Gifts and Grace

A few days ago I found this beautiful dresser that I thought would be perfect in our nursery. Its still weird to be thinking like that but its exciting. I showed the picture to Casey and he said it was nice but no. Now isn't the right time for me to be making purchases. You see, we put in a new furnace, duct work, and air conditioning this week so that we could make a new bedroom. One large expense so we needed to cut back in other areas for a while. I get what he is saying and want to honor his words, so I told the person selling it that I wouldn't be able to buy it. To be honest, it was hard but also really good to follow Casey's lead on this. I know the stress he is under and want to do my best not to add to it.

This morning I received a message from the seller and she said that they were moving tomorrow and if we could come pick it up today, we could just have the dresser since they couldn't take it with them. I was blown away by their generosity. This is an amazing gift to us since I knew we would have to wait quite a while and pray that something would be available that we would like. So here is the beautiful dresser:

And grace, oh grace. We talk so often about showing grace to one another, especially our children. I struggle with how to do this. I want to show them grace. I also want to teach them obedience. Where is the line? Tonight we went to Chick Fil A for their Cow Appreciation Day. We had been struggling with obedience during the day and needed a specific child to really work on listening or doing what he was asked. We thought we were showing grace by going out to a free dinner tonight even though attitudes might have dictated otherwise. Dinner was great, they were well behaved and appreciative. After dinner we thought we would run to costco to get a frozen yogurt for the kids to split(thank you costco for splitting one into three cups!). Unfortunately while we were there before we bought the frozen yogurt the kids kept running around after we told them and reminded them that they needed to walk and stay with us. So, they lost their option for frozen yogurt. It was a sad moment filled with some anger due to disappointment. One child chimed in and said, "Why can't you show us grace and just get us frozen yogurt anyway?" This is a great question. Back to the balance of grace and obedience. Still don't know the right answer most of the time. I need to keep reading and praying about it. I would love others advice in this area. 

Expecting the Unexpected

Where do I even begin? I haven't posted in almost a year. Life has been busy, crazy busy. A lot of that is our own doing. One child was in Kindergarten, one in preschool and one at home with me. Lots of running around from place to place. I kept thinking that next year will start to be a little easier. Two kids at the same school, all day and then one in preschool. Still lots of back and forth driving but it would give me time to get things accomplished and it would let me have set business hours without interruptions.

Things have certainly changed now from that thought and dream. We are unexpectedly expecting our fourth baby. I still get overwhelmed saying that I'm pregnant. Three and a half years ago we made the decision to not have any more children, for a few different reasons. To say that we were mildly surprised to find out we were having another baby would be a major understatement.

How things are changing for us. The first of many things is that we have to do major remodeling work on the house. We currently have 5 of us living in a 2 bedroom house. Not so much a problem since the boys love sharing a room but there really isn't a place to put another person. Maybe the living room but that wouldn't be a good sleeping place for anyone. So, we started with gutting the basement and replacing the furnace and duct work. Something necessary so that we can add a legal bedroom for Casey and I to move to. Next is the egress window work, new walls, electrical, and all the other stuff to finish a space. All of this is overwhelming in and of itself. Then, there is still having a baby.

How we are preparing and how you can help, if you want. We need prayer so that we aren't overwhelmed and that the pregnancy goes more smoothly than any of my others. No bed rest or early delivery would be best. Next, we are planning to have a garage sale to help pay for all the expenses that go along with having this little one. Since we were unprepared to become pregnant again our needs are great in so many different areas. As for the garage sale, we need help pricing, sorting, during the sale, and donated items. Any way you can help would be amazing. Another way you can help if you want, is that we have a fund set up through "gofundme" as a place to collect funds directly. If you have other ideas for us, we are more than open to hearing them. Feel free to shoot me an email at any point or leave a comment here.

We are so appreciative of the help we have already received and we know that God is faithful. God has provided for us in so many ways in the past and we know that he will in the future.

The Ants Go Marching

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck her thumb
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two,
The little one stops to tie her shoe
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three,
The little one stops to climb a tree
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four,
The little one stops to shut the door
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five,
The little one stops to take a dive
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six,
The little one stops to pick up sticks
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven,
The little one stops to pray to heaven
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight,
The little one stops to shut the gate
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine,
The little one stops to check the time
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten,
The little one stops to say "THE END"
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM

I love this song, have for years and years. Probably since I was a little girl and used to listen to Lake Wobegon on tape at my grandparents house. They gave me some of the tapes and Garrison Keller sang this on one of them, I listened to it every night for the longest time.

I was thinking about this song today in relation to my kids. The "little one" in the song is doing all these things that my little ones do. Time is flying by before my eyes and it is overwhelming. 

My oldest will be starting school in a few weeks, he learned how to tie his own shoes this summer. And while I am grateful for the things he is now able to do without my help it reminds me of how he is growing, how he is becoming more independent, and how short my time with him is. 

Life with little boys is always an adventure. I'm still learning to roll with it and enjoy what life throws my way. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Thankful for....days 9-13

I gave myself a few days off from blogging. Not entirely intentionally. Life sometimes happens and the days get away from you. I'm still working on being intentional with my time, I think I will always have to work on it. As much as I like to accomplish things and get them off my list, sometime I would much rather relax or put it off until later.

Things I'm thankful for....

Day 9 - Stay and Play at preschool. It is so wonderful to get a little extra time to get things done with only one child at home.

Day 10 - The gym. I took a small(3 week) break from the gym. Ok, 3 weeks isn't a small break, not when you are used to going every day. But it felt great to get back. And I absolutely that we get free childcare there!

Day 11 - Its Friday. And I wasn't home at night, which means I got a break from our bedtime routine. So, I am thankful for my husband and his taking over for a night.

Day 12 - Friends. The kids and I went to a friends house with another set of friends. It is always great to get together with these great girlfriends and so much more wonderful when our kids play nicely together.

Day 13 - Bethlehem Baptist. Our kids are being taught the Bible. Jason Meyer is a wonderful preaching pastor that Casey and I throughly enjoy listening.

I'm sure there are thousands of other things that I am thankful for over the last few days. As the song says, 10,000 reasons for my heart to sing.

I will never fully know all of the good things in my life but I am looking for them each day.

Thankful for.....day 8

Today was a crazy day. I had to go to the Mall of America to pick up a few items. We ventured out and ran a few errands on the way there. They were surprisingly patient on the way there but they were very excited.

We did a little shopping and bought the kids a few toys. We met up with friends for a couple of minutes. We went on rides. And we bought cookies to enjoy on the way home. It was a little crazy with all three of them on my own. They generally stay close but sometimes forget to pay attention and start to wander. Rollie is the worst, he doesn't want to be held while we are out. He always wants to run around like his brothers. Which usually is great until you need him to stay next to you.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have fun with my kids. To enjoy their being little even when it is stressful for me. I love when I am able to indulge them, with in reason since I don't do it often. I love to hear their joy.

Thankful for....day 7

What was I thankful for yesterday???

Naptime! Somedays it is the most wonderful time of day. They don't all nap. In fact, only Roland naps. But the other boys get quiet time. Now, if your are a mom of boys and can actually get your kids to have quiet time, please tell me how you do it!

Our boys version of quiet time is usually watching a movie or a show or playing the wii. I know, I know, they should be out doing stuff. Umm, I would have completely agreed with you.......before I had them. It is my small reprieve during the day if I can actually get them to sit still and watch something. They only usually last for a few minutes at most.

Yesterday Rollie napped, the boys watched a movie, and I was able to nap for a few minutes.

Reading

I used to be really good about reading to the boys. Especially when it was just Corbin. We would sit in our rocking chair and read stories for hours. Then came a second child and reading became a bedtime thing. Then the third came. I kind of gave up. It was getting to hard to get them to sit still to read. They are boys, they move non-stop. To all my friends that have girls, I envy you when I hear about how your girls will sit and play quietly. That is just not our house or our life.

For Christmas this year the boys received, "The Jesus Storybook Bible". We have been making a point of sitting and reading one chapter every night after dinner. The first couple of nights were rough. We had to stop a few times. A child might have received a spank for disobedience. But it is getting better.

Last night was the first night that they didn't want me to stop after our chapter. They wanted me to keep reading. Yay!

If you need a good recommendation of a book to read to your kids, this is it. I would also suggest that it could be a great gift. We are loving it.

Thankful for....day 6

Ok, I'm a little late with yesterdays thankfulness. But not because I wasn't thankful. I just forgot to sit down and write it out.

So, on the 6th day of January, I am thankful for the relationship my husband has with my family. He and my dad went biking today. I love it. Thats all.

A New Room

We had ordered Rollie's new bed ages ago. Our very kind neighbors have been storing it in their garage for us since it came. It was delivered while we were out of town and they were very thoughtful by not leaving it in the rain outside while we were gone. Good neighbors are hard to find but we have been very blessed by ours.

We switched rooms with the boys over the summer. They went from toddler beds to bunk beds and there was no way to get the bunk beds safely in their old room. The ceiling fan would have been over the top bunk. I thought it would be wise to protect Corbin from certain injury had they stayed in that room.

Rollie hasn't attempted to get out of his crib. Which is a major surprise considering he has two older brothers. To be fair, neither of them attempted to get out until after they were two as well. I'm not sure exactly why but I kept feeling like I wanted Rollie to be in a big bed like his brothers. My only reason to not switch him was because I didn't want him getting up at all hours of the night. So, last night we have the change.

All three boys were excited to watch us put the bed together. All evening the boys kept running in and getting into Rollie's bed. He was so sweet. He would climb into his huge bed, slide under the covers, put his head on his pillow, and pretend to snore. Then he would giggle.

Lets see how long the novelty lasts.

Thankful for....day 5

I should really write these at night but I'm kind of lazy by the time the kids are actually asleep. What I mean is, after running around all day after the kids and not really resting, who wants to do more work. Yes, my laundry pile has been neglected all week. Yes, I went to bed with dishes in the sink. And yes, I decided to watch a Hallmark movie instead of doing all the things that should have been done. Thankfully, its another day and all those things are still there. Maybe I'll be a little more intentional with my time today.

Today, I am thankful for Si's expressive nature. He tells me the best stories. He thinks out his words while he is saying them. He is so serious sometimes. Here is just a small sampling of what was said today.

"If you don't give it to me right now, then...then... you don't give it to me!" (He wanted an orange but I was washing my hands)

"But I not tired!!!"

"When I am bigger, I am never going to bed. I'm going to stay up all night long or atleast until you guys go to bed."

"I still not tired!"

Thankful for....day 4

We had yet another pajama day yesterday. The night was rough, lots of waking children. We laid low even though there was a lot that I wanted to accomplish.

Things that I am thankful for on the fourth day of January: netflix to distract little ones, legos to keep busy, the sunshine and snow. And most thankful for a husband that suggested I leave after dinner to run to Target by myself. A quick escape can be so refreshing.

And now, I'm off to wrangle the masses, or just three little boys.

Thankful for....day 3

Well, the day started off quite wonderfully. The boys slept in until 7:05 am. Yes, that is sleeping in at our house. There was a long time where we were waking up at 5:30 every day. Now that is early, especially with boys as they are non-stop from the time they wake up to the time they fall asleep. Not to mention that they rarely stayed in bed through the night. Recently it has been getting better. Praise God!

Back to our day, we had a leisurely breakfast of peppermint stick Luna Bars. A household favorite. A little bit of MarbleWorks and getting dressed. Very little bickering or disagreement at this point. We then went to the bank, Costco, and stopped by daddy's work while we were out. He's doing a full remodel on a house and we wanted to see the before product. The boys loved it and helped pull wallpaper off the walls. I'm pretty sure they would have stayed all day if it would have been possible. We then went home for lunch and just as I was about to put Rollie down for his nap, I got a phone call. Grandma Mini wanted to know if we wanted to go to the Mall of America. Since the boys had been well-behaved I thought we could do go. Rollie might nap in the car, or not as the case may be.

We had a great time, went on rides and shopped at Legoland. The boys had great attitudes. Rollie by far loved the rides the most. He squealed with joy, threw his hands in the air with enthusiasm, and laughed with no limits. That face was worth it all. And that is what I am most thankful for.

Today, I am most thankful for the joy and laughter of my sweet Rollie. And I am so glad that I was able to capture some of his joy on video so that we can watch it over and over.

The rest of the day went a little down hill with a complete meltdown by all at the end of dinner and continued that was until they were all asleep. Today was mostly good. Tomorrow is a new day. Another day for me to try again to show love when I don't feel like it, compassion when I am cranky, and patients when I am impatient. Let me learn to love life like my baby, where the littlest things in life bring the greatest joy.

Thankful for....day 2

As my day winds down and the house is quiet, I think about what I am thankful for. Lots of things really; three little boys, crazy chaos, lego pieces, matchbox cars, digger, snow clothes. These are all things that come to mind quickly. But what I am most thankful for at this moment, is the quiet. My boys are all sleeping. It is rare in this house that there is any quiet. Even when we are reading books they are bouncing off the walls, quite literally.

So now I sit in the dark living room in complete and utter silence thankful for all that went on today, even my parenting failures. I look forward to a busy day tomorrow with lots that needs to be accomplished. I will pray that God will give me the strength and the patience to handle what comes at me tomorrow. To work in my heart so that I speak with love instead of frustration and exasperation.

This life is only here for a moment. Let me learn to cherish it.

The Start of A New Year

As a mom, each day feels the same. Day in and day out I deal with the same things. The squabbles between the boys are the same. The "potty" talk is the same. The talking back is the same.

Well, a new year is upon us and I want things to not be the same. We are going to be trying some new things around our house. Things with organization, discipline, self-control and most importantly, teaching Christ.

It is easy to focus on needing to put out the small fires that erupt around the house without dealing with the reason they are there. Most days I feel like a referee, constantly intervening. This year is going to be about the HEART. I want my boys to understand that what comes out of there mouths comes directly from their heart. I want to teach them to be loving, forgiving, patient, kind, and thoughtful.

Honestly, these are all areas that I need to work on too.  Especially where they are concerned. Its so easy to be impatient, unkind, hard-hearted, thoughtless. I never want my kids to look back and question whether or not they were loved and cared for.

I also want to have an attitude of thankfulness. It is so easy to become dissatisfied with what we have, envious of others and generally discontent. We are going to try to think of one thing each day that we are thankful for. Somethings will be big while others will seem small and almost foolish. But the goal is to look for things to be grateful for.

Yesterday I was grateful for an easy trip home. Only one child slept on the three hour drive but no one cried or screamed. It was almost peaceful. It was rather uneventful. But I am grateful nonetheless.

Stick around and follow how our year of change goes. We can use all the encouragement and prayer we can get. Let us know how it is going for you as well.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

This beautiful cake is surprisingly light, fresh and summery. It is a four layer lemon chiffon cake with lemon curd filling and a lemon buttercream frosting. We topped this one with fresh raspberries but there are some many good options with this cake.

Sleep and sorrow

I desperately want to sleep. If just to escape the completely overwhelming feeling of sorrow for just a few hours. Sleep will not come. The tears will not stop. The heartache is so real and physical.

I don't even know how to put it all into words. There is this strange mixture of shock, disbelief, sadness and comfort. The first three seem to fit together so well. How does this last one meld into the group? None of it makes sense to me. But the reassurance that he is face to face with our Savior. I can find comfort in knowing that.

My dear cousin, went to be with our great God much sooner than any of us ever imagined possible. I have often admired him. His love for God. His love and loyalty to his family and friends. His God-given talents and work ethic.

I keep hearing part of this song in my head. It feels so appropriate and inappropriate at the same time.

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will chose to say
Lord, blessed be your name




Peace and comfort that can only come from you, God, is what we pray for. What we long for. Help us to not rest in sorrow, sadness or anger. Help us to always proclaim your goodness. Blessed be your name.

American Classic

OK, so this post is mostly for moms of little girls. Or aunts, or grandmas, or well anyone that likes American Girl Dolls.

Over at Chiilmama you can enter to win the Mckenna American Girl Doll. I want to encourage you to go check it out and enter to win, or not, so I have a better chance!!!


Hope you all are enjoying your day!

Words

This one child of mine says the funniest things. All the time, except when he's yelling to show his displeasure about something.

Just a few from today:


Call the police, the robbers are getting away. Hurry, call 911. (While playing with his brother. And I have no idea how he knows that you call 911 to call the police)

Clean up, clean up. Alligators are for cleaning up.

I banged my arbow(elbow) real good.

I need some gingermen.

Well, I'd love to write a few more but I am off to play referee between a few little boys. Does anyone else feel like they are a referee all day long?

Art

I might be a little crazy for letting my kids do this but they love it.




Yes, I let my kids color the kitchen door. I don't think I can say how much they LOVE to do it.

I found these great markers that use can use on blackboards, whiteboards and glass. I wish they had more colors but I have yet to find ones that works well. And, we discovered last night that the white does not wash off so well. Lesson learned.

It's ready to go

3 boys kitchen is ready to meet your jam needs. Or other baking needs you might have.

All jams are made with organic fruit. They are currently packaged in 8 ounce jars but available in other sizes upon request.

Available flavors:
Raspberry
Peach
Cherry
Strawberry
Blackberry
Triple Berry

8 oz jars are $6.50

Please contact me at 3boyskitchen@comcast.net if you are interested. We can also discuss other flavors, sizes and shipping at that time.

Thank you for considering 3 boys kitchen for your jam needs.