More of the good stuff!

I am waiting up right now for my oldest.  Michael started a new job today and some how got out the door without his wallet or keys to the house.

I don’t even care that I should have been in bed an hour ago.  I am so thankful he’s home for the next 3 months.

Life is going to be different.

1.  More stuff—There is a desk in my garage that needs to find a home in this house!  So far there is a place but no time to move it.  A job for tomorrow.

2.  More miles—Maybe it is time to trade our old suburban in for another smaller car?  Here the story of my big love affair!  I need to remember this each time I fill up these days!

3.  More music—I love to listen to my kids play the piano.  I have missed Michael’s songs.  He plays different ones than the girls.  It just stops me in my tracks when he plays, In Christ Alone, which is one of my favorite songs of all time.

4.  More late nights—We seem to talk more & stay up late when he’s home.  I don’t really care.  What is sleep anyway?

5.  More flexibility—who showers when? who does what chores?  It all will take a bit more flexibility!

6.  More food—My little guys don’t eat as much.  I don’t worry about having “extra” sides at the meal but after just a couple of days I can see I need to be putting bread, fruit etc on the table a little more!

7.  More photos--I realized that I don’t have a bunch because he’s only around on the weekends!  Gonna have to fix that!

8.  More laundry—hmmm what day will we fit him in to our laundry rotation?  

9.  More FUN!  The more the merrier!  We have plans for camping, games, bike rides & who knows what else this summer.

10.  More awareness—As with anything you take for granted, when it is gone then you treasure it more.  I am going to treasure every moment, every hug, every smile & every “I love you” in the next 3 months so that I can store them up for when I need them.

10 Things I have to buy in the spring

It has been so nice outside lately.  We often get a ton of rain early in spring but it hasn’t happened yet so I’ve been out of the house more & I am so thankful.  It has eased the cabin fever for all of us.  A friend and I even have been walking a couple of times at the park!  The change of seasons really makes me happy!

1.  Strawberries—they are so much cheaper now.  I love fresh strawberries.  It is like the smell of fresh cut grass.  It makes me think of SPRING!

2.  Jeans—why does it seem my kids all out grow their jeans about 2 weeks before we start wearing shorts full time.  ARG!

3.  Seeds—I love the thought of planting things.  This is the first year that we’ve gotten started this early.  Thank you God for the warmer weather & sunshine without a ton of rain(yet)

4.  Salad—We eat a lot of salad.  It can be hard in the winter to “want” salad.  Too cold and it just doesn’t seem as natural as in the spring.  I love lighter salad type food as it gets warmer!  We planted seeds just last week so soon we can go out & pick our lettuce!  Yum

5.  Plants—Joshua and I wandered around a plant nursery this morning while we waited for the fish store to open.  We were both SO excited about planting our garden.  I was sad that I am not quite ready to buy plants.  Soon very soon!

6.  Flip flops—I don’t personally wear them but my kids love them!  They some how don’t fit in the ones from last year.  Or they have a strap that is broken or one is missing.

7.  Birthday presents!  Joshua will be another year older in a few weeks.  His birthday will be here before we know it!  My youngest can’t really be that old can he?

8.  Shorts—it seems like I can’t ever find shorts that I like.  I am thinking about cutting off my jeans from this winter and using those.  With all the “extra” movement I am getting this spring compared to last spring I plan to be a few pounds lighter by fall so I won’t need these jeans.  I guess I just solved my problem.

9.  T-shirts-It seems I am continually on the look out for a favorite t-shirt.  I have a couple but they are getting pretty old and holey.  I wear those around home but need a new nice one to work in to the rotation.

10.  Curriculum—okay I usually buy it in the summer but I start THINKING about it in the spring.  School is finishing up in the next month or two so I am mentally getting geared up for next year.  After a nice break for a few weeks this summer.

Things to do before I run away

Every spring and fall I organize a getaway for ladies. 

It started out as a scrapbook retreat & that is what most of them do but some sew, cross stitch, organize tax information, etc.   I am so grateful for this weekend to get things DONE that have been nagging at my attention.

Someone once told me that it was a party with all my best friends. 

What I have found is that there are people who will come who need something and there will just the right person who will be willing to give the advice or help that they need.  We will laugh ourselves silly. 

There will be tears at least once and there will be healing.  Sometimes I just sit back and watch the different people talking, laughing and praying and think “Thank you God for letting me be part of this.” 

Serving these ladies is something with which God has blessed me.

There is a lot going on this week! 

Here is my list to help me be ready.

1.  Pack clothes, towel, toothbrush, oh and my scrapbook supplies

2.  Run errands & do my coupon/grocery shopping

3.  Send a few emails to friends about how much fun we are going to have!  Who is riding with me?

4.  Go to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s to pick up some supplies

5.  Go to the dentist—yuck

6.  Clean the fish tank

7.  Stay healthy—have I mentioned everyone in my house is sick except the parents?  Emergen-C please!

8.  Go to bed on time so I can stay up late on Friday & Saturday nights!

9.  Buy some yummy/healthy snacks to take along

10.  Pray for each person coming & ask God to guide me in all ways this weekend.  What we get done is less important than what He is going to get done.

Praying for my children

Do you purposefully pray for your children? 

I mean beyond “Please God keep them safe"?

I have done different praying at different times in their(my) lives. 

1.  Infant—Please HELP me God, I don’t know what I am doing.

2.  Infant—Please God just a few minutes of sleep?

3.  2 years—Please HELP me God, I may loose my mind.

4.  3 years—Please God will he/she ever go in the potty?

5.  Middle Years—Please HELP me God, you meant them to be my kids right?  They are so strange.

6.  Middle Years—Please God will they survive to be adults?

7.  Teen Years—Oh Lord, you and me right?  HELP!

8.  Teen Years—Lord help them to be pure and wait for the mate you have for them.  Help them desire your best.

9.  Teen Years—Please God help them to hear their tone of voice.

10.  College Years—Please Lord, bring him home once in a while.

Today I don’t have bottles & diapers to deal with any more, but the remaining years seem to be flying by as my little people are rapidly becoming BIG people.

This morning I was blessed to have this verse jump off the page.

Asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

And we pray this in order that you may life a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in everyway; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.       Colossians 1:9-10

Even if it wasn’t highlighted already I would have recognized this verse.  I have prayed this over and over for my children. 

For so many of those younger years I kept looking for the fruit of my labors.  I did see some good fruit.  They would share toys, play nicely & speak kindly—most of the time.  But it seemed I saw my fair share of rotten fruit too.  Hitting, selfishness, laziness—they are/were human after all.

Now I am learning to let them go.  A year ago I was a total mess.  All I knew was that my oldest, who was a senior, was LEAVING. 

My heart was breaking and I cried A LOT.  I couldn’t stand it.

I knew he was ready for this step and that he would continue to grow and become an amazing young man.  BUT it is hard to let go and see things change.

I prayed that verse many times because I knew that God would take care of him when I wasn’t there.  I didn’t want him to stay the same but finding a way to let go was just beyond me.

So I continue to pray although he isn’t under my roof everyday.  I don’t know where he is most of the time.  I pray for him to have good fruit in his life. 

But I know my job—to pray and lift all my children up so that God can fill them with the knowledge of his will.

What do you pray over and over for your children?