Dottie the Dove

Finally after several long anticipated months of waiting… Kinley was chosen to take the class pet home "Dottie the Dove” for the weekend.  Each week one student is picked to take her home and journal about her stay with our family. We really enjoyed her company and I thought it would be fun to share the adventure with you:)

Dottie’s Adventure With The Marlow’s


I was so happy to find out that I finally got to take Dottie Dove home with me, and I could tell she was super-excited as well!

It all started on Thursday when we got home. I introduced Dottie to my Mommy, Daddy, my little sister Bailey and our dog Sadie. They were really excited to have her at our house and Dottie said she felt right at home with us. Dottie had dinner with us then we got ready for bed. We found the perfect spot for Dottie’s house…right next to my bed where she enjoyed a peaceful night’s sleep.

On Friday, I woke up not feeling well at all. Mommy said I had “the bug”. Dottie said she likes bugs but I told her she didn’t want the bug I had. We took it easy that day by getting lots of rest on the couch. I was pretty sick but Dottie kept me company and made me feel a little better.

On Saturday, I was feeling a little more like myself. My Daddy took Dottie and me for a ride in his truck. Dottie found the perfect spot to ride…right on the dash! First we went to Mel’s Coney Island for lunch where we had hot dogs, french fries and a coke float. Dottie loved it! Then we went to Lowe’s and sat on the tractors and then to get an oil change. We didn’t get it changed though because there was a 4-hour wait! We spent the rest of the day just playing at the house.
Sunday came and “the bug” came back…I was sick again. We spent the morning in the Man-Cave watching Shrek Forever After. Dottie and I had never seen it before. Shrek is my favorite character and Dottie said Donkey is hers. I was sick all day but Dottie helped take good care of me.

On Monday, I was feeling better but still had to miss gymnastics. Dottie and I played most of the day with my Mommy and sister. It was a good relaxing day. When Daddy got home, he and Dottie and me played a game of Go-Fish then we went to Sonic for ice cream. It was awesome!

Dottie is the best dove ever and I’m so happy she got to meet my family and spend the weekend with us. We had lots of fun!

Kinley Marlow (Dottie’s caretaker: Jan. 20-24, 2011)

The Pearl Necklace

I read this story in a email I received a long time ago and I came across it again today. (coincidence? I don't think so)  As I reflect on this story it makes me take a deeper look at what I might be hanging on to unintentionally.  Is it just human nature?  My hope is to spend more time giving up the "dime-stuff" in my life and let God give me the genuine treasures that he knows will satisfy the deepest yearnings of my heart. What are you hanging on to?

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of listening white pearls in a pink foil box.
 
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
 
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
 
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
 
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick
dandelions for ten cents.
 
On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
 
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up.  She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a
bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
 
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you
love me?"
 
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
 
"Then give me your pearls."
 
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
 
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
 
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"
 
"Daddy, you know I love you."
 
"Then give me your pearls."
 
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
 
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
 
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
 
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
 
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy.  And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
 
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.
 
He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
 

Baby Marlow Jr

The best things in life are defiantly worth waiting for...We can't wait to hold you sweet baby boy! May God protect you until that day comes.  Love you, Daddy, Mommy, and your two big sisters!

Small World

You hear the phrase “it’s a small world” a lot.  I know, your going to be singing this song and it will be stuck in your head all day long.  But it’s true!  It always amazes me how we encounter the same people, event, or situation in unexpected places.  For example, Russell came home the other day excited to run into a friend at the grocery store.  “It’s a small world” I started singing as he rolled his eyes at my dorkyness.   

In many ways as a mom I find myself falling into the trap of thinking that the world is so big that there is little I can do to make a significant impact in anyone’s life.  But that couldn’t be further from the truth…Let me just tell you my “world” got very small these last several days with Bailey being sick.  With no family close by, I wondered how I was going to survive.  But…God always turns my worry and anxiety into prayers and when I do this he never lets me down.  It wasn’t  easy but I will tell you it wouldn’t have been as promising if I didn’t have sweet friends in my life to help me through and encourage me when I felt overwhelmed with a very sick child and toddler

Just a simple note can do wonders for someone who is experiencing difficulty.  I received some wonderful calls and their encouraging voice gave me strength to face the day. My dear friend’s husband took care of Kinley during the long visit in the emergency clinic. While he was watching the kiddos, she went with me so I wouldn’t have to go alone.  Our wonderful mentor MOPS mom brought our family a meal.  (Do you know how happy you make a pregnant woman with a sick kiddo and a locked up toddler for a week when you come with food???)  So helping a mom with a meal or call may not seem like a big thing to you…but to the person that receives it…IT MEANS so much!

Even though our role as moms are unending acts of selfless giving, just thinking outside of ourselves and our world will help us grow in love for one another.  God never leaves your heart empty in the process either.  He always makes my heart seem a little brighter when I know I’ve met a need for someone going through a difficult time.  So… while we are busy taking care of our own families…Let us always be mindful of the “little” needs around us that really do make a significant impact. Trust me no act of kindness is too small. 

Roses or Thorns?

“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns: the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose.”  Kahil Gibran

Wow, how true this is in my life.  I sometimes have the pessimistic attitude about life.  I look at the circumstances of my past and see that there have been parts of my life that have been anything but a bed of roses.  I have lived and survived many snags and hurts and there have been moments in my life the thorns have pierced the deepest part of my soul.

When I was young, my mother had a huge rose bush in our back yard. Every year after bloom, I remember getting excited when we would cut the perfect rose for my teachers.  I vividly remember if I didn't hold it just right on my walk to school, I would easily get cut by the thorns. It was always a challenge and risk that I took because the reward was so wonderful.
 
During the days of my childhood and the days my family seemed to be slowly falling apart, I remembered wishing there were someway we could get rid of the big, mean, vicious thorns that were tearing our family apart. Alcohol, Divorce, rejection, hate, abuse, were the feelings felt and ones I wish I could have replaced with soft, pretty and lovely feelings you get when you see a fresh bloomed rose.

After time, things continued to get worse and the pretty rose bush in my life began producing more and more terrible thorns that ultimately lead to a pretty awful divorce in my family. As I look back on the source of my pain and wonder if my life as a child should be chalked to a bush of thorns or should I call it a bush of flowers. Really, it could go either way. I can be a pessimist or optimist the choice is always mine to make.

As I look at my role as a mom, everyday I am determined that my family tree must grow in another direction.  I have nothing to cling to in the "natural". My parenting knowledge is based on a broken childhood filled with chaos.  But, I don’t have to experience having a good parent to be a good parent.  I know through my faith and hope in Christ He will give me the guidance I need to be a good mom.  No, that’s not to say that I’m going to be perfect, but it gives me hope of His love for me and my call as a mother.  He will be with me in all my trials and I know through faith He plants seeds of hope as long as I allow Him. I have a deep desire to form new branches for my family and my future and He will lead me down that path to a beautiful garden.

Yes, life sometimes hands us thorns but we have the choice to park our mind on the thorn or on the beauty it can eventually produce in us if only we’ll cling tightly to God’s Word. For however a person thinks is how they will eventually become.  If I dwell on and think about the negative in life or my childhood, I will become a pessimist and see nothing but thorns.  If, however, I acknowledge the negative but choose instead to look for the good that can come from it, God’s Word will take root in my soul and produce a lush crop of beauty. It all comes down to my choice.  Today I'm relying on his strength to get me through.   

Even There

This is one of my favorite MOPS videos.  I find it so comforting to know God has made one promise to be present in each of our lives no matter what we are going through.  Life is full of uncertainties, broken promises and unanswered questions, but we can always have confidence that God will never leave or forsake us.  Having faith, knowing, and believing He is present can help us during those difficult seasons of life.

As I’m entering into this unknown season of life, I pray God will hold me close and direct my path so that I may be strengthened by his love and grace.  I pray that he will continue to help me see His path so that I may follow it wherever it leads.

My Beautiful Branches

Amongst the crazy little turns in my life, I've been blessed with three mothers. I know you’re probably reading this and wondering how is that even possible? Well, to make a long story short, my dad has been married to three wonderful women: My mom a.k.a. GeeGaw, Kim (MeMom) and Charlene (Grandma Charlene).

Kim is my ex-stepmother who now lives in Alaska. She comes to visit throughout the year, the kids and I call her Me Mom. She is such a wonderful woman with a giving and joyful heart and we truly enjoy the times she comes to visit.

She spent the last couple of days with us during the Christmas holiday and while her visit was short, she wanted to take us shopping for little sprout (our baby boy to come). With the craziness that comes with the season and raising a busy family, I haven’t had time to do any baby shopping so this was a fun adventure. Luckily Me Mom knew exactly what I needed to start breaking in the excitement of getting ready for little man. It didn’t take long to get us all excited for this shopping adventure! We had a wonderful time and it was so nice to have MeMom share in this wonderful time in our lives.

Even though the divorce between my father and Me Mom happened almost eight years ago, she has made it a point to stay in my life through the years and for that I am very grateful. No, divorce is not something that brings happy thoughts to any of us. However, because of the faith I have in God, I know He can work within all situations for His glory. I’m living proof…He has worked miracles in my life in so many ways.

As you can see, my family tree is anything but normal. This tree defiantly contains many crooked branches and underneath those big twisted branches of my past, my childhood was distorted with alcohol, rejection, hate, and verbal abuse. But, when I became a mom, I determined that my family tree had to grow in a new direction. That’s when my faith became more important than anything in my life. Since my dependence has grown deeper in God, I have noticed wonderful new spouts of life taking my relationships in a new direction. I no longer have the need to hold on the burdens of my past. Today, I am so thankful for all three of these women in my life and the love each of them share with my girls. God has truly been good to me in some of the most amazing situations.

The Fable of the porcupines

It was the coldest winter ever and many animals died because of the cold. Some porcupines, realizing the gravity of the situation, decided to group together to share warmth. This way they were better covered and protected; however - the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After a while they decided to distance themselves one from the other and soon after they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to accept the little wounds that were caused by these close relationships, in order to benefit from what their companions offered. It was this way that they were able to survive and thrive.

Moral of the story:
The best relationships are not ones that bring together perfect beings, but are instead ones where individuals learn to live with the imperfections of others and can still accept the gifts they have to offer.  

Some of you may have heard this before, but it was new to me. Helps me think differently about not being so sensitive to the faults of others.