I had this epiphany last night in church. Now you may read this post and think, how is this an epiphany, but to me it was because this truly has never dawned on me before (as horrible as that may sound!).
What I realized as I sat there next to Brendan, who was in between Jay and I, is that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of my children. The Holy Spirit brings them convictions too, not just me. The Holy Spirit speaks to their young little hearts and guides them in the very same way the Holy Spirit does that for me.
You may be thinking, well, duh...but this really never resonated in my brain the way it did last night.
This moment came as I watched Brendan pull out an info/prayer card from the pew, pick up the pencil and begin to write something. He was writing a prayer request. He wouldn't let either Jay or I see it. When the offering plate came around he slipped his card in. In my attempt to sneak a peak, I saw the words strength and wisdom...how I wish I had seen more! But that was when it hit me...Brendan is his own person with his own personal relationship with God and the Holy Spirit is working in him.
And a feeling of relief swept over me because I realized that God's got my back in this parenting adventure. God loves Brendan, and all my children, more than I do. He wants their hearts and a personal relationship with each of them. So it was such a relief for me to have this ah-ha moment and realize that God is working in their lives and hearts just as much, if not more, than I am as I try to disciple and teach them and expand their understanding of God, the Bible and Christianity. What an encouraging epiphany it was!!
April 29, 2010
April 27, 2010
10 months old
Aaron is ten months old today! I can't believe it. His personality is really starting to reveal itself. He loves to be tickled and can really get to laughing when we tickle him. He is officially crawling now, but has not yet realized this means he has full access to the house! Of course this also means he has started the bumping his head/forehead stage. He still loves to clap and now he waves. He waves at everyone, multiple times, even if they aren't looking. And I'm pretty sure he says "hi" because he opens his mouth real wide and makes the 'h' sound over and over.
He surprised us all when he discovered the slide and decided to climb it.
He pulls himself up to stand on anything he can manage, but gets frustrated when he can't sit back down.
He thinks its fun to crawl under our computer desk to get the papers or cords (he loves any kind of cord). He actually laughs when we catch him under there.
He has four teeth now, but does not eat. He does not like baby cereal (any flavor or brand). He is not a fan of any type of baby food (he gags then seals his lips tightly). I have tried our food mashed up, but even that he won't really go for. The one thing he does seem to like is baked beans...well the juice/sauce that the beans are in. Of course he is still nursing like a champ. Well, obviously at 23+ pounds!!
He loves his jumper and does his best to get his feet off the ground.
He was diagnosed with asthma, so he does breathing treatments every so often. At first he hated the mask so we did it while sleeping, but then he got used to it. He keeps his mouth open the entire time as if he is in awe of the cool mist that he is inhaling.
He graduated to the big bath tub, which means he and Emmie can do baths together. She is thrilled...then again so is he. He loves to splash!
Jay calls him "bigs" and the kids call him "chub" - wonder why?
He loves to sit in the driver's seat with Daddy and play with the steering wheel.
He surprised us all when he discovered the slide and decided to climb it.
He pulls himself up to stand on anything he can manage, but gets frustrated when he can't sit back down.
He thinks its fun to crawl under our computer desk to get the papers or cords (he loves any kind of cord). He actually laughs when we catch him under there. 
He has four teeth now, but does not eat. He does not like baby cereal (any flavor or brand). He is not a fan of any type of baby food (he gags then seals his lips tightly). I have tried our food mashed up, but even that he won't really go for. The one thing he does seem to like is baked beans...well the juice/sauce that the beans are in. Of course he is still nursing like a champ. Well, obviously at 23+ pounds!!
He loves his jumper and does his best to get his feet off the ground.
He was diagnosed with asthma, so he does breathing treatments every so often. At first he hated the mask so we did it while sleeping, but then he got used to it. He keeps his mouth open the entire time as if he is in awe of the cool mist that he is inhaling.
He graduated to the big bath tub, which means he and Emmie can do baths together. She is thrilled...then again so is he. He loves to splash!
Jay calls him "bigs" and the kids call him "chub" - wonder why?
He loves to sit in the driver's seat with Daddy and play with the steering wheel.It is so fun to watch him explore his world. The best part is watching him with his older siblings. He adores them! They help so much with him and there are literally times when they fight over him. We are so blessed!
April 21, 2010
Focusing on the Positive
Sometimes it can be so easy to get focused on the negative things in life, especially when life gets stressful. We have a lot going on right now with our house and the loan modification, the bankruptcy, Jay's job and commute, needing another vehicle, learning how to deal with a teenager, etc. Today was just one of those days, but as I get ready to head to bed I realized how much I have to be thankful for. Yes, life is stressful and there are lots of unknowns right now, but one thing is certain...I am so blessed and I adore my family! Thank you Lord for giving them to me! Looking at these pictures makes me smile and reminds me to focus on the positive!!!
Jay and I at a wedding recently.
Brendan and Aaron - my June boys!
Exhausted after a long walk with Gramma Dedee.
His first time in the swings at the park...love the rolls!! (Yes, he fell asleep).
My sweet little Emmie Rose. I love when she holds my face.
The whole gang! Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Jaylon after returning from three days in Catalina.
Easter morning at the Nelsons'.
Gracie Ann in one of her many "original" get-ups!
Wow, what a hat Brendan!
Jay and I at a wedding recently.
Brendan and Aaron - my June boys!
Exhausted after a long walk with Gramma Dedee.
His first time in the swings at the park...love the rolls!! (Yes, he fell asleep).
My sweet little Emmie Rose. I love when she holds my face.
The whole gang! Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Jaylon after returning from three days in Catalina.
Easter morning at the Nelsons'.
Gracie Ann in one of her many "original" get-ups!
Wow, what a hat Brendan!April 16, 2010
How do you do it?
It's always interesting to me when I'm out in public with my children in tow and I get this question, "Oh my...five children, how do you do it? " It happens so often that you would think I'd be used to this question by now, but I'm not.
Sometimes I laugh it off, or ignore it. Sometimes I ramble on about what a helpful husband I have and that my mom helps us out a lot. Other times I give props to my older children for pitching in and being such assets to me. But lately it has really struck me that the most valid answer to that question is not any of these answers. God is my help and my asset - He is my all in all. How else could I possibly do it?
Don't get me wrong, my husband is wonderful (very hands-on), my mom does help us out A LOT and the older kids are always pitching in...but it is by the Grace of God that I make it through each day and my children live to tell about it. :-)
I read 1Peter 3:15 today and it jumped off the page because it says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
How do I do it with five kids? By the grace of God. How can I homeschool and be around my children 24/7? With God's help. How did I get through Aaron's rocky beginning? Leaning on the Lord every step of the way. How have Jay and I stayed married for ten years? With God as our Wonderful Counselor.
There is a song by Natalie Grant that I just love...one of those songs I turn up really loud and sing along to (my kids think I'm nuts!). These are the words and I find myself thinking of them so much anytime I begin to struggle with things:
"There is hope when my faith runs out, I'm in better hands now. I am strong all because of You. I stand in awe of every mountain that You move. Oh, I am changed, yesterday is gone. I am safe from this moment on. So take this heart of mine there's no doubt. I'm in better hands now."
So how do I do it? Well...I'm in good hands.
Sometimes I laugh it off, or ignore it. Sometimes I ramble on about what a helpful husband I have and that my mom helps us out a lot. Other times I give props to my older children for pitching in and being such assets to me. But lately it has really struck me that the most valid answer to that question is not any of these answers. God is my help and my asset - He is my all in all. How else could I possibly do it?
Don't get me wrong, my husband is wonderful (very hands-on), my mom does help us out A LOT and the older kids are always pitching in...but it is by the Grace of God that I make it through each day and my children live to tell about it. :-)
I read 1Peter 3:15 today and it jumped off the page because it says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
How do I do it with five kids? By the grace of God. How can I homeschool and be around my children 24/7? With God's help. How did I get through Aaron's rocky beginning? Leaning on the Lord every step of the way. How have Jay and I stayed married for ten years? With God as our Wonderful Counselor.
There is a song by Natalie Grant that I just love...one of those songs I turn up really loud and sing along to (my kids think I'm nuts!). These are the words and I find myself thinking of them so much anytime I begin to struggle with things:
"There is hope when my faith runs out, I'm in better hands now. I am strong all because of You. I stand in awe of every mountain that You move. Oh, I am changed, yesterday is gone. I am safe from this moment on. So take this heart of mine there's no doubt. I'm in better hands now."
So how do I do it? Well...I'm in good hands.
April 14, 2010
Nothing went as planned
Somehow my three year old didn't get the memo letting her know that today was a day meant for Mommy to get lots accomplished while the older kids were at their enrichment classes. I was so excited to drop them off, come home and get started on balancing my checkbook, doing some laundry, finishing up some paperwork at my desk, looking over our '09 taxes so our accountant could file them today, doing some online stuff for the DMV...man, I had lots to get done.
Nothing has gone as planned this morning.
Got the older kids to classes on time which is a small miracle in itself, but that was about it. Emmie was cranky when she woke up and it got worse when we got home. She just whined and complained and then started the crying...ugh, the crying. Of course at first I'm focused on the tasks at hand, ignoring her and hoping she'll just get over it and get distracted by something else. Not today.
I looked over the taxes and called the accountant while she whimpered in the background. I fed the baby while she whined and asked me to pick her up. (Yes, it did finally dawn on me that she needed some quality mommy time!). Baby was supposed to go to sleep, but he didn't/couldn't because his sister kept crying and waking him up.
Now I wish I could say that I exhibited patience and was kind and loving towards my three year old having her emotional meltdown. I was not. I was frustrated. My agenda was thrown off.
My second attempt at getting baby to sleep was successful. Then, much to my dismay, I blew off my agenda and focused on Emmie. We got her dressed, brushed her teeth, did her hair - all of which she cried through. She wanted to eat, but nothing I presented was good enough. Finally after holding her and sitting with her, she calmed down. She ate some cereal and we painted her nails. She hasn't let me put her down since.
I balanced my checkbook online with her sitting on my lap. I picked up around the house with her on my hip. And here I sit, posting on my blog, with her playing/drawing while on my lap. She needed mommy time!
So my lesson learned today is that I need to smack myself upside the head once in awhile and adjust my priorities. My sweet precious girl needed me this morning and I was blowing her off... for what? The years pass so fast and now I've got three older kids that could care less about me picking them up or snuggling with them or sitting on my lap. (This is where I swallow the lump in my throat!).
So take time today to love on your kiddos - no matter the age. We can get so consumed by life that we ignore our children and their needs for love, affection and attention. I need to send myself that memo each and every morning!
Nothing has gone as planned this morning.
Got the older kids to classes on time which is a small miracle in itself, but that was about it. Emmie was cranky when she woke up and it got worse when we got home. She just whined and complained and then started the crying...ugh, the crying. Of course at first I'm focused on the tasks at hand, ignoring her and hoping she'll just get over it and get distracted by something else. Not today.
I looked over the taxes and called the accountant while she whimpered in the background. I fed the baby while she whined and asked me to pick her up. (Yes, it did finally dawn on me that she needed some quality mommy time!). Baby was supposed to go to sleep, but he didn't/couldn't because his sister kept crying and waking him up.
Now I wish I could say that I exhibited patience and was kind and loving towards my three year old having her emotional meltdown. I was not. I was frustrated. My agenda was thrown off.
My second attempt at getting baby to sleep was successful. Then, much to my dismay, I blew off my agenda and focused on Emmie. We got her dressed, brushed her teeth, did her hair - all of which she cried through. She wanted to eat, but nothing I presented was good enough. Finally after holding her and sitting with her, she calmed down. She ate some cereal and we painted her nails. She hasn't let me put her down since.
I balanced my checkbook online with her sitting on my lap. I picked up around the house with her on my hip. And here I sit, posting on my blog, with her playing/drawing while on my lap. She needed mommy time!
So my lesson learned today is that I need to smack myself upside the head once in awhile and adjust my priorities. My sweet precious girl needed me this morning and I was blowing her off... for what? The years pass so fast and now I've got three older kids that could care less about me picking them up or snuggling with them or sitting on my lap. (This is where I swallow the lump in my throat!).
So take time today to love on your kiddos - no matter the age. We can get so consumed by life that we ignore our children and their needs for love, affection and attention. I need to send myself that memo each and every morning!
April 7, 2010
Whining
Nothing drives me more crazy then when I hear my children whining. Some days I am more tolerant than others, but for the most part it gets on my last nerve. I remember when Brendan was little, two maybe, and he would whine. My Mom would say to him, "Let me hear your normal voice Brendan." So we taught him to stop whining and talk to us in a normal voice. It was so cute because most times he would stop whining and say to us (in the same whining tone), "normal voice" and then make his request.
I have been whining lately. I have been complaining. I have been grumbling, mostly in my thoughts, but some out loud too. I have had this negative view of life and circumstances right now and have been taking things for granted. It's like I have been looking for things that are wrong because my mind is focused on the negative.
So yesterday morning I sit down with my coffee and my three little devotional books. No joke...the topic in each one of them was thanksgiving and being thankful in all circumstances. Only one of them is dated, but the other two I just read a page per day and that was where I happened to land yesterday. You can imagine the convictions I felt. It was like the Lord was speaking to me loud and clear. I always chuckle when that sort of thing happens.
What spoke to me the most from my reading was that when I grumble and whine, I am opposing God. I am right where He wants me. He is using my circumstances in a way that only He understands. My attitude should be that of gratitude and thankfulness because I am blessed and my situation is not nearly as bad as many others.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Why is that such a struggle for me?
How can I be thankful that my children and I are sick again...it's been months now and I am weary. Then I think about how blessed we are to have insurance, money for co-pays, clean medical facilities, a reliable pharmacy...and how about the fact that my little ones just have a cough and runny nose, it's nothing severe or terminal.
So my aim now is to change my view on things. I want to present a thankful heart to the Lord, no matter what. So my house is dirty and the laundry is piled up...at least we have a roof over our heads, a warm place for our family to sleep and several amazing people that make up my family unit (and who create lots of dirty laundry!). So I'm stressed about our loan modification...at least we have the means to go somewhere and rent if need be and we won't be living in our car or on the streets like many families in our country and this economy.
I want to be an example of joy to my children. What a hypocrite I am if their whining gets on my nerves, yet I turn around and do the very same thing to my Heavenly Father. I am so thankful for God's mercy and grace...I am working on using my "normal voice" much more in my thought and prayer life.
"All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast."
Proverbs 15:15
I have been whining lately. I have been complaining. I have been grumbling, mostly in my thoughts, but some out loud too. I have had this negative view of life and circumstances right now and have been taking things for granted. It's like I have been looking for things that are wrong because my mind is focused on the negative.
So yesterday morning I sit down with my coffee and my three little devotional books. No joke...the topic in each one of them was thanksgiving and being thankful in all circumstances. Only one of them is dated, but the other two I just read a page per day and that was where I happened to land yesterday. You can imagine the convictions I felt. It was like the Lord was speaking to me loud and clear. I always chuckle when that sort of thing happens.
What spoke to me the most from my reading was that when I grumble and whine, I am opposing God. I am right where He wants me. He is using my circumstances in a way that only He understands. My attitude should be that of gratitude and thankfulness because I am blessed and my situation is not nearly as bad as many others.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Why is that such a struggle for me?
How can I be thankful that my children and I are sick again...it's been months now and I am weary. Then I think about how blessed we are to have insurance, money for co-pays, clean medical facilities, a reliable pharmacy...and how about the fact that my little ones just have a cough and runny nose, it's nothing severe or terminal.
So my aim now is to change my view on things. I want to present a thankful heart to the Lord, no matter what. So my house is dirty and the laundry is piled up...at least we have a roof over our heads, a warm place for our family to sleep and several amazing people that make up my family unit (and who create lots of dirty laundry!). So I'm stressed about our loan modification...at least we have the means to go somewhere and rent if need be and we won't be living in our car or on the streets like many families in our country and this economy.
I want to be an example of joy to my children. What a hypocrite I am if their whining gets on my nerves, yet I turn around and do the very same thing to my Heavenly Father. I am so thankful for God's mercy and grace...I am working on using my "normal voice" much more in my thought and prayer life.
"All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast."
Proverbs 15:15
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