Goals for Valentines week!

I'm not much of a long term planner. I set goals by the day and they usually involve getting through without looking (or acting)like a weathered ol' seahag. My children, on the other hand, are big time goal setters.

Olivia is a planner. "What's the plan, mom? Do we have plans today? Can we plan to do that sometime, Mom?" She wants to know what's coming at her in the short term and the long term (which, at age 7, amounts to next week). Unfortunately, she is very inflexible so we have to be very careful not to divulge any plan not firmly cemented ("But you said we could go.")

Currently, her goal is to move to Australia someday and work with animals alongside Bindy Irwin (daughter of Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter). While we don't fancy her moving so far from home, we do think she'll be able to support herself better with this goal than the one she set at age three, that of a tic tac farmer.

Five year old Reece is becoming quite the goal setter himself. He recently told me he wants to "build things" when he grows up. Oh fer sweet! A future engineer! I immediately encouraged him to practice building "stuff" so he can one day make his dream a reality. Feeding off my encouragement, he excitedly replied, "Can we go to the Fix-it store sometime and look at toilet pipes?" I guess if the engineering gig fails, he'll have a fallback career in plumbing.

His other goal is one that he speaks of often, that of future husband and father. I can't help but wonder if his Daddy's positive example is rubbing off on him (frankly, Carl is a very good husband and father and we all reap blessings because of it). You always hear about little girls dreaming of their wedding day and of their Prince Charming. But you don't generally hear about little boys dreaming of their princess. My sweet boy does.

He sees inexpensive bouquets of flowers at the superstore and tells me he's going to "buy doze for my wife someday." He sees bridal gowns in the thrift store and asks me to hold them up so he can see "what dat will look like on my bride." And while sharing a precious living room dance with him last week, he confided that "someday I'm gonna dance with my wife like dis." Then again, he once told me he was taking his future wife on a honeymoon to Camp Snoopy and that he would be bringing me too. I loved it, but I doubt his future wife will share the vision. Alas, there's still some work to do before this particular prince is charming.

Four year old Cierah has no goals as of yet, but we reckon she'll end up in customer service of some sort like her daddy. Anyone who knows our "C" can tell you that she smiles like Chesser cat from Alice in Wonderland at anyone who will notice. She's the kid who doesn't know when the moment isn't funny; the one who, in spite of her best efforts, fails to stifle a laugh at the dinner table when better manners have been ordered. The girl's a grinner, I tell you.

So, where am I going with all this? Oh yeah, goals. My goal for Valentine's Day was to recognize how my family demonstrates love toward one another; to take the time to notice those special ways we are knit together as the family God has made us.

Let me begin with sweet baby Brandon, who turned 2 months old today. Taking Cierah's lead, little man gives us smiles for miles and the sweetest giggles too. He's a happy baby and we have every intention of adopting him, should we be privileged to do so. It's true that the children of an adoptive mother are not born under her heart but in it.

Cierah is our gopher. She is happy to fetch whatever she can to pitch in, especially if it involves helping with the baby. She is our official "binkie girl", often appearing from 3 rooms away because "duh baby's cwyin' and he needs his binkie."

Reece tries to assert his growing self, wanting recognition for being independent. He definitely feels he's "helping" us by doing things on his own. Just this week he poured grape juice "all by m'self" (in a white shirt, need I say more? Click on his photo above to get the gist). And today he fetched jelly "all by m'self," only to drop the glass jar on the floor and, well,...a calming hug for a scared, tearful and disappointed boy, and a sweep and swiffer later, the clean up was complete (Rats! Brand new jar too).

And seven year old Olivia shows love by her willingness to help me with her younger siblings. Liv has her oppositional issues but they do not emerge when I ask for help with the littles. She steps up to the challenge and I love her for this and so many other reasons. She also began furious crafting of nylon potholders to give as gifts this week (those "first crafts" loom thingies). By the way, did you know nylon potholders melt at about 350ºF? Ask me how I know (uh hmm).

Carl showed love by presenting me with a heart shaped box of silver and red Hershey kisses. Honestly though, the bigger "gift" is found in watching him excel in his role as a very nurturing, "hands on" father who brought books and ringpops home for his kids on Valentine's Day, while being disappointed that he couldn't find them a sled too.

And for my part, I made cupcakes in icecream cones with the kids and shoveled a total of 6" of snow off the drive while Carl was working so he could get in and out of the drive easily.

If you haven't taken the time this past week to reflect on the ways love comes full circle in your own relationships, I challenge you to do that today. Take just a moment to think about the ways you speak love to others and the ways they speak it in return. Sure, sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to discover our blessings. Call me an idealist but I really think we can find them if we seek them with all our HEARTS (pun intended).

And the ultimate goal? Philippeans 3:12-14
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.