FAMILY STUFF

Eliya Love

2010-11-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

Eliya was born November 12, 2006.

My first child.

What a wonder and joy she has been these last four years!

She is inquisitive, energetic, smart and funny.

She is obedient and outgoing.

I can't imagine life without her.

She is a blessing.

Thank you Jesus for this child.

May I honor You and Scott in raising this precious daughter of God.

Happy Birthday Eliya

October 2010

2010-10-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our fun at Jaemor Farms today. Might try to go back one more time before their fall season is over. Kids had a ton of fun.

Yay for fun in the sun!

2010-06-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Tugalo State Park. I've been wanting to take the kids since it's been warm out and haven't been able to for one reason or another. Today was the day though and they loved it. Well worth a $5 parking pass for the day (although Wednesday's are free so I might try that next time). They have a great beach area and several picnic areas AND a great playground. I only wish we had made it there a little earlier, by the time we got cleaned up and home it was 3pm and well past bed time. No trouble going down for naps though...and I'm on my way there now too.

**by the way, that is Hannah with Simeon in the picture. She is one of our favorite friends to play with. Eliya and Simeon adore her and it is so great to have her help, she doesn't mind changing poopy diapers at all! :)

Eliya

2010-06-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Eliya really is a BIG 3 & 1/2 year old. She is so smart, witty and helpful. She has a little sass in her too and a strong will that needs more direction. When she wants to be, she is very motherly to Simeon. If he cries (if she is not the cause) she runs to his side to hug him or ask him what happened and if he is ok.

She reminds me that I said I needed gas or to go to the bank. If I tell her we are going somewhere and we go a different direction, she always notices and asks why I took the wrong turn. She is slightly obsessed with Spanish and often asks how to say different words. She doesn't reproduce much but she thinks it's a fun game to ask about words. She loves to draw and wants to read really bad, but says "I don't know how to yet".

She has enough understanding of death and God to make profound statements at times. My Aunt, her Tia, passed away a few weeks ago unexpectedly, Eliya's first response was "cool, she's in heaven" and I told her we were sad because we couldn't see her anymore. She said, "that's ok, we'll see her again when we die". Yes, when we die or when Jesus returns, whichever happens first. She also told me that maybe Tia was singing and playing the guitar in heaven, and Daddy is playing the drums...and Jesus is playing the horn. Who knows, she might be speaking with accuracy?!

I love how with her tender heart she believes we will see Daddy soon. I know that a lifetime isn't soon, but child-like perspective is so much closer to reality. The Bible says life is a vapor and Jesus said I'm returning soon. I learn a lot from Eliya and I pray that when she's learning from me (all the time) that I accurately demonstrate the ways of the Kingdom and of faith.

I am so challenged by her directly and indirectly. I pray for Eliya to have a fiery hunger to run hard after the Lord and to know the love of the Father in an unusually deep and intimate way. That she would have passion and compassion for people. I ask the Lord to use her to bring many to Jesus.

Such an incredible responsibility to be a parent. I am increasingly realizing that my time with my children is so limited. I have dreams and desires for who they will become and I know that these are the years that their hearts are impressionable. They are learning about who God is, not by what I tell them as much as how I demonstrate Him. I am desperate for His help and I want to honor Him in how I raise these that He has given me.

after eating blueberries

worship song was on that sings of raising your hands and lifting your voice to Jesus

Simeon

2010-06-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

I want to use this page of the "journal" to blog about the kids. This is for family who might not live near, it's also for me since I seem to forget details. I can't lose the internet :) and I want to remember these little things about their lives.

Simeon is SUCH a boy. In the span of just one week recently, he got his finger stuck under a garage door, ran face first into a stone fireplace, and closed his hand in the hinge side of a door. Yes, the same boy who put my shirt over his head and ran through the house for the "blind" thrill, until his second stop met his head with the coffee table. Sticks, dirt and rocks are all irresistable. He is so sweet much of the time. He also already likes to irritate his sister intentionally. If he gets upset from getting hurt or getting in trouble, he wants his sister to comfort him; and she does.

Life is FAST PACED with these two. Simeon is getting so big and my heart aches with wanting him to stay little and a baby, but simultaneously being ready to be able to have conversations with him. My prayer over he and Eliya aren't terribly different, but for Simeon, I ask God to capture his heart at a very young age. I pray that his spirit and faith would be like his sense of adventure in "running blindly". I pray that as he gets "big", that he would belive more fully in the things he cannot see and would trust the wisdom of God more than the world and the whisper of the Spirit more than any other influence. Daily, this is what I ask for Simeon's life.

Here are a few pictures of his adventures.

Simeon's goose after running into fireplace

Simeon is TWO YEARS OLD!

2010-04-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

My little one is now two years old. It's unbelievable in many ways. He has 3 teeth coming in at one time and was a little testy early in the day, but come party time he was all fun. Simeon woke me up this morning by crawling in the bed with me to snuggle. He still likes to play with my hair when he's sleepy and he loves it when I hum to him. His vocabulary is increasing, but only I understand most of it unless the context is really clear. Eliya speaks for him a good amount and of course he wants to do / say anything she does / says. They really are great little buddies and there is nothing sweeter than seeing their voluntary affection for one another. Eliya fell down today and he ran to her and gave her a hug. Children are such a blessing from the Lord!

Enjoy a few pictures from his big day!

Gulf Shores

2009-10-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

There are many things churning in my mind these days. The kind that have to brew long enough to come out the best strength (coffee analogy ;). I've almost been home for a week, and really want to at least get some pictures of the vacation time up. Simeon was insanely clingy and ended up having an ear infection by the time I got home. He slept great while we were gone, probably partly because of not feeling well. He was great at the beach though, completely content. He did chip his tooth a little diving in the pool. He really has no fear and would give me a..."you'd better be ready to catch me" look, whether or not I really was. Eliya did great and loved playing with her cousins. I'm still hearing about Papi's antics. Raisins become bugs and plain oatmeal porridge when Papi's in charge (video soon to follow). I also keep hearing from Eliya about the big fish that Papi cut with a knife. :)

Here are just a few pictures. My sister in law was much better about capturing some of these great moments. I am using some of her pictures here.

Love vacation, but I also love that I long for home when I'm gone for too long. I am so thankful for the difficult and wonderful places that I am in...the refiner's fire. I love the churning and yearning of the Spirit in me. I'm still processing, praying and leaning into what God is doing in me concerning the last post. I love learning, growing and dying... only to repeat!

Gulf Shores 2009

I love the beach!

2009-06-10T13:30:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to go to Hilton Head, SC with a couple of friends for a few days. It was so great to be in creation, especially with friends who love the Lord and are becoming more like Him everyday. The time there was truly a blessing. I was a little overwhelmed with so much time without my kids, but as I write this I hear them playing in the background and know that I probably needed the respite more than I realize!

We got up at 5:45 to make it out for the sunrise, and we stayed out until 10:00 to see the sunset and moon come up. We spent a good amount of time just sitting on the beach contemplating the rhythm of His creation and how it displays His faithfulness.

Here are a few pictures of our time, on our way home we spent the afternoon in Savannah. By the way, I couldn't believe how kid and dog friendly Hilton Head is! It will definitely be a place to return with the kids one day. Here are a few pictures!

A few pictures from Easter

2009-04-16T21:15:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of my favorites!

My mom gave "Simeon" pictures as a gift for his birthday. I met this photographer before I was pregnant with Simeon, and his daughter took some pictures of Eliya when she was 6 months old. I think that the whole family is extremely talented. frankgibson.wordpress.com if you want to check out some of his other work.

HERE is the link to more pictures that I didn't upload directly into the site. Children really are the gift of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. (Ps 127:3).

ALL ABOUT THE BABIES... kind of

2009-03-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

I really do have WONDERFUL children.
Simeon will be one in less than 3 weeks. He is my toothless wonder. :) He eats absolutely everything that Eliya does, just by gumming things. He is walking around things while holding on and standing unassisted, but only when he doesn't realize he is doing so. His sweet chubby cheeks and curly red hair are just fantastic. He is SUCH a blessing to me. He is my hugger and seems to know when I really need one.

Eliya is almost 2 1/2. She is so big... no really! She literally grew an inch and a half in the past two months. She wears mostly 3T pants already! She constantly surprises me with her comprehension. I love comparing her linguistic abilities to my students who are learning English as a second language. They have similar problems :) The other day she said "Mama, Oh my goodness!" I LOVE it when she uses these little sayings we have... and most of the time correctly. She also said "Yee-Haw" yesterday very loudly in the car. Apparently, one of her Backyardagin videos has a western theme! I hear a little southern drawl in her sometimes too... unbelievable! Eliya is obsessed with the alphabet song and has it down perfectly. She also loves to point out every stop sign she sees and can spell S T O P. She tries to spell her name, but most adults can't spell it either so that will come :)

They both love music and love to dance. They also both love videos, which I carefully moderate. I so don't want them to get sucked in... which literally, if it is on, Simeon stares with his mouth hanging open. He is really drawn to the remote too... are the male genes THAT strong?!?

Eliya is asking about Daddy a little less these days. She told me the other day that she missed Daddy, she followed with Daddy's in heaven with Jesus. Even though she can produce that, I know the thought is SO abstract for her. She then asked me if we could go see Jesus that day. It's really hard to have any idea what to do with that. I have been asking God to give her dreams so that she could have a level of understanding that maybe I don't even have. Daily I ask for His presence as a Father and His peace to fill their room especially when they are sleeping.

It is very comforting that God' s heart is for the fatherless.
Psalms 68:5 NIV A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
In fact, the term fatherless or orphan appears at least 41 times in the Bible! I know that my family is in the palm of His hand. I honestly never thought empathetically about the fatherless or the "single mom". I keep thinking how unimaginable the additional burden hurt from divorce would be to the pain and responsibility that are already in these circumstances. I still know, and often dwell on the verses in Psalm 145:14-... The Lord sustains all who fall and raises all who are bowed down, He is near to those who cry out to Him in truth!

I also can't help but think about pain far greater than mine that others have suffered and are suffering. In 2008, UNICEF estimated that there were over 132 million orphans in the world. Those are truly orphans with no mother, father or permanent family. My pain seems so minimal compared to those little girls in Thailand (AND ATLANTA) who are in the sex trade. UNICEF also estimates that 1 Million children are brought into the sex industry every year. My pain is small in comparison to those who lost their entire families in the Rwandan massacres in 1994. GOD BREAK MY HEART FOR THE THINGS THAT BREAK YOURS! The pain and sorrows are too great and numerous for me to count, let alone bear. Jesus Christ DID bear all of these pains for us on the cross. Please do not let the commonness of His name in our culture or the simplicity of the message keep you from knowing the reality and depth of what He has done.

Isaiah 53: 3-5
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried;Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Jesus knows the depths of pain. He understands anything that you could possibly have ever walked through. He loves you and has already completed what was necessary for you to walk without the burden of pain (His death on the cross).

He wants us to lay our burdens at His feet. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Malachi 4:2 says The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings for you people who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves let out of a stall. Not too long ago, I saw a farmer enter his field with a hay bale... I could not believe how fast those cows could run and even leap! When I read this verse and God reminded me of that visual, I was overwhelmed with joy. No matter what your burden is, HE IS ENOUGH. He alone satisfies the desires of all men. He alone can heal the heart. A friend told me how she grows so much in the trials of life that she almost welcomes them!

1 Peter 1:6,7 "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ". The proof of your faith is more precious than gold which is perishable. OF COURSE, I wish that it hadn't cost so much for me to be laid bare before Him without any other props or hopes or helps in this world. I can with full conviction say that He really is enough. This world has nothing for me. I understand the futility of life. It is so short. My sufferings are so insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us through either death or His returning.

My heart really is that if you know Jesus, that you would pursue Him harder, the Word is living and active. It is the greatest way He speaks to us. If you feel Him drawing you, drop everything and respond. We, who are His, are passing through this world. Our citizenship isn't here... let's not live like it is. Let's be a living example of who Jesus is! He wants a pure bride who is mature and complete. Our rewards from sitting at His feet are immeasurable on this earth much less in heaven. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy!

If you do not know Him... and this is how the Bible defines KNOWING (By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:3-6) ...then please consider your own mortality. There is ONE guarantee for every man ever born. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. I am going to die. Most of us assume that will come late in life, and for the majority of people I know that is the case. Please seek Him out. Seek out His Word.

Acts 4:12 says there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Romans 10:9-11 says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
I HONESTLY had no intent to go this direction with the post. I really was going to make it "all about the babies". I am trusting that this is where the Holy Spirit led it for a reason. If you hear His voice today... please do not harden your heart against Him. If you are having trouble understanding or believing... ask Him to open your eyes and heart so that you can trust. If you have any questions, I would have no greater honor on this earth than to help you in your spiritual journey. Many of the things God is doing in my life is a direct result from drawing near to Him in my pain from my husband's death. Scott's life was a testimony of God and to God, it is my prayer that his death will in part lead many to the foot of the cross.
Back to the kids... if you made it this far :) Here are a few pictures.

Snuggly Simeon

2009-02-06T18:43:00.001-08:00

SIMEON. So very different than my firstborn. Eliya is independent and wants to do everything herself. She says, "I do it" at least 20 times a day. She likes to do as much as is possible all by herself. Simeon, on the other hand, loves to be held. He is a snuggler and hugger. He puts his arms around my neck and gets as close as is possible. It is difficult at times to have one so dependent. Often when he senses that I am going to put him down, he will wrap his hand around my hair to brace himself. He attempts to cling to me so that he can be held longer. It's very sweet, at times... It is great imagery for me though as God continues to speak parts of Psalm 63 over me. vs 8, My soul CLINGS to You; Your right hand upholds me. Oh that we would learn to CLING to HIM. I recognize my need for Him more in this season of life than ever, but I don't believe that my "need" is any greater now than it has ever been. I think I previously had false securities and distractions that made my perception of my need appear to be less.

Misty Edwards Song

Let Your fire burn, consuming me Let Your jealous flame come take away, everything,

Let your fire burn, consuming me Let Your jealous flame come and write your name upon my heart until all that remains, is the light of Your countenance. And I will be satisfied, when I awake as a lover of You!

Psalm 25:14 "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant." The Lord has secrets, intimacy that He wants me and you to know! In 1Corinthians 13 it says that now we see as in a mirror, dimly, but THEN face to face. Now we know in part but then we will know fully as we are fully known. The Lord really does know every thing about us (and He still loves us!). Not only that, but it is His desire for us to know Him. To know His secret thoughts and His heart.

I am on the journey of learning that there is no greater, worthwhile pursuit in this life than seeking Him out. The rewards of finding Him last FOREVER. In this season of my life, I am less concerned with things that will pass away. That God would realign the focus of the eyes of our hearts to Him!

Psalm 65:4 "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple."

2008-11-16T17:15:00.001-08:00

Both of my babies are getting so big :( This morning in the car Eliya said "NO SIMEON. Go on feet!" I looked back to see Simeon chewing on his socks. Such a good big sister. 3 days past two and she has the bossy thing down.

Simeon, on the other hand, is just sweeter and cuter by the day. He has a little cold right now and last night he woke up coughing. When I went to get him he had a big smile for me in spite of the congestion that was keeping him up.

Eliya's newest thing is to hitch a ride on the back of his walker. He pulls her around like the queen that she is :)

Cutie Eliya with her butterfly face paint

2008-11-16T17:04:00.001-08:00

I took Eliya to a sleeping beauty high school play, so she wore a crown naturally... they were doing face painting and she got this really cute butterfly painted on her face.

eliya with her birthday guitar

2008-11-13T16:31:00.001-08:00

Eliya is turning two

2008-11-12T19:24:00.001-08:00

Here we all are on Eliya's big day!
Help me Mama

I'm almost too cute to be eaten

woah!

Mama just woke me up on my birthday!

Halloween

2008-11-12T19:09:00.001-08:00

Eliya as Minnie Mouse!!!

Eliya and Simeon were with Nana and Papa for Halloween. They went to a few neighbor's houses. At one house, a boy with what I am assuming were fangs, came up behind her and she said "oh, big teeth!" two different times. Then, of course, she wanted to be picked up.

2008-11-12T19:03:00.001-08:00

Eliya wearing mama's glasses

2008-11-03T10:10:00.001-08:00

Eliya and Simeon with their Grandparents and their Great Grandfather
With Great Grandparents John and Emilee who live in New Mexico

Grandaddy sharing his ice cream

Playing in the pool

Mama and her baby boy

2008-11-03T09:34:00.001-08:00

We just love to play! Swinging is a favorite.

2008-11-03T09:06:00.001-08:00

Eliya got a doll house from her Grandma while we were in Gulf Shores.... What fun it has been! She LOVES it.

WE LOVE GULF SHORES!

2008-10-19T20:12:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Eliya and Simeon from Gulf Shores this past week. They had a ton of fun! The R.V. park had a play ground and a kiddie pool! What a great idea!

As soon as I find a few minutes, I will post more pictures.

Sweet Simeon

2008-10-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

I just love this little boy. He is getting so big. He is starting to sit up some. I don't trust his balance on the floor, but he sat up on the bed for about 3 minutes the other day! He is eating cereal now too. He generally sleeps really well and is overall just a sweet little boy!

Eliya and Simeon

2008-10-06T13:47:00.001-07:00

2008-10-06T12:35:00.001-07:00

Here is a really cute picture from a local festival that we went to on Saturday.

Our first little accident

2008-10-06T12:24:00.001-07:00

Eliya had her first scary accident! I didn't see it happen but she was standing near the fireplace mantle screaming and after she calmed down I asked her where "hurt" happened and she pointed to the fire place and then her eye. I am just so thankful that it wasn't any worse. Brick could definitely have done more damage so I believe that God was protecting her.

cool picture last night

2008-10-03T16:06:00.001-07:00

The setting sun was awesome. By the time I got the camera out and changed the batteries it wasn't quite as neat but... I love how you can see just a tiny sliver of moon.

cool picture last night

2008-10-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

The setting sun was awesome. By the time I got the camera out and changed the batteries it wasn't quite as neat but... I love how you can see just a tiny sliver of moon.

A Slideshow of photos from Aug and Sept

2008-10-02T20:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the past few months. Eliya is so fun and she LOVES the camera.

A Slideshow of photos from Aug and Sept

2008-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the past few months. Eliya is so fun and she LOVES the camera.

Life is FINALLY easier

2008-10-01T19:43:00.001-07:00

When we first brought Simeon home, I seriously thought WHAT HAVE I DONE!!?! I had a fussy newborn and a 17 month old that didn't understand why her world was being turned upside down. Thank God, after Simeon was about 3 months old things started getting easier. Now, I can't imagine life without BOTH of them. They are intereacting more these days. Simeon stares at Eliya just looking for a reason to laugh at her. She definitely gives one too, she dances and squeals to get a response from him. My heart is literally overflowing and I find much of the joy in my life from these two precious gifts from God.

Life is FINALLY easier

2008-10-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Video of Simeon and Eliya. He adores her!

2008-10-01T19:05:00.001-07:00

Video of Simeon and Eliya. He adores her!

2008-10-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Just getting started!

2008-10-01T18:40:00.001-07:00

Welcome to The Mason Family Journal

The main purpose of this blog is to gush over my precious babies. Eliya Love is almost 2 years old and her sweet baby brother, Simeon Al is almost 6 months old. They are one of the loves of my life. Scott and our maker and savior, Jesus Christ are the other loves of my life.

I am hoping to use this journal/blog to record some of the things that the babies do and keep family and friends "in the loop" even though they may not live near.

Just getting started!

2008-10-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Mason Family Journal

I am hoping to use this journal/blog to record some of the things that the babies do and keep family and friends "in the loop" even though they may not live near.