ready!

baby's stuff is all set up...
baby's clothes are washed and put in drawers...
Ivy and Owen's presents from baby are gotten...
child care plans are settled...
mommy is healthy...
daddy and kids are healthy...
daddy's paperwork is pretty much caught up at work...
groceries are bought for the week...
house is as clean as it's going to get (even the shower is clean and the floors are scrubbed)...
dishes are done (for now)...
laundry is caught up...
even the van is vacuumed out...
and the basement is clean and organized...

although our bags aren't packed for the hospital (I'm saving that for when I'm laboring to help take my mind off of the pain and work of labor)...

with only a couple of days away from our due date, we're READY!

BUT, there has been SO MUCH going on with our loved ones that we are totally placing our readiness and anxiousness to meet this new little girl, who absolutely loves to beat her mommy's ribs up, behind the needs of our families and just trust in the Lord's timing. Only the Lord knows what our families need right now, and we are confident that He is holding off the arrival of our little girl until the time is absolutely right for everyone...for my mom, for Nathan's mom, for Nathan's Gram.

I love how God has been speaking to me! He has definitely been telling me that He is in control of all things and to wait on Him and on His timing. Anywhere from Charles Stanley's message this past Sunday morning to Ivy's little devotional book that we read tonight (and all happenings in between) have been reiterating this message to me. Although we are wanting to hold our little girl in our arms so badly, we know that when this blessed event occurs the Lord would have worked out all of the details in the needs for our families.

[By the way, if scrubbing down the shower (only the worst chore ever) or scrubbing the floors on your hands and knees or vacuuming the van out or a road trip to Portland doesn't start something, you know that the baby will come in the Lord's timing!]

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

teachable moments

As a parent, I am ALWAYS looking for moments to share and teach new things or consistently reinforce the same rules and ideas we've been trying to instill in our kids since they were born. As I'm sure the concept and phrase are not new to anyone, I call these "teachable moments." HOWEVER, the Lord constantly reminds me OVER and OVER and OVER again that my kids are not the only ones who need these teachable moments. One GREAT (and sometimes not so great) thing about having kids is that they teach us just as much, if not MORE, than we teach them. Sometimes, the things our kids teach us are not the EASIEST things to hear and to swallow, BUT if we REALLY listen to them and keep a humble heart, we can realize that the Lord is speaking through them to teach us and show us those icky things in our lives that need fixing, AND it's usually something we need to hear and change.

I had one of these moments last night as I was tucking Ivy into bed. While I was covering her up and leaning down to give her a kiss goodnight, Ivy commented, "Mommy, I can't wait to go to Heaven." I asked her why, to which she responded, "Because I can't wait to see Jesus - the real picture of Jesus." I then asked her what she thought she would do when she saw Jesus, to which she remarked, "I'm going to give Him a really big hug and walk around Heaven with Jesus." Then, she said, "Maybe I'll even get to walk on the clouds, too. I bet they're really soft!" As I thought about what Ivy said, I questioned whether I was as ready and excited to see Jesus as Ivy was, AND if I wasn't, WHY wasn't I? (The irony of this is that our small group Bible study was meeting right downstairs at that very moment where one of things we were getting ready to study was the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids/Virgins - Matthew 25:1-13 - and where we discussed our readiness to meet the Lord! Isn't it so neat to see how the Lord works?)

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." ~Matthew 25:13

This morning, I had another one of those moments. As Ivy was getting ready for the day, she sparked a conversation about getting older. One thing that she asked about was that when she gets older, she wondered if she would say the bad things that we older people say. When I asked what bad things she was talking about, she responded, "Well, yelling...like when you and Daddy yell at each other." (Yes, sadly, we do have "intense fellowship" with each other - as much as we don't want to...it happens!) Ivy continued to explain that when Daddy yells at Mommy, it hurts Mommy's feelings; when Mommy yells at Daddy, it hurts Daddy's feelings; when Mommy yells at Ivy, it hurts Ivy's feelings; etc. As much as I did NOT want to hear what Ivy had to say, I knew it was the truth and that I needed to humbly accept her lecture. Feeling quite embarrassed and convicted by the truth that was spilling out of Ivy's mouth, I then continued our discussion by asking Ivy to forgive me for yelling and hurting her feelings. I then inquired what I could do to change this, to which we concluded that I needed to go to God and pray when I feel like I have the need to yell and ask Him to help my thoughts, my mind, my actions, and my heart to remain calm even though I don't feel calm (something ONLY the Lord can do!).

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." ~Galatians 5:22-23

always too short - spring spoiling

Well, our spring spoiling has come to an end with my parents now on their way home. It was so fun to spend the Easter holiday with them creating memories and cherishing moments spent together. I was very glad that they were here to join in and watch my own family begin new traditions. Because our families live so far away, they are not always here to partake of our own family's traditions and celebrations. I am so thankful when they do get to come and join us. The weather was absolutely phenomenal which allowed all of us with cabin fever (my family) to get outside and enjoy the fresh nice warm air (although Grandma O. didn't think it was warm...I'm sure she still had her long-johns on). :0) Of course, their stay (as always) seems to go way too fast for my liking. BUT, we have these pictures to look back on and remember the times spent with family...

Owen learned a new trick for breakfast time...
...wearing his cereal bowl like a hat...(Who does he learn these things from???)

Playing hide-and-seek just makes you feel and look like a kid again...right, Papa?...

Monkey see...monkey do...

...just not sure which one is the monkey! :0) (I think I know where Owen's learning these things from!)

Let's get outside!

Some spring bike cleaning...

A rare moment...Papa changing a diaper!

Learning the tricks of the trade...

We are officially spoiled!

easter

our Easter

the real reason for Easter...Jesus and the price he paid on the cross for us
(our at-home Sunday School lessons/memory verse)

coloring eggs

inside egg hunt

Easter baskets

outside egg hunt

cake (it's not cake without needing to blow out candles!)

Happy Easter!

THANK YOU, JESUS!

He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. ~Matthew 28:6

spicy

After playing outside all morning and soaking in the BEAUTIFUL weather God gave us yesterday, we finally made it inside for lunch. After finishing our lunch, it dawned on me that in the busyness of getting lunch prepared and getting everyone to the table, I forgot to make sure that the kids' hands were washed. When I asked Ivy if she washed her hands after she came inside from playing, she thought for a moment and then remarked, "No, I did not...no wonder my hot dog tasted so spicy!" :-)

acorns

Where there is an acorn...there you will find Owen.

Acorns are Owen's new favorite toy.

He will spend all day gathering them up in his little wheelbarrow...

hauling them all around the yard and driveway...

admiring them and showing them off...

then sitting down and rolling them down the hill of our driveway.

He even made a game out of them where he had to put them through the hole of the brick first and then allow them to roll down the road...

Really? Do we ever need toys?!?!