Imperfect Living: January 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Nesting...

Well I am certainly in the "nesting" phase of my pregnancy. Everywhere I look I have visions of projects that could be/should be/need to be done. So last night I let my creative side win & spent some time putting stuff I had around the house together to make a Valentine's Day wreath for my front door. Never mind that there are probably more productive things to be done before our baby arrives...closets to organize, rooms to be finished, and so on...and never mind that there is always laundry to be done...sometimes a girl just has to let the creative juices flow!
For the past several Christmases, I have hung wreaths on the windows on the front of our house. Just the fake greenery wreaths to which I have added fake poinsettia flowers in lieu of a bow. After two years exposed to the elements, the vibrant red flowers were faded a mottled pink, so this year I replaced them with new sparkly flowers. I was this close to throwing the old faded flowers away, when I thought...Hmmmm they are sort of a pretty pink...I wonder if I can somehow decorate with them for Valentine's Day? So I saved them.
Well, once a poinsettia, always a poinsettia...after pulling them out recently, I knew I would not be able to use them "as is" because they looked like what they are...faded poinsettia flowers, too Christmassy.

Solution: I just cut off all of the petals! (And organized them into piles by size.)

I've had this square foam wreath form sitting in my sitting room (no pun intended!) for probably at least 2 years...it was high time I put it to use.

So with the faded petals, a little of the poinsettia greenery, a few other random flower bits, some ribbon, a sparkly heart & a whole lot of hot glue...here is what I came up with!

I have to admit, I actually did not LOVE it when I finished it. But when I came down this morning & saw it hanging there on the closet door, it grew on me. I still need to put it up on my front door & take a picture of it there, but will have to do that when it's daylight. I think I will like it better against the black door than on the white door.
But at least I was creative & it didn't cost me a thing! Some things are just worth doing even if you don't LOVE the outcome...there is value in the doing & always some little tidbit to be learned! And Jack made me feel good today when he said, "WOW Mom! That sure doesn't look like something you made!"

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Something that you just don't see every day...

So today the kids got an unexpected treat when we pulled into ye' ole gas station to fill up the Mom-Mobile...I have to credit Jack with his eagle eyes for spotting it barely visible across the way. But just as we were pulling up to a pump, Jack said, "Hey I see a helicopter getting ready to take off!" Sure enough looking ahead I could make out the buzzing blades behind several huge pieces of equipment on a nearby construction site. I pulled right past the pump & behind the gas station to get a better view. At first I couldn't tell if the heli had just landed or if it really was getting ready for take-off. So we watched & waited for a few moments, we rolled down the windows to get the full effect...and sure enough after a few minutes it took to the sky with long cables suspended below. A ground crew hooked the cables to a large "package" and the helicopter (it had "Air Crane" painted on the side) lifted the construction materials up to the roof of the under-construction home improvement store. There another crew gathered around the load to guide it to the right spot...and the heli set the goods gently down! Pretty cool & from what I understand a highly skilled operation. We must have sat & watched for at least 10-15 minutes as they repeated this process. Turns out Jeff was watching the whole thing, too from the back-yard of his shop. He said it looked like the heating/cooling/air moving units for the building that were being lifted up to the roof for installation. I think the kids could have watched all day, but it was way past Darcy's nap time & we needed to get home...but here are a few photos that I snapped. I actually didn't even think to take a picture until I saw a man in a truck beside us snapping photos with his phone! I guess it is something that you just don't see every day!

Okay, now please don't confuse this one with the helicopter...I have not taken any "belly" pictures of this pregnancy & I'm almost 31 weeks...the time is going fast, so I thought I should perhaps document at least a few belly shots before we get to meet this little one!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Memories of a North Carolina Snow Day!)

So the weather-man was actually right this time...growing up in this area we quickly learned that while the forecast would often call for snow...creating much delight & frenzy & running to the store for bread, milk & eggs...somehow the snow would almost always miss us. But this week was different, on Tuesday morning what to our wondering eyes did appear, but a beautiful wintry wonder land for our sweet little dears!

Of course the kids were thrilled! Sophie has been asking, "Where is the snow?!!" since the first calendar day of winter...and now that we have had snow, she wants to know when we can go to the pool again! I love the way kids minds work ;-)
Anyway, back to our snow day...I just looked at my file & I took 188 photos of the snow! Jeff was scrolling through the photos on the camera & said if you scroll fast it looks like a video! I guess Mama was excited to see the snow, too!
So, here are a few of my favorites! (And you know me...a "few" is more like 20! So settle in & grab a cup of hot cocoa!)

Darcy's first snow...I'm not sure she's sold on the grandness of it all!

Sophie loves the snow!

Jack loves the snow!

Zoe loves the snow!

Sammy looks like he was made for snow!

Darcy did take a little walk in the snow...

And then she was ready to warm up!

Warming up a bit before round 2!

Round 2 at Nana & Pop's house...

Working on a snowman at Nana & Pop's house...carrot nose & acorns for eyes & mouth!

Carefully placing the head on...we had already lost it a few times! Man it was a dry snow!

Jack, Sophie & Frosty-lite!

Thanks for visiting, see you next time!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sophie's Great Decision!

Well I have been a bad blogger this week, but I do have some wonderful news to share about our sweet Sophie!

On Monday evening, while we were gathered at the dinner table eating & talking, Sophie made the decision and prayed a simple prayer to ask Jesus to come into her heart! All praise be to God! We are SO thrilled & thankful that God has turned her heart towards Himself at such a young age & it is our prayer that Sophie (and all of our children) will follow Him faithfully all of her life.

Over the past several months, based on the things Sophie was saying & the questions she had been asking (especially about Heaven), I felt that she was pondering things in her heart and thinking about what it means to love Jesus. In fact, some of the Bible verses that I had selected to pray for Sophie this year are from Psalm 25:4-5...I had been praying along these lines "Show Sophie Your ways, O Lord, teach her Your paths. Guide her in Your truth and teach her for You are God & I pray she will accept you as her Savior & put her hope in you every day." I have also been praying for her from Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (chapter 3 verses 14-19)

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

So at dinner on Monday evening, I actually cannot remember how our conversation turned towards Heaven, but Sophie was asking questions about who goes to Heaven & how they get there (I wish I had written this down sooner because I'm pretty sure there was talk of bicycles carrying people up into the clouds!) Anyway, Sophie wanted to know if only "good" people go to Heaven? Can "bad" people go to Heaven? So Jeff reminded her that we are all "bad" people (something that they had just talked about in Awana last week)...that we all make bad choices & do things that are bad (sin.) But that Jesus came to the world to die for our sins so that we can be together with God in Heaven one day. Then it was Jack that pointed out that the people who go to Heaven are those who "love Jesus in their hearts"...people who have asked Jesus to come and live in their hearts and forgive them of their sins. So Sophie asked if Jesus lived in my heart and I said yes. And Daddy's heart? Yes. And in Jack's heart? Yes. So we talked some more & I asked Sophie if she understood what Jesus had done when He died on the cross & rose again & she said yes. So I asked if she wanted to pray to ask Jesus to forgive her sins & come into her heart, and she said yes! And so she bowed her head & prayed right then in her own sweet words to ask Jesus to forgive her & come to live in her heart.

What a precious moment, Sophie was beaming afterwards & SOOO excited that Jesus now LIVES in her heart! And we talked some more about what it means to have Jesus in our hearts & how Jesus calls us to share His good news with others! Sophie shared her good news with her teacher at school the next morning & has also told several other people this week. And my prayer continues to be that the Lord will show Sophie His ways & guide her in Truth all the days of her life!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Photo Meme...

I was tagged by my sweet friend, Jenny, to do a Photo Meme!

The Rules:

~Open your photos, choose the 6th folder and then the 6th photo in that folder.

~Post the photo with a description about it and tag 6 friends to do the same.

So here is my photo:

This is Jack in 2004, so he was 3. We were still living in Chicago, but we had come to NC for Christmas & this photo was taken at my parents house. Jack was worn out from a hard day of playing and he fell asleep in my Dad's big chair.

I'm still pretty new to the blogging world...so I don't think I have 6 people to tag...

but I'll work on that & tag some people in a little while, right now Darcy is in my lap crying...

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Thinking on Thursday...

...of things that I don't want to forget.
Not things like my grocery list or the dry-cleaning, but little day-to-day things about my kids that I don't want to forget when they are bigger. I used to record these things in my journal, but since I have not cracked it open in quite some time...this will have to do!

I don't want to forget...
*The way Darcy says tissue & thank you (they sound like the same word!)
*The way Sophie talks with her hands when explaining something or the way she puts them on her hips when she is being bossy.
*The way Darcy has started calling her Lovey "Bobby" because she can't say "lovey"...just the same way Jack's lovey became "Buddy" and Sophie's is "Nuggins"
*The way Jack will lovingly encourage his sisters when they are playing or learning something new. He delights in their accomplishments!
*The way Sophie sings ALL the time when she is playing by herself...she sings praises to God, just completely made-up little songs, but so sweet! Often she sings her animals to sleep at night, after reading them stories & tucking them all into special places in her bed.
*The way Jack will sing-out LOUD in the car along with the radio on his favorite Praise & Worship songs.
*The way Darcy has started stretching her arms out in front of her, wiggling her hands, & saying "me, me, me, me..." when she wants me to hold her.
*The humble way Jack accepted his "cooperation" character trait tag at school this week. His teacher says he always encourages the kids to work together in class.
*The way that just when you think Sophie hasn't been listening, that she's just off in her own little world (which she often is!), but then she will spout off exactly what you were talking about or remember it days later!

I know there are more things, but these are just a few for today...What do you want to remember?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Build-A-Bear & other tales...

Yesterday was the last "official" day of Christmas Break for our kids...next week it's back to school, back to the routine, back to the daily grind...oh how the break has flown by! We wanted to do something fun today & decided to surprise the kids with a trip to Build-A-Bear...to make a bear for our new baby boy due in just 3 months!

My midwife had actually given me the idea several months ago, back before my ultrasound. She mentioned that we could go to Build-A-Bear before the ultrasound & purchase one of their little recording devices to record the baby's heart-beat during the ultrasound! You then take the recording back to Build-A-Bear & they can insert it into your bear...so when you press the button, you hear the heart! The kids thought this was a great idea & so did we!

Well, my ultrasound was 2 months ago, and ever since the kids have been begging to go and make a bear!

So yesterday we got all loaded up in the car & surprised them with a trip to the mall to finally build a special Teddy Bear for their new baby brother! This was actually our very first trip to Build-A-Bear! Of course, we made it very clear that this bear is for the baby, so there would be no choosing what they liked best for themselves...they needed to pick a bear appropriate for the baby. We had also decided we would only do this one bear on this trip, so they would need to agree on picking it out, etc.

We stopped at the Food Court for a quick bite of lunch...everyone was excited & in good spirits! (Except for Darcy, who was just cranky...I think she didn't like going out in the rain today!)

Jack & Sophie both ate all of their Happy Meals & didn't argue a bit! (Which was a good thing because Darcy had enough attitude for everyone...see the Blog title...nothing is ever perfect!)

J & S playing & acting silly with a Happy Meal toy...

Darcy will not be party to any silliness...

Finally, at Build-A-Bear Jack & Sophie quickly agree on the best bear for our Baby Boy (sorry, we don't have a name for him yet...the baby or the bear! We're working on it!) They picked out a cute, blue, fluffy bear. Even with Hello Kitties & Dinosaurs around, they remained focused on the task at hand...praise God for small miracles!

Here is Sophie loving on the bear...

Darcy inspects all the bears & animals while we wait in the "stuffing" line.

Listening to all of the various sounds you can have built into your bear...but we are all excited about our special heart-beat sound!

Still waiting...did I mention the place was packed?

Playing with Daddy while we wait...

Finally, OUR turn!

Darcy picks out a heart for our bear.

Kisses to fill up the bear's heart with love!

Fluffing him up at the cleaning station!

And here is where the nice story starts to fall apart (reference the Blog Name again...) In trying to pick out an outfit for the bear, Jack became focused on the idea of getting a Panthers outfit for his own Build-A-Bear (a K graduation gift.) He would not let go of this idea/want...even though we reminded him this was a trip to pick something out for the baby...not shopping for ourselves...and so on...the situation deteriorates...we agreed that he could buy a $3 football for his bear today & we would also get one for the baby's bear, but he had to stop asking/pointing/whining for the Panther's outfit. He made a poor choice & continued to have a fit to get his way. At this point, Darcy was "shopping" the store & finding LOTS of outfits for the bear...like pink skirts, fishing hats & slippers.

So we needed to get out of the store before things got worse. Jeff, good man that he is, took Jack & Darcy out of the store...carrying a 7-year old & pushing a stroller. In the interest of time, it was decided that we will not purchase any outfits for any bears. Sophie & I wait in a long line to simply purchase our fluffy, blue bear & go. Thankfully, Sophie sweetly held the bear & waited patiently with me without asking for a single thing.
When we got out to the car, Jack was still crying & would not let up talking about the outfit the whole way home. He did feel a little remorse over the fact that his selfishness ended a fun afternoon & also affected others (namely, he didn't like that we didn't' get an outfit for the baby's bear either.) As a result of his choices, Jack will not get to ask for or buy anything for the next month...no candy at the store, no special treats or Dollar Spot items when we go to Target. And if he persists in asking, he will have further days added on to the time period.
We were able to talk with Jack later in the day when he was much more calm. He still felt bad about the baby not getting an outfit or football for the new bear, and he had taken money out of his bank to pay for a football for the baby the next time I go to the mall. We talked (once again) about not arguing & complaining when Daddy & Mommy say "no" or "not now" (Phil 2:14) And we talked (once again) about using self-control when we don't get our way...making the choice not to have a fit. And we did talk about how God doesn't expect us to have self-control all on our own...we can't do it alone, as humans we will make mistakes. That is why He gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us & give us His power to lean on (Acts 1:8)
Now Jack is generally our very generous child, always thinking of things he can give to others based on their likes & interests...but we are all human & bent towards selfishness at our core...and we all need to be reminded daily (hourly, minutely) to be self-controlled & make good choices.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”- Titus 2:11-12
(How's that for the random Verse of the Day today at http://www.biblegateway.com/.
I love the way God works! This will surely be one of the verses that I pray regularly for Jack in 2009...I'll post more on that later...but I've already made this post waaaay too long, forgive me & thanks for bearing with me!)

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