Glorious 32- who knew!

I just stumbled across this. Kind of funny in light of just turning 32. They forgot to put my picture in there right next to Liv Tyler.

Happy B-day to Mommy!

My birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Since baby Sam has been sick, we decided just me and the "big boys" would go to church. We sang Happy Birthday during breakfast and the boys were all pumped for Mommy's birthday. The boys were fully oriented to the plan for the day as always. As we were getting ready to leave for church, Jake jumped up and down and said, "I LOVE birthday parties! There will be cake, and ice cream, slides, and friends there!" This was one of those times where we realize that there is a disconnect in the 3 year old mind on how the world works. How sweet that Jake thought there would be a birthday party for Mommy (including inflatable slides) at church! If only!
Note that these are indeedy the SAME party hats we used for Sam's half birthday, and several other birthdays besides that. Note to self: its always good to have some fun party hats around. The kids just LOVE them and they love a good party for just about anything at all. Making myself a birthday cake did not fit into the agenda on my birthday, we were too busy using the new! drill! on the new room. So these itty bitty (dry) Kroger cupcakes assuaged the boys desire for birthday cake anyway.

For my big 32, I am the proud owner of a new drill! It goes perfectly with my 10 inch compound miter saw. Daddy and the boys made a special trip to Lowe's to purchase the gift and brought it out just in time for us to fix up Ben's new "big boy" room upstairs!

I am also happy to share my birthday with my sweet friend Cassie's new baby daughter Lydia. When we got word that Cassie had been taken to the hospital for hemorrhaging, I cried my eyes out and kept on praying. Her birth story is amazing and I am so thankful for God's protection of her. Cassie should get all the credit for giving me the courage to do natural childbirth... she's my child birthin' homeschoolin' hero!!

Tagged by Allison!

This is the 4th picture in the 4th folder of my computer pictures.

Sam in September! He has been my most smiley and photogenic baby.

Brothers

Jake reading his Bible to Sam Reading with Grandma during her visit this week.

Fun hats from Grandma.

Jake and Ben's friendship has grown profoundly in the past 6 months. Last spring I could not keep them from fighting for more that a few minutes at a time. Now they play and play, mostly Ben following whatever big brother is doing, and sometimes doing some instigating of trouble on his own. A few times recently, things have become very quiet upstairs. Once it was because they had found some bath crayons and done some artwork on the walls. But all the other times I have found them sitting together on the floor in one of their rooms, and Jake is "reading" a book to Ben. It absolutely melts my heart! Today Jake asked if he could go get Ben up from his nap, and when I followed him upstairs a few minutes later, they were both in Ben's crib, reading a book together.

Things I want to remember about Ben at age 2.

1. He loves to clutch two armfuls of toys everywhere he goes. He can't go from point A to point B without bringing more than he can carry. This includes when he goes to bed. When we tuck him in at night, he has his soft blue elephant, his cup of water, and a number of various little cars, trains, action figures, rocks, and random household objects that he can't seem to live without right at that moment. He has been this way since he started walking.

2. Phrases Ben likes to use often:

Ben, are you okay? "I'm am."

"Can I have some nelk?" (milk)

"Can we listen to Hella-du-jah what a Savior?"

"I gah booger!" then he extends the booger on his finger for your inspection and disposal.

"Can you kiss it?" whenever he hurts something.

"Can I have it?"

"There's TWO of um!"

"I'm Brumming!" (driving a toy vehicle around)

3. When Ben sings "church songs" with Jake, it is always at full yelling volume. This is especially fun with the chorus of "I Am."

4. Ben loves tools, and he expecially loves to hammer. Any object can be used as a hammer and anything is appropriate for hammering. He can be seen and especially heard (still with arms full of toys) joyfully whacking his plastic hammer, or other repurposed toys on every surface he can get away with. He has not broken any windows yet although he did once hit our glass door with a real hammer.

5. Ben is all boy. He seems to have a natural affinity for sports and intense physical play. He seems very coordinated for his age, being able to dribble a ball with his feet by 18 months and peddle a bicycle and scooter by his second birthday. He has a natural toughness about him that always amazes me.

6. When Ben is especially happy, he likes to walk around swinging his arms and clapping his hands with each stride.

7. Ben is a cheerful, easygoing little guy. He is usually obedient and straightforward to deal with. He likes to imitate Jake and do whatever he does, which is a good thing most of the time.

This picture pretty much sums it up: two toys to "whack" with, a tractor and its trailer in hand, and of course the "measure" hooked to his pants. Oh, and I don't want to forget the drool! We go through several shirts each day. Ben is not into wearing bibs.

Happy, happy half birthday to you!

I never did this with the first two children, but this time since the first two are old enough to be really, really into birthdays, I thought it would be fun if we had our own little half birthday party for Sam. We made pumpkin muffins that I dubbed cupcakes to increase their birthday appeal, and we all had a half of one, except for the birthday boy of course. Notice Ben was gleefully clutching the birthday candle. Sam seemed amused at Jake and Ben's enthusiasm for the whole thing. As usual, the enthusiasm was not well documented on camera due to the big boys' stopping whatever cute thing they are doing each time I want to take a picture!


So often, well more like constantly, I am aware of the many challenges of how little the boys are- everyone needing so much help and attention all the time. But activities like this remind me to appreciate how simple our life is too, that is if I let it be simple. I don't have to teach them long division or all the state capitols just yet, and we don't have to have hard talks about girlfriends and curfews and answer questions like, "why does God allow there to be poverty?" I want to be more aware of the simple joys of being just little, for now, like the thrill of the 6 month birthday party with pumpin spice muffins. I know these days will disappear all too quickly. They are so precious and I want to soak up every little bit!

Why I just washed raw turkey juice off my face

About 10 years ago, my grandmother gave me a cookbook composed entirely of turkey recipes. I haven't really used the recipes, but one statement in the book's introduction has stayed with me all these years. Turkey is a cheap source of quality lean protein and you can feed your family for a week on one turkey.


My husband's employer gives away free turkeys every year to each employee. Our first year of marraige, I made a heroic first attempt to cook the whole turkey. The scene was not like a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving table. It was an enormous mess. I remember Jason saying, "We are never going to do this again."


So last year, I learned how to cook just the turkey breast. It is still a sizable portion of meat and after a few attempts I became quite proficient at it. It fulfills that guilty part of me that still clings to the cheap protein feeding the family bit.


I took the summer off from the turkey cooking, but on a recent trip to Wal-Mart, we (by that I mean me and the 3 small children) hastily picked up what I thought was another frozen turkey breast. I have been thawing it in the fridge since last Thursday. I have been avoiding the thawed bird in the fridge like the plague, because delving into large quantities of raw meat with the little people running around needing constant attention is such a complicated task.


Finally I hauled the package out and heaved it into the sink. The thing weighs 15 pounds! I cut it open to realize that 1) this is not just the turkey breast, it is the whole turkey complete with neck and bag of mystery brown juice inside and 2) it is STILL frozen inside and 3) it is 4:30 pm and it needs to cook for 20 minutes per pound. In spite of these realizations, I plunge ahead and try to free the turkey from this plastic device that appears to be wound all around its leg parts. Surely the plastic is not meant for the hot oven. As I finally pry the plastic free from its frozen grip, the juice sprays all over my face. Nasty! Then I turn the bird around this way and that and there is some mystery part hanging off the end of the turkey. This must be the Butt of the turkey. Surely we need not cook that portion. So I cut that off with scissors. Now. To find a pan...
the largest pan I can find is a 9 x 13 and even when buttless, the turkey appears to be a bit too cozy in this pan. So now I must surrender and call the home economics hotline. My mother in law. Needless to say the turkey was returned to its roost in the fridge for now. I have a looooong way to go in the homemaking realm.

Voting

So today, Sam and I went to vote. I have never been one to pay much attention to politics. That is, until now. I don't know if its just a part of getting old, or that I've been listening to talk radio, maybe too many sleepless nights with little children and lack of clear thinking that comes with it, but I feel anxious about the future. The possibility that what happens with the government today may actually affect the happy little microcosm that is my life sort of disturbs me.


As I stood in line at the polls and thought about democracy, voters, candidates and what little I know of the global and national issues at hand, the question came to mind, "who are the true patriots?" It came to mind what my 3 year old son had prayed yesterday. After his usual litany of thank-you's for various toys, his house, and his food, he spontanously said in closing, "... and please help me to believe in You so that I can go up to heaven." I am reminded that my job as a parent is to disciple my children in the Truth and prepare them to suffer for it. We are patriots of a kingdom that transcends government and nation. Our issues are eternal. Our Truth is absolute. Our God is sovereign and I need to be above all about the business of my heavenly Father and the salvation of souls.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Sam's first haircut

Say bye-bye to that rat tail Sam!

All nice and clean cut now!
Well, since my older boys are not into posing for the camera, I am enjoying every photo opportunity with my bubbly, smiley little baby. He melts my heart with his irresistable cuteness!

Gentry Farm 2008

Good thing its going to be another boy!

We're all about being outside. Dirt, rocks, sand, water, and construction equipment are all we need for unlimited entertainment around here. I never realized how thankful I would be to be living in a neighborhood with ongoing construction when we first moved. What a blessing!

Home improvement nightmare #219

The Kitchen Painting Project
Living in a new construction means boring, neutral, flat builders paint covers every wall in the house. I have been wanting to add the excitement of color- its the cheapest way to make improvements to any room, (besides eliminting clutter of course).
So I chose an exciting shade of green called Pond Reed. I wanted to be ENERGIZED in my kitchen, after all, its the hub of activity in our house. So we began painting. I loved the color at first, but after the project was complete I began to realize this was TOO MUCH energy. All that bright green combined with my morning cup of coffee made me feel increasingly anxious throughout the day. Alas, it must be repainted.

Encouragement!

Some people are extremely clean. Some people are extremely organized. SOME people manage to be BOTH! I am constantly struggling in all areas of home management. It seems that as I get one aspect of the home under control, another spirals downward. I am a big fan of flylady and try to embrace her methods and principles as much as possible. Its all a continual process I realize. The following exerpt from a recent post on homeliving helper was very encouraging to me:

All homes go through stages of life. There will be times of organization and times when your house will look like someone came in and ransacked it. When you realize that life is not supposed to go smoothly, it is easy to adjust to these challenges. If you are overwhelmed and do not know where to turn, just think, you may have been created for such a time as this. You also may be leaving a message for your family by the way you handle such seemingly insurmountable tasks. There is more to cleaning up a mess than making it look nice. There is an attitude and a ministry in it.

Ben is crawling

I have been enjoying the bliss of ignorance when it comes to how dirty the floor really is. A quick vaccum of the kitchen floor a couple times a week was sufficient. Now my little nugget has begun travelling around. Not only is he a cute little pumpkin, he also doubles as a swiffer. His increasingly refined pincer grasp further complicates things. Its amazing the artifacts a baby will find, no matter how hard you might try to keep things clean. I remember looking over just in time to notice that my oldest had put a tiny, semi-alive beetle in his mouth that he had discovered on the kitchen window sill.

The basidiomycetes are moving in!

In an effort to prevent my children from experimenting with hallucinogens at a young age, I spent considerable time yesterday picking mushrooms from my back yard. This morning I awoke to discover that a fresh crop had sprung up overnight. Interestingly, the varieties of fungus present seem to be increasing in diversity. The yard is not discriminating! In dismay I did some quick internet research to see what my next plan of attack might be. The results yielded some conflicting information, but it looks like they are difficult to get rid of. The best thing to do is remove as much dead material from the lawn as I can. One site suggested frequent application of a sodium bicarb solution as an organic remedy. Its worth a try. Looks like I will have to get out the rake and get to work!

10 things I need to teach my sons

Ten Things I Need to Teach My Sons

To fear God - If I don't, the devil will teach him to hate God.

To guard his mind - If I don't, the devil will gladly teach him to have an open mind.

To obey his parents - If I don't, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ heart.

To select his companions - If I don't, the devil will gladly choose them for him.

To control his body - If I don't, the devil will teach him to give it over completely to lust.

To enjoy the marriage partner that God has given him - If I don't, the devil will teach him to destroy the marriage.

To watch his words - If I don't, the devil will fill his mouth with filth.

To pursue his work - If I don't, the devil will make his laziness a tool of hell.

To manage his money - If I don't, the devil will teach him to waste it on riotous living.

To love his neighbor - If I don't, the devil will gladly teach him to love only himself.

From John McArthur's message, Crucial Lessons for a Wise Father.

Summer

Pool action.

Our neighbor Luke and Ben in the pool.

Stylin' and profilin' with Daddy.

Our family

The power of the gospel

I have become increasingly aware of the tendency of my human nature to deviate towards a works based standing with God. My pride longs for it. I want to have attained the righteousness He sees in me under my own power.

Every day, I must let the truth of the true Gospel wash over me: I am completely helpless in my sin. There is nothing I can do of my own volition to seek God, to delight in Him, to please him with my doings or efforts. By myself, I am not okay. Any other system of thought that tries to convince me otherwise, that tries to reinvent my thinking about myself will not really hold up under the weight of my sins- the intentional evils, premeditated or impulsive; idolatrous addictions; accidental wrongs, mistakes, rotted fruit of my frail humanity; the dark meditations of my heart, acted upon or just entertained in my thoughts. For awhile I might be able to reframe my perception of my human condition with an infrastructure that minimizes how dire the situation really is. But eventually the truth, the enormity of my sin will cause it to sag. The ocean of guilt and anxiety begins to seep in around the gaps, bringing the whole elaborate performance towards collapse. Then where does that leave me? Perpetually attempting to rebuild the world around me with tinker toys and Lincoln logs in an endless cycle of false security and fulfillment followed by hopelessness and despair. I have got to be grounded in something stronger than positive thinking and an emotionally driven relationship with Christ. In refusing to truly acknowledge the depths to which my sinful nature extends, I not only minimize the power of Christ’s saving blood, I cheat myself out of the joy and gratitude that results in realizing what He has saved me from. It is so profound that I know I will not fully understand this until I see Him face to face.
Daily I need to wage war against dismissing Christ with the self deception of “I’m okay” and the inevitable guilt that follows when I am reminded that without Him, I’m not. I must let this conclusion constantly bring me back to the truth: through faith in Christ that only comes from Christ, I am saved from myself and the eternal consequences of all this sin. I stand before God completely blameless. He will never count any of my sins against me- past, present, or future. What wonderful freedom lies in this truth.