Monday, February 28, 2011

Not Me Monday - Nope, There's NOT A Giveaway!

Friday night is family night!

We make homemade pizza and watch a movie.

BUT

If it's nice outside, who can give up an evening picnic under the stars pointing out constellations?!

So, if my daughter were to drop her pizza upside down on the way out the side door onto the doormat, I would never pretend like I didn't see her as she picked it up to put back on her plate.

Nope, not me!

I'd at least inspect the pizza to make sure there weren't any hairs or leaves on it get her a sanitary piece of pizza!

Speaking of my daughter...

Yes, I'm a mother.  But to a six-year-old?!

Nope, not me.

I'm only 19, in college studying music, playing soccer and looking for Mr. Right.  I would never turn 32 and become a mother of 3, much less a mother to a beautiful little girl who turns 6 years old today!

Nope, not me!


That 6-year-old would never turn into a little "me" walking around, constantly picking up after her little brothers, crying when things are out of place and arguing until her opponent tells her that she's right.

Nope, not me her!

Because if I were a mom to a 6-year-old little girl, I would be more aware of who I really am.  I would be forced to see what I am really like behind closed doors, as only a mom can see.  I would thank the Lord for His faithfulness and graciousness to me, to bless me, in spite of myself, with 3 beautiful children, who challenge me to be a better mom, wife and teacher.

Because that is what a parent is, right?

Speaking of teaching...

I always have a rhyme and reason to these Not Me Monday posts, so I'd never let you know that I was asked to Guest Post at the Internet Cafe and leave you a link to a giveaway of my book because you only have 7 more days until it begins!

Nope Not Me!


Oh...and I'd never tag a P.S. on a Not Me Monday post either...so, just pretend that this didn't happen and that you already knew that Josh is going in the studio with the guys at the end of the week to track a song to go along with each week of my devotional to help your kids remember the verses, k?!  K!  Make sure to check back here at the beginning of each week to download your song for the week:)

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Words Of Wisdom - From The Heart Of A Child

Me: "Sometimes you guys are just so good to me that I want to bless you and do something special for you.  Do you guys want to go get some ice cream after we run some errands this afternoon?"

Zeke AND Areyna:  "YEAH!!!!"

***a couple of minutes later***

Zeke: "Mommy, I got some cash out of my 'spending' envelope so I can buy my ice cream."

Me: "Oh buddy, that is sweet, but I am going to buy your ice cream for you.  'Cause if you spend your dollar then you won't have any more money in your spending envelope."

Zeke: "That's ok, mom, 'cause I don't want you to have to buy it."

Areyna: "Yeah, mom.  I got a dollar out of my envelope too.  We know that you have to buy your own things at the store, so we are going to buy our own ice cream so you don't have to spend your money on it."

Who says that young kids can't grasp life-long concepts at an early age?!
_______________

This morning Zeke came out right at 9am, which is normally time to get up, and asked, "Can Rainy come cuddle with me in my bed?"

Of course I smiled and agreed.  Who would forbid sibling cuddling.  I pray my kids always stay as close as they are now.  As close as I was with my brother and sister...

_________________

The beautiful weather has made for some wonderfully creative playing outside.  Yesterday Rainy and Zeke were out playing in the field behind our house and looking for treasures when they came in for some water.

Zeke: "Mom, Rainy told me that the Bible said that we need to be kind to our enemies, so I left some of my Pirate coins outside for the bad guys."

Areyna has been learning this concept at church and was, in turn, sharing it with her brother.  What could make a mama's heart happier?!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Mud Pies And Butterflies


I keep wondering where in the world all my kid's dishes from my kitchen keep disappearing to.  I should automatically know to look in the play house, patio and "bunny bush" outside.  Oh the stories these dishes would tell if they could speak...

Fun Facts For Friday

So, apparently we have the most DIS-obedient daughter ever.  She is turning 6 on Monday. S-I-X!  And no matter how many times we tell her to stop growing up, she just continues to grow more and more into a little lady.  *sigh*  We're trying to figure out what kind of "natural" consequences she should have.  We've thought about a pet, but this mama just isn't ready for that commitment yet, I'm still working on trying to keep my houseplants alive!  We also wrestled with the idea of getting her ears pierced, but dad isn't up for that one, yet.  He gives ME the look every time it gets brought up:)

I am going to mention my book again.  I hesitate to even keep talking about it, but if I don't talk about it, I'm afraid people may miss getting their hands on this resource.  I mean really, unless you read my blog or are my #1 fan because you're my friend (ya'll are awesome, by the way), you most likely haven't heard about it.  I don't want it to be about me AT ALL.  I just know that it has the potential to change the lives of families who are going to do it.  As a matter of fact, the children's pastor and his wife are going to do it, and they just got married and have NO kids!  I hope it will be a blessing to ALL who read it as they make the Easter story part of their own story.
On that note, you now have 10 days until the devotional begins!  I was contacted by the staff at The Internet Cafe who wanted to do a write-up about my book and have a giveaway.  So, I'll keep you posted here next week.  The giveaway begins on Monday.

Just to keep me humble, ha!, I thought I'd share something else that happened to me this week.  I had a phone interview with Carolina Parent for the April edition.  The topic was "saving money and incorporating the whole family".  I thought, ooh, I must be pretty cool to have this opportunity...and then I realized that the post I wrote that same day was about how I keep going over budget with our groceries.  I just had to smile:)

We have had 7 families commit to save their spare change for our adoption.  Anybody can save their change and you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home!  Come on and do it with us:)  Let me know if you're in!  The research showed that you can get an average of $20 for every full bottle of change.  That can really add up!

I've been doing my research to get ready for our straw bale garden this year!  Oh man, am I excited.  I will be posting about our progress, of course;)

Have a Great Weekend, ya'll!  I know I will:)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Music To My Ears - Music For The Quiet Times

Josh and I love to listen to music.  That's no surprise, I'm sure!  There is hardly ever a time in this house when we don't have music going.

We have a few albums that we listen to on a regular basis in the mornings when it is quiet and we are spending time with our Lord.  Usually something calm and quiet to help us focus on the One we are trying to get to know.

Here are a few faithful albums that we enjoy during our quiet mornings together with our Lord.

Jonsi and Alex - Riceboy Sleeps
Sigur Ros - Any of their albums
Unwed Sailor - The Marionette And The Music Box
Johann Johannsson - Fordlandia
Album Leaf - Any of their albums

Do you listen to music during your quiet times with the Lord, or any other times that quiet come in your house, and if you do, what is your favorite?  Maybe you prefer silence?  I'd love to hear about it!  Besides we're always looking for new tunes to listen to:)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Bottles Of "Change" To Help "Change" A Life

In my search for simple ways to raise money for our adoption I came across an excellent idea.  You all can help too and it won't cost you hardly anything.  It is also a GREAT way to get your kids involved too.  In fact, we're doing it with our kids and they get SO excited when they can help out!

Here's what you need:
  • A baby bottle - you can pick one up at the $1 store or get one out of your attic like we did, ha!  In all honesty, you could use any container you have to place the label on and save your change.
  • A printer - to print the "tag" at the top of this post that we created of our little girl to tape on your bottle/container
  • Collect change around your house.  For Example: under the couch and cushions, on the floor board of the car and outside in the parking lot.  Although, if you do this last one, make sure you lay down the ground rules first...ie it wouldn't be all that productive if you are grabbing change from under a moving vehicle, ya know?:)
So, I'm setting a goal just for fun!

Let's see how many bottles we can fill up with spare change by the end of March!  

Let me know if you are willing to commit to collecting your change for our little Shabila.  Get your kids involved and show them that every penny counts to help change the life of our little girl.  I've got a counter on the right sidebar to keep track of how many bottles we are filling!

~Your donations can be sent through our ministry to be made TAX-DEDUCTIBLE~

For All Of Those Who Have Made Me, Me

I have:

a father who taught me that everything has a place, and that you should listen to a man of few words, because when he does speak those words are going to be full of wisdom.

a mother who taught me that love and servanthood can be shown through a lovely home-cooked meal to those who need it most, and that a long-distance prayer can make everything feel so much better.

a sister who has taught me everything I needed to know to get me through my pregnancies.

a brother-in-law who taught me how to co-lead an interpretive dance...thank you smelly-welly, ha:)

a brother who taught me that you really can have a passion for rap AND opera.

a sister-in-law who taught me that no family is too strange to marry into, we love you!

in-laws who have shown me that generosity has no bounds and that families should stick together, no matter what.

a brother-in-law who taught me that I shouldn't be afraid of confrontation.

a sister-in-law who showed me exactly what was in the food I've been eating;)

a brother-in-law that has made me see that I shouldn't take myself too seriously.

a sister-in-law who is teaching me to "gather my thoughts" before I talk...oh and that leftover pork chops go in the sock drawer.

a brother-in-law who taught me that you don't have to be loud to be heard in a large family;)

a sister-in-law who showed me the most amazing Way2Save money!

a brother-in-law who has taught me that the man behind the scenes is just as important as the one up on stage.

a sister-in-law that has taught me that you don't only learn from those older than you.

a brother and sister-in-law remind me of being a newlywed and that we all need medication sometimes:)

a husband who teaches me everyday who I really am inside and makes me want to be a better reflection of the One who made me.

a daughter who reminds me that she is watching every move I make.

a son who takes it upon himself to teach me patience every day!

a daughter who has taught me that a little really is a lot.

a son who is teaching me how to really stretch our grocery budget.

a small group and church family who pour into our family and our life, in every circumstance.

And that's not to mention so many other friends who encourage me to be a better mom, teach me to persevere in every circumstance, remind me that friendships can last, even after a move, speak truth into my life, have taught me how to cloth diaper, a true life essential:)

But, above all, I have a God who has shown me unconditional love and who has given me a freedom to be...me!

Who has spoken into your life?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bed Head, That's What I Said


Deficit

In any area of my life when I get behind and try to just make it up the next time, it never happens.  I get farther and farther behind.  Farther and farther into deficit.

Here's just one example where I struggle.  We have a grocery budget and with the way my boys have been eating lately it has been almost impossible to keep within that budget!  So here is what I start thinking in my head to justify it, "Ok, I'll go get the few things we need and just take that $20 out of our grocery budget for the next  two weeks."  Here is where it gets frustrating though.  I will go into the next two week cycle with $20 less for groceries and am forced to go to the store and spend more money anyway.  I am constantly living in this deficit cycle that will not end.

When, in reality, I should revisit our budget and make room for a little bit more grocery money.  I should rearrange our monetary priorities and start over.  I should clean the slate and just try again.  I can't keep living in that deficit or we will get deeper and deeper in, all the while getting more and more frustrated that I simply cannot get a hold of our grocery budget.

Doesn't that remind you of something?  Okay, maybe it's just me, but when I fall short in any area of life it all goes back to my spiritual life somehow:)

When we struggle with sin, such as a specific "temptation," we try to just keep going and "try harder" next time.  When are we ever going to realize that it is not us that forgives and makes our sins as white as snow?

The Lord has offered total forgiveness so that we can pick up our bootstraps and try again, but this time relying on Christ's strength in us!

We have to be willing to let it go.  To give it to God and trust that He can take away that deficit in us.

Isn't it nice to know that you can start fresh?  That he forgives and wants to help us conquer?

Stop living in the deficit of your sin!  Ask the Lord for forgiveness, believe that He can and has forgiven you and rely on His strength to carry you through.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Not Me Monday

Josh and I love our kids.  We really do.

All.The.Time.

So, we would never begin counting down the minutes, an hour before a date, as we try patiently to wait for the babysitters to get here.

Nope, not us. 

Josh and I always leave plenty of time for instruction for the sitters when we leave the kids while going on a date.

Especially with people who are watching the kids for the first time.

Yup.  We are very cautious parents.

We would never greet our friends, who graciously offered to watch the kids, with a "Hey-how-are-you-thanks-for-coming-do-you-have-any-questions-k-bye" and then jet out the door before giving them a chance to respond.

Nope. Not us.

And goodness, especially not if our youngest has an issue with passing out when getting too worked up about something.

We would totally warn our friends, who graciously offered to watch our kids, who don't have children, of something so seemingly life-threatening as that.

Because, let's face it, how scary would it be, to be those friends who graciously offered to watch our kids, who don't have children, to have a 1 1/2 year old pass out in their arms after a fall, just 5 minutes after the parents leave you with them for the first time.

But

If that were to happen, we would most certainly turn around immediately, when the frantic call came in that our little boy was turning blue and not breathing.

We would never just calmly apologize for forgetting to tell them about this common little occurrence and they just needed to slap his little cheek and blow really hard in his face, give him about 5 minutes and he'd be okay...

...and then continue on to our date destination.

Nope, not us!


~Thank you Kaitlin and Adam.  You all did a wonderful job with the kids!  Sorry for the scare:)~

DISCLAIMER:  No children were hurt or injured during the above said occurrence (besides, it never happened anyway).

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Story In Pictures - Happy Heart Day

I Love Valentine's Day
Not because we do anything fancy at all
And definitely not for the pink pancakes that we made pink
with Kool-Aid because I forgot food coloring, ha!
But because I get to love on the ones I love most
in a fun, creative way!
Besides, it always reminds me of when I was younger
and my mom would do the same fun things for us:)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Fun Facts For Friday

I love waking up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning.
  Couldn't be more excited for Spring this year.  Especially after the weather we've had this week!  We've been outside ALL WEEK LONG.  Don't get me wrong, it was a fabulous winter, but it's time.  It's time to run around barefoot and naked (No, no, not me!)
in sun dresses and bathing suits,
drying my clothes outside on the line with all the windows open, and doing silly things, like running in the sprinkler with superhero costumes and backwards bicycle helmets

and lounging by our new pool!
Yes, we got a new pool for this year.  We figured it was time to upgrade this year from the $9 pool to the $12 pool (don't worry I got it 75% at the end of the season last year!).  It's getting harder and harder to do laps with all these kids of ours, ha!

Speaking of kids...

I wonder if we're actually ever going to end up adopting.  Sometimes I forget that we are even in the process since we've kind of been at a stand still for so long.  Not much has happened in about 5 weeks as we continue to wait for our Home Study approval.

We finally made it to the library.  We've lived in this house since LAST November and just now visited the library for the first time.  The kids have loved having new books to read.  Don't be fooled, though, just because it's a "kid book" doesn't mean that it is a short read.
I started reading these Strawberry Shortcake books and after 20 minutes, and realizing that I was only half-way through, we had to take a break to finish the next day:)

Zeke and Micaiah decided to trade jammies last night, ha!  What in the world...they are 3 years a part!

I have come up with a new Olympic sport.  I'm still trying to come up with a clever name for it, but Josh and I will take on any one of ya'll!  Our speed and agility in changing late-night "accident" sheets is untouchable.  We get it done quick alright, I can just never get back to sleep afterwards...

Well, I need to go start making my rounds to open all my windows.

Have a great weekend ya'll!  I know I will:)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

You Sure Can't Change The Man You Married

Even after almost 9 years!
(remember THIS post?)
Leaving me the last bit of ice cream
empty ice bins and trays

But you can choose not to resent them for all those cute little things they do that remind you everyday of the one you DID marry:)

Besides, I'm sure if you think hard enough about it
there is probably something that you do that drives him crazy
To me it is the perfect accent to our bedroom.
The him it's the ugliest pillow known to man.

We all have our things;)

Choose your reaction wisely...
Love him the way you want to be loved!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Guest Blogger: Robbie Litke (My Mom)

Family resemblance is a curious thing.  I have thought about it a lot the past couple of months as I have observed our children with other family members.  More than once people have confused our oldest daughter and me when talking on the phone.  In a passing glance at our second daughter I saw my sister and another time a likeness to her cousin.  Our son is the most uncanny in that not only does he share physical features with his cousins, they have some of the same idiosyncrasies, and they don't even see each other very often.  As we were recently looking at photographs of our nephew, we saw features of both his mother and father.  The whole gene pool thing is pretty mind-boggling.

Even more amazing is how, as Christians, we are conformed to the image of Christ.  As we grow in our relationship with Him, we become more like Him: we yearn for time alone with Him, we develop a heart for the things that He is passionate about, we become less me-centered and more others-centered.  And, as that happens, others see Him in us.  Oh that our resemblance to Him would be striking to everyone in our sphere of influence.  Oh that we would have our Father's eyes.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, 
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, 
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
11 Corinthians 3:18

Head and Shoulders, Knees and...

...nose

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Sacred Marriage


I just finished reading Sacred Marriage: Celebrating Marriage as a Spiritual Discipline by Gary Thomas.  What a GREAT book!  If you need a book to read together with your spouse or even by yourself, this is a must-read.

I could never give this book total justice by trying to tell you about it in my own words, so let me put a couple of my favorite excerpts from it on here so you'll see how wonderful it is and go get it.  I promise it will transform your marriage!


" 'Stocism' has never been a Christian philosophy.  
If truth be told, we serve a passionate God who feels deeply.
Our passions are what make us come alive.  
The apathetic person is a pathetic person.  
While we often fear our passions 
because they can carry us into an affair, 
a fight, or some other destructive behavior, 
the solution is not living a less passionate life 
but finding the right things to be passionate about."

So often, I think that emotions and passion are looked down on.  It supposedly portrays weakness and lack of self-control.  But, I have learned to embrace my emotional side.  I truly feel that the Lord has given me a deep passion for others and emotions to share with them.  This book has totally confirmed this emotional embrace that I've found.

"Let your relationship with your spouse point you 
to what you really need most of all:  
God's love and active presence in your life.  
Above all, don't blame your spouse for lack of fulfillment; 
blame yourself for not pursuing 
a fulfilling relationship with God."

Ouch!  Okay so how are we supposed to do that?!

"Marital dissatisfaction, on whatever level, 
is best met with the prayer, 'That's why I need you, O God.'  
We are reminded of the transcendent ache in our soul 
that even this one very special person 
can't relieve entirely on his or her own.  
As odd as this may sound, 
I have discovered in my own life that my satisfaction 
or dissatisfaction with my marriage has far more 
to do with my relationship to God 
than it does with my relationship to Lisa (his wife).  
When my heart grows cold toward God, 
my other relationships suffer, 
so if I sense a burgeoning alienation from, 
or lack of affection toward, my wife, 
the first place I look is how I'm doing with the Lord.  
Lisa is, quite literally, my God-thermometer."


Ok, I've got one more that is by far my favorite section!
Francis De Sales wrote, "Let us be what we are, and let us be it well."

"In other words, if we are married, we are married, 
and we must not try to live as if we were otherwise.  
Francis noted that by living with this attitude, 
we 'do honor to the Master whose work we are.'"
"To accept this counsel entails that we do not make the mistake 
John Wesley made-get married, 
but then refuse to adjust his life accordingly.  
Wesley said he was adamant that he wouldn't let being married 
slow him down by even one sermon.  
This kind of vision is unrealistic, 
and even unfair to our spouse, to be sure." - Thomas

De Sales also wrote, "If I ignore God's daughter/son to do God's work, am I honoring God?"
Thomas expounds on this by saying, 
"Christian men in particular might be tempted 
above all others to let ambition erode their marital devotion, 
even to the point of using religious language 
to justify shortchanging their spouse, 
but de Sales warned that even spiritual devotion 
can be taken 'out of bounds.' ... 
God is not served well if we turn off 
everyone around us in our selfish pursuit of devotion."

Wow, I thought Josh and I had a great marriage, and quite frankly I still do, but boy do I have a lot of maturing to do...

Now, on to my next book!  I've been waiting for this one:)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Our Love Chapter - For The One We're Waiting For


We are waiting patiently for you

We promise to be kind

We pray that you do not feel like you need to envy our other kids, but feel just as part of our family as they are.

We will boast only in the One who gave you to us.  Our heavenly father knew that you were born for our family!

We pray that the Lord will melt any pride that we feel as an adoptive family.  We just want to obey God's call on our lives to adopt.

We promise not to dishonor you, but to learn about the culture you came from and allow you to find who you need to be in Christ.

We pray that we will not be self-seeking, but instead, keep your best interest at heart.

We promise not to get easily angered.  But, knowing that we are human, we promise to seek forgiveness for the times we are wrong.

We will keep no record of wrongs, and I promise that if you have a children's yard chair in the backyard that I won't sit on it and break it:)

We do not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  You can rest assured in this one, little girl.

We promise to always protect you

always trust you, although we know times will come where it will be difficult

always hope and pray that you will find the personal relationship in Christ that he desires from you.

always perseveres as we pray for daily direction to be the parents/family that you need!

The Love Chapter - 1 Joshua 13:4-7






Josh is patient - he has a wife who, on average, finds a new "home" for an object at least 2 times a week.  Poor guy...he had to call me the other day, after being sweet enough to start some laundry, because he couldn't find the clothes pins.

Josh is kind - except for when he steals my covers every night!

He does not envy - he rejoices with others in their blessings.

He does not boast - he actually gets uncomfortable when people talk about his accomplishments. I may struggle with this one a bit more...okay, so I'm just a little bit proud that he's MINE!

He is not proud - Josh is one of the most humble men I know.

He does not dishonor others -  he is a very loyal friend. He thinks through his words carefully so as not to say something he should not.  Another reason why I love him.

He is not self-seeking - except for when he steals my covers every night!

He is not easily angered -  in fact, people often ask me, "Does Josh ever get mad?", "Has Josh ever lost his cool?", "Does Josh ever raise his voice?", or "Is Josh always so laid back?"  My answer is always "No", "Once" (the Henderson youth group knows the one time Josh got mad, ha!), "No" and "Yes".  This is just one reason why I love this man of mine!

He keeps no record of wrongs - except for that blasted children's plastic yard chair that I sat on and broke in Charlotte.  For some reason he thinks that is just SOOOO funny.

Josh does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth - this is evident to all who know him.  He lives this out on a daily basis.

He always protects -  it's almost crazy how this happens sometimes.  When we go out as a family, Josh gets in "protective mode", as we call it.  He gets really quiet, almost on guard, as we walk through the store, making sure that we are all okay.

always trusts - no matter how many times I fail, he never holds it against me, waiting for yet another failure.  He trusts in me and encourages me to be the woman God made me to be.

always hopes - he will never lose hope each day, as he waits to see if he is going to "get lucky", ha!;)

always perseveres - he works very diligently at the tasks laid before him from the Lord.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Love Chapter - 1 Micaiah 13:4-7






Micaiah is patient - he has two older siblings who think that they are his mommy and daddy.  They are always bossing him around.  Now, because Cai can't communicate with words much yet he is forced to "let them know" how he feels in other ways;)  He will learn though, right? Right.

Micaiah is kind - he has grown a lot since the bubby battles that occurred in his early age.  He has started realizing the precious comfort that Zeke's bubby and Areyna's bear give them and freely seeks them out to give their lovies back to them. 

He does not envy - okay, okay...but he is only 1 1/2:) He only wants what someone else has, ha!

He does not boast - he can't talk yet, silly, but he does squeal with delight when he finally masters a task he has been working on!

He is not proud - alright, well this one is a bit of a stretch too.  He thinks he rules the roost and you'd think he really did if you saw the way his classmates at church run in fear when they see him... (that's another post for another day, like sometime next week?)

He does not dishonor others -  yeah, well, he's a 1 1/2 year old boy...we're stilling working on this one too:)

He is not self-seeking - gosh, maybe I shouldn't do these kinds of posts for Cai until he matures a little bit, haha...

He is not easily angered -  Oh man, here we go again...this little pistol of a boy is a firecracker...but I love him.  When he blows up I just squeeze him tight until he calms down.  I just try to think of it as extra cuddle time:)

He keeps no record of wrongs - thank goodness he wasn't around for the time I sat on that blasted children's plastic yard chair in Charlotte or he'd never let me live that down either!

Micaiah does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth - when he must be disciplined he is quick to apologize to the victim (yes, usually it involves chasing Zeke up and down our hallway with his drumsticks) and calming his heart to embrace love, which is Truth.

He always protects -  unless he is having one of his aforementioned occurrences where he is chasing Zeke with drumsticks or pulling Areyna's hair while she screams

always trusts - he knows that when his daddy gets home that it is time for wrestling!  He trusts that he will always have this boy time every night:)

always hopes - this boy loves him some food and he always hopes that I will give him some throughout the day if he bangs on the cabinet doors enough or protests in front of the refrigerator long enough!

always perseveres - this is one very encouraging thing I have to say about my Cai...he always perseveres.  He is a very determined little boy.  If he falls off the steps to go up the slide he stands right back up, even before his crying dies out, and climbs right back on that slide until he has mastered how to get to the top, pull his legs around from behind him to sit at the top and slide down all by himself.  He works and works until he accomplishes what his mind is set on, like the big step down from the kitchen to the car port.  He will go up and down and up and down until he can do it without falling down.  I love this about him!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Love Chapter - 1 Ezekiel 13:4-7







Zeke is patient - he has a mama who forgets things all the time.  I forget things so much that he has to continually ask me for the same things constantly. For example, his drink at lunch, or his snack (from like 30 minutes ago) or to please get AAA batteries at the store.  I've had to start writing his requests on the blackboard in my kitchen so he knows I won't forget.  So, yes, Zeke is a very patient boy.

Zeke is kind - he saves his last bite of...everything...for his daddy.  He loves to give people things that he loves, like pirate coins, "Cars" stickers and lots of hugs and kisses:)

He does not envy - Zeke has a handful of special toys that keep him very grateful for what he has, so he's not too worried about others' possessions.

He does not boast - he doesn't seek out affirmation from me or Josh, although he gladly accepts praise when it comes to him, but he doesn't mind doing things behind the scenes.

He is not proud - unless, of course, he calls a square a triangle and thinks he is right:)
Bless his little heart...

He does not dishonor others -  he is very compassionate and loving toward others.

He is not self-seeking - I've loved seeing his heart transform through our adoption process.  He has gone out of his way to do things to "help" bring our little girl home.  
He is not easily angered - Okay, I lied, but he really is getting better at this one, ha!

He keeps no record of wrongs - except for that blasted plastic children's yard chair of Areyna's that I sat on in the backyard in Charlotte and broke.  Yeah, he won't let me live that one down either! 

Zeke does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth - that is why he always prefaces a tattle-tail remark with, "Ummm, I'm not trying to get Rainy in trouble, but..."

He always protects - especially when he is dressed up as a superhero:)

always trusts - okay, I lied about this one too, he really thinks everybody is out to get his "special to me" toys like his treasure box and spiderman sticker book, but after some convincing, he usually begins to trust again.

always hopes - he has hope that one day his daddy will never have to work another day and we can live as a family together, happily ever after:)

always perseveres - no matter how hard Micaiah knocks him down!