Numbers

I often feel like I have nothing to show for my work. You know, the kitchen is cleaned after breakfast only to be dirtied again at lunch time. The laundry is folded and put away, only to have another hamper full to wash again. The toys are picked up, only to have them scattered everywhere again. Some days, it feels like I am not productive at all - accomplishing nothing. So, I was "whining" to the Lord as I was mopping the kitchen this morning...suddenly, I began to think of all of the things I had done in just a few hours today. These numbers began to roll around in my head as God gently reminded me that I am getting things done:

4 little boys had breakfast
2 baby boys were bathed and dressed
3 diapers were changed
1 floor was swept and mopped
1 rug was vacuumed
4 loads of laundry were washed & dried
3 loads of laundry were put away
1 wrestling match with Sam and Luke
452 times I asked Sam to lower his voice while the babies were napping
1 telephone call from a friend
2 doors had sweet little fingerprints removed from them with the help of Windex
1 load of dishes unloaded from the dishwasher
1 yummy cup of coffee was enjoyed by the momma!
350 little boo-boo's were kissed as Caleb & Matthew pull-up on things and then fall down
8 pictures of my sweet boys were taken
1 game of chase and tickle was played with my big boys
7,420 fun stories were told by Sam

....and it's only 10:45 am. {{GRIN}}

The Madness Continues

By God's grace, we are mostly able to handle the day to day chaos that our life brings. I mean, really...four boys ages 5 and under can really stir up a ruckus! :) It's especially challenging now that Caleb and Matthew are crawling at the speed of light around our house. whew! You can always find toys on the floor, a stray sippy cup in the living room, some food crumbs on the table from lunch, and some laundry just begging to be put away - but, we manage. Balancing the busy life of raising boys, Brad working like mad to make his way through a PhD program with integrity, and one tired momma with a watchful eye on our home life(and our food supply) & homeschooling - it's a delicate balance to say the least. One unplanned event or unforeseen circumstance can cause us to cry, "UNCLE!" Read on for details... :)
Brad took the "big boys" (Sam, 5 and Luke, 2) to the park for some play time after dinner. I got busy cleaning the kitchen and readying the little guys (Caleb & Matthew, 9 months) for bedtime. Sam and Luke burst through the door with big stories of going down slides and learning to "pump" their legs on the swings. Brad shared a story of pushing Sam on the swing and not getting out of the way quickly enough while "faking Sam out" and standing in the path of his swing. Brad reached his hand out to stop the swing from hitting him and hurt his little finger on his left hand. He thought it was jammed. It looked awful - red and swollen -and hurt pretty badly. The next morning, he went to our local doc for an x-ray. He didn't see a break - but, wanted to send it on to a radiologist for a second look. In the meantime, Brad was to wear a splint on the injured finger. The babies thought it looked like a great teething toy! They were constantly trying to eat it. Fast forward nearly 3 weeks and the finger doesn't seem to be better. Brad was referred to an orthopaedist for an evaluation. This surgeon took one look at the x-ray and saw a break. ugh. Brad was to have surgery the following morning at 8:30 am.
We rustled up some babysitters for our kids. Thank God for our dear friends, Tricia and Mary, who each took two of our kiddos for the morning. Brad seems to be mending well and will follow up with the doc in two weeks to have the wires removed. OUCH. Poor guy. In the meantime, he is on the "disabled list" - no diaper changes, no lifting the boys, no washing dishes (as if {{grin}}), and no bathing the little ones, either. It's a challenge!
Thank goodness my parents were concerned enough for our well-being to come visit us over the weekend. :) What a blessing!

Crawlers!

This is another of those posts i have been intending to write for weeks now. The babies are crawling everywhere!
Caleb began "scooting" several weeks ago - using his big toe on his right foot to propel himself forward. He got a taste of freedom and there was no stopping the boy! He traveled such distances that he now has a callous on his "propeller" toe. Within the past week, he has lifted his tummy off of the floor and is crawling the more traditional way. :) He grins from ear to ear and squeals with joy as he makes tracks all over the house. Too cute!
Matthew watched his brother's antics for a couple of weeks before getting in on the action. He wasted no time with improper techniques...and quickly mastered traditional way of crawling on hands and knees.
They are both so excited to be mobile...and we are all trying to keep from stepping on their little hands as we walk past them. Sam is thrilled when they crawl to his room for a "brother playdate." It's been especially fun to watch them interact with one another on their own terms now that they are able to move freely about. They are often found crawling over on another - sometimes getting stuck on top of one another.
**This just in...Caleb has begun to pull himself up on our ottoman and couch. EEK! Sam walked at 10 months old and Luke at 9 months - this isn't good! :)

Miss Nancy Comes to Kentucky

We have so much more than sweet memories from our years of youth ministry in Indiana...we have treasured friendships that have endured the passing of time and the many miles between us now. One of our dear friends, Nancy, came to visit us this week. Nancy and her family (hubby Ron, daughter Hollyn, and son Sam) were all a vital part of our weekly youth ministry program. They even invited Brad and I to stay with their kids while they were out of town several times...such big fun! When we we waiting for our own Sam to arrive, Nancy helped me "nest" and shared in our anticipation for our little bundle of joy! We have "lived life" with them...and we're better people because of it.
The past few years have brought many changes for both of our families. Hollyn and Sam are both college students now (eek! - Ron and Nanner are empty nesters) and we have added 3 more boys to our family. Nancy has a little more time and freedom these days...and she came to visit us! Our visit began when we met at the orchard on Sunday afternoon. It was time for the annual Johnson family pumpkin picking trip and the orchard happened to be on Nancy's route to our house. This plan worked out perfectly because we'd forgotten our stroller! What parent's of 4 children (2 of whom don't walk yet) forget an important tool like a stroller! :) agh! So, Nancy and Caleb become best buddies as she carried him all over the orchard.
She was able to stay until Tuesday afternoon...and it was fun-filled and fantastic! She and Sam had an extended "date" together - getting new training wheels for his bike, looking at every possible toy in Wal-Mart, having lunch at Sam's fav place - McD's, and even a little grocery shopping. She cooked a yumm-o dinner for us, brought a carload of treasures from Indiana for us, took the babies for a walk, she did the dishes repeatedly, she sat in on Brad's class, she read books and played 'pretend" with the big boys, she changed the diapers of the little ones, she gave me a knitting lesson, and she just loved on all of us. It was so fun and refreshing to have her around...a breath of fresh air. She encouraged us, affirmed us, loved us, and made us laugh. God is so good to show His love for us through the kind words and deeds of dear friends.
We were all a little sad when she left. As she pulled out of our driveway, Sam said, "I miss her already." I did, too. Thanks for the visit, Miss Nancy. When are you coming back?

Long Time, No Post

Several times throughout my day, I think to myself, "This is blog-worthy material." or "I am totally going to blog about this one..." However, the day goes marching on and several brain cells die at the hands of my motherly duties. :) I just get caught up in the activity of our daily life and I simply can't remember what has happened during the day when I finally have time to blog. It's really such a shame, our home is full of so many side-splitting funny moments, sweet brotherly-love situations, and the craziness that 4 little boys can bring about just by "being" who they are.
So, I am trying to get better at remembering...and then blogging.. and then uploading pictures (I confessed to a friend that I currently have 746 pics on the camera just waiting to be uploaded). Be patient with me, friends. :)
Tomorrow is sure to be a day chock-full of moments to be shared on blog. I am going to take all 4 boys to the library for story hour. Rumor has it that a firetruck and the firehouse dog are making an appearance. This is an annual library event, and last year Sam nearly had a coronary when he saw the "dog" - a fireman in a dalmation costume. Tomorrow should be an eventful one. Pray that Luke doesn't bite the dog, run away, climb the truck, etc... and that the babies don't meltdown simultaneously. These are my biggest fears when I am out alone with the boys. :)

Attn: There is a FIVE year old in the house!

Our oldest son, Sam, celebrated his 5th birthday today. What a joy it has been, from start to finish. Speaking of the "start" of the day - it came at 5:30 am. Sam is a boy who really enjoys a celebration...and the thought of gifts, cake, birthday wishes, the potential of a package arriving in the mail for him - it was simply too much. He couldn't stay in bed a minute more. He was full of questions, as usual. Brad found Sam looking at himself this morning, deep in thought. Then he asked, "Do I look the same, Dad? Am I bigger? Does my voice sound the same?" This kid is simply too cute!

We celebrated the day in a million little ways - opened gifts from us first thing this morning, breakfast out with Daddy, his favorite candy for dessert following lunch -Kit Kat bar, we watched the old school Alvin & The Chipmunks cartoon movie during our afternoon quiet time, we enjoyed the meal that Sam chose ( cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, and broccoli), sang "happy birthday" and blew out the candles on a cupcake, and then went to the park. whew....what a fun-filled day!
We've invited a few of Sam's friends over for a small party on Saturday afternoon (can't begin to describe how this confused our boy - another story for another post) at our house. He is excited - and so are we!

Frenzied Family Life

Our family life is full, to say the least. The busyness created by loving, playing with, caring for, and providing for our little men is enough to fill the days ( and nights, for that matter). In addition to that - Brad is one busy man. He teaches full-time, teaches 2 overload classes, is taking a full load of classes in his PhD program, is a research assistant for one of his professors, and is a seasonal employee at a boat dealership. whew....just listing his jobs makes me tired. :) But, I love that he knows what matters most...his role as "daddy" to our boys and husband to me. He really "gets" it and I'm so grateful. Brad does his best to be as "available" as possible. However, his plate is fairly full during the daytime hours. Managing our "family schedule" becomes a chore that I don't like. Between scheduling doctor's appointments for the 4 boys and myself, playdates with friends, babysitters for different events, homeschooling Sam, Bible Study, and our family/friends who are planning to visit us...it's a juggling act. :) That doesn't include those "special" events - weddings, birthday parties, baby dedication for the twins, etc... ugh. It can be a little overwhelming if I allow it to be. These days, I am doing my best to remember that I don't have to carry it all - God cares about even the smallest details of my life. My mundane, "groundhog day" like life. God has been faithful to remind me that while my life seems like a repeat of changing diapers, doing laundry, buying groceries, cooking meals, reading books, playing with kids, cleaning up toys, cleaning up messes, changing clothes, feeding children, etc... it really is so much more. In caring for my boys and Brad, I am loving them with a selfless love that is of God - it has to be...I am too selfish to do it alone. In changing diapers, bathing kids, preparing meals, dispensing kisses and hugs - I am showing my kids that they are valuable and precious. They are worth all of my best efforts and time. My actions (when I get it right, with God's help) are literally "writing" the good news of God's love on the hearts of my little boys. So yes, this life we are living is nutty - but, so worth it. God is loving us, providing for us, blessing us, and showing us that being in the center of His will is the best place to be - in spite of the frenzy! :)