Five Minutes

OK Ladies,

It is confession time. I went to my homepage and saw nothing new on the MOPS blog and wondered who dropped the ball. Then I looked at the schedule and found that I dropped the ball. And now I must confess that I not only dropped the ball, but am looking blankly at the computer screen wondering what to talk about on this Mommy and Me Thursday.

Last night, Simon and I painted. For about five minutes he spread blue and red paint over five post cards. He discovered the difference between spreading and dotting the paint. He found the fun of accidentally dotting his mother and turned it into the fun of deliberately smearing his mother. After five minutes he was done; the trucks were calling him.

Typically, I don't think much of five minutes and had I known the amount of time he would spend on that activity I probably wouldn't have gotten out the stuff, honestly. I don't often use five minutes to connect waiting for more time. But last night was five minutes and it will be a forever memory.

I wonder what do you do with your five minutes to connect? Seriously, let us inspire and encourage one another. I need five minute ideas!

Silly Question Tuesday...

You are on vacation at the beach with three friends. (Kids free, quick over night trip to the beach! Very spontaneous!).. Your husband agreed to this and has the children and is TRYING to give you that 24 hour break. TRYING! You start getting texts. What are the first 3 texts you get from him:

Struggling With Attention

The Friday night I kept saying I was going to read my Bible, but I never did. Last night, I did read my Bible before bed and then fell asleep before I said my bed time prayers. Why? Well, the first night, I was "too busy" and the second night, I was "too tired". These are legitimate statements... I really had a lot to do! And I really had had a busy day yesterday, and I was tired!

Do you ever have that happen?

Wandering from Christ is not abnormal for Christians. So many times I’ve had (as they say) “Mountaintop experiences” that leave me feeling so close to the Lord that when I converse with him I can almost audibly hear his voice. And yet, I wander away time and time again.

It occurred to me 2 weeks ago how this must be common for even the most Christ-seeking Christian. We were singing the awesome hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and and as I read the words, I realized that people have struggled with this forever. A stanza says this:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

It’s human nature to be prone to wander. Old Dead Guys who wrote hymns from long ago did it… and I see it in my daily life. Why? When growing closer to the Lord is such an amazing feeling? When reading the Bible is such great stuff- such enriching guidelines for life, why stray from its focus? I don’t know, but I suppose that since Eve and Adam had their “I’m going to gain knowledge and wisdom” wandering at the beginning, we’ve been tugged like a rope back and forth. My will, thy will. My will, thy will.

I love Psalm 119. It really helps me to remember to remember His word and his promises. The whole Psalm is long- but it starts off in an amazing encouragement as to this struggle!

Psalm 1-8

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Spring Regardless of the Chill

getting what we need for our garden fence

the nice young man who helped us

my brother-in-law who makes my sister so happy (the nice young man reminded me of him)

listening to Simon crow clukaddldooo

feeding cranky boys who will go to sleep when belly is full

the picture she colored for me

the way she asks her dad for baby chicks (not this year)

discussing ceiling fans and carpet with a very understanding man

checkmarks on the best to-do list I've made in a long time

knowing work builds character

going through new-to-us clothes

the Sermon on the Mount

taking things off my plate--another season perhaps?

the season's first rabbit after a squirrel at the birdfeeder

A smile is like time tickin slow...

Mommy & Me Thursday

It seems I have reached yet another turning point in my motherhood.
My children test on a whole other level.

My youngest being 5, my oldest being 6. I definetly feel like I am in some type of in between "twilight zone." I still have my preschooler and I have my "I know!- picture eyes rolling as this phrase is said.-" first-grader.

Time is flying by.

Ironically enough this "zone" seems to be less bumpy and some how, more enjoyable. I laugh with my kids, they are funny human beings. I cry with my kids, they are senstive human beings. I am in awe of my kids, they are smart human beings. Sometimes a little too smart.

Time is flying by.

But you know what I have noticed seems to slow it down. Smiling. Yep, smiling.
When I see my children smile it's almost like I freeze. I just stand there and admire their beautiful smile. The smile full of teeth and the smile missing many. It's not only the smile that captures me but it's the pure joy that beams from their eyes when they smile. I also make a concsious effort to cherish whatever is happening at that moment that is causing such joyful eyes and unforgettables smiles.

Yesterday Ethan and I had many of those moments. We ran errands in town. Ate and played at McDonalds. Hugged and tickled. Played. Cleaned. I got a few random I love you's! It was such a good day.

It seems that we play ping pong all week. No not the game with a ball. The game with our emotions. One day is a fantastic one. He is happy, cooperative, he listens!The next he is this combative child who wants to pull out every ounce of patience I claim to possess, and only after he acheives this, he then chooses to cooperate. And no ladies, this is not because I won the battle of wills, it is because he did. Yes, there are days they win. That's how it works in this game of ping pong. Sometimes you miss the ball, sometimes you mess up. Sometimes you may the wrong move. I think that's when the ref. is called in. You have to pray for Him to get your attention. You always have His, He just doesn't always have yours. Perhaps maybe we should pray daily before the games begin, so we know that He is always there to advise us.

I have also noticed in this "twilight zone" that I am actually getting through to my children on some things. Some things are still very confusing for them to understand and very confusing for me to explain. You know like this question I got just today. Went a little something like this:


It Brenna: "Mommy why is the sky blue?!"

Me: "Well the sky is blue because it is a reflection... ummm, no wait the water is blue because it is a reflecting off of the sky.Ummmm, the sky is blue because...(I quickly take this moment to seem distracted and GOOGLE - HOLY explanation! Geez!The sky is blue beacuse of some light, molecules and gases. Yep super easy to explain!)because...the sky is blue because that is the color God chose it to be!" really does make for more enjoyable living!

Just today Brenna changed the hand towel in the bathroom because it was wet. I know that seems simple, but to me that was so responsible of her.
When she saw my smile of approval and heard my words of affirmation, she beamed right back at me. I bet time froze for her too. See it works both ways.

Time is certainly flying by.

This is a fumbled kind of post, but I hope that you all understand how much I have been genuinely enjoying the company and the challenges that being a mother brings. It is such an enormous, difficult, rewarding thing that has in some ways, become such a part of our identity that we loose sight of it all together. Why we are mothers. What are purpose is.

You know, even in my loss at the EPP, I couldn't help but be amazed, almost proud of his determination. As difficult as strong willed children can be, that is part of who he is.

During that "game", time didn't stand still. It couldn't go by fast enough. However, later after we worked through what happened - we had a chat - and we were having a good day again, there were smiles and I love smiles.











"A smile is like time ticking slow"

Question!

The other day I was in WalMart waiting in line for the Pharmacy. My cart was in the way for an elderly lady who was wanting to look at some thermometers, and so I offered to move. She suggested that I reach one for her instead, and she based her choice on the price she could see from where she was. Our conversation went something like this:

Lady: "Hand me that pink one that costs $7, would you?"

Me: (in a fun but ornery voice) "Ma'am, I could get that one for you, but it's an ovulation charting thermometer... are you charting your basal temperature?"

Lady: "Ha ha, wouldn't that be something?"

Me: "Well, I don't want to be assumptive... maybe you're wanting to start a family!"

Lady: "Wow, could you imagine, and 85 year old woman? I could make money from that! How about that blue one over there?"

I went out on a limb to joke with this stranger, but she just seemed like the type who had a sense of humor. I'm glad I ran with it as we both had a chuckle and left each other smiling.

Have you had any fun/silly/interesting/bonding/ embarrassing or otherwise notable conversations with a stranger lately? If so, tell us what you said!

Kindhearted

"A kindhearted woman gains respect..." Proverbs 11:16a

This nugget of wisdom leaped off the page as I was reading my Bible one day during my years with little ones tugging at me. Like Sarah, who posted last week about "being something and someone", I had my moments of wondering if my skills and gifts were being fully used. When asked "Why, Mommy?" fifty times a day, one's mental abilities get a work out, but it can be downright draining. During this time, my husband was teaching at a Bible college and seminary, imparting wonderful knowledge to his very receptive students. Several of our women colleagues were also professors, many with their doctorates. At our mission gatherings I felt like Susie homemaker, the one who brought the muffins and didn't have much to add to the conversation.

As I read that being kind was a key to being respected, I felt tremendous relief. It was okay that I wasn't furthering my formal education (though being a mom has indeed given me lots of "smarts"!), it was okay that I was at home the majority of the time (though that certainly didn't mean I wasn't a working woman!), and it was okay that the people (even if they were very small people!) I was influencing were my own children! I knew that I could cultivate kindness in my life. There was absolutely no one that could take that away from me and I was determined to make that a high priority in my daily life.

I have been blessed with much inspiration in the area of kindness from my earliest days. My mom is one of the kindest people I know. She is a very smart and gifted woman but I benefited most from her kindness through each day. When I was eight and a half, Mom had a baby and it was the first time she had complications. The emergency c-section left her very weak and her body rejected the stitches. It was one of the most difficult times of my mom's life, though I was quite oblivious at that age! Mom wasn't able to come upstairs to tuck us in for at least six weeks. When she did, she found that my sisters and I didn't do well in the keeping your room clean department without some accountability. She looked at our room, sat down on the bed and cried! No screaming or yelling - just sadness over our mess! At that moment, my motivation for keeping my room clean spiked and I don't think she ever had to cry at the state of our bedroom again! Mom also spoke many encouraging, life giving words into my life even during the teen years when I became boy crazy and obnoxious. I put her to the test so many times but there was always kindness in her heart and on her tongue for me and all of my siblings.

Another woman who touched my life at a time when I needed lots of help was Linda, a friend from Ohio. Linda has a Ph.D. in some science - I can never remember which because she is more concerned about helping others than talking about her knowledge. When our daughter, Lisa, was ill and then in the weeks after Lisa's homegoing, Linda would take our boys out with her boys for visits to museums, to the swimming pool or playground. Paul and Peter were just ten and seven years at the time and I was tired in my grief and in trying to still be a good mom to my kids. The great thing wasn't just that Linda was giving me some time to rest, but that she was such a kindhearted person I knew my boys were also gaining from their time with her.

It's interesting that the very next verse in Proverbs 11 says, "A kind man benefits himself...". The NLT translates this: "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind..." I want to be kind because of how it benefits all around me, but what a great thing to know I am also nourishing my own soul. This is a thought to ponder, especially when I face a choice of being mean and vindictive OR kind. When that choice is difficult, I remind myself that kindness is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) which means I can ask God to give me a fresh supply whenever I need it. I love that God is always willingly giving us what we need!

I still fall short of my own expectations in so many areas...that pile of clutter I just can't get through, the good intentions that never come to fruition, the times I try to be organized but drop the ball...through it all I continue to strive for those character qualities my kids will remember they saw in me. I hope kindness will be at the top of the list!

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:6,7


~Joy Herman

Thankful...

What a beautiful day!



Today I am thanful for:

58 degrees at 8am!

Tea

Laundry getting folded

Getting outside soon

Friends

Patience (work in progress)

Question Tuesday...

Road Trip Question

I was recently talking with a friend about how I don't mind going somewhere by myself because I love the quiet time. On my recent 3 hour trip, I listened to a book on CD, sang along with praise music and said prayers for my kids. I also packed myself carrots, celery with peanut butter, pretzels, etc. in case I got sleepy! On the way home late at night, I stopped at a Starbucks for a passion fruit tea. If you have been on a road trip, how do you like to spend the time in the car? Or if you haven't been able to get away without the kids, what would you enjoy on your dream road trip without kids?


~Joy Herman

Something and Someone

I am doing a Beth Moore Bible Study. It is the fourth one I have done. She is an incredible Bible teacher. This one is a study of Esther. It is challenging and provoking and has me examining my life--my purpose, my destiny.

I am also reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan with my Sunday school class. It is challenging and provoking and has me examining my life--the way I spend my time and our resources and how I obey all those red letters in the New Testament.

For a while there, I was starting to feel like my life was a tiny little bit of a thing and that I was completely missing the boat by staying home with my youngsters.

You see, according to my high school science teachers, I should be something, a doctor, or an engineer, or a scientist. And according to my college professors, I should be something, a leader among the teacher, a writer, a researcher. I've been demolishing the expectations of people for years (choosing instead of doctor, a teacher's life, and instead of teacher of the year, home with youngsters). But those expectations live on in my head, the dreams someone else had for me, and the definition of success written, no, inscribed in my head and heart by our world continue to speak to me.

I begin to believe a little too much in the words and expectations of others. I begin to question this path of submission to Creator and to husband that I am on, this rockiest of roads called motherhood and the anonymity of stay-at-home mom.

Then He speaks quietly in rocking a boy to sleep. I breathe in the smell of his head and I wonder at this little fellow given to me for such a short time. I am reminded that in caring, serving, loving this one, I am caring for the poor (for a babe born even into the wealthiest of families is utterly poor and completely dependent). When I stoop to tie shoes for a little girl still learning, I am meeting the needs of the lowly. When I forgive, bearing the consequences of another's wrongdoing, I am giving mercy.

I find that I am something--the only mother these two will ever have, a picture of the humility of Christ in a world of ego and pride (if I'm doing it well which I often do not).

And He speaks quietly in story. John and Charles Wesley had a faithful, prayerful mother. John Newton had a faithful and prayerful mother. John and Charles were great men of faith who are credited with founding Methodism and writing countless hymns. John Newton was a sailor for the slave trade, who later repented, became ordained in the Church of England, worked for the abolition of English slavery and wrote a number of hymns including Amazing Grace. I am reminded that faithful, loving, prayerful mothers can make for great spiritual leaders. That though the life of a mother of two in Uniontown may not seem like a big life filled with destiny, it is a purposeful, useful life filled with destiny.

Through the struggle and the sitting quietly at His feet, I am told that I am not merely something. He tells me I am someone. And it is in being someone that my destiny will be fulfilled.

I am still walking through Esther and Crazy Love and I am sure that some of what I am feeling is very much conviction, and I think it is appropriate to struggle with the red letters and the problem of poverty and want and need. But I am encouraged to think that this life isn't as little as those memories sometimes make me feel. And isn't is always a fun thing when you realize that your feelings aren't the truth.

Thankful Friday!

It was 4:30am and my son yelled for me... "Moooommmmyyyy!!!" He wanted milk and to snuggle. I was already awake for some reason so I was prepared for a decent snuggling session- which is just what we had. He and I snuggled together while I rubbed his back, and he even rubbed mine a little while! It was one of those moments that will stay with me for a long time...

I read Joy's post above and realize that tucking in and spontaneous snuggles are not going to be requested forever, making them so sweet when they happen.

Today I'm thankful for:

• A marriage conference held at church this weekend!
• Sweet snuggle times
• Seeing my niece performing in her high school play as one of the leads. She was amazing!
• Mucinex
  
• Puffs with Lotion
• The hope that spring is just around the corner
  
• Daylight Savings Time!

We all have much to be thankful for... what is on your list?

Moments

Mommy and Me Time...

One of my favorite mommy and me moments has always been tucking my kids into bed. I don't get to do this too often anymore, mostly because I often go to bed earlier than my kids. Yes, hard to believe this is possible! Because bedtime was always a sweet time, I grab any opportunity to tuck one of my big kids into bed and pray over them. Most recently I had one of these moments with my daughter who had gotten up at 4 AM to drive from NC to visit. She dropped into bed exhausted, and I enjoyed getting her all tucked in as though she was still my sweet baby girl.

I wonder if one of the reasons I enjoyed bedtime so much was because there was a sense of victory in knowing that I had made it through another day as a mom - still sane and with my kids still in one piece! You moms know this is not something to take for granted. I sometimes had a child who awakened with the birds at 5:30 in the morning, which makes for a very long day! Getting through an entire morning, and then the entire afternoon, and then the whole dinner hour chaos leading into bath time....well, no wonder there was a feeling of sweet triumph at bedtime!

The most significant reason for enjoying bedtime still brings me the warm fuzzies and makes me think I could do all those years over again. It was the way my children's souls seemed to open and spill out the sweetest prayers to God and expressions of love to me or their dad. Children are so tender and insightful and mine always seemed to be uttering some nugget of wisdom that brought me back to what was really important in life. It's humbling to admit how wrong my perspective could be...I accomplished nothing today! These kids are driving me crazy! If people knew that I did nothing today except chase after this toddler... Then my sweet child would tell me she loved me "this much", spreading her arms out as wide as they could go, and I would once again see clearly and know I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do and He was pleased with all of my feeble efforts.

In my reminiscing, I do recall some trying moments with children who didn't want to go to sleep. I think each parent could write a book on the many strategies devised to get that little one to close those eyes and drift off to sleep....but I'd rather remember the moments when after story, prayers, hugs and kisses, sleep came quickly! Jack and I both enjoyed going back in the room later to check on the little sleeping cherubs and make sure they were covered or that the mosquito net was tucked in completely.

When Peter was a baby, I read a quote in George MacDonald's book, The Seaboard Parish, that expressed so well the relief I felt when my little ones were safely tucked into bed. "What a wonderful satisfaction it may give to a father or mother to see this or that child sleep! When parents see their children asleep (especially if they have been suffering in some way), they breathe more freely. A load is lifted off their minds; their responsibility seems over; the children have gone back to their Father, and He alone is looking after them for awhile."

I think I'll get up right now and make sure our only child left at home is sleeping soundly!! Then I will lay my head on my pillow, knowing as I drift off to sleep that I'm God's daughter and He is taking care for all who are precious to me.

Joy Herman

Honey Oatmeal Bread

So who doesn't love bread? I have give this bread as gifts with elderberry jelly for Christmas. It was a hit.

I should say that I use my stand mixer for this recipe and have no real idea of how long to knead bread. I have heard others say knead till your arms feel like falling off and then add another minute or so. I did make some sourdough bread recently and that method seem to produce a nice loaf.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

from the KitchenAid Stand Mixer handbook

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup butter or margarine
5 1/2-6 /12 cups flour (can do half white and half wheat)
1 cup oats
2 tsp salt
2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 eggs (I often forget)

Place water, honey, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat til the mixture is very warm (120-130).
Mix together 5 cups flour, oats, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Gradually add the warmed liquid mixture to the flour mixture. And stir till well combined. Add the eggs and combine well.
Stir in as much remaining flour as you can. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. (Till your arms are ready to fall off and then a minute more.)
Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease top of dough. Cover lightly with waxed paper. Set in a warm place for about an hour or till dough doubles in size.
Divide dough in half. Shape into loaves. Place in a greased loaf pan, cover, and put back in the warm spot for another hour or till the dough doubles.
**Optional--beat 1 egg white and 1tbs water together and brush over the tops of the loaves. sprinkle with oatmeal.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from pans immediately (otherwise the crust gets soggy) and cool.

Served warm or cool, this is great bread. Maybe I'll bring it next month.

I looked in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook which said that one would need to knead for 8-10 minutes to get a good loaf. That seems to correlate with the knead till your arms feel like they will fall off and add a minute that others have said.

I am sure this can be modified to use a bread maker too, but as I don't have one I don't know how. If you do, please comment.

Laundry Question Tuesday

With all the sunshine lately and thoughts of warmth and spring, I am waiting to get to one of my favorite laundry chores--hanging the clothes on the line. We have a clothes line on our deck (which we take down for events) and after the load washes out we all go. The sun and the air do wonders for the clothes. I love the smell!

What is your favorite part of this household chore? Are you a drier-drier or a hanging-drier?

Rejoice!

I apologize for the delay in my blog post today. I have a few very good reasons for this delay.

1. Ethan (can you blame me? Look how adorable he is!)
2. Brenna
3. Had to make phone calls to find logs for my house.
4. An unexpected visit from our friend/contractor
5. Made reservations for our week away in May
6. Laundry
7. Working on MOPS stuff for Tuesday.
8. Emails (haven't checked them in awhile)
9. Quiet time
10. Mommy duties
11. I better stop, because my list could grow QUICKLY. My, how busy today was!

I am just curious what each of our individual “lists” would look like on any given day. We should try that sometime. Life is BUSY.

I am not a morning person. Sometimes I think life may not "seem" so busy if I were one. Have never been, doubtful I ever will be. I use to think I would become one when I "grew up." I remember saying “When my kids go to school I will wake up at 6am, take a jog, hit the shower, and have a delicious breakfast ready for them every morning when they wake up!” Ha! Honestly, I STILL believe that is going to happen someday for me. Will power!! I admire and applause all of you that have that morning routine, or a similar one.

I have become better with mornings, but still do not like them. Difficult at times, when most of the others living in your house can't wait to get out of bed!

This morning driving Bren to school I couldn’t believe how fast the morning went. We were up at 7, did our morning routine and walked out the door at 8:20 for school. It truly flew this morning. The rest of the day quickly followed suit.

Time! Time! Time! Busy! Busy! Busy!

The first two bullets on my list are my favorite reasons for not blogging earlier. I was ENJOYING time with my children. Ethan and I played Wii and hung out for most of the morning. We chatted, we laughed, we hugged, we kissed, we tickled. No it wasn’t all fun! There were moments of not obeying and dealing with those too. But it amazes me how quickly those moments have been forgotten. That isn’t always the case. Just goes to show you that this was a good day!


Once Brenna was home it was time for me to go to “school.” Miss Brenna is a very good, thorough teacher. I am learning how to put words in ABC order, add, and subtract. I even have homework!


Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

~Philippians 4:4



This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~Psalm 118:24

Don’t kids just OOOOOZEEE that verse out in everything that they do?! They want that EXACT same ENTHUSIASM from you. I believe they don’t just want that when you play together but they want, they even NEED, to see that positive, happy, :"ooozeee" from you too! They want to know that you love this day and are rejoicing and are glad to be in it! After all God gave it to you…so REJOICE! Again I say REJOICE!!!

Thankful Friday...

I’m sitting and watching the sunrise over the mountains from my son and daughter-in-law’s patio window. He is off to a youth conference in Chicago and she is off to her teaching job at a local high school and today is my day to have their darling baby all to myself! No wonder the sunrise is looking especially beautiful to me today! Since I didn’t bring my regular Bible study along, I reverted to the randomly opening your Bible strategy, except I always turn to a psalm. Just as the light started to shine through the clouds, I was reading…

"Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 115:1-3)

It is verses like these that bring all the varied events of the week and my jumbled thoughts back to a more focused perspective. Although life may feel very out of control and very fragile, God is here. The eternal God who is always the same, the One from whom every good gift comes, and the One who promises that He will never give us more than we can bear.

My heart is still reeling from the sudden loss of a 22 year old young man who was a dear friend, particularly to two of my children who have been recalling special memories of youth group and youth retreats during their teenage years. The shock and sadness wrenches the heart but then God’s peace once again washes over it all, soothing and calming, as only He can do. As author, Nancy Guthrie says in her book, Holding Onto Hope, it is praise that comes from a broken heart that is especially precious to God.

It isn’t just the tragedies of life that mess with my soul, though. I can get downright troubled in spirit over just about anything that comes my way that doesn’t fit into my predefined idea of what is good for me! As a young mom, it was discovering that one of my kids was coming down with yet another bug, finding out that one of my little angels had done something naughty, or just standing in the laundry room or kitchen and wondering how I was going to dig out of the mess! Though some of my issues have changed a bit, I still need God’s gentle reminders that He knows what He is doing and He is right there to help me. “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8). Today as I dote over a sweet baby boy, I want to honor God by giving Him all my praise! In the difficult spots, I will keep a quiet heart and trust that He knows best.

Thankfulness list…

Great visit with our son and a friend during their spring break last weekend.

Our daughter also came to visit from NC, so it was a full, happy house.

Our son-in-law, Aaron, is due home from Afghanistan in 10 days!

Spring is on the way!

The fun of peeking in on my little grandson and hoping he will hurry up and awaken! (The latter identifies me as his grandmother, not his mother!)

A nice husband at home, willing to get our “baby”, Peter, up for high school, so I could leave the house so early!

~Joy Herman

Take a Minute

Yesterday, Abigail woke from a much needed nap earlier than Simon. She doesn't wake ready for the next thing. She needs a few minutes. She came into the living room and curled up in the sunny warmth of the green chair. We sit it close to the wall because sometimes you feel as if you will be dumped out on your head, as if your body weight has somehow made the chair determine to take revenge. She started staring out the window.

What are you thinking about?

Nothing. I'm just looking at the pine cones. 

Do you want me to get the tree book so we can figure out what it is? 

Yes.

I retrieved the tree book from our library. Smiling while remembering that I got it for competing in the 4-H National Forestry Competition. Don't tell my forester father, but I can't identify the conifer standing on the east side of our house. We got the book out and narrowed the tree to the spruce family. Beyond that I can't tell. No matter what it is a sparsely-limbed and poorly-coned spruce. We identified the other two spruces we could see from our window.

It was a sweet time cuddled in the chair, looking and talking and guessing. I am so glad I didn't walk passed her. I am encouraged to remember to take a minute to be with them. It fills us all up.

Chocolate Milk

My children get up before I am ready to do anything with them. We have a morning ritual of a short video and chocolate milk. I have been using a powdered chocolate milk mix featuring a bunny on the canister. I have issues with high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients I don't recognize on the label. So I was thrilled when a fellow blogger created a chocolate syrup and a chocolate milk that has ingredients I can buy at the grocery store on my own.

I don't feel comfortable copying her post so here is the link. I will note that she uses sucanat which substitutes for sugar one-to-one. Last night when I was making the blender chocolate milk, I used sugar in place of the maple syrup and it was yummy. Abigail complained that after blending there were too many bubbles. I mixed up about half a gallon and after sitting in the fridge all night the bubbles lost their loft and she enjoyed it this morning.

Once or twice a week mixing for a few minutes to give me chocolate milk I understand, totally worth it!

It's MARCH!!!!!

Today being the FIRST day of March ...

What are you looking forward to the MOST as we get these "spring like" days?!