Joy

I have just finished re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia and once again I am in awe of the genius of C.S. Lewis. He writes with such insight into the human heart and our relationship with Christ. I was struck time and time again by the parallels of the series with our own salvation.

It sometimes makes my cry. It makes me cry out of pity for our nation and how cruel and misled we can be. It makes me cry because we have our very own Aslan who brings so much good out in us. It makes me cry because it is so beautifully and completely written.

I think my most favorite parts are at the end of The Magicians Nephew and the end of The Last Battle. Even though both books tell the story of a deep evil, there is that overwhelming message of hope. "What I give you now will bring joy."

Oh, if only we could be open always to the adventure that Christ has in store for us if we would follow his will. Think of all the joy!

my little engineer

Gideon has always had a love of figuring things out. When he was very young, I remember him finding a toy in the living room that was missing a very small part. The next thing I knew he was scooting down the stairs with the missing piece and then fixing the toy. It seems like he has a particular knack for engineering.

Recently though, he has taken this ability to a whole other level.

I went to warm something up and found pennies in the microwave. I went to use the bathroom and found Legos in the toilet. And yesterday morning while I was washing my hands, the water was draining so slowly that I took the plunger to the sink, only to discover that a strand of Mardi Gras beads had been funneled down the drain.

Of course I had to correct him for each of these incidents, but it makes me wonder: "Is this tendency something that he will have forever? What might he grow up to be?"

Birthday Fun

This past weekend we celebrated Jonah's 6th birthday. It was a weekend of parties. He had a HUGE group of boys (16!), and 1 girl (his cousin) over for a pirate party that turned out to be totally crazy and fun!

And then the following day we had all of my family over for another birthday party. I love this picture. You can see Mike's hand on Jonah's head, blessing him on his birthday. Very special.

As I usually do when one of the boys birthdays roll around, I began reflecting on Jonah's life. How excited I was when I found out I was pregnant. How I was even more excited when I found out he was a boy! What a wonderful baby he was. How diligent, compassionate, and hilarious he is. And how incredible thankful I am that he is my son.

It was a wonderful birthday-packed weekend!

Lent

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Lenten season. What's great and different about this Lent is the awareness that the boys are developing. They are old enough to understand what this season means.

We talked at the dinner table about how Lent precedes Easter and how Jesus died and rose again. During the discussion they were contributing just as much as Mike and I. Although Jonah was a little sketchy about the resurrection. He said Jesus died and then came to life 5 hours later.

But I feel like this year- they get it. And with that realization came the reality that my children are growing up. (sniff, sniff)

I'm really looking forward to this Lenten season. I feel like God is going to be present to our family in a new and deeper way. We are ready!

Wii did it

After much anticipation....we finally got a Wii! We have played on one before at friends houses, and the boys loved it. It seems like a great way to play video games while NOT being anti-social, since we can play it as a family- even Giddy. Also it sustains a competitive nature that Mike and I both have. (I beat him at golf last night!!!!)

We've been thinking about getting one for awhile, but once we finally decided it was time, there was not a Wii to be found. I tried locating one for almost a month. I kept looking online and calling around, but it was proving to be an elusive item.

Then yesterday, whilst checking online, instead of saying Out of Stock, it was AVAILABLE. I called over to the store and was informed that they had a few. I called Mike and he said, "GO!" I had to drive 35mins., but we have it- Victory!

Snowy Night

It snowed!!!

Living in the south, the chances of us seeing snow are equal to the chances of us catching a glimpse of Bigfoot. Needless to say the excitement around the 5-6 inches of snow we got was excessive. As it should be.

This was Gideon's first experience with snow! When we lived in Virginia and Alabama we had snow, but he was too young to go out and play in it. He was so incredibly cute. Catching snowflakes on his tongue and making snow angel after snow angel.

Caleb was the healthiest of all the boys and commented many times that this was "the best day ever!"

Here is Ronald. For whatever reason, that is the name the boys gave their snowman. He is quite sophisticated. Complete with driving cap & cigar.

(Notice the glazed look in Jonah's eyes. He had a fever, but insisted he was well enough to play in the snow. When it only comes along once every never-you get out there no matter what!)

And of course, the snow angels.

Considering the level of sick that everyone has been around here- I'm so glad that we were all able to get out and enjoy the snow for a little while. Hopefully it won't melt too quickly and we can enjoy it some more today!

On a side note: every time I see snow that song from White Christmas always pops into my head. Listen and enjoy!

commercial fun

The boys have been watching a lot of TV & movies lately since that is really all they can do. During this time we have discovered the most hilarious commercial. The first time Gideon saw this he just stared opened mouth. But since then he laughs, and laughs whenever it comes on. Enjoy!

The Den of Sick

The boys are sick.

They have been for what seems like forever. Caleb started it all on Sunday and each morning since then a new boy, including Mike, wakes up with the same fever and aches. This is all coming on top of them having a different fever virus two weeks ago. Needless to say I am growing exhausted of my children being unhealthy.

When a family is sick, one often has sympathy for the suffering, but over the past 3 weeks I have come to realize that sympathy need also be extended to the caregiver. God has spared me of having the virus, thankfully, but I find myself becoming incredibly overwhelmed with trying to take care of everyone.

I'm run down from lack of sleep.

I'm tired of hearing, "Mom... I need a tissue....I need a drink....I need, I need, I need!"

I'm weak with seeing my children and husband so limp and lifeless.

Yesterday I was in "the depths of despair, " (Anne of Green Gables) and I stood crying and thinking- "I can't do this anymore!"

But today is a new day. Today I know that God will give me the grace. He has to. I've been praying, praying, praying. Not for anything specific, but just praying. And I am comforted in the knowledge that in time this too will pass. I am comforted because through my praying God has given me peace. My goal, my hope is to get through this being the best mother/wife/nurse that I can.

Instead of a burden, I'm looking at this as an opportunity. I can be Jesus to my family right now in a very real way. I can lay down my life for them by getting them a tissue, a drink, a blanket, or whatever they need. So I will continue to pray- "Lord, keep the grace coming."