The Well Rounded Mama

Happy {inter}National Scrapbooking Day!

Happy {inter}national Scrapbooking Day!  I love this weekend, because coincidentally, it always marks my scrapping anniversary.  I made my first digital page and forever changed the path of my life FIVE years ago this weekend! I can't believe all the places this hobby has taken me and the people I have met through it.  It has been the most amazing ride!

You can see some of my anniversary posts here: One year, Two Years, (no three year post...a little too busy with a full time job and a two month old!) and  Four Years.

While most of the scrapping world will be shopping and scrapping this weekend, I will be away on a ladies retreat for women all over Indonesia.  I am not a big fan of big group events, but I am actually looking forward to this one.  Especially since some of the women I have come to know and love will be there...and there won't be kids interrupting every 2.5 seconds.

Since I knew I wouldn't be scrapping with everyone this weekend, I snuck in a few pages this week.  I am also releasing a huge template set over at SSD this weekend, so if you need some scrapping inspiration, head on over.

  You can always click on my digital scrap album to the left to see more recent pages :) Many of them are two pagers though, so you will need to click on them to see them in all their glory.

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Now it's time to celebrate my {not so little} man's sixth birthday.  We're doing it a day early, but we'll do it up right!

A Little Bit Asian

I remember that when we first moved in India back in 2000, we were surprised to see all the families riding on motorbikes. It wasn't uncommon to see two, three, four, or even five people on ONE bike. That's just how it is there.  People don't own cars and so if you need to get somewhere and you are fortunate enough to own a bike, you take your bike. I remember thinking that those people were totally crazy.

It doesn't surprise us anymore.  Motorbikes are EVERYWHERE (in India and here in Indonesia). I remember when I checked out of the hospital after having Alaina and I got into a taxi and the lady from the room next to me got onto a motorbike with her newborn! Often we see families riding around, kids sleeping, and even mothers nursing on a motorbike! Yea, it doesn't surprise us anymore and I have to admit I think we have become a little bit Asian.  You judge for yourself.

And yes, we HAVE a car.  But Jason prefers to buy groceries this way.  At least traffic is so congested that they can't actually go very fast on the bike. 

Reason # 8 billion and 23 Why My Hubby is the Best Dad Ever

He lets his kids do this to him. 

If you remember Alaina's birthday, you'll remember that as part of her baking party, she and her friends threw whipped cream at Jason.  Ever since then, Caleb has begged to throw whipped cream at dad when it was his birthday.  Well, his birthday is still a week away but since we weren't having a big party for the boys (whose birthdays are two weeks apart), we instead had some friends over for brunch (yummy cinnamon rolls and hashbrown oven omelet) and enjoyed being together.  After a few hours, when we mentioned getting the whipped cream out, I think they were a little scared and left.  I doubt blame them.  My kids + whipped cream + crazy dad = big mess. No worries...our kids had a fabulous time and Jason was dad of the year once again.

Jason dishes up his own demise

Waiting patiently for the festivities to begin

Levi doesn't quite have the aim

No problem...Caleb will show him how it is done

That's better

Alaina takes a shot while Caleb has a snack and gears himself up for another go

One from behind

Really smoosh it in there!

Miss Katelynn wants a turn

Tag teaming

Alaina gets her turn.  Don't be concerned...Jason had her permission.  He has lived with girls long enough to know that you NEVER do something like this to a girl without asking first.

It's a good look for her, don't you think?

The littlest diva wouldn't want to miss her beauty treatment

And then the whipped cream and children (and hubby) ended up all over the porch for an hour+ slip and slide party.  I'd post more photos, but there are way too many n.a.k.e.d. children and p.a.n.t.i.e.s. showing to keep it appropriate.  So I'll just leave you with this last one...don't you wish he were YOUR dad?  My kids are so lucky.

Me and My Boys

It's hard to believe that there was a time in my life that I really didn't want to have boys.  I didn't understand them, gravitate towards them, or have any desire to parent them. 

And then I had two boys. And being a mom to them is one of the best things in the entire world.  My boys totally rock my world. From Caleb's crazy sword-wielding antics to Levi's cuddles and kisses and love for animals, each day is filled with more laughter and love than I ever could have dreamed. They may not be as fun to shop for or dress, they are a whole lot more fun to wrestle and bear hug with.

The Difference Between...

The difference between a first-born daughter and a fourth-born daughter (with two older brothers) is that the first born is a clothing obsessed cutie with pink toenails and the fourth born (with two older brothers) is a clothing obsessed cutie with pink toenails who sticks her silverware in her pants to use as a sword during breakfast. "Arrrghhh..."

Easter -- A Week Late

We have never been afraid to celebrate holidays on days other than the actual holiday. In fact, I think last year was the first year we actually ever celebrated Christmas on Christmas. When you have little kids, it really doesn't matter what the calendar says.  So, we have always been happy to move things around if it fit the schedule better.  This year, it meant that Easter was celebrated a week late.

For the "real" Easter, we were in Malaysia for spring break.  Although we had done a lot of Easter stuff in school and we had decorated eggs before we left, we didn't do anything else. Easter Sunday in Malaysia was spent visiting our old church and enjoying a yummy Subway lunch (we don't have Subway here so it was a real treat!)  And although the day was nice, we missed the traditional Easter baskets and egg hunt.  So, we made up for it with an Easter Day...a week late.  Does it really matter?  There were still eggs, there was candy, there was hunt, and there was a wonderful Sunday roast.  It was the perfect day!

My sweet seven year old who is starting to look so grown up. 

My almost-four-year-old goofball who couldn't take a normal picture if he tried (not that he would ever want to try!)  

The oh-so-sweet two year old.  Oh, and can I say just how great Crocs look with a pretty little dress...um...NO.  What I wouldn't give to walk into a Target and buy a pretty little pair of white leather sandals! I have yet to find a pair here that don't have some random words or cartoon characters ALL OVER THEM.

A quick shot of all four of them. Sometimes I look at them and am totally amazed that *I* am a mom to these wonderful kids.

When I bought these Easter bags in 2008 I had no idea how wonderful they would be! They are perfect for moving and storing.  Plus, they are super cute!

Digging in!

And the hunt is on!

 

I am SO bummed that Maggie walked into this shot! I just think this is the sweetest little scene!

And is there ANYTHING cuter than little blond curls???

He's Almost Four...

...and he is a total goofball.  I can't believe that it has been almost four years since little Levi came into our lives.  I had no idea how much he would change my world.  He has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.  We have not gone through even ONE stage of his life where he was "hard."  He has always been the happiest, funniest, and sweetest little guy a mama could ask for.  He lives to make himself (and others!) laugh.  He gives the best hugs and kisses and his facial expressions and word choices leave me laughing for a good part of the day. I really, really, really wish that I could bottle him up and save my three year old boy forever.  But he insists that he has to "grow big and change numbers."  As my consolation prize, he assures me that he will still love me when he is bigger.

Is there a big Levi store where I can gather up about six more of him?  Because I would take them.  In a heartbeat.

It is Finished

It's 4:30 am on Good Friday. In a few hours I will head out with my family and friends for a trip to Malaysia. I don't really like the fact that Spring Break coincides with Easter.  I would rather let Easter be its own event, so that we could spend the time reflecting rather than traveling. Such is life.

I remember that as a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with Good Friday.  I hated it because it was a no T.V. day. We were not allowed to watch any television, as per my father's instructions.  I hated that.  I also hated the fact that after church on Friday evening, we weren't allowed to talk.  I remember eating dinner before church and then after church was a time for quiet reflection.  And no T.V.

The love part of it came from being in the Lutheran Church for a number of years where the Good Friday service was one of the most memorable events of the year.  I loved walking into a dark room at night, seeing the black cloth draped over the alter, and anticipating the almost-mystical service.  My favorite part was at the end of the service when the pastor, reading out of a huge Bible,  would say, "It is finished" (quoting Jesus' words) and then he would SLAM the book shut, creating an echoing sound throughout the hear-a-pin-drop silence of the sanctuary. It mesmerized me. As we drove home in silence and got ready for bed as quietly as possible, I could hear the sound of slamming Bible over and over again in my head.

As an adult I look back on those experiences and realize that they impacted me greatly.  I greatly respect my father for trying to show us the importance of Good Friday and insisting that we take one day to turn of the wretched time wasting machine and think about something other than ourselves.  I look back and realize that although I couldn't make sense of it all, I knew that something big and dark and amazing happened on Good Friday. And somehow it could be summarized with the words, "It is finished" and a large Bible being slammed shut.

And something big, dark, and amazing did happen on Good Friday.  On Good Friday, Jesus "humbled Himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!"  Jesus, the one human to ever live who didn't have to be grieved by His own sin, voluntarily took all of our sin -- and all the shame that goes with it -- and endured torture so that in doing so the perfect sacrifice would be made once and for all.  And thankfully, it didn't stop there.

Three days later God raised Jesus from the dead to show -- once and for all -- that the world's most powerful force (death) was not beyond the scope of God's almighty power.  He owns the keys to death and Hades. Death could not conquer Jesus and death cannot conquer us. That is, if we believe with a genuine belief.

It's Good Friday.  And it is one of the few days that I really wish I were back in America. I wish that I could sneak into some Lutheran Church that I don't belong to and see the black fabric and the soft candles and wait expectantly for the pastor to read, "It is finished" as he slams the massive Bible shut.

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P.S.  If you missed my summary of my reading through the Bible in 90 days, you can read it HERE.

The Bible in 90 Days

On March 31st, I finished my goal of reading through the Bible in 90 days.  It was a lot of time and effort, but it was oh-so-powerful.

Reading through scripture at this pace allows you to see the bigger picture and the recurring themes.  If you spread reading the Word out over a year (or years!), the effect of repeated commands, similar stories, and familiar warnings is lost.  You are not able to see all the connections and coherence that flow from a steady reading.  Obviously, you lack the depth of Scripture study when you read this fast, but the amazing summaries that flow from this pace are enlightening and absorbing.

My favorite part of this experience (other than my kids excitement over it) was seeing a few themes emerge and the overarching Word of the Lord cone to light.  If I had to summarize the entire Bible, I know now that Jesus had it right all along (as if it were ever in doubt).  Read this familiar passage from Matthew 22 (emphasis mine):

 ³⁴But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together.

 ³⁵One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,

 ³⁶"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

 ³⁷And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

 ³⁸"This is the great and foremost commandment.

 ³⁹"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

 ⁴⁰"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

The entire word of God can be summed up in those two commands.  Over and over again during my time in the Word, these two commands appeared.  He is what I read, fleshed out a little:

OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament is the story of the creation of Israel and God's leading them to understand that He alone is God and He alone is worthy of praise, honor, and adoration.

God continually calls His people to love and obey Him only.

Over an over again, the people ignore God's commands and warnings and forsake the blessings that would have followed.

God raises up all sorts of people to accomplish His will. He raises up the underdog and tramps down on the self-righteous.  

God often asks His people to do crazy things that neither they not their family or friends understand. The requirement is not to understand, but to obey and to trust the wisdom of God.  Think of the amazing things that would not have happened if people didn't obey (Noah's Ark, the battle of Jericho, Gideon's army...the list goes on.)  Just think what might have been if Adam and Eve had been wise enough to obey.

God allows wicked people to prosper at times so that His eternal will can be carried out.  Just because someone is being blessed with earthly good DOES NOT mean that they have God's favor (or that someone who is destitute is lacking God's favor). God raised up and "blessed" many, many wicked people to carry out his eternal purposes.  As the saying goes, "Earth is their heaven and eternity will be their hell."

God DEMANDS..expects, commands, exhorts, pleads, insists, requires...that we care for the the poor, the widows, and the orphans.  This is NOT optional.  Over and over and over again in the OT God commands that His people care for the poor and practice justice.  And over and over and over again God condemns and punishes people for not doing this.

God says that religion that is practiced out of obligation, habit, or cultural/familial expectation is abhorrent to Him. If these things do not flow out of a heart that truly loves Him and is committed to obedience (which includes caring for the poor!), it detests Him.  In Isaiah 1, for example, He says that He HATES the peoples' religious ceremonies and obligatory sacrifices. He says he will hide His face from them and close His ears to their prayers.  And then the only thing he advises them to do (inferring that this is the religion He finds beautiful) is this:

"Learn to do right!

Seek justice,

encourage the oppressed.

Defend the cause of the fatherless,

plead the case of the widow."

Isaiah 1: 17

Oh the implications for the modern day church!

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus and apostles continue proclaiming God's command to care for the poor and needy and oppressed. The second greatest command is to "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."  In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus answers the questions, "Who is my neighbor?"  It is not just the person next door or down the street. It is even the despised person from another culture. It is the person that you think someone else should help.  It is anyone other than yourself.

The NT talks a lot about believing in Jesus for salvation. And it also explains very clearly and emphatically that a genuine belief will manifest itself in good works.  And we're not just talking about going to church and avoiding bad language and reading Bible stories to our kids. Belief that leads to salvation is characterized by loving the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls (and therefore striving with everything in us to obey all of his commands) and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

We are NOT to store up treasures here on earth.  The earth is NOT our home and our time, energy, and resources are not to be spent on things that will not last.  Our selfish and materialistic lifestyles are not smiled upon by God.

A lifestyle of true discipleship will be characterized by struggles, persecutions, and pain.  This does not mean that we can never enjoy earthly blessings (after all, every good and perfect gift is from above), but it does mean that these are to be held onto very lightly and used for the purpose of loving and helping others. 

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It was a powerful 90 days.  I can't wait to do it again.   And incidentally, the books that impacted me the most in this reading:

Deuteronomy, Proverbs, Isaiah, 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, James, and Revelation.