what i have learned having 5 kids...

life lessons from having 5 kids

 photo by myriah grubbs photography

1. life goes so quickly... don't wish this season away for the next.

2. poopy diapers are what they are and aren't the end of the world.

3. there is beauty or frustration in every moment - i get to choose which i focus on.

4. i am a better mama, a better wife, a better friend, a better human being if i get a few minutes in the Word each day.

5. the smiles and sweet sounds of a baby can wash away the fears, frustrations, and failures of the day.

6. somehow God always provides enough even when it doesn't make sense on paper.

7. noisy is relative.

8. quiet is also relative.

9. the reaction to the statement "i have 5 boys" will never get old.

10. once i hit 5 kids, strangers have no filter on the questions they ask about personal life.

11. people think i am some sort of hero or crazy woman to have 5 kids, but really i am just the same girl inside i always have been... and not that different than any other woman i know.

12. prayer is the most important key to every day... and a prayer-less day usually is a disaster.

13. God speaks constantly through the mouth of babes if i have ears to hear.

14. it is much harder to cook enough to have leftovers than it ever seems in the moment.

15. the desire to have no regrets will drive me to do or say crazy things that don't fit my "personality."

16. real friends are hard to come by and should be cherished and valued.

17. saying "i love you" sometimes can get more mileage than long talks that may waste words and time.

18. i love my parents more and more as i stumble along this parenting journey - thank you daddy and mama for the risks you took and the mistakes you made and the love you poured out because i have courage to do the same because of all you gave.

19. you don't have to be a perfect parent to be a darn good one.

20. the most important gift to give a child is an example of a real relationship with God. 

21. the second is a loving, though imperfect, committed marriage.

22. both relationship with God and with a spouse take work, time, and energy.

23. forgiveness is the most important lesson i can teach my kids and learn myself.

24. listen more.  talk less.

25. apologize often.  humbling myself will never go out of style.

still counting gifts to 1000...

769 - 786:

769. oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

770. soccer practices.

771. time to work on the much neglected house work.

772. feeling the connection with my boys' hearts.

773. grace to let down my guard and break down the walls.

774. the constant opportunity to bear my cross in relationships around me.

775. the humbling effect of the cross, even when i despise it.

776. that it is by grace i am saved, for i sure can't seem to do it right.

777. the tenderness of the Lord when i feel pretty small.

778. as far as the east is from the west, that's how far He has removed our transgressions from us.

779. starting to run again!

780. the evidence of the Holy Spirit's activity in my life on the occasions i am actually able to keep my mouth shut.

781. a praying grandma.

782. beauty all around me.

783. the amazing revelations on God and life that spill out of my 4 year old's mouth.

784. worship times on friday nights.

785. the frequent reminders to stay here in the moment, to be present, to soak in the now of my children and my life because it won't be the same tomorrow.

786. knitting... the moments here and there i can pick up where i left off and knit.

i am linked up at a holy experience.



if you haven't liked this facebook page, you can in the upper right of this post.  i would love to keep in better touch with you!

charis

it's a very special day

can someone please tell me how this sweet little one is now two?!  (by the way, isn't this a brilliant photograph?  my sister myriah is so artistic. having a photog in the family is priceless.)

last year i wrote a letter to my sweet simeon.

this year i want to just celebrate this very special day with a couple things i specifically love about him.  it is amazing that even having 5 boys, each of them is so different and unique!

things i love about simeon:

 

1. he talks sooooo much!  i crack up at the funny little things he says - like "oh...my....goo(d)ness!"   the tone of voice he addresses me in sometimes is quite teenager-esk with a drawn out "ma-maaaaaaa."  he lowers his voice and makes it kind of growl-ey when he wants to feel old.  he talks and talks and talks whether people understand him or not - he always has been a communicator.  he sounds like he has a thick german or austrian accent.  (maybe we should teach him german while he has the right sound attacks to learn it well.)

2. he makes me laugh!  this kid is so funny that it is hard to discipline sometimes.  i have to keep a straight face and hide my giggle.

3. he sucks his thumb and holds my hair.  all. the. time.  really, all the time.  just like the above picture.

4. he loves to laugh.  he is always looking for a reason to laugh and be silly and make others laugh too.  his personality can be described by the word: fun.

5. he remembers names.  as a person who struggles remembering names, it is amazing that this little guy comes by it pretty naturally.

6. he looks so much like his daddy.

7. he doesn't sleep well at night yet.  funny thing to say i love about him, but when i think of who he is it just stands out to me.  he is a wonderful little person who happens to not be a good sleeper.

8. he is feisty.  i mean feisty.  he has had more than his fair share of paddles from the choices this feisty side leads him to make.  but even having to steer it and discipline it, i am so excited to see how it plays out in his personality as he grows up.  definitely not a boring little guy.

9. he is a mama's boy.  i know there will come a day when he starts to prefer his daddy and naturally "cut the apron strings" to become a man, but i am cherishing it while i can.

10. he is mine.  i just love this kid and he has added so much life, noise, and personality to this family.

happy birthday my sweet simba, simi, simboliya, simeon jacob boy.  i love you very much!

charis

a little bit of real life (and my 37.5 week maternity pics!)

i am sitting at starbucks studying the bible, working on some blog posts, and basically avoiding all the germs in my house that are swirling around my family right now.  and because of this... you get to enjoy a blog post from me filled with my maternity pictures.  enjoy.

i was kicked out of the house this morning by my caring and thoughtful husband.  he took the day off to care for our 3 sick kids (and the lone non-sick one).  he knows how prone i am to catch stomach bugs and doesn't want me to catch this one with being so close to having our new little one.  three weeks ago i had food poisoning and it induced painful contractions that i prayed to go away.  this is not the way i would like to go into labor.  God, i am trusting Your perfect timing and that You know all things.  when i do not understand the timing, i trust that You know the timing and Your hand is upholding me and those i care about.

though i am still 2.5 weeks out from the due date, the impending arrival of this new little guy is all so real due to my sister-in-law's waters breaking 2 weeks and 5 days early this past week and her having her beautiful little daughter much earlier than she was anticipating.  wow.  we were only due 2 days apart!  i could have this little guy anytime now really, though so much of me doesn't feel ready and would like him to wait.  just wait until this sickness is out of my house, please!

my wonderful sister took maternity pictures of my 37.5 week belly yesterday during a brief pause in the pouring rain that has been here for about a week and will stay a week or so longer.  she did a great job and i love the documentation of this 5th pregnancy.  though she is not a professional photographer, i would say she is pretty good at it.  but, then again, she is pretty good at anything she puts her hand to - she is just like that in being creative and all.

you want to know something?  real life is not always fun and exciting.  sometimes it is drudgery and full of sickness and a lot of no fun things.  i remind myself to keep my eyes on Him and to acknowledge His activity and upholding of my life.  He really is so faithful even in the midst of the hard things we go through and the difficult days.  we just have to choose to take our eyes off of ourselves and put them back on Him.  (please tell me i am not the only one who needs this reminder so often?!)

dark can give birth to life, suffering can deliver grace, the ugly can be beautiful.  God transfigures everything for His glory. ann voskamp

so, what do you think of the maternity photo shoot?

i am enjoying these pictures while i can because sooner than later i will be posting some newborn pictures for all of you to enjoy!  isn't that wild?

still counting gifts to 1000...

584 - 601:

584. tears before the Lord during prayer for His help.  He cares.

585. warm tea and honey for a sore throat.

586. practice contractions.

587. clean laundry to process.

588. uriah's 1st piano lesson.

589. garlic oil for little hurting ears.

590. a new niece born this week 2 weeks and 5 days early... and perfect.

591. all the kids' books newly organized (by the hubs and the kids).

592. a wonderful husband who sent me away while the stomach flu took over our house and is cleaning everything to try to protect me and the unborn baby from these germs.

593. my sweet and talented sister (not sister-in-law this time, she was the one who had the early baby!) who took my maternity pictures for me at 37.5 weeks along!

594. growing anticipation to meet this little one within me.

595. the Lord's perfect timing and that i can trust Him though i do not understand.

596. surviving the 1st soccer game in the freezing rain and the 1 year old screaming for 40 minutes straight (my 1 year old).

597. reading isaiah 37 and being blown away by the Lord's deliverance of His people.  when He was so faithful to literally fulfilling the short term prophesies, we can trust Him to be faithful to literally fulfill the long term ones we haven't seen come to pass yet!  so exciting!

598. listening to kevin prosch in starbuck in my ear buds.

599. the best midwife that i trust to take care of me when i have this baby.

600. a washing machine to clean all the germy articles in my house.

601. forced time to be by myself.


i am linked up at a holy experience.

if you have a blog, let me know if you have a list of your grace gifts so i can visit!  if you don't, write something you are thankful for in the comment section.  i love hearing from you!

if you haven't liked this facebook page, you can in the upper right of this post.  i would love to keep in better touch with you!

charis

randomness

we were having fun at a wedding

doesn't it feel like it is time for a random list of thoughts again?  i thought so.  here are some random things on my mind at this very moment.

my sweet thumb sucker - i was a thumb sucker too

1. it is one of those grey days outside.  it is ok though because we are battling colds around here.  i even got this one!  oh my.  pumping up on citrus and all the good for you stuff to get this out of the house and all of our systems before the new baby comes.   about 3.5 weeks left til the due date, but my babies have ranged between 2 weeks early and 1 day late, so we will see when this new little guy decides to make his arrival.

2. i have always been pregnant with a family member.  (crazy, right?)  my incredibly talented sister-in-law (her work is featured on my blog a ton!) is due only 2 days before me with her 3rd kid - 1st girl!  i have feverishly been trying to get stuff ready for her baby shower this weekend.  i am so excited for her!  i can't wait to meet my new little niece (#13!!).  i am making the popular salad that i blogged about last week at barbie's for the shower - mmmmm good!

3. simeon and this new little guy will be my closest two kids in age.  my first three had due dates within 4 days (guess we are fertile a certain time of year every other year??), and ended up having birthdays within 2 weeks of each other exactly 2 years apart.  then we had a 2.5 year gap between david and simeon which was amazing - who knew how much a difference just 6 months makes in the maturity of a 2 year old!  now this will be our closest two right after our furthest two... simeon is just 20 months and the baby literally could come at any time.  so, they will be around 20-21 months apart and it feels so much closer.  i really don't think simeon has a clue that a new baby is coming.  i am soaking in the last days and weeks of him being my littlest baby.  i told the family i am still calling him my big baby.  baby doesn't end til around 2, in my opinion.

4. prayer request: i would appreciate prayer for two things about this baby's arrival. 

1. we need to settle on the right name.  i feel like the Lord guided us so much with our 1st 4 boys' names and i am really wanting the perfect confirmation for this baby's name as well.  we have ideas we like, nothing we have agreed on, but also haven't had the confirmation my heart needs yet.  
2. i would like prayer this baby would arrive at the perfect timing.  my midwife missed my birth with simeon and i would really like to have her deliver this time around.  she brings so much peace with her and makes me feel very safe.  i also would like all of us well before the new little guy arrives - i have done sickness in the house with a newborn and it is no fun!

5. i made beet sourdough pancakes this late morning.  sounds gross?  oh, my friends, it is soooo not gross!  amazing is more the word i am looking for.  you should definitely check out the recipe at my friend katie's blog.  (check out some of her other recipes while you are at it - she has great ideas that are healthy and yummy at the same time!)

 36 weeks pregnant!

still counting gifts to 1000...

571 - 583:

571. listening to john thurlow play my heart's cry on the piano keys.

572. fresh flowers in vases in my living room.

573. replacement parts for my broken rocking chair are ordered...and will be here before the baby is born!

574. found the perfect yarn for the new baby's blanket.

575. learning to knit something new and turning frustration moments into learning opportunities.

576. borrowed bradley books to brush up before labor.

577. my sister's homemade tiramisu.

578. herbs and herbal teas to prep my body for the big day.

579. thoughts of possible names swirling in my head... knowing the Lord will show us the right one.

580. pink pancakes.

581. a beaming bride walking down the aisle.

582. dancing with my 4 boys on the dance floor - watching childlike abandon.

583. soaking up the days left of simeon being my youngest.

i am linked up at a holy experience.

if you have a blog, let me know if you have a list of your grace gifts so i can visit!  if you don't, write something you are thankful for in the comment section.  i love hearing from you!

charis

dear simeon

picture by myriah grubbs (cool to have a photographer for a sister, huh?)

.one year ago today. 

all photos in this post are by myriah grubbs

.one month ago.

dear simeon,

i can't believe you are my baby.  it seems like only yesterday that i was crying every morning i woke up because you hadn't come out yet.  you are my only baby who was overdue - only by one day, but when you had a brother 2 weeks early who was 8 pounds 14 ounces and another who was 5 days early and 9 pounds 11 ounces, well... mama was not thrilled that you were content to stay inside so long.  amazing that you ended up being my second smallest baby weighing in at 8 pounds 13 ounces - you surprised even the midwife on that one (i think she was betting on you being the biggest of all!)

my pregnancy with you was very difficult.  i found out i was pregnant with you so early because i was hoping that you were in there and i really wanted to tell my dad that you were coming before he had to have a big surgery.  i was pretty sure i was pregnant with you and still remember your daddy's raised eyebrow when i showed him the extremely faint line on the test 5 days before i was even "late" and said, "i think we are having a baby!"  it meant so much to me to tell my daddy that he was going to be a grandpa again right before such a difficult surgery - baby boy, you were a comfort to me and i think to him as well.  you gave me courage simeon - courage i didn't know i had.

 

so, in more ways than one, you were my longest pregnancy.  you were my sickest pregnancy too.  that last time i threw up i was 24 weeks - that just isn't right!  once while leading worship the whole room went black and my hearing started to go... i was passing out from really low iron.  that scared your mama (and your daddy) so much!  

your birth story will always be a special one to me.  so much of it did not go as i had hoped or planned.  you would think that all expectations would be out the window with the fourth baby, but of course your mama is a dreamer.  i never thought that labor and delivery with you would confront some of my deepest fears.  it is too much to get into right now baby, but i will let you know that your mama had to be very brave and trust the Lord that He was looking out for me.  

one detail i that was really important to me was that the midwife be there to deliver you.  they told me she was on at 8am... coming in at midnight in full-blown labor i didn't think you would wait that long after your older brother's labor was less than 2 hours from start to finish and they couldn't get ahold of her to come in early (though she did in the morning).  we called some friends and asked them to pray with us that you would wait to be born until 8am.  silly request right?  you may never understand the tears of joy your mama cried when you were born at 8:00am on the dot.   who prays for her labor to slow down and to have to experience pain longer?  your crazy mama, that is who.  

simeon, there is so much i never expected about you.  for one, i thought you were a girl.  i was afraid of being pregnant again, but mama is so glad that you are you and that you are mine.  as hard as my pregnancy was and as challenging of a time it was for me on so many many levels, you were so worth it.  your name means to hear or heard - and God heard me!  He heard me and you are my little testimony that He is the God who hears.

you have this red hair.  (strawberry blond or red?  we will see, won't we!) i did not see that coming!  who in our family even has red hair?  you are one of a kind.

you look just like your big brother asher, and yet just like your daddy to me.  you make me laugh and give me the sweetest cuddles.  you are my first baby to not be hospitalized.  that is a big deal for this little mama right here.  your first sentence at an extremely young age, they wouldn't believe me if i told them, was "i want mama." 

i want you simi.  i want you.

simeon jacob.  you are a fighter.  you are going to be one who perseveres, who wrestles with the Lord until you are changed into another man.  you will be one who hears the word of the Lord and proclaims it with boldness.  just as simeon the righteous was able to live to see Jesus the Messiah born, i really believe you will get to live to see Him return.  i believe you will be a hope giver - you will point people to the hope in Him, a hope so much bigger than this world can offer... life from the dead!  

i love you with all my heart.  i did not know i could love you so much.  sometimes i have wondered how i could ever love anyone as much as your brothers asher, uriah, and david... but then there was you.  i love you so much.  

thank you for filling my life with the blessing of you.  

 

 mama - (charis)