Planting and Harvesting

Here we go again.  Another garden tilled, planted and watered.  Now we could just sit around and let it grow and do nothing else, but that wouldn't be gardening and would not produce a good harvest.  Most of the plants would die, a few would grow a bit and maybe one or two would produce fruit.  That would be a waist of a garden.  I do my best to get out there and pull the weeds and make sure it is getting the food and water it needs.  I know I make a lot of analogies of gardening and parenting but isn't it the truth.  We don't just have children to let someone else raise them or let them just grow with the weeds.  We must continue to make sure they have the food spiritually and physically they need.  We must take time to pull out the weeds that threaten to choke or stunt our children's lives.  We must see that they are planted where they are getting the rays of the Son of God in their life.  But we cannot smother them to the point that they aren't getting the oxygen they need.  And now it is a family that helps out.  I love it when the kids get out and help me remove the weeds from our garden and I also like it when they encourage each other to remove weeds from their lives and to make good choices.  It is important to be careful when removing weeds that we don't remove a plant.  There is a fine line between encouraging and criticizing, that is where we can pray for wisdom.  We will work on being the gardners/parents that God wants us to be and look forward to a harvest that will last all eternity.  Have a wonderful day and God Bless.

Here is the garden planted and ready to grow

Alicia

Finally a picture of our family

Look at him grow, the hat is still too big but cute

I just love kissing my babies, you can see how Aidric loves it too :)

I just love it when he smiles

Happy boy

Alexander spending some valuable time with Cassandra

Home Again!

Yeah, Yesterday at just before 3:00 Alexander made it home.  It was so sweet all the girls ran out to greet him and help unload his car.  Aidric was very good and interested in his big brother.  We had a relaxing dinner and then a couple of Alex's friends came by and played a song they had wrote for him.  It was very nice.  Then they got to play games and catch up.  Things feel so comfortable and we'll just enjoy our summer together before it is back to school.  Although we still have a bit a school left but it is just so good to have us all together.  Have a great day.
Alicia

Showing off his big brother skills

All of our children together.

Time for games.  

Optimism

I believe he is growing every day.  My little baby is doing wonderful and I don't take one thing for granted.   I love to see him stare at me with intrigue and try to mimic the movement of my mouth as I speak, or how he follows people as the walk by, or tries so hard to flex his little legs and stand as we hold him, and this amazing smile that lights up his whole face.  Not one milestone passes me by.   My little Isabella grew at her own pace and I just tried not to make a big deal about it.  This past year has been filled with doctors and testing and therapists, trying to help (?) and I must say it is quite tiring.  I have gone through pictures and watch family videos to see where things slowed down and I missed it.  I question what I might have done or what I could have done differently, what ifs fill my mind.  Maybe I shouldn't have done this or maybe I should have done this more.  My emotions go up and down as they check her for hearing loss, then MRI, EEG, genetic testing, autism...  All negative, praise the Lord.  Why doesn't she talk and what is going on in her little brain is, as one therapist put it, a puzzle.  I love her so much and my daily prayer is for her healing of whatever it is that is causing the delays.  I have been reading in my Bible about Jesus healing so many and the prayer of faith.  The other day I read Mark 11.  Verse 24 just jumped out at me:  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  So, I will continue in prayer, believe with faith as a mustard seed, and I look forward to posting one day of how Isabella talks our ears off, has asked Jesus to be her Savior, and sings to the Lord a new song.  It is my faith and choosing optimism that keeps me believing.

Here are a couple new pictures of Aidric.  My next post should include long awaited pictures of Alexander and Aidric together.  Their first face to face meeting is soon as Alex has finished his semester and is on his way home.  We have missed him so much and can't wait to show him his brother.  May God bless you all.

Alicia  

Danika and Aidric now 71/2 weeks.  :)

The girls sharing a joint family birthday party

Another Teen

This is such a big year for us.  Something special for each of our children.  Aidric-born, Isabella-preschool, Cassandra-starts kindergarten, Danika- double digits, Sierra-becomes a teenager, Latisha- will be an official adult, and Alex-will be entering his 20's.  Oh, my.  Well, right now it is Sierra's big day.  A beautiful teenager.  I am so blessed to have her and there is no fear as we enter the teens.  The other day a nurse at the doctors office commented on Aidric, "Oh, just wait until he becomes a teenager.  That is when the real trouble begins."  That is such a lie that many believe.  I have been blessed with my kids as teenagers and I have no worry of Sierra beginning her teen years.  Rebellion does not have to be a part of the teen years.  Every season of a child's life has its ups and downs but with God's help, rebellion does not have to be a part of it.  I recommend Keeping Our Children's Heart, by Steven and Teri Maxwell's

My labor and recovery with Sierra was wonderful.  It was one of the easy ones I had mentioned in my other post.  I was up and going the next week, and even went to the mommies group at our church. Not always the case but grateful when it is.

Sierra, we welcome you into your teens and are so blessed to have you in our lives.  I'm so thankful for the help you give me and the heart you have for the Lord and the things of God.  May this year just draw you closer to the Lord and give you even more direction in your life.  You are a wonderful pianist and I look forward to your next project. 

Lots of love,
Mom

And then there were 5

my lovely young lady

Spring is Here

Finally we are getting our plants to bloom and the yard to green.  No, I haven't got my garden in yet but Latisha has volunteered to get it going and the girls are wanting to help.  We might be a bit late but we will have a garden.  I love watching the trees flower and the daffodils and tulips in full bloom.  This time of year has been very exciting to me.  From March to June we celebrate 7 birthdays and an anniversary.  It makes for a busy time but very blessed.  Of course along with the lovely plants putting on leaves, flowers blooming and grass lushing up and turning green there are some weeds.  Oh, how if left alone these weeds can grow and take over my lovely plants.  Such a life lesson.  Be on your guard and remove weeds from both your life and the lives of your children before the weeds overtake them.  There you go, something to think about.  Well, here are some cute updated pictures of our new Aidric.  Loving time with my little guy and all my family.  Have a great day and God bless.

4 weeks

one month

smiling at mama.  Happy mama and happy baby.  

Danika double digits

Happy Birthday to my darling daughter Danika.  What a help and blessing you are.  I love watching you grow into the young lady of God you are becoming.  It is hard to believe 10 years have gone by since I first held you.  It was such a hard delivery and I was exhausted but as soon as they placed you in my arms a surge of energy went through me and all was well.  It was all so worth it and the only medicine I needed was holding you.  What a beautiful baby you were and a lovely double digit daughter you are.  Still with one of my favorite laughs in the world and all that hair, such a blessing.  Love you and God bless you this year.

Mom

A Time to Heal

It has been my observation in life that things, emotional and physical, take time to heal.  Not being a very patient person I have a hard time waiting.  I just want things the way they should be or at least I feel they should be.  When I was 14 I had knee surgery.  After 6 weeks of wearing a cast the doctors took the cast off.  The cast had gone from the tip of my toes all the way up my leg.  I promptly swung my leg off the table thinking I would hop down and be back to normal.  Well, I was unaware of all the scar tissue that had built up in my knee.  Pain shot through my very being, radiating from my knee. I felt paralyzed.  "Oh that's not a good idea," the nurse said and preceded to tell me it would be a while before I would have use of my leg again.  It was a good lesson.  A lesson that I continually put in practice.  There needs to be a time to heal from injuries in life.

I would like to encourage each mother out there that after having a baby it is a good idea to take time to heal.  Your body has gone through an amazing process of caring for and birthing a new life.  Now it needs time to heal.  This is good for both the mom and the baby.   I believe it is a time of bonding for mom and baby and the more time you take for the baby the more time for your body to heal.  I have stories after stories of mom's jumping back into the swing of life only to be in trouble mentally or physically and some have even ended back in the hospital.  Husbands I encourage you to help your wife to take care of herself and rest after having a baby.  A good friend of mine had her baby and a week later decided to go on an outing only to start bleeding profusely, passing out, being rushed to the hospital and in critical condition.  With my first baby I wanted to be supper mom but I quickly learned over working is not supper mom but stupid mom.  It gets tricky when you have lots of little ones at home so don't be against accepting or asking for help.  We are a part of the body of Christ and need to be here for each other.

It is not easy for me as I sit here typing.  I want to get up and do things I know I shouldn't and well sometimes I push the limits and then pay for it both physically and emotionally.  I am so grateful for all the help I have received from family and friends.  The C-section has prolonged my regular activities but I know if I allow myself time to heal I will be a better wife and mom.  Quite truthfully I don't want to make my recovery any longer then it needs to be.  Each recovery and birth comes with its own set of healing time.  I have bounced back from some births faster than others.  I encourage you when the time is right to not grow stagnant but jump back into being the wife and mother God has called you to be.  In the meantime rejoice in the season you are in and be blessed.

Alicia

Our Easter family picture.  Wish I knew how to photoshop Alex in.

Aidric first Resurrection Sunday

Sierra playing to Aidric 

Had to get profile picture or Aidric, looks a lot like his big brother

Alex at same age as Aidric above

Aidric now 3 1/2 weeks and mama.  We're doing great.