a month of {gratitude} day 5

I am so thankful for my parents. I really won the lottery when it comes to parents. They are fun, not too hard on the eyes, and oh so helpful. And have I mentioned that they are the best grandparents in the whole world? My kiddos are seriously OBSESSED with their grandparents. And I don't blame them, they are fun grandparents. I am so thankful to get to spend so much time with my parents and that my kiddos have such a special relationship with them. What a huge blessing.

a month of {gratitude} day 4

Okay, today I am grateful for something I never thought I would be... our pets. I am not naturally an animal person. I don't gush over other people's pets or look at cute cat pictures on the internet for hours... I never thought we would have any pets. Well, almost a year ago Max started begging for a puppy and since I grew up always having dogs I gave in. Then last week we rescued our little cat from a parking lot..

I still wouldn't call myself a "pet person", but I am very thankful for our pets. Scout and Whiskers (even in the short week we have had him) really bring a lot of joy and love to our family. The kiddos love having them around and honestly, I do too. They really do add a lot of fun and snuggles to our family and I am thankful for them!

a month of {gratitude} day 3

Today I am so thankful for the one on one time I get with my kiddos. Nick and I have tried to be even more intentional lately about making sure each of us gets time one on one with our kids. We used to do it a little less often because I think we felt we had to plan big special things or go somewhere "just for fun". And then we realized that our kids get just as excited about running to the grocery store with just one of us or going to get the oil on the car changed. Awesome!

Last night I wanted to run to Target last night so after dinner I asked Max if he wanted to go with me. His eyes lit up and he said, "I have been wanting us to go on a special date!" It was so sweet how talkative he was in the car. He usually spends most of his time in the car talking to his sister so with Mom as the only option I got his full attention. I loved hearing what was on his heart. At one point he was telling me all about how he loves to serve God and wants to always help people... and he plans on doing that as an adult by becoming a legendary super ninja (how much fun are 6 year olds!?) Since he was so talkative in the car and I wanted to hear more I had us stop off in the Starbucks in Target and enjoy some hot chocolate/lattes and sit and chat awhile longer. Then I got my shopping done and afterwards I let him peruse the toy aisle at his own pace. He probably spent over 30 minutes just looking at things. (We avoid toy aisles and toy stores like the plague around here so this was a TREAT!)

We got home kinda late so Jack was already in bed and Soph was on her way up. We decided to let Max stay up and play a board game with us. It was so sweet to get such special time with my favorite 6 year old yesterday. I love spending time with all of my kiddos but I also love getting them all by themselves and hearing their hearts and getting to see them for just who they are.

I am so thankful to God for creating each of my children as complete individuals. All three of them (and no doubt #4 will not be the exception) are so different. It is awesome! So thankful for time to get to just enjoy their uniqueness every once in awhile.

a month of {gratitude} day 2

Today I am feeling so thankful to be expecting our fourth child. I have always wanted to be a mom and always thought it would be awesome to have a big family. I feel so grateful that God would choose to bless me to be the mom of all of these kiddos. I am so excited for this new little guy to get here. There is that little saying that love isn't divided it is multiplied, and although it is a little hokey, it is true. With each baby our home is filled with even more love and fun. God really meant it when he said that children are a {BLESSING} from Him. Nothing could be more true.


Psalm 127:3-5 (ESV)
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children[a] of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Halloween 2012

We had so much fun this year on Halloween. My good friend Crystal and her kiddos Mason and Elizabeth came over for dinner and trick-or-treating with us (Crystal's husband Paul had to be out of town... boo...). We had such a fun night! We had 2 Spidermans, Batman, a strawberry, and a dinosaur ballerina. Here are some pics of our sweet kiddos before trick-or-treating!

And the after shot! They got a lot of candy! By the end (most of) the kiddos were ready to head home, drink some hot chocolate, and sort through their loot!

a month of {gratitude}

I love the month of November. Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. My mom makes amazing food and I love hanging out with my family. I usually put my Christmas decorations up the week before Thanksgiving because to me, Christmas decorations sort of represent the whole season from Thanksgiving to Christmas (and I say do what YOU enjoy!).

My favorite part of November is how it really gives me the opportunity to reflect on what I am thankful for. Personally, I don't do my Christmas shopping in November (especially not on Black Friday! Seriously, who came up with spending the entire day fighting crowds and consuming right after the day you are supposed to celebrate what you are thankful for?). I don't like to use November as a season of buying, spending money, and stressing over what to get for people who already have everything they could possibly need! I really like to use it to focus on thankfulness  gratitude, and to prepare my heart for the holiday season and what it is really about. For me, I find after a month focused on how God has blessed me so richly it ia easy to want to bless others all through the month of December!

So, this November here on Life With the Little R's I am going to try to post something I am grateful for everyday! So without further ado...

Day 1:
I am so thankful for the the Bible, God's Word. My very dear friend Crystal was over this morning and we were digging into James 2 together and I felt overwhelmed with how blessed we are to have the very words of God available to us for encouragement, instruction, reproof, and blessing. I take this blessing for granted so often. I am quick when I am having a bad day or a hard time to turn to a friend, the phone, the computer, or another book to find answers or help. But, I don't have to. We are so blessed and privileged to have the Bible. And it is a blessing and a privilege that should not be taken for granted. There are still people in countries all over the world who do not have access to a Bible and only dream about having one of their own. I don't know about you but I have about 10 in my house... So today I am thankful for the Bible!

And if you feel compelled to share the blessing of a Bible with those who don't have access to them check out the amazing ministry of Brother Andrew and find out how you can help those without access to Bibles and the persecuted church.

4 kids

This makes me laugh a lot...