Fullness of Joy!: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Not important, but I LIKE!

Some girls really like getting new shoes, clothes, flowers, jewelry, perfume, makeovers, or bags. I have to admit that what gives me that same happiness is home organization and home improvement! I think it has something to do with my extremely practical nature. I would rather have something that helps me function well and that I will use every day than something pretty that I rarely get to use/wear at home. I saw these one dollar totes at Target, and I went a little crazy! It was the PERFECT (cheap) solution for organizing everything in our laundry room. Our laundry room is the "catch all" room that I have to store tools, paint, kids crafts, my husbands mowing shoes, lunch boxes, medicine, and the list goes on and on! With these handy totes I can easily get down the kids paint supply basket, coloring basket, home improvement basket (hammer, nails, measuring tape), and so on. I'm in LOVE! It just makes life easier and more organized. Being a SAHM doesn't make it easier to keep a completely clean and organized home. I think it is because we are CONSTANTLY using and taking out things from living in it all day every day. My house is usually completely cluttered with toys, blankets and pillows for the kids forts, dishes that need to be done, laundry that either needs to be washed, folded, or put away, paper clutter, little to do projects, etc. Sound familiar? I guess it is just lived in VERY well. Anyway it really makes me happy to see the closets, drawers, and other things organized! That helps me function better as a mom, and gives me the satisfaction of having little pieces of order in my otherwise chaotic (but wonderful) life! P.S. These totes are also great for toy organization, tub toys (handles fit over the faucet), cleaning baskets, hair bow basket (keep the headbands, brush, and so on inside) etc.!!!! If you have any other great, cheap ideas let me know!

Any ideas on how to hide the water heater?

I don't have a medicine cabinet so I keep all of my first aid supplies and medicine on top of the dryer.

Love having everything off the floor!

Hair bow basket. Madison will LOVE playing with this!

This was my favorite idea for this 1 dollar tote!

My pantry is hard to keep organized, but I enjoy it much better when it is! Maybe someday I can do some of those cool pinterest ideas.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Teaching in the Little Years

We have been talking/teaching our kids about Bible's and giving to the Lord. They were given their first Bible the Sunday before last. We talked about treating it special and the need to take care of it. Ethan really took to heart how he needed to "cherish" the Bible. He wanted to sleep with it the next couple of nights! The kids were also given a quarter for the offering. I had to keep myself from laughing Sunday night because I was literally looking all over the back pew trying to find my sons quarter. I think one of the ushers thought I had lost my mind! Things like that are a big deal to Ethan, and I knew I needed to find that coin to help prevent an outburst of concern! Well, I could not find it, and in the process of looking for it somehow Madison lost her quarter as well. So when the offering plate came around neither of the kids had their money to give, and Ethan had to be taken out. Jon found the quarters after church, and he had Maddie go up front and put them in the plate :) Note to self: Give the coins to the kids during the offering and not before church!

I loved talking to the kids about giving their money to Jesus. Little lessons like that are the things I really enjoy as a mom. When I was talking to the kids I would ask them who they were giving their money too. Their sweet faces would light up and respond by saying "Jesus" with their best pronunciation. It was truly precious how much they wanted to give their quarters to Jesus. They were so happy that they could "give" something. Before church we lined up chairs in the kitchen and practiced them giving their quarter by putting it in the bowl Jon passed to me. I really felt that was a NEED since I wanted them to understand that they were "giving" it and NOT getting it back :)

Here are some pictures of the kids outside our church's front door. Normally I would only post one picture, but I couldn't resist posting all five. I laughed while I was looking through these. Emily is looking forward in every picture except the last one. And OF COURSE the last one is the only good picture of both Ethan and Madison with faces forward :) Getting a good picture of all 3 children facing the camera is no easy task! I do a very loud monkey noise to get their attention and make them smile. Unfortunately it isn't very feminine, and it really isn't something I can do in public without looking like a crazy mom!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Keeping it Positive!

Picnic in the living room. This blanket isn't very stylish, but it is special because my Grandma made it.

It was a little less messy to let them eat their sandwich whole.

Sometimes I have to look past the mess and enjoy the moment!!!

My kids really enjoy eating in the living room!

FUN!

Little Emily had a good time too!

The best part of baking is tasting! This was also the first time we've made chocolate crinkle cookies.

Yummy!!! I know Daddy really likes that shirt of Ethan's :0)

The more it shows the better it tastes :)

This just captures his goofiness!

I will be honest. This past week was a hard parenting week. I always want to be positive, and I will get to the positive part soon. But first I just want to mention that I am an imperfect mom with imperfect children. I try to remember and write about all the good things, but that doesn't mean that I don't have very REAL challenges everyday in training and disciplining my kids. (If you have been around them than that probably doesn't need to be explained-hehe!) I have really been exhausted/discouraged from some discipline issues with my son. It just breaks my heart to see the disobedience and bad behavior that came out this week. It has been a constant reminder to me of how I SHOULD be constantly/fervently praying for my children as they grow. Jon and I have gone through some really tough times with Ethan, and God has always been faithful to bring us through them. But what has nagged at me for quite some time is the "Jekyll and Hyde" personality that comes and goes with him. For two weeks he can be an extremely thoughtful, kind, and helpful little boy. Then the next thing I know I wake up to a different child who doesn't seem to care about anyone but himself and acts out all day long. In my head I'm confused and asking myself "what happened?" Monday night I was so tired from all of the discipline issues that I just started crying at our Ladies Bible Study! I am thankful for that small group of ladies who I know are praying much for me. Especially since I poured my heart and eyes out!!! The whole week of our Bible study has been on obedience, and in so many ways it convicted me in my own life and my personal walk with the Lord. It was also convicting me as a mom in my obedience to train my children. I tell my kids, "Slow obedience is NO obedience!" Yet how many times am I slow to obey God's will? When my child is so defiantly disobedient I do have to wonder if I myself am being completely obedient to the Lord. Through this reflection I am thankful that God is working on me, and that is where I want to be. I am thankful for His forgiveness, and for His amazing love. No matter how naughty my 3 year old can be I always want to remember how God has loved me through all of my sin, and that I am just a sinner saved by God's grace. My child's sin is no uglier than my own sin.

Ethan loves these blocks that he got for his birthday.

He built this church. I thought he did a great job. I loved how he stood Madison's doll house people on the step going in to the church! It is good to see in Ethan's play that he realizes what a big part of our lives church is.

I barely had time to take this pic. before the eyes were eaten!

Ethan looked at his pancake quite a while before eating it.

He kept talking about the hair, eyes, and mouth. I definitely want to do some more fun food things. I enjoy this as much as the kids do!

The Positive part is this: I think I may have figured out what could be a HUGE contributing factor to Ethan's behavior. I believe that it might have something to do with the food he eats! We bought a big box of fruit snacks a week and a half ago. I think it was that same time that he started eating those that his "acting out" and bad behavior started. For the last couple days I've cut out the fruit snacks, and yesterday Ethan woke up and he was the sweet, caring, more obedient, and much happier boy that I remember. What I am starting to ask myself now is, "Can certain types of food affect a child that much?" The answer is "YES", and it is a big discovery to me! The more I read about red food dye and hear about gluten the more it is making me aware of what Ethan has been eating. I'm starting to think back to the past, and how the food he ate might correlate to many of his outbursts and days that he is just a different child. I really think it might be some kind of allergy/major sensitivity to red food dye since the fruit snacks I buy are all 100% natural. I am going to completely cut out anything with red food dye, and I'll continue watching him closely to see if gluten may also give him negative results. Discovering this about Ethan has really been a journey of about 3 years of ignorance on my part! I praise the Lord for allowing me to finally see this. Now I just have to put some work into his diet!

This girl paints with just an apron because she is notoriously messy!

He always starts with dabbing. Looks pretty cool.

washing hands

During long days of discipline/obedience issues I really try to get beyond my extreme fatigue and do things that I know would be fun and give the kids something to look forward to. It helps redirect our focus. Whether it is singing Bible songs, baking, having a picnic in the living room, playing with play dough, painting, markers, cleaning, or just creating a simple new game I want my children to see that there IS joy in living for Jesus. One of the Bible songs that Madison really loves says, "It's bubbling, it's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul; there's singing and laughing since Jesus made me whole. Folks don't understand it, nor can I keep it quiet.--It's bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling day and night!" That song always makes me smile. Ethan does a "hahaha" at the laughing part and many times both kids get very quiet and put their fingers up to their mouth when we sing the word quiet. That song is simple and short and it reminds me that no matter what the circumstances are I should always have joy in Jesus! What a good reminder to me on rough days :)

Emily and I. Emily wasn't too happy, and I am giving my tired smile :)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Christmas 2011

The Cline Family Christmas 2011

For a couple of years my family (the Fitch family) has been planning to get together with my parents in Tucson, AZ for Christmas 2011. We had to plan in advance so that we could all save up for airplane tickets :) We live in AL and my 3 older brothers and their families live in SC, CT, and New Zealand! Sadly we are really spread apart. Our time all together is something that will always be special in my memories. We had such a wonderful time!

Apparently Mary kept winking at Joseph during the reading of the Christmas story!

I am thankful we were able to celebrate Christ's birth with family! Because of pregnancy and having babies we have stayed here at home the last 3 Christmas's. My family has always had the tradition of eating chicken chow mein, reading the Christmas story, and opening presents on Christmas Eve. I've always loved how the Christmas lights on the tree would really shine while the Christmas story was being read! This Christmas my mom had a great idea of getting all the grandchildren to participate in the Christmas story. All of the mothers helped get the kids in their Nativity costumes. The kids were dressed as shepherds, sheep, Mary, Joseph, angels, and a doll as baby Jesus. Ethan was a reluctant shepherd, Madison a crying angel, and Emily a very happy/content sheep! The men sat out in the living room and watched as the kids entered, and we all sang some sacred Christmas songs. It was SO sweet! After the singing commenced my dad read the wonderful story of Christ's birth, and then the kids all opened presents. All of the kids got neat presents, but the girls had especially wonderful ones! My mom had some beautiful, long princess dresses made for every girl (even baby Emily). I really liked the quality and length of them!

The gray-eared sheep looks a little grumpy :0)

Little, chubby lamb!


I just had to squeeze my "juicy" lamb!


The shepherds with their staffs! The sheep look impressed/scared!!!

Sleeping with their new stuffed animals on their pull out hotel bed!

Since we could not all sleep at my parents house my parents reserved suites at the Radison for those of us with families of 5. The hotel is right next to my parents home which was very convenient! It was a huge blessing for us to bring the kids back to the hotel at night, give them baths, and let them go to sleep in quietness. My mom thoughtfully put together hotel baskets for us. The kids LOVED having bubbles, bath toys, hotel toys, etc. That really helped them want to go back to the hotel at night. The set up for the suite was kind of cool since the kids could run in circles through the sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom. Jon and I found it precious to see how excited Ethan and Madison were to sleep together in the hide a bed! Emily had a real crib, and Jon and I got to enjoy our own room with a king size bed! Yes, we were completely spoiled, and loved every minute of it :0)

The Men: Jon was able to golf twice, and shoot guns with my brothers. All 3 of my bros. are gun guys. Two of them have concealed weapons, and one of them brought 5 guns with him! Jon enjoyed it, and is being talked into making a gun purchase. Hmm...not sure about that!

The Ladies:The girls went out thrift shopping, and we all found some cute things. I was excited to find some good children's books! One night all the moms got our kids ready for bed, and went to Target. We found kids swimsuits for 3 dollars each. Yay! My mom treated the ladies to a manicure, pedicure, and Starbucks. Now what could be better than clean, pretty fingers and a peppermint swirl hot chocolate?! Love being a girl!!! Tuesday night my parents treated us all to supper at Olive Garden. The great part was that baby sitters were provided so we had time together with just the adults. Wonderful! I am also thankful for the 3 sweet ladies from my parents church that took on the task of watching 10 children :) What a ministry and blessing that was to all of us!

Jon took this pic. of the kids and I on Christmas day. We are sitting on the fountain at the hotel.

The Kids: The kids had SO many toys and books to play with. God was good to provide toys to my parents in a rather unique way. One of my mom's friends from work distributes gifts to children at the hospital where they work. They can't use all of the toys that are donated because there is a certain criteria that needs to be met. So my mom was given one expensive toy after another. Most were still in their package, and had never been used!!! One of the things that all the kids loved was a little car that they could get on and fly down a hill with tracks. What a great way to keep kids having fun!

Sisters: Abigail and Alyssa

It was cold the day we went to the zoo, but Emily was so good!

Sunday we went to my parents church which was a blessing. We didn't stay too long because of our kids, but it is neat to see how God has grown and blessed that church. I loved hearing the large group of kids quote Luke 2. I think they do that every year, and every time it brings joy to my heart.

Tuesday we had family pictures. It was wonderful seeing my parents get a picture with all of their grandchildren! It was also nice to have the same photographers that photographed my wedding take our Fitch family photos. They are so talented, and it always amazes me how fast they can take pics. It felt like one minute to have them take a big family pic. complete with 10 grandchildren, and 10 adults! Now that takes experience!!!

Wednesday we all went to the zoo. That had to be one of my favorite things to do! It was the first time my kids have been to a zoo. It made it even more fun for them to have cousins to walk with!!! The kids were able to feed carrots to the giraffe, and watch the monkeys peel and eat their bananas. They were scared of the giraffe's long tongue, but they LOVED watching the monkeys with their bananas!

I am thankful for all of the laughter, merriment, and memories that we made and had together! The older I get the more I realize how wonderfully blessed I am to have 3 older brothers that love the Lord and are very loving, giving, and kind. I am also thankful for my parents who I cherish.