Things Only Dad Can Do

There are some things that only dad can do. For example - throw his own children gleefully into the air allowing them the sheer joy of landing with a giant splash into the pool. "No way mom can do that!" says Collin as he looks at his dad with wonder and adoration. Also, dad actually jumps into the pool and

joins his kids happily where as mom has to ease her way in. Even then (after she's gotten "used to the water") she's never as much fun as dad. Dad plays racing games, and sharks and minnows, and does cannonballs into the pool to make the biggest splash possible! "Wow dad! You're cool!" Need I say more? This is when I love my husband most - when he is doing those things I cannot or will not because my mothering feminine nature is either too weak or just too plain ol' chicken to do so!

Fun at Gram's Pool

Too bad this kind of fun won't be for much longer. The kids (and myself included) are really gonna miss this house and this pool. I don't see a pool in the near future for Tim and I. Don't really have 40 grand just lying around...oh well there's always the sprinkler - bummer!

Safe In the Arms of Big Sis

I am most proud and happiest when I see my children loving and helping one another. It is probably the only time that the word "beaming" actually applies.

Thank you God for giving me these children and by Your grace helping them to love one another as they should. (well, most of the time anyway)

Gone Fishin'

Tim and I and the kids went fishing. The good news? Collin LOVED IT!!! He caught the one and only fish of the day. Tim and I learned quickly that we must find a better fishing spot in the future. But all in all we had fun.
The bad news? Mary Grace HATED IT!!! She didn't like the bait, the worms, the bugs buzzing around, or the fish! I guess she's not gonna be the "outdoorsy" type. There were some tears shed on her part and a lot of "I'm never gonna bring you along again Mary Grace" on her dad's part.
But she survived and she will be forced in the future to go fishing against her will. Our family is a loving monarchy, not a democracy.

Me Me Me Me Me

Tim and I back in college - looking "cheesy"




























Tim and I after a few years of marriage had "learned us good"!




"Me me me me me" is a little tune Tim likes to sing. He sings it like a vocalist warming up before a performance. Can you hear it? Okay, good. Now you must know that he is not trying to impress me with his vocal talents but rather is mocking me and shaming me into an attitude reversal. When I begin to have a royal pity party for myself and begin sentence after sentence with "I" he sings this little tune. It goes something like this:



"I want to go somewhere for a change. I want to get out too and do what I want like the other moms. I want to have more time to myself. I want to come and go for once as I please. I want to be pregnant and nursing free for more than a couple of months in my life..." then Tim will cut off this pity party with a little "Me, me, me, me, me".



We both start laughing and usually I'll hit him in the shoulder and say "Alright, alright - you're right. Just let me vent a little ok?"



We both use this little tune whenever we see one another (or others even), becoming a little more than self-absorbed. It's our little inside joke, and we love it! It is a great way to stop each other from going down that dangerous "me" path and getting back on track to a life devoted to others. You have to be able to catch yourself and laugh at yourself if you ever expect to change for the better.



A while back I wrote a post titled Growing Up or Growing Old?. Where I talk about all the benefits of marrying and having a family YOUNG! These are the kinds of things we've learned and developed together to help one another "grow up" over the past ten years. I know that some people, many people looked at us back then and thought "hell, they'll never make it"but how wrong they were! I truly believe it only BENEFIT TED us to be young, poor, and struggling. It kept us humble and it made us search for answers and dig deep inside to persevere. It made us stronger and we are better for it now. Too many people want to start off married life and family life when life is ideal and all seems so "perfect". Then they say they are "ready" to "settle down". But I feel like today we've replaced being "ready" with being completely self-indulged and spoiled. By that time it's next to impossible to undertake the self-sacrifice and selflessness that marriage and family life demands of you for its success. People get a tune stuck in their head and they just can't shake it. And it goes something like this "Me, me, me, me, me......."

The Quiet Man

This movie was on last week on one of the cable channels. It is one of my favorite movies. I love the kind of man that is the main character, Sean. He is just about the quintessential man for me at least. He is strong without being overbearing. He is honorable and dignified without being pretentious or self-righteous. He is handsome without being overly "groomed" or a "girly-man" as I like to call them "pretty boys". For those of you who have not seen this movie - see it! Rent it from the video store and enjoy.

I actually watched it a second time around with my 2 oldest girls. There is some mature content but it is easily explained and "softened" for the mind of a 9 year old. This is because things are implied and not shown like modern movies which show anything and everything possible. (Even the stuff we'd rather NOT see - yuck!) Anyhow, we all loved it! I talked with the girls about tradition and customs and of honor. We watched how patient Sean was with trying to please his wife who was EXTREMELY stubborn and proud. We had a great time, just us girls, watching this wonderful love story.

One of My Favorite Places To Go

One of my favorite places to go visit is Notes from the Trenches. It is a FANTASTIC blog that NEVER fails at making me laugh. Out loud. Often I speak to my computer screen like I'm speaking to a friend. I really wish I knew this woman. She has a writing style I envy and a sense of humor that is witty a and ALWAYS 100% dead on! Here is a sample of her writing and her attitude which keeps me coming back for more...


She writes...

"Sometimes it is hard to tell if they are well intentioned and poorly written, or asking exactly what they seem to be.
Today this email graced my inbox. I reprint it here in it’s entirety.

Did you always want a large family, or did they just start coming out faster than you knew what you were getting yourself into?
Just Wondering.

I could have emailed back privately, but I thought that other people might want to know the same thing. So here is my response.
Dear Just wondering,
Yes that is exactly what happen. Babies started shooting out of my crotch like ice cubes from a jammed ice cube dispenser, while I screamed, “Make it stop! Make it stop! My uterus runneth over!” "



You MUST stop by her blog and read some of her other entries as well. She is thoughtful and sweet. She has a deep love and devotion for her family. She is a great example of what it means to be a "traditional" Christian mother who manages to keep her individuality and her humor in tact.