Our Yard

This is the yard. Minus the bats, balls, bikes and bubbles strewn about. I am actually taking more of an interest in planting this year. The only explanation that I have come up with is: since it's been longer than usual since I grew a baby, I may as well start growing other beautiful things. And seeing as how there isn't a plan to grow any more babies, I may just become gardening extraordinaire in the next couple years! Watch out Martha.

Zinnia

Poppy

Bird house (English Garden) Copper Flower (Spring Fling Market) In the pot from TJ Maxx, Red Pepper

English Daisies

Black Eyed Susan Vine in a wonderful wire bike (English Garden)

Pots created by the children of yours truly, and they house Tomatoes.

Finding their inner Picasso

I love projects. Now, I love making the kids do my projects :). The good thing is, they like it too. I bought some pots to put our tomatoes in and thought, instead of getting plastic, I should get clay so the kids can paint them and we can all have a part in this! They had a lot of fun, even more than I thought since when I went back for more pots telling them that it was John's turn to paint, I got attacked with tears of sorrow. Guess I know my kids have a heart for creation. Or making messes, one of the two :)

The beginnings of painting.

Ella put in her own clips for her bangs.

The left one happens to be that of neat little Ella, and the right, well, I'm sure we can guess whose that is.

Grandma was here and had fun watching as they designed their pots.

Meanwhile, inside and under constant supervision, John had his own fun. He realized there was a hole and after that, he just wanted to drop his sponge down the hole and lift up the pot. Silly John.

This post brought to you by the letter "S"

S

Sweets: We made Easter cookies really late since I wanted to try a recipe I saw online.

Squirrels: We have an infestation of vermin this year due to the discovery of our bird feeder. Note, Cardinal is on the grass eating leftovers.

Snuggles: He still loves me, his blankie, and his fingers.

Sleep: He has recently been sleeping across his crib with his feet hanging out.

Spaghetti: This boy loves his food and wants to do everything himself. I let him do sauce the other night and this is what came of it.

Swimming: The kids finished their first session of swim lessons and they did great.

Spring: We are finally outside doing more and more and we all appreciate the warmer weather.

Sports: Ella has really taken to baseball, while the boys are sticking with basketball and soccer.

Bonne Fete Des Meres!

That's French for Happy Mother's Day. We had a nice one out here in sunny PA. We went to church, came home and cooked French toast from a yummy loaf of fresh bread with strawberry sauce (that I made), bacon, and eggs. Then after naps the kids made some cookies with Grandma and we went to the park for a bit. For dinner we had marinated a flank steak for a day and Andrew grilled it up with oven fries, salad, and veggies. It was super good. And to top it all off, we stuck with the strawberry theme of the morning and had Angel Food Cake with Strawberry ice cream (from the Penn State Creamery), strawberries and strawberry sauce. Whip Cream too. YUM.

The kids made me these flower pots for me at church.

Glad Barb could be here to celebrate with us.

The story behind this dress: It was my grandma's. She made it and I have yet to be able to fit in it until now. She was a stylish lady who had a talent for making just about anything. I love vintage stuff and this is just one of the few dresses I have of hers. I can't wait to wear the others. The necklace was hers too.

Andrew said, "Do some kind of pose or something." So I did.

Peter boy and his flower he made me.

Strawberry Madness.

Updated Pictures

While Aunt Rebekah was here, we took the kids out to one of their favorite places, The Montour Preserve to throw rocks in the water and get some good pictures of them outside. I had taken Peter, back when he was 18 mos and John was 2 weeks old to try and get his pictures done and it was a disaster. I decided not to repeat this with John and just go outside where I knew he would be happy. Even if it was freezing that day. Got some fun pictures and had a good time in the process.

Bubba, as he is still called is a spirited as they come. Now that he is 3, he tells people that he is "free at last." He's strong willed and loves to have fun. His favorite color is still green, he added red recently. He has a ton of Disney race cars and carries them around all day long. He still loves pickles and will try just about any other food, just doesn't promise to like it. Peter loves to cuddle and always when he wakes up wants to be held. He is really into books right now and knows how to spell his name. "P-T-R with 2 E's." I get asked almost daily if he and Ella are twins, that's how much he's grown this past year. He is learning to ride a bike with training wheels, which frustrates his more than anything, but he's working on it. Peter loves coloring and baking with us. If we do anything at the counter, he pulls the chair up almost immediately. He is a good helper. 

John Lewis is quickly getting his own personality. He can say all kinds of things, Ella, Bubba, Mommy, Daddy, shoes, pants, shirt, yogurt, binket (blanket), please, his version of thank you, "mow you" (i love you), cher-yos (cheerios), milk, juice, bread, cracker, teeth, brush, stuck, help, play and his favorite-no. He tries to say almost anything you ask him to these days. He still loves to be held and just gave up his bottle (yes, I know, but he has an under bite so my concern for his teeth didn't matter and I love holding him). He drags his blanket everywhere and gets a little upset when I leave it at home, which I have been doing more these days. He climbs everything, he tried to climb my friend's shelf yesterday. He wants to do everything like Peter and Ella and has recently taken to not wanting help eating at all. If he's not sure about you, he will put his chin down and look up at you with his huge blue eyes until he warms up, if he ever does. He sits in the back seat with Ella and dances to music like she does, claps his hands and laughs a lot. I have almost swerved the car just trying to see everything he's doing back there. He is our baby no doubt, and I intend to hold onto his every moment because these days are passing too quickly. 

Ella is quickly becoming the little mama. I hear her say things like "I have told you too many times, I will not tell you again," and "You're going to be in time out if you don't stop." She is good to her brothers most of the time and really likes to teach them things. She has mastered writing her name and keeps wanting me to write things that she can trace in her little "checkbook." She still says "toodle" and "poodle." For tool and pool. I love this about her. She has a kind heart and really loves feeling like she just accomplished something. She talks about church and friends all the time. She also loves to read books and is very into princesses right now. It is amazing to watch her mature as time goes on and I am excited for her to start pre-school because I think she will love it. I'm pretty amazing at all I see God doing in her heart right now.

Encouragement

Today I found myself telling some friends that I have had it, things seem to be crazy and my emotions are at an all time high right now. Not sure why, they just are. About the kids, about the house, about things I want to get done and can't, all that kind of stuff. I have had a hard time sleeping and waking up in the morning seems like more of a chore than it needs to be. I was looking online for some kind of devotional that can be e-mailed to me because if nothing else, I find I can always check Facebook, so I should be able to check a devotion too. I came across Proverbs 31 ministries and this was the devotion for today. So fitting. Hope it encourages someone else too. 

Encouragement for Today

Daily Devotions for Women

May 4, 2011

Sometimes I Just Wanna Quit

Renee Swope

“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” Psalm 18:35 (NIV, 1984)

Devotion:
I love my kids, but I haven’t always liked being a mom.
Once my boys became toddlers who wouldn’t listen to me or do what I told them, I kind of panicked. I looked around at other moms who seemed to know what they were doing and wondered, “What is wrong with me?”
Their children seemed to listen when they told them no. Why wouldn’t my child keep his hands to himself or stay in the cart at the grocery store? Why did he not understand when I told him I could not buy everything his little hand could touch? And how come no one told me that being a mom would be so hard?
I felt like such a failure.
Almost every day I would compare how I felt on the inside to how other moms looked like they had it all together on the outside.
I held up my feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of insecurity in contrast to moms who dressed their children in matching outfits and adorned themselves with attitudes of grace and wisdom. I wondered how in the world they pulled it off with a smile. I could barely get a shower, get my kids dressed and get us out the door before lunch.
I just wanted to quit.
One day I came home from running too many errands with two very tired and fussy kids. I put them down for an early nap and started looking for pink construction paper so I could write “I QUIT” on it. I’d decided to turn in my “pink slip” to my husband when he came home from work that day.
It was just too hard, and I was tired of feeling like I would never be “good enough” as a mom.
But instead, I needed a new place to start.
I didn’t really start becoming the mom God created me to be until the day I was ready to quit. That afternoon I fell on my knees before God and choked out the words, “I can’t do this.”
And in that place of surrender, His peace came over me. His gentleness calmed my nerves. I felt like God bent down before me and spoke to my heart: You are right, Renee. In your strength and through your perspective, you can’t do this. But with My promises, My presence and My power — all things are possible. I will help you become a great mom.
Looking back on that day, I’m reminded of our key verse in Psalm 19:35, “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
When we acknowledge that on our own we are a mess, God rushes to our side to help us. He bends down to show us that with His grace, wisdom and guidance, we can become the mom He is calling us to be, the mom our kids need us to be, and the mom we want to be!

Dear Lord, I need Your shield of victory to protect me from discouragement. I pray that You would extend Your right hand to sustain me; Your grace to strengthen me; and Your wisdom to lead me. Thank You for Jesus, who stooped down to make me great because of Your great love for me. Today, I want to find a new starting place with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Clippity Clop

My friend Abbey is so great. She owns the best little shop The English Garden and lets me sell my creations there whenever I come up with something new. I've started making little clips and ribbon boards to go along with them. Ella and I have fun picking out our clips for the day.