Do you know...

why we celebrate Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication? It's simple- because Jesus did!

"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch." (John 10)

"The Feast of Dedication was a ceremony of great importance to the Jewish people. It originated at the dedication of the temple after its desecration by Antiochus (Eze 43:13). The Jews underwent severe persecution by this ruler. A number of years later, a priest by the name of Mattathias led a revolt, later continued by his son Maccabeus, that ended this persecution. Following this victory, the temple in Jerusalem was cleansed, and a ceremony was held to mark its rededication. Jewish tradition records that the oil lamps in the temple had only one days supply of oil, but burned for eight days." Taken from Key Word Study Bible

The Green Beans Live On

Is it the same for your family? Every year that we gather together to celebrate the holiday, there is something that kinda "stands out." This year, I will always remember Dionne feeding my Jon Jon green beans.... and them ended up in his ears. Because...

When Dionne was a small tike she too like to place green beans in odd locations- places you just don't expect to ever find beans.
Must be a middle child thing, huh?

"Never A Dull Moment"

Mom use to have a cross-stitched sign she had made that said, "Never a Dull Moment." I never really understood why she made it... until today.
When I went to get Jonathan from his nap and found the pages of a book torn to shreds on the floor beside his crib. Does a child of mine really rip pages from a book so aggressively?And... I came in the kitchen to find Hoppy going for a ride in the empty rack of the dishwasher. You don't even want to know where the dirty pumpkin covered dishes were. Or where I found Hoppy in his "car" next.Or when things got quiet (you always know something is up when it gets quiet!) and I found you know who in my grain jars mixing, filling, having a ball!
Hum... wonder if Momma still has that sign around somewhere?

Giving Thanks Always

Ephesians 5:20 - “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There are four types of people. There are those who are constantly complaining and grumbling. Have you met any of these folks? I mean, they can brighten up a room just by leaving it. That’s the lowest level. Then there are others who live lives of ingratitude. They don’t complain, but they never thank God for His obvious blessings. That’s a little better, but not much better. Then there are people who thank God for obvious blessings. When something good happens, they’re grateful. That’s a better level. But the highest level is to be grateful for all things at all times. That is the secret of a happy and productive life.

Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers

Two Months

Random

I wanted to post some random photos from our month... Tidal Wave... of course getting into something. This time it was Rachel's seat.
Don't the boys look like they were having a ball on a trip to the park? I think they were tired of me asking to take another picture. Jonathan is much more- shall we say- reserved than big brother when it comes to trying new things. He's definitely not a risk taker like Isaac. He wanted to slide but just wasn't sure he really liked those thing. Until big bro went down with him. Now he's hooked.

I've been calling Rachel my Sweet Pea. Sometimes I think she grows and changes overnight (in between feeding that is!).

Jonathan can turn anything into a toy. And make the biggest mess in the shortest amount of time too.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Windows

I was up earlier than normal this morning... 5:30 actually! I needed the extra time to nurse Rachel and get ready for "window cleaning day." I suppose the combination of quiet time alone with little Rachel and Jonathan's grimy hand prints of the kitchen windows made me melancholy.

More than once, I have questioned God's timing. Like why did it take so many years for God to bless us with children? And why two so close together? Those little hand prints may have answered some of my questions. Would I have really been ready for hand prints ... would I have appreciated them like I do today ... would I have taken my role as mom as seriously or would it just have been a "job" to me instead of a privilege? I'm very thankful this morning for that privilege and the name Mommy.

Oh my! Gotta go... Jonathan has one leg stuck in the floor vent!

How could I forget?

• How yummy toddler kisses are.
• How quickly newborns outgrow their clothes.
• The smell of a breastfed baby's little diapers.
• How your heart feels the first time your child smiles at you... on purpose!
• How valuable a pacy is when away from home.
• The words to "Goodnight Moon."
• What I will do for a shower!
• What a light sleeper I am...
• How much laundry a little person creates.

And by the way... here's some "New" things I've learned having "two under two."

• I really can carry two babies at once!
• A day's worth of diapers weighs ten pounds.
• A Tahoe isn't as large as I thought.
• A girl's newborn nightgowns are much prettier than a boys.
• Carrying my diaper bag serves as weight training.

Tummy Tubs to Balboas

I will always remember the first time hubby and I stepped foot into a Babies R Us. It was BC (before children). We were gift shopping. After just a few minutes in the store, we were overwhelmed and knew that if all that "stuff" was required for a baby, we would make horrible parents.

Well, some 15 years later, I am still amazed at all the stuff babies require. Some useful and essential others are... well, not necessary. I'd love to hear from someone that has used the Tummy Tub. Looks to me like it would be a pain for mom. Ah.... but the Balboa Baby Nursing Pillow has brought relief to my neck and shoulders these days (thanks, sweetheart!). Dr. Sears is right... you spend more time nursing your baby that first year than anything else. My Balboa follows me to every room of the house. I can locate it in a pitch black room at 2:00 AM. Yep- it is my best friend these days.