They Were Right

Meet my friend Becca Mae... well, you can call her Rebecca. I first met her when I started attending my parents church my Freshman year in college. The church was a small, start up and was setting up and meeting every Sunday in a school cafeteria.

My parents had set her up pretty good... "She's sweet and pretty, Jamie! She loves Jesus and she likes to have fun." I remember thinking, in that I-know-more-than-you kind of mind set that teens have, "I don't need my parents telling me who would be a good friend!" But as soon as I met her, I knew my parents were right! Shocker, huh?

Starting college and having your friend dynamic change so drastically was what I think made us so close so fast. But nevertheless... the day I met her, we had lunch with a bunch of other folks from church and then we were as thick as thieves... game nights at my house (Guestures), game nights at her house (Loaded Questions), double dates, trips to the mall, a quick run to the store at midnight for ice cream, beach trips (remember working on that human video in the driveway of the pink house?), camp counselors at Springville together where we received the best worst make overs ever(those pictures will never see the light of day!), youth sponsors, girl's nights (remember that movie we went to see and the pastor and his wife were there, Becca Mae?), Oak Mountain hikes, sleepovers where we talked about everything from Kim to haircuts, prayers and tears... as as we got older it was time to attend graduations, weddings, and then it was time for hospital visits when we each had children. I remember going to visit her when she had Maddie Claire, and I got to tell her I was pregnant with Ava Sophia! Milestone moments...


We are *cough, cough* older now, and wiser thanks to a lot of life experiences... some good, some not so much. But here is one thing I want you to know, Becca Mae. You are one of the biggest reasons I am the kind of friend I am today. I learned so much from our friendship. Laughter, fun, and more fun, yes. But also prayer, being there through difficult times, working through tough spots in our friendship, confidence in confidences, transparency even when it isn't so pretty. You helped shape how I accept others into my life.
I love you and our friendship. I love that when we get together, it's as if no time has passed. I love watching you be a wife and mommy... I admire your determination to go to school. I know you will always be there. I will forever be thankful for the gift of your friendship... and that my parents were right.

Maddie Claire... she found an ant parade! So sweet!

Ava Sophia scooting around!

Family Ties

I love that my family loves to spend time together! Daddy playing some beyblade with Bryant...

Sophie trying to give Bryant a kiss...

And Tres helping Sophie put together her 'girl LEGO!'

Look at how big girl Sophie looks in that last one... time is going by a little too fast for my taste.

The Creed

At my church, The Church at Chapel Hill, our pastor is teaching a series called, 'The Creed.' My husband, who has a Catholic background, immediately recognized it as The Apostle's Creed... and knew it by heart!

Here it is:

"We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered at the hands of men, was crucified, dead, and buried. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit;
the redeemed church;
the fellowship of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting."

You know what I like about this? It lays it out... it tells you no if-ands-or-buts... this is what I believe. Here is heart of the matter... the meat of the meal... it's all here in a nutshell. You wanna know about me? What I believe? Who I believe in and why? Here you go! Here is what I place value in, who I put my faith.

Pastor has be diving into certain areas about this too. Last week's was Acceptance. He talked about busted relationships. Well, it's no secret I've had a few in the last couple of years. You know the old saying, "He read my mail?" Meaning, it seemed he was speaking directly to what I had recently gone through? Well, I felt like he didn't just read my mail... I felt like he hacked into all of my personal accounts!!!!
He said, "Acceptance with conditions, ALWAYS created insecure relationships."
Man... talk about a challenge that can sometimes go against the grain of what you feel. To extend a hand even if it means there is a possibility that your hand could get bitten.

But, honestly, how can I do any less??? Where in the heck would I be if God gave up on me when I turned by back on Him.

So I am striving to be an unconditional friend. To be there, even if an offense is present. To love without limits. I'll keep trying... I'll keep loving.

Bryant Steven Boemer

April 2, 2004... That's the day my sweet little Bryant was born. That's the day we went from two-on-one coverage to zone defense! That's the last day I said, "I have a child" and started saying, "I have children!" There is no way... I mean, NO WAY, that my baby boy is 7!?!?! This birthday has hit me harder than any of them. I find myself scrambling to get back some of the time I so foolishly wished away!

The sweetest baby (after those incredibly exhausting and mind numbing colic months)

The prettiest baby... even all dressed up in blue, people would think those long eye lashes and big brown eyes belonged on a girl...

The most fun to dress up!

And the other half to the Boemer boys!

Now he is tall and lean and smart and athletic.
He loves Mommy hugs, but avoids Mommy kisses! Boooooooo! He wants to be outside and will play anything with the word 'ball' in it... basketball, baseball, football...
He LOVES to sing and dance. He asked for Kidz Bop for Christmas and knows all the songs and has some killer dance moves to go with it!
This year, we were gonna do a party, but the boys had a last minute opportunity to go to Disney with Hank's parents. So he decided to fore go the party so he could have some extra Disney cash! So instead, he ordered an extravagant meal of shells and cheese, chicken fingers, chips and cheese and soda, topped off with ice cream sundaes instead of cake.

This young man likes to make games out of cleaning out the dishwasher, putting his clothes away, and just about anything else, so I wasn't surprised that he embraced his impromptu party with such gusto!





We had fun celebrating my Bry. We were able to give him the things he wanted most... On his list this year:
Heelies- I picked up at a yard sale for a buck! Brand new and his size!
Razor Scooter Siege- A gift from Grandma and Grandaddy! He is already whizzing around the driveway in it!
Money- He got Disney money from us and birthday money from Grammy and Pop Pop!

He also got a Kidz Bop Dance Wii game, a LEGO and a t-shirt from Sophie, and a beyblade from Tres.

I am more thankful than words can express that he is a part of our family. We didn't 'plan' him... but we were so indescribably happy he was coming! And while I never thought I wanted children close together, I could not begin to imagine Tres without Bryant and Bryant without Tres. My Boemer boys... ruled by one tiny queen. Thank you, Lord.