The one-sided lunch date {an update on the boys & the book}

Wouldn’t it be fun if we planned to meet for a 3-hour lunch date? We could sip iced tea, eat some warm baked potato soup and share what God’s been doing in our lives.

Okay…maybe we will have to settle for a one-sided date. A monologue of sorts…me blabbing on and on about myself (and my boys).

Maybe you can email me or comment below your latest happenings so I don’t feel so guilty for the self-indulgence today. Deal?

The Boys: 

Quade is blowing us away with how much he can learn in a very short period of time. The other day I was trying to help him with a four digit subtraction problem (note: he couldn’t even do simple addition 5 months ago) and my head hurt with all the carrying of numbers.

He’s reading amazing literature. Books I’ve never heard of before but I’m loving. This week we’ve been listening to him read “Paddle-to-the-Sea” about a hand-crafted little wooden canoe a boy releases from Canada. You follow with the toy on its adventures until it reaches the sea (we are right in the middle of the story…so I can’t tell give away the ending).

My favorite Quade moments are listening to him describe his latest inventions. Like a growing stuffed animal and an everlasting cookie. The future looks bright my friends.

Price, my previously challenging child, is such a precious, precious spirit. (sidenote: If you have a challenging child right now can I encourage you to just hold on. I know that may not help in the moments you want to pull your hair out…but hold on. Pour on love and one day you will reap awesome.)

We picked him up from church last Sunday and his teacher went on and on about how genuinely sweet and nurturing his heart is. How he helped a new child in their class feel included. And for Bruce and I who love to meet new people and invite them into community, the praise for loving “the new kid” resonated with our souls.

Price is a people person. On the days its just Knox, him and I, Price will literally talk the entire time. I’m soaking him in. Over our lunch of hotdogs & Pringles he asked why I had “crying eyes”… I said, “It’s because I’m thankful to have this special time with you. Did you know with three other brothers these moments are rare? I’m so very thankful.”

Oh and this happened last Thursday (3 stitches above his eye). A word of advice: when you are riding a scooter in the house please keep a look out for the stair banister (there was already a goose egg on his forehead from when he was flying a kite and tripped over the scooter he didn’t see).

I’m going to write more about his injury next month over at the MOB Society…stay tuned!

Watts. Oh Watts. So cuddly soft and yet so stubbornly hard. So completely three and a half. When we went to pick him up from Sunday School the teacher said, “I don’t think he knows his name. Does he go by another name?” I burst out laughing!! I mean, even Knox (the 11 month old) responds to his name.

So, yes, sweet church volunteer, he does know his name. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really care what you have to say. Thank you for loving him well. Let’s just all pray he asks Jesus into his heart…soon. We need some Holy Spirit up in here.

40 minutes after putting him to bed he came downstairs and asked if we would buy him this pet someday. He liked it’s hair.

Knox is the boy I find myself stealing away to spend one-on-one time when the other boys are loud & wild. He is a bundle of sweet, smiley preciousness.

He’s learned the “trick” of raising his arms above his head, for “soooo big”.  He’s learned it gets a big response so he does it whenever there is an audience. The other day we were listening to Pandora and “Single Ladies” came on. We came up with our own version, “All my single babies, All my single babies, put your hands up!”. 😉

Another fun new trick. uh…not really.

The Book:

Back in November I woke up early and wrote. I stole away on Saturday afternoons and wrote. Instead of watching late night T.V., I wrote. Soon I had three chapters. Then I asked several friends to read them and give feedback. On the whole these friends were very kind and encouraging, but I got a sense the chapters weren’t quite right yet. But I didn’t exactly know how to fix them. So I sent them on to my agent…despite their imperfections.

While I waited for his response I got nervous.

But God “said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I decided even if he gets on the phone and tells me my chapters stink, it would be okay. I would boast all the more gladly. Because then it would be even more amazing if a book is ever written…it would have been God’s strength in me.

But you know what? We talked. And Bill liked them! He really did. Not that I need “man’s approval”, but this man has read lots of books and helped lots and lots of authors.

You know why he liked them? Because he saw God.

Yes, I have some pretty funny and self-deprecating stories in these chapters, but they all go back to God’s work in my heart. In removing myself from the throne and acknowledging God’s rightful place. 

Bill encouraged me to keep God center in my writing. Which is exactly the way I want it to be as well. All praise to God!!

Okay I’ve blabbed on long enough…tell me at least one exciting/new/challenging thing that’s been going on with you? I’m serious.