Olivia's common sentences.
Mommy, I'm a mess.
Mommy, I wanna see.
Mommy, I wanna play.
Mommy, Come sit, draw. 
Mommy, I want up.
Mommy, I want down.
Mommy, all done.
Awwwwwe, that's cute.
Mommy, I want milk.
Guke, come on, play batman.
Sis-say....c'mere, sit, book.
Ali, (dog) c'mere.

Mommy, bath, I want in!

Other funny things... She says our names like we're in trouble, Mom-may, sis-say, dad-day, guuuuuke. Says, again, again when you tickle her. When I kiss her cheek she turns and says, this side for the other cheek. Lol

Her praying is still my favorite. Prays for Luke and Taylor when they get hurt. Lays her hands in them, Whispers and then says Amen. And when she's hurt she'll lean in for you to pray for her. 

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(In car) Taylor: Mama, I really think Olivia is going to be like me. She likes to get messy like me and she likes being crazy like me.
Luke: I think she looks a lot like mama because of her brown eyes and she does like to play hockey like me.
Taylor: she likes ballet too Luke.
Me: Olivia is and is gonna be just who God made her to be, she'll be just like Olivia.
Taylor: I still think she'll be most like me. 

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Taylor was making breakfast for Olivia and Luke (pb toast) and Olivia saw her get the bread and she went to the pantry and got the peanut butter and said, Here Sissy!

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Olivia just threw her snack cup at Taylor and it hit her face.  Taylor: Livy! That was not nice!
Me: Livy, can you tell sissy you're sorry and pray for her?
Livy: un huh. Sorry sissy. (Puts her hand on her and whispers) amen.
{Now you have to understand that I don't let Luke and Taylor say sorry because 99.9% of the time that don't mean it, so I make them say, " I was wrong for (list specific thing), will you forgive me?}
Taylor: Livy, can you say I?--(Livy repeating)was wrong--for--hitting--you--with--the--hard--part--of--the--snack--cup--do you--forgive--me? Now give me a hug and a kiss! (Cracks me up, she wasn't getting by w sorry and praying)

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Start'em young! She loves helping me do laundry. She loads and unloads. 

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Olivia scares me with everything she observes and applies. She just took silverware out of the dishwasher, threw them in the silverware drawer, put the little bowls away and then got in the cabinet, put the dishwasher tab in the dishwasher and closed the door.

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Taylor: (singing) There is power in the name of Jesus, there is power in the name of Jesus. To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. .....Mom! We sang that today in big worship.
Me: I know, I love it.
Taylor: we were really getting into it ....worshipping.
Me: Me too. (love her)

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This is breaking my heart.  doctor said he has a pretty serious case of pneumonia and I need to watch him closely.

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Well Luke and Taylor are arguing this morning so he must be feeling a lot better. Seriously, he's acting like a different kid than yesterday. Thank you Jesus. Praying he keeps it up.

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In tears coming from the Luke's doctor appointment. The doctor was shocked. Literally kept checking his lungs over and over saying she could hardly hear ANY congestion in his lungs. She said, I'm shocked, I've never seen a turn around like this, I was really concerned about him yesterday and honestly thought about admitting him to the hospital. She kept saying, he looks like a different kid, I can't believe this. Wow. We were able to tell her that we had lots of people praying for him. She said to try and keep him resting for a couple days which is going to be hard and to cut back to meds but finish them since yesterday the infection was really deep and we don't want to risk not getting to the bottom of it. She just kept saying, I've never seen a kid that sick and the next day this well. Thank you Jesus.  she also said she's never seen a kid Taylor's age with so much empathy for others, that she has a gift. She said I'm going to have to be careful she pays attention to herself as she gets older. I told her she finds joy in caring for others, it's how god made her. Feeling so thankful. Thankful to hear the arguing and pestering again. Lol Luke asked if the doc knew Jesus and did she not understand Jesus healed him. He asked how is she gonna understand it was Jesus? I told him that you were sick and now you're well just like the blind man was blind and then he could see. That's testimony she can't explain.

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We may not be able not be able to watch the Olympics because of not having tv service but this morning the kids asked to watch Miracle on Ice and were chanting USA and teaching Olivia to do the same.
Taylor: Mom, the USA coach is really encouraging. He was saying, We are going to be the best. Wasn't that nice momma?
Luke: Yeah and Jimmy Craig is a Christian. He was praying to our same God mom. Not those idol gods. 

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Mommy Luke time today and tonight. I love this boy and how he thinks.
Luke: Mom, remember that day when Jesus healed me twice in one day?? My lungs and my finger? That was crazy wasn't it? (A scab fell off his finger yesterday morning as well as waking up w no fever and feeling great like himself after the doc diagnosed him w a serious case of pneumonia, she debated hospitalizing him. She said to be prepared for a high fever and sleep for at least a week and weeks of recovery. He's currently jumping up and down dancing and making me laugh) 

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Luke: Mom, I'm glad we believe in Jesus cuz Santa couldn't heal my lungs. But Jesus has the power to.
{can't wait to see what God does with this boys fire)

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Me: Olivia can you come here please?
. . .
Taylor: (going where Olivia is) Livy, mommy asked you to come here and your not obeying right away. Honey you need to go to mommy and tell her you were wrong for not obeying.
Olivia: Okay.
Taylor: (walking her out) Go ahead. 
Olivia: No.
Taylor: Livy! At least say your sorry!
Olivia: Sorry! (Running off)
Taylor: I don't think she really meant that.

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Just had an hour discussion with Luke and Taylor about discerning Gods voice vs Satans voice. They brought up stories of how even people who love God can be tricked by Satan. They brought up David when he stole another mans wife and then tried to kill him, Solomon and how he got greedy, Joash and how he promised to lead his people to serve God and then he listened to unwise council and killed the high priests son who saved him. They brought up how they were both fighting over the watermelon lollipop today and role played the thoughts in their head. Satan wanted them to think they deserved that watermelon one and to fight over it. God wanted them to think of the other before themselves and show love by ending the conflict. Taylor said. It ls just so hard sometimes mom, it's crazy how there's just this battle between good and evil. These kids keep me stepping. I love it.

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Luke and Taylor said they adopted 20 babies whose moms were killed in battle. #thethingstheythinkup

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I was in the bathroom and Livy walked in and said, "Mommy I missed you!"  and today I put her in her high chair and she said "I want waffles." And tonight she was praying over everyone. Getting so big!

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Luke is teaching Livy Nothing but the blood of Jesus. She's repeating him word for word. 

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Every time Luke and Taylor get in their glider swing they sing songs and yell out to God as they look at the sky. They are praising him for his creation, for Jesus, and for how powerful he is and how much he loves us. 

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Olivia's 18month docs appointment was today. She's pretty normal.  59/58% height and weight. 3 shots. Barely cried at all, but Luke was there to immediately pray for Jesus to heal her boo boos and that she wouldn't feel bad from the shots. Taylor was hiding behind the desk. 

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Religion is what you have to do, relationship is what you choose to do. -Hillsong NYC Carl Lentz

Religion existed before Jesus came, Jesus came for relationship, to reconcile sinners to his father. That's what Christmas is about. Thank you Jesus for coming to save us.

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Luke and Taylor were outside yesterday playing for hours while Nick and I worked on our dining room project. They came in all excited saying that they were pretending to be good pirates who knew The Lord and they were working together as a team to fight satans army. They had the longest sticks they could find as swords. 

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Olivia digs the easy bake treats. Pretty sure she's eaten 90% of them. 

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(After sitting to reflect on where things went wrong, Luke asks if he can go talk to Taylor in her room, I hear this...)
Luke: I was wrong for pestering you, do you forgive me?
Taylor: Yeah, I was wrong for stabbing you in the back with my wand, do you forgive me?
Luke: Yeah. Ya know Taylor that really hurt. You shouldn't stab me in the back just cause your mad.
Taylor: Well just cuz your king doesn't mean you can go and bust up my castle. That was mean Luke.
Luke: Well you coulda asked nicely instead of stabbing me.
Taylor: Yeah I guess. Can you just play King/Queen nice with me now?
Luke: Yeah, get Olivia a crown too.

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Olivia was playing and had Taylor's doll house bed and she put a little doll in it. Covered it with a blanket, said night night, prayed for her (in her own language)  and then said Amen. 

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Sweetest thing ever... Taylor was sitting on her bed crying because she was being disciplined and Olivia goes into her room and hugs her while whispering and then said Amen and kissed her. She loved Taylor's response so she kept praying over her again and again and again...so I called Nick in to see and Luke came in too and she starting praying over all four of us, from one person to another over and over. #sweetprayerwarrior 

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Since Olivia's been praying in her own language, Luke decided he wanted to teach her to say a simple prayer. I adore the excitement of Luke and Taylor as they watch her learn especially when they teach her. #sweethearts

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Olivia's reading the bible to Taylor. 

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Which is more encouraging for your child to think? For them to think, I can never be used by God like my dad, or if God can use my dad, he can use me! -Paraphrased from Sacred Parenting.

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Taylor made breakfast for herself, Luke and Olivia this morning. Peanut butter toast for her and Olivia and peanut butter bagel for Luke. #gettingbig

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Olivia prayed tonight at dinner: thank you momma, daddy, Luke and sissy. Amen. 
Today at Target as usual she was fist bumping, high fiving and saying HIIIII and BYYYE to everyone but today a sweet older woman caught her attention and Olivia asked her for a hug. She melted this lady's heart and she kept hugging her over and over, then Taylor hugged her too, Luke hid and the lady said she made her day. 

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Send Luke and Taylor off for naps and they come out together with grins begging if they could read their bibles together before they fall asleep. Taylor has slept with her bible for at least a year now and pretends to read it knowing Esther inside and out but now she can pick out lots of books of the bible and she devours reading the action bible along with the audio. 3 times a day she reads it, she goes through the entire bible in a week and just keeps rereading it. She almost always chooses it over anything else for her free time. Luke now started sleeping with his bible. I hope they never lose their love of Gods word. 

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Homeschooling two 5yr olds while potty training a 19 month old=craziness.

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And she is insisting she wants on the big potty lol stinker. ------------------------- The sewer guy came and Olivia literally held a 5 minute conversation with him. She was telling him to come in, see our dog Ali, to come see her sissy and Luke, fist bump, high fives, said thank you and bye bye and a bunch of gibberish in between. The guy was laughing at her saying she's full of herself.  crazy girl. ------------------------- So today for school Olivia colored paper, then ripped it up and threw all the little pieces away. Over and over. All by herself. She kept herself entertained longer than my ideas.  At least today. ---------------------------- Taylor is such a sweetheart. Yesterday she was sick and was vomiting.  I didn't think anyone else was going to get it but this afternoon I started.  Nick and Luke were at hockey so she made her and Olivia pb&js, brought me a trash can, prayed over me, asked Olivia to pray over me, asked if I needed anything, kept making sure I was okay and kept Olivia entertained til Nick got home. #blessed #meltsmyheart  #growingup --------------------------------------- Moments like these make every bit of staying home worth it. Story time we read about Solomon and when the Queen of Sheba visited him, how he became proud and then started building temples for his foreign wives gods and how he went from being so wise to being foolish. This led into the discussion from Luke on how much we need to depend on Jesus to keep from being tricked by the enemy. Which led into detailed discussion of the crucifixion and how much Jesus suffered and how hard it was for God to put his son through that, talking about how amazing gods forgiveness is for us and they brought up the criminal on the cross who believed in him before he died and got to go to heaven. Taylor even talked about Judas and how she thinks he made his heart right with God before he died. They talked about Jesus being the only sacrifice that can save us and what people had done before with sacrificing animals but now, with Jesus, when we believe in him, his sacrifice is once and for all done. Their eyes light up talking about it, Luke literally jumps up and down with excitement and Taylor's eyes sparkle and then Luke says, mama, remember that song, nothing but the blood of Jesus? And then they held my hands and started singing it over and over. What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus, what can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus...." Of course I start crying, realizing that they just laid the whole gospel out with some serious passion and emotion and I barely had to talk. I frankly couldn't get a word in, between the two. They begged to keep singing together in Luke's room before going to nap. I love these moments because they remind me what's important. Pointing them to their messiah and watching them learn to live it out. ------------------------------------ Taylor: Mama, when you die, can I have these heels? (Wearing my highest heels and a smile) lol --------------------------------------- Prior it was always....when I grow up can I wear our clothes/shoes? And I guess since she feels like that's taking forever now she asking if she can when I die. lol ---------------------------------------