the queen family

Confession is good for the soul!

2012-01-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have to confess that I am a mess. The whole put-together, happy wife and mom of three, full time teacher, got everything under control appearance is an act. I am really just an insecure and emotionally unstable wreck. This week has not been good. It has actually been horrible. I have been on the verge of tears all day, just about every day this week. I think Patrick even wondered if I was going to be okay at times. And, while I know that things will work out and nothing earth-shattering really happened, it just seems that when one thing goes wrong, some other insecurities rear their ugly heads. It is amazing how that always happens. A wave of failures and insecurities have flooded my thoughts this week. It has left me feeling lonely, invisible, unimportant, and overlooked. My prayers have gone unanswered and my feelings have remained hurt.

However, while my feelings and thoughts are real, it doesn't mean they are true. The Lord has been so faithful to me in the midst of my pain. Though my thoughts may betray me, He never will. Through this time of insecurity, I cling to the promises that He offers though his word. He sees me and He knows how I am feeling. Isaiah 49:16 says "See, I have engraved you in the palm of my hand." I am not like the things we write on our hands in pen so we won't forget, only to was it off a few hours later and then accidentily forget. No - my name doesn't wash off - I am engraved in His hand. He doesn't forget me. His word also tells me that He collects my tears in a bottle in Psalm 56:8. He sees my hurt and I am not walking through this alone, although I have wondered this week how big my bottle of tears must be. No matter how many times people let me down or when things don't go my way, I know that my God is walking with me and cares for me. So, when these thoughts seem to overwhelm me, I will rest of His words. They are the truth that I cling too.

December 8, 2001

2010-12-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

Today is the day! Candace and I were married 9 years ago today. Here's the extremely short version of how we got here. There are a lot more details, and if you want to know more stay tuned, maybe some day we'll put a "History of Us" page on here somewhere.

It all started in 1998 at the Georgia - Georgia Tech game, our unofficial first date. We had been "Friends" for some time and I wanted to ask her out, but I was too nervous to actually call this a date, so we went as "friends", but I still paid for everything and treated it like a date...but who cares now;) Fast forward to Valentine's day 2000; I asked Candace out, officially this time. Our first date was a double with David and Liz. We went to the Basil Press in Athens and then went to see Carrot Top at the Classic Center. One year later, February 14, 2001, while having a picnic (Five Points deli chicken salad!!!) I got down on my knees and washed Candace's feet, asked her to marry me and pledged to serve her like Christ served the Church. She said yes and almost 10 months later we promised to love each other 'til we are parted by death." Somehow I think I will love her longer than that though!

I am most definitely a very blessed man to be married to her. These 9 years have been absolutely amazing. At the risk of being cheesy, I will say that she makes me smile. If I am down all I have to do is look at her and God reminds me that He has good plans! It hasn't always been perfect (although there are far more highs than lows), but there is no one on the planet I would rather spend my life with (ups and downs).

In our short period of time together, God has blessed us with 3 beautiful children, and a host of wonderful friends and family. I am truly blessed and humbled to be her husband and servant. I Love Candace more today than the day we got married and I can't wait to see what the next 9 years has in store for us. Looking back at where we've come from one thing is certain, God has a plans for us and those plans are for our prosperity (Jer 29:11).

So today I am blessed and full of Hope because I see how good God has been and know how good He will be.

Thankfulness

2010-11-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write something to describe how thankful I am for how much God has blessed me, and when I visited the blog I saw my post from July 13, 2009 (Wow, we really need to post more often!) so I decided to repost it:

In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus, heals 10 men with leprosy. Only one (the Samaritan) returns to thank Jesus, to which Jesus responds (vs. 17 & 18) "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" As I was talking to the kids about the story it hit me that I am often like the other 9, always asking for God's help, but never returning to him in thankfulness. David mentioned the same thought in his sermon on effective and fervent prayer, mentioning that we as parents are much more likely to be more generous to our children when the are thankful for and appreciative of the things they have already been given.

The problem I have is that I don't often take the time to reflect on what God has given me, so I am often forgetful of everything I have to be thankful for. Taking time to remember God's goodness can really change your mood, and its a matter of focus. God's nature doesn't change. If he has been good to us in the past he will be good to us in the future, even if we don't seem to understand it. The prophet Jeremiah tells us (29:11-14) "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" The lesson for me in all of this is that we can't seek with our whole heart if we can't approach with thankfulness.

So today (and hopefully everyday day after) I am THANKFUL!

Indian Pass Beach Trip

2009-07-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

The Vine Year 2

2009-04-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sensational God

2009-04-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

So at the vine we are talking about how we experience God through our senses and this morning I had an encounter. A young man in my office, Michael Sensabaugh, who was in his mid 20's passed away on Saturday morning. Needless to say, work has been strange this week as people try to reconcile their hurt, grief, shock, and anger over Michael's death.

Michael was an amazing man. I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face and he was always genuinely concerned about me and my family. I will truly miss the conversations we had!

Trying to deal with the grief and revelation of your own mortality is difficult, but throw in tough questions from others and it gets hard to deal with. SO I was riding the bus this morning and contemplating how to present the truth of God's love in a way that accurately represents His character and nature while still addresses people's lack of understanding and grief. While I was sitting there praying Matthew 28:20 came to my mind , "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." I admit, at first I was confused about what God was telling me, so I asked for some clarity and again God spoke to me in a song.

Tenth Avenue North was playing on my ipod, "Times" was the song. The chorus says:

i hear you say "my love is over,
its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can't feel
the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?'
the times you've broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
well my love is over, its underneathits inside, its in between,
these times you're healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
the times you're hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and *are tempted* to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
i'm there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
i'm there through your heartache
i'm there in the storm
my love i will keep you by my power alone
i dont care where you've fallen, where you have been
i'll never forsake you my love never ends, it never ends

And it was clear to me...a truth I have always known. God is always with us, even when we question Him. He is big enough to handle our doubts, questions, anger, and even our moments of hate. It is specifically these times that our Faith is proven. We won't always understand why things happen but our challenge is to trust God with everything .

Roll Call

2009-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

So happy 2009! Lets start the new year off getting to know each other. I have seen this on several other blogs and thought it would be fun to see whose reading. So come out of the woodwork and let us know who you are(notice cheesy coordinating music)...

How about your name, where you are from, how you found our blog, and any other general comments you want to make.

Holy___!

2008-11-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

I often find my self thinking like Paul, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19) Little things separate me from God’s heart when I want to draw near, and that grieves my spirit. My prayer life has recently been more of me asking for the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance because there are still some rooms in my soul that need God’s remodeling work.

As we have learned over the past few weeks at The Vine, the Holy Spirit is God presently available to each of us. As I have been contemplating God making Himself available to me, I have had to take a serious look at what motivates me. Buried in this inward journey God again hit me with the obvious; the Holy Spirit is just as His name declares…HOLY, and cannot dwell in unholy places. That’s not to say that we, who sin, cannot have the Holy Spirit, but we can’t actively sin and expect the power of God to be at work in us.

The conclusion I have come to is that our motives tell the story, and what God has revealed to me is that I am motivated by happiness more than holiness. In The Pursuit of Man, A.W. Tozer writes, "The true ideal is not to be happy but to be holy. The Holy heart alone can be the habitation of the Holy Ghost." So my challenge is to die to the idea of happiness and grow in the pursuit of holiness, only then can The Holy Spirit become a full time resident and be more than occasional guest, bringing with Him Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Gentleness, and Self Control. That is when we will truly experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to go back to L'town and continue our tradition of trick-or-treating with the Ryan family. They are some of the nicest people and we miss having them as our neighbors!! Calen and their son, Chase, are big buds. Ellie Grace likes to hang out with him too. Emmy Kate loves to tackle and kiss (to the point of gnawing) their youngest son, Cade. Taking pictures with these guys was not an easy task and sadly, we didn't get any of Cade. He was the cutest - he was Eeyore with a removable tail!! Calen was a pirate, Ellie Grace was a flower/fairy, and Chase was Buzz Lightyear with blow-up wings. The peacock costume had to return this year and Emmy Kate loved it!!

Thoughts on a Wednesday morning

2008-11-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exhalted among the nations,
I will be exhalted on the earth."
Psalm 46:10

The girls' birthday

2008-10-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

We had a party for Ellie Grace and Emmy Kate. Their birthdays are 2 weeks apart and I just didn't think I could do 2 birthday parties in 2 weeks, so we did them together. It was a little chaotic, especially since the girls' could have cared less about the presents. So..I ended up opening 2 sets of presents. But, I think a good time was had by all.

Political Mess - by Candace

2008-09-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

I felt the need to put by Candace because Patrick has been blogging so much lately.
I just felt the need to vent a little about my frustrations about all of the political drama. My family has always been big into politics so I find it hard to turn off that switch in me. I get so riled up between the campaigns and I check the news every minute for updates. My big plan on Friday night was watching the debate with Patrick. I was pumped about it. But a person whose blog I stalk really has hit me hard. I would link it, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Anyway, she made the point that God doesn't care about this election. The reason why He doesn't care, is because He already knows who wins. He has already known who would win this election from the beginning of time. But, what He does care about is our hearts. He does care about where we will spend eternity. I know where I will spend eternity, but I am not so sure about some of my friends. And, how I handle this election and what happens and my opinions, could affect the way my friends feel about Christians and Christ. I have to keep my eye on the big picture, the main goal. My goal cannot be - have my team win this election. My goal has to be point to and glorify God in all that I do. So before I get up on my high horse and say "I am right and you are soooo wrong", I have to think about does this glorify God? It is so hard. Especially since, I think my team is going to lose.

confession time

2008-09-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Confession: I love my wife. She is beautiful, not just outside, but inside too! (I know that's a cheesy cliche, but its true) She cares about and thinks about things that don't even cross my mind. I guess it's true that opposites attract, because in all the ways that it really counts she really does help bring focus to things that I would not even notice.

a heart epiphany

2008-09-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:22 says, …”He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” This was the key verse we talked about at Cluster group the other night…and I had a heart epiphany today as I listened to "The Way I Am" on my playlist.com stuff. (I call it a heart epiphany because it was one of those moments that connected something I have known in my head for a long time and something my heart had not felt in a long time.) God loves me right where I am; just like I am, and doesn’t want me to try to be perfect. He wants me to embrace the freedom he has given me and experience life free from accusation. The hard part for me is the simple part of the Gospel…Accept what God unconditionally offers.

Here’s the epiphany. Paul uses the word reconcilED…past tense!!!

The hard part for me, on my journey with Christ, is really understanding that the reconciliation is not a continual process. I have been reconciled. Once I chose to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior the reconciliation was sealed. I don’t have to live up to a standard. I just need to heed the words Paul writes to the Church at Colosse(1:23): “continue in your faith established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel…”

That’s the launching point for everyone’s faith journey. We have to accept that God has already done all the work for reconciliation. It has already been accomplished. All we have to do is accept it, and if we continue in our faith established and firm, we will see a change in how we react to the world around us. We won’t be perfect. We will mess up, but the good news is that we don’t have to continually be reconciled. We are reconciled, and always will be. That is where true freedom lives.

So today I choose to be free!!!

My cluster group says I am not shallow!

2008-09-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

So my cluster group says that I am not shallow and that I can post on this blog. I redeemed myself by saying "Jesus came to put a face on God, and we (Christians) are here to put a face on Jesus". I cannot take credit for this statement. I just heard it somewhere and it stuck with me...and it applied to what we read tonight.
Anyway, hopefully this will bring Candace Queen back to the blogosphere.

The truth about sin

2008-08-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

So...I had another God moment this morning as I was sitting in my office reading. In Seeing the Invisible, A.B. Simpson writes, "The first act of faith is to believe what God says about sin." That was a hammer to my head. It got me thinking, if we don't believe EVERYTHING the Bible says about sin then we can't believe anything the Bible says about God. Our faith exists in embracing everything the Bible tells us about us and eveything it tells us about God. Our condition is inseparable from God's redemption. You can't have one without the other.

This was earth shattering for me, not so much because I don't know how much I have sinned, but because I never really thought of faith in terms of embracing my failures and owning them, so that God can redeem me.

One of my favorite verses in Scripture is Micah 6:8:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

As far as I can tell there is nothing more humbling than embracing your sin (and redemption) dailyso that you can walk with God.

My wonderful Wife

2008-08-22T05:13:00.001-07:00

So Candace read my post yesterday and informed me that she can no longer post b/c my post was so deep, and hers are so superficial. I, however, think that her posts show much more about our life than mine ever would, that's why I don't post often.

I always look forward to seeing what she posts. Her stories and her posts always have a way of making me smile and we all need to smile more often.

random thought and the urge to share

2008-08-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

So finally a post from Patrick...

Today I am exceedingly thankful.

I turned on the computer to check the blog, and the music started and I was drawn in. Now, those of you who know me know that I am, at my core, a music person. Music resonates in my soul. Anyway..."From The Inside Out" started playing when I got on the blog and I was immediately emmersed in the presence of God. I was immmediately prostrate in my heart, and consumed by the glory of God. I clicked unknowingly into a God moment, and was reminded that although I have failed thousands of times His mercy is still available and His grace is still sufficient.

Then as if I needed another reminder, "In My Place" came on, and God reminded me that, inspite of his longstanding goodness toward me, I spend a lot of time running from Him, and there is not a thing I can do to change that.

I was then pointed toward Colossians 2:6-7:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksfulness.

Then the next song..."Here Comes the Sun". I'll let you connect the dots:)

Then as I spent a few more minutes meditating on the words from Colossians, I got the urge to share some words God had put in my heart over the last few weeks (Maybe Gregg can help put them to music):

You are my glory
I will praise not other name
I will sing of Your goodness
And declare Your fame

In my life's story
There is none but you
I will sing of Your mercy
And declare Your truth

My blog needs some love!

2008-08-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't posted in 2 weeks to the few who read this blog! Patrick went on a business trip to Phoenix and I took the kids to stay with my parents. My dad's computer was in the shop so I couldn't post. Then we left for Longboat Key for a week and we didn't have Internet access. It is really weird when you are used to clicking a button and being connected to the world and then suddenly not being connected. A good weird, but definitely weird.

Anyway, I am back. And Rebecca Moon, I will blog about random things soon...very soon!

Longboat Key 2008 - a lot of pictures!!!

2008-08-03T16:38:00.001-07:00

Apparently, Emmy Kate thinks sand tastes good!

My dad and niece Sophie.

Ellie Grace's feet. I like feet pictures.

My parents with all their grandchildren

My brother Matt, his wife Autumn, and their children - Fisher and Sophie

My sister Amy - who swears that she is never having kids after spending the week with us. Her husband John couldn't make the trip. We missed you John!!!

The grandchildren!

My parents with my kids!

My parents

An attempt at a family picture!

The most beautiful place in the world!

We went to this cool jungle garden place. We got to hold parrots and feed flamigoes.

Some of the pics got separated, but keep looking below.

This is the walkway at Little Gull where we stay. I love it.

Calen and Amy wrestling the alligator....statue.

My brother Matt feeding flamigoes. Sorry the picture is flipped! The flamingoes came right up to us and let us feed them. It was really neat.

Anyway, Longboat Key is where I would live if I could choose any place in the world. It is really beautiful. Maybe I will win the lottery one day!

Back to work and reality tomorrow!

Shoe Battle with a 21 month old

2008-07-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite shoes of Ellie Grace's. I try and come up with outfits just so she can wear these shoes.

This is what Ellie Grace thinks about the shoes.

These are the shoes Ellie chooses to complete her outfit. Classic Ellie Grace.

Here is a recent picture of my precious Emmy Kate.

Her hair looks awesome!

I love you girls!

Calen, stitches, and a new look

2008-07-12T11:23:00.001-07:00

This was my cute guy yesterday, with cool long hair. It was his style. It was getting a little too long and we were going to get just a trim (a very slight trim) very soon. But, a fall made us change our plans. I was trying to get Ellie dressed to go swimming this morning. Calen was dancing around and lost his balance. He ended up slamming his head into the corner of Ellie Grace's dollhouse bookshelf. I started screaming and Patrick came running. He quickly loaded him into the car and took him to the doctor.

This was the result of the doctor's visit. 5 stitches and a hunk of hair gone.

I am grateful. It could have been worse. He could of hit his eye or broken his nose. The Lord was looking out for him definitely. But now, we have to shave his head. I could cry. Patrick said, "He will just have to get used to a new look. It will grow out again, eventually." So here we go. A new look for Calen.

Cape San Blass 2008

2008-07-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

6 grandchildren - 6 & under!

Just the girls - Ellie Grace, Emmy Kate, and Lena

Calen and Clayton showing off their wild side!

Papa Queen chillin'!

Sweet Jackson!

Papa and Gigi

Calen and Clayton!

Ellie Grace

Emmy Kate

Pictures from our vacation with the Queen family! It was so much fun and we can't wait for next year!! These pictures are from Kellie (thanks!). Our camera was broken so sadly, we have no pictures. Kellie and Heather took a lot for us though. Heather will be giving us some too, so those will come soon!

Mamma Mia

2008-07-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

O.K. I cannot wait to see Mamma Mia! All because of this man!

Any movie that he is ever in is great. I mean come on Love Actually is one of the best movies of all time. Bridget Jones 1 & 2 - also great. Shakespeare in Love - he did play a bad guy, but it is like #1 on my list of all time favorite movies. Close second is Love Actually. Anyway, I hope that Mamma Mia! is wonderful and I will be there to see it - whenever I can find a babysitter.

Pictures of the new house!

2008-07-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Master bedroom

Dining Room

Family Room

Kitchen - not a good shot, makes it look pretty small.

These are from before we moved in because our camera is broken! I am having serious camera withdrawls.

Anyway, we are truly blessed to be in this house. The Lord has overwhelmed us with his blessings. Anyone is welcome to visit!

Adventures in Calen Land

2008-07-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

So having an almost 4 year old is pretty fun and frustrating. He definitely keeps me on my toes. Last week he almost changed our primary language on our computer to Mandarin Chinese. This week, he decided to decorate the house (after watching me draw flowers in the girls bathroom to paint) by drawing in the toy room, stairwell, and his sister's room. Last night he decided to pee in the bathroom trashcan just for fun. These are the days when I am grateful that I go back to work and he goes to pre-k in a month. Too bad in a month, I will want to be back home with my little guy!

The Shack

2008-07-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, new house pictures are coming. We are on vacation with the Queens this week, so vaca pictures will come too. But the most amazing thing about this vacation has been the book I bought to read while on vacation. This is not to say that vacation hasn't been great, it has. But, this book is truly amazing. It is a fiction book, but it seems to contain truths about God that are hard for me to separate from fiction. The truth and the "story" are intertwined so well that it is hard me not to feel like this book really didn't happen. Anyway, I want to explore some truths about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit further, but I will wait until I get back from vacation. The Shack is truly an amazing book. If you haven't read it, do it. It will captivate you.

We finally closed!!

2008-06-27T11:13:00.001-07:00

I know it is a little wierd because we have be living in our new house for 3 months. We did a home trade, which worked out nicely for us. It was totally the Lord, because there was no other way that we could have moved to Braselton without this whole home trade deal. But, thankfully, we were working with a company that loves the Lord too, and the Lord blesses obedience. So here are some pictures of our new house!
Well I tried! Pictures to come later when Patrick gets home!

Sick Kids =

2008-06-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

...No fun!!
We've been sick for 3 days and we're still going! Just want to get better before vacation next week!

Adoption

2008-06-23T16:38:00.002-07:00

The Lord continues to grow my heart for adoption and the children of Africa. Last night I was watching 60 Minutes. Anderson Cooper did a report on something called Plumpy'nut (not sure of the spelling). It is this cool new way to feed the malnurished children in Africa. It is a kind of peanut butter paste that is equal to a glass of milk and a multivitamin for us. This is way to feed babies who can't have formula b/c there is no clean water, and for the mothers who do not get enough calories to produce breastmilk. It also does not have to be refridgerated which is also a problem for these 3rd world countries. Anyway, I just thought it was the coolest thing! I am trying to research it and find out how to donate to organizations that can supply Plumpy'nut where they need it most.

I've been tagged!

2008-06-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by MK, who is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We have known each other since 3rd grade, were college roommates, and have helped each other through all kinds of ups and downs. So here goes...
1. I am secretly jealous of girls with curly hair. I would love to be able to change my hairstyle so dramatically just depending on my mood. Am I curly today or straight today? I know that curly hair can be a pain in the rear-end (my sister has curly hair and always tells me so), but I would love to try it. Too bad perms haven't work well for me. It looks like my two daughters may have curly hair, so maybe I can live vicariously through them.
2. I do feel like I am in a hair rut however. I only wear my hair 3 ways - in a ponytail, half up, or down. I have these two great friends that I work with named Jennifer and Carrie. They wear their hair all kinds of cool ways. So this is a goal for them. I will try to wear my hair in at least 2 more different ways in the next month.
3. I have also found 3 gray hairs recently. Can you go gray at 30? And, my son Calen told me that he wants my hair to be gray. I told him that gray hair makes you look older, and he said "no, dark gray looks old, light gray looks young." Should I take hair advise from a 3 year old?
4. I love Tabasco sauce. I like to put it on everything. The hotter the food, the better. I have been better about this though, since my pregnancies showed what true indigestion was like.
5. I am considering running a half marathon. I am not sure though. I have to really stick to a 10 week program and, with my life as crazy as it is right now, it is hard to commit for 10 weeks.
6. I have really low blood pressure. Yes, I know, I work out so that is to be expected. It normally is in the low hundreds/70s, but last time I went to the doctor (2 weeks ago) it was 98/60. I hope I am still alive.

Sorry that most of this was so hair related. My hair has just really been on my mind lately. I am not sure who to tagged, b/c most of the people I would tag have already played this game. Can I retag?

Confession

2008-06-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

Too often I look to others for security and approval. I don't know why I do this. There are too many people in this world who don't like me for one reason or another. They don't like for me for reasons that are known and reasons that are unknown. They don't like me for things that I can control, and things that are beyond my control. Whenever I seek approval by man, I am always let down. I need to turn my eyes to Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His love and grace. You see, He loves me more than anyone else. He created me to be me, emotions and all. He wants me to seek Him for approval and security. What better approval and security is there?

the love of money is the root of all evil..

2008-06-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

So tonight, Patrick is starting Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University through our church. This is a great program and it really helps changing your mindset from spending money to saving money. This has been something that Patrick and I have talked about since the beginning of our marriage. It always seems like something unexpected happens and we end up using our savings. So, now that we are about to start this, I have very tempted to go out and spend tons of money.
1. Our camera is broken. Calen was playing photographer and now the lens is broken. It is going to cost a lot of money to get it fixed, but blogging is just not as much fun without pictures.
2. I have to get a new crown on my front tooth. (Never knew that breaking my front tooth roller skating in the 3rd grade would be this expensive!) The dentist wants me (or I want me) to whiten my teeth to match the new crown. Only $400.
3. I have a new house and I am changing color schemes. Pottery Barn was nice enough to send me a 10% off coupon for moving. Too bad that I want to spend about $200, so it will still cost me about $180 for new throw pillows.
4. We went to see Rebecca and Nick Moon's new house last night. They are crazy and, already in the 4 days since they have moved, had the house painted and played extreme home makeover in their girls' new rooms. I felt like going out and buying ten gallons of paint right then.
Satan knows right where to hit me!

** Fun memory from childhood - dinner tonight - english muffin pizzas!

#11 reason why I love my husband..

2008-06-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

because when I ask hm to do something, he will do it. This is why I have I have the beatles on my blog. Not a huge beatles fan, but I asked Patrick to put music on out blog. Thanks Patrick. The music is great.

Praises!

2008-06-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

So Patrick had to take the Saab in and I was preparing myself for $1,000 car repair. Turns out he just needs a new gas cap. Thank you Jesus. That makes starting Financial Peace University a lot easier.

Also, I had a hellish experience today with my ab blast instructor. I decided to take her body sculpting class. 120 pushups, squats, lunges, weights, rollups, you get the picture. I tell you what, I am miserable while taking the class, but I feel pretty powerful afterwards. Love/hate relationship going on. Anyway, if you go to Gold's at Hamilton mill, try one of Lisa's classes. I am expecting an extreme makeover without the surgery this summer all b/c of her!

A few thoughts on this Wednesday morning..

2008-06-04T06:17:00.001-07:00

1. A certain friend of ours was upset that I outed Patrick on tampon runs. However, tampon runs are things of celebration around the Queen house these days! We are pretty proud that we have gone 7 months without getting pregnant!!! That sounds really harsh, but having 2 babies 12 months apart was the hardest thing I have ever done. So I issue a challenge to the afore mentioned friend - which family can go the longest without getting pregnant? Bet we win this one!!

2. Speaking of babies, I think my 7 month old thinks I am into baby torture. I accidentally pinched her arm when I was putting her into her high chair and then I had to clean her very crusty nose. Poor thing!

3. I have such a rebellious spirit. I have a goal this summer of rock hard abs. (I can dream, can't I?) I am taking a class every Tuesday at my gym called ab blast. It is a killer class and I feel like I am at boot camp when I take it. People are literally calling out, "only 15 more minutes!" - I mean it is a struggle to get through this class! Anyway, every week the (like 0% body fat) instructor says at the end of the class, "You can work your abs out all day, but if you go home and eat junk, you won't see any results!" Yeah, so since the class yesterday, I have had 4 double chunk chocolate chip cookies and a sausage biscuit from McDonald's. If she just didn't say anything about food, I think I would do better.

My life in about 10 years...

2008-06-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

It's funny when something happens and you can totally see yourself that way in a few years down the road. Calen get asking me at breakfast "Can you see my mustache?" He was drinking milk, but I just knew that in about 10 years he would be asking me the same question and he will not be talking about milk!!

Just Remembering my sweet Ellie before the terrible 2s hit at 18 months....

2008-06-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

#1 Husband

2008-06-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

OK, so in January, my crazy, but always delightful, friend Patricia went through a rough break up. Her roommate told her that she should make a list of 100 things that she wants in a future husband. I was like man, when I made my list in college after a rough break up for me, I only had about 10 things on it. Patricia did make her list of 100 things! I was shocked, but then I started thinking. There are more that 100 things about Patrick that I love and couldn't live without. So, here is my attempt at a list. It will, however, come in installments, b/c I have three children who won't let me sit down to write 100 things.

Here goes:

1. Patrick loves Jesus.

2. Patrick is hot.

3. Patrick loves me and our family and always puts our well being before his own.

4. Patrick makes the most wonderful coffee and omelets for me whenever he can. He knows exactly how much sugar and cream I like.

5. Patrick will do anything to make me happy.

6. Patrick lets me win when we run together.

7. Patrick will go on dessert runs, clothing runs, and tampon runs for me whenever I need him to.

8. Patrick tells me that I am beautiful everyday, even the days that I don't get out of my pajamas or put in my contacts. That is true love right there.

9. Patrick will go out at 10 o'clock on a weeknight to fill my car up with gas, just so I won't run late the next morning.

10. Patrick makes me laugh.

I love you and appreciate you babe! More installments to come on this!

First Post

2008-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

So - we do have a lot to say, just not a lot of time to blog. Here is the latest addition to the Queen household. Emersyn Katherine - born on October 26, 2007. She is the sweetest baby ever and a good sport to put up with her two older siblings that want to sit on her, carry her, pull her hair, etc. Fun times in the Queen house!

Finally...Again

2008-02-14T03:17:00.001-08:00

Candace is finally going to update you guys on what's going on with us!

We're Here

2007-01-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Well, We finally got into the whole blog thing! I'm sure Candace will have lots of wonderful news up soon.