Thankfulness in Busy Times

Hi all! It's the first Tuesday of a brand new month! I've been kind of scarce lately because we've been really busy around here. Seems like there's something going on every weekend now, and the calendar looks just as full in June. Today I want to take time to stop and give thanks in the midst of it all and share a little about what's been happening here.

May 23-24th was our quick trip to Seattle with our three older kids. We got to hang out with a friend we haven't seen in years. I am so thankful that we got to reconnect, meet his wife and daughter, and just spend time with their family. They were so gracious to open their home to us and provide us with free tickets to the game on Sunday.

The game! It was so fun! What a great first baseball game experience for our kids. We walked around the stadium and enjoyed the sights. We even got Branden Morrow's autograph. When the game started, Ken Griffey Jr. hit a home run in the first inning! All in all, it was a great game, and the Mariners won. :)

Although I had a nice trip, I was glad to be home to my youngest two again on Sunday. I am so thankful for all five of my children! I couldn't imagine life without any of them. We spent Monday (Memorial Day Holiday) just hanging out as a family. I love days like that. We worked in the yard and played a little too. Good family bonding time.

Last week I worked some more on Spring cleaning. I spent time in the kitchen on my cupboards and continued to sort, organize and purge. Sometimes I wish I had more kitchen space, but I am thankful for what room I do have. It is my space and what I make of it is up to me. Sometimes all we need is a little imagination to make a space our own. :)

Friday rolled around and it was finally time for my girlfriend's retreat to Women of Faith! I had been looking forward to it for months! My friends picked me up at 8:30am and we headed down to the Arena. What an awesome first day! The speakers, the worship, the company...I am so thankful for all of it!

Another friend was able to join us for dinner and we had a BLAST! We had dinner in style. I am so thankful to my friend Michelle, who made this all possible for me. I only paid for my ticket and t-shirt. She blessed me with a whole lot more!


The evening session ended with a Steven Curtis Chapman concert! I love his music. He's one of the first Christian singers that I started listening to back in my teens. It was a treat to see him in person and I am thankful he was part of the conference.

The fun continued at our motel that night. Andrea met up with us again and the five of us played games and just hung out. It was the silliest time ever! We laughed until we cried. I am so thankful for friends that I can just let go with!

Here's the kicker...in the middle of the night sometime I got sick. I didn't stop throwing up until well after dawn. You know what though? Even though I missed the second day of the conference, I am so thankful for the time I got to spend with friends and I am glad they were there to pray for me and watch over me when I needed them. Andrea brought me home where I spent most of the day sleeping and recovering from what must have been a touch of the flu. Thanks for looking out for me girls!

I could not go without saying how thankful I am for my loving husband. He is, in my mind, the greatest for letting me have a special weekend while he watched the kids. Even when I came home sick early on Saturday morning, he took care of the kids all day so that I could rest. He made sure that I had peace and quiet, which is not easy in a house full of kids! I love him so much!

Well, that's my list for this week! I have so much to be thankful for and I am glad to share it with you. Have a great week!

Company Girl Coffee 5.22.09

Good Morning! First things first! Grab your cup, and we'll enjoy the sunshine on the patio this morning. :) I want to thank all of you Company Girls out there that stopped by my blog to read the extended answers to Rachel Anne's interview questions this week. I was so encouraged by all of your kind words.

I am so excited for Rachel Anne as she gets closer to publishing her first book! I've got a feeling I will be purchasing more than one copy of "Company Girl," that will be published in fall of 2009. How great of her to include us in the fun by holding a photo contest! If you haven't visited the Company Girl website yet for the contest details, I would encourage it! There are some great photos entered already!

This weekend my husband and I have the incredible opportunity to take our older three kids (7,6,&5) to a Mariner's baseball game over in Seattle. The younger two (4&2) will be staying here with their Aunt and Uncle. Our friend that lives over in Seattle managed to get us some tickets. We're staying the night at his home on Saturday and then both of our families will go to the game together on Sunday. This is a friend that we haven't seen in years, so just spending time there catching up with him and meeting his family will be wonderful. Taking our kids to their first baseball game is just a bonus!

Today I am having a friend of mine over for lunch. Her daughter is coming with her to test out the new swing set. BC and LR love it when she comes to play. The swing set is a HUGE hit with the kids! I'm so glad we bought it. It was an great investment in a lot of back yard fun! Have a great weekend all!

Two Things

Psalm 62:11-12
One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

Several years ago, my husband had surgery on his foot and he had to be in a full leg cast for a while. When the cast came off, that leg was noticeably smaller than his other one. The muscles had gone unused for so long that it appeared his leg had shrunk! He began physical therapy and the doctor talked to him about muscle memory. Muscle memory refers to the accelerated muscle retraining phenomenon when a muscle has been trained, detrained and then retrained again. In my husband's case, his muscles were weak because they were not being used at all. The muscle returned as he continued to do his exercises. Another example would be if you take a long break from working out you will be able to get your muscle back much quicker than someone who has never worked out before.

Memorizing Scripture is a bit like muscle memory. The more you meditate on the Word, the easier it becomes to recall it in a time of need. This year I have made a commitment to memorize 2 scripture segments a month. I have been trying really hard to stick with it. I write the verse that I am currently memorizing on a 3x5 card and put it in my kitchen window, where I read it often. There are days when I try to recall my previous verses, and I struggle through it. My ability to retain more than one verse at a time is still weak, but I am working on it!

When Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh, the Lord said to him "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

You, O God, are strong...

Even David, a man after God's own heart, had his moments of weakness. After his encounter with Bathsheba he wrote "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51:1) There are times when my own shortcomings cause me to feel failure and shame.

You, O Lord, are loving...

Two Things. David heard them. Paul understood them. I believe them. Where do you stand today? Do you need to be reminded that God is both strong and loving?

Dear friend, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)

10 Things Tuesday in 7 Minutes!

I have about 7 minutes before the timer for dinner goes off, so let's see how thankful I can be in 7 minutes! :)

1. The new swing set is up! The kids are loving it and having lots of fun.
2. I am thankful for all the projects that are getting done around our house and yard.
   
3. I got to spend quality time with my sister in law today on her day off. What a blessing!
   
4. I am finally caught up on laundry again! (Until tomorrow!)
5. I have a delicious dinner in the oven and it smells great!
6. I get to go to a Mariner's game this Sunday with my oldest three kids!
7. I was so honored and thankful to be interviewed for Rachel Anne's first Company Girls newsletter. How fun!
8. I love this beautiful weather we are having...even if I am sporting the "windblown" look!
   
9. I love the way that God speaks to me through His Word!
   
10. I am thankful for a husband who encourages me grow in the gifts that God has given me.

That's all I have time for! Now I'm off to eat Sausage Rice Casserole with my family. :)
-Melissa

Company Girl Interview

Welcome to my blog! If you are a first time visitor, then this will be the perfect way for you to get to know me better. I started this blog a little over a year ago to record my thoughts and the comings and goings of this family of seven. Most of all, I just wanted a place to talk about what matters to me.

Before I even dreamed of having my own blog, I stumbled onto a blog called Raising Five. Katherine is a woman after my own heart. She is an incredible woman of God that is raising five children of her own. She is full of all kinds of wisdom! It is from her blog that I found her sister, Rachel Anne, and Home Sanctuary. Rachel Anne has not only taught me that sanctuary is in the small things, but that there is so much more to being a homemaker than cleaning and laundry!

I am honored to be a part of her first newsletter. I only wish that our interview could have been face to face. One day I will meet her in person, but for now, I am a devoted Company Girl, pride and true! :)

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy the complete answers to the questions in our interview.

Q: As a mom of 5 young children, what is your secret for getting out the door all together?

A: I line them up and count heads! Seriously, I make sure to get ready first. Otherwise, I get caught up in helping everyone else and I rush out the door frazzled. Those who are old enough get ready on their own. If I know that we are going somewhere in advance then I have the kids put out their shoes and anything we are taking with us, by the door the night before. (Book bags, bibles, etc.) Don't forget to allow time to fasten all those seat belts!

Q: How do you manage to have some personal time, or is that impossible?

A: My kids know that from 7:00-7:30am I sit on the couch, read my bible, and pray. That's mommy and Jesus time and that's all there is to it. When my children were babies I used to watch tv shows like Joyce Meyers and Life in the Word while doing a midnight or 3:00am feeding. I have learned to take what I can get. I used to think that "quiet time" meant no one else in the room and no noise going on around me. What I have noticed is that as I have explained to my children how important my morning devotion time is to me, they respect that and don't interrupt me unless it is very important. I have even seen my oldest (7) reading her bible during this time. This makes my heart leap with joy! In addition to that, I participate in Women's Bible Study once a week, listen to CDs in my kitchen, and keep a variety of books on my nightstand to read before bed.

Q: What advice would you give to a new mom who is trying to get organized?

A: It's not about arriving at "organized." It's about finding out what works for you in the season you are in. If you have to write out a list every day from brush your teeth in the morning to wash your face and go to bed at night, then do it! At least you will be able to look back at the end of your day and know that you accomplished something. I recommend a bare-bones plan. Sit down and write out time blocks without using the clock. For example, label your time blocks "morning routine", "afternoon routine", and "evening routine", and refer to them often. Keep it simple. Revisit and revise your schedule as your needs change.

Q: Do you have a favorite verse?

A: Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Q: What is your biggest challenge in raising a "large" family?

A: Adapting discipline to fit the needs of 5 very different children. Not only are they different in age, but their personalities are so different! Each of them is unique by God's design and they respond differently to rules and boundaries. We have the same rules for all of them, but the consequences to breaking those rules often vary with each child.

Q: What do you love most about being a mom?

A: Without a doubt, it's the way that my children love me unconditionally. They remind me of Christ's love for me every day. They hug me without letting go first and they are not afraid to say "I love you mommy" a thousand times a day!

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: Actually, I'm somewhat of a homebody. I love being an at home mom and I don't really have much of a desire to travel to far off places. I don't even like to drive more than 10 miles from home! But if I could go anywhere, it would be to the ocean. Not your busy, tourist attraction beach, but a quiet, secluded, sandy beach somewhere. That way I could take long walks with my family, play in the waves, build sandcastles, and even spend some quiet time alone with my Lord watching a peaceful sunset over the vast ocean that He created. Some of my fondest memories are of summer vacations spent on the Oregon Coast with my grandparents.

Have a great day everyone and remember, Sanctuary is in the Small Things!

Company Girl Coffee 5.15.09 "Project Back Yard"

Hi girls! I didn't have much time for coffee yesterday because I was busy in the back yard! We have lived here for almost 5 years now and nothing to show for it in our back yard. To my husband's credit, we did try to grow corn and strawberries our first summer here. The problem was, I was very pregnant, (with three toddlers running around already) and he was very busy! The garden got a bit neglected and the heat got the best of it.

Anyway, this new "project" of ours was sort of forced by a collapsed shed this winter. Luckily, we didn't have anything of significance stored in it at the time! After having the insurance company come out and investigate the damage there and in our attic, we began to research our possibilities. Considering that we never used our shed, we made a list of the other things we could do with the space. A new garden spot? A sand box/play area for the kids? A patio? The possibilities are endless.

Two things we knew for sure: We wanted the old shed torn down and hauled away, and we wanted the lilac bushes removed. I have two other lilac bushes in my yard, so no quarrels from me. Thus began the hard work! The shed was torn down thanks to our friend Tim, and the lilac bushes were removed with a little "joint effort." The truck and chain method worked really well! As a bonus, they took out the three bushes in the front by the driveway that have been nothing but a pain since we moved here! My job through all of this was to keep the kids corralled while the men worked. (It's harder than it sounds, since we have five curious helpers!)

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking!
The last picture here is my DH spreading new grass in the cleared out space. I am amazed at how much bigger our back yard looks now!

Next project: Assemble the new swing set that we purchased for the kids so they have something to do in our big back yard this summer. :)

Have a great weekend all!
-Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory 5.15.09

Here is my Siesta verse 10! I'm almost half way with my commitment to memorize 24 verses in 2009! This time I stuck with the verse that Beth Moore picked out because it serves as a reminder to me how important it is to recognize God's hand in my life.

“Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV

For Beth Moore's explanation as to why she chose this particular verse, visit here. Everyone has a personal testimony to share. In my own life, I have seen the evidence of God's work time and time again. His provision, His healing touch, His direction, His hope. He has walked with me through many trials and replaced my despair with hope on numerous occasions. My heart rejoices at the opportunity to share what He has done in my life and how much that means to me.

It reminds me of one of the verses I memorized early on in my walk with Him. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." -1 Peter 3:15

This month as I meditate on this Deuteronomy 4:9 I will be focusing on all the wonderful things that God has done in my life and watching for opportunities to share His love and faithfulness with my children and those around me.

Think about it: How prepared are you to give your testimony when the opportunity presents itself?