Happy Birthday Ryan!

Happy 7th birthday Ryan! Here are a few things about Ryan that you may not know…

1. Ryan doesn't like cake. 

2. Ryan is partially color-blind and Scott has to help him with his colors in school. 

3. He prayed for a sister long before Josie was conceived.

4. He is super ambitious and has tremendous leadership skills for his age. 

5. Ryan became a Christian this year!

6. He loves to read and will chose this over playing outside sometimes. 

7. He is a huge help to me around the house!

8. I can give Ryan my grocery list and he will go to work directing things!

9. He loves knock-knock jokes and pranks.

10. He loves to sing and dance.

We love you Ryan and are enjoying watching you become who God has created you to be! We know that He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it in you! Happy Birthday!

Encouragement for moms of little ones….

If you are a mom with little ones no doubt you have heard over and over again, "It doesn't get any easier!"…."Wait till they are teenagers!"

When you are drowning in little snotty noses, spit up, poopie diapers and a morning that began at 4:30AM that is not the most encouraging thing you can hear. Its actually super discouraging.

I challenge this thought.

It doesn't get harder.

There are new challenges and different hards to experience, but they aren't harder. Just different. Now I have a 6 year old. He was a hard baby for lots of reasons…acid reflux, colic, sleepless nights. As a 6 year old he can still be hard for different reasons… talking back, arguing, etc. but the issues aren't harder, just different. There will always be difficulty when you have kids but take heart…

I am being refined day by day.

My 6 year old is a believer. I am discipling him now.

Every devotion, every training correction plants a seed and brings my little ones closer to Christ.

Because of these truths, I chose not to believe the lie that things only get worse. That is the world's way. Gods way says things will only get better from here and as I grow closer to him he uses the hard to teach and refine the roughness in my heart.

If you are a stay at home be encouraged. God has you home for a reason and is using you for a purpose that you can't even imagine. Because of Christ things will only get better!

A little a day...

"Those mean guys put Jesus on the cross

 and he died, but then he came back

 because he has the power of God!" 

This theatrically and spontaneously spiued out of my 4 year old"s mouth last night during devotion time. Josh and i looked at each other and grinned in shock. Our number one goal for Scott during devotions is just to be still. For him to actually listen is icing on the cake. And night after night we deal with the wiggling, the interrupting, the restlessness of a just turned 4 year old during bible time.

Today Ryan brought home a library book and instead of asking me to read it, dove in and started trying to make out words himself. After a slow start, he had several pages underway.

Both of these moments reminded me today of something that I remember encouraging myself with years ago. Super cliche and silly, but this is what I remember saying to myself:

 "A little a day goes a long long way."

I began saying this to myself when Ryan turned 3 and I started sitting down with him for 10 minute blocks of time to do phonics. We only spent a very small amount of time working on letters daily, but over the coarse of  3 years, he can now read.

As wiggly and frustrating as it is to have devotions with a 2 or 3 year old, that time, knowledge, and training adds up and Josh and I received just a little fruit from that last night. The Gospel according to a 4 year old.

The goals and progress you make with your children or students might be so slow going that in the moment you see only frustration and little fruit. The fruit will come if we continue in the good work that has been started. Continue to press on one seed at a time. The harvest will come in due time and the fruit of it will be an overwhelming joy!

Happy Birthday Scott!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Scott today. It has been a memorable year as we have watched him begin preschool work, become a big brother, learn his first bible verses, and maneuver a wheel chair like a pro. We have enjoyed another year of hearing his infectious laugh and seeing his excitement for life. Here is a little about our Scott...

Scott loves all things boy: guns, boots, and camo.  

He also loves all kinds of work: stacking/cutting wood, vacuuming, raking. 

His favorite toys to play with are Play-mobile pirates.

His best friends are Ryan and his cousin Blake.

His favorite foods are mac and cheese, honey, marshmallows, and chewing gum. 

He is an amazing helper around the house.

He adores his sister. He is the first one to run and pick up her passy when she drops it. 

Scott's imagination is incredible for his age and he will come up with the most elaborate whooper you have ever heard!

Favorite sayings:

"Cheeseburgers!"

"You!" (usually when he is angry)

"Can i have some chewing gum?" 

"Oh my!"

                           He is truly such a blessing and sweet heart. Happy Birthday Scottie P!

Preschool work!

Of course camo

Loves to help cook!

A boy and his chainsaw

Classic Scott

Cool dude

Learning to fish

Big brother

Trampoline injury

Sending daddy off to Centri-Kid!

Beach fun

painting

big brother love

ice cream

more ice cream! (mint chocolate chip!)

Showing off an eye injury on the right

love love love

not much to do with a full leg cast!

3 year old on wheels!

one boot, one cast…so stylish

helper

Beach bum!

Rockin the boots with the shorts.

Such a helper!

Sweet smile

Guy time

brother fun

pure sweetness

Love her face

Baby in a box!

Brother silliness

That face =)

 Loves his sister.

Learning ABCs

More Scott love

Thank you God for this sweet gift. I pray we would always treasure him and raise him up into the knowledge and fear of You. I pray one day he would come to know you and see his need for a savior in You. Thank you for 4 wonderful blessed years!