back to it

it was SUCH a great break, but it sure has been nice to get back to the routine today!

these little boys have had a ball having the house to themselves!

levi is the CUTEST when he dances. he raises one of his little arms, and stomps his right foot, always his right foot. either that or he spins around in circles :-)

my mom gave them these shirts for christmas - they LOVE them!

doing a puzzle...

i looked out the window a few minutes ago and it was POURING down snow!?!? random! it's done now. the sun is out. but, it was fun to see! i stopped and just watched it, because i knew it wasn't going to last.

ending with a little thought from this hysterical girl:

"If we loved Jesus more than anyone else, we would be the best possible mothers, the wives of our husbands' dreams. We'd maintain our sparkle, our flair, our laughter. We'd remember our favorite restaurants and get over ourselves. We would remain anchored in the tempest of early childhood, neither losing our way nor losing our minds. The 'you' buried under 'mom' is vital, essential, important. Hang on to her. Make sure she gets plenty of face time with Jesus. He'll remind her who she is."

Jen Hatmaker

i've been pondering who i really am. it feels like i'm "only" a mom - because that is where most of my energy goes. and gladly! but, what if that was horrifically (i know it's not a word) taken away? or is it ok for that to be my "only" identity? YET...i believe with ALL my heart that God has used motherhood to teach me SO much about Himself. i don't want to find something else to "fulfill" me - i am completely fulfilled here. this i know - i don't need to look to anything else. i need to look to Him. who i really am is His daughter. today that means He will give me the strength and wisdom to be a mom to 6 children and a wife to pat and a manager of our home. next week? next year? 10 years from now? i don't know. i HOPE i would still be all those things, but if not, i will still be His daughter. i will love Him more than anything else.