Our Caboose is 4...Happy Birthday!

I made a promise to myself...I would never have a child after 40! Well as to true Karen fashion...I am a true procrastinator ( I work well under pressure)...1 month before my 41st birthday(technically I didn't have a child after 40) I gave birth to our baby girl Mackenzie Claire. At 8:37 pm weighing in at 7lbs and 6ozs our 9th child and 7th daughter began rocking our world!  And she has not slowed down as of 5 minutes ago. She is a happy busy lovable little girl who loves to learn and explore. She takes great pride in keeping up and taking part in anything her older siblings are doing.  Kenzie... I know God has great plans for your life...your going to do great things!

I must give her a little grace because she did join a family with 6 other mamas in her world. Her brothers have stolen her heart...she thinks they hung the moon! As much as I hate to admit it...Kenzie has fallen right into the baby of the family role and we have been the enablers. I know I am going to pay and pay big time when she is older. So until then she will continue to play her role as caboose and play it well she will!

One thing that comes along with being a Holcombe is the trait of stubbornness...(Don't tell their daddy...he thinks it's my side of the family that carries that sweet disposition.) I wish I could say it skipped our last little one...but no she has received this trait as well...I can go out of the child rearing with a vengeance. One of my struggles with her has been the potty training. I always start working with my little ones around 2 years of age. I have successfully trained 8 kiddos before her...I thought this was going to be a breeze! Wrong! For two years I have tried everything and anything under the sun to get her to have a BM in the potty. I have cried...screamed and gnashed my teeth...pitched a baby fit...it didn't work! To no avail she would have no part of it. Since the age of two she has had little to no wet accidents...we have been hanging half way to completion and my freedom for the past two years!  I am proud to say 4 days before her 4th Birthday my little caboose has decided she likes the potty and  has been going ever since! Can I do the potty dance now? I am a little hesitant...I have been waiting for this moment for two years now! Am I dreaming? If I am don't wake me up!  With this struggle I can only think of one verse...

Romans 5:1-5 (New King James Version)

Romans 5

Faith Triumphs in Trouble

 ¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

This week we celebrate our little 16  4 year old caboose and rejoice that she has made our lives nothing less than blessed. I am so glad I didn't stick to the promise I made to myself or take on the world's standards for family planning....I would have missed out on a really big blessing!

Kenzie Claire, I love you little lady...Yes! You are the baby!

Kenzie with her best friend...

She's a daddy's girl too!