'Twas the Night Before School

'Twas the night before school
And mom cannot sleep
All the reminiscing
Makes her just weep.

All four of her babies
Will be boarding the bus
Is it any wonder
why she's making a fuss?

The summer flew by
Nearly as fast as the years
Nothing stops time
Nothing stops tears

The backpacks and lunch boxes
The papers and snacks
Soon it will be History cards
Science, Spelling, and Math Facts

With the oldest in Middle school
HOW CAN THIS BE
Was it not just yesterday
That he was three?!

The next one in Fourth
IMPOSSIBLE FOR SURE
Who is this young lady
Ready to head out the door?

The third one in Third
A JOKE THIS MUST BE
Mom's treading this new ground
Quite tenderly 

And the BABY IS OFF?!
She has Kindergarten to master
An empty nest now at home
Leaves Mom's heart in disaster

And another hard part
Dad, too, is in school
Studying and reviewing
Has become the new cool

So what's Mom to do?
Her treasures all away
She has yet to grasp
The schedule of her day

She is dreading the bus
But a brave face she will wear
Choosing joy to replace
All that threatens to scare

For this is part of life
Training and helping them to be
All the humbly grand things
God has created them to be

And we are grateful for teachers
Principal and staff
Who mirror Jesus' love
And also share laughs

So as morning prayers are shared
And Joshua 1:9 recited
We'll head out the door
Ready and beyond excited

Here's to an amazing year
And all that is in store
May the lessons abound
And God's mercies outpour

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9

'Twas the Night Before...

'Twas the night before school
And nothing has changed
Mom is a mess
And life's rearranged

Three are heading off
And one stays with mom
Praying it goes smoothly
While all of them are gone

Clothes are pressed
New shoes sit and wait
The new start of the year
And it will be great

Beautiful skirts
and scarves add some fun
Just a few new things
For everyone

Polo shirts and
Plain gray shoes
Trying to steer clear
Of the trendy hues

Lunches to pack
Papers to fill
And just why is
Mom crying still??

The teachers are amazing
Humble as can be
All of them make Jesus
Their top priority

A joyful, servant heart
Makes the principal blessed
Leads by example
For all the rest

We have found at this school
A great family
It is not something
That we take lightly

With grateful hearts
We serve and we learn
Praying lifelong passions for Jesus
Will deeply burn

So while tears at the bus
Will most certainly be there
Smiles and confidence
We will also share

For we are training these ones
In the way in which they should go
Learning that in all areas of life
His presence should show

It will never be easy
For this Momma's heart
Trusting God for amazing things
As this new year starts!

Car Conversation

Having one of those nights that in the stillness of the house I reflect on the day.

A conversation in the car with our 7 year old rings in my ears.

"Mom, how do you know God loves you?"

I had just asked her the same question.

"Savannah," I replied, "One huge way I know He loves me is through His creation. I come in from work late at night and I stand under the stars knowing that He has named every one of them and yet knows MY name. He is everywhere to me. In the sunrises and sunsets, in the mountains, at the beach, in our back field."

She smiled and said she feels the same.

It is no coincidence that her hymn chosen before she was even born is "This is My Father's World".

We marveled together at the beautiful moon tonight. I felt Him whispering to my heart.

I have felt overwhelmed lately. In the day-to-day struggles of life, I struggle to really hear Jesus' words in Matthew--"I am always with you". There are many days and ways I begin to feel lost and question if He sees me--especially in my laundry room full of dirty clothes!! In every one of those moments something happens to reign in my focus: an amazing sunrise occurs, a bird's song begins to fill my ears, one of our blessings (AKA kids) randomly gives me a kiss or begins singing praise songs, a call or text from someone dear, a hymn from long ago floods my mind, a story shared of one's struggle far greater than my own...He speaks to me everywhere in all of His creation and gives me perspective.

I merely need to quiet myself and listen.

Allow His truth to fill me to overflowing and drown the voice of the world.

I do not have all the answers and I may never know "WHY?" to many things. I am at peace with that. Because the One who put the stars on place and named each one knows all the whys and hows and whos.

But as I stood under the stars tonight I merely exhaled and smiled.

I know He sees me. I know He loves me. I know He laughs with me. I know He cries with me. I know He died for me. I know He lives for me. I know He prays for me.

Sometimes I need to convince my head of what my heart already knows.

Praying that if you are reading this--whatever your lot and wherever you may find yourself--you know in your heart that God sees YOU, that you are loved beyond measure, and He is in your corner fighting for you!

And if you must, go stand under the starry sky and take in His awe and love for you <3 nbsp="">

'Twas the Night Before....

'Twas the night before school
And, quite frankly, I'm a mess
But it isn't from slacking
and definitely not from stress

Everything is all in order
From the lunches to the shoes
But the same can't be said about me
I'm suffering from the blues

Three will board the bus tomorrow
One will stay with me
My heart will be in multiple places 
'Til they all return at three

The girls' want skirts with frilly tops
And pretty brand-new shoes
Sophia chose orange and flowers
Savannah chose sparkles and blue

Brayden wanted to look "smart"
Wearing a green-striped polo
He'll button it up to the chin
Have mercy if the button were solo 

The speed at which they are growing
Nearly stops me in my tracks
Sometimes I wish I could freeze the clock
Or maybe turn it back

Third, first, and kindergarten
Wow, I can hardly believe
And our baby is no longer
As she is nearly three

But God made every season
for a purpose and a time
Because I know that He's in control
I will be just fine

What a blessing to watch them grow
And help them along the path
Learning of God's unending love
And respecting His holy wrath

So I'll shed some tears and say a prayer
And cheer them on their way
And be there eagerly waiting
To hear about their big first day!

It's the most wonderful time...

...of the year!!

Hiking, biking, creek-walking, four-wheeling, camping!

WE LOVE SUMMER!!

New computer=new posts??

New computer...hopefully some new posts to follow!  But I won't promise when!!

'Twas the Night Before

Twas the night before I send two
And my heart is aching
Second Grade and kindergarten??
It just may be breaking!

I am not a Momma
who cheers at The Stop
I'm not looking forward to quiet
Nor wanting to go shop

My kids on the other hand
are bursting at the seams
To bed they went
Having school-filled dreams

But the tears I shed
are not all in fear
as they are attending
a Christian school this year

Their backpacks are ready
their lunchboxes packed
I've even included
their mid-morning snack

A skirt and pink top
with matching socks and brown shoes
A red plaid shirt and jeans
colored dark denim blue

It is hard to believe
they're getting this big
I know all too soon
they'll be learning Trig

For now I am busy
with schedules and soccer games
piano and homework
and learning friends' names

Momma's a second-hand learner
as we all journey this path
learning all about God's love
and His holy wrath

Praising His Name
and commiting to heart
His Word and Commandments
praying never to part

So may this new journey
be one full of cheer
We're all trusting God
For a fantastic school year!

Fall (and now spring) Soccer!

Brayden's Soccer picture

Team photo!! What a great bunch of boys!

Getting ready to be goalie for the quarter!

This would be my Gram and Dad on the sidelines.

Needless to say...it was COLD!!

Another team photo =)

Go Fireballs!!

I offered to take the team pictures this fall. I took TONS of action shots each game and also group/individual photos. I had so much fun! We just started the spring session of soccer and I am very much looking forward to it. The blog needed a serious update and I can only use previously uploaded photos at the moment =(  Thankfully I had all of the fall season uploaded already!! Until the first week of June, soccer will be the activity every Tuesday and Thursday evening and Saturday mornings. It is fun to watch Brayden learn and grow in his skills. He has a great group of boys on his team--we are so thankful for that! I know that he loves being with the boys after days on end of a house full of girls...poor guy! He counts down the minutes until his Dad pulls in the driveway. So here's to a great Spring season!!

GO FIREBALLS!! 

Grampa Whitney's Poem

I was asked to compose a poem to be read at Grampa's funeral service. The hardest two pages I've ever read in my life. But I've never been more honored and humbled in my life. What a blessing to give tribute, as one of the speakers noted, to a mountain of a man.

~~~~~~~~~

Reverend Andrew Jackson Whitney.

Grampa. A great man indeed.

Great only because he knew his greatest need

Was to bow the knee, make the LORD King

Not just in some areas—but over everything.

So how do you sum up the qualities of a man

Who lived a full and blessed life through following His Plan?

The blessing is that there’s no secret side to reveal

No matter how you knew him, Grampa was always real.

The Fruits of the Spirit were ever apparent

Grampa died to self and became transparent

So that the love of Jesus could shine and work through

His earthly body for there was God’s work to do!

A servant’s heart; a man of strong conviction,

He was a breath of fresh air

In a world of contradiction.

His undying love for Gramma was so beautiful to behold

At times he would say that he didn’t feel whole

But Grampa kept his eyes looking to Heaven above

Drawing strength from Jesus and His perfect Love.

Grampa loved to play jokes; was quite the funny guy

There was often a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Retelling stories, often in jest

Poking fun and making sure the point wouldn’t rest.

Grampa’s large, powerful hands would greet you with a squeeze

And happily cradle a child on his knees.

With those hands he would lovingly build a fire

Keeping his granddaughter warm when she tired.

Writing letters, emails, and birthday cards

With reminders of keeping our lamps trimmed and hearts on guard.

Grampa established a family altar of prayer

6:30 Wednesday mornings we all would meet there.

He was so often our steady when life felt unstable

A stalwart reminder that God is always able.

So though we sit and shed tears in this earthly place

In our sorrow there’s a greater joy

For Grampa left us with a great heritage of faith.

So, Grampa, we follow your lead--We know the LORD is soon returning

And, praise Jesus, we’ll keep our lamps burning!


~Mandy Yount
  January 22, 2011

Our Wagonload of Love 2010

I'm a bit behind with the pictures as I've been without my computer for a few months. I have some sporadic access to my photos now that Daryl has it reconnected at his office, so I am taking advantage! Hopefully I'll have my computer back soon, but I'll make do in the mean time =).

This is our fourth year of the Wagonload shot. I took about 50 shots of the kids on the wagon this fall just before the weather went south. Here's a glimpse of what my 'photoshoot' was like with our four! Its a rough age bracket to get all of them looking at once, let alone with a smile. So, I enjoy these shots that capture the fun and some of their personalities as I know all too well that soon this time will be past and I can have all the professional poses that I want from them.

Makes me laugh just looking through them!

Giving thanks

"In EVERYTHING give thanks...", Paul wrote in the New Testament. From prison. While in chains. With no comforts of home. Or friends. Or family. I think on this quite often when I complain or feel sorry for myself for one reason or another. And four kids are calling my name. And trying to figure out what's for dinner. And attempting to model for my kids what Jesus modeled for us. And begging the Lord to give me that extra dose of grace in the midst of life.

And He does.

I have so very much for which to be thankful. In nurturing an attitude of gratitude in our little ones, I am constantly reminded of all the little blessings, the little whispers of God that fuel a fresh wind and fire through my soul. As the kids spend time each day and night telling us what they're thankful for I often find myself in tears. Their tender hearts don't miss a single thing for which to thank God! They rattle on and on and on. I smile as I think of our Lord listening to their ramblings of thankfulness: beds, blankets, pillows, jammies, grass, birds, trees, all the animals of the 'wheeled', horses, books, leaves, Daddy, Mommy, every family member by name (which I don't have the time to list!), sticks, Jesus dying on the cross, shoes, cheese, Clay (our dog), trumpets, church, clothes, food to eat, fans in their room, playgrounds, grass, cheese...you get the picture. Sometimes they each spend 10 minutes each listing all the things that come to their minds! I always laugh at how grass and cheese gets a few mentions--they really are BIG things in their lives! =)

But it always makes me stop and think of all the things I am blessed with each and every day. And its always the small things that come to mind, the very basics that so often get overlooked! Spending time in Central America has permanently altered my thankfulness for the little things!! Like turning on the faucet. And not only turning on the faucet, but to have clean water pouring out. A shower. Daily. A home with more space than we need (and we don't live in a large home by American standards). Hair that's not infested with lice and bellies not infested with worms. Food at our disposal. I know I could go on and on for paragraphs, but these are the things that I think of every day as I care for our family and home. What a blessing!!

As we travel this Thanksgiving to be with family, I pray that my mindset may be on all the littlest things and how greatly they bless my life. I do know that there are four little things running around my house every day that bless me so richly--even when I feel as though I may pull out my hair and change my name ;)  More importantly I pray that Paul's reminder of giving thanks in ALL THINGS resonates throughout every season of my life...not just in November.

Because...

Because I pray that their bond will only grow stronger as they, too, are growing.

Because I already miss these warm summer days and their little, dirty, bare feet!
Because they truly already are each other's fiercest enemy and fiercest ally.

Because this moment in time is so precious with them.

Because they are so girly...and bring out the girliness in me.

Because I have more pink piles of laundry than anything else.

Because they love their little sister and accessorize her to the max!

Because they know they are princesses with a love for the King.

Because they think their brother can rope the moon.

Because they love bows and bangles and beads and ballerinas.

Because they love frogs and froo-froo and frosting and Fancy Nancy.

Because they love their Daddy.

Because I never expected to have them!

Because I'm so thankful for all the pink in my life because of them.

Because they hold my heart in their sweet little hands.

Because I can't imagine my life without them.

Blog fallen prey to my OCD...maybe?

So I have an issue with posting regularly and keeping up with everyday life. I think that any one else reading this who happens to also blog at any point in their life is shouting, "Amen!". My problem is, I would love to do a daily post with a picture. Doesn't have to be amazing. Doesn't even have to have alot of my ramblings. But it does have to be just right.

But, for the moment that is not happening.

It's not for lack of wanting to do it. Oh, if only that were the reason! For me, its more of an OCD or perfectionist issue. Better yet, its a birth-order thing. That's what it boils down to. Yeah, that's it. Because I have all kinds of wonderfulness in my mind of what I'd like to do and how to do it....it is just the doing it part that I grossly fail at achieving.

So, now that I've complained and whined and blamed my lack of posts on something that at least sounds legit--I'm getting back to it. I MISS IT!! I read quite a few blogs almost daily--a little check-in to see how friends and family are doing. And I don't want to be the blah blog anymore with no updates! I've got lots of things to write about. Four kids will leave you with LOTS to share. =) And LOTS of humbling, too!

Lookout. I'm back. And I'm excited.

'Twas the Night Before First Grade

'Twas the night before first grade

and definately no tears.

My boy is too excited

to have any fears!

But Mom's another story

Her heart is so sad.

Sending her boy off for the day

just somehow seems bad!

But just as last year

we'll cover our boy in prayer.

And remind him of the importance

of the Full Armor to wear.

His pencils are sharpened

His clothes clean and pressed

In bed early tonight

For his much-needed rest.

The lunch is all packed

the thermos is chillin

'cause I need to ensure

that his belly gets a fillin'!

Met his new Teacher

Ms. Nava's her name.

Our impression is that

she'll be anything but lame!

She said bring an item

on the first day of school

to tell us something about you

and what makes you cool.

Planes and jets are his thing

So the collage is all packed

showing Brayden's day in Arkansas

with the Flying Razorbacks!

His desk is in front

and she showed us his "locker"

And, lo, what else??

Tomorrow also starts SOCCER!!

Its his first season playing

and we're really pumped.

Tonight we bought shin guards

to prevent any bumps!

Thanks to cousin, Leight

we have cleats looking like sharks.

We're hoping that  Brayden runs

so fast that there's sparks!

As you can rightly see

its a BIG day here.

You can be sure that for Mom

there will be a few tears.

Her boy's growing up

He'll be off to a good start.

And he'll never be further

than in Momma's heart.

"We love you, Brayden Boy!"

we'll yell as the bus pulls away.

And they'll be a pack of girls

waiting at the end of the day!

To see their big brother

and hear of new memories made

On his first day of school

in the First Grade!

9 MONTHS?!

Well, our sweet Ava Grace has now been outside the womb as long as she was inside...kinda, but a pregnancy is truly 40 weeks which amounts to TEN months blah, blah, blah. Sometimes the medical dorky side in me overrides--sorry! ANYWAYS, I'm sad. A good sad, I guess. But still sad nonetheless! She's a blessing. She has the best hair, 6 teeth and counting, jabbers incessantly, "sings" when she's sleepy, knows how to play on our emotions just right to get what she wants, has mastered crawling, has mastered pulling herself up on EVERYTHING in sight in the last three days, LOVES her brother and sisters, melts over her Daddy, and of course, thankfully still thinks her mom is THE BEST!! YES!!! Hey, I only have a few precious months until Daddy rules....so let me bask in the sun here for a few, okay?!

So, I celebrate another "season". I'm learning what it means to live out "...for everything there is a season, a time and purpose under Heaven..." This season of being a mom is often chaotic, mind-numbing, running-on-autopilot, sleepless, etc. But its never dull, never boring, and is exactly where I want to be. In the moment. In the middle of the hustle and bustle and activity and growing and learning and molding. Thank you, Jesus, for Ava Grace. For Brayden. For Savannah. For Sophia. For all the lessons I have learned, for all the things I would have missed had I not been chosen with the amazing, himbling role of being simply their "Momma"!

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Remember the Lasts

Brayden and his favorite: oaties. Every.single.morning.

So often in life we place emphasis on 'firsts': first smile, first steps, first food, first day of school,  first in the race, first car, first date---you get the point. And while I am not exempt from that, I have more recently begun to think about 'lasts'.

One week ago was Brayden's Last Day of Kindergarten. In a way I was more emotional about his last day than his first--not a big surprise, I know, but admittance is the first step in the recovery proces, right?! As Brayden ate his breakfast I thought about how much he's changed, how much he's stayed the same, the ridiculous amount that he's grown in all regards this past year, all that he has learned, and just how fast time slips by usually without us even realizing. 

I spent some time talking with a friend outside the school when the little celebration was over. Her son attended Preschool with Brayden and we have alot in common. Funny thing, she mentioned 'lasts' and how she has a little book for her boy about just that. We laughed together and fought back a few tears together talking about how much change we've seen in the last two years, not just in our kids, but in ourselves as well. We reminisced about the first vs. last day of school.  We talked about the upcoming first day of first grade and shed a few more tears. I found myself thinking about my own school experiences and friends I had made over the years. From Middle School onward, we always did something special on the last day of school. A group of us usually walked home and made and shared (while reliving) special memories, celebrations, and excitement for the upcoming summer.

While we tend to emphasize firsts, its often the 'lasts' which hold the lessons of life. The moment of reflection and pause allowing us to grasp how far we've come...and maybe how far we've yet to go.

Prepping for the Celebration Picnic with classmates!

Savannah & Sophia were invited to join the fun!

Savannah telling Brayden how much she loves him--great memory for this Momma =)

With his teacher, Mrs. Miller

More Piggies

I am in LOVE with this little girl--especially her pigtails! This is all of her original newborn hair (which never fell out). Ava Grace is watching her brother and sisters play on the merry-go-round at the park...probably feeling a bit left out for the moment ;) And, FYI, while her eyes appear dark, they are actually an amazing blue/green...love them!!

It has been a rough couple of days while she's in her second round of teething. What a complete difference from her siblings! We never knew the others were cutting teeth...other than the ridiculous amount of drool. No fever, no fussing, nothing.  Not this child. She's making up for all the others! Fussy, fever, crying, clingy. NO FUN. And it is so opposite of her norm that I, too, am struggling! She's so mild mannered and easy-going. Loves to just hang around with her siblings and Momma and Daddy. Often she just sits and babbles her pretty little head off while we laugh! Thankfully, her top left tooth popped through the gumline yesterday and the other is halfway through today. Almost there!! Poor thing, it does break my heart. I'm so thankful that there's tylenol to help a bit.

I'll do my best to get more photos up of all that's been happening around here. Our kids are growing up way.too.fast.  Lots of fun and laughter. Lots of family in to visit. Lots of travelling to visit family. And lots of pictures in attempt to capture a glimpse of this amazing time of life. What a blessing to be the mom of these four little people!

Pigtails preview:

Have to run off to work outside the home right now. Thought I'd give you a preview of what's to come on my next post:

Easter Celebrations 2010

This was an especially enjoyable Easter. We spent Saturday morning at the Vicksburg Church for the children's activities. To say the kids were excited would be an understatement! There was a craft, followed by an egg hunt (with real, hard-boiled eggs), a snack, then the Resurrection story told through a carton of eggs. If you've never seen the story told this way, you should. Its GREAT for little/young kids! Each egg has an object that ties into the story from Palm Sunday through Easter morning. Gramma and Aunt Jennifer did a great job organizing an running the morning! The morning was wrapped up by practicing the bells for Sunday morning service. Now that is a hoot! But the kids all do a great job and it sounds great, too! Here's some shots from Saturday:

Miss Phia doing her "princess smile"...don't ask. Its something she's just started doing.

Miss Savannah on a mission to find some eggs:

Brayden after he accidentally crunched an egg with his boot!

Gramma sharing the Resurrection Story through the eggs:

The group practicing bells for Sunday morning:

Now onto Sunday morning. Firstly, some loud "thank yous" to Granny, Pap, Tia, and my nieces for finding/purchasing the kids outfits for this year. They COULD NOT wait to wear them to church! They really looked adorable...as always in my opinion =)

Anyways, Easter Sunday always seems to be exhausting, but worth it! Daryl was up extra early for the sunrise service. He had to play the guitar. That's a whole other story in and of itself that I won't get into! We agreed I would stay home with the kids. Waking four little ones at 5:30am would not be fun for anyone involved...especially those who'd have to be around us for the next few hours. Kudos to all of those who took their little ones. I've done it before and I'll do it again, but not this year. We went to his Dad's church for service. Daryl was playing the trumpet during offertory, Mama was in visiting, and the kiddos were to play the bells and sing. GOOD TIMES!

Daryl did an amazing jod on the trumpet. Seriously, it gave me chills. The girls were so excited to be singing and playing the bells. Brayden wanted none of it...so he sat next to Mama for the duration. On a funny note, the girls were in the front ringing their little hearts out. Savannah was so thrilled that she forgot to watch for her colors and instead rang the living daylights out of her bells for the duration of the song! In the process, she clocked Phia in the side of her head with one of the bells. Phia starts wailing, Savannah is clueless and just keeps ringing the bells like a Salvation Army volunteer at Christmas! The pics below I snapped (thankfully) before the whack.

We managed to get some pictures at the end of church. I'm thankful for that because I'm usually the one behind the camera, so family shots are few and far between! We all ended up at our house for Easter dinner and enjoyed an afternoon with our entire family, Mama Yount, Krystal's mom, Carol, and Krystal's brother Tom, his wife, Jenny, and their four kids. In total we had 29 people--17 of them under 11 years of age. It really was a GREAT time!!

Phia waiting for her color, while Savannah shakes away:

Our four blessings:

Take two:

Take three:

Take four. By this time Brayden was saying, "I'm going to drop her, Mom!":

Sweet Sophia:

Handsome Brayden:

Sweet Savannah:

Our little family:

Blessings to you! He is risen! Yes, He is risen indeed!!