Family vacation photojournal:Bella!

Bella enjoyed our beach trip, too! Bella was a little timid about the ocean at first, but once she got a little more comfortable, she thought splashing in the waves was the greatest activity ever! Bella said her favorite part about our trip was dancing with her daddy at the beach house, looking for seashells with mommy, and swimming in the pool with our family. (A couple of times, we had the pool all to ourselves! That was really neat! And having the pool to ourselves saved me lots of embarassment because the girls liked watching their mommy do handstands and flips in the water. ha ha!)  Here are some Bella pictures...

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."- Isaiah 65:24

Family vacation photojournal: Wubs!

Last week, the Lord blessed our family with a trip to the beach! We had such a wonderful time, filled with memories. Emma Grace loved our vacation! She enjoyed playing in the tide pools, jumping in the waves with her daddy, and swimming in the pool at night.( I took lots and lots of pictures during our three day trip, so I've decided to make a several beach posts this week, one post for each of our children. )Today, I'll share a few pictures of Wubs...

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."- Isaiah 7:9

a little break, and a big blessing!

Next week, we have been blessed with an opportunity to share some very special family time together!  (Thank you again SO so much, Robinson family! xoxo!!) I'll be taking a little break from blogging so we can enjoy our time, making memories. We'll be back soon, and I'm sure I'll have lots of stories and pictures to share!

"He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue."- Proverbs 28:23

joy

True joy.

My heart overflows with delight when I hear Wubs say, "Bella, you go first. It will be my turn next." Not long ago, Emma Grace wouldn't have been so gracious to her little sister. It has taken many lessons, but now, Wubs often puts others before herself, without any prompting. 

My smile is beaming when I watch Bella write her name. If she makes a mistake, she doesn't wad up her paper in anger anymore; she uses the eraser and tries again. This hasn't come easy; Bella gets frustrated when she doesn't get it right the first time. But after much practice, our  youngest daughter understands the importance of trying her best, with a happy heart.

My eyes fill with happy tears when I see JJ attempt his first steps. Those wobbly little legs are precious! Even though he still prefers crawling, he is willing to try to walk and he laughs as we cheer and celebrate his efforts!

 It brings me immeasurable joy to watch our children grow in their understanding of Jesus and what it means to love others as Jesus loves us, to witness our children prevail over a temptation that had previously caused them to stumble, to observe their efforts to push themselves past their own comfortable abilities. 

There are days that I feel like I have failed at mothering our children: I've blown it again, I've repeated the same lessons over and over (and over), I cannot see any fruit, any progress. But then the Lord opens my eyes to His work, the work He is doing within our children and I'm reminded that God is in complete control. In God's great plan, He is allowming me to join Him in discipling and training our precious children and I'm no longer discouraged. Suddenly I can see their growth and once again, my heart leaps with joy for all He has done. My joy is so deep; I am reminded that it could only come from the Lord!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."- Galatians 6:9

Wordless Wednesday: Oven lickin' good!

(There were nuggets baking in the oven... and JJ couldn't wait! wink!)
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so decieve yourselves. Do what it says."- James 1:22

Photojournal: Chobani yogurt's littlest fan

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Corinthians 1:4

Mommy, Me, and Miss Leigh tea party!

Bella loves her Sunday school teacher, Miss Leigh! Miss Leigh has taught Bella's class for the last two years, and she is a sweetheart. Miss Leigh loves the Lord and she faithfully serves with the four year olds at our church every week. Two months ago, Bella told me that she wanted to have a tea party for Miss Leigh. I listened as Bella told me all about her elaborate plans (which she had been developing with her friend Gracie) to host a tea party at our house. She said all the little girls would do crafts, eat snacks, and wear fancy dresses. Bella wanted to have a tea party for Miss Leigh with all her heart! I knew I needed to help Bella follow through with her plans. We picked a date, talked to Miss Leigh, and invited three friends to attend. This past Saturday morning, we hosted our Mommy, Me, and Miss Leigh tea party!

Bella was so excited when she woke up on Saturday morning!

Daddy took Wubs and JJ with him for a few hours during the tea party. Wubs was welcome to stay for the party but she wanted to spend time with her two favorite guys! The three of them ran a few errands and ate lunch at a restaraunt together!

Gracie came early to play before the tea party started. The girls couldn't wait for the fun to begin!

Bella and Gracie decided to try out the new tea cup sippy cups while they waited for the other friends to arrive!

Next to arrive was Ella. Ella and Bella enjoyed looking at the Priness I Spy book together.

After all the girls arrived, it was time for a snack. We prayed and thanked God for Miss Leigh and for our time together! 

After snack, each little girl made a tea cup necklace with lovely beads.

Then they made tea pot picture frames.

It was a wonderful Saturday morning with friends! Thank you Ella, Miss Leigh, Miriam, and Gracie, for sharing your Saturday morning with us! We love you all!

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."- Romans 12:10

Beautiful

This week, we have been studying a scripture found in 1 Peter. We have been learning about true beauty; we have been studying God's definition of beautiful. To introduce our new scripture to the girls, we made a craft. I drew a simple hand-held mirror shape on a piece of construction paper, and the girls cut them out and colored them. Then we added a circle of aluminum foil to the center. I asked the girls to look into their homemade mirrors. "It doesn't work, mommy!" said Bella. "You can't really see yourself." said Wubs. "You're right... these mirrors don't really work, do they? But you know, some people think that they can look in a mirror and see how beautiful they are. And just like our pretend mirrors,well, that doesn't work. A mirror shows you a reflection, but it can't show you how beautiful you are. Let me read you what God says about beauty:

'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.'- 1 Peter 3:3-4

God says that we aren't beautiful because we wear a fancy dress, or glitter shoes, or we have lipstick on our lips. God says our beauty comes from our gentleness, our kind words, and from loving others. Our beauty comes from the inside. Can you help me think of some ways that we can be beautiful in God's eyes?"

The girls helped me brainstorm a 'beautiful list' and I was so encouraged by their ideas! Here is what they decided is truly beautiful:

put others before yourself

using your manners

believing in Jesus

making wise choices

help clean up

giving to others

obeying

helping people

sharing

not tattling

speak kind words

not believing Satan but believing God

learn about Jesus

telling other people about Jesus

The girls loved this activity and we have reflected on it every day! (That's the great part about posting our scriptures on the refridgerator! We see it all the time!) We know that the world wants to teach our girls that beautiful is all about their body, their hair, fashion, and other things that will all fade away, but we want to teach them the Truth, starting at an early age. We want them to know the Truth so well that they will be able to recognize and turn away from the lies they see in television commercials, on magazine covers, etc. We are praying that the small seeds we are planting will produce great fruit!

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."- Isaiah 7:9b

Today is our happy anniversary!

In honor of our nine year wedding anniversary, I wanted to share nine reasons why I'm certain that I'm married to the most wonderful man in the whole wide world:
9. My husband can fix anything. Our car, our lawn mower, our dryer- he is amazing! If it is broken, he does a little research, orders a part or two, and then he fixes it, good as new!
8. My husband is hilarious! Whether he's singing a funny song (he has a real knack for changing the lyrics to our favorite songs and making them silly) or he is telling me a funny story, David makes me laugh every day!
7. My husband is a leader. He is a team player, too, but the Lord has really given David a gift to lead others. David leads through serving others; his leadership style inspires me.
6. My husband has a deep voice, bright blue eyes, broad shoulders, and dark hair. (So, basically- he is a total babe! giggle)
5. My husband is manly. Enjoys mowing the grass-goes fishing-drives a truck-skilled grillmaster- kind of manly man!
4. My husband is smart. Book smart, people skills smart, resourceful smart... David is wise.
3. My husband loves our children deeply. He disciples our children, encourages our children, and plays with our children.
2. My husband loves me faithfully. He puts my needs before his own. He knows all my imperfections and he loves me anyway. wink.
1. My husband loves and fears the Lord. David is seeking the Lord and growing in Him daily.

I love you Sweetheart! Thank you for choosing me to be your wife!
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."- 1 Corinthians 13:4

Wordless Wednesday: the littlest bookworm

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."- Romans 8:18

Slow to speak

It was so sweet to see all our children climb up on David's lap the other evening. He wrapped his arms around all of them and listened as the girls told him stories from the day. It was precious and I had to catch this moment with our camera! Nothing beats the embrace of a daddy! wink.
I once heard a radio d.j. say that she prays for God to keep His arm wrapped around her shoulder and keep His hand covering her mouth. I laughed when I heard her say that, because it is so true. I know that there have been many, many times when God has covered my mouth! And while the radio d.j. was teasing, there was a lot of truth in what she was saying.Scripture reminds us to "be slow to speak" and "when words are many, sin is not absent".  The closer I am to God, the easier it is to choose my words carefully and only speak Truth. I guess it's because Jesus really is covering my mouth!
"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."- Proverbs 10:19
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry,"- James 1:19

a broken promise

We have been to the dentist many, many times this year because Bella is prone to getting cavities and absess'. She has been a brave little girl, but ever since an emergency tooth extraction back in January, going to the dentist has been, well...unappealing to Bella. wink. This past Wednesday, Bella had yet another dentist appointment. But this was supposed to be our last appointment; it was just a simple cavity filling. I knew Bella would be leery of her appointment so I asked David if he could slip away from the office and join us. I was so excited that God worked everything out for our whole family to go support sweet Bella!
As we were heading out the door to go to the appointment, Bella pleaded, "I'm scared when they pull out my teeth! I don't want to go! I want to call and say no, we aren't coming today." I assured her that we would be home soon and then... I made a promise: "Baby, it won't take long at all! The dentist just wants to peek at all your teeth and make sure they're all healthy. I promise, they aren't pulling out any teeth today. It will be okay, I promise." *sigh* I made a promise that I could not keep.
We arrived at the dentist, and Bella clung to my leg when her name was called. The nurse allowed me to walk with Bella all the way to her chair and give her a kiss. I quickly exited the room and joined David, Wubs, and JJ in the waiting area. About twenty minutes later, the nurse came to talk to us. Bella had another absessed tooth. It had to be removed immediately. I felt my heart drop. We agreed to the additional charges for the unexpected extraction, and the nurse went back to give the dentist our consent. David, Wubs, and I held hands and prayed for Bella.
Soon, a groggy little Bella was guided back into the waiting room by the nurse. Her little mouth was already swollen, stuffed with gauze, and bloody drool was rolling down her chin. My eyes filled with tears and I scooped her up. She laid her head on my shoulder and I began apologizing profusely for breaking my promise. "I am SO so so sorry Baby. I didn't know that the dentist would find a boo boo tooth. I am so so sorry, mommy didn't know."
We dropped David off at the church and I came home with the children. JJ took his nap and the girls watched a movie. Bella even licked a popsicle. I was really wrestling with the fact that I made a promise and then I broke it. Even though it was unintentional, I felt a.w.f.u.l. The Holy Spirit encouraged my heart and reminded me that God can use all things for His glory, including my broken promise. I went to the couch with my Bible and I talked to the girls about mommy's broken promise. I told them that even though I love them with all my heart, and even though I would never ever mean to break a promise to them, the Truth is that God loves them sooooo much more than I do. And God's promises are the only promises that never ever get broken. I opened my Bible to Psalm 145 and I read, "The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." I wrote out this scripture on a piece of paper and I pointed out the word 'all'. God is faithful to all his promises. God is loving toward all he has made. I asked Bella to forgive me and we snuggled together for a long time. We are praying for healing for Bella's mouth and we are praising God for his faithfulness.

Have a wonderful weekend!

"The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. "- Psalm 145:13b

It's official!

 We just got our documentation from the state of North Carolina... and our homeschool is official! Since Emma Grace is going to be starting second grade this year, we needed to register our school with the state. Academy of  Grace will begin in August at the McNeill house!  While we are truly enjoying our summer break, I think we'll all be excited when it's time to begin our school year!

Below are a few pictures of Bella and JJ from yesterday afternoon. They had gotten their sunglasses out of the diaper bag and they were having so much fun together. I love it when I am able to catch moments like this with our camera!

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."- Colossians 4:2

Wordless Wednesday: New goggles

(New goggles in the bathtub, to be exact. wink!)
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."- Romans 8:18

Unseen

During a recent grocery shopping trip to Sam's Club, we decided to order some pizza for lunch at the small restaurant within the store. I took our three children to the table to wait while David ordered our lunch. Wubs, Bella and JJ are very familiar with Sam's Club because they come shopping with me once a month so I can purchase snacks for our church.  But this particular shopping trip was a treat, because we were out with daddy, just spending the day together and running errands. It felt like the perfect family day. Until...
David sat down at our table and said, "I ordered our pizza and I ended up getting a whole one. We can take home our leftovers. They said it will be ready in a few minutes." We passed out napkins and drinks. We laughed at JJ, who was playing peekaboo with a napkin. We were waiting patiently. Well, all of us, except for Bella. She was choosing to pout, sigh loudly, and scowl. Bella, our little girl who loves routine, was thrown off by the idea of waiting for her pizza. We typically order pizza by the slice when it's just mommy and the children on our monthly shopping trips, so when David returned to our table empty-handed, she was m.a.d.
I didn't want to allow Bella's behavior to dampen our happy day, so I decided to ignore her obvious attempts to show us her discontentment. I continued to include her in our conversation and I even tried to snuggle her closer to my seat. It wasn't working. She was angry and she wouldn't budge. David and I exchanged 'the look' and I said, "I'm going to take Bella to the bathroom."
As I walked to the bathroom with our youngest daughter, the Holy Spirit was telling me not to spank her. Instead, lavish her with grace and change her heart, not just her outward behavior. I had no idea what I was going to say to Bella, but once I locked the stall door and knelt down beside her, the Lord filled my mouth:
"Bella, why did we come to the bathroom?"
(chin to her chest) "Because I was bad and I was poutin'. "
"And why were you pouting?"
"Because I'm hungry."
"Baby, look at mommy. Remember how you wanted a piece of cheese pizza? (I used my hands to make a V-shape, like a slice of pizza.) Well, our daddy ordered us a whole pizza. (I made a big circle using my arms.) Even though you only asked for one piece of pizza, daddy wanted to bless us and buy us a whoooole pizza. And it is going to be so so yummy! But instead of saying, 'Thank you daddy,' you were mad. Do you understand that daddy was trying to bless you? "
Bella nodded and her eyes filled with tears.
"We couldn't see the pizza that daddy bought us because it was cooking in the oven. But we need to trust that daddy loves us and he is always going to do what is best for our family. Wouldn't you rather have a whooole pizza, instead of just one slice?"
"I'm sorry, mommy!" Bella hugged me tight and began to cry. I rocked her in my arms and kissed her sweet face. Oh, how I love the fruit of a repentant heart!
"I forgive you, honey. And guess what? I love you! And daddy loves you! And Jesus loves you most of all! Even when you choose to sin, we always, always love you. Are you ready to go back to our table with a happy heart?"
"Yes, mama."
And with that, I carried my precious baby girl in my arms back to the table. Just in time for pizza! We prayed and enjoyed our lunch together. (And it was a good thing that David ordered an entire pizza, too! It was nearly gone in no time! wink.)

You know, the Lord taught me so much from that interaction with Bella. How many times have I pouted when I haven't gotten what I wanted? How many times have I been mad at God when I asked for one thing and He gave me something different? And yet, the Lord  always knows what is best and He has given me (abundantly) more that I could ever request. When Bella couldn't see the pizza, she was mad. But lunch was coming, and it was more than she could imagine! I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." I am praying that I will trust God more, especially during those times when I cannot understand or see His plans.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."- Ephesians 4:2