Day With QB

We didn't want to send QB on a class field trip today, so instead of sending him to school to sit with another class all day, we told him he could stay home. I have been looking forward to this for a long time because I never get time just with him. And Kicker could not have been more excited to have him home. So what did we do all day???

The day started with:
Lego StarWars...in all their manly glory... Then:
Donuts of coarse, because the boys run on Dunkin... Then:
I took the younger two to my moms and QB went with me to do my weekly work at school. We put together books for Centers class to color.
He made copies for her class too. He also stuffed the weekly envelopes that go home every Monday for Receivers class. We had a fun time just the two of us and it was a great opportunity for us to talk about serving others. Then it was home to build a mote in the sand box. They left the lid off over the weekend so it managed to fill up with a good amount of water.
But then he turned on the hose (a big no, no) and had to end the mote making to come in and clean his room. Which had Lego ships and train tracks all throughout it b/c of all the indoor play over the rainy weekend.
Then I let him vacuum. He loves to vacuum. :) That's my boy.
Then I made his favorite meal: Roasted chicken, rice, green beans and rolls. Yum. And it was served my favorite way... on paper plates.

He ended the night with his bedtime prayers, thanking God that he was 'able to spend time just him and Kicker doing fun stuff'. He's a sweet boy and I am very thankful for him and the time we got to spend together.

Baby Blue

What do you get when you cross a blue marker (cap left off) and a 12 month old...

Whats My Name Again?

So Monday night I was sitting on the couch going through the weekly barrage of papers my kids bring home from school and there was a form regarding school drop-off and pick-up for next year...

Seriously, already. I haven't even figured out what we are doing for spring break...

Anyway, I was going along writing phone numbers and contact info...3 times over...when I noticed that for 'emergency contact' on one of the forms I wrote Mom and my phone number.

I do have a name, but sometimes when it's late and I have answered to "mom" all day long...and I'm tired it's easy to forget.

But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Team Meeting

Huh...team meeting, no coaches. Should I be worried???

Helping Him Grow

Yesterday my oldest know here at QB, was getting ready to take his shower and went to flush...

But the toilet didn't cooperate. It is a strange toilet. For instance, we can't flush that toilet if the washing machine is running. Anyways, I digress...


So by the time I got there my son was standing over the toilet... plunger bobbing up and down...trying to fix it.


But what I saw, through the veil of the over active mothers imagination, was nasty, backed up toilet water being splashed all over my boy and the walls and the floor and the vanity and the bath mats..... you get the picture....


The water wasn't going anywhere, but I just knew if I continued to let him mess with it... gross.



So, of coarse I scolded him for even touching the plunger (one of Dad's tools) and told him to leave it be... Dad would fix it later.


Well as I went to bed last night I was going over the day's events in my mind and it struck me...


Men fix things and in the absence of his dad, he was trying to help me. I felt that iron grip of guilt start to squeeze my heart. What had I done? All he wanted to do was be the man...

because that is what we pound into him day after day.


"You're the man around here when dad's at work."


So this afternoon after things settled down I had to pull him aside and tell him I was wrong and ask him to forgive me.


I often have to ask my kids to forgive me. Do you?


When HC and I were going through our pre-marital counseling one of the things we learned is to ask forgiveness instead of saying "I'm sorry"


It is soooo much more humbling to ask for forgiveness. You can't offer an excuse. When you say I'm sorry it is most often followed by a "but, I was just...."


So I am thankful for the way the Holy Spirit brought to my mind what I had done to QB.


And I am thankful that I had the chance to make it right.

And I am thankful that he loves me, unconditionally, and how quick my kids are to forgive.


And I am thankful for the privilege of helping QB become a better young man by letting him help in the absence of his dad. Maybe not with the plumbing right now...but there are other things that will come up and as he's ready...I will pray I am too.

Birthday Week for Mascot

My mind has been gone the past few days.



It's been floating around 'this time list year' and I just haven't known what to say.



It wasn't a horrible time...it could have been much worse, but it wasn't a great time either.


This was how it went down:
Iwas admitted to the Hosp. at 30 weeks (with high blood pressure) for testing Feb. 19th.

I went home on "semi" bed rest (O.K. sure with 4 kids...) the 20th with good test results.

Was admitted again on March 3rd at 32 weeks for a week of more tests...they let me go back home March 7th with not the best test results but with a promise I would be on STRICT bed rest.

That was a weekend and on the following Monday I went back to the office for a followup and the Dr. said I had to go back into the hospital and I had to stay until Mascot was born...

That was March 10th.

Oh, and did I mention that this whole time my husbands gallbladder was slowly dieing a painful death... He had it removed about a month after we brought Mascot home.

By this time my 2 youngest kids had been sent to stay with my husbands parents. QB and Receiver were both in school so they had to stay here and different family members helped out with them.

Mascot was born 5 days later. I was induced on the 14th but she wouldn't budge so I had a c-section on the afternoon of the 15th.

She was little but strong.

She came in just over 4 lb. She needed a little help but not much. I had to be on some pretty strong meds for the first 24 hours so I didn't even get to see her until the next day, but her dad spent a lot of time with her.

It took the Dr's. a week to regulate my meds so I got to stay just down the hall from her for the whole first week. It was really nice. My mom would bring my kids up to see me after school and I was able to get a decent amount of rest... This picture was take the day after she was born.

This is how I would find her most times when I would come in. Eyes open just waiting...

When I saw her the first time the first thing that popped into my head was

Psalm 139: 1-10

1O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. 2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. 5You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7Where can I go from you Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there; 9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
I remember praying about the people the Lord would put in our path... and honestly, I was hoping the Lord would allow us to be a light for Him... that we would somehow be a blessing to someone around us. And I did take as many opportunities as possible to be a light for Him. But it's funny how God used the people he put around us to minister to us. We had the opportunity to celebrate with one such family just last week as they celebrated their son's 1st birthday. I would encourage you to head over to their blog, Cort and Cohen and see how God is using this family and the miracle of their son, Cohen.

I also look back at the way the Lord orchestrated even the staff around us...


When HC walked into the NICU the first time to see Mascot the Dr. that was working with her was a guy he went to school with... and one of the nurses in the "step down" room of the NICU goes to church with my parents. It was so awesome to see God's hand at every turn.


I remember being almost sad when it was time to take her home because I knew that time of quiet resting in the Lord was coming to an end. Not that I don't rest in Him always...but when in the middle of the storm, there is such a feeling of peace...I wouldn't wish anyone to have to go through the NICU experience...however I wouldn't change a thing about that month and a half either.

As with all my children I pray she chooses the Lord and her hearts desire is to serve him.


She is now crawling everywhere and trying to make her voice heard among the other 4...

She loves to sing...any time there is music she breaks out in her version of song...

But the very simple, truthful tune of Jesus Loves Me will quiet her right down...

I would sing it to her every time we were together in the NICU and still to this day it will calm and quiet her. I love that.

I look forward to the years ahead while cherishing the present time with her.

She's a joy and a gift to our family and I count it a privilege to be her mom.

Snow Days

So what do you get when it snows in the south...


For starters, you get the beauty of Gods handiwork...

This is the tree limb that I know is going to fall onto the back of our house one of these years.

The magnolia in the front yard.

And my personal favorite...the Camellia that started blooming a few weeks ago when it was warm, now covered in snow.

You also get very excited kids who don't have to go to school...for 2 and a half days.

You make a bus in the living room and go for a ride.

Make a snow man...

Make a snow child...

Come inside and have a picnic lunch...

Play a little beach ball/volley ball...

Take a break...

There was lots of building with Lego's... playing with dolls... coloring... and some video game playing...another case of strep...

We had a great few days off together and then...

Back to reality and school. It was a fun time for all.

Emma's Birthday

Centers 6!!!

Last year I spent her 5Th birthday in the hospital...

NO FUN!!!


So this year I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could...

We started the day with candles on her cinnamon rolls...



We had a 2 hour delay for the start of school, so it was nice to be able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

Then it was off to school. I was able to go have lunch with her and that was a lot of fun!

She wanted to sit on the stage... Here she is waving to all her fans...

Notice the special birthday bear hat that she got to wear...

she wore it all day...

I mean ALL DAY. She didn't take it off till it was time to go to bed.

She wanted ravioli for dinner and yellow cupcakes with purple icing for her birthday cake...

or cupcakes as is the tradition at our house.

Then it was on to the gifts and we had so much fun watching her open them.

This was my most favorite time of the day. Right before bedtime she and Receiver were taking a friendship quiz together from her new American Girl book.

Sooooo cute....

They are each others best friend.