Basking in God's Grace

I know that it has been a very long time since I have written. Life with 3 children is much diffrent than life with 2. Ethan is just over 6 weeks old! I cannot believe how much time has flown by. In the last six weeks, all of us, but Ethan, struggled with illness. Andy got sick twice, as well as had some big projects due and so life has consisted of school and recovery. We now have 5 and a half weeks left and then Andy is done!!! Yea!!! He just recieved word on what he will be doing at his job once school is over and it will be a day job (yeah...no more nights) and will be from 8 'til 5 or 6 and every other Sat. 'til noon. He will begin the week before Christmas! I am hoping that it will be a good job for him.
As a mom, I am learning alot....mostly how appreciative of my mom I need to be. I don't know how anyone with more than a couple of children do things...and I know why people think 3 is alot of children...it is alot. I have found that my lovely daughters find mischief while I am nursing Ethan and the result has been trying to build sand castles out of flour in both the kitchen and the dining room as well as toothpaste everywhere. I often find myself just happy to get anything accomplished and doublely happy if there is not an added job in a day. :) However, the girls love their brother and are very helpful in good ways and I appreciate their willingness to help. Ethan is a doll, and is quite smart which scares me to some extent. Last Thurs. he impressed the doctor with his ability to smile, coo, and roll over...all accomplished before 6 weeks!!! I think he will be a busier baby than my girls. He is however extremely content and sleeps anywhere from 5-7 hour stretch at night. Most nights I am only up once between 9ish and 6ish. I cannot complain about the sleep.
I am also learning that I must, MUST, rely on the stregth of the Lord every day. If not, I am a very cranky mom and am unable to be the example I know God desires me to be for my children and am an ungrateful wife, unable to meet the needs of my husband because I am too busy complaining. So, I am learning submission and abandonment to my God in ways that I have not learned to do. I am praying that each stuggle and challenge will in turn make me more like Christ. I so long to be like Him....and yet have soooo very far to go.
"And He said to me, ' My grace is sufficient for you, for MY strength is made perfect in weakness...'". (II Cor. 12:9)
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mrecy, To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth and giveth and giveth again!"
~ Annie Johnson Flint
(I was going to post a new picture of Ethan, but my sweeet boy would rather have some attention...so I will try to do so later!