Jamie Mullins

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Sunday, December 14th, will be treasured in my heart as one of the most amazing days of my life! Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of when Blake ran the White Rock marathon and my very first half-marathon. The months of training leading up to the race have been filled with hours upon hours of running, one foot in front of the other, through shin splints, blisters, bad attitudes, muscle cramps, and pot holes. More than that it was filled with: treasured time with amazing friends(especially my 10 mile turkey trot with Andi and Jerri), incredible time connecting to God through worship and prayer, writing His Word on my h

I was very inspired by a post that my friend Emily recently wrote. Emily and her husband are not "present people". They don't go crazy every year worrying about buying the right gifts for everyone who could have "possibly" bought a gift for them. I am the polar opposite of that. I LOVE buying gifts for people. I am a recovering shopoholic, so the majority of my spending pleasure now comes around the holidays and is centered around the adventure of finding the perfect gifts for all 32 people on our list...yes 32 people!! I am also the person who LOVES receiving gifts. I spend the 25 days leading to Christmas dogearring catalogs and letting everyone know what my Wish List consists of. After all, if you don't tell people what you want, how can you expect to get it, right?!?! Well, this Christmas, Blake and I want to start a new trend in our family, one that is not centered around presents. So, as I read Emily's blog I was reminded of our goal. Th

This afternoon I received an e-mail from my awesome(and pregnant)sister-in-law titled Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!! Just the title of the e-mail brought back some great memories from their wedding. Everything about their wedding was PERFECT, because it was all about them. There was NOTHING traditional except the beautiful dresses and flowers. Even the food served at the reception shouted, "this is Evan and Angie's wedding!!". I was even able to be part of the personalized day. You see, instead of a traditional processional of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, Angie wanted something unique that reflected who they are. Evan, being a Texas country boy at heart had his groomsmen pulled in by a tractor to "Just the Good 'Ol Boys". It was so fun for the guys and got a big laugh by all in attendance. Angie, being the totally 80's girl that she is, had us girls dance up the aisle to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". That's right, I said dance, not

Music is such a huge part of my life. My mom has always said that I started singing before I was talking. God speaks to me through music. Music relaxes me. Music connects me to so many emotions. MUSIC MOTIVATES ME!! When I go out for a long run, I get my running mix set on my ipod. I have a wide variety of artists and songs in my special mix but the common denominator is that every single one motivates me for one reason or another. A few songs from my running mix that never fail to keep my feet moving: 1. Sexy Back- Justin Timberlake 2. Break Away- Kelly Clarkson 3. Vultures- John Mayer 4. Hero- Foo Fighters 5. Marvelous Light 6. Voice of Truth- Casting Crowns 7. Meant to Live- Switchfoot 8. I Need a Hero- Frou Frou 9. Belief- John Mayer What songs motivate you? I am so thankful for the gift of music! It's such a beautiful way for people to express themselves and to make an imprint on the world around them! More posts to come on the amazing journey the Lord is leading me

Here are a couple of pictures of our sweet kiddoes from Halloween. Tyler was a race car driver(surprise, surprise!) and Katy was a Cabbage Patch Kid. Tyler drove the two of them around the neighborhood to go trick-or-treating in his 4x4 truck. Katy absolutely LOVED her wig and we had several people do a double take because they thought she was a real doll. It was a great night and the kids had so much fun together!

union(noun): the growing together of severed parts b: a unified condition One of the biggest victories that Blake and I have experienced during our time at Celebrate Recovery is feeling like we are growing together in Christ. For so long, we were like severed parts, striving to live for Him, but allowing our hurts and hang-ups to hold us back from the freedom He had for us. We are living in a unified condition now with Christ as the head of our home and hearts. As we were making the path towards becoming unified, we were able to submit to whatever God would have for our family. We also began praying that He would provide a new work opportunity for Blake, one that would allow him to walk out his faith without persecution. God answered that prayer just a few weeks later. He sent a man into our lives that was also praying for us though he had never met us. This man has been able to speak words of life and affirmation into Blake and also speak the truth in love in a way that no one has bef

One Harsh Word. One Argument. One Death. One Injustice. One Accusation. ONE HURT. Now the question is, will we become bitter or better? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." Over the next couple of weeks, I want to catch you all up to speed on the wonderful whirlwind that my life has been for the last few months. I want to share how God is changing my story and our family, and I want to start with how it all began. About 3 months ago, Blake and I started attending Celebrate Recovery at our church to allow God to heal our hurts and hangups. Very

Cool breezes, crisp apples, the urge to bake bread, the smell of pumpkin pie, fun sweaters, wonderful candles, costumes, Sunday football with a pot of chilli cooking in the kitchen, Thanksgiving, pumpkin patches, yummy soups, time with family, lazy days under a warm blanket, all things wonderful! These are just a few reasons that I heart fall. Yesterday brought a beautiful prelude to my favorite transition in seasons and has me daydreaming of all of the pleasures of autumn. So hurry fall, come quick!

I decided to clean my bathrooms today. And when I say clean them, I mean CLEAN them. We're talking scrubbing from ceiling to floor, especially any yellow spots left by my sweet 3 year old. I use those Scrubbing Bubbles on the countertop until I can see my reflection. I even went as far as getting toothpicks out to clean every crevice in our sinks, toilets, and tubs. You may think I'm crazy, but there is just something about the satisfaction of a job well done. I love knowing that I won't have to scrub the bathrooms like that again for awhile because they are spotless. However, I must admit that about halfway through cleaning Tyler's bathroom I started to get a little disgusted. All of the missed attempts at the toilet and toothpaste caked to the wall began wearing on my patience. Cue the not so little Voice inside my heart. I heard the Lord reminding me of all of the messes He has cleaned up in my life. I began thinking about the job that I have given my Lord

What a day it was!! Last Saturday I woke up at the crack of dawn(5 am) to get ready for the race. Breakfast:oatmeal with brown sugar and dried fruit- Check! Mandarin Orange Spark for Energy- Check! Kick Butt race shirt and bib- Check! Directions to the Race- Check! I was ready to go. After the hour long drive to the Dallas Arboretum my adrenaline was pumping and I was eager to make it to the start line. Only problem was, evidentally about 5,000 other people were too! The gun sounds marking the beginning of the race. I literally walked 7 minutes before crossing the start line and then jogged for another 2 miles before I finally made it to my pace group. I must admit that I was a bit frustrated because I knew my PR for a 10K was shot due to a slow start. Looking back, I see this slow start as a symbol of my spritual journey. So often, I jump the gun with the Lord, wanting to sprint to the finish line of tasks He sets before me. But because He knows me better than I know myse

It's been a long while since I have posted anything on the status of my running! I first want to say that I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with 2 amazing running partners(love you Rebekah and Michele) that help to keep me on track with my weekly mileage and SO much more. I have decided and committed that my first half-marathon will be the Dallas White Rock on Sunday, December 14th. That's 13.1 miles and the longest race I will have ever run. It's exciting for me because this will be the 10 year anniversary of when Blake ran the White Rock marathon! I know for sure that I will be running this race with my mentor and friend, Michele and would love anyone else to tag along for a day of testing and endurance with me. Before the White Rock is the next race I will be running, coming up on Saturday, September 20th. I am super excited about this race because I have heard so many great things about it. It is called the Tour des Fleurs and the 10K course is thru

It's official, Katy has taken her first ride in a car with her brother! YIKES...a little scary, but she LOVED it. Tyler was so sweet with Katy and kept his arm across her for protection the whole time. Katy just giggled and stared contently at her big bro. Blake and I sat back and watched them ride around together thinking about the future, about 13 years from now when they will actually ride away together and we can't be there to protect them if an obstacle gets in their way. Now that is a scary thought. Personally, I think parenthood is easier at this stage in the game! We can allow them to make mistakes and learn from them, but we can also protect them from as much hurt as we can. 13 years from now, that won't be an option. We will have to keep our eyes on the Lord and trust Him to protect them. So for now, I'll enjoy this time while it's still mine, and hold on to my babies and love on them 'till I'm blue in the face(pretty easy to do since the

Love does not demand its own way. This is a truth that the Lord is working on burning into my heart. Over the past month, I have been meeting with a mentor, a woman who I love and respect SO much. At one of our first meetings, Michele and I talked about my struggles with parenting a toddler. The first question she had for me was, "Jamie, when you are mentoring your children, do you encourage in righteousness, or demand?" OUCH!! That really hit me at the depths of my core. As I searched my heart for the answer to that question I realized that in every area of my life, I often demand my own way. More often that not, I nag Blake in a quest for him to act the way that I WANT him to, or to treat me the way that I WANT him to. When, I discipline Tyler, I seek results that I WANT, and use punishments that are convenient FOR ME. That's not love!! After all, 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Love DOES NOT demand its own way." After a good talk with Michele, I had so

I can not believe that my baby girl is already half-way to being a year old. I must say that she is GORGEOUS and has such an amazing personality, demanding at times, but amazing nonetheless. Just a few things Katy is doing at the moment(my friend Rebekah has been documenting her baby Gracie's milestones, so I am going to copy her idea!! Thanks Rebekah! :) - She already loves to sing. When I am singing her favorite lullabies as I rock her gently to sleep at night, she hums along, showing me that she has a love for music even now! I love to listen to her sweet voice, and know that I will always be her biggest fan! - She is enamored with her big brother. Tyler can do or say anything and Katy is in stitches, thrilled to pieces that her brother has acknowledged her presence. Tyler is SUCH a good big brother. He kisses her for no reason throughout the day, just to love on her. They play so well together and I can not wait to see what the future holds for them. Their relationship

Kids say the darndest things don't they? Tyler has such a fun personality and the things that come out of his mouth keep me in stitches. Thought I would share a few of the random Tyler-isms that keep me entertained...enjoy! 1. Anytime we are in the car, Tyler is always looking for ways to make the drive more exciting. The other day, we were driving down 407 and I hear my little backseat driver shout, "Mommy, go real fast around the worms!!" At first I didn't understand, but soon realized that he was referring to the curves in the road, so now I always drive fast around "the worms" for the speed racer in Little T! 2. We usually have praise and worship music on in the car, and Tyler has a few songs that he loves to sing at the top of his lungs. One of his favorites is Beautiful One. Here is the Tyler remix: "Beautiful One, I love, Beautiful One, I'm a door"!! Makes me giggle everytime! 3. Tyler is a HUGE fan of the new Disney movie Camp Rock. He

Hello to all of my fellow blogging friends. I'm sorry I have not posted in ages! I have had PLENTY to write about, just not enough time. I really felt convicted about my priorities about a month ago, and so I needed to restructure the way I spend the precious time that the Lord has blessed me with. But, I do plan to start posting on a weekly basis again now that I have things in our household a little more organized. Thanks for having patience with me as I have been away from the blogosphere. Stay tuned for more insight into My World View!!

As I sat and watched Tyler play today, I began realizing what a great little man he is becoming. I have had so many struggles with discipline over the last 6 months, and for the moment, I believe that the consistency has paid off. He strives to be obedient and a good helper and 90% of the time he is one of the happiest kids you will ever meet. I have also noticed how far a little bit of grace goes with him. Now that he understands what obedience is, he gets really disappointed with himself when he knows he has crossed the line with me. When I see him trying his hardest to please me, grace with his little mistakes come so easy. He seems to grow even more in the times that I will show him grace rather than justice. I think it's because he understands what the consequences could have and should have been for his disobedience. In realizing this, I began seeing glimpses of God's grace for me. I started to think about who I was and where I was in relation to Him about 10 year

There has been much ado about a certain someone in the Mullins' household for the past month. Every Monday night we wait anxiously for the 7 o'clock hour to arrive so that we can all plop on to our cozy couch. What are we waiting so intently to see? The Bachelorette. I know, I know...not the most wholesome show to watch with my kids, but this season is a MUST watch. You see, Blake's college roomate and running buddy, Blaine Twilley is one of the contestants seeking Deanna Pappa's heart. Twilley, as the other men affectionately call him, started out as one of 24 eligible bachelors and has danced(literally) his way into the Top 6!! We are so excited for him. And although we feel like his time is coming to an end with Deanna, it sure has been fun watching his silly antics and comedic personality every week. For those of you watching the show, you have probably seen Twilley's amazing dance moves, and Blake swears that he taught Blaine everything he knows. We w

I love me a good Sunday afternoon nap. I always feel this amazing calm after spending some good QT with the Lord and my bed is happy to give me a soft place to enjoy my sleepy Sundays. This seems to be the one day of the week that I am able to get both of the kids down at the same time for a GOOD nap so that I am able to get some rest myself. Coincidence?? I think not! So, thank you Lord for sleepy Sundays! That's all for now.

*disclaimer* The content of this post is pretty heavy in nature. For my dear friends who are pregnant, or are sensitive to the loss of young lives, you may want to proceed with caution. Grateful with grief. I know that it sounds like a complete oxymoron but that is the overwhelming emotion that I am feeling this morning. Last night, I sat in front of my computer with sobs pouring from my body, just like they have done time and time again when I hear of the loss of innocent life. About a month ago I was introduced to the blog of an incredible brave woman who is documenting the story of her daughter Audrey Caroline. You can visit the site at www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com but again be ready for some heavy content that has a strong theme of hope. The first time that I read this blog, I was overcome with emotion. I was angry with God for allowing such a tragedy to happen to such a sweet family. But, it also brought back the pain that I walked through with one of my dear friends just

We went to church with my brother and his awesome wife while we were visiting last weekend and the preacher started his message with an idea that's really got me thinking. He talked about the fact that Jesus was very ordinary, ordinary looking that is. There were no orbs of light surrouding his head, or a choir of angels to announce his coming. In fact, he pointed out that if you were to look at a picture of Jesus sitting with his disciples, more than likely Jesus would have blended right into the group. Now of course Jesus' ministry was anything BUT ordinary. Everything that he did set him apart from those around him. So for the past few days I have been pondering on a couple of things. First of all, I thank God that Jesus took on human form to come and be crushed for our iniquities. I know that there is not a single struggle that I will face that Jesus did not encounter while he walked the earth. He was tempted by Satan himself, he experienced suffering and grief and j

This weekend I am in Louisiana visiting my little brother and his wife to celebrate his college graduation. We are staying in the city that holds some of my fondest memories of my life with Blake as well as a few from my high school days. Today I created another day of simple, but priceless memories in this city that still feels like home to me! The best part of the day began after my afternoon nap(yes, I am applying what I have learned from my previous post). The kids were a little restless with energy that needed to be expended as was I, so my brother took us to a new city park. Evan played with Tyler on the playground while my mom took Katy for a walk so I could go for a long bike ride. I was able to breathe in this environment that my heart at times aches for. Hundreds of trees danced above me singing about their Creator with the rustling of their leaves. Magnolia blossoms caught my nose and reminded me of the sweetness of my great-grandmother who treasured their scent as i

I struggle with being still. Unless I am laying out by a swimming pool soaking up some rays, I feel this inner angst if I am just sitting. Even when I go to bed at night, my mind races for about an hour thinking of all of the things that I could be or should be doing. After all, there is ALWAYS something to be done with 2 kids between laundry, bottles to feed, playtime, and household chores. On top of that, I love being connected with friends, so all of my free time is spent either running(errands or for exercise) or with my girlfriends. I just CAN NOT take time to rest, because everything WOULD NOT get done. This weekend, our pastor talked about the importance of rest, REAL rest, and I must admit that I felt VERY convicted. I realized that in the midst of my busyness and hurried life, I am missing out on a fundamental principle God wants for my life. If I am constantly on the go, even if it is doing things for Him, I am not allowing time to HEAR FROM HIM!! But maybe, just mayb

Potty training has become very entertaining in our house. Now that Tyler has learned how to use the "big boy potty", he wants to venture out and try new things. At the moment, his favorite thing to do is water the grass. And by the water the grass I do mean pee on the grass. He will make a mad dash from his bedroom first thing in the morning to get to the back yard in enough time to potty with the dogs! How fun is it to be a boy?!?! On Mondays, we have a play day with two of my dear friends, Andi and Robin, and this week we had the 6 kiddoes at Andi's house. The weather was perfect so we sent the boys to the backyard to play while we had some much needed mommy time. I peeked outside in just enough time to catch Tyler's "I have to go potty" face. So I rushed out and ran him to the fence. Much to my dismay, my child stripped down completely(yes, he was buck naked) and beckoned for Toby to come and join him as he watered the fence. As my face turned a crimson s

Ok, so my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Kristen Sizemore came over this week to take some pics of the kids, and she is AMAZING!!! Before she started shooting, she spent some time playing with Tyler so he could warm up to her. In the 3 hours she was at the house, Tyler managed to fall head over heels for her. He has watched for her car to pull into the driveway every day since the photo shoot. Kristen is an artist with her photography and has such a passion for what she does. When you are ready to get some pics of the fam, I will give you her number..she is AWESOME!! Thanks again Kristen for spending a great afternoon with us. Tyler is in LUB with you!

So, I know that chain quizzes are really silly, but I love my friend Andi...so...here are 7 random facts about me... 1. I have a hair phobia! Abnormally hairy people truly frighten me. 2. I have broken my left arm 3 times in the same place. They called me Skinny McGinty growing up and I was a little clumsy in my lanky body. 3. I dream of playing bass for a great band someday! 4. I would love to have one or two more babies. Blake is not exactly on board with this one yet, but, there are plenty of Texas cities waiting to become the first name of a Mullins'! 5. I struggle with being alone. I love to have people around...all the time! If I am by chance by myself, I am usually on the phone with a friend. 6. I can NOT toot. No seriously, unless I am pregnant I really struggle with passing gas! 7. I ADORE food network. Although I usually do not have time to cook the great recipes I see, I have fun fantasizing of being a gourmet chef! Alright, there you have it. I tag Emily Tilly

Potty training has been a bit of a challenge in the Mullins household for...oh about the past YEAR!! But, I say with under-my-breath excitement that we are finally rounding the corner on this seemingly easy task. I have struggled with the right way to potty train Tyler. I have always heard that you should not discipline your children when teaching them to use the potty, but when you have a strong willed child who has the know-how and the ability and yet still chooses to crap(excuse the terminology but give me a break here) in his pants, one begins to think differently. I started putting Tyler in time out if he did not keep his pull-up clean and dry but this just resulted in frustration for both of us. Using the potty was the one last area of Tyler's life that he had control over. So, my little warrior was hanging on to that control with all his might. I decided to put on my creative cap and as Pooh would say, "think, think, think". I came to the conclusion that I needed t

Ok...so for those of you who are not interested in silly home videos documenting how adorable my kids are, this post is not for you! But, I just had to get some footage of my beautiful baby girl today to share with my friends and family who are out of town. Enjoy! Oh and please forgive the silly mommy noises in the background. :)

Have you ever had a day that your confidence felt so tried that you just wanted to throw in the towel? I must admit that I have had several of those days in the past couple of months. On the days that Tyler has thrown a temper for the 5th time and Katy has cried for hours without end, I ask myself if I am really cut out for the task at hand. Am I really equipped to raise these two kids with patience, humility, love, and discernment? I have always heard that God will not give you more than you can handle, but, at times I think that God thinks more of me than I do. I am in the middle of a ladies bible study at our church and we are reading a book called, Raising Children without Going Insane . I would definitely recommend it to every mom reading this entry. It is chock full of Godly wisdom for every stage of being a mom. One of the chapters we read last week was about our confidence as moms, and I would love to share a little morsel of insight with you. The author, Jane Evans, says, &quo

When we first brought Katy home from the hospital, Tyler was not quite sure that he wanted to keep her around. In fact, when I took her in for the 1 week well check-up, Tyler asked if I was taking Katy back to her home! I disappointed him when I explained that she was staying with us and that our home was going to be her home. I must say that the first couple of months was really challenging with the two of them. Tyler just did not understand why he was not the center of my world anymore. He was clingy and demanding and needed more of me than I could give. And to make matters worse, Katy was quite a gassy(translate FUSSY)baby up until the past week or so. But things are changing slowly but surely. In fact, sweet little Katy is starting to be the center of Tyler's world. Case in point: our evening together on the couch tonight. Tyler wanted to hold his little sister so badly. So, I cautiously handed her into his eager arms. The moments that followed were some of the sweetest moments

I was shopping at Old Navy a few weeks ago(in the clearance section since we are on the cash envelope system) and stumbled upon the most adorable pajamas for Tyler. The top reads (future)Mr. Perfect!! I giggled as I put them in the cart because of course, I as Tyler's mom believe him to be quite the catch even at 3. When I put the new jammies on Tyler that evening, I began really thinking about that phrase and Tyler's future. Oh, how I want him to be the perfect mate for an amazing girl someday. I started praying that evening that God would keep Tyler pure and that Blake and I will set a good example of what a strong marriage looks like. I also began praying for Tyler's future wife, and that the Lord would also protect her and bestow His favor on her. Shortly after I met my mother-in-law, Sandie, she told me that she had been praying for me since Blake was a little boy. It was so awesome to know that a woman who had never met me was praying for my protection and purity. And

This picture reminds me of something captured in a Norman Rockwell photo of days gone by. Blake spent this particular morning at the lake teaching Tyler how to "sish". The rest of the day was spent out on the dock trying to catch the big one! As I was standing in the kitchen looking through the window at what was left of one of the most incredible sunsets at Possum Kingdom, this is what I saw. My precious 3 year old patiently waiting for dinner to arrive on his hook and his dog Kendall laying close enough by to rescue him if need be. This will be a cherished memory tucked away in my heart forever. Life passes us by so quickly and watching my little one fishing remided me to slow down and enjoy these sweet moments as often as possible. Oh and unfortunately, the BIG ONE got away. Better luck next time little T!

Praying with Tyler has become the highlight of my evenings. Each night, as part of his bedtime routine, we take a few moments to thank God for the things we are thankful for. The past couple of weeks, a few moments have turned into about 5 minutes. It's so great to see that he already gets having a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude for the things the Lord has blessed us with. He thanks God for a wide variety of things including: daddy and mommy, and baby Katy, and Kendall and Kona, and trucks(surprise!), and church, and Toby, and Davis, and our house, and Tyler, and trees, and cars, and mommy and daddy(we usually repeat things a few times). So you get the jist of the way his prayers go. My favorite thing about his prayers is the way he ends them. After he has finished thanking God for EVERYTHING under the sun, he concludes by saying, "In Jesus' Love, Amen". I haven't corrected him, because I was blown away by the insight of a 3 year old. It's like h

So, I have spent the last week or so trying to come up with a new name for our blog. When I started blogging a couple of months ago, my original intention was just to have a place to post pictures of the kids and talk about their milestones. However, as so many of us do, I have become quite fascinated with blogging about everything under the sun. I just want people to know about what is going on in my heart and my home. So, the new name of the blog is My World View. Do you remember the old DC Talk song. Everyone sing along, "My world view, it's how I see the world, it's how I look at you. My world view, it's how I see the world, would you lie to see it to? My world view." A little cheesy I know, but it is fitting. So, hope you are enjoying the way things look from my perspective. Have a great day!

My first race of the year has officially come and gone and I had a blast. It brought back all of the adrenaline and emotions that keep me addicted to running! Most of you know that I had planned to run the 5K since it was my first race after having my precious little Katy. But as I lay in bed on Friday night I began contemplating if this was a worthy challenge. After some deliberation I made the decision to up the mileage and forego the 5K to run the 10K instead. As I drove to the Zoo Saturday morning, so many things started running through my mind. "Am I really prepared to run 6 miles?", "Is the mexican food I ate last night going to come back up during the race?" and most importantly, "Is the smell of the animals POO going to be a distraction?". When I arrived the 10K was just beginning, so I got a bit of a late start, but quickly caught up to the walkers of the group. The answer to my question about the animal POO was quickly answered with a re

Tyler's favorite show at the moment is American Idol, so we make sure to sit down and watch it as a family. It usually turns into Karaoke Hour for Tyler as he tries to imitate each of the contestants. I will try to get some footage next week and post it to the blog for your viewing pleasure. Tonight's Results show was a surprise in many aspects. I was terribly dissapointed in the outcome of the bottom 3 and who was ultimately sent home(don't want to spoil the surprise for those of you who have not seen it yet). However, the show started with a very welcomed surprise! The first song began and I could hardly believe my ears. The Top 8 entered the stage singing "Shout to the Lord"!! By the end of the first verse, I was in tears. Not because of the amazing vocals, although they were incredible. I was SO IMPRESSED that the executives at Fox and Idol were making a stand for something great. "Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!" What an im

Over the weekend I was talking with one of my new and dear friends, Chavon about friendships. Our conversation has had me really reflecting on how my view of friendship has changed since my teenage years(thanks Chevy for the insight!!). When I was younger, I felt this overwhelming desire to be the "popular" girl. I wanted to have as many friends as humanly possible. The problem with this drive towards an endless supply of friendships is that I was always left feeling lonely and not emotionally connected. As the years have passed, I know that the reason for that loneliness was that it is not possible to emotionally connect with an abundance of people. Trying to connect with too many people leaves a person with a million acquaintances and very few true friendships. I don't really recall a moment when that changed, but I do know that as each stage of life has come, I have become less and less worried with the amount of friends I can claim. I found that as I needed so

I have been doing quite a bit of reflecting on the Lord's purposes for me the past few days. I am positive that during this season of my life, His desire is for me to be the best wife and mom that I can be, that is my biggest ministry for the time being. In the midst of dwelling on some scriptures to help me to live out the fruits of the Spirit in our home I came across an all too familiar verse that has me in awe of our Creator. I love the Living Translation of Psalm 139:16, "O Lord, You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" What an amazing God we serve. The very same God that created the heavens and everything we see around us, knows and cares about every single breath that I will take. He had a specific plan and purpose for every gift, talent, struggle, heartache, and passion inside of me. What is even more amazing to me about my Savior is that He also knew long before I was a thought

Ok, so one of my goals for this year is to get back into running and in order to accomplish that goal I want to run as many races as possible and a couple of 1/2 marathons. I have been running around my neighborhood track(the streets) several times a week and I am feeling ready to take a go at my first road race. I am really stoked about it! I will be running the Fort Worth Zoo Run Run on April 19th. Are you ready for the daunting task of how long this race is?? A whole 5K(that's 3.2 miles for you non-runners). Ok, so it's not the biggest feat in the world, but I am starting small. After all, you eat an elephant one bit at a time, right? So, I would love to have some peeps to run with me. At the moment I know that my sweet friend Katy Ward is going to run(although she may ditch me for the 10K), and I have several other recruits I am working on. So, let me know if you want to jump on board. It will be a FUN race, and as a bonus you get free passes to the zoo, can't beat that

I woke up this morning singing the hallelujah chorus to myself...again. Katy slept for 10 hours for the second night in a row!! And so did Tyler, in his own bed!! Mama feels like a new woman. It's amazing what a couple of nights of good sleep will do for you. After I got Katy down for her morning nap I got busy doing some major housecleaning. We're talking mopping, laundry, scrubbing the bathrooms, all that jazz! I have not felt this good since I was about 7 months pregnant. Praise the Lord, life is starting to get back to normal, whatever normal might be. So, where are all my ladies at?? It's time for a girl's night! Any good chick flicks coming out soon?

Ok...who is with me when I say that David Cook is the next American Idol?? To be honest, I was not very impressed with him at the beginning of the season, but all that changed when he redid the Lionel Richie song a few weeks ago. And HOLY COW, his version of Billie Jean last night was SICK!! I did not even recognize the song until half way through the first verse. Now that's what I call making a song your own. I feel like that ranked right up there with Blake Lewis' version of "You give Love a bbbbBad Name"!!So, as much as I love my boy David Archuletta, I think that my vote is with D Cook. It will be interesting to see who is in the Bottom 3 tonight. My guess: Ramiele Malubay(come on, it's time for her to go), Carly Smithson(she seems to have lost her edge at the moment, a case os shaken confidence), and either Chikiezie or Christy Lee Cook. What do you think??

I have to start this post by saying that I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of such an amazing church. Blake and I have been members of Cross Timbers Community Church for almost 4 years now and our lives have been forever changed by what is happening there. Yesterday I was reminded yet again how blessed we are to call Cross Timbers home. Every weekend, Blake and I drop Tyler off at CT Kids and are able to go and enjoy worship without distraction. I have always known that Tyler was being loved on and learning about Jesus, but I had no idea just how incredible our kids department is. I was able to sneak in to the back of Tyler's classroom this week and watch about 25 little ones singing and dancing and having a blast with their teachers. I was blown away by the group of people working in Tyler's class. It was obvious that the passion of their heart is to teach and train these kids in the way of the Lord. Afte rI picked Tyler up, I asked him about the songs he sang and about

Alright, I am not sure that it is really true what they say about the Terrible Two's. We got off pretty easy during Tyler's second year of life. Not so much this year. Since the week of Tyler's 3rd birthday we have had so many challenges with discipline. I have found my patience tried more in the past month than his first 2 years combined. The main issue we are having is that his ears just don't seem to work at the moment. He does not want to listen...AT ALL. And when he does miraculously hear what we say, his normal response is...NO!! So, because of that, he has been spending quite a bit of his time in time out. Another challenge we have since my 7th month of pregnancy is that Tyler REALLY wants to sleep in bed with Blake and I, which poses all kinds of problems. We have really been working hard to get him back in his bed using a sticker chart and laying with him in his bed to start the night off. Well, this week, I decided to take that a step further and make him go t

Ok, so those of you who know Tyler know that he LOVES cars!! Yesterday, I was reminded just how true that is. They had an Easter egg hunt at his preschool and I just knew that Tyler was going to be all over finding as many eggs as possible. After all he is a pretty competitive little guy. WRONG!! He went for about 5 eggs that were in plain sight and then noticed that there was a car that no one was using. So he made a mad dash for the car, put his eggs in the trunk and off he went for a little drive. Thank goodness he has a sweet girlfriend Claire who got some extra eggs for him. That child never ceases to make me smile!!

I can not believe that our little girl is already 2 months old. I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital, and yet I also can not remember life before her. She definitely has my heart!! I just feel so blessed to have 2 beautiful, healthy children. God is good all the time! I caught this picture of her getting ready to snooze this morning and another shot of a 1/2 smile.

Can you believe that this is what appeared outside of my front window yesterday afternoon?? I think it's crazy that we had a snow day on the 6th of March! As crazy as it may seem, it sure was pretty to look at. Tyler was so excited to watch the snow falling, not so excited about playing in it because he got too cold. There is still a winter wonderland outside today, but it's supposed to be in the 60's this weekend so I'm sure the snow will be melting away soon. That's Texas for ya!!

Katy has had a bad cold this past week, but has been such a trooper. With her cold and all of this crazy weather I have been keeping her bundled up as much as possible. Part of that process includes sweet little hats. I had to share a picture her in this one!! TOO CUTE!

All aboard!! Tyler had his first big project for preschool last week...or should I say mommy and daddy had their first project for Tyler's preschool last week. It was train week at school and to end the week they had a choo choo parade around the building. So, the project was to build a train for Tyler to wear for the parade. Blake is our resident project man, so I let him construct the train and then Tyler and I decorated it. Tyler was so proud to wear his choo choo to school. So proud in fact that I could not get him to take it off!! So, here he is, the Tyler Express. TOO CUTE!!

Here is my sweet little girl...yes she is storing away food for the remainder of winter. The child did not have a chance...she was bound to have chubby cheeks with Blake and I as her parents. But, I love her round little face. I haven't been able to catch a pic of her smiling yet, but I will post one as soon as I do.

So, Tyler got this awesome Hot Wheels F-150 for his birthday and he is loving it. He runs the batteries completely down every day from driving! Blake and I are amazed at how good he really is at driving it. He knows how to reverse and how to get around any obstacles that get in his way. I am embarrased to say he may be a better driver than me. Can't wait till his feet can hit the gas pedal on the lawn mower...get out there and cut the grass son!!

Blake and I love American Idol and I am really excited about this season!! Vote on who you think will win this season out of our Top 6!! My personal pick to win this season is David Archuletta. The boy(yes, he is a boy) is SO darn cute, humble and man can he WAIL. His voice is pure and he actually made me cry with his John Lennon performance. I am a bit of a sap Like Paula. We are praying that Daniel Noriega will be leaving very soon. By the way, is he really a guy?? Anyways, let us know you think will win!!

Ok...so it has taken me long enough...but, we finally have a family blog. The main purpose of this blog is to keep all of our friends and family updated on what is happening inside the Mullins' household. At the moment, things are seemingly perfect(don't want to jinx it)!! We are part of an amazing church family(Cross Timbers Community Church). It is so awesome to be part of a church that is all about being REAL and encourages dealing with our issues and being part of authentic community. As Blake and I have dealt with some of our issues, we for the first time in our marriage have agreed to and are living on a budget. I can not explain the freedom we have found in that. We are using Dave Ramsey's Cash Envelope system to keep us on track, and I love it. Our kids are beautiful and healthy, and we finally feel settled in our HOME. For those of you who don't know, Blake and I have lived in 5 houses in our 6 years of marriage. We plan to say in this house for the long haul w