Christmas Vacation

The week before Christmas 2012 was spent with MeMaw & Papaw! South Carolina was so relaxing and refreshing! We visited the Congaree National Forest and Historic Charleston!

We were also able to be in their mid week home fellowship group. It was the first time to be in a service with them!

Little moments that make me smile!

Emma's kisses, "nite nite"'s, and "mama, I want agua!" ;)

Nelson's telling a story it started by saying "when I was a young boy I went to a bible study..."

Nelson keeps says, "whew , this was a really good day!" ;)

Emma's always taking care of "baby" she LOVES to play rough and copy Nelson!

Both love to ROOAR! :)

Christmas Cheer!

We are decorating a little today and I just hung the stockings. Nelson said "OH you're making this look like memaws!"

Fireman Princess

I hear Nelson and Emma playing in their room. Nelson says, "you goin ta be a fireman Emma?" Emma replies, "huh!" After saying this several times and Emma replying Nelson then says, "you going to be a fireman princess Emma!"

Emma then came running into the next room to show me. She was wearing a bow tie and a paper tiara! ADORAbLe!

Don't Bow Down!

This morning Rene was telling the kids the story of the three Hebrew boys after Nelson BEGGeD for it! (Rene is verry animated!) Well as he explained that when the music played everyone bowed except the three boys ... he grabbed his guitar and started strumming really hard! Nelson looked freaked out and imminently fell in the floor and started bowing! Hahaha

Spanglish Babies

I found the kids "cooking" ... Nelson said "we are making deditos de queso" he went to find a pad of paper and took my order while speaking English with a strong Spanish accent! "Arepa de choclo, jugo de Mora en leche, and empanadas con ají!" As he gave me all my paper and plastic food and said "choclo" ;) It was real yummy!

Emma's talking!

So miss Emma says all kinds of things now! One of our favorites is "coo coo" for cracker. And we always get a big "Amen" with food ... Sometimes a whole little prayer! I love me some Emma!

A Goliath Hunter in the House!

Nelson just came around the corner into the kitchen ninja style with a drum stick. I surprisingly said O what are you doing. He kinda growled back "I'm tryin ta find Goliath!" I said, oh no! I'm not Goliath! And he replied, "yes you are!" .... I got a little scared! Haha

"Emma can you say..."

Nelson got a new carseat and after getting situated he said, "Emma can you say WOW?"

Nelson's prayer!

Today Nelson's Sunday school teacher told us that in class she told the kids that they were going to pray for each other and that Nelson put his hand on Justin's head and started saying LALALALA! ;)

Messy night!

Long naps in the afternoon mean loooong crazy evenings! We woke up to Nelson peeing all over the bed. Tonight Nelson has filled the toilet with toilet paper ... Pooped in his shorts ... Later he got poop all over the toilet seat and leg ... Emma has put food all over the living room and kitchen ... I found them in the garage with all of my scented oils poured out ... Went to the kitchen and came back to the garage to find Clorox and cleaning products everywhere!!!

Terrible night.
God please help me to enjoy the terrible things!

Nelson Starts Preschool

We have started doing a schedule each day with some little school activities for Nelson.

First off we planted an organic garden. Our first theme has been "the hungry caterpillar"

Mommy braves the big trip to Arkansas alone with Emma and Nelson!!!

So we flew to Atlanta. Emma had a backpack with a leash, and Nelson held her hand as walked with his "Thomas the Train" backpack! We practiced "working together" as I carried two overly stuffed backpacks myself. Needless to say we got a lot of smiles.

In Atlanta we met up with Memaw and Papaw. We road with them to Arkansas to stay with Nanny and Paw paw for two wonderful days! We laughed a lot and you both warmed right up to them fast!

Paw paw gave Nelson a fishing pole!

Them we headed to Little Rock! For a baby shower for Madison and baby Caden. It was at Aunt Cheryl's house and you all really had a good time. She showed you her clocks and music boxes.

Nelson rode a 4 wheeler for the first time with Papa Sorrells! You also liked seeing all of his animals from hunting!

Emma gave baby Caden lots of kisses.

Both of you ate more sweets than you should have! Grams thumb prints are just toooo good to say no to! :)

One night Emily Kate and her friend were playing "Princess". I walked into the room to find Nelson "snarling" and disgusted with their play. A few minutes later another adult overheard their conversation and it went something like this:

Emily: I have a beautiful dress
Friend: I have the biggest dress
Nelson: And I have a monster!!

The best part is that I don't think you even know what a "monster" is! :)

Another night Emma found a pair of Mr. Potato Head glasses and wore them around the house all evening!

I'm so overly thankful for you two kiddos! God was so good to us!

A loving wife and mother: Titus 2

So I know that we have talked about Titus 2 on several occasions but today I just received a little devotion from an old friend (Bethany Springer Dickey) and wanted to share it with you all :)

It's worth the read!

I was reading Titus 2, endeavoring to become a better wife. I was struck by the word "homemaker." I have always associated that word with WORK. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, chasing messy kids, mowing the yard, meal planning, grocery shopping.... I just wore myself out! But this time, I read it differently. Home-MAKER. As in, I MAKE my home? Ok, so I may be a couple steps behind the parade, but I seriously never thought about it that way. So I looked up the word "make" and this is what I got: "to bring into being by forming, shaping, or altering material: to favor the growth or occurrence of: to begin or seem to begin: to cause to happen to or be experienced by someone: to cause to exist, occur, or appear: create.(Merriam-Webster)"
Wow. So this goes beyond decorations on the wall, food on the table, or laundry in the drawer. (basket, if I were going to be totally honest, today) My attitude and my behavior MAKES my home.... a chaotic mess, or a haven of peace. If I'm all wound up, my kids will pick up on that. If I'm calm and collected, even through frustrating situations, they will play off of that, too. (this seems so elementary, but I am realizing how necessary the extremely basic concepts are) And if I spend my time screaming at my children and snapping at my husband, I am not practicing Titus 2:4, "...love their husbands, love their children." I would do better to put into practice, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 KJV) or "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." (2 Timothy 2:24 KJV)
Ah, yes.... teaching. Everything I do is teaching my children something. My 3 year old is "monkey-see, monkey-do." If I am freaking out every time something goes wrong, he will, too. If I'm praying, reading the Word, and LIVING the Word, he will see that. If my attitude around the home is not one of joy, and I begrudge my daily "chores," he will learn that attitude. When I learn to make my work a game, sing, be joyful and positive, my babies will notice.
Not only will my babies notice, but a smile around the home, a spirit of contentment, will make my husband happier, as well. What's the verse...."It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman." (Proverbs 25:24 NKJV) (do you know that just realized that is in Proverbs TWICE? emphasis by repetition...) Honey, I don't want my man hidin' from me! That species can be difficult, but a little extra effort on my part can make a world of difference! Pretty soon the extra effort will become a habit, and I won't even notice making it! Little things like teaching *(see paragraph above) my children to send Daddy off to work with a ceremony, or make a big, happy deal when he comes home, so he knows how much we appreciate his hard work. Not bombarding him with every single little frustration and complaint; the big things can be hard enough to deal with.
I'm just going to touch this briefly, because there are just some things too painful to just dive into, at the moment. Keeping my house straight and things put away. A peaceful, calm environment will help create peaceful, calm minds and moods. Now, that's all I'm saying about that one.
At any rate, it's ME and MY attitude that makes this home what it is. I can choose to be a "contentious" woman, and make everyone miserable, or make my home a haven of peace in a hectic, scary, world. I would like to be a living example to my family of, "joy unspeakable" (1 Peter 1:8) and the fruit of the Spirit: "... love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). That is what I want to MAKE my home. It's up to me, "Bethany-homemaker!" "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17 NKJV)

Something that she didnt mention is the end of Titus 2:5 says this"...That the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited)."

There is a direct connection between the testimony of our faith and the way we live our lives as mothers and wives.

If our faith is real, the way we make our homes will be a testimony to those around us!

It is impertinent that we understand the effects of our priorities ... When they stay : God, Husband, Children, and everything else follows. We will find true purpose and contentment in life!!!

That's a shurt giraffe ...

Mid sentence Nelson said "Oh it's a shurt giraffe"

Rene and I looked at each other and wondered what is he talking about!? and I said, "I think he just said short giraffe?"

So I asked what did u just say about a giraffe Nelson?

And he pointed to this

Hearts of Clay

My request is simple please Lord give us hearts of clay. Mold us. Make us all you desire. Purify and cleanse us that we might walk not out of tradition as did generations before. Instead teach us your ways. Let us respond with purpose instead of reaction. That we might be obedient to your leading and guiding.

Please give us good soil that we might bare fruit. The fruit of Your spirit ... Your mark on our life. We are your creation.

Please give us as parents wisdom and understanding beyond our own experiences that we might know how to respond in each and every moment.

God please help the children to be obedient and to desire good instead of bad. Please help their hearts to hungry and thirst for what please you alone!

These precious children are yours. Do as you will, shape and mold them into a masterpiece! Please use me and Rene as tools to bring out beauty, not pain and destruction.

Missing Papi

Day 1 - Rene left for Germany today. Our first stop after the airport was flamingo plaza (red white and blue thrift store). When I opened the car door to take Nelson out of the cars eat he saw a bird and said mommy look at the baby bird where is he going? I said where do u think he is going? And he said I think he's looking for his daddy I said oh where is his daddy. Then he said i think he's at a bible study.

Day 3 - tonight Nelson started mumbling about needing to go get papi at the bible study. I ask what he was talking about and he looked at his wrist and stated "it's almost 930" laughed and said oh really he took a second look at his wrist and with a bigs smile said mami I dont have a watch!!!

Day 4 - This afternoon we were at the church and when it was time to leave Nelson went to Rene's office and got a bible to take with him. When we got home he picked up the big bible as we got out of the car and held it close to his cheat as he walked up stairs. Makes my heart soar to see my baby loving his dad and the word.

Emma's 10 months!

A lot can happen in a month! Emma now has three teeth in and one close to being in. She as taken several steps on her own and likes to climb!

One day this week I was busy and frustrated cleaning up a day old cup of orange juice mixed with dirty dish water that had been spilt in the living room. As I entered the kitchen with my dirty rags I found emma standing on a little chair. When she saw me her face lit up. she began waving and saying "hiii - hii."

What a Joy!

"I got Baptized!"

Nelson stayed home with his dad one night. When I arrived he was freshly bathed with his jammys on. I was bragging on how great he looked all clean and ready for bed when I asked, "Nelson did you get a bath?" he thoughtfully replied, "I got baptized!" I tried to keep a straight face when asking, "Oh did Papi baptize you?" He quickly replied, "I did it myself!"

Poo {enough said}.

So, we are "potty training" Nelson has a total understanding of the process, where to go and what to do. He's so smart and advanced he could totally {try to} take care of him. Yet, he would rather take it out and play with it!

Frustration.

A few weeks ago I found him and Emma on the bed playing with all of the wonderfulness he found in his diaper!

Nelly was with us at the house last night when Nelson decided to hide to do his job. When I noticed what was going on I asked if he wanted to go to the bathroom ... he was very focused and replied "no mommy, I went poopoo in my diaper ... it's too late." A few seconds later he exclaimed that he had MORE and it was a BIG one!
 

First Words

Emma's first word is "Hiii" and "Heyyy" as she waves along with "Da-Da." She loves to greet everyone with a big smile and a wave. I love you dearly baby girl.

First Word, Sentences, and Singing

"Hi" she says as she greets the world.

Nelson is making full sentences, and has wonderful grammar.
"Mommy, I'm wanting to go to the store" or "Mommy, I'm wanting to go to my room".
He's also speaking a lot of spanish.  He loves to sing, "Vamos a cantar con la musica de cielo, Vamos a cantar alegrias porque escuches cuando cantamos para excaltar tu nombre. - Te doy gloria en gloria Oh mi Jesus." As he sings Emma bounces, claps and coo's along side.