Wednesday, October 14, 2009

All Things

One day he will see this picture...


and realize what he had on his ears...


and he will cringe.




And this little princess...


who is noble and obedient and wonderful, a precious vessel given to us by God,



just might be the most creative 5 year old around.



She's been doing "experiments" in the backyard.

Last Friday, MW, little man, and another friend flooded the dirt surrounding the swing set and created their very own "lake house." Complete with swings over the water. (Translation for your mental benefit...HUGE MUD PUDDLE all around the base of the swing set, children swinging on the swings and swooshing their feet through the mud puddle...even plastering mud in their hair!) And I did not get a single picture of it!



and OH...that little man!

Last week he went to "use" the bathroom. I heard a slapping sound coming from the bathroom. I went to check and little man greeted me at the door.


Do you know what that expression says?



T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

What, you might wonder, was going on?

Try this on for size. Little man told me he was worried the "potty won't flush wit all dat toilet paper in der."

So, like a helpful little boy, he reached his hands in...and fished it out. And threw it on the bathroom floor.

Problem solved. (Thank goodness all he pulled out was t.p.!)



This really doesn't do justice to the volume of toilet water on my floor.

Oh, did you catch him sucking his thumb?

I just about vomited.

The kid is going to have an incredible immune system.

And just so you know, later that afternoon he went to potty again. I was in the kitchen and he hollered to me to come turn the water off. I meandered in figuring he couldn't turn the sink off. Um, nope. The toilet was overflowing.

And the days are flying by!


And precious little MC.


What can I say about her?

She is so "go with the flow." She's rarely been fed without a sibling hollering or running through the room, usually stopping to "pet" her. She doesn't know what it's like to sit unbothered and she gets hundreds of kisses a day. Bath time usually means she has three faces staring down at her, with six hands plunged in the water, "washing" her. Her big sis often picks her clothes. Some battles just aren't worth fighting. Don't judge me based on what she's wearing. (This would include baby doll clothes.) She smiles a lot. She coos and coos. She is wonderful.


A good and perfect gift from God, they all are.


That would be a cappuccino foam mustache! (decaf)



Regarding my previous post on homeschooling...I'll return to that soon enough.

God has been at work in so many ways in my heart in the last week. While visiting Mama last weekend, her dear neighbor met me outside to hand over some coupons (hooray!!!) and talked with me for a bit.

She told me she was worried about how I am handling three little ones and a puppy. The long and the short of it is... she challenged me. Told me point blank that while anger and frustration are normal under these circumstances, I cannot stay there. She asked me, in the most kind and loving and humble way, what I was learning from this experience; what is God teaching me in all of this...and was I learning it? She asked me if I was seeking to serve T and to honor him.

I wish my answers could have all been, "oh yes, I am joyfully submitting to my husband and I am serving him and honoring him. When I want to complain and say wretched things to him, I bite my tongue and am controlled by the Holy Spirit." I wish I could have told her that "I am learning all kinds of truths and am growing spiritually by leaps and bounds." But alas, I could not tell her any of those things. I simply looked into her eyes, with a few tears in my own, and admitted I was not doing those things, and that she was right. And wise.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28

"All things" means great dane puppies.



8 comments:

  1. Love, love, love your blog-always inspires me! You are so open-the pic of the little one with the breastpump parts-classic! Must be framed for later! And your little baby girl-tooooo cute! She is such a chunky love muffin. Just want to smoosh her! How much does she weigh?? :D
    Blessings,
    Susannah

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  2. Such a lovely post...you tell it all so beautifully!

    Oh...don't I KNOW about little boys and what they can get up to!!!!!! I have THREE in a row and it has been a great adventure to say the least! :) So wonderful that you caught all those things in pics...you will cherish these days...you really will in a day long from now look back and wish to be back here! It is all too precious for words!
    Enjoy every minute of it!

    Take your time on the homeschool thinking...God is FAITHFUL and He will guide you and give you the answers you seek in HIS PERFECT time! One day at a time...moment by moment...WITH HIM!
    Blessings,
    Camille

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  3. I love your post! You just tell it like it is! I find myself there (by "there" I mean realizing how short of God's precious grace I've fallen) often...I think we all do.

    I love Little Man's "ear attachments" too. I have a friend with twin boys - on more than one occasion they've had to call the plumber out to fish multiple toys out of the potty (deep down in the potty)...and there have been goggles involved (little boy goggles that is).

    MC is getting more beautiful every day!! Oh what a precious little girl!

    I hope we're blessed with another - or 5 :) I get excited about it just reading your sweet blog (it also makes me tired just imagining how chaotic it can be) :)

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  4. Love the pic of little man and the pump parts!! Defanitly a pic to keep and show at his wedding ;) MC is sooo precious, I love her blue eyes! Its appears that MW loves to play in the mud...I don't blame her! I love reading about yalls adventures, what great memories, even if they don't appear that way in the beginning. Hope to see yall soon!!

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  5. I forgot to tell you - I LOVE that sink skirt!!! You just gave me a wonderful idea for my bathroom (now, who knows if I'll ever have time to follow-through). Did you make it? Please tell me no, that you didn't, infact have time to follow-through with such a beautiful project. It will make me feel better about my procrastination!

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  6. Loved the beautiful pictures of your precious family! You will have so many wonderful stories to show and tell your children. I am so glad that you are enjoying them. The funny times are the ones that you will remember!!!!!
    Thank you for sharing your time with the "dear neighbor". If our hearts are wanting to love, serve come under...... He is faithful to give those reminders to us by using a little neighbor. He will use your confession and honesty to make you more into His image. You helped the rest of us in your post to do the same. Being honest, with God today.....
    Bless you, Linda

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  7. J- What more can I say than to echo the comments already left! You are amazing and a women that I find causing me look into my own heart and model your behavior. Thanks for you honesty once again... it causes me to be thankful to God for a friend like you who understands! I am praying for you today ! Mel

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  8. your little man cracks me up! those pics are priceless!

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