March Madness In More Ways Than One!

March has been so busy, but it has ended so exciting and with answered prayer!!!

To find out more of what I mean, I invite you to hop over to my other blog, The Cozy Little Kitchen, (just click on the link) where I'll let you in on the new stuff going on in our ever changing lives. 

Thanks for following our journey!

~Mommy

Come Over to "My Kitchen"

It's another snow day here as we got a ton of snow last night for Kentucky, and it is gorgeous!  I thought I was over the snow for this year, but once it starting to coming down the beauty of it all reminded me how much I love a good snowfall!!  Right now I'm enjoying a cozy mug of white hot chocolate with cute snowmen marshmallows while the kids nap after playing in the snow.  As you know, I so enjoy a hot drink!

I wanted to invite you to come to my other blog, The Cozy Little Kitchen, to read last night's post.  Not only is it an update of what has been going on this year, but I share some things God has been laying on my heart as I open up a little about some recent daily struggles I'm overcoming with the Lord's help.  I hope to see you over there!

~Mommy

 

Tis the Season!

There is nothing quite like the joy at Christmas on any given year, but especially when you have wee ones scurrying around!  As you know, God has given us two!!! 

Wow.  That reminds me that it's been one year since our family became official!  What a Christmas miracle it was!  

I usually begin my day silently staring at the fireplace and twinkling lights around our livingroom with coffee in hand. --I love seeing the silhouette of winter's trees and the shimmer of frost on the roofs as the sun comes up.-- I also end days the same way but with my husband at my side.  

The middle of my day is filled with busy feet playing warrior, princess, ballerina, cowboy, Peter Pan, pirate, and super hero around the house!  There is always somebody either twirling, jumping, or flying by me in a passionate pursuit!  Children really give playing their all, you know?

I don't want to paint only a perfect Norman Rockwell scene constantly in our home.  It's been a real challenge to keep the kids quiet enough while "daddy" sleeps during the day while working nights.  Our house is old and every step can be heard, but the running and jumping rattles through the entire house, which is not conducive to deep sleep. Of course there are still fights and arguments to break up, fits to be thrown, and messes to clean but God has answered this Mommy's prayer and I've tapped into His grace and patience as a parent more now than ever before.  I dove into this position head first (as if birthing two toddlers!) with on the job training, Ha!   While the first year I felt like I failed more days than not, He's giving me more wisdom and insight into their hearts every single day!  God parents me as He teaches me how to do the same.

Despite those moments, at Christmas there is just a spark of excitement that seems to always be lit.  I've been keeping out a little table in the livingroom, and we all color together or play puzzles with the Christmas music humming around!  It's so much fun now that the kids are picking up all the songs and can sing with me!  We have a new book of classic Christmas stories that we read and every day we talk about Jesus birth to really help it sink in deep.  Santa isn't the reason for Christmas but Jesus is!

Heath has been working a bit of a crazy schedule this month in the ER leaving him home a few days in a row and gone a few nights in a row.  I was sort of dreading it, but it hadn't been so bad actually. We spend family time when he's off and so far have had some really good times together.  One of the best memories this year is when we went to a festive Dicken's Christmas festival in Paducah with Heath's parents.  It was wonderful!!! The kids sat in Santa's lap, we toasted marshmallows, there were stands of hot cocoa and wassail, story tellers and shops to browse around. What a precious family memory with the grandparents!

Last weekend we went to two fun (casual) Christmas parties where I made some yummy treats and ate even more! I'm really trying to temper what I eat, while still enjoying the goodies... Lord, help me!

One of my favorite times over the weekend was going to church as a family. Heath works so many Sundays so it doesn't always happen, but worshipping together is one of my favorite things to do!  I had to capture this moment that was too precious.  

We were praying over the water baptism of a child who accepted Jesus as Savior!  (It was all three siblings who were baptized, and their dad is the one who did it.  What a proud daddy moment, and how amazing is that?!!)

This weekend my sister is graduating from college with the highest of honors!  This woman is fabulous in so many ways... I am SO thankful to God she is my sister!!!  We're going to see her walk, and I'm helping mom give her a nice Christmas-y graduation party at my parent's home!  Eeek... I cannot wait!  

As we speak, I'm in the midst of making decorated sugar cookies for it.  I was a very busy bee in the kitchen after the kids were in bed cutting them out in all shapes and baking them. (Sorry for the grainy picture.)  I had a Hallmark Christmas movie going and it was a great time!  I made larger sized cookies, but I think there are about 5 dozen here.  

I have so much to say with such little time this morning.  Hmmm... Seems to be a theme in my life these days.  

Anyways, I praise my Father for sending us our children(!!!), our friends, and my entire family to celebrate His birth with!  I want every single thing I do to reflect His love for me, because He is the reason for all of this.  He is the reason I have even one good thing to say on any blog, because every good gift comes from Him!

The sun is up and so are my kids so we'll have to chat again soon!  What's going on in your home these days?

~Mommy

Happy Day!

Why the excited expression??

God is an amazing Father!!!

It's been a week full of things to be thankful for and unexpected blessings!  I just have to share them with you.

Today, our kids started preschool for the year!  2 half-days a week of fun learning for them and time to do everything else for me!  Can I first say how thankful I am to my husband for working hard so I can live my dream as a mommy.  I'm grateful to be able to send my kids to a nearby, precious little private preschool where they get quality attention.  Thank you, Honey for all you do for our family!  I don't take one day of your sacrifice for granted.

We had an incredible summer filled with firsts!  I could do it all again because it was really so much fun, but it is time for just a teensy break to do a few things a week by myself.  There are just some places that aren't easy to go with children (right Mamas?), and with no grandparents living close by, these few hours every week are good for us all. 

That leads me back to the "excited" picture I took this morning after dropping them off.  It was a fantastic morning!  The children were just sooo sweet getting all dressed up for the first day.  Jayden anxiously put on his clothes just after waking up (not like him) and was such a big boy about going into his new class!  Kylie felt like a big girl in her new dress that my grandparents graciously sent her via package in the mail last week.  Her big brown eyes were shining as she told me she was going to miss me.  She did wonderful!

The cherry on top of my good morning was very an unexpected surprise...

A delicious, hot cup of Starbucks caramel macchiato was waiting for me on the patio after I got out of the shower!

One of my dearest friends felt inclined to bless me --out of the blue --with a special treat this morning!  God can make even our small gestures of love to someone be a blessing beyond what we actually give!  Thank you to my sweet friend, more than you know for such kindness.

That leads me to the next surprise that was delivered this week.  It's from the best mom in the world!

(Mine!)

She sent me a beautiful card filled with uplifting words that filled my soul with joy!  Her ministry, of sorts, is giving personal cards that really move me to tears sometimes.  Mom has always put love into writing letters and sending cards to family and friends.  She lives across the state, and I miss her so much!!

But it gets even better as this little thing was tucked inside...

Wahoo!!  Completely unexpected and trust me when I say I opened it in just the day I needed to.  Oh, how I love browsing the isles to find the perfect read for me.  I've always loved to read books, and with the kids back in preschool a couple days a week, I'll have more time again.  She sent this as a special gift to me just for being her daughter and mommy of her grand kids.  What a sweet way to start of the school year for me.  She is one of the most generous women I know!

Thanks Mom!!!

So that leaves me here...

My coffee and new book.  All because God allows such amazing people in my life!!!  So. Grateful.

 

I am blessed to be a blessing. 

 

I'm going to start on my book now, and I'll hopefully chat with you again soon!

~Mommy

A Thankful Heart

Right now I'm feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude for God giving me a son and a daughter!  There were years where I didn't know if we would ever have either one, and a period of time that I actually was at peace with living the rest of my life without children, if that's what God wanted for me. (That place came out of giving God truly my everything and trusting Him on a deeper level.  That's a whole different post, or book!)  

Despite all, somehow I always knew I was made to be a mom.

I didn't know that He would surprise us by so generously giving us both a girl and a boy!  I always wanted a child of each gender, but you see when you try for so very long to have a baby or experience loss, you sometimes find yourself in a place of honest contentment for whatever God wants. That's where we were.  Open to His plan!

Boy. 

Girl. 

Alien-child. 

1 child. 

Triplets.  

A baker's dozen.  

(Okay, okay!) 

Any or all of the above sounded like a blessing to us when our hearts had parent shaped holes that wouldn't heal.

(But God!) did the exceptional!!!

He knew our heart's desire, and He gave us just that.  He gave us two bright, beautiful children (not perfect but as close as they come, lol), son AND a daughter!  

I get to experience the princess time, tea parties, baby dolls, makeup, shopping, cooking, frilly fuss with my baby girl. 

(She likes cupcakes like her mama!)

I also get to play rough and rowdy, laugh at jokes, imagine I'm a super hero or someone's princess, ooh and aah over bugs, kiss lots of boo boos and will one day have another man in the house, with our dear son!

I could carry on about how thankful I am for our two wonderful children, and how our Heavenly Father hand picked our family as intricately as if I bore them myself.  But for now on this hot summer afternoon, this brief summery of my joyful thoughts will just have to do!

No matter how hard the day is, how tired I may be, how messy the house is, or what I look like at the end of the night, one thing overrides... 

I have a full heart and I love my family!!!      

~Mommy

 Jeremiah 33:3

 

Take a Walk With Me

 

I've been super busy but won't you come and take a walk with me, and we can spend time together!  I probably know most of you, but there may be a few reading whom I've never met before.  Let me first say thank you so much for reading, and I plan on being very real in sharing my heart in this blog.  Welcome to life with the Cates!

 

It's been absolutely gorgeous weather the past couple of days, so even though I've been almost "pull my hair out" busy, I've made myself get out and exercise!  I'm so glad of this because especially on lovely days like these when the temps hover around 70 in the morning and the birds are singing, I find being outside an enormous stress reliever.

 

Before I continue on my walk with you, I guess I should share a few of the things that have been filling my days and nights....

 

First of all, full-time working couples and those with children already, I have no idea how you manage to go through the extensive adoption process and still do all the necessary things!!  Like showering for instance.  (lol)

 

I'm preparing for my very first speaking engagement tomorrow night at a ladies banquet.  I'm thrilled to have been asked to do this!  You know, when you tell the Lord you want to be used, He WILL use you!   I don't consider myself a speaker, but He told me I am.  When God speaks, things exist.  So, I'm a speaker!!

 

Everything filling my days are blessings to say the very least, but this time of year is full already.  But when you add making a (pivotal) profile book, researching and applying for grants and loans, which then require more emails, letters of rec, and fundraisers, there isn't much time to even make a cup of coffee in the morning!  Much less laundry, meals, or sweeping the mounding drifts of pollen we have from our shaded lot.  (Please tell me your driveway is covered, too!)  Well I actually love having an excuse to be outside, can you tell? :)

 

I'm currently doing a fundraiser of Derby pies for a $20 donation, and it's been an enormous blessing!!  My friend Shareen Dunn and her family have always loved my family recipe of Derby pie, and she was the one who came up with the clever idea.  Especially with living in Louisville and the Derby being this weekend and Mother's Day fast approaching there are many reason for dessert.  But really, when is a pecan and chocolate filled buttery pie not a good idea?

 

 

So, I'm learning how to make a pretty and tasty pie when you "mass produce" it.  Making one is easy.  Making 8 takes more strategy with the timing of my oven, etc. I'm learning fast what to do and not to do!  A good thing to remember is to go ahead and set your butter out and even eggs.  Also when the ingredients are all out, pecans already chopped, and your kitchen is as relatively tidy as possible, the process goes much more smoothly!

 

 

Heath and I are constantly smelling these heartwarming pies and just the wafting fragrance smells like God is answering our prayers!  We are so thankful to have so much support in all areas by not just family and friends, but even strangers who don't know us well.  I wish I could personally give every one a big hug who is helping along in this process! 

 

 

Lee-Anne Fenwick is a new friend and neighbor of ours. She so graciously surprised us by taking giving us our adoption announcement photo session as a gift!! She's very talented in her developing photography business, and has a heart that is goes very deep for orphans.  Lee-Anne and her husband have adopted 3 children, and she has been so supportive of us.  Thank you so much, Lee-Anne!

 

 

Well, as you can see this was a beautiful day to take a walk/run.  I walked most of this time so I could take some pictures to show you the beauty in our neighborhood.  I love this quiet boulevard that's just a block away.  The middle is serene park with a wide sidewalk and benches, and either side are lovely historic looking homes as you can see from above.

 

 

A little farther down, you'l find pristine lawns with a white picket fence which is something I thought only existed in the movies!  Look at the darling window box in the distance.

 

 

 

You know what Mom said last week is right!

 

The sky does seem to look bluer .....

 

 

And the sun does seem to shine brighter ....

 

 

When there is a baby on the way!!!

 

 

I had Pandora on Jesus Culture, loud enough I could sing to (yes, I do!) but also quiet enough I can hear Spring singing around me.

 

 

My heart also sings a tune that of praise....

 

God is so good, so faithful and He Redeems!

He is The Anchor that holds!!!

 

 

So if you come to my house right now, you'll may happen to find my bed unmade, clean laundry in piles (with full hampers), and white coats pockets to repair and iron. Probably a trashcan brimming butter wrappers, empty bags of chocolate chips and lots of banana peels because they're cheap and fast to eat. A green pollen covered porch that needs sweeping and a car that needs to go through a monsoon to get clean. A desk with lots paperwork to be filled, emails to get returned and songs to be learned for Sunday. A kitchen timer going off as the baker is blogging. ;)

 

 An apron clad girl may greet you with her wet hair in a very messy bun, day old make up with camel back full of coffee (ok, maybe not that).

 

 

But I can guarantee what you will find is the most content and happy couple who may be tired but is brimming with joy and peace in even the most hectic environment!  There is a girl here with a heart that's growing larger everyday with love for a baby that has been prayed over for many years.  

 

You will leave knowing that there are two people who will do whatever God tells them to do to find the family they've been promised!!!

 

 

~Leslie