Life With Aly & Luke

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Valentine's Day 2012

Aly and I love holidays in a ridiculous way. Even though I came from a family of nine kids where going out to eat or on a vacation were out of the question, my mom always made an effort to make every holiday special. I guess that's why I still always look forward to them. Valentine's Day was one of my favorite days of the school year when I was teaching and I was feeling a little left out this year since I'm staying at home, so we decided it would be fun to have our own little Valentine's Day breakfast party at home. We drug out old craft items and party supplies, threw together some super easy finger foods, hung up some construction paper decorations, invited a few friends who aren't in school on a Tuesday morning and had ourselves a party!

A big thank you to my friends who got up early and brought their kiddos in their jammies. I also have to say thank you to my sweet husband who helped clean up, took care of Luke, and served the coffee! We loved having an excuse to spend time with good friends, while consuming large amounts of sugar of course. This will be a Valentine's Day we won't soon forget!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Jesus Walks on the Water

This week hasn't been easy. It also hasn't by any stretch of the imagination been the hardest week of my life or anything, but it hasn't been easy. My husband quit his job and is currently in employment limbo. He's been out of town fulfilling duties from his previous job and he's been homesick, miserable, and not feeling his perky, positive self. Aly has missed him so badly that I never know when she is going to suffer from a random meltdown, which is the reason a brand new Jasmine doll is sitting on my refrigerator just waiting to be played with by a brave little girl who continues to go to bed sweetly. My goal during this stressful week has been to just stay busy. We had special activities planned for every day of the ten days Daddy was going to be gone.

Enter cold and flu season.

Aly and Luke have been sick all week with fever and coughing, so we've been stuck indoors. I finally had to take Luke to the doctor and endure a hideous chest x-ray, during which I cried much more than he did, but we had a positive outcome and for that I am very thankful. But, with the stress of short-term single parenting, miserably sick and bored children, and the unemployed status of both the adults in the house, I could really start to feel sorry for myself. Until I remember not only other things I've been through in my life that have been far worse, but also things I have watched other people go through that couldn't even possibly compare. I am a whiny baby. Then I feel guilty for being a whiny baby, which adds to the negativity and really isn't helpful at all. We've all been there.

Enter Jesus.

I have been of follower of Jesus Christ as long as I can remember. I was so blessed to be born into a family that taught me to love him from day one. That's my salvation testimony and I'm pretty proud of it. So why, oh why am I so surprised when he shows up? There is a danger in knowing Jesus your whole life and that is that you get really comfortable. You take Him for granted. You say your prayers without thinking about the fact that the Creator of the universe is truly listening. Sometimes is takes stressful times to be reminded that we are not alone. That has definitely happened for me lately.

During the last two or three weeks, just about the time all the talk about my husband doing something else started getting serious, the story of Jesus walking on the water has made its appearance in my life over and over again. You probably know the story (Matthew 14:22-33), but in a paraphrasing nutshell, Jesus sent his disciples in a boat by themselves and then went to join them later by walking on the water. They were scared when they saw him because they thought he was a ghost, but he told them not to be afraid. Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." So he did and Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water. But then he got scared by the wind and started to sink. He cried out, "Lord save me!" Jesus reached out his hand, caught him and said, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" I've heard this story since I was little, but never gave it much thought. Until it started showing up over and over:

1. The lesson in the 1st and 2nd grade girls class I help teach on Wednesday nights was this story. It was all about how you don't have to be afraid as long as you make Jesus your focus, but as soon as you lose focus of him and start trying to do things on your own, you sink!

2. The following Sunday, Aly's five year old class heard the same story. Aly never tells me about the stories she hears in her class, but that day she shared the entire story with me, beginning to end.

3. I was talking to a dear friend on the phone about our situation and she brought up the story in reference to stepping out by faith.

4. I was in a small group setting at a teacher in-service and the teacher who was presenting started out by telling the story in reference to getting out of your comfort zone.

5. Aly had been watching a DVD and I switched it back to TV. It was on some random channel that we rarely watch and the first thing I heard out of this man's mouth was the story of Peter in the boat. It was like he was speaking directly to me!

That last one just happened today. That's when I felt like I just needed to get all of this down, whether I'm the only person who ever reads it or not. I wanted to yell out, "OK! I GET IT! I'M PETER!!!"

We are in the middle of waves and wind. We are anxious and scared and excited about where God is going to lead our family. I've been worried about my sick kids and my heart sick husband, but I've got to keep walking on that water. There's a moment or two every day where I feel like I'm sinking. I threw Aly's kazoo in the trash for blowing it in my face after I asked her not to, Luke keeps crying for no reason and I don't know how to help him, Donny calls and gives me more bad news...sink, sink, sink... Then I get a text message from a friend, a phone call from my mom, a hug from Aly, or a kiss from Luke and I'm reminded that Jesus is there.

Some people might say all of this is by coincidence, but I know better. I have seen miracles happen with my own eyes that can't possibly be explained. I have woken up in the middle of the night with the strongest urge to pray for the safety of my kids and then had Aly tell me the next morning, "Mom, I had a dream last night there were angels all around my bed." God is real. He loves us individually and more than we can comprehend. Our prayers aren't released into the void. When we pray faithfully, our prayers are heard and action is taken.

I will not be afraid. I will step out by faith, keep my eyes on Jesus, and go where he leads me. I don't feel capable or worthy of walking on the water, but I can and I am ready.

Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, 'Don't panic. I'm right here to help you.'
~Isaiah 41:13 (MSG)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

This was it. This was the year, and probably the only year ever, that I was a stay-at-home mom during the busy Christmas season. I didn't have to cram every memorable activity into four Saturdays, so we were going to have as much fun as we possibly could and make some memories! I didn't want us to miss one Christmas movie, one cup of hot chocolate, one sugar cookie, or one chance to sit on Santa's lap. I think we were very successful, but luckily we have some time to recover. Making memories can be hard work!

During this Christmas season, my baby boy finally starting walking for real. It's been a long, hard road for this top heavy boy, but he's an official walker.

My big girl turned five! This blows my mind!! We had an awesome day that started with a bedroom filled with balloons, a pancake breakfast, lunch at Cracker Barrel so the birthday girl could have some dumplins, a trip to the movie theater to see "Puss in Boots", and ended with dinner at Shogun where she got on a chair and danced to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" while the whole restaurant clapped. It was a perfect day.

This has been the year of Pinterest. Every mom's dream come true and worst nightmare. Dream come true because it gives you the most amazing ideas and recipes. Worst nightmare because it is physically impossible to actually follow through with all of those amazing ideas, even though you strangely feel pressured to do so. However, Pinterest did give us our first annual North Pole Breakfast and for that, I am eternally grateful. My sister-in-law, Kristi, and I joined forces and gave the kids a fun way to welcome back our Elf on the Shelf.

They woke up to their surprise and it took a little while to sink in. They were a little overwhelmed!

After the North Pole Breakfast, our Elf's name was changed from last year's "Mr. Elf" to "Chippy" from the Elf on the Shelf movie. Chippy showed up all through the season bringing surprises and a little mischief into our home. This was my favorite...