Sweet things that kids say

I know that every parent thinks that their kids are the sweetest, smartest, cutest, funniest kids in the world. While I realize the bias, I think our kids are pretty fabulous, and quite sweet and funny.  Abby in particular is at a tremendously fun age when it comes to saying cute, funny things.  Every night before bed, we gather everyone together for bedtime prayers.  We will pray together, and we will go around and ask each of the kids what they want to thank God for.  Emma and Timothy always thank the Lord for our family and friends, our nice, warm home and good food to eat (a lot of things that I am sad to admit are too easy to take for granted).  When we come to Abby, without hesitation, the first thing she thanks God for is the Bible.  Sadly, this is probably not something that she got from hearing us say it.  (I know, it really got me thinking about how easy it is to take God's Word for granted and how rarely I take the time to really thank Him for it.)  This was all Abby, simply wanting to thank God for His Word.  And that just melts my heart!


Another thing that makes me smile is Abby's names for her various stuffed animals and dolls.  Over the course of the past week or so, she has decided that they all are in need of abbreviated names.  (It's not that she can't say their actual names- she definitely can!)  She simply decided to shorten all of their names.  For example, we have Babe the baby doll, Pup, Kit the kitten, Barb the Barbie, etc.  I think the one that really makes me smile the most though is her little purple stuffed frog.  Some people might wonder how to shorten the word frog.  Actually, for most of us, the nickname would probably be froggy.  Not for Abby.  She has decided that purple frog's name is Fro (pronounced "Frah").  After all, why shouldn't frog have a shortened name like everyone else? :)

I'm blessed

So, it turns out that if there is one thing I am really consistent with, it is missing my opportunity to post on Gretchen's blessing party on her blog.  I am actually starting to type this on Thursday because I have a few unexpected quiet moments where no one is needing my time and attention.  I know, I wasn't sure what to do either!  Anyway, I have so much to catch up on, so here goes.


First, on Halloween, the kids and I were at Walmart in the afternoon picking up a few things.  The MOPS group that I belong to was going to be was going to be meeting that following Saturday.  Our project for the day was to help pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, so the kids were helping to pick out fun items for our boxes.  As we went past the bikes and kids' bike helmets, Timothy asked me if they could get new bike helmets.  I remembered them having said about a week before that their helmets were getting too small, but since we live in Minnesota and it is quite unusual to not have snow on the ground yet, buying new helmets was not at the top of my list for that day, so I told him, "Not right now."  A few moments later, a man approached me.  His name is Mike Heikes, a local man who goes around speaking about the importance of wearing properly-fitting bike helmets after having survived a brain injury as a result of not wearing a helmet.  In addition to his speaking engagements, he also provides free bike helmets to anyone who needs them, and will make sure that they are properly fitted.  He said that he had heard our son ask for a new helmet, and said that he always keeps some in his car.  He offered to give us free, brand new helmets for the kids.  After checking them to ensure a proper fit, the kids were all set with their "completely awesome new helmets!"  I provided the link to his website above, and I feel tremendously blessed to have met him.  (I had also met him a couple years ago at a community fair, where he actually provided the kids with their previous bike helmets.)  What an incredible ministry by an incredible person!


The second thing was a little bit scarier.  Last Friday, the kids and I attended a Bible study at a friend's house.  (It is a terrific mom's Bible study group, for which I am very thankful and blessed, and the kids bring things along to work on or books to read.)  Afterward, I loaded the kids up in the car to head home.  We got just outside of town when Emma commented that Michael was squeaking.  As I paused to listen, it only took a moment to realize that this was not just cute little baby squeaking noises.  This was a squeaking noise that happened every time he breathed.  I immediately pulled over and jumped out the check on him.  He was not wanting to open his eyes, and seemed pale.  Immediately I jumped back in the car, turned around and headed back toward the hospital.  On the way, I called Randy.  He and my father-in-law immediately dropped what they were doing and jumped in the pickup to meet us at the hospital.  Once there, Grandpa stayed with the kids in the waiting room while Randy came with Michael and I.  Of course, once we reached the hospital, he was alert and breathing pretty much normally.  Just to be sure, they ran some tests, and everything came back fine.  They said that everything looked ok, and they weren't sure exactly what caused that.  They told us to watch him carefully for the rest of the day and let them know immediately if there was a problem.  He has had a little cough for a week or so, and they think maybe he just had something in his throat that we was able to cough out.  Thankfully, he has been his normal, happy self since with no more problems.  I am also very blessed to have children who will let us know when something seems not quite right.


A third thing that made my day was this past Monday.  Normally, the kids and I are not really tremendously morning people.  Abby is probably the closest, usually waking up all bright and cheery and sweet and funny.  (This is ALMOST enough to make me a morning person, and at the very least, it always makes me smile.)  As the alarm went off, I rolled over and heard Timothy stirring in his room.  As I walked out of the bedroom, I found that he was up, dressed and had eaten breakfast.  As I found him stripping the sheets and blankets off of his bed, he turned to me with a smile and said, "It's clean sheet Monday, Mom!"  Knowing that we try to replace the sheets on the beds on Mondays (starting the week with fresh, clean sheets would be another blessing that makes Mondays a little nicer), he took it upon himself to do the job.  (Okay, so as not to lead people on about how wonderful of a homemaker I am, I will come clean and say that although "clean sheet Monday" is something I strive for, it doesn't always happen.)  Anyway, he took the sheets from the bed, down to the laundry room and put them into the washing machine, all by himself.  He didn't start the washer, but I have never shown him how to do that, so I certainly can't fault him for that!  When Emma saw what he was doing, she decided to do the same thing with her bed.  Then the two of them proceeded to help each other put clean sheets on their beds.  Now again, we do not have completely perfect children (as though perfect people exist at any age!) but I think they are pretty fabulous! :)  

Blessings and things that make me smile

So, once again, I am late in posting for Gretchen's blessings party.  I also missed posting last week.  It's not that I haven't spent time thinking about how I am blessed.  Gretchen's idea of starting every week by counting our blessings does cause me to spend more time throughout the week noting the multitude of blessings in my life.  It's just that things get busy and life happens, and pretty soon I realize that I never took the time to type something up.  So, here is a little bit of catching up.  


Saturday, October 22, Randy and I had the blessing of being a part of the wedding of my brother, Adam, and new sister, Jodi.  It was a really fun weekend full of spent celebrating with family and friends!  The kids also had a wonderful time playing with cousins, and other than some sleep issues with Abby at the hotel, everyone did a terrific job!  


I am blessed that harvest was finished so early, which meant a lot less stress for the wedding, and also meant that Randy was able to come trick-or-treating with the kids and I.  I would have to say that more years than not, Randy has made the time to go with us, even if they were still working in the fields.  I love that!  There have been a couple of autumns where the weather was bad and things were very behind, and he just wasn't able to come, but that has really been the exception.  It is really fun to be able to go out and celebrate as a family, and I know that it is so important to the kids. :)  I am also very blessed that the kids did so well, despite Abby and Michael being tired and having a little cold.  We did have a lot of fun. :)


I also enjoy the crazy and funny things that the kids say and do.  For example, Abby is always a source of entertainment.  The other night when we were praying before bed, I asked the kids what they wanted to thank God for.  Without hesitation, Abby said, "The Bible!"  How often to we forget to thank God for His Word?  I know that I don't thank Him for that nearly as often as I should.  Last night, Timothy had a little bit of an upset tummy for a little while, and Abby stayed with him.  She took out her container of "hair pretties" and kept trying to hand them to her "handsome sister."  Then she told Timothy that he was her cute cousin.  When Timothy tried to explain to her that he is her brother, she said, "Oh, right!  I'm your brother!"  She'll get it figured out. :)  Then this morning, it became obvious just how overtired she is.  Don't get me wrong, she is doing a remarkable job for as little napping as she has done in the past several days!  But still, you can tell she's tired.  This morning, she was playing with a Barbie, otherwise known as "Barb".  (She has a baby doll named Babe, a puppy named Pup, and a kitty named Kit, also.)  Anyway, Barb was not being very cooperative for her, and finally Abby came to me and said, "Mom, Barb is annoying me!"  I can see where that would make for a difficult time. :)  These four little blessings from God make me smile every single day, and they are definitely something to be thankful for!

I'm Blessed

So, it is once again Monday and time to...I was going to say it's time to be thankful, but that certainly is not something that should be limited to once a week. :)  I am joining my friend Gretchen and others in counting and sharing our blessings.  All last week, I found myself thinking about what I would share this week, and the thing that I kept coming back to was this: four smiling faces.

Emma is always ready with a beautiful smile (along with a kiss on the cheek or forehead).  I do think she is truly beautiful on the outside, but her sweet, loving, helpful spirit makes her a true, shining beauty.  

Having just lost one of his front teeth, Timothy was a little shy about giving me a "real" smile.  (Although, he is not really all that into having his picture taken in general.  I think he is probably a little too cool for that, but he does cooperate anyway.)  :)  I think he is still pretty handsome, and his love and concern for others shines through.

Then there is Abby (aka "Beezus").  She has the best smile!  (This is not her real smile, of course.  This is her being her cheesy little self.)

This is a little closer to her real smile, although not quite.  I wish I could have caught her real, genuine smile.  She just bubbles over with joy and you can't help but smile back.  She is definitely our little entertainer and quite the social butterfly.  She also loves to snuggle, which makes any mom's day. :)

Then there is Michael.  He is almost four months old now.  I truly cannot believe how fast the time flies.  Everyone always tells you how fast time goes when you have kids, and you never quite believe it.  Even after three others, it just amazes me how short of a time they are little babies.  He also has a terrific smile.  I just love those first, sweet gummy baby smiles.  It just melts my heart.  What, you might ask, makes this little one smile?  

 

Oddly enough, it's this light fixture that hangs over the couch in the above picture.  Every time I lay him on the couch, he looks up at this light and smiles and giggles like it is the funniest thing he has ever seen.  (In his little baby world, it probably is.)  :)  And that makes me smile and giggle every time.  

I am so very blessed to be able to be home with these sweet, precious smiling faces every day, and I am doing my very best to take advantage of every smiling moment.  

I'm blessed!

Well, last week just ended up being a busy week and I missed the opportunity to post along with Gretchen's blessing party.  When I did have time, I just decided that it seemed more important to spend quality time with Randy and the kids, snuggling and playing games, instead of typing on the computer.  (Don't get me wrong- I am not saying that sharing things about our lives on here is bad, but I don't think that it should get in the way of living life.  The whole point is to share memories, but that can only happen if we take the time to make them.)  So right now I am trying to play a bit of catch-up.

Last week, in addition to our regular school activities, we had our very first kids session with our homeschool group for this year.  Two Tuesdays a month, we meet together to have structured gym class and music class.  The kids will be learning about different composers each month.  It is so much fun to get together, both for the kids and for us moms.  The kids also spent quite a bit of time out in the field with Daddy and Grandpa.  This is always a favorite activity and a special way to spend quality time with the guys.  I think it is a terrific thing for all of them.  Last week, I had planned to share that we were very blessed to have finished soybean harvest.  Randy finished beans on Thursday, Sept. 29.  This allowed him the opportunity to do a few days of harvesting for a neighbor before the started on the corn.  This has been the case the past several years, and it truly has been a blessing!  We appreciate the opportunity to help out our friends, along with the extra money that it brings in.

Last Tuesday, the guys started on corn harvest.  The absolutely beautiful (and rather unseasonable) weather was SUCH a blessing during harvest!  Granted, the guys put in some long days, but not horribly late nights, and the weather allowed them to get so much accomplished.  It also saved a LOT of money on the cost of drying the corn.  A very quick spin through the dryer was all it took, and that is also a blessing.  What makes me really excited this week is the news that I got last night.  Randy came in around 10:00, just slightly later than he had been this harvest.  I knew they had been getting close to finishing, and I asked how much he had left.  "We're done!" he said.  This year's harvest is finished!  Now, that doesn't mean they have nothing left to do.  They still have to work the fields and hopefully get some fertilizer spread to save time next spring.  They also have to take care of the machinery and ready it for winter.  But the crazy rush of bringing in the crop is over for another year.  And that is most definitely a blessing!

I'm Blessed

It's Monday again, and that means another opportunity to share the reasons I am blessed in Gretchen's blessing party.  Today I am just thankful for a lot of the little things.  This past week, Michael really started smiling a lot more, along with his first attempts at cooing and giggling.  I LOVE those first toothless baby smiles, those sweet baby coos, and I really love those very first attempts at giggling when the sound involuntarily escapes from their tiny bodies in a way that almost startles them.  I love watching the way our four kids interact with one another (ok, not so much when they are arguing and fighting, but most of the time).  I love how the older two play and cooperate so well together (again, not ALWAYS, but a lot of the time).  I love how sweet they are to try to help and include Abby in their fun.  I love how they sweet and loving they all are with Michael, always wanting to hold him, talk to him, read to him and just spend time with him.

I am also thankful for autumn.  I love the colors.  I love the smells, especially coming from the oven as we do more baking.  And I love the cool, crisp weather that is still warm enough to go out and enjoy during the day, but cool enough in the evenings to encourage snuggling.  I also love harvest time.  (Ok, I don't so much love not seeing my husband for most of the day, but I do love to see the fruits of his hard labor being brought in.  I am also blessed to be living on the home farm now, so that we do have more opportunities to see him, such as when he comes in to grab some lunch- or dinner as it is known by most farm families.)  I am thankful for the beautiful weather that is making harvest much easier.  I love to see the kids' excitement at the possibility of getting a ride in the combine, the tractor or the grain trucks.  I love that they love their daddy and love to spend time with him, and I love that he loves them and wants to spend time with them.  And I love the quiet time together with my beloved when he comes in at the end of a long day of work, and the kids are asleep.  (Again, that perfect snuggling weather goes perfectly with quiet conversations and time simply spent being together.)

It really is true- the more you focus on your blessings, the more you realize how blessed you truly are.  The more I write, the more I realize how very blessed I really am.  I could go on and on about the blessings God has bestowed on our family, but I think we will stop here for now.  I have hungry children to feed (ok- I am very blessed to have food to feed them!) and I need to save room for next week. :)

I'm Blessed

A good friend of mine, Gretchen, started a wonderful thing several weeks ago.  It is called the "I'm Blessed" party and it happens every Monday.  Each Monday, she adds a post to her blog about reasons she is blessed.  The idea is to start every week by "counting your blessings".  I think that is an excellent idea.  Then people are invited to post their own "I'm Blessed" blog and link it to hers.  This is actually one of the reasons that I decided to start a blog in the first place.  I love the idea of recording the many ways I have been blessed, and the many reasons I have to be thankful.  Ok, I know that I missed the Monday deadline...by a few days...but again, better late than never.  I wanted to post one last week also, but these past 2 weeks have been rather crazy, so I decided that instead of waiting until next Monday and having three weeks worth of things to write about, I would just post mine a little late (and only write about 2 weeks worth!) :)  So, let's start with last week.  We spent Labor Day weekend the same way we have for the past few years- at a weekend-long get-together with my sisters-in-law and their families.  There is one tremendous blessing:  When I married Randy, I received 5 sisters as a bonus!  I truly love and appreciate them all and I am so thankful for them!  I am also thankful for the many cousins that our kids have and the ability to get together on at least a semi-regular basis.  I am thankful that they all enjoy playing well together.  We really had a wonderful time and I feel very blessed to have had that opportunity.  


The day after Labor Day, our son Timothy turned 7.  I feel so blessed to see the fabulous young man that he is becoming.  I love the fact that he loves farming with his dad, and soaks up every little detail of the work that the guys are doing.  He jumps at any chance to be out "helping" the guys.  I love to see how he puts that attention to detail to work in his engineering and creating.  He loves to work with his hands, creating amazing mechanical things with Legos, toy farming equipment and anything else he can get his hands on.  I also really love to see his tender heart.  He is so loving with his younger siblings and with animals, and he tries so hard to do the right thing.  His name means "honoring God" and I pray that his desire to do so only continues to grow.


Two days later, Randy and I celebrated our 10th anniversary!  It is hard to believe that it has already been 10 years!  Equally hard to believe is how much our lives have changed in that time.  We have moved twice (from the little apartment to a house in town, and then to the home farm), received the blessing of four children, and expanded the farming operation.  Of course, as with any marriage (or any life for that matter), we have faced challenges over the years.  It is through the trials, however, that our faith has grown as we held fast and turned our hearts toward God and clung ever tighter to His grasp.  It was through those same trials that we have grown closer to one another, stronger in our love and commitment to one another than the day we stood together at the altar.  I can say without hesitation that I love my husband more today than I did 10 years ago.  We have seen so much growth in ourselves, in our faith and in our family as a whole, and that is truly a blessing!


So, you may be wondering what we did to celebrate 10 years of marriage.  Sure, it would be fun to be able to say that we went to Hawaii or some other exotic location, or that we had a delightful, romantic getaway, just the two of us.  However, that is just not practical at this particular time in our lives.  With a newborn to feed and care for, even escaping for a romantic dinner can be challenging.  However, my beloved surprised me with something that means just as much, if not more, than a dinner date.  On Sunday, we packed up the kids and headed up to a spot that is quickly becoming a family favorite- Itasca State Park.  The last time we were there was 2 years ago, when Abby was just a baby.  We spent three nights in a beautiful log cabin, and spent our days exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River and the gorgeous nature trails, and learning about the history of the Mississippi River, our beautiful state, and the logging industry.  Emma and Timothy had the joy of participating in the Junior Naturalist program, learning about nature while working toward earning a very exciting deer patch to put on a jacket or item of their choice.  I feel blessed to live in such a beautiful place and for protected areas like the state parks where we can simply soak up the beauty of God's creation.  I am blessed to have a husband who loves me and our children and is willing to make the time (even as we rapidly approach the busyness of harvest) to create memories that will last a lifetime.  Truly, I have been blessed beyond measure and my cup overflows.


Oops!  I just realized that I am a little bit too late to link this to Gretchen's "I'm Blessed" party for this week.  The good news is that I have a jump-start on next week. :)