Showing Love

It's been a while--a long while--since I last wrote anything. I will admit that I am not one of those mamas who has it all together. You know, the ones who can make everything from scratch, who keeps a clean and orderly house, whose children never have a stain on their clothes and are always obedient, and who can accomplish everything in the homeschooling day with hours to spare. Oh, you're not one of those mamas either? Great! It's nice to know that I'm not alone in my imperfectness. :)

Our youngest is now 6 months old. How did that happen? It seems like we just came home from the hospital last week, and I blinked and he's got the whole army man crawl down to a science. I am a mama who is still learning, after 6 months, to balance the needs of four young children and a husband, a mama who is learning every day what is truly important in that day and what really isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. And I am here to admit that I still haven't gotten it all figured out.

But if someone were to ask me what my kids would say was the one phrase I could be remembered for, without a doubt it would be, "Is that showing love?"

I want my kids to grow up knowing that mommy and daddy love them. More than that, I want them to know that their Heavenly Father loves them even more than we do--and that's a lot! And I also want them to know that they need to show love to others with their actions as well as their words.

As siblings often do, my kids will nitpick each other and get into arguments and do some not-so-nice downright mean things to each other. When this happens, one of the first things I ask is, "Is that how we show love to each other?" Quite often, the answer is no, which then prompts the question, "What should you do instead?" My five year old will often just answer, "Show love," so we have to talk about how he can show love instead of doing whatever he had done. My eight year old is a little more capable of thinking it through and can sometimes give a more thought-out response.

But when it comes right down to it, I have to stop and ask myself, am I showing them how to love with my actions, or am I just a clanging cymbal (I Corinthians 13:1)?

If I were to honestly answer that question, I would have to say that I can be a pretty loud cymbal at times. This mama doesn't always show love. But one thing that I have learned how to do, especially in the last year, is to go to my kids and tell them that I was wrong to respond in a certain way and tell them what I should have done instead. Sometimes I am cranky and irritable because I didn't get enough sleep or don't feel well. And do you know what I read the other day, as if for the very first time?

"[Love] is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged." (I Corinthians 13:4b, NLT)

Well, if that didn't just hit me like a ton of bricks! How often have I been irritable for this reason or that and been short with the kids or my husband? That certainly isn't showing love, and I have had to repent and ask my Heavenly Father to help me in this area. I am always ready with a hug or a kiss for my family, but there are times when, like my kids, I can just flat out act ugly. Sometimes I want my own way. Sometimes I am impatient. The most amazing thing is that even when I act like that, our Heavenly Father is ready and waiting with grace and with His perfect love. He forgives my shortcomings sins and says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9) He is that definition of love that we find in I Corinthians 13. He is patient and kind, never rude or irritable. Our kids' behavior is what we model for them--and just as our Heavenly Father models grace and love for us, I want to model those things for my children.

Lord, help me to be less of a loud, clanging cymbal and more of a grace-filled mama and wife who shows Your love to my family and to others.

"They all yours?"

Noah just turned one month old yesterday. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed! It seems like just yesterday when I was headed to the hospital, bag in hand, and ready to meet this sweet little bundle.

As a family, we ventured to Costco over the weekend. It was a necessity. With two kids in diapers and both of them just about out of their supplies of said diapers, we were almost in crisis mode. Traversing the entire store just four weeks after my c-section was just about too much for me. I'm sure that there are others who can do it and do it quite well; I'm just not one of them. So when I realized today that I had to make a trip to Walmart before my husband came home from work, I determined to get as few things as possible so that I didn't completely wear myself out.

While in Costco, I didn't get odd looks from strangers because of the size of my entourage. It could be that people there didn't notice because I tended to lag behind everyone else, or maybe they were too enamored by the novelty of my carrying Noah in the baby wrap, or maybe they were just too busy and wanted to get out of the store with some of their sanity intact. In Walmart, today, it was a completely different story.

Before the kids and I even got into the store, an elderly lady stopped me to peek at Noah. She had never seen a baby being worn before, and I was happy to oblige. Once I got in the store, the looks started heading my way. You could just read the thoughts on peoples' faces as they passed by us. One lady shot us a look of absolute disgust. One lady, an associate, took one look at the kids and said, "You sure have your hands full!" I smiled and said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

By the time we made it to the register I was tired and in some pain, so I was looking for the shortest possible line to get in. We took our place in line behind an older lady, and as I got directly behind her to await my turn to unload my cart onto the belt, she struck up a conversation with me about my baby wrap. She had never seen one and asked if it was comfortable, and she wanted to know if I had a boy or a girl. Then she looked at the other three kids behind me and asked, "They all yours? Or do you run a daycare?" I smiled and politely said, "Yes, ma'am, they are all mine!" I steeled myself for having to defend our choice to have "so many" kids when this lady gave me a very warm, knowing smile and said, "You know, I have five kids of my own. And now I have sixteen grandchildren!" Finally! Someone who didn't find it odd to have "so many" children!

I learned two years ago that two children is the "approved" number in our society, and three children are allowable. Today, I learned that four children is most definitely not the norm--which I already knew--and that it can be very quickly frowned upon and even judged. What is four, anyway? It's just one more than three. :)

So, to the stranger at Walmart, the pool, or anywhere else, yes, these are all my children. Yes, my hands are full--but so is my heart. Each of these kids is a gift from my Heavenly Father, and I am so very thankful for each of them. Each one brings joy to our family in their own, special way. Each one has their own sense of humor. Each one has their own way of expressing love, and each one has a different way of receiving love. God didn't give these children to anyone else; He gave them to my husband and me, not because we're awesome parents and are up for the challenge, but because we are the perfect parents for them--and they are absolutely the perfect kids for us. We learn a lot from them, maybe more than we teach them.

So yes, these are my kids. And I am crazy in love with each one of them.

Noah Has Arrived!

Little Noah Matthew has arrived! He was born on March 16 at 10:45am, he weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz, and was 19.75 inches long. He is the smallest of our four kids, and he is absolutely beautiful! And, little Noah is a miracle.

When I changed the title of my blog to "Bountiful Blessings," I really had no idea how true that was. Oh, as a mama I count all of my children as blessings--even on the days when I feel like pulling my hair out. That Farm Rich commercial with the mother doing the voice-over, telling how her kids were so cute as babies that she could have just eaten them up, and then honestly saying that sometimes she wish she had always makes me chuckle--because I think we all have those days!

There is a lot that took place in the early days of this pregnancy that I could write about but won't. This would end up being about as long as a book chapter if I did! But suffice it to say that God's hand has been on Noah since the very first day of his life--which wasn't 9 days ago, but from the moment of conception.

Ben and I knew from the beginning of this pregnancy that this baby would complete our family, and we also knew that this would be a planned c-section. I have a history of long labors that end in the OR anyway, so my thought was to just avoid the stuff in the middle and go straight to the finish line. And going straight to the finish line at 39 weeks was the very best option for Noah, as we found out.

Ben and I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am and went straight to the maternity floor. Surgery was schedule for 9am, so it was just a matter of waiting. While waiting they had me hooked up to the fetal monitor and an IV, and all was well. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nine o'clock came and went and we waited for my turn to walk down to the OR. The anesthesiologist and I made the trek down the hall a little after 10:00, I got the spinal, and then Ben came in and sat near me. Everything was fine. The anesthesiologist did a great job of telling me what was going to happen, what I would feel (which wasn't much), and then told me that the baby was out and we should hear him cry soon. Which we did. And then my OB told us something that we absolutely did not expect: Noah had the cord wrapped around his neck, and he had somehow managed to put two knots--on on top of the other--in the cord. There was just a very tiny gap in the knot that still allowed oxygen and nutrients to pass from me to him.

The nurses and doctors all said how lucky Noah was, and we all joked that he must have gotten bored in there or he is already working on his first Boy Scout badge. But in all honesty, our little Noah is a miracle.

Early in the week, I had felt a prompting to pray for Noah. I just knew that the cord was wrapped around his neck. Praying for him wasn't anything new; I'd been praying for him all 9 months and had specifically prayed Philippians 1:6 over him.

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it..."

So immediately I began to pray for his safety and continued to pray for his safety all week long. When the doctor said that the cord was around his neck, that didn't really surprise me. The knots did surprise me, though.

During recovery, my nurse (whom I've had in at least one other birth) told me that babies just don't survive that kind of thing. And she said that having a c-section was the very best thing for him, as having a natural birth would have compressed the cord and caused another emergency c-section. Knowing that she is a Christian, I told shared with her how I'd been prompted to pray for his safety. The doctor told Ben that if Noah had just had one really jerky movement in the wrong direction, he would have cinched that tight and would have been cut off from all oxygen and nutrients and would not have survived.

So we are truly thankful for this tiny little boy who makes our family complete. Little Noah Matthew truly is a gift from God, which is the meaning of the name Matthew.

All I know is that we are truly blessed and are thankful for this little guy, and we know that God has some amazing plans for his life. Jeremiah 29:11 says,

'"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.'

God's hand has been on this little boy from the beginning, and I can't wait to see His plan for Noah unfold.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy all of the snuggles and cuddles he has to give.

If You Don't Homeschool....

This is a link to a blog I saw on a friend's Facebook page about a month or so ago. It isn't a bash against those who don't homeschool. Actually, it's a bit of information for those who don't to help you understand those of us who do. Take a few minutes to read this; hey, it's helpful for those of us who DO homeschool our kids! :)


http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/what-non-homeschoolers-may-not-know

Enjoy the article!

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

You may (or may not) have noticed that I changed the title of my blog. My focus is still on family and how we raise our kids to serve the Lord with all of their heart, soul, and mind. But I've changed it for one good reason.

We're about to become a family of 6!

Yep, you've read correctly. And before anyone asks, yes, I know what causes pregnancy. We didn't just find out. :) I have all of these wonderfully snarky comments that I'd love to say to the next person who asks me if I "know what causes that," but I just don't think I'd be bold enough to share them. Especially not within earshot of my kids.

But all of that aside, we are going to be blessed with another baby in March 2012!

Everyone in our house is pretty excited about the new baby, except for Ruth because she is just too young to understand. She's only 18 months old. This will definitely be a new experience for us, as all of our other children have been about 3 years apart. Ruth and the new baby will be almost 2 years apart exactly! In fact, at my OB appointment today, I asked the doctor how early they schedule c-sections (because this will be my third c-section, but my first planned one), and he said that they schedule them no earlier than 39 weeks. He gave me a new--and supposedly final--due date today. March 21, 2012. My due date has been all over the map during that week in March, but this one is supposed to be it. And according to him, the baby would be born no earlier than March 14. Whew! That means that both Ruth and the baby will have their own birthdays, but separated by just a very few days!

Since today's appointment was an ultrasound appointment, he asked me if I'd like to know the gender if he could tell. I told him yes. That just isn't my kind of surprise. Sorry! I had hoped that he would be able to tell the gender, but I certainly didn't count on it. Both Hayden and Ruth were extremely shy at this early ultrasound and I had to wait until the one later in pregnancy.

You know, I've seen ultrasounds of all of my children, and have even seen several of this child already, but the view never ceases to amaze me. To see that tiny heart beating, the sweet little movements, and even the hiccups--all of those things point to God. David said it so beautifully in Psalm 139:13-18:

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

When watching the ultrasound today, I couldn't help but to think on this passage. God has formed this child so perfectly, so lovingly, so beautifully. He knows all of the inner workings of this baby. He has plans for this baby! Honestly, my heart rejoices to know that my Heavenly Father loves this child even more than I already do.

And now, to answer your question, yes, the doctor was able to tell me the gender of the baby today. And Hayden was quite the excited little guy to learn today that he is finally getting a baby brother!

A Great Article on Motherhood

I realize that I haven't written anything at all in a few months, and I promise to catch up soon. In the meantime, please go read this wonderful blog post on motherhood. It will really bless you!

Motherhood is Calling (and Where Your Children Rank)

Now go enjoy your children! :)

We really need to just get away...

I am SO ready for a vacation.

I want a vacation from cell phones, TVs, and computers.

I want a vacation from sickness, antibiotics and breathing treatments, diarrhea, diaper blow-outs, and vomit.

I'm not even complaining about the housework or cooking or anything like that. I just want a vacation from the last several months, a time when our family is completely well and free from all distractions. I want us to have time to just focus on God and each other and get our relationships back on track. Everything has seemed so disrupted lately, and everyone is more grumpy than usual.

I get the whole flexibility thing, Lord, and honestly, I'm trying and I'm trying to teach the kids about flexibility in the process. They hate it when daddy is gone, so we try to schedule some fun things during that time. But is it possible for us to have some quality family time anytime soon? There are days when I just want to flush the next phone that rings down the toilet and unplug the TV and the computer. (Is it that obvious that my love language is quality time?)

The kids and I have had some fun movie nights when Ben has been gone. We've read some really great bedtime stories, too! Hey, we even racked up a pretty good library fine on overdue books that we just couldn't bear to return on time. But do you want to know what has been our coolest night recently, one that the kids still talk about? As Ben was coming back into town, he called me and asked if we had dinner plans. I told him that I hadn't started dinner yet, and he told me not to; we were going to go bowling as a family! That was Hayden's first time to go bowling and my first time in several years. Abby won the first game and Ben won the second. (Yes, I got beaten--no, completely creamed--by my six-year-old daughter!) The kids still bring that night up to me individually and ask when we can go bowling again.

But they, too, are also looking forward to a family vacation. They don't even care where it is, just as long as we are together with no distractions. Someplace where they can be outside, playing until they can't play anymore! (They have some serious cabin fever right about now.) They also want mommy's and daddy's undivided attention.

I know that "this too shall pass." But honestly, it can't pass quickly enough.

New Year, New Approach

Okay, so I know that today is March 2 and this is my first posting of the year. Between sicknesses, Ben's work schedule, and trying to maintain some form of daily schedule and routine, blogging has been a low priority.

In this new year, there are two things that seem to be things the Lord would have me work on, at least right now: organization and flexibility. Yes, the two actually do go hand-in-hand. As a parent, you know that organization is important; it aids in establishing routine for your children, which is something that they desperately need. As a homeschooling parent, I am learning that organization is a weak area for me, not so much in the area of having a regular, set schedule for things like getting up and going to bed, but for things like actually setting a plan on paper for the week for our studies instead of trying to go off of a mental list. Things get forgotten that way! (Imagine that!)

I'm also trying to become more organized with meal planning. We already shop off of a menu that we decide upon, but it has become a goal to write down exactly what we are having for which meal and on which day and posting it on the refrigerator door. This eliminates the whole, "What do you want for dinner?" time waster and actually helps me to be much more efficient in the kitchen.

Have I been consistent with both of these things? Nope. But I am trying. I think that writing about it here will help me to be more accountable.

Another new approach this year is one for the kids. In the past, it has been a chore to get the kids to do their chores without grumbling and to do them the right way. Through an email that I receive every day, I learned about this great online chore chart program called My Job Chart. The kids earn points for completing their chores each morning and evening, and the points can be saved, shared, and spent, which also teaches them about handling finances (even though they don't realize it yet). This simple, online chore chart has really changed the way my kids think about the jobs they need to do. I hear a lot less, "I can't" and "I forgot" when the kids have been told to do something because they look forward to checking it off of their list each day. An added bonus for Hayden is that he is learning to recognize his letters in a practical way as he learns to enter in his own password!

A great bonus for me with My Job Chart? It's free! That works out great for this frugal mama's wallet!

One more thing that is new in this year, but not really new for me, is that I have started running again. How I missed running! It probably took a good 9 months to for me to be able to run without discomfort from the c-section, but now that I'm back in the swing of things I'm preparing for the Ukrop's Monument Ave 10K in Richmond. I ran it for the first time back in 2009 and am excited to go back again this year. New this year: Abby is going to run the kids' one mile race that same morning! We're going to run that mile together; it is so exciting to get to run with my daughter! I'm not the most fit person; hey, I'm still overweight. But my daughter is learning the importance of exercise at an early age and she is learning that it can be fun. It was her idea to run in the kids' race, not mine, and I am proud of her for wanting to do this.

It seems that this is a year for change; change can be a positive thing, especially when we let God do the changing in us--and when we actually submit to His will. As a parent, I can see things that my kids need to change so that they can be more successful at this or that. God, our Heavenly Father, is certainly no different. Just as I desire for my kids to listen to what Ben and I tell them, God also wants us to listen to Him. My kids will learn to listen to God by watching me listen to Him. And that is one example that I want to be sure to set for them.

In Retrospect, It's Kinda Funny!

Decorating the Christmas tree has been quite the adventure this year. It all started just before Halloween.

You see, I had this grandiose idea that we could make all of our ornaments this year and have an old-fashioned (except for the lights and the lighted angel on top) Christmas tree. We were going to string popcorn and make all of these wonderful, homemade ornaments. So before Halloween, I started collecting ideas. My mom gave me some really great ones, too. But, I only implemented one of them. She told me how to make these really wonderful string ornaments using crochet thread, balloons, and liquid starch. First of all, I thought crochet thread was yarn. Mom crochets and was a little put-off by my ignorance. Once she set me straight, I went to the store to get the thread, balloons, and starch.

I came home with the thread (not yarn), balloons, and liquid starch, and Ben and I blew up an entire bag of balloons.Thirty balloons. Because I'm overambitious like that. And because I way overestimated my children's ability to do and to remain focused on these ornaments. I think Hayden might have done part of one. Abby might have done an entire one and started a few others, which I finished. I did the rest. All 13 of them.

Once they dried and it was time to pop the balloons and remove them from the thread, I discovered that I didn't effectively communicate to the kids. I told them to hold the balloon near the knot and wrap the thread around the balloon. What I didn't tell them was not to wrap the thread around the knot. Over and over and over. You see, once the balloon is popped, it should just easily come out of the ornament. Only it doesn't work that way if the thread, which was fully soaked in liquid starch and has now dried quite hard, is wrapped tightly around the balloon knot. So I had to cut several ornaments. This left a gaping hole in the ornament. So, those ornaments got thrown away. We were left with a few ornaments.

I just realized that I haven't told you WHY I had this wonderful idea for making ornaments this year. Last year, we celebrated our first Christmas in our house. Previously, we lived in a two-bedroom townhouse. With carpet in every room. Our house has hardwood flooring in the living room and the hallway. The only carpet is in the bedrooms. Why is this a problem, you ask? Because 99% of our ornaments were glass ornaments. That wasn't a problem when we lived in a fuly-carpeted apartment. Even with two kids and a dog. However, when we went to decorate our tree last year, I had just a little bit of foresight and said to Ben, "Don't you think we should go buy some shatter-proof ornaments? Almost all of ours are breakable." Ben said, "No, they'll be fine. The kids just need to learn to leave the tree alone." (The dog didn't make the move to the new house; he lives with my in-laws now due to Hayden's allergies.) From the day that we decorated the Christmas tree until the day we took it down, I swept up at least one broken ornament a day. Thus the need for new ornaments.

Back to this year: We finally got our Christmas tree this past Saturday. We usually get our tree Thanksgiving weekend, but we were a week late this year. There was a tree at the tree farm that we all fell in love with. It was this beautiful blue spruce that had the perfect Christmas tree shape and, according to Abby, "lots of room for loot!" (Guess we need to really hammer home the true reason we celebrate Christmas and that it's better to give than to receive.) When we found out the price of the beautiful blue spruce, we decided that we'd better choose another tree! So we found a wonderful Norway spruce that is just as beautifully shaped as the blue spruce and has "lots of room for loot" because of Ben's trimming job once we got the tree home. Some of the lower branches had to be trimmed so that the tree would actually get into the tree stand; he just got a little carried away. It kind of reminded me of that "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy kept telling Ricky to trim a little here and a little there... and eventually there was nothing left to the tree! (Okay, so it wasn't quite that bad, but I do think that Ben actually thought for a minute that he would have to go buy another tree.)

Once we had the tree in the stand, it was time to put the lights on the tree. Only we had to go buy lights because ours from last year were no longer safe; Ben had to splice them together to make them work. The tree had been decorated for a couple of weeks when about half of them decided to work intermittently, and there was no way that we were going to take everything off of the tree so we could put new lights on. So the old lights went out with last year's Christmas tree. Saturday afternoon, I went to Walmart to buy lights because we had none. So I bought this box of 400 lights, took them home, and we tested them. They all worked. Got them on the tree, and half of one string (there were two strings total) quit working. Ben found out that it was a connector issue, not a bulb issue, so he took the lights back to Walmart and got some new ones. He had to get four boxes of 100 lights each because they had no more boxes of 400 lights. He tested each string, and only three strings worked. (Figures.) We were optimistic that three strings would be enough to cover the tree. Um, wrong! There was about 18 inches of tree that didn't have any lights. By this time the kids were tired and really, really wanted to decorate the tree, so we let them put a couple of ornaments each on the tree and told them that we'd get one more string of lights after church on Sunday and we'd finish decorating the tree.

Sunday, we went straight to Walmart after church let out (thankfully, we went to the early service) and got our string of lights. We came home, had a quick lunch, and set to decorating the tree. We discovered once we opened up the boxes of ornaments and Christmas decorations that we had this nice, unopened box of FOUR HUNDRED LIGHTS in with our Christmas decorations! It was then that Ben and I remembered that we had gone to Kmart after Christmas last year and bought lights on sale. Because we knew we would need them this year. And because we were saving ourselves some money by doing this.

After getting over the initial disgust of this finding, we started decorating the tree. We found out that we had quite a few unbreakable ornaments after all, and there were a bunch of applesauce ornaments that Abby and I made a few years ago, and then the few string ornaments that survived to be decorated with, and then the two boxes of candy canes. All in all, the decorations on the tree look really pretty this year. I think this is one of my favorite trees in our 11 years of marriage.

Then came Hayden's favorite part: putting the angel on the tree and lighting it. Once we finally got the angel on the tree, we discovered that she didn't work. Talk about frustrating! So Ben and Hayden went off to Walmart to buy another angel for the tree while the girls and I stayed here. Ruth was napping, Abby got on the phone with my mom, and I swept pine needles from the floors. The boys came back with a beautiful angel, and it works! :)

While in the moment, everything seemed to go wrong, I can look back and see the humor in it all. It is definitely a Christmas we won't soon forget!

Next on the agenda is to spend time during the next few weeks teaching and reiterating the whole reason we celebrate Christmas...

Baby Food, Anyone?

We have three children, and until very recently, I have never made baby food. Yup. I've always bought the Gerber jars and packages of baby food. Actually, we've spent a small fortune in baby food!

My adventures in making baby food began a few months ago, before Ruth was even eating solids. We had gone to a local peach orchard and bought a lot of peaches. We ate some of them, and I made a cobbler or something with some of them, and we still had some leftover. They were starting to get soft, so I got the bright idea of cooking them and making baby food so that we wouldn't lose the peaches. There weren't enough left to make a pie or anything, so this was the best use I could think of.

Being ignorant of making baby food, I did this the only way I knew how: cook the peaches like I do apples when I make applesauce. Since they were really tart peaches, I added some sugar. My food processor was still packed up in an unknown box in our shed at that time, so I used my hand mixer to puree the peaches as best as I could. After they were as thin as I could get them, I put the mixture into ice cube trays and froze it. I found out that Ruth couldn't eat the peaches until a few weeks ago because they were just a little too chunky for her.

But then a few weeks ago, while looking for something else in the shed, I found my food processor! My wheels started turning... what could I do with the food processor? I used it to grate up a huge block of cheese that we purchased from Costco, but I knew that there must be something else I could do, something that wouldn't take a lot of time.

Fast forward to this past Saturday. I was at the grocery store picking up some baby food for Ruth, and I noticed that the price per pound for the jar of sweet potatoes listed on the shelf sticker was something like $2.50/lb. Wow! This jar was $0.63. My lightning-fast brain said that I wasn't going to get a pound of baby food sweet potatoes for $2.50. I happened to be on the phone with my mom at the time and remarked to her about the cost. She said, "Why don't you make some baby food for her instead?" So I went over to the produce section and saw that a pound of sweet potatoes was $0.49. Hmmm.... this is really starting to make sense here. So I spent $0.88 for three sweet potatoes, took them home, washed them, baked them, and scooped the potato out of the skin and threw it into the food processor with some water. After I got it to the right consistency for Ruth, I put the sweet potato puree into the ice cube trays and had enough leftover for two more servings. Assuming that Ruth will eat two of the cubes of sweet potatoes in one sitting--because that's how much of the peaches she eats--I got 18 total servings for just $0.88! I pay more that than for a two-pack of Gerber sweet potatoes at Walmart! Oh, and guess what? Ruth likes these a lot more!

So in an effort to save money and feed my family a little healthier, I have decided to start making baby food whenever possible. It doesn't take much time, and it freezes well, so there is baby food on hand in the freezer--much like some of the healthier food items I've been making for my family lately. If I can cook healthier and a little cheaper for the rest of the family, and cook enough to freeze for another time, then why not do the same thing for the baby?

You know, the Proverbs 31 woman was a pretty resourceful lady. I'd really like to be more like her.

Motherly Wisdom

Now, before anyone gets any crazy ideas, I am not the one dispensing the motherly wisdom. It's from my mom. And, since I can't say it any better than she said it, I'm just going to copy it straight from the emails she sent me this week.

The first one was sent on Monday and was simply given the subject, "Encouragement." Unfortunately, I didn't read it until this evening. This is what my mom said to me on Monday:

"Hi Megan, just had a couple of thoughts that I decided to pass on to you. Please do not take this the wrong way; just trying to help. Spend time in prayer each morning before the kids get up. Take the authority that is yours in Christ and bind any and all spirits of strife. Remember the enemy will come at you through your children. Quite the rat, huh? Pastor Farley has been teaching out of 1st Cor. 13---the love chapter. Maybe you could spend some time teaching and encouraging them that love is not rude, love does not demand its own way. Well, I could just go on and on but I'm sure you get what I'm trying to say. I know this--God's word always makes a difference. We may not see the results as quickly as we want, but if we will continue to look at His word, trust Him, believe Him--we will not be disappointed-----first the blade, then the ear........Love and prayers...Mom"

So I wrote her back this evening and said this:

"Oh, how I wish I'd read this earlier this week. It's been such a hectic week that email hasn't exactly been a priority.

I understand what you're saying and I certianly didn't take it wrong. (You don't have to worry about "intruding" here... I'll take your advice!) One of my biggest problems is that I can never seem to get up earlier than the kids. No matter how early I try to get up, they are either up at the same time or right on my heels. Early morning used to be my time. I'd go to the gym and pray all the way there and all the way back, listen to praise and worship during my workout and even a sermon or two if I had them on my iPod. Then there would be time later for a little bit of Bible reading because I'd have all of that done and be showered before the kids got out of bed. Do you have any suggestions?"

To which my mom replied tonight:

"Yes, I do have a suggestion. If you can't be up before the kids, then every time you go to the bathroom--use this time to visit your heavenly throne also. I used to do that all the time-even kept a bible in there. Also, use their nap time to spend with God. I assure you that this is time well spent and the benefits are tremendous. As you do this, you will be surprised at how much more you actually get accomplished in a day. Even use a few minutes after the kids are in bed at night.Megan, God knows exactly where you are and all the demands that are on you. He is most understanding and He will reward you for the few minutes here and there. Now, let me also encourage you to set aside a regular time when you can. As long as you have children, time will always seem to be hectic but as they grow it is a different hectic at different stages. I never home schooled so you are experiencing something I never experienced. Know that I am in your corner and praying for you. You are doing a great job with "my babies". God loves you too. Just always lean heavily on Him and He will give you all the strength, wisdom and everything else that you have need of. Just take things one day at a time. Hope this helps. Love ya much..Mom P.S. Try playing some praise music through the day!!!"

I really love my mom! She's quite the lady. I'm so thankful for her wisdom and her loving encouragement.

Maybe her words of wisdom will benefit you, as well.

Looking Forward to the "New Compassions" Tomorrow

Today actually started out pretty good. Hectic, but good.

Wednesday mornings are always hectic. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not very organized--although I truly do try--or if it's because getting up between 6:00-6:30 to start the day after being up with Ruth once or twice in the night, with the last one being anywhere between 4-5 a.m., is less doable than I'd like to think it is, or what. I've tried quick, easy breakfasts for the kids like oatmeal or cold cereal. Those mornings were truly battle mornings. So I heard about this awesome recipe for breakfast cake from a friend who tried it with her kids. It's great, and the kids eat it without any complaining on their part or begging on my part. When I actually get it prepared the night before and get up at the aforementioned time.

Today was not one of those days. I got up late--6:45, to be exact. Got myself ready, and then it was marathon pace to get the kids out of bed, dressed, fed, lunches packed, teeth and hair brushed, coats on, backpacks together, and everyone out the door so that we could be at co-op by 9:00. We literally like 3 minutes from our co-op site, so you'd think it wouldn't be that big of a deal... but as I said, I am not very organized. It seems that the harder I try to be organized, the more I fail.

Somehow we made it to co-op on time. While we were at co-op, everything was great! Then I found out that Hayden pretty much keeps to himself in his class because aside from two other boys who are his age, the room is full of girls, and most of them are 2 or younger. The two boys his age are bigger than him and they play super rough. (That's putting it mildly.) Large groups intimidate him, and he won't play that rough with other boys... at least, not like they play. Then he told another mom in his class that his ear was hurting, which prompted me to call the pediatrician and schedule an appointment for this afternoon. He had been complaining to me about his ear for the last couple of days, but I figured that if he told another mom who he doesn't really know that well that his ear was hurting, it must have really been hurting.

So we get home from co-op, the kids go to their rooms for naps (Abby, of course, didn't take one, and she's the one who truly needed one the most), and then I got them rushed out the door again so we could make it to the pediatrician's office on time.

The pediatrician looked in his ears and at his throat and listened to him breathe and she found no issues and chalked it all up to allergies. Like his mama, Hayden has allergy issues that carry over into the fall. On the upside of all of this chaos, we found out that Hayden gained two pounds in the last month. That's huge! He finally weighs 29 pounds! For that, I am very thankful. His weight has been a major concern for me.

So we go home and Ben and I decide that tonight would be a good pizza night. Abby had a Book It coupon to redeem at Pizza Hut, so she got to use that and we ordered pizza for everyone else. I had the bright idea that since we were having pizza, why not make it a movie night, too? We ate our dinner in the living room while watching Peter Pan.

Here's where the whole evening went straight down the toilet.

Since Hayden doesn't sit through a movie, I thought that I'd let him listen to my iPod. He informed me that he had pooped his pants. I swear, that boy is trying to set the record for the most consecutive days of pooping in one's pants. That really irritated me. I've been telling him every day for the last week or so to go to the potty instead of going in his pants. I don't know why he's been doing this, but I've got to say that I'm sick of it. Cleaning poop out of cloth diapers was one thing; to clean it out of his underwear on a daily basis is quite another.

I got him cleaned up, into come clean underwear and a pair of shorts since it was almost bedtime, and had just started Ruth's bath water when I heard a loud sound and then heard Abby crying. Hayden had gotten mad at her and thrown his sippy cup at her and hit her in the mouth. That just flew all over me! I couldn't believe he would do such a thing! I got mad at him and swatted his bottom and made him stay in his room until I got Ruthie bathed. Then I put him in the bathtub and talked to him while bathing him, and then Ben put him to bed.

So what started out as a hectic day with a couple of hours that were good ended in an awful evening. I went to my room to nurse Ruthie to sleep and felt like a complete failure. Where did I mess up if my kid is being so mean to his older sister? Why did I have such a short fuse with him? Does he really know that I love him, even though I made sure that I told him that several times before he went to bed? Do my kids think of me as a grumpy, irritated bitch who does nothing but fuss at them, or do they see me as loving and caring? I hope it's the latter, but I'm sure that some days it isn't.

All I know right at this moment is that the Bible says in Lamentations 3:22-23: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Thank God, tomorrow is a new day.

"Buckets of Grace"

Well, it has been over a year since I have written anything here. How time flies!

First, let's start with the changes that have taken place during the last year. We became a homeschool family and joined our local Classical Conversations co-op. We love homeschooling! Abby had a very successful Kindergarten year and is now in the first grade. We also bought a house last year! We finally closed on the house on the Wednesday in the week before Thanksgiving and moved in--with the help of family and friends--that Saturday. Since I was expecting at that time, Ben would not allow me to paint; he, his sister and her husband, and their mom painted the interior of the house in two days and did a great job. It was a whirlwind weekend with the closing, the packing of the truck, the painting, the unpacking of the truck, and the placement of furniture, but we all survived it and settled in to our new house quite nicely.

The biggest--and best--change of the last year is the birth of our third child. Ruth Elizabeth was born on March 10, 2010, at 11:28 a.m. She weighed in at 9 lbs, 3 oz, and was 21 inches long. (Before you ask, she was born via c-section! Perhaps that will be another post.) And she had the most hair of the three children! Ruth has been such a blessing to our family; she's always happy, always has a smile, and has such a beautiful laugh. She's on the way to becoming a mobile baby. Currently, at 7 months old, she scoots on her bottom and goes backward when she's on her tummy. When she gets those knees up under her and figures out how to go forward, I have a feeling that she'll be a tough one to stop!

Now that we are well into our second year of homeschooling, I have been trying to find a new balance in everyday life. Summer was a little easier because there wasn't any formal schooling to be done during the day. We still did school, but it was at a very relaxed pace. There was plenty of time for play, for naps, for errands, for housework, for devotions... but lately I have found myself struggling because I haven't been accomplishing what I've felt needed to be accomplished, especially in my personal devotional time. I have put my devotional time right up there with my gym time (not necessarily in that order); it seems that no matter how early I get up to try to fit it into my day, one or more of the kids intrinsically knows that I am either about to get up or am up and also gets up, thus leaving me with no quiet time in the morning for Bible study. Nap time, you say? Ruth takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap, and Hayden takes an afternoon nap. During the time that both Hayden and Ruth are sleeping, Abby and I work on phonics so that she can better hear and understand and can succeed with that subject. How about after the kids are put to bed? By the time we get all three kiddos in the bed, the dishes washed and put away, and any laundry folded, I am so tired that I could easily fall into bed.

This has actually been a point of great stress for me, so much so that I recently posed a question to my Facebook friends on this very subject. A couple of friends from college who have children who are the same ages or older than my own gave very wise advice, which I have tried to heed. One said that when her children were babies and young children, she "settled in [her] spirit that the season wasn't going to be a time of much study, so [she] tried to keep her heart sensitive to [God's] leading." Another friend said, "I adhere more to the 'pray without ceasing' philosophy... I don't formally start or end a prayer, but pray whenever I get two seconds to rub together throughout the day (or night)." Wow! Do you know how freeing their advice has been? I wasn't looking for an excuse or a "hall pass" to slack off on my Bible study, but I think that I had set the bar impossibly high for me during this season of life. Infancy doesn't last forever, and I want to enjoy every minute of it. Believe it or not, because I have relaxed about this, I have actually been able to fit in some time for Bible study--even if it's just 5 minutes. I've begun to see this season as one of grace.

Which leads me to the title of this post: "Buckets of Grace." At our co-op today, I had the pleasure of being the room mother in a class of girls who are older than Abby. The tutor, by way of a rabbit trail, was talking to the girls about being nice to their siblings and extending them grace--"buckets of grace"--because that is what God does for us daily. Each day He has "buckets of grace" for us--grace for all of our sins, all of our mess-ups, all of our bad attitudes. As parents, we need to have "buckets of grace" for our children because He shows us grace; in doing so, we will teach our children about God's love. Does that mean that we don't correct them when they do something wrong or that we just sit idly by and let them do whatever they want? No, but it does mean that we offer them loving correction, just as our Heavenly Father does to us, and show them how to live in grace: "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification." (Merriam-Webster)

So, in this particular season of life, I want to live so that I offer "buckets of grace" to my family and those around me, and I want to live in the realization that God also has "buckets of grace" for me.

The Best Birthday Ever

On September19, I celebrated 34 years of being alive! Everyone always asks, "What do you want for your birthday? Do you have a list?" The older I get, there are fewer "things" on the list. In the last several years, it's actually been a rather difficult thing to come up with a list--for birthday or Christmas--because the biggest thing that I have wanted has been time spent with my family. Well, this year, that is exactly what my family gave me!

We had been in West Virginia spending a few days with my parents and sister because Ben had work that took him to Charleston. So on my birthday, Ben, the kids, and I all woke up early, had a quick breakfast, and left my parents' house and headed toward Cass, WV. If you're not from West Virginia, you may not know that Cass Scenic Railroad even exists. The town of Cass was built to be a logging town, and the railroad was constructed to transport logs down the mountain to the paper mill in Cass. Today, you can go to Cass to ride one of the original Shay steam locomotives up the mountain.

We told the kids the night before that we were all getting up early so that we could go ride a train. Both of them were excited, but I think Hayden was probably the most excited of everyone in our family! That boy sure does love trains! When we arrived at Cass, the kids and I waited by the train depot while Ben purchased our tickets and boxed lunches. We chose the 4-1/2 hour trip up to Bald Knob, the third highest point in West Virginia. (Spruce Knob is the highest.) The train whistle is quite loud, as you may imagine, and Abby would cover her ears and Hayden would cling on to me. It was actually quite cute! They heard the first blast of the whistle as the train pulled into the depot, and I thought Hayden was going to climb up my leg! After we boarded the train and the train pulled out of the station, we spent a lot of time standing up in the train car, looking at the passing scenery and waving to the few people that we saw along the way.


We stopped at Whitaker Station for a quick lunch and to let the kids stretch their legs a little bit. They were having so much fun on the train ride that it was hard to get them to eat much of their lunches. After getting back on the train and continuing heading up to Bald Knob, Hayden decided that it was nap time and fell asleep in my arms. He was so tired that the train whistle didn't even make him flinch in his sleep! Abby really enjoyed being held by Ben so that she could see the scenery. She's taken an interest in birds recently and tried to spot some birds along the way. She really enjoyed seeing all of the different fall colors that were starting to appear.

Abby and Hayden when the train whistle blew.

Once we arrived at Bald Knob, we went to the lookout point and were all amazed by the breath-taking view! To stand there and take in the majestic view of the mountains and valley below, I couldn't help but be amazed by the beauty of God's craftmanship. This wasn't my first trip to Bald Knob on the train, but I appreciated the beauty of the surroundings so much more this time. As a child, it was easy to get caught up in the fun of the train ride; now that I'm grown, it was nice to spend the time away from cell phones, computers, televisions and other distractions and just enjoy uninterrupted family time with my husband and our two kids. Of course, I loved the train ride; I've always enjoyed going to Cass! But it was even more special this time because it was their first time to go, and we got to experience the beauty of God's creation together.

One of many views from Bald Knob.

As far as I'm concerned, my 34th birthday has been the best one to date! I couldn't have asked for a better gift than time spent with my family.

Changes!

Wow! When I saw that the last time I wrote anything down here was in May, I could hardly believe it. The summer flew by faster than I thought it would. It's amazing how much faster things go the older your children become...

As the title of this posting says, we've had some changes in our family recently. All of them are good changes, though. Just a couple of days after running the Waynesboro Extravaganza 5K race in July, we learned that we are expecting our third child! That really explained a lot of things... why I was tiring more quickly than usual, why my morning coffee suddenly became very unappealing, and why my appetite had dwindled. We are very excited to welcome the newest addition to our family--baby's arrival is estimated to be March 16, 2010.

Before Ben and I had children, we said that we would homeschool. Then, once we had kids, we toyed with the idea of sending our kids to a private, Christian school. After checking out all of our options and giving it a lot of prayer, we have chosen to homeschool our children after all! We are members of our local Classical Conversations co-op, and Abby really looks forward to each Monday, which is our co-op day. Interestingly enough, it is held in the same church where she attended preschool. God really orchestrated that for us! When Abby was three, we weren't sure which preschool to send her to and learned that this particular preschool was one of the best--and one of the least expensive--in our area. It was through conversations with the preschool director that I met the local Classical Conversations director and found out more about this method of homeschooling. After attending an informational meeting in February, Ben and I prayed and agreed that this was the way we should homeschool our kids. So here it is, the end of August, and we have two weeks of homeschool under our belts and we really love it!

For several months, Ben and I have been looking at different houses that would meet the needs of our family. (This was before we realized that we would soon be adding another member!) There was one house, in particular, that we really fell in love with. It even had a fenced-in back yard, perfect for the kids to romp and play! But, after seeing it 4 or 5 times, we just didn't have any peace about that house. We really thought it was the one, too. Thankfully, God opened our eyes to the shortcomings in that house, the things that would not meet our needs and would end up being frustrations in the long run. So, we said goodbye to that house and continued the hunt.

Then, just about two weeks ago, we found another house that we both just loved. Ben saw it first, without the kids and me, because Abby was sick. He came home with nothing but good things to say about this house. So we scheduled a time for all of us to see the house together, and it was an almost instant knowing that this was our house. This house really would meet our needs--in the short term and in the long run. This is a house that we can stay in for a few years before having to buy something bigger.

After telling my mom about this house over this past weekend, we came home and decided that we would like to see it one more time before submitting an offer. We saw the house again on Tuesday and knew for certain that this was our house. So we called our agent again Tuesday evening to tell him how much we wanted to offer, then we went in Wednesday morning to sign the contract. Our agent submitted the contract to the other agent before noon, and by dinner time Wednesday, we learned that our offer had been accepted! Praise the Lord! We both had a genuine peace about the amount we should offer for the house, and we both knew that we would hear something by the end of the day.

Just when we were starting to become a little discouraged in our house hunt, God gave us peace about the one He had for us all along.

God is always faithful, and He always has a plan for us. It's just a matter of us actually stopping to listen to what He has to say and then taking the appropriate action.

I think back to our Bible reading this morning. We read Genesis 12-13, about the call of Abram. Abram stopped to listen to what God had to say. God said, "Go to the land I will show you," and he packed up and went. Talk about a change! He didn't even know where he was going! How willing would you or I be to go someplace if we didn't have a map to follow, if we had no GPS directions, or if we had absolutely no idea where we were going? Honestly, I'm not sure how willing I would be at first. It might take some poking and prodding. :) But Abram did it. He made a change--a dramatic change that affected the life of his family. This was bigger than moving to a new home or even taking a new job, and he did it. He was obedient to the call of God on his life.

Amid all of the changes that happen in your life, remain obedient to the call of God on your life. No matter how crazy it might look on the outside, if you choose to follow God, you will be blessed. He will not fail you. God is always faithful, and He never changes!

A Shameless Mommy Brag!

Just a couple of weeks ago, Abby gave her daddy a very grand compliment. I don't remember what he had said or done to deserve such accolades, but she turned to him and said, "You're the best daddy in the whole United States!" He jokingly asked her if there were better daddies in other countries, and she just laughed and said, "No!"

So, Abby may have the best daddy in the whole United States, but I think that I have the best kids in the whole world. Seriously! Just last week, Abby turned 5, graduated from preschool, and had her first-ever friend party. Busy week! Just reflecting on where she was when we started the school year in September, I can see how much Abby has grown and changed. She's a very bright little girl; she's already reading chapter books and loves the Junie B. Jones series of books by Barbara Park. In fact, she's been reading more than the simple, three-letter words for quite some time. She learned how to better follow directions--something we are still working on at home, but at least she can do it for school. She did learn how to write all of her numbers 1-10, which was something we hadn't gotten to yet. The biggest reason we had her in preschool was social; she simply needed more interaction with kids her own age. She became friends with some very nice kids this year, and we'll be sure to have play dates with some of them during the summer.

Abby was already a very caring little girl, and that was really refined during the school year. She would come home and tell me about this child and that one, and if one of her friends missed school because they were sick she would pray for them during bedtime prayers; one child's daddy recently lost his job, and she shared that with Ben and me and prayed for him and for that child's family and asked God to give him a good job. She's taken notice of which of her friends is going to have a new baby in their family soon. Toddlers and preschoolers can definitely be selfish little people; preschool was so good for Abby because it got her outside of herself and made her more aware of those around her and the needs they might have. I'm not saying that she was a selfish, spoiled, introverted child before; but I am saying that she needed this experience to really help her realize that there is more going on in the world around her than just what happens in her own family. Abby has always been anything but introverted, and she has a natural ability to make others feel welcomed and loved. She is thoughtful in gift giving, and she really pays attention to what others like and dislike.

Hayden turns two tomorrow. Where has time gone? I cannot believe that I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old! Well, I should revise that; I can't believe that Abby is already 5, and the shouts of "Mine!" and "I do it!" are all reminders that Hayden is soon to be 2. :) It has been fun to watch him because he is so different from Abby. He has absolutely no fear at all; he'll climb on anything, and Abby was never one to climb. He loves to bang things around and crash his cars, trucks, and trains; he loves to kick and throw balls; and he has just recently taken an interest in books. He'll sit through Good Night Moon a few times, and then he's ready to hit the ground running again.

Hayden and Abby are both caring kids, but Hayden is more of a cuddler and snuggler. He shows affection physically,where Abby shows affection in things that she does for you. Their love languages are definitely different!

I am actually quite proud of Hayden's "I do it!" attitude; before we went on vacation he didn't realize that he could "do it," like feeding himself with a spoon or fork or wash his hands. Something clicked on vacation and he suddenly became this semi-independent little boy who no longer wants help feeding himself, and just in the last week he has learned how to put his socks and shoes on. Sometimes he gets his shoes on the right feet! I really didn't expect him to be able to do socks and shoes just yet; in fact, I never even tried to teach him. He just took it upon himself one morning and walked into the kitchen with both of his socks and his tennis shoes on, strapped and on the correct feet, and said, "Look!"

He is very compassionate. If someone has a "boo-boo" he asks if they're okay; if someone coughs or sneezes, he asks if they're okay. If Abby is in time-out on the couch, he'll go sit with her most of the time.

So you see, I believe that I have the best kids in the whole world. They're not perfect, just like none of the rest of us is perfect. They argue and fuss and whine just like other kids, and they make mistakes just like other kids. But I truly believe that I have the best kids in the world.

I love Jan Karon's Mitford series. The book that I have been reading off and on since completing the series is titled The Mitford Bedside Companion. It is a compilation of the best of the series with essays added by the author. It's a great book, but don't read it until you've completed the series!! It could spoil some things for you!

In this book, Ms. Karon devoted a short chapter to "Popular Questions from Gentle Readers." In this section, on page 206, she says, "Brag on your kids. To them."

Since reading that one line, I have tried make sure that I do better at praising the kids to them, and doing more than just the "Good job" kind of praise. I want them to know that their mommy thinks they are the most special kids on the planet.

I'll say it one more time: My kids are the best kids in the whole world!!

Aren't yours? :)

VACATION!!!

I think that the lesson for our family during the last six months has been thankfulness and realizing that it is so much more than just words--it's an attitude of the heart.

When Ben and I married almost 10 years ago (May 29, 1999), we said that we would take a cruise for our 10th anniversary. Obviously, we had no children at the time, so we couldn't truly picture what life would look like 10 years down the road. So here we are, 2 kids, a dog, and almost 10 years later, and we have taken our trip. It was wonderful! As I stated in the last post, we took a Disney Cruise; with kids, this is absolutely the best way to go! We are both so thankful for the gifts we've been given in Abby and Hayden and really couldn't picture taking a vacation without them, so we chose to go on a 4-night Disney Cruise to the Bahamas.

First of all, we drove from our home in Virginia to Cocoa Beach, FL, in two days. I think we hit all of the welcome centers in the states we drove through, and we have pictures from each one. They were welcome breaks to stretch little and big legs alike, chase bubbles, play with sticks and leaves, pick flowers, climb trees, and even take care of some necessary business. We always stayed at each one longer than we had originally planned... but do you want to know something? There was a lot less grumpiness and there were fewer melt-downs because we did. And I must tell you that it felt absolutely liberating to be free from the constraints of time! For once, we weren't in a rush!

On Sunday, April 26, we drove the short distance from our hotel in Cocoa Beach to Port Canaveral and were truly awed by the sight of the cruise ships in the port. They are huge! I've watched the shows on the Travel Channel that talk about cruise vacations, but until you actually see a cruise ship with your own eyes, it's nearly impossible to grasp just how big a cruise ship really is. Immediately, we found our cruise ship--the Disney Wonder. It was pretty easy to spot... the red stacks with the Mickey Mouse ears on the sides of the stacks really helped. :) Ben dropped the kids and me off at the terminal, we unloaded the luggage, grabbed our carry-ons, and he went to park the van. So off I go, into the Disney Cruise Line terminal with a 4-year-old girl, a 1-year-old boy, and two pieces of carry-on luggage on my shoulders. Once we got through the security checkpoint, I saw that this was not an uncommon sight! The kids even got to stand in line to see Minnie Mouse while we were waiting for Ben to meet up with us. When we were finally all together again, we quickly got our Key to the World cards--one for each person, which unlocks your stateroom door and gives you access on and off the ship at ports of call--and got Abby signed up for children's activities. She had a blast in the Oceaneer's Club!

Once aboard the ship, we were treated like special guests. Your family's name is announced as you enter the ship, and applause is heard all around. We were taken to a restaurant called Beach Blanket Buffet for lunch, and someone was there to help us carry our trays and find a seat as soon as we got through the buffet line. So helpful! After lunch, we deposited our carry-on luggage in our stateroom then went up to Deck 9 for a party. There were characters there dancing and singing and everyone was having such fun... and we were still in the port! When it was time to set sail, we went to the railing on Deck 10 and waved goodbye to the onlookers on land. Hayden loved seeing the water; Abby loved seeing the characters; and Ben and I were amazed that this little dream vacation of ours was finally a reality.

The Bahamas were really fun; we were in port in Nassau for the second day of the trip and went to the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo. The kids thought it was fun to see the flamingo show there; Abby has declared that flamingos are now her favorite animal (I think it's because they're pink) and Hayden still says, "Clap for birdies!" We got to ride a bus in Nassau, and both kids fell in love with busses on the spot. I wonder if it's because they didn't have to sit in their car seats??

The third day was spent at Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe this island! I have never seen water so clear or so blue, or sand this white, or such an abundance of perfect seashells. While we were swimming at the family beach, we actually saw a few fish swim past, and you could see all the way to the bottom, no matter how deep the water was. There is even a pirate ship at Castaway Cay... how cool is that? (It's the one from "Pirates of the Caribbean.")

The kids loved spending time on the beach and in the water. Abby found out that it was super fun to get really wet, then roll around on the beach, stand up and triumphantly declare, "I'm dirty!" and then run back into the water and start the process all over again. She was so much fun to watch! While she was doing this, Ben and I were taking turns holding a sleeping Hayden. When it is time for his afternoon nap, nothing else matters! Bless his heart, he tried to stay awake. He even went to sleep holding his own special treasures: two small seashells that he picked up out of the water. Nothing could pry those treasures from his little fist!

As I said at the beginning of this post, the last six months have been a lesson in thankfulness. I am so thankful for my family. God has blessed me with a husband who is a hard and diligent worker, a man who is a fair boss at work and a fun and loving husband and daddy at home; He has blessed us both with two wonderful children. What gifts they are! Abby brings laughter and silliness to any and every situation. Hayden is still young enough and small enough to want and need that loving, cuddling touch from us. I have said from the time he and I came home from the hospital that he is my "slow down and take it easy" baby, and it still holds true. Both kids have precious smiles and beautiful laughter, and we got to see and hear so much of that while on vacation! I am so thankful for the 10 days that we got to spend together. The kids seem to play together better; Abby is a little bit more patient with her brother; we are both more patient with the kids; Hayden seems to be talking a lot more than before we went on vacation; and both Ben and I really appreciate the small things even more. Sure, we were treated like guests of honor while on the cruise, but even at home we have heard a lot more "please" and "thank you" going around the house.

This vacation certainly ranks at the top of our family vacations so far, and we are in no way on a quest to top it any time soon. Maybe next year we'll go camping, and that could very well blow this vacation away. We got to spend uninterrupted time together as a family. We were able to slow down and just enjoy being together... something that we need to do a better job of in our everday family life. But more than that, I am so thankful that God provided for us to take this vacation and that we were able to take in the beauty of His creation in another part of the world. Only God could create water so blue and so clear; only God could create the sun that shines so brightly; only God could create the magnificent flowers and plants that we were able to see during our vacation; and only God could create in us hearts that are eternally thankful and in awe of Him and His creation.

Yes, I loved vacation and would love to take another cruise sometime. I loved watching the kids interact with the different Disney characters. I loved getting away from the everday-ness of life and having the opportunity to reflect on the wonderfulness of my Lord. Who else could create an ocean that vast, or skies so blue?

Above all of that, I am thankful for today. Remember, today is a gift!

Don't wait for vacation to show your family how much you value and appreciate them. Don't wait for a holiday or a birthday to tell someone how much you love them. Walk in thankfulness today... Vacation is a drop in the bucket when compared to the rest of the days of the year. Enjoy today! Laugh today! Make today memorable! Every day can hold the specialness of vacation when you have the right heart attitude. Be thankful!

Choices

This blog post is coming to you from beautiful Savannah, GA! We just took our family vacation and are on our way back home. We drove from our home in VA to Port Canaveral, FL, to embark on our first ever Disney vacation: a Disney cruise! I will blog more about our vacation once we arrive home and I can upload photos.

First, if you have always want to take a Disney vacation but you think your kids are too young for the park, definitely opt for the Disney cruise. Hayden, who probably would not have enjoyed rides at this age, absolutely loved getting to see Mickey Mouse! Mickey Mouse was the whole point of the vacation for him. Abby loved getting to see the other characters and getting their autographs.

During our vacation, we have had both fun times and what my husband has termed the typical "Doyle" vacation. Everything started out smoothly but we have had some major bumps along the way.

Two days into the cruise, Hayden threw up after eating lunch. I didn't get too concerned about it because kids throw up all the time. The next day, however, while at Castaway Cay, he had his first episode of diarrhea. Let's put it this way: we hadn't made it to the family beach yet and had to stop at a little shop on the island to purchase a new pair of swimming trunks for him. This wasn't too alarming for me, but I started to really pay close attention to his actions and mood after this. Could he have a tummy bug, or is he just getting a new tooth that I haven't noticed? The answer became quite clear when we returned to our stateroom and he had another nasty diaper. So, off we went to the ship's doctor. I told him what Hayden's symptoms were and that I thought he just had a tummy bug and needed some Pedialyte or Powerade and a bland diet. The doctor agreed with me and sent us on our way with some Pedialyte popsicles and orders for Hayden to be isolated in our stateroom for the next 48 hours. What?! That was the remainder of the cruise!

I told Ben this and he and Abby chose not to go to the restaurant for dinner that night but instead ate in the stateroom with Hayden and me. Guest Services on the ship sent a DVD player to our room and a list of DVDs that we could choose from so that we could help keep the little guy entertained. Any laundry soiled due to Hayden's upset tummy would be cleaned free of charge by the laundry services. All non-alcoholic drinks ordered through Room Service would be free of charge; in fact, even the snacks we ordered through Room Service that we should have paid for ended up being free of charge! And their housekeeping/Room Host staff even came twice to put clean linens on our bed during the night.

Now, here's the choice: be completely bummed that the rest of the cruise was "ruined" or continue to be thankful for the little--and not so little--things and find ways to still make it special. I must admit that I had a few moments of being bummed. All Hayden wanted to do was see Mickey Mouse, and I thought that he might not get to do that. We were finally able to take him to see the Mouse, and he has not stopped talking about it yet! It was fun, though, to be able to take Abby by myself to see "Hannah Montana: The Movie" on the ship, even though we had already seen it in the theater. We even stole away for a couple of pieces of pizza afterward!

Fast forward to yesterday when we arrived in Savannah. The toilet in our hotel room got clogged, the air conditioner stopped working, and then Hayden threw up in the middle of the floor. I'm sure the maintenance man is ready to see us go! Ben and I really took all of this in stride. The icing on the cake, however, was last night when I had asked Ben to run to the store to pick something up for me. We parked in the hotel's parking garage, and while backing the van out of the parking spot, Ben completely wiped the driver's side mirror off when he side-swiped a support pillar in the garage. Here is where we both failed the choices test. I am sorry to say that we both got angry about this. I think that it was just too much to take in, you know? We had both hit our breaking points with things that had gone "wrong" when this happened.

After sleeping last night, however, we have both seen all of this for what it is: a humorous vacation! The choice is to laugh about it or cry about it, and we have chosen to laugh. I am very thankful that my husband did not get injured when he had the accident with the van; I am also thankful that we have now had more opportunity to walk around the historic district of Savannah and have even had chances to ride the bus here. The kids think it is great fun to ride the bus! I am thankful that Hayden is getting over this tummy bug. And I am thankful for all of the time that we have had to spend together as a family during this past week. The kids have loved seeing their daddy all day, every day.

The lesson here is that every situation has a choice to be made; how you react reflects your level of thankfulness at that moment. And just about every "bad" situation looks funny the next day.

Make the most of your day today! Glorify God with all of your choices, and always express your thankfull to Him. And don't forget to ask yourself the question that the Laughing Cow commercials ask: "Have you laughed today?"

Challenge Update

Okay, so I missed the one week mark with this post... please forgive me!

The kids really, really enjoy having devotional time in the mornings. They don't know it's devotional time--really, how would you explain such a big word to young children? All they know is that Mommy reads to them from her Bible, and they really like to learn from it. Hayden has even gotten to the point where he will ask, "Mommy... Bible?" Just this past week, Abby asked a question at breakfast about why Jesus had to die on the cross. So, taking from everything I learned at ORU while obtaining my undergrad theology degree and the Bible college course I am currently teaching at church, I started to tell her about how people used to receive forgiveness for sin, explained sin, and really tried to give a simple-but-not-confusing answer for my ever-curious 4-year-old daughter. Hayden, understanding that we were talking about Jesus, sat in his high chair and kept saying, "Bible! Bible!" So, after telling him that I was talking about Jesus and telling them things from the Bible and that not really working for him, I opened my Bible and continued to talk. It worked! But then I read to them the account of the crucifixion in Luke 23 and tried to break it down into simpler terms that they both could understand.

The point here is that Abby now has a better understanding of why Jesus had to die on the cross. (She even asked why He didn't just take Himself off of the cross! Wow!) These things also won't be foreign to Hayden because he will grow up being taught straight from the Bible, just like his big sister.

So how did the challenge affect me? It has been nice to have time each day with the television off in order to read the Bible for myself and gain more understanding. Prayer time has increased because of fewer outside distractions. But here is what I hope to gain from this challenge--and what I hope others will gain from the challenge as well: a renewed relationship with the Father. Oh, I'm not saying that I was horribly backslidden or anything like that, but I also know that every Christian's relationship with the Father can be improved upon, mine included. My desire is that when the kids are old enough to read the Bible for themselves, they will do so because they have seen Mommy do it, not because it is something Mommy tells them to do and then doesn't do herself. Even more than that, though, I want my children to know that they can have a personal relationship with the Lord and that He can speak directly to them. I don't want them to just go through the motions, nor do I want to just go through the motions. I want my family to have a genuine relationship with the Lord; I want them to give their all in service to the Lord, in their personal devotional times, in their personal prayer times.

Matthew West has a song entitled "The Motions" that has recently become a favorite in our house. Take a moment and watch the YouTube video linked here and let it challenge you. Ask yourself a few questions: Do I just go through the motions of Christianity, or do still I burn with passion for my Lord and Savior? Do my children know that I have a relationship with the Lord? Do I teach them daily, or do I just tell them to "do as I say, not as I do"? Even if you're not a parent, what does your life say to those who are around you daily, your own circle of influence? These are the things that have challenged me lately; I hope that they will challenge you, as well.

As we enter the week before Easter, take time to remember what Our Lord did for you. Share that with your family and friends. And if you haven't taken the challenge yet, it's not too late! Unplug and let God transform your life and the life of your family. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Ten Things You Will Never Regret

Please take a moment to read the following list and really take it to heart. It was written by Bill Shuler, whom I know as "Pastor Shuler" from my ORU days.

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/03/15/shuler_regret_ten/

Have a wonderful, blessed day!