Tyler's Mission Trip

Last week Tyler went on a Mission trip with the Southeast Christian Middle schooler, CRASH WEEK.  This was their slogan:

bee's are called a swarm

sheep are called a flock

fish are called a school

rhino's are called a crash

WE ARE CALLED TO BE RHINO'S

Tyler came home pumped up....he had such a great time.  I am really proud of all the things he did.  The place they went that meant the most to him was Exceptional Teens and Adults.  The helped mostly teens with autism, he said it was really hard to see kids his age and older, even adults, acting younger then him.  Looking forward to see what God does with him as he grows up!!!

Here is the letter he sent out to everyone who sent money to help sponser him:

Dear Family and Friends,

I had a great time on Crash Week; I met a lot of people, and made even more friends. We went to four different places Edge Outreach, Exceptional Teens and Adults, Necole’s Place, and Wayside. At Edge we carried water four and a half miles MAN THAT WAS HARD, but a good experience. At Exceptional Teens and Adults we played basketball with them on a goal made of a crate. It was really sad to see people older and the same age as me act younger. At Necole’s Place we played games and made crafts with little kids who did not have dads. At Wayside we played with homeless kids, we played kickball and board games. The morning before we went home we went to the abortion clinic to pray I hated that part because little babies were dying. I should be thankful, fourteen girls went in and three came out without getting an abortion.

At Exceptional Teens and Adults I asked the lady that was the director if they were going to get a real basketball goal. She said maybe in the spring. I then asked if we could raise money for a basketball goal for them and she said that would be great. We ended up getting them one before the week was over and everyone participated in Crash Week signed a ball and my team and the team who put it up signed the backboard. I am planning on volunteering at Exceptional Teens and Adults this summer.

I want to thank you for your generosity!!! Had it not been for you and your kindness I a lot of this would not have happened. Because of all the money I received I was able to help others go on this trip. Also, thank you for lifting me and the Crash Team up in prayer last week.

“Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6

Samantha Rhea

On April 9, 1998 God blessed me with our beautiful baby girl, Samantha Rhea. I tell her she was the easiest to delivery, but the hardest to raise. She was due on the 7th, so was induced on the 9th. We started induction sometime in the morning and she was born at 3:33 pm. She was beautiful a head full of dark hair. She was an easy baby: ate good, slept great, never took a passy, and hardly cried. She was born on Easter weekend, a beautiful Easter I might add.

She went from an easy baby, toddler and preschooler to a very difficult student. We had, well I should say I had a hard time dealing with her. We should have named her ATTITUDE!!! I really struggled to deal with her. I felt she was so disrespectful and frustrating. Everything was an argument. But now she has grown into a sweet, helpful and even sometimes delightful. She is so helpful. I can really count on her to do anything I need: laundry, dishes, watching the little ones, you name it she will and can do it. I give her a really hard time most of the time. I think I figured it out. I forget she is just a kid. She does get attitude now and then, but so did I. I am going to work on how I treat her and make sure I tell her I love her more than I yell at her!!!

We just celebrated her 12 birthday and I can't believe that she is so grown up. We went and bought her makeup the other day and some new clothes (girl after my heart).

"Sixteen Candles"

I absolutely love the movie "Sixteen Candles."  It is amazing how watching one movie can take me back 21 years!!!  I can so relate to Sam's feelings for Jake.  I was "in love" with Steve since I was 12 years old (he was 17).  I remember the feeling I got the day he came over and asked me out for the first time (I was 17, he was 21).  It was March 17, 1989, I truly never believed that would happen.  My favorite since of the movie is at the end when Jake is standing across the street from the church waiting for Sam!!!!  Makes me want to go back in time about 21 years ago........

Hoarder??? Who Me???

We have spent the better part of today cleaning out a room in our basement that seems to catch all the junk. Why is it so hard to throw stuff away? I did pretty good getting rid of stuff. We filled the van up with stuff: clothes, books, shoes, dishes, toys, and baby stuff and took it to the Goodwill. Great place to take whatever you don't need or want.

 Funny story. We had a Christmas tree stand that we used the first year we were here, nine years ago and Steve said, "we don't need that tree stand." I said, "No, but don't get rid of it." Then realized that it is a tree stand and I don't NEED it. So it went to the Goodwill. I am so thankful to the show HOARDERS on A&E. If it wasn't for it, I would never clean out this stuff.

I will post pictures once we have finished!!!  Happy Cleaning!!!

Random....

Found this on a friends blog ands wanted to try it too. Why not, Steve's at work and the kids are playing Wii.

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet? The shoes I wore in a friends wedding, navy blue dyed heels (the dress is still there too). They are about 12 years old. Yikes.

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety? Four boxes: two Samoyas, my fav; one Tagalongs, Steve's fav; and one Trefolds.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to? No, on both points. My life partner doesn't like to dance. I would NEVER put him through this.

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager? Not always, now that I have teenagers I see how irresponsible I was. God was truly faithful to me!!!

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see? No, we never go to the movies, well unless they are for the kids.

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself? None, of those things bother me. After having five kids you almost get use to it.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why? Well, it use to be Wednesday, because that was Steve's day off. He started a new schedule: will work 7 days then off 7 days. So my favorite day of the week would be Sunday. I love to see how excited my kids get about going to church and I love coming home and resting while watching NASCAR.

8. Do you miss anyone right now? I miss Steve, he is at work. But I really miss my Grandma!

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?No, they make me want to have another baby. I always want another one when ever I do Baptist East.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you. I don't have a credit card!!! I would love to go to Target and spend all I could on whatever I want.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items? Some; Cherrios, Heinz ketchup, Jif peanut butter, Snuggle fabric softener and Dry Idea deoderant...to name a few.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?
It depends on the person. I love to look into Steve's eyes either way. I would love to hear how he feels about me...on a good day that is. LOL

Britt Family Quarantine

Nothing can frustrate me more than spending time on lesson plans to only have something "throw" a kink in them.  I had spent the better part of last night (since Steve was working till 2 AM) working on lesson plans for the next couple of week.  I was ready to have a productive school day and get lots of work done, only to be woken to the sounds of satan trying to be exorcised out of my 14 year old son at 12:30 AM through his mouth.  I can describe it no other way.  He sounds awful when he vomits; he HATES to do it anyways.  So because of this we spent the day avoiding him, he was quarantined in one room and the rest of the kids have been outside all day.  No school day of us!!!  We will have to double up another to make up for the "sick day." 

As of now, 3:30 PM, Tyler is feeling better.  He has slept just about all day.  Evan is running a 102 fever, not complaining of his stomach though.  Evey one else seems fine.  Saying many prayers and hoping we are a family of only one puker!!

Caroline has Succeeded!!!!!

Caroline finished up her time at Langsford this week. All I can say is WOW!!! In a matter of four months she has gone from a reluctant reader to a lover of reading. She would never have picked up a book to read before now she reads all day long!!

Below is the letter I wrote for Langsford describing our experience:

“When I start reading I don’t want to stop, I LOVE TO READ!!!”

This is what I always wanted to hear Caroline say, now that she has come to Langsford I hear that all the time.
Being a home school mom I was really concerned about Caroline’s reading and spelling for a very long time. One thing that you usually hear from other homeschooling moms is, “Kids learn at their own pace. Don’t push her she’ll get it.” That is true for some, but once your child is nine she should be reading. We had tried different programs for her, but those take so long to get through it could have taken us years. We didn’t have years. She was already so far behind.
The situation had begun to affect Caroline in the other areas of her academics: math, science, etc.; socially she was having trouble socializing with girls her own age in a group; and she had developed a facial tic. That was it. Once it started to affect just everyday life for her something had to be done. I have a nephew and niece who had both come to Langsford years before and decided it was time to admit I couldn’t do it myself so I contacted them. Stephen called one evening and answered all my questions and helped me see that things could get better!!! I set up her evaluation right away and we got started.
She was diagnosed with Nonverbal Learning Disability. We decided, with the recommendations of Langsford staff that she need to come for 110 hours, five days a week for two hours a day. We started the end of November and by the middle of December her facial tic was gone and she was a little more comfortable socializing with other girls. Honestly that meant more to me at the time because that was where I saw her saddest. Now she is at the end of her 110 hours and she is doing great. She started at a low 2nd grade reading level and I think she is now a high third grade. She will read on her own. Today she can read an American Girl book by herself and she has no trouble reading it and comprehending it. That was my goal for her; thanks to all of Caroline’s hard work and the techniques at Langsford she has met it!!! She has succeeded!!!!
I would recommend Langsford to anyone. Everyone is so helpful, understanding and special. Caroline fell in love with everyone and will miss them greatly. She is excited to work harder and continue to improve. I have never seen her so enthusiastic about learning before. This is a new beginning for us and we are excited to get started.

You cannot imagine how happy I am with the experience we have had at Langsford. I can only say it was an answer to prayer!!!
On my desktop I had a note that said, “Lift up Caroline." Well, I did and God has graciously answered our prayers. BTW the note is gone, yes I continue to lift up Caroline and the other Children, but not seeing the note is a reminder that God answers prayers!!!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
                                                                                                              Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)