One Year. [Updated to include party pictures!]

I can hardly believe it. How many times as a parent do we say, "Where does the time go?"....

Baby boy is ONE YEAR OLD today. I can hardly contain my excitement, my "oh how bittersweet, but wonderful it is!"

Isaac is a walking, almost running, car vrooming, super-hero, big-brother wanna-be, sweet, cuddly, hugs-and-kisses giving little boy. ALL BOY.

He loves to wrestle with, race with, and chase his big brothers. But he also likes to be held, loved on and read to. And eating. Don't forget the food!

I remember wondering how in the world I would handle three little ones. Now I cannot imagine my life without them. Isaac is the perfect finishing touch to our family. The one who brings smiles and laughter no matter the situation.

Happy birthday to my sweet baby boy!

On December 29, we celebrate Isaac's birthday with sweet family and friends. It was a wonderful time. We had a sock monkey party, most decorations were handmade/printed by yours truly. And a few items came from Birthday Express. :)
Our precious friend Allison of The Luckiest Photography captured the best of our day. The pictures below are her work.

 

 

 

Our best Christmas yet!

Breathtaking.

Witnessing the wide-eyed wonder, the barely-can-contain-it excitement, so many OhMyGoodness! moments....it was...magical! awesome! All His grace.

 

I read the Christmas Story to the boys several times; leading up to and on Christmas Eve, wanting them to hear it, remember it; to "get" it. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting Christmas day, but I "got" it. Just to wake up next to my husband. To look across the room and see baby boy smiling and hear him "gabbing". To hear the twins upstairs laughing and jumping in their beds. To walk in their room and say "Merry Christmas guys!" To see their faces light up when they realized what happened during the night (the presents, the cookies, the stockings). For Grandma Chris, Grammy and Gramps joining us for breakfast, prayer and gifts.
 For little boys BESIDETHEMSELVESWITHEXCITEMENT!! For all the comfort and joy of home and family and togetherness and prayer and peace. Visiting family and laughter and eating and coming home again. Allthewhile holding Jesus in my heart. Giving thanks so many moments through the day. All for Him. All because of Him. All from Him.

It was byfar our best Christmas yet!

Simple Days.

Three boys under three.

I hardly remember life before children. What in the world did we do? I used to work outside the home. I do remember how much I hated dragging out of the bed each morning and commuting all that way to a job that held deadlines and paperwork and phone calls and.....(I was thankful, however, to have a job as long as I did.)

Now, my days consist of getting up with the sun to sit in my jammies and spend time with God, check a few emails, maybe write a blog post and fold some laundry before the little ones rise. Once they do, it's GO TIME.

Breakfast takes about an hour and a half. Then it's school time, lots of prayer time, play time, craft time, story time. Lunch, rest period for big boys and nap time for baby follows that. Then it's play time (maybe movie time?) until dinner time. Then bath time and bed time.

On paper, it sounds lovely, doesn't it? Imagine a few tantrums, dirty diapers, a few messes, not to mention if someone is sick or baby refuses to nap without being rocked. Some days, brothers fight (each other or momma. haha.) Some days I sleep in (oops). Some days, I've been up all night with someone fussing (ouch). Some days, there are errands to run, then it takes all morning to get three little ones packed up and out the door.

BUT, as I have closely examined my life the past few days, I have realized, these really are the simple days. The fun, close-to-my-children days. The days when they still want to cuddle with mommy and want mommy to race with them and build tracks with them. These days where my main responsibility is spending time with them. They don't need the world, they don't need to know about the world. They don't need to go into the world. Not yet.

For this momma and all momma of toddlers and preschoolers, these really are the simple days. Cherish them. Treasure them up. Hold them.

Yes, I am thankful for these simple days. Because later comes all too soon. Then it won't be so simple.

Almost consumed.

                         Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away?
And I'm so close to what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole

(Chorus)
You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me is where I'll start

I won't let sadness steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I share with you

Chorus

Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you, even if I bleed
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me

It's where I'll start

All Of Me - Matt Hammitt
( from the album Every Falling Tear)
.......

"I thought parenting was going to portray my strengths, never realizing that God had ordained it to reveal my weaknesses." ~ Dave Harvey



(Saturday, December 15) ...The blaring alarm clock music woke me this morning, "I love I love I love I love the way you hold me..." (Jamie Grace song feat. Toby Mac)

Yesterday's events flooded my mind, my heart still aches. Discouragement and anger still flowing fresh through my mind, through my veins and straight to my heart. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. I stopped in the hall and listened. Quiet. I hear myself breathing. Too quiet. What if it was always this quiet? What if my children never came home? There's that ache again. It shoots straight through my heart, almost knocking me to my knees. Tears flow as I think of the mommas(parents) who are facing this reality right now. ...Who have faced it.

I go directly to my Bible. I search. As I am turning pages, something slips out. It's a sheet from something I printed long ago. I'm not even sure where it came from. But it looks something like this:
____________

Psalm 19:35, "You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great."

(there's a prayer written immediately after)

Dear Lord, I need Your shield of victory to protect me from discouragement. I pray that You would extend Your right hand to sustain me; Your grace to strengthen me; and Your wisdom to lead me. Thank you for Jesus, who stooped down to make me great because of Your great love for me. Today, I want to find a new starting place with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
____________

I pray. I search. I ask.
                                         I'm completely conflicted.

I just keep running to Him. The One who fills me. His Word sustains me. Carries me.

............So I am not completely consumed..........

My (almost) three year old singing this morning, "....but joy comes in the morning....your love never fails..."

For all those families who are grieving, I grieve with you. I pray for you. My family is praying for you. For this unimaginable loss. God be with you.

Our Merriest Christmas.

 

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head...."

I smile as I hear them singing in the other room.

"...the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. GO JESUS!"

I laugh. These little guys are amazing.
...

A few days ago, at dinner and out of the blue, E says to us (as he gestures his hands pointing towards himself.) "I'm saved. I am saved. Daddy you protect us? ...And God watches over us."

I have had so much fun focusing on the birth of Jesus this season. And, honestly, I've been learning right along with them. They soak it in like little sponges. Baby Jesus. The Christ child. He saved us. God's only son who came to redeem us. My little boys are excited about Jesus' birthday.

We don't focus on gifts. And while we plan to give some, we don't make a big deal of it. Santa hasn't really come up. We just focus on Christ. This is the first Christmas the boys really "get it" and I don't want to miss this opportunity to set a solid foundation. The mindset, "Christmas is about Christ, a baby born in a manger, sent to us to save us, to become a bridge between us and God." If they can get that, if we can focus on that, everything else is just extra blessing.

We've been following the advent Truth in the Tinsel, reading bible stories, making ornaments. We read books, sing songs, dance. The boys participated in their first ever Christmas program at church last week. Well, sort of. Z was the only one who actually made it to the stage. And he did awesome. For a moment, he was looking around, slightly frenzied because he didn't see his brother, "E-I, where are you? Where's E-I?"....
As soon as we got to the front, E said, "I'm too scared mommy."
"Okay buddy, it's okay, we'll sit over here and watch..."
Maybe next year, my big boy will make it up there. It was still a very sweet moment in time. Possibly my only opportunity to put them in vests and ties. haha.

And there's more time. More days of following Joseph and Mary, and their friends. More days of reading, singing, creating. More days of family gatherings and outings. Of course, all in between these crazy sick days. Oh Lord! save us from the sick days!

I'm just so incredibly thankful. There are these days when I honestly think my heart might explode from all this joy. I say this always, "Even in the midst of chaos, struggle, tears, sickness; there is this joy that comes up and pours over; I cannot help but smile, be thankful."

This just might be our best Christmas yet!





"Mary sings a song to God"



Mary



Jesus; wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!



Jesus is the light of the world.






The angel Gabriel brought Good News. Elijah's angel.

Ezekiel's angel.

My attempt at a creative snack.

Baby vest and tie...melt my heart!



Winter wonderland lights at the zoo.



painting Mary with watercolors.

painting Elizabeth with watercolors.

"Mini-men" with race cars, of course.

Giving Thanks; Blessed Assurance.

 

“No one gets to joy by trying to make everything perfect.
One only arrives there by seeing in every imperfection all that is joy.”


Best year of giving thanks?

November was a celebration for my best year of thanks yet. And a kick-off to my new year. A new year of giving, showing, writing, drawing, teaching, celebrating all my thanks. For all His grace.

For I have learned this is the true way of happiness, true joy and finding contentment. Giving thanks. Daily. I just started a new Giving Thanks journal. My third one. I am anxious to fill it.

This blessed assurance has settled in my bones. I am a child of God indeed. No need to keep fighting. No need to keep asking. I'm just living it. Trusting Him. He holds my heart. My husband. My children. All that is dear to me. ....I can move on each day, just giving praise to Him, through my thanks for all things.

It is well with my soul. I am so utterly, fully, explosively! thankful for that.

For this faith-journey that has changed me, is ever changing me
For the God that is, was and always will be
For the trust I have in Him
For the celebration to come
For the Son, the baby born quietly in a stable who s a v e d my life
For the Son,who was let go to fulfill a greater purpose
For the man, flesh and bone, beaten, battered; who died for me
For the grace that fills me every day even when I forget to ask for it
For He k n o w s me
For the growth that keeps taking place because He is faithful. He is good.



The best medicine for a troubled heart, a troubled life? Give thanks to God. Just start giving thanks. And keep moving forward, upward. He hears you friend. He sees you. And He loves you.


Here's to our best holiday yet. ...Because there is so much to give thanks for.

Reaching out; Prayers for Baby Natalie.

i have known loss in my life before. the loss of a grandparent, a beloved pet, a friend, a relative. all loss is loss and breaks the heart. ....but there is nothing like the loss of a child. whether in the womb or out, as mother, i know how the plans and dreams for this life begin as soon as you discover there is life inside of you. and how it shatters the heart when those dreams die, when life is lost.

there is nothing, no nothing, like holding new life in your hands, rocking this miracle in your arms. whether planned or not, new life is a miracle.

these days, i am consumed with emotion, consumed with dreams and excitement and bittersweetness of baby's first christmas, and three little birthdays all in a row. these three little miracles alive and active and well. i thank God every day. every.single.day for the time i have with them. trying not to take it for granted. some days i do. some days i think, "oh we have tomorrow." ...but will we?


...these days, my heart is also consumed with thoughts of the momma who sits in the hospital with her new baby girl. waiting. praying. waiting. praying. i try to imagine sitting there watching for every breath, counting. waiting. praying. i don't know exactly how it goes, i've never actually been there. but i know i don't want to. but it's happening and my heart breaks and i just want to hold that momma. i want to hold her and pray for her and with her and hold that precious life, to see her breathing. to see her growing.

baby natalie was born at 25 weeks. she weighed 1lb.5oz. i imagine she could have laid in the palm my hand, curled up, so sweet.
like me, you may hear this and think, "how to survive!? can she survive? God! let her survive!"

ahh, but God! GOD! our true miracle worker, life-giver, sustainer. He is our miracle!

baby natalie is a fighter. God is at work. baby natalie reminds me, though i have yet to meet her, that not only is life precious and fragile, but every breath, every.single.breath we take, our children take, our loved ones take, is precious, a miracle in itself. God is the giver of life, breath and every precious moment we have here. let's not take it for granted. ever.

won't you join me in prayer for baby natalie? lift her and her family, my family, and that precious exhausted momma who is pleading with God for her baby's life? please?

Giving Thanks Days 25, 26, 27 28; Preferring the pen.

“God isn’t asking us to earn His love.

He’s simply asking us to turn towards His love.”-Ann Voskamp

   These days, I prefer my pen and paper for giving thanks. It's fun to share here and add all the fancy stuff, but really, I just love to sit down with my favorite pen and my Giving Thanks notebook. I love the worn pages, the way it bloats from being so full, the way some of the pages contain scribbles from little hands, and how, with just a flip of a page, I can see all this goodness, all His grace.

I urge you friends! I STRONGLY urge you, to begin (or continue) a Giving Thanks list for all the year. Buy a notebook and start writing! It doesn't have to be fancy. Just do it and be blessed! I GUARANTEE it will improve your days, your life, and the lives of those around you.

"Once one has begun, has tasted and known He is God, who can stop giving Him glory?"

My days are full of thanks, whether I feel like it or not;

For a weekend full of family time
For my (first) nephew's birthday
For a baby's first steps
For weekends that are for sleeping in, big breakfasts, and time to meander
For "momma time"; shopping, drinking lattes, wandering, all.by.myself.
For the little boy waking with the sweetest bed-head
For the baby boy who sleeps all night in his bed once again
For the man who survived caring for three littles for five hours, by.himself.
For the grammy who is so un-hesitant to offer help
For this season, so merry and bright
For teaching little ones about Jesus
For little ones learning Christmas carols and singing about baby Jesus
For planning Christmas gatherings and birthday parties
For celebrating all this life that God has blessed us with
For the precious tiny life born too soon, that is fighting right now, a true miracle of God, seeing God's hand
For family prayers
For praying for family, covering someone whether they know it or not
For extra cuddle time with baby boy while big boys are visiting grammy
For time
For invading sunshine these mornings
For breathing all.this.goodness.
For quietly planting seeds in the heart of others
For baby boy's determination
For the imprints on my heart

Giving Thanks Days 23 & 24; Together and On My Own.

“Celebrate God all day, every day.
I mean, revel in Him!
Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them.
Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”
~Phil 4:7 MSG

...
I LOVE spending time with my family.

And I LOVE this time of the year, when there is chill in the air outside and we are cozy and cuddled up, inside.

Yesterday my sweet little family spent the afternoon in our jammies, cuddled up and watching movies. We had plans to go to the zoo in the evening to see the "wildlights". That was, until we realized it was way too cold and windy to be outside. We went shopping instead. All five of us. It was a great evening. I love hanging out with all my guys.

I am so thankful for family outings.

...
TODAY, today! My ohsosweet husband offered to keep all three kiddos so this momma could get out. Finally! I just needed to get out and....breathe. To think clearly. To not think. You know, all those things you do when you don't have little ones yelling, clinging, talkingnonstop, etc. etc. ...Just for a little bit.

It really was lovely. Meandering my favorite places, latte in hand, taking my sweet ol' time, browsing, shopping, just enjoying being....me.

I am so thankful for some time on my own.

Giving Thanks Day Twenty Two; Putting My Feet Up.

“Paying attention to our lives
is a way to pay thanks to our Lord.” ~One Thousand Gifts


Wow. Did that REALLY just happen?!
We just hosted our first Thanksgiving in.our.house. with both of our families, well, most of them. But still. We did it! And it was great!

My belly is full and my heart overflows. There is so so so much to be thankful for.

For such a beautiful day for a feast;
For windows open, fresh air filling this space;
For a home that I love, that I can clean and take care of and share;
For three little boys that are so wild and loud and ....healthy and beautiful and loved;
For a husband who helps, works hard, loves with great abandon;
For family that shows up;
For so.much.food to eat and to share;
For family and in-laws and coming TOGETHER and enjoying each other's company;
For jokes and laughter at the dinner table;
For more than enough space;
For kiddos eating fast so they can go play;
For kiddos sneaking downstairs, under the table to grab another cookie;
For cousins playing, laughing, being so ornery;
For the one girl cousin "watching over" the four boy cousins;
For my sister who is such an anchor and is so practical...and always makes me feel calm;
For my brother-in-law who brought the camera and took some pictures because, I just don't have time and usually can't find my camera anyway;
For my mom, who just makes everything seem brighter; she is comfort;
For seeing my dad, my husband, my father-in-law and brother-in-law just men hanging out;
For this baby boy who is so incredibly charming and can't seem to eat enough these days (growth spurt, again?);
For little boys who can barely keep their eyes open at 8:00pm;
For three little ones who will sleep peacefully;
For ALL.THIS.INCREDIBLE.GOODNESS. Oh God is so good. And I am so unable but HE is.

I am so thankful to put my feet up; pecan pie on one side, Eggnog Latte on the other, typing my thanks.

...."But when thanks to God becomes a habit – so joy in God becomes your life"....

Giving Thanks Day Twenty One; Resources!

I am a home- keeping, schooling, budgeting momma and wife. In simpler terms, I work at home with no monetary pay. (But the rewards are priceless and far outweigh any money I could ever earn outside the home!)

This means though, I need to be thrifty and resourceful.

This day in age, that is EASY to do! Thanks to all the wonderful people out there who choose to share their creativity for free or very little. We have found all our homeschooling, crafting, devotional, budgeting and justfunstuff online this year for FREE! (I have bought a couple of devotionals that I paid a total of $12.00). There are literally thousands of blogs, sites and links to all this wonderful stuff! And all you need is a little time (Huh?!) and a great printer!

Here are a few of my (current) favorites!

http://ohamanda.com/ (I am especially excited about Truth in Tinsel!This one we paid for, but soooo worth it!

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

http://www.incourage.me/

http://www.2teachingmommies.com/

and of course, http://pinterest.com/!
TIP: While pinterest can seem somewhat overwhelming and a bit daunting, if you do a specific search for what you are looking for, it's much less time-consuming!

[Another key is to stay on task! You don't need to spend hours online searching for incredible stuff! Make a list of what you need and what you are looking for right now. Then STAY FOCUSED. My first and main responsibility is caring for my home, husband and children. And Godly care and love only requires praying first, not printing a bunch of "stuff". ]

I am so thankful for all the (free) resources available to us!

Giving Thanks Day Twenty; Rocketships, Superheroes, and Racing Cars.

"We're going on a mission, start the countdown; 5, 4, 321...BLASTOFF!"

So many of my thanks posts have involved my children....but they are something to be thankful for!

Every day is a brand-new adventure for them, with them.
And these days have been especially wild. With little boys learning to pretend and use their imaginations, things are seriously wild and fun. Some days, we are superheroes, other days, we are "rocket drivers" (they haven't quite learned about astronauts yet), some days, they are Buzz and Woody and I am the "damsel in distress" or maybe "evil doctor pork chop", sometimes, I'm just not sure.  And some days we are race car drivers, racing through the rugged terrain or through a big city full of block towers. There are a few days when we do all these things at once. Yes, all.at.once.

I especially love it when we are laughing hysterically from our silly play and we all fall down in one big heap, even baby boy joins in. And then we have a tickle-fest and wind down while having story time or watching a good movie. And then, imaginations fill up and we are back to playtime.


I am so thankful for my boys' imaginations and to be a part of their playtime.

Giving Thanks Day Nineteen; Generosity.

As I sit here surrounded by mounds of laundry, some folded, some waiting patiently in line, I am reminded how blessed we have been by others. Before we even had children, there have some awesome "givers" in our life. So many dear ones willing to share with us. After having children, the blessings just keep pouring in. We haven't "needed" to buy clothes for our kiddos. When a kid grows out of something, I go to the basement, not the store. There are other things too, baby supplies, toys, even household items. So many kind-hearted friends and a few times, through various circumstances, the kindness of a stranger. We are so incredibly blessed and I pray each day we can pass on the blessings...and teach our children to do the same.

I am so thankful for the generosity of others.

Giving Thanks Day Eighteen; Church.

“Holy joy lies in the habit of murmuring thanks to God
for the smallest of graces."

I love our church. And though I have yet to personally meet everyone who attends regularly, I love our church family. The boys and I missed the past two weeks due to illness. So today, we were all healthy and I was slightly envious when my husband and the twins got to attend our church. Baby boy and I visited another church to hear my dad speak. It was nice and of course, I wanted to be there for my dad, but, it reminded me how loving and warm our own church is and I just really missed being there today.

I'll never forget the first Sunday we walked in to our now-home-church. The twins were just eight months old then. Several couples approached us and gave us hugs. Big, "welcome home" hugs. It was warm and friendly and.....just felt like home. Since then, we've made so many dear friends and our boys have even made a few friends. We have a place where we not only worship the Lord freely, but see him on a regular basis, through the wonderful folks in our church family.

I am so thankful for our church and church family.

 

Giving Thanks Day 17; Grace Reminders.

“If gratitude is an antidote for anxiety, and giving thanks is a real cure for stress,
we don’t have to relegate thanksgiving to a holiday,
for giving thanks to God revolutionizes all of our days.”

Even when it "feels" like it's not there, I can put thanks in my heart:

For these hard days that remind me to turn to Him;
For little boys who repeat EVERY THING we say and we are reminded, once again, to speak words more carefully;
For these hard days and realizing I have not spent time with Him lately and why I so desperately need to sit down with Jesus;
For the husband who forgives me when I snap at him, because it's been a hard day and little kids have been whiny and...and...;
For my own momma who listens to me whine and vent and still loves me just the same;
For little boys who still dearly cling to me and kiss me and "I love you mommy!" after they have been in time out for the tenth time;
For the husband who had to forgive me, still asks if he can do anything for me;
For this lovely-turned-rough day winding down and all three little boys peaceful in their beds;
For feet propped up, all comfy cozy and mind-settling;
For joy that thanks-giving brings;
For looking forward to rest, and by the grace of God, followed by a new day.

“Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god.” ~Harold Best
 

Giving Thanks Days 15 and 16; MOPS and Full.

 

“If God really works in everything, why don’t we thank Him in everything?
Why be afraid of anything — when God is using everything?”



Oops! I missed a day writing my thanks! But, that doesn't mean I wasn't thankful!

These days, I thrive on giving thanks. Speaking, writing, focusing on and sharing my thanks is how I survive many of these days. It's amazing what "giving thanks" has done for my heart, for my life, for my family even.

Day fifteen;

I was giving thanks for my MOPS group. I am so thankful for a group of mommas to hang out with. We meet once a month and for me, that's not enough, I would love to see the wonderful ladies twice a month! But, I understand with hectic schedules and all that good stuff, I'll take the once-a-month! Many of these mommas have become dear friends to me and without their friendship and prayers, I'd be lost.

I am so thankful for our local MOPS Group and my MOPS friends!

Day sixteen;

Today, I am taking in the past couple of days. It's been such a whirlwind around here with my husband being back home. We've had some "readjusting" to do, all good, but adjusting nonetheless. I am just "as pleased as pie" (giggle) to have him home! AND I am REALLY looking forward to date night; having him all to myself! ...

My heart is so full with all the goodness God has blessed us with
....It really doesn't take much, does it? If you stop and think about where you are, take a look at your surroundings; are you comfortable? Are you safe? Are you clothed? Are you fed? Start there. Now, look further, do you see? Can you walk, talk and think? If you answered yes to most or all of these, isn't that a great start?
Isn't any life in us at all something to be thankful for?

And I am guessing, that there's more....much more. But, I won't pry.

I will say that my life is full and I give God praise for all that is good. He is so faithful and just and good and AWESOME.

I am thankful for my full life.

Giving Thanks Day Fourteen; Happy Homecoming

My precious, hardworking lineman husband spent the last sixteen (16!) days working storm duty on the east coast. When he left, we didn't know how long he would be gone, or where he might end up. While he was gone, he started out in a city, was moved to the country, in the mountains, where they spent the last week and a half sleeping on cots at a giant camp, eating in a mess hall, with no TV (imagine so many men, with no TV!), and little or no hot water. They worked 16-18 hours a day, and rode a bus to and from their work site to campsite daily.

We got the call last night, "should be released tomorrow."
This morning, I received the long awaited message, "On my way."

We were celebrating over here. We were thanking God and dancing, "Daddy's coming home!!"

I am so thankful my man made it home safe and sound!

Giving Thanks Day Thirteen; Good Friends

You know, the friend you haven't seen or maybe even talked to for so long, but when you finally do, you just pick up where you left off....like no time has passed at all.

It's the friend who hears you are in need or alone and says, I'll be right over and I am bringing dinner.

It's the friend who KNOWS you are overwhelmed just by the sound of your voice and hurries right over with a sweet gift and occupies the kiddos for a bit.

You are extra blessed if you indeed have a friend or two (or more) like that. Be sure to show them gratitude.


I am so thankful for good friends.

Giving Thanks Day Twelve; A Thankful Heart.

The unthankful heart … discovers no mercies;
but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and,
as the magnet finds the iron,
so it will find, in every hour,some heavenly blessings.
~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

For a good night's sleep;
For the steam that neatly rises from my favorite coffee mug;
For little boys' morning laughter;
For chocolate milk mustaches;
For little boys' hugs and soothing voices saying "it'll be okay mommy..."
For baby boys' open-mouth, slobbery kisses;
For every little hug I see them give each other;
For every little "please" and "thank you" and "may I" because I am trying to show them;
For little boys' love of dancing;
For Sun butter, instead of peanut butter because someone is allergic;
For an all day pajama day because it "just makes sense today";
For looking forward to our monthly MOPS meeting;
For remembering to put the trash bin out tonight;
For crafts and for making a mess while having fun;
For the birds enjoying our birdseed pine cones;
For cuddling under a pile of blankets while watching the rain fall outside;
For the mess that could stay put because I wanted to join in the fun;
For little boy giggles when they spun around and around;
For all of us falling in a heap because we are tired from running;
For indoor "ice hockey"; sliding across the wood floors in our socks and laughing hysterically;
For little boys understanding "giving thanks" and share what they are thankful for;
For the boy who always wants to "help";
For a new friendship in the works;
For my mom, who just listens;
For the husband who makes me feel so special;
For the candlelight that burns and reminds me of hope and peace every time with every flicker;
For an empty sink;
For (some) laundry folded and put away;
For hot tea on a cold night;
For prayers felt;
For looking forward to holidays;
For a clear night sky and a moment to star gaze;
For breathing;
For little boys prayers;
For messy bath time fun;
For the God who is so big and loves me as I am;
For His forgiveness and unconditional love;
For three little boys all tucked sleepily away in their beds;
For time to s l o w down;
For time to write and think and sit still;
For baby boy who still wants to cuddle;
For thanks - giving.

Giving Thanks Day Eleven; Mom.

 

My mom is...amazing.

She's also my dearest friend. She's a life-saver and I don't know what we would do without her. My kids ADORE her. And she, them. They share such a special, unbreakable bond....it's just precious.

My mom takes care of so many, always rushing off to "put out a fire". But her family always comes first. Whenever we're sick or just really need her, she's here.
Her faith is awesome and inspiring. She encourages me in my own faith-walk and reminds me often that "God isn't surprised, He's always in control.".

Mom and I share our own special, unbreakable, bond...
I love that most of the time, we're thinking the same thing about a situation, BUT when we don't, we can agree to disagree without holding it against the other and move on.

How many years, mom, have you wanted to get that project or that project done? And it never gets done, because "your family comes first"...
We'd be lost without you.


...I am so thankful for my mom.



 

Giving Thanks Day Ten; For the Love of Family.

 

My mom's side of the family started a tradition many years ago. Initially it was the Sisters/girls getting together once a month. After a couple of meetings, we designated the second Saturday of each month, Sisters' Luncheon. Sometime after our precious Mawmaw passed away, it became the Family Luncheon and the brothers started attending (my mom has 6 brothers and sisters). For as far back as I can remember, we've been meeting monthly for 15 years. Not everyone makes it every month, but we always have a group and good food. It' awesome. Lots of wonderful, "flighty" conversations. Lots of heartfelt sharing. Lots of prayer. So much love poured out in just a few hours. I always hate leaving. I just want to linger and bask in the goodness and love of these beautiful people. I always leave full; stomach, heart and soul. Always feeling covered.

I am so glad to be part of a family that stays in touch. A family that prays together. A family that loves without limits.


I am so thankful for my family.

Giving Thanks Day Nine; A Walk in the Woods.

"Today really is as simple as breathing and believing."

It's November and we played in the park today like it was September. The cool breeze was blowing but the sun offered some comfort as it  blasted through the trees.

...Little boys jumping, yelling, sliding, climbing, tromping through the leaves.
We followed a trail through the woods. E says to me, "Are we in the forest mommy?"
"Yea, pretty much buddy. Stop. Listen. What do you hear?"
"The BIG.BAD.MOUSE!" He says laughing and runs ahead to catch up with the other boys.

Everyone stops at a berry bush. Z looks serious and says "These are bird berries. God grows them to feed the birds."
Baby laughs and kicks in his stroller.
The cousins laugh and everyone proceeds to pick berries and scatter them "for the birds".
They finish and run ahead, into the beautiful unknown. I snap pictures, but they never capture exactly what the eyes see. The boys, so free, so impressed with all this nature. Funny, how so many things I have never really seen until I have seen them through the eyes of my children.
"It'll be dark soon and we should head back".
Baby boy falls asleep as we finish the trail. Boys run to play in the sand. Oh! That energy.

Little boys do not want to leave. I can only imagine what they must be thinking and seeing. Of course they don't want to leave.
I love that they love to be outside, to explore, to see, to adventure about so fearlessly. I hope they never lose their sense of adventure and wonder. And I right beside them to enjoy it too.

I am so thankful for our walks in the woods.  

End of Day.

 

...As I walked around the house picking up toys, I could imagine each boy and how they played today.

The purple car with flames E carried around all day; "vrroooom. Errrrrrrrntt. Whooooaaa, I'm flying...."
The red car Z played with for a little while then shared it with baby boy. The same car I had to take from baby boy's mouth a ba-zillion times this evening. He thinks he's so clever. I found him behind a chair "sneaking" said car into his mouth, twice. There's that oh-so-adorable scrunchy face. I melt.
Two Buzz Lightyear guys, one with E's name on the foot, one with Z's name. They play with these daily. I can see them now, flying them around, yelling out "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"...
There's that white sock baby boy carried around in his mouth half the night. Why he does that I will never understand. But, it's hilarious.

The pile of blankets that I fold for the the umpteenth time. They l-o-v-e to drag blankets around. Sometimes, they're capes, sometimes they little wrap them around themselves and laugh hysterically, other times they just like throwing them. I don't know; they're boys.

I'm sweeping up sand for the third time. How do they get so much sand in here? We took our shoes off outside!
The talking-singing-dancing baby toys that the big boys play with more than baby does.
The "block box" where the blocks can't seem to stay. I find mega blocks EVERYWHERE. There they are, I can see them perfectly, building towers, knocking them over, building them back up again. UH-OH! Here comes "Babyzilla" to knock it over! Big boys yell then run. "Babyzilla" makes chase. He does this sort of monkey hobbling thing; he's very fast. I laugh out loud just picturing it in my mind.

 

Boys yelling. Boys running circles around and around and around. How do they not get dizzy? How do they have so.much.energy?
There's baby boy standing. Again. He puts his hands up as if to say "YAY!" I did again! Then, he drops. Up again. Down again. Up. Down. Up. Down. That determination. It's really quite inspiring.

 

All the dancing. "Turn the music LOUD mommy!"
The books strewn about. Remembering how we all four sat and read several times today. Each time, baby boy trying to eat the book. I guess he prefers tasting to reading. Haha.
There's that crazy looking red man they love to play with. Where did he even come from?

Oh wow, a rock. Z loves rocks. He's always asking to bring them in. I usually say no, we can keep them in the garage in a bucket. This one "snuck by" me. Oh well, out to the garage it goes. (until baby boy can be trusted not to eat them anyway.)
A pile of baby wipes in the corner. No doubt sneaky little baby boy got into the wipes when I wasn't looking. lol. He does that, a lot. Cue the scrunchy face, all perfectly cute (and sooooo knows it.).
I sigh...oh boy.
Sippy cups. Pacifiers. Little shoes. Everywhere.

 I pick up the camera and scroll through the 20 or more pictures I took just today. Wow. So many smiles. A few frowns too. I was actually told today by Z to put the camera down. "No more pictures Mommy."

All these memories. From just one day.

Ahh, but how many moments today did I wish I could have a break? To sit quietly by myself in a corner? To do something for myself?

As I sit here thinking of my children playing and how little time they are "little". How soon big guy stuff will replace the little kid stuff. I'm so blessed. Blessing beyond blessing to be here. To have these sweet memories.

And, I have this time. Now. To write about it. THAT'S a blessing.

Thank you God. For these little ones that we prayed for, pleaded for. Thank you God for time with them. Thank you God for time to write about it.

Now, please God, give me the grace to do it again tomorrow. Amen.