Me and my girls..........

Jamie, Me and Jul

As if I am not blessed enough already, God had more in store for me by way of a special time of fellowship with two of my most favorite ladies on the planet!!! 

Julie and her family came down to Delaware from Canada to visit family over the Christmas holiday. So my dear adventurous friend Jamie decided she had to take the trip up to see both Julie and me. For the first time ever! Face to face!! 

She and Ryan came up on a Monday and that night we dined together. Quiet fabulously I might add. Tuesday we all met for lunch at a most fabulous cafe inside a most divine greenhouse! We then all went our separate ways for the afternoon and I got to go on a trip down memory lane with Ryan and Jamie. How sweet it was just to be with them! That evening we all met back up for dinner right in my town. It was a delightful time of sweet fellowship, and it was as if we hung out all the time together. I for one had the most amazing time!! 

Thanks you guys!!!! I love you !!!

Christmas blessings..............

As we headed into the Christmas season this year, I pondered on how I would be able to bless my kids at Christmas. Considering my circumstances of late, I simply wasn't sure how it would happen. A wonderful time to trust my Daddy would provide, and provide He did! 

God never ceases to wow me these days and prove himself to me. He loves to show me He loves me and my boys over and over. This Christmas He chose to melt my heart yet again. 

First off I must say, I had no money to buy anything for anyone this Christmas. Of course this saddened me greatly, but at the same time I was able to just be on the receiving end. A humbling yet very wonderful place to be. So a dear friend called me up one day and said she wanted the boys Christmas lists. She was going shopping for them for me as she knew  I couldn't afford Christmas. I was truly blessed by this! 

Then another friend asked the same thing and purchased something very special for each of the boys that was on their lists. I was so grateful as it is hard for a mother to not be able to bless her kids with gifts on Christmas. I felt His kindness pouring out on me for my kids! He is too good! 

And if that isn't enough, one day my neighbor, who I barely know let me know he was collecting Toys for Tots and that he wanted me to come by and go through the bins and pick out some things for the boys. I was floored! Wow! More blessings, as if the gifts my friends got weren't already enough. Isn't God cool like that?!! He is the God of MORE than enough. So I went over to pick up the toys one day and my neighbor wasn't there, I was afraid that the bins had already been picked up as it was 3 days until Christmas. So I began to write them off in my mind and told my mom and my friend I thought I had missed out on them. The next day, I saw my neighbor and I asked if it was too late. He said hold on and ran inside and came back out with a HUGE bag of toys that he had set aside for the boys. I was tickled! I thanked him profusely and I could see the joy all over his face. And guess what? This guy isn't even a believer. Jesus just loved on my boys through him. I find that so profoundly wonderful! 

Fast forward to the next day, as I was busy wrapping the gifts, I get a phone call from my mom. She wanted me to come over and pick something up. She said her friend's daughter had just dropped off 3 HUGE bins of stuff for us. I drove over and my jaw dropped to the floor as I saw the very large bins and the huge bag of clothes as well. My mom told me that she had told her girlfriend about my let down with the neighbors toys (which never actually happened after all), and she mentioned it to her daughters and her daughters decide to take matters into their own hands. I quickly loaded up the car and dashed home to  wrap the gifts before the boys came home from their dads. (by the way these are from people I have never actually met! just people with really big hearts - Jesus loved me real good through them!)

As I looked through the bins I just laughed my head off. How could I be so blessed?!! He really really loves me and looks out for me - in abundance!! My heart was so full!! Not only did Jesus wrap himself in flesh and come to earth and live to die for me, but he also cared enough to make my first Christmas as a single mom extra special! Like I said, He is MORE than enough!!

Honestly I am welling up with tears as I type this, reflecting on the miracle of this Christmas fills my heart so full I can't contain it. I must let it overflow and I pray that this testimony touches others hearts and blesses many. We are blessed because He loves to bless! No other reason - !! 

Proud mama of a 7 year old Colby..........

Just look at Christian all into it!! Ha!

Colby blowing up his bithday card from Aunt Gina!!

Today my Colby turned 7!! I can hardly believe it! I am totally transported back to the time when he was born and I marvel!! Two days before Christmas what a gift he has been!! He truly thinks of Christmas as an extension of the celebration of his birthday. He loves the fact he gets a Christmas tree on his birthday. I must admit that is pretty cool! 

I love you sweet Colby!! I am so grateful to be your mommy!! God couldn't have made you any more wonderful! I think  you are awesome!!!

Bumps in the road...........

Or perhaps I should title this post growing pains, I am not quite sure. Lately, my youngest son has went from going to bed in a crib easily every night, to climbing out a million times and me putting him back a million times. So naturally I decided it was time to get rid of the crib and put him in a big boy bed (don't have one yet, so he is currently camping out on a sleeping bag). Now the night time routine has drastically changed. I now have to lay down with him every night until he falls asleep. At first this took quite some time. He would try to sneak out of his bed, or play with me, wiggle and squirm, touch my face and all kinds of monkey business. Now he is falling asleep quicker and quicker. However, that doesn't mean it's all peaches and cream, he also now wakes up in the middle of the night around 4 or 4:30 and wants to get up for the day. He NEVER used to do this. It has been such a drastic shift and very difficult for me as I am getting way less sleep these days. I do see a slow progress however and I know this too shall pass. I would give it a few more weeks max and he should be on a good solid normal routine again, just naturally. Oh and I forgot to mention he gave up his nap too. Big bummer for mom! 

So the point in me sharing all this, is it got me thinking about our grace walk. You see I think we all hit bumps in the road at times, or even perhaps our growing up shifts dramatically and initially it doesn't seem so great. The thing is growing is not always so flawless if you know what I mean. When we find ourselves frustrated in our growth, we need to step back and realize this is just a season that we may be walking through to get to the other side. To get to a new place of maturity in our lives. This may not look like much to others but it truly can be revolutionary in our own lives as we just live and breath day in and day out depending on His grace to work it's way in us. 

So as a mommy of four, I can rest knowing this season will pass, we will get through these crazy waking hours and less sleep for my two year and all his new freedom as well. I also know that it will bring about benefits that we did not reap from before. No nap time may be hard in some ways but it is also very freeing. We are not bound to the house for several hours in the afternoon every day anymore. 

As you walk each day depending on grace, just remember when you hit a bump in the road not to let it bog you down. It is natural to hit bumps. They are even necessary as we grow up into who we truly are. May you be blessed and encouraged as you press on daily to live fully dependent on Him who holds and keeps you. Peace!

Carol of the bells..........

Caleb and I have been enjoying humming this tune together this holiday season. 

Eleven years of life, and motherhood...........

Today was my firstborn son's 11th birthday! Yow! Eleven years of life for him, and eleven wonderful years of being a mommy for me!! I can still remember what is was like to be pregnant for the first time. The first flutters in my tummy that signified his life truly was being created in me! So amazing! I clearly remember my water breaking, then the call to my dear friend Melissa who was my coach, the drive with my mom to the hospital, the nurses telling me I was 8cm dilated as soon as I arrived at the hospital, then the panic since he was breech and they quickly worked to drug me to stop labor, the fear I felt as I did not want surgery, the needle in my back, then shortly after hearing, "It's a boy!" and just like that I was a mommy and my beautiful son became a very real part of my life. I simply can't imagine my life without him!! 

Pictures from top to bottom; Caleb asked for a watch (I liked this picture because it has his cast in it and his curious brother couldn't keep his hands off the goods!), Caleb eyeing up his cake with Jake (our neighbor who practically lives with us) and Christian, and the lovely snowflakes Colby decorated the window with, me singing to Caleb as he gets ready to blow out his PINK candles (he was a good sport, I realized I had no candles left right as it was time to put them in the cake, all I had left were the pink ones from the pack - GEE I wonder why?!!!), Caleb and his cake that Colby decorated, Me and my four wild and crazy boys in front of the yet to be decorated Christmas tree. Below; Caleb with his new Bakugan (apparently all the rage these days!), my sweet baby Christian, and last but not least this was supposed to be see no evil (Christian) hear no evil (Clark) and speak no evil (Colby, 'cept he was supposed to be covering his mouth).