Worth 1,000 Words: Pumpkin Patch #2

We ventured south of town this weekend to our favorite pumpkin patch in the area.  They do an all-inclusive entry fee so we took FULL advantage!  The weather was just about as nice as you could ask for in the middle of October and we had such a good time together!

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She REALLY enjoyed the jumping pillow!
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Racing daddy like a horse
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More jumping
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“Look at those snowmen!”
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Pumpkin patch + football = heaven
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Taking Loo-Loo for a ride!
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Helping me get through the soybean maze
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He was FIRED UP to ride the cow train!
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I think this was time number 3…
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Kid, kid, kid, kid, kid, kid, BIG KID, kid
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I made it!
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My loves
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So fun!
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Making the climb up the hay mountain (again)
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Favorite shot of the day
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She has a knack for finding the smallest, dirtiest, squishiest pumpkins in the patch – ha!
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This girl LOVES getting her face painted!
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So cute!
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One more time in the corn box
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Working hard at racing her ducks – pink, no less!

Oh, fall – we love you so!

Connecting Your Child to Christ (Part 1 of 3)

I was raised in a Christian home…of sorts.  My parents believed that God existed.  They had both said at some point in their lives that they wanted Jesus to be their savior and were water baptized.  We went to church for the most part and I wouldn’t say that my family was  anti-Jesus but we sure didn’t talk about Him.  We didn’t read the Word together.  We weren’t taught of Him or His character except for what we gleaned in Sunday School or “big church.”   And I don’t say any of this to bash on my parents.  They did a lot of things right with us kids and I’m completely positive we were more similar to the “norm” than not.  But that piece of the puzzle – the piece about making Jesus known in the home – was missing, and I didn’t realize how big of a piece it was until later in life.

I remember being in about 7th grade and I decided I was going to start reading the Bible and I learned that God took a rib from Adam to make woman and I was stunned!  I couldn’t believe that was real!   How did I not know this?!  That Noah guy that took animals onto a boat – it was in the Bible; it wasn’t just a wallpaper border in the nursery – it really happened!  I just had no idea because we didn’t read the Word as a family.

It wasn’t until I went to college and I met Wrex and two church leaders (a husband and wife duo from Clarendon, Texas) that I really got an understanding for Jesus.   These people had REAL relationships with Him.  They talked about Him.  They talked WITH Him.  He wasn’t this mystical guy only to be pulled out for a few hours on a Sunday…He was an everyday, every hour, every minute part of their lives.  Because of their unabashed love for Him, I became a TRUE believer in Christ.  I dedicated my life to Him, was baptized and later married that good-looking man who showed me what it was like to know Jesus in a really real way.

After we were married for a few years, we took some high school kids to a Dare to Share conference.  I was skimming through some of their information and it talked about how parents couldn’t just send their child to youth group to learn all they needed to know about Jesus.  It explained that there just wasn’t enough time on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights for youth leaders to build a teen’s foundation and that Biblically, that was the parents’ job…it had to start at home.

Now, these might seem like common sense facts to you, but at the time, I was just shell shocked.  All these lights went off, I heard the Hallelujah chorus, my head was buzzing and it all made sense.  God help them, my parents did what they knew best which was send me to church on occasion and hope that I’d learn enough about Jesus to get my free ticket into heaven.  And while I want my children to spend eternity with Him, I also want them to have a relationship with Jesus, because THAT is what He wants from us…that other stuff comes as a result of that relationship.

I want them to know Him better and closer and more intimate and deeper than I ever have.   I want the most I have ever known of the Lord, to be the least they will know of Him.  I want my ceiling to be their floor.  I want to leave a legacy of the fear of the Lord with them that no one can take away.  I want them to have a reverential awe of the Him, a worship and wonder of God the Father, a deep respect and reverence for the Lord and His ways – because that’s what He wants from us as parents.  It is our duty to connect our children to Christ.  They’re not going to learn it anywhere else.  Youth groups and Awana meetings and Moppets can come alongside us as parents and help us and bolster us and fill in some missing cracks, but we, as parents, have got to be the ones that build their foundations.

I adore Psalm 78 and the instruction it has for us.

O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
    for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
    stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.

He tells us that we have to share our stories!  We have to pass on what we know of the Lord to the generations after us.  We aren’t to hide the truths of the Lord from our children, we’re to tell them these truths.

So how do we do this?  How do we connect our kids to Christ?

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.  (Deuteronomy 6)

We have got to talk about Him!  All the time!  He is in everything.  He IS everything. We are to talk about Him and what He’s done for us and teach our kiddos about Him.  So?  We have to know Him for ourselves.  We can’t give away what we don’t have, so some of us may have to start this journey of knowing Him WITH our children.  And that’s ok.  It’s NEVER too late to start somewhere.

So practically, what does this look like?  Here are 5 simple ways to begin to teach your children about the Lord.

1.) Read the word together.  Get a Children’s Bible and start going through the stories.  That Noah guy I mentioned earlier?  He’s in there!  Seriously though, one of the easiest ways to learn the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is by going through a Children’s Bible.  Talk to them about the stories and what lessons Jesus wants us to learn from them.   Then, incorporate different stories into other times of the day, like snack time.  I’m willing to bet we aren’t the only family that buys stock in Pepperidge Farm because of our vast Goldfish consumption.  So, when you give them the fishes that are so delicious, talk to them about how Jesus fed the 5,000.

If you give them pretzel rods or carrot sticks or celery sticks, make crosses with them and tell them about how Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Make a rainbow fruit skewer and talk about Noah (he just keeps popping up, doesn’t he!?) and the flood and God’s promise.

2.) Get active.  Acting out Bible stories is a GREAT way to get kids to remember what they’ve read.  Kids (and adults, mind you) remember 90% of what they say AND do, as opposed to only 20% of what they hear alone.  As you go through the Children’s Bible, act out the stories of David and Goliath or Jesus washing the disciples’ feet or Daniel and the Lions Den (Sawyer’s favorite right now).  Get creative with it.  It doesn’t have to be Pinterest perfect but you’ll be amazed at what some construction paper and tape can create to make a story come alive for your kids.

 3.) Pray for them and with them.  Teach them that prayer is a conversation between them and God.  They can do it anywhere and anytime they want to – He loves to hear from His kids.

The 5 finger prayer is a really easy way to pray like Jesus taught the disciples to pray in Matthew, just in kiddo lingo.

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Praise God – Lord, you are good and holy and righteous.  How wonderful is your name in all the earth!

Confess your sins – Forgive me for losing my temper today or for thinking and acting selfishly.

Thank God – Lord, thank you for our warm house and for food to eat.  Thank you that daddy made it home safely from work.

Pray for Others – Give Mrs. Smith peace tonight before her doctor’s appointment tomorrow.

Pray for yourself – Help me to have an obedient heart.

4.) Worship together.  Get on YouTube and search for kids worship songs.  Play them and sing together and dance together and learn some hand motions together.

5.) Serve others together.  Find a way to show Jesus’ love to a neighbor or friend and serve them.  Do random acts of kindness…leave money in a coke machine with a note; leave a package for your postman or woman; take some treats to the nursing home and just love on the elderly…anything that helps them to live out their faith.

Feel overwhelmed yet?  Don’t.  Really, don’t.  It may take some time and a little effort to get there and build those habits to where we can talk about Him at the drop of a hat, but you’ll get there and you won’t regret it.  I really don’t want you to feel overwhelmed, but I do want you to feel the weight of the importance of this thing called parenthood.   We’ve got one shot with these kiddos.  One shot to raise them with the fear of the Lord, to instill in them His ways and values, to guide and direct them in the ways of righteousness.

So, we can do all the things I discussed earlier…we can read the Word and eat cheese flavored fish and act like giants – which are all great things, but the most important thing we can do as parents is to ACT like Jesus.

God intends for us to model His character to our children.  Scripture tells us that we are to give our children affection, compassion, protection, provision and loving discipline.  When we provide this kind of environment, children then believe that HE is loving and compassionate and protective and gracious and a loving disciplinarian.

But in a home that exhibits the opposite – homes with a lack of affection or compassion or where there’s yelling or neglect or punishment and especially abuse, they begin to see God in THIS way.  A mean God; a God of no grace.  They see Him in a way that is untrue of who He really is; a way that leads to deep, deep wounds and the inability to apply His true character to their lives.

We have to act in ways that are consistent with Him – THAT is how we will connect our children to Christ the most…

So I have this friend named Stormie. . .

and she’s fabulous!  First, isn’t she gorge?!

Sawyer and Stormie being silly
Sawyer and Stormie being silly

But she’s a lot more than just a looker!  She’s creative and unique and incredibly fashion forward.  (I don’t know if she knows this, but she’s TOTALLY inspired me to change some things about my wardrobe.  I’m not so matchy-matchy anymore, all because of her.  She’s not afraid of mixing patterns and prints and colors and textures in ways that you think would never work, but then she puts it on and bam – she ROCKS it. And I covet it.  Ahem.)

I keep saying I'm going to steal this head wrap...
I keep saying I’m going to steal this head wrap…

She has a ridiculous eye for all things hip, vintage and in (or about to be in.)  She’s adored by her family and especially her nieces and nephews.  (She takes each of them on a special birthday date – just the two of them.  Who wouldn’t love one-on-one time with Storm?!)  She’s a do-er and a dreamer and she might just be the most generous person I’ve ever met.  And not just with her money, but with her time and resources and brain power.  Did you know she’s one of only three Denver-ites that have been here more than once to see us AND she’s one of the busiest?!  Yeah, she’s cool like that.

Seriously, she wreaks of cool
Seriously, she wreaks of cool

I’ve had kind of a bleh day and the post-lady called to let me know I had a package that she’d bring down.  I wasn’t expecting anything so I had no idea who it was from or what it might be.  But lo and behold, I should’ve know, sweet Stormie sent us a box FULL of goodies!

Jackpot!
Jackpot!

Three things you must know regarding Stormie’s packages.

1.) They are BEAUTIFUL!  Look at all that color and fru-fru!  She makes EVERY thing she sends so exciting to open.  She takes such care to make sure it’s all just perfect.  The receiver can’t help but feel special because look at all the time she put into the wrapping alone.

SOOO pretty, yes?
SOOO pretty, yes?

2.) There is always something for every single one of us!  Told you she was generous…

This girl LOVES gifts!
This girl LOVES gifts!

Sawyer got a nursery rhyme puzzle set, which we had to do immediately.

Hey diddle, diddle
Hey diddle, diddle

Wryder got the CA-YOOTEST little train, which sister so selflessly helped him open.  🙂

He gave it the chew of approval
He gave it the chew of approval

And daddy got something, too!  We resisted temptation so he could open it himself.  Aren’t you proud?

He's gonna LOVE that steer head!
He’s gonna LOVE the wrap job

3.) She is a fantastic gift giver!  She knows her audience and always finds the funnest, neatest, chicest things!

My {fabulous} loot
My {fabulous} loot

I have an affinity for accessories.  Surprised?  I didn’t think you would be.  Fall, for me, pretty much consists of scarves, cardigans, boots and cute earrings.  She nailed it.

Yes, please
Yes, please

She just has this keen sense of how to bless someone.  I recently redid a section of our living room so I could have an official desk to do my blog/ministry/pre-school work and these super cute clips are killing me!  I am so in love with arrows right now.  I have one on my “need want Wrex to make me one” list.

I'm an office supply nut
I’m an office supply nut

My frown has been turned upside down!  Stormie, THANK YOU for being the kind, generous, hip, loving, beautiful friend sister you are!  Thank you for blessing us with your time and talents and for ALWAYS being up for a roadtrip to come see us.  Speaking of which…

 

It Just Makes Sense

Ever since we were expecting Wryder, we wanted to attempt to have the kids share a room – based solely on the layout of our house if nothing else.  We have two bedrooms upstairs, which are ours and Sawyer’s, and two downstairs, which are a guest room/craft room and a guest room/play room.  We really wanted to have all of us on the same floor for convenience and safety’s sake, so sharing a room just made sense.

About two months before Wryder was due, Wrex and I moved downstairs.  I was making WAY too many middle-of-the-night trips downstairs to use the bathroom.  My deep sleep cycles were non-existent and I felt like a zombie most of the day, so moving down to where the bathroom was, just made sense.

Wryder soon came along and he has slept in our room since he was born.  It makes his middle of the night milk cravings a lot more bearable than trudging upstairs and (potentially) waking sister with all the crying.

Now that winter is upon us, we’ve been attempting to get our house (inside and out) winterized before fall is whisked away and the snow sets in.  In the process, Wrex had the grand idea of everyone living on the main floor for winter.  Our house was built in the 19-teens, so it’s old and quirky totally vintage which means there is no forced heat upstairs, just electric, radiant heat.  He did the math and he thinks we can save $700 – $1000 this winter alone!  So, you guessed it, moving everyone downstairs just made sense.

Bed(room) partners
Bed(room) partners

Our two cuties are officially sharing a room and loving every minute of it!  Sawyer is anyways.  She was so excited about sleeping with brother that she couldn’t sleep during her first naptime stay, but we understood!  We were excited, too!  Wryder’s pretty easy going so we’ll just say he doesn’t mind, either.

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Sawyer LOVES her tractor “beat” from Aunt Lori! She said “beat” for the word blanket ever since she was one and the name’s stuck!

He wakes up between four and five every morning ravenous but has yet to wake her with his crying.  She wakes up around seven and now has our permission to get out of bed (if she is certain that it’s light outside) and come get us in our room.  It’s been fun to watch her be excited about gaining more freedom and responsibility because she’s proved so trustworthy about not getting out of bed when that was the rule.

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Looking in from the living room
A little tight
It’s a little tight.  We thought of putting the toy box in the barn for now but I just couldn’t.  I LOVE it.  It was the kiddos’ great-great-great-grandfather’s show box.  This HAS to be in our house, right?!
Bookshelves made by daddy.  Love.
Bookshelves made by daddy. Love.
The art wall
The art wall.  It just got cleaned and sorted.  Don’t worry.  Sawyer loves office supplies..it’ll be full again soon.
A family photo
A family photo
Some of her favorite things
Some of her favorite things
Ocedo the cat wanted in on the action
Ocedo the cat wanted in on the action.  Love this hanging thing from IKEA, by the way.  It’s the PERFECT place for all those blasted stuff animals.

The layout feels a little square to me, but I keeping reminding myself of the temporariness (which is actually a real word, by the way)…and of the money we hope to pocket.  Plus, it’s really nice having both of them down here with us, and it’s been REALLY nice getting Wryder into his own room, but still on the same floor.  Here’s to hoping we really do notice a big savings in our electric bill…because saving money just makes cents.  <—  See what I did there?  Oh, Lord help me…a short night plus a long day makes for a cheesy momma. 😉

Little Coats

I don’t think I ever knew how much I would love to have little coats hanging in my mudroom.

IMG_2543I went through a phase in my life where I didn’t want to have kids.  I was scared to death of the thought of carrying one in my womb, much less the birthing process.  Thanks to Hollywood, the (apparent) pain and screaming and grimacing and cursing and squeezing and pushing just didn’t seem worth it.  On top of that, it felt like the world just kept getting meaner and meaner and I just couldn’t stomach the thought of making a child live in it.  It felt so unfair, so risky, so irresponsible.

I still remember sitting at our dining table talking to Wrex about the perils of the world and in those very seconds, the Lord revealed such sweet wisdom to me.  He showed me how the world would never stop being mean and nasty, especially if there wasn’t another generation to rise up and bring people to His Son.

Mind changed.  And I’m oh so glad it did.

IMG_2328These two have brought more joy to our lives than I could have ever dreamed or imagined.  They love so unconditionally and forgive so fully and show love so willingly.  They are so pure of heart and gentle in spirit; they make me want to be better and do better and say better and act better and think better.

Our life looks nothing like it did pre-children and there are things I miss about it just being the two of us.  I miss the small amount of responsibility I once had…the way we could pick up and go somewhere on a whim…the uninterrupted conversations…the quick meal times and long snuggle times…the way the house would stay clean and picked up for weeks on end…but there will be time enough for all of that again one day.  Yes, there’s more laundry and more dirty diapers…there’s fewer showers and more time-outs…there’s more correcting and less vegging…there’s more stuff scattered about and longer to-do lists that rarely get done…

But I’ve come to cherish those things.  All that I feel I’ve lost, is lost not.  And even if it was, I have gained so much more.

The little notes that get left around on my things, just to say “I love you” in one of the biggest ways she knows how…

IMG_2547The tiny cups of “tea” she makes for me when we come in from playing outside…

IMG_2546The way he always has a smile ready and waiting to send my way…

IMG_2115The pictures I find on my phone that show the things in her world that catch her eye…

IMG_2410The way she finds a flower for me every time we’re outside…

IMG_2094The way he’s always up for an adventure, even if it involves something pink…

IMG_2540The toys she leaves in my spaces because she wants them “to be like mommy’s”…

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Oh, man – I have lost naught.  Those two sweeties are my heart outside of my body.  They are why I do this blogging thing. They are why my husband works so hard incredibly hard to provide for our family so I can stay home to pour into them.  They are our reward and our blessing.

It just seems like those little coats keep getting bigger and bigger, quicker and quicker.  I want to slam on the brakes and put my hands over the rest of the numbers on the calendar and just force the time to STOP.  Because there are days I didn’t do it right and need a second chance…there are memories I want to ingrain in my mind to re-live again and again…there is so much left to do with them while they’re little and I want to make sure we get it all done…there are more things for them to leave about the house so that I’m constantly reminded how empty this life would be without them.

Good gravy, I just don’t want this time to slip right through my fingers; I want to make it count.  I want the wearers of these little coats to know that the Lord loves them exceptionally more than I ever could and that I love them a whole, whole, whole heackuva lot..and still will, even when their coats aren’t so little anymore.

DIY: Food for the BeBe

When this handsome fella turned 5 months old,

Seriously, such a heartbreaker
Seriously, such a heartbreaker

we decided it was time to start introducing him to solid foods, pureed style, of course.  I had never made my own baby food – we bought jars with Sawyer – but decided I would give it a try this time.  I wanted it to be easy, quick and cost efficient.  HOLY.CATFISH.  It is all of the above!  I will never highly doubt I will ever purchase baby food again!

Saturday, I made peas and green beans.  For both of these purees, I bought frozen vegetables.  (For carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, bananas and squash, I bought fresh.)  Canned foods aren’t ideal because they tend to leach nutrients in to the water or brine they are packed in and they have a lot of preservatives.  Read up here.  The only exception is pumpkin (which WD loves) because it isn’t cooked or packed in water, prior to canning.

To make pureed peas…

Step 1 – Cook your peas as directed on the packaging.

LOVE this pan
LOVE this pan

Step 2 – Drain (but save your water) and put peas in your appliance of choice for pureeing.  I chose the food processor this time (though a blender usually gets them smoother) because I knew I was going to press them through a strainer later.  This is recommended for peas because the skins are a little hard for baby to eat.

Making mush
Making mush

You may have to add some of your reserve water to help make a smoother puree.  (You can use formula or bottled water, too.)  After pureeing, you’ll end up with something like this:

A little too grainy
A little too grainy

It’s a little too grainy, due to the pea skins, for baby’s first foods.  Here’s where the strainer or sieve comes in.

Step 3 – Work puree through the strainer.

Use some muscle!
Use some muscle!

You’ve really got to push the peas to get the nice, silky puree you’re looking for.  I used a bowl to press this and ended up with a beautiful, Jeanie-green blend!

Isn't it pretty?
Isn’t it pretty?

We fed the leftovers, which looks a lot like guacamole, to the chickens.

Where's the chips?
Where are the chips?

Step 4 – Place into ice cube trays and freeze.

I haven't used ice trays in ages
I haven’t used ice trays in ages

Each ice cube is about 1 ounce so it’s an easy way to measure out how much you’re feeding baby.  Once frozen, I put mine in a dated Ziploc bag and toss them in the freezer.

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Once frozen, your baby food cubes will keep for 3-6 months.

When it’s time to feed your munchkin, take out the number of cubes (ounces) your baby will eat.  You can thaw them in the refrigerator (overnight) or microwave them or by submerging a small bowl of cubes into a larger bowl of hot water.  Thawed purees can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.

To date, I’ve made around 130 ounces of food for about $10!  No joke – it really is the way to go.  On average, baby food in the store is $0.40/ounce and I’m making it for about $0.07/ounce.  To some, that might not be worth it, but for us it most definitely is.

Start to finish, this was the most labor-intensive puree I’ve made and it still only took about 30ish minutes.

Give it a try if you have the time; your kiddo and your bank account will thank you.

A Birthday Blessing

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

kiss
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

30
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

wedding
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

turkey
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.

foodShe considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

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She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

hffam
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

needy
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

red
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

lovely
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

dave
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

skirt
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

laugh
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

paintHer children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

may-18-2013
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

jeanie

Happiest of birthdays. . .

…to the woman who lets me call her mom; who loves me like I’m her own; who shares her time and energy and resources with me; who helped birth both of my children; who selflessly mentors a younger generation; who is purposefully leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord; who sees and calls out the things that need to be seen and called out…

…to the woman that forgives freely and laughs easily and hugs tightly and speaks authoritatively (in a good way, oh yes) and loves unabashedly…

…to a discerner, prophecier, encourager, cheerleader, nurturer and creator extraordinaire!

Yes, happiest of days to YOU!  I pray the Lord blesses you with immeasurably more than you could ask or imagine!  I pray that He bestows upon you a NEW thing…that He would make rivers in the desert and a way in the wilderness for you.  I pray that He would give you a crown of beauty for your ashes, a joyous blessing for your mourning, and festive praise instead of despair…that this would be the year He is most glorified in you.

I love you dearly, mom-a-la!  I hope today is sunny and warm; that you have a most excellent hair day; that your tomato plants are bent over with a harvest of deliciousness; that the Partridge Family Sawyer serenades you and that your family spoils you rotten – you deserve all of that and so much more.

We Don’t Say No to Sister

Ever since Wryder joined the family (out of the womb), Sawyer has vacillated between wanting to be a baby and wanting to be his parent.  Quite the range, yes?

These days, she frequently wants to “play baby.”  She’ll goo and gah, want to be fed a bottle, be burped, want her (pretend) diaper changed – the works.  You know, because I don’t get enough practice with just one…  When Wryder eats baby food, she wants to eat applesauce; when Wryder’s on his playmat, she lays with him to play with the hanging toys; when Wryder’s not in his carseat, she is.

Lately, Wryder has been enamored with his feet and likes to suck his toe from time to time.  So, yep, you guessed it.  Sawyer tried that, too.  This weekend, she was sitting in the chair and decided to suck her toe like brother.  As she did so, she proceeded to lose her balance and fall out of the chair, biting her toe in the process.  Tears ensued, coupled with a little bit of whining and I found myself saying, “I’m sorry honey but you’re the one that bit your toe.”  And then?  I got a fit of the giggles.  It was one of those “I never imagined I’d say THAT sentence” moments and I had to leave the room!  On the plus side, she hasn’t sucked her toe again.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we’re seeing her firstborn roots begin to bloom as she’s taken to simulating our discipline when it comes to Wryder.  She likes to chime in and say, “Hands down, brother” while he’s eating or help him take his thumb out of his mouth if he’s trying to suck on it.  Yesterday as we were driving, we hear from the backseat, “Wryder, we don’t say no to sister.”  Wrex and I exchanged glances and tried our hardest not to drive the pick up off the road as we suppressed our laughter.  Keep in mind Wryder can’t talk yet but his facial expressions and body language must have screamed “no”?!  Who knows!  Regardless it was a funny (but not) moment.

Wrex is a firstborn and I’m a firstborn, so the kid comes by it honestly.  Needless to say, we have some correcting to do and some boundaries to find in regards to her big-sister authority.  At the same time, pretty sure brother will be well watched over…by at least one of his three parents.  😉