More Sweetness

This morning when I woke up Ross put his arm around my neck and squeezed and said "I love you Mommy, we're friends". Then he commented on Daddy that "Daddy is on the boat a big ship" and that "Daddy takes me in water". He likes to talk about daddy taking him swimming.

Last night when I was putting Annalina and Gabriel to bed. Annalina said "I want to kiss Daddy" and then I think I heard her say quietly "I want daddy to hug and kiss me".

Gabriel said "He'll come home to naughty children, very naughty children." He didn't like that. He is sensitive to that though and that is good. I said "We'll work on that".  The kids have very strong spirits but balanced with a strong sensitivity to doing what is right. The fine tuning is in the process but we are all sinners and it will never completely be repaired but with God's help balanced to the side of control!! The kids have had unique stresses put on them the last few months and it has started to effect actions.

That is so Sweet!

Ross was sitting on my dad's lap at the table and my dad gave him a Christmas cookie. Ross said to him "Did you make this for me?" My dad said "Yes" and Ross said "That was so sweet of you!" and stood up on dad's lap and gave him a hug!!

I Don't Believe in Santa Claus . . .

My Dad and I and Gabriel and Annalina all went up to Reno today for my doctor's appt. After it was done we went to a mall up there which was fun since it was full of the bustle of Christmas shoppers. A friend of mine had a given me a gift card to See's Candies for $25 and that was fun to spend.[Out of context another friend of mine whose a FA18 and F16 pilot left me a $50 gift card for a spa treatment up in Reno!!! I couldn't believe it!! Wow!] Anyway, while in the long line at the store Annalina just started talking and talking to a man in line telling him about Pippi Lockstockings whom she was wishing the other day was real. All I can say is those 2 would be double trouble if she were real! Anyway, Grandpa told Annalina to tell the man what her daddy did and very matter of factly she said "He is on the USS Feodore Woosevelt and he tells the good guys how to bomb the bad guys." and the man replied "Wow". He got a kick out of her.

We left See's Candy store and one of the sales people that was working at one of those booths in the middle of the mall said something to Annalina about Santa Claus bringing her stuff for Christmas and Annalina looked at her and emphatically [not meanly] said "I don't believe in Santa Clause I believe in God" the lady was quite taken a back but handled it well. Then the lady said or asked about where she got her presents from then? Annalina said "We [or Mommy and Daddy] get them from Walmart". Then as we were walking away Annalina said "Wishes don't come true!" My dad and I were about in stitches. She wasn't joking around! She was serious! At dinner tonight Grandpa brought it back up and asked Annalina if she believed in Santa Clause and this time the answer was even more profound she said "I don't believe in Santa Clause I believe in God the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." Again, she wasn't joking around she was VERY serious. I am thrilled to see her passion for her God, may that continue throughout adulthood.

Gabriel was just a great kid today in all the places we went. He started reading a 10 chapter book when we left in the van to go to Reno and he read it going there and finished it in the waiting room of the doctor's office! He was discussing with Grandpa on the way up there different civilizations, etc. When we got home he started reading another book and my mom checked it and it was a 3rd grade reading level.

It was a nice day. Ross really enjoys being home with his Grandma Johnson. They are quite the friends which he has told her "you're my friend".

My hip has paid the price for all the walking around. You'd think I was 80 years old but pregnancy does that!!!!

Christmas Program

Today was our church's Christmas program. Gabriel was one of 2 narrators chosen and was QUITE a BIT younger than the other narrator. I was told later by the lady who picked him that when she approached Gabriel on it he didn't want to do it and was "no way" but by the next week he thought "he could do this!" She told him he was a good reader. It was quite a part for a first grader, with words like "salutations", my heart sunk to see this little boy next to the BIG boy to narrate the Christmas program it seemed like so much especially in front of just shy of 200 people! He did an amazing job. He was so clear and easy to understand with the correct inflection. He started to read once at the wrong spot and he had the microphone right up to his mouth and then we all heard "OH, OH" and he stopped. Mom, Dad, and I all started laughing it was incredibly cute and what made me so happy was how he didn't shrink back after that and melt he continued his part with the same enthusiasm! I was so proud of him.

 Unfortnantly, there were so many kids that Annalina was hidden amongst them but afterwords they took the kids back to do a craft and eat cookies during the sermon and they had a contest for quietness. There were 78 kids in the room and besides that she never wins prizes. She told me once very matter of factly "Other kids win the prizes for being quiet but I just keep being good". What a great attitude. Anyway, the leaders were to pick out 6 kids and I saw Annalina being just angelic and thought how sad it was that she never got anything like that (Gabriel does) and low and behold they picked her!! I was so happy for her. What a day.

Poor Ross had a rough time between staying up very late to pick up grandma and grandpa from the airport the night before and going to church which is very long. He melted.

Quote

From the movie Amazing Grace:
"Seems to me that when you have a bad taste in your mouth you spit it out not repeatedely swallow it."

Nehemiah Chapter 1

In college I had to write a paper of sorts on the principles gleaned in Nehemiah on being a manager or leader. We could not use any commentaries or helps we just had to read the book and glean it on our own. I dreaded the assignment at first but after I got into it I enjoyed it. I decided recently it would be a good time to go back over Nehemiah. With Babe being gone, now more than ever, I am a manager and leader and I feel I have some work to do on that!! I want to raise the kids as best I can.

Just in the first chapter I saw in vrs.2 and 4 that Nehemiah was tender toward others afflictions. Vrs.11 Nehemiah knows how to communicate with God and ask of Him.  Nehemiah asks for prosperity that day. We must know how to communicate with God, how to ask of Him, before we can appropriately communicate with and lead men/children.

At the beginning of the book of Nehemiah. There were notes on the book and it said that "This book affords many instances of individual faith acting on the written word (e.g. 1. 8,9; 13. 1). It is the principle of 2 Tim. 2. [ This out of the notes from The Scofield Study Bible] When I turned to 2 Tim. 2 I saw that I had claimed certain of these verses back in February of 1998 (vrs. 3, 4, 19-21, 24-25). There were things I needed to reminded of in those verses. I typed just a few of them out . . .

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

[The hardness of a deployment with no husband, 3 kids, school, a child on the way, etc. endure it as a soldier to the one who called me to it]

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life: that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

[so much to distract and get my eyes off my Saviour]

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

[This verse definitely reminds me of how to lead the children with gentle patiance and always ready to teach. Sometimes patiance is so hard to display!]

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

[This stung when I read it. It brought to mind a situation with a non-Christian (probably) where I did not use meekness. Lesson learned.]

Christmas through the eyes of a two year old

So here is Ross who has been learning about baby Jesus' birth, etc. the next morning we were at breakfast and Gabriel was praying for the food and thanked God for Jesus "dying on the cross for our sins" well, I didn't hear how the first part of the conversation developed but Ross commented to Gabriel about it eventually I heard Ross say "Jesus did NOT die!!" Ross was quite upset that Jesus now died after all the work up about his birth!!! Well, Gabriel and Annalina got upset that he would say that! I explained to them that Ross was so little and doesn't understand and that he is sad and we have to teach Ross about Jesus dying but also be sensitive to his age and what he understands. Gabriel said "we want him to grow up to know God" and I said yes. Ross is an interesting 2 year old.

Also, that morning we got on the conversation of heaven. And Annalina asked if there would be Christmas ornaments in heaven and I said No and Annalina asked how will we celebrate Christmas and I said that we might sing praises to God with the Angels. Ross said "Ross sing with angels too, black angels. I like black angels." Interesting.

The Christmas Story and Ross

A few nights ago I was reading the Christmas story to the kids for devotions and I could tell Ross was REALLY into it and when I got to the part where the 3 wise men say "Where is he that is born king of the Jews?" Ross spoke up and said "Jesus born in manger Bethlehem". I thought that was histerical he was going to tell them where baby Jesus was! Interesting, that he was answering a question that did not use the name Jesus it said King of the Jews! He puts things together amazingly well.

Tonight I was reading it again so that Ross would hear it. When I got to the part where the innkeeper said there was no room. Ross' face scrinched up like he was ready to cry and his lip pooched out and then he just started BALLING and it went on for awhile and he said "This is a BAD story!" I finially showed him that one innkeeper gave them a place to stay. His face and sentiment were so sweet. I wish I had it on video camera. Interesting, that part should bother him because 2 Sundays ago my pastor commented on that exact part and said the world never has room for Jesus.

Off the subject: We were at Walmart tonight and I saw jewelery for $5 and thought it would be neat if I could find a young looking necklace for Annalina to wear with her Christmas dress and I did find one a perfect one! It was silver looking and had 3 hearts one big heart then a small heart and then a medium heart. I told Annalina the big heart was daddys, the bottom (medium) heart was mine and the heart in the middle was hers. She JUST LOVED IT. She told me later she needed to keep it safe for daddy when he gets home and she thought she should wash it everyday. The washing everyday may not be good for a $5 piece of jewelry but I was thrilled that she enjoyed and treasured it so much. She is such a sweetie.

The Power of Kind Words . . .

Ross and I were sitting at the table late afternoon and he out of the blue said to me "I am happy with you." Ahhhh, those were nice words to receive. The kindness may have come from the fact that he was sipping on a chocolate milkshake from Jack in the Box but hey I'll take it!!! :-)

Just Gotta Love'm . . .

I have had an extremely rough week with the kids. I was so discouraged that I have spent so much time training them, teaching them, loving them, teaching them Bible truths and verses and it seems like the last few days they have learned little!! Babe sent me an email saying that God did not call us to results but faithfulness and that I needed to remain faithful to their training. I know they are tired and that they are sinners and are going to have rough times. I did make a new rule for myself this week . . . 2 nights in a row I got phone calls at the wrong time at night and the kids got put in bed late and without their bedtime routine which isn't right of me so the new rule is I don't answer the phone starting at 6:30pm so I don't get caught and don't answer until the kids are tucked in and settled. I really like it and it has created less stress. Anyway, tonight the kids were having so much fun and were so cute! They love each other so much and I am thankful for that. "Faithful is He who calleth us who also will do it."

Dear Heavenly Father . . .

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come tonight because my heart hurts so much. I long to be with the man you gave me to be my husband. I feel as if I almost can't go on. Father you know what we've been through to get me/us to the point of the deep and amazing love we have for each other. We have sought to honor you in our marriage and in the raising of our children. In the areas where we lack I pray you would help us. Brian is the love of my heart and I miss him more than ever. Father, I do pray that you would help him in his job to have wisdom and discernment in how he executes what is laid out for him but I also pray that somehow you could help us make it through this separation it seems longer than what is bearable. I want to have you push a fast forward button I'm tired and heart sick and my endurance is seeming to fail. I know fast forwarding is not an option but I also know you are "The God of all heaven and earth" and that you have all power. I ask you to please help Brian and myself and the kids to not jst make it but to live abundantly. Please help me and Brian and Gabriel and Annalina and Ross and Sprout. PLEASE hold us up.

Thank you for your many blessings and making your care so evident.

Thank you for giving me a husband that is easy to love.

Please help. In Jesus name Amen.

I fell asleep quickly and with such peace after this.

My Evening . . .

This actually happened to me a few nights ago but I want to record it. My night tonight was not far off of it as it is blogged below plus what i didn't write in there is about the toilet overflowing AGAIN, more Ross antics, ETC. Anyway these events took place December 4th.

*wiped up the Sprite Ross purposely dumped out of the glass

*cleaned up the pee from Gabriel trying to leave the toilet before he was done peeing (which is not a common problem with him)

*cleaned up Sonja's crate where she regurgitated something she had in her that shouldn't be there. It looked like cloth.

*picked up the lamp that had broken apart when Ross was gofing with it and then the lamp dropped shattering the bulb on the floor in the kitchen

*Ross split his lip open goofing around and bled which scared Annalina very much especially since . . .

*Annalina feels miserable and had a fever of over 101 degrees

*found the parts to the humidifier that Ross has decided he likes to dismantle

*did NOT get the hundred or hundreds of coins picked up that Ross somehow got out of Annalina's piggy bank. Now he can't sleep in there tonight because it is to dangerous if he put one in his mouth and i wasn't around to see it.

*I now have Ross laying next to me with his foot against me and his hand on my arm so he knows i am near as he goes to sleep. he has been a bit clingy since grandma and grandpa left and he doesn't understand why people keep leaving. Annalina told me the other day that she doesn't like dreaming that she is separated from me.

*Also, today i listened to my very sick sweet daughter say "I wish (I or we) could have Daddy all the time."

Breathe in, breath out.

"God is so good He's so good to Me."

Again, I have not been keeping up with my blogging which I don't like but I do hope to go back and fill in at least a portion. This past week has been CRAZY with 2 kids that got very sick, a van that was not working right and ended up in Reno and I paid over $700 and they didn't find the original problem, and a doctors appt up in Reno and top it off with all the antics of a 2 year old. It is truly amazing to me how everything can be going seemingly wrong and how God is so evident. I get stressed, tired, cranky and think why does there seem to be constant drama and yet on the other hand I see God's care in it all.

Today at church the pastor talked about how parents often consentrate on changing behaviour instead of changing their children heart and i thought that was a great point. I talked to the kids about it today. At dinner Annalina was having a really rough time eating which is unusual at dinner and she was really whinning. I finially told her she needed to leave the table and if she needed to go pray than to do it. She wanted to pray there where we were and as Gabriel and I continued to talk I could hear her praying. Her attitude change no more whinning and she did what I asked. I found out later on tonight why she may have been having a hard time.

Tonight at bedtime it was to late for reading devotions because I had talked to my brothers on the phone which I enjoyed doing. I decided to discuss again about what I had learned in church about changing hearts not actions and if our heart is right our actions will be (discussed that aspect of it earlier). Anyway, I talked about what each child struggled with and how we should be praying and then I named what I struggle with. Of course, when I named Ross' he parrots back what I say. Anyway, when we were done Gabriel said "What does Daddy need to work on?" I was impressed by the question because he understood that we all have areas to work on. I told him that if he asked Daddy that he would tell him and that Daddy was very sensitive to doing what God wants him too and will change if he needs to. Gabriel said something like "I do too (speaking of wanting to change if it is not right with God) I already knew this of Gabriel and said "I know Gabriel it is one of the things I appreciate about you." I felt it was a wonderful conversation no one felt beat up on because we were all sinners standing in the need of prayer! We also discussed ways that they would be helping me at the house and when i walked out of the room they came up with a plan for something for tomorrow for helping me I assume and I told them that I will look forward to seeing it tomorrow!

I read or should I say skimmed an article in Focus on the Family and it was speaking about kids Ross' age and how they need to be taught discernment and i thought that seemed like a BIG concept to teach a child that age. But Ross gets into so much and can at times reek havot. So I decided to give it a try. When he does something unwise I will say you need to pray and ask God for discernment that means to help you know if it is right or wrong and then i will ask him if what he did was right or wrong and he'll tell me wrong. Well, today he just started praying when i told him he needed to pray!!!! He needed my help through it but started it on his own. Amazing!

I put the kids to bed tonight and it just seemed to go real well after awhile GAbriel came in and said he had a bad stomach ache and a short time later I started hearing Annalina coughing and she again vomited in her bed (she did 2 nights ago too), then the toilet, and after a change of shirt and moving away from the toilet and after giving her medicine she vomited on my bed. AHHHHHHHHH! I saw that Gabriel had gotten up and started walking around and I was a bit annoid and asked him what he was doing. He quietly said he was "going to pray" ah, man what a response to the situation. He said to me "Why did she get this sick". Then sometime after praying he went and made her 2 papers one was a heart that said I love you the other was a picture of them playing legos together and he brought her a toy zebra (that is her favorite animal in the animal kingdom). After a long process of cleaning up i put them to bed again and she took the papers to bed with her. Oh, I also saw she took the ribbon necklace with a fake flower taped to it that Gabriel had made her earlier to day to bed with her too. They really love each other. Annalina is kind hearted to though at dinner there was only a small bit of brownie left and i was saving it for her and she said Ross can have half. So Ross ate half and she only got a SMALL bit.