Toddler Tantrums...

Cutie Pie is almost two. Even if I didn't know when his birthday was, I would know he is about two years old by the way he is throwing tantrums every few minutes. This is indeed my 4th time entering the Terrible Twos, so you would think I'd have some magic formula figured out, right? Wrong!!! This week has been really rough on me, with him screaming and crying so much more than "normal"....it got me thinking about how often I throw tantrums because I don't get my way. Okay, I very rarely throw myself on the floor and kick and scream, "No! No! No!". I do, however, throw little tantrums to God when things don't go MY way! My latest one was just 20 minutes ago...

"God, it is so not fair that you are sending snow this weekend!
You know we have an Easter Egg Hunt planned for Saturday.
And, you know it has to be outside..."

See how very two year old I start to sound?!? Just like my Cutie Pie, I begin to think that everything revolves around me and my desires! Then there are the times I begin to really whine...

"I have had such a rough day. My two year old is throwing tantrums.
My daughter doesn't say anything without whining.
Karate Chopper cannot express himself without hitting.
Dino Dude does nothing but complain about his schoolwork.
The dog is so naughty. The cat had a hairball.
The husband is always late from work.
I have the most thankless job ever.
I wish I could just run away..."

Once I start on this path, it is so easy to just stay on it, and the further I go, the further I stray from God. I start out with truth. "I had a rough day." It is also true that my two year old is throwing tantrums. After that the truth begins to be stretched. Maybe Princess Ladybug can be whiny sometimes, but not everything she says is a whine. When I get on this path, I begin to use words like "always" and "never". Then, my focus shifts completely on myself and how terrible my life is!

Alright, before this blog becomes the most depressing thing you've ever read, allow me to let you in on a little secret. There is a way to quickly jump off this path and get back on track with God. Paul tells us in Ephesians to put off the old, renew your mind, and put on the new. Eph 4:29 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up..." When my thoughts begin to be ones of "woe is me, my kids always..., my husband never..."; that is when I jump off that path, and instead begin to build them up with my words and thoughts. Have you ever tried to whine about someone when you are focused on the good in them?

God, Thank-you that I have 4 beautiful, healthy children.
Cutie Pie has such a fun, silly personality.
Princess Ladybug is so full of love for those around her.
Karate Chopper is full of joy and compassion.
Dino Dude is gentle to people and animals.
Handsome Hubby serves and leads me to be more like you.
Thank-you for the house full of life: people and pets!
Amen.

Hosanna!

Hosanna! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
Every Palm Sunday, our church has the Preschool-age classes sing a couple
songs in "big church", while the elementary-age classes walk throughout
the sanctuary waving palm branches. I think it is a wonderful worship time!

Here is Princess Ladybug, with her 3 year old class.
She is the one in the pink polka-dot dress.

Karate Chopper and Dino Dude, waving their
palm branches. KC pauses to smile at Daddy
with the camera!

Despite what it looks like in this picture,
Princess Ladybug really did enjoy
singing in "big church"!

John 12:13

Grandma

One year ago, on March 17, 2007, my Grandma left her life on this earth for a better one with her Savior. So today, I'd like to share some memories with you. Forgive me if words are misspelled or sentence-structure imperfect; it is difficult to see the computer screen through tears.

Most of my childhood memories of Gram include my cousin, Kim, who is less than a year younger than I; and my sister, Crysi, who is a year younger than Kim. Growing up in the same small town where Gram lived, we spent much time at her house...

Crysi, Kim and I would often put on socks, and choreograph elaborate "skating" routines in Gram's kitchen; with Gram watching and cheering us on. Then, we would need a snack from all that fun; usually it was chocolate milk in our Nestle bunny cups or Pudding Pops. Many times fun at Gram's house meant finding her high heels and dresses to put on; we put on many, many fashion shows, starting in her bedroom, and slowly making our way down the steps into the living room. After all this fun, we would need to relax in a blanket tent, made between chairs in the living room.

The only scary thing about Gram's house was the Bear that lived in her basement. My uncle was a big scary man, with a bigger beard than anyone else I knew! We were terrified enough of him that we refused to go into the basement. Now I look at my gentle, not scary-looking uncle, and wonder how we could have been afraid of him.

In more recent years, there were great memories too. Every Easter Gram & Jerry would host an Egg Hunt for her great-grandchildren, and step-grandchildren. What fun to see her out in the yard, helping my 2 year old find eggs for his first egg-hunt.

A few years ago, I took Gram with me and my kids to an apple orchard, where we spent the day just having fun, and enjoyed lunch together. Speaking of my kids, they really loved G.G. (Great-Grandma)! They have some great memories of playing in her yard and house. One example is the time she was feeding a chipmunk on her back deck, from her HAND!! Yep, the chipmunk "Chippy" would scamper right up to her and take the peanut from her hand! The boys thought that was great!

Okay, enough remembering and reliving for now. Thanks for listening. And, if you still have a Grandma, call her Today!!! (for me.)

Introducing...

Hello...after some encouragement from friends, I started a blog (with a different site :p)...so, here I am starting a blog *again*...

We are using code names here so let me introduce everyone...

Here is my family...Handsome Hubby and I have been married for nearly 10 years. He is my supporter, encourager, and servant-leader. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful man with whom I am spending my life. Psalm 128

...Dino Dude is almost 8 years old. He loves to learn, and is often found reading. Right now he is reading the 6th book in The Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair. He has also been fascinated by dinosaurs since he was a toddler, and would like to be a Paleontologist when he grows up. :)...

...Karate Chopper is my 6 year old son, who loves to be on the move. His passion for life is evident in all he does, from learning to read to doing karate. He enjoys playing make-believe with his brothers and sister; from super-heroes to spies...

...Princess Ladybug, my only daughter, is going to be 4 years old in less than a month. She enjoys all things girly, from dolls to dress-up, then jumps right in with her brothers! She has her own sense of style, which usually means layers and COLOR! She enjoys doing whatever I am doing, whether cooking, cleaning or getting pretty...

...my Baby, Cutie Pie, is going to be two years old very soon. He has such a big, wonderful personality already. He loves to try to do whatever his big brothers and sister are doing...sometimes succeeding, and other times just being the one to get hurt. He is still my baby; just don't tell him or he will respond, "No! Big Boy!"

...then there's me, Crochet Mom. I have a really great life, but work really hard at keeping my focus right...God, family, friends, home... The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. (Ps 18) I spend much of my time Homeschooling Dino Dude in 2nd grade, Karate Chopper in Kindergarten, Princess Ladybug in Preschool and Cutie Pie in just basics like colors... In my spare time, I love to crochet! I've gotten to a point where I hate sitting still without a crochet hook in my hand! I have just started selling some of my crochet hats, scarves and other items! yea!

...well, that's enough of an introduction for now! I really hope this blog will help me stay in touch with loved ones near and far!
Ephesians 3:20-21