Still Singing...

One year ago today marked the beginning of my knowledge of one two of the greatest blessings I've ever known. On October 13th, 2008, just three months after having a miscarriage, I found out I was pregnant again. Little did I know then that in a year's time I would have 4 1/2-month old twins! Knowing what I know now, it's fun to go back and read what I wrote shortly after seeing the appearance of The Second Line....

A year later, I am still singing, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Kreativ Blogger Award (and 7 things you might not know about me...)!

I got a blog award from one of the neatest women I know! I "met" September McCarthy in the blogosphere earlier this year and have been very encouraged by her love for God and for her family. I am so glad that her blog is on my "reading list," and I am humbled that she is passing an award on to me.

THANK YOU, SEPTEMBER! (Click on her name below and visit her blog.)

My friend September over at One September Day gave me an award and asked me to pass it on to 7 of my "Kreativ Blogger" friends. Here are the rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

Copy and paste the award and post it.

Tell seven interesting things about yourself that people might not know.

Pick 7 Kreativ Blogger Friends to pass on the award to, link to them, and ask them to list their 7 things and to pass on the award to 7 of their friends, and to link back to you.

Okay, here we go! I've already done the 100 Things and the 10 Things, so let's see if I can come up with...

7 More Things You Might Not Know About Me!...

1. I enjoy doing laundry and ironing. There is something about having everything neat and clean and in its place! :-)
2. The change of seasons always gives me the urge to spend money on new clothes for myself. Even so, I usually don't buy anything unless I really need it. (Honey, I just had twins four months ago. I might really need some new clothes this winter!) ;-)
3. For having four children under the age of four, I think I keep a pretty quiet and peaceful home (most of the time!).
4. I wish I could remember everything I read.
5. I like to make up songs and sing them to my kids. I guess my kids bring out my weird silly side! :-)
6. I never paint my fingernails because I can't stand the fingernail polish looking any less than perfect. (And it never stays looking perfect for very long!)
7. I love city living way more than I ever thought I would. It's so nice to have people and places in close proximity to home!

And here are 7 of my blogging friends!...

• Travis @ Eternal Outlook
• Melissa @ Love Not Your Life
• Amber @ The Flinn Files
• Todd @ InkLink
• Marti @ Better Believe It
• Lisa @ Blessed to be a Blessing
• Amy @ Raising Arrows

Isabel and Elliana's Four-Month Check-up!

On Friday I took Isabel and Elliana in to the doctor for their four-month well child exams.  As a breastfeeding mother, I was excited (and proud!) to learn that both girls are growing well and that Isabel is still closing the gap in size between her and her sister.  Two months ago Isabel was approximately two pounds smaller and two inches shorter than Elliana; now the difference is only about one pound and one inch!  Isabel is continuing to grow faster than the average growth curve, and Elliana stayed on about the same curve.  Here's their stats....

Isabel
Height:  23 in (just over the 10th percentile)
Weight:  11 lbs 6 oz (10th percentile)

Elliana
Height:  24 in (between the 25th and 50th percentile)
Weight:  12 lbs 3 oz (between the 10th and 25th percentile)

Let It Rain

"...he who waters will himself be watered." (Proverbs 11:25b NASB)

Do you ever feel like you are in a sort of "spiritual drought?"  I, myself, go through a dry season every now and again, and I am realizing that the cause always tends to be my circumstances the way I handle my circumstances.  All too often, I let my circumstances determine the fullness of my spiritual rain gauge.  When my circumstances lead me to--or are favorable for--spending time in the Word and in prayer, my rain gauge is full; but when my circumstances do not lead me to--or are not favorable for--spending time in the Word and in prayer (and I therefore fail to spend time in the Word and in prayer), I enter into a drought.

Sometimes when this happens, God, by His grace, allows a storm--a trial--to come my way (for certainly He knows that in times of trial I draw nearer to Him).  Other times, He sends another source of water:  a Brother or Sister in Christ who is joyful and strong in the Lord.  God recently used a couple such Sisters in my life to "water" me; and when I came away from talking to them, I thought to myself, "Wow, that was refreshing!" 

Proverbs 11:25b says, "He who waters will himself be watered" (or in the NIV, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed").  I am so thankful for the people who are sources of water in my life.  I wonder if they realize how refreshing it is to be in their presence, where their joy and strength--the products of their own time spent in the Word and in prayer--are like water to the soul.

Kids Say, vol. 2

Yesterday I rearranged Abel and Amariah's toys, moving a lot of what was in their bedroom to the basement.  I've noticed that every time I move toys around, there is a new level of excitement in the kids--almost like they are discovering each toy for the first time.  This excitement combined with unfamiliarity of where each toy goes (Have I mentioned before that I'm particular? :-)) creates ample opportunity for mess-making.  Tonight, as I observed both bedroom and basement toys lying all over the main level of the house, the following conversation ensued.

Me:  You guys have gone through this place like two tornadoes making a mess.
Abel:  I'm not a tomato!  I'm a pickle!

The Highlight of My September!

Where did September go?! I guess time flies when you're having fun busy! :-) Anyway, it's been awhile since I've posted, so I decided to make time for it today....

This past Monday the kids and I returned home from a week-long visit to my parents' house. With them living six hours away (or more like eight hours when traveling with two infants!), we don't get to see them nearly as often as we would like to. So when Travis suggested that I load up the kids and go visit Grandma and Grandpa, I was super excited!

My vacation visit to my mom and dad's was so fun and refreshing! I got to hang out with my parents, see my sister and both my grandmas, engage in adult conversation, eat my mom's delicious cooking (which boosted my milk supply!), watch a little television, see an old friend, video tape my Grandma Arlene reading Bible stories to a very curious and attentive Abel, and watch my parents interact and bond with their grandchildren. It was a truly wonderful trip--definitely the highlight of my busy (but fun!) September!

Mom and Isabel

Dad and Elliana

Grandma Arlene with Isabel (left) and Elliana

Grandma Arlene with Amariah and Abel

Grandma Arlene and Elliana

The Rice side--(L to R) Amariah, Grandma Arlene,

Elliana, Angela, Isabel, Terry, and Abel

Dad pulling Abel and Amariah behind the mower

Grandma Verla with Elliana (left) and Isabel

(L to R) Grandma Verla, Elliana, Mom, and Isabel

The Chambers side--(L to R) Amariah, Angela, Abel,

Grandma Verla, Elliana, Isabel, and Tammy

Abel and Amariah playing with Grandma and

Grandpa at the park

Dad with Abel, Amariah, and dog Bear

My sister Rosanna with Isabel

Becoming a Better Mommy

I've been realizing lately that I need to rethink--and revamp--some of my Mommy behaviors. There have been a few things that have triggered these realizations: our recent sermon series on the home, the birth of my twin daughters which quickly propelled me from Mommy of Two to Mommy of Four, the recognition of some of my own sinfulness in my children, the realization that my kids are growing up no matter how much I do or don't invest in them. These things (and probably others) have made me realize that some "Me" changes are in order.

Pastor Todd's spring teaching series on the home was taken from Psalm 128, and it was his teaching about the "vine" in verse 3 ("Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house...") that still sticks in my mind: as a vine runs along the ground and reaches into many areas, so is a woman's influence within her home. This left me pondering, How far-reaching is my vine? Am I covering all the ground that I should be covering? Or are there some corners in my home that I'm failing to reach?

When Isabel and Elliana were born in May, I suddenly became a Mommy of four. It was like adding two more children to our quiver suddenly upped the ante. I kept thinking (and still am), What a high calling.... The Lord has entrusted me with four lives. I better get this right....

As Abel and Amariah continue to get older--and as the sin nature continually becomes apparent in them--I have at times witnessed behavior sin that makes me feel as though I'm looking in a mirror... and it's not a pretty sight. Pride, selfishness, disrespect.... What kind of example am I setting for my children?

The latest thing I've realized is the excessive number of times in a day I say "No" to Abel and Amariah's requests. "No, not right now." "No, I'm busy." "No, we're not going to do that." It's not that "No" is always an unacceptable answer, but I'm realizing that often times my reason for saying "No" is based only in my own selfishness or laziness. Is it right for me to say "No" to playdough just because I don't want another mess to clean up? Is it right for me to say "No" to drawing with markers just because I don't want to take the time to oversee it? About a week ago, Abel got out the glue stick that Travis bought him a couple months ago (still un-used due to Mommy's many "No"s) and asked if we could do a craft. When I said, "No, we're not going to use glue right now," Abel started crying and said, "But Mommy, Daddy bought this for me to use." Well, you've got a point there, I thought. And then I realized, My selfish "No"s are hurting my children. I have to start investing more of myself in them. (Needless to say, we did our first craft project--with glue--that night.)

When I consider the importance and impact of my influence within my home and the degree to which God has entrusted me with His children--and when I see my own failures and shortcomings--I can't help but desire to be a better Mommy. I am becoming more conscious of my own attitudes and behaviors. I am becoming more purposeful about spending time with my children. I am becoming more careful to have good reasons to say "No." And I am nourishing myself in the Word so that I in turn might nourish my family and my home. I definitely don't "have it all together" (and probably never will!), but I pray that God will help me to become the wife and Mommy He desires for me to be.