Are We There Yet?

Well maybe I should say are we done yet?  I think we are, but I'm afraid to say "Yep done!".  Just in case we aren't.
You see my sweet little Madalyn has been my most challenging potty trainer.  Well I'm suppose to be the trainer I guess, but it really wasn't working out that well.
 Never before had any of the previous 4 put up such a big stink about NOT sitting on the potty.  The first day I could bribe her with chocolate chips, but only if I gave her some every time she sat on it.  Otherwise, no way. 
  I gave up for awhile.  Then once she turned 3 I thought, I really gotta get this girl on a toilet.  Seriously!
  So I bought books, and stickers and treats.  For the first day (second try) she sat and got her treat and read the books.  She was the potty princess.  But we produced nil, nada!  She saved that for the floor. 
  I gave up for another week.   I decided I would have to just accept the fact that this was going to be messy.  We would have to stay home, not have people over, and just get this done. 
  Oh and I bought playdough, the little tubs that you give out in goodie bags.  I had to really stick to my "No playdough till you put something in the potty".  She kicked up quite a fuss with that.
   Thankfully she was really good at number two on the potty.  I can handle cleaning up pee off the floor, but not the other!
Once she caught on that she could have a new little playdough each time she went potty we had no more accidents!! It was like magic!  For a week we stayed home just to make sure, then the big test of wearing no diaper on an outing of more that 3hrs.  She made it! She even told me when she had to go!!
   So are we there yet?  Is she potty trained?  Can I stop holding my breathe? 
 Well today we ran out of playdough, so I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Thankfullness

  Missing Church today, sore throats, coughs and stuffy noses.  Well 3 of the children who are healthy managed to make it thanks to their wonderful Oma.
  We, those left at home, sit listening to Keith Greens Lord You're Beautiful.   I like Keith Green.  His no nonsense, tell it like it is, style.  His passion for Jesus. 
  We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday so Dad could be there too.  It was Josh's idea actually, so that his Dad didn't have to miss out.  I love that he was thinking of that, cause my thinking is really not there.  I also love that Mom did the Turkey, Josh baked the pumpkin pie, I made stuffing and Maiya did the rest.  It was a group effort that makes it so nice.
   It does feel strange this year not heading to Houston for my family's dinner.  This is the first year without Bob.  I'm glad my Mom went to my Sister's, she's not alone:)
   I am so thankful for the wonderful people God has placed in my life.  For the bounty of food.  For the roof over our heads, and clothes on our backs. 

My Do and Don't List and Some Parenting Ramble

Things I don't like about being pregnant;
    ~Being so tired
    ~Being irritable
    ~Being emotional
    ~Gaining 12lbs in 12 weeks
    ~Being tired
    ~Pregnancy brain (I forget EVERYTHING)

Things I like about being pregnant;
   ~The fact that there is a little soul in there growing and getting ready to join us
   ~Everyone already knows I'm tired so they let me sleep
   ~Eating for two (hence the 12lbs)
   ~Guessing if it will be a girl or a boy
   ~Knowing Madi won't be an only child (I know she has older siblings but they are really more like parents)
   ~Stretchy pants
   
Being pregnant is not easy, being a Mom is not easy.  It comes with lots of sacrifices.  It comes with lots of joy. 
The heart breaks never end, as little babies grow into little people, who grow into big people. My heart is glad and sad all at the same time. 
I read it once that having a child is like having your heart walk around outside of you.  Or something like that.  And Ann Voskamp said something to the effect that the pain of child birth never stops.  That's something they never tell you about.  The pain of children growing up. 
    My oldest is 15 and I feel the tug of his independence, to be his own man.  And I hope that for him and I rejoice with him as he moves from the boy man into the man.  But my heart fissures too.  Our dance has been a hard one.  We both hard headed and strong willed.   And yet a love that conquers all.  Maybe it's not that way for everyone but it seems like my first born was the hardest to parent.  The hardest in labour and delivery, and I struggle to understand him.  I fight in prayer for him, for wisdom to parent him.  And just as I called out to God in birth for him, I call out to God still.  He is not a malicious child, nor is he terribly rebellious.  In most respects he is perfect and wonderful.  For him and I it's a mess of words and misunderstandings.  From the first moment I saw him I wondered who is this little person, I was in awe of him and totally in love with him.  If I stand back and just take in who he is, I am still in love and awe of him.  And just as I said back then, that I would do the whole long hard labour all over again, just for him. I say it now that I would do the whole battle of love to parent him all over again, just for him.  I do realize we're not done yet, there are still three more years until he's officially an adult.  Right now he's the first young adult in my house.  And I'm learning how to be his Mom, just as I've done since the beginning of him.  In retrospect I think it's actually him whose taught me, well the Lord using him anyway;)

New Look!

Here it is!! My new look.  It's great. I love it!
Thank you so much Erin.  You did a great job!

And I have a button! You can find it if you scroll down.
You can visit Erin here and see her designs:)
http://www.designbyinsight.net/  

Spinning Plates

    Why is it that I can never keep them all spinning?  I can get one going pretty good, but then the other 2 have stopped or fallen off and smashed. 
    You would think that it wouldn't be so complicated, to keep three plates spinning in midair at once.  It's something I've tried and see pictured perfectly in my head.  
     I can usually get one of them to go quite nicely, but I always hit a glitch when I have to get them all up and running.
  The plates I am referring to are, schooling, housework and spiritual life. 
     If we have a great school routine and things are going great that usually means I'm spending very little time in my bible or in prayer.  It also means my house is a disaster zone.  On the other hand if my house routine is smooth sailing and it's clean and tidy this means no school has been done and again I am without my personal time with God.  
   How do I get them to all go at the same time?  Is it even possible?  I really can't shirk my time with God to often, otherwise I become the growly, barking Mama that all the children run and hide from.  Not only that but in not spending time with Him I start to feel a little lost.   The longer I put off our time the more crazy I feel.  Worries creep in, irritation seems off the charts and pretty soon I'm wondering out loud, "What is wrong with me?".
   I know that some, well maybe more than some, discipline is required.  I need to go to bed a decent hour, so I can get up in the morning.  I need to schedule planning times. 
   I've never been a planner, I'm really more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" girl.  The only problem with flying that way is that you usually end up with a wedgie.

16 years ago

Ok this picture is not from 16 years ago. This is last year:)

  

    What better day to start blogging again than on our 16th wedding anniversary. 
    Josh proposed June 1995 and we were married on Sept. 2, 1995. 
    He was no slacker on his proposal either.  He worked tirelessly on kinder eggs perfecting his resealing technique so I would not be able to tell it had previously been opened. 
   The day he proposed we'd been dating for 6 months.  We had talked about our future and what we wanted.  I knew that he want us to be married one day, I didn't know that he would propose that day.
   We walked up to the little store near his parents house, like we usually did.   We bought 2 kinder eggs, like usual.  The only thing that was different was his insistence on me opening the little yellow toy keeper.  I like to finish my chocolate first,  but he was so insistent that I finally opened it. 
    There under the instruction paper was a gold ring with a shiny diamond.  I gasped!
    Josh took the ring out and got down on one knee, right there on the street corner and asked me to marry him.
    After I caught my breathe I said "YES".  
Now here we are after 16 years of marriage and 6 kids later.

Did I say 6??

Heart Strings

One day I will walk with you again.  While your grandchildren play.
I'm sad you had to leave us so soon.  I wanted to keep you here.  I'm thankful I got to have a second Dad, I'm grateful that it was you. 
Thank you for marrying my Mom and making her so happy.  Thank you for accepting us as your own and making us feel so loved.  Thank you for the Papa you were, for walks around the duck pond, motorbike rides and hours with budding carpenters in your shop.
Thank you for teaching me the names of so many flowers, even though I could never remember them.  Your appreciation for life was contagious. 
I will miss you.
I thought this picture was sweet when I first saw it.  But now it has heart strings attached.