A fishfry and cheerfulness

We had an amazing New Year's Eve. The kids went fishing with Matt and Pop-Pop and caught several trout. It was enough to make into a meal, so they cleaned 'em and fried 'em up and it was absolutely mouth watering. Elijah has been dreaming about catching fish and eating the...even at his young age he knows that there is something so good about providing dinner for the table. We enjoyed every bite of fish with some homemade hush puppies and steamed veggies. By the time we finished eating it was dark and we decided to go for a night walk on the beach. The kids had such a blast running and chasing each other in the dark. It was very exciting for them to be outside, running wild, when the are normally getting ready for bed. Elijah told me that he wished we could live at the beach and go on night walks every night:)
So onto my goals and plans for the New Year...at the very top of my list is Cheerfulness. I was reading an article in the most recent No Greater Joy magazine and it spoke straight to my heart about cheerfulness. The article explained that cheerfulness "is the first and most important quality a child trainer must possess...a young parent that is full of good cheer has 75 percent of what it takes to be a successful child trainer. Everyone is attracted to joy. Children will do anything for one who enjoys them. Once they get in the joy zone, they never want to do anything that will jeopardize that relationship. A parent of good cheer can deliver a more effective rebuke in less time and without damaging the relationship than a legalistic grump could do with a thousand Bible verses and a hundred spankings. If you are cheerful in our Messiah you will be a dynamic child trainer. You will be to children what a flower is to a bee."
These words are so true. Everyone wants to be around a cheerful person, not just children. The cheerful person is so encouraging, uplifting and pleasant to be around that they have the ability to lighten the load of those around them and their joy is somehow contagious. When someone is smiling at you, it is impossible to frown. I have tried this with my children. When they are feeling grumpy I just look right into their eyes and give them the biggest smile and though they try to cling to their grumpiness, without fail a smile comes to the surface. The mother's attitude determines the atmosphere of the home. If I am walking around complaining about everything that has to be done, then they can feel my stress. If I am constantly pointing out their shortcomings and my face shows more disappointment than joy, they feel discouraged. If they are greeted with more frowns than smiles, they feel frustrated and grumpy themselves. How can I capture the hearts of my children when my own heart feels weary. Why weary? The times I feel weary are the times I try to do things in my own power and strength, with my own wisdom and understanding. I allow myself to lose sight of the true source of cheerfulness and joy. In Proverbs 17:22 it says "A joyful heart is good medicine. But a broken spirit dries up the bones". A joyful heart is good medicine for my children and for my home. How often have I dried up the bones with my joyless heart? If we are without joy and cheer then we are looking too hard at our own inward selfishness... what we don't have, what we think we need, ungrateful for what we have...but true joy is born out of a thankful heart. And I have SO much to be thankful for. As I remind myself to be thankful and to stay in the presence of God I realize that, indeed, it is possible to live a life FULL of joy and cheer.

Little Scribby turned 1!

He wasn't a big fan of the birthday candle, but he sure did love the cake:)

It is so hard to believe that this time last year I was holding newborn Ezra Joseph in my arms. He has brought so much joy and laughter to our home this year. We always have nicknames for our children, usually given by our other children. Ezra has quite a few names. Caleb first came up with Nibbler, then Scribby, I call him Z and lately Jonas has been calling him a little Poo-Pot:)
He has a very lively little personality and great determination to keep up with his brothers. He is also the first climber I have ever had and by far the most curious. He has been the first one ever caught playing in the toilet, the first to put a slug in his mouth, and various other gross things. He's also a professional hunter of every small thing that should not go in his mouth like coins, marbles and small legos. Ezra also has a very laid back demeanor and quite a funny sense of humor. He is by far the happiest, most smiley baby I have ever had. His favorite game play peek-a-boo and he loves to be chased and has the fastest crawl I have ever seen. I can't wait to learn more about this little guy and see what purpose God has for his life.

A Family Tradition

When Elijah was a baby we began a wonderful tradition with Matt's family. Instead of doing a bunch of gifts at Christmas Matt's parents decided to put that money towards a beach house where we could all gather and spend a week of fun at the beach. Each family is responsible for cooking a meal for everyone, which is a fun way to contribute to the costs of a family vacation and also a great opportunity to share favorite recipes. The family has grown quite a bit since we first started this tradition. Seven years ago there were only 2 grandchildren and now there are 8! The kids have the best time living together for a week. They spend hours and hours playing on the beach and even in the freezing cold water! This year we did a few structured activities with the kids and they were a great success! We read gingerbread stories and let the kids make their own gingerbread people and decorate them. They loved doing this activity and their favorite part was eating the cookies, of course!. One day the kids decided they wanted to paint some seashells and try to sell them:) So we got out the paint and they painted a few seashells, but they mostly painted Ezra! He didn't seem to mind. One day Nana had a great idea come to her in the early morning hours one day to take seashells and string them on fishing line to make necklaces, bracelets, rings, belts etc. The kids had a lot of fun doing this activity and it gave them something to take home with them to remind them of the beach. Another day they created their own ocean scenes with crayons and sea creature foam stickers and we displayed them on the window. They were very proud of their art work. Aunt Erica came up with a really fun scavenger hunt for the kids to do. They had so much fun running all over the house looking for clues and finally found the prize: sea creature capsules that expand when you put them in water! They thought that was so much fun...it was really funny when some of the sea creatures turned out to be turkeys, elephants and pigs! Good old dollar store:) The rest of their time was spent digging for treasure in the sand, sticking their toes in the water and in some cases their whole bodies, and playing in their "house"...(a nice big closet is great for the imagination!).
I, of course, enjoyed my time with Matt- taking long, romantic walks on the beach (ha.) Oh wait, that didn't happen. But we did spend a lot of time making sand castles, digging holes, and burying little feet...which in my opinion is just as good:). I loved watching little Ezra scooting across the sand so fast like a little crab. I loved seeing my children laugh and squeal as they ran away from the waves. I love that no two seashells are the same. I love the beautiful beach sunsets and watching the repetitive motion and hearing the repetitive sounds of the waves. There are so many things to love.
It is so peaceful being at the beach under the great big sky, looking out over the vast ocean, and I just can't help thinking about what an awesome Creator we have. He is so big and we are so small, like the grains of sand. It is so easy, while on vacation, removed from stress and worry, surrounded by loved ones and God's awesome creation, to have the "feeling" of peace. However, I don't want a peaceful "feeling" that comes and goes like the tide. I want a peace that dwells deep within, one that will endure upon returning to the business of everyday life- even in the midst of the storms that are sure to come. It is so easy to lose sight of the bigness of God and get caught up in all the stuff that "has to get done" and somehow along the way get the crazy notion that I am the one in control. I want the everlasting peace of the blessed assurance that, indeed, God is in control. He guides my feet on the path, He knows the number of my days, makes the sun rise in the morning and set in the evening. I am so thankful for our vacation and the great big ocean made by our great big God that reminded me to slow down and be still; and I want to challenge myself as we come back home to make time to be still and seek peace every day.

Rejoice Always

"Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
- Thessalonians 5:16-18

I am always reading one of Sally Clarkson's books. I find the so encouraging and uplifting. Right now I am reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart and I want to share a passage from her book that really spoke to me.

"I am more convinced than ever that even in the midst of the mundane, burdensome, and oftentimes frustrating tasks of life allotted to me as a mother, God wants me to find his joy. He wants every single day of my life to be a celebration of his blessings, whether they are large or small. He wants me to celebrate life...the life He has given to me.
But what does it mean to "celebrate life"? Does it mean that I can let my house be a wreck so I can enjoy my children, or that I never have negative thoughts and attitudes, or that I never discipline my children? Does it mean that I simply overlook the myriad difficulties that inevitably spoil the best days, or that I ignore the burdens I carry as a stay-at-home mom, or that I close my eyes to intractable sins that won't go away?
Of course not! The joy filled life is not found by trying to diminish my God-given responsibilities as a woman, wife and mother, nor can I find joy merely by refusing to face the hard realities of life in a fallen world. There is a tension that God is asking me to acknowledge and accept- the tension between ideals and realities. True joy is found by living somewhere between the "ideal life" and "daily realities". That is where Messiah meets me, where the Holy Spirit empowers...
To "celebrate life" is simply a choice. Every day, God extends his hand to offer me the gift of another day to live. If I choose to accept it- to transform those minutes and hours into life lived for and with my Savior- I have the opportunity to see God at work, enjoy His presence, wonder at His creation, appreciate the expressions of His beauty and love, and touch the minds and hearts of my children with His reality. That's certainly what I desire, but it is a choice I have to make...
When you are thankful you are acknowledging God's sovereign control over all the circumstances of your life, whether good or bad."

Rejoice always;
Pray with out ceasing;
in everything give thanks.

In EVERYTHING give thanks. For that is God's will for our lives.
I must admit that this is not easy. On days when everything seems to be going wrong it is so much easier to grumble and complain. I think this is why we are to pray without ceasing; when we feel compelled to complain, let us turn our hearts to God and pray, to be still and hear His voice, to turn our burdens and worries over to Him. Slowing down and making time to pray in the middle of the day can also be a challenge, especially with lots of little ones running around... especially when you are trying to accomplish A, B, and C... but choosing to slow down and pray in the midst of a crazy day also provides us with the perfect opportunity to draw our children close and pray with them- to teach them to turn our frustrations, worries and complaints over to God and "lean not on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him" - Proverbs 3:5-6

Rejoice always;
Pray without ceasing;
In everything give thanks.

These are words that are meant to be put into action; and the reality is that these words are challenging...
but I am ready to live in the will of the Father... pursuing joy each day.

Q: How do you know when it's time to clean your gutters?

A: When you find a tomato plant growing in them!

Yes, it is true. This really happened and, believe me, there was plenty of fertile soil up there to grow an entire garden.:)

Giving Thanks

(to see larger slideshow click slide twice)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration in the mountains. I am so thankful that our family has managed to stay close even though my grandparents passed away long ago. It means so much to me that everyone is committed to keeping the family together. In the same breath I must say our gathering was bittersweet; it didn't quite feel complete without my cousin Dan and my NC mamaw who both passed away this past year. I surely missed Dan's sweet smile and easy-going spirit and Mamaw's warm hugs and our long talks... so my heart was aching a little. However, I continue to give thanks even through pain and sadness and remember that I have so much to be thankful for:
Walks in cool fall weather, toothy-grins from babies, laughter of children, delicious food to eat, holding Matt's hand, curling up to read a book in a warm living room, kids jumping in leaves, eyes to see beauty all around, a Messiah that is the true bread... and I just pray that I will continue to embrace each day with gratitude
and a thankful heart for all my many blessings.

Happy Birthday Caleb!

These are some of the many faces of Caleb.






I can't believe Caleb is already 4 years old and he is already looking forward to being 5! Isn't that the story of a little brother? Always trying to be big. It is Caleb's goal in life to be bigger than Matt; he talks about it almost everyday... and whatever you do, don't use his name and "little" in the same sentence. Caleb has always been a warrior, always trying to conquer the world around him and we just pray that as he grows God will direct his steps and use him in a mighty way.
A few facts about Caleb:
He loves Dr. Suess (mostly because Caleb,himself, loves words and rhymes)
He has a very tender side. Out of all the children he will notice and compliment me if I am wearing a pretty dress and he's the one that likes to play with my hair- sooooo sweet.
It would not surprise me if he becomes a vegetarian as an adult. He would love to live on veggies and fruit.
He loves to run and he's actually very good at it- he has quite good endurance for his age.
He loves to be tickled. Every night before he goes to sleep he asks for a kiss, a regular hug, a bear hug, and a tickle bear hug...in that exact order.
He loves water- the downside of this is that he has been my bathroom mischief kid. I have found wet toilet paper wads all over the bathroom, toilet paper rolls crammed down the sink drain, my mascara painted all over the bathtub and various other deeds and he ALWAYS comes out of the bathroom with wet hair...very suspicious.