As I thought through this past year, reading my journal and flipping through out calendar, I tried to come up with a good theme. Nothing big changed in our lives like in 2012 and we didn’t rest like we did in 2013. But in 2014, we experienced a lot of molding and
shaping. Hence…the "Playdough Year." Not to mention, we had our hands in that
colorful stuff pretty often!
The Lord is
slowly and faithfully molding us to be more like Him. Some days His hands bring tears and other days it brings joy. He is our Potter and we are His clay…..or in preschool lingo....we are His playdough. :) He’s been busy making our hearts colorful and full of
beauty.
Molding Our Home
I also have a great responsibility to shape their little minds. This
year I have done more intentional educational activities with them. “Homeschool” if you
will. My degree in early childhood education is finally been put to
use and I love it! The bulletin boards in the dining room are filled with artwork of letters, shapes, numbers, etc. Our shelves are full of library
books and fun "keep them busy" learning games. Their favorite books this year include such
classics as “Go Dog Go” and “Are you My Mother?” The favorite songs they enjoyed singing at the top of their lungs (in the car especially) were “The
ABC Song,” “Jesus Loves Me,” “The Wheels on the Bus” and of course the all time
favorite…the “Happy Birthday” song. Their favorite things to play includes legos, cars, trains, balls, and wrestling..lots of wrestling..oh
and don’t forget tickling! It was a fun filled year of learning and play!
The 3 year old
This has
been a big year for character shaping for our oldest little guy. He is full of
life, and energy, and gusto and channeling that energy into something good is
always our goal! I definitely see sports in his future for his very physical
and active personality. He is very talkative and I increasingly see him as
having an extroverted personality (not sure where he got that from!) He’s the
kid who always yells out the answer when the teacher asks a question. His mind
is a sponge as he absorbs anything and everything little he hears, reads, or
sees. He has enjoyed his first year of Zoo preschool this year. He has one morning to learn in a classroom setting and then visits an animal in it's zoo habitat. Another morning while
Mommy attends Bible Study, he attends “church school”. Some sweet
friendships have formed for him (and me!) We go on play-dates to the park, science museum, library, & zoo. He also loves getting to spend time with family and always asks if we can go to Mimi's house or Nana's house. (He loves you too Ron Bob and Papa Bear!) He has a lot of loud crazy fun with his cousin Declan and his little brother Gage, born early this year.
The 2 year old
It has been
really fun this year to see the personality that God is shaping for our
littlest man. He has grown and changed a lot this year and looks more and more
like his Daddy. He has a very caring side to him and always wants to make sure
his brother (and sometimes Mommy) has a toy..or snack..or whatever similar to
his. His language development has taken off
this year as he mimics all the words big brother says. My favorite things to
hear him say are: “Ohh-K” “Thanks” and “I did it!”His love for anything round,
whether a balloon or a ball has been a trademark of his personality. He even
had a balloon themed birthday party this year! He can throw and catch any ball
like a pro. I see tee ball in his future. He has enjoyed going to a preschool music
class this year and loves to play loud instruments and sing songs.
Shaping Bri’s Faith
This year God
used a little bit of rough chiseling to refine my faith. I faced some
health issues due to thyroid and hormone imbalances. The increased anxiety from these imbalances became an annoying thorn in my flesh. But God used this to show me that His grace is
sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness. That verse had never come so alive to me as it did this year. God surrounded me with many friends who provided much encouragement and went through similar
problems. I’m so thankful for our church and women I have met through Bible
studies and Mom’s groups. I also found an amazing holistic Doctor and already feel much better after trying some
of the things she suggested..plus I don’t even miss gluten all that much!
God worked at shaping my habits are in the areas of nutrition and wellness. I’ve
become one of those “crunchy” Moms who is all about living in a more natural
way. There are weird things in my fridge right now like kombucha, elderberry
syrup, and fermented pickles. Things I had never even heard of a year ago! I got into using essential oils in place of many medicines. I also use things
like raw honey as cough syrup. I don’t even want to tell you about the weird homemade products in my shower! It has been quite a learning experience. God has given us all of
these things he created and I have had fun putting them to use!
Shaping Brodie’s Character
God has been
at work shaping Brodie’s character as a husband & father. He was supportive and understanding through my mess of health issues. Though he is at work all day, when he comes home he
jumps right into the thick of the mess. He is the official bathtime supervisor because
by the end of the day I sure don’t have the energy for that! He learned
right alongside me ways in which to shape the hearts and minds of our children
and is very purposeful in his discipline. The boys know their Daddy as the guy
who fixes everything. When something like a toy breaks, they know Daddy will
fix it when he gets home!
This year at
work, God shaped Brodie's leadership skills. He has been with the same company 9 years and
is now one of the more experienced guys there now. He trains up the new guys and manages
their responsibilities with grace (most of the time). God has also given him a wonderful
new boss this year that has helped smooth out a lot of bumps in the office.
Brodie took his first business trip overseas this year and really enjoyed
eating the authentic Korean barbecue, kimchi and anchovy salad!
This November, Brodie had the privilege of speaking at the funeral for my
grandfather, “Pappy”. Preparing for the message felt natural to him, brought him joy and was something that he knew God wanted him to do. We hope the message was encouraging to all my family as they remember God is the bringer of comfort and He can turn our mourning into dancing.
So..how has God shaped your family this year?
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