As a mom, I have had moments when I have watched one of my children make some bizarre choice and I have wondered, "have I taught them anything?" You know, one of those things that, before you became a parent, you said, "my child will NEVER do that!" It's a very humbling experience!
But then, as a mom, I've had times when my children have astonished and amazed me with the most remarkable choices and comments. Those times, I think, are even more humbling for me.
The name Abigail means "source of joy" or "father's joy," and our Abigail definitely brings joy to our family. She has, honestly, always amazed me with her sensitivity towards God and her desire to serve and please Him. Even at the youngest age, if she would make a bad choice, and I would ask her if her choice would make Jesus happy, she would immediately burst into tears. Not because she had displeased me, but she hadn't brought joy to her Jesus. I thought I'd share with you a few moments that we've had together recently that have brought me joy (and I know have brought great joy to Jesus, too).
Mark was praying with Abby at bedtime a week or so ago, and she said to him, "Dad, you know when I think about Jesus dying on the cross for me, it makes my hands hurt because I think of how much it hurt Him to have to die on the cross for my sins."
When our niece had her birthday party last week, she was, of course, given the first piece of birthday cake. Abby's aunt then asked Abby next what kind of cake & ice cream she wanted. Abby said that she wanted to wait and go last. When I asked her later that night why she did that, she said because she knew that Jesus wants us to put others first.
While we were doing all of our painting and more painting this last week, the boys were often "displaced" from their bedrooms and had to sleep on the floor in someone else's rooms because their rooms either had wet paint or a strong paint smell. Cole slept on the floor in Abby's room on Tuesday night because of the paint smell in his new room with Ethan. Apparently, Cole woke up about 1:00 in the morning and started crying (something he thankfully does not normally do!) Abby asked him what was wrong and he said he wanted mommy. Abby told him that mommy was sleeping and because she didn't want him to wake me up, she told him that he could crawl in bed with her. And so the two of them slept together in Abby's twin bed until 7:00 Wednesday morning.
I certainly don't tell you these stories to boast of my great parenting skills. As I said, these stories are very humbling to me, and I know that it is because of the power of God working in Abby that she is making these choices. We are very blessed to have this source of joy in our midst!
Abby's 1st grade class had a project they did at school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to write about their dream to change their world. This is what Abby wrote. Pretty cool, huh? And a pretty cool comment from her teacher at our public school. 
This is Mark. He is helping me out by keeping an eye on Cole in one bath tub while I'm giving Abby a bath in the other. Now, lest you think that he is sleeping on the job . . . well, he is actually sleeping on the job . . . but lest you think he's being lazy . . . we had dinner with some friends at their home last night and didn't get home until 10:00, then Mark was up at 3:00 am to go to work. After a long day at work, immediately when he got home he took Noah, Ethan and Cole to our local Cabela's because Seattle Seahawk Josh Brown was there signing autographs. . . he stood in line with all three boys for an hour-and-a-half only to not get an autograph because it was time for Josh to leave before they got to the front of the line. When they got home from that, he played a game of Mario Party 8 on the Wii with Abby, Cole and me, then went to pick us up some dinner from a local restaurant, and then, well, you can see what happened next. Poor daddy! He works hard for us and plays hard with us, and we love and appreciate him for it all!
Ever since Ethan and Cole began sharing a room, they have become "best buddies." Cole now wants Ethan around him all of the time! We even moved the kids around in the van, so that Cole and Ethan could be "back of the car buddies," as Cole calls them. When they are in their room, he calls them "bedroom buddies." I am so thankful for Ethan's kind-hearted spirit. Not every 8-year-old would be thrilled to share their bedroom with their 4-year-old little brother, but Ethan is forever patient and gentle and loving with him. I honestly wasn't so sure that this would be the case . . . I was afraid that Cole might drive even slow-to-anger Ethan a bit crazy . . . but . . . well . . . Mark, you were right and I was wrong! 
As a mom, I have had moments when I have watched one of my children make some bizarre choice and I have wondered, "have I taught them anything?" You know, one of those things that, before you became a parent, you said, "my child will NEVER do that!" It's a very humbling experience!
then we taped and painted...
and painted...
so the playroom is no more and the painting is done....
