Birthday Fun




















On October 15, Elora turned three years old and on October 16, Draven turned five years old. This year, I provided the sprinkles and candles but gave them full rein on how they each wanted their cake decorated. It was so much fun watching their creativity come through! However, I had to continually help Elora stay focused with more "decorating" on the frosting and less "eating" of the frosting. By the end of the decorating fun, I only had to touch up a few bare spots with new frosting. :)

Although it worked very well to combine Draven and Elora's birthday for the family to come over; I have decided that it is the last year I will combine their birthday parties! Seeing that they both now not only attend preschool at their daycare center, but also at the Christian-based, SmallFry Preschool, you can only imagine what it is like to pick through FOUR classes of kids to make one birthday party! I noticed though how much easier and more convenient it seemed for parents of Draven's classmates to hold a birthday party at the swimming pool, so I wanted to give it a try. However, it was not until it was time to get out of the pool that I realized how the "easy" part referred to the older children in Draven's class. While most parents just dropped off their child to the birthday party, it became rather difficult to get 10 three and four year olds showered, dry, dressed, and out of the lockerroom all at the same time for cake. Thank goodness for the two mothers that stayed for the party; otherwise, I would have been one completely wet mom and a full-of-stress wreck! To top it off, when it came time for cake and presents, the older children towered the younger ones and easily (although accidently) knocked them down or pushed them out of the way. I felt overwhelmed as I continually tried to keep the children focused and out of mischief, in addition to making sure the party moved along as planned. In the end, I was more than happy to send all the darling children with their parents. And although I was complimented as to how well I kept it together and how the party was a success, next year, I choose to have two controlled parties over one chaotic party!

Holding On to What is True
These past couple of months between work, school, business trips out of town, and visiting friends out of state, it has been busy, busy, busy and go, go, go. Although I enjoy traveling for work and thoroughly enjoyed visiting old friends; I looked forward to down-time with Patrick, Draven, and Elora in October. However, as I loaded new pictures on to my computer from my Reno and Six Flags Marine World vacation (visiting friends), I realized that I missed out on capturing two months of memories with my children. Does that mean I did not have time for them? Does that mean they were moved from the top of my priority list due to my work and selfish motives such going to school and traveling alone? Although some may think two months isn't very long or how it is understandable because I was "busy"; I have to wonder, how could two months slip right by me and I vaguely recall it happening? Times like this make me feel I should stop going to school while the children are young and with me working full-time but instead, actually spend all that missed valuable time with my family because in the end, isn't that is what is truly important? I am regularly torn with this dilemma because I keep telling myself, “If I could just obtain my two-year degree (one class per semester – six years later and barely over one year complete), I can get better job opportunities and job security which will then provide me with enough money to keep us out of financial stress living only a mediocre lifestyle and then be able to provide more for my children than I ever received growing up.” Does this statement sound familiar? I have heard time and time again about parents wanting to provide better for their children when really, children will actually benefit more in life if they had that extra bonding time with mom & dad instead of mom & dad being gone all the time making money, which then can only provide material things. Therefore, why do I seek for better status in this world when I should actually be seeking ways to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, through Him?

Over the past couple of months, I have felt as if I was missing something or there was emptiness in my life. However, I could not grasp what it was because I thought, “How could I possibly be missing something when I already have a full plate?” Then, the other day, a friend’s writings opened my eyes to see what is has been there all along but somehow I just didn’t see it…it was Him I needed. With all my busyness, God’s word has been put on the backburner and I was unintentionally keeping Him from filling my hunger and emptiness. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" Psalms 46. A friend told me, “When you are empty, turn to God for strength, because it's only through Him that you will truly feel FULL.” I want to live a life FILLED, because of His Love. My family will be stronger, my marriage will be stronger, and my children will grow to live a life that is FULL. Through God’s words, love, and guidance, I am truly rich and am so thankful for His reminders. I pray I never allow the real world cloud my spiritual world values. GOD IS GOOD!