The running of the Crisp kids

This is what happens when you give kids ice cream 15 minutes before bedtime. They had been running like this for a good 5 minutes before I even started taping. Take a little cabin fever add ice cream and this is what you get!

Look How Far We've Come

I am amazed when I look back over the last 7 almost 8 years of our marriage. Amazed at our beginning and our plans. Amazed at how lovely our life is now, because of God's plan. We haven't always made the best choices. We have made a lot of mistakes. We have had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories. As we step into the unknown we know we are together. We know we have love. We know we will thrive. We are excited about the memories to come.

Thank you God for all you have given to us. For the love you lavish upon us. For the grace you freely give to us. We accept your love the grace on our journey, trusting in you alone for our needs. May this family be an example of your love and grace.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

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How do you cope?

The past couple of weeks have been crazy, exciting, stressful, peaceful, draining, and exhilarating. As you can see, there is no one word that describes how we are doing. Our future is uncertain, and we are at peace with that. We have committed this decision to God, and know that he's going ahead of us. He will meet all of our NEEDS. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that we don't have to prepare, make some plans, and be responsible for our family. Along with these things comes many days of thinking, coping, praying, asking, listening, waiting, longing. Do you see how my brain could be a little jumbled? I have learned a couple new things in the last couple of weeks.

Number 1, God has brought me farther in my journey then I thought I had come (this is a good thing!).

Number 2, my kids are amazing at coping. They have yet to respond to our move the way you would expect.

Number 3, I can cope, because I can organize. And I LOVE it! I do my best thinking while I'm throwing stuff out, making donation piles, and packing boxes. I have clarity. I have peace. I gain confidence. AND I get things ready, clean, organized - BONUS! I've cleaned out and packed every closet in the house. I've cleaned out the basement and all the kids rooms. Every kitchen and bathroom cabinet and drawer is cleaned and ready to sweep into a box. It feels good to be ready. Something has to be ready, when plans are so uncertain. I've been steam cleaning the carpets, my favorite chore. Today I rearranged the living room after cleaning out under the couch (DISGUSTING!). Who doesn't like rearranging furniture? My sister and I would do this on a regular basis growing up. It hasn't stopped since getting married. Josh either comes home to a new arrangement of furniture, or he's the one moving it (b/c I'm always prego!). He doesn't understand the need for change, but loves me enough to let me be me. Thanks babe!

So, I don't say this all to toot my own horn, but merely to give an example of a coping tendency. I'm wondering, how do you cope? When do you do your best thinking? When are you most focused? Do you. . .

get violent?

eat?

clean?

sleep?

exercise?

Or do you cope some other way? Let us know!

Sibling Happiness Day

Today must be the day for all siblings to get along. My sis-in-law blogged earlier that her boys were playing and including one another without fighting. My children are also having a wonderful day of play and interaction. Olivia and Garrett were playing together on the kid computer while Esther and Gideon played on the basement stairs. (I know you think I'm crazy for letting them play on the stairs, but really they were just going up and down.) Although these times seems so few and far between, they are worth the wait. They are worth the constant peacemaking and conversations of including and treating each other the way they'd want to be treated. It confirms to me that being a teachable, yet teaching parent is going to pay off!

Gid and Es on the stairs.

Olivia and Garrett on the computer. And I forgot to mention that she had her arm around him the whole time. Can you feel the love?

My Man with Many Faces

This is my favorite age. I'm thankful for this age. It makes the terrible two's, three's and four's so worth it. I don't care what 12-18 month old you know, they are great. They are sponges. They are curious. They aren't testing their boundaries yet. They're good eaters, sleepers (well, all mine were), shoppers, and riders. I love this age! Gideon is almost 14 months old and sometimes I wish I could freeze him at this age. Here's some of his awesomeness (I don't care if that's not a word!).

Favorite toy, kitchen broom. Right now I trip on the thing at least 10 times a day. Hey, at least my floors are clean. :)

Face #1 - Fake cry. "I really want some attention and I want everyone to think I'm not happy! But don't tell them, I really am!"

"I love my mom, but I'm tired of pictures."

"Is that the crazy kid next to me? HELP!"

Face #2 (my favorite) - This face says, "I've just been told no, and I'm sad about it." He doesn't get angry, he doesn't throw a fit, he doesn't even try to do the action again. I really believe that he's sorry. My little contrite boy.

Face #3 - "Wait, every one's laughing, I need to join in! Here's my best fake laugh!"

"Seriously, another picture. . .squished between two people?!?! Will this never end??"

Do you see who I see?

Can you put the right eyes on the right Crisp??

A.

B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Esther's art

Esther is quite the little photographer. She loves taking pictures with our camera, so when her birthday rolled around and she got some money to spend I took her right to the kids friendly digital cameras at Target. I showed her the purple Dora camera first and it was love at first sight. I took her over to the other cameras and showed her the Orange V-Tech and the Blue Fisher Price. To which she crinkled her nose and said, "That boys cama!" Dora it is!

"Self portrait"

Olivia and Garrett planned a concert for us one night and Es had fun photographing the action. The quality is that great, but she has so much fun with it.

Garrett shakin' it.

"Mommy, say cheese!"

"Daddy's Little Girl"

Gideon sings

Whenever the kids (or Josh) get World Tour out Gideon goes straight for the mic. Of course he puts as much of it in his mouth when he sings which makes it all the more hilarious. You kinda have to wait for it in the video, he must be camera shy. Enjoy!

What to do...

I've been thinking about our sense of entitlement. This isn't just about fairness. This is about my rights. I have the right to think what I want. I have the right to act a certain way, because it's who I am. I have a right to spend my money the way I want. I have a right to be happy in my job. I have a right to have respect from other human beings, and when I do not get that respect I have a right to let it be known. To kick and scream about my rights. To talk badly about those people.

We take this a step further when we give our children rights they haven't even asked for. My child has a right to be involved in every activity. My teenager has a right to go out and not spend time with the family, just because they can. To not be involved in the family unit, because that wouldn't be fair to make them plug in.

Our country has done nothing but feed into our sense of entitlement. We have a right to go into other people's countries and tell them how to run it. We have a right to bail out, to go further into debt, just so we can have more. So we can be America, the powerhouse. We have the right to defend ourselves. To protect. To preserve. Land of the free. . .

However, I find that Jesus' teachings are opposite all of that. What does he tell the rich young ruler, who had obeyed all of the "commands since he was a boy"? That he lacked one thing. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, and follow me." The young man left defeated. The text says that he had great wealth, most of which I'm sure he worked hard for and was entitled to. It was his right to have his wealth and to keep it. To give his 10% to the church and keep the rest.

In another passage, Jesus makes a point to his disciples after watching the widow give her offering to the church. She gave what she couldn't afford, all she had. She didn't claim her right to eat, to have wood for a fire, for a place to lay her head. She gave all she had.

There are many more examples of people not claiming their rights, like Mary Magdalene anointing Jesus with perfume that was worth a years wages. How many of us would give our years wages to honor our King?

We have fallen way short of the mark that Jesus left for us. If not for His grace we would be dead. I think if I were in the crowd that day Jesus was arrested, I would have screamed for him to defend himself, to fight back. To claim his place as the Son of God. I would want that for Him. That was his right. If he had done those things, I would be dead. Because he claimed no rights, I am free. What am I doing with that freedom. Have I gone so far in claiming my rights, that I've missed the opportunity to show the same love Jesus showed for me that day? I think I have. . .now what am I going to do about it?

Christmas in Indiana

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