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Encouragement

Do you ever feel like there are way too many decisions to make as parents?   ...

It begins before the child is even born.  What will your pregnancy diet look like?  Will you find out boy/girl?  Midwife or doctor?  Hospital or homebirth?  

Then they're born.  Will you give Baby a pacifier?  Will you let them sleep with you?  Will you "sleep train"?  Will you feed them only organic food?  

As they get bigger and bigger and bigger there are more and more and more decisions...
How will  you discipline?  Will you have them participate in sports?  Public school/Private school/Homeschool... become an unschooler?   T.V.?  If so, how much?  Santa no Santa?  Trick-or-treat? Cook only from scratch?  

Ahh!  The decisions are never ending!  And I only listed a bit.  Heaven forbid you make the wrong "choice" and screw up your kid!  

Well, last night, without this even being the topic of conversation, Jonny gave me a HUGE compliment and encouragement.  We were talking about Eli's presentation topic for class this week (John the Baptist) when Jonny just stopped and told me how good of a mom I am.  He was thankful. He is thankful that I'm teaching the boys to ask to be excused from the table.  He is thankful that I am teaching the boys to do chores and pick up after themselves.  He is thankful I've equipped our six year old son to be able to give a presentation on a biblical topic that most adults wouldn't be able to.  He is thankful that I pour into them every day.  Now, I screw up PLENTY!  I hope I don't sound prideful here.  I want to share how great it is to receive encouragement at just the right time.  I was stewing over these "decisions" & "screwing up my kids" thoughts the last few days and Jonny put all my concerns to rest through his encouraging words.  

"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."   Prov. 12:25

Blogging

I seem to have hit a blogging stunt.   I have so many things on my plate that blogging as slid right of and smashed onto the floor.  (And speaking of smashing into things, I better be careful because it feels like I'm heading straight toward a big wall.)  I'm not sure what the purpose of my blog is anymore.  It began as a platform to share with friends/family recent pictures & stories of our life.  I also found it fun to share some of the things God was teaching me.  Blogging was a fun Mommy outlet for me to process and reflect on my life.  I love to write, but I'm just not into it lately.  Plus the fact that time is not something I have much of, and very little time is allotted for blogging. And another thing- I don't think I'm a good blogger.  I used to occasionally read other blogs and there are some bloggers out there that just do a great job!  I'm afraid I'm sort of a "Plain Jane" boring type.  And then I start analyzing what I've "put out there" for the world to see.  Eek!  How embarrassing!  

So here I am, Plain Jane with little time.  But I'm also a girl of routine, and I feel like I need to keep at it- to write just as much about Zeke as I have written about his brothers.  I love that we can record & capture moments from our life so easily.  Years from now when our boys are men it will be so sweet to look back at video or read silly stories.  I guess when I look back and see a drop off in blog posts, I'll remember- oh that was when I started homeschooling and being a tutor for Noah's class and Zeke & Siah were babies and Eli & Noah were starting sports and I was doing part-time childcare and I was the Sunday School teacher for Noah's class and I couldn't read more than three stories in a row to the boys without falling asleep and my email inbox had 78 emails to be sorted through and my house was always a mess and I'd go to bed way too late and my last prayer of the day would be "Oh Lord, give me strength.  I need Your help." and my neck would get kinked from sleeping in weird positions because my bed was full of boys and ... blah blah blah.  

They say I'll miss it.  Probably so.  :)  I won't miss the crunch for time.  Last weekend I got up early to get to Eugene by 8:30 with three little boys so we could do the Race for the Cure in celebration of our beloved neighbor.  I was missing my cherished church time, (especially so since I only get to go every other week) I was loosing sleep, I was paying for gas, etc, etc,- it took effort and planning to get packed and out the door.  Well, it was a bit of a disaster.  Pouring rain, cold boys, a soaking wet Noah.... we didn't even finish the walk.  I was back in the car by 10:30 (which was not a fun trek).  I had to cancel plans to see dear friends in Eugene.  On the way home I was just so disappointed.  (Well, after I got lost and had to call my sister to guide me to the freeway!)  Why would God allow me to waste so much of my time when every half hour is so important.  I missed church!  I stayed up late packing!  I got up early!  I used gas money!  I missed out on seeing friends!  A whole morning wasted?  Well, not exactly.  My neighbor was blessed that we showed up to support her.  I got some exercise!  I got to have quiet prayer time on the way home.  I got to see six teenage boys clean my kitchen when I walked in the door.  I got to take a TWO HOUR NAP after lunch.  Sometimes bad memories turn into funny memories after some time has passed.  Sometimes God gives allows us to experience frustrating situations in order to provide opportunities to respond in a way that glorifies Him... or in a way that ruins our attitude, mood & day.  I pray I can show my boys the better example.

So with my business and with my lack of time.... I may not blog much.  I may even get frustrated with serious things or even trivial things.  But I will trust God with each day and ask Him to orchestrate my agenda- to give me the strength to accomplish His goals for my life.  And I will ask Him to fill me with the Spirit and equip me with His armor so that I am able to withstand the whiles of the enemy and that godly fruit will be poured into my children and my home.

I really hope to get some more recent video/pics up soon, but for now here are Zeke's 10mo pics from a week and a half ago.  

Oh so worth it!  Look at that face! 

Giving Gratitude to God

I am thankful for:

• the fact that I remembered to do this!
• Quiet evenings.
• A busy schedule- full life!
• Sweet times in God's Word
• My boys liking our homeschool program.
• The oppurtunity to homeschool.
• Strength to press on.
• New mercies every morning.
• Husband who works hard.
• Husband who tells me I'm a super-hero :)
• Zeke's cute teeth coming in.
• Zeke being super attached to Mama (I know it won't last long!)
• Happy little attitudes from my boys.
• A clean house.
• Food in the pantry.
• New recipies.
• Good friends.
• Good conversations.
• Sleep.
• Extra sleep.
• Beautiful fall leaves.
• Hot tea.
• God's soverignty.
• When Eli & Noah GET ALONG!!!
• Sweet, precious Siah.  (Oh Lord, please let him stay super sweet!)
• A new friend.
• Extra hands.
• Laughter.
• Warm blankets.
• Granola & yogurt.
• Hot baths.
• That God is good, He does good and He works all things for the good of those who love him & are called according to His purposes.  :)

Eli's birthday

Six years ago he woke me up at six in the morning.  Today he woke me up at six in the morning.  Then, it was tightening tummy muscles that woke me up- the beginning of a very long and exhausting day.  Today, it was the birthday boy's warm body climbing into my bed, cuddling up nice and cozy under the covers- the beginning of a very long and exhausting day.  That night, as I held him in my arms, memorizing his face, I knew my heart was captured but didn't quite know what to expect from the journey before us.  Tonight I feel like its the end of an era with him.  His baby chub is gone; his face has thinned out.  He's so independent, so capable... such a big boy.  Tonight I held him in my arms again, looking into that sweet face that I know so well, and I pray that the next five years are as sweet as the first five have been.

 How did this...

 become this!?

******
Here are some pics from today- celebrating the day the Lord gave me my first son:

Bean bag birthday gift from brothers.

Nerf cake!

Zeke wouldn't let me set him down while I was preparing for the party- then he konked out!

Team Dominators!  Ready to battle!!

Nerf Party food:  Cheesy Bombs, Carrot Darts, Olive Bullets, Bullseye Treats, & Warrior Juice!

Party bags for our friends (couple families) filled with Nerf Guns we collected at garage sales over the summer.

Buddies.

My handsome boy.

Team Beavers!  They had SO MUCH FUN!  I had to ask them to come eat cake!!

9 mos!

Little Zekers turned 9mos old today!  He's as chubby as ever, says Mama a lot (which, of course, I LOVE), army crawls, has four teeth (and two more super close to cutting through), sleeps a lot better, likes balls, rolls around, puts everything in his mouth, loves bananas and graham crackers, babbles & splashes in the bathtub.Today he pulled himself up in the bathtub!   .... but then he fell backwards while I was trying to get a picture & he swallowed some water- it was pretty scary and sad.  :(

The little(est) brother

My little sweetheart!  Look at this face!!!  Muuuuaaah!  I can't get enough.  He's super cute, super sweet and sleeping MUCH better!  He has three teeth, and scoots around.  No crawling yet.  Kinda squeaky.  Zeker the squeaker.  :)  He also twists his hands around a lot- its so funny.  Very easy.  Loves his Mama.  Laughs lots for brothers.