I am the MOM!

These are some pics I took Saturday as we played outside on a beautiful, spring-like Saturday afternoon. They make me laugh...our children and these pictures! Sam was showing me his mean face, Gracie requested I take a picture of her, and Haley is the consummate photo "ham" in our household. The one of all three is my favorite as it perfectly captures our life: fun, nutty, silly, loving and imperfect.
Usually when I wake up in the morning, I wonder how I survived the day before and how am I going to survive the current one. This mothering stuff is H.A.R.D. and they are still small...what in the world am I going to do as they teeter into their teen years?! I think about that all the time! There is only one word I can think of: Jesus. Give me Jesus. Give me your love, your patience, your grace, your forgiveness.
I have a lot of thoughts that roll around in my head but never can seem to get the words down on "paper", then I read a blog by Lysa TerKeurst. I found her through the daily devotionals I receive from Proverbs 31 (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/). She expresses perfectly what I've been thinking/feeling regarding motherhood...here's what she had to say:
"So.Yeah.Today's post isn't for my mommy friends who don't struggle. I love you. I applaud you. I heart you mucho. But I can't join your club.I wish I could.But my reality disqualifies me. I find being a mommy the most stretching thing I've ever done. I carry with me evidence of this stretching. Marks on my body. Marks on my heart. It's thrilling. Heartbreaking. Sweet. Exciting. Disillusioning. And incredibly unpredictable.Just when I think I've figured a few things out and I'm about to shine my mommy halo, something happens. Something loud and tearful and frustratingly difficult. And I find myself knee deep in drama wondering if I will survive this season of 4 teens and one pre-teen.It makes me laugh when I think back to being pregnant with my first child nearly seventeen years ago. I was convinced I would die in the child birthing process. I even set up a special meeting with my doctor to go over exactly what happens in the birthing process and tearfully gave him all the reasons I was convinced I would not survive this process. What in the world?I so wish I could go stand in front of my little, um huge, pregnant self and say this:"Honey, you will not perish giving birth. This part of motherhood will seem like a walk in the park in just a few years. You will not only survive giving birth but you are about to spend the next twenty years having your tiny little brain and your tiny little heart experience more highs and lows than you can shake a stick at.Just remember one thing... You are the Mom. That's right you da' mama. Repeat after me... I am the Mama. I am the Mama. I am the Mama! Don't ever forget that."Yes, I would tell my little huge pregnant self that because it's easy to forget sometimes who's really in charge. My kids want to be in charge. And while they certainly have the strong wills and wonders of leadership... it's immature leadership. Leadership that needs to be shaped and molded and corrected and reigned in.1 Corinthians 4:20 says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." This reminds me I am not left to my own pitiful attempts at this daunting task but because of Jesus I have power. Real power. Not just theories and words given by human parenting experts whose advice may or may not work. I have power to rise up be da' mama.The mom my strong willed, delightful, amazingly capable, beautifully adventurous, wildly wonderful, and uniquely special kids need. I have been perfectly designed, shaped, molded and assigned these children because I have what it takes to be their mom.I have what it takes to be the mom!You have what it takes to be the mom!... I AM THE MOM!Love that."

There are days I pray I am not permanently screwing up my children's lives but then I must remember that I am flawed but I am forgiven; I am NOT enough, but Christ is and I was CHOSEN for my children and they were CHOSEN for me. (http://www.incourage.me/ - Angela Nazworth). Did you need that pep talk? I sure did and I wouldn't trade my life with my little trio and husband for anything else in this little world we inhabit for this short time.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We had a great Christmas holiday in the Greer family! We spent lots of fun time with family and enjoyed having Aunt Rebekah & Uncle Dave home from cold Colorado! Santa visited the trio at our house, where the favorite gift was play dough, then he stopped off at Tootsie and Pop's house for more goodies (I must have been a good girl too because he left me stocking full of goodies!). After their house we went over to Dear & Sambo's house where the festivities continued and culminated with the most exciting gift - a red mustang from the Flournoys! As I predicted, there were some arguments since it is only a 2 seater and there are 3 of them but nothing too major. We then headed back home for a brief nap and back to Dear & Sambo's to eat late dinner/early lunch. I was glad to have the next day off of work for some recovery time.

It was good to get back to a somewhat normal schedule on Monday but we all had another day off yesterday to celebrate 2009. For new year's eve we had an early dinner at Johnny's as we are a family of 5 that looooves pizza!! Kids were in bed at the normal 7:00 and I don't think Jason and I made it until 10:30; however, I was definitely awoken at midnight when all of the fireworks were exploding around me.

I'm not one to really make new year's resolutions but I do have several goals that I will be working towards including an fun team marathon in March that Team Graney (the Greers and the Chaneys) will be participating in and I am on track to finish my CPCU designation in June. So, I'll just keep my time management, organization, and patience in check and tweak as needed throughout the year!

2009 will start off with a good, necessary, yet mildly frightening event. Gracie is set to have her tonsils and adenoids removed on January 12th. Her tonsils are 3 times the normal size and she is a heavy, heavy (I say it again!) snorer! So, say a little prayer for her and for her parents as this will be the first time she has been under anesthesia since her final eye surgery while still in the NICU.

Pumpkin Shine on Line

Despite a rough, I mean VERY rough, start to the morning, we were able to enjoy an absolutely wonderful evening at the Pumpkin Shine on Line with fun friends. The trio was content as long as they were not confined to the wagon or stroller!