Boys Will Be Boys.....

First of all, let's just say, I never thought I'd be a mom to 6 children....let alone 5 boys and a little girl... Patience, self-control, gentleness, meekness, selflessness, domestic duties.....(many of the fruits of the Spirit) are not a part of my make-up.....if left to myself (thank God He loves me in spite of the workings of my flesh and He works mighty hard on this girl to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit) and my own tendencies (ie..sin)... without Jesus Christ I would be a fouled up mess. It is seriously only through His work and refining that I even remotely exhibit patience, self-control, gentleness, love....etc... all of those qualities/fruits that we as Godly moms should be displaying. Seriously, I think some days I absolutely exhaust Him.....forgive me Lord. As I said from day one...I am a work in progress.

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Anyway, God began putting the desire in my heart for children at a young age (23 to be exact). When my husband and I discussed having a family, we would joke and say 4 would be nice. I thought I could handle 4...and that way, there wasn't a middle child. But as usual, God always has bigger and better plans and for Him the number was 6. He worked that all out in my heart and I, too, was thrilled with each blessing God gave us. There was always a little fear with the next pregnancy, as I am also a worrier by nature (add that to the list) and always had health issues alongside each pregnancy. On top of that, I had to have c-sections due to Ben's premature delivery. Yes, that would mean 6 c-sections. (I have the deep scar to prove it...6 cuts in the same spot...ouch!) But after each birth, while holding our newborn babe in our arms, my husband would look at me and ask, "When are we going to do this again?" I am so blessed today, to be the mom to 6 children. God always knows better than we do.....always.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

And as for the boy thing.....I can't tell you how many times I would get the questions when I was pregnant..."so, are you trying for a girl this time?" Oh, that would make me so mad. No, we were never trying for a girl....50/50 chance....not good odds. We always just desired another child....whatever God would bless us with we were thrilled. By the time I was pregnant with Faith (and that is another story I'll blog about sometime....what a walk of faith that pregnancy was....I thought I was done after 5...you know the fear and worry thing...Satan had that smack dab in my face....and my ob was right there telling me I would die if I had another c-section.....but again....God's ways are so much higher!) I keep digressing....sorry. Anyway, I am pregnant with Faith and thought for sure she was a boy.....at that time....that's all I knew.....and then God blesses us with a little girl. But people everywhere would see me coming with all my boys and see me pregnant and say...."Just kept trying for that girl, hugh?" I don't think some people think before they open their mouths. I would graciously smile and continue on.

But as for the boy thing and the original thought behind this whole post was to share the whole mom to boys angle and how these boys of mine are so much different from what I ever knew. I grew up with all sisters. My parents divorced when I was really young...so didn't even have my dad around full-time. My childhood home was inundated with estrogen. Barbie dolls, doll babies, playing dress up (girlie dress up that is), playing grocery store and library, doing our hair and taking each others clothes....these are the things my sisters and I did. I did enjoy the occasional climbing trees and building forts, making mud pies in the backyard and hiking in the woods.....so I wasn't really a girlie girl...but I also wasn't a tomboy. But boy stuff......who knew?? Raising boys...that was a whole different matter.

That brings me to the original picture: dirt bike races. This year, we ventured into the sport of motocross. Yes, boys will be boys! After a couple years of running from soccer field to soccer field between my husband traveling and having small little ones in tow....I was always on the run and we were always divided as a family. It wasn't what we desired and the boys didn't either. Last year, we were introduced to the world of hare scrambles. We had a little KTM motocross bike given to us and then bought a Honda dirt bike...went to one race as spectators....and let's just say that was all that was needed to turn the boys onto this new sport. It is quite an adrenaline rush, I must say. So, this year, we bought each of the three oldest boys race bikes and have joined the many families that travel on the weekends to these races. We have traded in the soccer games and weekly practices for weekend family races. Seth and Luke race in the pee-wee division and Ben is in the youth division. Our backyard has turned into the practice track and my husband and boys have learned the art of caring for dirt bikes, among other things.

Now, my little "princess" girl....when asked by her brothers, "Faith what does a Kawasaki say?" She promptly responds with a smile......"vroooom, vroooom!" Is there any hope that she will turn out a girlie girl??? :)

The boys raced the weekend of the 6th and are racing again this weekend north of Harrisburg.

We try to go to at least one race a month during race season. Their best friend races, as well, and he is pictured in the picture above.

Here is Ben after he finished his race. It had rained the day before the race....so the track was super, super muddy. It was also a really hot September day...around 80 something and humid.

Here is Seth as he was going off a small jump in his race. His race is on a 2 mile track that goes through fields like this, and in and out of the woods.

As for the boy part again.....there was this really huge dirt hill off to the back of the fields where the race was being held. For boys....this is like slice of heaven.....see dirt hill and have to climb....and get dirty....really dirty. Off they all went after their races to climb what to me looked like a mountain!

And there they are all at the top....conquered the mountain! This might be more of an accomplishment than the race itself??

So, the boy fun didn't stop there.....as I mentioned....it had rained the day before....really hard...so what was left of the rain was mini-mud ponds everywhere. Luckily, I had thought ahead and packed an extra pair of clothes for each of the kids....and also the mud boots. I don't think a home with small boys is complete without mud boots. As a little girl....I never had mud boots: Snow boots, yes, but mud boots? I learned quickly that mud boots were a necessity!

Well, this little oasis beckoned the smaller children all the more. The boys had been running from one race track to the next across the fields....the temperature was creeping up...and this may have well as been a swimming pool to the boys. Here's the progression......

The mud boots are now gone and Luke is walking across the roadway connecting fields...toes squishing into the cold mud....heading toward the mud watering hole.

The boys wade in....Luke, Jed and Luke's best friend Sam (when you have 4 boys....what's adding a few more....they all fall into the mix......Sam's brother is Seth and Ben's best friend who races and we take both boys with us to each race.) By this point, the boys are looking at me with the longing faces of...."please can we just lay in the muddy water???" That was the question that came next.....and the answer was....

Sure....have at it boys!!! They rolled around in that muddy mini-pond like swimming pool like pigs in the mud on a hot day. And it didn't stop there...they then decided it would be nice to paint their bodies in the mud. That is what took place next.

Here is Luke and Jed showing off in all of their mud...dripping from their fingers...quite happy with themselves.

And then one last time...Jed sits in the mud hole to try and clean...funny yes, cleaning off with muddy water!


While all this was going on....here is how our girlie girl, Faith, travels at the races...although look close...she, too, is wearing her mud boots! Thankfully, she stayed put in the backpack...and didn't want anything to do with all that MUD!



All in all, we had an awesome "boy" day. Dirt bike races, dirt hills, and mud holes.....what little boy (and big boy) could ask for more! And to top it all off....Seth came in 2nd and won his very first trophy and his friend, Jared, came in fourth. Ben came in 6th in his division, and didn't win a trophy......it took him about 30 minutes or so to handle his pride and his disappointment and be happy for his brother and friend. I was quite pleased with him as he worked through those emotions....and in the end.....put a smile back on his face.

Here's to a house of boys.....and one sweet little girl! I wouldn't change a thing and am learning this whole boy thing as I go....what's a little mud?

In His love-Stacy