I am one of THOSE Christians...

Daddy was working so I did attempt pumpkin carving with three kids by myself! It wasn't as bad as I thought, and we had so much fun!

Judah supervising



I grew up in a pastor's home. And I loved it. One of the things I did not love was the fact that, based on principle, we were not allowed to go trick-or-treating. Since halloween was satan's day and all of that, trick-or-treating was looked on as a celebration of satan and so, since we did not want to celebrate satan, we did not do it. I remember going ONCE, when I was about 7 or 8, when we were visiting friends. Their teen-age kids wanted to take us, and my parents agreed to let them. Is it sad that i remember that day, what I wore, and how amazing it was to have a bag full of candy that was just for me?

I didn't think much about Halloween or trick-or-treating until I had kids of my own. last year, Isaac and I started talking about it as it got closer and closer. The kids I watch were full of talk about what costume they would wear, and my daughter loves (LOVES) nothing better than dressing up. One day she is a princess, the next a fairy, the next a bride, so costumes were a favorite subject around our house for months.

Isaac also grew up in a non-trick-or-treating household, so we were both torn on what to do. In the end, we decided this: Every day is the Lord's day. We give our lives to Jesus, and we live every day unto Him. I refuse to give satan even ONE day. I refuse to stay in my house and let him take a day away from me or my God. I refuse to allow him to make me sit at home while seeing our neighbors out enjoying the weather and each other. I refuse to allow my children to sit inside while they see the colorful princesses and pirates come to our door with buckets full of candy, not allowed to participate on principle. So I, a Christian mother, took my little bride, cowboy, and froggy out trick-or-treating (our town actually does it a week before halloween), and we had a fabulous time. We got to talk to our neighbors, meet new people, and came home with waaaaay to much candy.

Yes, I have read the history of how halloween came to be. No, I am not allowing my children to celebrate satan in any way. No, I don't think trick-or-treating is a sin. If you disagree, feel free to avert your eyes from the pictures of my adorable, trick-or-treating children:-).

Back in the swing of things

I have been feeling so out of the loop lately! My baby sister is in China, and not being able to talk to her on Skype or getting to take some time out to facebook was really wearing on my nerves:) I think Isaac just got sick of my whining, so he went out and bought me a new Notebook computer. I think he was just tired of sharing his work laptop with me! I feel like I am finally back in the land of the living.

Things have been busy around here lately. we have tried to be outside in this beautiful fall weather whenever possible. We go apple picking at least once a week! We went last night to get our pumpkins, and the kids are excited about getting to carve them. I told them they are going to have to wait for their daddy to get home from work, as I am not about to attempt 3 kids and pumpkin carving by myself!

Fall in New Hampshire is breathtaking, like nothing I have ever seen before. It has always been my favorite season, but living in a place that holds this much beauty satisfies my heart in a way that I can't explain. I love it.

Christi and I took the kids apple picking the other day (again!) and had a blast. These are a few pictures from our day!
Deciding who will pull and who will ride

The girls





Gavin and Lucas. What a good friend!

Sophia and Judah

Enjoying the fruit of their labor:)

A little black hole....

My computer has been on the fritz for a few weeks now, and it is surprising how disconnected I feel without it! My computer is my little outlet at nap time, when I can connect with other people, read blogs, and facebook to my heart's content. I love being a stay-at-home mom, but it is hard when the majority of my time is spent with little people and without adult conversation. Yesterday, I asked my friend Jen if she needed to "go potty." Enough said.

I do wish I could post pictures because we have had a VERY busy few weeks. We celebrated the twins FOURTH birthday last week, and have watch Barbie and the Three Musketeers every day since (multiple times!). I am waiting for the day that Gavin gets tired of trains because we could fill a small country with all of the trains that boy owns. Here's hoping Judah likes trains!

Speaking of the little man, he has been trying to walk the past few days. I don't know what it is with my boys, but they are very lazy walkers. Gavin didn't walk until he was 15 months old, and it looks like Judah is going to hold out too. He does have this little walker that he takes everywhere, running into walls and yelling at us to get out of his way (my interpretation!). It is hilarious because he looks like a little old man. My carpet has tract marks from him doing laps around and around. I know I am baised, but that boy is CUTE.

Hopefully, I will have my computer up and running soon and be back among the living....

Sunscreen

I was 18 years old when I first heard it. The summer before I left for college, it was on all the radio stations. Everyone knew the words. It started as an article, then it was a hoax that became a hit song. I found a little more on the history of how it came to be here. I came across it again the other day. Life is a little different now at 29, but the words are still true now as they were then. Some of the best advice I have ever heard:)

Sunscreen
'Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen:

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't know.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Ethan is with Jesus

Baby Ethan

My sweet nephew Ethan was born a week ago today. Beautiful baby with thick, blond curls, sweet button nose, and a very sick heart. He is going through his first open heart surgery today (there will be quite a few more), and my heart aches for him, his parents, and his two older sisters. I was reading Ellyn's blog yesterday and she posted the video to the song "Healer." The word's were such a comfort to me and a reminder of Him who holds our world in His hands.

Glorious summer!

It took awhile, but we finally have the summer weather we have been waiting for! I haven't posted much since we have been out enjoying it with the kids as much as possible.

In July, Isaac's parents came down to help us celebrate Judah's first birthday. We had it at Jen's house, and it poured the whole time. We still let the kids outside in their bathing suits, and they loved playing in the rain. Judah had a good time too!





We definitely didn't let the rain get us down, and the kid's had a great time. Judah loved his first taste of watermelon and cake. It was the perfect day to celebrate our special boy and his first year of life. When we got home, I bathed the kids and then we let Judah open his presents (actually, the twins opened them and kindly let Judah play with some of the wrapping paper). Notice the lovely long-sleeved jammies. in July. Yes, it was that cold. yikes!


The next day, we dropped Judah off at Jen's to spend the day playing with Ezra, picked up Abby, and headed to Storyland. It was so much fun! Having Grandpa and Grandma Davis with us was the icing on the cake. Evalyn and Abby loved the Princess castle while Gavin's favorite ride was (of course!) the train. We stopped at Flatbread on the way home and had organic pizza made right in front of us in an open air kitchen. That was really cool! We were all exhausted by the end of the day, but we had such a good time. Here are some pictures of our day....

We got VERY wet on this ride!


Daddy and Evalyn stopping for gas.



Since Isaac gets severe motion sickeness, guess who got to ride all the round and round rides?



The pirate on the ship was apparently very convincing.


My favorite picture of the day....


We just got back from vacation in Pennsylvania and I still need to get some pictures from our trip up, but I am so tired tonight so it will have to wait. We are going to the beach tomorrow with the kids for family day. I will try to remember our camera this time! Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

A whole year...

7/8/09
Baby Boy,
I remember this moment a year ago, when they laid you on my chest and I saw your sweet little face for the first time. My heart was so full of love for you! I remember going to the hospital thinking it would be cake this time around, since I was only having one baby. I couldn't have been more wrong! You just didn't want to come out, and I have to say I loved having you in there too, feeling your kicks and movements. After 16 hours of labor, three hours of pushing, I held you in my arms, and you were even more beautiful than I imagined. Your name means "praise," and we have been praising God for the joy you have brought into our lives from the second we found out about your existence.

I can't believe my baby is one. You are sweet and happy, but have a strong will and quite a temper when you don't get your way. You are the darling of your brother and sister, and can do no wrong in their eyes. They love to mother you, play with you, and share their most precious belongings with their "baby brother." You are crawling everywhere and you have recently mastered the stairs(which you are quite happy about).

Your favorite time of the day is bath time, and you always yell at me for getting you out. You wake us up in the morning by standing in your crib, talking loudly and banging as hard as you can for someone to pay attention to you. You are pure sunshine, and you have brought so much joy into our lives. Happy first birthday, sweet boy.
Love, Mama

Rain Rain Rain

Its raining, again. Now, I love me a good rain, thunderstorms are my favorite. I love sitting inside with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee, listening to it pour outside. I love the clean smell of it when you step outside, I love the bright green of the grass and the crazy growth of the plants in the garden. I love rain, probably more than most people, but, after three weeks of it (yes, you heard me correctly, three. weeks.) I am sick of it.

Not just the being-cooped-up-in-the-house-I-am-losing-my-mind aspect of it, but the fact that I am basically a prisoner with these three (and sometimes six) tiny people, that are losing. it. Their little bodies are aching for sunshine, exercise, and space. They want to be digging in the sandbox, riding their bikes, playing outside. I must seem like the warden to them, instead of a fellow suffering prisoner. The whining, tattling, and just plain misery are echos of my own feelings, but, being the mama, I have to put on my brave face and find some creative things to do to keep little minds occupied. After three weeks of this, I am running out of ideas. There is just so much play dough, crafts, painting, candy land, movies, reading and fort building you can do. Please PLEASE sun, come visit us soon. The natives are getting restless....

This boy of mine!

I had to write a quick post just so I wouldn't forget all of the crazy things Gavin has done/said today! I was mopping the floor and emptied my mop bucket in the bathroom. When I come back in to get it, it is full of pee! I asked Gavin why he did it, and he said "there was already yellow stuff in there (pine-sol), so I just peed." Nice.

After nap, he had a poop accident in his pull-up. I told him, "If you poop in the potty next time, mommy will give you a special treat." He looks like he is thinking about it for a sec and then says, "How bout lots of money?"

I took them to the grocery store to get some things for supper. As we were getting out of the car, I turned around from grabbing groceries, and see Gavin with his pants down peeing on the lawn. Evalyn was watching in horror! I of course dropped everything I was holding to grab my phone and take a picture. We had to have a little talk about only peeing outside in an emergency, and that every other time it needs to be in the toilet. I had a hard time keeping a straight face:) I love having boys! They definitely keep life interesting!

Father's Day

Father's Day is a hard day for me. It really begins a month early in May, when they start putting out the Father's Day cards in the stores. I find myself drawn to them, reading this one and that one, trying to find the perfect card that I know I won't buy for the person that I know is no longer here to receive it. It is another day that reminds me of how much I miss him, how huge this void is, and how my life is forever changed.


I am so grateful that my kids have such an amazing daddy. I know many women think they have great husbands, but mine really is amazing. He is so wonderful with the kids, so patient, so helpful. I get comments all the time about how good he is with the kids, but people don't see the half of it. He just knows how to soothe hurts, both physically and emotionally. I am constantly amazed at how much grace he has for me, for our kids, and for others. I find myself wishing I could be more like him. I strive to be more like him.



Today, he read a Scripture at church from Proverbs 14:26. It says "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children, it will be a refuge." I am blessed that Isaac is the kind of father that teaches his children about who God is, how to love Him, and shows them by example how to serve both God and others. Even though Father's day can be a sad day for me, it is also the day that I celebrate my husband for the dad that he is, and the day that I thank God for blessing me with such amazing men in my life.

One of those days...

Its been one of those days. The kind that leave me frustrated, overwhelmed, and feeling like the world's worst mom. We were busy all morning,the kid's missed their nap, we had lots of errands to run, and we were all cranky and tired by mid-afternoon. I couldn't wait for them to eat dinner, have their bath, and get into bed so I could enjoy the sound of silence. The twins are in the stage where they talk back and are constantly asking "but why?" Judah is crawling/climbing/pulling up and is into everything. When I am sweeping the kitchen floor, he crawls over as fast as he can and acts like I am making him dinner. So gross!

Before I had kids, I had visions of what kind of mom I would be. Creative, fun, patient, and (of course) cool. I was going to be the kind of mom that lovingly disciplines without yelling, leading my sweet children to repentance just by a disappointed look across the room. HA! I gravely underestimated having twin 3-almost-four-year-olds! I hate yelling. LOATHE it actually, but I find myself doing it more and more.

We have been taking a discipline class at church, and it has been so helpful. Even though the DVDs and workbooks we are going through have been really good, the most encouraging thing about it has been interacting with other parents that understand what we are going through and hearing different approaches on handling strong-willed children. I like hearing from parents who are a few steps ahead of us, telling me that it does get better!

I want to do everything I can to be a better mom to my children, because they so deserve the best me I can give them. I know I need to let go of things that are not so important, and just enjoy the moment we are in. My kid's do that so well! I need them to remind me of what is really important in life. Here's to a better tomorrow with a little less crazy and a lot more fun.

My little ballerina

This past month has been so crazy! It seems like I haven't even had a second to breath. I am loving the nicer weather, so we have been taking advantage and spending our time at the park, play dates, or outings like the Children's museum. Saturday was a very special day for Evalyn as she had her first dance recital. She was really excited about it, and loved her Tinkerbell costume. They danced to "Fly to Your Heart" from the Tinkerbell soundtrack. It was so cute! She has been taking ballet with her best friend Abby since September. They are quite the little dancers now. I remember being at the recitals of other people's children, wishing it was my daughter dancing on stage. As I sat watching Evalyn, I thought about all of those times and realized how blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for. She was so beautiful and confident. It was nice sitting beside Isaac, enjoying our daughter together. Just a wonderful day. Here is a short video of them at rehearsal

It's only hair...

I know in fact, that a hair cut does not change your baby in anything more than appearance. I know that he is still only 10 months old and the toddler years are still a little ways away, but still, today was very traumatic for this mama. It all started with this....

A very shaggy haired little boy. Judah was born with a full head of hair, and two very adorable cowlicks on the front of his head. He has crazy hair, and recently it started to get a little out of control. Isaac said we should "trim it up a bit" so he didn't look so much like a fraggle.
I gave in and told Isaac he could trim it a little bit. Everything started out fine and Judah was doing pretty well while Isaac started with the scissors.

It didn't take long for Judah to decide that he did not want his hair cut, and promptly began squirming and fussing, in turn causing his daddy to cut a little more than planned. Out came the clippers....

And this was the end result....

After the tears were dried (and Judah was comforted), he is liking his new do. Mama on the other hand is still sad that he looks like such a big boy. With all the scooting he has recently been doing, it seems like my baby won't be a baby much longer. After seeing how quickly time passed when I had the twins, I was determined to enjoy it all more and savor every moment of Judah's babyhood. Why does it seem to be slipping through my fingers?