How Can I Be the Mom God Wants Me to Be?

I love reading anything Max Lucado writes.  He has such a simple, yet powerful way of bringing scripture to life for me.  I am reading his book "Max on Life" which is just a compilation of common questions that people often write to him about. He answers them based on scripture and his unique Max Lucado style.

One particular question that I read in the book that I ask myself all the time is:

"More than anything in the world I want to be a good mom to my kids.  How can I be the mom God wants me to be?"

How he responds was exactly how I needed to hear it:

The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story.  It is a picture of how close Christ will come to you, a mom, as you also bring a child into the world. 

Imagine yourself in that story found in Luke 1.

God comes to you and says, "I have a special tasks for you.  A child.  A special child that I want to entrust to you.  Are you willing to raise this one?'

You stammer, take a breath.  "This sounds scary."

"Don't worry. I'll be there with you.  This child is special to me.  He will be a great child."

You shake your head. "Such an awesome responsibility.  I don't know if I can do it."

"Nothing is impossible with Me."

You smile.  "I am your servant.  I'll do it."

Do we think only one child received God's special attention? Sure, only one was his Son, and an angel sent out those special birth announcements, accompanied by an angelic choir singing "Happy Birthday."  Of course God pulled out all the stops for Jesus' birth.

But children aren't randomly born to parents.  God orchestrates the right children to be born to the right parents.

Being the mom God wants you to be starts with the understanding of how important your job is in God's eyes.  He entrusts you with one of his own children.  He chose you out of all the moms in the world for this one child.

Remember, you, too, are highly favored by God himself to receive such a special gift.

Beautiful Unidentified Baby :)

Our beautiful baby!!!

Baby Powell Is A...

Big question mark.

Yep. That's right. He/she sat on it's legs the entire time.

Even with belly shaking and prodding.

So we will wait another month.

But the baby is measuring perfectly and is healthy which is all we can really ask for so we are very blessed!

And the baby is either stubborn or shy.

Like Daddy or Mommy ;)

One Last Hurrah

Yesterday marked the last official day of Brian's Winter Break at school.  Bless his heart (sarcasm intended) he didn't really want to go back to school, he was having so much fun hanging out with his Mommy and his Ninny on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  You know, pre-k can be rough on a boy!

So I decided to make yesterday as fun as possible given that I had -5 on the energy scale.  I just bucked up and decided to plow through the day.

The first thing we did was go to the library.  Brian had been wanting to go so bad and Wes and I tried to take him on 2 occasions but it was closed for the new year's holiday.  So as we were pulling up in to the parking lot, poor little guy kept saying, "ooohhh nooo,  the doors are locked.  It's closed."  I finally convinced him that it was open and so he gave me and my mom a lecture on how we had to use our "quidet" library voice inside (even though we were the ones fearful that HE would forget!)  He was GREAT though!  He noticed that the kiddie computers had a Thomas the Train game on them the last time we were there, so I promised him that next time we went he could play.  I wasn't sure how this was going to work, given we don't have a computer at home and he isn't really familiar with them.  But my smart little baby knew exactly what to do and was a pro at the mouse.  He even plopped right down and put the earphones on his head :)

One happy 4 year old! (and might I add extremely handsome- I mean look at that face!?)

When we got home from the library, I decided to whip out an old teaching idea- the whole shaving-cream-on-a-cookie-sheet thing.  It is messy, but it's shaving cream so it smells good and is clean.  I thought this would be a great way for him to practice writing letters although he agreed for all of 2 minutes and then wanted to just "drawl".  

I think he really enjoys doing this because he thinks he is getting away with making a big mess.  AND he already knows how OCD his mom is with messes.

But it's okay. Because secretly, I LOVE the way it smells after the shaving cream :)

Some Recent Powell Adventures

So because I have some extra time to blog now (ha!) I decided to share a couple of our latest family adventures!

Thursday Night Ice Cream Date!

Wes has been volunteering at an after-school wrestling program for kids at Lifechurch southside on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so Brian and I decided to have a little mommy-son ice cream date at Braum's this last Thursday.  He wanted orange ice cream (sherbet) and ate nearly half of my ice cream as well as his own.  It was a lot of fun....

 Until....

BRAIN FREEZE!!!!! haha :)

Saturday Family Road Trip!

Okay, so this road trip was an epic fail.  We got the bright idea of going to Stillwater to eat at Eskimo Joes.  However, neither one of us knew that there was a basketball game that had JUST LET OUT.  The wait time at Eskimo Joes?  Two and a half hours.  Yeah, we ate in Edmond.

However, on the way to Stillwater, we stopped at Pops and got some soda.  Brian tried my root beer for the first time.

He liked it!

Maybe a little too much...

But was MUCH happier with his favorite Sprite :)

Monday Night Play Doh Night!

Wes wasn't feeling good last night, so while he rested Brian and I busted out the Play Doh.  He insisted I make a SpongeBob.

So I did.

Scary, huh?  But he seemed to approve.

A New Kind of New Year

As I begin to write this blog post, I am wondering, "will people even read this since I'm not posting about it on Facebook?"  I may be writing this for nothing, but hey, it's for me anyway so why not?

I am starting off this new year differently than I have any other year.  Our church does a 21 day Daniel fast at the beginning of each new year and I really wanted to do it this year.  After a very convincing talk with our pal Laura at church, Wes decided to bite the bullet and give up meat for 21 days! (Thanks, Laura!!)  I was feeling some anxiety about it (ironic, huh?) since I am 4 months pregnant.  I wanted to do it so much but was scared of not getting my little bambino enough of what it (yes, it.  For 6 more days anyway!) needs.  So I've done some reading, asking, and heart searching and have come to determine after one day of fruits and veggies only that I am going to add in a little protein and dairy.  I just feel so yucky and shaky and just want to be healthy.  And I know that the Lord knows my heart and also the little blessing inside me. 

This is still huge for me though  because that means no dr. pepper a day, and (gasp) no junk!  You know I've had a sweet tooth this pregnancy like a big dog, so this won't be easy!  Also, Wes and I decided to give up Facebook for the entire time too.  This is a big deal to me.  Especially on the 2 days a week I work.  I live on Facebook during that time.  But this is about giving up something that isn't necessary to my life and that can be distracting at times.  So bye, Facebook, for now.  I haven't had any huge desire to get on there, but it is is hard to be out of the loop with everyone!

I am hoping to get some major clarity and faith for some big important issues during these next few weeks.  Wes has come up with a mission for our family in 2012 which I am hanging onto and learning how to do.  It is learning to trust God for everything:  Family, finances, etc.  With some big changes coming this year, I am trying to fully rely on God and not myself for answers.  Here are a few of the things I am praying about during my fast:

1. Work situation/finances with 2 babies
2. Brian's speech/school and his continual dealing with the 2 home thing (HIS BEST INTEREST FIRST!!)
3.  A few people in my family

I am really already learning and it has only been one day.  The biggest thing I have learned so far is that wow, how weak the flesh is.  When I find myself feeling sorry for myself over something trivial as a snack or a caffeine headache, I think "man, are you selfish!  Christ gave himself for you and you can't even do this without complaining?"  What a humbling experience and one I have never been through before.

The World According to Brian

Brian has had a tremendous spurt in his growing up lately.  Not just physically but in personality.  He is saying some of the funniest things I wanted to share with you!


At the movies Saturday night, he points to a display for the movie "Tin Tin" and says, "Oh, I saw Tin Tin when I was a little boy."  Okay, #1, we did NOT see that movie.  And #2, I wasn't aware that you weren't a little boy anymore, Brian :)

After trying unsuccessfully to get his markers off the shelf himself:  "Hey, Wes, give me a hand."

My mom and I were talking about a sick baby at church the other day.  Brian heard us and the word "baby" and immediately got concerned.  "Mommy, your baby in your tummy's sick??"  To which I said, "No, sweetie.  Another baby is sick.  By the way, who is this baby in my tummy?"  to which he replied, "Baby Jesus!"  Oh, Brian...

After we opened his new Sponge Bob (*cringe*) game on Christmas morning where you have to fish for plastic clams:  "No, Mommy, these are scallops."  I have never used the word scallops around Brian. Never. Ever. Nor has he ever eaten one.

I gave him some dry erase markers for his marker board as an early Christmas present.  When he opened them he was TOTALLY disappointed and wasn't trying to hide it.  He moped around the house with his shoulders slumped over and griped under his breath.  When I told him I was going to give them to his cousin Addison instead, he started smiling the fakest smile I have ever seen and screaming, "I love them!  Thank you! I love them!"

My mom took Brian to Target to pick out a Christmas present for Wes and me.  We asked Brian that night at the dinner table if he had fun shopping with his Ninny.  He said, "Yeah, we went to Target.  Mommy, you got a black hat with flowers and Wes got 'jamas!" 

At above-said shopping trip after school at Target, Brian saw one of the assistant teachers in his class.   He was super friendly, waving and saying hi.  Then he pulls my mom down and confesses, "Ninny, I not listen today!"

I really wish I had a notebook to write everything that comes out of that kid's mouth.  I forget so many of them but they make me laugh so hard!  How could I love him anymore?!