Late for Dinner

    Having watched Christmas Vacation last week, that is one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about our Christmas. For those who haven't seen the movie, Clark always has all these big ideas or mental pictures of what he wants something to be like but something usually goes wrong. I didn't have any big activities planned but I still had planned out how I thought things would go. Well the day did not turn out like I pictured! The boys woke up about 6:30 and we read a story book about the birth of Jesus. By about 7:15 Collin had thrown up twice, not a very pleasant start to the day! Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who willingly cleaned up the mess and ran to Walgreen's to get Sprite! So the big question, is it a stomach virus?!? I was praying, literally, that it wasn't. We had been around tons of family members less than 12 hours before. If we started a bug that got passed around it would not be a fun Christmas! Well after a few hours we still didn't know what had caused the upheaval but Collin was back to normal, running and playing. So we decided that it would probably be ok to attend the family dinner at my Gramma's house especially since we had seen them all the night before lol! I made the call and said I wasn't sure what time, but we would be there. I never really heard a definite time but figured since church wouldn't be out until about noon that dinner would be closer to 1:00. Well there was quite a miscommunication.We arrived about 12:40 and were late for dinner and I didn't even realize it! My call had been understood as don't wait on us, which made perfect sense.  I usually think of myself as somewhat easy going and laid back. This was not one of my better days. In my sleep deprived, stressed out state I was offended and hurt when we arrived to just about everyone already seated and eating dinner. I'm embarrassed to say I caused some drama. Which thankfully we all were able to laugh about within a few minutes. It was a good reminder that things don't always go as you plan or hope but it's not the end of the world! The rest of the day was perfect and I'm so thankful for sweet family who can just ignore crazy irrational days that women have sometimes! Especially thankful for a Saviour who is never surprised by the way things turn out because He's in control!

Money Saving Mom

   One of my favorite blogs is Money Saving Mom. Crystal, the author, does an excellent job of posting great bargains and coupon deals as well as just general information that is helpful to almost anyone. She has authored a new book entitled The Money Saving Mom's Budget. It's release date is not until January 2012 but you can pre-order it at the following link: The Money Saving Mom's Budget.
 

Dear God,

   I have the joy of teaching 3-year-old Sunday School at my church. This past Sunday we were seated on the carpet and had just finished our Bible time when one of the co-teachers asked if any of the children wanted to pray. Of course several volunteered and we made our way through the precious little prayers. When we came to the fourth child I guess he felt the need to keep it short and he prayed. "Dear God, amen." Of course the other teacher and I thought it was sweet and quite comical. Well... Sunday evening rolled around and we had a guest speaker in our evening service. At some point in the service,  he asked how often we go to God in prayer with a willingness to listen? Later that night I was thinking a bit more about that question and the sweet little prayer from Sunday School that morning came to mind. It was a perfect example of what our prayers should be made up of sometimes. Dear God, and instead of us being so consumed with asking God for things, we should allow Him the opportunity to speak to us! If we are so busy talking and rushing through our prayer time then we are probably missing what God has to say to us!

Fall Fun!

     The weekend before Halloween we had the pleasure of attending our church's Fall Festival. It was so much fun! They had a lot of activities and the boys had a blast. It was hosted by a family from our church. They live outside of Tupelo and have a big yard where everyone had plenty of room to roam and explore. It was quite comical, as we got onto the Natchez Trace to make our way to the festival, Carson says, "Collin! Look we're in the country!!!" I guess I take my country raising for granted!

     The festival had all the things that come to mind when I think of fall: bonfires, including s'mores,  hayrides, carnival-type games, including bobbing for apples, hot chocolate and apple cider. Carson also got to go fishing which lasted less than ten minutes, ha!

      Their attention was captured by the horses who were saddled and ready for riders. Carson was eager to ride while Collin could only be convinced to ride with Mom, which I was very excited about!

When I say the boys had a blast, I mean all the boys! Bart was one of the first to bob for apples

 so maybe he didn't get too many germs.

I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to get outside, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and watch the boys experience some new things! God has truly created a wonderful world!

Happy Fall Y'all

   I have been so excited about this fall weather! Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Mostly because it leads into the holidays, which are my absolute favorite. Getting family together and all the traditions that come along with the holidays are memories I will never forget. With all that being said I decided to do some fall artwork with the boys. I enjoy doing some crafty things with paint but don't allow the boys to paint as often as I should simply because they always make a mess. Because keeping my house clean is already such a challenge I don't want to add more work on top of the normal tasks :-) But as I said today I bit the bullet and got out the paint. After perusing online for a few minutes I found an example. Here is our interpretation of it! I added the squirrels, grass, and flowers after the boys finished the trees.

I actually opted to put these of canvas because I thought they would be neat to keep and possibly frame!
Happy Fall Y'all!!

Pancakes

  Pancakes are a favorite at our house. The boys love to help make them but they LOVE to eat them! Today we made a favorite of mine growing up, "Mickey Mouse" pancakes. Mine have always seemed to turn out looking like hearts. My mom's always looked more like Mickey Mouse!  Today we actually ate them for lunch. My mom's recipe is healthier than a mix so I feel a little better about serving them. Carson ate about five pancakes. He wanted more but I cut him off lol!

Are you impressed?

   Carson grabbed a sale paper earlier this afternoon and started copying letters and numbers onto a sheet of notebook paper. He called me over to get some help writing a number five. After a couple minutes of pointing out letters he had written on the page he said, "Mom, are you impressed that I wrote all these letters?" He amazes me everyday! I was impressed by the letters but even more so that he used "impressed" in the rigth context.  I'm not sure if that came from a book or just conversation but he has obviously been paying attention! Just had to stop and make sure to write this down. I've been keeping myself way too busy the past few weeks!

It's a phase, right?

   On Sunday nights instead of a normal service our church has small groups that meet in members' homes. Two or three weeks ago at our meeting we called all the children into the living room of the home we were meeting in and Collin comes out of the bedroom with no shirt. To top it off we can't even find his shirt. Of course all the other mothers just laughed. Then one day in the check-out line at Walmart the cashier informs me that he is trying to undress. For quite some time undressing has been the first thing he wants to do when we come home but I wasn't prepared for it to be done in public!! I've figured out as a mother I am constantly coming upon things I'm not prepared for!
    As I was talking with some other mothers from my MOPS group I declared that I think a major part of having children is learning how to navigate your way through the phases that they go through. Of course they are not all bad, but while you're in the middle of it they can be quite embarrassing! I guess as adults we go through phases as well so I shouldn't be too hard on the little guy. Plus the "phases" are passing by all too quickly! My boys are growing up!!

Another Funny

     By the request of his Grammy I have another story to share. Carson was in Sunday School and they were discussing creation. The teacher said that God rested on the seventh day. Carson said, "Why did He do that? He's God. He doesn't need to rest!!" Of course they shared with him that God was setting an example for us. But he just couldn't get past the fact that God doesn't need rest! I was thoroughly impressed with his deep thought on the subject. It's amazing how we try to dumb things down for children when they usually don't need it!

Funny Boys

 


 I thought I would share a couple of funny things the boys have said. One day Carson was sitting at the table eating his lunch. He started coughing and I asked if he was ok. He said, "Yes! My food just went down the wrong pole!" I couldn't help but laugh! I hated to, but I did tell him that the saying is "the wrong pipe." I think I should have let him keep saying it his way for a while because it was so funny.
     When we go places people always comment on how cute Collin is and I think this may have to do with the fact that he smiles A LOT!  Just now I laid him down for his nap, which of course he didn't want to take! I went back by his bedroom  to check on him and he was saying, "Momma, I'm sad, Momma, I'm sad" the whole time with a big smile on his face! Only Collin!!

Schoolwork

   Over the past few weeks I have been attempting to do some work with the boys, mostly fun stuff. We have been making a craft to go with letters of the alphabet, playing games with letters, and reading educational books. I generally try to trick them into learning, especially Carson, by doing fun activities. Discovering what exactly Carson knows if quite difficult for me. I haven't really done many workbooks with him because he is so active. So one day I was shocked to discover he had traced all his numbers in a dry erase activity book that he has. Then yesterday, I wrote his name and asked if he wanted to give it a try. He has attempted to write a C before and has difficulty knowing which direction it goes, which I think is pretty common, so he asked me to help him. I also helped him with the s. But the other letters he wrote on his own. I was SO excited! It's funny how much he knows that I don't even realize :-)
     Overall, doing schoolwork has been a challenge with a two year old and a five month old but the past two days have gone much smoother. Hopefully we are getting into a better routine and that will help! Here are pictures of some of our work.

Growing Up

     Collin has decided he is too big for the crib! I put him down for his nap yesterday and a few minutes later Bart asked if I had put him in the crib. "Yes" I said, his response, "well...he's out now!" Bart proceeded to put him back in and watch him cautiously climb out again. Of course he has stayed in the crib longer than Carson did which was nice. It made life much easier to let him sleep in there as long as he would. So we have been reminded what the wonderful world of the terrible two's is like. He seems to be a little quicker to fall asleep than Carson was at that age. The personality differences between those two are amazing! Collin has also just started opening doors in the past few weeks. So this afternoon after he had been asleep for a couple of hours I was startled to look up and see him standing in the kitchen. I remembered, "Oh yeah, he can get up by himself!" It seems like he was just learning to walk! I've heard people say that the days seem so long but the years so short. This seems so true lately. The months are flying by! Tonight as I checked in on each of the boys it was confirmed when I saw Collin sleeping in his "big boy bed".  Lord help me cherish these days and not rush through them, because all too soon it will be Canton in the big boy bed :(

Wisdom from a child

           Carson came to me one day carrying a purse that I haven't used in a while. "Momma why do you have this purse? All of your stuff is in your other purse. What is this one for?" I said, "Well, sometimes I like to use a different one." Carson responded, "but you don't need another one!"
          Ha! This is pretty comical because I don't have nearly as many purses as some people I know. I'm just not one of those gals who changes purses to match every outfit.  I'm usually carrying a bag for Canton, a bag for Collin (he's potty training ), a carseat, plus dragging the kids along. I'm doing good to remember to grab my purse! My purses generally consist of one for summer and one for winter. Hey, I never claimed to be a fashionista!
          Back to my original thought, I have to admit Carson did make a good point. How many purses can I carry at one time? I come from a family of bargain hunters. Sometimes, I get so caught up with getting a good deal that I buy things I don't need. So I responded "I don't really need more than one, I just wanted to get another one." We continued this conversation a little longer and I used this opportunity to help him understand the difference between wants and needs.  I suggested that the next time he asks for a toy at the store maybe we should decide if he really needs it or just wants it. How come nobody ever told me kids were like a built in conscience?! I guess I need somebody to keep me straight :-)

Sweet Story

    Just read this article and felt like it was a good reminder of how we should treat our spouse. It's easy for me to mistreat Bart because he's around when I'm worn out, stressed out, or both, ha ha! I'm sure none of you are guilty of this :-)
http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2011/couples-handle-with-care.aspx

Daddy

      When you wake up in the morning what's the first thing you think of? For me? All too often it's, "can I go back to sleep?!" Sunday morning Carson walked out of his room and the first thing he said was, "Does Daddy have to go to work today?" Wow! It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about how much he loves his Daddy and looked forward to spending time with him! After just a minute I was convicted! How many times is our Heavenly Father the first thing on our mind in the morning? Are we looking forward to spending time with Him? In Mark 10 the Bible talks about having a child like faith. I think this situation shows a perfect example of how much Carson looks up to Bart. We should treasure our Heavenly Father so much that He is the first thing on our mind and we are excited to spend time with Him! I'm so thankful for Carson and the Lord using him to remind me how blessed we are to have a Savior who loves us even when we don't respond to that love as we should!

MOPS

         In July when we visited some family in Michigan, my cousin Sarah mentioned being involved in a MOPS group. I had heard of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) before but wasn't familiar with how the group worked or what was involved. After talking with Sarah I thought it sounded like something I might enjoy being involved in. After we came home I looked online and found that there is a MOPS group that meets at First Baptist Tupelo and thought I might look into it a little more.
       A couple of weeks passed and I noticed that Sarah had visited Nashville for a MOPS convention. She said she had been thinking it would be neat if she met someone from the Tupelo group to tell them about me. Low and behold she ended up near the Tupelo group in the lunch line one day. She talked to them and found out when they would be meeting. She let me know the date and said I should check it out. When I called to get further info. the lady I spoke with had been one of those who met Sarah. I thought it was so cool how God worked that out!
        All that to say, I attended my first MOPS meeting on Thursday last week. I have to say this was stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit because I didn't know anyone else who would be there. But I thought it would be good for the boys to be around different people and give all of us a chance to make new friends. I was so thankful none of the boys cried when I left them in their rooms. I wasn't quite as nervous as I thought I'd be. I discovered I knew a couple of people and met a few more. Overall, it was nice to get out and try something new! The ladies who help lead the group seem terrific and I look forward to being involved! Thanks, Sarah!
      

Toys

      Good Morning! Just came across this deal. It's a site sort of like Groupon if you're familiar with them, but mostly mom and kid related. A new deal that came available today is $30 worth of Melissa and Doug toys for $15. I think I might snag this one! There is a link below if you're interested!

http://www.8moms.com/referral/national/xAlnrO?dt=1313759597334

Encouragement

      As I'm sure you can tell, Money Saving Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read. So.... here is another great post from Crystal!

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/uphill-is-the-hardest.html

Update

      So, it's been a while! I wasn't feeling very inspired there for a little bit but realized I don't always have to have something extremely profound to say. I could just give an update on what's been going on with us!
      While I have failed to heed my own advice on writing down goals. My sweet husband has his written down and has been on quite a roll doing the Couch to 5K program. I'm very proud of him and have been challenged by his motivation!
      We continue to truck along. I started a simple preschool curriculum with the big boys today. It went pretty well! Canton has started eating some baby food in the last week. I must share this little funny from Carson. As I was feeding Canton one day, he kept grabbing his bib and putting it in his mouth. I made a playful comment about him making a mess. Carson's response was, "Mama! He's a baby! That's what babies do!" It really cracked me up and reminded me how much the boys listen to us and remember things we say. Collin is still progressing with his potty training and it's nice not buying quite so many diapers!
     I did read another post about goals and thought I would pass it along! http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/10-goals-for-this-week.html
    

                                                     
                                                                     

I ran across this quote last week and I've been thinking about it ever since! How many of us actually believe that wishes come true? I would think the majority is no, this includes me. So if that is the case, why do I not have more goals set for myself and my family?
      It's confession time. I don't like to fail! Of course, who does?! It's easier not to write down my goals because then it doesn't seem as bad if I don't reach them! On the other hand it won't be as rewarding if they are reached!
      I guess the solution is to accept failure. Failure is normal!! I still need to convince myself of this. How do we expect ourselves to be perfect(or close) when most of us know Jesus is the ONLY perfect one, we are human, after all. I now suggest one of my Dad's favorite concepts, balance! A balance of attempting certain achievements but also not beating ourselves up if we don't get it right the first time. To quote the movie Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming!" Life is made up of good days and bad. Hopefully the good ones outweigh the bad! 
        "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:14. Press on, in other words, keep swimming! It's a new school year, I think it's time that I write down some goals. How about you?

Some free time

       I had been waiting for this day for around two weeks. Here I was waving goodbye to Carson, Collin, and Bart loaded up with Bart's parents, Gene and Nancy. Off they went to Little Rock for a baseball game. Bart's fourth cousin (I think we figured this right) plays minor league baseball and they were playing in Little Rock. We decided it wouldn't be very enjoyable to keep Canton entertained during the game, so he and I stayed home.
      Wow! Almost 36 hours with only one child! I was so excited about some free time. Canton and I had a fun day, ran some errands, and he was peacefully rocked to sleep. But as the afternoon came along I wasn't sure what to do without the rest of our clan. I guess I never realized how totally my world revolves around my sweet boys. It's funny how they can completely wear me out or drive me crazy sometimes but when they were gone for less than two days I missed them so much!
     I posted the other day that I was hoping to read the book entitled Life, In Spite of Me. With all the free time I had while Bart and the big boys were gone I was able to finish the book. It was terrific!  It was an amazing story of a young girl who began struggling with depression after some traumatic things took place in her life. Her depression led to a suicide attempt which she survived only to be confined to a wheel chair. The story of her struggles and the way she came to know the Lord are so challenging. If you get the opportunity I would definitely suggest this book!
    Overall the weekend was great! I'm thankful that I got some free time but I was also very grateful to have the rest of my boys back!

Circumstances

       As I lay in bed last night I started thinking about my day. The not so good mood I had been in, the way I let little things the boys were doing get on my my nerves. I've been blue lately because my best friend has moved to a town three hours away.  Overall,  just feeling down and sorry for myself.
    We are dog sitting while my parents are visiting family and on my mom's night stand I noticed a book. The title is Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson. I read the back cover and the inside flap and without even reading anymore I began to feel convicted. The story is of a girl who had been through some very tough times and at the age of 17 attempted suicide only to survive and be confined to a wheelchair.
    Here I was feeling sorry for myself over things that are actually blessings. I am blessed to have three beautiful boys, and a best friend (no matter where she lives)! This reminded me that our joy is not to be influenced by our circumstances!!! No matter what is going on in my life, I have a savior who loves me and that is the only thing that matters!
   I'm looking forward to reading this book because I received such a blessing from simply reading the overview. I will let you know what else I learn!
Proverbs 17:22 - "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Blessings

    I ran across this article and thought it was so interesting. I'm going to do some reading in the Old Testament to learn more. Hope you enjoy!
 http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2010/jan/speak-blessings.aspx

Progress

     Wow! We have made major progress the past few days. First, Canton has slept around 11 hours straight for the past three nights! He hit this milestone a little later than the other boys and a little later than I would have liked. But this has just made me appreciate it all the more!
     Secondly, Collin has gone all day with out wetting his underwear!  It is amazing to me how unique God has made every person. The potty training experience has been unbelievably different with Collin than it was with Carson. Of course a lot of that is the fact that I am much more laid back about it this time around. But this got me thinking about how their personalities are so different. I am so thankful that God knew exactly what He was doing when he made us each so special and unique! Carson is full of energy and always on the go. While Collin is much more laid back and go with the flow.  It won't be long before we see what Canton's little personality will be like!
          Psalm 139:13 says, "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
  

Time Flies

      When I was a kid I spent a lot of time with a sweet lady from church, I lovingly called "Aunt Jane". Although she is no relation, I spent a lot of time at her home and even went on many outings with her.  Not long ago I took the boys and we paid Aunt Jane a visit. As I sat in her house visiting with her, watching my boys play and looking around at the house, it was like I was transported back in time. There I was as a kid sitting in the very same room! It felt like it was a few months ago rather than 20 years ago! It reminded me how quickly time flies! I know, I know, my parents have told me that for years.  All of a sudden I realized what they were talking about.
   The time has really flown since I had Carson. It seems like yesterday I was so excited to feed him cereal for the first time, to hear his first words, see his first steps. Now I'm looking forward to those things again not the second time but the third time around!! I guess all this to say,  I really want to remember that feeling I had sitting in Aunt Jane's living room. I want to remember that however long a day may seem that in reality the weeks are flying by.
       James 4:14 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Our life is like a mist or a vapor.  When my mist vanishes what will I be leaving behind? I pray that if I accomplish nothing else, that my life will point others to Christ!

The small things

     I think at this stage of life for our family, I need to be thankful for the small things! It seems like I haven't had a REALLY productive day at home in a long time. But sometimes when I take a step back and look at my life I am reminded that I have a four year old, a two year old, and a three month old!! I think I forget that sometimes, lol!  I have all these hopes and expectations for my house to be clean, all the laundry washed and put away and a spectacular supper ready when Bart gets home. Bun in reality that's just now where I am in life right now.
    So, today I am thankful that Collin has used the potty three times this morning and hasn't wet any underwear so far!! This is actually a huge thing! I'm thankful that Carson spent some time doing a little preschool work. I'm extremely thankful that Canton is napping well today (probably because he didn't sleep well last night)!
     Verses that seem to fit today: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


  

Chores

I've always encouraged my boys to help around the house with chores other than picking up the things that belong to them. Big boy and middle man enjoy unloading the dishwasher most of all. But... I'm not very organized or routined about having them complete chores. I am planning to do preschool with the boys starting next month and I came across this link for printable chore cards and really liked her idea.
Maybe this will help us get it together!!  :-)

On a side note, the boys actually survived the dentist today. It's always a relief when they act appropriately in an unfamiliar surrounding! Hope everyone is having a terrific day!

By the way, here is the link for the chore cards!
http://biblicalhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-printable-chore-cards-tutorial.html

When you are squeezed, what comes out?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dUFiWE83Ac&feature=youtu.be


Is your spouse irritating? It may be you not your spouse! This video might challenge you because it did me.

You have to start somewhere

To start off, the title of my blog pretty much sums up the two most important things in my life! The joy of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and my boys. My boys include my three sweet little men and my wonderful husband. I'm not sure why I think I'm going to have time to keep up a blog along with the business of everyday life. But over the past several months I have been faithfully reading a couple different blogs that have been very encouraging and informative. I by no means expect to be as interesting or helpful as the authors I have come to enjoy but I decided to give it a shot. If I am able to encourage one person that's awesome!