A special boy

I put this on Facebook, but it's too cute not to share here.
My friend Heather introduced me to a bible study recently, where they provide a children's preschool type program. Nathan calls it his  Bible study. So, we're having breakfast this morning and he starts singing this song that he learned there. This makes my heart very happy.

Contact paper trees

In an effort to keep (mostly) Nathan busy, and out of trouble, I have been doing some tactile activities with him. So far he has loved the activities and I thought I would share them with you.

The first one I will share are contact paper Christmas trees.

First, I duct taped contact paper with the sticky side out to the sliding glass doors.

This was a Saturday, so Zack got to join in the fun. It's always fun when they can both enjoy the same activity together.

Then, I cut strips of green paper for the outline of the tree, and provided them with pom poms and confetti.

The key here, is you need to LET GO OF THE MESS. I have been trying to do this a lot myself lately, and although it's been very hard to do, I realize by just letting it go, I am allowing them to create and just be "free". I'll never forget Nathan's reaction when I told him he could do "whatever he wants" with an activity. It was utter disbelief that was expressed on his face.

Zack and his final tree. I loved how he ripped more paper to make a "frame" for the tree.

Notice the confetti on the floor, but that's what a vacuum is for!

Nathan was quite proud of his tree also!

This is where Zack decided he would like to display the tree, in our living room window. I must say, It does look quite nice there! Nathan's tree is on our front door (for now).

More to come!

It's all just so...cliche.

I have had a life changing experience.

While I was a child and growing up, I really thought only two people on this earth loved me. My grammie and grampie. They died. Then, one person came into my life that I really believed loved me. That was Darrin. My children love me, of course. But, I could never really say that I have felt the love of friends. Sure, I think people like me. But love..I wasn't so sure. Until now.

At my ladies Bible study, we studied the story of how Moses' friends held up his hands for him when he couldn't. That was one week before I went into the hospital. In a way, God was preparing me, showing me that even though I was going to get sick, and not be able to take care of my family, my friends were going to!

And did they ever!

They cooked, took care of my children, encouraged my husband, encouraged me, prayed for us..you name it. It was very overwhelming to be loved so much! It wasn't something I was used to. I needed to accept the love, and to accept that there was nothing else I could do but to say Thank you.

As I start to feel better, I am reflecting on how God used this time to break me down a little. To realize that things are ok without me sometimes, to realize that people care so much, and that I don't have all the control that I think I do. I also look back and see now how sick I was, and I know how what I had could have turned out without a positive outcome.  I am grateful, grateful, grateful. My heart bursts with thankfulness.

I believe I am loved and my life will not be the same.