Just a quick note to show you what craft we created today for Easter! Since we’re all on “lockdown” during the Coronavirus pandemic, there’s only so much you can do to celebrate Easter and none of the usual things we have done in the past are available such as Easter egg hunts or large family parties with games and treats. One of our favorite things to do during our shelter in place time is to get out and enjoy nature with walks, treasure hunting beautiful things along the way. So here is an easy craft you can do with only five minutes of prep time and just a couple of supplies.
You will need:
-cardstock cut into cross shape
-glue
-things from nature
Nature Eater Crosses
I just let my kids do whatever they wanted and this is what they came up with. I think they turned out lovely! Just a quick idea for anyone looking for anything fun and meaningful that doesn’t take a ton of work. Hope you enjoy it!
Are you struggling to deal with all of the changes we’re facing in our daily lives amidst the COVID-19 crisis? It’s pretty bizarre how fast everything has changed, right? Not very much about our daily lives will be the same for awhile as the pandemic spreads and public gathering is discouraged or even prohibited in some cases. Schools, church services and sporting events are cancelled in many areas. This can be unsettling and worrisome for adults and even more so for children if there is lack of information or misinformation about the virus and the chaos it is causing.
I feel it is extremely important to communicate honestly with our kids about what we do know in the most positive way possible. We do know that God is in control and He cares for us more than we can imagine. He will be with us through our trials and bring us peace and comfort.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
The most important thing we can do for peace of mind is to pray, praise and worship. Spend time in prayer for those affected by the virus, those at risk and our country. Spend some of your time at home listening to your favorite praise and worship music. You can receive my list of favorite worship songs by signing up for my email list!
I feel it is also important to explain to kids known facts about how the virus is spread and the number of cases compared to population in the area that you live in. It’s also needed to go over hygiene procedures in depth as far as proper hand washing procedures, not touching your face or picking your nose (we are talking about kids after all). It seems like you can never cover this information enough! You can obtain current facts at www.CDC.gov.
So, if you never intended to homeschool, and are now faced with having your kids at home full time for the foreseeable future, what are your plans?Or you had time to think about that yet? Since I have been homeschooling my own kids for over 20 years, I have a few suggestions that I hope will be helpful to you.
Don’t stress out about your kids education being compromised by missing public school. Remember you were the one who taught your child how to walk, talk,taught them their shapes and colors and alphabet. You taught them to use the toilet, take out the trash and you’re constantly teaching them various other life skills on a daily basis. You know your child best and can be one of the best teachers for them.
Also know that you don’t have to create a public school environment in your home. Education can take place in such a large variety of ways that can make learning fun, easy and take place on your couch. Here are a few ideas of fun activities to engage in with your kids to supplement their learning during their time at home:
-Read to your kids. Reading aloud to your kids is a great family activity. If you’re like me and start yawning endlessly while reading aloud, you can let Audible or your local library audiobook app read to your kids. We love to finish up with a movie night of the latest book we’ve read. We just finished up Alice and Wonderland and now we’re working on Anne of Green Gables.
-Go outside. Fresh air and sunshine are great germ killers and good for your health. Play in your yard, jump on your trampoline, kick a soccer ball around or go out for a walk around the block or on a hike in a local area. It’s also a great time to get some yard work, gardening and spring planting done. There is so much to be learned and enjoyed in the outdoors and it can keep kids busy for hours!
-Play board games. Games can teach so many skills such as counting, math, spelling, strategy, etc. Plus there are so many that are just plain fun! You want this time that you spend together with your family to be filled with good memories of fun and laughter and a competitive game of Settlers of Catan can be a great way to do that! Here is a link to that one and a few other of our favorite games.
-Have them practice writing in a fun way. Have kids start a journal. How fun will it be for them to look back on their writings of their perspective of these strange times years from now! Kind of like when we laugh about Y2K now. They can also write letters or cards to far away friends and relatives. Reaching out to elderly friends and family through cards and letters is especially important especially if they live alone and social distancing and self quarantining can cause loneliness from isolation. These journaling supplies are 50% off right now!
Do art projects. Practice drawing, painting, paper mosaics, chalk pastels, the list is nearly endless. Depending on your child’s interests, you can look up drawing tutorials and painting inspiration on YouTube or craft project ideas on Pinterest. You can even surprise the kids with a few new art supplies delivered to your door!
-Teach them to cook. Cooking can be such a fun way to learn concepts such as measurements and chemistry. Teaching kids basic life skills such as cooking is so important but often overlooked in today’s busy times. Basics like scrambled eggs, pancakes and simple pasta dishes can be a great place to start. For more experienced kid chefs, more advanced recipes found on Pinterest or the Food Network. Old family recipes are also wonderful to focus on as you can share stories while you cook.
-Home cleaning & organizations skills. The kids won’t necessarily love these lessons, but they’re valuable just the same! It’s so important to send our kids into the world being able to care for themselves and cooking and cleaning are important for everyone to know. Teach them how to clean a bathroom properly, do the laundry, or organize a closet. You can make spring cleaning a family affair and possibly prepare for a future garage sale where the kids can work on their math and money counting skills. Or you can donate some unneeded things to a local charity.
If you see this experience as a gift and blessing of precious time with our loved ones, instead of an inconvenience, we can focus on building relationships with those closest to you. I would encourage you to be intentional with how you spend this time with your family. Be joyful, laugh a lot and make the best of the situation you’ve been given.
Do you have any questions about homeschooling? I would love to help you in any way I can.
Need prayer? I would be honored to pray for you for any of your needs.
I would love to hear from you with your best ideas for keeping kids busy with extended time at home!
A couple of years ago, we moved into a house with a large back deck overlooking a large meadow surrounded by a forest of towering oak trees. One day I was sitting out on the back deck watching my daughter play with her new, big red bouncy ball in the grassy meadow when it suddenly bounced into the dark shadows of the tall trees in the yard. “Mommy”, she cried, “Can you please go get my ball?’ “You can go get it”, I said. Honestly, I didn’t feel like getting up, which I justified by the thought that I’m always a fan of working on my kids’ independence. “No, I’m scared”, she said, “it’s dark”. From my perspective, up on the deck above the meadow, I could see the whole picture. My child was just a few short steps from her ball, there was nothing scary in the woods and I was right there with her. The thing she wanted was easily within her reach. But from her perspective, all she could see was her fear. Her fear of the unknown. Her fear of the dark. God instantly spoke to my heart at that moment that we are so often as my daughter in our own lives. Sometimes when we feel God calling us to somewhere or something new, we can only see our fear of the unknown and what ifs. He calls us to trust Him because He is sitting up on the deck while we are down in the meadow and can see from an accurate perspective. He longs for us to know He is with us always, He has our best interest at heart and that He is always with us and for us!
Psalms 32:8 tells us, The Lord says “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”NLT
Joshua 1:9 says, This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.NLT
And Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.NLT
I spent too many years in the bondage of fear. Fears of all varieties, both big and small, realistic and far fetched. Fear of the unknown. Fear of pain. Fear of loss. Fear of tragedy taking someone I love or it taking me and leaving my kids motherless.
But I also had a fear of failure. Fear of people not liking me. Fear of not being good enough for God’s love. Fear of disappointing others and losing their love and approval. That’s a whole lot of fears! The saying what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger comes to my mind when I think about my life. Many of the things that I’ve gone through in my life I would have never wanted to experience nor would I wish them upon anyone else. But it’s through these challenging times that with God walking by my side, sometimes literally carrying me through, that I have finally been delivered from the spirit of fear and it is such an incredible blessing. I wouldn’t go back and change or avoid the hard things that I’ve had to go through in my life because they have allowed God to shape me into who I am today.
My husband and I have both laughingly stated that if we had met years earlier, we may never have even liked each other, much less gotten married because we weren’t the people then that we are now because of all of the life challenges that both of us have gone through. Our experiences have the power to shape who we will become, but even more exciting is that when you allow God to do the shaping through the experiences, He will make good out of our bad circumstances to bring Himself glory. He will bring joy out of our pain. He will give peace where there was strife. He will make beauty out of ashes. And it’s only when giving Him our pain and trusting Him with our path that this can happen.
Now I’m definitely not saying that my fearfulness is completely conquered. I still struggle with fearful thoughts thanks to my overactive imagination from time to time, like most of us. One of the things I have found that helps me the most (besides prayer, obviously) is to ask myself a few questions. Questions that I always come back to at the end of the fear is to carry that fearful thought through. What would happen if …..? What would happen if I disappoint someone and they get angry with me? What would happen if I fail at something important to me and embarrass myself? What would happen if an unthinkable tragedy strikes me or my family? Would God still love me? Would God still be with me? Would it be painful? Yes, of course. But could I make it through it with God’s help? Definitely. And you can too. God’s love, help, grace and strength are available to every believer no matter their circumstances. He is longing for you to call upon His name so that He can carry your burdens for you and give you peace and rest.
The other very important question that I ask myself is, “What has God done in the past?” When I look back on my life and recount all of the trials, tragedies and hard times that I have encountered and come through, I remember once more God’s amazing presence in my life and His faithfulness to walk with me through my trying times.
Scary pregnancies, having a child born with severe medical issues, car accidents, repeated betrayal of unfaithful spouse, a bitter divorce, kid’s accidents with broken bones, heart murmers, brain tumors, custody battles, stepfamily issues, a child’s incarceration, financial hardships, a child wandering far from the Lord, losing a child, failed ministry, failed business, my own sin. Those are just some of my personal experiences that come to mind when I am struggling to fight my fear and I need to remind myself of God’s amazing faithfulness. He has walked with me through each and every one of those situations because He is such a good father that cares so deeply for his children. He has given me peace that made no sense at the time but that was unmistakeably from Him. Praising Him for His extraordinary faithfulness in times of uncertainty glorifies Him but also builds my faith in Him to care for me in the future and all that it may entail.
I hope that my stories of His steadfast presence in my life will give others a small glimpse of the gentle, merciful nature of our magnificent Creator. He is ever faithful, kind and compassionate. He loves us with an unimaginable love and wants to walk with us through every single facet of this life- the joyful, the heartbreaking and the mundane. My hope is that my words will encourage you to dare to invite Him into every part of your life so that He can provide you with the peace that is beyond understanding and the joy that can only come from Him. He is worthy of all of your trust and faith.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:7 ESV
So my youngest son and I started planning his 10th birthday party about 6 months ago when we saw Lego themed supplies at the local dollar store. He assured me that he really wanted a Lego themed birthday party and that he wouldn’t change his mind, no matter what.
Guess what? He changed his mind! About two months before the actual event, as I started to get serious with my research and planning of his party, he came to me and sheepishly asked if it would be okay if he changed his mind about the theme of his party. After inquiring what he wanted to change it to and hearing Nerf, I didn’t mind at all! Nerf parties are the easiest because the kids pretty much entertain themselves and it would be way easier on me than setting up elaborate Lego games.
So, the Pinterest planning and Amazon shopping began. We picked a date, made the Facebook event and got to work. I made sure I stated on the invite that the kids needed to bring thier own Nerf gun, but that we would have a few extra. We planned for games for inside and out, decorations and food and drinks. I purchased the paper goods, tablecloths balloons and other decorations at my local dollar store. I found extra Nerf darts and safety goggles on Amazon. We specifically planned the party from 2-4pm so we only had to provide snacks which were cheese puffs, popcorn and goldfish crackers with water and Gatorade to drink.
I saved random containers and toilet paper tubes for a few weeks and spray painted them before attaching them to cardboard for the inside targets. We also set up ping pong balls on water bottles for them to shoot at. My hsuband set up cardboard boxes and tablecloth barriers in the backyard for the kids to hide behind while shooting it out.
I wish I would have remembered to take more pictures of all the food, drinks and decorations, but I was so busy entertaining friends and family and reminding kids to put their safety goggles back on, that I forgot.
After an hour and a half of capture the flag and free for all shooting, we came inside for gifts and cake. Everyone was hungry and thirsty and ready for a break, but not for long, because shortly after, and inside war broke out and was still going on as some of the parents arrived to pick up their kids.
All in all, I was very happy how this party turned out. My son and his friends had a blast, I enjoyed getting to visit with adults and it was very economical. I was so thankful that the predicted rain held off and made it an enjoyable afternoon spent outside with the kids getting exercise and fresh air making great memories with their friends!
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So, do you like road trips? Driving the open highway for miles, enjoying the scenery, listening to music and great snacks. Or are you more of a flyer? A quick, easy, get there quickly kind of traveler?
I’m definitely a lover of road trips! I love driving and really enjoy seeing all types of scenery along the way. I’ve been traveling on long trips with my children my whole adult life but I definitely acquired my love of travel from my parents who took my siblings and I on long vacations in our motorhome every summer growing up.
When my second son was born with severe medical issues, I would have to drive an hour each way a few times each month for his doctor appointments. I would also drive my two boys over to see my sister and her daughters that lived three hours away pretty often. All of this time in the car from their earliest days taught them to be content in the car. Of course, these were the days before dvd players or any of the kind of electronic devices we have now, so we would pack up a bag of books, notebooks and pencils and a few snacks and be on our way. I’ve continued to drive my children all over the country on various trips for the past 22 years.
I will be posting all of my most recent trips on the blog eventually with travel tips, things to see and do and great places to eat in each of the cities we visited, but today I just wanted to share my most recent trip. My 18 year old daughter decided she wanted to move closer to family and take a semester off of college so I agreed to drive to Oregon hauling our trailer, load all of her stuff up and take her to her dad’s in Arkansas. (Somethings I will only do for my children!)
Since two of my other sons who still live at home were visiting their dad, I would only be traveling with my youngest two. I knew I needed to make things even more organized and simpler than my previous trips since we wouldn’t have very many hands for carrying things. We were also on a very tight budget, being just a few days after Christmas, so I had to get very creative.
First off, I need to explain that for many years, I have always planned out each child’s outfits, corresponding to the day of the trip and pertaining to the weather and activities for that day. Their outfit, socks, underwear and accessories were placed in a zippered plastic bag, labeled with the day of the week and placed in their suitcase. Now normally, each child’s bags would be placed in their own suitcase along with their shoes, p.j.’s and swimwear that they would then be responsible for taking into the hotel room for each night’s stay. In addition to each person’s suitcase we would also need to carry in a bag of snacks, a cooler bag of refrigerated items and drinks, all of the electronics, each person’s toy backpack and a rolling box of cooking items. That was all going to be way too much for the three of us so I came up with a different plan.
I started with the labeled plastic bags for each of the two kids and added pajamas to each one. Then I grouped the pieces of my outfit for each day and placed everyone’s items into a reusable grocery bag and labeled the outside with the day of the week we would need to take it into the hotel room. We placed the first one in my daughter’s rolling suitcase and then each night when we arrived at our hotel, we took out the previous days bag of dirty clothes and put in the new bag. Mostly because I didn’t want to carry a reusable shopping bag into our hotel each night (tacky) and my daughter was able to help out with the items easily in her rolling bag. Then my son and I were able to handle the cooler bag on top of the rolling cooking box and the bag of snacks on the rolling electronic bag. It was so much easier getting in and out of the hotel rooms each night! I wish I would have tried this years sooner!
My daughter’s outfit for one day in a well used plastic bag.One nights worth of clothing in a reusable grocery bag hiding in my daughter’s more aesthetically pleasing rolling bag.All of our stuff for the 8 day trip (except the other individual reusable grocery bags filled with each days clothing)
We started out on Sunday afternoon since I had to wait for my husband to bring my son home from their hunting trip. My husband hooked up the trailer for me, I made everyone go to the restroom one last time, and then we were off. I debated back and forth about which route to take to Oregon, the I-40 route (way more scenic) or the I-10 route (not very pretty), but since it was January and a huge snowstorm had blown through New Mexico the day before, I reluctantly decided on taking the southern route. After a quick stop at a Taco Cabana for dinner, we made it to Fort Stockton the first night, took our easy to carry luggage into the Super 8 by Wyndham (super nice by the way) that I booked ahead of time on Hotels.com and went straight to bed to get ready for an early morning. I always book my hotel rooms on Hotels.com because I can search for exactly what I’m looking for,(free breakfast, free wifi, free parking, pool, refrigerator & microwave in room, etc.) and I always find an amazing deal. Plus, I get a free night’s stay after every ten stays which has helped out so much with travel expenses!
Most of my cooking supplies for hotel room cooking.Cooking supplies in the rolling box (except my indoor grill which I remembered after I snapped the pic.Caddy for holding paper plates, bowls, napkins & silverware on top.Most of the food we packed for our trip.
After an extremely early wake up time of 5am, we packed up our stuff, grabbed some free breakfast and were on our way towards Blythe, California. With 820 miles that was going to take us at least 12 hours, I spent the day enjoying the scenery while listening to Audible books while the kids took turns on the iPad and watching movies. It wasn’t really their choice to sit in the car all these hours so I didn’t really limit their electronics like I normally would when we’re on a fun trip. (I’ve included a list of the books I listened to on this trip at the bottom of the page.)nn At lunchtime,my son was able to make us turkey sandwiches while I drove so we were able to keep making progress only stopping when someone needed to use the restroom and then filling up with gas then. After 13 hours, we finally made it to the Quality Inn in Blythe, cooked up some hot dogs on the indoor grill and took the kids for a swim in the indoor pool. It was great for them to be able to expend some energy after being cooped up in the car all day.
The next morning, we again were up by 5am, packed up with our free breakfast in hand, and on our way up the entire state of California. After a few hours, we hit Los Angeles traffic where I was so thankful for the High Occupancy lane on I-5 that helped us not get horribly delayed. It was hard being back near many of my favorite places knowing I didn’t have time to stop and enjoy them. My heart hurt a little and I may have shed a few tears seeing the snow capped mountains, passing by signs for Yosemite, San Fransisco and Reno and knowing Napa and Lake Tahoe were so close as well. As much as it makes sense on paper for our family to be in Austin, my heart hasn’t quite caught up with my head and I long to be back out west. I had to remind myself of what I’ve always known which is to not look back on the past with longing but only with thankfulness of the good times we had and instead look forward to the opportunities of how God may use me in the place He currently has me. We finally arrived in Redding, CA after 12 hours in the car, got checked into the Ramada Limited and cooked up some tacos in the Instant Pot with a can of refried beans and some pre-cooked taco meat. I was worn out so we just relaxed in the room and called it a night.
We slept in until 7am, packed up the car and headed back into the hotel to grab yet another free breakfast before we headed to Ashland to finally see my daughter, Samantha and move her out of her apartment. I was way more excited about seeing her than actually moving all of her stuff but I was anxious to get it done as quickly as possible so we could make it to our next destination-our old hometown of Reno, NV! So the four of us all worked hard to get all of her stuff loaded onto the trailer, covered with tarps and all tied down with straps, and headed to the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. We had a few worrisome moments on the trip down as the snow fell and started to stick to the roads. I had brought my snow chains, but I sure didn’t want to have to put them on if I didn’t have to! Thankfully, it soon cleared and we made it to the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, got checked into our room, put chili onto cook in the Instant Pot and changed into our swimsuits. The pool area at the GSR is one of our favorites with the giant hot tubs and several seating areas with fire pits nearby. Even in 50 degree weather, it’s amazing. After a relaxing time in the hot tub, we enjoyed chili with fritos and called it a night.
The next day we were aiming to make it to Gallup, NM so we first headed towards Las Vegas. In the middle of nowhere on Highway 95, I suddenly sensed a loss of power, looked in my side mirror, and realized we had a flat tire on our trailer. I was upset, but figured I could change the tire and be on our way. Thankfully, I had a cell signal which is very rare on that stretch of highway, so I called my husband to get a few instructions. I hadn’t changed a tire since my dad’s lesson at sixteen years old and I didn’t really remember how. So after unloading enough stuff to get the jack and four way, I took the spare off and put the jack under the trailer. I thought it was going great until I realized there was no way I was going to be able to unscrew the lug nuts. I tried and tried and they weren’t budging. Reluctantly, I decided to call roadside assistance and after finding my location, were about to send someone out from Tonopah, NV (45 minutes away) and charge me $75/hour from door to door round trip. Yikes, that was going to be expensive! At this point I had been on the side of the road for about 30 minutes when finally, someone stopped and asked if I needed help. I said yes, in spite of being a little leery, but he turned out to be an amazing guy who changed my tire, checked my other tire and helped me secure the ruined tire onto the trailer. He was a 25 year veteran of the Nevada police force and I know God sent him to me on my behalf. He saved us so much time and hundreds of dollars and I was so thankful! Because of the delay, I figured there was no way we were going to make it to Gallup so I just drove as long as I could and we finally made it to the Springhill Suites in Flagstaff, Arizona. We had actually stayed at this hotel before and really liked it. My daughter Samantha was able to punch in a few criteria on the Hotels.com app and make the reservation with just a few clicks while I was driving, so that was really convenient. After another quick dinner of leftover chili and hot dogs, we headed to bed, exhausted.
An early morning the next day and a long day of uneventful driving and a quick stop for Little Ceasar’s pizza, we made it to El Reno, Oklahoma and checked into the Holiday Inn Express that my daughter had again found on the app as we drove. Showers and sleep were the only things on the agenda since we had to be up early to make it to Fort Smith, Arkansas by 11am for niece’s bridal shower. We were up early and on our way just as planned until around Shawnee when we saw people waving us down. I assumed one of the tarps was loose so I pulled over so my daughter and I could retighten the straps. We were out in the rain and being nearly blown away by the stream of semi’s going by so we worked quickly and got back on the road. Shortly afterward, I was getting annoyed when people continued to slow down, roll down their windows and wave at us incessantly. I kept thinking, “Goodness, I know the tarps are loose but we’re not too far from our destination and I’m sure they’ll be fine!” We finally saw an exit and I decided to pull off so we could at least fix the tarps again without the worry of being run over on the side of the highway. We pulled into an empty parking lot and got out to investigate and were shocked to find out that we were completely missing a tire and had been driving on the now almost demolished wheel for who knows how long. I was completely dumbfounded and not sure what to do. My first reaction was to punch “Discount Tire” into my Apple maps app on my phone and was amazed to see that one was actually, right across the street. I figured I had drove on it so far already that across the street wasn’t going to make it any worse so I pulled right over there as quickly as I could. To my amazement, the place was absolutely empty, on a Saturday morning, which is unheard of and I consider another small miracle. They had the tire in stock, had the tired changed and us on our way in under 30 minutes! I just couldn’t believe how well God had watched over us and taken such good care of us even in the midst of our unfortunate circumstances.
If it hadn’t had been for another bathroom stop, we would have only been five minutes late to the bridal shower. As it was , we were thirty minutes late, but considering the amount of miles I had driven to get there at this point and the challenges we had experienced, I was just glad to make it there safely. It was so great to get to see my sister, nieces, and great nieces and relax for the first time in several days. After a fun time at the bridal shower, we visited at my sister’s adorable new house while waiting for my son Blake and his new wife Gabby to drive home from a wedding in Joplin. He is the new college pastor at a church in Fort Smith and I was so excited to get to see their first home. They treated us to a delicious dinner and a wonderful evening of reminiscing and catching up. The next morning, we were able to attend church with them and then had to quickly head out on the road once again for the final trek home. We made it to my daughter’s dad’s town, got all of her belongings unloaded and said our goodbyes. As much as I didn’t want to, I knew we had another 7 hours to get home, and as much as I love traveling, this was one time I was really looking forward to being home. Thankfully, the last stretch of our trip was completed without incident and we made it home about 10pm. I was so grateful to be able to sleep in my own bed that night.
I am so thankful that I was able to make this trip to help my daughter move back closer to family and I’m so thankful that I was able to have a little fun and spend time with family along the way. I’m thankful that my husband trusts me enough to drive across the country and supports me in helping our children in any way that they need, even when that means he’s home alone for a week and has to cook his own meals. Most of all, I’m so thankful to God for watching over us in so many practical ways and keeping us safe and sound the entire way. He is so good to us!
What about you? Do you travel on road trips alone with your kids? I would love to hear about your adventures!
Looking for some great audiobooks? Here is a list of some of my favorites and the ones I listened to on this trip:
At 4 am my husband and I were awoken by the gut wrenching scream of our two-year old daughter who was sleeping in bed between the two of us. As we both quickly sat up, my husband turned on the light and began asking my daughter, “What’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay?” She tried to explain once and I thought she said something about a shark- my hearing and my mothering skills are questionable at 4 am while my heart is about to beat out of my chest after a scream like that. “What’s wrong?”, he asked her again. She answered sleepily, “Nothing”, like the true girl that she is. ” What were you dreaming about?”, my husband persisted. My husband is a smart man. He knows better than to believe the females in his life when they say “nothing”. “There was a caterpillar crawling on me!”, my daughter said with fear still in her voice. “She is definitely your daughter!”, my husband said as we comforted her and tried desperately not to giggle as she nestled in his arms and fell back asleep. I lay there thinking of the caterpillar we had seen crawling on our car window a couple of days before. I had pointed it out to the kids as we were driving and we all stared in morbid anticipation of it flying off of our window as we drove down the interstate. Well, obviously, not my two-year old daughter. She must have been scared and hoping it would hurry up and get off of her car.
I totally understand how she feels! She did definitely come by her fear, I mean dislike, of bugs naturally. I absolutely hate bugs! Flies, mosquitos, june bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, spiders- you name it, I hate them. Now, I know, fellow homeschooling parents, that these are not all classified as insects, but in my fear, I just lump them all together. But, yet, I am not at all afraid of caterpillars.
Why am I not afraid of caterpillars? Well, for one thing, they don’t pinch, bite, sting or fly in my hair/eyes/face. Secondly, and most importantly, I know they’re future. I know that God is going to take their furry, wormy body and completely transform it into something more beautiful than a caterpillar can even imagine, if caterpillars have imaginations. How do I know this about caterpillars? Well, because books teach us that is what happen to caterpillars but even more importantly, I’ve seen it happen right before my eyes. Many years ago, my two oldest boys loved to play outside, be out in nature and play with bugs. One year, of them received a butterfly kit for their birthday that came with a net and supplies and a coupon to send off for some caterpillars. We sent off for the caterpillars and then we waited. We finally received them, put them in their new mesh home with some twigs and leaves and then we waited some more. Waiting is hard. Waiting is no fun. But waiting when you know what is going to happen is more bearable it seems. You know that there is something good on the other end of your waiting.
Our lives can be like that sometime. Life can be scary. It can be unpredictable. There can be lots of waiting. But we don’t have to live our lives in fear. Just as we trust our science books and own experiences to know that the ugly, furry caterpillars are going to turn into beautiful butterflies we can trust God’ s word and our past experiences to know that God has something amazing and beautiful planned for our future. Even we don’t know exactly what the future holds for us, we can trust God with our future and know that He loves us, is with us always and He will care for us to meet all of our needs.
Exodus 14:13 says, Dont be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.
Ephesians 1:10-11 tells us, And this is the plan:At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
There are so many verses full of Gods promises to care for us:
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says But blessed are those that trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Jeremiah 29:11 states For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your path straight.
Proverbs 16:3 says Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.
Deuteronomy 7:9 confirms by saying, Understand therefore that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.
Isaiah 43:1-2 says… Do not be afraid for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name and you are mine. When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown….
Luke 12:7 tells us And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
He goes on to say in Luke 12:24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds.
There are so many verses that tell us of Gods great love for us, how intimately He knows and cares about everything that is going on in our lives but that we should not fear because He is in control and He is working out an amazing plan for our lives. I can also look back on my own life and see so many examples of God’s love, His faithfulness and His wisdom in the timing of events in my life. I have seen it enough to trust Him with my future. Unlike the caterpillar that probably doesn’t understand why he is so hungry and just wants to wrap himself in a cocoon because he doesn’t know what beauty awaits him, we can have hope in what God has planned for us because we have seen His mighty hand at work in our lives in the past and we can hang on to the promises in His word that He will be with us throughout our lives until our beauty is fully revealed in Him to reveal His glory to the world around us.
“Okay, ma’am, I have your discharge papers right here. I think I’m going to check you one more time before you go though.” The nurse that spoke those words to me 19 years and 2 days ago saved my life and the life of my son whose birthday it is today. God used her among many others in some amazing ways to allow my son to celebrate his 19th birthday today. You see, that day, I was in the hospital, 35 weeks pregnant with my second son experiencing pre-term labor. I had been through pre-term labor with my first pregnancy starting at 27 weeks, but it was managed with rest and medication until I safely delivered at 37 weeks. But this pregnancy had been different. I was measuring way larger than normal which they eventually figured out was due to an excessive amount of amniotic fluid. The picture below shows me at 32 weeks yet I look overdue!
They told me that this could be a symptom of hydrocephalus. It was very scary news to hear from doctors but I just continued to keep praying for my healthy baby and hope for the best. Eventually, the amount of amniotic fluid caused my body to think it was time to go into labor, so into labor I went. When I went to the hospital March 9, 1996, they decided to check my dilation and watch my contractions on the monitors for a couple of hours. Although I was contracting, initially I didn’t seem to be progressing in dilation, so they were preparing to discharge me and send me on my way. Thankfully, that nurse decided to check me one more time. I had progressed from 2cm to 3cm dilation in the last hour. My son and I would not have survived if we had been sent home that day. What made it such a lifesaving event was that I lived about 30 minutes from the nearest hospital and I was about to suffer a placental abruption. After spending two days on magnesium sulfate to try stop the labor unsuccessfully, my water broke. When it had stopped flowing for the most part, I suddenly felt a sharp pain and more fluid. As soon as I alerted a nurse who checked me everything in my hospital room changed. Everyone started moving faster, I was laid down flat and wheeled down the hall to the operating room. I remember being so cold and shaking and asking them how long it would be before they put me out. That was the last thing I remember until waking up to tell my son goodbye. I didn’t know if I would ever see him alive again.
He was in an incubator hooked up to all sorts of wires and tubes and getting ready to be flown on a helicopter to a larger hospital who could figure out what was wrong with him and help him stay alive. What I learned later on was that my son’s Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were 1 and 2. He was pretty much barely alive when he was born. He was not breathing, he was limp and gray but he did have a pulse. The doctors notes state that the anesthesiologist was unable to intubate him. I am so thankful for his pediatrician, Dr. Susan Bullard, for saving his life by forcing that ET tube into him that provided him the oxygen he so desperately needed. It would be a few days later that we would learn why he had been so difficult to intubate and his difficult prognosis.
So roughly 36 hours after my emergency C-section where I was cut from the belly button down, my mom drove my 16-month old son, Nicholas and I to Tulsa, Oklahoma after stopping by my house to collect a few days worth of clothes and supplies for what we thought would be a short, couple of days stay before we brought baby Blake home from the hospital. I definitely think that my optimism was a gift from God to shield me from the fear that would have overtaken me had I known what lay ahead. After arriving at the hospital NICU and getting all scrubbed up, I finally got to see Blake again. I just sat by his bed, stroking his soft, baby skin while talking and singing to him while intermittently silently praying that God would heal him. I prayed Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” I also remembered the verse that my sister had sent me on a card that said, ” Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”, which is found in Proverbs 3:5. I vividly remember my conversation with the Lord, asking Him to spare Blake’s life and allow me to raise him, but conceding fully to His will even if He was going to take him home to heaven. When I think back on this time, I find so amazing the amount of peace that God gave me, without me even having the words to ask. It would be the first of several times where I would look back and realize that God was truly carrying me in the palm of His hand.
I finally got to hold Blake for the first time when he was 5 days old. There were definitely tears that day. Happy tears, tears of relief and thankfulness. I spent my days in the NICU trying to fairly divide my time between my 16 month old son, whom my mom cared for in the hallways of the hospital, and caring for my fragile newborn amidst the added demand of constantly pumping milk to help Blake’s nutrition eventually, even though he wasn’t allowed to eat yet.
Over the next 56 days of his stay, he had multiple bronchoscopy procedures that determined he had a fluid-filled cyst in his trachea that completely blocked his airway. This had also affected his swallowing and processing the amniotic fluid which had to led to the excess amount that caused his early arrival. The cyst had been the reason that the anesthesiologist had been unable to intubate him and had actually been popped by his pediatrician which had resulted in successfully saving his life but also made it harder for them to diagnose his condition initially. The cyst was rapidly regenerating every time they went in and tried to excise it. They also did an EEG which they said showed abnormalities that could mean severe mental problems or slight learning disabilities but they just didn’t know enough to say for sure. Totally not helpful, whatsoever. One night the hospital called to say that they needed me to come back up to the hospital because Blake wasn’t doing well and they weren’t sure if he was going to make it. They thought he might have meningitis and needed to perform a spinal tap. It came back negative, thankfully. I just took it in stride, not really believing all the bad things the doctors kept telling me but knowing that whatever God gave me He would help me through it.
Blake slowly started doing a bit better and they moved him to the “closer to going home” side of the room. He was no longer intubated but still struggled to breathe effectively, especially while eating which prevented him from gaining much weight. Unfortunately, they placed a baby next to Blake which they shortly thereafter discovered had RSV. He caught it which reversed all of the progress he had made. His neonatologist and pediatric surgeon made the determination that he needed to undergo two life-altering procedures: a feeding tube and a tracheostomy. This was very hard to hear because they seemed so permanent and I had so many questions but ultimately I trusted God to guide the doctors to do what was best for him.
He came through both procedures perfectly and thrived afterward. He started gaining weight more rapidly and was soon ready to go home. I wanted to get him home so badly, but again, my optimism helped me ignore the reality that was going to be my life of taking care of my eighteen month old son while trying my best to also meet the special needs of Blake. He was almost 2 months old when he was discharged from the hospital and he weighed 5 lbs. I was pumping milk nonstop it seemed, feeding him regularly through his feeding tube while also still trying to teach him how to nurse so he would continue to gain weight. I had to suction mucous out of his tracheostomy tube every 5 minutes so he could continue breathing, which was pretty important. All of this amidst the wires of the apnea monitor he had to wear in case he stopped breathing while he was sleeping. It was quite a feat going anywhere in those early months carrying all of that equipment in addition to a baby in a car seat and a toddler.
I honestly have no idea how I did it! It makes me exhausted just thinking about it now. But I was much younger back then and so thankful to have two beautiful boys at home that I just did whatever needed to be done and God gave me the strength to do it. Blake’s smiles and joyful personality also helped.
So now, as I reflect back on this day 19 years ago, I am forever grateful for God allowing me to be Blake’s mom. I stand in utter amazement at God’s involvement in the seemingly small details of our lives that He weaves together in an amazing story of His provision and grace. There is so much more to Blake’s story than I can fit into one blog post. He had subsequent surgeries, health issues, almost died in my arms one more time at 4 months old and was life-flighted once again. He was able to have his feeding tube removed at 9 months of age. He was blessed with miracles in his speech and intellect and surpassed every test for intelligence and skills at an early age in spite of his early diagnosis of possible mental disability.
And after 4 long years of my fervent prayers, fasting and seeking God’s healing, Blake had another surgery to remove the cyst and that time, it miraculously didn’t grow back. After several months of waiting and checkups, he was finally able to get his tracheostomy tube removed. He was able to learn to swim and also to get baptized. He has gone through normal trials that most boys do with school, friends and girls but also other extraordinary trials such as our family struggling through a divorce and later, remarriage and all the challenges that step-families encounter but handled it all wonderfully, with God’s help.
What I have seen through the story of Blake’s life, is that God is so faithful. I have frequently shared with all of my children that God has a special plan for their life and this is very evident in Blake’s life. In spite of the enemy’s various attacks, Blake is a well-adjusted, intelligent, caring young man who loves Jesus with all of his heart. He is a thoughtful son and brother to his family members, a good friend to those God puts in his path and an active ambassador for Christ in the world around him. He is currently studying Biblical Theology while attending Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. He has, in recent years, served on various mission trips in the United States and abroad and is looking forward to more. He volunteers with two-year olds at church and holds a job working with developmentally disabled people. I think he is an amazing young man and I am so thankful that God spared his life and mine so I can tell others about what an amazing God we serve and how wonderful His love is for us while telling Blake’s story.
I have loved to cook as long as I can remember. I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen, watching cooking shows on PBS (before cable and the Food Network) and was so excited receive for my eighth grade graduation, a marble rolling pin and cookbook that I used all that summer. A large part of my adult life has been spent planning meals, shopping for groceries for meals, or actually cooking meals. I love searching for and trying new recipes, some turning out to be flops and some to be family favorites, but learning all along the way. The problem is that since becoming an adult, more specifically, a parent, my family has expected me to feed them a nutritious, delicious variety of meals and snacks 3 times a day, seven days a week. They are hungry, all the time! It seems that no sooner do I get the last meal cleaned up, that I have to start preparing for the next one. That kind of schedule can definitely damper my creativity!
Many years ago, I was part of a freezer meal cooking swap with a group of ladies at my previous church. I would make about 20 pans of lasagna or something similar, trade them with all of the other ladies, and go home with 20 different meals to put in my freezer. It was great having all of those meals already prepared and ready to heat up for my family. Some of those recipes that I received from those ladies, I still love and use on a regular basis. When that group disbanded, I continued for a time practicing the once a month cooking method on my own. I remember spending hours planning menus, making grocery lists and huge grocery trips. That was followed by an entire day of hard work on my feet, cooking many different meals to put in my freezer and then cleaning up the huge mess that I had made. It was rewarding but extremely exhausting and I’m pretty sure I ignored my kids for at least that one day every month, which is not a good parenting move. So I eventually gave up on that and just went back to cooking a regular meal every night.
Since moving our family into an rv fulltime, the crock pot/slow cooker has become my favorite appliance. It was already well-loved and I used it a couple of times each month, but in a smaller kitchen, it just makes great sense and I have started using mine a few times each week. So of course, I went to Pinterest to add to my repertoire of recipes. It was there that I discovered a combination of two of my favorite cooking methods: freezer slow cooker meals. It was so genius and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of it already! I was so excited to put this method to the test so I quickly made a two-week meal plan and put together a grocery list. The next day after a grocery trip, (okay, really two grocery trips because I didn’t realize we only had one gallon size freezer bags left in our home) I got started on my plan. Shortly afterward, I was done. I’m not kidding when I say, that in less than two hours, I had ten crockpot ready meals in my freezer. One of the best parts of this is that all I had to clean up after this “cooking” session was a rubber spatula, a knife and a cutting board. Virtually no clean up! And since I use cooking liners in my crock pot every time I use it (best $2.00 I spend) there is virtually no clean up every night after dinner either. So even though I can’t take credit for this genius idea, I did want to share it with you. Because if you’re anything like me, on the days when I’m going to be super busy or gone all day, when I most want to use my crock pot to come home to an already cooked meal, are the days when I have to leave super early in the morning and don’t have a lot of time to prepare ingredients to throw in the crock pot. This way, all you have to do is thaw in the fridge the night before, dump in the crock pot in the morning, and turn on the crock pot (a very important step that I have forgotten to do before). Now, on days when I am rushed, I can throw one of these in. Then, on the days when I have more time, I will enjoy exploring and creating other recipes that I have yet to discover and I will enjoy the process that much more. I hope you will try a few or all of these recipes and this cooking method and let me know what you think!
RECIPES:
Potato Soup, serve with salad and crusty bread
Chicken Fajitas, serve with tortillas, topping, beans and rice
Ham & Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, serve with green vegetable and rolls
Pulled Pork Sandwiches, serve with fries and spicy coleslaw
Beef Stroganoff, serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetable
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry, serve with white rice
Beef Stew, serve with salad and crusty bread
Southwest Chicken Burritos, serve with rice in tortillas
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, serve with salad and rolls
Pepper Steak, serve with rice and green vegetable
So the first thing I did was to set out all of my ingredients, grocery list at the end of the post.
Then before I started prepping anything, I labeled all of the gallon size freezer bags with the name of the recipe and the crock pot cooking instructions.
Then I started slicing and chopping onions and veggies and simply dumping and mixing ingredients directly in the freezer bags. There were no bowls and very little mess and it all went very quickly. Here is a picture of the finished product:
So below are the recipes if you are interested in putting a plan together to try some of them. Hope you enjoy!
Potato Soup: 1 bag frozen hashbrowns, cubed 1 can cream of chicken soup 3 cups chicken broth 1 Tbsp dried minced onion Salt & Pepper 1 brick cream cheese
Place soup, onion, broth and salt and pepper in bag and mix. Add hashbrowns and freeze. Cook in slow cooker on high 4-5 hours of low 7-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, add cream cheese and mix before serving. Serve with bacon bits and cheese.
Chicken Fajitas
4 Frozen Chicken Breasts 1 cup frozen onion bell pepper mix Fajita seasoning 1/2 cup chicken broth
Place all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole and tortillas.
Ham & Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
1 package of cubed ham 1 package frozen hashbrowns, shredded 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup diced onion Salt & pepper 1 cup cheese, grated
Combine soup, sour cream, onions and seasonings in freezer bag and mix. Add ham, hashbrowns and cheese and mix. Cook in slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 3-4 lb. Pork Roast 1 onion, sliced 1 bottle barbecue sauce of choice Salt & pepper
Place all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours then shred. Serve on buns or in tortillas.
Beef Stroganoff
2 lb. beef stew meat 8 oz mushrooms, sliced 1 onion, finely diced 2 cups beef broth Salt & Pepper 1 cup sour cream Cornstarch & water to thicken
Combine all ingredients except for sour cream in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving over rice or mashed potatoes.
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
4 Frozen chicken breasts 1 cup frozen onion bell pepper mixture 1 cup frozen stir fry vegetables 1 can pineapple chunks, drained 1 bottle Panda Express Teriyaki sauce
Combine all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.
Southwest Chicken Burritos
3 frozen chicken breasts 1 can black beans, drained 1 cup frozen corn 1-16oz jar salsa of choice 1 brick cream cheese
Combine all ingredients except for cream cheese in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Add cream cheese 30 minutes before serving. Stir in to mix and serve in tortillas.
Mix all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours.
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
1/2 cup onion, finely diced 1 red pepper, finely diced 1 small can diced green chilis 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp garlic powder Salt & pepper 3 frozen chicken breasts 3 cups cheddar, shredded, divided 1 lb cooked spaghetti
Combine soup, onion, pepper, green chilis and seasonings in freezer bag. Add 1 cup cheese and chicken breasts. Cook in slow cooker on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours. Add remaining cheese and cooked spaghetti and mix before serving.
Pepper Steak
2 lb. Round Steak 1 cup frozen onion and bell pepper mix 1-28 oz can petite diced tomatoes 1 package onion soup mix 1 cup beef broth
Combine all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.
My goodness, it has been a crazy past couple of weeks. No time to sit down and think much less write those thoughts down. But here I am finally in the calm after the storm..,I know it’s supposed to be before the storm but whatever, mine is after.
The storm being the last two weeks which went something like this:
I spent 4 long days preparing for hugest garage sale in history, my history, anyway.
I spent the first long day of garage sale drying everything out and throwing stuff away after an unheard of torrential rain that arrived at 2 am. Thankfully, my husband was sleeping outside at the location of the garage sale and managed to cover most of the big important stuff. He did not enjoy that night to say the least! But, with my parents help, we managed to get dried out and sell quite a bit the first day. Then my parents babysat our stuff while watching a movie outside on our flat screen on top of our electric fireplace heater, both of which were for sale, while we took the kids trick or treating.
It was a late night but a great time with friends and the kids got tons of candy that they are still eating on.
The next day of the sale was a success as well and we ended up selling all of the major items and most everything else. We took one trailer load to our storage unit and one trailer load to charity. Everything else went to the rv.
So after a week of not being at the rv and just dumping stuff there when we stopped to sleep for a few hours each night, we came home to an rv and campsite that looked like a tornado had hit it. There were boxes and tubs and stuff everywhere, covering every surface inside and out. I’m sure the neighbors were less than thrilled with our display of the mountain of stuff covering our picnic table covered with a bright blue tarp! So thankful we weren’t ever home long enough for them to come by and complain.
Monday was spent in recovery mode doing enough laundry that we had something to put on our bodies, doing dishes and grocery shopping, none of which had gotten done the previous week.
Tuesday was my birthday. It started out with 5 hours of sleep and my 1-year-old spilling my entire up of coffee all over the bathroom while I was trying to apply my makeup. The day got worse from there. It just seemed like “one of those days” just happened to fall on my birthday this year. One of the reasons for this is that I took 5 kids dress shopping. Okay, I know, really dumb move! But it was the only day I had free before we left for my niece’s wedding in Arkansas and I didn’t feel right about wearing black which was the color of the only dress I owned that fit and I liked. So after trying on about 25 dresses while, thankfully, my oldest daughter took the younger ones to birthday shop for me, I found a dress I could live with. With some of the sweetest handwritten cards from my kids, texts and phone calls from my older boys and Chick Fil A for lunch my day got a little brighter. After a night with my lifegroup, I came home to a surprise party that my husband and daughter planned and my daughter put together beautifully. There were decorations and presents and some of my favorite foods: Lindor truffles, Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake and sherbet punch. I’ m such a health nut, right!
We spent the next week traveling to and from Arkansas and having a great time visiting with my sister who is my best friend in the world. Even when we go long periods without talking because we are both super busy, we just pick up where we left off and promise to talk more often. Can’t wait to go back and see her again soon! Although, my kids were a little jealous because their Aunt and I have opposite genes when it comes to saving stuff. So, when the kids got bored, she pulled out a bunch of toys. Really old toys. Twenty year old toys. Her youngest child is 16………
We really appreciated staying with my parents in their rv while in Arkansas because pulling ours, while in such a disarray seemed daunting and unmanageable. When we got back it was still in disarray and only somewhat manageable. We had started out with the idea of temporarily living in the rv just until October. I kept everyone’s wedding attire out of the PODS just in case. So we had only kept out the bare minimum of necessities to get us through early fall. But changing our plans meant changing our perspective. I had to try to fit and organize a lot more stuff into our rv. I mean, our 1-year-old might not survive without a whole wardrobe for her American Girl doll, right? And my kitchenaid mixer. And my 3 favorite pair of black boots. And winter coats, hats, mittens – the list was long and the plastic tubs seemed never ending. And this was after the garage sale!
Then God deepened our perspective. An early morning text 2 days ago that my niece, her husband and their six-year-old daughter had escaped a house fire with nothing but the pajamas they had on. They had nothing. Choosing to get rid of your stuff is totally different from having it taken from you. I found in our necessities more we could give…. clothes, shoes, toiletries and toys. And prayers, lots of prayers. They had nothing and we had everything. Meeting that evening with them among lots of family members solidified what we have known to be true but is being confirmed to us daily. We are already so blessed in so many ways…….with our faith in Jesus, our family, our health, the list is long. Even in times of trial God is with us and is continually working out His plans in our lives. ” And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
” do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
My prayer is that throughout this next week of celebrating Thanksgiving that we will truly reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. If we have nothing else in this world except for Jesus in our hearts and heaven in our future, then we have more than enough to be thankful about the whole year through.
This has been what the last two days have looked like. Nothing at all at what I was expecting. I had given long talks to my kids about what we were going to be doing, how to handle their emotions while going through our belongings, and we talked about trusting God through all things. We talked at length that Jesus is all we really need. My daughter even found us a theme verse for the week: John 13:7, You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will. Pretty appropriately sums up the situation, I think!
I was expecting tears. My own and theirs. I was expecting tantrums and power struggles and generally unhappy kids, but the past two days, I have seen very, very little of any of this. And no tears to speak of. We have worked incredibly hard but we have also had a really good time together. We have laughed, joked and enjoyed searching through boxes and reminiscing about our memories while rummaging through our belongings.
The picture above is two of my boys going through their beloved “dress up box”. This has held a large menagerie of homemade and store bought costumes and weapons that we have been collecting since their two older brothers were very young. Back in the days when I had time to sew elaborate Halloween costumes for every member of the family in a matching theme. That was 4 or 5 children ago….and I’ve learned to let some things go.
I’m so thankful that my parents came into town to help us sort through all of our stuff and sell it at the garage sale this weekend. This week would have been doubly exhausting without their help. Unfortunately, besides offering to store a couple of family heirlooms, all I’ve been able to talk them into taking permanently into their possession is a few books and a couple of pairs of earrings. Not all that helpful, really. 🙂 It’s kind of ironic during this season of purging and downsizing and singing its praises all the while that we are actually just marketing our stuff to friends, family and complete strangers online enticing them to take our stuff to their house.
We own a ridiculous amount of stuff. Embarrassing, really. Why, I really do not know. It is definitely not on purpose. We have held many garage sales during our marriage much to my husband’s dismay. He definitely leans more toward the packrat personality type while I myself, like to think of myself as the exact opposite. I’ve always claimed to not be very sentimental, but yet I tear up almost every time I start replacing the children’s wardrobes to the next season of hand me downs. My husband informed me today that I’m a certifiable book addict. Which is totally true, I’ll readily Continue reading “Day 2 Unpacking-So far so good…..”→
So now, as I reflect back on this day 19 years ago, I am forever grateful for God allowing me to be Blake’s mom. I stand in utter amazement at God’s involvement in the seemingly small details of our lives that He weaves together in an amazing story of His provision and grace. There is so much more to Blake’s story than I can fit into one blog post. He had subsequent surgeries, health issues, almost died in my arms one more time at 4 months old and was life-flighted once again. He was able to have his feeding tube removed at 9 months of age. He was blessed with miracles in his speech and intellect and surpassed every test for intelligence and skills at an early age in spite of his early diagnosis of possible mental disability.
TomandJenPlus11 