Foto Friday~ entertaining boys

 Whatever would keep boys gathered at a fence...

 for sooooo very long?

 THIS!!

It is sure to make a boys day complete!

Happy Weekend!

Foto Friday~To my Daddy...

Tomorrow is my daddy's birthday.  He choose me!  He married my mom when I was 2 and I am SO thankful God brought us together!  I don't remember life without him but he could have chosen life without me.  I am so grateful for him loving me as his own!  The way he loves my children and his concern for them, is such a reflection of Christ!  I am so very blessed! 

Thank you, Daddy, for believing in me, choosing me and loving me better than any daddy ever could!

You are a blessing and I love you!

Happy Birthday!

Trials

Trials can...

• Destroy us
• weaken us
• leave us desperate and alone
• leave us feeling sorry for ourselves
• seclude us
• depress us

OR

Trials can...

• refine us
• strengthen us
• break us of our selfishness
• help us look to others
• make us able to seek those to support us
• lift us up to the only who has the strength to carry us

It is not fun to go through trials.  (We have had our share lately!)  It is what we do with our trials that leads to what the outcome will be.  We can sit and pout and complain to God (believe me, I have done that!) or we can continually remind ourselves what the bible says and know that it IS truth! 

When we are truly desperate, we hopefully will learn what God is trying to teach us...we CANNOT do ANYTHING without Him!  When we give all of our brokenness to Him and surrender it and lay it at His feet, He can then pick up the pieces and do what He desires.  I did this but it was after MUCH kicking and screaming!  I would like to say that I have taken everything in stride and just watched with a trusting heart, everything unfold.  Not so!  I had some pity parties and times of just plain UGLY moments of flesh!  I have reacted in ways to my children and husband that I am not proud of!  I had to come to a place that I knew my own idea's were NOT working!  I finally came to the point that all of my resources were totally gone!  I had no more answers and I was weary of doing it on my own.  I have always desired to be a living sacrifice and I really began praying that months ago.  Little did I know that the path to that would mean giving it ALL up to Him!  I thought I was okay with that! But little by little, God began to show me of my pride and selfishness and weed out the things that were getting in the way of a true living-sacrifice to Him.  Painful, yes!  However, I am free now!  Brokenness and surrender led me to a place of humility and exposure.  I can say that there is NOT one thing in my life that I care if it is exposed!  To God or to anyone!  I have nothing  more to hide, nothing to defend, nothing to do but give my life to Him.  He has taken it all!  Does that mean I am perfect and the refining process won't continue?  Absolutely not!  But I am determined through Christ, that I will be broken before Him and continue to see His face and heart. 

Christ died for us!  He took ALL of our sin and brokenness and hung it on the cross!  It is not for us to carry!  He never intends for us to.  It is our choice what we do with the trials that surround us.  Allow Him to carry it or try to carry it ourselves.  I have done both!  I give you my word, it is best to give it to Him to carry!  Try it, you won't be let down!  Rest in Him and He will carry you!

Psalm 73:28

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;



Month in review With Pictures

This is what the kitchen in the home we are living in looked like BEFORE we moved in...

No pictures of the living room before but here is the after 

 We are now settled in and enjoying it so much

This is the after...

It was a TOTAL reconstruction!

 Birthday's were celebrated

 First-time piggie tails

 Big brother shares his hat

 Big sister shares her lap

 Unusually warm winter hike

playtime with trains

puppy is weary after keeping up with all the boys

Reading books

One more Baby and puppy picture

I could not resist!

It has been a month of transitions in so many ways!

We have been stretched and pulled in so many ways.

We are learning to continually lean on the Everlasting arms of our loving Savior!

More focusing on day to day and learning what our new normal might be.

Not sure what that is yet, and if there even is a "normal" but we will be sure to allow God's plan for our lives be fullfilled!  I don't want it any other way!

We are reminded that He who has begun a good work in us, will be faithful to complete it!

Big bro...little sis

These are my two bookends

They are both beginning their lives but in different ways

Both learning independancy and freedom in new ways

There is a bond with them

Big brother walks in the room he reaches for little sister with a smile on his face.

Little sister reaches for big brother with a HUGE grin on her face.

It is a bitter-sweet time in motherhood

Wanting to hold on to both as tight as I can

Also knowing that in letting go,

 they can truly find themselves and who they are going to be in Christ.

I have the best of both worlds!

An adult "child" AND a baby "child" in my home

I wonder what the future holds for them?

Love is...

                                                                                                                                                        

reading the same book over and over and over

tucking kids in for the night when you are weary and ready to end YOUR day but know you can't for many hours yet

making meals day in and day out

not going on a date because a sick child wants to lay on your lap

practicing cursive with your 9 year old instead of having that morning cup of coffee

driving to music lessons many times a week

hugs from 18 year old

hugs from 2 year olds

prayer time with your girls

sweeping for the upteenth time

washing clothes AGAIN

folding clothes AGAIN

giving baths

teaching little ones how to make their bed

giving until it hurts expecting NOTHING in return!

Being a mom!

I am SO honored to be a mom and my kids are the best love gift I could ever have!

It is a life of sacrifice but ohhhhhh so worth it!

Happy Valentines Day!

Have you ever?

Been SO overwhelmed with so many different emotions that you just get in your car and drive?

Alone...

Not even a cell phone to demand your time

No voices demanding your attention when really all you need is to listen...

listen to that one voice...

Sometimes I wonder where that voice is

All my frustration, sadness, desperateness, failures and fears come to the surface and I feel surrounded by confusion

It is in those times that I remember He is there but I need to call on Him

The peace comes and I remember I am to give it ALL to Him

Yes, I did drive...
alone...

I called on Him

Talked to Him

Cried out to Him

It worked

I am learning

Not easy for me to take the time to be alone

Sometimes I just need to remember to be still so I can listen

Do you?

Foto Friday~Boys at work

We have had SO many things to put together since our move!
For boys (and Moms) that is a good thing!
Don't ya love the tongue action!
(it shows GREAT concentration!)

It might have taken a little longer,

but it was all worth it!

For a time, they worked together and showed amazing abilities using screwdrivers!

Now if I can just keep them from taking it apart!

Have a great weekend!