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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Ten on Tuesday

1. Klayton is thinking ahead and likes to dress himself in his winter coat and boots! Did I mention he's a crazy kid? Since he likes to do this I sent him outside in the rain!


2. I canned for the first time and chose to do bread and butter pickles-compliments of my mom's garden!


3. Saturday my brother and his family will be here for a visit! Looking forward to time with them!

4. I picked up a cleaning job for a few hours each week!

5. Justus is finally at the point where I feel comfortable dressing him in shoes! Love baby shoes!


6. Most days I really don't recognize what a shower looks like so while in Wisconsin a friend of mine will be giving me a perm! Not an 80's perm!

7. My boys like to match. And my two littles are vying for the title of Boss!


8. I am currently on a kick to sell half of my closet as it is in desperate need of downsizing!

9. Next week, Klayton begins preschool. I may or may not tear up on that day, though I am excited! He is not that excited because he won't be riding a school bus.

10. Happy Tuesday!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Justus-3 Months

Justus, you are 3 months old! Um, how is this already possible?!


YOU:

*Weigh 11 lbs 12 oz as of two weeks ago.
*23 3/4 inches long.
*Wear size 1 Pampers diapers. We switched from Huggies because they were leaving awful red marks on you and well there was also the unpleasantness of constant leaking.
*Wear 0-3 and 3 month clothing best!
*Super active and therefore it was quite difficult to get pictures taken of you.
*Love to chat and will "reply" back when spoken to.
*Still an awesome nurser and does great at taking a bottle for daddy as well.
*Brought out the swing this week and you are loving that!
*Love to face outward and see whats going on.
*Have become more of a contented baby and others agree.
*Very alert.
*Still hating tummy time.
*Enjoys being snuggled for bedtime.
*Waking still once a night for a feeding; but I can't complain because its getting better.
*Enjoy walks in the stroller.
*Also enjoy being in your baby wrap.
*Smiles are seen often.
*Whenever you hear mommy or daddy's voice you look for it!
*Are a restless napper.


Oh Justus,
I love you more than words could ever express. Everyday it seems I love you more than before and I am loving every smile! You smile often and we are always looking for ways to make you smile-it doesn't take much effort!
I promise that I will always keep your best interest in mind. It is not about me, when I think about choices for the future they involve you and your best interest. I don't take you for granted or my "job" as Mommy for granted. I promise to seek God's continual wisdom for you and your brother.
Do you know how much your big brother loves you? Hardly an hour goes by without a kiss from him to you. I love it! I know those kisses won't last forever, so I encourage it now and pray that brotherly love grows strong and remains strong as the years go on.
These moments, these days I hope they remain etched in my mind and heart so I can bring them back to memory whenever I want.
I love you Chunky Monkey!

With All my Heart,
Mommy

Monday, August 11, 2014

Jamberry

I am currently hosting an online Jamberry party!
Have you heard about Jamberry? 
I was introduced to it a couple months ago when my friend BobbiJo (who is now a consultant and who I'm doing the party for) hosted an online party. Anyway, I'm a girl who loves to at least have my toes done; but as a mom of 2 I have a hard time keeping up with the repair of chipped polish! Now that I've discovered Jamberry I spend 20 minutes give or take every 4-5 weeks on my toes-that means no touch ups at all during that time! 
I also enjoy getting pedicures done; but to be honest don't always have the extra cash flow to do that so I appreciate that I can spend $15 on a sheet of wraps that will get me 4 pedicures/manicures or 2 pedicures and 2 manicures! They also have the buy 3 get 1 free package!
Please shop my party! It closes August 24th! 

Friday, August 1, 2014

Humbling. Humbled.


A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a "Man".

That quote right there hits close to home for me.

When Klayton was two weeks old we took him to a wedding. Sitting there in the pew watching two people pledge their lives to one another, I was slapped in the face with the realization that I am raising someone's husband!

Humbling. Humbled.

I am sitting here next to a screaming baby and watching my three year old rough house with his daddy. I don't really want to envision their wedding day because that means I will be "losing" them to another woman and frankly right now I like being the only "woman" in their lives! I wonder what "she" will be like...what is she doing now? And, I think-she better like me!

I often think that no one will ever be good enough for my boys. However, if God has someone chosen for them then there is someone good enough if they follow God's will. It is my responsibility to raise that man God chose for her and for some reason God already believes I can accomplish that task-if He didn't I wouldn't have been given these two little boys.

Humbling. Humbled.

That little boy that randomly wants to pray with Mama needs to not be turned away. Every time I kneel with him its teaching him to become a man of prayer that his wife will turn to when she needs someone to pray for her, it will be teaching him to already be praying for her and to have that open relationship with God.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6


I'm a Mama that makes lots of mistakes raising boys in a world where no one wants to own up to their mistakes. A world where people no longer apologize and ask for forgiveness. I can't change the world; but I don't have to add to the pride of the world. When I do wrong by my boys-I apologize and ask for their forgiveness-no excuses. I pray that by my example they will become men that can admit their wrongs and in turn become men of integrity and truth.

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Matthew 18:15

Humbling. Humbled.

My Klayton pretends to work and we always laugh because he wants to work so badly because it appears fun right now and we know that someday he will probably laugh when we tell him that-because lets be honest-work isn't always fun and if we could we would prefer for money to just grow on trees! And, while Klayton doesn't work right now, I am doing my best to encourage a good work ethic because I don't know what God will have for means to provide for his family...being a pastor, working a secular job? I don't know; but when he starts unloading the shopping cart of the random lady at Wal-Mart I will tell him good job! And when he doesn't want to pick up his toys because he doesn't feel like it, I will tell him that we don't always get to do what we feel like and make him keep picking up.

[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:3-5


I love my boys with a love that I never knew existed until I felt those first kicks in my tummy, heard those first cries as I delivered them and held them for the first time. It is a love that somehow keeps getting stronger and it is a love that I don't even know how to explain. Sometimes I tell Justus on his really bad colicky days that its a good thing that I'm his Mama because only a Mama could get through the colic because of her love. If he wasn't my child I wouldn't put up with the colic, I'm pretty sure I would roll my eyes, be thankful that I am not the one having to deal with it and let someone else deal with it. Lets all be honest-colic is rough! When I have a rough day dealing with the colic I often find myself telling my husband, "I love that boy more than life itself..." My little guys need to know that they are loved on the good days, the bad days-there are going to be days in life that it is not "easy" to love. I want them to know that with the right love on those bad days they will some how still have peace with the one they love and they can be long-suffering. I want them to be motivated by love and love how God wants them to love. I want them to know it is okay to say, "I love you" and they should say it. It is manly to say those three little words! I want them to choose to love when it is not convenient for them.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:22



Humbling. Humbled.

So, this often brings me to thought of my future dear daughter in law...I know that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of lessons that need to be taught and learned between now and the day, "I do!" is said. I haven't even mentioned all the mistakes I will make in raising him or the, "I should have..." moments because frankly I cringe at that. But, by God's grace I am going to do my best in raising the man of my daughter in laws dreams.

Humbling. Humbled.

When her man, my little boy-says "I do" I will step aside and do my best to let her be his number one woman. I will step aside as I remember the days of skinned knees and how only the kiss of Mama could heal those wounds. I will remember the days where it was only Mama that knew how to comfort him and I will miss those days as he will turn to his wife for comfort.

I'm sure there will be days that he will still naturally want to talk to me-his Mama-about things; but I will do my best to point him back to his wife and not meddle into their relationship. Because lets be honest, I will probably always believe that I know whats best for him! Though there will come a day, there will be things that I can't see because I will no longer dwell with him and because of those two factors and many more-then well...I guess the fact that you are to leave and cleave that means my ideas and opinions are just that MINE! It is his responsibility to know what is best and that can only be done if he is listening to God and well I am sure there will be times that he doesn't listen to God and unfortunately it may hurt but I just have to sit back and let him stand before God.

Humbled. Humbling.

Pretty sure what will be the hardest on this Mama's heart is slowly not knowing my boy as well as I do now. There will come a point where my daughter in law will know him better than I do...see right now I think I know my boy better than anyone else and in most areas I do. But, as they grow in marriage I know she will also learn him in a way that I never have and as marriage changes him she will see daily the man that he is and is becoming-I won't be at the sidelines getting those daily glimpses. I'm going to miss that and I will miss him. I can only hope that she won't mind doing the occasional favor for me and giving him a peck on the cheek and a long squeeze!

I already love her for loving my little boy.

I am undeserving.

Humbling. Humbled.