The Jesus Storybook Bible

Reeves is a very active kid. He isn't a big fan of slowing down to read or write or do much of anything "school related" during the summer! Nope, according to Reeves, summertime is all about the fun!

Don't get me wrong, I love some fun, too. We have very few rules during these lazy summer days. I take each day as it comes and let them get away with a whole lot more than I should! I hope they'll look back on their summers with the same kind of fondness that I do. My mom made summer fun....big time! I want the same thing for my kids. We have sleepovers and playdates and pajama days and picnics and snow cones whenever we feel like it! We eat all sorts of junk and fresh produce (I am blessed with fabulous eaters.....summer fruit is at the top of their list), stay up as late as we want, sleep in as late as we can, and wear whatever we feel like wearing. Our hair stays wet, our feet stay bare, our beds stay unmade, and our plans are always ready and waiting for a new adventure!

But alas, school will be in session in a few short weeks, and I figure I better try to get in at least a few moments of structure before the first bell rings! Reeves and I have been searching and searching for a good book for him to read, and this morning we found just the thing!

Our pastor at a2 Church recommended The Jesus Storybook Bible to me a few months ago, and I made sure to pick it up when I saw it at Barnes and Noble. Every once in a while I have flipped through the colorful pages and read a few stories, but have been too busy to really dig in. I wish I hadn't taken so long to crack the spine! Let me just tell you....it is one of the greatest books I have ever read!

This morning my kids blessed me by sleeping in. I woke up at 8:45 and Reeves was soon to follow. We had about 30 minutes all to ourselves and I decided to take advantage of our quiet time. I was flipping through the book when he asked what I was reading.....I couldn't wait to share it with him. I got my pot of coffee going and cuddled up with him on the couch. We took turns reading pages, and by the time we got through a few stories, tears were streaming down my face.....it is such an amazing interpretation of the stories in the Bible! I loved when Reeves would retell what he had heard about a story or character in his lessons at church....I soaked in every detail of his recollections from his lessons. There is such truth and beauty and detail in every word of the book we were reading.....it is beautifully and intricately written. It's like no other children's story Bible out there, I can promise you that!

Just read this....

No, the Bible isn't a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne - everything - to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is - it's TRUE.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle - the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the Child who would one day - but wait! Our Story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning.....

~Sally Lloyd-Jones

Wow!

Simply said, it just might take your breath away. Could she have said it any more perfectly?

So for these last lazy days of summer, Reeves and I are going to dive into The Jesus Storybook Bible. We are going to learn more about the love of our great God and precious Jesus while we get a little reading in.

Nothing beats cuddling up with my favorite little man and a good book.

I do have 2 other children....

....and this post is gonna be about Reeves.

This blog has been a bit "Greer" heavy lately. Port Wine Stain treatment, first trip to Disney World, all around baby-ness! Yeah, she has gotten the bulk of the focus here on the blog, but in our REAL life (yes, I do have a rather busy, crazy, amazingly full life outside of this here blog), the big kids have also been capturing a lot of my attention! Thought I might take a minute to fill you in on a few of the best moments!

For at least the next several posts, Greer will NOT be the star. :)

This one will be about Reeves. My biggest baby. My only boy. My lover boy....(sorry, Charcey, he's YOUR lover boy, too!)

Reeves lost his first "top" tooth today.....

....and it was a big. STINKIN'. deal!

Reeves has been DYING to lose a tooth at school, and today it happened. His teacher sent me an email around 9:30 letting me know that our school registrar (Mrs. Sally) had tugged it loose. He was quite proud to wear it around his neck for the rest of the day! Thanks Mrs. Sally!

So now my big kid is sporting a totally big-kid look, and I am sad. And happy. All at the same time. I love this stuff.

At least I'm still updating my FB status

Megan Rutland Mileski Reeves asked our babysitter, "Hannah, are you on BookFace?" It made me laugh!

February 17 at 9:51pm

Megan Rutland Mileski I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day to work in good ole Jefferson Towers! It's been an amazing 13 years....

February 18 at 10:33pm ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Back from my cave in the basement bedroom. Thanks to my work peeps and my precious husband for taking over so I could recover from some kind of HORRIBLE virus. All better today!

Sat at 7:49am ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Tomorrow's the big day! WooHoo!!!

Sat at 8:43pm · Comment ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Reeves just asked, "Hey Mom, do they have Snowball Fights at the Olympics? You know, like for a medal?" Me, "No, baby, they don't." Reeves, "Well.....they really should!"

Sun at 8:00pm ·

Megan Rutland Mileski Overtime shifts in the new hospital, book reports, talent shows, children faking illnesses, dogs who love mud, recovering from a virus, mounds of laundry, late night Olympic viewing...I'm a bit overwhelmed by this week!

13 minutes ago ·

...and I took this really cute picture of Reeves on my iPhone!

What A Weekend!

I can't believe that it's been over a week since I got a post up on the blog. The week has flown....thanks to all sorts of excitement around the ole Mileski hizzle! We are soooo busy. Work, school, talent show rehearsals, school projects, church stuff, sniffles, 911 calls, household projects, birthday festivities, snowdays.....whew! B.U.S.Y. !!!

This weekend was all kinds of fun though. Snow....

WE. HAD. SNOW!!!!

Greer and Daddy marched around in it for over an hour before the big kids finally made it home from school. They managed to make it for over half the day, and enjoyed a snowy recess....a rare occasion here in the deep south! Days like these are what memories are made of! Right? Right!

Gotta love a snowy sunset......something we rarely may never, ever see again.

I want to freeze this picture in time! Gorgeous, huh?

....or maybe this is the most gorgeous photo of the weekend!

Chris and I went out for our Valentine's date last night (more on that and the 911 call tomorrow)....

....but today we made it special for the kiddos!

It was cold and dreary this afternoon, so I decided that an afternoon at the movies was the perfect solution! I took the big kids to see "The Tooth Fairy" while Chris and Greer set up for an awesome candlelit dinner at home! The kids LOVED it!

Dim lights. Candle-light. Cheesy, dollar-store gifts and decorations. Plastic Champagne Flutes filled with sweet tea (we forgot the sparkling grape juice). Norah Jones on the Apple TV. Jarred Spaghetti (their favorite). Paper Napkins. Mom and Dad waiting on them hand and foot (we had the waiter and waitress thing down pat!).....

Lucy said, "Y'all are the best Mom and Dad, EVAH!"

Reeves asked, "Are we Rich? Are you our Servants?"

Chris said, "Yeah Buddy, something like that...."

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This is too funny not to share (and it's one of those funny things I never want to forget)! It was one of those "must write it down" moments....you know what I'm talking about!

Reeves lost his third tooth a few weeks ago.....

....and we've been waiting to see the new tooth that will take it's place. This morning after he brushed his teeth, he came running into the kitchen.

"Hey, mom!," he screamed.

"What buddy?," I asked.

"LOOK," he exclaimed...and with a giggle in his voice he pointed to the new little tooth that was just breaking threw and proclaimed....

"It's LOADING!"

....get it? How clever! He's a kid after my own "techno-savvy" heart!

The Unexpected....

Well, today didn't turn out exactly how I had planned....

...but, does it ever? One thing I've learned since being a parent is that you've always gotta be ready for the unexpected. Amen?

I had a long (and quite busy) weekend at work. Working 24 out of 48 hours gets harder and harder (but is more and more rewarding) as the years go by. Most of the time, Labor and Delivery is fairly slow on the weekends. NOT this time! I didn't notice if it was a full moon or not, but lots of Mamas were having babies these days. And I mean LOTS!

As my Sunday was coming to an end, I posted this on my facebook status:

"Looking forward to my "Saturday" tomorrow....it's been a busy weekend at work! I miss my own babies!"

If I believed in luck, I'd bet that this status update jinxed me for the night....what do you think?! All kidding aside, it is pretty funny, don't you think?

I had the perfect evening/day planned. I would come home from work, throw in a load of laundry, kiss my babies goodnight and pack their bags for another busy week at school! I would load them on the bus around 7 am, drop Greer off in carpool at Mother's Day Out, and enjoy a few hours to myself. A few hours to shop, organize, shower in silence. A few moments to ready myself for all the business of the week and to get my house in order.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

When I got home from work, Chris told me that Reeves had had a tumble at a birthday party earlier in the day. He was coming down an inflatable slide (head first), crashed into the end, and hyper-extended his neck. Reeves was in terrible pain (and stiffness) by the time I got home and I knew that he needed to have it checked out. After a quick call to my parents, we decided that it was best to call the after hours service....Reeves just wasn't himself.

Much to my surprise, they recommended that we call 911 and have the paramedics come out to evaluate him before heading downtown to the hospital. They said that neck injuries are nothing to mess with (go figure) and that we should make sure he didn't need a c-collar before we drove him in. May I just say.....Reeves thought it was pretty cool that the firetruck and policeman made a visit to his house! (Making lemonade, friends!) Thank you to my sweet neighbors, the Holdens and Elrods, for checking in on us. Chris was happy to snuff out any neighborhood drama by explaining that it was NOT any sort of domestic incident...

...thanks for clearing that up, Chris. I know they were worried! :) JK!

So, the good guys at the Hoover Fire Department arrived in record time, gave us the Ok and and sent us on to Children's Hospital.

Where we waited.

and waited.

and waited some more.....

...poor Reeves was passed out by the time we were finally seen (and we were in the higher priority category.....I felt sorry for all those other children waiting to be seen!). The verdict? Bad strain/hyper-extension. Heavy doses of anti-inflammatory meds, limited physical activity for a while, rest, and TLC.

I can handle that.

So, we got home around 2:30. Crashed. Slept in. Ate a good breakfast. Drank coffee and hot chocolate. Watched Elf. Followed up with our pediatrician. Skipped school. Stayed in our pajamas all day. Were all-around lazy.

So maybe the weekend was crazy, and last night was not very fun....

.....but today is what memories are made of! I love any excuse to stay at home in my pajamas with my babies!

Halloween 2009.....

......was soooo much fun!

We traveled northeast (...really only an hour away) to spend the day with my parents and their amazing neighbors. It was an incredible celebration, and we all had a blast! We couldn't have asked for better weather....or company. It was so much fun. See for yourself....

My little pumpkin won 2nd place in the costume contest, Lucy and Reeves got to ride in the parade, and Papa carved another amazingly "wild" pumpkin for all to enjoy! Hope you had a great weekend, too! Until next year!

Alabama Football and Dreamland BBQ....

....what could be better???

A Brief Update on My Life

Sorry for ye bloggy absence....it's been a busy few days!

Where to start? Well, the sickness found us me and Reeves, and we've been pushing through. I refuse to let it get me down, so I have tried to let every non-essential in my life go undone while I heal. It's the best rest we mothers can hope for.....it is true what they say! Nope, no rest for the weary.

I did have quite a motivator for getting well, though. Our bestest friends came in to town for a visit (remember the ones who moved to Raleigh), and we had some good times. I am dying for Amy to post the Flip Video she caught of Jake surprising Reeves at our front door. Priceless is all I'm gonna say. I promise to post it as soon as she does!

Tomorrow is a big day for me! It's my first workday (I work 2 days a week as a labor and delivery nurse in case you didn't know...) since the kids started back to school. And since Chris has to be up at the Rick and Bubba Studio bright and ridiculously early, it will be my sole responsibility to get the rest of us up and at 'em....and neatly deposited at said schools. I am a wee bit nervous about pulling it off. I have run the route a few dozen times, though, and if we can pull out of the driveway by precisely 6:53, then we should all make it on time. I'll be sure to keep you updated on how it all goes down.....

So....the bags are packed, the animals are fed, the clothes are laid neatly on the dining room table. That reminds me, I need to go set the coffee maker. The children are nestled all snug in their beds....drugged on cough medicine and hot cocoa. Pray that they don't fight me in the morning. Or have any major meltdowns concerning hair tangles, toothpaste flavors, or sock comfort. But mostly, pray for sweet Greer! She is going to be in for a rude awakening come 6:40....that girl hasn't woken up before 9 am in over a year! She's my happy girl, though, she'll be fine! Good thing she adores her school (have I mentioned that? Well, she does.....she calls the place "PLAY"! Hallelujah & Praise the Lord)!

Sweet dreams y'all!

First Day of School 2009...

.... a picture says a million things!

Teacher Letters

Tomorrow is the first day of school....for all 3 of my kiddos. Yes, even Greer. Reeves will be in second grade, Lucy will be in kindergarten (at the same school) and Greer will begin "Mothers Day Out" at our beloved preschool. Tomorrow I will have 4 hours sans children, and I am still working out how I will spend that time. Am I sad? To be honest....only a teensy bit. Does that make me a terrible mother? I sure hope not.

They are all soooo excited! I mean, they. can't. wait! How awesome is that?

I am ecstatic about what is in store for my children this year. I have never prayed it through like I have this year, and we have never been more ready to begin.....

More on that tomorrow....or the next day. I have some really awesome things I want to share.

What did I do today besides hang out at the pool with the rest of the neighborhood? This day before the first day of school?

I wrote letters to my children's teachers. I've never done it before, and I can't tell you how awesome it felt. I shared some of their strengths and weaknesses and made sure to tell their teachers that we had been praying for them all summer....that we would continue to pray for them as the school year rolls on. I wanted them to know Reeves and Lucy a little better and to know that Chris and I care. We're partners in this journey and I felt like I should share a little from our perspective.

I won't share everything I wrote. The letters are very personal to me. But, here is a little excerpt from each letter (and the pictures I included with them)....

"...Lucy loves to help, to be a leader, and to “do it herself.” She can be great with kids who need a little helper or who might be shy. She’ll talk your ears off and ask a million questions (but you already know that)! Please feel free to be firm with her concerning interrupting....I know you will be. She can’t wait to learn how to read and we have been working on some readers a little bit this summer. I am not super hung up on the academics....I know they’ll get there and that she is a smart girl. I just want her to love learning!

Lucy has a very sensitive side and sometimes I have a hard time pulling her worries out of her. She tends to “shut down” and become very quiet when something is bothering her. When she is good, she is great! She is so very excited about big school and she is looking forward to being your helper. I hope she doesn’t get too big for her britches though....I know you know exactly how to handle this type of little girl!..."

*Lucy has the same teacher that Reeves had for Kindergarten (Mrs. K), and she knows her pretty well already. She has 4 kids of her own and is a friend of mine. What an awesome blessing is that? Totally ordained (in my opinion)!

"....I wanted to share a little bit about Reeves so you can get to know him better. For the most part, he is a really great kid. Easy going, eager to please, and ready to learn. He has a pretty gentle spirit and is great at including kids who are younger/smaller than him. He can be kind of shy, but he loves deeply and has a sweet heart. He’s messy and full of energy. I tend to know exactly what he ate for lunch by looking at his shirt when he gets off the bus! You may have to give him gentle reminders to wash his hands!

Feel free to put him to work and to be firm if he is not listening/minding you. He tends to behave way better for his teachers than he does for us! He is so excited about your class and has several buddies to play with. We were thrilled about that!..."

*Reeves has a teacher that we don't know, but whom we have heard nothing but great things about. He seemed to love her when we met her at "meet the teacher" and we can't wait to see him grow this year.

If you have time to write your own teacher letter, I encourage you to do so. It was an awesome experience for me!

Flight of ideas...a little perspective on Heaven!

Did you know there are gold roads there? I read once in the Bible that you just think of a place you want to go and you can be there! Cool. You get to stay up till like 10 o'clock. Sometimes I just rest my eyes a little bit and I don't open them till morning. Hey Reeves....don't pee on me tonight. Mmmmkay. Do you get to play baseball in Heaven? I bet they play baseball like all night loooooonnng! Did you know that people like from Japan get to live in houses like we have? Some of them live in shacks and stuff and they will get to live in their own big houses in Heaven. John said that when he gets to Heaven he is going to take the gold stuff from the roads. I heard Heaven is awesome! Do you think we can watch Star Wars in Heaven?....

I'm sitting here in my dark, comfy den as the sound of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" fills the air. Two messy-haired, wild little boys are curled up on a big blow-up mattress at my feet. They just conquered world 6 on Super Mario Brothers and have decided that a little clone action is in order. I listen to their conversations in complete and total amazement....

They know Jesus....and they love him. They can't WAIT to be in Heaven.

Awesome!

The Year Ahead, Part 2

****Update****

I'm starting this today, August 5th....

It will carry us through the first day of school, one week from today.

Please join us :)

Just like the morning last week when I wrote "Part 1" of this story, I woke up today flanked by 2 of my 3 most favorite children on the planet. When did it happen? Who knows. I've gotten great at sleeping through the comings and goings of my bedmates (that sounds terrible doesn't it?) and I am just savoring every moment of these last few days of Summer.

No, they didn't start out in our bed.

They started out here.....

All snuggled up, with wet heads and each other, on a big air-mattress in the den....watching "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" (I know, I know....)

Last night I made a declaration that I pray I won't live to regret (at least it has an end in sight!). After bathtime, I announced that if they wanted to, they could sleep on that air mattress every night from now until school starts.

Watch movies, eat popcorn, fall asleep when they feel like it, invite friends over to do the same.....

Crazy?

Maybe. But I don't care. We have 2 weeks of Summer left and I want them to have a blast!

And, I've made another decision. One that I have carefully prayed about, and that I am so excited to begin. I hope you'll join me, and if you do, that you'll share with me later what happened when you did it. I am so looking forward to seeing how this will impact our school year for the better!

If you're like me, you know that it is essential to pray for our children. But if you're like me, life gets crazy and you feel yourself saying short little prayers like this....

"Dear God, please keep Reeves safe today.... I'd really prefer to avoid a trip to the emergency room this morning."

"Dear God, please help Lucy remember to say 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am' while she's over playing at Emily's house!"

"Dear God, please keep Greer from pitching a fit in front of the pediatrician today..."

.....and so on.

Sure, you find time for a serious, meaningful prayer every once and a while, too. You pray that they'll make friends at their new school and thank God for giving them a gentle heart. You pray that they will stay safe from harm and that they will grow up to be faithful followers of Jesus with a servent's heart.

But do your children know you are praying for them? Do you say any of those prayers out loud, in their presence?

I'll admit, I don't do it very often. But I want to, and I'm going to.

Will you join me?

One week from Today, I will do exactly what Angie Smith has done for her girls (and if you have time to catch up on her story....you will be blessed). I read her "Pray for Your Child" post/challenge months and months ago, and when I was praying about the school year ahead, God led me back to it. I can't tell you how appropriate it is for this time of year and for what I hope and pray for my own children.

I bought my note cards yesterday, and I am set and ready to go. This week I am praying about it and for my children. I will start the 7x7 prayer challenge next Tuesday and finish it up the day before the first day of school. I can't wait to see what happens!

So, click on the link above or on the 7x7 prayer button below.....

and let's see what happens!!!
What a privilege it is to pray for our children!

The Year Ahead, Part 1

It's hard to believe that our "summer" will come to an end in just 3 short weeks. Where has the time gone....and whatever happened to heading back to school after Labor Day? I don't know why I ask these same questions every year, but I do. No matter, school days are quickly approaching, and I am starting to face the music! It seems that the lazy days of Summer are gone before we know it and we wonder what we did with all our free time.

Oh yeah, I remember!

We ate countless frozen treats from the icecream truck that visits our neighborhood every day after lunchtime....

We swam and swam and swam some more. I am blessed to have such little fish, and I love that they seem to have a passion for swimming like I have always had. You could say it's in our blood....

And he finally mastered the fine art of skimboarding. I am in awe of my big kid and all he can do.....and for what this year will bring for each of them!

We've stayed up late, cooked out burgers with friends, and stayed in our pajamas through lunchtime. We've had no schedule or rules (well, maybe a few) or homework. We've truly filled ourselves back up, and prepared our selves for what is to come....

And in less than 3 weeks, we'll be back in the swing of the school-year routine. One in second grade, one in kindergarten, and one in Mother's Day Out. After-school activities, fieldtrips, and projects. Fights over outfits, earlier bedtimes, and kisses at the bus-stop. Hectic mornings, busy afternoons, and homework! Sure, a little part of me is excited to have a routine back (and a few hours of "me" time each week), but there is a big part of me that will miss the carefree safety net that comes with summer vacation. That reminds me!

I have to share this story with you....

Chris' job requires him to get up with the chickens, and I think the kids sense when he has climbed out of bed. 9 times out of 10, I wake up with a little person lying next to me. Yesterday, I was surprised to find myself flanked by both Reeves and Lucy when I woke up. I have no idea how I could have missed that, but there I was.....

Surrounded by the heavy breathing of two precious little souls.

I found myself with the overwhelming need to pray for them. I prayed for their safety, for their spirits and for their happiness. I had an overwhelming sense that I needed to pray about this upcoming school year. I prayed a prayer for the teachers they would have. I prayed that they would bring out the best in my babies.

I kissed them and hugged them and vowed that over the next few weeks I would continue to pray like mad that this year would be one of the best years of their life. Oh how quickly the time is passing.....and oh what a privilege it is to pray for my children!

There's another big piece to this story....but I'm saving it for another day. For now, I encourage you to pray for your children's teachers in the weeks before they head back to school.....I can't tell you how much peace it has brought to my soul!