Moving Update

Many of you have asked for an update on our moving status, so I thought a post would be the easiest way to give an answer. :-)

We're moving out of the house July 2-taking our furniture on a moving truck to our new home (the rental property where both Kimberly and Erin have stayed). We're coming back the next day to clean, clean, clean until our house shines and then calling the carpet people in to do their thing. Next, we're calling in the home staging gurus to make our place look wonderful (it's been proven that homes sell 70% faster when they are furnished). Will's company is paying for it, so we figured we better do the most we can to make it sell fast (we have 3 months worth of mortgage covered as well and are ever so thankful for that).

Once that's all done, we're listing our house w/an agent. We wanted to do FSBO so we could save thousands of dollars, but with Will starting his new job the 2nd week in July, it's going to be much easier and less stressful if we do it w/a realtor. Otherwise we'd have to be apart or have Will travel back and forth and try to arrange showings when he's here. The only consolation is that we're doing Mover's Advantage w/USAA (our insurance company), so we'll get about $650 cash back for using their recommended agent. It turns out their agent works for the company we wanted to use anyway (Century 21)-isn't God good! :-)

The handyman should start fixing the roof/gutters on the screen porch tomorrow and Lord willing, be finished w/everything by the end of the week. Will fixed the gates/fences this weekend and re-did the shutters on his shed.

He also took some time to enjoy Father's Day. We had a very special time of family devotions-sang lots of hymns, read a passage, and prayed, and Ella managed okay. We're trying to teach her to be still and quite. Not so easy for a 23-month old, but she's learning. And Will was excited about his presents (a new work outfit, new swim trunks, and some new shorts); I got some great deals at Penny's. :-)

Thank you for your prayers! I'm soooo looking forward to being at our new location and being done w/it all!!! and I think Ella is too. We went down this past Thursday to take another 6x12 trailer down and since we've been back all she keeps saying is "Maw-Maw." That's what we call Will's grandmother whom Ella adores. She also says, "Neigh" because she loves feeding Sir, the horse that's there. I really think she's going to have a blast in the country. She loves her grandparents and great-grandma so much already!


A hug for her Daddy on Father's Day!


She's started feeding her stuffed animals some of her food (here she shares a cracker w/Cuddlebug Bear).

IT'S A BOY!!!

Wow, what a crazy weekend! We went down for Kimberly's shower (my sister-in-law) but found out on the way that she had just been admitted to the hospital b/c her water broke! (She wanted a home birth but her midwife legally couldn't do it b/c according to her calculations was only 35 weeks.) We got to Will's parents around midnight and Mom and Dad had already left to go to the hospital. I told Will, "Well, we'll just go over first thing in the morning; with this being her first baby, she probably won't have him before 8 or 9am ." We woke up at 6am only to find out from Will's parents that she had the baby that night. She was admitted around 8:30pm (3cm. dilated, completely effaced) and JONATHAN LAURANCE was born at 11:48pm after just 20 min. of pushing. He's 6lbs. 11oz. and 20 1/4 inches long and absolutely A CUTIE! Can you imagine how big he would have been had she waited till her original due date of July 1!

I'm not sure whether to be jealous of her short labor or to feel sorry for her that everything came so fast and she didn't have much time to prepare nor have much relief between contractions. Of course, later she realized she had been in labor all day while out to eat and to the mall w/Mom but didn't realize that's what contractions felt like. Hard to know when it's your first time!

What a blessing that her midwife and nurse-midwife were able to be in the room w/her and she was able to have a natural childbirth just like she wanted (minus the birthing pool). She was able to labor the entire time standing up and squatted to push the baby out. Laurance is already a protective daddy-it's so cute to watch! And, my, I don't remember Ella ever being so small (of course, she technically wasn't-she was exactly a pound more) but still, I've already forgotten how tiny newborns are. And...I can't tell you how much more seeing him made Will and I want another one soon.

Mom and baby are fine. Kimberly didn't need stitches but they are monitoring the baby for jaundice. He's a 12.5 right and if he gets to a 20, he'll have to get on antibiotics. So please pray the sunlight will help him and he'll get better soon. They had him under the lamp at the hospital for a few days but didn't make them bring it home w/them.

So, is this a first? You have a baby shower but the guest of honor can't attend b/c she just had the baby? We decided to go ahead and have it b/c it was too late to call everyone and it would've been too hard to try to schedule it all again. It all worked out fine though. It became a little more of a drop-in shower but we all had a good time and instead of seeing Kimberly, they saw pics of the new little family. I was a little disappointed that we didn't play games since that was my main contribution to the shower, but that just means I can use some of the games for Emily's shower and my work is already done...that is, unless I talk w/Liz and we decide to come up w/some crazier ones. :-)

We're so thankful we were able to be there to share in the miraculous event. Every birth truly is a miracle and every baby a blessing from God. And we're soooo looking forward to living closer to them so we can raise our babies together!

Paint, Boxes, and Camo!

Hope everyone enjoyed Memorial Day! Will spent the weekend and Memorial Day painting the office, den, master bedroom, and hallway. I went home for a friend's 30th birthday party and enjoyed spending time w/family as well. Our house is looking prettier and prettier which makes us not want to leave it! Why couldn't we get it looking this good while we were here for 6 years? But please pray about the screen porch! We're having trouble finding someone to finish it up. People say they can and will and then back out. We don't want to put the house up until it's finished.
We're also praying that Tommy (Will's future boss) will continue to be patient w/the starting date. It's looking more like July for sure and that's if our house sells very, very fast. We've started packing boxes-books, attic stuff, and some of Will's supplies from his shed. We'll be taking those on a U-Haul down to the homeplace this weekend since we're going that way for Kimberly's baby shower.

Here's some recent picture of our adorable and crazy baby. The camo overalls are a little big yet, but she definitely looks like she'd make a cute hunter one day. :-)

Ella's Update

Well, I figured it was high time I wrote a little bit. And I have a confession to make...I miss blogging! :-)
Ella is changing so much and so fast. Too fast. Is there any way to stop time? To let her remain 22 months old forever?
Yesterday, Will came home for a rare lunch break and got her up from her nap (she had already been sleeping for almost 2 hours) so she could eat with us. The first thing she did upon waking? Say "Choo Choo" and do the train motion w/her hand. There are train tracks near our house but there was no train coming then, so all we could figure was she had been woken up too soon from her delightful dream about trains. :-)

She's using the potty all the time now! I credit success to my reading of The Diaper-Free baby by Christine Gross-Loh. In actuality, you should start this w/younger babies, but I figured, "What the heck; let's try it now and see what happens." What happened was amazing. I first kept Ella's diaper-free times confined to the kitchen (the only room we don't have carpet in) and tried 30-45 min. increments. Her first time peeing on the floor enforced what the book said. Babies learn to forget their peeing sensation b/c our diapers today are so absorbent. She stood there looking at me like, "What is this coming out of me? What's going on?" The next time, she went straight to her potty (which I had moved to the kitchen) and as she was peeing I said, "Ella, you're peeing." That's when she got it. And from then on, it's been pretty smooth sailing. She even poops in the potty without any problems. We're still using diapers at night but usually in the morning she's dry. Tonight while we were walking around the block, she said, "Poo-Poo" which could mean she has to go pee or poop. So we said, "Don't go, Ella. Hold it in. We're going home." And she laughed as Will and I raced her home in the stroller. She went straight to the potty and boy did she really have to go. I don't know if that pull-up could have even held all that pee!
:-) (We use regular panties sometimes around the house and when we're playing right outside, but I'm still scared to try them when we go anywhere!)
I'm considering using the Elimination Communication method for our next little one (starting much younger naturally.) The point of this isn't a race to see how soon you can "potty-train" your child but rather communicating w/them (yes, even infants have "potty" signals) and never letting them get into the habit of soiling themselves.

Something else new since I last wrote? Ella's says the greatest Southern
"Hay-ey" you've ever heard. And she's becoming quite opinionated about what she wears every day, even bringing me different socks (yesterday it was purple) to wear hours after we've decided (or thought we did) that she was wearing pink socks.

Ella had two fun playdates recently. It was exciting to see her interacting more w/another toddler and doing a little less parallel play. One with John Michael who is 6 months younger and one with Kurtis who is about 3 months older. And Kurtis's younger brother Kamden (8 months) was there and Ella was so great w/him. She gently patted him on his head, tummy, etc. It gave me a glimpse of how she'll (hopefully) be as a big sister one day.

And I have to share our new favorite song, "Made to Love" by TobyMac. Whenever we hear it, we rush into the kitchen (where the radio is) and begin dancing. It's such a catchy, fun song with meaningful lyrics. I'm instantly refreshed when I hear it as I often need reminding of my purpose on this earth. Here's the chorus:

I was made to love you
I was made to find you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you.
You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me
Never would you leave me
I was made to love
and be loved by you.

These days, whenever Ella wants to do anything, she'll point to that thing, and say, "Uh-huh." So, we're outside today, and she runs over to her toddler swing, points, and says, "uh-huh." I put her in and then the "conversation" goes something like this.

Me: Ready?
Ella: Uh-huh.
Me: Okay, here we go, One...
Ella: "Twoooooo".
Me: Three!
Ella and Mommy: "Whee!"

Oh, such fun! Yes, she has her temper tantrums, but this is such a delightful age.

Children's Book Monday

This will be my last post for awhile. I'll miss posting, but I'll enjoy the time I will now have to do other things.

The Lord gave me a wonderful confirmation this past weekend of our decision to move near Will's folks in the "country". We went to see my folks and spent the day Saturday at my Granny's and then my Aunt's house. They live just like we will-a country setting, and a quiet, simpler life-and they're also just a stone's throw from each other. Well, I can't tell you how much fun Ella had. She was getting hot in her overalls, so eventually stripped down to just her diaper, and then to her birthday suit. And can you believe it....our dainty, little "I-don't-ever-like-to-be-dirty" girl played in the dirt and loved it! She scooped up dirt into a bowl, then she just started picking it up with her hands and throwing it on her feet or into the air. It was so lovely to watch. And I just kept thinking that soon she'll be able to play like this every day. God is good.

Now with a little sadness, I begin my last review...



The Little Sleepyhead
Story by Fran Manushkin
Pictures by Leonid Gore

A long time ago, when the world was so young that all the rocks were little pebbles and all the chicks were still in their eggs, there lived a Little Sleepyhead.

So begins this delightful tale of little sleepyhead who plays all day and at night is very, very tired but can't find anywhere to sleep. He sees the squirrels sleeping in the trees, so he decides to try that. "He closed his eyes, but did he sleep?" No, too bumpy. He sees the frogs sleeping on lily pads; maybe I can try that he thinks. "But did he sleep....no," he fell in the water. This refrain is repeated with various animals until he finally finds the perfect resting spot and the perfect animal to cuddle with for a wonderful night's sleep. I can't give it away-you'll just have to go check it out of the libary for yourself. With the soft, pastel illustrations, I think your toddler will love it!

Changes

Will and I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. The Holy Spirit had already been convicting me of my time on the internet. Too much of it. At the cost of spending time w/Him and w/my husband in the evenings. I've tried curbing it, but it's an obsession. Checking blogs-finding new blogs, writing posts, reading comments, writing comments, etc. And Ella still has no scrapbook-just one that's online. And that's not exactly what I had in mind. I need to spend the time while she's napping to work on that among other things. As much as I'll hate to lose the contact w/my wonderful family and friends, we're cutting back on this technology for now at least. I keep reminding myself, there's always the library. Internet is free there if I just have to have my blog fix or research something. And I may occasionally update my blog from there, but probably not much in the next few months as we have lots to do...

Will and I have been praying about building on his family's old home site.(I'm not saying the name of the city for safety reasons.) Most likely, Will will be working at his old job-yes, that would be a good 50 minute commute-but there aren't any geotech firms where his family lives. He's going to try to get them to agree to just a 4 day work week (working 10 hours a day); that way, we'll see him more than we do now. But the best part is I'll have family nearby for support, for adult interaction, etc. I sooooo need that. I get quite depressed here by myself all day--thus why I turn to the internet so much! I'm quite excited about Ella saying in the near future, "Mom, I'm going up to grandma's!" And to top it all off, she only has a quaint, beautiful country lane to travel to get there!

So, how did we come to this conclusion. Actually from reading
Better Off
Flipping The Switch On Technology
By Eric Brende

I highly recommend this-go pick up a copy from your library today! Will's wanted to do something like this forever but I haven't exactly been on board. But after reading this book and seeing how Eric and his wife had a much better quality of life living on a farm and having a close community, I wanted it so much. Eric (an MIT graduate) and his wife Mary actually have an experiment-live among the Minimites for 18 months (no, not the Mennonites or the Amish-he actually made up the term "Minimites" for them as they are even stricter than the others and use no machinery whatsoever.) They've even invented their own contraptions for threshing their wheat and for getting running water in their homes. What Eric found was that this community actually had more time on their hands for socializing than we do w/all our modern technology. It's such a fascinating read because it it reveals how we don't need so many of the things our cultural dictates as mandatory.

In one passage I particularly like from the book (from the chapter, "The Sounds of Silence"), Eric is reading The Education of Henry Adams one evening (by kerosene lamp light, of course) and finally understands why he could so easily read the book now but yet had not been able to get past the first few pages while in college.

[Henry Adams] had lived within a culture whose movements were still largely limited by the speed of horses; the ambling cadences of his writing preserved this pace. Having taught medieval history at Harvard besides, his verbal nuances hearkened back to an earlier epoch still and seemed to echo from the deep wells of time, the vaults of the great cathedrals.

This was the secret: to grasp his meaning, you had to be living it. Not merely your thoughts, but your various daily duties, the material accoutrements by which you performed them, had to fold together in a quiet rhythm, an interconnected unity.

And this explained not only why time moved more slowly but also why we had more of it, why we were able to relax and read the way we were doing right now; in the absence of fast-paced gizmos, ringing phones, alarm clocks, television, radios, and cars, we could simply take ou time. In being slower, time is more capacious. The event is only in the moment. By speeding through life with technology, you reduce what any given moment can hold. Buy slowing down, you expand it.

Shortcuts lead to emergency mending sessions in order to piece back in what was cut out, to lengthen what was shortened: Computer users, cramped in a cubicle all day long, jogging around the block. Bureaucrats and financiers, zooming ahead along their career paths, then reversing gears to attend school concerts, ball games, and parent meetings. Captives of the technological environment fleeing for brief weekends to mountain, beaches, and rustic cabins.

So true, don't you think? I could discuss this book forever, but I need to move on; otherwise no one will finish reading this post b/c it will be too long.

So back to our decision-for us moving to *** is the closest we have to farm life and family, so that's why we're doing it. We want to have a big garden and maybe chickens and goats in the future. We're planning on building a wood house-similar to that of the mountain cabin. We wanted a log one, but then checked out the prices-way too high, so wood it is. We want something rustic but we also want to finance the least amount as possible for only 15-years and put extra on it every month to have it paid off in 10 years or less. We want a simpler life. We've been looking for ways to cut back on spending b/c ideally the less we have to spend every month, the less Will has to work and the more time we can spend together as a family. We've already cut back on car insurance (almost $400/yr savings-yes, we're still covered, but found things we were spending that we didn't need) and of course, the internet ($43/month). The next will probably be cell phones and Dish-but right now we have heavy penalties for canceling before our contract is up, so we're waiting several more months on that.

I'm scared about this new adventure but also excited. I'm glad God didn't give up working on me. And whenever I get exhausted from trying to figure out all the details, God gently rebukes me as I sing to Ella from The Lullaby Bible-her new favorite book!

(To be sung to the tune of All Through The Night)

Hush my child,
Cease your worries,
God cares for you.
He feeds the birds
and clothes the lilies,
God cares for you.

Soft the lovely birds are winging,
Sweet the flowers who hear their singing.
Twilight falls with hope still ringing:
God cares for you.


Thank you for your prayers-please continue. We're still waiting on details to be worked out w/Will's job and then of course we need to get this house ready to sell.

P.S. I'll be posting one more time before we close out our account.
P.P.S. I failed to mention how I found out about Better Off. It was by reading this post on Amy's blog. The irony does not escape me. :-)

Children's Book Monday

I'm sorry I haven't written since last Monday; a lot has been going on. Actually I may not be posting much longer but that's another story. I'll be writing a post on that later this week to explain. (No, I'm not pregnant.) We have a lot of decisions to make in the near future, so right now if you could just be in prayer, we'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Now on to the review!



No More Diapers for Ducky
Story by Bernette Ford
Pictures by Sam Williams

The story time leader read this a few weeks ago, and I immediately thought "Yay, maybe this will convince Ella to use her potty!" She does sit on it a lot more now (even w/no clothes on-which she used to be afraid to do), but as of yet, no actual pottying has occured. Regardless, the book is such a fun read; the pictures are simple and adorable. First Ducky comes to Piggy's house; Piggy's there but is in the bathroom. Ducky knocks on the door. I always knock on the book at this point and Ella loves it! "I can't come out now-I'm on the potty," Piggy says. So Ducky plays with Piggy's toys and reads his books while she's waiting on him. Later, Ducky realizes her diaper feels wet and cold and wriggles out of it and kicks it across the floor. I know this could pose a problem-but as of yet, Ella hasn't taken any diapers off (except for this incident a long time ago and that was way before Ducky book). Ducky knocks again. "I have to use the potty." "You can't use the potty; you wear diapers, says Piggy." "Not anymore," says Ducky." The last page shows Ducky on the potty reading a book. A delightful read regardless of your child's potty-training status. :-) Happy reading!

Children's Book Monday

I'm so excited to be joining Elise at A Path Made Straight for Children's Book Monday. Obviously my choices will be geared toward toddlers, mainly a vivacious 20-month old named Ella. Since I've been going to story time at our local library, I'm discovering all kinds of good reads. Of course they display some books and read a couple, and then I also just browse the children's shelves for as long as Ella will allow me. I usually leave w/at least 6 good books for her and 2 for me. Of course, I always have to renew mine...

I have to tell you how much my little girl loves books. Oftentimes the first thing she'll sign now when she wakes up from naps or even in the morning is "book." Even before signing "milk." Now that's what I call a book addiction! During our reading time, she'll often lean back and cross her hands behind her head-lounge baby. And she always wants a book in her hand while nursing as well.

I discovered an easy no-fuss way to get her to go down for naps too. Now I just choose 3 books and place them in her crib w/her. As I shut the door, she's already got one on her lap and is studying each page. Usually by the time she peruses them a few times, she gets tired and goes to sleep.

And I just have to share this story that happened yesterday. Ella was looking at a Publix advertisement for their Preschool Pals. On the front page was a cute, green dinosaur. She suddenly got very excited and started pointing towards the den. "No, Ella, we don't have a dinosaur." But she was persistent, so I carried her into the den. Then she began pointing towards the hall, then into her room. Once there, she directed me to her book shelf. She began pulling out one book after the other, apparently looking for something. Finally, it hit me. About a month ago, she had The Best Pet of All on her shelf. I had checked it out from the library after reading Elise's review. She obviously remembered that dinosaur on the cover and wanted to see him again to prove to me that we do indeed have a dinosaur in our house! It was heartbreaking to have to say, "No, Ella, we don't have that one anymore-it's at the library." Luckily, that seemed to pacify her, and I was left to marvel at my little girl's memory!

Now on to my first review. (Don't worry, I won't have such long introductions all the time!)



Clip-Clop
Written and Illustrated by Nicola Smee

This is an adorable book. An easy favorite with it's simple but fun storyline and large, bright illustrations. It tells the story of cat, dog, pig, and duck who all want a ride on Mr. Horse. Ella always giggles when Mr. Horse says "Up you get" to each animal's request. After the animals ride for a bit, they ask Mr. Horse to go faster. They eventually fall off in a haystack, but have no fear, no one is injured. Of course they immediately all shout "Again!" And off they go, "Clip-Clop, Clippity-Clop."
I'm sure your toddler will love it as much as mine did! Happy reading!

Daddy's crackers

Ella loves these peanut butter crackers, but she doesn't get to eat too many b/c I buy them for Will's lunches. I often tell her, "No, Ella, we can't eat those; those are for Daddy." Today, while Will was napping on the couch, she brought a pack to me. I told her the same thing; "These are Daddy's crackers." She promptly took the first pack and placed it on his tummy. Then she went to the pantry and got the other 3 and did the same thing. How sweet!

10 New Things Ella Can Do

1. Blow Bubbles. She has a monkey wand and constantly beats her chest to remind me that monkey is outside and that's where she wants to be. She loves it when we're outside sitting on the patio chairs blowing bubbles. She feels like such a grown-up I'm sure sitting in a big chair like her Mommy. She'll point to her chair, and I'll say, "Ella's sitting in her chair." She'll point to mine and I'll say, "Mommy's sitting in her chair." Then she'll point to a vacant chair, and I'll say, "Nobody's sitting in that chair." She thinks that's so funny.

2. Operate her Jack-in-the-Box all by herself. She still opens her mouth wide every time he pops out!

3. Ride her purple stick horse that her Aunt Marna got her for Christmas and push his ear to make him neigh.

4. Say "Turtle." She pronouces the 2 syllables so distinctly- "Tur-tul"-it's adorable. She started saying it once she saw the beginning of Over the Hedge. She was fascinated w/that turtle! I personally loved the squirrel the best. :-)

5. Is trying to say other words like "doll" and "ball." Not quite there yet. Making the first sounds of the word though. She's got the "Pu" sound down for "please" too. And she's said some new consonant sounds-for instance, the "h" sound after I told her something was "hot." Her latest is saying her best "Choo-Choo" when she hears the train. Of course her favorite way of communicating is still signing, but she's pointing at new things and wanting names. Today we were outside and she wanted to know about the hose and the drain pipe.

6. Can stack 5 blocks on top of each other! But her favorite activity is putting a couple blocks on Mommy's head and watching them fall off.

7. Can climb up and slide down her new 4-foot slide all by herself. We opted for this right now b/c who knows when Will's going to have the time to build a nice wooden set.

8. She hasn't used her potty yet, but she loves flushing the toilet after I use it. Sometimes she'll flush when no one has even used it.

9. Climb on Rusty (her rocking horse) all by herself and press his ear to make him "clop,clop" and "neiggggh." Will taught her how to put one foot in the stirrup and swing herself up. She doesn't always make it, but you can't fault her for not trying. :-)

10. She's been saying "Moo" for a cow, "Bawk-Bawk" for a chicken, and "Baa" for a sheep for a long time but now she can look like a chicken as well by putting her hands under her armpits for wings and moving her head in and out.

Tagged by Liz!

1. What is your occupation? Homemaker

2. What color are your socks right now? Cute pink slipper socks that Emmie got me-I love them! So comfortable.

3. What are you listening to right now? the hum of the computer.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? scrambled eggs/bacon sandwich for breakfast.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? no

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Let's see, right now, I'm feeling like a vibrant blue would be nice...

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Nikki-a friend from church-told me about another person in our Bible Fellowship class who just went into pre-term labor-please pray for her (Stephanie). She's 27 weeks right now.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yes, lots and lots!

9. How old are you today? 30 years, 7 months, and 5 days.

10. Favorite drink: I have 3 favorites depending on my mood: water, sweet tea, diet coke

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? beach volleyball

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? no, just got highlights one time and no one could even tell!

13. Pets? no; when Ella gets a little older, we're planning on getting her a puppy.

14. Favorite food? chicken

15. What was the last movie you watched? Not hallmark? Prestige-and loved it-kept thinking about it for days

16. Favorite holiday? Christmas

17. What do you do to vent anger? Oh, I'm very mature when I get mad. If I'm really frustrated, I scream and beat on the floor (if I'm sitting down) or on a desk or something else nearby if I'm standing up (don't worry-never on Ella). I do this for a few seconds and then feel immensely better.

18. What were your favorite toys as a kid? Scruffy, a stuffed dog; my First Barbie (cute pink/white skirt one)

19. What is your favorite: Spring or Fall? I like them both for different reasons. Love the leaves/color in the fall and the crisp weather, and of course, love the flowers in the spring. I'm an indecisive person, remember?

20. Hugs or kisses? hugs!

21. Cherry or Blueberry? Blueberry! I love putting frozen blueberries in my cereal.

22. Do you want your friends to do this survey too? if they want to

23. Who is most likely to respond? Emmie?

24. Who is least likely to respond? Erin, because she has absolutely no time w/2 kids and twins on the way.

25. Living arrangements? 3/2 down south, on .8 acre lot that backs to woods.

26. When was the last time you cried? teared up reading Karanena's comment on my last post. Really cried? That last time I can clearly remember was when Ella was about 2 months old and I called Sarah Grace bawling. It was a mixture of "I'm a new mom and am completely overwhelmed" and Ella not eating (nursing) enough.

27. What is on the floor of your closet? A shoe rack, my laundry basket

28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Out of the people that read my blog, Sarah Grace is the one I've known the longest. She's "my Diana"-my bosom, kindred spirit.

29. What did you do last night? after putting Boosie to bed, I watched a Hallmark movie. Safehouse-it wasn't that great.

30. Who is your role model? I have different ones for different things. I look up to my sister, Marna, for her great patience and laid-back attitude. She has 4 kids and doesn't ever seem to get really frustrated-amazing. I look up to Emmie for her generous spirit-she's always thinking of others (See #2 above) To Liz for her amazingly upbeat attitude all the time. To Sarah dear-for her wifely skills-among them-cooking meals all the time on time for her hubby. To Letisha-she has 4 kids and is homeschooling them. And she has time to blog. Simply amazing. I struggle w/one. To my grandmother-she never misses a day reading her Bible. To Mama and Mom Kannon-they're so kind and always seek to make peace. To my mom-who always, always, always, puts herself last. To my sweet Ella-who sees everything new and has such curiosity. And I look up to my husband, who works so hard for us during the day and still has the energy to bathe Ella, read her stories, and give me a good back rub/scratch when he gets home!
:-)

Learning

Well, God's been gently reminding me of showing LOVE to my fellow man. Why is that so hard? B/c I'm still so self-absorbed. In my own little Mommy world.
I am realizing it more though and that's the first step, right? I did notice that the deli worker's name was Pam but still didn't say, "Thank you, Pam." Just "thank you." I'll get up the nerve next week. I always think people may think it a little creepy if I use their name and don't know them. I'm sure they wouldn't-they'd be glad someone actually acknowledged them as a person and not just a worker, but that's just my female mind doing way too much analyzing. And I failed to engage in a conversation w/a lady while out walking around the neighborhood b/c I was worried Ella would get too bored in her stroller. But at least God made me aware of the need to.

What God has brought to my mind the most since reading Matthew is Jesus eating w/sinners. (Because the sick are the ones in need of a physician.) And I've been thinking, "Do I even know any non-Christian friends?" Shouldn't I meet some and have them over? In Blue Like Jazz, Don talks about his pastor encouraging them to go out and just love on people-show them Christ's love and kindness. Not to try to get them to come to the church, but just to be like Christ. The result was many did end of coming to the church and finding a relationship w/Christ b/c those church-goers put their faith into practice.

I've been thinking about our next door neighbors-should we invite them over? This would take a major step of faith and God-given courage b/c I don't like feeling awkward, and when you're getting to know someone it tends to be that way. They could be Christians, who knows? Isn't that the sad thing-I hardly know anything about them.

So pray for me, dear friends, that I'll not just hear God's voice but respond as well.

Ella's been on a "Mama" phase for about a week now. She says it ALL the time-I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say at least a few hundred times a day. I have to admit, it gets on my nerves. Even if I'm in her sight, if my attention is not 100% on her, I hear it, "Mama, MAma, MAMA!" But when I was on the treadmill yesterday, I saw the beginning Dr. Phil. A mom was on there who had triplets who were all deaf and blind. And I was so rebuked and ashamed. This mom would do anything to hear her girls say "Mama." And here I was complaining.

Sometimes Ella will mix it up a bit, "Mama, Dada, Mama, Dada," but Dada is usually at a higher pitch. She'll do this when Will's not even here. I'm currently trying to figure out how to curb her yelling though. Yesterday in the grocery store it got quite loud-people were staring-and my "Shhh, Ella" wasn't working. Maybe they were just amazed that someone so tiny could be soooo loud. So, more practice at home, I guess.

Here's a recent pic-thanks for taking it, Uncle Jeff!

You can see she's getting a little more hair. She had her mouth full of grapes at the time and was pushing her corn popper.

Blue Like Jazz

I just finished reading this book, thanks to Grier's and Jeff's encouragement. I have to admit that after the first couple chapters, I wasn't that impressed. I didn't like his writing style-short, choppy, sentences-abrupt thought changes, etc. However, the next day, after reading about Penny's conversion, I had changed my mind. The book definitely put me in a contemplative mood as I thought about what Penny said about reading Matthew and learning that Jesus never showed partiality but all of us humans do. By the time I finished the Confession chapter, I was completely hooked and extremely convicted. I felt I needed to go set up a booth to confess and also have a booth next to it where I was giving away hot soup to the poor.

In a nutshell, Donald Miller challenged me to put my Christianity or as he would call it my "Christian Spirituality" into practice. Like Don's friend Andrew the Protester who really believes that Jesus's command to feed the poor was meant for him directly, so he serves breakfasts on Saturdays on a busy sidewalk downtown. Not only that but he actually talks to and more importantly listens to what the poor and homeless are saying.

One thing you can say about Donald Miller is that he's real. He says things that we've all thought or wondered about at some point, but haven't had the guts to say.
And God convicted me throughout the book. One of the main things God showed me was that I am not showing Christ's love to those around me-indeed I can't-when my focus is all on myself. Don talked about how he likes "efficiency in personal interaction." I'm often the same way. I'm on the phone with someone, and I say the right things that make them think I'm listening, "Uh-huh, wow, interesting..." but secretly I'm wondering, "Why can't they just get to the point?" I'm thinking about the next thing I need to do and how they're holding me up from doing it. How backwards is that thinking???

Christ doesn't care about things; He gave His life for people. And that is exactly who I should be spending my time on. How many times have I been at the grocery store and just thought about what I needed and how quickly I needed to get out of there before Ella had a meltdown. Yes, I smiled to the lady at the deli counter who was getting our turkey and cheese, but secretly I was thinking, "Lady, can you just go any faster? No small talk; come on, I've got things to do." How very un-Christlike of me. And shouldn't I bother to learn her name? And truly act like I care about her b/c after all Christ does. As Don points out, when we act rushed, all it does is leave people with the idea that we don't value them. I want people to feel valued when they are around me because I truly value them as God's creation. Because God values them. Because God loves them just as much as He loves me.

I sat down to read the book some more yesterday after putting Ella down. I was frustrated b/c I had wanted to read a magazine article in the restroom (where all good magazines are read), but of course, I couldn't. Ella was in there w/me. Pulling things out of cabinets, putting her hands on the magazine, and saying in her own special way, "Pay attention to me, Mommy, all the time, every second when I'm awake, even when you're trying to poop!" Right after that, I had to go change her poopy diaper. I was just tired of it! I needed me time, so I put her abruptly down for a nap. "No, Ella, no time for a story; you have to take a nap."

As I settled in my chair to read, I arrived at the Community chapter and felt God gently rebuking me as I read Don's thoughts.

"Life was a story about me because I was in every scene...If somebody walked into my scene, it would frustrate me because they were disrupting the general theme of the play, namely my comfort or glory."
He went on to describe how
"The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me."
"...There is no addiction as powerful as self-addiction."

After spending time at a bed and breakfast that was set up for people who were doing ministry and seeing how the host constantly cleaned up after people and put his needs aside, Don questioned him. How did he have "such a good attitude all of the time with so many people abusing his kindness?"
The host responded, "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we are really following Jesus."

Piercing-instant rebuke. Had I been speaking loving words to Ella that day? No, I was frustrated b/c she was getting in the way of my plans. And have I mentioned that a 19-month-old isn't very appreciative? She doesn't care that I sit with her for 45+ minutes every meal while she eats. Ever. so. slowly. But God sees and God wants me to do all things as if I'm doing them for Him. I would imagine that would mean to do it with a cheerful heart, a thankful spirit-certainly not complaining. God is showing me that my first ministry right now is my child and my husband and that they deserve my respect and my love.

Even when I don't feel like giving it. Especially when I don't feel like giving it.
As Elise so aptly said in her post, "The Manner In Which We Walk," my job right now is to "Feed, Love, Lead."

If I am to be like Jesus, I must learn to die to self-not just every day, but every moment of the day.

So, I'm currently reading Matthew. I want to rediscover Jesus. I want to read and not just grope for a verse to speak to me. I really just want to see how He lived on this earth, how He interacted with so many different people and responded to their questions and their hurts. I want to learn so I can start living like Him.

Liz's 30th B-Day Celebration!

Oh, what fun I had Saturday at Liz's party. I met Karanena (you're even more lovely in person!) and many other of Liz's friends. Plus, I got to spend time with Emmie, Abbie, and of course, Liz. I so enjoyed the girl talk after the party w/Liz and Abbie. Who knew that we could move from devotion topics to pregnancy tests in a matter of seconds? :-) If you ever do move to Florence, Liz, we'll be close behind. How much fun would that be?

Abbie planned a marvelous Fiesta party! It was a Mexican theme b/c Liz is going there w/Kris on a cruise in just a few short days. We had delicous tacos for lunch and then for games took a Mayan quiz with some interesting questions and multiple choice answers. Can you believe I actually won the prize for the most correct on that? Like I told Abbie, just lucky guesses. My prize? A Kalanchoe-or what I call a beautiful plant w/lovely pink flowers. :-)

Then we played hot peppers-like hot potato but w/a catch. If you were caught w/the hot peppers, you weren't out of the game, you just had to wear a dress-up item of Liz's choosing. What a silly and fun time-everyone was in stiches! Lastly, Liz broke the pinata-wow, she can swing and hit hard-Kris, you better watch out!

It was just such a fun and relaxing time for us-Will of couse loved it b/c he and Jim got to catch up and I enjoyed the girl time. Ella was entertained by all the other kids there and especially loved the adorable, little nook Mrs. Shumaker created where her old water heater used to be-how creative-we just love the idea. Ella wanted to keep climbing up and down the ladder, of course. And her favorite toy to play w/up there? Sam's cars...I keep telling Will he already has his little boy...

Liz, I wish you the bestest of birthdays on Valentine's Day-have lots of fun w/your hubby and eat some good chocolate! You're one of the few people I know who is truly beautiful inside and out. You remind me of Mama-ever so pretty and sweet-always cheerful and smiling. A true joy to be around. I love you!

Thankful

Well, we're back from our vacation! Boy, was it ever so nice. We went hiking in Dupont Forest to 2 waterfalls. Triple Falls was the best in our opinion, but High Falls was also nice. At Triple Falls, we sat down for awhile on a big rock and just soaked up the beauty. We held hands as we hiked, we talked about anything and everything, and I felt so free and light. It was simply grand.

As we pulled up to the B&B, I was awestruck. Sweeping vistas, beautiful mountains, and adorable white cottages with green tin roofs. The Inn itself looked like a mansion. That evening we enjoyed a 4-course dinner in our cottage. It was fun getting dressed up but then being able to eat in privacy. I had Shrimp Scampi and Will had Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce. Delicious!

There was also a hot tub right outside on our deck that was simply divine-I could just feel all my cares melting away as I gazed up at the stars. We also enjoyed our lovely fireplace and the Tempur-Pedic mattress. We DID NOT want to get up the next morning; we both slept like babies. The next morning, breakfast was already waiting for us in our fridge-we just warmed up our egg casserole and huge muffins and had fruit, juice, and coffee as well. I love the fact that we didn't have to get dressed and go mingle with strangers at a big table. We needed alone time. And even if we had chosen an inn room, it's the same way-breakfast in your "kitchen closet." If we ever go back, I think we'll stay in the Gable Room-we got a chance to see that one and it's huge and very beautiful. And, of course, much cheaper than the cottage.

And yes, in case you check out the site and start adding up prices, we did spend lots of money, but considering we haven't been anywhere by ourselves for 2 years, I felt it was justified. A late anniversary and Valentine's celebration all in one. Don't worry, Em, we didn't go in debt over it! :-)

By the time we left Monday, I was starting to miss Ella a lot. But she did wonderfully without us. In fact, I called Sunday night to check on her and my mom said she hadn't said our names or done the milk sign all day. AMAZING! I found out when we returned, that she had looked for us in all the rooms Monday morning when she woke up, but still no milk sign. But boy did she ever do it when she saw me. I was talking to my mom and finally she looked at me so pitifully and signed "Milk. Please!" And I only had to pump twice while I was gone so it wasn't so bad.


I've got some pics of our time away and lots of Ella trying on some hand-me-downs from our friends at church. How wonderful not to have to buy any clothes for awhile!

Snow Day!

We woke up this morning to snow-yay!

But then it started raining and turned to an icy,slushy mess-boo!

So, Ella really didn't get to play in it, but Will did manage to build a tiny snowman and I decorated it. She was actually afraid to stand in it-I'm sure she was thinking, "Why is the grass white now, Mommy?"

It's funny, just yesterday I went to the library to get her some new books and saw one about snow, but I thought, "Well, she won't be seeing that anytime soon, no need to make her jealous." :-) Guess I should've gotten her some winter boots too, eh?

Bye-Bye

That's Ella's new word. She said it for the 1st time today and I couldn't help but clap and jump up and down. Of course, this made her laugh and say it again and again. She even said it to Will on the phone. So, I have hope once again that one day our daughter will be able to communicate with us verbally. :-)

And those tiny feet are growing. Just the other day, she saw a picture of herself w/her shiny, black shoes. She did the shoe sign, then led me into her room and pointed to the closet. I got the shoes out for her to put on, but alas they would not fit. I almost cried right there. I just got them for her in Nov-how do those feet grow so fast?

And I must tell you about the treasured sounds in our house.

Daddy reading to Ella...Daddy laughing b/c Ella's laughing at a picture...and Daddy singing

Down in the valley, valley so low
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow,
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow,
Lean your head over, hear the wind blow

Roses love sunshine, violets love dew
Angels in heaven know I love you
Know I love you, dear, know I love you
Angels in heaven, know I love you.

Can anything be sweeter?

Interesting Little People

Yes, that's my underwear Ella is trying on...
So, the other night Will and I were rehashing the day's events and he said, "Babies are such interesting little people." Ah, indeed. Shall I explain?

First of all, we were laughing at how Ella understands so much at her young age. We asked her to shut the door to the BR as we were both resting in bed still and didn't want her wandering around the house by herself. She walked up to the door, then hesitated. We could see her thinking-"Hmmm, if I shut this door, that means I can't get out since I can't reach the door knob yet. But Mommy and Daddy told me to shut it and I should obey. But I really don't like feeling trapped in one room.....and on and on, we could see those wheels turning. Finally she decided to shut it. Whew! Hard decision.

Ella also wants us to kiss her boo-boos and lately has a new way of getting extra kisses. If she hurts her foot for example, she'll do the hurt sign, and I'll kiss her foot. She'll smile b/c it's all better now, but then she'll start pointing to other places she wants me to kiss (tummy, head, head again but a different spot, etc). It's hilarious!

And she's a very determined little girl. She pulls, inches her way up, grabs hold of anything and everything to get to the top (of the bed, of the chair, etc). She doesn't let her small stature deter her one bit. And oh how proud she is of herself when she makes it! Lately, her greatest feat is climbing onto our bed and immediately reaching over to the nightstand to turn on the radio on Daddy's alarm clock.
Music comes on...she starts dancing.
She gets tired of it and turns it off.
Decides to dance again and turns it on.
Song goes off and people start talking.
BORING-it goes off.
And on and on it goes until Mommy decides it's time for a new activity.

She can be so intense too-just give her some crayons and watch as she gets very, very close to the page and makes her mark just so. She looks up at me and beams and then leans down again to get oh so close to make another mark. Too cute.

And, give her a new book or one she hasn't read in awhile, and she'll go off to her own corner and sit down and turn all the pages, soaking it all in. The other day she was "reading" The Monster at the End of the Book. On the last page Grover puts his hands on his head and says, "I'm so embarrassed." She proceeded to mimic the look then and later at the dinner table. What fun babies are!

And of course she loves playing peek-a-boo. Will recently got me some roses just b/c (isn't he sweet?) and Ella and I have been playing our game-poking our head around the vase. It never fails to bring a smile to her face. Oh, and I have a sad note to report...especially for dear Emily. Ella no longer puts her hands straight out for "bunny" anymore. She balls up her hands and put them under her chin now...but she still makes the cutest biting face.

Today Ella had a play date w/John Michael (sorry no pics)-they did well together-still parallel play but they were pretty good about sharing and it made me so happy to see a baby that wasn't bigger than Ella and wouldn't bowl her over (of course, he's 6 months younger, so....) The girl/mom time w/Cil was definitely needed and much appreciated. Sometimes I wonder, "Does any other baby do this?" It's nice to know they do. However, I'm not sure if any other baby has a fetish w/her Mommy's underarms while nursing. Ella's had this for several months...she loves to pick or pinch away at them while nursing-and the other hand is usually holding a book we've just read together-crazy, right? This child has to have both hands occupied at all times. When I'm not around to pinch, she sucks her fingers w/one hand and pinches at her neck w/the other. VERY interesting baby.
Anywho, back to the play date. This was the first time I've seen Cil since she told me she was expecting again-she looks great-19 weeks along and you can barely tell she's expecting. Ah, to have that problem. :-) (I was already doing the rubber band thing w/the button of my jeans at 13 weeks!)

So, now you're updated on Boosie's latest antics. I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile-thus, why you're reading such a long post-I couldn't log on to Blogger. I tried all the help tricks, nothing worked. Then I remembered I had deleted Internet Explorer 7 and gone back to the old version b/c the new one was getting on my nerves. Turns out, I have to have the new one to access my account. So, back on it went. I'm just thankful God allowed us to figure it out-it was hurting me not to be able to post anything. Writing posts and receiving comments is very therapeutic, you know.
:-)

B/T/W, I'm getting extremely excited about our upcoming bed and breakfast getaway. It's less than a week away. Yippee!

Ramblings

Have I told you about Ella's Stevie Wonder impersonation? For whatever reason, while she's eating in her highchair, she'll close her eyes and move her head back and forth to some beat heard only to her. It's quite cute to watch.

Well, we finally got our carpets cleaned-we've never done the entire house until now-(only did the den and hallway before Ella was born), so it was definitely needed. The only sad thing is that even the professionals couldn't get the slushy spill out. It's a lighter pink now and covered by the recliner, but unfortunately, it's still there. We've since learned our lesson about drinking slushies in the den when Ella is anywhere around.

Oh, and Will got a couple new things from Cabelas; a new deer target which Ella is completely fascinated with, and an infant/toddler life jacket that actually fits Ella. The other one was a quick pick-up from Walmart on our way to the lake. It was actually made for babies 30lb. and up, so we found this one on the Cabelas site. It's made so that babies stay facing up in the water, and it has a handle to quickly yank the baby out in case she falls in. Makes me feel safer about going to the lake.

I decided my blog needed a new look-I'm one of those people that can only stand things to be the same for so long, and then I have to change something! I recently changed our den furniture around, and both Will & I love the new arrangement. He can stretch out on the couch and I can lean back in the recliner. For some reason, we never used the recliner where it was positioned before.

Hope you enjoy the new pics. Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone.

Wonderful Day

Will, Ella, and I had a marvelous time yesterday. Went to the lake to take Will's boat out for awhile. It was Ella's first time in a boat-she didn't quite know what to think while we were going fast, but when we stopped in a cove for a fishing/nursing break, she started to enjoy it more. She pointed out all the leaves floating in the water ("Dah!" "Dah! "Dah!), and enjoyed her first fishing lesson from Will. After the boat ride, Ella had a blast at the small park near the boat landing. She went down all the slides all by herself-even the tall, curvy one! Of course we were waiting to catch her at the end. She cried when we left and waved bye-bye to them-so pitiful. We're definitely going to have to get her a play set soon. We want a wood one but they're quite expensive, so Will's planning on building her a small one instead.

The greatest thing was just being on a nature outing w/my family. We really need to do things like this at least once a month-it's so refreshing for all of us.

Thanks to Chuck, I know a new way of posting lots of pics at once; enjoy the slide show!