Believing......

"....being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Sometimes all I have to cling to are His promises! And today is once again an all too familiar day at this house. Taking a step back to remind myself that the actions and words that come out of my beautiful daughter are not her talking but her wounds. Would you keep praying and believing with us that God will finish the amazing and beautiful work He has begun in her heart?

Today He Is 5

I am not really sure how 5 years have passed since my third son entered this world. From the time I was convinced I was in labor till he arrived was a short 2 1/2 hours! I was suspicious I was beginning labor but not positive until we were on our way to the hospital. I can remember every detail so vividly. Probably because everything was happening so fast and felt completely out of control!

He was so anxious for his 5th birthday. He began counting down the days months ago. And with his affinity for numbers he kept track pretty closely of how many days away we were from this monumental day! He wakes up and the first thing he wants to do is check the weather online to see what the current temperature is and what the high temperature is going to be for the day. This is after he tells us exactly what time he woke up! He needs the same spoon every morning for breakfast - a serving spoon. How he fits it in his mouth is still a mystery! He asks to check the weather again shortly after breakfast so he can see if the temperature has changed. He would prefer to wear his jammies all day and is very reluctant to get dressed. He is as predictable as they come! He likes his routine and isn't very happy when things don't go as planned. Like when the carpet cleaners show up a minute before they are supposed to.

He did try something new last night. His brothers informed him yesterday that once he turns five he can wear his underwear to sleep without jammies and he was quite intrigued by this. He told me a few times that you can wear your underwear to sleep only in the spring and summer. He gave it a try last night and was successful. After only about 2 minutes he called for me to get his jammies but decided to keep trying. Oh how brave!!

My favorite story with him this week may be somewhat offensive to some but made my heart smile! I overheard him explaining to his sisters (Lord help us) how big God's penis is. Complete with hand motions. He wavered right after saying, "God's penis is this big (insert hand motion)! I think......" Of course it would only be natural to him that God has the same anatomy as he does just on a grander scale. Things eventually were compared to the size of our house!! And I calmly walked away without correcting anything. He is just trying to sort things out. But it made me laugh.

We love this treasure so much and are thoroughly enjoying figuring out how his little brain works. He is sweet, very smart and handsome to boot!! Happy Birthday little man!

Laughter

Did you know that laughter relieves physical tension and stress in your muscles for up to 45 minutes after a good hearty laugh?

And did you know that laughter triggers the release of endorphins and boosts your immune system?

We have all heard the phrase "laughter is the best medicine." And we know all through scripture joyful hearts are mentioned.

I have found that my children are much better at laughter than I am. It rolls out of them without thought. I hear tiny snippets of their laughter all throughout my day. I, on the other hand, am too caught up in the demands of the day to take a moment and move towards their laughter. I am sure if I stopped what I was doing, moved in their direction and participated in their laughter that I would feel the tightness in my shoulders begin to disappear.

Every summer I take my children aside individually and give them something to work towards. It is something I see in their character that needs a little extra attention. It might be learning to take ownership of their reactions. It might be learning to respond cheerfully when asked to help. It might be using kind words instead of defensiveness.

My thing that I need to work on this summer is lightening up and looking for opportunities to laugh until my stomach hurts! Which won't be too hard considering the fact that my stomach is out of shape. Yes....stomachs can be out of shape. Just trust me on this one.

I want my children to have fond memories of us laughing ourselves silly instead of a list driven mother! Anyone want to join me in moving towards laughter?

*on a serious note have your read about dear little Teri Lynn? Last I checked her grant was a little over $15,000! Keep praying for her family to come forward b/c her ransom is almost complete!*

Blog List

I am asking you to head on over to my blog list and click on no greater joy mom. Please be praying for this sweet peanut: for God to preserve her life, for a family to come forward quickly, for the funding to come in, etc. This little treasure needs a family and I beseech you to pray and give however you can! Truly the "least of these"!

Big News

Before you get too excited.....we are NOT pregnant!! I am sure that is where every one's mind went upon seeing the title of my post. When you are in childbearing years and you already have a small brood of children everyone just naturally assumes anytime you feel a little sick or anytime you have news that you are pregnant. Not so....this time. The big news at this house is for the first time in 5 years I will no longer have a little one in diapers!! The little miss who has been pooping in the potty since Christmas decided to add peeing to her resume this weekend!! And clearly sometimes you need a headlamp while using the facilities! You just cannot be prepared enough for the unknown.

So now that she is settled into her new routine and life as a big kid maybe I will have more time to try and make coherent thoughts? I can hope.....

How We Eat Breakfast

This is how some people eat breakfast at our house! What about you?

Treasures

Treasures....some are found, some are acquired and some simply are because they live and breathe! Some things are treasured memories.... Like the memory of a first groundhog killed and vanquished!

Like popsicles shared with a cousin on a hot summer day!

Like a mushroom found that is nearly as big as the seeker's head.

Muddy feet and legs after exploring in the creek.

Some treasures nestle into your arms and fall asleep due to sheer exhaustion!

Sometimes treasures can be found snuggling with their Aunt.

Sometimes they seem to grow up too fast and you catch a momentary glimpse of the future in the way a boy sits. The prelude to a man.....

Eating watermelon at the cabin.

Determination on the face of this one as she works at defeating the balloon.

Annoyance on the face of another as his will has to learn to submit to the eating of the watermelon in order to get ice cream.

Second cousins sitting in circles chatting away about who knows what!

Memories, my children, family....some of my greatest memories!!!

Fruit Smoothies

It is a fruit smoothie kind of day at our house today!!

I will return shortly after a much needed little hiatus from the blog world. We have had some seriously busy weeks and I am a little draggy. Does that make sense? See you tomorrow hopefully!