Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Devotional


December 4, 2012



"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
 
New York City is alive with the late fall air. Faith stands next to me, her blonde hair blows across her face just as the carriage pulls in front of us.
We flew to the city to stay with friends and celebrate Faith's birthday. During this entire trip I've felt a nagging sense of anxiety and worry over what's going on back home. It isn't one thing in particular, but I can't shake the heaviness. I clench my jaw and know I'm carrying around a sense of responsibility to manage things outside of my control.
It's our turn to ride. We get the carriage pulled by white horses, a detail I feel compelled to mention because it seems the ones pulled by white horses are more important than the ones pulled by regular brown horses.
The two girlfriends who are with us live here in the city. Though they roll their eyes over the cliché they've become by hanging out with us (A carriage ride through Central Park? Really must we?) they love us enough to climb up and squeeze tight into the red velvet covered benches.
The black bag on my shoulder is packed to nearly unzippable extremes with my camera, wallet, extra gloves and bottle of water. It's heavy, and my right shoulder aches beneath the weight of it.
I plop it down on the floor of the carriage just as the wheels begin to move.
Faith laughs at something the driver says. I watch as she throws back her head and claps her small, gloved hands, my bag sitting at her feet.
I remember a story I heard a long time ago about a horse and buggy and a man with a heavy load. The man climbs into a horse-drawn buggy and keeps his pack on his back once he sits down.
When asked if he would like to remove it, he answers, "Oh no, I couldn't do that. I wouldn't want the horse to have to work so hard. I'll just carry it myself."
I can't help but smile. I can see the ears of the horses in front of me, their heads bobbing up and down carrying me, my girlfriends...and my heavy bag.
I never once thought to keep my bag strapped to my shoulder so the horses wouldn't have to carry the load. That would be needless, as they were already doing the work. Why should I do it, too?
Matthew 11:28 comes to mind. Jesus issues an invitation to the weary, the burdened, the heavy-laden. He offers rest from heavy burdens to those of us who insist on carrying bags on carriage rides.
The clip-clopping of horse hooves tap out a gentle rhythm as we ride. My friends chat and laugh, yellow leaves swirl out from underneath us, and I feel a shift inside my heart.
The horses aren't just carrying my bag. They're carrying me.
We have a God who can be trusted with not only our burdens, but also ourselves. He sees and cares and notices.
He will not come undone.
He remains un-overwhelmable.

Dear Lord, gather us up into Your arms with all of our longings, fears, worries and burdens. We admit how futile it is for us to carry these things on our own. May we instead release them into your hands and walk with you by grace through faith. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
If you tend to take on responsibility for things never meant for you to carry, check out Emily Freeman's books, Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try Hard Life and Graceful {For Young Women}.
For daily encouragement, visit Emily's blog, Chatting at the Sky, where she creates photos and stories to make a place for your soul to breathe.
Reflect and Respond:
Are you carrying the burden of things you can't control?
Let's imagine what life could look like if you dared to believe God carried both you and your burdens. How would today be different?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV)
Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." (NIV)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Changing My Prayers

I enjoy reading Kelly's Korner Blog and she recently posted about changing her prayers for her children.  I loved what she had to say in this post and thought I'd share it on my blog as well.

I want so much for life to be "perfect" and for everything to always be so wonderful and great for these sweet faces...
but that really is not practical and deep down I know that.  We live in a fallen world and we are sinful people and life just cannot and will not be perfect. 

These adorable children of mine
will struggle and face hard days.  And God will use it to grow them. 

They will each have to learn to trust God in their own individual lives. 
As much as I want to protect them from the harshness of this world, I also don't want to stand in the way of God making them more like Him.

I want these precious little people to live a life dependent on God, and being dependent on Him ususally doesn't come from every circumstance being easy or pain free. 
 
  I do not want to shelter my kids so much that they think living a life of comfort and safety is the way to go.  I want them to be bold for Christ.  I want them to be brave and stand up for Him and live the life He's called them to!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Devos

September 11, 2012
By Lysa TerKeurst

"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." Proverbs 13:10 (NIV 1984)
You want to know one of the hardest three-word statements to make? "I am wrong."
It's so easy to point out wrong in others. It's so easy to want it to be someone else's fault. It's so easy to get critical and cynical and caught up in our limited perspectives.
But boy is it hard to see our own flaws. Where we went wrong. What we need to own.
I've been challenging myself on this. I recently had to correct one of my children for trying to blame someone else for something my child needed to own themselves. I could clearly see the pride, the insecurity, and the fear all wrapped around her blaming words. And why could I see it so clearly?
Because I see it in myself.
Bummer huh?
I had to have a conversation where I explained to my child something I'm learning myself. About blaming. And the dangerous path blaming can take us on.
In most conflicts I have two ways I can choose to travel:
The Path of Pride: I can blame the other person, focus only on their flaws, and refuse to own my part of it. That response will increase my pride and decrease the Lord's blessing in my life.
The Humble Way: I can honestly assess what I'm contributing to this conflict, admit where I went wrong, and ask for forgiveness. That response will lead to humility and increase the Lord's blessing in my life.
I see this principle woven throughout the Bible:
James 4:6, "That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (NIV 1984)
Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor." (NIV 1984)
Matthew 23:12, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (NIV 1984)
I know this. I believe this. So, why do I still find it hard to implement sometimes?
Well, here's where my head wants to go when I start examining certain conflicts: "But what if it really isn't my fault? It's not fair to assign the blame with me when this person did this and this and this."
But that's the wrong direction to go. Don't try to assign the blame. Just own the part you brought into the conflict. When I approach a conflict with a heart of humility, I've yet to see where I haven't added something to the issue.
And if the other person doesn't own their issues—the Lord will deal with them. (See the verses above.)
There are gifts hidden in the tough stuff of conflict. There is grace and honor to be gained. But I'll only see those gifts if I stop blaming others and start examining myself.
Dear Lord, I want to follow Your teaching in this. But it's so hard. I'm mad and frustrated and hurt. The last thing I feel like doing is examining where I am wrong. But I know that's what I need to do. Will You soften my heart? Will You give me eyes to see beyond my hurt? Will You help me cut through the assumptions and wrong-thinking? I want to honor You in this, I really do. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What do you do when you need to draw boundaries in certain tough relationships? If you feel you need to make some tough decisions in one of your relationships, click here to read Lysa's blog today.
Join the Proverbs 31 Ministries' Unglued Online Bible Study! This Unglued study, hosted by Melissa Taylor and Lysa TerKeurst, starts Sunday, September 23rd. You won't have to leave your house, change out of your pajamas, or even put on makeup. Click here to find out more and sign up!
To get your copy of Unglued, click here. To get your Unglued Bible study workbook and DVD, click here.
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
Reflect and Respond:
Think of a recent conflict with someone. Which way did you travel?
Remember, it's never too late to go back and go the humble way.
Now think of a conflict with someone that is happening right now. How can you travel the humble way?
Power Verses:
Psalm 25:9, "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." (NIV 1984)
Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." (NIV 1984)
© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Move Over Mean Girl

August 30, 2012
By Lysa TerKeurst

**The below is an email devotion I recevied from Proverbs 31 Ministries on Thursday, August 30th.  It's written by Lysa TerKeurst.  I just loved it and had to share.**

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

Last year, we logged over twenty hours in the car during the joy-filled excursion called family vacation. It was family bonding at its finest. Here's a little glimpse of the sweet conversations heard coming from the backseat.

Ashley: "Mom, Brooke just licked my hash brown! Ewwwwww!"

Me: "Brooke, why would you lick your sister's hash brown, for heaven's sake?"
Brooke: "Because my arm hurts."

Me: "Oh. Well, that just makes complete sense."

And that's just one little exchange. There may have been 127 other instances when the soundtrack of my car-traveling life was, "Mom ... she poked me, and she is on my side, and she just spilled her drink, and she took my iPod."

And, on occasion, I may have wanted to jump in the backseat and remove every shred of candy from my little tweenager's hands and dump it out the window. But I really didn't want my mean girl or my mean mommy to come out on the family vacation.

Have you been there? Honestly, the last thing that pops into my mind in those frustrating moments is: What does Jesus say about this?

I wish it did. So I'm trying to think about this now, in a non-heated moment. That way I can be better prepared for the next time my mean girl tendencies surface.

According to our key verse today, Jesus says we must do three things. But these aren't three easy steps. They are three shifts of the heart: we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

Deny myself ... I have to deny myself the momentary satisfaction of the quick comeback, the rude response, and the full-out yelling. Over-sugared children can elicit craziness in a mama. Not that I have any personal experience with such things. No, not at all. And if you believe that, I've got some Easter candy off on the side of the road somewhere I could sell you.
Deny myself. It's hard. But it is the way with Jesus.

Then I must take up my cross ... My cross. Stop the blaming and finger-pointing and wishing everyone else would change and see my sinful reaction as a contribution to the problem at hand. I must take my issues to His cross and see my sin for what it is—sin. And I must be disgusted enough by my sin to truly want to do something about it.

Take up my cross. It's hard. But it is the way with Jesus.
Finally, I must follow Him ... Really follow Him. Follow who He is and how He is. I must close my mouth, pause long enough to let Him interrupt my eruption, and let His Spirit redirect me.
Yes, my children need to be corrected, but I can let the consequences scream so I don't have to. Only a calm mama can think of rational, reasonable consequences that instruct.
Follow who He is and how He is. It's hard. But it is the way with Jesus.
It's amazing how quickly my mean girl vanishes when I deny myself, admit my sin, and choose to let Jesus interrupt me.
Just don't be licking my hash brown if your arm starts hurting, okay? I have to draw the line somewhere.
Dear Lord, I don't want my mean girl to come out when I'm angered or aggravated. Give me the self-control to deny myself, stop blaming others, and choose to follow You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
In Lysa's new book, Unglued, she shares personal and scriptural wisdom to help us respond with no regrets even in those moments when we want to explode, bitterly stuff our emotions, or react somewhere in between. Click here to order your copy today!
Are you ready to start learning to make wise choices in the midst of raw emotions but don't want to start it alone? On August 30th (TONIGHT) we'll be hosting a FREE Unglued Webcast at 8pm EST. Simply click on www.LysaTerKeurst.com to hear a powerful message. Sign up to get an email reminder about this FREE webcast and how to watch the replay if you miss it tonight by clicking here.
Join the Proverbs 31 Ministries' Unglued Online Bible Study! This Unglued study, hosted by Melissa Taylor and Lysa TerKeurst, starts Sunday, September 23rd. You won't have to leave your house, change out of your pajamas, or even put on makeup. Click here to find out more and sign up!
Reflect and Respond:
Have you lost your cool this week?
Take a minute to write out the situation and your response. Ask God to help you with this. Only He can change your heart.
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (NIV)
Galatians 5:16-17, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." (NIV)
© 2012 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Getting Under My Skin

This is my devo for today (emailed to me by Proverbs 31 Ministries) and it really spoke to me.  In my life, I've seen and heard so many people complain, complain, complain about the ongoings and happenings at their church.  I've also seen many people just flat out leave their church altogether because of things they don't like.  I wonder if these people ever stop to think the issues they are having might just be themselves???  Something to think about...

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of depair..." Isaiah 61:3a (NIV)

Like the sting of sunburn after a long day at the beach, the heat on my hands stayed for hours. As a treat for my family, I had made Aunt Carol's jalapeno peppers. With the sharp knife and chopping block, I transformed eighteen forest-green peppers into little boats of tasty fun. What I hadn't counted on was that ten minutes of exposure to the pepper's oil on my dry skin produced a burning that lasted hours.

As I looked at my red, cracked hands, I was reminded of another part of me that seemed dry and under-nourished a few months earlier.

My heart had been in bad shape. It had felt like a stone. When I would go to church, I sang the songs but I was just going through the motions. My heart was not truly singing praise to Jesus.

I assumed it was the church. Surely, something had changed. We needed new music; something fresh. But it turned out it wasn't the worship that needed to change; it was me.

I knew I couldn't do this on my own though. I needed to re-discover the oil of gladness mentioned in today's key verse. I decided to get intentional about personally coming into the Lord's presence daily, asking Him to replace my mourning with His gladness and my despair with His garment of praise.

Although I had never stopped reading my Bible and praying, I hadn't really been taking time in God's presence and asking Him to renew my heart.

So I began starting my time with the Lord each day by praising Him. A prayer journal I used gave me several helpful suggestions: repeating His attributes (faithful, loving, kind, etc.), calling out His names (Healer, Provider, Sustainer, etc.), singing hymns or worship songs, and my favorite: reading the Psalms out loud.

Opening my day with praises to my King transformed my heart. Each morning I would start by singing a song; one that turned my thoughts away from me and on to Him. Then I would focus on Jesus' character. Just saying out loud who He was - my hope, stability, and strength - filled my heart with joy. Afterwards, my heart would be reminded that although life can be filled with trials, even monotonous, He was always at work in and through me. Each day He would replace my wearisome heart with His fresh perspective.

After weeks of this new way of experiencing and worshipping Jesus, I found that my outlook through the day was different. Like the oil from the peppers, the lasting effect of His presence is felt in my heart many hours after the exposure.

Dear Lord, help me to enter into Your gates with thanksgiving each day and come into the courts of Your presence with praise. You are good and You deserve my heartfelt worship each day. I love You! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Click here to order the prayer journal that Lynn used, Intimacy with God: Your Daily Guide to Prayer by Tara Furman

His Princess: Prayers to My King by Sherri Rose Shepherd

Visit Lynn's blog for more encouragement.

Reflect and Respond:
Put your favorite worship music on and find a place alone. Spend time worshipping Jesus. Ask a friend what her favorite worship music is and swap for a week.

What holds you back from worship?

Does your heart feel dry and cracked, like it needs some ointment? Ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart.

Power Verses:
Ezekiel 11:19, "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." (NIV)

Psalm 103:1-2, "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (NIV)

Psalm 9:1-2, "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." (NIV)

© 2012 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Being a Mom

(I read this poem on Kelly's Korner Blog and just had to share!)
       

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those windowpanes
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?
I held a toddler till he slept,
I held a child while she wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's s true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone
With big brown eyes and sweet soft hair,
If that is true... I've done my share.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

It's our anniversary!!!

I became his girlfriend on June 21, 1995 and his wife on June 21, 1999.  Happy 13th wedding anniversary to my forever love!!!



Monday, June 18, 2012

Our send off

From researching information online about wedding traditions, it seems that most agree that throwing food items at the bride and groom began as a fertility and prosperity wish (people were all about good luck and lots of babies back in the day!). Seeds and grains are used for crops, and from the smallest seeds, large crops can be grown. For some cultures, throwing rice or grains at the wedding was a blessing for the wish of a healthy and large crop so the couple could be prosperous. It might also have signified fertility, so the couple would have many children to help them work the crops.

The tradition has continued into modern times, with rice throwing the most common American tradition for closing a wedding ceremony. In other countries, the customs have included throwing dates and figs, for a fruitful union, and for the more romantic and scented send off, some couples have opted for throwing colorful rose petals instead.

Sometime in the early to mid '90s, a scare rumored the internet and wedding industry that throwing rice was hazardous to birds. The theory was that rice, once swallowed whole and uncooked by the birds, would then swell inside their stomachs and cause the stomach to expand, causing the birds to become very ill or even die.  While the theory is an interesting one, the US Rice Federation and educated ornithologists both have repeatedly assured the public that throwing rice at weddings is not unsafe for birds. In fact, in the wild, birds eat rice from the fields all the time, and we don't see them dropping dead.  However, the bridal industry has definitely taken advantage of the rice throwing urban legend by marketing 'bird friendly' rice for weddings, which you can rest assured will cost much more than a bag of rice at the supermarket. Additionally, you will find bird seed baggies and dried rose petals and other items marketed as 'environmentally safe/friendly' to throw at weddings now. 

The irony about the rice throwing urban legend being harmful for birds is that, while no reported incidences of bird deaths have been documented, throwing rice at weddings is actually dangerous to humans. Yes, that's right. Throwing rice at a wedding on a hard walking surface while most people in attendance are wearing dress shoes has resulted in many tumbles, falls and spills that have resulted in injury. Because of this and resultant lawsuits, along with the mess that throwing rice can make, many churches and wedding halls have now banned the practice of throwing rice or other items after a wedding altogether. This doesn't even mention the pelting rice hitting the bride or groom in the eye either!

One popular alternative to throwing rice at weddings has been to blow bubbles instead. While the significance of blowing bubbles may not be steeped in tradition for blessing the couple for fertility or prosperity, they can be beautiful, playful and fun as a way to send off the happy couple.


I was not interested in being pelted in the face with rice or birdseed and I never even thought about flower petals so Kraig and I opted for bubbles and I think it turned out quite nice :0)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sticking with Tradition

The tradition of bouquet tossing at a wedding has the same historical background as does the garter toss, which I explained in my last post.  So interesting how these traditions come about!

And here I am following tradition so that the single girls in the background don't run me down for good luck and promises of fertility (Oh, did I forget to mention in my last post about the fertility?  Yes, apparently in medieval times, it was not only good luck to take home a piece of the bride's garment, but it was also a fertility charm.  Seriously, people??)


I would like to point out that I got married in the late 1990s...before digital cameras were all the rage.  And while I don't feel like I'm that old or have really been married for all that long, when it comes to technology, I am ancient and have been married for centuries ~ HA!  My wedding photographs were done by a wonderful photographer (Greg Green Photography in Manchester, TN) who used a camera with film in it...yes, film.  The fact that he captured this moment so beautifully without being able to check his screen afterward proves what a wonderful photographer he is!  (And it explains why there were not so many "photographers" in the late 1990s ;D )

Monday, June 11, 2012

Where in the world...?

Kraig and I did things very traditionally for our wedding, complete with garter removal and tossing.  I knew at that time that supposedly whomever caught the garter was the next to get married, but I had no idea where in the world this tradition came from... So I Googled it today :D

According to what I found on a couple of different sites, centuries ago it was considered very lucky to obtain a piece of the bride's dress.  Apparently, people were very savage like about this so the poor bride's dress would get completely ruined and the bride herself would often get trampled or injured in some way.  (I think if this were still the custom I would've just eloped!!!)  Over time, this resulted in the bride choosing to wear a detachable garment - hence the garter - that could easily be removed.  The groom, wanting to protect his bride from being mauled by wedding guests, would remove the garter for her and toss it to the crowd.

So, here's Kraig protecting his bride from the crazy mob desperate for good luck ~ ha!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

And the two shall become one

For our wedding, Kraig and I chose to light a unity candle to symbolize our two lives uniting into one.  I think it's really important for husbands and wives to understand this concept.  It doesn't mean you lose who you are as an individual like many people might think.  Rather, it means that from this day forward your thoughts shall be for each other rather than for just your individual selves. Your plans should be mutual, your joys and sorrows should be shared alike. 

As Kraig and I each took our individual candle and joined together in lighting the center candle, we were acknowledging our two lives blending into one.  We were claiming (and still are, for that matter!) that just as that center flame cannot be divided back into two flames, our lives and our marriage cannot and will not be divided.



But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’  ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ~ Mark 10:6-9

Monday, June 4, 2012

Our mutual committment

After my last post, I did some research to see what's behind the tradition of the bride and groom cutting the cake together and then feeding it to one another (besides just a really fun photo op ;D ). 

It seems that the bride and groom cutting the cake together represents the first task that the bride and groom will accomplish together as husband and wife.  I think that's really sweet.  We've chosen this person to stand beside us for the rest of our life and we want them to be with us through everything...even something as simple as cutting a cake!

The next thing... feeding each other the cake.  This symbolizes the bride and groom's mutual committment to provide for one another.  Who knew this fun tradition held such precious significance!

Friday, June 1, 2012

It's my wedding month!

This month Kraig and I will be celebrating 13 years of marriage and 17 years of being together...wow! In honor of this wonderful blessing, I will post pictures periodically this month to reflect moments from one of the absolute BEST days of my life...our beautiful wedding :0)

And here we are cutting our yummy (and very 90's styled) cake.  I'm not really sure what cutting a cake together has to do with being married, but it's a cute tradition :D

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I want to win a gift card!!!

And this is the post in which I attempt to win a $150 Target gift card.  I mean, who doesn't want that?? 

So head over to Big Mama's blog (and if you don't regularly read her blog, you should because she is hilarious!) and read all the details about this promotion. 

Hey, if I don't win, maybe you will! ;0)

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Love

When I got home from work and church last night, these flowers were waiting for me...


I love it when my Love spoils me!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Time marches on...

Taylor graduated from preschool last week and, as she walked across the stage to accept her "diploma" (and hugs from her amazing teachers!), this baby picture was displayed on the big screens for all to see and compare her then and now.


I am so very excited to begin this kindergarten journey with her in the fall, but oh how a part of me longs for her to still be that precious little chubby faced baby in the picture!!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

So sweet!

Here are my sweet babies sharing an icee at their daddy's softball game :)

Love, love, love these sweeties!!!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Cutie pa-tooties

Kraig and I were invited to watch a pre-released showing of The Avengers last Thursday evening at the Green Hills theater and we brought the kids back souvenirs ;D



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Dad's Day

Taylor's preschool had "Dad's Day" earlier this year.  It was a cute time for the dad's to get to take the kids to school and stay in their classroom for a bit to share juice and donuts with them.  Taylor made Kraig a handpainted "Dad" coffee cup (that he's used a couple of times, but isn't going to use anymore b/c, even though I'm handwashing it, the paint is peeling...oops!) and also this awesome hand-made tie that he's wearing in the pic below.


When Kraig came home from work that evening, he "still" had the tie on so Taylor thought he wore it all day.  Too cute!


Friday, April 27, 2012

Baby boy

My baby boy sure does love his passies! ;0)

And his candy :D

He's such a silly, fun little boy!!!

My sweet girl

This is Taylor's Spring school picture...
Doesn't she look so grown up?  (Oh, where did my baby girl go???)

I sure do LOVE this precious lil face!!!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Dinner Miracle

I feel like an update is needed to (somewhat) redeem poor Rylan from the unflattering post I did about his eating habits a few months ago.  He actually deserved a redemption post not too terribly long after my original post back in January, but, alas, I was on a blog sabbatical (wink, wink) so he’s just now getting his due. 

As I said in my previous post, he was growing increasingly limited as to what he would eat.  It seemed almost every day there was a new item that he had chowed down on just the day before that was suddenly disgusting to him the very next day.  We made him take a “no thank you bite” of whatever we were serving for dinner and, if he didn’t like it, we would make him something else like chicken nuggets or a peanut butter sandwich.  The most irritating problem was that he would cry and scream his little head off just because he had to take one little bite.  He would even at times try to push his plate completely off the table or at least push it as far away from him as he could get it.  He would then continue the crying and screaming until we put something in front of him that he recognized and approved of, which at that time was pretty much only baby food, a banana, yogurt, chicken nuggets or a peanut butter sandwich. 

We were at our wits end and dinner time at our house was becoming miserable for all parties involved. 

Bring in our Lay-Down-The-Law-Daddy.  (Have I mentioned how grateful I am for this man???...because this mama can be such a softy!)

Kraig had had enough. 
It was one thing for Rylan to decide he was going to be picky, but it was quite another for him to have a complete and utter meltdown over tasting, chewing and swallowing one bite of food.  So, we began reprimanding him for his defiant behavior.  Taking a “no thank you bite” was non-negotiable and if he did not stop throwing fits about having to take one, there were non-negotiable repercussions.  Mainly, we removed him from the table and sat him in time out until he composed himself.  (Some of you may be thinking, Time out for a one year old…seriously?  Yes, seriously.  We’ve been putting him in time out since right around his 1st birthday and it does wonders for him.  He gets so wrapped up in his anger and his fits that he just needs that time to collect himself.  Kraig, of course, was the first person to ever put the child in time out and I was completely skeptical the first time he did it, but, boy, was I amazed at how it worked!)  Once he composed himself, he was allowed to rejoin us at the table.  If he started to scream and cry again, he would go right back in time out away from the rest of us. 

Also, during this time, we began refusing to immediately put a different plate of food in front of him after his “no thank you bite.”  While the three of us ate and (tried) to enjoy our dinner, he would sit and watch all of us with his untouched food in front of him.  Once we were finished, if he hadn’t eaten, I would then make him something else and he ate at the table alone while Kraig and Taylor played in the living room and I cleaned up the kitchen.

And then something changed.
He began (I suppose, anyway) tiring of the constant time outs and isolation and actually started taking more than just a “no thank you bite!”  Often at his own will!  And, low and behold, he found that he actually could tolerate and even enjoy some of the tastes and textures he was experiencing.

It was a dinner miracle!!!
This has been going on for at least two months now and steadily getting better.  I can’t even remember the last time I made him a separate meal.  He does still complain and cry a little from time to time about having to try new things or eat several bites of something he’s not crazy about, but things are nowhere near the way they were and, whew, I am so thankful!

Here he is showing off what a good little variety eater he is becoming (this pic was taken one night at dinner when we realized we’d had several dinners in a row with no crying!)



And here is big sis showing us what an awesomely great little variety eater she has always been :D  (She was too funny with this whole “let’s teach Rylan to have better food variety” thing.  She would make Rylan look at her then slowly and deliberately put a big bite of food in her mouth and chew it ever so carefully while saying “Watch Sissy.  Mmmmmm, this is good.  Sissy likes it!”  It was just the cutest thing ever.)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

It’s my best friend’s birthday!


I love this man so incredibly much. 
He is the most amazing husband and the absolute best father and I am so, so blessed that he’s MINE (well…OURS, since I do share him with those other two adorable faces in the photo)!  And, with that, I’m wishing him the happiest 32nd birthday ever!  I love you, Kraig.  Thank you for being THE BEST!!! 

And, for all of you, my faithful readers (though I’m not a faithful blogger), I Googled “romantic birthday messages” and here’s what I came up with:

Thinking of you with love on your birthday and wishing you everything that brings you happiness today and always.
To the world, you may be one person. But to me, you are the world.
It's as easy to stay in love with you as it was to fall in love.
Happy Birthday my love!
It is not being in love that makes me happy but it is being in love with YOU that makes me happy.
With each year I love you more and more.
I'm enthralled by your beauty, mesmerized by your charisma and spellbound by your love. No wonder I am always thinking about you.
It's always a treat to wish Happy Birthday to someone so sweet.
My heart for you will never break. My smile for you will never fade. My love for you will never end. I love you.
Happy Birthday my dearest and sweetest, not a day goes by when I do not think of you and how empty my life would be if you were not here.
With each year I'll love you more. Remember that your best years are still ahead of you and I'll be there for every up down and in between.
Because you're the gift in my life, I give you my gift of love.
I know your lives are all the richer for reading those.  You’re welcome.  (And I’m totally using that last one on Kraig and see if he still expects a present, lol ;D)

I’ve been on a blog sabbatical.

Ok, so it’s more like I’ve just been neglecting my blog, but it sounds better when it comes across as more of an intentional choice ~ HA! ;0)  It’s really not that I want to or even intend to completely ignore my blog, but, rather, I have SO MUCH going on in my brain that it’s hard for me to sit and really write about just one thing. 
I’ve had A LOT on my mind lately so it’s hard to narrow down a specific topic and go with it.  I’ve been journaling a lot the last month or so and, WOW, can I ramble!  That’s what a journal is for though, I guess.  It’s just a great place for me to pour out my thoughts without fear of judgment for grammatical correctness or inconsistencies.
The main purpose for this blog though is to talk about my children and show you their beautiful faces

so, hopefully, over the next few weeks, you will see that…
I promise I’m really going to try!    

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

What am I going to do?

I used to hear parents complain about their children being picky or finicky eaters.  I just didn't understand this.  You've heard the expression "Picky eaters aren't born, they're made"?  I believed this to a extent.

Until now.



Oh my, Rylan is giving us a run for our money in the food department!  Don't get me wrong, he's a huge kid...over 90th percentile in both height and weight according to his 15 month checkup stats...so I'm not concerned that he's not eating enough, but, rather, when it comes to food variety, he has none.  And the older he gets, the less variety he accepts.


When he started eating baby food, he liked all varities that I gave him and I thought, Great!  Then when we started giving him table food from time to time, he would eat it and seemed to enjoy whatever we offered him.  Well, when it came time to actually transition from baby food to table food, we somehow hit a wall. 

An increasingly growing wall.



I really thought transitioning from baby food to table food would be easy with Rylan because it was with Taylor.  Actually, she pretty much transitioned herself.  Around ten months old she started refusing her baby food, but would pretty much eat anything and everything else that we gave her.  Rylan, on the other hand...

Not so much.



At first he refused a lot of things, but also accepted a lot of things so I just thought, Okay, he's not going to be one of those "eats anything" kind of people like I am, but, rather, he will have slightly more preferences like his daddy does.  And I was ok with that because he was at least trying the foods we offered him.



But now we can hardly get him to do that without him having a huge crying fit :(

I just don't know what I'm going to do with this adorabley frustrating little boy.



While we do make him take a "no thank you" bite, we aren't enforcing that he eat what we're serving as we feel he's a bit too young to understand this.  Plus, when he's hungry, he is CRANKY!  But...

His party is soon over!!!

We will give him a few more months (he's 17 months now so probably when he's closer to 2 years and is better able to understand reason) then the hammer comes down.  There will be no special chicken nuggets cooked or peanut butter sandwiches made.  There will be no yogurt cups offered or bananas peeled.

He will either eat what is served to him at meal time or he will wait until the next appointed snack time or meal time to eat.

That sounds so harsh, I know.

But, seriously people, what else should we do???

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

I love him

I'm going to take this blog post opportunity to brag on my husband :-) .



Because I love him and he more than deserves it.



There have been several things as of late that cause me to go, "Wow, I am one lucky girl!"  He is just so everything I ever wanted and feel so blessed that God gave him to me.  Don't get me wrong, I get plenty aggravated with him and frustrated at him sometimes, but it's usually shortly after those moments that I think to myself, "Why I am so aggravated or frustrated about that when he has so many wonderful qualities and awesome character traits???"

One of the main things I love about him is his passion to be a good dad to our kids.  I know of so many dads out there who just aren't that "into" their children.  I'm not saying they don't love their kids or that they don't want to provide for them, but Kraig wants to go above and beyond that.  He takes part in teaching our children, in playing with them, even in correcting and discipling them when necessary.  And he does all of this without me nagging at him to do so.  It's just who he is being the kind of dad he wants to be.  If he needs to run errands on a Saturday or a day when he's off work, he usually asks Taylor is she'd like to go with him.  He knows she loves to be out and about and she especially loves riding in Daddy's truck!  Often when he's working outside or in his garage, Rylan wants to be out there too so Kraig lets him (as long as it's safe, of course) and does his work while keeping his eye on Rylan (which is no easy task and probably makes whatever he's doing take twice as long!).  I appreciate that he takes the time and opportunities to be the leader to our children and to be the role model they each need.  I also love that he wants to take individual time with them whenever possible.  I know they might not realize it now or even know to appreciate it now, but I know this is something that, espeically when they are older, they will look back on and be so grateful for.





I also love so much that Kraig has never questioned my desire to be home with our kids.  Before we ever got married, this is something we discussed and decided...that I would become a stay home mom once we had kids.  It's one reason we waited seven years to start our family!  Not that we have it all together, but we wanted to reach certain financial goals (mainly no debt other than our house) before bringing a new life and responsibility into our lives all while losing an income.  I'll admit, going from two full time incomes down to pretty much just one income (I do still work usually just one day per week) over five years ago was very challenging to say the least.  There are a lot of things we had to change and even just plain give up, but Kraig never complained (and still doesn't!).  He loves to have his "man toys" ('62 Chevy, motorcycle) and his fun hobbies (car tinkering, gun collecting) and things like that, but he finds creative ways to save and even make extra money sometimes to pay for those things.  I'm sure he would like to do more on a regular basis, but he doesn't make that  his priority and I'm so thankful for that.



It's also wonderful to me that he is just HOME.  He's home from work by 5pm and, while I know he'd love to make more money or have a job where there is opportunity for overtime, it's so nice that he gets to be HERE.  He's not constantly at work.  He's also not going out after work with "the guys" or hanging out with "the guys" on the weekends.  When he's not at work, he's with his family and I just find that incredible because, trust me, we are not always that lovely to be with LOL ;0)

Since he was a teenager, Kraig's life verse has been

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:  for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." ~ Luke 6:45

How thankful and blessed I am that the abundance of Kraig's heart is that which is good!!!