Our Lady is One!

Could it be true?  Our precious Lady Ellis has graced our lives for a year already? It feels like I was just finding out that she was a small dot in my belly, and finding out she was a girl, and introducing her to her big brother in the hospital.  How is it a year?
I don’t know.  I just don’t know.
For her birthday I wanted to give her the prettiest, most feminine and dainty party I could.  I guess if you want to give her party a theme I went for a creamy lace and floral theme.  I just wanted it to be so dreamy and pretty for her. I loved how it turned out and I think she enjoyed being celebrated (and eating cake).

Annual Verse

The children from my womb are NOT my own.  Yes I have carried them around in my body, and yes I stay up all hours of the night to make sure they are feeling well, changed, and fed, but they are NOT mine.  Just like everything else on this earth, these children are the Lord's.  They are blessings that the Lord has given me to take care of while I am on this earth.  It has always been important to the Mr and I to make sure that we are intentional in our parenting to point our children back to Jesus.

I want my children to have confidence knowing that their mama is continually and specifically praying over them.  I want them to know that I am not just here to take care of their physical and emotional needs, but also to foster their spiritual needs.

Before my babies were born I prayerfully selected a theme verse to pray over lives as they were growing in my womb.  I hung Dutch’s in the nursery (Psalm 91:4), and then when I was pregnant with Ellis I added hers to the nursery wall (Isaiah 40:30-31).  When our babies were dedicated at church these were the verses that we prayed over them.
Then on every birthday I select a verse for the year to pray over my babies and to teach them.  I frame the scripture and put it next to their birthday cake.  I want them to know that I am intentionally praying for them constantly and that they can expect that as they grow my prayers will evolve with them with each new phase of their lives.  After each birthday I move the framed scripture into the nursery with them as a visual reminder that I am praying for them.  What I’ve found is that even though my intention is to select these verses for them, I spend so much time meditating on these words that I learn to incorporate them even deeper into my own life as well.  So while I know it is for them, I am growing as a mother just as much.

Dutch’s first birthday was a honey bee theme

so I selected a verse that went with the theme:

Joshua 1:9

On Dutch’s second birthday, we had a Mickey Mouse theme because he loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  If you have a toddler then I’m sure you know about Oh-Toodles and how he gives Mickey 3-4 tools to help him through the episode.  I wanted to remind Dutch of the tools that God gives him, so I selected Galatians 5:22-23
Since Ellis just had her first birthday, it was time for me to select her verse for the year.  Her party theme was vintage lace and flowers, and I didn’t have a verse that was really speaking to me with that theme, but there was a verse that I just couldn’t shake, and that was Jeremiah 32:17.  (This is also a little sneak peak into her birthday party since I haven’t shared those pictures yet.  More to come on her party next week- I promise!)
I have started to look forward to the verses that the Lord gives me, because I know that while I pray for my children I am going to grow myself.  And to be completely honest, when you have a party for your child and the guests see scripture right next to the cake, it is a great opportunity to witness to someone else and for them to know more about your values.

What do you do every year for your children on their birthdays? 

What traditions do you incorporate that make birthdays extra special?

Valentines Cork Painting

We really like arts and crafts in this house.  Craft time is a fun and a great, hands on way to learn something new.  We have those dot painting pins, but sometimes corks are a unique and fun way to make dots when your painting.  I get tired of just doing hand print artwork all of the time so corks are a fun alternative. And the best part is you can just throw them away when you’re done!  (Don’t you just hate cleaning paint brushes?! Yea, no fun!) We have a huge basket full of corks that sits in the fireplace as decoration (read: accumulating dust) so we use those corks, but you can also purchase packs of corks at your local craft store.  We used corks in the fall when we were learning about autumn harvest and leaves falling, but lately we’ve been using corks for our Valentine’s Day art lessons (also great for talking about shapes and counting).  We love sending our cork artwork to family members as we celebrate this LOVE-ly holiday! 

We usually tape our art to the windows so that it can dry, and it has a pretty stainglass look too.Here is an example of some of our fall artwork.

What kinds of crafts are you doing with your kids for Valentine’s Day?

LOVE-ly Food

Don’t they say that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach?

I think I’ve heart that before ;-)

In honor of that great day of love right around the corner I thought I’d share some of our favorite Valentine’s treats. 

All of which are soooo healthy and good for you ;-)

Lovely Grilled Cheese Sweetheart Cupcakes Strawberry Pancakes Red Velvet Hot Cocoa CUP-cakes What are you making this year for Valentine’s Day?

You Don't Have To Explain

Last weekend the Mr. had to work so we quickly scheduled a play date with a friend we've been missing for a couple years.  Yes, YEARS!! You know when schedules just get so crazy and you can't catch each other, but when you finally can you pounce on the opportunity and look forward to it all week? YES! This was one of those moments.  Thank goodness she is a patient friend! So my friend and her precious sweet boy came over to play (hi sweet friend!).  While our boys were playing we consumed a huge delicious pot of dark coffee & chatted for hours.  She recently found out that she was expecting and we were talking about her schedule for this summer and when the baby would arrive.  She told me when the baby was going to be born and that she was having a RSC (repeated scheduled C-Section) and without a pause she begin telling me why she was having this "elective" procedure.  She just assumed that I was going to judge her decision or have something to say about it so she needed to explain the decision to me. I had to interrupt her. You are my friend.  I love you.  I care about your mind and your thoughts.  BUT Mama, you do not have to justify your choices to me about how you will mother. When did our society become so judgemental that it's second nature to have to defend your choices before a discussion even exists?  Especially with your friends?! Why do you have to prepare for the next argument before the next argument exists? This makes my heart hurt for our world.  Everyone desires so much to have their own opinion respected, yet many times in guarding and promoting their own motives they find it acceptable to force their choices upon someone else with judgement. It's a little ironic (thank you Alanis Morissette) You are my friend. I love you.  If anyone wants to talk with me about your options and ask for what I would do, then great we can have those discussions with charity.  But if you just want to tell me what you're doing with your family and your life I respect that because I know that you're trying to do the best you can for your family.  Just like I want you to respect my choices, I respect yours.  I don't have to do what everyone else is doing in order to respect someone else.  I’m pretty sure there are very few mothers who wake up every morning and say “Gee I wonder how much I can screw up my kids today.  I didn’t do well enough at making their life miserable yesterday, so maybe today will be better” NO ONE says that!  If anything we are so hard on ourselves and never give ourselves grace!   I don't care how you do this mothering job as long as you're trying. So mama, epidural or natural vaginal birth or belly birth Fertile Myrtle or fertility assistance or surrogacy or adoption breast or bottle or formula homeschool or private or public peanut butter or almond butter stroller or baby wearing co-sleep or crib cry it out or sleep train Midwife or doctor cloth diaper or disposable diaper organic or McDonald's day care or school or nanny essential oils or Tylenol stay-at-home or work-at-home or work-out of-the home I want you to know that you don't have to explain your decision to me on how you're choosing to mother and grow your family.  I think you're doing an amazing job and the perfect mother to your kids.  No one knows your cutie-pa-tootie better than you. No mommy wars. No guilt. No need to fight against one another, lets just make one big tribe of compassion. Cheers to you, the super mama in your house!

Valentine’s Day Crafts

Last week I was posting pictures from Christmas.  This week I’m talking about Valentine’s Day.  I think I skipped the entire month of January.  I think I’m okay with that; I really needed a pause. Anyone else?!?!?!?!  Today I’m rounding up some previous LWTH crafts and decoration ideas that you might want to do with your family this year :-)

Valentine's Day Cork Painting

Popsicle Puzzles

Yarn Love

Doily Jars

Tea Towel

Puppy/Child Handprint Hearts

“Be Mine” Garland

Heart Garland

Wordy Hearts

What crafts are you doing this year to celebrate LOVE?