A Life of Gratitude

I cannot believe my sweet baby girl is 2 years old today! I honestly cannot imagine our lives without this precious one! Allison has brought so much happiness into our family. Joy, peace, love and gentleness just bubble out of her. She truly brightens any room she enters. When I look through pictures of the past 2 years, I am just blown away by how much she has grown and changed. It's incredible to watch her grow out of being a baby and becoming a little lady. The verse that comes to mind is, "She is more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10b Today we celebrated our darling girl at Chick-fil-a.  I know that sounds super fabulous! Haha The boys wanted to have dinner there and then help Allison play in the play area for the first time! So, that's what we did. Allison loved every minute of it! Evan was the best big brother. He helped her climb and followed her around and went down the slide with her. It was so cute! Today I am grate...

  This evening, as Dylan and I drove home from Boy Scouts, I noticed that the sky was so dark and gray it almost looked brown. "It is so dreary out here," I thought. As I turned out of the parking lot I noticed a very light rainbow peaking out from a cloud. The dark, ugly sky was trying to cover it up but there it was, a beautiful rainbow reminding me of God's incredible promises. This picture doesn't do the scene justice. You can see the dark clouds but the rainbow doesn't show up in the photo the way it did in real life. It was so noticeable! I couldn't stop looking at the rainbow. The darkness tried its best to cover it, but it couldn't! I felt God nudging me to apply this truth to my current situation. Things seem at a standstill, forgotten, and even frustrating. This rainbow reminded me that God's promises are still there. The darkness will always try to cover up the light but it can't successfully do so. Instead of focusing o...

Today, at Students of the Spirit, the mommas had the pleasure of hearing the wisdom of a couple that are both 91 years old. I could have listened to them all day. It was so sweet to watch them interact with one another and finish each other's sentences. If you've ever spent a day at a nursing home or with your grandparents, you probably already know this but, there is so much they can teach us if we are willing to listen.  As I listened, I wrote down little nuggets of wisdom about parenting. They are just too good not to share a few with all of you.  1- It is vital for spouses to be on the same level spiritually. Praying together and studying the Word together are so important. There should be no one else you can share your dreams and prayers with more openly than your spouse and hopefully they will be able to share in those with you. 2- Giving your children appropriate chores as a way to help the family will teach them responsibility and help them to grow up...

As long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a mom! I've always known having children was a huge part of my purpose. I just never dreamed I would have 4! As I watched all four of my kids dance and sing tonight, I realized, this is my last Mother's Day with a baby. Allison is growing up so fast! They all are! I am grateful for each and every second! This is the best picture we could get!! "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127 :3 Motherhood is truly a gift. There are a lot of not-so-good days, long nights, busy weekends, nerve-wracking mornings, but I wouldn't change anything! Being their mom is the best thing I've ever done! I am so thankful God blessed me with these amazing kiddos! I have been given the opportunity to teach them and help them grow into the young men and women God created them to be, and all the while, they're also helping me to become the woman God created me to be. Child...

Yesterday Bryan and I did something I have been wanting to do for years!!! We visited the Grand Canyon! I am always awe-struck by God's creations but when its something like the Grand Canyon, I can barely contain my wonderment. Our God is so incredible! His creations never cease to amaze me! Our day was so much fun! It was one of 2 days that we have to spend just the two of us, since this is a work trip for Bryan, technically. We woke up early and rented a car for the two hour drive to the West Rim of The Grand Canyon. This location is a part of the Hualapai Indian Reservation. It was an absolutely gorgeous drive to the reservation. Everywhere you look is brown but somehow, the plant-free mountains are stunning! We were amazed by all the Joshua trees, which are so unique and beautiful.  We even saw some pretty hysterical road signs, such as "Beware of Cattle" and "Buffalo Crossing." These were definitely new to us! The two hour drive was peaceful. As we...

Can you guess what Dylan is holding in this picture? It was his favorite birthday gift of all time. I'll give you a hint, he's probably the only 11 year old to ever ask for this for his birthday! It's an Ancestry DNA kit!  He spent his morning preparing his kit and mailing it off. I haven't seen him so excited in a while! Dylan loves history so, so much! He can't wait to see who he is connected to throughout history! I watched him prepare his kit and mail it off and I was just in awe. How is this fella 11 years old already? It seems like he should be about 4. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. He is a wonderful big brother and so much fun to be around. I love his sense of humor and his ability to continually teach me things. He is  kind, gentle, supportive, funny, and definitely the smartest person I know! He has a bold faith in Jesus and isn't afraid to show compassion and love to othe...