MONKEY STORY #728

My day in a nutshell:

Morning:
Aubrie: Mommy will you please come wipe my hiney. I'm having problems.
Me: Aubrie, you are old enough, you can wipe your own hiney now.
Aubrie: But Mommy...sometimes my arms just can't reach back there very far and I really can't see anything back there! That's a problem!
Me: Well, yeah, I think we all have that problem...just how long do you think I'm going to keep wiping your hiney for you anyhow???
Aubrie: {Complete serious face} Until I'm 16 or 17? I'll be driving a car then! So you don't have to wipe my hiney then.
Me: Dear Lord...give me strength for this blonde haired sassy pants child.

Afternoon:
Ellie: Hey, I just drew a picture of our house for Aunt Britney. Here's me doing my workout exercise that she taught me in the living room. Here's you, Mom....doing the laundry downstairs. Oh, and here's Daddy...he's sitting on the toilet in the bathroom.
Me: Um awkward?! Beautiful drawing honey...but maybe we should draw another picture for your Aunt Britney that doesn't include your Dad sitting on the toilet!?!?!?!?!?!
Ellie: {Uncontrollable giggling} Good idea Mom!

Evening:
Gabe: I really don't understand why men need little boobs things on their chest. Seriously...why Mom?
Me: Great question for God.

A Legacy

A little over 3 years ago, this was us. Our little family. I'll never forget that year. It was a tough season but yet it was full of as much joy as there was heartache. We were struggling in our marriage and financially. We had alot of days of "I love you, but I really don't like you." Jason was hardly ever home as he was working so hard at his job that required long hours with his students he loved so much. We had a 6,4, and 2 year old that saw him for very short moments on the evenings and weekends.

 One night, Jason came home and told me he was done. He felt God telling him to retire from teaching in the public school system. He had no idea what he was going to do next but he knew without a doubt it was the right thing to do. I remember thinking he was crazy...I was scared...and had so many doubts, but yet as I looked at my husband, I still remember God telling me this: "Laura....trust Me. And trust your husband.Follow him....allow him to lead you and your family. I have plans and purposes for your family and I will never leave you or forsake you at any time." So I did. I followed my husband and I trusted him even when I couldn't see what was up ahead. 

We did a crazy thing. We listened to God when the rest of the world thought we were nuts. And today? Today we are a changed family because of my husband. He was offered a job shortly after he walked away from his career. A job with an amazing company in a complete different field of work. A company that has been so good to my man. They have believed in him, had grace with him as he is learning, taught him so much, and have supported and encouraged him every step of the way. 

Today our family has been blessed beyond what we could ever imagine. The night my husband decided to be radical and take a leap of faith was the night everything changed for us. Today we are on the road to financial freedom....we are almost debt free....our marriage is rock solid (but not perfect)....and our 3 kiddos are experiencing what it's like to have a Daddy in the picture more than not. 

Can I just encourage you? Sometimes the journey goes a little bit different than we expected. Sometimes we have to take radical leaps of faith to see life changes for the better. But always? We have to trust God that He knows way better than we do. He loves us so much and His ways are so much better than our ways. I am so grateful to be where we are today.....all because one man wanted to leave a beautiful legacy of faith and courage for his family.

MONKEY STORY # 727

On our way home from the pool today.
Aubrie: Mommy? When I'm 19 you won't have to take care of me anymore right?
Me: Well, when you are 18, you will be an adult and can make your own decisions, so technically...yes!
Aubrie: Well, you won't have to take care of me when I'm 19 because I'll be making babies anyways!
Gabe:{With really big eyes} Uh.....did you just say you are going to be making babies!?!?!?
Me: Um....making babies? What do you mean by that?
Aubrie:{Rolls her eyes} Well, I'll just be making babies....I'll be married you know!
Ellie: Oh well that's good Aubrie....you can't make babies by yourself!!!!
Gabe: {With a "smarty pants boy" voice} Well what if you aren't married Aubrie?
Aubrie: {With a 5 year old know-it-all girl voice} Well don't you know that already? I can just adopt alot of kids! That's how I'll make lots of babies!!!
Love these crazy littles!

It's All Grace

At the end of a very much "Monday"...day after a long holiday weekend.....I'm done. I'm done being a Mama because this Mama stuff is hard. It's tough. It's challenging. It's frustrating. It's heart wrenching. It's time consuming.  It's mind boggling. It's craziness. It's draining. It's NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
But there's these 3 amazing kiddos that somehow...despite all their shenanigans of hibity-bibity....somehow I keep falling in love with them. Somehow their giggles and cuddles....their smiles and THEIR GRACE. They keep me going. THEIR GRACE.....and the way they just keep loving their Mama despite all her mistakes and failures....it's humbling and overwhelming and mind boggling and crazy.
And that? THAT GRACE? It's Heaven sent... God gives these amazing littles grace when they are born....nobody tells them to have grace with others....they just do it. They extend grace...day after day after day. Because it's a chromosome they were born with. They don't know any better....they just give grace.
I'm learning from them....I'm watching and listening amidst the dirty dishes...the dirty baseball clothes...the sticky popsicle sticks....the stinky socks thrown in the middle of a room...the leggos not put back in their container....the water spicket left running for 2 days in the back yard....the bikes left in the driveway...the slamming doors...the bruised knees...the toilet seat left up....I'm watching and listening. And I'm learning.
That grace is unending....it's powerful...it's life changing..it's mind boggling...and it's crazy. And there's enough for all of us. These 3 littles are challenging me to keep extending grace to others...no judgement...just grace. It's all GRACE.

The Key

"God can do great things with our lives, if we but give them to him in sincerity. He can make them useful, uplifting, herioc. God never wastes anything. God never forgets anything. God never loses anything. Though He holds the worlds in the hollow of His hand, He will yet remember each of us, and the part we are fitted to play in the eternal drama." 

Never doubt why you are here...it is for a noble, eternal purpose as we give Him our life. Herein lies the key.

Dr Anne Robertson Brown Lindsay

Joy in the Journey

Sometimes it's just the little things that take our breath away and make us feel like the luckiest person in the world. This weekend was full of those moments. Watching my man play his guitar and sing his heart out.....late night heart to hearts and prayers....watching him wrestle with the kids. ..listening to their laughter and holding them close after Baby Magic baths....Their never ending silly songs and crazy questions. ...Their child - like faith and sunshine smiles......Their love for their Daddy, for each other, and little babies at church....Gabe telling us he cant wait to get to Heaven....Ellie and Aubrie forming this new "best friend sisterhood"....it's these moments that remind me to be grateful for each season. Because all too soon one has past and another has arrived. I don't want to miss any of the beauty of the changing colors of life. I'm finding that the joy is in the journey and being so very grateful for those who travel by your side.

MONKEY STORY # 726

...After a very fun filled crazy amazing weekend of my little brother getting married....there are serious conversations going on at our house 
Gabe: So now that Jake and Britney are married they can sleep together in the same bed right, Mom?
Me: (because we are teaching purity and saving yourself for marriage to our kiddos)
Yup....you got it Gabe!
Gabe: Well Jake is going to have to build a bigger bed then so they can both fit!!!
Ellie: So Mom....on what day will Britney be getting her babies then???
***I'm convinced we have the smartest monkies in the world living under our roof ;)****** 
love these kiddos!!!