The Proof

I took these the day Kacia learned but never got around to posting them. She's all smiles as she makes her loops around the patio.

This is Kacia's biggest fan. He just stands at the slider, banging on it and "talking" to his sisters. The girls love to stand on the other side and wave to him. He seemed to really enjoy Kacia being home for spring break, and now when he sees her for the first time after school, he just lights up!

A Great Read

So it probably won't surprise anyone that I don't read as many books as I would like to these days. I figure if I have a few minutes to read, my Bible should come first. But last week I finished a great, but convicting book. This is the 2nd book of C.J. Mahaney's I have read (well he didn't write all of this book), but they always appeal to me because they are small, but well written. He gets his point across with as few as words as possible. And being that I typically read at night, when my mind is mush, I appreciate that I don't have to think too hard to understand. So if you want to be convicted, or rather, need to be convicted, read this! It's a good kick in the pants, a reminder that once again, this world isn't about us, but our Maker, and choosing to try to live with an eternal perspective, choosing to pursue godliness above all else.

"When we see our lives in light of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, everything will be different. We won't be enamored of a fallen world that opposes God; it is for such a world that our Savoir died. Nor will we ignore the world, untouched by its God-glorifying potential or unmoved by its needs. Rather, we'll take our plaec in this world, enjoying God's gifts, fulfilling God's purposes and giving our lives to see the gospel proclaimed, sinners saved, and God glorified." Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World

Big Moments for My Biggest Girl

So this Spring Break has been very productive for Kacia. She has mastered the 2 wheeler! She spends a lot of the day outside on her bike just going in circles on the patio. She gets going quite fast and is loving the fact that she can tell and show anyone who is interested her new talent.
She also got a new pair of shoes with laces, which has provided the tool we've needed to learn to tie her own shoes. (Until now, we've kept it to velcro and slip ons for my sanity.) She has been asking to learn, so yesterday we sat down with her new shoes, and she quickly learned this new skill. She's thrilled!
She also has her first loose tooth, well make it 3 loose teeth! Oh, my baby is growing up!!!

My LIttle Guy

So here is Lincoln sportin' his new buzz in his Easter outfit. Maybe, just maybe, he won't need another haircut in a few weeks. (This makes cut #5, we just keep getting shorter and shorter!)

I didn't manage to get a pic of the girls in their dresses, but Grandma did, so atleast I'll get them documented in the scrapbook. I love that I spent $2.50 on each of their baskets and they were totally thrilled! With all of the egg hunts, I refuse to put more candy in their baskets, so they got bubbles, a notebook and coloring book. The baskets were a project we had to do for Kacia's class and we liked making it so much (and I likes how economical they were) that we did a milk jug bunny for Rylin too. This just may be a tradition we end up doing every year!

Egg Hunts

So on Saturday morning, the girls and I, along with Breanna's family and 1/2 of Redding went to Simpson college to watch eggs fall from a helicopter. It is perhaps not the best idea since the majority of the eggs crack upon landing, but it was still a fun and unique experience.

Later that day we met up with friends from church for our 2nd annual egg hunt. Thanks to our good friends, the Schneiders, who organized it and planned out various egg themed games, we once again had a blast. It is so much fun to get all of the egg hunts and candy done with on Saturday so that Sunday can be free from distractions, and truly about Easter!

A Good Friday

So with Kacia in school every day this year, and all of the various sicknesses our families have had this past season, I honestly don't remember the last time that Sawyer and Kacia got to play together. So on Friday, to initiate the start of Spring Break, Megan and the boys came over for some Easter fun. We colored eggs and made cupcakes that looked like baskets, but mostly we just enjoyed the great gift of good friends! I know it wasn't a very "spiritual" themed Good Friday, but on a day that can bring great sadness mixed with joy as we contemplate the heartbreaking sacrifice our Savior endured for us, it was good to bring a little fun to the day. The girls definitely know that Easter isn't ultimately about eggs and bunnies. We've been talking a lot about it and Kevin read the Resurrection story for devotions, and somehow, as we've been going through the ABC memory verse book, we landed on F this past week, which happens to be John 3:16. So fitting, huh!

Living on the Rock

So the longer I live on this Earth, the more I long for home- my eternal home. The older I get the more pain and heartache I see. This last week we have mourned with our church body the loss of a young girl. Megan was a week shy of her 24th birthday and fought a tough battle against cancer. Megan is one of so many people I can think of who's life seemed "too short". Pain and heartache does not escape any of us. As I reflect over the last few years, I can think of quite a few parents who have lost their only child in car accidents, people who have had to watch loved ones fight too hard to keep breathing, friends who have suffered extensively because of the sin of others. It's so tempting to say, "that's so unfair, why did God allow this" etc. That is our human side hurting and wanting to beable to comprehend a God who is far bigger than His creation. Although there are many times I wish I could understand why God allowed something, I am so grateful to serve a God I cannot fully understand. What kind of a god would that be if our finite brains could fully comprehend him? His ways are higher than ours, and for that I praise Him!
So often our blogs can be so decieving in the fact that for the most part, they only highlight life at it's best. Don't get me wrong, God has given us so many things to enjoy and love on this Earth. And so we can find ourselves in this difficult place of loving so much that we have here, and the dangerous place of loving it too much. And when one that we love is taken away, will we keep living? This is what has hit me this week as my thoughts have continued to return to Megan's family. What am I preparing myself for? What am I preparing my kids for? Because this place is temporary, I want to make sure not to lay down roots here. Am I spending useless hours on entertainment, or am I investing in my future? Am I teaching my kids to long for Heaven and preparing them for it? And what does that look like? For me it means that for now, while my kids are young, I help them lay a solid fondation of knowing God and so as we get down on the floor and play, I look for every opportunity to teach them and praise our Maker. To help them to know that their brain that helps them put together puzzles, is from God, their imagination as we play house, that comes from God. When we go for walks, looking for the beauty and creativity that God put all around us. Kacia knew Megan better than Kevin and I as Megan had spent a great deal of time serving the kids in our church before she got sick. So as I was telling Kacia of Megan's death, she knew and understood that we're not sad for Megan, we rejoice for her, but we're sad for her family and friends who will miss her. (Death is a very real thing to my kids, something we talk about often because of their grandparents. Heaven is often the conversation in our car.) Kacia took the news fine, she has a very compassionate heart. Then after about 10 minutes, she looked at me and asked if Miss Megan had gotten married, and I told her no, and then this look of sadness came across her face, as if to say "that's too bad". And I quickly reassured her that though that might seem sad to us, it's okay because Heaven is far greater than marriage! And now that Megan is there, she's not sad about it either. Yes, marriage is a gift God has given us, but it pales in comparison to all that awaits us in glory! I want my kids to see that nothing here on Earth is better than Heaven, nothing temporary and impefect can ever be greater than eternity and perfection! I want me and my family to be standing on the Rock so that when a storm comes (and it will), we keep standing. There may come a day that you get an unexpected diagnosis or a terrible phone call that changes everything, will you still be standing? Our world is full of pain and suffering, and yet as a believer, we have hope that it is not all in vain. We have assurance that we serve a Mighty God who sees the big picture, and who always loves us. This love does not keep us from pain, but it makes it bearable because we don't have to walk in it alone and without purpose. And this Big, Huge, God who created all and transcends all time, is also the same Father who holds you and comforts you in times of pain and rejoices with you in times of triumph and joy. What a Mighty God we serve! May we make each day an investment in our future. May we strive to live in light of eternity. May we make every effort to know God more so that we may never question Him. May we soak ourselves in His Word so that we will hear and feel His comfort when the tears come. May we keep our eyes and hearts focused on the One that ordains and orchestrates our days on this Earth and will someday welcome us home! "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"
(A few verses to see God's sovereignty in our trials: Deut. 8:3, Ps 66;10-12, 2 Cor. 12:8-9, 1 Pet 1:6-7, James 1:2-3,12)

A Little Bit of James

So for those of you who know my brother James, hearing that his first word was "yump" (aka jump), that he learned to walk at 9 or 10 months ( I can't quite remember), and taught himself to ride a two-wheeler at the ridiculous age of 2 1/2 probably doesn't surprise you. James is the type of kid (now young man, I suppose) who has always been good at every sport, really good at most. He is very stubborn and determined and absolutely loves to do anything that others might see as slightly "crazy". If you have ever seen him on a wakeboard or snowboard, you would know that James doesn't have too much fear, and loves to go bigger and higher on whatever. (This is why when he purchased a motorcycle a couple of years ago, I panicked a little!) Anyhow, all of this to say I am beginning to see a little bit of James in my 9 month old son. I found him a couple of weeks ago on his way up our slide. Sure enough he made it to the top with great ease, and has no fear of doing a faceplant off the top platform. Oh, life with a boy is so different! At least it looks like Kacia will have a sibling to go on the big roller coasters with!

The Blogger Slacker!

Lincoln and Landon are only 10 days a part!
They were kind of like little puppy dogs crawling all over each other, pulling hair, and Lincoln's favorite game- stealing the pacifier.

Kacia getting a little too close to Weston- she's going to be my little flirt!

So I know I have slacked a little recently! I had good intentions of posting at the beginning of the week, but in all honesty, I don't know where this week went!

Well, last week Kevin went down south to the Shepherd's Conference. He had a great time, came home with a completely new library (we already needed bookshelves after selling our entertainment center, now we really need some!) and feeling a little nostalgic of our college days. But while he was gone, my very dear friend Suzy came down to visit with her 3 boys. Suzy and I have been friends since I was in the 7th grade! It is hard to believe we hadn't seen each other in 4 years! She hadn't met Rylin or Lincoln and I hadn't met her youngest, Landon. But there are those friendships that are just rooted in such a strong way that not "seeing" each other doesn't really change the friendship, and this is one of those. We've walked through a lot of life together, there are bonds that just go beyond distance. We talk on the phone and read each others blogs, but it was so great to spend time together- to watch our kids interact and play, to stay up late eating ice cream and talking, and just catching up on lost time. I greatly appreciate her making the drive down from Oregon. I think it is good neither of us knew that she would have to face snow, hail and buckets of rain beforehand, but hopefully it was worth it in the long run (it was for me!). Her boys don't love the camera, so I unfortunately only got pics of Landon and I snuck a picture of Weston, her 7 year old. Somehow I didn't get one of Logan (he's 5) or the two of us! I guess we used her camera more than mine!

Thanks for coming Molens!

All Boy

So this little guy is all boy! This last month can be summarized by this statement - 3 ear infections, 4 new teeth, and still going strong! Ear infections or teeth alone were always reasons that life seemed to stop with the girls, but this is not the case with Lincoln. It was occasionally obvious to me that he wasn't feeling quite like himself because he wouldn't eat as much and he would have fussy times where I just couldn't get him happy, but for the most part, he just kept pushing through with his big ol' grin. The dr. rechecked his ears today and said the infections had cleared up, so we are just praying for no immediate runny noses in his future!

Kevin and I are wondering if we picked the wrong presidential name, perhaps Hoover would have been more fitting because this kid sucks up every little and big thing he can find on the ground. He has also discovered that climbing is quite entertaining (did I mention, he was all boy?). It used to make me nervous when he would climb under our coffee tables, but after watching him, he very methodically thinks his way down, and then does it over and over again! He is also pulling himself up on everything! Yesterday Kevin moved his crib mattress down because he discovered he could stand up in his bed, and who wants to lay when you can stand? He has taken a couple of falls, (it appears that curtains aren't the most stable thing to hold onto,) but he is quite tough, it doesn't seem to faze him much, because he just does it again. He is growing up way too fast, but at least he is making it so easy to enjoy every minute!

"R" Queen

So Rylin is fascinated with letters. She always asks me, "How you write 'Mom'?" "How you write 'Kacia'?" And until recently, she was always content to just scribble something as I would say "M", then she'd say "what's next?" "O" and she would scribble something else. And so on. And then I realized that at her age, Kacia knew how to write her name, and maybe it was time to start working with her. She is quite independent and quite motivated. We bought her own book that has two lines to practice each letter, and then you just wipe it off, and practice again and again and again. Rylin wants to practice her letters constantly! She is starting to branch out from the letter "R" now but, the first day it was all about "R"! She has now perfected the letter "L" and "I" but "Y" is a little tricky. She'll practice it briefly and then move on to an easier one like "O". But I'm thrilled that she's so excited. She is also quite good at "reading" Kacia's home readers. Kacia will read the book through a couple of times and then Rylin will want to try. Most books she's quite good at, but as Kacia is advancing through the books, they are getting a little more challenging and little harder to quickly memorize. It is so much fun to watch your kids learn and love it! (Aunt Sabrina, you'd be proud! Maybe next time you come to visit, not only will Rylin sit through a book you read, but will also "read" one to you!)

What's New with Kacia

So what's going on with Kacia these days? We took her training wheels off of her bike this weekend. This was something that was long overdue. She was so excited, and then quite hesitant. She wouldn't pedal fast enough to even make Kevin jog, but after some "pep talk" (telling her everyone we know who can do it) she is quite anxious to get out there and try it again. Too bad the rain is keeping her and her competitive spirit indoors.

In other news, I think she might be a democrat. They watched the swearing in of our new president at school and she now seems to have an overwhelming amount of respect for him. Everytime she sees a magazine cover with him, she thinks we need to buy it and everytime we flip the tv channels and he's on, she thinks we "have" to watch it. It has brought about some interesting discussions and we are reminded by our 5 year old that God does command us to respect and pray for our leaders. It is also a good tool as I can continue to attempt to tame her tongue and attitude- "Would you talk to President Obama like that?" (I should clarify that I do use other examples and Scripture as well :) .)

She is also a big fan of country music. We primarily listen to the "Seeds" cd's in our car, but every once in awhile I need a break and will put on one of my cd's. I now get requests for "hey son, what's your problem" (Carrie Underwood- All American Girl) and "Juliet" (Taylor Swift- Love Story). When I hear how quickly my 3 and 5 year old can learn a song and sing along, it makes me think twice about what we listen to!

She is also loving her Bible. She loves to find our memory verse of the week in her Bible and then she will challenge herself to find it over and over again. She also loves to sit next to either Kevin or I when we are reading and open up her Bible to the same passage. Sometimes she looks for words on the page she can read and other times she is just content to have it open and will flip to different books to keep up with wherever we are reading. I think it is quite cute!

There's your update on our eldest!

Things I Love

Before haircut #4

After 1st big boy haircut with the clippers. Oh, he looks too old!

So Lincoln is now nearly 8 months old. I was thinking today about all of the things I really love about this age. I love:

-that he loves me so much.

Last week when I took Kacia to girl scouts, Kevin said Lincoln walked (in his walker) over to the front door, stuck his thumb in his mouth and just waited for me. Then on Sunday, when Kevin was trying to let me get an extra hour of sleep, he had to keep chasing Lincoln down the hallway because he kept crawling to my room.

-that Kacia and Rylin still ask to hold him everyday just like when he was a newborn.

He no longer just lays in their arms, but rather does everything he can to crawl out of their arms, but still they ask everyday.

-that sometimes in the middle of the night, after he eats, he stretches like a tiny newborn, and I'm reminded that yes he's growing fast, but he's still my baby.

You know that stretch, when they arch their back and stick out their little butt, and stretch their arms even though they're sleeping.

-that when he's ready for a nap, I lay him down, he tucks his knees, sticks up his butt, thumb goes in and he's out!

-that when he wakes up from a good nap, I can hear him cooing, and when he sees me come in, his legs start kicking, he smiles so big and he balances himself with one arm and reaches for me with the other.

-that it just takes one silly look to get a huge grin and little cackle .

-that I can practically see the wheels turn as he figures something out.

Things that I don't so much love:

-it seems he has a constant runny nose.

-having to always sweep the floors, and having my heart skip a beat when he starts choking on something I missed.

Yesterday it was an entire leaf from an oak tree that must have been tracked in on someone's shoe.

-that he loves to crawl into bathrooms.

I do wash our floors, but still it has to be one of the grossest places for his little hands to be!

-that whenever he follows me into the kitchen, he goes straight for the garbage can.

Another gross thing for his little hands, that will later be in his mouth, to touch.

-that sometimes when I put him in his bed he refuses to lay down and just wants to crawl.

Have you ever watched a tiger at the zoo that just circles their cage, that is what it reminds me of. Lincoln gets up on all fours and just paces around in his crib circling it.

-changing his diaper is practically a 2 person job.

On a couple of occasions we have come home to his pajamas completely unsnapped because babysitters couldn't keep him still enough to snap them up and eventually just gave up (which is totally understandable.)

So that is a small glimpse of our life right now with Lincoln. It is all going by way too fast but this kid is determined to grow up and there seems to be nothing I can do about it but enjoy every minute! Even the frustrating, gross ones! :)

Happy 30th Birthday Kevin!

My silly water bottles, party favors, and golf ball decorations, simply because I had a little too much fun being creative. (The little bucket (golfing) consisted of seeds, chocolate covered espresso beans and goldfish, just a few things to imitate Kevin's love for baseball, coffee, and fishing. Did I tell you a got a little carried away?).

Kevin's parents, the 2 people I fail to thank enough for shaping my husband into the man he is.

Breanna was gracious enough to not only help me with the dinner party, but also host it. Thanks Bre!

Not the most flattering pic of either of us, but unfortunately the only one I have!

Kevin turned 30 on Saturday. We celebrated by having a dinner party with family and some of our closest friends. It was a truly fun night celebrating my incredible husband. Since we did the dinner with just adults for a change, the kids helped us celebrate earlier in the day. We went to Starbucks for breakfast (surprise!) and then Kevin took the girls bowling with Zach and Sawyer. They had a blast playing "rolly pully" as the girls call it. All in all a very fun day!

Cookies!!!

Calling all Cookie lovers, Kacia and I have joined a Girl Scout troop, (her uniform is on order or I would have posted a picture with this) and it is cookie season. So I wanted to let all of my local readers know that if they are addicted to Girl Scout cookies like myself (oh, I LOVE the Samoas!), then to let me know and we would be happy to add them to our order.

Weak & Weary

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Yesterday I was painting (there is a lot of painting to do in this house!). Rylin and Lincoln were napping, Kacia was having quiet time and Kevin was working. The tv was off and I found myself alone with my thoughts for the first time in a long time, and I realized that I am weary and my burdens feel so great right now. And as my mind continued to process, this passage of Scripture kept coming back- God promises to give me rest! Yes, I am slightly sleep deprived, but I have been for years and God has given me the grace to keep going, but what I've been feeling lately is not just fatigue from lack of sleep, but rather exhaustion from trying to carry my burdens, and those of others on my own shoulders. Why do I think I can do it all on my own? Why do I not surrender to the One who holds all things in His hands? Why do I need to keep learning the same lessons? So I wanted to encourage and challenge any of my readers who like me are weary, get on your knees and in the Word, it is the only cure-all!
This song was on today and encouraged me... (The girls think its funny and this song always prompts great conversation "Why it say Dance for Jesus, Mom? Fly to Jesus- that's funny, huh!)

Weak and wounded sinner, Lost and left to die,

O, raise your head for Love is passing by

Come to Jesus,Come to Jesus,Come to Jesus and live

Now your burden's lifted,And carried far away,

And precious blood has washed away the stain... so

Sing to Jesus ,Sing to Jesus ,Sing to Jesus and live

And like a newborn baby,Don't be afraid to crawl,

And remember when you walk sometimes we fall... so

Fall on Jesus,Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus and live

Sometimes the way is lonely,And steep and filled with pain,

So if your sky is dark and pours the rain... then

Cry to Jesus,Cry to Jesus,Cry to Jesus and live

O, and when the love spills over,And music fills the night,

And when you can't contain you joy inside... then

Dance for Jesus,Dance for Jesus,Dance for Jesus and live

And with your final heartbeat,Kiss the world goodbye,

Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side... and

Fly to Jesus,Fly to Jesus,Fly to Jesus and live

Fly to Jesus,Fly to Jesus,Fly to Jesus and live

Date Night

Kevin and I typically try to go on date nights pretty consistantly. When you have 3 kids that dominate the conversations in our home, sometimes this is the only way we can know what is going on each other's lives. We had an Outback gift card and Kevin had been waiting for the movie Defiance to come out, so Saturday we got a babysitter and had a few hours to ourselves.
4 Hours of Babysitting... $40.00
Dinner out (forgot to use the gift card!)....$48.oo
2 Movie Tickets...$15.00
A few hours of no baby spit-up, disciplining, interuptions, arguing or explaining...Priceless.

We did decide however that swapping babysitting with friends or using Grandma drastically changes the bottom line, but some things like growing and investing in your relationship with your spouse is far more important than our bank account!

My Little Puppy Dog

So Lincoln is quite the lady's man. He loves going for the girls' dolls whenever they leave them around. The day before I found him with this little girl, I caught him making out with Tinkerbell. He is crawling around quite well and quite quickly these days. He is starting to pull books down, and he chews on whatever he can find. Just the other day I was picking up one of the girls' games they had left out and the box was all chewed up in one spot. I feel like we have a puppy around the house right now. Shoes can never be left out of the basket because those get chewed on, and if you are sitting on the couch and your feet are visible, watch out, because as soon as he locks his eyes on them, they will soon be covered in baby drool! Oh life with a mobile baby! (I find it quite odd that all of my kids have crawled before they learn to sit, but it also seems to be the way they live- always moving, never still!)

Another Game of Tag

So if I understand this game of tag correctly, I am supposed to post the 4th picture from my 4th folder, so here it is. Kacia when she is 2 1/2 having story time with her dolls. (The open spot on the floor was my seat, but I had to get up to grab my camera!) She has always had a wonderful imagination and can make up the greatest stories- it's just now she's actually starting to WRITE them down! How did my daughter go from this little 2 year old with spaghetti sauce on her face to my bright kindergartner who is learning to read and write!

I tag... Kaitlin, Tricia and Melissa R. and Melissa S.

If I Had Written a Christmas Letter for 2008...

As I look back on 2008, two things stick out above all else- our Lord's incredible guiding and providing Hands! This past year has brought about a couple of major changes for our family. Obviously the most signigicant was the wonderful addition of our healthy and happy son Lincoln! I feel like I spent the first 6 months of '08 anxiously awaiting his arrival, and the 2nd 6 months, well, I feel like they were on fast forward! Seriously, I cannot believe he is 6 months old! Where did Fall go?
The second change would be our home address. Kevin and I are still thanking the Lord for providing this home for us and for the awesome way it has allowed Kevin to be around more! Our family time has more than doubled! Kevin and I really felt like we were moving blindly there for a little while, but God had a plan and allowed things to fall right into place in His perfect timing!
A couple of other noteworthy things...
Kevin continues to sell Real Estate in a very difficult and evolving market. God has provided some great opportunities through different people and circumstances which has allowed for Kevin's business to once again grow. We are still learning how to handle months with no paychecks and months with too many, but we are learning, and progress, even when it is small, is a good thing! We feel truly blessed that God continues to provide assurance that Kevin is in the right place for now, and that I am still able to stay home and attempt to manage our "sometimes chaotic" fort.
The girls have adjusted wonderfully to their baby brother! They are so patient and kind with him- and me. Kacia started kindergarten in the fall, and absolutely loves it! She is sometimes a little too smart for her own good and thinks she is older than she is, but she is also one of the sweetest and compassionate individuals I know! She is growing in her knowledge of Jesus and her questions often challenge me. Yes, she has that "childlike faith" but also possesses a need to understand issues like death, heaven, hell, eternity, etc. Rylin is our little turkey! She is so independent in some ways and still so dependent in others. She is my little helper around the house and keeps me constantly on my toes with the over abundance of energy she has. She is full of random words of affection, and showers us with hugs and kisses. And eventhough we thought Kacia was stubborn until we had Rylin, she has this ability to just melt all of our frustration and anger away in a split second with those big blue eyes! And as for Lincoln, my sweet little mama's boy is all I ever wanted in a son! Kevin and I are still sometimes in shock that we actually have a boy and need to buy blue things, although it is starting to settle in!
We thank our King and Savior for giving us 9 wonderful years of marriage together! For blessing us with our children, and for giving us the strength to raise them in a love and fear for Him! As I look back and reflect on this past year and look ahead to 2009, we pray that we will continue to rest in God's provision, and that whatever this year holds we will glorify our God in all things! Here's to the blessing of another year! Happy New Year!