The Stuff Memories Are Made Of

There are things that are normal in our home that are abnormal for most. It is one of the sweet things about families.  Each is unique.

It is the stuff memories are made of.

Common events in our home: worship and preaching. It is not from the one spends his weekdays in a church office or the Momma who spends her days lovin' Jesus. It is from our offsprings. 

On a daily basis, my oldest two 'lead worship.'  Noah's room is equipped with a stage, two acoustic guitars, one electric guitar, one drum set, a bongo drum, and a microphone with a sound system.  I know I have said it before, but my boy is a music lover.  And I beleive with everything inside of me that he is Supernaturally gifted especially musically.  His younger sister has followed suit and I believe one day she will be the sweet harmony to his songs.  Trust me, Jesus has used their songs to minister to me on many, many occasions.  Frustration and anger are a bit harder to come by when I hear these voices in unison. 

Back to our family being abnormal. 

One evening over a month ago, our day concluded like this:

Noah introduced our worship leaders for the night...

Then Daddy and Kayter-bug lead us in a worship set...

While Noah, Emmy, and I worshiped with them in the audience...

Ending with Noah preaching...

(When he preaches he always refers to Jesus as The Lord, Jesus Christ. Very formal. ;)

I am not sure how well you can hear this, but it's pretty cute.  Brad didn't catch the beginning of it, which was super entertaining and very true.  Noah was telling "how The Lord, Jesus Christ came to Earth.  He came to Earth and he died and three days later he rose to heaven.  How did he get to heaven anyway? I'm not really sure.  I don't even know how that happened. But it did! It did happen. The Lord, Jesus Christ did go up to heaven. I'm very sure about that!" 

What I love about this particular video and the thing that makes it one to commit to memory is that he ends with the age old question... WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM?  

Something on every child's mind, right?

Did you hear Kayt in the background asking about praying? Funny girl.  Don't mind the text that came through on Brad's phone, the all encompassing iPhone. :)

There you have it. 

A normal night in our home. 

Nothing produced here, nothing made up, this is just how we live.  

I pulled the pictures and video off of our computer just to prove... we are abnormal & unique!

This is what our memories are made of!

Something Fierce

Guess who is as cute as can be?

Emmy girl is five months old.

Her giggles are easy to rouse.

Her smiles, even easier.

She is trying to sit up. 

She is such a content, sweet natured beauty.

She isn't digging any foods, but I am hoping that changes soon.

She sleeps twelve plus hours per night.

She naps three times during the day.

Her favorite past time is sucking her toes.

She is a trickster with the pacifier. She pulls it out, puts it in, and spins it while in her mouth. 

She is most content when our house is loud.

She is a undeniably a Momma's girl, but reserves sweet cuddles for Daddy.

This is the sweetest baby. 

And she is mine to care for.

~I love her something fierce.~

Before/After Part III

Want to see more pictures of our home remodel?

Okay.

I did not finish showing you the house, I just got side tracked. 

The bedrooms had green carpet. 

Like this...

*big grimace*

 And looked something like this after all of the drapes were removed. 

They eventually looked like this

Now one of them looks like this

And our bedroom looks like this

There are soon to be changes in our bedroom.  

Do you see the broken piece on our footboard?

It was what my children referred to as 'the step.'

Well, the step eventually gave way to the stepper.

It just needs to be nailed back on, but I have postponed that due to inclinations of future stepping. 

This is the only picture on my computer of Noah's room. I am sure that he was napping when I took the other pictures.  I know you can't really see anything so I will take another.  Someday.

  

Kayt's room is about to get a big girl overhaul. 

It will include the armoire pictured above in our room.
Ah......
I cannot wait to show you after pictures of her room.
Because after pictures mean the work is finished.
I like finished work!

Changes Birthed

I am not the same person that I was years ago, even just a few short years ago.  I am a different person.  Aside from Jesus doing radical transformations inside of me, I have three little people and one dark haired guy to thank.

I had a color coordinated closet and was not even satisfied with the second highest grade.  I laid my clothes out the night before and I had my jewelry organized.

I was a perfectionist by nature. My first-born tendencies encouraged me to be a leader and to take initiative.

Somewhere after the birth of my oldest and the latest diaper of my youngest, I have become a changed woman.

My color coordinated  closet is now a place that I am thankful to have laundry free and all the articles hanging up.

My drive to achieve the best has been traded for the simple things in life and a love for the ordinary, mundane and beautiful.

My initiative to lay out clothing, plan for each day, need to have a schedule and enjoyment of planning my weeks out has turned into a basic layout: breakfast comes first, lunch is in the middle and dinner is the finale.  Naps come in between and I give myself one task per day.  Literally.  It is all about setting one's self up for success, right?

My jewelry is in one drawer, in a tangled mess. And some of it is in Kayt's room and is now considered princess accessories.

I am less likely to place myself in any leadership role because I don't know who may come down with a sickness, what type of shape my house will be in or who may be long overdue for a nap at any given time.

I am more uncomfortable in group settings and I enjoy reserving my time for my four favorite people.  I am less of a people pleaser and more concerned about allowing my actions to be in response to what Jesus has given me and done for me.  I am slower to judge or criticize because I know how deeply I desire not to have judgement or criticism attached to me by others.

The most reassuring thing is that none of me is lost.  I have learned to lay down some of the things inside of me that stifled the work of the Holy Spirit.  I am a person who keeps most things personal.  Being an "open book" takes conscious intent.  I am learning who I was really created to be, at least in this stage of life.  And I am enjoying it deeply.

Isn't it lovely how giving life to people can change you to the core? Even without being intentional about opening my heart to the ways Jesus wants to change me, he chooses his little ones to open it up and usher in sweet changes.

It never hurts to ask questions

Why am I doing this? 

What is the point? 

Does it take away from something else?

Is that something else more meaningful?

Who is getting glory?

...this is what I have been asking myself. What do you ask yourself on an ongoing basis?

The Weekend 10 (with pictures thrown in)

1.  Celebrated five great years of marriage to this cute dude. We had a fun date night at a steak house on Thursday evening and then he took me to pick up my Anniversary/ Mother's Day surprise...

2. And this is what I got....

 a new MacBook.

Gotta love those technology lovin' guys!








3. Cleaned on Friday. all day. and you would never even know it. ah well. at least I know it.

4. Dinner with friends. Thank you, Jesus for good friends that can come over at a moments notice to share a meal. Oh, and plan a vacation.

5. ~~F.A.M.I.L.Y~~
We had a lot of family in town to share in....












6. Baby Dedication for our cute Emery Claire!

 

7. Celebrated Mother's Day.
We gave our Moms these pots filled with flowers that Sarah and I made with the kid's handprints and footprints.  That was quite an undertaking. Good thing I had Sarah...









8. Brad was gone Sunday evening and our older two were sleeping by 7:30 so I spent a lovely evening filling in baby books and reminiscing followed by a great, lengthy time with Jesus.  Nothing like baby books and Jesus to make a heart overflow with joy and thankfulness!

9. Geared up for my big boy's first T-ball practice.

10. And went to bed early on Sunday night!

F-Bombs, Four-Year-Old Style

Firefighter Noah turned four a few weeks ago.  We fanned the flames of fun at fire station number nine.  Family and friends joined the festivities as we learned out about super fast fire trucks and heroic fire men.  Jr. Firefighters even got a turn at the fascination as they flung the hose and flailed through the truck.  A big fire sized thank you to the fans who helped extinguish the fun! Thus far, firefighter Noah thinks that four is fantastically fabulous!!!

Enjoys the fotos...