I just want you to know this:

Things will get better. The light will keep shining even though it feels like it's the darkest dark.
It will get brighter...just when you think you can't take anymore.


I know the storm feels strong...I know some days you feel like you are drowning...like
it's never going to stop beating on you.
I know your heart is hurting....and it feels like it's being crushed into a million pieces some days.
I know you are weary....you don't think you can take one more step on this path you travel.
I know you want to give it all up because it's just too hard to move forward anymore.


But what if I told you this? What if I told you that heaven is just around the next corner?
That the hell you are going thru now is just temporary? It's just a season?
That the dark will only last for the night....and joy really does come in the morning?
What if I told you that the Captain of your ship is really still up there...guiding your journey?
That He really does love you more than you can imagine?
That He sees every tear you cry and really does hold you tight?
That He believes in you when no one else does?
That He still hasn't given up on you....and He never will?


What if I told you that the Anchor really still holds?
It will hold on for you when you cannot.
That it may feel like you are standing in sinking sand.....but the Rock won't move?
Hang on mighty warrior.....I promise you.
It's not the end yet. There are brighter days coming...keep fighting the good fight.


You are so much stronger than you know....just keep on keeping on.
You can do this! You are enough! You are a mighty warrior! You've got this!
Don't give up...Heaven is right around the corner....
The sun will shine...And the best is yet to come.

MONKEYSTORY #721

Monkey #1: I'm a secret agent. I need cold air outside now.
Me: And why exactly is that?
Monkey #1: Well I am tired of doing my school work. I want to go outside and play.
Me: Well get your schoolwork done, my secret agent, and you can go outside after that.
Monkey #1: But I'm a secret agent....I need cold air right now. I'm a hot secret agent.
Me: Wow.....


Monkey #2: Curse you Gabe! You broke my toy!
Me: Um....come here right now....what did you say???
Monkey #2: I cursed him! He broke my toy!
Me: Do you have any idea what cursing means? Do Daddy and Mommy say this??
Monkey #2: No! But he did something bad so that's what you say!
Me: Um...no you don't....let's have a conversation about this.
Monkey #2: Well it was in the movie Peter Pan and Hook!


Monkey #3: *Singing* "Dumb dog why are you following me!"
Me: {Seriously!?!?!?} Come here....what did you say?
Monkey #3: Repeats the song.
Me: Dumb is not a nice word, please use the word silly instead.
Monkey #3: BUT ANNIE SINGS IT, WHY CAN'T I!?!?!?!?!
Me: I know you love that movie, but that still isn't a nice word.


I've concluded that movies provide much more educational moments than I realized.

Dear Trace Adkins...

I do love your song that you sing about:


"You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These Are Some Good Times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"
But what you don't know...there are the things I'm not really going to miss!!!


Like being the bathroom police....reminding certain little monkies to:
1- FLUSH IT EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!! No one likes the stinky presents!
2- Put the seat up when you go pee sir! This isn't art class!!
3- WASH YOUR HANDS EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!
4- Seriously......I'm not gonna wipe your hiney forever....if you can figure out the art
of rigging up booby traps for your siblings, well then you can figure out the art of proper
bathroom etiquette!!


Sincerely...Mama Monkey

Blessed

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.

- Luke 1:45

MONKEYSTORY #720

The monkies are all playing together and getting along great.
Baby Monkey runs smack into a sharp corner in the hallway.
Lots and lots and lots of loud laying-flat-on- the -floor dramatic crying.
The older 2 monkies spring into action:
"Quick get her blankie!!"
"Quick get her a Band-Aid!!!"
They surround her, rub her back while I hold her and speak in the sweetest
voices (the same sweet voices that they all had a hard time finding today!)
"Oh Aubrie, you are gonna be ok...it's gonna be ok...you are a tough girl!"
She promptly stops crying and proceeds to squeeze her eyes shut, scrunch
her little nose up high in the air and proceeds to "sniff" very loudly.
Gabe springs into action and grabs her a Kleenex.
I sit here and think this is the best free Friday night entertainment one could ever watch.
One of the older monkies says, "We really should pray for her ouchie now so it gets better!"
The other one quickly agrees. BabyMonkey says: "Yes! Pray for my ouchie!"
They look at me...."Go ahead guys....you can pray for her" I say.
So they put their arms around her and start.
Ellie: "Dear God, thank You that You make all our ouchies all better. Thank you that
we have been so nice to our little sister tonight. Please make her leg all better. Amen."
Gabe: (a jumping bean that can't sit still)
"Ok, my turn....Dear God....Please heal Aubrie's leg.....ooooooohhhhhhh"....BAM....he falls right on top of the injured leg...........time freezes.....the older 2 monkies stare at Aubrie to make sure she's ok.
Baby Monkey just sits there and sucks her thumb with her blankie...never bats an eyelash.
(at this point I just begin to giggle uncontrollably because the youngest has totally duped the older ones.)
Gabe: "Mommy! Don't laugh! We are trying to pray here!"
Me: "I'm sorry...you are right...ok go ahead."
Gabe: "Ok, Dear God, please make Aubrie's leg all better. And THANK YOU SO MUCH God that we have been so kind to our little sister tonight and we have been the best kids ever. Amen."
Aubrie hops up....."Ok guys! Let's go play cowboys!!"
Seriously.......a day in my life.....I wouldn't trade it for anything ;)

MONKEYSTORY #719

Papa Monkey thought it would be cute to snap big rubber bands at me tonight after the monkies were tucked into bed.
This clearly called for a war.
As we proceeded to run thru the house, he ran straight for Gabe's room, where I got him cornered. Gabe hopped out of bed to rescue me. Papa Monkey lost....I won. :)
After he left Gabe's room, I tucked Gabe back into bed which prompted a serious conversation.
Gabe: "Mommy!!!! What did Daddy do to you that made you beat him up so good!?!?!"
Me: "Well he was snapping me in the hiney with huge rubberbands!!!"
Gabe (big eyes, tiniest smile): "He did?? For real??
Me: "For real! It really wasn't nice at all!!!"
Gabe: Smallest giggle.....super onery grin coming out
Me: "Hey! It's not funny! They really hurt!"
Gabe (starts laughing uncontrollably): "That is so so funny!"
Me: "No really, Gabe, it's not!"
Gabe:(laughing so hard) "I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MARRIED SOME DAY AND SNAP MY WIFE'S HINEY WITH RUBBERBANDS! THAT IS SO AWESOME!! DADDY IS SO AWESOME!!"
#marriageisfun #papamonkeyisgoingdown

MONKEYSTORY #718

Aubrie had her little race cars lined up in the living room the other day.

It's not long and I hear:

"Prince Charming is in the lead, but here comes Jeff Curl and he passes him up!

Ohhhhhhhh noooooo Prince Charming!!!!!! You looooooossssst the race!"

(Jeff is a family friend/ local race car celebrity)

Dear Mamas......

"Don’t be weary, dear mother, in trying to keep up with a supermom agenda. There is no supermom, really – that whole supermom who has everything together is just a fallacy. There are real moms. Real, authentic moms who admit that they don’t have it all together but keep on fighting. Scared and tired moms who keep fighting. Moms who are overwhelmed by keeping up with littles all day long. Moms like you and me who sometimes feel lost in a world of outward accomplishments.

A mother isn’t based on external perfection. A mother is the person, the woman, just like you. The woman with little ones in her care that she loves, and sometimes wonders how she loves them because they’re driving her batty, but still she does. She fights, gives, prays, works, and doesn’t give up even when she wants to throw in the towel.

That’s you. Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday.

I say that is enough. 

It is more than enough.

You are amazing."

http://findingjoy.net/why-being-mom-is-enough/

Your Strength

He knows you. Everything about you. His spirit NEVER ever leaves you. Psalms 139 is my new favorite passage. 

 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me."

(Psalms 139:1-10 NLT)