The Story of Jonah...

This little girl has the cutest lisp ever! The link is almost 8 minutes long, but it is SOOOOO cute!!!

30 Things...

I was "tagged" and asked to list 30 interesting and random facts about myself. I was going to ignore it (as usual), but then I wondered how hard it would be to do. So here are 30 useless, random and possibly interesting facts about me...

1. If you ask me who the sexiest man on the planet is I will say Chris and actually mean it.

2. I have never regretted getting married young. It has been a privilege and honor to watch my husband grow from a boy into an incredible Godly man.

3. Chris and I almost separated 4+ years ago. I was blessed with a wonderful friend who was going through similar (but very different) experiences and we spent many hours crying, praying and teaching one another. I now use my own testimony as an example of why we need to keep counseling within the church body.

4. My children's names are Micah Christopher (Micah Roo), Isaac David (Zacky Boo) and Abigail Joanna (Abby Anna). We chose their first names because of their meanings (Micah-One who is like Christ. Isaac-He who laughs. Abigail-Her fathers delight.). Their middle names are family names (Chris, mine and my fathers).

5. If Micah had been a girl he would have been named Elisabeth Leanne. Isaac would have been Elisabeth Madeline. Our boy name for Abby was Josiah Edwin up until 5 minutes before the delivery when I burst into tears and told Chris I really wanted Seth Edwin. Luckily she was girl.

6. Today I made four pans of chicken enchiladas and four pans of brownies, only one of which will be eaten by my own family. I selfishly enjoy blessing people with meals because it is convenient.

7. I have subscriptions to Cosmo, Family Fun and Cooking Light. The only one I read religiously is Cosmo.

8. My husband and I went through a lot of fertility problems the result of which was 10 miscarriages and 3 beautiful children.

9. The hardest part about sending the boys to school this year is just the fact that I miss having them around.

10. The best part about sending my boys to school this year has been watching their teachers blow every misconception anyone has about the public school system out of the water. They are both amazing and have been a HUGE blessing to my boys and I this year.

11. If I tell you I'm praying for you (or something) I am and I will be until I hear its time to praise God for His answer. And if you don't update me I will eventually get around to asking you about it, even if it is months/years from now.

12. I sin. A lot. Which is probably why I read so many books/articles/scripture about God's grace. Because I would have given up on me a long time ago. But God doesn't. Isn't that the most awesome thing you have ever heard?!?!?!

13. I like to cook, but hate baking. Plus, I pretty much stink at it. When we were first married I asked Chris to pick one thing for me to learn to bake and promised to learn how to bake whatever he chose until I had it as close to perfect as possible. I make killer pumpkin pie, which my husband gets every birthday and holiday and whenever I accidentally dent the car.

14. I have struggled with bulimia since I was 14. I spent most of my high school career binging and purging and still struggle daily with obsessive behaviors concerning my weight. While I honestly believe God could heal me from this disease, I also honestly believe that He uses it as a way to keep my reliance fully on Him and Him alone and I am blessed and humbled by the fact that He trusts me with so much.

15. I believe that two of the most powerful words in the Bible are "Jesus wept." because they remind us that when Jesus was fully man He experienced all the emotions we have been blessed with including fear, sorrow and pain. Negative emotions are not sinful; our responses to them are. Which is why after Jesus wept He turned to the Father for comfort and renewal.

16. I prefer most cakes without frosting, but most brownies with.

17. I think Spongebob Squarepants is stupid, but I don't think it makes my kids stupid so I don't really mind that they enjoy it. But I didn't let them watch Teletubbies because I believe that show actually kills braincells.

18. At one point in my life I prayed fervently for a friend. Just one friend. God answered my prayer with Hobbitsister. Through her God taught me how to be a good friend to others and now there are more people I would consider friends in my actual life than on my facebook page. And I still don't think she truly understands how much her friendship has blessed me, nor how often I praise God for His choice in friends.

19. I have learned that true contentment is not desiring LESS, but being happy with exactly where God put me. And I love my five-bedroom house and the lessons God taught me through the entire home buying process.

20. Sometimes I wonder if Christians who spend a good deal of their time complaining about Obama realize how difficult that makes it for me to witness to non-believers who voted for him. While I don't think that we should separate our religion and our politics, I frequently wonder where the respect for authority that God called us to comes in. Also, I wonder what some people will say when they get to heaven and discover that their are democrats there.

21. I didn't vote for Obama, but I also wouldn't vote for Sarah Palin.

22. I heart peanut-butter, but only the chunky kind. Peanut-butter without chunks of peanuts is like orange juice with no pulp--wrong.

23. I really wanted Abby to be a boy, but am so very thankful that God knew better. Abby is exactly what this family needed.

24. I like to jog because it gives me time to think. I go jogging almost every night.

25. I have 2 older sisters, one younger brother, two brother-in-laws, two sister-in-laws, 8 nephews and 2 nieces.

26. My oldest son will be taking the testing for the Extended Learning Program at his school and I'm not sure how I feel about that, however I left the final decision with him since he will be doing the work.

27. I am thankful that my children are quick learners because I struggled so much in school.

28. My biggest pet-peeve is when I tell my children to go play and they whine at me. Its not like I just told them to go pick up dog poop.

29. I sincerely love all of your children and when you tell me stories about them I remember them and share them with others because everyone needs a good laugh now and then.

30. I enjoy reading entertainment and celebrity news online, but don't watch television and get easily bored at movies.

Okay, that was HARD! But it was also kind of interesting to do. If you want to do it, I would love to read it.

Catch Phrase...

My parents are visiting and we all decided to play the game Catch Phrase. (In case you haven't played its a lot like Taboo.) The boys are excellent guessers...

Me: Its what you smoke when you aren't smoking a cigarette.
Z: Drugs!


Me: When people are in jail they are called...
M: Democrats!

(The actual answers were cigar and convicts, just in case you were wondering...)

I Should Have Known...

M: I love lemon heads so much!
Me (teasingly): Then why don't you marry them?
M (totally serious): Because lemon head is a boy.

Don't Have A Cow...

Today the boys were discussing how to milk a cow so I pulled up a video on youtube and we learned how to milk a cow. Z's response was interesting...

Z: Wait, they just squeeze it out?
Me: Pretty much.
Z: That is so disgusting!
Me: What? The udders?
Z: No, I knew about the udders, but they touch them?
Me: Yes, that's how they get the milk out.
Z: But I thought it would be less yucky.
Me: How?
Z: I thought they just cut the milk out.

Yeah, that would be a lot less yucky...

Drugs Are Not Cool...

This is D.A.R.E. week at the kids school, so Z has been running around chanting, "drugs are not cool!". I'm thinking maybe the program may need some changes, though...

Me: Z, do you know what drugs are?
Z: Not cool!
Me: Yes, drugs are not cool, but what are drugs?
Z: Bad things?
Me: What kind of "bad things"?
Z: I don't know. But I am totally turning my back on them!

Sigh...

Loaded Questions...

We are out running errands when out of the blue...

Chris: How do you feel about insurance fraud?
Me (confused): Its bad, I guess.
Chris: Oh. Okay. Never mind then.

Best Compliment Ever...

AJ was flirting with an elderly man who quickly called his wife over to see her...

"Honey, come look at this baby girl. She has Bette Davis eyes!"

Love it!

My Current Prayer...

Dear Lord, Please help me remember that I am not a martyr, I am a wife and a mother and I am thankful that you have given me such a high calling. Amen.

Maybe its just me, but sometimes I put myself up on a pedestal created of dishes, laundry and toys. I start to think that this entire house would fall apart without me, especially since I haven't built it all that securely. AJ has been very humbling for me. I'd forgotten what its like to have something so helpless and demanding taking up so much of my precious time. I am constantly behind, drowning in housework and struggling to keep my head above water and a smile on my face. I worried when the boys went to school this year that I would have more time and yet still be unable to keep up. Is that what happened? No...and yes... See, I'd also forgotten that as infants become more mobile and more independent they also become more demanding. No longer do I have the luxury of 3 hour naps and if AJ is in that grocery cart for more than an hour forget leaving the store without people staring and pointing. The boys need lunches packed, clean clothes to wear and a ride to school. They are going to need to be picked up from school and we will be talking about their day and doing their homework until its time to make dinner. After dinner there is choir, scouts and soccer practice. AJ needs her milk and blankie, Z needs a story and a cuddle and M wants to read just one more chapter. Bedtime comes and the house is a mess, but I haven't had a chance to exercise or hear about Chris's day. So where does that leave me? Well, here. Here in my home where God has called me. And He reminds me constantly that here is not only a place, but a time as well. Here is now. And now AJ is one, Z is five and M is nine. That won't always be the case, as I know all too well. I know in my heart that this time is precious. And since Jesus has my heart, Satan strikes at my head. Because in my heart I know that my priorities are right, but in my head I am losing at this stay-at-home mom thing. My head demands perfection, my heart accepts grace. My head tells me that I am my family's foundation, my heart tells me that that is God's job. In my head I am a martyr, but in my heart I am a wife and mother. And so I pray. A lot. I remind myself to take those thoughts captive and replace them with truth. God's truth.

Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in silence. When I said my foot slipeth; thy loving kindness, oh Jehovah, held me up. In the multitude of thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul. Psalm 94:17-19

Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

You shall teach them diligently to your sons. And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way. And when you rise up and when you lie down. Deuteronomy 6:7

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is one great worth in God's eyes. 1 Peter 3:3a-4

Yep, that's better...

Who's Crazy???...

Me: This, my dearest AJ, is a fruit by the foot. They are better than fruit roll ups because they are 3 feet long, but thinner. Plus, you can buy a gigantic box of them at Costco. I hope you enjoy that tiny bite I shared with you, because they are mine and I don't usually share them. But you are a special case and I love you. But no more!

M (to Z): When did our mom go insane?

Z (to M): She's been like that for as long as I've known her.