Dear Readers...

Hey Friends!

Just wanted to give you a heads up...

I will now be using littlemorganpeople.com exclusively as my blogspot.

Thank you so much for all of your support. I hope that you'll continue to read on!

You can check out my most recent post on the new site, Prone to Wander.

We still have a few kinks to iron out on the new site, but be patient with us...we're working hard to get it going!

To celebrate the switch over, I will be doing a book giveaway in the new couple days.

Instructions on how to enter will be given from the new spot, as well as from the littlemorganpeople facebook page.

Love you all!

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Babies

My baby.

My baby, Atti, is 14 months old!

The time is drawing painfully near when he won't be a baby anymore...

The time is drawing near when he'll grow into his full name...Atticus!

Well, maybe not...

(His name makes him sound like he should be out killing Romans... vicously...with swords...doesn't it?)

This hurts my mommy heart. (That he's growing up, not that his name makes him sound like a gladiator.)

Some of you may not know, but I now have 3 children. Three wonderful children, who work me to the bone, and push me to the brink of insanity, and inspire most of my ramblings here on ye ole blog.

Of course I think they're the best thing since sliced cheese. See, I defended them, here, a few posts ago.

But right now, I'm not sure if I'm going to have any more babies...three seems like an awfully good number.

Most of the world would think that having three babies is...so Little House on the Prairie...but there are others, in different circles, who would say that it is selfish for me not to have any more babies when I'm young, and healthy, and able.

I'm honestly not sure where I fall on that issue.

All I know, is that for the last five years, I've carried a baby around on my hip like a security blanket.

And I'm not sure what I'll do when I don't have one anymore.

So much of my identity rests in the fact that I have babies. I have babies. I feed babies. I change baby diapers. I rock babies. I tickle babies. I snuggle babies...oh, there's really nothing in this world like snuggling a sweet smellin' baby...

And at the risk of this sounding a little overly dramatic, when I think about not having any more babies, and letting go of my "mom with babies" person, I sort of feel like a part of me is dying.

Look at that face...

You should have seen me squallin (that's southern for crying) a few months ago when I cleaned out Atti's baby clothes. 

I held one pair of shoes in my hands, unable to drop them into the "give away" box...tears and eyeliner streaming down my face, muffled sobs coming out in waves...

Brandon came in and looked down at me like I was a mental patient, shook his head, and walked out...confused.

I know he doesnt' quite get it. He wants to, but just doesn't.

But I bet you kind of do.

All I know is that God has been good to me in this season of my life. So good. 

And though my season may be changing, God isn't.  And it is in that, that I place my hope.

And who knows, I am still awfully young.  Maybe there are more diapers in my future...

Only the Lord knows.

But right now, I'm going to live in the moment that I'm in.

And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go snuggle this baby... 

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Simple Salsa Recipe

Simple Salsa Recipe

3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped *keep the juice!

(any kind of tomatoes will work, but I used Tomatoes on the vine)

1/2 of a Red Onion, finely chopped

( Isn't our God an amazing artist? Look at these colors! )

Fresh Cilantro, to taste

I really can't get enough of this flavor, but a little bit goes a long way for most people.

About 1 Tsp of Salt

Pardon my old lady-lookin hand...

1 to 2 Tbsp of Lime Juice

*Chop everything up really good and mix it all together. Be sure and mix all the juices in, too, if you like your salsa runny.  The great thing about salsa is, you can't really mess it up! It is so easy! And really, everyone likes it different, so don't be afraid to change the measurements around if you feel you need to!

And the Result?

So pretty, and sooo good!

(This is how Frodo likes his salsa...in fact, this may be too chunky for him. I bet he puts it in the blender when he gets home! I like mine with big chunky pieces of onion and tomato with no juice, but either way you slice it, it is healthy and delicious!)

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Surprise: You really aren't the center of the Universe! I am...

Graysen.

Graysen is 5. 

She lives to play outside.

She thinks friends are the best.

She thinks that everything on this earth- the trees, the animals, the flowers, the weather, the people- were put here to serve her.

She's learning how to be a servant to others, but let's just say...she's not a natural.

I've seen lots of improvement, but more often than not, I still find her cat-fighting on the playground over who gets to be the BEST princess. (That would be Rapunzel...in case you were wondering.)

Of course, we train up our children, so if you asked her why God created her, she would say:  "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever", but down in the dark, spiderwebby heart of my beautiful child, she would think...

I was created so that everyone around me could take play with me. Or take care of me. Or laugh at me. Or love me. Or be inspired by me. Or lavish attention on me...

I'm not sure if this (specific sin) is a weakness in her personality, or a hereditary trait, or perhaps a monster that we created in her.

You know that verse in the Bible about the sins of the fathers being passed down from

I do think that this is a problem that we (women) all struggle with. And yes, it is a problem.

Don't we believe that our husbands live solely to die to self and meet all of our emotional needs and desires?

Don't we feel shocked and surprised when friends betray us or neglect us? How could they? Don't they know, I'm me???

Don't we get mad at the poor waiter at the Mexican Restaurant when he takes too long to bring our chips? Doesn't he know, I'm out of chips?!

Aren't we sometimes frustrated when we hear other people talk about their problems? Don't they know what I'm going through??

We still think that the universe spins around us. We never grew out of it. We're still fighting to be the BEST princess on the playground.

Only now, we've had lots of practice...

But hopefully we've had lots of practice killing that sin as well.

And because the Truth has been revealed to me, I can instruct and discipline Graysen for this behavior- guiding her away from those dark, spiderwebby places, and into the light.  

And because I share her nature, I can also sympathize.

Graysen, I know this temptation well!  I remember what it felt like to think that I was the center of all the universe.

Five minutes ago.

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Water a la Rubber Band

Yesterday I woke up with a headache.

Last night, I realized that the only liquids I've put in my body in the last three days are coffee & diet coke.

And I'll just put a heavy emphasis on coffee. (As in, a friend came over to visit, and I was so caffeinated that I couldn't sit down or speak a complete sentence.)

In an attempt to remedy that, I gagged down drank a glass of water.

It (the water) tasted like I had left it outside all day in the hot sun, marinating rubber bands in it. So obviously, this morning, I woke up with a taste in my mouth like I had spent the night outside chewing on my tire.

I instantly regretted it, as the taste refused to go away even after brushing. Then I thought,

I wonder if something was wrong with that water...


I bet there was a boil notice and I didn't see it...


I bet it had anthrax in it...


That's absurd...


I'm probably just going to get bacteria in my stomach...


If something happens to me, my children will never be made to brush their teeth again...

Then I took a step back and looked at myself in disbelief. Something is wrong with you,  I told myself.

Then I thought,


It's probably more likely, that it has been so long since I've had a glass of water, that I've just forgotten what water tastes like. 

Perhaps all water tastes like rubber bands...




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Boy Toes

The other night, Graysen and I snuggled on the couch together and picked our toes.

She asked, "Mommy...when you were little, did you have toes like your daddy's?"

I started to answer when she interrupted me, "Cause I do."

She let out a long sigh, and a sad look came across her pretty face.

"And that means, someday, I am going to be a boy..."

Because, in case you didn't know, big boys grow out of boy toes, and they take over your person, one puppy dog tail at a time.

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Not how, but why: Defending my little people against a world that hates them.

Yesterday my mom came to town to take the kids on their spring/summer shopping trip. Thanks, Neanie!

I don't know if you fully grasp the circumstances here, but think:

5 year old girl, 3 year boy, 1 year old boy.

Think:

Double stroller containing cranky older kids.

Moby wrap strapping youngest, squirmiest child to my person.

No naps. Distracted supervisors.

Hours of searching through 5T girl's clothes to find outfits that are both trendy and modest.

Judgemental onlookers. Everywhere.

You sitting in my shoes now?

K. good.

Now, despite how stressful that sounds, I actually had a great time.

By God's mercy, I was able to really enjoy my children in the midst of their napless fussiness.

The judgemental onlookers, however, did not seem to be enjoying my children.

In fact, as we stood in line at one particular store, I noticed that the lady behind me was staring.

She was in her late 30's, dressed in Yoga pants and a tight fitting workout top. Her nails were manicured, her make-up meticulously done, and a large swoop of stiff hair supported one rather large, rather expensive-looking pair of sunglasses.

One of her hands held a large pile of women's clothing, the other hand held a smaller hand that belonged to the stretched little arm of the cherub faced little boy who stood next to her.

He stared up at me with a sweet little grin.

I rocked my youngest in my arms, held the hand of my 3 year old- who was crying, and whispered sweet nothings to my 5 year old to keep her from getting restless. My own hair was a mess. Half my make up had been rubbed off by the fussy infant on my chest, and my soccer-mom-white capri's were wearing three, red, ketchup stains that were left there by my french fry-eating 3 year old.

The cashier jokingly asked, "Wouldn't you like 3 more children?"

"I'd love to have 3 more tomorrow." I quickly replied, throwing her a sweet smile just to put the cherry on top.

The woman behind me joined in, "I don't see how you do it...I really don't."

I felt my face go red, but took a deep breath and forced an innocent smile.

"See how I do what?" I asked.

She shifted the weight of the clothes onto her hip. "Have 3 kids." She shot right back. "I have one and he drives me crazy."

My mind sinfully ran through all the quick-witted responses that I could use , but instead, my conscience kicked in and I calmly reminded myself that my words belong to the Lord.

So instead I said, "Well, I really enjoy my children. They are truly a blessing from the Lord."

And that was it.

My husband pointed out later that what she really meant when she said "I don't see how you do it." was, "I don't see why you do it."

Why would you subject yourself to hours of wiping snotty noses, hours of playing referee, hours of changing diapers, hours of washing dirty laundry and cleaning unnecessary messes, hours of endless wining, hours of time spent on everyone and everything-else?

Why?

Well, this is why:

Because creating these three, precious little people, and watching them grow, and holding their hands, and teaching them to pray, and showing them the love of Jesus, and comforting them when they cry, and holding them when they're scared, and kissing them when they're hurt, and showing them how to share, and teaching them how to forgive and to love one another has BLESSED ME with a bigger, fuller, more rich understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ than I ever could have gotten from living a life of ease and comfort.

And I am not going to apologize for that.

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