The Sweet Smell of Pinesol

So while blogging today I came across this story that I want to share with you. These are words to live by mommies!


The Sweet Smell of PineSol™
T. Suzanne Eller

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

I admit it. I’m the world’s worst when it comes to preserving photos. I have boxes of photos stacked in various cubbyholes. I tried to organize the pictures once. I divided them and placed them in large envelopes. My next step was to put them in albums. They are still in the envelopes — stacked in a box.

My children Melissa, Ryan, and Leslie are now in their 20′s and newly married. The chances of me ever getting these precious memories organized are slim to none, but I’m realizing something powerful. Memories aren’t limited to pictures.

Remember when, Mom? is a common phrase in my house now. We have become the hub, a privilege once reserved for my husband’s parents. At holidays and special weekends, they drive up and unload luggage and pile into the guest rooms. We laugh and reminisce a lot around the table. Remember when we went on treasure hunts in the pasture? Remember when you jumped on the bed and popped Ryan up in the air so high it scared you? Remember that yellow Slip-n-Slide™?

I do remember. But I also remember a young mom with three little ones who worried that her house wasn’t spotless when an unexpected guest showed up. I remember the angst of trying to do everything and the fatigue when my day ended before my chores did.

I also remember days that I threw caution to the wind and jumped on the bed, even though it might make others frown. I grabbed a shovel and gave the kids plastic buckets and we looked for old bottles and trinkets at the abandoned homestead nearby. We mixed dishwashing liquid and water and I laughed out loud as the kids flew like greased lightening across the yellow slippery slide.

Some of those memories were captured in that pre-digital age, but most were not. However, they are etched on the heart of my young adult children.

What they don’t reminisce about is the sweet, sweet smell of PineSol™. Whether my house was perfect or how it compared to others’ is not even on their radar.

Why did I worry so?

Is it good to have order and structure? Sure. But don’t allow the pressure to be the perfect mom keep you from the simplicity of playing with your children. The unmade bed will still be there when you are through, but I promise that a child will grow quickly.

Take a moment today and look past the clutter and the to-do list and be a child again. It might not be a picture-perfect moment, but it will be a memory.

Dear Lord, time passes so fast. Slow me down. Let me enjoy the smallest pleasures. Let me play with my child instead of only knocking down a to-do list. Let me laugh with my teen instead of fussing at him. Thank You for sweet memories, Amen.

Easter Weekend

What a relaxing weekend we had. We began our weekend with watching Passion of the Christ; really reminded Jake and I what we are celebrating. That God is risen, not the Easter bunny. Isabelle had lots of park trips this weekend which is always fun because Jake runs around with her not mommy. I get to relax and watch the show. This belly is growing and I am enjoying being able to sit and not run around.
Saturday was a surprise shower,and it was so nice to be surrounded by our close friends and celebrate a few hours of baby and me. Thank you ladies for all the presents! My favorite thing was a styling nursing cover up. I can not wait to use it.
I didn't make a ham this year, GASP! We were supposed to go to our friends house but that fell through so thankfully I had a roast I pulled out! We still had all the usual yummy sides, minus the ham. We had to go on a walk after to function after that meal.
At church Isabelle made Jake and I laugh so hard. She still wants nothing to do with nursery, so she started yelling 'no I want to pray, prayyyy mom!' Hahaha I kept asking you don't want to play? Not with the other kids? 'noo I want to pray!' So back into the sanctuary we went.
One of these days she'll finally go into nursery...I hope.

We are taking family photos next month and I need some outfit ideas...any suggestions? Maybe a red white and blue theme? Or bright colored T's with khaki bottoms? Pass any ideas this way please!

An Easter Surprise

So my dear friends threw me a surprise baby shower! It was sweet and wonderful and had no idea!I thought I was going to a spa day but it was a shower for me and baby.
Jake's known for a while now, the rat. :)
Don't take any heed to the pictures, I know there is a lot of pink but we still do not know the sex people. So there! Shower's are about the mom too and I do love me some PINK!!! My girlfriend who hosted the shower,her cousin made the cake and cupcakes, talented lady over there.
Isabelle had so much fun with her girlfriends and is going to be in bed before 8.
What a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Not too mention the cute presents baby got...yay.

Happy Easter To You and Yours...

Cloud Nine

I just want to say how happy I am with life. God is so good and this little baby is the cause of it all. My walk with God is an actual walk again! I am reading my bible, praying, and walking my Christian walk D-A-I-L-Y!Not just when I feel like it. It feels great. So many things are changing and it feels good to have our priorities straight. I am so thankful and blessed with my husband, my daughter, baby, home, it is over whelming.
With that...take a look at this new randy dandy splurge...
Vehicle #2 has finally been purchased!2011 Ford Flex SEL
We are going to be taking this vehicle up to WI for the summer; Jake isn't so bummed about driving 28+ hours any more. :)

24 weeks

At 24 weeks I have now gained a grand total of 4 pounds. You little baby, have been waking me up at nights to kicks and flips! The other day I could feel either fingers or toes on the lower part of my tummy. It made me laugh. Tomorrow I have an ultrasound and we are praying for good news! Maybe we won't be going to WI after all.
Keep you posted!

Words from my father

So I wanted to share this beautiful email that my father sent me yesterday. I have reread it a few times now...God is so good and he knows all that is meant to be.
I love you so much dad and your words as well as your co-workers have blessed me a million times over. Thank you.Oh my sister has Down Syndrome and just turned 17; you'll understand that as you read this.



Hannah,

I hope this will encourage you.You are a princess in my eyes, just like your e-mail address says. You are My first born.
Your name in Hebrew means grace or prayer. The same as the Hannah of the bible, recorded in 1Samuel chapter one.
Her name means grace or prayer; and in the margin of my bible it reads ... Hannah " the ideal mother. " In bible times
names where important they were held in high regard. Ones name spoke of, and/or portrayed character, value,worth.
I want you to know. That when it came to choosing names for all you kids. Your mother an I would give the names we
picked, to God in our prayers. I then would ask the Lord which name HE wanted for each of you. And I would ask
Him, to cause your mom and I to be in agreement with each other on the name. I'm so proud of you, I love you and Jacob and little Isabelle. I also love the little baby in your womb.
While I was at work on a Monday at break-time, I was talking with a female letter carrier her name is Alfredia. We call her Freeda. Her desk is right next to mine. Her and her husband are both born again. They have visited our church a couple of times. I was sharing with her the situation of your little one. I asked her if they would be in prayer for you and baby. While I was explaining this to her tears began to run down her face. She said to me it was no accident that we named you Hannah, she immediately thought of the Hannah in the bible. She also reminded me of Hannah's' prayer, in I Sam.10:10-11. You can read it on your own... 1Sam.1:7-20. In the bible story Hannah was in the tabernacle and was answering Eli the high priest in verses 15-18. But most importantly is Eli's answer back to her in v-17... " Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant you your petitions"... This verse is what she was thinking of, as I was telling her. How you've been praying to God and seeking the Lord in all this. As Freeda heard of your prayers, and your faith toward God, that's when the tears started falling down her face. She wants you to know that God will answer your prayers. She asked me to share this with you. Just like the Hannah of the bible, her son did mighty things for God, the Lord has a plan for the baby in your womb. Expect God to use you and your child in great and mighty ways.
David in his brokenness and in humility, humbled by God through Nathan the prophet. David wrote in Psalm 51:17 "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. And v11& 12 , restore unto me the joy of my salvation.
Do you remember when your sister Heather was born? You and Josiah and Rachel were so excited and couldn't wait to see your brand new baby sister. You didn't understand why , when I told you kids you couldn't see your little sister right away. In the same way I didn't understand why, when the doctors and nurses tried to explain Heathers heart conditions to your mother and I. All I knew was, my little girl was born with a broken heart, and we didn't know at the time how long or how short or how severe her heart really was. I had to be strong for your mother as I was holding her hand. Seeing the tears running down her face, as they told your mother and I of all the possibilities of Heathers condition. I had to be strong for your kids. When I put you all to bed that night, I didn't know how to tell you, your sister had a a broken heart. I'll never forget how I had a burning bush experience with God that night.
After putting you kids to bed, I went into the front room and closed the door. The Lord spoke to me that night. Not with an audible voice, but to my heart and my mind. I remembered a scripture in Isaiah chapt. 6 where Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, in the year that King Uzziah died. I think I know how Isaiah might have felt. When he said "Woe is me! For I am undone; " I was Humpty Dumpty, my heart was broken in a million pieces, and God had to put me back together again. As I came undone, broken, and pleading with God for Heather to live and have a long life. It didn't matter if her heart was broken or not. As I wept before God, it was as if he picked me up into his lap and He held me as I fell apart. He spoke to my heart and assured me that Heather would live. That she would survive the heart surgeries. Heather was our miracle baby, and God had a plan for her. To this day I have never felt closer to God then that night, when He let me sit with Him and I felt the love of His arms holding me. I felt I just needed to share this with you. I hope that somehow this will encourage you.
Hannah,there's a song that you know by 10th Ave. North. It's called " By your side ". I would like for you to listen to it again. But, right before you listen to it. Clear your mind of everything. Then try to picture Jesus in your mind. Imagine His arms reaching out to you, and let it be as if His voice is singing to you. I love you Hannah so very much. We are praying for our little grand baby in your womb along with a great many of other dear saints. God bless you Hannah.
Dad

My dad and his first grandbaby :)Our Isabelle.

Little miss Princess

All right, do you want to be let in on a little secret?
Isabelle is princess of her domain. Let me tell ya...my sweet little girl has been letting us know that she knows exactly what is going on and yet is quick to pretend not to know a thing. 2 year olds, they are their own breed.







It starts out with little things like watching a movie. Oh and we thought it was so cool she actually was sitting through a movie and not getting up every 5 minutes. Wrong-O Mom n Dad. This movie watching is now an obsession. She picks a movie and will want to watch that movie 2-3 times a day if allowed.So we have been giving up our nightly shows to watch Isabelle's Disney obsessions. Then during the movie if we ask her to do something or not to do something, well sorry, she acts as if you don't exist. Nice huh? So we'll do little tricks since we know she's ignoring us. "Isabelle do you want a Popsicle?" And how do you think princess Isabelle reacts, oh yea, she heard that question.
She has also learned she has her own house. She knows when we are coming back home from running errands, walk, park, etc. "Look mom Isabelle's house." "Yes sweaty that's our house!" In preparation of going home to Wisconsin for the remainder of my pregnancy I have been asking/telling Isabelle we are going to live with grandma Olivia and Papa Chuck and see grandma Kim and Jim too; this doesn't sit well with our daughter. She will literally start crying saying no, no. "Isabelle stay home, Isabelle's house don't go." I try explain grandma's house has a pool and she can see her aunt's and uncles, that grandpa will let play out side with you in their big back yard and give you as much goldfish and num num's as she wants. Her reaction is louder crying and simply not wanting to leave her house. Oh Isabelle, what is going on in that head of yours? Personally, we think it's pretty funny and know she'll come around once we are up there (I think.)
Isabelle will tell me "what the heck mom, gosh" when she isn't allowed a snack, or has to leave the park. Excuse me!
She also has not given up calling Jake, Jake. She stopped calling me Hannah a while back, but not Dad. How awkward to be at the store with mom and 'Jake', oh hi people this is just my boyfriend, not Isabelle's baby daddy or my husband! She'll say things like "oh Jake your silly" when he makes her laugh...I mean give me a break child of mine! I am telling you, 2 year olds are on a whole other level.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

Wordless Wednesday