WHAT A WONDERFUL "WHITE" CHRISTMAS!

Christmas of 2010 will have to go down as one of the most eventful, and fulfilling Christmas days yet. From God's early Christmas present in baby Timothy to the wonderful white snow we were blessed with on Christmas day, this will be a Christmas to remember.





This Whitt household is probably not very traditional when it comes to Christmas in the sense of having 50 million presents around the tree. We keep it pretty simple. 3 gifts to make sure our kids understand what the Christmas season is really about, and that is most importantly the birth/life/death of our Savior Jesus, but it's also about giving more than receiving. Plus, the grandparents will provide close to 49 million presents to suffice. :) This year our kids got pillowpets, tag reader books from Leapster, and transportation vehicles...Caden got a bike and Lala got a scooter. Stockings were filled with chocolates and other goodies that Daddy seems to be enjoying more than the kiddos.





Shannon and I are very terrible (from the world's standpoint) when it comes to Christmas. We don't really buy each other gifts because we take care of each other throughout the year. Or if we do buy each other gifts, we can never make it to Christmas day to open them. We normally have our gifts open by December 2nd!! :)
But this year was a special one. With the new addition of baby Timothy, Shannon's little Taurus was no longer going to cut it. Talk about packed sardines!! So we did our talking and praying about getting a van and the Lord really came through. Shannon and I got an 08 Honda Odyssey for Christmas this year and I could not think of a more perfect gift!..........



Until Christmas day. Wow! What a beautiful sight it was. Except for the Christmas our family spent in Gatlinburg when I was younger, I have never experienced a true "white Christmas" in AL. We had a wonderful time the day before at Meme and Grandaddy's and we had a great time at Bitsy and Poppi's on Christmas day as well.

But the adventure came in traveling to my grandparents house in Huntsville. This is a tradition that has been in the family for almost 40 years now. I think last year was the only year that I have ever missed, and only missed then because Shannon was so very sick. I would not label it as the most convenient thing to do on Christmas day, but I love my family very much and have no idea how much longer this tradition will be able to continue. Plus I know how much it means to my grandparents since we only see them 3 to 4 times a year anyways.





Although it was snowing pretty good in Argo, we had no idea how it was coming down in Huntsville, and boy was it coming down. We started out around 11:00 and the further north we got, the harder it snowed and the more covered the roads began to get. My wife needed a puke bowl and she was not happy with me at all. But the kids were awesome and we made it there in one piece. Great family, great food, great fun and then came the decision to try to make it back that evening or spend the night. We decided to have a spend the night party and it was so much fun. I can't remember the last time I spent the night there, but it reminded me of the days where the cousins used to go spend the week with them. The next morning, we braved the snow to attempt to make it back home. I will say that it was very scary in the beginning. We were following mom and dad, and there were no real clear road tracks until we hit the interstate. It was very nerve racking. But we made it and all was well. And we have some wonderful Christmas memories about the White Christmas of 2010.



I hope everyone had as blessed a Christmas season as ours.

May your 2011 be even better!

TIME TO PLAY "BLOG CATCH-UP"

Since the last real blog I had was in September, and it's now Christmas break and I have "a little bit" of time on my hands, I figured I would play the "blog catch-up" game. I have no idea what order they will show up in and it will probably not be as good as it should be, but I will do my best. Since the wife is at work with the "picture computer", I will have to add pictures later. Hopefully I will find time to do that. I will also do my very best to not let months elapse before I update again! So let the "blog catch-up" game begin...............

50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly

So if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed all the photo collages I post. I usually take way too many pictures of any given event, so I absolutely LOVE making collages with some of my favorites! Shutterfly makes it SO easy. And my friend (AND cousin) Page recently blogged about how to get FREE photo cards by blogging! So YAY, we will see if this works!

Shutterfly really is simple to use. All you do is load your pics to Shutterfly, and then there are several options. You can edit your pics, make collages, order prints or gifts, etc! They also have the cutest holiday cards! I would love to do a Thanksgiving Card... This is my favorite design! I love the colors, and of course, it's got a collage on it! :)

And then there's the traditional Christmas card. Since Christmas is less than a months away (GASP!) it's already time to start planning! And I learned a few years ago, that photo cards are def the way to go when it comes to Christmas cards! Simply load your fav pic, or multiple pics if that's what you choose, pick the design you want to use, and walah, it's done! Envelopes come with the order, so all you have to do is stuff and seal, then address and mail. We have yet to take our family Christmas pictures, but I am really hoping (with Page's help!) to get at least one good one of the 4 of us, then a good one of the boys, and then one of each of them. That may be asking a lot... but if we are successful, I already have the perfect card picked out! This is one of my favorite Christmas designs... the Snowflake Wishes is cute and contemporary, and has the perfect places for photos of our little family! :)

Also on Shutterfly, you can make photo gifts. There are several options, but one of my favs is the wall calendar. Again, load the pics you want to use, place them and add captions if you want, and you have the cutest calendar EVER! We've made one as Christmas gifts for family the past several years, and they are always a big hit!

So if you are looking for a new photo program, check out Shutterfly. Also, if you are a blogger, click here to see how you can blog about Shutterfly and order 50 FREE photo cards!

DUKE BOUND...AGAIN

If you know me, you know that I eat, sleep, and breathe Duke basketball.
If you know my brother, ditto.

Last year, my buddy Rusty and I were able to have the experience of a lifetime!!!
We drove up to Durham for a practice/coaching clinic for Duke basketball.
We had no idea what kind of expectations to have or not have.
And oh was it the bomb!!! We were able to watch the future national champs get after each other in a real practice. We were able to get a basketball signed by every player on the future national championship team. And then to cap off the weekend, I was able to meet Coach K for the very first time, get an autograph (or 2..had to get Nate's) and get a picture made with him.



Reminded me a little bit of my first trip to Bristol!! (That's an inside joke for the Bristol crew!! Love you guys!)
Once we returned home and had a few weeks to come off of cloud 9, it was so awesome to watch them play and end up being national champs. Not just for the sake of saying that they won it all, but they did it on the year where we were able to come up and get the full experience!
So,we decided we had to do it again this year.

This year, Rusty and I also took my bro and our other buddy Keyon. Nate and I have been there before in 05, when we went to watch Duke play Valpo and had a wonderful experience meeting JJ Redick and company! But never really even got close to seeing Coach K. Keyon had never been at all, so this was his rookie experience.
The trip up was great, but I will say that things did not go as smoothly as hoped for once we got there.
We were hoping to all buy basketballs and get them signed by the team, like we did last year.
Problem #1: K and his crew bought every basketball on campus to sell the next day at the clinic. So there were no basketballs at all!!! Very frustrating!! So we had nothing to get signed by the players. Had we known what was to come, it probably wouldn't have mattered anyways.
Problem #2: When we got to practice, everybody and their brother showed up this year. The year before, it was me, Rusty, and maybe 20 other people if that. Once practice was over, we got to hang out with the guys and talk and get the basketballs signed. Very easy, very low key. This year, no way Jose!! It was like Jesus feeding the 5000. They were everywhere!!! We ended up standing through the whole practice and story of trip was me showing my butt.

----Sidebar (wouldn't be a good blog if I didn't share good stories...LOL)
So we get into the practice gym and there are chairs all down the side. The managers are bringing other chairs out to put on the wall. The 4 of us stand in the doorway to the weight room just scoping it out and seeing how many folks are going to come in. I am already ill that the million man march was in Duke's practice facility. Mind you as well, we don't have chairs. We are standing. About 5 or 10 minutes before practice starts, we decided that we wanted to sit. Across the gym were 4 empty chairs, so we walk across the floor to sit down. Remember, still not jolly be happy. As we sit down, a visitor/coach proceeds to tell me that somebody was sitting in that seat. Well, and I blame it on my father, genetics...LOL
I proceeded to look at the guy and say "Yeah, me." I think my brother and our other 2 buddies did everything they could to not just bust out laughing right there, but they know me and know that this was not a good situation. The dude was totally floored and had no idea how to handle this. He and I had a brief discussion and thank the Lord, a level head returned and I decided to go back to the original standing position in front of the weight room so that I did not make the news by getting kicked out of Duke's baskeball practice facility.

Practice came and went and the end of practice was all of the players being led to the lockerroom with not one player (except Kyle and Miles who went to the weightroom) staying to sign. Can't say I blame the coaches either. It was the right move, but so opposite from the year before. I guess that is what being National Champs will do and that's ok. Highlight of the day though was waiting by the players door, which not a lot of the folks knew where it was, and getting to meet and get a pic with Kyrie Irving. Kid's a playa, yet it breaks my heart that he is hurt and probably done for the season.





Saturday was a good day. Got to the clinic, got our basketballs, got our clothes, got good seats. When it was time, we jumped in line to see Coach K. I knew how crazy the day before was, so I wasn't taking any chances. Come to find out at the end, they actually had to shut the line down and turn people away. Hate that, but glad we were up front. It was cool to see Coach K again and very cool to see my bro and Keyon meet him for the first time. When the clinic was over, we went back and watched college football all night.

It was a very fun experience and hoping that we can make it an annual event. Curious to see if we repeat as well. Thanks for letting me share.

LET'S GO DUKE!!!!!

LALA TURNS 3!!

Laura Grace Whitt aka LaLa, Lala Belle, Lala Grace, sister........
Whatever you know her by, I know that you are blessed just knowing her. :)
I know that I am her daddy and very very partial, but it's what I believe.

This is a little girl who always has a song on her lips.
A little girl who is always ready to climb up in daddy's lap and play the "Dowa Game."
A little girl who is not going to sleep at all until she gets her kiss and her bear hug and will then try to con daddy into staying another 10 minutes so she doesn't have to go straight to sleep. :)
A little girl who loves to be a helper and little momma around the house.
A little girl who will find a book and sit in the corner and create her own story for hours, while other little children blast their voices in the same room.
A little girl whose favorite phrase in the car is "hey mom!"
A little girl who loves princesses and can't wait to meet them at Disney this spring.
A little girl who loves her mommy and daddy, and is loved so much in return.
But most importantly, a little girl who is learning to love Jesus and know Jesus more and more each day.



I can't believe that my baby girl is already 3, but I know that it will only be the blink of an eye, and down the aisle we go. I hope that doesn't come too quick though!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LALA BELLE!!!

WHEN TIME DISAPPEARS

It's amazing how summertime for a teacher always allows a wonderful opportunity to track the events of the day, week, or month in a blog. I sadly checked my blog today to realize my last post was July 8th!! (Which did happen to be a wonderful celebration!) I know that life has been busy, but good grief! :)

I sit in my living room with Lala Belle watching Team Umizoomi, and I have so much on my heart and on my mind. I thank the Lord for a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful children who are growing up way too fast. I thank Him for what He is doing in our lives right now and how every day is one more chance to impact the world for Him.
The season of life right now seems to be prayer. I know that this is something God wants to develop in my life so that I can become a better prayer warrior for Him.
Why does the spiritual discipline of prayer seem to sometimes be so hard for us??? We love to talk to people on the phone, in texting, on facebook, and face to face. So why is it so hard to talk to God? I think the real reality and answers to this question are sad and disturbing.

1.) TIME
We would not dare say this outloud, but one of the biggest excuses is time. We simply do not make the time needed to have conversations with God daily. We might do it in the morning or when we put our head on our pillows at night. But how many times do our prayers start with a little bit of geniuneness and then turn into a distractive "what do I have to do tomorrow?" Or how many of us use prayer as a mode to put us to sleep. Wow! Check that one in a human to human set. How would you love for someone to come to you and ask you to have a conversation with them so that they could get to sleep easier. Any real relationship we have and want requires time. Same with God. An active/real relationship with Him requires time.

2.) LAZINESS
It's a sad moment in time when we set our alarms for early in the morning so we can spend time with the Lord, only to roll over and hit the snooze button because we just can't make it through the day if we get up that early. Again, it's kind of like having a lunch date and then standing your friend/spouse/etc. up because you just don't feel like going. I think we live in a world today that has been overtaken by apathy and laziness. We want to apply ourselves to different things, but it when it comes down to the continual commitment needed to succeed, we generally tend to give up or give in to laziness just because we do. I don't even know that there is an excuse that we try to attach to it beyond that. It is what it is.

3.) ATTITUDE
I would say many times that we fall into one of these categories: I am not good at praying, so why try. Or, I am way away from God right now, so there is really no sense in me even trying. I would just be praying to the space around me. We should all know that the Lord is asking us to cry out to Him. For many if not all of us, it should start with an apology and an understanding that we aren't perfect but we can be forgiven. Lay your heart out to the Lord. He already knows what's on it anyways. He is always chasing after us and we can never run too far away or find a secret place to hide. He knows.

4.) COMMITMENT
The final one on my heart is commitment. We don't spend time in prayer because it takes a commitment. If we really looked at how we prioritize things in our lives, many of us would hope that we put God towards the top. Yet if we did an inventory of our commitment to Him, it probably wouldn't turn out too good. Growing in our walk with Christ takes commitment. Commitment takes sacrifice. Sacrifice is getting up early to share in fellowship with Him. Commitment means resisting the urge to hit snooze and get out of the bed! Commitment means consistency. It's not different than wanting to quit a bad habit or get in better shape/health. It starts with a personal choice made. Is this something that I really want to apply myself to, or am I just saying it to make myself think I can do better? The answer will prove itself. If it's real, consistency will come. It is very hard at first, but consistency will come.

So where do you stand on prayer? Are you a prayer warrior? Is it a discipline in your life that you really want to do a better job at? I challenge all reading this to become a better prayer warrior. You may need to find some books to read or studies on prayer that can help with this. But go beyond reading and put it into action. As Nike would say, Just do it! No matter how good or bad you may think you are at it....Just do it!

I love the moments that I am able to spend time with the Lord and time just seems to disappear. I am not worried about anything but being with Him. It saddens my heart for the moments that I fall into one of the categories above and miss an opportunity to hang out with the One I love the most. There is power in prayer...start today!

Leaving a Legacy

As I click in to edit this particular blog, this was one that I had actually started at the present time. I think everything was so fresh at the time, I just didn't want to publish it at that particular time. But I hope that it's ok now. Quotes are the original and I will add more at the end.

"As I sit in my quiet kitchen, praying for my wonderful bride of 8 years and her family huddled up a few minutes down the road, I try to imagine what more than 50 years of marriage looks like. How many memories with a bride are packed into 50+ years? How many wonderful memories with children galore are packed into 50+ years? Places seen, endless conversations, mishaps and hilarious moments that will never be forgotten. This is only the tip of iceberg in trying to imagine or probably attempt to relay what it's like.
My wife's loving Papaw, Jim Bagwell, passed away tonight. I do not have the memories that my wife has of her Papaw. And that's exactly how God wants it. God blesses everyone of us with people in our lives that influence us, that grow us, that help us become who we are in our lives."

This is one of those moments where I wish I would have continued writing. This, to me, is what blogging is about. Capturing the moment, in the moment. That's why I hate it so much when I have to go back and play catch-up. It's not "in the moment."

It has been a couple of months since Papaw has passed, but we know that he is dancing with the Lord and that brings us joy. I am thankful for family and the many opportunities the Lord puts before us. I entitled this "leaving a legacy" because I once heard a wise man talk about living life. Do we live our lives day to day just doing what we do and passing moments away, or are we living our lives to leave a legacy? When I am gone, will there be footprints left here on earth that I have left. Not the footprints of money, trophies, possessions, etc.... But footprints of how my kids raise their kids because of what they learned from daddy. Footprints of the former kids that I have taught and who they grow up to be because maybe I made a little bit of difference in their life when they were in 7th grade. Or the most important to me, the unknown footprints that we may never have seen or will see until the other side. The footprints from the folks that we smiled at when we were in line at the grocery store. The footprints from the folks at the park who saw us love on our kids and decided to do things a little bit better at their house. Or the footprints from the folks who should everyday see Jesus Christ in the lives that we live.
So I challenge you today. Are you living your life in routine day to day, or are you living your life to leave a legacy?

CELEBRATING 8 YEARS OF MARRIAGE

As I sit and type this, I am still in amazement that it has been 8 years since Shannon and I said "I do". How time flies when you are with the one you love. We have enjoyed so many wonderful memories together and pray that the Lord blesses us with many, many more.
We decided to add to those memories this weekend with a nice romantic anniversary getaway. The wife had no idea what the plans were and I wanted it to be a big surprise. She is a huge control freak, so to be able to keep her antsy was very fun. But she was a very good sport as well. No peeking or probing or trying to mess with anything. She went with the flow and had a good time with it.


The only directions that I gave her were to dress casual for Friday, have an overnight bag, and casual dress for Saturday. I had arranged for the kids to stay with mom so that this could work out. A huge, huge thank you to mom and dad for keeping them!! We love you!
So we headed out on Friday afternoon to the mystery palace. :) The mystery palace happens to be Treasure Island Bed & Breakfast on Lake Logan Martin.

A wonderful couple named Earl and Lillie Hardy open up their home and do a wonderful job. We reserved the Anniversary Suite to enjoy all of the luxuries that go with it. As we headed toward our palace, Shannon had absolutely no idea where we were going. Her two guesses were
1.) to see the kids...WHAT???? :) and ....
2.) Back to Cedar Grove where we got engaged and married.
That would have been a cool detour but neither were correct. As we happened further into Pell City, she put together that it would have something to do with the lake. We arrived and met our hosts and got to check the place out. It was a very nice house with a beautiful view of the lake.


The suite was very awesome as well! We unpacked, checked out the lake view, and then headed to dinner.


We didn't have to travel far to our dinner target. I decided that we would try a place called The Tavern of St Clair.


I would highly encourage you to try it out sometime. The food was so delicious. It looked too that Shannon and I had hit the jackpot coming to dinner here a little early as well. About half of the tables were already reserved. So I would encourage anyone who wants to try it and doesn't think they will get there early to make a reservation. Shannon and I both ordered steaks and baked potatoes for dinner. Wonderful!! We also had lobster bisque, which is Shannon's favorite and happened to be the soup of the evening. We also had spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer. It was a great dinner experience.
We then headed back to the suite to settle in for the evening. We stayed outside and watched the sun and the water for a few minutes. I had also brought a movie, so we got comfortable in our king sized bed and enjoyed the movie...........

We will pick back up on Saturday morning. :) Shannon and I were able to sleep till 8:00 which is unheard of at our house. We were both actually awake at 6:30 by habit, but had no problem hitting snooze on the internal alarm clock. I spent time on the deck reading as Shannon entertained conversation with our hosts Earl and Lillie as they cooked us morning breakfast.


When breakfast was ready, we sat down and enjoyed the meal together and had a great time of conversation. The meal was awesome and the conversation was great as well.


They are an awesome Christian couple who use their bed and breakfast as a ministry as much as a place of enjoyment for those able to make reservations and attend. After breakfast, we packed our stuff and said our goodbye's. It was an awesome getaway that we will cherish for years to come!!


I love you Shannon and I am so glad that the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife. May we enjoy many more romantic getaways in the future. PC

MOTHER AND FATHER'S DAY 2010

Although this one is a little late, it's one that I think is very important. Shannon and I are both very blessed to have wonderful parents to model for us what family and marriage is suppose to be like. We take a moment again to say a big thank you and we love you!! As we entered the world of marriage with kids, we had no idea what it was truely going to be like. Do any of us??? :)

I can tell you that it has been an adventure that we have absolutely loved. Kids bring a dimension to your world that is indescribable. They can take a bad day and turn into one of the best days ever in a blink of an eye. They can also send you from smiling to pulling your hair out in .5 seconds as well, but we will not focus on that today. :)

I am thankful to have a loving wife who loves me 2nd to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She is a wonderful mother to our 2 kids and always works her hardest to help us make it as a family. She fulfills the role of mom to the nth degree and my kids are blessed to have her as a mother.
My prayer everyday as a dad is that I can always be the man of God that the Lord wants me to be. To teach my children how to grow up loving the Lord and wanting a relationship with Him. When we take a second to really reflect on the responsibility that comes with being a parent, it can be a very scary thing. Yet I think that there is no better blessing in life than to put your whole heart into your kids and help shepherd their hearts.

I pray that my kids will be able to one day have a family of their own. I hope that they can look back on their times of growing up in our household and say....as TobyMac would say...

Love is in the house and the house is packed
So much so I left the back door cracked
Mama always said it's a matter of fact
that when love is in the house the house is packed

Our world today is seeing more and more families not making it,so I pray right now that you protect your marriage and fight for it. Put Christ first in your marriage and make a conscious effort daily to walk with Him as you walk through life with your spouse and your kids. The passage below is one of my favorites that I keep as a reminder of God's command for us as parents to our children. May it bless you as well.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9

GO TWO NINE!!!!

We have 3 specific teams/folks that we pull for in the Whitt household......

If it's college football time....ROLL TIDE is the constant theme, decked out in our Julio jerseys and yelling, many times a little too much. :) What did they do in 2010? NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

If it's college basketball time....LET'S GO DUKE is the constant theme, decked out in our Duke shirts or JJ Redick jerseys with our good luck signed basketball somewhere very near us. What did they do in 2010? NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AS WELL!!!

We are not big pro anything around here...not football, basketball, or baseball. The only other thing we really stay tuned into is Nascar. Now I know many folks will say that Nascar is not a sport, but I challenge anybody to strap into a car and run 200 mph with 40 cars all around you for 3 to 4 hours straight. Bet you get a different opinion after that. Plus if you have ever seen it up close and personal, you might change your mind as well. I have been fortunate enough to be able to see races from the grandstands as well as about 15 ft away in the pits at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is a boys trip/ritual taken every year in August and it's a blast! Last year was the first year in 7 years that we were not able to make the trip, but I am hoping that we will be able to get back on track to the track this year.

The reason for this post is to just say congrats to my favorite driver Kevin Harvick, not only for winning the Coke 400 race at Daytona this weekend, but for turning things around in 2010 and having a shot to win it all and dethrone Jimmie Johnson. I have been a Harvick fan since 2001 when he replaced Dale Earnhardt after his tragic passing at Daytona. For whatever reason, the 29 and my family seem to have this weird little bond that's pretty cool.

When Shannon and I got married (which was on a Saturday), we were on our honeymoon in FL and actually came inside for lunch (on Sunday)and I turned on the race to watch for a few minutes. It was awesome to watch him win that day in Chicago. That was the beginning of a common trend for us.

When Caden was born on April 22nd of 06, what was going to be a fun evening of letting my little man experience his first race with dad, turned sad very quickly. He was rushed to the NICU and had to stay there for over a week. I remember the emotions of that day. I remember visiting hours being weird and how hard it was for me to go down and see him hooked up to all of those machines. I just couldn't do it, but felt that I had to at some point in time. I had settled for waiting for the next day when Shannon and I could go together. Shannon was exhausted and asleep by early evening, but I couldn't get my mind to stop at all. So I turned on the tv and had completely forgot about the race. They were racing at Phoenix and when I turned the tv on, there were about 40 laps left. I remember sitting there in the chair and saying to myself how awesome it would be for Kevin to win one for my little man. And sure enough, he came on at the end and won! I know it's stupid but it brought tears to my eyes. It at that time also gave me a reason to go talk to my little man in the NICU and conquer something that was very hard for me to conquer earlier that evening.

The last and most recent connection, which was about 2 years ago came during a very tough time in our lives. Shannon and I were in Dallas on a business trip of hers. We took Caden and he and I spent the entire week together in the hotel room and the pool. It was so much fun. As we were getting ready to go on Saturday morning, he got a hold of Shannon's straightening iron and burned his hand really bad. We didn't know how bad until we got to the hospital. He had a 3rd degree burn on his hand/fingers and we were going to have to stay at the hospital in Dallas until the beginning of the next week. The incident in and of itself was very emotional and probably the toughest thing that Shannon and I have been through together in the 8 years that we have been married. She was 7 months pregnant with Laura Grace which didn't help things at all. But again, I remember her getting to sleep exhausted from the day and me being wide awake with my mind running rampant. Very very similar to the evening of the day Caden was born, I turned on the tv and the race was on. They were in Phoenix, same as when he was born, and for a few minutes in life, I wanted to watch him win another one "for us". And so he did. :) It was a nice memory in a time of fear and crazy emotions. Caden has come on to be just fine and we still have a story to tell to this day.

Now I know that Kevin Harvick has no idea who we are, and could probably care less. But it is fun to have a little connection like that to our lives.
I also know that Kevin Harvick is not the strength that gets us through our days or our tough times. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was the strength and rock during these tough times. He was the one to give us the will and strength to keep going and know that in the end, He will take care of us. So please know that I know that.

So back to 2010. I am hoping that the 29 will help us pull out the trifecta of champions this year. How awesome would that be?!?!?!
It would make 2010 a year to remember as far as the Whitt sports go. But if he doesn't pull it off, we will be there to pull him on next year. GO 29!!!!

CELEBRATING ON THE 4TH...WELL 3RD, 4TH, AND 5TH!

We first of all want to say thank you to all of our military folks, active and non-active, who risked and are now risking their lives daily to allow us the opportunity to have the freedom in the United States that we have. I think that we take our freedom for granted way too much in today's society. So, I want to take a moment to pray for our military and to let them know that we truly appreciate them.



We did not purposefully start our 4th of July celebration a day early. It just happened to end up like that. We borrowed a huge waterslide from Debbie and Ken Lambert (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!) We had actually had it for a couple of days for our kids to play on. Well on Saturday, my sis and sis-n-law brought their kids over and we just had a big ole playday in the backyard. The weather was awesome and the kids had a blast playing together as usual. Here are a few pics below of the fun.

I know that our kids are blessed to be as close as they are. They stay together throughout the week at our parents houses and yet they can still get together on a Saturday and still have a blast together. I think that's awesome!

On Sunday, the 4th, we went to church and had an awesome worship service. I really enjoy it when we have services where we are all together. It, to me, makes our church feel complete.
Afterwards, we went to mom and dads for one of the most relaxing days that I have had in a while. We took the slide over so the kids could keep on playin. We had some awesome food and I ate until I was stuffed and then some. The kids played hard and then went down for a late nap. It was fun to just hangout as adults and lay in the pool, or lay under the shade and read, or just sit on the porch and chat and enjoy each others company. I really love my family and thank the Lord everyday for the blessings He gives us. Below is some of the Sunday 4th fun.

We decided to keep the party going on Monday by going to AL Adventure. Mom has purchases season passes and takes the kids every week, but we actually had a day off to go join the fun as well. It was a blast!!! I was able to take my two and let them play at the "big kid" park. They don't normally get to do this when they go, so they really enjoyed it. They were able to ride with mom and dad down the big slides and we just had a great day together. The park was so much fun that both of our kids were snoring by the time we got onto the interstate. :) Love my family and love when we get to experience fun things like this past weekend together. Hope all had as much fun on the 4th, before and after, as we did.

But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children – Psalm 103:17

TRUST AND OBEY

Psalm 40:4 says, "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust."

I have a little book entitled "Hope for Each Day" by Billy Graham. We actually picked it up at the church yardsale for next to nothing, and it has happened to be one of the best little treasures that I have ever stumbled upon. It has a verse and a 2 to 3 paragraph story for each day of the year. Nothing superduper fancy that sticks out about it at all on the outside, yet the words coming from within are powerful!! Example:

The most recent title is "Trust and Obey". What's the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, it's the hymn. I bet I have sung the words to that hymn 1000 times since I was little.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus.......but to trust and obey.

Such simple words, yet how many times do we fall on our faces because....
1.) we don't fully trust
2.) we don't obey

I love the story that is mentioned because it so applies to all of us. He talks about one day when his kids were little, someone gave his little boy a dollar. Upon first instincts, the boy says, "Here dad, hold this for me" and he runs off to play. A few minutes later he comes back and says, "Dad, I better keep my own dollar" and takes it back to put in his own pocket. Well we all know how this story is going to end because we have all probably done it before. The boy comes back with tears in his eyes and says "Dad, I lost my dollar. Can you help me find it?"

I say that we have all probably done this before, but how many of us are actually doing it right now in our lives at this present day? We say, Lord please handle this matter, and then when the Lord doesn't act in the timeframe that we want him to act in, we decide that we can take matters into our own hands. And I would say that everytime we end up like the little boy in the story, coming back to say "Lord, I messed it up. Can you help me because I am in trouble?!!?"

Obedience begins with a listening heart. If we are not pursuing God daily, how do we know what He is asking of us to be obedient about. How many times does God impress something upon our heart and we become too afraid or too lazy to act on it? Have you ever felt God telling you to move/act in a moment, a right then and there moment, and you feel yourself starting to sweat and your heart starts beating 90 miles an hour? It might be for you to go pray for someone or with someone. It might be a moment where you need to stand up and give a testimony right then and there. He might impress on your heart to call or email someone. It might be that you need to go ask for forgiveness or tell someone that they have hurt you, and you need them to know so you can forgive them and ask them to forgive you. These are just a few to throw out there, but God calls us to be obedient.

I pray that we will all be able trust God in all phases of our lives. To trust Him to protect, to trust Him to provide, to trust in the fact that He knows what's best for us and will always love us. So today is a call to trust and obey.

IT'SSSSSSSS MOVIE NIGHT!!!!

Since summer provides so much time with the children, we decided to try to do some things to really make being home fun for the summer. When school is in, the routine day would consist of Shannon and I both working, getting the kids around 5, eating around 6, bath at 7, and bed around 8. It's pretty routine, but keeping our kids on that schedule has really made life easy for us as they have gotten older. Well summertime is a much different animal. For whatever reason, the time span of 4 to 8 seems like an eternity, if there is nothing setup for the little ones. :) I will be the first to admit that many times the "please go to your room and watch a movie" phrase sounds very appealing. But they are of the age now where they want to be with mom and dad doing stuff. They don't want to go watch TV or go "play." Now don't get me wrong, they can do both very well. But many times we think summertime is about being "off", "vacation", "chillin", and all little people under five don't grasp these concepts very well.

So we have decided to implement some different stuff throughout the summer to mix it up for the kids and make summer and family time fun and adventurous. We decided tonight to do a movie night. We will not name Monday nights "movie night" yet, but I am sure down the line that will be something that we want to do. We grabbed our blankets and mom popped us all some popcorn, and we let the kids pick their movie. They decided on Tweety bird movie. What a great movie.....not. But it made them happy and kept them watching for at least a little while.

I know that it will not be very long before the kids will think that they are too cool to hangout with mom and dad, so we are soaking up every minute we can while they still like us. :) The Lord has truly blessed us and I know our children will continue to like us for a long time.

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Psalm 127:3

THE POWER OF A MAN

I just finished a book entitled "The Power of a Man" by Rick Johnson. The premise of this book is basically to challenge all men to stand up and be the man that you were created to be. As men, we all have people in our lives our age, older, and younger who look to us as an influence. This book challenges you to use your influence as a "man of character." As a teacher and coach, I teach and work with kids every year who are growing up in a household where there is no male role model available. Since they spend more than half a day with me everyday for 188 days, that's plenty of time for me to make an impression, be available, and choose for myself what kind of model that I want to be for these kids. Just like my 2 little ones at home, they watch, they see, they mimick. My prayer is that my words and my actions always line up. I know at times my human condition will cause me to falter and make mistakes. But in a consistent timespan, I want my kids to know that I walk the walk that I talk.

We live in a society today where the entertainment industry is dominating the rules and regulations of how we live day to day. Kids wear what they see on tv, act like folks act on tv, and have adopted their way of life based on what they are seeing. This book is a challenge for all men to step up your game in the roles that you are now living in, whether that's husband, father, sibling, mentor, whatever. It starts with what's going on inside your home. Are you being the husband to your wife that you need to be? Are you the father to your kids that you need to be? How many people are inside your daily "circle" that you are influencing and what kind of influence are you?

In today's world, the defintion of a "real man" has become very broad, yet also very skewed. Many think that you become a real man based on your status within your job or how much money you have. Some believe it's about how you are with the ladies. And others believe it's based on how many people you can beat down in any given evening. These would be very flawed definitions and there are many other flawed defintions not mentioned. But throughout this book and throughout my life, God has revealed some basics for "real men." Here are a few that I would consider essential:

A real man ......
1.) is the spiritual leader of his home.
2.) protects and provides for his family.
3.) uses his God-given influence to serve others.
4.) is accountable to God and other men.

These are just a few of the things that I have pulled out throughout my life and have been reenergized with throughout reading this book. I would highly encourage it for all guys out there, especially if you are a husband and father. Our generations to come, especially the males, are absolutely dependent on us teaching them what it's like to be a "real man." We need to not just talk about it and teach it, but to model it and live it so that our kids have the best chance possible to live a life for the Lord that they were created to live.

"Be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
1 Corinthians 16:13

CAMPING WITH THE CLARKS

As the wife headed off to the beach for a girls trip on Friday, the rest of the crew had plans to go camping with the Clarks. This was actually make-up plans from a couple of weeks ago when daddy messed up the plans by having surgery. So Caden did his usual calendar count by keeping up with "sleeps". It's a funny little thing that he does. He doesn't want to know how many days until we do something, he wants to know how many times he has to go to sleep before the time arrives.

So Friday finally arrived and what a packed day/weekend it turned out to be. Meme and Granddaddy took the kids to AL Adventure that morning/afternoon. The kids played their hearts out and had a blast. I went to get them at 4:00 and they were still zonked out napping. They finally woke up around 5:00 and we headed out. The kids were pumped and doing "daddy daycare" for the next couple of days, I was pumped as well!! :)

We arrived and let the madness begin. I say that in fun because there really wasn't any madness at all. The 4 kiddos have grown up playing with each other and always have a blast and play well. We had pizza for dinner and "awesome" spiderman cupcakes for dessert. (Check the pics on those!! LOL)







The boys gave us plenty of entertainment during the evening playing the Wii. They love the swordfighting game on Wii Resort. Caden and Cole are probably the most competitive 4 year olds in the world. They definitely take after their daddies!! It's scary, though, that they are 4 and are better at most of the games than we are. The girls played with the Cinderella Castle and dollhouse. They love playing with each other as well.



As the sun began to go down, we decided to set up the tent outside and give it a shot. It has been so hot lately, we didn't know if it would be worth attempting to stay outside the entire evening. We set it up and the kids loved the tent. It was as if they had their own cage and they ran around inside of it as if they were caged animals. But they were having fun.







As the sun went down and it got dark. The kids wanted to tell ghost stories. So Linc and I were chilling in the tent with the kids listening to them tell their own ghost stories. The imagination of little people is amazing! Well, then they wanted Linc and I to tell them some stories. That's when it got really funny. I told the best ghost story that I could create and scared them pretty good. Then Linc created his own story. The funniest thing during Linc's story was watching my son creep further and further away from Lincoln as he was telling the story. By the end of the story he was all up in my lap!! :) It was pretty funny. He then decided that he was seeing things outside the tent, and so camping outside in the tent had now come to a close.

WAY TO GO, DADS!!

I will be honest and say that it was strategy on my part because I wanted to sleep inside in the AC. LOL! So we turned outside camping into inside camping and it was just as good. The kids all piled in and slept in the inside tent, slept through the evening, and didn't wake up at the crack of dawn. That's what I'm talking about!!

We got up Saturday and played through the morning. That afternoon, we went over to Lincs neighbor's pool and swam forever. The kids loved it! Caden is becoming very brave but not quite there yet. I am sure he will be by summer's end. Lala wanted to stay attached to daddy, but that was fine and we had fun. It's safe to say that pools are the best preparatory activity for a great nap! And ours slept well.



To finish off the camping weekend, Linc and Les were having some friends over cook out. They had a big water slide brought over for the kids and we had to stick around to let Caden and Lala enjoy that. So they spent the next couple of hours playing in the backyard and wearing out that waterslide.





I wish we kept a counter to see how many trips were made on that slide. I would say that 1000 would probably be a reasonable number.





All in all, we had a blast with the Clarks and can't wait to do it again!!