Happy Birthday Ava!

      



Pure sweetness....four days old.



Today my sweet Ava turns four!  I'll never forget the first time I saw her...and the pure joy I felt. She was just as beautiful as her two big brothers, and this time I got to take advantage of all that hair!  I remember our first few weeks home I kept referring to her as "bud" or "bubby", because I was just so use to talking to my boys. It took me a while, but I finally replaced it with "sweetie" or "princess".

Ava at her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
birthday party.

      

I'm in awe at her imagination, wit, and independence.  She loves to dance, sing, draw, and help me bake, but is always willing to play ninja turtles or tag with her brothers. She's eager to pray when prayer is needed, and is constantly making up sweet little songs about Jesus. She can aggravate her brothers to no end, but still has them both wrapped around her little finger. She loves to sleep in, but refuses naps. She can be stubborn, especially when she's tired. She insist on helping Jeremy and me with whatever we're doing, rather it's mopping the floor or changing a flat tire. She's a quick learner, and very determined.  She can be in a room for five minutes and it looks like a tornado's hit. She's by far, messier than her two brothers combined.  Her favorite color is pink, but she's not afraid of bugs or dirt! She's our one-of-a-kind sweet girl, and I'm so excited to make today extra special for her. I love you Ava Grace, Happy Birthday!



                                                                      

My Heart's Desire

Let's forget about ourselves, magnify the Lord and worship him. Let's forget about ourselves, magnify the Lord and worship him. Let's forget about ourselves magnify the Lord and worship Christ the King. Worship him, Jesus Christ the Lord.

I remember singing this song as a little girl.... This morning I woke up with it on my heart. It was no surprise, since this is exactly what the Lord has been dealing with me about over the past two weeks. I can't help but wonder how many Christians, including myself, are so busy with everyday life, work, school, running the kids here and there, overplanning, watching television, checking facebook, and trying to please everyone around them, that before they know it, they haven't taken any time out of their day to worship him.

I can feel God working on me in such a huge way, and it's exciting! Things I once ignored or made excuses for, I'm fully embracing. I'm finally learning to give up things that I used to hold onto like a child clenching his favorite toy. It's just not worth it. We've all heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words." We can take our children to church, teach them to pray, and tell them bible stories. We can even voice that Jesus is the most important thing in life. But if they don't see evidence of this, then what are we really teaching them? We're sending a mixed message, and raising a generation that will never know the grace, peace, joy and love that a relationship with Jesus offers.

I want my children to see their parents pray, worship, help the sick, poor and lost. I want them to see us put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves last. I want them to know that religion is not the same thing as having a heart to heart relationship with Jesus, and most importantly I want them to truly understand that this life is but a vapor, and before we know it every materialistic thing we've worked towards on this earth will be gone, and we'll be left facing our maker and eternity. 

Selfish People

There's only one word to express how I felt tonight as I drove home from a get-together with some old church friends......Frustrated! Not what you were expecting? Me either.  My frustration stemmed from two particular people there. They were being selfish, needy, clingy, and were both terrible about interrupting me every time I would try to have a conversation with someone! The worst part..... when I left things didn't get any better, because those two people were in the back seat of my van the whole way home! Yep, you guessed it, those two people were my youngest two children.

I had been looking forward to tonight for several weeks. Getting to talk to people who I had gone to church with as a little girl, getting to listen to them sing gospel music and just enjoy every one's company. But instead, I was poked at every few minutes, "Mommy, come play shadow tag with me" "Mommy, I want another hot dog." Mommy, hold this for me", "Mommy, I need to go pee." You get the picture. I'm sure my patience was running thin quicker than usual because I was tired, and Jeremy wasn't there to ease the burden of two of them coming at me at once.

After about two hours, I finally decided it was time to leave.  I loaded them up in the van only to realize that Jameson had left one of his drawings inside. I went back to get it, but couldn't find it.  I knew, of course, this would mean whining on the way home. Sadly, I was right.

My thoughts on the way home...."Why did I even bother going?" "Surely, no one else's kids are THIS clingy and whiny." "Why again, do I home school, and subject myself to being with my children 24/7?"
The kids grew quiet in the backseat, and I could tell they were drifting off. I knew I was in desperate need of some Jesus time, and I just began to pray and cry, and pray some more.

And then, like it always does, it hit me. It was me, not my kids. I was the one being selfish. I wanted to have my time to talk and catch up without interruption. My kids saw hot dogs and smores, and a fire, and of course wanted some. They only knew a few people there, and so of course they would cling to me, I'm their safe place. Looking back on the night, they really weren't that demanding, at least not for a 3 and 6 year old. I started to reflect on the night. It was good to see everyone, some that I hadn't seen in more than 10 years. I got to talk to a sweet young mom and hold her precious baby boy. Her husband is in Afghanistan right now serving our country. She shared with me what it is like having to live so far away from the one you love. I started to pray for her and her little family. It wasn't long before the frustration was gone and replaced with thankfulness.

I pulled into our driveway, and got the kids inside to get them ready for bed. Jameson asked if I would help him brush his teeth, because he was just too tired. I said sure, and he replied, "Mom, I'm so lucky I have you for a Mom." If only he knew.... I'm the lucky one:)

The Ups and Downs of Homeschooling

This week is spring break for our family, which means I finally get some time to update everyone on our homeschooling adventure. Things have been busy to say the least!
The first two weeks of our journey were absolutely blissful. Everything went according to plan. I was organized, ahead of schedule, full of excitement and creative ideas. I was even able to keep my house "mostly" clean, while homeschooling, working one day a week, and caring for Jameson after his surgery.
Somewhere during our third week, things changed. They got hard. Nothing I couldn't handle, but we definitely weren't in that blissful place anymore. I was falling behind on my charting at work, and didn't have time to even think about my Thirty-one business! I felt overwhelmed, and began to lose patience with Owen during school. Heck, who am I kidding! I began to lose patience with all three of my kids, and my husband most of the time. I had so many "irons in the fire" as they say, and felt like each area of my life was getting just enough of my time that it didn't completely fall apart.
There were still good days when I felt like I had it all together, but then just like that, I'd be back to being behind and overwhelmed. I knew something had to change, and deep down, I knew that something was me!
I was putting so much time and effort into things that just really didn't matter, that it was leaving me exhausted and unable to put 100% into the things that did. The first thing I did was cut down on the number of visits I did for the health department each week. I had started out with six families which made for a really long work day. I gave up three, cutting my work day and my stress in half.
Next, I finally stopped stressing about keeping a clean and organized house! Yep, we've been living in filthy chaos the past two months. (Okay, not really, but compared to before.......you know what I mean)
Finally, I've had to learn how to "go with the flow" so to speak. This has been the hardest change to make, but also the most rewarding. I was getting so caught up in getting through my lesson plans, that I was forgetting about all of the reasons I was excited about homeschooling in the first place! If Owen is on a roll in science, I won't stop him, just because my schedule says it's time to start math. If this means we dedicate half a day to learning about the solar system or sharks, then that's just what we'll do.
At first we were doing spelling four days a week, and then having a test Friday morning before I went to work. Why? Because that's what the lesson plan said, of course! Never mind the fact that Owen has always been a great speller. He can see a word one time, and never forget how to spell it, and yet I was spending 20 minutes a day going over words that he knew the first day! Talk about wasting time. Now we do our spelling three mornings a week in the van while I'm taking Jameson to preschool.
I have to say my favorite part of homeschooling is being able to teach from a christian-based curriculum. We've spent weeks learning about all the aspects of physical health in health class. Last week we finished up our last chapter, which was all about spiritual health. The curriculum enforced what Jeremy and I had already been teaching the kids. We must pray and read the word everyday to grow spiritually, and that this directly impacts our mental and physical health. I love the fact that everything he is being taught, has scripture and Godly principles placed throughout it!
I'm still working on getting out of the "traditional school" mindset, and replacing it with what works for Owen, and our family. And I'm finding that the more I can do that, the more Owen learns, and the happier we both are in the process!

Sickness, Surgery, and Homeschool.

Monday was our first official day of homeschooling. Unfortunatley, it did not go according to plan. I had everything ready. After hours of looking online and talking with other moms who homeschool, I finally decided on and ordered curriculum. I spent several days transforming a bedroom into our classroom. I was ecstatic when my father-in-law brought us three school desk that had been Jeremy's and his two brothers when they were kids.

I filled out the necessary paperwork at the Board of Education, and Friday I picked Owen up from his last day at Wayland. I had to fight back tears when his classmates swarmed his desk to help him clean out the mess of bent papers and books that had no doubt been accumulating since August. It was the first time I had really doubted my decision. Seeing all of his friends hug him and tell him how much they would miss him. Hearing a couple of them whisper to him, "Tell your Mom you want to stay".

As we walked down the hall to leave, I could sense there was something weighing heavily on Owen, and it wasn't just the backpack that we had just stuffed full. I asked him if he felt sad. His reply, "Yeah, I'm a little sad. I'll miss my friends, but I'm more excited than anything." The doubt faded, and I was at peace again.

I couldn't wait for Monday morning! I was like a kid awaiting the arrival of Christmas! Then Sunday night happened. The storms kept me up til 1 am. I had finally drifted off, when I heard Ava. She was at the top of the stairs screaming for her Daddy. Jeremy went up to get her. He took her to use the bathroom, and then brought her to me, and explained that she cried and said it hurt when she tried to go. The rest of the night, I was up every 30 minutes to an hour taking her to the bathroom, refilling her sippy cup with cranberry juice, and googling home remedies for urinary tract infections. I wanted to cry because I knew how miserable she was, and because I knew I would be trading in my morning lesson plans for a trip to the pediatricians office.

We dropped Jameson off at preschool at 8:30 and headed to Owensboro. We were done by 10:40, including getting her antibiotic filled and stopping to get gas. We rushed home, ate lunch, and finally got started on school at noon.

We completed our daily lessons in math, reading, spelling, geography, and health, and finished our school day by 2:30! My friends who homeschool had mentioned how much shorter the school days would be compared to public school, but I was still shocked! Pleasantly shocked!

Yesterday, Jameson was scheduled for surgery to have his adenoids removed, so we didn't even get started on school until 4:00. I'm one of these people that love to be on a schedule. I need structure and a "to do" list to survive, but it's great to know that homeschooling is flexible and when unexpected things come up, it's not a big deal. Owen doesn't have to miss school, we simply reschedule for a better time.

So far, even with the challenges that came with our first couple of days, I am absolutely loving teaching my son! I find so much joy in watching him learn and figure things out, and I'm learning quite a bit in the process too!

Change is Good..... I Can Do This!

Our family is about to make a big change! After much prayer, thought, doubt, and tears, we've decided to start homeschooling our children. It wasn't an easy decision. It should have been, because I've felt called to homeschool for about two years now.
Well, let me start from the beginning. I grew up in the public school systems, and so when I had children, it was just a given that they would also. I never considered homeschooling. I knew several people, including family and friends, who provided their own children's education, but still never considered it for my kids.
Owen attended a christian pre-school, and then started kindergarten at Wayland. When he was in first grade, I remember sending him to school one day and feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt about sending him away for seven hours a day, five days a week. This was my precious child that God entrusted me to raise and teach, and I'm sending him to a place to be taught by people I barely know! Don't get me wrong. We love Wayland, and Owen has been fortunate enough to have great teachers every school year. The problem is, no matter how great a teacher is, no one cares about my child or his education more than me!
The thought of homeschooling crossed my mind, but didn't seem realistic. I mentioned it to Jeremy, and I knew right away that it wouldn't work. He had a lot of misconceptions about kids who were homeschooled, the same ones I had heard for years.
Over the next year and a half, every time I would think about homeschooling, I would push the thought away. I would tell myself that Owen would be fine going to public schools, I mean look at all the children who do. I also knew that without my husbands support, it wouldn't work. Then there was the fear of me failing. But at the same time I knew that anything God called me to do, he would help me through, and make it a huge success!
This past summer, an old friend of mine, and a couple in our church decided to start homeschooling. Around the same time, I started praying hard that if God wanted us to homeschool, that he would show Jeremy, and that he would give me the courage to take such a huge leap of faith.
Owen started third grade this past fall. I still felt the guilt on a daily basis. When God calls you to do something, you won't be happy or fulfilled until you obey him. I know this, and I've experienced it in other areas of my life. So, I knew it would be the same way concerning this issue, and yet I resisted. The main reason being that I needed my husband behind me supporting me and cheering me on.
Last week I ran into a girl I went to high school with who homeschools her two boys. Sunday morning before church I was telling Jeremy about it. My prayers from the last six months were finally answered when Jeremy told me that if I felt called to homeschool that he would support me!
At first I felt excitement, but that quickly turned to fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failing. I had so many questions! Which curriculum? Can I still work one day a week, or do I need to quit my job? How do I start? Do I wait until next school year, or start now?
I'm so thankful that I have a couple of great friends who have been there to answer these questions and help support me!
Monday afternoon I was cooking dinner, and I began to to thank God for answering my prayers. The guilt and doubt that I'd felt for so long was gone, just like that! And in it's place was an overwhelming peace and joy! I couldn't stop crying! It's a great feeling to know that you are finally doing his will and not your own!
I am so thankful that God has called me to teach my children. I know it's not going to be easy, and I'm sure there will be days when I doubt myself, but I'll stand firm on his promises, knowing this is the right thing for our family.

They'll be Grown before you Know it.

If you're a parent, you've probably heard someone say to you at least once, "Enjoy these times with your little ones, they'll be grown before you know it." I've always known how true this is, but sometimes it just sinks in more than others. This morning was one of those times.
Owen will be nine in April. Nine years old! It seems like just yesterday, we were outside swinging him in his baby swing. Jameson will start kindergarten this fall, and Ava, my baby, just turned three. I've been so busy, and consumed the past 9 years with being pregnant, nursing, changing diapers, potty training and chasing toddlers, that I didn't really take time to think about how different life would be when all of that was over.
This morning I was lying in bed watching cartoons with Jameson and Ava, and it hit me all of a sudden just how fast these precious first years are flying by. As much as I wish I could at times, I can't make them quit growing, or freeze time. All I can do is step back, slow down, and take it all in. I know they'll be grown before I know it, which is why I'll be sure to listen even more intently when Jameson tells me a story about what happened at preschool, or wants to share with me what he dreamed last night. I'll read that book, and work the princess puzzle "just one more time" when Ava ask for the 10th time. And I'll be sure to appreciate Owen's wit and sense of humor, and always be there whenever any of my three children need me.