The scent of Sweet Pea

2001

As I was putting on my lotion today, my memories were aroused by the sweet pea scent. Years ago (though it doesn't feel that long), I flew down to CA to meet Jim's family for the first time and had a beautiful bedroom awaiting me at his parents with fresh cut roses from the garden and a basket of sweet pea lotion, soap and bath gel. I remember how exciting that time in my life was - meeting and falling in love with the man I was to spend my life with. As I grew up I had spent so much time dreaming about and praying for "my husband"...what a blessing to finally know him, love him, dream with him and grow together in a relationship! I was so captured by him and praised God for the man of integrity, godliness, intelligence, patience, sensitivity and devotion He had brought into my life. What wonderful, sweet memories!!

Now, on the eve of our 6 year anniversary, I look at him with even more respect and love than when we began our life as "one". Our life together has not been exactly what we'd imagined - 3 kids in 3 years of marriage, moving away from all family, living in the Midwest - but we have grown so much through our experiences together and are even more in love than before. I am still very captured by him and I have every reason to continue to praise God for him every single day!

2007

Just a couple cute things

Kylee was working hard on her letters last night and strung some letters together asking me what they said. As I tried to sound out AAEDLKA, AOOKh, ABOIL, Bauv and DOEVNMO, I giggled and said, "I don't know what these mean, Kylee."

"I know, Mommy, that's because they're in Chinese. You know, from China!"

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Kaden hurt his finger and came to me for kisses. I kissed it and told him he'd be just fine. He walked away holding his finger and singing in a hushed voice, "Jesus loves me this I know..."

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Colson had a day that needed much discipline. After apologizing and giving hugs one time he said, "Mommy, will you pray for me?"

A Wonderful Gift

Isn't family one of the greatest of God's gifts? The love, commitment and memories that exist, the ability to be yourself and talk through tough stuff without being rejected, to watch each other grow and mature as you journey through life, to celebrate life's wondrous moments together and to hold each other when life hurts. Yes, family relationships are a wonderful thing. We were so excited that my sister and her family were able to be here with us for the holiday. We had such a
marvelous time just being together, talking and sharing in life with one another. Every time I walk by the vacant guest room where they stayed the past several nights my heart aches a bit. I love the feeling of my home being full and it feels so much more quiet and empty in their absence. Though I wish I could once again pick up that sweet little butterball, Nathan, and snuggle him close to me, or stay up talking late into the night, I am just so grateful that I got the time with them that I did. Here are some pictures of our fun times together.

Paul, Nathan and Sheila

Kylee enjoying her cousin

Sweet, sweet Nathan (seriously the sweetest baby I have known!)

Dancing with my nephew

Sheila and her son

Ky tracing letters on Paul's back for him to guess

Funny faces at the dinner table

Paul and Cole hanging out together

Kaden instructing Cole on how to care for Nathan

Jim playing with Nathan

Sheila and Kylee making Indian fry bread, which Sheila learned to make from the Cherokee during her time in Oklahoma

The not-so-helpful helpers :O)

The yummy end product!

At the end of their time here, most all of us got sick. As Colson said it, "My heart hurts right here in my tummy!" We were exposed to the stomach flu by a little friend of ours on Thanksgiving day and 48 hours later everyone started hurting. For some it was worse than others... God seemed to spare the mommies so that we could be there to support our kids and husbands. Fortunately, it was a relatively quick illness and by Sunday we were on the mend! Still, I thank God for the time we had together. How I love the gift of family!

Christmas preparation

It is our family tradition to go out and get our Christmas tree the Friday after Thanksgiving. Although this year was a little cold, the farm that we went to had complimentary hot apple cider, horses, barn cats and friendly owners who showed us the entire historic farm. It was fun to have Sheila, Paul and Nathan with us too! When we returned home, we turned on Christmas music and decorated the tree, admiring each ornament, with Colson trying to hang them in "matches" on the tree. We also enjoyed watching the kids look through our Christmas books, and play with the small nativity sets. It was nearly perfect, except for having to break up fights over whose turn it was to play with the felt nativity set and reminding our daughter that although she is a big girl, she's not quite big enough to circle the lights and garland to the top of the 8 ft. tree...yet.







However fun these traditions are, my prayer for each of my kids for this Christmas season is that they would grow in their excitement of giving gifts to others (rather than just anticipating their own) and that they will enjoy celebrating the birth of our precious Savior! I also pray that Jim and I would exemplify the hope and joy in our lives that this season is all about!

Thanksgiving Day

What a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration we had! First, Paul, Sheila and Nathan arrived safely from Missouri on Wednesday afternoon,
and we were able to watch the snow start softly falling on Wednesday night. The kids were so delighted to wake up to a white world on Thanksgiving morning and immediately started putting their snow clothes on, right over their jammies! They so enjoyed the snow, and building a snowman with their Daddy!




I stayed busy in the kitchen for most of the day!


The turkey's done!

We not only had the privilege of having my sister's family here to celebrate with, but two other families from our church who were far from their own families. It was a fun, active celebration where we ate a lot, played the "I'm thankful for..." game, spent time talking, and after the kids were in bed played games with the adults. What a wonderful day!

Meeting Nathan

This year, we have had 3 nephews/cousins born into the family - Tayvan to my sister Chelsea, Nathan to my sister Sheila, and Trent to Jim's sister Julie. It has killed us to not know these little ones and we look so forward to spending time with each of them. This week, we had the privilege of having Sheila's family here for the Thanksgiving weekend and we finally got to meet our precious nephew Nathan!

God's work in Kylee's life

If there was any doubt in my mind that Kylee's faith was genuine at her young age, God has certainly been showing me that her decision was true and real as can be. Kylee has taken her faith very seriously and I am so amazed at His work in her little heart. Here are a few examples of what He's doing in her.

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Last week as we were driving in the car, Kylee spontaneously started praying, "Dear God, excuse me God, I want to pray for the kids who have no food, no drink, no homes, no basement and no cars. Could you please give them food and drink and toys and a basement to play in? If you need help, I can help you. Thank you, God!"

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The next day, we were listening to "When God Ran" on the computer as I did the dishes. I didn't realize it, but there were pretty graphic images of Jesus carrying the cross, and then dying upon it and Kylee just started sobbing. "No Jesus!" she hollered, "Why is he letting them do that to him, Mommy? He's brave and strong, why doesn't he fight back?"

I explained to Kylee that he had to die to save us, that there was no other way. "Mommy, did it hurt him?" she asked with tears in her eyes. I nodded, also starting to cry. "Did he cry?"

Again, I nodded as I told her how he cried out to his Father God, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

"But Mommy, he IS God!" I then tried my best to explain the Trinity to my 4 year old.

"I wish he didn't have to take those pokes for me!" she said, still crying.

We talked about how much he loved us, why he was willing to die for us, and how we should always show him gratitude. Kylee's shoulders shook as she whispered, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you."

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As I've mentioned earlier, Kylee's compassion for those in need have driven her to want to DO. It's not enough for her to send money to support our boys in Africa or to pack up Christmas gifts for kids who would otherwise have none, her hands want to be DOING! She loves visiting nursing homes and doing service projects for the elderly in our church and recently she's been asking me to please let her give food to the homeless. So this past Friday, Kylee and I drove into the inner city and worked at the Rescue Mission for several hours. A man named Mike, clad in a "I work for God" t-shirt, showed us around and explained our responsibilities. "Kylee, Mr. Mike loves Jesus too!" I whispered in her ear as we followed him. A smile spread across her face.

Mike (who is a recovered alcoholic/drug addict) overheard and turned to face her, "Do you love Jesus too, Kylee?" Kylee nodded and beamed. "Is that why you came to help today?"

"Yes, like Jesus helped people," Kylee responded shyly to the large man. Later, the man told me I was a good mom to involve her in this way. I shook my head and explained that this was not my idea, but God working in the heart of his little child.

For the first hour, Kylee wore a long apron and plastic gloves and served apples, cheese and bread to the moms and children from on top of a milk crate. She wore a shy smile, but I could tell she loved what she was doing because every time I helped "too much" she would scold me and ask me to please let her do it. When we were done at this point, we were advised to grab a tray and eat quickly before setting up for the next group coming through. So we took our plates and joined a table full of "brown children", as Kylee calls them (Milwaukee is the most segregated city in all of America, so I was grateful for her to be surrounded by people who were different from her). It was precious to talk to these little ones and to see how much they were just like my own children. We talked and laughed and teased. They said they liked Kylee's hair, and she told them she liked their braids and beads. By the end of their lunch, Kylee was ready to run off to the playground with these new friends of hers. But there was work to be done!

Kylee took her next assignment very seriously. She went around the enormous cafeteria meticulously pushing every chair in, after which she joined me in wiping down each table. Another large man then called us over to start setting up desserts for the 123 homeless men that were coming through next. Kylee jumped up on a chair and started lining up doughnuts and pastries on large trays as I cut up danishes. We then carried the trays to the serving table where we distributed one dessert to each man. I thought Kylee might be a bit timid of the men, who were a bit dirty and smelly, and gave her a quick talk about how each of these men were made by God and belonged to Him. However, the talk was probably unnecessary as she smiled and looked each of them in the eye fearlessly. When each man had gone through the line and were sitting at their tables, one of the workers announced loudly that the young lady still had some desserts to serve up. He then (with my heart pounding as she left my side for the first time that day) took her around the room with the tray as she used tongs to place the desserts in each man's hand. Later in the day, she told her daddy that her favorite part of the day was "serving the desserts to the gentlemen".

After cleaning up once again, we got in the van and headed home. I was fighting tears the whole way as I processed our time spent at the Rescue Mission. I was so proud of my little girl, and humbled that God used her to pull me out of my comfortable, Christian world for the day. I know that as long as He blesses me with life and with Kylee as my daughter, there will be many more days such as these.

Hairy Root Men

Things have been a little hairy in our household lately! First of all, Jim had a mustache contest at work, so for several weeks he grew a beard:

which he then shaved into a very interesting mustache just this week:

That mustache has been present for 4 days now. We had our first parent/teacher conference and went out on a date with that mustache. I was a little embarrassed! Our entire Sunday School class has been in on the contest, so I think after church tomorrow (where he can show the people who haven't seen it yet) it will finally be gone! Yeah! He did win 2nd place in the contest and got some nice prizes!

Part of the shaping of Jim's mustache was aided by new hair clippers and once I got those in my hands, I went at the boys hair. However, I think I was a bit too confident as I started on Kaden and it soon looked as though he had a few bald spots on his blond little head. In panic I called my sister, Brandee, who cut her own boys hair with clippers and she talked me through the process of clipper sizes, blending, etc. In the end, it wasn't perfect, but it looked much better than I thought was possible! It took me awhile before I had the confidence to start on Colson, so here he is with long hair sitting next to Kaden with short.


And, per Brandee's request, here are a couple more pictures of the haircut you helped me with across the country!! Thank you!

Dying to do it over

I can't count the number of times I've been told, or even said myself, "It just goes so fast" in regards to raising children. In the midst of my pregnancies, it seemed like my babies would never come. When they finally did come, it felt like they'd be small forever and I would nurse, change diapers and burp my little ones without end. But the end did come, and one day they were sitting, another crawling and starting to talk, and finally, each one took their first steps which all too quickly advanced into running, jumping and galloping around the house. I will never again go through another baby stage. Though it's hard for me to believe, I am currently a mom with 3 little ones who sit at the table in big chairs feeding themselves, all the while carrying on conversation, and who can use the bathroom almost independently (my boys still want me to "watch this!").

I have tried hard to "treasure these times" as I've so often been advised to do. I continually remind myself that though each day feels like a year, each year feels like a day. Before I know it, my little girl will be walking down the aisle on her daddy's arm, or my young boys will be grown men, taking a wife of their own and I will be wanting, with all that is within me, to go back to these days when they are young and sweet and still need me. I think of this every time my little ones reach their arms up to be held, or when one of those chubby hands grabs hold of my own as we walk across the street. And whenever I am called upon to kiss an owie, care for a sick child, or read yet another bedtime story, I remember that this too will end. I better give it all I've got now, because one day, I'll be dying to do it all over again.

Life Lessons from my Little ones

I consider it one of my primary roles as a mother to be a teacher to my children. This is why I have found myself surprised at how often my children have actually been teachers to me. Mothering can be so humbling. Here are my latest life lessons from my little ones.


They are constantly reminding me to live life to the fullest and embrace every opportunity. They laugh and play and love as if there's no tomorrow. Any person God brings into their lives they envelop with love, joy and excitement. I am so often taken aback by the many times they greet mere acquaintances with huge hugs and giggles. Of course, the receiver is immediately beaming.

They notice and enjoy little things in life that I would easily pass by - lady bugs, clouds moving in the sky, pine cones, sticks, stones, the plethora of colors and all sorts of animals.

They constantly remind me how important my job at home is. Even though it can be totally exhausting at times, the things I hear from their sweet mouths remind me that I could be doing nothing better with my life than being at home with them.
*"I got an owie Mommy, you kiss it?"
*"Mommy, I need you, you come with me?"
*"Mommy, will you still be able to hold me when I turn 5?"
*"Daddy make you coffee 'cuz he love you, but I love you too!"
*"My waited for you to come-ed for me."
*"Mommy, you can't go! I think maybe you have a temperature and need to stay home!"
*"Will you please wear this bracelet while you're gone so you won't forget me?"
*"You make dinner? I help you please?"
*"I sick, Mommy, you hold me?"
"I love you so great, Mommy!"



Lately, I've been amazed at Kylee's desire to talk about her faith without inhibition. I love that the fears that hold me back as an adult are no obstacle for her. She asks her teacher to pray for her Papa fighting fires. She tells her neighbors of her love for God, regardless of where they stand in their own spirituality. I love her childlike faith and pray for my heart to be more like hers!

And how is it that my young children are better teachers of forgiveness than I? Whenever there is an apology to be made, either on my part or theirs, my kids immediately answer, "I forgive you" and are hugging and playing again as if there had never been an insult. Why is that so hard for me to do?

My 4 year old has also been exemplifying compassion to me in extraordinary ways. She is the reason that we're going together to feed the homeless later this week. She continues to remind me to care for the orphans and poor and will talk about "the sister" she someday wants to adopt into our home and our family. When I asked her last night what she was grateful for, she stated, "My home and for the gifts that I could give to the little girl that doesn't have toys." Kylee could be the next national speaker for Operation Christmas Child (click here)


And lastly, on the days that my little ones are not flowing with love, joy and compassion, I am reminded of how weak I am in my own strength. I get frustrated, impatient, and grumpy. In this, I am reminded to turn to God to draw from His incredible power, to pray for His guidance and provision as I raise my children, and to focus on Him day by day by day.