Months gone by...

Our Maggie...growing so fast...

Her birthday....


One month old....

Two months old....

Three months old....

Four months old....

Five months old....

Six months old....

Seven months old....

New things everyday...

Yesterday Max and I were reading his assignment for AWANA this....yes, yesterday was Wednesday and yes, AWANA is on Wednesday...the weeks fly by!!! Anyhow, there is a little story to read first and then on the next page there is a lesson and a little review question. Well, somewhere in the lesson was the word 'disciple'. As I was finishing up the lesson Max was losing attention. Just when I read the word 'disciple' and I thought I had completely lost Max's attention span, he steps back into the kitchen and says,

"Hey Momma, Jesus had 12 of those."

"12 what, baby?"

He looks at me like I'm crazy.

"12 diciples Momma."

Praise Jesus!!!
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Molly's new phrases:

"I'd appreciate that."
"I'll remember that."
"I'm so frustrated."
"Told ya."

Oh she is her momma....we're in trouble!

Notes...

I am absolutely loving Beth Moore's bible study on Esther. http://www.lproof.org/NewBibleStudyView.aspx Whether or not you have ever done a Beth Moore study before, you need to do this study if you are a woman. Check out your local churches and see if any of them are offereing it. You won't regret it. It is terrific. Beth is such a fantastic teacher. I would love to go see her in person one day. I hear that she is just as kind and genuine as she seems on that screen.

Since feeling scared, angry, cynical, and sad these last couple of days this study hit right to my heart.

God offers up courage to each and every one of us everyday. All we have to do is take it from Him.

A few notes from this weeks study:

• We can protect ourselves right out of our callings.
• Are you heading the way you want this to end up?
• She spoke on lyrics from a song. "Today I feel like I'm one mistake away from you leaving me like this". God will NEVER leave us. Never.
• We may decide we are one mistake away from telling Him "just leave me here".

I have felt that. Wondering when God is just going to give up on me. Is it going to be the next time I yell at my kids. Will He say "That's enough. I'm done with you?" Is it going to be the next time I nag my husband? Or will it be the next time I fail to go to my knees in prayer asking Him to take it all from my shoulders?

• I may be one brave decision away from the most important step in my destiny.
• Most common command in the Bible. DO NOT BE AFRAID.
• Can you imagine living without fear?

Imagine this conversation with your Lord.

Lord: What is your worst case scenario? What if? What would you do?

Me: I give Him my worst case scenario. I tell Him I would want to go too. I would scream and cry and be angry and feel lost.

Lord: Ok. Then what?

Me: I wouldn't get out of bed. I wouldn't be able to eat or move or do anything productive.

Lord: Ok. Then what?

Me: Then I would remember that I have a family to take care of...I would still be sad and angry.

Lord: Alright. Then what?

Me: Then I would crawl out of bed, get my kids to church and school and find my way to Your Word. Because I know that my God is my comforter and my protector and faithful.

Then what? Then what? Then what? God. God. God.

• Don't allow the fear of death to have such a stronghold on your that you don't live.
• Why don't we LIVE until we die?
• We get to choose HOW we are going to the WHAT we're going to do.

Esther had all of those people fasting for three days for her.

What if we asked all those people to fast and pray for that courage and didn't take it.

TAKE THE COURAGE GOD GIVES YOU! BE BRAVE!

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

Early Spring in Southern Kentucky...

Spring has arrived this week here in good ol' Kentucky! We were blessed to be able to spend yesterday morning praising Jesus. Walking into the worshipping hour from Sunday School, I really felt the Holy Spirit. Even Our Redeemer Lives sounded a little different when the choir sang.

We spent some of the afternoon napping. Then we opened the windows and did some very minor spring cleaning. The kids have sort of taken over the living room since Christmas. A corner here, a huge box in a corner there...my good ol hubby took care of that. On one hand his...for the sake of the story let's call it pickiness....drives me crazy....on the flip side...I would truly hate to see what my home would look like without him!!! After our little cleaning spree we headed out to one of the state parks. The kids made a few friends & Maggie got to take her first shot a real swing! Can she really be coming up on 8 months?

I spent the evening and wee early morning hours instant messaging my oldest friend in the world. She is currently half way around that world travelling and learning so much. I love reading emails from her. It's just like we are sitting across from one another in her living room. I was on the computer "talking" with her until almost 3 a.m. Of course, when I went to bed I couldn't get my eyes to close. I laid there for about 45 minutes until I heard Maggie chatting in her crib. I finally got her settled down after a few trips to her crib. I crawl back into bed....3:47 a.m.
"Um...Momma, I need some juice...some with the cherry on the front."

Of course I head down to get it for him b/c it's seriously late and I need to get to sleep before my kids come to wake me in less than 3 hours.

The last time I looked at the clock it was 4:17 a.m.

Aaron woke me at 7:17 a.m.

Perfect.

We got some breakfast for Maggie and then got her down for her one nap today. (I don't think she naps like a normal 8 month old...if we stay on this track she'll be done with naps by June.)

Oh how I wanted to nap right along with her. Instead, I dragged my hiney into the shower to wake me up. It worked.

I decided that I am going to start working with Molly on more of a curriculum. We usually read and color and do our shapes while Max is in school, but nothing following any sort of curriculum. Through my sister, I found the blog The Mom with Brownies. http://www.icantbelievemylife.com/

It is a FANTASTIC blog. It has recipes, menus, money-saving tips you won't believe, homeschooling resources, FUN stuff!!! From this site you can link up to her Preschool Homeschooling page. It has a 26 week plan. Everything is spelled out for you...links...lists...songs....poems. We started today. Max and Molly LOVED it. I am going to try and do it in the afternoon (if we can get that baby to nap in the afternoon like a normal 8 month old!) so that Max can participate. I highly recommend it.

We spent some time outside this afternoon. Playing with chalk, stacking cups, bubbles. After dinner we headed to the park again for some swinging time. It was such a great day. And I ended my evening by attending Beth Moore's study on the book of Esther. More on that next time. It was eye-opening...the topic was on being brave, having courage, taking all that God is willing to give us.

My grandpa has been gone 8 months today. The first picture is one of him and me...I think I was about 2 there. I LOVE that photo.

The 2nd photo is one of Max with his Great-Grampa. He was about 6 months in this photo. Grandma & Pop were in town for Steph's baby shower. The last picture is one of Molly with her Great-Grampa. It's also the last time I saw my grandfather. They were in town for Molly's 1st birthday. She'll be 3 in 2 short months. Maggie was born 11 days after my Grandpa died.

My Grandma and I like to think that this is what Maggie and her Great Grampa looked like hanging out before he sent her to us.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word I put my hope."

Psalm 130:5

30 years?

I was laying in bed last night around 1:15 a.m. and couldn't help but think of all of the things that I want to do, haven't really thought of doing, but feel like I've wanted to them for years.
I can't help thinking about how much I love the product of scrapbooking, but how I never do it. I love going to 12 hour crops, but can't decide if it's the scrapping or the adult conversation I enjoy more. I REALLY want to learn how to sew and knit. Then I think will this just be one more thing that I really think I want to do only to let it fall to the basket of scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc. etc. 30 years!!! Really? Has that much time really gone by? I feel like I should have done more sewing in those 30 years...more than sewing on the occasional button.
So I have checked into taking a sewing class. I will have to travel over an hour to get there, but I would really love to make my little girls clothes and perhaps a skirt or 2 for myself.

On another note...the sun is shining today!!! It seems as if spring may make a bit of an early appearance here. The world seems so bleak....weather, politics, jobs, etc. But then you open your shades and your door and it's as if God is saying "I have control over everything...don't you worry".

So when I think of all of the things I have yet to accomplish in life....big or small...I usually turn on my computer and look at our babies that I have frozen in time with the photos. Thank goodness for my camera.

stories...

The other day on a family trip to WalMart, my husband took a shortcut thru the back roads. Max said, "Daddy, I think this is the way to Michigan."
His sister quickly broke in.
"No it's not. This is not the Michigan way."

And the two of them spent the next few minutes going back and forth and arguing about which way we were actually going.

Molly finally gets help from her daddy.

"Daddy, this isn't the Michigan way is it?"
"No, baby doll. It's not. We're going to WalMart."

Max doesn't say a word.

Molly waits about a half a minute and then...."Told ya."
Hands on as much of her hips as she can being in the car seat.

Max again didn't say a word. I think he realized that it was a lost cause with his sister.
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This past Sunday was a great day. It was gorgeous outside...no coats for church....even more beautiful when we left church. I told myself that we had to get outside and enjoy knowing full well that it was going to get snowy and cold again come Monday.
Nope, we decided to sleep the day away. Everyone but Max decided to take turns napping. We never stepped outside again that day. By the time we all awoke it was time to start making football snacks for the Super Bowl. The kids and Aaron cleaned the living room and got the coffee table situated for all of our snacks. The first round of commercials came on the tv. One of the first ones was a Doritos ad. It was the magic ball ad where the guy throws it at the vending machine and then the other guy throws it and hits who is presumed to be his boss, right in the private area. Aaron and I watched it from the kitchen and then returned to finish preparing the snacks. We heard Maggie's little soft baseball with the bell inside of it being tossed around. After a minute or so Aaron asked Molly and Max what they were doing. Max says...

"Daddy, we are trying to do like the guy in the commercial. Will you throw it at my ankle?"

I found this mildly humorous...Aaron more so. About a minute later I realized why Aaron got such a kick out of Max asking him to throw it at his ankle...

Max calls his penis his ankle. Don't ask me why.
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3 day weekend...

First things first...a few reminders to self...

We went to Lexington to do a little shopping on Saturday. We headed into Children's Place b/c I wanted to find the kids winter coats for next year. Of course they didn't have any boys coats left..it being January and 10 degrees outside I could see why they would have none left, but bathing suits out for all to purchase. I digress, Molly spotted a few dresses she liked. So we lined the 3 of them up. She stood back and looked and picked up the one on the end and said, "This one Momma. This one looks familiar." What??? Where did that come from. I didn't know my 2 year old even knew that word. She just looked so cute and serious when she said it.

Today Max and Molly were coloring at their little table while Maggie played on the floor and I was busy packing their stuff for our trip. When I am busy doing something the kids sometimes help me out by playing with Maggie if she gets fussy. This afternoon she started getting fussy and Max looked to Molly to play with her. Molly didn't budge.
"Molly, will you go play with Maggie?"
She ignored her brother.
"Molly, you better go play with her or I'm gonna lose my temperature and then I won't love you anymore."
Of course we had a nice long talk about how no matter what happens we will always love each other. I just mostly got a kick out of him saying he would lose his "temperature".

I have started a Beth Moore bible study on Esther. I LOVE Beth Moore. Last night was our second session. We talked a lot about destiny and beauty and God's plans for all of us.
A few notes from the session:
~You cannot amputate your history from your destiny. You cannot become the person God wants you to be by getting rid of your history. Your destiny is tied to it.
~Your past is what you learn from...it's something by which we are humbled...the past may be horrible, but somewhere there are treasures.
~God is attracted to weakness....b/c there is more room for the strength of God.
~We also spoke about beauty and the pressures of today to be beautiful. She spoke about 4 types of women concerning beauty...the 1st one escapes me...sorry...the 2nd is the the kind of woman who thinks everyone thinks she is beautiful and wants it that way...that is a dangerous woman. The 3rd is one who believes no one thinks she is beautiful..that is a terrified woman. Then there is the 4th woman....who hopes certain people think she is beautiful. To hope that her mom and daughters find she is beautiful...certainly hopes her husband would find her beautiful. But what she truly wants is "the beauty of the Lord on her face".

I thought that was great. I have met a few close friends since moving here that have the love for their Jesus written all over their face. It has to be thee most beautiful thing about a person.