Christmas 2007

I have been absent from blogging because we have been enjoying our time off around here. Although, we didn't really take a break from school. We are trying to get in as many days before the baby is born in Feb. Bill has been home from work since December 22nd. I have to say it has been so nice to have him around. :) We have had some fun family times. I have even been able to get out to go shopping a few times without the kids...LOVE Gymboree's Red Balloon sale (got a few outfits for baby girl there). And, we have gotten a lot of little projects done around the house. We cleaned out the basement, cleaned out the office to make room for baby. We moved the kids rooms around. Anna has her own room now and the boys are sharing. James moved into a big boy bed a few days before Christmas. I was a little sad to make that transition, but he has done so good. He loves sleeping across from Ryan. We are really starting to see a bond form between brothers. The boys will sit in their room and play Pirates for a long time. I love it. I love to see my guys forming friendships with each other. Anna is loving her own room and the new desk she got for Christmas. I will have to post pics of their new rooms once we are done decorating them.

We had a busy but very enjoyable Christmas. We spent Christmas eve with Bill's parents and sister, Christmas morning as just our family of 5, and then in the afternoon at Bill's Grandparents. Watching the kids Christmas morning was so much fun. I loved Christmas as a kid, but I love it even more as a mom now.

Here are a few pictures from Christmas.

Celebrating Christ's birth

Tonight we decided to start our Christmas celebration by reading about Christ's birth from the Read-N-Grow Picture Bible. This was actually my book as a kid. I love the illustrations in it. It's very colorful, and we thought it would help to hold especially Ryan's attention.

After we read about Jesus' birth we decided to let the kids open up one gift. Every year we get them each an ornament. That was a tradition my parents did with us, and one I wanted to pass on to my little ones. This year we bought them each an ornament with a different name of Christ. Ryan's said, Jesus. Anna's said Emmanuel. James' said Messiah. We talked about what each of those names mean and then we let them hang them on the tree.

We ended our evening with playing with the manger set and dancing to some Christmas music. What a fun (and hopefully memorable for the kids) way to start our celebration.

Merry Christmas

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

The real reason we celebrate.

May your hearts overflow with the Joy of Christ!

Merry Christmas!

Baby bump

A couple people have asked for pictures of my belly! :) So here they are. Anna took these today. I am 31 weeks as of today...scary how fast it's going.

Not going to stress about it :)

I have been trying to avoid the Christmas rush. I decided not to over do it this year. However, I am still working on a few things that need to be finished TODAY. I have to run to the store for a few last minute things to put finishing touches on stuff. I have to finish frosting cookies, cleaning my house, laundry, school, wrap gifts, mail stuff, and deliver a few gifts. I also told a friend that I would watch her kids for a few hours so she could finish her shopping! And now 2 out of my 3 kids are crying, and one is saying he has an ear infection. I am sitting here in my robe (because the kiddos got up earlier then normal and I haven't been able to get in the shower), wondering if I am going to get it all done? Oh well, I guess whatever doesn't get done doesn't matter. :) I think it might just be one of those mornings, and I need to focus on taking care of my babies.

Well, I'm off to take care of my little ones...and have a cup of coffee.

My boy is growing up

On Friday I got together with my friend Amy. Anna was spending the day with grandma (they spent the whole day shopping...lucky girl!) so I took the boy's over to play with Amy's kids. We had such a fun time. We made Christmas cookies while we visited. It was so nice to spend time hanging out, it had been awhile since we had gotten together.

When it was almost time to go, Amy asked if Ryan would like to spend the night. The boys were having such a great time. I talked to Ryan and he was so excited to stay. I was a little unsure of how he would do...this being his first sleepover. How is he even old enough to have sleepovers? :)

No phone call came in the middle of the night. In fact when I went Saturday afternoon to pick him up he cried because he had to leave. I guess I was missed. :) What a big boy he is becoming. I can hardly believe he is almost 5!!! I'm not sure my heart can take my little ones growing up so fast.

Ryan and his friend Quaid

The beauty of imperfection

This may sound silly but I almost considered not posting a picture of our tree. I suddenly felt self conscience about our humble little tree. I have looked at many people's homes and decorations and thought, mine cannot compare. It's so small. It kind of leans to one side. There are bare spots in some places. I have no fancy decorations. There is really nothing that appears to be special about our tree.

However, when I look at it, I am flooded with memories...memories that span years. The sentiment that is tucked beneath it's branches brings forth a lot of emotions. The fact that it is imperfect is another thing that makes it special to me. It really just portrays real life...a tree worn from years of use...worn from loving hands placing old and new ornaments upon it's branches.

My friend Janel introduced me to book called, "Why Christmas Trees Aren't perfect" by Richard Schneider, a few days ago. It's the story of an evergreen forest, and how many years ago all the trees used to be perfect. The story focus on one little evergreen. The little tree had listened to all the older trees on how to stay perfect...keeping it's branches beautiful and untouched so that when the Queen came to get her tree for Christmas she might consider using him. But, staying perfect meant closing his heart or branches to helping someone in need. The little tree decides to open his heart and shelter a small bird from the cold, help a poor hungry fawn, and a few others. All the other trees look away in disgust as the little tree becomes less and less perfect. By the time the the Queen comes to cut her "perfect" tree, the little tree is quite worn. At first the Queen looks at the little tree with disdain...but suddenly she sees something no one else seems to see, and she tells the perplexed woodsman that this is the one.

"For in looking at its drooping, nibbled branches, they saw the protecting arm of their father or the comforting lap of a mother. and some, like the wise Queen, say the love of Christ expressed on earth.

So if you walk among evergreens today, you will find, along with rabbits, birds, and other happy living things, many trees like Small Pine. You will see a drooping limb, which gives cover, a gap offering a warm resting place, or branches ragged form feeding hungry animals.

For, as have many of us, the trees have learned that living for the sake of others makes us most beautiful in the eyes of God."

Isn't that beautiful?!

If you want to read the book in it's entirety you can go here, Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect This is a book that I would like to purchase. I think we will use this as another tradition...reading every year when we set the tree up (thanks Janel for the idea). Our desire is to teach our children lessons about what Christmas is all about.

Who knew a tree could be used to teach humility and servant hood. I truly love this time of year and all the symbols we can use to teach our children about Christ's love.

Oh, the beauty of imperfection...

Looking a lot like Christmas

Well, this morning we got hit with a pretty big storm. We already had quite a bit of snow. But this is what it looked like a few hours ago, with about 6 more inches added to the ground. This is looking out to the backyard. My Moms group was canceled this morning so we stayed home and enjoyed the snow from the inside. :) After we finished school I decided to work on a few Christmas projects. The kids helped frost Christmas cookies and we put their hand prints on the tree skirt (a tradition we are starting this year)...I just need to get James' hand prints on it. I wonder how well that will go!

We put our tree up a few weeks ago. It's not very fancy and it's not perfect, but we enjoy it. I let the kiddos decorate it. They have so much fun. I love setting the tree up as a family. I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season!

Homemade Christmas gifts

I love making and receiving homemade gifts. I have started working on the gifts that I need to make. There are quite a few, but I feel like I have a good handle on time so far...although I'm sure I will still be rushing last minute to finish something. :)

I found a cool website that has lots of homemade ideas. I thought I'd share, in case there are others out there who like to get crafty on occasion. Go here to Craft Bits.

Remember the sock monkey? I found this pattern I thought it was kinda cute. Maybe I'll make one for James as he is obsessed with monkeys. I bet he would love it! Although I think I would use more boy looking colors for his. :)

Well, I'm off to work on my gifts while the kiddos are in bed.

Happy Friday!

Motherhood

I love this, Christ the ultimate example for motherhood...

"In the daily moments of eating, sleeping, and meeting the essentials of life with His disciples, Jesus taught, healed, fed, trained, loved, laughed, and instructed. Not only did the disciples hear the spiritual admonitions of Scripture, but they felt His devotion to them, demonstrated in reality as they felt His touch, heard His voice, and received the love of God incarnate. It's a picture of what we want to happen in our homes with our children."

Sally Clarkson, quoted in "Homeschooling Today"

Picture Perfect

When my dad was here over Thanksgiving he tried to get a good shot of our family. I thought if one of them turned out I would use it as our Christmas card. Taking pictures with the kids never goes how I think it should! :) Oh well, maybe when we try it again (with our Christmas outfits) it will turn out better? Ha! Then again, this totally portrays real life in our house...so maybe we should just stick to this one! A few more takes that didn't "take"Picture perfect is such a myth...at least for us! :)

A full heart

For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:4

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with love for my Savior. He is so good to me. I am so undeserving, and yet He continues to pour out His blessing to me. It just amazes me...God obviously knows our deepest longings and our hearts desires and the fact that He would choose to bless me, just blows me away.

Before we found out we were expecting baby #4, I knew in my heart that I would love to have another baby. We just weren't planning on it because of our circumstances. Thankfully God is in control and He knew better then us at what was the best timing. I felt it was selfish to think this, but my heart longed for another daughter. I'm not sure why, I really was content with the 3 little ones we have. I LOVE having the daughter I do have, and my boys...what can I say, they are so dear to me. But yet my heart longed...

Yesterday I had my 28 week Ob appointment. He decided to do another ultrasound just to double check the gender of the baby. My Dr. wasn't able to completely see everything at the last ultrasound. Well, this time he said for 100% certainty that it is in fact a girl!

I would NOT have been sad if it had turned out to be a boy. In fact, before I had Anna I always thought that I would rather just have all boys. :) But, my heart felt completely full when the Dr said for sure that we have been blessed with another daughter. It is really hard to describe the emotions that I felt. Maybe it sounds funny, but I really feel as though this baby completes our family(at least for now ;) ). Each of our children are such a blessing and add a unique quality to our family. I am excited to see how this little girl will fit into all of that, and what God has in store for us as a family of 6!!!

Thank you God for making me a blessed woman. I stand in awe at your goodness. Thank you for continually teaching me about what it means to have joy. I praise you God for this gift of life that grows within me. Thank you that she is fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray that each of our little ones would come to love you and see their need for you. Help me to be the mother You want me to be. Thank you for filling me, for knowing my needs, and for even giving me the desires of my heart. I am so undeserving. Your grace and love overwhelm me. My heart sings for joy at the works of Your hands. My delight is in You oh Lord!

*The picture is a close up of the baby's face. It really isn't very clear. You can see her nose, her cheek and an eye. It was much clearer on the computer then what the Dr. printed up. We got to see the baby sucking her thumb and moving her lips and moving her hands and fingers. It was a really fun apt. The kids were all excited to see the baby.

Cowboys

There are lots of silly times at our house. I just love to capture them with my camera.

Good night, sleep tight, please stay in bed

This video is so funny! I can totally relate to it as we have a 6 year old who still gets up just about every night. I laughed so hard...I just had to share.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am in the midst of baking pies, and side dishes and turkey, but I wanted to take a second to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving! My dad flew in yesterday to spend a few days with us...yea!! :) So, we will be enjoying good food (made all by yours truly) and each others company, and some shopping tomorrow. I am excited about making the whole meal myself, I have never done it before.

I hope you all enjoy your day, and are able to take time to reflect on everything God has given us to be thankful for!

My delight and joy

Thank you Lord for these gifts that bring my heart so much joy....I am blessed indeed!

Refreshed

The other day was just a hard day. We all have days like that I'm sure. I'm still feeling emotional about some stuff, but it has been better. I was able to spend 1 hour and 20 minutes of uninterrupted time with the Lord, after I wrote that last post. That in and of itself is a miracle for having been in the middle of the day. James slept for 3+ hours and Anna and Ryan played quietly in their room so I could spend the time I needed with my Savior.

In my quite time I have been studying 1 Peter, and also reading through the Psalms. I prayed that the Lord would open my eyes during my reading, and help me to understand His word. This is part of Psalm 68 that I read during my quite time the other day.

3But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

4Sing to God,sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him.

5A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.

6God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah.

8The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.

18You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.

19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. Selah.

20God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death....

32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.

33To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice.

34Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the skies.

35O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people
Blessed be God!

I read all this and just sat in awe at the goodness of God. He reminded me of His character and His love for those who belong to Him. He DAILY bears my burdens. He provides rain when I am spiritually dry. He restores my soul and gives me strength. What an awesome God He is! He is my all in all, and my heart can rejoice because of that.

Thank you dear friends for your much needed prayers. I have been so blessed by your comments and e-mails. My heart overflows with how God uses His body to be an encouragement.

Emotional

Discouraged, weary, sad, overwhelmed... That would describe me right now. I have tried to write this post like 3 times now, only to delete it. I HATE, HATE admitting that I am feeling this way, and I'm sure a lot of it has to do with pregnancy hormones right now. To admit this makes me feel like a failure. Most of the time I am pretty open and don't have a hard time talking about anything. But, for today I am having a hard time admitting that emotionally things are not ok. I feel guilty saying that because I have NOTHING to complain about. I have a wonderful husband, 3 children I cherish, and VERY supportive friends...and yet I feel alone today.

Maybe one reason I am feeling sad and lonely is because I really feel like I need a mother figure. Sometimes it's just tough not really having someone I can call to give me advice. I have a mom, but she is far away, has health issues, and we don't have the best relationship...that is a long story. This is the world wide web and I don't want to say too much about that.

I just put my little ones down for a nap. I am headed to lay my heart before the Lord. He is the only one who can fill my empty, so empty void right now. He has promised all those who are weary that if we give Him our burdens He will give us rest. I need rest and perspective.


If you feel lead, please pray for me today.

Picture Me

I was tagged for this "Picture Me" meme, by Amy. I think this one is really fun. :) I am supposed to post a picture of myself and write about it. I am going to post 2 picture because they go together to complete the story.

This is one of my first memories I have as a child. This was taken the day my parents brought our baby brother, Matthew home from the hospital. I was 4 (I'm the one with the red shoes) and my sister Allison was 2. Our parents decided to present us with a gift that was from our brother. I remember walking into the play room and seeing 2 pink baby buggies. Oh how Allie and I loved those...we loved playing babies...and how fun to receive a gift from our new little brother. :) I love that my parents did this for us. It made Matthew's homecoming so special and memorable for us.

As little girls, my sister and I spent HOURS playing house and pretending to be moms. Like most little girls we dreamed of the day when we would one day have our own babies. Many years later, and God blessed us both with great husbands and the the privilege to be mothers. I so wish Allie and I lived closer so that we could share this experience together.

This second picture was taken a year ago when we all reunited for Matthew's wedding to his beautiful wife Dana. It had been about a year since we had all seen each other. What a sweet reunion it was. It was the first time meeting my sister's baby Gage...and her first time meeting James. I LOVE this picture, it just captures all the tenderness I feel about my family.


I am supposed to tag 3 people. I'll just tag whoever reads this and wants to participate. :)

Choosing joy

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

I sat in the driveway, not ready to get out of the car. My eyes closed, spilling brimming tears down my face. So many emotions pulsing through my mind. A battle raged within, leaving me no choice but to fall at the Father's feet. My eyes had been opened to see, and now a choice must be made...a choice that my flesh wanted to give into...or the choice that would bring peace. I prayed silently for the strength to obey, and for once to be able to bite my tongue.

I don't know how many times a scene like this has played out before me. Whether it was feeling angry with my husband or with my children...or feeling hurt or frustrated or unappreciated. This particular instance I was upset with Bill, and it was nothing big. I was just frustrated with him for what I felt was his failure to meet my expectations. That morning I had been studying scripture and it had just hit me about the choice I have when in a situation. I can choose to give in to my (usually selfish) emotions, or I can choose to surrender to the Holy Spirit. I decided at that moment that I needed to surrender...to lay my anger and disappointment and the Lord's feet, and just let things go. I needed to choose to have joy. The next thing that happened was amazing...I felt such peace. And, when I talked to Bill we discovered that we had just miss-understood each other, and we both apologized.

I am learning more and more in my time in the Word that having joy is a choice. In order to have joy I have to make a choice, one of surrendering my emotions, what I think is right...taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). I can choose to have the joy of the Lord fill me. To set my mind on things above. To choose to set aside selfish desires and serve my family with joy. It is also so easy for me to get caught up in serving that I forget to choose joy. I can fail to see what a pleasure it is to raise my little ones....what a delight it is to love my husband. God is so good to give me grace, and to faithfully remind me. Amidst the chaos I can, and HAVE to choose joy. And oh, the peace that follows!"

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Phil 4:8 My mind needs to dwell on truth! It is hard to choose joy if my mind is in the wrong place.

These are the thoughts that have been running through my mind:

Set your minds on things above. (Col 3:2)

Pick up your cross (Matthew 16:24)

Lay down your life for a friend. (John 15:13)

Sacrifice

love

obedience

joy

Peace (Isaiah 26:3)

Quite a list, I think! It can feel overwhelming at times....and impossible. I guess that's because, apart from Christ I can do nothing. (John 15:5) I cannot even say that "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:3) To have joy is a choice...but I must take that one step further. In order for me to have joy, I must first of all choose death.

"The chance to die, to be crucified with Christ, was not a morbid thing, but the very gateway to life."--Elisabeth Elliot Wow...wrap your mind around that statement if you will...It seems so contrary to our natural thinking. The gateway to life is death.

John 12:24 says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." There is no fruit, there is no life unless death occurs. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Gal 2:20 I need to realize my position. I died with Christ....but I have also been raised up with Him. I am a new creation. He empowers me with the ability to choose to do the right thing.

There are so many thoughts in my mind...and I don't know if they will make sense to anyone other then me. :) My desire is to live a life full of joy...I feel as though my heart has been opened to see what a wonderful process that is. I know it is not always an easy decision to make, but the peace that ensues is so rewarding.


So, tonight I am choosing the path of joy!

A good fall meal

I love it when the air is crisp, and it's cool enough to turn on my oven or to cook over the stove. I enjoy making soups this time of year. So, I thought I'd share a few of our favorite recipes.

Potato Chowder
4 C. peeled, diced potatoes (I just use 4 small to medium potatoes)
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1 C. grated carrot
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs dried parsley flakes
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 C. scalded milk
4 Tbs butter
1/2 C flour
Cooked bacon
cheddar cheese

In a large pot combine potatoes, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, and bouillon cubes. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables; cook until vegetables are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Do not drain. Scald milk by heating until there is a film on top or until tiny bubbles form on the edge of the pan, Remove 1 1/2 cups milk and set aside. Add butter and flour to remaining hot milk. Add set aside milk to undrained vegetables then stir in thickened milk mixture. Stir until blended. Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.

Garnish with cooked crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese.

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I also LOVE to make bread. If I had more hours in my day, I would do it by hand, however since the invention of the bread machine, I use that! :)

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread
1 1/4 C. water (70-80 degrees)
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs nonfat dry milk powder
1 3/4 C. whole wheat flour
1/3 C. quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

In bread machine place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacture. Select basic bread setting. Back according to bread machine directions.
(yield 1 1/2 pound loaf)

After I remove the hot loaf from the pan, I rub butter on top, drizzle with honey and the sprinkle with oats.

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Anything apple is great right now. I love making applesauce, apple butter, baked apples, apple dumplings and apple pie. Since I can't (or won't)share my top secret pie recipe ;), I wanted to share my favorite Apple Dumpling recipe.

Apple Dumplings
(filling)
2 C. sugar
1 C. water
1/4 C. butter
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
6 apples

(pastry)
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. shortening
1/2 C. milk

Put sugar, water, butter and cinnamon in saucepan and bring to a boil. mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add shortening, cream well together and add milk. Divide dough into 12 balls, roll each on out big enough to cover each apple half.

Peel, core and cut apples in half. Put apples in the center of each piece of dough and fold edges together covering the apple. Place in a 9x13 baking dish and pour the sauce over the dumplings. Bake 35 minutes @375 degrees.

Happy cool weather cooking!

craziness and coffee

I would be lying if I didn't say that most mornings are crazy here. This morning was no exception. I woke up to Anna yelling, Ryan screaming, then Anna knocking on my bedroom door (yes, I went back to bed this morning after Bill left. I've been so tired lately). She said she needed me to see what Ryan was doing. What was Ryan doing? Well, it seems Ryan decided to sneak down and get into the trick or treat candy. He had candy on Anna's bed and had already eaten a whole sucker.

After Ryan and I had a little chat about what happened, I told the kids to go back to their rooms and get dressed. I wanted to get in the shower real quick. I could hear them fighting the whole time I was in there. I got out, got everyone calmed down and started feeding them breakfast. Anna had made my coffee and breakfast (what a sweetie) so I poured myself a cup and sat down with them. I needed to get online before we started school to Chat with Bill a second, so did that on the laptop while I sipped my coffee. After about four sips, I noticed something in my coffee. I thought maybe it was a lump of creamer I had missed. So, I grabbed a spoon. To my horror I pulled out a CENTIPEDE!!!! Oh my word, I thought I was going to throw up. How in the world did I not notice a HUGE CENTIPEDE? My brain has turned to fluff...I never thought there would come a day that I would not notice a CENTIPEDE! Actually, I never thought there would come a day that I would have a CENTIPEDE in my coffee mug. If you know me, you know how much I hate those things! My feelings toward them come very close to fear. I'm not kidding. I used to pray that I would not find one, because I can't stand them...they give me the creeps. I know, it's pretty ridiculous. But seriously, what purpose do those things serve?

I left out a lot of details of this morning but, after the Centipede, I couldn't think of much else. I LOVE coffee...I am hoping that hasn't been ruined for me. :) I guess I will look in the mug next time before I pour. Well, at least I can say I am thankful that I noticed something was floating before the whole cup was gone.

So, this is pretty random. I have a few things I have written (and not finished) because my brain does not function as well these days. I feel like most days I'm just trying to make it through the morning. :) Hopefully tomorrow I can make it through the morning with a whole, good, Centipede free, cup of coffee! :)

Savoring Each Moment

To experience happiness we must train ourselves to live in this moment, to savor it for what it is, not running ahead in anticipation of some future date nor lagging behind in the paralysis of the past. With wholeness and sensitivity we must live in the here and now...Those special savored moments of fun, reflection, happiness, and pleasure give us a tiny taste of what eternity with Christ will one day be like. --Luci Swindoll (You bring the Confetti )

I have been praying that the Lord would fill me with Joy, and that I would really treasure this time I have with my little ones. I have struggled much over the summer with my role (I have a post on that soon to come), so this has been my prayer lately.

I really felt impressed the other day that I need to be spending more quality time with my kids. So, I whispered to Anna as she was finishing her math, "How about we play dress up when you are done." Oh the joy to see her face light up. I spent 2 hours truly enjoying my children. I pray that I will never take for granted the privilege it is to be at home...and to savor each and every moment!

Spiderman and the the Queen

The princess and SpiderMan, having tea

James enjoying a cup of tea

Family Time

Saturday was a beautiful day!! We decided to take the kiddos out for a little family adventure to the pumpkin farm. We had a blast, and were able to find our perfect pumpkin.

These are some of my favorite pictures. I couldn't get all three kids to look at me...oh well. I wanted to get that perfect shot but, I enjoy these ones. They make me smile. It represents our day pretty well! :)

toilet water, grease, bees, beavers, and ducks

Ok, so here is my funny story: it is very long, and it might be one of those stories that you had to be there to find funny, however I am recording it here, so that I don't forget.

About a week or two ago, I had one of those crazy mornings...well actually, those happen a lot around here. :) But this one was a doozy! It started out good. We got through our school work in good time. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Janel called to see if we wanted to go to the park to feed the ducks, of course I said yes. She had to pick us up because that was when my car was broken. Anyway, after I fed the kids lunch I was running around trying to get ready to go. Janel called to say she was on her way, and I told her all I needed to do was finish packing the diaper bag....

But then, someone left the bathroom door open...

I thought I heard something coming from the bathroom so I peeked in and saw James (aka "Curious George") splashing in the toilet. YUCK! He had toilet water everywhere, and he had thrown Anna's loofah in there (thankfully he doesn't know how to flush). I promptly washed James off, set him outside the bathroom door and proceeded to mop and disinfect the bathroom. All of the sudden I hear James screaming. I run out to the porch to find him COVERED in grease up to his knees!! What in the world? I was in the bathroom cleaning for maybe 2 minutes tops! In that time he had managed to find the coffee can (I pour all my grease into) that I have tucked behind some stuff on the back porch. It was dumped everywhere. And James was just standing there screaming, like he was terrified of what he had all over him. He had apparently found the can, decided to stand on top of it, and then fell in. I grabbed him, pulled off his pants (which I had to soak in dawn dish soap), and then bathed him off. I had to remove everything on one side of the room (and throw out my broom and dust pan...I wasn't even going to attempt to clean that), and then figure out how to get it cleaned. I was in the middle of all this when Janel came to the door. I was one the verge of tears. Poor Janel, to have to walk in on all of that! She was so sweet and patient though and helped me finish getting the kids together so we could leave. Once in the car I breathed a sigh of relief.

Janel and I started chatting as we pulled out of the driveway. We had gotten maybe a mile down the road when I felt something on my foot. I shook it a little, and looked down. there was a bee crawling on me.

"AHHH." I yelled. "There's a bee on me." I shook it off my foot.

"where?' Janel screamed.

Then we both started screaming as the bee flew around. Janel puled over and and rolled down the windows. It flew out.

Meanwhile, the 5 kids in the car (who probably think their moms are crazy) are observing all this. Ella, Janel's 4 year old starts yelling, "Mommy where is the beaver?" "Why is there a beaver in the car?" Over and over.

It was just one of those moments...we both burst out laughing. Neither one of us could stop. I don't know if it was really that funny, or we both just really need to laugh. We laughed until we cried and until we both hurt. The kids just sat there. I'm sure we had just confirmed to them how crazy we really are! :)

The rest of the day was fine and light hearted. We enjoyed our time feeding the ducks and playing at the park.

Sometimes it just feels so good to laugh! Thank you God for friends and for bringing laughter in the midst of it all. :)

The pictures of the kids in the car, were snapped right after the bee or "beaver" incident. None of them knew what to think.

James

I took these a week or so ago, when a friend and I took the kids to the park. I have a funny story to share about that later, but for tonight a few pictures that make my heart melt. My little ones are growing up so fast. These are treasured times.

Being Disciplined

...Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning. Psalm 59:16

Lately, I haven't been so good about getting up early and staying up. I do get up with Bill in the morning, but then the past few weeks, I have been going back to bed for a little while. Yesterday I was so tired that I couldn't even have my quiet time in the morning after he left, I just had to lay down. And then sadly, I totally overslept. This throw off my whole morning. We started school an hour late, which is fine, but we do have a schedule and it's nice to follow that.

My tiredness lately could be due in part to pregnancy, could be due to the fact that I still get up at least once a night with one of our children. But, the main reason I am so tired is because I have not been getting to bed at a decent time. After Bill and I put the kids to bed, we love to just sit around and do the things we both enjoy, reading, watching something together (although we only do that once or twice a week), go on the computer, work on projects, etc. Lately though, I have been caught up a little too much in what I enjoy doing, and end up in bed WAY too late. I have definitely been lacking in self discipline.

I have been reading through 1 Peter in my study time. Oh I LOVE it!!! What a rich book. It has been very convicting to my spirit. I love how His Word is so alive! The Lord is showing me some areas of my life that need some refining. As painful as that often is, I am excited about what He is teaching me. I am not going to go too deep into it right now, but I do want to share one area that He is working on...self discipline.

Like I said, I really enjoy staying up late. I have always considered myself to be a "night owl". I really do function better at night. I love the quiet time. My mind feels more alert and awake. I really don't mind getting up early, but if I had to pick night would be my favorite.

A few months ago I came across this quote by Martha Peace,

I have heard of women who pride themselves on being *night* people. That means they have trouble getting up in the mornings because they come alive at night. They may stay up till all hours reading, watching TV, or pursuing some sort of interest. The next morning they are too tired to get up and care for their family...These women are not night people. They are lazy and selfish. Who would not rather stay up late and do whatever they please and sleep late the next day?
Once a young wife begins getting up earlier than her children and husband, she will cease to be a night person. She will be tired at night and go to bed at a reasonable hour so she will be there to serve her family the next morning.

I read that and felt totally offended. I didn't think it was lazy or selfish at ALL to stay up late. I thought that was the most absurd thing I have read. I tucked the quote in the back of my mind and dismissed it. I don't like being called lazy and selfish just because I don't go to bed as early as some.

For some reason though, I haven't been able to get that quote out of my mind.

Maybe just maybe there might be some truth to it. I don't know. I'm still mulling it over.

Amused

I have been LOVING my new washing machine. It is so nice to have a machine that works, and gets the job done. We had a family party in the basement the night we first got it. Everyone stood around watching as the new machine....needless to say, the kids were quite amused.

Wonderful man

Bill's new job has been going pretty good. The only thing bad I would say about it, is that he gets home pretty late. I am not complaining about this. I know many families are used to the dad not coming home until 6:30 or 7:00. This has just been an adjustment for us. Some days get really long...for all of us. Bill doesn't get as much time with the kids during the week as he used to. But, we do try to enjoy the evenings together.

One thing I LOVE about my Hubby is that he plays with our little ones. The kids all look forward to him coming home at night. After dinner he usually spends some time wrestling with them. Never was there a home so full of laughter and happy noises!!! Last night being no exception. I just sat there and enjoyed watching his time with our kids.

I am so thankful for the man God has blessed me with. For the hard worker he is, the loving husband who takes care of me, and the fun dad who always makes time to play! What a wonderful man he is!