Mothering Mission

I have been doing a fabulous Bible study - it's Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" with a few girls from work. This study is awesome, powerful, and challenges me in such a neat way.

This past week we've been focusing on family history. The first few days we were to examine our grandparent's and parent's lives and look at their influence on us. I know for some, this was really hard as it brought up a lot of very difficult memories and exposed some very raw emotions. We went on to look at what we as individuals have learned or taken from our grandparents and parents and focused on areas of captivity, or things that hold us back from living the spirit-filled life Christ intended for us to have.

It's been during this week that I have been re-challenged as a parent. We are to look at our areas of bondage and how they will influence our children. Talk about a wake up call! Praise the Lord, I really don't have a lot of "baggage" from my family that has influenced me in a negative way but I do see areas that I personally need to work on and areas that I don't want to pass on to Silas.

A friend of mine posted a link on facebook today about making mothering our primary mission. My first and primary mission field should be my children. God tells us that children are his blessing to us (Psalm 127:3 says, "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him"). And he places great importance on our teaching our children to love and serve him -- Deuteronomy 6:5-9 "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates".

Sometimes I feel slightly guilty for not being more involved at work or not being on a committee for the department. I hear friends talk about going on to graduate school a feel slightly jealous, but know in my heart that I'm not willing to make that kind of a time commitment when Silas is so little. I never want to look back on my life and think, "Wow, I have a great career but I sure didn't get to spend as much time with my children and/or family as I wanted to" or ever feel like I was cheated from enjoying my children's childhood. Does this mean I think less of mothers that do go on to graduate school or get involved at work? Absolutely not! I admire their ability to balance everything. I just know that for myself, for my sanity and in order for me to make my children's lives my primary mission field, those things aren't for me.

In the Bible study we've been examining Exodus 20:5-6 which talk about God's punishment for idolizing things other than him to the third and fourth generation but God showing his love for a thousand generations for those who love him and keep his commandments. It's hard to think about my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but I so desperately want to love God and serve him, knowing that he will show his love to my future generations.

A challenge for me and for my fellow friend mommies: Listen to Psalm 78:4-7: “We will . . . tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has done . . . that the next generation might know . . . so that they should set their hope in God.”

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

Yesterday was Silas' dedication at church. The verse we picked out for his dedication was Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Silas did pretty well - it was nap time so he got a little restless, but hung in there. :)

Here are some wonderful pictures I've captured of my little model baby. :) Seriously, does anyone know an agent???





This picture absolutely cracks me up. Jake is notorious for always having his eyebrows up like this in pictures...looks like it got passed on to little Silas. :)

My little pumpkin

For the past two months I've been saying, "this is my favorite age!" (regarding Silas, not myself). But here I am again - 6 months is my favorite age! Silas is SO MUCH FUN right now that I cannot hardly stand to be away from him. I think about him all the time when I'm at work and long to be with him. I often get up early before he is awake on my days off to workout so I don't miss out on precious time with him. It's kind of pathetic, really.

We had his 6 month appointment on the 8th, and Silas is now 19 pounds, 12 ounces - the 50th percentile and 27 1/4 inches which is the 75th percentile...both down from the 97th, which he had been in up until this appointment. For the first time, he got a fever after his shots and spent most of the next day sleeping, snuggling, or fussing. I felt bad for him 'cause I could tell he really didn't feel well.

Silas has one tooth completely through and loves to bite anything and everything - watch out, it's sharp!! He sits up pretty well on his own but does occasionally get lazy and lays down or rolls to the side. He scoots himself in circles when laying on his tummy and looks like he's pretty close to getting up on all fours. He is definitely one smiley, happy baby and it's so fun to hear people, strangers, frequently comment on how happy he is. We just got him a highchair yesterday which I think he has been ready for for quite a while. He loves sitting up with us at the table at restaurants or in the cart at Target "like a big boy" (which is what we say). It's pretty funny to watch him because he acts like he's very proud of being up and independent.

So my sister-in-law, Paula, gave me the idea of carving out a pumpkin and putting Silas in it to have his picture taken in. Great idea if you have a petite little baby. Easier said than done if you have a big chubby baby like Silas. :) I had to find a huge pumpkin ($25 worth of pumpkin), lug the thing to my parent's house in Iowa City, dig it out and then try to make Silas smile while taking his picture. He did pretty well, but still wasn't feeling the greatest from his shots so we only got a few smiley pictures. He actually toughed it out very well and put up with it, he just didn't smile the whole time. :) Oh but the pictures turned out so cute.

When you read my blog, do you ever wonder about Jake? I know I don't write a ton about what's going on with him and I'm sorry for that. In all honesty, I don't really write much about what is REALLY going on with either of us because not much goes on with us besides work and Silas. :) Jake is still at Aspen, always #1 in the company. He still continues to amaze me at how great of a salesman he is - he's a natural with members and potential members. Jake is still taking a half day off to be with Silas on one of the days I work, which is so heartwarming for me. I love that Silas and Daddy get a day together because Jake doesn't get a ton of time with him on the days he works. We still only get Sundays as a family (unless I work) so our time together is so precious.

Being with Jake and Silas is my favorite thing, and the only thing that could make it better would be having my parents and Kellee there too. It is absolutely hilarious to see my parents with Silas....let me rephrase, to see my Dad with Silas. I remember him and how he was with Kellee as a baby but I never imagined how he'd be as a Grandpa. My parents love Silas so much and for whatever reason, it almost surprises me to see how much they love him. I know that sounds dumb because I knew they would love him, but I guess it's the goofy voices, my Dad letting Silas grab his hair (which he lets no one touch)...or his ear like in the picture above, the "I'll buy him anything he wants/needs" mentality, the putting off of outdoor work to be with Silas, the way they drive over just for the day to see Silas....all of it I find so endearing and so touching. I've always thought they were the most amazing parents, but it is really fun to see them in the grandparent roll, which they both LOVE.

Basically what this all comes down to is that Silas is amazing. He has a magnetic energy about him that attracts all of us. He has a smile to dazzles even strangers. He has eyes and eyebrows that the average person only dreams of having. He has a personality that is unlike any other baby I've ever met. He is amazing. :)

In da club

That's right, I'm in da club. What club? The MOM club. :) Silas and I went to Target this morning and had to make a quick stop at the Starbucks in Target before we started our shopping. There was a Mom of a cute 2-year-old little girl who immediately started talking to me about Silas, cooing at him, and we let the two kids look at each other and smile. Since when did strangers become so friendly? Oh yeah, when I had a baby! It's so funny to me how a baby can spur conversations with all kinds of people - children, older men, women, other Moms, etc. I think it's pretty cool! After all, who wouldn't want to flirt with Silas? :)

Sunday was my birthday...ugh, the big 2-6. Is it just me or am I getting old? I can't hardly believe I'm 26. I know I've said this for a couple years, but I'd just like to stop time and be this age for a while. No need to get any older. Anyway, my family came over for a couple hours and had lunch with us at my favorite pizza joint, Red Rossa. Jake and my parents went in together to get me an amazing Canon Rebel digital camera, something I'd been wanting since my Mom got hers. Some of the best pictures of Silas have come from my Mom's camera so I'm absolutely thrilled to get one of my own!!! Kellee got me tickets to my friend, Jason Reeves' show which is this Friday so we'll have a sister date night and go to his show which will be so fun.

After my family left, Jake, Silas and I went to a pumpkin patch. We had a lot of fun and the weather was gorgeous! We did the hayrake ride and Silas got to swing on the jungle gym. Here are some pictures from the pumpkin patch.

With my sweet boy!


Little scarecrow




Daddy & Silas


How tall is Silas? Just over 2 feet - so big!




He really enjoyed swinging!