BABIES

On Friday, I had planned on sharing these pictures..."Adventures of a young boy" I was going to call it. Pictures of my son, the quiet observer, lover of trains...

my little baby, who no longer feels hugs are required for Santa, just hand shakes and deals that he will be a good boy in exchange for a ninja turtle and a bad guy....

My little guy, who could not stop smiling and shouting 'Yee-haw...ride 'em cowboy' on the pony ride...

my sweetie pie, who falls into ponds while 'pretending to fish' but still keeps the smile on his face...

That's what I had planned on posting, and then I heard like many of you the horrible tragedies that took the life of too many, the awfulness that took away some body else's 'baby'. I couldn't bare to post, not while I knew there was another mother grieving over her baby. Like many of you I cried, I prayed, I asked God some questions, and then I sought him out.  I opened my bible and I looked for the comfort I needed, the promises I needed to hear.

 

Even now, I am relying on my faith and trust in God rather than my own understanding of the world. I know God is good. I know God loves us. I know that our sorrow is not ignored, as beautifully illustrated in scripture. Jesus feels our sorrow, and he weeps with us...

 

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept."

-John 11:33-35

 

I know he offers us refuge and comfort in times of trouble...

 

“…In the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by”

-Psalm 57:1

and I know that in these times he in not absent, he is near...

 “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

-Psalm 34:17

 

and when I got angry like I know some of you did too, I had to remember the God I love and know to be merciful, is also mighty and just and can handle evil far better than you and I could ever...

 

"God is jealous, and the Lord avenges;
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies;
 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.

The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.
The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.

Who can stand before His indignation?
And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him."

-Nahum 1:2-6

 

Things like this should not happen, it is not okay. Yet, when they do happen, I have to keep God's word close and trust that he will keep his promises. I hope that they find you and perhaps help you like they did me.

 

And so I am grateful for my children and family and friends. I did not think it was possible to hold my little loves any tighter but it is and I have doubled my daily kisses to my children, from 1 million to 2 million. I mourn the loss of the lives taken on friday and I appreciate the precious gifts that have been given to me.

APPLE TIME

You know when you say your going to do something, but you don't. Then you finally do and your so happy you did? Yeah...we did that. Over the weekend Steve and I finally took the kids to Apple Hill. I realize that it was a bit misleading to Henry, who I imagine thought we were actually taking him to a giant apple that was a hill. However, he was not at all disappointed when we got there. 

 

We usually have our whole posse in tow, my parents, my sister and her family, so it was nice to just take off with our little four. It's nice to get to focus in on my little loves. We let them run around, and drink hot chocolate and overload on apple sweetness!    

Today's Reflection:

Lord, thank you for leading us here. Sometimes we don't always take time for each other, but thank you for not letting too much time pass before days like this. During seasons of busyness, keep us focused on you and each other.  Thank you for days we can play together and laugh together. Thank you for days with ponds and hot chocolate, hugs and smiles. You are a good God!

 

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;  he’s the one who will keep you on track."

-Proverbs 3: 5-6

MOMMY IS MY OFFICIAL TITLE

 ^"And whatever you do, do it heartily" - Colossians 3:23

 

I am amazed at how quickly these little hands and little feet that I adore grow. Even with all the warnings, "They grow so fast!", "Enjoy these moments" and so on and such forth. This little guy, that I still affectionately refer to as my baby, is not really a 'baby' any more. Still, he will have to forever put up with me calling him my baby, even when he's 63 and protests. But I am mommy. I am mommy and that's what we do.

 

Most days I am so busy focusing on the day to day rituals, feed them, bathe them, clothe them, play with them, repeat. I can quickly get into a mommy-rut. Now if the above scripture simply stated, "whatever you do, do it." then I would be good. I mean, I do it...I do mommy-hood. However, it says "...do it heartily" and I think these 7 words speak multitudes. So I evaluate myself, and I look at the cracks and holes and I see, I am not always doing it so 'heartily'

 

When I put my heart into this job I am called to do, when I do it 'heartily' I see that it does not end when Steve comes home. It is more than just feeding them and clothing them and getting them to sleep through the night. It is about loving them, and cultivating them into the wonderful people God has made them. When I do my job 'heartily' I understand why it is so beneficial for us, not only does it please the Lord, it blesses us, it strengthens us and it opens us up for God to move with us and the work he has given us.

 

Plus there are perks...like coffee and movie dates with my little man...

Today's Reflections:

I hope that whatever you and I are called to do, whatever job we are assigned, we can do it heartily. That we can please our Lord and open ourselves up and allow him to do great things with the work he's called us to do.

A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I like excuses to  get out together. Do you remember the Good Market? Well they had a free Holiday GOOD over the weekend and well, you know sometimes you just can't beat 'free' fun! It was stormy and rainy, but we caught just enough of a break to bundle the kids up and enjoy the festivities. This has been one of my favorites so far, we finally tried some of the bread from the local bakery representin' and it was AWESOME! We gobbled most of it up before we even got home and we even scored the last loaf to take home for later... 

There really were some great and talented vendors, including my sister and her little black truck 'Gypsy'. They had a really nice Holiday mood, but most of all i just love getting to experience

these types of things with my loves...

Today's Reflection:

On days when we get to enjoy the work of others, I am grateful for a God who let's us experience such creativity together. I am grateful for a God, who himself was quite creative.

 

"You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."

-Nehemiah 9:6

 

SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER

 

I'm not going to lie. The words "Christmas card photo's" make me a little uneasy. It use to be pretty easy, Steve and I would stand in front of some Christmas tree and "SNAP" you've got yourself a photo. But now, we've got children who are not too fond of sitting still or giving me synchronized smiles. I recently discovered Henry likes to sneak in his tongue sticking out in some of our shots, and my little Lucia moves so much she often is a blur...it's just not that easy.  Someone asked me the other day if I had outfits planned for our photos, I told them I'll just make the photos black and white, my method for fixing clashing outfits.

 

You know I gotta tell you though. I don't even think I need to worry about that, because I think you'll all agree...I just found my Christmas card photos... 

It was so hard for me not to laugh at my poor little girl and what I believe just may be a child's rite of passage. I'm not sure if she sensed danger, so tonight's scripture is for my lovely little girl.

 

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

-Isaiah 41:10

 

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Sometimes holiday traditions just find you. 

 

When Steve and I bought our first home we had no idea that our little neighborhood would be the key to our kicking off our Christmas season. Our city moved it's 'official' Christmas tree into our park, and with it came an incredible tree lighting event. For the last few years It's been our start to the season. 

 

It's nice because it's a free event, there's snow and hot chocolate, trains and hay rides and even Santa! It's usually always cold, so it's a good excuse for us to cuddle and keep each other warm. But most of all it's fun and it gets us all together, without any fuss or stress. Which can be a great way to start what can be known as a 'busy' season...

Today's Reflection:

This year more than ever, I feel at ease about the Holidays. I'd like to make that a new tradition...no fuss or stress. I've really been trying to focus my mind on the true reason we're celebrating. I mean don't get me wrong, I've always stopped and paused and remembered why we celebrate, but this year, I'd like to do more than just remember...i'd like to focus in and live it!

 

It's funny, but when I start to strip away the things that could stress me out, Christmas letters, Holiday parties, money for Christmas presents, Holiday decorations, etc., etc., you're probably familiar with the list or maybe even have your own, but when I start to strip away these things, what could be a bare Christmas ends up becoming quite full.  I'm filling it with new traditions and I'm left focusing on the birth of our King and the love that surrounds that birth. I'm hoping to let that love be the new tradition in my house and that it be the focus this season. It's a nice way for me to kind of put in check the things I do and ask myself, am I doing this for myself or am I doing this because it represents the love God has shown me?

  

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

-1 John 4: 14-16

SIMPLE SUNDAY

Simple Sunday. If God is in the big things and the small things surely he is in the simple things. Like the simple joy I felt when I discovered my son can cross his eyes, a feat I still can not do well as an adult! 

DATE NIGHT: THE OVERDUE ONE

Steve and I had a date night, a well overdue, much needed date night. I love that man. I don't want him to forget that.

 

Steve, I love you...please don't forget that!

 

I think we both are just so excited to be out by ourselves, that we never really think through  what to do. We end up doing the things we normally can't do with two kids in tow. We linger in record stores, we eat sushi, we watch late night movies. We reminisce about when we were younger, we agree that we wouldn't change our lives now for anything. We dream, we plan and we take a little time to love.

Tody's Reflection:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love oneanother.”

-John 13:34-35

Sometimes I let "life" and the work and errands and junk get in the way and keep me unavailable to show him that love. I think back to the above scripture. We are asked to love like Jesus loved us. Jesus loved us above all things, including his own life.

 

Lord, I pray that you give me the wisdom to see when I am not giving my husband the kind of love he deserves and the kind of love you have shown me.