LadyMayandMJ

Away til the New Year!

I am writing from Florida and so thankful to be here.  Our annual Christmas vaycay with extended family is such a treat, a blessing really.  This is our Christmas gift to eachother and the kids.   No gifts because there is no point. Why are we buying gifts anyway?  When Jesus was born everyone wasn't giving gifts to eachother, they were giving gifts to Christ....lol...so why are we giving gifts to one another anyway?  We don't "do" Santa, never have. Santa has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus' birth, God coming to the world as man...I am pretty sure he was not dressed up in a red suit or arriving with reindeers....right?  So, if we take christ our of Christmas then what on earth on we celebrating?  A day in the year?  To do what exactly? Buy hoards of gifts for one another while lying to the kids about some fat guy dressed in a red suit...who only gives gifts based on my performance, naughty or nice?  What hope is there in that?  I would fail everyday!  But really it is not Santa versus Jesus at all, I say this all of the above because for me to live intentionally and purposefully I have to know why I am doing what I am doing.  Be able to explain my actions and motivations......to my kids especially...when those why questions come, then I have to have an answer. (or teach them how to seek out an answer)  How can I tell them which way to walk if I don't know why I am doing what I am doing  or where we are going if I have no clue???

Christmas is simple in our home....well, if we were there.:)  We celebrate Christ's birth and God's love for His people....."For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life".  John 3:16

Jesus comes into relationship with us because He loves us.  To live with us because He loves us.  To hurt and heal and laugh and cry with us because He loves us. And also do die for us because He loves us.  That is what Christmas is about.  Is that not the greatest gift you could ever receive?  I became a Christian just after Christmas 12 years ago and my life was changed and transformed like nothing I've ever experienced.  From hopeless to hope, from death to life from darkness to light, from lost to found......what a gift!!!......and I didn't have to be anything to receive it, naughty or nice (I was both)......I just believed in who Jesus said He was and picked myself up and followed Him and I have never looked back.

One of the first verses that stuck a cord in my heart was this one, "I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father but by me". Jesus I think the best way that I can describe how I felt back then was this....."I was lost and now I am found".  

All my hope is in Christ and that is what I point my kids to everyday, 365 days a year and we celebrate Jesus birthday one day each year....(the girls are hoping for cake and ice cream here I think).

Happy Birthday!

Canvas Girl and Narcissism

They really do use her like their wee canvas..drawing on her as they like. She loves it.  I think I showed that in past posts.  This is MJ's latest piece...the girl, as shown by little Blu.  I love her dolly drawings.  They are simple and sweet and I like how she captures how she sees little girls right now....mind you, I would like to see them with some clothes on. 

I want to add this link (if I haven't already) to the current series The Meeting House is doing called "Get Over Yourself".  It is super fabulous!  It looks at our narcissistic culture from the areas or our self-esteem (the culture of me), to our apprearance (the culture of hot!), materialism (the culture of mine), entitlement (the culture of special) and this next week is....I am not sure.  Just click on the link and go to teaching at the top of the page and you will find the current series.. I recommend watching the videos as I like to see the person as they speak.  I have thought a lot about and do think a lot about our culture we are living in and how it affects me, how it is affecting our kids and what I need/want to do to live a Christ centered life within that, so  a lot of this isn't new to me. But for so many this is new stuff and important stuff to think about.  I think so many are sick of materialism and our buying habits and how we see it affecting our kids and the disconnected views they seem to be having with sTUFF and life....what do I need to be doing differently as a parent in order to teach them selflessness and other-centered living in our self-centered world? How much is too much? Too much technology....too much time away form one another, too much separateness?  What choices do I need to be making in order to keep our family together, to keep and guide their hearts, to teach them how to navigate through this narcissistic culture?  I think no matter where one finds themselves right now, with faith or without or not even sure what that is, check this out!  It takes about half and hour to watch/listen too and I think it is time well spent.  Would love to know thoughts if you do happen to listen.  I particularly loved the week on materialism and heading into the Christmas season, this is a great one to listen too first!  But I also just loved this past weeks on the Culture of Special.  It was directed towards parenting and the parent child relationship.  I could go on........I LOVE IT!

Character Qualities

I just love when I find resources that keep me organized!!!  This is from the Dugger Family website (love that family).  I need all the help I can get when trying to get organized....I think I am the worst...and I only have 5:)  Character training is so much harder than dishwasher or garbage training...how can I train the heart?  I can only train the heart to point itself towards the Lord and He can do the rest.  I definitely can't!!! Today was one of those..."I stink at this mothering thing..big time!! days"....better to just go to bed instead....off to Sick Kids tomorrow for our bi-annual check up!  Thank God for that place.Download Characterqualities

btw ...I will have to add the other 4 kids head shots in this kitchen series...my native mj makes me laugh. Her beads, her expression, this is her, right now:)

New Love

Noe life and new love ......and with someone you love to share it with......there is nothing like it in the world:)  Look forward to enjoying others posts:)

My Dolly MJ

Found this from a few summers back last night when I should've been in bed fast asleep.....it is so hard sometimes to crawl into bed when I should (sigh).  The one problem I have with digital is that nothing ever seems to get printed!  Thousands sit on the computer, never looked at, never talked about, never enjoyed...how do I change that?  What do others do to stay on their pictures for their families? Help!

Engrossed in her art and laundry duty days

Our Weekly Laundry Schedule

Monday.....Bubs

Tuesday....The Buddy

Thursday...The Dollies

Friday........Me and Hot Hubby

Everyone does their own laundry. We've been operating with this system for a few years now and it has been great!  I was always so frustrated when it came time to sort the laundry because it just seemed to take me hours to sort out whose was whose??!!!!  The goal is this....said child puts in hi/her laundry in the morning, switches it at lunch, or some point in the day and then they fold and get it back in their drawers by the end of the day.  That is if it works like clockwork.  If not, like most times, it is in their drawers by the next day.  Both boys have been dong their laundry for a few years now on their own and the girls just need help transferring between machines.  except baby Blu....she often needs help folding but  ya know what, she does a good job when she wants too and she's not even three:)

I think when they all see eachother doing chores, know this is what you do in our family, they just do it. They are caring for their things, they learn responsibility, life skills, teamwork, and character building and so on.  If their attitudes prevent them from working well then, that just earns them........drum roll please.....more chores!:):)  And not one likes that!

If my child is capable of doing something, no matter what it is in the house, cleaning toilets, unloading dishwasher, wiping handles then I say, "Giddy up baby and welcome to cleaning our home!" 

I used to have the mind set of,"Oh, I don't want to burden them, or they'll have their whole life to do that". Then I woke up out of my stupidness once I saw what I was creating in NOT teaching them chore responsibility and I've never looked back!  My job is to teach and train and guide them for His purposes.  I am not here to make them happy.  What is happy anyways? Getting what you want? Getting it easy? Forget it. I prefer to use the word joyful.  Joy is a fruit of the spirit and it is a choice.  Everyday to choose joy in all that I do and to teach that, to teach joy while scrubbing toilets...well then, they really can do anything:)

 

I had one shot left on my camera, the sun was about to go behind the trees so I had to get it.  It was the kids idea and I was so glad I captured their vision:)  This is also my first entry into this i heart faces competition.  So fun!!! I look forward to seeing what other people entered in this category.

Boy Miles

The story of Baby Miles is powerful.  I will have to get a clip of his story from the family because it is sure to inspire and give hope.  God is at work in this man's life (does He ever stop though:)  But for now these pictures will have to do.

Sweet Wee Friends......

I think it is funny how I caught these wee sisters in the same position, giggling in their mama's arms.  There is no place quite like being wrapped in the arms of your mom.

This photographs are from way back in the summer.....seems like forever ago. Up at the cottage running around naked (the kids, not me that is..lol) hot tubing, lake swimming and friends. I have wanted to share some of these pics but time is just not standing still for me these days!  What on earth?

We bought and sold our house in one week, last week.  Craziness, yet through it all I was very peaceful.  Which for me is huge because in my own strength I am a spaze (sp) through and through.  It was orchestrated so perfectly it really just made me cry.  I felt like God was doing something because I can tell you, I was sure doing nothing! Everything just came together and I am nothing but overwhelmed with thankfulness...and excitement!

We've been keeping an eye on the housing market for over 2 years, since we started homeschooling, just to see if anything might pop up that fit us perfectly.  And in all that time nothing has come up.  Yes, I've found many homes that imagined us in, redecorated and made it all work for us (in my head) but there was always some element that never quite fit totally.  Until this.  I won't go into details as there is much time ahead of us before we leave our most lovely street, filled with neighbours we love, and those who tolerate us....does anyone want to live next to a family with 5 kids? Especially if the mom wants more?  I do stay tolerate with joking affection because we really do have the best neighbours, gracious and warm and kind....I am so thankful they've put up with us....well, really me, especially during a very dark time in my life when all i did was scream and cry (that was after babe #4 and I definitely was not well).  That is another story completely!

I am off to turbo jam in the basement...I am feeling very motivated this week.  It does help when ones' almost 13 year old son tells you your bum is really big! after you come down in a pair of jeans that you haven't put on in 3 years.  Awesome!  Remember, I've been wearing skirts for the past 3 years and the other day I thought I'd put on some jeans..just to see........but then he drops the bomb on me. Proof! I say to my husband 'that wearing a skirt hides that shape and size of ones buttocks'. ...lol.....I hope you all are laughing...I certainly was.  The skirt was back on after that. 

I did have a friend tell me that maybe I just need to buy a new pair of jeans.  Is she kidding? I should be able to fit into my jeans I wore pre no kids right?  (well, they are really only after #4...#5 took my body to a new place I haven't been able to bring it back from) I could go on.......

Some Little Bits

"Blu what are you doing in there?"

"Wasting toilet paper Mama."

Awesome.....and she was:)

"MJ what would you like for your birthday?"

"Mama, all I want is my very own new skates."

And here they are..she wore them ALL day the other day while we did school.   Up and down stairs, sitting at her desk, up eating lunch, going to the bathroom.  I think they were on her feet for 6 hours. Don't you love using the gifts you get?