lost, not found

my 6 year old and i were reading Bible before bed the other night.  he has the Message for kids, which is full of good stories, engaging pictures, and good prayer prompts at the end of each story.

we read about zacchaeus, and the prayer prompt was to pray for someone we know who doesn’t believe in Jesus.  he wasn’t sure who to pray for, as most of the folks we know and fellowship with are believers (i was pretty convicted about this, more to come later).  i told him we could pray for my mom and dad and sister, his grandparents and auntie, as they did not know Jesus. 

my son let this sink in as we prayed, and suddenly, he began to cry.  heart wrenching tears, sobs even.  my husband could hear them upstairs.

it hit him like a ton of bricks.  grandma and grandpa  and auntie won’t be in heaven with us.  they would be in hell.

this child of mine is stubborn.  i have written about him in the past.  his stubbornness usually gets him into lots of trouble. but, in the midst of even the worst day, he usually surprises me with some deep insight about God.  one day, he even knelt in humility in prayer after we had had a long, difficult discipline session.  he always catches me off guard with his insight, and tonight was no exception.

he started scheming, how we could get them to come to church and have our pastor tell them about Jesus.  how we could take our bibles with us to Christmas at their house and read to them about Jesus.  how we could send them Christmas cards with Bible verses in them to tell them about Jesus.  he wants to DO something.

i told him the best thing we could do is PRAY for them, fervently.  and for as long as it takes.

he didn’t like that answer, as it didn’t involve an immediate payoff.  but we talked about how BIG God is, and how only HE can change a heart and soften it toward the Good News of Jesus. 

Fast forward two days.  my dad was here for a quick visit while my mom was in the hospital for an outpatient procedure.  on the way out, my 6 year old boy, unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, asks my dad the question i have never had the courage to ask:

Grandpa, why don’t you believe in Jesus?

what followed was a bunch of awkward silence from me, dagger looks from my dad to me as he said “Who said i don’t believe in Jesus?  I believe there is something up there.”  and a quick exit on his part. 

i have no idea how my dad feels about that question, other than to be really angry it was even asked at all.  my dad does believe in something, just not the gospel truth of Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins.  he believes you get to heaven if you are “good enough” and he doesn’t think he is good enough.

my son, my bold, stubborn, beautiful child, broke through a wall that day. 

i fear for our visit on Christmas day.  all of my children are now plotting to share the truth of Jesus to my family.  i have no idea how it will be received, what my parents will say in response, or how injured my children will feel if hurtful things are said. 

i have no idea how to prepare them for the possibility that their words will not be received with grateful hearts.  that they may not accept Jesus as their Savior. 

i feel like i am rambling here.. i guess i am writing this simply to ask for prayer.  prayer that tender hearts won’t get trampled on as they witness to loved ones.  prayer that their words would be received by open and softened hearts.  prayer that i would be bold, like them, and stop fearing the worst.  prayer that i would not be ashamed of the gospel. 

 

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Lk 9:26

sheltering his heart

my heart is breaking for my dear little boy. 

the one who isn’t so little anymore.

the one who like to pour through any and all books.

he was looking through a collection of New York Times front pages today. it is a book his daddy got as a present several years ago.  it is truly fascinating to look through, and he does so often.

today, i heard him quietly crying from the downstairs. 

i called to him, and he said it was something he had to show me, he couldn’t explain.

i went down to him and he showed me a picture of a building that had been bombed.  below that graphic picture was a horrifying picture of a man holding a small child, not more than a few months old. 

the man was cradling a limp child and getting ready to hand the babe over to an EMS worker.

even in black and white it was evident there was blood on both the man and child.

and my own child had tears streaming down his face.

oh, that i could protect him from the terrors of this world.  that i could shelter him from the evil things that people do to each other.

but i cannot.  bad things happen.  our family will likely survive a tragedy of some sort.  probably not on such a grand scale, but a tragedy nonetheless. 

how do i prepare his young heart and mind to absorb it all? 

we don’t watch TV, they don’t see the news, and they rarely hear anything other than HisKids or audio books. 

but i still cannot protect him from everything.

i had to tell him that i was sorry he had to see that picture, but that bad things happen.  evil exists in this world because of the fall.  we live in a sinful world.

the good news, i told him, lies in Jesus Christ.  that He came to save us from our own sin, from our own selves.  He lived a sinless life, died a horrible death, and was resurrected by the Father God.  He now stands in the gap that sin created.  He spans that great chasm for us, so that we might stand before God and be free from the wrath that comes from our sinful lives.  He takes our place. 

my son doesn’t quite understand this yet.  he wants to mete out his own justice and seek revenge on the people who caused the death and destruction he saw in those images.  i can only pray that i will continue to be able to direct him gently and show him who God is and how Jesus can be his Savior. 

that and cry with him when his heart hurts so much he cannot even find words to speak what is on his heart. 

ordering the chaos...

amidst the chaos, we have been homeschooling for a few weeks now.  in reality, we are catching up on last year’s math, writing and language arts.  we never quite finished up our curriculum from the 2010 year, so, we are hitting it hard right now to get things “caught up” so to speak.

but, we are living in chaos.  i would take a picture of it, but let’s just say, if you showed up on my doorstep right now, i would come out on the porch to talk with you rather than let you in our home.

we are a mess!  every two weeks, i frantically clean for 2 solid days while we get the house ready for our small group.  and even then it isn’t that clean. the clutter is overtaking me! 

a lot of it stems from the inability of my children (and my husband, bless him) to put their things away when they are done with them.  and my inability to make them (the kids, not the hubby) . 

so we are embarking on a few new things to get the house cleaned up.  i am going to start training the kids to clean!  i know, i know.  this is not a new topic for most of you reading this (does anyone read this?)...but i guess i have always just done things myself because it is easier.

faster.

and i don’t have to redo anything (usually).

But... NO MORE!!

every month i will train each child on one age appropriate chore.  i think this is do-able.  rather than try to eat the whole darn elephant, ya know? that way, each child will be proficient in one chore each month and we will slowly build up responsibility in each of them.

a much needed character trait.

my character will be stretched also.  i have very little patience with my children when it comes to teaching them how to clean up after themselves.  i know that i am going to have to learn how to hold my tongue and not blow my top when they don’t do as i have instructed or if it needs to be done over. 

or if they decide to use the broom as a rifle and the sponge as a missile.

i have boys, remember?

and so, i am coming up with a short list of chores for the kids to do.  as i look around the house, the major areas of need are the kitchen, bathrooms and dining room.  no surprise as we do most of our schooling in the kitchen and dining room.  laundry is also a HUGE need as things collect in various piles: clean, unclean, folded but unfolded by moose, sorted and need to be put away, etc. 

i am still contemplating who is going to get what chores, but i thought i would share this for now. 

wish me luck!!

a day at the zoo

after a very quiet night of call (nothing after 9:30 pm) we took a much needed family day and headed to the zoo. not that everyone hasn’t seen pictures of the zoo before, i mean, who hasn’t seen turtles? but i wanted to share a few pics.

this was a huge egg in the petting zoo. the kids just about jumped into it!

then we saw something that you may not have ever seen, esp since there are only three of these in the United States.

it is an albino peacock! all except his eyes and one light blue feather on his neck. he was in the shade, so the pics did not turn out as nicely as i would have liked. it was awesome! apparently, there is a potential mate in a nearby zoo, but neither of the zoos will send there peacock to the other zoo. the parents of this lovely creature are still in the zoo, so they are hoping for another one someday. isn’t he gorgeous??

the naked mole rats had babies on their backs. kind of hard to see, but some of them were nursing! the kids were fascinated. and so was the KISA.

and last but not least, a pic of the moose and tic tac watching the otters. this one only has three legs. i cannot remember the story of how he lost his leg, but it hasn’t slowed him down at all.

it was a much needed day off for the whole family. we rarely get an opportunity to spend extended time together with our work schedules. i was so happy that our children got to see daddy and me holding hands and enjoying a day without trying to get out the door to another appt! it was a nice little slice of heaven!

birthday bouquet...

my only-est girl turned 4 recently, and instead of doing a traditional cake, i decided to give her a flower pot filled with sugar cookies!  she was thrilled with them, and it was super easy!

i started off using a package of sugar cookies from betty crocker, and made the recipe off the back for the cut-out cookies. (cheating, i know, but i was short on time).  at Easter time, i found a wilton cookie pan mold with flowers on it.  i filled the cookie tin with the cookie dough, stuck in the wilton cookie sticks at varying lengths and baked.  it was super easy!  and they came out beautifully once they cooled a bit.

i enlisted the help of daddy to decorate her flower pot, which i got at wal-mart for $3.99.  he painted it with fireworks, flowers, fish, and a happy birthday sign along the top. i am glad he is artistic, because my painting would have been disastrous.

why the face?  because of this:

there wasn’t any way he could fix it!

next i mad rice krispie treats and molded them into the pot.  in retrospect, i should have used cocoa krispies to look more like dirt, but this worked.

i positioned some extra cookie sticks in the treats so that i wouldn’t have to force the actual cookies into hardened treats.  i am very glad i did this, because i probably would have broken a cookie or two trying to get them in.

i decorated the cookies with various brands of cookie icing.  quick drying proved to be the easiest to work with.  they didn’t turn out too badly, although i think my creativity lacked immensely.

stinkerbell loved the way they smelled!! (who doesn’t love the fragrance of sugar cookies?) she kept ‘sniffing’ her bouquet!

everyone enjoyed eating them.  they were HUGE, though.  way more sugar in one sitting than my kids are used to.  they had to go run it off outside for about 2 hours!

all in all, a success, i think!  if you decide to make these, would you link to my blog and let me see them?  i would love to have new ideas for the next time.

linking to Mingle Monday today with Robyn at addapinch.com

turning 4...

our only girl turned 4!!  cannot believe it.  we relived the day of her births, the bedrest leading up to it, all the turmoil and family junk that transpired those last few months of my pregnancy with her. 

but now we have her!  and i couldn’t be more torn between happiness and sadness that my little girl is now 4.  she is still full of sweetness and sometimes vinegar.  she has a smile that lights up any room, and a selfless disposition (as long as it doesn’t involve her animals!) she loves all things pink and purple, and yet can play with the hot wheels like a pro.  i love her dearly and cannot imagine our home without her.

here are a few pics from her birth-day day! 

i made flower cookies on sticks. and put them into a clay pot filled with rice krispies treats to hold them.  these were a HUGE hit!  tic tac kept saying they smelled sooooo good !  (they tasted pretty yummy, too! i might post a tutorial if anyone is interested.)

we did a cupcake tree in lieu of a cake, since i did the cookie planter.  she loved the twisty candles.  it took several tries to get the last candle, though.

her big gift was a new Schwinn tricycle.  it looks like a pink harley!  she had some trouble getting it to go fast, though, so her big brother helped her along.

she loves the cool bell and the dangling cords from the handles.  she is sporting her new dora glasses, too (a gift from the boys).

everyone got to enjoy a cookie.  they were HUGE!

happy birthday, stinkerbell!!  we love you oodles!

Eternity doesn’t have plumbing problems!

Satan knows me well.

he knows my weaknesses and how to push my “worry now” button.

not that i have to let him get to me, but he knows exactly what will send me into tears and anxiety and worries.

this last week, he hit me in the finance department.

we have some plumbing issues.  $1400 worth. 

no biggie, right?

but as the plumbers fixed the issues, we discovered a much BIGGER problem. 

the two upstairs baths are leaking sewage into the basement where the pipes all meet up and head out of the house.  this happens to be in a small closet in my husband’s office. right next to the boys’ room.

drip. drip. drip.

ewwwwww.

haven’t been able to get an estimate yet.  apparently all the plumbing from the sinks, bathtub and 2 toilets have to be replaced.  it requires permits, and holes in the walls and floor. 

sigh. 

and this right on the heels of replacing our gas stove because it is really, really old and burns little hands if touched when the oven is on.

oh, yeah, and we went ahead and got the new dishwasher because we thought we were in a good place to do so and my husband really hates doing dishes by hand! (i love that man!!)

oh, and did i mention that my husband’s car needed new brakes?

and that i am making a trip out to north carolina to visit my uncle who has taken a significant turn for the worse with his ALS and is now on Hospice?

*sigh*

satan knows just how to push me over the edge.

thank goodness, my GOD is so much bigger than all of this.

it is only money.

this is only a temporary home.

eternity won’t have any plumbing issues!

i have a hope, a secure place in Heaven because i love my Savior and believe He died for me on the cross, and rose again!

the Holy Spirit can take this on for me and relieve me of my worries.

thank you, GOD!

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Ps 31:24

getting back there...

lately, i have been sort of missing in action from family life.

i am here physically, but mentally and emotionally, and.. well, especially spiritually, i kind of checked out.

the last few months have been especially hard on all of us. 

we have had so many major stressors in the last year or so, and i think everything just tumbled down onto me at once. 

see, i am really good at pushing the worries and stress way down deep.  but then, as all good volcanoes do, i erupt and pour hot molten lava on everything (and everyone) in my path, leaving a trail of destruction.

i have done lots of damage these last few months in particular.  i had to return to work full time and that was a big adjustment.  the KISA has been working to get his business off the ground, but the only time he can work is when i am not working, so our marriage has taken a hit or two.

it feels like we are in crisis management mode and on auto pilot.

the groceries got so far down the other day, we were out of just about everything.

and i can’t figure out how to get back..

back to where i loved God and prayed to Him and depended on Him. 

back to where i liked my kids and my husband. 

back to where i wanted to do more than eat and lay around and do nothing but watch reruns of Grey’s Anatomy (i know, i am really laying it all out there for ya).

back to where my prayer journal had prayers in it. 

and my gratitude list was full of gifts.

back to where i looked forward to spending the evening with my husband.

back to where my smile was genuine, and lit up my face.

maybe i need to stop lamenting about what i left behind and look forward to what is ahead.  it is just that the path seems so gray.  not dark or light... just full of fog. 

God hasn’t left me.  i cannot blame Him.  but somehow, i have to find my way to Him. 

Daybook

Outside my window...it hasn’t decided whether or not it is going to rain.  it keeps getting cloudy and windy, but nothing happens.

i am thankful for... our neighbor, karen, who dropped off a coloring book for the kids this morning.  she is incredibly thoughtful and has left gifts at our door before for them, always biblically oriented.

from the learning room... i downloaded a bunch of worksheets and such for stinkerbell to do in school this week, focused on the letter B.  she loves working with dry erase markers and scissors.  i used almost a whole printer cartridge printing them out.  *sigh*

from the kitchen... crumb topped tilapia tonight with mashed potatoes (kids aren’t too thrilled with rice) and fruit

i am wearing... jeans and my eeyore sweatshirt.  it is cold in here today

i am creating... lesson plans in my head.  more grandiose ideas that probably won’t come to fruition because i am horrible at follow through

i am going... to take tic tac to the dentist, pick up my paperwork at HR and then try to clean stinkerbell’s closet!

i am reading... 31 days to clean.

i am hoping and praying... that this new job change is going to be all we hope from it.

i am hearing... children dancing in the living room to “Elijah” and the Singing Bible

around the house... are small piles of laundry, toys and dishes.  the norm.  the dining room table is covered in stinkerbell’s school supplies and the kitchen cupboards have children’s artwork all over them.  i think my father must have a heart attack when he comes over. 

one of my favorite things... when my dad drives up for a visit.  he always brings a dozen or so doughnuts and we sit down, have a doughnut and a cup of coffee before he runs his errands. 

a few plans for the rest of the week...i have new hire orientation wed-fri and then i work in the ER on sunday.  we will be able to go to church in the morning, though.  i am looking forward to going to church every week instead of every other. 

i am rejoicing... that God has allowed me to have a quieter voice this week.  i feel that i have managed to hold my tongue better than usual.  i did lose it a couple of times, but i was able to reign it in before i got too loud.  i am really trying to stop yelling at the kids.  it doesn’t do anyone any good.

here is a picture thought:

he has been climbing into any open box/basket... then getting stuck!

have a wonderful week!

linking up to simple woman’s daybook. 

simple woman’s daybook

how i wish life were simple.  things are just way too crazy for words most days, let alone thinking.  i cannot even seem to come up with an original thought these days.  conversations are constantly interrupted, children are always bickering, laundry is always mutiplying, messes are always being discovered (they are too sly to make them in front of me anymore), dishwashers are breaking, basements are backing up, and someone is always sick.

on the flip side, squeezy hugs from mommy are always in high demand, tickle practice is a must, the chaos means my children are still young enough for me to have some influence (please, God, let it be positive), our furniture and carpet aren’t new and can handle 4 kids and a dog, the 6-tooth wonder can melt me with his big magoo grin, jigsaw puzzles are more fun with several people, and there are plenty of opportunities to show my children how much i need Jesus as my Savior and to point them to the gospel so that they can see their need as well.

so, for today...

outside my window...

there is a gentle breeze making the swings move in time.  the yard in nicely shaded now that the trees have gotten their leaves in

i am thinking...

that i am grateful my husband cancelled small group tonight.  i don’t think i have enough energy to get the house up to ‘company’ level while battling this head cold

i am thankful for...

our ROKU player and Netflix account.  they are providing moments of peace and quiet, commercial free, so that i can rest

from the learning room...

not much the last few days.  this head cold has left me pretty useless.  i even have laryngitis so i cannot read anything aloud.  pretty much means school isn’t happening since our curriculum is driven mostly by going through read alouds

from the kitchen...

i need to cook tonight, so i will be making another e-mealz recipe.  so far we have really enjoyed the recipes from our subscription.  tonight it is a chicken pasta toss with pesto

i am wearing...

capris and a mickey mouse tee

i am going...

absolutely nowhere.  this upper respiratory thing is kicking my butt

i am reading...

 i just started ann voskamp’s book.  i have been counting my gifts for a while, but i think my lists are going to be changing after reading her book

i am praying...

for a little boy named isaac who had to be rushed to the ER on mother’s day for respiratory distress.  he is thankfully doing better today, but is still in the hospital.

i am hearing...

Life at the Pond on our HisKids radio while everyone eats their tuesday tortillas

around the house...

evidence of small children... a sinkful of dishes, toys scattered around the living room and on the stairs, a stray sippy cup with questionable contents, a dog under the table picking up the cheerios that the baby throws down for her.

one of my favorite things...

see above

a few plans for the rest of the week...

work tomorrow and then the weekend, get better (!) and get my voice back (like i have any say in this whatsoever), cook, clean and all the other household tasks that need done

here is a picture thought

slowly…

each week i tell myself that i am going to count up my gifts.  and each week it seems like i fail.  but, this week, thanks to illness, i have been on the computer a little more, and managed to get some down.  whew.

246.  turning one 

247.  turning 6

248.  daddy love

249.  a new job with a promise of less time away from home

250.  Lay’s stacks with french onion dip

251.  jellybeans at 50% off

252.  new crayons

253. newly sharpened pencils

254. vanilla ice cream with salted peanuts and Special Dark syrup

255. easy recipes that i can make ahead of time so that my family still eats a meal when i am at work

256. beautiful, handmade sentiments from my children on mother’s day… unprompted! 

257.  a gorgeous ring from my husband given on the eve of mother’s day

258.  my minivan

259.  gorgeous weather that allows me to open up the windows all day

260.  no need for air conditioner or heater for a time

261.  chocolate chunk cookies

262. bedtime clocks

263.  chore wheels

264.  dinner and games with friends

265. Little People

266. coffee freshly brewed

267. curly, blonde scalp fuzz (cannot really call it hair)

 

join in counting up your gifts with ann at a holy experience.  click the button below to join in, read about others and be blessed!

what a start!

the day before this handsome little boy turned one, we had a big scare!  it has been a few weeks since it happened, so i think my PTSD has resolved enough to write about it. 

we have 2 sets of stairs into the basement.  there is one leading from the upstairs living room into the family room below.  this one has been gated for a while as we spend a lot of time in this room, and i really don’t like the idea of a child going tumbling down them.

the other set leads down off the landing entrance to the garage.  our sunroom leads into this landing, and the kitchen and sunroom are adjoined with a step.  there is a gate leading blocking the entrance to the sunroom from the kitchen, but there wasn’t one blocking off the garage landing (or the stairs).

do you see where this is going? 

moose is rarely in the sunroom, and if he is, it is usually in my arms.  this particular day, however, i was printing some school pages for the day and i asked my oldest, tic tac, to keep an eye on moose while i was at the hutch. 

needless to say, tic tac got distracted.

the next thing i heard was the scream of my 8 yr old,

“Oh, NO, Moose!  No! No! No!”

mind you, i was only 3 feet from the landing.

i heard a sickening thump, followed by the sound of a large object (moose) rolling down the stairs at a progressive rate.

i came around the corner to see him go down the last two steps and land at the bottom.

my heart, i swear it stopped.  i swear the moments it took for him to cry were eternity.

but they weren’t.  he started to cry immediately and even got himself up.

my ER nursing skills kicked into high gear, and i imagined all sorts of dreadful outcomes.  should i call 911?  should i put him in c-spine? A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I (trauma nursing assessment) went through my head in a flash and he looked great.

but, mommy mode is way more powerful and that soon overrode my rational thinking.

i also had to keep it together because the 8 yr old was completely beside himself. 

and my husband left his cell phone at home and i couldn’t reach him.

i took moose in to the ER where i work and one of the MD’s graciously looked him over for me with lots of compassion.  i had to take all of the children with me, and i am so glad they were well behaved.

my adrenaline had worn off by the time i got to the ER, and my tears were flowing freely as i watched moose be examined. 

he fell down 12 stairs, all carpet, and didn’t have a scratch on him.  no blood behind his eardrums, no obvious signs of concussion or intracranial bleeding.  normal level of consciousness and interaction.

i was told i could take him home if i would be the one to watch him, so i had to call off from work.

the rest of the day, i just tried to keep it together.  i had many moments of tears that just overcame me as i thought about how bad it could have been. 

i had to comfort my eldest son numerous times through the day as we watched moose for signs of brain injury.

it was a scary day, one i really don’t want to repeat.

and, oh, by the way.   there is now a gate installed at the landing, too, just in case.

a rough way to finish up your first year of life, to be sure.  but we ushered in year number 2 with gusto :)

praise God for His mercy in sparing moose any severe injuries. 

library pick of the week

 

we haven’t been going to the library too often these days.  somehow i just haven’t managed to fit it into our daily schedule. 

and even when i think i can get it in, something happens during our day that sabotages it.  i haven’t even been letting the kids in on when i have been planning it, just to avoid the disappointed stares and tears.

but…

i made it to the library for a few minutes before some errands last night after the kiddos were in bed.  and i picked up some books from one of our favorite authors of all time:  Bill Peet.

we were first introduced to Bill Peet when we read Capyboppy with the SonLight K curriculum. we have since picked up numerous tales and have laughed at each one. 

How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head is no exception.  it is the tale of a dragon who gets separated from his family and, left alone to his own devices, turns vegetarian after rescuing a grasshopper from the clutches of a hungry spider.  we read how Droofus grows up, goes back to flying, gets chased by Knights from a nearby kingdom, loses his wings in a storm, and saves a farm.  the ending is wonderful… i won’t spoil it for you. 

if you haven’t read any Bill Peet adventures, i highly recommend them!

science with magnets

as we continue in our study of magnets in our SL curriculum, i thought i would post a few pics of our fun.

we had fun learning about poles and how we can push and pull things with our magnets.  the boys took up the challenge to see how many train pieces they could push with the big cow magnet in the science kit.

we also had a lot of fun with our fishing game as we used some magnetic fishing poles from a previous car trip to match up some paper socks.  this didn’t work as well as i would have liked.  the poles had strings that were waaaaay too long and i had to really manipulate the socks onto the magnets for the kids.

 

flying the butterfly was really hard for the younger ones.  tic tac managed to master it after only a few tries.  but stinkerbell and bonobo could not make it fly without having the magnet directly in contact with the paperclip attached to the butterfly.  it became a lesson in perseverance and maintaining composure in light of disappointment.

we also had fun finding north on a homemade compass and then made our own magnets with needles.  the kids have really enjoyed this unit. 

we are looking

march winds…

we have had a pretty decent march.  last year at this time, i was on strict bedrest awaiting the birth of child #4, and encountering significant financial hardships as the KISA’s job situation hung in the balance.  this march, we are enjoying our new (old) home, getting reacquainted with our local attractions and exploring new territory.

a welcome change :)

as i count up my gifts from the Lord this week, i am glad that i can look back on our last year as a time of incredible challenges and lots of character development… both for myself as well as my family.  i am eagerly anticipating what He is going to do with us as we continue to trust in His plan for our lives.  although, sometimes i still try to manage things at my level (insert bashful grin here)…

229. we have a beautiful lake formed by a man made dam just 13 miles from the house.  we spent some time there after church to picnic.  i caught this great snapshot of daddy and daughter by the lake front. 

230. as we walked through the woods on the marked trail, we came across two mule deer just munching happily on the grass.  this isn’t even on zoom :)  i was pleased at how quiet the kids were as we stood watching.

231. felled trees make for excellent climbing adventures!

232. stinkerbell had to dress up her lamb… it still has on the diaper!

233. the moose is really enjoying music… he will even try to sing along!  i love watching him dance to daddy’s guitar.

234. this is the 4 kiddos watching daddy go.  moose is actually standing on the air register along the floorboard so that he can see out.  all you see from outside is from the ‘whites of his eyes’ up :)

more gifts…

235. green grass sprouting up in abundance

236. sun peeking through the clouds on an overcast day

237. the decreased use of the heater, and more open windows!

238. protective doggy barks

239. after dinner walks

240. getting off a few hours early from work

241. next door neighbor kids and talking through the fence

242. back yard play

243. fondant recipes that are easy

244. an upcoming birthday

245. glue dots and double stick tape

join in the blessings by counting up your gifts with other members of the gratitude community.  click the button below to bless others and be blessed :)

“SUPER MOM to the POTTY RESCUE!”

when bonobo was 3 and potty training, i used to say (in my most hero-like voice (you know, all booming and drawn out like the guy who announces a boxing match?)

“SUPER MOM… to the POTTY RESCUE!!!” (arms held out as i ‘fly’ into the bathroom…)

and then proceed to interview him about his tush cleaning procedures…

“and how’s your bum feeling now?” (imagine me standing over my son with a pretend microphone held up for interviewing purposes)

(giggle giggle)

“is your bum clean now?”

(guffaws)

anyway… i had just about forgotten that little ritual.  and just the other day, he yelled from the bathroom..

“MOM, I GO POOP!” and as i headed in to help, he told me to do my SUPER MOM bit.

never did i picture this scenario in my “dreams” of being a mom.  i never imagined discussions about poop, being summoned at all times of the day to clean up poop, nor being excited about poop.

but, there you have it. 

and i wouldn’t trade it for all the perfect mom ideals i concocted long before i was a mom. 

and so starts my (not-so-weekly) list of gifts

214. being “SUPER MOM” to my children :)

215. my daughter’s first REAL letters… B and P written without prompting (or tears, or screaming, or antics…)

216.  four little faces watching from the window as i leave the house for work

217.  saying good-bye to caviar (tic tac’s beloved stuffed cat)  whenever i leave the house

218.  silly stories and cuddles on the couch laughing together

219.  peek-a-boo at naptime

220. laundry piles folded…and put away!!

221. cheerios

222. butt paste (yep…we got issues with diaper rash…again!)

223. “Journey to the Cross” by Helen Haidle.  this is our devotional as we focus on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  i am learning so much as we read through this as a family

224.  science experiments that are successful!

225. a sermon about being in worship 24-7, not just on sunday mornings

226. a chance to sit through the sermon uninterrupted by the moose, who went to the nursery and didn’t scream the *whole* time (just a little bit of it)

227. as always, a God who is bigger than everything, who is in control of everything, and who holds the world in His hand. 

228.  and even though He is so BIG, He cares about all of the little things, like the number of hairs on my head and the sworls on my fingertips.

join in with ann and the other members of the gratitude community as we count our way to 1000!

on time!!

can you believe it??  i am posting my list of gifts on the day it is “due” so to speak.  i have to type quick, though… who knows when the next meltdown will occur.

186.  elephant and piggie books

187.  do a dot markers

188. vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and peanuts

189. my crock pot

190.  new meal plans… complete with shopping lists

191. DST… it actually worked in my favor this year as i got off work an hour early :)

192. a husband who is working his tail off to get new clients so i can cut back at work sooner rather than later

193.  my KISA’s new job teaching accounting for a local university. 

194. completing 4 weeks of our new curriculum (yep, i changed mid year!)

195. the return of “booger brain”

196. bonobo drawing a picture for his sister

197. bonobo’s sheer delight in exclaiming “Satan has been defeated!  He can’t touch me!!” with a fist pump for emphasis

198.  finding bonobo’s Message bible under his pillow… he sleeps with it every night

199.  tic tac’s very intricate drawings.  he loves to make them as full of details as possible

200. tic tac’s love of all things bug

201. audiobooks with accompanying bound books.  tic tac is devouring these and increasing his reading skills immensely

202. stinkerbell’s love of dress up and all things girlie

203.  stinkerbell hanging out in the bathroom with me while i shower so she and i can have (in her words) girl time

204.  a little girl’s desires to be like mommy… a lot of her statements lately start with “when i’m a mommy like you” or “when i’m taller than you”

205. the moose’s love of walking instead of crawling

206. the diaper rash that is FINALLY gone!!

207. normal poop (ok, weird, i know, but if you read this post you will understand why i write this!)

208. a gracious, loving compassionate God.  He loves me despite me.

209. miraculous shirts that stop bullets from entering a young man’s abdomen and killing him (i’ll fill you in on that one later)

210.  newly budding trees

211. plans for a greenhouse in my backyard!!!

212. the thought of fresh veggies, straight from the ground and my own hard work!

213.  the teaching opportunities that will arise from having our own greenhouse garden: patience, diligence, commitment to name a few

how about you?  are you counting up your gifts?  it is never too late to start! head on over to Ann’s and check it out :)

another use for books…

the boys had a little extra time on their hands while daddy was working in his office and i was sleeping after a long shift. 

stinkerbell became a casualty when her forehead got hit by the flying stepstool.

don’t ask.

the plus side?

all the books were nicely arranged in the shelves afterwards.