Again and again...

It was in the early morning hours. 
I heard the familiar creek of the old wooden floors. 
Footsteps to our bedroom door. 

"Mommy" Kolton whispers. 

"What wrong babe?" I whisper back.

"I messed up again." He walks into my outstretched arms.

Kolton, the last of our four.  My baby, now FIVE!  The only one who wouldn't take a fooler but only the edge of a silk and two small fingers in the mouth.  His comfort.

I pull him close.  "What did you mess up?"

"I sucked on my fingers"  He tucks his head in to my chest.

My heart ached for him.  He really is trying.  I know this feeling all too well.  How we fall into well-worn paths of comfort that we really are now too big for.  We should have pulled out of this rutted path by now...but we still tend to circle round and round.  It's what we've known.  Patterns of what was. 

I stroke his hair.  I pull his chin up to mine, tell him that it is okay...to try again. 

Through just enough light shining through the window, I see him smile. 

I whisper it soft into his ear.  "I love you, Kolton..."

"I wub you too, Mommy"

Footsteps run across the creaky old floors and hop back into bed.

Kolton age 2

This morning my devotional scripture:

But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. ~ Deuteronomy 4:29, NLT

From right where we are...in any rutted worn path.  If we search for the Lord our God.  If we search for Him with all our heart and soul.  If we have to run to him over and over and tell Him we messed up -again.  We will find Him and His arms will be open wide!  He will pull us close.  Ask us to try again and always whisper I love you........

It's a promise.

Strike It Up With The Gang!

When my sister and I get together with our kids...it's quite the gang! There is always lots of fun and lots of laughs!  I never thought we would have nine children between the two of us!  NINE!  We celebrated my nephew Skylar's birthday on Sunday.  He had a bowling party.  It was a blast!  I'm pretty sure the last time we went bowling was on Tristin's 10th birthday...that was three years ago.  =)  We have enough people for a couple of leagues...we should do it more often! 

  

 

They all had so much fun!

 

 

 He wanted a Lego cake so we mixed up some white cake mix and tinted green icing.   

 

 

But I forgot the candles.  We had to compromise....

 

 

 

 

It was a fabulous afternoon!

 

Happy Birthday, Skylar!!!!

 

Brrrrr -It's Snowing!

It's snowing here in Ohio today! 
Kolton is so thrilled!  I could just set him in a pile of snow with a spoon and he'd be happy for hours! 

I have been praying over all those affected by storm Sandy.  I pray that God draws them to himself through this time!  I also pray for all those with livestock affected by this storm. 

Yesterday, our horse Izzy spooked from the wind blowing hard through the barn and kicked up in her stall.  She got her leg stuck in the gate and scraped/bruised herself up pretty good.  It's a little swollen this morning but it seems that it is nothing too bad.  I called the vet and will pick up some Bute later this afternoon.  If we wouldn't have two horses to worry about, I would never have even thought about all those East who have livestock that they love and even depend on as their livelihood.  Early this year the barn we had our horse boarded lost power for about four days and you really had to plan out how to get them water ect...so that they were cared for.  Its a lot to think about!  I'm not sure if everyone prays over their animals the way I do.  Sometimes I feel really silly but know that God desires and cares about all that is on our heart!  It's like having two more children in the family.

I hope all of you are well!  Is it snowing where you are?  Raining?? 

Do you have a prayer request for yourself or a loved one? 

It's a privilege to pray for you! 

A Free Friday...TRICK OR TREAT!

We made it to Trick or Treat...or "Happy Halloween" as Kolton calls it!  Lola made her own costume this year and was a Dance Kitty.  She cut her ears from a paper plate and tied them to a headband with red yarn.  It was so cute!!  Her tail was a safety pinned purple fuzzy scarf! 

I had planned for Kolton to be a cowboy but he was set on wearing the same puppy ears/tail as last year...so...that's what he was!  He would run up to each house and yell, "Happy Halloween!!"  It was cute!

Natalie threw on her hat and walked around as a cowgirl.  She wasn't going to go but walked around with a friend instead of Mom.  (sigh)

Tristin hung out with Grandpa Thompson.  After last years humiliation of walking with Mom (and a group of friends seeing him) he was NOT going to have a replay of that!  The thing is...he really still wanted to go but none of his friends were walking around so it was kind of hard for him (and me).   He ended up having a great evening though and I was so happy for him! 

I've never been too big on Halloween.  I absolutely do not like the history behind the holiday, I'm kind of too cheap to buy the $30 costumes and I really don't like all of the scary stuff!

 How about you?  Do you go BIG or go small for Halloween?

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To Enter our giveaway this week: Simply leave a comment under this post.
Winner will receive a $61 voucher to use on the Baby be Blessed website!!

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The Winner will be chosen on Monday!


The Flu Stinks!

The weather has been simply gorgeous the past few days! Today...a high of 79 degrees! The only thing about this beautiful weather is that we haven't been able to go out and enjoy it much. Other than sneaking out in the morning and evening to feed the horses, I have been housebound with two with the flu. It has been pretty awful! I just sit and cry right with them. It's horrible not being able to do anything to make them feel better! While the healthy two are at school this morning the rest of us are tucked under blankets and watching a little Mickey Mouse Club House. Kolton is very excited that it is "Halloween Day" aka trick or treating night...I sure hope they both are on the mend by then!

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Adalynn with her first baby be blessed baby

I could sob her up with a biscuit!  Adalynn, you are so CUTE!!



~If you have a photo that we could share for Too Cute Tuesday, please email it to babybeblessed@gmail.com

Crazy Weekend Bliss!!

Our weekend was even crazier than normal...which normally is pretty crazy! 

FRIDAY

Husband was still out of town
Sewed dolls until almost 9pm
Kids sat in the sewing room with me, all piled in the big red chair.
Watched a movie with them
Ate popcorn
We all stayed up WAY too late!

SATURDAY

Fed horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Ran to the BMV
Renewed my license
Lola was thankful.  I "looked too young in my old photo" (she makes me smile)

Dropped two youngest at Grandma Shopps
Tristin stayed home
Natalie and I off to an open horse show.
Couldn't use the trailer we had lined up.
Found a Plan B trailer.
Almost got stuck in the field
Praised God for 4wheel drive!
Arrived too late.
Events were over.
Natalie planned to still ride
Izzy...a social butterfly.
Natalie...sad because Izzy was a social butterfly and was a little excited to be around the other horses.
Tears
Stayed up too late
Rode just a little
More tears
Forgot to take any pictures
Time to go home

Gathered up other three
Pumpkin patch!
Fed the horse, dogs, cats
Legion chicken for supper
Grandpa working the window and treating us!
Scooping out seeds.  (or the "honey" as Kolton called it ??)
Carving!
Smiles!
Finding tea lights!
All lined up in the dark!
To bed on time!!

 

SUNDAY

Fed the horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Fellowship!
Worship!
Truth in His word!

A special out to eat Birthday lunch.
Grandma Thompson's treat!
Not McDonalds.
Cloth napkins in lap
Sunshine
Afternoon with family

Hooking up the trailer again
Driving down interstate with horse trailer and four kids
Restroom stops
Big parking lots!
Only getting lost briefly (twice)
Meeting a sweet mini horse
Free to good home.
It being SO SWEET
Happy kids!!
Lola naming him Obadiah (because its fun to say)
Driving home in the dark
Down interstate
Four kids
One horse
Traffic jams
Taking an hour to go four miles.
Start Stop Start Stop
Kolton throwing up in the back seat
How Natalie helped clean him up
Windows down
Making it home SAFE (thank you Lord!)

Praising God it's Monday!