Pure Genius

Okay, just so you know I am in no way regarded as a genius... I know that may come as a shock.  

But let's be honest the true measure of intelligence is really whether the knowledge you have matches the need before you.  You can have a million degrees in medicine or aerodynamics but if your power goes out it's the electrician that becomes the most intelligent person in the room.  And if your car engine dies it's the mechanic in the scientific researcher's parking lot that is the genius.

My point is this, odds are that at sometime in our lives our area of expertise will match up with the immediate need in front of us... and in that moment we will have our opportunity to shine.  

So let me just say that what I am about to tell you is... Pure Genius!!  I know, it may seem a bit extreme to give my words such high regards but I think you will agree that my moment to shine proved to be a success.

My Shining Moment

Well, let me just say that five kids can create messes like you can't even imagine and this mama could go insane trying to keep up with the ongoing clutter.  So I came up with a scheme that was.... yep, PURE GENIUS!

Everyone in our home has chores and jurisdictions that must be attended to daily (yes, I am a Duggar fan). However, there are some days when those efforts just aren't enough. These were the days when I found myself turning into the relentless nagging mama that continuously chanted, "pick up this, pick up that!"  Not only was it annoying to them but it was also extremely exhausting for me.

The Game

Okay so here it is, the genius part... I created "Pick-Up Points".  I know it doesn't sound like much yet but hang on, let me explain. 

On random days (the ones where I want to pull my hair out from the piles of clutter) I declare, Pick-Up Point Time and all of the kids come running.  Seriously, they literally come running.  I then proceed to set a timer (the length of time depends on the depth of the mess) each child begins to run in every direction picking up anything and everything they can find and putting it all away.  I even hear them sometimes argue over who gets to pick up what.  

Genius..... right!  Now, I would love for you to believe that my kids are just so wonderful that they would clean up that easily with no outside reward however, I have my integrity to think of so I will be honest.

The Motivation

Points are given for each item they pick up AND put away, I stay close by to monitor this process.  There are also times when the game is not being played that I will offer a set number of points in exchange for them helping outside their jurisdiction or just for volunteering to do something without expecting a reward.  The kids collect the points which, can be used to purchase items at the store.  They can choose to use the points right away or let them add up so they can buy larger items.  

Participation in the game is voluntary and the kids still have their regular chores which, are set aside just to teach responsibility.  However, it only takes one shopping trip to motivate the non-shoppers for the next game.  Our current Pick-Up point exchange rate is 1 point = 1 penny (there young and it works).   Keeping the point value low motivates them to pick up more items (that's where the scheme definition comes from). There is also the added benefit of their competitive nature, I guess I get the blame for that genetic hand-me-down.

Regardless of why it works... it works!  In a matter of minutes my house goes from chaos and clutter to neat and orderly.  And this mama sits back and smiles... much nicer than the previous nagging mama... so it's a win-win for all.

This little game has revolutionized my life and given me back some of my lost sanity, well I like to believe that at least.  I don't know how long this will continue to work so for now I will just marvel in its wonder and enjoy the moment when for a fleeting instance I was a Genius!

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.

Being a Mama

Lets face it becoming a mother is job in itself.   We "willing" choose to wreck our bodies enduring the unthinkable for 40 long weeks, trading all physical comfort simply to have our sweet blessings. 

Or we spend countless hours praying little ones into our lives, birthing them through a deep passionate desire and  the blood sweat and tears that come with adoption. 

Regardless of how we were born into the job of motherhood we all under went the same transformation as our hearts grew large enough to accommodate another human being.  And although our stories may look a little different I know that we can all agree on one thing..... This job comes with the most incredible PERKS!

Where else in the world would someone...

  *Desperately want your kisses so badly that they aren't bothered by your morning breath

*Depend solely on you to care for their every need and not complain about the way you're doing it

*Care enough to cry for you when you leave the room

*Frantically search every room in the building just to make sure you haven't left

*Believe your kisses and hugs have magical healing powers

*Be so desperate to be in your arms that they cling to your legs

*Care less about your appearance, putting much more value on your ability to keep them fed, warm, and loved

When in life do you get to...

*Witness someones first "everything"

*Experience someone melting your heart with just a look in their eye

*Feel like the most important person in the world

*Restore your faith in the world by seeing the reflection of true innocence in their little eyes 

*Look past every flaw or mistake you ever made in life with such unconditional love 

*Witness the magic and wonder the world come alive around you by the mere sound of little laughter 

 *Desperately have someone want to be in your constant presence and NEVER tire of you

*Experience someone's NEED for your undivided attention more deeply or deservingly than anyone else in the world

*Be part of a world where dolls talk, reindeer fly, and best friends come with stuffing and fur

*Remove all fear and helplessness for another person, simply by placing your arms around them

*Have the opportunity to watch a tiny helpless person develop into an amazing thinking, achieving, and prosperous member of society.... And know that you had everything to do with it

Sure, this job is difficult and even impossible at times.  I am sure there is a list a mile long of all the things that are unpleasant, but I'll be honest I just can't seem to remember any of them....   

If we were given a chance to do it all over again, enduring whatever we faced to bring these little ones into our lives....We would say without hesitation... ABSOLUTELY!

Take heart dear mamas, your work is not in vein and even know it may go unnoticed by the world today it will become evident in legacy of the lives that we daily nurture.

Proverbs 38:28a  Her children arise and call her blessed.

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice...

It was almost exactly 9 years ago to the minute when my world of bows, glitter, baby dolls and PINK began!  I was already blessed with a little boy and now I would have a sweet little girl to play dress-up with...because everyone knows baby boy clothes are just not as much fun as baby girl clothes.

This amazing little girl's gentle spirit has blessed me everyday since she was born.  Somehow she always knows when I need a hug or a cuddle.  I love my big butterfly with all my heart and I am so proud of the beautiful person that she is becoming.

Everyday I am more amazed with you sweet baby girl, you have such a kind a generous heart... as my grandmother would say, "You are as pretty on the inside as you are on the out!"  Thank you for being my extra arms, you are a wonderful sister and mentor to all of your siblings.  But most of all I love the way you love the Lord and the passion you have when you teach your sisters about Him. I love you more than all of the grains of sand, on all of the beaches, in all of the towns, in all of the countries, in all of the continents in all of the world!

Favorites

Food: Crab

Color: Purple

Number: 8

Letter: K 

T.V. Show: Little House on the Prairie

Movie:  All American Doll Movies

Book: Little House on the Prairie & Daniels Duck

Pair of Shoes: Pink and Blue Tennis Shoes

Place to Visit: Anywhere I just Like to Travel

Thing to Play:  Games

Animal: Horse

Time of Day: Lunch Time

Song: You are a Strong Towers

Thing to do With Daddy: Go Fishing

Thing to do With Mama: Cooking

Memory: Trip to See Noah in Pennsylvania

Season: Summer

Holiday: Christmas

Sport: Gymnastics & Soccer

Hobby: Pressing Flowers

Big Butterflies Letter to Her Future Self:

Dear Feature Me,
I hope that you still like to play with Lego's and American Girl dolls. And I hope you like
Star Wars too.  My favorite thing to do is draw pictures of horses, I hope to be an artist one day.  I love my great parents, going to church, playing with my friends, and soccer.  I hope that you are taking gymnastics and have worked really hard to get good at it.  I also hope that you are still an artist and like to write.

I have been studying my Bible everyday so that I can get closer to God, I hope you are still reading your Bible everyday.  Happy Birthday to you and me.

All of my Love,
Myself


Happy Birthday Sweet Girl you are growing up way to fast.  Thank you for being such an incredible source of strength for your Mama!

Deuteronomy 4:9  “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children

When Life Gives You Lemons....

What do you do when life gives you lemons.......  well you build a fort in your living room of course.  It seems lately that we have had more than a fair share of disappointments but my crew handles it like champs.  I am so proud of this little gang that I have been blessed with and so it stands to reason that they should be rewarded.  

There are few things that could be classified as more fun to a group little people than a giant fort in the living room.   Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when the thought of cleaning up this montrosity would have halted the  fun  and  the opportunity  for making a new memory.  I am so glad that I am no longer that stick in the mud. 

mean really, there's only so many times in your life when camping out on the hard floor in the living room beneath a countless amount of blankets sounds like fun.  So tonight we camp...... because it's a lot more fun that wallowing in disappointment!!!

I have to admit it that it turned out  to be an extremely awsome fort!

John 16:22

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.                                      

Reflections of the Shadows

It is so easy to only focus my reflections on the peeks in my life, the times when all is well and life is easy.  It is far more enjoyable to pretend that nothing bad ever happens and that my road to the present has only been filled with smiles and giggles.  But if I don't take the time to record the valleys I will miss out on being able to fully appreciate those coveted peeks... the times when the sun shines brightly on my little world.

It isn't easy moving through these present days but I get to make a choice....either sercome to my circumstance or fight through giving the best of me to those that count on it most.

Recently, there have been many disappointments that I have had to accept but each one has helped me realize something... I have been trying to get through this alone.  After repetitively asking God to change the situation, it finally hit me....maybe it isn't the situation that needs to change....maybe it is ME.

I want to be the person that God has created me to be, but first I must remain fully surrendered to His will. What if this bump in my road is SUPPOSE to be here.... perhaps it isn't so much a challenge as it is an opportunity to mold me back into the shape I was intended to be.  This world has a way of chiseling away my heavenly shape and leaving me looking different than God had intended.  I will choose to feel the pain of being reshaped once again... so I won't miss out on what God has planned.

Now... I am praying for a change in ME and that I will have strength to take on each day no matter what it holds.  I hope that every shadow in my life brings me closer to God and that I embrace each as an opportunity to become the beautiful creation that HE envisioned when he breathed life into me.

"God meets you where you are but never leaves you there" Rev. Jack Graham

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Standing In Rough Waves

We are a beach loving family, we count down the days until we get to enjoy that beautiful big ocean.  I even love the feel of sand and don't mind the clean up that comes with it.

There are times when I leave the beach and venture into the water, sometimes it relaxes me, cools me off and provides joy.... but other times the waves change and I find myself unable to keep my balance.  When the water is rough it begins to take a toll on me, I try to stand but I am repeatably knocked over and under.  I struggle and fight to regain my balance and continue towards the safety of the beach in front of me but exhaustion begins to set in, I know that I have to dig deeper and find more strength to continue forward.

No matter how much I want to change the situation I can't because I can't change the force of the waves against me.  I know that I just have to keep fighting them off and get back up each time they tumble me over.  Eventually, I make it to the shore tired and out of breath.

But not once in my exhaustion do I ever curse the ocean or find myself any less in love with it and it's beauty.  My experience won't keep me from returning to the waves that took such a toll on me, even though I realize that it may once again knock me over and pull me under.

It may seem to make more sense to just never go back into the water so that I wouldn't have to endure that struggle ever again; but doing so would also cost me the opportunity to experience the joy that comes from something that I love so dearly.

Although I am hundreds of miles from the ocean I find myself feeling as if I am trying to stand in rough waves, battling my way back to the safety of the beach.  I know I will get there... but right now I am exhausted by the beating of water that I so dearly love.  I long for the rest that comes from the security of the dry land.

But despite it all I am no less in love with my life nor would I change it... I will continue to fight to keep my feet under me and my eyes focused forward on all that provides me strength and peace.

Isaiah 40:31  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary,  they will walk and not be faint.

When has your child been on too much medication....

Today while we were working on our Grammar lesson my daughter reminded me that our road of illness has been a long one.

We spend a lot of time trying to keep Asthma at bay in our house.  Unfortunately, that means we frequent our doctors office and have had to administer more medicines than I care to mention.  So it feels good when we get a chance to find humor in our circumstance.

It is always interesting to hear my children's responses to my "school" questions, but their answers today left me in stitches...and painfully aware that my children have had far more than their share of illnesses.

We were reviewing singular and plural articles and when I asked my oldest two to recall what "singular" was.... my oldest butterfly replied, "Hum.... medicine?"

We spent the next few minutes laughing to the point of tears.  If you are familiar with allergies you know that what she was referring to was, Singulair [sin-gu-lair].  This is a medication that she was on at one time but had to go off of it because of side effects.

I can't decide which I should be more concerned about, the fact that my sweet butterfly can't recall what a singular article is or that she has been on so many different medication that she could make this mistake?????

None the less it sure feels good to laugh!!!

Psalms 47:1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

Dear Future Me

I have so much I want to say to you I don't even know where to begin.  I have desperately wanted to meet you, but it seems that I can't catch up to you.  I know so much about you even though we have not crossed paths yet.  I often think about what I would say or ask you if I were ever given a chance...

How do you manage to meet every adversity in your life with such grace and poise?  You never worry about life, always dealing with problems in such a way that seems seamless.  Your children are so well behaved and full of joy, a tribute to all of the ways that you have perfectly taught, mentored, and reared them throughout the years.  You discipline them with great calmness without mistakes or regrets, always knowing the perfect way to discern every problematic situation.  Your children are never without manners and always obedient to you and God's word.  Each child is so well behaved and filled with kindness at all times, never fighting or arguing with each other.   

 How do you manage to keep such an immaculately clean home while homeschooling your children?  Everything is always in its place and so well organized.  And yet some how you still have to time to create amazing and engaging lessons that always excite your children.  I will never understand how you are able to not only keep up with all of that laundry but have time to remove every stain as well.  And please tell me the secret to keeping your little ones closets, drawers, and rooms so neatly organized.  Probably one of your most impressive abilities is how you manage to get everywhere on time with your children dressed to perfection.

And you always look so put together, never tired or run down and wearing the perfect outfit.  With all that you do, you never miss a workout and stay in fantastic shape.  Each and every day you prepare perfectly delicious healthy organic meals that are enjoyed by your ENTIRE family without complaint.

 You also amaze me with your ability to know just what to say to a friend in need, and you are always available if ever someone should need your help.  It must be because of your diligent and uninterrupted devotion time that you spend with the Lord; nothing ever stands in the way of your Bible studies.  The Lord must be so proud of you and your NEVER wavering faithfulness.

One of your most impressive feats is your ability to keep all of your children so healthy.  You rarely if ever have to take them to the doctor, therefore you aren't in need of enlisting the help of your friends to watch your little ones. Oh, how I wish I knew your secret!!

The truth is I am not sure we will ever actually meet, but if we should please go easy on me.  Try not to judge the mistakes that I have made because although I fall short of my expectations, I give each day the very best of me.  You and I are so different... I long to be you but reality tells me that the chances of us ever catching up to each other are very slim.  At times I think we may be close, but then life takes a turn, and once again you seem light years away.  Please know that I think of you often with such great fondness, you are living the life that I dream too.  But for now, I will be content with being "imperfect me," living in my "imperfect life," learning the lessons that each day has to offer.  Hopefully, each lesson will bring me closer to meeting you, and one day, I may sit upon the pedestal that I have placed you upon with such reverence.

But if not... then I will anxiously await the day when we have our long over due introduction on the other side of heaven.

Until then all my love,
Me

Romans 12:2  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Easter 2013 in Pictures

Happy Easter

Probably my absolute favorite picture of her, I can almost see her wings!

Easter Egg Hunt

She is such a goof ball!

  Really I wasn't playing photo favorites with my littlest butterflies....they were just they only egg hunters that I could catch up to.

What a wonderful blessing it was when my oldest butterfly requested that we do family foot washing.  Then she proceeded to serve us all once again by fixing everyone's plates for dinner, she has such a heart for service... I know the Lord is proud of her. 

 If you aren't familiar with foot washing see John 13:1-7 where Jesus teaches his disciples the importance of serving one another.  Foot washing is a humbling way to remind ourselves that we are to care for the needs of others the way Jesus did.

And the always fun....Easter Egg coloring!

Look what the Easter Bunny brought us!

                                           

 Happy First Easter little bullfrog!

 All lined up and ready to go.... is it just me or is that a lot of

baskets!

Where's Cohen?
Someone wanted to make sure that Cohen had plenty of things to play with at church.
There were even more toys hiding under his cover!



I pray that everyone has a blessed Easter remembering that the true celebration is about our freedom from death.
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day