Swimsuit (I mean "Fitness") Category and said "Oh, is that Aunt Stacy on TV?"






Yes, George, it was. And George, I love you and will give you candy anytime you ask. Oh, and also George, you may need to get glasses.

Happy Halloween!

Just a few pics of our Patriotic Halloween!
The boys were soldiers and Sunny was an elephant (a republican elephant---notice the McCain/Palin pin!). Ben and I were supposed to be John and Cindy. But John went pheasant hunting instead. Doesn't he know we have an election to win!

Unicorns and Hearts and Smiley Faces

Well, if my last post made you need a Prozac or Zoloft or just a big piece of chocolate cake, I apologize. I'm better now. : )

I forgot something about "the Potter." He doesn't leave His work. He doesn't leave the wheel spinning and let the clay try to do something on it's own. His hands are always at work, always shaping and molding. So instead of me saying "hey, what about this spot over here?" or "wow, this area is NOT looking good," I'm just going to sit back and let Him do his work and enjoy the ride.

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.
Philippians 1:6

In the middle. . .

Somewhere in the Middle (by Casting Crowns)

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle


This is my new favorite song. My sister-in-law sent it to me this morning right before I had to take Sawyer to soccer practice (needless to say I showed up to practice with mascara dripping down my face, wiping my eyes, blaming those pesky allergies).

It hits me hard, right where I’m at. Caught in the middle between my best and God’s best. Caught in the middle of what I say and what I do. Caught in the middle of striving and just abiding. Caught in the middle of good intentions and obedient actions.

I say caught, but I’m not. To say I’m caught is like someone standing in a huge open field screaming “Let me out of this cage. I can’t get out.” No, maybe “stuck” is more accurate.

I’m stuck in the middle.

I like before and after pictures. I love them. I like to say “Wow, what a transformation!” I get bored with the in between. I tire of the process. I like results. But that’s where I’m at right now. In the process. Clay in the hands… messy, muddy, spinning on a wheel. I either want to be the nice packaged clay in the box or the finished perfectly crafted end product. It’s this in between, this refining, this messy messy globby mess that is so hard for me.

Stacy & Sarah

What can I say, we go together like peas n carrots, peanut butter and jelly, caramel and chocolate, red wine and more red wine, I could go on and on.

When I watched McCain announce his selection, I was a little more than skeptical…What? Who? Why?

It didn’t take long to have all those questions answered---and answered well! The more I heard the more I liked! No, not just liked----loved! I was crying by the end. Crying because she said “servant heart” and meant it, crying because she is a doer and not just a hearer (or complainer!), crying because I saw someone like me on that stage, who loves this country, believes in the values it was founded on, and wants more than anything for it to be a place that is safe, clean, benevolent, moral, and truly truly looks out for the “least of these.” Is she perfect? No. Has she made mistakes, misspoken, misunderstood, miscalculated, misstepped? Absolutely, haven’t we all? Haven’t you? I know I sure have. We are a nation that doesn’t just love to throw stones, we like to sit back and watch the impact, sell tickets to the show and markup the price of the popcorn. I know this because I’ve done it.

What I’m most shocked by, however, is not the nastiness of the media, or the venom from the far left. No, what astounds me the most is the judgment and condemnation from my fellow sisters in Christ who doubt her commitment to her family and God because of her service to her country, and use a scripture reference after each attack as justification.

Scripture is alive…it is God breathed…it is useful…it is relevant…it is convicting…it is truth and love. Let us be careful that we look at scripture in context and with Spirit led discernment. (Remember the self-righteous religious folks…the good ol’Pharisees…they could quote scripture with the best of them, even the Devil himself liked to throw out a passage now and then.)

There are numerous verses that lift up the importance of a wife and a mother as it relates to the nurturing of our children, the edification of our husbands, the role and importance of the family, leading in our churches, etc. but there are also numerous verses that talk about service, advocacy, social responsibility, and civic duty. I believe these verses are in addition to…and not exclusive of… each other.

There are passages that speak of women being elevated for “such a time as this,” character studies on women of virtue who work inside and outside of the home, women who have led or helped lead their nation, and then of course the beautiful description of a noble wife in Proverbs 31:10-31. I’ve read it many times before, but read it with a new fervor when I think of Sarah Palin.

I’m proud of Sarah and will be praying for her!

Be happy, choose joy, celebrate life, smile, laugh till it hurts!

It's summertime and life is good!
Apparently we are having too much fun to find time to blog!