Right you are, Ethan

At lunch today Ethan was informing his dad that he is going to be a wiseman in our church Christmas program this year.

"What does a wiseman do, Ethan?" Dave asked him.

"He builds his house on a rock."

Out of the Overflow

I went back and read through my Thanksgiving post last year - and it seems like we have even more to be thankful for this year! We have had a wonderful year, this past 2007...and in true holiday spirit, I am feeling very sentimental. Hugging my kids often, savoring every minute we spend with family.


We spent Thanksgiving Day with my family...and lots of guests too. Ryan and Robin (brother and sister, originally from Alaska) spent the entire day with us, and then in the evening, the Browns and the Schietes and one of the GNOM guys Daniel joined us for game night!!! So fun!


We'll join Dave's family tomorrow, which we are really looking forward to. Cousins, galore!


I want to sit down and write out my list of things I'm thankful for...but it won't be until later tonight, and maybe not even then. But I'm definitely feeling overwhelmingly thankful in my heart. The Lord has definitely blessed this little family!

Useful for the Master

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth...

...Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

2 Timothy 2:15, 19-22

These verses were in my morning Bible reading, and I was really struck by the idea of being useful for the Master. Am I useful to Him today? Have I confessed sin and run away from it? What am I pursuing today?

I have a whole list of things to do today, just preparations for the holiday week ahead. And I am really looking forward to it all, getting away, seeing family and dear friends again, talking, eating and catching up. So I do need to get busy this morning, and make some headway on my list. But I was reminded this morning to consider what the Lord has for me to do this week and to make sure I am ready and available to Him. What an honor to be a vessel that He chooses to work through!

Lord, help me to see what it is that you have for me to do today.

Good Read

I've been reading this blog during nap time this week. It's written by a Christian mother of several children (some of whom are grown), and this week she's taken up the topic of raising children, what mistakes she thinks she made and what encouragement she can think of for those of us "in the trenches" with little ones. I have found it so real, and so very encouraging, so I thought I'd pass her series along to the rest of you.

Young Families
Grand Schemes
Older Mothers of the World Unite
As I Was Saying
Calling All Moms for Real Advice
Disciplining Children
10 Mistakes I Made as a Parent

And in case your children are taking marvelously long naps, like mine are today (this is unheard of!), read all the comments from the other seasoned moms too. So good!

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

Dave and Si


















Mom and Dad












Ethan and Grandma

Grandma and Si

Si loves to swing!





























Especially when Grandpa pushes him!

Look at that hair!

Fall beauty

Raising boys

Everywhere I go, people say to me, "Wow, those boys must keep you busy, huh?" It is so true. You need only watch them for a minute or so, and it's obvious. They are boys in every sense of the word. They are noisy, they are messy, and they love to play rough.


Part of me still wonders why the Lord chose me to be the mom of boys. I have to be honest, the pounding footsteps, the constant motion, and the wrestling matches are already way beyond my idea of a peaceful home. Did you know that 1 1/2 year olds know how to wrestle? Yeah, apparently they are born with the gene. I read the writings of other moms of boys, and I know I'm not alone.


All joking aside, I do trust the sovereignty of the Lord in choosing me to raise the 2 (so far) that He has entrusted into our care.
I may sigh a lot - and pray even more - but I do trust Him. He is able to teach me what I need to know to pass on to them, and to help me survive the process.


The more I pray about it though, the more I am convinced that the raising of boys should be very intentional in the age we live in. The distinction between the design of men and women has been visibly blurred in our culture, so much so that some people say now that children should have a choice about which gender they will embrace as they grow up. Granted, this is a very worldly view, but if we are not careful, this message can still creep unnoticed into our homes and influence our boys. Rather than growing up with the firm belief that the God of the universe chose them to be male for a purpose, and learning to be the kind of men He wants them to be.


When I blogged about Ethan's first bike, my mom jokingly asked if we would have let him choose a pink bike if he wanted to, mostly just teasing me because I tend to be a bit of a control freak. :) But to answer everyone's questions about that, if Ethan wanted a pink bike, we would NOT say okay. Dave says, "Absolutely not!" He wants his boys to tend toward masculine things, and for me to train them that way. And I see his wisdom in that.


Would it really matter all that much if Ethan had a pink bike when he was 3 or 4? Probably not. But why allow things now that we will never allow in a few years?


Now, as for who determined that pink was a girly color, I have no idea. But it is a long-established, culturally accepted thing, that pink belongs on girl clothes and toys, so rather than attempt to change the norm (because what is the point????), we plan to encourage our boys to make choices that reflect the men that God designed them to be.


And yes, we say, "Pink is for girls, honey," as politically incorrect as that may sound. We want the boys to know that there is a difference, and the pink issue is just the beginning, you know? :)

Happy Fall Y'all!

We took the boys to a fall festival at a nearby church last week. They had so much fun.

Ethan dressed up like a police officer. His costume came complete with a shirt, pants, hat, working handcuffs, a stick, a belt, and a walky-talky.



Simon wore Ethan's frog costume from a few years back. Those Old Navy costumes are so warm and fuzzy, perfect for cold, fall evenings. He was giggling and dancing around when I put his costume on, like he knew what was coming. :)

He's enjoying a sucker in this picture.


Digging through the haybales for more candy!


Best of all, we ran into our friends the Johnsons who have 4 boys and the Hawkinsons who have 2 boys. No girls to be seen!


Happy Fall! Hope you're enjoying it as much as we are!

Girls

Ethan got a bike!

A couple weeks ago Dave and I took the boys on a special trip to the toy store to get Ethan his first bike. Never mind that he's almost 4, and that all his friends have had bikes for almost 2 years now. We are obviously on the ball, as far as parents go. Kids don't need anything more than a stick and a rock, do they? :)

Ethan was beyond excited, and it took him forEVER to pick which bike he wanted. I thought he'd never choose. I only gave him a couple choices for the helmet to expedite the process. That, and I needed for the bike and helmet to match. Yes, needed. There - I said it. It's a sickness. I am quite aware. :)


Getting ready to ride...



And he's off!



I love this age!