Resolution: a resolve or determination

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

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... ;)




 

          

   

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

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!!

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

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?

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