Thanks, Grandpa!

Sometimes my family looks like we walked straight out of a  50's sitcom where everyone is way too happy and everyone and everything is perfect (minus the big skirt and old-fashioned hairdos, of course).  This morning was one of those times.  We were able to spend a fun morning at Pullen Park riding the boats, the train, the carousel, and the curly slide, eating a picnic lunch, and wandering around enjoying the catfish, turtles, and waterfowl.  The day was absolutely gorgeous, breezy and warm, but not the slightest bit hot, and the children were perfect.  The kids are so sweet and thankful for all they got to do.  Over and over they told me, "Thank you so much Mommy for this special day!"  and, "This is my favorite! I loooooooooove the carousel!" and, "You're the bestest Mommy in the whole world!"  They also could be seen hugging each other and holding hands without prompting every now and then.  They were just so happy.  People often ask me if my kids are as good at home as they are in public, or comment on how much Chloe and Eli love each other.  And while I normally scoff and make a big to-do about how not perfect my kids are, I want to take a moment to say how truly thankful I am for my sweet kids.  No, they're not perfect, but, their parents are even farther from the mark.  And no, they're not always good at home, and no, they don't always treat each other so sweetly, but they often do. They truly love each other.  They truly have grateful hearts.   And while I can say with all certainty that  there is nothing I have done that makes them this way, they are this way.  All thanks be to God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ who has begun such a beautiful work in my little household, and in the tiny hearts of my precious little kids.  And I know He will complete it!  I can't wait to see what He does next!  And, I can't wait until we go on vacation because my children make  me feel like every little thing I plan is the very best day of their lives.

Thanks for Grandpa for funding such a fun outing! :)

Who taught that girl to drive??? Ouch!!

They wanted to be the caboose today.

Happy on her horse. 

In motion.  She is not cheesing.  She is absolutely this giddy.

The Silver Lining, er, Belltower

On our fun outing to Pullen Park this morning, I turned a little too soon, and ended up right in the middle of Wolfpack Country.  "Where are we, Mommy? Is this still Raleigh?" came Chloe's cry from the backseat.  "Yup.  This is NCState, where Daddy went to school."  "Ooooh! I don't like NCState. I like Tarheels."  Grinning, we entered the traffic circle, much to the kids' delight, and as we careened out, I pointed out the belltower.  "Oh!  That's neat.  NC State has some cool stuff, too, I guess.  Just like Chapel Hill has cool stuff, right Mommy?"  "Yeah, I guess so."  "I have three favorite cities, Mommy. Raleigh, Sher-lotte, and Chapel Hill!  They're my faaaaav-rits!"

Dandelion Wishes

Our front yard is littered with what are, according to Chloe, "the most beautiful flowers in the WORLD!"  Little yellow petals are scattered about among the clusters of clovers we call our lawn.  While I actually think the little things are kinda darling (I do love yellow!), I'm sure Chloe would be shocked to find that the world refers to her beloved beauties as (gasp)weeds.  Weeds or not, they are certainly a great source of entertainment for kids.  What other flower can be used as paint in its prime, and into a great alternative to bubbles when it has morphed from yellow to little white tickles?   And as an added bonus, no one yells at you when you pick them. 

Well, the kids were playing in the front yard while I was enjoying reading Huckleberry Finn from the front steps.  Chloe picked a dandelion ripe for blowing when I called out, "Make a wish!"  "A wish? What kind of wish?"  I told her any kind of wish, and filled her in on the deep-rooted tradition of dandelion wishes.  Excited about this new aspect of her blowing game, she began twirling around and around wishing for a wish to wish!  Finally, she yelled, "I know! I got it! My wish!"  "What is it??"  "I wish that we could move back to Raleigh, and that Raleigh could move by Sher-lotte!  Is that a good wish, Mommy?"  "That's a perfect wish, sweets."  I don't think either will happen in the near future, but I do love how her little mind works!

One More..

It's amazing how much these two love each other. I hope it continues into adolescence!

Christ has Risen!

Our front yard is still shady at 9am, so good Easter pics were hard to come by! We had a wonderful Resurrection Day. Chloe loved quoting verses throughout the day about the Lord's resurrection. She is such a sweet, faithful child.

More Theology

Chloe said to me, "Mommy, actually, the soldiers did the right thing because Jesus had to die in order to save us from our sins, right?"

Best in the World

Easter Egg Hunt

Theology of the Worm, a continuing series

C: Mommy, where is Jesus right now?

M: He's sitting beside his Father in Heaven, waiting for God to tell Him it is time to come get us.

C: But, Mommy, how can Jesus sit beside God when he is God?

M: (thinking)

C: Mommy, Daddy likes my questions!

M: (Feeling a little frazzled since I, myself, don't truly understand the Trinity, I resort to the apple illustration.  The same illustration that I have always found insufficient, confusing, and well, lame.) Well, Chloe, it's kind of like an apple........(insert whole spill here)

E: Wait.  What did you say, Mommy? Did you just say Jesus is an apple?  Because Jesus is NOT an apple!

 

This morning...

C: Mommy, when God made all those first people, who took care of them? Babies need someone to take care of them!

M: Oh, Chlo!  God made Adam and Eve all grown-up, remember?

C: Oh yeah. But what did he make Adam out of?

M: He made Him out of the dirt, the dust, remember?

C: Oh, and Eve? What did He make her out of?

M: He took a bone out of Adam and made Eve, remember that story?

C: Yeah, but, so, what kind of stuff did he make me out of? (pokes her tummy and looks confused)

M: Well, the Bible tells us God makes us each special, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that He knows all of our days even before we were born.  It also says He makes us in secret, so we don't really know how He makes us, just that He makes us.

C: OH! A secret! That's good!!

 

And 2 days ago, talking to Daddy

C: Daddy, did Jesus make everything?

D: Yep.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is God, and He made everything.

C: Well, then, if He made everything how could he get borned in this world? I mean, how could a baby be God? How could a baby make himself?  How can God make Himself??

D: Good question, Chloe.  I guess it's just a mystery.