Growing and Becoming

My first-born. Kindergarten picture. Growing fast. Handsome face. Sweet heart. Love.

I'm Going On Vacation!

I saw this quote this morning, and I thought....that is how I feel right now! "By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I say that not to complain. I always hated it when I was unable to conceive and I would hear mothers complain about their kids. I wanted a baby so bad, that I found that kind of attitude offensive. That's not to say my children never make me want to tear my hair out, or so exasperated I don't know what to do with them. But, honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way....ok, I would like them to be more obedient and kinder to each other, but that's part of what the job is all about...teaching them those things. I've never had a better job than I have right now...being a stay at home mom. Ok, I really dislike that term. It sounds like a lazy unproductive person. As though we just sit home, watch tv, and eat bon bons. I prefer the term "professional mom"! It is my profession after all. I recently lost a part time job of 10 hours a week, that I had held for the last 21 months, due to the store being closed; and though at first I was very disappointed, I came to quickly see it as a blessing. I wanted to go back to focusing on my 24/7 job of professional mom. I believe God gave me the nudge I needed to do that. When I had to go to work, and when I was there, I just wanted to be home. People I worked with assumed I got the job to "get away" from my kids. Nothing could have been further from the truth. It was simply a financial need. So, now that my job has ended, and I'm back home enjoying the craziness that comes with motherhood, I am happy. And less stressed, even though I just lost some income. Ironic, huh?

But there is a point of exhaustion we all reach as mothers, when like my family, we are fighting the second week of a nasty stomach bug, there are decisions to make, things break down, 3 toddlers not so happily co-existing under one roof, homeschooling a kindergartener, potty training a 2 year old, a potty trained 3 year old is regressing, 2 weeks worth of menus to plan, grocery list to make, coupons to compile, groceries to purchase, errands to run, transmission going in vehicle, hunting for an affordable used vehicle, and loads of laundry that seem to reproduce themselves when there is sickness in the house and potty training going on.

So, what is my response going to be? I'm at that exhausted point, to be honest. A vacation sounds like a dream, but then there is reality. There will be no vacation. There is no "time off" coming. So, to deal with today and its stresses, its challenges, its work, I need God to give me the strength, the patience, the calmness, the gentleness, and energy to do it all with grace. So, I'm going to take a little personal time, vacation time, unpaid time off, what have you, and refresh myself with time alone with God.

So, if like me, whether you're a mom needing a vacation, or you're an employee feeling overworked and stressed, or a housewife feeling underappreciated and bored with the monotony of it all, take a little unpaid time off as soon as you can, and "walk on the beach" with God. I think we'll all find life will look a little better afterwards!

To make you smile:

Carter's new joke...."Why did the banana go to the doctor?" "Because he wasn't peeling well!"

Two 3 year olds arguing about who was going to be first. After reprimanding them for being selfish and saying "me first", they quickly changed their tune. The started arguing about who was going to be second!

Happy Thursday, Everyone. It's a beautiful blue sky and sunshine today, here. Gods' mercies are new every morning.

Details on the Quilts

Thanks to those who responded and said you would like to make a quilt to donate to the orphans in Uganda. Please see Amy's blog for details on the quilts. Happy sewing! And of course, any more vonlunteers would be appreciated. :-)

To Infinity and Beyond

Yesterday, we celebrated the 6th birthday of our firstborn. Of course, that made me a litte sentimental. How can 6 years fly by so fast? Well, I won't bore you with all of my emotional ramblings about how fast it went, and how I miss those baby days, and how I wish I could make time stand still. Instead, I'll share some photos of my handsome young boy enjoying his special day. We had a good day, and in true form for Evan, the littlest guesstures made him so pleased, and he so genuinely expressed his gratitude. I pray we can help him keep that spirit throughout his life.

I didn't get as many pictures as I usually do. One of his brothers came down with the stomach bug, just as Evan was about to open his gifts. Every time we got everything cleaned up and were ready to watch him again, his brother would get sick again. Eventually, we got it done, but the plans for the evening all kind of got displaced. Evan was very patient though, and waited without a word. I was very impressed and very proud of him. Seeing him handle something like that with maturity and consideration makes me realize what a great little guy he's becoming.

I got the inspiration for this homemade birthday banner from a fellow blogger. To coordinate with our Toy Story themed cake, I used stars and sparkle papers for the space hero (Buzz) and brown suede paper and jute rope for the cowboy (Woody). Evan was so surprised with it and loved it. I love this idea of a personalized birthday banner. It made him feel so special. "Who made this?" When I told him I did, he got a huge smile on his face, gave me a big thank you, and told me he loved it. Thanks Myra, at myblessedlife.net for the idea!

Evan's been into Toy Story lately. We only have an old copy of Toy Story 2, but they love watching it. I decided to attempt to make a Toy Story cake. Evan loved it. "Mom, you make the best cakes!" Okay, he doesn't know how imperfect and unprofessional it is, and that's okay. It made him very happy. He was so impressed with every detail. Funny how we worry about perfection, and kids just love that you make something special just for them. I think birthdays should be a big deal, not a big expense, so I started last year with making my own themed cakes for my boys' birthdays. I love the chance to do something creative, and I love doing something that makes my boys so happy.

Brotherly love at its finest.

This was not a posed picture. They just hugged long enough that I grabbed my camera and got a shot.

Along with our Toy Story theme, I found him the out of print Toy Story 10th anniversary release on Half.com. He was very excited.

I found some good deals and put together a gift of Leapster 2, a messenger bag, and a couple of games. He was thrilled. "This is just what I wanted!" Funny, it wasn't even on his birthday list.

Cute plates I found at Target in just the right colors. I love that store!

I like to let the kids pick out what they want for their birthday supper. Evan chose homemade pizza. I tried it on our homemade honey whole wheat pizza dough we've started making, along with my homemade sauce leftover from making lasagna. He ate it right up, so I guess it passed his inspection. For lunch he chose his favorite sandwich....cheese on bread....nothing on the bread, just cheese between slices of bread. Sounds dry and bland to me, but he loves it. So easy to please! Breakfast of course, was our tradition. Everyone gets Dunkin Donuts for their birthday breakfast. He's a boy after my own heart....his favorite is Boston Creme.

"Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday, dear Evan, Happy Birthday to you!"

We heard that song several times during the day. The boys rushed into Evan's room in the morning, "Evan, it's your birthday!" We all sang to him, then Carter and Derek each had to sing to him, they hugged on Evan, and loved on him. It was super sweet. I try to cling to those sweet moments to remind myself when they are fighting that they really do love each other!

I'll end this blog post on one sentimental note. I am so thankful for my son, my first-born, long-awaited miracle and answered prayer.....I love him, as Buzz Lightyear might say, to infinity and beyond.

Visitor in the Backyard

Ok, this picture is here just because. Just because it makes me smile!

Finally, our freezing cold spell has ended, and I can finally let the boys go outside to play. The snow was good for packing, so the other day, while I had the pleasure (haha) of doing housework, my husband took the boys outside to build a snowman. They had a great time putting the snowman together, playing in the snow, and throwing snowballs at each other. Actually, I think Ben was enjoying that the most!

While upstairs making beds, I looked out the window and watched as they played and I enjoyed the view. They had a great time, and I loved watching them. It reminded me how much fun I used to have as a child playing in the snow and sledding. These carefree days of childhood don't last nearly long enough.

Aren't they all cute? my man, my boys, the neighbor boy, and our backyard visitor.

Our visitor is doing a good job gracing our backyard, however due to the warmer temps, he has now lost his mouth, his pipe, his buttons, and tragically today, he lost his eyes. Owen sat at the breakfast table, looking out the sliding glass door, and was very upset because snowman was falling apart. Well, we'll just have to pray for more snow. Oh wait, this is upstate NY in January. There's plenty more to come!

Quilts for Uganda

If you can sew, or would like to try your hand at making a quilt, please check out Amy's blog. Amy is my husband's cousin. She has taken on an ambitious project for a mom with 2 little boys and a baby on the way, but she has an obvious passion for the orphans in Uganda. After reading her blog, I was compelled to make a quilt, and I hope some of you might be able to join me! It's been ages since I've quilted anything, so I'm stepping out on a limb here, but I'm excited to do something that can mean so much to one of these precious children. My own children have so much; to think of children who don't even have a quilt all their own!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

This morning during Bible Class, we were reviewing the life of Moses up to the Red Sea. One of the questions was about the burning bush experience. This was the exchange:

Me: What did Moses see that was on fire?

Carter: A bush!

Me: What else happened with the bush?

Carter and Evan: It talked!

Carter: That was because God was hiding behind it. (Smile #1)

Me: What did God tell Moses he wanted him to do?

Owen (2 1/2): Fight!

Me: Fight?

Owen: Yes! Fight the fighter.

Me: Fight the fighter?

Owen: "Yes!" with arms swishing around in front of him and me remembering how he mispronounces fire he said, "Fight the 'fighter' with water!"

Started my day off with a laugh!

My funny boy.

Photographer, Evan M Burhans

making use of his new kid tough digital camera