Our Adventure with Boys...

April 23, 2012

Multitude Monday #3024 - #3045 ...

Giving thanks with the Gratitude Community for His unending gifts...

...the joy found in swinging high...

...an early morning solo run through a quiet cemetery...

...Eli rubbing Will's back and singing him "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" as we check out at the grocery store...

...a train ride...

...crescent moon light...

...neighborhood buddies...

...how he continues to bring me flowers...this time it was every color of the azaleas we have in the backyard...

...the way Will leans in for a kiss...

...hearing him at the piano...

...our backyard filled with kids from the neighborhood

...a brother helping a little brother...

...a friends help at the playground when Eli did a face plant in the mulch...

...this face...

...neighborhood Pizza night...after hours of the kids playing outside...

...medicine for allergy relief...

...rain that cancels plans and helps the pollen count fall...

...Wes' conversation with Micaiah after a tough few innings of pitching...

...making bread with him (he has been begging for weeks)...

...a different response...a glimpse of the way He worked in me through that difficult, painful time 7 years ago...

...the rhythm of the day...

...His stirring in our lives...

...a powerful rendition of "It Is Well with My Soul" during worship...and the power in this line...
"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight..."

April 20, 2012

Star Spangled Banner...

Please enjoy this video of Joshua practicing The Star Spangled Banner for his first grade USA Chapel today...

April 16, 2012

Multitude Monday #3003 - #3023...

"...so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other..." Isaiah 45:6

Giving thanks with the Gratitude Community for His unending gifts...

...A warm cup of tea...

...Will singing as he goes about his "work"...

...warm heat that thaws cold feet...

...a morning with a friend...

...evening dishes cleaned by my sweet husband...

...conversation that encourages...

...a substitute teacher at drum lessons that grooves around the room while Micaiah plays...

...hearing and thinking on this quote: "God will never protect you from something He can perfect you through."...

...worship that brings me to tears...

...Late evenings on the playground...

...boys digging in the dirt...

...the backyard alive with color...

...neighborhood street filled with boys on bikes, scooters and ...Will with his tractor...
...my husbands perseverance in his work fitness challenge...

...God's gentle reminder to slow and continue to press into Him...
...humidity that brings out the curls in their hair...

...prayers whispered as we move throughout our day...
...my cousin Taylor staying with us...
...how the boys love having him around...
...this picture with my flower picking boys...

April 9, 2012

Multitude Monday #3002...

"Until the gospel events of Good Friday and Easter and the gospel promises of justification and eternal life lead you to behold and embrace God himself as your highest joy, you have not embraced the gospel of God. …

The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty."

The saving love of God is his doing whatever must be done, at great cost to himself, and for the least deserving, so that he might enthrall them with what will make them supremely happy forever, namely, himself. Therefore, the gospel of God and the love of God are expressed finally and fully in God’s gift of himself for our everlasting pleasure. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11)."
John Piper

Photo: Joshua at the Jumonville Cross on Good Friday

April 4, 2012

Easter Chapel Videos...

Both of the boys performed at Easter Chapel today. Below are two videos...

...this one is of Joshua and his class singing the Doxology...

and this one is of Micaiah (hiding behind the drums) playing "Mighty to Save." Enjoy!

April 3, 2012

Will Turns 2...

Here are a few pictures and a video from our celebration with Will yesterday. We spent the morning at the aquarium and then enjoyed cupcakes and presents in the evening.

His brothers were so excited for his birthday...because of their excitement...Will "enjoyed" a round of "Happy Birthday" as we checked out at Trader Joe's (from the employees and the people in line)...and another round at the Aquarium.

April 2, 2012

Multitude Monday #2073 - #3001...

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart."

Jean Baptiste Massieu

Giving thanks with the Gratitude Community for His unending gifts...

2073...worship on the way to and from drum lessons

2074...a glimpse of the sunset through the trees

2075...crossing the bridge and winding our way home

2076...the shadow of a cross on the wall

2077..little ones playing with potato heads

2078...Eli writing this...

2079...Eli's excitement as we read this book together

2080...a conversation with my husband that runs deep

2081...the smell of him as I bag up his work shirts for the drycleaner

2082...boys munching on doughnuts

2083...boys playing with Resurrection Eggs

2084...a friends challenge to join her in 31 days of prayer for my our husbands

2085...the 3rd grade class over for an end of unit movie and pizza

2086...Will singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

2087...this face

2088...this little one and all of his messes...

2089...this little boy peeking over the pew bench

2090...catching a glimpse of his feet dangling from the pew bench

2091...boys delighting in an evening treat

2092...him "driving" his tractor

2093...for boys playing and having fun

2094...completing the memorization of James Chapter 1

2095...that He is using these scriptures to bring things to light in my life

2096...hearing "Mommy, Mommy_______" (his excitement in communicating with me)

2097...gaining new insight into the Sabbath while reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

2098...these two

2099...a game of two hand touch football

3000...catching this moment...and thinking on how much their friendship has blossomed

3001...an impromptu evening of family fellowship, prayer, and dinner that began with a friends heart to obey the Lord in calling people together to pray

March 25, 2012

Multitude Monday #2041 - #2072...

Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

This verse kept coming to mind this past week. You see...I had plans for spring break with the boys and they all came crashing to a halt when Will got sick.

He's had RSV before, but this time he was miserable...fever of 103...difficulty breathing that made me stop and count breaths to determine if we needed to make an emergency room visit for continuous nebs. He did not want to be put down...he just wanted to be held.

It took a day or two of fighting but then I felt like the Lord began to say to me..."maybe this is exactly what everyone needs...to slow and enjoy...will you chose to see me in this too?"

Yes, Lord...you say give thanks in "everything"...thanks for reminding me yet again that your word is true, you are worthy of my trust and you love us enough "to purge the soul, annihilating it, emptying it or consuming in it (even as fire consumes the mouldiness and the rust of metal) all the affections and imperfect habits which it has contracted its whole life..." (St. John of the Cross)

Giving thanks with the Gratitude Community for His unending gifts ...

2041...the big boys on spring break...

2042...seeing Micaiah tucked into the corner of the couch with a book

2043...everything in bloom

2044...a glorious week of weather...where the sun shines warm and long

2045...seeing Eli walking toward me with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face...knowing that he must have found a patch of flowers somewhere

2046...how Eli picks me flowers if he sees them and how he wants me to buy a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store

2047...Advil that soothes Will's fever and the nebs that help the cough and the wheezing that just won't let go

2048...Stash Morrocan Mint tea delivered...

2049...an early day for Wes

2050...going upstairs to make the boys beds and finding them already made...thank you Wes!

2051...the doctor's patient reassurance

2052...how he screamed for an hour and a half (while I became more and more frazzled as we tried different things to console him) and finally Daddy took him to the piano and played The Earth is Yours and he stopped

2053...how worship is the thing that soothed him...may I remember to run to Him too

2054...a sweet text from Wes

2055...an invite for a playdate on just the right day

2056...help from neighbors

2057...an encouraging email from my mom reminding me to "rejoice in His name all day long..."

2058...a late night game of tag ball in the backyard

2059...how Eli tells me "Momma...I love you all the way to Jesus and God and back!"

2060...a week of only doing the essential things

2061...hard eucharisteo...clutter that is out of control

2062...a week where they watched way too much TV, played way too much Wii and iPad and had a blast doing it!!

2063...reading this..."Our goal is to love God with our whole being, to be consistently conscious of God through our daily life---whether it is when we are stopped like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, or active like Martha, taking care of the tasks of life. We know we have found our balance when we are so deeply rooted in God that our activity is marked by the peaceful, joyful, rich quality of our contemplation." Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

2064...realizing that loving God with my whole being (as in the example above) is something that I want to be more true of my life

2065...how Will turned his nebulizer mask into a whoopie cushion and how we laughed so hard as he did it over and over again

2066...texts from friends/family that are praying for Will

2067...driving through a "snowstorm" of cherry blossoms

2068...how Eli made it through the night after we propped him up high and took turns "sleeping" with him

2069...an early morning doctors appointment that allows us to start the antibiotic for bronchitis quickly

2070...how Eli going to see him allowed him to check Will's lungs again and confirm that they continue to improve

2071...an afternoon to spend shopping with a friend

2072...how His word in Psalm 54:4 says that He is my help and the one who sustains me."

March 19, 2012

Multitude Monday #2007 - #2040 ...

"As you worship me, your perspective changes and you gain balance. To worship Me acceptably with reverence and awe, thankfulness is essential. I designed you to be thankful on a daily, moment-by-moment basis."
Sarah Young

Giving thanks with the Gratitude Community for His unending gifts ...

2007...my husband's provision for our family...that allows me to stay home with these boys and delight in the everyday ordinary moments

2008...a morning with a friend as we take the kids through the Zoo

2009...how the baby sifaka held on tight to his mother's back as she leaped from tree to tree

2010...a family game of kickball after dinner

2011...dinner on the back patio

2012...watching him eat a bowl of cereal that his brother left behind...what a beautiful mess...

2013...brothers pouring over memory albums before school one morning

2014...a time of confession with the Lord as I unload the dishwasher...I was brought to tears over my anger and the way it hurts those I love

2015...seeking their forgiveness

2016...praying for strength

2017...Memorizing this portion of James this week...
James 1:21-22 "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

2018...packing for the lake

2019...that Will got carsick at just the right exit (the only spot where family lives on the 2 hour 45 minute drive)

2020...that my Aunt Shelley was home...so that we could bathe Will and get back on the road (not to mention her offer to wash the car seat insert for us!)

2021...Grandma and Pap's gift of lunch while we visited on the porch

2022...boys in the hammock

2023...hours at the stream

2024...hearing him say "this is the best first day of spring break!'

2025...rocking the little one to sleep

2026...dinner with friends and enjoying the sunset at the shoreline while they throw rocks in the water