My stay-at-home story

A couple months ago, I ran across Amy’s blog at The Finer Things. I really enjoyed perusing her site, and I quickly became a regular there. She posts some excellent recipes and kitchen tips. We actually made her brown bag burritos last night, and I had her lazy granola for breakfast this morning. Yum! Recently, she has been doing a series called, “Mommy, Come Home.” I have been inspired and encouraged by the posts that she and other moms have written. She offered the opportunity for other moms to share their stay-at-home stories, so I decided to write mine. Here it is. And if you have time, click over to Amy’s blog and check out the entire series.

I always knew I would quit my job and stay home with our children. My mom had stayed home with my brother and me. My husband’s mom stayed home with him. My heart told me it was the right path for us. Even though I felt so assured about this, the road to staying home had its challenges. I like having a plan for everything, and my plan was to finish my master’s degree and work as a school counselor awhile before we had children. However, I was six months into my master’s program when I felt God’s nudge to have children. I awoke one morning with an amazingly vivid dream still in my mind. In the dream, a doctor was urging Brian and me to have children immediately. Now, I don’t usually put much stock into dreams, but I couldn’t get this one out of my mind. Over the next few weeks, things kept happening that seemed to shout “Have a baby now!” Finally, I committed the whole issue to prayer. Was this the Lord speaking to me or just a bunch of crazy coincidences? After several months and lots of prayer, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was time for us to have children. Convincing my husband took a little while, and then it took some time to get pregnant, but in February of 2008 our son Daniel arrived.

Becoming a new mother was a wonderful, yet exhausting experience for me. I never knew that my heart could hold so much love. The joy was great, but we had some trials too. Daniel was colicky and did not sleep much for weeks. Being at home with a crying baby all day, every day was challenging. I remember at one point sobbing and saying, “My life is no longer my own!” And then this thought came clearly into my mind: my life never was my own. It always has and always will belong to God. That revelation brought peace and perspective to my heart.

Daniel is now 20 months old, and he is a delightful toddler. He learns new things every day, and I have the joy and privilege of watching him develop. I would not trade this time for anything. ANYTHING. It doesn’t matter that the money is tight or that homemaking chores are sometimes monotonous. It doesn’t matter that my degree is still incomplete (though I am praying about how and when to finish it). What does matter is that I am following God and doing what is best for our family. I am so grateful to have this opportunity!

This is my story. Many mamas have different stories that are just as right and just as joyful. God is the only One who knows what your “right” story is. I pray you find it, and that you are blessed.

Tea party

A few weeks ago, Daniel got to play with some brightly colored, toy dishes that our Parents as Teachers leader brought to the house. He loved them! And I liked how they gave us an opportunity to pretend and to talk about different colors. So, I set out to find a similar set of dishes for Daniel. Wal-Mart had some, but they were pink and purple--not exactly what we wanted. My mom finally found a set on Ebay and snatched them up for us. We got to play with them for the first time this week, and Daniel had a blast!





We were having so much fun that we even invited my mom over for a cup of tea!

The book is available!

My mom is an author!!! Her first book, shown above, was released today! I already have a copy, and it is a beautiful book. Here is a snippet from the back cover:

My Mom Has Alzheimer's chronicles the inspirational and sometimes humorous adventures that Linda and her mother have shared together. One hundred readings provide Christ-centered coping strategies that will enable caregivers to find strength and hope in God. This very practical book includes:

• Daily readings that contain stories about caregiving and related Scriptures.
• Words of hope for caregivers.
• A question-and-answer section that addresses issues such as respite care, legal counsel, and choices related to long-term care.

This book has been a labor of love for my mom. I am SO proud of her! If someone in your life has Alzheimer's Disease or if you are a caregiver of any kind, I highly recommend this book. It will be a blessing to you. Check out my mom's website for more information about the book and about ordering a signed copy. The book is also available at Amazon and Christian Books (although it is cheapest at my mom's site).

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Here is a photo of Brian taken on his second birthday. What a cutie!


And here is another photo of Brian, this one taken on his thirty-second birthday with his not quite two year old son. And he is still a cutie!


We have been told many times that Daniel looks so much like me (or my brother). However, as I flipped through Brian's childhood photo albums, I realized that our little blond hair, blue eyed boy most certainly does look like his father. Compare these two photos and see what I mean!

Brian at around 19 months.

Daniel at around 13 months.

Same cheesy smile...same little nose...same adorableness. Happy birthday, Brian. You mean the world to us.

Start your engines!

Daniel loves anything with a motor. One of his favorite pastimes is sitting in Brian's truck (or any vehicle) and pretending to drive. He always wants to hold the keys, and he has become very good at putting them into the ignition. So, I guess it should be no surprise that Daniel wanted to "start" his wooden ride-on cow. Where is the ignition on a wooden cow? On the back end, of course!

Our favorite lunch

During the summer months, Brian often enjoys a big, juicy BLT for lunch. I, on the other hand, am not fond of tomatoes. I try to like them, really I do. At least once a year, I force myself to take a bite of one, hoping that this time it will taste good. As of yet, it has never happened. So, while Brian has his BLT, I usually have an ABC sandwich. ABC stands for apples, bacon, and cheese. Mmmm! Make a couple slices of toast, put some mayo on there, and layer up the apples, bacon, and cheese. You've got to try it. Yumm-o!

Loooooong week

Oh mercy, this has been one long week. Last Saturday, Daniel and I both came down with a virus. Upset stomachs, sore throats, head congestion. Ugh! You moms out there know what it is like to be sick yourself, but to have to keep going and care for a sick baby. It's not fun, especially when the baby decides not to sleep much for about five days. Anyway, we made it through, and today I woke up feeling revived. Unfortunately, I focused in on the house and realized what a wreck it had become! Imagine that! After mopping the floors and doing about ten loads of laundry, things are starting to improve.
Here are a few photos I snapped this week. In this first one, Daniel is enjoying the recent issue of The Furrow, a magazine published by John Deere. He was looking at all the tractor pictures and saying "Vroooooom...vroooooom!"


Below is our sick little boy watching Finding Nemo with his daddy.

And finally, here he is with his new favorite food...popsicles!