Random Rambles

This weekend was filled with a lot of sorry football.  Sigh.  I get so excited for the playoffs – especially when we’re a part of them – and I attempt to really relish the last couple of games before we say goodbye for 6 months…

I was just sorely disappointed this weekend.  Four times over.  The Patriots won (not a fan), the Seahawks won (not a fan).  The Cowboys lost and our Broncos forgot to show up for the game.  Sad, sad days.

My little football fan made the weekend better just by being her.  I love her enthusiasm; it’s contagious!

The best part of the game, hands down...
The best part of the game, hands down…
Sayble rooting on the Bronco's, compliments of the husband's stellar photography.  :)
Sayble rooting on the Bronco’s, compliments of the husband’s stellar photography. 🙂

Alas, there will be more football games to watch and I haven’t really thought about it again until I started this blog post.  Must mean there are more important things in life…can you believe it?  😉

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I’m loving the Bible study I told you about earlier last week.  I love dissecting a simple Scripture and allowing the Lord to have His way through His word.

Yesterday’s verse just got me!  I know I’ve read it several times before and I know it’s one of a series of verses on our refrigerator, but yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks.  (Abridged version below).  Ahem.

Proverbs 3:7-8 says:

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

Healing for your body……..  I want that!  We all have our own health/body issues and the Lord is telling us how to heal them…fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Health issues really scare me.  (There, I said it).  I have a heart arrhythmia that’s deemed non-dangerous but when it acts up (especially for hours or days on end) it can send me into a tailspin.

A lot of it the responsibility I feel in being a mother.  I’m home all day with my kids.  I have the responsibility to BE ALIVE to care for them.  So when my heart acts up or my blood sugar gets low and wonky or I feel weird or off or just not 100%, fear creeps in so fast, unfortunately.

In all of my fear, I get so often wrapped up in keeping myself alive.

If I just don’t move…

If I just lie down…

If I concentrate really hard…

If I prep Sawyer on how to get help if I need it…

If I make sure and be near a hospital…

If I make sure and have Wrex come right home from work…

If I have a backup plan…

If I, If I, If I…

It’s all on ME!  THAT is relying on my own wisdom, as if I could truly keep myself alive if I wanted to.

And He gives His people wisdom, no doubt!  I know there are common sense things I should/shouldn’t do to prevent death or an accident, but I know I so often tend to hold whatever I’m fearful of REALLY close to home and attempt to control it as best I can.  Sometimes, it works.  Scared of driving on bad roads?  Don’t go out.  But I have to learn that if it’s the Lord’s will to spare us or take us,  He will spare us or take us regardless.  I have to learn that He really is trustworthy…He hasn’t failed me yet.

Instead, fear the Lord…revere Him, honor Him, respect Him, stand in awe of Him…then you will have healing for your body.

Man, I need that.  I NEED that.

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The kids have loved the kitchen set we got them for Christmas.

Adorable, right?
Adorable, right?
The other piece
The other piece
Let's cook!
Let’s cook!

We’ve gathered a lot of “food” over the past few years it seems.  One of their favorite things to do as of late is have feasts!

Ahem.
Ahem.
That's a lot of food!
That’s a lot of food!

Sawyer pulled out all the stops and hosted a feast for her and brother and some of her favorite friends.  It takes a little time to put together and clean up but it’s sure fun to gnaw on wooden cucumbers with furry guests…

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We pulled out the construction paper this morning and made these with the kiddos.

Baby Moses
Baby Moses

For some reason, Wryder did NOT like having his hands traced (though it’s one of Sawyer’s favorite things in the world….go figure) and cried through the majority of the lesson.  Here’s to hoping SOMETHING soaked in…

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Hubby is on his way home, the kids are napping and I’m enjoying a few moments of quiet with some coconut coffee while listening to the dryer whir as I watch little tiny snowflakes fall.
Here’s to an equally peaceful afternoon for you…

Four Years Ago Today

Four years ago right now, I was a nervous wreck.  Literally, a wreck; ugly crying…snot streaming out the nose…inconsolable…  I was (very) pregnant with Sawyer and was scheduled to be induced at 6:00 p.m. and I was scared to death. 

Her due date was August 9th so she was already nine days overdue at this point.  I knew she needed to come out and I was sooooo very ready to meet her, but I’m not a big fan of the unknown.

Being induced wasn’t part of “THE PLAN.”  Oh goodness, how often is that true?  THE PLAN was to go into labor naturally (and let me tell you, I tried…all of it…spicy mexican food…a bumpy trip across the pasture checking cows…extensive walking…all of it.  Except castor oil…that didn’t sound fun).  THE PLAN was to start having contractions and then get up and get ready and go get a pedicure with momma Jeanie and Tredessa.  THE PLAN was to eat a leisurely lunch and then head to the hospital and welcome my sweet girl to the world.  THE PLAN did NOT include an induction.

My sweet momma Jeanie came over about this time and talked me off the ledge I was perched upon so clumsily.  I made it through the morning, had lunch with my honey and then cried some more.  (It was the hormones!!)  *ahem*

We met momma Jeanie at the hospital and checked in at 6:00 on the nose.  We got settled in, began the induction and then Wrex fell in love with the contraction tracker.  He’d sit there and say, “Did you feel that one?  That was a big one!  Here comes another!”  It was so cute…and not annoying at this point.   🙂

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Love this girl…

Poppa Dave showed up and brought Chick-fil-A and Mt. Dew and we partied with Tredessa and my sweet “sister” Tara until midnight.

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The best labor team on the planet!

I was not in active labor at this point, but it was fun to pretend!  So glad my feet were clean…

Honestly, it was one of my favorites nights EVER!  There was so much excitement and encouragement and love; it was the perfect way to welcome our sweet Sawyer.

Dave and the girls left around midnight and Jeanie stayed with me as I tried to sleep.  That’s always such a joke to me.  Sleep…during contractions…yeah, ok.  I was in for a natural labor so sleeping through contractions wasn’t gonna happen…

Everybody reconvened the next morning and I kept them waiting.  I was progressing, just pretty slowly.  I contracted and walked and hugged toilets and got into all kinds of weird positions that I’m still so sad that Jeanie and Tredessa had to witness – ha!

Wrexy broke down about 4:30 that afternoon; he was so worried about his girls and he hated seeing me in pain.  It was a sweet moment that actually kind of re-energized us.  At about 6:00 pm, it was time to push!  I was absolutely exhausted at this point…

I was so hot (surprise, surprise) and there wasn’t a fan in the room so Wrex was fanning me with an instrument packet.  I remember that he kept hitting me in the face because he was in deep conversation with our doctor about the differences and similarities between a human birth and that of a cow.  *ahem*  Farm wives, you know exactly what I’m talking about…

This part of her birth was quite supernatural for me.  I don’t remember just a ton during this time; the Lord was my strength, no doubt.  We had gone through three or four shift changes of nurses, ten other babies being born, codes over the loud speaker…and I remember hearing this cry and I asked, “Was that Sawyer?”  I was so delirious I didn’t know if some other lucky duck had their baby or if it was actually my turn…

Three and a half hours of pushing later, she was here!  24 hours of hard labor later, my angel was here!

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Just a few minutes old…

They put her on my tummy and I got to gaze upon her sweetness in exhaustion.  Jeanie spoke the name of Jesus over her and then handed her off to daddy.  Those brave souls that lasted long into the night joined us in our room and sweet Sawyer had quite the welcoming party!  She deserved it!  

We slept about four hours that night…

It's exhausting being so cute...
It’s exhausting being so cute…

and partied some more the next day; we had a ton of sweet visitors – LIFE is worth celebrating, you know?

Aunt Dessa, after a little rest...
Aunt Dessa, after a little rest…
Nonna and Poppa with sweet Sawyer
Nonna and Poppa with sweet Sawyer

Let it be known, that this woman is a saint!  There is no way I could’ve made it through this labor without her by my side!

Our friend/neighbor/co-worker, Kieth
Our friend/neighbor/co-worker, Kieth
Uncle Jerad and Aunt Kristie
Uncle Jerad and Aunt Kristie
Uncle Craig and Aunt Cate
Uncle Craig and Aunt Cate
Our neighbor and friend, Elsie
Our neighbor and friend, Elsie

It was a sweet, sweet few days – some of my favorites, no doubt.  It just sure doesn’t feel like it’s been four years since I birthed this sweet baby girl…

Look at those skinny legs!
Look at those skinny legs!

They say the days are long but the years are short.  Tis true…