The 4 Cooks: May 2008

I love being a mother. Each day with Gracie brings new excitement into our lives. I love Gracie’s new eagerness to learn about the world she is living in. She is always asking “what’s that?” or “who’s that?”. Saturday night she kept asking “What’s his name?” after we passed a character at the Baron’s baseball game. I recognized the character, but was drawing a blank on his name. Neither Jason nor my Mom knew, so I was on my own to come up with his name. I made up a name to buy myself some time, but as if to say “I know that’s not it” she kept asking “What’s his name?”. I eventually pulled the name Arthur out of my hat. She seemed pleased with that and tried saying his name a few times.

Mother’s day started Friday night for me (thank you Dawson!). Dawson had a “Preschool play date with Dad” in honor of Mother’s day. Jason and Gracie went to the church for dinner, crafts and inflatables. Gracie loved the jumping! She has become a very good jumper (thanks to a trampoline she got for Christmas) and just loves to jump. Jason said she jumped for 45 minutes going back and forth between the two inflatables. He also said they were the last ones to leave! Gracie was so excited when she got home that night that she couldn’t wait to show me the Mother’s Day crafts she had made. I got teary eyed looking at her pictures she had colored and stickered. She and Jason even had a picture taken that was to be put in a little magnetic frame that says “World’s Best Mom”. We were both so excited and proud.

Saturday afternoon we went to our friends the Sandersons for their daughter’s (Allie) third birthday party, and Gracie got to jump some more! The Sandersons had a very cool inflatable with slides, jumping and a pool all combined. Gracie went down the slide a few times, but stayed in the jumping pit for most of the time. We had a great time at the birthday party!

At the Baron’s game Saturday night (Birmingham’s minor league baseball team), Gracie jumped again for the third time in just a little over 24 hours! She had such a good time. The lady working/guarding the jumping inflatable did a great job putting the toddlers in together instead of mixing big kids in with them. Jason was an adventurous Dad and climbed up the tall slide and slid down with Gracie. She wanted to do the obstacle course, but we told her she was just too small! She was fine with that as long as she could go jump again.

Sunday was not only Mother’s Day, but it was also Pentecost. I really enjoyed Dr. Fenton’s sermon Sunday. One of his points in the lesson was that the Holy Spirit changes our identity. I am a new creation. The Holy Spirit dwells in me and my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. This means so much to me physically, spiritually and mentally. I am so thankful that God sent the Holy Spirit to His people. I am encouraged and comforted in knowing that because the Holy Spirit is in me I can be the wife, mother, daughter, friend…that God has called me to be. With the Holy Spirit I can seek God and find him. Dr. Fenton’s other two points were that the Holy Spirit changes our potential and our relationships. My response is worship and obedience. Because of my sinful nature I have to choose daily to be obedient and follow Christ. I know that I cannot be the mother to Gracie I want to be without God. I am again so thankful that He sent the Holy Spirit to help me, convict me and encourage me. It is a daily effort to be the woman God has called me to be (not that I am there yet), but I know it pleases God for me to follow Him and be obedient. And again I am thankful that God is still working in me, and He is not through with me yet.

Sunday afternoon, my Mom, Marland and Betsy all joined us for lunch at our house. I enjoyed cooking for the family and we had a special time visiting together. This weekend my Mom also got two offers on her house and it is now under contract! We are thrilled about this and just praying that things go smoothly over the next few weeks before closing. We are also praying that my Mom will find the place that she wants to move too. She and Jason will continue to look at condos and townhomes and hopefully be ready to put an offer on one soon.