Seeds Family Worship

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:1-2

This is just one of my favorite scriptures that me and the kids have memorized through listening to the Seeds Family Worship cds. I got them for a Christmas gift last year and they are a staple on our car rides. The songs aren't cheesy (for the most part), they have a folky sound and I find myself singing them all day long. There is a series of cds, each with its own theme: Seeds of Courage, Seeds of Faith, etc. Go here to listen and buy them for your family. I promise you will love them!!:
http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net

the neat one in the family...

is definitely James. Believe it or not, he organizes his closet by type and color and keeps it that way. All of his hangers are straight and nothing is ever out of order on his side of the closet. Before you run to organize your own closet when we are on the way over to your house, just know that he doesn't judge others or expect the same perfection in others' closets, it just makes him happy in his own home in his own closet.



Being married to him has helped me to grow so much in this area. I am a reformed "messy" as I have heard someone at a mom's conference say. I am still really talented at making messes, stacking up piles, stuffing drawers, and cluttering closets, but I have grown by leaps and bounds...just ask my husband or my mom. The more kids we have and the more stuff we accumulate, the more organized I become. Some people would never even know I used to be a raging messy!



Here is my side of the closet. You will notice that it is pretty organized, except for the hangers pointing in every direction. We just moved in, so it better be organized, right? As I look at my clothes I am reminded that I really am in love with prints. Every few years I decide that I am going to go with more solid clothes so I can mix and match and wear the same black shirt 5 days in a row without anyone knowing b/c it is classic and plain. That always lasts 5 minutes when I walk into the store and see a crazy, colorful, bohemian print calling my name.

To my kids, regarding organization and tidiness:
Be glad your Mommy and Daddy balance each other out b/c if we didn't your home would either be a pig pen or an army barracks.

girlfriends

James changed the screen saver on my computer to old pics from Kansas. I am changing it back, b/c I get choked up just walking by and catching a glimpse of our old friends, our old house, the kids and their friends...awesome memories. Treasured memories. While I do not think it was a mistake to move out here and I know God is moving in our lives and growing us in a powerful way, I can say that I have regrets about the time and the relationships I took for granted. I was so busy all of the time that I didn't take the time to cherish and cultivate the most important relationships as much as I should have.

At times like this, times of crisis in a treasured friend's life when I have to fly all of the way across the country just to give her a hug in person I want to plead with all of you ladies out there who have a support system of wonderful girlfriends...DO NOT take one another for granted. MAKE time for one another. Take advantage of the fact that you live only a few miles away and just drop in on one another. Bring each other a latte or a cookie...or even just a hug and a quick "Hello." DO IT!
Drop in and tell your friend to get out of there and go get herself some fresh air, that you are gonna sit with her kiddos for an hour so she can unwind. DO IT!
Grab your make-up bag and stomp into her house on a mission to make her over and let her make you over, just for fun. DO IT!
Go over to that friend of yours who is hurting and shutting you out and love your way back into her life and onto her couch...cry with her, love on her, tell her never to shut you out again. DO IT!
Even if you don't know what to say to a friend in crisis, SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING!
Stop being exclusive or calling others exclusive...invite yourself along and invite others to join you. Make friends and be a friend.

Don't wait until you move away to realize how special your friends are.
Stop worrying about whether or not you are going to impose. Rearrange your "to do list." Treasure your friends!

Oh, how I would if I could do it all over again. I pray that I will make new friendships here and be able to take my own advice and truly enjoy my friends and do life together.

Our first week in our new house...

Lucy and Preslie are sharing snacks and Baby Einstein on the Farm now, or as Lucy (ironically) calls it, Babysitter. "I wanna watch Babysitter," can be heard several times a day around here. All of my kids have been the same around age 2 when they are sick or we are in a transition period they want to watch the same movie over and over. For Shelby it was Nemo, for Jesse it was Choo Choo (The Polar Express), and for Lucy it is Babysitter, with the occasional Nemo.



This is the gorgeous view from Jesse and Preslie's room. Every window in our home has a view of the mountains or the desert. Pretty amazing. It is so quiet and peaceful out here.



This is the view out of the upstairs hallway windows. There are 4 windows in a row that look out on this scene. I can't wait to get some better pics with my good camera, but I had to share these so family and friends back in the Midwest could see how different the landscape is here in our new neighborhood. Get ready for some wildlife pics soon too because our neighbors tell us there are plenty of coyotes, rattlesnakes, lizards and javelinas milling about on a regular basis. Remember how I said our new neighborhood is safe...guess that is a relative term.



This is Shelby and Lucy's room. I was pretty proud of our handi-work. I pride myself on making do with what we have and not buying new things unless we just have to, so when the girls were ready for a change from the pink camo, I decided to give them our king sized quilt that we used several years ago on our own bed. They sleep together every night anyway in one or the other's bed, so we pushed the twin beds together and slapped a king sized sheet and quilt on it, and voila: A bed fit for 2 (or 3) princesses. Some of the pillows are hand-me-downs from my mom, and some our from our old guest room, so the only expense was about $10 for the cling-on wall art we got at Target. Oh, and the paint, but we are painting every room anyway because Lichtenbergers are just not white wall people. It may not be Pottery Barn, but the girls love it anyway and we didn't break the bank.



This morning before church James and the kids enjoyed some old school Ms PacMan and Pole Position. Classic!
This is the living room. James, my dad and my brother painted all of the main walls this color. I love it. I thought it might be too much, but it looks and feels really warm and inviting and compliments all of our art. I know, I know, "Real art shouldn't match your sofa..." I have heard that from Artsy snobs and I used to believe it too, but in my home, I like for stuff to flow...kind of a color theme...all of the colors we love. (The colors of fall we don't get to see very much round here in the desert so we have to bring them inside our house)



This is becoming another favorite early morning activity. Samson is locked in the laundry room with his breakfast so Coda doesn't eat it and when he wants out he paws under the door, which attracts Preslie and the others to play this fun new game with him. They try to grab his paw and he tries to get them back.



Here he is grabbing Preslie's foot. She thinks he is just about the coolest thing ever. He likes her to, except for when she pulls on his tail.

Praying for Baby Archer and Family

One of my best friends gave birth to twin baby boys yesterday in Kansas City. The precious babies are named Archer and River. We have been praying for and anxiously awaiting their arrival ever since we heard the news. They were mono amniotic twins, meaning they share the same amniotic sac. Because of this her pregnancy was considered high risk from the beginning and a cesarean section delivery was scheduled for exactly 32 weeks as to minimize the risk. Yesterday was the long awaited day.

River is doing really well for a 32 week preemie. Archer was born having more complications than they anticipated. We are praying for their family continuously during this time. As you read this, PLEASE PRAY with us. Pray for healing, guidance, peace, strength, and courage.

Allyson is a dear friend with whom I have shared many of life's significant moments. I was with her for the birth of her first two babies and barely missed the birth of her third. She was with me for Lucy's birth and has shared all of my secrets, hopes and dreams over the past several years. I would give anything to be with her right now. I am with her in spirit, because I can't stop praying for her and her family. Oh, how I love her.

Please Pray.

You'd never know by these smiles...

that Little Miss Preslie Rosey Cheeks was up over 3 hours past her bedtime. I thought she was teething, but now Angel has me convinced that it was her ears. She screamed every time I put her down, but as long as I was holding her or sitting with her on my bed she was fine. We watched King of Queens together and she had some Cheerios while I ate some Puffins. I even caught a few smiles on film. Finally!



I have been running around like crazy packing the house and delivering loads to the new house while James goes over there and paints every evening after work until around 11. We are both physically and mentally exhausted. I needed a break, and Preslie's late night provided it for me. It was such a sweet time with my baby. We don't get enough one-on-one time, so even if it interrupts my plans, it is worth it!



She played with that glass forever, even after the Cheerios were gone. Who new a glass could be so much fun?

Little Sneak!

Boy Howdy, Lucy keeps me on my toes! I'd think it was my fault if she were an only child, but since the others never did this, it must just be her personality. If I lose track of her for more than a minute I often find her hiding behind, under or inside of things...usually eating something. Here, she is behind the rocking chair eating chips. Last week when I was putting Preslie down for a nap Lucy walked in carrying a bottle of children's vitamins and eating them by the handful. Never mind that they have a child safety lid, go figure. So, I put them up high until I finished feeding PJ and then I went downstairs to pack a box. After a few minutes I remember the vitamins and went back upstairs to get them. Only, they were missing...and so was Lucy. I scoured the house and couldn't find her or the vitamins anywhere until I checked in the (supposed to be) sleeping baby's room, where I found the closet light on and the door closed (and a very awake baby in her crib). I opened the door to reveal sneaky little Lucy back in the corner behind the clothes, eating the vitamins out of the jar. I freaked out and tried to gag her to make her throw the vitamins up to no avail. So, I called poison control and they asked me if they contained Iron. When I answered, "No," they said not to worry, that she might have a little diarrhea, but nothing serious. Good to know...no kids' vitamins with Iron. I think I read about that before, but never checked the bottle.

If we ever lose track of her at my Mom's we can be about 90% sure that she is either in my Mom's office under the desk with a huge wad of gum in her mouth, or in Uncle Matt's room digging through his stuff. Sneaky, sneaky!



Here is what a trip to the bathroom cost me this morning. An entire box of Kix poured out on to the floor to share with Dakota and Preslie. I am telling you, I need eyes in the back of my head and cameras in every room with this child. We have already bought safety locks and an alarm for the new house just to keep her inside. I have recurring nightmares about Lucy. Scary ones where she almost drowns, gets hit by a car, gets lost in the woods or gets kidnapped. I wonder why?! That child! She is just lucky she is so dang cute and hilarious!

Fresh Start...

I am a fresh start kind of girl. I just love starting a new year, a new semester, a new week, a new day, a new book, a new bible study, a new habit...I love reorganizing my house, my schedule and my life in general. I am not always good with the follow-through, but I love new beginnings.

This weekend marks another new beginning as we move into our new house. We bought a home in Peoria and we have been painting and moving things over each day for the past week. I can't wait to make it our own! It feels so good to own a home again. Granted, there are many benefits to renting, especially in this economy, but it just never feels like home when it isn't yours.

This has been a challenging year to say the least, so this move marks a new beginning in our minds. Since January, things have been getting progressively better for us and we have definitely grown to appreciate the little things in life. Our relationships, the value of a stable job, a home where your kids can crawl around without worrying about scorpions. It will be so nice to shake the dust off our feet in Anthem and start afresh in Peoria. The few friends I have made in Anthem (who haven't moved) have already made plans with me to make sure we have scheduled playdates so we don't lose touch. And, I already made a friend in Peoria. Turns out that my new across the street neighbor and I both grew up in Tulsa and share many of the same friends. We even went to prom together with friends who were best friends. We were in shock to find that out. What is even better is that she also has 4 kids and loves the Lord. CRAZY, huh? God is so good!

How do they sleep like this?

We found Shelby and Lucy like this the other night when we went in to check on them. The lamp was on and Shelby was asleep on her stomach with Lucy laying on top of her across her back. What I wouldn't give to be able to sleep that soundly! I remember a time when I could sleep in the car, on the couch, with the TV on, or in a bright room. Ever since I have had kids I think I must be the world's lightest sleeper! Here I am blogging while I should be sleeping right now, but my legs are restless (probably too much coffee this afternoon) and James fell asleep before me. I have no idea why, but it is sometimes hard for me to fall asleep when he is already asleep.
Maybe I should go sleep with the girls...