Born to Worship

From the Baby Blessings poem book that Caleb brought home from preschool two weeks ago - what a great reminder that we were created to praise God!

Two little eyes to look to God,

Two little ears to hear His word,

Two little feet to walk His ways,

Two little lips to sing His praise,

Two little hands to do His will,

One little heart that loves Him still.

I praise You for I am wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

 More pictures and stories to come from this amazing week together...

 But for now - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Rub a Dub Dub, Three Little Men in a Tub!

 Ryan took a bath with his big brothers on Monday, February 13! Love these three little men in a tub!

Notice

I wore Caleb's new sweater on him to preschool the other day. His teacher usually asks that we wear play clothes that can get painted and messy, but I thought I'd change it up a bit. I told him over and over again how handsome he looked before school. When he got home, still loving his sweater, I asked him if anyone had noticed how nice he looked in his sweater. He said "YES!" I was surprised. I wondered if maybe his teacher said something, so I asked "Who?" His response? "YOU!" Haaaa... yes, indeed. :) :) :)

If you want to...

The other day Caleb said to me "Mommy, you can rock-a-bye me if you want to." IF I WANT TO? ABSOLUTELY!! ALWAYS!!!

My little 'Bluke is typically so busy and on the move that he rarely wants to snuggle and just rock. So, when his sweet little voice came up sounding a little unsure and begging for attention, I was so excited to be able to rock and hold him and love on him.

I thought about the story of Jesus when the man who was blind said "You can heal me if You are willing." Jesus said "I'm willing!" But I wonder if Jesus was thinking like me "You betcha - I thought you'd never ask! Let's do this!" :) :) :)

Happy 43-month birthday, Caleb Luke!

Caleb celebrated his 43-month birthday by christening our upstairs with his vomit. He started in the office and as he ran to the bathroom, he hit almost every room and the hallway in between. Most days I love being home, but I would have traded Shawn in a heartbeat that day! YUCK!

He hadn't eaten much the day before, and thankfully I didn't send him to school. So, he missed his teddy bear party. But, such is life. He took a morning and evening nap, and then he was back to his normal self. He begged to eat, and after he kept down water, I gave him applesauce and eventually crackers and I knew we were in the clear.

These pictures were from that afternoon when we built a dump truck together out of legos. He LOVED it! So did his big brother. :) :) :)

Lately I've been working with Caleb on how to hold his pencil. He's starting to get the gist of it. But, he still typically starts out with it the wrong way. And, we've also been working with Caleb to NOT hold something else, if you know what I mean. I've had several people asking me lately if my son has to go potty. And, I have to smile and then tell him to remove his hands from that area. That said, he tells me it's "scratchy" so I'm thinking that it could be his eczema bothering him ??? Part of me thinks that's how it started and now it's becoming habit. Ugh! Pray for him and for us in wisdom how to teach him. This is all new to me!

I recently found a little video of the boys from when Caleb was about 18 months old and singing. It is seriously the cutest thing, and Shawn & I giggled at his sweet little voice. It reminded me of how grown up he's gotten! He is so big, and his hair is so much thicker now. But, he still has the sweetest little voice. We think it's simply charming.

Caleb often squints one eye up and then will say "I TOLD YA!" This expression cracks us up, and we've found that we've been doing it more and more. I think Joshua started it, but Caleb is the one that repeats it over and over again.

My little buddy & I enjoy doing puzzle books together - he loves look & finds, mazes and stickers. He also enjoys tracing letters and all sorts of activities. He often wants to sit on my lap, and I think that comes from sharing his time with baby Ryan. I remind Caleb that no matter how old he gets, he will ALWAYS be my baby. Forever and ever! How I love these boys!

Caleb is SO stubborn and at times that can be infuriating, but he knows when we mean business - or at least he's learning. He then turns on the charm. He is SO stinkin' cute!

We love you, little Caleb Luke! Happy 43-month birthday!

Visitors

Recently in my Mothers Bible, I saw a little devotional that discussed the fact that the root word of hospitality is hospital. Both bring healing to a person. The author talked about how people may seem different than us, but everyone needs friends and a warm invitation (stemming from the passage where Jesus said "I was a stranger, and you invited me in" from Matthew 25:35). We talked in my Bible study recently about how we need to humble ourselves and be willing to share our house in its current condition (whether or not it's perfectly renovated, perfectly clean or perfectly done) and whatever food we know how to make (it can even be simple like sandwiches and cereal!) as we love on others and connect with friends.

So, I've tried to relax about having everything perfectly clean just for the purpose of having people over. I like to have a clean house, truly, so I do spend time putting things away after we're done playing with them. But, if I don't get to scrub every last corner before someone comes over, I'm trying to let that be okay. We had our friends Julie, Jude & Kate over and I didn't bother to sweep or mop before they came because I ran out of time. And I didn't make our beds either. I figured that it was what it was. And, she still accused me of having a perfectly clean house. So, I realize that it's all perception. We had a fun morning with them.

That weekend, Mamaw & Papaw arrived from Florida. They came over Saturday night, and we met them Sunday at Red Robin for lunch when their friends got sick and their plans changed. Then the boys & Shawn met the entire fam for dinner while I was at school on Monday night. We saw them again on Wednesday night when we went to the Lyndon diner after my hair appointment. They also came back to the house to play for a little before bed. Thursday, the entire family got together again to celebrate Carol's "speed limit" birthday and Jenavieve was also turning four that weekend. We asked a table next to us to snap a picture quickly before we left, and this is how it turned out.

Jenavieve blew out the candles on the cake, and it sprayed Mamaw who was sitting right across from her. I was trying to get a picture of them with the cake, but I think the one I got below was so much funnier! Haaa!!!

The boys are always excited to see Mamaw & Papaw from Florida, and we're thankful for the time they spend with us while they're here. They gave the boys little Valentine's and some new Cars Pez dispensers. Caleb LOVES Pez! Thanks!!!

We saw them Friday night before they headed back home early Saturday morning to celebrate Mamaw's birthday on Sunday. I had been hoping to get a picture of them with all three boys together and somehow missed it. Here's one with Ryan & Joshua but no Caleb Luke, who had been a fiesty little buddy that whole week. He & Grandpa Georgia pick and tease each other so much that I don't think he understands that it's not appropriate in all circumstances.

It was a busy first week of February! :) But, it was a nice way to start out our love month.

Happy 8-month, Ryan Josiah!

Ryan turned eight months old on Tuesday, February 7. He is growing big and strong!

On 2/2 he had two new teeth come in. One is his top right front tooth (on my left as I look at him) and rather than it being the adjacent front, the one next to it further right came down with it. His left ones are starting to show through his gums, but they haven't pushed through them yet. Poor little guy!

Ryan has had a miserable cold. I think he got over one just in time to catch another. This one is worse than the first, though, and I'm constantly suctioning his nose so he can breath to eat. He's also coughing and spitting up phlegm. Poor lil' man! The other night he was up a lot throughout the night just screaming away, which is so unlike him. I rocked him and as long as I was holding him, he was okay. I felt so bad for him. Thankfully we haven't had any other nights like that.

In general, though, Ryan is really easygoing. Shawn says how blessed we are that he is a really good baby. I would agree. There are days that I feel bad because I'm constantly putting him in the car seat to take his brothers to school and pick them up, then I'm putting him in his pack 'n play to play while I make lunch or dinner. I don't have as much time to spend just one-on-one with him. But, he seems okay with life most days. Even at restaurants we've been at recently, he sits and is generally good.

When Ryan was first born, I have to admit that I was a little put out by having to nurse round the clock. I felt bad for the other boys that my arms were never available for them as I was constantly holding or feeding my newborn. I truly struggled to maintain balance. But, now as Ryan is getting older, I find that I'm loving the fact that I have to nurse him four times a day. In the morning, at lunch time, just before dinner with the family and at night, I MUST take time to stop what I'm doing, put my feet up and cuddle with my baby. It's not selfishness on my part; it's actually for his well-being. These days, I've been laying down with him while he eats. So, for a solid ten minutes, I get to rest and cuddle while my baby gets nourished. I never understood women who said they enjoyed breastfeeding. For the longest time I hated it, honestly. But, I'm enjoying the intimate times I spend with just my baby and me. We get to sneak off somewhere, and I can pay attention to just him. No doing laundry, no cleaning, no cooking, just relaxing together and paying attention to his needs. Four times a day I must stop playing with the other kids, getting myself ready, and quit the busy pace of life to make sure my baby gets what he needs to grow strong. And, I am loving it. There are mornings I feel in a rush, there are evenings that I'm thinking about dinner, there are lunches where I'm missing eating myself because I need to feed him. But, it's all worth it. I'll miss it when it's gone, I know. At some point he won't need me anymore, and I won't be able to stop my hurried pace just to soak in his presence. This time is a gift from God.

I love that Ryan is growing. I love that he can do new things and is becoming his own little unique person. But, I know I shall miss this baby stage when it's gone. Since he's my last one, it makes me a little sad. I love the baby smiles. I love the chubby legs and toe jam. I love each and every finger and roll. I love the toothless grin and even the baby food that sometimes makes it into his hair. I am so thankful to be able to experience each moment with my kids. I am grateful for a husband who works hard to make that happen.

Ryan is doing so many new things each and every moment! He is getting into the crawling position now, and he rocks back and forth. He's also getting up onto his knees. He grabs EVERYTHING! The other day he picked up a piece of fuzz off the carpet and tried to put it in his mouth. He keeps me moving! He loves to explore. Shawn said he thinks he'll be crawling within the month. We'll see by the next post!

There is such a sweetness about Ryan. His little innocent smile. He's laughter at his brothers. His cuddling with his mama and dadda. :) He is truly special to us. Happy 8-month birthday, my little love!

Six More Weeks of Winter Crafts

I love all the crafts my kids do at preschool - well, most of them at least. Many of them are simple, and I think "why didn't I think to do that with them on my own?" We've decided to send Caleb to preschool only two days next year, so I'm keeping a little stash of ideas to do with him on the third day while his big brother is in kindergarten. Isn't this snowman made of paper plates adorable?

The boys love to paint with their feet. I remember Joshua walking into preschool one morning, and Mrs. Zimmerman said "please take off your shoes and socks." He looked at me in wonder - WHAT?!?! He giggled that they were painting with their feet. And here is his snowman craft.

 My favorite, though, was this groundhog craft. The kids decorated a paper cup - on one side, they were asked to draw what a groundhog shadow would look like. They explained that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter. On the other side of the cup, the children were asked to draw a picture of spring. If the groundhog didn't see his shadow, we'd have an early spring. Then, they poked a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, and inserted a straw with the groundhog they made taped to it. The groundhog was simple round shapes made from construction paper that they glued together. Then Joshua and his classmates could easily twist the groundhog to pop out and either see the side with more winter or early spring. He LOVED it! And he remembered what each side meant. :) :) :)

My parents grew up near Punxatawney, which is known for its famous groundhog Phil. This year, once again, he saw his shadow and went back into his hole for six more weeks of winter.

Le-go my LEGOS!

"

"Mamaw from her house" (what the boys call my Mom vs. their Mama from Florida) came over one day toward the end of January bearing treasures. She had a single-hole punch, which I had asked to borrow, a book of the Berenstein bears, which the boys love, a heart-shaped pancake mold (so excited to try it!) and a big starter Lego set for the boys. They were THRILLED! I explained that these are special to play with, and we'll keep them cleaned up when baby Ryan is playing with us. But, we can build and explore while he naps.

So, on Saturday, January 28, we opened them all up as the baby slept and started organizing all the various legos by color. Then we put each color into its own ziploc baggy. They're easier to find as we're building when they're organized, and it gives the boys a specific way to clean them up. This set is HUGE so there are lots of pieces (thanks, Mom!). We used the little book that came with it to build some things together.

First, we made Joshua's airplane. He didn't want to take it apart after we were done, so I let him keep it out. He'd hand me the pieces and we'd count dots together to build it. Fun!

I asked him to model it for us, and he was happy to do so!

Then, Caleb asked for the house. This is a 20-page instruction guide on how to put together this thing! But, that's what he wanted so that's what we did. He needed more help than the Bean (showing their age difference) and lost interest as I was finishing it, but he was SO excited when it was done. I loved the windows and doors and all the neat things that are part of this set. Caleb called it his gingerbread house and didn't want to take it apart either. But, as he was carrying it around the house, he tripped and the pieces went flying. That was a good excuse to put it away for another time to rebuild again.

They are enjoying the legos. Joshua said that he has a big boy set like his cousin Jordon. :) And, we've seen all sorts of things that you can add on to a good basic set as the boys get older. It definitely helps their critical thinking and reasoning as they build new structures and play with them. So far they've been good about cleaning them up when they're finished as well. Thanks for this generous gift, Mamaw!

DIY Snow Globes

On Wednesday, January 25, Mamaw & I went shopping to a couple different stores while the older boys were at preschool. I invited her to go along to ACMoore, and she brought a coupon with her (thanks, Mom!). I bought all sorts of things I needed to make some crafts with the boys. When I went to check out, I realized I had left my wallet in the car. Whoops! I was glad she was there to stay with the cart as I ran out to get it.

We left there and went to Giant where I needed some groceries to make some healthier meals. She asked me if I had my wallet as we got out of the car "yep, I have it!" Only when I went to check out, I DIDN'T! I ran out to the car in a panic while she once again stayed with Ryan. I was terrified it was gone. But, I found it where it must have fallen out of my pocket. Praise God it was there and in tact! I was so thankful for all the healthy food we had in our fridge after that trip. It's a lot easier to eat better if you have things on hand. :)

Then on Friday, January 27, the boys & I worked on a craft I saw in my Family Fun Magazine. We were making our own snow globes. When I saw the pictures and the description, I thought it was something we could easily do and my little Caleb Luke LOVES snow globes!

First, I saved Ryan's baby food jars as he was done eating them and washed them. Then, the night before we painted the lids with acrylic paint I had. While it was "non-washable" I think we should have had something specific for metal lids. It came off as we would screw the tops back on, which was a little annoying. But, I keep having to remind myself that kid crafts are not meant to be perfect but rather fun!

I let the boys fill their jars with water. The recipe said don't fill it the whole way, but I think we could have done ours a little more. Oh well. I helped them glue our items onto the jar lids. For two of them, we used little tiny animals we had been given with trees to make a scene. They bottoms of these animals were straight so they were easy to glue using the cement glue I bought at the store. It said to leave it sit for a couple hours, so the boys and I went for a walk and played while they were drying.

For the last one, I copied an idea from Pinterest in using the top of a 2" foam ball and twisting a pipe cleaner into a heart shape, wrapping it together and pushing the ends through the foam, then cutting off the excess and gluing the flat service to the lid. It worked okay, but I would have liked them to explain about what size heart. I will make a slightly smaller one next time round. But, again - not perfect but we're creating memories rather than artwork, right?

After the kids filled their jars with water, we added a few drops of glycerin (which I had picked up at the store). Then we measured out a teaspoon of white/silver glitter, which you can see Joshua doing in the above picture. We twisted the lids back on and shook them up. It worked! But, my baby jars weren't completely spill proof. Only one of them seemed to not leak. Not sure why? They are cute nonetheless.

A Warm Winter

While we may not live in a tropical location, it has been unbelievably warm this winter. We saw a news cast that said on average we've been ten degrees warmer every day than past years.We'll take it! I can't even count how many days we've gotten outside, taking walks and playing in the garage. It has been amazing!

On Wednesday, February 1, it even hit 60 degrees! We played out without our coats. The boys made a little chalk road to drive their cars. They also road their bikes up and down the sidewalk. And, of course, we go for a walk where they take turns riding in the stroller with Ryan and walking. Each time we walk, Joshua begs to hear more stories. While it's still been Jesus' birth that is his favorite recently, he has also switched to loving short stories while Jesus was here on earth. He loves the loaves and fishes - what a great reminder that God can take a little and turn it into a whole lot! How often we pray that same prayer!

Is there anything sweeter than a sleeping baby? While the older boys don't always nap, my little Ry-guy still needs consistent sleep, but praise God he's pretty easy going and will sleep as we walk.

As we play basketball, I realized that Joshua knows exactly what order the sounds are made by his net. I wasn't really paying attention, but he'd say "Let me get this one so it tells me I'll be on Sports Center!" "Mama, go ahead now and get the swisher!" Haaa!!! Love it. He's so funny, and so clever!

I love to watch the boys walk together and choose to hold hands. :) :) :) I'll let them walk ahead, but they know to stop at each mailbox and look at me to ask when to move on. That way I can gauge how safe it is for them to keep going and say "Yes, the next one" or "No, stay there" or if I'm nervous about something "Please walk back this way and hold onto the stroller with me." They do GREAT!

Thank You, God, for sunshine and a warm winter. While the Punxy Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, I'm okay with six more weeks of winter if it's warm like it has been. We have enjoyed it!

Feeling the Love :)

Monday, January 23, was the start of the new semester. That morning, I made cinnamon swirl pancakes (can't remember the exact name) using a recipe I found on Pinterest. Instead of just a simple swirl I made these XOXO patterns for the boys. I explained that that means hugs and kisses, because Joshua thought it was tic-tac-toe. Haaa!!!

They each ate one, but we all agreed that they were much too sweet. Daddy, on the other hand, loved them and ate the leftovers for dinner that night while I was at class.

Joshua brought home a sweet new book from the library that I absolutely loved. It was one that I think we should buy some time called "Froggy's First Kiss." We read the book so much, I think we all have it memorized. There was a new girl in Froggy's school that Froggy thought was pretty. She would give him goodies out of her lunch box and then one day she surprised him with a kiss. His belly felt all wiggly inside! He couldn't even eat his lunch. That afternoon while making valentines, he made just one that said "I love you." His friends all teased him (this was Joshua's favorite page). When he went home, "his heart was heavy - Was it love? Was it hunger? Was it his backpack full of valentines?" (I seriously cracked up at this page!) The next morning he served his mom breakfast in bed and gave her the "I love you" Valentine he had made. And she gave him LOTS of kisses - candy kisses.

Such sweetness! We read it over and over and over again throughout the week. The first night we had it, Joshua read it to me. With some help on the tougher words, he read most of it all by himself. I can tell as he reads if he has it memorized (for example, he read the teasing page in the exact voice I used for Froggy's friends teasing him) or the other pages as he's sounding out the words or short choppy voice as he reads small words. I love to hear him read!

When Shawn came home from work that night before I left for class, he gave me these beautiful roses. I was surprised and delighted. I don't deserve such beautiful gifts from my already-incredible husband! As we were driving together later that week, we discussed the price of flowers (particularly at Valentine's Day). I said that we have more important things to buy, I realize, like furniture for the boys' bedroom, etc. His comment to me was that while furniture does last longer than flowers, he's investing in a happy wife and a marriage that lasts a life time. A happy wife is priceless to him, and he's investing for the long-haul. Tears sprang to my eyes at the thoughtfulness of my husband. I'd love him with or without flowers, but being reminded of how much he loves me is truly a gift beyond just flowers. I absolutely adore him, and I'm glad that he's 'in it to win it!' :) :) :)

These surprise roses have lasted weeks. I've never seen them last so long! They have served as a reminder to me of my husband's dedication to our family. The next morning as I asked the boys to tell me what they're thankful for (a common practice at meal times in our household), Joshua said "I'm thankful for Mama's beautiful flowers." Me too, buddy, me too! I loved that this thoughtful gift made his day as well as mine. We worked on Joshua's preschool memory verse this past week, and with the flowers before us, we talked about what it means in Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." Love :) :) :)