Days

I've had a few bad challenging days. When you come out on the other side of them, it feels so... what's the word... nice, humbling, refreshing. What's my definition of challenging though? Because everyone's perspective of a difficult day is different. For me it is sick kids, exhaustion, frustration, irritability, self-pity. When one day is rough, and then the next day is the same, and the next, and it doesn't seem to get better. What remains steadfast during these days though?
Our Lord's kindness. His faithfulness. His presence. His love. His Word.
The strength of our faith is tested during "bad" days... our true character is exposed in the hard moments of the day. How did I do this week? I failed sometimes. I pushed through and sought strength above my own at other times. And I read this verse a lot.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."      1 Peter 5:10

I love this. Will Himself restore you. So encouraging. and true. and powerful.

Deep down I know that my days were so incredibly blessed when I compare them to what so many are suffering through in this world. Perspective. It is encouraging and humbling to remember that He cares.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."     Lamentations 3:22

As I look back at the week, it is easier to see those compassions and mercies.

My sweet Jack was having trouble breathing last week. It was starting to get really scary. I knew something wasn't right. I met Mark at Cooks with him. Diagnosis: pneumonia.

The mercies we saw were... amazing nurses and doctors, immediate medicine, supportive family, lots of prayers, and a reminder that our boy was going to be just find. We were in a hospital with the sickest of the sick kids. And our boy was not one of them.

A few days later was Halloween. Such a fun day! Costumes, good food, family, and friends.

Science teacher, Aunt Megan, brought dry ice. They loved it.

This little guy has had the worst case of teething any of my children have ever experienced. So sad. This has been his "condition" going on 4 days now.

It's pitiful. We've gone through Tylenol, Motrin, numbing gel, teething tablets... just trying anything to relieve his pain.
So what's the worst part? The fact that is a very healthy baby? Or the fact that he loves me unconditionally and just needs to be held 24/7? Why is it so difficult to have that perspective when you're swimming in exhaustion? Things really aren't as terrible as my mind makes them out to be sometimes.

Mark was gone hunting this weekend, and the Lord really worked on my heart and attitude as I cared for the kids and tried to support him as well. He loves hunting, and the kids and I were really pulling for him to get a deer. For several reasons. One being, it would make him happy. Second, the kids love to be a part of it when he gets home. And third... well, let's just be honest here... if he gets one his first trip out, he doesn't have to keep going. :) A tad selfish, yes. But honest.

Well, he got one!

And we were SO happy. We had been praying for Daddy all weekend. And now our freezer will be full all winter.



It's in the tough days that we grow the most. And while it's not fun, it's worth it. Because we come out more dependent on Christ and less on ourselves.


"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Cor 12:9

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Kids are hilarious. And way more absorbent than we often realize. Ever since Bella was little, I have kept a journal of funny things (or what I think are funny) my kids have said. I want to remember them. Over the last several months, as I have been doing school with Bella, she has said some of the strangest and funniest things. Seriously. Where does some of this stuff come from? I thought I'd share a few Bellaisms... I do realize that most of the time, a child's parent is going to think what they say is way funnier than anyone else. So funny or not, here is a look into Bella's brain...

This one makes no sense. I think sometimes she just likes to hear herself talk. She said this as she was working on school.

~ "This is my slim chance Mom! I don't want my royal concept to be bad."  What???

Offering Bella pumpkin bread, she says...

~ "I'd rather swim a river of crocodiles than eat that."

After muffling a laugh, I sternly replied that a "no thank you" would suffice.

While Bella was working on school, I realized that she was putting arrows over some of the words she didn't want to use. I asked her why she was doing this. She replied...

~ "I'm killing the words with my arrows." That is her father's handy work right there.

Trying to express how tired she was, she said...

~ "I'm just soooo disgraced." Again, she likes to hear herself speak dramatically.

~ "Mom, do you want to hear some 'r' words? ... random, rare, rodent, rambuctious"

Getting ready to go to La Grange with Mark, she says to me (as if I don't know)...

~ "Too bad Max can't come to La Grange with us. He can't have cow's milk yet though, so he has to stay here and get milk from you know where... "   (I'm still nursing) Thanks Bella.

As Bella and I were painting one day, she leans over to me and whispers...

~ "You are one long glorified woman dear" to which I laughed, to which she said "Are you surprised I can say that big of a word?" Oh. dear. Next character lesson? Humility.

Our neighbor came to the door wanting me to buy something for a school fundraiser. Bella answered the door and told her...

~ "My mom is nursing one boy and reading to the other. She can't come to the door right now." Alrighty then.

During math, we were coming up with numbers and giving those numbers objects. Writing the number 300, she says...

~ "300.... hmm... horse droppings!" Super.

This is my girl. And I love her. And I pray for her. :)

Jack doesn't have as much to say, because, I mean, who really can say much around here with Bella?

Anyways. He is pretty funny too. Very matter of fact.

Sneezing and having a great deal of snot (Gross. I know.), he says...

~ "Ugg. I did not know that was coming!"

Playing in a tent, he says...

~ "Come on in Mom. It's snug in here!" I think he meant cozy. :)

When I do school with Jack, I sometimes make him sit in my lap to help him concentrate. I usually have about 10 minutes max with him before he is off and running. One day I was letting him know we just had one more thing to do, to which he replied...

~ "And then I'll be free?!"  Poor guy. :)

This one is for Daddy. Pointing to the sky, he says...

~ "Mom! It's a hawk! Or maybe that's a pheasant. or a dove. or a grackle."

He is very into the word miserable right now. Whether he's miserable or not. It's awesome.

He also has a bit of a country accent, and he is constantly telling a story about "me and my dad". It's so cute. So his daddy's boy.

And not to leave out the littlest VW, he is babbling a lot, and is getting pretty good with mama, dada, bubu (which he uses for alot of things). He also loves to "sing" along with us. I've been taking him into the singing portion of church, and he just loves it. He just bounces and sings his little heart out. His newest thing though, is pointing to airplanes. He loves them. He will be the first one to spot an airplane (we live near a small airfield) and just points and points at it. So so cute.

Well, it is not dull around here. Today I am thankful for things to laugh at. And things to remember.

Happy Monday :)