HE IS RISEN!

We sang this song at church today and it is one of our kids favorites. So thankful to be worshipping a Risen Savior!

New Kitchen Color

Keep in mind that I am not a photographer....here are some of the pics...more to follow soon!

Uncle Shawn does more then paint...here he was helping Gracie out on some math homework

kitchen before

Robbie having fun with Uncle Shawn

new kitchen color

eating area

moved this furniture into the room with the piano

Shawnie's back in town!

Hey there, just stoppin in real quickly!! Been busy, busy, busy! Ya see, my brother Shawnie is in town and he has been a painting machine! He came in Sunday night during the torrential downpours to paint outside....and well, he ended up painting my kitchen and hallway for the first 2 days.....yippppeeee! I'm such a slave driver....according to him;) It looks absolutely beautiful with pictures to come reallllllll soon!

I love having him here with me and having the time to spend together....whether its listening to some great new praise song or singing at the top of our lungs to Journey's...."Don't Stop Believing" (totally on key)or trips down memory lane, Making me laugh at totally inappropriate times....it's always a blast!

Just talkin bout life....the ups and downs and the struggles we face and our stinkin sin nature that we fight. Ya see, we kinda are alike personality-wise and therefore struggle with some of the same things. I really appreciate his absolute, frank, honesty when we talk and am thankful for his discerning words of wisdom which always lead to the cross and how Christ wants us to live!

Love you lil' brother...Shawnie boy!!

Ps. I say lil' but there's only 3yrs. 11months and 4days between us;)

My little Mag-pie

The other day...I noticed...right there before my very eyes...my little girl is getting older....she's maturing.....she is getting taller in stature.....her feet are almost as big as mine(sz. 9) I enjoy our conversations together.....I love her unique creativity for things...I love how she mothers her sister and brothers.....I love her notes that she leaves for me...here and there...I love her inventions and seeing how her mind puts things together...I love that she is a girly girl but yet loves to fish with her daddy...I love her flair for fashion....I love watching her grow in her relationship with the Lord ....through the ups and downs of being 10 1/2 and the sensitive feelings and hurts that come from situations or friends at that vulnerable pre-teen age I have seen the Lord use these things to bring her close to Him and she is blossoming...everything in me wants to keep her from growing up but I know I can't...I feel as though time is just evaporating and slipping right out of my hand like sand through my fingers.

I thank God for the very precious treasure she is to me and our family and for the privilege to raise this beautiful girl into a young woman. I pray that she always seek Him first in all that she does and that He would be glorified in her life! What a sweet blessing!

these were notes we found in our bag once we got to Jamaica...loved it!

i love this one...she put this on our elliptical

my bathing beauty

stilts she made from little crates and bubbled envelopes

these are pizza-hut boxes she used for a baby room

she wanted a basket on the front of her bike to put her babies in while riding so she asked for a crate and then had Nate zip tie them to her handle bars...I love how her mind works!

my girl and me! love her!

No Spring in our step!

So the first few days of Spring for the Hirschberg's have been ushered in with sickness. Me, being the first casualty....spending the first 70 degree weekend wrapped in a blanket. Coughing, sneezing, fever...you get the picture. M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E!!!!!! My children then fell prey to the virus....actually there is more then one going around our house!

After doctors appointments....4 of us are on antibiotics due to the following...sinus infections, ear infections(some in both ears), possibly strep but THANKFULLY(you with children understand why I say this in all caps)they felt as though there were "so many" things wrong with "each" of them that the antibiotic would cover it if it was strep(which is one of the things I suspected)so they didn't need to, as my kids say.....gag them with a stick!

For the record, I have never, in all my years of being a mom, gone to the pediatricians office and have them give me an antibiotic for each child that was seen....seriously....I usually get the same ol' story....some big explanation about viruses verses bugs....blahhh blaahh blahhh....I tone them out and then just as they are nearing the end of their spiel....I cringe with the words...."VIRUS....just plenty of rest and fluids"...yada..yada...yadaaa. I stick my tail back between my legs and walk out all dejected(not really). Not that I want them to have an infection....but schlepping everybody out the door with chills and urges to vomit at the sight or smell of anything, and crying because heads hurt and talking hurts..(i totally get that)is not pleasurable and I really don't want to think it as a vain trip all for naught....ya know....for crying out loud....help a mama out....maybe just a little somethin....some magic potion....a placebo pill...

However, today......being that I was told "with all the many things going on with each one...they each need to be on a antibiotic"......one would think maybe I would feel....I don't know...some sort of validation.........ahhhhh, yes, finally....I'm right! Sign me up for med school. But, I found myself.......humpf...wow.....really.....okay......ugh.....should I have seen something sooner....when did he/she start with that cough....wait, did you complain of a sore throat last week....or last month....what?!

There it was.........slinking right in position.......that stinkin MATERNAL guilt! What in the world?! Ya know, what I'm talkin about.....right......righhhhhhhht?!

I quickly found myself thanking the Lord that they would soon be able to feel better...with a few poppin of some pills. So far....it's taking a while.....longer then I would like....the fevers are high and are not coming down with motrin, the crying, whining and mommy demands are many and I can't be with each one at the same time. But, I found myself remembering something that one of my dear friends posted on her blog....she has a framed saying in several strategic spots in her house....that says this, "I'm gonna miss this". Doesn't that say it all! It speaks to my heart! I want to treasure all of the time...good, bad, sick......whatever....it's my privilege as their mommy! I'm not perfect....but He is and He gives each of us what we need to get through our mommy moments! Sooooo with no further adoo....let me get back to some luvin on my kiddos!

"Spring Fever" is here!

this picture says it all!

this was after a shower...she looks pretty good

here...don't let the pic fool ya!

You wouldn't know he had a double ear infection with a

nasty sore throat?!?! what a rock! he's the only non-

complaining one who is helping me wait on his siblings.

right now ice is all they can eat....she and Gracie

can't even drink from a straw...poor babies...when

they talk you would think I had a bunch of frogs living

in our house:(

this poor guy is green...can't you tell...he's got

a sore throat but is also throwing up...ugh...he's

got the whole stomach thing going on! Yikes

not me, Lord.....please!!

What's wrong with this picture?

I came home the other day and I found this magazine, and was curious as to what took place...as you can see the cover is off.

This is one of those health/excercise magazines that I had been given a subscription to and usually they have some glamorous, flawless, re-touched, inaccurate picture of the "total woman" which I believe is a complete fabrication of what that woman really looks like. Usually, I receive the mail and take this and turn it over and put it away on my desk until I get the chance to browse through it.

So off I went to begin my little search...I found out that Nate had seen the magazine when the mail came in and informed me that the picture was inappropriate so he took scissors and cut off the cover.

A little history....from the time that our boys were little we have been teaching them to "bounce" their eyes off of inappropriate pictures or those people who choose to barely wear clothing(which unfortunately is the "in" thing) Dr. Dobson gets the credit for this idea and we have really tried hard to instill this into all our children especially our boys.

I praised Nate on making such a wise decision. But, it made me very aware that I am not always on the alert and looking out for such things that could possibly provoke my children. Here, as a mom I think that I am trying to teach them everything I possibly can on how sin can ensnare and how we need to constantly be on guard...yet it sneaks in...here, there...it can't be contained. We can't put our kids in a bubble and nor would I want to. How would they ever be able to take a stand on their own in what is right....if they don't get exposed to them. (now, grant it...didn't make me feel good it was a magazine I had). Nate made the right decision.....I was proud of him for that...and yet I know that he will not always make the right choice....none of us do. But God promises this:

1 Corinthians 10:12&13

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

And oh how we pray, that God would convict our childrens heart and that he would penetrate the very depths of their souls...that they would know how desperately they need a Savior...and that it would deepen their relationship with Him.

I love this boy so much and he reminds me of what it is to love Jesus. His deep sincerity and desire to serve Christ is evident in his life and I pray that it would never waver and that he would continue to let his light shine!

He speaketh my love language!

Acts of Service! My dear hubs cleaning out the fridge....I abhor this job!

He willingly does it....that's just one of the many tasks he

does. Love you, babe!