Today I am Thankful for...

...Alexander. My oldest son turns 9 this Saturday. (No, I am not old enough, but somehow it happened.) He is an amazing boy. God has gifted him with brains and athletic ability. God also felt that Alex would be strong enough to handle the challenges of ADHD. Though there are days where Alex struggles to remain focused or to accomplish a task from start to finish, at the end of the day he is such a joy. We call him "the professor" because he always has an answer or a reason for any question or comment. (Scary thing is, he is usually correct.) He loves to read and he is a gifted writer as well. He loves a lot of sports and has the ability to "pick it up" quickly and excel. This fall he is going to be trying his hand (or foot) at football. We are excited to watch this new phase. Alex will soon complete the 3rd grade-moving on to "upper" elementary. WOW-where has time gone. Happy Birthday Alex. Mommy loves you!

...dressing up. Aaron and I are going to a banquet tonight and we get to put on some fancy duds and have a nice dinner. There is something about looking good for your husband that makes it even more special. I love to look good for him and also to show the world that I have a man who is worth looking good for when we are in public. Plus he doesn't look bad at all when he has to get dressed up.

...coffee. I know my husband would say I am addicted and maybe I am, but I would hate to have to deal with myself without it. I love the smell of it while it's brewing and I love to savor it throughout the morning, and the occasional evening as well. And of course, on mornings like today when Em is up before 6:30, it's a great "pick me up" to get the day moving. And in case you were wondering, the coffee of choice is Starbucks. :-)

One Million and Two

I love my kids. They are such an amazing gift.

We have begun reading through the Bible (a kid's storybook Bible). Last night after a late dinner, after a cold and wet t-ball game, we were getting ready for bed and due to the late hour (who knew that I would ever admit that 8:30 pm is late) we opted to just pray together. Jackson was crushed. He is so into the reading of the Bible and doing it together as a family. It is wonderful to watch them intently listen as I read. They ask great questions after we read and it is fun to watch them learn and explore.

Yesterday in the car between preschool and daycare, Stephen was talking about how there are ONE MILLION people in the world. (I think that is as big a number as he can somewhat grasp.) Then just a quickly as he said that, he corrected himself. He said "No, there are One million and two peoples in the world, because of God and Jesus." This is not the first time this concept of adding two has taken place. Often it happens as we count how many are in our family.

I love the reminders that God is living and active in our lives and not just that, but He is a part of our family. :-)

Today I am Thankful for...

...sunshine, glorious sunshine. Need I say more?!

...rainbows.

These pictures are from Monday evening. As you can tell by the dark sky, it had been a dreary and crazy day of weather. We had sunshine, hail, rain, cold, warm, and RAINBOWS. It is such an amazing picture of God. He continues to prove faithful even in the darkest of days. I love how he chooses to remind us of His goodness-His creation does clearly show the world His invisible qualities (Romans 1:20).

...patience. If you know me you are probable rereading that first word. :-) Yes, it says patience. I ask God each day to give me what I need to love others well. To love my children well, it often comes in the form of patience. This morning, one of my children was having a tough time and I know that the patience God gave me helped to create a great and fun situation rather than a messy volatile one (which unfortunately can be typical for me). It was great that after the morning he had, he very intentionally came to me and said "I love you Mom!"

Today I am Thankful for...

...Andrew James Robertson. He is my new nephew. He was born late last night, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. He has a full head of dark hair, his mommy's nose, and her lungs. I look forward to getting to know him as well as watching his mommy and daddy in their new roles.
...Hailey Rose Christner. She is my almost 2 year old niece. She is a beautiful little girl and it is so fun to watch her grow and develop her personality. She lives in Chicago and we don't get to see her face to face as often as we would like to, but her mother is excellent about pictures and videos so in that sense we do get to see her fairly regularly. Her smile is amazing, I am blessed to be her aunt.
...my extended family. (Are you catching a theme today?) I have been amazingly blessed with great in-laws. Family is HUGE to me and the fact that I can hang out and enjoy my extended family brings me such joy. My brother and sister married wonderful people who are friends as well as family. I also feel blessed that my brother-in-law was a friend before we became family and then he married a great girl who I love to spend time with. Does it really get any better? You bet--my father-in-law and mother-in-law are wonderful. I can play golf with my father-in-law and shop with my mother-in-law, two of my favorite activities. Plus they are great babysitters (yes-shameless buttering up). :-)
...my friends who really are just extended family members. I am thankful for my God-parents who still even in my 30's are active in my life. I am also thankful for the group of friends I have who continually show up and encourage and love. It is wonderful to have those friendships and I cherish them greatly.

My Sister

My sister who is 6 years younger than me had a baby yesterday. I am a bit protective of her, though she really doesn't need me to be-she is a big girl. Over the past few years we have become best friends, not just sisters.

Yesterday, she also became my hero. I watched her spend many hours in labor and she remained in control through each contraction. I have gone through the process of childbirth a few times and I feel that I can say I know what she was going through. She rocked. I am so proud of her. Even when she "gave in" and got an epidural, I couldn't believe her stamina and determination.

Her baby eventually came by c-section, but even in that moment I still only had admiration for all she went through. She was so strong yesterday. I pray her little boy someday will understand the strength and love of his mommy and that he too will look at her as a hero.

Easter Pictures

Here are pictures from yesterday. It is one of the few times we all get dressed up. It's fun, I wonder why we don't do it more. And we all clean up fairly well too.Emma in all her Easter finery. Hat, purse and all.All the kids braved the chilly temps for a picture. what a handsome group!

We enjoyed a great church service, then dinner with the Christner's and an Easter egg hunt. The kids had a blast. Emma really enjoyed it this year, especially when she opened her first egg and it had chocolate. The adults are brainstorming ways to make the hunt last a bit longer next year, it was over in record time.

Then we spent the evening with the Maxson's and Robertson's. We enjoyed a great meal and lots of fun. The kids has spent Saturday decorating eggs and sugar cookies with Grandma. It was a good time with family.

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Today I am Thankful for...

...sunshine. It is still a bit chilly for my liking, but the sunshine today is warm. I love when you step into sunshine and you can feel that warmth wash over you. AHHHH...Love it!

...Alex. This morning we were continuing our discussion on John 3:16 and the week of Easter. We were talking about how Christ's death on the cross should cause us to live differently. We were talking about some of those choices as we were pulling up to daycare. One of the suggestions was to pray. Alex then said, "Which reminds me, we still need to pray this morning." So after everyone's coat was hung up and everyone was checked in, we gathered in a small circle and prayed. Again...LOVE IT!

...pulled pork BBQ. It's what is in the crock pot as we speak. Let me tell you, it may be what gets me through this day. :-) That and some homemade french fries...YUMMO!

Car Rides with the kids and God

I have been loving the trip from the house to daycare this week. It is Spring Break so all of the kids are spending the day at daycare. We began the week working on memorizing ALL of John 3:16. They all knew at least the first half. Yesterday it was awesome to listen to them share the story of Palm Sunday and then work through to Christ's Resurrection and ascension. Today we talked about Judas and Peter's betrayals and their different responses to their sins. We talked about how even when we mess up (no matter how big it is) God can still use us. It was really cool to hear Alex talk about how Peter was called "rock" by Jesus. I got to explain that a little bit more to him and his siblings.

They get it!! And that is the coolest part. I love to hear them talk about the Bible, the works of Christ, and to hear them pray. I have been so richly blessed and they are such testaments to the simple faith of children.

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On another note, Stephen was officially born. :-)

OK-I had to get his birth certificate so that he can go to Kindergarten. My baby boy is going to Kindergarten. I have spent the past few days reflecting on this fact. It is hard to believe that in a few months I will have only one child that is NOT in elementary school. CRAZY! (On another side note-hopefully no one will be in diapers at that point. After 9 straight years of diapers, I think I am ready for that phase to pass.) I know that Stephen is so excited to go to school with his older brothers and ride the bus, and I think Alex and Jack are excited to show him the ropes. Time sure does fly by, it definitely makes me appreciate the little things

-like the car rides filled with TRUTH.

Today I am Thankful for...

...the "living and active" word of God. It always amazes me when I actually take the time to dwell in His word on a daily basis, how different my perspective on life can be. (Kind of makes me wonder why I don't do it every day!) Today I spent time with God in the book of James (one of my favorites) and then into 1 Corinthians. My ability to cope with the chaos of the morning, with the demands of my children, with the hurting people on the phone has been strengthened. His word is so powerful and I love that it is alive and active-in me.

...Stephen. He made my morning a great one. He is the one child I get one on one time with in the car. (Captive audience.) He was in a grouchy mood, but after some teasing and funny voices he was soon giggling. We had such a great time waiting in the preschool drop off line.

...the health of my children. I am painfully aware of other mothers who cannot say the same thing. I pray for their children to be healed and for the strength to fight for those children when they cannot fight for themselves. But each story of someone's child being sick, reminds me to be grateful for the health of my children. This winter was filled with lots of cruddy stuff, but nothing more serious than a fever and the flu. I thank God for that.