The Reynolds Nation

I am going to call it my birthday week. My 33rd, I mean 23rd birthday is this Saturday. I love my birthday! It is hard to be moving further into my thirties...but at the same time it is exciting. A pastor said recently that you become more seasoned as you get older, not old and tired. So I am taking that and going with it. I am planning on going out with dear friends on Saturday night...for sushi. I told Matt that I wanted to pick the couples that we are close to and enjoy the night...kidless! Funny, the kids are so excited about my birthday because they get to all spend the night at Nana's and PapPap's house. Forget that it is my birthday...it's all about them, lol. So, this week I am going to enjoy...praise God for every year that I have and look forward to the years to come. On with the show! I am adding the picture at top, just for Michelle! She laughed over William falling asleep with the map on his lap...so this is earlier this year. He is the funniest sleeper...he...

I was in bed this morning while Matt got ready for work (this is usually the other way around, but this morning he had to go to Jacksonville for a meeting) and we were watching the news about the economic fall out going on. And it does not scare us or make us stressed. We were just amazed with Christ. He is so faithful. He is so awesome. He supplies all of our needs, and he knows our needs before we know them (Matthew 6). I just love the fact that he is one step ahead of me (or many steps). In these times, Matt and I have been able to sow seed into good soil...over and over again...and with that, we have been blessed. All of our needs are met. Yes, we are watching our spending too...we want to be wise. And we are in the process of paying all our debt down. Six months ago we cut up all of our credit cards...it is nice to see the debt level go down. We are so excited to see what he is doing. So, this morning, if times are tough...go sow some seed. The return is awesome. 1. I am thankful ...

I thought I would post more pictures of what we have been up to...catching up on my downloads. New and exciting things are happening here. I know the pictures is a bit blurry, but Judah wouldn't stop moving. I gave him a spoon for the first time today with his cream of wheat. I hated to do...I try to wait as long as I can, but he kept on screeching when I tried to feed him. He did a great job...my baby is getting so big! And he took his first steps today...he got so excited, he fell down. So cute. Today is the day I found out I was pregnant with him two years ago ( I remember dates, please forgive me)...he has been such a blessing. Here are the three steps with their family trees that they made yesterday at school. We used our hand prints as the leaves and branches and they painted the trunks of the trees. We are learning about family. Here is William painting his trunk while Esther watches...I was a bit hesitant with William and a paintbrush, but he did so well. Here are the k...

I downloaded some pictures so you could see what we have been up to... Here is Judah, standing up ready to walk...yes, I know he is a late walker, but so far all of mine have been. Any day we think...he should beat Bryn's first steps...she was 17 months old! Here are Esther, Caleb and William at Caleb's birthday party in the beginning of the month...my little stair steps. Judah and William (a bit blinded by the sun)...sitting on the front step, watching me leave for work...they looked so cute just waving to me. I hated leaving them, but it was only for a few hours. William, the one who always falls asleep in the oddest positions...reading a map. We found him here fast asleep before we went to bed. Judah wearing Daddy's tie when he got home from work. Judah looks the most like his Daddy! Caleb at his party...the cake shaped into the number seven. He was so excited! Bryn with her first science project this year...she made gliders, made some predictions and then te...

Another week has passed...so quickly too. So here is my list for this week of what I am thankful for. 1. My mother safe in our home and that she wasn't hurt so much more than she was at the time of the accident. 2. The cool breeze that was going through our property last night while Matt and I walked...a hint of autumn. 3. Bryn growing up so fast and become so mature. 4. The Daniel fast that we are on...a time of self-control. 5. The fact that He is the Prince of Peace...and that he reigns in my life.

Just wanted to give everyone an update. My mom came home from the hospital last night after a full 18 days being there. The doctors were awesome and allowed her extra days so that she would be strong enough. They were originally going to have her home last Saturday, but at that point she could barely get herself up. So, now almost five days later she is able to get up with assistance. She basically goes from the wheelchair to the bed and back again. She doesn't have much strength. Pray for us. This is one the greatest challenges that we have ever gone through. Not only am I caring and homeschooling my five children, working part time as a lactation counselor and now I am in full time care of my own mother. I am blessed that she is here with us and we know she is safe, but at the same time we are being stretched.

I will keep this short, but it was so lovely this morning to stay in bed until after eight o'clock. Yes, I know it is a school day, but I have been so tired the past few weeks...so as I was about to get out of bed this morning at my normal six, I decided that I was the teacher and I can decide when to start school. So we were a bit behind this morning. Matt wasn't much better...he easily stayed right beside me and thankfully Judah decided to sleep later this morning. This is one of the best parts of homeschooling. And the morning has gone by so nicely...we are getting everything done without problems. As a side note, we were doing our scripture reading this morning and then we were talking about the Daniel fast we are going on and what we are fasting. One of the things that we are fasting is television for the whole family...we don't watch much of it, but we still decided to not have it on these next 10 days. So William pops up and says, "I am fasting praying." We...

Though I feel like I haven't been blogging much lately because I have been stretched in so many different directions...I must testify of what God is doing. I was talking to my friend Nancy in North Carolina late last week (ahhh, we miss you Ellis Family) and I was retelling her all the events that happened this week and as I was telling her, I felt the Lord just whisper to me about how he has been in the midst of the whole ordeal. We have received favor for so many of the steps that we have made these past two weeks. God has been so faithful with his promises. My mom is being well taken care of and every area that we have encountered you can see God's hand print. So, sometimes we get caught up in the whirl of activity when you have something like this happen to you, but at the same time God is so faithful, and wonderful. I must admit that this year has been so awesome for me. I feel like I have grown so much with the Lord and that I have broken so much ground. I found ...

Well, I haven't posted all week. I have been so consumed with my kids schooling, my job and going back and forth to my mom in the hospital and taking care of any of her needs. It has been such a busy week, so I am glad that today is Friday. So, I plan on doing as much relaxation this weekend as possible. It is my Mimi's (Matt's grandmother) 80th birthday so we are going to be there on Sunday to celebrate. Imagine 80 years...what a blessing! 1. Baby Judah with his blond Mohawk gliding his car around the floor in the living room right now. 2. My dad, who I am enjoying a renewed relationship with. Restoration can be awesome! 3. All the wonderful doctors who have taken care of my mom this week. They are putting her back together again! 4. For homeschooling...what a privilege to teach my own children (some countries it is illegal) and to see them grow and change and learn so much. From making glider planes with Bryn yesterday for a bird unit to teaching the "a...

I am titling my blog today for what my body is asking for. I am truly exhausted. It has been such a busy week. Everyday I have been running and not stopping until late at night. I wake up with really wanting to stay in bed...and it doesn't help that Matt gets up after me and the house is so quiet. I am the first one up in the morning...the kids always follow, except Judah some days is up before anyone else. Matt can go into the office when he wants to, so he sometimes loafs around...but most days he still is leaving by eight. This is our first full week of school. The kids were "full speed ahead" this morning. After a simple breakfast of yogurt and fruit, we plowed into our schoolwork. My mom had surgery on her knew this morning...all went well...and I plan on driving up to the hospital this afternoon. My dad said to me that I must be exhausted by the end of the day...which 5 kids can do that to anyone, but usually I am fine. It's just the added stress of ...

Taking the idea from my dear friend Lisa, I am going to make Friday...Gratitude Friday. To make a list of five things that I am thankful for... 1. My dear Caleb trying to recite the fruits of the spirit scripture (Galatians 5:22) by memory. 2. My faithful husband taking out the trash all the way down the driveway in the rain in his dress clothes before he went to work. 3. Judah scrunching his nose up and squinting his eyes when he laughs. 4. My mother-in-law and father-in-law taking William for the night and morning to give mommy a needed break from my ball of fire! 5. My Lord and Saviour...he is so faithful and loving...I am so grateful, excited, and full of hope of what he has for me in the rest of the year. Without tests we don't have a testimony...they only make us stronger. I was talking to Matt the other night about how we believed that this would be "our year..." and the Lord has been so faithful to that. We are stronger, and more full of him than ever and we are i...

Well, as I move along this week I must admit that the Lord is truly stretching me to a new and more powerful level. We are in the midst of our 40 day fast...a time to hear the Lord and to pray for the Cumbre coming up in the next few weeks. My mother had a bad accident of Saturday and was in ICU until yesterday. She broke several bones in her body and had a rough couple of days. She is getting better each day, but she has a long road of recovery before her. We don't know when she will come home and how much she will be able to do. She will definitely have a walker or maybe a wheelchair. I have been going up to the hospital every day to spend time with her, to talk with the nurses and doctors and to maintain a presence there so that the hospital workers know that my mom has an advocate. And along with this, we started school on Tuesday...this is all wrapped up together. Funny too, some young guy smacked into Matt's truck that I was driving on the way to see my mom on Su...

Okay, so after a great summer...one of the best in years, we started school officially today, September 2, 2008. The kids were so excited and couldn't wait to start. I can't believe that Esther is old enough to be in school...the past five years has gone by so fast. She used to be my sissy roo-roo and now she is my kindergartner. So, here are kids this morning...bright and ready. Judah thought he would join in...can't forget about him. Here is Esther holding her Abeka math book. She did such a superb job this morning...she is super smart. Caleb ready and waiting. He is working on the same things as Esther, but we are expecting great things this year from him. He was bouncing all morning in anticipation. He wrote his name so well and was able to keep up...so proud! And here is my little William. Though he is only three, you could...

So, what could "on the other side" possibly mean? On the other side of the street, state, country, planet? It is about living in the Kingdom here on Earth. A lot of Christians are just waiting for the Lord to come back instead of living a Kingdom life while you are here. So, we are able to live this lifestyle now, today, this moment. Especially right now in this economic squeeze it is so important to receive what the Lord has for us. We can cross over, but still be living here. We had a pastor speak a couple weeks ago and he mentioned about how Christians aren't any different than non-believers. I think he called them cultural Christians. This made me examine some of the things going on my head and my home. You can't be a cultural Christian and live on the other side. We were once in darkness, but now we walk in the light...we want others to see this in us. This area has been especially loud in our lives right now. Matt and I have been standing in his throne room wors...