The Reynolds Nation

I thought I would stop for a moment and talk about what a beautiful Saturday it is here in Central Florida. The humidity is low, the temp is only 79 degrees and the sun is shining. My windows are wide open and the wind is just coming through the house so nicely. Matt is working outside to fix a line that was cut during the construction this week and the kids are in competition on who can get the dirtiest! They have been outside for most of the day...Judah has walked 10 miles, Bryn is helping her dad, Caleb is in and out and William and Esther are now making tents in the bedroom. And what am I doing? Taking it easy...I love days like this...no obligations and total relaxation. So sweet and sensational! Hope your Saturday is as wonderful as mine...enjoy your family, love on your kids and take a break!

So, here I am at six in the morning. I have been up since five-thirty...so why stay in bed when you can get moving? Right? The house is so quiet...not one bark from Morgan, not one "mama" from Judah or any movement from Matt. I love these times...so peaceful and sweet. The kids have been a bit cooped up this week because of the workers outside...they could go out, but of course they all end up where they are not supposed to be...so because of that we have been inside a lot. I am ready for the weekend ahead...not much going on, just quiet. 1. I am thankful for Mom's Night out tonight...a night with the girls! 2. I am thankful for the addition finally starting this week. 3. I am thankful for each day that God gives us...it is a gift! 4. I am thankful for little boys (William and Judah) in the tub last night squealing and laughing! 5. I am thankful for the quiet...no matter how long it lasts! *Here I am with my little JuJu...my love.

I had to post a picture of Esther. Here she is on Sunday morning...wearing the same dress I wore when I was her age. My mom saved this dress (and two others) from when I was a little girl. Bryn wore it too when she was five...and now my little Roo wore it too. It makes me so sad to see her get big...she is getting so big, so fast. Yesterday she lost another tooth too! So this is one moment for a mom to love on her girl and let you know that she is so special to me. She truly makes my heart melt.

Finally after a few months of preparation and putting together all the paperwork for our permit, we started on construction on our new addition. The men were here early Monday morning and by time they left, we have a dirt slab outline that will show you how big our new addition will be. It seems to be happening so fast...they should be done with the slab by the end of the week...and how perfect for our Father to keep it a rainless week at that!!! So here is the raised dirt at the end of the day. The picture above is part of the addition to...this will be the new mud room that is attached to my kitchen...now my kids will no longer trample through the front door with their muddy boots and dirty shoes!!!! And last, this was the side of the house before they started the work. I have spent a lot time on the side of the house, hanging clothes up to dry! We are so excited about what God is doing. So keep checking back and I will have new pictures of the weeks in progress.

Today is my dad's ...44th...birthday...lol! I won't tell his true age...that wouldn't be very gracious. If you know me, you know that my dad and I have had an up and down relationship. Despite all of that, I love him so much and I am so happy to be his daughter. Born in Warwick, New York, the last of eight children. Though he was loved dearly by his parents, he had tons of struggles with poverty, racism and he always had to earn what he got. One of my favorite memories of my dad is that he always volunteered as the coach of my sports team, and he even went on a field trip for school. As I get older I see so many aspects of him in me...I am excellent speller like him, I can remember dates and numbers from history like him and I now say things that I remember him saying when I was kid..so weird? And one of my favorite things is to hear him tell me my birth story on my birthday...how he was so excited and proud! I am so proud to be his daughter and look forward to good years a...

Long week is the name for the past 7 days...too many kids sick and way too much laundry. I think I washed 25 loads this week alone...and the kids barely wore any clothes, they were laying around in their jammies. But we are well now and ready to move on. Matt took the day off, and we are expecting a great weekend. 1. I am thankful for the granting of our permit yesterday...we start construction on Monday!!! 2. I am thankful that my kids are well! 3. I am thankful that the Lord healed me on Monday...I stood on the word and all my symptoms cleared away and I was able to care for everyone else. 4. I am thankful for funny faces, cooky smiles and loud laughs that my kids make. 5. I am thankful that he is faithful every new day! *I am posting a picture of Caleb (hit the hardest this week from the virus) when he went camping last month.

This has been a long week. Just today, I thought, we must be just about done with this virus...and then William threw up on me during lunch!!! Oh well, we move on, right? I started to do some cleaning today and then in a day I will clean everything down so we get all the germs out. Not much going on...other than lots of Noggin on television...and a quiet house. Not much school was done this week...which is the joy of homeschooling. I will give them a note for their teacher...lol. So I am going to find a few pictures for you, in the absence of words.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 I was reading Philippians this past week and I read over this scripture...and yes it was not the first time...and it won't be the last...but it still really ministered to me. In the times we are in, this can be imprinted in our lives. If Paul can be content while he is in prison (in prison for preaching the gospel), then I can be content wherever I am. So I took this scripture and looked at different areas of my life...to have the Lord reveal if I am not content where I am at...or if I need to make changes. I opened myself up to him...to dig and to pull out the yuck and to show me where I need to make changes. And to look at areas where I need to change my attitude. He is so willing to do this...

The title explains everything. Matt went down Friday night with a nasty virus...it came while he was out for the evening. While he was out, Judah threw up (on me) six times...no fever, just vomit. Saturday, Matt was still down, but Judah was fine...until he went to bed and threw up again. So on Sunday Matt stayed home from church with Judah and Caleb...who was now going down hill. Fast forward to eleven at night...Esther throws up first in bed and then literally twenty minutes later William follows suit. So I end up on the couch since I am not sick and Matt spends the whole night with two buckets and one kid on each side of him. What a long night! And what an awesome husband! So when we woke up Bryn is feeling it too...and they are all hanging around. My house smells disgusting, it looks a mess...and there is Judah smiling happy (I guess he is all done). The joys of kids...acting like dominoes. Lots of prayers in this house...we fight illness right in the face. More updates...

Love is in the air...well, it is always in the air when you have the Lord in your life. As we enter Valentine's weekend I can only think of how great our God is and I am so grateful for the people he puts in my life. 1. I am grateful for Bryn...and for the changes that are going on in her life and how she is growing into such a beautiful young woman. 2. I am grateful for Caleb...and seeing the changes in his life and believing for more each day. God has a lot for Caleb. 3. I am grateful for Esther...her flashing eyelashes, sweet smile and her joyful character. She is a beauty. 4. I am grateful for William...he is so quick, smart and on top of everything. But he is the first to cuddle on the couch. 5. I am grateful for my Judah (aka Chewy)...he has brought me the most joy. When the enemy tried to steal my joy about his beginning, the Lord turned that around and made him my sweetest love. 5. One more today...for my love, Matthew. I could have not been blessed with such an awesome hus...

I thought I must take a few moments to talk about our Judah David. Yes, he has the most awesome name...named by his father, given to him in prayer by the Lord...and I chose David because of King David in the bible and how his heart was. We love his name...but we have realized that we rarely call him that...his is our first kid with multiple nicknames. Every child usually gets a nickname or two, but this little boy has several and different people in his life have named him these names...and most of them have good reason and the others are just from habit! First-We call him Chewy...I know what you are thinking..."what is that all about?" We used to fake sneeze at him and say Achooooo...and he would just laugh. Then Esther started saying, Achewy and that would make him laugh even harder and then somehow it moved to calling him Chewy. I personally call him JuJu all the time...just a portion of his name. He got a sweater with the character, Handy Manny on it...so we started calli...

I only have a moment. It is three minutes before seven in the morning and I am supposed to have the kids up in three minutes!!! Matt and I had a wonderful weekend away...to a beautiful resort in Orlando...only a few minutes from Disney. The place was huge and so perfect. It had a large garden tub (it has been a long time since I took a bath), a pool, and large rooms. On Friday night we met up with Steve and Betsy Gonzalez...our youth leaders when we were in our teens and then the couple that married Matt and I almost 13 years ago. We had sushi together and caught up on their lives. They are so awesome and they don't even realize that the many beliefs that we have today are because of them...they were part of our foundation pouring...they taught us about family...and how your kids are your ministry! We are so grateful to have them in our lives and know that our lives changed by their love, words and actions. Then on Saturday we shopped, went to see the town of Celebration, went to t...

We have had a really sad morning here at the Reynolds Nation...our sweet Goat Laverne did not make it through the freeze. She was down yesterday morning after the first freezing night and we did everything yesterday to get her going...but she just didn't make it. We had a few tears this morning, and Matt and I will bury her today. On a good note, Matt and I are going away for the weekend...to Orlando without any kids!! The kids are staying with the in-laws and we are going to a resort!!!! WoooHooo! We are very excited and can't wait to get there. We need a weekend to ourselves...it has been a year since we were alone for more than 24 hours. 1. Of course, I am super excited and grateful for a weekend away! And for the in-laws who will watch my kids. 2. I am so glad for my kids! 3. I am grateful for the four years that we had sweet Laverne...she loved to roam the property (she was the biggest escape artist) and she loved popcorn...we will miss her. 4. I am grateful fo...

Not quite...but I was thinking about that this morning as my kids ate applesauce that I had made earlier in the fall (I froze several batches)...and also they ate fresh blueberry and banana nut muffins that I made yesterday. I took advantage of a deal a few weeks ago and froze a ton of blueberries for the upcoming months...but I kept some aside and made the muffins yesterday. So, it is nice to eat from what you made months ago...the applesauce tasted just like apple pie, but without any sugar. Now I am off to start my school day...I will have to post my schedule, just so I can make you tired, lol. But just like I read yesterday...He gives me all the strength I need and in every situation I am content. If Paul can write that while he is in jail, they I can be content in my cozy house with my wonderful family. Blessings!

Seventeen years ago I met a young man who would change my life. I didn't know it at the time, but he has touched my life more than any person. He was a bit shorter ( I think) and he had a whole bunch of blond hair (and we will just say that it is not as natural as Esther's and Judah's hair...but it was still blond, lol). We met at a church service one day and I wasn't the nicest person when we first met. He says to this day that I was a bit of a snob, but I beg to differ! But from that day on he was one of my dearest friends. We were friends first...we laughed, played, went to school together and of course we argued. We couldn't be any more different, but because of that reason we gel together easily. I am strong where he is weak and I am weak where he is strong. It's the way God wanted it. Today is this young man's birthday...but he is just not as young anymore. Today he is turning 33 years old. Can't believe that I have been around for the past 17 year...