Lions and Tigers and BIBS... OH MY!

So, in addition to taking on a new project of making bibs, I have also been perfecting my elephant sounds for the kids! Let me just say that my dad is the reigning champ of the elephant call and I come NO where near close to him! I must do it well enough because the kids seem to like it! Well, even better than my animal noises, are my cute little bibs I've made. I'm really proud of myself at taking on this project. I have always considered myself to be one that has a sense of style. I enjoy seeing something in a store and knowing that I could do a few thing to it, or use a better print and have something even more fantastic! My only problem is time... or lack thereof. I often let the fact that I have little time for my "crafty" pursuits keep me from even attempting a project. So, for the past few years I have told Jonathan many times that I would love to get a sewing machine because I could just see myself making so many cool things with it, but never doing it. I have seen so many boutique outfits that I have loved but would never pay $300 for (especially when it's for a 3 year old who would wear it a handful of times!). "I could make that!!", I would cry to my hubby. Sadly though, I never would. So, finally I bought a machine and taught myself how to use it (another thing I didn't know how to do). So this is doubly rewarding... I taught myself a new skill AND I made my first project with it! So, here are a few pictures to show you my work... and let me just say they are way cuter in person! I got the fabulous fabric online by Sandi Henderson and just LOVED them!

Being Ministered To...

Recently, in a summer Bible study I am doing, the subject of letting Jesus minister to us came up. Let me just say, wow. What a new concept for me. When I really looked at it I guess that sure, I've let Jesus minister to me, but I didn't realize that was what I was doing. Or for that matter, what it even looked like or how important it is. As I've thought more about it these past few days I've been really convicted. And tonight on the way home from a quiet evening out I heard this song on the radio that reminded me of it again. Tenth Avenue North sings this song, "By Your Side"... take a look at these powerful lyrics;

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

'Cause I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

As I listened to this song I was struck by the line, "And please don't fight these hands that are holding you, my hands are holding you". How often am I fighting His hands from holding me in His comforting embrace... truly allowing Him to minister to my heart. Healing my hurts, holding me when I tell him who's hurt me, what I'm afraid of, what I don't like about myself. This is Jesus ministering to us. When can this happen? Only when we are still and we let him. Only when we put ourself in His hands... trust Him with our lives. Truly give him EVERY detail of what's going on. Not just the obvious stuff... the scary stuff, the stuff we're afraid to admit, the hidden stuff. Let Him minister. Let Him heal and work.

It's a Clean Day!

I have been happily scrubbing away the past hour or so with these amazing new cleaning products that I am hooked on! Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products are amazing!! They have a wonderful aroma because of the amazing essential oils that are added. I have used the lavendar dish soap and countertop spray today and it is... amazing! I used the geranium surface scrub on the sink and bathroom and not only does that smell amazing, but it works so well! Have I mentioned that I think these products are, AMAZING??!! Here is something from the Environmental and Safety section of their website that got me interested to begin with...

"There are no solvents, no petroleum distillates, no bleach, no phosphates and no ingredients that could cause harsh fumes. In addition, most of our products have a near neutral pH that makes them safe for skin contact."

How much more amazing can you get than that? Oh, and here is the link in case you want to see it for yourself!

www.mrsmeyers.com

Musings and Ponderings...

I truly love my life! I am so thankful that the Lord created such a place for us to live, however temporary it be, that is filled with such beauty and wonder. Sometimes even as an adult I get so excited about things; a sewing project, a picture, a good book, a cup of coffee, time with friends, my children's discoveries, a good movie, date night, beautiful flower beds, lavendar scented dish soap and fragrant candles... and the list goes on. I'm so grateful that I do not get more cynical and stodgy as the years pass by. I do not let life sweep me up and carry me off where I can't enjoy the everyday things. Something I am passionate about, especially since having my last two children, is slowing down. I am just absolutely enamored with the simple life! Go ahead and laugh, but I am talking Little House on the Praire simple. I thrill at the thought of a quaint house in the country with little more than a wood floor, broom, fireplace, stove and some great books! Sometimes I feel like everything we have clutters up our interactions together. Just last week I decided I was going to let each of the kids pick 15 toys a piece and the rest were going in bags to the basement. I had steadily seen those piles of toys as barriers to them living in harmony with each other. The excess is just too much! As I strive to be the woman that God has plans for me to be, I am learning much along the way. It is incredible the way He has changed me and the desires of my heart, and I am so thankful! I love making a home for my family, and making that home peaceful, lovely, simple and full of Christ's love. What a challenge and at the same time, what an honor. It thrills my heart to get that opportunity!
I love good music, books, and especially great quotes! Here are some things to ponder and enjoy, I know I have. Enjoy this treasure of a day~


"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -St. Thomas Moore

"The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art." -William Morris

The family is the place where loyalty, dependability, trustworthiness, compassion, sensitivity to others, thoughtfulness, and unselfishness are supposed to have their roots... -Edith Schaeffer, The Art of Life

"Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement; a sanded floor and whitewashed walls and the green trees, and flowery meads, and living waters outside.” -William Morris

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson

"Pooh began to feel a little more comfortable, because when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find that sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it." -The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

Precious time together!

We just got back from Destin, FL and we had such a wonderful time! When we first considered going on vacation we thought it would be something smaller, more affordable, and close by. Jonathan had really wanted to go somewhere warm, and a beach was a nice perk too! After we looked over our finances a few months ago we realized that we had enough money to rent a nice condo from some friends of ours for a week long vacation. It was perfect! The next question we thought of was, Do we go with friends? Both Jonathan and I love our friends... God has richly blessed us with friends that are like family to us. I think I was the one who made the call on this and said that I really wanted it to be just us. You see, the more I look at our life and the time I spend with the kids the more I realize that there is SO much that imposes on it. I feel like I have to fiercely protect my family from the demands of the world. Much of it is good, but it often crowds out the very best. If I want to really know my children and my husband, I have to spend time interacting with them. This is difficult if I spend the majority of my day cleaning my house, talking on the phone, answering e-mails, and running here and there. Even if I am home all day with the kids, I can really be "unavailable" to them because I am busy taking care of other things. It's a hard balance for me sometimes to put down that dirty dish and walk over and open a book to read to the kids. Or telling a dear friend that I would love to talk but now is a bad time because the kids need my attention. It is really all a matter of balance and having our priorities straight, but also a reason why vacation with just the 6 of us was so appealing to me.
While on our week long vacation in Destin, Jonathan had intended to use his work laptop to check some work e-mail if we had time, and also allow us to check out local places that we may want to take the kids, or even check our home e-mail and use the internet. Somehow he had left his access card at home and the laptop was useless to us. Funny how God sometimes intervenes and slows us down even more. It was so refreshing to truly be disconnected from the technologies of the world for a while. We read, we sat on the beach, we watched the kids, we played in the water, we napped, we ate and talked and we just enjoyed one another! I think we do a good job as a family of interacting and talking with one another and I pray that we will only get better and better at this. I love that we can just hang out together and have a good time! During these moments of quiet time when life slows down and you have no "to do" list and no daily agenda it is interesting how much more reflective you are about life and things that need some attention, or areas that could use some boundaries. Jonathan and I talked and talked about so much of this, and I know my mind was full of thoughts that I can rarely entertain for more than a few moments on any given day, but I was able to really mull over during our time away. I hope to take away from this vacation a reminder that slowing down is really important in our lives. We don't have to always be doing and "keeping up" with everything. The quiet times, when we are still and without our "to do" lists is when we often enjoy life the most!

Such a Mom!

So, you know you're a mom when you... fill in the blank. My, "so you know you're a mom story" starts with the "Kirbyman" who arrived at my door about a week and half ago. Ok, so this may be relatable to more people than just moms out there - you be the judge. Anyway, the "Kirbyman" knocks at my door, and right away I'm thinking, "oh, no". But he hooks me with his promises of shampooing my carpet in the front room to show me the newest Kirby vacuum. My hubby and I have been talking the past few months about when our next carpet cleaning will be and let me just say, it's LONG overdue in that room! I would do anything for that carpet to look even a little better... hence, letting the Kirbyman in. So, he comes in and starts to show off this old-style vacuum. I'm really not even interested at first, but slowly he starts reeling me in. He used the vacuum to hoover my curtains (you don't want to know what dirt he pulled off only one side!), the lamp, and then, da-da-DAA... the sofa!! A huge visual aid for the Kirbyman is the dirt and dust they can get up with their vacuum, and to show you this they leave the bag off and use these white filters that collect the dirt as he cleans things. Let me just say I was begging him to stop! But no, he had to go for the girls mattress! Apparently this vacuum has an 8-12" suck depth. So, you can only imagine what he pulled out of the mattress, and went on to explain what it was. YUCK!!
So, he had pretty much sold me with that alone, but that wasn't the end of the 2 and 1/2 hour process. He took about half cup of this carpet freshener he had, poured it onto the carpet in a small area, and rubbed it into the floor. He asked me how many times I thought my vacuum needed to go over it in order to get it up. By now, of course, I'm convinced my vacuum is worthless compared to the all-powerful Kirby, but I indulged him anyway with some number. I truly was not prepared for what I saw. He went over that section 100 times with my vacuum. The Kirby went over it on the first stroke after my 100, and pulled up so much carpet freshener that it was pouring over the white filter paper. He had to do this with several more filter papers to get the majority of it up. I looked over at the pitiful contraption I was calling a vacuum cleaner and it looked like I might have had a couple of tablespoons down in there. Horrifying...and gross!!
I won't go into what happened much from there, because it wasn't too pretty. The price was astronomical, he wouldn't leave (I was 10 minutes late to my volleyball game!), and his boss came in and wasn't too friendly. BUT, I found out that my vacuum wasn't doing the job, and now I have a Kirby that I found from a reliable online store that re-sells them with a warranty (for 1/4th of what they were asking door to door!). Plus, it has a carpet shampooer attachment! I am THRILLED to get cleaning with it, and actually have even fallen asleep dreaming about it because I'm so excited. SO...you know you're a mom when, "you'll spend a very large sum of money for a vacuum cleaner, and then dream about cleaning with it until it arrives!" It has been the highlight of my past week and half... and maybe THAT was more information than you needed to know!

But my child is learning!!

Ok, I'm going to write about something that can be a very touchy subject for some. TV time! I have been thinking about this a lot this past year, and even in the past month I've either read things, or had people ask me questions about it that I've spent more time thinking about it. So, TV and our kids...here it goes!
I recently read a post where a mom was giving her thoughts about TV and how much her family watches and why. One comment she made really stuck with me and I think that comment is where I'll dive into this subject. "My kids are learning so many things that I would never think to teach them when they watch TV." Ok, that wasn't her direct quote, but close enough. Who wouldn't be a little proud and suprised if they were to hear little Jonny say, "mom, did you know that Beethoven wrote all 9 symphonies in only 25 years!"? BUT, although he may have learned a neat fact from TV, I believe that by making the statement that TV is a need for our children because it teaches things that we can't, is quite sad. Our culture is one that is obsessed with learning. And don't get me wrong, learning is good, the Bible even talks about learning. Proverbs 9:9 is one place. But often our culture gets it wrong when they place education above the relationships. I for one do not want my children to be relationally poor. I think that this mindset that our children can learn things from TV that they can't from us is a lie that we believe to justify turning on the TV and disengaging from parenting. I know you may disagree and this may sound harsh, but I know this from personal experience and I know that the enemy is crafty in what he wants us to believe to take us out of the battle for our family.
When we turn on the TV for our kids we tend to do it because; 1) they're bored, 2) they're fighting with their siblings, 3) we have stuff to get done and need them out of our hair, or 4) we need a break. Do we ever really turn on the TV because they NEED to watch some Teletubbies? Of course our kids have "favorite" shows, but honestly wouldn't almost anything we let them watch be a favorite when it comes to TV or no TV? I think that children that watch less TV tend to play much more imaginatively and also learn to entertain themselves or get along with their siblings better. It also forces us as parents to take breaks from house work, phone calls, and the general busyness and sit with our children and read books, or play games. And when we do that, they are learning from us!
This past year for me was one of frustration and lack of balance when it came to the TV. Now, in writing this, I know that there will be many different TV watchers out there. One's that leave the TV on for their kids ALL day, ones that let them have TV's in their rooms, ones that only plan out a 1/2 hour or 1 hour show a day, the TV as a treat parent, and the no TV in the house parent. I was a limited TV parent and I liked to keep it to about an hour of TV a day for the kids. It was usually a Veggie Tale, or one of the videos we owned, or PBS kids. I have such a problem with some of the commercials on certain "kids" stations! The very thing I try and protect them from seeing they can see on a typical Nick station commercial. Hence the PBS kids station without commercials. Anyway, this past year even with my desire to keep it to an hour of TV a day, the kids were whining at me quite a bit after TV time for either more time, or later on they wanted to watch TV again. It was wearing me out and some of that was my own fault for vascillating here and there depending on the craziness of the day and letting them watch more. On several occassions I sat down with my husband and exasperated I told him that I wanted to get rid of the TV because I honestly thought we would all benefit from that! He didn't totally disagree, but I think he believed there could be a better way. So, I went back to the old rules and I still dealt with whining and general discontent after shows. FINALLY I said no more TV and it has been heavenly! Our guidelines are no TV except for 1 family movie night a week (where we all sit down and watch a movie as a family), and if someone is sick. Honestly you would not believe how little opposition I got from my rule. The kids were a little suprised, but once they knew we were serious they just went about their way playing with one another and finding other things to do instead of asking for the TV. Are there times they ask for it? Sure. But compared to what it was like before, I would say it is 100 times better! Are they still learning? Let me just say that they LOVE the library and often I find them in the living room pouring over our books. They love to climb up in my lap and have me read to them! I love that books expand the mind, and make them engage and think and come up with the pictures for the stories they are hearing. And yes, I do read many books without pictures. It is a great way for them to make up the picture themselves. TV is easy because it is all done for them, they just have to sit there and absorb it. It doesn't ask them to interact (and for those of you thinking of Dora...), and it just lets them sit there while it fills their mind with no dialogue. Think about it.
So, in conclusion I want to encourage you. I know it may not seem like an encouraging blog, but I really do want to be an encouragement. I think may people out there are looking for guidelines and others that feel the same way they do about TV and what place it has in their family. I honestly don't think TV is bad, but I definitely think we need to be aware, engaged and responsible with the reasons why we are letting our children watch it and how much of it. There are times when I break our rules and I turn on a cartoon for the kids because it's ok, but generally I try and examine why I want to turn it on. In the end it really comes down to our hearts and only God can examine that.

Humanity

Nothing seems to spark up irritation and frustration in me like a whiney child when I have a huge "to do" list. I'm not sure why, but sometimes the need to get that list of mine checked off is more important than taking the time to soothe a irritable baby, or calm down a child struggling with a sore throat. The Lord grabbed me by the heart today when I shouted at my daughter for losing something I needed in order to get my cooking done. I immediately knew I was reacting out of frustration and I needed to put my agenda aside and calmly go look for the item with her, but my sinful nature won out and I continued my tirade until we found the said item. You know where it was? Not in the cabinet where I was convinced she had haphazardly laid it, but stuck to the side of the formula can that I had just used to make my son his bottle. Conviction? You bet. Apologies for a wrong attitude and misplaced anger? Absolutely.
My hearts desire is to serve my family. To show them Christ here on earth, that they'll want what I have in Him. Did I give them that this afternoon in the kitchen? That's difficult for me to admit. I could hear the enemy telling me upon this feeling of conviction, "it's not like you were calling them names, or even yelling that loud. You were doing all kinds of things for them and getting no help. Yelling a little to show them that you mean business won't hurt them." Wow, he's subtle isn't he?
Matthew 16:23" Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
I pray that as I spend time with the Lord and grow in Him, that He would give me patience, balance, a servant's heart, and above all else a humbleness to ask for forgiveness when I've messed up. That despite my shortcomings ("humanity") He would make my life attractive and bring my children to Himself.