Night Night

Tonight the kids and I met Jason, the coaches (and Mrs. Beth!), and the team for an FCA meeting tonight. Rotney Clark came to speak and hang out with the kids which was super fun! I am excited for the next FCA meeting because the wonderful Mrs. Becky Patterson will be speaking about their recent journey through loss and faith - can't wait! Jason's job can been draining and trying with its demanding schedule, but I am thankful for the blessings of getting to be a part of fun things like tonight. It's a "family job" and I'm glad we get to share in so much of it with him!
Lincoln loves it, too. I get asked "Can I go shoot a ball?" frequently throughout every day (warms daddy's heart, of course) and he just enjoys being around all the coaches and the players - our little extrovert ham. :)
One thing's for sure - all the fun involvement with daddy's job leaves these rascals ready for bed when we get home.

On Childcare

I've been involved in a Women's Ministry class at Fellowship Bible for the past few months now. The class is 2 hours every week, with childcare provided, and a few different times throughout the semester of the course, they offer "extended childcare" where mothers can go out to eat and spend time with the other women for two additional hours - pretty remarkable!

We just had one of our extended days this past Wednesday and it was everything I was hoping it to be!

So now to the meat of this post: childcare.

When we transitioned churches, Lincoln went through a hard time on Sunday and Wednesday morning s(the class) when he would get left. He would scream terribly high pitched noises, tears would flow continually, and he would yell "Daddy!! Momma!!" which broke our hearts everytime. It didn't stop us from going to church or my class - but it was a dreaded moment that often distracted me twice a week.
I hated it.
I hated it for Lincoln, but I also felt bad for the workers having to deal with that kind of emotion!

But not once have I ever felt like I'm burdening those sweet workers.
They always greet with a smile and present this joy in what they volunteer to do.

Week after week, this same dreaded routine continued. And then, about 3 weeks in, Lincoln started talking about "church" at home, talking about the workers by name. He would get excited about it and run to the door asking if we could go to church. "Merle, Merle Merle!" he would exclaim with delight! Merle was his Sunday morning teacher (he and his wife were an older couple that volunteered their time).

Suddenly, Lincoln felt safe. HE loved church. HE loved the workers. And when we went Sunday of that week, he ran straight to his room, turned around and goes "Bye bye momma...bye bye daddy." like he was ready for us to get out of there!

Wednesdays were no different that week.

Did he get used to the routine? Maybe.

But what I am more convinced of are the dear, genuine joyous hearts of the people that work at Fellowship Sunday and Wednesday mornings. The two ladies that teach Lincoln Wed. genuinely love Lincoln and it is so evident in the way they get excited when he arrives and how he just hugs and kisses on them before we leave each week...and when I dropped Noah off this past week, the ladies in his room greeted him by name with big bright smiles and told me "thank you for letting us just love on him each week!!"

Thank me? Oh my! Thank YOU!

I have been on both sides of childcare. It's a hard job! I think it could be so easy - even if you are getting paid - to look at it as a merely a job (just like all of our jobs I guess) but miss the joy.

Through taking the kids to childcare at church twice a week, I have been humbled. Humbled to always be joyful in what I am doing. These ladies could still do an excellent job at caring for my children even if they weren't joyful...but oh my goodness how much that means to me to see how excited they are to be with these children! It's a great testimony and has touched my heart.

And Merle? Lincoln graduated form his class about a month ago, but Lincoln still asks about Merle DAILY. Seriously. So last Sunday I took Lincoln to visit Merle after church. Lincoln reached for him and gave him a kiss! Sweet little moments.

Billy Graham at 90

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare... We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.. We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over both our nations and wholeheartedly become our desire for our North American Continent.

90lbs of Love

The Big T-W-O

It just hit me...
This little guy (that would be Lincoln) -

Is going to be this many...

In a few weeks! Oh.My.Word. Two years? Already? I guess this will mark the end of aging the darling in "months" and from now on he'll just be "2" - no clarifications necessary. I'm sure there will be much more to come on this transition, but for now, I just wanted to share this sudden realization.

Pumpkin Fun

This one of three visits we have planned to area pumpkin patches. We went to one last year, but now that I stay home (it will be a full year in November!), we're planning more pumpkin patch visits during the day and I'm loving them so far. It satisfies Lincoln's latest obsession with pumpkins. His squeals can be heard in far off lands when he spots a pumpkin (and an airplane for that matter).
I'll admit though - the weather was way too warm for pumpkin patch festivities - not very festive, but still fun. We were suppose to go to one tomorrow and then a huge one (that I'm super excited about) this weekend with daddy, but I think we'll postpone these visits until the weather drops at least below 80 degrees - blah. I shouldn't even have to say that in October!
The one we went to today is in Centerton right across the street from our neighborhood - perfect. And it was free - even more perfect. Though we did buy a few pumpkins and some popcorn (all under $3 total - so not bad).
We will more than likely visit this one twice a week. :)

8 Months Noah - Really???!

This morning was Bible Study and a group of us were sitting with our tiny ones in the nursery waiting for their sweet care-takers to get there and it donned on me that Noah was 8 months...today! Seriously.


I'll confess, that with two tugging the belt straps day in and out, I still think of Noah as infantile...my baby. I forget that he, too is growing older and older every day. Terrible I know. I see now how it's hard for mother's to "let go" of their youngest and allow them to be independent (well into college years even!). It's because they get lost in a time warp and don't realize that they are actually growing, too! I get it, mom. :)


Noah hasn't really changed much from the previous month except that he's a racehorse crawler. He is pulling up more and loves for us to hold his hands and let him practice steps.


Still drinks 6 oz. bottles about every 3 hours or so (I'm really not sure how many in day...I think it varies depending on his naps).


Goes to bed around 8ish and wakes up somewhere between 7:20-8:00.


He takes a short nap in the early morning (if it gets too long, I wake him up), and then a LONG nap when Lincoln goes down. hey both will usually sleep 2.5-3.5 hours for that one which is nice.


He's discovered swinging at the park and LOVES it! His giggles are contagious when he swings!


So far we haven't had any nursery issues which is a blessing. I always get positive reports and most of the time, he sleeps.


No teeth yet!


He's still our tiny. :) He's wearing 6-9 month clothes which is on track, but he seems so small still(of course he does - he's still a newborn...right?)


I think he's long, but we'll find out at his 9 month appointment. I say that because his pants are Capri's! But the bigger size don't fit his tiny waist.


His eyes are still the same color!!!!! I hope he keeps the...holding my breath.


He's getting whacked and tackled more these days by big bad brother. I think, now that he's mobile, Lincoln thinks it's time for him to play...not quite yet buddy.


He's still our quiet one...mild tempered and easily soothed. I'm not sure if he's really all that calm or if it's his comparison that makes him seem that way. :)


***another funny thought - i was almost 2 months pregnant when Lincoln was this age - CRAZY.
We love our little Noah!!! He's added a different dynamic to our family that is precious.



What's up for this next month? I think I'll introduce "more" signing to him.