Challenged

I'm reading a book that my mother-in-law purchased for me a couple months back. She's sweet. She was at a conference and felt that she was supposed to buy this book for me, but she's also smart. You don't just buy your daughter-in-law a parenting book . . . that's dangerous. She called me and asked if it was ok. Fortunately for her, I was in the market for a parenting book. She has a good ear to hear the Lord's voice.

Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk. He's the Family Life pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through it and its challenging me and making me kind of cranky. I really, really want to be a great mom, but its really, really hard. How do you express self control when one (or all 4) of your kids is making your blood boil? I never really understood that phrase until becoming a mom.

It's making me cranky because I'm feeling really overwhelmed. Where can I muster up more patience and self control? Then I stop and realize that the enemy is really attacking me. The Lord is so good to provide. He will definitely supply me with all the patience and self control that I need. I don't think its a coincidence that I'm reading this at the exact time Caleb has asked me if we can home school him next year . . . to be continued.

A Sweet Moment and an Ewwww Moment

A thing to remember: yesterday Caleb came in from playing outside and said that he and Micah and Eva were all hungry and ready for lunch. He then proceeded to make them all sandwiches, going outside to ask his brother and sister what kind of jelly they wanted and how they would like their sandwiches cut. He made a face on each of their plates with their sandwich and chocolate chips. Once they were taken care of, he began making his own sandwich. Such a sweet boy.

Also happened yesterday: Micah's pants accidentally got pulled down while roughhousing in the living room. It was discovered that he wasn't wearing any underwear . . . it was also discovered that he was wearing Caleb's pants. Ewwww.

Love both my boys.

2 months

I know I haven't posted a thing about our sweet Elise. I'm trying to get on track with this blog thing and I haven't had a lot of time for back tracking . . .

Well, she'll be two months tomorrow . . . 26 hours from now. Andrew and I (and the three) are enjoying her so much. She is the sweetest, most content baby. We're in LOVE!

Christmastime

I love Christmas.

I love everything about it.

I love the atmosphere of people, expecting. I love the crowds, and the lines. I love the baking and the eating! I love the giving (and the receiving)! I love the music! I love that family finally finds time to get together.

I LOVE Eva's purple dress.

It's Christmas Eve. My house is full of sleeping people . . . my four babies, Andrew, his mom, and my brother. My parents are sleeping in a nearby hotel due to my mama's allergies to our pup. I can't sleep. I'm kind of taking in the quiet . . . it hasn't been quiet here in days. I'm staring at our beautiful tree that has way too many presents underneath it (thanks mom and thank you, God for blessing us with the ability to buy these things).

I'm enjoying the porcelain nativity set that my Grandma made so many years ago. When she downsized, she gave it to me. It's so special . . . and yes, there are a couple lego men visiting the baby Jesus.

I'm wishing we had done more to teach our kids about Jesus this season and I wish we would have taught them more about giving. We did have them go through their old toys and picked a couple things that another child would enjoy. Andrew and I called around and found some families that needed Christmas presents. That night we prayed for the little girl with kidney failure who would receive Eva's baby dolls and stroller. We also prayed for the family with the boys who would be getting a new Diego adventure set and a roaring T-Rex. We prayed that their dad would get work soon (and also explained to Eva that being fired doesn't literally mean you're burned up.)

I had really wanted the kids to get each other presents, to take a specific amount of money to the store, pick something out for one of their siblings, and wrap it themselves. I wanted them to experience the joy of giving, but we didn't get that far this year.


Thank you Jesus for an amazing year and an amazing life. Sometimes I feel like we have it too good. You are so good to us. I pray that Andrew and I would would have Your heart and that we'd never be ungrateful. I always want to look to Him and trust Him with everything . . . and not care what the world thinks of me. Thank you, Lord, for sending us your Son, because I am imperfect without Him.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Toothless

Caleb lost his other top front tooth this evening . . . rather Andrew pulled it out. Caleb was really brave because he was really scared it would hurt, but it didn't hurt.

Before he went to bed, we practiced his lines for the VCC Christmas play that's in a couple days . . . hahaha! His other top front tooth is growing back . . . its really hard to speak with only half a tooth up there. He's adorable.

He's going to do a great job as narrator 2, with only a little trouble with the word Jerusalem. 

Eva on Cleaning

Eva, "mommy, do we have home group?"
Me, "Not tonight."
Eva, "Then why are you cleaning?"

Tree

While decorating the tree in his room, Micah went to place another ornament on the same section of tree where all his other ornaments were hanging. I suggested he put the ornament on the other side because there were already so many so close together. He told me they were having a party.