Weekend

Austin and Zac built outside end tables today. I am so proud of them they did an amazing job. They are made with solid fur with a ceramic table top.

My mom knitt Hannah this vintage dress. I am so thrilled it fits her now.
Chris caught this photo of Rachael trying to catch up to me while I mowed the lawn. It reminds me of a novel cover. And I love that her sandles are on the wrong feet.

Hannah's Birth

Kizoa slideshow: Hannah's Birth - Slideshow

I almost forgot I had a blog!
We have been so busy the past few weeks, Chris gets home from work and we have been in and out almost everyday. I have felt so productive lately, cleaning and organizing Spending lots of time with my kiddo's. We are just loving that it's summer! School is DONE as in formal book work, but we are always learning and talking growing as a family be stretched in different area's.
Hannie is growing like crazy and has this new little scream she does when one of the kids walk by. She gets really excited and squeals with joy.
Rachael has been a little heart melter this past week. She is growing up way to quickly and has been saying the funniest things. She's like this 3 year old old lady. She has us laughing all the time.
Jude is in boot camp mode and doing AWESOME! He is very quickly learning "the look" haha. Gotta love 2 year olds. He's using the potty all the time now at home and so we will brave it out of the house.
Natalie has seemed to steal my baby (Hannah) and I pretty much have to beg for her at time as Natalie is packing her around. Real life dolly's are way better I guess. She is at the age of imitation.
She duplicates my mannerisms.
She copies how I do things how I talk to the little ones.
She mimics heroines in movies.
She is a sponge, soaking up the worldview and culture which we set before her.
I am modeling the image of woman that will shape her philosophy.
It is terrifying and motivating all at once.

Presley has been on mission to make some money he's been keeping his bedroom clean doing chores to make a quarter. He is trying to save for a dirt bike.
Zachary and Austin have been busy outside, they planted a little garden for themselves. So they have been spending time doing that. Also over at Gr. Grandpa's helping him with his yard too. I'm so proud of how motivated they are to help. They are so much like their dad and really know how to serve.

Well that's my update, I don't know when I will update again but soon!

Prager University: Happiness is a Moral Obligation

Happy 6th Birthday Presley

Happy 6th Birthday Presley!

Gossip

Today I had a really good talk with my three older children about gossip and how hurtful it is. It was interesting to talk about something that I have clearly sinned in and to repent to my children. I shared how easy it is to be pulled in by interesting information. I shared with Natalie as women it's even harder because we love to talk. I explained that gossip is saying anything, true or false, about someone that puts them in a bad light. It leads the hearer to assume the worst about that person. I've had conversations with people who have told me things I really wish I hadn't heard. I've wondered things about people that I never would have wondered, if someone hadn't told me a detail about their lives that really was none of my business. I've done my own share of saying things, just so that the person I'm talking to will take my side, or not be someone's friend, or just to enjoy a juicy tidbit. Gossip ruins a person's reputation. But it does something else, too. It makes the hearer not be able to trust the one who gossiped. If she said that about Mrs. Jones, then what is she saying about me.
Think about it. Do you wish to confide in someone who tells you all about other friends or family in your social circle? We've all had that happen, you say something in confidence and suddenly, everyone knows what you said. Gossip sullies two reputations, not just one. What do our husbands think when we gossip to them about others? It's interesting as the children get older how much more we need to openly share our sin and confess to them it's certainly humbling.

Mothers Day

Mothers Day used to really frustrate me, I had this idea in my head of how it should be "the perfect day" but every year I would fall disapointed. My husband has bought me flowers for 12 years and small token gifts, we have done dinners, luches, picnic's you name it. But it's not like I could go off duty with small children and a nursing infant and yet that's not even what I wanted. I love being with them, the older ones are getting to an age now where we are becoming friends all the hard training seems done and we move into a mentoring type relationship. Yet with many little ones life is very much hands on.
Chris is wonderful he has NEVER EVER said anything about me going out for coffee or shopping with friends. He jumps in when I jump out, we make an awesome team together.
So Mother's Day has always felt like one of "those holidays" Yesterday I was nursing my little Hannah watching Rachael and Natalie play "house" the way they would coo over their dolls, rocking and changing there clothes. They get all the play dishes out preparing dinner for when the daddy comes home. And they are so joyful. It rememeber being the same way!!! I used to dream of this life and now I am so blessed by the grace of God to live it out. Yet it was convicting watching them play and laugh and smile at what I sometimes grumble about.


Is there anything sweeter than holding a newborn baby,
or rocking a small child to sleep?
"Reading a story aloud with children tucked in all around me," as a friend says,
is one of her great delights in life.
Such fondnesses are the mark of biblical femininity.
Let us shamelessly embrace it.
May God give us grace that overflows our cup,
that we may model it,
passing on a love of nurturing to the next generation.

I read this th other day and I really liked what it had to say.

Is my behavior governed by what other people do, say, think of me?
What others do should not govern what I do. I read something Martin L. Jones wrote on loving our enemies this past weekend - so spot on - I thought I would quote some/plus paraphrase some of it here:

"...He (she) must be detached from others in the sense that his behavior is not governed by what they do. But still more important, he should be detached from himself, for until a man is detached from himself he will never be detached from what others do to that self. . .

As long as a man is living for himself, he is sensitive, always watchful. . . jealous; he is envious and is therefore always reacting immediately to what others do. . .

The only way to detach yourself from what others do to you is that you first of all detach yourself - from YOURSELF.

The christian is a man/woman who is taken out of this present evil world. He is placed in a position apart and lives on a higher level. He belongs to a different kingdom. He is a new man, a new creature, a new creation. No longer governed by others.

Because of that, he sees everything differently, and therefore reacts in a different manner. . . he is in a position of detachment. . .

Meaning - no longer exclusively governed by what other people do to you; you will have something within you that will determine your conduct and behavior. . .

And it is no longer other people. But God.

. . .I think that if we examine ourselves, we shall see at a glance that one of the most tragic things about us is that our lives are so much governed by other people and by what they do to us and think of us. . .

Try to recall a single day of your life. Think of the unkind and cruel thoughts that have come into your mind or heart. What produced them? Somebody else! How much of our thinking and acting and behavior is entirely governed by other people!

It is one of the things that makes life so wretched. You see a particular person and your spirit is upset. If you had not seen that person you would have not felt like that. Other people are controlling you.

Christ calls us to get out of that condition!

Our love must become such, our lives must become such - that we are no longer governed and controlled by what people say or do. Our lives must be governed by a new principle - the principle of love. . .

Love for God. Love for others. The moment God is who governs, and not people, we see people in a different way. . ."

We must detach ourselves from ourself.

~We will see life in a different way.
We will stop reacting to what people do, or think of us, or say. We will stop the over sensitivity and get a life!
Life in Jesus Christ.