Growing Up

  18
MarMar is growing into a man by the day. We often talk to him about all the ways he has grown in the past three years. He says that he used to live for himself, but now he cares about others and wants to live for God. This is evident in the way he loves and cares for us and the boys.

He once had a teacher tell him that he wouldn't make it to see his 18th birthday. He agrees that the teacher would have been right without the work of God in his life, but because God intervened, he not only is alive, but he is also free. I hope one day he is able to tell this former teacher about the power of God in his life.

18mo 

Jonah went from walking to running in about a week. His run looks like a fast waddle. He usually wakes up very early and is immediately ready to play. The smile in this picture is his "come get me" smile- it makes me melt. He loves to hang with the boys and doesn't like for daddy or MarMar to leave the house. He has a tender heart so he usually cries when we correct him in any way. He really enjoys trains, wrestling, yard tools, and most of all- nursing. 

 35mo

Judah is turning into such a little boy. His joy is contagious. He has the cutest little voice and his vocabulary always impresses me. Just a couple weeks ago, he let me know that he no longer wanted to wear diapers. Within a few days, he was potty trained. At the start of this week, he told me he wanted to take a nap by himself (instead of sleeping with me and brother). Milestones that seemed so far away are naturally occurring and we are left amazed. These milestones remind us that the time when our children are so fully dependent on us is limited and thus very precious. We pray we won't wish it away, but instead treasure it.

 MarMar and Judah playing football. "Hut, Hut, Hike!" I love to hear Judah's squeals of delight!

Bryant is MarMar's younger brother. He spends a lot of time with our family on weekends and school breaks. He is so funny and adds a lot of laughter to our lives. He loves to play with the boys and is a big help when he is with us. I think his favorite thing to do is spend time with Nate. He begs Nate to play with him from the time he walks in the door. Seeing him and MarMar interact gives me a picture of what is to come with Judah and Jonah.



“Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity. Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness. Hence where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law. Each forgets self and lives for others."
J.R. Miller

Family Fun Day: Hiking and Frisbee Golf

"Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere." Psalm 84:10

Vaseline Hair Do's

In the amount of time it took me to put on clean clothes, Judah perfectly styled both his and his brothers hair with almost a half a jar of Vaseline. It was one of those mixture of laughing and crying mommy moments. Needless to say, Vaseline is much more difficult to remove from hair than I had imagined. After lots of scrubbing with dawn dish soap, they still looked like slick car salesmen. A quick Google search revealed that Vaseline is one of the HARDEST substances to remove from hair. Thankfully, I found something that actually worked-- cornstarch. Forty-five minutes, two cups of cornstarch, and a half a bottle of dawn and they were as clean as a whistle. When I look back on some of the most trying moments of motherhood, I want to remember how real and full God's grace was for the moment. 

"They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away." 

Isaiah 35:10

Jonah's First Birthday

 Jonah entered this world showing God's power and throughout this year, he has continued to turn our hearts to God. During my pregnancy, we prayed that he would be a peaceful child. In my mind I thought this meant that he would be a very content baby, but now I know that God had a better plan. While I wouldn't describe him as content, he exudes peace because he is easily consoled and when I stop to console him, peace always wafts over me. What a gift to a mommy who could easily never stop moving and doing!

I love the close bond that has been formed between Jonah and I throughout a year of constant contact and responsive nursing. He's been my ultimate buddy, wherever I go, he goes (does anyone else remember that song?). I love how well he fits in with our household of boys. From the time he could crawl, he wanted to be outside with the boys. He also loves to wrestle and get "ruffed up". He's everyone's favorite playmate. I have never seen Judah display any jealousy towards Jonah, only love. Their being so close in age has been PURE JOY! We thank God for His perfect timing, peace, and provision.

May God's perfect will is done in his life! 

Worth It

Judah, MarMar, and Jonah April 2012

The world tends to say that this life of caring for these sweet boys and loving my husband isn't enough. At times it is a temptation to think I should be doing more-- something more significant. I run to the Lord and He speaks truth to me. He says it is more than ENOUGH. 

“Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her.” 

― J.R. Miller

Our First Garden

This past weekend, my mom came to visit and helped us plant our very first garden. We were so grateful for her knowledge of gardening and her extra set of hands. This project and others have also made me very thankful for marrying a man who knows his way around the internet. I may not have married a "handy-man", but I married a man who can find a detailed  "how-to" video on almost anything and follow it to a tee.

The garden was a hard days work (and I'm sure there is much more to come), but once every seed and plant was in the ground, we were giddy! We all looked at each other and then prayed that God would allow our garden to grow. Planting this garden has made me think a lot lately about how we must submit ourselves to the Lord, pray, and wait on Him to work.

Nathan lined the boxes with chicken wire to protect against moles.

When our big helpers weren't scooping dirt, they were swinging. 

This picture makes me look like I did a lot of hard work with Jonah on my back, but I assure you it was my husband and my mother who did most of the hard labor.

Hauling the dirt from the driveway to the boxes proved to be one of the hardest tasks.

We put a light layer of rock at the bottom to help with moisture control.

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

James 5:7-8

Hard Work

I pray Judah keeps his enthusiasm for the great outdoors and yard work! He is eager to "help" with any outdoor project and loves to watch MarMar cut the grass.

Today I pray that we raise men who work for the glory of God!

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

Easter at Granna's

1,000 Gifts in 2012

This year I am taking the challenge to foster a heart of gratitude by naming 1,000 gifts in 2012. Read more about the challenge here. I want to make new habits this year.

A habit of not complaining, but the habit of giving thanks; the habit of not worrying, but a habit worshipping. The habit of repeatedly giving God praise that our lives might become a prayer. Small is always the leverage of large. It’s one moment after the other, the small moments that turn a life. It’s the small actions that can change a life.

It’s habits that can imprison you and it’s habits that can free you and when thanks to God becomes a habit, so joy in God becomes your life.

I know I can't do this alone. I need the Father's grace-- I need it every minute of every day. Help me Father!

I may not be able to share all 1,000 gifts with all of you, but I thought I would try to share as time allows. Let us encourage one another to consider the many gifts the Lord bestows on us each day.

12. A roof over my head, worn-out slippers, coffee.

13. A suckling baby, "mommy, mommy", praise music.

14. Jonah's birth, the way he saved my marriage before it started, how he cared for the Linc.

15. My wedding ring, my timing, a delicious meal.

16. Judah's squeal when a friend opened the door, Jonah smiling and laughing at the sight of MarMar, Nathan chasing Judah and Logan around the kitchen.

17. Judah washing his face with a tissue he dipped in the toilet, open conversations with friends, my husbands embrace.

18. He will never leave me, His grace IS POWER, He gently leads those with young.

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High." Psalm 7:17

Washed by the Water

On November 27th, just one day after La'Markus' 17th birthday, he chose to be baptized. Hallelujah! The Lord alone draws the lost. We know that La'Markus is in His hands. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all that we want to teach and give to him, but we are reminded that God didn't start to care for him when he came into our home. The word says that God knew him when he was in his mothers womb (Jeremiah 1:5). Despite all that he has been through, our God has always and will always be there for him (Hebrews 13:5). We continue to pray that La'Markus will draw nearer to the Him. Please continue to pray with us.

"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

Hebrews 10:19-25