Happy New Year

As I prepare tonite for our New Year's Eve Party, I just wanted to wish all of you a Happy New Year. I pray that the next year is full of blessings and that you all may experience the presence of God in your lives. 2009 has been an exciting year for us. We saw the Lord work in and through many situations in our lives. He has taught us to be patient and faithful. In turn, he has been patient and faithful to us. He has blessed us with some pretty amazing friends. New relationships were formed, old relationships were strengthened.

We've watched our children grow..taller, more mature, and more responsible. I've stood back and witnessed moments as they interact with friends and family where they are "getting it." They are the kind, caring and godly people I have always prayed they would be.

I've watched my husband deepen his walk with the Lord...fully trusting that He would accomplish the great works in our lives, just as He said in his word.

Just don't tell him I put this picture of him on here. He might not like that so well. I had to show you his deep and mature side. Remember this post about the whole tongue thing?

I've learned a great many things this year. I pray the lessons learned won't soon be forgotten. I pray that I will take these lessons and grow from them and be reminded always of the great things the Lord has done for us.

Goodbye 2009!

Catching up

Where to begin? We have been staying very busy in our little corner of the world. With school being in full swing and lots of work on the books, life has been very full. If I were to sit and list the things we have been doing lately, I am not sure that I could give an accounting. We have been busy, but doing what? I'm not sure!

Last weekend a friend and I took the kids swimming out at the rec center. That was a nice change of pace. Steve has been on the hunt for the ever elusive buck since the beginning of October with no success as of yet.

For the past few months, we have been working on an addition for our house. We are adding on to our bedroom which will be awesome when finished. I'll save all those details for a post with pictures.

I am trying to prepare mentally for Christmas. Where has the year gone? I feel totally clueless as to what to get the kids this year. Normally I am full of ideas. This year? Nothing.

I still sit here in awe of what the Lord has done for us this past year. For the past couple of months we have been swamped with work. Just when we start to feel caught up, the phone rings again. It has been such a great feeling to wake up and not worry about where Steve would be working the next day. With our state being so economically depressed, it is amazing that we can be so busy. I just have to thank the Lord for that.

As we enter into the holidays, there is so much to be thankful for...again, another whole lengthy post will contain my list!

I pray that you have a blessed day today!

Boogieism

The big kids were having a little competition the other night over the books of the New Testament. Sis has a quiz where she has to recite the books. To test her fully, I was going through and having her recite them backwards, then in isolation...what comes before or between and so on. We got to the question, "What book comes between Nahum and Zephaniah?" Boogie (not to be outdone by anyone) yells out "Alex!"

There you have it folks...Alex. Right in between Nahum and Zephaniah.

The Quiet House...

As I sit here tonite and listen to the rhythmic (snore) breathing of my husband, my heart swells with love for my God.

No matter how bad the economy is or isn't...it is hard to get straight answers from the news,
No matter how bad the weather is or isn't,
No matter how sick or healthy,
we are so very rich in the Lord.

In a time when so many are struggling, God continues to work upstream and sends blessing our way. I certainly don't deserve it, but I am so grateful for the mercies God shows continually.

I have a diligent, faithful, handsome and very hardworking husband who believes wholeheartedly in providing for his family.

I have children who have made professions of faith and are seeking to honor the Lord in their words, actions and deeds. The youngest does not comprehend everything yet, but believes in her heart that God can give her new skin when she hurts her knee. She sees him as being very real.

My children are healthy, talented, kind and caring people.

My home, though it seems small at times is perfect for us. It keeps us dry and protected from the cold. It is the central gathering place for our family. It is the place where decisions are made, the Lord is honored, we lay our heads, eat our meals, we call it home.

There are times when my heart desires more...like 6 months of steady work, money to roll in on a consistent regular basis, a smaller hind end...

God reminds me gently that He is able to provide for all my needs. He has done it in the past. He is doing it right now, and He will continue to do so in the future. He reminds me not to worry, that He will never leave me nor forsake me...and He hasn't. What an amazing God we serve.

Hearing the snoring and the night sounds of outside through the window tonite, believe it or not, is peaceful. It is a reminder of all the blessings and good in my life right now.

What We've Been Up To

Earlier this summer, we decided it was time to switch rooms around. The girls were stuffed into a bedroom that was way to small for them and brother had the larger room. First thing was to remove completely all his things and re-paint something girly. I think we got the girly covered!

I think our guy at the paint store thought we flipped our lid...the girls picked 4 different colors.

Big Brother chose 2 colors with a blue ceiling. Sometime later we will paint clouds.


We also installed new flooring for him. Hopefully this will be a little easier on his asthma.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any before photos. I was to ashamed to show them! Let's just say they were a mess! We've been in the new rooms a month now and they are doing a great job keeping them neat.

Boogieism

I've been undertaking the arduous task of cleaning kid bedrooms. We decided to switch rooms around and give the girls the bigger bedroom. Along with the cleaning came painting the joy of sorting through junk. One treasure found was the amazing Barbie pooping dog. Not sure it is the best toy to have around as most of the Chinese imports have proven to be lead disasters, but my children are drawn to the little bits of poo that look like little chocolate tic-tacs. I spied Boogie sitting at the table with the pooping puppy...

Me: "Oh, you found your pooping dog!"

Boogie: "Yeah....I just love my pooping dog."

Don't know why, but that struck me so funny. I think my least favorite thing about any dog is the pooping. There is no joy in cleaning dog poop for me. My four year old loves her toy pooping dog. Go figure.

Not Me Monday

***The power went out last nite as I went to publish...So it is now Not me Tuesday...**

It has been a while since I participated in the Not Me Monday weekly purging of all the things I haven't done.
This week was pretty good. I had the opportunity to spend some alone time with my husband this past weekend. My sister graciously agreed to keep all the kids...the furry one included. We figured that this would be our only opportunity for a while to celebrate our upcoming anniversary...sooo.....

This weekend we did not get tickets to Pinks All Out at the Martin US 131 Drag Strip. I did not forget to wear sunscreen. I did not sit on bright reflective silver grandstands most of the day that did not fry my white freckly chicken skin to a crisp.

I wish I could say that I did not wear my sunglasses, so I will just say I do not look like a racoon right now (even still after 2 full days).

My knees are not bright red, nor is my chest.

I did not purposely take a shower today to avoid having to wash my face and hair.

I didn't threaten my husband with his life if he took a picture...take my word for it. I'm not the least bit burned.

Is It On Straight?

Mmmm....Lipstick!

What a difference...

...A few days and a lot of rain makes. We went from tulip leaves...

to fully blooming tulips.
From a delicate red bud...

to fragrant pink blossoms...From a small leaf forming...

to a branch full!from just a small shoot poking through the ground...

to tall willowy stalks.from a humble beginning...to his death, burial and resurrection. How I love spring. The new beginnings, the subtle changes, the handiwork of God on display.

Upward Soccer

Last Saturday marked the beginning of a new season of Upward Soccer. This is the first year our church has offered the program. If you have never been involved in Upward Sports, it is an awesome program. For those children who are intimidated by not being good enough or who have been made the bench warmers by coaches who are looking only for a win, this program helps to redeem self-esteem, reward sportsmanship and win children to Jesus.

Big Brother kicked his first goal of the season this past Saturday.

Here he is in action!
Sissy...contemplating her next move

Defending the goal...

Very serious. I'll have you know she did run in the right direction (toward her goal) the whole entire game!

In her own words..."This picture is me not listening. I was getting the dirty off my socks."

The Faith of a Child...

...Is priceless. This morning while sitting at my desk Boogie was watching her toonies on tv.
"Mommy, can you pray for me?"
Me: "Sure, what can I pray for?"
Boogie: "My tummy hurts."

I love the faith of children. It is a faith that is not tainted or tarnished by cynicism or skepticism. They believe God's word and trust in it completely. What an awesome example for me to follow.

Thank you Lord for the gift of children. Lord please help me to have a child-like faith that prompts me to seek you first for all things...and please help Boogie's tummy to feel better...amen.

Pray for Stellan

Today sweet Stellan has his heart surgery...should be in now as I write. Please lift the Mckfamily in prayer today.

Signs of Spring

So I finally got the opportunity to get out the other day and mess with the new lens I got for Christmas. It has been such a long winter, I really have not taken many pictures. I got a little bit bored with pictures of snow! Don't get me wrong, they were pretty for the first month or two, but as winter dragged on and on, my inspiration waned. The warm weather we had the other day inspired me. Here are some signs of spring in my yard...

In a few weeks, this bud will give way to beautiful fragrant blossoms on my Crab-Apple Tree...These buds are the beginning of leaves. I've missed the leaves!These will be gorgeous peonies in a matter of a few weeks...I had to include the sky...a brilliant blue sky. Not one grey cloud. Not overcast. Not snowing. I like to call this one...Defiant.Determined...

Down right Adorable. Even when she is pouting.

You honestly didn't think I could stick to just the pictures of my yard and not put one single one of the kids in there did you?

Receiving Encouragement

I don't know about you, but do you ever have one of those moments when the phone rings and you see it is a call from the school? One of those moments when your heart immediately skips a beat and you find yourself suddenly nervous? Today it happened to me.

I was sitting here fiddling around and the phone rang. As soon as I saw it was the school, I went into panic mode. The kids were both fine when I dropped them off...was one of them sick? With great trepidation I answered the phone...


"Mrs. Baldwin?"

Me: "Yes...."

"Hi! This is Mrs. M***** from GCS."

Me: "Hi Mrs. M*****"

"I just wanted to call and tell you...(insert my racing heart here. She is the gym teacher. I had all sorts of scenarios running through my head. What was she wanting to tell me, Sissy got hurt in gym? My son failed to dodge in dodgeball?)...that your children are a great joy and blessing to me. They never give me any trouble and they both have the sweetest spirit. I appreciate the sacrifices you and your husband have made to send them here. It is very unusual for a boy your son's age to have the sweet spirit that your son has. I just wanted to let you know that because I don't usually get much of an opportunity to talk to parents."

I have to tell you, as soon as those words left her lips, I felt like a balloon that was blown up and being held between 2 fingers and suddenly released. All of the panic and fear aside, I was pretty speechless and again almost moved to tears.

Isn't it something when someone takes just a moment...our phone call lasted all of about 2 minutes...to pass along an encouraging word? In an instant, she was able to touch my heart and make me feel so good, like I have truly done something right with God's children. There are so many days where these kids fight and argue over silly stuff. Over and over I feel as if I have failed somewhere. I just look to the heavens begging Calgon to take me away. Then I get a call from the school.

What a gift. I sit here again shaking my head in amazement at God. He knows our hearts, our thoughts and our needs. Just so happened I needed that encouragement today. I needed to know that the sacrifices we've made and continue to make to send our children to a private school are pleasing to God, that we've made the right choices with their schooling. I honestly cringe when I get the registration materials in the mail every year. I worry over how the bill is going to be paid. God does it every time. Not just a little, but all the way. All he wants me to do is to continue to believe and trust in Him.

Catching up

Our days have been full here lately, for which I am very thankful, but a little angry with myself for not carrying my camera around! During Spring (more like winter) Break I ended up with a cold. My first of the season. It made me remember why I hate being sick! There were a couple of days where my arms felt just to heavy to carry around. Thankfully that didn't last too terribly long.

Saturday we had our Easter Eggstravaganza at the church. My sister and her family were able to join us. Lots of junk food, lots of eggs, lots of people! Steve's parents came over Saturday night and stayed the night so they could attend our Sunday church service with us. After church we enjoyed our Easter dinner.

A new season of Upward Soccer is underway at our church. All 3 are playing this year, which should be fun. I helped Boogie's team out at practice Monday evening. It was sooo cold and windy that night. I swear that the wind was blowing Boogie off course as she was trying to run!

Tonight we have Awana, which is winding down here in the next few weeks. I heard some talk of Dakota having another practice Friday night for soccer, then all 3 have games on Saturday. I think Steve's parents may possibly be here again this weekend for Grandparent's Day at the school and to watch soccer on Saturday.

I am forever amazed at how quickly time seems to pass around here. I blinked and the month of April has nearly passed. My kids only have about 6 more Mondays until summer vacation.

In other news, I signed Boogie up for K-4 next year. She had her K-4 round up about 2 weeks ago. I am ashamed to admit that I got teary eyed and almost burst into a full bout of crying as I sat there in that K-4 room watching the things my baby will be doing next year. I have been in full-out denial of the fact she is old enough to start attending pre-school. Steve thought that I had lost my mind. Not my mind, just the last four years. I cannot figure out where they have gone!

As always, I stand amazed at the Lord and his provision in our lives. While so many are struggling with unemployment, He is still providing for our needs. Just last night I got a phone call from a potential customer. I sent an estimate to him back in July of last year for a little bit of work he needed done. He called last night to update the quote. It is amazing the people that the Lord sends along at just the right time. If I ever start to whine or sound ungrateful, please smack me and remind me of all the blessings the Lord has provided for us. Seriously! I find even when I am in the midst of being blessed, I have the audacity to complain.

I think we are all up to date for the moment. It is with a thankful heart that I wish you all a great day!

Big Brother's Sleep-over

Being the slacker mom that I am, we just had big brother's birthday party. We did have it planned a few weekends ago, but the kids were all sick and we had to cancel. We went to the community center in Lapeer to swim for a couple of hours, which was a blast! One of the highlights of the evening was opening a can of Flarp (noisy putty stuff). Let's just say, I thought the pizza had gotten the better of one of the party goers. The boys Flarped, shot each other with the nerf gun, built starwars, pirate and dump truck legos and played video games until crashing at about midnite.

I dare say they had a great time!

I really have to give thanks to God for my first born (all of them, really). He is becoming such a Godly young man. He has made some excellent choices in the friends he has made. It was so much fun watching & playing with his friends.

Building Bears

For Autum's 9th...yes, 9th birthday we went down to the Build-a-Bear workshop in Novi. We were able to bring a couple of friends from school and Autum's cousins for the day. We started out by picking out our bear, then bringing them back to the stuffing station. Our party leader Josh explains to the girls that they will be placing a heart inside of their bears.

They have to impart love, strength and wisdom to these bears.

Next order of business is to add some stuffin' to the bear...

...and a few bows for the ears

A view of the store...And our many thanks to Josh...our fearless party leader who braved all the girls!
No trip to the mall is complete without riding the escalator...no less than 4 times.

Pray for Baby Stellan

I was just reading through my list of blogs when I came across McMama's blog. Her sweet baby Stellan is in PICU right now with an extremely high heart rate (SVT). They have tried many things to get it down and have been unsucessful. Please pray for God's hand of intervention here, not only for Stellan, but also for his family. This event has brought them back to the place emotionally, where they were told that Stellan had no hope or chance of living while in utero.

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Clearwater Beach

Now that it is cold here again, I thought I would share some photos of our day at Clearwater Beach...think warm thoughts...think warm thoughts...

While we were there, we played some catch Chased a few of these...
relentlessly, I might add

Did a lot of this...

Collected a LOT of shells

Got in the water for a very brief moment

Made our mark on the world

Took in the scenery

OH! And buried Boogie!