Funny Friday

So, this week saw us through a dreaded stomach virus. And yet there were still funny things said and done that could ease the yuckiness all around our house. Enjoy.

Silly boy ;)

"Don't shoot the baby dragons, Daddy, they're poor little things!"-5 yr. old daughter to her daddy, after he was attempting to kill all the dragons in her room that were keeping her from sleeping at bedtime. Isn't it convenient that dragons only show up when she's supposed to be going to sleep? Where are these dragons all day long? Hmm...

"Oh no! I'm spilling!"-Shout heard from astonished and horrified 2 yr. old boy when he peed in the floor after a bath. Needless to say the connections haven't quite been made between wet diapers and how they get wet. Guess we've got a long journey in potty training in our near future. 

"Let it begin! Let it begin!"-5 yr. daughter excited to be eating blueberries for breakfast when she finally got her appetite back. 

Blueberries!

"Mamaw! Candy!?!?"-2 yr. old's apt greeting for his Mamaw.

"It just breaks my heart!"-5 yr. old daughter's response to Mommy saying no about something. 

"Ice cream!"-2 yr. old's suggestion for breakfast.
"No, we can't have ice cream for supper! Are you crazy? It's just not healthy...Can we have peanut butter crackers, Mommy?"-5 yr. old daughter's reaction to her brother's suggestion. We did not have peanut butter crackers, for the record. 

"Fine. I'm going to sleep in the mermaid bed."-How Daddy gets our 5 yr. old to quit stalling at bedtime. Just funny when you consider the source. It's a good thing none of the men he works with will see this. *wink*

Baby says this is not funny, mom.

So, hopefully you and your family have fared better health-wise this week, but I also hope your week was made lighter through lots of laughter. 

How has laughter helped you get through things this week?

Oh, and I'm considering doing a giveaway soon, most likely sewing related, but not necessarily. 

Would any of you be interested in a giveaway? If so, what kinds of things would you be interested in winning? 

Please keep suggestions within reason though, I'm not the lottery, you know!

Making it Monday

 Well, Easter will be here before you know it, and in reality my kids actually have outgrown their spring/summery dress clothes. You know what that means? I'm going to have to start sewing like a crazy lady for the next couple of weeks, not just so they have new Easter clothes, but so they have something for warmer weather that fits. The good news is that we inherited a lot of clothes for the 2 yr. boy from my nephew, and of course the 6 month old can wear hand-me-downs, too. So even though I would like to make everyone a new something. I will be happy if I can just get something made for my daughter. She's grown almost six inches since last year!

To say that my daughter has very particular taste in her clothing is putting it mildly. She would spent 30 minutes putting outfits together when she was only three (she's five now). So, I never, ever, sew or buy anything for her without getting some input as to what pattern she wants and what material or colors to use. However, her request for this dress has me a little baffled. I'll try to explain it as best I can.

Here's the pattern she chose. Cute, right?

Butterick 6324, from the 80s I think.

Here's the color scheme she wants...or so I thought, until she corrected me.

My interpretation of what I thought she said she wanted.

Here's the way she said was right.

What she says she actually wants.

Guess I'd better get busy. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.
Do your kids have their own style? Do you let them choose what they wear and how to wear it? Are you going to have to get new clothes for growing kids this spring?

A Reminder to Take "Little Bites"

"I squeeze my creative endeavors into my life in little bites. Once or twice a year I might have an uninterrupted half-day to myself, but generally all my sewing, writing, painting, and decorating get squeezed in among the daily things of caring for a family and home.

And here's how..."

An excellent reminder to all of us moms, or women in general for that matter, on how taking what time we have instead of complaining about not having more time to do the things we need or want to do. Click here to read the rest of the post from Pleasantview Schoolhouse. Anna always has beautiful photography and projects as well as encouraging words. Be sure to drop by and read about her amazing sewing skills and check out her etsy shop while you're there. 

Funny Friday

All three at the breakfast table, and yes, those are
crumbs under my table ;)
 We had biscuits, what can I say?

Well, things haven't been as funny at our house this week. Running everywhere, then trying to catch up on housework (bleck!), trying to prepare curriculum and making lesson plans for next year (we're officially homeschooling our oldest in kindergarten in the fall *insert horror movie scream*), doctor appointment, runny noses, 2 yr. old with fever, 6 month old not wanting to eat much and then getting a little constipated (still nursing like nobody's business, though), and keeping my nieces and nephews while helping my mom. Whew! I've definitely been away more than home this week. However, there was some cuteness amidst it all, and that definitely made it a little easier to deal with.

"Don't worry, if they have to give you lots and lots of shots and prick all of your fingers at the doctor's office, I'll be right there."-5 yr. daughter's way of comforting/preparing her brother for a 2 yr. check up. Let's just say it's little wonder why he hid behind my leg when the doctor entered the room.

4 yr. old nephew in Papaw's t-shirt,
because, well, let's just say 4 yr. old boys
 aren't the best at aiming yet.

"Ok, I'm done."-2 yr. old son to doctor when he decided he'd had enough of the check up. He wasn't really being rude, just said it very matter of factly.

"I'm just trying to find myself."-5 yr. old daughter. Yeah, I have no idea where this came from either.

"I can't wait to be a teenager, because then I can get married and have a baby."-5 yr. old daughter. Wow. Let's just say I'm glad she doesn't know what age means you're a teenager, otherwise we would be really, really, concerned.

"You know mommy, we can't get to heaven on our own."-5 yr. old daughter.
"How do we get there then?"-Me.
"Well, God is in heaven, so Jesus has to take us there."-5 yr. old daughter.
Not funny, but warmed this mommy's heart. <3 p="">
 I know when I'm so stressed/overwhelmed that I feel like I could explode there's nothing better than cute kids saying/doing cute things to make me laugh and relax, not that I'm perfect, but God certainly uses them to remind me of what's really important at the moment.

So, have you been extra busy lately? Don't cute kids make it easier when you're busy?

Funny Friday: Take 2

Sorry I didn't get this posted on an actual Friday, but yesterday was a birthday in our home, and that means nothing but party and fun all day...and work and stress for mommy. And in honor of our oldest son's second birthday, today's Funny Friday will be all about Jonah Boy :)

"What are they going to name the baby?"-Me
"Um.....Football!"-2 yr. old son's enthusiastic response after attending a baby shower.

"Who's boy are you?"-Me
"Um...Jonah's boy!"- 2 yr. old boy's response is only funny because he usually says Daddy's boy, but I guess on his birthday he was his own man.

"Where Daddy?"-2 yr. old boy.
"At work."-Me.
"Where Papaw?"- 2 yr. old boy.
"At his house."-Me.
"(Sigh)...I wish Papaw live at Jonah's house."-2 yr. old boy.
*Awww*


And now he's two, and looks more like Papaw everyday. Say's "peas" and "tank ou" and still wraps his arms around mommy's neck when I lay him down to change his diaper. He gives some of the best kisses ever and loves to make others laugh. *Sigh* He still makes my heart melt when he says "Mommy, love ou." Excuse me while I cry a little over how quickly he's growing up.

So, what has you getting all sentimental this week?

Funny Friday

Little babe was 6 months old yesterday.

Funny Fridays: A collection of funny things that were said or done in our home this week, even if they weren't funny at the time...

"It feels strange to live in a taco."- 5 yr. old daughter who obviously has a wonderful imagination.

"I don't have time to train like a ninja." - Sweet Husband (I was trying to get him to exercise with me.)

"Forgot to buy Miterman!!!" (Spiderman) - almost 2 yr. old after leaving the grocery store, when I asked myself out loud if we had remembered everything.

"I can't get my work done for you getting in the way all the time." - 5 yr. daughter after I let her do mommy's work instead of her school for an hour trade off. She did decide that even though she likes mommy's work, mommy is better able to do it, and I think we both feel better about school.

"Are you even a grown-up?" - little girl who started taking violin lessons from me yesterday. I'm taking this as a compliment.

Hope this brought a smile to your face today. What funny things have happened at your house this week?

So, Here's the Story...

So, here's the story :)
When our sweet first son was about nine months old (December 2011), we went to my parents house where my dad asked if I was pregnant. I was a little embarrassed and tried to laugh it off by saying I just haven't been running much lately. Then, our daughter asked me how the baby was in my tummy! (She had been praying for another baby since her brother was born in March 2011.)
Now I was starting to think I must be getting fat or maybe I am pregnant. So, to stop everyone from asking any more I decided to increase my exercising, but because of my history of miscarriages, I,  ever the paranoid, decided I should take a test just to be sure. Well.....I was pregnant!!!
How was this possible?
See, I was supposed to have PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome). We had to go to a fertility doctor and take metformin to conceive our daughter and then took metformin and clomid to conceive before our miscarriages and our son. We didn't think we could ever even become pregnant without the help of a doctor and at least medication. And the weird thing is that our fertility doctor had retired and the doctor who established the clinic died and the clinic closed, for good. We had been wondering if we needed to find a new doctor or if we just needed to be content with the two blessings of a daughter and a son that God had already so graciously given to us. Now we had become pregnant without a doctor, without medications, and while breastfeeding!
And it gets better, because at our first ultrasound visit, they said there were no long any cysts on my ovaries! I believe God healed me. I don't know why He did. I never even asked Him to heal me of this, but I believe He did, and I am so thankful.
So, after a fairly uneventful pregnancy and a lot of extra fluid, we had our second son on August 21, 2012. He was and is huge still at five months.

Happy family :)

And this is a big part of what I have been up to in the last year. I hope this encouraged you, and that you'll know and be reminded that nothing is impossible for God.
Has God done something amazing in your life over the last few months? Please share here, so we can all praise Him together. Love in Christ!

Hello, again...

Just popping in ;)

Hey y'all!

I know, I haven't written anything here in well over a year, and I bet no one was ever expecting me to again. And yet here I am, writing once again. So much has happened in the space between that I almost don't know where to start, but I said almost, so here goes.
First, I think you should know why I started a hiatus to begin with. My husband and I were in agreement that I needed to stop blogging for a while. Partly because it was very time-consuming and I had little spare time, and because we both felt a conviction that it was increasingly hard to not be two-dimensional here. I mean that it is easy for others to read a blog post and think they know you, and think you have all the answers, or that your life is picture perfect all the time. The truth is that most people who will ever read this will never actually know me apart from the words written here. That may sound cold and indifferent, but it's true. I know that I have to remind myself when reading a favorite blog that I don't actually know this person. (How odd a time we live in when anyone and everyone can write to the world who they want be, whether it be true or not!) And even though my intention was never to mislead anyone, we felt that I needed some time away from writing here to sort it all out. I wasn't sure that I wasn't in sin somehow in blogging here, and no matter how ridiculous that may seem to you, it's the truth and my conscience would not allow me to have peace until I could come back fresh and without a burden or a fear of my being sinful in it.
Then, when my husband and I agreed that I should write again, my laptop's charger cable quit working.  What can I say, I have a macbook and a replacement wasn't a big priority (when you read what we've been up to in the last year and a half, I think you'll understand why).
So, many months later, here I am again. I suppose I could've tried to type one on my phone, but who knows what the infamous iphone spell check would've replaced what I was typing. It might have been much more interesting to read and definitely more entertaining.
Well, there you have it. That's why I've not been blogging lately, and now to tell you what's in store. I hope to post in the next few days about some of the miraculous things God has been doing here. I will warn you that I can't promise that I'll be very regular at posting, as again, it's not a very high priority, and I hope you'll understand that. I also hope to post more about sewing, just because I want to, and I love sewing or creating anything for that matter. I realize that one of the tips for a good blog is to know your audience and limit your blog to specific subject(s). I just can't do that, I'm far too indecisive, and like everyone else my interests and tastes vary greatly.
So, that's it, why did you think I stopped writing? ;)

For A Season

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"-Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am in a particular season for my life, so are you. My season happens to be being a wife and a mom to a 3 yr. old and an almost 3 month old.
Just four years ago my life was completely different. I was in a totally different mindset and season. I could spend most of my day the way I wanted to. I could keep my home perfectly spotless. I could go to the bathroom without an audience. I could read/type a sentence without being interrupted by dressing paper dolls or changing a diaper. I could start projects and finish them in a timely manner. My body was my own, and entirely for my husband with no nursing babies laying claim to it. I could work out whenever I chose. I could eat what I liked (right now I'm nursing a baby with colic and acid reflux and have had to take dairy, all dairy, out of my diet). 
This post could easily turn into a rant. I could easily complain about how different my life is and the fact that I can't do whatever I like whenever I like. I could lament the changes my body has had to go through in order to give birth to and nurse two children. I could cry tears of self-pity over the never-ending mess my home seems to be in, and the fact that I can constantly clean it without any noticeable change. 
But I know this is only a season. I will not be the mother of young children forever. They are already growing up before my eyes and changing in ways that amaze me daily. They won't always coo and smile those toothless grins, or hug me at night and say, "Mommy, I want to stay with you forever!". I am forever grateful to God for my children.
This is only for a season. And yet there are things that will never be the same, even when this season has passed. Let's be honest, I will never look the same as I did on my wedding day, even if I could still wear my wedding dress. I will always feel the affects of having been pregnant four times (we have two babies in heaven), my body will never be as it was prior to having children. Being a stay-at-home mother who's trying to homeschool means I will not be working full-time outside the home as I used to, and money will always probably be tight.
And yet none of those things are really bothering me. Lately there's only been one overwhelming thing that is making me feel, well, a little depressed to be honest. Guilt. I feel guilt over not being the mother I want to be. I feel guilty not being able to keep my home the way I want to keep it. I feel guilty not being able to fit in many of my clothes and still be modest (nursing moms, you know what I mean!). I feel guilty not having the time or energy to be there for my husband as I would like to be. I feel guilty for not spending time being hospitable. 
But most of all, I feel guilty because I don't have the time or energy or frankly the motivation to pray and read and study God's Word as I would like and know I need. I get so caught up trying to catch up or just feeling exhausted, that I feel like I'm wasting the time I've been given. 

‎"It is an unpleasant mistake to think all the time as lost which is not spent in reading, or hearing sermons, or prayer. These are properly called means of grace; they should be attended to in their proper season; but the fruits of grace are to appear in our common daily course of conduct." - John Newton

I had been taking out my frustration from this guilt on anyone and everything. Now granted, I wasn't abusing my kids or my husband, and  I wasn't neglecting needs, but I was doing things with a bitter heart. And no matter how much I tried to be cheerful, my heart was full of frustration and anger, and it was affecting those around me. 

There's a lot of guilt that comes with motherhood, and it's fueled by worry and genuine love for my family. I love my kids and my husband more than I've ever loved anything or anyone ever. I want most of all for them to see Jesus in my love for them lived out in all that I do or say, for them to see the gospel in every word and deed. But my heart's wickedness can nullify that. My attitude can negate the words I say or the things I do, because they aren't done with the right affections. God has to come before my husband, my children, my home, and me. 

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."-Exodus 20:3

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."-Matthew 22:37-38

God has to have the first place in my life, but that's in the light of the gospel. What I mean is, God doesn't change the state of my salvation or my standing in Christ before Him, simply because I sin or because I'm going through a season where I can't read, study, or pray as I want to. 

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."-Ephesians 2:4-9

Putting God first doesn't mean I am living a monastic life or that I am sitting in a quiet room for hours praying and studying. It means that I acknowledge Him in all that I do. It means that I submit to His will, knowing that He created this season for me, and that my joyful embracing of it will glorify Him and be for my good. It means that my heart will rejoice in Him when I feel so depressed. It means that I will take refuge in His peace when I am surrounded by chaos. And I will serve those around me with a joyful heart, knowing that in doing so I will glorify my God and show Jesus to my family and those around me. 

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."-Galatians 2:16-21

There is no better way to be like our Lord than to be glad to take the lowliest position, in meekness to embrace the draining of ourselves to serve others, to rejoice in being made low that He can be made higher, and to be a stranger in this world by showing them our steadfast devotion to our God, Jesus the suffering servant, as we are blessed to be given the opportunity to emulate and follow Him in giving our all to our family. 

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."-Philippians 2:5-8

I watched my mother for years pour out herself for her family and others. She did it without complaining, but with a quiet and a meek spirit. She showed me Christ and the gospel by giving us grace and mercy and love, while she received nothing in return. So, I am going to ask God to forgive me for where I have wasted the time He has given, for the attitude of my heart, for not coming to Him sooner with my sins, and for not trusting Him fully in this season. And I pray He grant me repentance in these areas, and I am going to put my hand to the plow and not look back.

"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."-Luke 9:62

So, who's with me?