Fall 2014

Mother's Day 2014 (Picture Edition)

Mother's Day 2014 spent at Granny Hazel Plank's farm....beautiful day...beautiful children...beautiful memories....SOOO Blessed!

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Here are a few pictures from a Mother/Daughter banquet hosted at our parents' church. :)

Sadie's Perfect Pumpkin

I got to go along on Sadie's preschool field trip to a local pumpkin patch. She was so cute as she searched around in the field until she found her perfect pumpkin. She is my sweetheart!!!

A Child Shall Lead Them...

        I have had a difficult couple of weeks with Clayton's overall behavior. He plays well with his sister, he is quiet and kind when he is supposed to be, but if something doesn't go his way, especially away from home, he becomes hard to manage. He had a hard time sharing in his class at church, he was disrespectful to me when I would transition him from an activity he enjoyed to something else, like eating lunch, and he got carried away far too often in a store or restaurant. 

        I typically do not always like to just classify behaviors (good or bad) into a "stage" mentality. 

Over the last couple weeks, I have cried and prayed for this boy and tried to take a step back to reflect on "What has my behavior and attitudes been like lately? Have I modeled patience, kindness, and love in my home, especially when things don't go how I've wanted them to?" As I have reflected, I honestly felt like I have grown in these areas, and that my behaviors were not necessarily contributing to Clayton's negative actions. I just wanted to try to pinpoint what was going on inside of that 4-year old brain and heart. 

      I admit, I have not always responded the best ways to his outbursts of disrespect and disregard for my rules/expectations. I have been tempted to ignore the incidents, since it is easier to ignore than deal with it. 

I was also tempted to leave it for Daddy at the end of the day, but how well I know that to do this, makes for a long day to a child with little to no cause to look forward to Daddy coming home from work at the end of the day. I was tempted to bribe, since this is a method that has gotten me "my way" with the kids before. 

     In all of these temptations however, I kept getting convicted that I was trying to "treat the outward symptoms rather than do the heart surgery required." -(Shepherding a Child's Heart)

     I sat Clayton down and asked him a lot of questions about how he was feeling. I always trying to take the time to talk with him after the variety of disciplines he received lately. I did my best to remind him that I do not like to cause him pain and that I love him so very much and just want him to obey and respect me quickly, because that's what God expects of us. Many times, Clayton would be moved to tears and say that he loved me. I reminded him as God reminds me, "If you love me, you will obey me. (keep my commandments.)" John 14:15 

   It's been hard to tell if I was doing any better at being consistent, or if Clayton was grasping what I have been trying to teach him. That is, until last night at bed time. Clayton always says the same thing each night, "Dear Jesus, please help my family sleep good tonight. In Jesus' name, Amen." However, after I prayed a simple prayer over him, to this effect- "Father God, I pray that You would help Clayton to make good choices tomorrow. Help him to obey and respect quickly like You have asked me to do. I know You can help him to remember to do what is right. Help him to sleep well, and wake up to a new start tomorrow....Amen." Clayton was very quiet, then he prayed, "Dear Jesus, I'm very sorry. Help the sin to stay far away from my heart, so my heart can be clean again."

     This simple, heart-felt prayer brought tears to my eyes, and joy to this mommy-heart, and hope that the Holy Spirit did a real work in Clayton's heart once again; a work that all my best attempts at teaching could not ultimately accomplish. It was a humbling reminder that "I planted, others watered, but it was God that gave the increase, the growth." I Corinthians 3:6

    When I am tempted to do things in my own strength, I am reminded- It is God that causes growth, and victories and prayers to be answered. I must simply obey and respect quickly & what God and His word shows me to do, and then leave the rest in His capable hands.

Blessed To Be A Mommy

 Thankful for the blessing of motherhood. Clayton and Sadie are treasures in my heart, and I never want to take for granted the priviledge it is to mother a child's heart!

My Baby Girl & Her Mamma

Sadie and I matched today, so we took a quick picture before changing after church. I love my sweet Sadie-girl!!!

Anticdotal Kid Journals

Every time the kids say or do something especially funny or cute, I immediately think "now, I need to go write that down!" And although I do blog about things at times, I have felt the need to actually journal it for the kids to look back on later. I do keep their baby books updated, but those are limited to certain things like medical, birthdays, vacations etc. I also like to scrapbook with pictures (when I get around to it), but the journals are just for pen and paper writings as I see it from my "Mommy-perspective."
I bought these cute little mini journals from Staples. It was something I knew wanted to start right away at the beginning of this year, and already I know I love it, and realize it could be meaningful to the kids someday. I can envision the teenage years when they feel like I never loved them (remember those years!?), and I can whip out these journals and let them read not only the cute and funny things they did in their childhood, but thoughts I have for them, letters written specifically to them and scriptures I pray over them & claim for them.

Duggers...Adding to the Family!

"I was not thinking that God would give us another one, and we are just so grateful," Michelle said on "Today." The Duggar mom was surprised about her 20th baby. However, she expressed major enthusiasm about the new addition. "We are so excited," the unsuspecting mom said.

I have always enjoyed following the Dugger Family. Here is their official website.

Reasons I LOVE Being a Mommy...

~I loved each of my babies' first cries. There's not a sound in the world that has overwhelmed my heart with love, even before seeing the child the sounds came from.
~I loved hearing each of them say "Mamma", and when then reach for me, to be held.
~I love kissing every boo-boo and having that power to instantly make it all better.
~I love hearing Clayton said, "Good morning to you!" every morning in a sing-song voice.
~I love playing babies & trains, walking to the park, playing ball and planting flowers with them.
~I love that Sadie still wants to be cuddled & rocked, & that sometimes all she wants is her Mamma.
~I love that Clayton has a tender heart, and often talks about what Jesus did on the cross, and later how He a'came alive again. :)
~I also love that Clayton is "all-boy", often wanting to play rough, and get really dirty.
~I love how Sadie will keep the rhythm to any song and "sing" along every time she hears music.
~I also love how Sadie plays with her dollys and rocks them, and pats them & gives them kisses.~I love, but am humbled by the fact that I am not only their Mommy, but their teacher, and curriculum and their filter for this world. I must be consistently reveling in God's Word, interceding on my knees for them, joyously living a life of worship to Christ alone, and obtaining a peace when my mind is stayed on God. (Isaiah 26:3) I must push past cares and seek to be renewed of mind with truth of the Lord, and not my earthly thoughts. (Romans 12:2) A Christian mommy does not just change diapers and wipe noses, she is to learn how to be clothed in strength and dignity, laughing without fear of the future, speaking kind words, and giving instructions with kindness. (Prov.31 25-26). This is of course, a lot to live up to. Will we do it perfect? no. Increasingly? yes!
I am, of course, not perfect, but I don't claim to be. I am just so thankful for what God has blessed me with. I will never take for granted the 2 treasures that I have in Clayton Andrew & Sadie Hazel. (Phil. 1:3) "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."