Exhale

Spontaneity with three children is sometimes a little danuting...but our afternoon trip to the beach last Sunday at the spur of the moment was an absolute hit.  We were sitting in Sunday School and I had just talked to my dear friend, Kerri about their one day trip to the beach.  I thought, that is what our family needs...to get away...unplanned...exhale.  And we did.  Enjoy the pictures.

Though it was about 78 degrees and the water was not yet warmed from the summer sun...the kids were all over it.  I think my three kids love the beach like their mama does.

I treasure these little moments.  Look at that daddy and his daughter.  Just precious.

Waiting for the big wave!!!

Just pure fun!  I loved watching Landon and Connor just dive in, loving every moment of allowing the vast ocean to carry them, laughing, running, being boys.

Sweet baby Lindsay Jane.  She was just delighted with our decision.  She could hardly contain herself.  She just jumped and laughed and ran all over the place!  She was not at all scared of the ocean, or the cold water!

The boys love digging!

This is what happens when you are a little girl with two older brothers...I just adore these pictures as I sit and look at them remembering her delight with the big truck...just like her brothers used to and actually still do!

Checking out the sand..

Checking out the water...

Checking out the shells that daddy found.

The boys loved being covered with sand!  Connor said he was "Flat Connor"...referencing his favorite book series, "Flat Stanley".

Well, I tried to get them to all three look at the camera...oh well.  They had a blast and that is plain to see. :)  That is what matters.

These types of pictures are my favorite.  Two different types of miracles that God created.  Right in my plain view.  Exhale. Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile daddy and Landon were figuring out the starting line for their race!

My peace.  Being at the beach for the afternoon was absolutely what I needed to do.  Life gets hard sometimes. A lot of the time.  Getting away from it all and being with my family was the best medicine ever.  Sometimes I just need to exhale.  Sometimes I need to leave the laundry, the dishes, the open charts, the unfinished grocery lists and menu plans for the week.  It was great to be spontaneous and I know the kids really loved it.  Stan and I needed it too.  We actually talked in the van for 2 solid hours while the boys watched Frozen (Thanks Nanny) and Lindsay Jane slept.  Times to talk to my husband are few and far between these days and that is a necessity in raising these three little gems.

Till next time...God knows what we need and I am so glad that Stan and I took a bit of a risk...took three kids to Wrightsville Beach and back in one afternoon.  But, boy, was it worth it to just exhale.  Life is good.

Without groans...

The following pictures are my favorites from this past week...

My sweet Connorbug, always picking me flowers.

My precious Landon, growing up so very fast right before my eyes.

My joyful Lindsay Jane, how she lights up my world.

Without groans?  Great title, huh?  It says it all...in my world this week.  I am reading a book called Praying for Boys.  In one of the chapters, it talks about praying about Obedience in our children, specifically boys in this book.  Any one else spend a lot of time talking to their kids about obedience?????

The scripture that it recommends praying over your kids is Hebrews 13:17 and inserting your children's names in, like this..."May Landon, Connor and Lindsay Jane obey their leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over their souls, as those who will have to give an account.  Let Landon, Connor and Lindsay Jane do this with joy and not with groaning."

Who else hears a lot of groaning in their house?  It is one thing for me to teach my children to obey, but doing so without groaning...that's a hard one, even for me.

I have really struggled with that lately.  I have a real sensitivity to the reality of my blessings.  My three healthy blessings.  I am acutely reminded of how often blessings like these three do not happen.  I am reminded in my work every day.  I see children who have mild to severe impairments.  I know many people who have lost children, both through miscarriage and the unimaginable, the death of their child.  I live in such an awareness that I get swept away very easily by emotion whenever I am trying to discipline these little ones.  I guess for me, the groaning I am struggling with is different that the groaning I hear from my children when they don't want to obey.

Groan: 1- a deep, inarticulate sound made in great pain or despair. 2- a low creaking or moaning sound made by a device or object under pressure.  Check and check.  My soul groans for those babies I see at work who are suffering.  My soul aches for those parents waiting for results when a baby born is not acting normally...  That "device" under pressure, that would be me, my heart, my soul.  It is such a blessing to be able to have compassion and empathy.  It is also very hard.  But, I am thinking when I read this book about obedience...obedience in the sense of getting my children on the right path and teaching them to do so without the complaining kind of groaning...and obedience for me and my groaning...is trusting the Lord in all things.  Trusting that he has me in the palm of his hand.  He gave me these three gifts to cherish and he knew that I would.  He is trusting me with their lives.  What does it really look like for me to obey him in letting him carry my burdens and groanings...

I think a lot and I don't have time to work through those thoughts, except often through this BLOG- so thanks for reading.  I care a lot and so much so that I often hurt from it.  I know that God has blessed my with the gift of compassion for others and I also know that I cannot use this gift without obeying him and trusting him to take my yoke upon him instead of trying to carry it myself, instead of groaning.

I want my children to learn to obey me and to do so without groaning (the whiny type).  I am seeking God in my parenting.  I am also realizing every day how very much these precious three are teaching me.  I never knew how much I had to learn until I had these three babies.  I am so very grateful for each one and never ever want to take them for granted.  So, if ever you get tired of reading about my gratitude, know that my writing is truly a way for me to recognize my blessings, reflect on them and call them out.  I know there is too much pain in this world not to recognize the blessings I have.

More favorites from the past week of those I am trying to keep from all the groaning...when I teach them to obey...what a challenge. :)

Finally, warm enough for popsicles!

Landon enjoying his glider from Pop and Mommom.

Lindsay Jane taking a little drive in her hat...can't believe she kept it on her head!

Sweet swinging babe.

Sandbox fun!

Clapping at herself as she slides down the slide by herself.

Yes, even she, the happiest baby ever, has temper tantrums.

And finally, our family completed the Crop Walk.  An amazing feat, esp. since Lindsay Jane did not nap at all that day and Landon Cole walked the entire 4.8 miles!!!

All for now, duty calls.

Springtime in Spurts

Spring air is hear and how welcomed is it?  Thought I would share some of the ways we have gotten to enjoy its slow entry this year!!

We spent one day on the farm with the fam.  Landon really enjoyed playing ball with Wilson and getting to be outside in short sleeves!!!

Baby Cole was all smiles.  Just a doll baby.

Landon and Connor spent some time trying to get him to smile by tickling that sweet little belly.  I love watching these little ones grow up together.

Aunt Moo Moo got her time in with sweet Lindsay Jane.  There was, of course, time for making the puppet, Wrinkles talk and dance, lots of giggles and lots of snuggles.  These two have such a sweet little bond.

Nanny with the three Cole babies on the golf cart ready for an adventure!!

Ummm.  This one is more like it...

We did manage to go on a golf cart ride on the beautiful farm.  It couldn't have been a more beautiful March Sunday.  We looked at the animals, the big tractors and the rolling hills.  It truly was good medicine to be outside all that time and enjoy our beautiful earth.

Back at home, we decided it was prime time to get more sand for our sandbox.  Miss Lindsay Jane agreed that that was a great idea.  She has such a sweet look of determination in this picture.  I can hardly stand not to squeeze those cheeks!

More sandbox fun!

Porter and Landon getting out the water guns...these boys want any excuse to get into water play.  One reason I have been thankful for the cool weather is that I can still get away with, "No, it is still too cold for water play..."  Ha!

Landon started baseball!!!!!  We are thrilled to have a little baseball player at our house!  Landon is actually really enjoying baseball and seems to be a natural.  He is currently playing first base on his team and has quite the focus on the field.  He is taking after his Pop, which makes my heart so full.  My dad just beams at the idea of Landon playing baseball.  I love it.

Ready position...

Another ready position..

Get that grounder, boy!

Mommom even got out her glove to play, channeling my wonderful Grandmother, who was quite the softball player!  I guess baseball/softball is in the blood!

Lindsay Jane has been diligently washing her hands after playing in that sand box...

Landon completed a Read a thon and loved the book, Charlotte's Web.  He is really taking off with his reading, which is a huge Praise!!  I have really enjoying reading chapter books with both boys and also having them pick those movies to watch after reading the books.  Hey, a nice break from Star Wars, Lego Movie and Ninjas...

Lindsay Jane enjoyed the swing.  It is amazing how very big she is.  My baby is growing up.  My how quickly time flies.

Time for our annual Easter Bunny Cake making with the Woodruffs!

Happy Crew!

My crazy crew!

All done!  These four have really enjoyed this little food craft that we have been doing for 4 years now!  It is really hard to believe.

This was the first year we did it...Landon and JD were just babies!!!  Great memories for sure.

Lindsay Jane loved sharing in the tradition by eating the cake.  This girl has a mean sweet tooth...

Look what we found!  Our sweet Connorbug is such a free spirit.  He always stops to smell the roses and frequently, because of his creativity, loses things...such as his beloved back pack.  He has been looking for this for weeks because he still wants to be Diego- one of the childhood memories I am sure I have keep a hold of forever for him.  So, the fact that he is still wanting to dress up like Diego warms my mama heart.  Seeing this orange back pack was such a surprise.  Some sweet soul left it on the fence so that the owner would find it.  What a blessing.  You know, I do see that as a blessing.  Taking time to smell the roses, like my Connorbug does, also reminds me to stop and count my blessings.  There are too many to count...as long as I look!

My sweet happy boy.

Lindsay Jane loving playing on the play structure.  Love that smile.

Connorbug climbing the bars.  This picture really makes me see just how big my sweet boy is.  I cannot believe how tall he is.  Only one more year and he will be going to Kindergarten.  STOP time!!

Stan got to go with us.  He took off for a work trip to Orlando on this past Tuesday but took the morning off before he went to spend with us.  I have to say, that was one of the best gifts he has ever given me.  It was so thoughtful.  No gift is greater than time with my family.  You can see that Lindsay Jane agrees. :)

It was truly amazing the way God blessed me while Stan has been out of town.  I had help that far exceeded any expectation that I could have had.  My mother in law was an amazing trooper, spending the night and stepping right in with carting kids to and fro.  She also spoiled me by getting us dinner, lunch, taking us girls shopping, doing dishes, laundry and even helping Connor in the middle of the night when he got sick! What a blessing to have such a wonderful mother in law!  The kids really enjoyed her sweet company and the extra giggles that are always present with Nanny around.  I had a dear dear member of our church family bring me several freezer meals and dinner just because!  She also imparted some of her wonderful parenting wisdom on me before she left as she has raised two boys and a girl and has been where I am!  Blessing!  Another member of our church came over and watched the kids so Stan and I could go dance before he left for his trip and yet another member of our church came and kept the kids so I could go spend some quality time with my mother in law without distraction.  Lots of friends reached out to me asking what they could do to help and I just got off the phone with one who invited us over to their house for a playdate, food craft and dinner tonight!  I feel so loved and cared for and better able to encourage Stan to go on another trip like this if needed since I have such a great network of support.  Stan, if you are reading this, I don't mean any time soon!  Ha!

Daddy daughter love.

More sweet shots of Connor.

Lindsay Jane really thinking about going down that slide!

And, she's off!!!

Daddy had to show Connorbug how to master the monkey bars...

Lindsay Jane got more and more brave as the morning went on and was sliding down all of the slides with ease by the time we left...

Which is why I got to take this picture. ;)

So welcome Spring!  Though it has come in slowly and in little spurts, I really think we have been able to appreciate it more.  The vitamin D certainly doesn't hurt our moods, either!  I have to admit, it has been hard to wait for this weather, but now that it seems it is here to stay, I really look forward to the fun times ahead for our family this spring and summer.  It is so refreshing to sit down and count my blessings.  Love to you all!