moving…

blogs. I need something new and fresh… so here ya go: http://jessicapaige.blogspot.com/

See you on the other side 😉

A Bit Late.

I have to admit it… I’m sad that baby Isaac is not born yet. My due date was yesterday… and the longest I’ve ever gone over date has been one day. And it’s looking like I will be going beyond that one day this time around. Sigh. There are a few reasons why I’m bummed. 1. Grace’s birthday is on Saturday (and I really really really want her and Isaac to have separate birthdays.) 2. There is a major family party (my side) on Saturday. Family from out of state will be in town for it, and I was/am hoping that they can meet my newest babe by then. After the weekend I’ll be able to share what the major event is, but for now I have to keep it a secret. 🙂 So, I have to admit that I will be super sad if I can’t be there on Saturday… and yes, I know, it’s going to be difficult with a newborn who is days old (hopefully!)…. but clearly I’ll just be sitting and taking care of my babe. And he wouldn’t be getting passed around, so germ wise we’re good. Maybe it will be better if he is born after the weekend. I don’t know. It’s in God’s timing and I need to trust Him with it all and stop over thinking these things that I just can’t control at all.
I’ve also been extra emotional/hormonal today and I’m not sure why. I mean, I really haven’t been that bad hormonally this pregnancy. A thought I had earlier today is that maybe there’s a surge of hormones in my body declaring that labor will be happening withing the next day or so. It’s just weird to be crying over everything and nothing so suddenly.
Hopefully I’ll have news of Isaac’s arrival for you all soon!

Week 32.

Oh man! Isaac is going to be here before I know it… not sure how I feel about that. The reality of having 4 children won’t hit, I think, until he is actually here and I have to take care of them with minimal help. Yikes! I’m feeling pretty tired these days. And achy too. But that goes with the territory of being pregnant, right? Nothing new. This week there seems to be a crazy surge of hormones through my body. Today I have been crying at practically nothing, yet everything. So frustrating. And I’m just so tired. Did I already say that? I hope this doesn’t come across like whining or complaining, because I’m not. Just saying how it is.
While I’m waiting for my new sons grand entrance, I’m really enjoying how the trees and flowers are coming to life. I have tulips almost in bloom (although I think my 2 year old beheaded a few… so sad.) and my peach, apple, and pear trees have super pretty flowers on them right now. I’m thankful for new life and for warmer weather. God is good like that.

Spring.

I have laundry to wash, dry, and put away… dishes in the dishwasher to unload, and more to go in, dinner to prep, a kitchen floor to sweep and mop, a bathroom in dire need of a good cleaning………and what am I doing instead? Cleaning up my garden. I have a bag full of weeds, old peach pits (we have a peach tree), and leaves that were missed in the fall. It feels good to begin to tidy up my little space of dirt. And I absolutely adore the warm sun shining on my face. Whenever I am digging in dirt I feel like I am connecting with God in a different and yet intimate way. It makes my soul sing a song that was just waiting to be sung. It feels good. i also planted two foot long rows of lettuce. I’ve never done that before so only time will tell if it grows. Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain, and so I will be sure to get caught up on the house chores – maybe I’ll even enlist the help of my older two. I’m sure they’d enjoy earning a few coins, and I sure would love the help. I’m going to go back outside in a few minutes… maybe I’ll see another butterfly. I saw a beautiful one just a couple of hours ago. First one this Spring! Oh how I LOVE this time of year!

Everyday Chocolate Cake.

I am making this lovely cake for our small group tonight. We will be topping it with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. I love the beginning of warmer weather treats!

Spring is in the Air!

I am LOVING today. It’s sunny and a little warm… it feels like SPRING. According to accuweather, it’s 59 degrees out but feels like it’s 64… LOVE. Noah had a friend over today while the girls were at school and they played outside, and ate lunch outside, and ran around outside….doing things that boys do. It’s fun to see my boy enjoy the outdoors. I’m convinced that boys and men were just made to be outside.
Spring is also my light at the end of this longtomebecausei’mthepregnantone 9 months. Baby boy is due at the very very end of Spring – in June and I’m so looking forward to enjoy the summer and fall with a new born. I’m even planning on starting to jog again in July… we’ll see if that actually happens. Ha!
Today I also had a chance to dig in the dirt. It felt great. The earth was just craving to be turned. I think I come alive more when it’s so nice out. But it’s true. I feel inspiration to be creative with planning my summer garden, and with coming up with new meal ideas. Heavy winter food is so over with in my house; but I should probably check with my husband first on that one… he kinda likes the comfort foods. For lunch today I made myself a BLT. So good. And to me, that just adds to my happiness with such a Spring like day.
Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70’s. I am so looking forward to that!!!

Yuck.

I just read a horribly haunting news article… it had a misleading title… and I cannot believe I read it. Such tragedy. I’m not going to say what it was because that isn’t fair to whoever reads this… but boy oh boy, I truly would like to erase it from my mind. There is such evil in our world. And it’s disgusting. Jesus we need you!!

The Mini Man

My mini man has been such a handful recently. Thankfully I find him hilarious most of the time as well… but seriously, momma’s of little boys… we need to swap stories!
Yesterday morning I ended up smelling like a man. A very good smelling man, but a man nonetheless. Noah somehow got a hold of Rich’s Old Spice body wash (I love the scent of Old Spice) and poured it all. over. his. head. I mean, POURED it. And when I found him, he was rubbing his hands and arms with it as well. I was trying to scold him and not laugh at the same time. The kid is a funny one! But the timing of this moment was not too great… Becca needed to get out the door that minute for the bus, Grace was finishing up homework due that day and I still had her lunch to make before the bus came for her. So… the boy had to linger a while longer in the Old Spice aroma before I could clean him up. I finally was able to bathe him, but I ended up smelling manly too! So, perfume and lotion was liberally applied all day long. Thankfully I don’t think I still smell that way (no, I haven’t showered today) and yes, the boy still smells like a man.

A delicate path to walk

I remember when Grace was a baby. She would cry and cry at times and I just didn’t know how to console her so that she would stop. Her needs were such a mystery to me. That first year seemed to creep by so slowly at times… ok, most of the time. I would think about how those issues we were facing at the time would one day end and that new ones would present themselves… and I would pray for wisdom. Raising a young girl to love the Lord is quite an undertaking! The issues that I face today are more about how to guide her as she becomes more aware of the world…. how to help her be a light in darkness, yet guiding her to not be of the world. I never want my children to be in a christian bubble, although I sometimes wish they could be. A bubble like that would be the easy way out. But when it comes down to it, the easy way out is not what I desire for my kids.
So today, little miss had her first play date with a friend who I was discerning came from a family that does not know the Lord. She did have fun, but she came home with feelings that she didn’t know what to do with. Rich and I prayed with her and she cried. It was a really sweet, intimate time. We encouraged her to pray for her friend, and to continue to be a friend to this girl. Rich had such great words of wisdom for her… I sure do love that man. He is a wonderful Dad.
Next time, her friend will come to our house… but I will say that if she is invited again, Grace will be allowed to go. This is such a delicate time in her life, and in our growth as parents. I wonder how and if things will be different when it’s time for our other kids to take this step out of the nest that Grace has taken. Only time will tell.
Oh, and a boy in her class called for her today while she was gone. Um, I don’t think so! That is a whole other path that I am so not ready to step foot on. But one day I will have to.

I will trust you.

Even when it’s difficult. Even when the disappointment can get to be a bit overwhelming. Even when the plans I have envisioned don’t work out and all I can do is cry over (and miss) what could have been. I will trust you God.

I know this post seems vague… I just am not in a place to share what the circumstances are right now. Be rest assured that it’s nothing dramatic. No one is sick. No one is missing. Life is just hard sometimes.