Memory Moment

Memories

February 6, 2015

Micah loves, loves, LOVES to tell stories and hear stories so the other night at dinner we told some true stories about the boys pulling from some of our favorite memories...Here they are

Driving around on Christmas Eve, we stopped to get a special treat.  I asked Micah (2 years old) what he was eating he said a Chocolate Bagel (really it was a chocolate donut)

Mason would struggle with horrible diaper rash and the best way for him to recover was to go diaper less.  Chris was coming down the stairs and noticed diaper less Mason had pulled up on his exosaucer and had his knees bent and Chris rushed to Masons bottom and put his hand out in just enough time to catch Masons fresh poop in his hand!

All three boys had serious melt downs at one point when I opened a granola bar for them to have as a snack only to discover it was “broke”  ….full fledge tears and snot streaming from their faces. 

Ethan’s first ice cream cone from Brusters. He was so excited to be getting a kid cone of his very own. Vanilla with Sprinkles and candy eyes.  Suddenly his smiles turned to sadness…With each lick of his cone the ice cream tasted so delicious but every time he would consume more it would disappear. I’ve never seen a kid so sad about eating ice cream!

Mason was 2 ½ and while eating gold fish on a walk counted them 1,2,3,4,5.  Watch mommy I will eat 2 now there are only 3….first math problem

Before Mason could talk he was trying to get a ball through the little tikes basket ball goal…I proceeded to tell him it was too big, he let the air out of the beach ball to make it smaller, so it could fit!

After dinner one night we were allowing the boys to split the last cookie.  Micah tore the cookie in half, carefully examined the cookie and proceeded to give Mason the bigger piece.

After changing Ethans diaper one day he looked at me and smiled and said, Thankyou for changing my diaper mommy!

Micahs favorite thing to do at 5 years old is build places in the pillows that he can burrow and snuggle in and create forts and build amazing structures with the wooden building blocks.

Ethan at almost 2 ½ on his own sorted the letter magnets by color.  He loves to sing songs on the radio, and always asks first thing when he wakes up “where brothers are?”

Mason at 8 just came home with his acceptance letter into the Gifted and Talented program at school scoring 99%.  Almost Everyday after school we play a game of flag football in the front yard or a game of basketball.

When Mason was 4 I found him looking desperately through all his kid bibles, looking at the pictures, when I asked him what he was looking for he said, I just want to see Gods Face, I just need to see him, I want to see the face of Jesus!  Shortly after that he began to sing made up praise songs in his bed before he would go to sleep.  He has always been driven, and smart...Please Lord, continue to give Mason that desire to see you, to praise you, to have a personal relationship with you.

Ethan walks around saying part of a verse he learned at Bible Study- “I will never leave you” and he Loves to sing “Angel Armies”   He is always so talkative, especially in the morning.  He loves to talk about anything, really desires conversation.  Lord, please continue to hide your word in Ethans heart and let him fully know how to communicate it to others.

Micah was playing with his blocks one day and told me, “Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a hunter and tell people about Jesus”  Thankyou Lord for Micahs genuine, compassion for others, protect him from the hurt of people and hold him as he influences others for the kingdom!

Some of my favorite memories of my own childhood are as a girl playing dolls and pretending to be a mom, and using old cereal boxes and spice containers in my play house to be food that I would cook.  I know that my parents were amazing parents.  I know they were always there. But I am thankful that I had my own room, my own toys and that I was able to use my imagination and pretend to be what I have always wanted to be. A mom. 

I have memories of my dad reading the bible to me every night.  I remember laying by my mom highlighting sentences and words in her bible for her with a yellow crayon.  I can see my dad up teaching a room full of kids and feeling so proud of him.  I remember being a helper at church in the 3 year old classroom setting out the crayons, getting the snack ready for the class.  I loved using sleepy bear to help the kids remember the bible verse in Granny’s cottage. I remember praying for others and feeling Gods power move through me, knowing he was really there.  I remember writing in a journal, praying and reading as a 14 year old in my room that dad and I had rag rolled to update my furniture.  I remember thinking I was going to be a missionary, a mom, or a teacher.  

My childhood was great.  We didn’t have a lot of money.  We had faith. We had love. And I knew my parents were being lead by God, and that He was leading me too.  I never doubted if he had a purpose or a plan for me.  I only started searching even harder. Seeking Him.

What He said was. Mandy I want you to love me.  Just love me.  Oh how I remember that moment on a youth beach trip during a worship service.  God is still saying Love me, allow me to lavish my love on you.  I am love.  Apart from me you can do nothing. 

At the end of my life when people reflect on the memories they have of me or with me I hope that they all can say. Mandy was a person who loved well.