It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

 

This past weekend after celebrating all of the people and things that we are so thankful for
(and also stuffing ourselves with delicious turkey and trimmings)

 we decided it was time to prepare for Christmas.

So... we crawled
(and by we, I mean my husband)

into the dark, cold hole of the unknown, called the crawl space,

to drag the christmas tree and all of the other holiday decorations out.

 

The kids were all bouncing around as the christmas tree went up

and before all of the false branches of our stiff family tree were even ready to be decorated,

they began to hang bulbs on the limbs and tangle themselves in lights.

The excitement grew and the sound of laughter was as equally loud as the
christmas music that was blaring.

I watched as the kids were skipping around to the music, grabbing bulbs, and giggling as they were being lifted high on daddy's back to decorate the top of the tree.

 I can't explain the joy that I felt as I watched them have such a wonderful time
and I knew I had to grab the camera to capture these
precious memories!

 

 As much fun as we have every year decorating the tree, hanging the stockings
and wrapping gifts,
I want to make sure that my children know that
christmas is all about Jesus!

We can have a ton of fun...

Hang tons of bulbs...

Top the tree with a star...

and receive lots and lots of gifts...

but when we look at our tree...

The lights remind us that Jesus came to be the light of our world!

The star is a reminder that the wise men were led
by a shining star to worship
him!

The gold bulbs will remind us that although he was born in a humble stable,
they brought him gifts that were fit for a king!

The red bulbs will remind us of the precious blood that he shed for us!

And the green tree reminds us that he came to give us life!

Merry Christmas Everyone!



Dreams Do Come True

 

I remember as a young girl,
I would day dream about becoming a mother some day.

I would try to imagine what the faces of my children may

look like and what their personalities might be like.

 

I would pretend that my dolls were real and I took great care of them.

My grandma knew how much I loved my dolls

so one year she surprised me and threw a birthday party for my favorite doll!

She baked a cake, had a couple of presents for my doll baby, sarah, and she

even invited some family members to enjoy the celebration!

Needless to say...I was thrilled!

 

I wasn't terribly consumed by the thought of becoming a mother right away.

I just knew that in my future, I wanted to be a mother.

  Naturally, most little girls think about the day they will become a mother.

 

 I dreamed of giving my children bubble baths, spiking his hair and curling her hair,

rubbing their little toesies with baby lotion,

picking out cute clothes and dressing them up for sunday school.

 

Although motherhood isn't quite like the dreams that I had as a girl,

it's not always peachy

(actually some days are just the opposite)

but it still far surpasses anything I had ever dreamt of it being!

 

I have learned that there is much more to this parenting scene than

bubble baths, lotion and cute clothes.

 

Along with the cute bouncy curls, the beautiful dress and those pretty sparkly shoes

 comes a little person

that I am now responsible for.

 

 

I am responsible for her well being, for her health, for her education

and her spiritual knowlege.

 

 

I am to teach her to be kind, to share, to know the love of Jesus, 

to love others and to be a lady.

 

 

Along with the handsome little boy, spiked up hair and cute little vest

comes a little person as well.

He needs to be nurtered and taught too and though it may be a great responsibility,

what an honor it is that my dream of becoming a mother

is now my reality!

 

 

Playing with my dolls never prepared me for the real, kicking, screaming baby

that is hungry and is not waiting for me to finish what I'm doing in order

to feed him.

 

My cute little plastic dolls never prepared me for the nights I would sit up with

a sick child in my arms, singing and praying for

her health to return.

 

My pain resistant dolls never prepared me for skinned knees, broken bones

and bruises.

 I now know things I never learned while playing with dolls... 

 I will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if that had been MY child?"
  When I see pictures of starving children I wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die and not being able to do anything about it.

You might arrange for childcare, and as you excitedly make your way out the door for a night out to dinner with the hubby, you will think of your baby's sweet smell and fragile needs and wonder if you should leave after all.

You will have to use every ounce of your discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure your baby is alright. Everyday decisions will no longer be routine.

 

 Although I felt that I loved my dolls so very much, they didn't prepare me

for the extreme deep love that I felt when the nurse placed

each of my children in my arms for the first time.

 

I now know the faces and all the beautiful features of each of my 4 children.

I know their personalities, their likes and their dislikes.

I know their favorite things and their least favorite things to do.

I get to celebrate real birthdays...

 

 

 

 

I get to teach them about Jesus and how he loves them,

I get to give bubble baths, do hair,

dress them up for sunday school, I get to hug and kiss them

every night before bed and every morning before school,

I get to know the love of a child

and the joy of being a mother!

 

Dreams Do Come True!

 

This morning, like every morning I got up to get ready for the day.

As I reach down to wash my face, I noticed

a piece of paper with red letters.

I picked it up and began to read, tears of love and joy filled my eyes

as I read this precious letter of love from my 9 year old, sweet girl....

 

 

Here is my letter of response....

 

 

Before I Became Your Mother

I never knew...
how happy I would feel when you smile,
I never knew...
how sad I would feel when you cry,
I never knew...
how heartwarming it would be to watch you grow,
I never knew...
how much love my heart could hold,
And now...
I will always know.

Author: Linda De Los Reyes

I wanted to share something a mother wrote about her grown daughter who was thinking about having a baby of her own. The Author is unknown but this is
so worth sharing, hope you enjoy it as much as I did....

FOR ALL THE MOMS I KNOW . . .
(Author Unknown)
We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family".

"We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.

That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than
the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years - not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child
accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child
learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it." I finally say. Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

 



Complete & Honest Mending

 

I read a blog today written by one of my favorite authors (Angie Smith)

called "The Mender."

As I read the words that she wrote, my heart pounded, somewhat

in relief that someone else has felt what I have been

feeling for so long

and also with loving conviction that I have allowed these

feelings to control who I am for such a long time!

 

The more I read, the more I found myself living in the words of her blog.

My tears won't stop even as I type right now

because today I will begin to be mended by the mender!

 

I'm so thankful that

the Lord see's my heart, he see's each and every one of our hearts

and he knows our prayer, even when we can't the find words to pray, he already knows...

 

The other night I knelt silently on my knees, not sure of what to say or how to say it,

but the Lord heard my

heart's cry

and he has come to my rescue once again.

 

I want to share a little from the blog that I read this morning by Angie Smith....

 

For most of my life I’ve been desperate to know I was good enough, and they (the crowd, people around me) were the ones that told me.

You can ever really be mended when your eyes are searching theirs. Maybe you’ve found this to be true in your own life as well.

You’ve asked the others to make you beautiful, to make you brave, to convince you that your brokenness is curable with praise.

But deep down, you’ve always known better.

Flesh will fail us, and we are left with the bruises.

Who is it you’ve been looking to? A spouse? A parent? Siblings, friends, co-workers?

The list goes on.

And we are weary of the journey, aren’t we?

Leave the mending to the Mender, love.

He wants you to be mended, to be whole, to be fully aware of His impossibly perfect love for you.

You will learn there is only one voice that matters after all, and it’s the one you’ve been looking for in every other face you’ve met.

 

~Angie Smith

 

I have always said that I am a "pleaser" by nature, I long to make people happy,

I desire to please and I want to be accepted.

 

We all do!

 

After reading Angie's blog this morning,

I realized that what I am actually feeling is the fear of disappointing someone.

 The feeling that I’m not enough, or that I’ve failed someone. 

 

I'm not saying that it's not a good thing to make people happy,

like I said I love to make people happy!

I am saying that it's not a good thing when we are consumed by it

and our own lives are

controlled by everyone else's happiness.

 

When we are so busy making life choices based on what they will think of us

rather than what HE will think of us,

we will become broken, we will loose our selves

because we will never measure up or please absolutely everyone!

 

You will learn there is only one voice that matters after all, and it’s the one you’ve been looking for in every other face you’ve met. ~Angie Smith

 

 

 

 

I'm a piece of clay on your wheel of pottery today

I come to you broken in each and every way

Replace my will with yours God and take away this doubt

though my flesh is weak

Your spirit is strong, I'll get through this trial

You create in me a mind like yours and put me in your will

When I'm a broken vessel and when I am standing still

~Rachael Neville

 

^Psalm3:3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

 

Caterpillar Years

 

I read something this morning that really tugged at my heart

and made me think about how I want to spend

the days and moments I have left with my

children during their childhood!

 

I know that we hear it said often that "time fly's when you're having fun"

and

"enjoy your children while they're small because they grow up so fast."

 

I know that when our first daughter was born, tons of parents spoke those phrases to us

but I don't think we really understood

or grasped what they were saying.

 

In fact I know we didn't!

 

I don't think anyone really does until one day you wake up and realize...

 

Wow, my baby isn't much of a "baby" anymore.

 

This is the sentece in an article that I read this morning...

 

Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day.

Enjoy her caterpillar years!

 

It hit me like a ton of bricks...

We only have so many "caterpillar years" with each of them.

 

So while they are still home in our "cacoon", I will take time to

enjoy every growing moment

with them.

 

 

To Our Dearest Children...

 

From the time you were so small, safe and snug in our arms....

 

 

 

through the times that you learned to crawl, talk and walk...

 

 

 

Through the falls, the bumps and bruises...

 

 

We have and will continue to kiss the boo boo's, bandage them up if necessary and

stand you back on your feet to try again!

 

 

We will be the proudest parents ever when you achieve your goals...

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will also be your biggest fans even if you fail (as long as you do your best! ;))

 

And when lifes burdens get to heavy...

 

 

We will help you carry your load....

 

 

and more importantly teach you to pray to the Lord,

who can lift your burdens away!

 

 

We will celebrate holidays together,

start family traditions and have tons of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will listen to your opinions and what you have to say...

 

 

(not that we will always agree but we'll listen!)

 

We know that there will be times we may argue and

feel angry.....

 

 

 

 

but more times than not, we will have so much fun together

and feel the love that we have for one another!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will enjoy the time we get to spend with each and everyone of you to the very fullest!

 

 

 

 

 

We will teach you how to do chores and learn responsibility...

 

 

We will read, write and learn together...

 

 

We pray that you always remain close and love one another deeply...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and always keep the bond that you have now!

 

 



 

When you feel alone, when you're upset or sad...

 

 

always remember that we're here and we will seek

to make you smile again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and when you're sick...

 

 

 

 

 

We will be right beside you, We will take care of you

until you are healthy again.

 

We will teach you to cook...

 

 

Teach you to ride bikes...

 

 

 

We will teach you to eat healthy things...

 

 

Someday we will teach you to drive...

 

 

We will encourage you to try new things...

 

(first taste of shrimp)

 

and it's ok if you decide you don't like it!

 

 

We will be there on your first day of school,

 

 

your kindergarten graduation,

 

 

 

your first soccer game,

 

 

 your first cheerleading game,

 

 

your first dance recital,

 

 

your award ceremonies,

 

 

 

We will be with you through

your first crush, your first love, your first heart break,

and we will teach you to guard your hearts

 

 

and we will pray that when the day comes

and it's time to

take the guards down, that your heart will be in good hands

and you will receive all of the happiness each of you deserve!

 

Because if by some unfortunate circumstance

the "wrong one" comes along,

little brother will help

daddy take care of that.....

 

(just for laughs, ha ha)

 

We pray that little brother guards his heart as well and

pray that the deserving woman comes along

years and years from now!

 

We will always be here for you,

 for all of the "big stuff"

and even for all of the "small stuff!"

 

We love you so BIG and enjoy you so MUCH

and we want the very best for every single

one of you!

 

 

 

Most of all, our hearts desire is to teach you to please the Lord

and to live for him, use your talents and

passions to bring glory to him

and him alone!

 

We will do our very best to teach you what we know

and be thrilled when you excel and show talents of your own!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We want to teach you to serve, reach out to others and

try your very best to shine the light

of Jesus!

 

(caleb and daddy praying at the homeless camp)

 

 

Every moment we are blessed to have you and watch you grow,

we will not take it for granted but we will

cherish the time that you

are here with us

and

We'll love you all Forever and Always!

<3

Love,

Mommy & Daddy