Art, Art, Art

I've been caught many times putting "art" in the garbage. I have a little girl who absolutely loves to create things with paper and color of any kind. I am thankful for her creativity, because unfortunately her mommy doesn't have much to work with! However, all the art was overwhelming me, and I had no idea what to do with it. UNTIL... I talked to a super organized and gifted friend who suggested making a photo book. I loved the idea, and it was really fun for Lydi to get to help me take pics of all of her creations. So, below is the finished product. This is my first photo book ever, so I'm sure it could use much improvement. (If I shared the link on my blog, I got a gift certificate) Enjoy!!!

Photo Book

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First Day of School

Today was a much anticipated day in our home! The house buzzed with excitement last night and this morning as we prepared to start school. Lydia must have asked me every 3 or 4 minutes since the time she woke up when we would start school! Our schedule right now has us beginning at 9:00. She was more than ready as the time approached for her to get her backpack loaded and ready to walk out the side door waving bye to me as I cried because I actually have a kindergartener. I quickly gained my composure and then met her at the front door to welcome her to her first day of school at the Parmer Academy! 

Homeschooling was something that I would not even consider or talk about this time two years ago, but God has definitely changed my heart and mind in this matter. I am thankful that He has led us to this decision, and even though it's only been one day; we have LOVED it! I may not feel this way next week, but I am thankful for a good first day. 

One of my greatest concerns was keeping the boys (mostly Samo) occupied while we had focused teaching time. It turns out that my little men really enjoy "playing school". So, Samo stayed in there with us for 45 minutes!!! This exceeded my expectations, as he busied himself with file folder games, and practicing his scissor skills. Thomas actually stayed right in there with Lydia. He is our studious one for sure! I have no doubt that he will master kindergarten right along with his big sis. Lydia has a love for learning and that really helps. I pray that this never goes away!

Another concern I had was Lydia not having the "kindergarten experience." I'm not even sure what that is exactly, but I just want her to experience life to the fullest and never take opportunities away from her. Mostly, I want her to have friends and see the value of relationships in life. I was reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness to us as we drove to meet two sweet friends at the pool this afternoon. God is good, and since He has led us to keep Lydia at home this year, He will provide all that she needs! 

Speaking of the pool, Lydia has learned to swim this summer. She started to get more comfortable in the water at the end of last summer, but this summer she has gone from girl to fish! No kidding, she is amazing me at how quickly she has learned in just a few times at the pool. My heart still skips a beat every time she jumps off the diving board or when she is just swimming around in the deep end, but she can do it. I am so proud of her!

This has been a summer full of firsts both for Lydia and myself. Homeschooling will be an adjustment for me as well, and this is the first summer that I can take all of my kids to the pool and not have a heart attack every time. I'm thankful for this season, and I hope that I will remember these sweet memories of first days of school and fun days at the pool!

I'll try to post some pics from the pool before the end of summer!
 

Chopsticks and PB&J

I really wish I had a picture to accompany this post, but I will do my best to describe it with words. We were eating lunch one day last week, and Lydia asked for some chopsticks. I was busy finishing lunch prep, so I just quickly granted her request and thought nothing of it. Turns out, she needed them to eat her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now, this may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but to me it is an answer to prayer... let me explain.

I have always dreamed of raising a family in a land not our own. I've always thought that we would spend our lives on some foreign soil and that our children would grow up in a culture different from the one which we currently live. However, God had different plans, or at least He does for now. He has chosen for us to settle in Montgomery, AL serving the International Community. 

I've always feared that my children's world would be small. I wanted them to be "color-blind", and I wanted them to embrace those that might seem "different." So, when my oldest child asks to have some chopsticks to eat her PB&J; I realize something; maybe they are growing up with the best of both worlds.

We are coming to the end of a season in our lives having had a Chinese girl live with us since December of 2010. She was supposed to stay here for 3 months until she graduated the following May, but she has been here a bit longer than she or we anticipated. It has been such a blessing having her in our home. One that has been such an answer to prayer in so many ways. Our children have been exposed to Chinese culture in such a special way, and for that I am very grateful. Here in Montgomery, AL!!! Who knew???? Not me, but thankfully the Lord knows exactly what we need and exactly where we need to be. 

As we prepared to leave Puerto Rico, we were unsure about what the future would hold. We were planning to move to Asia and work there. That is, until we found out we were pregnant with number 3. So, we decided to stay closer to "home". Coming to Montgomery has proven to be such a sweet gift and evidence of God's grace to us as His children. Having Li Na live with us has been the icing on the cake. We are super sad to see her go, but we know that there are great things ahead for her!

 

The Latest

Hello Blogging World!!!
Not sure that anyone is still reading, but if you are we're back! Our blog was down for a while, but my computer genius husband resurrected it. I have not posted since last November, and I won't even attempt to catch up on the past seven months. A statement to sum it all up is this... "Life is always about adjusting to the new normal." For us, our most recent adjustment has been learning to live life without babies in our home. It has been strange, and I often find myself struggling to meet the demands of three little people now that they are all very good at expressing themselves! All three can talk, walk, feed themselves, go to the bathroom on their own, and even reason with me to some degree. For the past five years we have had a "baby", but not anymore.

We were recently in Wedowee visiting Ben's family and our uncle asked us "where is your little one?" Good question... we don't have one anymore. I will say that at times it makes me sad, and at other times I enjoy the freedom that comes with our children being somewhat self-sufficient. Still challenging, but just in different ways. I have found that having the three of them so close together was a brilliant idea, and I'm so thankful that the Lord knew what we needed even when we thought we'd go crazy that first year!!!

I have no huge news to report, and since last November we have not moved or changed jobs (which is another adjustment we are making as we learn to live outside the world of transition). It has been such a fruitful season of healing and restoration for our entire family. We have made the decision to home school Lydia in the fall. She will begin Kindergarten! Today she went to a local VBS, and as she was leaving Thomas said "Bye, Lydia, I will miss you, because we are never apart!" This is so true! He and Lydia are truly the best of friends (most of the time). I have prayed this since I found out I was pregnant with  Thomas when Lydia was 8 months old!

I've posted some pics of the kiddos taken recently. Let me add that Sam has not yet had his first haircut, but against my wishes it will be happening sometime soon. However, I do think we have ended up with a curly headed kid!!! Glad to be back and hope to post more soon!

Seasons of Thanks

I decided this year to have a basket of blessings on our dinner table throughout the month of November. We have little slips of paper that we write our blessings on and then throw them in the basket. We've all been doing it throughout the day and even Li Na has joined in:) I can't wait until Thanksgiving Day to get all of our blessings out of the basket giving Thanks to the Lord for each gift we've been given!!!

As I've added my own blessings to the basket I've thought about all the things the Lord has done for us over the past (almost) six years. We have been through our fair share of trials and transitions, but the more I ponder all of those things the more I realize that without all of those "tough" things we would not have half of the blessings that we have scribbled on those pieces of paper. That basket is full of blessings because God in His perfect timing with His perfect love and faithfulness has taken our family on a journey that is written specifically for us and for our good.

I am humbled as we move into this season of thanks. I LOVE this time of year, and I am hoping to be acutely aware of how blessed I am as I look back on where I've been and as I look ahead to where God is leading!

I have also been making a little Christmas keepsake book for our family. "Through the Years" is the theme that keeps coming to my mind. It's been so fun to look back on each Christmas we've spent together and how things have changed. So, I'll give you the "blog" version. Things have definitely changed for our family even though it's only been six years!!!

Christmas 2006- This was taken in our apartment in Birmingham. I was seven months pregnant with Lydia. We were raising support to go to Puerto Rico. This picture represented how we would react when we reached 100% of our goal!2007- We were living in Ben's grandparents house in Wedowee still raising support to leave for Puerto Rico. I was about 3 months pregnant with Thomas.

2008- Living in Puerto Rico. This was the first time I wore shorts and short-sleeves putting up our Christmas Tree! Side-note: I wasn't pregnant in this picture!

2009- Recently moved to Montgomery, AL. Six months pregnant with Sam:)

2010- Still in Montgomery, AL, but in a different house. Here's the crazy thing about this picture. Lord willing, we will be sitting under this same mantle in this year's picture. As you can see we have celebrated Christmas in a different place every year.

This will be our third Christmas here in Montgomery and our second Christmas in our house. The only difference this year is that our kids are bigger and we have a dog. Another side-note: I will not be pregnant in this year's picture;)

Thanks for sharing the past with me now let's all look with hope and great joy to the future that God has for each of us and our families!!!

Forgot one...

I had to add this picture of TW. I don't know what it is about this boy, but he has completely stolen my heart! I think it may be all of the trauma we went through during his birth. He is the sweetest little guy, and I am so thankful for him!!!

Has it been Six Months?!?!

I have sat down numerous times to post something new from the "Parmer's Perspective," and I could give about 50 reasons why I haven't. Here are just a few... we have had 12 cases of strep in our home since the beginning of May, I have three small children, we adopted a puppy, I take all my pictures on my phone, and I'm too lazy to take the time to e-mail them to myself and post them, the list could go on. But, tonight my kids were asleep by 7:45 and just in case anyone is still checking to see if we're alive I thought I would take some time to post a few of my favorite pics from the last six months. I would love to sit down and write the details that I have missed in not posting, but that really overwhelms me. So, here are some pictures, and I'll try to post more often!
(Sorry these pics are so small, I know what I did wrong and I'll fix it next time!)

This is the newest member of the Parmer Family. Meet Joanna (JoJo)!!! We love, love,love this dog. She is our 10 month old Pit Bull Terrier Mix that we adopted in May.

Sam absolutely loves to mow the lawn! On this particular Sat. it was blazing hot, so he had to have a bandanna on just like daddy! (he doesn't actually mow, but he really enjoys riding in the backpack)

Thomas is still very much attached to his "mimi." I think he will end up taking it to college with him, but that's OK with me:)


Not sure if you can tell because the pic is so small, but today the kids were coloring in their Publix coloring books and Sam decided that he should color his face!

Yes, this is JoJo in our bed! She is sleeping and so is Ben. Let me just say that Ben loves this dog so much! At first he didn't even want her in the house, but as you can see he has since changed his tune!

The Birthday Boy

Today is our little guy's first birthday. Wow, how this year has flown by!!! I remember this time last year "vacationing" in the hospital. I had no idea what life was going to be like with three babies, and this afternoon I sit here realizing that this house is no longer full of babies. We have a little girl who is growing so quickly, a boy who is becoming more and more independent (now no longer in diapers, thank goodness!), and our baby who is now a year old... almost walking, and loving life! This precious gift has been our most challenging one of the three in different ways from food allergies to quite the dynamic and determined personality. He is throwing fits at a year old that Lydi began to throw when she turned three. OH MY!

All that to say that I have mixed feelings about the fact that everyone is a year older, and I know that I will not be having another baby. I will never again experience that first full year. As hard as it has been at times I will miss certain aspects of it. I know that Ben and I both feel that our family is not yet complete, but we will not be having anymore biological Parmers; however, I know that out there somewhere are babies that will one day join our family. Who knows when or how it will work out, but for now I will be content with my three kiddos that are teaching me so much. I am so thankful for their lives, and I am so thankful that the Lord loves them more than I could ever think of loving them. That's hard to imagine...

We are celebrating Sam's birthday today, but I am celebrating life in general. Thankful for his life and his first year, but looking forward to the many FUN years to come!!!

Some fun facts about Sam:
- He makes this amazing sound that literally sounds like a wild animal. It's quite impressive, and I'm pretty sure my hearing will forever be damaged.
- He is little, but it's because he is NEVER still. Even in his sleep he is active!!!
- He loves to play in the toilet, and putting the lid down only makes him want to do it more.
- He laughs at everything; mostly his brother and sister.
- He is not very fond of riding in the car.
- He loves to swing.
- He crawls faster than Thomas walks.
- He has brought me so much joy as a mom. I LOVE watching him interact with the world around him. I love watching his determined spirit solve problems and figure things out when they won't quite go his way. I have a feeling his toddler years are going to be very interesting. I think we need better insurance:)
Happy Birthday our Samo!!!!!!

He Did It!!!

Sam has been trying for a couple of weeks to see what the big deal is about the train table and why his brother would spend so much time playing around it. So, last week he finally did it!!! He pulled himself up there and figured out that it was pretty fun. Now, if I can't find Sam he is in the playroom playing at the train table. He hasn't quite mastered the skill of cruising around it yet, but I figure I'll post some video of that sometime in the very near future.

HELP!!!

My last post with this title was about laundry, and now I really wish that was all I needed help with!!!

I know that probably only a handful of people read my blog, but my hope in writing this entry is that among that handful there are a few mommies that have that typical first born female living under their roof, because I need some serious HELP!!!

Most people don't believe me when they say that I struggle at home with our oldest little lady. Now, she is a sweetheart, and I do love her very much (this goes without saying); however, lately we have really been struggling with who calls the shots around here. I feel as if I am in a power struggle all day long with her. We are so much alike, and our sin unfortunately is also very much the same.

I am having one of those weeks where I feel like a failure as a mother, and it is as if all of my apologies to her and my "please forgive mommy" pleas don't even matter. Maybe it's because I will be asking for forgiveness one minute and then in the next breathe I am barking an order or speaking harshly to get my point across. I know my own selfish pride is really clouding my thoughts right now. So, if anyone has any insight on the subject or wisdom to share... please let me in on it!

Meanwhile, please pray that there will be peace in our home in the midst of frustration!

Nikki Kay

That's what Ben has been calling me for the past week; ever since I began my new career as an Independent Consultant for Mary Kay!!! Now, you might be thinking to yourself what in the world would Nikki Parmer be doing in the Mary Kay industry. That's a great question! It all started when I went to a party a couple of months ago, and decided to help my friend out by ordering their basic skin care system. Most of you probably know that I typically have horrible skin unless I'm pregnant. Well, since I'm not pregnant my skin has been acting up lately. So, I agreed to try the product, but I had no intentions of reordering because I knew my skin would probably completely flip out. When my skin not only looked better and healthier after just a few weeks I started to become more interested in this product, because believe me I have tried everything that is out there.

I was blown away by the way my skin felt and looked, it's not perfect, but it's better than it ever has been post pregnancy. I was intrigued, so I hosted a party for my friend, and decided that I would try their powder. This was a huge risk for me, because I have used the same brand since I was 15, but I liked their skin care so much that I thought I would try something else. (Plus, this powder is cheaper than what I was using) Anyway, I also really liked the powder. It's funny, because I told Ben that I feel like a grown up. Using a skin care product that works and not Purpose soap from Wal-Mart. Using powder that makes me feel all pretty because it shimmers:) It's been funny, and so unlike me!

However, I am not writing this for a sales pitch. I am writing this, because after 3 babies and millions of loads of laundry I think somewhere along the way I stopped feeling pretty. I stopped caring what I looked like because I was just going to smell like spit up by the end of the day anyway so why shower??? That was my mentality. Now, don't hear me say that being at home with my kids has not been a joy, and don't hear me say that beauty is what you see on the outside, because I know what God's Word says and I know that beauty truly comes from the inside out and not a product. However, it has been nice to treat myself, to make myself feel like a woman again. My husband hasn't minded it so much either:) It's also been great for my kids to see mommy get excited about something!

So, I begin my journey this week with orientation, and I got my starter kit last week. I am really looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for me and the women that I will meet. It should be fun, and in the words of my sweet and supportive husband... "Pink Caddy Here We Come!!!"

Laughter!!!

This video of Sam and Lydi is actually about 3 months old, but Ben sat down and figured out how to upload the video. It was too good not to post, and below is my text from the original post that we couldn't get to work...

I realized this week that I really do love having my children so close in age. This realization has brought great freedom to my life, because I no longer feel the need to explain to others that none of our children were "planned" that way we look a little less insane. The Truth is that Ben and I had no intentions of having 3 children within 4 1/2 years of marriage, but now with a 3 1/2 year old, 2 year old, and almost six month old we are loving life!

It's not always perfect (especially between the hours of 5 - 7 p.m.), and I am never a perfect mom, but I am learning so much about how to genuinely love and serve and I am always thankful that the Lord has blessed us with these sweet babies! This video is just one of the million reasons why!

Lydi & Sam

Fall... Finally!!!

Our big boy in his Johnny Jump up. He loves this thing, and the other two love to bounce right along with him!
The fam at the pumpkin patch just after we picked out our "punkins."
Proof that I had just as much fun as the kiddos did.
This might be one of the funniest pictures I have ever seen!!! That's Sam in case you couldn't tell! Hilarious!
This is our Ni Hao, Kai Lan ballerina. Our little girl is really enjoying her dress up closet, and let me tell you she comes up with some pretty creative combos!


I am so thankful that Fall is finally here!!! I am LOVING the cool mornings and nights. The somewhat cool breeze during the day isn't half bad either. Not only do I love the weather that comes with the fall season, but I also really enjoy all of the activities! My parents came to visit this week, and we spent the day at the Dreamfield Farms Pumpkin Patch. I think I may have had just as much fun or more than the kids did! The weather was perfect, and we had a great time!!!

This fall has also brought some changes in our home with Sam becoming mobile. He literally learned to crawl in just a few days. I knew he was close, and then one day I was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher, and in he comes... crawling!!! I'm not sure I'm ready for this; it really has changed our world. In some ways there's a lot more freedom, and he is much more content. I remember the first time that Lydi got upset with TW and it happened when he was able to crawl in her room and get into her stuff. Well, imagine that now with two older ones! On top of that Sam is our feistiest yet. He has already made both TW and Lydi cry. Oh my!!! I can't imagine what life will be like this time next year.

Our little guy will be 8 months old this next week, and I am so sad that our baby is not going to be a baby much longer. I am beyond thankful for these little blessings, and I continue to ask the Lord to give me much wisdom and grace as I seek to shepherd their little hearts! Enjoy the pictures...