What did I just say?!?!?!?!?!

In my last post, I was telling you about how wonderfully things were going, right?!?!?!!? Well, let this be a word to the wise that when you say such things, you might want to be prepared to duck!!! All day long today I have been under attack.

My children were a little more rambunctious and a little less cooperative today than most days. Nathan was out of town until only a few minutes ago, so I had to take all five children to Tball practice alone on, none other than, picture night. It was 102 degrees on the field were they were taking pictures and playing tonight and I failed to bring ANYTHING to drink for any of my children. The photographers film snagged, so she had to retake the photos which put me behind on feeding the baby. After FINALLY feeding the baby, I rushed with my three youngest to the nearest drive through for waters for my children and arrived back at the field in time to see the girls each bat once. Then the thunder started. The game was over and we headed to the car. I got all of the kids in before the rain started, but then couldn't find my keys. I finally located them folded up int he stroller were they had apparently fallen while I was rushing to get the kids into he car before the rain. Then, as I was getting into the car myself, I got stung by a bee on the neck!!!! (It is okay to laugh now. I am.) I felt tears coming on, so I quickly phoned Nathan for moral support before I had to call the pizza place and order dinner so that it would be home when we got there. It was at that moment that my cell phone went dead as a door nail with no explanation. With my children each telling me some different story at the same time, the baby crying because she was still hot (bless her little heart), my cell phone dead, and my neck throbbing, I said out loud, "Satan, your future is set and you have already lost. You do not have victory over me and you never will."

What happened next? The children got to bed late, because we had to wait on the pizza. Nathan JUST walked in the door well after 11pm and is too exhausted to listen to me unload (although he tried desperately to.), I KNOW that many people looked at me and either felt sorry for me or wondered "why I had all these kids", and I am now wired and can't sleep, BUT I am not angry or frustrated. I don't feel overwhelmed by my life and I know that there was a victory won here today. I don't feel guilt about how I handled my children and I know that they (& Nathan) went to bed feeling loved and cared for.

It is a new day here indeed : )

Thank you Lord for the works your are doing in me. You are faithful and just and I love you!

It's A New Day...

...oh-oh-oh its a new time....

That is from an Avalon song that I enjoy. The tune is stuck in my head this morning. I can't help but to think how fitting it is. I'm up reaaallly early to see Nathan off. He has a unique day today and had to leave very early. I don't like him going to work without me being up to send him off, so here I am. I am tired, but I am not the miserable person that I was at this time after my 4th child was born. God has really done (and IS doing) a good work in me with this 5th delivery and postpartum time.

Last night Nathan got home from work and I felt a little panicked. The day had been a long one with my children, the house hadn't been completely straightened, & dinner wasn't close to finished. Some days are just like that. I am learning to not react to that panic and to just do my best to try and steady whatever had gone quirky in the schedule when days like this happen. The old me would have just thrown in the towel, claimed surrender to the chaos of life, and begged to order food in for the night. Instead, I asked Nathan to take the kids out to play while I got dinner finished. He did and it was a great joy to hear them laughing and playing together in the back yard while I cooked. Then, when I called everyone in for dinner, Nathan said to me,"I love days like this. Our home feels so...I don't know...home-y". Now is that music to a Mama/Wife's heart or what?


***FYI- I answered my tag this morning, but because I started the post a few days ago, it posted it a few posts down : )

My 1st Date Night!

Tonight is a night that I have been waiting a loooong time for. It is a night that any Mother of many would (or should) desire to have. I have picked out my outfit. Childcare is arranged. The night's events are in order. As soon as my beloved gets home, I am jumping in the shower and getting ready to go. It isn't what you might be thinking. Yes, I do desire to go out with Nathan alone (& that date is set as well!!), but my date isn't with him tonight. It is with my daughter; my first born.


For some time now, I have wanted to schedule date nights with each of my children. I wanted to have regular appointments with each of them so that, if even for that time, they could each have my undivided attention. Nathan & I agreed that this would be more important for me to do now than ever. The kids are mothered by me all day-every day as a group of 5 children & they need to know how special their place in my heart is individually too. We have struggled w/ timing "& when to start this practice. Finally, we just had to pick a day of the week and just plan for that day to be my "date" night w/a child. So tonight is the 1st one & I don't know who is more excited, my daughter or myself?!?!?

I love each of my children so much and, as a Mom to many, I find myself often feeling guilty that they may feel like they are a unit and not as special to me individually. I'm so looking forward to alone time w/each of them. We won't be spending a lot of money we don't have; just a simple trip to the bookstore & a treat along the way. This idea is simply more purposed effort towards tying those heartstrings; mine to her's & her's to mine.

So, T minus 1 hour until my first date! As the years go by, I know that this will become even more precious time, but I can't imagine anything sweeter than the look on her face when I told her that she had me all to herself tonight : )

5 Things I dig about Jesus:

I was tagged by my Bro-in-law (oh...about a week ago, sorry) to give



"5 things I dig about Jesus"



Here are the rules-

1. Those Tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus.

2. Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.

3. Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here so that others can read them.



Hmmmm....just five?



1. He endured pain that I cannot even imagine for no other reason than to be a sacrifice for my sin.



2. He loves me even when I deserve it the least.



3. He loved the people that society had cast out and he ministered to them without fear or judgement.



4. He provides for me peace, that passes any human understanding, that even the hardest of hearts in my life may one day know Him and live within this same peace.



5. He provides the knowledge that those I have lost and will lose here in the flesh, that believe, will be gone from me for only a while and that we will meet them again in glory.



Now, I tag...



Ginger

Theresa

Erin

Allison

Jennifer (feel free to post here in the comments)

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

Top Five Things that I love about my husband:

1. He loves the Lord. Although he "walked an aisle" soon after we were married, he later realized that it had only been just that; walking an aisle. At that point, he surrendered his life at the foot of the cross and has been serving the Lord ever since. He didn't get baptized again, but a few years later was convicted to do so in obedience to the Word of God. So, I had the pleasure of standing on the lake shore with four of our children holding hands in front of me while we watched their Daddy be submerged into the water by our pastor (photo above). I believe that this time line was God's plan for him, so that he could be a living example of obedience to our children. Six months later, our oldest daughter gave her life to Christ.



2. He loves his family. He is, truly, one of the most wonderful fathers I have ever seen. Sure, he isn't perfect, but his love for us is absolutely perfect. His priorities are in order and nothing comes before his ministry to us. If you asked my children, right now, what the top three things in their Daddy's life are, they would not hesitate to say, "God, us, his job". I know this, because I ask them from time to time just to make sure. Call it an evaluation if you will :D He takes time to just sit with our children and talk to them and those times are so precious. If he messes up, he is humble enough to admit it and ask forgiveness from them. Those are traits that I pray my children take on from him.



3. He has a heart FULL of mercy. He is a giver and that is rare these days. He is sacrificial.



4. He is a great husband. He loves me and I know it without him saying a single word to me. He has clear vision of the load I carry as a mom of five stair-step children and he goes out of his way to support me. He insists that I meet with friends and that I have a support system outside of my home too. He realizes that the pressures on me here at home during the day are different (not worse, better, or otherwise-just very different) than the ones he gets at work and he respects that. He shares the burdens here with me, because I know that even we he isn't here, he wants to be. He prays for me and our children and I know there isn't anywhere that he would rather be than with us.



5. He is wiser than he thinks. Although he is a very humble person, I really think that he doesn't realize how wise he is. I trust him to lead our family, because I know that He listens to what the Lord tells him. he makes decisions based on our love for the Lord and our desire to follow him; NOT based on what the world would say is right.



Nathan,

Okay, so I gush a little, but anyone that knows you would agree with me. You are a kind, loving, and sweet man. I just wanted to love on you a little here. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MY LOVE~



love,
Your An

My "Little Bubba" turns FOUR today!!!

At 5 pounds 4 oz, he was a little guy when we brought him home (after 8 days in NICU) on Fathers' Day 2003. Everyone was scared to touch him for fear he would break. Now he is my Prince among the Princesses. He has his Daddy's blonde, curly, hair and his gorgeous sky blue eyes. He pretends to despise being the only boy, but he doesn't know how many times I catch him giving "Good Morning Kisses" to his sisters or just holding the baby's hand while he watches a DvD. He will grow into this lofty position he has been given. Although he is stubborn, he is a sweet little boy and he loves to make friends of new acquaintances. He eyes laugh when he giggles.

Like most little boys, I think, he is reaching a point in his life where he wants to be a big boy and run and do things that big boys do, but his heart still wants to climb into bed and snuggle under the covers every morning. I know that sweet time will soon pass, but I am going to enjoy it while I can and hold on tight to my little Bubba as long as he lets me. He doesn't yet try to be too brave when he gets a booboo and I now that he believes my kisses heal him instantly; well, that and a nice big band aid!

Today when he goes outside to play, I am going to purpose to go out with him and get a little dirty too. As much as I can hardly believe that four years have past, I am fearful of how quickly the next four will fly by...and the four beyond that...and the four beyond that... But for today, I will enjoy my snuggles and giving him kisses to make things better.

Happy Birthday Cooper, my little Bubba! You are a Super, superhero!

HOUSE RULES

This morning, we sat at the table and ironed out some house rules. Nathan was on speaker phone and the kids and I made a poster to reflect our rules. We wanted them to help "make" the rules, so that they would feel ownership in them and MAYBE feel more inclined to follow them. SO, here our the House Rules the kids came up with:

1. No running
2. No Yelling.
3. No biting, kicking, or hurting anyone in any way.
4. No scaring people.
5. No going outside without an adult.
6. N0 opening doors to the outside for anyone without permission.
7. No talking back.
8. No Interrupting.
9. No putting fingers in noses.
10. No touching things that don't belong to you without permission.
11. No playing with matches or fire.
12. Put things back where you got them when you are done.
13. No playing with light switches.
14. HONOR THE LORD!

They came up with MOST of these on their own. I especially like the one about the noses. With the ages of our kids, I am not sure that one is realistic at all. Graycen wanted to add a bunch, but I had to reel her back in. At 6 1/2, she is VERY good at making rules and not so good at following them : )

We'll see how it goes...