Just Like Daddy

  One evening Marc was sitting on the couch reading his Bible and Macheus climbed up there and started imitating him.

 

So sweet....

Macheus likes to "pray" now too.  It is so cute as he babbles and then nods his head when he is saying "Amen".

Very thankful that they have a faithful daddy to follow.

Spring...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."  Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

My Day

This little boy...

 

 

is so much fun!  I had to drive Madeline into town this morning to Veritas.  I always take one of the little guys with me to make things a little easier on Mariah while I am gone.  Matthew's classes were canceled today so I took advantage of having him home and decided to do some errands while I was out.  My first stop was Target to look for some spring t-shirts!  I love Target!  Panera is right next to Target and I am ADDICTED to their wild berry smoothies!  When I got Macheus out of his car seat he not only didn't want me holding him, but he didn't want to hold my hand either. He is very independent!  I let him walk beside me and he walked into the restaurant like he owned the place! :o)
The girl at the counter could hardly focus on my order for talking to him and saying,  "Oh my gosh!  He's so cute!"  Having sisters that dote on him all the time he didn't pay much attention to her.  We sat down and I looked around at several business ladies and thought what a contrast to my life.  Our order came up and I sat Mac's egg ciabatta sandwich in front of him and my smoothie in front of me.  Macheus LOVES to pray at meal time and he immediately folded his little hands and began "praying" the same way he does every time.  It is so cute and so funny!  When he finished he reached for my smoothie.  My smoothie that I had so looked forward to ended up with his "eggy" little mouth all over it!  When we got ready to leave he still had a mouth full of egg and as we were leaving the restaurant he sneezed and shot egg all over my sleeve. :o)  Yeah, I'd say my life is a bit different than those business ladies!

Our next stop was Sears.  Because of our recent battle with them over the refrigerator (the one they should have replaced!) they were so generous to give us a $50 gift card to spend in their store.  <sarcasm>  I went in there and bought $50 worth of shorts for the little boys.  Walked out with five items for FREE!  Score!  We left there and made a quick run to Kohls.  With the warm weather we have been having, (it has been GLORIOUS!) I wanted a pair of my favorite flip-flops that they carry every year.

Next on the agenda was Aldis.  I got out of the van and a lady traded her cart for my quarter.  While I was trying to wipe it down (germs ya know!) a little old man said,  "Ma'am, I'll take your cart." I didn't know what to say, so once again I ended up with a quarter in my hand and gave him the cart. :o)  I walked over and got another cart and as I was getting it, my favorite sunglasses fell off my head, hit the ground and broke.  I wear sunglasses year round, sometimes even when it is cloudy.  My eyes are very light sensitive and it is something I don't go without!  Having just left Kohls, I was not about to go back in there today!  Macheus rode in the back of the buggy and "helped" sort my groceries as I loaded up.  When we got to the checkout lane he stood up and unloaded them onto the conveyor belt.  I accidentally bumped the buggy and he fell.  He stood back up and said,  "Honey!"  He cracks me up with some of the things he says now!

We left Aldis and headed back in the direction of our house.  We stopped off at the Publix where Matthew works to get a few things that I only get there.  Once again.... Macheus decided he should walk.  By this time it was almost noon and he was hungry and tired!  I was trying to talk on the phone to Marc in the foyer of the store, wipe the cart down and convince Mac that he was going to ride.  He was fighting me and as I was trying to pick him up (while holding onto my phone)  my thumb nail scratched his face.  He really cried then!  A quick trip to the bakery for a free cookie fixed that problem!  However, he still kept trying to stand up.  I don't normally "cave" to my two year old's whims, but I knew it was my fault dragging him around all morning and I didn't really want the attention of every person in the store, so I let him walk.  The above picture was taken of him strolling down the ice cream aisle!

We loaded up and headed home.  Matthew unloaded my groceries, Mariah fed Macheus lunch and got him to bed and I began math with Malachi.  Thankfully, Matthew had done some of Malachi's school while I was gone and Mariah had done laundry, so mopping was the only morning chore that I had left.  I got that done and then headed out the door for a GLORIOUS run!  This is a little creek that I run past every day.

When I got finished running I packed Matthew's supper for him (He had to close tonight.), did Language with Malachi, sorted laundry, and then when Marc got home I put supper on the table.  The girls darted out the door after supper to chore and work in the garden.  We are all loving this weather!  Marc and I tag teamed and got the boys bathed and ready for bed.  He put Macheus to bed and then read to Myles and got him settled.  After everyone came in and showered we had our family Bible time,  Malachi went to bed, I sorted more laundry, Mariah went to bed, and we spent some time with Madeline.  It is now 11:00 and Madeline is in the shower, Marc is asleep and I am sitting here writing this waiting for Matthew to get home.  He just texted to say he is on his way.

So.......... this was a LITTLE of my day!  There were only 101 other things that I had to do today! :o)  I recently rewrote chore charts for everyone. (We used to LIVE by our chore charts!  They fell by the wayside I guess around the time my mom died.  Things have suffered around here, so it has been a HUGE relief for me to have them up and running again!)  Malachi was counting his chores and he asked me how many I had.  I told him too many to count! :o)

For various reasons I have not been as joyful as I should be lately.  A very sweet home school mom that I "met" online (I've actually met a few of her children and hope to meet her one day too!) spent some time chatting with me the other night.  It was an encouragement to me and really helped me get my focus back this week.  My life is far from perfect.  I have days that are exhausting!  Who am I kidding..... MOST days are exhausting!   But.... I am blessed!  I have so much to be thankful for.  Even when my two year old sneezes egg all over me and my life looks nothing like the put together business ladies in Panera!  I wouldn't trade it for anything! :o)

Now I am sitting here bleary-eyed... trying to proofread this while Matthew is talking my ears off.  He gets home from work and wants to unwind and visit.  :o)

Goodnight!

No Peaking.

I put Myles in the bathtub and I needed to use the bathroom.  I closed the shower curtain and told him to give me some privacy.

 

 

I heard a giggle and he said,  "They're peaking!"  He had lined his little tub creatures up on the ledge of the tub.

I sure do love this happy little boy!

Mariah's 12 year pictures

When McKenzie came down last month she took some pictures of Mariah for me.  She looks too old in some of them, but I think they turned out pretty! :o)

 

 

I love this swing!  Marc made it for McKenzie several years ago, and she will eventually take it.  He will be making another one! :o)  I love old-fashioned swings hanging from big trees!

 

I like this one.... it just "looks" like her. :o)

This field is across from our property.  My kids sure have had a lot of fun in it over the years!

                                          This is typical Mariah!

                                                  and this.....

 

Her mouth reminds me of my mom's in this picture.

                                         My girls love colorful shoes!

 

There were a lot more but these were a few of my favorites!

Madeline's Sweet Sixteen

 

Happy 16th birthday to our Madeline Grace!  It seems like yesterday that you were our little bitty girl dancing around the house with your fly away blonde hair! Time marches on and here you are all grown up!  You have lived up to your name "Grace" as you have been so easy to raise.  We chose the name Grace because you were born after a "stormy" season of life.  Your grandma had just come through breast cancer surgery and daddy had a pretty big job change. You were such a ray of sunshine and God's gracious gift to our family!  McKenzie wanted a sister so badly!  I'll never forget when I took her to an appointment with me she was in awe and kept saying, "I just can't believe it!"  You two are as different as night and day and have always been so close.

 

 

  Madeline had geometry class early on her birthday morning.  Her daddy always takes her and I pick her up.  She was treated to coffee with her daddy on the way to class, and when I picked her up we went to Panera for smoothies!  The day was a little rough because we had a "sickie" in the house.  Malachi had vomited during the night before.  My girls don't just not like stomach bugs, they try to avoid them like the plague!  Everyone was downing a spoonful of honey with fresh garlic in it and drinking fresh rosemary tea.

 

 We had to take her picture by the daffodils.  The tradition began when I was in labor with her and went for a walk in our neighborhood.  I picked a handful of daffodils and put them in a vase.  Every birthday since, we have picked daffodils and had them in the house on her birthday.

 

A little "M" baby trivia.  Madeline was born on 3-3.  Since then we have had a 1-1 and a 2-2!  McKenzie's is on the 4th, but it is June! :)

 
I wanted to get some pictures done on her birthday but it was really bright and bothering her eyes.  Hopefully, McKenzie will be taking some good pictures of her this spring!

She requested steak sandwiches, homemade fries and salad for supper and chocolate cheesecake for dessert!  It was SO good! :)

Our tiny family!  I'm used to the seven standing together on birthdays!  Malachi and Macheus were in the bed.

 

                            Myles is always ready for a party! :)

I think she was growing weary of the camera!

We started the tradition  of getting a hope chest on their 16th birthday with McKenzie.  Madeline fell in love with an antique hope chest last fall.  We went ahead and bought it and obviously couldn't hide something like that.  I wanted her to have some surprises on her birthday so we got her some things to go in her chest and some new spring things.

Poor Malachi.... he watched "present time" from afar!

It was 10:00 at night and I realized I hadn't taken a picture with her for her birthday!  We were both looking pretty rough but I wanted it for posterity sake! :)

 

 Madeline, I am so thankful to have you as a daughter.  I know these years can be hard and sometimes lonely.  I am thankful that you are willing to stand alone, but I also know that it isn't always fun to be "different".  I love that you love the Lord and His truths more than you love being popular.  I have watched you go from being a little girl with lots of friends to a young lady that has realized that true friends are very hard to find.  I always pray for you like I did McKenzie that one day you will find a true friend.  I pray that you will always keep your sweet, sensitive spirit and your positive outlook on life.  I love you!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

Already Gone?

http://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2010-02/youth-ministry-killing-church

I read this article the other day and thought it was worth sharing on my blog.  

We left the "main stream" church style a little over fourteen years ago.  I was never keen on leaving my babies in the nursery, and after many negative Sunday School experiences we searched for something different.  Since that time we have churched in homes with other families and we have been a part of two different family- integrated churches.  While there is no "perfect church", worshiping together has been a positive thing for our family.  The youth groups of today are perpetuating adolescence instead of encouraging them to be mature Christian adults.  Often times the scene in a youth building doesn't look any different than the world.  It is very sad, and it is obvious with the rates of young people leaving the church once they are grown that it isn't working.  I believe our children being raised around adults in church and not segregated out with their peers is one of the key factors in our oldest two being strong Christian adults today.  I am very grateful for the different men and women that have come alongside Marc and I and been an example to our children.  If they had been ushered off to their own classes this would have never taken place.  We were driving through town the other day and observed how many huge churches there are.  I made a comment that the community should look a lot different than it does with a church on every corner.  They clearly are not making an impact for Christ.  

Here is a YouTube of Ken Ham discussing the epidemic of young adults leaving the church.  We have the book and the statistics are pretty alarming.

Already Gone

Until next time~