Barns, Nobles and the Akins

The closest we get to going to a barn is to head to our local Barnes and Nobles. The children love to go there to read books (see photos) and I do too. I always get a hot tea and we sit in the children's section and enjoy the comfort of books. I always grab something from the Christian section. This visit I was reading a book by John Bevere. His new book, "Honor's Reward" is really, really good.

Now, as far as parenting goes: There are times (very short moments of time) that I simply feel like a great mom. I actually feel like one of the best in the world. And then there are times I kick myself and laugh at the moments that I have actually allowed myself to even think such a thing because I feel so far from what "one of the best moms in the world" would be. Actually, since I have been to some blogging sites I realize how many great mothers there are in the world. I mean REAL Proverbs 31 women! But back to my world. The bottom line is this: I can't judge myself in the matter. Only God can. He may look at what I view as "so little" and see that I am giving my ALL. He may look at my "plenty" and see that I have so much more to give. We only see in part so we need to trust the One who sees the whole picture from beginning to end. He knows how to lead us, prune us and equip us.

One more thing. One day I was doing my hair. I was thinking about this very subject with the Lord, the subject of being a good mother. I was wondering what kind of "mothering" it would take to be a mother that makes a historical impact. I mean to be such a good mom that it would go down in history! At the very moment of that thought my six year old walked into the bathroom. "Mom, what is the end of the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer song?"
I answered, "You'll go down in history."
"Well" she said "You're such a good mom that you'll go down in history."
Call me crazy but I kind of felt like God was saying something about the little something I was discussing with Him.
Do you know what it takes to be a mom that will greatly impact the world to historical proportion? It isn't perfect parenting. It isn't a large platform while parenting. It is simply The Lord. You're a mother of great, historical importance because He says you are! He set it up that way.

Ladies, history books don't devote large sections of its content to mothering but God's history books do and guess what? We're in them. Every mother out there is going down in history and what you are doing as a momma is of great, historical importance in the sight of God. Our perseverance, our prayers, our patience, our penitence, our passion, our pilgrimage - it is incredible historical account. I was wondering what it would take to make it into the history books as a mother. I didn't realize I was already in them and so are you.

Paris' Poem

Paris wrote this poem for a poetry contest at school. Get a tissue.

"He Is There"
Paris Akins
13 years old

My life has just begun
I’m only in my teens
But I have seen so many things
I could have done without

I saw my dad lose his job
I saw my brother lying in a hospital bed
I saw my dog lying under a bush dead
I saw my sister when her eyes rolled back and she stopped breathing

Many times in my life
I have been where I wished I wasn’t
Probably seen things that I shouldn’t
But I was there all the same

I was there when the moving van came
I was there when my momma cried
I was at the funeral after my great grandmother died
I was there and witnessed it all with my very own eyes

I have experienced
Feelings that can’t be explained
Feelings that sometimes bring joy or pain
I have had an aching heart

We have all seen our worlds fall apart
We have all been through painful trials
We have all had enough worries to stack in piles
We have all felt feelings of betrayal and guilt

But I know where the truth lies
In Jesus Christ who is always there
And to Him we can always share
Our thoughts and our troubles

The End

Madison's Visit to the Hospital

I wanted to post pictures of Madison's visit to the hospital. We had taken her to the ER the night before for chest pain. They actually released her then called us to come back after a doctor looked at her ex-rays and noticed the punctured lung. By the time we got back to the hospital the hole had already closed up. Air had escaped and could be seen around her heart and lung. If the air didn't absorb back into her body on its own then she would have to have surgery. Her body reabsorbed the air so NO SURGERY!!!!

See Rock City

I took the children to Rock City and we had so much fun. I am just now posting the pictures. It was soooo pretty out. I LOVE being a mama and I LOVE taking them places. Is there a better job in the world? There couldn't be. Thank you God for the wonderful blessing you made children to be. Please let your face shine upon us and direct our hearts toward home. Please renew the weak with strength and the grant the ones with fading sight new vision. Rekindle our hearts with the hope you have graciously given all people because you, O Lord, make everything beautiful in its time.

Emma's Birthday

In our family you get to go to the store on your birthday and pick out a toy. We are very simple but they enjoy it sooo much and so do I. When we had less children I would go overboard on birthdays. I remember our first born opening so many presents that she tired in the middle and abandoned every one's gifts as they were watching and waiting for her reaction. I hate to say it but when this same child was a young, young toddler she opened up a gift at Christmas, which was a pooh bear watch, and decided she didn't like pooh bear anymore and tossed it in the garbage - the gift giver was still in the room. That sounds so bad but I guarantee that you would never look at her now and think she would do such a thing. She is Miss Manners. We laugh about it now but at the time I looked like the WORST MOM IN THE WORLD! The gift giver was my best friend so she wasn't too traumatized. Though when my friend began to have children the FIRST thing she taught was the etiquette of gift receiving. I too have learned and taught my other children these things beginning in the womb. It is now safe to buy them presents. They won't be tossed into the garbage!

Lookin' Good!

I don't know WHY the other children didn't want to get in on this photo? I am telling you we are lookin' good here and I think this photo is worthy of a post. I don't want to scare you with the reality of my world but this is how it gets sometimes. I thought I'd share that with the world - or at least the five or so people that read my blog! Happy blogging.

The Funnies

I've got the funnies today, at least at this moment. I just want to be silly. I am NOT going to put my wedding dress back on. I am not feeling that silly. I am feeling like I should tell you a story. I went to get lunch meat at the deli one day after church. I was standing there waiting in line when I suddenly felt a cold breeze woosh across the back of my upper legs, all the way up to the panty line. I mean it suddenly felt like I was standing in the middle of the grocery store completely naked. That's because I was. My toddler of about three years of age picked up the end of my long, flowing skirt and lifted it up as far as her little hands could go above her head to give everyone behind us an up close view of the behind of me. Those kids! You've got to love them. I will not be putting up a picture of this, as much as I love photos, you are completely on your own with your imagination. Be nice!

I'm NOT going to say which one did it!

Paris Akins "The Teenager"

Paris Akins age 13

The "Teenager"

Paris and her best friend Rachael

Paris and mom going to church camp

Madison "The Maddie"

Madison Majel

age 11

Maddie and the Mommy

Maddie the "Monster"

Maddie the Mermaid

Jackson "The Boy"

Jackson Akins age 9

"The Boy"!

Looks so tough!

But is SO, SO SWEET!

Emma Claire "Blue Eyes"

Emma Claire Akins - 7 yrs old

Our only child with blue eyes

She's so precious I could post a thousand pictures but I'll restrain myself - I need to post pictures of three other children still!

Eden Rhea "Make a Friend Any Day"

Eden Rhea Akins - 5 yrs. old!

She makes friends wherever she goes!

Mama's sweet girl!

I have to show pictures of each of my "babies" - I call them babies ALL the time, even the 13 yr old. They don't even complain. They know I am stuck in a time warp! Now on with posting pictures of another child - I mean baby.

Lily "The Baby"

This is "The Lily"!

This is "Silly Lily"!

This is "Loved Lily"!

This is "Mama's Lily"!!

Hello blogging world. This isn't a real post. This is me trying to learn how to post! My BIG, BURLY husband is right beside me (those are his words!) trying to help me learn how to do this thing. The world is tired of me lurking on their blogs and then leaving random, anonymous comments. It is time to commit to the program and do all the "busy work" that is required to legitimately join the blogging world. I have to post this picture because my husband was trying to set up my profile page. I'll do a real post next time with pictures of my cute children - and my BIG, BURLY husband!