more thanksgivings.....

I am telling you what: I must be one of the most blessed people alive. Look at these kids! They're funny, smart, and soooo cute.
What has been going on with us? Well...... I started teaching again. Second grade at Weir. I LOVE it. I also love the income! Larson stays with "MawREE" during the day and he absolutely loves her. And Ms. Sherry and Ms. Amber. They love him too. I couldn't ask for better daycare. I still hate saying he goes to daycare though. Oh well. We are both really happy with our current situation!
I have cleaned and organized over this Christmas break and our house is looking really good. We are learning how to "maintain" a clean house a little better.
Signing off for now.

Thanksgiving

I have soo many things to be thankful for today. Here is just a short list:
1. Four healthy children.
2. A husband who loves me.
3. Our warm house
4. Two working vehicles
5. Food, grape salad especially

Changes

Well, a lot has changed since the last time I blogged! I got a job teaching second grade at Weir Elementary School. I LOVE IT! The first two or three weeks were REALLY hard. It was extremely hard to get used to the routine of getting up really early and getting lots of people ready to go somewhere! But oh, was it worth it. I am sooo happy. I feel so fulfilled. Larson is going to daycare and he LOVES it. Even when I had to stay home with Calla one day because she was sick, Larson did NOT want to stay home with me, he wanted to go to SCHOOL. He absolutely loves it. His teachers are wonderful. They take really good care of him and love him. I don't worry about him at all while I'm at school. Keeping up with the Spanish is hard, BUT... it's worth it too. I like doing that, and I don't want to give it up, even though it's hard. It is a wonderful source of extra income. Which is greatly needed for raising all these kids! The older kids are happy at school. Calla LOVES pre-k, Micah loves Kindergarten, and Macey tolerates fourth grade! Fourth grade has been pretty hard so far. We'll make it. The LORD has truly blessed us. Thank you, JEsus.

First day of School- 2009

Macey is in 4th grade, Micah is K, and Calla Jayne is in PRE-KINDERGARTEN. How is this possible? Larson is 2 and will be home with Mommy! I got over 60 Spanish students this semester! Isn't God good? Income for the stay-home Mommy. Fabulous. It IS a lot of work, but at least I get to take breaks throughout the day to play and do some housework. Uh..... Usually I only do the housework that's absolutely necessary like the dishes and laundry. But we do get a lot of playing in! Oh and LISTEN TO THIS. All the kids are doing CHORES. Imagine that! The house is much more orderly now. Well, a little more orderly....

Enough

Good morning to you! Even though I was in the pits yesterday, and on occasion for the last week, it is so easy to see God's goodness in everything in my life. It is so easy for me to get down, and that's exactly what the Devil wants from me. He wants me to question whether or not I'm making a difference with my children (in a good way). He wants me to wonder if God REALLY told me to stay at home. He wants me to sit around feeling defeated. He wants me to be depressed because I don't have an income.
My sweet husband and I talk about all of these feelings that I have regularly. He is so supportive of me and he is quick to remind me that we knew that we would have to make sacrifices in order for me to stay at home.
When I am feeling that way, I pray. The Lord reminds me gently of all He has given me. A wonderful, loving husband, and four beautiful, healthy children. And those things are ENOUGH.

Good times, good times!!

Uh... I was a bit of a downer in my last two blog entries! Gag-a-maggot! I hate it when I'm like that. My sweet sister, Keryn, a.k.a. The Princess of Darkness, has always called me "Suzy Sunshine". That is my normal personality, and gosh, I hate it when I'm all depressed and stuff. It really doesn't suit me, does it.
Oh, my kids are growing up so fast! Macey will be nine at the end of July. Micah is 5 1/2, Calla J. is 4, and Larson just turned 2! Two years old! How is it possible? Macey is at church camp, Camp Lake Stephens, in Oxford, this week. I MISS HER SO MUCH! There's nothing like a week away from each other to make you appreciate someone a lot more. Woo- I can't wait to see her again. She is having a marvelous time. They have a website and I've been looking at pictures of her smiling face all week. So precious.
I just read my aunt's blog, and she had this questionnaire on there about things you've done. A lot of them were about places you've been, and I realized that I haven't been to as many places as I want to go in this life. I want Shea and our kids to visit these places too. What is the secret to doing lots of things for your family and not feeling guilty about it when there are so many families out there that are just struggling to survive? There I go again. I've got issues!!!

The Good Life

Although I do get down about life sometimes, I know well what the Lord has done for me. He has given me a loving and supportive husband, and four beautiful, healthy, smart children. Who else has all those things? Not many people. He has also provided us with a HOME, vehicles, food, clothes, money to pay the bills. The biggest blessing that he's given me that I can think of right now is the ability to stay at home with my children. That is HUGE. Not many women in this day and age are able to, or even want to, stay at home with their kids. God has given me the desire (mostly!) and HE has provided the money for it to happen. Thank you, LORD. One day we'll have a bigger house and a van that doesn't smell like spoiled milk. But one day these kids will be gone, too. And I will have gotten to spend as much time as possible with them before they go.

Today

Today. Today is a new day. Yesterday I felt a little better than the day before. The day before that was terrible. I have been so mad about life's unpleasantness. I have basically been mad that I have to live in such a tiny house with so many people. What did I do to deserve having to stay here, with no room to move, no playroom for the kids' toys, no closet space to store the hand-me-down clothes that the kids will wear "someday".
Then something happened. I had been feeling really sorry for myself for like a week! I prayed, I got tired of praying, I prayed more, I got furious about having to pray for so long for something I want. That something that happened was that I listened. I listened to what God had to say on the subject.
"Be still and know that I am God." This is the second time in my life that He has said that to me. The last time he said it, he brought my wonderful, precious husband to me. And I know that this time when I wait, he will bring me just what we need. He loves me and He has always taken care of me.