Gifts For Jesus

I think this blog will be a good place for me to record some of the conversations I have with the kids. Karis & I have had some great talks about Jesus and just had another one. Heaven is very real to our little girl. She often talks about going to Jesus house and she knows it is a wonderful place to be. She once told me that I could drop her off at his house. When I asked her what they would do there she told me that they would play tea sets (have a tea party) and that she would let him borrow her new socks.

A few weeks ago she was sitting at the table, having a snack and thinking to herself (a rare thing because usually her mouth spills out everything she is thinking). Then after a few minutes she said, "Mommy, why don't we go to Jesus house right now?"

This morning when we were reading in her bible she said that she wanted to give Jesus stickers. I asked her what he would do with them. She said he put them on his shirt. I asked her why and she said because he loved her and then she added, "and I love him."

Recipe

I found this recipe and made this for the kids for breakfast this morning. It was really easy and really tasty.

Dutch Puffs
1/3 c. butter
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put butter in large shallow pan. Heat in oven until hot and bubbly. Mix flour, milk and eggs with mixer or blender until well mixed. Remove pan from oven and pour batter into hot butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately, adding syrup, honey, blueberry sauce or hot apples and cinnamon. Serves 4.

*When it first comes out of the oven it is really puffy but that goes down as it cools off. It really is best when served immediately.

Playset

This Christmas the grandparents gave us money for a playset in the backyard. Through their generosity we were able to get a wonderful set from an Amish family in Lancaster. As the weather has been getting warmer we have been enjoying it more and more. What a tremendous blessing it is to have this set. We are already making wonderful memories playing in our backyard.

Mercia riding in the baby swing.
I thought this was a sweet picture of our dear Karis.

Please excuse the boy with no pants. He only has a few pairs of shorts and they were all in the wash.

4 Months

We took Mercia to the doctor today for her four month appointment. For the record, her head is very small (25%- 39 1/2 cm), she is a skinny (25%- 12 lb. 9 oz) and tall (75%- 24 3/4"). The doctor says she looks good except she has exceptionally dry skin (sort of like sandpaper) and she has a double ear infection- poor thing. We are hoping the antibiotics work this time and don't give the constant runs they did they last time.

Quote of the Day

Erik brought home the Jesus Storybook Bible for Karis the other day and we've been enjoying reading it together. Yesterdaywhen I was reading to her I was effected by the following passage. It is from the end of the passage when Adam & Eve are being sent out of the garden.

"You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children- with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.

And though they would forget him, and run from him, deep in their hearts, God's children would miss him always, and long for him - lost children yearning for their home.

Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: 'It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I'm going to do battle against the snake. I'll get rid of sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I'm coming back for you!'

And he would. One day, God himself would come."

What a wonderful God and Savior we love and serve!

Quote of the Day

This recently read book Stepping Heavenward- great book! And this quote I found especially encouraging and provoking. The author writes in journal form and is recording something her sister in law said to her.

“She says I shall now have one mouth the more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music, and drawing. Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ’s name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers!” -Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward, p.228-229

Local Deals

A friend of mine recently sent me this list of local food deals. I'm posting here because it will be a good place for me to come and look when I can't remember what was on the list.

CALIFORNIA TORTILLA in Germantown - Thursdays from 5-8pm. Free Kids Menu item with Regular Entree purchase.

LONE STAR - Tuesday Nights, free kids meal with adult purchase of entree

BAJA FRESH KENTLANDS - Sunday, Free Kids Meal with adult purchase

CHICK FIL A GERMANTOWN, Tuesday Nights Free Kids Meal with Entree Purchase Thursday Breakfast, Free Kids Item with Entree purchase

WOODSIDE DELI - Wednesday Nights, All Children's Menu items are $2.99. Balloons, facepainting and family fun.

HARD TIMES CAFE - Sunday, Kids Eat Free with Adult Purchase.

Cafe Mileto - WEDNESDAYS, Kids Eat Free with Adult Purchase

Cici's Pizza - Monday Nights, Kids Eat Pizza Free

Bruster's Real Ice Cream- kids under 40 inches get a free baby cone. If it is raining or snowing everyone gets a second scoop free.

Allergies

My poor Dad has suffered with allergies his whole life. All of our kids have terrible dry skin most likely due to some sort of allergy. Well yesterday little Mercia has an allergic reaction to formula. I was out in the morning and I left a bottle of formula just in case I wasn't back in time for her next feeding. She drank about 1 oz and then I came home and took over but while she was nursing I noticed her face getting all red. She wound up with hives all over her face. I called the doctor and he said to make sure she was breathing okay and that if she was going to have trouble breathing it would start in the next 20 to 30 minutes. It was a stressful next 30 minutes. I'm so glad Erik was home. He prayed for her and that gave me peace. She is fine, no breathing problems and by night her hives were all gone. But she won't be having formula again. Our wise doctor, "Don't give her anymore."

Here is a picture of her from the other day (pre hives experience).

Dirty Boys

Our Jotham loves to get dirty. In fact there is little he does that doesn't involve somehow either making a mess or getting dirty. He eats yogurt and the bowl winds up on his head. He paints and the brush (with paint on it) goes up his nose. Well one of his favorite things to play in is puddles. When he finds a puddle he wants at it. So with all the rain we've been having we had a bit of a lake in our front yard. Every time I opened the front door Jotham would say, "A puddle, a puddle, shoes on, shoes on." So I said to Erik let's just let him go out there after dinner (right before his bath) and see what he does. We were having our friends the Smith's over and we suggested the idea to them to see if their son would like to participate- Carson was all for it (that boys has some hops). Here are a few pictures.

James 1:2-8

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I've been meditating on this verse a lot lately as my daily life as a mom presents constant trials for me. I know that my trials of crying or disobedient children pale in comparison to many others but they are certainly tests of my faith these days. So I started wondering what steadfastness was, I've linked it above. The definitions that stuck out to me were "firm in purpose and unwavering and firmly fixed in place." God wants, through my daily challenges, to make me one who is firm in purpose. So what is that purpose? Is it to become perfect and complete as verse 4 suggests? How ever is this possible? Well, apart from God it is not. Verse 5 is quick to say, if you lack wisdom you need to ask God who gives generously to all.

God doesn't want me to know everything, He wants me to ask him. So I don't know what to do when Mercia is crying- again- what matters is that I depend on God in these times not on myself. Being steadfast is not knowing what to do, it is knowing that God is good and that only when I am totally dependant on him will my faith become complete.

Brothers & Sisters

Yesterday I tried to take some pictures of the kids together. They were all dressed up so nice in their Easter Outfits. Getting 3 children to sit still, look at the camera & smile proves to be very difficult. This was the best of the lot. The photo session didn't last long as Mercia lost patience with her brother and sister and started to cry.






I was able to get this cute one of Karis & Mercia later in the day. They looked so sweet in their matching dresses. I'm hoping & praying they grow up to love and enjoy each other even more than they do now.

Quote of the Day

When I choose to notice, every day, the beauty of my children instead of the duties my children bring my way, I am worshipping God. - Sally Clarkson

Blogging

Well we've decided to join the world of blogging. I've always found the concept a bit strange but after being encouraged by several ladies that I should blog as a way of keeping track of family memories and then having my hubby say, "I'm not sure why you haven't already set one up." I've decided to give it a try. Who knows maybe I'll like it and actually record some of the fun things the kids say and do.