Nesting

We are so excited for our newest little man to come!  It’s such fun being hugely pregnant this time of the year.  There is plenty to keep me busy during these last couple of weeks, so I’m not just lying around counting the moments.  Although you can’t really lay around with two little boys anyway…but you know what I mean.  Towards the evening when my contractions start to act up more the days until his arrival seem long, but for the most part I’m not too anxious.  My to-do list is dwindling, yet I keep adding things to it.  This morning I jumped right into sorting through the boy’s toys.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  Then, my hubby moved some things around for me and got the cradle into our room.  Oh, this is great.  Nesting is in full swing here, but lower back is warning me to take it slow.  I suppose I’ll listen to it a little bit.  It’s fun to think that our little one might make his appearance on the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  That’s it for the nesting, Christmas update.  Hope you all are well!

Home Reclaiming

Today has been a day of home-reclaiming.  We had a super busy, but delightful weekend and our home kind of fell apart in the process.  It looked like a bomb went off in pretty much every room of the house.  My beloved has been oh-so patient with the state of our union and helpful these past couple of days.  BUT today the boys and I needed to reclaim our home.  So, slowly it’s coming together.  Things aren’t sparkling, nor are they dusted or soft scrubbed but now I’m not afraid to walk down the hallway for fear of breaking my toe on a Transformer wing of some sort.  The washing machine is churning and for that we’re all very grateful.   I was able to freeze the fixin’s for  3 servings of the soup we’re having for dinner tonight, for after the baby comes.  It’s been productive; as productive as one can be at 9 months pregnant.

I’m eagerly anticipating our little one’s arrival, with a bit of fear and trembling.  Let’s face it girls, having a baby hurts.  I can’t say that I’m stoked about that, but I am incredibly excited about the process and end result of all that pain and toil.  I find my brain is not totally here, as I drift off to thoughts of timing contractions and hanging curtains.  It’s such a funny, and special time-these last weeks of preparation.  I pray that my heart would anticipate and long for the coming of my Savior the way I do for my newest little one.

Boys Take Care of Their Mommas

This morning I was feeling yucky and laying on the couch.  My son went into the kitchen and emerged with a cup of water for me.  How sweet!

An Observation

It’s funny.  Ever since the time change I have been reading a lot more to my kids.  It seems like our evenings are much longer, simply because we’re not playing outside until six o’clock.  So, after dinner and clean-up and baths and jammies we still have time on our hands.  Good thing I went to the library this week!!!  I think it’s a good thing and so I will appreciate the darkness creeping in ever so early and sit down and read a good book to the little ones.  Now, if I could only figure out how to run out their energy before the sun goes down we’d be good to go!

I have to run because the 3 year old just told me he had a beaver or a fever (from the bathtub).  Either way it must be serious!

7 1/2 Weeks Left….

Oh My!!!!

We all know that due dates are a bit arbitrary, but there’s only 7 1/2 weeks until mine. Aaahhh. This is very exciting, as we can’t wait to meet our newest little man. Yet, there is so much to be done. It’ll be great to see how the Lord works it all out. I don’t think I’ll soon forget the look on the lady’s face at the bakery when she asked if I was about ready to deliver. When I told her I had 2 months to go, she looked so worried and pained as she stared at my watermelon belly. It was a crack-up. If only she could have seen me with my first! Fun, fun. I look forward to many more conversations like that in the next few weeks. Hey if you’re huge, you might as well use it for a few laughs.

You know you’re nesting when…

1) You stay up late at night dreaming of organizing your linen closet and pantry. Oh, and the kid’s closet.

2) You contemplate ironing your sheets. (If you know me in real life you know that this is so NOT me.)

An Ode to the Husband and the Lord who made him

My husband is the best!  I on the other hand am quite emotional (not always a bad thing), and am nearing the end of this pregnancy.  Last night it was time for the little ones to go to bed…no, it was REALLY time for them to go to bed.  So, promptly after dinner we put them to bed.  Usually my boys are great helpers when it comes to clearing the table and helping with the clean-up.  After we put them to bed I walked back into the kitchen to see dinner still on the table, a floor to be swept, napkins to be washed, and dishes in the sink.  No helpers…suddenly I didn’t know where to begin.  Could it even be accomplished; this daunting task? 

Enter my man.  He quickly surveyed the situation and the state of his wife, and took charge.  “You load and I’ll rinse.”  In minutes the table was cleared and dishwasher loaded.  He didn’t know it, but as I brought him dishes I silently cried.  What a sweetheart.  Even more than that, I could tangibly see God’s care for me.  He knew how tired I was, and kindly prompted my husband to help me.  It was not necessary.  I didn’t deserve His grace to me, but that’s how God is.  So, last night I felt not only my husband’s love and care for me but the Lord’s.  Totally humbled. 

***Disclaimer: Please do not take this to mean that my husband does not normally help out.   It was just an especially needy moment I was having, that I wasn’t going to bother him with.

Funny Words

Our almost 3 year old and I had this conversation at breakfast this morning:

“Mom, my legs hurt.”

“Sometimes when your legs hurt, it means you’re growing.”

“I don’t want them to grow, I want them to stay tiny.”  (you have to picture it with genuine sincerity, and a great pouty face!)

Reflections on Fire

How do I sum up our life these past couple of weeks?  It’s been a whirlwind.  As I was driving to my mom’s house today through the charred ruins of their neighborhood I was thinking how strange it is that just a few miles away we are back to normal life.  I’m back to digging deep for patience, back to trying to pick toys off the ground, folding laundary, reading stories, eating chocolate, and reading blogs.  Yet, the neighborhood I grew up in is no longer the same.  It literally looks like a bomb went off.  My parent’s home is fine, despite a small fire that was put out on the side of their house by someone they will never meet.  Yet when you walk in the smell of ash hits you. 

Without the knowledge of the One, True, Living God one would look at this scene and see only what was lost, and the randomness of it all.  Homes that were loved and held years of memories gone.  But we know that the Lord is in this.  Nothing is out of His control, and nothing occurs without Him.  He was in control and continues to be working all these events for His glory.  As we drive past charred hillsides and rubble, my son is quick to remind me, “Momma that’s where the fire burned…BUT no one was hurt there!”  We must look to the good we can see in this.  As we been trying to show our kids there is so much to be thankful for in the midst of intense sadness and loss.  The Lord is working and we must train ourselves to see His goodness in the midst of the grief. 

So, it’s good for me to drive to mom and dad’s house and remember.  I used to walk on this street and pass that house down to the corner store.  I used to ride my bike to her house, which no longer stands.  I remember the sleep over we had there…People lived there in those walls, and now they sift through the ash trying to find any last treasures that might remain.  There are no walls left to guard them from the onlookers, there is no privacy while they grieve.  It’s good for me to see and know that although my life is back to normal this week there are people still hurting.  God has provided abundant opportunities right here for us to reach out and love because those hurting are made in the image of our God.  Our lives are but vapors, and can so easily be changed in a heartbeat.  This is a reminder to me to be looking beyond my walls to the One who never changes and knows all things. 

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading my mish-mash of thoughts.

11 Weeks

Sorry for not having written in a while, I just haven’t had a lot to say.  On Monday, I’ll be 29 weeks along, which means there are only 11 weeks until my due date.  I didn’t have to wait for my due date with either of the others, so hopefully this one will follow suit as well.  We have a birthday, Thanksgiving, a wedding, and Christmas that all come before my big date.  Wow, what a busy time.  I don’t mind it being busy though, because it makes things feel like they’re moving faster.  The only thing is, my huge to-do list isn’t really getting done.  I think I’m ok with that though.  We’ll get the important things done, and the rest will wait.  Do my spices really need to be alphabetized before this child is born?  Probably not, but it all feels so urgent.  So, we’ve just been “doing school,”  keeping the household things moving along, and stockpiling a bit for Christmas.  I’m thinking of doing Christmas baskets this year for each family, instead of the usual individual gifts.  It think that’s what is going to work for us.  Hopefully, they come together.  I think I’m going to go take a nap.  It’s a beautifully rainy day!

Falls-a-comin’

I don’t know why but I’ve been feeling rather fallish the last week or so. Maybe it’s because the thermometer has finally dropped below 100. Hey, I live in Southern California! Anyhow, I’ve been thinking about baking breads, and goodies, and hunkering down with a warm fire and a good book. We really don’t hunker down too much here as two little boys don’t really stay inside for days on end easily. There’s no need either when it’s usually hot on Christmas day, but it’s a fun idea.

I think it’s neat how the Lord created seasons, and how he made us to enjoy the change. We start to look for the change and long for it. We anticipate it and enjoy the different sensations and ambiance of the changing seasons. There’s a smell that goes with fall and winter. There’s a big hug feeling when you walk into a cozy home after being out in the chilly air. So, I’m looking forward to those things. I know changing seasons isn’t all romantic feelings and good smelling kitchens, but right now that’s what I’d like to think about. Ofcourse, I’m not dragging my kids all bundled up through the snow, in and out of the car with huge coats and wet shoes into the grocery store and back just for a loaf of bread…so it’s all fun and games here in SO. Cal. Here’s to apple pie and drinking coffee in the afternoon to be warm and snuggly.