Our Family Circus

With the warm temperatures, it was time to switch out the winter for the summer clothes! It is like Christmas as the children are reunited with favorites or find new favorites to wear. This outfit was the top pick for Dolly! And this outfit (or should I say her brother's hand me down pjs) was Miss B's top pick. I heard My Dear instruct her to put shoes on as she walked outside in her " outfit." She got a bit upset and said, "But I am a firetruck and firetrucks don't wear shoes!" Then the voice of wisdom said, "then you need tires!" Apparently, she likes white walls! Our Dolly had a date planned with My Dear and eagerly awaited her time to go! My Dear works hard to maintain time with the children despite his work schedule. Even an oil change becomes an opportunity to talk.

1. Train your hand to hold up 4 fingers! This is essential for taking the first picture of our now 4 year old. 2. Direct (or should I say, command) the decorating for the fan club coming over later. If it is a party, it has got to look like one! Big sisters are GREAT at this and big brothers reach much higher to hang streamers. 3. To insure you get presents. Remind your mom to buy you some a week or so ahead of your birthday. Then remind her of what she already bought you and said you could have it, "on your birthday." Insist that you wrap that gift she forgot and decorate the paper with rolls of princess stamps. 4. Take your BFF to Chuck E. Cheese the night before to play games. Giggle lots! Get daddy's tickets to get big prizes and remind your mom to bring the camera...next time! 5. Wake everyone up to get them to help you bake cake and brownies. 6. Wash the fun decorations you have chosen for your cake. 7. Lick the fun decorations clean after blowing out the candles. ...

I have told you about bb before. BB is a small blanket that our Little Miss B. carries. She uses it mainly at nap time but for many other "hard times" she brings it along. The bb used to be pink but it is now an indescribable color although we still refer to it as being pink. Last week the bb was hauled often. Not sure why more that week then this week....but aren't some days, weeks, months....just like that. The bb has been tossed on the kitchen table, dropped on the kitchen floor and even taken to the bathroom. I asked if I could have it to wash because frankly, it was grossing me out!!! It resembled more of a rag then a blanket. As I looked at that nasty, filthy dirty blanket held close to the face of our precious daughter I knew she did not care how dirty it was. She loves her bb! Isn't it just like God. He created us perfectly. He had plans set for us and directions in the Bible for us to follow. We are all clean, pink, soft, and beautiful. But then,...

When my parents moved south leaving my brother the blessing of their "stuff." I asked about the nativity my mother set up when we were children. No one knew exactly where it was, but had their ideas. This summer, I ventured into my brother's attic to find Barbie, Little People, and Strawberry Shortcake that my mother had saved for her grandchildren. But among the rubble, I saw the old nativity. It was so beautiful to me as a child and was always placed higher then our little hands could reach. My mom was there, so I immediately asked if I could have it. The nativity is not expensive. It is not exactly Biblically accurate, but I love that I only found 2 magi because we know of 3 gifts does not mean that there were 3 men. The men are not in this picture because they did not see the baby at the birth spot but at his home. I enjoyed setting up the nativity. I looked at each piece noting the price tags of simple amounts on the figures and displaying it as accurate...

What an exciting weekend! Dolly enjoyed her first sleep over. We ate and laughed with our small group and I got to share once again about what I saw God doing in VNam and in my life while I was there. AND the girls took their stuffed animals to have a sleep over at that library. No, the girls did not sleep over but the animals did! B. chose to take Sharky . She took a BB type blanket along with Sharky for the night. She did not like the idea of leaving Sharky there but, did not realize we had done so until it was too late . Mental note, 3 year olds are more then willing to take their toys places but they want to come home with them as well. The girls made picture frames while they were there. They returned this morning to get their animals and the picture frames they made along with a little treat! (sorry for the poor scanning job.) Surprisingly, Sharky likes the very same book B. does! He also sat at the computer and listened to Mercer Mayer's Just My Grandma and Me while h...

The little ladies enjoyed a picnic lunch this weekend. We awoke to cooler weather and both girls were excited about wearing jackets. The hood was likely not necessary but hey, they are excited about jacket weather! I noticed this little Barbie shoe in the back window of My Dear's car. Made me smile! We would have never dreamed we would have a single Barbie shoe in our possession 10 years ago and that it would be on display in our car window. I know it is fuzzy but for some reason I love this picture! Took several pictures of those tiny hands wrapped around the neck of her hero but just could not capture the innocence of them. The little girls sure loves that man, but so do I! Proof that even princesses need an education. It was way fun to go to a couple of yard sales dressed as royalty . Seeing that Dolly has never met a stranger, she and her dress made lots of friends. Each child had a dollar that they received in the mail. Billy bought ski gloves for a quarter. Dolly...

I have used The Power of a Praying Parent as a guide to pray over our children. But God has spoken to my heart specific prayer request for each of them. For Billy, I pray that he will have a love and deep understanding of the Word. I recall when I saw it being answered. Billy was reluctant to do his school work. I began reading the next chapter we had been reading in the Bible. Billy begged me to read more even though he had finished his handwriting assignment. By no means, is this prayer fulfilled but I see it playing out in Billy's life. When she was just an infant, God spoke to my heart on Dolly's behalf. My prayer for Dolly is that people would be attracted to her so that she could share salvation found through Jesus. We pray that God will use her pretty face and beautiful heart for His purposes. My prayers for Miss B. are that she will love people with the love that only Christ can give and that she looks upon people with compassion. As you can see, in her atte...

Dear nap time, Thank you for the precious couple of hours each school day that I could focus my attention on 2 sweet students. Thank you for the opportunity to hide away in the tiny classroom away from the phone, computer, door, and the dishes. Thank you for all of the exploring and discussions we had as we dove into books, charts, and maps. Thank you for the "pin drop" silence as we read through the wanderings of Moses and the battles of Joshua. Thank you for summer when school was eased to reading and relaxing on the couch. Thanks for the 2 days that I actually took a nap myself! Oh, thank you nap time! I saw what I was missing! I did not care to miss out on the free movie at the theater or the school aged activities at the library because nap time was well worth it. Thank you for allowing me some one-on-one time with a sweet little blond and instructions in Legos from our Man Cub. Thank you for the clean floor that I was able to find within those sweet hours. Thank you f...

Well, it is gone! We took down the crib today. Between Billy and Dolly, there was no time to take it down! We took it down for a year or so before B. arrived. We have used the crib off and on for 8 years! This time taking it down feels different. I wonder if we will ever put it up again. I wonder if our next child will be a baby,preschooler, school aged child or if we will only be Spiritual parents again. The easiest part of the wondering is that I don't have to know! God knows so we will wait on Him and hang on to the crib just in case. Not sure who would want Dolly's chewing marks on their crib anyway....but I sure love them! The children were so excited to celebrate the "big girl bed" with B. They washed it off from storage and all piled in. At this moment, our tiny B. is sleeping soundly in her big girl bed, which is tiny, just like her!

I am less then eager to take the nativities and Christmas tree down this year. I love hearing 2 year old Blake yell, "there Dezus(Jesus)" or "more Dezus" when she sees a nativity. When praying at night she will pray for "More Dezus" as if that is His name, but what a great prayer....praying for more Jesus and less us, in our lives. My friend read in Home Life magazine last year a cool idea she suggested I share with you. Instead of throwing Christmas cards away or taking them to the recycling center, put the cards in a basket and pull a card out each week to pray for that sender(s.) What a great idea!! If you sent us a card or put a card on a gift.....we will be praying for you this year! If we don't have enough cards to get through the year, we will repeat so you might get 2 weeks of prayer out of us! Hey, if you are glad Michele shared this idea-post a shout out to her! When we draw out a card, we will be praying that the sender knows Jesus as their ...

A friend once asked me if I faced Spiritual Warfare on Mondays. Her simple question made me realize that Thursdays were far worse! Wednesday night is AWANA night so on Thursdays, Satan liked to rough me up a bit. I knew they were hard, but had not considered why. Once I realized, I faced the day differently. I kept my expectations low for the day. I stick my Bible in the bathroom and grab a read at my appointed time (don't knock it, until you try it!) The sad thing is, Spiritual Warfare makes me anxious and bitter. My patience is less and frankly, I, and the family who has to live with me, are NOT fans of Spiritual Battle! Sunday night, I had the privilege of singing in an adult Christmas Performance. I have always wanted to do one but babies and My Dear's schedule have ruled it out in the past. This year, I went for it! It was work for me but I SO enjoyed it! When I worship, I move and I got to do just that, sing and sway. At one part in the production, I was unable to sing my...

It has been a week (+/- a few days) of first for Miss Blake! First Oreo Cookie...that I recall although someone could have slipped her one without my knowing. Can I still call it an Oreo even though it is store brand or do I have to say "sandwich cookie?" It just is not the same! She also did a number in the bathroom but I did not take a picture of that, you can thank me later. I do appreciate her optimism in that she calls it "do-do." Nice isn't it, seeing she could have named it "No Way!" or "Won't-Won't!" Gives me hope! Oh, this is the BEFORE picture... Blake's first haircut!! The whole gang was excited about this one! I know the picture is fuzzy but I wanted to capture how all of "the firsts" are well attended! The big kids want to be there to capture her responses too. They had already had their turn in the chair so Blake was asking for a turn too! So sweet! She could not take her eyes off of herself in the mirror!...

No matter how tough the day has been, there are so many stages in my life that I want to savor and not forget. I am constantly reminded how quick 18 years can pass and each step of the way, our children will need us less and less. This morning, I walked around my nicely swept kitchen and rounded the bar to where our son had prepared a bowl of Cheerios. When I sat down, my socks had Cheerios clinging to them. Usually, it is my midsection food hangs on to but now it is my socks. One day my house will be tidy and Cheerio free. I took the above picture this summer when the neighborhood boys came inside to play. I don't want to forget the young feet that have felt welcomed and safe in our home. Nor do I want to forget how Lydia's pink shoes fit into the pile. I don't want to forget the piles of bibs that come out of a load of Miss Blake's laundry. I usually have to wash just to keep her in bibs. I treasure the memory of crawling into bed one night and My Dear's feet bein...

Okay, so it is actually a little more than a day but, here goes... Lydia discovered a "beautiful dress" in her closet. This is the dress that my niece Amber wore in our wedding 13 years ago. Lydia felt like royalty . The lace got hung on her shoe and ripped while wearing it on Sunday. She said, "Well, at least I got to wear it once!" She reminds me of that Amber too! (This picture is the exception to the rule, but then again so are those girls!) Ms. B is finally changing sizes along with the weather. I drug out some of her cousin's hand-me-downs. Ryleigh is a week older but a year ahead in size-and we are reaping the benefits! B. put these shoes on all by herself. I grabbed the camera and asked if I could take a picture of her new shoes and this is what I got! They are cute, really, they are! Look at her shirt...more teeth are on the way and they brought a runny nose with them! This Lego creation is one he is most proud of. He took probably 7 pic...

Dear Baby Blake, Tonight, I watched you clean your brother and sister's room. You spotted my doing so and joined in, putting things in their proper places. I left the room, but you did not stop until the Little People toys were in their place. You picked up dirty clothes to place in a drawer until I told you they were dirty, then you turned to the hamper in the closet. The big kids were preparing for bed, each in a bathroom, they did not see you, but I did. As they got into their beds Lydia requested water. I assured her I would get it but you left the room to retrieve an empty cup and brought it to her. We continued to read and pray together when you left and returned again with an empty sports bottle assuming Clay would need a drink too. When Clay suggested cough syrup instead you accompanied me to the kitchen. You waited as I prepared a tiny cup. Then reached for it to make your delivery. I walked away with the medication-you will understand this as you get older. Yo...

B., so proud that mama understood that she wanted yogurt as a snack. She retrieved her own bowl and attempted to open the fridge. She gets so excited when we understand that she "jumps," which is not quite off of the floor yet. Our little lady, is just that- little! In fact at 20 months old, she has yet to reach 20lbs and has to eat her drive- thru burger in her rear facing carseat (before you freak please know that she has a sibling beside her and looking at her from the back of the minivan.) Her clothes may say, size 12 months but she is becoming a 2 year old! I am a BIG fan of 2! They are learning to do things themselves and began to communicate what did not come out of their mouths before-at least that is true for our babies. It is so fun! Because of her small frame, I forget what most children her age are doing. I can just pick her up and hold her with one hand-she is very conveniently packaged! BUT she is showing me! She mimics conversation. I don't know wha...

We often get compliments on our children's hair. My Dear does not have any and I try to keep my dark hair short. Much to our surprise, our son has red hair! We both love red heads so we totally took that hair as a gift from God. When our daughter began to grow hair, wild blond curls popped out all over her head, which is a direct reflection of her passionate personality! When baby #3 arrived with the announcement, "it's a red head!" We both said, "NO WAY!" I think that red curls would just be the best of both worlds. Look what I spotted on her little head today!