Hello Blogesphere (I don't even think that's how you spell it or if that's truly a word... whatever)
I can't tell you how many times I've thought about blogging lately. It's just hard to find the time to sit down and write.
We are on child number five now.
Five kids. I used to be overwhelmed by two, then three, then four I felt like I was catching my stride. But then we had all kinds of issues with Simeon and his speech (he didn't really learn to talk until he was almost 3). Then we became elders at our church. Then we took a disciple into our home. Then we bought a house adjacent to our pastor, more like friends and had three more people living in our house with us. Then one moved out and two more joined the crowd. Believe me, it's a crowd. :) We like to laugh and stay up late and have early morning Bible studies and basically run on fumes. Then we left for India while I was 6 weeks pregnant with our fifth child and left three of our kids with our disciples (two 21 year old girls who got a crash course in being a mom/homemaker).
India was amazing y'all. You don't even know. I still don't even know and look forward to going back.
Fast forward to having our fifth child. We have a huge house but because of having 12 people in it hardly anyone doesn't share a room. Dan, our 76 year old adopted grandpa has the basement and Jethro our newbown occasionally sleeps in the closet (but mostly in bed with me because that's how he likes it). Our four other kids are in two bunk beds in one room. Mostly I love it that they all sleep together. It was tough teaching little Paul to be in a big boy bed at the age of 22 months (I say that because he felt super young and had no idea what was going on. He mostly wanted to share a bed with Simeon and didn't understand why he had to sleep alone in this huge bed with a railing, no one else had to have a railing and why did he have to sleep on the bottom? He wanted to be on the top.) Also, he puts himself to bed by banging his head on his mattress and making loud "ah" noises.
Paul's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. He's also the most exasperating of all the kids. Two year olds are like that aren't they? They grow out of it eventually. I just try to enjoy what I can about him.
This week was a huge lesson for me.
I enjoy housework. I like cleaning and doing the dishes and sweeping the floors. I feel like the Lord has put that in me. I like having a clean house. I don't like leaving things left undone and the dishes in the sink and all that.
However, the other day I felt like the Lord was telling me (and Ben had said this earlier) to focus on the boys. The three youngest are 4 and under. So instead of diving into cleaning the kitchen after the older ones left for school I decided to sit down and play with Paul and Simeon. We got out the cars and set up the race track and just played for a while. I enjoyed them for a good 20-30 minutes and then I started cleaning the kitchen. I tell you what, they got along so much better after that. I used to get so frustrated with how much I had to stop cleaning and go settle fights or discipline.
I also had another moment that morning when I was in my room cleaning and they were playing on their bunk beds and had thrown the comforter on the ground. Normally I would be upset at the interruption (because I have a tendency to be selfish like that) but instead I threw it on and started tickling them. Soon we had a stuffed animal fight, throwing stuffed animals at each other because that's what you do with little boys.
After a bit I told them it was the last time and they were ok with that. Wow.
I mean, the morning wasn't perfect and I still had to discipline and stuff but God really showed me how to enjoy my kids and still get things done.
Lord, help me. I continue to be in need of You and Your Holy Spirit to lead me. Help me to listen to my husband, help me to love my kids and take care of our home. I want to do my best as unto You.
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