the triple A team

Since I have started this blog, I don't think I ever officially introduced the Triple A Team and a little background personality on each A girl. So here you go....

Addie- age 6 1/2, the typical oldest personality trait like rule follower, has an order for everything, and basically its her way or the highway. She tends to be so intrigued with her world and has always been our girl that's very analytical and serious. Addie is very loving and has a huge heart. She loves to dance and sing to Jonas Brothers and now do her own hair and pick out her own clothes! Yes, I am slowly letting my control personality fade, slowly.

Avery-age 4 1/2, very sweet and loving little girl. She is quiet at times in her own way but has this hidden fun, loud personality that perks out. Avery is our love bug as I call her and literally has a sweet soul and disposition about her. She loves to sing, dance, and is an animal lover and loves to watch the food network with mommy! I have trained her well, already!

Annalise-age 2 1/2, the typical wild child 3rd baby! No, not really, well, yes really but in a good way. She loves to have fun and where Annalise is there is a party! She is always smiling, singing, dancing, and has a fetish with playing with food and pushing it around the house. No kidding, you will find plastic food just about anywhere. She is little and just a ball of fire and just wants to have fun! Free spirited and just trying to keep up with the older girls.

OK.. So there is the Triple A Team and a little bit about each girl. I love these girls so much and thank God the blessings they have brought to my life. Days are hard but always fun and so memorable as they grow. So, this mommy did a little bragging on her team because yes in her eyes, its the best!

A Good Read for the Kids

Everybody head out to LifeWay Christain Books because they are having a 50% off on a GREAT children's book called the Jesus Storybook Bible. Many friends have shared with me how much they liked this storybook bible that I have been itching to get it. I finally got to LifeWay this week and they have it on sale until July 26th. So hurry.... I don't think you will be disappointed.

Leading from the Inside Out

OK... I promise this is my last posting of my DC trip. Another favorite session was called Ingredients to Leadership Greatness Leading From the Inside Out. Basically, the speaker focused on 5 major points each hitting close to home.

1. A Call to Express Individuality- God call His Leaders by name and don't settle to being a carbon copy of someone else.

2. A Call to Humble-Matt. 20:26-the key to being great is to be a servant(take position of serving) and who are you serving and who are you mentors

3. A Call to Focused Intensity-leaders aren't called to comfort but to commitment

4. A Call to Uncompromising Integrity-God expects truth as a central part of our character

5. A Call to Deeping Intimacy-don't wait for a breakdown to use the Bible as the owner's manual of your life, know scripture.

Wow, I know its a brief but heavy and a soul check within. I chose to post about this because so many times I found myself wanting to be someone else and what they have, being to comfortable in my walk, and wanting to be a leader but lacked focused. I pray for myself that it changes and I do start leading which begins from the inside. One challenge for myself is know more scripture, I mean really know it in my heart. Truly what you are on the inside determines your effectiveness on the outside. My journey begins. I begin with this scripture, "for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 So, journey with me and make a commitment to know a new scripture each month and hide His word in our hearts. Thanks for listening to my rambles of a great leadership week and enjoy a couple of photos of our time in Washington DC.

Made To Count

Yes, this is my next book read outside of my bible. This book was one highlighted this past week in Washington DC in which Bob Reccord challenges people to make your life count right where you are in your area of influence. WOW, it was a charge for a Texas gal who has felt God pulling on me just unclear exactly what or where that begins. Bob lead a session that focused on answering His call, tell His story, change your life that poured wisdom into my brain and heart.

Here you go...

#1 Answer His call- God calls us to have a personal, life-changing relationship with Him, yes He calls us by Name

#2 Tell His Story-How we serve, What we Say, How we Pray

#3 Change Your World- live a life that is made to count and remember that "God loves you just the way you are but He loves you to much to keep you there."

That quote alone has changed me because I know God loves me right where I am but I know that I have been way to comfortable in my life. I have gifts and talents that God wants to use and I am ready. I am a leader and I can only lead well unless I follow well. As said by Bob, "when the pupil is ready the Master will come." I am ready and I am excited about putting into action what I learned. Like SLU says, " Leadership begins at the feet of Jesus" and that's exactly where I want to be.

More tomorrow.....

Gray Hair

OK...wow, I can't believe I have been to Dallas, then DC, back to Dallas, and back to League City! Crazy, fun, adventurous week. I have so much to blog about my trip to Washington DC but I had to tell of my first day trying to get to DC.

Here it goes! Sunday, I drove to the Dallas area to leave the girls with my mom and dad and sister and her husband so I get there in the afternoon and we enjoyed a great evening together. Then, at 9:00 pm I realize that I have no wallet with any identification and yes I was flying out at 8:00am Monday. Yes, you have to show some type of identification so I was in full panic mode now. My wallet was back home in League City, I was in Dallas area with no identification to get on a plane and meet Ryan in DC. So, after many, many heads put together and a late night drive to DFW airport, I had confirmation not to sweat that I should be able to get on the plane as long as I had some type of identification and could answer some questions. So, at midnight, Ryan is faxing me a copy of my drivers license, a copy of my insurance card, and debit card, next I find a paper in my glove compartment of my car that shows some type of tax stuff on our home so I grab that and my car insurance info. Needless to say, I got 4 hours of sleep that night and seriously dreamed that I didn't get to get on the plane. Monday morning, I made it through major security and I was off to Washington DC.

I am sure at this point in this blog reading you are like man I can't believe she didn't know she didn't have her wallet before she left town. Hey, between a 2 1/2 yr old that is constantly in my purse and my absent mind these days to all these girls, I had no clue it was never in my purse. Oh well, I made it through the airport, met up with Ryan who kissed me first and then handed me my wallet firmly and said, "put this in your purse."

Well, I have so much to write and share of my days in DC but I can't wait share most of the leadership training I was under in those few days. It literally has changed me, corny I know but so true. God did amazing things to me this week and I am excited to see His journey with my life. Until tomorrow, a gray hair popped up in the front part of my hair and I knew seriously that it was my wallet adventure and nerves of flying. Yes, I plucked it instantly!

DC bound

As a stay at home mom, I don't get to travel all that much and leave my girls. Or should I be real honest and say, I have a really hard time leaving the girls. Having them around 24/7, all the bedtime routines, and snack times, our scheduled life together is hard to let go. Once I became a mom, I never dreamed how hard it would be to let them be under someone else's care. Secondly, due to the fact Ryan and I decided to have like 3 girls boom, boom, boom, I was a little nervous of how demanding 3 little ones can be and someone not use to that can get a little overwhelmed. Well, many years have passed and I do leave my girls for a night or at least 2, its just doesn't come to often because all relatives live far away.

Not this week, I am bound for Washington DC baby! :) Yes, its a place rich in history and a place I have always wanted to see. I have the opportunity to sponsor with my husband a group of students who are leaders within the youth group to a conference called SLU-student leadership university. We get to spend 5 days in DC touring just about everything you can imagine, the Capital, Pentagon, all the memorial walls, the Christ's Church, museums, and so much more. These are just the icing on the cake to some really good leadership sessions.

So, tomorrow I head to the Dallas area to drop off the girls with Grammy and Grandpa and their famous aunt-my sister. Side note here, my girls think my sister hangs the moon with her blonde hair, big sunglasses, sun roof, and Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana playing in the car. he he

I am flying out Monday morning so the girls will spend the entire week with my sister and my mom and dad. I know they will do great for they have been so excited and counting down the days for this week. For me, I am starting to feel peace inside and I know that's God inside me saying its ok, they will be ok, you will be ok. Last nights walk and my walk to the mailbox tonight were simple prayers of protection and peace. Safety. I don't like to fly!! So as you read, please send a quick prayer for me, Ryan, the girls, and safety.

I am off. Off to DC. I can't wait to tell you the incredible scenes my eyes will behold this coming week. Stay tuned.

This is Your Life

the famous song from Switchfoot. I love this song! No matter where I am when I hear this song God totally speaks to me. I heard it in the car today and I decided I would blog thoughts on this song. One of my favorite parts of the whole song is when he says, "this is your life are you who you want to be?" That sentence alone drives to my inner most heart. Its so true as I ask myself is this who I want to be? Is my life everything I dreamed it would be? Yes. I have joy, my husband loves me and treats me like Christ loves the church, I have 3 beautiful, healthy girls, I am loved deeply by my mom and dad and sister, I have a good house, and I am wanting to share the good news of Christ. So, Yes, my life is everything I could of dreamed it would be and more. I am loved by many. Everything I dream it would be is still ahead too. I dream about my future with Ryan and God's journey he will have with our life, where God will lead us, how God will use me, what will my girls look like as women, and so so many more.

I am singing the song now in my head now as I type. Thank you God for my life.

King Cat

Meet Hobbes. Yes, the 17 lb cat we have had for 11 years. He is a great cat. He has so much personality and is quite the lover cat. He is a Maine coon and these cats are known for their love for water and personality. Hobbes is so big that he can stand up on hind legs and grab hold of our door handle and shake the door. Yes, seriously. He can hang with the best of the dogs and in fact goes right up to our Australian cattle dog, OBI-WAN and just jumps up and bites him. Its funny.

Let me tell you the story of how we came to get this cat. Hobbes and Calvin his brother were rescued by me (the animal lover). Due to the fact that I rescued both of them together, Ryan and I were engaged at the time and we were trying to think of some really cool names. Ryan loves the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes so we decided to name them basing each name on their personalities. Hobbes was the laid back one, easy going, nice, sweet so hence the name Hobbes. Calvin, the orange tabby cat was a holy terror. Yes, he would just bite for no reason. I think his mean streaks came from the trauma as a kitty but I won't go there. Well, after we moved to League City, Calvin ran out the door and we never saw him again. Good ole Hobbes stuck around and is still the king cat of the Prater house. Meet our king cat....

Family Fun

I only have a quick moment this morning to blog of my days to come for the 4th of July weekend. My sister and her family (husband doing some work in Houston) decided to trek on down to the Bay Area and spend some time doing some fun things around our area.

Yesterday, we headed to Johnson Space Center, Chick-fil-a, and Target for a full day of adventure as it was just me and Missy and 5 kids! I am thankful for my 19 yr old cousin who is flying in this morning to join us on this "do we have every kid" weekend. :)

Mom and dad are coming in from Dallas too so lets see that makes 7 adults and 5 kids in my 4 bedroom home! I love it though. Its fun to all be together!

I think Friday, we are headed to Schliterbaun Galveston Island- yes I said Friday, July 4th. I know everyone else who has off this Friday will be bumping inner tubes with all of us.

Anyway, much more to come on our July 4th adventure. Looking forward to my family!

** Did I mention, after many laughs together of reading blogs, and sharing my journey through a blog, my sister has joined the blogging world. Yes, we stayed up until 12:30 last night setting hers up, and getting things ready. Check hers out later as she hasn't posted anything yet just in first stages of blogging adventure. www.higginshuddle.blogspot.com