2009!!! Can it be??? I started this on the 3rd and am finishing it on the 8th!!!

So long since I've last written....I would love to have time stop for just a few hours each day just so that I can get a few things done. Blogging and documenting memories of my young family being one of those things. I feel like there have been so many things my kids have said and/or done since I last wrote...and I've already forgotten them. Speaking of not having enough time in the day to do things I wanted to post the following. I got this from a friend who has 4 adorable children. I received this a day before another one of my friends reminded me that I do not "work". Um??? I went back and read this article...and this friend does have kids...is that she just doesn't realize just what it's like because she does work outside the house??? Not sure, but it's worth the read.

This was written by Carolyn Hax from The Washington Post. I believe I saw it was first published in May 2007 and it is now being sent from one email account to another.

Dear Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group ...

OK. I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners ... I do all those things, too. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events); I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy, but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks have the same questions.

— Tacoma, Wash.


Dear Tacoma: Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or, you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, because it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces checkout-line screaming.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything — language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.

LOVE IT!!!!

I love this. Since it's been 5 days since I started this post I am just going to cut my losses and call it a day on this post.

86 years...

Aaron's grandma died today.
A year and a half after his grandpa died.
He was able to say good-bye to his grandpa...not so with his grandma. This was out of the blue.
She had been doing alright.
86 years...60 years of marriage....7 kids....and too many grandkids and great-grandkids to count.
Aaron spent every summer of his childhood there.
I LOVED hearing the stories she would tell about Aaron.
How they were walking back from the point....a 7 mile hike I think...she told him not to take off his shoes because he would have to walk back and get them if he left them...he left them...back he went.
She would tell me how he would always sit close to the garbage disposal so that he could slip his veggies down the sink.
The time that she made Aaron make his bed and he cried because it was too hard. She made him make that bed and by the end they were both crying.
He LOVED her bread and blueberry pies.,,I'll try but I know that they'll never be as good as hers.
She always made sure that I could eat what she was fixing so that my stomach wouldn't be upset.
What a wonderful lady. We know that she is happy up there with her husband.
Maybe the two of them are having coffee and blueberry pie with my grandpa.

The Lord's Day...

First...a few reminders to myself...

The other day we were sitting in the living room playing on the floor and Max was crashing his cars together like all boys do. I hear him say to himself,
"Crashing trains sold separately. Batteries not included."

At dinner the other night Max was trying to think of a movie title. He had seen the preview on tv or a picture of the characters somewhere and was trying to tell his daddy about it. He had that puzzled look on his face telling us that "doggonit, I know the title I just can't think of it".
Finally, he looked at me and said, "Momma, what's the name of that movie with the animals?"
I replied, "I don't know which one you're talking about honey".
He looks back at me like I'm crazy...
"Yea, Momma...you know it, the one from the creators of Shrek."
"Oh!!!!" And of course since he threw that in there I knew he was talking about Madagascar.
You should have heard my 2 kiddos trying to pronounce that one!

I am so grateful for our children's Sunday School program, as well as our own.
The other day I was singing "Jesus Loves Me" to Maggie. (Bless her heart...when I sing to her she looks at me like I have the most beautiful voice of anyone on the planet).
When I was about halfway thru the song, Molly comes running into the room, puts her hands on her hips and says, "Momma, that is my song from my school with Mr. Freddie and Ms. Shirley".
Sassiness aside...I'm just am praising Jesus that she knows who He is.
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Once again, our Bible Study this morning seemed to be just for Aaron and I...especially Aaron.
"Assessing One's Lifework" was the topic of our study this morning.
How blessed we are to have Bill in front of us sending the Lord's message directly to us. No matter where our future takes us, I will ALWAYS believe that the Lord send us to Kentucky, if for no other reason, then to become friends with the people that He placed right in our path. I believe that He lights and clears our paths, but also positions others on that path just for us.
How Great is Our God!!!

We moved from our Bible Study in the worship hour.

Aaron and I just looked at each other when we opened our worship folders and saw that the title of the message was "There Must Be More". He preached on Haggai 2:1-9
In this scripture the Lord says,
"Be strong, all you people of the land, and work. For I am with you....And my spirit remains among you. Do not fear.....In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory....The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house...And in this place I will grant peace."

Our pastor spoke on disappointment and discouragement. That God wants more for us than those 2 things. There is one of 2 things we can do when faced with disappointment and/or are discourage.
We can either give up and say this is all there is and live out your life like that OR you can move forward and try to make to make it better.
First...DESIRE for something more. Don't just be status quo (which was the subject of last week's sermon). It's not all bad to be disappointed because it means that you desire something more...something better.
Second...EMBRACE the hope of something more
Be strong...DO NOT FEAR. Don't give into disappointment. Our relationship with Christ should be a source of hope for us when we are faced with disappointment.
Thirdly...HIS spirit is within us. We are a temple of God. What an honor!!!
He will deal with the disappointment with in us. He is in all things if we just look.
Lastly...the PROMISE for something more. Grab a hold of God's promise...let go of the disappointment. Our pastor told the story of a little girl who got her hand stuck in a vase that held a lot of sentimental value. They tried every which way to get her hand out of that vase. Finally, they had to smash the vase in order to free her. When they broke the vase, they saw that the little girl's hand was balled up into a fist. She opened her hand and saw that she had been clenching onto a penny. Holding onto that worthless stuff crushes our relationship with our Lord. Let go of that disappointment and allow God to work within you.
__________________________________________________________________________

Lord, thank you for being my Tower, Upholding me always...even if I'm not aware of you, being the Vinedresser, and being Wonderful. I praise you for sending me your messengers. You are doing amazing work in me through them. Thank you for blessing all of my days...especially this day. Forgive me when I do not recognize your nudgings. I ask that you be with my family this coming week. Please let your will be known to us. Be with all of those that need your comforting and upholding. I know that there are many Lord.
It's in your precious and Holy name I pray....
Amen

Funny little bits...

"For unto you is born a savior" Luke 2:11
That was Max's AWANA verse for this week. The way he says it,

"Hold on to you was born a savior. Luke 2:11"

I ask him who his savior is. He replies,
"Jesus".

That's all I wanted to hear.

__________________________________________________________

This afternoon the kids were trying to work hard on cleaning their room, but like their mother when they come across something interesting they'll sit there forever looking at it. (No wonder Aaron gets after me when it takes me FOREVER to clean out old stuff...can't help myself.)
Anyhoo...
Molly heard a car pull up. She looked out the window and started to carry on a conversation with our neighbor, Ms. Tracy.

Ms. Tracy: "Whatcha doin up there Molly?"

Molly: "We're cleanin up our room to get McQueen macaroni & cheese."

Ms. Tracy: "That sounds like a great idea."

Molly: "Of course that sounds like a great idea."

And off she went cleaning.

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Max went last week to get his 4 year old shots. Aaron took him and I told him to buy him anything he wanted afterwards. I know that the shots are for his own good, but still. I think that I offered him a gift because I was too chicked to take him myself.
He was very brave and got a cool toy out of it. He was fine by the time he got home, but when I asked him about it he immediately turned on his sad face. He told me that the nurse hurt him with "those nails". I explained to him that those were not nails that they are syringes and those shots give us medicine to keep us safe. Off he went playing with his cool new toy.
Anyhow, tonight after Awana he was WIRED. And just like a light switch he turned again. On the way home something must have triggered the memory of getting his shots a week and a half ago. He told me again how that nurse hurt him with those nails. I told him that once upon a time Nana had to take me to get shots just like him.

He said, "Momma did you cry like me?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did Nana buy you a cool toy?"
"Yep, Nana would take me to buy a new coloring book and brand new crayons."

Lately, Max has been asking me about my feelings. Why I am angry (which breaks my heart) Why I am goofy? Why I am sad?
Didn't I just bring him home? Wasn't he just sleeping on my chest? Wasn't he just crawling everywhere?
When did he start reciting Bible verses????

God's servants....

What an honor it is to be one of our Holy Lord's servants. He wants me to be a light for Him. Little ol me gets the great honor of working for our Lord Jesus Christ.

In my Sunday night Bible class we are studying the book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion by Debbie Williams. We are studying the Lord's attributes A through Z. Today we talked about our Lord being a Just Lord, King of Kings, and the Lord being our Light in darkness.

A few notes that I don't want to forget:

Help me to be merciful to those that wrong me, just like God has shown me mercy & grace when I screw up.

I don't have to worry about getting vengance...God will take care of the sins of others. I don't have to worry about that. Just let God take care of it.

When I deserve it the least is when He is most merciful.

Micah 6:8 "But he's laready made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is loking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously."

Deuteronomy 32:4

The Rock: His works are perfect, and the way he works is fair and just; A God you can depend upon, no exceptions, a straight-arrow God.

God cares about our joy. He is FAR WISER than us on what will bring us joy!!!

Real joy is found in His service.

We can pray BIG because we have a great big King to listen.

God gave me His children for a season. I must raise them according to His standards, not mine. I must pray to Him to give me guidance.

"We have no light in and of ourselves. He ignited us with His spirit so that we would be light drawing others to Him." Debbie Williams

I take comfort knowing that God lights the path He wants us to take.

When you are kind, gentle, loving in the midst of a difficult situation, you are a Light for the Lord.

Do others see Christ's light in me and glorify God?

Some thoughts I needed to note before I forgot them.

As far as the last question. I hope that one day it becomes as natural as breathing to me to go to the Lord with EVERYTHING. I can feel Him tapping me on the shoulder in the middle of the day saying, "Um, my dear child...how do you expect little Max & Molly to be gentle, kind, loving, show self-control, patient, when most of the day you are anything but those things? You fly off the handle, spank, yell, put them in time out when they probabaly don't deserve it."

I want others to see the Light within me. I am so blessed to feel Him closer and closer to me these past several months.

A few notes on the kiddo front:

Max's new negotiating tool is after I tell him no he says, "Will you think about it momma?" He is so sweet and grown-up and polite about it I have to tell him I will.

Oh and last week I got upset about something....I forget what. I came down the stairs and Max asked me, "Why are you so mad Momma?" About broke my heart.

I'm not sure if I wrote this last time, but when we were coming back to KY from MI, Molly was in the back seat talking to her baby doll. She was grabbing her cheeks telling her "to listen whne I speak to you". Then she turned her doll over and spanked her.

She had a naked tea-party yesterday. That girl is unreal. I can't wait to see what God has planned for her.

Our Maggie is as sweet as can be. She started rice cereal. She is still in the phase of trying to figure out exactly what it is that I am putting in her mouth.

Friday night we spent the evening downtown at the Corbin OctoberFest. The kids had animal balloons made and then we got out our chairs and blankets and watch the Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin movie in the park. It was followed by about 6 episodes of Tom & Jerry. They had a blast and fell asleep on the way home.

I LOVE the small town movies in the park nights. There is just something about it. I just love it!

God just keeps the blessings a flowin'

In Christ Alone....

God is faithful...even when we are not.

It is a statement I have seen over and over everyday for the last 7 days. It was a theme in bible study last Sunday. It was in my reading for our morning Sunday school class. It was in the Karen Kingsbury book I just finished tonight. It was a theme in one of the sessions I attended at the Hearts At Home conference this weekend.

Then why am I allowing Satan to creep in. Why is it that it is so easy for the devil to squirm his way into our minds & hearts? he causes doubt & fear & sadness & worry. Why can't it be just as easy to call on God when Satan comes near? I suppose it is that easy...just get down on your knees and call out to Him.

He is Almighty, the Beloved Son, Comforter, the Door to all that is good, Eternal, Faithful, Guardian of our Souls, Immanuel, Just...All of the things I am learning in the Bible Study on Sunday night.

I know it's sinful to worry. I truly try not to worry. I try not to worry about my husband, my kids, the house that can't even attract potential buyers, the upcoming election, etc. etc. But man, that devil knows how to get to me. He places that fear & worry right on my heart. I need to remember to immediately get on my knees and ask for my God to be that Comforter & Guardian to my soul. How great is it though that I don't have to ask Him to be those things for me...He already is.

The question that won't leave my brain tonight...
If God places an opportunity in front of us, how do we know it's a good one?
If he didn't want us to come to Kentucky, He wouldn't have placed the opportunity to do so in our laps would He?
I believe that we are here for a reason. I truly believe that.
It's just not working out as we had planned.
I know it's not our plan. I know it is all His. I know that He will show us what is next in our lives. I know He didn't promise easy. He promised that He would be there to show us the way.
That's enough for me.
Who knows why He brought us here? If for nothing else I am opening my Bible everyday. I feel Him transforming my heart. I know He has a plan for me and my marriage and my journey as a mom to His children.

Those children He has for now blessed us with...they are amazing. I have new pictures to post, but of course the battery is low and charging. I'll post them later.
Max is looking a little like Shaggy these days. He likes that I call him Shaggy and doesn't want to get his haircut. The other day we were walking down the Halloween costume aisle and they were all going a little nuts over the costumes. Max was talking about the Spiderman costume, Molly about the princess ones. They were both finding cute ones for Maggie. Molly says, "Momma look at that princess one for Maggie".
Max shoots back with, "Molly, that's not a princess one, that's for Dancing with the Stars".
I thought I was going to pee my pants right there from laughing so hard.
I swear that I have cut way back on my television watching, but apparently ABC is still on a little too much :)
My Molly is my Molly. It is still up for grabs whether it's all DNA or if it's from the great amounts of sugar water she got in the hospital when she was just 3 weeks old. I can't wait to see what God has planned for her.
My Maggie...oh my Maggie. How I missed her when I was gone. She is growing so big. Holding her head up...looking like a whole new little girl. She will start cereal here in a few short weeks. She is now officially rolling over even though if you ask my mom she'll tell you that she was rolling over at 12 days old. She was. (Even if it was the bouncy couch helping her out).

Thank you Lord for blessing my life. For loving me so much, for being my Comforter & my Guardian. Forgive me for the times I forget you when the devil is working overtime in my life. Please hold our little family in your hands and clear the path so that when you want us to take the next step we will be able to hear you and yield to your plan for us.
It is in your Holy and Almighty name I pray, Amen.

Too long of a break...

Too many funny & important things have happened in the last 10 days that I have failed to report. We've been busy with Aaron coming home and taking a few one day road trips, me getting sick, and then the work with comes with making up the time for being sick.

Here goes....

Praise Jesus...Aaron made it home Thursday late....less than 24 hours before Ike pounded Houston. He had a layover in Houston. I'm not sure how much longer it would have taken him to get home had he gotten caught in that horrific storm.

My babies were so glad to see their daddy. He got home after midnight so when they came into our room in the morning and figured they would peek a look at their baby sister and wake me up they were surprised to see him.

Several weeks ago, Molly said something to me and I told myself right then and there to blog it b/c I would forget. Sure enough, I did. I remembered tonight though.

The kids were getting their pjs on one evening. Max was busy trying to get everything right side out and not on backwards. I took Molly's shirt off and went to put her nightgown on. As I reached for her nightgown she looked down at her chest. She says to me,

"Momma, I still got my boobies. I didn't lose them. You can't lose your boobies."

I thought I was going to pee my pants right then and there. Where does she find this stuff???

We had Max's second birthday party for his 4th birthday tonight. He has already had a Michigan party with some of his cousins. Tonight was his Kentucky birthday party with some of his best buddies here. It was fun. We really have been blessed with some wonderful friendships down here. Ones that I will treasure whether we are here for a year or 20 years.

Well before I start drifting and typing things I don't mean to type I am going to sign off for now and try to get back to reporting to myself at least every other day. Maggie will 3 months tomorrow and I feel like I don't remember any of it!