One Week

It is almost three o'clock and at this time next week my little family will be on our way to Des Moines for an overnight trip. The drive will be boring I am sure! However, the conversation will make it go fast as we will have just discovered WHO Baby B is! I am so excited for my little family of three to step into that ultrasound room and discover WHO will be making us a family of four! Will it be a another boy who will continue to add to our never ending supply of balls? Or will it be a girl who will stand at the sidelines with a pom pom cheering on her brother? I am SO excited to learn who this blessing is and I am so thankful that my God answers prayer as this baby is a direct answer to prayer!

**Please remember to vote in the poll to the right concerning baby's gender! If you are viewing from a mobile device you will need to choose to view this page as a web version so that you may participate in the vote!

Our Christmas

Once upon a time it was Christmas 2013 and this Mama was missing her camera battery charger. Because of this sad deed she did not take all the pictures she wanted with her camera and was too lazy to upload the pictures from her phone of the family opening their stockings, baking a birthday cake for Jesus or spending time with family and friends on Christmas Eve.
Christmas morning came quickly and excitement filled the air. The Christmas story was once again read, the biscuits and gravy were made and the presents were opened.
A little boy, opened the gift of music.

He opened the gift of comfort that would come in a small chair...


And his mother and father were enjoying the sense of knowing their little boy LOVED his presents this year! As the day continued on the little family journeyed to Grandpa and Grandma's house.
Much to the grandparents relief their grandson was able to help them open their presents-without him the gifts would still be in their wrapping.


His daddy was also relieved to have the help of his son as opening a present could be a tough job!

Thankfully, the challenge of opening presents is not a difficult task for a three year old.

But, it doesn't hurt to have a Grandma to play along with!

And with full tummies and full hearts this family enjoyed their Christmas from start to finish!

Merry Christmas

It's hard to believe that this will be our last Christmas as a family of 3!
So thankful for the gift that God sent in His Son-Baby Jesus!

We are blessed to personally know "The Reason for the Season!" Merry Christmas!

Pregnant Tuesdays

1. I have been craving A&W Root Beer like you wouldn’t believe. To convince you let me share my story, it was Sunday morning and time for breakfast. I went to the kitchen and desperately wanted to pour myself a nice cold glass of root beer; but I managed to instead just have my bowl of cereal. It was rough, because seriously as I ate my cereal I could only think of root beer. I just might have indulged and allowed myself a glass before church…
2. Another root beer story. The following Monday I once again had a battle of wills in the kitchen, I poured my cereal and almost poured root beer in my bowl instead of milk. Thankfully, I realized what I was doing and while I may be suffering from a severe root beer craving I really don’t think that root beer and lucky charms would mix well.
3. I looked back on my pregnancy cravings with Klayton and I realize that I craved root beer then as well. Could this be a sign that I am once again carrying a boy? Mmm…
4. When I am pregnant I have crazy dreams and sometimes, scary dreams. The other night I dreamed about Little Caesars pizza and their breadsticks. Unfortunately, there is no Little Caesars around to make this dream a reality.
5. Am I the only pregnant person that can’t tell the difference between hiccups and the baby moving?
6. I am 17 weeks and yet this pregnancy continues to feel surreal.
7. I asked Klayton once again if he wanted a girl baby or a boy baby, I was ready for him to say, “no, dog” as this was his response last time. However, he surprised me and said, “gool” which I translate to mean girl! In just a couple weeks we will see!
8. I confess that I haven’t voted in my own poll regarding the gender of Baby B. Why? Well, I am really still on the fence…some days I think boy and other days I think girl. It kind of depends on how I am feeling that day and what pregnancy symptoms are evident at the time.
9. Sometimes when I think that I feel the baby move; but I’m not entirely certain I make myself freeze and try to hold my breath so just maybe I can verify the movement. Needless to say, after all this effort I will then feel nothing…
10. Is it possible to feel like time is standing still in this pregnancy yet flying at the same time?

Happy Tuesday!

Please be sure to vote in my baby gender poll to the right. If you are viewing from a mobile device you might have to choose web version to vote!

Book Reviews 6-7

Please remember to vote on the poll to the right. And if you are viewing from a mobile device please choose to view this page through the web version for your opportunity to vote!

Time is slowly running out for me to cross things off my bucket list. I haven't kept up with it like I wanted to and things I don't get accomplished will automatically shift to next years bucket list. However, I am crossing off books from the list and have a few reviews to share with you today. In advance I apologize for no direct links or pictures of the book covers-our keypad is not working correctly and I really don't want to deal with the hassle of it all today.

Book 6: The Upside Down Marriage by, Jim Keller

"One of our biggest challenges in marriage is to communicate through conflict in a productive manner..."

"It's interest to me that what we most want from others is sometimes so easy not to give in return."

"You are always on a slippery slope if you begin to compare your faults to the faults of your own spouse. Own what you need to own and stop the comparison game."

...if the marriage is suffering, parenting will also suffer or at best be extremely challenging."

"Having children is one of the biggest privileges we are afforded by God, but it is a total marriage makeover. Those beautiful babies are heavenly intruders, demanding of both parents' time and sacrifice.

To be honest, I don't know why I chose to read this book; but I did. It was a free book on my Kindle and I just like to read non-fiction books that just might have some helpful tips. I also realize that when a book doesn't necessarily line up with what I believe i need to be careful with what I take from it and while this book has many good points, I do NOT recommend it.

Book 7: The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience by, Stormie Omartian

"The Bible would not have told us to take up the whole armor of God in order to withstand evil if evil could have been withstood without doing that."

"Some people think that because Jesus accomplished everything on the cross, we don't have to do anything at all. But if that's true, why did Jesus teach us to pray..."

...we must choose to live God's way. We cannot be protected if we deliberately walk outside the ways and will of God."

Our obedience to God is evidence that we are in alignment with His will. The most important thing is not to get what we want in prayer, but to accomplish what God wants."

In the past I have read other books by Stormie Omartian, one of them being "The Power of a Praying Wife which I thought was excellent! So, I thought a short 7 day Bible reading supplement would be great. The title says 7 days, however, the closing chapter should have been day 8 because it was just as long as the other chapters. I know its petty; but its in my nature I guess to be annoyed with that long 'closing' chapter. A good book; but I am on the fence as to whether or not I would recommend it!

There we have it folks, two books to cross off the good ole bucket list and 5 more to go!

Pregnant Tuesdays-16 Weeks

16 weeks!
Please vote in my poll for baby gender to your right! Thanks! On a side note, if you are visiting this page from a mobile device please choose to view the web version so you can vote!



Total weight gain/loss: As of last appointment I had lost 2 lbs! Woohoo! So, I’ve only gained 2 lbs so far!
How much does baby weigh? About 3.5 oz, the size of an avocado
Maternity Clothes? All my bottoms are maternity. I am still getting away with some regular tops!
Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep? Pretty good!
Best Moment this week? Again technically last week; but hearing baby’s heart beat of 140!
Food cravings? Root beer and corn dogs!
Food aversions? Not really; but when something does not sound good it really doesn’t sound good and there is no way I will be eating it.
Pregnancy Symptoms: Back aches, dry skin-literally I am so itchy…Tenderness
Gender: Will know in a few weeks! Yay!
Labor signs? Very early for that!
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss? Nothing!
What I am looking forward to? Finding out the gender on January 3rd! And then taking an anniversary trip to shop for baby!
Milestones? Made it to 16 weeks!

Looking like Christmas

We FINALLY set up our tree. Usually, we do it the day after Thanksgiving; but since we were gone and then I had to recover from our trip...
The day we set up our Christmas tree is one of my favorite days of the season. We made it feel like Christmas inside, enjoyed a nice dinner, watched a Christmas movie and snacked the entire evening! This Christmas season has already been so much fun because my little guy is getting into the excitement of it all as well-he even helped decorate the tree!

Klayton has already spotted a few presents under the tree and I can tell is already having a difficult time refraining from opening the presents himself! So, now the big question is-when do I put his presents under the tree? Will they make it until Christmas without any pokes or tears in the wrapping?!

Or just maybe he will stick to rearranging the ornaments on the Christmas tree? Mmm..

Go Blue!

Today we were able to visit a little piece of heaven in Joseph's world! We went to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see Michigan play Coppin State at Crissler Arena!

We arrived a couple hours early to wonder around the Big House-hoping for a tour; but since they were busy prepping for the big game on Saturday it wasn't able to happen. So, we just stuck to some pictures...


Once we decided to get out of the cold we headed over to Crissler to wait for the doors to open and more opportunities to explore!

And here we are at our seats ready to watch whatever activity could be happening on the court before the actual game begins!

The team warming up...

Klayton AWAKE and enjoying the team warming up!

And...here we go!

Apparently, Klayton was confident in Michigan's ability to win because soon after tip off he fell asleep and slept through the entire first half and half time!

Klayton woke up just in time to put his foam clapping hands to use and watch Michigan take the win 87-45!


With that, Hail to the Victors-Go Blue!

Happy Thanksgiving

I personally have much to be thankful for...this little guy for one!

I am also thankful for my husband, Baby B and for what the Lord does and will continue to do in my life!
What are you thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday-Matchy Matchy

Pregnant Tuesdays

Yep, I'm pregnant and for the remainder of my pregnancy we are saying goodbye to Ten on Tuesday unless my due date changes! Haha!



Total weight gain/loss? About 4 lbs gained; but not really positive since I can’t remember pre-pregnancy weight.
How much does baby weigh? .49 oz
Maternity clothes? Some. Mainly skirts, my bella band is beginning not to cut it anymore.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? Pretty good-though I wake up a lot to use the bathroom already. (I’ve been drinking lots of water)
Best moment this week? Technically last week…but seeing baby in the ultrasound! Already a little mover!
Food cravings? Not really…
Food aversions? No, unless the food gets described to me in a gross way then I can no longer handle it.
Pregnancy Symptoms: Waves of nausea, very dry skin, emotional-more than usual, other personal gross stuff.
Gender? Still a guessing game!
Labor signs? No way!
Belly button-in or out? In.
What I miss? Nothing.
What I am looking forward to? My next doctor visit.
Milestones? Making it to 12 weeks!

Celebrating Klayton's Birthday

I think its safe to say that Klayton enjoyed 3 days of celebrating his 3rd birthday! I didn't get pictures of everything...like on Sunday how he was spoiled with gifts from people at our church! But, our celebration started on Saturday at Chuck E Cheese!
I must admit I don't know if going there is for Klayton or for Grandma because she has just as much fun!

But, none the less Klayton enjoys the rides...

And he enjoys doing things with his Daddy!

Klayton always has a blast at Chuck E Cheese and I should admit his daddy and I enjoy playing some of the games to earn tickets for prizes for him! I think we managed to score 150 tickets and Klayton snagged a slinky with the earnings!
Then came Monday-the BIG 3! Wow! Klayton woke up and seriously looked older to me! It might of been in my head; but he really is growing up SO fast! We did a small birthday party with my parents for him. When we arrived to my parents house my mom had streamers blocking the door way that he had to tear down to get through! It was fun and cute because after that all streamers had to be destroyed!
After the destruction of streamers we brought out the presents and before we even sat down Klayton was ripping into his presents!

I am so happy with the Radio Flyer Scooter we bought Klayton! He loves it and is scooting like a pro-he just needs to figure out how to turn it! Its a lean to turn scooter!

Klayton also got a puppy-no not a real puppy; but a puppy that barks, wags its tail and moves its paws! And apparently its close enough to real that shortly after opening it Klayton took to where my parents sometimes keep their own dogs-the kitchen and put up the baby gate so the puppy couldn't get out!

And of course after all the presents are opened we have to do the birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday! Unfortunately, Klayton had ZERO interest in being sang to and in the middle of the song decided he was done and got up off the chair to move onto something better! Thankfully, he came back to blow out his birthday candle!

Another birthday down and another year of life to look forward to with my Little Mister! Loving everyday with him!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Took my dad to Sioux City and had a little date with Klayton at Chick-Fil-A! Ok...I sat alone at a table and watched him play and between trips up the slide he took bites of his meal!

2. I do believe Klayton had a wonderful birthday and I'm hoping to post pics of it this week!

3.  64 days down and approximately 216 more to go. Eh. I have two doctors visits next week-hoping to at least hear baby's heart beat!

4.  I think it's time to bring out the boots and sweaters, can't remember the last time it was warm?!

5.  A suggestion for those with kiddos: consider enrolling your child in the Barnes and Noble kids program! As far as I can remember its free and kids get a free cupcake or cookie for their birthday! I enrolled Klayton before he was even a year old and he has now enjoyed 3 years of free treats! Yummy!

6.  Read any good books lately? I am getting ready to read, Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt....can't think of the author right now. But, I'm slowly crossing off books for my bucket list...

7.  I'm in the mood to scrapbook! Haven't done it in ages and I'm behind in doing Klayton's baby book; but I kinda want to get started on a pregnancy scrapbook for this baby while it's fresh!

8.  Can we just skip Halloween and go directly to Thanksgiving? I hate Halloween with a passion. 

9.  Does anyone know of a valid 

reason why a person may lose a toenail without warning? And I'm looking for reasons besides stubbing the toe or dropping something on it. 

10.  So, my random, final thought-Happy Tuesday! Yep, that's all I've got!

Happy 3rd Birthday Klayton!

I seriously cannot believe that my little guy is 3 today! Where has the time gone by, I can remember like it was yesterday giving birth to him and holding him for the first time and now he hardly wants to be held because he is growing up SO fast!

Here are some interesting facts about Klayton:

*Wear size 3t clothes.
*In a 7-8 toddler shoe.
*Weigh 33 lbs.
*Stand at about 36 inches in height!
*Know how to work an Ipad.
*Lately you are really into coloring.
*No longer use sippy cups, this has been a thing of the past for a while now.
*Sometimes when you are about to do something naughty you will look at me with a smile-a very cheesy smile-and wave at me…so funny!
*Definitely a Daddy’s boy, unless there is an injury and then you still need Mama!
*Lately everyone is, Mom. Crazy kid.
*Enjoy watching Special Agent: OSO as well as any dog related cartoon on Netflix!
*At night you enjoy having your back rubbed.
*I can’t remember the last time you wore a shirt to bed. Yes, I attempt to get a shirt on you; but as soon as you get to bed it comes off!
*You love zippers! In fact if you are wearing a zip up hoodie, it has to be zipped!
*Recently rode a carousel for the first time.
*Klayton enjoys playing with his cars and legos!
*Lately after giving an explanation of sorts to Klayton he will say, "ohhhh!"
*Knows how to dress and undress himself-including socks! Socks was a hard one for him to master for awhile; but he seems to finally got the hang of it.



A Few of his Favorite Things:

Riding his Go-Go, Tricycle! Klayton has really mastered the pedaling this summer and acts like he's been doing it all his life! He will ride his Go-Go everywhere...sometimes when I tell him its time to go potty he will ride it to the bathroom!

Balls! Whether its catching or kicking, a football or a basketball...none of it matters as long as it is a ball! I love his football tossing stance, he has it perfected to 100% complete cuteness!

Dogs...whether its talking about dogs, watching dogs or his stuffed animals-it doesn't take long to figure out that Klayton LOVES dogs and that is no exaggeration!

Andes Mints, these are his favorite treat as of late and at church he knows right where the candy dish is! Thankfully, his Grandma bought him his own package recently!

Car Slippers, I wasn't really sure what Klayton would think of wearing slippers since he is like me and prefers to be sockless and shoeless while inside; but he wears them everyday and has been known on an occasion or two to sleep with them!



Dear Little Mister,
You really are my Sunshine! I still find myself looking at you with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes thanking God for the gift you are to me! I have already made so many mistakes in the navigation of motherhood and have given several apologies to you already, those are the times in my life where I really see my weakness and I know God sees it and yet He still blessed me with this title of, Klayton's Mom!
Each day is a new adventure with you and I love seeing things through your eyes and watching your personality shine! You already have such a servant's heart and I pray that God will continue to cultivate that heart within and that you will grow to know the Lord and love the Lord with all your heart!
I love you, you will never know how much you mean to me...
All My Love,
Mama

Ten on Tuesday-Baby Notes

1. I asked Klayton if he wanted a baby and he said, "No, dog!"
2. I wish I could remember how I felt during my first weeks of pregnancy with Klayton. It's like I either don't feel pregnant or I have a full day of being exhausted with severe waves of nausea.
3. As of yesterday I am 7 weeks.
4. I haven't had ANY caffeine since I found out my news! Trying to replace the caffeine with flavored water that's aspartame free!
5. No food cravings yet!
6. Baby is the size of a blueberry!
7. Sometimes we will ask Klayton where baby is and he will lift his shirt to point to his belly!
8. Joseph is convinced that Rainbow Baby is a girl. I am on the fence about baby gender.
9. The crazy dreams are back! I had very weird dreams with Klayton and well they are back in full force...like dreams of me decorating my home in paper plates!
10. I'm anxious for a doctors appointment just so I can hear the baby's heartbeat! I did go and get the official confirmation that I am pregnant last Friday; which was exciting and a relief!
Happy Tuesday!

My Rainbow

A few weeks ago, I laid in bed with Klayton and was having a rough night with my struggle to conceive. As I watched my little guy I was so thankful for him; but so heart broken because I wanted him to be a big brother. After about an hour of literally crying to the Lord about this, I boldly asked the Lord to give me another child or to give me peace that I would have another child someday. I purposed to do my best and to be "okay" with things and I was once again reminded that accepting where God has you now can be a daily struggle!
Speed up a couple weeks and that time was nearing. Joseph approached me about buying a pregnancy test and I quickly stated that it wasn’t an option and that I don’t particularly enjoy taking pregnancy tests-they never give me the right answer! But, a couple days later I started to wonder and decided he could buy me one only if he was convinced it would be okay! So, Tuesday, September 24, 2013 we went and bought one to take at my discretion. The following morning as I walked to the bathroom-sick to my tummy-I tried to talk myself out of this and even told the Lord how much I hated doing things like that! And I reminded the Lord that its been 2 LONG years of trying…and the Lord knew I couldn’t wait much longer for my positive so I guess that’s why before I could even put the test down it gave me a POSITIVE result! I literally ran back to the room, grabbed Joseph out of bed and pulled him to the bathroom to show him the news! I was ECSTATIC! Then it was all I could do to wait for Klayton to wake up and tell him he is going to be a big brother around May 26th, 2014!

This baby is already such a gift! Our little family has been through A LOT in the past 2 years-its not been easy and this gift is a reminder to me that there is ALWAYS a rainbow after the storm!

Bucket List-Book Review #5

I am still alive-I think this is the longest I've ever went without blogging! And to welcome me back I am doing what may be considered a boring post as its another book to cross off my 12 books to read from my bucket list!

I just finished, The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman!



As I have stated before just because I am doing a book review does not mean I am endorsing the book. I am simply informing you about what I liked and of some interesting thoughts from the book:

...the divorce rate for second marriages in at least 60 percent, and rises when children are involved.

Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."

...verbal compliments are far greater greater motivators than nagging words.

The object of love is not getting something you want but doing something for the well-being of the one you love. It is a fact, however, that when we receive affirming words we are far more likely to be motivated to reciprocate and do something our spouse desires.

Encouragement requires empathy and seeing the world from your spouse's perspective. We must first learn what is important to our spouse.

"...I don't know if I can ever forgive you." Those are not words of love but of bitterness and resentment and revenge.

The book offered real life scenarios that were easy to relate to. Sometimes it could look extreme to the situation; but to some its their reality and it was a good reminder that I DON'T want the extreme of marriage issues! We all have areas in our marriage that need to be worked on and the most important person to involve in our marriages is GOD!

Laugh, I'm Sharing Cleaning Tips

Over at Kelly's Korner it is Show Us Your Life: Cleaning Tips. I thought it would be fun to participate even though if you were to look at my house right now you would think twice about taking cleaning tips from me!

**I am going to preface, I AM NOT a Norwex consultant...so, I am not trying to make a sale!**

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite things to use for cleaning that cut down time and maybe make cleaning "fun" because I can see results quickly!

1. Norwex Cleaning Paste

I have used this to remove pen marks from surfaces...cleaning "dirty situations" from bedding that is to be dry cleaned only and it cleans grit, grime and scum from kitchen sinks within seconds! Am I the only one who ever ends up with an orange ring of something around my burners on the stove? Well, this gets rid of them quickly! I don't think I ever want to be without this product!

2. Vinegar
Yeah, the stuff smells disgusting and my husband knows immediately when its been used; but it works wonders on cleaning heavy duty grease from things like my Cool Daddy fryer! I also like to use it on my toilet! I always mix it with warm water and sometimes a little dish soap! One of my favorite uses is to mix it with clear Dawn dish soap and warm water to get rid of carpet stains!

3. Norwex Dusting Mitt

The real secret here is this is how I get Klayton to do my dusting! I mean does it look like I'm dusting, its a mitt after all?! A cool mitt that makes dusting into one easy swipe-no more spraying Pledge and carrying around a roll of paper towels! Slip the mitt on and dust away!

4. Norwex Enviro Cloth

This cleans EVERYTHING! I have a few of these cloths, one is reserved for windows-yeah I don't use windex anymore! Dip the cloth into warm water and wipe away-no streaks! I also have one for wiping down my counters and sink! It is basically a miracle worker!

5. Baking soda
I use baking soda all the time! I always sprinkle my carpets with it a good 30 minutes before vacuuming. I also sprinkle my mattress with it whenever its time to strip the sheets for a good washing. I like how it eliminates odor as well as lifts dirt!

So, pretty much it sounds like I should be selling Norwex-ha! I don't have a lot of their products; but the ones I do have I love to use and feel better using because there are no harmful chemicals to be concerned about!
I think this is where I say, "Happy Cleaning!" Ok...I know better!

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E: Part One

Continuing with my new mini-series! I think I just like saying that; but I really do want to continue and feel bad I haven't posted sooner.



Obedience is a demonstration of trust.

I remember being at Olive Garden for lunch and we had ordered their soup and salad. I gave Klayton one of the jalapenos that they always put in their salads and told Klayton to try it, at first he said no; but I insisted to which he eventually gave in-he made quite the face! The people at the next table over were caught giggling just as we were; but now weeks later if I tell Klayton to try a new food…he’s not quick to comply. Why? Because he remembers what happened last time he did as he was told and he didn’t like it! In that area I created a lack of trust. Children are more apt to obey when they know the parent can be trusted.
When a child is asked to obey and they do so; but it hurts them, trust in that area is gone. Do you realize that is a two way street? Klayton LOVES to be outdoors and sorry; but this Kansas heat is just a little much for this Mama! Klayton is content to just sit on our front porch with me sitting at the recliner that’s next to the window where I can see him clearly. He has been found sitting on the porch step many times this summer and each time I tell him to sit and not to leave the porch and he doesn’t leave I tend to not move my eyes to check on him EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. I am trusting him in this matter, I trust that he will obey because he has proven it and if I need to leave the recliner for a quick minute I know when I come back Klayton will still be sitting on the front porch step. If I were to look out the window and find Klayton off the porch, I would be hesitant to trust him in this issue next time.
Trust and obedience is a relationship. Obedience often asks us to do what we don't feel like doing or doing something without knowing the end result. How many kids like to be asked to pick up their toys? I smile just thinking about this...

"Klayton, pick up your toys?
"NO!"
"Klayton..."said with a little warning in my voice.

After about half the toys are picked up, Klayton is found playing "forgetting" about the task at hand and he's reminded once again and the conversation I described ensues once again! I know Klayton doesn't like it; but I also know that there is an end result that I can see, responsibility. I can see character that can and is developing if he just obeys. Even as adults God often asks us to do something or might tell us to stop doing something and we don't understand why, we might not like it or can't see the end result; but just as we see in our children character that needs to be worked on God sees a big picture. I should mention that over the course of time now, Klayton will now OFTEN pick up his toys without being asked...his obedience developed responsibility. Make sense? Thankful that Klayton is learning to obey and to see a demonstration of trust through that obedience! Now that I have a child of my own, I am beginning to "see" things and realize things about my relationship to my Heavenly Father and how my obedience to what He says or ask pleases Him.

Wordless Wednesday-My Little Usher

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E: Intro

I have been thinking about doing a post all about obedience. As I write it it becomes longer and longer! Eh. So, tonight as I was working on it I thought to myself, "why not divide it up into a mini series?" Then I said, "sounds good Kendra...!" Haha! So, here goes nothing:




“Klayton, go potty!”
With a smile, my little guy runs the opposite way from the bathroom.
“Klayton, go potty!”
He darts beneath my knees to hide on the other side of the bed.
“Klayton, OBEY!”
I quickly found myself laughing inwardly.

I get frustrated when Klayton doesn’t obey because I often forget that obedience just doesn’t happen-it has to be taught, it has to be a choice. Our natural state is to do what we want to do, not as others want us to do.
When Klayton doesn’t obey, I often will ask him, “Can you hear me?”
Sometimes he nods his head yes and I tell him, “if you can hear me there is no reason to not do what I said.”
Then there are other times he will shake his head no and my reply, “how convenient!”
I ask him that question to get him to stop in his tracks and hopefully get an opportunity to explain that obedience is doing right the first time.
Before we even had Klayton I remember meeting a missionary family to the Amazon Jungle. At the time their little boy was six months old and just starting to crawl. The couple spoke about how important it was to begin instilling obedience in him-even then. It was important because going to the jungle they knew there would be potential dangers…if that little boy was about to cross paths with a rattle snake and they said, “stop” they might not have another opportunity to say stop and it could mean life or death if they had to tell him twice!
My desire is that Klayton will obey the first time. Yeah, it will be nice when we are out and about that I could call for him to come and he would without me having to “chase” him down…not that it has happened before! Ha! When I think about why I want him to obey right away three reasons come to mind:
1. Obedience is a demonstration of trust.
2. Obedience is a demonstration of love.
3. Obedience reaps blessings.
In the course of the next week I would like to continue exploring those reasons, so stay tuned for, Obedience: A Demonstration of Trust!

Wordless Wednesday-Family Portraits