Category Archives: Family Traditions

October 27, 2008 · 2:17 am

Sweet Sixteen

Happy 16th Birthday my dear Amy Girl!

You’re all ribbons and curls,
Oh, what a girl!
Eyes that twinkle and shine,
You’re sixteen,
You’re beautiful and you’re mine.

How quickly those 16 birthdays come and go —

1st birthday – pretty & pink baby girl

2nd Birthday at the Pumpkin Patch

3rd Birthday – you began your love of horses!

4th Birthday – at Chuck E Cheese

5th birthday – my princess

6th Birthday – the magician came to our backyard

7th birthday – another “dress up” party


8th Birthday – celebrating with Daddy for his 40th – a hoedown!

9th Birthday – the camping birthday (when the squirrels ate part of the cake!)

10th Birthday – Decade Day! (and Mom’s pregnant & feeling sick)

11th Birthday – A trip to Florida & South Carolina with Mommy

12th Birthday – The year of the beach boardwalk birthdays!

13th Birthday – Surprise Party!

14th Birthday – the “Nerts” Party

15th Birthday – the low key freshman girls sleepover

And today —

You’re sixteen,
You’re beautiful and you’re mine.

Yes my dear, sweet, special Amy girl!  I love you.


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Filed under Blessings, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Motherhood

October 25, 2008 · 12:04 pm

Pumpkin Patch Day

Yesterday was our annual trip to the pumpkin patch – love it!

The day was beautiful (although a bit warm for the end of October) and we enjoyed all of our family traditions – dressing in fall colors, taking lots of beautiful photos, walking through the patch, taking a hay ride, petting the animals, picking wild flowers and eating pumpkin ice cream before coming home to a delicious dinner of chili & cornbread.  Daniel was quite active this year…it is hard to believe that he wasn’t even walking last year at the patch!  He was busy rolling in the hay, throwing dirt, hitting the pumpkins with a stick and devouring as much ice cream and popcorn as he could. Boys! Yes, they are different than girls and I am enjoying every minute.

This is our nineteenth year of going to the pumpkin patch on a fall Friday afternoon in October – why family traditions?

Besides creating wonderful family memories to be looked back on fondly and fabulous photos, it also gives your children a sense of belonging, security & uniqueness.

Belonging – Children have a strong desire to belong to something important. We see this being played out regularly in our society in the negative form of gangs and peer pressure.  By doing family outings they get to experience that sense of belonging & togetherness.

Security– When you go have outings and events that your family participates in on an annual basis it gives children a strong sense of security.  During difficult or tough times or when they are going through major changes emotionally, physically, psychologically or in any area of their lives (ie: going to a new school, moving, joining a new activity) they get that security from knowing some things never change.  It is a warm safe, comforting & reassuring feeling.

Uniqueness – What makes your family special? It is your specific traditions, rituals, activities, events and outings that are unique to your family.  The more you have…the more your children will be connected to your family.  You want your children to enjoy family life and being together.  You want to foster relationships with their siblings. You want them to think…”Wow! Our family is the best”  or “Our family is fun” so that they do not so easily look for “fun” in undesirable activities. Annual outings are a great way to achieve this!

Enjoy the slide show of our day at “the patch”.

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Filed under Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins

October 13, 2008 · 3:52 pm

The tale of two “practically perfect” days

This is a tale of two practically perfect days.

A week ago last Friday was our traditional family fall outing to Apple Hill and when I came home that evening I posted my status on my face book account that it was the end of a “practically perfect” day!

We got up early on the first cool crisp morning of the fall…made a quick Starbucks stop for a Pumpkin Spice Latte and we were off.  Highlights –

  • touring the historic town of Coloma – I love history!

  • panning for gold on the American River

  • a delicious picnic lunch  at Apple Hill overlooking the beautiful mountainside and trout pond

  • enjoying the fall weather and colors while making memories with my children

  • yummy caramel apples

  • a leisurely drive down the hill watching the first rain of the season come down on the windshield and blaring music loud in the van while singing along!
  • coming home to a warm bowl of cheddar cheese soup with several friends joining around the festive fall candlelit table before heading out to the perfect Friday night activity – a Jim Elliot football game (bonus – they won!) and having my teenage girls want to sit with their Mom and Dad. 🙂

  • and finally enjoying a freshly baked apple pie ala mode on the couch with Joy – my 5 year old “night girl” (the only one that didn’t “crash” before the pie was done)
 

I lay down to sleep that night perfectly content that I had enjoyed a thoroughly memorable day with my favorite people on earth doing some of my favorite things and enjoying some of my favorite foods.

The  next “practically perfect” day was last Tuesday when life as I knew it stopped.  Instead of going, going, going from dawn to dusk – homeschooling the girls, driving to and from a multitude of sporting events and practices (we currently have three soccer players, two volleyball players and a cross country runner), tutoring a dear friends son, taking Grace to reading class and Rebekah to play rehearsal (I drive over 75 miles every Tuesday) and in between trying to keep up with my work for Creative Memories, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Cornerstone Co-op Administraton on top of being a Mom/Wife (getting food for all to eat, managing the house and getting in a quick phone call to the college daughter and having a conversation and a goodnight kiss with the dear darling hubby) – everything came to a screeching halt when baby Daniel was in the hospital and my life was quickly pared down to one assignment – being Daniel’s mommy. 

And I have to say despite the staph infection, the hospital surroundings and the lack of sleep it truly was a practically perfect day!

  • We cuddled, cuddled and cuddled some more!

  •  We ate all our meals together (cooked, delivered & cleaned up by someone else – bonus!). We read books, played ball and watched cartoons together.

  • We even chatted on the phone together to big sister in New York.
  • And while he napped I read my online devotions and daily Bible reading (that I sometimes try to say I am too busy to read….excuses, excuses) and I prayed.
  • My friends took over my life – driving my girls to their practices, tutoring schedules & rehearsals.  They brought me a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and fed my family delicious home cooked meals.  And everything the “needed” to get done for JECHS, CM and co-op just didn’t happen.  And you know what?  Life went on.

As I laid in the crib/cage that night scrunched up next to my precious little boy I was fully content that my day had been so simple and truly enjoyable – just caring for my son and time with my Lord, a few visits from dear friends, my girls and the love of my life.

You may be thinking – “how can being in the hospital with your very sick child be a practically perfect day?”  It is because I believe that truly is not what happens in your life each and everyday that counts – it is how you view it and how you respond that makes the difference.  I choose to see and live life not through “rose colored glasses” as the saying goes but through the filter of Gods word that says –

“All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

“This is the day that the Lord has made…Iet us rejoice and be glad in it!”

“In everything give thanks for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.”

 Two very different days but both practically perfect in many ways.  It is all in how you see it – a lesson we could all take to heart and teach to our children.

 

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Filed under Attitude, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Positive Words

September 24, 2008 · 8:41 am

The baby becomes a little boy

I can’t stand that headline!

After posting some photos on my facebook account of my baby boy – I realized how much he really did need a haircut. With his bangs hanging down into his eyes (do you call them bangs on boys?) , his hair flowing down well over his ears and the wisps of blond flying all around his head making him look quite wild – it was probably past time for him to get his hair cut.

 

With girls you can hold off on this “Rite of Passage” for several years thus convincing yourself that your little one is really still a tiny baby. Something changes in their “look” after that first haircut.  It is like instant aging.  They go from a baby to a child overnight. <sigh>

Since this is definitely something that needed to be done with Daddy, I knew I was running out of Saturdays to pull this off before it got so long that everyone was calling him a girl! I was determined to find a “real” barber shop (complete with a barber pole) for his first haircut although after calling around to several, I quickly found out that many of them did not attempt to cut the hair of a 17 month old.  Finally we hit the jackpot when we dialed the number to “The Village Barber” in Lincoln Center, one of the oldest and poshest shopping areas in our city. They exclaimed to us “Of course – we do anyone 0 to 100!”  We jumped in the car and headed over to the barber shop…to be thrilled to find it had a barber pole!

They had Daddy sit down in the chair and put Daniel on his lap for the haircut.  It was precious!  I snapped photos fast and furiously only stopping occasionally to admire my two favorite guys and take in the moment.

The football game on the big screen got both these boys attention!

 Isn’t this so very precious?

I love Daniel’s concentration on his Daddy

The “barber” Tina (who is apparently the only female on staff and always gets assigned the little ones) did a great job with a moving target.  To top things off, we even got a certificate at the end to put in the scrapbook along with the precious lock of blond hair.  The only problem is that the certificate said that he was officially “graduating from babyhood”. 😦

I am only all to well aware, that these precious years will be over in a blink of an eye and I will be looking up at my handsome blond haired “baby boy” as he “graduates to manhood”. I will savor each moment

We will most definitely be coming back to this shop as our first boy’s hair cut tradition. We had originally hoped to go the the Barber Shop in Red Bluff where Dan got his first haircut…but unfortunately it was no longer in business.  Hopefully the Lord will bless us with at least one more baby boy to carry on the first haircut tradition and then perhaps the boys will someday take their boys to this classic shop as well. Wouldn’t that be great?  Since this shop has already been in business for 53 years, I am sure that this is a real possibility.

Here is the final results of the baby who became a little boy!

Thankfully this morning I caught a glimpse of my sweet little “baby” boy as he lay sleeping in my bed – and remembered the words from the beloved book – Love You Forever

I’ll love you forever,

I’ll like you for always,

As long as I’m living,

My baby you’ll be.

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Filed under Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Motherhood

September 22, 2008 · 7:34 am

Teens – Terrible or Terrific?

We had a “milestone” birthday in our home this past week as my fourth daughter, Rebekah turned thirteen.

It is official!  We now have four teenage girls in our family…at the same time.

 When Rebekah was born her three older sisters were 18 months(Kristen), 3 years(Amy) and 6 years old (Michelle).

I remember many times during their childhood well meaning friends, acquaintances and even strangers would make comments about how dreadful, hard or horrible I would have it when they were all teenagers.  Most of the time I would just smile (ok, so maybe smile/smirk is more accurate) or politely laugh at their “doom & gloom” comments,  however occasionally I would proclaim with confidence my true sentiments – “Oh I can’t wait….I love teenagers!”

And it is true – I have loved teenagers my entire adult life.  I love their enthusiasm, idealism, passion, boundless energy(as well as their ability to sleep for hours on end), hope, faith, spontanaity, reckless abandon, independence and strength to name a few of the qualities of youth that I find very appealing.  But the never ending onslaught of negative comments did leave me wondering if I was headed for disaster down the road when I actually had teenagers living in my home.

Why is it that we live in a society that seems to have such a disdain for the teen years?  Why do so many parents look at these years as something to fear or dread rather than welcoming them with hope and excitement?  Once a child reaches thirteen they only have five or six years left in our homes…why then would we spend those years arguing, fighting or wishing away our short time together?

Or is it even true that parents do not enjoy their teenagers or is it just another one of those “parroting” issues where everyone feels they have to say disdainful things about teenagers because that is what everyone else is saying. (Even just yesterday, a poplular radio host that I listen to regularly responded with “I’m sorry” when the caller mentioned she had a teenager.  Of course it got a laugh – but I cringed inside as comments like this seem to add to the negative sentiments surrounding being a parent of teenagers.)

Most likely it is a combination of “parroting” as well as parents truly struggling with unappraciative, disrespectful, self centered teenagers who show them very little love. (that type of teenager doesn’t sound like much fun to me either)

Now if I merely had one teenager, I would never venture to give any advice, opinions, insights, ideas or even hints as to how to enjoy the teenage years but since I have four who run the gamut of personalities and dispositions (although at this point I don’t have any male teenagers – you’ll have to wait at least 15+ years for my “take” on that – although perhaps my dear friends Teri Helms, Christy Keyton or Ladonna Colton can “guest blog” on teenage boys) and because we are truly enjoying our teenagers, I will throw out my opinions for anyone who might be interested.

First let me say…that if you want to enjoy the teenage years…it starts way before they turn thirteen.  In fact, it begins with getting a good grip on your thirteen month old when they first start challenging your authority by directly doing what you just said “no” to them doing.  If you lose the battle of the wills with a toddler, you are sure to lose the war with a teenager.  Be strong and always, always, always win!

It also takes developing a solid, loving relationship with your child during those early years by spending tons of time with them (both quantity & quality), eating the vast majority of your dinners together as a family – at the dining room table (candlelight & music is a bonus!), enjoying lots of cuddling time together on the couch in the evenings or under the covers in the morning reading books, watching movies or just sharing life stories, worshipping together as a family, talking, talking and talking with them and being diligent to create meaningful memories on a regular basis.

In addition, I believe that besides “winning the battle of the wills” and developing a solid loving relationship that you need to indoctrinate them for many years before they come close to teenagedom as to the “rules” and boundaries in your household.  Here are some examples of ours –

1. We (Mom & Dad) can make your life miserable or wonderful – the choice is yours!  We highly recommend you choose wonderful but if you choose miserable we will follow through.

2. You are not the center of the universe or for that matter, the center of this family either.  It is NOT all about you….don’t forget this (of course it helps to realize this when you live in a family of nine)

3. It is “My way….or the highway”  Yes,that is correct if our teenager does not comply with our rules or chooses to live a life of continued disrespect or direct defiance, they will no longer have the option and privilege of living under our roof.  As hard as this would be to carry out, my children know that we would follow through.

4. No whining allowed!  We have more than most people in the world – a roof over our heads (no matter how much you think that roof should be bigger), food on our plates (even if it is beans & rice several times a week), clothes on our backs (in abundance – thanks to hand me downs!) and a loving, committed “in tact” family. What is there to complain about? Nothing!

5. No, you can’t have…

  • your own cell phone (we have a common “the girls” phone)
  • a myspace or facebook account until college (if you have that much free time – have I got a job for you! However, you can have a blog – feel free to write, write, write!)
  • your own car (nope you can’t even buy your own until after high school and no one else gets to buy one for you either) – you may use one of our cars as needed and with permission
  • a TV in your room (in fact you can’t even watch TV except on a very rare occasion)
  • your own room (and this is not just a logistical rule – it is our paradigm – no one needs their own room – even if we had eight bedrooms – there would be at least two to a room until the last child is here alone.)

6. You also can’t…

  • spend the night, go to parties or on out of town trips with families who we do not know intimately.
  • call, write or text boys (and yes when I have teenage boys they will not call, write or text girls in jr or sr high either – after that they can ask the young ladies father for permission to call, write or text)
  • date or “go out” in junior high or high school (including all definitions of the word – from casual going out for coffee with a member of the opposite sex to “committed” boyfriend/girlfriend relationships)
  • get body piercings, tattoos or any extreme hair coloring or styles
  • wear any immodest, inappropriate or culturally reactionary clothing (and the Mom gets to decide if something is ok) and a bonus – you get to wear dresses (and my sons will wear dress shirts & ties) to church, weddings, funerals, graduations or other significant events
  • go to movies that have not been approved by Mom & Dad (or our own resident movie censor – Michelle) – you can’t always go by ratings – I have seen outstanding movies rated PG13 and lousy crass movies rated PG
  • be lazy and not do your school work or not do it to the best of your ability
  • be disrespectful or rude to teachers, authority figures or any adults (even if they are wrong or rude – you will respect their position)
  • get away with not doing your household chores
  • ok and in case it is not obvious the “basics” are “you cant’s” too –  can’t do drugs, drink, smoke, break curfew, lie, cheat, steal etc….

7. You can….(ok, with all those “cant’s”  there does need to be a few perks – listed here are some things that other teens may not have the privilege of doing)

  • stay up as late as you want – it is simply your responsibility to get up in the morning
  • sleep in late on Saturday mornings as long as you are consistent each week with your chores
  • invite friends over most anytime – for dinner to spend the night, hang out, go on outings with us etc…
  • go on exciting trips and adventures anywhere in the world as long as you cover the costs and you are going/staying with an “approved” party
  • keep your room a mess (up until the point that Mom can’t walk in the room or it starts to smell)
  • wear “light” make up when you start high school & get your ears pierced when you turn 16 (gotta have something to look forward to! lol)
  • drink coffee
  • eat left over pie, cake or cookies for breakfast
  • listen to music as loud as you want (most of the time) providing it is Christian or on Mom’s list of “approved” show/movie tunes
  • skip school to do fun and exciting things like – going to the beach, apple hill or snow days, getting Dr Laura’s signature, attending the inauguration, going to New York for your 16th birthday
  • be as mad as you want at Mom or Dad…go to your room and shout in your pillow that you hate us and turn up your music (see above for restrictions) – just don’t slam a door, hit or throw anything or be disrespectful to our faces (have at it in your room or other space where we are not)

8. Glorify God in everything you say and do…ultimately you will answer to Him

Did I cover them all girls? 

Following these basic philosophies have resulted in six wonderful years of having teenagers in our home.  Michelle, Amy, Kristen & Rebekah, though each unique in their talents, gifts, abilities as well as having diverse personalities – they are all good, godly, respectful, mature, responsible, delightful and lovely young ladies, who happen to be teens!  They are truly a blessing to us and we have and will continue to enjoy the teenage years. (It’s a good thing since I have at least 18 more years of having one or more teenagers at home)

Happy Birthday Rebekah!

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Filed under Blessings, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Motherhood, My "take", Raising Girls

August 4, 2008 · 8:25 am

Living Life “Outside of the Box”

No I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth – we just arrived home from two weeks away. After running the program staff for a youth summer camp, we spent the following week enjoying our annual Lambdin family & friends camping trip to Lake Tahoe.  I have lots to share with you all about our summer adventures, our “barn raising”, adoption progress and my “fat face” update – but for today before tackling the mounds of mail & messages, loads of laundry and organization for the upcoming (far too fast for me!) school year – I wanted to write a quick post about….

Living Life Outside of the Box

The particular “box” I am talking about is the one that seems to command center stage in most of our homes – the television.  Last year I came across a website that challenged us to take the month of August and “Live Life Outside the Box” – in other words unplug your TV set for a month and spend that time doing other worthwhile pursuits.  We took the challenge and added our own ban on computer games and all other electronic entertainment, media and non essential computer time(ie: mindless web surfng). We – or perhaps I should say “I” – the Momma, have decided that this “fast” should become an annual tradition for our family.  It is a perfect time of year to do it as we are winding down the summer with a couple of weeks to enjoy family activities and as we need to focus on preparing and organizing for another academic year.

Now, I do need to tell you that unplugging the “boob tube” (as my mother called it) is not a huge sacrifice for our family.  We do not have cable (and never have had it – in fact the first five years of our married life we did not even own a TV) and therefore we only get fuzzy reception on three channels if we go through the hassle of hooking up an antennae.  This alone keeps us from watching hardly any television on a regular basis.  About the only time the actual television goes on is when we are watching a sporting event (mostly football games and March Madness College Basketball).  We also have chosen to never have our TV in the main living and dining area of our home.  This keeps it from being the focus of our attention and we NEVER (yes in capital letters & bold) watch the TV while we are eating meals. (I cannot emphasize enough how important meal time conversations are to all relationships – if you do nothing else turn off your TV during dinner & eat around the table)  We do however enjoy watching movies on DVD’s, probably more often than we should.  After our month of “Living Life Outside of the Box” in 2007, we decided to continue the “habit” throughout the school year on Monday through Friday.  It was a great discipline as well as keeping us focused on more productive activities.

Can you and your family take the month and unplug the TV, video games, movies and live life “outside the box”?  Or perhaps a month might put you “over the edge” – how about a week or 10 days?  I can gaurantee you that if you think you just “couldn’t do that” – you probably need to! 🙂

Check out this statistic:

The average American watches over 4 1/2 hours of television every single day!

 

Let’s add that up. That is 31½ hours every week (almost a second job!). That also adds up to 5½ solid days per month and more than two entire months every year. By age 70 that is over 13 years watching television! Aren’t there more important things you would rather be doing with this time? For those like me saying I don’t watch that much TV – do your own math – do you watch 2 hours a day? (thats 15 hours a week, one month out of the entire year, 6+ years of your lifetime) Or maybe you just watch an hour a day – what could you do with 7 extra hours this week?  Gives you something to think about.

Worse, according to the most recent figures from Nielsen, the average American household has a TV playing somewhere in their household for 8 hours 14 minutes per day.  How is there any time available to develop meaningful relationships, pursue worthwhile endevours or make a difference in the community or world? 

The number one queston/statement I get from others about my life is this –

“How do you do it all?” or “I don’t know how you do it all.”

Well, I don’t watch TV and maybe that is a large part of the answer. (although let me be the first to admit that I don’t do it all and I certainly don’t do it all very well!)

Here is a “short list” of some fun and relaxing things you could do with your extra time this month

  • Have a family game night
  • Read a book (or write one!)
  • Have coffee with a friend
  • Go on a walk (and take your spouse or child)
  • Plant a garden
  • Begin to learn to play an instrument or learn a language (easily done with 15 hours a week put in!)
  • Take a class (or teach one)
  • Host a dinner party
  • Volunteer or do community service
  • Call your Mom, Dad, sibling, long lost friend & chat
  • Bake or cook something new
  • Do something with your priceless photos 
  •  Journal
  • Soak your feet in warm water and give yourself a pedicure
  • Go out & throw a ball or play sports with your kids
  • Write a letter (yes with a paper, pen and a stamp)

Will you join us this month (or at least a part of it) in Living Life “Outside of the Box”?

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Filed under Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Time Management

June 29, 2008 · 7:34 pm

The One Year Old Portrait

We are a picture taking, album making, photo loving family!

However we take precious few professional portraits.  In fact we have yet to pay for a professional family portrait and other than the occasional church directory family picture all our family photos have been taken by a friend or family member with our personal cameras.  We do “splurge” for two professional portrait sessions per child –  a one year old baby portrait and their senior picture(we have yet to arrive at the wedding era – yikes!). And when I say splurge…I simply mean we pay the sitting fee and purchase the smallest package available. 🙂

Almost eighteen years ago when we began the baby portrait tradition, we were given the heirloom dress that I and my two sisters had worn for our one year old baby portraits.  It was a simple creme colored knit dress with puff sleeves.  I was so excited to have my daughter, Michelle wear the same dress I had worn as a baby.  When Amy came along three years later, I thought “I want her to feel just as special” and so I had her wear the dress as well!  As each daughter arrived, they too had their professional baby portrait taken…in the same dress, at the same studio, with the same background, in the same red velvet chair.  Thus a family tradition was established and the dress has become a priceless heirloom in the Lambdin family.

My hallway is now lined with six 11×14 framed baby portraits of each of our beautiful daughters.  My Mom recently passed on to me my baby portrait as well which is hung across the hall for all to see and compare.

Daniel turned one this spring and it was time to take his professional portrait.  Of course we were NOT going to put him in the dress!  Since my husband did not have an outfit to pass on to him, we set out to find a simple, charming and special outfit that could also become a family heirloom someday for our boys.  Not an easy task. (in fact I am amazed at how hard it is to find nicer, more dressed up clothes for boys at all – an unfortunate sign of our times in my never to be humble opinion)  We finally found one at a local upscale clothing store and set the appointment with photographer, Janie McCoun who has taken every single one of the girls photos.  We called just in time as Janie is closing her studio this month and only had a few sittings available.

  • Our photographer and dear friend, Janie McCoun

Several of the sisters wanted to come watch Daniel get his portrait taken and he was by far the easiest and happiest of all our babies on picture day. (Joy was so uncooperative that she fell of the chair and bloodied her nose!)  We now are sitting with dozens of proofs that are all darling with the task of picking one to add to the hallway and start a wall of baby boy portraits opposite of the baby girls.

My favorite thing about these photos are their bare feet and little fingers and toes.  I also love the simplicity of the photos which does not distract you from looking at their distinct features, soft skin and shiny wet lips.  As a mommy I never tire of walking down my hallway and looking at each of these little lives that we have been so blessed with.  The years go by so fast and the baby stage is so short.  These photos are a sweet reminder of what a unique, special miracle that God has created in every life.

I want to remember and capture every smile, every sweet smell of baby breath, every touch of their soft skin and wiggly toes, every sparkle in their eye, every deep belly laugh, every squeal and every moment of their baby years.  If you are a mommy of a little one right now, stop & touch their soft skin, wiggle their toes, smell their breath and kiss their lips….because life is like a vapor – here for a moment and then it vanishes!

All too soon another wall in my home will be filled with senior portraits. <sigh>

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Filed under Blessings, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins

June 26, 2008 · 8:09 am

Choose Well

Sunday June 15 was the “perfect Father’s Day”.

First let me say that anyone who feels “sorry” for my dear darling hubby because he has six daughters needs to think again. This man is one very pampered Dad! For weeks the girls have been planning and scheming and continuing to come up with more ideas to give their Daddy an excellent Father’s Day.

The day began as the two eldest walked through the door Sunday morning (they had been house sitting the night before) with his favorite Starbucks coffee and a newspaper in hand. They then proceeded to prepare his favorite breakfast of pancakes, eggs and sausage that we enjoyed on the back porch. (although he insisted on making the pancakes – saying no one makes them as good as Dad!)

During breakfast, he was surrounded by the lively chattering of all his girls (and Daniel threw in some boy noises for good measure) as well as several dear young ladies that he has been a father figure to who joined us for the days events. Before long it was time to pile into the van and head out of town to enjoy a day at the ball game where Dans favorite team (the Oakland A’s) would take on across the bay rivals the San Fransisco Giants.

We arrived at the beautiful ball park right on the Frisco Bay with plenty of time to enjoy a leisurelytailgate party with all the fixen’s – ribs, brats, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, chips and cookies. (and yes we both took the day off from the “healthy eating plan”!) The weather was simply gorgeous  – a light breeze blew through the sunny stadium that was a perfect70 degrees. We had great seats overlooking the Bay Bridge while watching the A’s beat the Giants in a 5-3 decision. We returned home to ice cream sundaes and a movie in the family room while we soaked our feet in warm water and applied moisturizer to our lightly sunburned skin. We all slept soundly after our fun filled day.

As I was reflecting on the “perfect day” I thought about how incredibly blessed my children are to have Dan Lambdin as their father. I hope and pray that each one of my daughters will find and choose such a man to be the father to their children. 

To my dear daughters (and those who are like my daughters),

Before long you will enter into a season of life where you will choose a man to marry.  Too often young ladies concentrate on things that are shallow and even trivial when they dream of the man they will someday marry.  The “short list” I hear from many a girl is that they want them to be handsome (or I believe the current term is “hot”), physically strong, funny, romantic and earn a good living (ie: be rich).  Let me assure you that those things are the least important attributes you can look for. I am sure many wise women out there who have “been there, done that” can attest to this truth.

When I hear women complaining about their husbands and their lack of help with or interest in the children, I can’t help but think –  that is what you chose!  At least here in America your marriage is not arranged or forced on you – no, you get to choose the man who will someday be the father to your children!

  • Choose a man who likes babies.  Look for the one who is drawn to the little ones and who puts out his arms to hold them, who is comfortable with playing “peek-a-boo” and who is not too cool to change the tone of his voice and make goofy faces to make a connection with babies.
  • Choose a man who is self sacrificing – who you see regularly denying his own desires and putting others before himself. (not only giving of his time, talent & treasure to help his family and friends but also volunteering and serving others without getting anything in return)
  • Choose a man who speaks with the mindset that children are a blessing not a burden, a miracle not a mistake, an asset not an accident and a treasure not a taxing financial drain
  • Choose a man who like Jesus says – “Let the little children come to me”
  • Choose a man who is pro life – who has a heart and compassion for the unborn
  • Choose a  man who believes that every child is created by God and who does not want to limit or miss out on the children that the Lord has to give him – whether by birth or adoption into his family
  • Choose a man who loves the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength

Choosing a husband, the future father of your children is the single most important decision you will ever make outside of choosing to serve the Lord.  Choose well.

Love,

Mom

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Filed under Courtship, Family Traditions, Inspiration, Life at the Lambdins, Marriage

June 5, 2008 · 6:35 pm

Our Night at the Theater

We have been looking forward to this evening for nine months.  Last summer when we found out that Phantom of the Opera was going to be performed in Sacramento, we knew we had to be there!  The Phantom is one of our family’s personal favorites and we have many a memory surrounding the movie and soundtrack. (My favorite one is when the girls and I spontaneously went to the movies very late one school night to get away from the blaring of professional fans that were trying to dry out our kitchen after a water disasater.  We were the only ones in the theater so we sang out loud to every song and got up and danced in the aisles. Great fun and laughter!)

So how do you afford to take a family our size to the theater for an evening?  I’ll tell you!  Everyone pays their own way.  While there are times that I long to be able to treat my girls to things like this, we simply can’t afford it and because of that our children have learned to not only work hard for the things they want to do but they appreciate them more too.  The girls each worked to pay for their tickets as well as dinner and everyone helped Grace (the 9 year old) hold a small yard sale and lemonade stand last summer to pay her expenses.  Since Michelle was in Australia last September when she turned 18, we all decided that this would also be her birthday celebration, so everyone pitched in for her evening as well.  The tickets have been sitting in my jewelry box for nine months as we all anxiously awaited the big night to arrive.

The girls (the first five – Joy who is just five & baby Daniel stayed home and watched the movie!) spent most of the afternoon getting beautiful!  There were blow dryers, curling irons, make up, brushes and other accessories everywhere.  There was a flurry of excitement and lots of advice flying through the air on hair styles, color choices, jewelry etc… In this day and age almost any attire is acceptable for the theater – but not for my girls – they were not settling for anything less than formal dresses for this affair. It was one of those moments that I could not have been more thrilled and rather proud of my blessings of many girls who are growing into beautiful and accomplished young ladies.

Dan (who I am sure will enjoy the A’s game on Father’s Day much more than the theater) was also very accommodating, donning a fancy vest and bow tie. He looked dashing!  I went through my dresses only to find that most were a bit too big. (I am not complaining!)  Thankfully many friends have donated dresses to us over the years so we wouldn’t have to purchase them for high school formals. (And thankfully my girls are very agreeable to wearing “hand me downs”) I finally found the perfect black dress (size 10!).

We headed up to Sacramento mid afternoon to have an incredible dinner before the show at The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant.  It was delicious, we all enjoyed every single course served and finished every last bite.  The dessert was especially spectacular – we had four types of chocolate fondue at our table – dark, white, milk and a combination of chocolate with peanut butter crumbles.  They were served with “dippers” of pound cake, brownie bites, strawberries, bananas, rice crispy treats, marshmallows and cheesecake. Oh my! It was heavenly.

We walked from the restaurant to the theater and I am sure many wondered where we were all going “dressed to the nines”! Our friend Mark Holliday (a season ticket holder) had gotten us seats on the fourth and fifth row – what a way to experience a production.  The costumes were stunning, the sets amazing, the music inspiring, the acting excellent.  We laughed, we cried and our hearts were touched once again by this wonderful show.

The memories will last a lifetime!

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May 9, 2008 · 12:00 am

Born Again Birthdays

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home where the Lord Jesus was an important part of our lives (not just something we “did” on Sunday mornings).  I have believed in Jesus, His life, His death and His Resurrection for as long as I can remember.  I also know that at some point that the faith I was raised with, the faith I learned from my parents had to become my own.  When I was nearly seventeen, I experienced a life changing moment in my spiritual journey.  For all the years prior to that I believed in Jesus but at that moment I came to know Him in a very new and personal way.  This took place when I was a delegate from my high school attending California Girls State in Sacramento, California.  It was there that I met and became close friends with Jane Grutzik and Suzanne Sands.  Suzanne was filled with the love of God and desired to serve Him like no other teenager I knew.  I found myself longing to know God the way she knew Him.  Before our week together came to an end, I got down on my knees in that dorm room at Sac State and asked the Lord for a relationship with Him like Suzanne had.  When I go up I knew my life was changed and that my heart was renewed (the desire to read God’s word was the first sign as well as the desire to live a better life).

Have you have ever read the scriptures in the book of John that say – “Truly I say unto you unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”  or in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

This is what I experienced – a rebirth, a complete change inside.

I don’t know the exact date that I experienced that rebirth but I know it was the beginning of July in 1979 – almost 29 years ago. My dear darling hubby had a life changing experience at a retreat and became a Christian on May 9, 1981 – 27 years ago today.

In the early years of our marraige, as youth leaders and Christian school educators we were surrounded by young people who had been raised in church and had a faith in Jesus but often shared that they wished they had a “better” testimony than knowing the Lord since childhood.  It made me sad that they did not realize the incredible inheritance they had been blessed with.  When we began having our own children we desired for them to not only know, love and serve the Lord from their youth but also to rejoice in their godly heritage.  (not wishing for a better testimony but realizing that knowing the Lord for most of your life was the best testimony!)

When our eldest daughter at the age of four decided that she wanted to give her life over to Jesus we marked that date on the calendar (November 1,1993).  We then decided to celebrate her “born again birthday” each year on that special day.  Our tradition is that we take that child out to dinner just with Mom & Dad on their spiritual birthday and celebrate what the Lord is doing in their life.  It is a special time for us together with that child.  We also as a family have a birthday cake (or cheesecake as that is a favorite for some) and sing “Happy born again birthday to you”.

Today is Grace’s born again birthday – on May 9, 2003 – as we were having family devotions (and Dad was sharing about his becoming a Christian on that day in 1981), Grace asked if she too could ask Jesus into her heart.  She prayed at the dinner table with the entire family there to celebrate.  How special that her and her Dad share born again birthdays.

Of course I have also written down the day and the story behind their decision in a photo album.(complete with a picture of them at that age – it took me until my 6th child, Joy who will celebrate her 1st born again birthday on June 7 –  to actually think to take a picture on the exact day!)

As the children grow up and continue to have life changing moments in their Christian walk, we pray that the celebration of their born again birthdays will always be a reminder of what God has done throughout their lives.  I would love to see many more Christian families start this tradition. Even if you don’t know the exact time or day that you or your children first made that commitment to the Lord – pick a date and celebrate you & your children’s rebirth every year!

Happy born again birthday Gracie – goo!

 

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May 5, 2008 · 10:06 am

Daniel turns one!

Yes, as unbelievable as it seems to me…a year has passed already and our little Daniel Guy turned one year old on April 20. Being that I have done this seven times now, you would think I would be ok with this phenomenon of how fast life passes by when it comes to watching your children grow up. I am not.  I know that with this wonderful life milestone of turning one year old his life will gain an amazing speed and before we know it he will be starting school, playing ball, turning ten (called decade day at our house), going through adolescence, starting high school and from that point on headed with warp speed towards graduation.  As much as I am determined to slow it all down and cherish each moment, it will still all happen much too fast. 

What is a Mom to do? 

  • Rock that sweet smelling baby all night long
  • Get on the floor and play with those wee ones while they are still crawling around
  • Read a book on the couch with your toddler over & over again
  • Enjoy every minute of having them home during summer vacation (don’t wish it away!) & for us homeschoolers cherish the hundreds of extra hours you have year ’round with your children
  • Coach their teams, volunteer at their school and with their events, chaperone their field trips, teach their Sunday School class
  • Turn up the music loud in the car when your pre-teen asks you too (and be thankful they don’t have an ipod stuck in their ear which limits any communication)
  • Talk to your teenagers(even if it means staying up late at night), attend their games, participate in their activities, chaperon their school events, invite their friends to your home
  • Make meaningful memories and create family traditions at every opportunity.
  • Stop waiting until tomorrow to start living!
  • Kiss their sweet cheeks and squeeze them with a warm loving hug every day (or if you have a wee one you can get away with every minute!)

Happy Birthday my to my baby boy!

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March 24, 2008 · 7:35 am

Easter Family Photos

I’ve always loved getting us all dressed up on Easter Sunday in color coordinating and/or matching dresses for the girls.  Besides making for beautiful photos, it also creates wonderful memories and gives us a unique sense of family togetherness and unity.  The girls can tell you many a funny story about their Easter, Christmas & 4th of July clothes! (or just color coordinating for an excursion to make it easier to spot all the kids!) This year I actually picked out the teenage daughters skirts and to their amazement I had “good taste”!  🙂

We also have always taken this dress up opportunity to take family pictures while we are all looking good!  Our dear life long friend Michelle Sallee has taken many of those photos.  She is quite an excellent photographer and has recently started up a photography business.  If you like what you see here – check out her blog at Sallee Photography to look at her awesome photos – weddings, sports action photos, senior portraits, family photos, beach pictures & more.  If you live locally and would like to hire a fabulous budding photographer – I highly recommend her!

What do you think of my beautiful family? The only thing that would have made these photos better is having my eldest daughter Michelle home to be in them!

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Filed under Easter Season, Family Traditions

March 24, 2008 · 7:34 am

Happy Easter

When we wake up on Easter morning all the black ribbons are gone from the table and mantle and they are blaze with color and new life, looking like this –

After sunrise service we unveil the Easter basket (yes we only have one family basket – another joy of having a large family!) and everyone enjoys having a hard boiled egg along with coffee cake & doughnuts for breakfast. (and I’m sure everyone snags at least one piece of candy from that basket too!)

We head off for Easter service at our home church after taking family photos. (to be posted soon)  We have been attending the same church for almost 25 years and we are so blessed to have life long friends who we get to celebrate together with.

After church, we have our traditional Easter Brunch. We were blessed with beautiful sunny 79 degree weather today so we were able to have it outside! (which we love).  We always serve – Egg Casserole, Hash Browns topped with cheese & sour cream, sausage, asparagus (a home grown specialty in Stockton!), cinnamon rolls, chocolate covered strawberries, sparkling cider and coffee.  It is spectacular!  After our brunch we had the children share the Resurrection Eggs (12 plastic Easter Eggs each filled with something representing the story of the Passion of Christ from His entrance into Jerusalem to His resurrection). This year we were joined by our dear sister Jennae, closest friend Michelle and good family friends Jen Gibson and her three daughters – Cassidy, Audrey and Chloe.  We all enjoyed a lovely afternoon together.

I pray your Easter celebration was glorious! 

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Filed under Easter Season, Family Traditions

March 24, 2008 · 7:34 am

Christ is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

In the very early morning hours while it was still dark my mother would awaken us up from our slumber exclaiming in a hushed tone – “Christ is Risen!” – and of course we were expected to respond – “He is Risen Indeed!” (which we always did although sometimes quite unenthusiastically when we became “tired” teens) We would then get up & get dressed and head out into the darkness to drive to a sunrise service.  These services were always filled with an amazing sense of awe and majesty as the power of our risen Lord seemed to fill the air and we breathed in His presence.  As the sun rose above the horizon and we sang songs of the risen Savior, it all came alive to me in a new and fresh way.  It is these moving experiences of Easter Sunrise Services, late night church services on a candlelit Christmas Eve, Christian Summer Camp Meetings, sitting alone in a beautiful chapel or sanctuary talking to God,  powerful worship and special communion times that have all been a part of what caused me to fall in love with the Lord and develop an intimate relationship with Him.

And as an adult,  sunrise services still bring me to tears as I sit in the dark of the early morning and watch the sun arise and join together with fellow believers to celebrate the resurrection. I hope that my children will catch this same heart of fire for the Lord as we cultivate these traditions.  In our early family years when we had many little ones, we held a simple sunrise service in our very own backyard.  Nine years ago the pastors of our city came together and began a city wide sunrise service in our community downtown on the waterfront.  We have attended every year since its inception.  And it is AWESOME! (If you are reading this blog and live in the Stockon area – you should make every effort to BE THERE!)

It is awesome to:

  • be up at that early hour and sense the same reality of those who came the tomb on the morning of the resurrection. (Think of the song that begins – “Was it a morning like this?”)
  • watch the sun rise and take in the breathtaking beauty & majesty of Gods creation.
  • worship with fellow believers in the risen Lord from all denominations! (“How good & pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”)
  • listen to the story of Jesus and His triumphant Resurrection! (the story never gets old!)
  • remember & celebrate the day that you first became aware that Christ died for YOU and that He conquered death, hell & the grave so you could have eternal life. It is truly an amazing indescribable love!

 Here is our family this morning at the Stockton Sunrise Service –

The message was especially inspirational and we were moved to adjust our morning plans and pick up some boxes of coffee at Starbucks and pass it out while we were downtown and tell them – “Christ is Risen!”

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March 24, 2008 · 7:34 am

Easter Eggs & Cookie Creations

The Saturday between Good Friday & Easter Sunday is filled with preparations for our celebration.  Besides cleaning the house, prepping for our Easter brunch and last minute Easter outfit coordinating, we make our traditional sugar cookies in the shape of a cross & Easter eggs and we dye Easter eggs!  These are fun filled, memorable activities for the kids and build the momentum for the excitement of Resurrection Day!

For those of you who want my be interested in the history of Easter Eggs I read this interesting information on Barbara Curtis’s Mommy Life Blog –

History of the Easter Egg: To keep a Christian perspective of Easter in your home, please note the following research that can help you explain the history of the Easter egg to your children.

The earliest Christian history of the Eater egg tradition is found approximately 50 years after Jesus’ resurrection. Bright red-colored eggs were simply exchanged as gifts as a symbol of continuing life and Christ’s resurrection. The red color was an intentional Christian tradition commemorating the blood of Christ. The red Easter eggs in Christian history were originally used when two friends met on Easter day. They two friends would know to tap their eggs together and one would greet the other with the words, “Christ is Risen!” and the other would respond, “Christ is Risen Indeed!” Then the eggs were eaten in fellowship.

During the Reformation, the church instituted the custom of breaking the Lenten fast with hard-boiled eggs. The eggs were brought to the Easter morning service, and the priest blessed them saying, “Lord, bless these eggs as a wholesome substance, eaten in thankfulness on account of the resurrection of our Lord.”

Our main focus must always be that our children meet Jesus in a personal way. If an Easter egg will bring Jesus alive to a child as a symbolic illustration, we should rejoice in the revelation of Jesus and his Resurrection to our children!

 We have always shared with our children that Easter Eggs, bunnies, flowers etc…. were symbols of “new life” just like the new life we have in Christ.  One of my goals in all our family traditions is that they are meaningful and memorable and that they teach that both life and the Lord are good. (and that we have fun too!)

Enjoy the slide show!

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Filed under Easter Season, Family Traditions