It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, but...

It may be for freedom that Christ has set us free, but this is not the point of freedom from mom & dad.

Many of you know that we moved the boys to "big boy beds."  Well after a 3 week experiment, the boys are back into the confines of their cribs! 

The first couple of weeks we saw small but gradual progress, however the week that we decided to move back was nuts! That particular week we had multiple parties in the boys' rooms until after 11 pm (sorry if you didn't receive your invitation- Jonathan and I didn't either).  It was with exhausted parents and little boys, we decided something had to give.

Then it came to us- we never tried to move the mattresses to the floor!  Their eyes can barely peer over the tops of their crib rails.  I think that first night all four of us had a huge sigh of relief. 

Let me explain our situation, the four of us live in a two bedroom townhouse.  The boys have always shared a room, and this has never been a problem...until now.  From what I've heard our twins follow a pretty normal twin pattern.  We have an instigator and a rule follower.  So my instigator, would regularly go celebrate his new found freedom in the bed of our rule follower.  At 20 months this freedom, no matter how many times he was redirected, was too much for our instigator.  The result was he and his brother, the rule follower, were absolutely worn out.

Lesson learned as a parent: upon attempting a new transition, if they aren't ready, they aren't ready no matter how much you want them to be. 

So from the much better rested Brooks household, hope you guys have a great week!

Male and Female He created them...

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Gen. 1:27

This verse has come across my path multiple times this week.  Now, growing up in church I have heard this verse many times, and for the most part have not ever really given it a second thought.  I mean how hard can it be, male and female...got it.  But now I have two boys! 

I  have been thinking a lot about this verse this week.  I would argue that not only did God  physically create us male and female, but something about our very being is different because we are male and female.  Here are a few things I have noticed about boys, that at least for mine are innate to them because they are male!

We love to be outside & sticks might possibly be the best toy!

We wrestle just because it is fun.

 Mess is my middle name.

  

Every mountain (or changing table) was meant to be conquered, and not just by someone but by me personally!

I have love my mom unconditionally.  (So thankful for this one!)

While mom is great, I want to be just like dad.

I look in awe at our creative God.  I too look at all He created and say "It is good."

Movin' on Up...

A couple of weeks ago, I was getting ready for the day.  The boys were awake talking happily in their cribs so I wasn't in a huge rush to get them up.  (Pre-motherhood I never realized getting ready without "help" was such a treat!)  I was drying my hair when I heard an abnormal thud followed by a cry that signified a surprise more than a hurt coming from the boys' room.  We quickly ran in to find Levi standing not in his crib, but in the middle of the room. 

After a quick once over to make sure there were no major injuries, we began discussing our options.  Count this as a fluke (no way with these boys), get crib tents, or just make the move to toddler beds.  We decided at 19 1/2 months the boys were ready to make the move to "big boy beds."  I feel like you should be hearing some dum-dum-dum music. 

 

Now most of our friends have one child at a time.  Those we talked to gave us pep talks about how their child cried for fear of being left alone in their room.  So that first night, we put up all their toys.  Our goal was to make their room as boring as possible; the problem is we don't think like toddlers.  So we did our normal nightly routine.  PJ's, teeth brushings, prayers, sugars, and good-night. 

The first 5 minutes were relatively quite, that's when I began to be concerned.  As most mothers of toddlers will tell you, silence may be golden, but is not a good sign when it comes to your little ones.  So we decided to check in on them.  We walked in to hear a soft "Uh-oh."  Socks, diapers, and wipes were strewn out from one end of their room to the other.  You see, the blessing/curse of twins is they are never without a playmate.  For them, this was not scary at all, but a party.  I really think I heard them say as we closed the door "Our parents must be crazy, this is awesome!"  That night, Luke finally called it a night at 10 pm.  Levi on the other hand, partied until 11:15 pm. 

Fast forward two weeks, with much redirection and coaching the boys, for the most part, are staying in their beds.  They absolutely LOVE their "big boy beds."  I still catch them running to each other's beds here and there.  They really do try to be so sneaky.  I'm working very hard on disciplining and not laughing or getting too frustrated (it's funny how you shift between those two so easily).  As a mom, I must confess there is a joy that comes from going in their room in the morning and finding my precious boys sitting in bed together reading a book or playing with their stuffed animals.  I really do have the greatest job in the world!

SWEET

VICTORY!

They sure do grow up fast

I hate cliche sayings.  I feel like they are a cop-out and are somewhat corny, but I'm learning that many of them are repeated because they do hold some truth.  I know every parent talks about how quickly their kids grow up, but my kids really are growing up fast.  There are times I am amazed at how much the boys no longer look like sweet babies but "big boys."  So to prove what big boys we have here are a few pictures...

Just reading a few books with our morning milk.

Well they almost fit!  I'm sure I can go play in these.

Story time!

Aren't we just adorable?

James tells us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  Lord, thank you for my good and (almost) perfect gifts.   Even though they sure do grow up fast, I sure do love this journey!

Cupcakes!

A couple of weeks ago the boys "helped" me make cupcakes for a friend.  Just like all of us, their favorite part was getting to lick the icing.  There's nothing like homemade butter cream icing.  YUM!

I had a really hard time getting those beaters out of their little hands.  It's amazing how strong they are when they don't want to let go of something they REALLY want!

And then they enjoyed all of our hard work, however I'm not sure Luke was really enjoying it as much as he was playing with the cupcake. (Look at that face-crack me up!)  Levi, on the other hand, left no crumb to be found!
Y'all have a great week!

a little r & r

So we're just coming off of our first week of vacation since the big move to H-town. I've got to be honest...It was stinkin' awesome! Now, let's not kid ourselves, Galveston Island is no tropical paradise. After all, each morning we're not waking up to the breath-taking beach-front views of the North Shore. We're looking at the Gulf of Mexico baby! Brown, murky water, yes! And if you dig in the sand enough with your toddler's tiny yellow toy beach shovel, you may be lucky enough to find a tar ball. Get excited!

For me though, it doesn't always have to be about the destination when it comes to get-aways. Steph and I are by no means world travelers. However, in our brief married life, we've been able to see Hawaii, The Bahamas, and we've made a few pit stops in Chicago, New York, Virginia and a few more states along the way. This time around, we just needed a brief reprieve from the hustle and bustle of every day life here in the city. We didn't need the tropical paradise. We just needed a quiet spot where we could break away, enjoy some solitude and enjoy watching our (increasingly adventurous and hilarious) boys.

In the midst of playing on the beach, swimming in the pool at our condo, checking out the Moody Gardens aquarium, wearing out their splash pad, watching Happy Feet in 4D (well...the 3D glasses did not stay on the boys noggins for long) and a few more adventures to boot, we also got some much needed rest. I'm so napped out, I'm pretty sure I've met my nap quota for 2010-11. If there were penalties for exceeding a napping time limit, I would face significant time. That's fine though, I could nap all I wanted to in the slammer. :)

As I'm writing this (entirely too late), I'm thinking about jumping into another week of work and ministry. But you know what? I'm ready. I'm rested. What's most important, from a spiritual standpoint, I especially needed this vacation. One afternoon, as I lay in bed during nap time (oh yeah!) with Levi slumbering away on my chest, I had an hour to just think and pray. Funny how things come into perspective when you just get still and get quiet before God. In just one uninterrupted hour, I thought and prayed about life, my family, about ministry, about the people I love and am invested in. Mostly, I came away thanking God for modeling to me rest. You ever think about that? In Genesis, God rested. I don't even know what that looks like! How does the God who spoke creation into existence...rest? Does an all-powerful God need to rest? So what gives? I've come to the conclusion, it wasn't for Him. It was for me. It was a reminder for us. Every time I lay my head down to sleep, every time I unwind watching a little Sportscenter, every time I break away or take a vacation, it's a reminder of my dependence upon Him! Right? I am so finite. I am so limited, so prone to get worn down and to wander. God rested because His work was done, but I also think He rested not out of necessity but because I need to rest in Him!

All that to say, maybe you've taken your vacation already this summer. Maybe you haven't had a vacation in who knows how long. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you'll make it a priority to break away, to get still and to rest, maybe you'll be reminded of your dependence upon a God whose work is already done. Also, when we (husbands) make it a priority to find our rest in Him, we gain clarity, vision and direction for our lives...and that means for our families as well. I think true leaders know how and when to rest. Period. In our work-work-work world, we need to find our rest in God so that we can be replenished, so that we can hear from Him and get ready for another day!

I leave you with a few pictures of our restful weekend:

just relaxing...catching up on some reading

dad & levi taking a nap

dad and luke napping

sorry...the rock was crooked :)

ocean conquering...check.

dad this is not funny...seriously, where are my legs?

What a Legacy!

Last week the boys and I got to spend the morning with my grandparents, their great-grandparents.  Within minutes of our arrival the boys had an additional breakfast because as I have learned, that's what good grandmas do- offer more food!  They played with blocks, read books over and over again, and even got to chase a toad frog on the front porch.
One of the great joys that comes with parenting (especially boys) is watching them fearlessly make new discoveries.  As Levi kindly rearranged Gran's flower pots on the front porch he uncovered a large, but very cautious frog.  He reached down to pick it up, not realizing the frog was a living creature, and quickly discovered this thing did not want to be touched let alone captured.  The discovery lead to many curious and inquisitive laughs mixed into a ten minute chase scene in which Levi and Luke desperately tried to capture a new toy.  I have to confess, I was somewhat relieved to know we weren't bringing home a new pet.
As I watched the boys eat up the love and attention Gran and Pop gave them that morning, I could not have been more grateful.  Here were my precious 18 month olds sitting in the laps of their GREAT-grandparents listening to stories, playing games, laughing, and just getting to know them.  In a culture so motivated by success and living for the temporal, my boys and I were watching two people who have been and continue to be motivated by love and commitment.  They have instilled in their kids, grandkids, and now great-grandkids the love of the Lord and a love for family.  What a challenge to model in my own life and family, but what a joy for them in knowing that this is the legacy they are passing down.

Pop and the boys

Gran with Luke

Levi and as he would say "Nan"

Pop and Gran, thanks for letting us crash in on your morning.  My prayer is to model the legacy that you are showing us.  We love you!