aaahhhh naptime sweet sweet naptime....

The peace and quite of nap time rings in my ears everyday from noon until three. The time were the house is still and no one is stirring not even a sweet pea(who from time to time, more often than not, chooses to play "quietly" in her room). This is when all stay at home moms are faced with the age old question : Should I take a shower or should I nap? The debate that has been going on in my life for the past three and half years. Let's weigh our options. You can A.) take a shower and rid yourself of the morning(cleaning products, soggy animal crackers, snot,etc.) or you can B.) take a nap.(you could just change your shirt and that could be close to the same thing as a shower-right?) You do have the option of taking a long HOT shower until all the hot water runs out. This sounds good. After all, no one will need hot water until later in the night-hmmm-even more tempting. But then there's that nap. The couch calling your name, your favorite blanket tempting you with its warmth and comfort, and what's that on Lifetime-a romantic comedy? You mean I DON'T have to watch Yo Gabba Gabba again. Oh, what to do? What to do? The more I contemplate the more time I waste! Do I take the chance to take a shower longer than five minutes without someone calling mommy!!!MOMMY!! Or do I give in to the temptation that is a nap? Decisions, Decisions!!!!(Why must life be so hard???!!!) Then the light bulb in my head goes off!(please keep all comments about my light bulb to yourself!)If I take a quick hot shower then I can give in to the tempting couch and have my nap! That's it! Be clean and sleep! Who would have thought those two words could be in the same paragraph much less the same sentence! This just might work. (after all the six loads of laundry that are sitting on my bed have been there all week anyway-they can wait until tomorrow!) Joy pure joy runs through my veins! I take my hot shower and just as I lay down on my comfy couch with my warm blanket that's when I hear it-the sound that changes everything. That's right it's the boy calling-hey! hey! blejy fblehfjayf sahy.(that would be baby talk) Then I realize that naps and showers aren't joy(although they are REALLY close!) but that my smiling happy babies are. After all there is always tomorrow!:) Until tomorrow's nap time- JFowler

Why we don't do Halloween........

That's right you read the title right, we don't do Halloween. I'm sure there are a thousand and one questions rolling around your head. What? Are they crazy? Etc., Etc., Etc.... Well I've been asked this more than once and I actually enjoy the look of shock on some people's faces.( It's rather entertaining) but that's besides the point. So why have I decided to blog about our decision about keeping our children out of the always popular dressing up, candy getting, fun time holiday? We don't do things the same as a lot of other parents. I think a lot of people go through this life just doing what's always been done and never really knowing for sure what the history or purpose behind some things are. My husband has taught me by example to research anything and everything before you do it. Well growing up my brothers and I never participated in Halloween(and we never had to go to therapy for it- I'm just saying...). So it was a natural reaction when we had sweet pea to say oh, we don't celebrate Halloween.(By the way, Micah and his family stopped participating after they found out the history behind Halloween.) Well after having 3 children and having to say over and over again no we don't celebrate(and this is where people look at us in shock and then they look at you like, you're crazy aren't you.well.....) and I decided I needed to do a little research to back up our beliefs.( I needed a better excuse than it's the devil's holiday and I'm a Christian so that should explain everything.) So as you read I hope to enlighten you and give a better answer than in the past. (Warning: If I offend you, I should be sorry but chances are I won't be, so proceed with caution.) I'm going to give you some history and then also back it up with scripture, I encourage you to look it up check for yourself. As our pastor Brother Kenny says, " Don't take my word for it look it up yourself!"

The History of Halloween

Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain(pronounced Sow-in). They celebrated their new year on November 1. This marked the end of summer and harvest and beginning of the dark, cold winter. Often winter time was associated with human death, because of their worry of not enough food, will we be harm enough?, etc.(In Luke 12:22-26, Jesus says not even the raven worries about where his food will come from and how much more important are you than a bird?)They believed that on the eve of the new year that the boundary between the living world and the dead world became invisible and all spirits good or evil could cross over in to earth and do what they pleased.(2 Corinthians 5:1-10 says to be absent from our earthly bodies is to be present before our heavenly father. I personally don't believe spirits dwell anywhere. I believe if you die you stand in judgement before God and then you're sent to your final destination: Heaven of Hell.Hebrews 9:27 backs this belief up.) They thought the "otherworldly spirits" made it easier for the Druids(or the Celtic priests) to make predictions about the future.(Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 20:6,Isaiah 8:19-22,and Deuteronomy 18:9-13, Jeremiah 14:14-16,all say not to participate in practices of sorcery, omens, withcraft, mediums or spiritist who consult the dead. God gave fair warning about this!) These predictions were a source of comfort and direction(Proverbs 3:6, Jeremiah 10:23 say God will give you direction- it's not your own.) during the long winter, they depended on them.(Proverbs 3:5-trust in the Lord not your own understanding) To commemorate the event the priest built huge bonfires where people would gather together to burn crops and animals as sacrifice to the Celtic deities.(1 Corintihians 10:18-22 says that pagans{followers of other religions other than Judaism or Christianity} offers sacrifices to demons not God and that you can't drink the cup of the Lord and of demons.Hebrews 9:11-28,Hebrews 10:11-14, say that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life in order to save ours.) The Celtics also wore costumes consisting of the heads of dead animals and their skins to scare off evil spirits and attempt to tell each others fortunes.(Genesis 15:1, Gen. 26:24,Exodus 14:13,Leviticus 25:17,Deuteronomy 20:3, Deut. 31:6,Psalm 118:6,Proverbs 3:7, 2 Timothy 1:7,Hebrews 13:6, 1John 4:18,Revelation 1:17. From beginning to end, the bible says fear nothing only God. This is not a "I'm scared fear-but a respectful fear-He is God! There is nothing more powerful than He!) In 43 AD the Romans had conquered most of the Celtic territory. They also had a similar celebration called the Feralia, on this day in late October they celebrated the passing of the dead. The Samhain and the Feralia were eventually combined and play a part in today's Halloween. In the early 800's the influence of Christianity came in the picture. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV, designated November 1 as All Saints Day. This day was to be a day to honor saints and martyrs. This was an attempt to replace the Celtic festival with a church holiday.(My opinion attempt failed who really remembers All Saints Day?)This celebration was also called All-Hallows. The night of Samhein began to be called All hallows eve eventually becoming Halloween. Halloween was brought to America primarily from the Irish who came to America to escape the potato famine. Over the years Halloween has become what it is today- a time for kids to go door to door and ask for candy, to dress up(Note: our kids play dress up all the time. They pretend to be princesses, animals and the occasional robot. I have no problem with them using their imagination. But they will not dress up and participate in a celebration that was meant to predict the future and scare off spirits especially when God gives us warnings about this all through the bible!)and even participate in fall festivals at churches nationwide. Some may say that Halloween is not what it use to be(true-thank God!) and all it is, is a time for kids to have some fun. Never the less our conviction is to not participate in this celebration( I also choose not to call it a holiday because I see nothing Holy about it. I have seen no trace of God in this celebration.) We are not perfect(for only God is perfect!)and we stumble and fall occasionally but as for me and our house we will serve the Lord. In closing my soap box I pray that the Lord will direct you and that you would choose to do what He wants you to do, just like we strive to do what He wants us to do. Until my next soap box is open....JFowler

Yes, I Still Get Butterflies.....

I was once asked, before my husband and I were married, if I still got butterflies when I saw him like I did when we were first engaged. Of course my answer was yes! I was in complete shock that the question was even asked. When I asked my friend why she asked that she replied that her mom didn't get butterflies any more with her dad. She said after 15 years or so she was, in more words, content. Now in my opinion being content is great but I was worried. What if the butterflies went away. What if we drifted from each other and things wouldn't be as good as at that very moment. Well fast forward five and a half years and I have the answer to those questions. The first answer, yes I still get butterflies when that awesome man of God walks in the room. My heart flutters when he calls me on the phone just to say I've been missing you today. My head still spins when he kisses me. The second answer is we are closer than we have ever been. The times and trials we have been through have made us inseparable. I can't stand when we aren't together and neither can he. Every moment is better than the last. Six years ago I was given a question that I was unsure( but faithful)if it would remain the same. Today I know beyond any doubt that every day will be better than the last. We may have issues but God gets us through them. We may have a bad day but we lift each other up. God knows we may be wrong a lot but we never tear each other down. So my new outlook on the question do you still get butterflies when you see your husband, my answer will always be: you better believe it! Until next time: JFowler

rub a dub dub 3 piggies in my tub.....

I know this pic doesn't go with the tub story but I'm anti-naked pics especially on the net!

Bath time at the Fowler house. There is no more of an eventful time at out house than bath and bed time. You would think after almost 4 years of bathing children it would get easier and a lot less messy. Well that's what I get for thinking! Bath time usually starts a little while after the kids eat supper and have had time to play. One parent would give the bath while the other would catch( which is exactly what it is since they are like slippery little fish) and get them dressed for bed. We use to put all 3 of them in the bath at once and did that prove itself a bad idea! We ended up just as wet as they did and a lot less clean! Not to mention the fact that the boy would try and sit on his sisters,which doesn't work since he would slide off their legs and straight into the water.(This is where I would have a slight heart attack because I thought he was drowning only to realize that he is laughing......hysterically.) So on top of the boy giving me heart attacks, sweetiepie would so nicely poor water over her head, causing her to loose her breath, and then so thoughtfully she would poor water over the boys head....that's right causing mommy to scream thinking yet again someone was drowning. Meanwhile sweetpea would try to lay down on her back in the tub where there is little room to move much less to lay down(especially with her long legs that stretch from here to eternity!) Then the fighting begins. While sweetpea is trying to lie down someone pulls her hair as hard as possible(that's right the boy!), sweetie pie is pouring water over her face and no one has been washed yet! Well the good news is we have now successfully found the right way to give them bath's.....one at a time! This is not an amazing revelation, in fact it is so simple I'm a little ashamed to say we should have thought of this earlier! But just like the Luvs commercials...you live and you learn! So now we go from youngest to oldest, one parent gives the bath and the other catches and dresses. While this is a much easier way to give three dirty piggies... I mean babies..... a bath we still end up wet(although not head to toe like before!) but hey, how can you not get a little wet when that's part of the fun! Until my next adventure....JFowler

My little big girl.....

My little sweetpea is almost four years old! I can't believe time has went by this fast! I was holding her last night and thinking how much she has changed. Over the course of three and a half years she has gone from a beautiful black haired blue eyed baby to a beautiful blond haired blue eyed little girl(her hair changed colors on it's own people-i'm not a crazy toddlers and tiara's stage mom who tries to make her 3 yr old look like she's 25-eeewww!). She went from, as all babies do, from a little bity drooling, gas filled, spit-up queen, bundle of joy to a taller than most kids her age, smart as a whip, potty trained(can you hear the hallelujah chorus? because i can!) little girl! She knows the abc's, how to count to 20, how to count to 10 in spanish, she knows all her colors in 2 languages, and has an imagination like you would not believe! She is so amazing! Am i bragging on my oldest child-you better believe it! Now don't get me wrong, i'm in no way playing favorites. What kind of mother would i be if i had a favorite child?(psst, not a very good one, of course!) In spending a little alone time with just her last night made me realize how time really does fly. I realize I only have my kids for a season and one day they will be on the road God sees fit for them and I cherish every moment I have with my babies. I am so thankful for my little sweetpea, my sweetiepie, and my boy and the joy and craziness that they bring to our lives! Until my next revelation JFowler

things under the couch...

Who knew that so many things could gather under one couch and an oversized chair? I mean really! While preparing for Austin's 1st birthday party this saturday, I've been doing some much needed extra cleaning. And boy was it time! I always do a quick sweep under the couch and chairs in the living room but sometimes things get pushed to the back. On my wonderful adventure in cleaning I came across paci's that have been MIA for weeks, several of my wooden spoons that were also missing and no one knew where they were, one whole red potatoe(i have no idea how it managed to leave the kitchen and make it under my chair but some how it did!), a few toys and one beloved itchy chihuahua (one of sweet pea's favorite stuffed animals that for some reason she thought itchy would be a good name). So now after throwing things away(yes the potatoe) and sweeping away dust bunnies, my house is extra clean! I can't believe my baby is going to be one! (but thank God he is or else the potatoe would have been an issue in the next few weeks!) I realize I am more blessed than I deserve and thank God everyday for a wonderful family. So for now it's off the computer to do some more party planning. Until my next adventure.... JFowler

something new...

So I've decided to start a blog. It's not like I have nothing else to do but I think it would be fun to tell all the stories that my family goes through! I have so many especially since i live in a house full of type A personalities and comedians! For starters my sweet hubby is the king of one liners! He always has something to funny to say about everything! He is just amazing! Sweetpea is my little drama queen! She is passionate about everything. She also has the gift of gab. She talks from sun up to sun down, she even talks in her sleep! Sweetiepie is my little mommy. She loves to take care of babydolls or her siblings (which ever is available!). She also has her moments of drama- but i'm starting to think that is just a girl for you! Last but not least is the boy! He is just that all boy! He is as wide open as a case knife and always giving his sisters problems! I've always heard of boys eating ALL the time- but silly me thought we wouldn't see that until he was a teenager, boy was I wrong! I really don't know where he puts it! All three of my kids are the most loving children and always concerned about their siblings! It really amazes us! I know God has a mighty plan for them! I guess that's all for now, it's lunch time and if they don't eat soon- the meltdown will begin! Trust me it won't be pretty! Until next time- JFOWLER