these kids......

The kids came in from playing this afternoon and Camden plopped down on the couch beside me. I said, "I smell feet." He stuck one of his feet up in my face to smell. "No, thank you," I said. So he pulled it up to his face and sniffed. "Does it smell like dirty boy?" he said. I told him yes it does. He said, "Yep, then its me."

We got home this evening from walking/riding bikes around the neighborhood. It felt really stuffy when we came in the house, and Camden immediately took off his shirt. Hope asked us if she could take her shirt off too. Since they were about to take a bath anyway, Blake told her she could and pulled it off for her. She looked down at her stomach, patted it, and then looked up at Blake and said, "Lets wrestle!"

Priceless

This past Sunday, Camden had a soccer game. Every few minutes they switch out with their sub, come off the field, get a water break, and usually have a pep talk with their Dad. During the second half of the game, Blake was down at the other end of the field close to the goalie doing some coaching since the kids can't hear their coach from that end. So when Camden stepped out of the field and saw that his Daddy was way over on the other side he grabbed his thermos and came over and say in my lap. As I held my sweaty little boy and listened to him cheer on his team and gulp his water, I contemplated once again how precious this time was. What an adventure it is to be a mommy to a son. This is such an amazing time in his life. Already becoming part man but still my little boy that would rather (at least sometimes) sit on my lap than stand on the bleachers with his teammates. I sat there with my arms around him feeling his heart about to beat out of his chest and savored an unforgettable moment.

Baby Steps

This morning Pastor Robert talked about how Jesus is merciful and sympathetic towards us because He too, has been tempted and suffered on this earth. Towards the end of the sermon he told us that we live in a fallen world full of temptation, with legions of demons trying to destroy us. Then he paused and said, "You are doing better than you think you are." Immediately in my mind, I argued with him. No we're not, I thought. Actually we are all probably worse than we think we are.

This afternoon, after church, I received in a round about long-story way a corrective criticism. As usual, I felt hurt and offended. Minutes later, as I was outside helping build our deck, I realized that I had to and wanted to respond differently this time. I realized how sick I was of being offended. So I thought, you know, what she said is so true. If I would take to heart what she said, I would be a better person. I bet 20 times in the next half hour I would begin to feel upset in my stomach and I would make my spirit tell my soul, "She is right, you know, take it to heart, and let it make you a better person." The last time I was telling myself that, I was standing still holding a post straight and I clearly heard the Lord speak to my heart and say, "You are doing better than you think you are." How unbelievably merciful and loving my Savior is to me. When I am fed up with myself, He is still loving me. He sees my ridiculously slow baby steps and countless falls and reaches out His incredible arms of grace and embraces my heart that is so full of doubt and shame and whispers that He loves me. I am overwhelmed.

Dirty Boy

My in-laws are coming to our house tomorrow. After lunch I was getting the kids to help clean up the kitchen so that I could sweep and mop. As we were scurrying around, I said, "We have to get this house clean for PaPa." Camden said, "Yeah, PaPa is a clean boy." I said, "You are right about that!" Then he said, "And Grandaddy.....he's a dirty boy." I laughed SO hard and anybody that knows both mine and Blake's dads would probably find this funny as well.

Kid days

This morning we were in the car and Camden was writing his spelling words. He asked me what the date was. Then he said, "When Adam was born it was the date 1 right? (as in now is 2009 - but then was year 1) I told him that 1 actaully started after Jesus rose from the grave. He said, "Actually Adam was never born, right." I said, "Right, he was created." Camden said, "Yeah, he missed his kid days.....actually his kids days was being dirt."

and people think she never talks......

Yesterday Blake was about to go to work and he was hugging me in the family room. Hope was at the kitchen table (which looks right into the Family room) eating her lunch when out of nowhere she said, "Daddy?" We looked over at her and she had tears welled up in her eyes and her lip was quivering. Blake said, "What is it, Hope?" She said, "Do you love Mommy more than me?" We looked at each other a little panicky - what do you say to that when she's looking at him with teary puppy-dog eyes? He said, "Ahhh Hope, I love all my family." That seemed to satisfy her....for the time being anyway.

This past Christmas we talked to the kids a lot about all the less fortunate people and children in the world with the hope that they wouldn't get caught up in all the wanting everything they see on all the toy commercials. Since Christmas Hope prays almost every night that "all the poor people will have more food than us, a bigger house than us, and more stuff than us." I say that first to show that the "poor" are on her mind a lot. Today after she had been playing in the backyard for awhile she ran in and told me that she was hungry. I said, "Ok, let me finish this and then I'll make dinner." She said, "But, Mommy I'm hungry like the poor people!"

grown up?

I was showing my mom the other day some pictures of people I had on my facebook. She noticed several friends of hers and my dad's on my friend list. She said, "Hmmm so there are grown ups on this thing?" I wonder how old I will have to be before she considers me a grown up??