Time?! Where does it go?!

Mud fight!

Honestly, it’s been soooo long since I wrote a post that I hardly know where to start! Chandler’s birthday party, Roger’s birthday, Wyatt’s birthday, Easter, Mother’s Day, the yard sale we had, our plans for the summer, the boys finishing school, the new things Emma can do, the mud fight we had…it’s hard to know where to start! J

Our older two, Garett and Chandler, finished school on May 2. We survived first grade and kindergarten due mostly to my mom’s ever enduring long suffering and patience when it came to helping out with schooling! It’s a relief and a blessing to have finished up the school year, although I’ve been having the boys read and practice math skills. J Wyatt still has about 12 days of 4K left, but he is anxiously looking forward to summer break as well!

My dad took the boys camping for an end of the year field trip, and the boys enjoyed fishing, four-wheeling, “mushmellows” (as Wyatt calls marshmallows) and a “bombfire” (bonfire J ). They came home happy and filthy, so it was a success. J

 

Our family!

We went to a wedding on Saturday, also my birthday, in Eau Claire, WI. After my cousin’s wedding, the older two boys headed to South Dakota for a few days with my sister. They are ecstatic and have shown no qualms about leaving their parents! J It will be nice to spend more one-on-one time with the younger three, although I will miss my two big boys…I’ll have to empty the trash, and fold the laundry next week! J I’m thankful that they have the opportunity to do something fun like this, but it’s a huge step for us as parents. Even though it’s my sister, the boys are still a reflection of our parenting, so it will be interesting to see how the week goes!

Our sweet Emma "Cake"

Mother’s Day was last Sunday, and Roger decided to take the family out to dinner. (Hindsight, we should have just gone home, since the boys were worn out from camping…but they did okay). Anyways, while we were at the restaurant, someone else told their mama, “Happy Mother’s Day”, to which Travis immediately replied, “It’s their Mother’s Day too?!”. J Thankful for the memories, and the dinner out, and the boys were delighted to take mom out for lunch…although, this mama would have been just as delighted with a nap! J  Also, on Mother's day, Chandler was baptized! Our sweet second son, asked Jesus to come into his heart on April 16, 2014. He's been talking about wanting to be baptized and even took the initiative to talk to our pastor himself. He was sure that this was the next step, and confident in getting baptized. I'm so thankful that it worked out for him to be baptized before Roger leaves for the summer!



Garett on Mother's Day

As the summer approaches, changes are coming for the Robertson family. Roger will be leaving on May 26^th, Lord willing for flight training in North Carolina and then Florida. This is a big step for us, and we have lots to do in the final days. Please pray specifically for two things: 1) we will get approved for a loan to do this training  2) that the Piper Pacer will sell so we won’t need as much of a loan

Roger will be gone for a loooong time, and single parenting is not my forte, so I’d appreciate prayers. At this time, it looks like Roger will be back sometime mid-September. While we’ve prayed, sought Godly counsel, and prayed some more, this is a HUGE step for us. I’ll be parenting five young children by myself for 15 weeks, and while I’m better at being consistent than Roger on some things, Roger is far better at others! He’s their playmate, part of their stability, a core of their confidants, and a listener to fears and dreams…and so much more! Pray that I can adequately meet the needs of my children this summer…without losing patience and sanity! J

 

 

My "mommy" inventions!

Life in my mom invented world!

I was thinking lately, that if my mom brain invented some things, life would be much easier. This week I was out with all my children, as usual, but realized that life could be so much easier. Here are a few of my “mommy” suggestions:

1)      All pacifiers should come with a GPS coordinate so that they can be relocated when lost. Also, it would be helpful if they let off an alarming beep when chucked out of the cart or under a seat in the truck, etc.

2)      In my mom invented world, one in every three McDonald's would have a play land! That way, I would always have an option of being fairly close to one…unless of course, we live in Manley, AL. J (I’m not a fan of McDonald's food per se, but how nice it would be to have a play date with a friend at one and sit and chat!)

3)      Of course, a requirement of having a McDonald’s play land should require the McDonald’s to have a bathroom adjacent to the play land! Does anyone have any idea how frustrating it is to take the baby (who exploded in her diaper) and all the children to the back of the restaurant to change the baby?! J It’s either that or leave the children unattended in the play land, which is frowned upon, not to mention, there are some really crazy people out there!

Our little girl!



 

4)      If I designed a vehicle in my mommy brain, it would be washable…inside and out! Why not have a vehicle that can be hosed down on the inside as well as the outside?!  Vinyl seats that wipe down easily, plastic interiors, etc. so that you can go through the car wash with the doors open and clean the inside, outside and hey, why not the kids too? J I don’t know about your vehicle, but ours is not always spotless on the inside…shhh…it’s a secret! If the vehicle could be hosed down on the inside, it could prevent my frustration of stepping in ½ a peanut butter sandwich, or trying to clean out the cup holder that someone used for a barf bag! YUCK!



5)      Another thing…why not have a drive-thru for milk, eggs, and stamps? I LOVE (said sarcastically) going to the post office, taking all my kids in for a book of stamps or to mail one envelope express, etc. Or going to the grocery store for milk, and hauling the baby, the two preschoolers, the kindergartner, and the first grader all in the store…awesome! NOT! J

6)      If I invented something else, it would be a clothes FOLDER! You know, we have a washing machine, and a dryer, but a clothes folder would make my day! J Imagine throwing in the clothes, and they come out folded! That would be so cool! J

Yes, I could use a clothes folder on laundry day!

Okay, well my list could be a lot longer, but I’m sure I’ve probably bored you by now. J Roger was gone this past weekend on a flying trip to South Carolina, so I was mom/dad for 24/7. Thankfully, Roger is home now, and I’m so thankful! J

 

New year...already behind!

Emma at Five months

Hmmm….well, I’m already behind on one of my goals for the new year! L I wanted to write on the blog at least twice a month, and I only posted on blog entry for January. I have about 500 or more excuses why I didn’t get a second one written, but no one wants to hear about excuses! J

At the end of January, Chandler turned six; however, since he hasn’t had a birthday party yet, I’m having a hard time convincing him that he is already SIX! J We usually give our children a small party on the year that they turn five, but since we were traveling back from Alaska last year, Chandler didn’t have a birthday party. So, I told him we would have a birthday party, but between all the company we’ve had at our house, the cold weather, the activities of everything else…it just hasn’t happened yet! At this rate, it’ll be spring! J

Birthday boy!

Earlier this month, we had two more boys at our house for a week, while their parents went on vacation. It really wasn’t too bad, but I think Roger and Sarah Robertson are good with five kids! J If we learned nothing else in the past month, we learned this: Every parent has a different style of parenting, it doesn’t make one better than the other…it’s just different! So, now we’re back into the swing of our own routines and schedules…or rather, we’re working on it! J

My new haircut and Emma!

For Valentines Day, my husband completely surprised me! AGAIN! J I thought that we were going to the church valentines banquet, but Roger had arranged for my parents to keep the boys over night. He also asked his brother and sister-in-law to keep Emma for a couple of hours while we went out to dinner. I’ll admit…at first, I was very disappointed to not be going to the banquet; but Roger went through all the effort to line up babysitters and coordinate our time away so I got over it. However, Roger had more than just dinner up his sleeve! After dinner, we took a drive for a few minutes, and then Roger stopped at a very nice hotel. When I asked what we were doing, he just said, “Let’s see if they have a room available for tonight.” But, Roger already had a room key, a reserved room, a bouquet of roses and a beautiful note all set up to surprise me! He told me that he too, had wanted to go to the banquet, but since we could really only afford the overnight stay or the banquet, he chose the overnight stay. He really did an outstanding job working at surprising me, lining up babysitters, getting flowers, etc…I am loved! (We did go get Emma, as she refuses to stay overnight anywhere without her mama!) J We enjoyed talking uninterrupted, breakfast to ourselves, a quiet ride home, and came home refreshed and ready to parent five children again! J (Until they’re all five in the same room…then I can’t think!) J

Six months!!!

Travis has been working on his ABC’s , and he’ll be starting 4K in the fall. This past week, he pointed to the letter “U” and asked Roger, “What’s that?” Roger replied, “That’s ‘U’”. Travis promptly replied, “Me?” I just shook my head and laughed! While at times the days seem LONG, the years are flying by! We were looking at picture albums together a few days ago, and the boys have grown so much! I wish I would’ve enjoyed them more when they were 4,3,2, and 1, but at the time all I could think about was getting through the day! And in some ways, those days were easier…we were learning about simple obedience, not lying, etc. Now the questions are getting harder! One of our children asked at Bible time, what he should do when Satan talks to him and tells him to do something wrong…a deep thought for a little person! Now we’re wading through why we should obey, learning about God’s grace, living for Jesus, treating others kindly, and other thoughts the boys have on a daily basis. It does keep me begging God for grace and wisdom, and challenges me to seek His Word.

Our children...love them so much!

Emma's first time with cereal!

Roger is leaving this Wednesday for a trip to South Carolina. He’ll be flying the Pacer down there by himself in preparation for getting more flight training in the future. Please be in prayer for good weather, safe travel, direction for our future, and myself and the kids as Roger will be gone through Sunday. We are gingerly stepping out in faith to see what God has for us. While Roger enjoys his job, God has greatly been moving in Roger’s heart directing him to pursue more aviation training. Whether that means God will move us back to Alaska, we don’t know; but we wanted to be preparing for whatever God has. Please pray with us for God’s direction and wisdom. Thank-you!

Apparently, the cereal was good enough to lick the table!

Roger and Sarah + 8!

Boys eating supper before church on Wednesday

To say it’s been a busy week would be a gross understatement! We’ve had a houseful of children this week, and while it’s been crazy at times, I’ve enjoyed the memories and the quiet moments after bedtime! J

Birthday Boy!

We picked up three additional boys last Friday, ages 11, 10 and 3, so that we could be a blessing to the family.  Our good friend was having surgery to remove a cyst, and one way we could help was to take their boys this week…so we did! J We tried to keep everyone busy with wood cutting, sledding, schoolwork, outside play, and various chores. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when boys are bored, trouble will brew! Our boys loved having additional boys to play with and for the most part, everyone got along nicely. Travis especially enjoyed having another three year old boy to play with and the two of them have been best buds all week. J

Emma has not enjoyed her company so much…I think she wants space! J She’s been  rudely awakened every morning and has not appreciated that at all! I’ve treasured the moments of nursing even more this week as it has forced me to slow down and take a breather! J

We’ve had a great week all in all, and while everyone is probably ready to get back to their own routines, the boys will be missed. It was a blessing to be able to help our friends, and I would do it again.

In other news, Chandler turned six on Sunday, I did a baby shower for a friend on Saturday, and we taught Children’s Church on Sunday morning. Last week, Roger was nominated to be a deacon in our church. We weren’t sure about accepting the nomination, but after praying, Roger decided to submit his name. Since our church votes on deacons, we were praying that God would make it abundantly clear if this is what God had for him. We figured that if God didn’t want him to do this, then another man would be chosen for the job; and we had perfect peace about the whole situation. However, God made it abundantly clear that this is what He has for Roger at this time! Roger’s name was the only one on the ballot, and although the church members still had to vote yes or no, Roger was chosen as the next deacon. We prayerfully take on this responsibility, and we ask for your prayers so that we can be a blessing to our pastor and our church family. 

I have a whole list of ideas I’d love to write about, including my goals for the new year. J One of my goals includes posting at least two blog posts a month…so expect one by Friday. J

 

Baby Shower cake...Minnie Mouse

Emma...trying to sleep

Travis and his buddy for the week

Chandler and Mom

Two tired little boys!

A Look at Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Thoughts from a Mother’s Heart

As Thanksgiving day approaches, and Facebook, blogs, and the internet becomes flooded with days of thanks, thanksgiving crafts, devotionals on thanksgiving, etc., I decided to write my own post on Thanksgiving. I could do the 30 days of thanks as many are doing, and I enjoy reading their thoughts. But God has been at work in my own life again, and I’m determined to write down my thoughts…before I forget them! J

I love Thanksgiving, enjoying time with family, feasting on a huge dinner and all the other things that go with the holiday. But as I’ve had more children, I’ve discovered that it’s easy to be thankful most of the time, but I’m not always as joyful as I should be…especially with young children. It’s hard for me to be joyful as I wake up to an overflowing toilet (“too much paper, Mommy?”), deal with children who seem to do the same thing over and over again…like wake up the baby, “She wanted to smile with me, Mommy!”, and find that someone used the shower curtain for toilet paper…always, “Not me, Mommy!”. J However, God has been working on me gently correcting my attitude, giving me numerous opportunities to share grace and teach my children. (For example, on our way to someone’s house this week, a child ended up with the dessert on his shoes and all over his pants…it was an opportunity to dig deep … and keep my mouth shut! J Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and say nothing (at least for the moment).

Painting!

Well, all those ramblings to say I’ve come up with a few words that go with THANKSGIVING. Please take the thoughts I've come up with the humor that I've intended to go along. I love my children, and I do love being a mom!

T-

My baking helpers!

          Teachable moments…oh how God has been working on this with me! J Before I had children, I envisioned sweet little children quietly sitting on the couch, while reading stories together. Not so much, reading time consist of usually ½ of a story while sitting under the dining room table which is made into a fort! J  I envisioned cheerful dinnertime conversations discussing how God made the world and the things He’s done for us. However, God gave me lots of boys who want to know things like, “Why did God give me boogers and why can’t I eat them?” or “Why do I need to change my underwear, they don’t have any streaks in them?” I’m learning that life is much different through the eyes of boys…but I wouldn’t change it for the world! J

          Time…I’m thankful that God gave us time…He made the sun to come up and the sun to go down. I love the hugs, kisses, “I love you” from my boys, and I’m also thankful that God gave us a time for rest at night! J

H-

          Health- It’s easy to take for granted that my children are healthy; but since sickness can take place overnight, it’s definitely something I’m thankful for on a daily basis.

          Home- I love, love the fact that we have a place to call home. I’m not always thankful or joyful about how it looks, but that’s a work in progress. J One closet will look decluttered and organized, but meanwhile the troops have emptied out the laundry baskets to make “boats”. J

          Heritage- I’m so thankful that my parents raised me in  Godly home, where Christ was King. I never want to forget that I’m so blessed to have a heritage where I never knew parents that were not saved and that our children have Grandparents who love and pray for them.

A-

          Attitude- We have a either a good attitude or a bad attitude, but I’m thankful for both. A good attitude shows me that maybe one of our children is grasping the concepts we’re trying to teach…a bad attitude shows me exactly what we need to work on-sometimes a NAP! J

N-

          Naptime- This one is at the top of my list! J While some of the boys are outgrowing nap time, I still insist on quiet time (i.e. “sanity hour”) every day.

Craft time

          Noise- Perhaps something weird to be thankful for, but in a house full of young children…usually, silence is NOT a good thing! J Generally, if I can hear them playing, I can envision what’s happening; however, when things are quiet that’s usually when drawers are being emptied, shampoo is being rubbed on the rug, or the hinges are being taken off the door! Yes, I’m very leery of silence! J

K-

          Kisses- Nothing brightens my day like getting a kiss from my children. While our lives are a work in progress, kisses remind me that these days are short!

S-

          Salvation-Oh, how I’m thankful for this one! Every morning is a reminder of how thankful I am that God saved me. God loved me enough to send His Son to die for me, and Jesus has saved me from my sins. I have admitted that I’m a sinner, believed that Jesus died for me, and confessed my sins to Him and my desire is to spend eternity singing His praises.

          Spouse- Outside of my salvation, my spouse, Roger, is next on my thankful list. While not perfectJ, he loves me, loves our children, and loves the Lord…I am blessed!

          Soap-Where would I be without this?! We go through a lot of soap here, although on occasion we do have to remind certain children to use it! J

Siblings

          Siblings-I’m thankful that God blessed us with more than one child…at least with having them close together they can always play with a different sibling if they can’t get along with one! J

G-

          Grandparents-Roger and I are both blessed to have parents that are saved. My mom has been a HUGE help to me in homeschooling the boys this year, and I am so thankful for all her time and effort.

I-

          Irritations-It is extremely easy to get irritated at the little ones in my home, (“Why did it seem like a good idea to jump out of the tree with trash bags for parachutes?!” or "Why did you use the toilet plunger on the toliet WITH the stick part?!)  but the irritations are a reminder that I have another opportunity to respond rightly! J The days are filled with teaching opportunities, and I need to see them as opportunities not irritations.

V-

          Victories-The battles that are won on the parenting front leave me with much to be thankful for every day. Sometimes, it just the child that responds politely (a work in progress!) or perhaps a bigger battle such as being kind to the annoying sibling! J We try to offer lots of praise in our home for right actions, attitudes, and responses, but it sometimes seems like we’re moving forward at an immeasurably slow speed! J Sometimes, it seems like we’re constantly fighting the same battles,(“please use your fork”, “we don’t talk about butts at the table”, “did you use soap when you showered?”)  but I have to remind myself that we’re working with a different child than last week. J

I-

          Interesting- With having four boys in four years, and then a girl, I can honestly say my life is always interesting! J I’ve never been bored, haven’t finished a book in one sitting in over three years (at least not one that’s on my reading level! J) and I’m never caught up on laundry. BUT…I laugh every day (and sometimes cry), I get hugs and kisses from little boys every day, I always have someone to read a book with or build a fort, I never wonder whether the day will be “interesting”…because it will be interesting! J

N-

          Nature-I am so thankful for the great outdoors! J We are blessed to have a great yard, and the kids go out EVERY SINGLE DAY! J They build forts, drive their daddy crazy by dragging “supplies” out of the garage J, ride bikes, climb woodpiles, throw wood in the basement, plant gardens, dig for worms, and it’s not every mom that gets to have frogs living in her camping cooler! J

G-

          Girl- Wow!  I’m so blessed to have a little girl in our house. To say she is loved would be a GROSS understatement! J She has someone kissing, touching, or in her personal space just about every waking moment! I have to put my foot down in order for her to be left alone! J Emma “Cake” (as Wyatt still calls her) made the top of the list for the boys thankful lists this year, and I’m delighted to have a little girl in our house.

Siblings

 

So, there you have it…my take on Thanksgiving this year. We are so thankful for the friends and family relationships we have and we don’t take them for granted. We are blessed beyond measure!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

         

Emma's Report!

Praise the Lord! We are shouting and singing the praises of our King today!

We arrived in Milwaukee about 12:00, found the Children's Hospital, grabbed a bite to eat, and arrived early for our appointment so I could nurse Emma. Our appointment was for 1:15pm., and the clinic was very prompt to call us back to the exam room right on time. The nurse weighed Emma, took her height and head measurements, and then we waited. Thankfully, we did not have to wait long!

The neurologist doctor came in asked us several questions about Emma's progress, how she ate, slept etc. Then she felt all over her head, and said that she was looking for ridges that would show the bones are fusing together. But since Emma's head is shaped right, her forehead is flat, and Emma's head is showing signs of growth, the doctor said that she believes that there is nothing to be concerned about at this time! YAY! She said that Emma has tiny and petite bone structures, and with lots of hair, it's easy to wonder if the soft spot is the way it should be at this time. Praise the Lord...it is exactly as it should be! We have no follow up visits, no future trips, and nothing that is raising concern in the doctor's eyes! We praise the Lord for answered prayer, for all of you who told us you were praying, for my parents who watched the boys, and for wonderful friends who stormed the gates of heaven on our behalf...THANK-YOU!!

On another happy note, since we were already in the Milwaukee area, we were able to visit with some dear friends. Jared and Beka Longsine have been our dear friends and graciously offered to assist in any way that they could be of help. Since the appointment was so short, we were able to meet up with them and spend some time visiting together. They thoughtfully included us on their ninth anniversary dinner, and we enjoyed visiting and fellowshipping with them. All in all, it was a wonderful day filled with rejoicing and God's blessings. Our hearts are full and overwhelmed with gratitude to the mighty God we serve! Thank-you!

Roger and Sarah