My Little Artist

During April, we decided to plant some flowers to spruce up the front of our house.  The flower beds were seriously neglected, and we just needed to add a little something {other than weeds} to give it a little flavor and a little happiness.

I knew that Micah would be totally into the whole flower picking and planting process, so I thought it would be fun to let her plant her own flower in her own little pot.

So, we ventured out to Wal-Mart and picked up a small clay pot and some bright paint.  When we came home, Micah got to work on making it beautiful.

She LOVED it and had the best time painting.  The hardest part for her was understanding that even if she painted the inside of the pot, it would be covered up with dirt.  So, she should paint both the inside and the outside :)

 I think it turned out pretty great!

Then came time to plant the pretty "pink" flower.  This created some serious excitement.

My little girl's very first flower. 

She was super excited to take care of it too...for about half a minute ;)

And, this little guy was a fantastic helper.

Mercy Project Monday

For today's Mercy Project Monday, I have something super exciting to share.

We launched a brand new website today, and it is awesome!

Our previous website was great, and it served us well, particularly as we began our organization.  But, as Mercy Project has grown, we out grew the first website.  It served its purpose well.

If you have a chance, go check out our new website here. You won't be disappointed.

You can find all the information you need about us, what we are doing, the kids in Ghana, our team, ways to be involved, and so much more.

We also have come out with a new promotional brochure, and it is pretty amazing too.

Gretchen designed it for us, and she did a phenomenal job.  Check it out.

We are so excited to be able to share Mercy Project with so many people through these two outlets.  More importantly, we are thankful to be able to share the story of the children.

Lots of exciting things are happening, and I will have lots to share in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned.

A Boy and Balloons

This boy loves balloons. I mean, really loves them.


I think he could spend a lot of time trying to figure them out.



And I could spend a lot of time looking at that precious grin he gets while he's doing just that.

Mercy Project Mondays

I feel like one thing that gets neglected on this blog is the nonprofit that Chris and I started and that he now runs full-time, Mercy Project. In fact, Mercy Project pretty much gets neglected by me on pretty much all accounts. It's hard for me to figure out why this is. I think I put it into its own category, completely separate from the rest of my life and what I do on a daily basis. That is so false. What we do with Mercy Project is what we want our family to be about: Kingdom stuff. Some days I prefer to think of MP as what Chris does and not what we do. And then Micah goes and draws a picture of one of the boys on the lake while we are playing, and I am reminded that MP is defining our family. It just smacks me right in the face like that. I realize that I can try {for some unknown reason} to keep it in its separate compartment, but it won't work. My two year old doesn't want it to work. God gently reminds me that Mercy Project is creating a world of service, compassion, and Jesus kind of love for my kids, and that is exactly the kind of people I want them to be. Here is the drawing of Agabe that was my reality check...


Because our lives truly are intertwined with Mercy Project, I am going to start dedicating Mondays on the blog to MP. I will try to blog every Monday {fingers crossed} about it. It will look different each week. Sometimes I will share about events, new ideas, villages, children, fundraising, Ghana, or just the ways the Lord is using MP in our family. I hope this will be a blessing for you, but mostly I hope the Lord will remind me to refresh my attitude about it being just a job. It is about so much more than that, and I've lost some of that conviction in the busyness of mothering.

So, here goes...
Please join us in praising God that a village in Ghana has agreed to partner with us and begin using aquaculture {cage fishing} for their method of fishing, which means about 15-20 slave children will be rescued, rehabilitated, and reintegrated with their families within the next 9 months. There are no words to describe how it feels to know that we are so close to this becoming a reality. God is good. He loves His children in Ghana. We are thankful to be a part of it. Will you pray with us as we begin this process? There are so many moving pieces, and we want things to go as smoothly as possible. We are praying for humility and favor and graciousness and for God's love to be present.

I'm sure I'll have lots more on this in the near future. It's getting exciting in Ghana!!!

9 months

My Beckett,

I cannot believe it's already {past} time to write another monthly letter to you.  I knew time would fly by, but it just feels like it is going faster and faster.  I need a pause button or at least one to put time in slow motion for a while.  You are already nine months old, and I just am in awe of how quickly you are growing up.  I know your birthday will be here before we know it, so I want to make sure to cherish each passing day before it is gone.  You are a light in my world, and I cannot imagine a day without your sweet smiles and hugs and cuddles and babbles.  This month was so much fun with you, my dear son.

You learned how to wave this month.  It is pretty cute to watch you try to figure it out.  You will just stare and stare at our hands while we wave at you, and then your little hand will get going, usually by your side!  Sometimes you wave at yourself because that is how our waves look to you.  I just love that precious little hand.  You love, love, love to give high fives, too, which is another new skill you learned this month.  Every time we hold out our hand and ask for one, you will smile so big, put your little hand right on ours, and giggle.  I would do it over and over just to watch you.

You are such a little cuddle-bug, and this makes your momma so very happy.  You adore being held and will almost never push away.  Sometimes when we are playing on the floor, you will crawl right into my lap so I can hold you.  I still love rocking you to sleep, and I am a lot less strict about putting you down awake than I was with your big sister {shhh...don't tell her :).  I just cannot get enough of your snuggles.  You have also become a pretty big momma's boy, and I kind of love it.  I know you will grow out of it, so I am trying to soak it up while I can.  You started giving us sweet, slobbery kisses this month.  I especially love when you grab my face so you can plant one on me.

Your eating is still going so well.  I have no idea what your favorite food is because you eat it all with enthusiasm!  Love that!  You will say "mmmm" with almost every bite, and it is precious.  Micah likes to imitate you and thinks it's pretty cute too.  You eat three solid food meals each day with us, and I have a feeling we will start you on table food pretty soon because... You have started picking up your own puffs from your tray and putting them in your mouth all by yourself.  You still don't have any teeth, but you are getting the hang of gumming down food.  Your daddy and I are in no rush for those sweet teeth to come in either!

 One of the most exciting things about this month is that you have become an incredible napper. You are taking two naps each day, and they are both usually 1 1/2 hours long.  I love that you are getting so much sleep, and I know it makes you feel so good to be rested.  Your afternoon nap falls at the same time as your sister's, and that makes your momma so happy.  Your night time sleep has also settled in, and you are consistently sleeping from about 7:15pm until 6:45am-7:00am.  You never need me in the night anymore.  Yay, Becks!

You still have the most pleasant, laid-back disposition, and we are still continuously getting comments every where we go about how happy you are.  You smile just because people look at you and flash them that precious dimple.  Your laugh is one of the sweetest sounds on this planet, and your daddy sure knows how to get them.  He can make you laugh at the drop of the hat.  Sometimes, you will just watch him and wait for it, and as soon as he even looks in your direction, you start laughing.  Love it!  You also laugh a lot at your big sister, especially at bath time.  You are precious together.

My sweet boy, you are a blessing.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank the Lord a thousand times for you and the sweet, sweet gift you are in our lives.  Your content personality and joy blesses me, and I pray that you will carry those with you throughout your life.  I love spending my days with you and your sister, and I am so thankful that you have your daddy as an example in your life. I know you will learn great things about being a strong, loving, compassionate, and serving man from him.  May you bring God's favor every where you go.  Happy 9 months, Beckett!

I love you, to the moon and back!
Your Momma

A Little Dip

Although most schools are still in session, I think summer is officially here for the Fieldhouse.

We have enjoyed the sunshine, and as the temperatures started climbing, we decided to break out the pool.

The kids loved it.

We have already spent a few mornings and afternoons playing in it, and I think that will be a trend this summer.  What better way to beat the heat?!

Last night, we went for our first official swim in a big pool {we are blessed with great neighbors with a pool} for the summer, and it was Mr. Beckett's first official swim ever.  

I think it's safe to say that the whole family had a fantastic time.

I think this little girl will get more and more brave as the summer goes on.

\

So far, I am loving summer.  I look forward to lots more days filled with sunshine and pool fun with my loves!

Motherhood

Motherhood is not always glamorous.

I've definitely heard that phrase more than a couple of times growing up, and now that I'm a mother, I have definitely agreed a few times.

However, I believe that motherhood is absolutely, positively, without a doubt glorious.

In all the sleepiness, snotty noses, fits, disobeying, crying, and the unknown, there are always moments in which I can see the glory of God if I am willing to look.

We have had some trying days in our household in the past few months with sickness, daddy being out of the country, potty training, and a very strong-willed two year old, but at the end of the day when I look {really look} into the eyes of my children, I feel overwhelming peace and joy and love.

That is why motherhood is glorious.

Because in the middle of it all, God reminds us that these little souls are so worth it, and we have the gift of experiencing the richness and fullness of life this much love brings.

Today, I am so thankful for the chance I have to be a mother.

I cannot imagine doing anything else.

Spending my days loving on these two kiddos is my dream come true, and even when it's tough {because it definitely is}, I am thankful that the Lord graciously reminds me that this time is a gift, that my children are gifts, and that being a mom is about much more than me.

I am also thankful for my mother who taught me all that I know about being one myself.  I am certain that I have butchered a lot of it because she was incredible, but her example is something I strive for.

I am so thankful for my mother in law who raised an amazing family and a son who loves, honors, protects, serves, and cherishes his family.

I am thankful for all the women who acted as mothers to me throughout my life at different times and different places.

I am thankful for all the mothers that I get to watch and learn from now as I am continuing to learn to mother my children and to those who help me mother them.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!  You have a hard but glorious job.

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness today...especially for these two little rascals that call me mommy.  I am one lucky girl.