I met a precious friend about 6 years ago on a cool, crisp fall evening. Her fiance and Thomas were close friends at the time, but us girls hadn't met yet. The minute I met her-let's call her Sarah- I knew we would be dear friends. Sarah was the most genuine, joyful and absolute sweetest girl I had ever met. Her laughter was contagious and her smile could light up the room. She could tell a simple story with such passion and glee. Tender encouragement was always coming out of her mouth. I was so intrigued by this young girl, only a year or two older than me, and longed to have a deeper friendship with her. We didn't live close, so our friendships stayed at the "let's keep in touch" level.
Three years or so later, Thomas and I met up again with this precious couple. We met for breakfast one morning, and as we began talking, I started noticing something about Sarah. She was talking happily and smiling, but something was strangely different. Her guard was up. Her smile seemed too thought out. I noticed she chose her words very carefully during our conversations. I could see hurt behind her eyes and her smile was masking what I discerned was....pain.
As we finished up our small talk about children, ministry, family, etc, we started asking more questions. How were they doing? What they shared next truly broke my heart.
Sarah had just come out of a very tough season. Several women in their church began to confront her about her personality. They just plain didn't like her. Whether it was triggered from vicious gossip, jealousy or anger, it didn't matter. When Sarah asked what she was doing that was offensive, they just beat around the bush. The only thing they ever specifically put their finger on was this: Sarah smiled too much.
After hearing that, I was ready to fly to their hometown and slap some ladies for their cruelty to this precious gem! If they only knew the damage they caused to her heart. The Lord had given her such a unique, beautiful spirit and someone had the nerve to try to subdue that. Thankfully, Sarah's heart and ears turned toward what her Father had to say. She walked in forgiveness and moved on. I've seen her once since that breakfast conversation and her smile is back. Her real smile. I can see that protective shell around her heart has broken away, and once again she walks in joy and genuine passion that never should have been abused.
Why that story?
I hadn't thought about Sarah's story in awhile, but yesterday the Lord put it on my heart and started speaking to me about it.
I've heard my Pastor talk about the church being "one body." In a body, there are hundreds of parts. Feet, hands, eyes, and even armpits! A church filled with feet would not be effective. A church full of eyes would go nowhere.
Think of all the Pastors, Teachers, Preachers, Speakers and Ministers you know. What vast personalities! Benny Hinn, Lisa Bevere, Billy Graham, Kay Arthur, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen. Bold, bubbly, humble, tender, direct, gentle.
God created you unique. You will not be like anyone else. Some people may not like you for who you are. Some may try to intimidate you to try to change your personality. A mentor of mine told me once that "...even Jesus got criticism and He was perfect. It is only when we meditate on the criticism that it becomes a problem. If we are quick to give it to Jesus and let Him teach us what to learn from it, we remain tender. Some criticism, even if we don't like the instrument, is for our growth. Other times, it is from the enemy to harden our hearts. Taking it to Him and letting Him sort it out is the only healthy way to deal with it."
What wisdom!
Grow where you need to grow, be open to correction, but be free to be who He created you to be. Guard your actions and your spirit from tearing down someone just because they aren't like you. Listen to what your Father has to say about you or another person. That's really all that matters anyways.
Hope this stirs your spirit! It does mine! :)
Be blessed.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
BOWS EVERYWHERE!!
Well, if we are friends at all, then you already know about my newfound hobby! :)
BOWS BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!
On a whim, one Sunday afternoon, I opened up YouTube and searched "How to make a Hair Bow". I watched it once, headed to Hobby Lobby the next morning, and haven't stopped since.
I've discovered the breath-holding moments of trying to tie the thin embroidery thread just right, the burn of hot glue sticking to my finger and the giddy excitement of finding my favorite ribbon is plentifully stocked and ON SALE!
At first I wasn't sure how to start! I knew this was something that I enjoyed, and knew that the demand for quality & affordable bows is high, but I felt a little frazzled about where to begin. After settling on starting with a Facebook page and Etsy.com, I have been very pleased with the results. A friend told me to avoid eBay because of the billions of products available for dirt cheap and sneaky fees they attach after your item sells. Etsy hasn't had any selling action yet, so not sure how long I'll stick with that. Facebook, surprisingly, and word-of-mouth have been the easiest and most effective tools in selling my bows. I've sold several to friends, out of town and local, and recently a local high school cheerleading group placed an order to match their cheer attire. That's gonna be a fun and BIG project!
My encouragement for YOU: Don't hold back on any dreams you have! It could be photography, painting, jewelry-making, writing, singing, teaching or baking. Your unique talent may bring in thousands of dollars, or be an incredible encouragement and inspiriation to those you reach.
Be blessed!
BOWS BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!
On a whim, one Sunday afternoon, I opened up YouTube and searched "How to make a Hair Bow". I watched it once, headed to Hobby Lobby the next morning, and haven't stopped since.
I've discovered the breath-holding moments of trying to tie the thin embroidery thread just right, the burn of hot glue sticking to my finger and the giddy excitement of finding my favorite ribbon is plentifully stocked and ON SALE!
At first I wasn't sure how to start! I knew this was something that I enjoyed, and knew that the demand for quality & affordable bows is high, but I felt a little frazzled about where to begin. After settling on starting with a Facebook page and Etsy.com, I have been very pleased with the results. A friend told me to avoid eBay because of the billions of products available for dirt cheap and sneaky fees they attach after your item sells. Etsy hasn't had any selling action yet, so not sure how long I'll stick with that. Facebook, surprisingly, and word-of-mouth have been the easiest and most effective tools in selling my bows. I've sold several to friends, out of town and local, and recently a local high school cheerleading group placed an order to match their cheer attire. That's gonna be a fun and BIG project!
My encouragement for YOU: Don't hold back on any dreams you have! It could be photography, painting, jewelry-making, writing, singing, teaching or baking. Your unique talent may bring in thousands of dollars, or be an incredible encouragement and inspiriation to those you reach.
Be blessed!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Time for an update!
I haven't written about our sweet kids in awhile! So here you go...
Aaron begins "school" next week! Once again, his Tuesdays and Thursdays will be filled with fun activities, crafts, music and friends. Since he is now in the Preschool class at his Mother's Day Out, he gets to embark on field trips such as the zoo, fire station, pumpkin patch, etc. I'm really excited about this new program that he is in because they have so many different activities during the day. Music class, excersise class, arts and crafts and eating lunch in a cafeteria are all fun things he gets to participate in. Most likely, we will enroll him in full-time Preschool next year, so for now this is perfect amount of time away from home getting used to a "school" atmosphere.
Aaron has started showing off his witty side lately. He loves to laugh and tell jokes. Right now his favorite saying is "Ladies and Jellyfish, Boys and Squirels!" when he announces anything. Then he doubles over and laughs at his sillyness! He is such a happy boy.
Aaron had to tell Miss D'Nae goodbye a couple weeks ago when she moved back to "Calwiforna" for school. D'Nae has babysat Aaron since he was itty-bitty and we've pretty much adopted her into our family as a sister.
Aaron adores this precious young lady and they have spent many hours together constructing forts out of blankets, conquering "bad guys" and dragons on the backyard playset and creating funny characters from his Mr. Potato Head collection. She gave him an early birthday present that he hasn't been able to put down!
Ella Bear took off walking about a week after her birthday and hasn't slowed down since!
She loves playing "hide-and-seek" with her big brother. He runs and hides in one of 4 obvious places around the house and she happily squeals and chases after him. When she finds him they both scream and tackle each other. It's adorable.
Ella's vocabulary has expanded as well! "Yes, cheese, juice (oohs), shoes, Opa, night-night (na-ni), Aaron, snack(nak), bye-bye", are all new ones as of recently. Somteimes she just babbles away in her little baby language and I have no idea what she is saying, and it sounds SO cute.
She still takes two long naps during the day and sleeps 12+ hours at night. She now owns 4 baby dolls and loves to pick them up and smother them with kisses then push them in her little baby doll stroller. Ahhh...I love having a girl!
I've recently began pursuing my passion of encouraging young moms through a group I began called "Stroller Moms". Right now it's simple. I've put together a Mom's group that meets every week at kid-friendly locations just to laugh and encourage each other. I've come to realize that all of us Moms have insecurities and questions, but yet we feel like we have to look so "put together" in front of people. I want mothers to feel like they can open up and be real with other moms in a safe place. We can laugh together at potty-training obstacles, groan together about horrific trips to WalMart and cry together about sweet milestones.
Usually when we think about being a Mom, we think of how crazy and hectic our schedules can be (especially working Mommies), but I really think that loneliness and depression has become so common in young mothers. There has to be a balance of prioritizing our husbands, homes and children but also having that much-needed friendship and support!
So I'm excited about this! Not sure what it's going to look like...but it's going to be good. :)
Eventually I would love to own and operate several online sites dedicated to parenting encouragement, advice, deals and steals, etc.
That's all for now! Be blessed.
Aaron begins "school" next week! Once again, his Tuesdays and Thursdays will be filled with fun activities, crafts, music and friends. Since he is now in the Preschool class at his Mother's Day Out, he gets to embark on field trips such as the zoo, fire station, pumpkin patch, etc. I'm really excited about this new program that he is in because they have so many different activities during the day. Music class, excersise class, arts and crafts and eating lunch in a cafeteria are all fun things he gets to participate in. Most likely, we will enroll him in full-time Preschool next year, so for now this is perfect amount of time away from home getting used to a "school" atmosphere.
Aaron has started showing off his witty side lately. He loves to laugh and tell jokes. Right now his favorite saying is "Ladies and Jellyfish, Boys and Squirels!" when he announces anything. Then he doubles over and laughs at his sillyness! He is such a happy boy.
Aaron had to tell Miss D'Nae goodbye a couple weeks ago when she moved back to "Calwiforna" for school. D'Nae has babysat Aaron since he was itty-bitty and we've pretty much adopted her into our family as a sister.
Aaron adores this precious young lady and they have spent many hours together constructing forts out of blankets, conquering "bad guys" and dragons on the backyard playset and creating funny characters from his Mr. Potato Head collection. She gave him an early birthday present that he hasn't been able to put down!
Ella Bear took off walking about a week after her birthday and hasn't slowed down since!
She loves playing "hide-and-seek" with her big brother. He runs and hides in one of 4 obvious places around the house and she happily squeals and chases after him. When she finds him they both scream and tackle each other. It's adorable.
Ella's vocabulary has expanded as well! "Yes, cheese, juice (oohs), shoes, Opa, night-night (na-ni), Aaron, snack(nak), bye-bye", are all new ones as of recently. Somteimes she just babbles away in her little baby language and I have no idea what she is saying, and it sounds SO cute.
She still takes two long naps during the day and sleeps 12+ hours at night. She now owns 4 baby dolls and loves to pick them up and smother them with kisses then push them in her little baby doll stroller. Ahhh...I love having a girl!
I've recently began pursuing my passion of encouraging young moms through a group I began called "Stroller Moms". Right now it's simple. I've put together a Mom's group that meets every week at kid-friendly locations just to laugh and encourage each other. I've come to realize that all of us Moms have insecurities and questions, but yet we feel like we have to look so "put together" in front of people. I want mothers to feel like they can open up and be real with other moms in a safe place. We can laugh together at potty-training obstacles, groan together about horrific trips to WalMart and cry together about sweet milestones.
Usually when we think about being a Mom, we think of how crazy and hectic our schedules can be (especially working Mommies), but I really think that loneliness and depression has become so common in young mothers. There has to be a balance of prioritizing our husbands, homes and children but also having that much-needed friendship and support!
So I'm excited about this! Not sure what it's going to look like...but it's going to be good. :)
Eventually I would love to own and operate several online sites dedicated to parenting encouragement, advice, deals and steals, etc.
That's all for now! Be blessed.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Just a day at the beach.
When I lived in New England, every summer we would take countless trips to the lake or ocean on the weekends. Saturday morning would roll around and my brother and I would scramble to find our swimsuits and sand castle buckets for another fun day in the New Hampshire sun. Mom would always pack a picnic lunch and I have distinct memories of eating delicious purple plums while wrapped up in a beach towel, waiting for the chill of the cold water to fade.
In my younger kid years, I didn't like the ocean. I much preferred calm Lake Winnipesaukee over the Plum Island waves. The ocean scared me! Sometimes the waves would get so big, I would get knocked over and find myself panicking, not knowing which way was up or down. Of course throw in a couple local shark attack rumors that would close down an entire beach- any 6 year old kid would freak out!
No, I liked the calmness of the lake. The water was quiet and smooth. If the wind caused any waves, they would be like a gentle nudge against your body.
As I got older, I began to realize that the ocean was way cooler than the lake. I found activities like body surfing, exploring sea rocks at low tide and trying to keep the most incredible sandcastle in tact as the waves started to come in. It was fun! Adventurous! I still enjoyed our trips to the lake, but after experiencing a true "day at the beach", I never went back to being scared.
Sometimes in life, it's the same way. We have the calm, safe places that we feel comfortable in, but never truly experience all God has for us because of our timidity or fear of the unknown. Trust Him. Step out and try new things! Maybe you'll begin to experience something so wonderful that you'll never go back.
Be blessed.
In my younger kid years, I didn't like the ocean. I much preferred calm Lake Winnipesaukee over the Plum Island waves. The ocean scared me! Sometimes the waves would get so big, I would get knocked over and find myself panicking, not knowing which way was up or down. Of course throw in a couple local shark attack rumors that would close down an entire beach- any 6 year old kid would freak out!
No, I liked the calmness of the lake. The water was quiet and smooth. If the wind caused any waves, they would be like a gentle nudge against your body.
As I got older, I began to realize that the ocean was way cooler than the lake. I found activities like body surfing, exploring sea rocks at low tide and trying to keep the most incredible sandcastle in tact as the waves started to come in. It was fun! Adventurous! I still enjoyed our trips to the lake, but after experiencing a true "day at the beach", I never went back to being scared.
Sometimes in life, it's the same way. We have the calm, safe places that we feel comfortable in, but never truly experience all God has for us because of our timidity or fear of the unknown. Trust Him. Step out and try new things! Maybe you'll begin to experience something so wonderful that you'll never go back.
Be blessed.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Stones
I have heard the story of Jacob’s Ladder at least a hundred times over my lifetime. But there is something so important that I have always overlooked in that story. The Stone. I recently heard a speaker talk about this subject and ever since I heard her speak, it has stirred something so deep within me! Hope you enjoy...
This story begins with a journey. Jacob was leaving his hometown of Beersheba and traveling to Haran. On the way, the Bible says “he came to a certain place.” Then he stopped for the day and decided to camp out because the sun was beginning to set. The weirdest part about this whole story is the fact he took a big lumpy stone and decided, “Hey! This rock would make a great pillow!” I mean, wouldn’t the flat earth serve as a better situation than a hard rock? Then, he sleeps. He dreams. He gets a vision. He wakes up and blesses that place. Then, he moves on. (Genesis 28:10-22)
Nugget 1: Jacob was leaving a comfortable place.
We know Jacob was the baby. He was the spoiled child who was loved by his parents in a very special way. We know he was even favored over his brother Esau. I can imagine that Jacob lived a very comfortable life. He probably had every luxury imaginable in his days. The finest linens, the richest wine and the coolest, triple-humped camel. But then it came time for Jacob to grow up. Move on. Get a wife. Get a life. He was leaving the comfort of his mother’s arms and his secure home and traveling to his place of destiny and purpose.
Nugget 2: The Stony Place-between your comfortable place and your destiny.
The Bible says there were stones in the place where he halted his journey. Instead of walking even a few more feet to a grassy spot, he chose to stop where the stones were. Stones are uncomfortable. They are inconvenient, bulky and frustrating. We usually swerve to avoid stones, but Jacob stopped where the stones were and then did the most interesting thing. He maximized the potential for the hardest thing in his life at that moment. He made a pillow out of a rock.
Nugget 3: In the midst of what could have been the most uncomfortable situation, he gets a vision.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he exclaims, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it!”
Because Jacob chose not to focus on the annoying and frustrating aspects of this place, he experienced the presence of the Lord and got energized by a dream. He then blessed that “awesome place” and even called that place the “house of God” and “gate of Heaven.” How interesting! Most dusty travelers probably walked that same road, but rushed by that stony place without hesitating. They missed out.
Here is an interesting aspect to consider:
For a young girl, you cannot wait to become a teenager. To have the “awkward pre-teen phase” stay in your past and have the official “cool teenager” title sounds like the most amazing thing to an 11 year old girl. Then when she becomes a teenager, she cannot wait until she can drive! Then she cannot wait until college! Then she cannot wait to get married! Then she cannot wait to have kids!......
We are constantly trying to look beyond the season/place we are in. There are times where we need to stop wishing we were in that next season and realize that this is the place for the Lord to show up! Is it possible that we could miss out on an incredible opportunity for God to show up because we are so intent on “getting where we need to go?”
Embrace the stones in your life. Choose to look at hard places as opportunities for the Lord to show up and give you an incredible dream or vision for your life. You may find yourself blessing that hard place you once cursed.
This story begins with a journey. Jacob was leaving his hometown of Beersheba and traveling to Haran. On the way, the Bible says “he came to a certain place.” Then he stopped for the day and decided to camp out because the sun was beginning to set. The weirdest part about this whole story is the fact he took a big lumpy stone and decided, “Hey! This rock would make a great pillow!” I mean, wouldn’t the flat earth serve as a better situation than a hard rock? Then, he sleeps. He dreams. He gets a vision. He wakes up and blesses that place. Then, he moves on. (Genesis 28:10-22)
Nugget 1: Jacob was leaving a comfortable place.
We know Jacob was the baby. He was the spoiled child who was loved by his parents in a very special way. We know he was even favored over his brother Esau. I can imagine that Jacob lived a very comfortable life. He probably had every luxury imaginable in his days. The finest linens, the richest wine and the coolest, triple-humped camel. But then it came time for Jacob to grow up. Move on. Get a wife. Get a life. He was leaving the comfort of his mother’s arms and his secure home and traveling to his place of destiny and purpose.
Nugget 2: The Stony Place-between your comfortable place and your destiny.
The Bible says there were stones in the place where he halted his journey. Instead of walking even a few more feet to a grassy spot, he chose to stop where the stones were. Stones are uncomfortable. They are inconvenient, bulky and frustrating. We usually swerve to avoid stones, but Jacob stopped where the stones were and then did the most interesting thing. He maximized the potential for the hardest thing in his life at that moment. He made a pillow out of a rock.
Nugget 3: In the midst of what could have been the most uncomfortable situation, he gets a vision.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he exclaims, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it!”
Because Jacob chose not to focus on the annoying and frustrating aspects of this place, he experienced the presence of the Lord and got energized by a dream. He then blessed that “awesome place” and even called that place the “house of God” and “gate of Heaven.” How interesting! Most dusty travelers probably walked that same road, but rushed by that stony place without hesitating. They missed out.
Here is an interesting aspect to consider:
For a young girl, you cannot wait to become a teenager. To have the “awkward pre-teen phase” stay in your past and have the official “cool teenager” title sounds like the most amazing thing to an 11 year old girl. Then when she becomes a teenager, she cannot wait until she can drive! Then she cannot wait until college! Then she cannot wait to get married! Then she cannot wait to have kids!......
We are constantly trying to look beyond the season/place we are in. There are times where we need to stop wishing we were in that next season and realize that this is the place for the Lord to show up! Is it possible that we could miss out on an incredible opportunity for God to show up because we are so intent on “getting where we need to go?”
Embrace the stones in your life. Choose to look at hard places as opportunities for the Lord to show up and give you an incredible dream or vision for your life. You may find yourself blessing that hard place you once cursed.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
"You're not a girl-you're Mom!"
^ That's what Aaron told me a few weeks ago...
Summer is here!
Picnics at the pool. Summer dresses. Bike rides. Those are just a few things I am so excited about when this time of year rolls around.
The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop "going". The pool opens up next Monday and no matter how early we start preparing for the summer season, there are always things that only can get done the week before opening day. On top of that mass amount of work, Aaron got drug down last week with a stubborn double-ear infection that is just not going away! After a week of antibiotics, he started running fever again and this time a hoarse cough along with it. Ugh. So back to the doctor we go tomorrow. Poor baby...
Oh yes, and with all the incredible rain we have been getting, our T-ball coach informed us that all 3 make-up games got scheduled this week!
So here I am: juggling the Mommy Hat, the Wife Hat, the Church Executive Assistant Hat (my new title! Cool huh?), the WSC Hat, the Nurse Hat, and the T-ball/Snow-Cone-Buying/Mom Hat! I keep reminding myself that every year about this time it is cRaZy, but give it a week or two and we are back to normal. :)
BUT-Thank the Lord for our 7 days of pure relaxation and pampering we had early this month! Thomas and I cruised away on the most incredible 7 day vacation where we experienced horseback riding through Jamaica, snorkling in Grand Cayman, and basking in the warm Cozumel Sun. Of course the ship was as neat as the ports. The food was incredible. Everything from the 24 hour pizzeria (CALZONES!), to the incredible elegant dinners, to the special chocolates on our pillow every night! Pampering doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Our room was cleaned at least twice a day, the waitstaff would sing, dance and entertain us during dinner, and for the first time in almost 4 years, I was able to eat my meals with both hands free!
There were Vegas-type shows each night which were SO cool. One evening an amazing juggler entertained us and another evening there was an illusion show (my fave!).
I wasn't sure how I would like being cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people for several Sea Days, but it never really felt crowded at all. The ship is literally like a floating city and it is so enormous! We had fun playing blackjack for the first time and turned $40 into $120! Sometimes we would go out on the Lido deck and just lounge on a pool chair while watching a movie on the giant screen above the pool. There was a sushi bar, but it actually didn't compare to Bonsai.
Oh, there is so much more I could write about...but not enough time.
Ella Bear is now a whopping 10 months old! She finally began crawling/scooting around and is such a doll. She squeals when she is happy and giggles when Bubba does something silly. She does the sign for "more" when she is eating. She claps, nods, high-fives Daddy, and is beginning to blow kisses when asked. Her favorite foods are beans, bananas and cereal bars. She is sleeping all night and down to 2 long naps during the day. I think she has changed more in the past 2 weeks then she has in the past 2 months! I scheduled her 1st birthday party at the Pool and did a double-take when I realized that is just 2 MONTHS away!!
Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading. :)
Summer is here!
Picnics at the pool. Summer dresses. Bike rides. Those are just a few things I am so excited about when this time of year rolls around.
The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop "going". The pool opens up next Monday and no matter how early we start preparing for the summer season, there are always things that only can get done the week before opening day. On top of that mass amount of work, Aaron got drug down last week with a stubborn double-ear infection that is just not going away! After a week of antibiotics, he started running fever again and this time a hoarse cough along with it. Ugh. So back to the doctor we go tomorrow. Poor baby...
Oh yes, and with all the incredible rain we have been getting, our T-ball coach informed us that all 3 make-up games got scheduled this week!
So here I am: juggling the Mommy Hat, the Wife Hat, the Church Executive Assistant Hat (my new title! Cool huh?), the WSC Hat, the Nurse Hat, and the T-ball/Snow-Cone-Buying/Mom Hat! I keep reminding myself that every year about this time it is cRaZy, but give it a week or two and we are back to normal. :)
BUT-Thank the Lord for our 7 days of pure relaxation and pampering we had early this month! Thomas and I cruised away on the most incredible 7 day vacation where we experienced horseback riding through Jamaica, snorkling in Grand Cayman, and basking in the warm Cozumel Sun. Of course the ship was as neat as the ports. The food was incredible. Everything from the 24 hour pizzeria (CALZONES!), to the incredible elegant dinners, to the special chocolates on our pillow every night! Pampering doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Our room was cleaned at least twice a day, the waitstaff would sing, dance and entertain us during dinner, and for the first time in almost 4 years, I was able to eat my meals with both hands free!
There were Vegas-type shows each night which were SO cool. One evening an amazing juggler entertained us and another evening there was an illusion show (my fave!).
I wasn't sure how I would like being cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people for several Sea Days, but it never really felt crowded at all. The ship is literally like a floating city and it is so enormous! We had fun playing blackjack for the first time and turned $40 into $120! Sometimes we would go out on the Lido deck and just lounge on a pool chair while watching a movie on the giant screen above the pool. There was a sushi bar, but it actually didn't compare to Bonsai.
Oh, there is so much more I could write about...but not enough time.
Ella Bear is now a whopping 10 months old! She finally began crawling/scooting around and is such a doll. She squeals when she is happy and giggles when Bubba does something silly. She does the sign for "more" when she is eating. She claps, nods, high-fives Daddy, and is beginning to blow kisses when asked. Her favorite foods are beans, bananas and cereal bars. She is sleeping all night and down to 2 long naps during the day. I think she has changed more in the past 2 weeks then she has in the past 2 months! I scheduled her 1st birthday party at the Pool and did a double-take when I realized that is just 2 MONTHS away!!
Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading. :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What? I haven't blogged since February??! *Gasp*
So many new things to report in the Humphries Home.
Ella has 6 teeth and is cutting her molars this week. Overall, she doesn't complain much, but does wake up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle. Usually after a tooth breaks through, she goes back to sleeping all night that next day. So everyday I'm peeking in her gummy mouth and praying for those bad boys to come through. Go, teeth, GO! Ella also has begun the constant baby babble and I just adore it! She says "Baba" and knows it means "bottle" and has said "Mama" and "Dada", but I don't think she knows what those mean yet. She's still perfectly content to sit and observe others without being interested in crawling or rolling around. I know she can, but just chooses not too. :) The other day at the gym, I sat her on the floor in the nursery and came back an hour later to find that she hadn't budged one inch. The nursery workers laughed and said she just sat there and played with a few toys while she watched the busyness around her.
Now Mr. Aaron, on the other hand, has enough energy for both kids combined! Oh, to be 3 again.
We started T-ball this year and he is loving it. He takes his role on the team very seriously and has smacked some awesome line-drives every time he goes to bat. Daddy is super proud.
I had no idea how much time we would be investing into this thing! Oh my word. Three (sometimes 4) nights a week seems a bit too extreme for a 3-4 year old league.
But he loves it and it's totally worth it.
Well, we did it. It's booked. In less than 4 weeks we will be cruising on the turquiose waters of the Carribean with no cell phone service, no laptops and no children for 7 whole days. Our stopping ports include: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. We really need this time away. It's going to be so fun.
Cozumel
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Now to work on my tan and get my six pack back!! Well...at least my tan! :)
So many new things to report in the Humphries Home.
Ella has 6 teeth and is cutting her molars this week. Overall, she doesn't complain much, but does wake up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle. Usually after a tooth breaks through, she goes back to sleeping all night that next day. So everyday I'm peeking in her gummy mouth and praying for those bad boys to come through. Go, teeth, GO! Ella also has begun the constant baby babble and I just adore it! She says "Baba" and knows it means "bottle" and has said "Mama" and "Dada", but I don't think she knows what those mean yet. She's still perfectly content to sit and observe others without being interested in crawling or rolling around. I know she can, but just chooses not too. :) The other day at the gym, I sat her on the floor in the nursery and came back an hour later to find that she hadn't budged one inch. The nursery workers laughed and said she just sat there and played with a few toys while she watched the busyness around her.
Now Mr. Aaron, on the other hand, has enough energy for both kids combined! Oh, to be 3 again.
We started T-ball this year and he is loving it. He takes his role on the team very seriously and has smacked some awesome line-drives every time he goes to bat. Daddy is super proud.
I had no idea how much time we would be investing into this thing! Oh my word. Three (sometimes 4) nights a week seems a bit too extreme for a 3-4 year old league.
But he loves it and it's totally worth it.
Well, we did it. It's booked. In less than 4 weeks we will be cruising on the turquiose waters of the Carribean with no cell phone service, no laptops and no children for 7 whole days. Our stopping ports include: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. We really need this time away. It's going to be so fun.
Cozumel
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Now to work on my tan and get my six pack back!! Well...at least my tan! :)
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