THANKFUL!

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply EVERY need of yours according to HIS riches and Glory in Jesus Christ.

I thank you God for All the blessings in my life. I ask for forgiveness for overlooking all that I already have, for any selfishness I have in my heart. I ask that my heart and mind will continually seek you daily/hourly for your will to be done in everything I do.

I am THANKFUL for the children God has given me to care for, love and teach, I am THANKFUL for the man God chose for me and the relationship he guides us through daily, I am THANKFUL for the jobs we have been given to do all we can for God, I am THANKFUL for the food (good and bad) we have to nurish our bodies with daily, I am THANKFUL for the home we have to live in, the cars we have to drive, the love we have in our hearts, the friends we have to learn from and Most of All today I am THANKFUL for the FREEDOM to love my God.

I want to seek God's face daily for his teaching, love, guidance and protection in life. For me, my husand, my children and all family and friends.

Psalm 119:59 - When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;
I Peter 1:14 - As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance;

Magical Moments from Chicken Soup for the Soul

An insert that I read today and LOVED. Made me feel like my life is normal after all.

Enjoy!

"Maa-maaa!" My two-year-old daughter, Alex, called from her crib. I bounded up the stairs, excited to have the whole day to play with her. I was now, officially, a stay-at-home mom. Lucky enough to have the option, I'd made a tough decision and quit my job as a registered nurse.
"Ready for some fun?" I picked up Alex and gave her a tight squeeze, grateful to finally have the time to conquer all the "mommy-and-me" projects I'd collected from parenting magazines. I could never get to them on weekends, and I was ready to catch up. Alex and I would make animal masks out of paper plates in the morning and homemade Play-Doh in the afternoon. For lunch, I'd use cookie cutters to make edible figurines out of American cheese slices. After her nap, we'd make gift wrap using Alex's handprints. My life could finally be full of the magical moments I imagined filled up the days of stay-at-home mothers everywhere.
While singing nursery rhymes, I poured pancake batter into heart-shaped molds, a breakfast that literally showed my love. As I handed Alex her plate, I took a deep breath of satisfaction; she looked so sweet in her new dress and matching hair bow. The day was ours to enjoy. I turned my back for only a second and was shocked to turn back around to find Alex covered in syrup. I'd imagined pushing my princess through the grocery store in her new outfit, while white-haired ladies nodded approvingly over their shopping carts. The fantasy would have to wait. By the time I changed her clothes, cleaned up the breakfast mess, started the laundry, changed a stinky pull-up, and answered two phone calls, I was already way behind schedule. When would I have time to fit in my list of magical moments? On my way out the door, I noticed a note from my husband telling me to please Express Mail the important papers he'd left on his desk to our accountant. The note went on to say that he needed his shirts from the dry cleaners for tomorrow's business trip, and since I no longer worked and had the whole day, could I make his favorite pot roast for dinner?
I sighed. "Well, Alex. We better get moving."
The line at the post office was out the door with only one clerk on duty. Intrigued by all the packaging materials, Alex kept getting away from me to touch everything. I didn't see the harm until…crash! She knocked over a display of assorted envelopes. I sheepishly cleaned up the mess, thankful a nice man took pity on me and saved my place in line.
From there, we finally headed off to the dry cleaners, but Alex fell asleep in the car. I wanted to run in and leave her napping, but I sensed child abductors lurking everywhere and decided to just go home and let her sleep in peace.
As soon as I turned off the car engine, Alex's eyes shot open and she wailed out a tired cry. As I carried her into the house, I sobbed with her, my high expectations spilling out with my tears. What happened to our perfect day?
When did stay-at-home moms fit in all those quality child-parent activities? I wouldn't even let myself think about my other goals to commit to a regular exercise schedule and start an at-home business. I had really been clueless about this stay-at-home-mom stuff.
Hugging my precious daughter, we rocked and sniffled together. "You're my honey-bear," I whispered, feeling the weight of her sink into me. Her eyes gently shut, and I held her until she fell back asleep in my arms. I stroked the soft hair that curled above her neck and breathed in her smell, a mixture of sweat and maple syrup. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed for the first time that day. I was there with my daughter, forgetting about my to-do list, and it felt good.
Still, it took years for me to realize that such moments were the best and far surpassed the ones I tried to invent with heart-shaped pancakes or processed cheese sculptures. The less I tried to create life's magical moments, the more I was able to notice them when they naturally happened. And they were even more delicious as surprises.

Sometimes I honestly get so caught up in life, the many, many, many things to do in life that I don't see these things.

Like Bella, she is so independant. I don't even realize how much she just does herself. Even at times when I try to help her and she tells me she can do it herself, and then really does without incident.

Or Marcus, who most of the time is driving me batty, actually does something without me telling him to. I am so used to having to hover and tell him every move to make that sometimes I find I don't notice when he actually does it.

Natalie is so helpful. She is a little bossy but over all likes to help withour complaint. Sometimes she will come in and play with her little sister and brother and I will go off and start cleaning something and don't even recognize her for the help she is actually giving me.

My children are such a blessing. I thank God daily that he picked me to be in their lives.

Some Pictures!

The Welch's

Living the Dream

For Sure!

Work, 4 kids, home, school and everything that goes along with it.

My #1 Dream is to see God!

I often in the past had to make myself slow down to fit God in. With my growth, strength and patience I have notice in time that I don't have to fit him in.

For 1 he is always there and 2 I listen always.

I am so thankful for growth and his guidance. Through him I grow daily, I learn daily and I live daily! He is always on my mind in everything I do. From feeling guilty about my road rage to yelling at the kids to singing praise while doing laundry.

I love that I am free to live it! Thank you Lord!

Momma loves the Lovin!

I always wondered what do those parents do to those kids who are so lovey? Their kids want their parents to hold them and give hugs and give kisses. My oldest 4 just weren't fans. They would give hugs or give kisses, but man they wanted to be put down so they could run. No cuddling, unless they were already asleep.

My little Aden is the love bug. He loves his mommy! I am SO enjoying him loving on me and wanting me to hold him and when he just lays his little head on my chest, or opens that slobbery mouth to give kisses it just melts my heart!

Maybe he just knew that he is the baby and the last baby, so give mom some love!

Remember When

Remembering when the kiddo's where little.......

My mind is more than gone I am sure these days. So many times I want to sit down and remember things and my mind is just blank, or thinking about other things that I need to do. So since I am now a blogger....well I am going to blog it.

I remeber when Natalie was just litte, not even walking yet, she would go into Marcus' room because she wanted to play with him and even though they didn't really play together she would just want to be in there. Her favorite thing to do was open his dresser drawers and throw all the clothes out onto the floor. She would just giggle and laugh.

I remember when Marcus got his first power wheels jeep for Christmas. He slept in the living room with it for like 2 nights.

I remember when Marcus was a baby and he had a big head full of blonde curls. Everyone thought he was a beautiful girl no matter what color I dressed him in. So then dad finally convinced mom to cut it and the curls have never come back.

I remember when Marcus used to get mad because Natalie always had to go where he went. Now Natalie says this weekly about Bella.

I remember when Marcus was about 4 or 5 and he would get in trouble, Natalie would go and try to sit with him in timeout. He never attempted to do the same for her though. :)

This makes my day remembering. I think this just might become an ongoing thing. I think I will call it Remember When Wednesdays! So fun. Now maybe I could dig through the photo boxes and find the pictures to go with the adventures!

Friendship

When I was younger I wasn't that good of a friend. I didn't really know how to be a friend. There is a long road with stories to tell there. Of which I could be bitter and angry. But God has always given me peace and forgivness in my heart. I am happy to say that in my years I am learning how to have friends and more importantly how to be one. I am so thankful for this. I think a life without friends is lonely and sad.

When you find true friends always keep them close to your heart!

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
- George Washington

"It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us."
- Epicurus (341 - 270 BC) Greek philosopher.

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
- Mother Teresa

Living, Learning, Growing in Life

We all by nature think in the world's way. That is where we were born. But the world's way is backwards to reality. It is a fantasy world. When we are born into God's world we enter reality.

It's good to hear this from time to time. Because we do daily, weekly, monthly, hourly forget.

I have been growing in God all my life, learning life's lessons, growing up if you will. I often think, man if I could just write a book to make kids understand that when people say if I'd only known then what I know now. :)

This is why I am starting this blog. To hopefully tell, show, teach my children the ways of the world the way I learned and went through it.

It's an amazing journey to live and I hope they will have as much joy in life that I hope to give them.