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?