Learning to Parent

It is amazing to me how each stage of our children's lives brings with it a need to learn how to parent all over again.  Adalie is entering into a stage that is more grown-up than ever before.  This may seem obvious to all, but to a mama who still sees her as my little girl, it is a bit challenging to believe.  Adalie is in the 4th grade and is 9 years old, and was just invited to her first "Big Girl" function.  The church is taking all of the 4th and 5th graders out for food, games and frozen yogurt.

When she first shared this with me, I instantly went to the place of, "My little girl is growing up.  I'm not ready for this."  And then as I saw her response of not wanting to go and seeing fear and uncertainty, I instantly felt a need to push her to go.  I saw myself in her eyes at that moment and I didn't like it, and I didn't want to foster it.

One night, as we were discussing this, I felt at a loss.  "Do I encourage her to go even though she is afraid?  Am I suppose to be loving and understanding and let her stay in her insecurity?"  I was praying intensely as we talked, and still felt uncertain of how to handle the situation.  My own past and insecurities clouding my ability to parent in the moment.

And then entered my man!  When confronted with the issue he simply stated, "Adalie, have you asked Jesus whether you should go or not?"

The morning dawned brightly, as Adalie awoke from her sleep, and joined me downstairs on the couch.  We cuddled up, and everything in me wanted to ask, "So, what did Jesus say?!?"  But within a few moments she shared, "Mommy, I want to go to J12 Jam."  I asked why and she stated Jesus told her she needed to be brave, and then gave her a picture of her running, laughing, and having a good time.  From that day on she has been excited to go, and is at the event as I type.

I was so proud of my daughter in that moment.  She sought the Lord and found peace and joy in His answer. And in her maturity to seek the Lord, I saw her as the young lady she is becoming.

In this new stage of life, where little girls become young ladies, I choose to ask the Lord for wisdom and to trust that He is holding my babes in His hands.

Retreating with my Man

Thursday was sunny, and so to the beach we ran!

There is something wonderful about getting away with my man!  We just returned from the Couple's Conference in Seaside, OR. and what I love is the joy that we feel in eachothers company.

We were able to spend this weekend together because of the blessing of a family who had already registered and then were not able to make it.  They called and asked if we could take their place.  Another family rented a house and told us there was an extra room if we would like it.  The Lord so beautifully provided the way.

Cannon Beach beautiful!

And the weekend was amazing!  We had times to be alone and times to play with friends, time to rest, and time to minister late into the night, time to laugh and time to get serious.  It was wonderfully refreshing.

The greatest message I took from the conference was the intentionality we need to have in our relationship with the Lord and in our marriages.  If we want to see growth in either, we need to be intentional to foster relationship, to find ways to grow and to bless, to encourage and to love.  A lot of what was shared was very basic, but I was hit with how important it is to hear those reminders.  Sometimes simply brushing up on the basics can bring renewed life to a marriage.

The basic necessity we saw need for growth in was dating!  And so, Saturday afternoon, Seth and I dated.  We found a table right by the fire (I love fires), ate a yummy lunch, and talked about how to make dating a priority in our marriage.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I love getting away with my man, and this weekend not only allowed for that, but also encouraged more of it, and an intentional plan was made to spend time with him, and only him, weekly.   (Hee, hee!  That makes me giddy.)

This weekend was a success!

Our weekend ended here! Yum!!

With our friends the Starks,

us, 

the Mattos's,

and the Sellstrom's, all coming off a great weekend of togetherness.

Date Night

Love, love, love them!!  Date nights.  A time to get away with my man.  No worries about school, home, or food.  Simply being and enjoying each other.  Yes, even dressing up all pretty!  This night was extra special because it was spent with our good friends.  

The night began with a wild race from the soccer field to the Stark's home, to quickly change, drop off the babes, a few snapped photos, and we were off.  We drove to Indian Summer where we entered into a beautifully decorated room for what appeared to be a wedding.  The night's theme, "Till Murder do us part."  We were embarking on a night of sleuthing, detective work, and careful observation.

After Act 1 the questions were swirling, "Who dunnit? What was the murder weapon?  Was it the brooch or the drink? and Weren't those appetizers delightful?"

Act 2 brought with it more questions, a few answers, a yummy salad, soft roll, and a few stolen kisses from my man.

Act 3 completely confused some, threw out many pre-conceived ideas, and then the guesses began.  I felt it was the mother-of-the-groom, but couldn't remember a key element.  Katy gave me the information, and with her info, my sleuthing sheet was complete.  Dinner was served, London Broil, red potatoes, and vegetables. Yum.

Act 4 began.  Quickly, the murderer was exposed.  The true love was revealed.  And all lived happily ever after.  The prizes were called out and my sheet was chosen!  Katy and I had solved the case!  Our prize, a gift certificate to Mercato's, a delightful, Italian Restaurant, in beautiful, downtown Olympia.

What huge diamonds!  Party favors are the best.

A few more kisses, party favors collected (for the babes) and our night came to a close.  It was a beautiful, girly, all-dressed up, sort of evening.  Me and my man, and our friends.

Donuts and other Special Treats

"Mommy, I want to buy donuts for the family with money out of my piggy bank," Adalie shared joyously one cool, Fall day.  "I want to bless our family."  And bless us she did!  We drove to Heavenly Donuts, pink, piggy bank in hand, and we were all able to choose the most amazing donut we could find.  We then took them home and ate them, while we cuddled on the couch, and watched a movie.

I am confident this is God's heart for us.  He desires to bless us.  He desires to treat us.  Donuts are definitely not a necessity, but every once in a while they can be a special treat that puts a smile on our face. :) God wants to do that for us as well.  He wants to put a smile on our face.

This week I had to find sitters for three separate evenings.  This is something that I don't particularly enjoy doing and find it difficult to say the least.  God knew this about my week and He desired to bless me.  So, Monday I received a call from one of our Anthem students asking if she could watch our kids for small group on Friday.  Wow!  Of course!  Big Smile!  Tuesday, a friend called and asked if she could watch our kids for the class Seth and I are taking on Thursday.  This time tears came to my eyes, along with a smile.  Wednesday, we had other friends offer to watch the girls on Saturday for our Murder Mystery Dinner Theater we were attending.

God knew what was needed this week, and instead of saying, "Figure it out," He said, "I want to bless you.  Your sitters are taken care of."

We serve an amazing God who gives special treats to His children, and this week they came in the form of three beautiful people offering a beautiful gift.

Friendship

We have been blessed with some amazing friends!  Do you know the verse in the Bible that states, "We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses."?  That is what I think of when I think of the friends the Lord has brought into our life.  "We are surrounded by a great cloud of amazing people."

In friendship is the ability to grow and be stretched, the opportunity to laugh and vulnerability to cry, unity as we are all listening to the voice of God and trying to walk boldly in His ways.  Friendship is important.  Heb. 10:24-25 states, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  

So many of you, without even knowing, have encouraged me greatly.  I have had so many warm, fuzzy feelings toward you all, it's ridiculous.  I have stood back and marveled at the goodness of the Lord to place such wonderful people in my life.

So, to you my friends, I say thank you.  Thank you for pouring out your life for me.  For sharing your life with me.  For loving me.  I am truly blessed.  

It's Back!

About three months ago, my computer died, and with it my ability to blog on a regular basis.  I was ready to throw it away, but before I decided where I should throw it, I gave it to my girls as a toy.  A couple weeks ago however, a friend of ours confiscated my computer with hopes of fixing it.  In my mind, my computer was toast, and with little knowledge of the tech world, I didn't know exactly how he would fix it.

Well, last night my computer was returned to me running bigger and better than ever! That's right!  Somehow, it is now faster, can hold more information, and is basically better than I could have imagined. And that makes me happy.

While writing this I realize that a lot of times the way I felt about my computer is how I feel about different circumstances in my life.  "Hope is lost."  "I can't believe for that, because it doesn't make any sense."  "This or that is too hard to fix, so why try."  But just like with my computer, I realize that nothing is too difficult for the Lord.  He can take any circumstance, relationship, or desire, and even if it seems all is lost, or something has died, He can raise it from the pit and bring it back, Bigger and Better than ever.

We serve an Awesome God, and that makes me Really happy.

PS-Do you see what is sitting on top of my computer?  That's right!, my camera that was lost last Easter!  It was found by another friend during a meeting we were having at our home.  So, in one week my camera and my computer were restored.  Yippee!!

The Water Bed

It's interesting to me how different things are today than when I was growing up.  For instance, I was very familiar with what a water bed was as a child, but my children, I realized recently, are not.

Seth and I had a meeting at our friends house, and decided to take our girls with sleeping bags, pillows and blankies to lay down in the back room.  As we were getting them all snuggled in our host told the girls that they were laying on a water bed.  Kylia, amazed at the idea, immediately dropped to her knees, peered "into" the bed and asked, "Are there fish inside?"

Hee, Hee, Hee!!!! :)

Yellowstone in ALL its Glory

In my last post I shared about the purpose of our trip.  This post is about all that took place on the first half of our trip, the portion spent in Yellowstone National Park.

Our trip began a little shaky.  As we prepared to roll down the road, our battery was dead.  Before reaching our first destination we blew a tire.

As we traveled for a 100 miles without a gas station in sight we ran out of that oh so important fluid. But, as we rolled into Yellowstone National Park, and spied the first of many wild and awesome creatures, all of our struggles disappeared, because we knew, we were about to embark on an amazing adventure.

The adventure began with the spotting of a coyote on the hunt, and a bison lazily walking along.  Our parents joined us in our adventures, and each day the seven of us jorneyed out to discover all the beauty that God created.

At one of many slow downs in traffic we spotted a black bear hungrily storing up for the winter. 

As another crowd of people gathered we found a herd of elk being routed by a pack of wolves.  The wolves corralled the elk into a pond and would not allow any to escape.  One attempted, chasing a wolf a short distance from the pond only to find itself being turned on and the wolf nipping at its heals as it dove back into the water.  Out on a bluff we spotted a grizzly and her two cubs.

Herds of bison were seen at a distance and in very close proximity.  A few individual bulls walked through our campground, or made their resting place in front of our parents' cabin.  A cow bison and her calf walked right in front of our car and we escorted them down the road in parade-like fashion.  Every night was spent on a hunt for all things wild and no night proved wasted.

We learned about the history of the lake, constellations in the sky, the amazing creature that the bison is, and so much more.

Our adventures, both those before reaching the park and those in the park, bonded us even more closely to our folks (if that's possible), and made us realize how truly blessed we are to have parents that love us with so much love.

Our trip was blessed in so many ways, and we are so thankful the Lord made the way for us to go.

Family

We recently went on a vacation with family, that financially made no sense.  But when it comes to family, sometimes things don't make sense.

My sister had a baby girl in October, that as of yet I had not met.  She also adopted two boys from Haiti over a year and a half ago that I so badly wanted to see.  We took this trip to meet our family, to get to know our nieces and nephews and so our daughters could spend time with their cousins.  Yes, this trip made no sense, but it was important.

My sister and her husband met Bruny and Brunell on a missions trip to Haiti.  They fell in love with them and began the adoption process soon there after.  The boys were three at the time.  Eight years later, when the boys were eleven, they arrived on US soil.  Tragedy brought them home.  Unfortunately, the boys had to live through the earthquake in Haiti, and experience all of the after shocks and the fear that came with it.

A year and a half later, when they were twelve, I was able to meet them.  They are amazing!  I fell in love with them instantly.  They are sweet and full of joy, obedient and polite. 

I realized pretty early on that we would only have a week together and so we made the most of every moment.  Every morning I greeted with a "Good Morning Hug!"   Which, even in the midst of a baseball game, they stopped everything and wrapped their arms tight.  We swam, hiked, rodeoed, floated, snapped picture after picture, ate and ate, and yet as the time arrived to say goodbye, I realized I hadn't had enough moments.  One week to catch up on a lifetime.

As the goodbyes were said and the tears flowed, I was so grateful to have met the newest members of our family. 

Papoose

We were at our friend's house a few weeks back and they introduced us to the joys of the "papoose".  When I first heard this word, I wondered, "What is 'papoose', and why have I not heard of this before?"  So, I am here to explain it to you.  There will be no pictures, my apologies, due to the fact that my camera is playing hide-and-seek.  (It is currently winning.)  So, I will do my best to explain in detail.  

A papoose is simply a piece of cloth tied around one in such a way that an object can be carried inside.  Our object on this day was a rabbit.  Please imagine my daughter Adalie, papoose tied neatly around her neck, bunny burrowed inside, and the sweetest and most ginormous smile stretched across her face.  She was in heaven.  

Now, of course, this was not going to be a one time event.  Later in the week, all three girls were sporting their very own papooses, made from the most special of blankies.  Baby dolls tucked carefully inside and the roll of mother being practiced with grace and beauty.  

Later in the week however, the papooses, possibly being too difficult to tie, were exchanged for bungy cord, one baby, switched out for three premies, and the grace that once was, ....  well you get the picture.  

(Smiles remained ginormous, and were shared with all.)

Always

What a terrible word!  I found myself speaking this word today in a sentence that wasn't positive.  I was instantly convicted and just wanted to spit.  Things have not always been this way or that.  We've had highs and lows.  We've been full of joy and full of sorrow.  We've known good days and bad days, days full of progress, hope, excitement, dreams, and other days that we've desired would just end so we could bury ourselves deep within the cavern of sleep.  "Always", what a terrible word to be used in such a blessed world.

In writing I realize in only one instance does this word speak accuracy, and that is when speaking of our God.  Because it is only with Him that we have "always".   HE is ALWAYS faithful.  HE is ALWAYS loving.  HE is ALWAYS with us.  HE is ALWAYS our provider.  HE ALWAYS cares.  HE is ALWAYS God.  It is only here that "always" becomes beautiful.

Our Church

I love my church!  We meet at Regal Theaters in Lacey, we have breakfast every morning at 9:25, and our kiddos get to learn about Jesus and play at Charlie's Safari for Sunday school.  All of these things are awesome, but what is truly amazing are the people.  We have a church filled with people who love the Lord and love others.  Our church has become an extension of our family, and we are so grateful to be a part of this body.  We are blessed.

(I just wanted to share.)

Food Fight

I made pancakes for breakfast a few mornings back and grossly overestimated the amount needed for our group.  After everyone had their fill, there was quite a stack left on the plate.  I didn't get them in the freezer quite fast enough, unfortunately, because a little while later I heard laughter and then saw pancakes flying through the air. 

This food fight, began by daddy, was one of the cleanest food fights ever. These pancakes flew through the air quickly and hit their target with precision.  There was little mess and I only heard a few "ow's".   For the most part there were giggles, a lot of running, jumping and dodging, and it wasn't until the pancakes began falling apart that the fun was ended. 

Later that night, when the girls were sound asleep, Seth looked in the crack of the couch and discovered ...

a pancake!

Let's hope all the others have been discovered. :)

Zoie Turns Five!

Well folks, it's official, my baby girl is FIVE, and excited doesn't begin to express how Zoie feels about it.  "Mommy, I can buckle myself now, because I'm five.  Mommy, I ate all the food on my plate, because I'm a big girl now.  Mommy, no one had to carry me on our hike, and I only had to hold your hand a few times, because I'm five now!!"  While standing at the sink and being able to reach the water to wash her hands, "I'M SO GLAD I'M FIVE!!" 

My baby is five!   Happy Birthday, Zoie Faith.

Invitation

I love my Adalie.  She blesses me continually, and this time brought such joy to my heart.  I was headed to the grocery store and decided to take only one child with me, and she was the lucky winner.  As we were heading out, she told me she wanted to invite someone to church, and so brought an invite card.  In the car she said that she had been practicing what she was going to say all day.  She shared her plan and I asked her if she wanted to pray.  She said yes, and so before we arrived at the store we prayed for the Lord to show us who to invite and give us the courage to do it. 

Almost immediately upon arrival, we spotted a mom and her daughter in the check-out.  Both Adalie and I noticed them and began heading in their direction.  Then Adalie tugged on my shirt and said, "Mommy, it's not them."  So, we turned around.  "This is really hard, mom," Adalie stated with a big sigh.  "I know, but the more we practice, the easier it will get," I said, "Remember, we prayed for Jesus to give us courage."

I then got in my "go" mode and hurried through the store to get the shopping done.  By the time we were heading to the check-out I had almost completely forgotten about our intended purpose.  All of a sudden Adalie grabbed my arm and said, "Mommy, I saw them."  We turned around, headed back two rows and she said, "They're down there."  As we walked down the aisle she said, "I want to do the talking, okay mom."  At the very end of the row was a mom with her daughter and Adalie walked right up to them and began talking.  "Our church meets at Regal, and we have breakfast every morning, and the kids get to play at Charlie Safari."  I pointed to the card Adalie had in her hand and she handed it to the mama.  I told the lady we would love for them to join us. 

As we walked away I asked Adalie how she felt it went, and with a big smile on her face she said, "That felt really good."  I was so proud of my little girl in that moment. 

Adalie's boldness is going to make an impact for the Kingdom of God, and I am thrilled that I get to be a part of it. 

Memorial Day

My brother-in-law is in the reserves and he and his wife (my sister) have given a lot for my freedom.  When my sister was 6 months pregnant he left for 6 months of training, leaving her with 3 of her own grown children and 2 twin boys they adopted that year from Haiti.  He came back for a few days when the baby was born and then had to leave for another 3 months in service to our country.  Leaving her to raise all 6 children on her own. 

Hundreds of thousands of men and women have given similar sacrifice so that I can live in freedom, so I can spend time with my children, so my husband can stay home and watch his girls grow up.    

Others have paid the ultimate sacrifice leaving behind wives, sons, children, daughters, husbands, so that I can live this wonderful life of freedom. 

So I wanted to pause and say, "THANK YOU, thank you for all you have given.  Thank you for your sacrifice.  Thank you for allowing yourself to live through times of fear, uncertainty, separation, instability, and deep sadness, for my family.  I am humbled and so grateful for your sacrifice." 

Women's Retreat Revelations

A few weekends ago I was blessed to be able to attend the women's retreat hosted by our church.  I have never been to a women's retreat before and truly didn't know what to expect.  What I discovered was that when you put a group of women together with a sole purpose of hearing the Lord speak, He Does. 

And God moved mightily in my life.

We discussed the thoughts of our mind.  We were shown different thoughts that the enemy may try to bring, thoughts of fear, doubt, insecurity, unbelief, depression, jealousy, failure, discouragement, etc. and were told that when we accept these thoughts as truth, we are sinning.  I never looked at it this way.  In fact I was a little irritated to hear that those thoughts were sin.  We were encouraged to ask for forgiveness for these thoughts, and then to believe that the Lord had forgiven and delivered us from them. 

And I am confident of this: God broke me free from fear, doubt, and insecurity which have all brought weakness.  I am now able to walk in the boldness of the Lord, because I am no longer going to listen to the voice of the enemy.  Oh, he will continue his attack, but I will no longer believe his lies. 

Thank you Jesus for your revelations that bring life and life to the fullest!

Oh, and we had a little fun too, racing at speeds of 35 mph down the beach!  We were wild women. :)

Kylia's Thoughts

The eyebrows looked a little like this.

As I was braiding Kylia's hair this morning she spoke in a matter of fact tone, "Mom, I have special powers."  "You do? What are they?", I asked with great curiosity.  "Warmth! I can make myself warm. All I have to do is this," she then proceeded to raise an eyebrow and turn her face red, and voila, "Now I'm warm, mommy!"  "I can make my legs warm too.  All I have to do is this."  I have to admit, I saw nothing in her demeanor, stance, or appearance change, but she then informed me that she was tightening the muscles in her legs and again, voila, "My legs are warm!"

I never knew my daughter had super powers, but today she revealed her super secret to me, and I have to say that I feel quite privileged to live in the same house as a super girl. :)

Zoie's thoughts

While driving to Bible Study, I told Zoie that her birthday was "just around the corner".  She squealed with delight, and was so excited to know that her birthday was coming soon.  Then on the way home from Bible study, Zoie asked, "Mom is my birthday straight ahead or is it still around the corner."  I love the mind of a child!

Above and Beyond-Part 2

Coming out of the shower in the morning, I heard dishes clanking in the sink, and other noises coming from the kitchen.  I continued to get ready for the day, and when I emerged from my room there was my four year old standing on a chair by the sink, washing dishes.  The table was set for breakfast, and there was a big smile on her face.  "Mommy," she said, "I wanted to go above and beyond for you today." 

Then this afternoon, Adalie came running downstairs with a smile on her face and stated, "Mommy, come up here!  We have a surprise, but it is too big to bring to you."  So, up the stairs we went and there at the top of the stairs was a clean bathroom, clean bedroom and clean playroom.  Toys were put away, beds were made, clothes were picked up!  "We wanted to go above and beyond for you mommy!", Adalie shared, smiling from ear to ear.  All three girls stood there barely able to contain their excitement because of what they had accomplished. 

I wrote a post a little over a year ago about wanting to teach my girls the importance of doing their best in all situations, of going Above and Beyond what is asked, and now, a year later this lesson is still being remembered.   This may not happen all the time, but for today, YAY!  This makes me so happy. :)

Just Cute

The other morning I awoke a bit late and there was Zoie waiting for me to emerge from my warm covers.  So, I climbed out of bed and began my morning ritual (a visit to the restroom).  After completion, I opened the door to my daughter standing as close to the door as possible, with her Bible in hand, smile on her face, and the words, "I'm ready to read my Bible with you."  We headed to the living room to cuddle on the couch to read our Bibles.  "Oh, just a minute," Zoie stated and ran upstairs.  She came back down with her special journal and fat, pink pen in hand ready to journal. 

Zoie is 4 years old.  She is not yet able to read or write, but the joy she brought her mom in that moment was immeasurable. :)  Her desire to spend time with me, reading God's Word, was simply precious

Remembering my Childhood

This is my dad. :)

As we were walking to the park, a friend of mine found a penny and with excitement picked it up.  Instantly, the Lord brought back to memory a story from my childhood that brought me so much joy. 

My family loved to go on walks.  We talked, threw a football, sang songs, raced each other, etc.  We were always thinking of new ways to make walks fun and one day dad came up with a doozy. 

As we were walking along, my sister looked down at the pavement and observed something shiny.  She squealed with delight as she discovered a dime waiting to be discovered.  Then a few steps further down the path, there lay yet another shiny treasure.  This got the three of us siblings excited as we now began a wonderful hunt for treasure. 

What we quickly discovered was that these treasures had not be waiting long for discovery, but dad was actually throwing them ahead of us simply to bring us delight. And so, a new adventure had begun, and to this day, walking with mom and dad, we may discover a shiny treasure in our path, and a daddy with a silly smile on his face.

If I Were a Rich Man (or woman :)

Seth and I have talked about wanting to show the world how BIG our God is.  We have so many dreams of ways to give and bless, but so many of them have dollar signs attached.  So, today this song came to mind, "If I were a rich man, la-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-doo."  (or something like that)

But what the Lord has been reminding me, is that I don't have to be rich to be generous.  I don't have to have money to show His love.  And so, to get my eyes on what the Lord is calling me to today, I wanted to make a list of things I can do now to show His love. 

1.   Write a letter of thanks or encouragement.
2.   Smile.
3.   Offer free babysitting.
4.   Invite friends over for popcorn and a movie.  (Fellowship with other believers is so important.)
5.   Sing.
6.   Give a hug.  (It's amazing how a hug can turn a day around.)
7.   Call a friend.  (It's nice to know you are being thought of.)
8.   Cuddle with my kiddos.
9.   Encourage my husband.
10. Invite someone to church.

All of these may seem simple, or even insignificant, but they could change the course of someone's day.  So, the Lord is encouraging me to continue to give.  To keep my eyes wide open.  To listen to His voice, and to be available. 

If you have ideas, please share!  It's amazing how God can speak through others. 

Our Creation

Last year Seth bought me a sewing machine and I knew that it would honor him for me to use it.  So, for his birthday the girls and I decided to make a memory quilt.  On the quilt I wanted our hand prints, and drawings of things that we do as a family.  Other than that however, I had no idea what I was doing.  So, off we headed to Joann's with this vague idea of what we wanted.  I figured that I would pick up a few different kinds of material and throw it together into a masterpiece.  :)

As we were driving I prayed for direction from the Lord, because so often I find myself wandering around this particular store and wondering, "Why am I here?"

The Lord was gracious this evening and prompted me to find a pattern, then pointed me in the right direction.  I found a "quilt in a day" pattern which looked simple enough and had all of the dimensions of material needed.  Whew, I was not going to have to wing this one! 

The girls were a wonderful help choosing the material and together we found some that looked manly, yet had a fun flair to it. (a manly fun flair :)

A month and a half later, my "quilt in a day" was complete.  And here it is!  I have to admit, we girls are proud of our accomplishment!

We finished!

Kylia drew a picture of daddy in his Super Man pose, because he is our Super Man!

This is Adalie's drawing of our family on a bike ride.  (We like to bike our trail to the Sound.)

Zoie drew a picture of our entire family playing ball on a sunny day. (She is the one on the right with bobbles in her hair.)

Here we are hiking a mountain, drawn by Adalie. (We love to hike and have a # of places we enjoy.)

Zoie and daddy on a date to the donut shop.  (Heavenly Donuts, I've heard are quite yummy.)

Kylia drew us fishing and floating.  (Our fishing location of choice-the Rogue River.)

Kylia also drew us in our kayak.  (All 5 of us have floated the Sound in our inflatable kayak.) 

Midnight Never Comes

Our God is our provider.  He has promised it and He is always faithful. 

Wednesday we prayed for two things, gas for our car and food for our pantry.  God provided both.   God KNOWS our needs. 

Yesterday Seth had a fleeting thought (it wasn't a prayer, simply a thought), "I sure would like a flat screen t.v."  He knew we didn't need one, but being in the movie industry it has always been a desire of his.  We received one later that day.  God even CARES about our wants. 

MIDNIGHT NEVER COMES!

The 11th Hour

It seems we have arrived at this hour yet again.  The 11th hour.  The hour when you begin to wonder, will the Lord show up?  Will He reveal His miracle working power like He has so many times in our lives?  Yes, we are at the 11th hour.  But what I wanted to report on this occasion, are the state of my emotions. 

I would like to begin by bringing you back a year, to another time much like this one.  Another 11th hour.  At this time I was a wreck.  I was stressed.  I was burdened.  I honestly was lacking trust in my man and in my God.  I remember trying to trust in the Lord and believe that He would provide, but I couldn't get it from my head to my heart.  This was an 11th hour I was not proud of. 

Now, looking back four months.  Yet another 11th hour.  This time my emotions were not filled with stress or burden, but simply sadness.  It was December, the Christmas season, and I had a sadness that I couldn't seem to kick.  I felt a bit numb.  I wanted desperately to enjoy the season, but felt unable to because of the circumstances. 

Today, our current 11th hour is here.  My emotions today, I am happy to report, are filled with an awaiting excitement for what the Lord is about to reveal.  I am expectant and anticipating His greatness.  He has proven Himself faithful again and again, and so in this hour I am joyfully awaiting all that He has in store.  This is an hour that God shines.  It seems that it is at this time that we are most able to SEE His amazing goodness.  And so my eyes are open wide, and I am giddy with excitement for all the Lord has in store.  It's going to be amazing! 

Protecting Their Hearts

After listening to our girl's conversations and observing their mannerisms on a particular day, Seth and I decided that we needed to have a little talk with them.  As we were all cuddling in bed together, saying our prayers and kissing good night, Seth came in the room with a big heart in his hand.  He shared with the girls the importance of protecting their hearts, of only desiring friendships with boys and nothing deeper, of keeping their kisses for their husbands, ect.  Then he showed an example of what happens when we start having relationships with boys. (Notice the plural.)

"Oh, I like Billy.  He is so cute.", and then Seth ripped part of the heart off and gave it to Billy.  "I love Johnny.", then he ripped off another part of the heart.  He continued on like this with a crush on this boy, attraction to that one, until the entire heart was in pieces.  Then he picked up all the pieces and put them in one hand and pulled out another heart with his other hand.  He looked at the broken pieces and stated that yes, Jesus can put these pieces back together and mend the brokenness, but asked which one they would rather share with their husbands, a mended heart or one full and beautiful. 

At this point, mommy jumped in. I shared that there is nothing wrong with having a boyfriend.  A boyfriend can be a beautiful gift from God.  As they keep themselves for the ONE boyfriend Jesus has for them, the ONE man who will then become their husband, they will find so much love and blessing and wholeness in their marriage.  I shared with them, that God had protected mommy and daddy and when we got together we were able to present our hearts to each other without a lot of rips and tears in them.  "Mommy and daddy have such a blessed marriage with so much love, because we entered our marriage with a whole heart."  I also shared that it wasn't that we weren't asked to be in relationship with others, (I felt they needed to know the option was there), but God protected our hearts.

A few days later, after feeling confident that this conversation had gone well, Zoie and I were talking at the breakfast table.  As she was finishing up and clearing her dishes, she gave me a kiss.  But then her eyes got really big, "Uh-oh mommy,  part of my heart just fell off." 

Well, it seems we still have some work to do. :)

Our prayer is the Lord will protect our girls hearts, that He will protect the hearts of their spouses, that He will keep them, all six of them, innocent of evil, and when the time comes for us to give them away, there will be such joy and excitement because the day is untarnished by the hurt of brokenness.