It works!

Apparently it is our computer or internet (A.L. - I could use your live-in computer guy!) that rejects my every attempt to open Blogger.  I am on my parents' computer at their house, and Blogger likes me again.  Maybe I will have to post things on Sundays when we come.  I have been trying to post some pictures on Facebook for grandparents and great grandparents to see, so check there if you'd like to see the kiddos. :) 

We are back in the swing of things with Lily in second grade, Eli in Kindergarten, and Kaylee wanting to "do school" too. :)  We've got 2 weeks under out belts.  So far, so good!  Girl Scouts, ballet, running club, and events with the homeschool group will be in full swing soon. 

I am in a weird place that I am not very accustomed to right now.  I am not pregnant or breastfeeding or potty training.  As far as we know we don't have any moves or job changes in the immediate future.  Since we've been married something "big" is always coming up or happening.  Now, ????  Funny how I thought for so long that I just wanted "normal" or "stable," and now I don't know what to do with that.  Jon's hours can still be a little weird and unpredictable, but in many senses I think this is what "normal" is.  Of course my days are still full, but this just feels different.  I find myself asking God, "Now what?"  I wonder if there is something, or if it is a time to be more settled and restored?  I can't articulate what this all feels like even to myself, so this is perhaps super confusing since you aren't in my head. :)  Would you pray for me (for all of us) as we walk in this previously uncharted territory?

Our littlest one just got out of the pool and needs help putting dry clothes on, so that's my cue to sign off. :)

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A great article for mamas to read:

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A little excerpt...

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Okay, now go read the whole thing :)

Again! Again!

Last night I read to our kids the section in our Helping Children Understand the Gospel booklet about God being the sovereign creator of all things.  It started off with a bang as the first scripture reference was a favorite of Lily and Eli's (Go ahead, read it out loud!  You'll see the way it feels rolling off your tongue :) ):

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Psalm 19:1

The illustration of this concept was a hit with all 3 kids.  So much so that I repeated it over and over last night, and again at the breakfast table this morning.  The book suggests paper and crayons, but we happened to be sitting by a chalkboard and chalk.  I started drawing a butterfly and then pretended the chalk said things to me like, "I don't want to draw a butterfly!"  Laughter like you wouldn't believe and the chance to talk about how just like it'd be crazy for the chalk to be in control, it would be foolish for us to believe we're in charge.  Sovereign creator is a big concept to wrap your brain around, but I think this helped give our kids a glimpse of what it means.

Meet Hopper {Pet For a Day}

 Meet Hopper.  I love how original our children are.  Creative geniuses I'm sure. :)

 He's kind of cute in that really slimy, gross kind of freaky-eyed way.

The sound of cicadas in our backyard was replaced with the sound of frogs.  Is there anywhere I can live where things that fly and hop don't invade our backyard?  If one or two creatures wanted to join us and let the kids torture them enjoy some hands on science, that'd be perfect.  It's just that I feel like we're living in Egypt during the time of Moses and the plagues.  It's a little beyond my comfort level to shine a flash light on a kiddie pool infested with frogs and then find thousands (I am not kidding.) of eggs and some type of clear goo all in the pool and pre-getting in the pool foot washing bin the next morning.  Nastiest thing I've seen since watching an army of cicadas crawl out of the ground.

I scrubbed that pool with a magic eraser and some heavy duty cleaner not wanting the kids to swim in such conditions.  Not fun or quick if you were wondering.  I did that on two separate occasions and then the frogs were done laying eggs.  The stinking (literally) water still looked like lake water though.  No doubt those frogs were partying in our pool still.  I told the kids it was like having a pond in our backyard.  They bought in to the excitement, and got in the nasty water.

I think I horrified Jon just a little at my frighteningly low standards for water cleanliness and lack in judgement.  He instantly told them not to drink it, not to even put their face near it.  Oh yeah, should have mentioned that.  I guess I just assumed that was understood.  Maybe not a safe assumption when you have kids who make choices such as putting a bandana over their eyes and walking around running into walls just to get a laugh from their siblings.

And in other backyard news, our kids like to make rides out of fallen tree branches.  It is likely K only has on a raincoat.  Again, low standards. ;o)

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.