Heaven

Heaven has been the topic of many, many, many discussions at our house lately.  Matt & I both read the book "Heaven Is For Real"-- I really enjoyed it.  To be honest I don't know if I've ever thought so much about how heaven will actually be, etc....  But now I find it very exciting.  I got the book "Heaven is for Real-- Kids" and have been reading it over and over to the kids.  So many questions get asked and so much discussion.  The other day Addison asked me about our soul-- I'm really not sure how to explain the concept of our SOUL to a 6 year old..... but we're learning!

Levi has been real concerned about heaven, but would always get caught up in the "I don't want to go to heaven, I want to stay here with you forever" issue.....  Even during church yesterday, Pastor Dan was explaining very clearly how to get to heaven, etc... and Levi looked at me and said "But I want to stay on this planet FOREVER!"  Hard to talk a 4 year old into understanding death, timing, etc....

Anyway-- last night when I was getting in the car with the kids Levi said "Mom, I want to go to heaven."  So I talked a little bit more with him and prayed with him.  This morning when he got up and was eating breakfast  he was being a little evangelist to Isaac.  "You need to ask Jesus to live in your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins."  After that, Levi led the prayer and Isaac repeated it.  :)  So cute to listen to them.  And Levi has announced to me today-- that today he is ready to go to heaven-- right now!  

Blessed be your name

Last night I had some major flashbacks of hard days in January 2006. Addison had just been born, we were so excited to finally have a baby and days later-- her birthmom changed her mind and decided she might want to parent Addison instead. We were heartbroken-- beyond heartbroken. It was probably the hardest time of our married life. But throughout the time of waiting to find out whether she'd be our baby or not-- the song "Blessed be your Name" (Matt Redman) was really big.

I remember times of just singing that song:

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name 

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

There were times that it was all I could do through the tears to just sing parts of that song.........
Fast forward a few years-- last night we were driving home from church and "Blessed be your name"
came on the radio-- Addison was sitting behind me and starts singing along.  I began thinking back 
to how many times I sang the exact song just dreaming of being a mom and parenting that precious 
baby!  It was amazing to look back all those years-- and to hear my girl singing the words.

When the song was over-- she said "Mom, that's my favorite song, that I wish we had on your iPod"....
Thank the Lord for the blessing of being her mom!

Cute things....

Just thinking of two cute things that I will probably forget within a couple months so:

1-- Isaac calls his Grandparents "Bee-pa" & "Mee-maw"

2-- When Levi needs to go poopy he'll run to the bathroom and yell "Mom, don't talk"-- and you can't look at him or talk to him again till he's done. If you try to he gets a very panicked sounding voice and says "mom, don't talk"...... :)

Witches & ???

This week at phy ed the kids were playing some Witches & Warlock game-- Addison told my mom that they played a game called "Witches & Lilacs".

You can say it Isaac....

Levi has a hard time saying his F's-- so a word like "foot" sounds more like "butt".... anyway, my dad & Matt are always trying to get him to say his F's so they'll make him crazy by trying to get him to sound out his F. "Levi say Ff-Ff--Ffoot".... and on and on it goes. The other day in the van, Isaac and Levi were in their seats and I hear Levi saying to Isaac, "Isaac, say motorcycle, Ff-Ff-Fmotorcycle"..... and Isaac would say Motorcycle and then Levi would say "Very Good Isaac!" and then they'd move on to other words, all of which Levi would sound out F's before having Isaac say the word.

Drills.....

Addison was telling me that they had a lyceum (sp?) at school the other day. Ronald McDonald was there and some other characters. I asked her what they were talking about and she said "Drills", I must have asked WHAT?! To which she replied "You know mom, drills, like Alcohol & Drills". Guess Red Ribbon week went well for the Kindergarten kids! :)

Kindergarten

Since Addison started Kindergarten last week she seems to think that Kindergarteners are pretty big stuff. One of the first mornings she got up and said to me "I think this Kindergartener is going to start doing push-ups when I get up, because Kindergarteners are really strong cause they do push-ups when they wake up." :)