Remembering...Telling My Mom, "It's A GIRL"!

My mom gave birth to three girls. So even though we had no guarantee that we'd give her tons of granddaughters, it was just what we assumed would happen...

But, it didn't.

For this Wednesdays Walk Down Memory Lane, I want to share this video of my mom's reaction when we told her, "It's a GIRL!"

The last two weeks I've shared the birth stories of my two first born sons. And even though I haven't shared Samuel's birth story yet (and I WILL!), I wanted to share this memory since Liberty's 1st birthday is just around the corner (JULY 4th!!!)

Before you watch the video though, here's some background on our family at the time this video was taken...

• My mom gave birth to 3 girls
• Between us 3 girls, there were a total of 10 grandchildren.
• At this time, only 1 was a girl.
• That means 9 boys...(notice all the boys in the room while this is videoed!)
• My sister Marjie (who has 3 boys) is taking the video.
• We love boys, but girls are special, and obviously hard to come by around here!
  

So here is my mom's reaction...PRICELESS!



Did you notice her little leg kick? She used to be a NFL cheerleader...can ya tell?! (And no, that isn't a joke, she really did used to be an NFL cheerleader!!! Rah! Rah! Go Kansas City CHIEFS!)

Also linked to Mom and Me Monday at Julie's Blog

10 Uses for a Pizza Cutter

I love my pizza cutter. I've talked about it before in my "A Few Of My Favorite Things" post but seriously, I use my pizza cutter just about everyday...I've figured out it can make my life a lot more simple and meal-prep a whole lot faster!

So here are just 10 ways (of many) on how I use my pizza cutter...

1) Cutting pizza (brillant, huh?)

2) Cutting sandwiches in half for the kiddos.

3) Cutting up pancakes in a jiffy!

4) Cutting meat quickly.

5) Cutting quesadillas nice and neat.

6) Cutting the crust off of bread (not that I would ever do such a wasteful thing for my kids *wink*)

7) Cutting grapes in half for your toddler.

8) Cutting up spaghetti for little ones.

9) Cutting hotdogs up.

10) Cutting up potatoes. Yep, I use it even on potatoes!

So in other words, I use my pizza cutter on pretty much EVERYTHING :)

If you can think of any more uses for a pizza cutter, do share, Share, SHARE!

This post is linked to Top Ten {Tuesday} at OhAmanda, Real Clean Wednesday at IDreamofClean and Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

The Itch

I've got it...The itch.

It usually starts this time of year and tapers off in late Fall. 

But this past year, late fall nor winter cured "the itch".  So right now, it's feeling pretty relentless.

Ryan was born with the itch.  I got contagious about 4 years ago.  And now the boys have it...probably worse than all of us!!

It's the "I wanna move to the country" itch.

Land!  Room for the boys to run and explore!
No worries about our busy, high traffic street!
A big garden!  A cow!  Maybe some guinea fowl!
Goats, pigs, sheep...homesteading!!!

Ah, yes.  Wide, open spaces.

As our boys get older, bigger, more curious (and more daring), it's seeming more and more like a necessity that we live on some land.  God has created boys with some amazing qualities.  But it seems as though "city living" squelches most of them.

Right now, we live on one of the busiest streets in our "city".  The boys love to be outside, but right now when my boys get "the itch" to be out (read: they are getting crazy-hyper), I tend to sit them down in front of a movie until I can go out with them...because I need to be able to watch them around our busy street.

I can tell them to stay in the back yard, but that's almost like trying to rein in a wild horse!  They want to ROAM!!!

But then I think, if we lived in the country on some acreage of how they could run wild...playing, building, exploring, working...  That would be good medicine for my boys!

My in-laws have always lived on about 5 acres.  And when my boys go to visit, they play hard and hardly get into any trouble.  They love being outside in nature!  It's so fun to watch!

As for Ryan and I, we would love to become more self-sufficient and learn to live off the land.  We'd love to be in the quiet country life... where there may be more work, but there is also more freedom.

Nature, discovery, stars, silence...peace.  Our hearts are longing for it!!!

So now, more than ever, we're asking for the Lord's favor, and that if land is His will for us, that He would open a door!

Psalm 119:58

"I entreat your favor with all my heart!"

Speaking of country living...my friend Grace (love her name!) is having a giveaway on her blog...one item is "Little House in the Big Woods"...I wanna win it!!!

My Hubby At the Republican Rally

Since I started this week talking about my amazing hubby (see HERE), for this "Wednesdays Walk", I thought I'd share one of my proudest moments as Ryan Wheeler's wife!

In the fall of 2008, Ryan was asked to speak at the South East Kansas Republican Rally.  In fact, the woman organizing the rally said she was looking for a "fiery preacher" and was suggested Ryan! When Ryan asked what his time limit was, the woman said he could take as much time as he felt he needed...them's dangerous words for a preacher!  :)

Ryan was clear with her, that though his views are very conservative and probably line up with Republicans more than Democrats, he does not consider himself a part of one party or the other. He told her "my allegiance isn't to a party, it is to Christ". To which she responded, "Amen!" She then shared they are just looking for someone with conservative views and a heart for the Lord.

Welp, that's my man!

Ryan just wanted to be faithful with the opportunity the Lord had given him.  He purely just wanted to be used by God as a spokesperson for the Lord's heart--no matter how it may have stepped on toes!

The day of the event came... attendance was estimated at 1,600 people!

And the rally went great! Ryan did a great job of bringing the Truth of the Word! And sure enough (as usual!) the Lord had laid on his heart to say some pretty "unpopular" things, but he had the boldness to speak the Truth in love. And we only got a few huffs and puffs from the crowd!  :)

(before the rally--and before I lost my 30 lbs!)

He read Psalm 33:6-22.  The end of the Psalm talks about putting our trust in God. He shared and prayed about how our only hope must be in God not in a political strategy, not in a party, not in campaign victories, not in bailout plans, not in any person who would be taking the stage that day, but our hope must be in God and God alone.

(from under the balcony)

I remember him emphasizing verse 10 which says, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples."...  and while I can't remember everything he said, I sure do remember that  Ryan was fired up on this one!!!

He also prayed about claiming Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

It was a great evening! I was so proud of my husband and how the Lord used him!  He said some hard things, but was so confident because He knew everything He said was from the Lord!

We're not big on "politics" so it was kinda funny the Lord brought us to this opportunity, but we were thankful for it!

Since this event, the Lord continues to open doors up for Ryan to preach and share the Lord's heart with many churches and cities!

The next time Ryan was asked to speak at a Republican Rally, was on July 4th 2009...but we had to cancel because little did we know, we would be welcoming our Liberty Joy into the world!!!

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If anyone out in "Blog World" is interested in finding out more info on my husbands preaching ministry, just send me an e-mail!

This post is linked to "Wednesdays Walk Down Memory Lane"...

(and be sure to grab her prayer button while you're there to remember to pray as the travel to Turkey!)

Cleaning/Learning System

I have labeled as much as I can in our "toy room", not only to help with a quick clean-up but also to encourage my boys to read what they see.

Each of our toy tubs is labeled with both a picture and the name of the contents.  

So when I tell the boys to "put the balls away", they not only see where it goes, they are seeing the word related with the picture.

I have done this just on the simple sets like "Balls", "Farm" "Cars", "Legos", "Trucks", "Trains" and so on.

It's just a simple idea to encourage learning in a typical day to day activity!

This post is linked to "Real Clean Wednesday" 

and "Works For Me Wednesday" 

and now also "Tuesdays Tips"!

I Love Him...MckLinky Monday

My husband. Oh, my amazing husband!  It's so hard to feel like a post about "why I love him" will even get close to communicating my true thankfulness for him...But I'll at least make an attempt even though I know he deserves so much more than these mere words...

I love him because he is...

A Gentle Leader. That's how I've described him ever since the beginning of our engagement. He is my gentle leader...sure of where he is leading us, confident of following the Lords voice, but always so considerate of my emotions and weaknesses. So whether it's a big move, a decision to get rid of cable or a conviction to trust the Lord with my womb, he is my considerate, sweet, gentle, bold leader. Always taking into consideration my heart and circumstances!

A Compassionate Hubby. After a long day of work, most men rush home to sit on the couch, relax and let the world fade away. I never minded when Ryan used to do this, but as we started growing our family, he quickly noticed that I too had probably had a long day and could use a break! So, he started making a habit of praying on his car-ride home that he could be for me what I needed him to be. And now when he walks in the door, he always asks, "How was your day? Do you need a little break?" just about EVERY day! (And wow.  That makes me want to be a better wife every time!)

A Patient Hubby.  I think the Lord knew my husband would need to have patience as one of his top character traits!  From my neat-freak personality to my tendency to "frazzle" easily...my husband is SO VERY patient with me.  He never gets irritated when I stress over little, unimportant things, he just kindly reminds me of what really IS important.  He graciously loves me through my obsessive quirks!

An Intentional "Pastor". Ryan is truly the "pastor" of this home. He leads us in evening devotions, he gets our hearts ready for church on Sundays, and he prays over each of us at least once a day. He carefully monitors and discerns the sins we struggle with and is intentional to show us Truth. But more than this, he models it. He models for all us what it is to examine yourself, seek to become a servant and walk towards repentance when necessary. He cares about the spiritual state of our home and is actively leading us in striving for righteousness.

A Playful Daddy. The favorite part of my boys day is when daddy gets home. Within minutes everyone ends up in a "dog pile" on the floor! I'm always reminding Ryan, "please change out of your dress clothes before you start wrestling!" (Between recess and wrestling with the boys, he's always ruining his dress pants!) Here's an ooooold video to give you an example of a what takes place when Daddy comes home on his lunch break...

A Sweet Daddy. Oh, I am so glad we had a baby girl!!! My husband is the PERFECT daddy for our little Liberty. He loves her and knows that his role in her life will shape and mold what she will look for somday in a future mate. Already he is teaching our boys how to protect and care for their baby sister. Plus, he loves to hold her and show her off. He is constantly telling her how beautiful she is and praying for her that she will have a "gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's eyes".

A Careful Disciplinarian. Ryan and I share this role, but he always follows up my "serious" reprimands (usually once he's home from work, but sometimes on the phone) to make sure that we have gotten to the "heart level" with the boys. Thanks to Ryan, discipline at our house is always careful. Ryan takes time to really talk and evaluate with the boys. I often hear them ending their talks with tickles, laughter and occasionally, a sweet song that Ryan is singing over the disobedient boy. And none of them will let you forget that each "talk" always needs to end in a big, over-the-top bear hug!

A Powerful Preacher. This one is a hard one to explain. Ryan has always been an amazing preacher, but since our move to our current town and sitting under the amazing teaching of our current head pastor, his preaching has changed. He is even more spirit-filled, more discerning and more bold. Everyone who hears him says the same thing...I hear it all the time...His messages are from the Lord. They are powerful, moving, convicting, griping and always make you long for Heaven. He is a great speaker, but "eloquence" has never been his aim. There are no stories, punch lines, video clips or "fluff". Just Jesus. Just Truth. Just the Cross. Just BIBLE.

A Kind Neighbor. He's always doing things like shoveling snow off of someones driveway or buying our unemployed neighbor a brand new lawn mower after theirs has broken. He takes notice of the needs of others and responds!

A Visionary Man. He keeps our life interesting for sure! He always has new ideas, visions, plans, schemes, and missions for our family! (Why else would we be in this rural town?) I love his passion for life and his desire to discover where the Lord is working and moving...because that is where He wants to be! He is a man of INCREDIBLE dreams and I love that! You have NO IDEA how excited and blessed I feel to be at his side watching how the Lord will fulfill His will in my man!

A Fun Principal. Not only is Ryan a preacher, he's also a K-4 through 12th grade principal. And just like at home, the kids at his school LOVE him. They cheer and scream when they find out "Mr.Wheeler" is on recess duty. He loves his job as principal and it shows! He cares about the hearts of the kids and does what he can to assist parents in spurring their children on and guiding them through their school years. Plus, the kids won't let you forget...he's the best pusher when it comes to the playground swings!

(Do you see him on the far left?)

(and here on the right with K-4 through 2nd grade... )

A Non-Typical American Man.  Ryan is one of the most strong, manly men I know...but by most people's standards he is not a "normal American" ...and I LOVE that about him!  He's not a big fan of sports.  I mean, he doesn't mind watching a game here and there.  He loves to play basketball and even coaches soccer at his school.  But he is not defined by any sport or team.  I do not lose him due to "March Madness" or some fleeting play-off game.  He'll watch and enjoy, but he does not love sports.  In fact, we are very careful about athletics in our home (see his post on this HERE).

My BESTEST friend. I know people say this alot, but for us, it is no stretch of the imagination. The two of us do not have a better, closer friend than we have in one another. He knows me better than anyone else and I know the same is true about him with me. We have no secrets from one another...and though this has been hard (and even hurtful, to be honest) at times, it has only made us better friends and partners.

We love time together. That's why we lug all the kids to the grocery store for 3 items and why we don't like to work on projects without the other one by our side...we can't stand being apart! In our 7 1/2 years of marriage, we have gone to bed separately only a hand full of times (and usually it's because he's burning the midnight oil writing a sermon!) We lie in bed laughing and talking being both ridiculously silly together and shockingly serious...we usually stay up way to late!

Here is a little blurb from his blog!   This is just a part of a post he called "My Life's Work"...

"There are plenty of people writing good books, but there is only one man who God has chosen to be Dad to Trusten, Brahm, Samuel and Liberty- that's me.  

If at the end of my life I have written no books and most people in the world have no idea who Ryan Wheeler is, I will be satisfied and fulfilled to simply know that my children grew up to walk closely with the Lord.  And though I'm sure it has happened, I cannot expect my children to get there if I neglect them during these precious years for ministry and projects that seem more impactful. 

There is no greater way to impact the world and the future than by being a godly dad to as many children as God will give me.  My children are my life's work!!"

Don't Forget MckLinky Monday--All About Our Hubbys!

Just a reminder that this Monday, we all want to hear WHY YOU LOVE YOUR HUBBY!!!

So get started on writing a post all about your man and come back here Monday to link us to your post!!!

I other words, this is an opportunity to brag on our hubby's!!! This will be FUN!

(For inspiration, check out my friend Jenny's post HERE!)

Potty Training and Remodeling and Teething...OH MY!

It's May.  And since my husband is a principal at a Christian school, that means we're BUSY with graduations, open houses, spring programs, awards banquets, school board meetings...the list goes on!

So why of all months did we pick May to start two pretty major remodeling jobs in our home?  And why am I attempting to start the potty training journey with our 2.5 year old?  And why did Liberty choose now to cut two new teeth?

Well, it's probably because Chaos is our best friend :)

But also because these are all things that we've been putting off, but they just need to get done.  You see, around here, there is no such thing as a "perfect opportunity" when it comes to things like this on our "to do" list. So, we just have to do what we can when we have the energy...


With this awesome Spring weather, I guess our energy just got the best of us!  :)

So currently, I'm trying to potty train Samuel.  Although I've done this twice already with my two older boys, you wouldn't know it if you could see right now!  I'm having trouble remembering all the "tricks of the trade" so ANY advice would be greatly welcomed!

The best technique I have right now is that EVERYONE gets an M&M if Samuel uses the potty.  This really gets my older boys involved in encouraging him to potty train!

We're also refinishing our front porch.  It has badly needed it ever since we moved in almost 4 years ago, but we are just now getting around to it.  Thankfully, a few of our students used their "community work day" to come over and help my husband sand, strip, patch and caulk.

I know what you might be thinking..."you let high school kids work on your porch with power tools?"  Yes we did!  You have to understand that around here, these boys ain't no city boys!  They are farm boys, hard workers, beginning craftsmen, well-rounded in all things "construction".  They did awesome and were such a blessing!

Some of the girl students came over too and we got working on painting my cabinets in my kitchen pantry.  Sanding and painting, was the name of the game...they saved me soo much time!

Yet even with their help, we're still in the midst of both projects.  The porch is waiting for it's final coat and the cabinets are waiting to be hung. Working on things just a few spare minutes here and there is challenging, but we keep reminding ourselves it WILL get done...eventually :)  Family always comes first, and THAT pays off!

Then there is Little Miss Liberty.  The past fews days she's had a fierce fever, messy diapers, sleepless nights and the culprit is...her two top teeth!  They decided to make an appearance in the midst of all our insanity.  So for her and I that has meant little sleep, more baths and the best part of teething that I LOVE?  Lots of cuddling!

If you have any advice on potty training or soothing techniques for teething, do share!!!
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And one more thing...
For my last "MckLinky Monday" (coming up) I was inspired to have us all write about why we love our hubbys!  Recently my friend Jenny (who I lived and served with in Mexico in 2005 for a few months) wrote a blog post that I LOVED...

Her first line in her post still makes me smile; 

i love him when. ...after bathing the eldest, toweling her, and putting on warm jammies, i hear him say 'now let's put one of these thinga-ma-jiggies in your hair.'

Doesn't that just make you smile?!

You can read the rest of her post HERE!  

So now YOU get ready to blog about why YOU love YOUR HUBBY and link it up here this Monday!!!

Remembering...The Day My Second Child Was Born...And Our "Abraham" Move

I have REALLY been enjoying Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane because not only has it encouraged me to scan some pictures in, but it also has been such a blessing to look back at the birth of my blessings!

Last week, I told you about the "plans" my husband and I had when we started our marriage and how the Lord intervened and asked us to surrender my womb to Him.  A short time later, we had our first born, Trusten.  At the time, we didn't know what that meant for future babies, but when Trusten turned 9 months old, we discovered we were pregnant again!

This time, we weren't in such a stable place as before...

My husband was the "Director of Student Ministries" at our large, growing church in Kansas City...but the Lord was calling us away.  Honestly, the calling made no sense to us..."a town in the middle of Kansas?  Why there, Lord?  Is this a joke?  What will Ryan do for a job?  What's you plan for us there?"

We asked and asked the Lord our hundreds of questions, but got the same answer every time.

"Go.  And I will show you."

So we spent most of my pregnancy with Brahm visiting this town, it's churches, talking with pastors, putting in job applications.  And when I was nine months pregnant, the Lord opened a door.

A man called with a job for Ryan, but he had to start in two weeks.  TALK ABOUT CRAZY!
So a month before my due date, we packed up our house in a U-Haul and sent Ryan off.  Trusten and I moved in with my parents and we waited for our second baby to be born.  I was SO scared Ryan would miss it.

BUT GOD IS GOOD! 
Ryan came to visit us the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend and guess what?!?!  Early Saturday morning I went into labor!!!

This time, I was only 8 days over due and my labor was only 3 hours long!  I call him my miracle baby, just because when he was born, the cord was around his neck and according to everyone in the room, he was blue...but I didn't know this until a few minutes later, after they assured he was SAFE and HEALTHY and my hubby explained what had happened!  He was a little guy...

6lbs 11oz, 19 inches long

 

Our first photo together...

 

Meeting His Big Brother Trusten

 

I can still hear Trusten saying, "Nosh" as he investigated the tiny nose!

  

The story of his name:

Everyone wants to know, "Why 'Brahm'?"  Here's the answer...

Through my pregnancy with him, in the midst of our new calling and move, we really resonated with the story of Abraham.  God called him to an unknown land and Abraham just obeyed.  So being strengthened and encouraged by such faith, we wanted to give him a name that reflected that!  "Abraham" seemed too big for a little guy, so we called him "Brahm".  So now you know, it's not because we love ice cream!  :)

Our Sweet Little Man!

 

My very favorite photo...Brahm looks SO tiny in his daddy's arms!

 

Our new family!

 

Us with our Parents

 

Time to go home!  Trusten was excited to have a backseat partner!

  

1 week after Brahm's birth, we moved to the small town in Kansas, where we live now.

The Lord has done great and mighty things and continues to.  He led us here to heal us and restore us from bondage we weren't even aware of!  He is using my husband in amazing ways...they may not be in ways that will ever get him the type of attention he had up in Kansas City, but he is changing lives and has already lead many to the Light of Jesus!  

The Lord has blessed us beyond what we could have even dreamed.  We are happier now than we have EVER been. 

And being in this small, rural town hasn't been the key...the key has been being in the center of God's will...which currently just happens to be in this small, rural town that we LOVE!  :)

10 Things To Do With Little Ones Suffering From "Cabin Fever"

I love rainy days.  Actually, I should say I love A rainy day (as in: singular, occasional).  It's fun to stay in jammies, cuddle up and watch movies all afternoon...but when the second day of rain comes...my boys are itchin' to MOVE, JUMP, TUMBLE and WRESTLE!  Or as Trusten says, "boy, I need to get my energy out!"

So here's a list of my Top 10 things we like to do on rainy days...(keep in mind, I have BOYS!)

1) "Ice" SKATE!  

About a year ago, my kiddos came up with this nifty activity!  Divy out 2 ice cube trays per child, turn them over, stand on 'em and skate away!  It's wears them out nice and quick...er, um, I mean, it's good exercise!

2) Build a FORT!
My boys love building forts!  What boy doesn't?
Grab all the blankets, pillows and linens in the house.  Find some clothes pins (or something to secure the sheets) and go for it! Challenge them to see how tall, wide, colorful they can make it!

Or just bring the traditional camping inside and put up your real tent!

3) READ a book and ACT it out! 
My boys usually choose "Going On A Bear Hunt" when we play this game!  They love to "play" what they just read!  And it's a good memory practice too!

4) Splish, splash, let 'em take a BATH! 
Birthday suits?
Swim trunks?
Whatever works! 
This can be great fun for the kiddos! 
(Just don't forget to put some towels down and steer clear of their "splash zone"!)

5) Little BLIND mice!  

My oldest son loves this game...probably because he's bossy a natural born leader!  We make an obstacle course in the living room, one boy gets blind-folded and the other brothers talk him through it!

6) Let them play CHEF! 
Encourage their creativity by putting a variety of food items out on the counter and let them create a new dish or snack!  It's so fun to see what they come up with...

and what they are daring enough to eat!!!

7)  Be a BLESSING!
Make cards, pictures, cookies, or crafts for friends, neighbors, family, a nursing home, etc!  A great way to spend a rainy day and to teach your kiddos kindness and compassion!

8) WATER play!
Fill up the sink with water...
Lay down some towels...
Give 'em stools to stand on...
Let them pick out bowls, spoons and cups to play with...
Don't forget the medicine droppers to squirt with...

Keeps 'em entertained for hours!

9)  DANCE Party! 

We like to turn on a worship CD (usually and dance our hearts out!  It's fun getting silly with them and letting them see you cut loose!

10) LEGO race!
My boys love Legos!  They will play for hours!

But sometimes, they need some direction so they'll stick with it.  So, I give everyone a specific thing (truck, airplane, space ship) and set the timer to 20-30 minutes and say "GO!" and they have to build their structure within that time. 

Once the timer goes off, we move on to something else...and when Daddy gets home we get to show him our projects!

This post is linked to "Top Ten {Tuesday}" on OhAmanda.com

And to "Works For Me Wednesday" at WeAreThatFamily.com

Quiet Times: With My Kids, For My Kids

In my last post, I talked about how after the kids and I have finished breakfast and our morning chores, we gather in the living room for "Devotions".

This is one of my favorite parts of our mornings and I wanted to share it...

Each boy picks out a Bible (we have a shelf with a wide range of Children's Bibles...keep your eye out for them at garage sales and start collecting!) and they pick a spot on the couch.

I turn on worship music and we sit in silence while we "read" our Bibles.

Most mornings we start out this time, by each of us simply praying out loud, one-by-one, "Jesus, speak to me."  There is NOTHING more precious to me than hearing this phrase come from the mouth of my little boys each morning!

By teaching my boys this habit, my prayer is that they will not only grow used to listening for the Lord, but that they will learn how to recognize His voice.  And every once in a while, my  heart is SO blessed when a boy (usually my 5 year old) will say afterwards, "Momma!  Jesus said __________ to me!"  It's almost always one of the 10 commandments or just "I love you"...THOSE are amazing moments for them and me!!!

Since Trusten is the only one even close to reading, this time of "Devotions" mainly means they look at the pictures and as they see a familiar lesson, they reflect on what they've heard in the past.

And for me, this is a perfect opportunity to get my Bible reading in!  I usually only get one chapter read, but it's often just what I need to lift my gaze and keep me in step with the Spirit!

We end our Devotion time with the boys gathering around to pray.  Usually each boy picks someone or something they want to pray for, but we always pray for our daddy.

I know that I'll remember these precious, group morning devotions forever!  Looking around the room and seeing my boys quietly studying their Bibles is a humbling sight for me!  Then to hear them as their prayers grow and mature is such a blessing to my heart!

This post is linked to Momentous Monday hosted by my friend Tiffany(...check out her blog, they are soon adopting from Ethiopia!)
and it's also linked to...

How We Used To Do Chores--Chore Cards

I've been cleaning out my "school" area and found my kids' old chore cards!  Most of these ended up lost or chewed up, but I found a precious few still in tact and thought I'd share them with you!

When Trusten was 4, Brahm was 2.5, and Samuel was 9 months, I became pregnant with Liberty and had awful morning sickness.  Unlike my past pregnancies, it was just in the mornings, so I knew if I could get to noon, I'd be good to go!

So, in order to survive mornings, I came up with these picture chore cards to help my kiddos know what they were to do while mommy was laid out on the couch!

Trusten and Brahm each had their own envelopes for their morning responsibilities that I kept in the desk drawer.  When they woke up, I'd fix them breakfast (that was about all I could manage!) and then they'd head to the desk drawer for their cards.

These cards gave them some direction for their mornings and because of their ages, my expectations were really low, it was just the fact that they were trying and learning a routine! 

The last "chore" was quiet time with me in the living room.  And we loved this SO much, we still do it!  After all the morning tasks are checked off our chore board (for my new method, see HERE), we'd have quiet Bible time.

I'll write more about that in a future post!

Have a GREAT weekend, friends!