Author Archives: Chayli

Man, I love a toddler.

Especially mine.

I just saw sweet little hands uncurl around a big lava rock, a pile of colored rubber bands, and a broken piece of a sparkly geode as he left his treasures on the counter in order to grasp a water cup with both hands.

I leave drinking cups on the counter for the big boys, and Emmett always has to drink out of them both. “I firsty,” and he holds up a hand. Drinks long. Puts the cup back. “I firsty,” and he holds up his hand for the other cup, too.

He loves to say “chicken,” and his two favorite uses are “poopy chicken” and “chicken house.” He said “poopy chicken” out loud at least four times during his Aunt Nikki's graduation, but hopefully no one was able to decipher it.

That aside, he’s very polite. Help him with something, and he’s sure to say “tanks” at least twice, if not three times. When I pray with him at bedtime, he says, “Thank you, Mom,” only it’s so fast and clipped that it sounds like “Tay tu, Mom.” When he wants something and is afraid of not getting it, he says, “Peas, peas, peas!”

He loves to copy his brothers in the things they do and say, and the other day when we were in the car, he was mimicking literally everything they said. He gets goofy right alongside them, and there is so much hooting and hollering and laughing. ...continue reading

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The children of Israel had just watched the God of their fathers decimate Egypt in ways unimaginable. They had just followed that pillar of cloud by day and been protected by that pillar of fire by night. They had just seen the waters of the Red Sea parted. They had walked across on dry ground. They had seen the armies of Pharaoh perish in the waters they had just passed through. They had sung and danced before the Lord.

“Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. With Your faithful love, You will lead the people You have redeemed; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.” (Exodus 15:11-13, CSB)

And yet.

They faced the wilderness.

Three days with no water.

And when at last they came to water, it was bitter.

After such an incredible deliverance, they found that the world was still broken.

Their way was not going to be easy just because they followed the Most High. ...continue reading

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I should've cleaned up the boys' room.
I should've cleaned up the green room.
I should've cleaned the shower.
I should've cleaned the car. (Are we noticing a pattern here?)
I should've mowed the lawn. (Oh, wait, it was raining.)
I should've done bookwork.
I should've paid bills.
I should've done Bible Time with my little boys.
I should've sorted the next size of clothes for Emmett.
I should've done flashcards with Sebastian.
I should've practiced reading with Alec.
I should've gotten up early enough to see Eric off to work.

But I did do the dishes.
I did fold the laundry. (The overflowing, falling over, loaded to the gills basket of laundry.)
I did bake the cookies I had mixed up yesterday.
I did make granola.
I did pick up the toys.
I did sweep the floors.
I did walk for twenty minutes.
I did read my Bible.
I did work on a photo project that has been on the past two winters' to-do lists.
I did feed and water my chickens.
I did read to my baby.
I did play Candyland with my five-year-old.
I did practice memory words with my kindergartener.
I did kiss my husband on his way between this and that.

You win some; you lose some.

And this is me not losing at blogging by not breaking my blog-every-month streak.

Today felt like a productive day, should'ves aside. 🙂

My problem is that I can't decide if I'm going to actually blog about something, and then I sit on it, and then more and more time passes, and by the time I decide that yes, I do want to blog about it, it's almost a month old.

Well, that, and sickness. Days and days and days of sickness.

But here I am again with part three of our little jaunt south. (To be decided if any more parts are coming. Check back in a month, haha.)

The first full day we were in California was Eric's big concrete pour. The second day was Valentine's Day.

Imagine my surprise when that morning (after working till 6am, mind you) Eric produced flowers, chocolate, DOUGHNUTS, and some toys for the boys! Bless his heart, instead of grabbing a little much-needed sleep, he'd spent one of his hours between concrete finishes to run into town.

I was so surprised. 🙂 ...continue reading