Melissa McMahan

Two Things

2012-02-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today is the official first snow day of the year, and probably the last - which I'm totally okay with after last winter! Plus, with Adelynn coming in May, getting out of school (for Jason) mid-May instead of mid-June this year sounds fantastic.
We plan to go play in a bit - the toddlers aren't going to let me avoid that one - but for now, finishing up breakfast and laundry is underway.

Oh and I guess writing a blog. :)

I thought I'd share 2 things: first is a picture I'm in love with of my mom and Lincoln (we took it last night).

And next, I've talked with a few people about my treadmill regime recently and thought I'd post what I do. I'm a treadmill girl. Never been one for classes or any other machine. Either the pavement or treadmill. When I'm not pregnant, I run, but while being pregnant, I've chosen to do my "walking" routine. I've done this interval routine since college and when I'm running, I have a "running version" of it. It switches it up, definitely works up a sweat, and (most importantly) makes the time pass faster since you're changing inclines every minute. So thought I'd share in case you're up for a new routine!

Off to find my snow boots. :) Have a great Monday!!!

LJM

2012-02-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've got nothing...and I realized it's been a week since I blogged. So here are some more pictures of the cute freshly-turned-two year old in my house.

(the "yearbook picture")

Now let's bring on the snow Monday!!

Happy Birthday Noah!!!!

2012-02-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

2 years ago today, sweet little Noah Jackson made his arrival! He came out completely silent and blue (which was scary!), but soon turned pink and let out a little cry. :)

For the first two weeks, all he did was sleep...it was hard to wake him and even get him to eat. And he has been a phenomenal sleeper ever since - praise the Lord!

He loves his big brother, and the feeling is mutual since Lincoln can probably not even remember life without him (Lincoln was only 15 months old when Noah was born).

Noah has some introverted-ness running in his blood, loves to snuggle, and has a hard time being away from mommy, daddy, and Lincoln. However, in the past few months or so, leaving mom and dad has gotten much easier - as long as Lincoln is still with him. :)

His once introverted personality has recently shown signs of much more extroverted traits. Not sure if this is just a normal progression that would have happened eventually or if his extremely extroverted big brother is rubbing off on him! Either way, he is stinking hilarious these days!

His vocabulary is probably the most exceptional skill about him. He talks mostly in complete, short sentences and blows us away with the things he says and how articulate he can be. We figure Lincoln has played a part in that one, too.

I think Noah is going to be our singer! He loves to sing and has for some time. (Lincoln still remains our dancer - ha).

Noah does NOT like changes or transitions. He is definitely stubborn and has his specific preferences!

His favorite 2 books right now are "Brow Bear, Brown Bear" and "The Little Mouse & the Red, Ripe Strawberry".

As far as sleeping goes, as I mentioned earlier - he's a champ. By this age, Lincoln was in a big boy bed because he kept crawling from his crib.
Not Noah.
He is perfectly content in his snug little nook, sleeps until 9:00am, naps from 2-5, and goes to bed around 9:30 (yes we have odd schedules around here during basketball season). And he is the most hyper and hilarious from about 8-9:30. :)

Noah memorized his first Bible verse this month with the motions and all. Precious.

Unfortunately today on his birthday, he is one day 2 of a pretty high fever. Poor guy. So we had a birthday doc appointment in order...blah. He was laying on our bed watching a show, and I just went in to check on him to find him sound asleep, clinging to his veggie tale balloon.

I Don't Want to Raise a Good Child

2012-01-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

Interesting post title, huh? I got this email from a dear friend today, saw the title, and was like "Huh?? How will this encourage?!"

Then I read it...
And was encouraged beyond belief.

(So much so, I had to write a blog post about it!).

So before I share it with you, here's the back story. Hours earlier I had just finished sharing with this friend (who is one of the other coaches wives) about my "hell-ish" night at the last home game with the kids on Friday.
We were playing our rival.
It was insanely crowded.
There were literally no seats and our usual ones were occupied by the entire BHS band.
Both boys and I didn't feel good and couldn't breathe out of our noses.
And none of the other varsity coaches wives were there that night.
All the elements for a disaster.

And this is how the night went:
A whiny clingy toddler whom I'm pretty sure starting running fever by the end of the night (poor thing).
We stood the majority of the game because the kids were hard to control and that just seemed to work better...and there were no seats.
When Lincoln needed to go to the bathroom, I sent him in Jason's office by himself since I had to stay out with Noah, only to find him running out - in the massively packed arena remember - NAKED telling me he needed help wiping (are.you.kidding.) - yes, people saw.
At halftime, a friend yelled down to me, "Melissa! Noah is on the court!!!" during the middle of the halftime entertainment.
There was a point in the third that Noah was screaming and kept throwing his pacy dangerously close to the in-bound line.
The game was a nail-biter which shredded my already frayed nerves...
And there were many moments I wanted to burst into tears in front of everyone out of sheer frustration - but held it together until the moment we got in the car to drive home (yes - I cried the whole way home).

But let me tell you, an angel of mercy was present that night. During the 4th, I'm still not sure if she saw the mass chaos that was me and my kids and felt sorry for us or just felt the inkling to come over, but one of the Jr.High coaches wives suddenly appeared (not even sure where she came from) and literally just gracefully took Noah away and played with him by the training room for the entire 4th quarter and overtime. She didn't ask...didn't offer (by which I would have said "I'm fine...you're so sweet...but thanks!" since it's my nature to resist help)...but she just took him. Not even giving me the option. And yall, though I told her, I'm not sure she even grasped the magnitude of how SAVING that was for me in that moment - but OH MY WORD she was my angel. Have I ever mentioned BHS has some amazing coaches/wives????

Thankful for God's grace...
Thankful He works in mysterious ways sometimes and that he has no cookie-cutter means of creating men/women after His own heart.

Anyway, so in light of last Friday, my friend sent me this article this morning and it touched my soul. I hope it touches yours. :)

By: Lysa TerKeurst

My daughter, Hope, is a senior this year. And she decided her senior year should be adventurous and a little out of the “normal” box. A lot out of the box actually.
She withdrew from traditional school. Applied with the state to homeschool. Enrolled in on-line college courses that would allow her to get both high school and college credit simultaneously. And planned to spend the month of January serving in Nicaragua doing missions.
This didn’t surprise me really. Because Hope has always like charting her own course.
When she was really little I was scared to death I was the world’s worst mom, because Hope was never one to be contained. And I honestly thought all her extra tenacity was a sign of my poor mothering.
One day I took her to the mall to meet several of my friends with toddlers to grab lunch. All of their kids sat quietly eating cheerios in their strollers. They shined their halos and quoted Bible verses and used tissues to wipe their snot.
Not Hope.
She was infuriated by my insistence she stay in her stroller. So, when I turned away for a split second to place our lunch order, she wiggled free. She stripped off all her clothes. She ran across the food court. And jumped in the fountain in the center of the mall.
Really nothing makes the mother of a toddler feel more incapable than seeing her naked child splashing in the mall fountain. Except maybe that toddler refusing to get out and said mother having to also get into the fountain.
I cried all the way home.
Not because of what she’d done that day. But rather because of how she was everyday. So determined. So independent. So insistent.
I would beg God to show me how to raise a good child. One that stayed in her stroller. One that other people would comment about how wonderfully behaved she was. One that made me look good.
But God seemed so slow to answer those prayers. So, over the years, I changed my prayer. ”God help me to raise Hope to be who you want her to be.” Emphasis on, “God HELP ME!”
I think I changed my prayers for her because God started to change my heart. I started sensing He had a different plan in mind for my mothering of Hope.
Maybe God’s goal wasn’t for me to raise a good rule following child. God’s goal was for me to raise a God-following adult. An adult just determined and independent and insistent enough to fulfill a purpose He had in mind all along.
I don’t know what mama needs to hear this today. But let me encourage you from the bottom of my heart with 3 simple mothering perspectives you must hang on to:
1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.
2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.
3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult.
And all the mamas of fountain dancing children said, “Amen!”

6 Months

2012-01-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 6 Months (well, a few days shy)

Gender:Girl: Adelynn Faith

Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans that I really like and I wear them ALL the time. As far as shirts go, I can still wear most of my shirts (the longer ones for sure), but I'm finding maternity ones a lot more comfy these days.

Weight gain: 10 pounds

Movement: Lots of movement!

Sleep: I have actually been sleeping pretty good, but need to not stay up as late! I hate to admit it, but I literally take a nap EVERY DAY.

Symptoms: Headaches at night, sinus congestion, and occasional stomach issues. I still have to take my nausea meds every now and then.

Cravings: I no longer crave Subway. But I pretty much get an unsweetened tea with splenda almost every day from McD's. I've never been a tea drinker but have been drinking tons lately!

Best moment this week: When Lincoln asked me if he could talk to his baby sister the other night. He continued to have the sweetest conversation ever with my belly...melted our hearts.

And some belly shots. Sorry they're pathetic quality with me holding up my phone. That's all I have though :)

Oh Dear

2012-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

I wrote about how Lincoln was going through a "stage" a few months ago (and now I wonder how much of it had to do with the Holidays + his steroid inhaler he was on??). Well he has massively improved - though we obviously still have our toddler moments - but for the most part, things have settled much.

And then there's Noah. Our little guy who turns 2 in about a week.

He has decided to test limits wherever he can and oh man (unless my memory is foggy) he is way more stubborn at this than Lincoln was! Last night we literally had a stare-down where I had decided "I will win this one." It was not pretty and full of snot and tears, but I'd rather fight these battles now and show him he's not in control of the house than later.

So we've been working with this for about 1.5 weeks now, and the other night at my parents house, when given a direction, he looked at me and goes "No!".
I gave him one warning to do as I asked, and he just grinned, still refusing to follow the direction. So as I moved in to discipline him, he goes "I wuv you mommy!!!" with the cutest little grin. Of course my family almost died laughing (he still got disciplined)...

Then this morning, a similar scenario was taking place in the living room where he was not being obedient, and as I moved in to discipline him, he ran across the living room yelling "I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuv you! I wuuuv you mommy!!!!!"

Where did he learn that? Oh dear.

The fun of raising toddlers. :)

Puppy Love

2012-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

Live Loud

2012-01-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Alright. You don't have to love football to have heard of Tim Tebow recently. I personally can't stand NFL football (though I love college), but am anxiously awaiting 7:00pm tonight to watch the Broncos vs. Patriots (I even DVR'd it just in case).
I know some Christians have gone as far as to criticize all the Tebow hype - which yes if you find yourself worshipping him, something's misplaced - but I think it's incredible what God is doing through this young man and how he is using his platform to proclaim the name of Jesus.
We all have a platform by which to proclaim our faith and be bold. His happens to be a massive one, but yours and mine is nonetheless any less significant. Thanks Tebow for being a personal encouragement to me to be bold in my faith and proclaim the name of Jesus in all things. Faith lived out looks like this, my friends.
**And as a sidenote, a interesting Tebow fact: he was homeschooled all the way until college! Isn't that crazy?! Jason and I watched some ESPN special thing on him during high school - which was awesome by the way - and this kid has lived for Christ in all phases.

Did you hear the latest news story that now that Katy Perry and her hubby have divorced that she has eyes for Tebow? Right. Not this one, Katy.

Anyway, thank you Tebow for not keeping your faith "private" and separate. Living like Jesus!! :)

Here's the article circulating FB in case you haven't read it. Worth the read. And if you don't know the rest of Tebow story from his season this year, ask your husband or your dad. It's incredible! (And I just assumed only females read this blog).

Friday, January 13, 2012I believe in Tim Tebow

By Rick Reilly
ESPN.com


	Tim Tebow with Jacob Rainey, one of the many people dealing with health problems Tebow hosted at Broncos games this season.

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?

Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."

More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.

Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener's granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.

"It was the best day of my life," she emailed. "It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can't rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises."

I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.

"Why me? Why should I inspire her?" he said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."

It's not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It's high school girls who don't know whether they'll ever go to a prom. It's adults who can hardly stand. It's kids who will die soon.

For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.

"He walked in and took a big sigh and said, 'Well, that didn't go as planned,'" Rainey remembers. "Where I'm from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he's the most genuine person I've ever met."

There's not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I've looked everywhere for it.

Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos' team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.

And it's not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow's guest for the Cincinnati game. "The doctors took some of my brain," Driscoll says, "so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I'll never forget. Tim is such a good man."

This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.

Isn't that a huge distraction?


	Not everything Tim Tebow does on one knee is controversial. Ask Zac Taylor.

"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

So that's it. I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.

Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He'd be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.

Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?

"Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what," Rainey says. "I am."

Lots of Nothing

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

I'm 21 weeks today and we had our 5 month ultrasound. We got to see the little darling in 4D (though she held her hands in front of her face the whole time!), but the most important thing is everything looked great and she is still in fact a girl. :)

In other news (boring, but hey) we got a King bed the other day and it is glorious. We've only had it 2 nights and it's already hard to imagine life without it. Super thankful for this luxury (and Christmas money well spent). We moved our queen to Noah's room (which will be Adelynn's soon), so we now have a guest room/there's-a-crib-in-there room if you wanna come visit (and I promise we'll move the baby).

Isn't this the most interesting post ever?

Yeah I'm bored, too, so I think I'll call it a day and get ready for nap time :)

The Half-Way Point

2012-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

So I'm now a few days past the half-way mark of this pregnancy...5 months and a few days! This one has been different in the sense that I feel like it is going by soooooo slowly (I felt like Noah's flew by). Probably because I've been sick so much more with this one? Not sure. But good news is I'm finally starting to have consistently more days than bad...and the bad days aren't met with much sickness as they are just the overwhelming exhaustion. But I have been able to work out 4x's a week now for the past month or so (had a hard time with this before because I always felt so sick), be more productive and present with the kids/house things, and stay up later - okay, maybe the last one is once a week, but hey...it's improvement.

I really have nothing much to talk about, so I thought I'd just update on some things I'm looking forward to in the near future (excuse me on the boring part):

1. In 2 days we get our new King bed delivered!!!! I'm super pumped about this one...perfect time for the growing pregnant lady :)
2. We get to have our big 5-month ultrasound and see the little girl in 4-D later this week
3. Conference basketball has started and we are 1-0 in conference so far!
4. I hired a sitter for an upcoming game for the first time EVER and am so excited to go watch every single little detail of the game with my friends.
5. And speaking of friends...I realized last night that I just love them. Without them, I think I would feel like I'm going crazy - or my kids are going crazy. They make me feel normal.
6. Noah turns 2 in less than a month!!!! Crazy.
7. My older sis found out they are having a boy! 3 boys and one little girl (as the grandkids) - all under the age of 3...pure madness.
8. I love college football, but for the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to watching Denver play on Saturday. Yes, I've joined the Tebow madness (how can you not??).
9. I'm really excited about this upcoming semester with our cell group girls - I think it' going to be wild - in a good way.
10. And can't WAIT to start our David bible study next week!!!!!!!!!

There's 10. Exciting, huh?
I think it's time to go to bed (this is my one night a week I chose to stay up). Good night.

Oh - here's a 5 month pic.

The Current Debate

2012-01-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, pre-school was one year before Kindergarten and that was that. But now the normal is to send your kids to 2 years of pre-school before starting K. Actually, the real "normal" or trend at least is to start your kids in Mothers Day Out programs from the get-go at least a few days a week, then do pre-school for 2 years, then start school.

For working moms, daycare and MDO are great options and pre-school becomes necessary (we did the daycare thing ourselves for Lincoln's first year while I worked).

And I have some friends (non-working) who chose to put their kids in MDO a couple of days a week to have some time to themselves to get errands/chores, etc. done.

Most of my friends put their kids in pre-school 2 years before K as well.

And then I have a few friends who have forgone any public schooling all-together and are doing a year-by-year basis of homeschooling.

I think ALL of these options can be great for families depending on their individual needs/circumstances/personal preferences and whatnot, so I am by no way saying "my way is the best way" because frankly I feel a little blind when it comes to some of these options (and more secure wit others).

Our family has decided that my full-time "job" is to stay home with the kids and be their sole source of influence while we have the chance. This means we have never done MDO with either of our boys and probably will never do it with any of our subsequent kids (I say probably because you never know). But for right now, there is no need to send them off when I'm here and perfectly capable all the time. I do think "my time" is important to hang out with other adults, revitalize myself in all aspects, and such, but I get that through 2-hour Bible study once a week, working out at the gym while kids are in their own work-out class, and then during their 3 hour naptime everyday. That's all a blessing and perfectly sufficient at this point! So I'm secure in the MDO decision.

But then enter pre-school. IF Lincoln were to do the norm, he would start pre-school next year, do it again the following, then start Kindergarten in 2 years. Up until last week, I had been in contact with the director of the place he would go and was re-budgeting and such to accommodate. But there has been this tug away from it I keep putting back. I have never felt completely sure about sending him for 2 years. But since most families do this, I was nervous he would be behind socially/academically if skipped the first year.

Here recently I've sought out advice from friends about this matter and have really looked into all that he will learn that first year of pre-school. The main objectives, he has known for almost an entire year, so the fear of him being "behind" academically was settled and I knew that wouldn't be the case.

But socially would he be behind, became my big question. After talking with Jason a lot about this and other friends/family, I realized he would not be at all. His teachers in his Bible study classes have always commented to me on his sociability and verbal skills, and he understands the classroom structure from those classes (as well as Sunday school since his is more structured now that he is older). Plus, we are in social settings A LOT. And when we're just at home, he has a brother who is not much younger to socialize with! Plus, I love being the one to be able to provide his social settings while I can.

So if he doesn't need it socially or academically, the thought of dropping a couple thousand dollars for the next year to send him away 2 days a week was even more unsettling. A common thread in what people have told me has been "keep them with you as long as you can...you're their best teacher...this time is so short...". Ultimately that is what I resonate with.

The only tug in the other direction is I think Lincoln would LOVE going. But then I remind myself, he'll get to go for MANY years after that! And with his new baby sister going to be at home, and Noah who will be even more active and playful by that time, I think we have decided it's best to only send Lincoln one year of pre-school. Jason and I talked about it for a while last night and he said "You know that the more time they get to spend with you, the more I am for it!".

So I'm pumped at finally coming to this decision for Lincoln. And as for Noah, I think he might be one that will go 2 years because he might have a harder time leaving me and need more of a gradual transition before Kindergarten. But we'll cross that road in a few years!

And as for homeschooling? I used to be a "No Way!" girl, but actually have a more open mind in that arena too (though I don't feel we will do it)...but that's for another post. :)

Some of you have discussed your thoughts on this with me on FB but I would love to hear any new opinions or what works for your family!

Wrapping Up the Holidays

2012-01-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

Soooooo Happy New Year!!!!!!! We rung in 2012 in true wild style: dinner out with the kids at 3:30 to beat the crowds, a little shopping, a wild playnight with us and the boys, then bed right after the ball drop - crazy, let me tell you. But perfect all the same. :)
I haven't really posted about Christmas but it was a blast. I can't decide if I like my new camera lens or all the fun games Lincoln got (like Hungry Hippos) - loving playing games with my old boy. And this year we decided to use our Christmas money on a King bed!!!!! It hasn't arrived yet but I am SO excited for this one. Even had a bit extra to buy me some new running shoes today that will go perfectly with that new gym membership I'm signing up for in the morning. Let the fun begin.
but obviously it's not all about gifts and I'm so grateful for the family time, extra hours with Jason at home, numerous date nights, and the handful of sermons Jason and I were able to listen to together while driving over the break that were super enriching. Thankful for my Savior and His amazing Gift to us.

I've never been big on New Year's resolutions, but in the next year I am definitely excited about becoming a family of 5 and welcoming our baby girl into the world!
I'm also super excited about the new Bible study on David starting in a few weeks, conference games beginning Friday, new neighbors (hopefully Bethany and Chris that will soon include you as well!), and many fun days spent out on the boy's new toy:

This was the exhausted picture after much jumping and playing. :)

Adelynn Faith (the story)

2011-12-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Okay. So how/why we chose our baby girl's name:

Oh and for those that did not see my facebook post, we've decided on
Adelynn Faith McMahan.

First, I always had a hunch it was a girl from day one and thus, I had various names swirling in my brain since we first found out we were pregnant (okay - maybe since we first decided to start trying!). The 3 were Finlee, Tatum, and Adelynn.

I had mentioned these to Jason but not in all seriousness. And honestly, I always thought it would be Finlee. And then the middle names...these were my favorite and I had a list of about 10 that I loved. In my spare time, I'd match them up with these names and just stare at it trying to imagine our baby girl.

And "Faith" was never one of the 10...ever.

When we found out it was a girl, I automatically switched from Finlee and just knew she was going to be Adelynn (though I had not mentioned this to Jason). In my own thoughts, that was already here name, but I truly was open to Jason having a different opinion. Names are huge to us and really is something we both have felt a leading from God on with our boys...so if God should lead differently, I was open to that.

But Jason was in full support! The only hiccup we had was that he knows I don't like the names to be shortened and he asked if I would get upset if he called her "Addie" some percent of the time. I will admit I asked, "Like how much percent are we talking?" Ha. I told him I will probably always call her Adelynn, but he's her daddy and call her whatever he wants to!

Meaning. Adelynn means "noble kind" which noble, as defined in dictionary means "possessing outstanding qualities". I just absolutely adored that meaning for our baby girl! Over the course of the next few months (and the rest of her life) we are going to pray about those qualities which God desires to be outstanding in her life...to be of "higher ranking" and then holistically for her most outstanding quality to be her love and fervor for the Lord.
The spelling is perfect, too, because "Lynn" is my mother's name and my sister's middle name. Love that.

And then, "Faith". The middle name that was never even on the list.

Jason and I have experienced a handful of matters involving faith like we've never experienced this past year. Some I've blogged about, others I have not...some have been personal and others have been coming alongside with friends through hard times, watching and learning from their massive leaps of faith in God's timing, will, and presence. It's been overwhelming and I think the area I have grown most in my spiritual journey with Lord this year.
And one of our biggest areas of faith was with this baby girl early on when we saw dysfunctional development on her 2nd ultrasound. God chose to heal that for us which we consider a massive blessing! And then a few weeks later when we saw it was a girl, fully healed, on the ultrasound, I knew her middle name would be "Faith".

This is Jason's absolute favorite part of her name.

So our prayer for Adelynn Faith at this point in her tiny little life, is that she grow in favor of God, possessing outstanding qualities that come only from the Holy Spirit, and that her faith in Christ is a noble faith - one esteemed and of high ranking - that will carry her through whatever trials and triumphs await for her in life.

(And then of course an even massive prayer for Jason and I that we can guide her on this path - pressure!).

So there you have it. If you made it through reading that whole thing, bless you. Ha. If not, that's okay because I love having these for my personal records. :)

Updates!

2011-12-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!!! Though this has been a somber week, we are super pumped to celebrate the birth of our Savior with friends and family in the coming days!
I realized I haven't done a pregnancy update in a while and thought I'd do it now since I just had an appointment a few days ago. I found these cute little "survey" things from friends' blogs that I'll use.

How Far Along: 4.5 Months

Gender: A GIRL!!! And we have a name!!! But I'm still waiting for Jason to give the "okay"...(even though he gets Lincoln to say her name all the time!). A lot of you know it already, but I'll fill the rest in soon. :)

Maternity Clothes: Some...I still have a pair of jeans I can wear fine...I definitely have a bump in my normal tighter sweaters and such though!

Weight gain: 3 pounds

Movement: I felt her for the first time this past week when I laid down to take a nap - loving the flutters!

Sleep: Sleeping has been okay for the most part. If I eat dinner after 6:00, my stomach will usually hurt all night long (those are bad nights). Don't know if it is pregnancy related, but my dreams have been absurd!

Symptoms: Very upset stomach most nights and still pretty tired. But since I've been working out a lot this trimester, the tiredness has gotten better.

Cravings: Subway. Weird, I know. But I think I could have a turkey sub on wheat with mustard, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and olives EVERY DAY if I let myself.

Best moment this week: Getting the reiteration that it's still a girl!! And the sweet things Lincoln says to her on a daily basis. :)

And here's the Santa pics from this year! Notice Noah is missing on his lap - he wanted none of it and I didn't wanna force him to sit there crying. Next year. :) Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your family this season!!

It is Finished

2011-12-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

I know I've mentioned these sermons a lot and have made some recommendations, so this might be redundant, but it's worth repeating.

If you've never listened to Mark Driscoll's 4-part series on Spiritual Warfare, I highly recommend it. I'm sure there are other sermons/books/discussions out there that would have the same impact, but speaking from one I've personally listened to, this was the best, clearest, simplest picture of how spiritual warfare works in our world..in our lives.

What I personally found helpful about this series was how black and white it makes Jesus' work and the work of satan.

Because it's not gray. Jesus said you either belong to me, or you don't (Mt. 12:30). Yet somehow we, I've, made it gray.

We wake up in our cozy homes with our precious families everyday on a battle field in the midst of the greatest war humanity has ever been a part of...and yet we take it lightly...we somehow forget (me, included)???

Yesterday (if you're local. you've seen the news) an amazing young man of God was senselessly murdered in his own home, in broad daylight, while he was home from college for the holidays. It does not to appear to have been a robbery, but yet a troubled, older man simply had planned to commit suicide and thought he would randomly murder this boy before taking his own life.

If you didn't know this kid, Dustin, I wish you did. He was outstanding. Jason had the privilege of coaching him for many years at Siloam and used to come home telling me how he could only hope our kids grew up with Dustin's character and fire for the Lord. He was unwavering. He was also a 4.0 pre-med student at Baylor University.

And yesterday afternoon, he was the product of pure evil. Yes, God knew this was going to happen (becuase He is all-knowing). No, God's plan was never for any of us to die at the hands of evil. But God knew the battle that raged...so He sent His Son to die in our place...to be the ultimate victory.

The worst day in human history happened the day Jesus was crucified. Yet, three days later, God raised Him to glory; He took the worst day in history and three days later made the most GLORIOUS day in human history.

What Satan intends for evil, God uses for good...(gen. 50:20).

Yesterday was a black and white picture of the battle we're in the midst of everyday...even our children. We are all subject. Evil is lurking, but Jesus reminds us to take heart because He has overcome the world. Praise the Lord He sent Jesus on Christmas Day into our world to save us in this battle....CHOOSE HIM. Everyday, choose Him. Pray for his armor. Pray it over your children. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be fully activated. Pray without ceasing.

This is the real deal.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, EPH 6:12.

I've heard some comments about how Christmas will forever be ruined for this family and how the holidays will always be a painful reminder.
Yes. I'm sure for years/lifetime to come the sadness will run deeper than you or I can even fathom.
However, I told Jason last night what a sole, perfect HOPE to cling to every Christmas...that this was the DAY God decided to place His own Son in the midst of this battle to save us. To save Dustin when he's be the victim of pure evil. To save me. To save you if you've made Him Lord of your life. At the end of all the parties and festivities, Christmas is about one thing:
"For God so loved the World that He gave His son...".

Kid-less

2011-12-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Tiger have been playing in a tournament in Conway this past week, and between the last 2 games, Jason's parents came up and took the kids home with them for a few days (we take them back this afternoon after the last Conway game).

Therefore, for the past 2 nights, we've been kid-less!!! Lincoln is always chomping at the bit to go stay with Jason's parents - he LOVES it - but Noah has in the past been unsure of staying with basically anyone other than us.

But not this time. When we got to the game, he sat in Gran-Gran's lap the WHOLE time, and when it was time to go, ran over to me and goes "bye-bye!! High five!" and held out his cute little hand. He was super excited. I am so glad they enjoy this time with them and that his parents are always so gracious and eager to take them!

THEN......last night we got to spend 8 un-interrupted glorious hours together with just the 2 of us! I really think it was one of the best date nights we've ever had. And we didn't do anything extraordinary, but incredible time well spent, loved our conversations, loved the late late movie we ended it with, love him.

Over the next three weeks we actually have 2 more date nights already planned and I'm so excited we're able to make time in this crazy basketball/holiday season. I cherish it. For Christmas last year, Jason requested his gift from my family been a lot (it really was a huge amount - it was funny) of gift cards to our favorite restaurants, and movie coupon books so that we can use them throughout the year for dates. He wants to do it again this year (yeah for me!). Blessing.

And side note: I don't typically find these kind of movies "good" (except for the rare ones that turn out absolutely hilarious), but loved loved "New Year's Eve" last night. Most of you will probably think it's too cheesy and it got terrible reviews, but for some reason it was perfect for my mood and was a great ending to our time out. Loved it.

A Taste of Biola

2011-12-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

So today I got this massive box (that was super heavy) from one of my closest friends ever (Adri - one of my college roommates), and I was like "seriously what in the WORLD could be in this thing?!".

Oh how she knows me. And how she knows how to make my birthday unexpectedly special.

Friends, she took the time to go buy all of my favorites and some of hers (for me to try) from my favorite store EVER when I lived in Cali: Trader Joe's.

She called it my Trader Joe's care package to remind me of Cali. And she put a little note on each thing. Super thoughtful and what an amazing idea! Because, yes - I miss that store like crazy sometimes!! There was one right down the street from Biola.
I'm excited to try the new things and have already ripped open a few. (Adri you KNOW what I ripped open first!). Love my sweet friend and her gift of encouragement and making people feel special.

And since I've moved here to Arkansas, I've been blessed to make a few super close friends (that I've talked about on here before). Two of these bought me my first little package of girlie stuff for our new baby girl over the weekend!! This was officially the FIRST girl things I have so it was even more special.

Love my friends (and not just because they bought me super fun gifts!).

December

2011-12-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

Minus the on-coming sinus infection, good start to this awesome month! The Tigers play in the championship game tonight for their first tournament (against SHS - my AM) and we've spent all morning making Christmas candy - PB balls up first - and playing, wearing the kids out to take a long late afternoon nap before heading to the game.
My birthday was great! Bethany came down and spent all day with the kids and I, going to the new museum, eating a little lunch, and hanging out with the kids. Love her.

Then last night Jason and I (with, yes - the kids!) went out to eat. The kids are staying with Jason's parents a few nights next week and that's when our real date will be. Then the next week, we're doing a joint birthday celebration with Brandon and Bethany. Excited for the upcoming weeks!

And excited for the upcoming forcasted SNOW! My best Cyber Monday find was some Land's End snow boots for Lincoln. They were originally right under $50, and with 3 extra discounts and savings, I got them for $17 - awesomeness.

And here are some pics of the kids I took the other day just for fun. :)

Enjoy the weekend!!

Shoot...They Got Me.

2011-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

I've been known to be a gym junkie since I was 16. The weirdest part is I always loved working out at 5:00pm which is "prime time" and super busy...I think mainly because I felt like I wasn't the only one. And of course the people watching was entertaining at times.

And when we moved to our new house here in B'ville last year, I told Jason I was for sure joining World's b/c (a) it was literally about 1.5 miles away and (b) they provided childcare. Fabulous.

But then I found myself not wanting to spend the monthly fees and feeling slightly guilty for putting the kids in childcare 5 days a week while I worked out. Also, we have a perfectly great gym here in our neighborhood. I just have to wait until Jason gets home to go (which can be a challenge during basketball season). Last winter when I couldn't workout with the jogger outside in the day, I would pay $5 to go to World's on the days I couldn't hit our gym.

And since December is Jason's busiest month, I decided to use my free-month pass for this month at World's (I started it at the beginning of this week though!).

The first day was glorious. I did the treadmill for 30 minutes then lifted weights for about 15. No big deal. Didn't feel guilty about the kids being in childcare because it wasn't that long, and they loved it! Lincoln has asked every day this week when we are going to workout - talk about motivation. Ha.

Then today we went slightly earlier than we have been, and I found out at this time EVERY DAY, an instructor takes the 3yo and ups to the aerobics room and does a kid-fit class with them for half an hour! I went over and watched Lincoln in this little class, working out and doing exercises, and thought it was one of the most precious things! They also allowed Noah to go with him today. :) My guilt for leaving them completely left today as I saw how much fun they had in their own workout class and how great it could be for them!

So, World's Gym, your "free-month pass" that I know was geared at me getting to eventually join, is working. I'm usually not a sucker for things like that, but today I kind of got sold. I figure we'll just go at the same time every morning so the boys can work out too.

Oh - and Lincoln has told me 4 times today, "Mom, I had fun working out today!"

Wiseman on the Ottoman

2011-11-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

So I'm pretty sure I wrote a similar post last season and if I'm just imagining that, I know I read similar posts by many of you!

Christmas is here again...which is awesome...but I'm finding myself in another quandary of family traditions to set and how to make sure the kids grow up with an appropriate focus. **sigh** And I'm still lost on exactly how to do this.

For instance, this is the first time I've really been creeped out by the old family "Santa Clause is Coming to Town"...
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake????

Creepy.
And then we watched Elf the other night which is all about Believing and some who see to believe and I couldn't help but think of how close some Christmas traditions come to paralleling Jesus Christ, but miss it...
The Polar Express brought about the same thoughts to me too...so close, but obviously without Christ, it's missed.

So part of my struggle with traditions is if I'm going to teach my kids to Believe and Hope, like all the famous classics do, I want them to ultimately believe and hope in Jesus Christ (whom the holiday is all about anyway).

But I also don't want to neglect the fun and my kids' imaginations, either.

Then there's the Elf on the Shelf which seems to be BLOWING up this season in every home. To me it sounds super fun and a great tradition, but then when I think about how it might play out long term, I'm nervous it can be an EXTREME focal point everyday. And this elf is suppose to report to Santa what you're doing? So I'm nervous it can create a sense of "OOH! We need to please the elf today so he tells santa how good we are!"

Again, so close, but sooo off.

Then I thought, what if the Elf brings a piece of the real Christmas story everyday tot he kids and writes them letters about baby Jesus? What if he brings them pieces of the nativity scene?

Instead of "Elf on the Shelf" how about "Wiseman on the Ottoman"? (Totally j/k on that one).

My friend Bethany told me about how she saw an Advent calendar that had a service project on it each day for the kids and parents to do...love that idea!

Anyway, I struggle with how to approach this! Thankfully the kids still aren't that old, but Lincoln's right on the brink of all this stuff.

I, like many of you I know, just want to make sure Christ's birth doesn't get overshadowed by Santa coming, or the Elf watching them everyday, or the presents they get...

So what has worked for you in finding balance with this???? Would LOVE to hear!!!!!!!

Turning 30

2011-11-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

This week marks the beginning of the end of my 20's...yup, come Friday I'll be 30 years old. We started the celebrations Sunday with dinner at Hugo's on the Fayetteville square and then some lights-looking, before heading to Amy's house for cake.
It's funny because my gifts from my family all included things to help my "appearance"...a Chi from my mom, a cool Zoe hairdryer set from my sis (mine has been blowing sparks), and gift card for much needed makeup from Kristen. All appropriate for turning 30, I suppose. :)

This week I have a few things planned with friends, the first few Tiger basketball games (exciting!), a Table Mesa dinner in the works, and a dual 30th celebration with Bethany and Brandon in a few weeks.

Here are some pictures from Sunday...it was COLD!!!

Our Baby Girl :)

2011-11-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Most of you know, but to make it blog-official (since I someday plan to print this off as a journal of such), this third little baby growing in my belly is in fact a GIRL.
When my doctor told me this a few days ago at my ultrasound, I just stared at him in disbelief and kept repeating "really?...seriously?...are you sure?...what percentage of certainty?"

It's as if I didn't believe it was even possible...ha. Oh - and his "percentage of certainty" was somewhere between 95-100%. :)

Anyway, that ultrasound was the neatest one I've had so far of any pregnancy. The doctor took his time and just let me looked and awe over this little girl! We watched her for probably 10 minutes and she was super active, moving her hands and feet all over the place, and literally flipping 180 degrees back and forth - it was incredible. It was so clear I could count all fingers and toes! And the biggest blessing of all is that the abdominal wall still looks completely formed. What an awesome blessing and one more thing to add to the thankful list this holiday!

So we're super pumped! I was telling Jason I was a little shocked at how surprised and excited I was finding out it was a girl. I feel like I'm pregnant for the first time all over again. :)

Now, for the more important things in life (totally j/k) - Woo PIG Sooie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And on a Random Note...

2011-11-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

Lately...
1. Since I always feel like the Holidays rush up and I find myself frantically trying to slow them down, I decorated Christmas early this year:

No small feet with two toddlers and another one the way. But we got it done. Lincoln is so proud of it all...we had some friends come over yesterday and he took them on a "tour" showing them every piece of decoration. Precious. Along with that, we have "Elf" DVRed and let Lincoln watch it. It's his new favorite (though we learned we're not allowed to call it "Elf"...No. Lincoln says the name is "Buddy".
He has also requested a "little tree" in his toy room. :)
As for Noah? He's only broken one ornament (walked into kitchen with a grin and threw it down - rascal), and has gotten three Christmas-decoration-related spankings. :) We're getting there.

2. My birthday is coming up...30!!! Can't believe it! And my best friend (is that cheesy to say at my age?) is turning 30 a few weeks after me, so CELEBRATION!!! Plans in the making. :) Love her.

3. And speaking of friends, yall, I just have moments where I feel SO blessed sometimes with the friendships God has given me. I am super thankful to be surrounded with some Godly girls (and their amazing husbands, of course) that all share the common goal of serving their Savior. I'm not a "native" here and thought it could be hard to build true friendships, but I was wrong and it's been incredibly rewarding.

4. Cell group girls! Love our 7th graders, and love my fellow leaders. Thankful and humbled to have this position in those girls' lives.

5. Tomorrow we **hopefully** find out our baby's gender!!!! I'll keep ya posted.

6. Lincoln is pretty much passed that "tantrum" phase I was worried about...I mean, he still has them every now and then but I think he must have been going through some other changes those few weeks. Thankful.

7. As of a week ago, I'm done with the first trimester! While I can't say the sickness/tiredness has completely subsided, it has gotten WAY better. I don't need a nap every day, and I have been working out more consistently again (I even ran this morning - which hasn't happened in 2 months!). Loving the return of some energy.

8. Basketball is almost here and I am SO excited! I love getting to hang out with the coaches wives (who are part of that group of friends I'm thankful for) on a regular basis, love chatting with the players' parents whom are awesome, and we're ranked high this year which will be fun!!!

A Beautiful Picture

2011-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

(**All right Meredith, here's my attempt!**)

In the passed few years, I have been blessed to be a part of numerous "we're having a baby!" announcements and the joys, thrills, and squeals that accompany that. Hearing of a friend's pregnancy has become one of my favorite things (I might go crazy nuts if you tell me, so be prepared).

However, while many of these carry on with no complications, it seems a numerous amount end in tragedy whether through miscarriage, complications throughout the pregnancy, and some in the loss of a child after its birth.

As you read in my post a few days ago, we were possibly faced with these circumstances for a short period of time. And at least as far as we can tell, God has chosen to heal our baby in my belly.

The night we found out our baby was healed (again, as best we could see on the ultrasound), Jason and I got entangled in a discussion of the Psalm 139 verse:

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb."

Of all my years of knowing this verse, of reciting this verse, of teaching on this verse, Jason pointed out something I've never pondered:
The word KNIT.

God's living Word says He knit us in the womb...it doesn't say "make", it doesn't say "spoke into being", it uses a word that embodies patient, intricate, delicate, detailed craftsmanship from ONE hand and one tool.

Yall I don't know if that speaks to you about our Maker but it absolutely blew me away that night and created this amazing picture of the detail and design our Father put in each one of us.

I went to bed pondering this and actually had trouble sleeping that night. One of the things that kept being brought to mind were those friends of mine who have experienced tragedy with their children...those that never got to meet them here on earth or got to spend only a short amount of time with them...I began praying for a few specifically that night in the wee hours and I became overwhelmed with this beautiful picture:

Because we live in a world of death, sickness, tragedy...a place where evil tries to dominate and thinks it has won...that sometimes, the knitting process is completed by our Maker in his very lap.

The beautiful picture (that is hard describe) was that of God holding these precious children my friends never got to mother here on earth, in His lap, finishing their knitting, in total perfection and beauty. And how absolutely glorious it will be for the mothers someday to see, meet, and hold the finished project!!

One friend who has experienced such tragedy expressed to me recently how she has struggled with the verse "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it..." and the feeling of "God, why didn't you complete it in me, but rather took my child before it was born?"

And going back to the above picture, where He finishes the knitting in His lap sometimes, I believe He DOES complete His good work! Again because evil exist in our current world and we're plagued by sin and death, the truth is, I believe He completes ALL His work in Heaven...that's where we are all made perfect...where we are all made anew...where sin and death are no more...

I think this applies to the unborn child and to the 102 year old woman.

This friend and I also discussed the common phrase after tragedy, "Well, you know this all happens for a reason..."
(which I have never been a fan of)
And you know, maybe it's semantics, but doesn't God detest sin, evil, and death? Doesn't He morn with the broken hearted? I think God morns with us at loss and it was never how He intended the perfect world to be prior to sin. But I definitely believe that "What satan intends for evil, God can use for good...". Maybe that's what we should say instead...you know? I just don't think God's "purpose" is ever death or sadness. He can make purpose out of it, but I think it breaks His heart like it does ours. Again, maybe semantics...

Anyway, I am excited to watch my friends unite with their babies for the first time someday...as excited I get about new pregnancies, there will be nothing like watching that scene!

As a side note: A girl in my Bible study yesterday discussed her story of having a miscarriage that I thought was an amazing perspective. She talked about how she went in for a normal doc appointment and found out, surprisingly, she was just barely pregnant. A few weeks later, she had a miscarriage. She said when it happened she was upset and confused and asked "God, why did I have to know! Why did I have to have that appointment and found out? It would have much easier to just have never known!"
Fast forward 12 or so years (I don't remember exactly how long ago it was for her but it was around then), and she said recently she was hit with the thought of now how glad she is she knows...that when she gets to heaven, she knows she has another baby to meet! She told her teenage son about this, and said she was shocked at how excited he was (and mad she never told him before) that he has another little sister to meet someday (she said she always thought it was a girl)! Anyway, I loved that...

Thanks for listening to these thoughts. I hope in some way you can picture the scene God made so alive in my heart that night!

(**Why does spell-check always sugest I capitalize satan's name...I will never.**)

Is This What They're Talking About??

2011-11-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

So you forever hear the phrase "the terrible 2's", and upon that arrival of the infamous 2nd birthday, you wince your eyes, brace yourself (maybe crawl into a cave out of fear of that emerging "terrible" child who was once so endearing), and...wait for it...and (for us)...keeping waiting for it...Then when days pass, you take a breath...when weeks pass, you come out of your cave, and when months pass, you wonder "what the heck were they all talking about?"...and you soon move on in happy delight your toddler is just as delightful as he was before he turned two.

Then for us, the third birthday comes.

Nobody talks about the terrible 3's.

And frankly that's the last time I'll refer to it as the terrible...yes, the emotions are trying, but really? Terrible? I think not. Should be the frustrating 3's. :)

Anyway, so yes. I think we might be there? All I know is oh.my.word. over the past few weeks there has been a major increase in whining, defiance, slow obedience, crying, and all out tantrums. What happened???!!!! I was discussing my frustration over these past few weeks with Jason with GREAT concern last night (asking him if he was as concerned), then I realized, that if I talked about these "symptoms" with fellow moms, they'd probably smirk and laugh at with me, then maybe welcome me to their club??
It's not bad all the time, but Lincoln has usually been my more mature, obedient one and yes - I naively thought at one time this naturally strong-willed independent child would magically skip this phase. (I know...chuckle).

So what have we been doing? Jason and I had a "team meeting" (ha) last night to discuss how we were going to consistently handle this to hopefully shorten its length. Some things I have found helpful the past few days have been:

- explaining to him BEFORE we go somewhere (I'm talking anywhere...even down to the store) how the trip is going to go and what I expect out of his behavior. This also includes what the consequences will be if he falls short. Therefore, once we are at the public place, I just have to use short phrased "reminders" to help him stay on track. This has worked...really well the past 2 days.
- Being consistent. If he disobeys or tantrums after he knows what is expected, I follow through with consequences I told him prior. This is a PAIN. He sat in a deserted hallway at the basketball game last night (make-shift time out) while everyone else enjoyed dinner and the game (a pain because I missed too). But VITAL this is followed through, in my opinion.
- At home, if he starts to wine (this almost always turns into tantrum for him now), he either has a choice to talk from a "happy heart" or go sit on his bed until he gets a happy heart.
- And something I started this morning which I felt was WONDERFUL was Lincoln and I started his day with a prayer, asking Jesus to help him with his emotions and to be obedient. He recited his Eph. 6:1 verse and we discussed expectations for the day. And today has been the easiest of all so far in the past few weeks. No spankings or time-outs. This is going to be a part of our daily routine.

So those are a few things that I feel are starting to be helpful with us...would love to hear what you find helpful during this stage!

Another interesting note: his eyes have looked so tired lately with dark circles...no matter the sleep he gets. He has also been crashing hard at nap time, sleeping about 4 hours for the past week, and when he wakes up, he is totally disoriented and usually wakes up in a terrible mood. So not sure if he's in a growth spurt which is aiding in his wild emotions or what. Anyway, have a great day! It's getting COLD here!!!
-

Baby News

2011-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

This past week has been a whirlwind...I have "written" this post in my head probably 50+ times over the past week, and each time it looks completely different. Journaling has always been a coping skill of mine, and though I knew I'd eventually blog about this past week, I have resulted to actual journaling with paper and pen these past days.

But here I am, ready to share with you a piece about my Savior.

A week ago I went in for a routine ultrasound to check the heartbeat (and sex????) of the baby. This was the first doctor's appointment I have ever had where my doctor expressed concern over a certain developmental aspect of the baby. The bowels had not returned to the abdomen wall as expected at this stage of pregnancy. After my many questions, he explained how this could mean one of two things: one was very serious and would require immediate post-natal surgery for the baby, and the other - much much more serious - had devastating effects after the baby was born. We discussed upcoming pre-natal care which would include me going to UAMS in Little Rock for chromosomal disorders testing, more in-depth ultrasounds, and how I would ultimately have to deliver there with a specialist doctor. HE told me he wanted to see me weekly for a while to monitor this.

I was at that appointment by myself and left with floods of emotions - terrified, anxious, confused - and cried and prayed the whole way home. Something could be wrong...seriously wrong.

Half-way home my doctor called me from the office to tell me not to worry too much that upcoming week, that he still thought there was a chance it could form into the abdomen in the next few days (but that it is just usually formed by now).

And that became my prayer.

Yall, I prayed my heart out that day/night. I prayed for healing, but I ultimately Jason and I prayed that if this was the road God had in store for us, that He would get glory through whatever circumstances lay ahead. And I prayed for peace...over and over for peace - no matter the outcome.

I told my close friends who I knew would rally in prayer for this baby. That part was overwhelming! I got verses in text, prayers emailed to us, and felt the Body of Christ in a powerful way.

That night I got little sleep. I woke up the next morning with a heaviness and I lay in bed praying for God to give me energy that day, to lift my spirits, and I asked Him why I still didn't feel the peace I had prayed for the entire day before. As I was doing this, my phone rang - a number I didn't recognize.

Here's where the miracle comes in...

I answered the phone and it was a school board member whom I've met one time - this summer. I still don't even know how she got my number. But she did and she called. And she told me God has been teaching her a lot about himself lately and she wanted to share it with another Believer.
And my name was on her heart that morning.
Which, by the way, is very very odd. This lady had no idea of our circumstances and I don't even know her that well.
But she called me and she began telling me about the armor of God and how we need it to defeat the enemy and His lies. Then she, boldly, proclaimed to me "Melissa, the battle is HIS! The battle is His!!!!!"
At this point I was crying on the phone because I knew this lady was acting as the voice of God to me. I wasn't able to explain to her the significance of her calling because I was crying so much (I later got the chance too, though!). How crazy that God used a school board member to call and minister to me that morning, BEFORE MY FEET EVEN HIT THE FLOOR.

Yall, God knows what we need and I was completely engulfed and overwhelmed by His love that morning. I called Jason to tell him about it and his response was "We have no clue how much God really loves us...none of us do...".

And that peace I had been praying for? He gave it to me after that phone call. And I have had it ever since...unwavering (no joke) which is ONLY from God. So much so, I never even googled anything from then on! Ha.

I had made such peace with whatever the outcome (even if it was the majorly devastating one), knowing God could use it ALL for His glory...and isn't that all that matters in the grand scheme of things???

These past few days, I actually had this overwhelming feeling that the mass presented above the baby's belly would be completely gone next ultrasound. I told my close friends that recently...

So today was the day and I woke with super sweet messages from friends and text throughout the day of people praying. My mom informed me that some of her close friends woke up praying for me as well...humbling and encouraging.

I had zero anxiety today which is a miracle. It wasn't until the doctor put the device on my belly getting the picture of the baby up on the screen that my heart started beating out of my chest...and at that point, Lincoln goes "Mommy?" I looked over at him and he goes "I love you."

God knows what we need...

You guys - the mass was completely GONE. There was zero sign of anything abnormal. Nothing. We nixed the plans for UAMS...Jason and I looked at each other and said Praise the Lord...He is Healer.

And here are a few interesting afterthoughts:
1. This past week could have been one of complete turmoil, google, and constant worry. But God drew me closer to Him this week. He showed up in my life through prayer and using other people. "Bad news" isn't always so bad, you guys...feeling out of control with only one place to turn can be a strangely restful place...
2. This is terrible, but I caught myself - when I first got in the car after the good news, my first thought was "Melissa, now don't go around calling this a miracle because there was a small percentage out there of fetuses that develop the abdomen wall really late..." or "This was more of a medical explanation..."
Then I caught myself and realized the many ways God demonstrated power/love just in our relationship this past week, and how the enemy would love for me to believe this was "explainable" and not a miracle.
My friend Bethany told tonight how the same has happened with her, how she has caught herself trying to excuse miracles because we really lack faith in them sometimes.

One thing I've learned (I have in the past taken for granted) is what an absolute miracle it is that all things form together in a perfect manner to form a human being. We often call it a miracle nonchalantly, but I know see clearer than ever just how incredibly miraculous it all is.

So as for this family, we choose to call this a miracle, and give God all the glory for forming this baby in a healthy manner!

So that's our latest faith journey. I will still go back for an ultrasound in a few weeks to solidify things are still good (and find out the sex!). He tried today to see the sex, but the baby wasn't very cooperative.

Anyway, thanks for listening and I'm so humbled to serve a miraculous God who loves me and knows my every need. He is PROVIDER. The verse at the top of this blog is one I cherish and claim often!

Get Me Out of the Kitchen

2011-11-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the pregnancy that makes feel as if I need to be in the kitchen? Not sure. But it's almost 10:30 and so far today this is what I have cooked:

1. Veggie Past Mac&Cheese: it's new and I like to make it early for the kids and put it in the fridge for lunch (not as messy). And this new stuff has 1/2 cup vegetables per serving - made with cauliflower.

2. Tender Roast in Crockpot for dinner - complete with potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. I wish I could post a smell on here because it is one of my favorites!

3. Quesadillas are in the stove cooking for the kids for lunch...

4. Cupakes from Pinterest: Supposedly the best cupcake recipe ever. I will say I just tried one and they truly are pretty amazing. I think I'll have to agree with the claim. Make them if you get a chance! Now I need to find the perfect frosting recipe...

(Doesn't that look amazing! My icing isn't that pretty - it's in fact purple - per Lincoln's request).
Now on to play swords, pirates, and basketball. :)

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight we did our annual (can I say that now that we've done it two years in a row?) trick or treat party with some of our coaching friends. Some couldn't make it this year because of sickness and things, but there was a fun crowd and the kids had a blast.

Sawyer is one of Lincoln's absolute favorite buddies. They're stinkin hilarious together.

Lincoln went - as he's requested for the past few months now - Joshua (battle of Jericho, Joshua). Today he put his armor on, ran up to me and yells: "My name is Joshua! I am MAADD!! And I'm gonna knock your wall down!!!!!!" He's a ham.
Noah got the hand-me-down hideous Frankenstein costume. And Noah had more fun trick or treating than anyone, I think.

Then there was best dressed couple (Okay, the only couple that dressed up), but loved their idea!!! Tammy & Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights!

And of course I had to pose with Mrs. Taylor herself. :)

Fun night. Precious friends. I am tired!
We have a super busy week ahead...hanging out with Jason's team tomorrow after practice, then going to first JBU b-ball game with the team, ultrasound later this week, home football game, Razorback madness with tailgating and family coming in for the weekend, Father/Daughter bowl night with cell group girls...I'm tired thinking about it, but it will all be fun! :)
And one more pic because I love this one.

I Tried the Broccolii Thing...

2011-10-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

You know, from Pinterest...this one?
Supposedly the best way to cook broccoli???

And it really was awesome. Now it says anyone/everyone will like it, but my husband is avidly disgusted by broccoli and this still didn't work. I made it for myself for lunch after church. Yes, for lunch. And it was fantastic and filling.

I basically followed the recipe, but made some modifications. Here's what I did in case you want to try:

Broke apart 2 bunches of fresh broccoli and mixed in 4 sliced cloves of garlic (on foil in a square cake pan). Sprayed with cooking spray (instead of using recommended amount of olive oil - too much hurts my stomach).
I did mixed in about 1/2 TBS of olive oil.
Put a very generous amount of salt and pepper :)
Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. This was the perfect time.
Take out of oven and mix in some pine nuts (I will probably not do this next time).
Recipe says squeeze lemon over it, but all I had was a lime and it worked just as well - a necessary step - loved the zest!
Then it says put Parmesan cheese over it. OF course Walmart was out of Parmesan cheese (really??) so I found this stuff instead for a dollar and some change. I used the middle flavor.

I sprinkled about 1/5 of the package over the top and it was AWESOME! Saving the rest of the package for next time.

This is something I will definitely take as a side when I take next meal to someone. So there you have it. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed. I think I'm going to try to do this with asparagus next time and see if it's good.

Happy 3 Years :)

2011-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby Lincoln turned three today! And we are spending this day with just our little family - fantastic. This morning I cooked cake-batter pancakes with sprinkles (which the kids loved, but the taste was so-so), then he opened his few presents from us.

Here are some little things about Lincoln at this stage of his life:

* He has now gone almost a week with NO paci whatsoever and has done fantastic. So glad to be done with that phase!
* He's also been perfect on using the potty. I can't even remember the last time he had an accident. He can also do it all by himself...undress, potty, and put clothes back on. You always know when he went b/c his shorts are usually on backwards :)
*He still loves "class" during my Bible study. I think he's going to have a blast when pre-school starts.
*He has a wild imagination that it captivating. I love watching all the stories he makes up with his toys and all the crazy adventures he does with them.
*He still loves all things Veggie Tales which warms my heart. I hope he never grows out of this.
*He loves to pray...at anytime in the day. When we go to church, he (unprompted) prays for Noah that he won't cry...and if we hang out with you, you can bet he will pray for you that night when he goes to bed.
* He has a bursting heart of compassion and care for others. If he sees someone upset, he will go check on them (even if it's a dog).
*The boy LOVES him some sports. More than you can imagine. He is always curious "who is playing each other" and "who is winning" and has a basic understanding of how most major sports work.
* The Tigers and the Razorbacks are his favorite teams.
*His favorite Bible stories are Joshua, David & Goliath, and when Jesus calms the storm - he also loves to act these out.
* I here almost everyday, "Mommy, how's that baby doing?"
* He has recently starting eating double of what he used to. It seems like he is always hungry!!
* He loves to take showers now.

This is an interesting time because it feels like the major "baby transitions" are gone now. Our next ones will be when he starts pre-school, the new baby, and when Noah moves into his room next summer. :)

Buddies :)

2011-10-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Big Foot

2011-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

This big boy has a big 3-year-old birthday coming up next week. And it's as if his growth spurts are corresponding accordingly. Yesterday he took a 4.5 hour nap (I actually woke him up), and a 3.5 hours one today.
And his shoes just don't really fit.
So I got his his new Nike's his Gran-Gran bought him that were too big a few months ago.
And they fit...perfectly...today.
And they are a size 10.5 which I've been told, is quite monstrous for a 2 (okay, almost 3) year old.
Big boy.

In other news, I'm feeling a lot better in the days! I take a nausea pill most days which probably helps, but I'm loving the relief!

Another interesting thing about this pregnancy so far that was different than times before, is that I am already showing. No joke. 9 weeks and I have an obvious baby bump. It took me until close to 5 months to show in the past so I wasn't expecting to already be getting the maternity clothes out! I don't need them just yet, but I'm telling you - it will be soon.

I googled this (why I am showing months earlier) and it made perfect sense. After a few go-arounds, your uterus (sorry if you don't like that word) grows at triple the speed because it knows what's about to happen. And there's not as much tight abs to fight through. :)

I learned something new.

Everybody have a good weekend with this awesome weather!!!!!

My Favorite Chili Recipe (and it's crock-pot!)

2011-10-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

3-Bean Chili (adapted from a crock-pot cookbook I own)

Combine the following in crock-pot (big one) and cook on low for 3-4 hours:

2 lbs browned ground beef (I use extra lean)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped yellow onion
2 can chili beans
2 cans black beans
2 can kidney beans
2 cans chili ready diced tomatoes
1 pkg chili seasoning mix
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Lots of salt and pepper (I tend to go crazy here).

This is by far my favorite chili recipe. It's super chunky and not too tomato-y (we're not tomato saucy fans here).
If you love the tomato sauciness, you can add a can of tomato paste. The recipe actually calls for it. I never cook with it.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The Great Outdoors

2011-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Remember this movie?? It was a family classic amongst our house when I was growing up. But don't be fooled...I am by no means "the camper".
Yes I've been several times, but not in the past 13 years (I believe).
And I did used to enjoy it...in the younger years.
But this weekend, I'm breaking that trend and we're going camping. We figured if we keep having kids at the current rate, camping trips are all we'll be able to afford one day. We're meeting my parents and Amy and Nathan out there. And yes, we're taking the toddlers!
Now - my husband is no different from I in the camping realm.

We are borrowing a tent from some dear friends...and I realized last night, we don't even own sleeping bags. So we're borrowing those from my father (who is an avid camper).
We're cooking out the 2nd night and I literally thought that meant "beans over a kettle" which I was already preparing for. But then my mom told me they are cooking a pork tenerloin, grilled chicken, corn on the grill, some sort of potato dish, and well - obviously not "beans over a kettle".

I can handle that.

Oh - and at the last moment, my faithful mom also got a small cabin on the campsite so that Noah could have a place to put a pack and play in...and she could sleep in there with him. This may also be PERFECT for a pregnant lady. :)
(I really am gonna try to "camp" though!).

And I really am excited - this should be fun! Lincoln is crazy excited because Papa's taking him fishing! :)
Happy Camping.

Just a Little More

2011-10-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the super sweet words and encouragement on here and FB! And the 2 new readers, thanks for introducing yourself!! :)

My friend Leslie (who is also pregnant - we were pregnant with our last 2 around the same time as well) talked about on her blog a while back how she is managing being pregnant, now with a toddler.

And I couldn't have agreed more with her response. Even though I am sick this time around, I've never been fortunate to stay home with either of my last 2 pregnancies. But this time, my kids are on amazing nap schedules that allow all of us to take naps every day for at least 3 hours - pure bliss for me right now and I can't remember a day I have not taken one yet. It's nice, when the sick feelings hit, to know we can just lay low and take it easy. Big blessing.

And the main main main main question I have gotten is "So are you hoping for a girl????"

Ha. A girl would be a blast. And obviously, so would a boy. :) The past 2, I actually had a preference (I wanted boys). And now, I do have a desire for a little girl! But the thought of three boys under the age of 3 sounds like an absolute BLAST as well. Time will tell...

I will say the poor third will probably not get a nursery. In fact, we're soon moving Noah into Lincoln's room with him, and going to turn the forth bedroom into a guest bedroom...we will probably leave the crib in the corner for this little baby. Noah didn't have a "nursery" for the first year of his life...he actually slept in a pack and play! At least this baby will get a crib. :)

And I might change my mind (I can't give up the toy room!!).

Anyway, I swear my blog's not going to turn full "pregnancy topic" mode now. Promise. Just excited right now and embracing the upcoming changes.

Oh and my sister, Kristen had her first ultrasound today! Everything looking great!!! She took pics for us when I had Lincoln and we joked today about she wanted me to take pics for her, but then we realized (A) I might be in labor, too and (B) if I'm not, I might go into labor in her room and cause chaos! Still crazy to me we are due a few days apart!

And, The News.

2011-10-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

So here we go:
A few months ago, on the the first morning of Bible study for this semester, in the presence of two of my best friends and my little sis (which was super fun), I found out I was pregnant with baby #3.
That moment never gets old.

Today Jason and I got to see the little baby and hear the strong heartbeat for the first time. It was an especially fun experience because both our boys came with us and got to experience it as well.
[But Bethany, I might take you up on your offer next time...ha!].

With each pregnancy, I always fight fear of all the unknowns and "what-ifs" that could go wrong...but on the flip side, I'm always super humbled, feel completely undeserving, and in awe of God's power and provision. Then ultimately I am able to channel my worries to trust and know that HE who started this good work in me will be faithful to complete it...however He chooses to complete it.

I am due somewhere around the third week of May, and so far this pregnancy has been totally different than the previous two! I never was sick with the boys, but I have been sick almost 24 hours a day with constant nausea and some other unpleasants. I did get a prescription today that will hopefully help with that.

The greatest joy through this so far has been seeing Lincoln's reaction. I told him the day I found out, and he responded with "It's a baby girl and a baby boy, mommy." But then he came back later at lunch and told me there was only a baby girl in there.

He has since held to this.

It should be noted, he, too, has "puppy dogs" in his tummy (or so he tells me).

Over the past few years we have seen the trait of compassion/concern for others exploding in Lincoln's life. It's definitely a God-given spiritual gift to him that we see so clearly in multiple ways.

Along with that, he tells me - pretty much on a daily basis - "Mommy! Be careful with that baby..." if he sees me doing something strenuous. He did the other day when I was mopping the floor and was concerned I was going to slip...and at the store a while back, I pick up a gigantic thing of dog food and he yelled: "Mommy be careful with the baby!!!"

Every day he comes to me and asks to see the baby...he then tickles or kisses my belly. Sometimes he tels me the baby is sleeping and asks if he can wake it up (which is followed by a scream to wake it!).

He's been fun through this so far...he surprisingly understands it way more than I thought he would.

Anyway, so that's our news! A lot of you that read my blog already know all of this, but thought I'd officially share!

***Oh - one more thing (this is crazy!): My older sister, Kristen found out she is pregnant a week after me and we are due at the same time - how crazy is that?!

WPS

2011-10-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Obviously there was a big game this past weekend. The weather was perfect, we got an amazing tailgaiting spot (thanks to some family friends of the McMahan's). Love me some 6:00 games where the kids can nap early and enjoy the whole experience!

Our tailgating spot is right next to where the team does the run-through before the game. I took Lincoln over so he could see the team (for those that don't know, he's pretty much obsessed with the players and wants them BAD to come to his birthday party in a few weeks!).

While we were waiting for the team to get there, Lincoln started calling the Hogs. It caught the ear of some of the cheerleaders and band folk who thought it was awesome that the 2-year-old was so spirited. So they let him jump the rope and stand with them for the run-through.

It as so fun for him!!! He loved it.

He literally high-fived the ENTIRE team...didn't miss one of them. Tyler Wilson was even on the completely opposite side of us, but saw the little toddler across the way and hopped across the other players to give Lincoln a high-five. Precious.

But the coolest part was when Petrino (coach) came through with all his security guards surrounding him. Petrino saw Lincoln through the guards, made them all stop, parted them, and came over to Lincoln and I. He grabbed Lincoln's hand with both hands, said hello, and sat there shaking it for 5 seconds while camera man "got the shot". Total PR, but still total sweet.

Lincoln was elated. He ran back to Jason and said "I met the coach!!" He called him "Coach Pino".

I will add, Lincoln did get upset when he could not then keep following all the players to the locker room (cause he gets to do this at bentonville - why not here?!).

Grateful for all their kind spirits. Lincoln later told us that was his favorite part of the whole thing...even more than the Razorback cake. Ha.

Baked Spag

2011-10-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

Alright. Sorry if this is starting to be boring, but - yes, another recipe for ya. I've made baked spaghetti before but this recipe was fantastic!! Pair it with a spinach salad topped with tomatoes, almonds, peppers and vinaigrette - and you've got yourself some goodness. :)

Here's the phenomenal picture of this tasty little dish (not my pic):

And here's the recipe link:
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/baked-parmesan-spaghetti/comment-page-1/#comments

Oh - and the kids:
You decide.

Clean Up

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

At the end of the night, we always have the boys clean up all there toys (i.e. throw them in the playroom), out of the living room/kitchen before bedtime.
I would like to say I'm teaching them to clean up for themselves (and I am, don't get me wrong), but really the light bulb went off in my head one day: "Hey! You don't have to clean this mess every night anymore...those little people are perfectly capable and can now do it for you!"
So, loving the new system; and yes, they are learning to clean up their messes in the meantime.

So the other night the living room was bad. Total disaster. Every nook and cranny filled with their toys. We sat on the couch and made them clean up every last morsel, putting it all away in their toy room. I told Lincoln it all "had to go in the toy room."

They did it, and then when we got up to put them to bed I saw this:

All toys crammed just right inside the door. Next time I shall be more specific in my cleaning up instructions.

2 Recipes

2011-10-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

The first is a Pinterest floater...I have to bring a breakfast item for Bible study in the morning. Perfect time to try out something Pinterest.:)
I chose the Pumpkin Crunch Cake.

Cake for breakfast? Hmmm....not so sure. Pumpkin for breakfast? Definitely. So I go with the latter. I just made this (since Tuesday mornings are crazy enough), and happy to report it is ever so amazing. Yes, I tried it. You can't make something new and not try it out before sharing with 60+ people! But now I'm not so sure how it will fare after being refrigerated...I might have to try it again in the morning. :)

Oh - and this is SUPER easy and quick to make (except it bakes for 45 min).

NEXT UP....

Chicken Dump Soup (Crock-pot style...and what's for dinner)

Ingredients:

1 can rotel

8oz. Velvetta

3 cans Cream of Chicken

1 can chicken broth

3-4 cooked, and shredded chicken breasts

16 oz. frozen corn

1 can creamed corn

pepper (I use lots)

Dab of minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in the crock-pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours...stirring throughout so it doesn't stick to sides/bottom (or PAM spray works too).

This is my mom's recipe and super yummy, super easy, and loaded with sodium (yum).

Mix-Matched

2011-09-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

After my run tonight, I came home to my sweet Noah dressed like this:

Take notice of the details. Luckily he didn't leave the house like this.
He's pretty stinking cute though regardless. Tonight I just put him to bed, I prayed with him, tucked his blanket around him, and then he looked up at me and goes: "Thanks you!"
Precious.

Crystal Bridges Trail (in Pictures)

2011-09-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

Love this precious family :)

Trample the Great Lion

2011-09-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Lincoln wanted to read his Bible...but one story wasn't enough so we kept going. Then we got in a toddler discussion back and forth about the "bad guys" in all the stories and how God helped his people win the battles. This concept he understands, as it goes with his first memory verse he ever learned.

Then he asked "will the bad guys come get me?"

And we shifted gears to the New Testament and read the stories about Jesus.

I talked to him about how God sent his Son as a rescuer and that bad guys might try, but none will succeed against those who believe Jesus is the Son of God and trust and follow Him.

This part got tricky, because he got MAJORLY hung up on the fact that there were "bad guys" out there. I tried the best I could to explain the ultimate protection and love of Jesus. I think he got it a little better (he didn't seem as scared at least!), and then I mentioned Heaven.

His eyes lit up because we've talked about Heaven before.

I told him how Jesus was going to take us to live in Heaven with him one day and there will be no more bad guys.

His response, "Can we eat lunch, take nap, then go there mommy?"

So sweet...

Anyway, this morning I was reading in Psalm 91 before the kids woke up and what an awesome passage to show God's power and love for his people! Made me think of my conversation with Lincoln and how he was scared of the bad guys...this passage will wipe away and sort of fear. Super encouraging.

It talks about how all enemies will fall at the right hand of God; how he has no fear of evil because he is powerful to overcome it. It is very demonstrative in how the "bad guys" cannot stand before the Lord.

THENNN the cool part, after all of that, it says for those of us who follow the Lord,

"Then no harm will befall you
No disaster will come near your tent
For he will command his angels concerning you (WOW!)
to guard you in all your ways
They will lift you up in their hands
So that you will not strike your foot against a stone
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra
You will trample the great lion and the serpent

The Lord says: "Because he loves me, I will rescue him! I will protect him for he acknowledges my name!"

I can't wait for the day when Lincoln and Noah grasp this fully (as well as I)!

Weekend!!!

2011-09-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have a pretty cool friend. She was my roommate through most of college and my only college friend who wasn't a soccer player. We had a bond. :)

We spent a month together living it up in an orphanage in a happy little village called "Pravda" on the way Eastern side of Ukraine the summer after I graduated.

She then went on to be a full-time missionary in that region, with a ministry still going strong (I told she was pretty amazing).

Anyway, the bad part of it (selfishly) is that we rarely get to see each other! When she is home from overseas, her "home" is Northern California...which is not too close to Arkansas.

But this weekend, she's going to be in Dallas doing a fundraiser for her ministry.

I can do Dallas!!!

And it just-so-happens that Jason's parents are graciously taking the little boys on a mini-vacay to Branson this weekend...so guess where I'm headed in four hours?????!!!!!

I seriously might pee my pants I'm so freaking excited over here. We saw each other about a year and a half ago in Portland (where our other roommate lives), but friend like this...you're suppose to see each other at least once a month - seriously. We talk constantly through emails and stuff and it's a big treat when she's int he states and we can actually call each other.

Anyway, there's not many other people on the planet who know me better than Meliss (yes, we have the same name even). Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

I have a "Friends" story, too...

2011-09-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

So it was fun reminiscing about that last post and - since I'm going to hang out with my college roommate in a few days (YEAH!!!), I thought I'd let ya know about another interesting one:

A friend of my roommates my Sophomore year had some crazy connections with the producers of "Friends" and got a bunch of us passes to go watch an episode be filmed.

I.Was.Pumped.

Those young readers out there might not understand all the commotion around this show, but us 30-ish folk out there get it. And my roommates and I were right in the middle of this Friends madness...I think we can quote 70% of the episodes - maybe 80%.

So we counted down the days until we got to go watch an episode, and when that day finally came, we got a call saying our date had to be cancelled due to a bomb threat on the cast at the studios. They said they weren't letting anyone come that day for safety reasons.

I.Was.Bummed...super bummed.

We might have complained and pitched a fit of some sort (I said might), but the producers gave her passes to come to another upcoming taping.

Still kind of bummed, but we'll take it.

And glad we did...
When it was finally our day, we showed with utmost enthusiasm (as you can imagine), expecting to meet all the cast and have a crazy exciting experience. The actual taping of the episode happened to be one of their famous Thanksgiving episodes (which are the best) and that was a massive treat when we realized it!

And if you think the show is funny, watching them tape it live was hysterical...all the bloopers and everything was a straight up comedy show.

Then, as they are taping live, there's a knock on their apartment door and Rachel goes to answer it and guess who's there.
Freaking BRAD PITT. Right in front of us...BRAD PITT (in case you didn't hear me the first time).

This is where it got embarrassing. When we saw him, my roommate and I started screaming like mad women. Literally. In fact, so literally, guards came over to us and told us we must stop or we would get kicked out.

"Hello Mr. Pitt - we are immature idiots." (I think we made a great impression).

So they re-taped the scene and told us audience to tone down our screams (which we did - out of straight fear this time).

And then at the end of the episode, Mr. Brad walked out right next to our seats - seriously. This is so embarrassing, but I opened my mouth to say something to him and nothing came out. So I tried again. This time it was audible and we met Mr. Brad Pitt.

In my time there in LA, I saw a handful of actors and such but was never star-struck with any of them like I was that day.

Oh yeah - I'm not even sure how this happened, but there was a point in the taping that I was given a microphone and someone on soundstage put a karaoke Brittney song on...and I sang and danced...while people danced (and the cast of friends was watching, too).

Now that I've written this out, I realize there were more embarrassing moments than cool ones. Heck, I was 20.

After the taping, my roommate and I got in my car and drove 3 hours to Vegas - walked around, watched Biola play a basketball game, and came home at 4 in the morning. My first Vegas experience.
It was a grand day. :)

So if you ever see a re-run episode of the Friend's Thanksgiving with Brad Pitt, take notice of the crazy screaming girls' voices in the audience (see? I did make it on TV afterall - ha).

How I Was Almost a TV "Star"

2011-09-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

In honor of (apparently) the season finale of "The Bachelor" (I say apparently because I haven't watched this show in years - but I have friends that do), I thought I'd share my run-in with this ridiculous show.

My Junior year of college, my grandpa died which was unexpected and absolutely devastating for our entire family. I was the only one that didn't make it to his bedside during his last hours because I was on a plane somewhere between LA and Ft. Smith trying to get there as fast as possible...to no avail.

It happened in the fall, around fall break...which was also pretty close to Thanksgiving, which then was only a few weeks shy of Christmas break. My amazing professors told me to just stay home until finals which was amazing.

I remember spending lots of time with my sister Amy, which though sad, was some great time together.

I had also just broken up with a boy during that time (which was not sad but glorious). Couple this with my spontaneous personality and days on end with my sister and not much to do, and you find yourself (at your sister's pushing) filling out an online "Bachelor" application to be the next piece of meat amongst other desperate girls.

Yup. No big deal.

Well, then the tables turned when I was back at Biola for Spring semester and I start getting calls from the producers of the show. I thought it was funny at first, but after a series of long conversations with them, they wanted me to come to the ABC studios and meet with about 10 of them. Yes I was intrigued with the whole "TV thing" (I was 21) and so of course I jumped at the chance since I only lived an hour away.

I got all dolled up (in a white shirt - this will be important later), and felt big-time getting my ABC pass and all to go meet these producers.

Half-way into our meeting, I realized their lingo was more talking to me like I was already chosen as a contestant. They were telling me how I was going to be the youngest of the other ladies they had chosen and so forth. I was also VERY open with them about my stance in my faith as Believer which was neat to share. At the end, they said they would be calling me with "official news" on the final contestants and whatnot in the next week.

I left in disbelief thinking "Holy crap I'm gonna be on this show."

NOW....on the flip side of this story, my father was an absolute wreck and DID NOT want me going on this show. At first I didn't pay much attention because I never thought it would come to that, but as the calls kept coming, his stance became stronger. Looking back, I think it was a much bigger deal with him than I ever thought (but seriously, could you blame him?? That show is trash!). He obviously had more sense and wisdom than me. :)

But here's where his prayers step in...he had already told me he wanted to get me a car when I graduated from college...which I was SO excited about since I had never had a new car before. When this Bachelor talk came into play, he even slightly maybe mentioned doing it a year early if I didn't go on that show...yes, sorta like a bribe. (I always thought this was hilarious).

So here's where the story picks back up at ABC studios. I'm feeling excited about the interview went, get in my car to leave...probably make some calls to my sister...but also knowing I have some persuading to do of my dad...

And people, NO JOKE, pulling out of ABC studios...producers could probably see me through their windows still - I ran a red light and had a wreck! I completely totalled my car, air bags deployed, smashed my face in...blood and the whole bit. My eye was swollen shut, my lip completely busted, I had burns (from airbag) all the way down my face...blood on my (white) shirt...not pretty at all.

When the EMT's got there, I thought I was perfectly fine, though. The other guy barely even hurt his car from where I hit him. People rushed over to me and I kept trying to convince everyone I was fine, then I looked in the mirror finally and realized why they were concerned...because I looked so terrible! But I was fine.

In fact, they towed my car and left me on the side of the curb for my roommate to come get me. This took 2 hours. So there I was...by myself, blood all over my white shirt...looking like a man had just beat the crap out of me! I had some Hispanic workers come approach me (at first I was nervous) but then realized they were just super concerned and wanted to make sure I hadn't just gotten attacked. They watched out for me the rest of the time until my roommate got there.

So anyway...now I had an unofficial offer to be on this show, a face that wasn't recognizable anymore, a counter-offer from my dad, and no car.

I know he never prayed I would have a wreck, but it's funny how things work out. Because when the producer did officially call the next week, I told him "No" and took the car. :) (though I wasn't that much of a brat to persuade him on this one...I began to share his convictions about going on the show and didn't want to disappoint him).

(It also made it easier when the producer told me they had set Bob as the Bachelor).

Dad came out to California 2 weeks later for a conference and he really did end up getting me a car (more, though because I didn't have one anymore).

And fast forward to now when my husband (who absolutely abhors that show) tells me he's not sure he ever would have been attracted to me if I had gone on that show...ha. Knowing him, he probably would not have. So good thing!

There's my Bachelor/car wreck story.

I was up early getting ready for class (college)...

2011-09-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago this morning. I was on the West coast so it was 6:30am when the madness started for me. Only I never realized it it was madness. I was the ignorant one who was actually watching the news when the 2nd plane hit and thought "Huh...that's weird...two planes now? Someones in trouble working for air traffic control."

And then I proceeded to get ready and show up at class. Only when I got to class, the building was vacant and there was a note that read "Class canceled because of attacks."

Huh???

So I ran back to my on-campus apartment to find a crowd had now gathered in our living room, and learned about the gravity of what was happening.

Honestly, at that time, I didn't even know what "terrorist attack" meant...who was a terrorist?

Obviously times have changed.

I also realized this morning on the way to church that I had, just one month prior to 9/11 gotten my first cell phone. I wonder what that day would have been like with social media and smart phones going strong...and that thought makes it seem like forever ago. It's the only thought that makes it seem like forever ago, because every other time I think of that day, I feel like it couldn't have been longer than a few years ago.

Ten years.

I still will randomly cry when I think about that day...anytime a documentary is on regarding that day, I watch it...and I cry again.

This morning I felt somewhat somber as I watched the memorial on TV. Lincoln and came and sat with me on the couch and asked me what I was watching. And for the first time, I shared with my kids what happened that day. That was somewhat surreal for me because when I watch it, I still feel like I am 21...a kid myself.

This morning in church, we sang a song that has currently been my favorite for the past month or so. And I found it perfectly fitting in the midst of terror and heartbreak we experience as a world, a country, a town, a family, individually...

"My foes are many, they rise against me
But I will hold my ground
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

Troubles surround me, chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord"

BIG News!! (Humor Me)

2011-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 24 is a BIG day, people. A really big one (as Lincoln would say).

It is 5 days before my big boy turns 3 years old, and the day our ears get to be graced with this sweetness:

Coldplay's new album.

I'm pretty confident Lincoln is going to want this for his birthday. :)

(The even crazier exciting part is it won't be long before I get to see them live again!)

The Big 3-0

2011-09-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

This year (December), I turn thirty. *it doesn't look as old when you write it, in my opinion.
In less than 2 months, Lincoln turns 3! So let's focus on that one for the time being. :)

Just a few things...

* Every time we ask him what he wants, he exclaims, "A pirate hat!!!"

* I asked him yesterday who he wanted to invite to his party. He said his list of usual friends/family, then added Benny & Bruce, and then, lastly, requested that the Razorback football team be there. I told him he will have to ask daddy about that one.

* For the past week or so, he has personally invite a handful of strangers...some he walks up to in Walmart, others at the park, and a few at church. I know this because they all then come tell me "your son just invited me to his birthday!"

* He wants a Hog Razorback Football cake. No ice cream.

* His birthday is the day before Halloween (or "dress-up day as I refer to it), and I asked him today what he wanted to dress up as. HE thought for a minute, then yelled "Joshua and battle of Jericho!!!!!"
Excellent choice.
Then I asked him what Noah and some others in the family should dress up as.
Not so excellent choices, but here it is for good humor:

Noah: The Hulk (the major thing wrong with this one is how incredibly tiny Noah is)
Daddy: "He should dress in a big boy dress!"
Mama: "You should dress as girls" (the plural could be tricky)
Tucker: Spiderman - totally reasonable
Aunt Amy: "She should be girls like you."
Uncle Na-Na: "Mickey Mouse!!!!!!!!" (He was excited about this one...I'm sure Nathan will be, too).

So there you have it (you know - in case you were wondering).

Poppyseed Chicken...with a Kick

2011-09-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

All right ya'll. Here's a comfort dish done a tad differently, and - in my opinion - makes all the difference. I've always thought the basic recipe to be somewhat bland and slow to impress, but allow me to help you dress up this popular dish.
Actually, this was not my idea, but my sweet neighbor Melanie passed along this secret to me last year and our family LOVES it.

I would link to her blog or something of the sort, but she doesn't have one, so can I link to her Pinterest account???
I'm gonna do it anyway. Thanks Melanie for the spicing up my recipe stack!!! :)

Alright, so on to the good stuff:

Ingredients:
16oz. Low-fat Sour Cream
2 Can Cream of Chicken
Cubed or chunked cooked Chicken (I usually boil about 4 frozen breasts)
Poppyseeds
2 Tubes of Ritz Crackers (crushed)
1 Stick Butter (I use low-fat here, too)
And the Secret Ingredients:

- Now, mix the cream of chickens and sour cream thoroughly in a big bowl.
- Sprinkle in the poppyseeds (I use a TON...about half a smaller-sized bottle).
- Sprinkle in a very generous amount of the above pictured seasonings (again, I go crazy here...I always taste it and keep sprinkling until it's pretty flavorful).

Then add the cubed/chunked/thick-shredded chicken.

Pour into a casserole dish:

Crush up 2 tubes of Ritz Crackers (I do this in a freezer bag):

Sprinkle the crushed crackers on top of the casserole, then pour stick of melted butter on top:

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes:

I made this for a neighbor tonight who just had surgery. I also sent over some veggies and
my chocolate chip cookies. So I got some pictures of those, too. :)

Improvising

2011-09-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today was gorgeous, so we opened up all the windows and the back door, set up some veggie tales worship (at Noah's request), and enjoyed the amazing temperatures.

Our backyard is pretty boring...we have 2 dogs and that's the extent of the play equipment. We're on the hunt for a trampoline for Lincoln's birthday. Our neighbor has one and the kids love it.

But for now, we have to make-shift some outside fun today.

Enter: Shaving Cream.

Oh yes.

It's That Time Again

2011-09-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to eat at Mad Pizza (kids eat free buffet? Yes please).
While we were eating - the boys their gluten-laden goodness and me the GF salad bar (you know you're jealous), we overheard the next table's loud conversation that consisted of words such as: 7A football...quarterback sneaks...we're gonna surprise people...blitzing...yadiyda.

I looked at Jason and smiled and said, "It's that time again."

There's two things that come around every year - without fail - but, again, without fail - when they finally come around, everyone goes crazy like it hasn't happened in 20 years. Those 2 things are:
1. Christmas
2. Football

At least here in the south, anyway.

This year seems especially crazy spirited (I think it's possible I say that every year though)...maybe because football means relief to our hottest summer on record? Maybe because a major sports writer predicted us to win a national championship?

And we're right there with them....

Lincoln and little Noah have been calling the Hogs about 20x's a day for the past 5 days (today it's been non-stop)...Lincoln's been asking for the past 2 days when he gets to eat a Razorback cake (hope there is one at our tailgaiting party)...and I'm pretty sure Lincoln would just prefer the Razorback Store to Disney World at the moment - you should have seen him in there yesterday!

We let him get some cheap decals that he put all over his bedroom door, and this morning, he ran into our room and woke us up with his Razorback hat on - ready to go.

Jason's family has season passes to the games, and usually all the men + me go, while the women (minus me) take the kids shopping. But tonight Jason's family couldn't come, so we have all the tickets, and are making a brave attempt at taking both kids to the game - yeah. I'll let you know how that one goes.

Excited for the season. Excited for cooler weather. Excited for basketball season, also right around the corner...love this time of year!!!!

He's Coming Back

2011-09-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Okay. I feel like last year I got grounded and reminded through several circumstances that we are not promised tomorrow and that our kids are not our own, but gifts from God. In fact, I wrote a post similar to this one, discussing these thoughts almost a year ago to the date.

And here I am again...

Because last night I went to bed late, due to being consumed with such thoughts, spending time in prayer, and being in my kid's rooms praying over them while they sleep.

Last night, a BHS girl lost her life in a car accident here in town. She is the third high school girl we know to die this way in the past year...praise the Lord she was a Believer (like the other 2) and had her destiny sealed in Heaven the day she proclaimed faith in Christ and became a follower of Him.

Here's what I struggle with:
My initial reaction to these things is sheer fear and terror and an urgent need to enclose my kids in a tight bubble of security (or my own fear, perhaps???)...to not let them go on a road trip with their grandparents in a few weeks...for me not to get in a car and drive to Dallas soon by myself...to not get out much and avoid busy highways...

But then I remember Jesus demands us to not live in fear...to not worry...not not be anxious about ANYTHING.

And so I pray...for forgiveness, and proclaim that God's will - whatever that may look like - is always - ALWAYS - better than mine. Always. Even if it involves tragedy.

So last night, I went into my kids rooms while they were asleep, and I prayed for them. I prayed what is the hardest prayer I have ever found to pray for my kids:
That God use them in mighty ways. That His will be done in their lives - whatever that may look like - to bring Glory to His name...That my desire for them is protection and long lives, but that I submit to whatever the Lord has in store for their lives, because His plans are always greater. But then my fervent prayer (as is always with Jason and I) is that they come to know the Lord...that they don't merely know of Him, but that they know Him.
There is a massive difference between the 2 which determine eternal blessing with Jesus, or eternal condemnation apart from Jesus.

And then, last night, I was reminded we have a job to do. In the midst of our earthly responsibilities, our greatest responsibility is to make sure people know the difference between knowing of Christ and knowing Him...we have that responsibility to instill this in our kids everyday, but also the rest of the World.

I was reading in 2 Peter 3 this morning about God's patience with Jesus returning and how God is patient so that all may come to know Him. I'm not one of those that wish Jesus would just come back. I used to be, but I feel convicted now every time I have that mind frame, because there are so many people that would perish in eternal condemnation if He came now. I'm thankful God was patient and waited on me.

So then later, I was reading this:
^"Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and

believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into

judgement but passes from life to death. "(John 5:24)

So I know most of you reading this know of Him...but do you know Him?????

J.Timberlake (Yes I'm blogging about him)

2011-08-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are J.Timberlake fans (yup, self-admitted). The other night I watched s horrible movie and kicked myself for actually sitting through the whole thing. But when it was over, this happened to come on Jimmy Fallon Late Night as I switched from Blue-Ray mode back to cable.

I thought it was hilarious.

When Jason got home I made him watch it and he, too agreed.

So thought I'd share some humor for you JT fans out there...whether you're a closet fan or self-admitted like us, I think you'll appreciate it.

(There's also an original version...this was an encore appearance apparently).

Change of Plans

2011-08-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

So my ultra-busy weekend without my husband I blogged about?

Yeah. Didn't go as planned (of course).

It all worked like clock-work until Noah got a bad diarrhea streak going from Saturday night - Sunday morning. This caused me to stress at 6:00am Sunday morning since I was suppose to be helping lead worship for two services at church, but ultimately, I knew it would be very un-mommy-like of me to drop him in the nursery for 3.5 hours, thus infecting three different classes of kids with the runs.
So we had to cancel for Sunday worship. Next time.

But let me tell you, hanging with 300+ junior high kids all day Saturday might be one of the most exhausting things I've done in a looong time...but super fun and completely worth every minute. I'm so excited about the girls in our cell group - this will definitely be an adventure. :)

Then tonight for dinner? Let's call it "trying-to-make-budget" with one day to go:
I looked in the cabinets/fridge and literally found just enough of what I needed to make Vegetable Fried Rice:

*exactly 2 cups of brown rice
*only 4 eggs left (perfect amount)
*One more bag of frozen mixed veggies
*just enough GF soy sauce left over
*cooking spray

It turned out to be a pretty yummy/healthy dinner, that despite not having any chicken to through in, the eggs made up for the protein portion.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead of them!!!

Busy Busy

2011-08-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Busy weekend. I'm thinking maybe I signed up for too much, but it was hard to say no to any of it. The kicker is Jason is leaving in a few hours for OKC for the whole weekend. And it just happened to be the same weekend of business for me. But we'll make it work (attempt, at least).

Tonight I'm taking the kids to my parents to spend the night because they are going to graciously watch them for me all day tomorrow (and night).

Tomorrow from early morning till late late night, we have our first re-treat with our 7th grade cell group! Super excited to get to know all the girls better this weekend! We'll see if I still have the stamina of a junior high kid. :)

Then Sunday morning (which I think is a tricky morning for anyone with young kids), will be ultimate tricky this week. I get to sing in worship this week (which is the thing I usually can't say no to because I love it so much)...but that requires me to get there pretty early (with kids), shuffle them around while we practice, and hope little Noah can survive 3 hours of the nursery - he has a tough time doing this for one - poor thing.

So I kind of feel sorry that the kids are being juggled around all weekend, but at least tomorrow it is with their g'parents whom they LOVE spending time with!

We'll see if we can keep the chaos to a minimum.

In the meantime, today was, yet again, park day (since the temps were under 90). Love.

Photo Fun

2011-08-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

This morning was cloudy and cool so we ate breakfast outside and I decided to play with the camera bit

Dressed Up Green Beans

2011-08-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

My mom told me a new way to spice up green beans and Wa-La!!! My husband loves them! Lincoln and I do, as well, but Noah takes one bite (makes a nasty face) and spits them out his mouth. 3/4 is success in my book though.

So here we go:
These 3 ingredients:

**Pre-heat oven to 350**

Dump frozen whole beans in corning ware (I think whole ones taste so much better)

Generously spray with cooking spray (or you can use butter/olive oil)

Dump one packet of italian salad dressing mix on top and mix all around.

Bake about 25-30 minutes.

**I also sprinkle with salt/pepper before baking

We have these at least once a week as a side dish. Love them!!!

This Story Will Stop You Cold.

2011-08-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

"To End All Wars."
Ernest Gordon's true account of his time in a POW Japanese camp during WWII. I knew it would be good (because every true story is) but this one will absolutely blow you away. Ernest was agnostic going into this camp, and left a firm Believer in Christ - then went on to get his M.Div and be Dean of the Chapel at Princeton for many years. How he came to know Christ in this camp will blow you away. You must read this inspiring story of how Jesus changes lives.
You can read it or watch it (good news, right?).

We watched it because the $4 DVD we ordered off Amazon came in first. :)
But I've heard the book is incredible.

Just a recommendation. :)

Oh - if you want a little taste of this man, google his name for his NY Times obituary.

Go With It

2011-08-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Growing up my parents would tell you I had a WILD imagination and that I was a DREAMER. I was super independent, bold, and far from shy. I would give "concerts" to anyone who would be my audience at a young age, direct plays for my sister/friends that we would then put on for my parents (or the dogs - didn't matter), and was always pretending I was somewhere else on an adventure (think: Backyardigans).

Then high school hit and I became "more aware" of myself and how others saw me (not a good thing), thus resulting me to not be as bold and be more reserved. I used to score as an Extrovert on the MMPI and as the years rolled (if you're a psyc major you take this test a bazillion times), I slowly crept toward the Introverted side.

But in retrospect, it's not that I became more introverted...it's that I was more insecure. It was pure sin...caring more about how the world viewed me versus how God saw me. (Don't get me wrong: not saying introverts are insecure - this is just how it played out in my life because I am truly not an introvert!) I realized in my mid-twenties that when you care more about how the world views you, you will have ENDLESS imperfections because everyone has a different opinion.

Anyway, I went through a period of time in high school and some in college where I allowed my Spirit to be quenched through my insecurities. I had some significant battles that I felt like I always lost...they centered around image and became such a stronghold in my life that was both crippling and damaging.

We are created in the image of God... (Gen 1:27)

This was and is profound for me. Think of all the ways Satan has designed our world to make us believe otherwise...stop and think about it, because it's truly remarkable...and frightening.

Today I choose to run toward the truth so simply stated from God...that we are made in His image. Some verses are debated and up for interpretation.

But not this one.

It couldn't be stated more clearly.

For me, when I really sit and ponder this truth, I takes away the pressure of "measuring up" to everyone/thing around me...of measuring up to current styles, or the "in" look, or what my house looks like, or how my kids dress, or who my freinds are (and you know - we could go on ALL day).

It's not (and never will be) about making sure everyone thinks I'm in style, or have the awesome house, or wear the great clothes, or have the perfect kids...

It's about pleasing my Savior...measuring up to His standards alone. And since I'm made in His image, through His power and Spirit dwelling in me, it's an attainable standard. Praise the Lord.

Because let's be honest: Satan is crafty and brilliant. And he's got us all tangled trying to meet everyone else's standards. Seriously? Not even close to possible.

Now, this is something I fail at often, but - like today - am convicted and reminded of by whom I was created.

Oh - and wouldn't you know, the last time I took the MMPI in grad school, I scored equally on E vs.I which, by scoring default, makes me an extrovert again.

Honestly, I was going somewhere WAY different with this post when I wrote the first paragraph - ha. I was going to tell you how weird it was, that with a wild imagination as a child, how I hate fantasy movies and refuse to read anything that is fiction. Then I was going to share with you the next three books (non-fiction) I plan to read by the end of the year.

But we'll just go with this. I guess I needed this word for myself today. :)

(***The 3 books are on the side bar of the blog though***)

Hide it in Your Heart

2011-08-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today after naps, I took the boys to the pool (as has been every day this week). But today I was giving Noah a snack and looked down to see Lincoln - in the water - walking along the side perimeter of the pool and "patting" each square inch down with water.
He literally was not missing an inch and had this serious look of determination and hard work on his face. When he made his way down toward where Noah and I were, I asked him what he was doing.
He said, "I'm building the big wall...like the one Joshua's gonna knock down!!!"
And he didn't skip a beat.
In fact, within a matter of minutes, he had recruited 2 other girls in the pool to help him build, and then his brother Noah joined shortly thereafter.
It was awesome.

I love the imagination. I love how he acts out different Bible stories we talk about on a daily basis (he also has a "Goliath jump").

After a good talk with my sister the other day - sharing kid disciplining things and whatnot - she told me of an older woman who spoke to their community group on parenting. This woman taught her kids what it meant to be a "blessing" and used this word often int he home.

I loved that. So today I worked with Lincoln on what it means to be a blessing. He hasn't totally caught yet, but I'll keep talking until he does. :)

We also decided it was time for a new memory verse: "Blessed are those who obey God." Luke 11:28 (toddler version!).

Anyway, this has been heavy on my heart the past few days (I think because of the friends I have whose kids just started kindergarten!)...how MASSIVE of a responsibility these few years before they go to school are...to train them in the way of the Lord...to teach them how to obey and what pleases God...and how blessed I am to have every day with these little Tigers to show them the amazing love of God. I don't do it perfectly and I definitely have those days where I just don't feel like "teaching" (to be honest) but I pray for perseverance through the next few years with these precious guys. :)

The Piccata

2011-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yall I swear this isn't turning into a food blog, but I'm sticking with reviewing these new recipes for those that care to know (my apologies if you're eyes are rolling right now).

Tonight was the Chicken Piccata (recipe on previous previous).

I followed recipe except I omitted the capers and used fat-free half & half.

I turned out quite tasty! Noah absolutely loved it (more than anyone) and Jason gave it high reviews. :) He said it ranked lower than last nights creation only because he knew last nights was a little healthier for him (I'm training him well!).

We all agreed the large amounts of fresh squeezed lemon juice made it tastier and added the kick.

Oh - I also learned how to grill tonight. :)

So there you have it...3 successes so far!

Today in Three's

2011-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Three things today:

1. The 2 new recipes I tried today were a SUCCESS!!! Both of them! The blueberry bread was liked by all for breakfast and then I cooked this one tonight:

The chicken and rice variation (recipe on previous post). The only things I changed were I used white rice instead of yellow (because I could not find a gluten-free yellow) and I used 2% cheese to make it healthier. My husband is always the big test and he LOVED it. This will be added to our rotation and I'm glad it's Gluten-free. :)

2. Lincoln went to church today in his undies (has been going in pull-ups) and had perfect success! I felt like this was huge milestone. It has now been close to 2 weeks of zero accidents - even when we go out and about. He still wears pull-ups when he sleeps, but that's it. Great news.

3. In church this morning, the pastor showed numerous clips from a film with none other than Jack Bauer himself (or Kiefer Sutherland, I guess). But he looked all Jack Bauer-ish in the movie. It was one we had never even heard of but looked AWESOME. It's based on a true story (and a non-fiction book) about a group of POW's in WWII Japanese camp. This is right up my alley with books/movies and I was lost at how I had never heard of it. We started googling it from our phones in church and realized it was made in 2001...and that you could buy the DVD for $1.59 on Amazon (which we did). Anyway, can't wait to watch it and my next step is to order the book - supposedly it's phenomenal. But I think every true story is phenomenal.

(Movie)

(Book)

So now on to the first day of school tomorrow. I'm excited because our pool will most likely be bare.

Food For Thought

2011-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

This morning was amazing. The temps were in the low 70's so we all went out to the Farmer's Market. We snatched up some local honey, salsa, and the boys got them some baked goods for a (I'm sure healthy) breakfast. Then we headed over to the park off the square to let the boys play.
On a side-note, it has been a week now of letting Lincoln go "out" in just undies (no pull-ups) and we have ZERO accidents!!! If he needs to go, he tells us. :) But usually he can hold it the whole trip. This is new for us but I feel since it's been a week now of numerous outings, it's safe to say we've made MASSIVE improvement (if not fully trained!).

Now. I do our grocery budget in terms of every two weeks. I'm also trying to get better at meal planning and thought I'd share what's on the docket for this week. This first week, I'm trying a bunch of new recipes I've collected from Pinterest (I'll let you know how it goes). So here's the first week (all of which I can make gluten-free):

Sunday:
Chicken & Rice

Mon-Tues (we do leftovers):
Chicken Piccata

Wed-Thurs:
Mexican Crock-pot Chicken

Fri-Sat:
Roast.
No pic here, but I have found the best way to make it is in the crockpot with McCormick Roast seasoning. And I use the very lean roast which is super tender.

Then for breakfast tomorrow, I'm going to make this amazing blueberry thing:

Then Sunday is birthday lunch with my family for 2 birthdays so no cooking for me. I hope we have success with these new recipes!! :)

If You're Not on FB

2011-08-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

You know that sweet baby I keep taking pictures of?? Well, she turned 3 months this week which is a fantastic excuse to take more adorable pictures (I think Bethany & I for sure enjoy this far too much!).

She's such a great little model because (a) she's beautiful. (b) her eyes are incredible, (c) she looks right at the camera almost every time like she's posing - love it. Love her!

I think I took over 250 in an hour, but here are some of my favorites:
(If you're my friend on FB you might have already seen them...sorry).

Things to Waste/Not Waste Your Time On

2011-08-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

First I need to **pause** and pay tribute to none other than thunder and rain.
(Adri in Portland, I have been jealous of you this summer).

Yes - it is doing both thundering and raining outside my window right now - a love I have since forgotten. Glorious.

NOW. Pinterest.

Yes, I'm talking about it again. Yes, I have understood more about it (thank your Bethany), and yes, I like it. :)

So since I've gotten involved I've rolled up my sleeves to a few of the things I've found interesting. I'm determined to actually do some of the things I've "pinned" and not merely look at them. So I thought I would share some of the things I've tried that have worked and some of the ones that should be stabbed rather than pinned (stupid, I know).

1. The BEST chocolate chip cookie. I was skeptical on this one because I already have an absolute favorite recipe that I have yet to beat. But then I saw the picture of these supposed "bests":

Heavenly? Looks like it. But then I got into the recipe and it calls for various kinds of flour and such and I got skeptical yet again. Then I decided to google this recipe for other photos and found this:

Don't look as good, huh? So I decided against making them and moved on over to my next Pinterest cookie:

Brown Sugar Cookies.

These looked great and different and I actually just got done making them. Happy to report they are fabulous and they do melt in your mouth! Just make sure not to make the dough balls too big or they won't cook right. Recipe here.

Next up? The Sock Bun. Have you seen it on there? It says if you wrap your wet hair up in a sock overnight, in the morning your hair will look like this:

I even watched the youtube tutorial (and made my husband laugh at me) and folks, it just doesn't work. At least not on my hairtype (or perhaps I just don't have hair skills??). It was pathetic. I'd love to hear if it worked for you and if your hair was this stunning when you woke up...really.

Then the fun idea of "snow paint" for the kids:

You just mix these ingredients together and when they dry it's suppose to make a fun texture to play with. I just did this and wasn't impressed...seemed liked shaving cream (smelled good!). But then I re-read that it's fun when it drys. Oh. So verdict is still out. Should be dry by the time kids wake up. But the website it came from is super fun and silled with ideas for kids!

And of course the cake I already posted about:

This was a hit, easy to make, and colors turned out awesome! Trick for colors is put an insane amount of food coloring (I'm sure that's good for you).

So those are my tries recently. I'd love to hear ideas you've found that actually work and turn out good! Next on my list to try is this:

*scrapbook paper glue to canvases for wall art. We'll see...

Oh - thunder and rain are gone...just like that. Sun already shining. It was fun while it lasted.

2011-08-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

My neighbor has been n a "green smoothie" kick and after I tried one of hers one day, I decided to join in on the outrage. They're crazy healthy, and - here's the amazing part - my husband LOVES them (which is one more checkmark on the veggies he now likes and consumes!).
The first one I made was terrible, but the second was fantastic and I now drink one for breakfast almost every morning. Thought I'd share my recipe in case you were interested:

My juice base is our current favorite drink: picture is fuzzy but it's cherry pomegranate. Sugar-free with only 5 calories, but without it, the smoothie is not nearly sweet enough. (make the drink - don't just pour powder in).

Then I add 1/2 banana (or even a little less):

Next I cut up a bunch of fresh strawberries (I use about half a carton):

Then the spinach. I go nuts with it: I get fistfulls and break it apart. At first I didn't use a lot of spinach but now I use a ton. I go all out. :) And if it tastes too spinach-y, I just add more of the sweet drink.

Ice + our margarita machine = GREATNESS. I use a lot of ice because I like the crunchy ice type of smoothie.
Try one...you'll feel super healthy drinking it. :)

Mr. Handsome

2011-08-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Little Noah J. got his haircut yesterday. And that's all the news I've got. I just thought he looked pretty darn handsome so I thought I'd share.

(sorry these were taken during his "lounge session" right after he woke up)
Then Lincoln requested his picture taken, too...pretty handsome as well (in my biased opinion, of course).

Looking Ahead

2011-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

There's 3 types of "starts" to the year:
- The actual year (starting Jan 1)
- The fiscal year (usually July 1)
- And, the school year (um, next week)

Maybe because my husband works in the school district, but I still operate on the third. My church seems to do the same, so it becomes a natural flow for us. And subsequently, in the past few weeks, Jason and I have had numerous lengthy conversations about the upcoming "year".

Here's the "to-do" list for the upcoming months. Now, I operate under the pretense of "make some plans, but be open to God changing them all" mindset, so...to clarify, some of these are tentative and contingent on other things:

1. Lead a Cell Group: this is not tentative since it starts in 2 weeks and I'm fully committed. :) I am SUPER excited about this! Me and a few other girls are leading a 7th grade cell group with intent to lead them all the way through the end of high school - pumped. I'm excited about this on about 10 different levels. Even better, if he can make it work in his schedule, Jason is possibly going to be doing the same with a group of high school boys. I'm really excited to get involved in student ministry again.

2. Go through Discovery Group with our church in the fall (Jason and I) which will result in us being members of our church and many other cool things.

3. Start back up women's ministry on Tuesday mornings (can't wait for this again!!)

4. Go to the Philippines with basketball coaches + wives over Spring Break on a mission trip

5. Go on a mini vacay with Jason and other couples (sans kids) to Six Flags (Dallas) in the fall.

[The latter two are those contingency plans that are currently being prayed about - some details need to be worked out].

Excited about the months to come and to see what God has in store for us through these things!

Friends Make Me Smile

2011-08-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Bethany and her sweetie Ellie came over for the day. I always enjoy our conversations and am blessed to have her as such a great friend (now she needs to sell her house and move her little butt over to Bentonville!). And of course, when the sweet little girl comes to play, the cameras roll out. :)
And I have to share some of the pictures cause, yall - she's that stinkin cute.

Street Cookout

2011-07-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

So I live by some pretty fun neighbors. And here recently we had a new one move to the hood sandwiched in between Amanda and I. His name is Ira and he's great. He's from New Orleans which means he can cook. This past weekend a group of us on the street decided to do a cookout. Ira said he was in, too, and his driveway became the central point. Welcome to the neighborhood full of extraverts, Ira! :)
There were lots of kids, lots of food, tons of fun, frequent laughter, and good ole times.

(BTW, how cute is this picture of Jason with our neighbor GK??? We definitely need us a little girly)

Got Cake?

2011-07-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

Pinterest. Had no clue what this was until my neighbor Ashley wrote a post about it. So I went, I browsed, I signed up to pin (whatever that means...I'm still not sure), and I left a little confused.But I did stumble upon this cake...of course leave it to a cake to catch my eye.

Now mine doesn't do justice to the picture I saw, but it did turn out way better than I was expecting and was a massive hit amongst all males in my household.

Behold the cake in pictures:

A certain toddler was CRAZY excited for cake time tonight. It was literally as if a magnetic field was drawing in his hands toward the icing.

(See the hand?)
But the part that won me major cool points was when it was cut open:

4 layers of sheer awesomeness (if you're a 2-year-old).

So back to Pinterest...is it for the not-so-creative (me) to glee amazing ideas from others?????

Almost Getting It

2011-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

As parents we're suppose to instill morals, compassion for others, and an undying love for Jesus into our children's hearts. I think I both fail and succeed at this everyday. What a responsibility...what a challenge...but what a privilege.

After years of watching my friend Christine parent her 3 little ones, I've picked up on many things from her (cause she is an excellent mommy role-model), but one of the things I love that she does is talk about "happy hearts" with her kids.

I in turn use this language on a daily basis with mine. Lincoln knows that Jesus gives him a happy heart and when his heart is grumpy, we pray and ask Jesus to give him a happy heart. Sometimes it's a process to get the happy heart, but when he does, he'll run out to you and exclaim, "Mommy! I happy now! Jesus gave me happy heart!"

He gets it. It's great because all I have to do now is ask him where his happy heart is and he gets it. This language can often snap him out of a grumpy mood or lead him quickly to the path of getting there.

Another word he gets is "Obey."

I have found that when he's testing the limits, the only word that he really understands is obey. He knows this is a serious word because he knows the consequences of not obeying. We taught him the bible verse "Children obey mommy and daddy in the Lord for this is right." We taught it back when obeying was seeming to become a big issue. So a lot of times if he's not making a good choice, we use that word, and ask him what his Bible verse says about obeying. Amazingly, this works for him.

Now, we also work on a lot of "sorrys" and "I forgive you's".

Yesterday, Lincoln pee-ed his pants three times throughout the day. He started digressing some a few days ago, so when he does this (unless it was an accident from us tickling him or something) we immediately take away something fun he is playing with/watching.
When he did it yesterday, he happened to be watching one of his Veggie Tales movies.
So I turned it off and explained to him why.
He whined some and was upset, but was able to explain back to me why I turned it off.

Then he came and sat in my lap and snuggled and goes,
"Mommy, God will help me not pee-pee my pants!"
I told him he was right and asked him if he wanted to pray and ask God for some help. He said yes...we did...then he goes:

"Mommy, God will help me not pee-pee my pants AND he will help me watch a movie!!"
Hmmm....

He said this about 3 more times, then he goes (in the sweetest, tender voice):

"Mommy, I forgive you...I forgive you for that pee-pee..."

Ha! I wanted to bust out laughing he was so cute and I appreciate the effort of him trying to piece all of this together.

Success

2011-07-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today we went swimming...twice. And in-between, we ate Popsicles, played outside (which is why we ended up going down to the pool again...that hot), took naps, made new friends, hung out with old ones, and literally wore out. I consider it a success. :)

A Story to Share

2011-07-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

I know vacation's way gone but there was another story that about made me die of both laughter and embarrassment that I forgot to share.

On our insanely long drive home that Saturday, our three car loads all made a much needed joint stop at a huge gas station for snacks and drinks. Lincoln had picked out a package of Teddy Grahams and was quite proud of them.

We took them up to pay, and then he said he was going to hang on to them until we got to the car.

No big deal.

We rummage some more around the store...I pick out a nice looking roll of Sweettarts, and then my mom motions me over to the fountain drink isle, asking me if she can buy me a drink. Why sure.

As we're standing there getting drinks, I notice Lincoln has been standing in front of the microwave, just staring at it intently.

Mind you, the microwave was the height of a 2-year-old - right within his grasp...really???

Lincoln still wasn't moving from that microwave...just staring. I asked him what he was doing.

"Just cooking mommy!"

I thought, "Oh how sweet...he's playing pretend kitchen."

Then I noticed the microwave was on and he no longer had teddy grahams!

I quickly swung the microwave door open to a burning heap of what used to be teddy grahams! It smelled awful and the bag had literally burned up (those bags have foil in the wrapping!).

He never blinked. He reached in, grabbed it out and goes "Look mommy! I cooked it!"

Oh dear.

In Love.

2011-07-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

(I wanna make this into a poster-type pic for their room they'll soon share )

Gluten-Free Pasta

2011-07-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

So tonight I made my first gluten-free pasta dish.
I had made Jason chicken fettuccine last night (gluten-loaded), and since that's what he was also having again tonight (we're a leftover family), I decided to try the gluten-free noodles I bought a few days ago and share a pasta dinner with him.
It ended up being awesome. I seriously loved it. And both the kids ate three helpings of it - seriously. So I thought I'd share how I made it in case you wanted to try it out for yourself!

I kind of threw together things in the kitchen, so I'm sure tweaking could make it better depending on what you have but here it goes:

First, the noodles.

Now these are the first I've tried, but my gluten-free pal Christine told me they're the best ones (got lucky on that one). The reason I bought them is because they were only $2 - only a dollar more than the others I usually buy. Other GF brands were at least 2x's that price.

The package says cook for 14 minutes, but Christine advised me to cook them longer. I did for 17 min. and they were perfect.

Next I cooked fresh asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms in a skillet type pan with PAM olive oil spray, salt, pepper, BAM all-purpose seasoning, and an Italian seasoning blend. When the veggies were tender, I added about 1/2 cup of white cooking wine, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I let the veggies cook in the sauce for a bit, then dumped it all on the noodles.

That's it. :)

It really was super yummy and will be something I make often.

And it has been one complete week now doing strict GF, and I have experienced ZERO digestive problems. It's been amazing. I think I'm hooked. :)

It's Working

2011-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Guess what???
I got a new camera card. It's always nice when the camera card breaks and the problem is not your camera (makes the broken card much more bearable and reminds you how thankful you are that you back up your pictures).

So today I dusted off the old thing that has been used in a while (i.e a week) and snapped a few.

Lincoln and I have been busy putting together a new toy table that was given to us by one of his favorite B'ville players parents (Nick). They're super generous people and we've been blessed to get to know their whole family since we've been here.

So we cleaned out tons of toys that don't get much use anymore (sent them over to Tucker!) and made way for our new fun table:

The our Noah woke up just in time for his photoshoot. :)

This morning some of our friends came to play before we met up with the husbands at Chick-fil-a. I think they were ganging up together in this picture to fit bad guys or something of the sort. Silly guys.

So no deep thoughts today. The heat's draining anything deep out of me. And the stir craziness of not having a car for 2 weeks now :)

But I will leave you with a pee-pee story (Oh boy!):
Lincoln woke up this morning SOAKED for the first time. His bed was drenched and his entire shirt was absolutely soaked (as were, of course his pants). His pull-up was also saturated.
I asked him, "Lincoln, did you pee-pee your pants?"
To which he looked at me super serious with wide eyes and goes "No mama...it was just my milk."
Hmmmmm....nice try buddy.

California Style

2011-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

For 5 years before I moved back to Arkansas, I lived in So.Cal...4 of those years were spent in college at Biola, and the 5th year as a grad student in Rosemead School of Psyc (doctoral program of Biola).

Most that hear me talk of Biola and my time there, follow up our conversation with "You should seriously be a recruiter for that school!"

I love it that much.

I've already told Jason if he ever gets a call from them and they are interested in hiring him as the Bball coach, he not ask my permission...just give them a definite "Can we be there tomorrow?"...and maybe "Do you have an opening in the recruiting office?".

I have some amazing memories of my time there that stem from even more amazing friendships. When I moved back there were some things that I definitely missed! It's funny because some of things have actually appeared now here in NWA which bring great delight to my Biolian heart.

Anyway, today at Sam's, I discovered another one of "those things" that they're recently started carrying and I got all giddy:

Yes. The best gummy's in the WHOLE world...and they come in a 5lb bag (in Cali, only Ralph's carried this bad boy bag!).

It got me thinking about the things I loved in California and I thought I'd share some of them.
**Disclaimer** Most of these (I realized after the fact) have to do with food. :)

1. Trader Joe's: lots of healthy, unique options, and super cheap - but great quality - wine. And only a few miles down the road.

2. Albertson's: Right across the street from Biola and for some reason I just LOVED this grocery store and so badly wish we had one! They had the best bakery items and great prices on everything.

3. Bristol Farms (I know - I seriously have THREE grocery stores on my list): This one is FANTASTIC and provides the ultra grocery shopping experience. If you see one, you must try it!

Okay. I'm done with grocery stores.

4. Baja Fresh: This is one of those better-fast-food places that had the most amazing shrimp salad. Super fresh ingredients and really you can't go wrong with anything you order.

5. Miyagi's: This place was my first real sushi experience. They claim to have the most sushi combinations (not sure how broad that claim is), and the place has a few different levels right in the heart of Sunset Blvd. It turns into a dance place at night and sometimes they have karaoke (my lil sis can tell you that story sometime). We went here a lot (it seemed).

6. Wahoo's Fish Tacos: Love. This. Place. This was my first fish taco experience and I feel like anytime I have seen one since on a menu, I order it. This one's down on Huntington Beach and if you're ever there, you must try one.

And while we're on the Huntington subject, here's the next...

7. Running Huntington to Newport Beach: This was a long run day and I would do it every now and then. There's a boardwalk between both beaches so no, it wasn't hardcore on the sand! I would park at Huntington (closest to Biola), and run to Newport and back. The reward? The most AMAZING farmer's market you've ever experienced on the beach in Huntington on Saturdays. It's massive and consists of Cali and Mexico farmers with all their goods.

8. 1000 Steps at Laguna Beach: My friends and I went camping on the beach numerous times and we always went to the same spot in Laguna called 1000 steps. You park on the street and the steps are kind of hidden, and when you find them, it's a long way down (but and even longer way up - ha):

But those steps lead you here:

9. Skid Row (Downtown LA): This is one of the saddest places I've seen. It's 10 blocks of approximately 10K homeless people. It's the police's attempt to congregate these people to one location where they can legally sleep in boxes lining the streets and be somewhat confined to these 10 blocks. And it's a only a few exits of the 101 away from some of the richest places in LA. I went here often. Me and Jana worked on one of the blocks at a church with kids one year, and then I would frequently re-visit, talk with people, and bring things I didn't want/need to give away down there. I loved going down there. If you visited me out there, you know that because I took you :)

10. Francis Chan: What a fantastic man of God and dynamic speaker! He spoke in chapel at Biola at least twice a year and the place was packed when he came...always.

11. And then there was my church, Rock Harbor: I struggled with leaving this one the most. I still listen to podcasts from there. I fell deeper in love with Jesus those years of attending this church. I was the first time I was giddy excited about going to church and heart sick when it was over. I had never experienced church like that and it was such an amazing experience to have the Holy Spirit work in my life through that church. It's funny because when I moved to Siloam and started attending CCF, 2 pastors left CCF while I was there to go be pastors at Rock Harbor - crazy!

Thanks for indulging in my nostalgia with me. :)

Gluten Free, Shall We?

2011-07-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've had some tummy troubles for a while now and they seem to be worsening over the past few months. What are the symptoms?
Extreme bloat sets in around dinner time and is out of control after dinner. We're talking, my stomach extends to look like I'm 5 months pregnant and it's super uncomfortable. Sometimes I can't even stand up straight.
This has been going on for years in different extremities.
I can remember this happening after dinner at a restaurant when I was in 7th grade. An adult on our trip told me to do a certain stretch, and I've been doing that stretch ever since when this happens. It brings some relief (sometimes). And then in college I had the same issues, but it seems like since I've had kids, it's almost become a nightly thing. I asked Jason a few days ago how many nights he thinks I have this and he said it feels like every night now now.

So what have I tried?
I did a mild cleanse thinking that might help.
I have cut back on salt intake.
I took a diuretic.
I started a pro-biotic a few weeks ago.

None of these worked. None.

So yesterday I got the idea to cut out gluten. I have some friends who are gluten-free eaters and I've heard of numerous talk about how simply cutting out gluten solved their tummy issues. I know I'm not allergic to gluten, but I wondered if maybe I had a sensitivity to it?

Worth a try.

So yesterday was the first day I did it, and MIRACLE. People I had zero tummy issues last night and woke up feeling great (as far as tummy goes).
I'm gonna do the gluten-free thing for at least three days and then maybe eat it again in a few days and see if there's a difference. Just a little experimenting.

And for me, cutting out gluten really isn't a hard thing. It's by no means a "low-carb" thing, so I think it's doable.
Plus, if we're going Italian and I want some pasta, I'll eat it still (and just know that night I'll be uncomfortable).

But just wanted to share because I'm excited and hopeful this helps!

******BTW, Lincoln woke up this morning and went straight to the potty and peed first thing! And his diaper from overnight was almost completely dry!!!! :) He's doing so great now!!!!

UPDATE!!!

2011-07-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

DISCLOSURE: This is about the potty again. So feel free to skip if this reading doesn't pertain to you. :)

We have progress...major progress!!!

After my last potty post where I was beside myself begging for advice and frustrated, I woke up Saturday to a different tune from Lincoln!

Saturday was the day we had set for celebration at Chuck E. Cheese for his hard work on the potty. Though I'll confess, I was hesitant to take him cause I felt like there was no progress, but we decided to go ahead as planned because he was working hard and it wasn't fun for him all the time.

And then on Saturday morning, before we were to go (by which he was nuclear excited!), he asked me to go poop, then about 20 minutes later asked me to go pee! He then went 3 times while at CEC, and never had an accident all day!!!!

Then today, he came in while we were getting ready for church and told me he had to poop...then told me later this morning that he had to pee...again - 2 days in a row!!!!! He went at church in his class and has had zero accidents so far today as well!

If that wasn't enough, as a bonus, today he was mad when he had to wear a pull-up to church because he wanted to wear his "undies"...this was a first as he has been begging to only wear diapers for the past week!

So just like that, we took a huge step in the right direction! I feel super encouraged about this.

In all honesty, I would have stopped trying to train him last week, except I really don't wanna start doing it in the middle of basketball season b/c we just aren't home that much at all. My goal is to have him rolling pretty well by the time season starts.

Thanks so much for all the encouragement!!!!!!! :)

And here's a pic I took with my phone from CEC:

Dinner Woes

2011-07-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

When Jason and I got married in 2007, we both quickly realized that we ate completely different. We even drank different!
We had two pitchers in the fridge - one of his lemonade he would make and one of mine.
Mine was crystal light...his was a mixture of pure lemon juice, water, and (it seemed) 5 bags of sugar (it was an insane amount of sugar!). He claimed he didn't like my lemonade and I wasn't about to take up drinking sugar water with a dazzle of lemon!

Before we had kids, we would often eat at the same time, but eat different things. I liked the vegetables, he liked the potatoes.

Jason always claimed he hated all vegetables except corn (which some would not consider a good veggie), and at the time I felt like that ruled out 90% of the recipes I cooked from!

But through that year I was able to find some things we both liked...and that included changes on my part as well. For instance hamburger meat: I had never bought this (much less cooked it) in my life before I married Jason!

But I discovered a lean option to ground beef, and also discovered Jason liked it too, as long as it was not hamburgers. So this opened up more dinner options instantly.

And now, folks, I wanna fast-forward you to present: In this week alone, Jason has GLADLY eaten asparagus (this is now his favorite), a salad (this is AMAZING), and green beans mixed with other veggies I cooked in a small crockpot (he went back for seconds on these).
Not only did he eats these...he now enjoys them.

And as for the lemonade? He hasn't made the sugar water now for at least a year. He now loves crystal light...we literally go through 2 liters/day.

So though coming up with recipes and meal planning isn't my strong suit, I have a hearty rotation now of things we both enjoy, and I'm willing to try new things just like I get him to do.

Oh. Except frying things.

I never have and I refuse to. Fried porkchops is his favorite meal, but I leave that for his mother when we go visit!

I do cook his second favorite - chicken fettuccine every now and then.

Need Your Advice

2011-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm frustrated. And advice is WELCOME.

I feel like I do a pretty good job of getting babies on sleep patterns and getting them to sleep good and that stuff SLEEP related...but when it comes to the potty I. AM. LOST.

So here's what we're doing. Since Monday, he has only worn undies during the day, and diapers at nap/night time. One of those days, I put a pull-up on him cause we made a trip to Siloam to watch some basketball.

I take him to the potty every 20 minutes or so.

I praise him.

The mornings are usually better. Sometimes with zero accidents. But I feel like it's because I take him so often. I don't think he cares if his pants are wet. And the kid also pee's like 20 times a day!

After naps are when we can literally go through every pair of undies he has - literally.

He gets tired of having to stop playing to go to the potty every 20 minutes and this can frustrate him, but if I don't take him, he'll pee on himself.

He knows he's only suppose to pee in the potty and can tell you that, but seriously has no problem going in his pants and I only discover it if I see it.

So we've finished day 5 and I honestly think he's the same as he was on day 1.

So tips PLEASE. And is this normal?

I Promise I'll Stop Talking About Poop Soon

2011-07-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

You have my word.

Buuutttttttttttttttttttttt....

Lincoln's been doing it in the potty like none other;

And Noah did it at the pool in his swim diaper. Have you ever experienced poop in a swim diaper after a swim? I hope you never have to.

But we only had one accident with Lincoln today! Granted, he did wear pull-ups when we went and watched basketball games (and he went once in those).

I was actually frustrated today because I thought yesterday would be bad, today would be significantly better, and tomorrow he'd be trained. That's how it was sleep training him...why not be that way this time, right?

Apparently I am not right.

In fact 2 friends (kindly) laughed at me when I shared this philosophy tonight.

So when did your little one actually start telling you they need to go and then holding it till you got there? The only reason we had 1 accident today was because I took him every 20 minutes!

And I'm serious. I will stop talking about this soon. :)

Oh the Potty

2011-07-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna log the "no-diapers-by-friday" progress from yesterday. I would call it "Day 1" but come on - we all know this is my third time to try this in the past 7 months, and, well - another "Day 1" post probably sounds like a joke now (boy-who-cried-wolf sort of thing).

But in all seriousness...I'm serious this time.

So, yesterday's progress?
If you would have asked me last night I'd have told you it was no progress.

I lost count of how many times he peed his pants, and then when we ran out of undies and just had shorts on him, he decided to poop his pants with nothing significant to catch it - yeah. I'll just stop there on that one.

But TODAY (ta-da!) we have had no accidents thus far and have had a successful #2 in the potty!

A few have asked my tips/secrets??

Well, I have none. I actually feel like I'm probably doing this all wrong. Never read a book. Never made him watch a video. Never bought all these rewards and made a big plan for it. In fact, I pretty much decided on a whim it was time. Actually I decided when I paid $14 for his pack of diapers 2 days ago.

I have talked to a few friends over the past year, but that's about it. We use undies and the big potty (backwards). He has yet to ask me on his own. I make him go about every 20 minutes. I'm waiting for the golden day when he says "Mommy, I need to go potty!"

We'll see. I predict we go through all his undies yet again today (not-so-high-expectations will never let you down).

Now off to the pool!!!

Almost Forgot!

2011-07-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I almost forgot this one!!!!

Evidence #13:

My precious dad. He has a bad knee. Yes, that's him who likes to get into the hot tub when the temps are 100+. So on our last full day, we were at the pool, and he heads over to turn on the jets and get in the hot tub to help relieve some knee pressure.

While he's in there, a 6-year-old little girl comes and jumps in with him.

She sits there for a while, looking at him, then says:

"My mama tells me to come in here and pee-pee."

Then she gets up and goes back to the pool.

Needless to say, my dad returned to the pool as well. Pee-pee + powerful jets in a small, confined space are no good.

Redneck Riviera

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

Our trip to Destin this year was the first time I had heard our pleasant little destination referred to as the fabulous "Redneck Riviera".
So this time around, I thought I'd pay special attention as to where in the world this name may have come from.
Consider the evidence with me:

1. Tourists all identify themselves by their favorite SEC teams, sporting their colors loud and proud.

2. Our parking lot in the condo area consisted of such identification from about every SEC state...Alabama, Tennessee, Us, Florida, Georgia... (some would consider these redneck states alone).

3. In one day, I witnessed my husband have 3 lengthy conversations with complete strangers about who was going to dominate the SEC in football this upcoming year.

4. We had a balcony in our condo and I witnessed Nathan yelling down from the balcony for Amy to bring over a trash can (she was on the lower level) so that she could catch a poopy diaper in it. He missed.

5. One night after dinner, we were at the car getting the boys out of their strollers and realized Noah had peed through his pants. We decided to change him their in the parking lot (if that's not redneck enough) - only when I pulled down his pants, poop started falling out in chunks on the parking lot! We went to look for wipes and found NONE. So Jason held him up in the air while I wipe him down with a paper towel we found in the car. Their was no trash can in site, so the diaper (and paper towel) were left on the curb - along with the turds that fell to the ground. Please don't judge.

6. Nathan was walking on the beach one day when some people started calling the Hogs...of course they started talking instantly :). Then Nathan proceeded to tell these strangers how our beach chairs were next to Alabama people. The strangers got upset yelling "Oh we hate Bama! And we saw LSU people a bit ago and we hate LSU, too!"

7. Jason and I were at the outlet mall on night and my parents brought the boys to us. When we saw Lincoln, he had on these tiny boxer shorts from his nap still that looked quite ridiculous. If that wasn't bad enough, though, within an hour, we noticed he had peed all over himself (I swear I change my kids diapers!). I did what any shopper would do - I changed him in the dressing room while simultaneously trying on some cute workout clothes! I realized quickly the shorts were no longer wearable, so our big boy continued the shopping trip without pants! I thought if I kept him in the stroller, maybe no one would notice. But the minute we got out of the store, he saw something "cool" and jumped out in the midst of a crowd and ran to it...without pants and without shoes. Total redneck.

8. That same night, Jason and I found ourselves talking to a man we didn't know but was super nice. We got into a lengthy conversation with him (all the while I was wondering if he was noticing my pants-less child), only to realize way into our talk that the man was the super famous Sammy Kershaw (country singer who sings "She Don't Know She's Beautiful"???). Yeah.

9. Then, right after we left Sammy Kershaw (with our pants-less child), we got a ways passed our last store, looked down, and realized our sweet Noah had two packs of men's jockey underwear in his hands - unpaid for. His first theft experience (we took them back).

10. One night all us sisters/husbands went for a swim in the ocean around midnight. We thought it would be fun to then go jump the gate to our pool and take a late-night swim. The pool closed at 10:00. We're being all stealth when Amy drops her phone and shatters the case in to pieces, then Kristen starts dying out laughing, while I am half way over the wall and into the pool (apparently everyone said I did a cannonball...whatever). Within 5 minutes we see lights headed our way and we all just go under water (Navy SEALS style)...but when we come up (cause we're not SEALS), security is staring us down. They threatened us with a $600 fine and cops - including a night in jail - but we got out of it all and headed back home to our kids. Yes. We are responsible parents.

11. I wore my Razorbacks shirt to the outlet mall one night and got stopped a lot. Some fans and some absolute haters.

12. And then there was this guy...running up and down the beach everyday.

Okay - so just kidding. I found this picture online. But it's pretty stinking hilarious, huh?

So there you have it.

Why is it called the Redneck Riviera?

Well, because we go there, my friend. :)

When Lightening Strikes

2011-07-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today is our last full day here in Destin. Sad to leave but that's also what's great about how long we stay here - also feels like it's time to head back.

Today was the first day it's rained the whole trip so not everyone headed to the sand. But our clan and Mimi & Papa enjoyed the clouds, sprinkles, thunder and lightening (in the distance - don't freak) one last time.

How did we spend it?

Noah surfed (on the sand of course)...

I buried my darling husband in the sand as any good wife should...

And Lincoln decided that looked like a good idea, so I buried him, too. :)

Happy last day. The rest was spent by the pool (the sun did come out finally), and now we're about to head out to attempt a big huge family picture on the beach (I WILL be camera ready this time!) before hitting up the outlet mall and dinner.
Home sweet home soon!!! :)

Where's My SD Card?

2011-07-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

We rushed to get to the beach at sunset (sun already set as we walked the steps down to the sand)...but the lighting was still fair so we continued to rush to get the picture.Nathan quickly grabbed my camera, we got posed, and away he shot...over and over, leaving me thinking "we at least got ONE that will do"...
Then as darkness set in, I grabbed back the camera to realize there was no memory card.
I put the card in (major rush now) and gathered back the fam for round 2.
After round 2 (by which Lincoln clearly made known there would be NO round 3), I grabbed back the camera to realize it had been on the total WRONG setting the whole time.
By the time I got everything right, the lighting was gone, Lincoln would have nothing to do with the camera, and well, the moment had just passed.
So, here's to bad lighting, wrong settings, and independence. :)

Que the "Tapping"

2011-06-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

We're going on a trip.

And the boys are freaking out with excitement it's both humorous and challenge to try and contain.

Consider our last night sleeping in our house:
Jason and I packed the car until the wee hours of the morning so we could be ready to leave the next day after Jason's golf tourney. (Translate: we went to bed LATE).

Then what seemed like on 19.5 minutes of sleeping, Jason gets a light [TAP] [TAP] [TAP] on his forehead (I wake up to the sound of a sucking pacy) and there is our 2-year-old toddler standing in our room, so excited, ready to GET UP!!

It was 5:00am, folks...the "pitch-dark-kind" of 5:00am.

I carried him back to bed, the whole way explaining that it was "dark outside and we don't get up when it's dark!".

Tucked him in, tucked myself back in, and fell right back to sleep.

Then, at 6:00am precisely, another [TAP] [TAP] [TAP] on Jason's forehead. Jason's eyes abruptly open to the same toddler standing over our faces with a big smile:

"Hey guys - it's not dark no more! It's not dark no more guys!"

Don't you remember those days when you were too excited to sleep?? :)

Staying in Shape

2011-06-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been back into running and am at about 20 miles/week. I love it again...it's easy again...it energizes me, and it's easy to do on a daily basis now that my husband's schedule has been less demanding. I love every benefit of running. It's good for the body obviously, but it's even better as a re-charger for me on an emotional level.

Enter another love of mine: Music.

I think one the things that gets me addicted to running is the half hour I get to fully dedicate to music. I get giddy about new playlists I put together to get me through the runs. They usually last a month or 2 before I switch it up again. Usually on the playlist there are a few songs that I reserve for when I don't quite "feel it" and need a little extra push. It's crazy but I can totally get lost in music when I run. I have many "daydreams" I play out to various songs...I have dances made up in my head that I do (in my head) while running to certain songs (did I mention I'm a nerd?)...if I'm alone, sometimes the dances leak outside of my head (triple embarrassing, I know).

With the exception of the past 2 years, I have been a regular runner since I was 15 (I am currently 29) and I have only ONE time run without music...and it was about 3 months ago.

Currently I have my 2 fav songs to listen to on my playlist. One's fairly new, one's pretty old, both are pretty substance-less, but for some reason the rhythms of both give a boost.

What are your songs that get you motivated while working out??? I'm always looking for new ones. :)

His Own Take on Scripture

2011-06-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

We try and teach Lincoln new Scriptures about every few weeks or so. At first we used the ones that he worked on in Sunday School, but here more recent, Jason and I use them as we see fitting in his personal development and things he struggles with.For instance, obedience has been a big one lately. My little guy is pretty cunning because he's actually a fairly "obedient" kid, but has recently been super SLOW to obey (which is not obedience for him).
So a few weeks ago, we learned "Children obey mommy and daddy in the Lord for this is right!".

He's got that verse down perfectly and understands what the word "obey" means very clearly. So when he struggles, we remind him of what Jesus said and he recites it back to us. And we do struggle with this obeying thing. :) We have one strong-willed rascal.

Here recently I've heard "I can't!". It's been in the last week r s but he says it a handful of times a day - about a wide variety of things! This is a big shift for him (from the absolutely fearless monster he was!).

So today Jason and I worked on "I can do ALL things through Jesus who gives me strength!"

He knows by heart, about 6 verses now that he can recite ff his head.

And today when learning the new one, he goes:

"I can do ALL things through Jesus and obey mommy!!"

Yes. I like where he's going with that :)

A New Leaf

2011-06-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

This week Lincoln has turned a new leaf...he LOVES to read. I used to always read other's blogs/FB posts about how their baby would constantly bring books and could sit in mommy's lap to end end reading, reading, reading...then reading some more.
Then I would look down at my "go-go-go!!" tot and wonder how ever in the WORLD mom's got their kids to sit still in their laps for 5 seconds!!
When Lincoln turned 2, he was able to sit through more books (and enjoy them) but still, always at my initiative.

Fast forward to 5 days ago.

It started with one book in particular that Lincoln wanted to read over and over and over for an entire day. This continued to day 2 (by which I happily obliged) and by day 3, he can now read me the book. And this book was the only one he was interested in. So the other day I moved all his books to the book shelf in the living room and it was like Christmas when he saw it. And since then, the books are constantly scattered in the floor, him looking for ones he has not yet read to bring to me.

Now, scattered through all those "new books" we still read the one that started it all about 5 times a day - at least.

So this is super fun for us and I'm glad to announce I can now join the "My toddler can sit still and enjoy book after book" Club. :)

Happy You Day!

2011-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Lincoln gets super excited on holidays and birthdays. To him it means 3 things: parties, presents, and cake. So when he found out yesterday was "Daddy's Day", he - of course - assumed the above three things were in order for that day, which meant crazy excitement from my little man.
He ran to daddy when he woke up and goes "Happy Daddy Day!!" followed quickly by "Lets party!!!!".

He understood it was a man's day from the start, and when he saw my dad and Nathan at church later, he ran to them with a big hug and excited eyes to exclaim: "Happy you Day!!!"

Pretty sweet.

We celebrated at my parents that night, and his sweet Mimi knows the path to his heart - she had cupcakes made just for him. :)

On a serious note, we studied Psalm 112 in church that morning and I am so grateful both my dad and my husband exemplify the Psalm 112 man in my life and in my kids' lives. Behind God saving me from utter sin and destruction and choosing to love me, I am most grateful in life for my husband and his dedication to fearing the Lord and following His commandments.

Almost Here!

2011-06-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Since 2007, my parents have taken all of us to Destin every other year. The trip total lasts about 10 days with 7 of them reserved for the beach alone. The first year we went, my sister and I had just gotten back from the Ukraine (literally) and were at my parents having dinner the night before they were to leave (alone) for Destin. They said, "we have a really big condo if y'all wanna come" and we took them up on it - with about 10 hours notice. Jason and I had just gotten married a few months ago, and Amy and Nathan weren't even dating, but it was us four that tagged along.

It then became tradition (planned tradition - not last minute!) from then on...

Only the last trip, Lincoln was the new, distinguished guest at 8 months old...

And this trip, we add two more toddlers to the bunch: Tucker & Noah.

(Mom and Dad, I hope these trips don't stop if we continue having kids!!!!)

The trips have marked some significant milestones for us:

- 1st trip: We had just gotten married

- 2nd trip: We had a baby with us,

Jason had just gotten a big new job

We had also just found out we were pregnant with Noah

Amy & Nate had just gotten engaged

- 3rd trip: We just sold our house!

Yeah so looks like the even number trips have the most news...I should be geering up for 2013 apparently. :)

The trip isn't just Destin, however. We all meet in Biloxi at the Beau Rivage for one/two nights prior to rolling in to Destin. The first trip, Jason, Amy, and I (Nate stayed in his parents room...remember? not even dating yet?) crashed in my parents room at Biloxi (though Jason and I went to bed at 6:00am); the trip 2 years ago, us + Lincoln crashed my parents room (Amy & Nate were actually engaged on this trip!), and this year, we've pondered this crash scenario: Me, Jason, Amy, Nate, 3 babies, Kristen, Devin, and my parents - all in one hotel room in Biloxi...

Then we decided it's worth it for us and my sister's fam to split our own room this year. Sorry mom and dad - I know you're devastated. :)

Jason and I are extending this year even further though as we are stopping in Crossett before Biloxi (before Destin) to spend 2 days with his family!

So fun times coming up ahead! Lincoln has been praying for the beach in his prayers for the past 2 weeks now. Here are a few pics from our last trip...It's hard for me to even recognize Lincoln! So funny. And you can bet I won't be shy in the picture taking department with my new camera this year.

Buds

2011-06-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

I just love this picture. It makes me smile every time I see it, but probably because of the back story more than the actual photo. On this morning, when I got Noah out of bed, he pointed out toward the hallway and goes "Lincoln. Lincoln." Those were his first words to me that morning. So I sat him down and he waddled in to the living room and plopped down on the couch next to his brother...and then I snapped the shot. Precious. This is a re-occurring prayer of mine (usually as I'm putting them to bed) that they will be thick in love, thick in compassion, and thick in spiritual bonded-ness with each other.

While Dad's Away...

2011-06-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

June marks "team camp" month which means we don't get to see as much of Jason as we'd like (though he does a great job using all he can with us!)...and that leaves lots of time with me and the rascals, and - of course (I know you'll be thrilled) - more pictures!!!Thrilled...right?

Tonight we exercised on the Crystal Bridges trail, played at the park afterward, ate some dinner, then played in the front yard (a normal ritual now before bed).

Lincoln worked on his golf game a little...

And then I got some shots of them that I'm just loving! :)

There Will Be Blood

2011-06-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here's one for the baby books:

At dinner tonight we were all enjoying some healthy grilled chicken and veggies when I looked over and saw Noah toppling backwards in his chair. He was about 50% to the floor when - with my awesome mom reflexes - I swung my arm over real quick to catch him and keep him from falling to the floor.

Only he was one my right side.

And I eat with my right hand.

And we were eating, which meant I had a fork in my hand at the same moment I swung it over to catch him.

Bad combo.

Not only did he end up falling to the floor anyway, but my fork caught the top of his head and scraped a good portion down the side of his head as he continued to fall to the ground.

People - there was blood and lots of it. My hands were covered in bright red blood and my mind racing to figure out where I had last put my phone cause we were headed to the ER and someone needed to come stay with Lincoln.

But we got him settled down, stopped the bleeding, and realized he probably didn't need to go to the ER after all (my husband's determination - who is very good at this sort of thing thank goodness).

Noah actually stopped crying and was laughing within about 7 minutes (I was not so much).

And sweet Lincoln turned into a little mommy comforter. He kept coming over to me with his arm on me going "Mommy, Noah's okay. He gonna be okay mommy." So sweet. And the he looked in my eyes all serious and goes "Mommy, I think Noah should probably go eat his dinner now...he okay mommy."

Melt my heart.

Lincoln continued to tell me this throughout the rest of dinner.

So yeah, how many of you can say you've ever stabbed your child with a fork??

Tuesday Funday

2011-06-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

We love friends!!! :) Now I was going to ask yall's opinion on a good book (non-fiction, of course for me!) to take with me to the beach, but then I quickly realized my foolishness and that, with a 1 & 2 year old at the beach, there probably won't be much down time to read. :) But now any good podcasts you have recently listened to, I'm all up for enjoying that with Jason on the long drive!

Summertime

2011-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last year we had just moved into a rental house around this time with an awesome community pool right up the street. If you're a high school girl wanting peace and quiet and a tan (like me 10+ years ago), you would not think this pool is awesome...but if you're a mom with two toddlers who love the water and tend to lack a healthy fear of it, this pool is phenomenal.
The majority of it under 3 feet with a big wade-in part where even the 6 month old cats can relax and splash around. The "deep end" only gets as deep as 5 feet or so with a super fun slide. The 5-ft deep part is significant in that mom can stand there comfortably and catch the fearless rascals as they shoot out from the slide.
We love this pool.

It is opening late this year (Tuesday!) because of complications, but we are pumped. The splash park has kept us entertained in the meantime (which is also great because you can't drown at the splash park).

So here's the deal...Lincoln, last year, was absolutely fearless and a complete madman in the water. Noah was so little at the time and sometimes just slept in his stroller while we played, so I could have my total attention on my wild man. He would jump off the side and be totally submerged in water (we would literally have to scoop him out), would think he could "swim" in the deep part, would go off the fast slide repeatedly (again, we'd have to scoop him out from under the water)...I was glad he had no fear and enjoyed himself so much, but I was also a nervous wreck at times (nothing like the peaceful "Getting a tan" moments I had always associated with the pool).

And now this year.

Our dear sweet Noah, I'm afraid might like water even more than Lincoln did and am a little nervous he could be a total handful this summer! This is actually expected, but the part that makes me wonder how fun pool days will be this summer is whether or not Lincoln will still have the same fearlessness.

I'm going on a limb and guessing he will not. I think the guy has developed a little bit of hesitancy (but we'll see). My first thought is that this would make me sad. But then I think a bit more and realize there is nothing wrong with a little healthy fear of the water! And if Noah takes his place, I need at least one toddler to have a little healthy fear (if we'll be going without Jason in the day at least).

So I'm just curious how next week will go...2 fearless toddlers, or just one?

We'll see! And if it's 2, that's what those self-containing floaty "boats" are for, right? :)