Field Tripping

We are all getting ready for Spring up here in Northern Indiana.  What does that look like?  Taking any and every opportunity to get out of the house!  Sometimes, that is easier said than done.  One great option here are the Potawatomi Conservatories. Admission is only $3 for adults, $2 for kids ages 3-14.  It was wonderful to see fruit on trees, flowers in bloom and so much green!  Our favorite room every time is the Desert Dome.  Not only is it war, but has such an array of plants that we don't see around here.  We even brought home our own Aloe Vera plant.

Next up was a field trip with our home school co-op to Oxbow Park for Maple Syrup tapping! We learned which maple trees are the best for tapping, how to tap and taste-tested syrup straight from the tap. With a gate fee of only $2, we will back to explore the many trails and check out the newly rebuilt Ox Bow Tower. 

Family Portraits

Yes, you heard correctly - Family Portraits.  Oh why do these cause me so much stress?!  Is it because they so badly need to be done, but nobody wants to do it? Or is it the difficulty of finding outfits that coordinate but don't "match"?  And then, what if the weather is bad, the kids cry or don't smile, or I am having a bad hair day?  Or what if we are just having a bad year as a family?  But then, I read something like this and there is no putting it off any longer.

Family portraits had been in the back of my mind -  maybe it had something to do with the fact that the last time we had them taken, Portrait Innovations was, well, an innovation!

You may be able to tell that this was quite a few years ago!  Baby Girl was just that, a 6 month old baby, The boys still looked liked boys instead of on the verge of manhood.  And yes, hubby and I look young!

So what better motivation that mommy guilt, so many years lost and a homeschooling friend who takes great pics! After one cancellation due to cold weather, a few $$ spent on outfits that at least wouldn't look bad together and a trip to my Fix Salon . . . .

Yeah, so we've grown a little!  Here's to building family and self-esteem! Oh wait . . . now I need to order prints, get frames and put them on the wall!

A Mother's Calling - Part 3

A Mother's Calling

This is the final post of three, from a lesson my own mother have given to me many years ago. 

Part 1, Part 2

My Mom

We are part of the body of Christ

I have learned that I am important in God's eyes.  My child should feel important in his mother's eyes.  He should feel worthwhile and loved.  As they get older, they will be able to see that they are a part of a bigger family.

The family unit is the ideal place for us all to learn how we fit into the body of Christ.  If I, first as a child of God, then as a wife, and then as a mother, take my proper place in the family, God can use me in the larger body.  So with my child: he learns interaction, sharing, how his feelings and actions relate to others, and how they affect others.  My child learns, in the safety and love of his home, how to relate to others, and how to use his talents for the good of God's kingdom.

Final thoughts

God keeps telling me to slow down, don't rush through my children, take the time; they are the task He has for me now.  I am to rest in motherhood as I rest in Him!  

As my children are being raised in the truth, I rejoice over God's faithfulness.  Oh Lord, that the love you have placed within me causes me to protect, trust, hope and to persevere in training my children.  Where I fall short, your love never fails.  Thank you, Lord.

I hope these posts have been encouraging to someone in their role as a mother. Rereading these, has not only been an excellent reminder for my role as a mother to my children, but also has given me a greater appreciation for my mother.  I thank God for her in a new and different way. She has always made me feel important, has shown me the 1 Corinthians love and most importantly, has shown me the how to be a follower of Christ. I hope and pray that my children learn much from me, but above all, to love Christ and follow after Him first.

Rita