Good Things From the Last Weeks

1. I found out my church is making a nursery for "my babies"as it was put! They have already started and Jedidiah so much enjoyed what was done this past Sunday! They've gotten a rocking chair and foot stool, crib/changing area, and toys!! Pastor grabbed up Jedidiah this past Sunday and held him as he greeted everyone on their way out. Jedidiah was quite content!

2. Gabriel had what we thought was the start of care for scoliosis (diagnosed by another doctor) with an orthepedic children's doctor. We found out he is "the picture of health" as the doctor called him and that he does NOT have scoliosis and filled us in on some really important other things! Praise the Lord!

3. Babe and Gabriel hiked for 8 hours this past Saturday for Pikes Peak Summit on the Bar Trail. Gabriel was disappointed they didn't make it but I am sure he will next time. People were asking how old Gabriel was and he got the comment that he was "a tough kid". During this outing Babe figured out something wasn't quite right with himself and he has had one doctor's appt. and waiting for another to confirm things. Probably be having surgery soon. He sees a surgeon on the 18th. Seems like a weird praise but the hike brought things to light for him and it is something that he wants done soon since the girls will be arriving and we need his lifting strength if I end up with a C-section! More on that later if it comes about.

4. Thunderstorms have started. I LOVE thunderstorms!!!

5. Gabriel had training at the Ranch. He got to chink the cabin or fill in chinks in the cabin with ash, sand, straw, etc. He was told to kick the woodpile before he touched it! There are rattle snakes and snakes have been seen around the wood pile. He got to show a group of kids how to use the corn husker as did other trainees. The man and lady that are supervisors and kind of act like "parents" seemed very kind. The man made the kids that were there for training pancakes and bacon out on the homestead fire for something special! The bacon was from one of last years pigs.

6. My baby shower at church was so special. I was definitely showered with gifts, diapers, money. The church as a whole gave me $200 towards a double stroller!! I also have a lot of adorable twin girl outfits!!
I shared with the ladies two things that made me think of my church.
I Thessalonians 5:11
"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."
(Annalina and I decorated frames with ribbon, flowers, and dazzle and put this Bible verse in it as a thank you to the ladies.)

"The more tightly we are attached to Jesus, the more purely His love can pass through us. And oh, what a love it is!--Max Lucado

Finding Ross

 Ross has struggled in school and in reading. He is a very passionate kid and that can be a really good thing or a really bad thing. I think it was back in January we decided to put him in rock climbing not knowing the effect it would have on him. 

We found out Ross is gifted in climbing which shouldn't have been surprising since he can scale the door frames and fireplace. He quickly became a teacher's pet BIG TIME. Last Friday Babe went to pick him up and the teacher said "I can't say enough good about Ross." He is climbing at such a level, etc. She loves his politeness. She was amazed when early on she took him off the self-bilay and he did EXCELLENT. She said a lot of kids can't climb off the self-bilay because of the force that helps them up. Ross though climbed. She says he stops to think about his next move. The two of them get a long extremely well and Ross has continued to improve. Little did we know a long with excelling with rock climbing would come excelling in academics! His reading shot off and he is doing EXCELLENT now. He just needed to find his talent and his thing and leave the shadow of his older brother and sister. Then as I have blogged about already he started wresting and LOVES that and again is talented in it. Ross has prayed and thanked God he gets to climb. The other day he went through many of the days of the week and said he wished he could climb all those days. We have found Ross and it has been good to the heart to see.

The below pictures were taken when he was just starting out and a newbie at he whole thing.

Ahhh, the fun of coming down!

2013 National Prayer Breakfast

Thankful there are still people like this around! Talk about courageous. . . standing only a few feet away from the President!

 Dr. Carson's mother was obviously a strong woman.  Part of the decline in America is mother's don't take their job seriously. They expect others to instill values and character in their children instead of taking on the job with their husbands. Parents want Christian schools, churches, and I am even sure some expect it from public schools to instill values and character. It's OUR job as parents to teach these. Yes, wonderful if schools and churches come along side and assist us in the daunting task but at the end of the day the buck stops with us.

I got a VERY unexpected email the other day from an elder of mine that I have revered since I was little. He reminded me that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world" and encouraged me in the job that I am doing as a mother. Talk about encouragement! I was discouraged that day I got that email and it was a huge lift to my spirits.  I can't depend on cheer leaders to continue on but it sure is nice to get that affirmation from an elder in Christ. As a mother I want the love of Christ to rule my children's hearts and then I want them to let that love shine to the world. I can't make them accept the values and beliefs I teach but I sure can disciple them in the way of Christ.

Tea With My Big Girl

Next week is elk hunting week which means we will see little of Daddy and Gabriel from Thursday very early in the morning to Saturday night. I am thrilled they get to go and have fun. Gabriel is to young to hunt elk yet so he will be hanging out with Daddy to learn and have fun. It would be GREAT if an elk was brought home we have an empty freezer in the garage waiting!

Recently, I found out about a Ladies/Girls Christian Homeschooling Tea down in the Springs and I really wanted to take Annalina. It is a whole day event from 9am to 4 pm. I got one of my friends daughter who is great with kids to watch the 2 younger boys so we can go. We are both soooo excited. I look forward to hearing the speakers! I anticipate a day of encouragement and fun with my daughter! Another fun thing to look forward to!

My blessings from my blessings . . .

Some stressful things have hit here recently but the Bible says "In everything give thanks for this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you." Yet another item on my to work on list. (I didn't look that verse up so it may not be word for word accurate :)
I have MUCH to be thankful for.

"You're a nice Mommy."--Annalina today. I asked why she said that and she replied she "just thought it."

Ross often tells me that he loves me and that I am "the Best Mommy ever". I KNOW I don't deserve that but I'd love to keep this super hero status with my kids forever.

Then there is Gabriel with his hugs. Just happy sweet hugs that are so numerous.

Carson with his sweet soft cheeks and his head on my shoulder and arms around my shoulders. He loves to be with his Mommy.

Last night, my hubby reached over and gently put his hand on my arm and said "you're a good wife."

I am thankful for my Kiddos and their Daddy. Thank you Father for a family with love for you and each other. I can't imagine it any other way.

My friend K called today with FABULOUS news of answer to prayers!

Memory of the Day: My memory comes two fold. Annalina and Carson came up this morning and were upstairs awhile and there was no Gabriel and Ross. I went to check on them. I asked them what they were doing. "We're relaxing . . . wrestling and reading Elk magazines." Eventually, the fun downstairs they were having was discovered and the kids lined the boys beds with bean bags and a huge stuffed animal bear and had wrestling wars. The boys took their shirts off to look tough and one or two of them happily came to show me their war wounds. They had a blast. They called Carson "the rocket" he would get on a chair and come shooting off at someone. They loved his tactic!

Oh, just thought about another thing. It started to snow today and the kids were all excited and yelling that it was snowing. Carson stood at the window and said to Gabriel "bad night". A few weeks ago he was saying "snow white, bad night". Too funny. I know he doesn't like playing in snow but he does enjoy seeing it.

The Beauty of God's Hand

Snowflakes are kisses from heaven. ~Author Unknown
I woke up to this seen in our back yard a short time ago and it was sooo beautiful. Only the work of a loving and powerful God could make such beautiful scenery and to think it is for His children to enjoy.
Thank you Father!

Home Sweet Home. Our First Place of Our Own.

Many years ago when Babe was a boy about Gabriel's age he would sit on the floor of his home in Wisconsin with maps stretched out in front of him trying to figure out where the best place to live was and it was always someplace out west and he wanted to live in the mountains. Now that dream is coming true . . . a home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Not only is it the excitement of a first home but the excitement of living a childhood dream. I am as thrilled as he is. For 3 years of my childhood we lived in Colorado and I LOVED it. Now I am back with my children and they can enjoy the majestic beauty of God's creation and breathe the mountain air. I remember what it would feel like in the mountains in the morning. The air was cool and invigorating and the scenery beautiful and peaceful.

The papers are signed and the movers come tomorrow to pack up our stuff. The kids are so excited and have been counting down the night nights. Annalina wanted to sleep on top of the boxes tomorrow night!

I am so glad to have a husband like Babe to share this with. What is a home without love? I find the experience of purchasing this home to be romantic as Babe and I live out our dreams together. There is something soul warming inside me. I can't wait to be in OUR home with MY LOVE. Call me a sap . . . but I feel what I feel.

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings He seasons our lives with. Those things that warm the heart and draw your gaze upward to say "I know I don't deserve any of this . . . the loving husband, the beautiful children, our own home . . . , your love for me makes no human sense but thank you for seasoning my life with your love. Help me to be salt and light in this world for you. Amen."

Blessings in the Small Stuff

Every 3 months by military housing they have a mega garage sale to help those who are moving to clear their stuff out. It is so fun to go to with a lot of great stuff. I was excited to see how God provided things I had been wanting but couldn't spend the $ on now. Here is just a few of the things I got . . .

Black Leather Jacket (fits like it's made for me--I had wanted one!) $5

Leather shoes for Carson (about $40 new) $1

Lincoln Logs (approx. 160) $1

New shirt for me $2

Suit jacket for Gabriel $5 (I had been contemplating if I should spend the $ on a new one!)

Very nice dart board for the boys $2 (thought of getting this for Gabriel for Christmas!)

Preschool plastic roller blades for Ross $3 (wanted this before I ever saw them)

Another thing God has provided for us is private swim lessons for Gabriel. I knew he could really benefit from some private swim lessons but they were $1 a minute and we just couldn't swing that! Well, God provided . . . Gabriel is the ONLY kid in his class this month and every lessons is a private lesson except at group lesson prices, NICE! He has gotten to work on the things HE needed to work on like competitive turns and he now knows how to do them. He was so excited. I love seeing God provide like that it REALLY encourages me and is a reminder He really is in control of EVERYTHING!

Also, I had wanted a certain magazine and found out through a mommy money saving email that the magazine was on sale for $1.99 a year and I thought Oh, I can do that! But for some reason I couldn't get my request to go through, the websight may have been bogged down with requests who knows. Days later my neighbor came over with a stack of magazines. I said "I tried to sign up for these the other day but it wouldn't go through" she said Oh, don't I'll just give them to you! Again provided!

A Blessing Just In Time For Summer

I mentioned before that we had told the kids we would get them a play house and it hadn't yet worked out. This toy play center was GIVEN TO US from a fellow student of Babe's at the Naval Postgraduate School. He was going to trash it and now it is our new treasure!!! The kids LOVE it!!! They have been playing and playing in it and right now they are out there listening to Patch the Pirate as they finished up their lunch.

I KNOW this was the work of God and I am thankful. The kids have worked so very hard this year in school and I am glad to see this blessing for them to enjoy this summer in their time off.

Bumps and Blessings

Today did not run completely smoothly and had some bumps in it . . .I have one kid that has checked out their brain to summer vacation a few weeks early and I sent another kid to the wrong swim class because I got my class days mixed up which created more difficulties but none the less I did accomplish reorganizing our pantry cabinet. I had Ross and Carson take everything out of the cabinet for me and then I went through everything and put it back in in an organized way. Ross and Carson seemed to enjoy their job of dismanteling something at Mommies request!!

But my day also had some blessings in it. Babe found out he got a 100% on his master's level physics test. I am very thankful for that, he works so hard. My other blessing was that a fellow student of Brian's at school said that he had a play house that his daughter had outgrown and he wanted to get rid of. We had told the kids awhile back that we were going to get them a play house but recently we have had extra expenses and we haven't been able to buy one yet. I am ashamed to say I never prayed about it but the Lord gave me a reminder today that he knows our thoughts and intentions and provided for us and we get it for FREE!!! I just thought that was the coolest how God provides like that and a great thing for the kids to see. God is good all the time.