Our 4 Sons Plus 1...Super Cute Girly Girl

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Happy Birthday Jonah!

Today is Jonah's 12th birthday! Twelve years ago roads were closing down left and right because we were in the middle of a massive Nor'easter. My Mom and Bill were getting so nervous because I refused to go to the hospital until I was "sure," since I didn't want a repeat of Ethan's delivery, and there was so much snow out there! I'd been having contractions all throughout church the day before, didn't sleep a wink that night, and had an appointment Monday morning, March 5th, 3 days past my due date. Bill and I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from that appointment, and I remember having to stop and hang onto the food shelves and displays because the contractions were coming faster and much harder. I must've looked like a crazy person, ha! People had started to stare and even ask me if they could help us get to the hospital. But nope, I would not go. Finally around 1:15 pm, panting on my knees on the stairs and unable to complete a sentence, I relented. I can't tell you a thing about that ride in- I don't remember any of it! But I do remember at 6:10 the most perfect little boy- a surprise!- was crying that deliriously wonderful newborn cry, and then they placed him on my chest, and he's had my heart ever since.

We've always had so much fun together!

Our new family of four...that seems like forever ago!

Jonah's little hat and coveralls were from The Children's Place and it was my favorite outfit on him- I still remember dressing him in it!

I had such a fun day decorating and baking up yummy treats for his party tonight. He didn't really want a particular theme, but he did have one request: a "death by chocolate" cake. Um, sure! I went with it. =)

Here are just a couple pictures so far...

I made fresh whipped cream and added more berries to to the top- it was heavenly!

I just love making the place look festive- it makes me feel like the luckiest Mom in the whole world, and it makes my heart so happy!

These little showstoppers are so, so good! I'm going to share the recipes later this week...

Have a great night!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Remembering My Priorities

I've been thinking a lot lately about the limited time I've been given with my children. Guiding, nurturing, and loving each of them is my greatest priority, and at times, I find myself really missing the mark. Life is busy, schedules get jam-packed...and with good stuff, but there's so much!..., and quite frankly there are just things that I want to do! And it seems like I'm running out of time to get it all done.

I suppose that's where priorities come into the picture.

One of our middle boys, Jonah (who happens to have a BIRTHDAY tomorrow), challenged me a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned that we hadn't been reading the Bible together anymore. He also asked for help in keeping up with his daily devotionals because he "keeps forgetting." God used my son's tender heart to speak truth to me and lovingly convict me of an area in which I have some room for improvement. Oh, I think I like that term better than the familiar "I failed {again}" because it reminds me of God's patient spirit with wanderers and stumblers like me.

So my days have once again begun with spiritual reading, contemplating and praying- basically just allowing myself to be fully alive in God's presence- and oh, what a difference it has made! I will never be a perfect mother, but I can definitely be a better Mom! I don't want to look back and ache over all that I missed because my priorities were out of whack.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Psalm 86:11-13

This was part of what we read together this morning- I literally opened up my Bible and there was this passage staring back at me. Whoever says God has no sense of humor doesn't know Him very well. =)

Have a wonderful, purposeful day today! I think I'm just going to look at these photos for a few minutes, dreaming of spring!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Thoughts, Life, and Lots of Pictures

The view from the window as I sit here typing looks much the same as it has for several days now...white swirls. New England is certainly making up for last year's tepid winter. The boys returned home last night (we're on February break) after roughing it up in Maine with my Dad- this is the second such trip he has taken with them, and I applaud him. Really! I think he's so brave, and I just love him to death for it. What memories they're making!

So I had an only child for a couple days. She totally fell in love with that!

And I hear my cardinal friend out there chirping loud as ever. He and Mrs. Cardinal have quite the early morning sing-song routine, and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me! What a treat to see those dashes of bright red amid the snowy white that stretches beyond every corner from the window.

I've also been thinking, a lot. About life, family, plans, dreams, and sometimes even past hurts. Some of that is the reason I'd begun a new blog in the first place. It's no secret I've undergone some major personal crises in the past few years, and I've never known quite how to handle it, "publicly" I mean. I'm not the type to write as if everything is perfect while my world crumbles around me. All I really needed was to know how, and if, God wanted me share those trials. He has given me some clarity in the matter, so it has been a learning experience and a lesson in faith, that's for sure.

Something in me shifted as I was rereading some past entries on this blog last week. I realized that I enjoy reading about the mundane, silly moments of my life as well as the birthdays and the vacations, all of the things intertwined with this beautiful family of ours. Those old blog entries did what I'd always hoped they would- they captured those memories for me. In a way, they have stopped time and let me linger in days long gone. And with pictures! That's all I ever wanted, and what I still want.

Anyhoo. All that to say I don't think I need a "fresh start" by starting up another blog. Maybe that sounds silly, maybe not. But this blog is where my heart is, where our memories are- good and, well, the not so good- and I think I would look back and really, truly miss it.

Now I've got a million and a half photos to post! =)