I need to get this out there. Christmas totally stresses me out and it SHOULDN'T! I remember as a kid everything was so much simpler. Get presents and smile :-). Now that I'm married it's "who's house will we be at this year?", "what do I get so and so?", "aaahhhh, please don't get us anything so we don't have to feel obligated to get you anything!". I know that all sounds stupid but I think it's different for everyone based off the kind of family you have.
Every year we try to make it to every one's home for the holidays. If we're here for Thanksgiving we'll be there for Christmas. If we're there for Christmas we'll be over there for New Years. Obviously at Christmas it's all spread out from family to family because everyone wants everyone to be together. So Christmas Eve we'll be here, Christmas Day we'll be there. Blah blah blah.
It's exhausting.
This year I'm overwhelmed with everyone talking about shopping, shopping and more shopping especially when I can't be out doing the shopping too. And when I say this I really don't mean that I'm jealous that everyone is shopping and I'm not. I've really realized this year that it's crazy nuts for me to feel so upset and overwhelmed that I can't give the kind of gifts that we'll most likely get. We obviously fall into a whole different category when it comes to finances this year and we can't go all out...not that we would if we could. When did Christmas become about presents and the newest fad? What about the birth of Jesus? Hello? Is anyone out there?
I'm totally guilty of being way too excited about getting something new and I still have a lot of work to do to retrain my brain to think otherwise since Christmas presents have always been a big deal in my family.
Sean and I want to work really hard to start a new trend with our little family. Maybe instead of getting and getting and getting we'll take a year to just give to little kids who never get. Or maybe before getting Christmas presents we'll sit down and pick a few toys to giveaway. It's insanely crazy how many toys kids have these days...oh and the KIND of toys. Wii's, nintendo ds, laptops, cell phones. What ever happened to a baby doll, some fingernail polish and a pair of pajamas? Haha. It's like we're all setting our kids up to be selfish with an "I deserve this" attitude as if they didn't have a hard enough time as it is being born that way. Anyways, I'm just sayin. I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or anything. These are just things that I've been realizing now that I have my own kiddos AND since we're in a completely different position this year.
I don't want AK to feel like she has a right to receive. I want her to be happy and fulfilled in giving with a happy spirit. AND I want to be that way. I also want to be happy to give what I can give and happy about not going into debt doing it! Help me Lord.
Does anyone out there have any little traditions they do with their family to teach their little ones about Jesus and giving, and not being selfish, and being thankful for what you have??
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
33 weeks
Today marks 33 weeks of pregnancy! I can't believe I entered my eighth month last week...I think I forgot to mention that. I read today that she should most likely be head down now but I'm pretty sure that Friday night the girl was turning somersaults. Sean was even shocked by all the activity going on in there and that says a lot. He's not one of those daddies who oooh and aaah over every movement. It takes quite a bit to surprise him and he was indeed surprised by her activity. It was actually pretty uncomfortable. She was definitely letting me have it. I should've gotten it on video.
This morning, around 5:30 AM, I woke up with a terrible case of heartburn. I've been lucky so far not experience bad heartburn (just indigestion EVERY NIGHT for the past couple of weeks) but lastnight I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. AND then my sweet two year old came marching in soon after that like it was time to get up. No ma'am! I prayed that it would go away ASAP because I didn't have it in me to handle her and heartburn-it was that bad. It ceased almost immediately and we went back to bed until 9:30 :-). Thanks God!
The baby shower is quickly approaching and I'm getting excited to have a group of women to hang out with for a little while :-). Sean and I got to go out to dinner the other night and then I forced him to go to Target with me to register for some stuff and he took off with the little gun and added a $1600 humongous flat screen TV, a $300 ipod and some other really funny stuff. Not to mention random diapers that our little girl won't even wear and some outfits totally in the wrong size. I'll go online soon and delete a lot of the stuff, haha! He was just walking by tagging stuff. He wanted to see how far away he could be and the laser still work. MEN. It was funny none-the-less.
Well, there's a Christmas party here tonight and I have lots to get done before then. Happy Sunday everyone!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
we're excited!
BECAUSE ...
You know how we moved here a year ago thinking it would be a six month ordeal, at most, and then we'd be trucking right along? Well obviously it hasn't turned out that way and we've been wondering WHAT'S GOING ON!
My sweet husband has been searching high and low for a job that will fit our family well, provide for our needs and make us happy. Obviously, the making us happy part is just a plus, it's not a demand by any means. ANYWAYS, we are finally "yay close" to possibly having something that we feel fits us in all the right ways. There are still things we don't know about but will find out soon. I'm going to be pretty vague until we know more BUT...
Wait...first...a little history on the things we've had in our heart to do. Obviously there is the missionary pilot stuff my husband has been pursuing for yeeeeears. We're sooo close but for some reason there have been many roadblocks the past year it seems.
When I was an "older teenager", 18 or so, I had a huge desire to one day open a maternity home for unwed mothers who want help finding an adoptive family OR want help in learning how to raise their child. There are way more things involved than just that but that's the jest of it.
Then I met Sean, fell in love and we got married. All our energies were set on his aviation goals. We knocked them out one by one, all but this last and final step that keeps not happening. I figured wherever we ended up with his flying I could make my dreams happen there.
We started talking about the possibility of looking into being house parents. It sounds like something we'd both be really good at! He also has always had a desire to help "troubled" teenage girls. (I hate to use the word troubled because often they're not the problem at all, they just need to break some family cycles and learn healthy life skills.)
ANYWAYS, that's where this job possibility comes in. It's not a maternity home but it's a girls home in Kansas. We'd be house parents-responsible for up to seven girls. Our "job description", which I feel is not a job description at all, is us being leaders, encouragers, helpers, counselors (a parent form) to these girls who really need a solid and firm family environment in which to flourish. We'd have weekly meetings with the director and other house parents, I'd have other ladies around me with kids the same age as Anna-Kate, life would be very consistent and scheduled (which I LOOOOVE), Sean and I would both be home (which I also LOVE). There are many other things that I just can't think of right now because I'm so overwhelmed with it all-a good overwhelmed.
Sean and I have both talked to the director, him twice and me once. The conversations went really well. I really enjoyed getting to chat with him about the questions I had. After we got off the phone with him the other night we were even MORE excited about this actually possibly happening for us. We are going up there in a couple of weeks for a face to face greeting. There is one other couple in the "running" for the job. Whether we get it or not, we pray that whomever is going to fill this very important role at the ranch will be the right family. If that isn't us, we know God has something else in store. If we ARE offered the position, we will still be in prayer for a couple extra days about whether or not this is the place for us...unless for some reason we get there, meet everyone and just KNOW we're sold! No matter where it all goes, all we know is that we want to align with His will and stay under His covering. Simple as that.
If we do get the job and all is a go, we'll move after the baby is born-the end of Feb/beginning of March. There is a house parent family who moved there expecting a child, went back to their hometown to have the baby where insurance would cover it and then came back with a newborn. SO, I'm not too worried about it being doable. I'm waiting on an email from her so I can ask the "mom questions" I have. After those questions are answered I can't imagine how much more excited I'll be.
All of this comes in perfect time, and I mean PERFECT, if it is to come at all. I won't go into detail. I'm trying not to freak out about it. All of my excitement turns into great panic when I think about all we have to get done in two small months and with a newbie on the way.
So God, please come through.
I'll keep you updated as I know more. Until then, please keep us in your prayers.
You know how we moved here a year ago thinking it would be a six month ordeal, at most, and then we'd be trucking right along? Well obviously it hasn't turned out that way and we've been wondering WHAT'S GOING ON!
My sweet husband has been searching high and low for a job that will fit our family well, provide for our needs and make us happy. Obviously, the making us happy part is just a plus, it's not a demand by any means. ANYWAYS, we are finally "yay close" to possibly having something that we feel fits us in all the right ways. There are still things we don't know about but will find out soon. I'm going to be pretty vague until we know more BUT...
Wait...first...a little history on the things we've had in our heart to do. Obviously there is the missionary pilot stuff my husband has been pursuing for yeeeeears. We're sooo close but for some reason there have been many roadblocks the past year it seems.
When I was an "older teenager", 18 or so, I had a huge desire to one day open a maternity home for unwed mothers who want help finding an adoptive family OR want help in learning how to raise their child. There are way more things involved than just that but that's the jest of it.
Then I met Sean, fell in love and we got married. All our energies were set on his aviation goals. We knocked them out one by one, all but this last and final step that keeps not happening. I figured wherever we ended up with his flying I could make my dreams happen there.
We started talking about the possibility of looking into being house parents. It sounds like something we'd both be really good at! He also has always had a desire to help "troubled" teenage girls. (I hate to use the word troubled because often they're not the problem at all, they just need to break some family cycles and learn healthy life skills.)
ANYWAYS, that's where this job possibility comes in. It's not a maternity home but it's a girls home in Kansas. We'd be house parents-responsible for up to seven girls. Our "job description", which I feel is not a job description at all, is us being leaders, encouragers, helpers, counselors (a parent form) to these girls who really need a solid and firm family environment in which to flourish. We'd have weekly meetings with the director and other house parents, I'd have other ladies around me with kids the same age as Anna-Kate, life would be very consistent and scheduled (which I LOOOOVE), Sean and I would both be home (which I also LOVE). There are many other things that I just can't think of right now because I'm so overwhelmed with it all-a good overwhelmed.
Sean and I have both talked to the director, him twice and me once. The conversations went really well. I really enjoyed getting to chat with him about the questions I had. After we got off the phone with him the other night we were even MORE excited about this actually possibly happening for us. We are going up there in a couple of weeks for a face to face greeting. There is one other couple in the "running" for the job. Whether we get it or not, we pray that whomever is going to fill this very important role at the ranch will be the right family. If that isn't us, we know God has something else in store. If we ARE offered the position, we will still be in prayer for a couple extra days about whether or not this is the place for us...unless for some reason we get there, meet everyone and just KNOW we're sold! No matter where it all goes, all we know is that we want to align with His will and stay under His covering. Simple as that.
If we do get the job and all is a go, we'll move after the baby is born-the end of Feb/beginning of March. There is a house parent family who moved there expecting a child, went back to their hometown to have the baby where insurance would cover it and then came back with a newborn. SO, I'm not too worried about it being doable. I'm waiting on an email from her so I can ask the "mom questions" I have. After those questions are answered I can't imagine how much more excited I'll be.
All of this comes in perfect time, and I mean PERFECT, if it is to come at all. I won't go into detail. I'm trying not to freak out about it. All of my excitement turns into great panic when I think about all we have to get done in two small months and with a newbie on the way.
So God, please come through.
I'll keep you updated as I know more. Until then, please keep us in your prayers.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
my santa baby
I just couldn't save this until Christmas!!! Sean's little brother and sisters sent AK this Santa outfit the other day and I had to get a picture of her in it to send them a Merry Christmas/Thank you picture of her in it. They bought it themselves and had it sent to her. How sweet is that. Let me just say really fast, the little brother is 18 and the little sisters are 16 and 13 so I'd have to say it's pretty special for her to get something from her aunts and uncle.
She wasn't really wanting to cooperate for the picture but you can't not laugh when mommy counts, "oooooone, twwooooo" and then smacks herself in the head. Worked like a charm!
There's no way around loving that little santa baby. She makes me feel all mushy inside.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
I love Christmas time
Remember how I mentioned here that I was a little bummed about the Christmas season because we wouldn't be having a tree this year just as we didn't have one last year? Well, after a failed attempt to borrow one a friend offered to let us use (because she couldn't find it) my MIL went out and got a little skinny 6 foot tree because she had bent her good one all up by packing it wrong. She wanted to get something just to "get by" this year and get us by this little tree does! We put it on a table in the corner out of reach from little fingers and it works nicely there. I wrapped that sucker in 5 strands of colored lights and we have ourself a purdy little tree going. I opted for no ornaments but I'm pretty sure my MIL will be adding some random things to it soon. Until then, I'll enjoy the simplicity of it.
THEN, a sweet IRL friend read my blog and emailed me about picking up some Christmas decorations that she was getting rid of. I was super duper excited about that. Since I went to Waco last weekend I scheduled a time to pick them up and was actually shocked about the amount of stuff she had waiting on her porch. I was just thinking a small box or so but it ended up being three boxes and some loose things. I walked away with a tree topper that I made into a mini tree for AK's room, some fun Christmasy hand towels, a wreath (which I've ALWAYS wanted but have never had one!), some stalkings!!!, place mats, some glass santa and snowman dishes, this cute wintery penguin soap dispenser, and even some wrapping paper! There were more things but I'm having a hard time remembering it all. I must say I was super blessed by her "trash" and am so thankful she wanted to bless me with it. It's no Kelly's Korner in our home but I'm thankful for every single "get me in the spirit" thing going on.
My MIL has a huge wreath on the front door so I took my first and only wreath and brought Christmas to our bedroom. It's hanging above our bookshelf where a dead clock once took up residence. I've been needing to replace that stinkin battery for a couple months now...this buys me some more time. MIL also has her own stalkings soooo I took the two identical ones given to us and hung them on each end of our curtain rod in our room. I smile every time I walk in there...even if I'm reminded by the pile of clean clothes laying in Isabelle's cradle that I'm running a bit behind.
Here are a handful of pics of Christmas in "our home" this year. I'm thankful for each bit of it!
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH JENNI!
Now I'll just sit and enjoy me some Shane & Shane Christmas music while drinking a nice toasty cup of hot chocolate.
Aaahhhh, I love Christmas time.
THEN, a sweet IRL friend read my blog and emailed me about picking up some Christmas decorations that she was getting rid of. I was super duper excited about that. Since I went to Waco last weekend I scheduled a time to pick them up and was actually shocked about the amount of stuff she had waiting on her porch. I was just thinking a small box or so but it ended up being three boxes and some loose things. I walked away with a tree topper that I made into a mini tree for AK's room, some fun Christmasy hand towels, a wreath (which I've ALWAYS wanted but have never had one!), some stalkings!!!, place mats, some glass santa and snowman dishes, this cute wintery penguin soap dispenser, and even some wrapping paper! There were more things but I'm having a hard time remembering it all. I must say I was super blessed by her "trash" and am so thankful she wanted to bless me with it. It's no Kelly's Korner in our home but I'm thankful for every single "get me in the spirit" thing going on.
My MIL has a huge wreath on the front door so I took my first and only wreath and brought Christmas to our bedroom. It's hanging above our bookshelf where a dead clock once took up residence. I've been needing to replace that stinkin battery for a couple months now...this buys me some more time. MIL also has her own stalkings soooo I took the two identical ones given to us and hung them on each end of our curtain rod in our room. I smile every time I walk in there...even if I'm reminded by the pile of clean clothes laying in Isabelle's cradle that I'm running a bit behind.
Here are a handful of pics of Christmas in "our home" this year. I'm thankful for each bit of it!
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH JENNI!
Now I'll just sit and enjoy me some Shane & Shane Christmas music while drinking a nice toasty cup of hot chocolate.
Aaahhhh, I love Christmas time.
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