Not So Photogenic

I don't know if our abundance of stupidity and silliness creates the lack of good photos, or if we really do just somehow look THAT stupid in all of our pictures.  Regardless of why, here is the evidence of another photo op turned ugly.  Bwahaha!

 

A Night of Cookies and Fun

This has been a very fun family weekend.  No sickness.....just fun.  Two of my nieces joined us for some mad cookie baking and games.  We laughed, we ate too much sugar, and most of all, we enjoyed hanging out.

 

the blue food coloring made it easy to detect the icing sneakers

 

hard at work

 

mad decorating skills

 

His little Chinese cookie man

Chef Ahmi

 

icing cookies with Daddy

 

 

River's wearing his Christmas gift from Israel...this boy loves to help in the kitchen

(this is River's new face he puts on for the camera...say 'smile,' and this is what you get)

My mom was over too and was resting on the couch from all of the holiday busyness. 

River couldn't resist a good cuddle and bah bah.

 

Resolutions, Revolutions

I don't typically make New Year's Resolutions because I always figured if something needed to change I should just flow with it in that moment.  Let the change happen as it may.  But this year, with so much going on, I just felt encouraged to 'see' the things that I aspire towards. 

• Family Walks  I really want to start taking daily walks again with my family.  It was such a time of bonding and unwinding at the end of the day.  We really like the time to regroup and refocus our attentions towards each other and just breathe a little. 
• Relationship  I want my relationship with God to be at a crazy new level this year.  I want to be consumed by His heart, and really rid myself of any of the hardness that is residing inside of me still.  I am excited to awaken more fully.
• Minimizing  I feel like our lives have turned towards the crazy end of consumption and it is my goal to once again stay simple this year.  I don't want to buy anything that I don't need unless it really has a special meaning and a proper place.  I want our home to feel less cluttered and not have the nagging stress of 'now, where does this go?'  I want to save the money I am tempted to spend and put it towards something that really matters....a donation to International Justice Mission....food for an entire family via Compassion International?
• Real Food or No Food  I don't know how it's happened, but we have started down that road of processed food, one donut at a time.  It is time to get out the cook books AT EVERY MEAL, and take out all of the refined no no's that do our health in. 
• A Little Something for Me  I have been super burnt out lately, and that is not even like me.  I have to make a little wiggle room for the things I love in life.  Maybe I'll learn to knit or take an art class, or maybe, just maybe, I will finally stop avoiding writing that 'someday' book.
• Date Nights  My husband and I have had little to no time together outside of the moments of extreme fatigue at the end of the day when the kids have finally collapsed into bed.  When we went out for our anniversary this year, we realized that we hadn't been on a date since the anniversary preceeding this one.  That has to change!  Even if it's once a month, we've got to have that time.  It refreshes us and is only normal.
• There Must be Music  Music is such a passion in this home, yet with all of the everyday duties, it can get put on a back burner very easily.  My husband is AN AMAZING drummer and I want to see him live his dream, Lord knows he has the talent.  I enjoy playing and writing music too.  Not that I am great.  Man, I wouldn't even say I'm good.  But that's not what makes something worthy of being done.  If it's enjoyable to be creative in that way, than do it!  Israel loves to sing and River loves making sound from any ole thing.  So make music we shall!
• Reaching Out  I want to pick some new venture as a family.  Some form of reaching out that jives with all of us.  We want our children to be productive citizens.  We want them to find value in giving back, being a miracle to someone outside of ourselves.  We want to teach them that it truly is better to give than to receive, and what better way than to make it a group effort.  We want our boys to see the fun in giving, not the duty.  We want it to be normal, everyday life.

So that about covers all of the areas that are most important to me.  I feel like all of these goals will really transcend my ability to mother and to love my husband.  I feel that these mere resolutions will far surpass any expectations I might have, and will ultimately be more of a revolution for my life and my heart.
What are some things you are excited to aim for in 2013?

Everything.

We have everything we need.  Everything.  Every smile we receive, every embrace we give, is a suggestion to remember the moments that truly matter.  Although history shows our empires being built on the backs of slaves, we must daily awaken to the notion that no man or woman should be building ANYTHING other than an environment where peace and freedom can flourish.  A place where we water the grass beneath us, not longing for different pastures.  A place where we take care of each other and build communities instead of commodities.  Where things hold little value, and peoples lives are exalted above our own.  The best way to eradicate slavery is to live simply, being thankful for every precious thing we have in this world.  To find an inner contentedness that no thief can upset or scandal offset.  Don't spend your life working for 'things.'  If you do, you are a slave who wastes his life on nothing.  Work for the good of others, for justice to be restored, and fight daily for the revelation that you really do have everything you really need. 

Coup d'etat

 

So this really just about sums up my week.  Or two.  I swear the kids have planned this coup and have meticulously thought out ways to overthrow my sanity.  And energy.  I feel like a big blob of gray matter.  And while their diversions (and time outs) have kept me hopping, the real upheaval was just beginning.  There has been a record number of messes, which I would like to say are accidental, but that would be lying.  River has been in his glory with spitting...not sure where he learned this, but if it was you I wouldn't admit it.  At least not to me.  

The list ranges from a little bossiness all the way up to sticking hands into poopy diapers and wiping them on mom's face, and EVERYTHING in between.  Yes, that was so fun.  Nothing screams birth control like having a big deuce wiped on your nose and upper lip.  Bwahaha!  Seriously though, if it counts, (which it totally doesn't to the actual victim of such an atrocity) than I should tell you that it wasn't intentional.  Well, at least not the wiping hands on mom part.

 I have cleaned food up from some nooks of this house I didn't even know we had.  River was like a rabid monkey flinging anything he could get his hands on.  Heck, he liked time-out so much (weirdo), that he would deliberately do things and then put himself in the corner.  Whew.  Needless to say we have to get creative with our guidance and consequences for this dude. 

After multiple time outs and toys taken this is a sample conversation...

Mom (and/or) Dad:  'River, you do not (insert naughty behavior here).  That is (insert adjective of offense here) and we do not act this way.  You can do (insert complete opposite reaction to offense here), but not (real offense here).  Do you understand?

River:  'Ohhhh, aawigh (alright).'

Mom (and/or) Dad:  'So River...will you spit on Israel again?

River:  'Um....yeah.'

Mom (and/or) Dad:  No River, you will not spit on Israel again!

***pause and let him digest***

'Will you spit on Israel again?'

River:  'Uh....yeah (now smiling...like a punk)

And this one conversation of course has to last like five minutes until he at last gives up the anarchy because he knows the machine he is raging against is much stronger and much more relentless than he.  So yeah, a million of these conversations a day (plus any clean up), will wear a person down.  He hasn't had a spell like this in a while.  Thank goodness.  We just do the only thing we know to do and that is love him, guide him, and be incredibly consistent with the discipline.  We love our little twerps even if they make us mentally exhausted sometimes.  They bring so much joy and laughter to our homes.  Even when they misbehave, you just have to hand it to them.  They're clever and creative.  They have a gift.  A dark gift, but a gift that once turned, will conquer the world!  Mwahahahaha.

 

= Four =



Four years.  Today.  The mister and I have had four years of loyalty, companionship, romance, and two beautiful, irreplaceable additions to our already astounding family of three.  The days ahead only get brighter and brighter with the light of our love.  We are unstoppable revolutionaries of God's perpetuating change and culmination of His grace.  We are.  In love.  Still.  And our happily ever after continues......