Yes, these should really be South Carolina pictures, but I got stalled and it’s bedtime.  But here are a couple glimpses of my cuties from today (and recently).  My favorite – Analise hugging Josiah.  She said, "Mom!  Take a picture of me and ‘Siah!"  I even got a smile!  Sweet!

Analise is a bumblebee for Halloween – we’ll get a better picture tomorrow.  Josiah is a skunk:)  We visited Samford this afternoon for a Fall Festival with trick-or-treating in a dorm and some fun activities.  We even got to hear the bells played from the bell tower at sunset! 

Lastly, a picture of Josiah seated in his transition high chair like a big boy.  He’s still learning to sit up, but he does like to be at the table with us. 

Since I posted the inspiring words from my Beth Moore bible study last Wednesday night, I’ve felt a big difference in my outlook and attitude.  I was realizing what emotional beings we are, how we really our interactions are totally driven by our emotions.  Yesterday was a prime example.  It had all the potential to be a "down" day, but in spite of Brian working most of the day and being on my own with the kids like the rest of the week, in spite of neither Analise or Josiah napping, in spite of the usual things that would have worn me down by the end of the day, I found myself in a good mood, with an extra measure of patience.

This morning on the way to church, I was overwhelmed with just how sweet life is.  The colors of the fall trees are splashed across the ridges of Birmingham, the air is cool but the sun is shining just enough to keep it warm.  This is absolutely my favorite season.  Though my sleep last night was very interrupted, I got an extra hour of sleep on the couch this morning while Josiah "talked" to the fish circling above him in his swing.  Brian blessed me by emptying the dishwasher AND putting the full-sink’s worth of dishes in it before I even got off the couch this morning.  Josiah’s interactions with Analise are heartwarming… he just watches her like she’s the coolest thing.  He loves to smile at her, and she loves his attention.  I found Analise playing with ther little people, and they were praying!  She likes to sing bits and pieces of her praise and worship songs, and she’ll gladly tell you her 3 Bible verses ("God is love", "The Lord is my shepherd" and "Shout to the Lord".)  It was an awesome time of worship and a great message at church this morning.  We had a relaxing afternoon nap – all 3 of us (while Brian rode).  All in all, it was a sweet day, and I think the attitude check of Wednesday night has been really good for me to see things in a different light.

Brian’s at a meeting at church, and I’ve got little ones to get ready for bed.  But I’ve set myself a deadline of TONIGHT to get our pictures from SC done, so maybe you’ll find them in the morning.  Hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Tonight was Open House at Analise’s Mother’s Day Out program.  We had been looking forward to visiting her classroom, but I had no idea it would be so much fun!  Analise’s teacher said she’s very good, helpful and talkative.  She’s got 8 students in her class.  We saw lots of cute little thumbprint and stamped art projects.  We also go to meet some of her friends.  Tonight we met Jacob – a cute little blondie, just a couple weeks younger than her.  Whenever I’ve asked Analise who is in her class, she only has said "Jacob".  Ms. Mona says when Analise arrives, she always asks if Jacob is there.  If he’s not, she’ll wait at the door for him or she’ll go right over to play with him.  She said Analise is full of hugs – and kisses! – but especially for Jacob!.  Not sure what I think about my 2-year old little girl giving kisses already, especially to a little boy, but I suppose at this age its sweet.  She was really excited when Jacob walked in tonight and started playing with him.  She was definitely the liveliest of the 4 kids that were there… which doesn’t surprise me AT ALL:)  We ventured to the Book Fair to pick out a book to round out our evening.  Fun times!  I can’t believe what a big girl she is! 

In case you think we forgot… I am in the process of resizing photos from our SC trip.  I’d better hurry before we head off to FL next weekend for the Ironman!  

I’ve written several posts in my head in the last few days.  A couple were triumphantly announcing that I’d "caught up" on life.  A couple other posts were downers in various states of overwhelmed-ness.  This will be somewhere in between, some late night ramblings, and some good thoughts from my pre-bedtime bible study.

It has been an overwhelming week.  Not in any way particularly, just that Brian is working very hard on no less than 5 major things and trying to train for an Ironman Triathlon (which culminates in just over a week!).  He’s stressed, but doing his best.  I, on the other hand, just have been managing daily life around our house.  Nothing’s particularly hard… we’re all healthy – at least for the moment, Analise has been on pretty good behaviour lately, we haven’t had too much going on.  I have been battling laundry since we came back from South Carolina.  Just when I get "caught up", the basket in my room threatens to overflow, and it starts all over again.  It doesn’t help that we’re doing diaper laundry 3 times a week.  (Yes, I do believe at this moment I’m crazy to be cloth-diapering, but I’m also too cheap to start buying more disposables, so that’s all I’ll complain about that.)  Josiah is not sleeping well at night, so it’s made me a bit grumpy in the mornings.  He’s also been grumpy off and on during the day, really needing to be held when he’s sleepy.  Today was the usual Wednesday flurry of getting my house pulled back into order for our home church gathering.  I’m always worn out from it, but it is so wonderful to be able to share our home this way, besides the fact that its easier to have the kids in my own home.  The kitchen needs 30-60 minutes of attention after the little ones are in bed each night, so it seems that my life going keeps going in the same circles.  It’s just been a bit discouraging lately.  But such is this season of life. 

I did find a great Word in my bible study tonight, though.  I’m working on a Beth Moore study, called Daniel   It’s TREMENDOUS.  The first half of the study is about having integrity in a world that parallels the Babylon that Daniel lived in.  We’ve just started the second half which explores prophecies from the time of Daniel through the second coming of Christ.  I’ve never studied anything like it, and it’s very interesting.  My women’s study is on Thursday mornings, and of course, I’m always struggling to get my 5-days worth of homework done on Wednesday night.  Here’s what I read tonight:

**(from Daniel 7:25: "He [Satan] will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws.")

Oppress literally means "’to wear away’ or ‘to wear out’, as one would wear out a garmet." Though Satan’s persecutions of God’s people will reach full measure in the last days, he certainly oppresses Christians today.  

One of Satan’s most effective schemes is simply to wear God’s people out.  Satan uses exhaustion and profound discouragement to persuade us to give up opposing him.  We must not give up!  As believers in Christ in whom the Spirit of God dwells, Satan may be able to wear out our human strength, but he cannot wear out the Holy Spirit’s.  We can call upon God’s supernatural strength to fight the good fight of faith and persist in our proclamation of Christ, the son of the Most High God.

The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 1:29, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me".  We who are Christians have God’s "all-surpassing power" in our "jars of clay" (2 Corinthians 4:7).  Let’s not wait until we’re at the end of our strength to utilize it!  Let’s call on God to fill us with His all-surpassing power day in and day out.  His "incomparably great power" is accessible daily for those who believe!  This power is the same power He used to raise Jesus from the dead (see Ephesians 1:18-20).  What more could we need?

Enough said.  What more could I need to hear tonight?  Hope it encourages someone else tonight!  I’m saying a prayer for you as I tumble into bed:)