We drove up to Greeley with Eric for a special Ash Wednesday service at our friend Tim Coon's church. I had to sit in the middle of the kids. I was wearing my glasses and Iree was so cute looking into my glasses at herself!
Then Dale told me he loved me and gave me a glance through the rear view mirror!
And on the way home they crashed and I love watching my kids sleep. And I saw their daddy in them while they were sleeping!
My brother Eric, I think, was worn out today and stayed home while the kids and I went to swim lessons. He has been a great gift to have here! Not only for the help with the kiddos, but the blessing that he has been to Dale and I!!
a gift new.....
I finally had time thanks to my brother (stayed at the house while the kids napped) to go shopping for some things for the house!
a gift made-do....
We got to go to SAME Cafe today.....LOVE IT!!! But as we ate on all those different plates and mugs....I thought, I love this....they made-do with what they had!!! And they are an AMAZING gift to the community!!
Since Eric is here, I have to squeeze in the back seat of the car in between the two kiddos seats. Iree was kind of annoying me with her little Altoids tin, but then I had to stop and see how cute and precious it was....she was pretending so well.
a gift of glass....
We went downtown this afternoon and night and we took the kids on the free mall ride. They loved it! I let Iree look out the glass window and it was so adorable, but she actually liked just sitting in the seat and talking to complete strangers!
a gift of wood...
The smell of a wood burning fire place after the fallen snow!!
I am not really sure what this one means. But my wednesday was definitely different than most. We still went to Sister's Bible study which is always a gift! Then because Eric is here, I got to go on a run outside and it was beautiful. And I ran for 3.3 miles....which is amazing for me! That was a huge gift. I think another gift that changed was that I felt more patient and flexible, because I didn't quite know how the day was going to go. Dale was still not feeling great and it was Ash Wednesday and we had a service at 7pm. We ended up eating dinner at home as a family (instead of going to the Pancake Dinner at church) and then going to service. It ended up being a pretty good day!
So, I was on edge all day today and the kids were really needy right from the start (well, i would say Iree was needy right away and Trey became needier as the day progressed). Iree dropped her plate of food on the floor by accident and was crying, so I offered her some cereal, but she had to choose and when she choose the Cheerios and they didn't have the book anymore in it, then she freaked out and cried again. While I was trying to get everyone's food on the table and eat my while it was hot, Trey totally problem solved and grab one of his booklets from school and put it in the Cheerios for Iree and she LOVED it!!
a gift at lunch.....
Eric, Trey and I went to IKEA for lunch...yum! And it was such a gift that Eric paid for it!
a gift at dinner....
While I was in my grumpy state (STILL) and making dinner, I was trying to shake the grumpy's out.....and one way I do that is to put on music and take a look outside!!!
This morning we went to the 10:30 service like always, but this morning I told the kids they could grab a donut before really quick. Well, Iree decided she didn't want one, so I grabbed Trey one and sat him down and starting introducing my brother to some people. Five minutes later Iree decided she now wanted one....well, you know she takes FOREVER to eat....so I rushed and got her one.....it was now about 10:26 and we had to go all the way down stairs and check them in to two different classes. I was a little inpatient with the both of them because it was 10:30 and they were still munching. We finally rushed down stairs and then the computer system wasn't working....AAAHHHH. But then I saw my friend Becca and her little guy Ryder and I was so glad that I ran into them, because I probably would have never known that she was there. So the plan B was getting donuts beforehand and the gift was seeing my friend, Becca.
Then tonight we had to pick up Dale at the airport at 6:30 p.m. So that means that I have to start making dinner by 4:30 so we can eat at 5pm and leave by 6pm....because like i mentioned earlier it takes Iree FOREVER!!! I had planned to make pizza, but then got a call from my Mother in Law telling me not to eat pizza, because we were going to get pizza the next night. Plan B....ummmm? I had no plan B....i looked in my cupboards and everything I had on my meal plan, I needed a few more ingredients to make....so I decided at 5pm to make Fried Egg Sandwiches with avocado, cheese, and pesto....YUM!!! That was a wonderful gift from God!!!!
When we do airport pickups or dropoffs we usually just drop or pick up at the curb, but Trey really wanted to go into the airport and it has been a long time since they have been in there....probably Iree's first time to really experience it. So that was kind of a plan B to park and go in! And it was great to see Daddy's face and the kids face when they saw daddy!!!
Last night was a pretty sleepless night, Trey was up crying from and earache. So this morning I took him, to Urgent Care and sure enough he has an ear infection. It was so nice though, because it was just him and I alone. Iree stayed with Uncle EE at home. We brought our book we are reading together to read and it was such a nice time in the waiting room reading to him!!
This morning I didn't have any quiet time to myself, but I read the psalm for the day to Trey and Iree and they kind of listened, but I found peace and joy in it today!
I found joy working out today with my friends workout plan! I got to go to the gym by myself while Uncle EE stayed with the sleeping kiddos at home!
Today I felt like i really didn't serve/give, but to my children which I feel like is kind of cheating. Mothers are constantly serving and giving to their children. (and sometimes I find joy in it and sometimes I don't!) I always find some kind of Joy with them. BUT today I picked up my brother Eric from the airport and right when we got home, Iree wanted Uncle EE to read to her for nap and he did! That was a blessing to me! Then tonight Trey had Uncle EE read to him as well, also a blessing to me! Not only did I get a break (even though I love reading to them), but to hear my brother read to my children is AWESOME!
This morning, I was eating breakfast with the kids after we took Dale to the airport, and looking at the birds outside trying to breath in joy and peace and trying to think of ways in which I would find joy in shadows. Trey was rambling on and on about tons of things....and then all of a sudden Trey, out of total randomness, said, "So the groundhog saw his SHADOW so that means 5 more weeks of winter, right mom?" And bam it hit me....i was thankful for that moment with my kids, looking at the birds, and having them talk my ear off about random things.
I found creative joy out of making this sign with the kids for my brother coming to town tomorrow!
I also found joy in the beautiful sunny day and opening my door and shades to let in the cold breeze!
a gift in losing something.....a gift in finding something....
I lost my patience with Iree today while I was putting her down for her nap. She would not go pee and it was annoying me. I finally found my patience and remembered to give her a choice and everything was great.
a gift in making something....
So my amazing friend in Rifle, Viki Cox, made us this incredible scrapbook from our time there. It is so amazing!!!!
This morning Dale got to wake Iree up and she loves when "Daddy wake me up!" I got to peek through the crack in her door and it was so cute how happy she was and how amazing my husband is with our kiddos!
Then I got to wake her up from her nap and that is always awesome!!! She is such a beautiful gift to us!
After school, Trey and Daddy worked on drilling holes for Trey's Valentine holder! It made me so happy to hear them through the garage working together! Trey loves his daddy so much and Dale is so great with Trey! Having our family sabbath day together today was an overall blessing!
3 hard eucharisteos...... (I had to look this up, since I didn't read her book....."the giving of thanks or thanksgiving")
#1 It is sometimes hard to wake up on Sunday morning to get the kids ready for church alone, but I am so thankful that I have an amazing husband that is living into his calling as a pastor (and he is dang good at it!!)
#2 Sometimes it is also hard to be a pastor's wife, but I am incredibly grateful to the people who let me just BE WHO I AM!!!
I find my work as a mother taxing and hard and it does not come to me easily. This morning I had some tired kids that had to get ready for swim lessons and I was not looking forward to it, but it actually ended up being great! I think I found most of my gifts during the time at the pool today!
I first laughed at Iree today while she pretended that my keyboard was her piano and that she was in her office.....
I took my first ever Zumba class today and it was so much fun and I had to laugh at myself a little when I messed up the moves.
Lastly, I was busting up laughing at Dale when he tried to cross the logs at the pool today....this is a video of Trey doing it, but the logs sank when Dale did it and it was hilarious. I am glad he tried it before I did it.
3 gifts that were surprises.....unexpected graces......
This whole day was kind of a different Thursday for us. Dale was with us in the morning and then worked all night. So, we got to go have tea with daddy (#1) and mommy got to go grocery shopping by herself (#2)!!
and lastly my kids were actually really great this afternoon!!! I was trying to go to a Zumba class right after school and it ended up there was no child care....so we rushed home to eat dinner and then i was thinking of trying to make a different class, but I just decided to stay home and it was great!!! We almost finished Trey's Valentine's cards for his class.
On tuesdays I have "special lunch" with Iree and sit at the little table.....
I am trying to find the joy in everything.....well, tonight Trey threw up all over the couch (hence the baking soda on the cushions) and even though it was all really hard, he went to bed early....
I think the best thing I can come up with today is the body of Christ (and particularly at St. Andrew UMC). We are stitched together, woven together, and sometimes hammered together as the body of Christ.
I bent down to check out each little snowflake.....they were incredible.....praise God for the beauty...
I was kind of bummed that I had to shovel, but then when a friend of mine told me that could be my exercise for the day....then I really bent down low to work out my legs as well as arms, abs, back.....
So, tonight I was trying to figure out one more thing for "bending down" and so I bent down to take a picture of a toy under the couch and I was going to say something about being grateful for my kids even with toys on the ground (BUT I didn't really feel grateful for that tonight) BUT while I was bending down, Iree ran over and jumped on my back and started laughing and that was AWESOME! I love when she does that!
