Tuesday, March 27, 2012
New Blog!
I decided a while back that I needed a new blog name. Our family is no longer just Elisa and Sadie! So - come visit our growing family at Messes and Miracles! (messes-and-miracles.blogspot.com)a See you there!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Little Ranchers
Our back pasture is adjacent to an old-time cattle ranch. It happens to be owned and run by a gentle-spirited cowboy named Bob - who attends our church. Erik has gotten to know him fairly well in the last two years, as they have sat together in the same table group at men's Bible Study. He called last week to see if he could "hire" our little ones - along with another family's little ones - to help pick rock to form a passage over a bog. We could see come new spring calves, drive a tractor and put in a few hours of work. Of course, we said "yes!"
Sadie - farm-girl in braids and overalls, riding the fancy blue tractor.
The kids had a blast riding (and driving) the little four-wheeler and giant tractor as they explored the ranch and saw a calf that had born that very morning. As they were driving around, Bob noticed another heifer who was preparing to give birth to her calf. She was very uncomfortable, pacing in her little area with tail high, grunting. He was confident she would deliver while we were there. So we stayed close as we loaded rocks into the tractor. Our friend Dan watched with binoculars and let us know when he could see little white calf feet emerging. We drove close, all piled in a pick-up bed, and found a place to watch - without upsetting the laboring mama. It didn't take long! We witnessed the amazing delivery of a healthy calf - watched mama lick her baby clean and nudge him to stand - within minutes! It was so cool! So neat for the kids to see! And me, too!
Calf - fresh from his mama
Standing on wobbly legs, a few minutes later.
Afterwards, we left baby to find his mama's milk and returned to pick more rock. After two loads, the kids were rewarded with four dollars each. Two were to keep, and two went into an envelope to "give to the Lord." It was really sweet.
We love living in Wyoming!
Our hard-working crew. Even baby Jonathan helped pick rock!
(I should give credit -- the pictures came from Dan's camera, and since he is actually a professional photographer on the side, you should probably know that! Credit to Living Water Photography. :))
Sadie - farm-girl in braids and overalls, riding the fancy blue tractor.The kids had a blast riding (and driving) the little four-wheeler and giant tractor as they explored the ranch and saw a calf that had born that very morning. As they were driving around, Bob noticed another heifer who was preparing to give birth to her calf. She was very uncomfortable, pacing in her little area with tail high, grunting. He was confident she would deliver while we were there. So we stayed close as we loaded rocks into the tractor. Our friend Dan watched with binoculars and let us know when he could see little white calf feet emerging. We drove close, all piled in a pick-up bed, and found a place to watch - without upsetting the laboring mama. It didn't take long! We witnessed the amazing delivery of a healthy calf - watched mama lick her baby clean and nudge him to stand - within minutes! It was so cool! So neat for the kids to see! And me, too!
Calf - fresh from his mama
Standing on wobbly legs, a few minutes later.Afterwards, we left baby to find his mama's milk and returned to pick more rock. After two loads, the kids were rewarded with four dollars each. Two were to keep, and two went into an envelope to "give to the Lord." It was really sweet.
We love living in Wyoming!
Our hard-working crew. Even baby Jonathan helped pick rock!(I should give credit -- the pictures came from Dan's camera, and since he is actually a professional photographer on the side, you should probably know that! Credit to Living Water Photography. :))
Friday, March 23, 2012
Grace for the Good Girl
Recently, I won a giveaway for a book. It was so exciting to receive the book in the mail. I don't really get excited about new "things." New babies, yes. The new car in our garage (well, old car, new to us) - not so much. New books, now, that is really exciting!
The book is called "Grace for the Good Girl," by Emily Freeman. I was reading the description to my hubby, and he said, "Yeah, you need to read that one." I do.
I have always been a good girl. I never rebelled. I never drank. I made straight As. I wore white on my wedding day. I work hard and keep my word. And sometimes I forget that my worth to the One who made me is not defined by my "disciplined life," or my "hard work with a sweet disposition." When you're a perfectionist people-pleaser, you feel "good" when you have it all together, and you feel worthless when you don't. Sometimes you wear yourself trying to be "good enough."
This season of life has been a bit undoing. Four months of nausea, followed closely on the heels by a month-long respiratory bug, and then, more recently, a bout of pleurisy (painful inflammation in my lungs) that knocked me off my feet for a few days.... I don't feel like I have been able to keep up with anything! Not the house, not my quiet times.... our homeschool is down to bare-bones without any creativity, I haven't baked anything but cookies in months, and my little monkeys have spent more than their fair share of time quarantined indoors. I do NOT feel like a good mom. Or a good wife. Or a good Christian. The Lord has been so gracious to meet our needs and I really have managed just fine. But in my heart - fine is just not good enough.
Do you know what I mean? Are you that way, too?
Erik and I had a good chuckle last night when I read him this portion of the book.
Good Mom makes breakfast and smiles a lot. Good Mom always remembers to notice, compliment and encourage. She is fun and funny. She plays dolls with pleasure, and even makes up pretend scenarios to make the play go longer. Her patience is limitless and she never raises her voice. She wakes up early every morning and spends time with Jesus. She is consistent and kind. She makes cookies from scratch. She plays outside even when it's really hot. She builds forts with blankets in the living room. Her house is always clean, her produce is always fresh, and she has a garden with flowers and vegetables. She can sing. She makes puppets out of socks. Her kids never watch TV because they are totally satisfied to listen to the riveting, captivating stories their Good Mom makes up. Every night. (p. 31)
What really made us laugh is that my response at first was to go, "Oh... I need to do that! I need to play more dolls. And I need to build forts. And I've never made a sock puppet! And, oohhh.... I totally yelled today!" And then I remembered -- the point of the book was that I was supposed to stop striving all the time (in my own human effort) to be GOOD. And, oops, I wasn't supposed to try to emulate her description of the Good Mom. I needed to keep reading. :)
I haven't finished the book. In fact, I'm only on chapter three. But I totally identify with that straining to be good and then feeling like I don't measure up every time I hit snooze, or react impatiently, or pour bottled spaghetti sauce on noodles and call it dinner.
I get the concept of grace. I teach it to my kids. But I still forget. So, I am looking forward to the book. Because I know I'm not good enough. But Jesus is!
The book is called "Grace for the Good Girl," by Emily Freeman. I was reading the description to my hubby, and he said, "Yeah, you need to read that one." I do.
I have always been a good girl. I never rebelled. I never drank. I made straight As. I wore white on my wedding day. I work hard and keep my word. And sometimes I forget that my worth to the One who made me is not defined by my "disciplined life," or my "hard work with a sweet disposition." When you're a perfectionist people-pleaser, you feel "good" when you have it all together, and you feel worthless when you don't. Sometimes you wear yourself trying to be "good enough."
This season of life has been a bit undoing. Four months of nausea, followed closely on the heels by a month-long respiratory bug, and then, more recently, a bout of pleurisy (painful inflammation in my lungs) that knocked me off my feet for a few days.... I don't feel like I have been able to keep up with anything! Not the house, not my quiet times.... our homeschool is down to bare-bones without any creativity, I haven't baked anything but cookies in months, and my little monkeys have spent more than their fair share of time quarantined indoors. I do NOT feel like a good mom. Or a good wife. Or a good Christian. The Lord has been so gracious to meet our needs and I really have managed just fine. But in my heart - fine is just not good enough.
Do you know what I mean? Are you that way, too?
Erik and I had a good chuckle last night when I read him this portion of the book.
Good Mom makes breakfast and smiles a lot. Good Mom always remembers to notice, compliment and encourage. She is fun and funny. She plays dolls with pleasure, and even makes up pretend scenarios to make the play go longer. Her patience is limitless and she never raises her voice. She wakes up early every morning and spends time with Jesus. She is consistent and kind. She makes cookies from scratch. She plays outside even when it's really hot. She builds forts with blankets in the living room. Her house is always clean, her produce is always fresh, and she has a garden with flowers and vegetables. She can sing. She makes puppets out of socks. Her kids never watch TV because they are totally satisfied to listen to the riveting, captivating stories their Good Mom makes up. Every night. (p. 31)
What really made us laugh is that my response at first was to go, "Oh... I need to do that! I need to play more dolls. And I need to build forts. And I've never made a sock puppet! And, oohhh.... I totally yelled today!" And then I remembered -- the point of the book was that I was supposed to stop striving all the time (in my own human effort) to be GOOD. And, oops, I wasn't supposed to try to emulate her description of the Good Mom. I needed to keep reading. :)
I haven't finished the book. In fact, I'm only on chapter three. But I totally identify with that straining to be good and then feeling like I don't measure up every time I hit snooze, or react impatiently, or pour bottled spaghetti sauce on noodles and call it dinner.
I get the concept of grace. I teach it to my kids. But I still forget. So, I am looking forward to the book. Because I know I'm not good enough. But Jesus is!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Turning 2!
A long list of chores is calling me... but I have been remiss in sharing a bit about Raina turning 2 (a week and a half ago).
I love that little peanut. She is a sweet little firecracker who alternately runs laughing when given a command (uh-oh!) and oh-so-tenderly shows compassion and love to her family. "Sissy get ouie? I sorry, sissy. I kiss. I kiss."
She is very verbal -- but not always understandable to the outside world. She'll rattle off a perfect sentence, and Grampa will look at me wonderingly. He didn't catch a word. She says "I love you, Mama," unprompted all the time, which melts my heart.
She loves stories. Is that any surprise? :) Recently she discovered the Brownie and Pearl series by Cynthia Rylant and requests them every time we go to the library. But sometimes she wants the names changed to "Raina and Hopie." Hopie is her soft little dolly.
She is a cheerful helper - and a giant mess maker.
She still goes to sleep for naps and bedtime very easily - though the list of story requests gets longer every night and always includes "Goodnight Gorilla."
She likes to show the girls their respective flashcards and say "What is that?" "Oh, good job!" She repeats letter sounds with Sadie and anything she scribbles is dubbed "A."
She is pretty much day-time potty trained. She still struggles some days with poop placement :), but she is doing very well!
She likes to climb. It is not unusual to spot her on the highest counter while I am deeply absorbed in a lesson with Elisa or Sadie. All the interruptions she provides are beneficial for training the others in patience, right?
She is fun and giggly and expressive. She is independent and maybe a wee bit stubborn. :)
We are so grateful for this little growing girl!
Friday, February 24, 2012
All of A Kind Family
I love being surprised by the gender of our babies at birth! That moment is so exhilarating and exciting.... I absolutely love the surprise. This time, though, it was my turn to lovingly submit to my hubby and let him find out the gender of our unborn baby.
And..... It's another girl!
We are thankful and excited to add a fourth princess to our very frilly family. I know that our girls will hunt, and run, and ski and rough-house, and their daddy will raise them to be tough! But, they are also our little ladies, and they love tea parties and lacy dresses and wearing mama's lip gloss. And I pray they will be tender, nurturing, and God-honoring ladies who fulfill their roles with feminine grace and strong beauty.
Praise God for little girls!
And..... It's another girl!
We are thankful and excited to add a fourth princess to our very frilly family. I know that our girls will hunt, and run, and ski and rough-house, and their daddy will raise them to be tough! But, they are also our little ladies, and they love tea parties and lacy dresses and wearing mama's lip gloss. And I pray they will be tender, nurturing, and God-honoring ladies who fulfill their roles with feminine grace and strong beauty.
Praise God for little girls!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Options..... Or Lack of Them! :)
Before I found out that I was pregnant with our fourth baby, I had begun to sense the Lord leading me (us) to pursue a birth at home. I felt a strong desire to give birth to our next (and likely last) baby in the quiet comfort of our home.
Erik was skeptical - but he agreed to begin the process of pursuing a homebirth. He was willing to talk with the midwives (the nearest midwives practice in Rigby, ID, about 2 hours away, and have delivered many babies in Jackson) and make a decision after consulting with them. At sixteen weeks pregnant, we made the drive and met with the midwives. Erik was impressed with their competence and their caring, and so was I. Both of us felt very comfortable proceeding with their care. There was only one problem.
In the last two years, both Idaho and Wyoming have adopted a new medical and legal status for midwives. This is great! It allows midwives to carry emergency medications, oxygen and IVs -- lifelines in the case of an emergency. The only problem is that certification is a process. The Idaho midwives are working on their Wyoming certification, but they don't have it yet... and until they do, they don't want to jeopardize the process by performing home births in our state. They have a nice birthing center, but we don't want to be the ones driving during labor.
I was deeply disappointed. I fretted and researched for a week, trying to uncover any other midwives within a safe distance from our home. There are none. I finally realized that there are just very few options. We can deliver the baby ourselves, we can drive 2 hours, or we can resign ourselves to traditional medical care and a hospital birth. Please know that I think hospital births are wonderful. Doctors are a blessing - obviously! And the interventions they offer are truly sometimes necessary. We had just felt led to have this birth outside of the hospital. But, while we have had friends follow the Lord's leading and have unassisted home births, we don't sense a similar leading for our family.
After a night of tears (I know, silly, but I'm pregnant, and occasional tears are allowed), we decided to use the practice where Erik's mom works as a nurse. They have a CNM there (a midwife who does traditional hospital births) and we decided that a midwifery style of care was still our preference, even if it is still a hospital birth. We'll have our first visit next week.
During that intermittent week, I stewed over our lack of options, and then knew I had to release my heart's desire and trust that the Lord is still leading and guiding us - even though it isn't what we had originally thought He was doing in our lives. We are so thankful for this precious life, and in the end, what matters is holding and cherishing our baby. So, we receive this gift with grateful hearts, and we'll drive 15 minutes to the hospital. :)
Erik was skeptical - but he agreed to begin the process of pursuing a homebirth. He was willing to talk with the midwives (the nearest midwives practice in Rigby, ID, about 2 hours away, and have delivered many babies in Jackson) and make a decision after consulting with them. At sixteen weeks pregnant, we made the drive and met with the midwives. Erik was impressed with their competence and their caring, and so was I. Both of us felt very comfortable proceeding with their care. There was only one problem.
In the last two years, both Idaho and Wyoming have adopted a new medical and legal status for midwives. This is great! It allows midwives to carry emergency medications, oxygen and IVs -- lifelines in the case of an emergency. The only problem is that certification is a process. The Idaho midwives are working on their Wyoming certification, but they don't have it yet... and until they do, they don't want to jeopardize the process by performing home births in our state. They have a nice birthing center, but we don't want to be the ones driving during labor.
I was deeply disappointed. I fretted and researched for a week, trying to uncover any other midwives within a safe distance from our home. There are none. I finally realized that there are just very few options. We can deliver the baby ourselves, we can drive 2 hours, or we can resign ourselves to traditional medical care and a hospital birth. Please know that I think hospital births are wonderful. Doctors are a blessing - obviously! And the interventions they offer are truly sometimes necessary. We had just felt led to have this birth outside of the hospital. But, while we have had friends follow the Lord's leading and have unassisted home births, we don't sense a similar leading for our family.
After a night of tears (I know, silly, but I'm pregnant, and occasional tears are allowed), we decided to use the practice where Erik's mom works as a nurse. They have a CNM there (a midwife who does traditional hospital births) and we decided that a midwifery style of care was still our preference, even if it is still a hospital birth. We'll have our first visit next week.
During that intermittent week, I stewed over our lack of options, and then knew I had to release my heart's desire and trust that the Lord is still leading and guiding us - even though it isn't what we had originally thought He was doing in our lives. We are so thankful for this precious life, and in the end, what matters is holding and cherishing our baby. So, we receive this gift with grateful hearts, and we'll drive 15 minutes to the hospital. :)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day!
Many of our holiday traditions center around breakfast and the morning routine. On birthdays, there are homemade cinnamon rolls, a decorated chair, a construction paper crown, and gifts at the breakfast plate. On Christmas, the morning starts with the Christmas story, stockings, and Poteca bread with scrambled eggs. Easter includes candy trails to follow around the house before church. Valentines Day means heart shaped pancakes and handmade Valentines at the table.
This morning, the pancakes were pink and topped with strawberries. Erik dyed the scrambled eggs, too, and served strawberry milk. The girls were delighted, and there was laughing banter about whether we might turn completely pink like Pinkalicious. I don't love the story of Pinkalicious, because she is pretty disrespectful to her parents, but I have to admit, there is definitely little girl appeal to the idea of turning yourself pink by eating too many pink cupcakes (or pancakes!) :)
Don't worry. This was Erik's heaping plate, and he didn't finish it. The girls and I had slightly smaller portions. :)
This morning, the pancakes were pink and topped with strawberries. Erik dyed the scrambled eggs, too, and served strawberry milk. The girls were delighted, and there was laughing banter about whether we might turn completely pink like Pinkalicious. I don't love the story of Pinkalicious, because she is pretty disrespectful to her parents, but I have to admit, there is definitely little girl appeal to the idea of turning yourself pink by eating too many pink cupcakes (or pancakes!) :)
Don't worry. This was Erik's heaping plate, and he didn't finish it. The girls and I had slightly smaller portions. :)
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Counting Gifts
Months ago, I shared about the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It has been on the New York Times bestseller list often, so I am guessing many of you have also read it, and been so blessed by her call to radical thankfulness. I am rereading it right now. I am forgetful; I need reminders often!
In the months since reading the book, I have been challenged to constantly seek joy and thankfulness in ALL things -- no matter what I am doing or what the circumstances are. I am not faithful to record gifts daily, but I do write in my journal several times a week -- counting God's graces in the form of all the daily "messes and miracles."
It is amazing how the constant posture of thankfulness changes your outlook on the "grind" of motherhood. I am finding myself filled with simple, overwhelming pleasure in the beauty of small tasks... in things like warm laundry to fold, and dishes to scour in sudsy water, in rubbing the small of Raina's back as she tries to relax and go pee-pee in the potty, in measuring out Robitussin to soothe a little one's nighttime cough, in stirring cookie dough and setting out fancy dishes for mid-morning tea, in helping small hands make beds, or reminding a child that the fork goes on the left side of the plate.
Dishes washed and laid to dry
Chore charts to help little ones remember to take joy in their daily tasks, too!
Learning together - even when it's messy!
A washer and dryer constantly in motion
Fresh chocolate chip cookies. Actually Erik made these. :)
The other night the house was quiet. Erik was working on taxes upstairs, and I found myself cleaning the kitchen in nighttime stillness. Hands immersed in soapy water, a broom swept across a crumb-strewn floor, the hum of the dryer tossing its last load. And I just reveled in that! And then to remember moments from a busy day -- listening to my daughter read, doing a joyous "potty-dance," dancing with little girls to loud music...
The act of counting God's gifts really does make thankfulness your first response. I struggle. Of course. I get impatient, or annoyed, and I forget to be thankful for a smoothie that tumbled to the carpet, or a child squabbling - again - over something that so doesn't matter, or the girls destroying their bedroom for the third time in a day, or the pee-pee that didn't go in the potty, or the child that won't go to sleep, or, or, or....
but I am so thankful for the reminder to be thankful and how that is changing my work into worship. If you haven't read the book --- read it! :)
In the months since reading the book, I have been challenged to constantly seek joy and thankfulness in ALL things -- no matter what I am doing or what the circumstances are. I am not faithful to record gifts daily, but I do write in my journal several times a week -- counting God's graces in the form of all the daily "messes and miracles."
It is amazing how the constant posture of thankfulness changes your outlook on the "grind" of motherhood. I am finding myself filled with simple, overwhelming pleasure in the beauty of small tasks... in things like warm laundry to fold, and dishes to scour in sudsy water, in rubbing the small of Raina's back as she tries to relax and go pee-pee in the potty, in measuring out Robitussin to soothe a little one's nighttime cough, in stirring cookie dough and setting out fancy dishes for mid-morning tea, in helping small hands make beds, or reminding a child that the fork goes on the left side of the plate.
Dishes washed and laid to dry
Chore charts to help little ones remember to take joy in their daily tasks, too!
Learning together - even when it's messy!
A washer and dryer constantly in motion
Fresh chocolate chip cookies. Actually Erik made these. :)The other night the house was quiet. Erik was working on taxes upstairs, and I found myself cleaning the kitchen in nighttime stillness. Hands immersed in soapy water, a broom swept across a crumb-strewn floor, the hum of the dryer tossing its last load. And I just reveled in that! And then to remember moments from a busy day -- listening to my daughter read, doing a joyous "potty-dance," dancing with little girls to loud music...
The act of counting God's gifts really does make thankfulness your first response. I struggle. Of course. I get impatient, or annoyed, and I forget to be thankful for a smoothie that tumbled to the carpet, or a child squabbling - again - over something that so doesn't matter, or the girls destroying their bedroom for the third time in a day, or the pee-pee that didn't go in the potty, or the child that won't go to sleep, or, or, or....
but I am so thankful for the reminder to be thankful and how that is changing my work into worship. If you haven't read the book --- read it! :)
Potty Training Take 3
I have been told that potty training should get easier with each child because they watch and observe the older ones. You know what? It's not true. For our family, each child's initial training has been much more challenging than the last... simply because Mommy is not un-distracted. And neither is the child. :) With Elisa, Sadie was only two months old, and she was angel during the first intense days of training. Elisa, on the other hand, was keenly interested and involved in Sadie's training... until she got bored and decided she needed Mom's attention elsewhere. :) With Raina, this pregnant mama has been juggling morning school, discipline, cleaning, chores, and a four-week long respiratory virus along with potty training. Days 1 and 2 were virtually failures. : ) The older kids were frustrated with her lack of progress, and annoyed because we couldn't leave the house for two days! They started out so excited, but their patience waned quickly. We started late last week, and Raina is now going potty about 1/2 to 2/3 of the time without a dribble in her undies first. God is giving me grace to be patient with the slowness of it, to lower my expectations a bit, to be thankful for a dozen pairs of little undies and a wonderful sanitizing washing machine, and to cheer for all the little victories while handing out the requisite M&Ms.
I think she'll get the hang of it. :)
I think she'll get the hang of it. :)
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Growth in Grace
The other night, I wrote about Elisa's sixth birthday and tried to share a bit about who our oldest daughter is...
I want to always speak kindly of my little ones and be careful not to present them negatively. But I also want to be honest, to show you who they are -- successes and sweetness, struggles and sin. And I want anyone who reads my blog to know that our family is not perfect. :) I don't want you to feel the way I do after I read a stack of Christmas letters... that our family is lacking, that we are the only ones with sinful children, that we are under-achievers in every way. :) So hopefully, you get my uncensored but loving portrayal of our family's life and learning.
One of the things I have prayed through often in the last year is that both our older daughters have "asked Jesus into their hearts." Erik and I have been cautious about this -- not assuming their salvation because of that. We know that saving faith requires genuine repentance, and that true faith manifests itself in a desire to please God. To be honest, we haven't seen that heart change in our sweet little girls. So they take communion as believers, and we speak to them about the Holy Spirit living in their hearts. But, we are careful to also teach them the Gospel over and over and to wait for fruit in their lives.
I feel like lately I am seeing fruit in the heart of my oldest. Last night, we ice skated together as a family, and Elisa grinned happily, twirling around with an old skating dress of mama's OVER the top of her bulging snow pants and coat. She had a terrific attitude. She dropped something on the way inside the house and called over her shoulder, "Mom, can you get that?" Seeing my hands were full, she said, "Oh, I'll get it. Your hands are already too full!" She then hung up all her snow clothes unprompted, and went to change clothes. This morning, Raina-bean was snuggling in our bed (all three girls were) when Raina gagged on snot and threw up all over Erik. (I know, gross!) Elisa went to get her clean jammies, a doll, and a blanket. She entertained her in the steam shower I gave her to help with the mucous, and then made a nest for her on the floor so that Raina could lay comfortably while Elisa made a brown bag puppet for her to play with.
Little things, but I am beginning to see kindness, mercy, and compassion more often. A willingness to serve and help without reward or nagging. Sometimes we see the opposite, too... stomping around while emptying the dishwasher, or complaining about a small task. Yesterday I made her copy Ephesians 6:1 twice in her copybook. She needed the reminder. :)
But I am thankful to see growth in grace in my little ones. That's precious!
I want to always speak kindly of my little ones and be careful not to present them negatively. But I also want to be honest, to show you who they are -- successes and sweetness, struggles and sin. And I want anyone who reads my blog to know that our family is not perfect. :) I don't want you to feel the way I do after I read a stack of Christmas letters... that our family is lacking, that we are the only ones with sinful children, that we are under-achievers in every way. :) So hopefully, you get my uncensored but loving portrayal of our family's life and learning.
One of the things I have prayed through often in the last year is that both our older daughters have "asked Jesus into their hearts." Erik and I have been cautious about this -- not assuming their salvation because of that. We know that saving faith requires genuine repentance, and that true faith manifests itself in a desire to please God. To be honest, we haven't seen that heart change in our sweet little girls. So they take communion as believers, and we speak to them about the Holy Spirit living in their hearts. But, we are careful to also teach them the Gospel over and over and to wait for fruit in their lives.
I feel like lately I am seeing fruit in the heart of my oldest. Last night, we ice skated together as a family, and Elisa grinned happily, twirling around with an old skating dress of mama's OVER the top of her bulging snow pants and coat. She had a terrific attitude. She dropped something on the way inside the house and called over her shoulder, "Mom, can you get that?" Seeing my hands were full, she said, "Oh, I'll get it. Your hands are already too full!" She then hung up all her snow clothes unprompted, and went to change clothes. This morning, Raina-bean was snuggling in our bed (all three girls were) when Raina gagged on snot and threw up all over Erik. (I know, gross!) Elisa went to get her clean jammies, a doll, and a blanket. She entertained her in the steam shower I gave her to help with the mucous, and then made a nest for her on the floor so that Raina could lay comfortably while Elisa made a brown bag puppet for her to play with.
Little things, but I am beginning to see kindness, mercy, and compassion more often. A willingness to serve and help without reward or nagging. Sometimes we see the opposite, too... stomping around while emptying the dishwasher, or complaining about a small task. Yesterday I made her copy Ephesians 6:1 twice in her copybook. She needed the reminder. :)
But I am thankful to see growth in grace in my little ones. That's precious!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
And Six!
I realized the "six" on my previous post could also have been the title for this one. :)
Our family of five is soon to become a family of six, as we welcome a new little one at the end of July. We are thrilled.
The girls found out on Christmas morning when Elisa unwrapped a note that read, "New baby brother or sister coming in July!" The announcement got a bit lost in the shuffle of gifts, but once it sank in, they were so excited. Someone is always hugging my belly, kissing the barely notice-able 14-week bump, or talking about "when the new baby comes." I am only worried that they won't share with me once he or she arrives -- and I like holding my own babies. :)
Our family of five is soon to become a family of six, as we welcome a new little one at the end of July. We are thrilled.
The girls found out on Christmas morning when Elisa unwrapped a note that read, "New baby brother or sister coming in July!" The announcement got a bit lost in the shuffle of gifts, but once it sank in, they were so excited. Someone is always hugging my belly, kissing the barely notice-able 14-week bump, or talking about "when the new baby comes." I am only worried that they won't share with me once he or she arrives -- and I like holding my own babies. :)
Six!
Last week, Elisa turned six! As cliche as it is, it is certainly true that "they grow up fast!"
We celebrated by playing hooky from school (you can do that when you homeschool) and spending the morning playing in new-fallen snow, eating apple fritters for breakfast, skiing with Grandma, getting her very own library card, and eating ice cream sundaes. On Friday, the day after her "real" birthday, we had a small tea party. She loved being princess for the day and reminding her younger guests to use their proper manners and not slurp or snort like dragons. :)
I love Elisa. She is my wild child, my shy child, my tender and compassionate child, and my sometimes mean child. She is a mix of bright leadership and zest for life combined with her mama's reserve and and hints of quiet thoughtfulness. She is insightful and smart and she can be stubborn and selfish. (I think all children have those traits to some degree, don't they?)
She can be so very grown up at times in her mannerisms and speech that it boggles my mind. She can also run around yelling her head off with her sisters and jabber nonsense, or occasionally throw a tantrum that leaves me wondering if she ever grew out of the twos?
Elisa is physically very strong and capable. She skis so well, and we are trying to make sure that it is still fun and invigorating for her, not just hard exercise and work. :) It's easy for Erik and I to pull the other two behind us and let Elisa just keep up - because she CAN.
She is doing well in school. I think every homeschool mom will tell you that school times magnify all of the behavior challenges and discipline issues you encounter in daily life. There are definite challenges, and I am so thankful to be at home, shepherding her through challenges we might not face if I sent her off to school every day. That said, she really is learning! She can read nearly anything now; we are learning some of the more complicated phonics
rules (like all the many sounds of ough!) and multi-syllable words can be hard, but there is a confident fluency to much of her reading now and it so wonderful! She finished K-level math and spelling, so I had to adjust the budget and purchase the next level up. Thanks, Wachob grandparents, for helping with some of those purchases!
Elisa loves playing dolls, doing craft projects (today she made a centerpiece for the table with flowers from construction paper), reading together, dancing, playing games (as long as Raina is far away! :)) and having elegant tea parties with real black tea (decaf. only). She likes helping make cookies, and she likes planning the next day... she always wants to know what is on the agenda for tomorrow before she falls asleep.
She loves AWANA - especially the games, and she takes pride in memorizing verses and earning her jewels. Last week she memorized the 27 books of the NT. It was not easy -- but she did it!
Happy Birthday little girl!
Ice cream sundae!
The snow fall on her birthday.
Skiing with a smile.
The Princess at her party. She decorated the crown cake with half a bottle of princess sprinkles.
We celebrated by playing hooky from school (you can do that when you homeschool) and spending the morning playing in new-fallen snow, eating apple fritters for breakfast, skiing with Grandma, getting her very own library card, and eating ice cream sundaes. On Friday, the day after her "real" birthday, we had a small tea party. She loved being princess for the day and reminding her younger guests to use their proper manners and not slurp or snort like dragons. :)
I love Elisa. She is my wild child, my shy child, my tender and compassionate child, and my sometimes mean child. She is a mix of bright leadership and zest for life combined with her mama's reserve and and hints of quiet thoughtfulness. She is insightful and smart and she can be stubborn and selfish. (I think all children have those traits to some degree, don't they?)
She can be so very grown up at times in her mannerisms and speech that it boggles my mind. She can also run around yelling her head off with her sisters and jabber nonsense, or occasionally throw a tantrum that leaves me wondering if she ever grew out of the twos?
Elisa is physically very strong and capable. She skis so well, and we are trying to make sure that it is still fun and invigorating for her, not just hard exercise and work. :) It's easy for Erik and I to pull the other two behind us and let Elisa just keep up - because she CAN.
She is doing well in school. I think every homeschool mom will tell you that school times magnify all of the behavior challenges and discipline issues you encounter in daily life. There are definite challenges, and I am so thankful to be at home, shepherding her through challenges we might not face if I sent her off to school every day. That said, she really is learning! She can read nearly anything now; we are learning some of the more complicated phonics
rules (like all the many sounds of ough!) and multi-syllable words can be hard, but there is a confident fluency to much of her reading now and it so wonderful! She finished K-level math and spelling, so I had to adjust the budget and purchase the next level up. Thanks, Wachob grandparents, for helping with some of those purchases!
Elisa loves playing dolls, doing craft projects (today she made a centerpiece for the table with flowers from construction paper), reading together, dancing, playing games (as long as Raina is far away! :)) and having elegant tea parties with real black tea (decaf. only). She likes helping make cookies, and she likes planning the next day... she always wants to know what is on the agenda for tomorrow before she falls asleep.
She loves AWANA - especially the games, and she takes pride in memorizing verses and earning her jewels. Last week she memorized the 27 books of the NT. It was not easy -- but she did it!
Happy Birthday little girl!
Ice cream sundae!
The snow fall on her birthday.
Skiing with a smile.
The Princess at her party. She decorated the crown cake with half a bottle of princess sprinkles.
Two Quilts
Both Erik's mother and mine recently gifted us with a beautiful quilt.
My mom sewed a beautiful memory quilt for each Forbes child this Christmas, cutting my dad's shirts into quilt pieces and creating one-of-a-kind, priceless works of heart-warming art. I bawled when I opened it on Christmas morning and it is a treasure to wrap myself in sweet memories of my daddy.
Becky's quilt is sure to be an award winner next summer when we strip it off the bed and enter it in the county fair. She worked on it for about a year, and the pieces that make up the design were so tiny! It was definitely a long labor of love and it is beautiful!
Thank you, Moms!
My mom sewed a beautiful memory quilt for each Forbes child this Christmas, cutting my dad's shirts into quilt pieces and creating one-of-a-kind, priceless works of heart-warming art. I bawled when I opened it on Christmas morning and it is a treasure to wrap myself in sweet memories of my daddy.
Becky's quilt is sure to be an award winner next summer when we strip it off the bed and enter it in the county fair. She worked on it for about a year, and the pieces that make up the design were so tiny! It was definitely a long labor of love and it is beautiful!
Thank you, Moms!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Clutter
If you know me very well... or even a little bit... you know that I don't do well with clutter. :) I like things tidy. Neat. Simple. I always have. As a little girl, I dreamed of having a house that looked a bit like Marilla Cuthbert's or maybe the Ingalls family. You know, plain and bare with maybe just a few knick-knacks on a shelf and a pitcher of water in a bowl on a side table for washing up in. A trunk in the corner and blankets neatly folded on the bed. I can be ruthless about throwing or giving away things around the house. Clothes that haven't been worn recently, toys that haven't been played with (or that are plastic, and use batteries :)), little bits of junk. I have one manila envelope filled with favorite drawings the kids have made, but I usually toss their projects, too, after a week or so. This is a horrible thing to admit, but I have even thought at times that it wouldn't be so bad if all our belongings burned in a fire. I mean, we would have no clutter! And I would buy everyone three nice sturdy outfits, and a stack of good books, and a cast iron skillet, and we would be fine!
Now, that is not to say that there aren't pockets of clutter in our big old house. We have a closet filled with things I don't know what to do with, and drawers in the kitchen that have all kinds of unidentifiable junk. And I am horrible at keeping dresser drawers tidy, so my clothes are in a wrinkled mess within my neatly shut drawers. (The same is true for the kitchen cabinets. Just can't keep them straightened!) Under the sinks isn't terribly organized, either. But -- I always have a plan for when I am going to declutter the next thing.
I was thinking about that today -- about my passion for simplicity and organization in my home. And it made me wonder if I have that same passion for decluttering the hidden messes of my heart. Or if maybe I should. Messes in my house are tangible - and I can be driven to eradicate them. But what pockets of hidden sin clutter are lurking in my heart? Am I driven to clear those? Do I deal with sin like I deal with clutter, or do I stuff it further into the "junk drawer?" There are so many areas where I know I need to allow the Lord to work in me. Kindness. Patience. Forebearance. Fearing Him, instead of fearing man. Loving. Not judging. Being centered on bringing Him glory instead of being self-centered in my motives. Being slow to anger - especially with my kids. And you know what? Especially when it comes to my kids' messes! :) Hungering for God's Word. Longing to share His Gospel with others (that is so hard for me!). Caring about people the way He does.
It was a good reminder to me today as I surveyed one physical pocket of clutter. Some "cleaning out" is more important than others.
Now, that is not to say that there aren't pockets of clutter in our big old house. We have a closet filled with things I don't know what to do with, and drawers in the kitchen that have all kinds of unidentifiable junk. And I am horrible at keeping dresser drawers tidy, so my clothes are in a wrinkled mess within my neatly shut drawers. (The same is true for the kitchen cabinets. Just can't keep them straightened!) Under the sinks isn't terribly organized, either. But -- I always have a plan for when I am going to declutter the next thing.
I was thinking about that today -- about my passion for simplicity and organization in my home. And it made me wonder if I have that same passion for decluttering the hidden messes of my heart. Or if maybe I should. Messes in my house are tangible - and I can be driven to eradicate them. But what pockets of hidden sin clutter are lurking in my heart? Am I driven to clear those? Do I deal with sin like I deal with clutter, or do I stuff it further into the "junk drawer?" There are so many areas where I know I need to allow the Lord to work in me. Kindness. Patience. Forebearance. Fearing Him, instead of fearing man. Loving. Not judging. Being centered on bringing Him glory instead of being self-centered in my motives. Being slow to anger - especially with my kids. And you know what? Especially when it comes to my kids' messes! :) Hungering for God's Word. Longing to share His Gospel with others (that is so hard for me!). Caring about people the way He does.
It was a good reminder to me today as I surveyed one physical pocket of clutter. Some "cleaning out" is more important than others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
