Emily Marie birthday

Emily Marie is here finally. 02/12/2010 7:41am 7pounds 10ounces 21 1/4 inches.

Emission Testing-What is coming out of you?

My daily devotional was great today. Exactly the kind of thing I needed to reflect on and I though there might be other mom's out there who need to hear it as well.

Feb 10th: "My Child, how I will rejoice if you become wise. Yes, My heart will thrill when you speak what is right and just." Prov 23:15-16

My oldest son, Chad, owns a twelve-year-old white Pontiac Bonneville. It's served him well during his post-college years, carrying him to camping trips on the West Coast, friends' weddings on the East Coast, and back and forth to the high school where he teaches every day. But with over 160,000 miles on his car, he suspected that it might be approaching its demise. Recently, after his car failed an emissions test, Chad concluded that the car had indeed reached the end of the line.

When Chad showed me the charts and graphs he received from the Illinois Vehicle Inspection Station, I better understood the reason for emissions testing. The inspection station tests cars for carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) and hydrocarbons (unburned fuel that causes smog and contributes to eye and throat discomfort). A dictonary definition of the word emit is "to utter or exhale." After I read that, I got to wondering, What would happen if we moms were required to have periodic emissions testing on our speech? What if someone listened to us and tested the words that we utter throughout the day?

Would our words be full of kindness, truth, wisdom, and blessing? Or would they be found to be full of criticism, rumors, flattery, and anger? Although we probably all have days that we would fail the test, here's the good news: our problem with words is one of the reasons Jesus Died for Us! As we confess our sin and look to him for wisdom with our words, he will help us. A failed "emissions" test doesn't mean the end of the line for us! If we turn to Jesus, he will help us with necessary repairs.
One Year Devotions for Moms: Ellen Banks Elwell

Hope you enjoy that. ~Melanie

Sleepless Nights

It is so hard to keep up with the blog and everything else in life. As I browse the computer at 2:45am and read others blogs I decide there is no time like the present. We have 5 weeks from today until Emily's birth. She is scheduled to arrive by csection on 2/12. We are so excited and cannot wait to meet our newest little princess. The girls are very excited as well. I think waiting a little longer between children has been good. Ella never really understood that Elizabeth was coming but Elizabeth totally understands that Emily is coming. It is fun to have two little momma's ready for a baby. I think the transition will go well. My biggest concern is having overly helpful little momma's. I pray I don't turn around at any moment to find someone picking up or feeding Emily. I am sure she will survive and wouldn't be the first baby it has happened to.

I have been sitting up looking at homeschool cirriculum, reading blogs and just feel so inadequate as a parent. Realizing I am primarily responsible for these little girls and for the woman of God they turn out to be is a lot on a pregnant (hormonal) mother. I know that ultimately God is in control of how they turn out and what paths they choose but I am involved in shaping them and hopefully encouraging them to walk the path to Jesus. All the while teaching them to love the Lord, love one another, be a Godly woman, wife, mother some day. Needless to say I feel a little overwhelmed and not sure how to do it. I see others doing it with what seems ease and wonder how they do it. I see others so creative and wonder will I ever have those kinds of ideas and drive and time to be creative?

Right now I need to take a step back, breathe, and trust the Lord to guide me in the direction he wants for our family. I also get to look to my husband to lead us in the right direction the best he feels the Lord leading. The only way to do this is to continually pray and ask the Lord's guidance. I don't have to worry or fear or anything else because he has our best interest at hand.
Now I can sleep well

Fall Pictures 2009

Thank you again this year to Joanna for taking our fall pictures. Can't wait to do my christmas cards. They turned out great!

We dressed ourselves

Ella and Elizabeth dressed themselves today. Not such a big deal except for the fact that it is about 90 to 95 degrees today. Atleast they dressed themselves.

Summer Fun and Pictures to Prove It!

Here are a few pictures of our summer travels and fun times. We went on a little family vacation at Bugg Island in Virginia. It was a little over an hour away. We did some boating and swimming and hanging out. We also took the kids to Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh which they love.

Enjoy~Melanie

Summer is winding down

Hello. Again it has been longer than I had hoped for an update. With having the summer off the girls and I have been busy doing fun stuff. We have had many play dates and lots of swimming practice at the pool. Ella is a great swimmer now. I just hope she won't forget before our trip to FL in October. School starts back in a week and a half for Tommy so we are gearing up for that. The little boy I babysit starts back Tuesday. I am looking forward to getting back on a schedule as we haven't kept to one too well this summer.

We had a trip to SC this past weekend and took the girls to the beach with GDaddy, Nanny, and Aunt Tammy. The girls loved it. They have no memory of the beach so this was sort of like a first for them. They enjoyed it so much. They also spent some great time at the bounce house place with their cousins and were sad to leave Sunday.

Blessings, Melanie