Winter means snow and deer hunting...

First snow of the season! The kids were very excited. But I realized we were a little short on the right gear. So Foster had on 2 thin jackets and Katie's wearing my gloves and Theodore had on a hat that was too small before he protested and just wore his hood. Winter just snuck up on me I guess. But, that's ok, either way you go out, you get wet and cold and you have a blast. Then you come in and strip down and get all warmed up again. At which point children forget how wet and cold they just were and want to go through the process all over again!

Katie and Theodore checking out one of daddy's deer. Katie loves wearing her "camo" and says that when she turns 5 she'll get to go hunting with daddy, too. We'll see how she does with that...I know I for one couldn't be a good hunter because of the weather, getting up so early, packing all that stuff, having to pee in the woods, and the list goes on. But if she wants to be a hunter with her daddy, then great for her. My husband's cousin just married a great girl this past summer who loves to hunt. So there are some of them out there, I'm just not one of them!

My husband, though, is a passionate hunter. I am sure that's why Foster and even Katie are so enthralled with hunting. I think it's great for children to see their parents have a love for a hobby or past time. It role models for them the commitment, sacrifice, planning and creativity that someone can harness if they are truly interested in something.
It shows them that if you enjoy the fun of something in life, you must also put in the effort to make that happen.

Poetry

I did not get exposed to poetry very much growing up but have always loved it and desire for my children to get that exposure and hopefully fall in love with it too.

SMART

My dad gave me one dollar bill

'Cause I'm his smartest son,

And I swapped it for two shiny quarters

'Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters

And traded them to Lou

For three dimes - I guess he don't know

That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates

And just 'cause he can't see

He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,

And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs

Down at the seed-feed store,

And the fool gave me five pennies for them,

And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,

And he got red in the cheeks

And closed his eyes and shook his head --

Too proud of me to speak!

by: Shel Silverstein

Thankful

I'm thankful for so many things but my list will start with 5 since it's the 5th day of November.
1) My salvation
2) His forgiveness
3) His unconditional love
4) His security
5) His acceptance

I heard a testimony last Sunday night that is still resonating in my soul. The way the Lord spared me from the life I was headed for astonishes me. I am seeing more and more how His hand was working in my life long before I was living for Him.

Katie is 4

Oh what a girl I have! A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Katie's 4th birthday. She is one of a kind! Her voice is naturally loud and high pitched so she slips into whining very easily. She's working on it though and doing a good job trying to corral all those emotions that come stampeding out of her. When she starts to break down and cry over something we try to encourage her to breathe. I know it sounds silly but it works - a few deep breaths and she's a little less hysterical and you can better make out what happened in the first place. She is full of joy and her love language is time and attention. Unfortunately, that is in short demand when you have 1 big brother and 2 little brothers to share mommy and daddy's time. She can be very silly but she's also sensitive and caring. I'm proud of her. She's beautiful to me and I thank God that I get to be her mommy. I pray that she and I will stay close through the years. It's funny because I seldom have thoughts of my boys as parents but I often think of how I will feel when my little girl becomes a mommy and I get to hold her children in my arms. There is something unique and wonderful about a mother/daughter relationship.

being weird...

I know most people go through times in their lives where they feel "weird". Most of the time it happens when you are going through puberty and then hopefully you grow out of it. I have always been weird. Reading and my love affair with books would be a good place to start. I would literally have a book with me everywhere from the time I could read. I read anytime and anywhere and most of the time it wouldn't matter what was going on around me - I could tune it all out. I was a public school student and that really got in the way of my love for books and reading. But I was quite the underachiever in formal education and so I would do the bare minimum of homework, you know scan the "reading" book story and answer the comprehension questions in quick fashion so that I could get back to the intriguing story I was involved in. Another way I am weird is that I detest rollercoasters. I just feel like God gave me feet, not wings so that I would stay here on His nice ground. I think rollercoasters are pointless. Those are, of course, just two examples of how weird I am. But now, as a grown-up, I am REALLY weird and just getting more weird it seems.

--I do not let other people raise my children (any age).

--I teach my children at home.

--I make my own laundry detergent.

--I take my children to church and teach them about God and His love.

--I spank.

--I use coupons.

--I clothe my children with yard sale, hand-me-downs, or clearance items.

--I let my kids get dirty, every day.

--I teach my children to say ma'am and sir.

--I expect obedience.

--I breastfeed my babies.

--I breastfeed my babies in public. (very weird)

--I enjoy spending time with my husband and my children.

--I respect my parents.

--I read my Bible and pray.

This list could go on and on. What is really neat is that I love being weird. For years, as an adolescent and into my 20's I wanted to "fit in" and now the closer I grow to my Lord and the older I become I want to be more weird. In fact, I would love to be out and have people whisper as we leave "they are so weird".

And that is pretty weird, isn't it?

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord"

2 Corinthians 6:17

Nana

We planted this rosebush at the front corner of our house. It was planted in April, right after we brought it home from Nana's funeral. The past couple of weeks it seems we have all missed Nana even more. I think a big part of it is that one year ago we were all headed to Pensacola Beach to have a family vacation. She made a big deal out of celebrating Katie's birthday there and making it special for all of her grandkids. Nana enjoyed fall, driving around Cade's Cove and looking at the changing leaves, getting ready to laugh at her grandchildren in their costumes, preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I guess what continually shocks me is she is really not here. Really not ever going to be here to see Katie's haircut, to see Theodore dressed up as a scarecrow, to see Foster's first missing tooth space, to watch Parker smile. And not here to check on us grown ups either, to call and see if we are taking care of ourselves, to encourage my husband and I to go on a date and take time for our marriage. Not one of us would have said to each other last year at the beach "we better enjoy this trip together because it will be our last one with all of us." Grieving is an up and down rollercoaster. And I hate rollercoasters, so that's a good analogy for me. The rosebush that we planted in Nana's memory has consistently given us a beautiful rose, sometimes two or three but most of the time just one. Roses were Nana's favorite flower and I love to have the reminder of the joy she brought to our lives. I feel like our rosebush is humble and that makes me think of Nana the most. Humility made her beautiful in the sight of God.

Relationship

Chris and Foster have spent a lot of time together the past couple of weeks. Foster has gone dove hunting a couple of times with him. When Chris was working on his truck for over a week Foster was out there by his side trying to "help". I am glad they have a good relationship right now and want to encourage and support that anyway I can. One way that is important is to have daddy involved in the daily discipline even when he's not right there. And I don't mean the "wait until your father gets home" scare tactic way. Yesterday, Foster made a bad choice. And instead of giving him his consequence I told him I needed to talk to his daddy and then we would decide and get back to him. When Chris arrived home, I told Foster to tell him what had happened and they went to a room alone to "discuss" it. Chris and I did settle on a consequence. But I think even more important was the conversation he was forced to have with his father. Chris said when Foster first came to tell him he started by saying "this isn't an easy thing for kids to have to tell". And with age and worse offenses it won't get any easier but when you think of a parent-child relationship you are not just training them for their relationship with you. We are training them to know how to be in a relationship with God. It's never easy to go to God, your heavenly father, and say "hey I messed up really bad today" but it's important. How can we ask for forgiveness if we don't admit what we did wrong first?