Thanksgiving #2

Last Thursday, we celebrated "Thanksgiving #2" with the Brumfield side of the family.  As has been the custom the last 3 years, Shawn's sister hosted at her house.  It was a smaller gathering, with his parents, his sister, her 2 boys, and her husband, and Shawn's cousin Rachel and her husband Jason.  We were so glad they were able to come this year.  They just married last July and live about an hour and 45 minutes away.  (She was born and raised in Canada!)  I ate way too much (literally, I've gained 11 lbs in like 6 wks, yuck).  The food was amazing though.  My dessert was a hit, which made me proud, b'c my mother-in-law and sister-in-law have a real gift in the kitchen.  Anyway, the dessert was so easy to make and a no-bake at that.  Oreo Trifle.  Layer Double Stuff Oreos, vanilla pudding, and cool whip.  Voila.  Sit in fridge overnight.  (Cookies then soften and make the dessert delectible).  I can't take credit it for it though; I got it from my sister-in-law, Amanda.  :p 

After we ate, played, vegged, talked, and snapped a couple of pictures, we loaded up our two monkeys (who ate, quite literally, only dessert all day long...I just wanted to eat my turkey in peace, so I didn't fuss over their sugar-consumption).  We also loaded up the nephews for the annual T'giving sleepover.  I regret to say we did NOT make a gingerbread house this year, as I didn't have time to go buy a kit (don't say make it yourself).  Believe it or not, we grabbed McD's for the kids to eat for supper and after a quick stop at Rural King & Blockbuster, headed to Nebo.  The kids were wound pretty tight (the sugar intake had to hit a new record!) and I do mean PRETTY. TIGHT.  I ended up laying down with Grace and Jonah, after Jonah and I read books, and I fell asleep right on the edge of the bed.  I'm so proud of Jonah for learning to read!  Poor Noah balled his little eyes out and I had to get him up and lay him back down at least 3 times before he called it a night.  Logan said he would sleep on the couch if Noah kept that up all night, ha, and I'm sure, despite our attempts, he didn't believe us when we said that Noah usually doesn't cry at night at all.  Why would he believe us--Noah did the exact same thing last year!  And honest, he usually sleeps so well at night.  :)

It was a fun Thanksgiving #2, but I will admit, I was drained and felt fatter than butter, neither of which do any good for my mood!!!  Friday night I slept like a babe.  Actually, we all did.  Shew!  Big week and a half for all of us.  "Going and doing" with 2 little ones is harder than it looks! 

Please read the post entitled Intense Love.  I subbed in Sunday school and taught on it.  An hour later, when the preacher began his sermon with, "Today's sermon will be about love"  I was kind of in awe...LOVE must be the theme God wants me to focus on right now.  I LOVE it when God gives me 1 word:  LOVE. It's less confusing for me (I think I've said that before).  GOD IS LOVE.  God loves you!!!

Intense Love

The Bible is full of examples of intense love...

*The ultimate= God sending his son to die a painful death on a cross then bringing him back from the dead and ascending him into heaven.  Intense in so many ways...but 3 days later...complete resurrection and restoration of God's promise.

*Joseph's love and devotion to Mary...I mean, can you imagine?  His fiance turns up pregnant...and He listened to an angel and stayed by her side.  He trusted that God's plan would be revealed.  Intense love of both Mary AND most important, God.  Joseph was human like us.  Don't you think he had reservations, at least for a moment?

*Abraham and his son, Isaac=Can.you.even.imagine.  INTENSE.  Abraham was going to slay his own son at God's command.  Then God said, 'nevermind ... you were faithful...don't touch your son!'  He must have grabbed his son, fallen to his knees, and wept happy tears.

*Ruth & Naomi= The scripture that comes to mind..."Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.  Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (Ruth 1: 16-17)  In other words, Ruth told her mom-in-law...look, there is no one left but us.  I won't go back to my family.  I will stay with you til the day I die.  What a blessing for Naomi, who had lost her husband AND her sons...she must have felt comforted, say, less 'alone', by Ruth's wonderful devotion.

David=danced in the streets...total abandonment to what others thought b'c he loved God and loved praising God.  And boy, did people talk.  Sure they did.  They talked about him, all right.  His own wife basically mocked him to his face.  And to summarize from my very theologically-challenged brain, David said, "That's not what matters.  I'm going to care only about what God thinks."

There are SO MANY OTHER EXAMPLES.  I have been thinking of this lately, because I love my family intensely.  And I come by it honest.  When we are together, we are such passionate-about-everything-people....which is a good thing at times and a hard thing at times too.  God gives humans the ability and the desire to love, care for, take care of at times, laugh with, cry with each other.  All these people I spoke of above...they struggled too, with their intense love/devotion.  They might have even struggled MORE b'c of their intense love/devotion.  Obviously, aside from God, they were humans.  I am trying to truly grasp that.  Jesus walked among them BUT they were humans, with emotions, fears, faith that had to grow from small to big, a wide gamet of emotions.  This is such an understatement, but we know it all turned out okay in the end because ultimately, they loved GOD with the very most intensity, which is the lesson I am learning.  It's hard to think of loving my children less on the one hand, but on the other, not so much.  How can I not love their creator and be MORE passionate/intense about HE WHO CREATED THEM IN MY WOMB.  "...he who made you, who formed you in the womb..." (Isaiah 44:2)  That is my prayer.  God, I love you more. I am learning to be more emotional and passionate about You, and without apology.  I want to be about Your business, which happens to be LOVING OTHERS AND DOING UNTO OTHERS AS WE WOULD HAVE OTHERS DO UNTO US.  Thank you for Your strength.  Infuse me with it.  I LOVE YOU INTENSELY!

Thanksgiving #1

The kids & I headed home last Wednesday (18th).  I am so happy that a section of the road has been widened to a 4-lane and re-paved.  Traffic was very light too. We sailed on 'home' in less than 3 hrs, 15 minutes, including one bathroom stop, which is 15 mins shorter than usual!  Every minute counts when traveling w/ 2 little ones.  :)  The kids traveled well for the most part, despite an argumentative Grace (needed a nap!).  I caught up w/ a college friend for a large portion of the drive, which wasn't the wisest thing to do for several reasons, one being it kept one or both kids awake.  It was good to catch up w' her though! 

We had a great visit and were able to partake in a lot of outdoor activities b'c of the very warm weather.  Dad bought a mare for mom a few months back & has been breaking her.  She is super sweet, unlike the Tennessee Walkers who are high-spirited, not to mention SO VERY TALL that I can't hold the kids while they are on their backs.  Anyway, it's good to have a gentle horse around now.  She would be a good trail-rider.  I got on her for awhile and let dad lead me around and I walked her just a very short distance.  I love horses but haven't ridden much since college (and then it was arena-riding).  Riding her made me want to ride regularly...love horses love horses love horses.  I put Noah John on her a couple times which was fun, because he is used to watching dad ride and not being able to 'giddyup' himself.  He carried around a little plastic horse everyday and said 'horse' repeatedly.  Grace wouldn't get on the first day and I didn't push her, but the next day, I looked out the window to see her up on Midge being led around.  I walked outside and she said she didn't like it...I told her to get comfortable with the horse by petting her etc.  She leaned down and stroked Midge's mane and soon was comfortable enough to be led all the way around the front yard and side yard a couple times (which is huge- 3/4 of an acre?)  Unfortunately, Shawn didn't have the same experience!  Right after getting up on the horse, dad gave him the reigns.  I tried to say no, b'c he hasn't had much experience w' horses but it was too late.  Midge took off at a slow trot and ran out the gate (which is normally closed) and toward the highway.  Luckily, Shawn pulled her to the right to avoid the road and they looped around and came back up the lane.  After getting off, Shawn said to several of us, "Do you know how often I've had a 4-wheeler take off with me and not be able to stop it?"  In other words, he thinks horses are more dangerous than 4-wheelers and tractors.  It's a discussion we have at times.  I know both can be dangerous but I would rather the kids horseback ride than the other... in an arena with riding helmets.  (Truthfully I would keep them in bubbles if I could, but in reality, not gonna happen).

Thanksgiving #1 consisted of my parents, Shawn, the kids, and me, my brother, his wife, 3 kids, Uncle Henry, Aunt Jackie, Uncle Ben, Aunt Gay Lee, Cousin TaSheena and her cute 2 year old Annsley, Cousin Joe Kyle (wife had to work), Cousin Will and his wife Miranda.  Other regulars who were unable to attend this year were Jack and Pam & Chelsea and Dan.  We also missed Uncle Johnny, Aunt Olivia, Aunt Becky, & Tim but they haven't made if the last few years, but at least we spoke w/ most of them on the phone.  Will fried a 22 lb turkey and it was a huge success.  It was the best turkey I have ever eaten.  Grace said the same and even Callie, who doesn't normally eat turkey, ate quite a bit of it this year.  We started frying at noon and the last of the family members left around 6:30 pm, not counting my brother and his family, b'c I don't remember when they left...they were there til late-thirty :).  Someone came out and took some pictures of my parents and my brother and his family and me and mine.  I can't wait to get those images on cd.  Unfortunately, my brother got a page to go to work as soon as we sat down to eat, but at least he was back in 2 hours and was present for the pictures and before all the food was gone.  We ate almost the entire turkey!!! 

The visit ended with Grace and I singing at church but we added my oldest niece in the mix and I'm so glad we did.  I was able to have lunch at F&H drug store w/ my cousin Stephanie as well as relax in the hot tub w/ my good friend Sarah.  I had to pull myself away but once we made it back (with promises to Grace of Chic-Fil-A lunch on way home in BG from my dad), we unpacked, did laundry, cooked dinner, had a ballet class, etc.  In other words, we are back to our WKY normal lol...which is me and the kids and naps etc...God is good.  Isn't that why the pilgrims came here and why we celebrate T'giving?  It is, it is, it is, and we shouldn't forget it.  Charlie Brown reminded me of that just last night ;)  lol.  When we settled down last night after dinner, we watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving.  Grace fell asleep in the floor with her blankies.  It is bittersweet to be back for all of us!  I think Shawn particularly is glad we are home, since he only came for a couple nights.  One more thing, I have had trouble w/ the pics so sorry, they are mostly here at the end.

                    finally...the perfect way to wind-down in the evenings....for kids and adults alike....

Praise

As expected, because God is so good, things are already better and no longer spinning and spiraling out of control.  God can move suddenly (-Joyce Meier) ... and he certainly is moving suddenly in our hearts & home. 

Immersion...the word the Lord keeps giving to me.  So glad for 1 word.  Easy for me to understand, remember, implement.  No confusion.  Be immersed in the Word...just be IMMERSED.  Deuteronomy is such an interesting book in the Bible.  I'm not quoting exactly but it says to talk about God when you get up, when you lie down, when you're walking, all the time...to put His commandments above your doors.  Immersion.  Listen to kluv in the car.  Call it what it is...satan wants to kill and destroy.  God is life.  So glad for God's word.  Without him, I am a wretch.  With him, I am not.  Keep it simple.  Stay immersed!!!  My heart is changing.  Things are rearranging.  All because of WHO GOD IS, not who I am.  I love Him for HIS GOODNESS AND WISDOM.

God bless and enjoy Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful for the word---immersion.   

Fits and Fights

Ugh.  Sigh.  Prayer.  (Frantic book searches running through my mind...I land on...um, nothing...argh...I will have to get to Barnes & Nobles sooner than I thought!)

The kids have started fighting.  Add on Noah's new fits.  I say "new", because I truly believe it is a learned thing for him and not really who he is.  (Eyes rolling, another prayer, holding my tongue from saying where he learned it).

Handling 1 strong-willed child is enough.  But 2?  No, I say! 

It has been chaotic around here lately.  Between the kids fighting over a toy and high-pitched screams (from either), it is only quiet at bedtime or naptime.  And naptimes are harder than they used to be.  One child is always crying, whining, screaming, or laughing...one of the 4 but they all have the same effect on me and on each other...annoying droning that interrupts sleep.  No, I say! 

I have to find a balance--force a balance.  This family is spinning on the crazy-cycle.  I'll update later, when we are spun out and back to normal.

I won't end there...too much to be thankful for!
Good stuff is we are all healthy.  Can't say enough for that.  We had the stomach bug last week.  It started w/ Noah.  We were afraid he had a concussion b'c he fell prior to throwing up.  Grace had it next.  Then me, then Shawn, then me again.  It wasn't fun but it was a mild case for all 4 of us.  More good stuff is Grace's teacher gave her glowing compliments when I picked her up Friday.  When I showed Grace her sight word list later on in the afternoon, she read every word without any prompting.  I'm so happy that she is a fast learner.  I hope she keeps a love of learning her whole life through.  I try to facilitate it for her now.  We do better when we are 'into' something around the house....  For ex, when she turned 4, we picked a unit to study for a year:  food.  Categories are food guide pyramid, where food comes from, measurements & recipes.  Today we baked pb cookies...did a mini-lesson on measurements.  She doesn't get much more than 1 cup and 1/2 cup fractions yet.  We scarfed them down w' cold milk for lunch.  'Cuz that is what kind of day we are having!  And now she is watching tv and I am plunking out this post.  Noah has been asleep for 2 hours.

We are supposed to leave for M'cello Wednesday.  Grace and I are supposed to sing on Sunday, 11/21.  The song is a Southern Gospel song so I am a tiny bit nervous about the particular selection, because my church back-home is like the one we attend here (traditional!) but when Grace lights up, "MOMMA!  OUR SONG!"  I know that it's the one for us to sing.  It's a hard one for a 4 year old...the timing is fast and there is a key switch.  She will do great though;  I'm sure of it.  I am looking forward to being 'home' but hope we all sleep ok.  Now that mom and dad have down-sized, there isn't as much room to spread out.  We might end up at Robert's w' him and his wife and 3 sweeties.  We're looking forward to getting in mom and dad's new hot tub.  November is perfect hot-tub weather.

Well, I think I have kept you readers for long enough.  Happy Thanksgiving.  Let us all realize our many, many blessings and not take them for granted.  Thank you God for Shawn, for his work ethic, for his devotion, for my children, our home...for all the things you provide for us daily. 

Happy Birthday Joe West Phillips

My dad was born on November 12, 1950.  That means he is 60 years old today!  Happy birthday to a warm, funny, stubborn man!  I could not ask for a better, more supportive dad.  He has come a long way and we are all so proud of him and for him!  I hope he kills a big buck deer on his hunting trip with my cousins and brother this weekend!

Dollhouse and Diaper Bag

Well, friends and family, it is time to send out the post about things and times gone by.  This morning, after Grace left for preschool, I was in her room putting laundry away or something...and I saw her little dollhouse.  She has had it for at least 2 years now and it's nearing the time when we will get her a new, bigger one.  As I looked at it this morning, this thought came to me instantly, "it's already almost time to donate her little dollhouse and I haven't played with it with her enough."  Isn't that sad?  I am one of those moms who tries to keep a tidy house, fix halfway healthy food, and likes to "work" with the kids on stuff (letters, colors, shapes, and now, gulp, writing even)...but play?  That one doesn't come so naturally for me.  Free play especially.  I can sit down quite easily for a game of Candyland or Chutes n' Ladders.  I even recently discovered I can really get into puppets...but back to the point...when Grace asks me to "play" how often do I drop everything and join in?  Not fast enough or frequently enough.  To me, the big things I should instill in my children are love of God and love of others.  That covers a lot and it's easier said than done, especially on days when I myself am not showing God's love.  Actions speak louder than words.  And even now, as she plays at my feet with legos, here I sit, one eye on her, listening to her tell me something about preschool...but here I sit and type.  It's almost time to say goodbye to that little dollhouse and to playtimes gone by.  But it's not too late for me to learn a lesson, after this post obviously.  I can always pray and hope to be better.  Clothes will wait, floors will wait, windows will wait...dollhouses though...they get outgrown way too fast.  Then there is the diaper bag.  I don't know what I'm going to do without a diaper bag.  Where will I stash snacks, wipes, and a dozen other very useful kid-things?  Don't say purse.  My purse isn't big enough.  My mother-in-law bought Noah John the cutest little backpack the other day.  It's a mini-backpack and I simply adore it.  When I thanked her for it, I made a sad face :( and said, "we're almost out of the diaper bag stage."  I don't know that I'll ever need another diaper bag in my life, because we may not have more children.  Of course there is freedom there...but there is also the reminder of another time gone by.  Way.  Too.  Fast.  In the meantime, I'll start filling Noah's little backpack w/ the 'stuff' from the diaper bag and I'll smile because he will be so flipping cute wearing it, almost as big as he is, on his back.  So *almost good bye to the two D's ... monumental D's around our household.  Keep me honest and say a prayer that if you were to look, you would see me sitting in the floor in a green and pink room, holding finger-sized dolls, at a little dollhouse, with the most precious 4 year old in my whole world.  And I would bet, if you were to look, a most precious 17-month old would plop himself in the middle of it all with a toy car or tractor in one hand and the thumb on the other hand in his mouth!