Learning to talk!

I know I'm a little biased, but isn't this the cutest baby you have ever seen?

The Gift of Nighttime sleep

Since Brooke was born I have been working on a gift for her - the gift of nighttime sleep.  Not only is it a gift for her, but for the whole family.  You see, when the baby sleeps through the night, she wakes up well rested and happy.  But another wonderful thing that happens is mommy wakes up rested and happy too.  That means everyone's day goes much smoother.   This happy little baby slept from 8pm to 6:45am and we have been getting big grins like this all day.  Thank you Babywise!  Now we just need to keep the trend going.

A big part of our day is playing outside exploring and discovering.  Brooke is fascinated by the trees and so are the older kids.  They discover something new about a tree every time we go on a walk through the park. When we got home we played with some letter blocks, read some books, then all three kids conked out.

What is Love? Love is patient and kind

Everyone loves their children.  But what is love?  It's more than just taking care of them, providing for them, giving them good things.  For a child, love is time.  When you are with a child, you see there is plenty of opportunity for teaching, training, growing, and discovering.  How can I use these boundless opportunities to teach them about love?  It is a journey, it's not a one time and it's over kind of thing.   Love is patient love is kind.  If I want my children to be patient and kind they need to see me modeling it.  Not just modeling it but LIVING it.  Am I patient with them?  Are my words towards them kind?  Do they obey out of fear or do they willingly submit to authority?  My children respond well when I speak to them in a calm, quiet voice.  It doesn't take a loud shout to get their attention.  I set the tone for the day.  If I am cranky and impatient then my kids will be too.  If I am patient and kind then my kids will be more open to the idea.  My kids are not believers yet so being patient and kind does not come natural to them.  They must be trained and it must happen over and over and over again.  This training happens when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down and when we rise. (Deut. 6:6)  It take so much time, effort, and consistency, but I know that it will all be worth it in the end. 
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ( Galatians 6:9)