This Little House

Confession:  Sometimes I want to sell this little house of ours.  We have no storage.  There are no walk-in closets, we do not have a garage, and our attic space is limited.  Our stroller has to be stored under our piano, along with Sprout's tricycle.  Bean's Pack-and-Play is in the middle of a room because we literally have no wall space.  Our porch is in desperate need of repair.  Someone even smashed the chicken mailbox that Andrew made me for Christmas one year.  And honestly, I do not know when we can afford to move. 

And then:  Christmastime came.  And I remembered.

• When Andrew found this house in the late spring of 2009, he drove me up our road to show it to me.  As soon as I saw it, I knew that it would be lovely with Christmas lights on it.  Yes, this house was made for green garland and bright red velvet bows.  Our house is darling, especially during this time of the year.  It is the kind of house that snow globes try to capture.
• When I was younger, I once visited a house that felt like love.  I will never forget that feeling.  I would silently pray that one day I would have a house that felt like love, too.   Years later, my dear friend Arlene visited our house and told me that our house felt like love.  I cannot tell you how much my heart glowed when she said those words.  She was right.  Our house really does feel like love.
•  Arlene adorned our childrens' bedroom walls with mountains and starlight, lunar moths and stately deer, crimson leaves and black-eyed Susans.  We made our kids a little fireplace and a cabin nook.  Their sub floors have scripture verses and love notes that we wrote for them before they were born. 
• Our house would be a palace to most people in this world.  We are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  We have clean water and a refrigerator that is full of food.  We have luxuries that are not necessities. 

And now: I realize that if we live in this house for the rest of our lives, that would be just fine. It has everything that we need.  It is beautiful.  It is full of love.  We made it ours.  Andrew carried me through our front door as his bride.  We brought both of our children home to this little cabin.  And you will never see a house as charming as this when it is adorned with Christmas lights.

on the stairs of our front porch

For My Grandma

Radiant, parties, fried chicken, elegance, spunk, leopard print, beauty, and family ... these are all words that make me think of my Grandma Mollie.  She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a friend -- she touched the lives of everyone sitting here today.

She was a walking piece of history.  Grandma was her family's first American-born child.  With her siblings, she saw first hand how hard work and determination could turn a small deli into a booming and successful business.  She lived the American dream.

Grandma Mollie lived life to its fullest!  She loved traveling, exploring different cultures, and adventure.  Grandma swam in oceans, went on safaris, and stood on mountain peaks.  She loved sunshine ... perhaps just a little too much.  But most of all, Grandma loved her family.  We were her shining stars and she was our rock -- a foundation that made us all proud.

Grandma Mollie possessed the kindest heart anyone could ever have.  When she was sick, she knew that her earthly life was coming to an end.  However, she had a beautiful peace and calmness about her.  She talked about going to heaven and seeing her family members with the sweetest smile on her face.  Her biggest concern was not for herself -- it was for us.  She asked me, "Anna, do you think everyone will be okay?"  And I promised her, "Yes Grandma, everyone will be okay."

Isaiah 43:1-3 reads, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Savior..."

As we gather here today, we miss grandma. And the truth is, we will miss her our whole lives. She was one of those "once in a lifetime" people that we were blessed enough to know. However, we will be okay. Each of us will garner all of our love, strength, and determination -- attributes so characteristic of Grandma Mollie -- and we will live our lives to the fullest. We will follow her example.

True Love

*** A note to be read by my children when they are a bit older

Dear Sprout and Bean,

As a grown woman, I can easily reflect upon the pressures and challenges that I have faced in my life. Within the core of each of us, we have a desire to belong and to be loved. However, I learned quickly (and sadly, you have probably learned this already) that there will be those whom do not care for you ... and there will even be some whom detest the inner fibers and moral convictions that make you who you are. I am an adult now and although this reality is still hurtful, it has lost some of its sting. Unfortunately, that sting has been replaced with a greater pain ... and that is the knowledge that you are growing up in a world that is much harsher than the one that I experienced when I was a child.

America was founded as a Christian nation. I believe that as a result of this, our nation has been blessed. The United States, a relatively new country, has risen to be a world power. However, the truths that this nation was founded upon are now being trodden underfoot. Citizens want to take "One nation, under God" out of our pledge and "In God we trust" off of our currency. Congressional prayers no longer can mention the name Jesus. School children are being taught theories and the truth has been dismissed as folklore. The once high-esteemed principles that were so dear to our hearts are being attacked and those who strive to uphold them are being called bigots and haters.

Recently, a Christian named Dan Cathy was interviewed. He started the Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain. When asked if he supported gay marriage, he replied that he did not and that he believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman. As a result of his proclamation of the Truth, he has been unjustly labeled as a hater and a discriminator. The mayors of Boston and Chicago have threatened to remove the restaurants from their cities. Masses have accused him of hatred and of infringing upon the civil rights of citizens. The fact that his restaurant does not discriminate against its employees or its clientele has been intentionally ignored.

It breaks my heart that the mainstream media is equating Christianity to a cult characterized by hatred. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus says that you will know a Christian by the love that he shows others.  John 13:34-35 states, “…Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  One of my favorite pastors says it so simply, “Love the sinner – not the sin.”  Christianity is NOT about hating anyone.  We love people of all nationalities, creeds, and orientations.  We believe that God knows what is best for all people and therefore we must obey Him. 

We are all born as sinners and sometimes it is difficult to be obedient.  Every single person has a hard time with sin – Your struggles may be different than mine … but they are struggles nonetheless.  Some people have a hard time with gossip.  Others may have issues with lust or gluttony or sex before marriage or drunkenness or corrupt language, etc.  Whatever your issue may be, God will help you to overcome your area of difficulty!  Call on Him, listen to Him, read His word, and follow the path He lays out for you.  As missionary Jim Elliot so aptly stated, “I may no longer depend on pleasant impulses to bring me before the Lord. I must rather respond to principles I know to be right, whether I feel them to be enjoyable or not.”  Remember, when you are a Christian, you are still a sinner … and you will still have sin in your life; the difference is that you will not want to sin anymore.  “Most laws condemn the soul and pronounce the sentence. The result of the law of my God is perfect. It condemns but forgives. It restores - more than abundantly - what it takes away” (Jim Elliot).

Anyway, I know that I may sound like I am rambling, but I am just so saddened that Christianity is so misunderstood.  Just remember Christ is love.  You will understand this more when you are a daddy or a mommy.  No matter what your kids do and no matter what choices they make, you will always love them.  With that being said, you will be praying with all of your heart and might that they make the right choices throughout their lives because you want what is best for them.  Jeremiah 29:11 sums it up perfectly:  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Love always,

Mommy

Super Excited!

Today we had another doctor's appointment.  And guess what!  It looks like we are going to be having a baby very soon!  What great news!  Andrew and I have a new skip in our step, I tell you.  Soon we'll get to hold our baby girl in our arms. We'll get to kiss her little head and hold her close and snuggle with her and tell her that we love her over and over again.  Parenthood is wonderful -- it's a blessing that I do not think I will ever be able to put into words.  Andrew and I are so thankful and grateful for the opportunity.  <3

Waiting

And so begins the waiting game...

Yep.  That's right!  These last several days have been characterized by me anticipating our little Bean's arrival.  I have been have lots of contractions and lots of pressure and lots of "is this it?" thoughts.  However, our little Bean is still cooking.  And as much as I want to hold her, in my heart I know that she's right where she needs to be.  (Random side note:  Sprout just pulled his sister's diaper cream out of the trunk of his tricycle and ran it to his daddy.  That boy is so funny and cute:  Note to self:  check tricycle trunk often).  I am praying for patience ... this is something that I really need to work on.  But I do know that God knows exactly when little Miss will be born and I also know that His timing and His plans are always best.

I stopped working.  I had planned on working until I gave birth.  However, it just got too hard.  My body is doing it's own thing at this point and last week I knew that I had to stop.  This was (still is) hard for me because I am used to making a plan and sticking with it.  Again, this is yet another example where I need to accept that I am not in control of everything ... nor should I be.

Right now, I will relish the time that I have with my family -- because family time is one of the most special things in the entire world.  These waiting days will not be spent in vain.  Rather, they will be filled with priceless memories made by me and my husband and our little boy and our sweet (and stubborn) little girl.

Well, that's it folks!  Thank you for reading!   Please keep our growing family in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Anna

5 Updates in 1 Post

1. Sprout is just a neat little kid. Andrew and I call him our little buddy ... and that's just what he is. We take him everywhere with us and he is included in just about everything that we do. We love seeing him explore the world. We love listening to him as he tries to find the words for everything he sees, hears, thinks, and feels. We adore how certain things just crack him up -- that laugh is so contagious, I tell you! I love that he is Daddy's best pal and my sweet little cuddle bug. And it melts my heart that he loves his little sister already ... (When looking at Mommy's tummy) "Hi baby! I you you! I you you!" (translation: "I love you!)

2. Speaking of Sprout, he is on his first camping trip without Mommy and Daddy. He has missed his Mawmaw and Pawpaw tremendously for the last few days and now he is with them! I bet he's gone hiking 10 times today and he has already splashed around in a creek or two. I bet he's on his "cycle" (tricycle) right now! Honestly, his bond with Mawmaw and Pawpaw is second to none. I am so blessed to have in-laws like them ... They are such an integral part of our family and of our lives and we all just love them.

 3. And guess what! In a mere couple of days I will be officially full term with our little Bean! Yep, that's right, 37 weeks! And Miss Bean, as long as you are ready, you can come out any time. I will be so so so SO happy to hold you and snuggle with you and kiss you on your little head. I am anxious to learn all about you! I wonder if you'll be just like your brother. Will you have your daddy's personality? Will you have your mommy's crazy bedhead? We are going to do so many fun things this summer. We will go hiking and watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. We'll take you on lots of walks and we'll sing to you and read you 100 million stories. It won't be too much longer now!

4. Believe it or not ... we are pretty much ready for our little Bean to make her arrival. The house is organized. I think that I have everything in order at school, too. Wow! Am I forgetting something? Eek! Hopefully not. :-) We do have some little things to do. We need to build Sprout's sandbox and we need to paint the trim in the upstairs bathroom. It is currently black (thanks to the previous homeowners). And while I am all for different styles ... black trim is not my personal favorite. And we have a couple of little fix-it projects that shouldn't take too long .... but I think we will always have little fix-it projects, they just come with owning a house!

 5. I am visiting the doctor every week now. We really like our doctor's office. They are a great bunch to be going through a pregnancy with! Andrew has gone to every appointment with me ... just like he did with Sprout. That's just how our family is. We are best friends and we just like doing everything together. And the more the merrier! We can't wait for Bean to join us in all of our outside world adventures!

 *** And I cannot post this without mentioning how grateful I am to God for every single blessing that has been listed above ... and every single blessing not listed ... and even for those that I am not even aware of and for those that I take for granted. Every good and perfect thing comes from Him. <3 ***

I love you! I love you! I love you!

Dear Sprout,

"I love you! I love you! I love you!" <-- This is what you proclaimed to me over and over again on our ride back home today. Well, guess what baby ... can I just say, "I love you! I love you! I love you, too!"? Because I really, really do! Did you know that not a day goes by when I don't reflect upon you and how much I absolutely adore you? You are so very special to me.

Last night, you fell asleep right by your daddy. The two of you were exhausted from the great time that you had at Finley's birthday party. I had the best time just smiling and looking at "my boys." You certainly are the spitting image of your daddy. It can be overwhelming to think about just how much you both mean to me. What blessings the two of you are!

You are learning new things every single day. You love the outdoors and you love naming the trees that you see on a daily basis ... holly, beech, oak, pine... Music has always been a love of yours and you currently aspire to be an old time fiddler, just like your pawpaw. Genetically, you have been predisposed to be an animal lover and you certainly are! You read animal books all day, every day. And ... you already love your baby sister and you talk to Mommy's belly on a daily basis! You are a great big brother already.

Baby Bean will be here in 6-9 weeks and we are so excited for her to arrive! However, we still cherish the here and now. Daddy and I love our special time with you and together we enjoy dreaming about what our little girl will be like. These are such special times and there is no one we'd rather share them with than you!

God bless, baby Sprout. I love you! I love you! I love you!
Mommy