Talent Show and Wax Museum

 

The twins and Caleb auditioned and were chosen to participate in Landmark's talent show in April.  Joshua and David played guitar and sang "Never Once" and Caleb did a solo singing "I Will Rise."  (Hope to post video soon if I can get it to work!)

                                                  
                                                  Hanging with friends at the talent show

Landmark does a Wax Museum every year, and all of the second graders participate by choosing anyone they want to be from history or modern day. They research their person, prepare a short speech that they have to memorize, and all dress up on the same day with props.  All around the gym students are set up and parents and other students at school come through the "Wax Museum".  When someone comes by and touches them they automatically repeat their speech, just like when you push a button on a wax figure at a museum, and then go right back to frozen position.  SUCH a fun day!  There were SO many cute characters this year.  Joshua and David chose to be the Orville and Wilbur Wright and did theirs as a team!  Aren't they the cutest little Wright Brothers you ever saw?!

                       

Catching Up on Life: March/April

So, I've gone back and forth in my mind at least a dozen times on how to go about catching up on the blog.  The couple of months before we moved was really challenging so the blog got put on the back burner, and once we did move to Tennessee, we were in a rental where we didn't have internet service at all for all of June and July (not to mention no cell service at all...had to balance our cell phones in one...yes, only one, exact spot in our window just to send or receive texts!)  On one hand, it seemed to make sense to just start from where we are right now in life, but it just seems like if I do that I'm just leaving a big hole in the middle of my blog!!  This might not bother a single other soul other than myself, but it was going to eat at me if I didn't at least attempt to fill in SOME of the gaps!  I've decided to do some basic overall glimpses (with pictures, ofcourse!) of Dallas life over the past few months to sord of play catch up a little bit.  It certainly won't cover it all, but it'll have to do!

SO...here we go!  (Click on each collage to enlarge)




Here are some shots from Easter just in the backyard.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my beautiful family!!!



April was Caleb's 13th birthday, and that's one of the "special birthday" years we have in our family,
so Kenny and Caleb went on a trip for a few days to have some Father/Son time and when Caleb got
back home the other kids and I had a surprise party ready (just the family). Caleb got his guitar from some of his
grandparents, and was SO excited! I love it, because the twins (who have taken guitar for over a year at the time) started
teaching their big brother right way...and got him off to a great start, I might add! Can't believe our Caleb is
growing up so fast!
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A few just "this and that"...also a trip in to Franklin for the weekend when we were looking at housing, etc. The one of David digging out in the yard was one day when he was trying to get some work done before Daddy got home to surprise him.  Just snapped it out the window...sweet heart!  Also, the sleeping pic of the twins...well, that one is only for a Mama's heart, I guess!  They sleep together every now and then, and that night I walked in and it struck me...they were "postitioned" the same way they were in my belly 9 years ago!  Just one of those sentimental moments for me, I guess!








 Next post will pick up where this leaves off in playing catch up!!  Be back soon!





 





I'm Back!!

I have a friend who recently called herself a "blog slacker" in one of her posts...I don't know exactly what to call it, but I'd say I've become WAY more than a slacker in recent months!  (4 months to be exact.)  I'm a details kind of person, so this 4 month break I've taken is messing me up.  I don't have a clue where to start or stop at this point.  There's no way I can leave out everything from the past few months...especially the past few months we've just  had, but there's, obviously, no way to include it all either.  BUT...I gotta' start somewhere, so here I am!  Glad to be back to the blogging world.  I'm sure there will come a day when I share more details about our story and all that happened in the couple of months before and during our move to Tennessee, but today is not that day. It's just not time for that yet.  What I CAN say, more confidently than ever is that OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL!!  Always. We are nothing without Him, and He IS our Rock!

Well, in summary, since my last post, we've had a couple of Dallas birthdays, end of school events at Landmark, my husband's ordination into the ministry, going away dinner for our family at Landmark, a BIG move to Tennessee, leaving the only home any of our kids even remember, a family lake vacation, beginnings of a first time football program at Grace, a second move into another rental, and the start of a new school at Grace for my kids and husband!  See?!  You get my problem, right?!  I look forward to playing catch up (once again) and trying to share some pictures and stories from some of these events in the Dallas family story in the coming weeks.  Thanks for tuning in! (:

Snapshot of Dallas Life Lately (Part 2)

I don't even know if I'm allowed to have this many pictures in one post, but I guess I'm about to find out!  Here's Part 2 of some of our recent pictures for February/March.  There are a few more of recent events that deserve their own post, so I've saved those for a little later.  Never a dull moment around here...that's for certain!

Always a little Dallas favorite...playing and drawing in shaving cream!

Schooltime!!

Love these boys...(:

Perfectly David

Loves her bubbas

Guitar boys

Sweetness...playing outside

smiley-face (:

Z found him a nut can to get a "collection" from outside...

I absolutely love this...the two got "collections" completely on their own (Elly used a basket for hers,
Zech used an old mixed nut can)...then, as you can see poured out in front of them, there's a slight
difference in the two collections. Very boy and very girl!!

Little Man!!

Elly and her sweet friend, Aminah!

Elly with Davi and Amy helping make dinner one night

Joshua and David with their buddy Brian (obviously before the haircuts! No one said
these were in the right order!!)

E and Z with Gracie...can't believe all these little ones are getting so big!!

David and Joshua with Deede Gable, our longtime friend, and their
awesome guitar teacher!!

Jake and his best friend, Joshua at the wrestling banquet at Landmark

Jake and Caleb headed to the wrestling banquet...My "babies!!!"

Snapshot of Dallas Life Lately (Part 1)

Here is part one of some pictures from February/March around here:

Twins got to go to their first NBA game with their friend, Brogan, and his dad.
Needless to say, they had a great time!!

Kenny asked Elly to go get dressed to run an errand with him
one day, and this is how she came out...ready to go!  Very "Elly".
Needless to say, she got lots of compliments while she was out with Daddy (:

Grandmama and Grandaddy got to come visit for Grandparents Day
at school.  Love this pic (:

Twins on the roof...ladder had been up and you know they had to find a reason
to get up there and help out! 

Caleb had Titanic Day at Landmark a few weeks ago.  Here he is all dressed
up (before the tie)...handsome fella!! How are my little boys growing up so fast?!

Caleb and me dancing at Titanic Day...love that boy!

Jake was the "mystery reader" for the twins' class at school one day.  They were
SO excited when they found out it was him!  He did a great job!

Gotta' love a little guy in his shorts and cowboy boots...Z's favorite thing to wear. 

Always fun to play in the mud (:

Z and Daddy at the park!

Joshua and David got to go with Poppa to help with some of the
orchard planting at church one Sunday afternoon.  (All of the produce eventually
produced will be given to families in need through the church's Real Life Center)

Yes, my 14 year old is about to catch up with his 6 foot 4 daddy in height!
Already has the same shoe size! (13!)  Blows my mind!!

The whole crew at the park one evening.  This makes me smile (: (: (:

Landmark Elementary "Flash Mob" Celebrates the Resurrection!!

                              Happy Easter, everyone!! 

Just wanted to share a video of the Landmark elementary "flash mob" on the football field in celebration of the resurrection! (Joshua and David are in the group!) The first time they did it we all watched the students and their teachers, and then the second time any parents, siblings, older students, etc were invited to come out and join in, which was so much fun, too!   It was an incredible tribute to our Lord this Easter season!  Take a few minutes to check it out...it will bless you! I can only imagine how the Lord smiled as he watched His children celebrating Him!!  Just click on the link below to see the video! (and btw, I suggest turning it up good and loud and enjoy!  Only wish you could see on the video the sweet faces of all of those children and their teachers up close!  Priceless! So...I've also included a photo slideshow made by Landmark that day that gives you some of the "close up" perspective, too (second link below). It's worth watching the second time to see those little faces worshipping out Lord! 


http://youtu.be/hju8vmtS0dg    (Video)

Landmark Rise Up Slideshow  Photos

Now that the News is Out

Well, after quite a "heavy" post last time, I've sure left everyone hanging as to what all has happened since our announcement...definitely not intentionally, just my typical falling behind on keeping up the blog!! 

I wanted to include in this post my sweet husband's letter that he read to the team to tell them about what the Lord is doing in our lives and us leaving Landmark.  The headmaster at Landmark sent out Kenny's letter to the faculty/staff, and parents, as well, immediately after Kenny's team meeting that day, because it really gives the summary of our decision and what all is to come.  Kenny wouldn't mind me saying that he didn't make it through the first sentence of sharing this with his guys before he started crying himself.  It's hard stuff...major understatement. Here is the letter Kenny wrote:

Team,

I have reached one of the absolute hardest decisions that I have ever made in my life. As of today, I am stepping down as the head football coach at Landmark Christian School. For 11 years I have put my time, my heart, and really my life into this program. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this school, you and the young men that have played in our program, and all of the families that have supported it. I want you to know that I am not leaving Landmark for some perceived "bigger or better" football program...the honest truth is that I believe our program is the best football program in the entire state of Georgia and is second to none! The reason I am leaving is that the Lord has been slowly preparing my heart over the last few years for something different. I want you to know that I am not unhappy, disappointed, or frustrated...in fact coming off of a season where our rec league is doing fantastic, our middle school team is 7-1, our junior varsity team is 6-1, and our varsity team just played in the Georgia Dome for our first state championship ever, things couldn't be better at Landmark! That being said, I know that I have heard from the Lord that it is time for me to serve Him in a different way. In May, I will be moving to Franklin, TN to help start and lead a brand new school inside of a church. This school presently is less than two years old, it doesn't have a high school, and it doesn't even have a football team. Over time, it will have all of those, but God has prepared me to go lead in terms of directing the spiritual development of the school, starting the athletic program, and serving as a minister to families. I want each of you to know that this is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I love Landmark, I love each of you, my family loves Landmark, and none of that will ever change!

I need to be honest with each of you when I tell you that my greatest fear is that you will come away feeling that I have abandoned you...I have that exact same fear in telling this news to my own sons. Having to face them and having to face you to tell you this breaks my heart...BUT I need each of you to hear this, because it may be the last thing I have the opportunity to teach you as your coach. When God speaks to you clearly, you must listen to him and obey! I know I have heard God's direction, and I must choose to obey it. Please forgive me for the pain this causes...for 11 years, one of the primary driving forces of my life has been to lead the young men/families of this program by serving them and serving my Savior. I need to ask you to do something for me. Will you please pray for me and my family as we make this step of faith? Will you please pray for my own boys, because you know how much they love you and look up to each of you. When you speak to them, will you encourage them to trust their daddy? Lastly, please know that I will do everything in my power between now and May to help the 2012 team be the most successful team in school history! Please know that I will pray for you, continue to push you in the weight-room, and anything/everything I can for you. You may not be able to hear this right now, but I love each of you more than you know.

All of that said I want each of you to know that God not only has a plan for me, but also for you. Each of you know that Coach Wayne Brantley is one of my best friends in life...in fact, he is my brother! Coach Brantley is one of the absolute best men and high school football coaches I have ever known! As a coach, he has had tremendous success wherever he has been, but he is also a tremendous man of God who loves his Lord, his family, and his team more than he loves himself. As the Landmark offensive coordinator, Coach Brantley has a career record of 41-10 in 4 seasons! It is my great honor to announce to you that your new head football coach is Coach Wayne Brantley.

I love each of you, our entire football staff, and your new head coach more than you will ever know. I believe in this school, I believe in this team, and I believe in each of you. "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for man." (Col 3:23)

Character! Courage! Fight!

 Coach Dallas

All I can say, is I love this man with all my heart.  So do many, many others and for many reasons, but I think his authenticity and character are the top of the list for most who know him.  I always say he's the "real deal", and truthfully, I think this world, and our culture in particular, is severely lacking "real deal" men (and women, for that matter).  He's not a perfect man, but never pretends to be.  He is who he is by the grace of God, and somehow God has infused him with a passion that is simply contagious.  He is passionate about living the kingdom life and sharing it with everyone he is around in a very real and practical way, because every day matters and every person matters. 

I have to say that the outpouring of love, kindness, and support that our family has received since the day of this announcement has been overwhelming.  I know that just sounds like the "right" thing to say, but I mean it with everything in me.  The number of texts, phone messages, and emails just that very day of the announcement showing such sadness, but such unbelievable support and love from our Landmark family (currently and alumni, as well) was well over a hundred.  Then in the days ahead the love just continued from person after person in droves, and continues even as we still tell someone new here and there that hasn't heard the news or we haven't had the chance to speak to about it.  I can't explain what a blessing this has been.  I have told our children, as well as many friends here, that as difficult and sometimes heart wrenching as this process is, I would rather leave a place this way ANY day, hurting so badly because we've loved so many and so much, than to just be counting down the days until we "get" to leave because we just can't stand it anymore.  Landmark is part of who we are.  It always will be.  There will always, forever be a part of the Dallas's that loves Landmark Christian School and those who make up our family here.  We wouldn't have it any other way.  I wish so badly I could share many of the texts and emails that so many took the time to send to us (and, ofcourse, I wouldn't break anyone's confidence in doing so anyway), but it would fill up many, many pages with so many words that just literally made a grown man cry...over and over.  It's such a beautiful tribute to our Lord and the way he's used a simple, highschool football coach to impact so many. 

 

I'll close for now with a couple of thoughts about our own boys  (I'm referring to the oldest four right now).  Before any of the word was out on this, we knew that the hardest thing at all, even above the difficulty of telling his other boys (the team), was knowing the day was coming that we were going to have to sit our own boys down and tell them all of this.  As I've said before, these boys love Landmark and everything about it.  It's been a part of them for most or all of their lives.  Kenny's heart was just aching at the thought of sitting those boys down, looking them in the eye, and telling them what we were about to be doing...turning their world upside down (a world they REALLY happen to love).  He was so afraid...truly afraid...of hurting them ...of wounding their hearts.  I wish so badly I could bottle up and save every moment about the night we shared with our guys about this news.  They were unbelievable.  They were little men...all 4 of them.  I witnessed that night, each of those 4 choose to take a step of faith in their own hearts because they trusted their daddy.  We didn't sugar coat a thing in order to just get a good reaction that night.  Kenny just laid it all out there for them as real and honestly as he could...the bottom line?  The Lord was calling us to go.  I'll never forget, watching each of their faces in the first moments they processed what their daddy had just told them.  One by one they put their hand on their daddy and boldly said, "I'm in"..."I'm in, Dad"..."I'm in..." ..."I'm in, Dad".  I guarantee you there's one daddy who will never, ever forget that moment.  The moment he had been dreading, because he loves them so much, and they were the very ones building up his heart.  It was beautiful...powerful.  Ofcourse, there were two and a half hours of talking, crying, praying that night with Kenny, me, and those four.  It was one of the sweetest nights all together we've ever had...and we've had quite a few sweet times! 

As David, one of our 9 year olds said in a prayer just the other night, "Thank you, Lord, for picking our family to do this great work for you and your kingdom."  Made my heart smile.  Yes, Lord.  Thank you.  We've had great, exciting days as we've anticipated our move and all the Lord has in store, including a wonderful trip with all the kids to Franklin soon after our announcement that just couldn't have been more blessed.  And then we, truthfully, have days that are really just plain old hard.  Do pray for us all in the days and weeks ahead.  There is so, so much we just don't know yet, and there are so many things on our plate right now.  I don't say that pitifully, at all, but I DO say it prayerfully!  If you've taken the time to read this, I'd love to ask that you continue to pray for the Dallas family!  It's no surprise that the enemy has been on the prowl and attacking from all directions.  There are a lot of busy schedules, tender hearts, and up and down emotions in a housefull of 8...really all the time, but especially with a huge life change only two months ahead of us.  God is good.  He is faithful.  We are looking forward to all he has in store with great joy.  The urgency the Lord has placed on our hearts is to fight for the hearts of families, and the place he has shown us to go help in doing that right now is at simple little Grace Christian Academy in Middle Tennessee.  Don't you love the way God works?  You never know what He is up to.  Join Him.  Wherever it is, whatever it is, don't miss it.  It matters too much.