Competition

Tonight is the BIG game!  The BIG one...U of M vs...someone for the NCAA Championship.
I guarantee you these two teams know they are in a competition.  They are fighting to win!
I also read a great blog post today about Motherhood.  It's competition too..isn't it?
Me?  Sometimes I feel like I'm in a competition on a daily basis.  One I didn't sign up for, but find myself in all too often.  The motherhood competition.  Am I a great Mom?  Sometimes it's not until someone responds to you do you realize you were comparing or being compared with.  That second feeling is the hardest for me to understand.  Why would anyone compare their life to mine and try to "one up" me or think that what I am doing has anything to do with them?  It baffles me.  Then I realize I do the same thing.  I see others that have something in their relationship with their kids, or the type of home that they have and I feel the need to compare myself.  WHY?  Am I really that shallow?  The answer?  Yes.  I am.  Not always but on days when I'm not grounded in God's Word and I get involved with thoughts that I have not taken captive.  Yes I am.    Seeing real competition on TV is making me realize that I am in a race.  I need to stay in the right race.  Not the race to see who is the better mom, the thinner mom, the happier mom or the financially secure mom. There is a race set out for us.
So I need to remember...Hebrews 12:1b-2a......let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith 
I loved this blog post and encourage all you mom's to read it.  We just need to be good moms to our kids, the way God calls us to.
http://lysaterkeurst.com/2013/04/the-day-my-fragile-identity-as-a-mom-melted/

Happy Birthday To My Husband

Dear Husband,
I am so happy today to celebrate YOU!  You are the most wonderful man I know.  I love you from the depths of my heart.  There are so many things about you that I admire and respect.  You take care of us so well. We have never needed anything and for that I thank you.  I am even allowed the privilege of my only job being raising our 4 kids every day rather than having to leave the house.  I am so blessed.   You spend time with us playing.  It's a good time when Daddy is home to play!  You love me unconditionally.  Faults, failures and bad breath.....I have never once doubted your devotion to me.
Husband there is one thing I admire more than anything else.  It's that you are constantly changing.  Not personality wise or even in looks but you are constantly striving to be what God wants you to be.  You follow HIM each and every day and I see that clearly in your life, and ultimately in our life.  You are not the man I married - you are better because of your choices and desires to love God most.
Thank you dear husband for all that you do.  I appreciate your work, your mind that keeps our life organized and financially secure, your willingness to be a kid and be silly with us.
I love you.

GO BLUE!!

5 Years Old!

My little boy turned 5 yesterday.  It seems as thought This Day was just a week or so ago.  This year he sat to open his gifts and read his birthday card from Grandma all by himself.

I am so grateful for this little wonder that is the child I pray for so many years for.  He has been the biggest blessing and I have learned so much from him.

I love being his Mommy and I pray that as he grows, as much as he loves his mommy and his mommy loves him, he love God more.

Reading his card all by himself.

Referee's

James IV wanted to referee this year.  His first job.  He was excited to earn some money.  He refereed for our church basketball league...which is quite large.  He ref'd the young kids and had a great time.
Big James loves to referee.  Loves it!  He has ref'd basketball for CBC for the last few years along with training the young refs.
This year was different for him though.  His boy wanted to do it with him.  Oh the pride and happiness that my husband felt.  Not that James wanted to be like Dad, but that he got to do something together.  Each week that was grown up.  Something he knew was coming, but was happily surprised when he realized how mature his son had become.
I would say they had more fun in the car on the way to and from than the actual refereeing.  I'm SO SO glad they got to do this together.  A great father/son event.
Little James (although he is not so little anymore- he's taller than me!) learned so much!  I think he thought that it would be easy peasy and a quick paycheck.  He learned it takes time and energy.  Most of all he learned it's a sacrifice to have a job.  He learned that there were other things he would rather do but couldn't because he committed to a job.  I think he respects the working world a bit more now.  I know he at least understands it better when someone says "I have to work".
Good things happening around the Wickman house.  Isn't it fun to watch your kids grow up?

Just a Peek at Cuteness

Aren't these the cutest little helpers??

Because I Can!!

In the last couple of months I have had one of the Wickman children have some very grouchy days.  Very grouchy.  I seemed to be getting the brunt of the grouching.    When I asked this child "why are you treating ME so icky?  What's going on?"  The answer was a very bold "BECAUSE I CAN".   I did not react right away and instead made this child spend some time alone in their room until they felt a bit less grouchy.  

I thought about this answer. What in the world??  Am I just easy to run over?  Easy to be mad at? 

So this child explained later.  I can be grouchy with you because you will still be the same.  You don't change  how you feel about me or change plans or not talk to me.  That was literally the end of the conversation. 

Oh........days, and I mean days,  of running those thoughts through my head.  

I get it now.  They feel secure.  While treating me like that wasn't ok, it was actually a bit of a compliment.   They get it.  I love them.  Always.  Unconditionally.   No matter the mood, place or timing.  I will love them.  

I do the same thing to God.  I am mean and grouchy to Him.  I get mad.  I take out my bad days on Him.  

Why?  

He always loves me. Always.

Pastor Bob said it well last Sunday - "God has big shoulders, He can take it".  He can and he does.  He can hear my cries and he knows my sinful heart and loves me anyway.  Unconditionally.  

Happy Birthday Dad!

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Happy Birthday Dad!

This picture is a little old...Evan is 5 now, but I LOVE the smile on my Dad's face!  The smile that he gets when having a good time with someone he loves.  I remember this smile playing with him as a kid, I've seen it when he looks at my mom and I still see it when we play games as a family.  I love it!  It's my dad.

Dad, I hope you have a fantastic day!!