mothers day:legacy

i want to leave a legacy
how will they remember me?
did i choose to love? did i point to you enough
to make a mark on things?
i want to leave an offering
a child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically

(lyrics by nichole nordeman:legacy)

i was brought to a bucket of tears on mother' day. as nichole nordeman sang these lyrics, my heart ached at the thought of the legacy i want to leave for my child, my children.

"but momma i want to ride on daddy's shoulders, NOT yours!"
i love him, even when he chooses daddy instead of mommy.

evidence of a day well spent

may my son

this morning when i opened my daily devotion from proverbs 31 ministries i found five scriptural prayers for your son by brooke mcglothin. these spoke to my heart so much this morning. if i could sum up everything i want for my little boy, when it comes to living a life for god, this would be it.....

1. Create in my son a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10).
2. May my son walk after You, God, and fear You and keep Your commandments and obey Your voice. May he serve You and hold fast to You (Deuteronomy 13:4).
3. May my son be strong and courageous and not fear or be in dread, for it is You, Lord, our God, who goes with him. You will never leave him or forsake him (Deuteronomy 31:6).
4. May my son walk before You, God, as King David walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that You have commanded him, and keeping Your statutes and rules (1 Kings 9:4).
5. Like Timothy, may my son be an example to believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

may we all enjoy the little things.

happy valentines day! sometimes it's the little things that bring the biggest smiles.

coloring outside the lines

i sit here listening to the slow guitar of angus & julia,  

the smell of toasted almond fills the air.

i just built a fort for my boy under our kitchen table, 

hoping that i could sneak away for just a moment of mommy time.

before long, 

i hear the sound of a chair being drug across the floor from the kitchen table.

my little boy wants to sit close as i read my bible this morning.

i watch him load his little red truck with crayons

and he asks me to trace his chubby little hand with a bright blue crayon.

we soak up a moment in the rare slowness of this morning,

just the two of us.

there once was a time

when i asked makai to be careful,

to not get crayon on my desk.

then in this very spot we started making memories.

one day,

when my little boy no longer wants to sit close,

when the colorful crayon scribbles

 that cover the far right corner of the desk

become just a memory,

i will smile

remembering the times i let him color outside the lines. 

happy birthday daddy!

happy halloween

makai- " this mustache makes me look like papa!"

makai- " this mustache STINKS!"

mommy- "i'll let you have a cookie if you wear it......"

makai wanted to be a police officer this year, NOT a cop....clearly there is a difference between the two?!

1....2....3....

this is what makai has to say, now that he is three years wise......

1.what is your favorite thing to play? 

" i think my favorite thing to play is the garbage truck....OK....."

2.what is your favorite thing to eat? 

" ummm...macaroni"

3.who is your best friend?

 "umm...my friends"

runs into the other room, brings back a movie...i guess these questions are boring.

4.what is your favorite show? 

 " the plane one" 

( his first trip to the theatre was this summer, we saw planes)

5.who is jesus? 

 "i don't know, do you know.... ohh i know...im gonna get a book and show you"

brings back his story of easter book

" right there, that's jesus" "jesus loves everyone, the sheeps, the girls and boys"

6.what do you want to be when you grow up to be big?

"i dont want to be big...im already big....i want to be a police officer"

7.what is your favorite song to sing?

 "OLD MAN RIVER!"

8.what don't you like to do?

 "i don't  like to do umm...go bye bye"

9.where is your favorite place to go?

"my favorite place to go is the airplane place"

10.do you want a brother or sister some day?

"um yup i want a brother and sister....i think those are my friends"

the.end.

little one loves to talk! 

orchard & silly string

for this little one, a trip with papa and nini to the apple orchard along with a silly string fight in the front yard can only be compared to that of opening a candy bar that's hold the golden ticket to willy wonka's chocolate factory. yes, he was that happy. i'm sure you can see that for yourself in these pictures. i want to shake my finger at the 5 hours it takes to drive "home" to michigan because, at this very moment, i could reallly use a glass of cider and a warm cider doughnut from spicer's orchard. the best!

half-way point exit #39

just the other day i was writing about our half-way point stops between our home in chicagoland and our "home" with family in michigan. just this weekend we got to spend a couple hours at our favorite exit, exit# 39 in coloma, michigan. this little stop on the road has a great antique shop, fresh fruit stands, orchards for picking, a cider mill with a cider bar, the most amazing chocolate truffles you will ever eat and more we have yet to explore. this weekend we tried our hand at picking peaches ( the first time picking anything for nate and makai). the tractor ride was a huge hit and picking peaches turned out to be quite a fun little adventure. we also hit up the cider bar close by and after trying 6 different kinds, we all fell hard for the pomegranate cider....so much that i.can't.stop.thinking.about.it...soo good! this little exit is filling our lives with lots of little but oh so fun memories.

makai,

      i owe a big thank -you....to you!  being spontaneous, exploring, trying new things is what makes mommy's heart happy and you have a special way of awakening that part of my being. seeing you experience things for the first time is something that brings me great joy and having you by my side has made me want to venture out even more. there is so much in this world to see and so much to experience.....even the little things. i hope you never loose your sense of adventure and wonder,i hope your eyes stay wide and your smile big. i hope you always take time to enjoy the little things, are never too fearful to try the big things and that you get to experience all of what this big big world has to offer!

love always,
mommy