Growing!

My boys are getting big! They are learning to use a spoon! Soon we are going to start potty training!

Dinner Tonight

Ok, so you might be thinking hmmmm she never posted the review of the last meal. Well what can I say but oops! I ended up having unexpected company and cooking this:

Lemon Glazed Roast Chicken with Tangerine Scallion Spaghetti

It was a total hit for us and our guests. I did have to do some substituting though. I made the lemon curd from scratch (waaaayyyy easier then I thought it would be) I also couldn't find tangerines so I used clementines.

Many thumbs up!

In the Night.

Before I go to bed each night my mind is flooded with the desires of my heart. The things which weigh heavily upon me seem to all come to fruition there. Tonight's thoughts were all about the twins.

I don't want to be pushed to beg for patience. Lately I have found myself wondering if that is really what I need. God keeps putting images in my head of a different kind of mother. Maybe it is just that my definition of patience isn't quite right. Too often I think of patience as "putting up" with something. I want to personify the whole fruit of the Spirit though: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I don't think I can truly find joy in "putting up" with something. I want to develop a love for the monotonous. A joy in knowing that there is a goal I will reach. A peace in knowing I'm not alone and in fact it's not me at all who loved and longed to teach them first. A kindness, gentleness and goodness that reflects the delicate beauty of what being a women and a mother should look like. A faithfulness to God's direction that exemplifies exactly that I know deep down God has what is best. And MOST importantly the self control to be all at once from the first breath in the morning to the last at night.

In my plight to be less then satisfied with just being patient enough to teach my children and believing they will not depart from it, God blessed me with something more. I'm not sure I really deserved more or even needed more to continue on, but in my short walk here with Him I've found God really wants to bless us and show us we can't possibly think He does anything less then love us more then anyone or anything this world could try and replicate (Even knowing that this moment of satisfaction in receiving a revelation of God's own heart would probably fade from my memory one day sooner then He would like). I can see it play back in my mind now though. Watching my sons be baptized. Publicly confessing their faith. Falling to my knees with tears of joy at the fulfillment of a life's work. If you listen closely you can hear all of heaven rejoice. There are a lot of things in this world that can feel satisfying, but they are nothing compared to what my God has to offer and what do you ask is the cost of it all?

What can I do for You?
What can I bring to You?
What kind of song would you like me to sing?

'Cause I'll dance a dance for You
Pour out my love to You
What can I do for You beautiful king?

'Cause I... can't thank You enough.
I can't thank You enough
All of the words that I find... and I can't thank You enough.
No matter I try... I can't thank You enough.
Then I hear You sing to me

"you... don't have to do a thing
Just simply be with me and let those things go
'Cause they can wait another minute

Wait... this moment is too sweet
Would you please stay here with Me
And love on Me a little longer"

I hear You say...
"You... don't have to do a thing
Just simply be with me and let those things go
'Cause they can wait another minute

Wait... this moment is too sweet
Would you please stay here with Me
And love on Me a little longer
I'd love to be with you a little longer
'Cause I'm in love with you

Dinner Tonight

Today on Rachael Ray I saw Rach make a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Stromboli. Tonight I will be trying it out. Here is a link to the recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

I'll let you know what we thought of it late tonight or tomorrow!


Kinda blurry....it's a rainy day so quick posts are what we are about :) Here are the twins helping fold laundry!

Quick Post

My friend Kim has been on an extended overseas vacation. I am ready for her to come back and in honor of her I will share on of my favorite past times I had with her with you. The day I discovered Extreme Ironing:

Mommy

Moms are so amazing. They seem to always know what you needed before you do. They prepare and sacrifice for you from day one. Their hearts well with compassion for their children in ways that are truly supernatural.

Everyday I pray that God would lead me to "pull out the destinies God has" for my little ones, as a a friend worded it. It might look simple and monotonous to many, but there is something God made in me that tells me to seek, pray, and guide them. I can list hundreds of things that I might guess "is this God? or is this me?" but of this I am sure it is God.

Most times I feel pretty confident of my work with the twins. But I thought I would share this deep insecurity I have....

I have no idea how I am suppose to teach them or when I am suppose to teach them to use a spoon.

I know silly isn't it? I'm sure like most things they will just seem to naturally learn this. There are probably dozens of sites with ideas to help me, but time and time again I find it so ironic how I can spend day and night trying to get them to learn something to no avail and out of no where they start doing something I did not even think about showing them yet.

How am I sure they will learn you might ask? Well I guarantee no one taught Micah his drama routine, but anyone who has seen it knows what a sight it is. So I will continue to laugh when Eli says "HIIII" to total strangers and Micah hands me the remote and points at the TV to watch a movie and remember the task I am given is far greater then a word or a step like teaching them to turn to God in the tough times and worshiping Him daily.

A reminder:



God always fills the gap for Moms to be amazing.

Loving life as a mother and wife,
Melanie

Ready for Fall?

I am. Going on vacation in the beginning of June has left me feeling like Summer has overstayed it's welcome. The checks on my list of summer do's have all been completed finalizing with my dad, mom, and brothers trip to visit. Don't get me wrong I have long loved Summertime, but I think my excitement for what Fall has to offer this year is weighing in heavily.

Micah and Eli, my twin sons are now 16 months old and I can't wait to begin some of the family traditions I thought about last year, but the boys were just too young to enjoy.

When I think about spending time with my family cozy and warm I realize that there is a great place in my heart for family and I can't help but think that God has the same warm feeling when he thinks of us.

Ahhhh, probably enough day dreaming :)

Here are some pics from last years pumpkin patch trip:

Loving my life as a monther and wife,
Melanie