The Pumpkin Patch

These past few days have been gorgeous here!  

We decided to take advantage of the weather and go to our favorite farm: Vollmer Farm.  In the spring, that's where we like to go to pick the best strawberries.  And every fall, we have gone to their pumpkin patch to pick out our prize pumpkin.  This year, of course, it was extra fun with Sam.  He enjoyed examining the pumpkins, 

going on a hay ride, and goofing off with his mommy and daddy.

Lately, Sam has been using his tongue to do everything.

This is the pumpkin Sam picked out--it's just the right size!

Isn't this neat--a pumpkin house!

Yee-haw!

Sam and his daddy on the "hay ride"...  

It was a little chilly on the ride, but Sam didn't seem to mind.

A pumpkin tree!

Enjoying the Fall!

Fall is absolutely my favorite season...

always has been, probably always will be!  

There's just something about the changing of seasons, 

the brilliant colors that fill the trees, and the refreshing crisp air.  

Not to mention candy corn, caramel apples, pumpkin patches, 

and football!  

Last weekend, we traveled to King, NC to visit my

 Aunt Amanda and Uncle Wayne.  The weather was gorgeous!

Sam really enjoyed rolling in the grass and playing with the leaves that have already fallen to the ground.  He liked the leaves so much that he even tried to eat them.  I guess that's the stage he's in--everything goes straight to his mouth.

On Saturday, Uncle Wayne and Aunt Amanda took us on a tour of Mt. Airy where Andy Griffith is from.  We even joined in on the Autumn Leaves Festival that was going on downtown.   

Of course, no matter where we go, Scott somehow always finds a local bakery...  He has a sweet tooth for homemade treats.  This time, he bought a cinnamon roll the size of my head! 

(Ok, so I'm exaggerating a little bit.) 

Sam had so much fun hanging out 

with Uncle Wayne and Aunt Amanda.  

(Thanks again for being so hospitable during your birthday weekend.)

God's creation is amazingly beautiful!

On Sunday, the three of us took off for Hanging Rock State Park and went on our first family hike!  Sam loves to be outside (he gets that from his mommy and daddy), so he didn't seem to mind the bumpy ride up the mountain.  He was taking in all the sights and sounds along the way, even talking back to the birds.  Scott and I have always enjoyed hiking, so this was a nice treat for us too.  We had to take advantage of being close to the mountains!

The long trek up the mountain wore Sam out... 

He decided to take a nap on the way back down. 

Georgia

Our trip in a nutshell...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rest

Last week, my sweet friend Amy kept Sam for a few hours while I ran some "mommy errands".  She has a son, Kai, who is about 31/2 months older than Sam.  (They are good buddies!)   I glean from the lessons she learns through each new stage Kai goes through, knowing that Sam will soon be entering the same one.  Amy is patient with my many questions about schedules, baby food, teething, etc.  On this visit, we chatted about training our children to rest.  She shared an article that was passed on to her which basically talked about starting a quiet time with your children.  

The author writes: 

"One of the best things I ever did was start a quiet time with our son when he was about five months old.  I would hold him on my lap and gently restrict his movements into a small range by holding his wrists loosely.  He could move but not a whole lot... For the first few days he was really mad! He would scream and I would whisper, "rest", and, "I love you", when he took a breath." 

The author goes on to say that after a couple of weeks of doing this daily, her son's crying and protesting stopped, and he learned to come to a rest and actually began enjoying their quiet time together.  (This training is helpful for teaching young children to sit in your lap quietly and contentedly during occasions such as presentations, gatherings, and church.)

Although I think this is a great idea to try with Sam, the reason I am writing is not to share mommy advise, but to share what the Lord is reminding me as I process this idea.  I am your typical Type A who tries to keep everything neat and in order. (Ha! When you become a mom, this is thrown out the window!)  I am currently a bit overwhelmed with the responsibilities I am balancing--most of which are non-negotiables.  Most days, as soon as my feet touch the ground, I am running around from one thing to the next.  And, if my feet aren't running, my mind is.  Most nights, I stay up trying to catch up, only to subtract hours of sleep and add more to the to-do list.  Sound familiar to anyone?  :)  

Last night, as I anxiously laid awake in bed, God brought to mind the above article and my conversation with Amy as if to whisper, "Dear child, My desire is for you to rest...I love you."   Tears flowed.  I am like that 5 month old that screams inside if I am "restricted" from accomplishing daily goals or personal deadlines.  To sit still would take more than holding my wrists loosely.  In the midst of chaos, I have always had a difficult time letting things go in order to stop.  Even my sweet husband's head spins when he tries to keep up with my scattered steps and thoughts.  When the weight of every day life seems too heavy to bear, God says STOP and rest!  It is then that we realize that our strength does not come from endurance and repetition.  It comes from resting and allowing the Lord to work through us.  When we are weak, He is strong!

Lord, thank you for loving me enough to speak truth into my life.  Teach me to rest!  Even when the world around me is spinning, teach my heart to be still. I recognize that there will always be more tasks to do and more errands to run, but help me to stop and bask in Your presence.  May I not forsake my quiet time with You each day. 

[Photos from our trip to GA will be coming soon for those of you who prefer pictures of Sam over the ramblings of my words...]  :)