Happy Birthday Easy Man!

Easton Brooks,

When I think about you and about how much you mean to me, I can't help but tear up. You are so special. I know for a fact that God created you that way and it's not just my subjective opinion. God has made it so clear.

He's made it a point to use you in so many ways, especially in my life. He seriously made you a huge comfort to me when I was going through some of the hardest times in the beginning of church planting. He used your literal snuggles, kisses and hugs to comfort me on such hard days. I have soaked in those moments because they felt like the hand of God on me loving me through you. I can't help but think how amazing His grace has been to me, made evident through you.

Although you haven't been near as cuddly lately, I still take advantage of moments here and there to steal a kiss, a hug or a cuddle. Those mean so much to me since you are the baby around here. I am doing all I can to keep you so little. Paci? Sure! Blankie? Of course! Crib? A must! Walking around in a diaper? Love it! We are doing things so differently and I am enjoying it much more. ;)

I'm sad at the thought of you being 2, mainly because I have enjoyed your littleness so much and that seems too big. But you are still so little and I will continue to enjoy your sweet, passionate words...they way you string words together in such a funny way...your excitement over the little things...our fun times in the treehouse...I am treasuring all these things in my heart so as to never forget them. I know more memories are yet to come but I won't let go of these. They are precious to me, just as you are.

I love you so much, Easton, and I will continue to sing your hymn over you as long as you will let me.

Take my life and let it be

consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move

at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing

always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold

not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

every power as You choose.

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine

it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart it is Thine own

it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord I pour

at Your feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be

ever, only, all for Thee.

Take myself and I will be

ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Praying these beautiful words over your precious life.

See God's Grace in your Children Everyday

Awhile ago Allen and I came to the conclusion that there were some major flaws in our parenting. Who am I kidding, we come to that conclusion everyday?!?! Well, at this point, we realized that we were correcting and disciplining 90% of the time and encouraging our children in what they were doing well about 10% of the time. We felt the Lord prompting us, saying, "this should not be."

At the same time, most of the resources that we employed always started with the negative, what the kids were doing wrong. If they are tattling, do this. If they are not willing to share, ask this question. If they lie, prompt them to do this, and so on.

So...I decided to come up with my own little chart to help us as we were trying to grow in this way. I started with the positive, an encouraging attribute that we were seeing in our kids (or one that we could exhort them towards) and then came up with a way to say that to them (so they would understand it) and short scriptures for them to hear and memorize. It wasn't meant (in any way) to be a formula, just a starting point for us as we were trying to remain faithful.

A few people have come over and seen this chart in our kitchen and asked for copy of it. We actually did it for a craft in my MOPS group (choosing scrapbook paper, laminating and attaching a cute ribbon to it).

And following that, I made an individualized chart for my 3 kids to prompt me to recognize evidences of God's grace in them, areas where they are struggling (and communicating that to Allen so that we are on the same page with the things we are training them) and specific scriptures for their area of struggle. I have enjoyed being challenged to choose at least one area of growth I am seeing in our children per week and letting them know, "God is working in you in this way...". They also delight in hearing the way God is working in them. It's hard enough to recognize areas in our own lives where God is growing and changing us, imagine if you are a child! What a blessing to hear that God is being faithful to them and changing their hearts. I have loved this tool and I pray that you will also.

Leave a comment with your email address and click "Follow" on the left hand side of the blog and I will email you the Virtue Chart and the supplement that we use.

Blessings,

Colorado Trip in pictures

Allen and I had the amazing blessing of going to Colorado together sans kids. Imagine that! It was awesome to spend so much time together...the most since having kids. We refer to it as the second hunniemoon. We drove to Colorado Springs and spent a night there, headed to Denver for a day and then to Vail for the rest of the week. It seems we were having to great of a time to take that many pictures, but here's what we have:

Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

 Air Force Chapel

 View from our creekside hotel room

 Our friends from Brenham, the Hyde's

Leaving beautiful Colorado...

Sad day, but oh so pleased to be seeing our beautiful children.

Our Vacation in Pictures

A fun-filled week at the Lakehouse...

The kids were so much braver than I would have expected. Taylor Joy loved the fast boat rides and also bouncing in the tubes ("tuba ride" the kids called it) while Papa pulled her slowly. Beckett was a bit more apprehensive. 

Easton didn't have a tube ride, but he was sufficiently entertained just by coloring. 

 

 

 

We did a little fishing outside of the house. Sad to say that nothing was reeled in...

Easton and his BFF

We took the kids to the Tyler Discovery Place Children's Museum. It was about 10X the size of the Bryan one and a million times more interesting. Glad to have gone, depressed to go back to Bryan.

The kids served us in the "restaurant."

Taylor Joy was the Vet...she had many interesting practices that I would not condone. ;)

Beckett, our firefighter

 Taylor Joy, the nursery nurse...loving on those babies.

We went to the "beach" every day to play. The kids had a blast there.

Those sweet little legs. Love all of them. Love the paleness. Love the squeeze-ability.

 My sweet dad who drove us everywhere on the boat and patiently did whatever needed to get done so that the kids would be filled with delight. Which they were. Thanks Mom and Dad. Love you!

Dutyisms

Taylor Joy-isms:

T: If you try to hide from God, He is EVEN in your hiding spot!
B: Not if you are under Mommy and Daddy's covers!
T: YES! He is EVEN there!!!

                                                     --------------------------------------------

While waiting at the dentist office for the dentist to come in, Mommy hopped up in the chair and asked Taylor and Beckett to examine my teeth.

Taylor Joy looked at them, grabbed her drill and said, "Drill, drill drill! Here come your new teeth! Get rid of those old ones!"

Beckett said, "Now it's time to scratch your teef!" and proceeded to stick his little fingers in my mouth and "scratch" my teeth (I guess that's what he perceived they were doing with their big metal scraper).

Later on Taylor Joy made the comment, "when my baby teeth pop out I want silver teeth! That's what the dentist said!" (what in the world? I must have been out of the room for that one! who are these people?)

--------------------------------------------

"Once upon a time there was a boy named Beckett. He was 100 so he could drive..."

--------------------------------------------

"Mom, how come birds have white poop and we have brown and green poop?"


Beckett-isms:

Allen: Buddy, I'm going to eat you!
B: No, I not a eater-boy. That doesn't make me happy. The oney thing that does is...FOOTBALL!

--------------------------------------------

B: I know everything about GAS! (in regard to the answer to an Explode the Code I was doing with Taylor)

--------------------------------------------

"Oh no, mom! He's got your fing! The fing you use to make stuff for people!" (Beckett yelling to me from outside the shower that Easton was turning on my sewing machine...)

--------------------------------------------

B: Let's play Tangled! Yeah! Easton's the mean ol' wady!

Easton-isms:

During our vacation, Easton decided he wanted to be in charge of someone (since everyone is always in charge of him...see above). And Angel was the victim (my parents' dog). Pretty much all week, he was leading Angel around, telling her what to do, saying things like, "way down" (lay down) and pushing her head down in her bed.

--------------------------------------------

Mom: Easton, time to get out of the bath!
E: No, kee koo! (no thank you)
Such a polite little rebel...

--------------------------------------------

He kept crawling inside the fire pit, calling it a "bubble baff!"