A Gentle Answer

Proverbs 15 says:

A gentle answer deflects anger,
    but harsh words make tempers flare.

 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,
    but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

 The Lord is watching everywhere,
    keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

 Gentle words are a tree of life;
    a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

 Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline;
    whoever learns from correction is wise.

 A glad heart makes a happy face;
    a broken heart crushes the spirit.

 The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
    the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

 The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
    good news makes for good health.

 If you listen to constructive criticism,
    you will be at home among the wise.

 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;
    but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
    humility precedes honor.

(Emphasis mine. This is not the whole chapter. To read the whole chapter go here.)

Verses from this chapter in the Bible have continually shown up in random areas in the course of my lifetime. Most recently, some of these verses have shown up in ALL of my current book studies or my quiet times with the Lord. Every single verse in this chapter speaks to my life, past and present. 

It's no lie that I have been going through growing pains in my walk with the Lord. After accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 19, falling away but returning just before turning 22, my life has been full of ups and downs. The Lord has seen me worthy to call Walnut Creek my home. He has blessed me with a husband who puts up with my constant "booty-hurt"-ness (his words, not mine) and sass. He has graciously loaned me 4 of his glorious children. Not to mention COUNTLESS other blessings and honors. Not for my glory, but TO GOD BE THE GLORY. The Lord has also seen fit to allow me to grow and learn and stumble and fall and lovingly pick me back up to do it all over again. He has given me numerous persons as living examples of his love, grace, truth, faithfulness, etc (all the fruits of the Holy Spirit). I have seen this world hurt. I have seen my loved ones hurt. I have seen my child hurt. I have seen excruciating amounts of pain over the last 31 (almost 32) years I have been alive- whether in my own life or people I love. I have caused hurt and pain and suffering. I have experienced hurt and pain and suffering. I praise Jesus for the comfort he provides to those who seek him, because I've been seeking it since 8:47am.

Just a few days ago in my devotional, I was reminded about the goodness that can come from constructive criticism meant to help and grow, rather than critical or harsh words aimed to hurt and tear down. Yesterday, while reading through one of my book studies, I was reminded of the importance of gentle and kind words. And these aren't the only instances that I can think of where God was trying to get my attention regarding the truth laid out in Proverbs 15 above. 

This morning, God gave me an opportunity to put into practice the things he's been telling me. And I failed. Miserably. My morning, almost literally, came crashing down. Bad choices were made. Worse reactions followed. I will not go into details (...I have no idea why I even try to hold on to my dignity, the Lord has a way of humbling me no matter what...) but I will say that I was a Mean Mommy this morning. Did my children deserve consequences for their actions? Yes. Did my children deserve my reactions? No. Just as much as God gives me gentle reminders/rebukes and allows me to endure/persevere through the consequences while loving me and showing me grace/mercy, my children deserve the same. I will not make excuses for myself. Yes, I was tired. But that's not their fault, I stayed up late for my own selfish desires. Yes, I woke up later than I wanted (see previous excuse), and therefore, I was frazzled. Also, not their fault. I let my own frustrations and anger overpower the gentleness and love that I know I am capable of showing! 

Luke 8:15 says " But as for that seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and noble heart, and hold on to it tightly, and bear fruit with patience."

God has gently reminded me to HOLD ON to his word tightly. And He has been prepping me with Proverbs 15. How patient is our Lord? He deals with me, clearly he has patience. I'm so undeserving of His goodness and love. He loves me so much. Or better yet, He loves my children so much, that he is seeing his good work in their mother to completion. I am so very far from perfect. But I am so very thankful that our God is faithful in his promises. God promises me that he will teach me if I am willing to learn. Psalms 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you."  I am willing to learn. I have learned that my hard heart is a result of pent up anger, greed, self-centeredness, and bitterness. Jesus healed me of those things over a decade ago, and I want a soft and teachable heart. I want to be a better child of God, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, co-parent, and neighbor, and I pray that God will continue to (gently) grow me in each of these roles. Lord, teach me to let go of my anger and bitterness. Fill me up with your love and gentleness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I pray for all you out there reading my jumbled up thoughts. Be teachable, be gentle in your words, and most importantly, be loving. 

Laundry and Dishes and Floors! Oh My!

Alright. I'm about to lay some truth on all of you. I suggest you grab a paper bag to breathe in and sit down.

Check out this picture.

 

**GASP!** I know. It's bad. Want to know something? This is actually an improvement!

The good news is that it's all clean laundry. The bad news is that it won't fold and put itself away no matter how many Accio, Evanesce, or Mobiliarbus spells I try (see Harry Potter).

If I'm honest, I don't like cleaning. I don't organizing. But, I also don't like messes or losing things. My daily life is a conundrum. 

We are a busy family. We have church and AWANA and sports and school and piano and reading and play dates and the list goes on. The last thing I want to do is add to the list of things.

Some really awesome moms in my life gave me the following signs/canvases for my home and they are my encouragement.

Being a good mom doesn't mean having a clean house. Being a good mom is all about loving your kids and teaching them truth. I want my kids to know that they are wanted and loved and like they can take on the world. And they do. Our home is filled with loud noises, warmth and comfort, silliness, and fun. You may need a tetanus shot when you leave, but at least you will walk away feeling loved. 

Now, I will say that we do clean, and we do organize, and we attempt to keep the house somewhat presentable. But, I know that we can do better, and I hope that we will all grow in this area.

My kids help me load the dishwasher (whenever I get around to doing dishes). They help me get the dirty clothes to the laundry room, and they help me get them back to their room (folding is an entirely different story). They love to vacuum. I sweep because they're the worst at this. They help pick up the outdoor toys. They sometimes even pick up their indoor toys. If you ever stop by our home, you will see unfinished projects, at least one laundry basket overflowing with clothes (clean or dirty, maybe both), books and toys everywhere, and probably a dish or two where they shouldn't be. But, there will be a place to sit, and we will give you coffee!

Ultimately, God bless this mess that is my life. 

What are some tips and tricks you can share with me and your fellow readers? Leave your ideas in the comment section (keep them simple, my kids are chore-illiterate). We will try a few of them and then give you and update in a month or two... or whenever I get around to it. 

Family Photos 2016

I'm back! 

And with pictures!!!  

What, What?!?!  

I know, it's been a while. 

I hope to be more faithful in my blogging for 2017... until then, I hope this ties you all over!

**Scroll down to avoid a sappy story/small catch up**

My parents are the best. For real, you can't find better. I know they have some stiff competition, I've met some of your parents. Anywho, they paid to have a photographer come and shoot our WHOLE family over Labor Day weekend. TBH, I wish that I had the money to do family photos every year.  We were super blessed to have some out of state family join us.

Tangent - Fun story about my crazy emotions that holiday weekend real quick: I knew my Aunt Molly was in town, and that my sister, Mary, and niece, Allie, were coming. Brandon and I (and kids) had a wedding on the other side of the state the same weekend (Friday/Saturday). Due to some unsolicited drama in my life, I was feeling crazy defeated. Saturday night, we were gathering at one of my (many) sister's homes for a grill out. I was frustrated and angry, and my poor hubs and kids were getting the mean end of it. I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry, and I couldn't wait to get to my mom (she's the best greatest advice giver). I was walking to the back yard - all booty hurt - I see my Aunt Molly (first time in a long time), and I feel all the feels. Then... I see my big brother - from Florida, who I hadn't see in far too long, and had no idea would be there. I could not stop crying. I kid you not, I'm crying right now remembering it. All you little sisters out there who live more than 10 hours away from your big brother know what I'm talking about. I hugged him, he hugged me, I called him a jerk, and all seemed right in the world again. It was a great surprise.

Catch up: It's been .... 3 1/2 years since I blogged? Not funny. I've had so many blog ideas, and a lack of willingness to commit/time. New family photos did however, give me a desire to refresh. Also, I have discovered that I can be super ADD about things, and therefore, my writing style isn't what you would call professional level blogger status...  Brandon has switched jobs a couple times. Each time it has been God-blessed, and great for our family (he doesn't travel for work anymore!!!!). I no longer work, and get to stay home with the kids (this was a financial sacrifice for us, which I plan to talk about more in a later post). We moved into our first home! No more renting! Asa has switched from Iowa Christian Academy to Olmsted Elementary School in Urbandale. He is smarter than me (not really, but smarter than I was at that age). Emmett has started Kindergarten at the same school, and is doing well, thanks to some very awesome and devoted teachers (also, a later post). The girls are homeschool-preschool and sassy. Brandon says they get that from me, I don't see it. Our cat died. We got a new one. Van died. Got a new one. And much, much more! 

I will not share ALL the photos, because #time and there's too many to choose from. But I will share some of my little family, and a few group photos. 

 **PICTURE TIME**

Nellia was a Mama's girl that day. Little did I know that the boys were up to no good.

Emmett looks like he's up to something.

Asa and Emmett executing their nefarious plot, while Mom is distracted by Nellia's puppy.

Any moment now,...

Bracing for it...

It was dud, act natural.

Emmett, I said act natural, you're going to give us away.

Poor Nellia lost her puppy for a picture or two.

She was NOT having it.

All is well again.

Our hearts are full.

 

 

Aurora lost a sandal. 

These four are either best friends or accomplices... I can't tell always tell which.

Would it kill Emmett to be normal?

Hey, 3 out of 4 smiling ain't bad!

Coming up on 7 years with this stud.

I like him. A LOT.

ALL the siblings

They put the pretty one's on the ends to make us all look better ;)

There's always that one awkward pose.

The Brady Bunch

 

It's pretty obvious who the good-looking ones are...

I LOVE Grandad's face in this picture!

Would you believe me if I said this isn't our whole family?

The Original 6 (in age order - left to right)

The Pyramid

Jon & Mary comparing bellies

I can only assume my brother made some smart ass remark

Mom's 7 (in age order - left to right)

He was flippin' heavy, folks!

So, we did what any good sisters would do... we dropped him.

 ^^^Haha, he probably deserved it.  Love you Jonny! **PS, he HATES being called Jonny**

 

Coming Soon!

Um, no, I'm not pregnant. Let's get that one out of the way quickly!

It's been 3 1/2 years since my last post, and a lot has changed.

I will be writing a new post SOON!  I PROMISE!

Signs of Spring

There's always a few signs in our home that spring is in the air. 

1.)  Easter.  We love Easter at our house.  We love talking about how much our Lord loved us and how he showed it to us over 2,000 years ago.  We also love egghunts, Easter baskets, and time with family.  While I didn't get copies of the pictures taken from our family get together, I did get this cute one of our daughters playing with their bunnies they received from Grandma and Grandad Sprague.

 

 

2.) Spring Cleaning/ Garage Sale.  Most of you probably know that I don't have a passion for cleaning, but rather an organized mess approach.  Me and kids would much rather be palying than cleaning.  But even I couldn't help but get in the cleaning mood with the nice weather (WINDOWS OPEN!).  So, we've been cleaning machines over here.  And while the house still looks like a tornado hit it several times over, it's getting there, and our piles for the upcoming garage sale (April 5th and 6th) are growing!  Check them out!  So many clothes!  So many toys!  Still so much more to come!

 

 

 

 

3.) A Clean Porch!  We don't have a 4 seasons porch, so during the winter, once a week, we switch out toys with toy tubs already on the porch, and play inside.  Well, it's SPRING!  No more winter toy tubs!  Thus, a nice clean, organized (soon to be unorganized =) ) porch.  Asa was quick to help me get this done and ready.  He loves being the big helper around the house, and yesterday was the perfect day to do this.

 

 





Play dates here we come!

4.) Family days spent outside.  I SOOOOO wish I would've had my camera with me yesterday when we went out, but I was so busy and excited that I forgot to grab it on my way out.  We went to Grays Lake (a favorite place of mine).  We played at the playground, flew a kite, enjoyed some snacks, pet a bunny, and played some more.  It was so wonderful, and I was so happy to get out of the house!



Sorry about the absence of the blog.  As you can expect, life with 4 (and 3 under 3) is busy, I hope to get caught up soon =)  Thanks for the grace!

Our day today

I thought I'd post the pictures first, because they're a lot more fun. 

Today, at our mom's memorization group, we recited 2/3 of the chapter we are currently working on.  This is a huge thing for me.  I'm horrible at memorizing.  I'm great at remember verses that really stick out to me, but a passage of scripture just because... that's too hard.  I'm really excited about getting to the end of the chapter and being able to recall it later from memory when the Lord needs me to.  2 Corinthians 4.  It's a good one to know!

But alas, I didn't sleep well last night so 6am was too early for me, and it set the tone for the day =(.  I feel like a hit a wall.  I was doing fine, and then all of a sudden yesterday and this morning I was SOOO exhausted.  Emmett decided 530am would be a great time to wake up too... but luckily I got him back in bed.  Asa got up at 630am, so there was no going back to bed for me at memo group.

They did have fun playing with each other though, and that's the 1st picture up above.  They were giggle boxes.  But me... I couldn't help but be grumpy.  Coffee didn't help either.  My poor boys, they just didn't need me to be in a bad mood, but I was =(  I felt like just a bad mommy... until Kathy texted me and saved the day.  "Splash Park" were the only words I needed to see.

I got the boys ready and a snack packed and got out the door.  We were at the splash park by 10am.  And it was a perfect day for it.  Emmett took a little while to get comfortable with the water, and Asa enjoyed it right away.  Quite a few of our friends were there, too, so it was great for my babes to spend some time away from me, and for me to get some more mom time in.  Once Emmett warmed up the water, there was no stopping the two of them, they LOVED it.  They love water anyway, lol. 

We left at lunch time, and I splurged and got McD's for Asa and I, Emmett was already passed out in the back seat.  This set the tone for the rest of the day.

Asa and I ate lunch, and then we ALL laid down.  Both boys napped for 3 hours, I did a QT and then napped for 2 hours.  When we all woke up, we were all in good moods.  We watched a movie, ate dinner, and then played outside.

Then bedtime came.  Emmett didn't want to lay down, but he did after about 20 minutes of fussing and hitting his window while I watered my garden and plants.  Asa went down easy.  And I finished my last load of laundry!  My mom and mom-in-law would be so proud =).

Then I thought I'd take a 30 week photo (see above), because quite a few moms at the splash park asked how far along I was and that I was "about ready to pop!", lol.  I suppose I do look big, but I have a reason =).  And since the day ended up 100% better than it started, I thought I'd have a nice late night snack, Brownies and Milk (see above).

ONLY 6 WEEKS LEFT Y'ALL!!!!

26, 27, 28, 29....

Holy Smokes, I need to remember to post more often!

Today, I am 29 weeks and 3 days pregnant with the Twins!  I had a great OB appointment yesterday (Thank you Jenny for watching the boys!), where we started to discuss what the next 6 weeks will look like.  I have 3 ultrasounds lined up, another OB appointment, a NST (non stress test), and I hope Brandon will be able to be present for at least one of those.  At the next OB appointment we'll create our birthing plan, which I pray won't be a C-section.  They also told me the "minimums" that the girls can be in order to come home.  34 weeks & 5 lbs.  NO LESS.  Any less that either of those numbers, and they're in the NICU for at least 3 days.  I was really pleased with this last visit with Dr. Lehman, because I feel like we got some big answers to questions, and now we can SPECIFICALLY pray for things.

The girls finally have names!  You can thank my brother for that =)  I'm a huge stickler about names, and don't like to double up as much as I can.  As you can imagine, that's quite difficult with a large family and so many friends have babies.  To make matters worse, Brandon and I never agree on things of this nature to begin with.  So we found nicknames that we both liked, and waited to hear the name of our baby niece... who was born 2 weeks ago.  Her name is Nora, which I LOVE!!!! but there's a Nora already at the church, so it was off our list... but I'm THRILLED that I have a niece with that name!  We're not technically keeping our names secret, now that we've agreed, but I always get nervous that someone else will have a girl before ours and one of the names will be taken... which will send me back to the drawing board because of my very strange OCDness about doubling up names.

Emmett is more and more wild.  I've come to the conclusion that he will never half-heartedly do anything.  When he does something, it's with 110%.  There's always a new bruise or bloody lip or scraped knee, but a HUGE smile to go with!  He's definitely a brut, and lives up to his name (which means energetic/strength).  Here's my little blue eyed boy....

He just keeps growing up!  And he always wants to do what big brother is doing, which gets in into a LOT of trouble.

Speaking of big brother! Asa is so sweet! And handsome, and intelligent, and I can never get enough of this kid! We took him to the Omaha Zoo recently, and he knew the names of sooooo many animals without us having to tell him. And it wasn't just like "look, mom, a parrot!", oh no, it was "Mom!!! A Scarlet Macaw!" I mean really, this kid is in a league of his own! He never stops learning, and I absolutely love that quality about him. Here he is being the sweet goofball that I love...

A Special Thank you to Jenny Schreiner who let us come to the zoo with her, Owen and Eden, Owen who sweetly took pictures with Asa, Graham Gardner who took so super cute family pics, and the Lord who blessed me greatly with these two little boys!