Grateful hearts

My sister and I started this blog a while back called grateful hearts(I think you can find it in the profile section on this blog under "my blogs") Anyway we started it because we always ask each other around the dinner table "what are three things you are grateful for?" (I think mg started that tradition in our house) but Lindy(seester) and I thought it would be amazing to do it more often. So we started the blog and we did it for a while then we both fizzled out. It's hard to keep it up. Some days I felt like I was scraping the inside of my skull for anything to be than full for knowing full well I live a very privileged life. It was a gross feeling. Knowing I was an ingrate.



I just recently read the book "One thousand gifts" by Ann Vosskamp. It changed me. As I started reading it I started blogging at grateful hearts again. I have a renewed spirit...the way she said that she listed things she loved completely blew it opened for me! I knew all of a sudden i could find gifts from God too...my whole heart changed because of giving thanks...naming Gods gifts to me... Finding joy in bringing Him glory.



It's been a rough month. Migraines have been abounding. One of my children's teeth almost got knocked out and the other one almost drowned at swim camp. My grandfather died and I traveled across the country and back alone.

It has also been one of the most interesting months... I've seen a new depth to Gods mercy...I have been lavished with grace.
I have learned to trust in new ways. I have been surprised by Gods abundant love and compassion for me... I have learned how extravagantly I am loved. It's crazy.

My heart is grateful. I am different. And I'm glad.




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Home

I'm home. Today wasn't the sweetest easiest day ever...Henry fell off the changing table and Owen and I danced to find our rhythm with obedience and grace again. But it was a joyous day indeed.

I cleaned my house. Wiped counter tops and faces. Picked up toys and bought diapers. I drove the car with the back ground noise of my children singing and laughing... It was basically amazing.



I missed my boys so much while I was gone. I missed this sweet life I live.



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On the east side

I made it to my family in Pennsylvania. I had an interesting week filled with new experiences and old family.



I stayed with my cousin Mike and his wonderful wife Lindsay.



That's Lindsay with my Dad.

Mike and Linds live In a beautiful 1930's farm house in the country


We've been through a lot together this week. But we have enjoyed bonding and reminiscing and laughing while we grieve for the loss of our amazing grandfather.



I will be sad to say good bye to them tomorrow... But I'm so excited to return home to my loving family!

It's been a long week away from my sweet house full of boys!


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I'm almost there!

I'm sitting at port authority in the heart and soul of NYC and its a pretty amazing bus terminal...the shops and restaurants are nice!

Right now I'm just so Amazed right now that I have made it through this entire journey on my own!



It started at PDX and I then flew to Phoenix. Then I got on yet another flight to JFK...then I scrambled to find my luggage and the shuttle...(which were not easy tasks but by the grace of God they were fast tasks.)the shuttle drove me into the city and here I looked high and low through two buildings for my bus...

Now I'm sitting here after finding the right bus connection out of hundreds... Now I just ride this bus and I will be there. With family and not responsible for my own travel again for 5 days! Yay!

The Lord is good to me.
Here's a running list,


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Is toilet water really that dirty?

I am sitting at the portland international airport...and I am afraid. I am really struggling to get a grip. I've been scared ever since Sunday when my grandpa Frenchko died and I knew I would journey out to Pennsylvania alone to attend his funeral services.

I have always been mind numbingly afraid of being seperated from my family... It doesn't happen very often so I don't recognize it for what it is very often either...bondage.

I'm in bondage to my fear. I have been up the last two nights too nervous to sleep and too sick to eat the last two days... It's definitely bondage.

What does Beth Moore say? "anything that is keeping you from experiencing the abundant life God has planned for you is bondage"!

Well I'm sad to admit what I fear...but I will because I think keeping it a secret is part of the enemies plan for keeping me terrified. I fear with ever fiber of my being that I will die while I'm gone and never see my family again...never see their sweet faces. Again.





Or that...even worse...they all will die and I will have to live with out them. Crap. It's stupid. I mean it would be sad for either part to loose either party but for me to worry when Jesus clearly tells me not too-not going to site the exact verse but it's something about not doing it and lilies-sheesh.

Mg made me a folder full of essential info for my trip among the flight schedules and what not are two heavy packets of bible verses. One titled for when your afraid. And the other, for when you think about death.

Be still my heart I love that man!!!

I basically have realized that I can and WILL trust in my good God because he has not ever let me down. And that even if he takes me home right this moment...I bet that his face...will be even sweeter than this one. I can breath again thinking about that.


Oh and the toilet water! As I was crying in a bathroom stall after the boys dropped me off (because I already missed them SO much)I finished using the bathroom flushed and then the sweater I brought-the only one i brought because it's hot and muggy like a big bowl of chili back east-the sleeve of it dropped right it to that toilet(I may have said a bad word...loud...maybe). I am just going to wear it in the cold plane anyway. I can shower later.

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Adventures in parenting

The other day I was in bed with a horrible migraine. Mg was home caring for the boys. They had just returned from swim lessons when mg came upstairs to bring me some ice tea.(I know I have a great husband)

Henry was crying at the bottom of the stairs and then all of the sudden he was screaming.

Mg rushed down stairs. Owen rushed up and said "papa said you need to get up now! Henry is
Bleeding from his mouth!"

I rushed down stairs...avoiding the urge to vomit...I looked in Henry's mouth and could see his teeth were not where they should be...

Owen had tried to help him over the baby gate and it obviously ended poorly.

After a really confusing runaround we ended up at a pediatric dentist that our dentist recommended.

He told us Hank's teeth will most likely heal. Because he is still so little they have a better chance of not dying... He will check them again in a couple weeks but thinks the chances are high that Henry will recover with nothing more than a a couple crooked baby teeth.

I feel pretty grateful that he doesn't need oral surgery at such a young age. Anesthesia is no fun for anyone least of all a 17 month old baby.

I am a little sad that his sweet teeth look funny...I loved his perfect little teeth and now they look a bit odd,but that's fine. He is fine. He is safe and he is still perfectly adorable.

I guess this is another good chance for me to praise the one who made him. For he is fearfully and wonderfully made...he is resilient and strong even at such a young age.



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4/7/2012

We celebrated with friends.


There were lots of us...and a nerf gun war broke out. Children and men fought valiantly around our play house...until the sparklers came out.


We busted out the marshmallows and it was lovely. Nothing says freedom quite as well as a perfectly roasted marshmallow.


I hope you had a great time celebrating independence day as well.

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