Ballet

These are from Lauren's ballet recital a month or so ago. Sorry it took me so long to put them on here! 

Every little girl needs a 

flower from their daddy

for good luck! 

Pretty in pink...with a beak

Here are a few pictures from "Peter and the Wolf" that Lauren and some of her classmates performed in for our Homeschooling Co op. 

Who likes to shop?

I have a mild obsession with etsy and I check throughout the week for new, crafty things. Please take a minute to check out this site.  This is my sister-in-law's etsy shop. She is super talented and does incredible  work! http://www.etsy.com/shop/faradaisyjean. 

This made me laugh because I have had moms who were in labor responding to texts in between contractions.

If only I could express to you what a great accomplishment it is for me to have figured out how to put things in the sidebar of our blog. I stood up and actually cheered for myself!
I wish that I something exciting to share with you, but life has been a bit blah. Lauren was sick last week with a kidney infection that put her in the ER. After some powerful antibiotics and IV fluids she is doing pretty well now. I'm finding myself watching her like a hawk to make sure she is drinking enough and eating to put back on the weight she lost. Oh, the exciting life of a child who is only in the 25th percentile for weight! Now height on the other hand is like 107th! I feel so boring blogging about my child's illness and body size....
I am being challenged in the homeschooling area this week. Last week we didn't accomplish any school due to Lauren's issues, so we started back full force on Monday. I prayed all weekend  that it would be a smooth transition back into our routine. Monday was great. Yesterday and today...well....everything is a battle. It makes me weary and tired to think about what things are going to be like when she is thirteen. I love her with all my heart but maybe we will be raptured before she hits puberty.........

Read this today:

"Your soul's business is in the hand of a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities...He well knows that world through which you are struggling, for He dwelt in the midst of it thirty-three years. He well knows 'the contradiction of sinners', which so often discourages you, for He endured it Himself (Heb. 12:3). He well knows the art and cunning of your spiritual enemy, the devil, for He wrestled with him in the wilderness. Surely with such an advocate you may well feel bold.

Are you alone in the world, and neglected by those who ought to love you?

So also was Jesus.

Are you misunderstood, misrepresented, slandered and persecuted?

So also was Jesus.

Do you ever feel great agony and conflict of mind? Do you feel in darkness as if God has left you?

So did Jesus.

It is impossible to conceive a Savior more suited to the wants of man's heart than our Lord Jesus Christ--suited not only by His power, but by His sympathy--suited not only by His divinity, but His humanity...[He] is the most loving and sympathizing of friends, as well as the mightiest and most powerful of Saviors....you want no comfort...so long as you can repose your weary soul on the Man Christ Jesus."  ~J.C. Ryle, Holiness, pp.240-24

Randomness...

Every girl needs false fingernails at some point in their life. Why not have a little color?

One weaving loom and three hours later......

Easy bake oven time!

Lauren's favorite thing to do is put on a dress that twirls, put on music through the T. V. speakers and dance until she can't stand up straight anymore! This picture is completely her personality.

Distractions....

So...um...I am not doing so well on my memorization. The first two days I totally rocked it and had a good plan of trying to get two verses a day down. Then I got busy. I worked a couple days this week and had ballet practices and recitals, etc..My, oh, my am I not as disciplined as I thought I was! I feel like I got a bit squashed. God is teaching me a lesson in relying on him in ALL things! I can't memorize on my own strength.

Ash Wednesday

I will admit right now that I did not have the disciplne to drag my behind out of bed for our 6:30am Ash Wednesday service this morning. Yes, I know. I am lazy! On a more serious note, I have been praying for a week or so about what God might calling me to do over these next days of lent. Last year I gave up reading novels. It was actually very rewarding because a year later I am not back to reading them at the level that I was. I realized how much unproductive time I spent reading. I am getting more sleep now and have more time. This year, instead of sacrificing something I am going to do somethng. Starting today, Paul and I have committed to memorizing Romans 8 in the next 40 days. This is 39 verses in 40 days. I am not posting this to gloat and say hey, look what we are doing. I am asking for prayer! Prayer that we can actually accomplish it, but also prayer for our hearts and minds to be transformed by it. Sometimes I am so guilty of just memorizing it to say I've memorized it instead of really reflecting upon it. Let the journey begin!  Todays verses are:  "So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For with  the power of the living spirit you are freed in Christ from the power of sin that brings death."  That should be Romans 8: 1-2.

We made it!

My friend is home. Oh, how I missed him! Paul flew in Saturday night. Lauren couldn't sit still in the airport, so she stood as near as she could to the arrival gate looking for her daddy. It was sweet! We are not sure where this leaves us as far as his travels go. We are waiting to find out what the next step is.  I would love for him to stay home for awhile or for us to be able to travel with him. This seperation stuff stinks.

I had a nice time visiting my family. I will say that I will NEVER take three dogs on a trip with me again. It was not fun. I think that by the time I got to my parents house I was so worn out that the dogs just added to to the stress. I am not an anxious person. I don't get upset that easily. I had a panic attack a few days after I got  there. Lesson learned! Anyway, I love my family. Things can get stressfull by the size of our family and our personality differences, but God gave us eachother for a reason.

Two babies and the flu....

I am so thankful that God answers prayer!  I haven't had a full nights sleep since Thursday, but I am so grateful that there are healthy babies in the world. Friday and Saturday was a marathon thirty five hour labor and delivery. Lauren was sick Sunday and Monday. Bless her heart. It was not a pretty sight, but thankfully very short lived. The whole time I am praying that the other baby would not come until Lauren got  better! God answered that prayer. Tuesday morning (this morning) my other mom is in labor and has the most beautiful, fast labor I have ever been a part of! I am exhausted. God is so good. 

Another change in plans...

So, in the last post I had just heard that Paul was going to be extended for two weeks. Well, today I heard that he is only going to be gone for ONE extra week! Three weeks gone sounds so much better than 1 whole month! I am so happy!
So far I am STILL playing the waiting game on these babies. One is 8 days overdue the other is 2 weeks. One is having a homebirth so that means there is no induction unless there is an emergency.The way things are looking I don't think I am going to make it to Missouri to see my family. I have just decided in my heart to be ok with whatever happens and quit worrying. Of course it all boiled down to what my plans were..yeah...we already discussed what happens when you have your own plans. If I miss my family weekend then that is going to be fine.
Hopefully we will get a little snow so that Lauren and I can play in it. It is amazing how many times you can play slapjack, connect four, and Pretty, Pretty Princess. Five year olds never get tired.

A snippet....

I was so encouraged by this little article from a friend's blog:

I cannot remember a time when I didn't get up every morning and find my mom reading her Bible, praying. Not only did I see the habit, but I also remember that she was always filled with joy when she was done. Some of my earliest memories was getting up before all my siblings (I was an early riser when I was really little...it's a little harder now!) and my mom making an extra cup of tea for me, and playing on the floor while she read her Bible. (I was a talker, so she also had to train me that Bible time was No Talking time)



One of the biggest ways that I was motivated to read my Bible was seeing this example--and my mom always encouraging me that it was a friendship, a delight, and not a task. Because of this, I had an interest to know Jesus through his word at a young age. I have journals of consistent reading and prayer from age 10 on. I cannot tell you, now as an (semi-)adult, how much of a blessing this has been. It has given me a history of love for God's word and a confidence in prayer. It has taught me the habit, and the value for God's word. So, if you are seeking to set this example, don't give up! You might not see fruit now, but Jesus has promised that we will reap (Gal 6:9).



Your example makes a difference--but if you feel like you have failed as an example, take heart. If you have fears for your children's souls, fears that they will not come to be satisfied in Jesus, let your heart take courage. Remember the promises of our Lord:



"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25) and "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:3-6)





Moms: May the faithfulness of God strengthen you as you strive to faithfully seek Him. I pray that the little ones who watch you sit at Jesus' feet will one day seek Him too!

Ok....slight change in plans

So...I'm still waiting on my two pregnant mama's to deliver. I can't help but laugh about this situation. One of my moms always has early babies. Both of us were positive that she would have given birth early last week. What is that saying....God laughs when we make our own plans? Yep.

Paul called this morning. He is having a great time. They have given him a lot more responsibility than he expected so he is a bit nervous, but very excited because this is such a great opportunity career wise. He also told me that they extended his trip for two more weeks. This means that he will have been gone for month when he comes home. He should be back sometime during the first part of March. I am really glad for this opportunity for him, so I can't be upset. The thought of a month is a bit daunting at the moment. I keep telling myself that I've already done it two times before..what's a few more weeks?

So far we are ok. All people and dogs are still alive. Lauren had a slight accident with a couch corner, but it could have been much worse. Thankfully, I can handle blood.  She is quite proud of her wound! A nice bruise and a tooth sized hole on the inside of her lip. Nothing else has been chewed up or broken. We are doing pretty well today!

One day!

We have made it a full day since Paul flew out. Whew! Lauren hasn't cried or even mentioned him. That sounds really bad, but not mentioning him is her way of dealing with him not being home. Please pray a hedge of protection around us! Everytime Paul leaves we have stressful days following. I am not joking. It's like the devil testing me to see if I will break. Last trip the dog got sick, the garage door broke and the washing machine broke all within 24 hours. Today the same dog is sick again with some sort of bladder issue, the other dog decapitated one of Lauren's Americn Girl dolls. (It took me an hour to figure out how to get it back on without spending $40 for a new head.) On top of all of this two of my clients that were supposed to deliver last week are still hangin' in there. I am praying that they deliver in the next few days. Please pray that nothing major breaks in our house, my childcare for Lauren will be there when I need it so I make it to thse births and that the rest of this time goes smoothly.