Making Memories

We've had a long week! We were all discombobulated because Brian and I moved out of our room and in with Emily and Kelli because we had some work to do to our room (before and after photos to come soon!). So we've been up late, not sleeping well and then I unexpectedly became the speaker for our moms group this week because the scheduled speaker had an emergency appendectomy, the kids didn't have school Friday, which was also Andrew's birthday, we promised him we would watch The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe with them (2hr and 15 min long and we started at 815), today was Andrew's first basketball game, Grandparents came for the game and then over for brunch and cake, then Brian left for the evening to go to the Bulls game and I am on the worship team at church tomorrow and teach Sunday School. Yikes! I have to admit, all day, I have been looking forward to 730. I could put the kids to bed, and relax, in the quiet, all by myself. I ordered a pizza for me and the kids tonight. We got really silly at dinner, we were laughing SO hard! I had the blinds open in the dining room and I thought to myself, I would love it if this is what our family looked like all the time if someone happened to be looking in our windows. It's also what I want my kids to remember our home being like. Full of fun and laughter. Full of love and security. I enjoyed that moment, and was happy to participate in the silliness. Andrew and Kelli asked if they could watch a movie after the little ones were in bed. I said they could, but that all the kids needed to get their baths and showers done in a timely manner. I told them I would give the babes a bath and then they could take quick showers. I knew the question was coming, so in light of my dinnertime revelation, I decided to beat them to the punch....."Unless you all want to get in the tub together?", which was met with squeals of delight! I told them the only condition was that I wanted ONE good picture of the four of them in the tub. And I'd say they were very cooperative.....

I was satisfied with my one good picture, so I told them to have fun, but to please not get too crazy, and to try and keep as much of the water IN the tub as possible! And then I just watched, and smiled, and captured it all, for them and for me.....

I love bedtime...love the quietness, love the snuggling, love ending their day with prayers, hugs and kisses (Kelli helped me capture a few of these)....

Only Diapers.....

In my mind anyway. That's all thats left of the "baby" phase of this boys life. He is one week and one day pacifier free. He was our first baby who used a paci more than just the first weeks of newborn life. And I did not like that he was a pacifier baby. All the others were self soothers, thumb, fingers and blanket babies. That was SO much easier! The older three were also AMAZING sleepers, the kind that make your friends jealous! They slept through the night from 12 weeks on. Nathan, different story. He would wake up minimum of once a night, but usually more like 4 or 5. All he wanted was his pacifier and he couldn't find it. He would cry this pathetic, please come help me find my paci cry and I would go in to find it and he would immediately lay down and open his mouth, waiting for me to feel blindly all around his mattress and between his mattress and the bumper and find the missing paci and for me to pop it in his mouth. The straw that broke the camel's (aka mommies) back, was the night I went in for the 3rd or 4th time and searched and searched and couldn't find it, and the little stinker was holding it in his hand! Brian and I talked and decided we would take the plunge and throw out all the pacifiers over Christmas break. It wasn't so much the fear of the tear-filled bedtimes that made it difficult for me, it was the literal throwing away of one of the last things that in my mind keep him as my baby. Thankfully my wonderful, strong hubby took care of night one while I was out of town for an evening. He said he cried for an hour straight. He woke up twice during the night and cried for about 20 minutes each time. The next day at naptime it was about a half an hour, the same at bedtime. But night 2, he didn't wake up at all! Since night one it has whittled it's way all the way down to just a few short minutes of fussing at both naptime and bedtime. He is taking shorter naps, but in turn he is sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! He is also SO much happier during the day and plays much better by himself, and isn't constantly at my ankles looking for me to pick him up! And one of the biggest blessings....he will still snuggle with me right before naptime and bedtime. Our routine was to get all cozy in the rocker with his blanket and paci, and I would sing him a couple songs and he would burrow right in and rub the corner of his blanket along his eyelashes and yawn big yawns. I was so worried that with the paci being gone, he wouldn't do that anymore...and he does! Thank you boy! So we will chalk it up as another victory in the parenting department, doing something difficult, for the betterment of our babies, and reaping the rewards of better nights sleep and happier days and continued snuggles and another small step toward independence for the baby of the family.

A new year...A clean slate

I CANNOT believe that the book of 2010 is closed! I think this is the fastest a year has ever passed! It has been a full year. There are things I didn't complete that I wanted to. I could list them all, but that would just be depressing! So instead I will look forward to the year that lies ahead. I do have some things I would like to accomplish in 2011. I'll share some of those here and there, but one for now. I really want to do better at keeping up with my blog. I have a couple ideas rolling around in my head regarding my blog and I'll share those in upcoming weeks as well. For now...a few photos! =)

I Love bedtime!! I love it for several reasons. Everyone is warm and cuddly in pj's. Things are quieting down. The day with the kids closes with prayers, hugs and kisses. And, it's means that soon, Brian and I will have our time together!! I read a sweet children's Bible with Emily each night that she loves! Recently Kelli asked if she could read it to Emily. It is very sweet to share in these moments between the girls. Occasionally if Nathan is awake, he will climb up on the bed with us. This night, I was putting laundry away in Nathan's room and they all made their way in there and got cozy in the rocking chair. Sweet moments to end the day!

Bathtime...

My kids have never been crazy about bathing. I'm sure part of that is my fault. I think I developed an aversion to bathing (not to being clean, just to the process of getting there) when I was growing up. We lived in a house for a period of time that had 1 bathroom and it only had a tub, no shower. You can imagine that 5 girls (three of which were teen/pre-teenagers) and 2 adults had lots of issues with this arrangement. We were also dirt poor for that period of time and if you know my mom, you know she knows how to pinch a penny. Saturday night was bath night. And there was no way mom was going to let each of us have a fresh tub full of water. You know how when you hand wash dishes you are supposed to start with the cleanest pieces and work towards the most dirty...well it was the same routine with bath time. Whoever was the cleanest got the fresh, hot bath water...then we just went down the line to the dirtiest...So bathing quickly became a task that you wanted to get done with asap! There was no playing in the tub...we didn't have a basket of toys for the little ones...it was get in, get clean, and get out. I guess I've kept that mentality. I let the kids play, and I do have toys in the tub for them, but after a few minutes it's down to business! The only exception is when I decide to bring my camera with me and then we sit and enjoy bath time a bit more....
















I do have to say....there is nothing quite like a freshly bathed baby =)

He's too big...

Everytime it happens, I say I can't believe it. Has it really been almost a month since I have blogged? I don't know why I can't believe it. I have 4 kids that keep me busy enough to neglect my blog, but there are many other things too, so I will just accept the fact that I haven't gotten here in a while and hope to maybe do a bit better? =)

I cannot believe how big Nathan is getting! He is loosing his "babyness" more and more everyday. The latest evidence that we are in the toddler stage is that he is insisting he eat with a fork...all by himself....can you tell he is pretty proud!

A Salvation Story...

I listen to Christian radio alot. It's usually just background noise. Something positive for my subconscious to listen to. Sometimes it's blarring, and this may surprise you, but I am dancing and singing, maybe even using a hair brush or wooden spoon as a microphone...much to the delight of my sweet audience. Sometimes, it wakes me out of my subconscious going about my day and speaks directly to my heart. The other night on my way home from meeting with a friend over fru-fru coffee drinks (neither of us like coffee, but we both like the idea of sitting in a coffee shop enjoying some fellowship together)just that sort of thing happened. On the radio, the dj was talking about an NFL player who had been living a life steeped with poor choices...drugs, alcohol, sex...and then he found Jesus, and his life has never been the same. He said, it was his Grandma who pointed him to Jesus. She was never pushy, never preached at him, she just lived a life that made it clear that she loved and followed Jesus. The dj then asked for listeners to call in and tell who introduced them to Jesus. I sorta tuned out at this point, thinking on this sweet grandma who was such an example to her grandson, even when it was so clear that he was walking down a path she knew led to destruction. I thought about how I wanted to live a life so full of Christ that it drew people to Him. I thought about the example I wanted to be to my children. And then my thoughts went to the day Andrew gave his heart to Jesus, and then remembering when Andrew told me over breakfast one morning that he had prayed with Kelli late the night before explaining to her that she did not need to be afraid if she asked Jesus to live in her heart. I was a mom full of rejoicing, and pride too, that my young son understood the importance of a decision like that. And then I thought of our sweet Emily.

I thought about how sweet she is, and how smart she is, and how I need to be praying that I would be aware of opportunities to talk to her about how much Jesus loves her. It seems too young, just 3 years old, to talk to someone about a decision so important? But then I am reminded of the verse in Matthew 19 where Jesus says "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

That very next day, we were driving in the car and, I don't even remember how it came up, but I am sure now it was the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we started talking about good choices and bad choices that we make. We talked about how there are consequences for those choices. We talked about how God loves us so much, that he sent his only son to die on a cross to pay the price for all of those bad choices that we make that seperate us from Him. And it was just amazing to me that her little 3 year old mind, just got it. I asked her if she wanted to pray to Jesus and invite Him to live in her heart when we got home? She said, "I would like to pray right now!" Not sure why I didn't think of that! Pretty sure it's okay to pray while driving! =) So we did. Right there, driving down the four lane, Emily a prayed a saving prayer. And her mommy shed tears of thanfulness and joy resting in the assurance that her little girl would spend eternity with Jesus.

"Lord, protect and keep her; guard and grow her; may You raise her up, Holy Spirit, into an intimate relationship with Her Savior, Jesus, in Jesus' name!Amen!" ~ Prayer of a sweet friend of mine...

Back To School Outtakes...

First Day of School!

Both kids have friends from last year in their class...it's always nice to see a familiar face on that first day...it does wonders for the jitters!


This sweet girl is a friend of Kelli's from church...it is her first year at our school...they are thrilled to be in the same class!


And of course when we got home, Miss Emily wanted her own First Day of School photo!

Home

Emily turns 3!!!!

We had a low key celebration for Emily this year...home...just us...mac n' cheese and hotdogs (her request)...a simple cake...it was a sweet night...