If you haven't already met my kids...

The oldest, Noah, is 8, he is a sports fanatic. His first sport was soccer at the age of 4, he has played baseball for 4 years, spring and fall seasons, he played football last fall for the first time (I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but it was okay-I did grow to like it), and he played basketball for the first time this winter. He's not GREAT at everything, but somethings he is, and he has a passion that just fuels him so it doesn't really matter how good he is or isn't, he just loves to play. He gets very good grades and he is pretty respectful-most of the time. He loves to torment his sisters and be rowdy. Noah is the big kid in the family, but is still very much my little boy. He loves to snuggle on the couch with Mom & Dad and watch movies, he'll still give me a good-bye hug and kiss before getting on the bus, even if all the other kids on the bus can see him (I pray that will last a while longer). A tiny story about Noah in case I never have another spot to toss it in. At Thanksgiving time he wrote a paper at school about what he is most thankful for, now because this is coming from a 2nd graders mind I'm thinking it will include his Gameboy, toys, computer, maybe his hamster. But I was so pleasantly supprised to read, and I have the paper right here to quote it, "Dear God, Thank you for my family, and my home, and electricity, and Jesus." There were some spelling errors that I changed but other than that, that is what it said. Immediately I prayed a prayer of thanks of my own to God, thanks that Noah is so caring and seemingly realizing what is important, though home and electricity are materialistic, they are needs in todays world and this was a very mature letter, I thought, for a 2nd grader. Also, I'm sure his PUBLIC school teacher did not tell him to start the paper "Dear God". I don't know if I've ever been more proud of him.
Now on a different note meet Maggie my "middle child", I hate it when people use that term, but everything about her fits the profile. She definitely gets into more trouble than her brother & sister put together. She is just fearless! Mags has this outgoing personality that just draws people to her. She is way too "old" to be in a 5 year old body. If she can be with teen-agers or adults she will pick them any day over kids her own age. She cannot entertain herself, always underfoot, and right in the middle of whatever is going on. EVERYTHING is about the social opportunity! When she played soccer last fall, she was the only one on the team who never scored, she could care less. She was out there being seen by all, posing for photo oppts., and wearing a way cool uniform, that's all that mattered to her. Her pre-school teacher put it like this when she started school in January, "She is the sunshine this class has been waiting for all year."
Then there's my little Chloe', Chlo Bug. Somedays she wants to be the big girl and informs me that she' not Chlo Bug, her name is Chloe', and others it's the other way around. She is my shy little girl. She doesn't usually like to talk to people she doesn't know, and sometimes ones she does. She really doesn't care to go to school, she doesn't want to go to the sitter's, she just wants to stay home and play with her dolls. As much as Maggie cannot entertain herself, Chloe' can. She will sit in her room and play with her Dora dollhouse, or Barbies, or baby dolls for hours (literally hours) and you won't even know she's in the house. I don't know if she will ever be into sports that's just not her thing right now, she could play soccer this fall but I don't think she will. She could care less. However, she is very girly and if she could take ballet, I think she would jump on that (it's a little pricey though). She has been catered to a little too much and so we're having issues with whining and throwing tantrums instead of using words to get what she wants. Everyone thinks she is just this sweet little innocent angel, she is, sometimes, be careful looks can be deceiving!
All three of them are very loving. They love each other and they love us, they love all their grandmas & grandpas, aunts, uncles, & cousins, and all their church & school friends. We are trying everyday to raise them in a loving, Christ centered home. I only say "trying everyday" because it is truly that for us. Everyday there are new challenges, new battles with the world, we try to teach them that Christ is most important, above all else, but every single day it is trying, it has to be a conscious effort to not let the world come in a take over. Eric & I were both raised in loving homes, but neither of us were raised in Christ centered homes, so it's new for us, this parenting style, we didn't have an example, but we won't give up. God gave us these precious little people to help mold them into people who live for Him, that is what we try to do everyday. My prayer is that they grow up loving God above all else, and that He enable Eric & I to continue to grow so that we will be the examples they need.