Kelley's Kids & Etc.

Hope

2012-01-14T09:00:00.009-06:00

My kids are growing up.

Last night, both of my teens were out of the house - sleepovers - and it was just Mark and me and the littles - all 5 of them ;) (We actually had this conversation: "We only have 5 of 'em home tonight. What do you wanna do?" And then laughed out loud at ourselves and our "only 5" comment).

We ended up ordering pizza and renting a movie. Everything that
the last movie I blogged about wasn't, last night's movie was.

It was awesome.

Such a story of hope.

Hope - precisely what God has had on my heart all week.

You know, in our culture, certain words get thrown around so much, sometimes they just lose their meaning. Take the word LOVE for instance. Definitely overused. And misused. And sometimes even abused.

And hope. I think it's another one of those words.

We've faced some pretty desperate situations over the years - both in our own life and in the lives of those we love (in the true sense of the word, of course), and so HOPE has, for as long as I can recall caring, been a very real thing to me.

In an article I read recently, the author wrote, "Our culture often defines hope as merely a fanciful wish or a casual desire."

"I hope the Broncos win."

"I hope tomorrow is better."

"But G.K. Chesterton observed that hope only has any real meaning when things are hopeless. 'It is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.'"

I've known hopeless.

And, thank God, I've known hope.

So last night's movie...I probably shed as many tears in it as I did in the one before...but they were different. They were tears that recognized, remembered, and identified with the hopelessness. And then they were tears that celebrated the hope.

Needless to say...great movie. (And great family night - with just the "littles"! :) )

But today was back in full swing - basketball games and such.

Luke's playing for Parks this year, so his season started back in November.

He's loving the increased level of competition, and of course, is doing quite well. And he's on a really good team. His coach is great - kind but firm, gentle but fired-up. It's been a great transition for Luke from Upward. And as of today, despite some of the worst refereeing I've ever seen, they're still undefeated 6-0. The kids call themselves "Blue Lightning," but Coach Frank calls them "The Cardiac Kids."

They threaten to give him a heart attack nearly every game - and the refs? Well, they're probably gonna do the parents in. Geez! Today was bad! But a WIN, nonetheless. But not only a win, a win with character. Refreshing and encouraging to see and be part of, even in a "non-Christian" league.

And Gabe, today was his first day this season in Upward. He has improved so much! He took the ball down the court several times, got a couple of rebounds, a steal, and even made a basket too. So much better than his days last year when he "ran" up and down the court stiffed-legged like a toy-soldier, often clueless that a game with a ball was even going on all around him. Great memories? Definitely. Great basketball? Not necessarily. Really looking forward to this year (and all of his red Gatorade mustaches).

And since I didn't blog much last fall, I thought I'd throw in a few pictures from Luke's Flag Football days and Michaela's Volleyball season.

This was Luke's first year playing Flag Football, and he loved it.

And it was Michaela's first year playing Volleyball, and she really liked it too.

The only bad thing (for me) was that their games often overlapped, so while I saw all of Michaela's games, I only saw part of some of Luke's games. Oh well, maybe next season...I don't see our sports careers wrapping up anytime soon. In fact, I guess if they all are inclined to play sports at some time in their lives, we could in theory, have six of them playing something, all at the same time. Wow. Someone should have thought about that! :0

Hope does not disappoint us...

Romans 5:5

Christmas Card Pictures

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Before I step away from Christmas completely, I wanted to be sure to add one last post with the pictures we took for our Christmas card this year. I usually have to piece together several different shots on our card each year, because I lost the battle of getting everyone to look and smile in the same direction and at the same time a long time ago. But this year, for some unknown reason, the stars must have all aligned, because look -

Can you believe it? As far as I'm concerned, it just doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks, Joanna and Stephen. You did an awesome job!

"Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David
a Savior has been born to you;
He is Christ the LORD."
Luke 2:10-11

Christmas Morning

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

So before you actually read my last post, how many of you just thought I couldn't spell??? You know better than that, right? This is the 21st century - the age of spell-check and word-predictors and even speech recognition software (one of my hubby's Christmas presents by the way - Dragon Software - he says it's really cool, but he hasn't let me play with it yet!) Misspellings (and spelling tests, for that matter) should be a thing of the past. (Even so, Kids, no, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop giving you weekly spelling tests). But anyway, I couldn't leave you with my Christmas Mourning, without also giving you my
Christmas Morning.

It truly was beautiful.

(overcome with happiness for his bag full of Chuck E. Cheese tokens!)

Granny & Paw got to spend not only Christmas Day with us this year,

but they also came over on Christmas Eve and joined us for
Homemade Ice Cream and our Sibling/Spouse Gift Exchange.

(always gotta' do the silly!)

Grandpa came a few days later (Grandma Rose wasn't feeling well and stayed home) and got his fill of all the grandkid craziness we have to offer

and believe me, we have plenty!

After my last two pouty-posts, I don't have to tell you how much I enjoyed this Christmas season. Of course, as a child of God, every Christmas, as we celebrate the gift of Christ, is more special than my mere words can convey, but this year, that "special" was just even more special.

In church yesterday, we talked about Epiphany Sunday and the days and life following "Christmas". The notes in our bulletin read:

Christmas is not the place where we stay. It is the place where we receive the good news of salvation - news that is so good, it will threaten every Herod in every life. But a time comes for that hope to settle into the ordinary places of life. That's the way the dream works.

Never allow the ordinary to blind you to the sacred mystery that lies just beneath the surface. Emmanuel is now with us.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15

Christmas Mourning

2012-01-06T20:00:00.009-06:00

I spent the whole day in a funk yesterday.

Not fun.

I don't really know why. It's not like I really have any reason to ever be in a funk, but sometimes, it just happens.

Of course, it didn't help that yesterday was the day we went from this

(our tree skirt tradition)

to this

For me, that's never fun. I don't know...it just that it's like the last step in moving from the carefree life of the holidays back into the responsibility-filled life of work and school.

Again, not fun.

Such a loss.

And I think I was in mourning, a bit.

But it had to be done.

And of course, the day couldn't just be about me pouting and us putting the tree away and packing up all the decorations. No, that would have been a waste. God had to use it for a much deeper lesson. He had to speak - deep into my funkified, overly quiet, and yes, even sad heart.

Know what He said? He said, "Funks are ok. They're good. Necessary, even."

Grieving. Mourning. Sadness. It's all ok.

We all lose things. Regularly. Sometimes those things are small and seemingly inconsequential really - like my carefree, responsibility-free days of winter break - and other times, those things are life shattering - not things at all, but rather our very hearts - our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our husbands or our wives.

Or perhaps they're ideals or desires or dreams we once had for our lives, our marriages, our children, our homes.

At any rate, any time our reality doesn't match up with our dreams, that's a loss. Good or bad, it's still a loss. And losses are meant to be mourned, because (and this is the point where God busted into my funk and spoke His truth) after the mourning, comes the joy.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

I don't think I really had any significant understanding of this verse until today. I guess I just always thought it meant that God would somehow, through His mighty power, comfort those who were sad and hurting. But today, I don't know. I'm seeing it differently. More as a command.
A command to mourn. Not just the big stuff, but the little stuff too.

Our plans. Our dreams. Our hopes. Even just our expectations. All those little things that haven't quite worked out like we thought they would. Our marriages that aren't always happily ever after. Our children who aren't always the apple of our eyes. Our days that aren't always playgroups and picnics. And yes, even our days that we dreamed of having nothing to do but one more day of playing and relaxing and eating bon bons but in reality was spent cooking and cleaning and putting away an attic-full of decorations.

It's not like God doesn't already know our thoughts. So why should we try to keep them all bottled up inside? Like a soda under pressure, shaken and all stirred up to the point it's got nothing left to do but POP!

Go ahead. Recognize your grief. Name your loss. Admit your funk.
And MOURN it. Mourn and then move - right into His comfort and joy.

His blessing awaits.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

Reality Check

2012-01-03T09:00:00.003-06:00

I know I'm crazy, but I have been dreading this day. The "getting back to normal routine" day. But alas, here it is.

I may be the only woman on the planet who loves having her hubby home 24/7, but I do. And school? Getting the kids back to school? Ugh. Just not my thing.

I am that "throw all routine to the wind" kind of mom when it comes to holidays. We stay up way too late, often with the kiddos right beside us, eating popcorn and M &M's, ice cream and chips & dip, watching RedBox movies and all manner of crazy late night TV, and then WHAM!, before you know it, reality sneaks up and smacks you back into place.

So here we are, Day 1 of Reality, once again, and rather than begrudge it's coming, today I choose to embrace it. I mean really, how can I not after watching the final flick last night from our holiday RedBox binge - One Day with Anne Hathaway.

Have you seen it? Don't. Unless, of course, you're the kind of person who likes to have her heart ripped out of her chest and trampled all over. It's a tear-jerker. And I don't like those. At all. (I'm more a shoot 'em up, totally unrealistic, high-action, high-energy kind of movie girl), but every once in awhile, I get suckered into watching some real-life, real-issue, make you evaluate life on a way-too-deep-level flick. We picked it up because we both like Anne Hathaway. But geez - not like that. Anyway, I'll never watch it again, but since I did...let's just say, this day, this one day, with all it's work and routine and responsibility, is a gift, and I'm embracing it.

So bring it on, New Day. Bring it on, New Year. Let's do this thing.

I'll miss you Late Nights and Lizard Lick marathons. Thanks for the extra pounds and all the laughs. I promise to rendezvous with you again soon, but right now, I have to grow up again, and be responsible, put my children to bed at a decent hour, and maybe teach them a thing or two.

Happy New Year!

...that everyone may eat and drink,
and find satisfaction in all his toil -
this is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:13

I Brought It On Myself

2011-11-17T21:35:00.007-06:00

I find it funny sometimes that I think the holiday months are less busy than the summer months. Maybe they are, but this year, it just doesn't feel like it...might have something to do with all the planning going into our 20th Wedding Anniversary Celebration!!!! It just doesn't seem possible that I've been married nearly 20 years. I certainly don't feel old enough to have been married for 20 years - at least, most days I don't feel old enough - other days, well...

After more than 7 years of various stages of orthodontic treatment, Ben finally got his braces off this week!

Of course he's wearing retainers full time now, so technically, I don't guess he's done with his orthodontic treatment, but his teeth sure do look nice.

He got his braces off on Tuesday, and we went back on Wednesday for a quick appointment to pick up his retainers. Mark was already at work, so I had to take all the little ones with me. We only live 5 minutes from the ortho office, and I knew we'd only be there about 5 minutes, and then another 5 minutes home...the trip should have taken 15 minutes, right? Who needs a diaper bag for a 15 minute trip? Especially since I had just put fresh diapers on both babies before walking out the door - right before conscientiously looking at the diaper bag and conscientiously deciding not to grab it.

You know where this is going, don't you?

What can I say? Sometimes you've just got to own it. I brought this one on myself.

Sometime after loading up in the van but before completing the 5 minute drive to the office, Sol, God bless his soul, unloaded. And thanks to his position of restraint in his car seat, the only place for it all to go was out. It was so "out" and so odoriferous, there was no way I could've gotten by - for even 5 minutes - pretending I didn't notice that awful smell (or awful ooze) emanating from the beautiful bouncing boy I was carrying (at arm's length), but because I had purposefully left my diaper bag at home, I had nothing except one 4T sized pull-up. (Sidenote: Yes, after 14 years of experience, I have learned to keep a small emergency stash in the van, but I apparently haven't learned that that emergency stash is abolutely useless unless you keep it fully stocked.)

Lucky for him, Ben had somewhere to be (as in the orthodontist's chair), so the little ones and I hit the bathroom. I won't describe in full detail the events that took place in that bathroom that morning, but I will tell you that 1) no amount of toilet paper will ever come close to replacing the effectiveness of even one single wet wipe (in fact, it is actually counter-productive at that stage), 2) I now truly dislike the sensored paper towel dispenser that meters out very frugal single-use paper towels one at a time with a 10-second reset between each dispension (is that even a word?), and 3) that poor bathroom will never be the same (and I really do feel bad about that, but what's a girl to do?)

Anyway, after all was said and done, Sarah was wearing the 4T pull-up, Sol was wearing her (gently used) diaper and I was wearing eau de Sol. (Did I mention that the bathroom had no changing table?)

Or that I still had to go up to the orthodontist's office to get the "parent talk" about Ben's retainers?

Or that it was like 30-something degrees outside that day?

I can only imagine what people were thinking as I carried around my 1 year old baby wearing nothing but a diaper while my other little hooligans were circling my feet. And to be fair, I did get a few questions, but I think my frazzeled expression and the involuntary twitching of my left eye, and oh yeh, the smell, let's not forget the smell, pretty much kept everyone at bay.

Oh well, what can I say? Sometimes you've just got to own it.

The LORD is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
Exodus 15:2

Cake (and Presents too)

2011-11-09T17:29:00.006-06:00

If there's one thing we have more than enough of during the fall and winter months, it's cake.

With 5 kids' birthdays in an 8-week span, plus Thanksgiving Day and Christmas too, we have lots and lots of sweets and cakes.

Monday, of course, was Solly-Bolly's birthday, and we rounded out the afternoon with cake and presents before hitting the road for our normal routine of music lessons for Ben and playing at the park for the rest of us.

I made a bigger cake for the family to share, but Little Man got his very own big, sprinkle-covered, chocolate cupcake, and he knew exactly what to do with it.

We had so much fun watching (and listening) to him absolutely devour it.

He doesn't actually talk yet (at least not what we'd call talking), but the whole time he was shoving it in his mouth he was growling "MMMM MMMMM MMMMMMM".

I guess being #7, you have to jump right in there and not be timid about trying new things, so when present-time came around, he got right to work opening those too. Sarah helped him a little bit, but overall, he did a really good job getting into the goods.

And as if birthdays and holidays don't supply us with enough baked yumminess this time of year, Luke and I took up a cupcake decorating class yesterday. "Luke?" You ask. Yep, Luke. I laugh at it myself sometimes too - one moment I'm helping lace his football cleats and the next I'm helping him pipe icing.

He bakes blueberry muffins for us once a week every week, and except in the cleaning department, he really is quite good at it. So I guess that means should he ever suffer an unfortunate injury bringing his professional sports career to an early end, he can always fall back on his mad baking skills.

And now, dear children, continue in Him
so that when He appears
we may be confident and unashamed before Him
at His coming.
I John 2:28

New Beginnings

2011-11-07T13:00:00.002-06:00

It's been so long since I've last blogged, that I don't know if I even remember how to! Ha! It has been a long time, but the blogging break has been very intentional and very purposeful...and so very rewarding.

My life had become "cluttered" there for awhile, and my heart was being pulled in too many directions. Many of the directions were good (some were not), but none of them, as they were, were God's best for me, for my marriage, or for my family; so in direct obedience to Him, I shut it all down for awhile, and just took up the position of being still before Him.

I have been praying Psalm 139:23 & 24 over my life for a little while now, and let me assure you, God has been and is continuing to answer that prayer! It's been a somewhat painful process - passing through the Refiner's fire - but oh so worth it! Thankfully, He is as tender and trustworthy and faithful as He is just.

I am in no way claiming to be in a place where I have it all figured out, and in fact, there are several hard things I am still going through, but let me tell you, an intentional, purposeful life lived in obedience - even in the little things...especially in the little things - gives me a confidence and hope, a clarity and a vision, and a peace beyond any I've ever known.

The day-to-day of our family life over these past two months has been good, and we've done so much. We've come home from vacation, gotten into a good rhythm with school - we've even sent Michaela off to school - (something we've never done with any of our children before!) - played and watched lots of volleyball and flag football, celebrated lots of birthdays, gone to lots of parties, and even un-pottytrained Sarah ;) (long-story). But the best thing we've done these past two and half months by far is listen to God and humble ourselves before Him. He has worked such a miracle in our life and marriage and has renewed such a love and friendship between us and hence with our children, that our life really is an exciting thing to wake up to each morning.

So with eager expectation - and a much more narrowed focus, I am re-entering the blog world to continue documenting this amazing journey of our family, and what better day to re-begin, than today:
Sol's 1st Birthday!

I love that my last post before I took a blogging break was about him and that my first one back is about him too. All of my children are special to me, and I don't love any one of them more than another, but Sol - everything about him - even his very life - is a constant reminder of just how great the love of our Father is for us. Some of my darkest days, with my ankle and blood clot and all the chaos that followed are wrapped up in his pregnancy and birth and early days of life, and now just to hold him and touch him and feel his breath on my cheek as he snuggles up each night before bed, it's like the very touch of God Himself reminding me daily just how much He truly does love us.

At one, he is really starting to come into his own.

He loves to swing

and eat

and play.

He loves his brothers and sisters,

and, praise God, He (finally) loves to sleep! It took a little over ten months, but I can now say, he sleeps! He sleeps all through the night and takes an incredibly long nap each day (usually between 4-5 hours!). Oh how nice this transition has been! He's taking his first steps now and will be walking before I know it.

I tried to get some pictures with him last night before putting him to bed, but he wasn't too keen on being serious.

Luckily he gave his daddy a sweet hug this morning and let me snap a picture.

We're going to celebrate some more with him in a little bit (after his monster nap) with cake and presents, but I have to confess, being baby #7, today's cake won't be his first -

somehow, it seems like all the rules and guidelines I followed with baby #1 have long ago gone by the wayside now that we've reached baby #7 - hopefully, when it's all said and done, he'll turn out ok.

But until we get there, and all along the way, I'm gonna soak him up and celebrate him and love on him and, of course, let him eat cake!

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Boy!
We love you!

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!
I John 3:1

All About Sol

2011-08-19T07:45:00.002-05:00

First of all, just in case you've ever wondered, we pronounce his name as it rhymes with "all" - hence the title today - because you didn't really think this would be "all" about Sol, did you? No, just mostly ;)

First up is an awesome giveaway over at Pitter Patter Art. The Kelley's have been waiting for their newest little guy for 9 months now, and Laura's giving away an original art piece in honor and celebration of him. Click here to check it out - and to enter - and do it today, because it ends tonight!

Now, back to my Sol...and just so you know, I'm linking up for Friday Favorites today...go check those out too...they're always cool and inspiring.

Is it bad to single out just one kid for my Friday Favorite? It's not like my singling him out means he's my "favorite" or anything...it's just that he's the one on my mind right now.

He's been pulling up now for quite awhile, but this week (and even a bit of last) he's been pulling up and letting go and just standing there all on his own. Sigh.

And he also seems to be going through a personality change - becoming more laid back...more easy-going.

It's not that he was a "difficult" baby. It's just that he wouldn't sleep. At all. And that made him a grouchy baby. Alot.

He's finally sleeping (at least a little), and that has made all the difference. He takes one (shortish) nap a day and usually sleeps about 9 hours a night. I know it's not much, but it's definitely better than what he was {not} doing.

A friend told me the other day that "not needing much sleep" is a sign of super intelligence in children...Well looks like we must have a genius on our hands then!

I mean look at him...he already knows how to drive

and how to do laundry

and he's not even 1 yet! There's no telling what the future holds for him.

But until then, as long as I am able, I'm just going to soak him up

because (along with all of his brothers and sisters) he is definitely one of my favorites!

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

Micah 7:7

{Sarah's} Baby Love

2011-08-18T09:19:00.001-05:00

At 2 1/2 now, Sarah has just grown into such a "little girl". She has really taken a liking to her baby dolls this summer and spends alot of time everyday carrying them around,

and feeding them

and sleeping with them

and just playing with them.

She really loves Baby All Gone, but there's no doubt this little guy is her favorite baby.

She feeds him

and mothers him

(and bosses him around) all of the time.

I'm pretty sure he likes it.

In fact, he gets pretty upset whenever she finally loses interest in him
and runs back off to play with her other babies.

It really is quite adorable.

I've really enjoyed watching these two "grow up" so much this summer, but don't get me wrong, I'm not in any hurry for them to grow up too fast. In fact, if it wasn't for all the tantrums and diapers and sleepless nights, I might even say this stage is my favorite stage.

They really are quite adorable. :)

O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

...what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 8:1 & 4

More Summer Recap

2011-08-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

Along with my hubby being gone much of the summer, came this new season of life where my two oldest kids are now old enough to be gone most of the summer too (Ben's a freshman in highschool this year! - still blows my mind...), once again leaving me home alone with 5 "littleish" people. But, unlike in years past, this summer I stuck with my new and improved and purposefully joy-filled summer attitude and actually forgot about the schedule for awhile and just relaxed {most days} and had fun with my kiddos.

We chased fireflies in our backyard

and played UNO...lots of UNO

we played in the fountains

and swam alot

and had picnic suppers by the pool.

We stayed up way too late,

and just fell asleep

wherever we ended up.

We actually tended to our flower beds this year

(which were sorely neglected last year)

and watched ever so quietly
("shhhhh")
as our little yellow birds ate the seeds
from the leftover coneflowers.

But most of all,

we just played

and played

and played.

You are forgiving and good, O LORD,
abounding in love
to all who call to You.
Psalm 86:5

Staycation Day 1: A Smashing Success

2011-08-16T08:00:00.006-05:00

I actually had no plans of posting any vacation pictures until next week, but after yesterday, I just couldn't wait.

Like the sequence?

It really was one of the funniest things I have ever seen (and that may or may not have a little something to do with just how difficult a certain someone has been for more than a year and a half now...and just how difficult a certain someone was being just prior to this sequence of events). Not that I'd ever wish pain and injury upon her, and not that I'm not on my knees grateful that it was nothing serious, but...it sure was funny.

And now that you know just what a horrible mother I am, let me try to redeem myself and get back to my originally planned post for today:
Our Annual Summer-Time "Special Days".

After years and years of griping every summer that my hubby goes out traversing the globe and doing all sorts of cool things with other people's kids while I sit back at home with our lot of preschoolers and young children and usually some major inconvenience like a medical emergency or 110 degree days or a broken down van or a real-live ant invasion (I know, I know, all this whining isn't doing much to redeem myself, is it? - but hang in there, it's got a point), God finally got through to me and showed just how ugly that attitude and behavior was. Needless to say, confession and repentance followed, but then, so did discipline - the discipline of being joyful - intentionally - and enjoying my time with my kids and letting them know just how special each one of them is and how much I love them and how glad I am to have each one of them in my life.

And that's how our annual tradition of "Special Days" was born. During the week of Mark's longest trip, I take one kid a day out to lunch at a place of their choosing and just spend time with them and enjoy their company.

I can't tell you how cool it was to hear my kiddos start talking about and planning each of their special days as the long, summer days and the heavy schedule began to wear on us all. It gave us all something to look forward to, and reminded me to be intentionally grateful and joyful, because really, you don't have to tell me, I have nothing to gripe about and so much to be thankful for...right down to that summer schedule that for years has been a thorn in my side.

Gabe was up first this year, and he chose lunch at Steak and Shake, complete with a full size shake, of which he slurped every last drop, thank you very much. In fact, when we ordered, the waitress just assumed he was getting the junior size, and that is what she first brought him. Oh the look of disappoint on his face! Needless to say, I called her back over and explained what we were up to and she took that shake right back and whipped him up a wonderful full size cup of delicious chocolateness.

He was one happy kid!

Michaela chose Which Wich, the sandwich shop,

and added in a little shoe shopping, during which she got some cute little wedges -

not these green ones, but some like them, just in a more practical color.

Despite the "one kid at a time" rule, Ben and Sol did double up this year, and together, they chose Buffalo Wild Wings - I know, surprise, surprise, right?

They really are quite close, despite the age difference, and I really enjoyed having my oldest and youngest together alone. Besides, Sol kept us laughing the whole time with his vicious appetite for the plastic placemat.

He was absolutely determined to eat it until I finally just had to take it away and put it completely out of sight.

Jaden was probably my biggest planner and dreamer and lover of our Special Days this year. Every day for weeks before, he talked about everything he wanted to do. The list was seriously a mile long! From his list, we ended going to the movie,

and then to McDonald's

and then to Sweet CiCi's for frozen yogurt
(with toppings of course!).

His momma and movies and food -

There's nothing he likes more!

And McDonald's? Yes, I tried to "suggest" him out of it, but he wouldn't budge. And really, by the time we got there, I was just thankful it wasn't
Captain D's...He had been planning on going "to that fish place" for weeks!

I would have done it, for him, but fish (even the smell of it) just makes me want to throw up.

Sarah, being only 2, "chose" Qdoba - one of my favorites, and I'm so glad she did ;)

After we ate, we headed over to the bookstore and hung out there for awhile. What a sweet time that was.

I used to be really good at taking Ben and Michaela to do things like that when they were little, but then by the time we added Luke, and I was outnumbered 3:1, I sort of stopped doing things like that. :( This trip brought back sweet memories, and renewed my hope in doing more things like this again with my new set of littles.

And that leaves Luke.

Aaaahhhh Luke.

His special day came the morning after his special night in the emergency room (click here for that story). (I think he was just trying to milk me for more one-on-one mommy time! - It worked. Ha!)

He chose Cracker Barrel for breakfast, his fave.

(See the hospital bracelet still on his arm?)

I'm not sure what he loves more - the mound of fluffy, more-than-he-can-eat pancakes, or the silly little peg game

I love my kiddos, each and every one, and will be the first to tell you that I am a woman blessed beyond blessed to have them all in my life. (I also love the new perspective God has put in my heart about summer time. He really is full of mercy and grace beyond compare).

Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
Psalm 116:7

Miscellany Monday {apparently the TV edition}

2011-08-15T01:17:00.011-05:00

School's been back in session {for us} for the better part of two weeks now which means {for us} it's vacation time! Mark is so busy during the summer, that we always take our vacation after public school kids go back to school and his ministry schedule slows down {just a tiny bit}. And since we always vacation after school starts, we always start school just a little bit early so we can have the whole week off with no school worries. And that is where we are today...it's Monday and the first official day of our vacation! Yay!

We're mixing things up a little this year. Instead of going to our usual indoor water park resort up in Gatlinburg, we're "staycationing" it and doing some fun and different things nearby that we don't usually do otherwise. But most of all, we're just hanging together - with neither school nor work - and that is going to be great!

But before we head off to do our "vacationey" things, I'm linking up with Carissa again over at lowercase letters for a little bit of Miscellany Monday.

First up in miscellaneous tidbits -

is the {probably} little-known fact that bugs,

particularly little bugs,

especially little bugs with powdery wings taste awful.
(Don't ask me how I know).

And second is this -

the crazy realization that my 2 year old speaks better
{albeit limited} Chinese
(thank you, Kai Lan)

than my 5 year old speaks English...

and I'm a speech language pathologist! Go figure.

Next up?

There is just no way around it. Candace from Phineas and Ferb IS my 12 year old daughter. (And, just so you know, Phineas and Ferb is my favorite show right now. It may or may not be unusual for my hubby to walk into our room when I'm nursing Sol before bedtime and find me watching an episode - or two - of Phineas and Ferb that I may or
may not have recorded earlier that day).

And finally, in this short and sweet list today, is my new favorite quote (although it probably won't mean a thing to you if you don't watch Expedition Impossible). --- Geez, it sounds like we watch alot of TV around here, doesn't it? Ha! 7 kids...you know better, right? Anyway, Erik from team Gypsies was talking about Ike from team No Limits, and he said,

"Ike's foot obviously has been a major concern,
but he'd rather chop off his foot and put it in his backpack
and keep going than to give up."

And after the last two episodes, I'd have to say I agree. Man! I broke my ankle and I was down and out for months. He breaks his and keeps on climbing cliffs and rappelling down rock ledges and trekking across Morocco. I don't see how they have a chance at all, (I mean, come on! And to top it off, the third guy on their team is blind!) but I am all-out rooting for them to win. If I ever wanted my kids to soak up some of the qualities of TV "stars" {which in general, I do not} these guys from team No Limits have them all. Commitment, perseverance, kindness, encouragement, a servant heart...I know they're motivated to win, but really the odds are against them, and yet they keep on keeping on - and with such grace and control. Pretty good testimony if you ask me.

Alright, enough miscellany for today. I've got some vacationing to do!

...let us throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

Reese's Trees

2011-08-11T08:40:00.013-05:00

Just a little tribute to two ladies who have touched my heart and changed my life forever.

REESE'S TREES
~ a handpainted original ~
my tribute to a mother and her daughter

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me...
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor...
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion -
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of His splendor.

from Isaiah 61

Celebrating life today

and the Giver of life

now and everlasting.

Happy Birthday, Reese!

The Spirit of God has made me;
The breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

Wonka Candy Sugar Tubes

2011-08-10T16:53:00.018-05:00

It's no secret...

there are lots of things that drive me crazy about this kid

but there's lots of things about him that I love too.

He is sooooo passionate (sometimes to a fault).

He loves all things "SPORT". Absolutely the epitome of the All-American Boy.

This year, he's adding "real" flag football to his repertoire.

(He had evaluations for team placement Monday evening).

Of course, we won't know anything about teams or practices and games for a few weeks still, but he still asks me every. single. day.

He is so excited!

Another thing he's excited about is a certain little girl.

Her name is *** (you didn't think I was going to write that here,
now did you?).

And she is pretty beautiful.

And she does know how he feels,

but she doesn't give him the time of day (at least not yet).

Remember, I said he is passionate...and persistent...so who knows what the future holds.

But the other night when I was helping the boys clean their room, I came across this.

And read it.

(though that took some pretty amazing deciphering skills at times).

Then I showed it to Mark.

Well, first I laughed out loud - alot - then I showed it to Mark. Turns out I was the only one who didn't know it existed. He apparently made it a couple of months ago and has hung onto it.

Anyway, for those of you with less-honed deciphering skills, let me help. It reads...

Stuff aboutt ***
Stuff about ***

Birthday ***.
Birthday - ***

Favrit coller perpal and pink.
Favorite color - purple and pink.

Favrit movie tagled.
Favorite movie - Tangled.

Hair coller Blond.
Hair color - Blonde.

She has six fracals on her fase.
She has six freckles on her face.

favrit shager coller for wonca shager tubs ornge
Favorite sugar color for Wonka sugar tubes - orange
(my personal favorite tidbit of info)

Best Frend ***
Best Friend - ***

Her bathroom coller is yellow
Her bathroom color is yellow.

Her room is pink
Her room is pink.

Her bed is fazie and pink
Her bed is fuzzy and pink.

Her ears are pirced
Her ears are pierced.

She loves bows on VBS she weared three bows on day 2
She loves bows. On VBS she wore three bows on day 2.

I love this boy! And one day some girl is going to too!
(And she is gonna be one lucky girl!)
May he always be this attentive to the girl he loves.
(And may we take a hint from him and become more attentive to the ones we love).

I know he's only 9, but I'm already praying for him and, Lord willing, the woman he will someday marry. May they both have hearts that love HIM and feet that walk HIS path.

I'm off to find out my love's favorite sugar color for his Wonka sugar tubes...

"...all my days were written in Your book
and planned before a single one of them began."
Psalm 139:16

9 Months

2011-08-08T21:53:00.012-05:00

Why is it that I'm always late with my Friday Favorites, but can somehow {most of the time} manage to get up my Monday Miscellanies?

Linking up with Carissa today...

Sol turned 9 months old yesterday.

Man, he's beautiful!

And now that he's {finally} sleeping more - but don't go and assume that he's sleeping alot or anything, because let me assure, he. is. not. ;) - he's become a much happier baby. He laughs and squeals and smiles and babbles now, and it all really is quite beautiful.

Of course, now that he's mastered pulling up on anything and everything, he's begun practicing letting go. He can usually balance 3 or 4 seconds before tumbling down, but the way he's going, I know it won't be long. And he's definitely secured his position as our only "binky baby." I don't know why, but we never really even offered a binky to our other babies, but this little guy is hardly ever without one, except when he ejects it to eat (or I take it out for pictures). It really is quite funny. And, if the past couple of weeks are any indication, it's looking like he's going to be a blankie baby too. (I heart blankie babies!)

And since Sarah had begun scaling her bed at will, at all hours of the day and night, I finally just relented and removed the side of her crib. I figured the last thing I needed was for her to fall and break something climbing over the rail in the pitch black darkness of her room in the middle of the night - every night - often multiple times every night. Of course, that did effectively bring an end to her afternoon nap time around here. Sigh. But with the rowdies around, it's not like nap time was ever really a quiet time or anything. Man those kids don't know what they're missing! I'd love for someone to tell me take a nap everyday.

The funny - or depending on how tired I am, not-so-funny - thing now that she has complete "bed freedom" is all the silliness she pulls in the middle of the night. It is nothing to hear her little feet running up and down the halls of the house at 3 a.m. or to awake to her screaming and crying hysterically because she "lost" us. I'm not sure why, but she hasn't yet figured out that we're all in our beds sleeping in the middle of the night. She has, however, figured out where to find Michaela, and it is not uncommon at all to awake and find her snuggled up next to her big sister most every morning now.

School has officially started here - for all 5 of my oldest - and is going surprisingly well (so far). But boy is it a commitment! It literally takes me all day to get through each one's workload. I wonder if there's ever going to be a time when they're all 7 "in school"? Hmmm, with 14 years between Ben and Sol, I guess not. Whew! That could have been hard! Ha!

Of course, God has been working overtime on me lately
(because satan has been too). I've been fighting, fighting, fighting, and

He just won't let me go

(a fact of which, of course, I am beyond grateful, but still...)
The Refiner's fire is a dreadfully painful place.

And last (and probably also "least") one of the "major" news stories on the local news last week was "How to correctly trim your fingernails." They even had a man-on-the-street interview for it. I think I watched it out of sheer disbelief - like I kept waiting for them to say "Gotcha!" or something. But they never did. And that, my friend, is why I don't watch the news.

Whatever you do,
work at it with all your heart,
as working for the LORD,
not for men.
Colossians 3:23

My day-late {again} Friday Favorites

2011-08-06T11:19:00.015-05:00

What a week! What a crazy, full week!

I'm not always a "late" person. I promise. But lately...oh well.

Despite the craziness and the fullness of the week
(or maybe because of it) I have so many favorites.

(linking up with Rachel - click to check out other (not-late) favorites)

Topping my list, as usual,

is swimming with my kiddos.

And this time, Daddy got to join us!

(He's so much fun!)

Funny pool story...My rowdies are particularly outgoing and friendly. They've never met a stranger. And they always {though I sometimes wish they wouldn't} say exactly what they're thinking. So a neighbor couple we didn't know (but do now!) came to the pool while we were there. They're in their early 30's, I'd say. He took his shirt off and got in and was tossing a water ball back in forth with his wife. Luke was watching, then inching closer and closer, positioning himself to get in on the fun, and then struck up a conversation.

Luke: "You look like that guy from Kung Fu Panda."

Man: "Oh yeh? Which one?"

Luke: "The panda."

Yep, that's my boy!

Talk about an ice-breaker! It worked...and well, we now have some new neighbor-friends. (But I do hope, for his sake, my boy gets a little more discriminating with his "lines" before he starts using them on girls. Can you imagine???)

And Thursday was a major encouragement day! We started the morning early meeting a photographer out at the barn.

She was contracted to take pictures for an article running in an upcoming issue of World Vision magazine
about our kiddos and their foundation,
Together We CAN Make A Difference.
(Click here to check it out).

I'm so (mommy-proud) of them. They've stuck with this project for more than 2 years now,

have raised over $5000, have spoken in front of large groups and shared their vision, have gotten partners to join us, and currently have over 1000 lbs of can stored in the barn waiting for us to secure a truck to help us haul on recycle day.

And as if the photo shoot wasn't fun and encouraging enough,

later that afternoon, we got a copy of the nationally distributed Fusion devotional magazine

featuring another article (written by my hubby)

and pictures of our kiddos doing their thing.

Nothing quite like seeing yourselves and reading your story in a magazine. Kind of fun :)

And talk about fun...we got to visit with the Fishsticks and their Turkey cousins again this summer. I went to high school with these 2 girls

and God has been so sweet to keep that friendship going.

18 kids between us

(even though we were missing a few for this shot)

That visit was one of the highlights of my week, Girls,
(and more than worth the drive ;) )
Love you!

And then yesterday afternoon, my parents surprised us by dropping by to visit

and stayed for supper and {home-made} ice cream. I don't know if they've ever done that before...it was nice.

And Gabe finally got to go to his
first ever back-to-school movie night
at church, now that he's in 1st grade and all, and according to him,
it was just as awesome as he knew it would be!

And last but certainly not least, another favorite this week has been knowing and seeing God {quickly} answer our prayers...trusting that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose...knowing that (in His time) He always brings Light to the darkness because He knows the truth and
He is the TRUTH.

No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared
for those who love Him.
I Corinthians 2:9

My {day-late} Friday Favorites

2011-07-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

I've been so occupied with my "to-do" list this week that my momma-guilt finally got the best of me yesterday, and we (me, the Rowdies, and the Littles) ended up at the pool {all evening long}. And, as usual, it was fun. I really hate that Mark has missed so many swims with us this summer - Jaden has been the biggest surprise - he's turned into a little fearless fish right before my eyes - but I really do like the nights we throw routine to the wind and pack a picnic supper and hit the pool until {after} bedtime. Sometimes it's just good to take a break and step away from "it" all. And that's what our "pool nights" have been for me this summer - a {favorite} and much-welcomed break from it all.

This week, I've also found myself particularly fond of...

Bathrooms that babies can sleep in – sometimes even up to 9 hours at a time! {I've logged more consecutive sleep hours over the last 4 nights than I have in over 8 months :) } Giving him his own space has definitely made a difference - and unless someone tells him, I bet he'll never even know most people don't sleep in the bathroom.

Biggest brothers that have a special way with littlest brothers – we call him "The Baby Whisperer". Seriously, I've never seen anything quite like it. Sol adores him {and just between you and me, I think the adoration is mutual}.

An oral surgeon who is kind and gentle and patient and nice and who has raised 3 daughters of his own (so he was not offended - or even phased - by our 12 year old - who was not "posing" for the camera by the way - nope, that's just her, um, beautiful, 12-year-old self nowadays).

Laughing gas that can relax even the most up-tight 12-year-old. {I haven't seen her laugh like that in nearly a year and a half now...almost forgot she could - her spontaneous, free (I don't care that it was under-the-influence) laughter}...yes, definitely a favorite for me.

And while I'm thinking about it, I'm also particularly fond of
pain medicine right now (admittedly and unashamedly 100% for my benefit even though I'm not the one taking it - now, if I could just get my hands on some more of that laughing gas...)

And one more favorite this week? This little boy who can entertain himself for hours and make "fun" out of practically anything.

The LORD reigns forever...
[He has] never forsaken those who seek [Him].
from Psalm 9

A Question About Boys

2011-07-26T22:42:00.010-05:00

No pictures today {you're welcome}. Just a question...

Are all boys

GROSS

or is it just mine?

I went upstairs this morning to help direct the Rowdies in a quick clean-up of their room, as I usually do a couple of times a week, and in all my directing, I ended up a wee bit too close to the bathroom.

Oh the smell!
(and no, it had nothing to do with #2).

It just plain stunk!

A quick {and brave} peek inside didn't reveal anything too out of the ordinary. Of course, the toilet wasn't flushed and there was no soap in the soap pump and the hand towel was all balled up beside the sink and there was more litter around the trash can than there was in it and there was no toilet paper {anywhere} and there was a random Hot Wheels car or two on the floor, but that's all pretty normal - and exactly why they're only allowed to use that bathroom and pretty much no one else will.

But based on the smell alone, I knew we I couldn't wait two more days for chore day for Luke to {seemingly} ~~not~~ clean it. I quickly adjusted the assignments for the room clean-up and staged an intervention.

Shocked and completely clueless as to what all the fuss was about, Luke obediently {but not necessarily willingly} headed into the bathroom armed with a few paper towels and "his" cleaning bottle filled with vinegar water.

And of course, in less than 5 minutes, emerged claiming "Job Done."

Not believing him of course, I ventured back in to check things out for myself. Surprisingly, he had made a difference - not a big difference, mind you, but he had done what I had asked.

Regardless, it still stunk! And I knew what I had to do. And I did it {not necessarily willingly ;)}, but I did it.

Armed with a roll of paper towels and "my" arsenal of disinfecting cleaning supplies, I headed into that bathroom to wage war on that smell.

I'll spare you all the details, but I must ask, "For crying out loud! What do boys have against aiming??? Really, it can't be that hard for them can it? I don't know personally, but it looks like to me that they were made to aim."

I scrubbed all of the usual places, but I also discovered I needed to scrub the attic door! Granted, it is close to the toilet, but it's not that close!

But that's not even the kicker.

Want to hear the kicker?

I was checking the drawers in the vanity - we don't officially keep anything in them because, well, if you haven't figured it out by now... - anyway, I was just checking and what did I find?

An ice cream sandwich.

Yep, you read that right.

An ice cream sandwich.

(We haven't had ice cream sandwiches here since the first week of June - I know, because that's when I bought them to celebrate the beginning of summer - guess someone didn't want to celebrate - or maybe they figured they'd celebrate later - after bedtime - but then they forgot. Who knows! I didn't even bother to ask, because already they can't seem to "remember" who left the fridge open or who spilled the sprite all over the floor or who chewed the {forbidden} gum and stuck it on the bookshelf, so how in the world could I expect them to remember who put the unwrapped ice cream sandwich in the bathroom drawer?)

Yes, unwrapped.

And do you have any idea what an unwrapped ice cream sandwich does when left in a bathroom drawer for nearly 2 months?

(If you do, then I'd be willing to bet the desert allowance of our budget that you are a mom to a bunch of little ~~hooligans~~ boys just like mine!)

It becomes part of the drawer. Kind of like that rubberized, display food registered dietitians use, only nastier.

I actually had to use a flat-head screwdriver to chisel it out of the drawer. I'm grossed out just remembering it.

Which leads me back to my original question...

Are all boys GROSS, or is it just mine?

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer...
He rescued me because He delighted in me.
from Psalm 18

Miscellany Monday

2011-07-25T23:42:00.007-05:00

Linking up with Carissa today...

Still knee-deep in the planning part of school.

I really dislike this part of it, but once we're in full-swing, I know I'll be glad I did it. (At least that's what I keep telling myself). Luckily I have this girl sporting her new toothy grin to keep me light-hearted and laughing all day.

What a nut!

She learned how to climb out of her crib over the weekend.

And while hearing her door creak open and seeing her sweet little face smiling and saying "Hi" all timid-like she's not quite sure if she's allowed to come out of her room of her own free will is precious, it's not exactly what I was looking forward to.

It's been my experience that this particular stage of moving forward usually means leaving behind my much-loved (even though I don't get to sleep) nap time. Not sure I am ready for that. No, make that I am sure...I am not ready. :(

Sol has earned a couple of new nick names this weekend: Shiner-Bot and Bruiser since he's sportin' an ever-adorable, just what every 8-month-old needs, black-eye.

He is so big and so strong, there is almost nothing he won't try - including pulling up on the not-so-secure TV tray (that's what they're called, right?) We've used this particular one as a side table for so long, I've forgotten what it really is. It seems that whatever it is, it is not a safe, baby-puller-upper (but it is one dang good, black-eye giver)!

And while I'm on the subject of Sol, whoever coined the phrase "sleeping like a baby", didn't have my baby. Sheesh! Although I will say, we finally did ~~kick him out~~ move him to the bathroom (we don't have alot of extra room around here ;) ) and I have had almost 6 hours of sleep now for three nights in a row.

I almost don't know what to do with myself! Ha! Just kidding. Actually, I feel like I have a bad case of jet lag ;) .

My hubby came home with an old VHS of Barney Friday night. Something about this just isn't right. No thing should have this much power.

They were mesmerized. I'm pretty sure if he told them to "drink the kool-aid", they would have...

And finally, the love of my life (and father of all my kiddos) turned 41 this weekend!

We've been together now for more than half of his life. Pretty cool, if you ask me. Happy Birthday {one more time}, Love! You're the greatest!

If I have not love...I have nothing.
from I Corinthians 13: 1-13

My {favorite} Reasons Why

2011-07-22T23:32:00.010-05:00

There's a reason why we - one of us or the other - gets up every. time. they call out.

I heard it flowing sweetly down the hall today.

And it stopped me in my tracks -

that sweet two-year-old voice,

from the little girl playing, alone in her room.

I followed it,

and I watched, unnoticed for awhile, just taking it in.

Taking it all in.

They say children learn by imitating the behavior of their parents -

that they practice what they see.

Dear Children, I want you to see - always - just how much you are loved.

Each one of you is a gift.

A special

unique

hard-fought-for

{sometimes exhausting}

gift.

Whether born perfectly 6 weeks early and in an ambulance,

or almost full-term, yet still unable to breathe...

Whether coughing so hard and for so long I feared we wouldn't get help in time,

or taking a fall from which the consequences have lasted for years...

Whether almost costing me my life,

or me almost costing you yours...

Time and again - at least from our perspective - life has hung in the balance.

Life is short.

No moment - save the one we're living in - is guaranteed.

I love you.

We love you.

And that is the reason why...

{linking up with Rachel at finding joy and Casey for What is on Your Heart}

This is the LORD's doing -
it is marvelous in our eyes.
Psalm 118:23

Sleep, Shoes, and School

2011-07-20T17:53:00.007-05:00

I hate to keep talking about sleep (or the lack thereof), but that is just the season of life we are in right now. Last night, I actually logged nearly 2 hours straight - almost 4 though if you add up all the little cat naps throughout the night. {I may sound like I'm OK with this pattern, but really I'm thinking it won't be much longer before I crack. Hope not, but really? How long do you think I can keep this up? And why am I not napping right now, you ask? Because I have a 6 year old, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old up in the next room. Oh well. If this is what it means to have them in my life, then I'll take it...along with a couple of Motrin to ease that sleep-deprivation headache I "woke up" with this morning ;) }.

At one point last night I actually thought I needed to tape record the "music" in my house - Sol crying, Sarah screaming, Luke shouting, and Gabe wailing - not all at once mind you, they take turns - sometimes 2 of them get to going at the same time, but usually they take turns. Pretty thoughtful of them if you ask me. It's not like I (or even "we" when Mark is home) can be every where at once, and well, if you need momma, you pretty much need her right then - not in a minute.

How in the world does OctoMom do it?

Maybe her kids sleep better than mine do. I sure hope so! Between the boys' night terrors and Sarah's "rockin's" and Sol's teething...geez louise!

I think I mentioned that Sol is getting his top two teeth. They're adorable, but apparently very very painful {either that or he's just a big baby ;) and yes, that pun was intended for my 23 lb, 8 month old BIG BABY!}

He's taken two whole bottles of baby ibuprofen over the last two weeks, hasn't slept for more than a 2-hour stretch in quite some time, and constantly pulls at his ear (but he's done that since the week he was born).

So this morning my gut got the best of me, and even though I didn't think he was sick, I knew I couldn't bear the guilt if he was suffering with an ear infection and I never had him checked out. So we went to the doctor this morning. And yes, he's fine. The poster child of good health (and good milk!). He just doesn't sleep - at least not well.

He's so tired. Poor baby. Those are gonna be some of the most hard-earned baby teeth ever! And lucky for you, I plan to be here every night {and day} to hold you and rock you and console you and bounce you and give you more ibuprofen as long as you need it. I'll sleep when you go to college...unless of course I'm up through the night keeping your big brothers' and sister's kiddos. Hmmm, it just occurred to me - I may never sleep again........

Luckily though, Jaden slept well last night despite the cacophony we had working and got up this morning and came down ready to go to day camp. He could only find one tennis shoe. This was his solution.

Hey, in a family this large, sometimes you've just got to solve your own problems. ;)

And finally, I thought I'd leave you with a picture of what the homeschool new-school-year planning stage looks like.

We haven't seen our kitchen table for 3 days, but I know it's under there somewhere, and I hope to find it again by the weekend - just in time to celebrate my hubby's birthday and enjoy one more full week of summer.

To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Back At It - Monday Ramblings

2011-07-18T22:53:00.009-05:00

After my 3-day-run last week blogging, I actually had a moment there where I thought I might get to blog every day for a whole week straight. Ha! That was of course before life jerked me back to reality and helped me re-prioritize my priorities ;) The second half of the week brought me a few more sleep less nights, so blogging really fell to the bottom of the priority list after that. One night I actually got up 7 times during the 4 hours I actually got to lie down. Having four not-really-great-sleepers can really wreak havoc when they all decide to not sleep really great on the same night ;) Oh well. I just remind myself {alot}: 'tis but a season...and a short one, at that. I'm blessed to be able to be there for them.

Friday was "Water Day" at Day Camp for the rowdies, and when Sarah noticed the boys all gearing up to go swimming, she took it upon herself to get ready too. I'm lovin' {and still laughin'} at her
too-small-swimsuit/pj bottom/oversized croc combo.

They had a huge slip-n-slide that I could not get my two little boys to leave. They loved it! Luke? I guess not so much. He said he did it, but I never saw him on it.

Then Friday night was our annual "Wave Country Day" compliments of the orthodontist office. This was the first year I didn't have a baby with me (since Ben - all of a sudden "not into things like that" {oh the growing up has commenced!} stayed home with Sol), so I got to play and ride slides too. It was so much fun!

Gabe and Michaela were with us, but both were off doing their own things so I never ended up with a picture :( Gotta watch that! You never know when they will all of a sudden "not be into things like that" too!

And I took Luke in to the orthodontist today to replace a band and let the Dr. evaluate his "new and not-so-improved" expander. When I called to make the appointment and explained that Luke had broken another piece off of his expander, the receptionist asked "Do you still have the piece?" I chuckled. "Actually, um, yes, I do; but I don't think you want it." ;)

I also spent several hours today trying to plan and schedule the kids' school for next year. What a monstrous task! It's doing things like this that remind me that "Yes, we do have alot of kids." {Sometimes I forget}. Five school-age kids this year (if you count Jaden, and I do - sort of) times 3 to 6 subjects per kid times 180 days of instruction. I'd be lying if I didn't say I sometimes "dream" of sending them to school...oh the time that I would have!...but alas, I know beyond any doubt that that is just not what God has for our family. So tomorrow you'll find me back at that table planning and scheduling and planning some more, and thankful for the opportunity to do so.

...and thankful for a hubby who gets up with the Littles on the days he can and lets me "sleep in" every now and then.
We all agree, Love, you're the best!

(Linking up with Carissa. Go ahead; check it out :).

...always give thanks for everything...
Ephesians 5:20

It's Wednesday...

2011-07-13T23:02:00.006-05:00

I'm not feeling very creative in the blog title department this week. Can you tell?

Summer is continuing to be a wee bit demanding. I might actually start looking forward to school - or at least the schedule of it...but then again, maybe not. In all honesty, school is probably more demanding than summer; it's just that there are less places to be and we're all home on a regular basis - for the most part anyway.

As I was going to bed last night, I realized that yesterday was the first day in more than 10 weeks that I didn't "think" about my armpit. I actually don't think it hurt even one time yesterday! So I guess that means the recovery time from an "armpitectomy" is two weeks. Maybe I'll get back to working out again now. My legs really don't like it when I don't work out regularly. The lump, by the way, was not cancerous. I can tell you for a certain that lots of prayers of thankfulness and big sighs of relief have been being breathed around here lately :)

The Rowdies went back to day camp today, although Jaden tried to chicken out on me. It's got to be overwhelming to walk into a room of over 100 people and figure out exactly how you fit in. Luckily, one of his counselors from yesterday came to his rescue, and before I left, he was laying with his head in her lap getting his back rubbed. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he really was super nervous at first, but I'll also admit that he might have just been working the situation. That counselor was awfully pretty, and he is awfully smart.

I kept the Littles home from church tonight. I was in need of a low-key evening. Turns out, I think they were too. Each one spent hours on end playing mostly by themselves doing their own thing. Gabe had some elaborate something or another going on on the steps for the longest time,

and Sarah spent the evening talking to and playing with
"Strawberry Pancake" ;) Made me smile.

I carried Sol with me to get the mail, and as I was walking I kissed those chunky baby legs and breathed them in, and it occurred to me that I better do it now, because before I know it {LORD willing}, those legs will be big enough to carry me.

Oh the sweetness!

Jaden actually spent the evening upstairs playing cars, but on nights like this, he usually spends hours drawing and drawing and drawing. These are some of his latest.

I'm not a psychologist or anything, but I'm pretty sure one would think these pictures reflect a happy, secure, and well-loved little boy.

This is what the LORD says:
Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16

It's Tuesday...

2011-07-12T22:27:00.003-05:00

First, we didn't end up at Chick-Fil-A last night after all; nor did we have pancakes...we packed a picnic supper of sandwiches and what-not and headed to the pool where we stayed until after dark. Everyone just ate when they got hungry, and the Rowdies got to swim with the pool lights on. That's always cool. And there were 3 super cool teenage boys there who actually played with my boys. As far as they're concerned, it doesn't get much better than that. Talk about hero-worship. And Jaden, who I finally got to go in the big pool {willingly} for the first time ever last time we swam, was all over the place last night - no reservations; no fear; just fun.

Second, my "facebook official" daughter is no longer "facebook official." I think that lasted a whole 3 days. I am so glad I'm not in middle school any more.

I want to put up the pictures from our "Special Days" from the week before last, but to do so means I need longer than just a few minutes to sit at the computer. Obviously, that will have to wait.

I took the Rowdies to Day Camp today - kind of on a whim; kind of not. I had seen it advertised in the local paper and had cut out the ad. Showed it to Mark. Turns out it is run by one of his youth ministry friends. That helped alot. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like to just drop my kids off somewhere with people I don't know to do I'm not really sure what.

Anyway, shortly after everyone was up and going this morning, the Rowdies started asking to do all sorts of things...play on the Smartcycle {which I'm not smart enough to hook up}, go to the play gym, go swimming, go, go, go. I showed them the ad, and what do you know, they were interested. Jaden was really excited - he's right on the line, age-wise, and gets left out of so many things; but this, he could go to, and he couldn't wait. Gabe was excited at first then backed out really quickly. Nerves threatened to get the best of him, but since he had to ride with me anyway to drop the other two off, he put his shoes and socks on just in case he changed his mind. Luke is almost always up for a good social event - especially if there will be some kind of sport involved. The one thing that almost scared him off was the phrase "Lunch Provided!" He's so picky that the thought of having to eat something he didn't like almost kept him at home.

Once there, Jaden tried to chicken out, but I promised to hang around until they got started and then to be back to get him at 2pm, and he stuck it out and {just like I knew he would} ended up loving it. Gabe did chicken out, but as I was pulling away after dropping the other two off, the thought of missing out got the better of him and he asked if I'd take him back. And I did. What would life be like without a little grace now and then? And Luke? Well, they had pizza for lunch...and plenty of sporting games, so he was set. Needless to say, we're going back tomorrow.

I was so proud of them all for trying something new. Sometimes I forget just how young and inexperienced they really are and just how uncertain and overwhelming the unknown can be - I'm sure there's a spiritual lesson in that statement somewhere, but tonight I'll let it go. My hubby just got home from "working" and my big kids are waiting to tell me all their stories from the last two days.

Maybe sooner or later I'll get those other pictures up.
Til then...Happy Tuesday.

Moses said..."Stand firm and you will see
the deliverance the LORD will bring you today...
The LORD will fight for you;
you need only to be still."
Exodus 14:13-14

It's Monday...

2011-07-11T13:56:00.017-05:00

-- My day started at 6:30 am this morning -
{after my yesterday ended at 3:30 am - also this morning}.

-- My 2-year-old and my 8-month-old don't quite grasp the meaning of "dozing back off" - especially when lying side-by-side in momma's bed {with momma} -
which is why my day started at 6:30.

-- Sarah spilled a bowl full of ~~sugar~~ cereal all over the couch
and the floor.
And ~~spread it around~~ wiped it up for me...

Welcome back, ants. We've missed you.

-- She also fed Sol a paper clip today
(luckily I noticed).

-- My hubby is riding roller coasters {again} today -
and he has my two oldest ones with him
(plus another 48 or so ~~aliens~~ teenagers).

-- Getting my two oldest ones into glasses ended up
costing way too much.
(What kind of mom even says that?)

-- My twelve-year-old daughter is "facebook official" now -
(for those of you out there without tweens,
it's what we used to call "going with" in the 80's).

-- We might eat Chick-Fil-A for dinner again tonight...
or pancakes -
I haven't decided yet.

-- Yesterday at church, someone taught my 6-year-old the question
{and the answer}
"What's silent but deadly?"

And he's practicing it {in its entirety} over and over again.

Nice.

-- Sol is getting his top two middle teeth -
and he's not happy about it.

-- These two are trouble.

Nothing but trouble.

-- I've started reading a new book.

It's kickin' my hiney. {And rightly so}.

-- Sarah can't make it until nap time

when she gets up at 6 am.

-- So far our big {and only} event of the day has been a trip to the bank -
where everyone actually behaved well enough to get a sucker.
It's been awhile {the suckers - not the bank}.

-- I'm hoping {and praying} that alone is our biggest event of the day,
but recognizing that the day is still young...

Happy Monday!

(linked up with carissa - go check it out)

The LORD is my strength and my song...
He is my God, and I will praise Him.
Exodus 15:2

Surely I Jest

2011-07-09T10:53:00.012-05:00

It occurred to me somewhere between going to bed last night and getting back up this morning, (and you wonder why I'm tired) that unless you know me well, you might be reading all my comments about my hubby "working" this summer - i.e. riding roller coasters, exploring {small portions} of the Grand Canyon, eating 3 square meals a day prepared entirely and completely by someone else {irregardless of the quality} with no more responsibility to yourself than to return your tray to that wonderful conveyor belt that magically transforms dirty meal trays into "clean" {and I say that loosely} ones - as little passive aggressive quips that somehow reflect negatively on him or what I think of him or what I think of his job.

Let me assure you, that is definitely not the case - even though I do think sometimes what he calls "work" and what I call "work" are defined out of two totally different dictionaries - you know, the one written for {and by} career youth ministers where free-falling on The Voyage and loop-to-looping on the The Raven are all considered just part of a hard day's work vs. the other written by those who espouse the greater qualities of the Proverbs 31 woman like getting up while its still dark (over and over again) and setting about her work vigorously, grasping the spindle with her fingers, feeding and clothing her children, and making coverings for her bed... oh my! There I go again...

You see, I'm just a little bit sarcastic and cynical (even though only a select few ever get to see that side of me), and he knows that about me and he gets it. So when I bash on his job description - especially during the summer - it's all in fun (except for when I'm mad) and if truth be known, it's probably because I'm just a little bit jealous.

Jealous that other people get my hubby for days on end and I don't.

I really do like him that much.

And I really do respect what he does. He is absolutely one of the hardest working, most diligent men I know. He is an excellent husband, an incredibly resourceful provider, and an outstanding father (not to mention an amazing minister, mentor, teacher, writer, and friend).

And though I sometimes knock on him for being away riding roller coasters, taking in sunrises in the wild wild west, exploring the Grand Canyon, and pow-wow'in with the Indians and calling it "work" while I'm back at home digging through poop for 1-inch metal pieces and dressing my kids up like cows, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'd really like to be right there with me.

So if you read one of my smart-aleck comments and are tempted to take it the wrong way, don't. I love him like no other and support him in all that he does. He has a very important job, and I am very, very proud of him.

Whatever you do,
work at it with all your heart,
as working for the LORD, not for men...
It is the LORD Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24

Christian Chicken

2011-07-08T22:04:00.009-05:00

What's better than Christian Chicken?

Yep, you got it...FREE Christian Chicken {my favorite}!

And that's just what we got today

all because we were willing to dress up like cows {again} -
this is our third year in a row ;)

Unfortunately our daddy wasn't with us today -

he was "working" again {riding roller coasters - which actually is much more like work now at 40 than it ever has been before -
or at least that's what he tells me}

but we did get to add Sol to our herd.

What a cute addition!

And since Daddy was away, we may have {or may not have} partaken of the free Christian Chicken twice today ;)

Happy Free Christian Chicken Day!

{also known as Cow Appreciation Day in other circles ;) }

The fear of the LORD leads to life.
Proverbs 19:23

{linked up with rachel for friday favorites today}

8 Months

2011-07-07T20:30:00.007-05:00

How can it already be that 8 months have come and gone?

It really just doesn't seem possible.

You are an amazing little boy. You still don't sleep through the night - not even close - but you are amazing nonetheless. (I'm sure one day - in the very near future (hint hint) those 3 times a night I get up with you will be nothing more than a distant memory. Right?)

You have the most beautiful gray eyes that seem to reflect back whatever color you are wearing,

and the most adorable, chunky little legs

and your daddy's block feet - only smaller ;)

You have mastered crawling and sitting and pulling up and have even started taking a few steps when you're holding onto something. We really are amazed at your sheer strength. You are a big boy.

I don't know exactly how much you weigh - I'm guessing around 22-23 lbs - but you've definitely outgrown your car seat carrier and have graduated to a big boy seat. (Of course, your seat - since it still has to go backwards for now - will only fit in one spot in the van, so you've turned our seating "arrangement" completely upside-down, but you don't seem to mind.)

You love to swing

and play,

and have started gnawing on watermelon and cantaloupe and get terribly impatient when I have to refill your feeder net.

Speaking of impatient, you are a pretty laid back, happy baby, but when you get mad, you get very mad. Yes, my dear, it seems that you have quite the temper. You still yank at your ears and pull at your hair when you get upset, and we laugh that you're going to give yourself a mohawk like your oldest sister did when she was a baby.

And speaking of your oldest sister, she's finally done it. She's dressed you up like a girl, just like she's done to every one of your older brothers before you (except Ben, of course - aahhh, the advantages of being the oldest).

Sorry, Son. Just think of it as your right of passage as one of Michaela's little brothers.

And while you would make a pretty cute girl, you make an absolutely adorable boy, and yes, girls do dig you,

but none more so than your momma.

Happy 8-month Birthday, Little Man!

I love you.

But I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in Your hands.
Psalm 31:14-15

Totally Random

2011-07-04T11:19:00.010-05:00

I'm trying something new today - linking up with Carissa over at lowercase letters

because I have so many random thoughts bouncing around in my head, but none are really worthy of their own post ;)

1st - It takes 45 hours for a 1-inch piece of metal to pass all the way through a 9-year-old human body. Thank You, God. Thank You!
(And by the way - no pictures. You can thank me later ;) )

2nd - We saw the fIreWoRkS last night

...and laughed at ourselves (well, all of us except Michaela - she was too ~~twelve-year-old-girl~~ embarrassed to laugh). I'm pretty sure if Jeff Foxworthy had been around, we would have definitely made his "You might be a redneck if..." show what with our bench seat from our 12 passenger van pulled out and our random collection of barstools, kiddie chairs, and strollers strewn about

Aaahhh - our crazy, real life. I love it ;)

mesmerized

"Yay!"

3rd - An "armpitectomoy" (I just made that word up - could you tell?) ranks up there as one of the more painfully annoying things I've ever had done and

isn't really

nor does

really provide

4th - When you fill out new patient forms at the doctor's office now you have the option to mark whether you are Male, Female, or Transgender. And if that's not enough, you can also mark whether you are Single, Married, or a Homosexual Partner. Hmmmm. The times...they are a'changin'.

5th - I saw this "ad" on the wall at Cracker Barrel the other day.

Really?

Does (or did) anyone really want to drink something called Squirt?

6th - I'm reading an extraordinary book. Ask me about it.

and last but not least - Happy 4th! My hubby's finally home (for a few days at least) and because it's the 4th, he's really home and that makes me HaPPy!

Hope your 4th is a happy one too!

We do not know what to do,
but our eyes are upon You.
2 Chronicles 20:12

"You Think He Swallowed WHAT?"

2011-07-02T16:32:00.013-05:00

I don't even know where to start with this post today...

Let's see - yesterday, of course, was Friday and I went about all day "blogging in my mind" (don't tell me you don't do it too!) planning what I was going to write up to link up with Rachel's Friday Favorites like I like to do. I had decided to title it "My Favorite Week of Special Days" and post pictures and details about each of my kiddos' special days this week. You see, we've been in ministry for so long, and Mark's been gone so much of so many summers with me {stuck} at home with little do to and even less money with which to do it and a whole bunch of kids --- let's not forget the kids --- that somewhere along the way I've just really grown to dislike summer.

Fortunately, my story doesn't end there, and even though I'm slow to learn and quick to be stubborn, God has ever so patiently worked in my heart and mind over the years and has given me a new perspective (and of course, some older kids too). So last year, instead of sitting home wallowing all summer while my hubby was away riding roller coasters, rafting white waters, exploring new and exotic lands, laughing and just hangin' with friends - or as he likes to call it: "working" - I decided to start an annual tradition during which every day of Mark's longest trip of the summer, just one kid and I, go and do something special - their choice. Our first go at it last year was a huge success, and hence, the tradition of "Special Days" was born.

This week was Mark's longest week away, and everyone (me included), instead of dreading it, was eagerly anticipating our week of Special Days. Of course it started off kind of rough last Sunday, and more than once, circumstances tried to arise to throw us off course, but God quickly and graciously redeemed and transformed every situation (my melt down, the electrical storm that had everyone up all night, that wonderful little procedure on my armpit) and we really had a great week. Really.

So Friday - yesterday - I was planning to post pictures and write it all up and link up with my Friday Favorites, and wouldn't you know it, before we could get through the day and settle down for the night (and we were oh so close too!) and I could get to the computer, we ended up encountering one more unplanned event .... a little trip to the ER at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

We were eating supper (spaghetti with meatballs (I have the best meatball recipe ever, by the way) and garlic bread and fruit and the "only for special occasions" chocolate milk which actually had sort of frozen in the back of the fridge and was extra yummy - kind of like a chocolate milkshake for dinner) when Luke got up to get himself a second slice of that warm, buttery deliciousness and all of a sudden, collapsed on the floor weeping and wailing and screaming in anguish (yes, we have just a little bit of drama around here at times). Turns out at that very moment, when he was going for that second slice of bread, he realized for the first time that the piece of his expander - the highly durable (but apparently not durable enough), very expensive (and actually even more expensive now) metal orthodontic expander cemented into the roof of his mouth - that piece he's been told five thousand times not to touch - was missing.

We've already had issues with this expander before in which he'd already broken off another piece of it and had suffered some clearly-outlined-in-advance consequences and had been warned and reminded and warned and reminded and warned and reminded again not to break any more of it off, so when he did, let's just say he panicked.

I (yes, I must brag on myself here - but give full credit to that little fruit of the Spirit called self-control) did not over-react at all, but instead just began trying to process the whole thing and figure out what we were actually looking it. Somewhere in all the figuring, something was said that triggered another emotional meltdown and panic session for Luke (he doesn't quite have that self-control thing down yet) and he started yelling and crying hysterically "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

At that point (well, after calming and reassuring him) I stepped out of the room and made a couple of phone calls - one to my dad who's an ER doctor and the other to our pediatrician. After explaining the situation and getting their advice, I {quickly} called around to find someone to come help Ben with the littles (Michaela was at the movies with her friends) and headed out the door with Luke to the children's hospital emergency room - a mere 30 minutes away. (At this point I have to pause and say God showed His hand of mercy and grace in so many ways through this ordeal that it would take hours to recount them all - from actually being able to reach everyone I needed to reach on the phone when I needed to reach them (even Mark who had very limited cell phone signal at the time traipsing back from his trip to the Grand Canyon where he was "working"), to having taught me how to get to the hospital (Mark usually drives us places like that and I usually don't pay attention) by driving Ben there for music class every day for a week earlier this month, to literally turning the car right into the parking garage I was supposed to be in (if you've ever been to Vanderbilt, you know what an amazing fete that is), to texting my prayer partner (I'm pretty sure that's what you've become at this point), to even orchestrating the timing for after dinner was set and being eaten - and that's just a fraction of His work! He really does amaze me.)

So anyway, I left Ben at home with the little ones and Mrs. Becky on her way to help him and headed into Nashville with Luke. During the drive we spent some time talking and praying and laughing and just calming down, and then when I gave them his name to check-in: "Williams"..."Samuel"...they gave me his birthdate and other identifying information! I laughed, because yes, we've been here before. Actually, counting last night, Luke's been to the ER 5 times - and he's not a sick child or anything - first he was dropped on his head when he was a baby (really - but I don't like to tell that story), then he fell in the shower and busted his head open when he was a toddler (it's amazing what they can fix with a staple gun nowadays), and there was the eye thing when he was a preschooler that actually produced so much blood our front hallway looked like a scene from an old 80's horror movie, and of course the vanilla wafer incident as a 6-year-old that actually required surgery to retrieve it from his lungs, and then tonight - swallowing part of his orthodontic expander. Ahhh, Luke. What are we going to do with you?!?

Once we got there and checked in, things moved pretty quickly. The more times we told and retold the story of why we were there, the more Luke seemed to relax and swell up with pride.

It seems "My child swallowed a 1 inch piece of metal from the orthodontic expander in the roof of his mouth" just isn't a common complaint they hear - quarters, pennies, even safety pins - yes, those are regular accounts, but according to the x-ray team that took our case, this was their first orthodontic piece. He was quickly becoming somewhat of a celebrity, and if you know Luke, you know he likes to shine.

The first x-ray showed nothing, and that's a good thing, because the big scare was that maybe the piece had lodged sideways somewhere in transit to his stomach which could have been dangerous and would have meant surgery. But that second x-ray, that one won the prize. There it sat, his lone lost 1 inch piece of metal, smack dab, clear-as-day right in the pit of his belly - well, his "stomach" to be precise - and that, they told me, was a good thing.

With its location noted and the metal piece accounted for, we were given some instructions and some precautions and sent home to wait and see if it would pass on its own - and we all know what that means now, don't we? Poor kid ;)

So happy and relieved and joyful (me - not Luke - he was kind of hoping to "get surgery" by this point - ha!) we headed out and got a big laugh when he "beeped" as we walked through the metal detector at security. Back in the car we prayed again, made a few phone calls, sent a few texts and headed back home. Thankfully, Mrs. Becky (or maybe it was Ben?) had cleaned up my kitchen and put Sarah to bed and all I had left to handle was a hungry, grouchy, sleepy baby and a couple of wound-up rowdies. One little slip of the swallow and our night could have gone a whole different way. Yes, God, who is always good, was also very kind.

So here I sit, a day late for Rachel's Friday Favorites link-up thing, and having blogged a completely unexpected blog post, happy, relieved, thankful, and ... tired.

...you will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has worked wonders for you.
Joel 2:26

Would You Like One Lump or Two?

2011-06-29T21:00:00.007-05:00

(You did ask that with a British accent, didn't you?)

Ha! I'm channeling my "inner Britain" today, and answering,
"None, thank you," and after my little lumpectomy this morning,
I'm half-way there :)

I've had two lumps come up in my body over the past couple of months - one in my armpit and one in my thigh/hip - and they have just been giving me all kinds of fits lately - especially the one in my armpit. It's gotten infected twice now and has made me quite ill - real achey and "flu-ey". I've taken two full rounds of antibiotics (well, 2 1/2 actually if you count the first one that I found out the hard way that I was allergic to), and both times the infection seemed to clear up, but the lump/cyst/knot (call it what you will) remained and just got reinfected. It also must have been pushing on a nerve because along with the knot came a radiating pain up and down my arm and into my fingers. This has been going on for 8 weeks and I have been treated by 3 different doctors for it with no evidence of any permanent solution. By Monday I had had enough and called up my favorite nurse ever - my OB nurse - (and no, I'm not pregnant) because I knew she and my OB would hear me out and listen to all my concerns - because you know, a knot in the armpit for a woman just isn't something you tend to ignore - and before I knew it, I had a surgical appointment set up for this morning and had that bad boy taken out.

Yuck! and Yay! all at the same time.

After about 12 needle sticks (at least that was how many I could feel before the lidocaine set in) and what felt like alot of poking and prodding, my doc said "Ah there it is. It's not much to look at, but it sure sounds like it was causing some problems." I asked to see it, and in hind-sight, ended up wishing I hadn't. Now I'm no doctor, but from what I could tell, the knot was just about the size of a pearl - no big deal - but what really got to me was the ping-pong-ball-size of inner armpit flesh - my inner armpit flesh - attached to it. That was gross.

(And just so you know, I thought about taking a picture of it, but really, I didn't much care to see it after all and certainly couldn't imagine you'd have any interest, so...you're welcome)

So here I sit wondering what my armpit will look like this time next week after I get the 5 stitches it took to close up the pit left in my pit - besides gross and hairy since I won't be shaving it or using deodorant for a week (ha! I know, I know...TMI!)

But for now, the lidocaine has definitely worn off and the Motrin only goes so far (but at least I don't have a headache ;) ), and the nerve pain actually seems to be gone and I'm not feeling achey or "flu-ey" so in the end I think it was a good thing.

The doctor didn't suspect that it was anything especially "bad" but sent it off to pathology anyway, and for that I'm grateful. Looking forward to some peace of mind after 8 weeks of a knot in my armpit - just saying...

And as for that 2nd lump in my hip that I mentioned earlier? It's still there - it's only been around (at least to my knowledge) for about 2 weeks at this point, and the doctor seems to think it's just a common lymphoma. Common? Not when it's in my leg! He said they’re usually benign, and at any rate, he wouldn't even consider doing anything with it until it's been bothering me for at least another month. I'm hoping (and praying) it just gets bored and goes away before then, because really, I don't like any "lumps" in my tea... or in my body.

Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life?...
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:27 & 34

{Not} Surprised By Grace

2011-06-28T22:20:00.005-05:00

I really don't have time to be blogging tonight, but I didn't want to write a heavy post and leave it up for days on end without sharing the resolution.

Not surprisingly, shortly after I surrendered Sunday night, stopped fighting in my own strength and began resting solely in His, God showed up - or as my friend, Katie, was quick to remind me - "He's always there. It's just nice when we can see His hand working."

Before I even went to bed Sunday night, I was already "in a better place" and by Monday, my strength and perspective were definitely renewed.

One of the first things I heard after finally surrendering {again - it seems this place of surrender is one I frequent often} was the words to this song - that had been playing all along as background noise in my kitchen, yet unnoticed by me.

Lord, I come
I confess
Bowing here
I find my rest

And without You
I fall apart
You're the One
that guides my heart

Lord, I need You
Oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense
My righteousness
O God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep
Your grace is more
Where grace is found
Is where You are

And where You are
Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Teach my soul to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand, I fall on You
Jesus, You're my Hope and Stay

Couple that with Psalm 43 which Katie directed me to, and...wow.

You are God my stronghold...
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?

Send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You dwell.

Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight...

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him...

Did you know that the Israelites conscientiously and customarily made a "vow to praise" in anticipation of the expected answer to their prayers. They believed God was going to show up. And why wouldn't they?
He said that He would.

And these "vows"...they were offered at His altar - a public act of devotion in which they vocally celebrated God's saving acts and invited those assembled there to offer their praises as well.

A particularly dramatic thunderstorm struck overnight last night. Had 6 of my 7 children up throughout much of the night - and me, trying to comfort and reassure them - not an easy task when you're flying solo. But in the midst of it, just as the storms both outside and in were threatening to overtake us, I thought of the words of that song

Teach my soul to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand, I fall on You
Jesus, You're my Hope and Stay

and the words of that psalm

Send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me;
let the bring me to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God...
for I will yet praise Him..

and began offering my vow of praise, consciously and intentionally thinking through all He has done and is doing, as I prayed for strength - in anticipation of the expected answer.

Eventually the storm(s) subsided, and we all dozed a bit more before the demands of the day beckoned us up and at 'em, but with them I arose not necessarily well-rested, but definitely resting well.

He said His grace is sufficient. And here I stand to say, "Yes it is."

Thank you for covering me in your prayers. I know they have been and are carrying me. The body of Christ truly is a beautiful thing.

If you seek Him, He will be found by you.
I Chronicles 28:9

Because of the LORD's Great Love...

2011-06-26T22:46:00.005-05:00

I can tell before I even write this that this is not going to be a light-hearted post, and so I offer fair warning - read at your own risk.

Mark left this morning for another one of his summer trips, and I have just been a mess all day. If I had known just how hard it would be for me to have him gone so much, maybe I would have reconsidered when I agreed to marry a youth minister. Ha! Just kidding, Hon!

But really, him being away really is one of my biggest struggles, and believe it or not, it really doesn't have anything to do with the kids. Well, maybe in a sense it does, because if we didn't have them (or so many of them) I'd be with him on all of these trips like I used to be. I miss that. I don't regret our kids - not even one little bit - but I miss doing ministry like that with my husband, side by side with my best friend.

He really is my best friend, and I just get so lonely when he's not here. I'm sure to some of you that just sounds crazy. I know many of my mom-friends around here tell me they actually like it when their husbands go away on business trips, some even say they prefer it, but not me; it just kills me.

I hate to admit this, but over the years, I have really behaved poorly about some of his trips, but this last year God has really opened my eyes to that behavior and just how much it hurts him (and HIM). I've committed that struggle back to God, and through His power I can say that I have really changed. (Thank You, God!)

We're half way through the summer now with a few trips under our belt, and all things considered, I've really done well with Mark being away (I even genuinely laughed with the whole locking ourselves out of the house ordeal), but for some reason, I let my guard down today and just blew it.

I haven't slept well at all (or much either) the past two nights, so I'm pretty beat up, and all the kids were up significantly earlier than usual today eager to send their daddy off with hugs and kisses (not knowing just how irritable it would make them later on), and then going to church and coming home without Mark triggered a roller coaster of emotions that plays into one of my deepest fears - one I constantly find myself having to give back to God time and again - and well, today just ended up being...difficult.

I actually felt it coming on last night and spent some time with God confessing it and praying for strength to stand and stand well, but as I awoke and got busy and one thing led to another...well, it wasn't long before I took my eyes off of Him and found myself depressed, irritable, lonely, and sad.

BUT, if you know me at all, you know that I am one stubborn woman, and if you know my God at all, you know that HE is One faithful God, so I am convinced, that while today has been harder than I anticipated and my countenance was way less radiant than I desired, tomorrow is a new day and HIS mercies are new every morning. I have given this to HIM once again, I have called on a couple of faith-filled sisters to pray with me, and I am determined to start fresh and new tomorrow, and by His power, to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) ... to resist the devil (James 4:7) ... to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2) ... to offer sacrifices of praise (Psalm 27) ... and above all else, to stand (Ephesians 6).

Would you join me in asking and believing?

" 'If You can' ?" said Jesus.
Everything is possible for him who believes.
Mark 9:23

I sought the LORD,
and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4

Because of the LORD's great love
we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

My Favorites This Week

2011-06-24T22:10:00.015-05:00

It's been quite a week.

I got bitten by a spider two nights ago, and my baby boy - my 7 month old baby boy - stood up again today (and this time I caught it on camera!) Am I the only one who thinks 7 months old is awfully young to be pulling such tricks?

I don't know, but I certainly don't remember any of my other kiddos doing this this young. We've been watching alot of X-Men lately (after seeing the new movie we had to go rent all the old ones and re-watch them (we tend to binge on things like that), so naturally we've been wondering if perhaps Sol is a Mutant - in a good way of course! He is kind of big...and really, really strong...

But back to the spider bite - it didn't turn out to be any big deal, just a bit traumatic really. It wasn't a big spider - in fact, it was tiny - but there's just something about knowing a spider bit you that's just creepy. Of course it happened right before I went to bed - it was in my pajama pants! - even creepier, huh? - so I just took a big swig of Benadryl and went to sleep. Mark and Ben put the spider in a ziplock baggie just in case my leg went all necrotic overnight and we needed it for antivenom or something - but like I said, it didn't turn out to be any big deal. It was still gross though.

But as exciting as those two events have been, they pale in comparison to the beginning of my week when we got to celebrate my hubby for being the awesome daddy that he is and when we got to get away to celebrate our anniversary. With all that was going on, somehow I failed to take any Father's Day pictures - and my parents were even here! - ugh! Luckily, Jaden made up for my lack and used his mad artistry skills to sketch me a memory of them being here.

They came in on Sunday, Father's Day, and had lunch with us after church and then hung around with the kiddos til Tuesday and let me and Mark (and Sol) sneak away for a couple of days together. We went up to the lakeside cabin again and did basically nothing - and it was great! We watched some movies

and took some walks

and just hung out together,

basking in our 19 years of marital romance.

19 Years!

I'm one lucky girl ;)

Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

19 Years

2011-06-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks 19 years of being married to my best friend,

and I'm just as taken with him today as I was then.

I love you.

Happy 19th!

May Your unfailing love rest upon us,
O LORD,
even as we put our hope in You.
Psalm 33:22

VBS

2011-06-17T13:00:00.001-05:00

It doesn't matter how many times we do it, VBS is always one of my kiddos' favorite summer activities. The theme this year was the popular "Pandamania," and the oldest six, from Sarah to Ben were all there in one way or another. Being only 2, I was curious about how and if Sarah would be able to handle it all, but being the little social butterfly that she is, she loved every second of it and got amped up and excited about going every single night.

The boys of course are old pros at it by now and had great tales to tell after coming home every night.

Ben and Michaela are either "too old" or "finally old enough" (depending on your perspective), so they both got to help out this year doing what they do best -

Ben running the A/V Tech stuff

and Michaela leading a crew of 4 year old girls.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!
Psalm 147:1

Sleep (or the lack thereof)

2011-06-15T13:00:00.001-05:00

One day I'm going to look back on this season of my life and laugh...

But today I'm just going to take it all in. I love you, my little alien!

Your righteousness is like mighty mountains,
Your justice like the great deep...
How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Psalm 36:6-7

Not Sure I'm Ready For This

2011-06-13T15:05:00.003-05:00

Sol stood up last night. Well, pulled himself up, actually - but to a standing position. He just turned 7 months old last week. What does he think he's doing?!?! Does he not know that that is way. too. early. ???

I didn't get a picture of course - because I was just in shock (and on the phone) and because it didn't last very long. Once he got up, he didn't seem to know what to do next and promptly let go and fell straight back like a tree being chopped down.

TTTTTIIIIIIIMMMMMMM------BBBBBBEEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!!

He was OK - a little distraught after the whole experience
(but then so was I).

Did I mention that he's only 7 months old?

I'm not sure I'm ready for this.

In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

{Birthday} Celebrations Wrap-Up

2011-06-12T19:48:00.001-05:00

As this week ends and a new one begins, we are wrapping up our birthday celebrations around here (at least for a month) and diving head first into VBS - which is quite possibly "The Most. Wonderful Time. Of The Year!" (and you thought it was Christmas, didn't you?)

I'm sure there will pictures of that later, but for now, let me leave you with a few more images from our celebration day yesterday.

Present Time

(5 year old's faces are the greatest!)

Chuck E. Cheese's to play

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!

We Love You!

Delight yourself in the LORD

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

{Birthday} Celebrations: A Favorite

2011-06-11T13:28:00.004-05:00

I am sitting here writing this this {Saturday} morning fully hoping to be able to link up with Rachel's {Friday} favorites,

but even if I can't it's OK. I may be down to once a week blogging for the moment, but if that's the case, this is the "once a week" I want to do. The discipline of searching out the bright & beautiful in my day to day life - well, that is a good discipline. It fills me with joy and and makes my heart happy.

We have been {and still are} celebrating birthdays this week!
Three birthdays! So we are celebrating all week long.

We started the week early with Baby Sol's 7 month birthday.

He may be the 7th child, but 7 months is still a big deal. He's done so much growing this month! He's still working on that push-up-forward-lunge-crawl-thing he's got going on,

and perfecting sitting up on his own

He's starting to laugh-out-loud.

and is a pretty good sport taking {most} whatever his brothers and sisters do to him in stride.

Those bottom two teeth have come all the way in, and he's getting pretty good at eating real {mushed-up}food

and gnawing on big, thick carrot sticks. Because he's shown some possible signs of "allergies", we've been taking the food thing pretty slowly and only added green beans, carrots, and broccoli to his menu of plain Greek yogurt and oatmeal cereal. Carrots and broccoli are a hit, but green beans seem to make him want to throw up every time. I keep trying them thinking it will get better, but so far, no luck.

Yesterday was Ben's 14th birthday,

and somehow, that just doesn't seem possible. Sometimes at night I'll be rocking Sol as he's cuddled up and dozed-off on my shoulder and Ben will come sit in the room with me and I am just washed-over with emotion and memories of all those "first time" feelings as a new mom and the surreal-ness of living it all over again in the present, 14 years later, with Sol. I never have understood it, and I never will be able to explain it, but the love for my babies - big and small - it's overwhelming. It doesn't seem to matter how many of them there are, there is always more love.

So as part of Ben's birthday gift, we enrolled him in a summer-intensive Music Theory class at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music. It's been quite a commitment - the driving, the childcare (thank you, Michaela!), the independence - but it seems to definitely have been worth it. Though he's quite the guitarist, he's never had any formal music training to speak of, and it seems that this class has just begun to open the door to a world of possibilities for him. It was exciting to get a glimpse into what the future could hold for him, but it was also a bit {just a bit} painful to watch him walk into those college building doors everyday. Sigh. It will be here before I know it.

BUT it's not here yet! and last night we had some of his friends over for a cookout and to celebrate with us and then took them all to see the X-Men movie to wrap up a perfect night.

Now, today we turn our attention towards Jaden who's turned the big 5 years old today!

We've got another busy (but relaxed) day ahead with presents and ice cream cake, a little Chuck E. Cheese playing and Chick-Fil-A eating, and some singing and celebrating with our Life Group tonight.

Nothing quite like a good celebration - unless, of course, it's several good celebrations in a row!

Happy Birthdays, Boys! You're the greatest! I love you all.

My son, if your heart is wise,

then my heart will be glad;

my inmost being will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right.

Proverbs 23:15-16

My Favorite Summer Activity So Far

2011-06-07T13:00:00.002-05:00

In case making home-made ice cream and playing in the rain and going to the pool and doing arts and crafts {with 5 little people} just don't seem like enough to keep you busy and occupied while your hubby (and two oldest children) are away for a week, you can always pull out my {new} favorite activity of all -

locking yourself and your 5 littlest kiddos
out of your house!

And to make sure you get the most from the experience, be sure to do it on a 100 degree day, after you've been gone since before noon, and come back to discover your plight just a bit after supper time when your crew is good and tired and oh so hungry, with bladders so very eager to be relieved

(so eager in fact that they drop their drawers right there in the front yard (being newly potty-trained of course!) - while you're around back looking for an alternate way in - not realizing that it just doesn't work out quite the same way for you (a girl) as it does for your brothers - "hmmm, they made it look so easy...")

and don't forget to have the van full of {cold} groceries that you just purchased {on borrowed time}...

and be sure to only do it right after your hubby {finally} upgraded all the door locks to top-of-the-line, not-so-easy-to-break-in-to locks (you know, the ones that have been sitting in your garage {uninstalled} for nearly a year...

with no spare key...anywhere.

Be sure to cover all those bases, and I guarantee you {from personal experience} it will be an event to remember!

But don't stop there! No, once you realize your plight, be sure to text your hubby - who's in absolutely no position to help you (just so he can rest securely in full confidence that you are not losing your mind and that all of his offspring - well, at least the 5 youngest, most needy ones that he so trustingly left in your care - are happy, safe, and secure) - and start checking every window (even climbing the 6 foot high privacy fence if you need to) hoping and praying one of your sweet little hooligans was actually disobedient and opened a window and failed to lock it back.

And last but not least, celebrate and dance and whoop and holler and thank God {out loud} in spite of what the neighbors (yes, those ones across the street who are watching you but not helping you) may think as you ~~shove~~ help your much-smaller-than-you 6 year old through the small space you were able to pry open between the screen and that blessed not-supposed-to-be unlocked window with directions to "Just jump as best you can; try not to break your arm or your leg, and go open the front door for mommy please. Thanks, Dear :)"

Aaahhhh, summer. I just love it when Daddy's away.

A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all.
Psalm 34:19

While Daddy's Away...

2011-06-06T13:00:00.001-05:00

Summer's here again, and that means that Daddy (many days) is not ;(

Camp food...sunscreen...schedules...passion...energy...twin bunks...curfews (or not)...such is the life of a youth minister.

And incidentally, this is my first summer to have 2 kiddos old enough to go on various youth trips too - nothing quite like weeks without 'em to realize just how helpful they really are =)

And while I've gotten better about not pouting so much when my hubby's gone, I still don't like it one little bit!

At least I have these little guys to keep me busy

summer showers

homemade deliciousness

a little dip in the neighborhood pool

and some watercolor work

And boy do I mean busy!

When the king smiles, there is life;
his favor refreshes like a spring rain.
Proverbs 16:15

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2011-06-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

Is that even how you spell that word? It just looks so strange to me. Anyway...

Back to kids - my kids - and the things they say.

Periodically, like when it rains alot, we have a slight ant problem. And we've had a "slight ant problem" several times already this spring/early summer. We've grown so accustomed to them by now that's it's not a big deal anymore. I just put out a little ant bait before we go to bed, and wah lah! the ant problem is {mostly} gone in the morning.

I guess I hadn't realized just how common place our ant friends had become until a day a few weeks back when Gabe happened upon the whole container of sugar that Jaden had spilled on the floor.

He walked by and said "Oh cool! What's that? A new kind of ant bait?!?"

Um, well actually, yes. That is most definitely ant bait.

***************

Then just a few days after that, a pesky little fly found it's way into our house. Now, Luke is NOT a fan of spiders, bugs, and all things flying - they torment him (and hence, us) at night when we're all trying to sleep. So it didn't surprise me when I overheard Luke conjuring up a plan to get rid of that fly, but what did surprise me was the plan he actually came up with.

Luke to Gabe: "Go poop."

Gabe back to Luke: "I don't have to."

Luke back to Gabe: "Go make yourself. It will make the fly come into the bathroom, and then we can get it."

(I didn't stick around to see what happened, but I don't recall seeing any more of that fly...

***************

And in case you're not grossed out enough from that visual, this is the query I heard being called out from the upstairs bathroom just yesterday?

"Is it possible to poop out a splinter?"

(Can't say I stuck around for that one either. Sometimes it's better to just play dumb...)

***************

And finally, because not all of my boys are gross - well, yes, actually they are - but that's beside the point, every once in a while I do get a funny that's just plain funny.

The other night at supper we asked Jaden to say the blessing for us and without hesitation he promptly closed his eyes, bowed his head, and said,

"Dear God,
I really wish I could go
to Disney World again soon.
Amen!"

Aaahhhh, kids. Gotta love 'em!

When I was a child,
I talked like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
I Corinthians 13:11

My {favorite} Legacy Bracelet

2011-06-03T23:52:00.003-05:00

Yes, it is 11:30pm. And yes, I am just now sitting down at my computer for the first time today (yes, it's been one of those days - actually it's been so much more than one of those days, but that's another post for another time...)

Tonight it's this:

My hands-down, favorite {thing} from this week - though I actually think it will be a favorite for a very long time.

It's my legacy bracelet.

And I love it.

If you're a finding joy reader, then you already know about these, because that is where I learned about them, and fell in love.

Very seldom do I purchase anything for myself, and very rarely do I want any thing.

But this

is so much more than a thing to me.

This represents my life.

My legacy.

If you find yourself loving it as much as I do, then click here to find out how to get one for yourself. It may be hard to tell from my pictures, but it's reversible and really quite beautiful on the other side too - but just not quite as beautiful as my children ;) if you know what I mean - and Amy is a delight to work with (and no, she's not giving me anything to say that - in fact, she doesn't even know that I am) and I'd recommend her and her bracelets without reservation. So go ahead - check it out. You might just find yourself with a new favorite {thing} too!

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from Him.

Psalm 127:3

First Swim of the Season

2011-06-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

We took a road trip Monday and spent the day at Grandpa's and Grandma's in Memphis.

It was our first swim of the season

with a little treasure-hunting experience thrown in there too by Grandpa.

(I think every boy should have a grandpa with a metal detector).

We had a great time.

Can you tell?

...those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:10

What I Know That I Know {Friday Favorites}

2011-05-27T09:21:00.009-05:00

With my fall last year and subsequent broken ankle and subsequent-to-that blood clot, I found myself, for the first time in a long time, with a little time on my hands. Not that there weren't things to do, but more so that I just couldn't do them. That's when I started watching Oprah - not necessarily at 4pm as it aired, but I'd DVR it and watch it sooner or later.

Oprah, the show, ended this week, and like many of the episodes these last 2 years, I watched that final one. Now I'm not an Oprah devotee - not an "ultimate viewer" (though sometimes I selfishly wish that I was - Man! She gave those people some extravagant things!) - but I still found myself moved and influenced by the raw truth and emotions that often came to light on her show. The "Ah-ha" moments - I had several.

Her final episode was just her. And it was perfect. The culmination of her 25 years on air - lessons learned, life celebrated, truths discovered.

When interviewing her guests, she often asked,
"Tell me what you know that you know."

I love that question.

It's made me think.

I'm fairly educated. Rather affluent (at least by my standards). And even somewhat influential. With over 20 years in ministry alongside Mark, and of course the eccentricity of having 7 children, I've found that people listen to you. Sometimes they even seek you out. And that always take me aback.

Me?

Yes, me.

But what do I know?

Life is hard. And I don't have all the answers. Not even close.

But still I am asked, "Tell me. What do you know that you know?"

Maybe not in such terms, but really that is the question.

So I've thought about it. And I've prayed. I've searched it out,
and I've come to this:

What I know that I know is...

God loves us. He loves you, and He loves me.

Every night when I put her to bed, I sing to Sarah. I sing "Jesus Loves Me" every night (and often times a few more times throughout the day). But at night when I sing it, with her snuggled up close in my arms, rocking her in the chair in her dark room, I close my eyes and settle. I quiet my heart and take in those words, and for that moment, I let it all go. All my cares for the day. All my concerns. All my still-to-do's and don't-really-want-to-do's. They don't matter. He loves me, and that's all that I need to know.

God has good things for me. He works good for me.

Regardless of what life throws my way, regardless of what mess I get myself into or find myself to be part of, God is always desiring good for me. He's even planned it. And even when I find myself off the path of His good - whether by my own doing or by circumstance - He's at work re-working even that, for my good, and that's all that I need to know.

God's ways are not my ways.

And for that, I am glad. Admittedly, not always at the moment, but yes, in due time, I am glad. I can't see it all. I know that. Ha! Sometimes I can't see beyond the next dirty diaper or rolled-eye or grounding! My sight is so limited. And what I think would be good, doesn't even compare to what He knows is good, and that's all that I need to know.

God is faithful.

This is my go-to statement of faith. If you've heard me at all, you've heard me say that. And I believe it. Because without it, really, what do I have? Yes, He is faithful, and that's all that I need to know.

So thank you, Oprah, for your work all these years, and especially for these last two. For asking that question that has made me think. Sorting it out, thinking it through, discovering just what it is that
I know that I know - that's my favorite this week.

But now, this is what the LORD says-...
"You are precious and honored in My sight,
and I love you..."
from Isaiah 43

"...For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future..."
from Jeremiah 29

And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.
from Romans 8

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways,"
declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts...
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace..."
from Isaiah 55

The One who calls you is faithful
and He will do it.
from the letters to the Thessalonians

Cicadas Cicadas Cicadas

2011-05-26T23:52:00.006-05:00

They are everywhere!

And they are very loud!

They are so loud, that I can hear them {outside} from inside of my house - with the doors and windows closed.

They only come out every 17 years, and they are only found in certain regions - this is that year and Hendersonville is that region.

Surely they are more widespread than just Hendersonville, because somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind, I have a memory of having encountered these pesky little bugs before. Fortunately, they're not scary - just invasive. You can't walk outside in our backyard right now without two or three of them landing on you. There are literally hundreds in this tree.

That doesn't bode well for some of my children - the less buggy-inclined of the bunch would just prefer to stay indoors than to swat at these things right now.

But my more buggy-inclined?

They don't seem to mind them so much...

even if they'd rather not touch them.

I wonder why we have them?

And I wonder where we'll all be the next time these little critters emerge?

God saw all that He had made,
and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31

Teething

2011-05-25T10:39:00.005-05:00

Teething is hard work.

And it might be excruciating too
(can't say I remember, personally),

but I do know that it is exhausting.

(good thing he has all those daylight hours
during which to catch up on his sleep).

*************

I love it when my hubby comments,
"Sol's crying woke 'me' up last night."

Um, really?

Can't say I noticed.

Didn't really look like it.

But if you say so...

**************

I nurse him.

(I've nursed all my babies).

And I've given him the one and only bottle he's ever taken.

And, at six months, he's still not sleeping through the night - at least not regularly - maybe a night here and a night there - but even when he does, I still have to get up in the middle of the night and pump -
so I guess you could say that, even at six months,
I'm still not sleeping through the night ;)

*************

Yep, teething is exhausting.

Or maybe it's babies. Maybe babies are exhausting.

Anyway, sorry if we disturbed your sleep, Hon.

I'll ask him if he can teethe more quietly.

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn His face toward you
and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2011-05-24T16:11:00.010-05:00

...make lemonade!

Right?

But what if there are no lemons???

Then you just make the lemons, Silly!

I found this just sitting on my kitchen counter this afternoon. ;)

I love you, Jaden.

When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

I want to see the potential in every situation.

The possibility.

The good.

From your point of view, the glass is always half-full.

And I love that about you.

If we can't go see Mickey Mouse today, well that's ok.
"We'll go in February then," you say,
and you take up your post at the table and set to work
bringing vision to your dream.

You are a visionary, Son.

And visionaries do great things.

Yep, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.

But now, this is what the LORD says-...
you are precious and honored in My sight,
and I love you...
from Isaiah 43

Just A Little Bit Excited

2011-05-23T17:01:00.004-05:00

Once we got past the "need" to go every 15 minutes, this one's been pretty easy...

not to mention fun ;)

She's just a fun-loving, high-energy, everything's-a-party kind of girl. Can you tell?

Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart...
Zephaniah 3:14