If you're on facebook, you probably got an invite to an online class my friend Amanda is graciously doing for me! She introduced me to essential oils and they've made SUCH a huge difference for my own family that I am dying to tell all my friends about them! I blogged about them right after I got my kit but I have to tell you my latest EO news... not only do they help my kids sleep, improve my skin, keep us all healthy, they're fabulous for 1/2 marathon training too!!
Yesterday was my first official long run - I say official because I had done a few longer runs on Saturdays but the training program that I'm following started Monday, so this was the first "official" long run. Not to mention it's been ridiculously cold and snowy over the last several weeks so all training has been basically put on hold. I don't think I had run over 4 miles in almost a month and I was scheduled to run on Saturday. Needless to say, I was more than a little nervous about this run. But I had three good running buddies lined up to run (and a 1/2 marathon registration fee already paid), so there was no backing out! Before the run, I rubbed a little valor on my lower back to try to work out some stiffness. I also inhaled some peppermint because I had read it was supposed to be energizing. We took off running about an 8:45 pace (a little slower than my "normal", but a good pace) and gradually sped up so that by the end our overall average for 7 miles was 8:24 and miles 4-7 were all right around the 8:00 mark. I seriously felt SO good the entire time, I was honestly amazed at how well it felt, especially considering how fast we were running (fast for me anyway).
When we finished, we were walking the last 6 blocks back to the Y and I could almost immediately feel my knees getting stiff (this happens anytime I run more than about 4 miles....I have seriously crappy knees but I'm also convinced that prior surgeries on both knees didn't really help, so I'm not willing to do that again). I did my usual stretching and headed home with still stiff knees. When I got home, I decided to try out my oils. I rubbed some panaway on each knee and literally, within 2 minutes, all stiffness was gone and it has not returned at all. (it's now Sunday night!! - Praise the Lord!!) After I showered, I also decided to try out my new Young Living Ortho Sport Massage oil (made with essential oils). I coated both legs in the oil and went on about my day. My legs NEVER got stiff or sore...woke up this morning, still no sore muscles. Seriously, my legs felt so good I just about skipped my rest day and went for another run - just for fun! :)
Last month when I started doing some 5 and 6 mile runs on Saturdays, I was super sore all day Sunday and barely ready to run again on Monday morning -- I can't even tell you how excited I am to have such a simple solution make such a HUGE difference in my training regimen! Whether you're training for a race or just wanting your kids to sleep better, I'd LOVE to share more about Young Living Essential Oils and the difference they're making in my life! Feel free to comment here or find me on facebook! :)
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
A heavy heart
I've always had a heart for kids....especially troubled kids. I think I first realized this the summer after my freshman year of college when I went to work at a day reporting center for juveniles who were in trouble with the law. I worked with some pretty bad kids -- they were into drugs and gangs, they were failing school and causing problems and breaking the law and not exactly the kind of kids you'd want your kids hanging out with. But the more I got to know those kids, I saw something that very few other people saw. I saw potential. I saw broken homes and missing dads and poor parenting and hurting kids who were acting out and trying to get attention in all the worst ways. I was less than 10 years older than most of these kids (and only three or four years older than some!), but we were worlds apart. These kids had seen more and been through more than I hope I ever go through in my lifetime. My heart broke for these kids -- they needed a chance, they needed someone to see the good in them, to believe in them....and if nobody else was going to do, then I was!
Fast forwarda few ten years....yikes that makes me sound old. I had the privilege of meeting a particularly special kiddo. The Court called to see if I would serve as guardian ad litem (a fancy name for an attorney appointed by the court to look out for a child's best interest) for a teenage girl. She was hospitalized after a nearly successful suicide attempt. She had already spent nearly two years in residential treatment and had been home only a couple of weeks when she attempted suicide. Her mom was at the end of her rope and had turned to the state for help. And so, I took the appointment and met this precious girl. She struggled with mental illness, chronic depression, eating disorders, and self-harming. She pushed people away and continually struggled with believing that no one wanted her (and worked hard to prove herself right with her behaviors). But I looked at her and saw potential. I saw a little girl who had been through more than any little girl should ever have to go through. I saw a little girl so hurt by the people she should have been able to trust that she couldn't trust anyone. And over the next 3+ years she bounced between foster homes and residential treatment, but I watched her grow to trust me, and figure out that I was going to be there no matter what. I'd cheer her on when she was successful and when she made a bad choice, she knew she could expect me to call out her but to remind her that she one bad decision (or even twenty bad decisions) didn't define her. We talked often about the need to pick up and move on and I can't even tell you the number of times I told her, "this decision doesn't define who you are...learn from it, decide you're going to make better decisions next time and move on." Last year she turned 19 and my work with her ended. Or at least my "official" work ended, but I couldn't make myself just walk out on her. After all, that's what nearly every other adult in her life had done and I wasn't going to be just like everyone else. So she kept my cell phone number and I assured her she could call anytime...and she did. We'd talk on the phone weekly and it wasn't uncommon to get a text message nearly daily. Just before Christmas I made a trip to Omaha and we went out for dinner and went shopping. We had a great time....but I had no idea it would be the last time I would ever see her. You see, I got a phone call yesterday telling me that she had committed suicide.
I wish I had a coherent thought process about all of this, but I just don't. I'm heartbroken that yesterday afternoon she was in such a horrible place she didn't see any reason for living. I'm ticked off that as a system, we failed her. I wish I had solutions -- I don't know how you deal with severe mental illness but I do know this....the system we have right now doesn't work. There's a problem when someone can spend YEARS in residential treatment and outpatient counseling and take every medication known to man and still be stuck in the same chronic depression and desperate situation they started with. But amidst all this frustration and heart break, I have a renewed passion for the work that I do and the opportunity that I have to make a difference. May I take my work seriously, continue to see the best in the kids that I work with and give these kids the chance they've never had.
Fast forward
I wish I had a coherent thought process about all of this, but I just don't. I'm heartbroken that yesterday afternoon she was in such a horrible place she didn't see any reason for living. I'm ticked off that as a system, we failed her. I wish I had solutions -- I don't know how you deal with severe mental illness but I do know this....the system we have right now doesn't work. There's a problem when someone can spend YEARS in residential treatment and outpatient counseling and take every medication known to man and still be stuck in the same chronic depression and desperate situation they started with. But amidst all this frustration and heart break, I have a renewed passion for the work that I do and the opportunity that I have to make a difference. May I take my work seriously, continue to see the best in the kids that I work with and give these kids the chance they've never had.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Essential Oils
A friend of mine recently introduced me to Young Living Essential Oils -- I've watched her blog posts and facebook posts but I'll admit I'm a skeptic. I'd read through her posts but never gave much of a thought to trying them. Then a couple of weeks ago this friend held an online "class" via facebook. I decided to check it out -- and then the same week, the flu bug went through our house and left NO.ONE unscathed. And after 17 million loads of laundry and catching more puke in towels than one should ever have to catch and missing an entire week of work (because of course we couldn't all get sick at once, we had to pass it from one person to the next for an entire week), I decided I would try about anything. :)
Truthfully, the online class was totally fascinating and I loved seeing the testimonials of people using the essential oils for all sorts of ailments. Long story short, I decided to check it out for myself. I've had my kit just over a week and I have to admit, I'm SOLD! We've used various oils on everything from tummy aches to head aches, skin rashes to cracked heels with amazing success!
My favorite though is using lavender on Micah man at bedtime. If you know Micah, you know he goes 100 mph ALL.THE.TIME. And the kid has been a pretty terrible sleeper since birth. He didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 14 months old. Even now (at almost 4 years) he takes a long, long time to settle in at night (which doesn't work well since he and Makenzie share a room). It's not uncommon for us to go in five or more times a night to tell him to lay down/be quiet/quit playing toys/make one more peep and you're getting a spanking/etc..... and then he's up super early in the morning. He had been stuck in a rut of getting up BEFORE 6 am. Seriously, his {lack of}sleep made me want to scream. Enter essential oils. I read that lavender was good for calming, so I started putting some on his feet before bed and sometimes, I mix a drop or two of lavender with coconut oil and put it on him like lotion. Literally, the first night we used it, I tucked him into bed, he got up once for his trip to the potty and then went to sleep and didn't get up until 6:30 the next morning. I still thought maybe it was a coincidence. Night two....same story. And it has continued every single night. He's going to sleep quicker and sleeping until 6:30 or even 7 in the morning. Today I had to wake him at 7:15 so we could get everybody out the door to school/daycare!
Mama friends (and non-mama friends :)), if you've never heard of essential oils, you should check out this page. My friend Amanda (who introduced me to the oils) keeps this blog and it's a great resource! (You can also check out her facebook page - Our Grace Filled Life for more info on essential oils). And if you think you'd like to try the oils for yourself or just want more info, I'd love to chat!! I'll try to share more stories on here too so you can see how we're using our oils!
Truthfully, the online class was totally fascinating and I loved seeing the testimonials of people using the essential oils for all sorts of ailments. Long story short, I decided to check it out for myself. I've had my kit just over a week and I have to admit, I'm SOLD! We've used various oils on everything from tummy aches to head aches, skin rashes to cracked heels with amazing success!
My favorite though is using lavender on Micah man at bedtime. If you know Micah, you know he goes 100 mph ALL.THE.TIME. And the kid has been a pretty terrible sleeper since birth. He didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 14 months old. Even now (at almost 4 years) he takes a long, long time to settle in at night (which doesn't work well since he and Makenzie share a room). It's not uncommon for us to go in five or more times a night to tell him to lay down/be quiet/quit playing toys/make one more peep and you're getting a spanking/etc..... and then he's up super early in the morning. He had been stuck in a rut of getting up BEFORE 6 am. Seriously, his {lack of}sleep made me want to scream. Enter essential oils. I read that lavender was good for calming, so I started putting some on his feet before bed and sometimes, I mix a drop or two of lavender with coconut oil and put it on him like lotion. Literally, the first night we used it, I tucked him into bed, he got up once for his trip to the potty and then went to sleep and didn't get up until 6:30 the next morning. I still thought maybe it was a coincidence. Night two....same story. And it has continued every single night. He's going to sleep quicker and sleeping until 6:30 or even 7 in the morning. Today I had to wake him at 7:15 so we could get everybody out the door to school/daycare!
Mama friends (and non-mama friends :)), if you've never heard of essential oils, you should check out this page. My friend Amanda (who introduced me to the oils) keeps this blog and it's a great resource! (You can also check out her facebook page - Our Grace Filled Life for more info on essential oils). And if you think you'd like to try the oils for yourself or just want more info, I'd love to chat!! I'll try to share more stories on here too so you can see how we're using our oils!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Year, New Goals!
2013 was a good year – and there
were some things that went really well, that I want to continue….so we’ll start
with those.
1. Keep running!
I made it almost 375 miles between February 25 and the end of 2013, so
my goal for 2014 is 500 miles for the year….and a Half Marathon in May.
2. Continue with Hello Mornings challenges. This challenge has helped me more than you
can imagine! In 2013, I made my mornings
a priority – which meant setting my alarm for 4:50 Monday through Friday. Crazy, I know….but this lets me get in some
time with God and a workout BEFORE I start chasing children….and I’m a much
nicer mom when that happens! J I
also started planning my weeks – laying out the schedule for the week (hello, shared
google calendars), planning meals, planning activities to do with the kiddos
and of course my always too long to do list.
I’d like to say this made all our weeks smooth and peaceful and pretty
much perfect but I’m pretty sure you know me well enough to know that’s not
true….but it did help immensely! And if
nothing else, it gave me a plan and helped me be intentional about what I was
doing!
3. Keep reading – Reading 6 books a year has
been on my list for the last two years and it’s here again! The number of books isn’t so important to me
as just making sure I’m reading – I love reading and it’s good “me” time! Here’s the list to start 2014: Finish Out of the Spin Cycle, then (in no
particular order) Train Up A Mom, Sparkly Green Earrings, and Lead Your Family
Like Jesus. After that I’m not sure….I’ll take suggestions if you have
them. I’m a big fan of dccebooks.com –
they post a new FREE ebook every week, so my ipad is loaded with TONS of
options! Now if I just had the time to
get through them all. J
And here’s the NEW goals for
2014:
4. Limit phone/email/facebook time so that I can
be more intentional with my family! You
don’t need a big long explanation; I just need to DO IT!
5. Be more intentional with our finances. I’m not really sure what this looks like – it
needs a little more planning (and probably some chatting with the hubby J),
but here’s what I do know: we could steward our resources better! I’m good about setting up a budget every
month (and maybe not quite as good at sticking to it every month), but whether
it’s spending money on things we don’t need (and by we, I mean I) or donating
$25 to every.stinking. person that knocks on the door raising money for who.knows.
what….we could use a little thought and planning. I’d like to give more to causes we really
believe in (and maybe not give to things that don’t matter) – coming up with a
plan is definitely going to be the first step.
6. No more yelling. I hate, hate, hate to admit it, but I’m a
yeller. And there’s nothing that makes
me want to yell more than bad behavior or stinky attitudes out of my little
darlings. But we have a problem – they’ve
started yelling. And it’s awful….and I’m
pretty sure that me yelling at them to stop yelling isn’t going to do the
trick. So this one’s a family goal and I know it has
to start with me. Deep breath, count to
3…I can do this. J
I’m still working on some goals
with the kiddos, but I LOVE this resource!
2014 marks the 3rd year we’ve used this to set goals for/with
the kids and it’s super fun to see the progress we’ve made (and it’s good to
see the things we need to keep working on).
I feel like so often in parenting I’m just trying to survive the day –
keep the kids bathed, clothed, fed and not fighting is sometimes a monumental task
by itself and I feel like I miss the big things. The truth is, it’s those big things that
matter. 20 years from now I’m not going
to care about whether we missed a bath or two or ten, and my kids probably won’t
remember that they had PBJ sandwiches way too often…..what matters is that they
learn to love Jesus. And that means I
can’t get so caught up in surviving each day that I forget to point them to Him
and His truth and love and mercy!
So, here’s to a fabulous
2014! Oh yeah and one more goal – I hope
to blog here a little more often than I did last year, so hopefully you’ll see more
of me! J
Monday, December 23, 2013
New house
View from the front door
Just when you thought I disappeared completely....
I pulled up my trusty old blog and realized that I haven't blogged since June....seriously, JUNE! What on earth happened to the last 6 months?
2012 was a pretty good year for accomplishing goals - I'll let you be the judge of 2013. Here's the short version of the 2013 goals:
1. Make my own health/well-being more of a priority.
Done, done, done. And I have to admit, I'm super proud of this one! I stuck with boot camp ALL year and in February started running on the non-boot camp days. A total unexpected blessing came when I discovered that one of hygienists that works in Tom's office wanted to run too -- she was in the boot camp I joined and we became fast friends! She and I still run together 3 days a week and occasionally we pick up a few other running buddies. I have to admit, I wouldn't have done as well with this goal without her! I've decided I don't like running by myself...especially at 5 am in the dark. :) We ran several 5K races, a 10K and a 60 mile relay race together and Miss Makenzie begged to run a race with me, so we ran a 1 mile race as a family. Total I logged over 350 miles of running this year and I'm planning for my first half marathon in 2014.
2. Keep reading....6 more books in 2013!
Kind of done?!? Honestly, I can't remember what I read this year, so I'm not sure I hit 6. BUT, I finished Crazy Love, read Kisses from Kate, Unglued, and Parenting On Your Knees. I'm working on Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker right now. It's not really a "reading" book but I also finished Beth Moore's devotional on David....which is seriously 3 inches think and took my friend Cori and I a LONG time to finish! :) I can't think of any others so that might be all for this year.
3. Memorize more scripture--me personally and with my kiddos.
Not really sure how to quantify "more"....but we worked on this one this year! The kids and I started really strong and then fell off the band wagon (kinda like my blogging). :) Makenzie LOVES memorizing but it's definitely more of a struggle with Micah man (some due to age....some probably due to the fact that he's a boy and would much rather be running around or driving trucks than memorizing bible verses). We started on the ABC bible verses and got about half way through (memorizing one per week) before Makenzie got overwhelmed. I think we'll continue this in 2014 and see if we can revisit the ones we learned and finish out the alphabet.
4. Make a few home improvements/decorating/painting etc. --nothing major, particularly given that we're planning to build in the {hopefully near} future!
New house is in progress (pictures coming soon), old house is sold, and we're living in a not-so-fabulous rental right now. I'm still calling this goal a success because we got all the living room lights replaced and it was AMAZING! Our house went under contract Memorial Day weekend, so after that all motivation to update/improve was gone. :)
5. Redecorate my office at work.
DONE....almost! Wall paper is gone and office is repainted....and looks fabulous! I just need to get my dad there to replace all the ivory outlets with white ones. Here's a before and after shot.
6. Set goals with (and for) my kids and accomplish them!
DONE. We set goals at the beginning of the year-- Makenzie helped set hers and has met every single one of them. Micah and Gracyn got stuck with the goals mom set for them. :) Honestly I think this helps me more than it helps them....it keeps me focused on the bigger picture when the days get long and just keeping kids bathed and fed feels like a monumental task.
All in all I'd say 2013 was a success! I'm still working on 2014 goals, so I'll be back next week to post those!
2012 was a pretty good year for accomplishing goals - I'll let you be the judge of 2013. Here's the short version of the 2013 goals:
1. Make my own health/well-being more of a priority.
Done, done, done. And I have to admit, I'm super proud of this one! I stuck with boot camp ALL year and in February started running on the non-boot camp days. A total unexpected blessing came when I discovered that one of hygienists that works in Tom's office wanted to run too -- she was in the boot camp I joined and we became fast friends! She and I still run together 3 days a week and occasionally we pick up a few other running buddies. I have to admit, I wouldn't have done as well with this goal without her! I've decided I don't like running by myself...especially at 5 am in the dark. :) We ran several 5K races, a 10K and a 60 mile relay race together and Miss Makenzie begged to run a race with me, so we ran a 1 mile race as a family. Total I logged over 350 miles of running this year and I'm planning for my first half marathon in 2014.
2. Keep reading....6 more books in 2013!
Kind of done?!? Honestly, I can't remember what I read this year, so I'm not sure I hit 6. BUT, I finished Crazy Love, read Kisses from Kate, Unglued, and Parenting On Your Knees. I'm working on Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker right now. It's not really a "reading" book but I also finished Beth Moore's devotional on David....which is seriously 3 inches think and took my friend Cori and I a LONG time to finish! :) I can't think of any others so that might be all for this year.
3. Memorize more scripture--me personally and with my kiddos.
Not really sure how to quantify "more"....but we worked on this one this year! The kids and I started really strong and then fell off the band wagon (kinda like my blogging). :) Makenzie LOVES memorizing but it's definitely more of a struggle with Micah man (some due to age....some probably due to the fact that he's a boy and would much rather be running around or driving trucks than memorizing bible verses). We started on the ABC bible verses and got about half way through (memorizing one per week) before Makenzie got overwhelmed. I think we'll continue this in 2014 and see if we can revisit the ones we learned and finish out the alphabet.
4. Make a few home improvements/decorating/painting etc. --nothing major, particularly given that we're planning to build in the {hopefully near} future!
New house is in progress (pictures coming soon), old house is sold, and we're living in a not-so-fabulous rental right now. I'm still calling this goal a success because we got all the living room lights replaced and it was AMAZING! Our house went under contract Memorial Day weekend, so after that all motivation to update/improve was gone. :)
5. Redecorate my office at work.
DONE....almost! Wall paper is gone and office is repainted....and looks fabulous! I just need to get my dad there to replace all the ivory outlets with white ones. Here's a before and after shot.
6. Set goals with (and for) my kids and accomplish them!
DONE. We set goals at the beginning of the year-- Makenzie helped set hers and has met every single one of them. Micah and Gracyn got stuck with the goals mom set for them. :) Honestly I think this helps me more than it helps them....it keeps me focused on the bigger picture when the days get long and just keeping kids bathed and fed feels like a monumental task.
All in all I'd say 2013 was a success! I'm still working on 2014 goals, so I'll be back next week to post those!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Long time, no post....
If it feels a little like I fell off the blogger band wagon....it's because I did! Life is just plain crazy around here friends and I can't keep up! Anybody else feel like they're treading water, barely able to keep afloat? That's where I'm at, and I'm not really sure what to do about it! Hang on and enjoy the ride, I think.
I've been having a major case of mom guilt. Anybody else do this? It's Makenzie's "last summer" before Kindergarten, so of course I had all sorts of grand ideas about what a fun summer we would have together. Then my partner had heart surgery so I took on his cases and my own, so work got extra busy. And we signed Makenzie up for t-ball. And Makenzie and Micah both thought gymnastics sounded fun. Add in Y-camps, a trip to Texas to see my ADORABLE new nephews, and all of a sudden I realize summer is going to be over and I don't even know where it went.
Then last week, I realize I should put the school calendar into my google calendar (because after all, if it's not in google calendar, it doesn't exist, right?!?). As I'm filling in the first day of Kindergarten, I realize that I already have a two day trial scheduled for not just the first day of school, but the first AND second day. And the mom guilt hit like a ton of bricks. You know, the thoughts like, seriously I'm the worst mom ever, what kind of a {terrible} parent misses their child's first day of Kindergarten....worse yet, what kind of a mom sends their kid to daycare or has a grandma pick them up from their first day of school. Once I calmed down a little and a slightly more stable side of me returned, I figured out that although there's really no hope of getting the trial moved, I can probably take Makenzie to her first day of school to and still get to court on time....and I know full well, that Makenzie will beequally more thrilled to see Grandma after school than she is to see her mom.
So, here's my pep talk for tonight (mostly because I need to tell myself this). If you're a mama, especially a busy one (is there such a thing as a not busy mama??), give yourself a little grace! We aren't perfect (SHOCK!) and trying to pretend we're perfect is only going to wear us out! My own shortcomings and imperfections show my own need for a Savior. And if there's only one thing in this life that my kids learn, I hope it's that they need Jesus....so maybe, just maybe, they'll see there imperfect, mess of a mama and her huge need for Jesus and realize they're in the same boat!
Then last week, I realize I should put the school calendar into my google calendar (because after all, if it's not in google calendar, it doesn't exist, right?!?). As I'm filling in the first day of Kindergarten, I realize that I already have a two day trial scheduled for not just the first day of school, but the first AND second day. And the mom guilt hit like a ton of bricks. You know, the thoughts like, seriously I'm the worst mom ever, what kind of a {terrible} parent misses their child's first day of Kindergarten....worse yet, what kind of a mom sends their kid to daycare or has a grandma pick them up from their first day of school. Once I calmed down a little and a slightly more stable side of me returned, I figured out that although there's really no hope of getting the trial moved, I can probably take Makenzie to her first day of school to and still get to court on time....and I know full well, that Makenzie will be
So, here's my pep talk for tonight (mostly because I need to tell myself this). If you're a mama, especially a busy one (is there such a thing as a not busy mama??), give yourself a little grace! We aren't perfect (SHOCK!) and trying to pretend we're perfect is only going to wear us out! My own shortcomings and imperfections show my own need for a Savior. And if there's only one thing in this life that my kids learn, I hope it's that they need Jesus....so maybe, just maybe, they'll see there imperfect, mess of a mama and her huge need for Jesus and realize they're in the same boat!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
I heart shutterfly.
Seriously how cute is this girl....and how cute are these cards?? Her own personalized thank you cards...and now that she's 1, she'll probably even write them herself. :) Or maybe not, but at least I'll have a cute picture to look at while I'm writing!!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Unsettled
I have about a million thoughts floating around in my head - so I hope I can get at least a few of them into one semi-coherent blog post. :)
Last year I read the book Made to Crave (A MUST READ book!!) One of the things that really hit me as I was reading and has stuck with me was Lysa's prayer "unsettle me" --it was a New Year and instead of lengthy resolutions that she'd never stick with, her prayer was a simple one, "unsettle me in the best kind of way. For when I allow Your touch to reach the deepest parts of me - dark and dingy and hidden away too long --suddenly a fresh wind of life twists and twirls and dances through my soul." I'm not sure why this resonated with my heart as much as it did - perhaps because I like nothing more than to be settled, perhaps because I long for peace, and order and consistency and routine, and perhaps because God was about to show me that it was time for a little "shaking up" to make room for the fresh and new He was longing to bring in.
For several months now, I've gone back to that prayer - Unsettle me Lord, show me where I'm settling for less than your best, show me where I've missed the boat. Don't let me settle in and get comfy if this isn't the place I'm supposed to getting comfy. God has been SO faithful!
Last year I felt God continuously unsettling me about the "busy-ness" of our lives. With three kids, working 3 days a week, Tom in the National Guard and working full time, church activities, social activities etc. etc.....I don't need to tell you, life was (is) busy! I had convinced myself that this was just life....especially life with three littles. In my mind, this is just how it was supposed to be, and how it was going to be for the next 18+ years, and eventually (probably sooner than I would like!) the kids would be grown and life would slow down. As last year progressed, I felt God telling me it was time to make some changes, time to slow down this crazy life we were living --and though it took me several months to realize it, one of the ways he was calling me to make this change was in my work. This was hard and I'm not going to lie, God and I had more than one "battle" over this. I hope you'll hear me out here and not pass judgment -- for the last 7+ years, I've felt like I really sought out God's will and followed his will with respect to my career. I felt God calling me to go to law school, calling me to do the work that I do in juvenile court. I was blessed with a job where I was able to work part time and still have time home with my kids and I truly LOVED what I was doing. I think this is partly why I took it so hard when people criticized my working with young kids -- I was certain this was the work He had called me to do. This is also why it was hard for me to make a change --why would God call me to quit my job now? Surely He called me to get my law degree....why would he want me to "waste" it now.....and then doubt crept in, maybe I missed something, maybe God never really called me to go to law school.....what a miserable thought! God is not a God of doubt and despair....and when I took the time to seek Him out, He was again faithful. Through several more weeks of praying and seeking His advice, negotiations with my partners, etc, God revealed His plan. A plan that would allow me to continue working with the kids and families He has called me to work with but giving me more time with my own kiddos. He reassured me that He didn't lead me to law school and give me a heart for these "less fortunate" families for no reason at all -- He has a plan and a purpose and He is working it out in my life.
I love Beth Moore's take on this in her devotional on the life of David -- "David received invaluable experience in the process of keeping sheep. Psalm 78:70-72 states, 'He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. and David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.' I believe God takes the building blocks of our lives and uses them for His glory. Never assume that to follow Him means to throw away who He made you to be. Few things seem less spiritual than keeping a bunch of smelly sheep, yet God used David's skills for eternal purposes."
I love that and I pray that God continues to use my skills for eternal purposes!! And lest you think it's time to settle in and get comfy in this new 2 morning a week work schedule.....don't worry, there's still plenty of "unsettling" going on. He's still been unsettling the stinky attitude I'm prone to having towards my hubby and kids, unsettling the financial "goals" I've set and encouraging me to spend my money on things that make an eternal difference instead of building up "treasure" that doesn't matter, unsettling the lifestyle I've been living and utilizing the margin we've created by working less to add in some "better" things....like exercise and time to focus more on health. That's a blog post for another day! :) I have to say though - for a girl who likes stability and consistency, this unsettling has been refreshing!
Last year I read the book Made to Crave (A MUST READ book!!) One of the things that really hit me as I was reading and has stuck with me was Lysa's prayer "unsettle me" --it was a New Year and instead of lengthy resolutions that she'd never stick with, her prayer was a simple one, "unsettle me in the best kind of way. For when I allow Your touch to reach the deepest parts of me - dark and dingy and hidden away too long --suddenly a fresh wind of life twists and twirls and dances through my soul." I'm not sure why this resonated with my heart as much as it did - perhaps because I like nothing more than to be settled, perhaps because I long for peace, and order and consistency and routine, and perhaps because God was about to show me that it was time for a little "shaking up" to make room for the fresh and new He was longing to bring in.
For several months now, I've gone back to that prayer - Unsettle me Lord, show me where I'm settling for less than your best, show me where I've missed the boat. Don't let me settle in and get comfy if this isn't the place I'm supposed to getting comfy. God has been SO faithful!
Last year I felt God continuously unsettling me about the "busy-ness" of our lives. With three kids, working 3 days a week, Tom in the National Guard and working full time, church activities, social activities etc. etc.....I don't need to tell you, life was (is) busy! I had convinced myself that this was just life....especially life with three littles. In my mind, this is just how it was supposed to be, and how it was going to be for the next 18+ years, and eventually (probably sooner than I would like!) the kids would be grown and life would slow down. As last year progressed, I felt God telling me it was time to make some changes, time to slow down this crazy life we were living --and though it took me several months to realize it, one of the ways he was calling me to make this change was in my work. This was hard and I'm not going to lie, God and I had more than one "battle" over this. I hope you'll hear me out here and not pass judgment -- for the last 7+ years, I've felt like I really sought out God's will and followed his will with respect to my career. I felt God calling me to go to law school, calling me to do the work that I do in juvenile court. I was blessed with a job where I was able to work part time and still have time home with my kids and I truly LOVED what I was doing. I think this is partly why I took it so hard when people criticized my working with young kids -- I was certain this was the work He had called me to do. This is also why it was hard for me to make a change --why would God call me to quit my job now? Surely He called me to get my law degree....why would he want me to "waste" it now.....and then doubt crept in, maybe I missed something, maybe God never really called me to go to law school.....what a miserable thought! God is not a God of doubt and despair....and when I took the time to seek Him out, He was again faithful. Through several more weeks of praying and seeking His advice, negotiations with my partners, etc, God revealed His plan. A plan that would allow me to continue working with the kids and families He has called me to work with but giving me more time with my own kiddos. He reassured me that He didn't lead me to law school and give me a heart for these "less fortunate" families for no reason at all -- He has a plan and a purpose and He is working it out in my life.
I love Beth Moore's take on this in her devotional on the life of David -- "David received invaluable experience in the process of keeping sheep. Psalm 78:70-72 states, 'He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. and David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.' I believe God takes the building blocks of our lives and uses them for His glory. Never assume that to follow Him means to throw away who He made you to be. Few things seem less spiritual than keeping a bunch of smelly sheep, yet God used David's skills for eternal purposes."
I love that and I pray that God continues to use my skills for eternal purposes!! And lest you think it's time to settle in and get comfy in this new 2 morning a week work schedule.....don't worry, there's still plenty of "unsettling" going on. He's still been unsettling the stinky attitude I'm prone to having towards my hubby and kids, unsettling the financial "goals" I've set and encouraging me to spend my money on things that make an eternal difference instead of building up "treasure" that doesn't matter, unsettling the lifestyle I've been living and utilizing the margin we've created by working less to add in some "better" things....like exercise and time to focus more on health. That's a blog post for another day! :) I have to say though - for a girl who likes stability and consistency, this unsettling has been refreshing!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
2012 in review.....and new goals fora new year
Last year I decided it was time to set some goals --make sure I was actually doing something my year instead of letting it just fly by. And I actually did pretty well --I managed to blog once about my progress and then we added baby #3 and well, life got a little crazy. There were definitely days where I was doing well to just get a shower :) but 8 1/2 months later, we're all still alive and I think I can honestly say, it was a good year!
Here's the quick run down on how 2012 shaped up:
* I managed to read MORE than 6 books this year --I was trying to figure out exactly how many and I can't honestly tell you. In April I was already at 5 for the year--after that I started on Francine Rivers but they were too long (or my attention span was too short) so those had to wait for another day. I read most of Max Lucado's Outlive your Life, most of Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity....and I'm pretty sure I read a couple others but for the life of me I can't think of them off the top of my head. I started Francis Chan's Crazy Love --finishing this will be first on the list for 2013!
* Be more strategic with my kiddos -- Progress here definitely went in spurts...some days were really good, some days probably shouldn't be blogged about! :) I really liked the goal sheets(here's a link to my 1st post about them) from Focus on the Family that I used last year--we will definitely be using those again this year! This clearly isn't the kind of goal you do once and call it good....so it's on the list for 2013 too!
* Make at least one positive change -- This turned into some pretty major changes at work. In the spring, I started cutting back on the court appointments I was taking so that I didn't have as many court hearings on my days off, but I still felt like there just wasn't enough of me to go around. After lots of praying, thinking, talking, going crazy.....I decided to cut back my work even more and starting next week, I'll just be working Monday and Wednesday mornings. To be honest, I'm really not sure how this will work but we're going to give it a try. I'll probably have to return some phone calls during nap times but overall, I have high hopes that this will give me lots more time with my kids while still getting to do the work I love. (And it ensures that I'm around to pick up Miss Makenzie from school everyday when she starts Kindergarten in August....but we're not talking about the "K" word because it makes me want to cry!)
* Get organized at home. Pretty sure there is always room for improvement here but we definitely did well in this area! Early last year we flipped the house and moved everybody to the basement --slowly but surely, I've gone through just about every closet/cupboard in the house and cleaned stuff out. The highlight --making $200 on "crap" that I sold on facebook! :)
Okay, enough on 2012....here's the new goals for the new year:
1. Make my own health/well-being more of a priority. I find that I get so focused on everything else that I forget to take care of myself....and I haven't worked out since I was about 3 months pregnant with Gracyn. I've been thinking about this for a while but didn't think I could cram one more thing into my already to busy schedule. Now that I'm working less, I decided to take a little "me-time" on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and I signed up for boot camp at the Y! I'm super excited and fairly terrified all at the same time. I'm hoping by spring to be squeezing in a few more workouts, but twice a week is a starting point!
2. Keep reading....6 more books in 2013! I've said it before, but I LOVE to read --it's just hard to make time for it. Here's my list (although its subject to change without notice!): Finish Crazy Love, then (in no particular order): Multiply by Francis Chan, Kisses from Kate, Fearless by Max Lucado, Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst, and probably perusing/rereading Love and Logic about 50 times throughout the year as necessary!
3. Memorize more scripture--me personally and with my kiddos.
4. Make a few home improvements/decorating/painting etc. --nothing major, particularly given that we're planning to build in the {hopefully near} future! Living room lights and painting trim were 2012 projects that didn't get finished, so those get put back on the list for this year! Our living room lights (or lack thereof) has driven me crazy for the 5 1/2 years we've been in this house....and now that two of them don't work, I can hardly stand to be in my house in the evenings because it's SO dark. We had one electrician come look and he was going to come back after harvest to do the work.....and I haven't heard from him since. So yesterday I called electrician #2 so hopefully we're well on our way to accomplishing this goal! I'd also like to find a new headboard for the guest bedroom and redecorate the dining room/end of the living room wall. We've had the same shelves up since we moved in and it's time for a change. Going to have to enlist the help of my sister in law on this!!
5. Redecorate my office at work. I've been supposed to do this since I started working there 4 years ago. I took over the office of the oldest partner (now retired) and he decorated in in the early 90's when they moved to the current building. Picture: Ivory wall paper on the top half of the walls, burgundy wall paper on the bottom and carpet and a chair rail height wall paper border with eagles on it.....not exactly my style, but I haven't been able to decide what to do. It's time to do something....I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any great ideas (or names for interior decorators!)
6. Set goals with (and for) my kids and accomplish them! (see the link above)
Here's to a fantastic 2013!!
Here's the quick run down on how 2012 shaped up:
* I managed to read MORE than 6 books this year --I was trying to figure out exactly how many and I can't honestly tell you. In April I was already at 5 for the year--after that I started on Francine Rivers but they were too long (or my attention span was too short) so those had to wait for another day. I read most of Max Lucado's Outlive your Life, most of Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity....and I'm pretty sure I read a couple others but for the life of me I can't think of them off the top of my head. I started Francis Chan's Crazy Love --finishing this will be first on the list for 2013!
* Be more strategic with my kiddos -- Progress here definitely went in spurts...some days were really good, some days probably shouldn't be blogged about! :) I really liked the goal sheets(here's a link to my 1st post about them) from Focus on the Family that I used last year--we will definitely be using those again this year! This clearly isn't the kind of goal you do once and call it good....so it's on the list for 2013 too!
* Make at least one positive change -- This turned into some pretty major changes at work. In the spring, I started cutting back on the court appointments I was taking so that I didn't have as many court hearings on my days off, but I still felt like there just wasn't enough of me to go around. After lots of praying, thinking, talking, going crazy.....I decided to cut back my work even more and starting next week, I'll just be working Monday and Wednesday mornings. To be honest, I'm really not sure how this will work but we're going to give it a try. I'll probably have to return some phone calls during nap times but overall, I have high hopes that this will give me lots more time with my kids while still getting to do the work I love. (And it ensures that I'm around to pick up Miss Makenzie from school everyday when she starts Kindergarten in August....but we're not talking about the "K" word because it makes me want to cry!)
* Get organized at home. Pretty sure there is always room for improvement here but we definitely did well in this area! Early last year we flipped the house and moved everybody to the basement --slowly but surely, I've gone through just about every closet/cupboard in the house and cleaned stuff out. The highlight --making $200 on "crap" that I sold on facebook! :)
Okay, enough on 2012....here's the new goals for the new year:
1. Make my own health/well-being more of a priority. I find that I get so focused on everything else that I forget to take care of myself....and I haven't worked out since I was about 3 months pregnant with Gracyn. I've been thinking about this for a while but didn't think I could cram one more thing into my already to busy schedule. Now that I'm working less, I decided to take a little "me-time" on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and I signed up for boot camp at the Y! I'm super excited and fairly terrified all at the same time. I'm hoping by spring to be squeezing in a few more workouts, but twice a week is a starting point!
2. Keep reading....6 more books in 2013! I've said it before, but I LOVE to read --it's just hard to make time for it. Here's my list (although its subject to change without notice!): Finish Crazy Love, then (in no particular order): Multiply by Francis Chan, Kisses from Kate, Fearless by Max Lucado, Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst, and probably perusing/rereading Love and Logic about 50 times throughout the year as necessary!
3. Memorize more scripture--me personally and with my kiddos.
4. Make a few home improvements/decorating/painting etc. --nothing major, particularly given that we're planning to build in the {hopefully near} future! Living room lights and painting trim were 2012 projects that didn't get finished, so those get put back on the list for this year! Our living room lights (or lack thereof) has driven me crazy for the 5 1/2 years we've been in this house....and now that two of them don't work, I can hardly stand to be in my house in the evenings because it's SO dark. We had one electrician come look and he was going to come back after harvest to do the work.....and I haven't heard from him since. So yesterday I called electrician #2 so hopefully we're well on our way to accomplishing this goal! I'd also like to find a new headboard for the guest bedroom and redecorate the dining room/end of the living room wall. We've had the same shelves up since we moved in and it's time for a change. Going to have to enlist the help of my sister in law on this!!
5. Redecorate my office at work. I've been supposed to do this since I started working there 4 years ago. I took over the office of the oldest partner (now retired) and he decorated in in the early 90's when they moved to the current building. Picture: Ivory wall paper on the top half of the walls, burgundy wall paper on the bottom and carpet and a chair rail height wall paper border with eagles on it.....not exactly my style, but I haven't been able to decide what to do. It's time to do something....I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any great ideas (or names for interior decorators!)
6. Set goals with (and for) my kids and accomplish them! (see the link above)
Here's to a fantastic 2013!!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Back on the bandwagon
Sorry friends, apparently I fell off the blogger bandwagon for, oh you know, 2 months! It’s 9:00 on a Friday night, all 3 kids are sleeping and all I want to do is join them….but here’s a “quick 5” update for ya’ll on what we’ve been doing in the last 2 months!
1. The kids and I spent a week last month in October with most of my family. Poor Tom had to stay home –between work and National Guard drill, he just couldn’t get away. We had a great time….but I won’t be taking any vacations with 3 kids by myself any time soon! I can’t tell you how thankful I was to have my family there to help!!
2. House plans are in full swing –actually we have house plans in our hands and now we’re visiting with a few builders and getting bids so we can get one hired and hopefully start on a new house in the spring {its contingent on a few things, but I have high hopes that everything will fall into place so we can start soon}
3. Major work changes are on the horizon!! I can’t share a lot about this just yet –I’m staying at the same firm just making some changes to make it more do-able with 3 kids and I’m super excited about it!
4. My baby girl is already six {and a half} months old, she talks all the time, giggles, rolls and LOVES go be right in the middle of all the excitement her big brother and sister create. Where does the time go?? Gracyn is such a sweet baby, she’s happy most of the time and wakes up every morning with a smile on her face, wiggling with delight. Love her!
5. My other baby girl turned FIVE last week. Crazy! Seriously, where does the time go?? It seems like just a few months ago that I was waddling the halls of the law school….and now she’s in preschool and telling me she’s ALMOST six (you know…only 51 more weeks!) Love, love love that girl! She’s such a sweet big sister, she loves to help out (thank you God!), and she has an infectious smile and giggle! I don’t know what we’d do without her!
And because I can’t leave my Micah man out, you get a bonus quick 6. We’re working on potty training….with lots of bribing positive reinforcement. Seriously, I’m pretty sure Micah’s new motto could be “will poop for hotwheels cars.” Sigh. Some day he will be potty trained. I’m sure of it….I just hope we both live to see that day! 
I’ve had a ton more on my mind and heart lately….and at least 50 “deep” blog posts written in my head. Maybe someday they’ll actually make it on here! Happy weekend friends!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Summer Fun {Picture update!}
 Swimmin’ with daddy  Bein’ extra cute |  Hangin’ with our cousins  Goin’ to the zoo |
 Picnicin’ a Eagle Point Park |  Lovin’ on baby sister |
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p.s. – Anybody else think the makers of the Moby wrap ought to pay me for the free advertising?
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Creating a Legacy
We spent this weekend in Dubuque IA celebrating Tom’s Grammy’s 90th birthday – SO, SO much fun! We celebrated Grampy’s 90th in Florida in January 2008, but they aren’t as mobile as they were then, so we all traveled to them for this celebration! Tom’s grandparents are SO fun –they’ve been married 66 years, traveled all over the world together (like even kayaking in Antarctica), raised 4 kids and until last year, they still lived in the home that they built when their kids were young. (Last year they moved into an independent/assisted living type apartment.)
Spending time with them this weekend got me really thinking about the legacy I want to leave—and realizing what an amazing legacy his grandparents have created.
I couldn’t find an electronic copy of their wedding picture – but here are Tom’s grandparents with their first child.
And here’s the picture I took last weekend – seriously, I hope I look this good at 90!
And here are their 4 kids – then and now….
And after 66 years of marriage and raising 4 children – they get to enjoy 6 grandkids (1 wasn’t able to make it) and 10 great grandbabies (The 1 grandson who couldn’t make it has twin 13 month old boys).
I imagine that Grammy had days when she yelled at her kids, maybe crabbed at her hubby, wanted to pull her hair out, wanted to throw in the towel….you know some of THOSE days that we all know all to well. But she and Grampy stayed the course – they stayed committed to each other and to the daunting task of parenthood….and 66 years later, what an amazing story they have! And what a sweet, sweet reminder of the bigger story, the bigger picture that can be all to difficult to see when you’re “stuck” in the day to day job of changing diapers, feeding babies, breaking up fights, cooking, cleaning and washing the 17th load of laundry.
Spending time with them this weekend got me really thinking about the legacy I want to leave—and realizing what an amazing legacy his grandparents have created.
I couldn’t find an electronic copy of their wedding picture – but here are Tom’s grandparents with their first child.
And here’s the picture I took last weekend – seriously, I hope I look this good at 90!
And here are their 4 kids – then and now….
And after 66 years of marriage and raising 4 children – they get to enjoy 6 grandkids (1 wasn’t able to make it) and 10 great grandbabies (The 1 grandson who couldn’t make it has twin 13 month old boys).
I imagine that Grammy had days when she yelled at her kids, maybe crabbed at her hubby, wanted to pull her hair out, wanted to throw in the towel….you know some of THOSE days that we all know all to well. But she and Grampy stayed the course – they stayed committed to each other and to the daunting task of parenthood….and 66 years later, what an amazing story they have! And what a sweet, sweet reminder of the bigger story, the bigger picture that can be all to difficult to see when you’re “stuck” in the day to day job of changing diapers, feeding babies, breaking up fights, cooking, cleaning and washing the 17th load of laundry.
A Day Worthy of A Blog
You may have seen my facebook posts, but I figure yesterdays excitement is worthy of a blog post too!! We spent the weekend in Dubuque Iowa for Tom’s Grammy’s 90th birthday –SUCH a fun weekend….more on that in another post when all the babies are healthy!
Friday night/early Saturday morning (like 3 am early), I was up nursing Gracyn and I could hear Micah making this awful wheezing sound when he breathed. I knew I didn’t dare stop nursing Gracyn or she would scream her little head off and wake everyone else, so I nudged Tom to go check on Micah. He picked him up and took him into the bathroom and the poor little guy had spiked a fever and started in on this awful cough. It was seriously a cough I’ve never heard before – I don’t even know how to describe it. Definitely not the dry, hacky cough you sometimes get with a winter cold….this sounded deep and rattly and sometimes almost like the barking that seals do.
He continued off and on with the cough and fever all weekend…..but also had periods where he had no tylenol, no fever and seemed fine. He played at the park, swam in the motel pool and was his usual ornery self…..then he’d start fevering and coughing and snuggle into my lap for a while. When he was still coughing all the way home Monday, I decided I was taking him into the clinic first thing Tuesday morning.
And on our way to the clinic I had a friendly encounter with a very generous State Trooper –who reminded me that I was driving too fast and needed to slow down….thankfully with just a warning. My children on the other hand – not quite so generous! Makenzie reminded me all day yesterday –“mom it’s not good to speed…why were you speeding…did you know you were speeding….you know if you speed you’ll have to give the cop all your money…and on and on and on she went ALL DAY. Micah man so kindly told EVERYONE at the doctors office, “my mommy speeded and the cop made us stop.” Love them!
We made it to the clinic….5 minutes late! 
And in case that wasn’t enough excitement for 1 day – Tom called me as I was driving to the ER (keep in mind it’s literally 3 blocks from our house!) to say that Makenzie was throwing up. (Thankfully that was all over and she was sleeping soundly by the time I got home with Micah!) Gracyn went along with me to the ER so I could feed her when necessary – and thankfully my wonderful mama met us there a short time later and helped me care for both kiddos. Seriously I don’t know what we’d do without grandparents around!!
At the ER, they drew his blood to test for pertussis (whooping cough), gave him 2 breathing treatments (the albuterol one didn’t phase the coughing but turned him into his naughty self for a few minutes and he was swatting at me and trying to escape our little ER room….thankfully that wore off pretty quickly!), gave him a rocephin shot in the leg (OUCH!!), took 2 chest x-rays to make sure he hadn’t swallowed something that was irritating his airway and 4 hours later sent us home with steroids to take for the next 4 days. He did sleep pretty well after we got home, so I’m hopeful he’s on the mend!
Makenzie has a bit of a cough today (she’d like to think it’s MUCH worse than it is
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Update courtesy of my new bffs: Iphone & Instagram
I have a new love in my life….my iPhone….and the camera on my phone! It’s definitely not my Canon camera (another love), but SUCH an improvement over my last phone camera!
Warning before you start scrolling—the captions are all sorts of messed up…..but you can probably figure out which caption goes with which picture. For some reason auto format is killing me tonight--it keeps moving my captions around.
Seriously, how adorable is this girl!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it when these two get along! Makenzie was “reading” to Micah!
Swimming in the backyard!
Biking in Breckenridge –4 adults + 3 kids (one on a tagalong, one on a “wee-hoo” and one in a trailer. We looked a little like a traveling circus….but this little circus made it nearly 10 miles round trip!!
Love these two—and iPads…seriously, what did we do without them!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
3 Months!
We had Miss Gracyn’s 3 month pictures taken this week….only 10 days after her 3 month birthday…..because with three kids, that’s how we roll….late.for.EVERYTHING! 
Anyway – click here for a sneak peak at my sweet girl!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Faith and Family: Memorizing Scripture with the Little Ones
A dear friend and I were talking a few weeks back about fostering our children’s faith, and one of the specifics we talked about was helping our kiddos memorize Scripture. I’m obviously not any sort of expert on this….but we’re working on it and I’ve found a couple of super great resources to help me! If you’re interested, here’s what we’re doing (as in my kids and I):
1. Step Into the Bible -- I started this book with Makenzie before Micah was really old enough to do any memorizing. It’s a GREAT book –it has short 10 minute or less Bible stories and a Bible verse to memorize with each lesson. The really great part—the Bible verse stays the same for 5 lessons, so it gives you several days to really get the verse memorized! Makenzie soaks this book up and even asks to do devotions in the mornings –and she’s done a great job of “keeping” her verses memorized! Each morning we do a devotion, I’ll have her go through the verses she has previously memorized and usually if I give her the first word or two, she can take off and recite the whole thing.
2. Another friend recently introduced me to Teaching Children Memory Verses –this is WAY more Micah style than the previous book. My little man has the attention span of a mosquito…or maybe of a 2 year old boy! 
I think my biggest struggle in all of this is that I want it to be grand and elaborate and perfect…..and well, 2 and 4 year olds just don’t go for this! We’re talking a maximum 5 minutes of good attention. But here’s what I love –God is faithful! God made my kids with that 5 minute attention span—and He also made them more than capable of soaking up His word in that timeframe!
The other struggle is time – 3 days a week we’re racing to get out the door to work and daycare and sometimes that means mom’s yelling at everyone to put their shoes on for the 17th time instead of sitting down to read a devotion or go through a Bible verse. As much as I wish this wasn’t the case, I think it’s just life….if it wasn’t work and daycare it would be something else….one more year and we’ll be racing off to Kindergarten in the mornings. (Man that’s hard to actually type out….I’m definitely not ready for that!) The 2nd book is great for this –just this week, I gave the kids a coloring sheet at 7:45 am, we talked about the verse while I fed Gracyn and they colored, loaded up at 8:00 and practiced the verse as we drove to daycare. They weren’t fighting, I wasn’t crabbing—and they LOVED it! Both kids insisted on taking their coloring sheets to Trinity to show their friends and teachers. I’m thinking “Memory Verse Mondays” are going to become a regular occurrence at our house because I’d much rather have my kids going out the door with a verse in their head than a replay of me telling them to put their shoes on/brush their teeth/ stop fighting etc. etc.
Moms - I’d love to hear your ideas—how do you do Scripture with your kids??
Friday, July 13, 2012
Quick 5
1. Life is BUSY! Probably you already know that….but seriously….its busy! I find myself having to work really hard to not get overwhelmed by my “to do” list. And I can’t tell you how many times in a day I wish I could just spend it playing with kids and that somehow the laundry, dishes, cooking, work etc. would just take care of itself. Maybe I need to hire a “mom” to do all the house stuff so I can just do the fun mom stuff! 
2. And because we don’t have enough going already, we decided to add building a house to our “to do” list. This is super exciting and super terrifying all at once! Thankfully, we’re giving ourselves lots of time –we met with the guy who is drawing our house plans last night and I can’t wait to have a preliminary picture of the house! I took him 2 house plans I had found and literally said, I want the main story of this house and the 2nd story of this house, except I want the garage moved and the kitchen bigger and I’d like a built in pantry, oh and while you’re at it, can we put in a built in desk and lockers for all the kids. And if he can do all this and make the house look good, I’m going to think he’s a miracle worker! Right now our plan is to start building in the spring, but there are lots of variables in that, so we’ll see.
3. Makenzie came home with a note from Trinity this week that said, “Its so nice to have one child who listens the first time. Keep up the good work.” Proud mommy moment!! (But oh how I wish she listened this well at home!
4. Micah has picked up a new favorite phrase, “why because?” I can’t tell him ANYTHING without hearing “why because?” And even though it drives me CRAZY, he’s just so stinkin’ cute, that it makes me smile every time.
5. Gracyn is pretty close to perfect—she smiles and laughs and tolerates her brother and sister’s “love” so well! She needs to start making friends with her daddy and grandparents though –she’s in a “cling to mommy” phase and screams when anyone else tries to hold her.
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