What I'm drinking this morning and other cute things...

Do I love it?? I absolutely do. It's expensive so it's an occasional splurge/treat, but if you've the gumption-try it. If you like coffee, you just might fall in love! I slept horribly last night and awoke early this morning (try 4:30 am) RAVENOUS. And anyone who knows me knows when I'm hungry there's no going back-anywhere, let alone to sleep! So after debating whether or not I was going to go back to sleep and realizing I just spent a half-hour doing that, I finally gave into the urge around 5am. I trudged down stairs and filled up a HUGE Tupperware bowl (to avoid the dreaded second trip down the stairs for seconds) full of Cocoa Puffs (my new fancy) and watched the news and ate cereal until I was tired again. The belly full-o'sugar did the trick nicely. While increasing gas prices did cause me to stay away a little longer than I would have liked, I eventually managed to fall back asleep until around 8ish when Mr. Gabe came into my room demanding breakfast-in his adorable sort of way. I tell you all this to say...I really needed the extra boost this morning if I'm ever going to make it to the gym, take my kids to the doctors (they're rashy and sick!) and watch a couple extra kids this afternoon alive and sane. 'Twill be a challenge.

And in other news, my eldest has begun to engage me in conversation about God. While this thrills my soul, in all seriousness I owe it all to Christ. For some time now, I've really been praying that God would show me opportunities to begin to share with my children about the One who loves them so much more than I ever can. And God has been so faithful to prompt me during those times and give me the wisdom to answer some of the harder questions about God a 3.5 yr old can throw you! Here are just a couple of our conversations to date:

Scenario # 1: At grandmas house. Grandma has a turtle in a tank that simply fascinated the boys.

G: Mommy, I wish I was a turtle. I want to be a turtle.
M: Sorry, Gabe! You can't be a turtle. God made you a special boy so I could have someone to love.
G: But I don't want to be a special boy!! I want to be a turtle!!
M: Well maybe you can talk to God about that.
G: GOD!?!? Where is God?
M: In heaven. You can talk to Him about how you wish you were a turtle instead of a special boy.
G: *In extreme hysteria by this point* But heaven?? That's way far away. I can't talk to God. He won't hear me, 'cause heaven is way far away!!!

(I tried to explain that God can hear us no matter where we are, but...that's as far as we got. He became enamored with something else and skipped off. Made me laugh. I figured he could take the turtle business up with God...)

Scenario # 2: At the breakfast table this morning. Gabe woke up with a baaaad cough...

G: Mommy, I'm scared that I'm sick.
M: Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. But you know what? We don't ever have to be afraid, because Jesus promises that He will always be with us to protect us.
G: Where is Jesus??
M: He's in heaven with God (no need to get technical yet...there's more time for that as they get older and are able to understand more!!)

So yea, I went on a little more about how the Bible is God's book to us and it tells us everything God wants us to know. That's as far as we got. And as I transcribed back both scenarios, I realize they really aren't anything huge to my audience, but they make this mom's heart swell. I pray and anxiously anticipate the day when my boys tell me they want Jesus to live in their hearts in their own cute little way. And while my answers aren't always all perfect and theologically worded just so, I pray that God can use them to open the eyes and hearts of my boys when they're ready, and that He would give me the words to say with age appropriateness in mind.

And moms everywhere (definitely myself included), pray hard for your kids! Teach them to pray too!! I need to do this more for sure. Ask God to remind you to pray for your kids, and to give you a passion to pray for them. God has been so faithful to answer my prayers in this and I know he'll do the same for anyone else who asks!

Oh and in a completely different random thought, apparently I've an aspiring bus driver on my hands! Gabe and I were talking the other day about what he wanted to be when he grew up. I was suggesting things (the usual things) like fireman, doctor, teacher, pastor like daddy...and Gabe looked at me with complete seriousness and told me matter-of-factly that he wanted to be a bus driver! Nothing wrong with that per se...just have NO IDEA where THAT came from =) So for now, Bus Driver Gabe it is!!