House Remodeling

This is for my Okie friends who have asked me to see pics of my house. I did not want to put them on Facebook because I don't want the whole world to see them! : ) We still are working on the house and we are waiting on some furniture. Love to you all and miss you bunches. Oh, and don't you love that I have not blogged in a year. What?!?

The first pic is of the street in front of our house. It is a pretty neighborhood.

The second pic is of the color we decided to paint the bathroom. I only painted it 3 times and I managed to spill quite a bit of paint on myself.

The 3rd pic is to show you the rock we picked out for the front yard. 15 tons of rock. We do have a patch of grass in the back for the boys to play football.

The 4th pic is a view we have in our backyard. If you strain your eyes you can see our mountain view.

The 5th pic is the front of the house. You enter a security gate, go through a courtyard, then you reach the door.

THe 6th pic is of the hallway. Lots of arches. So not fun to paint.

This is a pic of the front room. When you enter through the front door their is a dining room/sitting area. We replaced the stinky carpet with wood floors in here. Also did some painting.

We are very thankful for the house. We got a good deal. It has been a lot of work. We like the layout of the house. We think Phoenix is gorgeous...mountains everywhere. So come see us!! Seriously!!

Recommended Books

I love to read. Actually, it is one of my favorite things to do. I have read several books in the past months and I thought I would take the time to jot these down. I would love to hear any book selections from you!

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Forgotten God by Francis Chan.... a great book on the Holy Spirit

The Grace Walk by Steve McVey

Grace Rules by Steve McVey...a great one if you struggle with the "performance trap"!!

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller...very insightful

Prodigal God by Tim Keller... shows how we can some tendencies of the "older brother"

The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney...very short read, again very good

Humility by CJ Mahaney...great to read and reread!!

Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler great for your quiet time, teaches 26 names of God

Christmas 2009

We have had a wonderful Christmas season. I have enjoyed baking this holiday season and I love finding fun things for the kids to do. This year I hosted a cookie exchange and that was so much fun. I made a new recipe of Christmas bark which is super easy and yummy. So excited to find recipes that are easy! Of course we watched all of our favorite holiday movies. We had a WHITE Christmas which was amazing. The only thing that was a little rough during the holidays is that we have all had the stomach bug...some of the children longer than others. We have been snowed in and sick. That is okay though. It could be worse!! I love to find ways to celebrate Jesus. My Jesus birthday cake was a flop. It was much smaller than it was suppose to be...maybe next year?? The kids did not seem to mind. We added a scavenger hunt for the kids to find Baby Jesus in the manger. They seemed to enjoy running inside and outside finding their clues. Jack received the game Apples to Apples this Christmas and we have enjoyed playing that with the older two. As we look forward to 2010 our future is uncertain but we trust the Lord to fulfill His plans for our lives. We are praying for His best pathway and that He would be truly glorified by our lives. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Mom's Canned Questions

We have a little box of questions that sits on our table for dinner. We pull a question out of there at dinner. Of course this was not my idea. You can actually buy a box of canned questions. I just wanted to save a few dollars and make my own. My kids really love this. As I was coming up with more questions for our family, I thought this might make a great gift to give to my mommy friends next year. Here are some of the questions I put in our box: What is your favorite meal? What is your favorite TV show? What is your favorite movie? If you could go anywhere on a vacation, where would you pick? What is your favorite thing to do with your family? What is your favorite color? Who is your favorite Bible character? What is your favorite chapter in the Bible? What is your favorite car? If you could meet anyone, who would it be? If you could trade places with a person for a day who would you pick? What is your least favorite meal? What is your least favorite chore? What is your favorite song? What is your favorite holiday? What is your favorite dessert? What is your favorite animal. Do you have a most embarrassing moment? Tell about a time when you were really sad. Who has impacted your life the most? Are you afraid of anything? Who are 3 of your best friends? I actually bought a container at Hobby Lobby for 1.50 and I am going to put these little questions in that box. Just thought I would share a cheap gift idea!!

It Must Be Halloween

I really love this time of the year. I buy lots and lots of pumpkins and put them all through the house. I love the fall colors. I love pumpkin patches. I love the recipes for the fall like pumpkin muffins, etc. We had fun carving pumpkins this year and baking pumpkin seeds. We had some great friends over for Halloween night. It was such a fun time trick or treating with our good friends. Here are some pics of the boys. Happy Fall.

Fall at the Whitleys

The seasons are a changin' and there is a lot of change going on at the Whitley house. Our two and half year old is out of the crib and into his big boy bed. He loves his new bed and it makes me a little sad to realize he is not a "baby" anymore. Will was just baptized last weekend and we were thrilled about his decision. We are very proud of him and so very thankful. Jack is loving football. He likes to play it on the Wii and watch it with his dad. Maybe he will play next year?? He really enjoys riding his bike on his new ramp! Yikes! Sam enjoys books and doing puzzles. He loves riding his scooter outside. There are some change with Ben's career and we will know more after November. We continue to pray about our future realizing that our future is in God's Hands and we trust Him fully. Here are a few pics.

God is our Rescuer

Today started like most days around the Whitley household. However, it did not turn out to be an ordinary day. Ben was in Oklahoma City so I took the boys to dinner at Chick-fil-a. When we got back, we did homework and the boys begged to go on a bike ride. We ride our bikes often on the trails in our neighborhood. Jack and Will always ride their bikes and I usually push the little two in the stroller. Tonight, Sam wanted to ride his scooter. We completed one trail and the two bigger boys wanted to do one more trail. I knew Sam was tired so I told the bigger boys that Sam and I would take a shortcut and meet them at the water fountain. Well, when Sam and I turned the corner, we saw Jack but did not see Willy boy. At that point we were not sure if Will went ahead and did another trail or turned around and went the other direction that he came from. I know without a shadow of a doubt that God sent a man to help us. He was riding his bike with his son. I gave him my address and described Will to him. Jack and I continued on the trail. We were hollering for Will and Sam was getting so tired. I ended up carrying Sam, a scooter, and pushing Max in his stroller. I was trying to pray "Help us Lord, Send Help, Protect Will..." It was getting darker and darker. We made it back home....no Will. So then we went back to the water fountain....no Will. We called the police and they said "stay right where you are". A mom cannot just stand around and wait!!! I drove down a main road in our neighborhood and a man said that Will had been found. It was just such a scary feeling and I felt like such a bad mom. Having four boys is so much fun but I need the Lord to help me every day. I need His protection over them. They are busy and I need about ten eye balls!! We just all prayed when we got back. Will said "I was scared, I was crying, and I was praying." I am so proud of him. I think this little man is going to get baptized in October and I am very excited about that. As I prayed to the Lord, I just told Him, "Lord I could never thank You enough. Thank You for rescuing and protecting my little guy."

School Days

Jack and Will have started back to school. We had such a great summer. We enjoyed swimming and going on vacation. I really enjoyed having them home. Now, a new season has begun. I can't believe Jack is in the third grade and Will is in the first. We have been praying for their teachers for the past year and I am hoping they will really enjoy their new classes. Lord, help them to walk with the wise. Help them to be a friend and make a friend. Help them to shine for You. Thank you for these boys Lord.

Sam turns Four

Sammy boy decided he wanted to have an Indiana Jones birthday. We had fun creating him Indiana Jones themed cupcakes. He has been waiting so long for his birthday. He is the last one out of the whole family to have his special day!! Now that he is four, he thinks that he can do everything that the bigger boys do...like have a few knives, ride his bike without training wheels. He thinks he is too big for Diego, Veggie Tales, etc. Sam is really sweet. He loves giving hugs and he is very competitive. He loves riding his scooter, riding bikes, reading books, and playing pretend. His questions never cease to amaze me. We love you Sam bunches.

Destin 2009

We had a great time on our family vacation. On the way to Destin, we stopped by to see Ben's grandmother and the boy's great grandmother. We suprised her. It was a great visit. She had never seen our younger too. We got lots of photos. When we got to Destin, we relaxed bunches. We spent time at the pool and the beach. We really just relaxed, watched tv, and soaked up the sun. It was the most relaxing trip I think we could have taken with four boys. I am very thankful that we were able to do it and we had great weather. Here are a few pics.

Jack's Birthday

Jack turned nine years old. He is such a blessing to us. He loves playing with his friends, riding on his ripstick, reading, reading more, and building with legos. He is smart, kind, and creative. We are very thankful for his life. He had a lego birthday party. We had lego contests and lego cupcakes. It was a lot of fun. May God continue to guide you, may you love God more each year, and may He use you in a mighty way. We love you. You can't get any older. We will not allow it. Ha!!

Daddy Time

We enjoyed spoiling Daddy for Father's Day. The boys had fun making him cards and taking him breakfast. We went to church and then had a little down time which was nice. Then we went swimming. He taught the older two how to do back flips off the diving board and he taught the younger two how to jump off the diving board. Then we came home and had a yummy dinner and homemade ice cream! Thank you God for Ben. He is a wonderful Dad. Thank you for how he is gentle with them, teaches them, listens to them, encourages them, and has lots of fun with them. We are all so blessed by having him in our lives!! On a side note I missed being with my Dad for Father's Day today. It just didn't work out for us to see him. He has gone above and beyond for me and I am so blessed by him.

Summer Fun

We are enjoying the boys so much this summer. Their favorite thing to do is swimming. They love to go every day!! I am so thankful to be at home with them. The summer days are jammed packed with activities and we are going to bed a little later. One thing that we are enjoying is our nightly reading. We just finished a biography on George Mueller and now we are reading Nate Saint. The boys love this. Ben and I find ourselves a little on the tired side but this is just a season!! We love these boys and they are such wonderful gifts. Here are a few pics from a splash pad in Tulsa town.

Mommy's Little Notes

This is an updated version of some of my favorite scriptures on patience and gentleness.  I am trying to read over these at least once a day, especially going into the summer!!

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.  James 1:19, 20

A fool gives full vent to anger but a wise person quietly holds back.  Proverbs 29:11

Don't sin by letting anger control you.  Psalm 4:4

The Godly think before speaking.  Proverbs 15:28

So think clearly and exercise self-control.  1 Peter 1:13

When she speaks her words are wise and kindness is the rule.  Proverbs 31:26

...clothe yourselves (daily) with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Col 3:12

Always be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults b/c of your love  Eph 4:2

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  Eph.  5:31

Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.  Prov.  25:15

We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.  

We pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have the endurance and patience you need.  Col. 1:11

Clothe yourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit.  1 Peter 3:4

I would love to add to this list if you have a favorite scripture.  Happy Summer to all of my dear mommy friends.  

Camping at Buffalo River

We had a great time getting away with our good friends the Lowry's this past weekend.  It was quite an adventure.  Our hubbies left early to get us a campsite with four of the kids.  Margo and I left a little later with my four kids.  My car was loaded down with camping gear so I could barely see my kids.  The DVD battery stopped working so that made things a little interesting!! We did make it there and the place was absolutely beautiful.  It was quite amazing and we will make several trips there in the future.  The campsites were very nice.  On Friday night we did endure a two hour thunderstorm.  The kids were so tired they slept right through it.  Our car alarm went off for a while...neither Ben or I wanted to venture out in the rain to turn it off.  Our littlest guy was up from 3:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m.  So we really did not get much sleep.  Oh well. It was worth it. The next morning the dads cooked a big breakfast and we started on our hike. There were awesome waterfalls and the boys LOVED climbing around on the rocks and trees. It was a great time.  Thank you Lord for allowing us to get away for a bit with great friends. Thank you for all of your creation...it is beautiful.  

It's Cooking Time

Today I spent some time with the little two baking.  The 2 year old is finally big enough to stand on the bench without falling off.  Yeah!!  We had a great time.  They helped me make some bread, get dinner ready in the crockpot, and of course COOKIES.  They took turns pouring the ingredients in.  This reminded me of years past when I did this with the older two.  Hope you enjoy the pics.