Conversations...

Lately I've been making a conscious effort to listen to my kids. To actually stop what I'm doing and listen...not just with my ears, but with my eyes. Eye contact while they're talking to their mama.

The conversations that take place in our home are rarely boring. With 4 kids in 4 different life stages I am amazed at what I hear sometimes. Here are 4 different conversations that I had with them this week:

JOEY (7)

"Hey, Mom. Do you know who I wish I could meet?"
"Who, Joe?"
"Mrs. Washington."
"Do you mean George Washington's wife?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well...why do you want to meet HER?"
"I don't know...I just do."
...ummm...

MELANIE (9)

"We played Heads Up 7UP in class today and guess who picked me!"
"Brittany?"
"No."
"Katelyn?"
"No."
I hold my breath before I ask this one: "Ty?"
"YES!"
...oh, help me, Jesus. Not boys already...

HOLLY (14)

"Mom, will you please flat iron my hair...and I need to get my eyebrows done...and I'm gonna wear makeup to school Friday..."
...as she's saying all this I notice the dirt under her fingernails, of which she had no clue. At 14, she's part fashion diva, part sport, part little girl. Stay childlike at heart, my girl. Dirty fingernails are ok with me...

BENJAMIN(16)

"Hey, Mom...do you wanna know why 1 testicle is higher than the other?"
"Um...what?!?" (I kept my cool thankyouverymuch)
"Yeah--one is higher than the other so that when you sit down they don't bump up against each other and squish each other. God's pretty smart."
"Yes He is, Benjamin...He cares about every detail."
...let me tell you. You haven't lived until you've talked with your big, Abercrombie-lookin', almost 17 year old son about testicles and the sovereignty of God.

Keep talking, my kiddos. Mom and Dad are listening.

Are you ready?

Mark 13:32-37 (New International Version)

32"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"

me and my mel

Here's a pic of my Melanie and me after her championship game Monday night. Her 10u softball team took 2nd place. Not too shabby for this being her first season. In addition, Holly's 14u team took 1st and Joey's little league team took 3rd. :)

What do you get when you add Freddy, a Nikon D80, and Photoshop together? Nice, white teeth.

nice

Last night was such a nice night. No one had any place they had to be, so all 6 of us were home together. Freddy grilled hamburgers and we all ate at the table together (YESSS!). Our 'together' mealtimes are very sporadic these days, but I'm told that's pretty normal for the phase of life we are in right now. That doesn't mean I have to like it, though. Freddy built us a fire--it was supposed to drop to the upper 3o's last night, but I don't know if it did. I love a fire in the fireplace! I straightened the girls' hair with my new Chi. I LOVE that thing. There's no going back now. It's a Chi or nothing from here on out! Freddy and I ended the night with a glass of wine while watching Law and Order SVU & Criminal Intent...2 of my favorite shows.

Thank you, God, for a wonderful and much needed night at home with my family.

**EDIT**
So this is really unfair--Freddy just found out that he gets to shoot the Deftones concert tonight. That's TWICE that he's gotten to go see them and I haven't. TWICE!!! But I'm not bitter or anything...

...I don't even know...

I think I need a date night. I have felt so blah lately. I don't really know why. I can't put my finger on it...like I've lost my joy or something. My marriage is fabulous. All the kids are good. But something just isn't right. Sometimes I think part of the reason for my lack of joy is busyness. But joy, or lack thereof, isn't dictated by circumstances is it?