From the Resident Artist

Enjoying Every Moment

We've gone about this several ways. We've told all of our loved ones that we were expecting, waiting for the rejoicing to begin only to be crushed with negativity. We've enjoyed the little blessing all to ourselves while waiting with trepedation and fear of the pain that would ensue with an announcement. We've told only those that we knew would pray and waited to tell the ones that would be less than pleased. There have been a couple of blessings that we have had all to ourselves because they went Home before we had the chance to tell anyone.

This time we wanted to do it completely different. We are so thrilled. It amazes me how people take life and God's handiwork for granted. Right now, even as I type, God -the Creator of the entire Universe, all that is, all that ever was, and all that there ever will be- is busy. He is busy creating a new person inside of me. This is something to rejoice about! This is something to enjoy! This is a miracle. God chose me. He chose me to house this little life, to nurture, to shelter, to love while He is still knitting.

We don't want there to be any doubt in anyone's mind. This baby is a blessing. We will not keep him or her a secret for fear of negativity. We will not keep him or her a secret out of fear that we may have to share that he or she has gone Home before us. We will enjoy every moment God gives us with this baby. If we are only given 6 weeks while I still carry him or her within, then PRAISE GOD for those 6 weeks.

Last night we took the children to pick out a stuffed animal. They didn't know what we were doing or why we were there. Once a stuffed bear was chosen, we had them guess who it was for. I will never forget the smile that lit up Abigail's precious face once she figured it out. Ian, too, had a goofy grin on his adorable face, but he didn't want to guess out loud. Emily, well, it took a bit of talking for her to understand but once she did, her beautiful little face also broke out into a world record smile. Katherine, well, Katherine will take a while longer to understand, but I'm sure that she will enjoy her new baby brother or sister just as much as her big brother and sisters have enjoyed her.

God is So Good!

He always provides above and beyond. The other day we were on the way to the ReStore to see if they had some things we needed for the house. Just a quarter of a mile from the ReStore there was a lovely desk from the 1940's on the sidewalk with a FREE sign on it! We loved it. I am typing on it right now. I forgot to take a picture, though.

So, we made it to the ReStore.

Found this chair that I fell in love with.



Sonny said that we could have it for $10. The only problem was that we already had the desk bunjeed to the top of the van. We said that we would be back the next day.

So, when we came back the next day, we saw this coffee table.



I loved it. Tommy asked how much for both the table and the chair. He said that for us, it would only be $25 for both only if we promised to take the toys on the porch. A HUGE play kitchen, register, and more play appliances than I've ever seen.

We had also been scouring Craig's List for a good deal on a piano, but hadn't found just the right one yet. Well, my Tommy's mom called the other day and said that we could use theirs. It still sounds beautiful and now the children can practice at home!



Disclaimer: After looking at these pictures I did vacuum, I promise. Good gravy, I had just vacuumed earlier!

Oh yeah, the biggest gift of all?

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Redeeming The Time

Eph 5:14-19

5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lordl

Menu

Beefy Rice Soup and Sourdough Bread

Potato Soup and Sesame Crackers

Apple Smothered Pork Roast, Sweet Potatoes, and Spinach Salad

Pot Roast with onions, carrots, potatoes, and Bread

Pot Roast Tacos

BBQ Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans, and Broccoli

Pizza

Pizza

Spaghetti, Salad, Apple Sauce, and Bread

Garlic Chicken, Parmesan Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce

Loaded Baked Potatoes and Salad

Loaded Baked Potatoes and Salad

Creamed Chicken Over Toast, Bacon Sautéed Squash and Onions, and Salad

Sausage, Green Beans, and Potato Stew

Perfect Children

Yes, go ahead. Laugh. Perfect. That's what I was told. My children are perfect. Well, I do choose to remain positive and always show my children in their best light. I also always want to be an encouragement to others. Typically, I choose to be an encouragement to young mothers by focusing on the many, many blessings of motherhood. There are indeed more blessings of motherhood than I could ever count.

This post will not showcase those blessings of motherhood. No. On the contrary, this post will be one of the very rare "keeping it real" posts. Are you ready?

Sunday morning my Tommy had to get up early for a meeting at work before church. Why they choose to hold monthly meetings on Sunday morning is beyond me. I had a bit of a choppy night's sleep and had gotten to bed very late the night before. I'm sure I offered him a kiss and a mumbled good bye before he left, as I do recall hearing the engine start to the van. Anything other than that and I'm not so sure. At some point the children, my lovable little blessings, woke up. They all came in and piled ontop of me to cuddle for a while.

The cuddling could really only last so long. One by one, I'm pretty certain that Ian was the first, they got up and started playing quietly in my room. I half way came to conciousness when Abigail shut my bedroom door so Katherine wouldn't wander out. I tried really hard to bring myself to at least three quarter conciousness and with extraordinary will power said, "Clothes. Get clothes."

My dear, sweet children just looked at me like I was sprouting a new head. Abigail came over, sat beside me, and rubbed my head. Then she said, "Mom, what clothes do you want us to get?"

My brain tried to function. After a moment of useless wheels turning I said, "It's up to you."

They happily went to hunt down clothes and came back with last year's Christmas dresses for the girls and a matching shirt for Ian. I nodded my approval with my eyes still shut. Abigail said, "Mom, do you want Emily and me to take a shower?"

"Uhuh." came my grunted reply. Then in a split moment of alertedness, I grabbed Katherine and asked her to cuddle so she would stay out of the bathroom. She was happy to oblige. She even read me a book. If you've never had a one year old read you a book, I'll just let you know that it doesn't involve reading, but having said book pounded into your already throbbing head.

Ian came up and cuddled with us for a moment. Then he just couldn't take it any longer. He sat in the middle of my bedroom and gathered all of the toys around him. Why, you ask? So that he was in the perfect position to throw toys through the bathroom door and land right in the bathtub where the girls were showering. Just a side note, I make them shower sitting down. I know. Crazy. But, those tubs are hard. So, the girls not too thrilled with having toys showered upon them got clean as quick as they could and came out to get dressed. When I heard the shower turn off I told Katherine that she could go get her dress and bring it to me.

She must have obeyed, because the next time I woke up the dress was covering my head. I heard mumbling and giggling coming from somewhere. Mumbling is never good. Mumbing combined with giggling is scary. Then I heard Abigail say, "IAN! What are you doing?"

I pried my eyes open enough to see that Ian was crouching just over Katherine. He had something in his hand. Gulp. It was a glue bottle. Gulp. He was pouring it straight onto Katherine's precious blonde head. Then as I was trying to formulate the words to make him stop, he retrieved a CD from his other hand and slapped it right onto the glob of glue on Katherine's head. Yes, indeed. He thought it would be a good idea to glue a CD to his sister's head. He had thought it out so well, that prior to administering the glue to the beautiful head, he peeled the shiny coating off of the CD so the glue could attach to a flat surface. Good thinking.

The words finally escaped my mouth and he put the glue away and tried to clean her up. Yeah, cleaning Elmer's glue off of each tiny strand of hair. Somehow, sleep still pulled me back. This time when I woke up Ian was opening and attaching pads, yeah you know the ones, all over Katherine like he was playing pin the tail on the donkey or something.

I was finally able to reach a state of alertedness that enabled me to remove my body from the bed and stand. I got Katherine as clean as possible and dressed in the dress Abigail had so sweetly chosen for her just in time for Daddy to finally get back home.

I stared at him as he walked in the door with my sweats still on, my hair going in more directions than legally allowed, and the side of my face still red from the pillow. I sweetly pulled him to the couch where I told him as sweetly as possible that from now on, whenever he leaves the house, his male offspring shall join him.

Yes, indeed, my children are perfect.

Ian's First Piano Lesson

Ian had his first piano lesson today. He loved it. Mrs. Bonnie is great with them and she makes it hard not to love music.

Here he is showing Mrs. Bonnie how many fingers he has.



Here he is finding fingers numer one.



The most difficult of all, number four.



Don't you just love that face?