Long Time....

Well, it has certainly been awhile since I have added anything on here.  Wow!  There are two more beautiful children in the family since I last wrote.  Sweet Clara is now 2 years old and Stud Hudson is 7 months old.  I feel so blessed with my family.  By far, the most rewarding challenge I have ever experienced is raising children.  There is nothing more that I would rather be doing right now.  Malainy, now 3 1/2 yrs. old, continues to be determined and strong willed. :)  I absolutely love to watch her sense of humor start to shine now.  Her imagination and story telling is nonstop and such a joy to see.  Malainy and Hudson have such a strong and neat bond right now.  They adore each other.  They make each other laugh so hard.  It melts my heart to watch.  Clara is my funny and goofy girl, and so sweet.  She can be quite emotional and dramatic.  She does everything with such passion and energy.  Her vocabulary is booming right now.  It is quite amazing to me how different all three of my children are.  But I love it.  And the handsome man that I get to enjoy this adventure with, my Jon Jon....he is just amazing in all aspects.  LOVE my life.  What a gift.

Sailboat

My Girl

Miss Malainy

Oh Malainy!

Today I was so proud of you. You made a "grandma's" day! We were at the library for children's story time. After story time, an older "grandma" came into the library, looked at you and said, "Well, hello there little dear." She put her arms out, and instead of turning your head or running back to me, you ran straight into her arms and allowed her to lift you up. She had a little trouble lifting you up, due to the fact that you have gained some weight and she was a frail "grandma." Then you proceeded to give her a big smooch on the cheek, and I swear I almost saw tears in the "grandma's" eyes. She thanked you and put you down and you carried on your own way. "Grandma" got ready to leave and she waved goodbye to you, and again, you ran over to her and gave her this huge hug. Malainy, never lose that sweetness and joy. I love you so much.

Blessed

When I think of being blessed, I think of all the good things that have been given to me. I think of good health, incredible husband, amazing family, joy-filled daughter and the list goes on and on. But reading in Matthew today, I get a whole different view of being blessed: (5:3-10)

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (I don't often feel blessed when I am down in the dumps)

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Blessed by sadness?)

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (I often struggle with this, because I see great strength as a blessing, but in reality, meekness is a strength, although we associate it with being weak)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled"

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God"

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Persecution and blessing do not go hand in hand for me, but I do believe there is much truth to this...having an eternal perspective does not always come naturally for me.)

It goes on to talk about being the salt and light of the world, using Christ's light and not our own. I do desire to be His light to this world, and not just in my terms of being blessed but also how scriptures tell us we are blessed, which do not always line up with the world's thinking of being blessed. Thank you Lord for the many blessings in my life, which would include the good and the "building" blessings.

Perspective

I have had a whole new appreciation for life lately. It is one of those "appreciations" that you hope you do not lose or forget. A good friend of mine has a friend whose 3 month old son passed away with pertussis (whooping cough) recently. You never know when someone's time is up to leave this earth. Someone that is so precious in your life, and someone you love with all your heart. I just want to love on my family every chance I can get.

I have an amazing friend who just last week found out she has a tumor in her spine. Imagine having back pain for months, and then to hear that. She is getting it removed tomorrow. What a life changing thing to hear. So many unknowns right now. It certainly changes the way you think, the way you look at life, the way you look at others, the way you handle and make decisions, how you prioritize....it changes everything.

I think we get so caught up in the craziness of life, trying to figure everything out.....and we just forget how precious life really is. It can be taken or altered at a moment's notice. If we all lived with that perspective day in and day out, I think we would all be a lot more nicer, more grateful, more forgiving, more loving.

In such sadness right now, thank you Lord for the fresh perspective.

Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday, Malainy!! My big one year old! What a fun weekend with both sets of parents here. Malainy was very spoiled and loved! We had many birthday calls, emails and notes....so thanks to everyone for making the weekend so special! LOVE this girl.