The Girl......

Being a mama has been an immeasurable blessing, something that not even for one moment, will I ever take for granted.  I am passionate about certain aspects of my life....just to name a few....I am passionate about my faith in Christ, my love for my husband, and my role as a mama to my 4 little lovies. 

I know that I do not fulfill these roles even vaguely near to perfection....I understand that I am a major work in progress. Only by God's amazing grace can I grow to be more like Jesus. Having said that, being a mama is like wearing a little mirror around my neck all day long. 

Let me explain. Have you ever noticed how little ones are like sponges? They seem to take in everything ....and lots of the time, what they take in, you later see coming out. When I see one of my lovies having an issue with a character trait....for instance, being selfish or unkind, I immediately reflect in my mind, and question how I have been acting toward them.

Wow! God opens my eyes wider everyday, helping me to see my sin, especially when my lovies act as a mirror to it. I know God is using my lovies in playing a major role in my sanctification, (just a big word that means the journey a believer is traveling while being made more holy.....in the end God is changing us to be like Christ.)

Having a precious little daughter has been most convicting in helping me to realize the kind of woman God wants me to be. 

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to spend an evening with some friends, kind of a farewell get-together. Lauren was in the bathroom with me while I was getting ready. She was sad that her mama was leaving, tears were just streaming down her adorable chubby cheeks, and in between her sobs she kept saying, "I go too? Pweeeeease Mommy?" Talk about breaking my heart.

After I was able to get her to calm down...(I reminded her of the brownie she was allowed to have after dinner...why is it that chocolate can solve so many dilemmas??) Anywho, while I was putting on my makeup she stood there very still...just watching. She stood at my hip, her little hands were resting on the sink and she had her head leaning against them ..... I couldn't help but smile when I looked down at those big gorgeous blue eyes peering up at me. 

I picked up my eyeliner and carefully applied it while leaning in towards the mirror. I couldn't help but notice a plump little hand reach for the small brush I had just put down.  Lauren took the brush and gently swirled the soft bristles across her cheek exactly as she had seen me do it. 

It was one of those special moments for me. A moment I will never forget. Seeing this little girl...this precious little blessing imitating her mama. God spoke volumes in my heart that evening....standing right there in the bathroom with my two year old.

What an honor to be a mama to my daughter....and in the same breath...what an immense responsibility it is to be a mama to my daughter. 

God has called me to set an example for this little girl who is going to someday grow up into a woman, (no matter how hard her Daddy tries to keep that from happening!) What a humbling thought....as flawed as I am....God can still use me. My deepest prayer for my daughter is that she will be a woman of God, that she will love Him with her whole heart. I pray that God will bless her to grow up to marry an amazing godly man like her Daddy, and that someday she will be a mama herself.

But as for now....during this beautiful season of motherhood, I will embrace this role that God has blessed me with. And I will cling to Him for wisdom and guidance every day. Lauren will see me fail many times.....and she will also see me clinging to the One who will lift me up, witnessing God's powerful love that He lavishes upon His sons and daughters.

Life Lately.......

 Although our family has alot on our horizon, we are surprisingly just doing our thing....like we always do. Drawing with chalk on the driveway, riding bikes...and chasing bikes, going for walks, playing on the playgym, digging in the sandbox, laundry, catching snakes, reading books....oh and a little bit of packing in there too.

I am praising God that my nerves are not shot.....not at all. I know that we have a ton of stuff to get done, but Jared and I make a good team, and I hope we can keep one another from feeling overwhelmed as the big move approaches.

We've been sorting and organizing while we pack....which is something we have never done. When we would move in the past, we would throw stuff in boxes and that was it. This time, we wanted to do it right....and that we are. It feels so good to get rid of a bunch of "stuff."

Things seem to be moving along nicely with our home in Indiana. We are waiting on just a few small inspection issues that came up......nothing major thankfully. 

The kids are getting really excited. We watched the video of our house that Jared had taken while out there. It won't be long before we will be there....in person. That moment that we all walk through the front door is going to be really special.

We have about 3 wks. left here in New England....so hard to believe. It really is bittersweet. Remember when I posted that I was having one more girls night out with my friends....well, we had a great time.....but it was really sad .  However, we laughed....alot, as usual. I will be dedicating an entire post to saying goodbye to my sisters in Christ......one of the most difficult posts for me I'm sure. 

Nate is out on the driveway everyday drawing. I love to just sit and watch him.

The mountain and clouds looked especially pretty this day.....I am not going to lie.....I am really going to miss this view.....and all the surrounding beauty in the area. 

Our new home is in a neighborhood. Jared really liked the area, and thought it would be a great place for our family. I know that God is going to have us exactly where we are supposed to be. 

Lauren and Luke love watching Noah and Nate ride their bikes. Lauren is always calling out, "Be careful!"....wonder where she hears that from.....ahem. Oh and yes, she is wearing her jammies. It was getting to be later in the afternoon and I thought she was going to be in for the evening.....I should have known better. 

The energy these kids have is mind boggling.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't laugh at my Noah.....either something he says, or just acting goofy.

And these two little ones....well, they are happy to have one another I can assure you. 

Nate has really been into riding his bike this summer. Noah is such an inspiration to him, because he is out there cruising up and down the lane everyday.

Oh, and I know that this next photo is kind of blurry, but I couldn't resist posting it. These are the times that I call my oldest son, "Father Noah." I always tell him what a great Daddy he is going to be some day.  Lauren and Luke have 2 big brothers who love them so much.

 And here is another view of Luke....and that amazing little face of his.

While we were outside playing, "Daddy" came driving up the lane. Of course all of the kids go crazy and dart for his car.

I have never seen kids this excited to drive up to get the mail....they just love riding in their Daddy's car.

And I think their Daddy likes it when his lovies ride with him.

So this is life lately for us.....if you have been reading my blog for a while you would know that I am not a fan of change....but God is teaching me that sometimes change is good. This journey that God has us on has taught us as a family so much....and I have the feeling that we have only scratched the surface. 

The Littles....

 "The Littles" is the name that Jared and I have made up when we refer to the Lauren and Luke duo.  (When Luke was first born we called them "the babies"....but now they're too big to call them that....sniff.)

As the Lukester matures, the age gap between the two seems to be closing in.  They are only 15 mos. apart, so at this point they tend to be little buddies...... or shall I say partners in crime.

Lauren is definitely the mother hen....and I will say is usually the instigator. They do make the perfect match though, because Luke does like to be babied....well.....he is the baby. But when Lauren does something to get Luke going....look out...my sweet boy has got a set of lungs on him!

All in all, they love on each other tons and I can hardly take the sheer cuteness of it all. Their little hugs and kisses they give one another....not too many things sweeter than that!

The other day we were hanging out on the porch and they crawled up onto the chairs and were just sitting there looking at their mountain. Of course I couldn't pass up the moment and was able to steal a couple of shots.

I know that they will be to young to remember living here in New England....they won't remember this mountain that they have seen every day for the past year. But I hope to have captured memories for them to enjoy later in life.

 

 

 

Inspiration from a 7yr. old.....

I am a firm believer that inspiration is all around us....when I take the time to open my eyes, I am nothing less than amazed at the sights God places before me.

My oldest son Noah has this special way about him.....it is hard to describe, but I will try. This guy is a "thinker" (related to his father of course) And he says what is on his mind....whatever he is pondering he shares it with me.....and I love that about him.

He is a conversationalist in our home.....there is never a lack of words throughout the days and evenings. One facet of his thought sharing is when he is reading a book. I love it when he is interested and excited about what he is reading.

He could be wrapped up in a good story and say "Hey Mom, listen to this." Then he'll read a part to me from his book. Or he often starts a sentence with, "Did you know?...." Usually this occurs when he is reading a National Geographic Explorers book.....and usually I do not know before hand what he shares with me. I am always gaining insight on different subjects from Noah.

 A couple of weeks ago, I took these photos of him reading. I always try to be discreet and not too annoying with my camera. And as I was looking at him through my lens I became inspired. Here he was....completely engrossed in his book. I could see his enjoyment...I had to smile when he actually laughed out loud at a humorous part.

After he was done reading I told him that I needed to talk to him. As he approached me, I took his hand, and I said to him..."Noah, I just want you to know that you really inspire me." He gave me a sweet smile and asked..."What exactly does inspire mean?"

I told him that for me, I get inspired by people who are not only enjoying what they are doing, but that they are good at it and like to share it with others....and what ever it is that they are doing...it inspires me to want to do something similar. 

I had went on to explain that I had really missed reading,...just to sit down and enjoy a good book (and he knows how much his Mama loves to read.) And that I have been so busy spending every spare moment on the internet looking at houses, (thankfully that is all over now and we should be able to close on the house in Indiana in August.)

I told him that when I was watching him enjoy reading, it made me want to get away from the computer, pick up a good book and just read. I thanked him for his inspiration....and again he gave me a sweet smile. 

There  really are the simple things in life that make such a difference in my daily outlook.....I love it when God uses my children to open my eyes and then helping me to remember that what we do...no matter how small or simple it may be....could speak volumes in someone else's  life.

Just Some Random Thoughts....and Sweet Photos of Luke.....

Feel free to enjoy these sweet photos of Luke while I ramble off some random thoughts about life lately....although it is not in my nature of writing...I will try to be brief.

Well...Jared found a home for our family while on his house hunt in Indiana last week. We put in an offer and to our delight after only one counter offer the seller accepted. Lots of "Praise the Lord" was rolling off of our tongues.

Our next hurdle will be for the house to pass inspection....tomorrow! If all goes well, then our closing date and moving date will be August 4th....which means I have less than 6 wks. to pack and do all of the other craziness that comes along with moving. 

We had a great visit in PA....as always, and will be staying a short time with my folks while Jared ties up loose ends here...should be less than a week....but I hate being away from my hub....sigh. On a lighter note...he is super excited to start his new job, (more about that nerdiness later.)

 I am preparing myself to be a blubbering fool tomorrow evening....it will be my last get together with my girlies. My sisters in Christ who I love and will miss deeply. I am to bring my famous brownies.....someone will have to carry on my awesome brownie baking legacy after I am gone.  I am going to try to be all strong and cool...but I know it won't last...especially because I know there are a couple of other blubbering fools who will get me going.

Ok...about these photos....aren't they sweet? The Lukester was acting like such a big boy....I really think he thought he was helping me out by watering the flowers, (even though there wasn't a drop of water in it.) His big brothers make quite an impression, because that's what they love to do. Even Lauren has her own watering can.  Oh..and in case you were wondering what was up with Luke's hair....he just woke up from his nap and I have a bad habit of forgetting to brush the boys' hair if we're not going anywhere....and we were home bound today....so peaceful listening to the rain this afternoon....I love the rain.

So...I am really trying to enjoy my lovies each day...remembering that life really is precious...too precious for me to get all stressed with this upcoming move and all of the changes that go along with it.  We are staying close to the Word of God as a family and in prayer.... essentials in the life of this family.

Hopefully my next post will reveal the good news about our home in Indiana. That's all for now....peace and blessings.

Happy Father's Day to my husband......

I would love to spend some time and tell you how much I love you and what a wonderful father you are.....however, we are leaving to head back to NH is just a few minutes, (you are packing up the car as I type this.) So here are just a few words and lots of photos.

Let me just say that I hope our sons grow up to be godly men just like their Daddy....and that our little girl grows up to marry a loving man just like her Daddy.

Thank you for loving our children....for praying with and for them everyday....for being affectionate and loving everyday....and for reading them God's Word everyday.

We are so very blessed that you take the many roles God has given you very seriously.... that you love me, the mother of your children, the way God calls you to, that you adore your children and discipline them because you love them, that you are a strong spiritual leader of our household and most importantly that you love God and set such an amazing example for our children.


Happy Father's Day.......I Love You.