Thursday, October 29, 2009

Are you a bucket filler?

Today 1st grade (Salem's class) was in charge of chapel. They did a program based on the book Have You Filled A Bucket Today.

Bucket fillers are people who without being asked give compliments, reach out to people in need, help others, and spread love to everyone around them. The metaphor of the bucket helps the kids visualize filling someone's bucket with love. Salem's teacher has a small bucket and colored fuzzy balls that go in them when she sees the class being bucket fillers. And she uses the same visual imagery to remove one when someone is a bucket dipper.

In contrast, bucket dippers rob of us of happy feelings. This tends to be things like bullying, mean words, selfishness, etc. But the added lesson is we are all the same - and even bucket dippers need their buckets filled.

The book's concept is simple:

* Make bucket filling and other-centeredness a daily habit
* Preempt and reduce mean, bullying, bucket-dipping behaviors
* Empower children to deal with bucket dippers
* Help children learn about choices and consequences
* Create safe, positive, nurturing schools
* Strengthen families and build better relationships

It's a Godly concept and a precious book! And it's amazing how something so simple can really teach the love of Christ to our kiddos. And to ourselves.

Have you been a bucket filler today?

There is a lot of info on being a bucket filler here! I think there is even a place to sign up for a newsletter.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Boo Your Neighbor!


We are going to today - at least get the stuff ready and do it tonight. Here are some ideas. Spread the love in your neighborhood.

There are some Boo poem's here and here. The idea is to leave it with a treat of some sort. I think we're going to make cookies and homemade cards to Boo our neighbors with!

Let me know if you do a Boo! Take a pic and post it on your blog and link to it here in the comments and I'll create a post on Friday and feature everyone's blog who participated.

I hope this doesn't flop! LOL. But it sounds like fun to me.

Boo!!!

It was a dark and stormy night...



You Have Been BOO'd!

The air is cool, the season is fall,

Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore...

Tricky witches at your door.


The spooks are after things to do,

In fact, a spook brought this "BOO" to you.

The excitement comes when friends like you,

Copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles on our faces,

When we see who Boo'd who's places.

I was Boo'd by Gari Ann!


The following 4 ladies have been officially BOO'd...

Simply Delightful

Scripture Mom

Joy Made Full

Life As It Is

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This BOO party was started by Toni@The Tattered Cottage. Please keep the fun going by following these instructions.


1. You have 24 hours to work your spell

2. Copy and post the Halloween Boo Poem with the instructions for playing.

3. Pick 4 blogs you enjoying visiting and tell why you enjoy visiting them, with a link to their blog and remember to link back to me.

4. Go to the original BOO Party post at the Tattered Cottage and add your MckLinky.

5. Let's see how fast and far this spreads between now and Halloween.

Salem..Prayers & Advice


Just this morning Salem told me she's scared to die. I know that to a large degree this is natural topic to come up since her great grandmother recently died. For those that may not know - Nannie lived with us for the last 2 years until May when she went into the nursing home. So Salem was very close to her and Nannie's death was her first real exposure to the finality of death. Salem mentions Nannie almost everyday.

But this is the first time she talked about death in regards to herself. She mentioned she didn't want to go to heaven and leave her house and Sparkle (the cat) and Nina (the dog) and her toys and me.

I simply let her talk and told her I understood and I didn't want to die either and that it was ok to be scared but then when I time came heaven would be a wonderful place but that I didn't think it would happen for a very long time.

But I am not sure that really helped. I really didn't know what else to say. I don't want to over-simply or get too spiritually deep on what is such a hard question to answer at any age, much less at 7.

Salem is such a sweet girl. VERY sensitive. She picks up on emotions very well and is very empathic in nature. I also think she has the gift of discernment.

Any ideas?

***This is a part of Steady Mom's 30 Minute Blog Challenge

Sunday, October 25, 2009

My View of Christianity & Therapy

I am going to speak for a short time at MOPS a little bit of my testimony of handling my past and depression via therapy. It's hard for me but I know God wants me too.

I know as a Christian woman and leader I felt responsible for being "strong". That meant not letting people know when I needed love and encouragement and support. I suffered in silence. In agonizing silence. If someone asked me how I was I often said - I'm fine. The Christian F word.

As Christian women we often set ourselves up in competition against each other without even realizing it. If we visit some one's house we often compare and realize ours isn't so clean. She must have stayed up all night to get it this way. Or she's a natural at it - what's wrong with me?

We do the same with clothes, parenting, discipline, our marriages and so much more.

Let's stop the Mothering/Womanhood competition and simply be the women God has called us to be.

And for me I can't be that woman without having gone through therapy. The Holy Spirit used and is still continuing to use therapy to heal my heart and my very soul.

Don't be afraid to ask for help through a friend, a pastor, a mentor or even a therapist. If you have postpartum depression get help. If you have situational depression or anxiety or trauma from the past - get help. Don't be ashamed. Shame is the devil's way of hiding you away from the protective embrace of the Almighty. Step out of the bushes and reach out to God. He's there waiting.

It took a long time for me to step outside of my comfort zone and seek out help and the only thing I regret is not doing it sooner.

My Little Ghosties


OK I couldn't find my real camera this morning and had to use my cell! And Raina would NOT cooperate but I had to take a picture of them in these outfits. Oh I LOVE that they still let me dress them alike.

Best Blog Award


One more! Thanks SO much to Kim at Stuff Could Always Be Worse. :) I love her attitude. Life is a precious gift and even when things are hard things are amazing. Thank you God for this life.

I want to pass it on to:

Another Piece of the Puzzle


Se7en

Joy Made Full Award


Thank you Joy Made Full for the Heartfelt Award! I LOVE it and I am glad I could make you feel comfy or warm!

The Rules for the Heartfelt Award are:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.

2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.

3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.

5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

I am passing this on to:

Gwen - I love her blog and the way she just makes her home so homey and warm. Her blog feels the same way! I've known Gwen online for years and one of these days I'll meet her in real life.

I will try to pass it on to more in a day or two but wanted to get caught up!!! Thanks SO much.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Language Explosion


I went to pick up Raina from school but she was SO involved with the fabulous Miss M (her teacher) that I decided to sit back and watch. I sat in the rocking chair for a good 5 minutes while they took the names of the kids off a poster and put them in color order - and she said EVERY ONE'S name.

It was amazing. She was saying Abigail and Arra and Ignacio and Tyrell...All of them. What a HUGE HUGE HUGE accomplishment for a little girl who in May was still talking in 1-3 word phrases. Her language has literally exploded.

I am SO SO SO thankful.

Eventually Ignacio said, "Raina are you leaving yet?" Raina looked up at him a little indignantly then noticed me and said, "Hey Mama - when did you get here?"

:) Sweet music to a mama's ears.

Passing on the Loyal Award


Thanks again Christie. :) It made my day!

I thought I'd pass this award on to a few friends I know in real life who blog and who are amazingly friends and loyal definitely comes to my mind.

Whitney - Treasures From Our Family - Her family is wonderful and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beautiful and stylish way she and the girls dress and her home is GORGEOUS.

Gari-Ann - The Undomesticated Wife - A dear friend, artist and craft queen extraordinaire! She has an etsy shop too for all you etsy lovers.

Tammy - In The Grip of Grace - A truly loyal friend and wonderful blogger about a variety of topics including many Christian topics. And she has a great giveaway on her blog right now! Check it out.

Julia - Living My Life Like It's Golden - You can't get more loyal that J! I miss her like crazy now that the military moved her.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Fun Busy Day

It's been a busy but fun day! It started off this morning getting Raina back to school after being sick. Then I went to the chiropractor. For the first time the adjustment felt wonderful! I was beginning to worry! Then I went to Progressive and settled our wreck! Then the fun began! LOL.

Seriously I got to shop for carseats. LOL. As crazy as that sounds it's fun! I LOVE it. And I really had no reason to EVER do it again with my girls being 7 and 4. :) But I did today. I am a BIG Britax fan. LOVE them. Salem had a Britax Monarch booster that she loved in a pretty pink and gray color. They are discontinued and she wasn't too jazzed about the black and gray and brown to choose from in the Britax Parkways with the slide and guard which I was jazzed about cause it helps little kids like Salem from "submarining" out. So I talked to my friend Janet (car seat safety expert) and we started looking and found the new 2010 Sunshine Monterey which like the Britax protects them from submarining!!!

Yay!!!! So this is what we ordered Salem.



Then Raina - well she's only 4 and doomed to be in a harness for a while if her sister's stint in the harness is any indication. Salem just turned 7 and is 39 1/2 inches and wavers around 40 pounds. She just moved out of the harness at 6 1/2.

So I went with the Britax Frontier that will convert to a booster seat. So it should be the last seat we ever buy. Raina picked pink too! It was fun to guide them to a choice - I knew they'd pick pink! LOL.


Then the rest of the day I spent at ATT and got Brian an iPhone. He's been waiting 8 months for his upgrade. LOL. And we splurged on Mobile me which will let us sync our stuff SO much easier and access our calendars (and each other's) remotely. I am excited.

More fun stuff...I won an award!!! :) I love stuff like this. Thank you Christie!


I will definitely be passing this along tomorrow! :) Thank you. Now it's time to finish backing up my email so I can move it and start having fun with my mobile me!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

All About My Kids



I saw this posted at Super Mommy and thought I'd join in! :) Maybe you should join in the fun as well!

Is this a great picture of the girls? Let me tell you about them.

Korie in the pink is now 19. She's my beautiful stepdaughter and Brian and I have been married since she was 7. I love her like she were my own. She's now in college and studying Fashion Merchandising. Life is all about her boyfriend (who we like), her sorority and dealing with scoliosis. She's very sweet and tender-hearted and definitely prissy. I missing seeing her as much as we did before she went off to college.

Larrah in the black is our "adopted" daughter. She's now 20 and a hair stylist at a local salon. She was the first youth that Brian led to the Lord back when he became youth pastor at The mission almost 7 years ago. When she was 15 she came to live with us and became unofficially ours. She has an amazing capacity to love people intensely. I know God will use that in her life. She has a sweet boyfriend named Houston and she's definitely my drama queen but I love her that way! She's a total Twilight fantatic.

Salem is in Lararh's lap. She just turned 7 and is my IVF miracle and surviving triplet. They were all girls - Salem, Brynna and Angel. Salem also has Noonan Syndrome but her physical capabilities are fine. She started life very frail and it was a very scary time but aside from her slight speech issues, auditory processing issues and taking a beta blocker everyday for her Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy she's a regular kid in 1st grade. She's learning to read, loves art, music and cheerleading. She takes violin lessons and we hope to add in piano in the spring or summer of 2010. She's completely prissy just like Korie.

Raina is my baby! My total suprise. After 4 years of infertility treatment and a specific diagnosis of why I wasn't getting pregnant we never expected her. She's amazing. She has Pervasive Development Disoder but man there are some days she's just a regular kid except with her speech delay but even though has made AMAZING strides since May. She's in PreK and she's doing amazing. She's full of spunk, a total love bug with me and dad and intensely loves her sisters. She's VERY into princesses. She'd be Belle or Aurora all day if she could. She's a cross between being a total princess but still loves playing rough. The best of both worlds for Raina would be jumping on the trampoline or playing in the sandbox in a princess dress.

I am a blessed mom even though we do have crazy days. 2 little girls, 1 grown daughter and one almost grown daughter in college. And I used to think I'd never be a mom!

Crazy Morning

WOW it's only 11:25 and it's already been a crazy morning. If it hadn't been for my sweet husband this morning I would have FAILED miserably.

It all started at 9 pm the night before. Raina was up with her fever back. Sigh! UGH! I second guessed myself yesterday and sent her back to school as she had been fever free since Sat am. With her pervasive development routine is HUGELY important. But she regressed. I felt like slapping my hand.

So 1 mom + 1 feverish/cranky child = no sleep.

I get woken at 5:30. Salem is up at 5:30. Thanks dad for waking her up. Oh wait, he was very sweet and helpful this morning. Focus on that Leah. So I yell in my loudest whisper to go in the living room and turn off the hall light so Raina doesn't wake up and hope for more sleep.

My alarm goes off t 6:30. I hit snooze. 6:35 - Snooze. 6:40 - Snooze. You get the picture. I got out of bed 1t 6:59 and rushed to get Salem dress, her hair done, her lunch made, went through her back pack cause I failed to do that last night (normally clothes, lunch and backpack are done the night before) and last but not least - today there was a Box Tops Blitz. Sigh. So I trim those and sign her name on the back (she wanted to but I was in a hurry).

Sweet daddy does breakfast and takes her to speech at 8 and then off to school afterwards.

I actually went and laid back down for 15 minutes before washing my face and brushing my teeth and deciding I could go to the chiropractor looking like this. Perhaps he'll feel sorry for me and give me extra time with the little electrical stimulus thingys on my back.

Mom is late getting here to watch Raina. I fly out the door, was 5 minutes and rushed home 90 minutes later to take a conference call and then to deal with the insurance for my wreck last week. Then I have to make room for chiro appts on my schedule the rest of this week and 3 days next week.

I called and canceled Raina's speech appt today and got her a snack and she's all nestled on the couch watching Barbie Swan Lake - her new fave.

Now as I look at my massive to do list - I decide to rest - to breathe. It will all get done eventually right?

Perhaps I will even go take a nap with my sweet Raina and learn to enjoy life from a child's perspective. At least for a couple of hours. But even if I don't nap I am going to grab my favorite protein bar and go cuddle and watch Swan Lake.

Note: This post is part of the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steadymom.com!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Me & My Sisters


I am in the middle and my baby sister Amy (born 5 years later) is on my left and Michelle my "adopted" sis (of the heart) is on the right. This was taken at the funeral home on the day of the visitation.

I feel like I look sad and very tired in this pic but when I look at it unbiased - I feel like it shows the new me that's emerging from this shell I am shedding.

Fall Cleaning - Mourning

OK I know it's more typical to clean in the spring but I tend to do a big purge in the fall and spring due to Salem's birthday, changing drastic clothing seasons and the holidays. So it's kind of a necessity. I want to be a minimalist. You know those perfect houses without too much clutter? It never seems to happen though so purge I must.

And I have a true love/hate relationship with purgomg. I LOVE that when it's over I feel so refreshed and unfettered. I love getting rid of things and passing it on.

But I also hate it wondering why I tend to accumulate such stuff. I want to be a minimalist but I doubt it will EVER happen! LOL.

Bur today was harder. I started with my junk closet. That used to be where we housed Nannie's stuff. She went to the nursing home in May. Yet I still had a lot of her romance novels and crossword puzzles she had stopped doing last year. I found a pair of pants, all the extra twin sheets, and a robe...

It reminded me that I haven't gone to the nursing home to pack up her room. Northern Oaks has been so nice. They should have called because I completely forgot but they didn't. If they needed the room I am sure they would pack it up and hold it for us. So I need to go there tomorrow and pack up her clothes (we'll donate them to the nursing home) and take down everything we hung on the walls.

I truly 100% believe Nannie is in a better place. This just makes it so fresh again. So final.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Memorizing Scripture With Salem

Salem and I've been working on scripture memorization since early September. She now knows:

Be bold be strong for the Lord your God is with you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Oh Lord Oh Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth. Psalms 8:1

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

God didn't give me a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

We listen to the Hermie Scripture CD's as often as we can and at night but I wanted to find a more creative idea and saw this at Scripture Mom.

Every week we're going to choose a new scripture and for a while make a Scripture Collage. We read the scripture out loud, we played this on on our Hermie CD and then I wrote it down. Then Salem and Raina had fun cutting out pics from a magazine that described a key point in the scripture. We have it hanging in the office and for a week we'll practice and at the end of the week she'll get an extra marble for having it memorized. :)

And what's more important is she's VERY excited about doing it. Raina was involved and repeated the scripture with us and helped cut out pictures but refused to be in the picture I took!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Advent Conspiracy



Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. What this video above and tell me what you think.

If you feel led, what can you do to change Christmas for your family? I feel really convicted about this so we're downsizing Christmas. We're not downsizing the fun of Santa or presents or decorations but we're downsizing the quantity.

We'll be doing 3 presents for the little girls as that's what Jesus got. We'll also do a Santa gift but that's something they are sharing this year. Family wise - we decided to do 1 family gift for my sister's families to promote family time, as opposed to buying for 10+ kids.

We'll participate with Angel Tree, Love N Care's Christmas on the Streets & the Mission's Kings Table.

What can you do? I'd love to hear your ideas.

What are we doing?

I listened to Matt Chandler's Luke Chapter 12 Sermon (Luke Sermon 26). I want to share my notes with you all.

Chapter 12 – Verse 13: Someone said to Jesus tell my brother to divide his inheritance with me. Jesus had said there was a difference between religion and kingdom and then this random thought comes in. And Jesus said: Man who made me a judge or arbitrator over you? He says to the disciples: Take care, pay attention and be on your guard against all covetousness. For one’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of his possessions. Go back to Genesis to creation when he wired and designed the universe from the earth and animals and plants and night and day to being created in the image of the triune God then he rested. The creator in those days of creation is now in the flesh and telling this man how life works/doesn’t work. Think of how much time we spend trying to get this “thing” whatever it is in our life. We’ve bought into this lie that if we just get “this” or just do “this” life would be better than it is now. But God is saying life doesn’t work that way.

Then he gave a parable of the land of a rich man whose land produced plentifully. He built a greater storage. God told him – the things you have prepared are useless for those who have built up things for themselves. Basically he was given an abundance and didn’t do anything with it but store it. What does it mean to be rich towards God? Don’t be anxious about your life or your possessions or what to eat or drink. Anxiety does nothing and doesn’t add to life. The ravens were “worthless” and he considers them. They are scavengers, they don’t sow or reap yet he feeds them and he loves us more. Don’t be defined by your stuff or your needs. Your identity should only be in God’s kingdom – seek the Lord and all these things will be added to you. It is our father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom – do not fear.

•God is not waiting for the future version of me to get it together to love me passionately. He loves me just as I am.

So sell your possessions and give to the needy. Don’t let your money bags grow old. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy or having their storage full. But your money reveals who you really are. God is trying to free us from the bondage that can come with wealth. Being rich towards God, is knowing that in the end he is ALL I need and I become an instrument in his hand to do all I can through him through what he’s given me.

The word is clear about it. There are over 2,103 in the verses in our bible that address the poor and oppressed and what it looks like to have a heart transformed by the gospel. And open handed living to give to the poor and help them. Use our wealth and our abilities to serve them. You need to live in such a way that you live open handed toward the oppressed.

•Think of the story in Luke 16:19 – the story of the rich man and the poor man Lazarus and how they died and the rich man was in Hades and Lazarus was with Abraham. He could see them and called to Abraham. He still didn’t get it and wanted to be served. Could Hades be that your heart is SO hard that laid next to God you still just don’t get it? You know you’re tormented you just don’t get why.
•Luke 18:18 – Rich Young Ruler Story. He did everything externally correct but he was lacking. He didn’t care for others and help others. He was selfish. Jesus looked at him with sadness.
•Ephesians 2:8-10 – You have been saved by grace not of works, lest any man should boast. You were broken, you couldn’t fix yourself. God fixed you. You are God’s workmanship – his poetry, his art – shaped and molded and designed by him, called to himself to do GOOD WORKS that he prepared before I existed.
•He always meant us to do more. It’s not about religious works. It’s about a heart for others. It’s about very real compassion.
•Think of the Beatitudes – Blessed are the poor…
•Hebrews 10 – Do not forsake the gathering of the believers, so we might encourage one another and stir one another up in LOVE and GOOD DEEDS. It’s more than going to church.
•It’s not the government’s job – it’s mine to take care of people. It’s my job.
•James 1 – that we would look after widows and orphans in their distress. Keep ourselves from being polluted from the world. This isn’t a religious list – this means if you’re chasing what the world is chasing and putting God’s name on it like the man in the original story.

Most of us are selfish with what we have by accident.
•We have a nice TV but it’s not HD so we go and spend money we don’t have.
•Or we have a small house we can afford then buy something we can’t afford.
•Or because we want something beyond our means.
•Or we could have cooked something at home for $6 but went to Cheesecake Factory and spent $62.
•Or we drive cars we can’t afford or have the next new fun thing.
•It makes life feel better for a moment. But it fades quickly.
•What does this say about our heart? This is not about socialism. We’re not forced to do these things. It’s about liberty and choosing to do the right thing – not mandating it at a government level. God’s heart is tied to the poor and ours isn’t. What happened to us?
•What can we do? Get out of debt. It kills our ability to be generous.
•Start helping somewhere/somehow. Think Compassion International, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Soup Kitchens, Mission work locally and internationally.
•Give things away rather than selling.
•Helping people with food and clothes and schools supplies.
•Tutoring children
•Have a heart for people.
•And the list goes on.

We have been gifted and given by God to push back what’s dark in the world. We rob ourselves of joy and depth of life by not being obedient in this area.

Remember it’s not wrong to have. It's not a sin to have or be rich. It's a sin with what we do or not do with it. What matters is how we use what you have. Don't live a frivolous life full of trinkets. When is enough enough? We’ve been blessed to give and help others. Be invited into what God is doing.

Do something. Do anything, but do something.

Friday, October 9, 2009

You Never Let Go

Take a moment and click on this link and listen to this song...

David Crowder Band MySpace - Click on Never Let Go


Lyrics:

When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go

When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You?re the same
Oh, You never let go

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Raina-Ism

Today I called Raina my baby and she says I not a baby - I a big little girl. Then she said I'll be a baby tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Discussing Cremation With Salem

Wow what a day...The viewing went well. The kids did well too. The older nieces (16 & 15) struggled a lot.

Salem asked a lot of questions. We were honest about this being her body a house for her spirit and that her spirit was in heaven. She asked why her body didn't go with her and will her body make it to heaven later and if not how would we know it's Nannie? Sigh. I am glad she's asking those questions I just don't know how to answer them. She believes in heaven and God and knows her sisters are there. So basically she's asking what cremation is - Larrah said our bodies came from dirt when God created Adam and Eve and cremation turns them to ash and it returns to what it came from. She kept asking but that was over her head. But I don't really know how else to explain it.

She saw Nannie and was very curious. She spent a lot of time at the funeral home looking at Nannie and saying things like it looks like her but she won't wake up right? She didn't cry but was sad. I am sure it's all natural I just didn't know what to expect. Nannie lived here for almost 2 years and we were back and forth at Mom's the year before that so she's been a huge part of her life.

She also asked if she could have some of the ashes. I wasn't sure what to think of that so I said I'd think about it. We plan to bury them with Papa.

Nannie died this morning


I went for my endoscopy at 8:30 am. I was a tad anxious about it all. I prayed and then started praying for my friend Kathy and remember falling asleep praying for her. Or rather it's the last thing I remember but I woke up thinking about her. So it made me feel as if my spirit was still praying as my mind and body slept.

Ten or so minutes later I got word that Nannie died.

I prayed God would let Nannie pass quick & peacefully. He did. I already miss her so much. Life will NOT be the same without her. But I know she's in heaven with my sweet babies Angel & Brynna & my Papa. She's no longer in pain, bedridden & barely able to breathe. She gave me so much love & comfort in life. She believed in me even when I was a rotten mess. She was amazing & I hope I can be half the woman she was.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Salem's Best Day

Tonight before bed Salem said this was the best day in her entire life. :) What a sweet grateful girl. I can learn from her.

Thank you Lord for this treasure of a child you have blessed me with. Give Angel & Brynna a hug for me. We miss them.

Happy 7th Birthday Salem!




WOW - How the heck did 7 get here so fast? We went shopping yesterday for her GiGi outfit she wore today and it was just so much fun. Seven really is an amazing age. She's still such a little girl but I see glimpses of the mature big girl peaking out. She's still hyper and sweet and lovable yet empathic and VERY caring about others - especially homeless or hurting people. Her empathy amazes me. She still loves to cuddle and play mommy and baby but likes to be read to and read some herself. She enjoys her solitude which I find unfathomable since I still struggle with that.

She loves listening and dancing to music on her iPod but many times will do so wearing a princess dress, crown and dressup shoes. One of her favorite dressup outfits is a bride dress and veil. She loves drawing and art and plays with stickers and coloring books, yet often draws things God tells her to draw. She has this amazing story of Christ's life that she made out on paper. I need to video her explaining it. I was floored. She came up with it ALL by herself.

Dear God - thank you for Salem. My beautiful sweet lovable princess. I pray God that you protect her innocence and sweet heart. May the fruit of the spirit continue to take root and grow in her. May she continually walk in love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self control.