all the world needs now...

is love, sweet love...

and we got plenty to share over here at the konietzki house :) 

(well, ok, maybe there's not always an over-abundance of it, but we sure do have a lot of fun pretending) :)

true loves means I can't sleep without you

true love says, "let me give you a boost up, little brother"

true love helps your sister put her nuk back in- whether she appreciates your help or not :)

true love is coloring pictures for each other on your belly 

true love is letting your sister steal your sippy cup

true love is letting your little sister look on as you play with your new Christmas present

true love is holding hands in the car- just like mom and dad :) 

luckily, for you, catching my children not showing love (with the camera, at least) is a little harder, because it generally involves naughtiness that needs to be corrected, someone crying or mommy not being around :) But, let me set the record straight- we have plenty of pushes and shoves, plenty of baby cat fights, plenty of hits and screams- going on over here. That's why, for the kiddos, my new year's resolution is to work on kindness. Since they are all so close in age, there isn't really ever going to be a need for outside friends- we'll have them, I'm sure, but there won't be a NEED for them- like there would in a single child home or a home with children spaced farther apart. My goal is that my kids are each other's best friend. Nothing makes my heart happier than when I drop Hailey and Jack off in their classrooms at church and they don't want to leave each other. Since they all will be in school together- just a year or two apart- depending on how we deal with Jack's late August birthday, I feel like they could be a great encouragement and help to one another in those hard school years. But, I also feel like that role of encouraging and helping one another won't happen by accident- it's something that we will need to work on and cultivate. :) (and pray a TON about)

One Word

In a home where

the sheer amount of garbage threatens to over take you

you're always taking someone out of something...

off of something...

or down from something

where even a moment to go potty by yourself is a rare occurrence

in a house where there is always someone needing something, always someone grabbing something, always someone whining about something, always someone talking, always someone making noise...in that sort of a house- a house like ours it's easy for the grumpies to overtake you. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. It's easy to long for "better" days- days when it'll quiet and the house will be at peace...it's easy- in a house like ours, to say "5 more years"...and it'll be easier, it'll be better, I'll have more time. It's easy to put stuff off and plan on doing it later or working on it later. 

But, there simply isn't time for that! There isn't time to wait until my babies are 5 or 4 or 3 until I work on putting some peace back in to my heart. I don't think my heart has another year left in it of crazy- let alone 3 or 4 more. My heart just can't take it. I need peace in my poor weary little heart and I need it now! 

Today was one of those days that I dread...a day when all the kids melt down, a day when I'm not sure what started first- a crabby mom or 2 naughty older kids or 2 crying and whining babies...but I know what came last- a mom loosing her temper, getting irritated and wanting to just curl up in a ball, cry and get away from it all! I hate those kind of days. It's on those days that I realize how desperately I need God's peace to rule in my heart. I need God's strength to bring about a peace-filled heart and home over here. 

That's why when a "bloggy" friend of mine, Melanie, offered up a few buttons with a word to use to define your year- I jumped at the chance- jumped at the chance to remind myself to strive for peace through out the year. A chance to remind you to pray for peace for my heart, my house, and my life, whenever you see my button. A chance to remind you and me that peace can only come from God, but that it transcends all understanding. Just one word, but hopefully this one word will become a defining word for the year to come! 

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot 

Thou has taught me to say 

It is well, It is well with my soul

Though satan should buffet

Though trials should come

Let this blest assurance control

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well, It is well

With my soul, with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

Christmas Konietzki style

is filled with:

*family...

specifically Hailey's favorite girl cousin- Kenzie 

isn't she a cute little one?? 

She's between Jackson and the girls in age and she's just starting to say real words and it's incredibly cute!!

*grandparent's and their grandkids

*great-grandma's 

*cool presents

*Auntie's and Uncle's that let the kiddos help them open their presents, too

*family photos under the Christmas tree

even if it takes a try or two to get it right :)

*sweet smiles

*great aunties that are almost birthday buddies....

*opening presents with Grandpa

*Great-Great Aunties 

*learning new tricks- like walking...eek! my baby is stumbling around, now.

*excited faces when they wake up on Christmas morning 

*a little boy falling  off the table, hitting his head, probably knocking himself out, throwing up and ending up in the emergency room ruling out a concussion

*two little buggers that enjoyed "stealing" their siblings toys and ignoring their own :)

This was definitely the best Christmas we've had to date...not sure if it was because the kids were finally old enough to really enjoy it, if it was just soooo much better than last year, if it had something to do with the new found faith of our oldest child, if we tried harder to keep Christ in our celebrations and it worked...or what was so great about it, but it definitely was a fun few days spent celebrating Christ's birth!!  

A day of rejoicing

Last night my sweet oldest girl did something that I've been praying for since the day I found out I was pregnant with her...she prayed, asked Jesus to forgive her for the naughty things that she's done, to come into her heart and save a place for her in heaven so that she can be with Him someday. I don't care what I get for Christmas, I don't care if no one remembers me or buys me what I want, because last night I got the best gift a parent could ask for- I had the privilege of leading my precious baby girl as she took her first steps to making Jesus the Lord of her life. 

This brings to my mind a Christmas question for you- have you ever made Jesus the Lord of your life?? I know that a lot of us celebrate His birth this special time of the year and we call Him the greatest gift, but have you ever gone as far as to confess that you are a sinner, repent of your sins and ask the Lord of the universe to come in and be Lord of your life?? Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me lives even though he dies" John 11:25. Hailey now has the assurance that if she were to die tomorrow she would be in heaven with Jesus- do you share that same assurance, dear friend?? You mean the world to us and we would love to know that someday Hailey and I will spend eternity with you. 

Thank you, Jesus, for answering this mommy's prayer. Thank you for the fact that I get to spend eternity with my sweet and precious first born daughter. May you bring her brother and sister's to the same saving knowledge at the earliest possible moment!!

Is a peaceful home unattainable??!

With 4 screaming kids who think they need 3 meals a day- RIGHT NOW, twins that are learning to walk and climb (and not always doing so well- as evidenced by the numerous bumps, bruises, and one huge fat lip), toilets that always seem to be dirty, laundry that often spills out of the laundry room, dog hair that piles up in the corners and threatens to take over the house, food that clings to the walls and our faces and hands with abandon- my life seems to be anything but peaceful. But, since I've caught my husband circling the block a few times doing what seemed to be a pep talk to himself- trying to gear himself up to come in the house...I am feeling the need to bring some peace back to my home, or maybe I'm just desperate to have my husband come home ;) (just kidding- I haven't actually observed this, it's just what I would do, if I ever caught a break and busted out of this joint) :)  In all honesty, I want my kids to feel at peace in our home, I want my husband to want to come home- to desire to come home, I want to desire to stay home. I want our home to be a place of comfort- a safe haven from the world around us, a place where it's safe to be yourself and to let your guard down, a place where you can cry and laugh with abandon. So, I've been studying and praying and asking and talking and gaining advice and taking some steps towards gaining some peace in our house this next year. 

It seems almost easier to narrow down what peace is not, rather than what it is. 

Peace is NOT:

1)superbly clean...Proverbs 14:4 says, where no oxen are the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox...and I think the same can be said of children. a clean house would be awesome, it would be nice to be able to keep up with the laundry, but that's impossible with these beautiful children in my house and I'd never trade a clean house for these precious ones!!

2) rigidly schedule...Proverbs 16:9 says, a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps...I tend to not be able to make a schedule without getting all rigid and irritated if God directs my steps in other ways!

3) filled with sleep, unfortunately  (or fortunately, because i don't think there's going to be an abundance of sleep here for years to come)..Proverbs 24:33,34 says, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of your hands to rest; so shall poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man...too bad it doesn't say that if you don't get enough sleep that night you can be grouchy and do nothing all day...

4) allowing your children to run wild and undisciplined...Proverbs 29:17 says, correct your son and he will give you rest yes, he will give delight to your soul...I often feel like I am the "fun-sucker" if I make my children obey the rules and I feel bad, but that's not what God's Word says- it says that if I do discipline then I will have peace and rest!!
I'm still working on what a peaceful home means for us, but there are 2 things that I know for sure, 2 things that I'm actively working on:
1) Time in the Word is key...Psalm 119:165 says, Great peace have those who love your law and nothing causes them to stumble...I can't predict what my kids are going to be like when they wake up, how much sleep I'm going to get, how destroyed my house may look at the end of the day (ok, I can generally predict that one- VERY destroyed) or what the next year or even day will bring but what I can predict is that if I know the Word, put into practice the Word and teach my children the Word- we can have a peace-filled home. A home filled with the peace that will surpass all understanding; regardless of what the world has going on around us!
2) Diligence is key...Proverbs 27:23 says to be diligent and Proverbs 31 is filled with a woman who diligently provided for her family and clothed them in dignity and created a peaceful abode for them to reside in. I know that I need to diligently work at creating peace in my home. I need to not slack on my housework or laundry and take a break or ignore what's going on around me because I'm too wore out and tired. I need to keep going and keep at it so that my family can reap the rewards of a house of peace. That's not to say that I'm not going to take breaks, or rest and relax, because as nice as the mental hospital sounds at times, I don't think that ending up there is a good way to create a peaceful home for my family. It doesn't mean that I won't play or create with my children- in fact, it means that I probably will do more of that. But, it does mean that I need to figure out what it takes to create peace in my home and diligently work at keeping it-regardless of how I feel or how much energy I have that day!

the faces of Jack

Jackson is so cute, but he hates having his picture taken, so I decided to ask him to do some special faces for me and he totally got into it and did the cutest faces for the camera!! :) 

This little boy is so typical 2 year old it's almost scary. I feel like one minute he is on the floor screaming and crying and throwing a huge fit over not getting milk in the sippy cup that he wanted or throwing his food on the floor because, "I don't like macaroni and cheese- yucky" (doesn't matter what it is- he arbitrarily decides what he likes and doesn't like based on some sort of weird 2 year old childish whim that changes with the hour or even minute) But, the next minute he could be crawling up in my lap to "snuggle wit' me" or singing to the babies (He sings Jesus loves the Children and Jesus loves me like a pro) or asking me questions about Jesus. He has an incredibly soft heart and he loves to talk about Jesus and Jesus being in his heart or helping him be strong and mighty or things like that. It's so precious to me to hear and see his little heart. 

He and Hailey have really gotten into story telling, lately, and he was telling his Papa a story about Shadrack, Meshack and Abendigo and it was going all well and good, even following the storyline somewhat, until a dragon came into the story! It's funny that I don't remember that being in the Bible, but maybe Jackson knows something that I don't :) His favorite story of all time is the one about the little boy named Jack who had his Clifford and Tigger stolen by a dragon and how he went all over the lands looking for them so he could go to bed and when he finally found them he made friends with the dragon, so maybe that's where it came from ;) We may or may not have some wild imaginations over here!!

I really can't get over how my sweet little boy is growing up...it seems to be happening overnight and it makes me so sad!! Korey and I both are a little sad that there's no chance of us ever having another little boy to add to the family, because even on the worst 2 year old days this one is incredibly precious and dear to both of our hearts!!

random cuteness

I love taking pictures of my little twinnies and today they actually got dressed and found their way into some adorable little outfits, so I just had to take some photos to commemorate the occasion :)

Maysen was totally hamming it up for the camera!

the girls have been standing up and taking a few steps at a time, but no real walking, yet.

Maelle where'd your shoe go??

Maelle's hair has been so wild and crazy, lately...I need to put it in a little ponytail almost every day, just to keep it from getting crazier :) (she does choose to smear her food through her hair at every meal and I'm pretty sure that doesn't help much) 

don't you love their little red ruby slippers?? I got them from a friend of mine and just loved them so much that I had to find an occasion to put them on the girls! (they didn't last long on their feet...but were absolutely adorable while they did)

Maelle wasn't quite into taking pictures today- at least she didn't wanna sit still and look cute while I took her picture- she was a little too busy!! 

we've really been enjoying some fun days of counting down to Christmas! The kids wake up each morning so excited to see what our sock says we  have to do while the babies take their morning nap :) Today we went and took cookies and christmas cards to the little old lady who sold Korey and I our house. (we didn't leave the babies at home- we all went together) 6 years ago this lady accepted an offer from 2 incredibly young people over all the other offers on her house- including ones that were higher than theirs, hoping and praying that they would fill up her house with love and children ;) We did just that and I've tried to continue to keep her "in the loop" with our lives and visit her a few times a year! She loved on the kiddos and ooh'd and ahhh'd over the twins and cried with happiness that the house her Daddy built for her is so full of laughter and fun! (her tears may have been more about the dirt all over her carpet after Jackson dumped over 2 of her house plants, but I chose to think it was more tears of happiness than sadness)