Easter Weekend

"God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because he lives."

We spent an incredibly blessed Easter weekend with family. Saturday we were able to celebrate with my dad's family, most of whom live in Illinois and we don't see often. It was so nice to be able to catch up and spend the day talking with each other. Sunday we went to my parents' church and then over to my grandpa and grandma's house for another family lunch. Luke and Avery are the center of attention everywhere we go. They are so loved by our families and it gives Mike and I such joy to watch them be loved on!

I am finishing up a Beth Moore bible study on the tabernacle and have been in awe of how much our God loves us and wants to dwell with us; I was especially struck by this during the week before Easter. God has used this study to teach me a lot about the history of the tabernacle and to remind me of how perfectly he has planned EVERYTHING. God designed the Old Testament tabernacle to be built so that He would have a way to be with his people. His glory filled the tabernacle, but it didn't stay there because the people were disobedient. Later, Jesus walked among the people and His presence was literally with them, but He couldn't stay either. He became the final sacrifice to forgive our sins. Now, God has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We get to be the tabernacle. We are inhabited by God's presence and His glory. We are called to daily sacrifice of ourselves in order to allow God to reveal himself to others through us! God has chosen us to show his glory here on this earth. How incredible!

Did you know that if you divide the Old Testament tabernacle directly in half (according to the specific measurements God gave), there are two perfect squares? At the center of each square is the ark of the covenant (on one side) and the altar of sacrifice (on the other side). The ark represents God's presence. The altar represents the sacrifice that must be made in order to come into God's presence. A perfect plan, made so long ago. Praise God for providing the sacrifice so that we can be always in his presence!

Stuff to Do

I realize I should have posted this a couple months ago, in the dead of winter, but better late than never! We've done some fun stuff while being stuck inside; I love hearing new ideas of things to do with Luke. (Share if you have any!) He is so creative and loves to try new 'projects'. I've gotten these ideas online, in magazines, and from the Bright Beginnings preschool we go to during the month.

* No-mess finger painting! Squeeze a good amount of finger paint, different colors if you like, into a large ziploc bag. Seal tightly, getting air out. Duct tape top and bottom of bag to a square piece of cardboard. You now have a flat surface to 'paint' with your fingers, moving the paint around through the bag.

* Bird Feeders We have had so much fun watching the birds come to our deck to eat the bird seed off the feeders Luke made. There are two beautiful cardinals that come each day, a male and a female. We didn't have pine cones, but spread peanut butter on sticks instead. Then we rolled the sticks in the bird seed. Luke even loved just running his hands through the big bowl of seed!

* Fruit Loop Necklaces For our snack one day, we strung a piece of yarn with fruit loops. Luke thought it was the best thing ever to bite the cereal right off the string:) I had bought some fun noodle shapes to use too, but I still can't decide if that is too girly of a craft!

* Sponge Stamps Cut fun shapes out of small kitchen sponges and use them, with washable paint, as stamps. We needed bigger paper for this one!

* Paper Chains These are a great way to count down to a special occasion. We did decorate and make some paper chains this winter, but never as a countdown. Maybe we'll do one for Luke's upcoming 3rd birthday??

* Cooking We have done lots of cooking/baking together. Luke is a great little sous chef! I let him get the measuring utensils and add the ingredients to my recipes, and he usually has his own bowl to measure in whatever he wants. He loves to mix flour and brown sugar and baking soda and cinnamon or WHATEVER! And he always wants to try his creation:)

* Homemade Playdough We have yet to try this because I'm waiting until our real stuff dries out. I have heard this is a good recipe since the kool-aid makes it smell good!

I'm so into good deals! Thought I would share this one. Walgreens has a new photo deal each day this week. Today's is a free 8x10. Check it out! Just click on the Photo tab when you get there.

Significance

There are days, the past few in particular, when I struggle with the significance of the things I do. It is a challenge for me to voice these thoughts, but I do so with the hope of being an encouragement. I am confident that I am not the only woman and mother who battles with her own thoughts of self-worth. My sweet Jesus, when I finally decide to surrender to Him, always reminds me that my worth is in Him.

This past week was filled with much at-home time. The kids and I were sick with colds, and by Tuesday morning we were on our last box of kleenex and my positive attitude was getting wiped away with each snotty tissue. I hate it (as I'm sure all moms do) when my kids are sick. I feel like the world should stop because I'm worried about them. I get sucked into our house and our life and our little sickness. I do not feel like, or look like, a good wife. I wonder what I should be doing to be more productive. I feel like I can't go anywhere or get anything done. I feel like my house is a wreck. I think about all the things I'm missing out on. I feel like I should be doing more to contribute to our income. I feel tired and wish I could get some alone time and some rest.

Did you notice how many times I said "I"? Yeah, I did too. As the week came to an end, I began to think rationally again; I finally prayed to ask God to forgive me for my selfishness and to give me a confidence in my role as a mom. I was in such a sorry fog that I forgot to pray FIRST. When I did, God reminded me of a few very significant things.

* I have such an encouraging husband.

* My kids sickness is temporary. They have healthy, self-healing bodies. Praise God!

* I can praise him during sleepless nights because my baby loves to see me:)

* I am blessed to be HOME with my kids.

* I have an intelligent mind to teach my kids, and to be creative in ways to contribute to our family's income. It doesn't have to be with a salary.

* Mike has a wonderful job.

* I will leave the house again:) (sounds silly now, I know)

* Spring is just around the corner.

Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving me and for reminding me.

Look-A-Likes?

When Avery was born, I did not think that she looked all that much like her brother, but as she grows, I see more similarities. I've just been dying to do this with their pictures since Avery was born so I can see what everyone else thinks! The first and last pictures are of Luke and the middle two are of Avery (Her cheeks hadn't fully popped in her towel picture!).

Life with two kids is worlds different than life with one, as I am sure many of you can attest to. The biggest challenge is finding the time to balance my time (as I sit and waste time instead of cooking dinner)! BUT, it is a blessing beyond belief that God has chosen us to take care of these two precious children!

Luke is two months away from his third birthday; all grown up. He has been potty trained since last August and lately is very insistent upon doing all potty-related things by himself. Truthfully, he wants to do ALL things by himself! I am amazed at how much he is learning to do. Luke comes to a bible study with me each week and goes to his own 'Little Lambs' class. His teachers tell me how he likes to put his hands in his pockets when they sing, and how he doesn't really sing but they can tell he likes the songs. Guess what he does when we get home? He sings! He is learning to love Jesus and we are praying that Jesus will fill his sweet heart soon! Luke loves to talk to us about everything. We have a hard time getting him to eat his dinner because he has so much to tell us. He says the most random things sometimes, but it is obvious that he has been pouring over what to say for a long time. Oh, how he takes after his Daddy in his contemplation! Some of my favorite sayings lately have been, 'Mommy, I didn't want to wear this shirt this morning and I was whining, but I'm better now.' And, in response to me telling him something, 'Ohh, I'm gotcha.' And, as we were walking out the door the other day, 'Let's go Princesses!' Luke is an adoring big brother and he does (so far) treat Avery like a little princess. He talks to her and loves to make her smile. He is a wonderful helper if I need to get something for her. He's even volunteered to change her diaper, that is until he saw the mess that was in it:)

Avery Renae, at three and a half months old, has more than stolen our hearts and filled us with even more joy! She has a temperament very similar to her brother's; she is easy going and easy to please. The first thing she shows off in the morning is her precious smile! Nights are typical for a growing baby, I think. She goes to bed at about 8, gets up once a night to eat, and goes back to bed until about 8. Her days are spent swinging (eating), laying on a blanket while we play with her (eating), sitting up in her Bumbo seat (eating), napping (eating), practicing her tummy time (eating). Avery has figured out how to bat at her toys and get her little fists in her mouth. She loves to talk with us, and lately loves to hear the sound of herself squealing in a very high-pitched voice (cute during the day, not so cute in the middle of the night). She is enamored with her big brother and is really starting to notice and watch everything he is doing.

We are so thankful for our two sweet miracles!

I'm Back...

So much has happened in our lives in the last 10 months and I am sad that I haven't been able to keep up with my blog posting. I have, however, been able to thoroughly enjoy the changes that have taken place in our growing family. Luke is changing and growing up so quickly right before our eyes, and our sweet daughter Avery has added even more joy to our home! More to come soon!

Happy 2nd Birthday Luke!

Our sweet boy has turned TWO! It is hard to believe that we met Luke for the first time only two short years ago. I can picture being in the hospital room with Mike, watching the doctor hand Luke, wailing and wrapped in a hospital blanket, to us for the first time. We were parents, holding the most precious child both of us had ever seen. We still thank God for the miracle of our first son, Luke Michael!

Luke is full of life, full of smiles, full of words, full of fun:) He loves to read books, play with Mommy and Daddy, ride tractors, and play ball (doesn't matter what kind). He is quite particular about certain things. He likes to make sure his blocks are stacked straight when he's building a tower. He always helps me vacuum. He helps pick up the toys in his room each night, his animals have to be lined up in just the right order.

Lately, his favorite sayings are, "Oh yeah, did," in response to a question (sometimes he sings it), "Mommy come too," he still likes to be with me, "Luke have it now," we're working on that one!

I could brag for hours! Each day brings new learning experiences and new joys. Happy Birthday Luke Michael! We love you!