What a busy week:)

Vacation Bible School went very well. Levi was grown-up enough to get up front with the big kids for the closing songs on Sunday morning! I couldn't have been prouder as he sang and did the motions - until he started pulling his hat down over his face and talking to the kids around him during the pastor's part, anyway:) At least everyone else still thought it was cute:) brenna did great too. I was very excited that she stayed with her nursery class the whole time and didn't cry for me once. Well, excited and a little tiny bit sad since it's a pretty good sign that she's starting to grow up.
Casey and I have been reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and we've made the big decision to get completely out of debt. We actually are not in too deep, but hubby does have to work awfully long and hard to keep us floating along. The more I think about not owing anyone anything, the more excited I get. It will mean some belt tightening around here, which is what we're currently working on. I've always been pretty frugal in principle:) so I guess it's time to really put my money where my mouth is! I think the thing that has me most excited is having hubby at home more. It will be so wonderful to have him only working 1 job when baby#3 makes his/her appearance this winter. I also can't wait to be able to pay for things with cash. We can actually invision the day we pay cash for our new (to us) minivan and the day we have our mortgage burning party! I've been rereading The Tightwad Gazette (by Amy Dacyczyn - if you haven't ever, read this book) and rereading some money articles that Amy posted on the MOMYS digest (I'm not sure if these are on her blog or not, I need to check). Both of these are full of great advice.
All righty I'm off to start supper. I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

A Quick Note

Just to let y'all know I'm still here. We've had quite a week with Vacation Bible School (known at our church as Back-to-School Bible School), which isn't over until tomorrow, and family dinners and the exhaustion/sickness of pregnancy. I did manage to get some reorganizing of our "school" supplies done and we've officially started back to school! I had a ball figuring some goals for the next few months and we're already seeing some improvement. The best thing though has been hearing Levi say "can we do school now?" as soon as he finishes breakfast.
Other than that I've spent a lot of time on the couch reading and watching the kiddies play. I've read several really good books that I'm going to mention on here this week and I want to tell y'all about all the fun stuff we have planned for school.
I also want to point y'all over to an interesting conversation about s-e-x and Christians over at Evangelical Update. So far it's been fairly respectful, but one thought, that Christians use sex as a marketing tool for marriage, just had me beside myself. I'd love to see some of you adding your two cents over there.
Well, I'm off to make salad to go along with the takeout my darling hubby is bringing home. No cooking! Yay!

A Book Review

First let me say that this book was a gift given purely out of the author's generosity and kindness of heart. She certainly didn't ask me to review it and, actually, has no idea that I'm about to so I hope it's all right with her:) But this is one of those books that, once you read it, you just can't help talking about it.
The book is The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis - and it's fabulous. I was thrilled with the whole thing - start to finish.
Barbara draws on her experience as a mom (and she has a lot of experience! - 12 kids!) to teach mommies all about building up your children and your family. I got so many great ideas for creating traditions and discipline. She talks a good bit about uncovering the potential God put in each of our children, too, and that's such an important thing for me to keep in mind when my little ones are causing me to pull my hair out:) She also includes a great list of children's books to read aloud - one of our favorite traditions - and a list of really good family night movies. I think Christian mommies have an especially hard time finding books and movies for our kids because in addition to wanting quality, we also want something that reinforces the values we want to pass on. This list was really helpful for me.
The greatest thing about this book is just how real it is. I'm always on the lookout for a "Titus 2 Woman" to sit down and chat with - about raising godly children, about what I need to be doing now so they'll be responsible, loving adults later. There aren't many women around who are willing to sit down with you and say "this is what I did and my kids turned out pretty great." It's just a great practical and inspirational book and Barbara is a great writer. I recommend it whole-heartedly!

Hurtful people

Why is it that some people just can't stop themselves from being hurtful? In real life and in this cyber world, we have all come across people who just don't seem happy to respectfully disagree or to let something go. It seems they're constantly on the lookout for any perceived slight or opportunity to attack. I have a person in my real life who has this attitude and Molly has recently been attacked on her blog by someone over what began as ...I can only describe it as a difference of opinion. Have there always been this many rude people running around? I'm just constantly in awe of the things people feel entitled to say.
I think most of you know where we stand on the whole quiverfull thing, but I have never tried o make anyone who disagrees with me feel stupid or vilified about their beliefs. I also would never intentionally look for an offense where none was intended. And I pray I've never done it unintentionally either.
I've heard a lot of comments since we announced that baby #3 is on the way, but it's easy to tell which ones were said in jest and which ones were meant to be a little (or not so little) jab. I've been much less concerned with the jabs this time around, but I recently found out that I've been missing the worst of them. That's right, some people around here have nothing to do but bad-mouth me behind my back for having another child. I mean I know this is a sleepy little town, but my word - get a hobby.
I guess I've always known that following God's will isn't meant to be easy. I just imagined that persecution would be more ... glamorous somehow:) Not this petty little drip, drip, drip of annoying rudeness.
I think a lot of us could use a course in manners - especially the conversational variety. But maybe the main thing is we need to start taking seriously the Golden Rule.

I've had one of those days...

You know, where you're so busy you don't remember to eat until sudden-onset nausea (or for you non-pregnant readers - just a growling stomach). Actually, my whole week was pretty much like that. So now I'm taking a little break. It's almost time to watch the webcast of my mother's graduation ceremony. She's getting her Master's and I couldn't be more proud of her. She's worked so hard for this and I would just dearly love to be there cheering, but this live webcast is a fabulous substitute. Anyway. In the time before that gets started I thought I'd chill out for awhile (does anyone else still say chill out?) and type for a few minutes. One of my friend's recently encouraged me to make a list of things I get excited about so that I'll have something to refer to when I catch myself with a few minutes to spare and no idea what to do with myself:) So I think this will be as good a time as any.
These are things that make me smile or grin or just things I'm enthusiastic about:)

1. painted toenails
2. not having to cook
3. reading to my kids
4. sweetened condensed milk - cold
5. historical fiction
6. brand new contacts
7. books about cooking - not just pages of recipes
8. crab legs with melted butter and lemon
9. blank paper and a new pen
10. the MOMYS for sale list
11. the library
12. the Dollar Store
13. febreeze
14. bubble baths
15. magazines
16. talking with my hubby over a bowl of ice cream
17. catalog
18. my church
19. girlfriends (this esp. includes my mom, sister and grandmas)
20. big shady pecan trees
21. eating a ripe peach

There it is. 21 things that make me happy:)

Organizing a Playroom

When we moved into our new home my darling husband was thrilled to see that it had a dining room. A "real" dining room – not just space for a table and chairs off the kitchen (although it has that, too). Unfortunately, we do not have a dining room table or chairs or all that other fancy furniture that looks so nice in a "real" dining room and we probably won’t be spending the big bucks to buy any soon. So I had a whole empty room to find a use for – YIPEE! I thought immediately of making a playroom for my two (soon to be three) little toy junkies. There were just two problems. The first was that the room is attached to our living room, which is where we sit at night and where visitors sit when they come over – very visible. The second problem was that this room was also the only place for my computer and "office" (also known as Home Base). These problems both worked out to be good things. I motivated to keep this room very organized and attractive and I can work in the same room with the kids while they play so with a spin of my chair I can discipline or encourage – or stop everything and play.
I started by dividing the room into stations – just like a preschool. The first station is my desk and bookcase. The book case holds our Levi’s school supplies that he needs permission to get, library books, my file folder of magazine articles that I’ve pulled out for future reference, phonebooks, my "office in a basket" and –most importantly – my homekeeping binder. That’s everything I need to do any deskwork during the day. The station next to it is his little table and chairs. This is where he does what we call schoolwork – coloring, pasting, cutting, putting together puzzles, etc. He’s within arms reach of my chair so I can stop and help (or see if he drops the glue). Under his table is a big piece of clear vinyl to keep the carpet clean.
The next station is his bookcase – turned on it’s side so that the three shelves turn into cubbies. He keeps books in one, puzzles and a tub of little books in another and a stack of shoebox size rubbermaid containers in the last. The containers hold little toys – cars, blocks, and his musical instruments. We pasted pictures on the ends of the boxes so he knows what goes where and can pick up the toys and put them in the right box himself. On top of the bookshelf are Brenna’s big toys so that she can see them and reach them. The only thing I have to get down is the Little Tykes farm – it’s still too heavy. There are also big pillows on the floor nearby – a little reading center. We’re in the planning stages of redoing this section with raingutter bookshelves – I think these will make a big difference since he’ll be able to see the books and put them away.
On the other end of the bookshelf are all the building toys – legos, lincoln logs, etc – in bigger rubbermaid containers. We also have a crate full of dinosaurs here since Levi plays with them with the legos. And the tonka trucks. We keep a large toy box in the playroom, too, that my husband made for Levi. It holds the out of rotation toys – out of site, out of mind. Every few months I rotate toys so that they can play with the ones they haven’t seen in awhile. This is also a good time to give some toys away. I have a theory that too much (of any material thing, anyway) is not good for kids, so I actively try to make sure that they aren’t swamped. But you can’t tell Grandparents thatJ But a little spoiling by Grandma doesn’t hurt.
The last thing in our playroom is a small basket of Brenna’s little toys – rattles, baby blocks, stacking rings – all the things that keep her busy for a few minutes while I’m on the phone.
I’ve had a really great time putting together a play space for us and the kids have a great time playing in it. We’re doing a little along to decorate with framed pictures Levi drew or crafts he made. We’re going to do a chair rail border of old-fashioned alphabet cards that I just found. I can leave the molding and change the border when we have a dining room. The best thing, in my opinion, about the room is that Levi can get to the toys himself and can put them away himself.

Making Your House Feel Like Home

Anyone can have a house (or apartment or hotel room or RV), but it takes a little effort to make a home. So why bother? Well, it’s our job – we’re homemakers after all. And who doesn’t want a home? A soft place to land when the world outside is too hard, a place to invite others and share a part of ourselves, a place to make our family feel warm and loved and cared for. But how do we go about changing our little dwelling into a comforting and welcoming home for our family?
I believe the first step is to ask our family members and ourselves just what says "home" for us. I know for my husband –and probably yours, too – home means smelling a nice hot meal when he comes through the door. Nothing makes him feel more at home than knowing dinner is on the way! So I try to have something that smells inviting on the stove when he comes in even if I haven’t quite got dinner started yet. A "trick" I read in an old home economics textbook is to slice up an onion and start sautéing it on the stove before hubby comes in. It only takes a second and it smells like supper. Chances are you’ll use it when you do cook dinner anywayJ Appetizers from the freezer that you can stick in the oven are also great for making a hungry husband feel welcome.
Since our children are still small and since hubby doesn’t enjoy making lists nearly as much as I do, I sat down in a rare moment of quiet time one day to make my own list of things that make me feel good – words that remind me of the best things in life. If you can get your husband and kids involved, this is a great exercise for everyone. If not, make a list for yourself. Mine looked like this.
10 words and phases that make me feel at home
God’s Word
Wisteria
Pecan trees
Sweet tea
Family and friends
Books
Good food
Screen doors slamming
Fresh-cut flowers
Porch swings
After I made my list and thought about what would be on my husband and children’s lists I had a pretty good idea what I wanted our home to be like. Then I started figuring out ways – inexpensive ways! – to incorporate some of these "homey things" into our home.
One of the first things I did in our first apartment was frame a set of poster’s that I got on sale – they’re Bible verses done in calligraphy – and hang them throughout the house. It was perfect for all our rental homes. Now that we’re in our own home, I plan to paint scripture on the walls.
We can’t always afford fresh flowers every week, although they can be very cheap from the grocery store or, in the spring and summer, from the yard. But many of the pictures hanging in my home are of flowers. I often cut pictures off of calendars or out of magazines to frame. I also press flowers and mount them to hang. These also make great gifts.
One of the first things we planted when we moved in were pecan trees. They’re still pretty small and I know it will take them a long time to grow, but I can wait. My grandmother’s yard is full of great big pecan trees and they just say "home" to me. Next spring I hope to plant some wisteria to climb over something in our side yard. This is another plant that makes me think of home. Many of my family members are surprised that I don’t plan on planting kudzu (an infamous, rapidly spreading ground cover that literally covers anything standing still here in Georgia), but my dear husband had to put his foot down somewhereJ
Our porch swing is actually under our deck – not on our front porch (we don’t have one of those), but it serves the same purpose. It’s a wonderful place to relax with my husband, read a good book while the kids play or sit and chat with friends who stop by. Drinking sweet tea, of course.
My husband worked with my grandfather, a carpenter, one Christmas to make me four beautiful bookcases. They hold our books, of course, but also pictures of family and friends, and baskets filled with cds, memorabilia that will one day get put in a scrapbook, my "office in a basket," and magazines I hope to read. We also decorate with books. I have them in stacks under a too-small lamp to give it a little more stature and a few with beautiful covers stacked on end tables. I’ve even found pictures in yardsale books to tear out and frame. Part of my son’s room is decorated with old-fashioned Curious George pictures.
We haven’t added on a screen door just yet. That’ll come when we finish the downstairs (it’s still under construction). And I have lots more projects in mind. But the most important thing to me about making a house into a home is remembering that it’s a home for my family. It doesn’t matter what others think of it. I want guests always to be comfortable and to enjoy their time at our house because we love to have people over. But in the end guests go to their own homes and our home is just for us again. So even though others might not understand why we have a playroom where the dining room should be or why certain spots sit empty (I always wait for inspiration!), that’s alright with me. As long as we are happy in our home, that’s what counts. So sit down and think about what would make you happy in your home. Encourage your husband and kids to tell you what they’d like. And then use those ideas to make your house into your home.

A few of the comments we've heard since announcing #3

Now keep in mind that this baby will only be our third and that our oldest will be 4 and Brenna will be 20 months already before Little (insert name here) is born, so It's not like I'm popping them out every 10 months here - I'm just not that lucky:) But here are a few of the funny/absurd/cute/borderline offensive things we've heard over the past week...
"how many are y'all going to have anyway?" (as many as God gives us)
"do you two know what's causing this?" (yeah, we know - apparently we're pretty good at it:)
"don't you have your hands full enough as it is?" (yes, but my heart isn't full yet)
"I hope you were expecting this." (I never could've expected to be this blessed)
"Better you than me!" (I think so too!)
"I hope Brenna grows up some before then." (That's likely since she'll be 7 months older, don't you think?)
Fortunately, there have also been a lot of genuine congratulations and a lot of people very excited for us. And for some reason, I'm handling all the above comments much better this time around. Something particularly hurtful was said last time that I'm still struggling to forgive, but I've managed so far (by the grace of God) to keep my eyes on the prize and not worry about the comments from the peanut gallery. That's especially good for me since my mouth tends to kick into gear before my brain sometimes.

Calling All Homemakers

Welcome Home is at it again - this time it's a blogdrive on Homemaking so go here to read all about it. And then get those ideas typed out and sent in. I can hardly wait to read how everyone else handles this part of the job!

Big News at our House

Finally I can make the big announcement - we're expecting a baby in February! We're so thrilled! We waited until everyone was gathered around for Brenna's birthday party to tell our family - we even let the kids make the announcement. They had on matching t-shirts that that said "I'm the BIG brother" and "I'm the BIG sister" - it took my family forever to get it! And with several of them we had to point it out. My dad thought that Brenna's said big because she was the only sister:)
So that explains why I've been mysteriously absent a lot around here - although I'm actually feeling much better than I did with the last two. PTL! Hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things in a week or two.

10 Great Reasons To Have Another Child

I just have to link to this great post. These are fabulous reasons. But I am often reminded these days that God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply. He expects us to obey His commands whether we understand and agree with them or not. And if children are blessings from Him (and the Bible states that plainly), then why are we turning them away? Sure, bringing them into the world or caring for them when they get here isn't always easy, but if God says they're a blessing then they are! There are lots of other blessings that don't come easy - health, wealth, friendships and relationships - but we believe these gifts from God are worth our hard work, so we don't complain. When's the last time you heard someone say "Please don't send me anymore money, God, I don't have time to invest all I've got now"? But when it comes to children, we've been infected by the world's outlook. The outlook that says children are not worth the trouble. That they just "get in the way" of our self-fulfillment. That they require too much self-sacrifice. Sure most people still think one or two is okay - as long as you can "afford them" and as long as they're healthy and cute. I mean, you can put them in daycare so they don't interfere too much with your other plans. But this isn't the kind of life God calls us to, is it? Doesn't God call us to DIE to self? And how great is the reward! My children have blessed me and stretched me and caused me to grow in ways I can't even begin to enumerate. So the bottom line for me is always going to be - do it God's way.

I know it's not Friday, but I'm late with pretty much everything these days:)

This is from Friday's Feast. I thought it was funny:)

Appetizer
What's one word or phrase that you use a lot?
I say "get that out of your nose" a lot, but I don't think that's what this means:) Let's see. I still say "cool" a lot and "chill out" - a true child of the early nineties:)

Soup
Name something you always seem to put off until the last minute.
I could list a lot of stuff right here. Putting things off is my worst habit and something God's really dealt with me a lot lately. I'd have to say I put off the laundry until we are as close to out of underware as we can get. I really need to get a handle on Mount Washmore:)

Salad
What was the last great bumper sticker you saw?
Motherhood - Changing Society One Diaper At A Time

Main Course
If you could be invisible for one day, how would you spend your time?
I'd watch my little boy sing. He loves to sing and dance and gets all into it as long as no one is watching, but the second he sees you - it's over!

Dessert
Describe your hair.
Ugh. Do I have to? Let's see - medium-to-dark brown. In need of a trim. Suddenly wavy after my daughter was born after years of being stick straight. Usually in a ponytail.

That was fun!

What I thought about on Father's Day

My parents were pretty young when I was born - my dad had just turned twenty. He was a new soldier with a new wife and baby to support. He could've easily turned into a "deadbeat dad" like many of my friends fathers. It would've been easy to be overwhelmed - and now that I have kids of my own, I'm sure sometimes he was - and given up trying. But here's what I remember about my dad from when I was little.
My daddy (and I do still call him Daddy, at least 90% of the time) was a hero - a soldier. He was big and strong and able to do anything. He once built a grill in our backyard. I was about 4 or 5 and thought this was an incredible feat of genius:) I was always safe with him. I remember playing "Dukes of Hazard" in his pickup truck. My brother and I would be standing in the seat next to him (this was the late 70's before car seats) and he'd drive slightly off the dirt road and down into the ditch - we'd squeal in terror, but I knew I was safe. He took us into the "woods" and let us try his bow. I couldn't even pull the string back (I know these aren't technical terms), which just reinforced my belief that he must be the strongest man in the world. When we came home after bed time, I would pretend to be asleep and he would carry me to bed. On other nights he would tuck me in and say my prayers with me and we'd talk about my day. When my brother had to have several surgeries I remember how my daddy would hold me up to Shawn's hospital room window so I could sneak him some candy bars. Looking back now I think we probably could've just taken the candy to him, but sneaking was so much fun.
As I got older there was a lot of moving around with the army and I was pretty vocal about not wanting to leave home. I'm sure I hurt his feelings over and over again. But he was always so great. Everytime we moved he'd go ahead to scout out the place. By the time we got there, he'd found us a house and figured out a ton of fun places for us to go and things to do. When we got to Germany he took my brother and me on a nice long walk to the candy store AND ice cream shop. When we got to Hawaii he knew where all the great beaches were and bought us shaved ice (which we'd never heard of).
I can't even imagine all of the sacrifices he made for us or all of the heartbreak we caused him over the years. But I do know that it's becasue of all those sacrifices, because of all the times he went out of his way to be a great dad, that I know how to parent my babies, that I knew what to look for in a daddy for them. And because he was a great dad, I know I can count on him to still be a great dad. He's still there when we need advice or just to run an idea by him. Or when I just need to know someone thinks I'm great:) He's really good on those days! And he's the best Grandaddy ever. My kids and my neices and nephews just can't get enough of him.
So those are some of the things that popped into my head last night while I was thinking about my daddy. I hope he knows how much I love him:)

I've been tagged:)

1)What is the amount of the most books you've ever owned?
I think I probably own the most now that I ever had (although I am trying to weed out the lesser tomes). I would guesstimate about 250. Not including kid's books.

2) What was the last book you purchased?
The Excellant Wife by Martha Peace. I'm really excited about starting it - I've heard great things. And I'm excited because I found an autographed copy for $2 at a local booksale:) I love a bargain!

3) What was the last book you read?
The last thing I read...all the way through? The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook (2 thumbs up, btw), Celebrate Home: Great Ideas for Stay At Home Moms and Created to Be His Helpmeet. I'm reading now... Once a Month Cooking, Train Up Your Children in the Way They Should Eat, and Teaching Montessori in the Home.
4) What are the five books that meant the most to you?
This is a tough one! Of course the Bible. The NIV study Bible that my Grandma gave me for my 16th birthday is especially special - it has 13 (wow that's a lot!) years worth of highlighting and underlining and questions in the margins. I would hate to ever lose it just because it really shows how much work God's done on me through His word. Four more, huh? Let's see... Gone With The Wind - I reread it all the time. I'm starting to identify more with Melanie than with Scarlett - I think that's a good thing. Mary Pride's The Way Home. This was the book that introduced me to the idea of staying home with my kids, of "letting" God control our family planning, of homeschooling. Don't read it if you don't want to be convicted:) The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn (I hope she'll forgive me mispelling her name) - turned our whole way of looking at finances on it's head and taught me how to use what God provided for us so that I could stay home with Levi and not feel like we were "doing without" all the time. The Well Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. This was the first real homeschooling book I read and it just gave me such a vision of the kind of education that is possible. I was astounded by what I didn't know and what I hadn't been exposed to, especially considering I believe myself to be well educated:)

5) What is the current book that you are reading together as a family? (If you don't do, you want to? Why, or why not?) We have been talking about starting this. My oldes is just three and always before I convinced myself he was too young to really pay attention, but I think he would enjoy it provided we started off kind of slow. I'd love some suggestions on this one.

This was fun...now who to tag? :)

An Organizational Frenzy

I've been working on getting my house in shape for a couple of weeks now - slowly but surely. I guess it's a little bit of spring fever that's got me in the mood for cleaning and organizing. I know, it seems late for spring fever, but I started out the spring just working outside. We just bought this house last year and since last summer was busy what with adding to our family and all, the yard didn't get very much attention. So we started the spring with a yard full of red Georgia clay (which I love, just not in my yard) and a few sprigs of grass. Plus, of course, the standard three boxwood bushes that the buildersput in every yard. So we got rid of those and a lot of undergrowth in the our woods - now you can walk through them! And we planted grass and a flower bed (complete with stone wall) in front of the house. We did a lot of filling in with peagravel to cover some not so attractive places. We've planted 22 baby trees on the property - including two pecan trees! I l0ve pecan trees because my Grandma has a yard full of them. And for Mother's Day my hubby planted a pile of pink abnd white azaelas (by a pile I mean about 40) on this little hill that we weren't sure what to do with. He's so sweet.
This is supposed to be all about what I'm trying to accomplish inside though. I've managed to get everything spic and span so I have a good starting spot. Now I need to get some systems in place so it doesn't get messy (or at least not out of control) again. My first oragnizational feat is going to be my craft/sewing supplies. Right now they're piled in two big rubbermaid tubs so of course I have no idea what I have and what I don't. Plus they're all the way downstairs in the storage closet so if I have even a little project to do it's a lot of trouble. I also just got my first new sewing machine (I'd been trying to make my Granny's 70's model work) so I want to set up a sewing area. I have lots of projects in mind and I can't wait to get started. Also I thought I'd start with something fun to motivate me because my next project is laundry:( There has to be a way to keep laundry for 4 people caught up without piles on the floor or "delicate" dresses that never get worn because they need handwashing. Any ideas are welcome! After I get those projects finished, I'm planning on trying Once a Month Cooking. Evenings are often crazy around here - especially in the summer since we tend to be gone or outside so much, so I'm looking forward to getting supper under control.
In the meantime, we have a busy day ahead so I'd better get off the computer. I hope all of you are having a wonderful Saturday!

Levi nearly drowned

Well, I guess not "nearly," but it still scared me pretty good. We were with our church at a picnic at my sister-in-law's yesterday and a lot of people, kids and grownups, were in the pool. Levi is still in that "I want to play with the water, but I'm still to chicken to get in" faze so I don't have to worry about him being in the pool - just around it. Anyway we had just gotten there and I was looking around for his swimmies (I make him wear them just in case when he's around the pool). He was just out of my reach when he leaned over to fill his watergun and ... in he went head first. I don't think I've ever felt my heart just stop like that. I don't remember if I screamed or what. Thank God, Eric ( a foreign exchange student from our college group) was right there. He's really great with kids anyway, but he caught Levi just as he went under and plopped him right back on the deck just as I got to him. Levi looked so scared - it broke my heart - but he wasn't going to cry! He sat down with me just for a minute to let me wipe out his eyes where the chlorine stung, but then he went right back to playing (but NOT close to the pool).
I tried to stay real calm about it - we've always kind of said "oh, you're allright" and tried to encourage him not to get too scared to try things. That seems to work well for him (with exception for the very few times he's been really hurt - then we pour on the sympathy for as long as he needs it). But after he went back to playing I had to sit down. I don't know when I've been so shaken up. It wasn't as if he was in danger of drowning - there were probably twelve people in an above-ground pool - it was just the sudden realization that he could drown or that something else terrible could happen to him. How irrational I can be - other people's children get sick or get hurt. Not mine. But I got a powerful lesson yesterday about something I thought I knew. Not only are we not promised tomorrow, we aren't promised our children for tomorrow either. My children aren't mine, they're loaned to me from my Father and one day He will call them home. I selfishly pray that He'll take me first and that they'll have long full lives and go quietly in there sleep. But I must remember to live each day with them as if it is a gift, because it is a gift. So today I'll hug them a little tighter and play with them a little longer and I'll try to remember not to take them for granted.

Levi is telling stories...

Not the bad kind:) "Telling a story" in my family always meant a little one telling a fib. Casey and I usually call that telling a lie, though, because that's what it is and we don't want to gloss over that fact with our kids. Stories however are great things - especially Levi's which are funny and creative and usually *loosely* based on truth.
He told us three last night, two (mostly) true stories with a moral and one entirely fictional one about a "kite" he'd just made from some string, a plastic hanger and an envelope. I know every mother thinks her child is the most intelligent, imaginative, interesting person on the planet - but mine really is ;)

Housekeeping

I am falling down on the job. The job being housekeeping. My "good excuse" is that I've been so run down and sick from this medicine this week (and before) that I've let some things slide. It's nothing major - the department of health probably won't be stopping by any time soon. But I'm putting off the dishes a little too long, "forgetting" to water the flower beds, just giving a cursory swipe to the counters...you know, just letting things back up a bit.
Now I do usually cut myself some slack when I'm sick. And hubby is very understanding. But my job is to keep this house and family running smoothly and quite frankly there aren't too many sick days allowed. But why does it matter? Why not just let the house go to pot (as my Grandma says) and start over when I feel better? Is housework even vaguely important? And if so why?
Well, for one thing, my God is the God of order. Since He dwells with us, I like to keep the place neat for Him. And then there's my hubby. He's quite the neat freak:) Now, like I mentioned, he's very understanding when I don't feel well or when we have a really busy couple of weeks, but part of what he loves about having me at home (and part of why he's happy to work so hard to keep me here) is that he loves having a clean, orderly, happy home to return to. Another reason is my kids - it sets a good example for them to see me doing my work cheerfully and thoroughly. They're also better behaved in a neat house. I know that sounds like a stretch, but it's true. Levi is quite a live-wire, but when he's in a clutter-free environment he's much more focused.
Keeping house is part of my job - an important part. I love to come home to a beautiful home and I know my family does too.

Brenna is learning to talk!

She's been saying "bye-bye" and waving her little hand for about a month already, but now she's added to her repetoire - mama, dada, and bubba. I think she's trying to say "more," too. She makes an "mmm" sound when she does the sign for more. I've really enjoyed teaching her a few signs. I think I got more involved with signing with Levi - Brenna definitely misses out on some things (the second child syndrome). But she's talking a pretty good bit sooner than he did, so maybe she won't be permanently damaged by not being first:) At the very least she should be happy to have her own personal entertainer 24/7. Levi spends a big part of his day trying to make her laugh!

Hospitality

When I first started feeling the pull to stay at home some of my very favorite daydreams were about all the fabulous entertaining I’d have time to do. I couldn’t wait to sit up late chatting with our friends over a spectacular hand-made dessert or grill succulent steaks while all the families in the neighborhood hung around our yard. I just knew I’d be a perfect hostess and everyone would think my parties (house, children, husband, food, etc) were the absolute best.
If I have to tell you that it didn’t work out that way, then you probably haven’t been at home long. I quickly learned that hospitality is a lot of work and its purpose is not to make the hostess look good. Actually, it seems I am most called on to be hospitable when I am least prepared for it – you know those days when you haven’t had time to sweep up the crumbs from breakfast or lunch, or when the baby was up all night teething and now none of you are out of your jammies. And, while I love having company, hospitality isn’t always the fun stuff – the barbecues and parties. Sometimes it’s being a shoulder to cry on even when you don’t have time. Sometimes it’s taking in that niece or nephew whose parents have just given up. Sometimes its having an elderly relative come to live with you or inviting the "latch-key kids" next door over to play after school.
So why do we do it at all? Why is hospitality such a big deal? Well, because it can be really great. I love to open my home to others and have them share in the love of our family. But more than anything we do it because we’re commanded to. 1 Peter 4:9 says "Be hospitable to one another, without grudging." There is no better place (in my humble opinion, of course) to share the Gospel or to nurture new believers than in the home. We do it by living out our religion in front of our guests. By sharing His Word with them. By meeting their practical needs so that they can hear.
So how do we go from theory to practice? Well, …practice. Start small by having friends over just one or two at a time then build your way up to inviting those you don’t know as well or hosting a Bible study. It’s always a good idea to be prepared. Keep snacks on hand – out of site so they’re not a temptationJ . Something easy to keep around is a can of roasted nuts. If you heat them in a little olive oil or butter with some cayenne or cinnamon, they taste special and require next-to-no effort. I usually try to keep the fixings for a quick meal on hand too. If you have homemade tomato sauce in the freezer with a loaf of french bread, you can make spaghetti and garlic bread pretty quick without making your guests feel like you just threw something together. Keep some olives, pickles and cheeses on hand – they go great with crackers. And always have vanilla ice cream on hand (even if you have to hide it behind the frozen broccoli). It’s like a little black dress – you can dress it up with something. Topped with warmed peanut butter and/or melted chocolate chips it seems like you knew they were dropping by and planned something special.
I believe hospitality and charity go hand in hand. When we open our home to the needy we’re engaging in personal one-on-one charity and really helping that individual. Not just throwing money at a beggar hoping they’ll go away. I am always reminded of a story in Edith Schaeffer’s The Art of Homemaking. She tells about the "hobos" that often came to her door looking for a handout. Instead of turning them away or just giving them a few dollars, she had them sit on the steps and wait while she fixed them lunch on a tray – hot soup, a sandwich on thick cut bread. She even tried to include a flower and a small New Testament for them to take with them. While it may not be safe to do today (and probably wasn’t entirely in her day either), can you imagine how that man felt as he left her steps? God’s Word tells us "Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for by doing this some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).
The key to hospitality is to always to keep in mind that your focus is doing what God wants you to do. If He’s led these people to your home, do what you can to make sure they feel wanted and welcome.