Splash in the Rain Puddles

So excited.  Losing my voice and can't really talk.  But it's ok....still so excited.  Packed car.  Two happy boys.  On the road to Ohio.  4 traffic jams, 8 hours of driving, still 2 more hours to go.  Two not so happy boys.  Lots of Bob the Builder and Thomas the Train.  Mom and Dad's house in sight.  Relief. Rest. and sweet baby Riley. Chase wonders why he's not in his own crib.  lots of crying.  Ends up in bed with mommy and daddy.  Jack has pink eye.  Yuck.  AMAZING Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings.  Nap time is heaven sent.  Oh no, why are my eyes red?  Mommy has pink eye.  and still no voice.  But it's ok....I'm still excited.  Early Christmas celebration with my family.  Lots of presents and very happy boys :).  Shopping.  Warm sunshine.  Haircut.  Christmas parade....

Today I am thankful for peace.  The peace that I am able to find in my heart when life seems anything but peaceful.  I am thankful for the peace of the morning.  The quietness of the rising sun, the stillness of the dew as it lifts.  The simple act of making my bed each morning brings me peace.  That is one of the first things I do and something about smoothing the sheets and placing the pillows where they belong is calming and helps me feel ready to begin the day .  And yes I do realize that perhaps I might be over the top with this practice on those mornings when I subconsciously start making the bed while my hubby is still in it ........ love you honey :)  However the true peace is found in those few quiet moments that I am able to open my bible and spend time with God.  He is the true source of peace when we simply ask and allow Him to work.  I know that I have about an hour in the morning of l...

Yesterday marked the first of what I'm sure will be many school programs that I will attend.  Jack's preschool class had their Thanksgiving program and it was priceless.  It was the first time he has been up on a stage and I felt my heart swell with that proud mama love that made me want to stand up and say...."see that one, he's mine....the one with the big brown eyes...the one that catches my eye and starts to cheese and wave but then stops himself because he remembers he must take this task seriously....the one who is bouncing a leg, twitching a finger, always doing something to release all of his energy....the one who may look small, but in his mind is the biggest boy in the room...that one is mine."  Great job buddy.  We are so pround of you!

We are in the midst of my favorite season.  The time when God transforms his creation into a beautiful array of all of my favorite colors....red, orange, yellow....I love them all.  Right now when I look at the woods line behind our house, the colors are simply striking on a bright sunny day.  This year I have a partner to take in the beauty of the leaves with me.  Jack has been amazed by the changing of the seasons from summer to fall.  We have taken several drives on the back roads....taken rides across the ferry to admire the reflection off the river...just to find the biggest and best trees.  It's amazing to me that a child as high wired as Jack actually wants to take the time to enjoy something as simple as colorful leaves.  But I love it.  I love that it's something we can share.  Just another thing that tells me my little boy is growing up.  Chase on the other hand...he just wants to know when it's ti...

My nineteen month old is in that great stage of learning new words everyday.  So. Much. Fun.  He tries to repeat everything.  He rattles off entire sentences in his own jabber and then looks at you with his big blue eyes like there is no reason that you should not have understood exactly what he just said.  Right now one of my favorite things is his constant need to celebrate and be acknowledged for pretty much everything he does.  Finishing a meal, turning a page a book, taking off his diaper (yikes.), stacking blocks, taking all of my dishes out the dishwasher.  Things of that nature.  After accomplishing any of these very exciting tasks he raises both arms in the air, usually high enough so that his little belly button is peeking out, and exclaims, "Ta Da!!!!".  And regardless of how many times a day I've been hearing this lately it has not gotten old.  Not even once.  Happy Saturday!

I'm counting down.   Counting down the days until we pack up our car and hit the road for our annual Thanksgiving trip to Ohio.  It's become a tradition.  Every year since we've been married my hubby and I have made this trip together....the years have passed we now get to make it with our two little guys in tow.  For most this may just sound like another family weekend spent together.  But for us, it's something more.  Farming life does not allow for many family trips let alone just having a Saturday to spend together.  The boys and I have done a fair bit of travelling but it's never the same without daddy.  The Thanksgiving trip is one of the few times when we are all together.  Finally, after the demanding hours of the harvest and planting season....we will be together and it will be wonderful.  It will be wonderful even with all the potty breaks that are required when making an eight ...

I always find Monday mornings to be refreshing.  It's the time when I tear all the sheets of the beds and replace them with fresh crisp ones from the linen closet.  The time where I tackle the giant pile of laundry that has built up over the last several days.  I make my menu and grocery list for the week and by the end of the morning I am feeling ready to take on the week that lies ahead.  However this morning I am also reflecting on the weekend.  This month in my quiet time, each day I am specifically acknowledging something I am thankful for.  Today it is thankfulness for the body of believers.  We are studying Genesis in our ladies bible study and last week we talked about how alone Noah must have felt when such wickedness filled the earth that God was left with no choice but to, "wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth"...."but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."  Talk about...

Today is a special day.  Not only is it the day that my mother-in-law and father-in-law celebrate another year of marriage (Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad), but it is also the day we celebrate the birth of their firstborn....aka my hubby :)  The man who captures my heart like no one ever has or will.  I love you sweetheart.  Happy Birthday! 

Isn't it amazing how fast the phases of life fly by?  My boys seem to change right before my eyes.  And I must say that "it's just a phase" has become a staple phrase in my household.  The need for my 19 month old to always be at my side....just a phase.  The need for my 4 year old to always bite off the top of his Popsicle and save that bite until the very end....just a phase.  Realizing that dates with my husband are things of the past...just a phase.  These are the phases that will not leave us sad when they have run their course.  The other side?  There are phases to cherish.  Right now my children are filled with awe and wonder at most new things they see and learn.  I love this phase of innocence...like when Jack tells me that he wants to go to God's house up in heaven.  And he is going to get there on his rocket ship...that he bought at the rocket ship...

I've finally done it. I have started a blog. After much prompting from many of you I came to the conclusion that yes, this could be a good thing. A creative outlet for days that at times seem to lack any type of creativity whatsoever. So "Splash in the Rain Puddles". A title that is true to what I hope is my attitude in life. Life is a gift. There are always good things to be found in it. On rainy days when my 4 year old asks, "Mommy can I go play in the rain puddles?", I want my response to be "yes, and I'm coming with you!!" It is so easy to get bogged down with the busyness of my days, the challenges of mothering little ones, the somewhat overwhelming task of living out holiness in an unholy world. But at the end of the day, there is joy. Joy when I kiss my babies good night and when they come running for hugs in the morning, joy when my husband walks in the door after a long day of work, joy in the quietness of the morning when I meet with Jesu...