My list

I missed church again last Sunday. It's becoming a frequent occurrence now, and I really wish it weren't. The first obstacle I have is that there are six people in my house. We leave for church at about 8:45 in the morning, so that gives me two hours after the kids all wake up to make sure everyone is fed, cleaned up, dressed, etc. before we walk out the door (and this includes myself, of course). Usually, what happens is that Nathan and I get everyone through breakfast, bathroom stuff, and we get them dressed, then we look at the clock and realize we only have 20 minutes before we have to leave. At that point, it's pretty common for me to still be wearing pajamas and no makeup. Sometimes, it just doesn't happen. Other Sunday mornings, we all manage to be ready to go on time, and we get there just the way we're supposed to. However, my second stumbling block is Miss Anna. She does NOT like going into the nursery. At all. She hates it, in fact. If I go in there and sit on the floor with her, she's fine (as long as she keeps one hand on me at all times). The few times that I've tried to leave here there have been disastrous. Either she screams her head off until someone comes to get me, or she makes herself sick (she threw up all over one of the nursery workers one morning). If I take her to Sunday school or worship service with me, she gets bored, starts babbling (loudly), and I have to take her out and walk the halls with her until it's time to go home or she falls asleep. Needless to say, even when I'm able to make it into the church building, I still haven't heard a Sunday school lesson or church sermon in months. It's very frustrating.

Anyway, I didn't make it this week - again. A good friend of mine, upon learning that I was at home on a Sunday morning, gave me an assignment. She wanted me to make a list of 50 things that I was thankful for (thankful to God, that is). She told me that I had to be pretty specific - no "stating the obvious," as she put it. At first, I thought, "I have so much to be thankful for! This will be super easy!" Well, I do have a lot to be thankful for, but it turned out to be much more difficult than I originally anticipated when it came to actually writing it all down!

So, here is my list. There are a few "obvious" things on there, but they are truly my biggest blessings. Some are a little silly, too, but if you can't laugh at life, then you're just never going to have any fun.

1. Nathan
2. Ethan
3. Nicholas
4. Zoe
5. Anna
6. My miscarriages - the babies I lost. I loved them, too. They helped to put things in perspective for me and remind me that I should never take my children (the ones I have and any more that may come) for granted.
7. Love - even when my kids make me insane and Nathan and I irritate each other, we always have love here in our home. So, so much love.
8. My family (immediate and extended) - we might be strange, but we're all we've got!
9. Nathan's family - they all accepted me as their own, from the moment Nathan proposed. I couldn't have hand-picked better in-laws!
10. The fact that our entire family (both sides) lives close by and we see everyone so often.
11. Godly examples of marriage that we've been given (and are still given) in my parents, Nathan's parents, and my grandparents.
12. That our parents had us in church from an early age, were continually faithful, and were (and still are) wonderful models of Christianity for us. That they've instilled a knowledge of right and wrong within us.
13. Financial freedom because of Nathan's practicality and frugality, through Biblical principles and the incredible guiding hand of his Dad. We are debt-free!
14. Nathan's business. He is our breadwinner, the backbone of our family, and he did it all himself. If it weren't for his unfailing commitment to bust his butt all day, every day, we wouldn't have the life we have now.
15. My stay-at-home mom status. This is through God's constant provision of work and income through my incredible husband. I might complain sometimes, but I know that I have an incredible opportunity that others don't, and I'm trying so hard to appreciate it (even when the kids are destroying my house and punching one another in the face)!
16. Our home. Not only did we design and build it ourselves (well, Nathan did), it's completely paid for. It really is OURS.
17. Our vehicles. Again, we are debt-free, and we have several working vehicles so we can go where we need to go! So many people don't have a car, or they're slaving away to pay for a car, just to go to work and make more money for the next payment. 
18. My education and my ability to learn. I might be a stay-at-home mom, but I do have a college degree (with honors)! I really appreciate the sacrifices my parents made to help me realize that goal, and I am so grateful that I was able to go learn and better myself.
19. Our health. Neither Nathan nor I have any health conditions or problems, we don't have to take any medications, and we rarely get sick. Our children are also extremely healthy and haven't ever had any major health problems.
20. Fertility. Where so many couples have horrible struggles, we are immeasurably blessed.
21. The ability to carry a baby to term and deliver without medical intervention, and the fact that I've been able to do this four times without any serious problems.
22. Modern medicine (mostly epidurals, although I did have one birth without drugs!).
23. FOOD! Enough said.
24. The fact that I can prepare decent meals for my family, from scratch, without completely screwing them up or killing anyone.
25. Free will. God knows I'm going to mess up, but He lets me make my own choices anyway. I'm glad to know that He's still there, waiting with open arms, when I come crawling back.
26. Mistakes and failures. See above. These things aren't fun, but they've made me the person I am today, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.
27. The fact that God is not done with me yet! I'm still growing and changing!
28. The ability to take control of my health and my body. Here's to making them better!
29. The gift of common sense. Thank you, Lord, that I am not as dumb as others.
30. Our church. It isn't perfect, and we've had our share of trials, but we're part of a family, and it's a really important piece of our lives.
31. Ministry opportunities in church, such as Vacation Bible School, where I can be involved, have fun, and be a servant.
32. My ladies' Bible study group. I'm really looking forward to the next study in the fall!
33. The gift of discernment, and the ability to use it without being judgmental.
34. The internet.
35. My BN's. Those girls ROCK!
36. Friends old and new, near and far.
37. Scrapbooking - instant stress relief.
38. Chocolate.
39. Texas! I love living here.
40. Flip flops, especially the cheapies from Old Navy.
41. My sense of humor.
42. Those that can appreciate my sense of humor.
43. My musical ear, so that when I sing in the car, my children's ears don't bleed.
44. Sonic Happy Hour. Half-priced drinks can never be wrong.
45. Family trips and vacations.
46. The ability to express myself through writing.
47. Bath and Body Works.
48. The ability to use my limited artistic ability to make cool things for others.
49. Pajamas!
50. My mommy body. After seven pregnancies and four babies, it's not the most attractive, and some things don't work like they used to, but every mark and dimple is there for a reason. I'm proud of how far I've come, and that I'm still here to tell the stories!

This was not an easy exercise for me, but it was one of the greatest things I've done in a long time. I would encourage all of you to sit down and list your 50 as well. It will really wake you up and make you very aware of just how much you truly have to be thankful for, in detail! The funny thing is, I had such a hard time starting this list, but now I can think of lots more! Maybe I'll keep going?

Amanda, thank you so much for making me do this!

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"Count Your Blessings"
A hymn written by Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Published in 1897.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

The Gospel according to Zoe

One day, Zoe was thumbing through the illustrated children's Bible that I used to read when I was little. I heard her mumbling to herself, and peeked around the corner to see what she was up to. She was reading to one of her stuffed animals. When she noticed that I was watching her and listening, she smiled and came over to show me what she was looking at. Then, she proceeded to "read" the Bible to me (backwards, of course - it's the best way). 

This is the Gospel, according to Zoe. (Sorry for the awful pictures.)

"One day, God died on a cross."

"Then, they all ate some food."

"Then, Mary rode on a donkey."

 "And he put some dirt on that man's face."

"And then they saw a MUMMY!!"

At this point, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Poor Lazarus! I'm hoping that we'll get a chance to do the Old Testament next time. Can't wait to see what she does with that.

Halloween 2011

Disclaimer: We don't really "celebrate" Halloween or endorse it at all, but don't necessarily have a problem with it, either. Just wanted to clear that up.

We kicked autumn off with a quick celebration at my parents' church on the 30th. I was so relieved that they weren't doing in on Halloween, because we did two festivals (our church and theirs) on the same day last year, and it made for a really long day.


They fed us lunch (yum!) and then had a ton of activities for the kids. We also tried to get another "pumpkin patch" picture, so we'll have to see how those turned out. Andee took them for us.

My mom and Andee, trying to get the kids to smile.

The kids played on the playground and in the bouncy castle for a while, then decided to take a break for some ice cream. Someone brought a soft-serve machine to the church (I have no idea who had it or where it came from), and there was a huge box of cones from Sonic. Really good ice cream! The kids liked choosing which flavor they wanted and watching it fill up the cones.

 

Even Daddy had some!

Or lots.

Anna had fun, and I think Grammy did, too!

 Time for the piñata!
The boys waited patiently for their turn.

Nicky put a huge crack in the side.

Ethan did some damage, too.

One last hit...

and there you have it!

Nicky was so proud of himself for being the one to bust the piñata open. Then all the kids scrambled, paper bags in hand, to get the candy!

Yay for sugar!

Once everyone had taken pictures with the pumpkins, they were set up to be carved. The little kids got to paint the small pumpkins, because we obviously didn't want them to be playing with knives.

He's really concentrating.

Or telling someone else what to do.

Yeah, probably the latter.

Nicky and Zoe working with the paint.

We had lots of fun and enjoyed visiting with all the people at CVBC. It's always good to spend time out there, because everyone is so cheerful and welcoming. They loved having the kids, and went out of their way to make sure we all had a great time.

And then, on Halloween, we went to our church for the annual Autumn Family Fest. It's a safe carnival for the community children where they don't have to worry about seeing scary things, and they hear Bible stories and play games with a Biblical focus. Plus, they get balloons and candy and sno-cones and stuff. :) Super fun!

First up: face painting!

Ethan got a cross on one cheek and a heart on the other.

Nicky had a heart, a pumpkin, and a goatee.

Grandma and Grandpa were working the fishing game, so we went to see them next.

Then, we had to get balloons.
The boys wanted swords, and Zoe got a pink bunny.

This is the most hilarious picture ever.

Dunk her, Nicky, dunk her!!

Looking for the lost coins in the sand.

Come on, Zoe, you can do it!

Shooting out candles with a water gun.
This is MUCH harder than it looks.

*Side note: Nathan and I worked this booth once when it was freezing outside. My job was refilling the water guns from a giant bucket of ice-cold water. It took several hours before I could feel my fingers again. No repeats.

"What's next, Daddy?"

Even Anna got to participate! Kind of.

Zoe defeating Goliath.

Nathan worked the basketball toss booth with his littlest sister, Beth (who is no longer little).
I didn't realize how much they looked alike until this picture!
Aren't they cute?

It was a great start to the fall! Now we get to look forward to Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorites!

Anna's Baby Dedication

On Sunday, July 10, we dedicated Anna to God during the morning worship service. This does not mean we're going to sacrifice her on an altar or anything, I promise. It only means that we've made a public vow to do our best to bring her up in a Christian home. We've made a point to do this with all of the kids. We don't do this to boast about our relationship with God or our parenting skills, because we are far (really, really far) from perfect. There are two big reasons why we dedicate our babies. First, it's a reminder about why we have our children to begin with. God gives them to us - they're a gift. We're recognizing that and giving Him the glory. Second, it's about accountability. Those days when it's so tempting to make the wrong choices, I have to recall that I made a promise in front of a large group of people to honor God in my parenting decisions. Does it always work? Nope. But it's always there, the elephant in the room.

Anyway, it was really nice, and Anna snoozed peacefully during the whole dedication, so we could actually hear what Dr. Edge was saying this time (ahem...ZOE!).

 The prayer.

(Zoe and Nicky were just checking to make sure everyone had their eyes closed respectfully.)

After the dedication, many of our church members came by to congratulate us and to meet Anna. It was so sweet, and we got lots of hugs and compliments on our family!

I'm glad so many of our family members were able to come for this special event!

Of course, no proper Alexander family function (or a Southern Baptist one, for that matter) is complete without FOOD. So, we all hauled back to our house after the service for some yummies and family time!

The kids' table.
Zoe, Ethan, Nicholas, and Micah.

Hannah and my nephew, Ian.

Ian giving Christopher a ride.

Zoe and Micah.

It was a good time, and I have to give a huge shout-out to my amazing husband for helping me get everything ready, and to my Dad for grilling some awesome burgers!

All of our dedications have been special times, but this one was particularly meaningful to me. Anna truly is a gift from God, a tiny miracle, and I am so grateful to have her. She has been such a blessing to us all, and I am looking forward to watching her grow into an amazing young woman.

Vacation Bible School 2011 - Big Apple Adventure

The kids got to spend a week in NYC in the middle of June! Not really, but we pretended we were there. (Ahem, "good" parents try to feed their child's imagination. Or something.)

We spent some time up at church before the week started, getting everything ready for the mass of children that come to visit each year for Vacation Bible School. Due to the fact that I had a newborn and three other young children, I wasn't able to be as helpful as I would have liked to be beforehand, but it all worked out. 

I was so lucky to get to work in the crafts room with Kim Deviney again this year. I love her, and I love working with the little kids on their art projects. The crafts this year were pretty cute! Anyway, our room...

Ooooh...so "artist-y."

Yes, I made up that word.

 And Lady Liberty herself.

On cardboard boxes.

Hey, it's cool! You just wish you had one.

It was such a busy week! We had so many kids coming through the church each day - the daily average was over 200! I didn't have much time to go and take pictures of my kids enjoying VBS, but I got a few shots. On the last day, Uncle Pete came and helped out, and I sent him off with my camera to find the munchkins. 

And now, for your viewing pleasure (or just mine), gratuitous photos of my children:

The NYC, um, "skyline."

Zoe, making a taxicab.

Nicky's taxi.

Zoe and her new best friend, Kassie, making a T-shirt.

Nicholas making his shirt.

Ethan with his group during Bible study time.

Nicholas and Zoe with their group, making a craft.

Other than crying and eating, this was the extent of Anna's participation in VBS. Next year, she'll be tearing it up!

Ethan, sewing an apple.

He has a "bubble" in his mouth.

(That's a nice way of getting large groups of loud kids to be quiet.) 

All in all, it was a great week! A little hectic with a couple of small panicky moments, but it all worked out. VBS is such an amazing ministry tool, and I'm so glad that I was able to be a part of it this year. I'm already looking forward to next year!

FBC Children's Choir - Solid Rock Cafe!

On May 22nd, the First Baptist Church Children's Choir performed their annual musical. This year, the theme was "Solid Rock Cafe," and it was really great! I happen to have a few children at my house (they just keep showing up!), so there were a couple of Alexanders down in the front row. :)

We were able to get a few decent pictures, but there were lots of people in front of us and the church was really dark. Not the best set-up for photography. Nathan also took a few short videos with his camera.

Attitude.

We already knew they had that talent. 

 A rare moment when both boys were actually singing, and not trying to take off their shirts or waving to all the family members sitting in the audience.

 The whole crew after the show.

The preschool choir and Ms. Michelle, our children's ministry coordinator.

 And, finally, for your viewing pleasure...