Samuel Isaac

Paul and I are always on the lookout for jobs that Sam can do by himself.  We are both of the mindset that boys need work and need to be kept busy.  Problem is, there is not much around here that Sam can do by himself other than feed/water the dogs and take out the trashes, which he already does on a daily basis.

Today Paul told Sam that the van needed to be cleaned out.  That in itself was an understatement.  We had let the van get out of control and it was downright messy.  I heard Paul telling Sam that he needed to do that today, so I mentally reminded myself to make sure he got it done.

An hour or so later, Sam came bursting into the house and asked me to get him some garbage bags.

"Dad told me to clean out the van and I need some bags" he exclaimed.

I gave him a handful of Kroger bags and sent him on his way.

A while later he came back in with about six Kroger bags filled to the brim with clothes. 

"These are all the clothes that are in the van and now I'm getting the trash out" he said with a smile on his face.

Hmmmm.  I thought.  He seems awful cheerful for doing such a mundane job.  I went out on the porch to watch him for a while.  He was cheerful.  And he was excited to be almost finished with a job that Dad gave him.  He was almost beside himself when he finished up a few minutes later.  I went out to check his work and I was impressed.  He did a great job and removed everything from the van.

I told him what a great job he had done.  Paul told him that when he got home later in the afternoon.  Sam seemed to grow two inches after hearing his dad affirm his work.

Tonight as I was praying with Sam before bed, I thanked God for Sam's hard work in the van.  I kissed Sam goodnight and as he was leaving to go get in his bed he said to me,

"Mom, if that van ever gets messy again I'm going to take care of it."

I need to take a lesson from Sam.  Attitude is everything, especially when it pertains to a mundane job.

I do love that boy.

Perspective

Sometimes, I need an adjustment of my perspective.

Have you ever been so close to a situation that you fail to see the truth in it? I've been there. In fact, I am there right now. It seems that ever since Paul returned from Brazil about a month ago, things at my house have been crazy. I feel overwhelmed and very incapable of handling all that my life entails. Some of it I am sure is my age and these crazy hormones. Some of it is honestly, having a very full plate at this season in my life. I've not been able to get into a routine with our schoolwork yet and I feel like most days we flounder with schoolwork, housework, churchwork, child training work, etc. Most days I feel like I run all day, yet am unproductive.

All this (plus the uncertainty that comes with parenting all ages) has led me to feeling sorry for myself. To doubt God's goodness in putting all this on me when all I want to do to please Him. To question some things that I know are not questionable. And to make me feel like running away some days.

Tonight, my perspective was adjusted.

I was invited to a dinner for pastor's wives. I had never been before and wasn't even sure I'd know anyone there. I went out of respect for the lady who invited me. God knew I needed to be there.

A pastors wife named Ann spoke. She is 65 years old and has been in the ministry her entire married life. She and her husband have ministered for well over 40 years. They have sacrificed to do God's will.

And they lived happily ever after. Right? Isn't that the way the story is supposed to end? I mean, they gave their lives for God. Doesn't God owe them great things in return?

In the course of their marriage, God blessed them with 5 children. One became an alchoholic and had a baby outside of marriage. One left her husband for the homosexual lifestyle. One was infertile. Her parents were brutally murdered. His father was brutally murdered. His mother died after a blood clot hit her heart.

Isn't that enough God? I mean, how much can a person take?

The woman that spoke tonight, the woman who lived through these horrific things, was blind. She lost her sight in the last few years because she is a severe diabetic. Her kidneys do not function, so she must do dialysis every night.

She did not complain.

She did not have a pity party.

She stood before us and told us how good God is.

She sang a song entitled, "Praise the Name of Jesus".

And I'm going to feel sorry for myself because I have a house full of kids and schoolwork and housework? Because I feel I can't keep up?

Oh God forgive me for my foolish attitude. Forgive me for not seeing the blessings in my daily life. Forgive me.

Fun at the Park

Emma at 14 months

Emma turned 14 months old on September 6th.

I can hardly believe she is that old. She is so curious and loves to explore. Everywhere. All. the. time.

She didn't want to get her pictures taken this morning and let us know.

Pouty face.

But she got over it and cooperated again. She is wearing mostly 24 month clothing. I do not know how much she weighs; I do know it is hard to carry her around for any length of time.

She loves her sisters and her brothers, but she fusses with Ben.

The baby squat.

She loves Dad and will scream when he gets home or say "HI" really loudly.

She is a delight to us all and we are blessed to have her in our family.

Sweet little face.

Pretty Painted Nails

What pretty fingernails. Hey, wait a minute. That hand is too big for Emma and too small for Anna or Ellie. Whose nails are these??

Why they are Benjamin's! He decided one afternoon that he wanted to paint his nails. He went into his sisters room and into the drawer and did just that. He did not make a mess and did not show anyone what he had done. I only found out later that day as I was getting after him for something else and saw his nails.

He is a real stinker!

Emma's Bedhead

Emma has quite a head of hair and it can be quite unruly, especially when she wakes up.

She thought it was quite funny this morning.

Look at that head of hair! Her hair reminds me the most of Zack's when he was this age, although hers is curlier and she has more of it. Anna also had a curly head, but not until she was a bit older and hers was much lighter. Strange. 3 curly heads, 3 straight heads and 1 that started a bit curly and turned to straight. All from one gene pool.

Paul brought back a ring for Emma from Brazil. It is the cutest thing when she wears it. She, of course, spends the whole time trying to get it off. If we can get her to forget about it, she does great!

Flying Kites

Paul bought kites for Sam and Ben last week and they were so excited. However, they weren't as excited when they found out they had to wait for a windy day to fly them. A few days later their patience paid off as Paul, Sam, Ben and Ellie flew the kites right before we had a storm hit.

It was great fun.

Sucess! 2 flying kites.

Random Thoughts

• I've been sick for about 3 days now. Nothing major, but enough to keep me in bed. I'm not sure I want to get better because it is going to take me a week to get this house back in order. Why does it always take twice as long to fix than it does to mess it up?


• School is going well. We're still trying to find our "groove"- it's still a struggle to get it all in, everyday.


• Emma is a wild woman. She reminds me so much of her older sisters. She is wild like Anna, but in certain areas she is like Ellie. As I was looking through pictures I noticed that she looked alot like Anna, which most people say, but she also looked an awful lot like Zack. Her hair really reminds me of his. Anna's was much lighter and much frizzier; Zack's is about the same color as Emma's and his was just about as curly.


• Paul has settled back into the routine of his life after spending 2 weeks in Brazil. I think he'd go back pretty soon if he was given the opportunity, although he does enjoy the a/c!


• Ben's face has just about all healed. It was pretty ugly there for a while, but after lots of zija oil, it is now a pretty pink.


• My husband surprised me with a new computer. Not just any computer- it is a "baby" computer that turns into a touchscreen device. The monitor flips around and it has a flat screen touch screen. It is pretty cool. I was speechless I was so surprised.


• And, I found a few places in the house where I can sit and catch the neighbor's wi-fi signal. It's not a strong signal, but it does the job.


• Can't believe it is already September 5. Emma turns 14 months old tomorrow. Time sure does fly.