Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Take Me Back Tuesday- To College Days


I admit it, I am addicted to Facebook. I even have a username its crowmoma2. One of the main reasons I love, love, love FB is to keep up with former classmates. I had 4 college roommates, 3 of them are now on Facebook. One one of my college roommates has a blog and so does another college friend. The following pictures are from my Freshman and Sophomore years at my Alma Mater, Southwestern Oklahoma State University 1992-1994! Enjoy and make sure you visit the links to the blogs!

Amy & Me


Joely, Me & Lori- Joely actually lives locally and Lori and I talk every now and then!

Homecoming in the Dorm's we really decorated, here is Brandy our Mascot!

Misty, Me, Trisha & Kim- Misty & Kim were Roomates, Kim needs to get on FB

This was taken Freshman year, I am back center. My last roommate Melinda is in the green in front of me. Delana, my first roommate, who I recently came back in contact with again is kneeling!

Oh, the College Days and to think of the kids getting ready to go and make the memories that I have now!




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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Start It Out Right Sunday- Week 6

I can't think of a better way for me to Start my Week Out Right than by sharing what happened this Sunday evening! 15 Children and 2 adults followed in the steps of Jesus Christ and showed the public that they profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Our church, TCABC does something a little different than traditional baptisms, they throw a huge birthday celebration! With a meal, gift/Bible presentation, baptism and then birthday cake! It truly is a celebration that one will never forget in their lives!

The 4-Crow's participated in this event, as Braden made his walk with Christ public!
Here are 3 of the 4 of us!

This is an overview picture of just how many were there, Braden had approximately 46 friends and family celebrating with him!

Here are my 15 new brother and sisters in Christ, Praise God!

Braden being asked if he has accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior...

...and after the immersion

Thank you to all of our friends and family who showed their love and support on this special day for Braden, it means so much to us to know that he will have your continued support as he grows into a fine Christian man and that he can count on each of you in this journey.

How do you participate in Start It Out Right Sunday's? Please email The4Crow's, you'll be added as a reader then just play along. All you have to do is grab the button, sign Mr. McLinky (hopefully it will work), and share in your blog post how you are gonna Start It Out Right, it can be from the Sermon at Church, the diet you will start, the house you will clean, the amends you will make, just anything to get to Start IT Out Right! Have fun playing along, I look forward to reading each week!






Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Body Image, Discrimination, Child/Adult- BIG Subject

I don't generally jump on a soapbox, especially on my blog. Nor do I purposely lash out at society and throw my opinions out there to be lashed back at, but I'm going to do it now. Sunday, my brother was openly discriminated against by an airline for being 6'5" and 380lbs. I encourage you to read the complete story at my SIL's blog at LizzyDear's Life Review's before you continue on with my post.

On Monday, after almost 5 weeks of me being cooped up inside the house unable to walk due to a sports injury (a fractured ankle), that I got from trying to lose weight and keep in shape because I deal with my own weight issues since having Kaybrie, at 5'9" and 190lbs, my family takes my dear son to get his football equipment.

Braden is playing his first year of tackle football. He is an 8 year old, 3rd grader this year. He will be 9 in December. He has two years of flag football behind him and we feel as a family that it is time for him to move up. He will be playing by the rules of the INFC. The first things done when Braden arrived was being measured and weighed. He is 4'11 and 89lbs. Whoa, they said, this boy can't touch the football, he can only play on the defensive line, to play offense he must weigh less than 75lbs. What? He's too big to play offense, he might hurt someone. Well, so what if we let him play with the 4th graders, um that'll work as long as he doesn't gain 1lb and weigh in at 90lbs before each game.

So, does anyone see where I am going with this post? I certainly do not want my 4'11", 89lb son to hurt any of your smaller children, but really, his heart is still the same size and when my baby boy makes the comment to me on his way to take his sports physical yesterday about how is he going to stay under 90lbs so he can play the sport he loves, with kids that he does not even go to school with because he's a 3rd grader playing on a team of 4th graders, my response is "Baby, you are not going to go on a diet, if anything you can quit drinking Dr. Pepper"!

BTW, at the Dr's office, fully clothed he weighed in at 91lbs, and the doctor said once practice started and school started chances are, Braden will drop 1 to 2lbs and have no problems weighing in at requirements in his skivvies and also next Tuesday at the Combine, due to Braden's height and size, those Broken Arrow coaches are gonna be blown away!

Does weight discrimination truly start at such a young age? And why 2x in one week in MY family? I mean come on. My Braden is not an obese kid. I have the growth charts to prove it. He has been in the 95th percentile his entire life. And, I do not want to hear the comment from another persons mouth that DEFENSE wins ballgames, that was not the point of my sons weight issue with the so-called rules. And also, I know that in 7th grade, size, won't matter anymore because Broken Arrow will have already picked its chosen players, but that is 4 years away. No, I don't expect an apology or anything big out of my post, just an awareness of how comments/rules make kids/adults feel. No, there is no guarantee that Braden will be a fantastic offensive player, but he should be given a chance just like any other young player who has the heart to go out after something.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: AT THE COMBINE ON 7/28/09, WE DECIDED TO LET BRADEN PLAY ON THE 3RD GRADE LEVEL.

Add Nail Tech To Daddy Crow's Resume'!

Princess Kaybrie has a terrible habit. She is a nail biter. She loves having her fingernails and toenails painted. I only paint her toenails though, because if I paint her fingers, she chews it off! I have bought her the bitter no-bite polish and when she thinks about biting her nails (it really does not work)- guess who she gets to put the clear polish on for her? That's right her Daddy!

Daddy Painting
Daddy Blowing on Kaybrie's nails

What a Daddy/Daughter moment


Kaybrie always has to look at the camera!
So, what do my readers think, should nail tech be added to Jason's resume' or just #1 Daddy who is wrapped around a certain princess's finger!



Sunday, July 19, 2009

Start It Out Right Sunday- Week 5



Miranda & Family

It's been a few weeks since I have written a Start it out Right Sunday, not because I've been slacking as a Christian, but honestly I just plain haven't felt like writing with my ankle! In a few of my past entries I mentioned that I was writing a freelance story about the instructor of my bootcamp where I hurt my ankle. Well, it was published in Christian MomLogic, an online forum. Quite honestly, its my first attempt at being published since high school, so here it is. At current time I have submitted it to MOPS MomSense and to 918Moms, we will see if it is picked up!

Matthew 5:16 NAS

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven!

Whoa, what a strong and well said verse! And you know what else, how many Mothers can sit and tell you that one particular verse from the Bible is their family’s verse? If you can, you are one up on my family.
The above verse is also the family verse for 32-year-old woman of faith, wife, mom of 3, daughter, friend, trainer, National VP for Arbonne, future missionary, counselor, former University of Oklahoma College Basketball Player 1996-1999, MOPS table leader-

Miranda Stacy Burcham!
From a distance you would probably think fitness fanatic, you know, a blond version of Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser, or at least that is what I've been thinking for the last say 8 months while I've been "working out/gabbing" with my girlfriends at First Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. While walking by myself pushing my dear two year old daughter in the stroller during the first week of June, I watched approx 40+ women boot camping it. When I found out child care is being provided for only $2 and the cost of class was going to be ZERO, I decided to do it!
What? This is Miranda’s ministry! She has such a heart for fitness and health that she started a ten week- 4 day/week class on June 15th, 2 days at First Baptist Church in Broken Arrow and 2 days at the high school football field in Coweta, Oklahoma where her husband is the head football coach. Once the ten week program is over, when school starts back, she is prayerfully considering continuing the 2 a days at FBCBA!
I am not going lie to you, the class isn’t easy. It is not for sissies! It calls for karaoke’s, running bleachers, running sprints, burpees, rolling over tractor tires. Yep, I was begging for a handicap toilet after 2 days, but it was the best feeling ever! Miranda did not force me to do anything beyond my limits though, she encouraged me and told me how strong I was and what a great job I was doing! Just as she encouraged the other 50+ women who came on Monday and Wednesday and the 40+ that came on Tuesday!
The name of this ministry: Powerful-Hourfull! The main purpose of this ministry is to give Mom’s/Women one hour to themselves to work out and pour into them the time they need to be happy about them and to know that they are POWERFUL. It’s not about being fat or thin or what size you are but about whom you are and how you feel. Miranda often heard these things from women at the gym and wanted to make a difference.
“Not enough time.”
“I’ll never lose weight.”
“I can’t connect the dots, mentally, physically, socially.”
Miranda just wants women to get to know that their physical goals are possible. She wants them to know that they can take an hour in the gym and not only change the way they look, but the way that they feel inside and out!! It is about helping women push through their perceived physical limits, but also take every area of their life to the next level. Miranda is extremely goal oriented. Her Arbonne team is getting ready to earn its 21st Mercedes at the end of July, how cool is that! And of course she proudly drives her white Mercedes around and proudly displays the bumper sticker “Press On”, on the back!
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Helping you become a better you, will make me better.
One of her favorite quotes is: To be great, serve many.
Miranda has been a Christian since she was seven years old. She has been married to her husband Stephen for 8 years and they have three beautiful children, Bronson 6, Brelee 3, and Brax 1.
So, what is a typical Miranda day/week? Monday-Friday, workout, but if there is something that comes up, it is not earth shattering! Lunch at ChickFil-A, Souper Salad or home, naptime for the kiddos, shower, playtime, pickup time, boating, and no more than 10 hours a week devoted to Arbonne.
And for the question we are all dying to know, what is Miranda’s daily food intake? First of all, “Eat clean, eating sensibly no boxed food, shop the outward aisles.”
Do her kids get junk food? Yes, and they love sweet tea! But, for the most part they make healthy choices, which I think for any Mother is very important!
Breakfast
Water
1 Minute Oatmeal, w/honey, RAW sugar, flax seed, wheat germ, raisins, a few nuts,
After Workout, because you have to replace those carbs
Water
Fruit/apple w/ ½ t peanut butter

Lunch
Soup/Salad, bread on side, hummus, carb & PROTEIN
Snack
3-4 Ritz Crackers, ½ piece of string cheese
Dinner (smallest meal) around 6-6:30
Roast, carrots, corn on the cob
Big Glass of Water
So in response to being called the blonde version of Jillian Michaels? Miranda takes that as a huge compliment, especially as a Christian if she can make even an ounce of an impact in someone’s life as Jillian has, that is HUGE! Also, how many of us women have our own personal life verses from the Bible? Miranda’s is:
Phillipians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL TO WIN THE PRIZE FOR WHICH GOD IS CALLING ME HEAVENWARD IN CHRIST JESUS!!
Miranda and her family have an opportunity to go on their first mission trip June 30-July 5th. They hope to one day take their family to Africa and after watching Slum Dog Millionaire, now have India on their list. However for now, God has directed them to Falcon, Colorado. Colorado has a LARGE un-churched population and the town has doubled in size in the last few years. Miranda and her husband Stephen will be running basketball camps, football camps, and telling Bible stories. They will be traveling as a family and will need prayer as a family in travel, prayer for the ministry team, prayer for safety and prayer for financial support. The ministry team consists of 15 team members.
Another huge passion Miranda has is for abused children, she is involved with a group called Royal Family Kids Camp, which is the nation's leading network of camps for abused, neglected and abandoned children. At this time there are only five camps in Oklahoma. Her goal is to bring one to the Tulsa area.
If you live anywhere near the Tulsa, OK area and are interested in joining this six-week program with the option of working out any of the 4 days of the week or all of them the classes each day begin at 9:30. M & W at First Baptist Church Broken Arrow and T & TH at Coweta High School Football Field!
If you are looking to join a MOPS group in your area, go to this link!

Warming Up!

Our Group Circled Up Sharing Prayer Requests!

Now how will I Start It Out Right this Week, by having a better attitude about this ankle- my goodness its been 5 weeks, I only have 3 events planned this week and I did I mention that I have to get Braden ready for tackle football, so I have to be in full recovery mode! My faith is in the Lord that this is gonna happen!

How do you participate in Start It Out Right Sunday's? Please email The4Crow's, you'll be added as a reader then just play along. All you have to do is grab the button, sign Mr. McLinky (hopefully it will work), and share in your blog post how you are gonna Start It Out Right, it can be from the Sermon at Church, the diet you will start, the house you will clean, the amends you will make, just anything to get to Start IT Out Right! Have fun playing along, I look forward to reading each week!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Our Vacation!

We started Sunday June 28th out right- Yep right smack in Kansas City, Missouri, Daddy is not used to driving Moma's pickup, we ran out of GAS! (the sun glares funny on the gauges ;)...) I just took out my AAA card and this cutie was there within 15 minutes while Daddy fixed another broke down vehicle behind us. Thanks to my MIL for such a great Christmas gift!

We stayed the night at the Ramada in St. Joseph, Missouri where the kids played at their indoor water park called, Monkey Cove! We got up the next morning and arrived in Sioux City, Iowa at my Aunt and Uncle's around 3 PM on the 29th.

This is Aunt Oline, Uncle Jim, Braden and Kaybrie at the hay field.

Nana proving to Braden that she knows how to lift a hay bale, please do not show the shoulder doctor this picture!

Braden on the tractor!

My Daddy raking the hay! You know, not much of a vacation, when he could have been doing this at home, but at least he was able to help out Uncle Jim!

Kaybrie helping out!
The Wedding in South Dakota. Jill, Braden, Kaybrie & ShaRhonda

1st Cousin's Jill and ShaRhonda

An Uncle and Niece moment

Jill and Daisy

Moma, Daddy (Bruce & Belinda Williams), Aunt Oline, & Uncle Jim

Mr. & Mrs. Matthew & Jill Walker
July 4, 2009