Fridays are for...

Friends

playing football

and princesses

playing with princesses

and such

at Mermaid's house

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

In a moment of despair in November of 1993, God promised He would send me a son. And in January of 1994, I discovered He had kept that promise. The joy I felt during those days is indescribable. 16 years ago, today, Andrew entered the world...beautiful, strong. And he has been nothing but blessing ever since. From his earliest days he wanted to work. "Trucks, tractors, rocks and dirt" was his motto. He was mowing the lawn at 6 years old. Helping to pour concrete at 8. He's one of the guys now on Ken's jobs. He is gentle with the younger ones, ever helpful, always willing to hold baby, read to Matt, throw the football with Jon.

And he is artistic....

with an eye for capturing the beauty of nature and people that I will never have. The drums have been an outlet for the rhythm he was born with and does it surprise anyone that the toddler who sat on Pastor Dan's lap and held onto drum sticks would grow to be doing the same with his younger brothers today? We could not be more proud of this young man and his commitment to follow God and serve Him. It's been an absolute privilege to watch him grow to be the man he is today.

Thank you, God.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

What's working, what's not...

If I've learned one thing in his season of parenting young children, it is that what worked last year, last month, last week or yesterday will not necessarily be what works today. And so I find myself in a constant state of evaluating what works and what does not. Thankfully, as I get older and wiser, I am quicker to do away with what is not working once I figure out what may better work in its place.

Going to bed late, and getting up with baby during the night, and trying to get up early to exercise was not working for me. So, I'm trying to go to bed earlier, and rethinking how to get in the exercise time with the least amount of damage to the routine of my day. Still working on that one...

I have, however, changed the function of two rooms in the house, after considerable thought to traffic and bottle neck areas and such. This is the result..and it's definitely working.

Above is where our dining table used to be. Now it's a nice sitting area...sunny, open, right next to the cooking area. It's already a favorite spot for napping, reading and quiet play.

Grandpa refurbished this old rocking chair. Isn't it beautiful? Daniel

and Sarah love to sit in it! It's the perfect addition to our new sitting area.

And this is our new dining room. We still have the computer in there, and all of our school books are within arm's reach of the table. Very convenient and cozy. And I think it is less steps to the table in there than it was to have the table in the other room! Yes, this definitely is working!

Enjoying dinner with Grandpa every night this summer definitely worked for all of us. Time spent with him made even more precious as I remember how, a year ago, I said goodbye and kissed Oma's cheek for the last time, ever. There are no guarantees... each moment is a gift. I missed Oma terribly this summer, which wasn't working too well for me. But there are somethings that cannot be made better by creative solutions.....

I started the year thinking I would have an older child read history to a younger child. Worked nicely in theory, not so much in real life. That idea got canned. So I'm enjoying reading with the younger one myself. School, in general, is working as I try to tune into the natural rhythms of the little learners in the house. I always start out the school year with a half hour by half hour schedule all made out, and wind up with more of a routine that responds to mood and need, with the schedule there to help me through rough patches if I lose my way. Like when two little boys just keep fighting and I've not given thought to how to keep them busy and I need "someone" to just tell me how to keep them from brawling--I look at the schedule and remind myself, "Ah, yes...they probably could benefit from a rest time right about now." That too, often works more nicely in theory, but it's a work in progress! Andrew has much freedom this year to get done what he feels should get done in a day, and week. And that is working very well.

No garden this year. Just couldn't work it into my days, which wasn't working too well for satisfying our craving for garden ripe tomatoes. But God is using some very generous people with over-productive produce to keep us in corn and tomatoes and such. Our freezer and tummies have been filled, and that is working.

Some resources I use that have withstood the test of time and children's tastes:

Leading Little Ones to God by Marian M. Schoolland

Ergermeier's Bible Story Book

First Language Lessons by Wise and Bauer

Explode the Code phonics series

Sonlight Curriculum

These things work for me.

Whiny preschoolers who didn't get enough sleep don't work for me too well. So I end here to implement some creative solution to that problem. A nap would most definitely work for me just fine.

:>)

We're off...

to a rocky, but determined start to a new school year. My goal over the next few weeks is to stop hurrying all the time. Everything I do is rushed, it seems. I will accomplish less, this I know...but I will feel less stressed and maybe even enjoy a thing or two along the way! I will take reading breaks during the day with Matt and Sarah, I will go outside at LEAST once a day to breathe the fresh air and throw a ball, I will look up from time to time to gaze at the blue sky, I will pray when I feel overwhelmed....and I will come back to read this post about 10 times a day to remind myself that I said these words.

Discipline looks like...

An alarm clock, newly set. I'm in training mode and need to acclimate my system to rising at the same time. Dressed and eager I head out for a walk which turns to a jog from time to time. New ambition, fresh inspiration, in need of self-discipline I jump in and take a few steps. Desperate need for order has birthed vision for routines and schedules, which sounds so rigid but there's freedom in those boundaries set by time.

So thankful today for

*new routines

*grace to face the failed routines of yesterday

*mercies that are new every morning

*the people who inspire me

*tomato, cucumber and cheddar sandwiches

*banana blueberry muffins

*seasons

*moments of quiet in a whirlwind of children

*gray hairs--the Bible says they come from Godly living!

:>)

11 years ago

We told Andrew he was going to be a big brother on Christmas Day, 1998. He was 4 years old. He jumped up, pointed his finger at me, and shouted, "It's a boy! And we're naming him Samson!" To say he was excited is an understatement. Why he picked the name Samson, I'll never know. But the following August, 1999, Jonathan Alex was born after a short, but painful back labor. And he had a will to rival the strength of Samson to be sure.

From the time he was a little newborn, Jon knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. So determined to keep up with Andrew, he was pushing himself around in a walker by 4 months and started practicing his walking long before he was able to catch himself well with his hands, leading to many a bump on his head.

Thankfully, God provided him with a nice, hard skull as it has born the brunt of many a bump over the years, including a face-off with a brick wall, and most recently, the abuse he can't get enough of during football practice!

He is strong and confident but tender hearted. The kiss of a younger sibling can bring tears to his eyes, and I love watching my favorite movies with him because he just "gets it" and we tear up at the same scenes. He's a leader by nature with a great sense of humor and the most fabulous smile. Can you tell I just love him?

So thankful are we for JonnyB! Happy Birthday!

Short and Sweet

Thanking God this Monday evening for:

*Daughters. 2 of them!

*Sleep.

*The clearance rack at Old Navy

*A date night with Ken to look forward to

*Wisdom and creativity

*Healthy kids