I am still learning... so proud of them...

 Louis, my free spirit, floater, funny, sensitive, loving, hard working, dedicated, laughing loving son... while in Wisconsin:)

 Caleb...my driven, self motivated, competitive, naturally athletic, crazily hard working, really like able, and somewhat easily annoyed son:):)  

In recent months I have had a few people express to me how they thought I must finally have it all down as far as the parenting goes...

They couldn't be more wrong...

For me parenting little ones comes much more naturally than parenting older kids...

(That is by far Greg's more natural gift... thank God ahead of time for knowing how we need to compliment each other:)  

As my little boys have grown into young men... 

I have realized...

I need to know when to turn off the yapping...:)

While we have tons of great communication, loads of fun, and lots of love for one another... , the time for the training is becoming less and less and it is more like coaching (as my sweet friend Mary called it when she was here visiting this past weekend... I think that is the perfect description...) 

What I mean by less yapping on my part is that the communication process is changing...

I find that when they do need some correction, I need to be direct and straight to the point... they are a little quieter these days... my natural response to that is that they must not understand... so then I go on to further explain so that they will understand better... When in reality most of the time they do understand pretty well the first time I said it.  I have even come right out and told them, just give me more of a response letting me know you get it and then I will stop explaining... 

I am finding that I need to ask for forgiveness more often these days...

I find that the more I talk and talk and talk... the more glassed over their eyes get :) and I get a sense they start to shut down a bit... I just need to be direct and to the point... and know when to be quiet:)

This is something I am still working on:

 See, I am clearly STILL after 15 years of parenting a work in progress:):) And I love that... there is always so much more to learn:)

These 2 boys have been knocking my socks off... We are earnestly trying to raise money for our trip to Uganda in 50 days (Caleb informed of the time frame this morning... can you tell he is excited??:)

They have been doing lawn work, planting shrubs for a gal at church, and desiring money to put towards their trip instead of gifts this Christmas.  

Louis  has done at least 11 photo shoots for different families in an effort to put funds towards his trip.  He has been working so hard and has put hours and hours into editing photos and running around town with different families.  

I really am so proud of them... They are working so hard, and I am so grateful for how God is providing... 

I am so thankful for how the Lord continues to show me daily what tremendous blessings these young men are in my life... even as I inch towards the times of letting them go a little more and more... (ouch, I am totally not ready for that... but am praying the Lord continues to lead me in the best way to do that as the days and years pass us by:) 

And I am even more blessed to see how they are a blessing to others... I have NO GREATER DESIRE than to know that my kids walk in the truth... And that continues to be my prayer that the Lord would draw them closer and closer to His side and heart each day!  I have to keep reminding myself that they are really His... just on loan to Greg and I:)  What precious gifts He has loaned to us:):)   There is still so much growing for all of us to do:)