Endurance

I'm so much better with intense experiences that have a finite end.  (unmedicated labor and birth for example)

I lose faith when the situation has no resolution in sight. (my son screaming for long stretches during the day for example)

Yesterday's Sermon tackled James 5:13-18

I needed to hear it.  I needed to be reminded that I need grace.  I need to plead for grace.  I need to pray rather than stress.  I need to breath in his presence like oxygen.

Self: Hang on to him.  Obey.  And simply do the next thing.  Even when it's hard.

Counting #2489-2582 of the simple graces that He gives to get me through each day.

• Doing the next thing
• Suddenly- 3 loads of laundry and cloth diapers hung
• Girls cleaning out the dregs of momma's ice cream with their fingers
• Getting to snuggle each girl alone
• Laughing hard at the ingenuity of my daughters using a wax heart from a candle as a crayon
• Their enthusiasm in helping me clean it from the walls
• starting the time change sleep change up a week early
• my mom arriving safely
• 2 hour naps for everyone
• deciding to block feed- Sedryn's tummy is much happier
• Showing mom how much the girls love Hobby Lobby
• Hobby Lobby and it's vocabulary building stock
• Chick-fil-a Buy 1 get 1 free night :)
• Repentent girl snuggles
• chubby baby boy snuggles
• Karen calling late to answer a question in love
• certainty of a shower tomorrow
• Going to LBS with just one baby
• chatting with Tiffany in the hall
• yummy stuff at teh day old Panera bread table
• Girls and grandma really enjoying their morning
• teaching the girls to say patience with a smile on their faces
• grapes and leftovers
• overdoing it and being reminded just how dependent I am
• mustard yellow sweater
• laughing as little girls told us to put cute petti-skirts "UP!" when we asked if they'd like them
• A & B rejecting the cutes like fuschia boots with a bow
• Wishing the boots came in my size
• Finding out accidentally that I actually like Lattes: at least salted carmel mocha ones
• Half-finished owl hat
• Derek and mom teaming up for me to have a rest filled evening
• New cupcake PJs for sweet girls
• Quiet day at home
• baking muffins with the girls
• homemade water color antics
• cooking in the kitchent
• bronwyn snuggling and playing with grandma
• Aeralind sitting on my lap for a long cuddle
• Little girls climbing into brother's crib to snuggle together
• then demanding that brother join them
• Having my mom as an extra set of hands
• wandering Target with Derek alone as a little date evening
• Sedryn in an infant gown
• Derek putting the flannel sheets on the bed
• long nap
• finally starting my Christmas tree "pants"
• quiet time at night to spend alone with Sedryn
• Derek's grace in consoling Sedryn at night when he doesn't have to
• Sedryn usualling only being fussy after 1 night feed instead of all
• me falling back to sleep faster after night feeds
• the keyboard/laptop that Sedryn peed on drying out and working normally- with a few new quirks
• Little Sedryn squeaks
• Block feeding working for us and my body adjusting
• opportunity to say "I'm sorry"
• a strong nursling
• having a hard time being grateful for Sedryn as he comes out of his newborn sleepy period and learns to exercise his lungs regularly
• Derek delight in little girls who squeal "Dadi!" when he comes home
• Bronwyn suddenly have a converastion with me
  "B, why did you wake up last night?"
  "Baby.  Cry."
  "Do you need me to turn up the ocean?"
  "Ocean." (smile)
• Bronwyn telling grandma: "I did that at church!" about a drawing she did almost 2 months ago!
• 2 hour comatose nap
• First 3.5 hour stretch at night in awhile
• Generous early christmast gift from mom: Children's Museum pass
• Busy little girls
• Loving on the giant light peg thing
• Laughint at the crane together
• First corndogs
• Aeralind's dainty and joyful "lay-DEE bug"
• Girls who smile and repeat me as I say "patience" when they fight over whose turn it is
• Brother loving his ERgo
• Big stars sewn for the tree pants
• Derek listening to me cry miserably about Sedryn's multiple 2 hour fussy witching hours
• little girls devouring spinach
• needing to lift the camera more
• me having a thrift store shopping date schedule with Sedryn in the morning
• Girls headed hiking with daddy
• weekends
• Derek sending me to bed so early
• Finally some good sleep
• Derek graciously burping/consoling a screaming Sedryn at 1 am
• feeling like I can't do it all-such grace for this independent stubborn heart!
• getting more sleep than when the girls were neworns
• block feeding putting feeding times down to 15 minutes or so
• Yummy food still being brought to us
• flannel sheets
• painting little toes blue
• girls who have strong opinions about potential footwear
• sleep-sleep at all
• doing the next thing
• sorting through counting the same numbers twice
• "dealing with defiance" parenting class coming at the right time
• Daddy and girls walking ahnd and hand
• Daddy exploring the children's museum with his girls
• Terror of the elevator
• How parent snuggles cure elevtor fears
• being close to Love cures fears