Pumpkins

We had a great time carving pumpkins this year. Sam's teacher gave us a little "pumpkin prayer" to do along with carving and it was really sweet. It went like this:

When carving the top: "Lord, open my mind to understand your word."

When cleaning out: "Lord, thank you that you cleanse me from my sin."

When carving the eyes: "Lord, help me see you everyday."

When carving the nose: "Lord, please forgive me for the times that I've turned my nose up at the blessings that you have given me."

When carving the mouth:"Help me tell others about your love."

When placing the candle: "Let me be a light for you."

I thought that it was a great way to get the kids to focus on the Thanksgiving season and how God provides for us!

Kindergarten Stuff

Kindergarten is much harder than I thought it would be! We have had some challenges this year, but the Lord is so faithful. Sam really struggled with some behavior issues in the beginning of the year. It was quite humbling (humiliating) for me as a mom. He went to the principal's office. He did things that I just didn't think he would ever do. I had to learn that my identity is not in who Sam is or how he acts. I had to understand that his actions do not dictate if I am a "good" mom or a "bad" mom. I do the best that I can with the wisdom that the Lord gives me and Sam is going to make his own decisions. And, he has to face the consequences of those decisions. There have been ( and will be more ) so many times when I just don't know what to do with Sam. David encourages me that if I am walking with the Lord and ask Him to guide me, He is faithful to do it. If I obey the Lord's guidance, then I have to trust that His wisdom will be effective. James 1:2-8 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. "

Yesterday, Sam received the hugest compliment from two teachers. They said that Sam is the most improved student that they have. That he has grown so much in the last nine weeks and that they have loved watching him grow into someone who's heart is for other people. I am so grateful to the Lord for His faithfulness. It is only by His grace that there is any good in any of us. Philippians 2:13 "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

I never would have appreciated a compliment like this if we hadn't had so many hard days. The good days are so much sweeter when there have been hard ones preceding them. I'm so grateful to be Sam's mom. He is tough kid. He definitely keeps me on my knees. He surely keeps me humble. Someone told me not long ago that in parenting Sam, I do not have the luxury of living far from the Lord. Oh, so true. I am so very desperate for the Lord's wisdom on a daily (hourly) basis when it comes to parenting. He is faithful to be there for me and to guide me.

Lord, help me to depend on you alone for wisdom. Thank you for giving me the amazing privilege of parenting. Help me do it the way you want me to. Help me to not take pride in good things my kids do, but to give the glory to you alone. Help me to not be shamed when they don't act like I want them to, but to pray for them to see the victory that comes with obedience. I trust you. Amen.

Fall Fun

Fall is such a fun time of year. I love waking up to the temperature being in the 50s and feeling the chill in the air. I love being outside with my boys and having picnics. I love just letting them run and be boys. Jacob and I went to Town Greene park and did just that this week. We met up with some friends and rode the trolley to end our day. A perfect fall day!!

Jacob climbing on a wall...

The storybook maze....
Waiting for the trolley...
Can you tell he loves the trolley??
Jacob and Ansley sitting still (rare) on the trolley

Georgia

Sam got to play with David's old Star Wars toys...he was in heaven!!

Movie time in the movie room...I think we may have actually been watching College GameDay
Jacob and Murphy played a lot together. Murphy is a precious, patient dog. :)
Pure joy.

We went to visit our family in Georgia a few weeks ago. It was a whirlwind trip over a weekend and we packed as much as possible into two days! We played putt-putt, we went to Monkey Joe's, we played with toys and Sam went golfing with the men! It was full. We were also very blessed to have Uncle Matt, Aunt Meredith and their dog, Murphy join us! Meredith and I even snuck away for a quick lunch and a little shopping! We look forward to heading that way again during the holidays!

Friday nights

We've started having movie/pizza night on Friday nights! It is something that the boys look so forward to it. The boys make the pizza and we get to watch the movie while eating, which is a big treat! Enjoy the pictures!

Tex

*I have been wanting to write this post for a long time, but I have never been able to finish it.

We had to relieve our sweet friend, Tex, from pain on this earth two months ago. Tex was the best dog any one could have. We got Tex when he was 8 weeks old from the humane society. He was so sweet and cuddly and wonderful. We walked every single day. When I would blow dry my hair, he would bring his ball, drop it at my feet, and I would kick it...and we would do that over and over again until I was done. He was a good puppy. He didn't get into too much trouble, except that he would tear books apart when we left him. I started just leaving phone books out for him to tear up and then he stopped.

Tex taught David and me so much. I tell everyone that he taught us how to be parents. He was the first thing in our lives that really caused us to think beyond ourselves. We had to take care of him, discipline him, love him.

Tex was so great with the boys. He was tender with them from the moment that we brought Sam home. He, of course, woke them up with his barks at times, but he also let them do whatever they wanted to him. They loved to throw the ball with Tex and run with him in the backyard. There were so many times that it felt like a three-ring-circus with the boys and Tex in the backyard, but it was fun and hilarious. Sam adored Tex. Tex was one of Sam's first chores as he fed him every day. The boys used to fight over who was going to let Tex outside in the mornings...all the while, Tex was probably thinking "someone, just let me out!" He was such a good friend to the boys.

Tex was an amazing friend to me. I know it sounds insane, but I don't think I would have made it through my post partum depression if it weren't for Tex. I would sit on the floor and cry and he would just come sit in front of me and let me lay my head on his back. I would cry and cry and he would just sit there. When I was done, he'd just walk away and go lay on his bed. Tex also kept me in shape...we walked together daily and he was fast! He was always happy to see me, no matter what mood I was in or how the day had been. I miss him terribly. I never thought I could love a dog so much.

Watching him get sick was so hard. It was really fast, but really difficult. We don't know exactly what happened, but he stopped eating and could hardly walk. We tried lots of things, but the vet helped us understand that the best way to help him was to give him relief. It was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make.

I'm not sure when the day will come that we don't think or talk about our pup! We miss him, but know that he is running the streets of heaven and we can't wait to see him one day!!

Just Life

Just our little life. in our sweet little home. living it. doing our best. trusting the Lord. following Him. having fun together. loving it.

At Home with Jacob

Jacob and I have been adjusting well to Sam being at school all day, everyday! In fact, I think that Jacob enjoys the time that he has all to himself. We miss Sam terribly, but it has been a sweet time for Jacob and I to have together without the constant sibling dynamics. As soon as Sam gets home from school everyday, the boys play very well together, and I think this is because they are absent from one another and miss one another.

Jacob and I have gotten into a little routine of playtime, painting, music time, clean up time, and outings. He loves, loves, loves to paint. It makes me very thankful for my shark steam mop because it gets all over the floor! We have been painting shapes this week and working on the letter "A".

Jacob is such a fun little guy. He loves to laugh and loves to have fun. If you tell him that he can't do something, he usually looks at you and says "it'd be fun, though." He's a monkey and will climb anything to see how far he can jump. He loves to be watched and to make people laugh. He is super cuddly and and I love that! I have really been enjoying my time at home with this guy!

First Day of Kindergarten

We made it! Sam did so well on his first day. It was kind of a rough start because we got rear-ended on the way to school and then Sam got a paper cut as soon as he sat down. He was such a trooper about all of it and not phased one bit. When we got to school, Sam just walked right in, put his backpack away and found his desk. He had a little "connect-the-dot" assignment and he started working on that. He went and played with some friends as soon as he was done. We had some math and handwriting homework to do over the summer and he was very anxious to give that to his teacher because he worked so hard on it. I let Sam know that I was going to leave, and he told me that he was nervous, but that he would be ok. I couldn't wait til it was time to get him and when it was time, he was all smiles! He had a great day and we are looking forward to a great year!

A Big Day

Dear Sam,

Today is a big day for you! In a few minutes, you will come down the stairs and give your daddy and me a big hug. Then, your brother will follow right after you and we'll have breakfast together. We will then all get ready to take you to kindergarten! I can't believe this day is here. It seems like yesterday that I was holding a little tiny baby boy, asking the Lord to help me mother the way He wanted me to. Before you were born, I read something that said that kids spend half of their time at home during their first five years. We've had a blast these past five years, son! It is really hard for me to swallow that you will be in someone else's care more than you are in mine, but that is going to happen. It is the way it's supposed to be. I wish I could keep you as a little boy forever, but that's not normal. Growing up is, and you are doing so well at it! There are so many things that I want to let you know before you go to kindergarten. We've had these conversations a lot lately. Some of the things I want you to know, I'm not sure you understand, but that's ok.

Your dad and I love you.

You are a smart, wonderful kid.

There is nothing you can do to make us not love you.

Making straight A's is not going to make us love you more.

We want you to do your best.

We pray for you every day.

We pray for you throughout the day.

I am going to miss you (I can't tell you that right now, but I am).

Your brother is going to miss you.

You light up every room you walk into.

You are a great thinker.

You ask important questions...keep doing that.

You don't take something as truth just because someone says it...keep doing that.

You care deeply that people understand truth...keep doing that.

You don't care what people think about you...keep doing that.

It's ok to make mistakes...we will be here for you and will help you through them.

Please don't beat yourself up trying to be perfect...that's not a fun game.

We will always be proud of you.

We will always be here for you.

We will always love you.

We will always want the best for you.

You are very important.

Have fun...please don't be too serious.

Enjoy your friends.

Love learning.

We are so excited for you to start the journey of education! I can't believe it's here, but it is going to be fun. Everything with you is! I love you!

mom

Mazatlan, Mexico

We were so blessed by a wonderful week long vacation as a family in Mazatlan, Mexico! Some dear friends of ours told us about this place. It is so beautiful and so relaxing! We stayed in a house that had three bedrooms (which means the boys each had their own room=better sleeping), a pool in the backyard, a full kitchen, and it was also within a resort. The resort has a private beach and some very fun pools! We spent most of our days like this:

7 a.m. : Mom or Dad and Sam go to get coffee from the resort

7:30 a.m.: eat breakfast

8:30 a.m. Jacob wakes up and eats breakfast

9:00 a.m. head to the beach

11:00 a.m. head to the pool

12:00 p.m. eat lunch at the pool

1:00 p.m. go back to the house and watch movies/rest

2:00 p.m.: David and Sam play golf

3:00 p.m. swim in the backyard

5:00 p.m. cook dinner aka pb&j or quesadillas, or room service

6:00 p.m. eat dinner

6:30 p.m. swim in the backyard

7:30 p.m. make and eat smores

8:00 p.m. movie night/kids crash/off to bed

It was such a fun time!

Some of my favorite things were:

Sam telling me that it is very hard to sleep in another country.

Jacob saying "hola!" to every single person we passed

Watching the boys see iguanas

Being together 24/7...which can be hard at times, but it was more fun than hard

Watching the boys play together

Having nothing to do except play

Some of my not-so-favorite things:

riding in a taxi in Mexico with a two year old...no seatbelts!

wal-mart (but I could say that about anywhere)

the gazillion birds that sang through the night. Sam said that he wished birds were not nocturnal :)

I've said this before on this blog, but I always forget how special it is to spend time just as the four of us. There is something unique about it and I want to try to make sure we do trips like this often! We are so grateful to our friends who shared their favorite place with us!

A blog on the blog

Hello there! I have not blogged in over a month and I just hate that. I love blogging...I love reading blogs and I love getting to look back at our blog to remember little things about our family. The truth is, I just have not had time...or taken the time to blog in awhile. Right after my last blog, I went to Israel for a week, then I got home and wanted to soak in every moment with my boys. David and I then went to New York for a long weekend, David started a new job, our dog was very sick, we were planning for a big week at church before we went on a family vacation...which is where we are as I write. I don´t want to give up on the blog, but I am not sure how frequent the blogs will be for some time. Sam starts kindergarten in the fall, and I am enjoying every moment I can with him before he is in school five days a week. Jacob is in his two´s full-on. They are not terrible, just very, very busy. So, hopefully, I will have many more blogs coming! I am looking forward to blogging about the trip we are on right now.

Just a quick story on that...

We are at the beach in Mexico and I brought kites for the boys to fly. The first day that we did that, it was a big hit. The boys just loved their kites. So, the next day, we went out to do it again. After about 30 seconds, Jacob no longer had any interest in the kite and he threw it at me (see, I told you he is in his twos...). It started to kind of fly away. I started to run. I chased it up a hill (in a bathing suit, mind you) and the kite just kept flying and flying. Finally, the handle got caught in a tree right by the pool. But, there was a spiderman kite in the air and the hotel was setting up for a wedding. I was so worried that spiderman would be in the pictures for the wedding couple. A few minutes later, five hotel workers were standing around staring at the kite and finally got a ladder to get it. But, they didn´t plan very well. Instead of getting the handle, they just pulled the tree branch down and the kite flew away. I cannot tell you how embarrassed I was! Someone came and asked us for our room number and about an hour later, a sweet little man brought us the kite. We are known as the crazy Americans with the spiderman kite. Oh well, it gave them something to talk about for the day! I am just happy that spiderman did not make an appearance at the wedding!

Well, blessing to all who may actually still read this...I hope to do a better job of keeping up soon!

Five!!!

My Darling Sam,

Happy Birthday! I am so proud to be your mom and so thankful that the Lord picked us for each other. You are such a special boy!

This has been a great year for you; you have learned to ride your bike, you've memorized a ton of Scripture, you've learned to read, you've learned how to be a big brother and most importantly, you've asked Jesus to be your Savior. Your dad and I are so blessed by your life.

Sam, you amaze us. You think like someone five times your age and you talk like it, too! You think about other people and how what you do will affect them. You make us laugh by the things that you say to us. You blow us away with your intellect. You love to run and to be around others. And, others love to be around you. You are a joy and a delight.

I can't wait for what this year will bring! I can't wait to live it with you. As much as I am supposed to be your teacher, I constantly learn from you, little boy! I love you!

Happy Birthday!

Mom

Fountains

We have been enjoying the fountains around town lately. Jacob asks to go to them every single day and could stay for hours. He runs, jumps, splashes and laughs the whole time! It is such a delight to watch him have so much fun!

These pictures are from my precious friend, Michele... :)

Sermon on the Mound

Our school had their spring program last night called "Sermon on the Mound." It was a baseball themed play about putting on the full armor of God. The kids did an amazing job! Sam's class opened the play by singing the national anthem and then "Take me out to the ball game." There is something so sweet about watching your kids perform. Sam is getting a little more comfortable on stage now!

Things that make me happy...

the quiet in the mornings before everyone wakes up.

french vanilla creamer.

a blank journal page.

morning hugs from the boys.

hearing the boys laugh together.

a clean kitchen.

parks.

swimming pools.

tired boys.

bed head after naps.

phone conversations with my friends.

text messages from david.

the way the boys get so excited when david comes home from work.

dinner with my little family.

sam saying his memory verses.

jacob trying to repeat everything sam says.

noodle and boo.

pretty flowers.

cuddling.

my family under one roof.

love.

hope.

many more...

Splinters

I have a lot going on in my little life right now. Enough to let my mind get in a spin if I let it. I don't have major stuff, but I have a lot of stuff. Don't we all. David is traveling a lot right now and he is far, far away. Right now he is in an airplane to come home from Australia. Before that he was in Singapore and before that he was in Brazil. I can't explain how much I miss him. How much I tear up whenever the boys do something cute and wish he were here to experience it. Or, how much I really wish he were here when the boys need some serious discipline. We have a wedding that we are in this weekend, I am going to be traveling overseas, we have a vacation planned and we have another Family Promise week coming up. We have t-ball and swim lessons and preschool performances and Sam starts kindergarten in the fall. It's just a lot when I start thinking about it all in its totality. But, I try really hard to just take one day at a time.

Sam got splinters in his feet when we went to the beach last week. So did Wesley. When Michele and I started trying to get them out of the boys, you would have thought that we were torturing them. It was almost comical. And not. It was very, very dramatic. They both had lots of them and we decided that once we got the big ones out, we would just let the little ones get out on their own. After we got back from our trip, Sam prayed every night for his splinters to come out. One day in the car, Sam was talking about his splinters and about how much Ms. Michele and I had to work to get them out. He said, "mom, you know, sometimes if we just ask God to do stuff, it is much easier. He got my splinters out without it even hurting."

I was astonished. That little boy has no idea what a concept that is. That if we just let God do His thing, it is much easier, and often, a lot less painful. I decided while I was at church this morning to just ask God to take all of my little stuff...my splinters...and help me to let Him do His thing. To help me just focus on living a life that glorifies Him and to let Him do the rest. It really is a whole lot easier that way.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

We Went to the Beach

Amanda, Michele and I headed to the beach with our kids last weekend. David is out of town and we all just needed a little time with our kids away from the daily grind. Thankfully, we were blessed by a friend to use their beach house and we had a blast! We just played in the water, played in the sand, watched movies, blew bubbles, and (kind of) slept. It was very low-key and very much needed! I am so thankful for these two friends. They are the kind of friends that you talk to multiple times a day and they know everything about me. They have seen me at my absolute worst and still love me. Life would not be nearly as fun without them in it! I cannot believe that we have known each other for five years! Being a mom is much more fun with these two moms alongside me!

Mommy Life

We have had lots of changes around this house lately! Our sweet Jacob has moved into a big boy bed after learning how to climb out of his crib. David and I painted the room and converted the crib to a bed. Sam was so sweet and helped put big boy toys in Jacob's new room. Jacob has done very, very well with the adjustment. He now stays in his bed til I get him out! He is very proud of his big boy room and likes to spend lots of time in there.

In addition to this, Jacob has also entered his two's full force. He has quite a strong will and is determined to do everything by himself. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard "I did it" in a day, I'd be one rich lady. He likes to do everything from buckling himself in; to opening the door for Tex. He and his big brother gets in lots and lots of arguments over little things throughout the day and I am trying to learn to let them work things out on their own. I really don't want to be the referee mom. Jacob is also very good at throwing. We just need to make sure that it is something that he is supposed to be throwing. He may or may not have thrown an entire loaf of bread across the Cheesecake Factory and hit a lady in the back of the head. Our dear friend told us that he knows that Jacob might really be pushing us right now but it is hilarious to watch. I guess the fact that Jacob is one of the sweetest children I have ever met sugar coats the bad moments. He is just living his second year to the fullest.

I love being a mom to Sam and Jacob. There are days that are extremely difficult, but those days are usually filled with lots of "i love you's" from two of the most precious children I know. I struggle constantly with wanting to be a good mom and never feeling like I can measure up to what defines a good mom. I think that I breathe a thousand prayers a day asking for grace for the moment and wisdom for my actions. I just want to do this well. I only get one shot at it! My favorite scripture right now that I just recall over and over again throughout the day helps me to remember that the Lord gives me grace...in fact, He lets His grace abound in me so that I may abound in every good work that He has prepared for me. I so deeply desire to walk in His grace alone as a mom.

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

A Wonderful Sunday

What a wonderful day we've had! David returned home this morning at 5:00 from being gone in Brazil for a week. We were so happy to see him and got right to "normal" as fast as we could. We went to church, lunch with family and then came home to play outside. Sam has been talking all week about trying to ride his bike on two wheels, so I told him that as soon as Daddy got home, we'd try. We got home from lunch and he was ready! I honestly didn't think that he would do it, but after a couple of times, he just started riding. There is something so very special about seeing your child do something for the first time, especially when they are proud of themselves about it. We rode around our street for a couple of hours (yes, hours), and Jacob followed as best as he could on his little bike. After a little rest, we put the kids in our bike trailer and rode bikes to meet friends for dinner. Now the kids are tucked in their beds and David is so tired from a long trip and a long day! We are thankful for special days like today!