encouraging words

Sometimes one feels that they are missing out on something in life. They feel that if they could just do this, or be that, or go there, then they would be happy. If they could just change the way they look, or the way they act then they would be happy. Is this true? Would they be happy? Or, once they achieved whatever it is, would they just look on to the "next" thing that they wanted?

I recently looked up the word happy in the 1828 Webster's Dictionary:

Happy-Being in the enjoyment of agreeable sensations from the possession of good; enjoying pleasure from the gratification of appetites or desires. The pleasurable sensations derived from the gratification of sensual appetites render a person temporarily happy; but he only can be esteemed really and permanently happy, who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God. To be in any degree happy, we must be free from pain both of body and of mind; to be very happy, we must be in the enjoyment of lively sensations of pleasure, either of body or mind.
Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. Gen.30.
He found himself happiest, in communicating happiness to others.

I loved this..."he can only be esteemed really and permanently happy, who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God"...

Wow. What a reminder of where our true happiness should lie. Where our happiness should come from.

We should not find our happiness in how "good" at our life we are.

We should not strive to be like this person, or look like her, or be that kind of wife. (Don't get me wrong, we definately need to pray and seek out ways to be the very best we can at all of our jobs as wives and mothers. But not consuming ourselves with what we aren't...what we don't have...what we feel we may never be.) We need to find our joy and contentment in the Lord. We need to be satisfied with this season of our life. We need to revel in it and never take one moment forgranted.

For like a mentor of mine said, "Be aware of the season you are in. Love it! Enjoy it! For you will only ever have it once."
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Thank you Tara, and thank you to my dear Husband, for your encouraging words~

small joys...

today~ things that made me smile, made me have a swell of happiness in my heart...

Nursing my baby Emma in her dim room. Fan blowing. Rocking in the rocker. Admiring her blond curls.

Olivia and I quietly watching a green lizard hop from rung to rung across my deck banister.

Measuring with a precious little lamb that my mom gave me.

Feeling Elijah wrap his arm around my leg while I am busily cleaning in the kitchen. He wanted to be close...

Ethan smiling up at me asking for "Just me and mommy time"...

Thank you Lord for these priceless gifts today...

Strawberries

This weekend we went to a strawberry farm and picked our first fresh produce of the season. A true delight. My Sister and her kids, my mom, myself and my four children, headed off to Baker, Fl. It was about an hours drive, on a cool overcast March morning.

The grass was high around the strawberry plants.

Sometimes I thought the kids would get lost in it all.

They loved the freedom of being able to run up and down the lanes.

The kids had a wonderful time. We picked a flat worth of strawberries. 17.5 lbs.

It was a lot of work but a lot of fun.

As a reward for all of our efforts, we enjoyed a yummy strawberry frozen yogurt!

Such a mem... :)

Little Blue

This is my newest knitting project. I do not have a lot of time to knit but when I do it makes me so happy. I love to knit for my children most of all. When I knit I think of the scripture in the bible that says the Lord knit us together in our mother's womb. He must like knitting too! :)

This is the start of a blanket for Elijah. I have one going for Emma (pictures to come later), and I am enjoying it so much I decided to make one for Elijah. He loves blue.

I am weird in the fact that I name my knitting projects.

So, without further ado...

Meet "Little Blue"

(In honor of Elijah-the sweetest little three year old in the whole wide world!)

Mommy loves you!

my silent prayer...

"Life happened today during school. I tried to smile but I frowned. I tried to speak kindly but I snapped. I reacted to situations when I should have responded. Lord, help me be stronger, sweeter, and calmer next time. Protect my little Lambs' hearts and spirits from their floundering sheep mama..."

PB&J

The weather is becoming springlike here in Florida. It is a joy and something to be delighted in before it gets unbearably hot! So today we decided to eat lunch on the back porch. It was the first time Emma had eaten Peanut Butter and Jelly! She loved it!!!

Olivia and Elijah enjoyed their lunch under a fort...

Emma in her high chair...

Elijah deep in thought...

My girls...
There is no greater joy than my children. I love having them around me all day. I love eating lunch with them and hearing all the sweet things they have to say...

Sweet Ethan and I had our sandwiches on the swing...He's such a heartbeat!

It happened again...

Today when I was driving to the gym, with all four children in the van with me, I had that feeling again. The split second panic that someone was missing, or left behind, or something. I have not had that feeling since December 2009 when Elijah was 15 months old. I was desiring to have another baby at that point. My husband, and I, and three children (at that point) were entering Trinitas on a cold December evening to watch our neice and nephew perform at a school function. It surprised me just as much then as it did today.

That feeling was a little more unexpected today, because I feel unready for another baby at this point in my life. I want the Lord to be in charge though, not me.

We have a plan, but Lord have your way :)

Teach me to understand my children...

~to patiently listen and answer all questions as best I can.

~to treat them with respect and dignity that I expect from them.

~to discipline them at the right times and for the right reasons.

~to always temper this discipline with love.

~to remember, at all times, that they are children.

~to give them the room and support they need to grow.

~to answer "yes" to all reasonable requests.

~to say "no" -even if it hurts- when it's in their best interest.

~to be a fitting model that they can both love and respect.

morning run

Recently my husband and I got a family membership at the YMCA. It has been a wonderful thing. The kids love to play with the other children in the kidzone, and Mrs. Wendy. I have been working out for four weeks now and already feel stronger. I am working out three days a week. Matt and I always work out together.:)Today when we were ready to do our cardio exercise, all the machines were full. So I said why don't we go for a jog outside downtown. It was so wonderful. Not only did I surprise myself on how far I could run, but I got to share it with my best friend who was encouraging me and making me laugh all the while. It was the first of many runs for us, and for that I am grateful!

Emma Turns one!

On February 16 baby Emma turned one. She has been such an amazing baby! Easy, fun, cuddly, great eater, loves to play with her brothers and sister. She captures my heart with her sweet smile and her little blonde curls.

Mom made her dress especially for her birthday. She is making one like it for Olivia. :)

I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. She was born with a boxer nose as I call it...all smooshed in. She was hammy @ 8.4 oz. and had a beautiful dark head of hair. She was born at 11:36 am just like her daddy was.

Emma Raine is my fourth baby. The first time I nursed her after she was born I got tears in my eyes and looked up at my husband as I sat in the hospital bed. It is so beautiful to have and raise children.

Happy Birthday my Darling!

I love you!

~Mommy

sew day

Today I spent the day sewing with my mom. She helped me get Ethan's world quilt put together so I could start hand quilting it. I cut out Emma's little spring outfit that she will wear when the weather turns springy. It was a marvelous day. Alison came over with her kids and the cousins spent the whole day playing out in the yard. It was a beautiful cool day! We made a mem....

It has been a while since I have written anything. I have been so busy with life. Which is a good thing. Tomorrow is valentine's day and Wednesday Emma turns 1! This past year has flown by. I am in awe at the life I lead sometimes. Day in and day out I get up and do all my daily jobs, so often feeling overwhelmed by everything that I have to do. But the point, is that I am living a beautiful life. I have a wonderful family. I serve a wonderful and amazing God. I get to spend everyday with my sweet gifts from Heaven, raising them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I do not want to take one moment forgranted. I do not want to wish the time to go by faster. I do not want to feel stressed by all the things I have to do and miss out on the special moments that pass by so quickly.

Song and dance

I found myself in the middle of a parade today. A parade in the middle of my living room. The music was Geography Songs (Central Africa Republic). Olivia (7), Ethan(5), and Elijah(3) were marching to the tunes of the song and playing as many instruments as they could hold at one time. They even got Emma(10mo.) in on the fun of it...taking turns pushing her around the room in her high chair in line with the rest of us as she was enjoying a snack of cut cherries and cheerios. In the middle of starting a load of laundry and putting some folded clothes away, one of the children handed me a tambourine and I joined in the fun: dancing and singing around my living room. I was in comfy clothes, without makeup on. We had taken a small break from school work. Everyone was so happy and having so much fun.

For a brief moment I was taken back to when I was around 18 or 19 years old. I was in love with my boyfriend (soon to be husband). I wondered what my life would be like 10 years from that point. And now here I was. Fast forwarded to the present. Was this what I expected? Is this were any of my friends are at this point in their lives? I would have to say no to both of the above. I did not know what to expect when Matt and I started our lives together. I knew I wanted a large family, but talking about it and actually living it and creating it day by day is another story. In that moment of marching, singing, African lyrics, kiddy instruments, dancing, and laughing, I knew that this was it! This was my destiny. It's simple and seemingly insignificant to so many in the world these days, but for me it's perfect. It's my calling. My purpose. I am a mother. And there is no greater joy...

imaginative play

If you were to give my children the choice of sitting down and playing with "toys", or going outside and making up all kinds of fun made-up scenarios...guess which one they would choose. We live in Florida, so most of the year the kids can play outside (except for when it is scorching hot in the summer time). Yesterday, I had just lain the baby down for her nap and I went outside with the kids. They were having the best time playing cowboys and cowgirl. There pretend names were Daisy, Dan and Denny. In there minds they were in the middle of the wild west ridding the world of all the nasty bandits. So cute. I love that they can play together so well and have fun in the great outdoors. Encourage your kids to go outside, run and play and use their imagination...it is wonderful to see what they will come up with. :)

I have to brag...

I spent the last days of 2010 and the beginning days of 2011 in my bed, alone, sick with a horrible case of strep throat. Most mothers hate getting sick because they know that there house is going to fall apart at the seams without them. Now I'm sure there are other husbands/Daddy's out there that are good in the "house Husband" arena, but I personally think mine is the best. There was not one thing in this house that Matt did not do with love and devotion while I was sick. He did a better job than I did! The laundry was done daily, the dishes were cleaned and put away after every meal. The toys were tidied regularly. The children were loved on and made to feel important, even in the midst of keeping up a busy household. He shined in the most beautiful sense of the word! He makes me so proud everyday when he goes off to work and excels in his arena of Realtor/Investor...but to see him come on my turf, in my domain, and take care of everyone and everything the way he did, brings tears to my eyes. He is wonderful, and I am honored to call him my Husband.