Your Week to Shine

Can you guess which baby this is?

His favorite color is blue.

A food he doesn't like is corn.

His favorite food is chicken nuggets.

His favorite TV show is Sponge Bob.

He wants to be a fireman when he grows up.

For his birthday he wants a remote control car.

A country he would like to visit is China.

His favorite subject in school is art.

His friends are Kit, Anna, Lleyton, and Blake.

Last week Matthew was the Star of the Week in his kindergarten classroom.  It is hard to believe that the sweet newborn pictured above is already an eager kindergartner!  He informed me yesterday that there were only 50 days of kindergarten left!  Double yikes!

He has loved every minute of kindergarten so far.  He has two wonderful teachers, Miss Rebecca and Ms. Lisa.  I can't believe how much he has learned this year.  Tonight for homework he brought a book home to read.  We thought it would be fun to video him and let him share the book with all of you.  Enjoy!

Matthew reading Ed Sells Eggs

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Psalm 36:5

Life Lately

The weather has been warm, but either very overcast or rainy for the past few days!

Jake was home sick battling round 2 of the stomach bug.  I have spent the last two days disinfecting every surface I can find in hopes of preventing the other six, plus me from getting it!

Caroline has mastered the stairs!  Going into the playroom she is good, but we have to watch her like a hawk when she decides to try the basement and second floor steps.

Kate spends much of her day doing what she loves best.....changing a million times a day into a different dress (presently she is modeling her Christmas dress from two years ago!) singing, and dancing!

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Psalm 28:7

Mommy in Training

This morning I was reading a short devotional that I have delivered to my email everyday from Dennis and Barbara Rainey.  The topic was entitled, "Are you worthy of Imitating?"  One note that caught my attention was this, "Your children listen to what you say, do what you tell them to do, but they will become who you are."

This is something to really think about.  Are my words and actions today and everyday honoring God in a manner that will help my children grow in their relationship with him.

If I can pass on my relationship with God to my children, will they get enough?

"If my children could never experience anything more than they have today, would they know enough of Christ to long for more?"

-Quotes are taken from Moments With You Couples Devotional

Written by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

"His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:2

Enjoying Our Day Off

It's President's Day=Holiday=No School

The weather is beautiful for a February day!

So we gave Mom a much needed break from the chaos and noise

Expended some energy

Took advantage of having built in playmates

And had a ball on the trampoline.

"The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy;

I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full"

John 10:10

Pack Rats

One of the most difficult lessons for Brett and I to teach our kids is the art of organization.  Our kids are natural pack rats.  They want to keep everything and have no desire to keep it organized in a way that works for a household as large as ours.  Since we took a financial class through our church last year, we have been working with our kids on a commission system that allows them to earn a set $$$ amount for completion of household chores.  For our younger children this entails cleaning up the playroom.  This turned into a source of frustration on my part when they simply would throw any toy, book, doll, stuffed animal into a variety of bins with no order.  We were constantly looking for items!

After Christmas this year, we decided an organizational system was needed to help teach our little ones how to put things away and know where to find it again.  After a trip to IKEA, we had what we needed to get started.

Toy bins that can with stand the force of one very rough little boy.

Pictures on the front of each bin tell what each bin holds.

Books are organized into baskets and ready for easy reading

Other books can be kept out of reach on a bookshelf.  Art work can be displayed on the line.

Big items that used to sit on the floor, now are housed neatly on newly built shelves in the closet.  Stuffed animals also have a home in crates underneath.

The girls have a new table and chairs

I am really happy with how our new organized playroom is working out.

We have to work with Caroline a little more, but she will get it.

Next project is figuring out how to keep this mountain of shoes in check!

 "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

1Corinthians 14:40

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

This year my older children all made valentine cards that I want to remember.

Short, sweet, and to the point

Dear Mommy,

You are my valentine.  You are the light of my day and the beauty of it too.  I love you with all my heart.

From, Anonymous (AKA...Nick)

I Love You

Love Emily

Dirty little fingerprints

On windows, doors, and walls.

Prints that tell you I've been by...

Cards to mark my call.

Now they are a nuisance,

But soon I'll grow so tall...

You'll miss those little tokens

That told you I was small.

And so to make sure that you'll remember

me this way,

I've made this heart just for you on

Valentine's Day!

(So appropriate coming from Matthew who always seems to be dirty!)

My Valentine

I have a secret Valentine

who's very special to me.

I know you must be wondering

who my Valentine could be.

I'll give you just a little hint,

I think that's what I'll do.

And if you haven't guessed,

I'll tell you, Oh so true...

that my special, secret Valentine

just happens to be you!

Love Andrew

Being a Mother is hard work, but the time goes by so fast and someday I will look back on these precious Valentine cards and remember what it was like to have all these guys at home with me.  God has entrusted his precious children to me and I pray each day that I honor him in raising them according to his will.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ"

Ephesians 3:16-18

Valentine Traditions

Holiday traditions have been engrained in me since I was a little girl.  My mom loved all holidays.  Our house was always decorated, and we always made lots of holiday goodies.  I want to carry over as many of these memories with my own children as I can.

Each of our children have a valentine mailbox that appears in time for Valentine's morning.  They get some candy, a small valentine gift, and a special valentine from Mom and Dad.  They look forward to this with great anticipation and I love that they have these memories.

I hope that my kids will carry on these traditions and memories with their own families one day.

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Proverbs 17:22