Bye Bye Baby

Yesterday we had an interesting teaching experience with Emmy Grace! Her and Wes were playing in the play room! All of a sudden she got really mad at him and grabbed his toy, and threw it away in the trash! Wes was VERY upset and it angered Travis and I that she did this with such evil intent! So, Travis decided to teach her a lesson and show her how it feels to have your favorite toy thrown into the trashcan!

So, he asked her to go and get her favorite toy! She quickly ran and grabbed her babydoll that she sleeps with, plays with, pottys with, eats with, etc...She handed her baby over to Daddy. Travis asked her did she love her baby.

"Yes, love baby." Emmy Grace replied.

Travis asked how she would feel if Daddy threw it in the trash can. Emmy stood there with wide eyes as she watched Travis throw her beloved doll in the garbage! Travis was sure this would show his daughter the pain of having something you love taken away from you. He wanted her to experience the same thing Wesley did so she would understand and never do it again.

Well, as the baby went into the trash, Emmy looked inside and said..." Bye bye baby. You yucky baby now! "

She shut the lid, and walked away. No tears were shed, DEFINETLY no lessons were learned. Travis looked at me with a defeated look on his face and said..."I don't think that went as planned!"

White Paw Prints:)

This is a story that must never be forgotten! The other day Travis came home from PT and opened the door to find white paw prints scattered all over the floor. He followed the prints to find a once chocolate lab, covered in powdered sugar eating his way through our trashcan! Charlie, our adopted dog for a year, LOVES the trashcan! We normally keep it closed up and away from him, but Travis has been working with him and thought his "dumpster days" were over! But they are not! This particularly bag of trash carried an old bag of powdered sugar I had thrown away! And that is the reason our dog now looked like a ghost!

I'm glad I was still sleeping. I was awakened however to the sound of someone vacuuming at 7:00am. I thought it was the neighbors until I went downstairs. And there was my sweet hunny, cleaning up so I wouldn't have to see the mess! Isn't he the best!

Does Parenting EVER get easier?

Today has been a challenge! Actually, if we want to get technical, this whole week has has been challenging! What might that challenge be? Emily Grace! As much as I love that little girl, she can leave me speachless with frustration!
As a parent, we want our children to know and fear the Lord. So, we start at a young age teaching them the difference between right and wrong. We introduce discipline and we work with each individual child in a way that they can connect too. We explain what sin is, the consequences of sin, we introduce grace, and truly enjoy watching our children grasp the meanings of all these things! Parenting. But what do you do with a child who doesn't seem to grasp ANY of those concepts! It's like she knows what is right and wrong, what mommy and daddy expect from her, and then she goes ahead and does whatever she wants! She will misbehave and then go and GET THE SPANKING SPOON herself! She does understand, she just doesn't seem to care. And I am left standing shaking my head asking, or BEGGING the Lord for my next step.
I love being a mom! It is the greatest joy in all the world! But some days I just don't feel like I do this thing called "parenting" justice! Please Lord, help me! I want my kids to love Jesus, love life, love others! Help me Jesus guide them and teach them what is right, and good, and holy!

THe answer to my subject question...I'm not sure parenting ever does get easier. It just gets different!

Faith~

Faith! True faith that God calls every believer too...it is real and God not only commands us to it, He expects if from us! Is it easy to believe something you have no control over to come to pass? No way! But must we do it? YES! There are so many passages in the Word that demand this kind of faith...the unwavering, never doubting, blind and reckless kind of faith! It is exciting really! To know that there is Someone much bigger than our minds can fathom, waiting for us to trust Him with everything we are made of! And the results are truly earth-shattering!

People say they have faith...they say they know that God will do what they ask. Yet, they still plan for the "what-if He doesn't". They always have "plan- B" ready and waiting...just in case their prayer is against His will! But I've learned something recently and believe it with all my heart! You might disagree but it is becoming everything I base my life upon! God's will isn't some mystical revelation that we can never know! His will is written in plain view! God's will for each of us is His Holy Word! The Bible! Everything in there is what He desires for us! And when we pray...as long as our prayers are lining up according to the scriptures, THEY ARE GOD"S WILL! And with that confidence we can BOLDLY approach His throne with our petitions...and He hears us...and He answers! WOW!

But pray, ask, with complete and pure faith! James 1:6 states that "when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Vs.7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does!" We can't doubt, or question! We must pray and believe that IT WILL HAPPEN! And wait for the miraculous! I've seen the wonders...and they blow my mind away!

This whole little "sermon in a blog" came from a situation today. A girl at church is pregnant and having problems. She has had 4 miscarriages in the past year and a half and all the signs say this is what will happen again! But i believe different! We gathered around her today and prayed down heaven for her! And in my heart I KNOW that baby will be born Healthy and beautiful! People might say that is a presumptuous statement...but I know my God! I know He is the Giver of life! And that her heart's desire is to have this baby! And my heart is filled with peace! It isn't easy believing...b/c no one wants to be proven wrong, or be let down, But my God is faithful! And in THIS situation...He WILL show Himself strong! His glory will be seen!

Faith! The very disciples prayed that theirs would be increased! So should we all! Encourage one another, pray for one another, b/c our enemy loves nothing more than to fill our hearts with fear and crush out our child-like faith with reasoning and logic! My God is bigger than both of those words...I've seen it! And I am ready to see it again!

A "Night In"....

I love those days where I KNOW for sure we are having a "night in"! I get so excited planning what we will eat, what we will do, etc... Our family is always on the go! Which isn't a bad thing...we just loving going and doing, living life to it's fullest! But every family needs those nights in! Where you stay at home, watch movies or play games, and just enjoy each others company! Tonight we are having one of those nights...and I am beside myself with excitement! I'm making a big pot of chili, and we rented a bunch of movies, bought all the junk food you can imagine, and we are camping it out at home this Friday evening! It's so fun b/c almost anything goes when we have a "night in". Bedtimes kind of DISAPPEAR, many times tents or forts APPEAR, our healthy eating habits run right out the window! The kids really like these laid back nights...they are the center of attention and have our undivided attention as well! If you don't have a tradition of these amazing "nights in"...I would HIGHLY recommend them!

Emmy's Surgery

Well, this post is a week late, but...Emmy had her surgery last week and it went well. It was a bit scary...but overall I think it will be successful! It is still too early to know for sure...she is still a bit cross-eyed but that is supposed to be expected for a week or two.

After she came out of surgery, she wanted to rub her eyes naturally, but she wasn't suppose to! Two nurses were trying to hold her down and couldn't! So they had to drug her to calm her down. My two year old is stronger than two nurses! That is crazy! She is REALLY strong...but who knew! After she woke up, I went in to her...and she needed to go potty. I hadn't talked to the doctor yet so I really didn't know much of what to expect! As we were in the bathroom...she started crying. When I looked down at her...she had tears of blood running down her face! Of course I freaked out! But come to find out, that is normal for the first day! YIKES! It wasn't fun! But she did good and we are praying all the quirks work themselves out and she will be 100% good! Thanks for the prayers!

Conversations with a 4yr old!

"Daddy, why do cats use their claws to attack dogs?" Wesley asked very seriously.

"That's what God gave them to defend themselves." Daddy replied

"Oh..."Wes said pondering over the response.

"So what do we have then daddy....oh yeah, we have guns, huh?

Daddy smiled and said, "Yep, we sure do."

My "beeping" Heart!

Yesterday my mom and I took the kids walking at the Big Dipper. It has been so cold here latley that the kids were in DESPERATE need of excersise! So, we went walking (without a stroller)! The sole purpose was to relieve a little energy from my two "cabin fever" children! The kids ran and ran...then Wesley stopped mid-stride and said "mommy, feel my heart! It is beeping like crazy!" Then he felt Emmy's heart and proclaimed, "Sorry Emmy, your heart isn't beeping at all!"

Emmy's Surgery....

Well, we are off to Anchorage this Wednesday for Emmy's eye surgery. It shouldn't be that extenstive...we will be there for just a few days. But please be in prayer for her. No mommy likes to imagine her baby passed out while being operated on! Yes, it could be much worse...so I am very grateful for the health that God has given her! This surgery is suppose to make it easier for her right eye to focus...as right now it "drifts" quite frequently and it causes her pain when she trys to bring it back into focus on her own. Please pray for her doctors, the anestesia process, her peace, and mommy's too! Thanks:)

-50 below~

I am truly in love with Alaska...but not THIS Alaska winter! It hasn't gotton above -35 below in over 2 weeks. Right now it is -49 below! That is crazy! We haven't left the house in 4 days! We have caught a HUGE case of cabin fever! I have errands to run tomorrow...but the thought of taking my kids out in this weather is frightful! BUT, life goes on. People still go to work, the store, even the movies! You get used to it. I am still in that "getting used to it" phase. I lived in North Carolina for 2 years where they would shut down the whole town if the weather even PREDICTED snow! Travis was off work one day b/c it was "suppose" to get "bad"...yet not one snowflake ever fell! Thinking about that here seems unbelieveable! I have a friend who grew up here...the schools are still open at -75 degrees! I think attendance is optional, but her parents had "opted" for her to go...so there she was, sitting in her desk, while the world outside was frozen solid!

I just thought I would share...sometimes it is hard to grasp the differences between this state and all the rest! This is truly a different country!

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year! WOW! 2009! How time flies! Just thought I would blog a few things I am expecting from this brand new year!

THINGS EXPECTED FROM 2009!

1. A successful eye surgery for Emmy Grace!

2. An event free pregnancy!

3. A beautifully healthy new Anderson baby!

4. A new sister-in-law:)

5. A huge black bear hanging on my wall!

6. A freezer full of MOOSE meat this fall:)

7. A new and improved "skinnier" Blair by Christmas:)

8. A more intimate relationship with Jesus!

9. A five year old in Kindergarten! YIKES!

10. A more relaxed, more time-filled days just sitting and "BEING" a mom:)

That is all for right now. I know that I expect lots more but this will do for now. New beginnings are so wonderful! Starting fresh! A year ahead filled with adventures to be lived, moments to be spent, stories to be written, breaths to be taken, dreams to be fulfilled! AWWW! So much to look forward too! SO EXCITING!