Multitudes on Mondays

152. a GOOD vacuum

153. warm weather

154. new picture frames

155. lovely portraits to frame inside new picture frames

156. using the word "lovely"

157. planning for a small getaway

158. my mama hosting my best friend and her children along with me and my two kiddos for a week

159. my mama cooking for us :)

160. Landon breathing easier

161. an "aggressive" doctor who won't just treat Landon's breathing issues, but who wants to SOLVE them and get them under control

162. our pediatrician, Joanna Morris, who is also a dear friend

163. the fact that my kiddos l-o-v-e their pediatrician and are always ready to visit

164. listening to Ella Beth reading signs at the pharmacy - she tries so hard to sound out the words, and then she will squeal (sometimes very loudly:)) when she figures out what the signs say!

165. a sweet husband who knows how to help me handle tough circumstances

166. watching how hyper Albuterol makes Landon - he becomes a chatter-box who literally can NOT contain his energy

167. bursts of energy from Landon after he has slumped for days on end

168. tending to our vegetables and herbs that we have grown from seeds

169. anticipating eating our homegrown veggies and herbs in just a few short months

170. Ella Beth's "tent clubhouse" (as she calls it), made out of her comforter and over-stuffed chair. It fully takes over her room...and I let it. :)

1 Chronicles 16:34 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."

Landon's messiness

This is after just ONE meal. Landon is the messiest eater. Ever. I declare that this boy is slow in gaining weight because more food makes it onto the floor than into his mouth.

And...most of the time he is not even making any sort of mess on purpose. He is just flat out messy.

It drives me crazy, but I still love him! :)

Now, when people think it's crazy that I vacuum at least TWICE a day...they will fully understand!

Because I Said So

OK...I just need to vent for a minute. And this is my blog, so I can do that, right?!?!

Most of the "main stream" parenting books out there are driving me crazy. And by crazy, I really mean they are making me frustrated and down right aggravated! The new social craze is to "protect our children's self-esteem." Now, I completely agree that high self-esteem starts at home. Home is where our children learn their value, that they are loved, and that they are children of God.

But the world's idea of "self-esteem" is something much different. As a former teacher, we were not allowed to fail students because it would hurt their "self-esteem." Really??? Because I thought that if a student refused to do his/her work, didn't study for tests, and were belligerent then he/she earned a failing grade. But, alas, no. It would be too devastating to the child's self-esteem. Forget teaching accountability and responsibililty, we must "protect our children's self-esteem."

So, then come the main stream parenting books that say when a child asks you (the parent) "Why?" you should ALWAYS give him/her an answer. Now, when it comes to questions like, "Mama, why is the sky blue?" or "Who made me?" or "Why do I have to eat my veggies?" I totally get it. Children will learn from us, but only if we teach them.

BUT...sometimes a good ol' "Because I said so," is also a sufficient answer. For example, last night my kiddos were questioning everything from, "Why can't I sit on the table?" and "Why do I have to get a bath?" and "Why can't I have a piece of candy." I had already answered their questions...and I knew that my children weren't asking their questions out of sincerity; they were asking because they were being stubborn and disobedient. Of course my children know that they can't sit on the table - and we have told them it's a matter of safety before - so last night when Ella Beth asked why she couldn't sit on the table it wasn't a moment to worry for her self-esteem. It was a moment to worry about her obedience to her Mama!

And that is why "Because I said so" is sometimes an extremely sufficient answer. There will be times that I have to submit to authority and to a rule that I don't like simply because a boss, a police officer, or someone else in authority over me simply "says so." And that is just fine. In fact, in my opinion, my "self-esteem" will be stronger for it.

Multitudes on Monday

136. soft blankets

137. drinking 10 glasses of water a day

138. new recipes

139. learning to make homemade biscuits with Scott

140. saving money

141. driving through the mountains

142. meeting new friends

143. bonding with my team that I will travel to Kenya with

144. hearing people's Stories

145. finding a box of personalized napkins from our wedding 8 years ago and using them with our kiddos

146. fresh fruit

147. children's handprints

148. chocolate cereal

149. new clothes

150. affectionate children

151. Ella Beth excitedly asking all of the time, "Mommy, can I help you clean today?!" :)

Psalm 75:1 "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near."

Patience

“Love can only be patient when it is first grateful for what is right now.”
 
I read these words tonight while reading in the archives of Ann Voskamp and they knocked me off of my feet.
 
I am in no denial - I fully admit that I am an impatient person. But the sad thing is, I have more patience when the stakes are low.
 
What I mean is, I have more patience with the woman in front of me at the grocery store who has forgotten one item and begs for me to wait while she runs back through 11 aisles to find it than I do for my 3 year old son when I am waiting for him to put on his shoes so we can head out the door.
 
I have more patience during bumper to bumper traffic at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday evening than I do for my 4 year old daughter who wants one more book and two more songs before I turn out the light.
 
Grateful: adj. an appreciative attitude for what one has received.
“Love can only be patient when it is first grateful for what is right now.”


If I actually took the time to savor the "right now" of every moment, would I really be such an impatient person? If I took the time to savor reading to my daughter, to be thankful that my little boy has two strong legs with two feet and shoes to cover them...would I be so impatient?

Would I snap so easily, "Stop doing that!" or "Just let Mommy do it!" if I stopped for just a second to be grateful? I have two of the most precious gifts that I will ever receive in my sights and by my sides at least 13 solid hours each day. But am I truly grateful for the "right now" of each moment?

1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient..."

In God's Holy Word, the definition of love begins with Patient and I am humbled. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will nudge me to chose gratitude over impatience; to smile at the mess makers instead of scolding the mess. That I may encourage my children out of love and patience, and savor all of the fleeting moments that I can never get back.

Marriage Questions

This is pretty darn silly, but it was fun to reminence. :) Thanks, Cherish, for these fun questions!

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How long have you been together? Married for 8 years next month, and started dating about a year before that

How long did you know each other before you started dating? A couple of months

Who asked who out? Well officially he asked me out, but I showed up on his doorstep first!

Did you go to the same school? Nope. We didn't meet until we taught together 

Who is the most sensitive? Definitely me, Scott calls me "Barney" sometimes

What about pets? Scott had a dog, Mandy, when we got married but she passed away; we tried having a cat (twice!)

Where do you eat out most as a couple? We really don't eat out much. Seriously.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? We led a missions trip to Haiti last year together

Who has the craziest exes? I'll say that I defintely had one, but that's a long time ago


Who has the worst temper? Neither of us really. He's more laid back, but neither of us has a hot temper

Who does the cooking? Both of us-we love to cook. But, I try to be a good stay-at-home wife and have meals ready when my hubby gets home since he works so hard to provide for us.


Who is more social? Definitely me. Scott is definitely a homebody


Who is the neat freak? OCD = me.


Who is the most stubborn? Scott. Hands down. And now he's seeing just how stubborn he really is b/c Landon is just like him!
Who hogs the bed? Scott. I don't move when I sleep, and he tosses and turns...and steals the covers!
Who wakes up earlier? Usually him, but only because he has to go to work and likes to leave early. I get up between 6:30-7 a.m.
Where was your first date? Georgio's Italian Restaurant...where I was introduced to people who had known Scott forever and had lots to tell. ;)
How long did it take to get serious? Not long. We both knew we'd found what we had been looking for 


Who eats more? Let's just say we both like to eat. A lot. But, healthy food, of course. Ahem, most of the time.


Who does the laundry? We both do. Don't be jealous, but Scott has always done his own laundry. He even does the kiddos' if I haven't gotten to it! I'm one lucky girl. :) 


Who drives when you are together? Always him, because he thinks it's the husbandly thing to do. I'm working on not being a passenger-seat-driver. :) 


Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? That would be me. Always. And NO it's NOT because I am wrong more often! It's just b/c I'm sensitive, and if I've done something wrong I know it and can't live with it.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? Outsiders would think I do, but he really does. I like a man in control. I try to let him lead, and I do my best to follow. But we do make a good team when we put our heads together.


Who eats more sweets? When we got married, and for the first 5 years of our marriage, it would have been Scott - hands down. I never liked sweets, only salty foods. However, since having Landon my tastebuds have changed for the worst. Now we both have HUGE "sweet tooths." However, I can usually stop at one serving and Scott can't!

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Now it's your turn to be silly with me! Just copy the questions and have fun answering them! Come on, you know you want to. :)

Multitudes on Monday

118. Kind strangers who share coupons in Old Navy

119. Homemade granola bars

120. Candles burning

121. Friends who nominate you to do something you'd never nominate yourself for

122. Cooperative kiddos during a commercial shoot - no matter how cool and windy it got

123. Meeting people from Japan and seeing that people everywhere are all the same

124. Seeing the need for God in everyone's eyes, and knowing that He will meet that need if we just trust Him

125. Fresh produce - especially when it's free

126. Working in the garden as a family

127. Re-purposing items

128. Spring

129. How proud Ella Beth is to show off her room to everyone who visits...even if he/she has been here 100 times before

130. Going to the zoo with friends again and again

131. An upcoming girls & kiddos only vacation to the lake

132. Evening runs

133. Fluffy pillows

134. Pictures as artwork all through our home

135. Nostalgic items from my grandparents

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."