Time Is Flying

Wow, the past week has been crazy. The boys are all getting back into the school routine. Alarms go off in the morning and the day begins. Emma is still trying to adjust to no playmates during the mornings. I am too.

I love the routine of the fall though. The days have a rhythm to them now. I have always picked summer as my favorite time of year, but with every year it seems to be that fall is becoming the new favorite.

But with every year I also see my kiddos get bigger and learn more and become more independent of mommy. That is hard, but God has recently reminded me that in raising them the end result is their release. It makes me pray all the harder that when that time comes they are equipped and confident in who they are and Who is always by their side.

My goal is that in the craziness and routine of life that I will always pray for, with and over these precious gifts and also enjoy those moments when they still want mommy.

A Full Weekend

Well, Alex and Jack headed back to school last Friday (Stephen starts school Tuesday). They were both very excited, but also a bit nervous about their teachers and what friends would be in their class. At the end of the day it was good to hear that they both really enjoyed their teachers and both have friends from past classes/church/soccer/etc...so for the time being all is good.

Well, the boys got to leave school early on Friday so that we could head out for a family vacation, a weekend of camping. It was quite fun. Considering it was the first time our family had camped it went well and everyone seemed to enjoy the time away. Aunt Laura and Uncle John (and their new dog, Bo) joined us. We spent time bike riding, swimming, climbing the fire tower, observing (and feeding) the bison, and just hanging out. Here are a few pictures from the camping trip:

The best part of the weekend though happened on Sunday afternoon. We came back from camping and went out to Hidden Lake for our church's baptism. Their were about a 100 people who were baptized, including Tammy and Brooke, close friends of ours. It was AWESOME!

But the best...

was that Aaron was baptized. (It still is giving me chills.)

Quotes from a trip to the State Fair

My parents took the boys to the state fair this past Tuesday. The boys (and Grandparents) had a great time. These trips are always filled with great stories and quotes of the boys. Here are a few that have been shared so far...

Jackson (a few miles south of Warsaw while looking at the farms): Where are the animals? They should be out by now.

After one of the many times that they were asked "Are we there yet?" My father told the boys that they were about 4 or 5 miles away, to which Jackson responded: I'll take 4, because it's closer.

At a bathroom stop my mother took the boys with her into a gas station bathroom, after she finished Jack looked at her and said: Yeah, sometimes I wipe my weenie too.

Jack declared that one day he wants to be a farmer. He wanted to see all the animals, so much so that he gave up riding the rides for awhile to do just that. He touched as many animals as he could.

There are many more stories that will come out of this trip I am sure, but these were some of my favorites. Jackson is obviously in a stage of life right now where his responses to things are just downright hilarious.

Olympic Lessons

At our house we are consumed by the Olympics. Especially Michael Phelps. He is an amazing athlete and it is a blast to watch him compete. God has given him a gift to swim.
Through my addiction to Facebook, I discovered that Michael is ADHD and his mom, also an educator, is a huge advocate for kids with ADHD. I too have a son with ADHD and sometimes I get so caught up in just trying to get him (and me) through the day that I fail to remember that he has a future and that God has gifted him in amazing ways.
Last night as I was watching Michael get 2 more gold medals I was struck with the accomplishment of a family not just a child with ADHD. They rode (or swam) through some big and troubling times and have come through those times with amazing love, commitment and successes.
Maybe someday I will have the chance to sit in the sidelines at some event (sporting or otherwise) and be the number one fan of my amazingly gifted child. God creates all of us uniquely and maybe what I see as a challenge today is a gift that will see fulfillment in the future. I guess we will just have to wait and see...

I AM SO BLESSED!

I have an absolutely amazing God. He just continually "blows" me away. And He LOVES me-no matter what.

I am married to an amazing man who has shown me and taught me about unconditional love. He truly exemplifies Christ to me. He works hard and spoils me, because he loves me and is committed to our family. I cherish our life together, the good and the bad, the hard times and easy times, in sickness and in health-all of it!

I have 4 amazing children. While there are days when one or more are struggling with attitudes, obedience, kindness, etc...they are still such blessings. They are healthy, intelligent, and great fun to be around. They teach me about God in such subtle ways and then turn around and amaze me with a BIG lesson I needed to learn. Have you seen God in a smile lately? If not, smile at a child and watch them light up. It's an amazing blessing.

God is good. The bank account may not be ideal all the time. The job may not be my dream job. I may feel tired and worn out. The to-do list may seem to never shrink. But God is good and to Him be the glory forever. AMEN!

The Winds of Change...

Do you ever sense that change is just around the corner? Maybe it is just that school is about to begin and when that happens I see huge changes in my family each year, or maybe it is the Holy Spirit preparing me for something else. Maybe it is that fall is just around the corner and change can be seen on a daily basis in nature.

Whatever it is, I am sensing that change is about to happen. As a self-confessed control freak I am never at complete peace during these times. Change can be good and sometimes it can be hard and end up hurting.

I find myself asking God a lot of questions right now. My problem is trying to remember to be still and let myself hear His answers. There are things happening around me that in some ways directly affect me and in other ways indirectly affect me. Some of those things are troubling and hurtful and I want to understand.

Who knows what the future holds? Not me, but I do love and trust the only One who does, so for now that should be enough. I am a work in progress with letting that be enough. He has never let me down before, so let the winds start blowing...

Funny things they say and do...

The kids are all in a "funny" stage. They are saying and doing things that just make us laugh. For instance:

• Stephen singing "Home, Home On the Range" while going to the bathroom at Kohl's.

• Jackson reprimanding Aunt Laura for eating an unwashed blueberry while blueberry picking, "Did you wash that before you ate it?"

• Alex describing a funny but dangerous clip from a tv show and having Jack (again) reprimand him by telling him, "That could have been you, that was dangerous, it was not funny it was dangerous."

• Emma when telling us what a chicken says, not only makes the noise but also hops around and uses her hands to add to the effect, almost like the chicken dance.

Oh-the laughter that can be heard from our house. I hope that you have an opportunity to laugh today, and not just laugh politely, but to experience a good, long, loud belly laugh.