THE lizard. . . . .

So, yesterday afternoon Benjamin was playing outside by himself for a little bit and suddenly he came running in.

"Mom, I just saw a HUGE lizard.  It was this big around."

 

And it was this long.  Really.

Just for our daddy to see. . . .

So, today was a big day.  Bethany ate her first bit of cereal.  And since Daddy didn't get to see it, we thought we would show him, on the other side of the world.  :)

First we started with a little bit of bottle.  Benjamin was telling me the whole time that she wasn't going to eat her cereal.

Then we decided we could take some ONLY if mommy was holding her.  :)  It went down okay.

Then we realized if we stuck the paci in right after the bite, then we would swallow it better.

Then we found our fingers.  Yummm. . . . . .

Sending out a little love. . . .

SO, a little late, but we had a wonderful day with daddy before he left.  We wanted to be very intentional, and do things that the boys love.  SO, in reverse order. . . 

 

John and the boys slept in the tent Saturday night.  It was GREAT fun, only got down to about 40 degrees and everyone made it all night long.  That in itself is unbelievable.  Needless to say, Bethany and I were happy down the hill in the warm house and soft bed.  :)

There was a wonderful bonfire, complete with friends, smores, and hot dogs. 

And a pretty cute Samuel sitting in a chair with hat.

Before the campfire, we went to Union Station to see the trains.  It has become a favorite activity, and every fall they make a huge display!  It is truly amazing, and the boys LOVE it!

We began the day at IHOP Pancakes. . . . ymmmmm.  Bethany is with us, I promise. 
She's just on the end of the table in her car seat facing backwards.  :) 

Just a shout out to papa!  WE LOVE our hats from Peru!  Thank you loads!

Friends. . .

So, instead of moaning about all things that I can do nothing about, I am choosing to be grateful.  And today it happens to be a couple of precious women.  First, we went to Shrevepohrt last weekend and had a blast.  As Sunday afternoon rolled around, we both lamented (Mama at TLLOM and I) about how our time was ending so quickly.  You see, this precious woman and I became friends in KY.  Even more so, she was the first real friend I made.  Little did we know, it would last 2 moves, four more babies, and five years in another city.  And for some reason, we felt like this trip could have lasted, and should have lasted, much longer.  It's like our kiddos just got a little bit older, they slept a little bit longer, played a little bit better, and we laughed a little bit harder.  We were so encouraged.  Her heart is longing for encounter with the Lord daily, and the hunger that I see in her causes me to want more.  She read the bible in 90 days people!!!  If that doesn't stir you. . . . (i digress) 
And so, with this, I shout out to my dear and precious friend, Candace.  This is what I found on the kitchen counter at her house as we were trying to get out the door quickly and make the 10-hour drive in one day.

Coffee cups . . . . with a fresh pot behind them.

Snack bags for my sweet boys.  Filled with yummy, healthy treats to eat along the way.  If you look closely,
you can see that Samuel's bag has a lightening bolt on it with #95.  Very appropriate, thanks Lightening McQueen.

 And this is my friend Jodi.  She (and her husband) were the first people we met in Kansas City when we moved here.  Her husband and mine were the only people in their FSM class who were married and parents (their oldest Aiden was only about 8 weeks along, in utero, and our oldest chief was only a year old, but that was a HUGE step ahead of the rest of the unmarried, 18-year olds!)  The daddies were immediate friends, and Jodi and I had a wonderful time together.  Since that first meeting, we have had 5 more babies (the two littlest were already in bed), grown together in the Lord, laughed, cried, cuddled new life in hospitals, and prayed together.  This is an amazing woman of faith, and she inspires me in so many ways.  She diligently and fully sets her heart before the Lord daily.  She has strength in her heart and faith the fills a room.  She is obedient to the spirit and tender before the Lord.  She is Mary, at Jesus' feet.  This past summer their family moved away for her husband to go to law school.  And though we are thrilled for them, we also miss them terribly.  She has come for a visit, and as I love to say, "Six little people with TWO mommies is way better than three little ones with one mommy." 

(and no daddy)

Four little boys sitting on a couch reading.  (Yes, mine do have cloths on, you just can't see them. 
I would never put a naked picture of my children on the internet.)

I think what was striking me so clearly, is that both of these women were the first ones I met upon making a major transitions in my life.  Both are dear friends.  And both live too far away. 

However, what the Lord has done in our midst is nothing short of precious.  He has united our hearts and he sustains our friendships.  I am honored to be surrounded by women who encourage, remember, serve, love, and cry with me.  AND, at the end of it all, encourage my heart to love my Savior more.  Thank you friends.  It is precious.

Dinosaurs and Butterflys. . .

Okay, so for all of you who love to see it, I'll just connect you to my dear friends blog.  We were out of town for the weekend with some WONDERFUL people and she is very good and posting pictures.  Anyway, here are some of my sweet babies, and her's as well.

Mash down here.  :)

This one however, was the best.

I love my husband. 

Another reason. . .

Here is another reason why I like summer soooo much, and dislike winter with an even greater fervency.  

 

And there are so many more.  That's just the white load.  hmph.

Grandparents... and the village.

 

Grandparents.  We have some really good ones.  I know, I'm a little bit biased, but really.  We have some really good ones.  About a year after the oldest little chief was born I had the opportunity to spend a week working in inner-city Memphis.  I left my oldest (and only at the time) with his grandparents.  I spent the whole week moaning and groaning to anyone who would listen- about how much I missed him.  And, make no mistake.  I did miss him.  However, during that week, the Lord spoke to me so clearly about a number of things.  Things I would not have heard had I been in my daily life, functioning the same as always.  One of those things came through a mother who lived in inner-city Memphis.  We were talking about mothering, schools, and children, life, and the Lord.  I had told her about my child, staying away for a week, getting spoiled by his grandparents.  She then told me something I will never forget.  "Grandparents are supposed to be spoiling the grandchildren.  It is NOT your job or mine to spoil our children, but it is the job of the grand.  They can build your child's self-esteem while you remember to put him in his place.  Both are very necessary."  I thought on it a while.  As a new mom, I hadn't had the chance to decide how I felt about the role of other people in our little family life.  Since then, I have looked back and realized what she said was profound in two ways.

First, it is not my job to spoil my child.  It is my job to love him unconditionally, to care for him, to consider his heart, train him up in the Word of God, live before him with a servant's heart, and obey the Savior as an example of life.  It is my job to correct him, to teach him what voices to listen to, and to remind him that He is also saved from death.  Being a parent is an incredible thing.  I love it and I take it very seriously.

However, it also planted something else in my heart that has become very central to my life.  I am not the only one meeting the needs of my children.  I have said for years (in jest) that it takes a village to raise a child and yet, I find myself suddenly aware of my own shortcomings.  I am fallen.  I am selfish.  I am tired.  I am only me.  So, at the end of the day, I am thrilled that when I fall short our grandparents will speak life over my children.  They will pray over them, they will love them, they will play with them.  And it is in those moments, when I can stop and hear the Lord, that He renews my heart.  He reminds me that I am their mother, that He can be strong in my weakness, and more than ever, He loves them more that I do.  And that's all that matters.

SO, for all of you who have been asking, I love our new blog title.  I love the fact that we desire real relationships with people, in real community.  Where we can support one another, love one another, and spur one another on towards the Lord.  My community is sometimes in my home, sometimes in Arkansas, and sometimes over skype (Go Egypt peeps) and facebook (shout out to my Seminary peeps!).  Whatever it looks like, I strive to live life with people who are longing for the same thing.  Wherever the village may take us and whatever it may look like.  Let's do it together instead of alone.  For we are all waiting for the same Savior to return, putting our hope that He will make all things right, and that He will judge and restore the earth.

"And so will it be with the resurrection of the dead.  The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." 

1 Corinthians 15:42-43

"All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. . . . They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily 

those who were being saved."  

Acts 2:44-47

Quote of the Day . . . .

SO, me and the oldest little chief were sitting at the bar doing homework.  I looked out the front window and the beautiful leaves were falling from the trees.  It was really amazing.  I told Benjamin, and he looked out the window, thinking for a moment.  He looked at me and said,

"It's pretty. (pause)   I looks like the leaves are having a war with the grass!!!"

Really, I am a woman living in a house full of men/boys. 

Things I saw today. . .

I am working hard some days to remember what the Lord sees.  I am convinced that sometimes we get completely bogged down in what we see, which is sometimes miserable and without hope.  SO, today, I thought about the Lord's eyes more and this is what I found.  (also maybe just some regular old funny-ness as well!)

A sweet sleeping baby. . .

A beautiful morning out my front window.  See, the sun
shining on the yellow trees in the background?  Amazing. . .

Homework:  NUMBER 26. itch (no matter what that looks like) 

Fall is all around.  Life is slowing down, but not going away forever. 
In their last days before winter, the trees are beautiful.

A week with the only great, great . . . an overview in pictures.

 

Well, we have had a fantastic week.  My grandmother's twin sister, my great aunt, and my kids only great-great remaining, came up for a visit and we have had much fun!  As you can tell, Bethany is getting so much bigger and she loves for her brothers to hold her. 

 

There was reading every night.  Both reading by the great-great and reading by the big boy!

  

There was a trip to the zoo, but sadly the camera battery was dead, so there are no pics of that fabulous event.  However, we spent the next day at a huge botanical gardens, Powell Gardens, where we saw all kinds of plants.  In this pic we were at the top of a silo, looking down on the vegetable gardens planted in the shape of a quilt pattern.  Two things this amazing woman knows a lot about- vegetable gardens and quilts.  :)

 

Samuel just being cute with his daddy.

 

And running through fountains.  What could be more fun?

All this to say, I have many thoughts about the times with my great aunt.  She is a precious one from the Lord, and we both have times of sadness as the memories of Gigi are so close.  I haven't the time tonight to process it all through, but I will say this much.  I am incredibly grateful to the Lord for placing ones in my life who are testimonies of His love and this woman is no different.  She has lived many years, and some of the most recent have been hard.  And yet, she is content in her spirit, patient in her heart, and kindness wells up from within.  I am blessed getting to know her better and look forward to every moment the future may hold.