Tim Tebow- Raising Godly Men

What a ruckus! Have you heard all the hoopla about the Tim Tebow ad during the upcoming Superbowl? Yes, I thought you had.

Wow, it has set off a firestorm of reactions from groups that oppose Focus on the Family, like the National Organization for Women (don't you love these names?) who do not approve the message of the ad. Surprise, surprise.

Also, there are many parents that are up in arms because their children will be watching the game and are concerned about them seeing the commercial. I guess they have no problem with the very scantily clad women beer commercials that their little Bobby will watch. Hmmm, concerned about societies priorities.

Anyway, I don’t want this blogpost to be about the ad but about raising men of Godly character. And, Time Tebow is a wonderful role model.

He was the first home schooled (woo hoo) athlete to be nominated for the Heisman Trophy (he won it), two-time National Champion Quarterback, recipient of numerous other awards and most of all, Tim Tebow is a real man of God.

He faces constant scrutiny from the media about his “religion” and about his motives for preaching at prisons and doing evangelistic work in the Philippines, but he always backs up the questions with his actions. 1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”

He could have spent his college Spring breaks partying in Florida hooking up with any girl he wanted, after all he is one of the most famous college quarterbacks. Nope, he spent them ministering to orphans in the Philippeans. Oh, and yes he is a virgin. The media asked him this question at a press conference. Um, I am not sure they ask all the football player interviews that question.

Not only is Tim a role model (finally a positive athlete role model), I would say his family sets a great example for raising Godly children as well. If you look closely at the Tebow family, it’s easy to see why Tim seeks to glorify God with his life... It’s because Tim Tebow's mom and dad raised him to fear and love the Lord.

Tim has taken what God has blessed him with and is sharing with others. Not staying in a little box and witnessing only to those that show up in their limited little group or judging people for not being of his faith. He not only stands up for what he believes, he lives it.

As a mother of two young boys, I pray that I stay focused on the prize. I believe everyday we have to concentrate on our boy’s character development and not get so caught up in today that we lose focus of the kind of men we want our boys to be at the age of 20 and 30.

It takes discipline and deliberate effort to build character. With prayer, scripture, and wisdom we can use everyday life to equip our children to make tough choices in an increasingly tough world. It is a daunting task for this mom (and I fail often), but one that I am taking on, for much is as stake.

Watching Little Buckaroo practice his quarterback stance,
The Park Wife

Discovering God's Purpose, Plan and Passion - Narrow Gate Foundation

Growing up I took dance classes, like most southern belles. It is required so you can learn to sparkle at an early age. There were always the girls a few years older who we all looked up to. For me, a girl named Stacy was all that! I remember spending the night with her one night before one of our dance recitals, I could not believe I was lucky enough to hang out with the popular dance chick. The pink sponge rollers my mom required me to put in my hair crimped my style a little bit, but she never made fun of my doo-doo curls on the day of the recital.

ANYWAY.... when I boomeranged back home one semester due to an unfortunate statistics class and my college being way to close to New Orleans, she had graduated college in Nashville and moved back home too. We became great friends and hung out all the time. Since that time we have stayed in each others lives even though there have been periods of time that we have not talked just due to distance and crazy, everyday life.

When we were both in our hometown for Christmas many years ago, she and her husband came to my mother's house and visited with Big Buckaroo and I. They were embarking on a wonderful new adventure, God had taken hold of them and was using them mightily. They started a Christian wilderness experience for young men ages 18-25 that desired to take a "pause" from the distractions of life to discover who they are and what their purpose on earth is all about.

View the video below to see the wonderful work of Narrow Gate Foundation. Get involved with them, there are many ways to help. Or, take pause and ask God what He has for you to do to glorify His name.



(really, take the time to view this)

Narrow Gate Foundation makes a difference in the lives of young men who are making life long commitment to serve God and the world in which we live.

And, I know the fruits of this ministry, God used it to save one of my brothers.
The Park Wife


Enter through the Narrow Gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But, narrow is the gate that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14.

Project Runaway

I grew up in a little town in Mississippi where I was taught that when you go out in public you "put your face on", dress appropriately, and my goodness paint your toenails if you are wearing sandals. Now, that is not to say that once in a blue moon you did not run into someones mom with rollers in her hair at the Winn Dixie picking up something she forgot for a dinner party. But, all in all, the "rules" of going out in public were adhered to.

So, having two boys with quirky, fun personalities that do not care what others think has been a transition for me. Case in point: the bug-legged, hiking boot chef.

This kind of thing has become a common occurrence. He is adamant that this is what a chef wears.

I have taken Little Buckaroo to town with me dressed as Peter Pan, a pirate, an Indian, oh the list goes on. Littlest Buckaroo has always prefered to wear his cowboy boots and six shooters to town. The people at Walmart even call him cowboy and he has to get his pistols checked by the greeter each time we enter. Well, that was until he came up with his buggy chef outfit.

It has been a bit of a transition for me, but I am learning to roll with it and accept that I have fun, quirky kids.

Hoping the buggy chef outfit doesn't hit the streets of our town,
The Park Wife

Geography Fun!

Alright, I am calling on all my bloggy friends to help homeschool my kids. Hey, we moms need to help each other out. And, today, I need helping out (could be my insane idea to give up Dr. Pepper AGAIN).

My kids love geography, they have one of those cool globes that talk to you and even let's you play a game to see how many places you can find in 30 seconds. I must admit Big Buckaroo and I have had some intense battles after the kids go to bed. Hey, at least I know where Timbuktu is and all the "stan" countries. That is going to take me far in life I am sure.

Here is how you can join the geography fun. Where do you live? Tell us something fun, interesting and cool about your town. You never know, we might buy an RV and visit all these places, well, that probably won't happen, but it would be fun....for about 3 days, then I would want my own bed.

Thanks in advance for molding my children into geography geniuses, well, in reality I am just hoping for some interesting fun learning.

Better go learn about the Congo, or maybe I might just go start a congo line, I need some exercise,
The Park Wife

P-Dub T-Shirt Winners

I have enjoyed looking at the two cutie patootie Pioneer Woman t-shirts sitting on the back of a chair in my room, but it is time for them to go to a home where they can be worn and appreciated. They deserve the cuddling and attention that only someone that can actually fit into those swirly little designed sweethearts can give.

So, without further ado, the WINNERS are:

The Lumberjack's Wife

Melissa at Huckleberry Prairie

Woo Hoo, I hope you gals are just happy as a clam, happy as a pig in a poke and even as happy as a bug in a rug. Email me your mailing info to buckatwos at gmail dot com and I will pack up these little beauties and send them your way!

Thanks to everyone who entered, commented, or just stopped by. I appreciate each and every one of you!

The Park Wife

Double the Fun- Thanks PW

Have you entered to win the Pioneer Woman t-shirt I am giving away? Deadline to enter is Thursday night, that's tonight. I usually go to bed around 10:00 so as long as you have entered before I wake up Friday morning, your name is in the hat.

Here is the exciting part......I got ANOTHER Pioneer Woman shirt in the mail! And, the kicker, it is also a medium so it will be given away too! I am not a Vegas kind of girl or math guru, but I think that makes your odds much better.

Oh double the pleasure, double the fun!

It's better than playing double dutch with your friends in 5th grade or melting chocolate in a double boiler for chocolate covered strawberries resulting in a double chin, or double jeopardy (oh wait , let's not bring up the past). I could go on and on here. So, stop the insanity and hop over to the contest blog post and enter!



Thanks Ree for both of the shirts and thanks to all of my blog readers for coming back to my blog which could results in double vision after reading all the double negatives.

Going to eat a double cheeseburger,
The Park Wife

15 Minute Wildlife Tour

When Big Buckaroo and I ran away a few weeks ago (thanks grandma for keeping the Buckaroos), we headed to the mountains, my favorite place to be. After stopping by our property to check on the cabin, we went further north. Snow was still on the sides of the roads and icicles were hanging from the sides of the mountains. It was beautiful.



Then, we saw this. Drove a few hundred more feet and saw this.



Oh wait, don't run away, you are protected, we want shoot you.

Then, a bald eagle flew over head (bad picture, was not prepared for that beautiful thing).

And, a half mile down the road, SWANS!

Oh wait, a flock of turkeys!

This all happened within 15 minutes. And, the little towns we drove through, too cute. I might pack up and move up there, so quaint.

We definitely live in The Natural State..... and even though I never thought I would live here, I am blessed to be here surrounded by such beauty.

Stop and enjoy and appreciate where the Lord has you today,

The Park Wife

Cabin Update

Our mountain cabin is coming along. I have not been there in a couple of months because, ummmm, it is COLD! Hopefully this time next year the windows will be in, siding on and smoke will be billowing from the wood stoves pipe.

Big Buckaroo and I went for a night away date when my mom was in town (more on that trip later) and we stopped by so he could show me what he and his dad had been working on while I was warm and toasty at the Park.




Looking good! The metal roof is on, a slippery job, but he got it done without falling off.



He even has some wood stacked on the porch! Um, the wood stove is in our barn at the park, so until it is up at the cabin and it is cold outside, I will not be spending a night at Rockwell. I have become a wimp in my old age.




Scaffolding has been built and work done on one of the end walls. It is high!

The inside still looks the same, I love it. Look at those hand hewn beams, my man rocks.

We have arranged to have our well drilled, caulked the old farm windows we re-did, and bought much of our siding. Just need some warmer weather. We can't wait to spend next Christmas in our little cabin in the woods.

Staying warm with my cute wool socks on,

The Park Wife

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for The Pioneer Woman's T-shirt.

Lovin' Presents in the Mail - A Contest!

One of my favorite things about the holidays is receiving cards in the mail. From picture postcards to a Christmas letter, it is fun to catch up with friends and family that you do not see or hear from regularly. With electronic communications, people don't write letters much anymore. Emily Post would cringe if she knew that people did not send thank you notes anymore and that they even sometimes send a thank you note via email. Gasp!

(Note to self: Write thank you notes and mail them.)

I thought about doing a Christmas letter, but everything I thought to write was already on my blog. Whenever I am talking to my mom who lives 7 hours away about something that the Buckaroo's did, she says "I know, I saw it on your blog". So, I just sent a picture card, it will last on everyone's refrigerator for a month or so probably.

Anyway....back to the point. A few days before Christmas I went to the mailbox and there was a package. I love me a package in the mail, woo hoo. Then, I looked at the return address to see who it was from.

Oh Mercy, can you read that? Yep, it says Pioneer Woman. Uh huh. No, I have never won anything on her blog, actually I am incredibly unlucky, don't take me to a casino, not a good luck charm.

I tried hard not to rip the package open right there by the road. So, I ran back up to the house.

After I caught my breath (whew, resolution #1 again this year- get in shape), I calmly sat down and ripped the envelope open!

Look at that beauty. See, here is the story. Ree did not have the t-shirts at the Little Rock signing. That is where I went to meet her, read on her blog and/or mine about that eventful night at The Wal Marts. As a thank you for being her stalker best blog friend, I mean a regular visitor to her site, she sent me a t-shirt. Loving her kindness and generosity.

Here is the kicker, it is a medium. Um, no that is not going to fit to well. I could wear it, but they might be signing me up to work at Hooters (I am sorry Keenan, our preacher reads my blog).

So, I am going to re-gift it! I have o.k.'d this with P-dub's team member Nanci. It would be a shame for it to just sit on the back of a chair and look at it when someone could be wearing it!

So, here is the deal. You can enter a few ways, do all of them and you can get your name in the hat 4 times:

1- Leave me a comment telling me why you should get this awesome shirt.

For Arkansas residents, the No shirt, No Shoes, No Service reason is valid. The Park Wife is always trying to promote commerce. My contribution to spurring the economy and I don't even have to spend a trillion bazillion dollars.

2-Blog about the giveaway.

3-Become a friend of The Park Wife on Facebook.

4- Follow Me! If you already do, let me know, one more entry!

Feel free to hit ‘em all. The more the merrier! Let me know which ones you do!

Contest ends Friday, January 15 and I will post the winner soon after. Then, I will put it in a cute envelope and mail it so you will feel the rush I did when I received it in the mailbox.

If you do not wear a medium, still try to win. The shirt can be the traveling PW shirt that goes from home to home. Now, that is a fun idea. But, I am not going to tell one of you skinny things out there that you can not wear it if you win.

Now, on to 2010. I am going to try to keep up my blog a little better and I am hoping to get a spot on an interview panel for The Ranchelor, I love matchmaking! Oh, and I want world peace.

Craving Hooter's hot wings,

The Park Wife

Christmas Rewind

The holidays flew by again this year. It seems that as you get older, the years get shorter. Here is a re-cap of our holiday.



Brothers and Best Friends:
The Buckaroo's annual matching pajama picture. I wonder how many more years they are going to let me do this? It would be great if we did this every year for the rest of their lives, adding wives and their kids, but soon they will be too cool for it. Well, and that might border on weird, trying to decide.



The Buckaroo Gang and the Princess:
It was our niece Emmalyne's first Christmas. Poor girl will not be married until she is 40 with these boy cousins around. A new baby adds such an extra magic to the holidays.

Decorations:
Went with a red and silver theme this year. Loving a little glitz in the country.

Family Friends:
We have some wonderful people who took us in as part of their family. And yes, they over-indulge the Buckaroos.

Girlfriends:
I am thankful that this year I have found some wonderful women in our little village who are genuinely kind, supportive, and a blast to be around.

The Presents:
One of my favorite presents is an addition to my huge cast iron collection, I am cooking up a storm. Well, I will be after I cure it (right after I clean up from the holidays, expect something by Spring, a good goal).

Buckaroo present theme for the year.... ADVENTURE. Perfect for our warriors. Now they really can run away.

Bust a Move:

Not sure if Littlest Buckaroo is dancing with his new headlamp on as a strobe light or just acting like our chickens. Either way, he is cute!

Thankfulness:
The Buckaroo's loved their gifts and were so thankful for everything they received. Really, they were genuinely appreciative, make my heart smile to watch them.

Love Is In The Air:
A sweet couple who will marry in less than four months.

And, a couple who got engaged over the holidays! Congrats Aunt Katie, your Buckaroo's love you. Welcome to the family Uncle Greg. Um...I know Katie is fabulous, but are you sure you want to marry into this family??????

Preparing for 2012:

A grandpa who is all about adventure and the outdoors. Careful Littlest Buckaroo, you'll shoot your eye out.

There was so much more, from grandma's one week visit to the many other friends who shared in our holiday celebrations to a trip to the cabin project and so much more.

Good luck with your resolution list, I am just going to use mine from last year.

It's a wonderful life,

The Park Wife