Oh the Sweetness of the Bittersweet

Yesterday marks one year my dad has been in joyful bliss with His Savior.  I can't believe it's already been a year!  Sometimes it feels like longer that he has been gone and sometimes it seems like just yesterday he was worshiping alongside us on Sunday.  All I know is he got the better part of the deal!  Just like Paul says he had the "desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better."  Oh, the fun he is having right now!  We will join him there soon, a lot sooner than we think.
On the same day we were remembering my dad, we were also looking ahead to the future.  We recently found out that we are expecting our third child and Lord willing, will have another blessing in the fall.  This will be the first grandchild with my dad not here so it will be very weird.  Like something's missing.  He was present for both of my boys births, which is amazing considering he was out of town a lot! God allowed the timing to work out perfectly so he never had to miss one.
The Lord gives and He takes away, but blessed be His name! I wanted to share the ultrasound picture from yesterday.  Looks like we're gonna have another thumb sucker :/

Potty Training and the Glory of Christ

                     I know what you're thinking, "Wow Lindsey, you're really stretching it. How are you going to connect potty training to the glory of Christ?"  I have wondered that myself, but the more I meditate on it, the more I see the connection.               
So, my precious bundle of sin Giovanni is now turning the corner to be 3 years old and as of a few weeks ago, there was no potty training in sight.  Okay, I know maybe your child was one of those kids who potty trained themselves at 18 months old.  Well, let me just tell you that if so, that is a blessing from God and definitely not every child...and definitely not mine!  Both of my boys had no interest in the toilet and they were just fine running around with their diaper on and having me change them.  I know boys are said to mature later than girls, so I didn't expect them to make any amazing leaps when it came to this.  
But when they start hiding out to go #2, knowing exactly what they're doing, and then coming to me to tell me to change their dirty diaper, then you know it's time!  They are just being plain LAZY by that point.  Then I ask myself, do I really want to start this process of taking them every 15 minutes to the bathroom, more than likely having a few accidents and having to add messes to my already messy house?  No, I'd rather just keep them in diapers so I don't have to interrupt any of MY daily activities that I want to do.  Then it hit me, I'm being just as LAZY and selfish as them! 
 I know they're ready to be trained they just need to be pushed to do it.  My heart was not much different from theirs.  I also needed to be pushed.  I didn't want to fit this inconvenience of potty training  into my schedule. (As I'm proof reading this post, my son runs in from playing outside needing to go to the bathroom, let me just say we didn't quite make it in time :)
                     
Some verses that spoke to my laziness are: 
           Proverbs 31:27- "She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."
           Proverbs 10:4- "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
                     
                      So now to the glory of Christ. Is my heart attitude of selfishness and laziness bringing glory to Christ?  No. Am I trusting Him that He will give me the grace and strength to get through this possibly long and arduous task?  No.  I know you're probably thinking, Lindsey it's just potty training, it's not that serious! Well, let me also bring up another point.  The money that I would be spending on diapers every month (which adds up to a lot per year!) , once my son is out of them, could I give that money to God every month to be used for a greater cause and to further His kingdom?  Yes!  So when you think of it that way, potty training is a big deal in God's eyes.  Just as the poor widow who put in two copper coins in the treasury, which was ALL that she had to live on, amounted to more than the rich man gave out of his surplus, so is everything we do with a heart that desires to bring glory to Christ.  So even if it's as "little" as potty training, it can still amount to great heavenly treasures as long as our motive for doing it is for the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58
               "Therefore, my beloved brothers (or mothers), be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

Spring Photo Book

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Riding Lessons

Having two boys makes for lots of fun memories and this is definitely one of them!  Solomon and Gio pretty much play outside everyday and I usually hear them making noise and running around.  This day I noticed they were unusually quiet so I thought for sure they doing something they shouldn't be doing.  To my pleasant surprise Solomon was actually teaching Gio how to ride his bike.  He was also boasting about how much of a good big brother he is :)

Excited To Learn

                         Well, I never thought it would come to this, but yesterday was Solomon's first day of school.  Oh, and it was also my first day of school too :)   Troy and I have decided to home school (ahhhhhh!).  So, as many other moms in our church have done and are currently doing, we are going through a charter school Visions.  Trust me when I tell you, there is NO way I would ever be able to do it independently!  Ha now that would be a sight to see!  So anyways, Visions provides you with a Certified Teacher that you meet with once a month, they guide you along the way and are there for you whenever you need them.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to be able to do this.  I know the last few days leading up to this I started to get a little anxious, just thinking about how in the world was all this going to pan out?   Especially when people would ask me the dreaded question, "So, are YOU ready to home school?"  Well, if you REALLY want to know, the answer would be no and yes at the same time.  NO, of course I'm not ready, I've never done anything like this before!  And YES I am ready because I have God on my side and He promises that "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."  So the night before the big day, I cried out to the Lord and asked him to wake me up early the next morning, give me energy for the day, give me wisdom on how and when to start the school day, to multiply my hours to still have time to run an errand and cook dinner all before Troy gets home.  Yesterday morning I woke up to my alarm I set and I felt refreshed and ready to go.  I started my day with communion time with the Lord, just being quiet before Him and talking with Him. I can't express to you how much fun the first day of school was for Solomon and for me.  God answered all my prayers and then some. I even got a workout in before school started!
         A few verses come to mind when I think about how blessed our day went.
Psalm 37:5, "Commit you way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."
 Also Psalm 34:4, "I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  
                So here I am, ready to start day 2 of the unknown path of home schooling and my way is still being committed to the Lord.  I pray all of our school days will be joyful and that most importantly I would use those days to continually point Solomon to Christ or it would all be in vain.  Here are a couple photos of how much fun Solomon had testing out his cutting skills, and of course a picture he drew of himself.  Hey, he got the curly hair right!

Happy Birthday Solomon!

               I'm a little late, since his actual birthday was on Sunday the 21st, but hey better late than never right?  He's not only 5 years old now, but has already lost 2 teeth and can write his name.  Where has the time gone?  He's my big teddy bear, tough- yet sensitive, goofy- yet serious, social butterfly.  The first time you meet him he's already giving you hugs and high fives.  Here's a photo of him slam dunking on his fisher price hoop. The next picture perfectly portrays his goofy side. 

A Tooth for a Tooth

Solomon has yet to turn 5, but he already came running to me this morning shouting, "Mommy, my tooth came out!That's amazing! (just like his papa used to say)".  It's funny to think about how you can actually be excited about losing a tooth.  Can you imagine if as adults we were still like that?  We bite into a frozen candy bar and our front tooth comes out with it, and we shout with joy, "My tooth came out!".  Hmmm, I don't think that would be a joyous occasion.  We would be calling the emergency dentist line right away.  Not to mention, that is actually a true story, but I'm not gonna say who that really happened to ;)  So learn from their mistake, if you like your candy bars to be cold and you put it into the freezer, please let it sit for a few minutes before you bite in, just sayin'.  
On the more serious note, it is a precious thing to watch your child go through all the stages of life.  It's also amazing to think about how all-wise God is in His creation.  He fashioned our bodies so complex and with such care.  He even gave us two sets of teeth! 

Happy Mother's Day!

For all of us moms, this is our one day a year, with exceptions, that we don't have to do anything and everyone caters to us...well, maybe we might do the dishes, or clean up...oops it's supposed to be Mother's day! I don't know what it is about us mothers, even when our family is trying their best to make it a relaxing day for us we still find something to do! I guess it is true what they say- a woman's work is never done!

God's Creation

Today we made it up to the summit on Mount Diablo which is about 3800 feet. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and clear skies. With sights as breath-taking as these, no one can deny that there is a God. Romans 1:20 says: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." We all have witness to God through His creation which is all around us, so even if some have not heard the gospel with their ears, they are still without excuse. I can't help but think that if the sights on this present earth are so beautiful, what beautiful things will we see on the New Earth?

Dear Friends in Palo Cedro

This past weekend we had the blessing of going with my parents to visit Barry and Terry McGee and their family. They are such a loving, giving family and they opened their home to all of us. Before we started our trek home we stopped at the famous Sun Dial bridge in Redding. It tells the time according to the sun. This picture of Troy, me and Solomon is funny because I was yelling 'take the picture, I can't see, the sun!' Something about that sun up there, it is brutal! We will definitely be going back to visit this summer, Lord willing.

Merry Christmas!

Solomon doesn't quite understand Christmas yet, but he enjoyed it anyways!

Like a Vapor

Today Solomon had his 4 month check up. He is now 16 pounds and 26 inches! I feel like everyday is going by so fast! Before I know it he will be starting school. It reminds me that our life here on earth is so short and compared to eternity it is like a vapor. This verse says it well: 'Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow.' (Psalm 144:4) When it is cold outside and you exhale, you can see your breath, but only for a second and then it is gone. That is how short our lives are. That is also a reminder to me that I need to not put things off for tomorrow, because like James says, 'yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.' I hope this encourages you to minister to those around you today and don't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow might not come.

Happy Halloween!

Ruff! Ruff! Even though Halloween has nothing to do with the Lord, as one of our Christian liberties we can join in the fun. Although we will probably not be going trick or treating this year, I thought it would be fun to get Solomon dressed up for his first Halloween. Next year he will actually be able to go door to door! ( you know you parents out there make your kids go so you can eat their candy! ) I remember my parents used to "test" the candy before we could dig in so that it would be safe for us to eat. Which is a good idea, but I think some of the time they weren't just "testing" it to see if it was safe, if you catch my drift.

Kickin' it with dad

Everytime I turned on the camera Solomon would stop talking, but I did get a little shot of him kicking his dad.