Love Life?

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

~Benjamin Franklin  

~Six Months!!!~

Big Boy is six months old! (on the 9th)

Here are some recent highlights...
*The baby foods he enjoys currently are:
-bananas (his favorite)
-peaches
-peas
-pears
-squash
-sweet potato
-apples
-rice cereal
-oatmeal
-egg yolk

*Things he can do...
-roll from belly to back
-almost roll from back to belly, he gets stuck on his arm lol
-grab and hold things, toys or bowls of Mamma's and Daddy's food
-sit supported
-bounce in his Johnny Jumper
-push himself backwards in his walker
-getting a lot better at balancing while sitting up with minimal support
-had his first sink bath
-has started to actually have fits when something doesn't go his way
-spin around in his crib, on the floor, etc.

*Things he likes to do...
-cuddle with Daddy
-''fly'' with Daddy
-sit on Daddy's shoulders
-watch Star Trek with Daddy
-laugh at Daddy
~is there a pattern here? lol~
-anything, and everything with his Daddy!
-play in his walker
-play with his crib toy
-jump in his Johnny Jumper
-pat the dog, with help
-snuggle his stuffed, white tiger
-read stories
-bath time
-'swimming'
-and being wherever the action is

He still sleeps through the night, although he has pretty much given up his late morning naps. When he wakes up 4:00-5:00ish I change him and feed him a bottle in our bed. He will usually fall back asleep until around 7:00, which is nice because I get to have a WHOLE cup of coffee, usually, lol and start laundry and breakfast. I also have my quiet time with the Lord before he gets up most mornings.

 First trip in the laundry basket! Just like I used to take his Aunt Zebra outside six years ago!

 Helping Mamma hang diapers on the line

 "Now what did I do with that clothespin!?"

 The most beautiful dirty feet I have ever seen.

Pinterest

Courtesy of Pinterest

Don't you hate it when you look on Pinterest for ideas to decorate what you already have, just to close it out thinking I wish I had that??
 Ugh, and yet again, another mini struggle with contentment lol. It is so easy, at least for me anyway, to look at someone else's pantry, kitchen, bathroom, etc. and secretly wish I had what they do.
But as much fun as it can be to decorate our homes, create beautiful landscapes, to have picture/Pinterest perfect havens, we need to remember that this is not our home. That we are here for but a season, a sort 100 years (give or take a few) to do GOD'S work, not ours. In trying to create the perfect picture, we can easily forget the Big Picture. Life is not about antique decor, perfectly pruned lilac bushes, coordinating bedding, and homes that do not looked lived in. Life is about Christ, and that He died for us, so that we may live for Him.
My kitchen may never be "Pinterest worthy", and my life is certainly not picture perfect. It has mistakes, sin, could haves and should haves along the way. And bound to have more before my life is over. Do I try to fail? Certainly not. But we as humans are born sinners. I am thankful that I have a forgiving and merciful Father who loves me very much.

And I'm sure that if God had a Pinterest board, it wouldn't be filled with "kitchen decor ideas" or "things I want for my house", but one titled "My Favorite Works In Progress" with each and every one of us on it.

"A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words"...Really??

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But to me, the following is just one, little, four letter word:

And that word is...GOAT.