Things I Would Have Missed

• Helping Braxton get his first science fair project to school
• Bryce "McDonalds! I wuv that pwace!"
• Bryce "Call Daddy. Call Daddy NOW!" when he went pee-pee in the potty.
• Brady's belly laugh when I tickle him
• Taking and picking up Braxton from school
• Bryce's hugs and kisses for no reason
• Bryce "Mommy I wike your senin (singing) while I unknowningly sing along to "Troy 1" (High School Musical) b/c its played 4 times in my house in the last 2 days!
• Brady following me around the house army crawling
• Brady saying "Da-Da"
• Nursing Brady
• The sword in my shoe
• Wiping snotty noses and dirty behinds (yes, I'm thankful for that too b/c I KNOW they are being taken care of)
• Hearing Braxton's friend Sam try to "Get him to Jesus" b/c Brax was being mean to his little brother
• Hot chocolate, a warm fire, and a movie with my boys

I could go on and on... Thank you God for showing me just how precious this time is to me and to my boys!

Work or Home?

Let me edit this and say that this post is about ME. This is my own personal conviction and question. Each woman has an individual choice to make and not every woman is called to stay home with their children. I understand and respect that.

For a while we have been struggling with what to do about Lloyd's job. He interviewed for a job here in Fort Smith but we found out just a couple weeks ago that he didn't get the job, and then the next week we found out they had to lay off several people. So that was a God thing! I know Lloyd is unhappy where he is but the money is good, and honestly until we get out of debt we need that money.

Lately, I have really been thinking about going back to teaching. I don't want too, but it would really help our financial situation and might free up Lloyd to take a lower paying job that he enjoyed.

Earlier this week, God reminded me of when I first received confirmation that I needed to quit my teaching job and stay home with Braxton. I was really struggling with it so I decided to fast during my lunch break and pray. I remember being on my knees in the dark in my classroom. It's funny to think about now--what someone would have thought if they came in...But I was desperate, and I felt like that's what I was supposed to do. Anyway, God reminded me of the scripture in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

I knew then that I was supposed to stay home with Braxton because my job was to teach my children to love God. I was to "impress" that on my children! Wow!

And do you know that I've had that verse come up 3 other times this week?! I think God is definitely trying to remind me again!

Now, if I could only take to heart Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Lord, I know this is a precious time in my boys' lives that I will never experience again. And I know that the time I have with them is much more valuable than anything money could buy. Thank you for reminding me of my "job" right now--to teach and train my boys to love You with all of their beings. I pray that I will impress that into their lives daily. Help me to be content knowing that You will provide all that we need!

My Husband Rocks Belated Friday!

I meant to write this last week, but I never made it. I have to tell you that MY HUSBAND ROCKS in a major way! Last weekend, my friend celebrated her birthday by inviting several girlfriends to rent a cabin in Branson for some serious Girl Time! Not only did Lloyd encourage me to go, he insisted I go and leave all 3, yes all 3, boys with him! Even when the school called that Friday for me to come pick up Braxton after the other 4 of us had been on antibiotics all week, he kept telling me to go. So I went--teary eyed and feeling extremely selfish--but it was just what I needed. I came home completely refreshed, with a new appreciation for my husband. He greeted me with all 3 boys smiling and healthy, with the walls still standing, and the house somewhat in order, and with a new appreciation for me. I love my husband! He rocks my socks off!

Hectic

Life has been crazy the past few weeks and my internet went down last week, so I've spent what I feel like has been my entire day on the computer catching up. How did we survive before these things? Sometimes I wish we could go back to the days of phones in our homes (even before answering machines) and hand-written letters. When family time was not interrupted by cell phones vibrating, because you know you can't turn it OFF, and you didn't have the urge to check your email 15 times a day afraid you might miss something important. Oh the days..