Fruit of the Spirit

So, I know that it appears that I have totally abandoned this blog, but I promise I have not.  Between the move, the three lively kiddos that roam this house, and all of this beautiful weather we've been having, life has been busy and has yet to slow down.  I have so much to update about including our new abode, a quick family visit to Mississippi and New Orleans, and growing children, but that will have to wait.  I do, however, have a precious story to report about our about-to-be-three-years-old son.

Last night as I was putting Liam to bed, I had him repeat the fruit of the spirit with me.  I asked him to repeat after me:

"The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are things that God gives you."

We went through this whole thing about four times, and he loved repeating after me with much volume and gusto and expression.  His favorite thing to say was self-control (ironically, the area he probably needs the Lord's most help with at the moment).  So, I kissed him good night, gave him a good tucking in, and heading downstairs to finish cleaning the kitchen.

A few minutes later Jonathan and I were downstairs when we started hearing Liam talk through the monitor that sits on the kitchen counter.  At first it appeared that he was just talking to his entourage of stuffed "people" in his bed, but then I heard it:

".....{mumble, mumble, mumble}.....gentleness....{mumble}......"

"Jonathan, listen!"

".....kindness, gentleness......{long pause}......kindness, gentleness,....{pause}....oh my goodness, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL."

We were crying we were laughing so hard!  What a sweet, precious boy we have.  I love how he puts things together in his mind and how much he makes us smile and laugh (among other things).  ;)
Once he had composed himself, Jonathan said, "Oh, I love that boy.  I sure hope it sticks one day."

We are praying for this little man who turns three on Friday.  Praying that the Lord fans the flame in his heart to know and love Him.  Praying that He grows much fruit of the Holy Spirit in Liam's life.  Training his heart that loves to be silly and stubborn and strong-willed to be those things for the glory of God.  Stubborn for the Gospel, holding firm in his love for God and Jesus Christ, not being swayed by the ways of the world and fear of man.  May he remain kind and gentle and affectionate.  May he maintain that sweet smile and disarming disposition that will draw others to himself and to the Lord. 

In the meantime, we are taking baby steps with this boy!  And need all of the grace and fruit of the Spirit that the Lord will lavish on us to do so.

photos courtesy of Suzanne McNeil Photography

For anyone who has a heart and an iTunes account...

I Just About Peed in My Pants....

Pure Talent

I have tons of pictures from the weekend my parents were in town! We had so much fun! While we were hanging out down at Market Square and the kids were playing in the fountain, I happened to snap a few pictures of my parents as they sat together.

It started out innocently:

But things started to get a little out of hand as I tried to give them some direction.

Show me PENSIVE:

Give me ANGRY:

Show me DEVASTATION:

Let's have PURE ELATION:

And finally, give me your interpretation of SURPRISE:

All in all, they are quite talented (and weird), but I sure do love them! Even if they try to gross my sisters and I out with their constant PDA!

Maybe So.

I just love this little girl.  I love her and her sweetness and her thoughtfulness.  And her silliness.  I also love the way she thinks about things sometimes.  Just recently, Nora discovered that Disney World is an actual place.  With castles and Disney characters and "real" princesses.  It is no longer the Disney Store at the mall.  (Seriously, up until a few months ago, she was convinced THAT was Disney World.  I wasn't about to bust THAT bubble).

Anyway, this morning the kids were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before breakfast and Nora tells Liam:

"Liam, maybe one day when you are 8, and I am 8, and Stella is 3, and Momma is 11 and Daddy is 12.  Maybe then we can go to Disney World."


She is so cute! I just thought her little thinking process was too adorable to not record.  I hope we can take her when she's 8 (if not before). 

Busy Schedule

Last week, I was sitting down with my calendar and pen to fill in some dates for the upcoming weeks.  We've got weddings and doctor visits and family coming in town and care group and all the other normal stuff.  As I was just getting started, I noticed Liam had a dirty diaper, so I left my calendar and pen on the table to take care of that business.  When I returned, several minutes later, Nora was very busy writing away. 

"What are you doing, Nora?"  I asked.

"Drawing on your calendar," she replied.

I walked over and looked how she had very carefully and very specifically filled in the month of June.  She pointed to the date of June 6th and said, "That's Stella."  If you look closely, that is her 3.5 year old version of a stick-figure, and clearly looks like Stella to me!  I thought this was the cutest thing ever.  We apparently have a very busy month of June ahead of us, and I am so thankful for Nora's help in keeping me organized!  Too precious!

Quality Mom Moments of the Day

I hope you can pick up on the sarcasm in my title.  If not, you don't know me well enough and perhaps we should fix that!

So, first of all, quality moment number one as a mother was when I finally satisfied my craving for a Starbucks Frappuccino this morning.  I have seen advertisements for Happy Hour this week at Starbucks where their Frapps are 1/2 off from 3-5 pm, but that is right in the midst of nap time and "get supper ready" time, so I highly doubt I'll make it there in that time frame.  But, I DID have a free drink coupon, so on our way to the grocery store this morning, I swung by and got a grande nonfat Mocha Coconut Frappuccino.  And YES, it was as delicious as it sounds.  I had packed each kid a cup of water in the car, but when they saw Momma sipping on this luscious, cold, refreshing coffee beverage that, frankly, looks like a cold chocolate Icee, they started asking for some.  So, I said, "You can each have one sip when we get to Kroger." 

BIG MISTAKE.

They were hooked.  "Coffee.  coffee.  coffee.  coffee."  They practically drank the thing by themselves before we could get out of the car.  Then, they were bouncing off the walls.  Nora even told me, "Don't drink it all, Mom!"  I guess she expected me to share more with her when we got home.

So, now my children are addicted to caffeine and chocolate-flavored coffee.  Great job.

Second quality moment of the day....(and keep in mind, people, it is only 3:30 pm.  Surely, there will be more).  I started cooking some of the steps to assemble a Chicken Lasagna for dinner tonight.  Once I got the kids down for a nap, all I had to do was chop up some chicken and then assemble it so that when supper time gets close, I can just stick it in the oven.  Perhaps I should have waited until AFTER my afternoon catnap because I fully assembled the lasagna UPSIDE DOWN!  I didn't even realize it until I was sprinkling the mozzarella cheese over the very top.  Way to go, Casey, way to go!

So, just in case you are wondering, here's how to assemble chicken lasagna upside-down:

1.  Little bit of spaghetti sauce.
2.  Layer of cooked lasagna noodles.
3.  Chicken mixture.
4.  Layer of sauce.
5.  Layer of noodles.
6.  Layer of chicken.
7.  More sauce.
8.  Cheese.

It makes NO sense at all.  But, my name is Casey Bradshaw and I do have pregnancy brain.  Tune in next time for more Quality Mom Moments with Casey!  Hey, at least I am laughing at myself! Right!?

Quote of the Day

Date: Easter Day 2011

Setting:  It's a warm, beautiful Spring Sunday afternoon, and Nora has gotten it in her head that she wants to go swimming for the first time in her Geegaw and Granna's pool.  No one else is brave enough to get in with her because the water temp is too cool.  However, she keeps insisting that I (her 8 month pregnant momma) should get in with her.  I, conveniently, didn't have a bathing suit with me.

Nora:  Well, Momma, you can just borrow one of Mames' swimsuits.

Momma:  Oh baby, I can't fit in any of Mames' swimsuits.  

Nora:  Because you're more pregnant-er than her?

Momma:  Yes, that's it.  I am more pregnant-er than her. 

(Sidenote:  Mames (aka Aunt Amy) just got married last weekend, so I do hope I am more pregnant-er than her) ;)

Just In Case You Missed This Somehow.....

A Few of Nora's LOVES These Days

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought I would do a little interview with my resident three-year-old to find out what things she LOVES these days.  She is growing and changing and becoming her own little person more and more each day, so I am certain that what she loves right now won't be the things she loves next Valentine's Day or even next month.  So, here's what my girlie girl has to say:


What's your name:  Nora.

How old are you:  Three.

What's your favorite color:  I love white.

What's your favorite Princess:  Um, I love, um.  I love Ariel.

What's your favorite thing to eat:  Um, I like chicken and fries.  (Translation: Chick-fil-a)

What's your favorite special treat:  I love suckers.  From trick or treating sometimes.

What place do you LOVE to go to:  I like Music Class.  I like story time.

Who is your favorite person:  I love Mommy.  Um, no, I love "******"  (The baby's name).  No, I love Layla.

What is your favorite book:  I love Berenstein Bears' Trick or Treating book.

What is your favorite television show right now:  Backyardigans.

What is your favorite movie:  I love Madagascar.

Who do you LOVE to dress up as:  Um, I like to dress up like Ariel.

"This is fun," she says.

What would you LOVE to be when you grow up?  I wanna be, um, I wanna be Snow White.

What will you LOVE to do when you grow up?  I'm going to sit on my hiney and bounce on the bed.

Who do you LOVE the most?  I love Mommy.  (No pressure as I sit here interviewing you).

What Bible story is your favorite right now?  Um, I love Jonah because it's learn about God and it's about family and it's about a family who loves God.   (????)

What do you LOVE about Mommy?  I like how you say, "Nora, you're so cute."  I like how you play with me.

What do you LOVE about Daddy?  I love how he reads with me.

What do you LOVE about Liam?  I love him to say, "Nora, I want to play with you."

What's your favorite thing to play with Liam?  I like to bounce on the couch cushions with him.

What do you LOVE about Baby Girl?  I'm going to bounce in her bed.  She's going to have a crib.

What is your favorite thing to wear:  I like to wear white shirts.  (???)  I like to wear dresses and tights.

 Okay, she's over it.  Apparently she has an obsession with bouncing and Ariel and the color white.  She really enjoyed being interviewed, but to be honest, I am quite surprised by a few of her answers.  Silly, sweet girl.  She's my favorite!!!

Hmmmm.....This Could Be A Problem

So this afternoon we were cleaning up toys before naptime.  The kids and I were singing a song, which is not unusual.  The song we were singing this time was by Paul Baloche and is a great worship song that we sing regularly at our church.  It's called "To The Cross."

The words for the chorus go:

You stretched your arms out wide.
I lift my hands up hi---iiigh
To my Savior.

Liam has really taken to this song, for some reason.  He likes the "high" part.  So I am trying to teach them to spread their arms out wide like Jesus did.  Then we are learning to reach our hands high like we are praising Him.

Anyway, the problem came about when Nora belted out in song all by herself.  Granted, it was beautiful, but we may need to work on the words and message she is getting:

I stretch my arms out wide.
I lift my hands up hi---ighhh
To my Stranger.

Stranger.  Savior.  NOT EXACTLY THE SAME THING!  HAHA!

Anyway, it gave me a good laugh.  Thought I'd share!

Snow Day Craziness

This is my husband.

This is my husband on a snow day here in January 2011.

This is my husband who is just a few days away from 31 years old.

This is is my husband who is like a five year old on a field trip to the zoo. 

He is having a blast.  He's outside with our next door neighbor, Matt (also in his thirties). 

I'm not sure when he'll be back in the house.  May be dark before he comes in. 

Please, pray for his safety! ;)

Typical.

Bedtime routine with Nora is pretty funny these days.  She loves to "relax" before going to sleep.  Typically around dinner time--sometimes even earlier--she'll start asking either Jonathan or I if we'll "relax" with her before bed.  She knows that my response is typically "no," so usually she is making sweet eyes and using her sweet voice to ask her Daddy.  8 out of 10 nights, Jonathan says "yes" and relaxes with her for a few minutes before saying goodnight. 

I love hearing them through the monitor.  Usually a story is told, they laugh, they giggle, they pretend, they have little games they play, then they lie very still until Nora gets sleepy and then Jonathan leaves.  Precious, precious time between those two.  With busy days for Daddy during this crazy season with the new business, those moments are very important.  Before long, she'll be too big for "relax time."  I hope we never forget the way she asks that infamous question:  "You wanna relax with me tonight, Daddy?"

Anyway, the night before last, Jonathan was hanging out with Nora during relax time when she asked him if he was going to eat breakfast with her in the morning.  (She's on a kick about wanting to eat breakfast with him).  He explained that he couldn't.  He would be at work when she woke up and was ready to eat breakfast.

Jonathan:  "But, we can eat breakfast together on Saturday morning.  I'll be home that day."

Nora:  (pause)  "Oh, I can't do it that day."


Typical.  Such a little woman, isn't she?  I wonder what it is she'll be doing that day that she can't fit in breakfast with her Daddy?!  Ah, silly girl.  We love her so much.  And she's definitely getting too big too fast.

Wuv....Twue Wuv

Some men send flowers.

Some men write love letters.

Some men buy jewelry.

My man...


He draws me pictures with sidewalk chalk!

Now THAT'S true love.

Pop Quiz:  What movie is the title of this blog post from?  Anyone? Anyone?

What Can I Say? She Takes After Her Mother.

If you look in the distance, you can see my little athlete making her way closer.

And closer....

Have you ever seen such focus?

Have you ever witnessed such sincere effort?

Have you beheld such endurance, determination, perseverance?

The nature of a true athlete, indeed!

Ahhh! The end is in sight.

Have you ever seen such joy?


Such raw style?

Such innocence?



All joking aside, my girl did turn 3 over the weekend! I cannot believe how quickly her little life is going by. We had a wonderful birthday weekend celebrating God's gift to us in Nora! More on that to come!

This Is What We Do At Night....

Our Little Old Geezer

The things we do to our kids.

The things our kids do to us.

The things we are willing to share with the public.



I will continue to try to capture this monstrosity on camera. It's absolutely hilarious and this video doesn't do it justice. Sorry, also, for the Blair Witch Project feel.

Trying To Get To The Bottom of This...

Ahem

"Here we are again. Me in this chair. Mom with her camera. Not to mention that I have on this RIDICULOUS hat and a sweater."


"Anybody getting hot in here? Seriously. It's warm. I'm feeling a little fuzzy and cozy and....yawn...sleepy."


"ZZZZZZ........"


"HA! Just kidding. I'm awake."


"But seriously, Mom, the hat has to go."

Jumpapooner

Jonathan and I need a little help.

Nora has been using this word for the past two or three months, and we have NO idea what it means.

The word is: Jumpapooner.

We keep asking Nora what exactly a Jumpapooner is. Is it a person? Is it an action? Is it a place? We've even thought she had created her own word for a poot, thinking that word was actually "Jumpapooter."

She will just randomly start using the word and gets the biggest kick out of saying it. She especially finds it humorous that we can't figure it out.

Do you guys have any suggestions?