Whatever...things from Cheri

1000 Gifts Continued...

2011-07-18T08:08:00.016-05:00

#88 a wonderful school year

#89 family time

#90 lazy summer days

#91 Pebblebeach wedding / vacation

#92 Kacie's mission trip to Africa

#93 Amarillo Mission Trip

#94 Camp Goddard

#95 Bunco friends

#96 walking at 6:30

#97 beaches

#98 sunrises

May 2010

2010-09-05T20:59:00.011-05:00

I suppose I will attempt to play catch up again and recap the last 5 months. My wish....to write daily. Annalee - you do motivate me!!!

Luke's Senior Youth Group

Kacie graduates from ACU

Luke's Senior Pics!

Prom with Jessica!

to be continued....

2010-04-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Cody is 16. Not only did we spend the day with family and friends at the traditional egg hunt, but we surprised Cody with a party.

2010-02-06T21:41:00.012-06:00

I love the memories my boys are creating with every event at IHS. One of those incredible memories will be the play at Irving High School that Luke was a part of along with several of his closest buddies!!! January 28, 29 and 30 were three fun nights of South Pacific!

Friends....

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T17:30:00.007-06:00

Have you ever had something that belonged to you and you wonder later why you never replaced it, got rid of it, or THREW IT AWAY!

Here is that item for me:

A cracked colander held together with a twisty tie. I'm embarrassed to say how long I have had this. I know it has been long enough that I cannot remember how long I have had this colander...like this, held together with a twisty tie.

Well....I replaced it today:

And it only cost $4.00. Why........... did I wait so long?

It hit me as I was throwing away the old, cracked, broken colander, that I too have things in my life that I'm holding on to and not wanting to throw away.

Because of Jesus, it's free! I can let go of the old, the broken things in my life, the cracked, the junk, the "whatevers" that are pulling me down, ..and start new. It cost Him everything, but for me...nothing.

2010...

" Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

2009-12-30T21:47:00.003-06:00

I want to be Julie....Julie Powell....at least the Julie Powell in the movie 'Julie & Julia'. Here is a person who felt she never finished anything, commented she probably has ADD and then searches for what she loves the most and writes about it. Why didn't I think about cooking from Julia Childs cookbook The Art of Mastering French Cooking, and then blog about the recipes for 365 days?

So...being the obsessive compulsive person that I am, I have spent most of the day trying to come up with the perfect topic to write about for the next 365 days. ( I have already been to Barnes and Noble looking at ever topic, cookbook, etc...for ideas.)

I even seriously looked at a book about 'Ifs'. If this were to happen...or if this happened...or what if...

What I realized about that was how can I have a grateful heart if I'm focusing on the what ifs of my life. If I am recognizing God's gifts then I can't possible be thinking about 'if this...or if that...'.

So I am back to where I started.

I will acknowledge God's daily gifts to me.
I will post them because I am trying to get to 1000. (And we all know that there are so many more than 1000 everyday!)
I will be grateful for good books, good movies, encouraging blogs, and moments that make me think, create, blog, smile, and remember.

So...
#87 'Julie and Julia' - a feel-good movie!

2009-12-29T14:09:00.019-06:00

The Gifts Continue....

#71 Christmas in Abilene and San Angelo.

#72 Having Kacie home for the holidays.

#73 Cousins that love each other.

#74 Laughter

(Brady got the biggest hamburger any of us had ever seen at Mary's cafe in Strawn)

(Hunter and Luke making Chocolate Chip cookies!)

#75 Christmas cookies.

#76 My new nephew Graham.

#77 Anticipating snow.

#78 The blessing of knowing what the real gift is.

#79 Sunday mornings.

#80 Cleaning out the pantry. (yes, there were items in ther from 2006)

#81 Not having to leave my house unless I want to.

#82 A quick walk in the rain/snow.

#83 The reading of "A Canjun Christmas".

#84 Sweet memories!

#85 Yearly traditions...Mike playing Santa at the gym.

#86 Gingerbread Houses.

(these gingerbread houses made by our life group kids)

Where I've Been....Part 3

2009-11-25T23:01:00.019-06:00

Football Season...

Luke's Senior Year...

Cody's Freshmen Football Season....

Mike turns 50 on October 7, 2009......we celebrated with friends and family at Club Schmitz.

Mike's favorite waitress Sylvia.

October..... Acu Homecoming with Cody, Luke, Price, Josh,

Andrew, and Glenn and the Goodall's.

Harold's Barbeque..

Acu Football Game...

Football on the ACU practice field...

Goodtimes at ACU!!!

Where I've Been... Part 2

2009-11-25T17:04:00.016-06:00

June, 2009...Summer Mission trip with the youth group to a Navajo Reservation.

Luke cuts his leg on a license plate and ends up with 18 stitches.

Kacie turned 21 on June 24th.

June...Camp Goddard 2009....

July...4th of July Parade

Family vacation to Gulf Shores...

Luke ends up with 9 staples in his head from a wake boarding accident

August....started a new job teaching 1/2 day P.E. at Stipes Elementary.

School starts...

Part 3 coming next!

I'm Back....Where I've Been! - Part1

2009-11-25T16:14:00.013-06:00

When I started blogging a year ago, I never thought I would take a 7 month break because this was definetly one of my new hobbies. I loved it! But, as always, life keeps us distracted...so...this blog is about the last 7 months.

In April 2009 we celebrated Cody's 15th birthday. Our last child is learning to drive!

In May, Luke celebrated his 18th birthday.

May 26, 2009 Mike and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary!

May, Luke's spring football game...

Cody's 8th grade awards....

And...Kacie comes home for the summer...Yea!!!!

(Part 2 coming very soon!!!)

2009-04-19T00:53:00.007-05:00

Tonight I went to my 15th Spring Program at CDC- Children's Discovery Center. You see, Kacie started CDC in 1993 - her kindergarten year. Luke started CDC in 1994 and Cody started CDC in 1997. CDC is a Montessouri School at So. Mac C of C.

Many, many, many incredible events and moments make this school a great beginning for preschool children, but one of my favorite events is the Spring Program. Here are a few pics of Kacie, Luke and Cody during one of their Spring Programs:

Kacie-1994, Luke-1996, Cody-2000

2009-04-17T00:08:00.005-05:00

#62 Shopping with Kacie...in Abilene
#63 faithful friends
#64 cookouts
#65 Planting anything!!! Especially flowers.
#66 Violets from Gram's house that Hazanne gave me.
#67 Hillcrest 50 year Jubilee
#68 words of encouragement

#69 rain (not storms)

#70 God's promises are real!

2009-02-28T16:51:00.003-06:00

#61 ACU Sing Song!!!

I love sing song and am now able to enjoy watching

Kacie perform at Sing Song.

Here are a few pics from my past performances...several years ago.

2009-02-14T16:55:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day

These pictures are from 1990

when Kacie and Mike made me

this "super" valentine!

Another sweet memory!!!

2009-01-30T22:35:00.004-06:00

#41 icicles #42 snow days #43 incredible cheer moms
#44 tonight's talent show at the gym
#45 one precious four year old boy!
#46 truth #47 Godly friends #48 junior high basketball games
#49 circus day #50 face painting - tigers, butterflies, cats, rainbows
#51 January 30th's Fun Friday #52 sweeeeet co-teachers
#53 ESV on my Blackberry
#54 encouraging e-mails #55 aholyexperience.com
#56 1000 postcards
#57 AC on the trampoline #58 cold winter days
#59 a whole day off #60 singing!

2009-01-28T22:47:00.008-06:00

When I sat down tonight, I felt that I was being nudged to write but wasn't sure what I wanted to write about. So, I decided I would go to My Pictures and write about the 28th picture that was in my folders since today was the 28th day of 2009.
Here is the 28th pic:
I love this picture, the father - son relationship, the coach - player relationship...and then I thought about my own relationship with God. What would our picture look like?
Cody's shirt reminded me of the verse in 2 Timothy 4:7 -"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith".
My picture?.....standing at the finish line with the greatest prize!!
God is good!!!

2009-01-18T22:56:00.002-06:00

Today I was reading Philippians 4:8 again. I went on and read verse 9. I probably have read both of these verses many many times, but for some reason the part that stood out to me today was....'put it into practice'.

I was thinking about how many hours my cheerleading teams practice to get ready for a competition just so they can get it right. Both of my boys will spend hours, days, months practicing a particular sport just so they can get it right in a game.

How much greater my time should be spent practicing what is true, right, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy!

2009-01-03T15:09:00.012-06:00

God gives me so many gifts each day..and is waiting for me to unwrap these blessings. I'm counting my blessings to a 1000, and after that..endless!!!

#37 Having a twin! (can you guess which one is me)

#38 Sisters!

#39 Finding old Family Pics

#40 Pictures of my beautiful mom on her wedding day!

(back to the first picture....I am the one on the right)

Family Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T01:19:00.001-06:00

Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T01:11:00.001-06:00

2009-01-01T14:03:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year...

...from Mike, Cheri, Kacie, Luke and Cody!

2008-12-31T19:05:00.026-06:00

The Christmas blessings continued with Mike's family...cousin time, eating, laughter, kick the can, and everyone's favorite..family pics!

What a huge blessing and memory to have all 24 of us in Abilene for Christmas.

33. Cousin Time!

34. More Cousin Time!

35. Incredible parents and in-laws

36. A Blessed 2008 with Family, Friends, Church, and much more....

Merry Christmas from us all...

2008-12-25T22:16:00.010-06:00

Merry Christmas...from the Luttrell's...

and the Wilson's, Haley's, Lierman's...

2008-12-25T21:16:00.013-06:00

Merry Christmas!
I know...the last time I blogged it was while in San Angelo enjoying Thanksgiving with my family and here I am again...in San Angelo...enjoying time with family.

There have been so many blessings since then...

27.Family time with Adelaide, Annalee, and the rest of the Luttrell's, McCord's and others.

28. A visit from the Cox's (Annalee's cousin on the other side of the family). What I love so much about being a part of this family...is it doesn't matter what side of the family you are on, we are all related...we are all cousins.

29. High School retreats...Rockin' C Ranch

30. Reflections in a still Lake.

31. Christmas at the gym.
Mike dresses up as Santa every
year! 32. Christmas in San Angelo.

2008-11-27T14:31:00.036-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!
What I love so much about the holidays is being with family...going back home...a few family traditions like taking pics of the kids here on the "farm" and recognizing all that we have to be thankful for and more gifts from God...

11. family time

12. being out in the country

13. sleeping late

14. laughing

15. teaching PaPa to set up a blog

(http://noelwilson.blogspot.com/)

16. watching the boys play horseshoes

17. endless movie time

18. games

19. enjoying our kids

20. many messages from friends

21. cowboy game

22. Thanksgiving meal

23. contentment

24. west texas sunsets

25. biscuits and gravy

26. knowing there is

more family

time to come!

2008-11-24T22:43:00.009-06:00

I was reading a blog from stuff christians like and the writer wanted to know what blogs other people like to read. It was so fun seeing what blogs others enjoy. My favorite was http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

Ann Voskamp challenged me last night to start jotting down a list of all that I am thankful for - One Thousand Gifts List. This is not a list of gifts that I want, but of gifts that I have. It is recognizing the goodness of God in everyday life...noticing how God touches my life. my heart, my world. I am starting my list tonight...not just because we are two days away from Thanksgiving, but to keep satan from wanting me to see the "yuk".

This gift list is about gratitude...but it is so much more...

1. God

2. my family

3. my church family

4. friends

5. holidays

6. my hometown

7. teenagers

8. prayer

9. worship songs

10. beaches

...and more to unwrap....

2008-11-23T17:21:00.006-06:00

Blogging is great!!! I am one that has good intentions of journaling...especially ever January 1st, but usually fall short of this goal after 2 or 3 entries. It is much more fun to write random thoughts or what's on my heart when I can add pics, etc....

Gram (my husband's grandmother) use to write every day in a spiral. It was usually just a couple of sentences telling who came to visit...or talking about who was at their birthday club...or who won the 42 game. But, I always loved the fact that she would take the time to write what was going on in Bugtussle, what had happened in her life that day. And all of us, her family, are mentioned in her journal several times.

Not long ago, I remembered a sweet memory from my childhood that I will write about one day...but I was so worried that I would forget that I quickly jotted it down in one of the many journals that I had started.

Thanks to Annalee and all of her fun writings...and introducing me to blogging...I'm in the club! It is actually becoming one of my new obsessions.

I don't have the advantage that Annalee and her friends have writing about their children from birth through every stage of their growing years, mine are grown or almost (junior in college, junior in high school, and 8th grader in middle school.)

So many of my thoughts will be random...a sweet memory.

Recently some picture cd's were returned to me that I had been missing. I was so excited to get these back because it was a mission trip to Mexico that Kacie and I had gotten to take together. Most all of my friends and family know how much I love this trip...and it was always something I wanted to share with my kids. Many obstacles kept Kacie from going until 2006, when she graduated from high school.

I will share a few pics from this trip, but want is always amazing is God's perfect timing... how he puts us in situations that allow us to shine for His glory...and that he gives us opportunities to make a difference in not only someone else's life but our own. God used Kacie this week to connect with the kids ---her spanish, her enthusiasm, her energy, her incredible attitude and her willingness to serve! For one week in Torreon and San Pedro, it wasn't about Kacie, but about the people there...the children in the orphanage...helping to build the church in San Pedro...and many other incredible moments. Praise God!

How You Live

2008-11-22T15:55:00.004-06:00

I love the words to this song because it reminds me that I don't always live my life doing what is important. And what may seem a big deal...is often not. So I will use my good dishes, I will want what I have....

How You Live ------Point Of Grace

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open. Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken.Wear your red dress use your good dishes. Make a big mess and make lots of wishes. Have what you want, but want what you have. And don’t spend your life looking back.

Turn up the music. Turn it up Loud. Take a few chances. Let it all out. Because you won’t regret it. Looking back from where you have been, because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet. And go see your folks more than just on the holidays. Kiss all your children. Dance with your wife. Tell your husband you love him every night. Don’t run from the truth cause you can’t get away. Oh no, Just face it and you’ll be ok.

Where ever you are and wherever you’ve been.now is a time to begin. So give to the needy and Pray for the grieving, even when you don’t think that you can. Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you. So think of your fellow man, and make peace with God and Make peace with yourself. Oh yeah, Cause in the end there’s nobody else.

Because it’s not who you knew and it’s not what you did, it’s how you Live.

2008-11-19T12:04:00.009-06:00

Lately, I have been thinking about my obsessions. So....I am confessing my obsessions.....

I'm sure we all have things in our life that we think we can't do without. Wouldn't it be great if it was God. I need reminded daily that He is what I need!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

2008-11-18T22:19:00.009-06:00

Luke was inducted into National Honor Society tonight with his friends Paige, Josh, Glenn, and Jessica.

about Cody and Kacie...
Cody had a great year playing quarterback at DeZavala. Kacie made a special trip home from ACU to see him play. He is now playing basketball.

Kacie is having a great year at ACU. She is a junior and is loving living off campus with her two roomies Macie and Lauren.
It is a fun time to be an ACU football fan! They are 10-0 and headed for their first playoff game this Saturday.

2008-11-17T22:03:00.005-06:00

When we started Bunco over 20 years ago, most of us did not have kids...we planned the perfect meal and the house had to be completely decorated to whatever season it was. I remember one year wanting to make chocolate lace dessert cups. When I melted the chocolate I had burned it, so I went back to the store for more chocolate. I spent hours lacing the chocolate around a small pyrex dish...and then freezing it so that it would become its own bowl. Some had crumbled...so I made more. By the time I was finished, I had spent hours and $$$$ on a dessert for my friends. I want to believe it was to do something special for my friends, but it was probably to impress them.

Twenty plus years later...one in our group is a grandma, several have married or engaged children, all of us have kids in college...our jobs have changed...some have moved.... but one thing that has not changed is our common bond in Christ. We have shared tears, laughs, smiles and pranks, joys and heartaches.

Praise God for friendship!

Tonight we met in a restaurant. There were no holiday decorations, or the "perfect" home cooked meal, or even a fancy dessert, but there were twelve women sharing in one of God's greatest blessings to us...friendship!

IHS Playoff Game

2008-11-15T22:05:00.018-06:00

Philippians 4:11
...for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances.
These pictures were taken after our playoff game against Wylie. Even though we did not win the game, it was a great opportunity for our team to play in Texas Stadium.
And if Luke's attitude was measured by touchdowns, we would win state! He teaches me to be content.
Luke is wearing is 'mohawk' proudly...as did several
football players and his friends on Tiger Guard.
Mark, Keith and my cousin Gary were at the game as
well as several faithful friends who continually support
the tigers.(Thanks for being there!!!)
One last comment...after the Mac game, Mike did get voted as Coach of the Week by Inside High School Football. Yea!
(Does this make me wife of the week?)

2008-11-14T00:05:00.004-06:00

(Annalee, if I post 2 days in a row, does that make me a blogger? )

When I was thinking about some of my favorite bible verses, I realized that two of
my favorite verses had 'whatever' in them - Philippians 4:8 - "Whatever is true....." and Colossians 3:17 - "Whatever you do in word or deed....." So......I googled bible verses with the word 'whatever' in them and found 173 verses. I love that word because I do believe God gives us amazing whatever moments to honor him, to love him and to do what we do in his name!

God is giving me great opportunities this weekend with a playoff football game, children's fun run and a cheerleading competition to do all I do in his name giving thanks to Him!

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

2008-11-13T00:27:00.003-06:00

It is football season at the Luttrell's and that is my excuse for not blogging ...along with perfection, worrying about who my audience is, not sure what to write about and many other hang-ups that do not matter. Thanks to my 'cheerleader' (and i'm cheering you on too!) for nudging me to get started on my profile, blog and "gadgets".

It would be no surprise to my family, in fact it would make them proud that my first entry is about football. This picture was taken in October when Kacie was home to see both her brother's football games.

On Friday, Irving High will play in Texas Stadium against Wylie in the first round of playoffs!

Go Tigers!!!