On Things That Matter

"...women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home & family happens because she cares about it & it matters to her. She guards that gate, & things matter to that family if they matter to her."

Julie B. Beck

 

 

 

 

Making our home a place where our children can always feel safe & happy has been heavy on my mind lately. I want more than anything for our home to be a safe haven from the outside world, where truth is consistently taught & my children can grow & thrive. I'm convinced this is no easy task & it will take work & intentional parenting. As I've been thinking about this & praying about this, I had the distinct impression that we needed to make family prayer a more significant part of our day each morning & night. I want my children to hear me pray for them & know that they have a Heavenly Father that loves them & they can always turn to. Today Noah started crying & while I sat & held him, Ruby came into the room to see what was wrong. With this look of concern on her face she said, "It's okay Noah, we can say a prayer & ask Heavenly Father to help you be happy." And with that, she closed her eyes & said a short little prayer for him. I realized then how true it is that if something matters to me, as their mother, it will matter to them.



This & That

Noah is becoming such a big boy & copies everything that Ruby does lately. He is sweet & wild & still so much fun. I still occasionally find him on my kitchen table or digging through my purse, but he also is such a good helper. He's always quick to help me empty the dishwasher or help me with laundry or cleaning his room. And if I've said it once, I've said it a million times: I love children who know how to clean!

 

My mom (and Tyler's mom!) have saved my skin lately. I've been so sick & they have come over & helped pick up the slack more times than I can count. It really does take a village to raise these kids & I'm so grateful for the amazing grandparents they have that teach them so much. And Ruby & Noah always are so happy to have them here. Those kids are awfully lucky.

 

Ruby changes her clothes about 5 times a day & often is in costume. She's obsessed with collections of little things & I often open random drawers to find various 'treasures" that she's stuffed in them. She just finished up her first year of preschool & it's been so fun to see her grow & learn so much.



Easter 2015

We've had a fun time the past several weeks as we've talked about & prepared for Easter. Noah loves to point to any picture of Jesus & excitedly say, "Jesus!" over & over again, & Ruby has been reciting the story of Easter on the regular. We made a conscious effort this year to make sure our Easter was Christ-centered & to help our children better understand why we celebrate this time of year. It never ceases to amaze me how bright their little minds are & how eager their spirits are to learn. Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

Easter 2014. I can't believe how much they've changed in 1 year!