Laurel Wreath’s Reflections

I can not begin to tell you how giddy I am. I am sad they are getting older, but there are some definite benefits!!

Tags: Family, Mowing, sons

When you send your youngest to spend a lot of time with Grandpa, you get an excited phone call from your youngest saying he has found a new favorite hobby..

Sigh…hubby did mention kids clubs were on sale for cheap and birthday is next month… Ok this will be good when he is running his own company right?

Tags: Family, golf

I will give you a hint about what I did yesterday =) It was nice to just stop, relax and swim. Summer is in full force in this household. One son is already up in Minnesota catching all the “big” fish, and my other two are in a competitive summer basketball league.

The rest of us are gearing up to travel to Minnesota at the end of this month. I know I have been kind of quiet around here. I think this summer is hitting me with my youngest turning double digits, my oldest entering high school, and my middle will officially turn a teenager at the beginning of Fall (Sept). It is a lot on one Mom’s heart. I find everything I do, or everything we do as a family I keep saying “four” more years until oldest may not be here. It is like this count down.

It seems like over night I went to “wishing we were just out of this stage” to “counting sadly until they move out and I have to let them fly.” Does it mean I am in a simi-mid life crisis, when I think what am I going to do when it is just hubby and me? Can you tell I like to have life organized, hehhee. God usually does not allow it. I would wrap myself around young kids all the time if I could.

On top of all this it seems what ever plans we (hubby and I) or me seem to make God has been using the ‘no’ word on me a lot lately. If I am honest I feel like a pouting two year old that wants to sit in the corner with her arms folded and lower lip stuck out. I know I need to get over myself, there are so many people who are struggling with things worse than I have it. I just need to turn on the news and read your precious blogs. Hence where the immature 2 year old attitude comes in. Have you ever been in a rut like that, you know you are in a rut, but are finding it difficult to shake?

Let me share some link love to posts that have really uplifted me this week, as I draw back and relax this summer, spend time with God, I praise God for you Godly women out there that inspire me, encourage me, and help me keep going. For that I say THANK YOU. I don’t think many of us will realize this side of heaven how much the words on your blog will have touched people’s lives. Have a great weekend!

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Grace Awakenings by Windows To My Soul

Angels Don’t Wear Cutoff Sweatpants by God’s Grace in Practice (oh this blesses my heart, this blogger has a sweet baby boy that needed to stay in the hospital longer and this post shows how Angels showed up in a mighty way and in different forms)

Normally I visit Nesting Place to view pretty, inspiring pictures, but I have to say as a fellow Mom of three boys I LOVED this post.

Last but not least, Scratchin’ the Surface did a series of what she believes. If you have a moment, grab some to drink and soak in these posts, they will bless you. Part One, Part two, Part three, Part four, and Part Five.

Tags: Family, Links, Relaxing

For more WW visit here

Tags: Family, Wordless Wednesday

Weekends like this give us all spring fever. We went to a nice company picnic, planted over seven trees this weekend (Oh please help me not kill them Lord!).

Got all my laundry done, cars were washed, hedges were trimmed….Yep it was a nice weekend. My two older boys are gaining a social life, so it was just youngest, manly man and I. Of course when they returned we told them about all the fun we had eating cake and ice cream at all hours of the day. I am a good Mom like that

I am not facing the fact my oldest registers for his high school classes on Tuesday…nope, not thinking about that at all. If I don’t face it, it does not exist right? DENIAL IS MY FRIEND…they all stay little like my youngest below, right?!

Hope you had a good weekend!

Tags: Family

we are in to cheap slave labor; least that is what our boys would like me to share with you. Saturday we were doing chores around the house. Manly man cleaning the cars inside and out, I was doing the inside of the house (because well that is where the A/C is..duh )

We had the two older boys help do some stuff around the outside of the house (like picking up trash and carrying some smaller size logs, etc..) SMALL STUFF PEOPLE. I went outside to see how everything was going and got to talking to manly man, then I asked “where did the boys go?” And he did not know. When I walked into my house this is what I found:

Yep, feel sorry…feel very sorry for them. They have poor parents that work them to death.

Ok off to find more ways to torture my teens.

Tags: Family

And if you feel sorry for us that we can not cloth our poor children. Never fear…this child NEVER wears shirts. I complained that I could never get pictures of him with clothes ON (ok he only has his shirt off, but still…). He has more shirts than he knows what to do with. So what is a mother to do? Start taking pictures with his shirt off and threatening to post them all over her blog

Oh and also we do feed him…in fact he eats us out of house and home. He just looks like he is being starved. Oh to be young and have high metabolism.

Tags: boys, Family

My two oldest boys just returned from a weekend with the youth group. They had a great time doing silly stuff like turning the light out on the college student who was helping them - while he was in the restroom. Or doing a picture scavenger hunt around town. Which involved video taping themselves performing the YMCA song in front of the YMCA, also taking a picture of a member of their group running through sprinklers. Last but not least, making sure the boy that fell asleep first, woke up with Oreos stuck all over his body (personally I would have requested Dove bars, but oh well). Ah the good ‘ol years of being in middle school and high school youth group.

Youngest son got to spend the weekend with grandma and grandpa. They found the $4 sale rack at Wally World and stocked him with shorts and shirts galore. He made sure Grandpa got enough exercise by having him swim all hours of the day, even “night swim!” as my youngest exclaimed. Grandpa even showed youngest the way to hit a golf ball at the driving range. And Grandpa, of course thinks he should go pro already.

Hubby and I had a WONDERFUL time touring St. Augustine. Any of my regular readers know if I have a free weekend I am heading to St. Augustine. I love the beauty of that city. We had such a wonderful time. The Lord has really blessed me this weekend. Life has been difficult, we have been busy beyond belief, and I was beginning to feel like I was living in the spin cycle of my dryer.

The Lord made it possible not just for hubby and I to have a wonderful weekend, but each kid in their own way got away from it all. Now we are basking in the fun of telling each other stories of the weekend, and recuperating from all the fun.

For tomorrow is Monday.

And it is Spring Break…….we will see if my house can survive with three boys on Spring Break…..or my nerves for that matter.

Here are some pictures from our weekend:

Credits: All elements and papers by Barbara “Herald” For The Boys, Andrea Gold Template #20 side A & B

Has the Lord blessed you with an unexpected good day? What did you do?

Tags: Family, St. Augustine

14 years ago I was pregnant. I was only 28 weeks gestational.
14 years ago I was put in the hospital to keep my blood pressure down.
14 years ago I had the best OBGYN that anyone could ever have, and she was a Christian.
14 years ago I was only a Senior in college.
I was married.
He only worked in the Student Union.
We lived in an old apartment with green shag carpet.
14 years ago I did not know about premature babies, like I do now.
God blessed me with limited knowledge, to keep me from freaking out.
14 years ago I had to call my parents and tell them to drop everything, drive the two hours because I was not sure if my baby was going to be ok.
14 years ago my OBGYN looked at me and said I can save your baby better outside the womb, than I can inside.
14 years ago I had an emergency C-section.
Gave birth to a 3 lb baby, who did not even have the ability to expand and contract his lungs.
14 years ago I freaked out on the table because I could not hear my baby crying, Mom was in the room, and the Dr had to put me out further to keep me calm.
14 years ago Mom saw that my baby was not breathing with all the nurses over him, one nurse said “Doctor what should we do?” Then suddenly 14 years ago, his tiny little leg shot straight up, and the room erupted in cheers.
14 years ago I believe God breathed life into my son.

I was going to drop out of college right then and there. I did not care I was only 4 months away from graduating.
14 years ago my OBGYN said, “I insist you go and finish your studies while your baby is getting better.”
I went to class after recovering, went straight to the hospital to care for my baby and study for finals.
My baby was fighting to keep weight on, we cheered for every ounce. We were praying for no permanent damage.
I finally took my finals.

5 weeks after my baby was born, and my finals were just completed, we brought our premature son home.
14 years ago I had a college professor call me the day after, and explained I got a D on my final. He wanted to know if I wanted to take it over, due to the circumstances I was under. I asked him if I would still get my diploma. And he said, “Yes.” Then I replied, “I am a Mom now, just give me the diploma.”
Life was unbelievably hard; I still to this day do not know how I survived. God truly carried hubby and I.
But if anyone does not believe in miracles, I just point to 14 years ago when I know without a doubt God literally breathed life into my son. I tell my son everyday, “God has a special plan for your life.”

Son, I can not wait to see how God moves in your life in the next 14 years. You are entering some of the most fun years of your life, but also the scariest. I may not be with you always to guide you, but God is there is every step of the way. My prayer is that we do the best we can as parents, but also know when to step back and know God is in control. We are proud of you. Love you, Mom & Dad

(I am publishing this a day early because we will be having tons of fun festivities tomorrow)

Tags: Family

My boys had their championship basketball games on Saturday. Two older boys on the same team, and the youngest on his own team. All three made it to the winners bracket.

My youngest son’s game was first, he dominated & obliterated I mean played a well spirited game where they won. What I have learned as my boys grew, when they were younger all the parents are on the sidelines cheering and laughing and saying comments like “aren’t they cute.” This is still true for my 9 year old, the competition has been acknowledged but parents are typically still “having fun.”

Then we enter the age of about 12 and older….

Parents are saying things like “get that ball, that kid is not better than you” you know encouraging stuff like that. Now I would never admit to being THAT type of parent on the world wide web, but on occasion during intense games the “claws” do come out. Suddenly as parents we are not sitting there saying “aren’t they cute,” now we are saying “we want blood!!!” Beat that team, and let them remember your name.

Oh goodness these sports bring out the “wild in me” where I am normally tame =) Ok back to my two older sons game. First let me preface this with, my two older boys were up early Saturday morning walking around here like caged animals. Just anxious for the game (which did not begin until 1:30…Lord have mercy!). Once the game began it became evident the two teams were evenly matched. We made a basket, they made a basket. This kept going until the last quarter. It was basically down to who will make the most mistakes. And well…we made the most mistakes and ended up losing by only a couple of points. I have not seen my 13 (almost 14 in a two weeks) tear up because of a game before, but below is the scene I saw after the game. Daddy telling him he totally understood what it feels like to lose the big game.

But I am proud as a parent, because both teams of boys were congratulating each other after the game and saying positive things. Unlike the game that got us to the winners bracket where the losing team had a relative that just went off on the guy running the league. It was sad.

I am glad my two older sons got to experience losing with grace, and my younger son having the humility enough not to rub it in that they won.