8/18/2015 1 Comment My Gentle GiantI'm sitting in the parking lot, waiting on this dude to get out of work in a few minutes. I figured I could take a moment to reflect and respond to his awesomeness for a minute. He's thirty-one this year. Which means soon he will be closer to 50 than 20. This guy, whose heart is bigger than his house, is all mine. All 6 feet and 1 inch of him. His dark hair, meticulously groomed each day defines a bronzed face of olive skin. His shoulders stacked with definition. I can't tell you how long I had prayed for him before meeting him. Or how often I pray for him now. But I assure you- it's a lot. He carries the groceries in for me- usually in one trip. He empties the garbage cans faithfully so I don't have to. He cleans all the vomit in our house- whenever it shows up- because he's just that amazing. He painstakingly chooses socks to match his bow ties, which are becoming a "trademark" of sorts to his attire. But more than his physical attributes or the tasks he lovingly completes for me, he is steady and sure. He represents the love God has for me in an intimate and personal way. I've seen and heard him reading His Bible and praying God's promises over the kids and I. I've watched him help disciple young people over the last few years and change their lives to be more like Jesus. I've seen this man put up with my worst attitudes and beat days with grace and patients. And today, is a celebration of him. A celebration of his honest character and his firm integrity under pressure. Thank you, Paco, for loving us- for loving me- the way that you do. Thank you for putting God first in order to love us fully and completely. Thank you for taking time each day to appreciate and care for us, as only you can do. Thank you for providing and working long hours to give financially to this team so I can stay home and live my dreams. Thank you for seeing the best in me, and pushing me towards it every day. Thank you for the kisses every day and night. Thank you for the hugs when I'm crying or stressed. Thank you for washing the big pots so I don't have to. I love you so. And I wish you nothing but the best this next year! Happiest birthday wishes to you!
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8/10/2015 0 Comments Wesley PaxWhen Paco and I first found out we would be parents, gender wasn't an issue. We didn't feel the pressure of needing a certain sexed baby until we had two girls at our house. When we found out Wesley was a boy, I remember breathing a sigh of relief and saying "Oh, good. The pressure is off now!" Three years ago today, I was sitting in my bathroom sobbing big crocodile tears. I was 42 weeks and 5 days pregnant with my third baby. And he wasn't showing any signs of "progress" as far as labor was concerned. Everyone kept telling me that babies "come when they're ready", but that offered me nothing. Regardless, he had less than 48 hours to debut before my midwife would induce him - and me - and perform a scheduled birthday. My contractions started that night at midnight on the dot. Just after 5 am, Wesley Pax was born. The only boy at our house, he made his daddy proud. I've watched this soon-to-be man grow in both stature and favor with man, and I'm praying that soon- one day very soon- I'll see His favor in the sight of God far surpass my own. Wesley is a hand full. He is full of energy from sun up to sun down. Sometimes long after sun down. He is sensitive and emotional, and can turn into a basket case over the smallest of things. He is genuine and honest and always willing to tattle on one of his sisters. But I have watched his weakest areas, and can already see how God can and will groom him to become a man with such gentle-man like attributes. His sensitivity will be a great asset for loving his wife and children one day. He will understand their heavy emotions on the best and worst of days. He will no doubt rejoice and mourn with those he loves, when appropriate. His honesty- as Wesley means "fields of honesty"- has proven to be a chore at two years old. But at 12 and 22, and all the way to his gray-haired days of 62, I know it will be a highly desired characteristic not readily available. He will be loyally truthful to a fault. His nature that cries and whines at the smallest of things will prove to be a strength, when he is broken before the Lord and completely undone with emotion. Emotions that no doubt the Holy Spirit will bring about. When sin or simply sitting in the presence of Jesus take place, Wesley will easily be moved to a place of brokenness. And as a mother, my blessing will certainly be seeing a child of mine, in such a position. Because I know that a heart that is contrite and broken is what God longs for in Wesley. As Wesley turns three tomorrow, I'm reminded of the best and worst moments we've shared so far. Time has flown by, and yet passed all too quickly. The saying "the days are long but the years are short" carries immense understanding when living with my Wesley. He has been the most difficult child to raise in the sense that he talked so much later than the girls ever did. It made communicating his needs and wants nearly impossible, and a daunting chore at best. He was and is still relentless in defiance. His sisters often required one or two stern warnings, and Wesley has required much more than that to see little improvement in his behavior.
Today, as you're reading, pray for Wesley. Pray that he becomes all God has prepared for him. Pray that He is a true follower and disciple of Christ- and not a religious, hypocritical, and legalistic "church goer" set in self-righteousness. Pray that the Holy Spirit would arrest his heart at a young age, to be made into the image of Christ and that he is characterized by disliking to lost to make more disciples.
- when pregnant with Wesley, Paco asked what I thought he would look like. Obviously, I had zero knowledge of the answer, and the same amount of control- but I told him if I could pick, I would have a boy with blonde surfer hair and big blue eyes. With Paco as my husband, you know that's a far-fetched dream. But God is the fulfiller of dreams and the Master creator who gave me all my heart ever desired in those seemingly trivial moments! God is so good, and gives such good gifts to His kids! - Wesley's favorite phrases right now are: "pet the pooch!" (A line from beauty and the beast which his sisters relentlessly make him watch.) "Yeah me too!" (My favorite is when I say "Wesley I think you're so handsome!" To which he replies "yeah me too!") "I'na close da gate!?" (His almost-three-years-old way of asking if he can close the baby gate for me.) "Ok I'na cannie? OK? OK." (His asking for candy and declaring it OK to everyone else after using the potty successfully!) -Wes's current favorite foods include spaghetti, pizza, dinner rolls, any kind of juice, broccoli, and Despicable Me Gummies. -Wesly's favorite movies as of now, are Big Hero 6, Despicable Me (1 & 2), The Toy Story Trilogy, any of the Superbook DVD stories, and "da wiiiitch!!!" As he calls it- which is Snow White to most people, but he picked up on the witch part when McKenna called out the old lady once. -Wesley is taller than most kids his age. -He loves to swim, ride the scooter, jump from high heights, and use the iPad. -Currently, Wesley is a push over to the smallest person in our home: Adalynn Mei. She will steal his sippy cup, steal his toys, or use her tiny hands to touch him, and Wesley screams in terror and shrinks back with giant tears. He has yet to realize he is almost three times her size. |
AuthorBri is the mom to four little people, the wife to a gentle giant, and a lover of Jesus. She's figuring out the best ways to parent by trial and error, and sharing her struggles, successes, and stories with you! Archives
June 2018
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