A Meek and Quiet Spirit

I know this is fuzzy but this is L's first glimpse at Mercy's shiny, shiny new tooth and I thought it was hysterical to see these 2 in action!!

Coop time-standing in a tub of ice cubes with a loaded backpack on.. Attempting to reinforce some of the hardships Napoleon's soldiers faced as they trudged through snow/ice covered mountains in Russia with little protection from the elements. Of course, the weather being near 80 degrees here did not give the desired effect...I think the ice cubes were a welcomed treat but Jenkins(standing with feet behind the ice...not on the ice!) was sure he did not like cold feet!

On Saturday, MamaK and I took our youngest kiddos to the premier showing of the new Veggie Tales movie- a cute take off on the Wizard of Oz and the Prodigal Son with many jokes only adults seem to get...but the kids enjoyed it too and Mercy even boldly gave Larry and Bob hugs! She was the only one who wanted to wait in line to meet the veggies:)

The 4 littles wanted to enter the 'pumpkin decorating contest' at our church Harvest party this weekend. We went to Produce Junction, they picked their pumpkins, and then I set them loose with markers and other assorted craft items they uncovered.

Our little man perusing the atlas and reminding me that anytime I need a navigator, I can call on him :)

Pop-Pop and Grandmom B came for a visit...the little boys had fun with Pop-Pop on the swings~Odesco is barechested and wearing pants 5 sizes too big because Grandmom brought a bag of hand me down clothes -Odesco was sure these perfectly fit him!(yeah-maybe in about 5 years)

C (in Phillie's hat) at Homeschooler's Day Out during Zoology class . They were dissecting owl pellets which contain the remnant bones of whatever the owl ingested...pretty cool! Right up his alley-he said it was his favorite class ever!!

C was so excited he sorted through the various bones again and categorized them for me...yes it is the kitchen table and don't worry I did disinfect after he was through!! Interestingly enough, our neighbor happened to see a large owl perched on our roof just last week! Guess it's time to go hunting for owl pellets in the yard?!

The Lone Ranger and Tonto in action- A very happy L found the mask in the 'free' pile at Homeschooler's Day Out.

This little guy cracks us up with his goofy outfits...he wore this all morning-even during school.

We went for a 'leaf collecting' walk with our friend E and the kids were convinced it was 'freezing' outside. The temperature dropped significantly and they insisted on getting gloves, hats and scarves out...I think they have forgotten the frigid days of winter! Of course, the little boys may have been quite a bit warmer if they had agreed to put pants on! They all had such fun collecting an assortment of leaves-this is Mercy and Odesco's first Autumn experience and they are enjoying God's creative display as the leaves are just beginning to change.

Mercy with a very patient "Miss Maria"-she is smiling once again after the dreaded mold impressions.

I have begun re-reading the book Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell.
http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1120
It is built around the principles outlined in I Peter 3:4:
"...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
We are only weeks into the new school year and I already desperately feel my need to grow in this area. Since blowing the dust off this treasure, my days have been full of opportunities to grow in these much needed character traits! If you are wondering what a meek and quiet spirit looks like, here is the dictionary definition:
Meek~ mild of temper, soft, gentle, not easily provoked or irritated.
Quiet~ peaceable, not turbulent, not giving offense,mild and contented.
I am trying to remember in the midst of these situations to thank God for giving me ample opportunity to flex my 'meek and quiet spirit' muscles and that He would be my strength as I seek to honor Him in these challenges. I have so much growing to do in this as my 'cup ' ( heart) gets bumped throughout the day and often all that spills out is dirty water(sin!!). The bumping(often in the form of my children) didn't cause the water to become dirty...the bumping is just revealing what was already in the cup !! So once again I sit back amazed that the Maker of the universe cares so intimately for my soul that He allows very specific circumstances and situations into my life to refine my character. Truly the crucible of the home is a wonderful training ground and there is no place on earth that I would rather be...Lord just help me remember this the next time my 'cup is bumped'!!

Onto some family happenings:
* Last week, I took L to his pediatric ENT appointment to discuss his huge adenoids and tonsils. Truthfully, these organs are the only huge part of our very little man and he is quite proud of them!! He enjoyed showing them off to the nurse practitioner as he widely opened his mouth for her to see his tonsils and then he pointed out his 'hibernating teeth' on the x-ray . It was no surprise that the recommendation was to schedule surgery :( The nurse practitioner was extremely likable and full of information...only problem is she very clearly(she was not talking in 'code') told me that he will have lots of pain following the surgery and he heard every word!! He also happily heard her instructions that he needs to eat lots of food like gummy bears, chips, pizza, and other chewy candies immediately following the surgery! Evidently, the chewing motion is supposed to deal with the referred pain to the neck and jaw region. Just thinking about him eating anything but smoothies and ice cream makes me cringe... I can't imagine the discomfort that will bring but trust it will be short lived and the benefits of quiet sleeping and a cleared airway (hopefully this will help with his appetite) will be worth the few days of pain. We also had to have some blood work drawn which I did not prepare him ahead of time for since I didn't know it would need to be done.So I broke the news to him as we waited to go in for it and he was not a happy camper...fortunately they were able to get the vial of blood from his finger alone so that was God's kindness to our little guy!
On the way home I needed to run an errand so I did get him a slurpie and gummy bears (I know- highly nutritious!) hoping to give him something fun to anticipate instead of focusing on the surgery! It worked for a few minutes...then we pulled in the driveway and his mood changed. I got out of the car, turned around to get a package and couldn't find L. Last I saw him he was standing at the front door waiting for me to open it....our van is so big, he scooted around it without me seeing him. I found him in time to see him turning the corner of our cul-de-sac (thankfully on the sidewalk). He was determinedly walking and when I caught up to him he very forthrightly announced that he was NOT having surgery and he was running away!! I picked him up and he started to cry about what he heard the nurse tell me...I assured him that it would all be worth it in the end and that God would be with him...he calmed down and then we called Daddy as we sat on our neighbor's lawn to tell him the news. Soon L was ready to head inside and this time he was so excited to tell his siblings that he gets to eat junk food!!! Oh, what a fickle pickle he is and I expect these fluctuating attitudes will continue until October 31st- the day of his actual surgery. Please keep him in your prayers :)!!
*As we walked into church this Sunday, L was once again declaring his excitement over the prospect of unlimited junk food( as if he eats unlimited anything!!) when Mercy reminded him that we are getting ready to worship God...then she said," L-please stop talking about this...it makes me think about wanting to eat!!!!" I got a good laugh out of this interchange between siblings :)!! One who barely eats and one who loves to eat!
* Last week during our first soccer game, L was on the side lines with a few of his teammates waiting for their turn to be in the game. From the other end of the field I noticed that he and one particular teammate were quite animated as they engaged in conversation and totally oblivious to the game going on in front of them. Curious, I walked over to where they were sitting and overheard their conversation which was all about STAR WARS...yep it's official ... we have a 'teenage toddler' -(I'm borrowing my friend Kim's creative label for her youngest son ) P and C had no clue about Star Wars until just a few years ago and here is Mr. 5 year old actively engaged in a very dynamic conversation about this very topic... and if you know L, you know exactly what I am talking about!
*Early this morning I was greeted by a very smiley, cuddly Odesco. I was reminded of how glum and moody he and Mercy used to be in the mornings when they first awakened. I am sure it was all part of their grieving as they left Liberia and all they knew to come to us. Just seeing his smiley face and getting a bear hug from this little guy reminded me of the mighty work the Lord has done in just 10 short months!!
* Last night, Mark went to check on the kiddos before turning in and was surprised to see the little boys' beds empty!! Sure enough , C in his quest to awaken earlier in the morning, asked the little boys to sleep with him. We heard many bumps and kicks against the wall last night...at one point Daddy went in to check on them. Somehow they were all asleep even as L was situated across the other 2. They were all up by 7am and Odesco was so excited he got to share his big brother's bed!!
Today Mercy had her appointment to have the molds taken to make her orthodontic appliance...She was her typical self, taking her shoes off before climbing up in the 'cool' chair, then getting out of the chair to check things of interest out on the counter but responding well to the instruction to get situated and stay put! She was pretty upset when they put the goop in to make the upper mold-if any of you remember this, it is not a pleasant experience-especially as it hardens inside your mouth! Anyhow with hand-holding and much encouragement she made it through the longest 60 seconds of her life and stopped howling as soon as they removed the mold which did not come out easily. The bottom mold was a breeze and she was a champ for this! I do think she had a bit of pain with the upper one as their was some bleeding near the tooth that was just worked on last week. After this, she had to lightly bite on a piece of wax but first they needed to convince her it was not cheese as she rubbed her belly saying, Yummy, yummy!!" She is such a character!!! In three weeks they will fit the appliance on her and give her another 2 weeks to adjust to it in her mouth before applying any tension to the tooth that needs to be moved. Then she will wear this 24/7 for 6 months. So I am praying for God to especially meet L and Mercy in a significant way in the days ahead. Praying also for abundant grace to deal with any of their complaints and fears as we walk through these minor procedures (that seem HUGE) to a little one.
Trusting that with His unfailing grace, I will grow to be more like Him(with a meek and quiet spirit!)...especially in the precious but fiery crucible of our 'cup bumping' home!!
Love,
MamaB