Names in Cement.... Making it Official

The thirty final days are passing by. Some days they fly by as we hear of progress and the completion of the house seems just a bit closer.

Other days, the rainy ones when we know nothing major can be completed at the house, are longer. It seems like this final mile to the finish line of this LONG run is extra LONG!

But they are only days, there is no rush... just a chance to rejoice in each completed task and be thankful for the situation we find ourselves! I least that is what I keep telling myself:)

It felt a little more official last weekend. We planned to go to get some yard work completed... remove some brush and limbs laying around while we have a HUGE dumpster sitting on the property:)

When we arrived they were smoothing over the cement under our carport:) And were very willing for us to leave our "marks":) So each child had a chance to draw their names in the drying cement!

Nate made the line... I wrote his name:) just in case you wondered;)

More Wordless Wednesday at  NapTime MomTog, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Mama to 4 Blessings, Go Graham Go

and Live and Love...Out Loud !!!

The Home Coming

I already shared a bit about us finally finding our curious little kitty. After not seeing her for at least 2 or 3 days we figured she had run off and found another family... at least we were hoping it was another loving family and not some danger!!

So you can imagine our surprise Thursday morning, hearing her "meow" as we called her name. Us looking around us to realize that she was in the ceiling of the carport!!!! Yes the ceiling!!

Thankfully when we got into the storage shed that has the opening into the ceiling, we saw her waiting for us;)

Little Lydia just kept looking around in the storage shed saying, "I just don't know how she got up there!"

Neither did I, but somehow our now adventurous, curious, wandering kitty DID.

Just after 8:00 am I am outside pulling out a ladder to "rescue" the kitty, who might have been up there for 2 or 3 days now. After some quick reunion snuggles with Lydia, Coller immediately went to eat and drink... poor thing!!

Even Daisy was glad to see her sister;)

The strangest thing was that Lydia had been saying that she heard Coller's cries. I would listen and not hear anything! I really did begin to think it was some wishful thinking on Lydia's part. You can imagine my own surprise when I heard her so clearly and so near us;)

A very sweet home coming;)

Speaking of homes.... I'd had a couple ask about our home....

This is what it looked like last Thursday... and again this Thursday...

I'm in a season of learning patience... once more!!

I thought this verse I read for my class this week said it well!!

 This vision is for a future time.
      It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
   If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
      for it will surely take place.
      It will not be delayed.
Habbakuk 2:3

I need to learn more patience and to be content in the waiting...

or learn to lay a foundation myself!! LOL!!

At the Store, In the Fields

I often hear "Oh, you must keep really BUSY!" at the grocery store... They see the cart, the kids and they MUST make the comment:)Of course I usually try to say something sweet and then attempt to remember what I was supposed to be picking up next amidst the kid-antics!!

But the other day at the grocery store, as I was pushing one of those HORRIBLE kiddie karts (they talked me into it and I fell for it!!), I stepped back from the scene and was just in awe that those crazy, loud kids crawling all over the kiddie kart were MY KIDS!!! AHHHHH:) And I understood why I get the "oh you must stay really BUSY" comment so much:)

I had to snap a pic (out in the parking lot)...
one day I'll laugh...
one day!!*

Love Chris crawling out the front.
Anna holding some random box.
And Nate who has LOST his pants:)

On this outing I had planned the quick grocery stop
and then to the berry patch.
Being outside seems to ease the BUSYness feeling.... sometimes;)

Ok, 3 out of 4 isn't too bad;)

Out in the field they got to work;)
Anna picking...

Nate eating... didn't see where he got his???

Chris eating, too!

Hmmmm, and Lydia??
She needed to go to the bathroom :/
Yep,told me in the middle of the field & hadn't even picked a berry yet!!

Oh yes!! We stay BUSY...

But it's good;) They have taught me soo much about serving, humility, patience, gratitude, forgiveness, patience, love, laughter, and being a child.

I"m thankful God has allowed me to be BUSY being their "MOMMMY!!!"

Off to the Doctors will ALL 3!!!

This AM we have a well doctor's appointments for both Lydia and Christopher.... I've rescheduled it plenty to plan for Brian to come with me.... it gets busy with all three in the room with the doctor....LOL

ANyway, Brian isn't able to come with me today..... so we'll see how it goes. I've been talking it up with Lydia and Christopher BIG time. Pretending to look in their eyes, ears and mouth like the doctor would. Or having them respond politely when the doctor or nurse asks to get their weight, height or lay down on the table.....

I personally depise going to the doctor. So maybe the kids get it from me??? Anyway, this morning I'm praying for wisdom, flexibility and patience with the kids as we head to our appointment!!

Our Patience Verse

Although I thought I'm a very PATIENT person... I am NOT!

I was thankful that I learned this BEFORE I had kids.... where did I learn my fault??? When I was a substitute teacher. Each day I would walk into a class that was not my own, look at a bunch of kids that I did NOT know and attempt to teach them something:) I'm not sure how many classrooms I was in but more often then not... I found many rotten kids that tested my patience BIG time!!!

And now as a mom my patience is tested daily!! But I have a choice to make in my parenting and walk with Christ. Am I going to be patient and reflect Christ or am I going to get upset and loose it???

Unfortunately, many times I have made the wrong choice and I've had to apologize to my kids !! In fact, Anna now knows that I DON'T want to yell so she'll say to me, "Mommy, you need to say sorry to me because you used a mean voice." Ahhh, the corrections of a child... so needed and hard to take sometimes:)

The kids and I have been discussing and memorizing verses corresponding with the "fruit of the spirit" listed in Galations 5:22!! Last week our topic was patience. The verse I finally chose for us to memorize has really encouraged me this week.....

"Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's
faults because of your love." Eph 4:2b (Living Bible translation)

WOW! I need to be patient NOT because my kids are perfect but because they are imperfect and are going to do wrong and behave badly sometimes. I need to be patient because I LOVE them and others!

I hopes this helps you as much as it encourages me!

Long Awaited Child

Every year I seem to gravitate to one piece or person of the Christmas story. The year before last I was VERY pregnant with Lydia and I remember thinking over and over how challenging the trip to Bethlehem must have been for Mary. Mary would have been VERY, VERY pregnant with Jesus to have given birth so soon after their arrival in Bethlehem. Just the aches and pains would have made the 100 mile trip on foot or donkey very uncomfortable! But Old Testament Scripture was fulfilled....


This year has been a little different for me. For many months now we have been hoping to get pregnant and expand our little family (my husband has been praying for twins for years....LOL.. seriously!!!). But month after month, we've been disappointed.


I know people and have read plenty of stories about couples that deal with inferility for years so I don't want to make light of their years of disappointment. But we've never had this before. We had a very few months of waiting when we got pregnant with both Anna and Christopher. And Lydia was our "surprise" baby... we found out we were pregnant with her while Christopher was 5 months old; he was not even sitting up yet!!



So this is new for us.



While practicing for the Christmas Canata, I was listening and singing the classic hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus!! At first I just sang along, but then my mind started to mull over the words and my heart started to connect to the Isrealities.


For over 400 years the Isrealities had been expected a "Savior", a promised Messiah, to "set Thy people free"!!! 400 YEARS!!! Isreal had been waiting and watching. Looking for signs of His coming. Looking for a great and mighty leader that would deliver them and establish an amazing kingdom.....



And then came little, baby Jesus. Not quite what they were expecting. But after many, many generations and years..... the Long-Expected Savior came! Here are the words to the hymn:

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free:

From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.

Isreal's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring,

By Thine own eternal spirit Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all-sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

While I would be overjoyed to find out I am expecting. I've realized that everything happens in God's time. So for this time of waiting I need to be faithful to what and who He has already called me to do. I need to be dilligently serving when and where I can and enjoying this special time of just having toddlers/preschoolers.



And while I am NOT pregnant I also have the opportunity to serve my little sister who is. I keep thinking that I'll be a better help to her if I'm not VERY large with pregnancy, too!!

Here is little Lydia pointing to the "baby" in Aunt Jaclyn's tummy today. She just loved showing us where the baby was:) Soo cute!!!


My prayer is that I'll be found faithful in the weeks, months and possibly years that we might have to wait for another child. That I would have a peaceful and quiet heart before the Lord concerning this as I wait; knowing that it's in God's hands. And that I would always be thankful for the 4 blessings that I already have to care for, love and encourage in their relationship (and future relationships) with the Lord.