October 1st at 210 Student Ministries.....

Next Wednesday night, October 1st is 210 Student Ministries FALL RIOT night!!! It's going to be an amazing outreach to teenagers all across the Katy community, so if you know a teenager, whether they go to church or not....invite them to attend the FALL RIOT! There will be a passing competition between all the area QB's (both high school & j-high!), a cheer off between squads, a weigh off between the linemen & FREE FOOD!!! Doors open at 6:30!!

What more could a teenager ask for!?!?!

So spread the word in Katy! It's going to be one exciting night, October 1st at Second Baptist - West Campus!!!

If you're reading this and you live in the Katy area.... please spread the word, or put a link on your blog, etc.... :o)

"HangUp" jobs I've done...

Here is a link to an album of misc. photos of canvases, corkboards, stools, & frames that I've done. I've had several requests of pictures of previous jobs I've done.

Click here to view the album.
(Just click on one photo to enlarge it and you can look through the rest.)

Canvas for Mrs. Roberts

This is a canvas I finished back before the hurricane hit.... I just now am getting it uploaded to my blog! I did this for a teacher for her classroom door.

Thanks Jennie!

A wonderful 6 years!!!

Tomorrow, September 21st, will mark Brian & I's six year wedding anniversary! I can not believe how fast these past 6 years have gone. So much has happened in our lives since that fall day in Springdale, AR in 2002 when we were only 21 & 23 years old!! Talk about a story that was written by the Lord... that would be our story! For those of you who know us, know the "drama" that went along with our story that led up to us finally becoming a couple!

But God is so good and His timing is always perfect!
Over the past six years, we've lived in 3 different states, had two beautiful children, served at four churches, and been through lots of up's and some downs along our journey together.

And what an amazing journey it has been! Don't laugh at how much we've changed over the past 6 years! And just to show you how much technology has changed in the past 6 years... we don't have any digital copies of our engagement or wedding pictures.... (so bear with me, I took these pictures out of our wedding album to have some "digital" proof of our special day!

So, I'm sorry that they are dark and kinda blurry!)

Enjoy the pictures!

Our Engagement Picture - Summer of 2002 ^

Getting ready. ^

Our Ceremony! ^

Right after the ceremony. ^

Our rings & program. ^

Mr & Mrs Brian Lee Mills!!! ^

The cake! ^

We're off to the Bahamas.... ^

Brian, Happy Anniversary!

I love you so much and I am so proud to be your wife! I am so blessed to walk through this journey of life with you!!! You're an amazing husband and father and I can't wait to love you, honor you, & walk beside you for many more years to come!

Love always,

Jennifer

Back at it again...

Friends, please be praying again for sweet Kenzie.... she was re-admitted back into this hospital this morning after waking up to some bleeding this morning. Faith Clare seems to be doing fine and has a strong heartbeat and is still very active.

Pray for Dusty, Kenzie and sweet little Deacon...as he is having to deal with his Mommy being gone once again. Luckily her mom and dad are here now to help out! So Deacon will be a little bit distracted for the next few days at least, with all the attention from his Mimi & Papa here! :)

"The truth about Teenage Girls" by Time magazine

Brian found an article put out by TIME magazine "The truth about Teenage Girls". It's pretty eye opening! Lord help us as we try to raise McKenna to live a life that is passionate about her God and not in her sexcrazed culture!!

Click here to read the article.

Flag football night!

Katy ISD has canceled school for the entire week now due to power outages that are still being worked on in our area due to the hurricane. Everyone is stir crazy so this evening the kids and I loaded up their bikes and went with Brian to one of the Junior High's in town.

He was meeting Michael and a group of our j-high students to play some football since it's been in the upper 70's this week - the weather is PERFECT for being outside! The kids played for hours and rode their bikes around the parking lot. Then we headed to our favorite hot spot Chick-fil-a & then came home, gave the kids a bath, and now they've both crashed! What a fun family night of cheering Daddy on at his football game & enjoying this amazing weather here in Katy!

My little M.V.P.! :) (He wanted to play with the Big Boys so bad!)

Brian before his pitch to Michael for the touchdown.

Parker = Football

McKenna = playing with the cones ;-)

Their group shot!

Fun in Arkansas!

The birthday girl!

Despite the fact that it was MAJOR last minute.... our stay in Arkansas was fun! The kids had a blast playing with their cousins, Ty & Haley. Haley's Birthday is on the 24th, so I made us cupcakes to have after dinner on Saturday night to celebrate early since we wouldn't be able to make it back for her real party. So here are a few pictures from the kids and their cupcakes!

Happy Early Birthday Haley! :) We love you and miss you!

Kenzie's Blog is BACK!

Update on Kenzie:
God is so good!!! For those of you who have asked...my friend Kenzie is now home on bedrest. While she was still in the hospital for preterm labor, someone hacked into her email, facebook, and yes - her sweet blog and deleted ALL of it! This poor family has had one attack after another!! After much prayer and contacting Google, they were able to restore all of her blog! http://thestanfieldjourney.blogspot.com/
This is such a major thing as her blog contains information, love, support, and prayers from people all across the world as she, Dusty & Deacon walked through their journey with baby Maddox and now the joy that baby Faith will soon bring into their lives!

Keep praying for Kenzie as she is still experiencing contractions, but they are mild. A huge blessing...they didn't lose any power during Ike!

Rundown of my Monday....

Tonight Brian & I went out to dinner just the 2 of us!! After going to Arkansas by myself with the two kids, needless to say, I was needing a break from my "oh so precious" preschoolers! ;-) So he got a babysitter for the kids this afternoon and we went to dinner here in Katy! It's so nice to have an un-interrupted dinner! :)
After I took our babysitter home, McKenna and I ran by a gas station to pick up some milk. Now, for those of you in the greater Houston area, you know just how choatic all gas stations and grocery stores are at this time since the hurricane! People who live in Houston and have no power and limited stores that are open in that area of town due to the lack of power, are all coming to Katy since we have power and gas... so it has been mass chaos at all gas stations for gas and all of the grocery stores are all barren! NOTHING on the shelves....
So after the gas station stop, I thought I'd go down the street to the Super Target. I went by there yesterday afternoon for some things for supper but no such luck... I thought they would have re-stocked over night last night, and they probably did... but after today, this is what our Super Target looked like:

The "bread" isle...
The "dairy" isle... EMPTY!

As we were leaving we strolled through the kids clothes... there is always something cute out! :)

I saw this shirt and took a picture of it and text it to Brian b/c this is PERFECT for my little Parker Lee Mills right now!!!

On a more positive note: the weather today was simply WONDERFUL!!! It was cool this morning and only got up to about 80 today!!

We also had our 2nd dance class this morning and McKenna was the only one there for the first 20 minutes....so it was like a "private lesson" for her! She loved it! Here is her working on her "first position"...trying to get those cute little feet to cooperate! :)
SOOOOO CUTE!

Oh, and before the hurricane last week, we bought a new car... we traded in the good ole' Odyssey! So here are some pictures, these are for you Mom & Dad in Arkansas....

Update on our hurricane story....

Well, after much debating and going back and forth, i chickened out on riding out the storm, and the kids and I headed to Arkansas on Thursday around noon. We just didn't know what to expect and for this to be our first hurricane experience, needless to say, we were kinda freaking out. ("we" being me...) Thursday morning, our preschool canceled school so that families could prepare for the storm. So as I sat at home watching the news, they were making predictions about where the worst of the storm was to hit they were predicting 95-100 mph winds here in Katy and the "eye of the storm" was suppose to go over Katy. (Now that ended up not happening...as the storm shifted more east than they first expected.) But we got out... I just thought, the kids would have a blast with their cousins anyways... and my neices b-day is next week so we could "celebrate" it while we were there crashing at their place.

So we made it to Texarkana with only a few minor delays when we would catch up with other evacuees on 59 North. So we rode out the storm in Texarkana and the kids got to see their cousins and Brian's parents on Saturday. I woke up this morning at 6:00am and we left Texarkana this morning by 6:45 and made it back home to Katy by 11:45am. The traffic wasn't bad at all and it only rained a little when I hit north Houston. Power was out in every town I went through on 59 coming back from Arkansas because the track Ike made on landfall came right up the way of 59 to hit Arkansas. So we experienced the "wrath" of Ike at my sister-in-laws last night. Only a few gas stations here and there had power, so I kept my gas tank full and pressed on....The damage as I drove through these towns were so sad... especially in the north houston area because that is where eye hit pretty hard. During the night another storm blew threw that added a LOT more rain to the already soggy ground so there is a lot of flooding throughout the Houston/Katy area. Our church campus even suffered some minor flooding and roof damage. Our house was fine... not any damage at all except Brian lost power for about 24 hours. Here are some pictures he took from the storm.

Please pray for the people in the Houston area as they are trying to re-build and that power would come back on soon for those who are still without, because after all it is Houston and although it's mid-September, it's still humid and hot here.

Prima Ballerina!

McKenna's first dance class!

Part 1: Ballet

She was ready to get started...

Ellie, McKenna, & Hannah with Mrs. Juleigh
Parker eagerly watching from the room outside!
"1st position" (This pic cracks me up!)
Again, discussing 1st position at the bar.

Part 2: Tap

Explaining how to take care of their tap shoes.

Concentrating hard... look at the tongue!

After class: She wanted her ballet shoes back on.

Follow the leader...

And no, I'm not talking about the cute, innocent game you're thinking of.... Yesterday afternoon, this is what the kids were doing while "playing" outside with their Daddy! It's amazing that we didn't have to make a visit to the ER!! McKenna is not afraid of anything that could seriously hurt her.... and Parker, well he just follows WHATEVER his big sister does!

That's right, she climbed on top of her car and JUMPED!!!!

The Parker follows.....

Miss Mischeveous!

MR. Mischeveous!

Thank you!

I appreciate all of the advice that has been given today... some of the things I have tried (Yes, I've bitten him back...but that obviously was not effective with him!)... so tonight I tried the advice from my good friend Hollie about the books; "Teeth are not for biting." While I was at Barnes & Noble I discovered they also had a book "Hands are not for hitting".... (which we also have a problem with in sharing). So I picked both of these up and we read them tonight before bed. He just kept saying "No bite, no no!"

But he has said that before.... you see, whenever I sit him in time out for bitting or hitting, I always ask him before he can get up, "Parker, now why are you in time out & what are our rules?"

And he will answer, "No bite." or "No hit."

I try to keep it consistant and simple but this is obviously going to be a long phase for us!

But how adoreable is this precious little face?!?! This is the little boy that I am use to 99% of the time!

But I so appreciate you girls advice thus far... anything else I am open to try as well! :)

Help...calling all moms!

Okay, I'm being really transparent here, but I am needing some sort of advice... my son has a biting problem and is very aggresive with other kids his same age or younger.
He got kicked out of the nursery this morning for bitting 3 KIDS!!!??!!! (Ok, not "kicked out" , I got paged & he had been removed from the room waiting on me to pick him up...you feel like the worst mom EVER in that moment.... it's like going to the principals office as a kid! haha....)
I do NOT understand why or what his reason is or what instigates his behavior because he doesn't bite at home. This has been going on for a while off and on, and just when I think it's gotten better, he starts biting again...
He is starting preschool this week as well, and I have already been stressing over how he will behave in the classroom and now today happened! Not a good start to our week....

ANY ADVICE YOU READERS HAVE FOR BITING or just aggressive boy behavior.... I am open to hear it.
Please leave me a comment!

"My Brightness"

It's so funny how God moves & works in my life...
I guess it was about a month ago that Brian burned Charlie Halls' new CD, "The Bright Sadness" for me to put on my i-tunes for my phone, I actually forgot where I put the CD but found it today when he asked me where that was. (Perfect timing!)
He was out front washing our cars and wanted to listen to that cd. I then leave a few hours later to run to Walmart while the kids are napping to get some stuff for the kids for preschool & some other things... I sit in the car and the song that starts playing is, "My Brightness", #4 on his new cd.
I listen to it the first time and bawled the whole way to Walmart, replaying it 3 times to listen again to the all too perfect lyrics.
My heart has been so heavy for my friend, Kenzie, as she is battling with these contractions that refuse to subside.... the Bible says we are to "...pray without ceasing..." and that is exactly where my heart and mind have been since Wednesday when I got the call that she was being admitted.
We sometimes question why God does some of the things that He does because we don't see the big picture.... but we just need to trust. "He knows where they are going on this new journey and he knows where they've been...."
Those are part of the lyrics of this AMAZING song that I know is the heart's cry of Dusty & Kenzie.... here are the lyrics to this song.
“My Brightness”
Verse 1:
Well I’ve been hit from every corner, and I’ve been thrown from side to side. And the cracks are on the inside, so I come to you for life. Your presence always heals me, so I wanna drink it in, You know where we’re going God, and You know where I’ve been…
Chorus:
And your Love is like a rock, when I’m spinning, Your love is like a rock, when I’m spinning, you’re love is like a rock when I’m spinning, around.
Verse 2:
Yesterday I felt so angry, and today so insecure. And I hate it that I wrestle with the God that I adore, Your presence always heals me, so I wanna drink it in. You know where we're going God, You know where I’ve been.
Chorus:
And your love is like a rock, when I’m spinning.Your love is like a rock, when I’m spinning.
Your love is like a rock, when I’m spinning....
Bridge:
And I know less about You, but my heart loves You so much more.
You’re the bright in sadness, you’re my Brightness.
I wish this thing could pass from me, but I’m wanting what you want.
So bring me high or bring me low just hold me in your love.
Chorus:
And your love….is like a rock, when I’m spinning, your love is like a rock, when I’m spinning your love is like a rock when I’m spinning your love is like a rock when I’m spinning….(repeat)
Your love is like a rock when I’m spinning… around.


~Lord, my prayer for The Stanfield's is that you would be their ROCK while they are "spinning".....Stay put precious Faith, I know you are so excited to meet your amazing family, but please stay put for a little while longer.

Keep Praying.....

Here is an update from Kenzie's blog....
http://thestanfieldjourney.blogspot.com/2008/09/immediate-prayer.html

Please continue praying that her body would cooperate with the med's and stop contracting. I went to the hospital this afternoon and spent some time with Kenz and she was doing well.... however, this evening as they were trying to lower her dosage once again to prepare to put her on oral med's so she could go home to continue her bedrest, her contractions fired up again!

We know the Lord is faithful.... we must trust in Him!

Please continue to pray!!!!!!!!!
(See her blog link above for the verse they are claiming tonight as they pray.)

Please pray for Kenzie & Baby Faith~

For those of you who have followed my blog since our move to Houston, probably remember the season we walked through last January with are new sweet friends, Dusty & Kenzie. (you can read their journey here) I also shared on my blog just a few months ago about the great news that they are expecting a baby girl on December 10th. "Faith Clare" is the name that they have so appropriately named this sweet blessing from the Lord!

Please, please join me in praying for our friends as Kenzie began not feeling so well yesterday and went in to the doctor and discovered that she was dialating and having contractions, she was immediately admitted into the hospital for preterm labor at 26 weeks, & she will stay there until at least Saturday. They are treating her with magnesium sulfate which they began yesterday - and she is still experiencing a contraction or two every hour as of today.

Please pray that Baby Faith stays put in her mommy's womb until December!! Our friends have been through so much...please pray for peace and comfort once again for them as they walk this road.
Kenzie has been put on bedrest so please keep Dusty in your prayers as he will be juggling work and his family. Also pray for little Deacon for understanding as his mommy is on bedrest. I will update as soon as they are able to go home.... Click here for updates from her blog.

Giggles w/ Poppa Mark!

Here is a video clip of the kiddos cracking up at my dad while they were here last weekend!! It's amazing just how funny a stuffed animal and some silly sound effects can be to a 2 & 3 year old!!!

Writer's Block!

Last night, Brian reminded me that I haven't written a new post in a while.... I've been so busy with getting ready to start teaching preschool next week, getting stuff ready for the kids to start in their classes, ballet, more gymnastics, etc that I've been too exhausted to blog!

Then my wonderful parents were here this past weekend from Arkansas! We had a great time, but it went by all too quick! They flew in late Thursday night and so we had Friday through Monday with them here! We swam, played, went shopping, ate a ton, and just hung out here around the house! We enjoyed their stay - but realized on the way to the airport on Monday evening that we didn't take hardly ANY pictures over the weekend!

"What kind of Mom & Gigi are we?!?!" we said... (here are just a few!)

They really are "best friends"!

Riding the Merry-Go-Round with Poppa and Gigi (a million times!)...

We have our preschool's "meet the teacher" on Friday morning and then we start next week! So fun!! McKenna is SO excited about school and

then when we ask Parker if he's excited, it's a resounding "No!" ---

so it should be an exciting week next Tuesday to see how he does on his first day.

I feel as if he is at a disadvantage with this whole preschool thing because McKenna started out in a 2 day a week program when she was 6-weeks old when we lived in Tulsa because I had to work part time. So from the very beginning, she has been use to being left at a program for a least a couple of days. Then in Fort Smith she was in a "Mothers Day Out" program, but the program at our church there required that the child had to be a year old to enroll... so when I had his paperwork all turned in and ready to go for last fall --- the Lord decided to move us on in our ministry here to Texas! So he missed that opportunity! We moved here almost exactly this time last year (the end of September). And the program here at Second had already began and they require that they be 15 months old to start... and well.... Parker had just turned ONE! So... he's been stuck at home with me for the past 2 years with no knowledge of what a fun experience preschool, Mother's day out, Kids Day Out, whatever you wanna call it... can be!!

So we'll see - I hope he does great!

He has two amazing women for teachers - one of them had McKenna last year!

I'll keep you posted on how next week goes in the Mills household! :)