AJ Come What May. . .

Someday I hope to blog again

2011-10-21T11:32:00.003-05:00

First off blogger is annoying me with the time it takes to load photos. Any bloggers out there with suggestions on how to load pictures faster? I was not impressed with the updated version when it came to moving pictures around so it's still loading them the old way- 5 at a time.

My main reason or excuse for not posting is the horrible all day morning sickness that I've been experiencing. I had it with both boys until about 20 weeks so it wasn't unexpected. I cannot figure out if this time around it is truly worse or if it seems that way because we are busy with life, work, and the boys. Bottom line is I feel nauseous most of the day and have moments of sour stomach which just make me exhausted. I'm thirsty and most drinks don't sit well. I'm hungry every 90 minutes or so which leaves me tired of eating by the end of the day. I never thought I'd say that but trying to find something that sounds good is always a battle.

I'm thankful for the good days I've had and anticipate when this goes away. I pray it is months before the due date :) I went into this pregnancy knowing that according to our plans this would be our last biological child. I loved being pregnant with both boys so I was concerned that I might be sad about that. Sadness has not kicked in. I did not realize how difficult it would be to be pregnant with small children to care for.

Hopefully I will feel better soon and then be able to post more often. I've got plenty of trips and special events to share!

Introducing #3

2011-09-26T17:11:00.000-05:00

Due April 2012!

Reed is 2!

2011-09-21T09:31:00.004-05:00

Today is Reed's 2nd Birthday!! He's been telling us he is 2 for the past 6+ months, but today he is finally right! Here's an update on him:

*I'm not sure on his stats, but I know he is bigger than G was at this age. He has a huge foot and outgrows shoes before G would have worn them at the comparable age. I have a feeling he will be wearing G's clothes a year later rather than 2.

*He loves his blanket and sometimes calls it, "blank." He's been put in his crib a few times without it in there and immediately asks where it is.

*He is still a picky eater and resistant to even trying new foods. The things he loves right now- strawberries and most other fruits, cheese sticks, honey roasted peanuts, peanut butter, pepperoni, mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets.

*He loves Graham and has nicknamed him, "Grahamy." He is starting to become more aggressive since G has been that way to him most of his life, but they are learning to enjoy playing together. Reed really wants to sleep on the floor with G in his room, but we've tried a few times and it didn't work. Maybe someday.

*He likes to watch tv and enjoys most of the toys G plays with, but his unique interests include swords, motorcycles, coloring, and books.

*If I sing to him before bed he requests "Jesus" (Jesus Loves Me) or "Holy" (Revelation Song) and will ask me to sing the opposite one that I'm singing. It's quite the challenge for me to remember where I left off on one before I start singing the other :)

*He has been going to G's Sunday School class for the past few months (one day he went in and sat at the table so we tried it and he's been going ever since). A few weeks ago he started Awana Puggles and likes to show us his Puggles shirt!

*He has gotten the hang of our preschool routine and is doing well with it. He is grouchy in the afternoons since he isn't napping as long, but we're thankful that he is taking a nap (he was sent home with Anthony the first two days of school because he wouldn't stop crying during nap time).

*He still sleeps in a crib at home but has given up the pack and play when we are away. Now he sleeps on an air mattress. He also sits at the table with us instead of in his booster seat.

*While we're used to how well he speaks, I've been told that his vocabulary is impressive. He repeats just about anything and speaks in sentences regularly.

A Trip to the Top

2011-09-02T15:15:00.008-05:00

While in Lake Placid in July, my brother, his wife, the boys, and I drove to the top of Whiteface. I think it was a 5 or 10 mile drive up a very windy road. We then hiked up some stairs and rock face to reach the castle at the top. The hike up was more intense then I remember but the boys did great with it. We enjoyed the views when we got up there and then took the elevator ride down.

Views from the parking area

Part of what we hiked up


Almost to the top

A look back at what we climbed up

We made it to the top!

A tasty snack for the tired hikers!

An elevator ride and walk through a cave to get to the van.

Graham's 4!

2011-08-18T14:05:00.003-05:00

Today Graham turns 4! In many ways its hard to believe he is that old already and might even start kindergarten next year. But then other times it just seems like he has always been there and we can't imagine life without him.

It's been a while since I've done an update on G. It's about time! So at age 4:

-He enjoys transformers, work trucks, superheros, Toy Story, Cars, monsters, bad guys, aliens, and bugs.

-He is still pretty cautious. I hope this contributes to his disinterest in learning to ride a bike or learning to swim. He did go on the rides at the county fair recently and is becoming a little more interested in writing, so that's something!

-He loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor.

-For the past couple of months he has decided he prefers sleeping on the floor. He has a blanket that he lays on top of and a giant stuffed dog as his pillow. He likes it so much requests at bedtime that we don't move him to his bed.

-He like tv, computer games, and video games. He and Daddy will have lots of fun in the future. G is much more interested in sci-fi and fantasy stuff than I am. Having a boy has really grown me in this area :)

-He helps when asked, although we're working on the best attitude to have when asked. I know I enjoy the extra set of hands around the house.

-He is still working on his acceptance of Reed. They have fun together but equally as much he is aggressive towards R. Not wanting to share and jealousy are regularly experienced. R is starting to give it back so that brings a whole new set of challenges!

-He is ready to learn how to read, but maturity (or our butting heads) gets in the way. We were using this but I think I might focus more on word families to change it up.

-He likes to know how things work and asks often for me to explain things to him. I love seeing him trying to make sense of the world we live in.

-He has a sensitivity towards God's truth. It's especially evident with the questions he asks when we are listening to music and he wants to know what the words of the song mean. He says he loves God and we continue to pray daily for his salvation!

-He is observant and a fast thinker. The things he says make me laugh and stand in amazement that he would put them together so quick. I'll finish the post with some of the most recent comments I can remember:

When returning a redbox movie to McDonalds and not Walmart like I said we would do, he asked when I got in the car, "will the movie go through pipes in the ground to get to Walmart?"

----

Me: The moon is bright and round because it is a full moon.

G: Did it eat lots of little moons to become a full moon?

----

Me: We are going to Toys R Us.

G: Will there be toys for other people there too?

It Works For Us

2011-08-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

Prior to having kids I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. My mother has been one my whole life and I knew I wanted to give that to my kids (I'm sure I appreciate it more now than I did growing up :). So when G was born and we moved to TN we adjusted to life with me at home. I never gave any thought to going back to work. "The plan" always included 3 children so I figured I would be home for a while.

Recently I felt God leading me to consider looking for something to do beyond my current home and church responsibilities. I didn't know if it would be looking for a job of some sort or going back to school, but I told Him I was willing but it had to be something that would work with the boys and A's schedule.

Well, a couple of months ago I was presented with the idea of teaching at a local preschool. It had been suggested in the past, but the timing wasn't right. Since both boys could attend this year, I began to seriously consider it.

After what seemed like a long wait, I was officially offered and accepted the job of teaching the 3 year old class. We're in our second week and it's going well. I have a great group of kids!!

Our only issue has to do with nap time. Since the school day is from 7:45-2:00 nap time is included in the schedule. Reed is struggling with getting used to sleeping in a room with 9 other kids. Thankfully, the school is across the street from our church so Anthony has been able to take him home at lunch time. We're praying he gets better since it's not the ideal scenario!

I'm excited about this new opportunity although I struggle just as much with guilt. I feel like I'm putting more time into preparing for other people's children and not as much in preparing activities for my own. It's kind of like a doctor who would send his kids to another one rather than checking them out himself. For now though, with a 2 and 4 year old, this two day a week job is perfect!

Pizza Picnic

2011-07-25T01:27:00.000-05:00

A new family fun outing- a pizza picnic by the water.

There's nothing easier then calling in a pizza order, loading everyone into the car, picking the pizza up, and heading to the lake. I love time with my family and not having to cook is an extra bonus that I will take!

All Aboard!

2011-07-23T06:52:00.000-05:00

We got to ride the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. It worked out well since they were celebrating Mother's Day (not open in May) so moms rode free! The train took us to the next town over through woods that we've never seen before so it was neat to see some new sights.

The engine was taken from one end and put on the other for the return trip home.

I think they had a good time!!

Henry's Woods

2011-07-22T06:43:00.000-05:00

Graham and I went on a hike one morning. Henry's Woods is across the street from my parent's house. (Here are some pictures from last summer's trip. The pics of G was wearing a white t-shirt and athletic shorts and holding a rock was from last summer's hike). I really wish it had been there when I was growing up because it is a neat place. There are several trails to choose from as well as lots of mosquitoes. The bugs encouraged us to keep moving so we didn't get bit too much!

G did a great job, hiking over a mile and never really asking me to carry him. He loved picking up rocks to throw in water or mud holes. He also informed me that G-Bob told him on their boys hike the night before that he needed to watch out for big cats!

I pushed Reed in the jog stroller the day before and found this bridge so it was my goal to get G to walk far enough to see it. He had fun walking across it to the rock ledge where he threw some rocks into the river that flowed behind it.

Some of our NY highlights

2011-07-21T05:09:00.001-05:00

As you can see from this cheesy smile, time in NY was lots of fun!!

Here are some highlights:

We get to sit back and relax (even while we eat)!

Uncle Joey is fun to hang out with

(Graham even requested that he sit next to him one night at dinner
and asked Aunt Amy if this would be ok :)

G-Bob and Uncle Joey working hard splitting wood for the winter.

Graham's lone contribution to staking some of the split wood

A sports nut in the making

Watching Finding Nemo

Buddies in the Making

2011-07-20T21:10:00.004-05:00

They continue to spend more time each day playing together. It's still a love-hate relationship, but I'm thankful for the growth that has happened! It has really helped that Reed has learned to say, "I love you (fill in a name)" and would say it to Graham several times a day as well as the rest of us. I think Reed's initiative encouraged G to say it more and to proclaim to me several times that he loves his brother so much! Now to just get them to share their toys :)

We Miss You Already!

2011-07-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

I just love the relationship they have developed with GG and G-Bob even though we are limited in how often we see each other. It may even decrease more since we will have to buy 3 tickets starting in Sept. We'll just have to keep trusting God to provide when tickets are needed and to bless our time together when we do get to see one another. It's always memorable for sure! Just ask Graham. He amazes me with the things he remembers from trips of the past!!

Answered Prayer

2011-07-19T04:20:00.000-05:00

I've flown with one or both boys enough to know what to expect for the most part, however I debated back and forth about the best plan of action for traveling with an active toddler who is supposed to be a lap child. I thought about bringing the car seat on the plane and if Reed got to be difficult I could put him in it and have Graham sit on my lap. The downside to bringing the car seat on the plane was that I would have to carry it through the airport and it is heavy! If I checked it I could just hope that we would get our own row and R could sit in a seat belt in his own seat. In the end I decided to risk it and God certainly gave grace where it was needed. We got our own row on three of the four flights and both boys traveled wonderfully both ways. This was even the site I saw 10 minutes into our second flight on the way there (also the longer of the two for that day)!

They don't have problems falling asleep in the car so I was hopeful that this would happen and it was great. On the way home R had to sit on my lap during the longer flight but he managed to get into a sleepable position for himself and slept for over half the flight. I'm thankful that once the planes take off they are like giant white noise makers, lulling them to sleep!

Finally

2011-07-15T16:05:00.004-05:00

I know it's been a while since we went to Cancun, but I finally got all of our pictures together. We went for my brother's wedding and were treated to an incredible trip because it.
Enjoy our pictures!

Our Crazy Busy Life

2011-06-24T07:45:00.003-05:00

I think we are somewhat winding down from the whirlwind that has been our life. Here are some highlights from the last two months:

The boys received some much needed haircuts.
They now sport a summer buzz cut.

The first weekend in May we went to Dollywood with the Bass'. Our hotel room was a two bedroom apartment that was perfect for our families to share. The kids (except Reed) enjoyed the hotel pool. I was very impressed with the rides that Graham was willing to go on at Dollywood. He's always been cautious and as of late doesn't like to try new things. He went on the Ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper cars, and really liked the ropes course. Reed even went on a few rides including the 50's cars and the yellow ducks. Anthony and I got to go on the ropes course together without kids! It was a great weekend!

On Mother's Day Reed was dedicated. It was especially meaningful to me because Anthony sang the song that I used in this video of Reed from before he was born. Our prayer for his life, G's, and ours is that we would live to obey God.

Our neighbors moved and gave us one of their garden boxes. I'm taking another stab at gardening. This time it is with two tomato plants and three pepper plants. They are growing, we'll just have to wait and see if I get any fruit for my labor.

The following weekend I attended a Pastor's Wives Retreat with Emily. It was great to get away and be encouraged. We also got to do some shopping on the way home!!

Graham participated in preschool graduation. He picked his own outfit out, complete with a tie. Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Becky.

We have been doing some school activities, although not on a consistent basis. One day, G took the egg carton on a walk and had to find items for each hole. The items above are what he came back with. We've also been working on teaching Reed his colors. Below is our second sensory bin. The first one was green and now we're working on blue. I love watching their excitement as they dig through and see familiar toys in a new way.

At the end of May we picked Julia up in Nashville and headed to the zoo. We then spent the night at the Witt's house all in preparation for our trip to Cancun (I'm still working on those pics) for my brother's wedding. The boys stayed with the Witt's and Grandma and Grandpa came from MD to help. They all had a great time playing together. We can't wait for our summer vacation with everyone next month!

After getting back from Cancun, we immediately went into VBS mode. I was among the several involved with planning it this year. We opted to do Mega Sports Camp instead of the traditional format that we have used in the past. We averaged 60 kids in 1st-6th grade. They got to choose cheerleading, soccer, or basketball and learned skills in their chosen sport as well as hearing a very clear Gospel presentation. It was well received and I believe something we will continue to do in the future.

We offered preschool VBS for worker's children. Since the sports camp format was too advanced for them, I used the Bible stories for the week to develop a sports camp curriculum for their level. It took some time, but well worth it since Graham and some others walked away learning about events in the apostle Paul's life and being able to say Luke 10:27, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself" from memory.

On Thursday and Friday of VBS week, Emily and I held a yard sale. They are all day events around here and thankfully we got rid of a lot of stuff and made some extra money for our effort!

In addition to Father's Day this past Sunday, Anthony turned 31 and celebrated his 4th anniversary on the FBC staff. We opened presents after church, took naps, and went out to dinner and to the book store. It was a fun night together even though we were still all tired from VBS!

I'm impressed you made it to the end! I probably forgot some big events, but overall I think that catches you up. The boys and I head to NY on July 4th while Anthony heads to camp in SC with the youth group. Between now and then I think we're going to try and stay home :)

Sing Praise- The Voice of Truth

2011-05-18T07:13:00.001-05:00

Emily and I went to a Pastor's Wives Retreat last weekend.
It was wonderful.
This was one of the songs sung as special music.
I hope it encourages you like it encouraged me!

Playing Together

2011-05-09T23:02:00.020-05:00

			I've find them playing together more everyday. It certainly brings a smile to my face hearing them enjoy each other!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Psalm 133:1

An Evening at the Falls

2011-05-01T23:15:00.002-05:00

After a few days of heavy rain, we headed out to Burgess Falls hoping to see what the water fall looked like. We got there too late to walk out to the overlook, but did get to see the water rushing by. The boys also enjoyed playing on the swing set. We'll go back sometime soon and leave enough time to walk the trail!

Cheesy Boys

2011-05-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

An Afternoon in Nashville

2011-05-01T23:02:00.004-05:00

Anthony had to visit some church members at a hospital in Nashville so we tagged along. I took the boys to Centennial Park while he was at the hospital. The boys and I ran in grass, walked around the Parthenon, and along the pond. It was a gorgeous spring evening to be out playing!

Low Carb Meal Plan

2011-04-29T03:06:00.001-05:00

We started a low carb diet again yesterday. We're headed to Cancun next month for my brother's wedding and using it as motivation to try and lose some weight before we go. I've spent a lot of time the last couple of days developing a meal plan to make the next 4 weeks go by easier. I know the basics for a low carb diet, but realize some of my choices may not fully comply. I just remind myself that weight loss is the ultimate goal and low carb eating is the way to get there. I got most of these recipes from the same low carb blog and also plan to include others from our last round.

Broccoli Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Southwestern Egg Casserole
Egg Muffins
Southwest Chicken Salad
Asian Salmon Patties with Sesame Lime Mayo
Shrimp with Mustard Horseradish Sauce
Horseradish Meatloaf
Tomato, Fennel, and Flax Meatloaf
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Turkey and Gaucamole Quesadilla
Garlicky Green Beans
Grilled Zucchini Pizza
Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash

We had White Chicken Chili for dinner last night. I substituted one can of rotel for the two cans of green chilies. It was spicy but not unbearable. This afternoon I made some fantastic French Onion Dip. I found that all the premade ones from the store had MSG in them among other ingredients that are unfamiliar. I found this recipe and since I had all of the ingredients I made it. It's a keeper!

Since we're going to be eating a lot of vegetables in the coming weeks, I'd love to know your favorites so we can add some variety!

A Big Boy, Big Yogurt, and a Big Spoon

2011-04-28T01:19:00.000-05:00

What happens when you give a big boy

a big yogurt

and a big spoon?

That's right!

A big mess!!

31 Days to Clean

2011-04-27T21:06:00.002-05:00

Brenda at Unsolicited Advice mentioned a new e book that is available for free today. It's called 31 Days to Clean- Having a Martha House the Mary Way. It looks like a good read so I'll add it to my list. Go here to get a copy for yourself if you need help in getting your home and heart in order.

Easter Activities

2011-04-26T22:12:00.009-05:00

I thought I would share some of the activities that we did during the week leading up to Easter (mainly so I would have a reference for next year:)

Overall it was a busier week than I wanted it to be. Anthony had to be at church on Fri and at 6am on Sun morning, so it kind of got in the way of special family times that I envisioned. I'm learning that in the future we may just have to have those moments on different days.

Back to the activities:

In addition to 4 egg hunts (resulting in more candy than G got at Halloween) the boys got to die Easter eggs with their cousins:

On Good Friday I made the boys a pb and j sandwich that looked like this:

G had already eaten the cross part
(I know, that sounds weird)

We also built a tomb as suggested by Margaret. Rather than attempting paper mache I went the simple route of covering a box with construction paper. Maybe next year we will make something that we can reuse each year. After constructing the tomb, G decided to play with it.

Later that day we talked about how

Jesus died on the cross and was wrapped in cloth

His body was placed in a tomb
(G still keeps calling it a temple and then corrects himself)

a rock was rolled in front of it

and a guard was placed outside

After doing this we placed it on a shelf and left it alone.

On Easter morning we woke up to this

He is risen!

Throughout the week we also played with Resurrection Eggs and Easter Story Sequencing Cards. Rather than getting Easter baskets I bought the boys Benjamin's Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs. It's a cute story that goes along well with the eggs, but is a little wordy for a 3 and 1 year old. I was also interested in The Story of the Resurrection Eggs in Rhyme and Song but could not find it for a reasonable price. I'll keep my eye out for it for next year.

Our church had a Sunrise Service Easter morning. I knew the boys would not be quiet for it so we went for the pancake breakfast they had afterward. We had an hour before Sunday school so we came home and took some pictures. G's original outfit was not fitting right, so after a wardrobe change (the tie was his idea) I got these shots:

brothers

Graham

Reed

After church we came home and ate a quick lunch so everyone could get to bed! While they slept I made a half batch of butterhorn rolls to use in Resurrection Rolls.

When G woke up from his nap we rolled them out

and then wrapped marshmallows in them.

After baking them they are empty just like the tomb!

What fun traditions or activities did you include in your celebration?

Here are some other activities I found but forgot to use or didn't make in time:

Resurrection Eggs Printables

Easter Memory Match

Resurrection Cookies

More Ideas

Preschool Easter Party

2011-04-26T06:26:00.000-05:00

I planned the preschool Easter party for Graham's class. It was an egg-cellent egg themed party. In the past I've tried to coordinate the lunch foods with the theme, but egg salad, scrambled eggs, or egg rolls didn't work in this setting. I went with more kid friend foods- cheese sticks, bunny chex mix, squeezable yogurt, grapes, carrots and dip, and rice crispy treat eggs with M &M's inside. All other parties I've planned included sandwiches and half the kids never ate them. I think the snackier route was better, especially for a 10:30 lunch right before an egg hunt.

After lunch I used the Resurrection Eggs to tell them about Easter. I handed out an egg to each child and when we got to their color they were able to open it. All things considered, I think it went well. We finished the fun with an egg hunt!

Sing Praise- Glorious Day

2011-04-24T12:42:00.001-05:00

May the true reason for today's celebration be on your mind and heart today!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3

OYOL Week 14

2011-04-23T23:07:00.000-05:00

Week 14 was to pick another hot spot and declutter it. The kitchen counter was next on my list since it looked like this recently:

Thankfully the construction is complete so fridge is no longer in the middle of the floor.

I was able to clean it up and get it looking like this:

It's cluttered again but not nearly as bad. It's just an area that needs to be maintained on a regular basis. I'm also planning on getting a box to put miscellaneous things in that need a home and keep it on the pass-thru (the counter top on the top right corner) but since that's hot spot 3 it needs to be cleaned up first.

OYOL Week 13- After

2011-04-23T20:45:00.001-05:00

Finally my after pictures of Hot Spot 1. If you remember, this is what it looked like before:

Here is the after:

Please note: The timing of this assignment happened to be the week my parents were in town and brought this unit with them. I wouldn't normally go out and buy something to complete it!

It works well but of course now we have new clutter issues. The top is looking like this pretty regularly:

Reed has also taken his shoe obsession to a new level by constantly bringing everyone their shoes, meaning they end up all over the floor.

To deal with the clutter, I'm hoping to get two baskets for the top- one for books and Bibles (the basket up there is broken) and one for the mail. I've also considered getting baskets for each locker for the boys' shoes which would then give Anthony and myself more room for our shoes.

Overall, it's definitely getting the job done. I also realize that I'm forever going to be a pile person!

G's New Skills

2011-04-18T14:12:00.005-05:00

Graham learned some new skills last week.

1. The first was how to open the front door. He learned interior doors a year or two ago, but now that the great outdoors is calling, he was motivated. He now takes it upon himself to let him and Reed out.

2. Last week he asked to have an egg for dinner. I took the opportunity to teach him how to scramble the egg. He was so proud of himself! Thankfully he hasn't been trying to do that on his own :)

I did not make him pay for the egg in case you are wondering!

Tasty!

The Big Reveal

2011-04-16T11:45:00.010-05:00

I've finally gotten all the pictures together for this post:) Here are some before pictures:

The area in the kitchen was used as office space for our first few years,
since our table was in the dining room

but since we never ate in the dining room
we decided to move the table into the kitchen.

The ironic part is we moved the table from
hardwood floors to carpet.

So thanks to tax return money,
a closeout deal on engineered hardwood flooring
and parents willing to install it,

we now have wood instead of carpet:

They do get lost a little because of the paneling.
We're not sure what to do about it.
The previous owners painted the kitchen white, so it is possible to paint.
I just think it would take a lot of sanding.
Plus I think to go all white might be too much.
Any suggestions?

Pictures of the process:

Under the carpet we found a layer of lovely yellow linoleum

stuck on top of the original hardwoods.

Screaming Boys

2011-04-08T02:46:00.000-05:00

How Old Are You?

2011-04-07T06:25:00.000-05:00

Lessons I'm Learning- Thoughts from the revival

2011-04-06T22:52:00.004-05:00

We just finished 4 days of revival services. I admit that I wasn't thrilled about it at first. We've had them before and they seem more like a pep rally (phrase used tonight) and not a true awakening of the soul. Now that they are over I'm so glad we had them. I was revived and encouraged.

Here's some highlights and thoughts on what God showed me personally (the guest pastor preached through Zephaniah):

Sun AM
(Zephaniah 1:1-6)

*God is offended at a heart with divided loyalty- He wants my undivided attention.
*Christianity is not just a part of my life- IT IS MY LIFE!!
*The contents need to match the label- if I'm squeezed, does Christ come out?
*A natural reflex of a love for Christ is a desire to be at church and to serve (people will do it without having to be asked)
*Get fed at the King's table and you won't desire the slop of the devil.

Sun PM
(Zephaniah 1:7-12)

*Ecclesiastical Elitism- thinking that some or all of what is written in the Bible doesn't apply to me
*Sin is offensive to God. It cost Jesus His life!
*Do I have remorse for my sin?
*If I run to sin, I don't believe it is as serious as God says it is.

Mon PM

*Note: I had nursery so I didn't hear the message.
*I was told it was on self-sufficiency. In hearing this I immediately thought of 2 Corinthians 2:9-10 where Paul writes that God is sufficient for us when we are weak. We ought to boast in our weaknesses because then God will be glorified.
*The two areas in my own life where I am weak and need to rely more on Christ for strength rather than trying to tackle them on my own is parenting a toddler and preschooler (it's so easy to let the flesh react to situations rather than trying to be Spirit controlled) and being self-controlled with the food I eat (I'm reading the book Made to Crave in preparation for leading the book study this summer. It's convicting).

Tue PM
Zephaniah 3:1-7

*It's never good to be stubborn with God
*If I continue to ignore the two areas from Monday than I know I am being stubborn and that is sin.

Wed PM
Zephaniah 3:9-20

*He gave several evidences that revival has happened. The two that stood out-
*When God has come near we will want to sing a song from our heart- I have been so encouraged lately by playing music in our home which allow me worship at any time. Pandora is a favorite website for free music. I've been enjoying both Fee and Hillsong stations

*When God comes near we become contagious- do people want what we have? How can they know what I have unless I proclaim it!!

------
If you are reading this and came to any of the services I'd love to know what God taught you. Leave a comment!!

Sweet Goodbyes

2011-04-06T03:26:00.000-05:00

Last week we said goodbye to some dear friends.

The McNew's were called to a new ministry position at a church about an hour from here.

We're sad to see them go but so excited for this new ministry.

We look forward to going to visit them soon.

In the meantime, Graham wanted to give the kids something of his to remember him by.

He looked through his toys and decided to give J a book and Donald Duck figure

and to C he gave a fire truck.

I'm thankful for the generous and thoughtful heart that God is developing in him!

OYOL Week 13

2011-04-05T14:56:00.005-05:00

Week 13 is focusing on the "hot spots." We have several places around the house that collect piles and I always clean them with the resolve to not let them get that bad again. Needless to say the cycle has not ended.

My kitchen currently looks like this:

usually the refrigerator is back against the wall

there was carpet and soon there will be hardwood over this lovely linoleum

My parents are in town, using their vacation to install hardwood floors for us. We're so thankful for their servant spirits!! We're excited to get the carpet out from under the kitchen table. Please take note of the lovely linoleum we found under the carpet. Oh the treasures that old homes give us!

Since two of my hot spots are in a construction zone, I probably won't get to them this week.

Kitchen counter- It's not usually this cluttered, but having company always causes there to be more stuff on it. I've been good about cleaning it, but sometimes it goes from totally clean to cluttered in a moment. I'm not totally sure how to keep it clear.

Pass Through- This is the constant collectal spot in the house. It's the place that things we don't feel like putting away end up as well as things that don't have a home. The drawers were purchased with the intention of filling them with daily activities for G, but since we don't get to them regularly they are just sitting there holding our library books (yes 9 drawers for 1 drawers worth of books). I have some ideas on where to put the things up there, I just need to do it!

Entryway- This spot does clean up nicely, it's just difficult to keep it that way. For a long time the shoes went in a basket. I got tired of it still looking messy with the shoes, coats, my purse, the diaper bag, backpacks, and a laptop bag being dropped right there. The dresser came in to alleviate some of the mess, but the boys cannot open the drawers. My parents were given a cubby unit that my dad rebuilt for us to put all of these things in. I'm super excited and hopeful that it will contain the mess and make for a more inviting entryway. It needs to be stained so hopefully I'll get to it soon!!

FYI: Since we have company in town, a kitchen that is under construction, and Revival services at church, I'm taking the liberty of not sticking to my daily and weekly jobs/routines. We're enjoying the process and trying to make things as easy as possible (like having hot dogs for dinner tonight). I want to enjoy the week my parents are here, so I'm giving myself the freedom to do it. I'll pick back up with the charts and lists next week :)

Self Portraits

2011-04-05T06:26:00.001-05:00

I realized recently that I am rarely in pictures with the boys.

Here are some attempts at self portraits.

Not too bad but maybe I'll try to get A to take some of us one of these days!!

OYOL Week 12

2011-04-04T22:17:00.004-05:00

Week 12 focused on how we form our grocery shopping list. I have a magnetic list on the side of the fridge. I try to write things down as we run out and have a basic order in how I write things. There is certainly room for improvement in this area!

I like the suggestion to make up a list that has categories in the order that they appear in the store. I still haven't taken the time to write the order down, so hopefully I'll get on this since I only have one more piece of paper left on my magnetic list!

OYOL Week 11

2011-04-04T21:45:00.003-05:00

For week 11 we were to come up with a meal list. I'm not sure why I never posted this. I've actually had several versions of a meal list made up for a while. Anyway, here are some of our favorite meals (* meals that freeze well):

Breakfast

Meats

Bacon
Sausage links
Ham
Canadian bacon
Turkey Sausage

Eggs
Scrambled
Cottage Cheese
Omelets
Egg Sandwich

Bread/Muffins
Oatmeal Buttermilk*
Buttermilk Banana*
Banana Streusel*
Zucchini*
Cinnamon Rolls *
English Muffin*
Cheese Bread
Apricot Breakfast Bars

Other
Smoothies
Shakes
Bars
Yogurt
Cereal
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Granola
Waffles*
Pancakes*
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
French Toast

Lunch
Meats and Crudités
Sandwiches
Tuna
Loaded Chicken Salad
Black Bean Burgers
Chicken Burgers
Grilled Cheese

Casseroles
Spinach and Rice
Black Beans and Rice
Spinach Quiche

Salads
Bacon, Mushroom, Egg
Balsamic Strawberry Spinach
Spinach Feta
Apple Harvest
Buffalo Chicken
Chicken Ranch
Cesar
Italian Pepperoni
Oriental Chicken
Taco
Steak

Dinner

Fish
Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
Heavenly Halibut
Fish Sticks

Pork
Pork Chops and Apples
Pork Chops and Garden Rice
Croque Madame

Chicken
Chinese Barbeque*
Cesar*
Mustard*
Balsamic*
Cutlets*
Fajitas*
Teriyaki*
Mushroom Wedding*
Pesto*
Thai Honey Peanut
Creamy Garlic Sauce

Turkey
Sausage*
Turkey Joe*
Italian Tomatoes and Turkey Sausage*
Sausage and Peppers*
Turkey Stroganoff*
Turkey Florentine Meatballs*

Beef
Goulash*
Balsamic*
Meatloaf*
Meat Sauce*
Emily’s Crockpot Barbeque*
Teriyaki*
Steak*
Meat Sauce*
Beef Stroganoff*
French Onion Soup Roast*
Beef and Broccoli
Steak and Mushroom Kabobs
Brown Bag Burritos*

Soup
Garden Chowder
Chili
Italian Chili
Tomato
Vegetable Beef
Chicken Tortellini
Italian Beef
Minestrone
Broccoli Cheese
French Onion

Pizza
Pesto Chicken Pizza
Vegetable
Pepperoni
Sausage
Buffalo Chicken
Zucchini Crust Pizza

Casseroles
Emily’s Creamy Poppy Seed Chicken*
Farm House Chicken*
Spinach Calzone*
Chicken Pot Pie*
Shepherd’s Pie*
Mexican Lasagna*
New England Clam Bake*

Meatless
Spinach Calzone*
Zucchini Quesadilla
Spinach Lasagna
Mushroom Lasagna

Side Dishes

Vegetables
Steamed
Creamy Parmesan Sauce
Roasted Veggies
Caramelized Carrots
Garlic Green Beans
Mexican Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli Salad
Cheesy Broccoli
Broccoli Casserole
Coleslaw
Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Fries
Mashed Cauliflower
Cheesy Cauliflower
Cesar Cucumbers
Zucchini Casserole
Parmesan Zucchini
Italian Zucchini
Spinach
Spaghetti Squash

Other
Pasta
Mac and Cheese
Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Couscous
Cheesy Grits
Rice
Tortellini

Snacks
Fruit and Cheese
Yogurt
Apples and Cream Cheese Dip
Veggies and dressing
Veggies and cream cheese
Nuts
Muffins
Bars
Shakes
Crackers

Recipes to try

Breakfast
Pop tarts
Egg Muffins
Baked Oatmeal

Lunch

Dinner

Snack
wheat thins
graham crackers

One Sunday Morning

2011-04-04T04:11:00.000-05:00

I don't usually dress them in matching outfits. Lately I have been finding coordinating outfits that they just happen to have. On this Sunday morning we pulled out the ties. Although they were not fully cooperative in the picture taking process, they were still cute in them!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie

2011-04-02T16:24:00.003-05:00

One day I will start taking pictures of what I make. Just add it to the list!! We needed to go to the grocery store, but chose to play outside instead. This left little options for lunch since bread, cheese, and other lunch favorites were gone. I did have peanut butter, frozen strawberries, and milk so the boys enjoyed peanut butter and jelly smoothies and I might have had a sip or two too.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie

1/2 c milk
3-4 tb peanut butter
5-6 frozen strawberries

Combine together and blend until smooth. If necessary, add more milk to achieve the desired consistency. I have a magic bullet so this made enough for one mug full that the boys split. Enjoy!!

A morning at the Rosolowski Institute

2011-04-01T12:26:00.002-05:00

Maybe once a month I follow through on my desire to do more educational activities with G. Now that R doesn't take a morning nap he wants in on it too, so he sat at the table with us.

On this day G was using these ABC/abc cards. I hadn't cut them apart yet, so he just used the pointer hand to point to the answer. I was impressed with how many of the lower case letters he knew.

I really want to do more of these things with them. I just need to start small and keep adding to it in order to keep it going. I bet it would also help with the disagreements that seem to be arising more each day!

Any suggestions for getting started. My mind is so tired these days :)

Reed turns 18 months!

2011-03-31T21:04:00.000-05:00

Last week Reed turned 18 months!! It's hard to believe he is halfway to 2. Here's some facts about him:

*He still eats meat and veggie baby food through a straw. Peanuts, crackers, cheese, bread and fruit still make up the bulk of his diet.

*He loves his blanket. We lay it down in his bed and he loves to snuggle it and he has recently realized that he can pull it behind him and it will follow.

*He can climb onto the couches and enjoys sitting there and sometimes covers himself up with a blanket.

*He enjoys hugging his stuffed animals, reading books, and watching Disney Junior.

*He taught himself how to throw a ball so now he loves to throw them (and toys and food too)

*His vocabulary is growing daily. I know some of these are old, but I wanted a record of them, so here is what I can remember: ReeRee (Reed), Mommy, Daddy, GG, G-Bob, toys, play, car, ball, book, home, side (outside), walk, rollolloll (rollover), bath, juice, milk, popsicle, cookie, cheese, church, Jesus, bobey (obey), Bible, pray, aya (amen), eyon (beyond), Buzz, Nemo, shoes, socks, two, trash, no, mine, show, hi, bye, set, go, bed, night, red, blue, frog, horse, cow, cat, dog, giraffe, roar (for lion), blows with his mouth (for elephant), quack (for duck)

*He is an animal lover, always hearing and seeing them before any of us when we are outside. We hope to get to the zoo in the next couple of months. I can't wait to see his reaction to it!!

*He would live outside if he could. He brings us his shoes and ours several times a day.

*He is fearless, very trusting, or naive. I still can't figure it out yet. He walks/jumps off ledges and steps (often without warning) into our arms. He almost walked in the lake without giving it a thought, but knows when he is on a bed or couch that he needs to turn around to get off.

*Sibling rivalry is in full force these days. He has learned to throw fits if he doesn't get his way and he and G often fight over the toys each other has or they fight over me. And so a whole new chapter of parenting begins :)

Beautiful Weather + the lake + friends = Great Day

2011-03-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago it was spring.

We took advantage of the weather and headed to the lake with some friends.

The kids had a blast.

We had a pb&j picnic lunch, they played the water (getting soaked) and played on the playground.

I hope spring comes back so we can do this again soon!!


They started with their feet in the water and just kept going in further!

Sarah wore Reed's 6/9 month pants as capris since her's were so wet!

He almost ran right in the water, so no pics of him splashing because I was busy holding him back!

Spring Break

2011-03-30T15:23:00.004-05:00

Julia came for spring break. The weather was really nice. We had a girls night at her school, did some shopping, played and laughed a lot with two energetic boys, and she did some homework too! She babysat a few times and we went to see our brother's band play (a nice treat since they are all from NY).

Thanks for coming to visit Julia. We love having her here. Enjoy the rest of your semester and we'll see you in May!

Playing Cootie Bugs together

Sweet Shot

Silly Faces Begin

Sing Praise- How He Loves Us

2011-03-26T11:29:00.001-05:00

Blue Cheese Dressing

2011-03-11T05:46:00.000-06:00

I know not everyone loves Blue Cheese dressing but it is one of my favorites, especially topping buffalo chicken salad (lettuce, celery, and chicken cooked in hot wing sauce).

Blue Cheese Dressing

3/4c mayo
1 ts dried parsley
1/2 ts lemon juice
1/2 ts vinegar
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
2 T milk (or more to get it to the consistency you like)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Cover and shake. This is enough for 4 entree sized salads.

If you have time make it ahead and refrigerate for a couple of hours to enhance the flavor.

My Mom's Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-03-10T18:13:00.005-06:00

My mom came up with this recipe years ago. It's a favorite on Apple Harvest Salad, Spinach Feta Salad, and Italian Salad (lettuce, veggies of choice, pepperoni, green olives, sunflower seeds, apples and/or raisins). It also makes a great marinade for chicken or beef.

My Mom's Balsamic Vinaigrette

3/4c oil
1/3c balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic poweder
1tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 T sugar

Combine together in a glass jar. Cover and shake. Make several hours in advance to enhance flavors. This recipe makes enough dressing for 4+ entree sized salads.

The Things We Do For Our Kids

2011-03-09T04:17:00.000-06:00

This may look weird to you, but it is currently the only way to get Reed to eat his veggies. He wants to feed himself but I'm not willing to deal with the mess that this would make since it is so runny and he won't eat any in finger food form. So he drinks it through the straw. It's fine by me since he is not willing to eat many try new things to eat and just hands it back to us. I don't know how to force an almost 18-month old to. Any suggestions? What odd things to do you do to accommodate your children?

Ranch Dressing

2011-03-08T06:07:00.001-06:00

I prefer the flavor of Hidden Valley Ranch in the packet, not the bottle. I came up with this one through much trial and error. I've finally got it to taste the way I like. FYI, I use full fat Hellman's mayo, so if you try low fat you might have to alter the other ingredients.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

3/4 c mayo
1 t dried minced onion
1 t parsley
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t vinegar
1/4 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a glass jar with a lid. Shake it until it is all mixed. Add more milk if too thick. I am usually able to get enough for 4 entree sized salads from one recipe.

OYOL Week 10

2011-03-08T02:30:00.003-06:00

Week 10 addresses meal planning. Finally an assignment I am already doing (and a post I had already written) that won't take time to implement before reporting about! I've been meal planning for several years and the effort is definately worth it. I try to do a cooking day each month for two reasons- I don't have to put as much thought into what to make (once the cooking day plan is made) or as much time into making it. Here is what I made last week:

Breakfast:
2- Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

Lunch:
2- Buffalo Chicken
2- Spinach Rice Casserole
8- Black Bean Burgers
8- cooked chicken breasts

Dinner:
2 + 1 lunch portion- Italian Chili
2-Chinese Barbecue Chicken
1-Balsamic Beef
1-Balsamic Chicken
2-Teriyaki Beef
1-Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Red Sauce in the crocpot that was used to make:
2-Meat Sauce with homemade turkey sausage
2-Meat Sauce with turkey sausage, peppers, and onions (to be used as a pizza topping)
2-Plain Red Sauce

I think I've been striving for more variety than is necessary. I'm trying to find ways to make meal planning easier. In the past few months I've developed themes for breakfast and lunch and this month did the same for dinner. It really helps when I find myself thinking that I don't know what to cook.

Breakfast:
Sun: protein bars/shakes/smoothies
Mon: eggs
Tue: protein bars/shakes/smoothies
Wed: oatmeal/cream of wheat
Thurs: protein bars/shakes/smoothies
Fri: eggs
Sat: cottage cheese pancakes/waffles

Lunch:
salads- 4 times (2 types twice/week)
leftovers/sandwiches (2 times/week)
bean and rice casserole/black bean burgers- (1 time/week)

Dinner:
Sun: Loaded Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad (I try not to cook on Sun)
Mon: Soup
Tue: Beef
Wed: Dinner at Church
Thurs: Fish
Fri: Pizza
Sat: Chicken

In coming up with my cooking day plan I picked two recipes to make for each theme and we'll eat it twice. This really made the freezer cooking plan easy to come up with. I've already strayed from eating the theme night meal on the day I specified, but in the end it doesn't matter. We're eating, I haven't been cooking as much, and I know the meals we'll be eating this month!

Honey Mustard Dressing

2011-03-07T04:45:00.004-06:00

My one and only home grown salad

Since we eat so many salads around here, I've become very picky with the dressings we eat. I make most of our dressings because I think my recipes taste better plus I'd imagine they are a bit healthier too! This week I thought I would share the recipes some of our favorites. The recipe we like for Honey Mustard Dressing is not original to me, so click the link for it. Come back everyday this week for a new recipe.

The Way Boys Play

2011-03-07T02:15:00.000-06:00

Rough housing has become a common way of playing. It usually ends with Reed crying because Graham is sitting on him and the constant reminders that he is too big to do that to Reed. I tell G he has to wait until Reed is bigger than him to sit on him. It might happen sooner than I think!

OYOL Week 9

2011-03-05T16:06:00.012-06:00

I have a few things to share before I give my Week 9 update.

Bare Minimum/Routine Status: I remind myself often that this whole thing is a process and it will be little changes made daily or weekly that will combine together to make it a success. The concept of the routine has been easy for me to implement. I'm still struggling with some elements on it- mainly getting going after nap time, getting the boys to put their toys away before bed, and to give G his stars that he earns for doing his jobs (he's doing them but doesn't know enough to remind me to put them in the jar).

What I Learned This Week:

*This whole experience has been very thought provoking for me. I signed up hoping it would help me get my house in order but realize how much more needed to be done. I've not made any progress on the house but feel like I am making progress overall.

*We experienced a last minute change in schedule that I did not handle with a good attitude. I realized that I can put the effort in to get "my life" organized, but it is crucial that I communicate with my husband so we know what each other is thinking and planning.

*I decided to see if dedicating one day to cleaning rather than splitting it up throughout the week would work better. I think this method will work especially because I woke up that day knowing that cleaning was my focus. I was able to clean some things on my monthly and semi annual lists, however I was frustrated that I didn't get to the bathrooms. I overlooked all that I accomplished and focused on what I missed. I wish I wasn't so pessimistic. I know I set my expectations too high. I just wish I could be more realistic about how much I can really accomplish in a set amount of time, so disappointment and frustration doesn't have to set in.

Now for this week's assignment. Week 9 had us come up with a plan to implement the monthly, quarterly, and annual jobs that we wrote down in week 3. It was suggested that we use this chart to keep track of when these jobs were done. I liked how it looked but was finding that it didn't have enough room or all of the timing options that I wanted. So I decided to remake it because you know, I have tons of time on my hands :)

In addition to making my charts, I've gone through this week and found several things that needed to be added to it. I guess I have not done them in so long that I forgot they needed to be done! Onto the chart they go and hopefully they will be accomplished or I'll at least be able to track how long it has been since they were accomplished. I plan to add these to my Mom Binder that I mentioned in a previous post. It's almost done!!

(Click the image to see them larger)

For now I think I'm going to stick to cleaning on Thursdays while G is in school. The thought of it doesn't sound appealing but the pressure is removed from feeling like I should be cleaning everything everyday. This plan might change in a couple of months when school is out. I'm going to include one or two monthly cleaning things on this day. I will pick one or two things from the other lists to try and accomplish either Fri or Sat mornings since those times were free.

I'd like to add that everything I post on here is a goal. I am hopeful to get it done, but am realistic (or maybe pessimistic) that it might not be done with the frequency that is my goal.

**Note: If you are interested, I created my charts as a Word document meaning you could customize them more than the one from Money Saving Mom. If you would like me to email them to you leave your email address in the comments.

OYOL Week 8

2011-03-02T15:07:00.000-06:00

For week 8 we had to report for duty. We had to implement all the planning that we've been doing. After thinking through how I had been accomplishing my bare minimum I reworked it a little before the week started. Based on the original list I came up with, I was finding that there wasn't time to accomplish things if I missed doing them during their assigned time. After I came up with my routines I saw room for better organizing the bare minimum. I've got my 5 things that I need to do everyday and then broke each day down into 3 parts- morning, nap time, and evening. Spaces left blank mean I have that time free for random things that come up or doing something that I missed on another day.

Daily Do’s

1. Read Bible, Memory Verse Review, Pray
2. Empty dishwasher and do dishes after each meal
3. One load of laundry washed and dried
4. Prepare/cook breakfast, lunch, dinner
5. Play with G and R

Weekly Do’s

Sunday
M: Church
N:
E: Church

Monday
M:
N: Read a chapter in book
E: Grocery Shopping alone

Tuesday
M: Grocery Shopping (if not Mon)
N: Plan Awana Large Group Lesson
E: Baths for G and R (Clean bathrooms)

Wednesday
M: Clean and mop kitchen
N: Bills
E: Awana

Thursday
M: Vacuum
N: Blog
E: Baths for G and R (clip nails, clean ears)

Friday
M:
N: Plan for the week- meals, grocery list, work drawer activities
E:

Saturday
M:
N: Finish Planning
E: Baths for G and R
------

Here are my thoughts on the week

*A little background: Since my husband is a worship pastor our workweek is a little different. He works 4 weekdays and Sunday. He gets one weekday and Saturday off. My routine list pertains mainly to the 4 days Anthony works. I plan to stick to it loosely on his weekday off and then give myself Saturday off. Sundays we go to church, nap/relax in the afternoon and go back to church at night.

*Anytime I felt like I didn't know what to do next I reminded myself to keep moving. The lists help me to see what I still need to do!

*Having certain things assigned to certain days takes the pressure off of feeling like I should be doing those things I don't enjoy doing (cleaning bathrooms, etc).

*I do really well keeping up with the routine in the morning. I actually exercised three times this week and we played outside 3 or 4 days (it helps that it's warming up). I've noticed most days that I am tired by nap time. I can usually accomplish my nap time jobs, but I'm usually in the middle of something when they wake up and don't want to stop my momentum. I need to make more of an effort to stop!

*It is easier to stop working on things if I work on them at least a day ahead of time so I'm not pressured to get it done because it's time sensitive.

*This week I'm going to try dedicating one day to cleaning rather than trying to split it up throughout the week. It may not prove to be anymore helpful but is worth a try.

*My biggest goal is to stop and play with the boys. I'm not sure why I can't get it through my head that it is acceptable use of my time!

OYOL Week 7

2011-02-27T14:12:00.006-06:00

Week 7 had us get a routine on paper. Earlier this year I broke down our day and assigned times to when we would do things. This was good to do in order to see how much time I do actually have, however it was too rigid for me. It would stress me out if I wasn't accomplishing things by the set time periods. So I took that list and erased all of the times. My goal is to accomplish the things on the list during the part of the day they have been assigned to. I made a few changes and included time to accomplish the bare minimum and G's daily jobs. Here is what I came up with:

Before kids wake up
• Shower
• Read Bible and pray

After kids wake up
• Breakfast
• Family Bible time, review Cubbies verse
• Empty dishwasher
• Wash dishes
• Thaw dinner if necessary
• G’s Daily Jobs
• Everyone gets dressed
• Walk/exercise (drop G off at preschool T, TH)
• Start laundry
• G’s work drawer time (M, W, F)
• Morning Bare Minimum
• 10 min blitz
• Snack

Out of the House

Early Afternoon
• Lunch
• Nap time
• Wash dishes
• Finish Laundry
• Afternoon Bare Minimum

Late Afternoon
• Snack
• Play Time

Evening
• Prepare dinner
• Wash dishes
• Clean up kitchen
• Vacuum under table
• Family play time
• G’s Daily Jobs
• Bedtime story
• Kids in bed
• Computer/TV time

OYOL Week 6

2011-02-27T13:16:00.000-06:00

Week 6 had us develop a list of chores for the kids and a system to implement them. Several months ago I made a sticker chart for Graham, but after a couple of days I realized that sticker charts are too hard for me to keep up with (not sure why really). Fast forward a few months and we decided to do our own take on a marble jar (I had stars left over from his birthday party craft so we made a "star jar"). It worked, but nothing was ever written down as to how he could get stars so there wasn't total consistency with it (I do believe that we were probably more confused by it then him).

To complete this assignment I decided to combine the two ideas rather than reinventing the wheel. I took the images from the original sticker chart and turned it into a job list:

Sorry it's blurry. Click to see it larger

G will get a star for each job completed on his job list. Once the jar is filled he will get to pick out a new toy or go on a fun outing. I know the responsibility and accountability will be good for him and having it written down with set times in the morning and at night for it to be completed will help it to become part of our routine.

Basket Boys

2011-02-25T06:13:00.000-06:00

Bathtub Mohawks

2011-02-24T06:13:00.001-06:00

Daddy and His Boys

2011-02-23T06:14:00.001-06:00

They both love their dad so much and enjoy watching him play his computer games!

2011-02-22T06:14:00.003-06:00

This was one of my favorite outfits on Graham
and now Reed gets to wear it.

These pictures were taken before Christmas.
Here he is at 15 months

And to compare
Here is Graham at 16 months

Graham at 3 1/2

2011-02-21T06:21:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Graham turned 3 1/2. We made a big to do by tellinng him that whenever anyone asked him his age, he now gets to say "3 1/2." We did have ice cream that night but it was more because it was Friday night and not because of his half birthday. Anyway, here are some facts about him:

*He is fully potty trained during the day. We were at a stand still for months. He'd go #1 but refuse to use the toilet for #2. We finally hit him where it hurt and at the beginning of the year took tv away. He had to go #2 in order to watch a show. After 2-3 weeks of this it finally clicked or maybe just became habit (I think the ability was always there and it was more of a stubborn/laziness issue).

*He enjoys preschool 2 mornings a week. He goes from 7:45-11:45. I pick him up before nap time (he could stay until 2:00 but that conflicts with Reed's schedule) so this has always worked better for us.

*He attends Sunday School, Children's Church, Mission Friends, Preschool Choir, and Awana each week. He is doing well leaning his Cubbies verses, although some are over his level of understanding. Mission Friends is his favorite because Ms. Kay brings toys to accompany the lesson. He says he loves God and we pray daily for his salvation.

*He reminds us multiple times throughout the day that he loves us.

*He is always pretty creative with the ways he plays with his toys, mixing different sets together, although watching tv is probably his favorite thing to do.

*He is still pretty cautious although growing in this area. When we were in NY he went in a bounce house and loved it. Prior to that he wanted nothing to do with them.

*He LOVES to pretend that he is shooting bad guys and monsters. Usually there are some bullets or fireballs involved in his battles as well as "bamming" sound effects. He also likes to "play fight" with his action figures and has taught Reed well on how to do this.

*He enjoys watching Daddy play his computer games. I know that fantasy and superhero movies and video games will be something they will enjoy watching/playing together for many years to come.

*He is a picky eater and prefers most things that would appear on a children's menu. I would say his favorite foods are yogurt, apples, cheese, milk, protein bars, and turkey sandwiches, but that could easily change tomorrow! He doesn't like many vegetables but is required to eat three bites since he is three. Most nights he complies.

*He dislikes baths greatly. He used to love them, but as of late cannot stand getting water in his eyes.

*His favorite color is green.

*He and Reed enjoy laughing at each other (especially in the bath tub) and chasing each other. G tries to teach him at times, but also still takes toys from him and pushes him over when he gets frustrated. We're trying to help him see that God gave him Reed to be a special friend that gets to live with him and play with him. It's a relationship that is a work in progress and one that is prayed over often!

Lessons I'm Learning- Sunday Absences

2011-02-20T09:35:00.002-06:00

Even before we went into the ministry, Sunday morning church was never something we missed. It's not that we were being legalistic, but rather acknowledging that it is important to maintaining our spiritual health. And since we enjoyed gathering each week with our church family, it is what we wanted to do with our Sunday morning.

Since Christmas we have only gone to our church 2 times (and my parent's once). We've either been sick or out of town. Needless to say, I miss being there.

I'm trying really hard to look at it all through the eyes of grace. Being a Pastor's wife means that all sick care falls on me since Anthony cannot stay home. There have been plenty of mornings where I've had a bad attitude towards it. I've been trying really hard not so that it will not make his job of leading worship more difficult. I certainly don't want to hinder his ministry.

I also know that I tend to worry about what others think. I figure that "they" think I'm being lazy and using every excuse to get out of going. This certainly isn't my motivation and besides, who are "they" anyway? (If anyone knows, please let me know because "they" have caused me much frustration in life!)

I just need to do what needs to be done for the family God has given me to care for and learn to praise God for it. Whether it is tending to my sick children or worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ, I know I am right where God wants me.

I'm really starting to see what Ann writes about in One Thousand Gifts. If I look at everything as being a gift given to me by God and am thankful for it then I experience His joy. I guess I would have thought that by missing this much church that I might feel distance in my relationship with God, but in actuality the Lord has been faithful to teach me. Hopefully I'll remember these lessons and apply them to future circumstances. Living in joy is so much better than living in frustration and concern over what "they" think!

Now my hope is to actually be able to attend church next week. We'll see what God has in mind!

Chapter 3-first flight

2011-02-18T07:24:00.002-06:00

One Thousand Gifts

Because that habit of discontentment
can only be driven out by hammering in one iron sharper.
The sleek pin of gratitude.
page 50

And I see it now for what this really is,
this dare to write down one thousand things I love.
It really is a dare to name all the ways that God loves me.
The true Love Dare.
page 59

Cute Shots of Reed

2011-02-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

He had a little static at my parent's house!

GG and G-Bob

2011-02-16T18:15:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from our trip last month

My New Favorite Picture

2011-02-16T16:02:00.003-06:00

The night this picture was taken, Graham asked if Reed could share his chair with him and referred to him as "my boy." It made me smile and run for the camera! G has never been the doting big brother, but each day I see glimpses of a friendship developing between then. I pray these two verses often for them:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
Psalm 133:1

And this commandment we have from him:
whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:21

OYOL Week 5

2011-02-15T04:50:00.000-06:00

Cut, Combine, or Delegate

Cut

After looking through my Bare Minimum and Do/Want List, I don't know that anything needs to be cut. I wish cleaning the bathrooms and doing the dishes could be, but we don't want to live in filth now do we? I realize that some things on there may never get done, but they are at least goals to one day achieve.

Combine

*I'm going to try and do my bare minimum cleaning in the morning while the boys play.
*If I ever get a plan together of what Graham is going to do for school time I will include writing a letter to our sponsored child once a month.
*I will begin by setting aside one morning's quiet time to read a chapter in the book I'm currently reading. Hopefully my interest will grow and I'll start reading at night too, but I don't want to expect too much from myself now do I? (Note- I've sucked it up and set my alarm for 5:45 in order to get up before the boys, although Graham usually gets up shortly after I do. It's made a huge difference in my day so do this so I don't mind).

Delegate

*I'm going to ask Anthony to be in charge of the family Bible and prayer time. This week is Love Your Family Week at church so it should be a good jump start to making this a part of our daily routine.
*Cubbies Verse can be reviewed during this family time and we can also pray for our sponsored child here.
*We've completely redone our budget for this year so I'm hoping Anthony and I can set time aside each week to look over it together.
*Graham and Reed need to help a lot more with toy clean up. I'm working on a nightly routine that will give us the time to straighten up and will require them to be a part of it.

---
This doesn't really fit into the three categories above, but here are some other things I've realized:

*For whatever reason I guess when I stopped teaching years ago I left my planning time too. For some reason I think I associated planning with not having the ability to be spontaneous or know what is going on. Obviously living like that hasn't been working, so I think giving myself a planning period once a week will really help. I can get our meal plan figured out, grocery list made, G's school activities decided, while considering the activities we have each day. Now I just need to find the best spot for a planning time like this since I envision it being without children :)

*I am hoping that this will be the week for my mom binder to finally come together. I've been thinking about it for weeks and the perfectionist in me wants it to have the perfect font and color scheme before I put it together. I just need to get it put together and can update it as needed. Right now I'm planning on putting the following sections in:

Food- favorite meals, freezer cooking list, recipes I want to try
Bills- bills, receipts, bank statements, and financial goals
Kids- babysitter info, gift ideas, activity ideas
Coupons (in plastic sleeve since I'm not fully into couponing right now)
Personal- projects list, books to read list, personal goals, gift ideas

I hope to report back next week with it DONE!!

OYOL Week 4

2011-02-14T04:48:00.001-06:00

We were supposed to break down the activities of our day up to see how much time we spend doing them. I took the lists that I posted in week 2 and 3 and then categorized them and rated them based on frequency. Some things got a zero because I don't do them and the things I do do, were rated higher based on the amount of time spent on them. It's certainly not exact, but I think a fair assessment.

After doing this, I'm left wondering what it should look like? I'm sick of guilting myself for not having "my act together," but what should "my act really look like?" I know I wish the house and food stuff took less time so I can do more with my kids and not be so exhausted at night so I can spend time with Anthony. I guess that's the place to start!

Chapter 2: a word to live ... and die by

2011-02-13T09:29:00.002-06:00

One Thousand Gifts

My Favorite Quotes

How do we live fully so we are fully ready to die?

page 29

----

With an expiration of less than twelve hours, what does Jesus count as all most important?

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them... (Luke 22:19 NIV).

page 31

----

In the original language, "he gave thanks" reads "eucharisteo"
...
The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning "grace."
Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks.
He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks.

But there is more, and I read it.
Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis.
But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning "joy."
Joy. Ah...yes.
I might be needing me some of that.
That might be what the quest for more is all about...

page 32

----

Our very saving is associated with our gratitude.

...

We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks.
Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation
if not with thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives.
Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace.

page 39

----

I would never experience the fullness of my salvation
until I expressed the fullness of my thanks every day,
and eucharisteo is elemental to living the saved life.

page 40

Chapter 1: an emptier, fuller life

2011-02-13T08:43:00.007-06:00

I've known about the book for a while. One Thousand Gifts. I loved the concept of writing down 1000 gifts. To do this you have look deep and beyond the big things in life. You have to go to the moment by moment events. I started my own list in October and even made notebooks for friends and family to begin their own lists as Christmas gifts.

For some reason I never really considered reading the book. I'm not a reader. I want to be. But whenever I slow down enough to pick a book up and read I fall asleep. I take after my dad I guess :)

Several weeks ago Angie Smith posted that the Bloom Book Club book was going to be One Thousand Gifts. They would read a chapter and have a video discussion with Ann Voskamp (the author). I decided that a book club format might be the accountability I need to actually start and finish a book! Plus I had enough swag bucks to be able to buy the book. I purchased it.

The book is incredible. I'm only two chapters in and can't wait to read the next one!

My favorite quotes

...the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude.

Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave.

Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins?

Our fall was, has always been, and always will be,
that we aren't satisfied in God and what He gives.

We hunger for something more, something other.

(page 15)

----

There's a reason I am not writing the story and God is.
He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what it all means.

I don't.

... "Maybe. . . I guess. . .
it's accepting there are things we simply don't understand.
But He does."

(page 21)

OYOL Week 3

2011-02-07T02:24:00.001-06:00

I have gotten behind on the OYOL. Two weeks out of town, mom visiting for a week, round two of the stomach bug, and a toddler dropping from two naps to one will do that to you!! I hope to get caught up over the next few weeks as we get back into our routine. This post will be dedicated to week 3's assignment- things I do or want to do that are not part of the bare minimum and its frequency. I realize that this will be a changing list as I successfully implement things and also think of more things that I want to add.

Daily
Family Bible and Prayer time
Read to the boys during the day and/or before bed
Exercise
Listen to music
Pray for our sponsored child
Review G's Cubbies Verse
Go to bed early
Be satisfied with what I accomplish each day
Play outside

Weekly
Go to the library
Go to the park
Read at least 1 chapter in a book of choice
Go grocery shopping at night alone
Call a friend
Date night
Plan activities for G (in order to cut down on tv time)

Monthly
Practice hospitality- have friends over for dinner
Work on and/or complete craft project
Freezer Cooking
Date out of the house
Get together with a friend without kids
Send sponsored child a letter

Quarterly
Plan Awana lessons
Finish a book

Yearly
Photobooks for each child and one that reviews the year
Deep clean house-move furniture, clean windows, etc

Lessons I'm Learning- Preaching to Myself

2011-02-06T21:48:00.000-06:00

I was confronted with the realization today that I demand more consistent obedience from my three year old then I do from myself. I focus so much of my day teaching and training Graham and Reed to handle situations in ways that honor God and his Word, yet so often I let my emotions and thoughts take over me. I give in to my frustrations and insecurities, saying and acting in ways that don't exemplify obedience. How can I expect them to behave when I, the adult, and choosing not to?

During today's message, Mark encouraged us to preach the Word to ourselves. I've heard this before, but realized that I NEED to start doing this. I recently memorized Proverbs 31:26- "She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." I have not been watching my words and saying things that are not wise or kind. I'm going to work harder this week to preach the Word to myself and hope that in doing so we will have a more peaceful home.

More of what Graham (+ Reed) says

2011-01-24T06:27:00.000-06:00

Boy have them kept us laughing this week!! From the mouth of Graham:

Playing with a catapult toy in the bathtub, he says to himself:

"Oh I get it. It's kind of like a see saw!"

-----

"That cat sounds like a snake" (referring to the hissing sound)

-----

"Caugh GG"

I didn't realize how funny this was until he said it to her. He says it to me often, "Mom cough" whenever I need to clear my throat.

-----

Uncle Joey did some work from here while he was visiting and it included receiving many phone calls. Graham noticed his frustration when he received a half dozen calls back to back and said to him:

"Why you doing that with your eyebrows?"

He has since made his angry eyes to remind us of what he was doing with them!

-----

G-Bob said his feet were cold and asked Graham to get his slippers.

G: "No... Ok I'll get them." (He proceeds to run for the stairs to go up and get them)

Me: "Do you know where they are?"

G: As quick as he started running he stops and says, "No!" and starts laughing.

-----

Graham was trying to tell knock knock jokes. Here's two of them.

#1
G: "Knock knock"

Mrs. B: "Who's there?"

G: "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"

#2

G: "Say knock knock"

Mrs. B: "knock knock"

G: "Who's there?"

Mrs. B: "Well I don't know!" (None of us knew it would turn out this way so we got a good laugh!)

-----

G: "Are we there yet?"

Me: "Graham, are we still driving?"

G: "Yes."

Me: "Are we in a parking lot?"

G: "No."

Me. "How will we know we're in a parking lot?"

G: "We'll crash."

-----

Julia: "Graham, your boots are on the wrong feet."

G: "Here" (he crossed his feet so the boots were on the right side even though he never switched them on his feet).

-----

GG: "I need to look at the light to help me sneeze."

Graham: After a moment of thinking, "Why don't you look at the darkness so you don't achoo?"

-----

Graham: "The floor is wet. The cat peed!" (He was referring to the snow that had come off of someone's boot and he stepped in it)

-----

Me: "Do you want pizza, chicken nuggets, a turkey sandwich, or mac and cheese?"

G: "Um, I just want a rice cake."

Later that day

Me: "Do you want some ice cream?"

G: "I want a popsicle."

If only I could choose rice cakes and popsicles instead of ice cream and other tasty foods!

-----

Me: "Ready, set . . ."

Reed: "Doe!" (go)

-----

While holding Buzz or Woody:

Reed: ". . .a ehyan!" (to infinity and beyond- my best attempt to write what he says :)

-----

Whenever Reed sees one of the cats he runs to it and says,

"doggie, doggie!"

-----

Reed has also found the food cabinets which happen to be the lower ones, so whenever he is hungry he brings us a box of cereal and as I was typing this we found this:

Songs of Praise- It Is Well With My Soul

2011-01-23T20:06:00.002-06:00

Since we're still in LP we went to my parents church today. It was such an encouragement. All throughout the morning I was reminded of the sweet connection that exists within the body of Christ. Some people I knew from growing up in that church, but many were strangers and yet we were there for a common purpose. JESUS! We were opening the Word together and discussing it during Sunday School and in the service we were singing praise, praying together, and rejoicing in what God did through the Nicaragua Missions Team. This common connection is because it is well with our souls all because of the basic truth that Graham shared with his Sunday School class, "Jesus lives in our hearts and died on the cross for us." May it be well for your soul too!

Snow Fun

2011-01-18T20:45:00.002-06:00

We were able to get out and play in the snow for a little while today.

OYOL Week 2

2011-01-17T21:26:00.004-06:00

This week's assignment was to come up with The Bare Minimu m that needs to be accomplished either daily or weekly. Here is what I came up with:

The Bare Minimum

Daily Do or Die

1. Read Bible, Memory Verse Review, Pray
2. Empty dishwasher and do dishes after each meal
3. One load of laundry washed and dried
4. Prepare/cook breakfast, lunch, dinner
5. Play with G and R

Sunday
1. Church
2. Blog

Monday
1. Meal Plan
2. Grocery List

Tuesday
1. Plan Awana Large Group Lesson
2. Grocery Shopping
3. Baths for G and R

Wednesday
1. Clean bathrooms
2. Vacuum

Thursday
1. Bills
2. Baths for G and R

Friday
1. Clean and mop kitchen

Saturday
1. Baths for G and R
2. Plan for the week

Here's to sticking to it!!

The Views From Here

2011-01-17T08:02:00.008-06:00

I see...

-20 degrees!!

lots of snow although not the best pic

didn't want to go out and get one, maybe if it warms up!

an addiction to the stairs

helping to overcome said addiction-

he has not figured out how to climb on them just yet

evidence of lots of house guests

G-Bob filling the hoop with wood

so I can assume my beloved position in front of the fire place

Sing Praise- Do It Lord

2011-01-16T11:07:00.004-06:00

Our church started 2011 out with a week of prayer. Groups met at 7, 12, and 6:30 Monday through Friday. Had we gone to FL we would have missed this. I'm so glad were able to participate. I was greatly encouraged to see people come each day and together bring our concerns for our families, church, work and neighbors, leadership, and personal growth before the Lord. The week finished with a wonderful worship service. I felt so much closer to my church family, knowing that many of us sought God for the same things and desire to see a movement of Him begin in our little area of the world. The Spirit was certainly present. My prayer was and is for 2011 to be a year we can look back on as when God started something that only He could do.

This was the song that Anthony picked for the Praise Team to sing and it was a perfect prayer to end the week. Do it Lord, do it Lord, we are praying!!

2011-01-14T07:42:00.002-06:00

So much to post but no time today! We head to NY tomorrow so if you think to pray for us between 8am (CST) and 2pm (EST). I'll be flying alone with the boys!! Graham will do fine. Reed won't sit on my lap for more than 5 minutes so 3 hours of total air time will be interesting. Thankfully he loves Toy Story so hopefully that will distract him some.

January Snow day

2011-01-11T15:31:00.004-06:00

Peter and Pan

2011-01-10T06:36:00.000-06:00

Here is Graham with our shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Along with things I collected for several months we went to the Dollar Store to pick out some little items to add to them. Before we went I showed him a picture of two boys (in his mouth) from the publicity pack they sent us. I asked them what we should name them and he decided on Peter and Pan. Since then we have referred to those two boys in the picture as the ones getting the boxes. While I know this isn't true, I think it helped him understand it a little more. We found out last month that the boxes went to the Ukraine. We'll be praying for "Peter" and "Pan" from the Ukraine, hoping that the items we put into our boxes met their needs and gave them a special Christmas!!

Reed at 15 Months

2011-01-07T02:21:00.002-06:00

Highlights of Reed at 15 months-

*He weighs 26 pounds and is 33 inches I think (I could be remembering the height wrong)

*He loves balls, stuffed animals, and books. He hugs his stuffed animals. His favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear and he loves to study the page with the blue horse.

*He is mesmerized by Toy Story and loves to watch whenever any of them are on.

*If I giggle, he will giggle back and we have lots of fun laughing at each other doing this.

*He loves to give hugs, does a deep knee bend in an attempt to jump, and has learned to fold his hands to pray.

*As soon as we sit in the rocking chair for nap or bed time he says "boo" (book) and wiggles to get down so he can pick a book out.

*He says "hi, hi, hi, hi" anytime we walk in the room or come home.

*He is learning new words regularly. He says baby, hi, bye, get down, cookie, cat, doggie, puppy, Jackie, amen, book, ball, mommy, daddy, eat, jump, thank you, quack, sock, and boo.

*He has 7 teeth and 4 molars. I think more are on the way.

*He prefers to eat with a fork, although ends up using his hands by the end of the meal.

*His appetite changes daily. Some days he eats non-stop and other days he doesn't like anything I offer. If he is hungry he lets us know by standing in front of the dishwasher, looking up at the food cabinet saying "ee! ee! ee!" He's still a big cracker, cheese, yogurt, and fruit fan. He is picky about what new foods he is willing to try and won't consider veggies or meat. He gets those in jarred baby food when I remember to buy them!

OYOL- Week 1

2011-01-06T14:47:00.005-06:00

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Unmotivated. Frustrated.

This is how I feel and yet, I don’t want these to be the words that my husband or boys use to describe me. I’m tired of feeling like a failure. I’m tired of the piles. I’m tired of the toys all over the house. I’m tired of living for nap time. I’m tired of misplacing things. I’m tired of ending the day forgetting what I’ve accomplished because what I didn’t is hanging over me. I’m tired of letting the boys watch so much tv because I have stuff to do. I’m tired of digging through the laundry basket. I’m tired of calling my husband because I’m stressed out. I’m tired of the tone of voice I've been using. I'm tired of not having a plan for the day. I’m tired of rushing around because we’re late. I'm tired.

Change is desperately needed at our house.

I'm going to be joining Brenda at Unsolicited Advice to become more organized.

I know some of the things that need to be done around here, but getting started is often the hardest part for me. I think her weekly approach will really help get the ball rolling. Plus you will have the added benefit of reading about my progress each week!!

In response to week 1's assignment, here is my purpose for going on this journey:

I desire for my home to be a Christ-honoring place of refuge and solace where our family enjoys to be together.

More of what Graham says

2011-01-05T14:40:00.000-06:00

Graham continues to keep us laughing with the things he comes up with. These two conversations show you a little of what we need to work on-

He was touching things in Walmart-

M: Say, "I will not be impulsive."

G: I will not be good.

-----

M: Say, "Let us do good to one another."

G: Let us to good to ourselves.

-----

We stayed home from church because we were sick-

M: Oh, we forgot to go to church today!

G: (thinking for a minute)... oh, well!

Project 52: Date 10

2011-01-04T14:47:00.002-06:00

The days before Christmas included several family activities so I counted them as a collective family date night (maybe more of a cop out since we didn't have a dedicated date night that week). We enjoyed watching many of the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas movies, playing together, having a birthday party for Jesus, making tortilla snowflakes, eating homemade marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate, and attempting the Christmas Eve service (since Anthony leads I'm on my own with the boys and Reed doesn't know how to be quiet or sit still, so we made it through one song before going down to the nursery. We came back up for the candle lit ending).

Project 52: Date 9

2011-01-04T14:35:00.002-06:00

Two weeks ago our date night included some Christmas favorites- egg nog and peanut butter bars. While indulged we played Bananagrams. The words had to be "Christmassy" words. I realized that you can rationalize pretty much any words into the category that you use in this game. My favorites included- "Lou" and "Laura" (according to Anthony they are the names we will choose between should we have a Christmas baby someday), "jags" (rough edges on packaging), "eieio" (what the animals in the stable said), "strip" (wrapping paper off of gifts) and "nativity."

Nicaragua Missions Trip

2011-01-04T08:49:00.004-06:00

My dad left today with a team from his church headed to Masaya, Nicaragua. This blog will be updated each day with ways to pray for the team. They will be gone from Jan 4-14 as they help build a medical clinic and sports court, teach some skills classes, and hold a three day crusade among other things.

I'm so thankful for the skills that God has given my dad. We have certainly benefited from them personally but more importantly, as far back as I can remember, I've seen him use them for the Lord. From employing people that later accepted Christ, to helping with a major renovation to their church, to playing a role in his customers coming to Christ, he's been a vessel that God has used. Now it's neat to see him going to another country and making a difference there.

We're proud of you G-Bob and will be praying for your safety and for God to use and encourage you while you are away.

Not what we thought

2011-01-03T06:38:00.000-06:00

We were supposed to be in Orlando this week. Anthony has been going to to a music conference there for the past three years.

In the past we've met friends from seminary there, but none of them could go this year. We decided to bring the boys and turn it into a family trip- he would go to the conference during the day and we'd do family things each night.

We'd see my grandfather.

I was going to visit with other friends from seminary that live in the area.

The weather looked nice.

Graham was looking forward to going to "Disney World" (or what we told him was Disney World-the admission free Disney store at Downtown Disney).

And then the stomach bug arrived.

It hit me first Thursday afternoon and Anthony on Friday night. Sat morning we realized we couldn't go. We spent much of that day switching and canceling reservations.

The good thing that comes from all of this is Anthony is going to go to another version of the conference in Dallas in two weeks. Because of this location, he'll get to visit a good friend from seminary that lives in the area and hasn't seen in a while. Since the TX conference happens right around my scheduled trip to NY, we were able to change our tickets to go a few days early.

Not what we thought, but it worked out in the end.

2010 in Review

2010-12-31T13:30:00.003-06:00

Thanks for the idea Becca!!

January- Trips to Orlando, Maryland, and Lake Placid, Reed meets Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandpa Joe for the first time.

February- watched the Winter Olympics, Graham turned 2 1/2, Valentine's date swap with the Witt's

March- Reed turns 6 months and starts saying "dada"

April- porch curtains finished a year after they were started, hall closet finished, GG and G-Bob come to visit, and Julia comes for spring break

May- Nashville flood, brothers play together more and more, going to the park, 8th anniversary dinner at home sans kids, "Reedy" becomes a nickname that sticks, baby Jude and Amanda come to visit, move Julia out of her dorm for the summer

June- start dieting, Anthony turns 30, Chris and Matt spend a weekend with us, go swimming, potty training officially begins, Reed starts crawling, MD part of our summer trip

July- LP part of summer trip, High Seas VBS

August- blueberry picking, bowling for my birthday, Little Einstein 3rd birthday party, GG and Julia come to visit, move Julia back into dorm, Graham starts preschool, Awana begins

September- Goldfish 1st birthday, Reed starts walking

October- start Project 52: Date Nights, Grandma and Grandpa come to visit, Julia comes for fall break, impromptu 1 and 3 year photo shoot, Reed's first haircut, plan Halloween party at preschool, boys dress up as David and Goliath, start home school activities with Graham

November- work on being more intentional, everyone gets a cold in time to drive to MD for Thanksgiving, took the train into DC, walk around Ikea, found many ideas on things to make for Christmas (most fall through)

December- GG and G-Bob come to pick Julia up, dining room table moved into the kitchen, boys get a playroom, new bedding in our room, plan preschool Christmas party, choir Cantata goes well, white Christmas, Graham learns the Christmas story

Funny Man Graham

2010-12-31T03:38:00.001-06:00

Fun at Ikea

2010-12-30T03:53:00.001-06:00

We were all still feeling out of sorts from our colds, but decided to venture out to Ikea anyway. What a great store! I wish we had one closer!! The boys had fun running around and trying out the furniture. Graham especially liked sitting in the kitchens and having me serve him pretend food. Reed loves to roll on the floor on stuffed animals or blankets. At one point he got down on the floor and tried to roll around on the arrow that indicated which direction we were to walk. He soon realized that it wasn't soft and plush but rather cold, hard concrete!

DC Adventure

2010-12-30T03:34:00.001-06:00

A couple of days before Thanksgiving we went on a family adventure to the Air and Space Museum in DC. It began with a 1.5 hour train ride from MD to to Union Station. We then took two metro trains to get to the area that the museum was in. We had hot dogs from a street vendor on the walk to the museum and then began looking at the many exhibits. The boys did great. Graham walked most of the day and Reed was able to take two naps in his stroller. We finished the day with dinner at Chili's thanks to a gift card. It was a great family day and I'm so glad we did it.

Notes:
*I am greatly intrigued by space travel (Apollo 13 is still one of my favorite movies) so that is why so many pictures are of the space ships and rockets.
*I thought the fact about air travel costing half of what a new car cost in the early 1900's was very encouraging. While air travel is expensive at least it is not costing half of what a new car might cost now!

Our Thanksgiving Travels

2010-12-29T18:23:00.001-06:00

We had a great time in MD with A's family for Thanksgiving. There was lots of playtime with the grandparents, cousins, and dogs. We went on a few adventures (including the 11+ hour drive there and back :) and managed to only pass our colds on to Grandpa (you're welcome). Thanks for a great visit!!

G and G with 4 of the 6 grandkids

cousins

brothers
(in the lobby of our hotel)

they loved being pushed on the carts

a sleepy ride home

On the way home we were able to visit some friends in VA that we had not seen in 5+ years. Thanks Anderson family for the delicious shrimp fettuccine meal and we met up with Aunt Julia in Gatlinburg when we stopped for lunch. She spent Thanksgiving with a friend from school and happened to be driving by where we stopped for lunch. Loved that coincidence!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2010-12-29T04:24:00.000-06:00

A few days before Christmas we went to the Bass' for a birthday party for Jesus. Her mom made a delicious ham dinner and Emily made a birthday cake. It was black (chocolate) to represent sin, red for the blood, and green for new life. The white icing represents our purity because of our forgiven sin. After all of the food we tried to get the kids to act out the nativity story. It was a great evening!

Our Family Christmas

2010-12-28T16:23:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful day celebrating CHRISTmas together. Since we have to be here for the Christmas eve service, we aren't able to travel. I miss seeing family, but do enjoy the traditions that we are adopting.

We opened presents, had homemade cinnamon rolls, played with and assembled the new toys, had friends from church over for lunch, took naps, and then watched movies and played with the new toys that night. It was a great, relaxing day!!

A few things to note:
*We woke up to a white Christmas. Apparently only the 10th in TN history!
*Both boys slept later than normal and Reed had to be woken up so we could open gifts
*Reed wasn't really into opening the gifts so Graham helped with most of them
*The transformer that Graham got included 16 steps for transforming it from robot to car and vice versa. I lost 45 minutes trying to transform it, never did finish it, and because of it I forgot to put lunch in the crockpot!
*They liked all of their toys. Graham's favorites were the three matchbox cars and Reed liked the animals that pop up.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-12-28T15:32:00.001-06:00

This was going to be my Thanksgiving Day post.
Just pretend Christmas wasn't a few days ago :)

Reed had fun playing with the lid to the turkey pan.

Graham and Roxy

2010-12-28T15:01:00.004-06:00

Roxy is Grandma and Grandpa's dog.
Graham loved playing with her
and she didn't mind it.

He still talks about her.

We hope to get a dog someday.

I know all three boys would love one!!

The Paradox of Christmas

2010-12-24T06:31:00.000-06:00

A Facebook Take on Christmas

2010-12-23T07:11:00.000-06:00

You've probably already seen this. If not, enjoy!

Because Graham is now obsessed

2010-12-22T19:01:00.001-06:00