Homemade Christmas

I read a post today on another blog about Christmas in July. The lady makes gifts for her children and starts them around this time of year in order to finish before December. She spends less, the gifts mean more and she has December to enjoy the season. I'm thinking of making things for the boys this year, but I'm not sure what. I think I'll make each of them a blanket since they love to snuggle (plus I already have the fabric for Ethan's and Elijah's). I think boys are a little more difficult to craft for anyways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

Any ideas? Leave me a comment...I look forward to hearing from you!

One of those days...

This morning started off great. The boys got up, we ate decent breakfasts and then the boys played around for awhile. I distinctly remember Elijah saying, "Look, Ma," and "cranking" his diaper box with a key. My key. The only key to my car. The only key that can even get me into the car for the next eight days. I didn't think anything about it, espcially since he always leaves his keys in his car.

Ezra took a nap, I bathed and when he woke up we all ate a little lunch. After lunch, we all got dressed and at about 1.45 we were all ready to go. I was happy because I had planned to leave around 2. I needed to go by the bank for Ronnie, the register of deeds to get Ezra's birth certificate (for his lifetime hunting license that my parents buy the grandkids for their first birthdays), I was probably going to stop at Hobby Lobby and then go to my mom's and my grandma's before we returned home later this evening.

But at 1.45 all of my plans came to a staggering halt. I went to Elijah's car, but my keys weren't there. I looked around at the toys he'd been playing with. No keys. I looked where I normally keep them because he's actually good about putting things where they belong. No keys. I looked on my desk, under furniture, in the couch cushions, all around the recliner, everywhere I could look. I asked Elijah where they are. He claims he doesn't know. Great. So here it is 3.30 and I still have no key. I am beginning to believe that I will be stuck here for the next eight days with no way to venture out into my little corner of the world.

I'll be honest. I got really mad. Like super frustrated. I have stuff I have to get done. Why couldn't he just show me what he did with the key? I went to my room, but the longer I was in there the madder I got. I called Ronnie, but he just irritated me because he was on the phone with me, but talking to someone he was with (yeah, he's at work, he kinda has to do that regardless of what's going on with me), I tried looking some more. Everything in this house started to tick me off. I was literally about to explode. I could feel it coming. I had to get out of here.

I looked at Ethan and asked him if he would watch his brothers for just a few minutes because Mama had to chill. He agreed and off I went out the door. Not like I was gonna drive away, right? I just needed some fresh air. I figured I'd check the mail since it probably hadn't been checked since last week this time. And to my surprise I received a note from a dear friend. My mood started to lift. Getting that note made me smile. After I read the card, I tucked it back in it's envelope to preserve until later and as I did it began to rain. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of the fresh drops. I stopped and let the fat drops land on me. It felt good. I walked closer to the house and when the rain started falling real good, I twirled around like a little girl. Until I got dizzy. And when I stopped, before I opened my eyes, I heard a voice say, "Hey, it's raining and you're gonna get wet!" Snapped back to reality just like that.

But before I went back in, I made Ethan come out in the yard with me and we danced. Not long, but we twirled around together. It was fun to just let everything go and spin around for a moment with my amazing little boy. Who knows how much longer he'll do that with me. I mean, he starts kindergarten next month. After the rain washed my cares away and it really started to pour down, we headed inside, dried off and continued the search for my missing keys. Still no luck.

UPDATE
It's 7.45. Still. no. key. I have looked everywhere a two-year-old could possibly think to put a key. Wait. Maybe not. Because I still haven't found it. Err. I have asked silly questions. I have said we needed to go to Gran Jack's and did he want to go. I have asked him straight up where it is and he tells me it's in the car (which is locked and he hasn't even been outside today). I bribed him with ice cream. He even took me to where he "knew" it was, but it wasn't there. There being outside, on the ground, beside the car. I'm really losing my mind here. And my sweet grandma fussed at me saying I needed to go to WalMart and get a new key, should have had an extra. Thanks, Grandma. Didn't think of that one. So I tried explaining to the 75 year old that it has a special chip and costs a couple hundred per key. Still not sure she understood...probably still thinks I'm just stupid for not having an extra. Oh well.

ANOTHER UPDATE
I searched for the blasted keys all afternoon. I looked everywhere. And then everywhere again. Fridge, pantry, desk, tv stand, boys' rooms, my room, couches. No key. I knew there were some items accumulated  under the couch, in that section where that fabric stuff holds everything in. Aggravating when you need to get something out, that's for sure. I dug my hands down and drug out what I could, but still didn't have a key. Drastic circumstances call for drastic measures. I pulled out the scissors and cut a hole in the bottom of the couch. I pulled out a mag light, a rolling pin, no less than fifty matchbox cars, a dinosaur, enough batteries to open my own Energizer store, part of a candy cane, a pen, a ball pit ball, half a bag of bag clips I bought at Ikea, a watch and I can't remember what all else. No lie. Promise that was all in the bottom of my couch. I found a key. Not the one I wanted though. (Later Ronnie told me it is the key that can unlock, but not crank the van.) I saw a couple of pieces of felt hanging on the side of the couch that I would be able to reach from the top so I left them to get once I flipped the couch upright again. I finished cleaning out the bottom, flipped the couch, stuck my hand down to get the felt, and WAIT A MINUTE! Right there, where I should have felt them ten times already, were my keys! Holy cow! So at 9.30 tonight, after looking all afternoon/evening I found my stupid key. Grandma and I sat and laughed about it for awhile. (She's so sweet, came over to hang out since we couldn't go anywhere.) I am so happy to have found it. Guess I'll be looking into forking over a couple hundred for that extra key now.

Dear Future Daughters-In-Law

I promise I'm doing all I can to make my sons the best husbands and fathers that they can be. Tonight I thought I would teach them how to properly scratch a woman's back. Hey, my back itched and Ronnie isn't home to do it. Ethan developed the plan that he would scratch the top and Elijah the bottom. Cool, I'll take it. But then he instructed Elijah to "do it like this, with your claws." Wait! Your claws? Pretty sure I have a 2 year old sized streak down my back now. But in order to teach him not to do this, I gave him a second chance. This time, Elijah went straight to the love handle and it tickled, so I giggled. My mistake. He found this incredibly funny and there went my back scratch for the night. If this is the only flaw they have, I feel you'll have yourself a pretty good man. I'm trying my best to make sure of it.

Faithfulness

Ronnie has been home from work for five days and during that time he has preached twice, Wednesday evening and this afternoon at the rest home. The major theme in his two sermons was faithfulness. And how being faithful is the most simple, yet the most difficult thing for us to do. God has promised to give us all that we need and provide for us and all He asks in exchange is for us to love Him and do His will. So simple. But so few are able to do it. We get caught up in trying to do everything ourselves.

Since the end of May I have been struggling with the decision to stay home this year or go back to work. It seems that no matter where I turn I read things or hear things about how God is faithful to provide our needs, but I kind of pushed them to the back of my mind. Instead, I spent my time calculating and recalculating the monthly bills with Ronnie's income, trying to figure out ways that I could make money while staying with the boys, developing plans for how I would deliver and pick up three children in various places and teach 80+ other children each day all while maintaining a home with a husband out of town many days.

Ronnie's sermon Wednesday hit me hard. I even asked him why he drug me to church to preach to me when he could have done it at home. We talked about it some this week while we were on vacation, but we didn't really set anything in stone. Then after his sermon this afternoon we talked some more and decided that I would make a few phone calls tomorrow to find out some information relating to my work. But then this evening as I had a few quiet moments and was reading through a few blogs, I found a link to a page on Facebook called Above Rubies. I started reading and checked out the administrator's beliefs and then I found this passage:

I CAN’T AFFORD TO WORK

Today I answer another comment from the post, I LOVE HOME. A mother writes, “I wish that this was the case for me, but we can't afford for me to stay home.” Why are these words such a common reply? I think it is because we feel we have to take things into our own hands to make it work. We don’t think that God is able! That’s the bottom line. 

That’s rather challenging, isn’t it? Especially when we read the words in Psalm 78:19-22, “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? … Can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people? … Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth… because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.”

When we don’t believe that God can provide, we are really confessing that we don’t trust Him and that He s not sufficient for our needs. And yet, isn’t He God? The God of the universe. The God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The God who has promised to provide for the fruit of the womb.

I know it can be scary when you wonder where the next meal is coming from. And we all go through seasons, just as Paul did (Philippians 4:11-13). There were times when he abounded and times when he was abased. We’ve faced the same thing many times. I remember one time in my life when we had no money coming in and I thought that I would help out the situation! Help, Nancy Campbell didn’t trust God! Shame!

I could never imagine my getting a full time job out of the home, but I thought I’d do a few cleaning jobs to bring in a little extra (my children were mostly grown by this time). I was dutifully doing this when a woman of God challenged me. She said I was actually blaspheming the Word of God and not being an example to the younger women. At first, I was most put out. “Who does she think she is?” I thought. “She doesn’t know our situation.”

But, then the Holy Spirit used her words to speak into my heart. I realized she was right! I confessed to the Lord and immediately stopped these little jobs that took me out of the home. The amazing thing is that it didn’t change a thing! I noticed no difference when I was trying to bring in a little extra money than when I trusted God! God could do better than what I could do!

Why is it we think we can do a better job than God? God doesn’t require sacrifice, but obedience. When we obey Him and trust Him we will experience His faithfulness. That doesn’t mean we will always be abounding, but we will never starve!

To the dear mothers in this situation where you are out working and yet long to be home, I want to encourage you. Please, take a step of faith and obedience. You will wait for the rest of your life for the circumstances to be right before you can come home! Your circumstances will never be perfect. You will never think you have enough money without your wage. You have to take a step of faith. You have to act in obedience. You have to give your notice, and then you will see what God can do.

While you try to do it in your own strength, God has to step back and let you do it your way. He can only show you His faithfulness and His provision when you let Him take over! Try it and see! I would love to hear the hundreds of testimonies from those who have seen God’s provision as they have taken this step of faith.

Instead of “we can’t afford for me to stay home, “ my husband always says, “We can’t afford for my wife to be in a career and leave the home. Too much is at stake!” When the mother is out of the home, the enemy and destroyer of souls has a chance to influence our children. We as mothers are watch dogs of our children and our homes. A watch dog is of no worth if he is not at home. We can’t leave our post. Our children, the nation, and future generations are dependent on us!


I seriously sat at the computer and cried. Ronnie got worried and wanted to know what was going on, thinking someone had sent me an upsetting message or something. I didn't know what else to say so I read the passage to him. His only comment was, "So, do you know what you have to do?" 


What an awesome and amazing God we serve! He knows what we need and when to deliver it to us!

Summer Mischief

Living with three boys who are five and under is quite the adventure. There are days that they are good as gold; the days they do what I say, we do fun activities and they share. Then are the days that they don't listen to a word, fight over every single thing and just really grate on my nerves. But you can't appreciate the good without the bad, right? Here are a couple examples of the good and the bad, but still funny once you look back.

Here are Elijah and Ezra being sweet while they cuddle in the recliner. 

Ezra chillin like he's a big kid...cracks me up!

And sometimes his big brothers share their toys, like the Transformer with small parts that he really shouldn't be playing with. Oh well, he likes it. 

Then there are the numerous times that one of them gets into the jelly or peanut butter and makes an absolute mess while I'm dealing with something else. You would think they're starving, but they're not. They decide they want a peanut butter and jelly and I can forget getting to it before they have it EVERYWHERE! 

Oh well. I love my little boogers and I wouldn't trade them or their dirty, messy boy ways for anything!

A Fishing We Will Go

On Sunday (July 8), Ronnie had decided he was going fishing or else. So he loaded poles and tackle boxes and all of us and off we went. The little lake we went to was quiet, not a soul around, but me and my boys.

This was the little dock we set up on.

Ethan bringing his gear. 

It was HOT. Elijah stayed hydrated.

This here is the best fishing pole ever. Seriously, this pole has out-fished any that Ronnie has ever had every time he has taken it fishing. 

 Ethan caught the first one of the day!

Then Elijah caught his first one.

Ezra didn't catch his own. I tried to work with him, but he is much too wiggly. But he did get a good look at some of his brothers' fish.

 Have I mentioned that it was HOT?!

Elijah was cheesin' while we took a break at the picnic table.

Ethan concentrating on catching the next trophy fish.

Then he saw me so he posed.

 I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but it was HOT! Ezra was hot and tired and didn't want much to do with any of us, but Elijah was too sweet and tried to console him anyway.

 Elijah caught another fish after our little break. 

 Ezra cracked me up on this one. Not sure if he's going to stick his tongue out when he concentrates like my brother or if he thought the fish looked yummy.

Even though it was a little warm, I mean a lot HOT, the boys and Ronnie had a good time and that's what matters. Love to see them all having fun together!

VBS

Looking back through my posts I realized that I had uploaded pictures, but never blogged about this year's Vacation Bible School. So, here goes...

The theme this year was Adventures on Promise Island and the kids learned about the promises that God has made to us as Christians. The boys had a great time hanging out with friends, singing, watching the preacher's skits, studying God's Word, snacking, crafting and playing, It was a fun-filled week of learning and I'm so glad that my kids have the opportunity to attend VBS. 

Ethan was old enough this year to do everything on his own. I rarely saw him at VBS, but he always had a smile on his face. And he had plenty to talk about once we got home.

This was Elijah's last year in the baby class, but I think he enjoyed all the love and attention he got in there. 

Ezra got his fair share of attention in the baby class, too. I really didn't have to keep up with either one of them because everybody else was loving on them.

Brother had a good time, too!

Bryson

Daniela (and Baby Abigail)

We had a church full of kids! And it was awesome!

Brandon is quite the instigator.

And we were all so happy Ronnie made it home to be with us Friday night.

Field Trip - Museum of Natural Sciences

On Saturday the 7th we drove the boys up to Raleigh to the museum to see dinosaurs. Around my house we know a lot about dinosaurs (for a five year old), but we hadn't seen a skeleton up close and personal. We gave Ethan the option the night before of going here or to a cool park and he enthusiastically chose the museum. But on the way he was getting tired of riding and exclaimed about half way there, "I shouldn't have chose the museum!" I think once we got there he changed his mind, however, and was glad that we went.

First look at the place and a couple of whale skeletons.

(And Elijah picking his nose.)

Inside of some huge tree.

These extra large marbles were made with the various granites found in NC. 

Our little trooper did fairly well in the stroller.

A T-Rex head!

This thing was huge!

All three of my babies could fit in his one footprint!

Then Ethan wanted to pose.

So Elijah had to as well.

We went to a 3D movie about dinosaurs. 

Ronnie got excited over the honey bee exhibit. 

Our honey.

After a day at the museum we drove around Raleigh a little. We showed Ethan the Capitol Building (Elijah was already asleep so we didn't get out to explore.), the we drove through campus at NC State and made a pit stop in Apex for supper and shopping.

We made it back home in time to see the fire works my cousin set off at his dad's old place and then we called it a day.