A Woman's Worth

"We live in a day when what you do equals who you are. A woman's worth is determined by her work's value and the amount she accomplishes. But a mother's work is never finished or is constantly coming undone, and few people reward or recognize the nurturing skills used in mothering."

(Believe it or not, this quote was taken from a Publix magazine that I get with recipes from time to time. I have since thrown it away, so I can't document the source!)

I have to be honest with you. Many times I find myself thinking, "I could get so much more done during the day if my kids didn't always need my attention."

Wow! While that thought is true, it is also so WRONG! It is so easy to get caught up in the world's mindset, my fleshly mindset, and think that I must accomplish something and have rewards for my daily labor.

As the day comes to a close, I can easily look around the house that was straightened, cleaned, even smelling good at one time during the day to see all my work undone and get discouraged or even frustrated at those who ruined my masterpiece (aka: a clean house).

Each day, and multiple times a day at that, I must ask the Lord to change my heart and redirect my focus from seeking after accomplishments to doing whatever the Lord has planned for me that day. He as given me 2 precious boys to love, enjoy, and share Jesus with. Whenever I feel myself get frustrated at having to constantly take care of children, play with toys, answer questions, change diapers...I have to ask the Lord to change my heart!

One day I will probably have a house that stays clean for longer than 10 minutes, a laundry pile that is easy to tackle, and even time to plant a beautiful garden to enjoy (one of my dreams). But at the same time I won't have little boys to laugh with, chubby babys legs to squeeze, or peaceful dreamers snug in their upstairs bedroom.

Cherish each moment!

Summer Fun Continued

We enjoyed a little family time at Edisto Island this summer. We were able to take our trailer and camp at one of the campgrounds near the beach. Ethan loved digging in the sand! Hudson did okay too. He mainly slept the time away.

We loved our special visit from Grandma and Papa!! The Lord brought them to our house at just the right time. I wasn't feeling well and Jonathan was out of town. They were a big help! We went to Lake Lure for a day and Ethan enjoyed playing with Papa in the lake.

Hudson's sweet smiles for Grandma

Before we left in August, we had an early birthday celebration for Ethan. It was a dog theme and he chose 3 friends to celebrate with.

Looking forward to more adventures this fall!

Summer Adventures

Summertime was busy, busy, busy (hence the absence of blog posts)!! Here are a few highlights of what we did!

Shortly after we got home in June, we were able to help out at our church vbs program. This was the first year that Ethan was able to go to a class, and he really enjoyed it.

Enjoying song time

Concentrating on his craft

Whenever we come home from a long trip, Ethan loves playing with toys we left at home. This time he chose Mr. Potato Head's glasses.

Celebrating Daddy's birthday!! What fun with 2 little boys this year. 

We enjoyed many "short" walks this summer, mainly because it was so hot outside! Hudson loved the stroller in the evening during his fussy time.

 One of Ethan's favorite activities...reading to his brother. Now that Hudson tries to reach out and grab the books, Ethan has given up on trying to read to him.

 Enjoying the Greenville Zoo with cousin Micah. These 2 boys ran from one exhibit to the next in search of more animals.

 Celebrating the 4th of July! It was kind of hard to explain to a 2 year old what the holiday meant. We had fun watching our neighbors set off fireworks and we even got Ethan out of bed to watch them with us. We had fun sitting by the front door, eating marshmallows and staying bug bite free inside.

Hudson did a lot of growing this summer! He is developing into quite the active little boy. He is generally pretty quiet too, but always ready to give a smile.

More summer fun to come!!