My Mom inspired me to write down all of the funny and adorable things Molly says. Plus my Nana keeps telling me "You better be writing these things down" ;) So I am. Enjoy.
"I berry hungary. Can I have whole grains for for breakfast?
"Molly and I had a fight in the car about who
loves Daddy more. I said-"I love him more because he is my husband!"
Molly replied-"I love him more cuz her's(we are working on he/her) is my
PRINCE CHARMING!!!!"
Molly-"I will never EVER eat my sandwich!!"
Me-"If you eat your sandwich you can sweep and vacuum."
Molly-"Yay!! I go eat it!"
To the slightly chubby 20-something guy in the
tshirt with the ripped out sleeves: If you don't want little girls to
shout out to the entire restaraunt that they can "see your boobs!" don't
wear nipple revealing clothing. And don't glare at my kid. The end.
Molly has recently developed a fear of
thunderstorms as well as a habit of calling me "sweetie"(just like
daddy). So last night when she said, "I scary of thunder. I sleep with
my Sweetie?" how could I say no? Of course I still have to learn how
to slerp with toddler elbows in my chest and curls up my nose...
Eating our leftover Red Lobster for snack and
Molly holds her shrimp up to the fish bowl to tell the fish, "I like
fish. Them's is yummy. This your friend?"
Last weeks Awana verse was "All have sinned."
This weeks is, "All He had made was very good." Molly's version is,
"All have sinned very good."
The other day when we were at the doctor he
asked Molly where she lived. She replied, "I live at home." Doctor,
"Where is home?" Molly, "By the spaceships."(thats the grain elevators)
Doctor, "Do any aliens live there?" Molly, "Ya, hims name is Dan."
All this time I thought he was an elevator operator but I guess he's
really an alien.
Just checked on my supposed to be sleeping
daughter to find her reading the story Bible. "Mommy, it's my Jesus?"
Can't scold her for not sleeping when she is doing that...
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Conflict
One of the many things my hubby likes to poke fun at me for is the fact that I don't understand electricity. I what it is and the basics of how to handle it but I cannot comprehend how electricity gets from wind turbines to the socket in my wall. On our very long drive home from our honeymoon trip, we passed a few turbines and the conversation came up. After and hour or so of trying to explain it to me and seeing that I had not understood a word he was saying(in my defense it was because he was speaking nerd-talk) he looked at me and said, "Sweetie, there are wizards in the towers and they wave their magic wands and abra-cadabra! there is electricity in our house!" That works for me. Okay, I know it's dumb, but it works for me. I don't really need to know how it works as long as it does work.
The same conversation arose once when my brother(who is a gifted mechanic) was explaining what was wrong with me car. After talking about gaskets, seals, pistons and doohickeys I politely told him that, gas goes in my car and my car goes forward. Simple. I was taught the basics of car care, how to change the oil, tires and the basics of checking the engine. As a practical person I know that oil is a lubricant and therefore it must lubricate parts of my engine and is therefore, very important. The rest of it...I don't really need to know. That's why I have a handy hubby and brother who is willing to fill in hubby's knowledge gaps.
So now that you know my personality this part will make more sense to you. I believe the Bible is true from front to back. I believe that, with the exception of parables and prophecy, it is literal. Because I do not need to know the how's and why's of everything, my faith is easier. This is great for me. This is a problem for when I am sharing the Bible or my faith. I cannot count the times that people have asked me "How?!" and I don't have an answer because to be honest, I don't care how. This is a major flaw that has recently come to my attention. So my new goal is to learn. While I personally do not require the knowledge of how God created the world in only seven days, or where dinosaurs went, others do. And if I am to reach others I need to be able to give them more than my usual glib response of, "I don't know. I just believe." As a person who was raised in a faith filled home it's easy for me to say that God did it all and never question it but that isn't fair to those who do have questions.
I have taken a few spiritual gift tests in my life and I know that preaching, missions and teaching are NOT areas in which I score highly. I score very high in exhortation. Yay. Look up what exhortation and you will know why I am being sarcastic. Exhorting a person doesn't usually endear a person to you. Especially when your lowest scoring spiritual gift is Mercy so when exhorting someone you have to pretty much have to constantly be reminding yourself that God loves this person and so should I. I firmly believe that people should cultivate their spiritual gifts because that is what God has given them and He obviously wants us to use them. However, I also believe that the areas in which we are not gifted should be where we strive to grow. This week I heard that "Conflict is the most profound crucible for change."-Nancy Ortberg. That phrase applies to so many situations. Conflict in a marriage can strengthen or beak that marriage. Conflict in a friendship can completely turn that friendship on its head. Conflict in our own lives can cause us to grow or stunt. I do not like studying or learning things that are boring to me and this is obviously not something I am gifted in so it is a conflict to force myself to do that. I also don't like preaching/testifying/Bible thumping, and obviously that is a conflict with what I believe God calls his followers to do. I am hoping and praying that this conflict with bring about a change in me and, though I may never really understand why people need the answers and can't just believe, I at least will be able to share some answers to help lead them to Christ.
The same conversation arose once when my brother(who is a gifted mechanic) was explaining what was wrong with me car. After talking about gaskets, seals, pistons and doohickeys I politely told him that, gas goes in my car and my car goes forward. Simple. I was taught the basics of car care, how to change the oil, tires and the basics of checking the engine. As a practical person I know that oil is a lubricant and therefore it must lubricate parts of my engine and is therefore, very important. The rest of it...I don't really need to know. That's why I have a handy hubby and brother who is willing to fill in hubby's knowledge gaps.
So now that you know my personality this part will make more sense to you. I believe the Bible is true from front to back. I believe that, with the exception of parables and prophecy, it is literal. Because I do not need to know the how's and why's of everything, my faith is easier. This is great for me. This is a problem for when I am sharing the Bible or my faith. I cannot count the times that people have asked me "How?!" and I don't have an answer because to be honest, I don't care how. This is a major flaw that has recently come to my attention. So my new goal is to learn. While I personally do not require the knowledge of how God created the world in only seven days, or where dinosaurs went, others do. And if I am to reach others I need to be able to give them more than my usual glib response of, "I don't know. I just believe." As a person who was raised in a faith filled home it's easy for me to say that God did it all and never question it but that isn't fair to those who do have questions.
I have taken a few spiritual gift tests in my life and I know that preaching, missions and teaching are NOT areas in which I score highly. I score very high in exhortation. Yay. Look up what exhortation and you will know why I am being sarcastic. Exhorting a person doesn't usually endear a person to you. Especially when your lowest scoring spiritual gift is Mercy so when exhorting someone you have to pretty much have to constantly be reminding yourself that God loves this person and so should I. I firmly believe that people should cultivate their spiritual gifts because that is what God has given them and He obviously wants us to use them. However, I also believe that the areas in which we are not gifted should be where we strive to grow. This week I heard that "Conflict is the most profound crucible for change."-Nancy Ortberg. That phrase applies to so many situations. Conflict in a marriage can strengthen or beak that marriage. Conflict in a friendship can completely turn that friendship on its head. Conflict in our own lives can cause us to grow or stunt. I do not like studying or learning things that are boring to me and this is obviously not something I am gifted in so it is a conflict to force myself to do that. I also don't like preaching/testifying/Bible thumping, and obviously that is a conflict with what I believe God calls his followers to do. I am hoping and praying that this conflict with bring about a change in me and, though I may never really understand why people need the answers and can't just believe, I at least will be able to share some answers to help lead them to Christ.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Home Proud.
This morning I began to change Emily's diaper and realized there weren't enough wipes in the container for the nice little present she left me. So I quickly wrapped her back up and ran to her room for more wipes. Upon returning I found Molly chasing Emily with a wet wipe whilst Emily crawled across the floor with a half undone diaper leaving me---oh lets call them "drops of Love"---all over the carpet. I carried Emily to the bathroom and rinsed her head to toe because of the "Love" that had squished all over her knees and legs. Sigh...what a way to begin a week.
Anyone who watches the Nate Berkus Show will know that he talks about being "House Proud" all the time. Maybe it's because I have always wanted a beautiful home that I can show off, maybe because so many of my friends have beautifully decorated, nicely furnished, gorgeous homes or maybe because I tend towards a petty nature, but lately I have been longing for a nicer home. Not a different home...I like my house. Just in nicer shape. We are in the process of redoing some major projects and my imagination can carry me away sometimes. I have a picture in my head of how I want my house to look and I want it NOW! I want nice carpet, nice furniture, decorations that match and most of all, a room where I can put toys. I do not have any of those things. Nor will I have them anytime soon...well I will have the family room but my "soon" and Jared's "soon" are two different things. I was starting to get cranky.
Last week when I was making plans for my home I kept getting this feeling that maybe I was forgetting something. I had the feeling when I was shopping, when I was cleaning and when I was sitting at my computer. Finally I was so annoyed at this niggling feeling that I got up and wandered around the house trying to jog my memory. I firmly believe that "feeling" I was having was God telling me to get up and look around. I started to notice things. Things like, "Good grief! We have way too much food!" "I need to go through the clothes and get rid of some because we have WAY too many!" "The bathroom looks so much nicer than it did 2 years ago!" And then it began to make sense. I had been wanting something beautiful and bragworthy (yes, I did just make up a word, grammar police!) and the whole time I was sitting in the middle of God's blessings. So I sat down with a piece of paper and listed them. In the middle of the living room floor just looking around I covered the page, front and back, with gifts from God. My children and husband were at the top of the list of course but as I looked at the pictures on my walls(those that know me well know that "art" is diddly squat to me compared to photos of those I love) and listed 2 dozen people whom I love and love me. I have a house that was a huge blessing even though we didn't know it when we bought it. Sometimes I need to be smacked upside the head and thankfully I have a God who knows that about me.
Perhaps some people wouldn't want to live in my house with its two bedrooms and only one toilet(which I admit is not fun when pottytraining!) but I know that Jesus is here with us. When we are singing and dancing or having a pj's day or generally making fools of ourselves in our little home, God is smiling at us. Because doesn't call us to be happy once we have a nice house. He calls us to be happy with the gifts He has given us. By not rejoicing in the home I have been given and celebrating His gifts I was practically rejecting them. My ungratefulness was saying, "Not good enough God! I want better presents!" I definitely deserved a smack in the head for that one! There are a great many people in my life whose faith has been an inspiration to me and none of them have had nice homes, money, or even nice cars, but I never noticed...because they were HAPPY! And they praised God for what they had. Everyday. Lesson for Kaitlyn maybe???
I may not have a house that can be featured in a magazine, (or even in a blog for fear you will see the stains covering my carpet!) but I do have a home. A home given to me by a good God. A home where I can teach my babies how to Love and respect and be thankful. A home where they will grow and make messes and memories. And I am Home Proud! So when I whipped around to yell at Molly(after cleaning up the baby) for getting poo all over my floor and she grinned a big proud grin declaring, "Mom I help! I change Emmy!", I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my arms and told her that she was a big helper and she did a great job....then I told her she needed to help Mommy clean the carpet. Which she did...while singing...because my child loves to clean...shes weird. I spent 30 minutes cleaning yuckiness out of the ONLY carpet in the whole house!!!!(How does this always happen on the carpet!!!) But it was okay. Because this is not a dream house but a house in which to dream. Not a lovely house but a home well loved. Not a show home but a home in which to show our love. Someday I will have a mansion in heaven but until then, I will try to use my little home as a place to lead my children to their own mansions in heaven.
Maybe someday I will have a beautiful house with pretty furniture but at this point in my life, I am happy I have a home where spills and stains are just spills and stains and nothing more.
Anyone who watches the Nate Berkus Show will know that he talks about being "House Proud" all the time. Maybe it's because I have always wanted a beautiful home that I can show off, maybe because so many of my friends have beautifully decorated, nicely furnished, gorgeous homes or maybe because I tend towards a petty nature, but lately I have been longing for a nicer home. Not a different home...I like my house. Just in nicer shape. We are in the process of redoing some major projects and my imagination can carry me away sometimes. I have a picture in my head of how I want my house to look and I want it NOW! I want nice carpet, nice furniture, decorations that match and most of all, a room where I can put toys. I do not have any of those things. Nor will I have them anytime soon...well I will have the family room but my "soon" and Jared's "soon" are two different things. I was starting to get cranky.
Last week when I was making plans for my home I kept getting this feeling that maybe I was forgetting something. I had the feeling when I was shopping, when I was cleaning and when I was sitting at my computer. Finally I was so annoyed at this niggling feeling that I got up and wandered around the house trying to jog my memory. I firmly believe that "feeling" I was having was God telling me to get up and look around. I started to notice things. Things like, "Good grief! We have way too much food!" "I need to go through the clothes and get rid of some because we have WAY too many!" "The bathroom looks so much nicer than it did 2 years ago!" And then it began to make sense. I had been wanting something beautiful and bragworthy (yes, I did just make up a word, grammar police!) and the whole time I was sitting in the middle of God's blessings. So I sat down with a piece of paper and listed them. In the middle of the living room floor just looking around I covered the page, front and back, with gifts from God. My children and husband were at the top of the list of course but as I looked at the pictures on my walls(those that know me well know that "art" is diddly squat to me compared to photos of those I love) and listed 2 dozen people whom I love and love me. I have a house that was a huge blessing even though we didn't know it when we bought it. Sometimes I need to be smacked upside the head and thankfully I have a God who knows that about me.
Perhaps some people wouldn't want to live in my house with its two bedrooms and only one toilet(which I admit is not fun when pottytraining!) but I know that Jesus is here with us. When we are singing and dancing or having a pj's day or generally making fools of ourselves in our little home, God is smiling at us. Because doesn't call us to be happy once we have a nice house. He calls us to be happy with the gifts He has given us. By not rejoicing in the home I have been given and celebrating His gifts I was practically rejecting them. My ungratefulness was saying, "Not good enough God! I want better presents!" I definitely deserved a smack in the head for that one! There are a great many people in my life whose faith has been an inspiration to me and none of them have had nice homes, money, or even nice cars, but I never noticed...because they were HAPPY! And they praised God for what they had. Everyday. Lesson for Kaitlyn maybe???
I may not have a house that can be featured in a magazine, (or even in a blog for fear you will see the stains covering my carpet!) but I do have a home. A home given to me by a good God. A home where I can teach my babies how to Love and respect and be thankful. A home where they will grow and make messes and memories. And I am Home Proud! So when I whipped around to yell at Molly(after cleaning up the baby) for getting poo all over my floor and she grinned a big proud grin declaring, "Mom I help! I change Emmy!", I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my arms and told her that she was a big helper and she did a great job....then I told her she needed to help Mommy clean the carpet. Which she did...while singing...because my child loves to clean...shes weird. I spent 30 minutes cleaning yuckiness out of the ONLY carpet in the whole house!!!!(How does this always happen on the carpet!!!) But it was okay. Because this is not a dream house but a house in which to dream. Not a lovely house but a home well loved. Not a show home but a home in which to show our love. Someday I will have a mansion in heaven but until then, I will try to use my little home as a place to lead my children to their own mansions in heaven.
Maybe someday I will have a beautiful house with pretty furniture but at this point in my life, I am happy I have a home where spills and stains are just spills and stains and nothing more.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Melancholy
I am having a hard time motivating myself today. In fact, it is after 4 pm and I am still wearing my pajamas. The weather is depressing. The fact that I really have nothing to do is depressing. But most of all, the fact that it is December 13th at about 4:30 pm is very depressing. 6 years ago today my dear friend was killed in a horrific car accident, the details of which I know too many.
I am, for the most part, resigned to the knowledge that God took her because it was her "time". I am not at all sad for her. I'm not even really sad for myself anymore although I do get melancholy at times when I think about who she would be today. I am devastated for her mother. Until Molly was born I had not really considered what Kristin's family had gone through and even when I did pull myself out of my selfish grief I don't think I could have possibly understood until I was holding my own baby in my arms. Now that my girls have wormed themselves so deeply into my heart, the concept of losing either of them is heartbreaking for me.
I always get edgy on this day. I get nervous about Jared out driving to and from work(even when the weather is perfect!) I call anyone I know who is traveling and I basically spend most of my time giving into my nervous habits. Today, I was changing Emily and when I was done I couldn't find Molly. On a normal day I would rationally assume that she is wherever she is not supposed to be which is most likely the basement. Today I ran around the house calling her name and what couldn't have been more the 15 seconds felt like 10 minutes. When she came padding up the stairs with that sheepish look on her face, I grabbed her and squeezed her rather than the usual punishment of being sent to her room. This silly anxiousness will pass by bedtime and I will wake up hardly remembering this at all. But in the meantime, I am holding my girls tight, getting ready to bake a pizza and hunker down with a movie for the evening. And I am remembering Kristin. Her smile, her laugh, her kindness, her mountain dew addiction and her heart.
I am, for the most part, resigned to the knowledge that God took her because it was her "time". I am not at all sad for her. I'm not even really sad for myself anymore although I do get melancholy at times when I think about who she would be today. I am devastated for her mother. Until Molly was born I had not really considered what Kristin's family had gone through and even when I did pull myself out of my selfish grief I don't think I could have possibly understood until I was holding my own baby in my arms. Now that my girls have wormed themselves so deeply into my heart, the concept of losing either of them is heartbreaking for me.
I always get edgy on this day. I get nervous about Jared out driving to and from work(even when the weather is perfect!) I call anyone I know who is traveling and I basically spend most of my time giving into my nervous habits. Today, I was changing Emily and when I was done I couldn't find Molly. On a normal day I would rationally assume that she is wherever she is not supposed to be which is most likely the basement. Today I ran around the house calling her name and what couldn't have been more the 15 seconds felt like 10 minutes. When she came padding up the stairs with that sheepish look on her face, I grabbed her and squeezed her rather than the usual punishment of being sent to her room. This silly anxiousness will pass by bedtime and I will wake up hardly remembering this at all. But in the meantime, I am holding my girls tight, getting ready to bake a pizza and hunker down with a movie for the evening. And I am remembering Kristin. Her smile, her laugh, her kindness, her mountain dew addiction and her heart.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Yep, they're cute!
 |
| Painting Pumpkins with Daddy |
 |
| A rare but super sweet laugh from my somber one. |
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| Pumpkin patch fun! |
"Mom, whereareooo?"
Molly's new favorite phrase is, "Mom, whereareooo?" It's such a little thing but it makes me all sappy and teary eyed. I guess I love that she misses me even when I just go to do laundry. I wonder how long she will "need" to know where I am at all time. So now you know how easily I can be turned into a giant puddle of goo from one simple phrase.
Now imagine what happens to me when Molly yells from her room, "Mommy I NEED you!" Yep. I fight back sappy uber-emotional tears and run to her side just to hear her say, "I want cereal."
We have recently started having "conversations" sometimes she will just jabber on about her toys or "read" me a book or she will just vehemently tell me something that is obviously very important for me to know. I know that the days of her wanting to cuddle with me are short and the days of playing a game a little less short but I am striving to encourage a great communication between us. My Mom and I talk for hours each week and never seem to run out of things to say. Even though we live 3 hours apart and I am all grown up I love talking to my Mom. I want that relationship with my daughter. I want her to want to talk to me. I spent many hours talking to my Mom in the evenings when I was a teenager and I can't imagine how rough those years would have been for me if we hadn't had that relationship.
Maybe someday Molly will be too old to sit on my lap or fall asleep in my arms(although I choose not to think about those days) but I endeavor everyday to build a relationship of communication with my baby girl. Today, when I took Molly into the grocery store I asked her if she had a fun day and she vigorously nodded and the said, "Play, gibberish, truck, gibberish, uh-huh, gibberish, Bubby(which means Abby) gibberish, baby, gibberish, Wee!" I really don't have any clue what most of that was but I do know that she played and saw a Firetruck and then played with Abby which apparently she enjoyed greatly! As she is learning to verbalize more and more each day I am so excited for our future conversations. It reminds me that even though I am going to miss our cuddle time and she is going to grow up...I will always have conversations.
Now imagine what happens to me when Molly yells from her room, "Mommy I NEED you!" Yep. I fight back sappy uber-emotional tears and run to her side just to hear her say, "I want cereal."
We have recently started having "conversations" sometimes she will just jabber on about her toys or "read" me a book or she will just vehemently tell me something that is obviously very important for me to know. I know that the days of her wanting to cuddle with me are short and the days of playing a game a little less short but I am striving to encourage a great communication between us. My Mom and I talk for hours each week and never seem to run out of things to say. Even though we live 3 hours apart and I am all grown up I love talking to my Mom. I want that relationship with my daughter. I want her to want to talk to me. I spent many hours talking to my Mom in the evenings when I was a teenager and I can't imagine how rough those years would have been for me if we hadn't had that relationship.
Maybe someday Molly will be too old to sit on my lap or fall asleep in my arms(although I choose not to think about those days) but I endeavor everyday to build a relationship of communication with my baby girl. Today, when I took Molly into the grocery store I asked her if she had a fun day and she vigorously nodded and the said, "Play, gibberish, truck, gibberish, uh-huh, gibberish, Bubby(which means Abby) gibberish, baby, gibberish, Wee!" I really don't have any clue what most of that was but I do know that she played and saw a Firetruck and then played with Abby which apparently she enjoyed greatly! As she is learning to verbalize more and more each day I am so excited for our future conversations. It reminds me that even though I am going to miss our cuddle time and she is going to grow up...I will always have conversations.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Fall blues
I love fall! I love the smell, the colors, the food and especially the clothes! I hate dirt. I hate dust and I hate mess. This causes a bit of an issue with my love of fall. You see, we live next door to 2 separate grain elevators. Elevators which run 24/7 this time of year. Corn dust has coated my windows, my back patio and my front porch. Which means that every time we open a door, corn dust comes flowing in leaving corn tracks all over my floors and all of my furniture covered in dust. This causes me stress. I have no motivation to clean because I know that I can't clean my windows or rid the house of dust, so I don't. Dog hair and cereal crumbs pile up on my floor which makes my early morning workout feel gross and depressing. Because I can't open the windows, it feels stuffy and smelly inside and I smell things that have no business being smells in my house.
So today, in an effort to rid myself of my annual fall blues, I am cleaning. I am dusting, vacuuming and sweeping. It may only last until Saturday(because Jared will be home all weekend and that means MESS) but at least for the next three days my house will be comfy and cozy again.
On the plus side, my house is tiny and I only have one bathroom which means cleaning the entire house takes less than an afternoon...or a little longer if Molly tries to help :)
So today, in an effort to rid myself of my annual fall blues, I am cleaning. I am dusting, vacuuming and sweeping. It may only last until Saturday(because Jared will be home all weekend and that means MESS) but at least for the next three days my house will be comfy and cozy again.
On the plus side, my house is tiny and I only have one bathroom which means cleaning the entire house takes less than an afternoon...or a little longer if Molly tries to help :)
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