Daily Grace

Sneak Peek of the Wedding Pictures

2010-03-21T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is a few of the pictures taken by the photography at the wedding. She says the best is yet to come, but these are excellent. When we get ours they won't have her imprint on them.

New Year's Eve..

2010-01-01T12:01:00.002-06:00

Poor Breylon was so sick. Ran 104 fever the night before. In these pictures he was still running a little fever and had developed pink eye. He looked so pitiful.

Various photos Dec. 2009

2010-01-01T11:53:00.002-06:00

Shaelyn playing Wii, Micayla with friends over playing board games, Mercy in her princess tiara, etc....

Christmas Morning 2009

2010-01-01T11:49:00.001-06:00

Micayla's 15th Birthday

2010-01-01T11:36:00.002-06:00

Opening gifts from Mammaw

2010-01-01T11:16:00.004-06:00

Here are the pictures from yesterday of the kids opening their gifts from Mammaw.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T10:07:00.012-06:00

Well, Mom, nobody visits here anymore but I know it's easier for you to see what's going on with us here, so I am posting all of this just for you. Here are some pictures of our Christmas celebration and of the kids opening the box that came yesterday from you. They loved everything, as you can see. They were especially thrilled with the Sonic gift cards. I told you they would be. Mercy loved her doll and had to immediately take it's clothes off, which is what she does with every doll she gets. Shaelyn made her hot cocoa and drank it from her new mug. I am SO glad you got me a flash drive! I was so needing that. Thank you!! I love you. Hope you like the pictures.

2009-03-24T11:27:00.002-05:00

Breylon trying to roll over. Taken Monday, 3/23/09.

Childs Play in the Garden

2009-03-19T00:36:00.002-05:00

Gene is diligently working to grow a pretty large garden this year and he's enlisted all of the girls to help him. This day, they worked almost all day, literally, on their hands and knees down each row plucking the Bermuda grass sprigs out of the loosened dirt. They were tired and dirty and never complained once all day. At the end of the day Gene turned on the sprinkler to water their seeds and the girls just couldn't resist. It was such a pleasure to watch them running through the water, laughing and playing with each other. I just had to share these.

Potty Training is hard work!

2009-03-19T00:30:00.002-05:00

She must have planned on being there a while.

Enjoying the Spring weather...

2009-03-18T19:11:00.003-05:00

I finally figured out how to take short videos with my digital camera, so today while we were outside enjoying the beautiful weather, I took some of Mercy on the swingset.

Faith, Worship, and Exercise...

2009-03-02T09:03:00.006-06:00

I'm reading this book called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, by Eugene Peterson. There is a paragraph I read recently that I'd like to share. It's very simplistic really, but I just love how he puts it in this book. He is speaking of worship, and why Christians do it, or don't do it.

"I have put great emphasis on the fact that Christians worship because they want to, not because they are forced to. But I have never said that we worship because we feel like it. Feelings are great liars. If Christians worshiped only when they felt like it, there would be precious little worship. Feelings are unreliable in matters of faith.........We live in what one writer has called the "age of sensation." We think that if we don't feel something there can be no authenticity in doing it. But the wisdom of God says something different: that we can act ourselves into a new way of feeling much quicker than we can feel ourselves into a new way of acting. Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in the act of worship. When we obey the command to praise God in worship, our deep, essential need to be in relationship with God is nurtured."

I know for myself, especially lately, I have not felt like going to church, but the act of doing it, makes me want to do it more. It makes me want more of God. Sometimes, I don't feel like getting my Bible out first thing in the morning to read and journal, but when I do, I am so glad. Sometimes I just can't stop reading. It makes me want more. If I were to listen to my feelings, over what I know is better than feelings, I'd miss so much. So for me, this authors words are true.

I was also thinking of how this concept of acts over feelings can apply to other areas of my life. For instance, I am part of a weightloss/healthy lifestyle accountability blog where a few ladies and I daily try to encourage each other to make healthy choices with our food and with exercise. Regularly my response to myself regarding walking on my treadmill or doing my exercise dvd is, "I just don't feel like it right now. I'll do it later." (in hopes of feeling like it then) Along with a million other "feelings" based excuses. This week I propose to make a better effort to "act myself into a new way of feeling" toward exercise based on the faith that it is best for me, rather than based on what I feel at any given moment, which is NEVER, "Oh, this is going to be fun, because I know how good this is going to be for me!", but rather, "Ugh! I just can't do this right now, I don't FEEL like it." And food choices.."I don't feel like eating salad or veggies today. I'll eat this pizza and tomorrow maybe I'll "feel" like eating healthier" See what I mean?

So, I challenge you all my friends, if you have areas of your life that need to be changed, whatever they may be, whether health related, or addictions, or attitudes, or time with God, or service to God's people, or money, or responsibilities, or whatever it is, I challenge you to "ACT yourself into a NEW way of FEELING", toward that thing. As God's word proclaims, With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible. Matthew 19:26

Jordan World Circus (or something like that)

2009-02-27T08:15:00.008-06:00

I know that's a strange title but I can't remember exactly what the name of the circus is. The girls and I (except Micayla) along with baby Breylon, Aaron Roberts, Lacy's best friend Heidi, Phebe and her boys, and Tanya and Haley all showed up to see our very own Lana Steeples and her family as they performed last Saturday afternoon at the Oil Palace in Tyler. For those of you who may not have met Lana and her children, she was a customer of mine at the bookstore for many years. As long as I've known her she and her family have made their living as "circus people". In the winter they have a couple of months off at home so this year she decided to get involved with some of us at the park and attending art classes. She as a son, Angelo, and a daughter, Isabelle. Lana was kind enough to get us into the circus for free and then give us a free staged picture with their bear, then after the show, took us backstage to meet the bear and take our own pictures. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home so I was at the mercy of Heidi, who was the only one with a real camera. She let me take a few shots. I was surprised that the bear was really soft. It's fur looked coarse but it wasn't at all. All the kids were thrilled to be able to pet it and get right up next to it. Phebe and I...weren't so thrilled, right Phebe?
The kids had a wonderful time at the circus. The show was great! They had everything you can imagine. Elephant and pony rides, cotton candy and popcorn, those flashing light toy thingees, snow cones, the works. The performances were great. They had some very talented people and animals. Lana's bear pushed Isabelle around the ring in a cart. Isabelle was a finely polished performer as she waved to the audience in her sparkly outfit. Angelo did an amazing sword act. At one point the sword was in his mouth, and on fire! Sorry I didn't get any pictures of any of the acts, but like I said, I forgot my camera. Mercy's favorite was anything with swing. She kept saying "I can do that!" I think most of the kids would say their favorite part was when during the elephant's performance, one of the elephants decided to relieve himself in the ring. I had no idea how much and elephant can pee at one time! Wow! The elephant never stopped performing though. Some crew people just swooped in behind him and started scooping and hauling it out of their. The show must go on, as they say.

Thank you Lana for a wonderful treat.

The Jordan World Circus will be back to Tyler in August. I encourage everyone to go see it if you get the chance.

Not Me Monday...

2009-02-16T17:58:00.002-06:00

Ok, I've read enough of these to know that I am NOT writing my first one today. I'm NOT, I refuse to bore you to tears with my daily happenings.

I'm NOT sitting here blogging while my 7 year old continues to work on her math paper for 2nd hour and still has over half of it to go. She is now singing the "Hiney" song to her sister. I'm NOT sitting her doing nothing while she does this.

I did NOT just blow my nose 160 times (that's how many tissues were in the box)today due to an allergy attack.

I did NOT just let another day go by that I didn't either do my Jillian Michael's workout dvd or walk on my treadmill. The day is NOT completely over yet, so there's still hope, but NOT much.

I am NOT extremely jealous (but proud) that someone on my weightloss blog has posted that she lost 9 pounds this week! I really am NOT at all jealous, covetous, or envious of her. I truly AM VERY proud of her. Really I am.

I am NOT still sitting her in my pj's (from last night) typing this when I have to be at a soccer meeting in less than an hour.

I knew I shouldn't have done this. Now you know the truth. NOT.....

Breylon Cole Baker 1/13/2009

2009-02-12T21:22:00.009-06:00

Everything has gone from pink to blue in our home. "Grandmotherhood" is finally settling in. I can't believe he's one month old already. It's always a blessing having a new baby in the house. It's really different not being the mother though. Being a grandmother is great. Breylon is so snugglie and sweet. He is starting to coo alot. Unfortunately for Lacy, he still isn't sleeping through the night, but that should come before too long. He is probably about 8 to 8.5 pounds now but he was born at 6lbs 6oz and 19 1/4 inches long. All of the girls just love him like crazy but sadly, Lacy doesn't share him with them very often. Other than that, Lacy is being a very good mom to Breylon. She is tired but takes really good care of him and sees to his every need. In some of these birthday pictures, he looks really blue, but he really wasn't.

Update on Lacy

2008-12-22T19:21:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update for those who might be wondering how Lacy is doing. We went to the doctor today, and Baby Breylon is supposedly 5lbs 12 oz now. (still not sure how they can tell that so exactly, but whatever). Lacy is 1 cm dilated, so I guess things are progressing as expected. Her due date is January 13th. I'm wondering if she will actually make it that far.

Prom 1983...Woohoo!!

2008-12-07T06:38:00.003-06:00

Who is that girl on the right? Wow!

2008-11-22T03:18:00.003-06:00

Well, here I sit, in the wee hours of the morning, once again, up WAY before I should. I know I'm going to pay for this later today. I was going to go back to bed but for some reason my coffee started brewing at 2:40a.m..someone pushed buttons on my coffee maker again. So, I am sitting here reading blogs, drinking coffee, and wishing I could clear my mind of junk and sleep. Well, no chance of that, now that I'm drinking my coffee.

I was just reading some of my friends blogs and thinking, "you know, I used to be able to really write from deep within myself." For some reason I can't get there anymore. Maybe it's because I don't really like what's there. I don't know. I just feel like the door is closed. I can't get to it. I feel like it's there and I want to write it but the words don't come. And when I do get something out I usually regret it. I'll probably wish I hadn't posted this for all the world to see.

In light of that observation, I'm going to stop this post and pick up my journal, where only me and the Lord can see the thoughts of a crazy lady, like me.

Baker family updates..

2008-11-10T08:45:00.020-06:00

Ok, maybe I should call this "Monthly Grace" instead of "Daily Grace". Here I am again with an update on our family happenings.

Mercy turned two on November 2, 2008. I can't believe it's been two years.
(there are lots of candles because we shared the cake with Shaelyn for her birthday. She turned 12 on October 28,2008)

So much has happened in that amount of time for us. I won't even try to go into it all, but I will say, God is pruning us, and apparently there are ALOT of dead branches and junk that is not producing good fruit that needs to come off. Sometimes I wish He'd just do it all at once and get it over with , but I guess that's not the way we learn. So, snip, snip, snip....grace....snip, snip, snip......grace...snip, snip, CHOP,....more grace. Praise Him for His daily measure of grace just when and how I need it.

Some very kind and loving ladies at our church opened up their lives and home and hosted a baby shower for Lacy. It was so nice. Lacy and I both were overwhelmed at the turn out and the "showering" of gifts and love. There were about 30 people there.

Click image for a larger view

Haleiujah Festival October 29, 2008

2008-11-10T08:41:00.002-06:00

Our church held it's annual Fall Festival and these are some pictures from it. Everyone had a great time.

Texas State Fair

2008-10-20T09:32:00.010-05:00

Our family has not been to the fair since Lacy was about 5 or 6 and Micayla was in a stroller. This year we were blessed to get free tickets for the entire family AND free parking, so we all went. We had so much fun just being together and doing something with little time constrants attached. Even the baby was impressed and kept quite enamourated the entire 7 hours. By the end of the day we were SO tired, as you can see in some of the pictures, it will remain one of our fondest memories.

Some things we will remember about the fair:

Daddy dancing in the street with his girls...
Big Tex
King Tut
$5.00 Corny Dogs (good, but $5.00?!!)
Fried Cheesecake (again, $5.00)
The ride called The Extreme (we didn't ride it but it was exciting just watching it...a $15.00 ride)
Heart shaped waterfall
The nice carnie who gave Shaelyn a free win and a free prize at the water shooter game
Lacy couldn't ride anything...bummer
Mom and Shaelyn on the Spaceship Ride (another $5.00...per person!)

Ok, the fair has really gotten expensive over the past 10+ years, but it was worth it for all of the great memories.

Click here to see more Fair Pictures. (sorry, I haven't quite figured out the best way to get all of the pictures on the blog.)