"Now I lay me down to sleep ..."

We just said our prayers for bedtime ... why didn't I have a video camera playing? Here is a snapshot of our prayers - the bits that I remember ...

Ellie: "Thank you for making everyfing and creation and thank you for making our house and ..."

Caleb: (tapping her foot and whispering) "God didn't create our house."

Ellie: " ... and thank you for [she lists many more things] ... "Thank you ... [something about] God taking care of us and keeping us safe and mommy takes care of us cuz she wants us to be safe and not walk away without asking her. And God keeps us safe and if he didn't the people who worship idols will DIE, but we will not die because we will be safe - because we don't worship idols and we don't like idols ..."

Caleb: "It's too long! Pray shorter!"

Ellie: " ... and thank you for all creation and I like being created and having hair and piggy toes and clothes and a bunk bed with a bed on top and on bottom [and she lists more] ..."

Caleb: (kicking his feet and covering his ears) "It's taking too long! I'm NOT going to listen to this!"

Finally, we said "amen" and they went off to bed. Ellie said something about not getting to pray for something, and I said, "Sweetheart, you can talk to God all you want to in bed."

I hope she does.

~JG

FYI

I would just like everyone to know ... when they visit our downstairs powder room, the huge boogies that are on the wall by the toilet were NOT put there by me. It was the other female in the house. Aaron says I should clean them up before you arrive, but I think the female who placed them on the wall should do the cleaning.

~JG

UT and AB

Here is a digital scrapbook page that I just made about Uncle Tim and Aunt Brittany - and how awesome they are! We love them!



~JG

Caleb singing in Kraiz

Caleb is in the Kids Choir (called Kraiz). Yeah! Every year I've watched (and helped) with Kraiz and thought, "Someday I'll get to watch Caleb sing." Now I get to! YEAH! At first, Caleb was NOT happy about going to Kraiz practice! After all, it was new. And new things don't go over so well with him. It took a few weeks of rehearsals and he's fine now. He does have the occasional complaint ...

"Mom, all we do is sing!"
"Yes, honey. That's what choir is."

Anyways, Kraiz sang in the adult service this morning (they sang a song from the spring performance - but it was new to Caleb!). The song (in case the words are difficult to hear) is from Psalms 1:1. Here it is - enjoy! I know I did!

~JG

"Are you SERIOUS?!"

Finally, an update! Yes, a new post is being posted. And in honor of the tradition of our previous posts, I thought I'd share this.

Aaron, Ellie and I were at home for lunch. Aaron is preparing the lunch, I am sorting the mail and Ellie is watching a Fraggle Rock episode, when she turns and asks quietly, "Can you help me with my nose?"

"AWESOME!" I think. "She's asking for help with her boogies instead of digging for them herself. This is a good sign!"

I take over the lunch duties while Aaron assists with the nose blowing. I am picking off grapes from the stem when I hear Aaron exclaim, "Are you SERIOUS?!" Well, of course I am curious, so I go over to investigate. And yes, Ellie has blown out something huge and green out of her nose. She can definitely breath better now! The evidence of her nasal effort is nestled in the crease of the kleenex ... a green Polly Pocket shoe covered in snot. Are you SERIOUS?!? And I, being the good mother that I am, walked over to the kitchen counter to laugh while Aaron discussed the dangers of putting toys up our noses.



~JG

FUEL @CLC - Silence and Solitude

At Christian Life Center this week we are starting a series called "FUEL". The adults, the youth, the kids, small groups...we are aligning everything for six weeks to start the year off.


The series discusses Fuel for our souls - godly habits that we should develop in our lives. This week is Silence and Solitude.

As a pastoral staff we are writing devotions to be emailed out each day (you can sign up for them here), and I thought I'd share mine with you for the week (a preview copy!):

I have two children – Caleb, age 4 ½, and Ellie, almost 3. They are the essence of energy. Anyone that has children, or has been around children, knows how they can run circles around you and still have more energy later…long after yours is depleted.

That being said, I love to play with my kids! Ellie loves when I play princess with her (I don’t dress up like the princess…I am the prince) – we dance the Sleeping Beauty waltz, we try on glass slippers, we’re upset at the mean stepsisters – it fills up her love tank! Caleb loves when I fly spaceships and airplanes around the house, build new train tracks with his Thomas set, or just wrestle with him in the living room. These are things my kids love, and I do them because it helps my children understand how much I love and cherish them.

But do you know what I love? I love to sit with my kids at night and read them a story. I love to hold them close in the morning when they wake up and tell them how much I love them. I love when they look me in the eyes and listen carefully when I have something special to tell them. These things show me that they love me.

There are things I can’t tell them in the middle of a game of hide and seek. Some things they won’t hear and understand when we’re outside swinging or playing in the snow. Sometimes they need to be still and just listen to hear the good things I want to tell them.

When I saw some of Pastor Del’s main verses this week I thought of these things.

Psalm 131:2, “I have stilled and quieted my soul.”

Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Remember to take time out of your comings and goings to just be still with the best-Father-of-them-all and see what He has in store for you!

God bless!
AG

The Sweetest Gift of Christmas

I must say, Ellie has given me the best Christmas gift of all (other than Jesus of course) ... being potty trained. WOOHOO! How sweeeeeeeet it is! Sing it with me (to the tune of "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"...

"All mommy wants for Christmas is no diapers
no diapers, yes no diapers!
If I don't have to change anymore diapers ...
Then I'll have a super duper Christmas!"

HUZZAH!

Yup, she's been in underwear all week and she's been DRY. And just the past 2 days, she's started telling us when she has to go potty! We've been out shopping plenty and she's been dry all through it. We are pretty excited!!!

And here's a cute picture of the "big girl" to celebrate!


Merry Christmas to us!!! No more diapers (except at bed)! YEAH!
~JG