My kid smells like sunshine.

What a weekend!  I feel like I spent most of my time outdoors.  It was fun!  (Again, totally NOT an outdoor person).  I ended up at my parent's house on Sunday - Grace swam, we ate dinner and played Mexican Train Dominoes.  Good times!

I think the pool at my house blew away.  My husband said he didn't throw it away but it is not in any logical place - and it is a giant 6ft blow up pool.  Ah well, got a new one for $10.  Actually, I got one that unrolls and the sides "magically" stand up...if you are buying a pool for this summer DEFINITELY go with the inflatable - works much better (unless you're pregnant and without an air pump...then do what you have to do!)  She has been outside and with sunscreen and sweating (our house is currently 82 degrees and the air has been on for 5 hours) - she smells like sunshine.  It is delightful.  I also now understand why as a kid my parents weren't super excited every time I wanted to lay on them or sit on their laps when it was 90 degrees outside...it's like creating an oven!  But she's cute and won't be little long...gotta do what I gotta do!

Work has been busy busy busy.  I'm excited about some new ministry outreach things we have coming up.  We've also got 15 teens attending church pretty regularly now so that has been awesome.  I'm excited that our new counseling space is almost complete too! 

I have decided this week that the world would be a better place if people just did what they said they were going to do.  I'm not an unreasonable person I think, I would just like it better if people followed through on their commitments.  Ah well, I guess that is part of living in this crazy world.

And on that note, I have 13 emails to answer...if I answer them all tonight Aaron will bring me home a frosty...actually, he'll probably do that anyway because he loves me.  Glucose test tomorrow - ugh!

I could have...

I could have gotten frustrated that my daughter was having a hard time falling asleep.
I could have ignored her little cries knowing that soon she would give in.
I could have concentrated on my project and a checkmark in the box.

But I would have missed...
the half hour I got to rock my not so little baby.
the sweet smell of her hair fresh from a bath.
her soft breath on my arm as she sank into sleep.
stolen kisses on her warm cheeks as she lay in my arms.
the opportunity to rock her and her sister together.
quiet, soft moments to pray for my little girls.
the quiet murmers and moans of her last sounds for the night.
the trust in her eyes when she looked up at me.
the sweetness of two little arms wrapped around me.


I could have...but I'm glad I didn't.

I have a secret...

I "finished" this dress tonight...I still need to sew the straps in place and hem it to whatever length.  She could wear it now or in probably 2 years...it is about 4 inches too long.  We'll see - the fitting of the top will determine if she wears it sooner or later.  And the best part is, I still have PLENTY of material so I could make a smaller one now too.

Anyway, the secret?  I recycled some sheets to make it :)  So intead of paying 3.99 per yard of fabric I got two entire sheets for a combined total of $7. 

Ok, now my sewing obsessed self needs to go to bed.

Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #8

This has been such a productive week so far!

1) I am thankful that through all the storms my family is still intact and my house is still standing.

2) I'm thankful for slow mornings.  I woke up at 8:45 but stayed in bed until 9 because no one else in the house was up.  Grace spent the night awake singing in her crib, Aaron worked late so it takes him some time to unwind.  It is now noon and the only productive thing I've done is a trip to the grocery store...and of course think about my thankfuls!

3) I am thankful for my husband.  He is such an incredible, hardworking man and I love him!  I think it is amazing how he fights for what he believes, always makes me feel safe and protected and I love watching him with Grace!

4) I'm thankful for my new found hobby: sewing.  I've needed to do something constructive yet "mindless" to relax and sewing has been a perfect outlet.  I am still very much a beginner but quite happy with the two dresses that I've made: here and here.

5) I am thankful for a busy but "easy" work week.  I've had a lot to get done but haven't had to put out any fires or do anything crazy which is always a plus! :)

6) I'm thankful that I got all the supplies for my chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting (can we say obsessed?  I need to make these!!)

7) I'm thankful for a nice cool breeze today - it has been HOT here and it's nice for a break even though it means we are in the midst of storms.

8) I'm thankful for having some alone time last night.  Aaron worked and Grace spent some time at my parents house - it was nice to have some quiet...I do get some alone time on Fridays and Saturdays while Aaron works but only while Grace is asleep so I'm confined to the house :)

9) I am thankful for 28 weeks of pregnancy!  (And when baby is here I"m going to switch to XX weeks of life! Ha!)  This pregnancy has been MUCH easier than my first and I'm so excited to meet the BabyBop!  Yea!  Grace now points to my stomach regularly and says "baby"...she also pointed to my mom's stomach and said "baby" which didn't go over so well :)  (She also thinks my boobs are babies so that's gotta tell you something)

9.5) Miss Grace is going to be 2 years old in 16 weeks!  Where has the time gone?!?!?!?
10) I'm thankful for a kid who is almost always happy, a life that is almost always busy, a husband who is almost always willing to indulge my whims and a God who is ALWAYS on my side! 

Hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of the week!

**Note: Things that help productivity: child staying awake longer and taking a 3 hour nap.
Things that don't help productivity: patterns online so I can pick out my next two sewing projects and fantasize about going fabric shopping.

Got some thankfuls?  Link up:

Project Complete!

Well, one project complete.  I "finished" this one tonight.  I still need to adjust the snaps tomorrow when my model is awake but should be pretty simple! 

(Halter wrap dress with matching bow)
Pattern Info Here

I also got all the baby stuff out tonight...my kiddos have too much stuff! :) The swing, pack and play inserts, baby bathtub, bouncy chair, bumbo and everything else are ready to go.  I just need to figure out where it is all going to fit in my house!

I am adding to the goals of the week cleaning the master bedroom really well (not because I really want to but because I need it to be ready for baby stuff to go in) and getting my office cleaned up so I can put my other desk in here too for a sewing area!

Planning, Parenting and Procrastinating

I feel like I have my weekend to-do list pretty much all ready to go.  It involves digging out a LOT of baby items before I get any bigger and it gets any hotter.  I also have some things to get rid of to clear up some space.  Fortuntely I have not bought many new clothes for this one since Grace already has a TON of stuff! 

Today I was going to take Grace to Meijer to walk with me.  Sounds silly right?  I need time at a grocery store where I can focus on HER and not on shopping.  Before the baby arrives I need her to walk through a grocery store with me without fussing and staying with me the entire time.  It seems like the best way to work on that is just to go do it.  We'll see - it was storming pretty good earlier so we might go later today.

I've got some awesome projects this weekend.  I have a new pattern for a dress for Miss Grace.  I also really want to make chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting.  Hopefully those will get done along with getting the baby stuff out.

Right now though I just want to sit.  We don't have our air on all the time here and my office is HOT.  I'm going to go find a cooler place in the house to sit for a bit :)

Naming My Days

If I had to name my days...

Manic Monday - because EVERYTHING has to be done

Time Crunch Tuesday - because a mid-day meeting makes nap schedule, lunch schedule and such so much more important.

Wonderful Wednesday - although not this week or next...usually it is date night though!

Thoughtful Thursday - this is the day when I try to get my heavy thinking out of the way

Flash Friday - they always seem to go fast

Somber Saturday - I don't know what my issue is, too much alone time?  Saturdays I usually end up quite pensive lately

Slumber Sunday - church, naps, playtime bed for the entire family! ;)

Not much of a post today but the kiddo is screaming (she won't nap), I have 41 emails staring at me that have to get answered and I have a list of projects I want to accomplish.  Ah well, it'll all get done :) 

4:30pm - I am down to 20 emails in my inbox although they just keep coming in!  I finished what was supposed to be an awesome dress for Grace...it's going to be a halter shirt instead.  I couldn't get it to lay right so I chopped off part of it and made a shirt :)  The other halter dress I'm going to use for her next summer.  I'm LOVING sewing.  I feel like it is creative, fairly easy so far and a lot of fun!  I think I'm going to the fabric store today before Bible study to browse.  I'm so glad we have Bible study tonight - I could use a strong dose of Jesus right now!

Modified Pillow Case Dress!

This was my first attempt at a "modified" pillow case dress.  If you aren't familiar with those, essentially you cut the pillowcase to length and just "finish" the top leaving everything else alone.  I figured it would be easy enough to sew two rectangles together and hem it so I went with fabric I liked instead.  This also allowed me to control the width better. 

I used a combination of two websites and their versions as well as one of my daughter's dresses for measurements.  The top part is elastic (used to be as wide as the bottom).

Supplies:

1 Yard of Fabric (I used 1/2 yard for her size)

Rick Rack (which is just a silly name)

Button

1/2 Elastic

Iron

and of course thread, pins and patience :)

Psalm 46:10-11 Scripture and a Scratchpad #2

Psalm 46:10-11
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
     Why do I have such a hard time being still?  Why is it just not in me to relax in Him but always worrying about something - the house, the kiddos, the job, the whatever...I feel like SOMETHING is ALWAYS on my mind.  It frustrates me.  Even when I want to be still I feel like I still have a running to do list occupying at least a portion of my brain waves.
I will be exalted among the nations,
   I love that He is a universal God - He is known throughout the world, if I had the opportunity to meet Christians in any other city, state, country or continent He is known! 
I will be exalted in the earth.”
   I love that He will be lifted up.  I think about how I see people drag His name through the mud...how I drag His name through the mud...but He WILL be lifted up and glorified for who He is!
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
   I am not alone.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
   I have a protector.  A safe-haven.  I can run to Him and He is ALWAYS there to protect me and keep me safe.  He will not leave me, He will not fail.  He is not subject to the human-ness that we are.  He is above all that and He keeps His promises. 

Be still and know that HE is God!

Funny Friday: Joined "That" Mom Club

I've seen a lot of posts about being "THAT" mom...I joined the club today!

That was the return trip home from the park.  The park adventure looked like this:

Dirt and water and sand and mud.  And we had a BLAST.  I've never been so thankful for giant sized zip lock bags...stripped her down, threw her in the car and away we went.

Also in this week's shenanigans, she stole all of my husbands Pepsi's and made towers, pushed them down the stairs and had a grand ol' time!

She also spent quite a bit of time only half dressed that day...she kept taking her arms out of the sleeves.  And as I write this she is taking my smoothie cup from this morning out of my office trash can (nothing else in there but paper) and trying to drink it.  Oh my.  And she kept breaking into my office...and getting Every Young Woman's Battle EVERY time...not ready for that!

She's a funny one - certainly keeps me on my toes! 


Got some funnies? Link up here:

Thankful Thursday Top Ten #7

1) I am thankful that my husband gets a break today and gets to see someone in concert that he LOVES!!!  Woohoo!

2) I am thankful that I will probably get to see Sesame Street Live with my kiddo and I love the anticipation of how much she will enjoy it!

3) I am thankful for a job where I don't have to be in my office until 10:30 and part of my job requires me to get coffee with someone this afternoon!

4) I am thankful for a new day to adjust attitude, perspective and enjoy the world around me!

5) I am thankful for cooler weather - I enjoy the summer but that crazy heat made this pregnant woman crazy!  (And thankful for 27 weeks!!)

6) I am thankful for hearing "blah blah blah blah blah moooommy blah blah blah blah mooooommy!....blah blah blah, DADDY!" on the monitor this morning as my baby woke up and then my husband went to get her out of bed.

7) I am thankful for my funny little girl who has grasped that there is a baby inside of mommy...but thinks there is a baby in all of mommy's..."bumps".

8) I am thankful to be able to make a cake today for a friend's daughter.  I don't commit to a lot anymore because of time but I need to be able to have a creative outlet so I need to do them!

9) I am thankful for how quickly May has been going - I have thought it would be a bit stressful with all the events and things we have going on but it has been very smooth so far!  And gets me one month closer to baby!! :)

10) I am thankful for God allowing me to have my kiddos - I don't deserve them but how amazing it is to be Mommy!  I pray that I remember that every day - even when I'm tired and I just don't feel like being entertaining - she/they are sooooo worth it!

Got some thankfuls? Link up here:

Mud and Mire

Psalm 40

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
and put their trust in him.


I'm not a patient person.  I really don't like things that take time...I'm a starter not a finisher.  I know that about myself, it's ok :)  I wonder if I frustrate God sometimes.  When He says "I have this for you to do, but you have to be patient" and I say "sounds cool, but only if it is right now."  I wish I were more like Mary "let it be to me as you have said".  I mean, how cool is it that she was called "greatly favored"...I mean, what must her life have looked like? 

Then here I am, fresh out of my slimy pit - getting cleaned up...in a process...that takes awhile.  Maybe, although I occasionally dip my toes back into the pit, I'm not doing too bad getting through the process.  I have a firm place to stand...and a song of praise to sing on my journey.  Maybe that is what keeps us on process, the knowledge that He holds us and in turn we rejoice with Him.

I don't know, I hope that many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.  I hope they see past the uglies in my life and the muck that I'm still cleaning up and see who I want to be. 

My hopes.

I was going to call this my hopes and fears but realized hopes sounds more positive and fears can easily be rewritten as hopes :)

I hope that I get my days figured out.  I have no idea how I'm going to have my munchkin, my newborn and still work 40 hours a week from home.  It will get done - I may never sleep - but it will get done.

I hope I am able to get enough info about homeschooling to get my husband to consider it.  This may not be a problem, we have never actually had a real conversation about it.  Go back to hope 1 though - how would I fit homeschooling in too?!? (Good thing I have two years to figure it out)

I hope I don't ever lose focus on the Lord.  It is soooo easy to get distracted by everything else but I know the best thing for me to do in the morning is spend time with Him, to follow through during the day and to end the night with a good long prayer.  :)

I hope I figure out how to keep my kitchen floor clean.  Kind of a lame one I know - but I have NO idea how my floor gets so dirty EVERY DAY! 

I hope I figure out how to keep my wits about me.  I'm not a good arguer.  I usually get really defensive or really angry so I can't express myself (when it's a BIG deal, not in the little things).  I hope as I get older I figure it out.

I hope I figure out how to be ME without having to try to be everyone else.  Sure, I am very similar to some of my extremist friends (thanks mom) but I'm not them - they do some things better than me.  I possibly do some things better than them...that's why God gave us friends I think.

Speaking of my extremist tendencies - I hope I figure out which battles are important to fight and which ones I should let slide.  I think I'll get it but I don't want my kid to end up hating me over the stuff that isn't really that important.  Will staying out that extra half hour kill her?  Probably not.  Will I kill a boy I catch in her bedroom (or alone with her in any private, unapproved places)?  Absolutely.

I have more I'm sure.  I feel like I'm in an introspective funk right now where I am just caught up in feeling like I need to go on a self-improvement binge.  Not a pity party, just a pregnant woman's hormonal take on the world around her.  At least I haven't called my mom crying at all this pregnancy about how one day this kid is going to have to come out and who thought THAT was a good idea :)

Elizabeth

Psalm 23 (Scripture and a Scratch Pad #1)

Psalm 23

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    (my protector, guardian and shield.  He provides everything I need for my day-to-day and my long term.  without Him I am as good as dead because of all that surrounds me.)
 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
   (He seeks out safe places for me, places that allow me to rest under His care)
 ³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
   (He cares if I am calm in spirit, if I am going the right way.  He says that it matters to Him because I am His daughter, I carry His name.)
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
   (No matter what I face, what situations, people, places that threaten to hurt me, rob my joy or separate me from Him, they cannot do it.  He protects me - He is armed with the weapons necessary for my safety.  I cannot use them, only He is equipped to use those weapons.  I just need to trust.)
⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
   (He gives me a place to rest and refresh.  He lifts me up in the presence of those who want to hurt me.  He says I am chosen.  He says I am worthy.  He says I am His.)
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
   (Love, even this extravagant love, will last me every day that I walk this earth and then into my eternity with Him.  I will never be separated.  I will never be lonely.  I will never be lacking.  He is my provider and my protector.  I need nothing else.)


I have been in a mood lately...sometimes I feel like I just don't measure up.  Then I read about God who loves me like a sheep - and sheep aren't that bright - and I feel better knowing He is in control and all I have to do is willingly follow.

Elizabeth

Funny Friday: Tip For Life

It's going to be short but sweet today.  Yesterday we played in the sand and water on the back porch for a couple hours.  Good fun had by mom and Grace.  Then she came in for a bath, hubs cooked dinner and it was a nice, relaxing night.

Here is my tip:
After playing in the sand baby will DEFINITELY need a bath.  After baby's bath make sure to not just drain water from tub but to REALLY rinse it well.  Otherwise, when you take a bath later you may unwillingly exfoliate your hiney.

:D

Hope you're having an amazing Friday!

**Side note on Saturday - gave the kiddo another bath today.  She HATES to sit in the tub.  She crouches (which I'm sure causes amazing leg strength)...made me wonder if possibly SHE has unwillingly exfoliated her tushy and is wiser than I am.
Elizabeth

Thankful Thursday Top Ten #6

Be thankful, for what He has done.  Be thankful, from the bottom of your hearts. Be thankful, come-on everyone, for Jesus is good to me!

1) I am thankful for this weather...yes, it is HOT but it is nice to finally be able to go outside and spend some time on the deck.  I also love that I have an outdoor baby and she doesn't care if she is dripping sweat, she likes to be outside (I on the other hand am an indoor person so she balances me out).

2) I am thankful for my husband.  I think it is really easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget how much we need each other.  I am thankful that he handles the bills, he works hard for our family and he shows us love every day!

3) I am thankful for my amazing friends.  I love spending time with them, helping each other out with babysitting and serving alongside of them.  I never know where my close friends will come from but I love it when I find them!

4) I am thankful for answered prayer.  I love that we can pray and KNOW that God is listening and cares.  That doesn't always mean we get the result we want, but knowing He is there certainly helps!

5) I am thankful for Target.  Dumb right?  I LOVE their clearance racks for kids clothes.  There is NOTHING better than getting that dress that I've been coveting since it came out for 50% off.  All the ones I want don't always make it down that far but part of the reason my kid has cute clothes is because we're all about the deal!

6) I am thankful for a less stressful week.  Sunday I spent time with my whole family playing putt putt golf and hanging out.  Monday we spend the entire afternoon playing on the deck.  Tuesday Grace got to hang out with her aunts.  Wednesday was a relaxing date night (Dr appt and dentist appt).  Today is going well so far :)

7) I am thankful for 26 weeks of pregnancy!  This is going by soooo fast!  I'm thankful for that too!

8) I am thankful for crayons.  Coloring (colors or "coats") has become one of the kiddo's new favorite things.  She doesn't have a super long attention span but it is nice to have another activity to add to the arsenal.

9) I am thankful for our camping trip.  Ok, I don't know quite when it is going to happen...but sometime before August me and the hubs are going camping!  I have to prove I can do it AND I think it'd be a fun time away.

10) I am thankful for a fairly clean house.  I apparently decided last week sometime that I wasn't going to clean?!?  I just noticed yesterday I hadn't switched out my house chores checklist for this week.  Ah well.  Laundry is in, dishwasher is unloaded...I need to vac, dust, etc but that's what tonight is for right? :)

Journals: What they reveal.

Yesterday I was reading through some old journals preparing for a Bible study.  It was an interesting walk down memory lane.  The six year old journals were full of God - it seemed like every page was a Bible study or a prayer.  I didn't get through them all...the box in the picture is only some of them.  I did note a few things.

1) I used to read books about the Lord a LOT more.
    Some of my favorite entries were notes about chapters I'd read or what other authors had to say.  It was pretty obvious how I spent my time.

2) I was HONEST with the Lord.
   I read through some of my prayers and I felt like while I praised Him, I told Him how I really felt.

3) I was a touch judgemental.
   Ok, maybe more than a touch...one of my entries basically said a fairly well respected writer about womanhood should have her head inspected.  The book makes more sense now that I'm married but we're going to have to agree to disagree on some points.

4) I was thoughtful.
   I don't know how much time I spent thinking about things but I had ideas and an ache to express them.

Except for the judgemental one, I want to go back!  I want the Lord to be my consuming focus and the desire of my heart.  I'm trying to implement some ways to get back to that but frankly, I think it's sad that I have to implement anything and it isn't just my heart's cry.  Life has changed a lot since then...I'm no longer a college kid with nothing but time on my hands but HE needs to always be my priority.

Thank the Lord for random ways to get our attention.

Elizabeth

Why I Love Being A Mom

I'm feeling some lists today so here are my thoughts...in list form.

5 Reasons I LOVE Being A Mom
1) That little face that says "YOU are my world and I trust you!"
2) I have an excuse to do childish things and no one looks at me funny.
3) I get to teach and grow this little girl into a young lady into a young woman into an adult.
4) Her sweet little voice saying "Mommy" and "Bye bye see you"
5) Watching her grow and change, learning more and showing her personality.

5 Reasons I HATE being a Mom
1) Knowing that I can't protect her from all the evils in the world.
2) Knowing the best I can do is point her to the Lord but ultimately it is her choice.
3) Knowing that I will most certainly disappoint her, and she will disappoint me.
4) Feeling the "what-ifs"...will I give her enough of my time? teach her all she needs? love her in the right ways?
5) Knowing that there are battles to fight that will make me unpopular and possibly hated, but doing it because I love her and I have to.

5 Things I LOVE/HATE about being a Mom.
1) Middle of the night cuddle time.  Hate no sleep for me. Love that I get to spend time rocking and loving on her.
2) Filling up the day with play time. Hate feeling uncreative and uninspired.  Love getting to hear her laugh.
3) Tears and boo-boos.  Hate that my child is hurting even though I know it is a part of life.  Love getting to be the one (and sometimes the only one) who can make it all better.
4) Battles of will.  Hate that I have to be so firm with my child and force things on her.  Love knowing that it will change her character and she'll come out the other side better for it.
5) Monitoring closely what goes in and comes out of our home (media, music, words, etc).  Hate that I have to even think about this in the first place as far as both what is available and what I've allowed in the past.  Love knowing that it is a positive thing I can do for both me and my kiddo.  Garbage in, garbage out!

I LOVE being a mom.  I talk about my daughter a lot and frankly it is because more than anything else I do it brings me the greatest satisfaction (and sometimes the greatest insanity) because nothing is more important that growing up my child in the way she should go.  I am blessed to be surrounded by a tribe of great moms that I can call, text or facebook, night or day, for advice and encouragement.  I love knowing that I am not in this battle alone and that together, our children will make a difference in the world just as we are the difference in their world.

Today I am praying for you moms out there who take on the great responsibility of teaching, growing, loving, disciplining, instructing, playing and shepherding kid(s).  You are amazing! (You're a machine!)

I have over 50 emails to answer and a ton of work to get done - but I'm going to go hug my kid before she takes her nap and cuddle with her for just another minute.

Elizabeth

What a strange Saturday.

My Saturdays usually go something like this.

Wake up at 8am with the baby.  Hang out with her for awhile then put her down for her nap.  Take a shower, be lazy, get motivated and do something.  Get baby up from nap - spend time with her doing whatever we do, run errands.  Make dinner, eat dinner, night.

This Saturday I made the mistake of telling my good friend Stephanie that my kid was doing GREAT sleeping through the night.  She woke up at 3am crying...and Grace isn't really a middle of the night crier.  She usually just chats with herself until she falls back asleep.  So I went down and again, not entirely convinced she was even awake.  I got her out of bed once and rocked her, turned on her CD, and tried a couple other things...but she cried off and on until 6am.  (No fever, sign of sickness or anything out of place). 

At 6am I took her upstairs with me and let her sleep in my bed - boy did she think she was a bigshot!  Finally she fell asleep which was cute and snuggly until I realized my arm was falling asleep and this was NOT going to be comfortable.  Ah well - finally fell asleep and slept off and on until she woke up at 10am. 

We got up, hung out, I was TIRED.  We didn't do much of anything this morning and she finally went down for her nap at 2pm.  I may have taken a shower and fallen asleep on the couch.  I cleaned a bit, made lunch and basically did nothing all afternoon.  Around 4 she woke up, we ran to the store and got a few things picked up.  Came home, made a cheesecake for my mother in law for mother's day, contemplated making brownies, hard boiled eggs for church tomorrow and feed the kiddo.

Then we watched a Max Lucado kid's video and she went back to bed.  Sooo, a whole lot of nothing today.  Which I kind of feel bad about since my husband had to work 13 hours at the teen center...but he is a tough guy, he can take it!  :)  It's been a good, snuggly day with my kiddo but other than that, didn't accomplish much!

Elizabeth

Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #5

This week's thankfuls!!

1) I am thankful that when I get my daughter out of bed it is usually accompanied by this pretty face and not a fussy one:

She really likes taking her pants off lately.  I think it is because they are too long on her!

2. I am thankful for date nights with my husband.  We had a delicious dinner, time to chat and unwind and it was delightful. 

3. Plans with friends!  I have lunch plans with a friend today, dinner plans on Friday and family plans on Sunday - I love it!

4. A busy month of May.  Sounds crazy but we have a TON going on with the teen center in May.  I'm thankful for the ministry opportunities and the busyness that will make this month go faster so August arrives quickly :)

5. My Bible study girls.  I think there are three of them that are making great strides these days and it makes me thrilled to see the Lord working in their hearts!

6. A reminder to be cheerful.  I had a day of the grumpys yesterday.  I think I'm in a bit of a funk - nothing that some God time and a nice mocha couldn't cure.  :)  I was thankful at the end of the day to realize that none of it REALLY mattered and that my attitude was not contributing to my witness.

7. My kid's silly sense of humor.

8. Naps!  This week I've snuck in at least two short naps. I just get so tired in the middle of the day!  I'm hoping that this is simply pregnancy related - I HATE that terrible mid-day I have to take a nap feeling.

9. People with graphic design ability.  We are working on some new brochures for our ministry and I am LOVING what they are sending over!  If you ever need any graphic designers I've got three recommendations off the top of my head!

10.  The sun!  I can actually see it today and there has been no rain!  It'd be nice to make it through the day without rain, we shall see!

Thanks for reading!! :D

Walk with me.

Today I figured I'd give you a glimpse into my world.

9:00am
I don't get up until 9.  I'm not lazy I promise.  My husband and I are on weird schedules because he works late on the weekends and we've found it is easier to stay up/get up later than to try to adjust completely during the week.  He is also amazing and gets up with our daughter so I can rest.  I'm one of those weird people that need time in bed to sleep of course but it takes me FOREVER to unwind and be ready to sleep...and of course I'm awake at least twice in the night because I'm pregnant :)

10:30am
After my wake up I took a shower then settled in for my favorite part of the day :)  I got breakfast for me and my girl (rice cakes with peanut butter) then we watched Little House on the Prairie until 10am.  She woke up early this morning so is taking an early nap.  She went to bed and I pulled out my Beth Moore Bible Study on Paul.   Now it is time to get to work!  I have only 18 messages that came in while I slept (usually I wake up to 30 or so), shows to announce and promote and a few other random things to get finished!

11:05am
I have finished my emails!  YEA!  I am waiting on my Outlook 2007 to decide it likes me.  I installed it yesterday on my computer but it is being hateful.  Ugh, upgrades.

12:15pm
Outlook still doesn't work.  But I did get three shows posted (theatticclub.com, facebook.com/theatticclub) and get a bunch of other sites updated.  My father in law also decided he needed to comment on or like everything on my facebook.  He has 7 kids...I have 1.  Pretty sure I'll win that war.  I think I'll launch an attach around midnight while he is trying to sleep...or around 9pm on Thursday when he is dating his wife. Bwah ha ha.  :)  Kiddo is still asleep.

3:25pm
Since we last talked I have fed my daughter (yogurt, a roll and grapes), eaten lunch (bowl of leftover rice...healthy right?), attempted to get groceries, publicly boycotted Meijer and met up with a friend to pick up some supplies for an event on Friday night.  The Meijer lady made me mad...apparently the name on my ID that matches the name on my paper wasn't good enough.  I realize she is following policy but I know it can be done since it has been done before.  But whatever - Target and Walmart are fine stores too.  I also considered backing my car into someone that honked at me.  Maybe I should get off of here, take a time out and spend some time praying.  Can someone send me a shirt that says "I'm pregnant and hormonal, leave me alone."?  Ok, I think I'm going to go watch Sesame Street with my little cuddle bug and then get back to work (because after answering all my emails I'm back to 23.  The downside of answering them is it tends to create more :).

5:49pm
My dad just came to pick up the munchkin so I have a bit of time.  Lets see, Grace and I watched Sesame Street...I may have fallen asleep.  Then we got her some dinner (strawberries and grilled cheese).  Then we colored pretty pictures to give to my mom - she is getting her Mother's Day present tonight.  Now Grace is gone for a bit, the hubs and I will go out to dinner whenever he emerges from his office and life will be grand.  In the meantime, more work to get done.  I'm back to 22 emails.

6:09pm
I was going to type about how I may be overly sensitive but I don't think blaming a company policy on an individual and giving them grief about it is very nice...then I realized that may have been what I did to the poor Meijer lady.  Ok, still don't like them, nothing against her :)  Husband and I are going to try Bonefish Grill tonight...we'll see how it goes!  Gotta get ready to go.

Since I may not be free again between date, picking up the muchkin and bed I'm going to go ahead and post this now! :D  Hope you had a good day!

Gotta Be Something More

I'm having one of those days.  I spent some time talking to God about it already.  Ya know, those days where you think is this it and am I doing it right?

Sometimes I wonder if, like the country song says there's gotta be something more, gotta be more than this.  And not in a discontent way.  I love being a wife, mom, working with teens.  I just wonder if I'm doing it right, good enough, am I the right woman for the job?

Do I love my kid in the right ways? Teaching her? Training her?
Do I show my husband love and respect in ways that are meaningful to him?
Do I invest enough time in the teens that I work with?
Do I demonstrate a godly lifestyle before them that I'm proud of?
    (and in a not ashamed of kind of way, not in a PROUD kind of way)
Do I love the people around me in real, tangible ways?

Do you ever have days like that?  Fortunately I know that God desires obedience and that being obedient means bringing Him glory.  So, I suppose my outlook should be...

Do I love my kid in a way that will point her toward the Lord?
Do I show my husband love and respect in a way that is honoring to God?
Do the teens see Christ in me as I work with them and live life in front of them?
Do people know that when they call me I will respond as Christ would respond?

Obviously the answer isn't yes to all the questions all the time - but at least I know that I have a goal to aim for and that there IS something more than just this earth.

Why I have Grace.

Grace Louise - September 16, 2009

I always love to hear about why people choose their children's names.  My Grace was going to be Madalyn until about month 7.  Then, a random late night face book chat changed it all.

One of my dear friends was having some issues planning her wedding.  It seems her mother in law was being a bit of a handful.  The discussion soon turned from her wedding to my baby and she asked how I would work after having a little one.  I said, I wasn't sure and I would definitely need some grace during that transition time.  Then I stopped.  GRACE.  I ran downstairs and told my (ever so patient) husband that I thought our baby's name was Grace.  He thought and prayed on it and said yes, Grace it was.

See, before we were blessed with this young lady we had another pregnancy.  In June of 2008 I got my first positive pregnancy test.  I was ecstatic!  Because of some issues with me we went in for an ultrasound for dating and found out we were at just 6 weeks.  This was early enough for us to see the little blink that was the baby's heartbeat but they were concerned about the heart rate and we had to go back a week later for another ultrasound.  At that appointment, they could not find a heartbeat.  We were heartbroken and after I did some kicking and screaming I came to the conclusion that although I DID NOT LIKE the situation, I had no choice but to admit God was in control.  Then, when we found out we were pregnant in late December we were happy but nervous.

We went through the same scary situation with this pregnancy.  An early ultrasound for dating then a follow up one to check on her heart a week later.  That was the longest week of my life.  After making it through that ultrasound I went to every appointment just a little nervous that something would be wrong. 

On September 16, 2009 our fears for the pregnancy phase were over (we still have to think about boys and dating and life!)  but our Grace Louise was finally here.  Her middle name is my middle name, and my mothers.  Her name Grace - well, I found this definition of the word grace: the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards humankind. And really, I think that sums up our baby.  This hit home so much more after the loss of our first baby - the Lord in His goodness gives us precious gifts that we are not able to earn and that we certainly don't deserve but he entrusts us to take care of this little life.  We are so blessed!

Elizabeth

Sleepy Sunday?

I had a LONG day.  It is now 11:48pm and I just got home from work.  I have 7 minutes to type this while my pasta is cooking on the stove.  I am grateful for the people who work alongside of me - their cheerful attitudes and willingness to work kept me going much longer than I would have on my own.  I wasn't even doing most of the walking and my feet HURT tonight!  Praise the Lord for servers.

Tomorrow's Bible study is "How we know the Bible is real".  What a tough topic to teach.  I always want to say - it just is!  But I suppose the fact that they want me to "prove it" at least means they care.  Tomorrow will be lots of studying!  (If you have any brilliant wisdom feel free to leave me a comment!)

Here are some pictures of my kiddo.  She got a new Elmo doll and a stroller to push him in.  I just saw them a few minutes ago.  That stroller is teeny tiny.  I'm sure it will be a loved toy for the next few years!  Oh, and in other unrelated news I think yesterday was my last wedding ring day.  Last time I was pregnant I had to have my wedding band cut off because I couldn't get it off my finger.  My engagement ring is now off for good and I'm checking the band daily to make sure we don't get stuck again!

Grace pushing Elmo while wearing my mom's slippers.

Happy girl!!

This is also an almost-Easter-Do-Over picture.  That was her backup Easter dress that I think will now be her 2 year old birthday party dress unless I find another one I like.  It is SUPER cute in person and I think I can get an awesome bow to match the one on the front of the dress :)  Yep, planning her birthday and it's 4 months (and the birth of a baby) away!

Alrighty, my 7 minutes is up and I'm hungry!