Mondays...

Today was a typical Monday. We are usually tired from Sunday and it just seems like there is more housework to do on Mondays. I have changed a few things lately trying to make our home run more efficiently. I had thought about sharing some of those ideas on my blog along with some of my favorite things.

I woke up this morning and it looked like it was going to rain. It was much cooler than it has been and it was cloudy. It is amazing how sluggish the weather can make me! I put a big crock pot of vegetable beef soup on for supper and plodded through the morning. By lunch time it had warmed up and was sunny! Madeline and I went out to get some exercise. She loves to ride her bike while I run, and I love the company! When we got home McKenzie was baking bread and I got Madeline to take the three younger ones outside to play. I decided to get my camera out and take some pictures of "my favorite things" to put on my blog post that I had going in my head. I was having the nicest time when the weather started looking like it was going to rain. In came the little kids. Myles went straight for Malachi's Lego creation that he had worked on all morning. It crashed to the floor, Malachi yelled at Myles, Myles started wailing and that was the end of my pictures! I snapped these two pictures of them and decided that this was a much more accurate post of my Monday!

Maybe another day I will share my ideas and favorite things!

Tax refund...

Before...


After...

Because it was too late...

I decided to take pictures. :)

The other day after a big rain Mariah spotted Malachi laying in this puddle in our driveway. She yelled, "Mama, look at what Malachi is doing!" He was having so much fun and it was obviously too late to worry about it! The pictures pretty much sum up his personality!

Tuesday I was in the house when I heard a commotion. It sounded like the noise you hear when something has happened. My mind whirled wondering what in the world it was as I ran out the front door. McKenzie yelled as she was going in the other door that Malachi had burned his foot. The day before Matthew had been burning leaves in the back and the pile was smoldering. He was going to put the hose on it before he came in that evening and I told him to just let it burn down. Mariah and Malachi decided to go back there and "kick the ashes" on each other. She said she thought the fire was out because it wasn't smoking anymore. The ash went down into his mud boot and burned the top of his foot. I was my typical self and freaked out. McKenzie handled everything while I ran and jumped in the shower. (Why do these things always happen on the day you decide to stay in your pajamas longer!?) After four calls to our pediatrician's office and not getting an answer I decided to take him to the ER. Looking back (you live and learn), I probably could have treated it at home. There was a male nurse in the ER that came in and talked to Malachi. He said, "Dude what happened to your foot?" Malachi said, "Mariah put me in the fire." He can't say "Mariah" very clearly and the man said, "Your mother put you in the fire!?" I said , "NO, he said Mariah and no she didn't put him in the fire, they were kicking the ashes." I kept waiting for a social worker to walk in! Isn't it awful that those things even have to cross your mind when you are trying to take care of your children!? He has 2nd degree burns on the top of his foot, they gave us ointment, bandages, pain meds (that he won't take) and he got a Popsicle out of the deal! He is a tough little guy and has done great. I think that he and Mariah learned a valuable lesson that they need to obey when mama says NEVER go near the burn pile!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

I love Valentine's Day! It is always a fun and cheerful day in the dead of winter. This time last year we had snow on the ground. This year it is in the upper 60's!

Marc has a tradition that started many years ago that he cooks a steak dinner just for the two of us. I do not like crowded restaurants, especially during the winter when everybody is sick. The kids always have a snack supper and watch a movie while we eat. I look forward to it because I don't have to cook or clean up!

Lots of sweet Valentine's Day presents from my children! :)

Mariah wrapped up this lotion that she got for Christmas and gave it to me. I was sad when I opened it and told her I wasn't taking her lotion. She said, "No, really mama, you keep it. I don't even like it!" I tried to give her the little box back that she had wrapped it in and she refused to take it back. She said, "I just love giving people gifts. It is so nice to get rid of the junk in my room." (I love Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea!:)

A sweet little Valentine!

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:8

Loved this...

Zechariah 11:17 says, "Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock!" Wow! God intends us as shepherd mothers to stay with the little flocks He gives us. He doesn't give us our children to give them to someone else to care for while we "do our thing!" He gives us the responsibility to tenderly care for them and w...atch over them. It is not only a charge from God but an awesome privilege. Love, Nancy

Nancy Campbell with Above Rubies ministry posted this on facebook. I needed to read that this morning! Busy morning, messy house, lots to do, teething baby that keeps saying to me "eyes, eyes..." (his way of telling me he wants ME!) Well... he just toddled in here with the toilet plunger! Yuck! Off to the bathtub we go. Better go "tend my flock!" :)

My warriors...

Malachi wakes up in the morning and puts some sort of a "dress up" outfit on everyday. It might be his cowboy stuff, soldier, military or a mixture of all of it. He loves his guns and swords. Myles loves Malachi's swords and guns too and it causes problems sometimes! Marc and I were at Target one evening and saw foam swords in the $1 bin! Malachi was so excited that Myles had a sword. They were so funny having a sword fight. What does a one year old know about sword fighting!? He has quickly figured it out.

You can't tell, but in this picture Myles was screaming he was so excited!

Myles has played in the same playroom his entire life. He has had equal access to the toy kitchen, dishes, baby dolls... and guns, swords and trucks. He likes the boy stuff. He even makes "boy noises" when he plays with them. Funny how secular parenting magazines like to make you think boys and girls are the same. They are NOT! The other day I was looking at a friends newborn baby's pictures. Matthew looked over my shoulder and said, "I didn't tell you at the time, but when Myles was born I thought he looked like a lizard." McKenzie and I were both mad at him! Later that same day I was telling my children about a really neat adoption story I had read on a blog. He said, "It doesn't make me feel all tender when I hear that kind of thing." I told him when he became a daddy one day he would. His answer was... "I hope not." Yes, I do believe they are different! (Oh, by the way...the sword didn't last two days! Guess he had a $1 worth of fun though!)

News Flash!

Mariah informed me of some very important things this evening while I was cleaning up the kitchen. She said, "Mama, did you know they don't want people to take weapons on airplanes anymore? Since they can't trust people they take pictures of them that show their skin! That would be so embarrassing!" I replied with "Really?" (not paying a whole lot of attention to her.) Then she said, "I am so glad that I don't go to public school. Did you know that they ask you if you believe in Jesus and if you say yes they will shoot you?" I told her I had not heard that before. She said, "Mama do you even know ANY news?"
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Mariah and Malachi were playing "orphanage" with the Teddy Bear counters today. Mariah was taking the bigger bears and making them go to the orphanage to adopt babies. She kept using the word "family". All of the sudden Malachi burst into song and sang "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God....." McKenzie grabbed the video camera. It was so cute! :)