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Monday, January 25, 2010

Look out world, we have some crawlers!

My little guy and his cute cousin both started crawling this week.

Way too much fun for words.

I can't wait to get the two of them together again.  Last time they were together, he was 3 months old and she was 2 months old.  They weren't too sure of each other.  Well, he thought she was great, but she wasn't too sure about his crazy 3 month old ways.

Here is his cute little cousin showing off her mad crawling skills...


And here's the little guy - crawling to his Mum...


He's enjoying the freedom of running crawling loose around the house.

The dogs are quickly learning to hide.

He's also enjoying his new Supercape and Crown from Fancy Pants Kids.  They have some of the cutest costumes I have ever seen!  He is going to enjoy wearing them for YEARS!  I know this because they are so well made that they will withstand years of his little imagination.  By the way, I am already loving his little imagination.

His Supercape is cool, soft, breathable, quick-drying and stain resistant.  The collar is great because it helps keep the cape on him as he zooms down the hallway...

As you can see in the picture, it has elastic wristbands Superloops to hold it on to his arms. Or, as they so eloquently put it on their website "Superloops allow superheroes to maximize their wingspan and catch more air!"  Just perfect for when he gets a little bigger and wants to wave his arms and his cape around.  He has a matching crown that has an adjustable band, so it comes ready to grown with him.

Now, his mum just needs to save up her money to buy him the dragon tails.  The coolest costume accessory around, at least according to his mum...

I'm thinking I will need a matching pair of dragon tails...He will need someone to play with...




Somedays...

Somedays, joy is not that easy to find. 

Sometimes, I choose to worry.  to be anxious.  to fret.  

Somedays, I am really good at worrying, at being anxious, at fretting.

Especially today.

I am worried about the move ahead of us.  Where will we live?  When will I see my husband and baby? When will I play with my son?

Last week, I went out of town for work on Tuesday and did not return until late last night.  

I had such fun playing with my baby all day.  (blessing 201)

We giggled, snuggled, crawled, sang, splashed and hugged. (blessing 202-207)

It was wonderful.

Tonight, after he went to sleep.  I packed.

Tomorrow, after he wakes and I get him dressed, I will leave on another trip for work.  I will miss my family.  

We have prayed about this job and move and we really feel that this is what we are to do right now, for this time.  But, I still worry.

Then, I find these words, once again...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (blessing 208)

So, I will purpose to do just that.

Tomorrow, when I am on my flight, sad to be leaving my family, I will give my requests to Him.  I know that he has our best interests at heart. (blessing 209)  He knows our future.  I do not.  Therefore, I can not make assumptions about what is in my future.  Instead, I will consciously give my thoughts to Him.  I will set an alarm on my phone to remind me - I tend to get busy and forget everything.

I don't want to forget.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Psalm 94:19

He is my joy.  He is with me.  I will give my worries to Him and He will be my joy(blessing 210)


Saturday, January 23, 2010

home.

After a long week away for work, I am home.

with my husband, baby boy and dogs.

life is good.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Long Day...

So, it's 2:30 and I need to go to sleep.  Work is going well - long, crazy days - but still going well.

Blessings from today:
  • clean, pure, readily available water (198)
  • strong feet and legs to keep me standing all day long (199)
  • random thoughts of my baby and puppies throughout the day - so thankful for my brain! (200)


Thursday, January 21, 2010

A day in the bubble...

I love working in the bubble. (191)



Clean, pure air makes for a wonderful day at work!

Plus, I really like the funny looks that I get from customers as they walk by... (192)

I also love when stores set up a beautiful area for us to work in...I wish the picture did it justice. Hopefully, we will get better pictures on Friday. This is the best I could get from my phone.  It truly is a beautiful setup - this is just a sampling of how the area looks! (193)





Just a few other blessings from today:

birds flying above against the blue skies (194)
a sweet text from a friend (195)
dark chocolate (196)
yummy, sweet, crunchy carrots (197)

Only 3 more days before I get to go home to my baby boy...

- this was posted from my phone while I am away from home.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Pioneer Woman Rocks!


Tonight, I made my first recipe by The Pioneer Woman.  
All I can say is 

wow.      
yum.     
visit her here - now.


She has some amazing pictures and delicious recipes.  My favorite is that the delicious recipes include the amazing pictures.  Makes the recipes easy to follow.


Tonight we had Monday Night Stir Fry

again - yum.
  
Seeing as how my husband and I watched Food Inc. the other night, I was nervous grocery shopping today.  It's hard to shop for meats and veggies after watching that movie.  That being said, you need to watch the movie.  It will change how and where you buy foods.  I've decided that we are going to make the move to buying more local foods.  We already try to eat fairly organic, but we are going to step it up a notch.


Ok, so I got a little sidetracked with my Food, Inc. rant.  It's late and it's my last night with my baby boy before a week long work trip, so please cut me some slack.  

Blessings:
  •  the tangy, spicy flavor of freshly grated ginger (181)
  •  the crispiness of sugar snap peas  (182)
  •  the flavor that butter adds to stir-fried chicken (183)
  • the smell of onions and garlic sauteing  (184)
  • fun and fellowship with my family    (185)
  • the sharpness of Cutco knives - this was helpful when my husband accidentally left a plastic bowl on top of a hot burner (186) 
  • being able to cook with my baby (187) 
  • pedicures - about the best thing to ever happen to my feet! (188)
  • the creativeness of my siblings - they never cease to amaze me!  (189)


   

Sunday, January 17, 2010

priceless blessings...

bAbY VeRsIoN:
  • yummy homemade organic baby food (173)
  • how my sweet baby boy squeals with delight when food is near (174)
  • baby food smeared everywhere  - including those adorable chubby cheeks (175)
  • fun laughing and splashes in the bath (176)
  • the amazing powers of Biz laundy additive = clothes survive baby food explosion (177)
HoMe VeRsIoN:
  • the sound of a working air purifier, cleaning our air while the furnace and ac is out... (178)
  • the sound of the wind blowing through the marina (179)
  • the smell of peppermint and basil as the dogs run through the flowerbed (180)
  Thankful for every day with this happy boy...
 

Friday, January 15, 2010

slings, carriers, kangaroos...

Sometimes I wish I was a kangaroo.

I love wearing my baby!  Holding the kiddo while having my hands free to work - not sure it can get better!

I was blessed with a Sleepy Wrap when my dear kiddo was born.  He loves it.  As soon as I get home from work, I find it and put it on.  He sees this happening and his face beams!  I pick him up and snuggle him in and all is right with the world. 

But, as I said in my previous post...He is growing up.  As he continues to grow, his sleepy wrap will grow too small.  But, today I found out that there is a carrier that will work until he is 4! It is the Boba Carrier.  From what I've read - it is a comfortable carrier to wear and I think the little one will enjoy being able to continue acting like my little joey.  Which is the best option, since I'm not a kangaroo...

There is a contest to win one of these awesome carriers here - Check it out!

I'm hoping that we might win!!

a semi-mobile, food eating machine...

I returned home from a long week of traveling to a semi-mobile, food eating machine.

where did my baby go?

I know he is still here, but he is different.  All of a sudden, he loves foods.  Avocados, Kidney beans, Asparagus, Sweet potatoes, Prunes, Mango, Papaya.
You get the point.
Also, when I left earlier this week, he was strictly "low-crawling" - today I sit here on the floor and watch him lift to his knees and actually crawl.  He grins from cheek to cheek as he crawls towards me, so excited that he is doing something new.  He has figured out how to chase the dogs and as they run past him, he laughs out loud.  It is hysterical.  It is funny.  It is slightly sad.

He is growing up.

I knew it would happen.  I actually wanted it to happen.
I was never fond of babies.
I loved the idea of having kids, but totally planned on adopting them around the ripe ol' age of 2.
I did not have a need for a baby.  I mean seriously - I'm the oldest of 9 kids.  I've had my share of babies - dirty diapers, crying, too little to play and interact - where is the fun in that?  I had better things to do with my life than play with babies.

Thankfully, I have a God who is not as worried with my comfort level or my wants, but is more concerned with my character.  He is concerned with me becoming who He wants me to be.

So, against all our humanly efforts - I ended up pregnant!  Even while I was pregnant, I was excited for this baby to grow up, move around, interact, hit his 2nd birthday.

Then, he was born.

My mom and sisters laugh.  I instantly became that person I swore I'd never be. I gushed about cute baby clothes.  I played for hours with my tiny little baby.  Took zillons of pictures of my sleeping babe.  Talked in a semi-syrupy voice to a tiny kiddo who couldn't talk back.  Loved on, hugged and gushed on and on about my 5 pound cutie.



They knew it would happen.  I disagreed.

They were right.

Now, I spend my days being grateful for this little boy.  



Being grateful for his pouty bottom lip (166)
 for his little hands and feet  (167/168)
and for how much he loves all of his Aunties and Uncles(169)

Grateful for his loving glances(170)...


Being consciously grateful for the time I have with him right now, while he is little, while he is a baby (171).  Being grateful for the person I am becoming because of this baby. (172)

Every day, he is a little bit more grown up, a little bit less of a baby.  I want to spend my days loving on him.  Cherishing the time that God has given me...



Right now, I hear him waking up from a nap, so I am off to go play with him...while I still can.
 

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Lessons from my sister...

I returned home late last night. finally.
After a baggage fiasco at the airport, we were off to my sisters to pick up the little one.  He was pretty excited to see us!  I'm not sure that he was as excited as I was, but then again, he's been playing all week and I've been at work.

I hate not being able to be with him all of the time, but I know that there is a season for everything and right now, for this season, I will work.
I will work because it is what we need for our family right now.  I will work so that I can once again, come back home to hang with and love on my baby.

We learned last night from my sister that we don't know the first thing about packing the little one's overnight bag.  Evidently, we should be packing about 3 outfits a day, including socks.  We packed one outfit a day and some socks.  See, at home, he hangs out in a diaper, cute hat and baby legs most of the day.  Clothing just gets dirty, so we don't really mess with it.  Seems to work well for us, but when he goes to spend the night elsewhere - we will pack more clothing.
We will also pack more bibs, as all of his clothing was totally dirty.  Dirty to the point of humor,  I was laughing as I pre-treated the stains, trying to imagine all of the fun he must had messing up these clothes.
Thankfully, my sister doesn't mind shopping for babies, so when they ran out of clothes, she was able to rectify that issue with a quick trip to Target.

I'm thankful:
for a sister who loves my baby and watches him as he was her own. (159)
for nieces who love on an play with their cousin (160)
for time with my baby boy (161)
for warm chili, jalapeno cornbread and brownies (162)
that I have running water, both hot and cold - on such a cold day... (163)
to be able to sit in front of the fireplace and watch my husband yell at the football game.  and I'm thankful that I can chuckle, because I do not understand this activity at all!   (164)
for the ability to watch my little one grow - even if it is happening too fast! (165)


 

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I miss this little bear...


The dictonary on my computer defines Gratitude as 'the quality of being thankful"

not always so easy...when I'm missing this little bear.

but...

I will continue to set my mind on the gifts He gives me.

Even when I am away from home and missing this little bear...

Beautiful Sunrise outside my hotel window... (150)
Friendly employees at the training I offered...  (151)
A sweet friend who took me to get my brows done... (152)
Nice brows... (153)
Some pretty amazing Ahi Tuna for dinner... (154)
More pictures of my little bear...he is full of smiles...playing with his Aunt and cousins... (155)
An amazing sister who loves on my little bear while I have to leave town for work... (156)
70 degree weather... (157)
Severely clear skies... (158)
A Heavenly Father who loves me unfathomably...even when I have a hard time recognizing his gifts.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Is there a dog under there?

I love my dogs.


All of them. (144-148)


I love that my bother loaned me some amazing "show" clippers. (149)  The really great ones that he uses to make the cows "nice and pretty" right before he shows them.  When he first loaned me the clippers,  I immediately walked outside and used them to trim a few knots off of Nelsen.


Nelsen was not amused.


Nelsen is rarely amused.  He had a bad life before he came to our family, so we tend to let his grumpiness slide...


It started raining, (while trying to trim Nelsen) so I put the clippers in their beautiful case and haven't touched them since.


Due to my haphazard grooming, this is Nelsen's current state:


Thankfully, he enjoys lounging around and sleeping.


The problem?
He is starting to get rambunctious.  I'm not so fond of the rambunctious.


Especially on Nelsen.


My mom had a belief that long hair around your eyes could cause bad attitudes to flourish.  As kids, she always kept our hair trimmed and out of our face.  If we got in trouble, you can bet there would be a "bang trimming" in our near future!


All that to say, I'm going to have to finish the grooming fairly soon.  Maybe this weekend?  I'm not looking forward to it.  I'm hoping that I still have my hands and arms intact by the time I'm finished.


But, thankfully, I have some really great "show" clippers


and


I love my dogs, even Nelsen.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Last Week of 2009

We spent the last week at my parent's place.  Being with my family and my friends is one of my most favorite things!  The boys played games, shot guns, built massive fires, joked, ate yummy food and laughed.  The girls cooked, ate yummy food, made baby food, watched tv, hung out by the fireplace and then cooked some more.  It was glorious!

I never knew how much fun a Vita-Mix could be!  I found some baby food ideas on MckMama's website and I wanted to try them.  Mom was game, so we became Babyfood making fools!

I used Mom's Vita-Mix to grind Kidney Beans, Brown Rice, Lentils, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Pinto Beans, Oatmeal and Navy Beans.  Mom had some 1976 Mason canning jars that my grandmother had saved for me, so we put them to good use!  Now, when I am out of town, all Daniel has to do is boil some water, mix in some of the bean powder and make a paste for the little one to slurp up!  See Jubie, my baby food does come in Jars!  :)



We also made some protein cubes for the little one - fresh spinach, prunes, kidney beans, oatmeal, egg yolk, yogurt, brown rice and flax seed oil.  Blended together, it makes a yummy green paste that the little one loves to eat and to dig his fingers into!

New Years Eve has always been a family favorite.  While others go to out, we stay home.  It is one of the few times of the year that I know my siblings will be there.  I know that we will hang out.  I know that we will laugh.  I know that it will be fun.

And it always is.

This year was no different.  While we missed our friends that were unable to make it, we enjoyed spending time with those that were there.  JP and NJ had decided to go out on their own, but shortly before midnight, they showed up stating that "It just isn't New Years, if we aren't at Mom and Dad's."

We took picures.  We watched the boys light fireworks.  We watched the boys act stupid.  We danced.  We froze.  We had FUN.

Here are just a few of my blessings last week:

Getting to spend time with friends and family. (134)
The way fireworks light up the sky.  (135) 
The little Hot Hands warmers. (136)(they rock my world)
My dad's crazy laugh. (137)
My mom's patience with all of us! (138)
Brenda's friendship and the funny things she says, such as telling the kids to "Stay out of control!" (139)
Texas Caviar. (140)
Smoke bombs (141) 
Spending time at the local Ace Harware store with my mom.  They have the coolest stuff!  (142)
Watching everyone's dogs run around like crazy.  (all 9 of them...) (143)

A Fresh Start...

"It's a daily struggle, to die to myself and my own desires and live for what I know is best." (mckmama)

I am thankful for that reminder. (*blessing 133)

I pray that 2010 will be the year that I learn to really listen to Him.

listen.  Really listen. and then act.

I want to not only hear Him, but follow Him.  I want to learn to love more like Him.  To give grace. To die to myself and my own wants, to pick up my life and follow Him.

In the past few months, I have enjoyed reading through other blogs. MckMama and A Holy Experience are 2 of my favorites.  God has used these blogs to being me closer to Him.   I love that fact.

I love Him.

May 2010 be the year that you grow closer to Him as well.

*If you want to know more about why I am counting my blessings - check out the Gratitude Community