Happy 18th Birthday Kate!

This one, my only girl child... she turned 18 in February. 

Yeah, 18. I can't believe it either.

Will's 15th Birthday!

This is what happens when you neglect your blog. You spend countless hours trying to catch up on life that has already happened. You write posts about birthdays that have come and gone. You sit in front of a blank computer screen thinking, "Geesh, It's the end of July and I'm writing about my son's birthday that we celebrated back in November." Don't be like me. Don't neglect your blog!

Thankful in 2012

Well, it's 3:00 am and I'm wide awake. That's one thing about being on break from school... we (that would be the kids and me) stay up late at night and then sleep late the next day. So, my internal clock is out of whack!

Busy Summer Days Give You Something to Think About

I have used my last few posts trying to get caught up from our overly busy summer. I've talked about all of our various road trips,  and our comings and goings. We did have a few lazy days at home, with nothing on the agenda.

 

I tried to focus most of my time over the summer on my kids. They're growing up so fast... changing so much.

 

Now, more than ever, I can see the importance of spending as much time with them as I can. Even in all of our busyness this summer, we were together. We were busy as a family. This time with them is so fleeting.

 

I used to think, when they were babies and toddlers (and even preschoolers),

Sweet Sixteen

We recently celebrated a birthday around here. I can't believe my Kate is 16.

her flowers that her daddy hand-delivered to her at school



 Why, it seems like just yesterday...

He's No Longer a Teenager

20 years ago yesterday, I journeyed into that realm of life known as motherhood. I do love strolling down memory lane, reminiscing, recalling, remembering. Care to join me?

It really isn't even my due date yet. My doctor has plans to be out of town the following week, on my actual due date, and he recommends labor induction. I am young, naive. I don't know better. I am ready to meet my baby.

Fifteen Candles

Fifteen years ago, on February 24th at precisely 11:24 am, the Lord saw fit to bless our family with a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and she captured my heart immediately. She has brought me so much joy (and some anguish, of course) and my life has been so much the richer because of her. I thank the Lord every day for the joy and privilege of being her mom. I love you Kate!

Through the years...

Our Oldest

Another year has been added to the life of my firstborn. I can scarcely believe that he is 19 years old.

Here we are out celebrating his birthday at his favorite restaurant in our small town, Village Pizza

You can tell that he is thrilled about me taking his picture!

I know I say this EVERY time we celebrate another birthday in our family...but really, WHERE does the time go? I guess while they're little it seems as if we'll be in a certain stage of life forever, but it truly does go by faster than we think!

I'm reminded of the words in the song, Don't Blink, by Kenney Chesney. I'm not a big country music fan, but I do like a few songs, like this one, with poignant messages. The chorus goes like this:

     Don't blink

     Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you

     Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

     Don't blink

     You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

     Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your better half

     Of fifty years is there in bed

     And you're praying God takes you instead

     Trust me friend a hundred years goes by faster than you think

     So don't blink

Lately we've been having some struggles, my oldest and I. I had such a hard time when he moved out for college, and then when he moved back home at Christmas, you'd think I would have been thrilled! I guess the young man that moved back home wasn't exactly the same one who moved out a few months before.

I think it has been a series of power struggles for us...him becoming the independent young man God created him to be, yet me, trying to hold onto his youth and keep him under my wing, so to speak.

Yes, I know there comes a time when I have to really let go...and let God. I thought I had already reached that place, but apparently God is still teaching me how to let go. It hasn't been easy, but I daresay that we have grown in our relationship with each other, as well as with God.

I have two more following closely behind him...

Hopefully, God will help me have this parenting thing all sorted out by the time we reach this point with them. But, most likely, He will not. After all, if I had it all figured out, then I guess I wouldn't need Him. And that would be a sad day, indeed. May I never get to the point where I feel like I don't need God!

I am proud of the godly young man he is becoming, and I am genuinely thankful for the blessing he has been to me. I can see that God has great things in store for him; I can see that God is growing him in wisdom, and in his relationship with Him. I am thankful....

Girls, Girls, Girls

My house is overflowing with girls! Literally. Last week was my daughter's 14th birthday and she wanted to have a few friends over for a spend the night party, but we were unable to have the party until this weekend. So, here they are...

All loud and giggling...talking their girl talk and their funny girl-language...six of them, ranging in age from 12 to 14. They are having a good time. It's hard for me to believe how grown up they are. They used to play dress-up and play with dolls. Now they sit around comparing songs on their ipods, and giggling at the pictures on their cameras. Cue the song, Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle.

They had pizza for supper and they are filling themselves full of Mountain Dew and chocolate chip cookies. They probably won't get much sleep tonight. As a matter of fact, I wonder if I'll get much sleep tonight.

We rented one of those BIG inflatable slides for the weekend and they are outside on it right now at 9:00 pm. They keep coming in every once in a while though because it is cold out there.

I am glad that she is having fun, and that she is making memories. I am glad that God has blessed her with good friends (and I thank Him that they are not the drama queen sort!).