One week!

All of a sudden this afternoon, I realized that a week from today (a little later than right this moment), I will be picking Hannah up from her first day of preschool! I suddenly got a wave of sadness as I realized all that entails. So many of those parenting "letting go" moments really begin as kids enter school, and I am guessing each one is a little harder as we say good-bye to our children stepping through the preschool doors, getting on the school bus, entering junior high, riding in cars with other kids, graduating, going to college--ahhhh! Hannah's whole childhood is passing right in front of my eyes!
I guess that's why people always say "You blink, and your child is grown up!" Recently I heard that time seems to speed up after five. I already feel like the last four years have flown by, so I can only imagine what will come next.
This is one of those times where I have to stop and write down how I'm feeling (which is why I'm taking a moment to step away, even though Hannah is painting and Gemma is trying to climb in the laundry basket) because I know that someday I'm going to want to look back and read these posts & remember the joys of having young children. While there are frustrating, challenging days for sure, I want to think back on these early years with gratitude and fondness, knowing God's hand was firmly holding our days.
In one week, I will drop off my firstborn at preschool, and for those three hours, I won't get to hear every conversation, see her interaction with her peers & teacher, or watch her engage in the various activities so common in preschool. I will wonder how it's going, what she's learning, and if she likes it. When she gets home, I will be so excited to hear all about the day, and I know she will have lots to talk about. I pray that this can be the case no matter how old she gets or how long she has been in school. May our lines of communication always be open, no matter the time or distance!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

It's amazing how different your days can be as a mom to two young children! Yesterday was a tough one for me, and Hannah's behavior was all over the place. I ended up feeling very frustrated and was struggling to see a bright point in the day--besides the end of it! ;) I decided not to post anything specific about it yesterday because I figured I'd just be all emotional and negative. At any rate, I found myself at a loss for how to respond to all of the tantrums, sassy tones, disobedience and general lack of respect. It felt like no matter what I did, Hannah refused to obey! By the time Keith got home, we talked about some possible options and prayed together--probably the best thing to do!!
Today, although we didn't have any plans, we have had a great day already! The morning was spent hanging out at home, watching a little PBS, and I was able to do a bunch of much-needed e-mailing. After Gemma woke up (she's my late riser, most mornings finally making some noise around 9:30 or 10!) we decided to head out for some blackberry picking, which Hannah loves. (Just before that, Keith came by and brought me a drink from Starbucks! What a guy, huh? He even remembered that I'm staying away from dairy--another story--, so he got me a soy vanilla latte! I was so pleased, and I was beaming the whole morning because he takes such good care of me! :)
While picking our berries, Hannah did not get a single blackberry in her bucket, but boy did she have fun! Gemma was patient and willing to just sit in the stroller, provided we brought her a blackberry every so often. I snapped a picture on my phone, but I don't have a way to post it here--or if I do, I don't know how...Anyway, both girls enjoyed the outing and were covered in blackberry juice by the time we were done!
When we got home, we had lunch and then both girls went down for nap/quiet time. Now I'm sitting here on the computer, wondering how two days could be SO different. I'm actually trying to think of what to do while they're in their rooms, since I already did all my e-mailing this morning! (Don't tell anyone...I'm sure I could come up with some chores to do, but I just don't want to!)
Anyway, it's been a good day, and I just found out Keith will be home earlier than he expected, so it's going to end well too! :)
Thank you, Lord, for these days!

My Man

Last Friday, I got a text from my friend Lisa, encouraging me to read a daily devotional that we both get. I tend to read them if I'm grabbed by the first line or two, since I spend my morning quiet time going through my Experiencing God homework, but she said this one was worth my time, so I finally got to reading it this weekend. At the same time, I was finishing out a book series by Karen Kingsbury that deals with a lot of relationship issues & pitfalls, as well as the ways to combat those problem areas. I was extremely convicted and challenged by both sources, and it made me think God was trying to get my attention!
The subject was about lifting up & encouraging our husbands verbally so that they know we have confidence and trust in their leadership within our homes. As I read the book, I was reminded that while men are born to be leaders, it is really the wife's job to ENCOURAGE that leadership by speaking life & love into her husband's role. The author of the devotional (Tracie Miles) also mentioned this little tidbit that really got me shifting in my seat:

"Along the way I subconsciously created a measuring stick of expectations for whether my husband actually deserved my love and respect."

Wow, huh?! How often do my unrealistic expectations of Keith cause me to speak angry, frustrated, or sarcastic words that ultimately make him feel as if he's let me down? Instead, both authors suggested forgiving easily, speaking encouragement, and serving your spouse as just some of the ways to combat those initial selfish responses. I am really trying to pray through that each day so that when Keith gets home (and whenever I talk to--or even text--him throughout the day), God helps me tame my tongue and instead places compliments, praises, and TRUTH for Keith.

He's doing such a great thing by allowing me to stay home with our girls, and I need to remind him how much I appreciate him for that, and for everything else he does for me & our family!
I would encourage you to join me in this challenge, as I think the more women can re-claim the role spoken of in Proverbs 31, the better off our marriages, our families, and our communities will be!

A Gorgeous Day at the Lake!

Last weekend, we met up with my parents at Yale Lake in Cougar, WA for our annual (sometimes less than annual) water-skiing day. We love getting out on the boat, and since both Keith & I enjoy skiing, we take advantage of it when we can! The weather was GORGEOUS, with full sun & heat from the get-go. God certainly blessed us with a wonderful day, and we took every opportunity to jump in the lake, ski, and swim around with the girls. (The water was 70, which is almost unheard of for that lake! We've braved temps way closer to the 60 degree point!)
It was Gemma's first time on the boat, since we didn't get out last summer, and she seemed to enjoy it/be relaxed enough to be put to sleep:

At one point during the day, I noticed that she had fallen asleep with a chip still in her hand. I guess she was holding onto it for comfort, since she didn't actually eat it.

Hannah really had fun on the boat, and due to a little apprehension about safety (not sure where she gets that...), she obeyed the rules about sitting while the boat is moving and always keeping a life vest on! :) When Keith and I were skiing, she preferred to sit with her back to us because it made her nervous when we fell. It makes me wonder what the years will bring as far as her desire to get in and do the skiing herself.


Hannah did enjoy jumping into the water from the boat, and she was excited about being able to float on her back by herself since she's just been learning about that in swim lessons!


We spent a little bit of time on the shore, but not much--just long enough for the guys to take short naps and to attempt to put Gemma down for a longer nap in her porta-crib. That did not happen, but she was pretty happy all day in spite of only having a couple short naps while the boat was moving!
Hannah liked exploring the swimming hole and digging in the sand:


It was a great day, and I hope we can go out more next summer!

An evening at the river!

Keith surprised us all and got home at noon today, which was a blessing for me on a day where none of those "parenting methods" seemed to be helpful. :) Hannah was so excited to see Keith's truck that she started tearing up, about which she remarked: "Sometimes I cry when I'm happy!" She was awe-struck about that, but it is something she will definitely need to understand if she is going to be a woman in this family!
In addition to BOTH girls taking naps this afternoon (which I somehow can allow for Hannah when I know Keith will be home at night to field the stalling tactics...), Keith also tackled the huge task of digging/sawing up a maple tree in our front yard. The roots were starting to affect our water pipes, and he's been wanting to take it out for a while. After that, Keith came in and announced that we needed to go to the river. (Keith's favorite place to swim is any running/rushing fresh water!) Seeing as both girls were still sleeping, Keith did the obvious and took a nap himself. Once everyone was awake (and Mommy had plenty of time to do some reading & bible study prep), we headed down to the Washougal River. It was a nice evening for it, and although we ended up on the shady side, it was nice not to have to worry about sunscreen & sun hats! Both girls had fun and enjoyed the water & the fresh air. Keith and I both dunked ourselves a couple times, and generally we all felt good about the time there!


Hannah looks a bit mischievous here, but I think she's just enjoying the feeling of wet sand in her hands! :)


I love Gemma's expression in this picture--so excited and full of wonderment.

A Gift

Last Saturday, we had planned on going to the Fair with the girls, but after doing a budget review, we decided it might not be the best choice. I was pretty bummed about it, and as lame as that may sound, that's just how I felt. :) The Fair is a tradition in our family, and I have so many memories of going with my family as a child, with friends in high school, with my nannying charges, with Keith after we were newly married, and then with our own children. Just walking in brings back thoughts of animals, (how can it not, with the smells wafting around??) Dairy Wives milkshakes, Fair food, rides that make you excited and sick at the same time...but are still worth it, and of course, the commercial building (where you will have so many people vying for your attention that you have to make the excuse that you're headed straight for the bathroom.) This is why, on Friday night, I had some time with God to surrender my feelings of frustration and disappointment. No judging, people! We all have our "thing(s)." Anyway, after praying through things, I felt a lot of peace, knowing that God would provide my comfort & contentment.
Saturday morning we got up and started doing chores around the house (because what better way to replace a day of fun than with a day of chores?!) I was checking our accounts online to balance everything out, and I noticed something strange--the automatic deposit of Keith's Monday paycheck was already in our account! Logically, there was no reason for this--Monday was not a holiday, the payday didn't fall on a Sunday (and even if it had, the deposit would have come through on Friday.), and it is AUTOMATIC, so it couldn't have been user error! Our only explanation was that God was giving our family a gift--something that maybe wouldn't seem important or that big of a deal to others, but that was great news to us. We knew it was our "go-ahead" from the Lord, encouraging us even in activity like this. I found such joy in knowing that God cared about this for me, and that He enabled us to do it when we couldn't see any way to go on our own. God is so amazing! I love that He loves us so much that He cares about the details!
The Fair was wonderful, with all of the aforementioned activities. Hannah was super excited when we told her we were going to the fair, and we took the bus as we'd done in years past.


Hannah and I went on one ride together, which she thoroughly enjoyed, giggling hysterically the entire time. I giggled for about the first 5 times around, and then I started feeling...the nausea. Fortunately, those rides do not last long, so after 5 or 6 more times around, the ride was over and I wobbled & swayed to the exit. Here's one of the more fun points:


The girls both seemed to enjoy the animals the best, as they each talked to, pointed at, and touched most of them. Gemma walked a fair amount, too, which was different than last year when she rode in the Moby and slept the majority of the time! :)

This goat was particularly friendly, jumping up on the gate every time a new person came to visit. (Not sure what I'm doing with my mouth there--probably trying to imitate how goats chew, which I find fascinating. :)) Also, note Gemma's overalls--I may have prompted that...

Here's Hannah trying to let the goats out. (Seriously--they should have locks on those; I was picturing a goat stampede...)

Note the boots--those were Hannah's choice, with NO prompting from me. How did she know those would fit right in?!

The best picture came during lunch time, when Keith decided on something special for him & the girls to share:

That is a whole turkey leg, slow-roasted in hickory. It was SO good, and other than a few bites that I took, Keith and the girls finished it off to the bone. I bet that thing weighed at least a pound! You should have seen some of the looks Hannah got when she was chowing down (especially before Keith was sitting next to her and was obviously sharing.)

While waiting for Keith to get back from the Dairy Wives counter, we found this bouncy house in the kid's area. Again, this was one of the highlights for Hannah--and us--as it was free and she could go in as many times as she wanted!


All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon at the Fair, and both girls slept VERY hard that night. It was great to see the joy on their faces as they experienced another great year! Until next year...

A confession

Yesterday morning during my "Experiencing God" study, I was convicted in a big way! In my previous posts about child-rearing and learning how to raise Hannah & Gemma, I realized that I was talking a lot about MY experiences, MY struggles, MY triumphs, when in actuality, those are GOD'S! The advantage of following the one true Lord is that He bears the burdens for us...as soon as we surrender them. In retrospect of the last week or two, I see that only in letting go of Hannah & Gemma and asking for Holy Spirit wisdom to come upon me as I parent, do I end each day feeling fulfilled and positive. (Now, lest you think I'm a Pollyana parent, and that every day is happy & joyful, regardless of the behavior from my children, let me stop you right there! There are certainly days where I am on the verge of tears for a great deal of it, and things just don't seem to be working out--yesterday had some of those moments, in fact. But at the end of the day, if I can go to bed knowing God had His way in our home and He ultimately wins, I have peace! And that is something no parenting book--besides the Bible--can give you.)
I'll quote the passage from Experiencing God that got me feeling all "shifty."

"If you are obedient, God will accomplish wonderful things through you. You will need to be careful that any testimony about what God has done gives glory only to Him. Pride may cause you to want to recount your EXPERIENCE because it makes you feel special. You will want to declare the wonderful deeds of the Lord, but you must avoid any sense of pride. Therefore, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:31)."
(Emphasis mine.)

I think this is a very easy mistake to make--as I said; I did it, even while crediting the Lord with His power and ability! The thing is, God allows these struggles so that we have no choice but to lean on Him and watch Him work through us to accomplish mighty works. That way, when God does something huge--in our finances, in our children, in our testimony--He gets the glory, not us!