Heavy ♥ {ed}

That's how I am feeling lately. Heavy ♥ {ed}. It's not a fun place to be, but it's needed sometimes. If certain things did not make me feel like that I would wonder about myself and my cold, calloused heart, ya know?

So, I've decided {apart from the fact that I use the word {so} entirely too much} that it really stinks being a grown up at times. When you are a young un' life is so simple and innocent. You are blissfully oblivious to the struggles, cares, and heartaches of this sin-filled world. You can enjoy life's daily pleasures without the weight of responsibility or troubles causing you to hunch down under their heavy load. You can run and jump and play with reckless abandon. Because you truly "haven't a care in the world". There's "those big people" to take care of everything for ya.

Well, now I am one of "those big people". And sometimes, I just don't want to be. Have you ever been there?

Why am I feeling heavy ♥ {ed}, you may ask? Well...in no particular order:

1. Because of sin and its destructive power--not only on the lives of the sinners, but also on their families, friends, acquaintances, and me, some 5,000 miles away.


2. Because of seeing so many of my "friends" fall by the wayside, sometimes with marriages that have fallen to pieces and that are far from the path of the Lord.


3. Because of "little sins" in my own life and how difficult it is to overcome them.


4. Because of heartache, grief, and pain that I watch loved ones go through and that I bear with them.


5. Because of the state of our country (actually both of my countries) and government.


6. Because of the lack of respect for and protection of Israel.


7. Because of the politics in our churches.


8. Because instead of helping a brother up and dusting him off, we are far to quick to kick him when he is down and bleeding.


9. Because Satan is alive and well and way too good at his job.

Depressing, huh?! Hence, I won't go on...especially as I am NOT depressed nor discouraged. I have decided not to allow these things to steal my joy.

Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying:

"People are only as happy as they make up their minds to be." 

and 

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you; and in the end you are sure to succeed." 

So, you see, I have a choice. And I choose not to dwell on these things, but to allow Christ to sustain me and move on. I think that's the key--I am not doing it on my own, but with Christ at my side, carrying me through the hard things, that in and of myself, I cannot handle.

Also, I am by no means saying that my life is not full of many, many blessings for which I am most thankful. Just this week the Lord has given me so much--healthy kids, extra family time, protection for loved ones both near and far away, etc., etc.

I have seen the miracle of new life (My friend, Flavia had her baby!! Such a tiny, perfect little bundle! :) and I have seen life through the eyes of my children (Always a precious sight!)

When I get my eyes off myself, my petty problems, and the situation, be it mine or that of my dear ones, and get them back clearly in focus on my Saviour, I realize it's not so bad after all!

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: 

the LORD will give grace and glory: 

no good thing will he withhold 

from them that walk uprightly." 

Psalm 84:11

Baby Brother Brag Post

My brother, Adam, at his Marine Corp. Boot Camp graduation, 2007

Meet my {little} brother, Adam. Well, he is younger than me and was little once upon a time. To me, he will always be my little brother. You know the kind that drive you crazy, chase you around the house and beat you up, embarrass the living daylights out of you (whatever "living daylights" are?! idk ha!) and generally think it is the #1 priority in their job description to annoy you. Yeah, one of those kind of little brothers. Anyone identify with that?! I am sure you get the idea. 

On the other hand, growing up he was always the first one to stick up for me or lend a helping hand when I needed one. He put up with my torturous, manipulating ways {like swapping dishes duty for me to play a game with him}. I have many good memories of setting up the tent in the backyard and "camping out" with him or of tossing the baseball or playing football catch for hours. (Tip--when you are on opposite sides of the yard from each other it is much harder to get into a fight! ;) The list goes on as my mind recalls all the crazy, silly, goofy brother-sister things, we used to do.

As for you, you may call him, Marine. Protector. Defender of Freedom and Old Glory. He stands for a cause, our cause. Where we enjoy the freedoms, he fights to keep them firmly in place. Where we live in comfort, he lives in the midst of conflict. Where we know peace, he sees pandemonium. {yes, that's my big word for the day}.

Because today he doesn't sit safely within our country's shores. But rather is found, in the scorching desert somewhere in the middle of nowhere, in Afghanistan. He is sweating it out and doing it happily, because there's a job to be done. He doesn't just recognize that fact, as so many do, but goes above and beyond. He fulfills the need. He stands in the gap. He does it for you. He does it for me. He is one of many. They call themselves soldiers, we call them heroes!

So, you can see why my ♥ swells with pride today. On this day when we remember the fallen and the faithful. Those who have paid the ultimate price and those that are serving us now and willing to pay it, too.

My mom with her "soldier boy"

 

My little bro., me, and Clara at 5 months

"I have never been able to think 

of the day as one of mourning; 

I have never quite been able to feel 

that half-masted flags

were appropriate on Decoration Day.  

I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, 

because those whose dying we commemorate

rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it.  

We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did."

  ~Benjamin Harrison

 

"They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save."
~Francis Marion Crawford

   

I have to admit, he looks handsome in his uniform.

Lil Bro. and your fellow soldiers~ Thank you for all you do on my behalf. For walking the rough road so that I will never have to trod it. For bearing the burden so that my shoulders do not have to carry it. For standing in the gap and doing what I cannot do. For protecting me, my loved ones, and the freedoms we hold dear. For your service and sacrifice, I thank you. There truly are no words to express my gratitude. You are my heroes. With love and prayers~ Your sis and supporter God bless America and Happy Memorial Day!

Infections

Isn't that a pleasant thought?! Just what you were hoping to read about today. Yep, about as much as I was wanting to deal with them first hand. And not just today, but for the last week or so.

Clara has been fighting a nasty skin infection, it started out as just an innocent little red dot on the underside of her chin. At first, it looked like acne and I really didn't think anything of it. Of course, that is when it began its aggressive attack. What was one teeny-weeny spot, became 2 big red blotches of yuck! Those 2 spots, with the help of 2 little hands, grew and claimed more territory in other areas as well. You know what that meant--WAR!!!

I did everything I knew to do, but with poor results. Finally, we took her in to the nearby clinic, and sure enough, she has a skin infection. (I kinda had that figured out by now!) Still, a relief to know that it wasn't chicken pox or something much worse. So, time to disinfect! Sounds like a barrel of fun! Except, antiseptic has a tendency to sting in open sores. Trust me, my almost 4 year old can attest to that! Many squeals pierced the air and tears were shed. However, we were determined not to let the nastiness win.

Then just when it looked like we had it on the run for good, it came back with its 2nd wave, a much stronger full-out assault!! UGH!!!! Poor me!! Poor baby girl!!!! Finally, after another week of trying to get this thing licked, a few new owies would rear their ickiness! So, back to the pediatrician. This time for both kids. Ethan, not wanting to be left out of the drama, developed his own, equally disgusting yet different, infection. Fun! {Grimace!}

The good news is we were doing the right thing, cleansing and disinfecting the sores. However, it just wasn't enough to keep it from spreading and get rid of it for good. So, now we have called in the reinforcements--antibiotic cream!!! WooHooooo!! Hoping this will be our Knight in Shining Armour that rides into save the day {and Clara's skin}!

Ethan's {fun} infection is a type of ear infection. After having it explained to me I think of it as a backed up drain system. His nose "plumbing" is clogged and won't "drain" properly. So, the green ooze has found a different outlet, namely my sweet little boy's left ear. I won't go into more details; I am sure that you get the idea. Yuck!

Amazingly, it doesn't seem to really bother/phase him. He is also taking antibiotics and seems to be on the speedy road to recovery. I am just hoping his ear returns to its normal, dry and non-smelly, state--soon!

Alright, enough of that kind of talk. But, it did get me to thinkin'. Isn't that just like me? Isn't that just like how I normally deal with my sin? I think I have it all under control when, Wham! seemingly out of no where it strikes again, hard, and knocks me down flat. Then, and only then, do I step back for self-evaluation. Hmmm...maybe there's something more to this problem.

Maybe I should do now what I should have done in the first place--take it to the Lord in prayer. Confess. Repent. Forsake. Allow God to do what only He can. Release me from sins' binding chains so that I can live a victorious Christian life. Sin, without Christ, is an incurable, infectious disease. It spreads its ugliness leaving nothing but pain, heartache, and destruction in its wake. I am so glad that I have a just, yet loving God, Who holds the Cure! The precious blood of Jesus Christ that washes me clean and white as fresh fallen snow. I have felt His cleansing touch, not only at salvation, but also every time I am wise enough to go to Him in prayer with the sins "that doth so easily beset me". He is there, ever faithful to hear and forgive and forget. He picks me up, dusts me off, tends my wounds, and mends my broken heart, as only He can. Why, oh why do I take so long to go to Him? Forsaking the sin and clinging to God's Word, that's what I need. It's really pretty simple, not easy, but uncomplicated. I'm the one who likes to make it difficult.

“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psa 51:9-10 

 This Blessed Old Book

It's a well of pure water when I'm thirsty and dry,

Bread when I'm hungry and worn.

When the battle is raging, it's my faithful sword,

My shelter in life's troubled storm.

It's a light to my pathway and a lamp to my feet,

When the world gets so dark you can't see.

And I've not made a change in one word that it says,

But it sure made a change in me.

CHORUS:

This blessed old book that I hold in my hand,

It's true from beginning to end.

it's the solid foundation where I firmly stand,

Sin kept me from it, now it keeps me from sin.

When I think what it cost just to hold in my hand,

It reminds me that I owe a great debt,

To all of the martyrs who'd gone to the stake,

And quote it with their dying breath.

Now its critics are many and believers are few,

But one thing I've found to be true.

If you find when you read it that there's something wrong,

There's something wrong with you.

--Gary Duty

I am glad that I have the looking glass of the Bible to show me the error of my ways. This mirror gives a true reflection revealing my faults and failures. I am by no means saying it is a picnic; it's hard lookin' at yourself and seeing those saggy bags, those creases and wrinkles, those ugly blemishes. When I allow the sin to come in and take root, it tarnishes the beauty that God intended in my life. But thankfully my shiny looking glass doesn't stop there. It doesn't just show me the ugliness and sin damage, but it provides me with a way to get rid of it. It shows me the path of life and freedom.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:32

 

P.S. Notice the lack of pics, yah, there's a good reason for that. { You can thank me for sparing ya later ;) }

"I Just Can't Take It Anymore!!!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Just kiddin'...{sheepish grin}

Have you ever felt like that? And really wanted to scream it at the top of your lungs, too? Yep, I think we have all been there a time or two. Any mama with a fussy baby can certainly relate. Or how about a college student struggling to cram for a test, finish projects and papers, work, do their ministries, clean for white glove inspection, and keep their eyeballs propped open with toothpicks? How about that person that is fighting an uphill battle against dreaded cancer or some other painful, horrible, life-threatening disease or the loved one that is watching helplessly from the sidelines, full of pain and grief?

Or maybe it is just as simple as this:

I really need this sign! ;)

So many things are all about attitude. It's about acting not reacting. Making a conscious choice and not being carried away by what is happening around us.

It's so easy to let the circumstances in life get us down and steal our happiness. If you are doing, "Alright, under the circumstances..." You are not doing alright at all; what are you doin' under there?!!! Easy to say, harder to do.

This is what our ladies' Bible study was about last Thursday night. The lie (as women) that we believe about our circumstances, "I can't take it anymore!!" "I can't handle this!" "I want out!"

Although we have all had those moments in our lives where we have felt like that, we cannot allow ourselves to dwell, live and wallow there. Because a lie is exactly what it is. And if we tell ourselves a lie long enough, we will believe and it will turn into the truth.

Also, in part, the statement is true. In and of myself, I can't take it anymore! BUT, we are not alone. We are daughters of the King and joint-heirs with Jesus. We have all-power given unto us through Christ.

What a blessing and relief to know that I do not walk through this world, with its heartaches and trials, by myself. My favorite verse puts it best:

 "The LORD is on my side; 

I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" 

Psalm 118:6 

 Jesus is on my side. He can carry me through anything that He sends my way. It's hard to remember when tragedy strikes, but the truth is that whatever I am facing passed across the desk of God first. He may not want it to happen, but He is allowing it for my good and His glory.

Another verse that helps me so much during moments of great difficulty is I Cor. 10: 13:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

It is tempting to think, "I can't deal with this!" It is tempting to throw up my hands and say "It's too much, I quit!" But, he promises to provide us a way of escape, not that we will escape the trial, but find a way to bear it. How can that be? When we give it all to Him. He has broad shoulders for carrying our heavy loads.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Sweet rest in the midst of the storm. The weight will be lifted. If we only give it to Him and leave it there! So often as women we are tempted to pick up that silly burden again. Why would we want to do that?!? It's in such strong, capable hands.

Apple Cinnamon Scrumptiousness

Scrumptious--such a fun word!

Definition of scrumptious: delightful, excellent; especially : delicious

Synonyms: ambrosial, appetizing, dainty, delectable, delish, flavorful, flavorsome, luscious, lush, mouthwatering, palatable, savory (also savoury), delicious, succulent, tasteful, tasty, yummy

and "Apple Cinnamon" just has that warm, fall, sweater weather, comfort factor. Nummmm...


I will be the first to readily admit that I am not much of a cook, it's not my favorite thing and I regularly struggle to come up with more meal ideas that I can handle and we will all eat and enjoy. Baking is not quite so bad, I would much rather bake than cook meals, but am still far, faaaaaar from an expert. Just simple, basic fare from my kitchen.

Okay, all that said, you are probably afraid to try this recipe. Please, don't be. Look at it this way--if I can make a recipe successfully, you most definitely can! And you can be assured that it will be super easy, too.

Remember that definition for scrumptious? Every word perfectly describes these oh-so-good cookies!

No, this is not a pic of MY batch of cookies, they don't stay around long enough for pictures ;)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 med. apple, peeled and grated--*calls for granny smith, but I used red delicious*

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups oats, old fashioned or quick cooking

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

generous pinch of ground nutmeg

3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel apple, grate, and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.

2. Beat the sugars and butter in a large bowl until creamy, about 3-4 min. Add egg, beat for 1 min. Stir in the vanilla extract until blended.

3. In a med. bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients and add to the butter/egg mixture slowly beating until just incorporated. Stir in grated apple and walnut pieces.

4. Bake at 350*F for about 10 min for a delicious, soft, melt-in-your mouth cookie. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 min. before transferring to cooling rack. Or even better, wait just long enough for them to not scorch all the taste buds off your tongue and eat every heavenly morsel. Quick!--Before hubby and kids are drawn to the kitchen by the divine aroma that is by now filling your whole house! It won't take them long to sniff out these yummy cookies. And neither you, nor they, are going to be able to stop after just 1. That's my guarantee!

Yield: 2 dozen cookies, and many happy tummies and content, smiling faces!

Enjoy! If you follow the instructions carefully, I KNOW you will!! {wink, smile!}

Is that smoke coming out of my ears??

The wheels are turning and the thoughts are flying, that's for sure. I am preparing to give my first ever, all in Spanish mind you, Thursday night ladies' Bible study. That's tomorrow night, in case you forgot what day it is. Yikes!!

The good news is that I do not have to write my own lesson and try to speak freely in Spanish {this time}. Our pastor and pastor's wife are out of town teaching at an institute this week, giving Matt and I the opportunity to step in and practice/teach. Hubby has done this before and has the much harder job of doing it all "from scratch". You really do feel like smoke comes out of your ears then!

Thankfully, for me our pastor's wife has been using a book (Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss) and going through chapter by chapter with a fill in the blank work sheet. I just have to study the notes and read through them with the ladies, making sure to give them the words to fill in and adding my own examples and thoughts as we go. Wheeewww!! That's intimidating enough for me, especially for my first time!

By the way, this is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it. No matter what stage of your life that you are at, you are sure to be "caught" believing one (or probably many) of these lies that Satan has so skillfully incorporated into "normal" thinking. Thank the Lord, we have the wonderful Truths found in His Word to set us free and transform and renew our minds! It is good, convicting stuff and something I will most likely need to hit the reset button on by reading it over again and again, lest I fall back into the devil's sneaky traps!

**Note: I do not own the book myself at this point, therefore I am not sure if the verses are KJV only nor if I agree with everything in the book. I am not saying that I am in complete and total agreement with the findings in the book or the beliefs of the author. However, I can say that it has definitely been a helpful tool in pointing out some areas in my life that need some work. Everything that I have heard in our Bible study is very Biblically sound and thought provoking!

So, between studying for class tomorrow {your prayers are MUCH appreciated!}, trying to put some thoughts together about a very interesting book I just read (more coming soon on this), reading up on Abraham Lincoln quotes (really good stuff!) I have had/ still have a few other things on my agenda, too.

Such as:

Wipe 2 kids non-stop runny noses

Attempt to make meals--1 epic fail {frown}, 1 yummy pot of chili {smile and tummy full of warm goodness}

Homeschool planning {scary} --reading, searching the 'net for info., curriculum, ideas, etc.
Thinking--"My kid can't really be old enough to start school!?!" and "Once I start down this homeschooling path I will be on it for the next 20 years {at least!} !!!" followed by "I am so not ready for this!" {And the kicker is I went to college for teaching elementary ed.--ha! Still a scary feeling to know that your kids' education rests solely in your hands, although it really does for every parent, whether you teach them yourself or not!!)

Making invitations for our monthly ladies' mtg.

Bulletin boards (those always seem to need to be changed again, don't they?!)

Sunday School Lesson--What am I teaching about again?

Planning for Clara's 4th birthday next month--actually I am still in denial! {j/k, sort of}

Oh yeah, and to top it off, we are starting up classes again soon, possibly next week. It will only be for 3 hours a week, but still....ugh! Aren't I supposed to be teaching school, not in school?

Time to rearrange our schedule again and see if we can make this work...hmmm....

Just to name a few...

As missionaries we always have to be looking down the road, not just a few weeks or months, but to the next year or two. Planning for furlough, saving for plane tickets, deciding where to start our own church, what funds/supplies we will need to get started, what things we need to bring back from the states, when to go to the states and for how long, writing prayer letters, scheduling meetings...

So, yep, that's definitely some smoke I see coming out of my ears... I guess I have a good reason for it, or 2 {3, 14, 79} ha! Don't misunderstand, I am not stressing out or complaining, just sayin' that there's a lot going on in the old noggin', and sometimes it overheats a bit. Do you ever feel like this? What wife and mom doesn't.

I'll be back soon to let you know how Bible study, among other things on my list, are going...

I just love it when a plan comes together {Smile}

Today was a simply lovely fall day in Argentina. It reached a sunny high of 73*, complete with blue sky and crunchy leaves.

I spent a good part of the morning getting my hair colored ...umm...er...I mean done! But, I didn't have to wait and was done relatively quickly--something I am always most thankful for. Plus, it's good when it actually comes out the nice, rich brown that it is supposed to and not some funky burgundy color (or worse). I don't take that for granted either. So, no hair disasters today. Then I got to take a nice walk home and enjoy the solitude and sunshine for a few minutes. Aaahhh! It felt good!

While I was detained trying to make myself beautiful {or at least presentable}, sweet hubby took the kids to the park. As I mentioned it was GoRgEoUs today, and they had fun romping and playing together. It's so fun to see Ethan as he is getting big{ger} and is able to do more things! He truly LO♥ES to be outside and watch the breeze rustle the leaves in the trees, etc. He is all BOY and I am enjoying watching every stage.

Watching the leaves blow

Later this afternoon we headed to Pilar, a town about 45 minutes from us, to go to the hospital and have an X-ray done on Bubs' head and see the neurologist, again! You see, when Ethan was very small we noticed that the back of his head was not perfectly round, but rather kind of had a lumpy/bumpiness on one side. She really felt like it was nothing abnormal, but  just to make sure that it was not serious our pediatrician recommended that we have an X-ray done.

Ok, no big deal, right?! WRONG!! You know that saying about "making a mountain out of a mole hill"?! That about sums it up. We had the X-ray done, but it was very poorly done and you couldn't see anything on it.

Instead of an X-ray, we will do a full CT Scan and then we will know for sure. That didn't go so well either. First, we had to put my poor baby under anesthesia to do it (because he had to lie perfectly still for 10 min., a 10 month old, riiiiiggghhhhtt!), and then the results were no better than the 1st X-ray. The doc. still could not say with complete confidence that everything was fine and normal with my baby's head!

So, he ordered another X-ray. But, of course, when we got there today, there had to be a catch. There was no order under Ethan's name of any kind. How strange! Turns out the doc. didn't look carefully when placing the order and put it under hubby's name instead. Easy enough to do especially when Ethan's middle name is hubby's first name, Matthew. Anyways, UGH!! One thing after another. We waited around for nearly an hour before getting word that they had gotten a hold of the doc. and had the order changed. Wheew! At least we didn't make the trip for nothing and we can still get this done!

Next stop was the doc.'s office and he had an emergency surgery so we almost didn't get to see him, but he squeezed us in long enough to tell us the good news--This X-ray was very clear and he could tell at a glance that Ethan's head was perfectly normal!! YAY!!!! I wanted to jump up and down and shout from the roof tops, not only could I now rest easy knowing that my son is well and whole, but also this going around in circles for months and months was finally over. We have a definitive answer and don't have to wonder and live with "what ifs" anymore. What a blessing and relief!

Totin' his milk around

And what a cute little head he has!!

I'm singin'~~

"Ain't God good?!!!! 

He gives me so many blessings, 

undeserving, that's what I am. 

I ought to thank Him, 

love and praise Him,

a little bit today, 

and a whole lot more tomorrow!!!"

Happy, healthy kiddos! ♥

All in all, a very good day--we got some things accomplished {in a foreign country that's HARD to do some days}, got wonderful news, have 2 healthy children, and enjoyed the day and the outdoors together!! For these things, and many, many more--I am thankful!!

Flavia's Baby Shower

Last Saturday we had a baby shower for my dear friend, Flavia. She is "heavy laden" with her 4th child--a little princess! As she has a boy (9), girl (7) and boy (3), naturally another little girl fits right into the pattern ;) . I had the privilege of decorating the church auditorium for the occasion and, in spite of recovering from the sickys, I had so much fun with it. It's always nice when the plan/idea in your head turns out the way you envision, or better!

Meet Flavia (and Luana) :)

I was especially glad to be a part of her special day as she has been such a sweet friend to me. When we first moved down here the missionaries we are working with left for a 6 month furlough. We found ourselves {plop} smack-dab in the middle of all things Spanish. Flavia is the youth pastor's wife at our church and did everything in her power, in spite of the pesky language barrier, to befriend me and make me feel comfortable and loved. It didn't matter that we could barely communicate more than a few words to each other, we bonded through smiles and acts of kindness. I am so thankful that the Lord gave me such a friend when I felt so isolated and "out of the loop." So, you see, I really feel like this was my opportunity to repay her for all her kindness to me. It's not easy trying to get to know someone that can't speak your language, dealing with the stutterings, stammerings, pauses, lack of words, etc. Not to mention me being a foreigner and not thinking or doing things the Argentine way. But she has always lovingly put up with me and been a friend to me. Also, I am grateful that things have MUCH improved since the rough beginning of our friendship over 2 years ago. Now, we can chat and laugh and look forward with much anticipation to the arrival of her little beauty. Can't wait to love on her!!

The pretty, girly cake!

Can't take credit for this--made by our pastor's wife

This is more my speed, Diaper Cake! ha

I have a lot of experience with diapers, and I used a soft blanket for the center!

My clothesline of princess' clothes :) This was so easy and fun to do!

Bulletin board (over another bulletin board) See, I am learning...

Flavia & her MIL, playing a game

What concentration! You can see more clothesline in the background, too!

Opening gifts!

Little hat and booties!

Her nephew came up for a closer look!

The much-needed DIAPERS!!

Holding her 2 week old nephew

As you can see, I used some of Clara's {gently used} clothes to do a girly clothesline and decorate the tables with booties and shoes, etc. It was so much fun reminiscing over the tiny garments and washing them up for the next princess to wear. At the end of the shower, I was so happy to give Flavia a box full to overflowing with things for her sweetheart. I know that she needs them, will put them to good use, and deserves all the nice things she received and more! Giving is such a pleasure especially when giving back to a giver.

What do you do when the "Mama" wants HER "Mommy"?

That's what I have been asking myself in the last few days.

You know that {lovely} little flu bug that had hit Clara and I asked for prayer for in my last post, well, yah, you guessed it. It flew over and bit the rest of us, including mama, fast and hard.

So, Wednesday we started with puke and ended with puke. Actually right on into the wee hours on Thursday. Clara woke up with it, Ethan "caught" it after nap, and Matt and I were kept from sleeping because of it. It was NOT a fun day and night at our house. Trust me and just be thankful you were NOT here. Notice the lack of pictures in this post, yah, there is a VERY good reason for that.

So back to my question, from about midnight til, oh, let's say at least 3 in the morning, I was thinking, "I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!!!" Especially when I stumbled my way to the bathroom for the 4th {or was it 5th?} time and didn't have the energy to go ALL the WAY back there again, so I weakly crashed on the couch. Just 'cuz I love my bathroom so much, right?! UGH!

Now, the next obvious, logical question is, "What could my mom have really done to help me during that quite trying time?" Yes, you're right. Probably absolutely nothing.

But it sure would have been nice just to have her there. To hear her soothing voice tell me that it will be okay. To have her brush my hair from my face and give me a very long overdue hug. Just those simple things that only a mother's love can supply.

And here I thought I was "all grown up" now. I have 2 kiddos of my own that need me. {Yes, I am very thankful that they were sleeping soundly while I was in the midst of all my bathroom trips!}

But sometimes, even a "grown up" girl just wants her mom! {sniff, SNIFF!}

Ok, I had my "moment", back to real life.

Thankfully, {I think} we are all officially over the nasty flu bug. I even decorated and attended a baby shower for our youth pastor's wife today. She's adding a princess to their family. {dreamy sigh} Even better, I am very excited that we are headed to the Lord's House in the morning to learn from His Word and fellowship with His people. He is good and every faithful!

So, yes I do miss my mom--so much it hurts sometimes.

But, when you can't have your mommy, nestling safe and warm in the Father's arms is even better!
{Wink, Smile!}