Growing up!

The last few weeks our family has been celebrating some big birthdays around here!  On March 30th Mya turned 4 years old and Nathan turned 7 years old on April 8th.  Their ages are so fun and we have loved all their excitement.  They are blessed to have so many people how love them and that have helped them celebrate their big birthdays.  

 

Mya informed us the morning of her birthday that she LOVED being 4!  I love how she felt so different and grown up on her actual birthday:)  She especially loved dressing up in her new fancy dress from Grandma Marcia and going to church for Easter.  Since her birthday she has been busy playing with all her new barbies and toys.  She has quite the imagination.  We love this beautiful, smart, spunky, hilarious, sweet, nurturing, and loving girl!

 



 

Nathan is especially grown up now.  He woke up thinking he had grown over night and was much taller:)  He was thrilled with his new baseball gear, fishing accessories, games, jump ropes, and of course legos.  We sure love this sweet, caring, gentle, kind, smart, hard working, and fun loving boy!  He delights in practical jokes and talks our heads off everyday!  And he is quite the gentlemen too:)

 

And then there is our fast growing baby boy Mitchell.  Seriously, how is it even possible that he is 11 weeks old?!  He is gaining weight like a champ and smiles all the time now.  He is starting to show signs of discovering his voice and interacting with toys.  Most of all he loves to be talked to!  The only thing he has not mastered is sleeping through the night.  We still get to see him at least 2 times in the middle of the night;)

 

Psalm 139:13-14

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

 



And so is it any wonder that I'm not ready to go back to work let?!  These kiddos keep me hopping and my heart super full...and slightly tired;)  I'm grateful though for the last three months that I have had with them.  They will be in good hands with Grandma Marcia and Daddy when I work three days a week.  I'm pretty sure they won't even miss me, but I will sure miss them! 

The other day as we were teaching our kids about not complaining or arguing (by going through Numbers 13 and 14...wish I had more time to tell you about the very cute activity we did with them), the lesson hit home with me in a big way.  The lesson was fitting for them but also for this momma who is wanting to complain about going back to work full time.  God's word is always powerful and life changing. 

So instead of complaining I am going to obey joyfully and do what I'm suppose to do!  I'm also choosing to look at all the blessings.  I am so fortunate that I can work my hours in 3 days instead of 5, that I work with amazing coworkers, that I enjoy my job, and that the work I do is a ministry that impacts lives.  I am trusting that I will have all the strength I need from the Lord to juggle work, home, kids, and everything else in between. 

Philippians 2:4 "Do everything without complaining or arguing."
Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men."

I have so much on my heart (all good stuff) that I wish I could blog about but time is limited right now.  I also wish I had the time to blog about some great bible studies that I am doing.  I at least wanted to share some updated pictures of the kids:)  Thanks for checking in on us and baring with me as I am not updating as much as I would like to!  Happy Spring everyone! 

A Battle

Its been kind of a rough week for me.  I'm feeling especially human today and really exhausted.  Our week started with a robbery in the neighborhood 4 houses up from us.  Not to mention that we learned that there have been several break ins over the last week around here.  We already knew cars have been targeted over the last year, including ours 2 times.  We chose to live where we do because it is a nice neighborhood with a great school in the neighborhood....apparently this area is a little too nice and is a good target for people looking to steal nice things.  I sure hope they know that is not the case for our house!

As a mom, I hate that I'm not feeling safe in my own home and neighborhood.  I want my kids to be safe.  The way the robbers broke in on Monday to the house up the street is very unsettling to me which makes me feel that what is next is so unpredictable.  The only thing that eases my mind at all is that people are not home when it has happened so far.

I have been wrestling with this all week.  I'm a real chicken when it comes to 'bad guys'.  The fear has let my mind go all sorts of places that it probably doesn't even need to go the last 3 days.  I have played out so many scenarios in my head, all of which I have no control of.  The reality though is that there are 'bad guys' everywhere not just in a nice neighborhood that is a good target. 

Besides feeling a little paranoid in my house this week, I'm really angry that the days of letting my kids go out to the backyard/ditch by themselves are over.  As a mom it is nice to let your kids run outside while I do something quick like starting dinner, etc.  These robbers are clearly not after kids, but if they are roaming around the neighborhood I can't have my kids outside without us. 

Prior to this week we have been starting to talk about moving, possibly even into a smaller community and school district close by.  This week has made the thought come to life even more for me.  But just because I don't like what has happened, doesn't mean I can move right away.  We need to save a down payment and find a place that fits in our budget.  For us that is a long process. 

That is the really human side of me today.  But the good news is that there is some things happening in my heart that are really good too.  I try to be teachable even when I'm not a happy camper:)  Even though I'm angry and am fighting feeling scared, I'm fully aware that this is not a battle of flesh and blood that is happening. 

Ephesians 6:10-20
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

I don't think it is any accident that I studied these verses last week.  I must be fully clothed in the armor of God to have victory over evil.  And the reality is that the only real protection for me and my family is in the Lord.  He has our back!

I deceive myself when I think I have my family protected on my own.  This battle for me is about trusting God to protect us each day and not looking for comfort in where I live for that feeling of protection.  I literally have gone to bed each night asking for His protection and waking up thanking him for that protection.  So then it makes me wonder if I'm right where I need to be.  It has put my eyes fully focused on Him and not relying on the world for security.....or at least taking it for granted.  I don't have this fully processed.  I just need to keep praying and asking for what is next for our family. 

The moral of this whole post is that this world is not my home.  I have heaven to look forward to.  And with that thought I say, PRAISE THE LORD!

And now I just need to shake this all off and move on:) 

A Smile that Melts My Heart

Is He Enough?

I would like to say full heartedly that the Lord is enough for me and that I don't need or rely on anybody or anything else but Him. But then there are times that I look to people to meet my needs and make me 'happy'. If all the important people or things left my life(or if people hurt me and let me down), there is a part of me that thinks I wouldn't be OK without them. That of course is a lie I believe from Satan because I truly know that the Lord is all I really need.

I have noticed over the years that I am terrible at goodbyes with friendships and that it is hard for me to let my own husband make mistakes. These two things tell me I have elevated people higher than they should be in my life. Part of it is my personality and that I really enjoy close relationships and tend to invest a lot into relationships.

I am just about to wrap up my Esther study, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. The book of Esther is about:

• Trusting God in hardship even when He seems invisible
• God using Esther (at such a time as this) to help rescue the Jews, even when there was risk in doing the right thing.
• Knowing that nothing is a coincidence with God in control
• God gives us purpose and passion through pain and trials
• God uses things that 'dont make sense' and brings it all together and turns it into our destiny
• God can turn around anything.

I'm sure I've left out other important messages but these are a few lessons I have seen through this book.

The other day there was a quote in the study that made me really think about the question I asked at the beginning of the blog. I was studying the portion of Esther that talked about Esther wanting King Xerxes to 'rescue' her and the Jews with a quick fix. Not only does God not give us quick fixes so we become warriors, he also allows people to let us down so that God is our Hero and no one else.

Here is a quote from Beth Moore; "God is jealous for our true enduring hero to be His own Son. God wants Jesus to be our unrivaled champion. He answers my prayers to love Jesus above all else by allowing someone to disappoint me and prove insufficient to me. When I kick and scream about feeling let down, I simultaneously awaken to the miracle that I've come to appreciate Jesus more and more." Isn't that good??!!!

As Beth Moore closes the study she illustrates God's providence by using a triangle as a diagram.

• The bottom and foundation is labeled "He works out everything" from Ephesians 1:11

  Ephesians 1:11

  New International Version (NIV)
  ¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
• The next side is labeled "According to His good purpose" from Philippians 2:13
  

  Philippians 2:13

  New International Version (NIV)

  ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
• The final side is labeled "In all things God works for our good" from Romans 8:28
  

  Romans 8:28

  New International Version (NIV)

  ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

No matter what happens in our life(trials, changes, goodbyes, betrayal, pain, disappointments, or any changes in relationships, etc, etc,), or if we are schemed against in any way, God is for us. "He will work it out, work in it, and work it well."

The reality is that the Lord is the provider for all we need. I'm glad God's word reassures me of this when I at times try to hold on tightly to things and people that I think I can't live without or when I hold them at too high of a standard.

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Never Say Never

This might be one of the biggest lessons that I have learned as a parent.  There are several things over the years that I would have said I would 'never' do as a parent.  It is really easy to peek into someone else's life and make a quick judgement about their parenting, but the reality is that we don't know how our kids will turn out, even if we think we are doing everything 'right' with our children. 

I will admit that I wasn't really worried about having a third child.  I feel secure in who I am as a parent and with Nathan and Mya have learned things along the way that work and that don't really work.  So I was confident having Mitchell because I felt like I already knew what to do with a baby and it wasn't uncharted territory for me. 

Mitchell came into this world early and has done things much differently than our other kids.  Which means we have done a few things differently as his parents.  As I mentioned earlier in a post today, he has been harder for me to fill up and because of that he hasn't been as good of a sleeper. 

In a moment of desperation for sleep a couple of weeks ago we decided to tank him up with a bottle of formula before bed and then turn his carseat into his bed.  I will tell you it worked like a charm!  We now get 3-5hours of sleep at a time.  These were two things I would have 'never' done with my other kids:)

And just to be transparent here are a couple other things that I have said in the past that I would have 'never' done. 

1) Letting my big kids watch too much T.V. all while eating a very unhealthy snack.  The kids of course don't mind when I sometimes let them do this:)

2) Allowing my house to get dirty.  I use to keep a spotless house and did lots of cleaning.  I simply don't have the time anymore and refuse to choose a spotless house over spending time with my kids.  Just the other day I realized that the dust bunnies had us outnumbered...no joke!  I find myself spot cleaning, like vacumming up dust bunnies when they get out of control;)  I try and keep my house really organized and picked up, but beyond that we don't make cleaning our top priority.  I suppose there will be a season for that once my kids are older.  One thing is for sure though, if you come over to my house I will make sure and clean the bathrooms for you!  Life is too short to worry about things that don't really matter. 

As a parent I do the best I know how to do and pray I allow the Lord to guide me the 'right' way with my kids.  I'm learning that sometimes you have to take back your words and change the course.  It's always humbling:)

2 Week Old Pictures

I realize that Mitchell is 7 weeks old, but it just seems like yesterday he had his 2 week old pictures taken.  Shayla did a great job and I wanted to share some of the cuteness!

 

 

 

 

He sure is a precious boy.  This house is full of love for Mitchell.  He rarely gets a moment to cry as there is always someone to rescue him.  On Monday he cracked his first smile and we melted!  He is still kind of stingy with his smiles but we know there are lots more to come. 
He is finally starting to do more sleeping at night which is such a sweet relief for Sheldon and I.  He is the most flexible baby.  Luckily he likes his car seat because he spends lots of time in it taking his big brother and sister to school and picking them up, not to mention the normal errands that we have to run. 
The difficult thing about him has been his appetite.  He is growing and I can't seem to fill him up to satisfy him quite right.  I'm in the process as of this week of weaning him.  The bottle makes him much for content and allows him to take good naps.
Mitchell came into our life in a different season than the other kids were born in.  This season is busy with big kids and I'm finding that what worked for Nathan and Mya doesn't work the same for him.  We are embracing this season and trying not to stress about the things that are different this time....like being able to stay at home with him and give him a tight schedule to follow:)  I'm thankful for his flexibility and sweet spirit.  I don't know what I would do if he wasn't laid back! 
Enjoy the pictures! 

Freaky Frame Lady

I've been out of the blog scene for a while as I have been trying to just focus on my kiddos.  But I sure have missed spilling my brain on this blog.  So I thought I would ease back into blogging with a very simple post...Freaky Frame Lady:)

 I should start this blog by saying, "Hi, my name is Marcy and I'm addicted to picture frames." 

My husband nicely told me I have a problem with buying too many picture frames.  I didn't believe him at first but when he started to count them I was alarmed at my obsession!  It's kind of like a freaky cat lady that doesn't realize that cats are over taking her house. 

So I thought I would go around my house and actually count how many picture frames I really do have and here is what I discovered...

Kitchen: 5
Dining Room: 40 (OK, I know this seems like a bunch but most are displayed on a built in shelf AND I counted all of them...big and little ones)
Bedroom: 15
Nathan's Room: 14
Bathroom: 3 (You are probably thinking, who in the world puts picture frames in their bathroom!)
Mya's Room: 6
Living Room: 19
Office: 2

Grand Total: 104 Picture Frames!

I'm kind of embarrassed by this total.  And I don't think they have any group therapy for this kind of problem.  So instead I will tell you all my excuses I have for my apparent problem and justify my behavior:)

1) I love people, especially my own family!
2) My sister-in-law takes amazing pictures that have to be displayed!
3) I like to be reminded daily how very blessed we are.
4) I don't want to forget any special memory.
5) I just like cool picture frames.
6) My kids love to look at pictures.

And I think that is all the excuses I can come up with.  I did tell my husband that I wouldn't buy any more pictures.  The truth is I don't have anywhere else to put one more frame.  I even have to admit the other week when I bought more frames at the store, I had 2 extras that I couldn't find a good spot for:) They will make perfect gifts!