Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Millie has a new favorite snack...Gluten Free Brown Rice Krispies (got 'em BOGO at Publix!) and Rice milk.  She wanted more and more, I refilled her suction cupped bowl 3 times!  Cute little thing.

The Daddy Void

Dan's out of town for a special denominational meeting this week.  We are missing daddy something awful around here!  Especially Hannah Reece...she's a daddy's girl ALL.THE.WAY.  

Bedtime is usually when the tears start to flow.  Last night I set out to find one of Dan's shirts that he'd worn to work, one that still had a faint daddy smell.   Don't worry, he's non-commital with his dirty laundry, so it hadn't made it's way into the  filthy laundry basket yet-just on the floor next to it, ha!  The minute I handed it to her, she buried her little face into it and took a big whiff.  It was gross and sweet, all at once! 

And here's the daddy's girl, all snuggled up with daddy's shirt, and wearing one of his huge white undershirts as a gown.  And of course the thumb.  And the big IKEA crinkle blanket that she made her own when her "blank" baby blanket got "lost".  I "found" the baby blanket again to see if she'd trade, but it was a no go.  *sigh* I am thankful for the precious relationship between our girls and their daddy, it is a gift.

Sweet daughter, you are so beautiful, and when I look at you while you are sleeping....my heart skips a beat!  I am utterly amazed that God made me your momma.  I love you!  XOXO 

Brown Sugar Salmon with a Side of Heat 'n Eat

Spotted this at Costco today.  And thought it would go well with the salmon I had thawing in the fridge for dinner tonight.  There are six-2 serving pouches inside, I nuked 2 of them at three minutes each and it easily fed the 5 of us.   

Now onto the salmon.  Rev. Hubs can cook up a mean Salmon fillet.  This is scientific, so y'all get a pen.  ;)   

1) He put the fillet in a big ziplock bag, put in some soy sauce, and a splash of orange juice.   

2) Marinated for about 30 minutes.  

3) Then he removed the fillet and put it in glass baking dish, mixed the marinade with about 1/4 c. of brown sugar and spread it over the top of the fish.  

4)Bake at 350 for anywhere from 20-30 minutes (depends on the thickness of fish.)  

I wish I had taken a pic of the finished product. It was so good!  For the littlest, I used the kitchen shears and just went to town chopping the noodles, veggies and salmon up in her bowl.  This will definitely be a do over.  

17 months

Camille, our darling girl with the most delicious little dimples,

It is hard for me to believe that you are almost a year and a half old!  Your smile is so contagious and we get so tickled at your little giggles!  You love to be chased, tickled, sugared up and entertained by your big brother and sister.  Here are some things I want to remember about you at this age:

-when left unattended you usually go to one of the following to play: the toilet, the bunk bed stairs (thank goodness they're removable!), momma's closet (to play in my shoes, of course!), to you play kitchen in the corner of the living room, the pantry (gung-ee!) or to the playroom to fiddle with sister's barbie stuff.  I in turn am always hovering over you while you explore.

-you can identify eyes, nose, mouth, ears, teeth, feet, hands, hair, knees (that's a new one!)

-want to put your shoes on first thing in the morning

Words you say:
goo-ga-good girl
bubba-Graham
dissy-sissy
shoooo-shoes
Na-ha-eese-Hannah Reece
Poo-poo
bi-par-diaper
po-eee-potty
ma-mi or nee nee-momma's milk
gung-ee-hungry
doos-juice
wa-wa-water
pippy-sippy cup
teet-teet-tweet tweet/bird
Ca-oo-Charly
Dada-Daddy
Momma-you say this over and over for anything that is urgent to you, whether you are talking to me or not!  :)
Bam-pa/Bam-a-Grandpa & Grandma
Nana & Papa

Joy

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.  

Luke 10:21

 

It was Thursday night, and things were winding down around here.  Camille had a late afternoon nap that day, so Dan took her with him to to pick up a few things (one being a $265 bike that was mismarked at $99...thank you, Lord for that provision!)  and I had just tucked the kids into bed, kissed and tickled (Hannah Reece likes for me to tickle her arms and back before bed to get settled down).  Like usual, I popped on my IPOD shuffle and started up a podcast from Midday Connection while I got busy tidying up the kitchen and living room before bed.  And like usual, five minutes later, Hannah Reece was out of bed.

***
"Girl, what are you doing out of bed?"
"Momma, I'm not tiiiirrrreed!" (insert big smile and head tilt)
"Ok (this part is unusual for me...I usually pat her bottom and usher her back to bed), but if you're going to stay up, you need to help me clean up."
***

So we got to work and I started up the podcast again.

At this point, I need to insert a little aside that Miss Millie is creates her own natural disaster these days.  Hence the loving nickname "Hurricane Millie".  If it is within her reach, it is pulled down, taken apart into it's smallest pieces and methodically squished up, chewed on, or torn apart.  And then she moves on to the next item.  This is all new to us, I don't recall G and H going through this phase of toddler hood.  Although, being the third child, this might be natural because I just don't have the ability to hover over her every second like I did with the first two children.  She does have a little more freedom to "explore".  ;)

So, back to the story.  We have a little basket on the bookshelf that contains these little at-home enrichment cards and manipulative's from various Sunday School and church activities.  Our little hurricane spread the contents all over the floor earlier in the day, and now my late night housekeeping helper got sidetracked with the contents too.  I continued to clean up, eager to finish this task so that I could hit the sack.   :)

Just then, I felt a tug on my arm and Hannah Reece appeared in my view and shoved the little booklet pictured above right in front of my face.  I took off my headphones (not even realizing what she had) and said "could you put that in the basket, please?"   She said  "Momma, will you read to me about God?"  So we sat down on the sofa and read through it's contents.  As you read and lift each flap it continues to open up into the shape of a cross.   She was listening to every word.  I could sense, at that very moment, that the Holy Spirit was opening her heart to the things of God.  I've had a handful of times in my life where I could tangibly "feel" God's presence and this was one of them!  It had nothing do with me and everything to do with God's ordained time and activity in Hannah Reece's heart.   I sat there amazed at God's revelation her, as we talked about the contents of the tract.

At the end, there is an example of a prayer that someone might pray surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.  I was so concerned about her making a commitment before she was ready that I almost skipped over that (shame on me!), but she wanted to know what it said, and right away said "I want to pray to Jesus and ask him to take away my sins.  I want Jesus in my heart."  Amazing.   So she did just that.

After we prayed she looked down on her little pajama tank (pictured above) that she wears almost every night to bed and pointed to one of the peace signs.  This part was equally amazing to me!

***
What does this circle thing mean mom?
It means "peace".
What does peace mean?
(Struggling to come up with a definition on the fly ;)
Peace is knowing that everything is right and well in your heart with God.
That's what my heart is telling me right now.
***

At the age of  4 years and 11 months old,  GOD has drawn Hannah Reece to himself.  Truly GOD's might,  power, faithfulness surpasses everything we know and understand.  I am in awe, that in GOD's good pleasure, HE had revealed these things to Graham and Hannah Reece as little children.  May their lives bring you glory and honor Lord, and may they serve you with undivided hearts, for the rest of their lives.  May our hearts remain soft, so that know and trust you with child-like faith.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  

Galatians 6:14

All in a Days Work

On days like today...sitting in front of "the list" all of the little and big things that need to get done...I feel overwhelmed.   Months ago, in a similar frame of mind,  I decided to put make a different kind of list in my notebook, a list of all of the things that I do "do" in a days work.  And when I read this list today, I am encouraged, my perspective shifts.  And I realize that though many of the items on my list might not get accomplished today, or tomorrow or the next, my actions demonstrate and accomplish more than my crossed off to-do list ever could.  May all of my "do's" be done with joy and thanksgiving, out of love.

***I recently downloaded lots of photos from our little point and shoot, most of them taken by Graham and Hannah Reece.  Their pictures sure do capture reality in our home, the good the bad and the ugly (that would be my bed head and scrubby clothes! Ha!)  so I'm adding in a few for fun.  

Today I will...

cook

organize

conversate

pray

clean

list
serve

remind

love

motivate

encourage

hurry

give
comfort

play

pack

remember

plan

record

engage

discipline

unpack

forget

relax

worship

abide
read

confess

nourish

exercise

regroup

correspond

bathe

cultivate

prepare

 educate 

 drive

redirect
forgive

adore 

and at the end of the night when my body falls into bed....I will rest.

If your house is anything like ours, getting myself and three kiddos ready for church Sunday morning can be anything but a holy experience!  And my husband's a pastor for cryin' out loud!

Here's some encouragement:  remember that GOD does not look at the outside (kids messy bed hair or our bad attitudes, mom's clothes pulled out of the laundry because that's all that's remotely clean....I claim all of these today!)  GOD loves us (stinky clothes, bedhead, bad attitude and all!)  :)  Now go dig some clothes out of the hamper and let's get to church.

This is how we feel about going to church with you today, Momma!

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.  By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.  And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  Hebrews 10:19-25  (NLT)