The Graduate

 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)
Oh, the excitement and the anticipation of the day...!

The applause, the laughs, the tears of joy.

The accomplishment.

The honor.



After 3 years of intense study, my dear husband Seth graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Practical Theology.  He not only graduated--he graduated WELL.  He received the honor of Suma Cum Laude with a GPA of  3.96, and was also the top Christian Studies graduate of his graduating class.

I'm so very proud of this accomplishment.  Tears of joy well up as I write.  I'm so very proud of my man!

This is evidence of God at work for sure!  How else could a 34 year old man with a demanding loving wife, 2 very active preteen/teen kids, and a full-time youth pastor position possibly have time for school and then do so well while there?  It's absolutely an amazing thing!  Praise God! He is SO good.

The kids are pretty proud of Dad, too!

   

What's next?

Well, Seth is pursuing graduate school or seminary to get his Master's degree now.  He will take the spring semester off and then start back up full swing in the fall of 2012.

I think he's earned a break, don't you?

Go, in the Strength You Have...

Our God is SO amazing!

Our God is so good!

Our God is ..........indescribable, at times.

My family is finally coming to a turning point in our lives.  I won't reveal details just yet, but it has been over a year long in the making.  God has been speaking to Seth and I, and preparing us little by little for this point in our life together.  We are both so excited, yet we are clinging to a bit of fear;  fear of the unknown, I guess.

We know God will take care of us and provide for every need.  We trust that God will honor our decision to step out in faith even if it isn't a perfect step.

So, why are we holding on to a smidgen of fear?  Aren't we past this?  *Sigh*

As we sat and worried if our decision was the right one or not, we turned to God and just asked Him.
He answered:

"Go in the strength you have...am I not sending you?"          Judges 6:14 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1:7

Amazing!  I would call that a clear response from the Father; wouldn't you?

I will share more about this awesome time in our life as the story continues to develop.  Seth and I appreciate any and all prayers as we seek God's face in this next chapter of our life together.  All I can say is that it is VERY exciting and God is SO VERY good!

More details to come soon... :-)

Days 7-8: Thankful for family

"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:2

For Days 7-8, I am thankful for each of my family members.  My husband and the 2 kids we share are everything earthly to me.  I think I have the best family, but I 'm pretty sure most Moms think that about their own family.

• Seth and I have been married 16 years, 164 days, & 18 hours.  I love this man dearly.  We really have become "one."  It's awesome!  He accepts me for me, and then continues to love me in spite of my shortcomings.  He's big and strong, yet soft and gentle.  My love.....thank you LORD!

• Jordan is my daughter.  She is intelligent (top of her class!), athletic, loves the LORD so very much, and can be so gentle and patient.  She is very responsible. In fact, I consider her my "external brain"--if you know what I mean.  This child sometimes is my personal assistant.  If I forget, she will remind me.....and I forget things more and more these days. Ha Ha!  She's perfect.  She's such a blessing from God.  I just wanted to be a good Mama and for God to give me a good child.  Jordan isn't only good, she excellent.  My baby girl--15 years old this Nov. 18th--my "punky."

• Hunter is my boy.....and boy-o-boy what a boy he is!  God took all of my brother and all of my husband and condensed them down into one small, yet explosive, boy.  He is all boy, all the time!  He is so very different from Jordan.  Hunter has been moving and constantly going since I was pregnant with him.  He beat me up on the inside with all the kicks and twists.  Then, he was born so fast (but, a day late!) that his little face bruised.  He hasn't stopped moving since. Just perfect! He's quick physically and mentally.  He loves the LORD and always asks the "hard" questions.Very intelligent--he wants to build robots when he grows up......that is, AFTER his NFL career.  He will be 13 on Friday.  My, how time has flown by!  Such another awesome blessing from God!

How can one Mom be so very blessed?


My heart goes out today to those Moms who have yet to have children and to those who have lost children.  I do not pretend to know what that is like, but I do realize how wonderfully blessed I am to have 2 beautifully healthy kids.  I also understand my huge responsibility with these kids.


My prayers go out to you today!

Days 5-6: These are a few of my favorite things...

For the weekend, this is a list of "a few of my favorite things!"

10 of my favorite November things, to be exact. So, without further ado....

Amy's 10 Favorite November Things

#10.  Football!  I especially like football in November because the weather is much cooler.  My family and I head to the game with blankets, gloves, hot cocoa or coffee, and have a great time. I really like watching my son Hunter (left, in the green)  play football.

http://pinterest.com/pin/209443947/

#9.  Thanksgiving!  I am a Texas girl, and we do everything BIG in Texas.....including Thanksgiving!  I love all of the family and the yummy food.  A new tradition that Seth, the kids, and I have adopted is to serve and deliver Thanksgiving meals to the needy.  I think it's a great way to give back since we have been so very blessed.

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#8.  Autumn!  My favorite time of the year.

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#7.  Pumpkin Pie!  Need I say more?  *sigh*

#6.  Next month will be Christmas!  I know that sounds UN-glorifying to November; but the day after Thanksgiving means that the Pitman house will be all decorated up for Christmas!  So much fun.

#5.  Fall Colors!  I love the warm earthy tones that November beckons in.  Oranges, warm browns, dark reds (my favorite), and creamy whites.  Beautiful!

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#4.  I love the SMELL of November.  Crisp leaves in the air.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and spice.  Warm creamy cocoa.  Pumpkin pie, turkey, hot rolls, cornbread dressing.......it all smells wonderful!

#3.  Veteran's Day!  November 11th is a day that means so much to me.  One reason is that my family and Seth's family both have a rich military heritage--to include my hubby, Seth.  My sister currently serves in the Air Force and I am very proud.

#2.  Wardrobe change!  I love pulling out the cold weather clothes.  Scarves, hats, boots, gloves, and jackets find their way into the front of my closet.  My favorite coat is a scarf and/or my olive green, wool, waist-length pea coat.  It fits perfect, is so warm, and I got it for a great price!  Bliss...

#1.  Of course I have to save the best for last......My kids!  My son's birthday is November 11th (Veteran's Day), and my daughter's birthday is November 18th.  This year, my son Hunter will be 13 and my daughter Jordan will be 15.  My blessings are teenagers.......LORD help us!  So goofy all the time, and such a GIFT from God.

Day 2: Thankful for my husband, Seth

Seth at Cowboys Stadium

Day 2:  This is my husband, Seth.  I love him so very much--he is my best friend. We got married right out of high school and have been married nearly 17 years.  The success of our marriage these days is extremely rare.  We have grown up together, been through the military together, are raising 2 teenagers together (prayers please!), and now I assist him as he pastors the youth of our church.

Absolute....*bliss*....(sigh).

Life has not always been great, though.

We have had lots of ups and downs; but the one thing that has always kept us together on the same track is God.  We have learned to keep Him in focus through our everyday life, and especially when we are going through tough times as well as wonderful times.

Forgiveness has been a key in our marriage as well.  I'm not going to embellish and say that it is easy.  It's not.  But, since Seth and I are both believers, we have been forgiven of our sins by Christ.   How could we not forgive when we fail each other?

Renee Swope is talking about "I'm such a failure..." in chapter 7 of her book, A Confident Heart.  She says:

"How many times has the enemy used a little distraction to lead you into a pattern of destruction and then condemned you for it?" (pg. 123)

That happens a lot.  We start having a bad day; or HE is not doing things the right way; or, I can't seem to do anything to please HIM.  We start to feel like a failure.  All of a sudden, this marriage thing is too hard.  Maybe we should give up.

Jesus says in the Bible:

"Let any one of you who is without sin cast the first stone."  (from John 8:6-8)

Don't ever let Satan win and just give up.  We all fail at some point--whether it is in our personal life, our  marriage, or our job. Ask forgiveness and freely give forgiveness where it is needed.  Ask God to help you do that very thing, because it is hard.  You can't do it alone.  Supernaturally, God works in our lives and helps to change our hearts to be able to forgive freely. It is amazing!

Seth and I have become better with forgiveness--with God's help.  God can do amazing things in your marriage if you and your spouse will just let Him have the reigns.  It can be better than you have ever dreamed!  We have to remember that Satan wants to tear us down.  God wants to build us up.

I love you Seth, and I always will.  I am so thankful to be able to go through life with you!

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."(Song of Solomon 3:4)

Autumn is here!!!

When you drive by Sliger's Produce and they have the huge pile of pumpkins outside, you know that Autumn is here!
 I LOVE Autumn......or maybe you call it "Fall."  Whatever you call it, it is awesome!  If you live in a state were hot weather dominates most of the year, Autumn is a welcome season.  I love the crispness in the air in the morning along with the cooler nights.  I love how you can walk outside and feel how the temperatures are changing. It's not yet cold, but it' not hot either. It's a great time to air out the house, too. I can throw open the windows in the house before I leave for work and come home to a fresh, cool home.
Autumn definitely has it's own smell, like any season would I guess.  The aroma of dried leaves, pumpkin spice, apple cider and vanilla starts filling the air along with the sounds of breezes blowing through the dried leaves of the trees.  Let's not forget the sounds of football!  (Yes, I'm a closet football junkie.)  Along with the sounds of football, Frito chili pie and hot chocolate sound really good.   
Another thing I love about Autumn is getting the jackets out of storage.  I am jacket person.  I love scarves and sweaters and wraps too.  Ooh...and soft throw blankets on the couch or to wrap up in at the football game. (Yet another football reference!) 
I also love all the warm autumn colors this season brings.  Beautiful oranges, deep yellows, and dark reds.  I love it!  That reminds me....I need to get Seth to pull the Fall decor box down from the attic.  I think I got rid of some of my older things, so maybe I need to do a little shopping. Ooh!  I can't wait to get decorating!
I look forward to the day that Seth and I get to go up northeast toward Boston during the fall season and just spend some time enjoying God's beautiful tapestry of fall color. I have seen so many pictures of the fall colors in the trees up that way and long to get up there and see first hand. I want to stop in a small town and spend a Saturday at a Fall Festival with games and cool temperatures and apple cider. I want to drive out in the country and stop to listen to the quietness broken only by the rustling of the dried leaves in the trees. I want to see, smell, and taste as much of this season as possible.
Autumn....Gotta Love it!

Football Friday Night

Hunter, #25

It's officially in full swing........football!

Being born and raised in Texas means the Fall season revolves around this one main sport. Friday evenings become like Sunday mornings in that you wouldn't even THINK of scheduling anything at this time because there is something far more important going on. Almost everyone goes to the local football game and sometimes folks will go to the game of a nearby town if their team is playing too far away that evening.

I once heard something that caught me off guard a bit, but I am starting to understand the similarities. An "old-timer" once said, "It's out right blasphemy to do anything but go to the football game on Friday night!" Well, maybe God doesn't consider it actual blasphemy, but I understand what this guy was saying.

Everything shuts down and stops on football Friday night in small town Texas. But you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything. There is nothing like the small town community atmosphere on Football Friday Night.

Right now, Hunter is on the 5th/6th grade football team and they play on Saturday mornings. The next couple of years will see us faithful to attend all of his games on Thursday evenings. But, it won't be long until my son will be playing on Friday nights just like many guys before him have done. I'll tell ya......I absolutely can't wait!

15 Years!

A month before the big day!........April 1995

He's been mine for 15 years this Thursday......though I have loved him for 17.....

Seth and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary this Thursday, May 27th and we couldn't be more excited or more in love. We have had plenty of ups and downs, and we have stuck by each other through them all. We have two wonderful kids that make our days even brighter.

Seth still makes my heart skip a beat when he walks into the room. I am so proud of where we are today in our life together and where the Lord is leading us.

Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift that is our marriage! I love you Seth!

The Candidates

The time has finally come.....Seth is running as a candidate for the Bangs ISD School Board. My brother, Clint Dodson, is a candidate as well. There are 2 seats open for this election and 5 people are running (including the 2 incumbents).
I hope both Seth and Clint win. I think they would both be great for our school board and our community. I can't see how either of them could possibly have anymore time left in their busy days to do school board things, but they want to get involved in the community and especially the school. I know that Seth has said he wants to make a difference in the school system here in Bangs and wants to leave it "better than he found it." We have 2 kids in the Middle School and my brother will have 2 in the Elementary School next year. Also, my brother's wife if the Elementary School Counselor. As you can see, we have a vested interest....to say the least!

If any of you reading this live in the Bangs School District, please do your part and VOTE! (Also, if you need any help deciding WHO to vote for, see the above paragraph. :) *wink*)

To help in their campaigns, Seth and Clint put together a float for the annual Bangs Mayfest this past Saturday, May 1st. They drove/rode while the 4 kids threw out candy for the onlookers. Actually, the kids made the poster signs and blew up balloons. They pulled some of our yard campaign signs up and attached them to the truck. It looked great! I was manning the garage sale we had (everyone has their garage sale in Bangs on Mayfest!) so, I didn't get to see the parade. The pictures are great, though. (Thanks Eva!)

Please pray that God's will be accomplished and His glory is revealed in a fantastic way in this election. :) Election day is this Saturday, May 8th.....we should know by the end of the day *fingers crossed*.

Mother/Daughter Conference

This past weekend, Jordan and I had the opportunity to attend the "You & Your Girl" Conference in Carrollton, Texas (very near Dallas, Tx). It was all day Saturday and consisted of worship, some fantastic speakers, and some age-appropriate break-out sessions that were very interesting and fun. We had a great time worshipping the Lord together and learning more about our Biblical mother/daughter roles. I learned a lot about raising teens (and had a lot of "why?!" questions answered, too!) and some great ideas to use at home and in the youth group at church. It was such a blessing to get to go and spend that special time with Jordan. Hopefully, we can go again next year. :) **We also got to meet Vicki Courtney, author of "5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter" and the main speaker at the conference (see pic below!).
Well, Jordan and I don't get to go somewhere fun very often without taking the guys. So, Seth and Hunter accompanied us to Dallas. It was great family fun! We left on Friday at about lunchtime and drove...it was about a 3.5 hr trip. We found our hotel very easily and then it was off to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory! Seth's favorite dessert is cheesecake and since he had never been to the restaurant before, I figured it would be a nice treat for him......and it was! After dinner, we made our way over to the Galleria Mall there in Dallas. Hunter wanted to go ice skating......and he did for about 15 minutes. He soon realized that it just wasn't his thing since the skate boots were hurting his ankles. So.....we shopped! Everyone got a pair of flip-flop sandals and we ended the evening with some Starbucks coffee.
On Saturday, while Jordan and I attended the conference, the guys went and did "guy" things. They went to Bass Pro Shops, the Grapevine Mills Mall (where Hunter discovered a store filled with Airsoft guns and supplies...his new thing!), and ended the afternoon with a "guy" movie in 3D.
Overall, it was so much fun and a time we will always remember. Praise God for His many blessings!

I forgot to mention that Jordan had a pedicure the Thursday before we left. I let her pick the style/color and we had them done the same. Then we bought matching sandals! Jordan's are the tan and mine are the black.

Meeting Vicki courtney and having her sign a book :)

Jordan and I at the conference

Seth posing with the Old Navy store mannequins....a little creepy...

Hunter ice skating at the Galleria in Dallas

Track Meets....More fun when your own child is involved!

I never liked track meets in junior high and high school. I only participated in 7th grade hurdles and then never again after that. I used to say that I would only run if someone was chasing me or taking off with my precious babies, but that's a different story for a different day :)
So, I was not looking forward to 7th grade track starring, my dear daughter, Jordan. I will sit and watch anything Jordan and Hunter participate in, but I was seriously dreading track. Watching kids run and jump in organized chaos does not excite me. What surprised me the most was how excited I would become watching Jordan come in a close 2nd in the mile run and how interesting the high jump and triple jump could be. (Motherhood really changes your perspective on MANY things.)
We didn't get to make all of her track meets this year because they are all out of town (except 1) and they last FOREVER; but the ones we did get to attend were awesome! I cheered and rooted for my child and then sat and waited for her next event....which would usually begin 45 min - 2 hrs later. HaHa...at least I got to catch up on a lot of reading, visiting with my other parent friends, and relaxing. I also got to spend some time visiting with Jordan and her friends. They all became my kids by the last track meet and I cheered them all on like they were my own. (I'm used to only cheering team sports.) It's funny how something I used to completely not like at all became such a refreshing surprise...from a different point of view.
I think next year, I will volunteer at the Dragon Relays (Bangs' Track Meet). It is now something I will look forward to from now on.

Triple Jump

Getting ready to run the 100m hurdles

The end of my blog hiatus......

It's been awhile......ok, it's been almost a year...since my last blog post. I thought I would give it up, but I have come to realize that I can link my blog posts to my Facebook account, and then all of family and friends can read my blog if they want (thanks Facebook!). Anyway, instead of posting this HUGE note or really abbreviated status update on my family's activities, I can blog and then those who may be interested can click on the link and read it here and see pictures. I like to think of myself as a semi-pro in the technology department. So, it is to my amazement that I didn't discover this a lot sooner. Ha Ha Ha!

Anyway, we have been on the crazy train of schedules and busyness this past year. Jordan turned 13 and is in the 7th grade now. Yeah, we have a teenager in the house (yikes! lol). Hunter turned 11 and is in the 5th grade and is now attending school at the middle school. Bangs ISD puts 5th-8th grade at the middle school campus..hmmm. Anyway, adjustments aside, the kids have been going strong in school; Hunter played football and basketball this year. Jordan entered into the world of school-sponsored sports....She has done everything including Volleyball, Cross Country Running, Basketball (her favorite), and now Track & Field. Both Hunter and Jordan are playing baseball/softball right now. They competed in the UIL academic meet earlier this year and did really well and both play in the band. ...... ..Good thing all of these activities happen during school hours or directly after. Their schedules work out well with mine and Seth's right now. They are pretty much done with their day when I get off work at 5pm.

Seth is doing great in his college studies. He is still maintaining a 4.0 GPA and is still our Youth Pastor at church. He is awesome! All the reading and papers are getting old and redundant, but summer will be here in about 2 months! Then it's break time!!! :)

I work. And shuttle my family around to their various destinations. And do all the other "home things" that mom/wife does. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world! My family is my life and I love them all dearly. I love to see each of them succeed and enjoy what they do. Praise God for all He does in our family!!!


Jordan, Hunter, and Josh (Hunter's friend)

This is one of my favorites....Texting and fishing....Ahh, the life of a teenager!

My husband is a Licensed Minister!

I am so proud of Seth. Out church voted and had a ceremony last Sunday evening to License him to the gospel ministry. I cried.....I was just so proud. Serving the Lord is such an awesome thing, but it is also something that Seth really loves doing. It makes him happy and he is where God wants him to be.....and that makes me happy! There were many people there from our church and many family and friends came to celebrate and support this special occasion. It was a day to remember forever. His ordination will be sometime in the fall. That takes a little more prep work. :)

The Baseball Player

I know I am biased when I say this, but my son is awesome! He is playing baseball right now and is awesome......I said that already, didn't I? haha Anyway, he is one of the smallest guys on his team, but he has so much spunk and drive in him. He doesn't let those bigger boys intimidate him. In fact, HE is the one that tries to intimidate THEM. It's great. He scored 3 runs in last night's game and I got some great pictures. Life is busy right now, but so much fun to watch!

I snapped a picture of this really good-lookin' coach while at the game!

This picture of Hunter sliding into home would have been so awesome if my camera hadn't focused on the fence at the last second! I still think it's a good pic, though.--He was SAFE!

Band Concert Extravaganza!

I didn't forget to post pictures of Hunter's baseball game.......the games have been postponed thus far. He plays tomorrow (Thursday night) for sure and then again on Friday evening. I'll post pics then.
However, Jordan had her final band concert last night. It included a BBQ dinner fundraiser which was very yummy. The 6th grade band played very well and to top it all off, Jordan won the Band award. She received the award for her hard work, dedication, wonderful skills in playing, and attitude in band throughout the year. They picked a boy and girl from the entire 6th grade and she won! That's what the extravaganza in the title of the blog is all about. :) Good times, good times....I can't believe school will be out in about 2 weeks. Yikes! Summer is upon us! :) Enjoy.

Softball season begins!

Jordan had her 1st softball game of the season last night. They lost 9-12, but they did an excellent job. Her team is a "rebuilding" team this year and is learning to all play together. Jordan is the catcher and has become quite a leader on her team. We are very proud of her for that. One of her very good friends is the pitcher, so they already work well together. :) Hunter starts baseball tomorrow (1st game!). I'll post some pics of him later. Enjoy!

(above) Jordan catching

Jordan "on deck" :)

(above) Jordan and Briannah before the game started

Mayfest Parade

Jordan rode in the Mayfest parade this year with her BFF Cheyenne (that's best friend forever for those of you who may not be up on your texting lingo! :)) She and Cheyenne rode her 4-wheeler and had it all decorated up with balloons and a sign. It was cute. Mayfest is a festival that our town puts on every 1st Saturday in May. It's fun. I also included a pic of Jordan and Calan playing the drums on Rock Band the other night. lol! Enjoy.

Overdue Update #3---Fishing

Seth took the kids and our niece Kialie fishing one day during their Spring Break about a month ago. They didn't catch much of anything, but had fun. They went to the Lake Brownwood State Park that is close to our home. I was working and couldn't get away to go with them, but that's ok sometimes! Enjoy.

Jordan fishing

Jordan & Kialie enjoying lunch

Hunter finds something interesting in the water