Sunrise Sunset

Just before Bailee turned eleven she tested in Tae Kwon Do again and is halfway through to her red belt! Yep, she broke some more boards, no big deal.
She wanted to go bowling to celebrate!
Bailee and her Birthday Tree! It's decorated for Valentine's Day since her B-day is the day after V-day. She has always been Brady and I's best Valentine's Gift!!

Riley took her on their (now has become traditional) birthday photo shoot! SUNRISE SUNSET

Let's all sing together...

Is this the little girl I carried?

I don't remember growing older
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did she grow to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?

Mother's Day Happy!

Sweet, Sweet Mother's,

I must confess I've had a few Mother's Day Sad! I think it is because I was expecting a parade or ... not have to cook or pick up clothes off the floor or change a dirty diaper. Maybe none of you have ever experienced the Mother's Day Blues but, I hate to admit it, I have. This year I am determined to have a Mother's Day Happy!!! So, I opened my Bible in preparation for Mother's Day and don't ya know the love chapter revealed itself to me! (First Corinthians 13) The following is The Message's version of this chapter...

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2 If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. 4 Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head,5 Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 6 Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 7 Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. 8 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. 9 We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. 10 But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. 11 When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good. 12 We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

I was reading it through tear filled eyes, and I'm not a cryer. First, because I felt guilty that I don't love that perfect. But, then it moved me and encouraged me because Jesus does love that perfect! He appreciates everything little thing you mamas do. He applauds your sleepless nights. He sees how much you sacrifice for others. He knows you put the best and the most food on everyone else's plate and give yourself the least or the burnt one. He hears your prayers and is working them out. All this to say thank you for being an amazing mom. It is a privilege and an honor to know you and your precious children. I want you to have a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. Love Always, Vicki

The Magnolia Tree

When Brady and I lived in Temple, TX he was in his third year of Medical School. We were blessed to have a very low monthly rent by living in the student housing on the campus of the VA hospital. Complete with charming post traumatic stress disorder patients wandering around our door. I could go on but, the point of the story is I would drive through neighborhoods in Temple dreaming of a day when I too could have a yard of my own complete with a big beautiful Magnolia tree.

Fast forward a few years, give or take a state and a residency, and we find ourselves living in Galveston, Texas with, you know it, a big beautiful Magnolia tree front left of our yard!!! There is something an inexperienced home dweller like myself found out, along with that yard came yard work! That Magnolia tree dropped its very lush large leaves 365 days a year. Which meant much raking and raking and raking. (No, we couldn't afford a leaf blower, still just living on love. Residency #2 and Baby #4) During one of those many hours of raking and scooping and bagging a very good lesson occurred to me... If you want something beautiful in your life you must be willing to work for it! Anything truly worth while requires some sacrifice, some inconvenience and even a little sweat. If you want a beautiful marriage, a beautiful relationship with your children, a beautiful (fill in the blank), a beautiful Magnolia tree gracing your front lawn it requires 365 days of attentiveness. I miss that Magnolia tree.

Tough Mudder 2011!

Beaver Creek, Co Tough Mudder June 2011. Brady and I met Jason and Mary our dear Texan friends from Medical school and residency to participate in this extreme competition. Jason had our t-shirts made with Psalm 119:32, "I run the path of Your commands for You have set my heart free" on the back of our shirts. Two Brudderz and Two Mudderz was our team name!Running through water over hay bales through dangling wires charged with 10,000 volts of electricity! I can proudly boast no one in our team uttered one profane word!!
Brady and I's calves flexing before the 10 mile, 4000 ft elevation change British Special Force designed obstacle course. BTW, when I agreed to join their team the race was only going to be seven miles and I can say those last three miles were TOUGH!!

This is one of our favorite pictures from the whole trip. Check out the guy in the back on the left. There were some fanatics all dressed up and barely dressed. However the point of this picture is a salute to Mary. She has inspired me in so many ways... to be a better mother, wife, friend and to start running! Over the years she has said many wise things to me but, I think my favorite is... "everyone should just scrub their own toilette". So thankful for this sweet friend!

These two wild stallions can't be tamed! They are officially the President of each others fan clubs!!

Homecoming 2011 Middle of Nowhere, MT

Snake Dance Parade from the High School to the Football Field!

Sweet friends!
Please forgive me! I haven't posted in so long that I didn't now if I should go back in time or just pretend that the last 6 months didn't happen. I think I will just post as the mood strikes and tonight Homecoming is striking me.

I had a very proud mom moment as Riley was nominated for Homecoming Queen this year. The highlight for me personally was getting to take Riley to Bozeman for the weekend to look for a dress and to look at the University.

Prom Night

Riley was asked by a Senior to Prom her Sophomore year. Charlie and Sir Isaac Newton were not okay with that.
Brady was so sweet about Riley going to Prom. He had picked out his shirt to match her dress. He had just run to the store for me and was a bit late getting back in time to get a pic with Riley before she left for the big night. His "transisitions" glasses had not had time to transition to the proper look for this picture so he look a little scary. (Kinda Mofiaish) Maybe that was the look he was going for to intimidate her date. Anyways, this pic was not deemed face-book worthy but, I wanted to document it for posterity's sake.
To Brady and I's chagrin, there was a boy involved in the evening's festivities. He was very nice and she was home by 1o:55 p.m. and that is all I'm gonna say about that.
I'm sorry, but there will never be anyone good enough for my girls or my boys.
I will say Prom Night for a parent is scarier than the old Prom Night Movies!

Happy 10th Birthday Bailee!

A few highlights from your 9th year!
Bailee is usually the first smiling face I see in the mornings. She is the first one ready for school and after she downs her glass of OJ she sweetly goes out to Riley's car and warms it up.
Not only is today Bailee's 10th Birthday but, yesterday Bailee received a Citizenship Award. Her sweet teacher nominated her with the nicest letter... "Bailee adds to the support and learning in our classroom every day. She demonstrates careful listening, accurate work, and active participation. She takes ownership of her own learning and strives to produce quality work on all assignments.
She works well in groups or with a partner, planning and carrying out activities and projects. Her caring attitude and respectful manners are present at all times. She is a model citizen of fourth grade!" Please excuse me while I have a proud Mama moment!!
When she and Riley and Hallie get bored in the summer they love to have photo-shoots!
She caught a Catfish and several Skip-jacks that day!
She has her green belt in Tae Kwon Do now!Bailee Grace Banta, Daddy and I love you so very much and are extremely proud of your accomplishments!