Serving God and Family: A Bit of an Update

Wow! Is it hot, or what!? With the first named storm of this year, hurricane season may turn out to be quite interesting; especially since it hasn’t officially begun! Yes, it is hot here in South Louisiana and living out in the country brings new and exciting adventures that we simply did not have living in the stinky city. Since the heat’s arrival we have battle monster horseflies, deer flies, and more snakes! Oh yes, there was another snake – this time a young speckled King snake. Two of our three kitties were out hunting it down the other day; good kitties!

The horseflies – oh the horseflies. Those vile creatures had it out for me there for a few weeks. Apparently they are attracted to movement – and my flailing around like a crazy person must have given them the impression that I was taunting them because they would chase me around from the moment I opened the door! Then, when I had safely sought shelter in my horsefly proof house they would slam against the window or sit on the window staring at me as if to say “I’ll get you’re my pretty; and your little dog too!”. Fortunately, horsefly season is just about over and we haven’t seen many in a few days. Whew!

We have officially cast out our kitties to the yard. We knew the day would come when they would be outside cats – but when I noticed they had fleas the time had definitely come. So, they are happily living their kitty lives outside! Needless to say that means we are in a war with some a plague of fleas. Those tiny ankle biters are the hardest things to get rid of. I’ve been diffusing peppermint oil, we’ve dusted the entire house with Diatomaceous Earth, sprayed everything down with peppermint, citronella, geranium and lavender essential oil. We might be making headway, but when I see my two youngest children covered in flea bites I become quite discouraged. We are doing our best to avoid harmful toxic chemicals, and so far I think we’re doing a great job. The life cycle of a flea is about 90 days and of course the eggs can lay dormant for up to a year – tricky little stinkers! I know that with how hot it has been, it may just require more patience.

In other news…

Eleanor is now 15 months old and still breastfeeding! I’m so excited because it is one month longer than Charlotte did, and there are NO signs that Eleanor will wean anytime soon. She is still nursing every 3 to 4 hours during the day and every 2 to 3 hours at night. While many mothers would belly ache at the thought of having to nurse a child in the middle of the night, I rather enjoy it. I did it with Charlotte and I am of the mindset that “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”.

I’m learning, even now, that my role as the mother of my children is a means by which the Lord uses to stretch me, sanctify me, and force me to be utterly dependent on Him for my every need. In Him is my rest, and as long as I keep that at the forefront of my mind, then on those nights where I literally get no sleep – I can persevere and count it all joy because I know the Lord is working all things together for my good and His glory.

My sweet Charlotte is slowly getting over her fear of bugs – it was only a matter of time. We’ve prayed with her and over her – and even anointed her with oil because we believe that the enemy was preying on her little mind. Fear of anything other than the Lord is something to be squashed immediately. It sure was a sweet time of nurturing and instructing Charlotte through God’s word, and an object lesson for me personally. As I was encouraging Charlotte in God’s word about trusting in Him, and believing that He would protect her – I was convicted about my own fears of having the mice in the house, or the beastly snake that tried to devour me (or at least that is my story and I’m sticking to it!). I had to rely in the Lord through our mice infestation, and when I’m out in the yard I need to trust Him to protect me against the slithering snakely creatures that find themselves hiding in my chicken coop!

Oh my sweet Sofia! Her 6^th birthday is tomorrow and I can’t even begin to express my feelings towards her. She has grown in so many ways over the past year. It seems even in the struggles that she has experienced the Lord has given her such a sweet spirit. When I think back on the day she was born, I am in awe at all the Lord has brought her through. From parents who made poor uninformed choices in her healthcare that caused trauma to her body, anxieties that plagued her about bedtime or schedule changes – to a child who can now very adequately express to us when she isn’t having a good day. She still has difficulty making eye contact at times, but we haven’t had a meltdown in months! She now comes to me when she is experiencing anxiety and asks for particular essential oils. She knows how to apply them and she knows which ones work best for her. When she had the German Measles a month or so ago – she knew which oils would help with her itchy rash, and she knew that she needed to just rest.

What a joy Sofia is to me. I think the Lord uses her every day to teach me. I am not a perfect mother, and I lose my temper and composure, but having to raise a child who is highly sensitive (or I should say, becoming aware that Sofia has specific emotional needs that most children do not have) has forced me to learn a lot about patience and grace. I don’t always make the mark, but I’m so thankful that the Lord opened our eyes to the special needs that Sofia has. Through taking steps to detox her body (very slowly) and using my Young Living Essential Oils, it is like the fog has lifted that once hung around Sofia. She is such a blessing to our family!

We are thoroughly enjoying country life. I still go to bed at night in amazement at what the Lord has done in our lives. He blessed us with an amazing church family and devoted friends who have literally come to our aid in a moment’s notice. It is so humbling to see the Body of Christ operate as the Lord intends it to – without bickering and squabbling and whining. It is a true blessing to feel loved and cared for – to see my Brothers and Sisters in Christ putting others before themselves. I’ve seen sweet reconciliation and I’ve born the hurt of lost friendships, but through it all I’m just so thankful for the Lord’s unwavering affection and protection.

We’re looking forward now to celebrating Sofia’s 6^th birthday tomorrow, and then the month of July brings my 31^st birthday and my Charlotte’s 4^th birthday! We are excited to see what else the Lord has in store for our family and no matter what we give Him all the praise and glory!

*Here are a few recent pictures – enjoy!