eWomen

Ah, the feeling of returning from a wonderful weekend away... I had the opportunity to go with a few friends to the eWomen conference in Lynchburg. It was ah-mazing. With speakers like Jennifer Rothschild, Sarah Palin, Julie Clinton, Lysa TerKeurst, Donna VanLiere, bands like Jeremy Camp and Meredith Andrews, how could it not be?

I just love weekends like this. It's time to not chase, not be up and down, not be interrupted, but sit and listen to amazing women share their faith stories and inspirations. As usual, there is so much stirring around in my head, way too much to write down or even totally understand yet. I feel I walked away with more direction towards a vision God has been putting in my heart for the past several years than I have before. And I'm really excited about that. It's not something I can open up and share about now because it's still so fresh and developing.

Another thing I spent a lot of time thinking about is the kids. And gosh, there are so many things out to get our kids. From movies without good values, commercials, people with ill intentions, and the list goes on. It's just plain scary. I feel old saying this, but it's true...things just aren't the same as they used to be. And sure, my parents had issues to deal with and fears to face, things to guide us through, but it seems those things that once weren't common are everywhere now.

The other day Kaylee covered her face in orange marker. It was kind of funny and cute, but then I asked her why she did it. I wanted to be more pretty, Mommy. Wow. My four-year-old is already thinking she needs to look better than she does. Now no, we're not entering into counseling and freaking out...it was, of course, funny, but the truth of the matter is when I was four those things never entered my head. I will, however, be teaching her the proper application of makeup as opposed to marker. Ahem. ;)

Every mom has visions for their kids. I'd have to say I don't totally have that entire vision thought out. They're young and so is the vision. But one thing I know and am firm on is I want my girls to grow up knowing who they are and being secure in that. I want them to stand firm in their faith. They have a daddy who tells them every day they are beautiful. I want them to settle for nothing less than God's best for them...especially when it comes to boys. They're young though, so I'm not going to worry about that now...we're just going to get through kindergarden first.

And Logan...my little Logan...I want him to grow up being a gentleman. I'll never forget a time, about four years ago, I was walking out of a Wendy's and a young boy (maybe 8-ish) held the door open for me. His parents weren't right there, so it wasn't something he was told to do. He just did it because obviously he had grown up being taught how to be a gentleman. I thought to myself, That's the kind of boy I want. Above all, I want Logan to be a man of God. I want him to be a defender of his sisters. And I want him to stand up to other boys who may not be doing the right thing and speak truth and the right thing to them.

I want my kids to be difference makers.

I want teachers to see the Dolan name on a roster and be overjoyed. Yes, I'd love them to all be smart, at the top of their class, good at everything, but really, that's not the ultimate goal. I want those teachers to see my kid's names and be excited because my kids are truthful, respectful, friends to the friendless, attentive.

And after this weekend, I am thankful. So, so thankful.

One of the speakers told a story that really touched me. When she was 8, she got an Easter dress she couldn't wait to wear. So one night, she put it on, fixed her hair the best she could, and went to find her dad. She stood beside him and did her best to get his attention. All she wanted was for him to notice her and tell her she looked pretty.

The only response she got was the one she always got from him, "I never wanted you. I never wanted kids."

My kids will never, ever know anything close to that feeling. Their daddy adores them. He never fails to tell them how proud he is of them, and takes time to do things with and for them.

While I was gone (for ONLY one night) here are a few things Adam did with the kids:
He took them to Eli's, a fun place filled with bounce houses.
They ate at McDonald's, which is a super fun treat they LOVE.
They went to the book fair and each got to pick out a new book.
They went to a pumpkin patch, did a corn maze, and rode a little train.
They spent time with Adam's parents and aunt and uncle.
He took them to the Dollar Store...although I'm not quite sure what they did there.
Then the big kids finished off the time spending the night with Adam's parents, a frequent weekend adventure.

I'd say they had a *bit* of fun.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to share a little more about what the speakers shared this weekend. I'd also love to share pictures, but sadly I forgot my camera and the camera on my phone doesn't take good long distance pictures. Everyone looks like blurry little dots. But maybe if I'm ambitious and get the pictures off my phone I'll share one just for fun.