Being Blowey

"Well, what is it! Is it a boy or a girl?" "Uh-Hu!" -It's a Wonderful Life

2012-01-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

We had a bit of a surprise for our parents this December. Brys mom had to work a board meeting so we left this box on her front porch..... her and Tillman opened it later and I am sure got the same surprise my parents were about to get.

Kehnley and Sadie were in the dark as well when we walked in with this bad boy...

this is what happened next!

We all enjoyed some pink cupcakes and were excited about the new baby girl that will soon be in our arms! It was so sureal to see her on the sonogram and hear those words we have been waiting to hear, it's a.....

GIRL! :)

I was shocked out of my mind but Bry had already been calling her by her name all week. I thought he was just being crazy, but that's 3 for 3 on his record of guessing ahead of time. Maybe next time I won't even get a sonogram done, I will just ask him :)

He pictures on the sonogram looked so much like Kehnley, but some have told me sadie...

what do you think?

Kehnley

Lainey

Resolution: a resolve or determination

2012-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

Time and place: (i have this at the top of my prayer journal and I think I am going to add it to my blog entries. It will be interesting to know whats going on around me as I quickly write these entries)
8:37 am in my room
K is next to me "yesss" ing over her puppy pals game she is playing on her "i-pad" aka: leap pad
S is singing to herself on the monitor, I really need to get the video monitor up and running again I love seeing her play with her toys and sing to them while she lays on her back and flops them around in her bed.

For many yesterday was the start of something new... maybe a new diet, workout schedule, be a better ______ , invest more in ______ , save money, be more spiritual, call this person I havent talked to in a long time, quit a habit.

I love resolutions and I love to look back at them and see what I was committing to do to be a better me year after year, some are epic fails lol and some I actually have seen take root in my life. One thing I am "resolving" to do this year is be a better prayer warrior. Prayer is a big legacy in my family, I believe in its power. My mom told me recently of how from a very young age I truly believed if we prayed something it would be, that God would hear our prayers and answer them. Luckily that's biblical and I have seen it true in my life. There have been times I know I only got through a tough season bc people were praying specifically for me. I have done this certain prayer challenge before and seen its fruit. A wise friend of mine has this on her blog, its private to the public. BUT I found the source of the "Take your Man to Jesus" 10 day prayer calendar.
http://www.leadingandlovingit.com/resources/

And also, the calendar of prayer for my kiddos.
http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/wp-content/uploads/kat/I2A_Prayer_Calendar.pdf (im sure ive shared this before)
We do this every morning, I pray these virtues over them and read the verses at breakfast, kehnley always wants to write the bible reference. We write them on the chalk wall by the table and read them AT LEAST 3 times a day when we sit down there to grub. (as someone smarter than me once said- "they can't read....but I can, so I read it to them as often as possible")

I recently realized that my identity is not in my title as mother and wife, my identity is in Christ. I was putting so much of my worth and accomplishment in how I managed these two relationships/titles/roles that when they were not as I had hoped or a day didn't turn out like planned, I was let down and disappointed and thought I had failed in some way. When our identity is in our jobs or our relationships or accomplishments or superficial things, sooner or later we will be let down.

Reading the story of the Tower of Babel it seams immature that these people would work so hard to build a tower to the heavens thinking they could actually reach some level of Kingship or become like God... yet when I look closely at my life, how many towers have I built up to say what they said "Let's build a tower that reaches to the sky. We'll make a name for ourselves." Genesis 11:4 Make a name for myself, get all the praise, get the credit, get the other people wondering "how does she do it!" Our titles can be our towers and I am certain I have made an idol out of the things I can accomplish. Pretty soon, my towers fall and I am left to sort through the rubble wishing that I had let God be God and let Him set me up on a high place in His strength.

I may not be able to do all things through my own strength, I may not be able to control how the people in my life respond to me or how a day goes to plan... but I can pray. I can trust and I can wait. And it's so much more rewarding to pray something over a life and see God work, and know He let me be apart of that.

{Side note: When the people started building the Tower and they starting "making a name for themselves" God confused their language and spread them all over the Earth, I find that when I try to do it all on my own to make a name for myself, pretty soon I am confused, spread thin and definitely not the master of anything.}

For extra encouragement, there is this blog that I follow for my kiddos, and she writes one as well for women : here is her New Year's post http://www.incourage.me/2012/01/i-will-not-go-down.html

Happy New Year and I'm praying for all of you too! :) What will you resolve to do better or different in the year ahead?

Big girl steps

2011-12-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to write an entry for a while now about Addy, my niece, that stays with us every day now. I guess you could say we've been a little too busy enjoying her for me to get the chance to sit own and write some of my favorite things about getting to watch her grow and learn this year. It's been life changing for us to have her in our home every day, she quickly went from a little baby girl who loves to be held and was kind of quiet and sweet as ever to a little bit bigger baby girl who will tell you when she wants a "nack" and point to her mouth for water. Want to go "as-side" and play, or get "up" and boogie to some jams shes heard. Shaking her head like crazy and now stomp hopping one foot and power fisting it in the air lol. She holds one of Sadie's dinosaurs and hollers "oh noooo" and acts like its chasing us. She loves Bubble Guppies with a passion (well, they all do!) and sings the song to her self. Sitting in her high chair she will talk jibber jabber to herself and everyone who will hear, very loudly, and with much feeling, lol. She is getting so confident today we went to MCMall with a few mama friends for a play date and Addy was SO cute she would run to find me and then run and go play totally confident in her little self for a long time, the ruuun to find me, make sure i was still around and then run off to play. We road the carousel and she was pretty nervous about it at first but i kept comforting her telling her she was safe and she let go and enjoyed the rest of the ride lol. Its been so fun to see her get her own little personality, she loves to make others laugh... she wants to be the jokester and she laughs at herself a lot. Her scratchy voice saying "was-zat" has developed to "was-zat was-zat was-zat' over and over until you explain whatever shes wanting to know all about ;) She'll see a truck anywhere we go and immediately say "daddy, where r u?" so cute. She puts her passie to sleep in her bag and without any hesitation leaves it there til her nap time. She will say please and sorry and thank you without being asked now and she will give love to Sadie and "sissy" as she calls Kehnley too. SO CUTE! I miss her on days she is away and I love her toothy grin. I've never been an aunt before, its not the same as your own...but its pretty stinkin close! Kehnley said she needed to have a sleep over and addy stay all night some time, to me today lol...I am sure her mama and daddy would miss her but it was sweet of her to think that way.

You always wonder as a parent if you make the right choices and when you look back if you will be glad you have done certain things. I know that its been a transition and poor sadie still struggles to "chare" all her toys, but they really do love having her here and for Kehnley to ask that and Sadie to look for her in the mornings even on a Saturday tells me that it was a good choice.

I have learned more dependence on the Lord, more creative ways to redirect, more need for less laundry and more loving, more compassion for the woman at walmart with a basket full of crying children, the reason God didn't give me twins when i asked for them for 5 years, the deep desire I have to parent and parent well comes from Him alone, and the grace that follows me every day. I am so grateful for all these lessons and more, that having these girls ~~by my side~~ pulling on my legs and running in between them everyday teaching me how to do it better.

One of our most precious times of the day is right at breakfast time before we watch a show while everyone is sitting in their seats starting to eat breakfast, we pray together for a certain godly character to develop in our hearts that day, sometimes kehnley prays but I always close praying for each of them where they are, and we read a bible verse about that character...hearing their "amen"s and seeing the smiles on their faces when we open the bible (and thanks to Sadie sing the B-I-B-L-E every time) makes anything else that we may face in the day pale in comparison. They give me a deep desire to be closer to the Lord every day and pursue joy with true intention.

Here are some of my fav. Addy shots from this year together so far... ;)

2011-12-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here is the Advent list I made for my family this year... (its very vague just helps me rem what fun things were doing each day)
December Advent Calendar 2011
Get Christmas tree & drink coco

Make Special thank u card for teachers

Decorate the tree and House for Jesus' Birthday

Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro

Put our manger together and make a tent like it

Christmas Carols sing along with instruments

Make name tags for gifts out of Christmas symbols

Make a Gingerbread house at Fancy's

Gather toys for kids in need this Christmas

Watch Frosty & make snowman & Funfetti w Granny

Christmas Scavenger hunt with red & green picnic

Mail out & write Christmas cards (pray for families)

Drink hot Coco and cuddle on the couch get out old photos!

Wrap our presents for everyone

Ride the train at the mall

Shrinky-Dink Ornaments

Baking day!
Church concert

Christmas Santa's Wonderland in College Station
Start 7 day countdown "what to give Jesus for Christmas"
Put on Bethlehem Play-video
Ice skating and Lego land AM
Fill a stocking and leave it on a neighbors door
Decorate cookies for Santa , make reindeer food!
CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas service, Letter to Jesus
CHRISTMAS DAY
Look for the crown in the tree and give it to Jesus 26

NEW YEAR’S EVE
Put promises for 2012 in stockings for next year!

one thing that I am happy about is that i actually typed up a list and put it in a calendar and actually attempted to be fully ready for advent. (even if things like the Christmas performance at K's school left us scrambling today and we didnt get to do all we hoped-at least the first lesson is about forgiveness right? lets try again tomorrow)

One thing that is really hard and heavy on my heart is a desire to do an Advent ornament and also do all the other family things that we look forward to..so the question is, how do I do both- i incorporate scripture and bible lessons with our advent but I wanted to do something different this year, how do I plan all l this in the midst of the crazy things that just HAPPEN to be falling in my lap this month as well?....

Let me interject that I KNOW there is no way its a coincidence that some of these pressing things have come up this week...the enemy is trying to steal my joy, make me feel like a failure, and keep me from doing what I know God has pressed on my heart. never mind the fact that me and bry have been so exhausted and busy and getting sick we havent gone to sleep at the same time all week, I've been sad (for no apparent reason really) in the midst of a time that is usually my favorite, I feel so pressed by the end of the day my mind literally just aches-its just empty and hurts to try to recover anything, noise from anyone especially loud little girls who are making some version, different each time mind you, of the most annoying sounds ever made from Dumb and Dumber ( i swear they must have seen the clip or something how could they know how to make these noises so well) are piercing my already splitting head.

So WHAT in the world does this have to do with Advent you ask? Well, I think it's just the simple fact that as much as I wanted to write how wonderful the week has started and how great everything is and how awesome I feel and how the girls are sitting politely waiting to hear about the spectacular reason for the season...that's not really how its actually looked. Its looked more like a train wreck and I am just sort of coming out of the ashes here....

One thing I love so much about the Lord is that in a few minutes I will close my eyes, go to sleep and get a chance to do it better tomorrow, to start over tomorrow, to forgive myself and others, to seek His will for the day, and to make right whats trying to go all wrong.

So even though today is Dec 1st....it's really all going to look like it should tomorrow. (wow, i actually will sleep before 2 am, its looking better already!)

I've attached some of the fun things that we are doing for our advent calendar...tomorrow I will attach the evening lessons I am hoping to get from a friend.

From the Cradle to the Cross

2011-11-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Last year I posted THIS entry on my blog. Its that time of year again when we unwrap the "magic box" and let the fun count down to Christmas begin. I found this amaing advent wreath that I'd love to have a part of our family traditions.

Called From the Cradle to the Cross

I will post my advent plan for the year tomorrow but in the mean time ive added new sources to my list of advent fun, here they are..hope they inspire your family to get out and do some fun activities together this season.

The nitty gritty- there are days if i am not organized and ready where weather, sleep schedules, fussy girls, spilt milk, lack of supplies and exhaustion mess with our plans for briliance and sometimes (SOMETIMES) we don't do an activity that was planned. But for the sake of my little ones wonder and belief in the "magic box" and to keep our hearts right in a time that is easily distracted...I do my best to make sure there's a little bit of magic in every day. So don't freak or get down if the plans dont work out like you planned...sometimes those are the days to throw in a "hot chocolate, look at albums of past christmas' and chill in pjs" , and that's totally okay!

Sources:
**VilliageChurch

printables for advent lovers AND learners: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/Nativity_Printable_Pack_Update_2011-1.pdf

http://go.tipjunkie.com/pr/7281/www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=715450

advent calendars:
http://teachmama.com/2010/11/our-2010-advent-activity-calendar.html

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2009/11/magnetic-advent-calendar

http://printable.tipjunkie.com/31-things-to-do/

http://kimmccrary.blogspot.com/2010/12/activities-advent.html

last years sources:
http://www.familyfun.go.com/ or http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/homemade-christmas-gifts/

http://www.bhg.com/

Book called New Noel

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/

http://christiancrafters.com/Journey-to-the-Manger-cvr.gif

All these lists are great and have good ideas, however, some of them really don't have a central focus on Christ in this season...SO what I do is think of ways to bring it back around to Him and really some ways I do that is through scripture or having an activity even as simple as watching frosty and the things that the kids believed in that movie (like that hat bringing him to life) and taking time to talk about what we believe to be true about Jesus and how we can share that with others by word and deed. OR looking at lights as a family and talking about what it means for US to be lights, why do we have christmas lights? *

*side note* its good to know when you have a child like mine who asks why we do certain things to have a better answer than "well, we just always have" or "well, great aunt Bertha always did it that way" (i dont have a great aunt Bertha, do you? lol) this is a good resource (a long read i know) but good for the meaning behind our "Christmas" traditions.
and for adventing a different way I LOVE this EBook: Truth in Tinsle

Most importantly, make your own traditions. A lot of these things we do for advent or around this time of year havent been in my family forever---some have--- but most I decided what I wanted to be a part of our family, and that's one of the few perks to being the parents! :)

I know I posted this verse last year but it really is, for us, the words behind our advent and hopefully every day of every month as we await His return....

"The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them. " Isaiah 9:2 NIRV

Sadie's 20th month day!!

2011-11-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Top 20 list of things that make you my special baby girl Sadie!!
20. your toothy grin
19. how you call down the list "mommy daddy, sissy..." til someone comes to get you out of bed
18. when you make your stuffed animals kiss,you always have to have two...
17.again.. always have to have two, but this time its food. one cracker for each hand :)
16.your super fast tippy toe run--I mean FAST!
15. how you love to wear mommy's and daddy's shoes and say "shus"
14. when you give sissy hugs in the bath
13. your amazing singing- I love how you close your eyes and sway like Stevie Wonder so into it!
12. when I rock you and you tap my neck or rub my face, so sweet
11. how you call milk "gunk" lol you'll get it one day sweet girl
10. when you put your little fingers up and say "im-ana-det-tu" translation you want us to chase you and tickle you and say "im gonna get you"
9. loves socks!
8. your sweet moves to frosty the snowman
7. how you light up when you see Passie and yes, its really called that like a name, and yes, you love it like a person
6. looking in my rearview mirror and seeing your smiling face
5. when you put the babies in their beds in the doll house and say "shhh" with your finger to your mouth
4. How happy you are in the morning, you say good morning to everything...even the passie in your mouth you've been talking to all morning lol
3. when you get so excited to talk to daddy on the phone
2. I love how when we pray to used to just pretend to close your eyes, now you slam your face into your folded hands and breath heavy bc your smooshing your nose the whole time. love it.
ANNNNDDDD the no. 1. fav thing I love about you and makes you so special.....
When you say those two little words we've been dieing to hear... "yuv ew"!

Milestones

2011-11-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Im feeling a little disappointed in my blogging (or lack there of) over the past few months. I am sure everyone gets a little on "summer time" some those glorious 3 months when were sweating it out with the rest of Texas planning vacations or dreaming of vacations or doing a million other things that we will later need a vacation from..... I can't really even remember those days because I am either 1. too exhausted to remember if I even fed myself earlier today or not 2. so sick I can't think of anything but curling into a ball in my bed (which moms dont get to do bc we don't get sick days) 3. I'm too busy keeping 3 little ones entertained and from killing each other that every day it's about the survival of the fittest...and that's not always me! lol

But I do miss blogging and feel compelled to try a little harder to fit time in for that. Especially with all the fun things that happen each day, there are hard things too don't get me wrong, but I feel convicted to just try to repeat and share the fun things... unless the hard stuff lends to good entertainment in which OF COURSE I will be adding that in occasionally!

Naps are usually a reserved sacred time that i get to catch up on sleep because being 10 weeks preggers and chasing these girls is about to kill me...unless its one of those rotten days when I have to pay bills, write notes, plan lessons for the kiddos or clean up from what looks like a tropical storm has hit and left nothing but devastation in it's path....BUT if its one of those special days where the house mess isn't that bad, there's no money in the account to pay bills with, the laundry is folded, the dinner is leftovers, and the quiet is ringing in my ears, I might, just might get the time to close me eyes...ahhh heaven!

Today, that's not what I am doing, today I am blogging...and working on my albums as usually, and flipping through lessons and also thinking about this little grape in my belly that I got to see at the dr. today.

The girls are growing rapidly and doing and saying so much that it makes me smile to think of how amazing the things they can do and say at such young ages...but today I got to thinking about our next little seed. Ususally when you go to the dr. you are 8 weeks along so you get to see some white little ball flicking and fluttering but nothing really distinct as far as seeing your baby happens until the gender testing 4 long and growling months later. BUT because our little one was measuring a little small our first visit we need to come back in two weeks for a second...
Turns out the baby is healthy and fine and the due date was only a day off from what I had originally thought (he or she will come on or before April 28th!!)

This time because it was 10 weeks we could see a substantially bigger babe with hands and feet just a movin and groovin putting on a great show! She snapped a pic his face and it was to the side and you could see a little nose and mouth along with everything else. It was (as always) surreal to hear a heartbeat and to see the baby so active. It even seemed to have the predominant Blowey chin already!!

I feel like this time I haven't had time to really enjoy the baby, or think on the baby, or write to the baby.

I have so much to do to keep up with the girls milestones I haven't had much time to cherish our newest baby and all the changes its going through right now. At ten weeks its hard to believe our baby has legs and hands and fingernails and fingers and is still the size of a kumquat! i feel much more ill with this little one and by that I mean, any time, and all the time, i want to throw up--but that relief doesn't seem to come easily either. I have tried, preggo pops, ginger pills, eating certain foods, certain times of day. So far the things that make me feel the best are sleeping A LOT and brushing my teeth with this amazing toothpaste ans introduced me to! Colgate optimum white red tube--love it! lol
SO....what can I say, i think that because it's the 3rd time around for me its been harder to connect to this little one, less people comment on your pregnancy, less ppl want to know how you feel, or what your nursery will be like or if its a boy or girl (they don't so much ask what I think but tell me old wives tells about how its destine to be a girl bc i have two, or bc its different its deff a boy...) I love what Kehnley says when anyone asks her, and no we did not tell her what to say
questioning individual - "so Kehnley , what you want to have? a little baby sister or brother?"
Kehney - "I don't know, it could be a boy or a girl. Either would be great. Only God knows, we can't know yet."
questioning individual - stunned at how mature her answer is "but if you had to pick, which would you say?"
Kehnley - "really, i can't know...I don't even know!" lol

i think she might be scared that what ever she says will happen...i mean that's how it usually is anyway right?! ;)

I will talk about the addition of Addy to our little crew daily on a later date, but I will leave pics of the many milestones they are each embarking on now...so different and I love how they interact!
K-playing pretend more, i was afraid she had given it up!, making up songs she written, dances she preforms. She is learning to write her letters and numbers and can even write her name (kind of hard with all those "e" 's in there. She is wanting to kiss Sadie night night and can climb into her crib and zip herself in and need assistance getting out lol. She is able to get in and out of the car and her seat all by herself, she can even unlock the seat belt (parental locks--CHECK). She is my little helper and although she persists other wise she will help clean up before nap and bedtime pretty well! She can pick her own clothes out and will put her milk cup in the fridge when she is all done :) fav foods-NOT pizza, eggs wout cheese, mac&cheese, anything she can dip in ketch up and fruit-plums to be exact!
S- climbing out of her bed like a wild animal= enter crib tent lol, she is playing in there but calls for me, then dad, then sissy, then fancy to get out and says "uck" UCK" really loud- translation...Stuck, shes stuck...other things that are UCK-stuck are:vitamins in the bottle, pops in the freezer bc the door won't open, toy in a basket, lilly in her kennel, cracker in the seat, swing that won't be pushed, her in a car seat, video in the holder, passy behind the bed...she sings still to anything that has a melody, she even sings the made up barbie girl song that i sung to her once, she loves to dance and in dance class refuses to stand by me and wants to act like the whole class is there to watch her. lol fav. foods - pizza, she says it all the time, nectarines, corn, edemame, and eggs also...but WITH cheese lol.

Today's Agenda?

2011-11-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

I emailed this list to Bryson this morning at 10:29 kind of as an accountability.
today's agenda ...

1. laundry done folded (ready to put away tonight)
2. calendar update
3.unpack girls
4.play with shaving cream, learn letters with Kehnley
5. chore list made for the week
6. call yard guy
7.bills with you tonight
love you!!

--then got his response and sent this email back in response at 1:15
ok Hun sounds good. today has been interesting lets see what i accomplished SO FAR from my list...
1. laundry in the works but not done
2.make the house and entire disaster...oh wait, did that one start out on here or did i get it crossed with Sadie's to do lists, oops.
3.play with shaving cream
4. give girls a prelunch bath bc Sadie thought i said make yourself look like a snowman not DRAW a snowman....lol (Addy followed Sadie's lead)
5. sit down
6.haven't even looked at my calendar
7. no unpacking just re-stacking :/
8. see this awesome post and HAD to share to one of the most amazing dads i know in the making.... love you! read this when you get a down moment today:

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

ever had a day when your "list" doesn't get checked like you thought? :) oh well, there is always tomorrow and at least i found this amazing post to share with all you out there who are either dad's with girls, or married to them!

Keep Encouraging

A pebble and a sling

2011-10-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I was hit with a pretty amazing truth through the words of David Welch, speaking on one of Kehnley's favorite stories "David and Goliath" its easy to get lost in the analogy of this story with "facing the giants" if you will, in our own life. But never so plainly did God use this story to remind me that I am a very small, weak, underwhelming runt in need of miraculous power through faith in a BIG God to overcome some obstacles. I never thought about little David running at this Giant Goliath with such force and determination grabbing his river stones, filling his sling...fearless: in the face of insults, in the face of doubt from those who should have encouraged him, in the face of all natural law, in the face of his past and possibly his future. All the the name of "the Lord of Hosts" the God who commands an army of angels. The God who raises the dead. The God who uses our little tools, to do great things.

I don't know if my purpose is great, but I know God has one for me. I know it might sound small, the life that I lead, to the vast majority. I know that there are days I don't have the "joy, joy joy joy down in my heart"... because all I can do is wait for the sun to go down so I can start over. I know there are conversations and things I wish I could take back, on a regular basis. I know there are people that need far more than I so richly have, but often don't acknowledge. I know I could do better, if I could just step outside of my self for just a moment, and rely on the God of Old, the God of Now... the God who is one day coming.

"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward everyone according to what they have done. "
Matthew 16:27

Like most revelations I am still not sure what to do with my new found perspective, but I am seeking Him out, on how I move ahead--running with my pebble and a sling-- about to knock down some challenges! I am thankful for the faithful followers of Christ who show me that ordinary people can do great things when they use what tools they have been given, whether small and seaming insignificant, to do the tasks God has specifically planned for them. They aren't all found in the pages of my bible either...some are friends who live 1 block, or 8 to 41/2 hrs away. thankful for the many examples I get to share life with!!

My current giants:
1. keeping a positive attitude through the tough stages of pregnancy
2. remembering my purpose is important in training these children, even though it feels mundane at times
3. keeping a joyful spirit in the midst of struggles
4. relying on God to answer all my tough questions
5.spending my time wisely to do the tasks God has given me
6. sharpening my tools to use for His purposes (first i need to fig out what they are!)
7. ignoring the opposition i might face from those around me at times ( sometimes not even words, just situations that can distract)
8.my self- forgiveness and grace
9. diligence in breaking life long habits (most of them are in the mind)
10. hearing and not doing

....Here we go!....

Easy as 1-2-3

2011-08-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sent these in the mail last week and have been DIEING to tell everyone, but thought it would be a fun announcement.... i have been anxious to talk to so many! So glad to hear so many friends an family celebrate with us over this new addition!
A few questions answered:
1. first Dr. visit? sept 13th
2. due date?? maybe end of April
3. Are you excited? of course! But not as much as Kehnley is! :) she almost ruined the secret
a few times lol
4. Do you have names picked out? Yes, and they aren't what they have been in the past
and we'll spill the beans when a reveal party comes
5. How do you feel? EXHAUSTED! but blessed (specially by the girls napping
all afternoon....I feel like the luckiest mom on the planet all the time but especially
from 12:30-3:00)

"How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?" Psalm 116:12

half way to two

2011-08-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

The all too familiar and dreaded "T" word people want to throw at you when you have an almost 2 yr old..."watch out soon you'll see the T******* Twos". I sort of refuse to even use that word in my vocab especially when speaking of my darling Sadie. Does my darling get a little flustered and scream bloody murder when we are at the store and I don't open the Fruity Cheerios fast enough? yes. Does my darling run to the street while I give her the look of "wide-eyed" seriousness to come back to mommy, start towards her only to get a now faster pace of dissobediance? yes. Does my darling tell me "no-no" and shake her head when she does something the knows she shouldnt but does anyway? yes. Does my darlight push, pull, grab, snatch, yell, call out "myyyy" when she wants something or won't give something up? yes. Does my darling say "out side" 24,137 times a day? yes. Does my darling fight to jump on sissys bed before getting her diaper after a bath, fight to get unlocked in her high chair eating all her meals calling out "up" "up!"? yes. Does my darling climb ladders when she thinks I'm not looking, pull tissue paper off the roll, wear my shoes around and leave them all over the house, try to use stamps on the winodw like the window colors, lay on her tummy to color and get some on the tile floor, try to ride lilly like a horse, pull my hair, pull Kehnley's hair, cry for her passie all day, dump dry beans all over the floor for "fun", scream in her crib when ive just stepped in the shower? yes. Does my darling give the best hugs that feel so tight you think you might burst? yes. Does my darling kiss her sissy and lilly? yes. Does my darling rub her shirt and say "saw-ee" when she i sorry? yes. Does my darling laugh and smile and dance most of the day? yes. (to songs like the "Wheels on the Bus" Does my darling smile and say cheeeeesse for even kehnleys little pink camera? yes. Does my darling pat my neck when we're rocking and I'm singing her to sleep? yes. Does my darling finally call out "mama" when she sees me or wants me? yes. Does my darling melt my heart when she says "ammin" and prays with us as a family, when she tries to brush her teeth with me, when she runs to greet daddy, when she hold on to k in the tub and won't let go from giving her "love", when she holds my hand to go somewhere, when she looks at me with those baby blues? yes.

It's hard to be a little person trying to learn how to say what you want/need/like and feeling like you are big enough to do EVERYTHING, but capable of actually very little... I want to encourage her towards love and good deeds, towards learning the right way to express her little firey self, and to lowering the volume of her voice :) 18 months is a milestone for so many reasons at this age they go from baby to kid and I know with that comes lots of teeth and sleepless nights all over again, but I celebrate these days because it not only makes me a better mom, a more patient person, but also its just the begining of getting to know the already amazing person in that little shell of a baby girl! I love you sadie, half way to two means we get to crack the code you've been speaking all your life and watch you grow closer to your sissy, all the while loving you more and more. You're a wonderful, beautiful child of God. Love you!

My BF's getting married

2011-08-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have had a few friends ask about seeing some of these pics and out takes as well from the Save the date photo shoot Lyndz and Thomas and I had.... these were a few of my favorites!

It's been forever since we took these and it's hard to believe the big day is at the end of this week. it's been surreal to go to all the pre wedding events and get to celebrate these past fast months! I got all emotional thinking about it and talking with a mutual friend about how for the longest time Lyndz was pretty sure shed never meet "the one" and it was like suddenly here she was calling me about this guy who she was hanging out with and who was a great friend and loved spending time with him. He came to see her for her bday in Dtown and she was still claiming friendship while all the rest of us were secretly passing bets on the couple soon to be :) Now they are getting married! I can't imagine a more perfect fit for her. Thomas is funny and kind and easy going (even though he likes to on time.. over rated! lol) and he bleeds RED AND BLACK-duh! Wears boots love to shot and all kinds of music (wait lyndz..is that you?!) he's got so many qualities that make me proud to say he's marrying my BF, but most of all her face when she's with him or talks about him-- its what make me happiest for them. She really lights up at the thought of him, he makes her happier than I have ever seen her! She's so beautiful and I love her so much, but I love them together most of all! lets get this Party started!! :)

Its Fun to be 4!

2011-07-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

4 years old and its hard to imagine that you are a little girl but with the mind and attitude of someone so much bigger. I hope you will stay my baby forever but as I see you now, it looks like you will be growng faster than I ever dreamed or could handle. You are so smart and funny, you say the most clever things like when you and daddy were making a tent in the living room last night and you said "common' mom get your sleep on" :) Or when you gave me a big hug and said "i love you mom, i think I'll keep you..remember like on Olivia?!" What a cutie, I think I WILL KEEP YOU! my love !
We spent your birthday party with friends and family at the park you love to play at all year and it was a PIRRRRATE party, full of swords, treasure hunts, eye patches, jolly rogers, ring pop treasure and more! Your daddy and I got you a sonwcone maker for the party in lou of cake...wasnt sure if youd love it like cake.. YOU DID! :) So daddy bought you your very own smaller one when we were at the beach for you actual birthDAY... he said he just had to have that for his little darling.

Your favorite present was hard to pick, you got so many great things, but you DID want daddy to put together the barbie scooter we got you the second we got home and rode it all over the house that night and next day....why not outside? not sure lol. You even hoped on in your birthday suit and rode it to the bath tub silly billy!

Your second fav gift was the barbie house and pool that Cole and Granny got you, I have had to move it since then to your closet bc someone's baby sister likes to slide everyting down the barbie slide and doesnt realize shes a giant compaired to it :)
The DAY of your birthday we were in Florida on vacation and mama made your usual special breakfast and surprises and goodie baskets! i drew you on a big sheet of paper and made it look JUST like you, Fancy kept moving the picture every day after that on vacation, it was on the back of the bathroom door, in the pantry, sitting in a chair with a dress on haha..you loved it! the night of your birthday you got to run on the beach and go out to dinner followed by your most FAV part..ICE CREAM!!! :)

Your fav. things are starting to change, althought you love to play pretend you are getting much more active, and LOUD too haha, I am sure I tell you a few times a week that if you want to scream you need to go out side and do that (what can I say its a mamma thing) You are a dancing and singing queen, making up songs on your guitar, dancing some pretty sweet moves I must say, and teaching sissy all the fun songs to get grovin to!
You love your barbies or course, but your also becoming a sports girl, wanting to play baseball and run run run, you play with the water table fancy got you and thanks to swim lessons you are getting more adventurous at the pool! You are giving kisses and hugs a lot being really expressive that way and more so with Sadie which really warms my heart! You are learning so much like how to write your name, read, spell out word families...I am amazed at how quickly you learn! You bring me my phone every morning and ask what the bible verse of the day is, you always want to know if a song playing if a "jesus song" and you are facinated with going on a trip to ap place like daddy and "speaking spanny" like Dora taught you lol and telling them about Jesus...your so sweet!

A few favorites...
Fav foods: hard to tell but snacking you love goldfish or the mama mixes i make with all kinds of good stuff like cranberries, gold fish, teddys, melts, and yogurt rasins. You love apple sauce sqeezers. You also love hotdogs (duh!) and eggs (SHOCKING I KNOW!!)
Fav shows: Old Micky Mouse shows, still Backyardigans, and Olivia and Toot and Puddle oh and can't forget BUBBLE GUPPIES
Fav books: The bible story book, Dr. Seuss ABC, anything by Sandra Boynton (not the hipo, going to bed book, pajama time..)
Fav game: hide and seek, Just Dance, "no you don't"

You are a wonderful artist and love to paint and make art. I have been so busy casing Sadie that I havent had time to sit with you and make some works of art with you like we used to. I am going to spend time with you doing that because I know its something that we both miss! You love to paint flowers its your absolute most favorite thing... but probably because you have mastered it and know you do it well :)

You love anything new crayola can throw at cha, like window crayons and sidewalk chalk paint. I love how inventive you are at using anything you can to make something beautiful! I pray you never loose that ability!

We love you so much Kehnley and I know that there are so many who are blessed just to know you, hear your encouraging words, your teaching spirit, your funny stories and sweet smile, your infectious laugh..its all just the begining of how great you really are. I hope you will have a wonderful year learning new things, becoming more confident in your abilities to do things on your own, and being fearless to new places-people-skills-adventures. You my darling are one of a kind and my life is far more colorful with you in it!

Mud Pie Kitchen Project!

2011-07-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

my new obsession... Mud Pie Kitchens! Me and K are going to make one in the weeks ahead, I'll keep you posted! I have a seen a TON but this ones looks pretty great! To be honest K is kind of a tiddy mud pie kitchen girl, she would in no way go for the messy versions of this, even though i have explained it's GONNA get messy when you add in mud :)

However I dont think she needs it as clean as this...

To get her REALLY excited I might have to find a Mud Pie cook book!

Me and my besty when i was little would make all kinds of concoctions outside with flowers plants and grasses. It was our little make believe wold of run aways and camp outs...I thought it would be fun to help K and S one, someting tells me S will get even more messier than K!! :)

Don't be afraid...I'm with you

2011-06-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

This week was one of those where no day was as you planned in your mind, you raced and raced around most everyday and crashed in bed after it was all said and done, glad to get a little peace and quiet. We had just gotten back into town from our second vacation of the summer, and were getting ready in our home and head for a trip to dallas for my Bf's couple shower and see all our besties for the weekend. Before that could go down we had to unpack, repack, laundry, do dishes, get back on a normal sleep sched, attend swim lessons every night for an hr and a half....not to mention work on invites and shower invites and entertain/feed/care for two baby girls (Bry had inventory and bible study) This was the week that I REALLY needed to be in the word bc it was stressful and I could feel myself unraveling slowly... and a week I really am glad for God's perfect timing.

Ever meet someone who knows just the right things to say at just the perfect time? Wednesday I got an email from baby center about Kehnley, they send me updates on my girls age and milestones what have you....she just had a birthday, so it sent me all about "my four yr old" It was mainly all about how to calm fears in 4 yr olds. We have been experiencing a lot of this as she becomes more aware and more attached to us, like meltdowns at the Y when we leave her to workout for an hr, her new experience of swimming lessons brought out a frantic side of her, big crowds, even Sunday School which she usually loves and goes to great had caused a bit of anxiety to rise up in her lately. So it was giving good advice about not telling the child there is nothing to be afraid of bc their fears are real and acknowledging them and helping them through it with small steps, and accepting them as they are. (I am not a worrier, Bryson is...so this is a lot of new territory for me, and I am seeing more and more she has his characteristics to worry about things, and over analyze like he does) My natural instinct it to say "it will be fine, there is nothing to worry about because of these five very rational reasons i will explain to you" lol....

Obviously this advice was great and helpful and I had no idea how useful it would become in the days that followed. Although, Baby Center knows a lot about babies, I sought the Lord on what to do and how to encourage her, pray for her, teach her..... here is what He gave me--i shared this with Kehnley on Thursday morning....

Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

You would think it would be enough that a child's mama or daddy were with them, but for Kehnley it hasn't been...but these words comforted her. I hope that it will always be enough that God is with her--shielding and protecting her. Some might look at what happened next as God's sleepin on the job lack of protection. But I will let he words of my little 4 yr old set it straight....

I'll set the stage, after dinner Sadie had her bath already before dinner bc she decided to climb into the distilled rain water that gathered in the baby pool on the back porch, Kehnley had been playing with some new birthday gifts she had yet to open before our Florida trip. Maybe because it was an end to a stressful week, not enough time outside, or too much sugar from the snow cone....all in all, the girls were literally bouncing off the walls! I decided to take the couch cushion off the middle of one of the couches so that they could just bounce there if need be like a protected trampoline...it wasn't enough thrill! Soon, Sadie brought me a book to read her and Kehnley continued to bounce, but I noticed out of the corner of my eye was was bouncing on the "trampoline" to the other cushions, and back again. Then was the sound of things falling on glass and her scream.
I looked over to her in slow motion as it always happens when tragedy is about to strike. She has blood running down her face from the top of her eye, her eye brow was split in two and the lower side was dented in, blood soon filled her face and i could no longer see the wound. I picked her up screaming, Sadie starts screaming too in the commotion of all of it, hers was of fear, Kehnley's was fear...and pain. Bry was working late that night with inventory, FREAKING INVENTORY, and as quickly as i could think to do i grabbed a towel to cover her eye and put some water on it, neither one of the girls would let me put them down, Kehnley wanted to see her eye in the mirror, and was still screaming, Sadie still crying....Kehnley takes a break from the screaming to say "don't send me to the dr. i don't want stitches!"
**side note, earlier that day (ironic) she and Sadie her playing kind of rough and i said then don't do that because someone could get hurt and have to go to the emergency room after questions of why and how and what i said and she might have to get stitches and they hurt really bad.. man would I eat those words later!**

It was later and I was trying to calm her down frm the fear of getting stiches. I called Bry.no answer. I called mom. no answer. i ran acoss the street to the neighbors. no answer. i ran to the next door. no answer. FINALLY as I am setting the girls down to watch Uni Zoomi and get their minds on things and gather my stuff to go to the ER, Bry calls, and Granny comes to the door. Sadie stays with Cole, and me and Donna load Kehnley's crying little body into the backseat. She's in my lap, im trying to calm her with stories and songs and prayers. We get to the ER sit down (its always weird to me how you can be so wound up, turmoil boiling inside feeling frantic --for me that usually means crazy hair too-- and have to sit down and calmly fill out paperwork like its a routine check up your in for... not like blood all over your shirt and a swollen face and crying child. So we do that and soon she has a nurse see her and we are headed back to a room, she freaking out about the imminent stitches and the glass doors. They want to put her on the bed (nice try big-and-tall male nurse with no smile) so I hold her they look at her cut she screams when the press on it (lets be honest I wanted to also!)

They say something blah blah...give medicine...wait and hr...do stitches once its numbed....strap her down....
She wants OFF the bed as soon as they leave the room, mentions she heard them say strap her down and starts to panic, they try to take her pulse with the finger thing, shes like Girl Interrupted crazy right now...not helping her hopes ofr not being strapped down at all. Time goes by she gets an icy from daddy he gets there soon and we r coloring in a Hello Kitty coloring book he brought. I'l leave out all the extra details of her showing Granny how to play angry birds and that calming her down, how she kept wanting to look in the mirror at her bow-bow, how weird it was being in the same ER as when Sadie was there just a year ago, the nurses talking to her about the meds and her funny little "im a smart girl" remarks about how it felt like water that we drink and they were going to be done soon right and she was ready to go home....she get her meds and the numbing started to work, here is where she said "they will just come back and check me and we can go, yeah we can leave they will just check it and but a band-aid". i had to tell her they were giving stitches, then explain i was wrong when i said it would hurt really bad, it would hurt maybe a little but that mommy had never had stitches til I had her and dr. are smarter now and they have meds to numb the pain and she seemed happy that I was wrong :).

My mom videoed the stitching (i dont think I want to watch it) at first it was okay, but then the thin to the bone skin was really painful, lots of "i want to go home, I'm done" mommy please hold me, pick me up, mommy please" breaks your heart...i hope no parent has to go through that. When it was all done 7 stitches made her eye look swollen and pinched and a little like the monster high dolls but she just wanted to know ONE thing...will my eye brow come back and my lashes show regular? lol. She drank her Ocean Water and took pics and talked a lot and was glad to leave.

So HOW is God's protection in all of this? She said it to me in the car.."at least the glass didn't break, at least we are close to the dr. and Granny is close by, at least you were home with me mama, at least it didn't get my eyeball, at least I don't have to go to swim lessons anymore"

Thank you Lord for the lessons this has taught us, she did say "I will never jump on the couch again I promise!"
I thought I would miss the ER as long as I had girls, not boys...looks like I was wrong again! :)

the night of

the day after

looking at it to make sure her "eyebrow comes back"

silly faces...she feels good right now

I'll try to get an upclose later :)

These are a few of our Favorite things...

2011-06-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Playgrounds

Popcycles

getting messy

Playing Restaurant- the chef's special is "Pasta-sagna"

Pedicures

Screaming

Swimming

Playing Horses

Candy favors!

Watching Apes

Fro Yo with friends

I know some say it's unlucky... but 13 is one of my VERY lucky numbers!

2011-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

This blog entry is long over due in that I feel like I haven't talked about the baby that is Sadie in a while! (and it keeps me from eating the rest of my salad from Taco Bell... yeah, i know, why there!? No clue! Anyway, the things we do when kids gotta get home for naps... ok!)

Here goes 13 things that make me lucky to be your mom Sadie bug!
1. You play in your bed EVERY morning, sure you cry for a sec but then play and talk and you have NO idea but I secretly watch you and laugh on the monitor bc your so cute!
2. Your smile with those 6 teethies all beaming make me melt
3. You are not afraid of anything and you go for it...even to the edge of the driveway. ok so that's not my favorite thing right now...but I am sure I will love that later in life :)
4.You are a foodie like your mama and will try anything ONCE, but mostly a second and third time too
5.You used to point at pics of da-da and say his name, but now you are pointing at everything calling it da-da so we are starting to wonder...does she know what da-da is? lol
6. When you say "HI" in your high pitched voice and crunch your fingers to wave, LOVE IT!
7. You started the baby kiss of big mouth to eat you kiss I forgot I loved so much with Kehnley!!
8. Your little body sitting forward in a big girl seat...it's definitely made the car appear smaller and I love looking in my mirror to your sweet face!
9. Watching that sly look come over you when you are about to do something so bad... and then like a Tasmanian devil you run off in freakishly fast speed for a baby and I can barely catch up!
10. Listening to your sweet voice singing songs only the angels know the words to, I could get used to that
11. Watching you slip onto your tummy in the tub and kick your feet like a teenager at the pool, it's a hoot and you think you are so cute with your cheeky grin you give every time you do that, or lay back and let the water get on your hair.
12. When I hold you and you still snuggle your face under my skin and let me give kisses on your head and brush your hair with my hand...I love that clean baby smell!
13. Watching you sit on the couch with your drink and snack by sissy like a big girl, like your friends, like you are growing so fast right before my eyes...slow down baby girl! slow down :)

One awesome thing, one scary thing, one funny thing:
*you started sleeping so good in your bed since we added a fluffy pillow!
*you already tried to run away when Lilly was out doing doggy stuff you cracked the door open and snuck down the drive while mommy was left clueless tending to supper and a lady had to come to the door and tell me that "is this your baby out here, i just saw her walking in the yard"...i cried instantly and thanked God for the lady who strangely enough didn't pick you up and bring you to me but left you clapping happily at your escape by the bushes!
*you like you bounce,with no actual air time mind you, on sissy's bed then fall back like her, except your fall is less graceful more like a plop on the bottom then a lay backwards... then you laugh at yourself! its awesome!! must get that on video!

Sadie i adore you, I am so thankful that you are so perfectly you and unlike anyone else. I want you to know how unique and special you are and how from day one you have been training me in faithfulness. thank you for letting me play with you, hold you, read you stories, turn pages for you and lay on my back with you flying overhead. Thank you for being determined and resilient, headstrong but sweet as can be. God will use those gifts and personalities for Him, I can't wait to see it. In the mean time I pray you get to know the world around you with joy and patience...and please don't snatch from Kehnley anymore and pull her hair, she's really having a hard time with that. I love you so much and I can't wait to see what all you will do in the weeks ahead.
Words & sounds: da-da, hi, rrrrrarrrr, mooooo, quack quack, signing more and finished, uh-oh, tank eww(thank you) and giving kisses and blowing kisses too ---- i forgot that one, my def. fav!
Love you
-Mama-

9 months

Chicken lover! from keri Blowey on Vimeo.

11 months

Untitled from keri Blowey on Vimeo.
13 months

Untitled from keri Blowey on Vimeo.

An amazing illustrator and a book that might be JUST what we need...

2011-05-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

I follow the illustrator of this book on her blog and it just turns out that a good thing JUST got better! I love her ideas for cool pics, art, kids projects. But when i saw that she was one of my fav illustrators and had helped to illustrate THIS book several things began to stir...

1. I wish that I had written and illustrated this book myself :)

2. As an artist who is far too busy with teaching/lesson plans and molding young minds and cleaning dishes I really admire a woman doing all this AND finding time for her passion (which also happens to be her job how awesome is that!) ... I trust Gods season for this time of my life and know there will be a day when I can take on all the things he's given me in my heart and with my hands to do

3. I hope one day to read this to my girls!!

Wild Child

2011-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how a sweet little petite thing can be such a WILD CHILD!

Sadie you almost got really hurt twice in two weeks and I am amazed at the protective hedge that God has had to put up around you! I pray for it all the time and I now know why I feel so compelled to do so!

You were locked in your high chair and somehow climbed out and over the top edge and stepped down to the chair and sissy's table and were sitting on the floor after mom had to make an emergency drank way too much water run to the bathroom trip!
(ill never do THAT again!)

You were sleeping in your bed so soundly and daddy had come home early from work and sissy was at Fancy's house and i thought this girl is sleeping so good i need to check on her i looked on the monitor and couldn't see you, which happens sometimes when you are standing near the edge by the door, but i didnt see your little legs moving and there as a clock from the night stand in your bed...gotta move that out asap.... THEN i hear a "knock knock heeeaa heaaaa" loud over and over...i thought it was daddy from outside, about to asking him to quiet down, instead i walk to your room to my SURPRISE it was YOU! You had climbed outof your bed, were standing at the door of your room (for who knows how long) and were hitting it to knock and yelling for someone to come get you. In hand you had a top to the Vicks Vapor Rub and some vapor goo on your lip, awesome--you ate vicks?

On Thursday of the week before you were out side with addy and Kehnley and aunt Kandace and me, playing so nicely in your ittle house and running around... we were taking pics for addy's bday invite and you were right by mommy and i put both hands on the camera and tried to fix addy's hat and then heard this woooooshhhhing noise sounded like a plane was flying overhead.... and look up to my shock/horror and you are feet up, smile bigger than Dallas, squealing at the top of your voice flyin down the slide at me! I just by instinct reached my hand out to catch your head in my hand as you flew off the end of the slide or downward slope to death as i call it! I had apparently climbed the ladder all by yourself and slid down in an instant! ( I am so thankful that any of the other things that my mind thought of that could have happened to you....didnt!)
phew!

No wonder I am always on the run :) chasin my baby girl!

~You are 14 months today, kind of a random number but age wise it means you are getting close and closer to being more and more (as we can tell from these stories) independent.

~You love to sing "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy..." I know you want to sing it when you say "thoy thoy thoy thoy" :) you also love the abc's the itsy bitsy spider, and to be outside... all the time... like all. the. time. I cant let lilly out without you running full force at the door to get out before i close it. you're like a house cat that cant wait to escape :)

~You love to read in the car especially you sit front now like a big girl and jam out.

Something super cute and new you do is to walk around in your toes, its the cutest thing ever and your dancing had reached new levels of dips and bends

~You get swaying side to side and really drop down low and get into the music, anything on the ipod with a good beat, but not limited to that, also the "fridge dj" rickin the beats to "old mcdonald" or "birdy bye bye" lol

~You like putting tops on things and turning lights on and off.

Your fav toy is clearly the slide see story above!

Sissy is really concerned about your safety every time we are around a playground, has started sharing her foods with you (you both started eating eggs for breakfast this month, crazy right?! And she gives you hugs and you really love it...unless she holds to long then you give her the strong arm but its the most wonderful thing i have ever seen, it melts my heart to see you girls sharing and loving on each other!

Even Kehnley (who is clearly going through a growth spurt bc at breakfast she ate yogurt, fruit, milk, eggs, granola bar---and then asked me when snack was!) was playing with blocks and you were coming her way to knock them down your fav thing but drives her crazy and you started to but stopped and just bumped into them with your wobble and she didnt freak out! It was a miracle! She just say "watcha doin gurrlll" and tickled your tummy....I have been praying for exchanges like that for 14 months! :) It was def. awesome and gave me home that ya'll are going to get along JUST fine!

words-- you make the sounds for thank you, you can say Dada, you knock on the door with your hand flat and say hey!, you say hi and bye, wave and blow kisses, you started giving kisses aka: open mouth lean in, you color with chalk and eat it sometimes too, liddy (lilly dog), addy=passie, shake your head and hands for "finished" when your done with being in your high chair (or you just scream...you have always been pretty vocal about food my love...just like your :)mama!)

when you smile, it's with your whole being....I can listen to you make yourself laugh in the car forever! Especially when you are trying to keep sissy from a "frumpy" aka grumpy mood...

This is the day

2011-04-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24

Joy is a choice. I heard this today and it was revolutionary to me. We can have the pain of discipline OR the pain of regret... which one is more beneficial?

"train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" 1 Timothy 4:8

If you know me you know that I exercise every morning way before the sun sums up, but what you may not know is that I also hide away in the dark of morning to be alone with Jesus before my "little people" come looking for me. I need time with Him so that I can do battle with anything that might come along in my day to try and steal my joy. I train myself for godliness. I discipline my heart and my mind in order that I might be stronger in the Lord. Just like exercise does things for the mind and body, so does spiritual exercise and even more for the heart and the soul.

Joy is a choice. I can choose to be joyful in life's circumstances, in my troubles, in my doubts, in my needs, in my unknowns, in my waiting, in my hurts, in my blessings, in my missed opportunities, in my lessons, in my prayers, in my mundane chores and tasks.

There are many things that may seem painful for a time but reap benefits far beyond our wildest dreams. Joy is a choice. Joy is a discipline. Joy is not always easy. Joy is beneficial. Joy is ours to have, something ONLY God can give. (John 15:11 " I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.")

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

What ever day God has made will you choose joy?

Like no other

2011-04-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

I am seeing first hand the truth in all the parenting and mentoring books out there that teach us there is just something about the relationship between a girl and her daddy...

They may depend on mama all day, but there is just something about daddy! This weekend we had a girls weekend in San Antonio for Megan's shower and it was time away from our kids, husbands, and fiancees: it was a time of really fun catching up, bonding, laughing, eating, Jillian Micheals working out all in the living room (6 girls, one tv, one moved couch, and a pregnant belly) air mattress room camp out...I certainly am regretful I didnt take a pic of our camp out room! But the weekend did much more than refresh my spirit, it gave my husband a time with his children that he rarely gets. I would be bold enough to say its something that he AND the girls needed desperately. Only they will know all that went on that weekend. One thing happened for sure, Bry was spoken to by God and I hope that He will get the change to share what that encounter did for Him.

Getting back in town and hearing about what happened to him this weekend made me very aware of a deep need that I have either been blind to or just ignoring. I pray FAR MORE for other people than I do for my husband, I cry ut to God and my heart breaks for my friends, my family, those who are sick, struggling, afraid, in need... all the while I think he's fine, great, spiritually sound and able! (if you know him at all you would assume the man hadn't a need or want for anything and he's the most together person you'd ever meet) God convicted me greatly of my neglect to be praying, not for our marriage, my husband, the girls daddy, but just Bryson, just him alone-- the person that God made apart from all the titles he holds. So here in lies the challenge, to not think of ourselves or our need, our our marriage, or our home, or our kids, but our husbands and how we might spur them on toward love and good deeds. Heb 10:24
Thankfully I have a friend who walks us through it--this is the challenge I am starting today!
Operation TYMJ-Take Your Man to Jesus

Speaking of feeding the spirit lets talk feeding the belly too! I just happen to be married to a chocoholic and decided I need to get this book ALSO about Father's and Daughters by Gweneth My Father's Daughter because it has healthy versions of foods like THIS----it: looks like I need to add it to my bday list :)

Dancing -Til the World Ends?

2011-04-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

So im not typically a Brit basher, but for the sake of raising girls, girls who will one day be teenagers, who will inevitably look to world icons for a season to define them or at least resist the urge, this is who they are up against. Anyone else concerned? Whats crazy is that i must admit it's very "I'm a slave for you-esk" and yes, at one time in my life I liked the dancing in that video---it now has struck a different cord in me as a mama and a totally different woman than I was at 20. (wow was that almost 10 yrs ago?!) and yet Brit is still workin the "slave for you" fishnet and ripped up glitter suit convulsing and having what only appears to be orgy like dance parties in some dark, seedy room in much need of fixed water pipes...

I really don't know the webtrail that brought me to this YouTube...OK no wait, that's not true I do, in trying to decide what to wear in an upcoming family pick I trailed from searching for a top at jcrew-to-instyle-to-spring style your jeans-to-wedding dress style-to-current trends-to-celeb new looks-to Britney Spears new video....(anyone know the webtrailing phenominon I am talking about? we start one place then to another?!) So since my new "mission" is about living and breathing the 4:8 verse--whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy.... and instilling the phrase "you are a beautiful wonderful child of God" into my girls, how does Dancing til the world ends-Britney fall in place?!
It was so eye opening to the draw and distraction pulling at the next generation and im fearful because what looks like an innocent 4 min video that will be seen and maybe forgotten, it's a message that I couldn't ignore on so many levels. I won't even give my thoughts on it, just that it prompted me to be fully aware of what is out there in order to "watch and pray" for our kids and to make sure that I reach them with truth before they are drawn away by something fleeting but appealing because it looks fun...

I have to get real here for a minute though, the reason I am so drawn to this type of struggle, is because it hits very close to home: I love music, I love to dance, I appreciate art, I too love fashion and worldly beauty-- I always wanted to be a blond like my mom when I was younger and tan too lol... and even as an adult we are tempted to judge ourselves against the Heidi Klums of the world who pops those babies out and hits the VS runway with ease, fighting the ever rising waistline (not in a InStyle way) of the mom jean, and being able to pull off a Triathlon let alone train for one while bouncing twins on our hips like JLo! Do I even need to talk about the Kardashians, Real House Wives of.... and every other charming indulgence turned narcissistic??? I am doing battle against these things and transforming my mind has taken a lot of time away from magazines, The Soup, radio, webtrailing-oops and the like. Do I think its okay to live in oblivion? no, but if I have 30 minutes what should I spend my time and energy on? I am praying for you friend as you do battle with these things as well, even if we arent in the world as far as what we watch or read...we compare ourselves to each other and that alone will destroy us. Thank you Facebook! Ever seen someone post an unflattering FB profile pic?

I am not even going to post a link to this You Tube, if you want to watch it you will find it pretty easily.
just go to teen.com.... yep its there!

I am going to leave with this thought... do we dare.....
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves." 1 Peter 3:3-5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am by NO means suggesting that I will start wearing a floor length denim skirt wearing my hair in waste long braids going el naturel with no make up and my non existent eye lashes unless cosmetically died (thank you Evonne) shinning in the sun but what I do is not let the ideals of worldly beauty be my passion, my drive, my motivation in the morning, my mood setter, my free thirty minutes of "me" time, my identity.

This is the verse that I teach to Kehnley,we make bracelets and necklaces with beads and other fun stuff and then i tell her how pretty it is and how special it is bc she made it, she compliments mine and we put them on...then I ask her these questions: does God love you because you have pretty hair...(K)nooooooo, does God love you because of your pretty shirt...(K)nooooooo, does God love you because you are so talented and you made this beautiful necklace...(K)nooooo, (me) Your RIGHT! God doesn't love us for the things we wear, our hair, our fancy necklaces or jewelry, our talents and special skills... you know what He loves the most and thinks is more beautiful than anything? A girl who trusts Him and loves Him the most! I know we both need to revisit this lesson often.

Oh my...SO helpful!

2011-04-13T20:31:00.001-07:00

http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/

Get inspired... I sure did!! This HAS to be helpful right?!

4:8 Mission

2011-04-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Of course this has to follow up a post titled "Boot Scoot and Poopy"...oh the irony! lol
So here's the deal...

I don't want to blog anymore about meaningless things, not that my children and our little life is meaningless, quite the opposite, if you know me you know they are our treasure, our world, our mission field, they are my 24/7 and I take my role in their life more seriously that almost anything else....but remember this....?

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Phil 4:8

I can't help but desire to filter whatever I spend my time on through this...not just my mind, or my words, but my very essence I want to be characterized by this charge.

So begins the transformation of information. Let's get REAL there are tons of websites, blogs, podcasts and the like about parenting and fun stories and life--and yet there are still those of us staring in the face of the hundredth question from our toddler like "why can't we see God?" going... I wish i could get a a panel of ppl together to talk about this lol. Most moms in the toddler trenches don't have time to look up a blog, read a book, and google search "explaining the infinite holiness of the creator God to a 3 yr old" goodness- we are lucky to just have everyone dressed all day!

My new form of organization of task and thought (there are many being developed in me as God's way of helping me to resist the born urge I have to live on the fly--free as a bird--letting things happen as they come)--can you guess that I like change and spontaneity? oh yeah, what was I saying?-OH so yes new forms of organization :) causing me to spend my free time not watching DWTS or Gray's or (fill in the blank) Crashers but instead on planning lessons, gathering resources; for projects, exploration, and enjoyment in teaching my little ppl all about God and how He made them special, especially for a purpose...like most things we think we are doing for the Lord to bless others, it changes us into someone new along the way!

If you have read the 4:8 Principle (an amazing book on the positive side of thinking & living life) based on the scripture above you would know there is this one part....THE part that I am making my mission, where the author tells his children every night before bed until one amazing night they repeat it back to him almost in a sleepy unison...

"you are a wonderful, beautiful, child of God"

That is my mission, that the little ones of the next generation know this truth without a shadow of a doubt.

Keep looking for lessons, resources, and (lets be honest) crazy mishaps along the way! (not to mention frequent dance party breaks--every mom needs to work those into the schedule, just to keep her composure--just do it, you'll thank me later!) and please keep in mind my failures: you'll find those here too, because I find that when I crash and burn it, God shows Himself more trustworthy than if I had juggled all the things He throws at me with the greatest of ease.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What keeps me passionate about the new ministry God's given me?

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

2 Corinthians 4:7

Boot Scoot and Poopy!

2011-04-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yay for friends who have family that shows cattle at the Houston Rodeo! We were like VP backstage passeres on this wild west adventure! 4 things amazed me....
1. my kids wanted to lay on the cows not just pet them
2. they survived even barfing in the car on the way there, having to buy new clothes and target in the interesting side of the reliant center end of town, and napping in the stroller or not at all (kehnley) and getting home after 12 hrs of rodeoing!
3.we bought K a new rodeo outfit for when she goes with Granny and Grandaddy tomorrow and it cost me less that 50 bucks!
4.I ate the entire plate of my fav in the whole world (waited for 7 minutes for it to cook) spinach Alfredo pizza from the Burger Shack and don't regret it one bit!

We had a blast and here is why!!

Precious ones

2011-03-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneaky peeky at some pics of some girls that are super special to us!

baby Kairi Ann and her sweet cheeks...

...and cousin Addy, who has a birthday coming up!

...then there is the wild child with a smile that can melt my heart!

And this little sassy pants always full of surprises :)

Kehnley modeling her new rodeo get up...the middle on is the "im a texan model with attitude, watch out Gisele"

Ps. I am not a photographer, I just love the way these girls make memorable moments I can't help but try to freeze and keep them forever

I almost forgot! Kehnley so happy to have her "baby friend from china" here :)

And this one is for Amy and all those Tech fans out there :)

2011-03-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Only 3... yet SO wise :)

Kehnley on the Cotton Bowl from keri Blowey on Vimeo.

Disclaimer: none of what you are about to here was scripted or a product of brain washing...

Recap: Sadie's First Birthday Party!

2011-03-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Birthday party Agenda:

1. visit with family and friends and see how cute you are in your lady bug outfit and hat!
2.play a good old fashioned game of lady bug hunt with your lady bug jars
3. pass out antenas for the birthday song
4. get distracted with playing in the baby kitchen for a bit
5. cry for a cupcake before the birthday song get us under way
6. eat a cupcake like a bro with red and black icing all over your face (and sissy's too!)
7. open so many wonderful presents, wow, you are going to have a fun time with these...
8. pull off your birthday hat and get ready to play with all your new gifts!
9.watch some flipping lady bugs, and wave good bye to all your guests
10. clap for a great party and get ready for another nap, I'm one tired birthday girl!!

Healthy Banana Bread!

2011-03-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

The BEST Healthy Banana Bread!!! EVER! Seriosuly it's SO good!

Secret to the healthy= flaxseed, wheat flour, honey in place of sugar and a little Purvia, the yogurt and apple sauce in place of oil!

3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)

3.6 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through oil) in a small bowl. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Spoon the batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Calories:212
Fat: 9.2g

Fiber:2.6g
Protein:4.3g <-----my fav part!

Everyone in my house loves it <---my OTHER fav part!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update: Healthier version...
1 1/2 cups of King Arther whole weat flour
3/4 c. Truvia in place of sugar
1/4 c. sweetened flake coconut
1/4 c. apple sauce in place of oil
1/2 c. greek yogurt in place of low fat yogurt

ENJOY! and be amazed at how good it STILL is :)

We need you...this is for a dear friend who reminds me of this often, thank you!

2011-03-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

How many names
Can I use to explain
The love of my Jesus
The life that He gave
And so many times
Will I praise You today
I lift up my life
Cause You’re always the same
And my offering
To you I bring

Your name is Jesus
You’re the wonderful, counselor, my friend
You’re what I hold on to
I know that You brought me through
All the days of loss and to the cross, You knew
That I’d need a Savior

How many songs
Can I sing to proclaim
Your wondrous love
Oh and beauty so great
Oh and, What would I say
If You brought down the rain
And everyday I walked through the pain
My heart would still say…

......All the days of loss, and to the cross You knew,
That I'd Need a Savior Well, I'd need a Savior...
You're what I hold onto, I know that You brought me through
All the days of loss and to the cross You knew,
That I'd need a Savior
I'd need a Savior,
I need You Savior.

-Amoung the Thirsty

Pink-a-licious

2011-03-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

Life with two girls is pretty pink...what to do when the equation of 3 to 1 will change....who knows, but we will enjoy this season of Pink-a-licious while we can!!

The Numbers that Count

2011-02-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

I will just start with some numbers...

1- delicious "lovers and runners" meal we enjoyed cooked by Jen and Cody to make sure we had all our carb needs met for the big day lol

4.30 - the time we woke to drive from Canyon Lake to Austin's Capitol building

2- the number of half marathons we would have finished by the end of this hilly trail

20,000 - the number of crazies that showed up like us ready to run with their gear of all shapes, colors, and sizes...

0- people running streaking like Bry predicted lol
10- shirtless people with little shorty shorts ( and majority were men)
3.5- bananas i ate in 24 hrs....weird!

2- "manny" packs that Bry and I got for free at the expo and sported with pride...I am not going to lie, these are crazy awesome and I think I might get everyone I know a set of their own by next Christmas... you never know when you need a flip on your hip or a small inconspicuous stash for your chap stick and soyjoy bar!

2- Tinkerbell band aids for daddy Bry to help with the chaffing lol!!!!

6- very steep hills I am so glad Bry was with me encouraging me through!

3 - times I had to wrap and re wrap my knee

8- water and Gatorade cups i drank and threw on the ground (yellow Gatorade never tasted SO good!)

5- free high five signs ppl were holding up -- oh yeah, we gave free high fives like crazy!

1- sign that made me laugh for a few blocks that read "that's not sweat, it's your fat cells crying"
4- the mile I wanted to give up at :)

13.1 - miles Bry and I ran together again!

2:32- our finishing time, i am shocked and could care less, I didn't watch a clock at all-- who cares about time!

1- kiss at the finish line that made it all worth it!

26.2- miles Bry said he WANTED to run sometime... when i asked him after the Austin run, he gave me a good ol' "H NO!"

60- minutes it took us to get to Chez Zee and eat the most delicious post workout meal I have ever had

3- choices of sides for Bry's pancake dinner, and he picked all three "can i have all of them please-potatoes, bacon AND sausage, i dont care how much it costs" lol

6 - hours we spent in the car going to and from this race and loved every minute in the car together, we had no kids and our own music-a dream!

The reason we run is not like most: we aren't trying to prove we can, or make some record time, or even just get in shape.... its something that is hard to explain even to ourselves as we start the gruelling task of even making time for long runs that will eventually equal 13.1 miles. At first its all about what charities we can support and the time we will have together as we build our miles. It became a small window of time away from house work, bills and kids (even when we pushed 60 lbs of them in the B.O.B.) they were quiet and content and that was all that mattered and it was an escape for us. There is something unexplainable about being able to say we accomplished something together not a lot of couples do. Its totally worldly, yes, but it finds itself showing up in our relationship at home, our spiritual growth, our encouragement in other areas of life and it reconnects us when the secondary things I mentioned earlier try to fight their way to make marriage more like a business transaction than what it's mean to be--a reflection of unconditional love and service and partnership and oneness. Not to mention on those long runs we talk and laugh about deep things, stories some how we've never shared, and it's like going away on a trip together (even if its only 45 min around the block)

I have had a lot of running buddies in my life, but Bry is one I never expected and always hoped for...he didn't want to be a running buddy, he hates running long distances, I hated to run growing up but all that changed in college.... and here we are running up these killer hills together praying for each other, encouraging each other--there is no competition, just care for the other person and how they are doing and the feeling that we can keep going because we know the other is struggling through limits of the mind and body too... and we ARE wearing matching "manny packs" that has to count for something right?!

There is a definite parallel to going through something you wish you could quit, you know will be hard, you aren't sure what will be around the next turn, and yet you press on-- you keep going-- you grab extra water for them--you stop when they stop-- you go when they go-- you keep in step with their stride--you pass others together-- you warn of whats ahead for the other-- you rejoice when you finish together.

Its sounds cliche I know, but preserving through something like that together makes me think I can do it with anything--and having him cheer me on reminds me that we are on the same team, not just on the pavement but in life. Its more rewarding that anything I have ever been through to get to hold Bry's hand and cross that line.

As we were putting on our gear and getting ready, I slipped on my "livestrong" yellow bracelet everyone was wearing in the race and felt God telling me to write these words on the outside "run for eternal purpose" I had no idea what that meant when we started, I just knew I was soon to find out. At the first mile, my leg and hip had already started hurting and I knew the only way for me to get through the next 12.1 was to pray. But I didn't feel compelled to pray for myself after the first utter of Lord please help me to keep from hurting myself and to make it to the end together. Mile 1-2 I prayed for ppl in Austin and in my life who didn't know God, or about His love for them. Mile 3- I prayed for all my friends especially those going through a life change and the people in their lives (be it spouses or kids) 4- I saw three runners in a row with pics of children on their backs and "running in honor of..." above them. This is when I started listening to music and worshiping God thanking Him that I didnt have to wear that on my back and that I had His favor in my life, for whatever reason, that my children were alive and healthy and I hadn't faced such heart ache as those around us. Mile 5 - I continued to thank God for the provision in our lives and more specifically asking Him to guide us in this year ahead to use wisdom and trust in Him. Mile 6 was just survival, I was jamming out and appreciating my iPod a LOT! Mile 7 my knee started to throb uncontrollably and I wasn't sure how much longer i could go, i thought of people who have pain every day in their bodies who have to carry on in life, go to work, take care of families, suffer through much worse situations, i thought of my Paw Paw and when his legs would hurt and when he went through chemo...I prayed for him, his body to heal, and his bravery, I prayed for my friends and family who have an illness or MS or kids who have sickness this lasted for a few miles. By mile 10 my legs were numb and they were just moving against my own devices they were going and I was in the zone...still cursing those hills together Bry and I pressed on and then at a restroom stop Bry's calves started to cramp up... so for the rest of the way I prayed for him, for our marriage, for his life and purpose, for his influence and for his place as father of our children. Next thing i knew I could see the capitol building, we pushed on and held hands and crossed the finish line. Bry gave me a kiss as our feet hit the marker and we were off to get our bananas and water and shirts :) It was surreal and another moment I am thankful he was standing with me at its end. I missed not seeing our girls along the way, every kid on the sidelines giving out free high fives we hit em up top and thought of our little ones--Bry even said "one day it would be cool if all 4 of us were running this together" now that is something to look forward to.

As always at the races end we are all about food and where we can eat and talking about how we felt over each mile. We feel a new sense of ability to push through in life just like we did for those few hours on a Sunday morning, recalling God's word and seeing it change from just a moment in time to a way of life--

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2

"...train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

"I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step..." 1 Corinth 9:23-26

that would be the french toast bite!! loved it! every bit!

Ps. and here is Kehnley and Sadie's race....not sure where the finish line will be....or if it's teamwork...or if its safe...

Beaver Fever

2011-02-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with "Beiber Fever" this is a whole different kind of crush!

Bry and I went on our anniversary trip in Dec this year, McKinney falls for a night of camping under the stars...yes it was cold but gorgeous! Then we stayed at the Lost Pines for a few nights after that, made the shower and comfy bed feel even better after roughing it! Although my cam went dead after we took these pics, I am still not sure if it was just over use OR over stimulus from the massive size of my Buc-ees cup!

This was the best gift EVER! I can use it to consume all my H2O intake in a day or as a flotation device if ever need be, or Bry found good use of it by the campfire when he forgot the lawn chairs....the possibilities are endless OH and did I mention that you get free refills when you take it to a Buc-ees near you...OR all the way out to Bastrop? Get you some!

Valenitine's school here we come

2011-02-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

On the way home from MDO today I had a lot of explaining to do about Kehnley's up coming Valentine's party at school on Thursday...

1. I had to explain how we are we going to make heart shaped samiches
2. Why people wear pink hearts of valentine's day
3. That Kehnley's shirt that says "GAP" with a little heart does NOT say "VAL-WIN-TIMBSSS" as she kept trying to convince me over and over again, adding more SSSS on the TIMBSSS as she exacerbated the word in her case. I again said "sweetie I will show you when we get home its not Valentine's its GAP...
4. What is GAP?
5. Talked her off the ledge by offering to go get a NEW VAL-WIN-TIMBS shirt from her favorite store (Target) tomorrow.
6. No not to day, tomorrow, you have to take a nap and make valentine's for your class today
7. Listen to her share with eyes clothes that she is not happy about that now, but will be happy about that after she gets some rest in her nap.
8. Who said was going to be (or not be) for valentine's because Kehnley thinks that it's like Halloween and kids are supposed to dress up for every holiday. lol
9. Kehnley then breaks down to me the words to the valentine hokie pokie...I have a feeling we will be dancing this one out with Sadie bug and daddy later.
10. Then she goes into a series of saying "why,why, why, why..." and laughs because she knows it drives mommy a little bonkers :)

Here's my Val-win-timbs loving girl!

Our little Sadie is 12 months!! Month day countdown...

2011-02-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I can't believe that it's been a year since you were just an anticipation in our lives! Now that you are with us, I am in awe of how sweet and silly and smart you are. It's been a learning curve for all of us having two little people in our midst I am sure you will be pretty tired of hearing about how similar/different you and sissy are, but we can't help it! You two are along side each other in our home and in our hearts and we can't help but look back at this year and think about your persnality as it's grown and how many moments we have been through ALREADY! together!! Some lovely, some scary, some fun, some silly, some exciting....but all have made you uniquely you!

Here are all your month day pics, oh how you've grown our sweet Sadie!

Month one....3 days old!

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Month 7

Month 8

Month 9

Month 10

Month 11

Month 12

We had an awesome day the day you were born... and the day we got to look back and rememeber it all!

One of those things I won't forget!

2011-01-31T11:12:00.001-08:00

There is so not even time for me to be writing this right now but I had to post because it's one of those things in life that makes you look back and say wow, we've come so far... wow, we've been blessed, wow, were so small and our lives are so ordinary, yet He cares for even us....

Today I am typing this with a little one in her bed, another "little big" as she calls herself in her bed with her leopard sleep mask, pink ruffle trim, on and Lilly and Frenchy sleeping beside her. The past 24 hrs have been filled with many emotions as I have been reflecting the past year with Sadie, and also getting ready to celebrate tomorrow is her first birthday! It's been so much fun, gone so fast, and yet full of moments like the one I am about to describe. This year we have been under serious attack in the side of health in us and our kids. When Sadie was born with in weeks our house had a stomach flu and then a month or more later Sadie was in the ER with a viral infection that almost cost her life, her throat was swollen and she was unable to breath. There is when my time as a mom took a turn. Recently a friend from college passed away and every day I think of her, I pray for her little ones and husband who were left here to remember her and lean on Him, and I think of how much favor God has shown us, me especially... that I have another moment in my cute house with my comfy chairs my loving husband and best friend, with my gorgeous and healthy girls...yes we get stomach flu and we get viral infections but we dont have a death or disease we have to live with every day. How do I possibly express what I feel about the Lord that He spares us so much....

Sat night we put the girls to bed around 8 o'clock as usual and woke at about 11o clock with Kehnley throwing up and then Sadie doing the same. I remember looking on the monitor and seeing Sadie sitting up, looking sleepy and like she was about to lay back down and then she got sick. Bry and I went into tag team super mom and dad mode, one holding them, the other cleaning sheets, one holding back hair while Kehnley was sick, the trying to get the baby to drink some water, one getting rid of towels and infected things while the other get sheets back on the bed, one cleaning the restrooms and the other tucking babes in. Finally all was settled hours later we climb back into bed, and Kehnley starts to get sick again.... and again... and again... every time she drank water...and again. So I laid with her in her bed, Bry was left to tend to Sadie, who praise the Lord didnt get sick again after that first time. The morning slowly came and Kehnley acted fine, like "im ready for a smoothie mom!" I talked her down from the smoothie obsession and she settled for toast. After she ate half she said "i feel itchy" from then on was the scariest thing I have ever seen... she had a rash that covered her abdomen and her chest and armpit, and around her inner thighs. She said I feel hot mom, so we gave her some Benadryl and she laid on Bry for a bit and watched Surfs Up (that always makes her feel better) The rash looked like it was gone, AWESOME i thought... but it had moved, it was now on her neck and back and other side of her chest and upper arms. This gross rash would continue to move every 30 min to and hour for the rest of that day! By the night time it was covering her face, she looked like a burn victim and I was grabbing at straws to figure out what this was. I thought it was Fifth Disease, and all the symptoms really looked like it. I had family and friends praying for her and oddly enough once i thought I put a name to it (even though nothing had changed about her) I felt better... weird how you think a little bit of answers a little bit of control can be calming when yet nothing was in control at that point. She got an oat bath and the rash turned to white spots and made her hands and feet swell her eyes began to get so puffy that they could barely open and all the while she was itching and hurting she'd make funny faces at me and be silly here and there (kids have a way of making hard things easier sometimes) although we want to think they can make easy things hard, I am glad she was being silly for me last night! I was scared. By the time bedtime was on, we read stories, gave meds, rubbed creams, and prayed prayers... lights out, and she one woke once to ask for more lotion. The morning came and she was totally cleared!! TOTALLY! It was all gone! Sadie did barf on me this morning I just hope that bc she ate too many pickles the night before but Kehnley looked like she never even had this freaky thing on her skin! So i call the nurse per my mom and Bry's request tell her about the situation and she says there is no way that is fifth's bc it doesnt travel and be gone that fast ( I wanted to tell her woman you dont' know that my aunts and my friends have been praying for this girl and God is bigger than your webMD symptoms list) but I kept it polite and said well she has no symptoms for me to look at now so I dont know WHAT it was, prob a reaction to the mold in the leaves her and Sadie played in on sat aftrn. But anyway...

I say all that because we have been through some crazy stuff this past year... if you don't know, read the other posts about Kehnley's anaphylactic reaction in the grocery store, the passing out at the park over the summer and others! Yet, I have learned so much about the frailty of life and how blessed I am for each day, that I am much stronger than I thought to be able to handle crisis situations, and prayer certainly is necessary in our daily lives.
Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,"

The next step is to get both girls allergy tested and stay well until the weekend, we have a party here Sat and I just want that little thing to enjoy every minute of it!

Sadie at 11 months:
Sorry I didnt post these sooner sweetie, we've been a little... well... busy :) Just like you!
11 new things you are doing now
1. singing you ABC's you dont have the words but you've got the tune down
2. Climbing into your rocking chair and rocking
3. pretending to talk on the phone, you put it to your ear and say "heeeh" lol i guess that's supposed to be like me?
4. showing off 4 teeth on top when you try to smile big
5. play peek-a-boo with the blanket in your bed or towel in the tub
6. play peek -a-boo with your hands over some one's face
7. hug on mommy and say "ma-ma but pretty sure you don't know that's my name yet :)
8. sleep better!! hallelujah!
9. drink coconut milk, BYE BYE formula!
10. rub your belly ALOT when it's "naked baby time" after dinner before bath, that's also what Kehnley calls "indian girls" time bc you look like indians in your diapers and panties she says
11. read books all by yourself for a long time in your bed or in your room...its sweet to watch your sit and turn the pages over and over.

Tomorrow is your Birthday, a year has gone so fast. I love you so much.

Manic Monday

2011-01-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

All those of you with little ones (or big ones I dont know those days yet but I am amazed at how you survive day to day, probably like myself- By the Grace of God) if Monday's are the hardest days for your entire household then you know what I am about to talk about! I don't know what it is, I have many hypothesis' I am testing at the moment, as to what in the world causes my children to become totally malfunctioning and emotionally unstable on a Monday! My two top guesses are that they are adjusting to losing one of the parenting due who's spent the past two days meeting their every need at every moments request in .25 sec and entertaining them with (literally) a song and dance before any tear would be shed over ie. the dropper for medicine that is now used as a water shooter in the bath tub, OR the fact that they had such a busy weekend usually they got to bed way too late, added strange foods to their usual diet, and saw way too many people besides just each other....

All together I say that because usually on a Monday, when all they can handle is a few diaper changes, 3 meals, a on schedule nap and a quiet day with toys all over the house I just spend the weekend cleaning...I ALWAYS have to go to the store for the essentials (which i was humbled and glad to see some were on another moms must have in the house at all time list) 1.milk (reg and coconut) 2. tortillas 3.string cheese 4.cereal (a diff fav each month) 5.bananas 6.paper towels 7.edema (a new request of kehnley's)

I wish our Kroger didnt have the cars attached to the cart that requires a complete antibacterial wipe down, and biceps like Jillian Micheal's to just maneuver through the produce section. I wish our Kroger DID have small grocery carts like we used to have so K could push her own cart and fill it with all the things i can mouth to the Checker without her seeing "we are getting any of that" as he pretends to put it on the belt but in a basket behind the counter instead, thank you Checker at no.11!

The art of shopping has to happen in perfect synchronization with the highest caliber of mood on a Monday which happens between the time slot of after morning nap for Sadie and before snack time and silent morning demands of entertain me by Kehnley- 10-10:45 so luckily I live exactly 4 min from Kroger door to door!

Hope your Monday isnt Manic and if you feel it going that way do what we do: pray, stop, and drop it like its hot!

Disclaimer- when you put your ipod on shuffle there IS a chance you will go from seds fam worship to jenny from the block any minute...

This is the mil dversion of a jam session, the floor really got cut up after i turned the camera off and she saw herself in the dishwasher reflection...there was more bounce for the ounce and shaking what her mamma gave'er! Ill try and get a shot of that next! :)

Juice Box Buddies : I had to post the rest!

2011-01-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

I would much rather spend my days and night with this at arms reach, that's probably why I dont have things done on the business end... but what would God desire more?! Hello! I love that I get a lot of moments like these... and He will certainly honor that. I am learning to let the dishes pile up too so I don't miss these moments. 2011 Resolution....play more, work less.

10 months Month Day!

2010-12-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

I cant believe two things that you are SO fun!! I mean, you are laughing all the time and talking all kinds of gibberish, you are much more talkative than your sissy ever was, which kind of scares me for when you are 3 and chattering as much as her :) You arn't walking yet which is fine with us, but not to you, you get SO upset if you cant push the chairs all over the house with nothing slowing you down!

Tonight we had a holiday scavenger hunt in the house and you were shaking your hands and bouncing on my hip as we ran from station to station lol.

You love music, you cant help but move when you hear it

You love your bahbah, you say it but don't know what you are saying lol, you just act like you are grabbing air when you REALLY want you bottle, your food, your daddy when he comes home

Your little teeth that show so proudly are the CUTEST things we have ever seen! They don't feel good when you dig them into my shoulder :) but they are precious!
Speaking of teeth, they keep you up a lot of nights! But we are used to sleepless nights!

Yesterday though I thought we were making strides that you woke from nap and were playing alone in your bed for a few minutes, and i could see you laughing and playing in your bed.... I went in to find to my HORROR you had pulled off your diaper, pooped all over the bed, and had shmeared it ALL over you, your clothes, the bed, the bumper pads, the wall... your hair, your face.... then me, then the tub... it was NOT the sight I was looking forward to lol

Sissy is learning how to be more careful with you, you are just such a little dare devil that she forgets you are a little baby! You keep stealing her folding chair and STANDING in it when i turn to put the juice away! Then when i tell you "no no baby girl" and come to get you down you bounce your knees slap the back of the chair and say "GAT!" and laugh... lol not sure what you are saying but i know you mean business! :)

You can clap and clap SO well! You clap every time we say " yaayyy Sadie" it's so sweet to see you make use of your new trick. When we sing "ive got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart and clap, you join right in!"

I love to sit with you and you lay back on me and watch sissy be silly or watch baby Einstein and you let me brush your little hairs with my hand, your so precious to us my darling

Our trip to Bama meant you got to meet and see a lot of new faces. You started being bashful and when someone new would come around or after your nap you saw a few faces you would lay your head under my chin and smile and be shy, its the CUTEST thing ever!

I can already see that you love a good laugh and playing. Your not as "go to anyone" as Kehnley was, but when you warm up to someone you are all smiles. One thing is for sure when Pawpaw sings you have all eyes on him and you sat in his lap and ate your lunch while he ate his and you just cruised to him and put your hands up for him to hold you, it was a special moment for both of you!

You are closer and closer to walking and you will see something like, Lilly, me, a candy cane, a piece of plastic, a bean, something shinny, and just go for it and start walking and then realize you are on your own and drop to your knees lol. One of these days your just gonna walk all over the place! I can't wait! In the mean time I will enjoy your big open mouth smile as you walk towards me and fall on me so glad to be off your feet.
You're changing me everyday Sadie Bug, I love you!

Wordless Wed: Trip to the Waterwall!

2010-12-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

25 days til Christmas!!!

2010-12-02T01:41:00.000-08:00

Th. Day 2 Make a gingerbread house with Fancy and Read Mortimer's Christmas Manger

F. Day 3 Holiday craft with Fancy! Drink Apple cider, share with Sadie- talk about the "good news" what's the good news about Christmas and what does sharing mean? mem. verse: Luke 2:10 "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

St. Day 4 Make Holiday treat with Granny and put together the manger at her house, teach Sadie the story! mem. verse: Luke 2:12 "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Sn. Day 5 Take family pics for Christmas Card! Make something special to go inside, what is the dove-explain the Holy Spirit as best I can to a 3 yr old :)

M. Day 6 Drink Hot Choc. and watch holiday movies and cuddle on the couch!
Verse for the day: Ps. 118:24 "This is the day the lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"

T. Day 7 Make Christmas Tag stars and talk about the Star Of Bethlehem (kehnley: "bet-love-ham")

W. Day 8 Finger Puppet Choir and get instruments and be a holiday marching band! (shes only going to want to sing jingle bells)

Th.Day 9 Shrinky Dink Ornaments for family night! Christmas meal- only red and green things to eat!

F. Day 10 Make Rudolf Cup Cakes and watch Rudolf, talk about what special gifts God gave YOU!!

St. Day 11 Ice Skating with the Fam. at Discovery Green
http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/printables/1206c_ice_skating_adventure.pdf

Sn. Day 12 Make our own wrapping paper with found objects from MJP park for an angel tree family who needs presents under their tree

M. Day 13Make Crystal Ornaments and other fun crafty ornaments (mittens, wreaths, candy canes, folk art trees) for Friends and pray for SNOW!

T. Day 14 Watch Frosty make an extra snowman for Sadie on tree skirt and a winter wardrobe fashion show! (with this book to color and practice counting)

W. Day 15 Get some gifts that we don't need or use anymore to give to some kids in need! Write a letter to Santa and gather things for him to give to ppl who don't have a home this year like blankets, boots, books etc. & Take some to a Local Donation Center! eat only red and green since we forgot to the other night! mem verse: 'They give generously to those in need." Ps. 112:9

Th. Day 16 Holiday Baking day at Granny's!!

F. Day 17 Put up a tent and read Room for a Little one to all our stuffed animals by flashlight

St. Day 18 Holiday Scavenger hunt!! (finding symbols of Christmas all over the house and what they mean!) Draw things we found on our chalk wall!! Color pages printables!!

Sn. Day 19 Bake Holiday Bread for those that we are giving baked goods to for Christmas and learn the Lord's prayer (Kehnley)

M. Day 20 Pack for a journey as if you were Mary and Joseph going on the journey to Bethlahem or the shephards or Wisemen! (whilst mommy and daddy pack for our journey to Bama!!) Mem Verse: "When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." Luke 2:15

T. Day 21 Road trip to Bama, color and build your own snowman, thank God for all the different seasons!
http://printables4kids.com/color-cut-and-build-your-own-snowman/cut-build-printable-snowman/

W. Day 22 Go look at light at Bellingrath gardens lights at night with the Family

Th. Day 23 Gather items that Santa will need to give to people in need on Christmas even and bake him cookies!

F. Day 24 Make Birthday Cake for Jesus and think of a nice thing you could do for someone else as a gift to Him (that's what He likes for His birthday after all :-D ) *

St. Day 25 See who can find the crown in the tree and give it to Jesus for His birthday! Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and celebrate with a cake and special breakfast! mem verse: Acts 17:7 "there is another king, one called Jesus"

~~~~~~~~~

* Make a gift for Jesus. Wrap an empty box, and put a slit in the top. Whenever anyone does anything nice for someone else, they can write it on a slip of paper, and put it into the box for Jesus. These can be shared on Christmas Day.

Advent and Christmas Traditions

2010-12-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Advent box, how I have missed you. Last year we had a blast and Kehnley really thought you were magic how you would always have a new fun treat and instructions for a fun day ahead as we counted down the days til Jesus' birthday. This year I can't wait to see you because she knows a little more and is going to be SO excited to see what you have in store! Of course we have our nativity advent that helps us keep our days all in a row and as we fill the manger with all the animals and angels I can't help but get a little anxious to see what Sadie will do with you when I am not looking!

Some old some new family traditions to share, please feel free to let me know yours AND use some of ours!

25 stories of Christmas:
This year we are going to wrap a book (some old some new) that are all about Christmas and since Bry misses all the advent full all day while he's away at work, he will be the one to greet her with a new wrapped book every day when he gets home and that will be the book she gets to read at bedtime with us. I can't wait for her to see the Grinch Stole Christmas Original, and a new book I found called God gave us Christmas!

Hidden Crown:
My husband is German and I looked up years ago German traditions for Christmas, i also asked about some that their family had when he was growing up. Is mom shared with me how her mom, the boys Granny would decorate the tree and keep it hidden until Christmas eve! That was the first time they got to see it! But since I am pretty obsessed with falling asleep on the couch by only the light of the Christmas tree each year (there is just a joy that brings me that I can't express) lol I couldn't do that one, but hiding a pickle in the tree is a tradition for many Germain homes and who ever finds it gets a special treat. Well, this year we are hiding a crown. We did something like it last year, but I am going to REALLY hide it good this year and who ever finds it gets to put it on the cake and present it to Jesus for His birthday! (Hopefully K will find it first! lol)

Christmas bake off:
We have a Christmas baking cookie exchange that I hope to share with some new friends and family this year! Last year at the Blowey's K had a blast decorating "goodies" for friends to share, she wanted to eat all those "goodies" as she called them all the time though!

Shrinky-Dink:
Every year for many years (Bry loves this....well....he's grown to love it) we make shrinky-dink ornaments! They are SO fun, great keepsakes and make the best gifts! And it's just amazing seeing all those big drawings and art work shrink down to pretty little ornaments for our tree! One day when I am old and gray i will have enough shrinky-dinks to cover a tree all on their own! (And Bry will probably have a billion deer feeder scenes he's created from year to year on his!)

Advent Box:
I get ideas from blogs and websites and my crazy sleepless nights up for hours thinking about things to make and do on the days leading to Christmas that are fun and silly and remind us the joy of the season! Some are the same each year... some are different. Here is the first for this year and the sources I have for the rest I will post tomorrow. (it's been a CRAZY week!)

W. Day 1  Make a wreath for Advent. Talk about what advent means. Decorate the tree and Bry is bringing the first wrapped book today all about the Christmas tree!!

Speaking of Christmas Tree, this guy wanted in on the fun this year! Happy Adventing everyone!!

Some Sources:
http://www.familyfun.go.com/ or http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/homemade-christmas-gifts/
http://www.bhg.com/
Book called New Noel
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/
http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/
http://christiancrafters.com/Journey-to-the-Manger-cvr.gif

Advent 2010

2010-11-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of advent all over the world. The word advent actually means the arrival or to come... its the tradition of awaiting the coming of Christ, when He came to the world the first time and to celebrate that glorious day! But more so, to celebrate and anticipate when He will come again!! I hope that you and your family will find fun and creative ways to anticipate more than just the presents under the tree but the true meaning of Christmas. I am posting my advent day by day family fun calendar tomorrow full of the things that we will do this year to get out girls excited about Jesus' birthday...feel free to steal ideas and make up your own! This truly is the "most wonderful time of the year." If there are any things that you and your family love to do to anticipate this day I'd love to hear about it!

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. " Isaiah 9:2

9 month 3.42 years

2010-11-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

SADIE
you are nine months and 2 weeks old and you are starting to really go go go... no walking yet, praise the LORD ! :) I can barely keep up with your wonder crawl! You are starting to talk more now, and scream a little too... your first "words" are dah-dah, but you don't yet know who they belong to, everytime you say "dah-dah" I say "where is dah-dah" and you say nothing but smile at me, and Kehnley says "attt woooorkkk!" lol so proud of herself for knowing the answer! You get pretty up set Sadie girl when you run into something with your push toy, or the chair, or the rocker, or the elphant, or anything you are trying to get going somewhere and its enterupted by the wall or a person or a little dog named Lilly. You get sooo upset you begin to scream a bit and throw a fit :) But we laugh and help you and love you through it lol. Lat night you were holding some fake food from the pretend kitchen in hand and stood all by your self for while but didnt realize it and when you finally did, you eased back down to your tushie. So if you want to just stand a while, that's fine with mommy and daddy, we can deal with that!
Your favs:
fav. food - anything you can put all over you or something else! And your just discovered puffs!
fav. toy - the little radio that plays music you be-bop to it and it's so cute to watch!
fav. show - you like baby einstien or course, motzart, BUT you laugh at the backyardigans and LOVE the music!
fav. outfit - well you cant really have asay yet, thanks goodness lol, but you are wearing many a fottied pj bc its the only thing that keeps you covered and sleeping soundly!

Kehnley you are almost 3 1/2 but not there yet! You are so busy busy girl, with all your animals dressing them for tea parties, everything is "wonderful" these days you say "this smells wonderful" "my bed is so comphy, it's wonderful" "your eyes look wonderful" "this sausage is my favorite, its wonderful" i have to say, you my dear are "wonderful". You are getting a little mind of your own, if you didnt have it already, you are asking "why this and why that" and before I can even answer while i am thinking of the right way to say the reason "why" you can not pull on your sisters legs in her bed to pretend she is slidding down the hill"you say to me "mom, tell me, tell me know, you need to tell me why" Or when i say ' sweetie we can't run and scream at the top of our lungs like sadie or Lilly is trying to get you because (and before i can get the words out that says because it's making my head hurt, but really it's not safe) you say "mom,telll me whyyy" lol. I am glad that your inquiring mind wants to know so much, even if it means I explain everything in great detal all day as if I am writing a documentary piece about how the world we live in works, what all God has made for His glory, and how not to kill ourselves. :)

Right now you are learning, thanks to this time change we are experiencing (fall back), how to play quietly in your room until the sun comes up or mom comes and gets you. You are coloring in your closet right now and I hope you are loving this quiet time in the morning. I am trying to have routine with you girls and really praying God show me how to organize all the things that I love and want to do in a manner that it keeps us all on a schedule. I have heard something about people thriving on a schedule, or something :) So that's what I am trying to do! Being a creative person means you are ill equipt with the skills to be type A and have eveything planned to a T.... but I am trying to find a marriage of both worlds for you and your sissy. Wish me luck!
Ok a quick list of fav:
fav. breakfast- frozen yogurt pops(i just froze the horizon ones) and toast no jelly just butter
fav. toy - daddy old train set I swear i keep meaning to paint
fav. show - how the grench stole christmas, classic cartoon, moms old fav!
fav. outfit - jeggins and a "winter top" which is anything we just bought you or out of storage from last year that has long sleeves :)

Work is hard work!

2010-11-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

I was looking for something, not sure what and I noticed that Feb 2009 I posted that I was launching stuff for White Bird Press, well i kind of did...and then the company took a big turn, I got really busy with a few jobs and then my 3 year old, and my work at the school was a lot to handle for me to do it well, then I was blessed to find I was pregnant and prep for that took off... life has a funny way of being what you didnt plan it to be. But in a good way, in the world of thought where I know that all I have is the Lords and His timing is perfect I'm not embarrassed that WBP isnt fully launched on the web yet or that I have yet to make my new business cards or upload images of my work on my website or finish creating my Etsy page. I am fully content letting it work out when the time is right. I had a baby girl only 9 short months ago, withing week 2 she and Kehnley and myself then Bry were sick with the stomach flu and then a month or two later I was in the ER with a baby that shouldn't breath, my sister in law had a baby girl, my best friend had a baby, my husband went on a mission trip for 2 weeks, i traveled, i worked, i started a home school teaching job once a week that i have to plan for twice a week, I realized that my time spent as a mom and encouraging others in my same season of life is what God wants me to do right now and not all the things I scribbled onto sketchbook and my to do list... and I am glad to be okay with that. "whoo do you love" is a sister company that my mom and I have ideas and prototypes busting out of the seams to get out there to the consumer world, but I dont want to miss the few times Sadie lets me hold her and she just plays with my eye lashes, to be at the canvas, the sewing machine, or the computer. I am typing this so that days when I feel like a failure, or I am disappointed that I haven't done all I planned in the past year, I realise that what I am doing, actually will mater when I'm gone. Maybe one day I'll have White Bird be all it was meant to be and more, in the mean time...I am going to say it is what it is, and I will get to all of it when the chance arrives. :)

Ok, off to bed, the girls are actually sleeping these days! Praise the Lord and thank you for B Complex! This web stuff might happen sooner with a little more than 4 hrs of sleep! Holler!

How to Tuesday: Die a shirt!

2010-11-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

I went to the Rit page to figure out how to die the shirts I am going to use to make some turkey shirts for Thanksgiving, BUT this site has pictures... lets face it, you know I'm visual!

SO check it out! http://www.honeybearlane.com/2010/07/how-to-dye-onesie.html

Enjoy! I'll post pics of the shirts when they get all good and green... or orange not sure what color to go with yet!

Over and over again...

2010-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

"I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the LORD. " Psalm 104:33-34

I am amazed at how I could be reading God's word for so long now and still find something new, I pray that when I am 90 I will still be in awe of the ability He has to reveal Himself new to me over and over again.

How do I teach my children about the thankfulness that stirs in my heart towards God and all He has done, all He has made? This is the task I face today.

How will you? I am yet to find an answer...

Mess-O-Meter

2010-11-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of many blogs i visit frequently. I dont get all my play and teaching ideas together on my own, and this is proof of that. I need to remember to let mess and noise be a catalyst to learning and fun. I usually live by that moto, but sometimes I get sucked into the weird world of moms who think that their kitchen needs to be spotless and home a hum of quiet reading with soft classical music playing... i don't even like classical music that much. Anyway, here is to the moms out there that let their kids get a little mess, and to my Gran who says " you are more precious than this thing or that" when her kids would mess something up or heaven forbid break something that was once really important to her. She knew that they were worth far more...

(Dont get me wrong i think i might have cried when Kehnley broke my little bird pepper shaker, but quickly remembered Gran's words and moved on)

Here are our little messes....

How to Tuesdays...Make Chalk Paint

2010-11-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

1.Measure out the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a medium sized bowl. You need put the cornstarch in first to prevent lumps.

2.Add 2 tablespoons water and 4-5 drops food coloring and mix until smooth. You can add more food coloring if you want a brighter color. This is also a great activity to teach children about color mixing.

3.Take the paint outside and create your masterpiece!

4.Let your drawing dry before walking on it. It will wash off in the next rainfall, or you can clean it off earlier with a hose. It may be a little lighter in color than traditional sidewalk chalk.

It's raining and cold so we can't paint with Chalk just yet, I hope tomorrow...BUT in the mean time, here is Kehnley having fun with Window colors, her creativity is amazing to me! Try them out sometime, they are easy to clean up I promise :)

Revelation...

2010-10-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Something that came to me this week that I can not shake is the Revelation of serving my family, tending to these little ones and taking care of my home, doing mundane or prosaic tasks that I fulfill everyday has great purpose in me becoming like Christ. He gave with no expectation, He loved without promise of return, He served relentlessly.... I want to be like Him, and if this is as close as I get to that right now in my life, I will be satisfied!

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

How to Tuesdays... Make a Tutu

2010-10-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ever Wonder how to make your own Tutu? Well, thanks to my sister Nicole and some searching I am on my way to making Sadie and Kehnley their very own Wreck Em Tech skirts for the game in Lubbock next month!

Stay tuned for more "How to Tuesdays" on my blog bc I am feeling creative these days... maybe it's because of my lack of sleep... Dear Red Bull, I miss you, hope to sip you soon! Forever tiredly yours, Keri

Source: momdot.com

C is for Corndogs, Cat angels and CANTON!

2010-10-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Annual Canton trip was underway this year with many unexpected and some new friends to join the bunch! My mother-in-love is the coordinator for canton I swear one year I will be putting pics of her face on shirts and we will say "have you seen our Canton Queen Bee?" lol because its inevitable even if you aren't meaning too, you will loose the people you are with and see others you never thought you would whilst roaming the grounds at the First Monday Trade Days in Canton TX. I am in LOVE with the many hilarious texts I kept getting from Megan on my Saturday morning drive up there. We decided to forgo our individual canton rooms for Friday night and make the trek on Sat morning, not sure how I feel about that as far as for next year, but one thing is for sure, I will be baby free next year. Sadie was a trouper and she learned how to sleep in her stroller and in my arms and in a pack and play, but an 8 month old in Canton is a little tough. Lyndz said at one point "i cat believe you do with with a baby!" lol. After standing in line for a sandwich some fruit and a drink for 30 min in the sweltering "wasn't it supposed to be cool" heat, hearing a 3 yr old whimper and whine for his mom to "hold me mama, hold me, hold me mama" and then her to pick him up and him still whimper and whine... it was a real realization that maybe kids should be banned from canton? I definitely know that Kehnley would want to die if she came, and shed be crusen in one of the canton wagons fashioned with sleeping bags and pillows like the kids were having a pj party! We founds some cool new artwork and met the artist it was my Christmas stock up, many pieces of furniture for the girls, a lot of cute clothes that would hurt my bank account to mention. Some amazing wreaths... I bought supplies to make my own this year, pics of that coming to a Christmas album near you! and enough frickles, sun-dried tomato and spinach pizza, and kettle corn to last me til next years trip! Lyndz and her mom came, so did Amy and her mom and Landry's mom, Megan her mom and her friend Shelby and her mom, Cole and Donna, Lauren and Becky... it was CERTAINLY a mother and daughter affair... even Ansley and Kairi showed up for dinner at the Jalapeno Tree (the place we eat every year on Sat night..they have the BEST Tortilla Soup!)

Some things are just too predictable for canton and too canton-licious to forget!!

1. I got so sick on Saturday so bad that it was hard to sleep that night and I just wanted to lay on the floor and cry

2. Me and mom spent half the day Sunday looking for a parking spot or trying to get to our car with all our new buys falling off our canton cart.

3. Bought enough soup mixes to keep my kitchen cooking time down to bare minimum over the next few months or more!

4.Came home wondering what in the world I actually bought because although I was thoughtful about it at the time when Bry asked me I just couldn't pin point anything but the soups!

5. Filled up my garage with all the things that canton had to offer this year and know I wont get it all put away for another few weeks.

6. Already thinking of what I might be looking for next year....can't wait! See you in Canton 10/03/11!

34 weeks

2010-10-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

That's how long you have been with me and it feels like its rushing by so fast!

You can:

sit up

roll over

crawl so fast

stand up

walk from close object to another close object

chew on a biscuit
eat baby food
drink from a bottle
hold a bottle with your feet
make anyone smile
laugh very loudly
squeal like your sister
talk to lilly
babble in your bed
roll a ball
feel my face when you wake up in the morning
hear daddy's voice and want to see him
cry in the middle of the night
put your passy in your mouth by yourself
steel another baby's passy
splash in the tub
hold something with two hands over your head in delight
push a chair around the room

You will:
walk so soon
talk sweetly just like your sister
clap your hands
stand by yourself
feed yourself
close the door in my face
laugh at something you've done on your own
always be my little girl
sleep all night (i hope)
move to a big girl bed one day and I will probably cry
hold hands with your sister and walk together
run and run and run
jump
hug your daddy's neck by yourself
give kisses on purpose
say a prayer
never fully know just how loved you are

You do:
growl a little bit when your excited
wake up a little too often at night still
make us so happy
get food all over the place when you eat
LOVE to eat at your chair
drive Kehnley a little crazy by climbing at her table
and eating her toys
and pulling her hair
always smile and in your own way say "im a baby I didnt know!"

love to feel stuff with your pointer finger it cracks us up

play on the computer til mommy says "oh no!"

love to hear me sing to you and make your hands clap

teach me so much about myself its scary

love to be outside

have a compassionate heart already

amaze us!

crawl away a LOT and I have to stop in a split second and find you again... sounds like I'm not an attentive mom or not paying attention its not true.. you just get curious and gone SO fast!

You must:

slow down and let me hold you more, rock you more, laugh with you in my arms, and never ever forget that the one who made you , makes no mistakes! You're perfect in every way, I love you!!

Sadie needs bumper pads!

2010-10-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Seven things I want to be SURE to remember about my seven month old baby girl.

1. You are still the most smiling girl ever...you crinkle your nose when you smile, though getting more expressive when you want a toy and you cant reach it, or mommy doesn't let you play with it while you're eating
2. You not only pull yourself to standing you will now reach for something near by to step from one place to the next
3. You can climb Fancy's stairs!
4. You have a little tooth on the bottom coming in!
5. You fav food seams to be pees! weird!
6. You squeal at lilly even when shes barking at you and thinks you are trying to get your food... which you do!
7. You crawled into sissy's room the other day sighed and laid your head down on her fluffy white pillow and just smiled and laid there, it was the cutest thing EVER!

I love it when you cuddle me, although these days you would much rather be crawling around or bouncing on something.
Fav toy: the run around standing table, you just run and squeal lol
Fav. time of day:bath time, you kick your legs when you see that tub full of bubbles, and you are out of your bath seat because you wouldn't just chill there now you are sitting on a bath mat in the water and play like your big sissy.
Fav. show: Baby's first moves
Fav. Song: "if your happy and you know it" I have tried all sorts of songs, you don't get nearly as excited for anything like you do that song
Fav. outfit: a onsie with leggings so you can move and grove!

I love you so much!
God thank you for this sweet girl who never keeps me serious too long, her smile is intoxicating and I just cant imagine what she will say when she can put words to these expressions. Thank you for the lesson in joy she has taught us. I think of how I will be able to hold her less and less as she starts to walk, thank you for those moments as they come and help me to cherish them and never neglect that time we have. (even if its in the middle of the night over sore teeth). I pray you put your word in her heart as she sees us living it out every day.

More than my husband

2010-09-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking my 30 day blogging strike for this post:

Some people don't believe me when I say that I have loved him for half my life and hoped for him the other... this picture might just prove that...

we were 15!

It's true that we don't always aggree and I know my lack of time managemnt drives him crazy, as eaqually crazy as it makes me when he is acting like he's doing something besides looking at his watch, it's totally obveouse I don't know why he tries to fake me out. Matt Chandler claims that there is no such thing as the "mythical one" but I believe that Bry is my one, my only one. I don't just say that to impress some on looker or get the affectionate "awww" from the blogger world. I think if you know both of us well, you'd aggree, there just isn't one without the other. Bry you know you are much more than my husband, you'r my __fill in the blank__. Whatever you can think of, you are! I love you, happy birthday!

Beach Bums

2010-09-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

We all need a little sand between our toes sometimes!

Picture project-October

2010-08-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

I am loosing my mind not sure why I am up right now... and whilst I am up I am not sure why I get so distracted by things that are not on the ~~important~~ immediate to do list.. if you know me you know that i obsess about albums, getting them done, looking at pics, capturing our lives as they flash by. not sure why, i know it has no place in eternity... but them again, it's a ref. to where we have been and where we are going and... ok enough rambling lets get to the good stuff. So I decided for a few weeks I am going to post random pics I come across while making my albums, just fun ones that I haven't seen in a while that make me smile, enjoy if your looking.

Looked up in the past hour:
how to make potato plantain omelets
Summer fun crafts by skiptomylou.com
Scrumdillydo.blogspot fireworks painting with a salad spinner
Splat mat material to make my own
Kiddly.com paper dolls hopping K and I can make ur own and share with an artsy friend too
& last but not least:
~these pics~

I love this group of pics bc it captures the explorer side of Kehnley, her posing and the amazing cuteness of little kids in jeans, it's amazing to me that they have denim is small and smaller! Her expression as she kisses Fancy just for the picture to be taken then say "let me look" to see herself is priceless!

Day 8 to 10 : Thanksgiving to Obedience

2010-08-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

We have certainly had a lot to be thankful for, and I am thankful especially for this week, for Bry to experience God in a new way, and for God to use my time alone (and by alone i mean surrounded by kids and toys and friends and family) lol... but totally alone at some parts of the night once the girls are in bed and to just hear God's voice. It's amazing how the things God gives us can distract us so much from Him! I am learning more and more just how to honor Him with those gifts and not be carried away by them. I had an awesome time in Dallas getting ot love on my best friends and I only wish that I had more time to do that stuff more often. I got to experience God's miracle in seeing Kairi Anne, so beautiful this baby girl! I loved seeing Amy and Landry's new place, it's so nice!! I want to move in :) Sadie looooveed the dogs! I can't wait to get back and see how kehnley has been doing! I will post pics soon of my trip there.

As for thanks giving, I picked Bry up from the airport on my way back and it was so funny to see him, he looked different, but the same, Sadie looked at him and stared for a moment then smiled like she hadnt all weekend. It blessed me to think that at 6 months she knows his face and loves him so much! I know that smile made him feel so good that she was saying with her little gummy grin 'I missed you'.

I have spent the past few days listening to Bry's stories, they are pretty amazing and I am so beyond joyful that I married a man who knows how to share his heart...he has been reading me his journal and its like Im there with him experiencing it all together. Thanksgiving that God lets us be a part of the sharing of the gospel that it my give us momentum to love others into knowing Him and experiencing His joy and experience His power to change hearts, especially our own. If the soul propose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever then in a world where there are so many distractions from that:, where rather than enjoy Him we enjoy His gifts and instead of glorifying our God we glorify ourselves...the gift of seeing salvation come to the lost it reminds us that it's personal and speaks differently to everyone. As long as we dont misunderstand the gospel message is the same: Christ came that we might be united once again to God after the sin of our flesh separated us from Him, we are saved by believing in our heart that Jesus is Lord and confessing with our mouths that He is all (Romans 10:9-10), although the way it reaches hearts is very individualized. Thankfully we celebrate the 30 lives that were changed because of those who were faithful to go on this trip and the many more from them who will come to experience the Joy of the Lord. We have much to celebrate, tonight under our roof we celebrate that my darling Bryson is home but more so that he did not let anything keep him from sharing the love of God with the world! People from all over: age, gender, race, social standing received Christ last week because God was gracious enough to call Bry out of his comfortable home and into the mountains of Venez.
Thankful for the men and women and children all over the world putting their own agenda aside to live out their faith and share Christ with all they meet, to orchestrate meetings in order that some might know Him and be formed into His likeness...they are risking their lives even for the gospel. For their obedience I pray tonight. Let the harvest be fruitful for them Lord, let them not labor in vain.

Obedience for us, here in our lives, to look for the greater picture, to Him who is greater and worthy of it all...how will I live out this boldness and purpose in my home? How will I teach my girls all the mysteries of Christ? I must start with prayer! Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and prayers, we have felt them and it's been life changing for us all.

Day 5&6: Giving light and Boldness

2010-08-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

To date I have missed two calls and a facebook message from Bry.lol. Looks like it's all about him and God and it's been fun being an onlooker in the relationship they have. I love hearing the messages reading the text and seeing God working from afar. I think it's the best possible thing because it's truly between them and I like that we will talk when he gets home. Another amazing thing is when you pray and believe God hears prayers and then get to actually SEE them come to fruition and get to EXPERIENCE God's power, it's not only faith building, it's humbling because you realize just how awesome God is. I am more and more learning that a relationship with Christ is about joy, experiencing joy, worshiping Him because of the joy He brings, and realizing that joy is worked, it's not a quick cheep temporary emotion, its worked into my life through sometimes really hard stuff!

Bry said that he had the opportunity to share this gospel of joy with 8 ppl and that Jeremiah 24:7 lead two to Christ and I am overjoyed that the Kingdom is growing that there are 8 more brothers and sisters in Christ who get to experience true joy in the Lord and that God let Bry experience that as well!

I know that he's the one who went away to do God's work...but I feel like God is doing a great work in me...I feel so much conviction over my heart to be greater for God, to be more loving less critical, to be encouraging, to parent with more grace and mercy and realizing how the cross is the only thing that makes me anything at all. I feel a profound draw to the Lord right now that I haven't felt in a really long time. One so strong that there is nothing on my heart more, there is nothing more pressing than to sit at His feet and take in His word and learn from Him. I think it's good that Bry went away for this time for so many reasons, but one of them is that I might get a chance to be enthralled again with God.

How quickly I have been giving my affections to the things God has made and not to the creator who made them to reflect His goodness and cause me to worship Him all the more...

Back to Bryson, this days prayers are to be of sharing the light of the gospel and to cause boldness to stir in the hearts of those sharing...God has done that and there are many who's lives are just beginning, what a blessing!

We all go about our day to all kind of places with all kinds of people, it's not just about going across the world it's about going to where God has put us in areas of influence around ppl that only we have contact with and doing this very thing...
Mark 16:15
"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

Lets do this!

Day 4: Melt Down!

2010-08-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sooooooo... was going to try and be thankful today, turns out when you make that your daily task... you face MUCH opposition! It was a really hard day, Kehnley was on the verge of a melt down every second! It was pretty tough, BUT every time I would start to pray for something silly like "God please dont let this painting fall and break because I dont think I could take it!" I felt conviction to pray for something a LITTLE more substantial...so anyway, I did that, and me and Kehnley had to stop several times and pray together for kind words to come out of our mouths and for loving hearts to be what we had and not meanness (Sadie didnt have to pray because she was being sweet, I had to explain this to Kehnley).

We went to get Snow cones thought it might brighten up her mood. Everything was going great till I had to spend 30 min in the middle of sadies late afternoon nap and woke her up in the process going into the bank to get a new pen number bc the snow cone shack is the only place left in Htown that doesnt take anything but cash. We get our cones and lilly had her ice cone too and we are sitting down to enjoy when kehnley has a few bites and hers falls over, only a super tiny amount falls out and she LOOSES it! I mean, gone, loses her MIND! She grabs hr face like home alone and screams bloody murder and cries and gasps and grabs her mouth and shakes her head like Lilly had just ran off with her ice cone and got hit by a car! it was terrible and HILARIOUS all at the same time, it was one of those parenting moments when you want to die laughing but have to keep your composure at the fear of scaring your child for life.

Her are a few pics of our outing, the best part of the day, except maybe this quiet moment I am having right now and the ab workout I'm gonna have before lights out...

Sadie ate her dinner in the front yard bc... well... why not!

This is right before the melt down! that cup is about to tip over onto the grass...

~~~~~~

Ps. Why is is that one of the nights when Bry is gone, as I am laying sadie down into her bed after just getting her cleaned and dressed, Kehnley takes a break from singing Cruella Devill to call my name across the hall and say "Mom, I pooped in the tub, can you wipe my bottom." Wow... there better be some people coming to Jesus this week, or I'm gonna be ticked! ( just kidding lol) I had to whisper, "step out of the tub and sit on the potty and wait there for me, i'm comin' and baby doll, dont ever do that again please."

Day 2 &3- Hearts and Fear

2010-08-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

I am writing this in the midst of the sounds of my girls playing and laughing and realize just how truly lucky I am to have the sweet children in my home, to have my home, to have my family, my country of so many freedoms, to have a car, a church, a store 3 minutes away, a neighborhood that is safe, a swimming pool around the corner, neighbors who are friendly, and many many more luxuries that we take for granted every day. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to impart to me what to pray for Bryson and conviction in the hearts of leadership and banishment of fear for following the Lord whole heartedly and what that means keep coming to mind. SO that's what I am praying for. God has dealt with fear in my life before, many a time. I am not a worrier or a fear driven person, I am a little more unaware and almost ignorantly blissful if you will most of the time lol... so when fear does set in i know that it's not from actual circumstance but something put in my mind to distract me from trusting God, from seeing things clearly, and sometimes from making wise choices in really important times.

2 Corinth 4:6
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. "

It still is amazing to me that God made so many references to light and dark in talking of our relationship with Him. he gave us light that would live inside of us, that even in the dark we might not be in fear or taken over by it... but that everywhere we go would be illuminated the truth of who He is and that would change lives, including our own!

John 10:16
"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. "

This verse really broke my heart i heard it in church one Sunday, a day when i was really facing fear of Bry going on his trip and it was so convicting to me to realize that God has ppl out there who He wants to bring under His care and they are waiting to hear from Him...that made my heart for the lost change dramatically and really give me a new desire to share His love with any and all who might be like a sheep looking for a shepherd.

Ppl who desperately wanted to belong to something, have a family, have a purpose...they have one in Christ.

Jerm. 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and "I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. "

Some people think that God is disconnected (looking over but never reaching out), or a spiritual vending machine (you put prayers in you get hings out, you put time in you get your hearts desire)... or even worse that He doesnt really matter or care about you. I love this verse because it's just one of many that fill the whole bible that God loves us deeply and wants us to know that. He can change lives, change hearts, and He is like a loving Father, a father some have never had, who wants to take us into His arms and comfort us, hold us up, and give us all things good.

I prayed for my heart as well as anyone else who might have forgotten or never really known JUST how much God loves them...

Romans 8:28-32
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? "

~~~~~

He has given us so many great things, salvation and eternal life are the two that are most precious and yet, very rarely through out the mundane tasks of the day do I thank God for those, or anything else we have so graciously been given. Today I think that's what my hearts focus is going to be on...thanking Him for all this and more!

The Green Monster

2010-08-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

WE INTERRUPT THIS DAY 2 Of BRYSONS VENEZ TRIP TO BRING YOU BREAKING NEWS!

The green monster is on the loose and coming to a tub near you! Thanks Kehnley for reminding this mama what can happen when you leave a 3 yr old in the bath with tub crayons and paint while you dress a clean baby sister in the next room...
YIKES!

Day 1: Pray for Safe travel!

2010-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

When I dropped Bry off at the airport I was able to keep it together, didnt have the ugly cry face til AFTER i drove away :). But for real, he strapped on his "big bear backpack" and gave me the a "hang-ten" hand and then was on his way! the most hilarious part is that he packed mostly fishing pants and no rinse soap...if something ever happened to me I think he's outfit the girls in windbreakers and head out with Bear Grills on all his adventures like a crazy groupie!

Anyway, hopefully we never have to see pictures of that! lol

He told me that there were 20 ppl along with their crew that were on the flight as well from Tallowood Bapt. "Looks like the bapt. are taking the plane over!" were His words. Right now he's probably on his route to whatever town they will be in and leaving Caracas.

This what I felt the Lord was pressing on my heart to pray for today...
Day 1 Travel
Pray for safe travel to each village, town and city for the members on their team and encounters along the way that might lead to Christ

Col. 4:3 says...
"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ"

Christ IS a mystery, one that I have loved uncovering and I am hoping that it will be revealed to those going and receiving. It certainly happens that when we try to share Him with others we learn more of Him ourselves.

2 Corn. 2:17 says...
"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

I pray that they would know these ppl are coming out of a love for God and others and they would know how deep the Fathers love is for them that they might be encouraged and renewed!

~~~~~

As far as us here at home, we spent the day at Fancy and Papa's house swimming, playing and just enjoying their company. Every time I began to miss Bry I just prayed for him in different ways. I know that everyone out there who is deeply in love thinks that their relationship is unlike any other, and its true if you have a great love...there is just nothing to describe what it's really like to be married to some one you have been in love with most your life, like us. Going through this preparation for this trip its stirred so many emotions in us both.. one of them is just the realization of how beyond blessed we are to have a love like ours, to be so passionately in love and to be so close, he's my best friend, but more than that he's the companion that God picked especially for me. Some people don't believe in "the one" they think that there are plenty of ppl you could be with, it just so happens this person through circumstances ended up being the one...I disagree I know there is no one like him, there is no one who could compare in my life. He's been the love of my life for 13 years...and to think that there are moments I haven't cherished with him breaks my heart. This trip has opened my eyes to how much I need to make it a priority to show him just how precious he is to me, how much I adore him and I don't ever want to waste a day that I might have to just know him more. 13 years of caring about a person and learning them and sharing the most life changing moments together and yet there is still something in me that gets all caught up when I see him! I miss him like crazy. But then again, the Holy spirit keeps reminding me that I neglect to show my love for the Lord, my allegiance to Him, and i am convicted of the time i spend on other things rather than knowing Him more... I have missed having a heart that chases after Him and His word. So even as I think of Bry and miss him, my heart is caught up in my Love for God instead and I am taking this time to stoke those embers that have grown dim over the past months and take my focus off the things that have distracted me all this time and just consider God's unending love for me, I know there are others out there who need to do the same. Don't wait...

Vomos Venez...Praying Bryson through the mission field

2010-08-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

It's currently 12:25, I'm so exhausted I can barely stand to keep my eyes awake to write this post but Bry leaves for Venezuela tomorrow on his first of many mission trips. Its been a crazy few months leading up to his departure tomorrow. We've been hit with a lot of things, a lot of distractions, a lot of trials, but God has been faithful and fully involved in all of it showing us His will. Even in the midst of much opposition, however, he is still going and i am still 100% positive it's what God desires most. Prior to him even stepping foot on a plane, he's had the opportunity to share the love of Christ and the calling of Him on his life and heart with people at work and family, it's been a long time since we both have had this passion for boldness in this way.

Our hearts have been bruised and broken again for the lost!The quickest way that the enemy could distract us from that calling was to make us busy in our own lives... and it certainly happened! But I am so grateful for Bryson's fervor to go and to share the gospel, to teach and to encourage.... it's truly been the compass of our home. There are a few events I want to record so I don't forget in the Lord prepping and preparing this trip for us.

1. we knew we didnt have the funds for this trip or anything around it and God provided above and beyond what we had ever hoped, up until the last day with some very real and random ways for us to have all angels of this trip provided for financially

2. Bry had a chance the day after finding out he was on the evangelism team to run into a pair of Mormon's with Ronnie (what are the chances of that.. those poor guys didnt know what they were getting themselves into) and Bry was able to really engage in some tough and probing conversations that was just a little prep course before he left for Venz.

3. Sadie went to the emergency room and we both learned not only that all we have is His.... but also the power of prayer!

4. From that God has changed our perspective on the things we have and where certain things used to be higher on our importance or priority line up, they have dropped way down behind cherishing moments we have with each other and our girls!

5. Conversations at Brys work have been circulating and deep talks of the Lord as well: biblical moral parallels, the "mission field" at large, and prayers towards service for us and the members of our church.

6. Sharing total trust and faith in Christ with family members and friends.

7. I have personally faced a lot of mental battle with this trip coming and as it got closer the thoughts got tougher to face. I was in total peace when the trip came up and as weeks began to get closer to the departure date the enemy really attacked me and I have learned the power of God's word to diminish all fear and learned more about God's heart for the world to know Him!

Some of these are really vague, but they have all been prepping and preparing us for the next 10 days. I felt called by the Lord to share some scripture that God not only used to comfort me but He used to share with me His good, and perfect plans AND what to be praying over Bry for each day that he is away. I hope that those of you who know and love us would join in with me.

8. This morning before Bry is to leave he was telling Kehnley that he was going to go on a trip to tell people in another part of the world about Jesus and His love for them and she responded in all her infinate 3 year old wisdom... "Dad, you gotta go what God tells you".

Today I feel great and at peace that things are going to transpire that God will have His glory known in more of the world because of Bry's faithfulness and not being swayed by much opposition... but I am still going to miss him and try my hardest to keep an attitude of gratitude even in the toughest moments whether here or there! We most likely won't be able to communicate over the next 10 days, but I know that the spirit goes between us and will guide our hearts on what to pray, the Lord has already laid certain things for certain days to be praying over, will you join me?

Day 1 Travel
Pray for safe travel to each village, town and city for the members on their team and encounters along the way that might lead to Christ
Col. 4:3, 2 Corinth 2:17,

Day 2 Hearts
Pray for the hearts of those who have gone to do God's work, for those who are left to wait and see, and for those waiting for salvation that don't yet know how near it is!
2 Corinth 4:6, John 17:3, John 10:16, Jer 24:7,

Day 3 Banishing fear
Fear for us here, fear for those who are doing God's will in Venezuela, around the world, and those who are being attacked in many ways by the enemy even as we pray
Ps 112:6-7, Rom. 8:28-32,

Day 4 Protection and Shield
Where ever they go, whatever they are doing pray a hedge of protection around them, angels guarding them and watching them, let them feel the presence of the mighty hand of God covering them
Ps 119:114, Ps 91:9-11

Day 5 Giving light to those living in darkness
Pray that God will unveil the eyes of the lost, that the people who know what truth is when they hear it and that they will accept this light that leave no darkness to fear anymore
John 11:9-10, Isaiah 50:10, 1 Pt 2:9-10

Day 6 Boldness
Pray for an ever increasing boldness to overcome those who are working on behalf of the Lord, let a steadfast fight be put in their spirit to speak God's word at all times
Ps. 138:3, Mark 16:15

Day 7 Strength to endure
Pray for weak hands and bodies and minds to be strengthened by God, let their will not be deterred and let them hold fast to God's purpose for them
2 Corinth 4:8, 1 Cor. 4:12-13, Isaiah 40:29-31

Day 8 Spreading of the Gospel
Pray God let the gospel reach those who will carry it on to others who might not know God, let it reach all the ends of the earth as God desires
Col. 4:3, John 12:32, 1 Corinth 1:17

Day 9 Thanksgiving
Pray thanking God for the lives who will be forever changed, for God's glory being shared and reveled and for doing all He said He would do, He is so faithful!
1 Tim 2:1,3-4, Jn 2:1b-2, 2 Corn 4:15

Day 10 Obedience
Pray for continual trust and obedience for those who are just now hearing God's voice for the first time and those who have been listening to Him for years, let them not turn away from their maker. Make their feet ready for whatever comes next!
James 2:17, Ps 67, 1 Jn 3:16-18

My Smiley girl

2010-07-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sadie you are 5 months, actually almost 6 and you are growing so fast and becoming so mobile I am sure I will have less and less time to remember all the fun little details about you right now!
Like your favorite sound we make is like a car bumping down the road or an airplane flying. You also love anything that squeaks at you, we lost your FAVORITE duck at the grocery store one day on a long trip...I looked everywhere and Kehnley did too but we just had to leave without it (Kehnley said that maybe another kid would be happy to get it)

You love to be snuggled, I hope that never changes.
You love to sit in your highchair and chew on ice!
You love your karaoke machine and to pull yourself up on it like you are big enough to stand up! Silly girl!
You love to look at yourself in the mirror and laugh
You love your sissy's toys, and shes getting better at sharing one thing at a time :)
You love your swing daddy put up outside
You love to sleep in your bed, but love it even more when mommy holds your hand or daddy pats your back
Your favorite toy is the snail that crawls and has a rolling stacker on its back
Your favorite food is carrots! And apples too!
You love to smile at everything
You love to wear headbands and bows, you never even take them off!
You love to bounce and dance with daddy, Kehnley and me! I like your moves :)
You LOVE you passy... its your fav thing, you smile when you see it, grab it, pop it in, take it from mommy, suck on it all the time, chew on the back of it, you'll even steal other baby's if it looks like yours!
Some of your tricks are: at the first of the month you started sitting up, and being able to stay there!
this week you started crawling! At first it was a rock, then a rock and crawl one leg then drag on your belly, a bit of the worm lol. But now its a full crawl, lucky for me, you're not too fast yet, but you DO body surf over the play mat with sides that used to keep you contained.
Looks like we're gonna have to break out the pack and play
You dont watch much tv but your favorite show is Sesame Street...thanks to sister! :)

Sadie you are so precious! We love you so much...

New Face!

2010-07-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

I am in desperate need of a new banner but it wont happen til Kristin takes our fam pics in a few months, cant wait... in the mean time enjoy this little video, this is for you daddy! We taped this the day after "daddy day" and saved it for the perfect time.

As I think of how you will be gone for ten whole days to Venezuela in just a few weeks, I am trying to not freak out and just pray for your impact there in the name of our Lord and also your safe return! You ARE an amazing man, when you start to feel the weight of the world and the stresses of your life away from home watch this and know how lucky we are to have you. K is right on!
I love you so much, more than I can even show...

Update on Sadie...

2010-07-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement, Sadie woke up at 3 am with a tight chest and breathing problems, she started getting frantic, as did I, she was not responding and so we took her to the ER, she is doing better now and after breathing treatments and a steroid treatment and seeing her doc what started as bronchial spasms and possible pre-asthmatic symptoms became a viral infection that got into her lungs. Besides a sore throat and a lack of sleep she is doing MUCH better. We are at home resting, trying to anyway, and thankful for my brother Justin who came to be with us and for Bry's rents who took care of Kehnley all day. This is def. a day I will never forget!

It puts life into perspective when you almost loose one...

I have never seen a dad drive that fast or myself pray so hard in my life. This was the verse that I read at midnight just 3 hrs before all this went down... I had know idea what it would mean to me today.

Psalm 8
"O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens ! From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength... When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained ; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty ! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands ; You have put all things under his feet, ... O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth !"

You have given us these little people to look after, yet we know VERY well, that we are just overseers of what is already yours. We have no control that you don't give us, we have no way to save...only you can. As I held her body laying next to her in that hospital bed I thought of how fragile life is and all i could think was why didn't I hold her last night a little longer, I looked into Brysons red eyes and know he was thinking the same. I thought back to my frantic panic of what to do those seemingly long minutes before we drove to the hospital begging God to answer our questions, keep her with us, and help her breath. There have been a lot of scares with our girls lately: Kehnley passing out from a heat stroke at the park, getting an allergic reaction at the store and almost being unable to breath herself, and now this. I am fully aware that each day we have with them is a gift. And I am honored to think that God has given us one more, for whatever reason, He has favor on us. Humbled by David's words in the psalm when he says "and the son of man that you care for him? YET you make him a little lower than God and you crown HIM with glory and majesty" God does care for us. I learned that today. God cares for me, for my family, for my children and it's not that I deserve it... it's because He is majestic and awesome. Another translation says "O Lord, O Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to give you praise." She has taught me to give Him praise.... thank you Sadie, I knew the day you were born that you would teach me things about God I never knew.

Enjoy your loved ones today and if you don't think God cares for you...ask Him to show you, and He will! "For God so LOVED the world, He gave HIS only son, that everyone who believes might not perish but have eternal life {with Him.}" John 3:16

My Sweet Sister-friend

2010-07-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure she started calling ME that first but this is a tribute to my sweet sister friend. She is a best friend and one of my roommates from college and really to me a sister, i never had a sister of my own and she is one to me! She and I have fought like sisters, cried together like sisters, encouraged each other like sisters, laughed and traveled and listened late at night... but mostly we have shared moments together as sisters in the Christ.

She is soon to be a mom of her own and today is HER birthday. She is going to be an amazing mom for SO many reasons I can barely type them all but I will post the top 30... just a random number, no reason for it at all :)
1. she is loving
2. she is tenderhearted to those with special needs
3. she is wise and can share her life lessons
4. she is funny and laughs all the time
5. she is a prayer warrior and will blanket her home in it!
6. she is sentimental and thoughtful, the girl never forgets a date
7. she writes the best cards and letters and mails them in the REAL mail box :)
8. she loves to snuggle...lol and the best running buddy you could ask for
9. she has a fascination to see new things and go new places, she will explore the world with you
10. she is SO trusting, gullible others have said, but its the most amazing quality because she never meets a person she doesn't like
11. she is playful and will have amazing made up days full of imaginary friends
12. she can SHOP! let me tell you, you will never have a need for anything
13. she knows the Lord and will share His word
14. she loves to sing, in the car, in the house, on voice mails, she will fill your ears with musical hits from all decades lol
15. she loves movies and getting a blanket and popcorn ( that goes everywhere) and watching them in the rain
16. she gives the best hugs
17. she knows just the right things to say to cure a hard day
18. she is the most encouraging person i know always lifting you up before herself
19. she is brave and will do things you never thought she would do for such a small thing!
20. shes accommodating and always a great host
21. she will help you have PERFECT speech :)
22. she will aways have candy close near by
23.she'll play with your hair!
24.she can talk on the phone for hours
25.she can take you to any coffee shop in a 20 mil. radius!
26.she wont hesitate to show you how much she loves you and tell you too
27.she will make you an amazing s'more or teach you how to Rollerblade like a champ
28.she can light up your day with her smile
29.she is a wonderful friend and will always support you no matter what crazy things you do or say or think up...she's got your back
30. she will make you a better person just by knowing her!

I know a girl...

2010-06-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

I know a little girl who knows her self so well, she's tall and smart and funny
strawberry soap is her favorite smell
Every morning brings new adventures to explore
she greets me with a smile and kiss
always keeps me wanting more
I know a little girl who catches bubbles and butterflies
she jumps and runs and plays and has the most beautiful blue eyes
She tells me I'm a miracle... God's wonderful beautiful child
these are things I tell her often, to hear them back is wild
I know a little girl shes helpful that's for sure
she helps me cook, clean and sweep; she helps me at the store
She loves to paint and draw and write, she's talented this is true
she always asks me with a grin "can I paint with you?"
When it's time to tuck her in she hugs my neck so tight
it's hard sometimes to leave her with just one kiss good-night
Eskimo, butterfly, princess, frog, bee, and Lilly just to name a few
these are all the different types of kisses she'll try to give to you
I know a little girl whose favorite phrase to say
Is "don't you think it's a beautiful day today?"
Who could ever be down or blue with such a joyful spirit
it brings a smile to any one's face whose lucky enough to hear it!
I know a little girl who treads upon my heart each day
leaving little things
finger prints sandy shoes and colored lip gloss on strings
Three years ago I couldn't have guessed how rich my life would be
with you little one in my arms, so glad God gave you to me.

Happy Birthday sweet Kehnley. Your name is special for many reasons but one is that it means enthusiastic for life and fiery: I have to say even in just these few years you are the embodiment of your name. It's amazing to see your personality grow but especially your enthusiasm for life and learning and just how excited you can be about everyday things. It makes me so proud to be with you all day enjoying life with you. I can't imagine a more fiery little girl, your passionate about so many things and I love that about you! You can certainly use your powers for good OR evil... but mostly you use them for good and when you talk about the things you love and your eyes light up it makes me smile. And when you pray for people and talk about God it brings joy to my heart. And when you dance and give me thumbs up I want to squeal with delight because its like nothing I have ever dreamed of, how fun it is be to be your mom... When you laugh and talk to Sadie and try to make her smile, it's the best version of what I had hoped your relationship would be. I say all this so one day you'll know, in case you don't already, that I've always loved you to pieces, and one of my greatest blessings is to get to show you that each day.

Epipen please!

2010-06-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

So I was told i needed to share this story, it's one of those you laugh about later but at the time you are totally FREAKING out!

I was my monthly trip to the grocery store which I have decided just isnt for me, I get to overwhelmed, and yes I save a lot but its to stressful it's just not worth it!

So I get my self all geared up, i got the purse... CHECK, I got the cellular... CHECK, I got the mom sitter for the baby... CHECK, I got Kehnley in the car.. CHECK, i got the coupons....CHECK, the list and the menu and the modified menu....CHECK CHECK and... Check!

First things first you know your gonna be there a while so you get the 2 yr old what they want, keep them happy and they won't hurt someone or themselves. This means you better let them pick the color car the want to ride in ( you know the ones thats STRAPPED to the front of the cart like a box car rendering it impossible to turn without a wide double lane swing out) She pick "flue" of course (aka: blue)

We're on our way, managed to breeze past the balloons with no request (good so far)

Start with produce, start fillig her up, hit upthe dairy, the soy for mamma, and then its off to find ingreience for home-made chex mix. This is where everything goes TERRIBLY wrong.

List: pretzles, wheat chex, teddy grams, goldfish, cashews almonds, pecans...

Kehnley "mom I want to try that... point to a cashew" i dont know K I think you might not should have nuts, your alergic to peanuts" then i think of how she eats wanuts no problem and pecans no problem, so she takes one and pops it in her mouth all seams to be going well, I am reaching for the eggs and I hear caughing, LOUD caughing .... and its couples with gasps.

She is Choking, her face is red instantly, her lip looks like something off Vanilla Sky when Tom cruise is all warped, its hanging down and folded inside out at one side. My darling little girl is having the worsh allergic reaction I have ever seen outside of the movie Hitch. I RUN to the milk singles an pop the straw in, with as much froce as I can muster I push this train car like cart in the dirrection of the meds, Benedrill is my only thought ( oh yeah , I called my mom and got some advice). She downs the meds and then poses for a pic I use to show my mom and husband in horor... AND get this girl an epi pen when i show the doc the evidence! She says "cheese" as her lip invers and flaps down.... its amazing how resiliant they are that they can say "cheese" when they were 2 sec ago on the brink of death!

The shock of the situation has given her a "soiled"moment and she tells me she is cold and has gone tt in her pants.

I look down and there is pee drinching the car.... (THATS WHY WE DONT EVER GET THESE THINGS I REMIND HER AND MYSELF!! some OTHER kid could have pissed themselves and just left it for you to climb into. Anyway, back to the story, so we are too far from the bathroom, diapers are on my ist ( after all i AM here to shop and I have a coupon for that) so i run to the diaper ailse, take off my hoodie so shes not TOTALLY revealed, hide her behind my body, rip open the huggies bag and change her diaper. She is not wearing my hoodie around her waste with a new diaper and tshirt, I am porting a very ill fitted sports bra and tank top... at any moment someone i know is going to walk upI just know it.... that would make this momnet even MORE perfect. So we continue on our shopping journey i am deterined to get this over with and not leave without my discounted grovceries. Kehnley is hungry, its lunch fter all and she does have something choaking her throat and stomach, and probably all her inners at this point!

What do I do?

Of course, open the tortillas, the pepperonies, the string cheese, some chips, and a drink... then half a banana. We are hitting up the canned veggies ailses and all of a sudden she cries out and turns red.... oh no I think... oh please no!

I know what THAT face means, I pick her up put her on my hip and pat her back saying "sweety just let it go, its okay" she throws up ALL over the back of my sholder and onto some cans and all over the veggie ailse. She does it two more times me telling her just to let it out.

The poor cleaning guy walk by right as shes unloaded a THIRD time and I apolojize more than I ever have in my life and hear the "clean up on ailse 7 pls" After that we got OUT of there. the man checking us out, put all the opened products in a shared bag...okay okay TWO bags, yes it was a LOT of opened food!

By the time i got home I was soaking wet from pee, vomit and sweat, put Kehnley to bed. The meds had made all 32 lbs of her a dead weight on my sholder carrying her from the car to her room. I sat on the couch... and cried, hard! I guess holding it all in and acting cool for her got to me. Needless to say I took this pic to show the docs the next visit. It breaks my heart that she is smiling in theis pic. I thought I could have lost her, and she is still smiling in the midst of all she went through!

Question Game!

2010-06-08T19:09:00.001-07:00

A neighbor of mine posted these questions on her blog and I thought it would be fun to keep it rollin... here are my answers... and i added a few of my own...

1. Are you watching The Bachelorette? Is it totally awkward for you too?
I am an avid follower of the bach, and i keep up with hilarious after thoughts on ihategreenbeans.com... she cracks me up.. and also because inevitably a sisters, neighbors, aunts, hairdresser always knows someone on the show... makes it feel personal, this time my BF was hooked up on of these mrs a few summers ago.... ANYWHO... so yes, her laugh is un-nerving and the weather man alone makes me love reality TV!
2. How often do you sweep/mop your floors?
every week, wood floors are tough to keep clean, I HATE it though! really.. i do... taking up all the rugs, I mean, once i do it i feel like "that wasn't so bad" but I always dread it the next week! I clean under Kehnley's table every meal though...
3. Do you hate it when you can't walk barefoot on said floors because you obviously haven't swept often enough?
i am barefoot always not a big fan of socks!
4. Do you have a cleaning schedule? If so, what is it? If not, how do you keep from your house being trashed 24/7, or do you care?
I clean once a week, my amazing husband leads this chore and I love him for it... there are much more fun things in life to do than clean! (deep clean that is) i straighten toys every night and clean the dishes every day
5. How many loads of laundry do you do in a week?
one-two days of laundry equals 5 loads! we wear a lot of clothes I guess!
6. What is your all time favorite meal to cook?
i love to experiment all the time, but maybe lately it's grilling kabobs and corn and I love to make pies!
7. Are you reading any books right now? If so, what are they?
I have magazines stacked to my ears.. so i am catching up on those, Shepherding a Child's Heart, Dug deep by Joshua Harris, and Instyle, Southern living, Parenting, and Fitness :)
8. How do you and your husband share the chores? Are there specific things that you each do, or is it more of a team effort?
He dusts, mows, I pull weeds, we share everything else, except i pretty much do laundry and really we just work as a team...like i said... I need a coach lol
9. What are you most excited about this summer?
being able to play outside with the girls and all our fun trips we have/are going on
10. What's your favorite Sonic drink?
a large water! its 15 cents and i love the ice!
11. Why do you/don't you blog?
I blog for fun, for family and friends who live away and to capture life's moments bc i know I will forget them. there are so many stories i mean to blog about but life is too fast for me to sit down and record them all! What i don't get into a blog i try to journal at home
12. Do you grow your own herbs? How would one go about getting started if they wanted to?
yes, i do! i love it! Rosemary, sage,oregano, basil, thyme, parsley and mint.... i want to get some chives though. buy your herbs at walmart right now they are really well priced or Lowe's, but the walmart ones are more established right now and just get a big container that has well drained soil and plant those babies in a partial sunny place, mines right by my back door so i can get to them easily!
13. What's your best money saving tip?
wish i had one...dont spend any lol. no really... look at the luxuries in your life, I think we all have some luxuries we could list from least to most fav or important to us, and see where you can cut. i redid my cell bill and our cable and saved some money there, i only shop for what we need at the store and really try to depend on the Lord daily, we get so used to access in our lives and I was convicted to try and live more simply!
14. What is the most treasured toy in your house right now?
pet shop lol or her doll house. she loves petshop though and she talks to the animals, ref. the video they have parties and its so funny to see her play with them. for Sadie its the crab teether, its a foam bath toy but its the fav. thing she loves to munch on!

15. If you had to rent a movie tonight (newish release), what would it be?
we just watched valentines day but I want to actually GO to the movies and see babies, iron man 2 and robin hood... rentals... maybe that Steve movie with Sandra bullock...

here are my extras:
1. What is your fav. book of all time?
2. What magazines do YOU get in the mail?
3. What do you do about a 3 yr old who wants to have their door cracked more at night ie.getting no rest bc they wake up when the baby cries for feeding and daddy leaves for work? I need help with this one parents!!
4.Best summer vaca spot you've ever been to...
5.What theme party do you remember most from your childhood? I in the middle of planning a party for Kehnley and it's pretty funny to think back on my own!

cant leave a blog with no pics... here are the girls! and one from the Frio!

posh spice and sporty spice lol

Sadie's 2 and 3 and coming on 4!

2010-05-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sadie Grade, your three months and it's hard to believe that you are already 100 days old! :) You are such a joy, and I know that all moms probably say this but really you are one of the happiest babies I have ever seen! The only time you get sad is when your teeth hurt and yes, you are already trying to get teeth! It's wild how fast you are growing you weigh over 12 lbs and you are in your 3 month clothes but like sissy you are WAY too long for your onsie footies lol your like in a body suit wedgie in those things! Mommy is just going to have to put you in bigger ones because they make you look like a little baby doll and not as big as you are...

Favorites?

Putting your hands together, its your new trick and you are getting REALLY good at it!
Chewing on anything, your hand, teether, blanket, passie, shirt, my fingers
Story time with daddy, and who can blame you, he tells great stories!

Picking up stuff with your toes, you have this amazing strength in your feet you can grab anything with them and lift it up, discovered on a walk when you picked up a rattle with them haha! it was so funny, me and Kehnley laughed forever about that!

You even were able to kick the Karaoke machine you and Sissy love playing with and get it going, those toes have some power!

You love to talk to me when you should be eating, you love to talk period! You talk all the time! Not any real words yet of course but you know what your saying don't you?

You love you smile and I mean LOVE it! You smile and laugh all the time, its kind of our mission in life, everyone at home, to get you to laugh as much as possible!

You LOVE your passie, did I say that already? I think you have 6 in your diaper bag at all times!

You like it still, not quiet because that would be impossible in our house and with our lives, but you like to be still. I can just hold you for ever and not move a bit and you are totally content.

If we want to hear you squeal with delight we will let you stand up, I have a feeling that even at 3 months you will be just like Kiki and walking in no time at all!

You eat SUPER fast, like the fastest eater second to daddy that I have ever seen
You look great in pink and yellow (a color mommy can't pull off) must be the Fancy in you
You love to snuggle your head under my chin, it's pure bliss for me

Today you laughed so hard you started to choke because Kehnley was popping bubbles in front of you...

Thank you for letting mommy get 5 hrs of consecutive sleep some nights, its a luxury I wasn't expecting. You are amazing!

God has taught me to slow down, relish the moments, take everyday for what it is and truly rely on Him for the next 24 hrs. All we need is in Him and I pray for you to know the source of joy that is welling up in your heart and I know you will spill that out on all who meet you. Since the day you were born your heart has been so soft! Every time you hear a cry, which sister has done more since you came along :) your face get low and your lip hangs and those tears start to flow... I know you will probably have mommy's ability to cry at the most sappy sentimental moment but you can laugh just as easily, and we love BOTH about you! You are such a precious jewel to us. We love you!

Is she a good baby?

2010-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks so Kandace and Josh and their new baby girl, I write this post, I hope its okay that I am using them as my inspiration for something I feel now and probably always will. This is for new moms, old moms, moms to be... its tough being a mom. You want to make sure that you are doing a good job and for me and my personality that means perfection, but sometimes that can be the driving force to all that discourages you. One thing i always heard those first months but never really understood until i had two was that "all babies are unique and different" even when it comes to the science that is sleep. (and believe me, its science alright!) I see now having two girls who are from the same parents and under the same roof, who even at times favor each other so much I call them by each others names... ALL babies are different!

As a new mom I was always asked these two questions and in order "Is she a good baby?" "Is she a good sleeper?" Lets face it, they were asking them together because its habit AND its expected that a good baby MUST be a good sleeper. As a sleep deprived parent u can understand the obsession with the sleeping questions. Not to mention the "baby industry" has made a small fortune on this science in books, most of which I have bought and read, teaching us moms just HOW to get these babies to sleep.

So you may have a "good baby/good sleeper" but for me... I just had an amazing baby who didn't sleep through the night til after she was one. Did you have a schedule? YES Did you feed her enough during the day? YES Was she being stimulated enough throughout the day? YES The other questions that weren't asked and I never knew about til AFTER she was much older was: Did she develop quickly? YES and Did she have all her teeth by 12 months including molars? YES Were you and your husband good sleepers as babies? NO Because to tell you the truth once you DO get your baby on a good sleep schedule and master the science like a true MD then things happen like: growth spurts, solid foods, a move, a vacation, teething, a dog next door that wont stop barking, rain storms and illness...

Guess what? Kehnley is almost 3, she sleeps in her own bed,even a big girl bed, no cage bars or side rails, no locks on the doors and no Benedryl at night and she LOVES her bed, she loves to sleep in it and she sleeps really well. Nothing I did really crated this love of her bed or of sleep except to make sure that she loved her room and knew she was safe in her own space. And prayer, LOTS of prayer :)

I did read all the books, but the one i have come to love is The Contented Baby because it gives clear explanation and guidance as to what to do from day one to create cues for sleep.. like Sadie goes in her bed the same time every night, for the most part I mean I DO have an active almost 3 yr old, and she sleeps really well... i put her in slightly sleepy awake and put the passie in and pat her back, now passies are off limits to the author but guess what BABIES Love to suck and so she gets a passie, and guess what my baby is getting teeth and has been since 2 months SO she really needs the passie and some nights she doesn't do too good, but it's bc her mouth hurts and i just go in and pat her back and sooth her best i can and we go day by day not stressing about the small stuff. The thing is this, we get so caught up comparing ourselves to other moms and babies and it makes us fee like failures, and that's not what God wants... especially the first few months, your baby is new to the world, them have only known a water dark belly for 9 months and now they have all this new stuff to take in, they WANTS to be close to you, they know nothing but what you show them and teach them its going to be a learning experience the rest of their lives for them AND for you... there are certainly bigger problems that just sleep, but I hope that none of you have to deal with them!

If ever I need rest God gives me a noon-day nap or he increases my energy and looking back i was VERY tired with kehnley that first year, but we moved to a new home when she was 3 months then moved again 9 months later, she had all her teeth was eating by 4 1/2 months of cereal, she was walking holding stuff by 7 months fully on her own by the start of 9 and she was a baby, like mom and dad, who thought sleeping was for the birds :) I do have to say... I wish now she would let me hold her for hours and rock her like I did all those restless nights when I wished she was asleep in her bed. I wouldn't trade those moments for the world, and God used them to slow me down and help me trust in Him.

Sadie is a great sleeper, a good baby... she has a hard time eating bc she eats fast and her teeth hurt and she just wants to chew and not eat... all I can do as a mom is try my best to meet her needs and not get caught up in numbers and statistics and worry myself everyday that my baby isn't preforming like someone elses child, even if it's in a textbook. So to all you moms out there, read the books, ask questions, but at the end of the day, or night, remember that God made your baby uniquely for you and YOU are the best judge of what they need... you never know what tomorrow will hold and if you have to stay up a few more hours than you would like or you haven't showered in 2 days, you got bills your not sure how they will get paid or you just need a moment of quiet remember this:

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Praying for you today!
And pray for this new family as they learn and love each other too!

Pet Shop Friends

2010-05-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

I caught this video of Kehnley, she LOVES Pet shop, and she ALWAYS pretends its someones birthday. I laugh hearing her sweet voice!

Wordless Wednesday:Some days being two is really frustrating!

2010-05-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

All in a day

2010-05-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

I dont typically do a play by play of my day... but I feel for personal therapy I need to write this down so that one day when the kids are grown and gone I might look back and be okay with the empty nest....

6:50 pitter patter
aaa-cho
sweety you need to get in mommys bed its too early to be up, we need our rest
7 15 kehnley stop talking to frenchy and close your eyes your gonna be so tired and wont be able to play today if you dont get some sleep
7 30 Sadies crying
its okay sweety, passie in the mouth
back to my bed
mommy will you make me a smoothie
7 40 banana, ice, orange juice, strawberry yogurt, strawberries, soy milk
i have t go get sadie up before I turn in on baby girl, let me go do that
good morning sunshine time to stretch your arms and legs, lets get some breakfast!
change diaper, sings songs rise and shine and give God the glory glory rise and shine and give God the glory...clap your hands "ditto", stomp your feet "ditto", feed sadie
turn on curious george
start the blender
drink a smoothie
8 50 put sadie in her swing and make myself some toast with almond butter bc the baby cant have peanuts and i LOVE peanut butter!! but almond butter is actually good, I let go of the dream of eating peanut butter, hide the jar i just bought for brys lunches and try and forget its in the pantry
i need to workout!
9 30 turn on jillian and kick it
(little do I know I will crave chocolate which i dont even really like by the end of the night and totally give in!) luckily im working out now!
10 00 watch up with kehnley, play with cars and then Fancy comes over
11 00 im tired mommy i need a nap
Kehnley you need to eat lunch first, Fancy comes over to see the girls, makes Kehnley her lunch, i feed sadie, we finish up and then its time for a nap
night night Kehnley, i lay down for a sec beside her, Fancy comes and relieves me
12 00 girls asleep, Fancy put sadie down and is laying with kehnley, I run to the store
1 00 back home, unload a few bags and visit with mom for a bit
2 00 nurse sadie, thinking i might get a little sleep since Kehnley is still asleep, i close my eyes and... FAAANNNCCCCYYYYY where is Fancy? sweety she went home to take care of things at her house, mommy is here, it's okay
2 30 kehnley is up, sadie is up... 30 min was a tease of a nap
300 time to clean out saide's drawers i empty all the old clothes that are so small i am amazed she fit into them weeks ago kehnley wants to wear her fancy nancy dress with the butterfly wings, she gets upset that the wings arent standing up straight enough, i take then off, she wants them back on, then gets upset again, i take then back off, the baby is sleeping again in her crib by now, kehnley wants to read a book to dragon, of course in the room where sadie is sleeping and i am quietly going through her drawers, she whispers "peter rabbit ran through the gate, got some carrots..." I finish the task, kehnley is now helping me sort sleep shirts into too small or too hot, i cant find a container to put the too small clothes in! climb the ladder, mom be careful dont hurt u self, ill come up, sweety you cant come up into the attic, its hot and yuck up here and youll get hurt, step off the step please, i look and look for a container, baby is crying
4 00 start cooking for dinner and make a few more pizzas to freeze for later, kehnley is pouring the sauce in her fancy dress Sadie is laying on her play mat in the kitchen and loving the cow right now lilly wants more water
5 00 the kichen looks like an italian mama has just walked in and got into a fight with the tomato sauce, im wearing half of it, still in my workout clothes
5 30 i need to address some envelopes for bry, go to kehnley's room, mom play with my house with me, sadies on a boppy next to kehnley and we play house for a few minutes, mom needs to write on these really fast for daddy, i start addressing, mom your in my spot i need to be standing at my kitchen, kehnley you just told me to move over here that you needed to be at your house, so i moved over here, mom i need to be at my kitchen i have to cook my smoothie, i move over, sadie is putting her hands together, her new trick so cute, i stop writing and marvel at her for a bit, holding hands making dolphin noises and kehnley makes us an air smoothie we drink up- all of us
half the addresses are done, on my goodness I just realized what time it is, baths girls, lets go
oh i need to get the food in the oven! run to the kitchen leave the girls in Kehnley's room and get all the enchiladas stuffed and sauced and in the oven, dont worry about the kitchen you can clean it later, dont look at the den either youll pick up those toys after the girls go to bed
girls are fussing, Kehnley is calling my name, sadie is sleepy but i have to get her in the tub i get the water started, get kehnley undressed, no momma i have a poopy, i lay both girls on the floor on a changing mat together and take off saides clothes for the bath and change kehnleys pants and THEN its to the bath
kehnley in first
sadie in her seet next
i bathe kehnley i bathe sadie
sadie gets out and in a towel we read stories while kehnley plays
daddy's home! he sweety how are you? want me to take sadie, he gives me a kiss
I need to check on supper
he takes sadie, sits with Kehnley
sadies SO sleepy but its not time for her to go to bed yet i need to feed her
it's only 650
7 00 get kehnley dressed for bed
making kehnley's plate, she is eating salad now I am so happy! make sure none of the food touches and get some fruit with a little whip for after dinner ready so she wont ask for a Popsicle again
7 30 i nurse sadie, bry makes his plate sadie cant keep eating bc shes too busy smiling at me, so sweet
7 45 i get to make my plate to eat and then its time for me to pick up kehnleys plate and clean the kitchen, sadies going to sleep her teeth hurt, we try everything- orajel to the rescue, she's finally able to calm down
8 00 sitting on the couch watching wubbzy one more episode with Kehnley and daddy
8 15 off to bed little girl we run to her room and i "fly" her into bed, night night, kiss kiss
Bry puts her to sleep with a book and I crack the door
sadies crying, passie back in the mouth, pat on the back, gotta go brush my teeth
8 20 out the door to run some food by a friends house, seriously dont look at the kitchen you can clean it when you get home, listen to something in the car that puts some comfort in my heart, thank you seeds of praise, i needed that!
9 00 back home brys asleep in kehnleys room, pat pat, he wakes up, walks squinting into the light of the living room, starts bible study
i clean the kitchen finally but resolve to do dishes tomorrow it will wake the girls
9 30 sitting on the couch try to think what i have done all week that i havent once sat down and watched a movie or something in forever, read a magazine, a book... nothing
bry watches a movie with me
11 00 shower, this is awesome... i love hot water! i feel sad that i havent prayed for Brys work day in a few days, i pray for so many things... into the pjz
11 30 go feed sadie before i need to go to sleep, pray some more
12 15 back to bed
3 30 sadies stirring,feed sadie again, fall asleep in the rocker
4 45 back to bed getting so happy thinking that i will get to wake up next to Bry at 8 and will have actually gotten a pretty good amount of consecutive sleep, my neck is hurting so bad, wonder what thats about then all of a sudden it seams
6 15 aaa-cho, hey mom
Kehnley baby it's way to early to be up, we need to go back to bed
hop in bed, oh wait, your bottoms are wet, change clothes, hop in bed, momma sleep with me, kehnley mommy misses her bed she REALLY wants to be in her bed, here mom, heres some covers for you, okay close your eyes, there you go
7 15 babies crying, passie in the mouth
me: I think I need to write down what has just happened in the past 24 hrs for my own sanity
7 53 babies awake, its okay sadie mommys coming

I have a baby in my belly!

2010-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some kids have imaginary friends they talk to and they use to get away with how they are feeling or things they want to do. Like Lola who has a "shadow friend" as Kehnley calls it. (Soren Lorensen) Here is the difference with Kehnley and Lola...she doesn't have a shadow friend she has a "baby in her beddy" (belly) This baby (and she always pats her tummy when she tells me about her) can be hungry, sad, sick, thirsty, hot, have a bo-b0.... happy and all kinds of other emotions. Sometimes she tells me I can squish her baby and I need to be careful of her baby... her baby can even be too tired to take a bath at night :)
She tells me that her baby needs milk and lifts up her shirt to show me where baby's get milk to "make er feel beddor" lol. As long she doesn't do it out in public we're all good there!

Here are my babies from Bluebonnets to Easter and our trip to Bama and just random moments in the past few months...

Kehnley and Sadie started taking baths together the week daddy went on a fishing trip. For Easter she hunted eggs at Fancy's at Church and at Granny's... she got so many eggs with goodies that she is STILL getting prize eggs for going potty lol. We took the girls to get their pics in the bluebonnets...turns out Sadie is really allergic and my camera went dead about 12 shots in...so Fancy has the good group one on her camera I need to get. Kehnley and I had fun taking pics at Gran and Paw Paw's their back porch was a great place for photos like this one

Everyday you girls get more beautiful, smart, fun and make me so proud to be your mom. Kehnley reminds me of what her daddy taught her... she points at her heart and says that Jesus loves whats on the inside, a beautiful heart.
That is my prayer for you girls!
"You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:4

Raise your pinky if your Fancy...

2010-04-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

So this is a phrase I hear often when Kehnley acts like she is calling someone on her "Fancy Nancy" Phone that her very own Fancy got her. (my mom's name is Nancy and Kehnley calls her Fancy) No other name would really have suited my mom as a Grammy, but anyway... I had it all planned out this year we were going to have a birthday party theme of ladybugs I had this supper cute cupcake cake I had planned to make, party favors were totally covered all the works... turns out my soon to be 3 yr old has an"Posh" (that's fancy word for fancy) opinion of her own and she shared it with me this week.
"I want a Fancy Nancy party and cake and all kinds-a-stuff. I want a bike and my friends come and sing happy irthday to ew, happy irthday ken-wee, happy ithday to ew."

What's a mom to do? So now... get ready for bowas and sequins and feathers and "all kids-a-stuff" as my baby girl says.

I know it will be easy to get these girls fancy, but what about the boys? I am thinking COW boys :) That's about as dress up as they get right?

Let the planning begin!

Recipe that shows Mamma knows best:

2010-04-06T02:57:00.000-07:00

"Spaghetti " Squash Pie
1 spaghetti squash cooked and cleaned out*
Sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
salt/ pepper to taste
oregano/parsley/thyme/Rosemary/basil (dry to your liking)
2 small bay leaves
pinch of brown sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. chopped onion (optional)
1 lb cooked ground beef
2 cups of cheddar or Italian cheeses (whatever you like)

-bring all sauce ingredients to a boil, let cook 15 minutes
-brown meat and add to sauce... let simmer 20 minutes
*get you spaghetti squash cooking (400 for 45 min) clean out seeds add a pad of butter to the centers of each half and cover with foil... when ready scrape out insides with a fork it will look like noodles
-Pam or butter a glass dish and add your first layer:
spaghetti "noodles"
-then the rest in this order:
meat sauce--cheese--noodles--sauce--top with remaining cheese
-bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered
Let your family or yourself enjoy a full bowl of carb free pasta :)
*And yes, Bry actually liked it!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So instead of posting pics (sorry my last blog entry was so sad! lol some ppl told me it brough the tears, I just wanted to have a memory to share with my girls of how much they already tach me...one day I hope they read that and are encouraged!) I decided to work on my long list of photo albums in the making... here is my most recent thanks to shutterfly they come along quickly!

The Little People know it all!

2010-04-06T02:34:00.000-07:00

You know how someone can say something that's totally eye opening and makes you look at the world in a whole new way, or changes your mind, or convicts your heart, or makes you smile... and you never forget it?

What about when they are 2 or 2 months old? Does that astound you that a person who has barely even been a person for very long can be so wise and teach you more than you have learned in your 28 years of life?

Kehnley was taking a bath and I was in and out of the bathroom, i know this is probably totally unsafe, i was in the laundry room where i could see her and time to time i'd run to her room or Sadie's room to put clothes away or run a toy in there just to pick up a bit. Anyway, by the time i finished all my cleaning i felt guilty that she had been playing in there alone... what she spoke next made the guilt knife dig deeper.
Kehnley: mom im gonna go to school but don't be sad
me: when are you going to school? what do you mean?
Kehnley : don't be sad mom, one day, I go to school.
be happy mom, be excited for me
me: i will be excited for you when that day comes, but i will miss you
Kehnley : it okay mom just wait for me in the car and i be back
don't be sad, i be back
me: what made you think about going to school
Kehnley (no answer just kept playing with her animals in the tub)

An amazing thing that I was already feeling guilt for missing that moment with my child then all of a sudden, out of the blue, she is talking about one day she will be at school and away from me.... where did she even come up with that?! It really drove home that I DO need to cherish my moments with her because she WILL be off at school all day one day. Oh man, Im not ready to think of that yet. Lesson learned: don't miss opportunity, don't waste a minute!

Optimism: every morning no matter what the weather, Kehnley says "mom...beautiful day today?!" She says it all through the day too... its become her way of saying shes enjoying her day. I love it!

I love how curious she is about everything, a ladybug on her finger is the best thing that happened to her all weekend, she is fascinated with everyday life, laughs all the time and tickle monster and other silly stuff.... she find comfort in routine (how many times I try to shun away from mundane and routine and she thrives on it!)
She meets someone new and its an instant friendship, there are no boundaries to what you will share and do and how they stand so close to each other lol, no prejudice, no competition or guards up... I want to be like that! Shes content in little things, doesn't want all the time.. shes thrilled with a cup of chocolate Cheerios lol... I want a content spirit like that.
Then there is Sadie- starts her day with the biggest smile, melts my heart, makes me wish I could always wake up that happy. She looks so intently at things, doesn't have to say a word and reminds me that God is good to me. She loves to look at ppl more than anything, she cries when she hears a baby cry even if its on tv... what a sensitive heart... it makes me want compassion in my heart too. She nuzzles her face into my chin when she wants to sleep and it makes me feel stronger than I am, more protecting that I am, and I want a person I can do that with (just push my face into their chin and rest...God can be that for me) I think about how much she loves just seeing me, she can be sad and fussy or even hungry or tired and crying but if she can see me she stops! I can totally relate :) there are ppl in my life and times with my heavenly Father where i just need to see them and I am okay. They dont have to do anything or say anything just be in the room or near me and I know it will all be good.

I learn so much all day from these girls... it just amazes me!

Rice Rice Baby!

2010-03-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

So I have been using rice in a lot of our dishes at home and trying to find ways to spice up the plain ol' rice scene as a side item. We make Chicken and Rice in our house a lot...my brother was the first to make it when we were little.... you know the recipe:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast thawed
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. of water
1/4 c. uncooked rice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
-spray glass baking dish with Pam
-mix soup, rice, water and spices
-pour into pan
-top with chicken
-sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper

Bake covered 45 min.

*can use cream of chicken instead if you have that

Ok, so that dish is a fam fav here BUT I have started buying Uncle Ben's instant Brown Rice...

it's SO good, and fast and easy, all a mom's biggest dinner deal breakers BUT sometimes it gets a little old! So I made up and looked up some ways to SPICE UP my rice. Here are some ways I found:

Greek Rice

cook your rice package as directed
add a handful of feta cheese
4-5 chipped cherry tomatoes
a handful of fresh chopped parsley
mix it all together! Easy right?! you won't believe how good it is

Mexican Rice

cook your rice package as directed
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
*optional i can of rotel OR 3 tbs of salsa
cook beans and corn- for fast you can heat in the microwave
mix all together and get your grub on!

This is a really good side with Avocado Salad:

Avocado Salad

1 sliced avocado
1-2 sliced Roma tomatoes
1 c. shredded lettus
lemon juice to taste OR I like to use 1 tbs Newman's Lemon Italian dressing
So good!
salt and pepper to taste

Citrus Rice

1 pkg of chicken brown rice
1 tbs orange zest
2 tbs orange juice
1 tsp lemon zest
-when you open the pouch to cook rice in microwave add the zests and the juice
THEN cook
-stir in 3 tbs of chopped fresh basil

Cheesy Vegetable Rice

1 scallion chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
juice from two lemons
lemon zest
3 tbs of butter/olive oil mix (smart balance butter)
*steam fresh bag of broccoli
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
rice cooked to package directions
-in a saucepan heat first 5 ingredients
-cook broccoli to package directions
-add rice, broccoli, and lemon oil mix, and cheese- salt and pepper to taste
Mix together and serve!
*can change up the veggi if you want to add something else

Sarah's Rice

cook rice in package as directed
in a saucepan with butter heat contents of Gumbo Veggi Mix (in freezer section)- includes okra, corn, peppers and onions
Mix rice with cooked veggies and grub it

Ok, now off to look at some more baby smiles! i just cant get enough!! I can't have a blog without a pic.... St. Patty Fun!

Wordless Wedesday: Can you guess what shared interest made these two strangers instant BF's?

2010-03-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peak at Sadie's 1st Month Day pics...

2010-03-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Love Day!

2010-03-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this super cheesy love-y dove-y slide show of OUR Love Day!
(hope yours was just as pink and purpley!)

Top 5 fav Love Day moments:
(in no particular order)
5. Bry and I going to see Wonderland
4. Getting to make the dining room look like pink hearts just threw up everywhere
3. Watching Kehnley's face as she searched the house guided by a red ribbon for dollar gift items (thank you Target)
2. Eating the best homemade lasagna I've had in a long time: via Aunt Becky! (gotta get that recipe)
1. Opening all the goodies my honey bought me and spending the night with the ppl I love the most...
Extra one? Of course, making valentines for all the kiddos in the neighborhood and delivering them door to door with Kehnley, and mostly... hearing her say " happy love day" for the next ten days AFTER Valentines day :)

You had me at butter...

2010-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Enticed once again by Paula Deen, with a way of her wand (her stick o butter) and the magic words (HOWDY ya'll!) We have succumbed to her spell of good grub that's not to nice to the backside! But it was too de-lish to pass up. A few months ago Missy gave me a recipe for some yum-o cinnamon rolls. Paula kicked it into buttery overdrive by adding a layer of butter and sugar to the pan before putting the rolls in.... what resulted was amazing!
It didn't take too long to recreate the recipe, sorry no low fat version here, just go for an extra mile run and you'll be covered!

Paula's Cinnamon Rolls

Get the recipe here

Kehnley added her own special touch, and these cinnamon rolls quickly became cinnamon cakes!
Enjoy!! (I know we did, it's always nice to have a sweet splurge!)

Aunt Becky's Lasagna

1/2 lb. groundmeat
16 oz. cottage cheese
Lasagne Noodles
8 oz. Mosserella Cheese
1 medium size Ragu spaghetti sauce

Cook noodles and brown meat, add Ragu, season well and simmer 20 min. In large pan put layer of meat sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, another layer of noodles rest of meatsauce and put mozarella cheese on top. Bake for 25 minutes @ 350.

(*I put the noodles on bottom to help it hold together better when I scoop it out of the pan, just spray some Pam olive oil in the bottom of the pan first)

A little extra love for Jen, I know you are a fan of the pasta like myself :) and you can totally make this healthier for you with a little Barilla wheat pasta and low fat versions of cheese. I make my own sauce and add some fresh oregano and parsley and basil, BUT this will give Cody a run for his plate and make you look like the rock star cook you are :) All you need is a pan and start layering!! (I know it takes a LITTLE longer than a skillet sensation throw it on the stove and heat for ten minutes... BUT it's a Sat. meal for you)

Layla Grace's legacy...

2010-03-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

As my own beauties are sleeping soundly in their beds I can't help but think about what Layla Grace's sisters are doing and if they are sleeping well tonight, if her mom and dad are sleeping soundly in their beds... or are they up like they have been night after night for the past two years. If you don't know about Layla Grace or the story of this precious family who lost their child a few days ago visit this site and read their amazing story.

Jen and I attended the funeral this weekend, it was one of the most humbling experience of my life and God has done things in my heart from this brief encounter that I never thought possible. I will forever look at my life differently, look at my children differently, and look at each day given differently. It's not that I have never experienced loss, because I have, or that I have never known anyone else to loose a loved one-especially a child, because I have known that too... but to see a family SO entrusted to the Lords will, SO giving of their story to heal and encourage others in the midst of their pain, SO strong in their testimony that "what we have is not our own, we rejoice in our suffering that it might glorify the Father" to SEE a family live that out... I have never seen that in action like I have through the Marsh family.

We can say we trust God, we can even go through some seaming tough moments and come out giving Him credit...but to the degree that they have Lost and remained faithful, it's only reminiscent of Job to me. He lost his whole family, all his children his friends, his wife, his health... and he STILL said "Lord you are the one and only true God, I will follow you..."
As a mother of my own darling two year old, I can say all day that I would be okay if I had to bury her that knowing she was in heaven would give me all the comfort I need and that I understand when the scriptures say "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. " James 1:17 the trust of that gives me peace... but staying on the safe side of the waters edge and doing in the midst of a storm are two totally different things.

When I said it was a life changing moment for me let me explain.... Layla's dad talked about an analogy of life and humanity being the shore of a beach covered as far as the eye can see of ppl along the waters edge. Everyone is given tools; shovels....buckets...rakes...different tools, some will try and dig the biggest mound of sand with their tools to show off until someone else builds one bigger or the water inevitably washes it away, others will take the time to craft a beautiful work of art for the onlookers to enjoy, some will offer their tools to those around them working diligently, some will lie on the beach tools tossed and soak up the sun... enjoy a good book, live in the moment of the day.... he said that in the midst of all that all he can see is the sight of what he believes Layla would be doing: running down the beach little legs pitter pattering the sand and splashing at the rolling tide laughing and smiling and touching as many ppl she passes as she can, helping ppl along the way, enjoying her day in the sun and soaking up the moment to celebrate the time God gave her where she is. He challenged me to think about what kind of person I have been...how have I been spending my days in the sun? How do I want to be remembered by the ppl scattered where the water meets the sand...

Some days what I do or don't do feels really small and insignificant in light of the big picture and especially in light of what I think others might be doing with their days. As we know it's not God's desire that we compare ourselves to anyone but Himself...but I am seeing SO clearly now that God delights in me, in my job that HE gave me, and I only have today. I don't want to have to go through my own heartbreaking moment to get that lesson. I want to learn it now, through the lives God has let touch me and live differently. The next time someone asks that all too popular and loaded question "why does God let bad things happen to good people?" I believe it's because He hopes they will respond like the Marsh family: honor Him, trust His will, and share their lives that others my find hope themselves....
There are children all over the world who are making their journey to the throne of God, but for some reason THIS little girl is the one God used to touch lives and change hearts and I know she's being honored by the Lord and His angels for it.

God still asks me this question... are you willing to entrust them to me? (like I have entrusted them to you?)

Planned

2010-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Planned on loading all my pics from February and editing all the ones that I love best
Planned on taking "Month Day' pics of Sadie on her ACTUAL month day & having a mini photo shoot
Planned on working out for and hour three times this week
Planned on cooking some new meals and having a little fun in the kitchen with Kehnley
Planned on serving some sweet friends who need
Planned on play dates probably 4 different times
Planned on going to the park across town to let Kiki play
Planned on keeping my milk supply going strong so I'd have plenty reserved
Planned on spending some much needed quality time with my husband

But when your whole family including your newborn gets a virus that has them throwing up every meal, and diarrhea for a week, when you are the mom and you get food poisoning and then get what they have which feels like you've been hit by a bus, I guess that's why they call it a stomach FLU, there is nothing that you can really think about except pray and pray that your little ones will be able to keep food down because you see the red rings around their eyes and you look at their sad faces and know they feel as terrible as you but can't say they do. Nothing else really matters: not even the 15th load of laundry you've done to try and sterilize from the sickness everyone has, or the fact that you've not slept but 2 hrs at nap time (praise the Lord) because you've been feeding your new baby every hour to keep her from throwing up. The ache in your back from working out too hard too early and feeling your spine numb from where the epidural was given you 4 weeks ago because you've been lifting more than you should doesn't matter either...you may not have eaten at all today yet because you were too busy trying to make sure your children were taken care of and your hands were clean and all that to say this is STILL nothing compared to the hardships that so many other people are facing and the trials that people we know are having to deal with. a wise friend reminded me that hopefully all this will be over in a week and things will seem somewhat normal again... I think of those that aren't as lucky to say that. their trials won't be over in a week, or even months and I am convicted for even thinking about all the silly things we want to do in a day and all the worries we have that are pretty small in comparison.

God today be with those families that are in a trial and are struggling to just get through the next 24 hrs. You have given me a small glimpse into what that kind of existence would look like... trying to get through the next 24 hrs, or the next meal time. Provide for their needs, provide for our needs, but most of all be glorified in all the earth.