Mady's First Taste of Cereal

She is so cute! I cannot resist her at all. I truly absolutely love and adore her. I do my other children as well, don't misunderstand me, but there is something about her that makes my heart melt. I am not a proponet of pushing solids on baby's. I love to nurse and do that for a long while. But when they start grabbing at your hand while you are eating, or watching your every bite, then I know they are interested. Otherwise, it is just wasted food, time and mainly for mom. :) That is my humble opinion.

Mady has been trying to grab my hand and tablecloth for awhile now and I finally broke down. One thing I have learned in my years of feeding little ones is a bottle works great with the nipple cut open a little bigger. It is less mess and they can work to hold the bottle which is awesome! This is just something little I have learned and works for us. So we tried with the spoon first, but she seemed to enjoy the bottle more.

One thing I did that I completely spaced on was nurse her before eating. I know, duh, but it is something we have just done, so she didn't gag, didn't spit it out, and seemed to enjoy it. So tomorrow, food first, nurse later. It is amazing even after 5 the things that you space. :)

She kept grabbing my hand to shove it to her mouth. We were all laughing. She really enjoyed it.

"Where's the food?"


Trying with the spoon. It went well, but the bottle was much more exciting.

She really could care less. So tomorrow is a new day and we will see what she decides to do.

Having a baby in the house is always fun. I love their smiles, smells, giggles, and especially when they hear their voices. It just warms my heart and humbles me greatly. I don't deserve any of them, yet the Lord loves me to bless me with all of them. I am truly blessed by each one of them. I couldn't imagine a day without them, without caring for them, even through the arguing and bickering and everyday life.

I cannot wait for more and pray each night for another little one to rest in my womb. Sounds crazy to some, but when the Lord changes your heart from not having any more and having a vasectomy, to wanting and desiring more and having reversal and it worked! Well, God is the one who changes hearts. I am thankful for His work in me.

God bless.

A Long Update

Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a fantastic time with family. The food was so awesome and the family was even better, though I will say, it was an AWESOME turkey! :) I made home made pumpkin pies, crust and all. They were delicious. It just always amazes me how much preparations are involved and then how quickly it all just becomes another memory.

This handsome fellow is growing up so quickly. He is an amazing smart and funny guy. He loves hugs and kisses, he works hard, and is confused on so much. We pray diligently for him to love and accept Jesus as his Savior. If you can remember that we would truly appreciate prayer for him. He is a great big brother and a bigger helper. I truly couldn't be the mom I am without him. He is a wonderful artist and loves to draw. I need to spend more alone time with him. He makes me chuckle to watch him wrestle and play, fighting with swords and valiantly saving something or someone. I truly love him and am working on loving unconditionally. It is easy to love when all is well, but when there is rough waters, it is sometimes hard to love. I am learning that it isn't always easy. I am learning that anger is to distance yourself, while love is to keep yourself close. He is teaching me so much about myself and I am thankful to God for that.

She is the Kings princess. She makes me laugh and smile. And if something is going to happen, it usually will happen to her. She has more bruises, cuts and scrapes on her legs than anyone else I know. :) She is funny, sensitive and makes my heart smile. She is the identical replica of me when I was young. She changes her clothes way too much in one day, but thankfully she says to me, "mom, don't worry I hung the other ones up." Though she cannot handle having her hands and face dirty with food at any meal, she can handle having mud and gunk all over her while playing in the mud making pies, rolls, cakes and such. She loves to look pretty and put my makeup on. She does however have a side we are working on, the side that loves to say "look at me," the side that when someone wants something, she shows that she has it first... I am thankful for all that she is teaching me.

My little toddler, who loves to draw on everything but paper. Who when you don't hear her, you know something is going on. She sits on the floor during our devotions and folds her hands to pray and has the sweetest little look on her face and the loudest amen. She is working on memorizing our Bible verses and she loves to stand at the front of our play room and work on them with everyone cheering at the end. Of course she claps. She runs to my legs and squeeze me and say "I lub you mommy." She love eggs and ketchup and could probably eat them every meal if I made them. She loves books, coloring, riding her bike, jumping on the trampoline and most of all her family! She is teaching me it is okay to be silly, to slow down and enjoy the little moments, and that a mess is okay to have.

This is my big mommy helper. She loves to learn, to read, and to cook with mom. She will soon take over my kitchen duties. She loves to with her family and loves the Lord. She is smart and funny, but she is also very serious. She makes me laugh when she giggles, it is intoxicating. She loves to wrestle and is so strong and tall, it is amazing. She could kick my butt. :) Her smile lights up a room and cares for all people. She has a temper that we are learning to control and she gets so angry because of her selfishness, she is teaching me much. She has taught me that more is caught than taught and I have some undoing to do. It is humbling. She loves to play with the boys and doesn't really enjoy being a girly girl. She loves Lord of the Rings, StarWars and Eragon. It is funny. She is a complete meat and potatoes kind of kid and of course like all my others loves dessert. She is amazing.

Here she is without training wheels. This is the same girl who taught herself to swim, tuaght herself to go to the bathroom and now she was ready to go without her training wheels. You know, don't push your children to do anything, let them lead the way and they will excel and be so proud of themselves.

Daddy running beside her "just in case" though she didn't need him at all. It was a sad moment for daddy, but he sure was proud of her.

"I can do it by my own self daddy."

God is working on this family and I am so thankful. Thankful for the changes He is making and our hearts for being so receptive to Him. I love Him so much. God is so good to us and I am thankful for His grace to learn and get through all that we are. Kids are a great learning process and I am not a perfect parent and to be honest I hope that I never am. I love learning, laughing and most of all loving all the beauty in each of my children.

Have a great rest of your weekend and sorry it took so long to write a post, I promise it won't be so long for the next one!

God bless.

Time flies!!!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have last posted. Life has flown by. God has been so great and revealed himself in so many ways this past few weeks. I sold my business, and didn't lose too much either. Which was such a blessing. A wonderful stay at home mom bought the business and she had one little one at home. I am so thankful that it sold and the way it all played out and orchestrated itself, it was the Lord.

We had 2 weeks of being sick, which was rather interesting when you have 5 little ones, one of which your trying to protect so she won't get sick. Praise the Lord, he shielded her for me and she is as healthy as she can be. :)

My situation with my oldest seems to be slowly working its way out. I am realizing how much I need to hit my knees for him. To ask for protection, to ask for his salvation, so much. God is showing me the importance of investing myself into my children in ways I didn't even fathom. He is teaching me so much about myself. I am learning to be soft spoken (except these past 2 days. :)) He is showing me that I don't do well with too much on my plate, I like order, peace and staying at home to stay on track.

We are patiently waiting for answers in regards to financials at my husband's work. That has been a clencher and we are still waiting. It is regards to a bonus and change of pay plans. We are praying that it works out. We know God is in control.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and everyone is coming down here! We are so excited to have both sides of the family her to celebrate and enjoy the bountiful blessings we have received. God is so good!

Life is a journey and an adventure. I feel myself being pruned and trimmed, and it is difficult, letting go of many things. But I am looking forward to where God will put me. :)

Have a blessed week. Hopefully tomorrow or this weekend I will get up some really great pics of the kids.

Something Great

I read this great quote from John Wesley in a book that I am reading that contains selected Prayers, Hymns and Sermons. When I read it, I thought I have to have this somewhere to see all the time!

"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the poeple you can,
As long as ever you can."

Isn't that awesome! I have just found our family's life purpose. It is how I will refocus our training and attention. It feels good to read something so encouraging.

Learning Lessons

My 33rd birthday came and went. It was a very nice time with my husband. I went thrift store shopping (because I love finding great deals), ate a delicious dinner at Red Lobster ( I LOVE their biscuits), had dessert at Cold Stone and just enjoyed my time with my husband.

I love how the Lord is always working on me. And this is something I have to share. I want you all to understand that I am not perfect, I don't have the answers and my life isn't always easy and I don't handle all situations in a godly manner, but I do have a desire to do the Lord's will always and to grow my children to love and obey the Lord.

So here it goes...
I have been struggling greatly with my oldest. He turned 10 this past weekend. You see he goes for one week a month to his father's and unfortunately he is not a believer and neither is the girlfriend that he lives with. They argue constantly, especially in front of him. And of course I don't know all the details all the time, but I do know that there are situations in which I don't agree and I do know that there are times that they tell my oldest not to tell me.

It is heart breaking because I can't even express to you the amount of times I have already blamed myself for walking down the aisle when I heard the Lord screaming for me to not. I didn't listen. I know that I am forgiven but I do have the consequences to deal with. It is hard.

There is nothing I want more than for my son to love the Lord, however, because his dad will go to hell, he also wants to go there. I get frustrated when he spends 90% of his time with me and his sisters, he gives all of himself to someone I just don't really like. It is frustrating to say the least.

I love him so much and the Lord is taking me through this. I have a plan and will discuss more of it once it is in place. If you remember please pray. Pray for wisdom as I want to show the Love of Jesus in all I do, and not sure how to do that in a conflict siutation. I just want to be calm, cool and collected, not the angry emotional mama I want to be.

God bless.

Girls Having Fun

Lauren and Emma, created to be best friends, sisters for life. They are polar opposites. Emma loves getting dressed up, being outwardly beautiful. Lauren, she is a tomboy, loves to run and play. To get her to sit to play "beauty parlor" was completely out of her element. She giggled the whole time. It is funny how God makes families with so many different personalities, and how we learn to adapt ourselves to the ones we love.

Lauren and Emma...oh and a little peek of Danielle.

Gotta love that smile! And yes, those are her own curls. She is so beautiful and makes me smile each day, but she has a temper like no one else I know. She can get angry at anything, but she is working on it and the Lord is so gracious to show her opportunities to "overlook" but she says that is too hard.

Emma is me when I was growing up, she looks identical except I had Lauren curls. She is hilarious and so overly sensitive that I tend to lose my patience at times. But she is so loving and sweet. However, she does know how to push everyone's buttons to make others angry, but she is learning ways to bless even when someone has hurt her.

God bless and have a wonderful weekend. I know that this is mine and Hunter's birthday weekend together. My mom is coming down to allow Bret and I some time together. Not sure what will happen, but with my husband I know I will be smiling and my heart will be full of my love for him.

When a toddler is quiet...Part 2

This is what the Crayola marker was used for....and yes it is my car! :)

When a toddler is quiet...

When a toddler is quiet, all could be going wrong. But with the right heart and spirit what you will get are memories and laughter. Today was a quiet moment with laughter. I hope you enjoy a normal day in my home.

She is so cute, she makes me smile even when she looks like this.

"hans dirty mommy."

"cheeze."

"i see mommy, i see..."

This is brought to you by a quiet moment, may all get one and enjoy the adventure that children bring.

God bless.

Sick

Okay, so 4 of my children got sick, then I got sick and now we are all sick! It really isn't fun. And it went from high fevers and chills, to now a sore throat and cough that is lingering. So it may be a few more days before I post. Hope everyone is doing well! Have a blessed day.

Baking Fun

After, just because it looks better. :)

The before. I am so excited to try my pie. If it isn't good, I didn't make it. :) That is what I always tell my kids.

I love baking. I love baking for my family. I have never been a great pie maker, however, I am striving to be a great pie baker. So here is my second attempt to making home made crust and a mixed berry filling.

Fun Times

Life gets pretty busy, so if we don't stop and smell the roses, the roses wilt and eventually die.

So one night we sat in our backyard and made grilled pizzas over our firepit and of course smores for dessert. It was so much fun. The kids loved it and still talk about it a couple of weeks later.

It was such a hit, we will of course have to do it again!

Here they are by the fire enjoying warming their feet.

Cooking the marshmallows for smores. I have to say, those are so awesome! My love doesn't care for them, so there was more for us. :)

4 months as of Sunday. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. She is such a sweet, precious, joyful gift. She makes my heart melt.

She loves to smile and laugh. I love how she gives them so freely. She is awesome! I truly can't wait for more. Maybe that is why I am losing weight so fast. :)

They all love having their picture taken. They are so sweet. Oh, and by the way, Hunter will be 10 in 13 days! I think I will have to cry. :)

Life is so good and God has given me all things that are good. I love the Lord with all my heart and am so thankful for all that he is done. I hope that your week is blessed and smile, life is short.

The In's and Out's

Well, though my intentions were really good. I seemed to have learned again another lesson from the Lord. I am stubborn and don't listen. I started this wonderful business with the intention of just helping out and have found that I just don't have the time for it. I am now trying to sell it and all the inventory which has proved to be a very difficult situation. So now we are out the money at the moment that we invested into the business and beside knowing that I didn't listen to God or my husband, I feel like a terrible failure!

Another wonderful lesson I am learning is that I am completely impatient. I got rid of some books accidentally and I wish I would have them back. And though I have searched for them and put out emails to my home school group to see if anyone had them, there has not been any takers on my email. Oh, how frustrated I am to learn again the lessons.

I am thankful for God though in being so sweet and gracious as He teaches me. He reminds of how my heart needs to be toward my children as I teach and train them at home.

I am also getting ready for the Maxwell Family to speak here in Tucson this January. I am so excited to see them again. They are such a wonderful godly family who truly serve others. Their children just have a light around them that shows how much they love the Lord! So if you are going to be here Jan. 15-16, 2010 join us. You can visit their site for more information, www.titus2.com.

I pray that everyone is having a wonderful day!

Days...

This is what 3 1/2 months look like. She is so happy and joyful all the time. My heart melts at her coos and smiling. This is my theme song for her, "Chunky monkey, chunky monkey, chunk, chunk, chunk." She truly has got so many rolls, I love them.

This is what boys do with too much time on their hands! Those are rings that I use to hold note cards together. Thank goodness after seeing his picture, he didn't think he looked so cute.

Days have been going by so fast. It is amazing how fast time goes when we are always working on something.

Have a blessed day.

Being a Princess

To me, there is nothing cuter than girls dressing up. They love feeling like a princess. I think God gave us that wonderful gift because we are His delight, His princess. He makes us beautiful from the inside out, He delights in us. I can't think of anything better.

Somedays, I don't quite feel like a princess. Somedays, I am lucky to have my hair done. But amidst all that chaos of life, I am sure glad that there are times to remember that I am princess, adored by One. One who knows me like no other. He knows my heart, my dreams, my thoughts, my frustrations, my everything. And everyday, His mercies are new, everyday He waits patiently for me, everyday He loves me, whether I feel like a princess or not or whether my hair is done or not.

Sisters are gifts from God, best friends for life.

Princess for the Lord in training.

Gotta love the "cheese" and those glasses.

3 Princess, one day each one will bring glory and honor to Him.

This is how Mady sleeps sometimes. Just loves to be wrapped up in the arms of her daddy. She is a princess in training, being wrapped in the security of her daddy, who is really an extension of her Heavenly Daddy.

Okay, not normally into the sad faces, however, this one is the cutest face I have ever seen. If I could just suck on that bottom lip with kisses. I would! Oh, wait, I have. :)

Have a most blessed day relishing in what the Lord has made and just how much He adores you.

Sisters, best friends for life. Princess in training. Bringing glory to God. How I love them all! I pray that they know how much they are loved and adored and I pray that each day I get to show them how.

For me, that is a hard one, life sure gets busy and there isn't much time for hugs and kisses because of laundry, cleaning, school, discipline and etc. But I have to make more time for that, a more conscious effort to praise them and enjoy them. Because my oldest will be 10 in one month. And that time has travelled by fast. I need to hold on to the precious moments I have and create memories with joy and laughter. You know as a home schooling mom, I am realzing that maybe education isn't the most important. If I teach them the love of learning that is what is important. If I focus on their character, that will prevail in a world where character is obsolete. But if my hearts focus is on teaching them every minute of the day about our Precious Lord and Savior, won't they then learn all they need? Aren't they going to be taken care of by God in all aspects of their lives? I truly believe so, nothing is more important than their hearts. To have them, to share with them, and don't think I have this perfected, I am just reminding myself.

God Bless.

Beauty

The Lord has created many beautiful things. You can see the beauty in life in so many areas, sometimes I am overwhelmed with such a sense of awe! God is so good to me and so many others. I am thankful for the way He is loving and faithful. The way He teaches, trains, and prunes, and at times disciplines. He is such a wonderful example of what a parent should strive to be. I truly love my Lord and want so much to please Him and live for him.

Here are some fun pictures of what we have been up to. Life has been full of teaching, full of smiles, full of days when I just want to hide under the covers, but mostly it has been full of God's grace to raise His children for Him, love my husband for Him, and live my life with Him.

Every morning about 8am Mady falls asleep in her swing. It is here she sleeps the whole morning, usually 4-5 hours. Which is an absolute blessing to be able to do school, chores, and other details in the morning. She is such an absolute blessing and sweetheart I could never imagine my heart without her.

This is a beautiful little pond by our cabin in Pinetop-Lakeside. It was such a beautiful hike and the kids loved being out in the open.

A small creek that was of fascination to a little boy, because boys and mud go hand in hand. :)

My four blessings, number 5 was asleep in the front pack. Gotta love those! I can hike, cook, clean, kiss, hug, and make owies better, all with her close by my heart.

Here the 3 oldest. They are so funny together. That is another lake on the same hike. There was so much water everywhere, just small little lakes and such. It was awesome. Lots of squirrels, deer, and just the beautiful peace of the forest.

Okay, this was the most beautiful of spots on our little time up at the cabin. I truly felt the presence of the Lord. It was cold, raining, and the kids had enough of being in the car. So we let them out. Sweaters on, and the adventure began. I stayed in the car nursing, but left the van door open to smell the rain, hear the rain, and most of all just enjoy the moment. No one can begin to understand how this moment touched my soul forever.

The Little Colorado flowed during the rain, and that sound was so incredible. The trickling of the rain, the water moving over the rocks and trees, the breeze through the trees. Amazing.

Even though my husband is a city worker, he is a country boy at heart. If he could have a windmill in our yard he would be all over it. So instead we have a picture. He is such an amazing man, God knew what He was doing when we met. My life would not be the same without him. My heart would not be the same without him. I truly cherish and love him.

3 months comes and goes so quickly!! I can't believe it. My heart is overwhelmed with joy when I think of my Mady J (Madeline Joy). She is a true delight in our home. And now with her coos, and smiling, I can't get enough. I am one of those wacko moms who just sits and talks baby talk in the most highest pitch voice I can without shattering the windows just so I can see her smile. It might take me an hour, but it was so worth it.

I just have to say, "Girls rule and boys drool."


Have a blessed week. Life is too good and God is even better. We serve an Awesome God and I am so thankful to have an amazing High King!

We have been so busy! School is a long day, so long to the days of napping when the baby goes down. That time is now filled with working on school things, taking care of added chores, cleaning up, working on the business, or anything else that needs my attention.

Home is now bustling with structured chaos, whereas before it was just chaos. The kids are adjusting really well to everything and really loving their new school books.

I am really enjoying our new busyness and even now enjoying more than ever being a mom. I am so on fire for God and all that He has done for us and wanting to shout it out from the rooftops.

We do have our challenges though, like the never ending arguing... That seems to be a tough one to get over, and then we have a willful 2 year old who demands so much attention I am surprised that I can get anything else done. But in the end I know who she will be like and the much needed training and discipline will work out in the end.

Life is what it is, it is easy to fall into a poor me state, but when I focus on the Lord and what He has called me to do, I all of a sudden feel a little lighter in my step, a little more joyful, and life is easier to take. But somedays it is literally one hour at a time. :)

Life isn't much right now, but I feel God working and that is always a joy, to know that I am being pruned and trimmed for His glory. Because isn't that what I was created for?

Great Life

Can you believe she is 10 weeks old!! My how time flies by so fast. She is the sweetest little angel God could have given me. She smiles, eats great, sleeps great and is such a pleasure. Thank the Lord she grew out of her little colic stage, not quite sure I could have handled anymore!

Here is Mady swinging, she spends many, many hours swinging!
Our 2 year old and now 7 year old...they are too fun together!

Being silly and having fun, it is what makes the day go by.

Smiling for the camera. Our 5 year old. Time is passing quickly.

""Me mommy, me!" She always wants to see herself on the camera.

Drinking like a big girl.

It how dinner and housekeeping gets done. Wear a baby, free your arms...

You know I was wondering if we should have more children. Mady threw me for a loop. But I have to say I am ready for more. Now that the phase is over, I am right where God wants me. He has taught me a lot these past few weeks and revealed much about myself and where He wants me to go. It has been a journey and I am so glad for it.

Have a blessed day. Don't forget to pray.