All that and a bag of chips

Well Christmas has come and gone again. It is always amazing to me how it seems to take forever to get here and to prepare for and then in a flash it is gone. We had a good Christmas this year. In some ways it was hard, we had a huge void in our family this year with the absence of Braxton's cousin Lauren, who was tragically taken from us in a car wreck in May. I could hear her laughter and see her smile in every present opened.

This year Emma was absolutely hilarious! She has the best facial expressions of anyone in our family. This picture was taken after she got a new bracelet. She is a laugh a minute. I have tried to capture her saying or doing something on video but the minute I pull out my camera she clams up and acts like she has never done anything funny in her life. Ever.

We have spent the last few days relaxing, eating, playing games, eating, hanging with family, eating, sleeping late, eating. If we are nothing else we are consistent. I have also spent some time catching up on some blogs I like to read, while I am eating a snack :). If you want a good laugh you must go to http://boomama.net/ and read her blog from December 21st titled I have so many thoughts. Trust me it is worth the read/watch. I have laughed for the past 10 minutes. I wish I was that quick witted.

Happy New Year to all of my 5 readers! Can't believe it is 2010. We are hoping to be moving at the end of January to our new home. I will go by this week and take some updated pictures to share!

Future Embarrassment

Someday what I am about to blog about will embarrass my oldest son, it would probably embarrass him now if he read my blog. I don't write it to embarrass him I write it because I want to remember it and because I am his momma and recalling funny moments that are somewhat embarrassing is in our job description.

Saturdays during the winter are filled with basketball in the Brady household. Last Saturday was no different. Bennett had a game first and then Preston several hours later. We came home in between games to put Emma down for a nap. During the 3 hour lay over Preston comes in and asks me if he can take a shower. I said, son, in about 2 hours you are going to play basketball why in the world would you want to take a shower? He said, "I don't know, I just want to." Well, I thought an 11 year old that wants to be clean, why should I discourage him.

It was about 15 minutes later that I heard the choking coming from the bedroom. It was coming from Bennett so I was not too concerned, due to the fact that he is my more dramatic child. But I went to investigate nonetheless. As I walked in I began choking myself, on all the Right Guard Sport Deodorant spray. Preston was spraying enough deodorant to keep the entire Memphis region from having body odor. I am not exaggerating. There was a thin fog covering the room. I managed to wave my way through and find Preston on the other side. I said, sweet heart what are you doing? Bennett said, "MOM....make him stop, I am dying over here. "

Here was Preston's response. "I am becoming a man." I had no idea how to respond. A part of me wanted to laugh and a part of me wanted to cry. But before I could respond at all he said, Mom, look do you think I am growing pit hair? I said son, that stuff you are spraying is deodorant, not fertilizer, so I am not sure if you think it will help you grow pit hair or not but no need to spray anymore.

Sadly enough he is right. He is becoming a man. And I am learning more and more what that looks like and what my role is in the process. I am proud of him. He has a kind heart, a gentle spirit and absolutely no body odor!

Not So Tigeriffic....

So the past few days have been filled with news about Tiger Woods. And although I have never been one to really follow any sports figure much less comment on their life for some reason I can't get Tiger off my mind. Braxton and I talked last night about the latest rumors and mud slinging that has been in the media about Tiger. "He has cheated on his wife, several times apparently." One commentator said, "Tiger doesn't need to worry, his endorsements will still hang on to him." I hope that is not at the top of Tiger's worry list right now but who knows.

ESPN, The Today Show, ABC, NBC, etc...everyone is headlining this story. And for what? What is it that peaks our interest and consumes our conversation with something so tragic and sad. Is it that Superman in our minds has fallen off of his pedestal that we put him on? Is it that somewhere deep inside our souls we secretly are glad that he is not as perfect as he seems? Maybe a little more human like us? Is it that his sin brought into light makes us feel like maybe our sin is not quite as bad? Maybe he can hit a golf ball 350 yards, maybe he is the most unbelievable golfer the world has ever seen, but at the end of the day he is not as good of a person as we think we are? And therein lies the trouble.

Sin is sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It also says there is no one righteous, not one. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that some sinners are worse than others. That these sins are the "really bad ones" and these are the "okay" ones. No. Tiger is a sinner. No news flash there, or should I say it shouldn't be. We are all "spiritually bankrupt" and until we realize it and mourn over it we will continue to point fingers and make ourselves feel better by categorizing sin and throwing stones.

So what do you do with Tiger? Well, we should have never put him on a pedestal in the first place. But since we did we should not be surprised that he fell. He is not Superman after all at least not in life, maybe just on the golf course. We should get on our knees for two reasons, 1. To pray for him and his family and 2. To give God praise that we are spiritually bankrupt and because of that he sent his son to die for us that we might have life. I am going to drop my stone and walk away because my sin is no different than that of Tiger Woods. I am just guilty of doing the ones that are a little easier to hide.

"So instead of loving what you think is peace, love other men and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmongers, hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed—but hate these things in yourself, not in another.”
- Thomas Merton