Jesus band-aids...

This morning over breakfast I was telling my little girls about a baby girl named Savannah, who has recently been diagnosed with Lukemia.  Since Savannah is only a little younger than our Liam this hit really close to home for me.  I began to cry when I was explaining what Lukemia is to the girls.  My heart is hurting for the family....I can't imagine what they're going through!
Hope and Emma were very concerned for this baby and they promised to pray for her.  I said, "We need to pray that Jesus will make baby Savannah all better."  Emma looked at me and said, "Mommy, can Jesus give her a band-aid to make it all better?  She needs a Jesus band-aid."
It took my breath away...I looked at Kyle and we both had tears running down our faces.  The Bible talks about a child-like faith.  This was faith in it's purest form.  How sweet, the innocent trust of a child!
We will all be praying for you baby, Savannah.  That you will get just what you need, a Jesus band-aid!

the innocence of a four year old..

Today, I was explaining to Hope about a young couple in our church getting engaged.  She's a very girly, girl and loves everything about weddings and etc.  I told her that Junior had asked Amanda to marry him and that they were going to get married.
I was expecting her to ask about the dress or the wedding itself but, instead she responded, "and then they're going to have kids??!!"  I quite literally Laughed Out Loud!
It was so precious and so innocent!  How sad that in today's society this is abnormal!  To wait until marriage, is laughed at.  I'm so glad that we've given our children that legacy.  I'm so glad that to them it's normal to have things in this order: Marriage first, Babies second.
Thank you Junior and Amanda for being an example to my girls of the way that things should be!

You're the best!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook and bake.  Oftentimes, in the morning I will make pancakes or waffles for breakfast (which my girls LOVE, they always ask for pink ones).  I don't think a day passes by when my girls don't beg to help me "make".
Their actual words are, "Mommy, can I make with you?"  So cute, right?!  Emma always helps me make coffee in the morning and usually Hope helps me make breakfast.  Yesterday, Emma got a special turn of helping me make waffles.  She was so precious!
When the mixing was done, I picked her up and she hugged my neck and said, "Thank you for letting me help with you, Mommy.  You're the best mommy ever!"
If I get this reaction...I'll gladly let her help me anytime she wants!

I'm too busy....

Earlier today while I was trying to play with the girls, Emma was sitting at the table playing with toys.  When I asked her if she wanted to play with us, she simply said, "Not now, Mom, I'm too busy."

I initially laughed and went on with the rest of my day but, as I stopped to think about it, it made me sad.  Who did she learn that from, I wonder????  hmmm....  I think I would have to answer that...me.

How sad!!!  I sit here typing this practically in tears.  I don't want that to be the memory that my children have of me, "too busy".  Too busy doing what exactly??  Laundry?  Facebook?  I think it's time I get my priorities straight!  I just bought this new sign for my house and I love what it says now, I need to make sure I live by it and it's the words I'll leave you with today.

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs dust go to sleep;
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

It was fun...

Since our girls are only 18 months apart, they do a lot of the same things.  They both enjoy princesses, animals, anything Disney etc.  Lately, one of the things that they similarly enjoy (which means "fight over")  is...going with us different places. We try to alternate or "take turns" as they call it.  That way we get to spend some one on one time with each of them.
Earlier today, I took Hope into a store with me while everyone else waited out in the car, much to Emma's chagrin.  So tonight when I went to the grocery store, it was Emma's turn.  To be honest, I didn't want to take anyone, since it was grocery shopping. But, since Kyle has a bit of the flu I wanted to make his "burden" a little lighter. :)
Now, anyone that knows Emma, knows that she is a VERY busy little girl.  My mother-in-law lovingly calls her  "Curious George in a skirt".  Which characterizes her to a "T".  Today, though, while we were at the store she was AMAZING!!!  She was very well behaved, obedient and sweet the entire time we were there.  So much so, that I even bought her a little treat.  As we were walking out of the store, she was holding my hand and sweetly looked up at me as said, "Mama, thank you for taking me...it was fun".  If that doesn't melt a mother's heart I don't know what would!
This made me think of our relationship with God.  How many things would He do for us, How many things is He just waiting to give us if we would just be thankful for what He's already done?  How happy would it make Him if we just simply stopped to say "Thank you" once in a while?
So, thank you God!  Thank you for my family, my husband and children.  Thank you for our health.  Thank you for our home.  Thank you for all that you've done and all that you're going to do!

Going Nowhere...

Almost on a daily basis my Emma girl will ask me, "Mama, where are we going?"

This is usually asked while she's watching me put on my make-up or fixing my hair etc.  Sometimes, I'm getting ready to go somewhere, sometimes I'm just doing it to make myself feel better.  Usually on days that we don't have any plans I'll answer her with, "We're not going anywhere".

Recently, her response of choice is, "We're going nowhere?"  "Can I go nowhere with you?"

My girls love to go "anywhere" with us. They even love to go "nowhere" with us.  This makes me realize how important time spent with them is.  They'd be happy to even go "nowhere" as long as we're together.

Today was short and sweet but, it made me think anyway :)

Just like you

Yes, I know it's been a long time since I've blogged about anything but, please keep in mind we were on a road trip to Texas and back that took about a week!
 They said so many things that were hilarious on that trip but, of course, I forgot to write anything down!  And there's no way I could remember it.

Something that's become a little bit of a tradition for me in the past few years is making cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving and Christmas and selling them to friends and family.  Usually it takes me a whole day to get all the orders done and, in years past my in-laws have graciously taken the girls so I could focus on baking.
This year, because of the aforementioned "vacation" I didn't plan on having that many orders and decided to save my "babysitting request" for something more important. :)

Thank God my children were all fairly well behaved because I did end up with orders for about 6 dozen rolls!  While making them I wear an apron because it is a messy process.  My kitchen, dining room and self usually end up completely covered in flour.  Today, my precious, Emma, kept saying, "Mommy, you a chef" and was calling me "Chef Mommy".  (such a cute little girl)  After one of these comments she went running to her room and returned with her apron (that she just got for her birthday) in hand and exclaimed, "Mommy, I be a maker just like you!!  I'm Emma chef!"

So adorable!  So thought provoking!  I hope that that is something she will always want to say about me.  I hope that I'm an example that she will want to follow!

Dead Fish...

Yesterday morning,  I could have sworn that we had a dead fish on our hands.  I was debating on whether or not to tell the girls that our fish was dead or just to take care of it without them realizing what was going on.  I decided to go ahead and tell them.

I explained to them that our beloved "Dory" was sick and had died.  Also, I explained to them about the burial process of a fish a.k.a. flushing them down the potty.

My very tender-hearted four year old started to get teary eyed.  It quite nearly broke my heart.  Then through tears she sweetly asked, "Now can we get a chameleon??"

It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.  How fickle children can be sometimes....crying over a dead fish and in the next second moving on to the new pet.

When I went to check again, the dead fish moved and started swimming.  I am happy to report it was a false alarm and after changing her water and some fresh food our "Dory" is very alive.  Although, we might start calling her "Lazarus" :)

One of the best yet!

Sometimes, it seems the ones that give you the hardest time can turn around and be the sweetest ones ever!  Emma completely embodies that old nursery rhyme, "There was a girl who had a curl right in the middle of her forehead, and when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad she was horrid".

Yesterday, was some-what of a rough day for her but, today she was so loving and sweet!  At one point today she threw her arms around my neck and gave me a big, giant hug and said, "Mommy, you're my favorite, best friend, ever!"  Talk about melting my heart!

This brought tears to my eyes, and a smile to my lips...all I could do was squeeze her!
Love that girl!

Mama, You're making me cry

This statement came from our beautiful three year old, Emma, today.  We've been having a serious struggle with her about going on the potty.  

Now, before you start telling me that she's not ready and to give her time (yada, yada, yada), she KNOWS what she's doing.  It's just that she doesn't want to stop whatever she may be doing to go.  Also, I think she still wants to hold onto being a baby for a little while longer.

Anyway, we've started disciplining her when she goes in her pants because we can tell it's not because she doesn't know any better.  Today, while I was dealing with this situation, she looked up at me with a pitiful, tearful expression and said these words, "Mama, you're making me cry".  It was so heart-wrenching, and it broke my heart but, I knew I was doing the right thing.  I thought to myself, "No, Emma, you chose the punishment, when you chose your behavior."

Isn't that just like us as Christians in our relationship with God, our Father??  We choose to disobey God.  We choose to ignore Him because we're just too busy.  Then, when things don't turn out the way we want...we blame Him.  

Having children has, in so many ways, made me look at my relationship with God in a completely different light.  God, please help me to make time for You!  

"You're the mom that knows everything"

This morning while riding in the car with my three little kiddos, we were singing along to Patch the Pirate "Down Under".  Every time they're in the missile, Hope asks me, "Mommy, what's wrong with Captain Patch and PeeWee?"  Usually, I respond with telling her that they're scared or something like that.  Today, I responded, "I don't know...you tell me."  to which she replied, "Well, you're the mommy who knows everything...you tell me."

My mind immediately said, "I wish I knew everything".

I don't know everything and I would never claim that I did but, I'm glad that she thinks that I do.  I hope she keeps that attitude. I hope she keeps seeking my advice in her life.  Not that I again, know everything but, there's so many things that a girl can learn from her mother.

Also,  I may not know everything but, I have a God who does.  I love that song, "I don't know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand".  God knows EVERYTHING and He's the one that's in control.

Thank you, Hope, for the reminder that God is my heavenly Father who truly knows everything that lies before us.  And thank you for thinking that I know everything!

what do I have that's worth writing about?

As a girl, growing up, I always dreamed of being a wife and mother. I dreamed of being the wife of someone in the ministry with our little brood following behind us, in perfect order (of course).  Needless to say, for anyone who has little ones....nothing is ever in "perfect order".
A few months ago on a particularly crazy day, I sat in tears and it dawned on me..."Why am I not the mother I always imagined being?"  "Why am I not happy as I thought I would be?"  Then I realized the answer..."because you're not choosing to enjoy what God's given you".
Thus, the inspiration for this began. I don't want to be one of those moms.  I don't want to look back in regret to the times I failed to enjoy my children when they were small.  I don't want to waste my time looking back.  I want to enjoy each moment, each day I have with them because, as every mom has heard "Enjoy it....it goes by so fast."
There are so many "Mommy blogs" out there that are just complaining about their kids.  I'm choosing to have joy in my children.  They are truly the inspiration for me to be a better person.
So, Hope, Emma, Liam...I love you with all my heart!  Keep saying those funny little things and Mommy will write them down so everyone can enjoy them!