A Lifetime of Love

My children, particularly Thomas & Tanner, were deeply saddened by the events that transpired in Connecticut. They really wanted to do something for the families of the children who were killed...so they did. Monday we forwent our original school lessons for the week, and instead the boys set about baking banana-chocolate chip muffins, cutting out paper snowflakes, creating flyers describing their cause, and packaging up goodies to distribute at various places in town. I also sent out an email to church friends and posted about their plan on Facebook. The response has been overwhelming! They sold dozens of muffins, ornaments, & loaves of Amish Friendship Bread. Between Monday and Wednesday, they raised over $100! They are overjoyed and I am extremely proud of them. They have displayed many godly character traits such as compassion, kindness, selflessness, and worked together to accomplish their goal. Although this wasn't in our schedule for school, they learned far more...

Teagan had her 4 year well-check the other day. She was all smiles (as usual) when we got there and even after we got back into the exam room. But once the exam was over and she realized she would be getting 4 immunizations, fear set in quickly! She hid on the floor behind the stroller in hopes of avoiding the inevitable. I felt terrible for her, but as I attempted to reason with her, it was for her health and protection that she get them. I had to hold her down and I hated every second of it just as much as she did! Afterwards we went to Krispy Kreme to enjoy a donut fresh off the line. That helped make it better! :)

Tristin-Grace came home from school just now excited to show me what was in her bag. I unzipped it and found a "Difference Maker" t-shirt that she received from her teacher. Her teacher said that she makes a difference because every morning she walks another girl to class. This has been going on since the beginning of the year when the girl was crying because she didn't want to walk in alone. Tristin-Grace offered to walk in with her, and they have been doing it ever since. Her teacher also said that Tristin-Grace is good about cleaning up her work space and helping others tidy up theirs. That is really no surprise to me as she loves to organize things! I am one proud momma!

Today is Tristin-Grace's birthday. I am so thankful for her as she is such a mini-mommy. Tristin-Grace likes to take Annie potty, brush her hair, and help her get dressed. She really enjoys helping me take care of Taryn by changing her diaper, dressing, feeding, and playing with her while I am busy doing other things. This year TG has learned to fix her own hair (a time-saver for me!) and we are working on braiding. Tristin-Grace has also started helping me more with laundry, cooking, and cleaning. She has learned to sort the clothes by color, and she can make her own cereal or oatmeal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Tristin-Grace LOVES to clean, and really doesn't mind cleaning the toilets or washing dishes. The tougher the job, the happier she is! Since school has started, she has started to read better and it's been fun to listen to her read to her younger siblings (and sometimes Tanner). Tristin-Grace loves homework and on the days she doesn't have any, ...

Today the kids and I visited a local apple orchard. We had never actually been there before although we've lived here for more than 9 years. We had so much fun! It was the perfect length (just over an hour) to keep anyone from growing bored after doing an activity for too long. I do hope to go back again when TJ is able join us, perhaps next year.

Lately I've been able to have some really meaningful conversations with the boys about theological topics. I love that I am able to have these talks because it reveals their hearts to me, and also it gives me an opportunity to share my own weaknesses with them. Lastly, it helps all of us to know how to specifically pray for the others. Tanner read a story for school that was based upon the passage of Luke 15:3-10. If you are not familiar with this passage, it is a parable (earthly story with a heavenly meaning) that compares a lost sheep to a lost person (person who does not know Jesus as Lord and Savior). In the story, there is a shepherd herding his sheep to the fold for the night. A fold is a safe place for the sheep to go because it is surrounded on all sides by a fence made of stone or brick. There is only one entrance, and the shepherd would guard the entrance to keep wild animals from attacking the sheep at night, and also to prevent the sheep from...

Today is Teagan's birthday. I am so thankful for her sweet, bubbly, joyful personality. She is truly a blessing to our family as she often reminds me to slow down and enjoy life simply by her infectious giggles and big smile. She had a rough start with all of her delays, but with each passing day, I am reminded of God's goodness to me and am so extremely thankful for walking through that valley. As a result, I have been able to encourage others who have children with special needs as they now walk through the unknown valley. Teagan's journey has allowed me to meet remarkable people and establish and maintain a relationship that otherwise would not have existed. Thank you on behalf of Teagan, myself, and my family. You helped shape Teagan into the person she is today. How can I express enough the feelings of gratitude? I can't, but please know, all of those who came week in and week out for all those years, you will forever be a part of our lives.

I had the privilege of bringing a devotional challenge at a bridal shower today for a member of my church. As I was leaving, several people asked me for a copy of my notes. Here they are... ******************************************************************* I'm not sharing anything new with you, but rather things that the Lord has really made clear to me over the years that TJ and I have been married. ·          Created for your husband (Gen. 2:18) o    Instead of the world's view that, as wives, we pick up the pieces , God created us to be our husband's missing piece . §   God knows his flaws, antics, tastes, etc. and He created us to be exactly who our husband needs as a wife and in a wife. o    We were created to meet the needs of our husbands, not the other way around §   Important to remember, especially down the road if you have kids and you are feeling overwhelmed with the increased res...

Summer has come to an end for us, and we have been so busy that I haven't even attempted to post on here... Our summer started in May with a trip to Ohio for my brother's high school graduation. It was nice to visit with extended family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins (and second cousins!) on both my mom's and dad's side of the family. The weather was hot and we enjoyed swimming while visiting both my parents. We also squeezed in a visit with one of my oldest and dearest friend, Chelsea, and her husband and 2 boys. As usual, the kids didn't want to leave and saying "Good-bye" was bittersweet. I look forward to my visits with her so much and cherish her friendship even more. Good, godly friends are hard to come by and I'm so thankful for the influence she's had on my life. Love you, Chelsea!! June brought on Vacation Bible School, swimming lessons for Thomas, Tristin-Grace, and Teagan, as well as Art Camp for Thomas. Probably the highlig...

It's been a while since I found time to post on here. Life has been busy (especially during baseball season) and now that we are full-swing into summer, time is again passing quickly as our days are filled with enjoying the sun! This post is not a typical recap of our household life, but instead is dedicated to the Lord's working in my life. I've wanted to share this for a while (since April), but I'm glad I waited because the Lord has continued to work. My pastor's message on resting in God prompted me to write this because I have found that in order to fully rest in God, you have to trust in what He's done for you. Here's what I mean... I found myself (questioning) doubting God's goodness to me. I thought the bad things I had done (major yelling at my kids, lack of patience with them, unrighteous anger) caused me to lose favor in the Lord's eyes, and His way of "correcting" me was to suffer the loss of the twin and live with tha...

It's hard to believe school is out for Thomas already. We have had a fun year full of great learning experiences. Below are some pictures of learning in action! September: Latta Plantation Homeschool Day Learning the 3 R's (Reading, Writing, & 'Rithmetic) Reading from a McGuffy Reader Learning about clothing styles & medicine from the 1700s on- VERY interesting! October: Riverbanks Zoo   Our science curriculum is broken down into the various days of creation. This year we started with Day 5: the flying creatures. Megabat- this year we learned the difference between a microbat and a megabat. :) November: Carolina Raptor Center  This field trip only enhanced what we were learning about & was probably Thomas' favorite since he has developed a passion for birding thanks to his study in science this year.  We felt a sense of honor & pride seeing our National Bird up close & in person. Red-tail Hawk: our favorite!! ...

My last post was so gloomy, and I'm happy to say my perspective has definitely improved over the past couple of weeks. With the help of others, I have implemented a new chore chart and I cannot express enough how much smoother our house runs now. The kids each have their own daily chart that is just for their bedrooms. It includes 4 items (each worth 25 cents) that have to be done daily (for a maximum weekly allowance of $5 if all check marks are received). The goal is to have the chores completed each morning, but I have made allowances to the time I check because Annie has learned how to open doors and will literally trash a room in a matter of seconds. The boys have started locking their door when they finish their chores so that she can't go in there before I have a chance to check their room...they learned from experience. =) I also implemented a weekly cleaning chore that pretty much covers the entire house. There are a co...

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed. Very overwhelmed. By laundry, dishes, cleaning, children, places to be, homeschooling, I could go on. I was having such a difficult time getting into a routine because I have also been plagued by fatigue. I, like the majority of people, wake up each day with a "list" of things to accomplish for the day. Mine is not really very interesting and includes items such as picking up toys, vacuuming, dishes, preparing meals, etc. The problem came when lunch time hit. Whatever wasn't completed by lunch was added to the list for tomorrow because my energy was gone. Every day around the same time (1-2pm) I found myself having difficulty thinking clearly and feeling kind of dizzy. The only thing that would help was to rest for a few minutes (as long as the children would allow- the most was 20 minutes!). I have been to two separate doctors who practice in separate offices hoping to find an answer as to why I have been feeling this way. I re...

I am starting to feel think better again about the trials in my life the Lord has allowed. The more I read my bible, the more I begin to understand God's goodness. It occurred to me the other day that trials are like medicine: we may not like them at the time but they are ultimately for our good. God, as our Heavenly Father, knows this, even though we may not. The other lessons on God's goodness that I learned this past week include: God is good. He doesn't try to be good, He just is. When God allows a trial in our life, He is using it to conform us to His likeness (in this case, His goodness). God also allows trials in our lives so that others can witness His goodness in us (probably the most difficult for me to grasp). I am thankful I was (once again) reminded of these truths on God's goodness. Although I have read certain passages of scripture many times, the Lord uses different verses and even clusters of words to open my eyes to His truths. I had never thou...

I am writing this post because I hope it will encourage others. To be quite honest, I am about to reveal some of my innermost thoughts and feelings that I have been struggling with. I only recently shared them with TJ because of the shame I felt about having them, but my heart was hurting and I didn't like keeping them from him. I thought I was "over" my grief about losing the twin and accepted God's plan for my life, but upon finding out an acquaintance was pregnant with twins, my grief returned in full force. Instead of feeling joy for her, I was crying for myself. I found myself watching Annie, studying her and imagining what my life would be like if there were two of her running around. And the more I thought of this life, the angrier with God I became for not allowing me to have it. The anger grew into bitterness, and before I knew it, I found myself with my back turned to Him, not wanting to even consider His way for my life. I was no longer reading my bible,...

Life has been busy, to say the least. My time is spent caring for my children, my husband, & my household. Interwoven in there was a visit from my mom and a week off of work for TJ. Some of the tasks that TJ & I have managed to accomplish in the past 3 weeks include: - sorting through the boys' clothes to pack away or donate - sorting through Taryn's clothes to determine what she needs - unpacking boxes leftover from when we moved (over 18 months ago!) and sorting through the items - donating bags of adult and children's clothing, toys, blankets, and "stuff" to Tender Hearts - hanging pictures in the kids' bedrooms - transitioning Annie from a crib to a twin bed and moving the crib into T.G.'s room for Taryn to use Simply put, I have been busy purging and organizing my house. My goal is to go through each room and closet in an attempt to declutter and maximize space. My anxiety level was pretty high because of the disarray the house was in...