My 4 yr old, sweet, lil' man

I couldn't resist posting this photo of my sweet, 4 yr old son Garrett! He is almost too cute! Ok, ok, I"m biased, what can I say. Just want to squeeze those cheeks..and I'm reminded that I am beyond blessed to have such a Jesus-loving, kind, happy, zealous, healthy, young boy! Thank you Father for giving me the gift of my son!

Catchin up on life....

Well, it's been several weeks since I blogged all my thoughts....lots of thoughts, as usual, so this blog may be a tad longer than normal...but thankfully, nothing too crazy has been going on...just doing life with my amazing family!

Let's see....it was our anniversary, Garrett's birthday & mother's day all in one weekend this month, which was alot, but oh so fun! 5 years of amazing marriage, a 4 yr old son & to be honored as a mama, was some golden nuggets of good memories to hold on to!

Gideon & Garrett are growing like weeds. Gideon (15 mo.) has taken a few nice falls, which every new-walking toddler does. We have a bleeding cut, scrape, face, or lip about once a week now, on average! ha! I don't worry any more, b/c it happens ALL the time. Bound to happen w/ boys anyways! Garrett (4 yrs) is a hoot! He and I have some of the best coversations about bugs, birds, trees, how people grow, God..it's so cool to hear his questions w/ all the curiosities that go along w/ them.

My boys play so well together..it's been cute to see them wrestle, cry, fall & laugh together. Having two boys is awesome, although, I didn't know, as their mother, that it would take so much physical strength to raise them! Let's just say, my back hurts & my brain! ha!

I have been amazed at all God has blessed us with. It's very simple...we love Jesus & He loves us right back...& even more. Our blessings are not material so much, they are eternal. Things you can't "buy" here on earth. That is what I love our our life, as the Lawrence's. We know how "fleeting" things here are on earth, but how eternal our relationships & love for the Father in Heaven are.

Nothing truly matters to me anymore, other than my faith & the faith my husband & children have. Now, how's that for a 'golden nugget' to take with you! :-)

Ok, so it's almost the end of May...which I CANNOT believe is almost over. Summer is here!!! Garrett's last week of preschool is this week...then it's SUMMA TIME! WOHOOOO! I do have a few things planned for us that will be fun to do this summer, but other than that, I plan on having fun with my kids, whatever we end up doing.

All for now I suppose...here are some fun photos of the boys in our tiny pool, in our tiny backyard. We're hopeful for the future of a bigger backyard someday. Someday..I'm ok with that, b/c it's ALL in God's amazing hands!

All my love to your bloggers out there!

Peace,
Jodi

Celebrating 5 years!

WOW! I cannot believe it's been 5 unforgettable years since I tied the knot with my sweet husband! Goes by way too fast! I wish I could marry him all over again. That day, was a day from God. An extrordinary day! A day I will always remember.
Here are just a few words that describe that day:

~Bliss
~Peaceful
~Happy
~Beautiful
~Spring
~Blossoming flowers
~Family
~Friends
~Yummy food
~Dancing
~Best of all, making a covenant before God & our family to love, honor, cherish & walk through anything & everything together, no matter what!!!

Wahoo! I love this man! What a man, what a man, what a man! & He's ALL MINE!

Thank you God, for giving me such a loving, trusting, committed, devoted, hard-working, passionate, giving husband. You gave me "gold" God! Thank you! I can't thank you enough for giving me this amazing gift of a husband, a best friend, a soul-mate, & companion for LIFE!

Oh how I love you JC!

Tonight we will enjoy time alone, just you and me. That's how it all began....then, we dove into our amazing life together and created 2 beautiful boys & one sweet angel baby that is waiting for us in heaven. I love our family & how we've grown. I love how even through the unbearable, tiring, sad, trusting, stormy, times, we've endured, we're still going strong. It's only to the glory of God & His grace, that we are on rock, solid ground & walking this earth together. Thank you JC for loving me....

Posting wedding photos soon...for some odd reason I can't get our scanner to work...

More blogging to come, but for now, it's celebration time!!!

Psalms 8

"O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise b/c of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands: you put EVERYTHING under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Well, that sums up where my spirit desires to be today! What powerful, touching, intimate words that are literally written on the heart of God. Oh how I love Him so! Today is today! I am so grateful for even the "tough" days....the good days, sad days, wishy-washy days, funky days, peaceful days, rainy days & even the days where everything might seem "black". Some of you reading may know what that means....to me, "black" means, you are in the "valley"...possibly right exactly where God wants me to be, so I can recognize HIS amazing love, grace, patience & compassion and SEE with HIS eyes what He wants me to see in that particular day. Ok, that was deep, but that's who I am.

I have a vase of tiny, red roses sitting on my desk & I can't help but think about the time God took to create something so beautiful & detailed and perfect. Just like His love for me!

Until we blog again....

My Man...

Tonight, I am looking forward to riding in the car, ALONE with my dear husband.
We are going on a date, to the movies with some awesome friends! I can't wait.
It's not often, hardly ever, that JC and I get to be alone, other than when we're in our beds sleeping. ha! I am thankful for this blessed time that God allowed for us to be just be together....ALONE! I emphasize the word "ALONE", as most parents can totally relate to that word: they either A. alone w/ their kids or B. alone with NO KIDS! That will be us this evening! ahhhh! NOT that I don't adore & treasure my kids....I do think for any parent w/ kids, being alone with your best friend can really be amazing. Even if it's just riding in the car, talking or not talking.

JC is my best friend. He is someone I know I can trust, cry with, be utterly transparent with & know, that no matter what the day looks like, he's ALWAYS there.

I am so thankful to God for bringing me such an amazing man in my life. A man who God can trust. A man who loves Jesus more than life itself. Even me! :-) I'd prefer that. A man who works hard, puts his family first & comes home with a smile on his face, despite what the bank acct. says, or how many piles of mulch he plowed in 100 degree weather that day. I love his warm heart, tender smile & the love that he always blesses me with.

Next week will be our 5 year wedding anniversary & what an amazing 5 years it's been. It's been hard work, trials, babies, crying, financial strains, love, love & more love & pressing through all the muck & mire & we're still going strong. Love & marriage is more than just a commitment we made in front of dear friends & family & God. It's a covenant of become one flesh. Of honoring one another, cherishing eachother, being there through the "storms" & the "sunny" days!

I love my life with my man! He makes my tummy funny just looking at his blue eyes! I know, cheesy, but its that kind of stuff that makes it sooooooooooooooooo good.

Thank you Father for blessing me with JC!

More to come next week as we celebrate 5 beautiful years!!!!

Thoughts...

Thoughts...
I have alot of things running through my brain today....I guess every mother does, but one thought that keeps coming up or should I say, 'revelation', that I keep having is to write a 'love letter' of forgiveness to someone close to me. I don't have any idea where to begin, but I know this is something God put on my heart to do. I'm praying it through, thinking it through (obviously, which is why it's such a HUGE thought) & letting it rest in the hands of the almighty father of mine. What I mean by 'love letter'...is b/c I could choose to get angry & upset about some pain this person has caused, OR, I could choose to just love them, regardless of circumstances, past issues, etc.

I do pray, that over time, God the father, would give me HIS words, HIS heart, HIS ears to hear & HIS eyes to see, ALL that He desires of me, as His child, in order to do something like this.

Writing is much easier for me....& not talking over the phone would really work, plus they don't live here locally.

So for now, my "thoughts" are to love, honor, cherish & bless this person in all I say and do, no matter how painful it really is. That is what I desire to do. I"m not going to "strive" to do it, just simply do, as my heavenly father would do if He were in this situation.

More thoughts on that later...

For now, I am thankful, blessed, trusting, loving & worthy!

Here is an e-devotional that I pray encourages any of you who may be reading today:

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns -- May 1, 2009:

Let your heart be still and your mind be clear. There is much to accomplish in this season, and your work needs to be established by raising the standard of purity with clarity of vision and purpose. Refuse to allow the enemy to derail you through distractions. Maintain eternal perspective and righteous focus. This time will produce good fruit if your will rise up in the Spirit, overcome the works of the flesh, and be about your Father's business. The devil is your enemy; go to war against everything that is carnal and ungodly, says the Lord. Victory is assured!

Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."