Lately in pictures and some mommy thoughts

Max loves to pray before meals, even if everyone else has prayed already. 

"Amen!" 

Max napping in Mama's bed. I had to separate the boys during nap time so that they would actually fall asleep instead of making each other laugh and jump in each other's beds. Little stinkers. 

Laundry day! The kiddos love coming with me down the stairs to the laundry room where we live. Uly recently said how blessed his Grammies is to have a laundry room IN her house! hehe! Indeed, son. So count your blessings if you don't have to leave your house to do your laundry! ;0) 

Max LOVES his binkie and gee-gee (blanket). Someday he'll be all grown-up and not need it anymore but for now he's still pretty attached to them. Those little bits of comfort that mean so much to his little 2 year old heart. 

Scarlett is the little princess in the bunch. She's always fancy. Lipstick, hair done, dress on and sitting on a million pillows doing her schoolwork. 

So many precious moments happen everyday when you have a house full of kiddos. Somedays I can fully appreciate it all and other days I'm sleep deprived and grumpy and feel like I'm just trying to hold on till bedtime. I wish I was able to have the patience and endurance of Jesus all the time. You know those stories where Jesus has been ministering all day and finally gets alone to pray or rest and more needy people find Him? He doesn't get short with them and send them away in frustration, but instead He cares for them and heals them and serves them. I want to be that kind of mother for my children. I want to be kind and patient and gentle in tone towards them even on the days that I feel more frazzled and weary. So if I want to be like Jesus, I have to be filled with Jesus and abide in Him and pray for His Spirit to fill me constantly. 

After I get breakfast going for my children and get them settled I always grab my coffee and sneak back into bed and pray and read my bible. I listen to bible teachings while I workout and play worship music all throughout the day and memorize scripture with my children and pray all day long somedays, and yet I still fall short way too many times. I need Jesus every moment. That battle between the flesh and the spirit is so real and never ending and the moment I drop my guard, I start losing. Praise God that He is ever present and so faithfully with me and that in my weaknesses (which are many) He is so strong. 

My hope and prayer for each of you reading this is that you'll find encouragement in the Lord that even in your own discouragements and shortcomings and inabilities to meet your own expectations in life, that you'll find Him to be faithful and patient and kind. That you'll find strength in spite of your weariness and you'll discover new mercies every sunrise. 

"For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

Psalm 103:14

I'm so glad He remembers that!

lovelove,

Abs