Our Lives Are Not Our Own: Birthdays Galore!

Wondering where we've been? I've been MIA in blogland while planning, hosting and recovering from a sleep over birthday party. actually, make that TWO sleep over birthday parties. Dallas and Maggie were natural on the same day, three days apart. How sick is that?! Anybody else hold that in your household? When we had five kids, we just had three birthdays because obviously the twins shared a birthday and so did Mag and Dallas and then Lexie had her own special day.

We loved that Dallas got a baby sister for his 3rd birthday but it makes for much of partying in March.

Well, this was a big year for both of our March babies. Dallas turned 13. wow, we now give two teenagers, and Maggie turned 10. They both wanted sleep overs and this party loving mama couldn't say NO. I do love planning the kids birthday parties and fashioning it very special for them. We try to create a big deal over birthdays because when you have 7 (almost 8) kids, you just can't do a big deal over each one of them on other holidays. I'm realizing that is a thanksgiving in disguise.

Party number ONE consisted of 10 boys, bowling, 6 pizzas, lots of pitchers of coke, and ice cream cake. I'm not certain what sentence they went to bed all I love is that the job was not keeping them quiet, it was holding them in the house. Why in the earth do teenage boys think it is fun to go away and run roughly in the forest at midnight? Makes me scared just to remember about it.

These are 10 of the most amazing young men of God that I know. They were all so cultivated and well behaved. The following morning we all got up real early, they showered (thank the Lord) and we all loaded up and headed to a kid's outreach event at our church, Christ City Church. These boys spent the day sharing the bed of Jesus with inner city children.

Instead of gifts, Dallas asked his buddies to get a can of infant formula for us to broadcast to the babies at Drawn From Water, in Ethiopia. How awful is this?

This is Dallas with his cousin and constant companion, Mason.I'm his mama so I take the good to boss and I'm going to. This is one incredible 13 year old young man. I say all the time how he is leaving to take some lucky girl an amazing husband one day if I ever let him go. Since he was merely a baby, I have prayed that he would rise up to get a preacher. Now he knows that because I beg it out loud over him but only last night as we were seated in the den he said, "I've been thought a lot recently about when I turn up". I asked what he meant and he said, "I need to be a preacher". I don't suppose I get to explain what that does to this mama's heart. I don't love the plans God has for His lifetime but from the preview I'm getting, I'm betting it will be something HUGE!

Happy Birthday Son. we know you very much!

Party number TWO. 10 girls, Johnny Rockets, cookie cake, and much of games. These girls know how to do some talking. Our van sounded like a school bus full of sugared up girls on the way home. They had so much fun. They played every game they knew and so made up new ones. We heard WAY TOO MUCH Justin Bieber,

and enough giggling to finish a year. They danced, jumped on the trampoline and kept us laughing all dark and day.

When you homeschool, you pray very difficult for God to bring wonderful friends into your kids lives and He has ever been so close to do that for our children. Look at these precious girlfriends that He has blessed Maggie with.

This year she asked for a cookie cake and it was a big hit. Not a bit left!

Maggie also asked her friends not to take gifts for her and instead to give one of their gently worn outfits to be sent to the passage home in Ethiopia where our baby girl will be while she waits for us to do and get her. We have been told that the home is in great motive of dress for the older kids and this seemed like a big chance to supply some clothes for them. We will be packing these clothes up and sending them to Ethiopia in just a few weeks with friends of ours who are leaving to clean up their son.

I'm not certain how good you can see the dress but this is a show I took of the girls surrounding all the outfits spread out on the floor. It's a big box full! These girls were so excited to know that they were providing a new girl about their age with a brand new outfit to wear. I know the cheerful spirit of a big child and here's a painting of 10 of them.

Please let me provide a disclaimer before making this next statement. all of my children do not have giving, selfless hearts that would rather do for others than do for themselves. I'm not calling names but they are small and extremely cute;).

Now for the statement. If you know Maggie at all, you'll agree with this. I have never seen a baby as big as my sweet Mags. She really thinks it is best to make than receive. She has the heart of a retainer and always puts herself last. She asked me at least a dozen times a day, what she can do to assist me. She dreams of being a good time missionary and has since she was very young. She often speaks about when she is big and on the mission field. This probably frightens those of you who would bring five jobs to put your kids through college but I've heard her say many times, "I probably won't go to college because I don't want a college level to be capable to order others about Jesus and that's what I'm going to do". Yes, she's 10 and we will encourage her to get enough of training for her future but I too recognize that God has a career on her spirit that she is tuning in to at the tender age of 10. As strong as it is for a mom to beg this, I do ask the Lord regularly to spread my children all over the earth as they go and have disciples of ALL nations. Is there actually anything more significant that they could do? I don't think so!

Sweet Mags, we are so proud of you and I beg that I some day take a substance as big as yours. Happy Birthday Darling!

Well, two parties down and I'm still worn out. I ask around a 12 hour night sleep but I can't. I got better things to do. Like what? I'm so happy you asked. my husband and I, along with some dear friends are headed to the Ordinary Hero dinner in a pair of days. We are so excited. I will be sharing details when we get back. Just a hint. their is a tie in to the "bird" I mentioned in my last post.

Then imagine what we are doing this week-end. another birthday party! But not a sleep over this time. Cross is most to become 3 and he don't recognize it yet, but he's having a set back, chillin kind of birthday party. As farsighted as he gets a bar with dirt bikes on it, he'll be happy. I believe I can manage that! : )