Coloring

The boys have been playing together a lot lately.  Now that doesn't mean that they always play well together.  It just means that they do the same thing at the same time.  

Either they are all playing football. Which consists of someone running around instead the house, until a brother tackles him, wrestles him, steals the football and then proceeds to run around in with the other two chasing him.  It is slightly dangerous and provides ALOT of teachable moments.  Like how to let your younger brother have a turn.  How is isn't a good idea to two hand shove someone from behind How they need to be self controlled with their mouths and not call each other names or scream.  How they should be mindful of poor Wynnlee or just starts to blink fast and puts her arms up to grace herself when they start running in her direction.  They usually end up changing into athletic shorts and taking their shirts off.  And most often ends with someone crying because they never get a turn and the other two mad at each other as bitter rivals.  Enter dinner time, where we get to discuss how to have a godly heart while playing football.  Yes this is a challenge.  And after chugging their water they quickly are best friends again as they enjoy their meal.

Or they are playing legos.  These are among the few toys that they boys get to claim as their own.  Leighton has his legos, McCabe has his, and Brooks has his.  You would think that this provides less brotherly conflict, but for some reason God provides more teachable moments through this activity.  Like not telling your brother how they have to play with their legos.  

Another favorite activity is coloring.  This one is usually calm.  Usually. It may explain why I was able to snap a picture of it.  And although I wasn't a disciplinarian, teacher, helper, encourager, fixer, explainer, or exhorter, during this activity, I did get to sit down a color with them which could end up proving to be the best parenting choice I made all day!

Parenting is non-stop, all-day!  It is hard work but it is such a joy. I try not to take for granted any moment spent with them, or any teaching opportunity among them.  It is scary how fast time is going.  And any confidence I have about who they will become comes from the fact that I believe God will hold up his end if I cooperate with him on my end.  As I obey his commands in parenting and Chirst-likeness, THEN, and only THEN, can I trust his promise tied to it!     

Brothers in Black

Leighton is one of the only people who can get McCabe to giggle on the spot and Leighton loves to have that role. Leighton likes to wrestle with him, kiss him, tickle him, share toys with him, and even tries to pick him up. McCabe likes attention from his brother even more than attention from me sometimes.

God has been so good to us. These boys are amazing, smart, healthy and such a joy to be around. We LOVE them so much that words cannot express it!

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Gods love is so hard to fully comprehendable. To think that God loves these boys WAY more than I do is hard for me to put my mind around. I just feel like I am at full capacity and overflowing in my love, affection, and attatchment towards them, that imagining how much God loves them blows me away. He loves them so much. he loves them perfectly and he loves me too.

God's Loving kindness towards Luke and I, as individuals, as changed our lives.

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Ephesians 2:1-8

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved! For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. "

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God loves us so much. He loved is while we are disobedient and in sin. He chose to die for us, save us from punishment in hell and grant us eternal live in heaven. His loving kindness as led us to believe and accept him as our savior and also has led us to change our lives.

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We know our kids will know our love for them (the excessive kissing makes it quite obvious), but we pray that our kids will also know the love that the Lord has for them and what his love did for them. We pray that his love for them will change their lives as God's love has changed ours.

So Different

McCabe is doing well and growing so much! At his 2 day check up he was 7 pounds 9 ounces and at his 18 day check up he was already 9 pounds 3 ounces. Leighton was only about 7 pounds at McCabes age.

McCabe is very different from Leighton when he was this age. McCabe is gaining weight much faster. Leighton was a better sleeper at night (McCabe is still pretty good though). Leighton would never burb, whereas McCabe sounds a lot like his father when he belches. Leighton hated baths and McCabe loves the warm water ... it puts him to sleep. And there are many other differences as well!


Our first week back at church I was telling Tim Rude all the ways that they were different He commented with a smile, "It's almost as if God made each of us as individuals!" I appreciated his pastoral wisdom! It was simple, yet so true. God really does consider all of us individuals and cares for us as individuals. He had us in mind, as individuals, when he died for our sins on the cross, and he even has more thoughts about each of us than the number of pieces of sand on the shores or hairs on our head. Leighton and McCabe are both so amazing and so individual.

Leighton really does love his brother and is growing very attached to him. He gets so excited to be by him and touch him. His face lights up when he first hears him wake up in the morning. Our house has grow a little more noising and even chaotic at times, but it is filled with an exponetial amount of joy as well!