"Praying for Boys" ~ End of the Month Wrap-Up

"Obedience and submission to authority 
are normal parts of life.

For the rest of their days,
our sons will have to submit to someone or something.

Even if your son becomes the CEO of the biggest, 
most powerful company (or country) in the world,
he will still have to answer to his Maker.

Training him now to respect and submit to authority 
sets him up for success of the greatest kind.

So let's pray for the hearts of our sons 
to grasp the need to obey.

And while we're at it, let's pray the Lord renews our vision
and ability to teach them this vital lesson 
by increasing our desire to obey Him."

-Brooke McGlothlin-

"Return to the Lord your God,

you and your children, 

and obey his voice in all that I command you today,

with all your heart and with all your soul."

Deuteronomy 30:2

Bennett's Birthday Celebration(s)

June 17th, party with Carl, Laurel, Grandma Judy, and Jeamer.

June 20th, his ACTUAL birthday, opening presents from Auntie LoLo when he woke up :)

June 21st, celebrating when Daddy was home!

A random smattering of NEW CAMERA pics!

 Erik snapped this picture as the full moon was rising 

over Priest Lake the night before Marta & Travis' wedding!

Taken around 11 p.m.

June = BUSY!

Sorry for the lack of blog posts this month my loyal blog followers...

these first twenty days of June have FLOWN by...

Our "baby" Bennett turned 3 Years Old today, MY OH MY!!!

Here he is helping to make some birthday cupcakes 
for one of his early celebrations on Tuesday.
(He's pretty much been celebrating his birthday for a week now, 
starting at Marta and Travis' wedding with all the relatives last week! 
And i'm sure the celebrations will continue through for another week 
with the relatives in Wisconsin!!!  LUCKY BOY)

Laurel put him in her apron... just to clarify! ;)

I've also been spending a lot of time training for my new job this past month, and am truly loving that... the new duties and responsibilities are right up my alley!

As a working mom, yes, sometimes I feel spread thin over all my commitments, 
sometimes very thin... 
but this is my life and really I am so blessed!

Grandma Judy and Aunt Abby stayed with us in Chewelah for a few days 

before we all traveled to Priest Lake, Idaho for Marta & Travis' wedding.

Swinging at the Chewelah City Park with Auntie Abby :)

Priest Lake is only an hour and 45 minute drive from our home in Chewelah.

 We camped at the campground on Reeder Bay of Priest Lake for four days and three nights,

it was GORGEOUS the first day, and then it got COLD and windy AND rainy...

 but the boys sure didn't seem to mind!

They looooooove camping... and swimming buck naked....

we'll have to get them out camping a couple more times this summer (hopefully!).

Uncle Carl came back with us after the wedding and he is staying with us in Chewelah for the summer as the boys' "manny" (male nanny!)... And lemme tell you... the boys sure are pleased with this new development, they LOVE their Uncle Carl!!! :) :) :) :) 

And now we're getting ready for our next trip which is a week at my parents' lake cabin in Hayward, Wisconsin... leading up to my cousin Sarah's wedding in Baldwin, WI on 6/28 in which I am honored to be a bridesmaid!!!  

We are leaving SUPER SUPER early on Sunday morning, flying to Seattle and then to Minneapolis.  

Anyway... needless to say there has just been no down time the past few weeks. 

 It's all good stuff though!  Just BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!!!!

OH- and I spoiled myself with a new camera as an early birthday present to myself :) :) :) 

I love it so far, Erik and I have taken some awesome pictures and I want to share them with you but that will have to wait until later... it doesn't communicate with my Mac yet, only Erik's computer, and he is gone with it on a work trip so as soon as I can i'll share some of those awesome pictures with you :)

Alrighty, thanks everyone for the birthday wishes to Bennett, 

and happy FIRST DAY OF SUMMER tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Stay cool, even if it means getting in the sink! LOL

"Praying for Boys": Mid-Month Discussion Question from Brooke McGlothlin

"Describe the first time your child deliberately disobeyed you.  Did you recognize it immediately?  How did it make you feel?

Parents of older children: How has the battle for obedience changed as your child has gotten older? Describe some victories and failures in this area."

by Lisa Whittle

"Our relationship with our children hinges on our relationship with God. 

It starts with us:

• Spending time with Him so we can manage our emotions when things don’t roll out like the script in our head.
• Living daily in the Word so we can be a woman who mothers from a place of truth, models balance and wisdom and care, so our kids can see something different from the world they live in and know it’s possible.
• Whispering prayers, (let’s be honest: short most of the time) in the car or while we are cooking dinner or doing laundry or being a chauffer or when we finally do collapse into the bed at night with a weariness we can’t explain. And then the other part of prayer…quietly listening.

No matter how good of a mother we are, we will never be good without God. We need Him on the bad days and the good days and the days that are just ok and we survive.

We need Him to balance us and stop our mouths from saying hurtful things little minds do not forget and most of all, to help us lose that perfection tape that plays in our head and messes with our ability to embrace the crazy-beautiful in every day.

We can’t mother without God.

If we try, we will mother from a place of bankruptcy."

Link: MOB Society

My favorite summer treat!

Goodness they are cute!!!!!!!!!!!

"Praying for Boys" ~ Month 2/21

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 

'Honor your father and mother' 

(this is the first commandment with a promise), 

that it may go well with you 

and that you may live long in the land."

Ephesians 6: 1-3