Birthday festivities for Aaron

Aaron's first present from Mommy and Daddy. The look on his face when he realized he could walk using this thing was just priceless! He was stunned...then so excited to do it over and over.

Gramma Dedee took the siblings shopping so they could each pick out a little gift for Aaron. They couldn't wait, so we opened gifts a couple days early in Lake Arrowhead. He was clueless so of course Emmie had to "help" him open.

What exactly is this? And can someone please remove it?

He loved his basketball hoop and Gracie was amazed that Aaron figured out what to do with the ball.

Eats like a big boy now - hardly any baby food, but anything and everything we're eating!

Emmie was very proud of the fact that she was teaching Aaron to walk!

Waiting in anticipation for something...not sure what exactly? Little does he know...

So that's why I'm sitting here! Check it out!

He was very hesitant to touch it.

He kept looking at all of us wondering what he was supposed to be doing and why we were all encouraging him to dig in and eat.

In the end he clearly got the hang of it! He didn't actually eat much, but seemed to like making a mess and squishing it in his fingers.

So of course we had that extra cake just sitting there, so Gracie begged to smash her face in it.

And Jaylon too....

Not so sure about being in the jumper.

Looks like he's screaming, but actually he's laughing! He loves the camera.

What? My party is over? The day has ended? Bummer!

Happy Birthday Aaron

It is hard to believe that one year ago today Aaron Isaac was born into our family! The year just seemed to fly by.

We have had such a fun week celebrating his birthday, but today on his actual birthday, Jay and I took time to remember and reflect on what a blessing Aaron has been to us and our family. And most of all we recalled how good God was to us those first few weeks of Aaron's life...how faithful He was, how much strength He equipped us with as we endured what seemed to us like a nightmare, how powerful prayer can be and that amazing sense of peace in the midst of a storm.

Aaron is a happy, mellow, affectionate, chubby little guy and has added so much joy to our family. We are truly blessed! What a difference a year makes.

July 2009

June 27, 2010

Precious Emmie moment

We're stopped at a red light today at the corner of an intersection. All of a sudden Emmie asks from the back seat, "Mom, how do they know my name?"

I have no idea what she is talking about.

This is how the conversation progressed:

Mom: Who knows your name?

Emmie: That building! See Mom. E-M-M-I-E, that is my name, Emmie.

Mom: Oh wow babe! So that building knows your name?

Emmie: Yes Mommy. It knows my name.

Mom: That is amazing Em. So cool.

Emmie: So many buildings know my name Mommy. (said in a very bragging manner)

**It was a Coldwell Banker building, which of course contains two letter E's, which Emmie always assumes spells out her entire name on any sign or building. I just love these precious moments. I wish I had been blogging for the past ten years to have documented them all. Priceless!

Emotions running high today!!

I've heard it said that daughters come with much more emotion then do sons. After today, I would whole-heartedly agree with that statement!

Not sure why, maybe something in the air, or our water, but my two precious daughters were amped up with emotions today. There was so much crying and whining and tattling, even the boys were unnerved by it all. Did I mention how many tears there were? And to think, we haven't even hit puberty yet (scary thought!).

The icing on the cake though was when Gracie went to play with a neighborhood friend and came home in hysterics. Brendan had gone to get her for me and he was beside himself - just didn't know what to do with this basket case of a sister.

Apparently this little girl was not very kind to Gracie while she was there. She was pouting because her other friend couldn't come over, so she had no interest in playing with Gracie. Everything Gracie suggested the girl mocked, criticized and shot down. The girl was bragging about how much fun her and this other friend have together and all the things they'd been doing lately. Needless to say, Gracie was crushed.

It was my first experience with a "mean girls" situation. Is it normal that I wanted to go give that little girl a piece of my mind - and her mother too? Such a fleshly response...I know. It was almost surprising how much the Mama Bear defenses kicked in, wow!

But in all honesty it broke my heart to listen to my daughter blubber away, snot running down her face, huge alligator tears gushing everywhere...it was a sight that's for sure.

What do you say? How do you handle that? I wanted to hug her and tell her what a meanie that girl is and that she doesn't deserve to have Gracie as a friend anyway. But the Spirit helped me to have some self-control over my tongue. I think I said the right things. She eventually stopped crying so I hope I handled it well.

Such is parenting though, right? I mean we lean on the Holy Spirit, try our best and leave it in God's hands.

Too bad children don't come with a How to Guide...or one of those "For Dummies" books.

Grandparents

We are so blessed that all of the kids' grandparents are alive and well. And geographically speaking we don't live very far from any of them...in a day we can drive to see any of them. This past month we have been able to spend time with each of them in various places, at various times. Of course I love taking pictures and I've always got to snap one with all the kids, especially now that Aaron is older since he isn't any many of them yet. What a reminder to me of how special those relationships are. I am so thankful to see my children building relationships with each of their grandparents!


Papa Gary and the kids at his house in Phoenix.

The kids at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Duarte.

Gramma Dedee and Grandpa Ted with all the rugrats in Palm Springs.

My Summer Goal

One of the most frustrating things for me as a parent is when I say or do things that I just know are not right. It could be a reaction to one of my children like criticizing them, or a dirty look. Maybe it's losing my temper, or not showing them grace. Or the times when I ignore them because I'm too busy, or just not in the mood to deal with them. Can anyone relate?

It makes me think about Paul somewhere in the Bible when he talks about struggling between knowing what is right and actually doing it. Of course I wasn't sure where exactly those verses were, but after much searching I did find them in Romans. And felt so encouraged when I read them because it's like he struggled with the exact same inner struggles.

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)

"I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:18-19)

That pretty much hits the nail on the head for me!

I know I should model Christ for them. I know I should be loving and patient toward them. I certainly know I need to extend grace to them and encourage them, rather than bring them down. And I know that time is whizzing by (and SO precious) so for me to ignore them or blow them off...well, I may just regret that some day! Yet in the heat of most moments I do exactly the opposite of what I want to do, or what I know I should be doing.

But what a relief to know that God extends grace...unlike me sometimes. And what hope I have in Paul's outlook on the whole situation.

"When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from the body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-24)

If I can just stay focused on the Lord and what is good and pure and right...things that will build my children up and enable me to love them unconditionally. And remain aware of the war being waged against my mind. That's my goal for this summer.