tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18555427636462642082024-03-12T19:50:14.418-04:00OneGloriousAmbition...to know and follow hard after Him.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.comBlogger397125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-4489916537417816502015-01-01T09:04:00.001-05:002015-01-01T09:04:46.872-05:00Thankful Thursdays 2015 #1I'm excited to start doing thankful Thursdays again. I think it is one of those things that helps me focus on the important things and allows me to write, even if just in list form for now! This week, I'm thankful for...<br />
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1. A new year, new beginning and a fresh start. I am really happy with how I ended 2014 and I'm looking forward to continue to strive for more in 2015!<br />
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2. I am thankful for my amazing husband who keeps me grounded, encourages me and pushes me.<br />
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3. I am thankful for my 5 kids, they are amazing and I can't wait to me Isaac!<br />
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4. I am thankful for Grace learning to read! It is so awesome!<br />
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5. I am thankful for an easy, complications free pregnancy. This is so much easier when I feel good!<br />
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6. I am thankful for the ability to work from home and stay with my kiddos.<br />
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7. I am thankful for Harvest House and another year in this ministry.<br />
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8. I am thankful for the reminders of how God provides each day in amazing ways.<br />
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9. I am thankful that we live close to family and have amazing friends.<br />
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10. I am thankful that in my 30s I feel like I am starting to figure out and appreciate who God made ME to be.<br />
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Join me for thankfuls this year?Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-91081935623207082812014-12-31T08:03:00.000-05:002014-12-31T08:03:13.386-05:00Goodbye 2014, Hello 20152014 was an amazing year. It was filled with so much fun and joy and excitement. I got to see my two squirmy babies grow into little walking and talking toddlers. I got to see Grace learn how to read and Abi start developing her little personality more and more. It was also a really hard year - that's 4 (yes 4) kids to keep track of, a ministry to run, "extra" people in my home to care for, work to do and a house to keep running smoothly. Oh, and I spent the last third of the year growing baby number 5 who will be here in March/April. It's been a little crazy around here.<br />
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Looking ahead to the next year I don't want to make resolutions, I don't want to choose one word to meditate on for the year - frankly, my attention span isn't that long. I do want to set some written, attainable goals though that have been on my heart.<br />
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1. After baby is born, I want to start training for and run 2 5Ks this year. If all goes well I might like to try a 10K. This also means making healthy food choices and working on my struggle with all things sugary.<br />
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2. My desire is to only commit to projects, tasks or events that I can focus on enough to do well. My life is busy. My season is at home with my kids. That doesn't mean turning down every opportunity, but to really focus on what is attainable for me and won't leave someone else disappointed. <br />
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3. Finally, my goal is to honor my husband and my family by continuing to use some different programs and techniques (more on that later) to make sure my home stays welcoming, clean and enjoyable. I also will be working hard to make sure that as much as it depends on me, our family stays on budget.<br />
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These may not seem like wild, earth changing goals. I'm ok with that. I am in the process of raising 4 (soon to be 5) little earth changers and my number one job right now is to train and equip them, as well as the older girls that live with us. Demonstrating how to do the wife and mom role cheerfully and well equipped by staying in love with the Lord is my calling and I will follow that call with everything I've got!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-4944412554527721272014-10-04T16:25:00.004-04:002014-10-04T16:25:46.121-04:00To Jacob, on your first birthday!(Pictures to come)<br />
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JJ,<br />
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You are a sweet teddy bear of a little man. You absolutely love to be held and cuddled, mainly by momma but really by anyone who has their hands free. You aren't anxious to walk because you prefer to be loved on. You laugh is infectious and your smile can light up a room - but you definitely make people work for it. Daddy called you our engineer but you are much easier to make laugh these days! You are sweet and gentle. You like to clap your hands when you hear other people clap. Mama and dada are your only words right now, and we're ok with that!<br />
<br />
J, you are such a sweet boy and I hope you never lost that gentleness. I pray that you would just grow up to fall in love with the Lord and continue to care about and love on the people around you. You are capable of anything and I can't wait to see who you will become. Jakey, I am so glad you're mine!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
MommyElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-56209547556759243362014-10-04T16:22:00.002-04:002014-10-04T16:22:45.586-04:00To Levi, on your first birthday!<br />
(Pictures to come)<br />
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Levi James,<br />
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Oh my goodness how I adore you. You are such a sweet little guy and always quick with a smile. You have an amazing little personality that just makes people light up. You are quick, strong and you definitely know what you want (aggressive is the word Papa used)! You are already taking a few steps walking and getting better at it every day! Your favorite food seems to be quesadillas and apples although you'll eat almost anything. You do NOT like sippy cups although we're working on that.<br />
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Little man, I hope you are always so cheerful and quick with a smile. You have a little dimple that people just fall in love with and you have a way with making people just delight in you. I told you moments after you were born that my prayer was that you would love the Lord and treat girls how they ought to be treated. I continue to pray those things over you and can't wait to see the little boy you become!<br />
<br />
Love you,<br />
MommyElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-43740183072041691462014-09-16T14:22:00.001-04:002014-09-16T14:22:12.616-04:00To Grace, on your 5th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Grace,<br />
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I have so enjoyed watching you grow little girl! You are getting to be such a big kid! You told me today that you're 5 so you're big now and that makes you happy happy happy! You have such a sweet spirit and you LOVE to be a helper. You are always so quick to ask me for jobs when you see me working on projects around the house. You are great at doing the dishes and vacuuming! <br />
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I love that you want so badly for people around you to be happy. You like to make sure everyone is included! Your favorite things to do these days are play board games with mom or Abi. You LOVE when Daddy takes you on fishing dates (or really to do anything!). <br />
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Bug, I love your heart! I love how smart you are and how thoughtful you are. You are growing and learning so much and I can't wait to see how you continue to grow and how you'll impact this world! <br />
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Love,<br />
Momma<br />
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For your birthday dinner you asked for:<br /> Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, broccoli<br /><br /> For your birthday cake you asked for:<br /> Chocolate - although tonight we are skipping cake and getting ICE CREAM at Youngs! :)<br /><br /> Your favorite toys are:<br />Candy Land, your Elsa doll and play dough<br /><br />You don't like:<br />Being told you can't help or not being included in things.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-67005787730873063932014-09-02T20:53:00.001-04:002014-09-02T20:53:18.995-04:00Pregnancy #5It's that time again...although not quite THAT time because I'm usually pretty consistent about getting positive pregnancy tests in December or January - but hey, why not do this one a little earlier after twins! :)<br />
<br />
We are in our cautiously optimistic phase of this pregnancy meaning that it has been confirmed by a pregnancy test (ok, maybe three) but I haven't been to the doctor yet. To answer the common questions, no, we weren't "trying" to have another baby. No, we still don't use birth control. Yes, we do know how this happened. And yes, we believe children are a gift from God so we will continue to be joyful and celebratory about life.<br />
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The week of July 21 Grace and Abi had VBS so we were up and out the door early every morning. I was also training for my first 5k and running three times a week. I just felt really run down though and felt like I couldn't catch up on sleep and never really felt "good". On Saturday the 27th I decided to start ruling out possibilities and took a pregnancy test, not expecting anything from it, while Aaron was heading over to the church to help out with a wedding. <br />
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Well, funny story, I got two pink lines. I called him a few minutes later - I tried really hard to wait until he got back home - and caught him right as he got to the church. He seemed surprised (as was I) and I told him I was going to go take another test. The girls were still napping and the boys were crawling around their room. I remember looking at them and laughing at how they were still so small and there were two of them and this was going to add a whole new level of crazy to our lives - but my goodness, if we can rejoice and love having twins, we can conquer anything! We told my parents and Hub's parents the next day. <br />
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Side note: on my 30th birthday, July 30, I ran my first 5k, while pregnant in 34 minutes. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me and a goal that I had set for myself at the beginning of the summer.<br />
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I still am grateful that God has seen us fit parents and continues to trust us with life. And yes, it is hard and crazy and fun and amazing. I can't wait to continue this journey, this trusting and meet this amazing life that I get to be responsible for!<br />
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First doctors appointment was August 29th and we heard a strong heartbeat! Too early to tell how many might be in there :)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-52414225722313810392014-08-31T10:00:00.000-04:002014-08-31T10:00:01.515-04:00To Abi, on your 3rd birthday!<br />
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Abi,<br />
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You are such an amazing little girl. I'm so glad you're mine. You have such energy and spunk! You have such an amazing little sassy side but are so kind and gentle and sweet. I LOVE how you adore your brothers and sister. You are always quick to be mommy's helper and you don't want to be left out of anything! <br />
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I love watching you grow and learn. Already I feel like you are such a verbal little girl - sometimes slurring words together in your hurry to communicate and other times slowly and carefully choosing your words to articulate your thoughts. You are so little with these flashes of big-kid that I'm just not ready for yet!<br />
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I'm thankful for your heart, your love for life and your easy smile. Your a stubborn kid, but I can't wait to see how you will use that to stand up for what you believe in and to serve people around you. God crafted you, my precious second daughter, in such an exciting, unique way and I cannot wait to see how you continue to grow.<br />
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Love,<br />
Mommy<br />
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For your birthday dinner you asked for:<br />
Chicken tenders, tater tots and broccoli<br />
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For your birthday cake you asked for:<br />
Strawberry short cake (although mommy made you chocolate cupcakes too because I didn't think you'd actually eat strawberry short cake...I was right :)<br />
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Your favorite toys are:<br />Don't Break the Ice with your sister and your baby dolls<br />
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You don't like:<br />Being told no or when mom forgets to have a cup in the fridge for you in the morning :)<br />
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Kiddo, don't ever forget I love you!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-75934118659507806692014-07-31T14:01:00.003-04:002014-07-31T14:01:46.417-04:00Kindergarten Homeschool - Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have an official Homeschooler! Ok, not quite "official" as I don't have to register her with the state for another year, but as far as I'm concerned, we're official this year! <br />
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I have had a great time and completely stressed out about what, how and when to teach Grace. She is such a smart kid and I have been searching through ready-made curriculums, piecing subjects together and of course had the complete "what am I thinking" meltdown. After I went through all that and my husband gently reminded me that at the Kindergarten level I can't really mess her up, we settled for a pretty simple routine.<br />
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<strong>Calendar -</strong> Basically we talk about what day of the week it is, the day number, what the temperature is and what it looks like outside. I want her to start to understand the mechanics of how a calendar works and begin to put weather and temperature together - I also want to move to "and what does that mean for how we should dress?" It is basically a fun, quick start to our morning and while she draws in what the weather looks like, I have time to make sure I'm not missing anything for reading or math! <br />
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<strong>Reading/Writing - </strong>We are using "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" that I borrowed from Stephanie (my homeschool friend, mom of 5!). So far so good! We are moving slowly but just like I remind Grace, we want to take it slow now because when it gets harder we want to be at the right pace. There is a writing portion at the end of each lesson so that covers our writing section, but we also incorporate writing into Bible and as we get more proficient at letters we'll do more writing activities.<br />
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<strong>Math -</strong> We are using a first grade math book this year that is set up for a classroom. I again think that activities are too simple but we will soon be getting into things she hasn't seen before so those will require more time and repetition. I think this pace is good for us now and we are working on things like counting higher numbers, using a number line and memorizing the names of the higher numbers.<br />
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<strong>Bible -</strong> My goal here is to pick a verse each week then do various activities with it. We'll write it, memorize it, illustrate it, talk about meaning and why it is important, etc. This week we are doing Philippians 2:14 (Do everything without grumbling or complaining) which I picked specifically so that as we are getting into this new routine I can remind her to do it cheerfully, although I've gotten no complaints so far.<br />
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<strong>Read Aloud - </strong>Right now we are reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. I was going to start with Little House on the Prairie but I couldn't find one in time so I picked up this book for $1 at Target! I told her there is a movie based on the book so when we finish reading it we'll have a movie night. At a chapter a week it will take us a little while. My goal here is to expose her to good books but also to see how she does with story line retention, focus and not immediately seeing resolution to the story. We might switch to picture books, but I want to see how she does before we make a decision here.<br />
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This schedule so far has given us about 45 minutes of desk time. Now, I know that she needs active time but I think at this age the rest of her day is active so it's ok to have her sit still for some time. She is also a great "worksheet" kid and has the desk mentality, at least for now, so she enjoys this structure. We will spend time outside of scheduled "school time" to do some hands on things - baking, measuring, cause and effect, etc. I'm just not concerned about formally doing much more than reading, writing and math at this point.<br />
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I'm excited to be able to move at her pace, enjoy learning with her and have this quality one-on-one time with her. We have a happy, busy family and I want to make sure she gets the focus that she needs! I want my children to get a quality education, at their own pace and really excel and I can't wait to see what this journey will look like. <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-58632400916904223652014-05-10T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-13T13:22:26.201-04:00i...I...<br />
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tear down walls, one brick at a time.<br />
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wipe tears.<br />
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create a safe place.<br />
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pray for protection of angels.<br />
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cry out to Jesus.<br />
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bind up hearts.<br />
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bandage up boo boos.<br />
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love fiercely.<br />
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protect honestly.<br />
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nourish bodies and souls.<br />
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encourage.<br />
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create.<br />
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dream.<br />
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fight.<br />
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speak truth and life.<br />
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offer advice.<br />
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try not to hide.<br />
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but I also fail. and I'm not perfect. and I don't want to ever pretend to be. it is of no value to anyone around me if I can't own my shortcomings and point to Jesus even through those. all of the list above is only by His grace and His power. On my own, I am still just a kid who is trying to figure things out. in His power there is hope and redemption and grace and justice and forgiveness and healing.<br />
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how great is it that I am nothing on my own. oh what He can do with this lump of clay. mold me and make me God, continue to create and refine me. give me wisdom for when everything hurts and I don't know how to put <strike>people</strike> myself back together. I will seek and find rest in You.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-4034109519521531892014-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-03T09:00:04.883-04:00The things I'm not doingI think on this season of life it is sometimes hard to celebrate accomplishments because of that looming feeling of things not being completed. I feel like the list of things I want to do but am not accomplishing is enormous.<br />
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I love to work with teen girls, but that is not something I can fit into my schedule. Reading, studying and pondering seem to take a back seat to potty training and diaper changing. I am still working on an updated chore chart for myself....roughly 3 weeks after I started the process. Meal planning just scares me, but something has to be done.<br />
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I want to think and grow and inspire and encourage and I know that in some ways just being real about how things are right now is the best way to do that, but oh I long for more. I want to plan homeschool and teach Sunday school well and so I will focus on my home life first. But I want to be able to say yes to heading up the church rummage sale or helping with the other church ladies projects and be able to just follow through on those things.<br />
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I am happy with where I am. I am happy with my little ones and would not exchange this season for a season of freedom without them, but the struggle to balance it all out is a skill I have yet to master.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-89385905772903617102014-04-26T09:00:00.000-04:002014-04-26T09:00:02.080-04:00What My Days Look Likei know we have a lot to catch up on. we'll get there. right now i thought i'd just give you a taste of what my normal day looks like.<br />
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8am - Wake up and shower. I may be up with the boys at this point but I try to leave them in their cribs until I am out of the shower. (And yes, cribs - we got to borrow one from a friend, so thankful!). <br />
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8:30am - Get boys dressed and fed. Abi dressed maybe. Think about breakfast.<br />
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9am - Breakfast<br />
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10am-12pm - House chores, errands, counseling, park fun, coloring, games, whatever. This is our anything goes time slot.<br />
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12:30pm - Lunch for all the kiddos, tv show for the girls<br />
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1pm - EVERY KID NAPS! OR ELSE!<br />
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1pm-3pm - I work from home, clean, do projects I can't do with kids...ya know, those things. I wish this were a longer window ONLY because I always feel like I'm playing catch up. Ah well, it's a season.<br />
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3pm - Homeschool...which consists of learning letter names and sounds right now although the kid already knows most of them. We are going to start Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons soon!<br />
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3:30pm-5:30pm - House chores, outside time, whatever. This is a flexible window but usually at home because I don't wake kids up from naps so there is little predictability. Feed the boys somewhere in here.<br />
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5:30pm - Start thinking about dinner, get kids cleaning up<br />
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6:30pm - Family dinner and clean up<br />
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7:30pm - Watch a bed time show with the girls, feed the boys and get everyone ready for bed.<br />
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8pm - Everyone in bed, story with the girls.<br />
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At this point my days start to look different :)<br />
Monday and Tuesday I work from 8-10pm from home<br />
Wednesday is date night!<br />
Thursday is Bible study at our house<br />
Friday I get some time out of the house starting around 7<br />
Saturday and Sunday are family days!<br />
<br />
So there, that's my normal life...with my crazy family :)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-20197558542443317382014-04-23T16:16:00.003-04:002014-04-23T16:17:45.716-04:00We are still alive.Ya'll, I haven't posted because well...<br />
<br />
i'm a mom.<br />
<br />
i have twin 6 month olds...and a 2 year old...and a 4 year old...<br />
<br />
i homeschool...kinda...<br />
<br />
i teach sunday school...<br />
<br />
i mentor and fellowship and community with people...<br />
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i have 3 extra people living in my house (making it a total of 9)...<br />
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and i have a ton of ministry, life and other demands that take up my time and attention. <br />
<br />
But ya know what, i have stuff to say. i am woman, hear me roar! ok, maybe i won't roar. i want to post again. i want to use this as a place to record these memories, because never ever in my life will i get to relive these days. i want to remember them. i want to look back and think, i did THAT. ya know? you get it, right?<br />
<br />
so here is my goal. i'm going to go schedule posts for the next four fridays (to go live on saturday morning). hopefully by the time they go live it won't be a sad reminder that i didn't follow through...ha ha, i'm hoping the pre-scheduled posts will help my motivation!<br />
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i'm also thinking about moving to a new blog. i think i want a fresh start where i don't feel like i need to go back and re-read every post before i can spread the word. we'll see. i'll keep you posted :)<br />
<br />
<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-83439088035932014732013-12-06T15:44:00.002-05:002013-12-06T15:44:42.896-05:00Coming Out of Survival ModeWe are slowly but surely returning to "normal" life around here. Normal being relative with four kids and two college students that live with us. :) Here is what we have been up to...<br />
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We are getting more into a routine with our days. Of course, I say that heading into the holiday season where everything is a little nutty. Last week was Thanksgiving, this week we had two days of doctor appointments. Usually our days "start" at 9am with breakfast at the table with Daddy. Then he goes to work and the girls get dressed. We either do school now or after naps, more on that in a minute. Then we play and sing and dance. Lunch is at 12pm and naps at 1pm. After naps we either do school if we didn't do it earlier or color/draw/create for awhile. I get dinner going. The girls eat around 5pm. We all eat together if Daddy is home, otherwise they eat early and I eat later at 7:30ish with him when he gets home from work. Then we have some family time and it is off to bed for the girls. The boys usually fall asleep around 10 for the night - give or take an hour.<br />
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School is around 30 minutes per day. I am not a great planner (or a great crafter) so we are following the guidelines at <a href="http://allinonehomeschool.com/">http://allinonehomeschool.com/</a> and doing "Getting Ready 1" which features one letter per week. There are also review weeks with colors and I believe numbers. Grace has been enjoying it and is currently singing "B is a consonant, a letter in the alphabet". Abi has been doing it with us but I care less if she gets it all :) <br />
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I have also been meal planning and cooking dinner 3-4 times a week. One of the other nights we usually go out and the others we do leftovers. It has been going pretty well. I've had a couple "eh, we don't need to make that again" nights but for the most part the dishes have been good. My husband is an awesome cook so I prefer to leave the cooking to him, but he likes a hot dinner after working all day. I guess he has a point :) It's been fun and I think with practice I'll do better at it. <br />
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My goals are to starting doing Thankful Thursdays again and also do a week in review of what we're doing, cooking, learning, etc. We shall see! I have big goals but that doesn't always mean they work out.<br />
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Hope life is treating you well!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-64623583220950715842013-11-15T14:43:00.002-05:002013-11-15T14:43:29.246-05:00Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #97Here goes!<br />
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1. I am thankful for the lady who stopped my girls at the bookstore yesterday to tell them how wonderfully behaved they were. They had done such a good job and it made me almost tear up listening to her praise them. I'm thankful for her and their good behavior.<br />
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2. I am thankful the boys are growing well, sleeping well and doing great.<br />
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3. I am thankful for some extra time with Grace yesterday. We needed it.<br />
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4. I am thankful for sales and specials allowing me to "spoil" my kids on a budget.<br />
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5. I am thankful for the ability to work from home.<br />
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6. I am thankful that my husband values our children being with us and not spending their days with other people.<br />
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7. I am thankful for Thursday night Bible study, friends and learning.<br />
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8. I am thankful for whispers from the Lord. <em>You are enough.</em><br />
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9. I am thankful when I'm having a rough day people understand and are encouraging.<br />
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10. I am thankful for my community. I have no idea what I'd do without them.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-72486206141484200162013-11-01T14:21:00.001-04:002013-11-01T14:21:56.445-04:00Five Minute Friday: Grace<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thegypsymama.com/category/five-minute-friday/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_lCeOMfY0_fQ/TWly2m-jN_I/AAAAAAAAFEY/k8HJ__cvkws/s200/5%20minute%20friday.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking</td></tr>
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<strong>Five Minute Friday: Grace</strong><br />
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<strong>Go.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
my oldest daughter's name.<br />
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what gets me through the day.<br />
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forgiveness so undeserved.<br />
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a holy re-do of the tough moments.<br />
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without grace, where would i be? i'm so thankful that i have salvation through grace and not through anything i could imagine to do on my own. i am so short of where He is. i'm thankful that He recognized that shortcoming and gave grace so that instead of living in the shame of our sin we could live free in Him. <br />
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grace. underserved gift. unmerited favor. freedom.<br />
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<strong>Stop.</strong>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-56465197664360973582013-10-19T15:30:00.002-04:002013-10-19T15:30:44.916-04:005 Minute Friday - Laundry<b>Laundry</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Go.<br />
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Laundry is one of those things that makes me crazy. I'm all for clean clothes but doing laundry always seems like such effort - and it seems like the last load always needs to be put away at midnight.<br />
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I try to focus on the positives. We have clean clothes in overwhelming number. We have working machines to make it easier to tackle this beast. Yet I'm often left complaining.<br />
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The only time laundry doesn't get the better of me is when I think of it, like so many other chores, as a ministry to my family and not just another task to be done. Similarly to picking out clothes and choosing things they will like, I am restocking them with favorites and memories and that really ought to be enough.<br />
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The laundry beast will never be tamed but the stubbornness inside of me that does not want to allow this to be service is slowly being tempered.<br />
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Stop.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-25471049327102917632013-10-18T14:22:00.004-04:002013-10-18T14:22:50.594-04:002 Weeks With My Guys<br />
We have officially reached two weeks with our little guys! The two questions I get asked most are: How are they sleeping? and How do you do it? The first question is easy - most nights they are sleeping really well and we wake up between 1-4 times for bottles. It just depends on the night, when they ate last before bed and how they are feeling. Sometimes I feed one than the other which takes about 30-45 minutes start to finish including diaper changes. Sometimes we double bottle feed which takes about 25 minutes start to finish. They usually fall right back asleep after eating so I can too. Occasionally one (or both) needs an extra cuddle, but that's not a big deal generally.<br />
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How do I do it? One moment at a time. We have had some really great days of clockwork schedules where everything just meshed...and some days of tantrum craziness where things felt crazy overwhelming. And we just deal with it. One moment at a time. Truth be told as far as babies go, mine have all been really easy. They generally don't cry a lot and they eat well. Since we have those two things going for us, it makes it easier to enjoy them and easier to get things done. I can't complain.<br />
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The girls are adjusting well. Again, we have good days of helping with the brothers and days of "I just want you to play with ME and not the brothers", which I understand. There is a little mommy guilt when I can't make everyone happy and it does feel like I favor giving attention to the boys - mainly because they need it more...but that will soon start to come together. The girls are great about helping and we now have a permanent art and craft table set up so they entertain themselves a lot and are happy to do it.<br />
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Overall, I have great, easy kids and an amazing husband who is great with the kids and always willing to help. If either of those factors were gone and I was left to my own devices I'm pretty sure it'd be a completely different picture.<br />
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I am going to start working on my weight loss/toning pretty soon although I do realize it took 9 months to stretch this belly out and things aren't going to snap right back into place. I am 2-3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, back in my regular jeans but my body is still a jiggly mess. (And I'm totally ok with saying that on the internet!) My goal is to get to a healthy weight but more so a healthy feel by Christmas so we'll see how that goes! I want to make healthy choices but I'm also not so concerned with it that I'm going to go crazy at this stage either :) This momma still needs her ice cream.<br />
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Happy two weeks boys!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-65436077999313595012013-10-15T13:56:00.001-04:002013-10-15T13:56:18.649-04:00Pictures of My Men (7 Days Old)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NbZpMsOKfTU/Ul1_h_CzeCI/AAAAAAAABCU/ZCob4BkqA10/s1600/edited1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NbZpMsOKfTU/Ul1_h_CzeCI/AAAAAAAABCU/ZCob4BkqA10/s320/edited1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob and Levi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FBJr8UZ3S2Y/Ul1_aDaRdpI/AAAAAAAABCE/DuS0epceIEM/s1600/edited5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FBJr8UZ3S2Y/Ul1_aDaRdpI/AAAAAAAABCE/DuS0epceIEM/s320/edited5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob and Levi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-73yhPTv-_XE/Ul1_exUowhI/AAAAAAAABCM/qFf02Y5QaOY/s1600/edited6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-73yhPTv-_XE/Ul1_exUowhI/AAAAAAAABCM/qFf02Y5QaOY/s320/edited6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob (top) and Levi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8SFQQOZCk-o/Ul2Ay4y3-NI/AAAAAAAABCw/npn3LOk9bGg/s1600/levi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8SFQQOZCk-o/Ul2Ay4y3-NI/AAAAAAAABCw/npn3LOk9bGg/s320/levi1.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QnIVtBq-Ho/Ul2AsY6Oy3I/AAAAAAAABCo/i4CPleo6cGw/s1600/levi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QnIVtBq-Ho/Ul2AsY6Oy3I/AAAAAAAABCo/i4CPleo6cGw/s320/levi2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBd5bEb4Sy4/Ul2A0nEr4WI/AAAAAAAABC4/g3yT_f35gek/s1600/levi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBd5bEb4Sy4/Ul2A0nEr4WI/AAAAAAAABC4/g3yT_f35gek/s320/levi3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfjkxgc21VE/Ul2BNiYA8VI/AAAAAAAABDI/hCZ_JbYB7Zc/s1600/jacob2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfjkxgc21VE/Ul2BNiYA8VI/AAAAAAAABDI/hCZ_JbYB7Zc/s320/jacob2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDF6x-RaPxo/Ul2BLVl4GaI/AAAAAAAABDA/oAcLaFN_9QA/s1600/jacob4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDF6x-RaPxo/Ul2BLVl4GaI/AAAAAAAABDA/oAcLaFN_9QA/s320/jacob4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jf_3CNzjhlc/Ul2BPYe0DOI/AAAAAAAABDQ/qSSpKdlnf3Q/s1600/jacob5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jf_3CNzjhlc/Ul2BPYe0DOI/AAAAAAAABDQ/qSSpKdlnf3Q/s320/jacob5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YuDfm2tGmdE/Ul1_oZtKYfI/AAAAAAAABCg/8Nbrb6hRHMg/s1600/edited7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YuDfm2tGmdE/Ul1_oZtKYfI/AAAAAAAABCg/8Nbrb6hRHMg/s320/edited7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok Mom, we're done now.</td></tr>
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-11611169439381406742013-10-15T13:29:00.002-04:002013-10-15T13:30:40.357-04:00Levi and Jacob's Birth Story - October 4, 2013<h4 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
October 4, 2013</h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjUtt_zm9u8/Ul120kBIbKI/AAAAAAAABBs/EfbdJVKygO0/s1600/IMG_9115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjUtt_zm9u8/Ul120kBIbKI/AAAAAAAABBs/EfbdJVKygO0/s320/IMG_9115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Levi - 3:45pm<br />
21.5in; 7lbs 3oz</div>
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Jacob - 4:06pm</div>
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21.5in; 7lbs 13oz</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQk0o3ATEX4/Ul162MzW7QI/AAAAAAAABB4/vJYtbON_2Vo/s1600/IMG_9163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQk0o3ATEX4/Ul162MzW7QI/AAAAAAAABB4/vJYtbON_2Vo/s320/IMG_9163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubs with Abi (2) and Jacob<br />
Me with Grace (4) and Levi</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The boys were scheduled to be induced on October 4th at 8am. I was 39weeks +4 days and SO ready for them to arrive! So of course, on the 3rd (Thursday night) we had Bible study at our house, ran some errands, ate ice cream, watched TV and generally killed time until 2am when we were both calm enough to try to sleep. On Friday morning we got up early-ish and left the house at 7:45 to head to the hospital. We took a "Game Time" picture that I'll have to get off my phone at some point. Of course Aaron planned ahead and had "Eye of the Tiger" ready to go on his phone to play for our trip there. We got checked in, got me and the babies hooked up to monitors and were ready to start the induction at 9:30am. I felt like it may have been the day even if I hadn't been induced...but we won't get into those details :)</div>
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The day was a blur of upping the dosage of Pitocin and just hanging out waiting for things to happen...</div>
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11am - - 2cm</div>
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12:30pm - - 3cm & Doc broke water<br />
1:15pm - - Epidural</div>
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2pm - - 4-5cm</div>
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2:50pm - - 6cm</div>
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I felt a lot of pressure at 2pm on and I seemed to be moving right along. At 2:50 the nurse said she thought I'd be ready to deliver by 4pm. Well at 3:20 I was really uncomfortable so she checked me again and I was at 9.5. She said we need to call the Doctor - NOW. And after that it was a mad rush of scrub hats, bunny suits (for the hubs), and getting wheeled down the hallway to the Operating Room (just in case). I got in the room by 3:30pm and everyone was ready to go. (We also got to listen to 80s rock during the delivery which was kind of fun!)</div>
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Levi was born first and quickly. He was ready to come out at the point and take on the world! I was told later he had great APGAR scores. It was a little bittersweet because while I could see where he was, I couldn't really see him. I got to give him a quick kiss before focusing on Jacob.</div>
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Jacob was NOT ready to come out and was still transverse right up near my rib cage. We did a lot of pushing on my stomach and manipulating to get him ready to go. We took a break at one point just to focus on oxygen and getting stabilized. I worried about a C-section but my Doctor is awesome and I think she was as against it as I was (although willing to if we HAD to). Finally he was ready to go and just took a little extra coaxing to come out. </div>
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Aaron got to cut both cords and even got a lesson in placentas. (My nurse then carried it around in what looked like an over sized yogurt container for awhile...it was kind of weird.) I got to hold Levi while they cleaned Jacob up and then quickly the realization that there were two hit in full force as I got to hold them both as the wheeled me back to the recovery room. </div>
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This was the first birth my mom didn't get to be there for the delivery (because of the operating room setting) so that was sad, but we were out of there within I would guess 10 minutes of Jacob's birth. They were quick to get me back to the other room where we could really check out the boys.</div>
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I now have two beautiful sons and am so blessed as a momma. I told them in the hospital that my prayer was they would love Jesus and be kind to girls. I think most other things will naturally flow out of that. </div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-3721918457854456212013-09-30T13:38:00.002-04:002013-09-30T13:38:22.335-04:0039 Weeks...and waiting :)<br />
Today marks 39 weeks of pregnancy with these boys! Other than being more physically uncomfortable here at the end this has STILL been my easiest pregnancy. I am so thankful too because of all the things we have done, especially late in this pregnancy, that I don't think would have been possible if I'd felt poorly.<br />
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Tomorrow I go see my Doctor and hopefully will schedule an induction. While I am usually not a huge fan of such things, I think that sooner is a bit better with twins and frankly, I'm uncomfortable enough that I'm ok with it. I do know that my chances of a C-section are higher, but they are higher anyway with the twins so seems like a chance worth taking.<br />
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The girls are doing great. They are super excited about the boys. Levi seems to be the one Grace talks about often and Abi talks about Jacob a lot. Not even born yet and they already have favorites! :) They are sweet girls. Abi rubs my belly a lot, I think without realizing it, while I'm holding her. Makes me smile (and tickles).<br />
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Hubs is doing well and our big kids are great. I'm loving this set up and I still have not found it strange to come downstairs in the morning to a teen in our kitchen. I felt like that would be weird but so far it's just been a good thing. There have been hard moments and tough conversations but that's what family does right? So excited to be in this part of our journey of life.<br />
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Hopefully the next post will be that the boys have arrived! We shall see! :)<br />
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ElizabethElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-27392849854763760672013-09-16T15:07:00.001-04:002013-09-16T15:07:16.042-04:00To Abi, on your second birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Abi Ann,<br />
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I LOVE your smile. You can light up a room faster than anyone I know. All I have to do is point a camera at you and say cheese and you cooperate immediately. You are a stubborn girl who knows what she wants - and I think that's a good thing! You love to be cuddled and still like to curl up in my lap with your blankie. Your speech is getting easier to understand and I think you like it that we can have conversations now.<br />
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Favorite Food: Pretzel or fruit<br /> Least Favorite Food: Strawberries<br /><br /> Favorite Drink: Chocolate Milk<br /> Lease Favorite Drink: I don't think you have a least favorite<br /><br /> Favorite Show: Daniel Tiger<br />Least Favorite Show: Anything mom or dad might want to watch<br /><br /> Favorite Doll: Your puppies<br /><br /> Favorite People: Your family!<br /><br /> Favorite Day of the Week: CHURCH DAY! and GRANDMA DAY!<br /><br /> Favorite Toy: Ponies and the Cootie Bugs game - you like to build them and create different bugs<br />
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You are a delight and a joy. You are such a sweetie and care about the people around you. I'm so glad you're mine!<br />
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I will always be here for you and will always love you!<br />
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Love,<br />
MommaElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-13329869970412693122013-09-16T14:47:00.000-04:002013-09-16T14:47:06.020-04:00To Grace, on your 4th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gracie Bug,<br />
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I feel like I tell you this often, but I LOVE YOU. You are such an amazing, awesome kid and I am so glad you are MINE! You learn things so quickly and are super smart and funny. You love to make people smile and laugh. I love to spend time with you. I love the pictures you draw of our family - daddy with his spiky hair. And I love that you are so excited to meet your brothers!<br />
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Favorite Food: Jelly Sandwich<br />
Least Favorite Food: Meat<br />
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Favorite Drink: Chocolate Milk<br />
Lease Favorite Drink: Pop<br />
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Favorite Show: Strawberry Shortcake (for now!)<br />Least Favorite Show: Anything mom or dad might want to watch<br />
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Favorite Doll: Depends on the day!<br />
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Favorite People: Your family!<br />
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Favorite Day of the Week: CHURCH DAY! and GRANDMA DAY!<br />
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Favorite Toy: You really like to color and create things these days.<br />
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You like to tell me about your wedding - who you're going to invite and how wonderful it will be. I'm sorry though, you still can't marry Daddy, he's mine. I'll help you find a great guy just like him ok? <br />
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I love you pretty girl! I am always on your team - don't forget that!<br />
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Love you,<br />
MommaElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-5261763272937684972013-09-12T14:22:00.002-04:002013-09-12T14:22:30.779-04:00Thankful Thursdays Top Ten #96<br />
Happy Thursday! :)<br />
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I'm thankful this week and hope you are too. I feel like there is so much crazy going on in the world that taking a couple minutes to remember the grace of our Lord is necessary.<br />
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1. I am thankful for my little girls who are celebrating birthdays - another year of being a mom, watching them grow, laughter, tears - it's all worth it.<br />
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2. I am thankful for my little boys who continue to grow healthy and strong. There have been no complications so far and I am praying that we continue that through this pregnancy.<br />
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3. I am thankful for people who come together during hard times rather than turning on each other. How great the world would be if we could be more supportive and less competitive.<br />
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4. I am thankful for a good month so far at work. I'm hoping it continues through the end of the month!<br />
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5. I am thankful for my husband who is such an awesome leader. I am so blessed to have him in my life and just how he pours his heart out for us.<br />
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6. I am thankful for my family - parents, grandparents, sister, etc. I am reminded over and over again how easy I had it as a kid and how I didn't have to go through a lot of the stuff that teens we work with deal with.<br />
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7. I am thankful for my two "big girls" that live with us. It is wonderful to be able to share in their lives, help them and learn from them!<br />
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8. I am thankful for my sis-in-law's baby boy who is also growing healthy and strong! She is due next week and we are anxiously awaiting his arrival as well!<br />
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9. I am thankful for humor, laughter and fun. It is so needed.<br />
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10. I am thankful for a God who sees all. I know that we don't always understand what is going on around us, but how amazing to know Him who does and can make sense of it all.<br />
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Are you thankful? Leave 'em in the comments!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-13834799587330425712013-09-11T14:05:00.001-04:002013-09-11T14:05:15.726-04:0036 Weeks, Birthdays and Fun<br />
I am 36 weeks now! Seems like we've come so far - especially since we found out we were expecting at 3.5 weeks! I am so excited to meet these boys and trying to keep myself sane by remembering the longer they have to grow the better off they will be. It can be hard though as I am battling thoughts like...<br />
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...MY BODY HURTS.<br />
...I wish I could play more with the girls.<br />
...How much tv in one day will really hurt the girls right now?<br />
...they still know I love them right?<br />
...Am I ready?<br />
...What should I have done different?<br />
...am I too whiny?<br />
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And on and on. Overall Hubs says I've complained about logical things but haven't been a brat so I'll take that as a win :) At the last ultrasound just shy of 36 weeks Baby A was 5lb 15oz and head down, Baby B was 6lbs 4oz and breech. Now we just wait until they want to show up! End of the day, I only have max of 4 weeks left and I can do anything for four weeks :)<br />
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<strong>The Girls</strong><br />
My girlies are growing up. We celebrated Abi's birthday at the end of August. I need to write her a birthday post still, but that will come! She is getting so big, very verbal like her sister and still a daredevil. I hope that spirit doesn't ever change (maybe gets pointed in the right direction though!). Grace's birthday is coming up in 5 days and their birthday party is this weekend. Grace is such a sweet kid although she is getting sassy these days. It is fun to see her personality evolve but definitely will need to be tempered. <br />
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<strong>The Hubs</strong><br />
Hubs preached a couple weeks ago - I have a love/hate relationship with him preaching. I LOVE that he bounces thoughts off me during the week and that his mind is just going constantly with thoughts. I hate that his topics generally are very applicable to our lives so there is usually a pretty solid lesson that hits home in his sermons every time :) He did a great job and I could not be more proud of him. He also has a birthday at the end of August (day before Abi's) so we celebrated him too although without much fanfare.<br />
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<strong>Me</strong><br />
I'm good! I'm still working 20 hours/week at the thrift store. It's a lot of fun. I think it is always interesting because I never know what will come across my desk. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of research to figure out what I even have. I'm ready to hand the job off to someone else for a bit when the boys arrive and excited to see that job continue to evolve as the boys settle into a schedule.<br />
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We are adjusting well to our new ministry situation. We have two teen girls living with us right now and it is going REALLY well! I am so thankful to have such amazing opportunities to be a part of their lives!<br />
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Overall, I have no complaints. I'm tired and weary but I think that is par for the course. I always struggle with remembering how fortunate we are and how blessed we are to have all our kids. In the back of my mind is the doctor who told me I'd never have children. Oh, how the Lord has other things planned for us!<br />
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855542763646264208.post-18526000856044802512013-08-03T10:07:00.001-04:002013-08-03T10:07:43.709-04:0030 Weeks....Moving...Life<br />
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First, a question. If I sit here and stare at the blank page long enough will the words write themselves? How about if I stare at the piles of things around our house, do you think they'll pack themselves? No? Well...alright then, good thing I have 7 hours of kid free work time today!<br />
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<strong>The Move</strong><br />
We are currently preparing for a move to a home where we will be house parents for up to 4 teen girls. We could not be more excited although there is SO much to be done. Our move date is in 6 days...it's coming soon! (You can read more here: <a href="http://www.harvesthousedayton.com/2013/08/be-bold-and-go/">http://www.harvesthousedayton.com/2013/08/be-bold-and-go/</a>) In the future I will probably post from there to here as well, keeping this one for personal and ministry and that one strictly ministry. Cannot wait. Pray for the young lady that is currently living there as you think of it. We know and love her but transitions can be rough!<br />
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Two Men and A Truck is donating the move for our family so while we are packing we thankfully will not have to actually do the move ourselves. The local franchise collects donations for Harvest House every year and has been such a blessing. I can't wait to get to know them better!<br />
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<strong>The Pregnancy</strong><br />
I am currently 30w +5 (30 weeks, 5 days for those of you who don't follow pregnancy shorthand) with 65 days to go - who's counting? :) The boys are doing great. I continue to get fantastic updates at the doctor's office and ultrasounds. I have two ultrasounds left and a handful of Doctor visits and the boys should be here! Right now Baby A is breech and Baby B is head down so we are praying that Baby A flips since current positioning would require a C-section. Either way, I want them here healthy and safe so I'm fine with whatever needs to be done! <br />
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The girls love talking to and about "Brothers" and are excited to meet them. I think Grace is going to make an excellent second mother and Abi...well, hopefully she will play nice since she now has someone smaller than her to pick on :) <br />
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PS, all my 3D pictures are on my phone so if you want to see them, shoot me a text! :) We aren't really sharing them online :)<br />
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<strong>The Girls</strong><br />
Grace got to go to VBS for the first time this year! She LOVED it and tells me frequently she is very sad she doesn't get to keep going. She learned some fun songs and I love listening to her sing to the Lord! I pray her heart stays soft and she just continues to fall in love with Him. Abi and I got to spend some quality time together and just had a fantastic week. I was also shown a homeschool program that I think would work with Grace right now, requires very little prep and might be a good way for her and I to get some "alone" time each day. We will see - I'm making no plans until the boys are here and I feel un-crazy.<br />
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<strong>The Hubs</strong>This man works HARD. That's all I have to say about it - he has been working more hours, prepping the house for the move and to be rented and has taken on everything I can't do. Oh, and he is preaching on Sunday! I'm so proud of him. He never fails to amaze me.<br />
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<strong>Life</strong><br />
I'm so excited about all the things coming up and all the things that we are looking forward to. I am just praying that God continues to speak clearly and purposefully in my life so I don't miss His direction. For now, our current family "motto" is BE BOLD.<br />
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<strong>Proverbs 28<br />The wicked flee though no one pursues,<br /> but the righteous are as bold as a lion.</strong>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08149534797086498029noreply@blogger.com0