The top 5 ways to know you are Pregnant

5. Your clothes don't fit anymore. The bump has appeared.


4. You begin to think that nausea is apart of everyday life.


3. You are looking for a 12 passenger van.


2. You desire chips and salsa for breakfast and cereal for dinner.


1. You get the + sign on the pregnancy test stick.


Yep, another little Warrior is on his or her way due to be here just in time for Mark's birthday in August.

Yep, we are still moving...

Today, right now in fact I am sitting on a couch emailing and having fun on my computer. This is my first break since I am not certain. The boys and I are hanging out and doing nothing. I like doing nothing.

The trailer is packed. The house is clean and I can breathe. I have a few hours break before the next set of stuff to do. My next challenge is to get everything we brought with us into the van. This task is huge, but the one task that is lingering is even bigger....we must say good bye today.

Today we will say good bye to those whom we have cherished. My boys aren't looking forward to it. I am not looking forward to it. However, I do know that today my faith will be stronger. Why? You may say... Well, today we will remember the blessings of having friendships. We will remember the good of our little town and yearn to travel further on our journey to see what blessings God has in store. Thus far, God has carried me and I believe that His arms are not tired and that He is faithful to carry us further. He will carry me through the valley of saying goodbye and he will carry me to the mountain of refuge. He is my everlasting.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel , your Savior." Isaiah 43: 2-3

I personally love that I have a Savior that protects me and comforts me when my heart is breaking. I am extremely blessed that He will also comfort my children in saying good-bye. Today we will see extra measures of grace and peace. We will see the blessings of having a God that loves us and knows us.

Funnies

Although today has been a tough day, the boys have made me laugh with some jokes. I thought I would share...

Kaleb's joke
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he was too chicken to fly....

Kaleb's joke
What is a dog's favorite parking lot? A Barking lot.....

Joshua
What did the cow cross the road? To go to the moviators....(We call the theaters the movieators. We joined the words movie and theaters.)

Stephen says the cutest things
Today I had to go to Walmart and of course all four boys got to come along. Stephen was overly excited because we were gonna go and "see all his toys." Yep, he owns all the toys at the local Walmart.


Micah's move
Micah has begun to walk and he loves to stand and dance. Due to our upcoming 'move' and the release of a new kids' movie, we have begun to sing a silly song, 'We like to move it, move it, you like to move it move. MOVE IT' Well, Micah loves to stand and dance to the song. It cracks us all up as we move one box to another spot.

My life is filled with good, funny things.

Chaos

So, lately chaos has followed me in my endeavor to move my family of six across three states in the middle of winter. I think I am loosing my ever loving mind. Anyways, today was a topper that made me fall over.

Besides the normal chaos of a semi large family with boxes stacked everywhere, today extra chaos was added. First, Micah woke up the day after his recheck sick with asthma issues. This time we were up every hour coughing and gagging. Yep, did I mention that my Incredible Hunk is gone to complete the last leg of his training. So, Micah is clingy and whiny and all around agitated.

Next, Joshua, my sweet, kind hearted son with a broken arm, took off his cast today. Yep, he just pulled his arm right out and said look Mom. UGH!!! So, we took another trip to the orthopedic and this time we have a splint. Oh do I dare mention that for a spout of five minutes until further investigation could be done....Joshua was about to have surgery. Praise God that He knows what I can handle.

Now, I admit I handled most of this stuff fairly well until my wonderful, loving husband called and shared the dagger. The amount of money we were to receive for the upcoming move is significantly less than ever anticipated. It won't cover the cost of the truck to move us. I was about to break down...okay I did.

So, now I have no solutions to my dilemmas except to pray and believe God to be huge. However, I can control the attitude of my mind and embrace this storm with a better outlook than 'poor me.'

So, today I am gonna praise God in this storm.

Top ten things to praise my God for...
1. My Salvation-by grace and not works I was saved from this ugly world of sin.
2. My Momma telling me how God loves me and how beautiful I am.
3. My husband for being the rock even when he feels like the sand is shifting.
4. My children...Kaleb's generosity; Joshua's genuine concern; Stephen's laugh and smile; and Micah's waddle and kisses!
5. My sister and family and brother and family for their unconditional love and desire to love my family through all sorts of ways.
6. For Billy, my brother in law, proposing to Shannon finally. We are so blessed to have such a jewel added to our family.
7. I am thankful to be able to go and visit my family this weekend and celebrate my grandfather's birthday.
8. I am thankful that I can get a full tank of gas for under $35 for my van.
9. I am thankful that my circumstance albeit small didn't knock God off his throne. Last I checked, He has ultimate control in all situations!
10. I am thankful that God gives me good gifts that far outweigh what I deserve.

For every good and perfect gift comes from God...

Alright, I think I am better now. I am gonna go clean up the kitchen area and take a nice hot shower..I should thank God now that I have running, warm water. Yep, praising God changes everything!

The Quietness...

So, today I began to get myself in a fast gear due to having no children for about 36 hours. So, now I am in the 27thish hour and not one box is packed.....

Anyways, I was on my way to U-haul to buy boxes. We have met the nicest manager who has given us great customer service and has helped me greatly in arranging the boxes to fit in my car.


Anyways, I am chasing tangents.

On my way, it was quiet and I had noone who needed me. I was truly alone. It was weird. I could listen to the radio and be fully engaged with the songs being sung. Then a song came on the radio talking about a lady taking a few less breaths and passing on to her real home.

I realized something at that moment that brought tears to my eyes...I miss my Mom today. Is she really gone? Oh, I wish I could talk with her and hear her encouragement.

I guess when I am alone and all is quiet...I still miss my Momma...

In the mist of moving....

The family of 6 picking out the best pumpkin to create our yearly Charlie the Pumpkin. The boys were their beloved Chronicles of Narnia fans-Prince Caspian, King Peter, King Edmond, and Aslan. Mom was of course herself and Dad was of course a Cowboy fan.

So, the lack of blogging doesn't mean there is a lack of blogable moments. In fact, we have had extra amounts of blogable moments. However, we are in the mist of moving and time is of the essence. We leave our beautiful town in about 3 weeks. We will fit a trip home to celebrate my grandfather's birthday and thanksgiving in those 3 weeks as well as the plain idea of packing up everything and putting it all in a truck and trudging our family to areas unknown.

So, please be patient with me and know that our family is doing well. I hope to write more often than once a week, but for now my priority is my family and making certain that they are taken care.

Here are some memorable moments.......

*We were putting up flags yesterday for Veterans' Day and Stephen looks at Mark and says "No way jose." We just laughed. First time to hear him say that.

*Stephen also has his parent's ability to forget the word that something is called. For example, 'Do you know where my ____ is?' You can fill the blank with anything from cell phone to tennis shoes. However, Stephen forgeting what they toys was called said, "Momma, where is my thingymybob?' Yeah, I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.

*Kaleb had an epiphany the other day. He was disciplined for something he was told not to do and something that we have been working on for several weeks. Afterwards, he said, "Momma, I sure do find it easier to be obedient after getting into trouble." Yep, teaching my children is the only way to produce healthy, content, joyful, patient, obedient adults. He just confirmed my purpose.

*Kaleb is also becoming quite creative. He has been working on making a sling shot for several days. Well, yesterday he found success. Man does the thing fly. He uses snakes with a crooked neck and anything in his path is demolished. I was proud that he never gave up and continued to work the thing out.

*Micah has taken several small steps, but refuses to walk long distances. Yep, he is a Proctor boy. He is now 14 months old and I explained that his brothers have all walked during this time and he was free to start. We will see if he will be a conformist or do his own thing.

*Micah has a pure love for outside. He crawls all over the driveway and yard. He loves his slide, which he does by himself. He loves his roller coaster, which he does all by himself. He loves his blue coup car that he climbs throughout. He loves to get dirty. Ants don't bother him. He screams when he is forced to come inside even if he played outside for 3 straight hours. Yep, he is an outdoors man.

*Joshua broke his arm 2 weeks ago. It has been a journey for him to readjust his life to this bright orange cast. I am proud of him for working it out. He was very excited when the doctor told him to do extra playing esspecially on the xbox to work out his muscles. You gotta love being told to play extra hard for healing purposes. Joshua was delighted.



*Joshua has also said some pretty amazing things, however, his tender heart always amazes me. Yesterday as we prayed for our country and those who have given their life for the greater cause, Joshua was broken hearted for all those who died. He broke down and cried that they anyone would suffer. Then he prayed for everyone who was hurt and prayed for those in the Army. He was precious.


My children are a gift from God. I am amazed how God continues to bless me with each of my boys. They encourage me and comfort me. They make me laugh and make me cry. They keep me on my knees.


Oh, what true blessings they are for me and my Incredible Hunk!

Your choice....

I have struggled with what to say about this election. My heart wants to pick out all the reasons to vote my way, but my love of our country's democracy demands that everyone has a choice to choose the best candidate.

Saying that.....I want to encourage each of you to vote and to pray without ceasing for this election. Do your part and follow God's plan for choosing a leader.

The next part is a bit more opinionated and should be read at your own risk.....

We could go back to Saul being the First King and how he was chosen based on his stature and good looks. Yet, the King of choice was David. David was small and probably not as eloquent, but he was a warrior that loved God with all of his heart.

So, you get to choose. Choose the candidate that is after God's heart. Just in case you need some help....choose life.

John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life and have it to the full."

The gift of life is not a choice, it was a gift to us all.

The following video shows my desire to uphold life and why this election is so important to me and my family's future.

http://americaschoicenow.com

My Favorite Things

One of my all time favorite musicals is Sound of Music. I love the music, the dialog, the history. One of her songs that she sings is when she is sad. Well, today I turned 34. I have a hard time believing that I keep getting older, but it is true. I have accomplished one more year. I am thankful for this year, but to be honest it has been tough.

So, today I want to sing about my favorite things to remind myself of my blessings. Now, normally birthdays aren't tough for me. However, this particular birthday is the first time I didn't get a phone call after midnight from my Momma. I miss her and would love to hear her sing Happy Birthday in her scruffy voice.

Here it goes...my favorite things/memories....

*The day I met the love of my life-11 years ago today!
*The day I married Mark Allen. My favorite part was doing the Lord's Supper together.
*Seeing the double pink line for 5 pregnancies. (I included the one I miscarried.)
*I love smelling the cabinet with spices.
*I love the feeling of a newborn baby sleeping on your chest.
*I love the feeling of holding for the first time my four boys.
*I love the sparkle in Mark's eyes when he talks about the Cowboys.
*I love the phone calls from my sister as she travels home from school.
*I love the feeling of a one year old hugging me and giving me kisses!
*I love watching my boys play daily together and arguing less.
*I love getting up early and eating breakfast and then going back to bed.
*I love talking with my brother on facebook and seeing his life unfold through his pictures!
*I love eating great, amazing food that my hubby prepares for me.
*I love spending time with my family and talking about the funny things we've done.
*I love watching old family movies.
*I love talking with my boys.
*I love taking walks!
*I love accomplishing my tasks and MARKING them off.
*I love homeschooling my boys!
*I love watching Veggie Tales!
*I love that my boys want me to be Princess Leia.
*I love and love my family.
*I love my times alone with God while the skies are still dark.
*I love singing Praise music.
*I love buying little girl gifts for my friends and family.
*I love watching believers be baptized!
*I love getting emails from friends!
*I love blogging!
*I love that Mark, Kaleb, Joshua, Stephen, and Micah love me too!

Basically, I guess we could say that I love my life. I love the God of all creation that gave me the bountiful blessings of my husband and my four boys. I am thankful for the hardships and for the fun times~both have been used to sharpen my skills as a Child of the King.

Thanks for letting me share my loves. I pray that you are as loved as I am.
"Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ. And now let the weak say I am strong and let the poor say I am rich for what the Lord as done-give thanks." Praise song from the 90"s.

I hope you enjoy the photo of my sweet family!

Kid Updates

I just wanted to let you know a few fun things that have gone on around our home the past few days.

Joshua can ride his bike and stand up and pump. Big accomplishment for a 'need to control all situations' kinda child.

Joshua has also lost 3 teeth in the past 2 months. He looks absolutely adorable. I will send pictures soon!

Kaleb has been practicing Christmas music for our family celebration. Christmas is on the brain and we haven't even bought our pumpkin yet!

Kaleb has also written some pretty comical creative writing entries. I plan to share soon!

Stephen is a hoot! He always smiles even when he is angry! He decided that he has 'absolutely nothing to do' if his brothers are busy with school. He just sits on the grounds and pout. Oh, how he loves his brothers entertaining him.

He also has begun to talk clearly--Praise God! You can understand everything he says as long as it is short. 'Transformers' still gives me a deep belly giggle.

Micah has wrapped both Mark and I around his fingers. He gets away with so much more than ever should be allowed. He gives the best hugs and kisses. Plus, he is not stingy with any of it.

Micah has also taken 3 steps by himself between Mark and me. He took one step as he was standing against the couch. However, my clapping has discouraged any more progress.

Mark and I....well we haven't done anything too amazing or fun. However, we are getting pretty good at playing Mario Cart with the boys. Joshua and I fight for last place while Mark and Kaleb fight for first. Oh the fun...

Adoption Update

Just in case you are wondering about our friends who have been in the process of adoption....

We received word last night that "Its a GIRL!"

I was so elated that I could not go to sleep.

Last week as I heard the news, I knew what was required. My heart was breaking for our friends. I cried out to God several times a day for my friends and this special baby. I prayed harder for this issue than I have for most things. In most cases, after a time of prayer, I feel released to praise God for His answer. Not in this particular case....I felt the pressure to pray heavily for all parts of this adoption.

It was great to see my prayers answered. I realized something greater than myself was at stake. This baby is a true miracle. We, as Christians, had to fight for Baby Kate to be put in the right home and we won the battle. God is gracious, but he doesn't give you something you want when He knows it is not the best. So, we trusted God for our answers and comfort and received more than we could ever wish. Thank You Abba!

On a side note...

A lesson God has been teaching me is perseverance. My friends taught me how to persevere and let God do His will. They began down this road several years ago through heartache, but they never quit. They got discouraged and sad, but never quit. They had their eyes on the goal and kept focused on the prize. I definitely could use a healthy dose of perseverance in my own life. What a testimony of God's grace and power coming forth in humble hearts.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

A New Thing

Up until this summer, Mark and I have always had dial up Internet. When we moved, we decided to upgrade our Internet. Wow! What a difference it makes. I am doing things I would never have done on dial up. This blog is one of those things. I absolutely enjoy myself here.

I also joined facebook. I have been in touch with friends that I haven't seen in a decade or so. It is a true tool that God has used to encourage me greatly.

So, if you are in facebook, look me up I am in need of friends and would love to stay in touch with you.

Well, not much time to do to discuss the ins and outs of parenting and living this life to its fullest.


However.....

I just want to go on the record....I hate folding and hanging up laundry. I love sorting and washing and drying. It gives me a charge.

Folding and hanging up probably doesn't like me either....

Enjoy your day....

Follow Me

I have added a new gadget to my blog. I was amazed to see how many people have hit my profile. I only thought a handful of people read this thing. So, I am gonna try something new. I wanted to get a glimpse of who is following my journey with my super HEROES! So, if you want to be known as a Follower, you can subscribe to it and your pretty picture or your anonymous picture will be on my blog.

Scroll down on the blog and it is the last thing on the right.

It may be something I take off, but for now I think it will be delightful.

Enjoy!
~Super Momma~

Adoption-Part 2

Joshua is my no non-sense kid. He is your bottom line kinda of guy. No frills just the honest, blunt truth. In fact, he is known as the 'police man' in our family. You just can't get a way with anything around him.

So, yesterday we were eating lunch. He said, "Hey Mom, when is that lady gonna come and give us a baby girl?"

After a chuckle, I replied as sweetly as I could. "Joshua, I don't think a real lady is gonna come and give us her baby. I was using that story to make a point. Your best bet to getting a baby sister is to ask Jesus."

Joshua's reply, "Mom that takes too long."

"Yes, it does take awhile, but a sweet baby is well worth the wait."

After our conversations, everyone (Kaleb and Stephen) pipped in and said that they were ready for a little girl. From their lips to God's ears. I think I could use a little pink in my blue house. Don't the boys need a damsel in distress to rescue?

{Just to let you know....If God decides to bless our family with a small bundle some day, I don't really care if it is a boy or a girl. Both are a true blessing and loads of fun.}

The Gift of Adoption

This past week we have had interesting conversations around the dinner table. Some great friends have been in the process of adopting a child. We found out Monday that they were chosen by a birth mother; however, the mother was wishy washy to say the least. Well, Mark and I believe in the power of prayer and decided that this issue needed to be covered in prayer. So, as we talked with our boys about the importance of praying for our friends, Kaleb was noticeably upset. So, we asked what was on his heart.

He explained how he didn't want anyone to loose their children. It was wrong to take the child from their mom. We have tried many times to explain that not all parents are like his parents. We went through the list of people we know are adopted. Some of which are in our family. We explained the benefit for the child and the families that adopt.

He understood how the child was blessed to be adopted, but the birth parent's loss broke his heart. We have had this talk before. Mark and I had the privilege of being houseparents for several boys for about 2 1/2 years. Kaleb didn't understand then either. He could not comprehend why parents would leave their children.

He doesn't understand abuse or neglect. He doesn't understand going without a meal. He doesn't understand parents choosing not to be parents. He doesn't understand parents who are selfish.

At the close of the conversation, I asked Kaleb a practical question. I asked him what he would do if someone came up to our house and asked us to raise their baby girl? He laughed and smiled at me and said, " Mom that is a dumb question. I would take her in a heart beat."

So, maybe we should look at adoption through his eyes. He sees adoption as a gift from the birth parents. He sees adoption as a privilege.

Through this gift of adoption, I am privilege to be the sister of an adopted baby (picture is of my sister and myself). I am privilege to be the second cousin of an adopted baby. I am privilege to be a friend of one who has been adopted. I am privilege to be apart of several families that have enlarged their family through the gift of adoption. But most important I am privileged to be adopted also by the High King, the Creator, the Alpha and Omega, my Abba. .

"In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will..." Eph.1:5 emphasis is mine.

Wow! It feels great to be a gift. You and I were created for God's pleasure. We bring joy to our King just like our children bring joy to us.

Hopefully, you have joined God's family through the adoption of His Son Jesus Christ. If not, respond in the comment section and I would be blessed to carry on a conversation with you that would bring real change...a change you can truly believe in.

He Chose Us

I am blessed to have the best husband in the world.

Since he is in training, he is not able to take off and go to doctor appointments with us. Well several weeks ago we were told that he would be able to attend two important appointments. Last Thursday he was told that going with us would be a bad idea because they were going to complete more work than they initially planned. However, he was given an option that would potentially put us out two more weeks not to mention the mess it would make in our next move. He had a complete peace to go with us and knew he was suppose to choose family over work.

Well, we were blessed. God works through many circumstances. He even works through electricity being out in a computer dependent job. Needless to say not much work was completed on Friday.

It feels great to be chosen by the One who created this world. For He is living and active among us and cares about the simple things in life.

Black Friday

Today was not the day it was suppose to be. Tonight is suppose to be family night. Family Night is when the family plays, eats and sleeps together from the time Dad gets home until after breakfast the next day. Everyone loves family night!

However, today a cloud of sadness has come over me and my home. Our neighbors just gave birth to a baby boy who died in utero at about 40 weeks. There was no rhyme-no reason.

Personally, my heart feels like a knife has been stabbed into it. I am devastated for them.

So, in respect to the devastating news, I began to love the sounds of my home. I praised God on the way home today as Micah screamed loudly in the back seat. I thanked God for Stephen as he whined through the entire grocery store experience. I once again sang Hallelujahs as I disciplined Joshua and Kaleb for not following directions. I thanked my God for my four boys.

However, I also thanked him for carrying me through the process when I, too, lost my two sons. I was 8 weeks pregnant and began to bleed. That night we lost Zechariah Isaiah. We had lost one of our twins, but had the hope that we could carry the other one to term. At 12 weeks, I was given the okay to get off of bed rest. At 18 weeks, I went in for a normal check up with the whole family. We heard no heart beat. Our dear son had passed away a few weeks earlier. A few days later, I delivered a beautiful, albeit very small, little boy whom we named Hezekiah Tom Thumb.

No words could sum up the words for my emotions. I couldn't breathe. At times, the pain was so great that I would need Mark to sit with me through the episode until the pain subsided. The pain was real and it was deep and very ugly. The only way to survive was to be carried through the process of grieving. I thank God that today I can remember that experience and I recall how wonderful my Abba was during that darkest time of my life.

It is through theses experiences that I am humbled and remember that I must constantly give thanks for all things including the hard stuff. So, for today I am thankful for what I do have. I am thankful for my 20+ loads of laundry-my endless dirty dishes-endless crumbs under the high chair-whining children-sleepless nights and anything else I must sacrifice to have my four healthy, happy, God fearing Super Heroes. Thank you Blessed Reminder for reminding me of my blessings and the purpose of my calling.

Oh, by the way. I bet tonight will be the best family night ever.

Psalm 127:3 "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children (regardless of how long they are with us) are a reward from Him."

Change is on the Horizon

Lately, my family of Super Heroes has had a buffet of changes. We have had small changes that have created havoc that eventually led to joy to large changes that have created joy that eventually led to melt downs. For example, Micah our HeBaby turned one. Well, you would think that he would enjoy flipping his car seat around. We did this adventure on a long trip so that he could watch our TV since he is scared of the dark. The boys and I planned what movies we would watch and waited in eager anticipation of Micah's excitement. To be honest, we were all excited about this venture. Well, we were excited, but Micah was freaking out. He cried a majority of the way. It was a dark journey. We were all ready to get out of the car. Small change horrible just plain awful reaction. It took a couple of weeks and lots of crying, but he now enjoys his big boy position. WHEW!

A few days ago we received our orders to once again move. We are excited about our new adventure. The boys are excited about the possibilities of exploring new territory and visiting new parks. However, the flip side is we will miss those whom we have come to love. We will miss the town that we just found the "back roads" to our favorite places. We will miss the family that lives so close. With all those misses a breakdown was sure to occur. It didn't take long. Approximately 24 hours from our news, the children began to attach to everything.

"No Momma don't throw away our night light." (It is broken and I offered to take a picture so that he could remember it.)

"I forgot my paper over Israel at church." Crying so hard that his face has turned red and splotchy. He spent five min. on this project and now it is his favorite paper.

"This is my favorite place."

"I only want to go back to California." I have to admit we all loved California, but I was stunned. It was so far from home and the boys wanted and desired warmer weather.

"Memories are a fabulous thing, but they can bring grief or joy. It is our choice how we will react." This was my "social work" approach last night. I don't think it is gonna work. I have a feeling the keeper boxes will be filled with all sorts of collectibles by the time we leave. Sounds like my boys have some of my Mother's and my Mother-in-Love's habits.

Knights and Swords and Deception

My sister and her husband treated my whole family to a night out. This is no small task for our family of six! They also treated my brother and his sweet daughter to this event. We went to a place all boys love to go--Medieval Times. We were in the green section. We even had green crowns. Stephen loved this because light green and dark green are his favorite colors. He was elated to say the least.

The boys were able to see real knights in action. Live sword fights. Rescue of the damsel in distress. Not to mention we got to eat with our hands and drink soda pop with caffeine. Yes, it was the life. It was a dream come true for all of us.

The boys got swords-like we needed more swords! They were modern day knights fighting the 'bad' guys. We yelled and screamed for our Green Knight and then it happened. We found out he was the bad guy. My boys looked at me with an amazed look of 'WHAT?" Deception is a horrible thing. A lesson learned-deception even comes in your favorite color.

Kaleb

Kaleb is my oldest child. He is full of energy and excitement. He is also full of compassion. He loves people without fault. He cherishes stories and laughter. He is a fabulous son. My life would be void if he didn't exist.

Kaleb is also my mirror of myself. He takes on my emotions or my actions relatively easily. This could be good! However, he could also take on my not so pleasing attributes. Fortunately, yesterday he took on a new action that I have been practicing.

Last week another Mom, of four precious girls, was so encouraging. She was talking about the power of prayer. When she gets frustrated or angry with her daughters, she sits and prays with them instead of lashing out with her tongue or sending them away for a time out. I was immediately convicted. I am home all day with my darling boys. I have the privilege of training them in righteousness through devotions, playing, school, and chores. Anger is something that I combat daily as a sweet child turns to the not so sweet child.

So, I began to practice praying for my child's heart and my heart when anger crepts into my mouth and heart. Well, Kaleb was angry with his brother as they played hide and go seek yesterday. Instead of lashing out with his tongue or provoking his brother to anger, he prayed for the situation.

Kaleb said, "blah, blah, blah, In Jesus Name, Amen. Now Joshua I will go and find you and you can go hide first."

Isn't that the purpose of prayer-conviction. He prayed for his brother's heart to change and instead his heart changed. Prayer it changes everything.

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:19-20

We are having a Granny Party

Today is my Mother's birthday. She would be 64 years old. I am sad that today I can't take her a gift of flowers, candy, or drawings my children have made. However, today I am choosing not to dwell on what I don't have. I am focusing my attention on what I do have--memories.

So, today has been declared the Granny Party Day. We are eating her favorite meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn along with bread. We are eating brownies for dessert and to top it off we are having Root Beer freezer pops, homemade of course. Today we celebrate our fond memories of my Mother. We have even planned our activites as such. We are going to play Uno and laugh hard at her being "the worse of the worse."

Today I choose life and laughter.

Who knows maybe we will even sing karokee. None the less fun will be had.

So, Happy Birthday Momma! We love and miss you!

Do you remeber?

Today, I was sitting on the couch and watching the news with my sweet little Micah when my 6 year old Joshua came and set beside me. He asked what I was watching. I explained how today was a sad day 7 years ago. I was pregnant with him and scared at what was going on around me. I was afraid for America and for my freedom. I was angry. I was proud. I was overwhelmed with basically a ball of emotions that human words could not explain.

So I began to give some details of that day to him. He was still puzzled.

He said, "Did we get them bad guys?"

"No, sweetheart, we are still searching for him."

"Why?"

"Well, the bad guys hide really well in the sand and caves."

[A picture of the "bad guys" comes up on the TV.]

"Oh, you mean the sand people in Star Wars." (refering to the terrorists)

"Yeah, I guess you could compare the two."

"Well, Anakin got rid of them so why can't we."

This is were I began to talk about the men in uniform and how they are being trained to find and fight the bad guys. I explained how they were fighting for our freedom.

He shortly went back to playing with his castle and knights.

I began to wonder... Do I live differently? Do I live each day with a remeberence and thanks for our life and our liberty? Does my prayer life reflect the love for my country and my fellow American? Or did I go back to my normal life and forget what was going on.

9-11 did change the way I think. The way I travel. The way I respond to an American Flag. Now, I must change the way I fight for my Nation. I must not surrender by ignorance or complacency. I must fight through my posture. I must go to battle for my wonderful Nation through a bended knee and a humble heart.


Today I have been humbly reminded. I need to pray more abundantly for my wonderful country and the men and women who live in my country and serve my country. I need to pray for my leaders and the issues that we face.

II Chronicles 7:14 "..if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

The Heart of the Matter

Lately, I have been going a bit crazy with doctor appointments. Nothing is wrong in a major way, but none the less little things keep going out of sync. Normally one child at a time is ill, but lately I have had 3 out of 4.

My youngest just had tubes put in his ears after fighting ear infections for about 11 months. The surgery went better than I could have hoped. We saw the hand of God from the moment Micah woke up that day until we went to bed.

My second youngest, Stephen, has had stomach issues since he had intusseption at the age of 18 months. After x-rays and meds, we have decided to go and see a 'specialist.'

My oldest, Kaleb, has had several issues and we have traveled several times to go and see thus far 3 different specialists. We have 2 more to go! After several tests and more to go, Kaleb continues to be up beat and excited about the adventure. Now, that is a God thing!

This got me to thinking...

I began to realize that although my children look healthy on the outside the inside is a bit off. I could see some of those symptoms outwardly, but mainly my children acted just like themselves. Never did I think an ordinary check up would lead me down the path to several more appointments and tests.

This got me to thinking....

Although my children look spiritually healthy on the outside (except for the occasional redirection of attitudes), could the inside be extremely sick. I wonder if I could come up with a Spiritual MRI. I could see any disease that was attacking their heart. I could attack it with all my strength and help my children to get well. I could "nip it in the bud." I wouldn't have to wait for the outpouring of their heart to come through their actions.

This got me to thinking...

Could I be so in tuned with God to notice the tiniest infraction of an attitude that needs to be changed? What about the mind that needs to be transformed? The heart that needs to be created new? Oh, I would be able to change the attitude of my home, my church, my city, my state, my world. I could change the world- one prayer at a time- one heart at a time-one act of obedience at a time.

This got me to thinking...

Maybe all I need is that which God has required. I need to do justice in and out of my home. I need to love kindness in and out of my home. And I need to walk humbly with my God in and out of my home. (Micah 6:8 paraphrased)

Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. Col. 4:2

Now your turn to think...

Momma

My Momma passed away 6 months ago. Some days are hard to digest, but overall it is bad moments. Moments that are like a knife that pierce my heart and then slowly goes away. It is as if reality hits my rose colored perception of my life. However, in the darkest moments, hope is restored. God brings funny stories to mind. He reminds me of how Momma grew to glorify Him in all that she did especially through her long battle with COPD and asthma.

One of the greatest blessings I have is my mother's legacy. She has left a legacy like no other. She did not leave money or fame. In fact, she didn't leave much more than her cherished possessions. However, it is in those cherished possessions that her legacy is remembered. If you would be so kind, let me share a few of those possessions that brings me hope.

Diet Cokes, Pimento Cheese, Bologna, Bananas, Wieners, Fri toes-all of these items were a must for her 'champion diet'.

Bucket of broken china-nothing is ever broken so much that you can't put it back together.

Electric Wheelchair-Momma dancing with Stephen on her lap to music the boys were playing on the organ.

Let me set the scene: Jan. 2005-ICU-Mom on life support/ tube in mouth- Julie, my sister-me pregnant with Stephen. She knew the battle could only be fought with the word of God. She had Julie and I quote Ps. 23. Julie and I were so overcome with emotion that we could only go through a few of the verses, but Momma with tube in her mouth quoted the whole thing. Yes, she knew the power of God's word. It was obvious that she utilized that power often. Volumes spoken. Words barely heard.

Cigarettes-a battle she never found success with until she won the war. She continued to try to quit up until the day she was completely delivered. Makes the old saying 'try, try again' take on new meaning.

Yellow Butterflies-my mother's favorite color was yellow. She has many china paintings that my grandmother painted that are yellow. The story goes that as my Aunt cleaned the front porch of my grandmother's house the day she died several white butterflies flew up. One white butterfly remained around my Aunt and cousins' house until Momma died. Now there are two white butterflies. Now, I don't believe that my grandmother, Gan-Gan, or my Mother is a butterfly. I do believe that God gives us symbols of hope and love. So, for me, a yellow butterfly comes to see me almost daily. I just say hello Momma and go on with a smile. My sister has requested that the butterfly comes to see her, but we all know that I am my Mother's favorite. Ha! ha!


My mother was a Lady.

She was a Lady of Prayer. I lost my number one prayer partner who knows me and loves me more than life itself. She knew how to pray without asking because she knew me.

She was a Lady of gifts. We sure do miss our UPS man.

She was a Lady of laughter. As you can see in the picture.

She was a Lady of Hope. We have this hope (Christ) as an anchor for our souls. 2Cor 4:16-18: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

My last time with my Momma is forever stamped in my mind. The last phone call and her tears of wanting me to be near her still ring in my ear. Yet, she truly trusted God and His Sovereign will was what she wanted most. Her children will forever miss her. Babies are born. Birthdays are celebrated. Phone calls are missed. Holidays come and go. Yet, the legacy continues.

This I know and believe that as weeping my last for a night (a very long night) joy will come in the morning.

Noah Adam

I am very excited to announce that I have had the pleasure to be an Aunt to the newest 7 pound addition. He is absolutely adorable as you can see in his picture (if I can figure this stuff out.) His sister Jessica and parents Patrick and Sarah are all elated that Noah made his debut in true Chambers fashion~in his own time. Noah is a healthy, beautiful boy that we have prayed for many years. We thank God that he has blessed us with this precious miracle.

PS. Joshua is very excited that he has 'his hair'.

Boys Boys Boys

I am sitting here listening to my four boys play with two other boys. The words I here often are "Hey Dude." Within 5 min. of being in my home all the boys except HeBaby were dressed up in some type of hero gear and had a sword in hand. They were out to protect 'Aslan.' The boys are loud and full of energy, but they are inclusive-no one is left out. They are encouraging each other and working things out. Yes, this is the life. I am sitting at the computer and enjoying myself as my sweet boys play with loud voices, but happily. I am a blessed Super Momma.

To Blog or Not To Blog

It has been a long time in coming. I have needed to blog all the funny and sometimes growing experiences of my semi-large family. We have our moments of extreme laughter and our moments of extreme frustration. I guess you can say that we have our extremes. So, in blogging my hope is that I will help myself to remember my sweet family and all their extremes. However, mostly I pray that I would lead others to praising our God.