My two boys have similarities…like they both think our dog is the greatest, they love bubble baths together, “wrestling” is tops on their lists (even though one is just over 1 1/2 years old), playing the drums as loud as they can is the best, and running around the house squealing with delight is what they do most days.  However, I also see their differences.  When Evan was young, loud or sudden noises or even voices would send him into tears.  Tanner, he’ll flinch and that’s it.  Evan loves getting messy and playing with finger paints.  Tanner, he’s okay as long as it doesn’t touch his hands.  Evan doesn’t like water in his face.  You could pour a cup of water over Tanner’s head and it’s no big deal.

As my children grow, I know I’ll see more similarities of myself in one more than the other, but those certain personality traits that I see in my children as individuals will never be the deciding condition for my love.  They both have the love of me and my husband as their parents.  That love is not based upon a set of traits that makes one of them better than the other, just because they are different.  I appreciate those similarities as well as the differences in my boys.

And just as I see similarities and differences among my own children, I think of how God must feel.  He sees all of His children’s differences yet his love holds no condition. He appreciates each of us as individuals.  He delights that we are not exactly alike.  He loves us all equally.  I’m so thankful for that.  I can be who He made me to be and live in that freedom.  He sees all the inner parts of my heart and knows me better than anyone.  I don’t have to “shout from the rooftops” who I am or explain it to Him, just as my own children do not have to explain to me who they are.  I don’t have to exhaust myself trying prove anything.  God loves me for me, just as He loves those around me for who they are.  He appreciates our differences and that is just awesome.  His love is always there and reachable.

What a Mighty God I serve!

We love good books here in our home.  I’ve had many opportunities to explain to Evan what the author and illustrator do to make a book “happen.”  He fully understands each of those titles and he often pretends to be an author himself.  Today was no exception.

He decided to paint me a picture, which is always a nice idea.  But today I put a little spin on his painting endeavor.  I asked him to tell me a story about the painting once he was finished.  He cheerfully agreed.

Here is his painting.  And here is his “story” word for word.  He dictated it to me and I wrote it out.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to jot down a homemade “Evan tale,” picture included!

“Once upon a time, mommy saw a mountain.  And she climbed up the mountain and she saw a monster coming her way, and she said,’help, dad, help!’ And she found our home and then daddy was proud of her to be back.” (The little marks on the painting are his way of writing quickly…i.e. being the “author.”)

I’m looking forward to hearing more of my little “author’s” musings as the years progress…

An English hymn from the point of view of Christ speaking.  Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance;

Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love,

my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance
Thus was I knit to man’s nature
To call my true love to my dance.

In a manger laid, and wrapped I was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass
To call my true love to my dance.

Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love,

my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

Traditional English Carol
Go here to hear it sung by a choir at

King’s College, Cambridge.

The picture is by Arthur Rackham

(via: “I Take Joy“)

Tonight is a cold, wintery night.  Old Man Winter graced upstate NY with about 8 inches snow!  The weather outside may be frigid but inside, in my heart, it’s toasty warm.

Sitting here counting my blessings leaves me with a feeling of humble thanksgiving.

The man I married almost 13 years ago is still the man I love the most today.  We have made some forever memories over the years.  I am content to say that each year we grow closer together.  I couldn’t ask for a better mate in this life.

I reflect on our baby boy, Tanner, this year.  He’s almost 18 months old.  This holiday season is holding extra special moments.  His eyes lit up when we started lugging out the Christmas twinkle lights.  The “ohhhh” that kept uttering from his little mouth every time he discovered a new ornament on the tree was sweeter than any candy cane. My day is full tucking him in at night as he clings to his Tigger and gives me one last “fist bump” and smile.  His scrunched up nose, four “chicklet” teeth, and slobbery kisses are the best gifts this mommy could receive this year.

Then there’s our little man, Evan.  I could never have imagined what it’d be like to live and love a 4 (almost 5) year old boy.  What an absolute adventure!  He is smart, funny, kind, loving and full of energy.  Hearing his laugh when he tells a joke, watching him dance to “Step in Time,” think intently as he builds a block castle, and draw pictures of our family are just a few of the priceless moments in any given day with Evan.  Then there are the five costume changes per day, him begging for my ski helmet and goggles to wear, plopping his skinny feet into the “moon boots” he adores and riding around on his much-too-small tricycle (in our kitchen).  And homeschooling him is just another highlight.  I couldn’t never have anticipated the pride and joy I’d feel teaching him to read and write, think through a question or quietly pray with him.

Seeing the relationship between our two boys is extraordinary.  I had no idea it would be this fascinating to witness.  As their parents, we are there to encourage them in their relationship with one another and I know that will continue over the years.  But I also see such a natural love and protection they have for one another.  One that mom and dad doesn’t have to foster.  It’s just there.  It’s precious.

Along with each other, we have the love of those around us.  We are surrounded by a caring and loving extended family and also a warm-hearted church family.  All of these things make for a very plenteous life and I am so grateful.

God has been better to me than I ever could have been to myself.  I feel His goodness and faithfulness every day.  My family is together, healthy and happy.  I want for nothing this holiday season.  I am blessed with eternal goodness. The best one of all is love.

Be blessed this holiday season! I pray you and yours feel the love of family and friends and, most importantly, the love of God.

Merry Christmas!

My children have a way of reminding me never  to underestimate them.  They are not “just kids” who have little understanding of things.  They are persons who God has specifically designed.  I treasure the days with my children.  And there are moments where I’m caught totally off guard and something unexpected is said or done…

My husband and Evan (4 1/2) were playing and Evan says, “Daddy, pretend these are nails.  I’ll be Jesus.  Hammer them into my hands.”  So Dan did.  Evan looks up at daddy and says, “It hurts, but I love my people.”

I know our son doesn’t understand the full magnitude of the sacrifice God made by dying on the cross, but what a statement from a child. Evan knows, even at 4, that God loves us so much that he was willing to endure pain for us.

Our little guy is always asking questions.  We try our best not to give hollow answers just to appease the child and get him to stop asking questions.  It is tiring!  But what a time to impart something wonderful for his heart.

One thing I know for sure, throughout all of the academic successes we will encounter over the years, me and my husband’s chief duty as parents is to introduce our children to Jesus.

That moment with Evan was very unexpected.  Unexpected and incredibly faith building.

I might be committing a blog “no-no” by combining two subjects into one blog entry but…that’s okay.

First up…audio books.  Remember those days as a kid?  You’d sit with a special audio book and wait anxiously for the “ding” that would be your que to turn the page.

We’ve recently been requesting audio books from our local library for Evan’s enjoyment.  I forgot how fun it was to sit and listen to a favorite story like that!  He finds the “chime” sound very intriguing and he’s very proud of himself when he turns the page at just the right time.  Our first book was by Arnold Lobel.  He’s a favorite of ours.  He writes all of the “Frog & Toad” books along with many others that we love. Not only are these audio books a fun way for Evan to spend 20 minutes, but it’s a nice break for mom.  We read aloud several books a day, but there’s something special about an audio book, too.  We’re anxious to start listening to our new children’s Bible audio CD’s for a “treat!”

Next…tea.  My husband and I have discovered a new tea that we BOTH love.  Hubby is a coffee drinker and always will be, but he really enjoys our new “brew” as well. Yorkshire Gold is the name. It’s a rich, dark, smooth black tea and, boy, is it good.  If you have a chance, get some.  It’s worth it!

Evan enjoying "Frog & Toad" audio book.

Recently, I’ve had a couple of great dates with my main man, my husband, but tonight I enjoyed a date night with a much younger man…the 4-year-old.  Lately, Evan’s been asking to go to “the big brown building with lots of books and the big boy drinks.” This place is also known as Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

We bid daddy and baby brother farewell and away we went.  We rocked out to Newsboys on the way (Evan working on his air drum skills in the backseat) and chatted about the half moon high in the sky, how he could see “dust” on the moon and maybe even an astronaut if we looked hard enough.  Rockets were thrown in there somewhere too, naturally.  Finally, we made it to the “big brown building” and Evan immediately was ready to sip a “big boy drink.”  Also known as steamed milk with a shot of caramel at just the right “kid temperature.”  Mom chose hot tea.  We make our way to the children’s book section, warm drinks in hand, and began our exploration. Evan fingers various books and toys and stops every few minutes to sip his drink. An adorable sight. We finally picked a book and sat in “the hundred acre wood” to enjoy it.  Amelia Bedelia was our selection.  I used to love those books as a kid.

Finished reading, we wondered over to the train set for awhile but even that didn’t last long. We had so much fun looking at all of the book displays.  He’d point out books that we had at home and ones that he wanted to have at home.  Happily, I managed to sneak a couple of books under my arm without him noticing the titles.  Christmas is coming.

At last, our book excursion was done…until next time.  The ride home was filled with lively conversation with my little man.  What a fantastic “date night.”

This award-winning movie was made by 40 homeschooled students.  It’s a movie based on moral character and that’s always a good thing.  I’m looking forward to watching it.

http://www.comewhatmaythemovie.com

I love books.  I love to read them for myself, but I think I enjoy researching new books for my children even more.  I become giddy when I pack my library tote chock full of great reads.  I find such pleasure in watching the little eyes sparkle as we read a new story. The wheels turn…relationships are being made through our books.  Acting out the stories, reading them time after time after time per my oldest son’s request.  Discussions about the characters and why things happened.  Nothing like it.

Our latest find is a very heartwarming tale about three trees who have their own ideas of what they want to become.  But someone had other plans for them, humble plans, that proved to be bigger than anything they could have imagined for themselves. That’s just like God, isn’t it?  We might have our own ideas of what we will be one day, but God’s plan for our lives are often much bigger than we realize.

Read it.  It’s a wonderful story.

The Tale of Three Trees, a Traditional Folktale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

Boys pose some unique challenges for parents.  Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a million and a half books written specifically on how to raise boys.  Boys are loud, in constant motion, love to explore and rough-house and often have a hard time hearing.  In other words, mom and dad’s instructions go in one ear and out the other.

We all want our children to be those children that others like to be around.  They always say please and thank you.  They say “excuse me” when they’d like to speak.  They never push or rough-house.  They are always kind and gentle and respectful.  And then…we wake up.  Children in general do not fit this bill…especially boys.

Finding the balance is vital.  Boys NEED a place and time to play a bit rougher, as boys often do.  They NEED time to run until the sweat is dripping from their brows.  They NEED time to have focused, uninterrupted play.  All of these “boy traits” are God-given.  Quite literally, it’s in their blood.  Playing swords, guns, wrestling, making ungodly noises from their mouth (and other parts of their body) all while allowing the freedom to do these things in context is important.

No matter how much you teach about kindness, gentleness and love…the boy will seemingly forget those chats from time to time in the heat of the moment of exhilarating play and do something that embarrasses the parent and calls for correction on the child’s part.  It’s inevitable.  I see these moments with my oldest son as times of positive reinforcement.  It’s frustrating sometimes to feel like a broken record but it’s also normal, especially with younger children.  If my son walked around like a robot and always did everything perfectly, consistently used impeccable manners and never passed gas in public and laughed about it, I’d think something was seriously wrong.

Boys will be boys.  That doesn’t mean that’s a license to be tyrants.  But boys will be boys…and all of the “uniqueness” that that title holds.  Any parent who’s committed to their children are committed to teaching manners, social skills, politeness and courtesies and getting to the heart of the child.  I just wonder…how long until I can stop repeating myself?  Right.  YEARS.  God saw fit to give me two of the greatest boys on the planet.  With His help, prayer, and lots of coffee, I am confidant that our boys will grow up to be men of integrity.