Brown County

Recuperation! That is what I need....from an intense shopping weekend with Nae, Sherry, Me Maw, Retie and of course Miss HM (still not done nursing...but even if she were I know I could not have left her for 3 days.) We have done this trip maybe 3-4 times over the last several years. The main goal is Christmas shopping, but we always seem to come home with lots of other great "finds" that have nothing to do with Christmas?? Me Maw is such a trooper. She had to rest a little more than in years past (reading a good book in the van) but I believe a good time was had by all.

When I was pushing the stroller around the outlet mall and watching the hundreds and hundreds of shoppers I was hit hard....I believe that we (all people) are created with a deep desire within for something real. We can push it away, we can ignore it, or we can cover it up, but it doesn't ever go away. We are created to be with God, to feel His presence and I found myself craving that this weekend. The things that used to "fill" me don't get it anymore. Don't get me wrong, I like to wear nice clothes that make me feel pretty and I like to decorate my home with things that look nice, but that in itself is empty. I don't have to think back very far to remember when those things brought me happiness. This weekend was a new point of realization. I almost ached at times to be with Him, I found myself feeling the wind and the sunshine in a new way. It soothed my ache and made me recognize that I truely am a work-in-progress. He is working on me, changing me! I was never designed to be content with the things of this world. I ask for more of Him and less of me! We have a long way to go......"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Well...it's Monday and I am on a mission. After almost a year of being pregnant, selling our home, moving in with the in-laws, building a house, having a baby, and starting back to school (my what a year) I have no "groove". The housework is swallowing me, the kids have huge amounts of homework, and I have a long list of decorating/settling in things that I want to do around the house. I feel like I just keep turning around in circles and accomplishing nothing. So I am a mission to get a little more organized and systemized (is that a word) around here. My goal is to spend Monday at home doing laundry, cleaning, etc and then Tues. run all the errands I need to for the week. That means on Wed. I will be free to go to chapel with the girls, maybe take them lunch, and then get ready for our parent/kid date night on Wed. Thursdays are always busy because I have Bible Study (I think I have gotten all my work done maybe once) and then the evenings are busy studying with the kids for their tests on Friday. Hopefully this will free up my weekends to play, relax, and have lots of family fun?!? Does anyone care about this but me?? I just hope that Miss HM agrees with my new schedule...

We had a great weekend! J and I went out for a while on Friday night. We ate dinner, went to the bookstore, got coffee, drove around and talked...very nice. H had his first flag-football game and C had a friend come over on Saturday afternoon. They played outside and J and I vegged out watching the UK vs LSU game.....go Cats! On Sunday we went to church and then had lunch at Jody's parents. The kids love playing with their cousins, it is one of their top 3 favorite things to do EVER! The weather was beautiful, sunny and cool, just the way I like it.

HM is growing so fast. She has her first tooth now and is setting up! BEAUTIFUL I am going to stop nursing this week. I believe it is time...a little sad though. I told J yesterday, how amazing that our God created a woman's body to feed a child, to give that child all he/she needs to survive. How creative, how awesome!!

"Special Things"

A few weeks ago J and I decided that one night every week he or I would take one child out for a few hours for some special one-on-one time. With 4 kids one-on-one time can be rare. So tonight it was my turn with H. I have looked forward to this all week. H is such a daddy's boy, and he used to be a mommy's boy. The day of his 4th birthday he woke up with a little body full of testosterone and has been "all boy" ever since. So, I couldn't wait until I could have him all to myself tonight. We had a wonderful time, played glow golf, bought a dinosaur book at BAM, and had cheeseburgers at McDonalds. He talked the ENTIRE time.....about dinosaurs, about how fast cars go, and about how much each member of our family weighs?? But the best part, he didn't want to come home. He wanted to have more of our "special thing". He cheered for me while playing put-put and wanted me to hold him at BAM while reading the dinosaur book. I pray often that God will show me how to be the mom he needs. It just comes easier with the girls. They are so eager to talk and share their feelings. They want me to hold them and rock them and sleep with them at night. I can "get" that! It is just a little harder for me to "mother" him. I don't really like wrestling in the floor (he hurts) or seeing how far I can spit off a bridge?!? But, I want my relationship with him to be real and deep rooted in our hearts. I want him to know how much I love him and what a treasure he is to me.......

Diving In

I have decided to take the plunge. This past weekend we were camping and J said..."I really think you need to start your own blog." That was like music to my ears and what I needed to get started. So here we go....I have always believed this would be a terrific way to preserve these days for my children to have and read when they are older. I hope to share our life, this beautiful and crazy "season" we are walking through. It might be on the brink of insanity, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.