Relief

re·lief/riˈlēf/

Noun:	A feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress. A cause of or occasion for such a feeling.
Synonyms:	aid - assistance - help

I have made an executive decision for my family (for my sanity). We are hiring a nanny. 

Have you ever had a kid? Or at least babysat a kid? Have you ever taken care of three kids under the age of 5 ALL DAY LONG? Have you ever had to take 3 little kids to the grocery store? Because I have. And let me tell you, sometimes it is just waaaaaay too much to handle.

I love my kids. I really really really love my kids. Bella has the biggest attitude, but she is the most hilarious 4 year old- probably the most hilarious person in general- that I have ever known in my entire life. I wouldn't say it's because I'm biased, but then again I may be. If you've "liked" her facebook page or follow her on twitter, you can be the judge. King is the sweetest boy in the world. He is also the most temperamental, and makes the most poop, but boy those hugs! I live for hugs from my Kingy. And Gabriel is always happy. First thing in the morning when we wake up and I stare into those big beautiful sort of brown eyes, smile! When I make him a bottle and sit him down to eat, smile! When I change his diapers, smile! When I put him down to sleep, smile! When he's playing with his toys and we glance at each other, smile!!! Buuuuuut, he is at that stage where he gets into everything and I have to watch him like a hawk to make sure he isn't eating Bella's barbie shoes and alphabet magnets.

To see the three of them playing and laughing together melts my heart. To hear the three of them crying and screaming together causes me to have a meltdown.

Some days mama just needs a break. So she is getting one, 2 days a week for about 4-5 hours each day. What a huge RELIEF it will be!

Typhoon Mufasa

Oh hey, I'm here..you know...just chillin in the middle of a typhoon. At 11:30pm. Alone (well, with the kids. But they are asleep-all THREE).

Typhoon Muifa

I don't mind typhoons really. It's exciting. Trees falling over in the backyard, cardboard boxes flying into windows, witnessing the crazy locals drive in 120mph winds on the street behind my house. Our homes are basically concrete bunkers so we are safe, and I always did enjoy the rain. It's just being stuck inside I go a little stir-crazy. Gives me an excuse to catch up on laundry though, and the hundreds of photos I should be working on from all of my latest shoots.

These past few weeks have been such a bummer! My birthday this year was a total fail. It is simply impossible to keep up with the energy of all these chirren. Today I attempted to potty train an almost 2 year old while breastfeeding a three month old and simultaneously teach a 4 year old how to read. I miss my husband (as usual...). Thank the Lord he will be home soon (for at least a week). It's so tough doing this alone. Every time I think I got it down, something triggers a total meltdown. Usually it's just something as small as my sleep schedule being thrown off. If I'm not up by 5am, I feel like a failure and it fudges up my whole day. Ridiculous, I know. Then there is the fact that typhoons always seem to come right before I'm due to go grocery shopping. I pray that no one else ever has to attempt a trip to the commissary with three kids when a typhoon warning has been declared for the week. Thankfully I have a wonderful friend who watched the kids for me when I had to go the second time. I was literally in tears when she called asking if I needed help.

I'm praying hard that my other half gets picked up for Warrant Officer, and that we end up somewhere closer to home. Somewhere with Coralyn again, so we can go into business together painting and photographing pregnant bellies.

The greatest of these is love

I have been keeping up with my daily Bible readings on marriage and parenting, however life has gotten in the way. I was hoping to keep a daily posting of these passages along with a few words on what I got from reading them. I'm not finding the time to get to the computer long enough to write every day. I planned on just posting the verses, but even that turned out to be a tedious process. So instead I want to write about a verse that has really touched me the most, and that was coincidentally in both reading plans.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13

"1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.


13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

I have no idea how many times I have read this passage. From the Bible, it has been turned into artwork

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71576836/love-is-1corinthians-13-wall-art-8x10?ref=pr_shop

It is the most popular verse read at weddings

Photo Credit

Stacie Orrico set it to music and made it one of my favorite songs.

It is everywhere! But admittedly, until yesterday I have only read 1 Corinthians 13 from a selfish view: how someone should love me. It was only when I read this chapter during the Parenting reading plan that God showed me this is how I am supposed to love my children, that this is how I do try to love my children (Love is patient), and that I need to show love to others the same as I do with my children.

When I got to the Marriage reading plan and saw the same verse for the same day, it was like someone smacked me in the head with the biggest Bible they could find. How many times have I read articles saying you should see your husband the way you see your children? I thought of the times Brian and I got into an argument. As I would sit there silently stewing in my anger I said that verse over and over to myself, wondering why he wasn't being patient, why he wasn't being kind, why he didn't love. There I was keeping every record of his every wrong. Yesterday I realized that I had been nothing.

"but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears." My understanding of this chapter is complete, seeing from the side of the selfish and now the selfless. I do deserve to be loved as it is described in 1 Corinthians 13. But even more so do I deserve to open myself to love others in such a complete and wholly Christlike way. I pray that God keeps reminding me of this in my day to day interactions with others!

Study Time

I got a good laugh from this.

Courses for Women

Taught by men, for women.

101	Avoiding Walking in Front of the TV
102	Doing Housework Without Complaining
103	Shopping: Buying What You Can Afford, Not What You Can Charge
104	Going to The Washroom Alone (formerly Coping Without My Friends)
105	Understanding the Male Response to "Do I Look OK?"
106	Exercise: How it Keeps You from Looking Like Your Mother
107	Learning How to Initiate Intimacy
108	How to Apologize When You Are Obviously Wrong
109	Understanding the Male Response to "Am I Fat?"
110	Dishwashers: Rinsing Before Is Not a Must
111	The Toilet Seat: I Can Learn to Put It Down Too
112	Using the Thesaurus: Alternatives to "Make Love"
113	"The Weekend" and "Long Boring Walks" Are Not Synonymous
114	How to Go Shopping With Your Mate and Not Embarrass Him
115	The Remote Control: Don't Touch What You Can't Handle
116	You Too Can Be the One to Hang Up the Phone
117	Honest, You Don't Look Like Kim Bassinger – But You're Acceptable
118	Hairspray: The Effects On The Ecosystem (formerly One Can Is Enough)
119	Runs In Your Nylons? It's Not the End of the World
120	Fishing: Being Able to Bait Your Own Hook
121	Intimacy: More Than Just Lying There
122	Learning to Choose What to Wear In Less Than Four Hours
123	Vacations: Doing Without 4 Suitcases
124	Makeup: The Less is More Theory
125	Nagging: Stop the Insanity!

Courses for Men

Taught by women, for men.

101	Combating Stupidity
102	You Too Can Do Housework
103	P.M.S. – Learning When To Keep Your Mouth Shut
104	How To Fill An Ice Cube Tray
105	We Do Not Want Sleazy Underthings for Christmas – Give Us Money
106	Understanding the Female Response To You Coming In Drunk At 4 AM
107	Wonderful Laundry Techniques (Formerly "Don't Wash My  Silks")
108	Parenting – No, It Doesn't End With Conception
109	Get a Life – Learn How To Cook
110	How Not To Act Like a Butthead When You Are Obviously Wrong
111	Spelling – Even You Can Get It Right
112	Understanding Your Financial Incompetence
113	You – The Weaker Sex
114	Reasons To Give Flowers
115	How To Stay Awake After
116	Why It Is Unacceptable To Relieve Yourself Anywhere But the Bathroom
117	Garbage – Getting It To the Curb
118A	You Can Fall Asleep Without It If You Really Try
118B	The Morning Dilemma - If It's Awake, Take a Shower
119	The Weekend and Sports Are Not Synonymous
120	How To Put The Toilet Seat Down
121	How To Go Shopping With Your Mate and Not Get Lost
122	The Remote Control – Overcoming Your Dependency
123	Helpful Postural Hints For Couch Potatoes
124	How Not To Act Younger Than Your Children
125	You Too Can Be a Designated Driver
126	Honest, You Don't Look Like Mel Gibson, Especially When Naked
127	Changing Your Underwear – It Really Works
128	The Attainable Goal – Omitting %@#*! From Your Vocabulary
129	Fluffing the Blankets After Farting is Not Necessary
130	Real Men Ask For Directions
131	How To Take Illness Like a Man