Baby Shower!

We had a baby shower for our good friend Christy last night. What a great time we had. Delicious cake from Edible Art (that is the heaviest, most yummiest cake I have ever had). It's great to be around such loving and fun girls. We ate and talked and ate some more, and Christy got a lot of cute stuff for her new baby girl that is on the way.

I attempted my first diaper cake this week. It's basically diapers wrapped and tied with ribbon shaped to look like a cake. I added some pacifiers, socks and other things to it. I had a great time doing it so here is a picture of it.

Turning off the t.v.

Ok, needless to say my kids have watched a lot of t.v. in the past week. With both of them throwing up and then running fevers, it's not like they had much strength to do anything else. So we let them watch movies and t.v. more than normal. Well it obviously was a little too much for my 3 year old. Case in point - the boys watched SpongeBob several times. I know some parents think this cartoon is awful. I don't have a problem with my oldest watching it occasionally, but it's hard for my 3 year old not to watch it when big brother is tuned in. That's where the problem began. This morning my youngest was on the floor with me getting ready to open the Chutes and Ladders box when it got stuck. He looked at it inquisitively and said "What the?" Thankfully no 4 letter word came after. Just "What the?" It may seem funny to some, but it's not going to win me any "Mother of the Year" awards. So instead of flipping out, I calmly said "let's not say that honey. It doesn't sound good". Well, of course, his response was "Well what can I say instead? I can't say Oh My God because Jesus isn't happy when I say that. So what else can I say?" Did I tell you he was a 13 year old trapped in a 3 year old's body? And yes, he has said oh my God before, hence his response. So the only think I could think to say was that he could say oh my goodness if he feels the need, but it's best just to ask Mommy for help. I'll check in Dobson's book "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child" tonight to see if my response was correct!

Thanksgiving Day

Today has to be one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because it's the only one that hasn't been hijacked by the secular world and turned into something it wasn't ever meant to be. It's a time for families to get together without the stress of buying gifts that will soon be sent to Goodwill. It also is a time for reflection on what we are thankful for. I am thankful for so many things this year, and I will list them in another post. But when I am thankful, I know who I am thankful TO. I often wonder about the people that don't believe in our Lord and Savior. Sure, they can still be thankful, but shouldn't there be an object to which they should be thankful to? Are they thankful to themselves for picking good friends, making wise career choices, and exercising regularly? I am thankful to my husband for all he does and all he means to me, but I am thankful to the Lord for bringing him into my life. I am thankful to my moms for all they add to my life, but I am thankful to the Lord who allowed me to be born to my mom and dad and gave me another mom through marriage. The root of all thankfulness should begin with our Father in heaven. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Answers to Prayer

A sweet woman in our church had brain surgery on Tuesday. There was a prayer gathering for her on Monday night, the auditorium of our church was left available for those that wanted to pray on Tuesday during the surgery (one woman stayed the entire time), morning bible studies voluntarily stopped doing their studies and prayed for her. There were many more events of prayer, both corporate and those of us that prayed all day long from wherever we were. Julie not only made it through the surgery, she did unbelievable! All her neurological signs are still as normal and she is even cracking jokes. This is the 2nd time in less than 6 months someone I know has gone in for brain surgery. Each time, our church has answered the call to pray for these loved ones. And I mean did they pray! What a wonderful blessing to witness what God can do when He hears our requests. God is great and very present in our lives. Those that don't see Him need only to open their eyes.

Thankfulness

For the first time in what seems like weeks, I feel like I can breathe. No one is throwing up, in pain or calling out for me. Everyone is in their own beds and sound asleep. Tonight I am thankful. I am thankful for a mother and mother in law whose help I didn't truly appreciate until it wasn't there. Thankful for dear friends who covered a meeting for me today, called to check on me and my family, and took in cupcakes and juice boxes to my oldest sons 2nd grade class in my absence. How grateful I am for the people God has placed in my life. How great is our God. Tonight as I am thankful, I also am deeply weighed by someone I know who is going in for major surgery tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with her, her sweet family, and her sister in law whom I consider one of my best friends. I don't know why God has allowed this into their lives, but I know how great He is. I know how awesome He is. I know that tomorrow, He will be with the surgeon, her physical, spiritual, and emotional body, and with her family. I know that God has a purpose, and I know He will use this to His glory. Please pray for Julie and her family as they embark on this journey together.

Stomach Bug....round 2

My youngest had the stomach bug last week, beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday morning my oldest got it. Just when I thought the youngest was over his bout, along came round number 2 for him at 2 p.m. yesterday. It has been a whirlwind week - of which I have spent zero days in my own bed. Thankfully the Lord has protected me and my husband from this garbage so that we could care for our boys. Yesterday was one of those days I wish I could clone myself. Both my boys wanted their mom and I could only be in one place at a time. Plus I was sure I was carrying it back and forth so I decided to stick close to the youngest and Daddy played nursemaid to the oldest. How awful to see your kids so sick. I think we are through the worst of it (praying). All the things we had planned for this weekend went right out the window and you know what, it's ok. We're eating lots of crackers and drinking lots of ginger ale (my youngest calls it spicy! I think he means fizzy). It's times like this you are thankful to just be able to take a shower (I won't confess how long it's been), or to have your kids argue with each other. My oldest asked me today if he and his brother would be well enough to play together tomorrow. It's sweet how much they miss each other, even though they are just in separate rooms. So today I am thankful. I never thought I would say that during a time like this, but I am. I am thankful the Lord has kept me healthy, thankful that this too shall pass, thankful that my boys actually miss each other and my youngest was crying that he couldn't play with his older brother this morning. And I am so thankful I have a God that I can lay my burdens down on. A loving Father who holds my hand down every journey, and carries me when I don't have the strength to take another step. (And thankful that this morning I actually was able to shower!) :)

Derailed

I've struggled to write this post over the last several days. Actually, I have struggled to write anything at all the last week! The last several weeks I have struggled spiritually. I feel far away from the Lord I love, I have no desire to read my Bible and to pray. I've even struggled to complete my bible study homework. I can look back on my life and see the times I have felt like this. Normally something major happens and instead of digging in my heels and praying through it, I grow distant and want to control things myself. "God's not working fast enough" I can hear myself saying. Trust dims and I revert back to sin. We've had a lot going on the last several months - house up for sale, job changes, sickness....so much sickness. It's still nothing compare to what a few of my friends are going through, but that doesn't negate the struggle I have been having. I guess this is a confession of sorts, but I'm wondering what derails you? What gets you back on track? For me, I am thankful I have the involvement of bible study, MOPS and church commitments. These things are boundaries that keep me in check. Even when I don't feel like it, I have to do these things. Even if I don't feel like praying, I am in the presence of someone who does. We all go through times when we feel distant to God. Thankfully, when we seek Him out, He's always there.