For God So Loved the World....

Yesterday after hearing about the tragedy that occurred in Connetticut my heart broke. Such a senseless act of violence will never be understood. I feel like we live in a world today where evil is blatantly displayed all around us.  As I read the stories and saw the faces of the survivors and some of those that were lost, tears streamed down my face and my heart swelled with gratitude that tonight my babies are safe at home in my arms. From the ashes of this horror, stories of heroes will arise but it will never erase the pain and loss that has occurred.I cannot imagine what those families are going through. I pray to God that I never have to experience that kind of grief and loss.

We live in a society where basic beliefs of Christianity are marked as being closed minded and racist. To speak of God in a public setting has become taboo. We are so afraid of offending one another and yet at the same time we have lost the respect to value someones individual beliefs. We have removed God and Christ from society.  It is okay to believe in God privately in your home but heaven forbid we allow religion in our schools or to be displayed openly in society. We just might offend someone.

Well...we did offend someone. We offended God. And I truly believe that as society has pulled farther away from Christ that we have allowed evil to creep in among us. Senseless acts of violence occur more frequently and have become increasingly more heinous.  We can claim insanity with each of these acts of violence, but to me it seems to be so much more.

I want to protect my children from more than just the physical violence that seems to be increasingly more prevelent in society. I want to protect them from the moral desensitization of society.  I want to teach them to be proud in their beliefs in God and to stand up for what they believe is right. But as I watch society changing I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. How can I teach them to be strong in Christ when the world teaches its opposite? I see these acts of violence as a wake up call for us all to turn back to God and Jesus Christ.

 I am so thankful for my beliefs in a loving Heavenly Father and Savior that will someday welcome me and my dear children home to His loving arms.  I am so thankful that I believe if we endure the evils of this world that we will be welcomed home into an eternal paradise.

I know that each precious life that was lost is being held and embraced by the loving arms of a Savior that loves them eternally. I know that those parents will be reunited with their babies someday.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I will proudly raise my children to love Him as well. And I will pray everyday of my existence that they will be strong enough to fight the evils of this world.

Yummy....slop for breakfast. Thanks mom!

My baby girl turned 4 months last Thursday. She is changing so much and growing and gaining weight like she should. Meanwhile I am still struggling to LOSE my weight...sheesh it is much harder the third time around.

Anyway...she is now finally getting to some fun milestones. She smiles and coos at us all day long. I love when she tries to have a conversation with me. Ill say something and she'll coo and gurgle back with such a serious look on her face for a little baby. She just melts my heart. She hasnt rolled over any direction yet...but none of my kids have been too big on hitting those physical milestones. See post on Layla  http://smileslaughsandtears.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-kid-really-is-normal.html
 
Ella is working on sitting up...supported...but she has got that head control down :o)

 

 

whats goin' on mom?

Another fun milestone this little chicky has mastered is eating. That's right this girl is an advanced eater chomping down on steak and eggs. JK JK  But seriously we gave her rice cereal for the first time this morning and she chowed down like no ones business.

What is happening here?

It helps to hold your mouth open too ;0)

Oh my this is interesting!!

I think I like it :o)

Isnt she so stinking cute?? We sure think so!

Knock and run and christmas lights

I have always really wanted Christmas lights on my house during the holidays. Nate was never into the idea of climbing on the roof of our house  to put up lights. Jason liked the idea but is very stingy with money and kept saying we couldnt afford it year after year.

Well...last night as I was washing and bathing three little darling children and reading them bedtime stories...HA! I wish!! More like yesterday as I was wrestling two kids into the bath tub while the baby screamed and then chasing them around the house as they sprinted around naked trying to get clothes on their slippery wet bodies...Jason was on the roof hanging Christmas lights. I didnt even hear him stomping around on the roof because the kids were that loud.

So...when he was done, he rang the doorbell and then ran and hid trying to coax us outside. The first time I opened the door and no one was there I was just annoyed and went back inside. Then it happened a second time. This time I got a little freaked out and being the paranoid mommy that I am I started thinking some creep was trying to coax me out of my house and break in or kidnap my kids.  I know I know...Im nuts

Well...it turned out that freak was Jason trying to get us outside to see his big surprise. I loved it!! and the kids loved it! We all ran outside and admired his handwork. I love Christmas and now my house is in the holiday spirit too...finally :)

It will look so much prettier when it snows :)

Notice the pumpkin...I will be taking that to the trash this morning

Back to Blogging

I wish I had a good reason why I haven't been on here in a long time...but I dont. Life with three kids has been nothing short of challenging and Im finding that I have very little free time. And the free time I do have is spent sleeping. Since I last wrote we have been to California, celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, and began Christmas stuff. It's crazy how fast time goes. I wouldnt change anything...unless there was a way to actually  make time slow down and add a few more hours to the day.  Like everything in life I am learning to balance the new changes of a growing family and hopefully will be able to get on here a bit more.  So that being said I just want to finish this post with some recent pics of us.  Enjoy.

This child refuses to keep anything in her hair so it inevitably looks like this at the end of the day

forever a daddy's girl

Big enough to join the family at dinner

silly silly boy

A rare picture with me in it and the three blessings that matter most to me.