The Crazy Armstrongs: February 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

It's been a crazy whirlwind week.... with Jonas recovering from a nasty sinus infection and Kate with a borderline ear infection and with bronchitis, they both were on high demand! Then we had a bug infestation of some crazy beetles that only took hours to clean/ kill while getting ready for 6 house showings this week ( If you didn't know we are selling our house), then my car decided to break down which was consuming for a whole day, and in the middle of it all we got an offer on our house....

WHEW! Take a deep breath it's Friday and I finally have time to breath!

Even through these crazy busy times,

God continues to teach me, challenge me, helping me grow even more in the process.

So, today I relax and pray!

I leave you with some pictures of a few weeks ago, we went on a picnic.

You can tell how Jonas and Kate's relationship is blossoming into cute buddies!

Only thing on Kate's mind is what are we going to eat ...

she is in love with her food.

Jonas talking baby talk to Kate while Kate is up to something...

Kate goes in for the grab and thinking I want to eat his head .. while Jonas is trying to pick up his drink

Jonas loves it! Belly laughing like crazy

Then quickly goes in for a big wide mouth sloppily kiss

Jonas belly laughing, Kate still thinking I want to eat him!

"Kate you can chew on my finger" says Jonas

I say " Your so sweet Jonas, baby Kate just loves you" and he goes in for the return sweet kiss he loves her too!

Kate is in love as she just lights up when Jonas plays with her.. he barely does anything and she's laughing or smiling like crazy but in return Jonas loves that she tackles, plays rough and can throw down.

These two are going to be good buds I can tell!

I'll keep you posted on selling our house in the meantime pray for us!

Moving seems very overwhelming

Update

All our 6 children have been sponsored thanks so much for everyone willing

to help care for these beautiful children!

If you are still interested we still have more children within our group that need sponsored families!

Check it out here for more details

Friday, February 3, 2012

One More...

This is the first video made of their trip to Haiti

Following God to Fond Blanc from Audrey Perrott on Vimeo.

ONLY 2 Beautiful Children LEFT!

Please email at heidi7077@gmail.com for any details!

This precious little girl is Angeline

Born on January 26, 2004

She is in second grade

Parents couldn't care for her.

This little boy is named Vilmeuse

Born June 9, 2004

currently in the first grade

He lost his father

Act now!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Love

Jonas and my relationship is renewed, revived, refreshed, whatever you want to call it. We have had a new beginning between the two of us. Maybe Jonas wasn't even aware it was gone because I was good at faking it. But to be honest our relationship had struggled once Kate was born... we struggled with a combination of a new baby and toddlerhood with a little boy needing full attention and a feeding around the clock baby girl. The division had started, Jonas and Scott were on the same team inseparable where I was constantly attending to baby Kate. It was hard for me to let go of Jonas and watch the Boys with there priceless bond . Yes, even hitting the jealous nerve every once in while with me thinking "Jonas doesn't ever want me"... granted I was a hormonal women just had given birth, but still I feel like I was failing him as a mom. He only wanted Daddy to put him to bed, only laughed at daddy jokes or went to Daddy when he was hurt, screaming for daddy when he was in timeout. Daddy was the hero! I thought " I want that!"
Finally this last month without Jonas' choice he had to rely on me more as Scott was away for 3 weeks in Jan. and I fought hard for our relationship.. trying to cuddle, reading more, listening more, and especially having more patience! Doing it even when I didn't want to or have time or energy to, I knew it was important for us! I prayed and hoped it was working!

I have a special thing with the kids that I say in my excited voice "Guess what Jonas?" and I keep repeating it until they respond and then I say "I love you!" I might do this once a day, the kids love it and do it back to me but never Jonas ...he would only say "Guess what?" and I would say "Ya Jonas" and he would just laugh and never say I love you in return and that was OK. Until one day I was in a mad dash running late to get somewhere, being frustrated I'm late. I throw all the kids in the car and all the stuff that goes along with them. Finally getting in the car all the while the kids are loud and flustered too. I was driving and Jonas for the hundredth time was saying "mommy! mommy!" loudly and I turned snapped "WHAT JONAS?" and he said "Guess what?" "Guess What?" I was not in the mood for his funny game of going silent when I asked him "what?" But he did it anyways and said " I LOVE YOU! in the sweetest voice... my eyes teared up ... and melted my heart... he said it for the first time! This was just a few weeks ago, after that our relationship was in fast forward of restoring.
After this weekend I realized it's all about Jesus and the love he has for us, it's to be channeled through us to our children. Just like Jonas for some reason in the middle of that crazy moment he finally found it as a comfortable time to tell me he loves me ...maybe because he had been feeling me trying so hard to persue him. Maybe he knew that is exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. Just as God showed up for me this weekend it was exactly what I needed to hear... more than anything God loves me even when I fail over and over again as a mom/wife. Just as God persues me all the time and I'm easily distracted, I struggle with feeling his love for me . At the retreat, it was loud and clear that no one else on this earth loves me more than God! Really I have heard it before a thousand times, but this last weekend it was etched into my heart forever! I felt special and chosen... like every word was just directed just for me to hear and no one else. There is just such strength and honor in that! I also learned that our children need to be raised feeling the same way, that no one else in this world loves them more than God! What a powerful statement as they can only be truly filled up by God. I pray I can see my children as God sees them and help them be reminded of the love that their creator has for them is like no other! Thank you Lord for the love you have given me even when failing you miserably you help me pick up the pieces to move forward.