Wow! So much has happened this year! Our family has once again been incredibly blessed. We are not ending the year, not to mention the decade, any wealthier or better off, however we are healthy, happy and we have each other. Here are some of the things we'll remember about 2010:
1. The ice storm that left us without electricity for three straight days. It swear it felt much longer than that!!! I learned alot about myself. Like I would never have survived living on the prairie, I wasn't made for winter and I take a lot more for granted than I truely realize.
2. I planted my first garden and it actually produced all the way into November!!! It was great watching it grow and being able to walk out my door to grab tomatoes, peppers, squash, and zucchini. I will definately do it again in 2011.
3. I finished my last year at Lincoln. It was my first public school job. I started out teaching fourth grade and the following years after that I was blessed with the opportunity to teach first. It's where my classroom was located for 7 years. I feel like I did a lot of growing up and learning about the world and myself there.
4. Our family vacation to San Antonio. It was so much fun! Even if we lost Lilly at the hotel, D cut his toe at Sea World, it stormed while we were there and our whole half side of town was without electricity an a/c for the entire night. Except for all that, we had a great time...D fed the dolphins, the Riverwalk was beautiful, and we found a restaurant ALMOST as good as Ted's!
5. I did a book study with some friends in my house over Femenine Appeal. It was awesome and something I can't wait to take part in again. Hmm wonder what we'll read next???
6. Started the school year in a different building. The building I actually went to kindergarten, first and second grade in. It was interesting and felt like I had come full circle. I teach right next door to my own first grade teacher now!
7. D started kindergarten and his reading has taken off!!! I'm so excited to listen to him read to me.
8. L started speech. It has been a blessing for us all. She's only been going one day a week but we've seen so much progress in only a short amount of time.
9. My sister and I started a monthly girls night out. Each month we take turns choosing the restaurant and activity (usually shopping, but we're both good with that!). I think we're closer than we've been in a LONG time and we have a blast when we get to go!
10. Christmas 2010: We all got sick, we kinda missed out on a normal Christmas for our family and L had her tonsils and adenoids removed. May not be the greatest ending to the year BUT we are all on the mends and hopefully L will be more healthy in the new year :)
Happy New Year to all of you!!!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year and Happy New Decade!!!
With the ending of the old year and beginning of the new one I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" I am thankful for my God who gives new beginnings no matter what time of year it is! May all of you have a beautiful new beginning to the new year and the new decade!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Round 2 a Success
L finally had her tonsils and adenoids removed this past Monday. This happened a week after we were originally supposed to have it done but like most everything else that happens in the Ravan household you don't always get what you expect. Oh well, at least we had a good doctor willing to work with us and one who understood we wanted to do it while it was Christmas break. So we got up Monday morning early at 4:15 in order to be at the hospital for surgery prep at 5:45.
The nurses were wonderful as always in Norman. Can't say I've ever had a bad experience with any of them. In order to get L to relax and thankfully not leave us screaming they gave her a sedative which helped to calm her. I can't say I've ever seen my daughter that calm. It was almost humerous! We were able to talk to her without her trying to poke our eyes out or choke us (one of her ways of playing) and instead she just smiled sweetly and answered our questions with a nod or shake of her head. After the sedative had taken complete effect they took L back for surgery along with Pat, her stuffed horse. I was extremely nervous and prayed most of the time she was away from me.
After about an hour L's nurse finally came to give us a report. I had begun to think after about an hour of not hearing anything that there were complications or something else. I guess it's my nature to think the worst. L's nurse was extremely kind. She said they'd finished and L would be returned to us soon.
L was brought to us by her surgical nurse and the anesthiologist who'd administered her sedative. They oohed and awed over her telling us how pretty she is and what a doll. Of course I know all this but I just cuddled my daughter and tried to comfort her. She was initially upset because of the IV in her hand. As she faded in and out of sleep she tried to pick at it so I had to hold her hands in order to keep her from pulling it out. Then the nurses left and Josh went to grab a bite of breakfast for us. In the short amount of time he was gone L's stomach acted up and I had to call a nurse for help! It was scarey for me, but the nurse came quickly and helped clean L and I up. She said it was normal for that to happen and gave her some medicine to calm her belly. She was my hero for a brief few 5 minutes!!! I know I would never be successful at a job like hers.
L slept for probably a good hour before any of the drugs started to wear off. We actually had to wake her up so we could get her started on a cup of milk. She had to be drinking and keeping things down before they let us leave to come home. She did so well from that point on. She actually drank a whole pint of milk pretty quickly without any problems so they let us check out about 11 am. We had gone fully expecting an overnight stay so we were glad to be leaving so she could heal comfortably at home.
When we got home I didn't expect her to eat anything but the first thing she asked for when we walked in the door was a "chocolate cookie", also known as an Oreo. She also ate ramen noodles and crackers. I was thrilled!
We are into the third day now, what many people tell me will be one of the harder days. They also tell me her breath will stink like something's crawled down her throat and died. My plan is to take one day at a time and cover my daughter in prayer.
To all our friends and family THANK YOU for your prayers and concern for her. We will keep you updated on her recovery and we love you all!
The nurses were wonderful as always in Norman. Can't say I've ever had a bad experience with any of them. In order to get L to relax and thankfully not leave us screaming they gave her a sedative which helped to calm her. I can't say I've ever seen my daughter that calm. It was almost humerous! We were able to talk to her without her trying to poke our eyes out or choke us (one of her ways of playing) and instead she just smiled sweetly and answered our questions with a nod or shake of her head. After the sedative had taken complete effect they took L back for surgery along with Pat, her stuffed horse. I was extremely nervous and prayed most of the time she was away from me.
After about an hour L's nurse finally came to give us a report. I had begun to think after about an hour of not hearing anything that there were complications or something else. I guess it's my nature to think the worst. L's nurse was extremely kind. She said they'd finished and L would be returned to us soon.
L was brought to us by her surgical nurse and the anesthiologist who'd administered her sedative. They oohed and awed over her telling us how pretty she is and what a doll. Of course I know all this but I just cuddled my daughter and tried to comfort her. She was initially upset because of the IV in her hand. As she faded in and out of sleep she tried to pick at it so I had to hold her hands in order to keep her from pulling it out. Then the nurses left and Josh went to grab a bite of breakfast for us. In the short amount of time he was gone L's stomach acted up and I had to call a nurse for help! It was scarey for me, but the nurse came quickly and helped clean L and I up. She said it was normal for that to happen and gave her some medicine to calm her belly. She was my hero for a brief few 5 minutes!!! I know I would never be successful at a job like hers.
L slept for probably a good hour before any of the drugs started to wear off. We actually had to wake her up so we could get her started on a cup of milk. She had to be drinking and keeping things down before they let us leave to come home. She did so well from that point on. She actually drank a whole pint of milk pretty quickly without any problems so they let us check out about 11 am. We had gone fully expecting an overnight stay so we were glad to be leaving so she could heal comfortably at home.
When we got home I didn't expect her to eat anything but the first thing she asked for when we walked in the door was a "chocolate cookie", also known as an Oreo. She also ate ramen noodles and crackers. I was thrilled!
We are into the third day now, what many people tell me will be one of the harder days. They also tell me her breath will stink like something's crawled down her throat and died. My plan is to take one day at a time and cover my daughter in prayer.
To all our friends and family THANK YOU for your prayers and concern for her. We will keep you updated on her recovery and we love you all!
Monday, December 20, 2010
I Have Frustration In Me
There is a series of books about a little girl named Junie B. Jones. She always has the right words for everything and every situation she finds herself in. One phrase she says is "I have frustration in me". I can totally relate with Junie B. right now. Since birth L has dealt with one thing after another. I'm usually patient about these things that have come our way but I maybe running out of it. Last May she got tubes for reoccuring ear infections. They seemed to have worked but now she has reoccuring sinus infections. She's actually scheduled to have her tonsils and adenoids removed on Tuesday but this past Friday she came down with what seems to be a virus or strep! Our family had plans to go to KC but after she got sick at the last minute we decided Josh and D should go and I would stay home with her in hopes of getting her well for tomorrow. Well she seems to be doing somewhat better but she still has a mild fever...ugh! I hate that my daughter is not well and can't seem to stay well. So Junie B., I get it! I have frustration in me too!!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
What I'm Thankful for this Year
Where do I begin? God has been so good to us. Some things are obvious and I'm afraid others will be completely forgotten. So the following is my top 10 list:
1. Jesus. How could He NOT be at the top of my list?! Without Him I have no hope. He is my savior, my rock, my redeemer, my comforter, my healer, the one who listens when no one else will, the only one who totally understands me, my protector, my everything, my God!
2. My husband
3. My children
I can write paragraphs on #'s 2 and 3. For right now I'll leave it at that.
4. Our families. Without them Josh and I might never get to spend any time alone. Ha! In all honesty though we love and appreciate them for all they do for us. I only hope we are as good to them as they are to us.
5. My sister, Jessica. Love our conversations together. The older we get the more we "get" each other. So thankful we've both grown up and out of our selfish teenage ways to see what's most important in life.
6. My bffae, Amanda. I've been informed by my sister taht bffae stands for best friends forever and ever, which in our case is pretty true. We've only been friends for about 10 years but she and I have prayed together and for each other through infertility, babies, marriage, divorce, sickness, and even the death of her mom. Not to mention we have tons of fun when we get together. Our relationship is kind of like Meridith and Christina on Grey's Anatomy except without all the wierd parts. I love her as if she were my own sister and I'm so thankful I will spend eternity in Heaven with this chick :)
7. My church family. Wow! We have an awesome church family. Not that I don't think God couldn't lead us to another church as wonderful as Trinity, but I am perfectly aware that there are not many churches out there that have the kind of commitment to leading, teaching, discipling, serving each other and loving their members that ours does.
8. The Word of God. Every part of it is God-breathed and useful in one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. (2 Tim 3:16)
9. D's expression of faith. He is a new born in his faith but he is teaching me so much about the simplicity of it all that we take for granted. Through him I've come to understand why the lost have such a hard time accepting it for what it is. I pray daily that he will grow in his faith and that it will be bold. I pray that he will be courageous enough to stand firm in what he believes when it's most important. I pray that he will be a man after God's own heart!
10. My family's health. It seems once Josh and I turned 30 and had children our bodies began to "fall apart". Immediately after D was born Josh spent a night in the hospital. Then L was born and I got sick and spent 3 days in the ICU. L has had multiple ear infections, sinus infections, eye surgery, tubes, and over Christmas Break she'll have her tonsils and adnoids removed. This seems like a lot but I also know that things could be much worse. I'm thankful that we have the insurance to afford these hospital stays, surgeries, and drugs to make us well!
1. Jesus. How could He NOT be at the top of my list?! Without Him I have no hope. He is my savior, my rock, my redeemer, my comforter, my healer, the one who listens when no one else will, the only one who totally understands me, my protector, my everything, my God!
2. My husband
3. My children
I can write paragraphs on #'s 2 and 3. For right now I'll leave it at that.
4. Our families. Without them Josh and I might never get to spend any time alone. Ha! In all honesty though we love and appreciate them for all they do for us. I only hope we are as good to them as they are to us.
5. My sister, Jessica. Love our conversations together. The older we get the more we "get" each other. So thankful we've both grown up and out of our selfish teenage ways to see what's most important in life.
6. My bffae, Amanda. I've been informed by my sister taht bffae stands for best friends forever and ever, which in our case is pretty true. We've only been friends for about 10 years but she and I have prayed together and for each other through infertility, babies, marriage, divorce, sickness, and even the death of her mom. Not to mention we have tons of fun when we get together. Our relationship is kind of like Meridith and Christina on Grey's Anatomy except without all the wierd parts. I love her as if she were my own sister and I'm so thankful I will spend eternity in Heaven with this chick :)
7. My church family. Wow! We have an awesome church family. Not that I don't think God couldn't lead us to another church as wonderful as Trinity, but I am perfectly aware that there are not many churches out there that have the kind of commitment to leading, teaching, discipling, serving each other and loving their members that ours does.
8. The Word of God. Every part of it is God-breathed and useful in one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. (2 Tim 3:16)
9. D's expression of faith. He is a new born in his faith but he is teaching me so much about the simplicity of it all that we take for granted. Through him I've come to understand why the lost have such a hard time accepting it for what it is. I pray daily that he will grow in his faith and that it will be bold. I pray that he will be courageous enough to stand firm in what he believes when it's most important. I pray that he will be a man after God's own heart!
10. My family's health. It seems once Josh and I turned 30 and had children our bodies began to "fall apart". Immediately after D was born Josh spent a night in the hospital. Then L was born and I got sick and spent 3 days in the ICU. L has had multiple ear infections, sinus infections, eye surgery, tubes, and over Christmas Break she'll have her tonsils and adnoids removed. This seems like a lot but I also know that things could be much worse. I'm thankful that we have the insurance to afford these hospital stays, surgeries, and drugs to make us well!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Answered Prayer
I began praying for his salvation as soon as Josh and I decided to starting trying to get pregnant. Even as the months passed and it didn't happen for us I still prayed for this. Then He led us down the adoption path. Of course then I started praying more specifically for our baby but salvation was always at the top of the list. I lack the words to describe the emotion I felt when D was born. I was overwhelmed and so full of happiness and grateful that God had picked us to take care of this precious child. More than that He was entrusting D into our teaching. That's a scarey thought! From the night we brought him home we've sung him songs about Jesus, read him Bible stories, and pointed him to the cross. He knows that we are a family because God created our family. All this teaching finally began to produce questions this summer. Some we could answer others we couldn't, but we were always honest with him. Then last month AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) started back up at church. This is a Bible club program through our church that teaches children about the Bible and encourages them to memorize scripture. D's been a part of it for 3 years now. His teachers are wonderful and very thorough. They take their task seriously. Also this past weekend D's little friend, Emma, prayed and asked for forgiveness of her sins...she became a Christian. When I shared this wonderful news with D he asked "Why'd she do that?!" It was a funny reaction but opened the door for some conversation. I told him that she'd realized she was a sinner and needed Jesus. He got this sad look on his face and when I asked him what was wrong he said "I want to do that." So Josh talked with him that morning for a while about it. After some conversation he decided he wasn't ready and we dropped it figuring he's too young, but knew that God had been working in our son's heart. Then Tuesday morning as we were walking out the door for school he asks me "How long does it take to become a Christian?" I told him it happens instantly and all you have to do is pray, ask for forgiveness and believe in Jesus. Again he said "I want to do that" so I said we'd talk to dad after school. He couldn't wait for Josh to walk in the door that evening. He was on him like white on rice! "Dad we need to talk." Josh talked with him for almost a good hour. We both had our concerns about him being young and just doing it because his friend did it. Josh asked him a thousand questions. The head knowledge was definately there, but our concerns still lingered. D, however would not let it go. He even asked Josh what he was supposed to say when he prayed. I suspect he would have gone ahead and prayed on his own! Josh prayed with him though and D became a Christian on Tuesday, October 5, 2010!!!
I still have my concerns and fears. I definately feel like I have a bigger job as the mother of a believer. I am eternally grateful though. Even more happy than the day this wonderful little boy came into my life!!! The verse in Matthew 19:14 is a great encouragement to me too: "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." We would have been hindering D from coming to Christ if we'd put him off. Sure he will have more questions as he grows and matures in his faith, but for now he has the faith of a child who just accepts this awesome gift for what it is. Free, simple, and completely uncomplicated! And I will praise my God who has answered this prayer for my son til the day I die!!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day!
I'm so glad for a three day weekend. Even more so than that I'm glad to spend it with my family. We didn't make huge plans or go anywhere. We've kept it pretty simple. Friday we took the kids for ice cream and to the park. It was a beautiful evening and we had a blast just playing and running around...plus it caused the kids to run off all that sugar so they could crash when bedtime came around! Saturday was a busy day but quite productive. After all the sanding and construction work in the kitchen we finally started priming the cabinets for that beautiful black paint that's soon going to go on, made a trip to Lowe's, had dinner at Applebea's and came home to finish priming. Sunday we decided to take the day off and rest. Today is the big day for the cabinets though! We finally get to paint them. I'm so excited and can't wait to share pictures. It's going to look awesome!!!
Josh and I try to make it a priority to spend time together as a family when we have the chance. Yes we've had to chase the kids out of the kitchen and gate it off but we wouldn't have it any other way. Josh and I know we are blessed to have D and L in our lives so we try to involve them as much as we can. We like having them around since we don't get to be together but for a limited time during the week and they make life more intersting. We are particular fans of the screaming that goes on in this house! Whoever said "silence is golden" didn't know what they were talking about!!!
So in our house we are celebrating Labor Day by working in the kitchen and working to keep the kids out of t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Who needs rest?! ;) So to the rest of our friends and family enjoy your day of rest...we love you all!!!
Josh and I try to make it a priority to spend time together as a family when we have the chance. Yes we've had to chase the kids out of the kitchen and gate it off but we wouldn't have it any other way. Josh and I know we are blessed to have D and L in our lives so we try to involve them as much as we can. We like having them around since we don't get to be together but for a limited time during the week and they make life more intersting. We are particular fans of the screaming that goes on in this house! Whoever said "silence is golden" didn't know what they were talking about!!!
So in our house we are celebrating Labor Day by working in the kitchen and working to keep the kids out of t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Who needs rest?! ;) So to the rest of our friends and family enjoy your day of rest...we love you all!!!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Leaving the Kids
God has been so good these last two weeks! I knew starting school would be very hard and it was. I stressed about it like I always do into the first week, but it has come and gone. L took nearly two months last year before she adjusted to daycare...I took much longer. This year by the second week she was jumping into the arms of her favorite ladies. I even got a wave, "bye-bye", and a smile as I dropped her off this past Friday. That made it so much easier to leave her knowing that she was happy. Even though I am not thrilled with the idea of daycare by any means somehow it has been a blessing to our family. The girls that teach her truely seem to love her (God has weeded out a few bad ones) and God's love is taught in the daycare. I can feel it and see it when I walk in every time. It has given our family some consistency that we honestly needed too. We can depend on them to be there for us every day we need them. Don't get me wrong though. Nothing can replace the love and care they recieved from our sweet friends who watched her and D before! In addition L has grown socially. Before the end of the school year she was moved up to the 3 year old class because they said she related better to the older kids! I feel that along with the tubes we had put in her ears in April this has dramatically effected her speech as well. I can understand my daughter much better now more than ever. Nothing like hearing your little girl say "leave me alone" clearly (I think : ).
D on the other hand made his adjustments as cool and calm as he always does, although this year he did ask me to walk him in the first couple of days (leaving more scars on my heart). He loves his teacher this year almost as much as I think I do. Beforehand I was praying about who his teacher would be this year. I knew very few of the Kindergarten teachers and leaving my children in other's hands has never been an easy thing for me no matter how old my babies are. Mrs. Cox though has been an incredible blessing. I believe God set up our first meeting perfectly. We were at a workshop together in the same room and so after I found out she was his teacher I decided to introduce myself. She caught me first though and while we were supposed to be taking a 15 minute break it turned into a longer one for us. We have so much in common. She is an adoptive parent of three boys and recently had a biological child of her own as well. Ironically a little girl. Sound familiar yet? I believe she is a christian as well. She was incredibly easy to talk too and within that small about of time we had to talk I knew D was going to have a wonderful year! He has even made comments about how nice he thinks she is :)
So while I worried about how this school year was going to begin God took care of everything. I'm so thankful He knows my heart and has my children in His hands. I'd like to think that leaving them to Him will get easier, but I know my babies will only grow into big kids, and those big kids will grow into teenagers, and those teenagers into adults. They will have all the experiences Josh and I had as kids and probably even face newer and scarier ones. So I will take each day at a time, enjoy the time I'm given with them, and pray everyday for God's care over them. Who better to leave them with?
D on the other hand made his adjustments as cool and calm as he always does, although this year he did ask me to walk him in the first couple of days (leaving more scars on my heart). He loves his teacher this year almost as much as I think I do. Beforehand I was praying about who his teacher would be this year. I knew very few of the Kindergarten teachers and leaving my children in other's hands has never been an easy thing for me no matter how old my babies are. Mrs. Cox though has been an incredible blessing. I believe God set up our first meeting perfectly. We were at a workshop together in the same room and so after I found out she was his teacher I decided to introduce myself. She caught me first though and while we were supposed to be taking a 15 minute break it turned into a longer one for us. We have so much in common. She is an adoptive parent of three boys and recently had a biological child of her own as well. Ironically a little girl. Sound familiar yet? I believe she is a christian as well. She was incredibly easy to talk too and within that small about of time we had to talk I knew D was going to have a wonderful year! He has even made comments about how nice he thinks she is :)
So while I worried about how this school year was going to begin God took care of everything. I'm so thankful He knows my heart and has my children in His hands. I'd like to think that leaving them to Him will get easier, but I know my babies will only grow into big kids, and those big kids will grow into teenagers, and those teenagers into adults. They will have all the experiences Josh and I had as kids and probably even face newer and scarier ones. So I will take each day at a time, enjoy the time I'm given with them, and pray everyday for God's care over them. Who better to leave them with?
Saturday, August 14, 2010
My Strength Comes from Him
So there is so much going on in our lives right now. It's quite overwhelming. First of all we are remodeling our kitchen. A few weeks ago I was saying how happy I was that it wasn't stressing me out but I feel it coming with school about to start on Monday. There are no cabinet doors on my cabinets. Everything is bare...my kitchen is naked! Not to mention half of it has been sanded and the other half is still waiting for me to get to it.
Then there's the fact that everything at school is new. I mean NEW! I will be in a new building, with a new principal, going through a new phonics program as well as starting Great Expectations. I'm excited about all of it and I know change is sometimes good so I'm trying to look at this from an optimistic perspective. I keep thinking maybe all of this wouldn't seem so hard though if it didn't mean sending my own two children off to school. D will be starting Kindergarten this year. I believe this is going to be as hard as sending him to Pre-K for the first time. When did my baby boy grow up so quickly? The blessing in this however is that he has a wonderful teacher this year. I worked with her in one of our workshops this week and must say I immediately felt a peace come over me when she introduced herself to me and we got to talk.
L will begin her second year of daycare. No, I am still not thrilled with this situation and if I could change it I would, but I am thankful for it regardless. They do take good care of her and she is getting a lot of interaction with other children that she wouldn't have otherwise.
Have I mentioned how overwhelmed I am? I feel as if I am on a rollercoaster. One minute I am very excited about all of it. The next I am freaking out...How am I going to accomplish all I need to and still be a good mom/teacher?!
Thankfully the Bible has answers for this question:
I do this way too often. I let my fears and anxieties take over even when I know this is not the solution. These verses remind me however that I don't have to do it all on my own. God is more than strong enough and sufficient enough to help me take all of it on!!! So I will go from here with a different outlook. "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." (Psalm 18:2)
Then there's the fact that everything at school is new. I mean NEW! I will be in a new building, with a new principal, going through a new phonics program as well as starting Great Expectations. I'm excited about all of it and I know change is sometimes good so I'm trying to look at this from an optimistic perspective. I keep thinking maybe all of this wouldn't seem so hard though if it didn't mean sending my own two children off to school. D will be starting Kindergarten this year. I believe this is going to be as hard as sending him to Pre-K for the first time. When did my baby boy grow up so quickly? The blessing in this however is that he has a wonderful teacher this year. I worked with her in one of our workshops this week and must say I immediately felt a peace come over me when she introduced herself to me and we got to talk.
L will begin her second year of daycare. No, I am still not thrilled with this situation and if I could change it I would, but I am thankful for it regardless. They do take good care of her and she is getting a lot of interaction with other children that she wouldn't have otherwise.
Have I mentioned how overwhelmed I am? I feel as if I am on a rollercoaster. One minute I am very excited about all of it. The next I am freaking out...How am I going to accomplish all I need to and still be a good mom/teacher?!
Thankfully the Bible has answers for this question:
- I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phillipians 4:13)
- I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)
- Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10b)
- When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
- My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)
- Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26: 3-4)
- O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress. (Jeremiah 16:19)
- If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)
- My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9a)
I do this way too often. I let my fears and anxieties take over even when I know this is not the solution. These verses remind me however that I don't have to do it all on my own. God is more than strong enough and sufficient enough to help me take all of it on!!! So I will go from here with a different outlook. "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." (Psalm 18:2)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Firsts
So I was thinking the other day about this summer. It's gone by so quickly (that's the worst part about summer), but I've accomplished a lot and had a lot of "firsts". By this I mean things that I've done or tried for the first time ever. Here are just a few...
1. a vegetable garden
2. made a dress for L, almost w/o mom's help
3. trip to San Antonio/Sea World
4. kitchen remodel
5. hostessing a ladies Bible study in my home, which throughly blessed me!
Well, as I was thinking I began to think beyond this summer about the firsts I've had in my life and how much joy I've received from experiencing them. Following are some of my favorites:
1. My first love. Okay not to get all mushy, but Josh was honestly my first REAL boyfriend. I had had "puppylove" boyfriends and dated a few guys (none that were really husband material mind you) but never had a serious boyfriend until I met Josh. Most relationships previous to him lasted about 2 weeks...if that! He treated me different. Special. And he still does!
2. The first time Josh and I walked into the nursery and met D! This is one of my all time favorites forever burned upon my heart. It was the perfect setting. Josh and I had prayed for months (what felt like years) for this moment and there he was as we walked in the room. Lying all by himself in a nursery bed in an empty room. No other babies or nurses...just him. I have always felt that as I walked in that room it was God's way of saying we both needed each other. I'll never forget it.
3. My first physical pregnancy. I say physical because we were pregnant with D in a different way. We experienced EVERYTHING a couple does during pregnancy with him minus the physical part of it. Anyway, being pregnant with L was a totally awesome experience. Those of you who know me will agree it wasn't all a party for me but it was wonderful. I loved being able to feel her move around inside me. That was AMAZING!
4. Our first purchase together...a $200 television set. We bought the tv a couple of months before we got married. It was a great learning experience about ourselves as a couple. It taught us about working together and how to communicate our wants and needs. It also taught me that although it takes my husband forever to make a decision that the time spent educating himself about a large purchase is usually well spent in the end. Btw the tv was still working when we replaced it this past year!
5. My first swim meet. I'll never forget how nervous I was or how much I thought I'd fail and embarass myself. The first time I got up on the block I was the last person in a 400 relay. Now if you know anything about swimming a relay such as this you know that each person does a 100 before the next one in line goes. Well...let's just say we hadn't trained that way in practice so when it was my turn I jumped in after the person in front of me's first 50. I had no idea what I'd done until I was returning from my first 50 and the girls were slapping the water yelling at me to stop! Yes, I was totally embarassed, but I discovered something about myself...I LOVED swimming! Hated the 5am practices but loved swimming competetively itself.
The following are without explanation as this could get REALLY long if I did that...
6. Our first house. Lots and lots of memories!!!
7. Selling our first house :(
8. Our first dog, Harley.
9. My first REAL teaching job and the wonderful ladies I still work with.
10. My first car, a gold 1987 Honda Accord.
11. My first college class. Yes, I am a bigole (as D would say) nerd! I loved school. I love learning and I love reading!!!
12. Meeting my inlaws for the first time. I am incredibly blessed with two wonderful set of family!!!
13. Our first church home as a couple, Trinity.
I could go on and on but his whole talk of first brings the verse Mattew 6:33 to mind: "But seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The is to be the most important FIRST thing in our lives EVERYDAY! I believe my family is blessed only because we have made God the first priority in our lives. Where is He on your list of priorities?
1. a vegetable garden
2. made a dress for L, almost w/o mom's help
3. trip to San Antonio/Sea World
4. kitchen remodel
5. hostessing a ladies Bible study in my home, which throughly blessed me!
Well, as I was thinking I began to think beyond this summer about the firsts I've had in my life and how much joy I've received from experiencing them. Following are some of my favorites:
1. My first love. Okay not to get all mushy, but Josh was honestly my first REAL boyfriend. I had had "puppylove" boyfriends and dated a few guys (none that were really husband material mind you) but never had a serious boyfriend until I met Josh. Most relationships previous to him lasted about 2 weeks...if that! He treated me different. Special. And he still does!
2. The first time Josh and I walked into the nursery and met D! This is one of my all time favorites forever burned upon my heart. It was the perfect setting. Josh and I had prayed for months (what felt like years) for this moment and there he was as we walked in the room. Lying all by himself in a nursery bed in an empty room. No other babies or nurses...just him. I have always felt that as I walked in that room it was God's way of saying we both needed each other. I'll never forget it.
3. My first physical pregnancy. I say physical because we were pregnant with D in a different way. We experienced EVERYTHING a couple does during pregnancy with him minus the physical part of it. Anyway, being pregnant with L was a totally awesome experience. Those of you who know me will agree it wasn't all a party for me but it was wonderful. I loved being able to feel her move around inside me. That was AMAZING!
4. Our first purchase together...a $200 television set. We bought the tv a couple of months before we got married. It was a great learning experience about ourselves as a couple. It taught us about working together and how to communicate our wants and needs. It also taught me that although it takes my husband forever to make a decision that the time spent educating himself about a large purchase is usually well spent in the end. Btw the tv was still working when we replaced it this past year!
5. My first swim meet. I'll never forget how nervous I was or how much I thought I'd fail and embarass myself. The first time I got up on the block I was the last person in a 400 relay. Now if you know anything about swimming a relay such as this you know that each person does a 100 before the next one in line goes. Well...let's just say we hadn't trained that way in practice so when it was my turn I jumped in after the person in front of me's first 50. I had no idea what I'd done until I was returning from my first 50 and the girls were slapping the water yelling at me to stop! Yes, I was totally embarassed, but I discovered something about myself...I LOVED swimming! Hated the 5am practices but loved swimming competetively itself.
The following are without explanation as this could get REALLY long if I did that...
6. Our first house. Lots and lots of memories!!!
7. Selling our first house :(
8. Our first dog, Harley.
9. My first REAL teaching job and the wonderful ladies I still work with.
10. My first car, a gold 1987 Honda Accord.
11. My first college class. Yes, I am a bigole (as D would say) nerd! I loved school. I love learning and I love reading!!!
12. Meeting my inlaws for the first time. I am incredibly blessed with two wonderful set of family!!!
13. Our first church home as a couple, Trinity.
I could go on and on but his whole talk of first brings the verse Mattew 6:33 to mind: "But seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The is to be the most important FIRST thing in our lives EVERYDAY! I believe my family is blessed only because we have made God the first priority in our lives. Where is He on your list of priorities?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Momma's Girl
So you've heard how wonderful my husband is and how amazing my D is. Let me tell you about my L. If you look up the definition of momma's girl you will see a picture of my dear L. She puts a smile on my face even now as I think about her. As she is napping at this moment I am basking in the peace and quiet this house is experiencing because when she gets up it won't be this quiet again until about after both kids are in bed. I love L for so many reasons...even the ones that make me want to scream, because I know that even these moments are blessings.
L is our second child. Our pregancy with her was a much unexpected surprise. Nearly a year to the day she was born I began praying for another child. I know this is true because I can look back in my prayer journal and see it. Josh and I were sure God had adoption in mind for us again. We'd been on infertility drugs for almost a year before D was born without any thing happening so we didn't even begin to consider using them again until we experienced 5 failed adoptions within 2 months. Yes, I said 5!!! We even got to meet a birthmom (I'll tell you about that experience some other time). So anyway we went to meet with the doctor. I say we because I made Josh go with me this time. He'd gotten out of it before and if I was going to use those drugs again he would get to meet with the doctor too! So after our first time being on them a second time we got pregnant. We found out March 13th, a week before my birthday. SURPRISE!!! When I took the pregnancy test(s) I was in complete denial. I thought it was a fluke. Josh said I needed to make sure with a blood test but I told him I didn't want to because I was "afraid it would go away". But I had one done anyway late that evening. My BFF, Amanda, met Josh and I at the clinic and I had the results two hours later thanks to the very sweet lady who took my blood and was nice enough to break the rules and not make me wait for the doctor's nurse to call the next morning. The first person we told was D. We told him there was a baby in mommy's tummy and he smiled :)
Our excitement and joy became fear a few days later however when I began spotting. Thanks to the wise advice of a friend I quickly went back to the clinic and had my hormone levels checked. Sure enough my levels were LOW so the doctor prescribed progesterone pills and bedrest for my birthday and springbreak (my favorite thing about March). I was bummed but more than that I was scared to death I was going to lose our baby. So I did exactly what the doctor told me to. Thankfully I have a wonderful family who was completely supportive. Josh's parents were going to KC that week (a trip I had been expecting to take as well) so they took D along with them while I was cooped up in bed. From that time on I did whatever the doctor told me too. No matter what I was determined to have our baby.
I'm convinced to this day that God intervened but I am also convinced that L would have been born regardless of whether I had followed doctor's orders or not. She is a fighter! Strong-willed and independent. She will have her way or everybody suffers (so she thinks!).
She is a happy little girl though too. She loves to dance and sing. She has a little princess nightgown that she likes to wear to bed. Whenever she puts it on I swear I think that she literally turns into a princess. She will spin and spin around the room while singing at the top of her lungs.
She is a tomboy too. She loves to wrestle and drive her brother crazy. More often than not I am pulling her off D instead of the other way around. She loves to play in dirt (something which drives her mother crazy)and I am constantly trying to get stains out of her clothes.
She is curious. She gets into and wants to know what everything is. I hear a lot of "What's that?".
She has her daddy's sense of humor! Just the other day I was changing her diaper and I said "Stinky diaper". She quickly retorted, "Stinky Mommy" with an enormous grin and gleam in her eye.
She is creative. She has had an ability to do things with her hands since she was little that I could never get D to do. Sometimes I think she is an artist in the making. She loves to draw, color, paint and play with playdough.
She does things her own way and refuses to stick to anyone's idea of how a toddler normally progresses. There is a storybook called "Ruby in Her Own Time". It's about a Mother Duck and Father Duck who are worried about their duckling, Ruby. As the littlest duckling of the family, she learns to eat and swim long after her four sisters and brothers. Father Duck frets that Ruby will never catch up, but Mother Duck calmly reassures him that Ruby will flourish — "in her own time." I keep telling myself I'm going to buy this book and mark out the name Ruby throughout the book and replace it with L's name!!!
This is my girl. I am tightly wrapped around her finger. I love her with all of my heart. She is a gift from God, and in a way I think God's way of humbling me :) I pray one day that she will grow up to be a woman after God's own heart who lives to serve and glorify our wonderful Father who gave her life.
L is our second child. Our pregancy with her was a much unexpected surprise. Nearly a year to the day she was born I began praying for another child. I know this is true because I can look back in my prayer journal and see it. Josh and I were sure God had adoption in mind for us again. We'd been on infertility drugs for almost a year before D was born without any thing happening so we didn't even begin to consider using them again until we experienced 5 failed adoptions within 2 months. Yes, I said 5!!! We even got to meet a birthmom (I'll tell you about that experience some other time). So anyway we went to meet with the doctor. I say we because I made Josh go with me this time. He'd gotten out of it before and if I was going to use those drugs again he would get to meet with the doctor too! So after our first time being on them a second time we got pregnant. We found out March 13th, a week before my birthday. SURPRISE!!! When I took the pregnancy test(s) I was in complete denial. I thought it was a fluke. Josh said I needed to make sure with a blood test but I told him I didn't want to because I was "afraid it would go away". But I had one done anyway late that evening. My BFF, Amanda, met Josh and I at the clinic and I had the results two hours later thanks to the very sweet lady who took my blood and was nice enough to break the rules and not make me wait for the doctor's nurse to call the next morning. The first person we told was D. We told him there was a baby in mommy's tummy and he smiled :)
Our excitement and joy became fear a few days later however when I began spotting. Thanks to the wise advice of a friend I quickly went back to the clinic and had my hormone levels checked. Sure enough my levels were LOW so the doctor prescribed progesterone pills and bedrest for my birthday and springbreak (my favorite thing about March). I was bummed but more than that I was scared to death I was going to lose our baby. So I did exactly what the doctor told me to. Thankfully I have a wonderful family who was completely supportive. Josh's parents were going to KC that week (a trip I had been expecting to take as well) so they took D along with them while I was cooped up in bed. From that time on I did whatever the doctor told me too. No matter what I was determined to have our baby.
I'm convinced to this day that God intervened but I am also convinced that L would have been born regardless of whether I had followed doctor's orders or not. She is a fighter! Strong-willed and independent. She will have her way or everybody suffers (so she thinks!).
She is a happy little girl though too. She loves to dance and sing. She has a little princess nightgown that she likes to wear to bed. Whenever she puts it on I swear I think that she literally turns into a princess. She will spin and spin around the room while singing at the top of her lungs.
She is a tomboy too. She loves to wrestle and drive her brother crazy. More often than not I am pulling her off D instead of the other way around. She loves to play in dirt (something which drives her mother crazy)and I am constantly trying to get stains out of her clothes.
She is curious. She gets into and wants to know what everything is. I hear a lot of "What's that?".
She has her daddy's sense of humor! Just the other day I was changing her diaper and I said "Stinky diaper". She quickly retorted, "Stinky Mommy" with an enormous grin and gleam in her eye.
She is creative. She has had an ability to do things with her hands since she was little that I could never get D to do. Sometimes I think she is an artist in the making. She loves to draw, color, paint and play with playdough.
She does things her own way and refuses to stick to anyone's idea of how a toddler normally progresses. There is a storybook called "Ruby in Her Own Time". It's about a Mother Duck and Father Duck who are worried about their duckling, Ruby. As the littlest duckling of the family, she learns to eat and swim long after her four sisters and brothers. Father Duck frets that Ruby will never catch up, but Mother Duck calmly reassures him that Ruby will flourish — "in her own time." I keep telling myself I'm going to buy this book and mark out the name Ruby throughout the book and replace it with L's name!!!
This is my girl. I am tightly wrapped around her finger. I love her with all of my heart. She is a gift from God, and in a way I think God's way of humbling me :) I pray one day that she will grow up to be a woman after God's own heart who lives to serve and glorify our wonderful Father who gave her life.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
One Sweet Blessing
So I've posted our adoption story but I'd like to tell you more about this one sweet blessing.
D is an AMAZING little boy...and I don't just say that because I'm biased (okay, maybe a little). Honestly Josh and I thought we were really good parents because as an infant he slept through the night from the day we brought him home, he was an incredible eater, never got sick, and made transitions from one thing to another with ease. He never fussed either. I say all this because in a future post I intend to tell you about his sister! But more about her later.
He is a BOY!!! He will tell you pink is NOT FOR BOYS and neither is nailpolish. One time he saw another boy wearing nailpolish and he stated, "That is so GROSS!". He loves to climb and wrestle, especially with Josh. He loves cars and trucks and is all about digging in the dirt!
One of his favorite things for a long time has been Thomas the Train, however much to my breaking heart he is slowly growing out of it. Disney/Pixar Cars are still big thing for him though. He knows all of their names and can tell you exactly where they are in the movie. We can't wait for Cars 2 btw!
He has an extremely kind heart and he is very thoughtful.
He loves his sister and will defend her. We ran into a little girl once in a store who observed that L and him did not look alike and overheard him say something refering to "my sister". She looked at him and said "That's not your sister!". It obviously irritated him and he looked back at her and replied, "Yes, she is!" and walked away.
He is extremely smart. At the very young age of two he could quote up to 6 bible verses, recognize all the letters of the alphabet, count to 10, and identify shapes and colors. He had a huge vocabulary as well. Last year he was in pre-k and recieved a + on every objective on his report card except for "put aways toys and helps clean up after playtime". Yeah, guess that's something we still need to work on. In a few weeks he will begin Kindergarten (my eyes are already welling up with tears) and he is ready! He is already sounding out words and reading, adding two digits, and counting to 100 just to name a few things. Although I am a teacher, I can't take complete credit. Josh works with him alot and he had an awesome teacher last year. Not to mention he has an amazing memory and picks up on everything.
He has a beautiful smile whether he is being ornery, silly, laughing, or just cheesing it for the camera. It always causes me to smile back. I just can't help it.
He is a wonderful help. He likes to help cook, he likes to help do yardwork, and he likes to help me remember things (I need alot of help with that!). Sometimes I wonder how I ever got by without him :)
He also has a heart for the Lord. Although he is not yet a christian he is asking many questions. I pray everyday that he will respond appropriately when he hears God's call and seek to serve Him with all his heart.
He is my son. I prayed for this child and God BLESSED me with him! I am so thankful everyday for him and can't wait to see what kind of man he will grow into.
D is an AMAZING little boy...and I don't just say that because I'm biased (okay, maybe a little). Honestly Josh and I thought we were really good parents because as an infant he slept through the night from the day we brought him home, he was an incredible eater, never got sick, and made transitions from one thing to another with ease. He never fussed either. I say all this because in a future post I intend to tell you about his sister! But more about her later.
He is a BOY!!! He will tell you pink is NOT FOR BOYS and neither is nailpolish. One time he saw another boy wearing nailpolish and he stated, "That is so GROSS!". He loves to climb and wrestle, especially with Josh. He loves cars and trucks and is all about digging in the dirt!
One of his favorite things for a long time has been Thomas the Train, however much to my breaking heart he is slowly growing out of it. Disney/Pixar Cars are still big thing for him though. He knows all of their names and can tell you exactly where they are in the movie. We can't wait for Cars 2 btw!
He has an extremely kind heart and he is very thoughtful.
He loves his sister and will defend her. We ran into a little girl once in a store who observed that L and him did not look alike and overheard him say something refering to "my sister". She looked at him and said "That's not your sister!". It obviously irritated him and he looked back at her and replied, "Yes, she is!" and walked away.
He is extremely smart. At the very young age of two he could quote up to 6 bible verses, recognize all the letters of the alphabet, count to 10, and identify shapes and colors. He had a huge vocabulary as well. Last year he was in pre-k and recieved a + on every objective on his report card except for "put aways toys and helps clean up after playtime". Yeah, guess that's something we still need to work on. In a few weeks he will begin Kindergarten (my eyes are already welling up with tears) and he is ready! He is already sounding out words and reading, adding two digits, and counting to 100 just to name a few things. Although I am a teacher, I can't take complete credit. Josh works with him alot and he had an awesome teacher last year. Not to mention he has an amazing memory and picks up on everything.
He has a beautiful smile whether he is being ornery, silly, laughing, or just cheesing it for the camera. It always causes me to smile back. I just can't help it.
He is a wonderful help. He likes to help cook, he likes to help do yardwork, and he likes to help me remember things (I need alot of help with that!). Sometimes I wonder how I ever got by without him :)
He also has a heart for the Lord. Although he is not yet a christian he is asking many questions. I pray everyday that he will respond appropriately when he hears God's call and seek to serve Him with all his heart.
He is my son. I prayed for this child and God BLESSED me with him! I am so thankful everyday for him and can't wait to see what kind of man he will grow into.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
My Amazing Husband
Here's what I admire about my husband:
1. He is a wise and intelligent man. Whenever I need advice I always go straight to him first. I've also been known to ask him for advice for my friends.
2. He is a great source of strength for me. We have survived a lot together in our 10 (almost 11 years) of marriage and with him we have faced challenging situations and burdens with ease.
3. He is so funny! He has always had an amazing ability to make me laugh no matter what.
4. He is an awesome dad. He plays with the kids and makes them laugh histarically. I actually have to ask him to stop being so goofy sometimes because he and the kids will get so out of control!!!
5. He is a wonderful listener and so easy to have a conversation with. I remember one time we were in a restaurant talking while we were waiting for our food and the owner came up to us and said he knew we were in love because Josh never took his eyes off me while we were talking. He could tell that he was interested in what I had to say.
6. He is a man of his word, trustworthy, dependable and reliable.
7. He is an awesome leader and provider for our family.
8. Although he presents himself as strong he truely has a soft spot in his heart for me and the kids. He would do anything in the world for us. His favorite thing to do with the kids is wrestle and play.
9. He loves the Lord. He serves Him wholeheartedly and prays daily for our family.
10. He is a very generous man with his time and money. It is hard for him to tell anyone in need of help "no".
11. He encourages me to stand strong for what I believe in. He advises me on issues and keeps me focused.
God created Josh perfectly for me. I tend to be strong willed and determined and it takes a strong willed and determined man to lead me. I am so thankful I married him. I fall in love with him all over again everyday. We are so blessed and I know many of those blessings come from his willingness to be open, taught and changed by God's word. He stands strong in his commitments to God and me and the security I have in this is priceless!!!
1. He is a wise and intelligent man. Whenever I need advice I always go straight to him first. I've also been known to ask him for advice for my friends.
2. He is a great source of strength for me. We have survived a lot together in our 10 (almost 11 years) of marriage and with him we have faced challenging situations and burdens with ease.
3. He is so funny! He has always had an amazing ability to make me laugh no matter what.
4. He is an awesome dad. He plays with the kids and makes them laugh histarically. I actually have to ask him to stop being so goofy sometimes because he and the kids will get so out of control!!!
5. He is a wonderful listener and so easy to have a conversation with. I remember one time we were in a restaurant talking while we were waiting for our food and the owner came up to us and said he knew we were in love because Josh never took his eyes off me while we were talking. He could tell that he was interested in what I had to say.
6. He is a man of his word, trustworthy, dependable and reliable.
7. He is an awesome leader and provider for our family.
8. Although he presents himself as strong he truely has a soft spot in his heart for me and the kids. He would do anything in the world for us. His favorite thing to do with the kids is wrestle and play.
9. He loves the Lord. He serves Him wholeheartedly and prays daily for our family.
10. He is a very generous man with his time and money. It is hard for him to tell anyone in need of help "no".
11. He encourages me to stand strong for what I believe in. He advises me on issues and keeps me focused.
God created Josh perfectly for me. I tend to be strong willed and determined and it takes a strong willed and determined man to lead me. I am so thankful I married him. I fall in love with him all over again everyday. We are so blessed and I know many of those blessings come from his willingness to be open, taught and changed by God's word. He stands strong in his commitments to God and me and the security I have in this is priceless!!!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A Dress and A Garden
I have been inspired over the past year by some wonderful ladies. A friend of mine who kept the kids last year reminded me of just how much I like to sew. Mom taught me when I was younger how to use the sewing machine. Then I got my own sewing machine the Christmas before D was born. He made me what I thought was busy, but then as we all know Lilly came along! LOL! Anyway I wanted to share my very first creation with you, the little blue and brown polka-dot sundress. Check out the pics. It's was alot of fun and I can't wait to make something else!!!
I also have been inspired to do a garden. A few of my friends and my MIL do one every year. Mom also had one when we were kids. I remember doing tomatoes and carrots specifically. When we were looking at the house before we bought it I began toying around with the idea of having a garden this year. If you know me at all though I have the brownest thumb ever. I can not get ANYTHING to grow. Everything that comes into my house dies unless it is the ivy living in the jar of water on my fireplace mantle. However, there is an area fenced off from the front and backyard that gave me the idea. The dogs can't get to it and it gets plenty of sunshine. So I did it...with caution. I talked to my friends and MIL and asked questions. What's the easiest to grow? and specifically how can I be successful with tomatoes (they're my favorite!!!)? Following their advice and with help from our friend Ryan who tilled the yard (after cutting and fixing our cable line all in the same trip...much thanks to him btw) my garden is growing. I've also posted pics of it. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I'll be even more happy though and proud when I actually get some food out of it. Hopefully I can post those pics for you too!
I also have been inspired to do a garden. A few of my friends and my MIL do one every year. Mom also had one when we were kids. I remember doing tomatoes and carrots specifically. When we were looking at the house before we bought it I began toying around with the idea of having a garden this year. If you know me at all though I have the brownest thumb ever. I can not get ANYTHING to grow. Everything that comes into my house dies unless it is the ivy living in the jar of water on my fireplace mantle. However, there is an area fenced off from the front and backyard that gave me the idea. The dogs can't get to it and it gets plenty of sunshine. So I did it...with caution. I talked to my friends and MIL and asked questions. What's the easiest to grow? and specifically how can I be successful with tomatoes (they're my favorite!!!)? Following their advice and with help from our friend Ryan who tilled the yard (after cutting and fixing our cable line all in the same trip...much thanks to him btw) my garden is growing. I've also posted pics of it. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I'll be even more happy though and proud when I actually get some food out of it. Hopefully I can post those pics for you too!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Extreme Emotions and a 2 year old! YIKES!!!
I have been in serious thought recently about what to do with my daughter and her extreme set of emotions. Unfortunately she comes by them naturally. When she's happy, everyone in the house is happy. However, when she's mad we all suffer. To say that it's just because she's two would be an understatement. You see I know from my own childhood and experiences with my own emotions that this is not a phase. I am well aware that I need to begin preparing myself (or I should have already) for the years in front of us as she is growing up.
Josh and I both believe in spanking as a method of discipline and believe it is effective if done the right way. The Bible says the following about it:
Prov 13:24: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (diligently)."
Prov 19:18: "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying."
Prov 22:15: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
Prov 23:13: "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."
Prov 23:14: "Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Shoel)."
Prov 29:15: "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
Not to say that L doesn't get spankings but it only makes her more mad and out of control. Thus I have started looking into different methods to teach her how to deal with her anger. One method I recently read about was time-ins where the parent models for the child what to do when they themselves are upset. For example when the parent finds they are getting upset they stop whatever they're doing and find a quiet place to sit. In this quiet place, they engage in some self-talk to try to get things in perspective, acknowledge the factors that are causing anger and frustration, and refocus on the big picture. This is supposed to model for the child a positive way to deal with your anger and frustrations. A friend of mine who already utilizes this in her home says it has already begun to produce fruit with her own child who now recognizes when she needs a time-in and will tell her mom. They also use this as a time to pray together, which I thought was a great idea.
So now I am curious about everyone else...how do you deal with anger and modeling it for your children? What are your methods of discipline?
Josh and I both believe in spanking as a method of discipline and believe it is effective if done the right way. The Bible says the following about it:
Prov 13:24: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (diligently)."
Prov 19:18: "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying."
Prov 22:15: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
Prov 23:13: "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."
Prov 23:14: "Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Shoel)."
Prov 29:15: "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
Not to say that L doesn't get spankings but it only makes her more mad and out of control. Thus I have started looking into different methods to teach her how to deal with her anger. One method I recently read about was time-ins where the parent models for the child what to do when they themselves are upset. For example when the parent finds they are getting upset they stop whatever they're doing and find a quiet place to sit. In this quiet place, they engage in some self-talk to try to get things in perspective, acknowledge the factors that are causing anger and frustration, and refocus on the big picture. This is supposed to model for the child a positive way to deal with your anger and frustrations. A friend of mine who already utilizes this in her home says it has already begun to produce fruit with her own child who now recognizes when she needs a time-in and will tell her mom. They also use this as a time to pray together, which I thought was a great idea.
So now I am curious about everyone else...how do you deal with anger and modeling it for your children? What are your methods of discipline?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Do you love your children?
I just finished my parent teacher conferences for the nine weeks. If you've read my facebook page recently you may already know what I'm about to say. I don't think I have ever finished conferences feeling so sad. I have learned so much in the past 24 hours about my students that I'm not even sure where to begin. The thing that I'm most disturbed about is the lack of care and concern I'm seeing from mothers for their children. For example, one little girl's mother hardly wants anything to do with her. The little girl and her sister are living with a woman who they have no relation to, but this woman has taken them in as if they are her own practically since birth! She is so good to them. This woman is in her late 60's though and has a disease that could take her at any moment. She has guardianship of the girls, but she doesn't know what will happen to them when she is gone, except that they will go back to live with their mom. Another little girl's mom and dad are not together. She is the product of a one night stand and lives between her parent's homes every other week. Her father and step mother are good to her and very loving. Her mother I'm just not sure about. A little boy in my room has many issues. Without going into detail, some things happened when he was living with his mother and she never stepped in to save him. When did mothers stop being mothers? I know that men haven't been stepping up to the plate for a long time, but over the past few years I have witnessed more mothers exiting their children's lives. Grandparents and even perfect strangers are stepping in to raise them. My heart is heavy...I pray every day for my students to have someone that loves them and can give them encouragement and guidance. So tell me. Do you love your children? Do you care about where they are and who they are with. Do you want them to succeed and are you there to help them achieve? I think tonight I'm going to be loving and hugging on my babies just a bit more. May God bless them and I pray that they know how loved and wanted they are!!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Our Icey Weekend Adventure
Let me begin by saying I have not prayed for patience anytime recently. In fact when a friend of mine and I were praying together just the other day and making our list of what we were going to pray for I jokingly said that I did not want to put patience on the list. Hmmm...maybe that was my first mistake.
We have had one interesting weekend to say the least. For the last week the newschannels have been talking about the wintery weather that was headed our way. We knew there would be ice and snow so I began to prepare. My teacherfriend and I got online on our planning period everyday to get up to the minute updates on what to be ready for. I got groceries and made sure my gas tank was filled even though I wasn't planning on going anywhere when the bad weather got here. Josh and I went to Walmart after church to pick up duraflame just in case we lost power as well. Our superintendent even called school off for Thursday right before we dismissed Wednesday. I thought I was prepared. Wrong!!!
Thursday morning we woke up to rain. By noon it was beginning to freeze and icicles were forming on the patio, trees, and swingset outside. Then somewhere around 2pm in the afternoon our electricity went out. So I called the electric company to report it. No big deal...so we thought. Even some friends of ours came over when they lost electricity at their house since we had the fireplace. But after a few hours we began to realize the seriousness of our situation. More friends and family called to say they had lost power. We watched and listened as the trees in our neighborhood began loosing their limbs and branches. The tree in our backyard even took out a section of fence and made a nice dent in our patio covering. It nearly took out the kids new swingset that took nearly a month to put up because of two previous coldsnaps we recently had. After about four hours without power we decided our house was not the place to stay. So our friends made a different plan for themselves and we started calling family to see who had power and who didn't. Interestingly enough the only family who ended up having electricity was my mom and dad who live less than 1/2 a mile from us. So we packed our bags and what little food we could manage to save and headed to their house to spend the night. Mom was more than happy to have us and we were thrilled to have warm water, heat and electricity.
Friday morning I reported our outage once again to the power company. While talking with the operator he informed me that we were not scheduled to have any power back on until February 2nd! That is Tuesday...and that meant five days without any electicity! Ugh!!! So Josh and I talked and decided one of us had to come back to the house to check the dogs and let them out for a break. I volunteered out of my curiosity to see what further damage had happened while we were away. It was not the short little trip I thought it would be. After about 45 mins of deicing my truck and scraping the windows I was finally able to leave the driveway and begin the process of sliding all the way home. Now we live right off the snow route in town and they had obviously been sanding the streets all night but this did not help me out at all. God protected me though and got me to the house all in one piece. So once I got here I did what I came to do and grabbed some extra things that I thought we might need or want for the day. On the way out as I was shutting the garage door I smushed my finger in between the doors. I cried all the way back to the house. This weekend that I thought I was so well prepared for was turning out to be CRAPPY!!! Then around three Josh and I decided to make another trip back to the house to prepare for the night if we were still going to be without power. Half way down the road we got a call that our power was back on though! We were so happy...we were going to be sleeping in our own beds! Wrong, AGAIN!!! We were here for 30 minutes and within that time span the lights flickered on and off about three different times before they finally went out for good again, but I was full of hope. If they were on for that amount of time surely they would come back on during the night sometime. So Josh and I left D and L at my parent's and decided to camp out next to the fireplace in hopes that we would have an electrically heated house by the a.m. My poor dear husband was up all night fighting to keep the fire going and we got what little sleep we could but nothing happened. So we went back to mom and dad's to shower and hangout...I mean wait, and wait, and wait for another call that we once again had power. Around five we decided maybe we would get a room for the night at one of the local hotels with an indoor pool so the kids could get out and "play". No one had a room. We were bummed. To comfort ourselves we thought we would go get dinner out. Then we started getting phone calls and texts from people that their power was back on. I knew we were next. Sure enough, my mom called to say that a friend of ours had called her house to say that we finally had power in our neighborhood. Our neighbor called right after her to reaffirm it! Hallelugiah...we are home tonight and I am using the electricity that God has blessed us with to write this three days before we were scheduled to have it back on. I am praying for the men who are out there now working on getting everyone else's power restored. For their safety and protection. For their families who are missing them while they are away from home. I am grateful for them. I am grateful for my parents who took us in for a few days and listened to me gripe about my situation. Thanks mom and dad...I love you!!!
We have had one interesting weekend to say the least. For the last week the newschannels have been talking about the wintery weather that was headed our way. We knew there would be ice and snow so I began to prepare. My teacherfriend and I got online on our planning period everyday to get up to the minute updates on what to be ready for. I got groceries and made sure my gas tank was filled even though I wasn't planning on going anywhere when the bad weather got here. Josh and I went to Walmart after church to pick up duraflame just in case we lost power as well. Our superintendent even called school off for Thursday right before we dismissed Wednesday. I thought I was prepared. Wrong!!!
Thursday morning we woke up to rain. By noon it was beginning to freeze and icicles were forming on the patio, trees, and swingset outside. Then somewhere around 2pm in the afternoon our electricity went out. So I called the electric company to report it. No big deal...so we thought. Even some friends of ours came over when they lost electricity at their house since we had the fireplace. But after a few hours we began to realize the seriousness of our situation. More friends and family called to say they had lost power. We watched and listened as the trees in our neighborhood began loosing their limbs and branches. The tree in our backyard even took out a section of fence and made a nice dent in our patio covering. It nearly took out the kids new swingset that took nearly a month to put up because of two previous coldsnaps we recently had. After about four hours without power we decided our house was not the place to stay. So our friends made a different plan for themselves and we started calling family to see who had power and who didn't. Interestingly enough the only family who ended up having electricity was my mom and dad who live less than 1/2 a mile from us. So we packed our bags and what little food we could manage to save and headed to their house to spend the night. Mom was more than happy to have us and we were thrilled to have warm water, heat and electricity.
Friday morning I reported our outage once again to the power company. While talking with the operator he informed me that we were not scheduled to have any power back on until February 2nd! That is Tuesday...and that meant five days without any electicity! Ugh!!! So Josh and I talked and decided one of us had to come back to the house to check the dogs and let them out for a break. I volunteered out of my curiosity to see what further damage had happened while we were away. It was not the short little trip I thought it would be. After about 45 mins of deicing my truck and scraping the windows I was finally able to leave the driveway and begin the process of sliding all the way home. Now we live right off the snow route in town and they had obviously been sanding the streets all night but this did not help me out at all. God protected me though and got me to the house all in one piece. So once I got here I did what I came to do and grabbed some extra things that I thought we might need or want for the day. On the way out as I was shutting the garage door I smushed my finger in between the doors. I cried all the way back to the house. This weekend that I thought I was so well prepared for was turning out to be CRAPPY!!! Then around three Josh and I decided to make another trip back to the house to prepare for the night if we were still going to be without power. Half way down the road we got a call that our power was back on though! We were so happy...we were going to be sleeping in our own beds! Wrong, AGAIN!!! We were here for 30 minutes and within that time span the lights flickered on and off about three different times before they finally went out for good again, but I was full of hope. If they were on for that amount of time surely they would come back on during the night sometime. So Josh and I left D and L at my parent's and decided to camp out next to the fireplace in hopes that we would have an electrically heated house by the a.m. My poor dear husband was up all night fighting to keep the fire going and we got what little sleep we could but nothing happened. So we went back to mom and dad's to shower and hangout...I mean wait, and wait, and wait for another call that we once again had power. Around five we decided maybe we would get a room for the night at one of the local hotels with an indoor pool so the kids could get out and "play". No one had a room. We were bummed. To comfort ourselves we thought we would go get dinner out. Then we started getting phone calls and texts from people that their power was back on. I knew we were next. Sure enough, my mom called to say that a friend of ours had called her house to say that we finally had power in our neighborhood. Our neighbor called right after her to reaffirm it! Hallelugiah...we are home tonight and I am using the electricity that God has blessed us with to write this three days before we were scheduled to have it back on. I am praying for the men who are out there now working on getting everyone else's power restored. For their safety and protection. For their families who are missing them while they are away from home. I am grateful for them. I am grateful for my parents who took us in for a few days and listened to me gripe about my situation. Thanks mom and dad...I love you!!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Enjoy Your Children!
So I'm up early in the morning. It's 6:30 right now, but I was actually up at 5:30. Not sure what gives. Anyway, I guess I will give this time to writing now that I've done some reading. I am still reading. I've put away A Call to Spiritual Reformation for awhile. Honestly the author uses some big vocabulary words. I am half way through it though and I will try to finish it this summer. Instead I've started reading Femenine Appeal and I must admit the author has some good things to say about being a wife and mother. The part that I've been most impressed by is that she says "we are to love our children with a tender, affectionate, and passionate love." She comments that as mothers we're committed to caring sacrificially for our children, yet we neglect to enjoy them. This part was very personal to me. I find myself doing this often. In my mind I have cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc to do. My kids need food, a clean home, clean clothes, etc. This is my way of showing them love, but what I am forgetting is that I need to sit down and play with them, read more than just one or two books before bedtime, and ENJOY them. I've said it before but I have been blessed with two amazing children. They are funny! They along with their daddy can make me laugh like nobody else. Sadly I must admit that I've put my responsiblities of caring for them ahead of taking pleasure in my status as their mother. After I read this part the other day I kind of sat back in my mind and observed myself the next day. I got the kids up out of bed, made their breakfast and got them ready for school, gave them kissess and told them I love them in between, dropped them off at school, went back after school to pick them up, got them home, started laundry, cooked dinner, gave them their baths, watched a tv show or two with them, read a book to them, said prayers with them, and put them to bed. Yes, I told my kids I love them. In fact they probably get sick of how much I say it. Yes, I read a book with them. Yes, we prayed together. But it felt more like I was checking things off a list. We never really sat down together, outside of watching tv, and played or enjoyed each other. In my defense this is not so everyday. Josh and I are good about planning activities to do as a family. We sit down and eat dinner together at the table most nights. Sometimes we eat out. Sometimes we take the kids to the park. We've also been to the zoo, the museum, etc. But as far as daily quality time with each other I can't say I've done that. So that is something that is going to change in our house. You may find me on the computer less and playing trains with D or baby dolls with L. You may find us baking cookies together. You never know. The point is...I'm going to put my children ahead of all my responsibilities where they belong. I believe this is the time where I can be teaching them meaningful life lessons and gently directing them towards God. Especially while they are young I need to develop my relationship with them. Mothers have an enourmous influence on their children, whether it be good or bad. And I will stop there because that is a whole different soap box!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
1 Book a Month for 2010
I don't make New Years Resolutions. I think they're dumb...everyday is a new day. A day that we can decide to do something new or change a behavior. So I don't make them, BUT this year I have made a goal. My goal is to read one book a month this year. I love reading, but with two kids and all the responsiblities that I have as a wife, mother, teacher, judge, jury, nurse, doctor, warden, councelor, etc. (I think you get the point!) it is difficult to find time to read. Last summer though I made it my goal to get through one book no matter what it took. During those 2 1/2 months or so I made it through one book in two weeks...I was so proud of my accomplishment!!! It felt good too. So I read another one and another. I made it through three books the entire summer. In short I rediscovered just how much I love reading. Some people I've told about my goal look at me surprised. Some of them are encouraging and some of them just think I'm crazy. One person already told me it's pretty much unaccomplishable with all I have to do. Now that's a challenge!!! Hey, I know its a big goal. I also know I may not make it and that's okay. I just want to start reading again.
One book I started reading before the new year. It's called A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities From Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson. This book investigates the Epistles to see what lessons Paul taught in his "school of prayer". I'm only through a few chapters so give me some time and I might share some of it with you later.
Another book I ordered recently on Amazon so it's not here yet. It's called Femine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney. Amazon's product description says this book identifies the challenges facing women today and meets them with the guidance of God's word through the femine virtues described in Titus 2. I'm not a huge fan of self help books but I will read anything that uses scripture to help me be a better mother/wife/person. Stay tuned for my thoughts on this book.
And finally there is another book I plan on reading that our pastor has suggested for an apologetics class he is going to begin teaching at our church...I'm kinda nervous about this one, yet I am feeling convicted about reading it. It's called Tactics by Greg Koukl. This book offers practical strategies for communicating the compelling truth about christianity with confidence and grace. You ask "Why would you be convicted to read a book?". Let me explain...The sermon in church this morning really touched my heart, especially as a mother. I Peter 3:15 says that we should always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in us (Christians). That means that one of my responsiblities as a parent is to give my children a firm foundation for what I am teaching them. I need to give them reasons to believe what they are being taught in church and through the Bible. In order to do that I need to be able to do it though. So not only will I be reading this book, I plan on taking this class. I guess now that I am posting this I am accountable to that too! So ask me about it, please :)
It's getting close to bedtime. L and I have school tomorrow too. I'll post this and let you know how the reading's going at a later date. Hope you decide to make some goals of your own!
One book I started reading before the new year. It's called A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities From Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson. This book investigates the Epistles to see what lessons Paul taught in his "school of prayer". I'm only through a few chapters so give me some time and I might share some of it with you later.
Another book I ordered recently on Amazon so it's not here yet. It's called Femine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney. Amazon's product description says this book identifies the challenges facing women today and meets them with the guidance of God's word through the femine virtues described in Titus 2. I'm not a huge fan of self help books but I will read anything that uses scripture to help me be a better mother/wife/person. Stay tuned for my thoughts on this book.
And finally there is another book I plan on reading that our pastor has suggested for an apologetics class he is going to begin teaching at our church...I'm kinda nervous about this one, yet I am feeling convicted about reading it. It's called Tactics by Greg Koukl. This book offers practical strategies for communicating the compelling truth about christianity with confidence and grace. You ask "Why would you be convicted to read a book?". Let me explain...The sermon in church this morning really touched my heart, especially as a mother. I Peter 3:15 says that we should always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in us (Christians). That means that one of my responsiblities as a parent is to give my children a firm foundation for what I am teaching them. I need to give them reasons to believe what they are being taught in church and through the Bible. In order to do that I need to be able to do it though. So not only will I be reading this book, I plan on taking this class. I guess now that I am posting this I am accountable to that too! So ask me about it, please :)
It's getting close to bedtime. L and I have school tomorrow too. I'll post this and let you know how the reading's going at a later date. Hope you decide to make some goals of your own!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Thinking About Santa
I realize it's a little late but I wanted to add the link to the blog Thinking About Santa from Desiringgod's website because it's author Noel Piper put mine and Josh's feelings about Santa into words so well. Some of our family and friends still do Santa with their children and don't understand why we've chosen not to with ours. Although I've tried to explain it I don't think I do a very good job. So check out this link. She's a very wise lady!
Friday, January 1, 2010
More time to write!
So I find myself with more time to write this afternoon, although I may not post this til a later date. Josh, his dad and mom and D are outside putting a swingset together that the kids got for Christmas and L is napping. That leaves one quiet house and a lot of time to think about what I want to put down.
I guess I will discuss my thoughts on being a Godly wife and mother. If you've read my blog and you know me then you know I am commited to bringing my children up knowing, loving and serving God. I have to admit I haven't done the best job. We've taught and continue to teach the kids how to pray, take them to church, teach them Bible verses and discuss the importance of God in our lives but I just haven't ever felt that it's enough. Personally I feel God leading me to spend more time in prayer and to obey him more often than not without question (difficult, I know!). I believe my children will learn by my example. I want them to see my faith in action. I want them to see me reading God's word and participating in opportunities where I am serving others. If I want them to become the adults that I pray from the bottom of my heart that they will become I have to be obedient to my God. Any mother reading this will understand just how difficult it is between cooking, doing laundry, running errands, doing dishes, blah, blah, blah, etc. However, responsibilities and chores are not an excuse. God wants us to put Him above everything else. He must be my first priority. If I obey Him then everything else will fall into place. So this year I'd like to open my Bible when the kids are in the room with me and allow them to see me taking in God's word as well as actively looking for those opportunities to put His love in action and have them with me as I'm doing it.
There is someone else just as important in my life and who I'm just as committed to. That would be my husband, Josh. A little over 12 years ago we met at the Howdy Party for freshman at the BSU (Baptist Student Union, now called the BCM) where we attended college. According to him it was love at first sight and he insists to this day that I snubbed him the first time we met. To tell you the truth I vaguely remember that first meeting. It was my first time at the BSU and I was shy. I still tend to be, but with an outgoing man such as Josh in my life it makes it hard to be. Anyway, we became friends through another couple we both knew and have been unseperable ever since. This past December we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. I don't say that to brag at all. Unfortunately we've both had several friends experience divorce and heartache. It's something we both fear for our marriage. Not that we've every considered it, but we both believe we must be on the defense for it. For instance we don't allow ourselves to be alone with anyone of the opposite sex if at all possible. We don't put ourselves in any position either that might appear or sound to be compromising. Don't get me wrong, we have our arguements like any normal married couple, but we've tried to make it a priority to never go to bed mad at each other. As Josh's wife my daily desire is to honor him and be his helper. I try to speak highly of my husband and praise him often in social circles. I'm not perfect...sometimes I do more griping than praising. However, as his wife I will submit to him and follow him when there is no agreeing with him. Thankfully over 10 years though that has been easy. We see eye to eye on most things. He is a wonderful husband. My best friend and I am more than thankful for him!
I guess I will discuss my thoughts on being a Godly wife and mother. If you've read my blog and you know me then you know I am commited to bringing my children up knowing, loving and serving God. I have to admit I haven't done the best job. We've taught and continue to teach the kids how to pray, take them to church, teach them Bible verses and discuss the importance of God in our lives but I just haven't ever felt that it's enough. Personally I feel God leading me to spend more time in prayer and to obey him more often than not without question (difficult, I know!). I believe my children will learn by my example. I want them to see my faith in action. I want them to see me reading God's word and participating in opportunities where I am serving others. If I want them to become the adults that I pray from the bottom of my heart that they will become I have to be obedient to my God. Any mother reading this will understand just how difficult it is between cooking, doing laundry, running errands, doing dishes, blah, blah, blah, etc. However, responsibilities and chores are not an excuse. God wants us to put Him above everything else. He must be my first priority. If I obey Him then everything else will fall into place. So this year I'd like to open my Bible when the kids are in the room with me and allow them to see me taking in God's word as well as actively looking for those opportunities to put His love in action and have them with me as I'm doing it.
There is someone else just as important in my life and who I'm just as committed to. That would be my husband, Josh. A little over 12 years ago we met at the Howdy Party for freshman at the BSU (Baptist Student Union, now called the BCM) where we attended college. According to him it was love at first sight and he insists to this day that I snubbed him the first time we met. To tell you the truth I vaguely remember that first meeting. It was my first time at the BSU and I was shy. I still tend to be, but with an outgoing man such as Josh in my life it makes it hard to be. Anyway, we became friends through another couple we both knew and have been unseperable ever since. This past December we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. I don't say that to brag at all. Unfortunately we've both had several friends experience divorce and heartache. It's something we both fear for our marriage. Not that we've every considered it, but we both believe we must be on the defense for it. For instance we don't allow ourselves to be alone with anyone of the opposite sex if at all possible. We don't put ourselves in any position either that might appear or sound to be compromising. Don't get me wrong, we have our arguements like any normal married couple, but we've tried to make it a priority to never go to bed mad at each other. As Josh's wife my daily desire is to honor him and be his helper. I try to speak highly of my husband and praise him often in social circles. I'm not perfect...sometimes I do more griping than praising. However, as his wife I will submit to him and follow him when there is no agreeing with him. Thankfully over 10 years though that has been easy. We see eye to eye on most things. He is a wonderful husband. My best friend and I am more than thankful for him!
Happy New Year!
So I haven't blogged for a whole year. Lately, however, I've been doing a lot of thinking. Thinking about my health, excercising, and eating well, thinking about being the godly wife and mother God desires me to be, thinking about reading, thinking about the students I teach and their lives. I guess these two weeks of Christmas Break have given me the time to examine what I want for the new year and what direction God wants to lead me in. My desire is that my life and I would begin to reflect the glory of God. I will try to elaborate, but since there is so much I will have to do it in several posts. I've got a lot to get out of my head :)
2009 was an interesting year for me. It started off well, but immediately after I turned 29+1 (okay, 30!) in March I spent my first time in the hospital for something else other than a pregnancy which included a 3 day visit to the ICU. I was major sick and didn't know it. It all began in September 2008 and I suspect even back to when I was pregnant with L. Every 2-3 weeks or so I would get flu like symptoms, headache, muscle aches, extreme tiredness, etc. This all made it difficult to get anything accomplished, and more than that be a good mom to D and L. I felt quite guilty as well because Josh was taking on a lot of my responsibilties. Anyway as I attempt to make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital for pyelonephritis (hard to say, hard to spell!). Basically I had an infection in one of my kidneys that spread to my bladder. According to my doctor (who was an absolute gentleman and treated me as if I were his own daughter) it happened because I was born with one kidney that is smaller than normal. My first thought was "Terrific! My body has failed me once again!" This being brought on by (#1) I was born with a double toe. Btw if you don't know me this is not something I share with just anyone. It was something embarassing to me as a child and teenager. I also refused to wear flipflops for a very long time because of it, but my sweet husband helped me to overcome my fear and now I wear my flipflops with pride as well as have regular pedicures during the summer! (#2 &3) Yes, infertility and the fact that I couldn't achieve or even make it through pregnancy without drugs and doctor's watching closely over me and because I had gestational diabetes and (#3) when it came time for me to deliver the one pregnancy we were blessed with my body wouldn't allow me to have a normal delivery!!! Our God is wonderful though. He helped me to see, once again, that I am not in control! He knows our every thought, our hurts, our pains, and He is the Great Healer, the Almighty and who am I to question Him?! My experience caused me to look at my life and see what He has blessed me with, a wonderful family (both immediate and in laws), an incredible husband whom I do not deserve, and two gorgeous children that bring me so much joy and happiness.
So this brings me to my thoughts on my health. Bear with me my thoughts get jumpy...Because I have this "smaller than normal" kidney I am supposed to drink PLENTY of fluids and go to the bathroom OFTEN. Just so you know that is hard to do as a teacher with 18 first graders. I can't just up and leave the room whenever I want! So I try to do that like I should and take my vitamins everday (because if I don't Josh has threatened me with my life...ironic, don't you think?). I would like to start an excercising routine. A friend of mine who I swam with in high school and I have discussed going to our alma mater to swim/workout a few days a week. I'd like to replace my rediculous, useless, doesn't work eliptical with a stationary bicycle. Don't believe me that it doesn't work? Another friend who I sold it to is returning it to me this weekend because she and her husband couldn't get it to work. They looked online into replacing the part....$200 for a $300 machine! Now my thoughts on eating healthy may confuse some of my family and friends. I have been skinny my entire life. Even now one would say I am skinny, but here's the thing...I weigh as much as I did when I was 9 months pregnant (no, I will no tell you what that is). My husband thinks that's great! He says I look healthy, but healthy to me is not flabby muscle around your belly and a sagging butt (Oh my goodness, if there are males reading this...especially if you're a friend of mine)! I had rock hard abs and legs when I used to swim. It would be unrealistic of me to think I could achieve that once again though. So I'm thinking I should eat well and eat less. Less sugar, less preservatives, and more fruits and vegetables. I want to put pure things into my body that help me feel good and be healthy so I can be a good mom. Not only is this something I want but God desires it being that our bodies are temples of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
For now I guess I'll post this and write more later. To be continued....
2009 was an interesting year for me. It started off well, but immediately after I turned 29+1 (okay, 30!) in March I spent my first time in the hospital for something else other than a pregnancy which included a 3 day visit to the ICU. I was major sick and didn't know it. It all began in September 2008 and I suspect even back to when I was pregnant with L. Every 2-3 weeks or so I would get flu like symptoms, headache, muscle aches, extreme tiredness, etc. This all made it difficult to get anything accomplished, and more than that be a good mom to D and L. I felt quite guilty as well because Josh was taking on a lot of my responsibilties. Anyway as I attempt to make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital for pyelonephritis (hard to say, hard to spell!). Basically I had an infection in one of my kidneys that spread to my bladder. According to my doctor (who was an absolute gentleman and treated me as if I were his own daughter) it happened because I was born with one kidney that is smaller than normal. My first thought was "Terrific! My body has failed me once again!" This being brought on by (#1) I was born with a double toe. Btw if you don't know me this is not something I share with just anyone. It was something embarassing to me as a child and teenager. I also refused to wear flipflops for a very long time because of it, but my sweet husband helped me to overcome my fear and now I wear my flipflops with pride as well as have regular pedicures during the summer! (#2 &3) Yes, infertility and the fact that I couldn't achieve or even make it through pregnancy without drugs and doctor's watching closely over me and because I had gestational diabetes and (#3) when it came time for me to deliver the one pregnancy we were blessed with my body wouldn't allow me to have a normal delivery!!! Our God is wonderful though. He helped me to see, once again, that I am not in control! He knows our every thought, our hurts, our pains, and He is the Great Healer, the Almighty and who am I to question Him?! My experience caused me to look at my life and see what He has blessed me with, a wonderful family (both immediate and in laws), an incredible husband whom I do not deserve, and two gorgeous children that bring me so much joy and happiness.
So this brings me to my thoughts on my health. Bear with me my thoughts get jumpy...Because I have this "smaller than normal" kidney I am supposed to drink PLENTY of fluids and go to the bathroom OFTEN. Just so you know that is hard to do as a teacher with 18 first graders. I can't just up and leave the room whenever I want! So I try to do that like I should and take my vitamins everday (because if I don't Josh has threatened me with my life...ironic, don't you think?). I would like to start an excercising routine. A friend of mine who I swam with in high school and I have discussed going to our alma mater to swim/workout a few days a week. I'd like to replace my rediculous, useless, doesn't work eliptical with a stationary bicycle. Don't believe me that it doesn't work? Another friend who I sold it to is returning it to me this weekend because she and her husband couldn't get it to work. They looked online into replacing the part....$200 for a $300 machine! Now my thoughts on eating healthy may confuse some of my family and friends. I have been skinny my entire life. Even now one would say I am skinny, but here's the thing...I weigh as much as I did when I was 9 months pregnant (no, I will no tell you what that is). My husband thinks that's great! He says I look healthy, but healthy to me is not flabby muscle around your belly and a sagging butt (Oh my goodness, if there are males reading this...especially if you're a friend of mine)! I had rock hard abs and legs when I used to swim. It would be unrealistic of me to think I could achieve that once again though. So I'm thinking I should eat well and eat less. Less sugar, less preservatives, and more fruits and vegetables. I want to put pure things into my body that help me feel good and be healthy so I can be a good mom. Not only is this something I want but God desires it being that our bodies are temples of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
For now I guess I'll post this and write more later. To be continued....
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