What Remains

I have had this poem taped to my fridge for years now.  It's from a Focus on the Family publication.
Every now and then I need to read it again!

What Remains

by Joanne Heim

If I spend my days building skyscrapers with LEGOs and creating relationships with other moms at Starbucks, but have not love, I am only the siren of of the kids' ride-on fire truck.

If I have the gift of knowing which child attempted to flush the Hot Wheels down the toilet and which one pushed her sister, and if I have faith that somehow we'll survive life's emergencies, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I save all my box tops for school and give outgrown clothing to the local shelter, and if I surrender my body to stretch marks and under-eye circles, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient when someone isn't ready to use the big-girl potty.  It is kind when my husband has a hard day.  It doesn't envy my neighbor who drives the new sport-utility vehicle I can't afford.

It is not rude, snapping at my spouse or children when things don't go my way.  It is not easily angered at perceived or real injustices.

It always protects the smallest, sweetest family confindences; always trusts God to provide for my children's needs; always hopes in the freshness of tomorrow and the bright future of family; always perseveres amid hardship and doubt.

Where there are sleepless nights, they shall end.  Where there are diapers, Little League, and dioramas built from shoe boxes, they will cease.  Where there is knowledge of baby-care trends, discipline strategies, and boy-girl problems, it will pass away.

Now these three remain: faith, lived out in my daily circumstances and instilled in my children; hope, of one day rejoicing with my family in heaven; and love, which covers a multitude of less-than-perfect moments.

But the greatest of these is love.  It is what remains. . . . long after I am gone.

Pictures from the zoo

typos

It seems that I'm always in a hurry when I'm posting on my blog . . . usually because it's during nap time. . . the time where my kids are resting and I am cooking supper, folding laundry, checking e-mails, paying bills, talking on the phone to the insurance company or the doctor's office, cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, OR writing on my blog.  Anyway, I HATE making typos and it never fails, after I type the post, re-read it, and then post it, I read it again and find a typo.  I always go in and edit it.  Sometimes, I'll read a post that I wrote the day before, see a typo and go in and edit for the people who haven't read it yet.  (As if they care) Anyway, all this to say that I was looking at some old pictures on my blog today and reading through some of the posts when I discovered a typo from like 3 weeks ago and NOW I have to go edit it.  I really don't know what the point is.  Most people who are going to read the post have already done so, but it just bugs me that it's wrong.  So I'm off to edit my blog. . .

Pictures

HELPING DADDY

ICE CREAM

SPRING BREAK

MAKING PIZZA AT AUNT BROOKE'S

Easter Pictures

I choose to just laugh about these pictures.  I'd LOVE to get a picture of all my kids looking at the camera and smiling -- I know other families get this to happen -- I just haven't figured out how yet!
If you have followed my blog at all, you have heard me whine about this before. . .
So here are our lovely Easter pictures!

Keep in mind, these are not the ONLY pictures I got, these are the BEST -- how sad is that?

Look at me, please!!!

They're all looking!!! Palmer's helping a little too much though.

Okay, Mom I'm done... hold me now!

This one is cute

And this is my favorite.

Thought I'd share my favorite websites for kids right now:

http://www.fun4thebrain.com/  Isaiah HATES substraction, but he will play the penguin math game all day long (and he's practicing subtraction for fun!)
http://www.starfall.com/ We've been using this since Isaiah was 4 and we all love it.  I like it because my 7 year old can read stories on it, my 5 year old can practice sounding out words and my 3 year old can learn her letters -- all on the same site.
www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Live_Owl_Nest_Box_Cam We've been following this live feed of a barn owl with her babies.  It's really neat!

Hello Hurricane

I just have to share this song because I've been singing it in my head for several weeks now. The first time I really listened to the words was as I was running.  I'm usually a horrible runner and I've never really enjoyed it or even been able to do until recently.  Jason handed me his MP3 player with the new Switchfoot album on it.  When I heard this song, it made me feel like I could run forever and basically just take on the world.  It's a powerful reminder of how when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can face anything -- that there is NOTHING stronger than God. 
Yesterday I felt like a failure when it came to parenting.  I was easily aggervated, easily angered, without patience, just ugly.  Today, I woke up singing this song and it  hit me that my "hurricane"  is right outside every morning when I wake up.  It's all those feelings of impatience, frustration, anger,and  discontentment that threaten to ruin my day at home with my children.
 I especially like the line, "... before I started building I counted up these costs."  Raising children to follow Christ is far from easy and the costs are high, but God has called me to motherhood and I chose to follow his calling so I am in this for the long haul.  And the only way I can do it is with His empowerment.
Anyway... here's my theme song ... hope you enjoy it!

http:www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFjvaaF25F4