Caroline said

"Waiting can be tough.
Waiting is hard."

While waiting for the meat Daddy was grilling to be done. For the record, we did not eat dinner late, lol.

While taking a walk one evening.

Caroline pointed at the woods, "Is that the jungle?"
Pointing at another walker with a dog, "That dog has a beautiful tail!

I was putting away clothes in the bedroom and I hear Caroline, "Mama, Mama, Mama!!!"
That happens approximately 10,000 times a day so I finished what I was doing and said, "What, Caroline?"
"Oh there you are Mama, I thought you were dead."

I should mention that she was quite calm about the possibility of me being dead, lol.

Church with kids.....

This is so funny...and has a good reminder at the end

What It's Like Bringing Kids To Church

Do any of you remember going to church as a Non-Mom? I do. Since I am a huge nerd, going to church as a Single Woman was actually one of the big highlights in my former life. I looked incredibly put-together and well-rested. As I should,…

SMARTTEREACHDAY.COM

Adri shared this on family talk this morning and it got a lot of fun comments and laughs, but in some ways it is so very true. I'm a bit more organized in that I have the diaper bag packed and clothes laid out on Saturday night, and we are never late for church (because being late majorly stresses me out), and our kids aren't eating in church (except for a nursing baby), but yes, pretty accurate.
Oh my, church with the two littles was plain old hard. Then add in that we were just watching a live stream, no live church, I didn't have fellowship at church, and it seemed  I never really heard a sermon, and when I did hear bits and pieces I was so distracted by little ones needs that I hardly was able to focus. Add in postpartum depression and it was a hard time.
It's a lot better these days! We're in a real church with real people, we don't have a little one that needs a morning nap, or needs to nurse during church. We're still working at sitting still, but it is very rare that we ever need to take a child out anymore. I get to hear and follow a whole sermon and can actually enjoy church services again. So if the Lord gives us another baby I'll have to read this again and remind myself that it does get better with time.....And for now I'll give thanks that the Lord has answered so many prayers in that we have church, we took communion on Sunday, the Lord has given us a desire to bring our children to church even if it is hard.
He has answered a LOT of prayers.


But this, this is hilarious because I have been there so many times!

"Usually though, there are 74,569 things to do before church, and someone has grown three shoe sizes since last Sunday,......

To top if off, Little Sunshine is ready for his/her nap at 9:50, but that’s unfortunate, because he/she should actually be getting strapped into the carseat at 10:00. So that’s fun.

On the way to church, one or all of three things will happen.

1. Someone will kick the back of your seat incessantly.
2. You will remember you forgot something really important at home.
3. There may or may not be a tense/masked “discussion” between you and your husband about Something Unpleasant, which you will pretend did not happen."

And this, this is true and why we keep pressing on!

Here is the truth about kids and church.

1. Yes, it is very hard. And no, there’s nothing wrong with you. I’d bet EVERY SINGLE MOM IN THE PLANET who attempted to bring children to worship has felt overwhelmed, embarrassed, exasperated, and fruitless. It just is very hard to get ready, to keep everyone behaved, and through some miracle, to learn something in the process. You are not alone.
2. It is not pointless, even if it feels like a waste of everyone’s time. It Is Not A Waste. And here is why: It is fruitful because I am obeying God’s commands to honor the Sabbath, to keep on meeting together and not give up. And I am modeling this to my children. 

As it turns out, my ability to “do” church well hasn’t changed one iota from when I was an undistracted single girl taking meticulous notes.

Because, going to church isn’t about us. And it never was.

Let me say that another way. Even if there is nothing *enjoyable* or *productive* about church anymore, it doesn’t matter one speck. We don’t do church to feel more relaxed, or to meet a special someone, or to feel holier, or more peaceful.

We go to church to show honor to God, and to obey Him, and to teach our children to do the same.

Mama who feels overwhelmed at church, I feel you. In your sweaty wrangling of overtired toddlers, in your plucking of Cheerios from church cushions – in your jamming people in carseats and Sunday shoes –  may you offer it all up as Worship to your Father. 

And may you not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ~ Galations 6:9

"Me time"

A Monday morning walk.

This is how I attempt to stay in shape. Lugging this wagon with kids in it that easily equal half of my weight for a mile around the subdivision. The kids love it!

A beautiful cool, breezy day in the neighborhood.

Lately I have really been trying to make time for some "me time." Hopefully not in a selfish way, but in a  doing things that help me to be a better mom the rest of the time kind of way!. It's soo nice now that Luke sleeps through the night, so I can stay awake most of the time in the evenings, and wake up earlier in the mornings. Sadly too many mornings I wake with a bad headache, but if I am well enough I try very hard to read my Bible with my first cup of coffee. Just one chapter these days where I have less time. Someday I'm sure I'll go back to reading more. John always gets up earlier than me to have some quiet time himself so he will often get the kids up for me which gives me a few minutes, and is a blessing.
Another thing I am trying hard to do is take a walk most days. I feel so much better when I get some exercise, and I want to continue to fit into my size 6 jeans, lol. If my back cooperates I like to take the kids on a walk, or a few times a week John and I are taking a walk after the kids go to bed (a blessing of having my mil live with us, that we can leave like that!)
Nap time is my computer time. Once they are too old for naps I still plan to have a quiet time in their rooms in our schedule to give me this time. Then I work at swagbucks, sometimes a survey which I get paid for,  do online shopping,  emails, messages, blogging, etc. It usually includes tea and a snack.
Once the kids are in bed at 7:30, and we've tidied up, I either take a walk, usually scroll through facebook and my blog feed. If I didn't get my Bible reading done in the morning it usually happens now. About 8:30-9:00, once Hunter is down, is my time with John. We usually watch something and talk, often have a glass of wine.With the summer schedule and it being a little later before Hunter is down I'm hoping to maybe add some reading from a book during this time.
I should also mention that John watches the kids for about 2 hours every Saturdy morning so I can run errands!
It's not perfect of course, and every day doesn't look like this, but that is the goal I am working towards. I know in some ways things will be easier once Luke is completely weaned, and once the kids are able to go play in the playroom or the backyard by themselves. I look forward to that, but I also don't want to rush away my baby days.....

Caroline's new haircut

The times we live in......

May days

Farmer Ted, Duke's favorite book. We all have it memorized.

My helper.

Going out on an evening ice cream adventure.

Watching the fish at Dairy Queen.

Gotta love BOGO blizzard coupons!

Duke can eat a lot of ice cream :-)

Caroline asked for "big corn" all winter so the first time I saw it in the store from Florida this spring I had to buy her some!

These snack cups make the drive home from church so much easier! I make sure to have the diaper bag packed, and snack cups filled on Saturday.

Duke and "rabbit."

Kissing his sister.

Oh Dukie!

New haircut!

Oh Duke!

He loves to read his baby book.

We had coat  weather in May.

Bubbles!

Cookie Monster jeans :-) They love Sesame Street. Luke calls all the characters, "Melmo."

"They're  on a mission. in the thiggmajigger!"

Fresh asparagus growing wild in the ditch! Caroline loves eating "Jr Asparagus."

Blurry, but I wanted a picture of how Luke regularly comes to me when he is playing, pops his thumb in, gives me a hug, then goes back to what he was doing. It's so cute.

Coloring.

A hug.

Cookie please

Yesterday I gave the kids each a cookie for a snack after naps. For the record, healthy homemade ones with squash in them. Anyway John and I were having a conversation while they ate when we were interrupted by a little voice saying,
"More cookie please?"
It was Luke! He asked, and said please with no prompting. I hadn't planned on seconds.....but I couldn't say no :-)