REFLECTIONS from this mother

   Heartfelt sentiments from Benjamin and Catherine

    May I treasure each day for I am richly blessed!

Benjamin, my only son, and oh how love him.  I treasure his passion, his quick mind, his potential...

Catherine, my tender spirited girl.  I long to desire the Lord as she does.  

How I delight in Mary Scott's smile.  And she's my feisty one!

The sheer joy that baby Anna brings me!  I love meeting the needs of this little one.

Sweet Sisters!  How I pray the Lord will knit their hearts in a tight bond to one another.

This man, my man... greatest Daddy in the world!!  How I joy in being his wife.

These girls... I just love 'em!

These moments when Benjamin and Catherine have so much fun together... I love it!

Catherine is such a sweet sister.  We all love kissing Anna's cheeks!

On this side of Mother's Day, I find my heart reflective.  Yesterday was a sweet day, a day when my precious husband and children made it their aim to make me feel special.  After church, we went to lunch... Macaroni Grill... YUM!  Though it was Mother's Day, our lunch was colored by the normal stuff that a meal out with 4 children displays... voices too loud, nearly turned over glasses of water, trip to the car to nurse a baby just as our meal was brought, crayon marks on table cloth.  There were also those precious moments... excitement about a yummy lunch, looking at my children's beautiful faces as we sat around the table together, Brian as he diligently tended to every one's needs in an effort to give me a break, the children having fun coloring on the paper that covered our table and me getting to teach Benjamin and Catherine how to draw a palm tree.  It was a sweet lunch together.  During our time there, Brian asked me a question that I've played over in my mind several times since.  He asked, "What is it about being a mom that you most enjoy?"  In the moment, I didn't have some well thought out reply.  I said something like this, "I love watching our children play when they are getting along and just having fun together, and I love when they're kind to one another."  And yes, I do enjoy and treasure those times.  But there's so much more.

I enjoy encouraging my children, guiding them, cheering them on.  I love holding my children in my lap, snuggling them close and telling them how much I love them.  I am thankful that I'm able to be involved in all the things they do... school, sports, church.  I love that our family is close and that we do nearly everything together.  I am so grateful that I can pray to a faithful God for my children.

Proverbs 31:28 says, "Her children rise up and call her blessed."

So many days, most days in fact,  I feel so undeserving of their blessings... days when my patience is short, my words are snappy, my hands are too busy to offer the tender touch they need.  Those days when I am clearly not gaining my strength from the Lord Almighty and not being guided by his Holy Spirit.  Oh how I regret these instances.  Yet through God's grace, my children do bless me.  Benjamin has said, "I love that no matter what has been going on in mom's day, she always has a smile for us when she picks us up from school."  Mary Scott will say, "You're my best mama."  And Catherine will tell me, "Mama, you're such a good mama."  Anna will smile the sweetest smile at me, one that radiates love.  In moments when my children are speaking blessings over me, the enemy is whispering in my other ear all his lies that aim to discourage me.  That I even give him the chance to have his way makes me want to scream.  I know Satan would love nothing more than to steal the very joy of mothering that Christ has for me.  Am I perfect?   oh... far, far from it.  But that is the beauty of grace.

In the months and years ahead as God allows me to bless my children, my prayer is that my words and deeds will bring Christ glory.  After all, that is what this gift of motherhood is all about.  Not to gain the praises of others or even to view myself as a good mom.  But to bring glory to the Lord... as I serve my children, as I instruct them in the ways of Jesus, as I discipline them, as I celebrate and have fun with them, as they see me being a loving and devoted wife to Brian.  Oh Lord I pray that as I walk humbly before you and abide in you, that my words and deeds toward my children and husband will be laced with LOVE... the kind of love that took you to the cross.  And that in these things you will gain much glory.

1st Trip to the Pool

          Benjamin waiting for the bucket to dump

                                                  SPLASH!

I wonder what Catherine is thinking about...

                                  practicing the back stroke

                                   Mary Scott is enjoying it now

                   It's so fun running through the fountains!

This afternoon, we took the children up to our little pool in our neighborhood.  It was our first time to go this year.  It was fun seeing how excited they were about going.  Of course, Benjamin and Catherine jumped right in.  Mary Scott, on the other hand, had to observe for a little while.  But before long, she was playing in the water and having a big time.  It was a nice way to cool off on a hot afternoon.

at the baseball field

I was anxious to try out my camera at the ball field today.  These are some of the pictures I captured.  I've got so much to learn but at least I can get good pictures while I'm figuring out how to get awesome ones.  We'll see!  As for the game... Benjamin played well.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

These are some of the first pictures I took with my new camera... sweet baby Anna

and Catherine snapped this one of Mary Scott and me

I am so thankful to be living out my dream of being a mom.  Since I was a little girl, my heart's desire was to grow up and be a wife and a mother.  And although I get overwhelmed sometimes, it is with great joy that I serve my Lord through serving my husband and my children.  What a deep honor it is.

So for this Mother's Day... Brian and the children gave me an awesome gift - a new camera- a Nikon D40 (digital SLR).  They gave it to me Friday evening, so today, I've been snapping pictures like crazy.  Some of the first ones I took this morning were of Anna.  So far I've just used the automatic focus with all the pre-settings.  There is so much I want to learn about the different setting options and how to get even better pictures, especially in regard to lighting.  And how to get more creative with my pics - get out of the rut of "okay, everybody look at me and smile."  I'm sure this process of learning is likely to be slow, but I'm excited.  And I can hardly wait to snap pictures on the beach this year which is by far my favorite place to take pictures.  Just call me the mad picture lady... I'm sure I'll settle down a little at some point.  But for now,  I'm gonna be capturing every little thing!  And having fun with it.

Anna's pulling up

It was so fun yesterday... I put Anna in her crib and was putting some laundry away in her room.  Next thing I knew, she had pulled up and was standing in her crib.  I was so proud of her.  And of course the rest of the family had to come and cheer for her.  She was so cute with a big old smile on her face.  I think she knew she had done something big.

Sprucing up our Powder Room

Our powder room is the only room downstairs that we haven't painted.  And it's not that I don't want to paint... I do.  It just hasn't happened yet.  So last week,  I decided to try and spruce it up a little bit, add a little color, a little more interest.  My only "big purchase" ($30 from Homegoods) was getting a new mirror, a framed one rather than the unframed oval one that was in there when we bought the house.  I also picked up a couple new towels in my favorite robin's egg blue color family.  And I got a very inexpensive little towel ring from Hobby Lobby to hang low so that Mary Scott could easily dry her hands.  I was so tired of finding the towel on the floor.  Thankfully, this has fixed the problem.  I haven't seen the towel on the floor a single time since, yay!  I also hung a crate on the wall that I found on clearance at TJ Maxx to serve as a shelf and then accessorized with books, shells and such that I already had.  Underneath the shelf I tied together some sticks and then tied on a quote printed from my computer - a quote that I came across on a blog I enjoy - it spoke to my heart.  The bamboo ladder was a treasure I bought at the beach last year, and it is perfect as a magazine rack.  

Although nothing I did was spectacular or expensive... I'm pleased with it.  A little beachy, a lot cottagy - just my style... at least for now.

Learning to Crawl

I'm not sure if I should officially say Anna is crawling.  She certainly isn't doing it full speed ahead yet.  But every so often she gets all her movements coordinated, and I catch her crawling a little bit.  Last week, I took a few short videos (not great quality) of her learning to crawl.  It amazes me at just how much little ones learn in their first year to year and a half of life.

Random Pics to share

                       Looking at an airplane up in the sky

Practicing some yoga moves (I should join her!) 

LITTLE SNAGGLE-TOOTHED GIRL

The first of Catherine's top teeth to be loose, her front left one, has been hanging on by a string.  But when she greeted me after Sunday school yesterday, I saw a little snaggle-toothed girl.  She really looks cute.  If she's said it once, she's said it a hundred times, "I can't believe my tooth came out.  My mouth really looks different."  She pulled it all by herself and has been so excited.

Little Discoveries

Sunday afternoon, I was out in the yard with my girls doing a little gardening.  It was fun watching Anna explore the grass, the pine straw... the naturals of the outdoors... touching, tasting.  And Mary Scott had fun with bubbles, trying to get Anna to look at them each time she sent one into the air.  Most of the time, Catherine was turning cart wheels and such - she's my forever flipper.  It was wonderful being outside.

Benjamin's 1st Baseball Game of the 2009 Season

Benjamin's 3 little sisters at the game to cheer him on

We were at the baseball field Saturday morning for the kick-off of this '09 season.  It was a beautiful morning and quite warm, at least 80 - 85 degrees... makes me wonder where Spring has gone.  Benjamin played a great game.  He had some good stops, throws and hits.  One thing he and his team need to work on is running to 1st base and not slowing down before they get there.  That's what these early years are about... learning how to play the game.  Brian is the assistant coach which he enjoys.  I really enjoy watching the kids play their different sports.  I always want to be their biggest fan.  Way to go, Benjamin, on a great game to start the season.

 

36 YEARS OLD

Saturday was an extra special day because we got to celebrate Brian's birthday... #36.  It just doesn't seem possible for him to already be turning the corner towards forty, and let's leave it at saying I'm not too far behind him.  Everyday, but especially on his birthday, I find my heart filled with immeasurable thankfulness for him... for his birth, his life, his wonderful up-bringing, his love for the Lord, his faithfulness to me and to our family, his friendship, his hard work, his dedication to our children... and the list goes on.  How richly blessed I am to have him as my husband, companion, friend.  

We started the morning with a special breakfast - a couple different kinds of muffins, scrambled eggs, strawberries, coffee and juice.  I kept asking Brian what "yummy" he wanted me to make for him, and he just couldn't decide on anything.  In the end, he decided a grilled chicken salad sounded good for dinner so I "whipped that up."  And the thought of a delicious ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery was right up his alley.  We saved going for ice cream until Sunday after church.  As usual, the ice cream was fabulous and enjoying it under a shade tree by a fountain made our time together even more fun.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET HEART! 

ALL TUCKERED OUT

The other afternoon, Benjamin came running to me exclaiming, "Mama, Mary Scott has fallen asleep on the stairs."  So I went to check it out, and there I found her, sound asleep on the bottom step.  So cute!  All this playing just tuckers a little girl out.  She doesn't routinely take naps anymore... that seemed to go out the door around the age of 3 when her passy went bye-bye.  But sometimes when she gets still or is simply too grumpy for me to take another minute,  she'll take advantage of napping.  So this particular afternoon, the kids were enjoying a little Hermy singing video, she got still on the bottom step, and it was off to dream land.

The World of Play

I just love watching my children play.  It totally fascinates me... their sense of imagination, the way they can enter another world for a while, the way they learn so much through play.  I love the way that childhood offers a  lack of responsibility that gives a certain freedom to play with abandon, uninhibited.

Such it was on this particular afternoon... and I'm so glad I had the chance to capture it in a photo.  Mary Scott and this little pig were having a swell of a time together.  She would climb up on the little pig's back talking to him in the gentlest of ways, and scoot him along on the hardwoods as though they were riding off somewhere extra special.  And indeed, I enjoyed sitting back watching the story play out... it was wonderful. 

MOWING THE GRASS 101

Funny how children dream of the day they get to do certain "grown up" things... the very things that make our to-do lists endless.  One of those things for Benjamin has been cutting the grass.  I sort of see it as a right of passage, a sign that my little boy, my first born and only son is indeed growing up.  So with Benjamin at the ripe age of almost 9 1/2, Brian began the teaching process... mowing the grass 101.  I'm sure this training will go on for sometime being how particular Brian is about how the grass is cut.  And I don't think Benjamin was quite as excited about it after doing it.  Actually, he was worn out - hard work pushing that mower around the yard.  So we'll see how it progresses but at least he's learning.  Way to go Benjamin!