Micah's Big Solo

Last night was the big choir concert that we have all been waiting for. It was wonderful as always. We have a great choir!

One of the songs featured a "choir boy" solo and the director asked Micah if he would do it. She did make him try out and she made sure that he "fit" with the choir, but it all worked out and he's been going to choir practice twice a week for the past weeks.

His song was first. He read an introductory scripture, then the choir marched in during the song intro (it is long), and his solo was about halfway through the song. It was the first time they have worn their new beautiful choir robes too.

I'm partial, but Micah did a wonderful job. I had a lump in my throat before it even started. I always get nervous when the kids do stuff and of course I feel so proud that they shine through and do so well. He stood right on up there and did just like he was suppose to do. He is a very talented boy! He never really gets nervous or shy up there either. Future preacher? Minister of Music? Hmmmmm.....

I took pictures, but the church videos it. Hopefully the videos and audios will come out soon. So, until then, I'll leave you with these images:

Micah reading the scripture before the choir came in:

Right after they had marched in:

Singing his big solo!

Singing with the choir:

Contentment

Philippians 4:10-14 (New International Version)

Thanks for Their Gifts

¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

¹⁴Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

Sometimes it is hard as humans to find that contentment that only comes through God. Sometimes we are up on the mountaintop and sometimes down in the valley, yet we are to be content through it all knowing that God is in control and has a plan. Not just any plan, but a specific plan for us as individuals. It is easy for us as humans to wonder what God's plan may be ahead of us. We get discouraged by worldly things happening around us and people do a lot of disappointing. Growing pains often hurt, but God is our father and has only our best interests at heart.

Much of the Christian (ministry) life is just learning to "go with the flow". There is so much that is out or our control, but God is never surprised and always in control. We may not understand what is happening, but he does. He had it planned out before we were even born.

Sometimes God tests our obedience to him even if the end result is different than what we previously had thought. The obedience, in and of itself, brings glory to God! He wants us to be content with the plans that HE has made for us and the timing he has set. In the end, nothing else matters.

Playzeum

Yesterday, we were all home. The kids were out for MLK day and Jamie is off on Mondays anyways. We decided to go to the Playzeum for a couple of hours. I had also promised Abbi that she could invite her "BFF" over to play, so we picked her up and took her to the Playzeum with us. It was a fun afternoon, although the Playzeum was busy. I was surprised it was even open, but apparently many parents had the same idea that we had on the day off. It is good for the kids to blow off some steam and they slept good last night!








Here is Abbi and Elysia. Elysia just turned 8, so she is actually younger than Abbi, but she is as tall (if not taller) than Micah. She is tall for her age and we are all short, so it makes them look like they are about 4 years apart in age! She is a very sweet girl though and very well behaved. You hardly even know she is around. It comes in handy that she lives about a block away too!

Upward Cheer and Glamour Party

This morning, Hannah had her first Upward Cheer game. It was really cute. A bit cramped and clausterphobic in the hallway waiting to get to the gym, Jamie and I didn't get to sit together (very few chairs considering the number of people), but it was very cute and she enjoyed it. That's all that matters.


This afternoon, Abbi had a birthday party for her "BFF". It was a glamour party. They got their hair and nails done and played dress up and walked down a red carpet. I'm sure it was very cute. They took a photo of her on the red carpet. I do not have a scanner, so I took a picture of a picture (excuse the glare).

Here is the picture of the "do"
Jamie has finally woken from the dead, so I guess it will be a low-key evening. We are having movie night in the Hughes house later.

Jamie is on the News

Link to Video


Well, in the background, but hey, it is something. Right?

The man on the phone goes to our church. He and His wife are full time missionaries in Haiti and I know their hearts are breaking. His wife is still here in Owensboro due to a recent surgery she just had.

Our church is a donation site as a result of this wonderful couple's service over there. Jamie has helped pack up donations this week. The outpouring has just been so overwhelming!

Spending a Friday Night Alone

Tonight Jamie is at a lock-in. It is the first one since coming to this church. He does very few lock-ins. They are not his favorite thing in the world even though he knows the youth love them. The last lock in I chaperoned was.....well....a couple of the youth that attended just graduated from college if that tells you anything. There are many times that I truly mourn not getting to do things with the youth like I desire, but this is one things that I don't really envy, I'll be honest. I'm not good with sleep deprivation!

I did my girl's Bible study at 6:00 and the girls were all a buzz. It looked like they had a great turn out too, which is great! I even had 2 extra kids in my Bible study, which was exciting too!

So, the kids and I came home and the kids went to bed at 8:00. So, here I sit all alone on a Friday night. I wish I could use it as a opportunity to catch up on sleep, but I can't ever really sleep as well when Jamie isn't in the house.

Tomorrow Hannah has her first cheering game. She is very excited. Jamie refuses to miss her first game, so he may finally get to climb in bed at 11:30 tomorrow morning. I promise I won't let him drive. I'm sure it would be worse than a drunk man going down the road!

Abbi is attending a birthday party for her best friend at a kids' beauty parlor. I think she'll get a hair-do and they'll try on pretty dresses and walk down a red carpet. Sounds fancy and fun!

So, I guess I'm getting old, because I'm going to crawl into my covers and read a book.

On another note: Prayers are going up for Haiti! Our church has been advertised as a donation site since we have missionaries from Haiti that go to our church. The husband is there now, the wife just has surgery and couldn't go. They have gotten over $5000 and so many supplies. It has been amazing the outpouring that has been shown. Not just in this community, but all over the world. My heart breaks for those people. I can't imagine how frightened, hungry, devastated, and mournful they must be. Praying that they can get the help they need, but also that they will see God through all of this tragedy somehow.

Snow Days

We have gotten a pretty decent snow here. At least a few inches and it has fallen off and on for 2 days. The kids were so excited to get up to snow yesterday morning. Of course, all they could think about was going out and building a snowman. That is impossible anyways, because it is such a dry snow, but I finally caved and let them go out. We did the whole bundling up thing and layers of clothes, but it is pretty useless when the temperatures are so low. We told them that they could play out for 30 minutes. Well, we didn't last that long. It was about 20 minutes I guess. It was too cold, but they got a bit of it out of their system at least:







They each had some Christmas money burning in their piggy banks and I refused to let them bring another toy into this house. I got an MP3 with some of my money. The Micah went and spent some of his money on an MP3 player, of course the girls wanted one too. So, we went last night and let them make the purchase. Chloe inherited Micah's old MP3, which is a Disney one that takes a memory card and more for little kids. Then, of course, they all needed new headphones to complete the purchase.

They have all been so funny today dancing around with these on their heads. It is not very funny when I have to repeat everything that I say twice or three times, because they have music in their ears.



So today, I'm not going to be suckered into going out and letting them play in the snow. It is pretty, but only sitting by the window with a hot drink in my hand, and a heater by my feet!

Abbi is Fancy Nancy...Who Knew?

My girls love Fancy Nancy. It is a book collection that has a little girl that likes things "fancy". She uses big words and wears fancy clothes and is more interested in speaking French than English (because it is fancier).

Yesterday, Abbi checked a Fancy Nancy book out of the school library. We were reading it, and I had to stop for a moment when I got to this page:

Particularly, these 2 pictures:



Notice the pink speckled blanket that Fancy Nancy has fashioned into a dress? Well, take a gander at the blanket(s) that Abbi has. A friend made these very large receiving blankets for her when she was born. Who would have thought that 8 years later, they'd still be a part of her life:

Notice how closely they look like Fancy Nancy's? Crazy!

I'm really not sure what she is doing in this picture, but she is obviously dressed up. She sleeps with them, plays with them, and almost every day she has one of them (or both) tied on into an accessory or clothes or hats. We crack up as Abbi walks through the house, because we never know what the blankets are going to be from one day to the next. She sure does use her imagination, that's for sure.

But, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that Fancy Nancy has the same blanket, so I had to take a picture. Which, by the way, is with our new camera (thank you Christmas money and after Christmas sales!) Love it! My old camera would have never zoomed in and given me such a crisp picture. I can't wait to use it for Upward Cheer this weekend!

BRRRRRRRRRRR!

It is so cold! Two days in row I have gotten up to single digit temperatures. The highs for the day are only in the lower 20's. So, needless to say, I sent my kids to school with extra layers.

I really dislike the cold weather! It is uncomfortable, we can't go outside, coats (and all the accessories) are just necessary inconveniences, I never seem to be 100% warm, snow is overrated (we usually get ice anyways), I have to warm my car up before going anywhere, and it seems to just drag on forever. So, especially this week, I'm very thankful that we don't live any further north! This is as far north as I really hope to ever be. Now moving south....that might be more like it!

On another note, Micah and I did homework this weekend. Well, at least it was "fun" homework. He had to design a habitat for a White-tailed deer. It is due Friday, but he went ahead and took it with him today. Nothing wrong with getting a few brownie points with the teacher, right? (just kidding!) Now onto the paper that is due next week.