Birthdays Galore!!!

Wondering where we've been? I've been MIA in blogland while planning, hosting and recovering from a sleep over birthday party... actually, make that TWO sleep over birthday parties. Dallas and Maggie were born on the same day, three years apart. How crazy is that?! Anybody else have that in your family? When we had five kids, we only had three birthdays because obviously the twins shared a birthday and so did Mag and Dallas and then Lexie had her own special day. We loved that Dallas got a baby sister for his 3rd birthday but it makes for lots of partying in March.

Well, this was a big year for both of our March babies. Dallas turned 13.... wow, we now have two teenagers, and Maggie turned 10. They both wanted sleep overs and this party loving mama couldn't say NO. I do love planning the kids birthday parties and making it very special for them. We try to make a big deal over birthdays because when you have 7 (almost 8) kids, you just can't make a big deal over each one of them on other holidays. I'm realizing that is a blessing in disguise.

Party number ONE consisted of 10 boys, bowling, 6 pizzas, lots of pitchers of coke, and ice cream cake. I'm not sure what time they went to bed all I know is that the problem was not keeping them quiet, it was keeping them in the house. Why in the world do teenage boys think it is fun to go outside and run around in the woods at midnight? Makes me scared just to think about it.

These are 10 of the most amazing young men of God that I know. They were all so polite and well behaved. The next morning we all got up very early, they showered (thank the Lord) and we all loaded up and headed to a kid's outreach event at our church, Christ City Church. These boys spent the day sharing the love of Jesus with inner city children.

Instead of gifts, Dallas asked his buddies to bring a can of baby formula for us to send to the babies at Drawn From Water, in Ethiopia. How awesome is this?

This is Dallas with his cousin and constant companion, Mason.I'm his mama so I have the right to brag and I'm going to. This is one incredible 13 year old young man. I say all the time how he is going to make some lucky girl an amazing husband one day if I ever let him go. Since he was just a baby, I have prayed that he would grow up to become a preacher. Now he knows that because I pray it out loud over him but just last night as we were sitting in the den he said, "I've been thinking a lot lately about when I grow up".... I asked what he meant and he said, "I want to be a preacher". I don't think I have to explain what that does to this mama's heart. I don't know the plans God has for His life but from the preview I'm getting, I'm betting it will be something HUGE!

Happy Birthday Son..... we love you very much!

Party number TWO..... 10 girls, Johnny Rockets, cookie cake, and lots of games. These girls know how to do some talking. Our van sounded like a school bus full of sugared up girls on the way home. They had so much fun. They played every game they knew and then made up new ones. We heard WAY TOO MUCH Justin Bieber,

and enough giggling to last a year. They danced, jumped on the trampoline and kept us laughing all night and day.

When you homeschool, you pray really hard for God to bring wonderful friends into your kids lives and He has always been so faithful to do that for our children. Look at these precious girlfriends that He has blessed Maggie with.

This year she asked for a cookie cake and it was a big hit. Not a bite left!

Maggie also asked her friends not to bring gifts for her and instead to give one of their gently worn outfits to be sent to the transition home in Ethiopia where our baby girl will live while she waits for us to come and get her. We have been told that the home is in great need of clothes for the older kids and this seemed like a great opportunity to provide some clothes for them. We will be packing these clothes up and sending them to Ethiopia in just a few weeks with friends of ours who are going to pick up their son.

I'm not sure how well you can see the clothes but this is a picture I took of the girls surrounding all the outfits spread out on the floor. It's a big box full! These girls were so excited to know that they were providing a young girl about their age with a brand new outfit to wear. I love the cheerful heart of a giving child and here's a picture of 10 of them.

Please let me offer a disclaimer before making this next statement..... all of my children do not have giving, selfless hearts that would rather do for others than do for themselves. I'm not calling names but they are little and extremely cute;).

Now for the statement. If you know Maggie at all, you'll agree with this. I have never seen a child as giving as my sweet Mags. She truly thinks it is better to give than receive. She has the heart of a servant and always puts herself last. She asked me at least a dozen times a day, what she can do to help me. She dreams of being a full time missionary and has since she was very young. She often speaks about when she is grown and on the mission field. This probably frightens those of you who would work five jobs to put your kids through college but I've heard her say many times, "I probably won't go to college because I don't need a college degree to be able to tell others about Jesus and that's what I'm going to do". Yes, she's 10 and we will encourage her to obtain plenty of education for her future but I also know that God has a calling on her life that she is tuning in to at the tender age of 10. As hard as it is for a mama to pray this, I do ask the Lord regularly to scatter my children all over the world as they go and make disciples of ALL nations. Is there really anything more important that they could do? I don't believe so!

Sweet Mags, we are so proud of you and I pray that I some day have a heart as big as yours. Happy Birthday Darling!

Well, two parties down and I'm still worn out. I need about a 12 hour night sleep but I can't... I got better things to do. Like what? I'm so glad you asked.... my hubby and I, along with some dear friends are headed to the Ordinary Hero dinner in a couple of days. We are so excited.... I will be sharing details when we get back. Just a hint.... their is a tie in to the "bird" I mentioned in my last post.

Then guess what we are doing this week-end.... another birthday party! But not a sleep over this time. Cross is about to turn 3 and he don't know it yet, but he's having a laid back, chillin kind of birthday party. As long as he gets a cake with dirt bikes on it, he'll be happy. I think I can handle that! : )