This is just plain cute!

So I couldn't help but share. This is our friend Kensey. The kids were playing outside tonight with bubbles, and she couldn't get enough of it. Don't you love that little laugh?

Battle Over

For all who are interested, we moved the tracks to the floor this afternoon and all worked fairly well. I think he was as frustrated with me as he was with Samuel, I kept kicking them! Oh well, now I only have to pull Samuel off the table when he climbs up for fun. Okay, so maybe the battle isn't completely over. . . .

Ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle???

I don't know if you can tell or not, but both of my children have happily placed themselves on top of the table playing with trains. We originally moved Benjamin and his trains to the table when Samuel started crawling. He wouldn't leave them alone and he kept messing up the tracks (as all infants do). Well, sometime recently, Samuel has learned to appreciate the tracks as is, and actually loves to move the trains along them like his big brother. I now find myself moving his off the table more times a day than I can count, and I am reflecting, is not the time to move the trains back to the floor? Or would that cause more problems? Oh the dilemnas of parenting . . . . . some more important than others. :) Blessings-

The Sending Part 2

For the first part of this post, I feel I must send you to my dear friend Candace's post. She sometimes can say the same things I have thought but just better. I wanted to piece on some other thoughts about our wonderful weekend in the woods with 9 babies (Benjamin being the oldest) and 8 adults on a campsite for two nights in tents. As we made the treck home, we stopped way too many times and Samuel threw up everything he had eaten 10 miles from the house. We stopped one more time, cleaned it all out, and finished the adventure (Thank the Lord that Benjamin didn't puke as well, since he was sitting perilously close at the time!). As we pulled into the driveway, it was close to bedtime, we had babies to bathe and put to bed, a car that still stunk of puke, stuff to be unloaded, and a bed calling our names as well. My mind was completely focused on the tasks at hand. We all know how I can get when it comes to finishing a list of tasks! Nonetheless, someone stopped me and asked how it went. In passing I said, "It was miserable in practicality, but absolutely wonderful for the soul." As I have thought more over the last several days, I am more and more sure of it. No matter how difficult it may be, no matter how long we have to go or how crazy the conditions, I will always treasure my time with the Chaneys, Harpers, and Rupps. They are precious souls that the Lord has united our hearts with and this weekend was simply another lesson in the amazing thing called fellowship.

I think the 1st century church had something that most of us are missing. We struggle and strive and do all kinds of things in the name of fellowship, but when the Holy Spirit knits hearts together, you don't have to force anything. You will struggle against forces to encounter it. You will fight for it, not willing to miss a moment. It's not something to be orchestrated or planned, it simply happens and is the most beautiful thing I have encountered. It is rare. I am forever grateful to the Lord for what he has done. I long for the next encounter, knowing it will be better than the rest.

"May they(the believers) be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Matthew 17:23

The Little Things Really are the BIG Things

So this morning we were headed to the Prayer Room for the Wednesday 10am meeting. It's focused on praying for the nations, so naturally we have a great time! Nonetheless, as we were driving we were listening to one of Misty Edwards' songs ("I am Yours"). I started singing, as I usually do in the car, and all of the sudden this precious sound came from the back. Benjamin was singing as loud as his voice would carry and as many of the words as he knew (which were many more than I have ever thought). I had heard him sing like that in a couple of situations, but never in the prayer room or at church. So when we got there, I stopped the van, turned around and told him that if he wanted to he could sing like that in the prayer room. Mommy loves to sing to Jesus in the prayer room. He said, "How can Go hear us? All the doors are closed." I smiled, as any mother does, and responded with how wonderful of a hearer/listener God is. His ears are so good that he can hear through the doors and walls. Benjamin's little heart smiled with such joy that he said, "That's crazy! He can hear through doors???!!!" I have never seen my little on engage with the prayer room and the singing on stage like he did this morning. It was truly amazing, and as I was watching I was reminded of the little things that really are the big things. If we think that God can't hear us, then we don't pray to him. We don't sing to him, and we sure don't want to trust and love him. There is no relationship if he can't hear us.

"God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." Exodus 2:24-25

"In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from your sight!' Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help." Psalm 31:22

"Jesus said, ' Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Matthew 19:14

Benjamin, the ever-changing, ever-growing Firstborn!

So, I realized I had been a bit Samuel-heavy on the blog lately (besides the grand party), so here's a fantastic Benjamin video. In the first one, I had watched him perform the shown action twice before I said anything, then went to get the camera. He was determined.


So in this next one we were having birthday party fun. We are sitting next to our good friends, Aiden, Seth, and Gabe. Thanks for a great day friends, love to you all!

Samuel and the Faithful God

Sometimes, I am totally amazed at this little one. Some moments he is perilously clinging to my leg for dear life and other moments he is a complete ham, ready to be the life of the party. This was taken at White Water while we were waiting for everyone else to get off the big kids water slides (the ones even Benjamin was loving). Samuel and I were very good caretakers of both the sunglasses and the shoes. :) I say that in a joking way, we really didn't mind waiting, I got to have moments like this with my little one. He was having a ball, sitting with mommy and trying on all the sunglasses. Aunt Erin's were the funniest, and thus earned a picture. Nonetheless, we went to the doctor this morning and had the scheduled shots and what-not, and though tears were shed, by the time I put him in the car seat, he fell asleep and has been a happy camper ever since.

When we got home I was reading 1 Thessalonians and something stood out to me. It's such a small verse, one that I must have overlooked all this time, but is says this: "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." The one who calls me to motherhood is faithful to lead me through it, despite all my paranoias and fear of failure. The one who led us to this ministry and this house IS faithful, and he will provide for it. What simplicity, we so often forget it, but it is truth in the heart of the Father. If he is not faithful, then he is a liar. And if a liar, how can he be a Savior? I have spent the last four years learning the faithfulness of the Lord, and yet on days like today, it seems I still have a long way to go. Thank you Lord for such subtle and yet huge reminders in the lives of our children. May you continue to teach me about yourself through them. Thank you-

The Zoo Birthday Party

So we had a wonderful 4-year old birthday party today, and though I only have a few of the pics listed, I thought I would tell you some memorable quotes from the day:

1. How many of us are there? 11 kids and 10 adults. Oh.
2. Do we have to pay for all the kids to ride the train? (Lydia to the ticket lady, she didn't appreciate the joke.)
3. Honey, don't kiss the dear! (Mommy Meg to daughter Aaliyah)
4. The parents get to ride the carousel for free????? Yes! (Lydia to second, and much more friendly ticket person)
5. Settle down guys. Here's the plan. We're going back to my house, eat hot dogs, eat cake, THEN open presents. (Benjamin to Seth and Gaberielle in the back of the van!)

Nonetheless, we totally had a ball and it seems the party was a hit.

Happy Birthday my love, may the Lord continue to shelter you and raise you in His promises, for His are much more everlasting than anything I have to offer you.

Samuel and the New Song

So Samuel has become a lover of music as well. I don't know where he gets it, but Benjamin really loves this new song and we have been listening to it quite a bit. I turned around the other day on the way home from Arkansas and watched him wake up and start "dancing" as this one came on. He likes it so much that we even got out the camera restarted the song and he did it again! What fun my little dancer/worshippers!

Videos and more videos

Okay, so you may have to look sideways, but if you can tell, Samuel had spent the day at White Water and was really tired as we were eating. I thought I would add a picture of him happy after he woke up too! Love that crab! (We didn't want him to sleep too long, because bedtime was coming soon!) Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time in Branson- Love being with family-