This Is Me

My Christmas gift

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:49:00 +0000

I had a hard time getting into Christmas this year. It was difficult for me to focus on anything, when all I wanted to do was think about Jesus. All I really wanted to do was worship, and everything else going on was distracting me. The Tuesday night before Christmas, it was time for my regular weekly set at the House of Prayer. I debated even going because I had several more presents to make, and I was just really, really tired. (I do my set from 8 to 10 pm after kids go to sleep, so it's a long, late night for me). I prayed about it, and finally decided I just needed to go. I thought that maybe having a few hours just to sing and be with God might do me some good. I chose mostly worship songs, and a few Christmas songs. At first it was hard getting into it, and then I got to Christmas Offering by Casting Crowns. I'm sure you've heard it, but here are the words (because I just love them):

Over the skies of Bethlehem appeared a star
While angels sang to lowly shepherds
Three Wiseman seeking truth they traveled from afar
Hoping to find the child from heaven
Falling on their knees they bow before the humble
Prince of Peace

The sun cannot compare to the glory of your love
There is no shadow in your presence
No mortal man would dare to stand before your throne
Before the Holy One of heaven
It's only by Your blood
It's only through Your mercy
Lord, I come

I bring an offering of worship to my King
No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing
Jesus, may you receive the honor that you're due
O Lord, I bring an offering to you

As I sang this song, it happened. That feeling that I get every Christmas when I look at a nativity set and see the Baby Jesus. It just came over me and I could barely hold my voice together to continue singing. I was so thankful that the Lord told me "Go!", and even more thankful that I obeyed. It was such a sweet time, and my heart was healed and restored. Thank you, God! The time was so precious for me. And it lasted through the rest of Christmas.

So, that was awesome, right? I mean, I couldn't have asked for anything more, really. Well I get up Christmas morning......to a ground covered in SNOW. Do you KNOW how long it has been since we have had a white Christmas in Northwest Arkansas???? I looked out at the pure whiteness, and I felt like God was saying "It's a new start for you." The last few months I've been going through the inventory of my life, my heart, and my home. The Lord continues to open my eyes to things that I need to let go of, and lately it's been a LOT. Which, has made me feel a little "dark". You know, "I am dark, but lovely"? (Song of Solomon 1:5) Well, I've been feeling the "dark", but not so much the "lovely". (Side note: this is a lot of the reason you haven't seen me on my blog much lately. Too busy purging.) Anyway, when I woke up and saw that snow, I felt like the Lord was saying "You are pure! You are righteous! When I look at you, you are whiter than snow to me. You ARE lovely!" Oh, be still my heart! Christmas, in fact, turned out AMAZING for me this year.

So our Christmas went like this.

Ronnie worked Christmas Eve, and as soon as he got home, we headed to my grandparents. We knew snow was on the way, so we didn't know how long we would be able to stay before heading home. The kids draw names for each other every year, and the adults all bring a gift and we play "dirty santa". I hate that name, but I don't know what else to call it! Anyway, I didn't get any pictures of this, but we had a good time. We came away with the movie Invincible, and a tin of cake balls that I made. Ha! I didn't mind because I have to admit, they are delish. It had started snowing and icing by the time we left, but the roads had not gotten slick. Got the kids in bed, and I stayed up until midnight finishing a present for my niece. (Picture of that later!)

Christmas morning, woke up to the winter wonderland! Got kids up, and insanity ensued.

Excited about presents! (Deacon didn't really care, he was just excited because Briley was excited.)

Briley and her Barbie car. I can't believe she is old enough to want one of these. Where has the time gone???

I don't know what Deacon is doing here, I just really like his face. Ha!

This was his mood most of the morning. I don't think he understood the whole present thing, and he was kind of stressed out. He was also getting over a cold too, so that probably didn't help.

New backpack.

I think she was in shock.

The kids had a blast, and I felt very blessed to be able to give them a good Christmas. Ronnie and I didn't get each other anything, we couldn't really afford it, and it didn't matter that much to me anyway. We got Deacon some big legos, and a big tool kit with a work bench, and Briley got a paint brush set. I can't remember everything, but they loved all of them and were very thankful. I am so glad my kids are learning to be appreciative. They still have a bit to learn, but they are getting there!!

We ate breakfast, and then went to my parents to exchange gifts and eat lunch.

Briley and Ginger. These two are best buds.

Our little family. Deacon didn't want to look.

The parentals.

This is a sweet little nativity set that my mom made for Briley. How precious is that? Her favorite is Baby Jesus, of course.

Playing dress up.

We had a fabulous lunch, and then packed up and headed home for naps. Then we got up and went to Ronnie's parents to celebrate and have dinner. It was a Cuh-RAZY day.

With Ronnie's mom.

Deacon's new "computer". I think he might be a Mac kind of guy.

Playing with new makeup with Aunt Angela.

So Christmas was a success in our house. We had a great time with both of our families, and we were blessed to spend the time with them that we could.

Saturday we didn't do much, except pick up around the house from the madness the day before. We did make a trip to see my friend Nicole before she moved the next day to West Virginia. (Sad.) Here is the best picture we could get of the kids. Mine, plus her son Caleb.

We finally got out to play in the snow Monday night before it all melted away. The kids got pretty cold so we didn't stay out too long, but we got some cute pictures.

I was going to do a year end post, but I decided if you read my blog, you already know everything that happened, and plus I don't really have time. Soooo.....that being said, I hope you all had fantastic Christmases. I hope your New Year's is just as great, and I will see you in 2010!

Justice Loves Babies

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:40:00 +0000

A message from us to you

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a joyous and peace-filled Christmas! I pray blessings on your families, one thousand fold! I pray that 2010 is the best year yet, and that the Lord will come through for you in amazing ways! It's going to be a good one! Love to you all.

The Fast Family
Ronnie, Christy, Briley, and Deacon

Derek Loux

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Please keep the Loux family in your prayers! (Please click on their name to read the story.) What a precious man of God!

I remember this summer, Derek came to our church with a team from IHOP in Kansas City, to minister to us. That weekend, for a few hours on a Saturday morning, they offerend prophetic ministry, and I immediately signed up our family. We met with Derek, and one of his adopted daughters. They prayed with us, encouraged us, and spoke over us words from the Lord. I will never forget what he said to my children. Briley was wearing a shirt that day that said "Mommy's Little Treasure". Derek looked at it, and said to her "I see your shirt that says 'Mommy's Little Treasure'. I want you to know that God says you are HIS treasure! He loves you SO much! And did you know, He LOVES hearing you sing? When you are alone in your bedroom, and you sing to Him, He LOVES to hear your voice!" And he went on and on to her about how God sees her as His treasure. That really, really stuck with Briley. Ever since then, at least once every few days, she will come up to me and say "Mommy, I'm God's treasure!!!" Oh how precious a word Derek spoke over her, and she will NEVER forget it.

Then he turned to Deacon and said that the Lord has GREAT things to be spoken through him. He said as he was praying for him, that Lord showed him a picture of Deacon in a hot air balloon, and it was floating up and up, but there was no gas or fire going. Deacon was standing in the basket, with his face up, and he was speaking into the balloon. And the words Deacon was speaking was making the balloon fly. He said that Deacon will have MUCH to say, and that the more he speaks, the higher he will go. He said he will see things before others, because the more words he hears from the Lord and speaks them out, the higher it will take him. This has echoed in my heart ever since, and every time I pray for my son, I think of what Derek said.

What a huge blessing to the kingdom this man has been! An advocate for the orphan, and for people caught in human trafficking. God, be with his family and his children! Thank you so much for the way he ministered to myself, and my children. God, your leadership is perfect! Please don't let our hearts become offended!!

Silence

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I know I've been silent on my blog lately. I haven't even posted pictures. I have a lot to say, just no time to say it. I'm doing ok, just overwhelmed with stuff lately. The Lord is doing a lot of things in our lives, but how do you sit down and type it out? I have debated shutting down my blog because I feel sometimes that it is a waste of space, but there is so much on here about the kids and my family. I am praying about the direction that God wants me to take my blog, so I think I will just sit tight until the holidays are over, and listen for His voice. Just wanted to say Hi, I'm still here. Oh, and here are a few pics. I just can't post without them.

Briley's blue hair. She's been begging for it for-EVER.

Putting up the tree.

Our new cat and her favorite place to sleep.

The talent that runs in my family is just unbelievable.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas. I just KNOW that 2010 is going to amazing, and totally life changing. I can't wait to see what God is going to do.

Letter from GOD

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:21:00 +0000

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.

Almighty God

Pumpkin patch, and other stuffies

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:15:00 +0000

We have really been enjoying the fall season, even though it has been mostly cloudy and rainy. I love this time of year, it's my favorite!

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch about two weeks ago. This was our second year to go, and we really had fun! I got some really cute pictures.

Last weekend I went with some friends to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City for a conference. Ronnie took off work and stayed with the kids. I left Thursday morning and got back Saturday night. All I can say about it is......wow. I am still processing most of what happened and what I learned, so hopefully soon I can share some of it. In the meantime, here's a cute picture of me and my friend Kim from the trip: (I was so preoccupied with everything that was going on, this was the only picture I got!)

Other than that, there hasn't really been much going on. I've been busy with Briley's school, doing my worship set on Tuesday nights and working on my music, keeping up with my other two blogs (of which I need to get my booty in gear a little bit more!) and we've started a new home group on Sunday nights with some friends from church. I'm going to be leading worship at that every other week, so I have that to plan for too. Life is great! Busy, but so fun. To leave you with, here are some cute pics I snapped last night while we were enjoying some rare nice weather. Have a great weekend!

Happenings

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:21:00 +0000

I wrote this last night, and am just now posting it!

I am SO loving this weather! Fall is officially here, and I am digging it. Today it has been rainy and cold all day, and we lit our first fire of the season in our fireplace. What better time to sit down and post an update?

At the beginning of September, we took a vacation for about 10 days. We didn't go anywhere, we just hung out at home and had family time. It was really nice to not have anywhere to go, and just relax.

One day we took Briley to an empty school parking lot down the road, and let her practice riding her bike. She normally does well at home, but she doesn't have a huge area to practice in. She is getting pretty good!

Isn't she such a big girl?

We took a picnic lunch, and played for a bit.

We also had a cookout at my parents house...kids played, we talked, it was a lot of fun to hang out.

Cousins!

Playing horseshoes.

Me and my hubby.

This is how Deacon plays football.

We were supposed to go to Silver Dollar City on our vacation, but it rained that day, so we ended up staying home.

We haven't done much else lately, both kids have been fighting colds off and on for the last 3 weeks. We've been spending a lot of time at home, plus trying to avoid all the flu going around! This weekend we did get out a few times, though. Friday night we took the kids to Oktoberfest. It was pretty fun, I finally got Briley to ride a pony!

They also had a huge blow up slide that she wanted to try. Look how little she looks!

They also had some guys there that were sword fighting, and jousting. They were actually pretty good! The kids weren't too fond of them, though. Deacon got pretty freaked out.

I just realized I didn't get any pictures of Deacon....he was there, I promise!

Saturday was Kids Workshop at Home Depot. This time they made a Fire House Bank.

They did this to go along with the theme for the day, it was Safety Day. Ronnie is the Safety captain at work, it's called In Focus. He put together the whole event; he had fire trucks, police cars, an ambulance was supposed to come, but they got a call and couldn't. The best part was, he got the helicopter from the hospital to come! It was pretty awesome. It landed right when I got there with the kids:

You can see Ronnie in the back holding flags. He said it was really hard to keep his balance while it was landing, the wind was so strong!

Ronnie with the pilot.

The kids were pretty excited watching it land, I think it was a bit overwhelming. It was for me! I could barely stand up, it almost knocked me over!

This picture cracks me up. Ronnie put her in the helicopter, and she would NOT smile. It was so funny.

Us in a fire truck. Again, no smile.

Ronnie and Deacon.

With both kiddos.

Deacon in a police car.

Ronnie, being the In Focus captain, got to go up with his boss in the fire truck ladder/lift to take some videos and pictures. It was really tall, maybe 4 or 5 stories high.

Getting ready

This was at the highest point...you can barely see him waving.

It was a really good day, and I was so proud of my husband! The whole event was a big success.

Well I think that's all of the updates I have. Happy Fall!

Yeah I know, it's been forever......

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Ok, so I am a really horrible blogger lately. I've had so much going on, and I haven't really wanted to sit down and blog. I am way behind on posting. So this is my attempt to get caught up, and once I am current, maybe I can keep it up. (Ha!)

I'll start with some pics from the last bit of summer fun we've been having. Playing in the sprinkler was one of our favorite pass-times.

She always has to wear her sunglasses when she plays in the water; she hates it getting in her eyes!

Just watching his sister play. I love his face in this one! Look how long his hair is, this was before we cut it.

I posted a while back about Briley doing the Kid's Workshop at Home Depot with Ronnie....well she decided she wanted to paint flowers on the message board that she made. I discovered that my daughter has quite the talent for painting! (She gets that from her Father!) So Ronnie drew some flowers on it for her, and she painted them all by herself.

Posing with Daddy.

This is what Ronnie drew for her.

Doing so good!

I don't want to brag, but look how good she did! She had such a good time painting, she asks to do it almost every day.

I can't remember if I already posted about this, but Deacon has been walking for about a month now. He still crawls a lot, because it's faster, but he walks more and more every day. I haven't got any good pictures yet because he goes so fast, but he looks so cute, and he is so proud of himself. Pretty soon he will be running around and that will be the day when my world totally changes. Ha!

Preschool has been going really well with Briley. It took me a while to figure out a good time to do it without Deacon getting all up in it, so after she wakes up from nap while he is still sleeping, we do school. She loves it! As soon as she wakes up every day, she comes running in the living room, "I want to do school!" She can write almost all of her letters on her own, and we are working on her name. She is also learning the letter sounds. She picks it up pretty fast.

Last week we went with my parents and took the kids to the Washington county Fair. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but I got a few cute ones.

Here we are by the sign in front of the cow building.

Riding the carousel.

Another kiddie ride.....

Riding the teacups....if you notice, I'm on all the rides with her. That's because her daddy get's sick on carnival rides. Ha!

We also looked at all the animals, watched a tractor pull contest, and a police dog demonstration. Briley had a blast, and cried when we had to leave. So did Deacon, but that's just because my dad was feeding him ice cream and he wanted more.

Saturday was the next Kid's Workshop. This time she made a bean bag toss game. She had a lot of fun with this one!

Look at that face!

The finished product.

So I've noticed I haven't posted very much about my boy, so here are some cute pics of him.

Playing outside in the dirt. I think he was eating it!

Bathtime cuteness.

Cheese!!!

I think I'm all caught up now on pictures. We are going on vacation starting Friday the 11th through Sunday the 20th, so I will have a bunch of fun pictures to post from that. We aren't doing anything too spectacular, just hanging out. We are going to Silver Dollar City with my parents, for the first time with kids, so that should be fun.

So I guess I will head to bed now, thanks for not giving up on me. I'm still here!!

Catching up (a whole bunch!)

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Briley is playing outside (it feels really good today!) and Deacon is chilling in his exersaucer watching her, so I thought I would get caught up. We've been busy!

First of all, now I get to tell you about our big project we've been working on around here! A year or so ago, Ronnie's dad bought us one of those big playset kits at Home Depot that was on clearance. It was mostly the hardware: swings, slide, bolts, screws, rockwall accessories, etc. etc. All we needed to buy was the wood. Well we have been wanting to build it for Briley for a while, but never had the money. When we refinanced our house, we got a bit of money back, so we decided to go ahead and do it. It's been quite a project! It took us about 2 weeks to finish it, mainly because we had to work on it a little bit every night when Ronnie would get home from work. Here are a few pics of the process:

All the wood!

Hard at work.

The floor.

The floor was complete, and the slide was attached. Briley wanted to try it out!

Starting the second level.

The ramp. (It will have rails on both sides, we just haven't added them yet.)

A view of the whole thing, so far.

After we added the swings.

This is after we put started putting up the safety rails.

The finished product!

Ronnie designed the whole thing, and then we built it. I say "we", I helped some. Ha! We made it big enough so we could all enjoy it. The bottom level is for the kids, the top level is big enough where Ronnie and I can sit on it, like a deck, except in the trees! We love it. We are going to add the rock climbing wall to the back, going up to the higher level, later when we have more money.

Moving along....last week was the Grape Festival here in our area, and we went with my parents and took the kids. I was really surprised that Briley wanted to ride the rides. Every time we've been to the fair, she has always freaked out and never wanted to. But this time...we couldn't get her off!!! Here are some fun pics:

I had to post a picture of my food...it was the weirdest thing. They were some kind of potato chip things...they were actually pretty good!

Deacon enjoying his food.

My cute parents.

Getting ready to board the carousel, and showing daddy her tickets. See the stormy sky? Just as we were leaving, it started pouring!

She was pretty upset when we had to leave...she just didn't understand that she couldn't keep riding and riding....

Last Saturday we had some of our good friends over for a cookout, and to try out our new playset. Briley and their kids had so much fun! I didn't get very many pictures, but here are a couple of cute ones:

Briley and two of their girls, Haddie and Jennika.

Having a blast on the swings.

Ronnie and I had a date night Wednesday..we haven't been out in forever! My parents came to watch the kids, and we went out for dinner to the Marketplace (they have a new "value" menu, two can eat for $19.99!!!!) and then we did a little bit of shopping (Plato's Closet...that place is my favorite!) and then we went to see G. I. Joe. It was really good. We had a really good time, and it was a much needed time away from the kids, just the two of us. Thanks mom and dad!!

I have some more updates, and some fun summer pics, but I need to go get some stuff done. Some of my family and friends are going to start getting together once a month for a scrapbooking night, and I have to get my stuff ready, it's tonight! I will post more later....have a great weekend!

Extreme Blog Makeovers

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:19:00 +0000

In case you didn't notice, my blog has been changing. It's now completely finished, and I am so happy with it! Now that it's done, I want to tell you about my friend Carla who designed my new look, and introduce you to her little boy.

This is Gavin:

He has Mastocytosis. You can read more about their family here. Carla creates blog makeovers as a way to earn money to pay for their medical expenses; (anywhere from $700.00 to $1,000.00 a month in prescription copays). When you donate in exchange for a makeover, you are providing their family with at least one medication that lasts a whole month! Pretty good cause, if you ask me. And how can you say no to that sweet little face? How about another look?

So, if you are in need, or in want, of a whole new look, contact my friend. As you can see, she does a fantastic job! Here are a few links to some others she has designed: here, and here, and here. If you want to contact Carla, I added a makeover button to my sidebar. Happy Thursday!

Kids workshop

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Saturday was Ronnie's Saturday to work, and they were having their monthly Kids Workshop, so I took the kids. Ronnie had his lunch at the same time, so he got to help Briley. She had so much fun, and was so cute! This is the first one we've taken her to, and she did great.

Excited and ready to begin!

She was pretty stoked about using a hammer. And she did really well!

Screwdriver time.....

The finished product! She was so proud of herself.

Deacon watching from the sidelines. He wanted to get in on the action so bad!

Me and my little man. Had to get a shot of him in his apron too!

The rest of the weekend was good, too. At church yesterday was our first week to teach Briley's class. We had eleven 2 and 3 year olds. It went really well, actually! They were all very well behaved. Then after naps we took Briley to her friend Katherine's birthday party.

We've been working on another pretty big project around here for the last week, but it's not quite done yet. I'm not saying what it is yet, but I'll have pictures up in a few days!

Are you liking the blog look? It's almost done!!!!

Worship leading helps

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I spend a lot of time working on music, searching for songs and chords, and putting sets together for when I lead worship on Tuesday nights. I've collected some really good websites and decided to share them with you, for any of you worship leaders out there. I'm going to put a list on the left column of my blog for easy access too. Just thought I would share. Enjoy!

S.O.A.R. Worship - This guy has a blog totally devoted to worship song chords. He has a lot of stuff by IHOP worship leaders, and lot's of others. Really, really good resource! A lot of the songs he has, I haven't been able to find ANYWHERE else.

IHOP-The Source - If you sign up to receive the IHOP prayer room webstream under The Source, you get free access to a lot of chord charts. They add more occasionally and I've found a lot of good ones there. Good stuff!

Rockin' With The Cross - This website has LOTS of chord charts, for piano, guitar, bass, and horn.

Total Tabs Christian - I haven't found a whole lot on this one, but it's good none the less.....and it's free!

Ultimate Guitar - This is not a Christian website primarily, but they have a LOT of praise and worship stuff. And it's also free!

Brian & Jenn Johnson - If you like these guys, this is their website, with tons of free chord charts of all (I think) of their songs! Sweet!

That's all I have for now....I'm sure I've bookmarked more than this, so I will add them as I remember. Happy singing!

PS - blog is still under construction...it's getting there!!!

Under construction

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:24:00 +0000

I'm sure you've noticed a few changes here! Some kinks are still being worked out, so be patient. Thanks! Hope you like the new look so far!!

First haircut

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:08:00 +0000

So I've been putting this off for a while. I absolutely LOVE Deacon's hair, it's so curly and cute! But I had to admit he was beginning to look a little bit girly. Sooo.....I finally broke down and cut it last night. It was so hard! Not just because I didn't want to, but because he wouldn't stop wiggling! He is definitely a boy; he won't sit still! So anyway, here are some pics from the big moment, and some from this morning after he woke up and I clipped a few more I missed in all the ruckus last night. Ha!

First, a before and after shot.

Before:

After:

I think it's funny that he has his mouth open in both pictures. Ha!

I can't believe the difference it made!! He looks like such a big boy now! It's really making me sad.

Here are some more shots:

This was in the middle of all the melee.....this is pretty much how we ALL felt.

Another view from the front.

Side view.

Another cute one.

My big boy is growing up....he is so close to walking on his own, it's crazy. Any day now he is going to be toddling around. I can't believe how time is flying by! I choose to enjoy every single moment, because I look at Briley and see how quickly it comes and goes.

What I've been up to......

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:26:00 +0000

- Working on lot's of new music

- Redesigning my blog with the help of a friend......(more on that later!)

- Closing on our home refinance (FINALLY!)

- Enjoying the fruits and veggies from my very own garden

- Preparing to teach Briley's toddler Sunday school class at church, with my husband, for the whole month of August (hmmm, why did I commit to that again?) Ha!

- Trying to motivate myself to get back in shape and lose this baby weight (hey, he's only 14 months old)

- Making my own laundry soap

- Working on lesson plans for pre-school with Briley

- Enjoying the unseasonably cool weather for July

- And telling myself to keep this blog more current!!

Vacation

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

We've have a nice four day weekend...I can't believe it's over already! It went by so fast. We had a really great time. Thursday we took the kids to the Oklahoma Aquarium. It was interesting getting there...we got lost. We ALWAYS get lost when we travel. It wasn't too bad, it only took us about 30 minutes to correct it and get on the right path. Anyway, here are some pics from the day:

Briley and I looking at the turtles.

The tower of turtles. I think they were sleeping.

Ronnie and Deac looking at...something....I don't remember.

Watching the sting-rays.

The HUGE puffer fish....Ronnie was fascinated with him. He took like 6 pictures.

Feeding the turtles.

I took lots more pictures, you can see them on Facebook.

So Friday we went to see Transformers and my mom watched the kids. I really liked it! There was quite a bit more language in it than the first one, and a lot of it was suggestive. But the overall movie was great. It had a LOT more action in it. We had a good time.

Yesterday we just hung out at home and did stuff around the house. We finished Deacon's toy box Ronnie was making for him, we just have to do one more coat of paint and add some embellishments. I'll post a pic of that when it's done.

Today we had church, took LONG naps, and now the weekend is over. We had a nice relaxing time. I'll leave you with a couple more fun pics.

One of our first garden tomatoes! I LOVE these yellow ones! They taste so good.

Cute kids!

I love his face, and the fact that you can see Cheeto cheese in his nose.

Briley's "tattoo".

Happenings

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Today is my husband's birthday. He is 33 years old. What?!?! I thought we were both still in our 20's??? Where has the time gone? Crazyness.
I love my husband more than life itself. I couldn't imagine growing old with anyone else. I couldn't imagine anyone else being as PERFECT for me as him. He is an amazing husband, an amazing father, and a mighty man of God. I'm telling you, he's a warrior. Ronnie, I love you to the moon and back!

It's been so long since I've done an actual post, I might have to update in small chunks.

Our second yard sale went great, and we made about half of what we did on the first one. AND we didn't have to bring home anything! My sister kindly took it all to Helping Hands for us. And there wasn't that much left, really. I am so glad we are finally done with it all. Now to get my house back to normal!

Last Sunday Ronnie's work (Home Depot) had a picnic/cookout to celebrate 35 years (I think) at Hickory Creek. We went after naptime for a little bit. They had a bouncy castle for the kids, and we swam in the lake for a while. Here's a few pics of the kids, I didn't get very many. It was pretty hot so we only stayed a few hours.

Jumping in the bouncy castle. I got in there with her for a few minutes, but I didn't stay long because I almost peed my pants three times. Such is the life after having 2 kids!!!

Look at his eyes! Wow!! At this point in the day, all he had on was a diaper. When we got in the water, I realized I forgot to put a swim diaper on him. Yeah. So we got out, went to change him, and found a little gift. Yes, he pooped. Which then made me realize I forgot to pack wipes! Luckily, they had some hand sanitizer wipes there and I snagged some. Then, my 3rd realization was that I didn't pack him any dry shorts. I was just not very prepared that day. Soooo....there is my said almost naked son. Oh well, it was hot. I'm sure it felt good.

Playing on the slide. I can't believe these are all the pictures I got! Oh well.

The rest of our week was pretty normal. No gymnastics on Thursday, they were closed for summer break. So we went to the library. They have special event Thursdays during the summer, and they had a free kids concert outside. We hung out for a little bit.

We had a great 4th! Busy, but fun. Saturday morning we slept in, then did a little shopping, and then went to play disc golf at the Jones Center. Watched the parade for a few minutes. I didn't get any pictures there either! Grrr...we had fun. It was really nice weather. Cloudy, and not very hot. When we got home it started storming. I mean, a HUGE downpour! We all took naps and by the time we all got up, it had past. We went and bought some fireworks, and then went to my sister's. We ate, the kids played, and then did a few small fireworks for the kids.

When we got home, we put Deacon to bed and then did some fireworks with Briley. She loved them, of course. Had a ball. Our neighbors are so cool, they spend SOO much on fireworks. So we just buy a few fun ones for Briley, and then just sit around and watch theirs. It's so awesome! Briley has always slept like a champ every 4th, even with all of the noise outside. She has never once had a problem. But last year, Deacon screamed. And screamed. And screamed........all night. Until they stopped. It was awful. So this year, I bought some children's earplugs. And he slept the whole time! I didn't hear one peep out of him. It was so great. Score one for me!

Yesterday was pretty slow, Ronnie woke up not feeling so good so we didn't make it to church. We just stayed home all day and vegetated.

This week should go by pretty quickly, Ronnie only has to work 3 days and then we are taking a little mini vacation. Thursday we are going to the aquarium in Tulsa. Friday my mom is going to watch kids so we can go see Transformers. Woo-hoo! I've heard mixed reviews about it, so we will see. I'm just excited to have a DATE!

I hope everyone had a good holiday...happy Monday!!!

Wednesday

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Outside my window.....beautiful summer day, lots of tomatoes in my garden ALMOST ready to be picked. Yum!

I am thinking.... about the faithfulness of the Father.

I am thankful for...quiet time while the kids are napping.

From the kitchen.... I will be attempting to grill chicken tonight without the help of my husband...there's a first time for everything! yikes.

I am wearing.... khaki green shorts and a pink stripey shirt.

I am creating...a new schedule for summer.

I am going.... to enjoy my kids more.

I am reading... nothing right now. (gasp!) I'm in between books trying to decide what is next,

I am hoping... for a good report.

I am hearing.... nothing. Complete and utter silence.

Around the house....it's getting more and more clean around here, as I deliver stuff to my moms for our final yard sale on Saturday. I love getting rid of stuff!

One of my favorite things...can I talk about how much I love nap time some more???

A few plans for the rest of the week.... my cousin and his daughter are coming tonight for dinner (hence me grilling the chicken), and working my booty off to get ready for the (SECOND AND FINAL!)sale on Saturday. Everything that doesn't sell is getting donated! Can't wait. This was the biggest project of my summer, and it's almost over.

Just pictures

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:33:00 +0000

Came to You Late

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:28:00 +0000

"I came to You late, O Beauty so ancient and new. I came to love You late. You were within me and I was outside where I rushed about wildly searching for You like some monster loose in Your beautiful world. You were with me but I was not with You. You called me, You shouted to me, You wrapped me in Your Splendour, You broke past my deafness, You bathed me in Your Light, You sent my blindness reeling. You gave out such a delightful fragrance and I drew it in and came breathing hard after You. I tasted, and it made me hunger and thirst; You touched me, and I burned to know Your Peace."

St. Augustine of Hippo

The last few weeks.

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Time for a long overdue updated post. I think I haven't posted anything newsey since before Memorial Day.....I've been busy. Good busy.

On the 23rd we had Deacon's first birthday party. It was nothing huge, just a small family get together. We cooked out and had cake and ice cream. During the middle we had a huge storm come through, we all had to run inside to keep from getting soaked...thankfully Ronnie had just finished grilling. Here are a few pics from the festivities:

The cake.

Briley playing with her cousins.

Enjoying his first taste of cake.

Deacon had a good time, and handled all the attention quite nicely! He didn't get stressed out at all. I just can't believe he's already one.

Memorial Day was just another day for me. Ronnie had to work, so it was nothing special. As I say every holiday, oh the joys of retail. I went to my parents for a little bit so they could see the kids.

Deacon had his 12 month check-up on the 26th. He is now just 50th percentile for height and weight. After he started crawling, he has tapered off quite a bit. He had to get shots, of course, and did not do well at all. He seems to cry more every visit. He got the chicken pox vaccine, so I'm keeping an eye out for any breakouts. Hopefully we won't have any!

Briley had her 3 year visit on Monday, June 1st. I know, I'm four months behind on her visit. I am so used to them calling me for Deacon's, that I forget to call for hers. Anyway, she did GREAT! Last visit, she got freaked out by the tapemeasure they put on their heads and cried hysterically the whole time. So I prepped her a lot this time around, and she didn't cry at all. She is still 25th percentile for weight and 50th for height. Doctor said she will probably be petite her whole life.

Well it's officially summer around here! We have been enjoying playing outside all the time.

We went to the park the other day for a picnic and to feed the ducks and geese. Briley had a blast! Deacon, not so much. He has inherited his father's fear of geese, I think. (Ha!) He cried every time they got close.

Enjoying the picnic feast! (Cheeseburger from Hardees. Ha!)

Duck feeding time!

Right before he freaked out.

There were so many baby ducks!! So cute. (Ignore the trash floating in the water!!!)

My garden is doing really well. No veggies yet, hopefully soon.

Tomatoes and strawberries!

Yay for berries!! I hope they turn red soon, I can't wait to taste them.

More strawberries, a jalapeno, and banana peppers. These aren't as big as they should be because some rabbits were nibbling on them.

Our garage sale is next weekend, I can't wait to get it over with! My house is packed full of stacks of stuff to sell. Last night we went through the front closet, Saturday we are finishing the garage. All that leaves is our room, a few cabinets in the kitchen, and we are going to go through the kids toys one more time.

One last thing, please pray for Deac, he has six teeth coming in on top, and he has been pretty sick from it. The last two days have not been pleasant around here, and his poor little tummy is so messed up. He's had a pretty bad diaper rash from it too, and screams every time I come near him to change him. Poor little guy, I feel sorry for him!

Well I need to get off of here, Briley has gymnastics in an hour. Happy Thursday!

More change.

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000

I know, I changed my blog background again. I was getting really tired of all the b-r-o-w-n. I liked it for like the first 2 days. And then I got bored with it. This one is fun, and interesting. Soon I want to get a personalized one, but since I don't have time to do that right now, this is better than all that b-r-o-w-n.

Thursday

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Outside my window.....cloudy skies, Ronnie grilling chicken.

I am thinking.... about how the Lord takes care of us, all the time.

I am thankful for...surprise blessings in my bank account.

From the kitchen.... Ronnie's homemade BBQ sauce. Yum!

I am wearing.... stripey pj pants and an old comfy Old Navy t-shirt.

I am creating...more piles of yard sale stuff.

I am going.... to bed in a few hours.

I am reading... song of solomon.

I am hoping... for more days like this.

I am hearing.... my son crying because he is super cranky. His eye teeth are coming in.

Around the house....all I can smell is that BBQ sauce!!!!

One of my favorite things... Ronnie's days off.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... a used book sale tomorrow, and lunch with a friend on Saturday.

He's one!

christy.fast@sbcglobal.net (Christy) — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Today is my baby boy's first birthday.

From the first day I took a pregnancy test at home, and it was positive, the Lord told me it was a boy. Actually, to be perfectly honest, right after I had Briley, the Lord told me my second born would be a boy. I never doubted it. Even when we went for the ultrasound, I was confident. The Lord has also told me He has huge plans for this boy. Huge. Many words have been spoken over his little life, even in the womb. I pray every day for his future, but I never worry about him. I know he will NEVER waver from the Lord, and he will always serve Him with all his heart. I am so proud of him.

Deacon, I love you with all my heart. I am so proud of who you are, and who the Father has shown me you will become. He has big plans for you. Always follow him, with all of your heart, mind, and strength. You are a mighty man of God! Your mommy and daddy love you SO much, and your big sister thinks you hung the moon and stars. You have completed our family. We love you!!! Happy first birthday.