So Thankful for My Husband

I am not really a gushy person.  (My husband would be embarrassed if he knew I was gushing about him...but he doesn't read my blog:) 

But, after the past two weeks, I am ready to shout my husband's praises from the rooftop. 


Brian has been away on business for the past two weeks....so, I have been all alone....Doing. Everything. Myself. (breakfast, dressing, swim practice, lunch, potty training, discipline, cleaning, dinner, swim meets, baths, bedtime)  Even though my husband is typically not home until dinner or later, I always know he will be home to bath the kids, play with them way too late, do prayers and bedtime, and clean up from dinner.  But, when you face the day knowing you will not get a break until they go to bed and then there is still cleaning...it is so draining!

(By the way, I have all the more respect for single mothers after these past two weeks!)


Now, before you go thinking "WOW what a woman!"....let me just tell you, while I was swinging solo, there were some real winner moments...

*Noah went to a birthday party with no card.  His gift, a gift card, was stuck into a plain envelope that was only partially decorated.
*There were tons of unhealthy dinners...chicken nuggets, bagged French fries, canned ravioli, and frozen pizzas
*One night for dinner, I let Malachi eat M&M's and potato chips....because I was just too tired to deal with the fight.  At least, he ate something...RIGHT?
*We skipped baths a few nights...the chlorine from the pool cleans them, I think
*Malachi played the ipad while sitting on the potty....great potty training method, huh?
*I let my 8 year old son mow the lawn....because I just didn't have 2 hours to spare


So, at the end of these two weeks, I am thankful that God has blessed me with a wonderful friend....

and a terrific father....

and I am thankful that he is coming home!!!!

What If You Could Know the Future?

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future..."

What if you could know the future?  Would you want to know how things are going to turn out?  I used to think I would love to know the future....who should I marry?  should I take the job?  should I be-friend a particular person?  will my children grow up to love and serve Jesus?  However,

about four months...

knowing a part of the future became a possibility....

Four months ago, my mom was presented with information regarding the BRAC test.  This test allows patients to undergo blood work to determine if they have genetic indicators for female cancers.  If my mom would carry the gene, then my sister and I would undergo the test to see if we carry the gene.  If we have the gene, we would then decide how we want to handle the information...be more proactive with yearly exams, change lifestyles,  have a hysterectomy and/or a double mastectomy.

My first reaction was ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!  I do not want to know that I am going suffer through surgeries and have to undergo radiation and chemotherapy.  I watched my mom fight the battle....and I don't want to know that that is my future.  Then, I thought what if I refuse to participate and my sister ends up with cancer in a few years....and having the test could have prevented it or delayed it...how could I live with myself?  So, I agreed. 

The test have been drawn...and now we wait!  A part of me is nervous....a part of me just wants to know and take any necessary steps....and another part of me just doesn't think about it :)

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We. Are. A. Hot. Mess

Sometimes I get so annoyed when I read Facebook or people's blogs...everyone seems to have a perfect little family with perfect outings and beautiful, smiling children.  Well, that is NOT my life!  We are a hot mess!  I want to be real so I thought I would take a moment and give you a perfect example of our hot messiness :)

This past week, Noah had a baseball game....of course, it was 95 degrees here.  I had to take all the children as Brian had to work late.  The bus drops off my children at 4:05.  We needed to be at the ball field at 5:00 (and its a 15 minute drive).  So, needless to say, we were our trademark 10 minutes late. 

Sidebar---I hate being late!!  When it is just me, I am not late....I have yet to ever be late to work!  However, when you are trying to herd 5 children into a vehicle...time just disappears.

We show up at the ball field.  Noah has to walk himself down to the field by himself because I need to unpack the rest of the family...strollers, activity bag, snacks, etc.  Finally, the rest of us make it down to the field around 5:20.  Chloe has chosen this time to throw a fit because I am making her wear a headband that doesn't match her outfit. (I forgot to mention....before we left I told her to get something in her hair so it wasn't hanging in her eyes.  Since she didn't listen, she had to wear what hair accessory I had in the car) 

Let me just tell you...We. Stand. Out.  Everywhere. We. Go.  Even if the children are on their best behavior....people look at our large, ethnically diverse family.

This night, we are really standing out.  Chloe is beside me whining/crying for 45 minutes.  Malachi does his occasional screaming fit.  At one point, Malachi licks the ball field play set.  (Now, if that had been Noah, I would have been running to the car...disinfecting his mouth.)  But, I just said, "Don't lick the play set.".  A little while later, Isaac was sitting in the rocks...digging and putting the rocks in a cardboard box that someone had so kindly littered by the bleachers.  (I don't even have a sandbox at home because I hate dirt and grim all over my children.  At this point, I am just glad he is quiet.)  I am pouring sweat. The kids are fighting over the water bottle. (What kind of a mother with four children in the bleachers only bring one water bottle?) Noah gets to pitch and does a great job.  Then, he is up to bat...he strikes out....he is crying!  Oh, and the game lasts for 2 hours and 10 minutes....and I still needed to feed the children dinner and give them baths.

This. Is. Our. Life....you can love us or not!  We are so far from perfect....but I really hope that makes us approachable and "real"