The day has finally arrived my dear friends! I thought that when Parker started crawling at 6 months old (on my birthday-- September 6th) that she would no doubt be walking by Christmas. Well, Christmas came and went...followed by New Year's, Valentine's Day and Parker's first birthday! But today, after almost 7 months she took the brave steps from the ottoman to the loveseat! Unfortunately I didn't get those first steps, but I quickly grabbed the camera and clicked away!

The first clip was actually taken second, but I realized that I had been taking all the video sideways on my digital camera and I couldn't figure out how to rotate the movie file. Oh well...such is life! Enjoy!

Everyone has "grumpy" days. If you are single, you just chalk it up to crazy hormones and drive on. If you are married, you might blame your spouse, chalk it up to crazy hormones...and drive on. If you are a mommy, you fume at your children, blame your spouse, chalk it up to crazy hormones...only...it's not so easy to drive on anymore.

I had a "grumpy" day today. Peyton tried to "help" me make his bed, and I tried to kick him out of his room. Peyton opened the refrigerator, got out a Tupperware of macaroni and then left it sitting on the kitchen table-- I wanted to scream! I gave Peyton and Parker a bath. I got Parker out first, put her in her clean jammies, blow-dried her hair and ran downstairs to get her a bottle. When I got back upstairs (1 minute later--literally), Parker was standing at the side of the tub watching Peyton play, only her hair was SOAKED! Peyton's reply, "Mom...I had to brush her hair with water!" AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peyton has recently been testing out his authority. When he wants something it can often sound like this "turn on a movie," "get me some milk," "no," etc. Our response has become: 1) That is not polite and you may try to ask me politely and 2) That was a demand and the Bible says that love does not demand-- if you love me, you will not demand things of me.

Well...he's getting it! He calls me on it. If I tell him to do something and don't ask politely he'll say, "Love does not demand!" (trying to teach the difference between demanding and commanding is too difficult to touch right now but I do realize that, as I parent, I do not always have to say please-- I digress...)

So in the midst of my grumpy attitude with my precious little ones today, the Lord kept reminding me that when I choose to be short, grouchy, irritable, nasty and unkind, that I am demanding my own way. When I tucked Peyton into bed tonight, I humbled myself before him and asked him to forgive me for having a grumpy attitude today. He threw his arms around me and said, "I forgive you" and then gave me a hug and kiss that showed me he meant it!

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 says, "4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (NLT)

Lord, please help me to always choose obedience and love over selfishness and demands. Thank you for loving me in an unimaginably perfect way. Thank you for giving me your Word to remind me how to live and how to show Your love. Thank you for giving me patient children and a gracious husband who love me through my weaknesses. I always need an extra measure of Your grace to walk through my life-- and You are ever faithful to fill my cup.