Learning from my children

James 1:19-21  "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's
                          anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all   
                          moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,
                          which can save you."

Powerful words.  Words that I need to be reminded of on a regular basis.  Let's be honest here.  I am so quick to get caught up in the daily grind of my mommy duties.  A normal day consists of Eric leaving for work (if he's on day shift) before the sun comes up and coming home at 8pm.  Night shift...ugh...that's another story.  (Don't get me wrong; his job is an amazing blessing to our family and I wouldn't be able to stay home and care for our children without it!)  So, the kids and I wake up early and the craziness begins.  They need their juice, decide what they want for breakfast, dogs need to be let out and fed (and pray that our chocolate lab puppy will be some what calm and not chewing on everything in sight, which is where I need to be reminded to hold my tongue and have patience), make coffee or else I might not function, get kids dressed, teeth and hair brushed, and somewhere in the midst of it all, I have to get myself ready.  Let's face it; these days, I'm lucky if my hair is dry and I have on makeup.  Most days, I'm unlucky.  Should be REAL interesting to see my appearance when baby #3 is added in the mix!  And then, with a mad rush, we are out the door to take Cole to preschool.  It takes us a good 20-25 minutes to get there, and he is supposed to be there around 9am.  Right...that's not usually what time we arrive.  (Once again, being brutally honest here; the truth hurts!)  If we are there by 9:15, it's been a good morning.  Thank goodness his teacher is a friend of ours and is really patient and laid back with us.  And it helps that I'm not the only mom there who isn't the most punctual person in the world.  Thank goodness for our laid back church preschool!!!  And that's just the early morning.  The day doesn't end, nor does the craziness.  It's so easy for me to be a little snappy with my kids when they don't listen and I'm stressed because we have a million things to get accomplished that day.  For example, a normal response from the kids when they are asked to do something they really don't want to do is, "Why???"  And a normal response they will get from Eric and I is, "Because I said so!"  Ok, so maybe not the best answer, but when you hear "why" 50 times a day, you lose a little patience and have to remind them you are the parent and they just need to do it, well, because you said so.  Ah, but be careful what you say...little ears actually do listen when you think they aren't, and words will be repeated!  Case in point:  The other day Raleigh and I were playing at home while Cole was in school.  My sweet daughter looks at me and says, "Ok, bye Mommy, I gotta go!"  I say, "Where are you going?" and she replies, "Starbucks!"  (Yeah, that's my girl!)  And I say, "But why?"  Her response, of course?!  "Because, I said so!"  Did I sense a slight bit of attitude in that response?  Yes.  Was it funny?  Absolutely.  But the point is this...she did exactly what I do.  When asked why, she responded quickly and maybe a little "attitude-y."  It hit me...she's listening to everything I say, even when I think she's not.  So am I saying the right things?  Am I telling her about the love of Jesus enough?  And what are my actions telling her, because those to will be passed on as well.  Am I reading my Bible enough in front of her?  Am I showing her how to have a servants heart and not just telling her and Cole to have one?  Am I overflowing with the love and patience that Christ calls us to have at all times?  Makes you stop and think.  I am so far from perfect, it's not even funny.  BUT, I do have a God that loves me and is patient with me always.  And he wants me to show my kids the same kind of love.  So I need the reminders, the words from the Bible such as those in James to keep me focused.  Because without Him and His guidance, I'm doomed.

Mark 10:14-15  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."

Another powerful one.  Here, we are called to have a "child-like" faith; one that doesn't question, but one that just faithfully believes.  Cole gave me a gut wrenching reminder of this a couple of weeks ago.  It was a Saturday night, and Eric was working night shift.  That afternoon, Cole began to run a fever.  It was a little over 102, so high enough he wasn't feeling good, but not high enough to become really worried.  Well, things quickly changed.  That evening, even after Tylenol, I noticed he was getting worse.  His fever was rising steadily and he was acting much worse.  He began to have chills and moaning from the pain.  An hour before it was time to give him more medicine, his fever was 104.3...half an hour later, we hit a temperature of 105.  To say that I was panicking would be a sad understatement.  My child could barely get out of bed so that I could get him into a cool bath, and I'm thinking he could start convulsing at any point.  I called Eric at work and told him I was taking him to the ER.  He, of course, rushed home very worried as well.  Waiting for Eric, I drew a cool bath for Cole to lay in, desperate, praying, and crying in fear for my child's wellbeing.  And all of the sudden, Cole looks at me, such an innocent 4 year old child, and through his misery says, "Mom, do not worry; God WILL  make me feel better."  I lost it.  He was SO right.  Here I am, the parent, and although I know God can make him better, I didn't trust He would at that moment.  All I saw was an extremely sick boy with a scary high fever, and nothing else.  But my child didn't worry.  He knew (child-like faith) that all would be well, because God was there with him. What a reminder God gave me, and through His grace, we were able to break his fever and take him to the doctor the next morning.  He was feeling much better a few days later.  But that is a moment that I will never forget.  Phillipians 4:6-7  "Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and peition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me such precious children.  And thank You for using them to teach me about the kind of mom and person that You desire for me to be.  I am so blessed that You have entrusted me with their lives, and I will always strive to be for them what you called me to be.  I love you.  Amen.

Pregnancy update

RELIEF!!!

I am very happy to say that I have moved past the first trimester of this pregnancy and into the second!  This means that I am feeling so much better!  Thank you, Lord!  I am 18 weeks pregnant today and feel wonderful.  I am no longer experiencing any nausea and my energy level has increased.  My belly is growing by the day...I feel so much bigger at this point than I did with Cole or Raleigh!  But, I guess that's just baby #3 for you!  Cole is so cute!  He loves to rub my belly and talk to the baby.  He walks past me often and says, "Mom!  Look at your belly...it's SO big!!!"  To which I have to remind him, "You think this is big, you just wait!"  I am feeling the baby move everyday and both Eric and Cole have been able to feel the baby move as well!  It's always nice to be able to share that with my husband, and this time with my son.  He was only 2 1/2 when Raleigh was born, and even though he felt his sister move when I was pregnant with her, he has a much better idea now of what is happening.  A few weeks ago, I had my surgery for the cerclage and everything went perfectly.  I didn't think I would be as nervous this time since I had this procedure with Raleigh, but I was!  I found myself repeating Scripture in my head while in the operating room!  It was comforting, and I am so thankful that everything is okay.  My doctor is amazing...he prayed with me before the surgery, and when Eric and I saw him in the office that morning, he handed us a picture and said, "This is my partner."  It was a picture of a doctor in the operating room and Jesus was standing over him guiding the doctor's hand.  Very moving.  We are so blessed to have such an wonderful Christian doctor.

We will find out in 2 weeks (February 15th) what we are having.  I have no clue or feeling about what this baby will be, and it honestly doesn't matter.  We are just thankful to be having another baby.  Now Cole, on the other hand, is hoping for a boy.  He even went so far as to tell some people at his preschool that he was having a brother!  He told Eric and I a few weeks ago that he would be disappointed if the doctor told us it was a girl.  We explained to him that it was not for us to decide; that God already knew what would be best for our family, so it was His decision.  Then last night during story time, Cole looked up at me and said, "Mommy, if the doctor says it's a girl, I'm still gonna love her anyways!"  Haha, so cute!

Raleigh will be turning two on the 17th.  I cannot believe it!  She is so funny, so beautiful, and so full of life.  And very dramatic!  What can I say; she's a girl, and she is my child!  It's so fun to watch how she reacts to certain situations and she says the funniest things.  She still copies everything Cole does.  When asked what we should name the baby the other day, she said, "Bear."  This apparently goes for a boy or a girl.  Sorry, Raleigh, but we won't be naming the baby Bear!  So, yes, I am about to have a two year old.  Crazy.

Christmas and another little Michelin!

I am amazed every year by all of the craziness that surrounds Christmas.  Traffic, people frantically grabbing gifts, impatience, stressing out about every little detail, etc.  Now, don't get me wrong; Eric and I waited much too long this year to buy our gifts, so we were out "amongst them" yesterday!  But it seems every year our culture seems to forget why we even have a Christmas holiday.  It isn't about a man dressed in a red suit from the North Pole delivering gifts on his "reindeer guided sleigh."  It isn't about buying the biggest and best gifts for your family and friends.  It isn't about buying more toys for your children than they will ever be able to play with, and then realizing after it's all done you've spent way too much money and will have trouble paying for your bills.  It's about SO much more than that.  It's about Bethlehem.  It's about Mary and Joseph.  It's about a baby.  It's about a MIRACLE from GOD.  It's about our Savior's birth.  Can you imagine what it would have been like to be there on that most amazing night in Bethlehem?  Just picture the excitement the people must have felt knowing that finally, this baby who was given the name Jesus, was here.  Here to save us all.  To teach us.  To live a life of example for us.  To die a most brutal death, taking all our sin upon Himself.  To save us.  Because He loves us.  That is Christmas.  Christmas day is wonderful!  It is fun to open gifts and watch our loved ones open up gifts we've picked for them, spend time with our families, eat wonderful home cooked meals and share lots of laughter.  But just remember the truth as to why we have Christmas.  Remember Jesus.

The Michelin family is so blessed.  We owe everything we have to God.  He never ceases to amaze us by all He has done in and around our lives.  We are thankful for His calling for this family and the season of life He has us in.  When I look at my children, so precious and amazing, I am humbled.  God entrusted us with their little lives, and it's up to us to show them the path to Christ; to live lives of examples, praying that one day they will choose to follow Him.  It is a big task, much too big to handle without His guidance.  And yet, He has humbled us yet again!  On October 26th, Eric and I found out that we are expecting our third child!  I cannot explain the emotion we felt!  I woke up early that morning and took a pregnancy test.  We were trying, but it is still surprising every time you see a positive!  I just laughed and cried, and praised God for this amazing blessing.  I placed the test on the counter and woke my husband up.  I had the video camera on so I could capture his reaction.  He totally walked right past the test!  So, I had to redirect him, and when he saw it, he said with so much excitement, "Are you serious??!!  Baby, that is awesome!!"  We are just so filled with joy about having another baby.  A little nervous about 3, but way more excited!  I am due on July 5th.  I have been so sick with this pregnancy!  I was sick with both Cole and Raleigh, but this pregnancy has far passed what I felt with them!  If I'm being completely honest, it's been really difficult to be sick all day long without a break.  But I am so thankful because for a little over a week now, I have been getting breaks!  I am not out of the woods yet, but I'm not feeling sick all day, just mostly at night now.  So thankful for this!  I am now 12 weeks and so I know I will be done with the nausea very soon!

Eric and I will keep everyone posted with the progress of this pregnancy and the wonderful things God is doing in our lives.  We pray that everyone has a safe and blessed holiday.  Merry Christmas, and happy birthday, Jesus!

Update!

Busy, busy days for the Michelin family lately!  But, aren't we all?!  However, we are never too busy to praise God for what He has blessed us with and the great things He is doing in our lives.

On August 24th, our "baby" boy, Cole, turned 4.  This is really crazy to me.  F-O-U-R!!!  Where did the time go?  I can still remember the evening perfectly when Eric and I got a positive pregnancy test that we were not expecting!  I had no idea I was pregnant; we weren't trying, so how would I?  But, how awesome is our God!  He knows why.  We were shocked, but so excited for this tremendous blessing we were given.  And four years later, I am still just as humbled and grateful God gave Cole to us.  He is truly a blessing to our family and everyone that meets him.  He has a charm that is hard to miss and says some of the most hilarious, off the wall things!  But that's all a part of what makes him the sweet person he is.

Eric and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on August 28th.  We enjoyed a beautiful weekend trip to one of my most favorite places in the world; Boone, NC.  We stayed in an incredible cabin with a breathtaking view, and enjoyed ourselves immensely.  We both agreed that was by far the best trip we've ever taken together.  We left feeling very relaxed, refreshed, and very ready to see our sweet babies.  It's always nice to take a time out and focus all of your attention on the person in your life that matters the most.  We reflected on the last 6 years, and dreamed of the possibilities to come.  It truly was amazing and I am so glad God gave me Eric.  I love him.

In September, my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary!  So, to celebrate with them, Jarid, Wesley, Anita, Jessie, Eric and I threw them a surprise anniversary party.  It was so much fun and they were very surprised and honored we did that for them.  We were so happy to be able to do that in honor of our parents and had so much fun watching them enjoy themselves and reflect back on the last 30 years of their lives.  It was a great evening.

We enrolled Cole in soccer this fall!  He is having a blast!  Although he loves playing baseball, soccer has been better because he is able to run the entire time!  Baseball is fun to a four year old if you get to bat the entire time.  Otherwise, not so much!  He will be able to begin flag football next fall, so I have a feeling that once that starts, all other sports will be uninteresting to him.  :)  He also started 4 year old preschool at our church this year.  He goes everyday from 9-12 and is loving every minute of it.  I am amazed at how much he has learned so far, and look forward to him growing even more.

Raleigh is busy as ever.  She is 19 months old and can climb on anything!  This is new to me; Cole was never a climber.  But Raleigh is totally different.  She is very prissy, very dramatic, but can be tough too.  It is amazing how different she is from her brother.  But, at the end of the day, she is all girl.  And I am loving every minute of it!  She is talking a lot and putting words together.  She is independent and loves to eat!  To be so tiny, she eats constantly!  She loves to feed herself.  She calls me "mommy" which gets me every time and has her daddy wrapped around her finger.  All she has to do is look at him, and she gets it.  It is really a special relationship and I am so thankful Eric is such a wonderful dad to both of them.

I finished my training at the pregnancy crisis center and am now counseling on my own.  It has been a very rewarding experience.  I can truly say that I care about each and every one of the women that comes through the door.  I am so honored that God would call me to serve in such an amazing ministry.  He is using me to reach these girls who are in some very desperate situations, and He gets all the glory for it.  There is no way I could do this without Him leading me.  I am excited to see what He has in store for the ministry and am also excited to implement some of the ideas that God is presenting to Dana to help even further.

Lastly, God has laid it on Eric's heart to pursue a discipleship program.  He will have to blog about that once he gets the ball rolling because he knows way more about it than I do.  We are just really excited to pursue another ministry and I'm grateful God placed it in front of Eric and that Eric is getting a lot of support from our Sunday school group.  Each and every one of them are a blessing to us.

We are still amazed at where we started, and where we are today.  What a difference!  God is so good and he will forever lead us in our lives.  Our goal is to set a good example for our children by living our lives as servers and followers of Christ in hopes that they one day will choose to follow Him as well.  We are very blessed and hope to lead others to Christ as well, just as we are called to do. 

God's work

It is no secret that God is at work in our lives.  I have never felt His presence more in my life than I do now and it is amazing.  We are learning to not live for what we want, but what He wants; not our will, but His will.  That could mean moving to a foreign country to minister to others; it could be having 6 children because that's what He wants (just for the record, I am in NO way planning for that many!  Just saying we will be submissive to His calling!)  I know that God has called me to do things before, but if I'm being totally honest, I've not always listened.  It's easier to pretend that you don't hear than to get completely out of your comfort zone.  But part of my journey is realizing I have ignored Him, not always followed Him, and even hurt Him.  But I am living proof that our God is amazing, merciful, and forgiving.  I find great comfort in this verse:  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8  That is so powerful!  Even if I was the only sinner in all of the world, God would still have sent Jesus to die for me.  For me.  It's a love that is above all.  We cannot even fully grasp this love.  But nevertheless, I am forever greatful for His love, and for this, I give Him back my life.  I will serve Him as He has called me to.

In the last few months, I have felt very led to serve at a pregnancy crisis center.  It's really cool how it all worked out, but to make a very long story short, I finally listened when He spoke, and it was through this that I heard His calling to serve here.  I am in the application process with a good friend of mine, and I too am grateful that I get to serve with her by my side!  Also, some really awesome women in our church are starting up a women's ministry team, and I am blessed to be a part of this.  We will be reaching out to women not just in our church, but from all over the city, all ages, and from all walks of life.  I am really excited to see where God takes this group and I'm looking forward to the fellowship and support that will make up this group.

And lastly, did you really think I could blog without mentioning at least one of my kids?!  Of course not!  We just returned from a wonderful week of vacation at the beach with Eric's family.  It's awesome...his entire family still goes together on the same week every year and stays really close to each other so that we can have beach time and dinner together.  There were 30 of us this year, but it was so much fun!  One night, Eric's cousin Megan sang "Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone" for us.  She will be singing this at Mandi's upcoming wedding.  It was beautiful.  After she finished, my precious baby Cole decided it was his turn.  He is so not shy at all, which is completely opposite from his mommy!  So, there my sweet boy stood in front of the entire family, and sang "Jesus Loves Me."  We've all heard this before; I hear it from him everyday because he loves to sing.  But when you get that many people together, something magical happens; they really listen to the words.  There stood Cole, innocently singing the song and giggling, and we were all in tears.  I, because I was so proud that he is mine and proud that he loves singing God's songs, and everyone else because of the words and Cole's faith at such a young age.  He doesn't question whether God really loves him or not.  He just knows, "for the Bible" tells him so.  It was a great moment.  I wish everyone could have the mind of a child when it came to God. 

Thankful

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July!  We certainly did.  This holiday is so special to all Americans, but I think it really hits home to anyone who has ever had a loved one serve in the military or know of someone who has.  I always think of my dad who served in Vietnam, and of course, Eric.  I'll never forget what it felt like to be away from him when he was in Iraq.  When he went overseas in 2003, they did not have much access to computers and certainly not much access to phones.  Even letters were getting lost in the mail.  So, everyday was torture.  I missed him more than I could ever describe and worried like I've never worried before.  His mom and I talked several times a day and really leaned on each other to get through it.  And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he came home.  I was so excited to see him after all that time, and so nervous!  Eric's grandparents, mom and myself all drove to Kentucky to see him while he was being debriefed.  We drove on the fort and were told not to get out of the car; he would find us.  Do you think we listened?  Absolutely not!  There was NO WAY we were waiting any longer.  I remember frantically looking around at all the soldiers, not seeing mine.  Finally, I heard a familiar voice.  I stopped in my tracks, looked up, and there on the third floor was my man.  There really aren't words to describe what I was feeling in that very moment.  He ran down the stairs and I ran to him.  Almost like a movie, but so real.  We just grabbed each other, and I cried.  He was home.  He was safe.  Thank goodness.

July 16th marks 7 years to the day that he flew home from Iraq.  I always think of that time during this holiday, and it makes me so appreciative of everything I've been given.  And we are so grateful to those who have served and are currently serving our country, being away from their families and friends, and sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice for us and our country.  I can't help but think of our friends, Mark and Shannon DeSouza.  Mark is serving his second tour overseas, and Shannon is home working and taking care of their precious one year old son, Ethan.  My heart hurts for them and we are diligently praying for them daily.

We had my family over on Sunday.  I stood in my kitchen for a minute and just took in the sight.  Everyone was fixing their plates, laughing and smiling.  It's moments like these that I just want to soak in.  It was a beautiful sight, and it was a reminder of how blessed we really are.  We have incredible families on both sides.

Here are the two pictures of our reunion 7 years ago.  I will treasure these forever, and just wanted to share them.  I love you, Eric Michelin.  You are my soldier, my soulmate, my best friend.  I couldn't be more proud of the Godly man you are, the husband you are, and the father that you are. 

Update

I can hardly find time to keep up with the laundry, much less find time to blog!

Life is crazy, as usual. Eric is staying busy with work and I am staying busy with the kids. Raleigh just turned 16 months yesterday (crazy) and Cole is very close to four (even crazier). I've been trying to plan his birthday party so that it doesn't creep up on me like Raleigh's did. He, of course, wants a camo themed party with a deer head cake. Seriously, would you expect anything else??!! I mean, he is Eric Michelin's son! So, everyone will have to come decked out in their finest camouflage clothing....in late August! Sorry, guys, it's for Cole. :)

We are still enjoying our minivan. It's grown on me quicker than I thought...I really can't imagine driving anything else. So practical, so convenient, so comfy, and so quiet. (By quiet I mean there is peace in the backseat once again!) Even Eric is loving it. Now, he did just get mud tires put on his truck, which I think helps him a little knowing that's his baby! So funny; I told him we need to go "muddin" like we used to in high school. Oh, the memories. :)

Raleigh is becoming very independant these days. She tries to feed herself with a fork and spoon and DOES NOT want any help. She runs everywhere, has several words, including her new favorite....NO!!! It's lovely. She smiles all the time and laughs, and still loves everything about Cole. Except when he doesn't share; then she screams and yells, "No, share!" to him. Let the sibling rivalry begin.

Last week, Eric and I helped out at Vacation Bible School at our church. We were there Wednesday through Friday. Eric did recreation outside and I was inside with the babies and toddlers, which worked out great because Raleigh refuses to let me leave her without crying most of the time! Seeing all of the children worshiping and praising Christ was so awesome and really inspiring. They are so young, but yet so many of them still "get it." It was an honor to be a part of it, and cannot wait until next year to do it all again.

I am still so overwhelmed by what God has given me in my life. My kids are just simply wonderful to me; they keep me on my toes, are always entertaining and so full of life, and make my heart melt everytime I look at them. I love being their mommy. I have an amazing husband in Eric who spoils me and loves me unconditionally. We are really a team, but he is my rock, my inspiration, my everything. I'm so lucky he chose me. We have two amazing families, both of which are close by. The kids get to see both sets of grandparents weekly. And above all of this, I have a God who is so loving, so forgiving, so wonderful. And I am ever so thankful for Him and all of His many blessings.

Eric and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary this year!!! WOOHOO!!! We are so excited because this year I am not pregnant or nursing, like I have been just about every year now, so we are going away for the weekend! I am really excited, although, I will miss the kids. But, we are going to have so much fun! Come on August....:)