Wednesday, December 29, 2010

My quiet house

We have to leave at 4 a.m. for John's surgery so I & K are staying with my mom tonight. The house is so quiet. I am not scolding someone for being out of bed every 5 minutes or hitting/touching one another. To be honest, I miss it.As crazy as they can make me some times, I LOVE the sound of my children in my home.  Their giggles, sniffles and all the other boy noises I hear coming down the stairs at night, or the 565432432th times I hear "Mama!".  It seems like just yesterday Isaac was the one snuggled close to me smelling of that fresh baby smell.  I blinked and now he is 7, Kody is 6 and John is already 4 months old.  Before I realize it, these arms will be cradling grandchildren and I will hopefully look down into those eyes and be able to catch a glimpse of my children when I held them.


But for now I think I will go make some noise because this quiet is too loud.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Identifying with Mary

I find myself, for some reason, thinking a lot about Mary this Christmas season.  I don't know if its because this year I have an infant at Christmas, or what it is really.  My other two boys were older their first Christmas and John just turned 4 months old.  I can't help but wonder how she felt when she delivered Jesus that first Christmas so long ago.  I am sure that she had much of the same feelings as I do when I look at my sleeping little boy snuggled in my arms.  I know that she knew she had just given birth to the Christ child but I am sure she did not know the full extent of what that would mean.  I am sure she remembered the first time he smiled, rolled over, laughed and all the firsts that you remember from your children. I know the relationship that develops between a mother and her children so I am sure that at some point Jesus sat his mother down and explained to her what he was going to have to suffer through and what she would eventually be witness to.  Even though I am sure she knew these things, I can't help but imagine when Jesus was hanging on the cross that all Mary could think about was her little boy, all those firsts and the pain that he was now suffering.  I am sure those next three days were the longest three days in her life.


I also imagine what would a "Mary situation" look like today. She would probably be featured on an episode of 16 and pregnant.  Wonder how many people would have believed the scenario of here is Mary, 16, engaged to Joseph and pregnant with what she claims to be the child of God?  


The birth of Christ also goes to show that God's plan will always be carried out and most of the time His plan differs from our own including the timing in which it takes place.  God can also use those who do not believe to help carry out what He has in mind.  I am sure that when Caesar Augusts issued out a decree to have everyone counted and sent them to their hometown that he had no idea he was helping fulfill prophecy from 400 years before that the Messiah would be born in Bethehem.


After thinking about Mary, I thought myself very thankful that when it came time for my child to be born that I did not have to travel on foot/donkey to get to the hospital and that I actually had a bed and not a place for the animals to stay.  No wonder she went into labor that night.


To end on a funny note: I was reading the story of the birth of Jesus to my Sunday School class and after the story was over, my sons response to all that was "If they were in a stable, who was there to cut baby Jesus out of Mary's belly"*. Oh from the mouths of babes.

**John was born via C-section and I have yet to have the conversation with my boys about where babies come from. So they think they are all cut out of the mommies tummies**.



I hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This week will be quiet busy I am sure so not positive if I will get to post anymore before then. 

Friday, December 17, 2010

Good things

Lots of good (great) things have been happening in the past week or so.  John has started rolling over although I think that can be a good or kind of sad thing if I sit and think about it.  He seems to be growing at a much higher rate of speed than my first two boys.  I would say that I was able to get my Christmas decorations up, but my house has been all Christmasey since before Thanksgiving.  I was so excited to put everything up but I think I will wait a little longer next year because by the time Christmas is almost here, the decorations have kind of sank into the backdrop of the living room.  Ok, back to the good things.  My fish tank stopped leaking thank goodness.  I really did not want to loose that quite expensive investment.  I got to spend time with work friends.  I quit my job before I had John and they were kind enough to invite me to the office Christmas party.  My employers as well as my co-workers always were more like a family to me anyway.  We got to spend quality time together as a family and ride around looking at Christmas lights.  I always love taking my children Christmas shopping for their daddy and let them pick out gifts for him although sometimes I do have to do a little persuading because daddy doesn't necessarily need some of the things that they think would be great ideas i.e. toys for them but disguising them as gifts for dad.

As many of you know, my dear friend Dana Sears, whose button for Mason is on my blog has been needing funding for Mason's medical supplies and respite care. They have been trying so hard and for so long and today we received the news that THEY GOT IT!!!! Hooray.  Best Christmas gift ever. Also, Annabelle who is also a button on my blog has been moved to the 6th floor from ICU and is doing pretty well.  Continue praying she will continue on that road and hopefully, God willing, be home by Christmas.

Isaac said something to me the other day that made my heart smile.  He said "Home is the best place ever. Even better than Kangaroo Jakes." (Kangaroo Jakes is a local play place full of giant inflatables and video games).  I was so glad that he considers our home such a good place to be and it also made me think of all the less fortunate children who are living in hate and terror filled homes.

Oh, and in the midst of all this goodness, Kody did catch a stomach bug and I had to clean vomit more than once. But other than that, it was wonderful in the middle of dirty diapers, kids fighting, baby not sleeping, laundry needs doing, house needs cleaning that is my awesome life!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Scentsy

So, if you don't know by now, I LOVE scentsy. I have a warmer in my kitchen and one in my bathroom. The scents are yummy and the warmers are attractive as well. So, I am hosting an online party, https://butterfliesandbabies.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=18071014
There are gifts starting at $3 and if you order by the 18th, BAM it will arrive in time for Christmas. I love them because they last A REALLY LONG TIME.  The scented oil warmers you purchase locally usually evaporate completely within a month. I leave my scentsy on all day and when I am ready to change my scent ( I have went as long as 4 weeks) there is usually still a little smell left. It also doesn't get so hot that it would burn little fingers, or yours, should it get spilled or if someone, like my children, stuck their finger in it. There are also scents for your car. So, check it out and buy something for yourself or for a friend!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

WARNING! There may be some serious whining to follow

So, usually I don't complain..much.  I know someone always is in a worse situation than I am.  I am extremely thankful for the family, husband, home, and children that God has blessed me with.  Having said that, somedays I just feel like throwing my arms up and falling into the floor and kick and scream until I feel better.  Seems to work for my children anyway because after throwing one of those said fits they seem to hop up and go on their merry way having no reminder of what they were throwing the fit about to begin with.  So starts my whining.  Kody decided that he no longer wanted to be on the wrestling team.  This after the fact that we had spent a hundred some odd dollars on equipment, clothes etc.  No most of the clothing was not necessary but should he have been part of the team I wanted him to look like part of the team. Will I jump into that mistake again, probably not. Isaac went to the orthodontist today for us to discuss his treatment.  I then had to decide which limbs I wouldn't mind parting ways with in order for him to have straight teeth or rather room in his crowded mouth for all his teeth to even fit without pushing out permanent teeth in the process.
Ok, I am going to go back in time a bit.  I have always wanted a salt water fish tank (yes I am crazy like that).  February of this year I found the perfect set up on craigslist that was only about an hour drive from my house. My dear husband agreed to the purchase and even drove to pick it up.  I was amazed at the beauty of the tank once I had it up and running. I have really enjoyed watching new life form and discovering new little critters living in the rocks.  There was coral life when I got it but new life has since emerged from somewhere in the depths of who knows where.  This made me feel very accomplished that I could not only sustain life inside my small piece of ocean but even encourage it to grow.  Let me say this was not without trial and error and I may have killed a hundred dollars worth of fish in my learning process.  Anyway, on a regular basis I have to add water to compensate for evaporation.  Saturday my dear, wonderful husband filled the tank up for me, partially because it needed it and I asked him to, but more so because we were trying to watch a movie and it was making too much noise from the water coming out of the filter.  By Wednesday I noticed that it needed more water and I didn't really think much of it at that point.  Well today I noticed that there was salt build up on the outside of the tank and on the stand.  Upon further inspection I found water! Water on the wooden stand and water in the carpet.  Probably about 4 gallons worth of salt water had leaked out onto the wood and the floor.  I am still not quite sure if the glass is cracked or if the filter somehow overflowed or the sponge leaked water or so on.  I do know that the wood is so wet that it is cracking and I am afraid that at any minute it is going to give way and all my fish and marine life is going to take residence in my living room floor. Not sure what I would be most disappointed about, the money lost, carpet ruined, or the fact that my tank would be gone.
And my children seem to think that they can make their own rules and decide when they would like to do things. Bed time has become a two hour ordeal.  I have taken things away, sent them to separate bedrooms, spanked them and nothing seems to work.  I do not know what to do to keep what is left of my sanity and to keep them from thinking I am some evil monster that was sent to punish them for the rest of their lives.


So enough of my whining, just feels good to vent sometimes. On a brighter note, today is our 10th wedding anniversary. My husband has fallen asleep in the recliner so I have to go really quick before he wakes up....maybe he wont hear the door shut or my tires squealing out of the drive..........................

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

My Prayer

"Spirit, we know that we have done wrong by You.
Please forgive us for grieving, resisting, and quenching
You.  We have resisted You through sin, through our 
rebellion, and through our hardness of heart.  At times,
we have been spiritually blind.  At other times, we knew
what You wanted us to do, but we chose to ignore Your
promptings.  Yet this is not how we want to live now.
We need You to change us.  Only through You can
we truly worship.  Spirit of the Lord, You are the one
who brings us to a place where we can worship.  You
are the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit
of life.  Thank You for the truth, the holiness, and the
life You give us.
We need Your wisdom and understanding as 
we seek to live this life.  Keep us from disbelief, from
fear.  We need Your strength to help us do what you
are asking us to do and to live how You are asking us
to live.  Speak loudly and drown our the other voices 
calling us to conform to the patterns of this world.
You are the Spirit of self-control and love.  Give us
the self-control needed to deny our flesh and follow You.
Give us a love strong enough to motivate courageous
action.  Manifest Yourself through us that we may serve
and love Your bride, the church, as You do.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.  We don't know exactly
what that means and looks like for each of us yet,
in the particular places You've called us to inhabit.
But, nonetheless, whatever it means, we ask for Your
presence. Come, Holy Spirit, come."
from Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Monday, December 6, 2010

Is love a myth

In today's society I believe it would probably be easy for some to believe that love does not exist.  That it is some mythical made up emotion that is something people tell stories about.  I believe in true love and I see it every day.  Love is not only an emotion, it is a verb, an action word.  If you love someone you not only tell them but you show them as well.  I believe in keeping marital promises and think the for better or for worse is often forgotten and changed into well, I love you but.....


The Bible says this "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Cornithians 13:4


For me LOVE IS

  • A heavenly Father who gave his only son's life for me/you only because He loves me/you.
  • Seeing my children sleeping and knowing that they return my love for them
  • getting up every 2 or 3 hours for two nights to hand me my crying/hungry baby that I cannot get because of the surgery I just had.
  • changing the blue absorbant pad under my rear end during labor because I may or may not have peed on myself.
  • standing at the back of a crowded auditorium with my crying baby so I can watch my two older children sing in their Christmas program.
  • letting me learn to trust myself and others even if it meant by way of jumping and free falling from a tree stand....you always caught me
  • coming home to me every night instead of sneaking around with other women.
  • Looking at me wearing sweat pants, an old tshirt and baby puke as if I were wearing the most beautiful ball gown fit for a princess
  • making breakfast for me on Sunday mornings.
  • Watching girly television shows with me just to be able to spend time together.
  • Singing our kids to sleep or saying their night time prayers with them before bed.
  • fixing broken toys and at the same time fixing the hearts that were broken along with that toy.
  • giving up exciting nights with your friends to spend boring ones with me.
  • Picking me flowers from a ditch.
  • Bringing home Starbucks.
  • And right now for me LOVE is sitting in the chair asleep wrapped up in a blanket with our baby tucked neatly in the crook of his arm asleep as well.
So many arguments can be made against love but I however do not believe that love is somewhere out there dancing around with unicorns and leprechauns or even the Easter Bunny.  Love is right here residing in my house on a daily basis amidst all the chaos that is life.  It doesn't care that sometimes the house gets messy or the laundry piles up.  Love comes every morning and maybe even passes the tooth fairy along the way!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Where does the time go?? One day you seem to open your eyes and see that 7 years have gone by and it seems like it all happened in an instant.  My oldest son is 7 and I thought I was changing his diapers yesterday.  John is already almost 4 months old and I wish I could slow time down.  I really get too wrapped up in the daily mumbo jumbo worrying that my house is not clean enough and I seem to always be striving to see the bottom of that laundry hamper and not several articles of clothing sticking out the top of it. I have really been trying extra hard to not let those things take over my life and get me so annoyed when they don't go exactly as I had planned.  I do well with this some days and then others I want to completely loose it when I see a shirt, two socks, an empty cracker wrapper strewn over the living room that I just worked so hard to get cleaned.  As I said in my last post, Love God, love others.  I have realized this is a very good thing to strive for.  If we can do those two things, everything else seems to fall into place and those dirty clothes, floors etc just don't seem quiet so important anymore.  


Also, while you are saying your daily prayers, please remember Annabelle.  She has had a rough past couple of days as well as her mommy.  You can follow the link to her blog at the bottom of my page.  Remember Mason and his family as well, you can also follow his story to the right of this post.  And I am going to continue with just visit all the posts from this blog. You can make your house smell really good from scentsy, purchase some bows from Bonnie, which by the way in turn help Mason through the rest of this month.  It will also allow you to meet one of the greatest women I know, Jill. And if you need some laughs, a day in motherhood is awesome for that. Also very inspiring story from team-ewan.


Hope everyone has a very blessed weekend. I love you all!!!!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Love God, Love Others

So, love God, love others.  Its that simple although we seem to make it a hard task to accomplish.  During Bible study today we decided to live one second at a time with this in mind.  Eventually those seconds become minutes, days, and so on.  I am really excited about this and hope that I can really apply it to my life.  I also extend this challenge to any who stumble across this blog :)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Its Thanksgiving week so I thought I would take the time to discuss the things I am thankful for.  First I am thankful that I have a loving Heavenly Father that loves me so much that he would give his sons life to save mine. Second, I am thankful that this said son was willing to carry out His father's plan because He too loves me.  I am thankful that He has placed within me a heart that has learned to desire and seek Him and His ways for me.  I am thankful that I have a loving family with parents who taught me right from wrong and always made sure my needs a most of my wants were met.  I am thankful for the discipline that they gave me so I would know that wrong choices led to consequences. I am thankful that I am 31 years old and that my grandparents (the only ones I ever knew) are still alive and well and are able to play with my children.  I am thankful for those three children that God has chosen to let me take care of for a while.  I am thankful for my wonderful husband who lets me sleep on the weekends when he knows that I am exhausted from the weeks work that I have done and who loves me even with all my short comings and sometimes snippy attitude.  I am thankful for my home, food, and fresh drinking water that does not contain some horrible disease or animal poop.  I am thankful for the friends that I have whether they be "real life" ones or my cyber ones, to me they are equally important.  I am thankful for my freedom because somewhere down the line it wasn't free and someones husband, son, mother, daughter, etc, paid the ultimate price for it.


So thats what I am Thankful for, How about you??

Monday, November 15, 2010

This weekend I got all my Christmas decorations up, save for the stockings which are at the embroidery shop.  I have heard lots of discussion regarding when one should decorate and that putting it up too early is forgetting about Thanksgiving. Well, I for one love every holiday on the calendar but especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Putting up my decorations does not make me forget about Thanksgiving.  Its kind of all tied in together anyway.  The reason to celebrate Christmas is the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is one of the  greatest things I am thankful for so see it all sort of coincides with each other.


I am really missing my best friend alot these days.  She moved to Kentucky a year and a half ago.  This is the kind of friend that you talk to several times a day and always have something to talk about or who will just sit in silence with you if that is what you need at that time.  We were lucky enough to be co-workers so we got to see each other everyday as well.  We still talk almost daily but sometimes I just  would like to be in the same room with her.  It seems harder to make friendships of that caliber as you get older.  So I have turned to the cyber network and have met some REALLY awesome people. It has taken me on a journey I never thought possible. It has renewed my faith and given me something to fill my spare time, al biet there isn't an abundance of that going around.


Hope everyone has a super awesome week.


Also as an update from my last post, Bowen did not make it home, he developed some type of infection.  They are cautiously optimistic he will make it home this week. God is good all the time!

Friday, November 5, 2010

So, today was rather remarkable. I got to sleep late with my little snuggle buddy beside me.  He didn't sleep well last night because of a stuffy nose, so he made up for it with a four hour nap after we took the big boys to school.  It was rainy today, then heavy sleet, more pouring rain, then sun shining and clear....weird to say the least.


Praise report:  Bowen Hammitt, son of  Matt Hammitt from Sanctus Real, is on his way HOME from the hospital where he as been for the first seven weeks of his life.  Thank you GOD!!!


Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

So, today turned out to be a fabulous day as opposed to the way it started :)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

HELP A FRIEND

ALSO, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT ALREADY: VISIT WWW.SEARSFAM.COM AND HELP MASON!!!

Wonderful Wednesday

Bible study today was great! Really felt the spirit there with us today.  I love going there because its only 3 of us at the place where I was working before I had John. We are all comfortable with one another and it allows for questions that we may have that otherwise I know I wouldn't ask if I didn't feel comfortable with the leader.


On another note, I am having huge difficulties with Kody, my 6 year old and his behavior at school. He gets a note sent home everyday.  I have tried all forms of discipline I know, from taking away TV and games/movies, spanking, and sending him to his room for hours on end.  His grades are good its just he won't stop talking, getting out of his seat, etc. according to the teacher.  I am not saying that he is innocent but I am beginning to wonder if he is really as bad as it seems that he is being.  We had parent teacher conferences in September and she assured me he wasn't the "bad kid" his daily behavior report was painting him to be, however, the notes are still flowing, rather gushing like a broken fire hydrant.  What to do, what to do???? We even had him moved to a desk by himself and thus this started the getting out of his seat problem.  The normal seating arrangements are 4 to 5 children at the same table.  Well, if I was in 1st grade and seated with 4 of my friends, I would talk too.  I guess as long as his grades are good, I should just take the rest as it is and let it be. :)


I did have some insight today during my Bible study class.  God could have populated the earth with adults if he so wanted to, right? I believe He gives our children to us as infants so that we may catch a slight glimpse of His love for us.  Because after all, He is our "daddy".  I know we can never fully understand His love for us, but I think being parents ourselves helps us to grasp the concept. Besides, we may not feel the same towards our children if they were given to us as teenagers equipped with sarcastic comments or full grown adults already filled with anger and resentment, would we??? LOL But instead we are given these little bundles of innocence to love and care for and raise ourselves to help mold them into adults just like God molds us into obedient Christians.  We love our children no matter what and the same is with our Heavenly Father.


Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!

Stephanie

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The beginning...

So, this is the beginning of my blog.  I have been considering it for some time now and finally decided to take the plunge.  I really don't have enough housework and things to do at home ( taking care of 3 boys) to keep me busy enough <insert sarcasm>.  I love God with all my heart and feel the call to reach out and help those in need.  I have beautiful, healthy children and thank God for them multiple times a day. I believe everything happens for a reason and that God did not ask us to understand those reasons but that He gives us the peace, comfort, Holy Spirit, and friends to cope with the situations that He presents to us. 


So, my blog journey begins!!
 
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