Proverbs 31 Woman

Funny Follow-up

2012-02-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

After posting the previous post, Guilt No More, I logged onto Facebook only to see someone post a link to the following article from thegospelcoalition.org (click on the link to take you to the original article for credits). I thought it would be a fitting follow-up to my post.

How Much Is a Homemaker Worth?

The Story: A study conducted by the financial service company Mint found that the sum value of different homemaking duties annually amounts to almost six figures. If a homemaker's job were salaried, it would draw, on average, $96,291 per year. Tasks accounted for in the study included private chef, house cleaner, child care provider, driver, and laundry service provider.
The Background: There's no escaping the fact that contemporary society often scoffs at stay-at-home moms. "This isn't the 1950s anymore," the thinking goes. "Why in the world would someone want to be imprisoned in her own home?" The common idea, of course, is that many responsibilities on the home front should be outsourced, thus releasing moms from domestic shackles to realize their vocational dreams. While such a mindset isn't automatically wrongheaded in every case, it can frequently betray a prioritization that is biblically questionable.
Why It Matters: Proverbs 14:1 states: "The wise woman builds her house." While the monetary value and practical feasibility of full-time homemaking may vary from home to home, what remains constant is the irreplaceable significance of a homemaker's contributions. The Mint article concludes, "The daily work of a homemaker can sometimes be taken for granted....However, these services could earn a homemaker a considerable wage if he or she took those skills to the marketplace. Homemakers, in general, contribute a lot more to the home in addition to these tasks and no amount of money can fill those needs."
Indeed, no study could ever fully quantify the service of a mother who "looks well to the ways of her household" (Prov. 31:27). At the very least, this research should prompt us to express fresh appreciation to those stay-at-home moms whom we love and who, though receiving little recognition in the eyes of the world, are faithful and treasured in the eyes of their King.

Guilt No More

2012-02-03T13:24:00.001-05:00

     I have to admit that I've often felt guilty about being a stay at home mom (SAHM). I've had thoughts of inadequacy that have led me to think that maybe our family would be better off if I went back to teaching. I feel that I've put a lot a pressure on my husband as he is the sole provider of income for our family. When I look at the small amount of money in our checking account, the house full of hand-me-down furniture, the one car parked in our carport, I often think that if only I wasn't a SAHM then I could fix these "problems." Then on a spiritual level, I feel that I'm not making enough of an impact on the lost world around me because I'm just sitting at home all day with 2 kids and a dirty house.
     I was thinking about these things yesterday as I was doing my daily chores when I felt the Lord say to me, "don't forget I CALLED you to this." I had forgotten. I had forgotten that when the Lord calls us to something He provides. He has taken care of us on one income. We have never gone hungry, unclothed, and unsheltered. In fact when I look at our finances, I'm always reminded that God is the one who carries us day to day. He really is the sole provider of this family. Yes, we aren't living the "American dream" with a house that has 3 times more space than we really need filled with name brand stuff with 3 cars parked in a 3 car garage when only 2 people in the house can drive. But we are living a dream bigger than all the money in the world can provide.
     God reminded me that I am making an impact on this lost world around me. The early years of a child's life are the most crucial in developing a Godly world view in that child's life. Since I'm at home with the children and I plan on homeschooling, then I have a major responsibility in discipling my children into people who love Christ with their whole being who are not afraid to live a radical life following Him. I'm discipling my children so that as they grow older they will in turn reach out to the lost world. I AM making an impact on the lost world.
     All this boils down to where our treasures lie. If I keep my focus on things of God, then everything falls into proper perspective. When my time on earth is over, it won't matter about how much money we had or how much nice stuff we owned. Therefore, I will no longer feel guilty. (Well, at least I will do my best. It will be a constant battle of the flesh to overcome.) God has called me to be a SAHM and to help support my husband in ministry. I wouldn't have it any other way. God is so good. He's so good to me.

[Note: If you are not a SAHM, please don't take what I said to be that every woman should be a SAHM. That just isn't so. As long as you are doing what God called you to do, then you have nothing to worry about. May God bless you and your family in whatever role He has called you to.]

Where's Parker?

2012-02-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

I went to wake Parker up from his nap. I looked at his empty bed and around the room until I finally spotted him. See if you can find him.

See pictures below for hint.

Apparently it is really nice to sleep in a tube on the floor. He has taken several naps and even slept the entire night in this. Hey, as long as he's sleeping it is fine with me.

This is what you get...

2012-02-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

...when a two and a half year old who still needs a nap but refuses to nap finally sits down to watch a movie. And I finally got to cook supper in peace!

Ellis at 6 Months

2012-02-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

Tear! It has been a half a year since I first held my beautiful baby girl. She just continues to light up our lives more and more every day. Here are some fun facts about Ellis this month.

She weighs 13 lbs. 14 oz. (between the 10-25th percentile) and is 25 inches long (25th percentile). I was worried when they first weighed her and she had only gained 2 oz. since her 4 month check up, but the doctor says everything is great.
She's working hard at trying to roll over back to front. She gets so frustrated as she's on her side trying desperatly to reach the toy that has caught her eye.
She sits up on her own really well, although not to the point I would just sit her down and leave her. She will still fall over is she's concentrating hard on something.
She loves to sit in her Bumbo (Thanks Aunt Mollie and Uncle Michael for letting us use yours!)
Some of her favorite toys are crinkle money, rattles, links, and soft blocks.
She twirls her feet. I think it is the cutest thing!
She has some serious stranger anxiety. If a stranger or someone she doesn't see often talks to her she starts screaming. I mean SCREAMING. It's really funny to see people's reaction when their sweet hellos are only met with a loud scream.
Her and Parker are beginning to play with each other. Well, as much as a sixth month old and 2 1/2 year old can. She really enjoys Parker. Parker is really good with her.
She has gotten much better with her naps. She rarely cries now when I lay her down or just a little bit, and she is sleeping much longer.
She is still not interested in solids. Although she improved a little the last time I gave her some, she didn't gag but still made some awful faces.
She loves to jump, especially as someone's holding her. She gets those legs just a-going.
She has discovered the joy of squealling.
Although I still think seeing a tooth in her mouth is a little bit away, she is chewing things like crazy. You can see where the teeth are in her gums, but they are not to the point where the gums are red and puffy.
She's a very sweet little girl, although she will let you know if you do something she doesn't like. I guess you can say she's not afraid to express her opinion!

Go for the Goal!

2012-01-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

So, I'm starting something new this week. Something that I've always wanted to do, but quite frankly, I've been lazy about doing it. I've created me a Home Management Organizer to help me be a better steward of my time and household. The inspiration that go me started was moneysavingmom.com's articles on creating goals. Crystal Paine, the creator of the website, has a goal creating document that starts by indentifying priorities. Then from your priorities you have focus areas and then break those focus areas down into smaller goals. This has helped me tremendously.
I have to admit. Prior to this I was not one to make and live by goals. Sure, I would occasionally write down a to-do list for the day, but beyond that I thought I could be productive without written down goals. Boy was I wrong. Creating these goals has been very inspiring to me. It's kind of like teaching again. I've created Long Range Plans and every week my Short Range Plans are based on my goals. (My NGU professors would be so proud.) I'll share more about my goals in other posts.
Part of keeping myself organized, I've created a weekly management sheet. On it I have Daily To-dos, Weekly To-dos that I've assigned a day of the week, and a meal plan for the week. So far, this has been really helpful. I haven't perfected living by it yet. It would have helped if I would have gotten up early this morning. I chose to sleep in a little because Ellis was up crying every hour until about 2 in the morning, so I was a little tired. [Side note: what causes a child who usually sleeps from about 8-7 to one night wake up and cry like crazy? My best guess was she was cold because after I added a layer of clothing and rocked her a little I didn't hear anything from her until 8:15 am.]
I say all this to hopefully inspire you to set some goals of your own. You might be amazed at what you can accomplish.

I Just Couldn't Help Myself

2012-01-17T23:01:00.000-05:00

I had to share a few adorable pictures of an adorable, little girl.

This is what you get...

2012-01-17T22:35:00.000-05:00

when you are potty training and you need to wash a load of laundry.

I laughed so hard when I put the shoes on Parker so he could go take off the trash with Paul. I laughed for about 10 minutes. Is it bad to laugh at your child like that?

Speaking of potty training, things are progressing. We are having few accidents. He did really well on Sunday although I thought he wouldn't since he was wearing a pull-up. I think he was excited to have a new audience to tell that he went "pee pee" in the potty. We are still having trouble with him pooping in the potty. He goes and gets a diaper when he feels like he needs to poop, and most of the time he poops when he's in his diaper during nap time or before bed. Well, it's a process.

Doing vs. Being

2012-01-12T23:36:00.000-05:00

     "We focus on what God wants us to do and forget the kind of people He wants us to be." I read that line in Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I just had to stop and think on it for a while. Oh, how that is so true! Without realizing it, we have changed our relationship with God to a works-based religion instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into who God wants us to be, a reflection of Jesus Christ. In fact, in most churches we teach a works-based religion although we "preach" salvation by grace through faith. We don't do it intentionally. It's just a focus change. Maybe it's one of Satan's schemes to tweak something that seems good into something that is really bad.
     Think about it. There's a different focal point for each senario. When we focus on what God wants us to do, i.e. read the Bible, pray, go to church, keep yourself pure, don't gossip, etc, the focus becomes about us. We are the ones trying to carry out what should be the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we succeed at living what seems to be a good life, we feel good about ourselves and we may even receive praise from others.
     When we are focused on who God wants us to be, then that leads to the kind of transformation that can ONLY be done by the Holy Spirit. It takes us out of the picture. We can no longer fake living the "good Christian life." We are so depraved that we cannot manifest what we need in order to live like Christ, so if we are being transformed into the image of Christ, then it has to be the work of the Holy Spirit. We would have to live according to Romans 12:1 as "a living and holy sacrifice" where we are dead to our own desires but living by the power of God. Our lives become an act of worship that points to the glory of Christ.
     On the surface the differences seem so subtle, but with a deeper look, doing and being are world's apart. I want to be like Christ. I want to exude His presence. I want my life to be an act of worship. I don't want to just settle for a check list of actions that if I do or don't do, then I'm good to go. I pray that the church, the bride of Christ, realizes the difference. I would imagine that if we all focused more on being like Christ, then we would make a huge impact on this lost and desperate world.

I really want one of these!

2012-01-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

That's the Electric Wondermill Whisper Mill. Yes, I know I'm weird. But the idea of milling fresh whole wheat flour then making a super yummy loaf of bread and eating it fresh out of the oven with a little bit of butter that melts into every fluffy nook and cranny (Is your mouth watering now?) sounds so exciting and yummy. Not only would it taste better than any loaf of bread ever, but it would be even more nutritional than any whole wheat bread I could buy or make with store bought flour. I could also mill fresh cornmeal....yummy cornbread. I could also make the freshest of fresh whole wheat pasta, pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc. Yes, I really am crazy. Since it cost $259.95, it will remain a dream. Plus I would have to find wheat to grind. Maybe I'll win a Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. Then, I'll buy me one of these along with a wheat farm. Then, I could be in carbohydrate heaven.

Day 2, 3, and 4

2012-01-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

So I have to admit things aren't going as well as I hoped. Ellis is quite the stubborn little thing. She cries and cries before she will finally fall asleep and still only sleep for maybe 30 minutes. Of course, I haven't helped. The past 2 days I have gone over to my sister's for supper, so therefore she has taken her evening naps in my arms. I know that consistency is the key, and that doesn't help with the consistency.
As far as Parker goes, yesterday and today he's been in diapers. He wanted to wear diapers so I let him. You maybe thinking, "You're the parent. It's not about what he wants." Yes, that's true, but I also know that toddlers love to do what you don't want them to do and hate to do what you want them to do. So, I'm playing it cool on the potty training thing, like it doesn't matter to me if he wears diapers or underware. We'll try again in a few days, and see what happens.

Day One of the Kid's Resoutions

2012-01-03T21:22:00.000-05:00

So I made some resolutions for my children this year. I made some for myself as well. Well, I made goals. I like to say goals rather than resolutions. Anyway...
If you've read my previous posts on Ellis, you know that she is not a good napper. She wants to be rocked to sleep and then she doesn't sleep very long. I know that she has the ability to fall asleep on her own because she does it at night and sleeps all night long. So, my goal for her is to get her to fall asleep on her own for naps. I can't really control how long she sleeps, but that will get probably get better on it's own since she is starting falling into a more regular nap schedule.
My goal for Parker is for him to be potty trained. I haven't really worked hard at potty training him yet. He has some underware that he has worn occasionally, and when he is interested, he uses the potty. But I'm ready to cut down on buying diapers, so we are cutting out diapers except for when he's sleeping or we are out and about.
Day one results:
For Ellis, she cried for a little over an hour for her morning nap, then only slept for about 20 minutes. For her afternoon nap, she cried for less than 15 minutes and then slept for an hour and a half! I was so amazed. I guess she was so tired from her morning nap protest. She cried or I should say screamed for 30 minutes for the evening nap and then I got her up because at that point it was pointless for her to take an evening nap. I just put her to bed early. All in all, not bad for day one.
For Parker, I'm currently washing almost all of the underware we have for him. He wet every pair that he put on except for the last pair that he had on before bedtime. But that said, he did well. He would start to go and then realize it and he would come and get me and finish in the potty. The first couple of times were the only ones where he went enough for it to get on the floor. So, he made progress throughout the day.

These two...

2011-12-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

are just the most precious blessings in my life.

Mr. Fix-It

2011-12-29T15:50:00.000-05:00

Handy man in training complete with the would be plumber's crack if he didn't have on a diaper.

Getting Big

2011-12-28T23:13:00.003-05:00

I don't post every month about Parker like I do Ellis, but since Parker has done so much growing up lately I wanted to tell you about him.

He's starting to say more and more. Parker has been a little slower on his expressive language, but he is starting to catch up on that. He's still hard to understand unless you're with him all the time like me.
He is a little sponge. He soaks up so much of the world around him. Paul and I will notice him do something new, and we look at each other and say, "when did he learn that!"
He is Mr. Independent. He doesn't want any help and he will let you know it.
He likes things the stay in order. If something gets out of place, he makes sure it gets back to where it belongs.
The boy is obsessed with trains. He plays with trains, watches train shows, takes any small objects and lines them up like trains, talks about trains, wears clothes with trains on them, spots trains when we are out and about, and even thanks God for "choo choos" when we say our bed time prayers. It is now my ammunition for good behavior.
He's discovered that it is fun to jump. He hops around the house. He sneakily tries to jump on the bed. (He has a knot on his head right now because of this.)
He loves to play in the water. When I'm working in the kitchen, he pulls a chair up to the sink. I fill it with a little bit of water and give him cups, and he is happy for hours. He also loves a bath. He will play in the tub until he's pruny.
Although he likes to play in water, he can't stand it if his clothes get wet. If he gets just a little blot of water on his clothes, he takes them off. This is not a good thing when he spills a little on himself when we are out in public.
He continues to be a daddy's boy. Once I weaned that boy, that was it for me. If Paul is home, he is stuck to him like glue.
He thinks it is so funny when Paul blows his nose, clears his throat, burps, or poots. I think it's a boy thing.
He likes to get forks, spoons, and knives (don't worry, they're just butter knives) for everyone out of the drawer. Our dishwasher is constantly filled with flatware because he gets out more than what we need.
He has a sweet tooth just like me. After every meal, he asks for "nandy." He gets quite upset if he doesn't get some.
He is still a snuggle bug. He loves to cuddle, and you won't ever hear me complain about that.
He is just the most amazing little boy there could possibly be.

This is Parker watching the trains at Elgin Lights. He would still be there right now watching the trains if we would have let him.

Ellis at 5 Months

2011-12-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

One more month and my baby girl will be a half year old. Time just goes too quickly. Along with the quick passage of time, Ellis changes and grows so fast. It's amazing to me how much babies change in the first year of life. So here's the list of Ellis at 5 months.

She rolled over for the first time front to back at 5 months and one day. I didn't have time to get the camera. She was having some tummy time, and I was doing something with Parker. I looked over at her and she was on her side and then quickly rolled onto her back.
She celebrated her first Christmas. Most of the present opening times she was asleep. As much as a 5 month old can, I think she enjoyed her first Christmas.
She really starting to enjoy her toys. They catch her attention and she grabs them. Depending on the toy, it goes to her mouth.
She laughs such a cute little laugh when you play games with her like getting her belly or peek-a-boo.
She likes her bed. We figured this out over Christmas. She woke up over and over again while we were away. When we got home, she went to sleep and slept all night without a peep.
She has some beautiful blue eyes. They have gotten lighter since birth. I'm pretty sure they are going to stay blue. She definately has her daddy's eyes.
She holds herself up really well. She can't sit up completely on her own yet, but she's on her way there.
She loves to make (I hate to say this) pooting noises with her mouth. She will do it over and over again. Sometimes she ends up making bubbles with her mouth which makes Parker really excited.
She still has no hair, and what hair she has is light. Bless her heart, she gets it honest. I didn't get hair until I was around 2, and Parker at 2 years 5 months has yet to have his first hair cut.
She just absolutely the cutest thing in the world. I maybe just a little bias.

How Did That Happen?

2011-12-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to unloading the dishwasher today. Some of the slots were totally void of flatware. For some reason, we used a lot of big and little forks and most were in the dishwasher clean, waiting to be put in their proper place. Some were used after the dishwasher was loaded and were waiting to be loaded, and some had been in that clean load and then pulled out of there to be used because there were no forks in the drawer. I've been trying to be better about unloading the dishwasher after it's finished, but this time I hadn't.
I'll admit it. Sometimes I'm lazy. Sometimes I'm a lousy housekeeper. Sometimes I'm just distracted by nursing a 4 month old while keeping a 2 year old from completely destroying the house. I'm no longer ashamed of that. I read in A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God that the only thing I have to be ashamed of is my sin. Since not keeping a house in perfectly pristine order is not a sin, then I can't be ashamed. Anyway, I digress.
As I was saying, the flatware slots were empty of the flatware, but I noticed that in those slots were food crumbs. Yes, food crumbs. Now, someone please tell me how food crumbs get into the slots where I put CLEAN, fresh out of the diswasher flatware? It remains a mystery to me.

Budget...Ugh!

2011-12-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

Most people cringe when they hear the word budget because they feel like it is some type of restraint. I like the idea of having a budget. Since money is tight, I want to make sure we spend it wisely, and a budget helps. However, I still cringe when I hear the word budget just because I don't like creating one. The process of making a budget is what I hate. I don't mind the living by a budget part.
For all of our 5+ married years, Paul and I have probably created 6,529 different budget plans and have yet to really stick to living by any one of them. That is about to change. It has to change. Since money is tight, we are going to have to be dilligent and be good managers of what God has entrusted to us.
This time around we are taking a different approach, the one we should have taken all along. God's will for our lives is to bring Him glory. Everything we do should be an act of worship to God. All that we own by the world's definition of ownership really doesn't belong to us. It is all His. He doesn't owe us anything. So, why haven't we consulted God in how to manage what is rightfully His? So many times we just sat down and logically created a budget. We'd punch some numbers in, and with the little we were working with, it never seemed to work out right. (It is truly by the Lord's blessing that we are not in debt up to our eyeballs. I don't know how He did it, but He has taken care of us financially when it seemed impossible. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!) A few days later, the budget might as well have been in the trash because we weren't really using it.
Again I ask, why haven't we consulted God in how to manage what is His? That will be the difference this time around. We are giving our budget over to God. We are seeking His wisdom (James 1:5). We are asking for God to transform us by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). I know this means that we are going to have to make some major changes in how we think and live, but I know that we will be better off.
I just want to add that creating a budget is not about finding security in money. I struggle with that. I'm learning to find my complete security in Christ. Creating a budget will help us to be better stewards of what we have been given, and therefore, we will be able to better invest in the Kingdom work of Christ.
I'm putting this out there not to bore you to death but for accountability purposes. I know this won't be easy. So, if you would like, pray for us as we create the budget. Pray that Paul and I will be of like mind with Christ. Pray that God will reveal areas that we haven't surrendered to Him. Pray that God will give us the strength to surrender all to Him. Pray that our minds will be focused on things of eternity and that we will view our "possessions" as avenues to invest in those eternal things.

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for who I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3:7-8 (Go read that chapter. It's good stuff. Seriously, go read it.)

Simple Christmas

2011-12-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, celebrating the birth of my Savior is one of the most exciting times of the year. However, for many Christians, and for non-believers as well, Christmas tends to be a stressful time of year. I am determined that not be true for our family. The American Dream has stolen the joy of celebrating the miraculous birth of our Savior who laid aside his rights as God and became flesh in order to provide the way for salvation to a helpless and hopeless, fallen world. It makes me mad how Christians get mad over stores selling "Holiday trees" or only saying "Happy Holidays," but they are no different from the rest of the world in their Christmas celebrations except for the fact that the post "I'm keeping Christ in CHRISTmas" to their facebook statuses.
Through what God has been teaching me, there were somethings I wanted to change about our Christmas celebrations this year.
1. Celebrate Advent. I'm not talking about the kind where you open a little box or envelope and get some piece of candy or other trinket. I'm talking about the kind where you emphasize the "coming" (which is what Advent means) of the Savior both in flesh as a little baby and His triumpant return. I'm a little behind on this one. I want to create a banner with an envelope for each letter of "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" (I know that it is 25 letters, but one extra won't hurt.) I'm going to put a verse with a special corresponding activity for each envelope.
2. Cut down on the gift giving. I just feel guilty getting more stuff when I already have so much, and all the people to whom I would give gifts are in the same boat. Let's face it. Even most of the poor in America have way more than we really need. Our family decided that we would only get gifts for the children and use the money we would have spent on ourselves to bless those who are in need.

We are doing this in addition to some of the things we are already doing like we give only 3 gifts to our children. We don't do the whole Santa thing. (To read more about this, read last year's post )
With all this, Christmas feels a lot more simple, more real, more pure. I know there is more we can do to focus our minds are the truth of Christmas, so I'll just keep praying that the Lord continue to make the changes in me that He needs to in order to do that.

Colors

2011-12-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

Me: What color is my jacket?
Parker: geeen!
Me: What color is my shirt?
Parker: ite
Me: No, it's pink
Parker then lifts up my shirt and points to my belly.
Parker: ite
Me: Yes, my belly is white.

Yes, my belly has not seen the light of day since I was a teenager. It is pretty white.

Ellis at 4 months

2011-11-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it! Ellis is 4 months old! I promise it's true because she had her 4 month check up yesterday. Here's some little bits you might want to know about her right now. (They change and develop so, no too, quickly.)

Her stats: 12 lbs 13 oz; 24.5 in. She's in the 50th percentile for both.
She continues to be a good night sleepler. Sometimes a complete 12 hours. Sometimes she wakes up after 9 hours, eats, and goes back to sleep.
She's not a good napper, unless she has fallen asleep in her carseat after a trip out somewhere. Then she'll sleep for hours. Otherwise, it's usually about 30 minutes in her crib. I can't complain though because I'd rather her be a good night sleeper if I had to pick.
She has started reaching for and grabbing things. She doesn't really try to put them in her mouth though.
She has started the beginning process of rolling over. She will turn her body to her side. I feel a little guilty that I don't give her a whole lot of floor time. I would love to spend all her waking moments playing with her on the floor, but...there's a house that needs at least a little attention.
She has celebrated her first Halloween although she didn't get dressed up.
She has celebrated her first Thanksgiving.
She really wants to be able to sit up on her own. She tries to pull her head up when she's sitting in her rocker. She can hold herself for a few moments when she is on my lap.
She's definately a mommy's girl. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts because I know the day will quickly come when her daddy will be the one, just like Parker.
She loves to watch Parker. He makes her smile and laugh. I can't blame her. He makes me smile and laugh too.

Speaking of Parker, it's 4:30pm, and he is still napping. If I don't go wake him right now, going to bed will be a difficult process tonight. I'm probably too late already.

Thankful

2011-11-23T22:18:00.000-05:00

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I wanted to take time out to list some things I am thankful for. Notice I said some, if I listed everything this would be the blog that never ends.
1. First and foremost, I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him I would still be a slave to sin, but now I am free. I have a freedom beyond any ideals of the freedom of a nation like America. It's so much deeper.
2. I am thankful for God the Father. God is creator. He is so powerful that He spoke the world into existence. In His power, I find peace and rest.
3. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit. He is God living in me. I can't fathom the depth of what that means; that I have an omnipotent, omniscent, sovereign, holy (I could go on...) God who reigns in me molding me into the image of Christ.
I know that all three-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- are one but I wanted to make a distinction of the gratefulness that I have for each.
4. I am thankful that I am poor. I know that sounds odd, but I struggle with wanting financial security. The fact that we don't have a lot of money has allowed God to painfully strip away the idols that I had placed before Him. I am learning that my security lies in Him and Him alone. He is ALL I need. Even if I died naked and starving living in a cardboard box that would still be true. The things of this world can no longer satisfy me the way that God does.
5. I am thankful that my life has not turned out the way I had planned. God in His infinate wisdom knew what was/is best for me.
6. I am thankful for my marriage. I love Paul so much and in so many ways. He is such an amazing man. God is strengthening our marriage as He is growing us individually and as a couple.
7. I am thankful for my children. I can use the plural form because we were blessed with our second child, Ellis, this year. Both of our children never cease to amaze me. I often watch them, and I am in awe at the blessing they are.
8. I am thankful for my family. I can't even begin to list all the reasons why. They have been so good to us and have sacrificed on our behalf.
9. I am thankful for the work that God is doing in my life. I had gotten to a place where I wasn't really growing in my relationship with Him, but now, that has changed. God is so amazing! I just want to know more and more of Him.
10. I am thankful for Bethany Westville Baptist. We certainly didn't expect to end up here, but we have been so blessed to be welcomed into such a loving church family.
11. I am thankful I am able to read. I can read God's Word which is transforming. I can read many books that although aren't Scripture are still used by God to challenge me and mold me more and more into the image of Christ.
12. I am thankful that I am nothing. I am helpless and hopeless apart from God. Anything I am, say, and do is only through Him. I like that I am nothing. It is such a relieve to realize who God is and who I am in comparison to Him.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

2011-11-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

I can't stand to be wasteful so I decided I was going to use the pumpkins we got at the pumpkin patch to make puree for different recipes. Here's how I did it with the assisstance of a 2 year old.

1. Select a pumpkin/s. The smaller pumpkins (usually called pie pumpkins) make a sweeter, darker puree although any pumpkin can be used. The bigger jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not as sweet and the texture can be grainy.

2. Cut open the pumpkin and scrape out the innerds (I think that is such a funny word..innerds..hehehe). Don't throw away the seeds!

3. Cut the pumpkin into fairly uniform sized chunks and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for one hour or until fork tender.

4. While the pumpkin is baking, separate the seeds from the pulp.

5. Wash and dry the seeds to get them ready to toast. A recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds will follow.

6. After the pumpkin has cooled for 10-15 minutes, separate the flesh from the skin. I just used a butter knife but you can also use a spoon to scrape it off the skin.

7. Puree the pumpkin in a blender until smooth. Do not add water unless the puree is dry and not coming together smoothly.

Now you have a puree to use in a multitude of pumpkin recipes. I split my puree into one cups servings and froze. I will be trying some recipes and will post if I find some good ones.

"Please put your clothes on"

2011-11-10T23:51:00.000-05:00

I think I say that 3,259 times in one day lately. Parker is going through the "I'd rather run around naked" stage of toddlerhood. Most of the time I can get him to at least put on a diaper or a pair of underware, but if he has to go potty, then off they go. I'm trying to teach him that we don't take our clothes off until we get to the bathroom, but so far it hasn't sunk in. Hopefully it will soon because it is becoming questionable if I should take him into public.
The other day we were at the library killing time before my hair appointment. I was feeding Ellis when all of a sudden I notice Parker start messing with his pants. I told him to stop, but he told me he had to go pee pee. I got him distracted long enough for me to put Ellis into her carseat so I could get his pants back where they belonged.
I'm hoping this stage is short lived. At least one benefit is it makes it easier to work on potty training.

If you leave Parker alone with office supplies...

2011-11-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

he will transform into a sticker monster!

Parker loves stickers! For some reason when he gets a hold of them, they always go on his belly. I've seen him with more stickers on him than this, believe it or not.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

2011-11-10T23:04:00.001-05:00

I can't take credit for this recipe. I found it on allrecipes.com. It is very yummy recipe for pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients

2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Rinse the pumpkin seeds and pat dry. Place them in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, melted butter and seasoned salt; stir until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until crisp, dry and golden brown.

Pumpkins (the round orange kind) and Pumpkins (the cute little kid kind)

2011-11-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

In October, my sister, her mother-in-law, and I took the kids to McLeod Farms to the pumpkin patch. It was a nice, warm day, and there were some beautiful pumpkins to pick. It was a fun day on the farm.

Riding the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch.

Parker would have picked out every pumpkin if I let him. He had so much fun running through the rows of pumpkins. We finally settled on 2 pumpkins to take home with us.

Our harvest

Beautiful farm land. Those clouds looked fierce but they didn't rain on us.

It's not easy getting a 5 yr old, a 3 yr old, a two yr old, and a one yr old all sitting and looking at the camera.

My beautiful niece, Hannah, with her model pose.

I realize now that we matched, but that wasn't planned. I promise Ellis came with us, but she was sleeping soundly in the stroller. They say, "let sleeping babies lie," so I let her be.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2011-11-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

I took the kids outside today to enjoy the beautiful weather. I was standing with my arms crossed looking out admiring the beautiful day while I was praying. All of a sudden I realized Parker was standing beside me with his arms crossed looking the same way I was. He is at the age where he immitates almost everything Paul and I do or say. It is a priveledge that our child wants to be like us, but that comes with great responsibility.
I want nothing more than for my child to be like Christ, so that means I have to immitate Christ. I have to find joy in acting the way or saying things just like Jesus, in the same manner that Parker finds joy in copying me. In order to be like Christ, I have to know Christ in an intimate way. As parents, we are the greatest influence in our children's lives. So, I must do all I can to point them to Christ.

100 Posts!

2011-11-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

I was about to create another post when I realized that I had 99 posts, so I thought I would create a special 100th post just to talk about having 100 posts. Yes, I realize this is silly, but it's my blog so I can do what I want.

Big Bad Boo Boo

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-04:00

Parker survived the trip to the ER and was a good, brave little fella from what I've been told. Thankfully, the ER wasn't very busy and they were in and out in 2 hours (which is a small miracle for Kershaw Health). He ended up with 5 stitches and has to get it checked out tomorrow to make sure everything is okay. When they left, Parker said "I eeeeeat." Apparently, he was hungry because he ate 3 chicken nuggets and a small fry from his BK Kid's Meal at 10:00 PM. He was ready to see his mommy. He started fussing when he saw me. It was waaaaaaaay past his bed time so some irritability is quite understandable. He got some Mama Love and some Motrin and went to bed still in the black turtleneck from his Mickey costume (I'll post later about that).
He slept until 9. He won't use that hand today, but when he has a paper cut, he does the same thing. I washed his hands and changed the bandaid after lunch, which made me a little queasy. I was going to post a picture of his boo boo here, but it looks too nasty to me. It seemed to bother him more after that, but it was also naptime. I am grateful to know that I did not miss my calling to become a nurse! He should get his stitches out in about 10 days. Then, he will be back to himself but with a scar for me to remember this experience.

I'm at home, waiting...

2011-10-30T21:55:00.000-04:00

I'm ususally a fairly patient person, but not tonight because right now as I type this my baby boy is at the ER with Paul. Parker somehow cut his finger on the door at church. I didn't look at it because I can't hand stuff like that very well, but we knew it was going to need stitches. At first I was going to leave Ellis with my sister and go with them to the ER, but Ellis had been upset the past 2 hours at the Fall Festival at church (I think she was overstimulated, tired, and hungry. She likes nice quiet atmosphere.). I was scared she wouldn't take a bottle well, and I didn't want to leave my sister with a screaming 3 month old who wanted to nurse with no way to take care of that. So, I decided to stay at home with her and Craigan, my brother-in-law, went with Paul. Now, I'm at home...waiting. And to make matters worse, I left my cell phone in the diaper bag in the car. I have no quick, direct way to talk to Paul and find out how my little baby is doing. Thank the Lord Paul has a smartphone, and we finally got internet at home so I could keep in touch with him through FB. It's not as efficient as having my cell phone, but it is better than nothing.
To pass the time, I started looking at thepioneerwoman blog. Now, I'm blogging. All I can think about is that my baby is tired and hurt and probably scared. I know that he is going to be fine. There are far worse things than stitches in a finger. I just want to know every detail of my children's life. I know I sound like one of those helicopter moms. And I know that Paul is the parent to be with the child that has a sliced finger and needs stitches from the ER parent. I'm definately not that parent. Watching nurses squeeze blood out of my child's finger at the doctor's office makes me feel squimish and a little faint.
I could keep rambling now, but for your sake, I'm going to end this post. I'll follow up with another post tomorrow.

As promised...

2011-10-28T16:51:00.005-04:00

So, it turns out it wasn't the technology-illerate me. It was a problem with Blogger not uploading pictures. I guess it had taken the night off. Anyway, I tried to do a fall picture setting on the last day of warm weather when I was crunched for time and by myself. They didn't turn out the way I wanted, but that's what you get with a tired, unskilled mama with a camera working with lighting that wasn't ideal, a 3 month old, and a toddler who wouldn't do what I wanted him to do (imagine that) or quit riding his tricycle in my shot.

This picture just makes me laugh!

She reminds me of my mama in this picture.

My Little Big Man

2011-10-27T22:31:00.003-04:00

Parker has just been growing by leaps and bounds. It amazes me all that he learns. He says a lot of things now although I'm one of the only ones who can understand him. He loves to copy us, so we have to watch what we do and say. He still loves routine and likes things neat. One day, I gave him a snack of PB & J on crackers. He dropped a piece of cracker, topping side down, on the carpet. He started getting upset because there was a jelly stain on the carpet. I told him not to worry that I would clean it up when I finished feeding Ellis. He went of to his room and pulled out his cleaning cart (it's a pint sized replica of something similar to what hotel housekeeping would use). He took his pretend spray bottle and "sprayed" the stain. Then, he got his broom and dust pan and swept over the spot. Apparently that got him in a cleaning mood, because he got his chain saw, which he pretends to be a hand vacuum, and started cleaning my couch. Man, I love this child! He is just the most loving little boy. He will come and give us hugs and kisses for no apparent reason. He has always been snuggly. Not only does he look just like Paul, but he is also attached to his hip. He is such a daddy's boy! He still loves me though. Especially since Ellis is around now, he has to stake his claim on me. Sometimes he'll hold me and use that favorite toddler word, "MINE." There is so much to say about him, so there will be more posts to come of his stories.

Go Pink!

2011-10-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to highlight a blog I've been following. Kerri Pennington is an inspiring woman. I first knew of her because I went to school with her. She is closer to my sister's age, but I graduated with her sister. I started following her blog to get updates on her youngest daughter who was born with half a heart and suffers from epilepsy. Watching her strength and faith in God through the difficulties with that is inspiring, but recently, at the age of 34, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Her resilence through the difficulties she is facing is truly amazing. I know that her faith in God is what gives her strength. If you would like to be encouraged, check out her blog at www.babypennington.com.

Ellis at 3 Months

2011-10-27T21:47:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that Ellis is now 3 months old! Time passes too quickly. She no longer has the newborn look. She has beautiful blue eyes that light up when she smiles. She now has more awake time and is studying the world around her. Parker is particullary interesting to her. She loves to coo. She is quite the talkative little girl. She hates tummy time, but enjoys lying under her floor gym and kicking. That about as exciting as it gets for a 3 month old. She started sleeping through the night at around 6 weeks old. She will go to bed around 7 or 8 pm and wakes up to eat around 4 am. You might be saying that's not the whole night, but you have to consider that is 8 hours of straight sleep for her and then she goes back to sleep. If I went to bed as early as she did, she wouldn't wake me up at all during the night. This is such a relief since Parker was difficult to get to sleep through the night. We have adjusted pretty easily into a family of four. Parker still has moments of jealousy. Right now, with 2 kids and 2 parents we can divide and conquer easily. I've learned how to handle 2 children on my own when Paul's at work. Sometimes it can be crazy but for the most part I can handle it. Ellis is such a blessing to have. I'm enjoying watching her grow and develop. I was going to post some pictures, but for some reason, the uploader wasn't able to upload the pictures. I'm not very skilled at computer stuff, so you will have to wait until Paul is able to help.

I'm back!

2011-10-26T09:17:00.003-04:00

Oh, how I've missed my blog! I've been silent for a while on here because we haven't had the internet since we moved. Living out in the country is great but not for internet service. We finally found an option for us...a mobile WiFi device. So, now I can catch up on my blog. I have so much I've been wanting to post. It will take me some time to catch up so bear with me. I don't always have a lot of free time to sit and post with a two year old and a newborn and a house to take care of. Speaking of the house, I should really get busy cleaning it. So long for now.

Happy Birthday, Parker!

2011-08-06T20:15:00.002-04:00

My sweet baby boy, In your 2 years of life, you have brought me some of the greatest joy I could ever know apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ. I can't believe it has been two years since you were a tiny newborn that I had to wait to hold because you were in the NICU. You stole my heart since the moment you were born, and it has been amazing to watch you grow and change into a precious toddler. I love the little boy you have become. You still love to snuggle, even as you develop your independence. I love your curiosity as you sit and study new things like how you checked your sister out up and down the first time you held her. I love how you like routine and how you keep things neat. I can't help but laugh how you will even pick up afer your daddy. You do such a great job teaching your daddy how to pick up after himself. It makes me so happy to see how you love your daddy so much. You are his best buddy. Even though you have become a daddy's boy, you still come to me when you need comfort. I just melt everytime you give me hugs and kisses. A kiss on the cheek doesn't cut it; you like to kiss us on the lips. You show your love to us and others very passionately in your own special toddler way. I will never get tired of your affection. You will always be my sweet baby boy no matter how old you are or how big you get.

Warming Up

2011-08-01T21:30:00.002-04:00

When you're getting ready to have your first child, your biggest worries are about how to take care of a baby, how I am going to be as I parent, and am I ever going to sleep again. This time around my biggest worry has been how is Parker going to adjust to having a sibling. At first, Parker just ignored her. He didn't want to look at her or talk about her. When Paul, Ellis, and I first got home, let's just say he struggled with his behavior. I think most of it had to do with Paul and me being gone and his fears that we were going to leave again. After he realized that we weren't leaving again, he started getting better. Now, he is more excited about his sister. He likes holding her, and he helps me take care of her. I'm so glad he's finally warming up to having a sibling. I know that as they grow up they will become good friends. P.S. I just can't believe that my little boy will two in four days! My how time flys.

Ellis's Birth Story

2011-07-27T17:07:00.005-04:00

I know not every one is like me, but I always find it interesting to hear stories of baby delieveries. So, if you're not like me, sorry, you'll just have to skip this post. On Monday, I had my weekly OB appointment. The doctor wanted to check me to see if anything was happening and talk about scheduling an induction since we live an hour away from the hospital and because my first delievery was pretty short. When he checked me, his eyes got big. I was 4 to 5 cm dilated. He suggested that we come back the next day to be induced unless I went in to labor before then. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions since the middle of the pregnancy, and they had been getting stronger. Paul and I decided to walk around the Sumter Mall to see if anything would happen before we drove home. We got up at 3:15 am Tuesday morning to get ready to go to the hospital to be there by 5. I didn't really sleep between the sometimes strong contractions, indigestion, Paul's snoring, frequent bathroom trips, and just plain not being able to get comfortable. When we arrived the nurses were very prompt at all the preliminary work up. I told them about my rather short labor with the first so they decided that it would be best to get the epidural catheter in place before they started any Pitocin. I had to wait for them to get the blood work results and the proper amounts of IV fluid in before they would do the epidural. Finally, about 6:30 the anethethist (don't know how to spell it but I mean the wonderful person who gives out the amazing pain meds) put in the cathether for the epidural. He told me my blood lipids or something like that was on the border line of being too low for the epidural. I was so thankful that it was at least above what it needed to be so that I could have an epidural. I had to wait another hour after that before they started the Pitocin because the doctor had some things she needed to finish up so she could be ready as she was expecting a pretty quick labor and delivery. Finally at 7: 30 am they started the Pitocin drip. My contractions started to get stronger after a little bit. About 8, I was ready for my dose of epidural. At 8:10, I got the meds. At 8:11, Dr. Latham broke my water. I was measuring 5 to 6 cm at a -1 station. About 30 minutes after that, I was feeling strong painful contractions in my abdomen so I asked the nurse if I could another dose of epidural meds. When the anethethist came in to check about it, the nurse checked me, and I was complete. It was time to start pushing. She had me push one time, and she stopped me. She said we need to get Dr. Latham in here this baby's ready to come out now. I had to wait through another contraction for the doctor to get ready. I was just thinking, "please hurry up. I really need to push." Next contraction, I pushed one time and out she came. She was beautiful and tiny. I was expecting her to be at least 8 lbs considering how big Parker was. All the nurses were so surprised at how easy the labor and delivery was. They told me I was made to do this and I should have about 10 more. Ummm....I don't think so. She checked out perfectly healthy. I was so greatful that we didn't have to go through another NICU stay like we did with Parker. Speaking of Parker. He is not quite sure about this whole big brother buisness. Right now, he pretty much ignores her and is glued to his daddy when he comes to visit. I'm hoping that he will adjust quickly when we get home. I'm very excited to be a family of four now. I know it will be an adjustment for us all as we settle in at home and get to a normal routine.

I'd like you to meet...

2011-07-27T12:04:00.004-04:00

our beautiful daughter, Ellis Reign Camp! She arrived at Tuomey Hospital at 8:55 am on July 26. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and is 20 inches long. She has the blondest of peach fuzz on her head. (FYI: The old wives tale about heart burn/indegestion means a baby with a full head of hair is not true. I had very little with Parker and a whole lot with Ellis and both were practically bald.) So far she has been a very laid back baby. In fact, most of the time I'm having to wake her up to eat. Her name Ellis came from my grandaddy, Ellis Padgett. Ellis was also his mother's maiden name. Ellis is a form of Elijah which can be translated "the Lord is God" so her name means "The Lord is God who Reigns." We really like her name and the meaning of it. Our prayer is that the meaning of her name also becomes her reason for living. We pray that the Lord God always reigns in her life.

It's almost time!

2011-07-11T17:19:00.002-04:00

Wow, it has been crazy for us since the beginning of June. We sold our SUV, moved to Westville, and have been trying to get everything in place before Ellis makes her appearance anytime now. I wish I could say we are completely ready, but I would have to lie. The nursery is painted now, the crib is ordered, and a large majority of boxes have been cleared from my house. (We put most of what we really don't have to have soon in the storage building at the house we rent to deal with later.) It has been a little slower going than I wanted since Paul is working and I'm limited in what I can do. I'm hoping that Ellis decides to stay in at least one more week. I need this week to try to get things ready completely (by that I mean I'm not looking at boxes anymore). I have an ultrasound tomorrow to see how big she is and to project how big she could be at 40 weeks. Since Parker was 9 and a half pounds on his due date, there's a good possibility she could be just as big or bigger. I'm hoping that they will want to induce early. Whether she gets here on a scheduled day or whenever she decides, she's going to be here soon either way. Please pray that we will have a safe and healthy delivery.

The Latest Plans

2011-06-04T22:22:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to fill in everyone on our latest plans. As of right now, we are trying to sell our Expedition. We are going down to one car for a while so that we can get rid of the car payment and be able to rent a place to live. Since we are going down to one car, I wanted to be close to family so if needed I would have transportation. This is especially important if I were to go into labor while Paul is at work. We decided to rent a home in Westville where my sister and her family live. We have been attending church where my brother-in-law, Craigan, is pastor. It is important for us to be involved with a church family, and this gives Paul an opportunity to work with the youth there.

Paul is now training for management at Chick-fil-a. He still has his resume out there, but right now with the economy, a lot of churches are not hiring full time youth pastors. Lord willing, he is planning on taking some seminary extension classes beginning in January.

Baby number two is well on her way. In fact, she should be making her appearance in approximately 8 weeks. This makes me excited and nervous at the same time. I'm so ready to get moved, so I can prepare the "nest" before she gets here.

Parker is growing up so fast. I'm just amazed that in 2 months he will be turning 2! I have a feeling that he is going to have a tough time adjusting to sharing his mommy and daddy, but I know that he will eventually adjust.

Both Paul and I have been learning more and more about trusting in God's plans. We are amazed at God's provision. He has taken care of us on so many levels. Although things have not turned out the way we orignally expected, we are excited about where God is taking us. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we will be experiencing a lot of changes in the next few months.

Easter Celebrations

2011-06-04T20:49:00.006-04:00

For our Easter Celebrations this year, we got to join in my sister's church's Easter egg hunt. This was Parker's first Easter egg hunt since last year he wasn't old enough or mobile enough to hunt around for eggs. Then on Sunday after celebrating the resurrection of our Savior at church, all the family joined together to, of course, eat.

Parker had to inspect each egg inside and out. He did not like it if it had any grass stuck to it. I had to keep him focused on the hunt.

Checking out his stash with his cousins.

This is a favorite activity for the kids. Parker is having to learn he has to share his Pop Pop.

I tried to get some good outdoor shots but he was just too curious with his surroundings.

April Trip to Riverbanks Zoo

2011-06-04T20:17:00.003-04:00

Since it's a Saturday night and the baby's in bed and Paul's at work, I decided I would spend a little time catching up. I've been meaning to do this for a while, but well, I'm lazy.

Back in April, Paul, Parker, and I went to Riverbanks Zoo for the day. I had been wanting to go for awhile. Since the weather was nice, we headed off to Columbia to the zoo. (Apparently, every elementary school decided it was also a lovely day to visit the zoo.) I took boo-goodles of pictures but since I have to save them to a jump drive and bring them over to my dad's computer to post them on the blog, I've been selective with a few. However, I must say I got some really great pictures of lots of animals, so sorry you're missing out.

I loved how Parker affectionately called this wild, huge, and large animal (possibly a human) eating feline "kitty." Yes, this animal is related to the domestic house cat, but I don't think "kitty" quite fits.

Paul and Parker enjoying a rest on the "kitty."

A little monkey buisness. Actually, this isn't a monkey it's an ape because it doesn't have a tail. I learned that by watching animal atlas. Can you believe that I have been wrongly calling a chimpanzee a monkey all these years?!

Parker checking out the chickens.

Parker got the bird's eye view at the penguin feeding. I love how he was holding on to Paul's hair.

Hungry elephants

Taking a ride on the tortoise.

"Here fishy fishy"

This is what we all needed at the end of a great day at the zoo. (That and a little Moe's too.)

28 Weeks!

2011-05-10T22:44:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to do a little update on this pregnancy. I had a check up today. Everything is great and looking like it should be. In fact, I measured and weighed the exact same at this point as I did with Parker. I'm just hoping this baby will be less than 9.5 lbs. She is a very active little girl. I've had a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions with this pregnancy. One night I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital because I was having so many. I've been trying to drink plenty of water to keep them at bay which means now I go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

We are figuring out what we are going to do so that we can have a place of our own before baby number 2 arrives. We would appreciate any prayers on our behalf.

Parental Challenge

2011-04-10T19:49:00.002-04:00

I've nearly finished reading Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ by Richard Ross. I must recommend this book to student ministers, church leaders, and especially parents of children and teenagers. This book is more than another model for student ministry. It is a challenge for a return to biblical living by putting Christ in his supreme seat of glory.

I just finished reading a chapter that focused on parents, and I wanted to share a prayer or a challenge in thinking for every parent. This passage was written as a declaration of a parent who is "awakened to the supremacy of Jesus, and more deeply adoring Him on His throne, and daily arising to join Him in His kingdom activity" to be able to express to their children.

I declare you belong to Christ the King.

If you and I both come to believe Christ is calling you to do something that involves risk, I will teach you all I know about how to live wisely and safely. At the same time, I will do nothing to stand in your way of following Christ's call, no matter what the risk.

I hereby release you from any pressure to follow in my vocational footsteps. I charge you to do only what Christ calls you to do.

I acknowledge Christ may call you to a vocation that does not bring financial wealth or worldly prestige. The great pride I will feel as a parent will come from watching you do what Christ has called you to do.

Someday you might be confronted by wicked people. They may only give you two options- curse God or die. I release you to honor God, even if it should cost you your life.

God often has used students to bring an awakening to Christ in the church. I pray God will honor our family by allowing you to be part of such a generation.

I now consecrate myself to both teach and live before you to prepare you for Christ's callings on your life.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

That's how I want to raise my children. I hope that all parents who have a relationship with the Lord will do the same. All for the glory of God!

Neat Freak in the Making

2011-04-10T19:15:00.002-04:00

I've noticed lately that Parker is showing signs that we could have a future neat freak on his hands. I must say that kind of thrills me. He likes to put his dirty clothes in the hamper. In fact, he's better than his daddy about picking up after himself. He likes to have his hands clean. His book basket has to be in a certain location at the end of the day or he'll fix it. He likes to put things away in their proper places. The other day he was playing with a Seasame Street school bus that came with an Elmo and Super Grover 2.0 figurine. He was putting Elmo and Grover in the seats, and he started fussing and kicking around out of frustration. I got him to bring it to me so I could help figure out the problem. I realized that he was getting upset when he would put the characters in and they would fall over. He was very particular about where they sat, and they HAD to be standing. I showed him how to fix the problem, and he was happy. I know some of these things are just characteristics of toddlers. Toddlers enjoy helping out. I hope he continues to enjoy helping out and being neat. Only time will tell.

By the way, he gets the neatness from me, certainly not his daddy.

A Prayer Testimony

2011-03-30T14:20:00.006-04:00

"True prayer is not an effort to get Christ to do something. It is a desire to be in union with Him." - Richard Ross in Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ.

If you notice on my blog, I'm currently reading Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ. I'm reading it for several reasons. One is that it is one of the only books that we own that is not packed away in boxes in storage. Another is my husband is a student minister (although we are currently seeking a place to serve in this capacity), and I want to be the best helper and support of my husband I can possibly be. Most importantly, I want to learn more about the supremacy of Christ and have the awe I have for Christ in all His glory direct how I live my life. One of the chapters is about prayer and when I read the formentioned quote, I just stopped and examined my prayer life.

I'm disappointed to say that most of my prayers have been "an effort to get Christ to do something." Although I take full responsibility for my selfish prayers and total misuse of time talking with God, it is sad to think that this type of prayer is, for the most part, being taught in our churches today. We open up any event in the church with a "quick word of prayer" like we have to get that ritual out of the way so we can get on with the "good stuff." The Wednesday night Prayer meetings aren't really spent in prayer unless you count going over the prayer list and then sometimes covering up gossip by mentioning that so-and-so needs some prayer because...(this is where the juicy bit of gossip gets filled in.) Then, someone says a short prayer mentioning most of who was mentioned, and we get on with something else. Of course in every church there is always the someone/s that you can actually pray along with because they have said the same route prayer for 30 years now and you have it memorized by heart. I'm not trying to offend anyone here. I'm just being honest with my sin, and the sin that is plaging our churches today.

God has been working on me extra hard lately. Well, let me rephrase that. I've made the decision to not be satisfied with my walk with Christ as far as my growth is concerned. I've decided it is more joy to take a spiritual beating, if you will, and be transformed into the image of Christ than it is to continue in sin, no matter how comfortable that sin feels. God is and has always been working on me. I just haven't always been so open to it.

Lately, I've been learning more and more about the supremacy of Christ and what that means for my life. I've learned that Christ is it. I'm not living for Christ. However, Christ is living through me and in me. There is nothing else that matters but Him. Placing Christ in that supreme place has caused me to look at life in a completely different way. One of those ways is in my prayer life.

God has been tranforming my time talking with him away from the, "God, I need you to do this," into more of the desire to be in union with Him. Yes, as scripture says God wants to hear the desires of our hearts. That doesn't mean we give God a laundry list of things we want Him to do for us. Instead, our desires are to be His desires. That is what I've been learning. I love using the ACTS prayer tool. A- adoration: giving God the praise and glory that He so deserves. C-confession: confessing our sins. This happens really easily when you pray with adoration. When you come into the presence of a holy God, you can't help but to see yourself for the helpless sinner we truly are. T-thanksgiving: Thanking God also comes easy when you put Him in the proper place in your life and realize the grace and mercy He has given you, the helpless sinner. S-supplication: this is when we petition or make our requests known to God. Sadly, this is what most of our prayers are filled with and mostly they are usually more selfish in nature. Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. It is not bad to pray for people. We should. However, our supplications should be made in joining with God's will for our lives and the lives of others and in realization that no matter what He is in control and we are not.

I have so enjoyed talking to God this way. It is refreshing to be in union with Him. Again, I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be. I just want to be like Christ in order to bring glory to Him. I hope that this testimony does just.

It's a...

2011-03-23T14:35:00.003-04:00

GIRL! We found out yesterday that we will be welcoming a little baby girl into our family. We are so excited. Now I have to start figuring out nursery design and registry.

Lately

2011-03-19T11:15:00.002-04:00

Parker has been growing so much lately. It is just so much fun watching him learn and explore his world. He has added some new words to his vocabulary: eat, ketchup, cookie. I know there's more but that's all I can think of right now. He loves to pick up the phone and say "dada" then he just starts jibbering. I wish I knew what he was "saying." I just love to hear him jibber jabber. Sometimes he even gets his hands all into it. He is definately a little boy. He likes to climb, crawl through obstacles (his favorite is underneath the dining room table), pick up sticks, dig in dirt, throw balls, and wrestle around. At least, at this age he still enjoys personal hygeine. Taking baths and brushing his teeth are two of his favorite activities. He's starting to hit the picky toddler eating. I just never know what he's going to be into from one day to another.

Lately, we've enjoyed the lovely, warm weather. We've taken many walks and played outside. Sometimes we go on short slow walks where he actually walks but we always have to stop under an acorn tree. Those little acorns are so facisnating, don't you know! Today for the first time I put him in a pair of shorts. He is so cute! I just love seeing those two inches of legs sticking out between the pants legs and his socks.

On Tuesday we will hopefully find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I can't wait to find out! Either way, I am happy. I'm just ready to know. I'm starting to get more and more excited about baby number 2. I feel the baby moving around a lot more now. I will try to soon post a pic of my baby bump. We only have internet on my daddy's computer, so I don't want to put all of our pics on his computer. Transfering pictures from one computer to another to post takes a little time and there's not always a lot of that with a toddler running around.

We are still praying for the next place of ministry. Paul had an interview with a church the other day, and we have been praying for the Lord's direction with that. Well, that's the happenings in our life lately. Nothing too exciting, but that's nice.

Temporary Home

2011-02-24T12:40:00.003-05:00

Last night as I was laying in bed praying, I started thinking about how I'm so ready to be in my own home again. I'm so appreciative that my daddy and stepmom have opened their home to us, but there is just nothing like having your own home. The good news is this is temporary for us. In God's timing, He will open the door to a new ministry, a new community, a new place to call home. (We are so ready to be serving in a church again. We really miss it!) As I lay there thinking about all this I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, "this is all just a temporary home." Indeed it is. This world is only a temporary home for us. For those of us who are children of God, we will one day be with the Lord for all of eternity! Then, we will truly be home.

I have become so near-sighted lately focusing only on the here and now. Living in this transition period, it is hard to make plans even for a month from now because you just don't know. I think and pray almost all day long about our next move that I have forgotten my true purpose for even being here on earth, and that is to bring glory to God no matter where I am. Bringing glory to God with my life draws people to Christ so that there will be more and more souls who will be with us when we finally make it to our heavenly home.

There are several places in scripture that talk about waiting on the Lord. I love the description that one of my college professors shared on this subject. Often when we think of waiting, we think of being idle, still, bored, longing for the next great thing. My professor, Dr. Jill Branyon, reminded us of a waiter in a restaurant. The waiter is very busy serving guests. In fact, waiters would not be very good at their job if they just sat around. That is what those who wait on the Lord should be like...someone who isn't idle but is serving. So as we wait on the Lord to reveal his direction for our lives, I know that He has us here right now for a purpose. I just have to quit being so near-sighted and selfish and look beyond myself.

A Closer Look

2011-02-21T10:34:00.002-05:00

Right now, Sesame Street is on. This is Parker's favorite show. I sat him down in front of my daddy's tv to watch, and I keep watching as he scoots closer and closer to get a better look. Now, this tv is a 52" (I think; It's huge) so it's not like he's not getting a good view from anywhere in the room.

My, how that makes me feel guilty. Not for sitting my child in front of the tv, but for not taking after him when it comes to getting a closer look at something I love. I love God's Word because it is a direct way to my Savior's heart. When I sit down to read scripture, am I digging as deep as I can in order to be tranformed into the image of Christ? Sadly, no. I'll admit, sometimes I read God's Word and not know what I just read. I love those times when the Lord just grabs my heart with a piece of truth, and I keep thinking about it all day long. That could happen every day if I would discipline myself to always take a closer look at His Word and do what the man in Psalm 1 does who "delights in the law of the Lord" and "meditates on it day and night."

Thank you, Parker, for teaching me something even though you don't even realize it.

Side note: Isn't it amazing that a bunch of puppets have captured the love and attention of children 40+ years?!

Warning about BellaBands

2011-02-15T20:52:00.003-05:00

In case you're wondering Bellabands are a piece of stretchy fabric that allows pregnant women to keep unbuttoned prepregnancy pants on or too loose maternity pants on or same thing for postpartum. I bought one to try out on Saturday (I actually bought a cheaper version called the BeBand made by Bellabands.) and wore it for the first time today. I have finally started to poke out a little bit which makes me feel better because in between the first trimester nausea and the finally starting to look a little pregnant time period I often wondered if I was actually pregnant. Anyways, back to the point, I wore it today on my outing to the OB for a doctor's appointment, and afterward Paul and I went to Walmart to pick up a few things. Like most pregnant women, I had to make a trip to the restroom while I was there. (FYI, I really don't like to use the restroom at Walmart because they are always nasty, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.) After I left the restroom and met back up with Paul, he quickly informed that part of my belly was showing. I had put the Beband back in place, but I had not put my actual shirt back down. They were made out of the same fabric and were the same color so I hadn't noticed. I'm just so thankful that Paul was close by and told me about this! So, my warning about BellaBands or BeBands or like things: Make sure you pull your shirt down over them or you will look a little silly.

Parker at 18 Months

2011-02-15T20:22:00.003-05:00

During our moved, Parker turned 18 months old. I can't believe my little baby boy is a year and a half already. It just makes me wanna cry if I think about it too much. He just amazes me everyday as he grows and learns. He keeps picking up new words although he doesn't always use them to communicate. Anytime anyone laughs, he'll join in, which just makes you laugh even more because he's so doggone cute. When his daddy gets home, he's stuck to him like glue. We will watch for him to pull in the driveway and Parker just can't contain his excitement. I absolutely love watching Paul and Parker brush their teeth together. Parker will even try to spit like his daddy. It's their little special activity. In fact, as I was watching them tonight, Parker pushed me out of the bathroom and shut the door!

He is a very lovable and snugable little boy. He will squeeze you around your neck and say, "mmmm." He will do this over and over again. He loves to take baths. He has also become obsessed with trains. He loves Elmo or as he says "Melmo." He loves to eat but is picky about the texture of his food. He enjoys going outside when the weather is nice and pick up sticks. He is so special to us, and we love him and enjoy him more and more everyday!

It's Been a Week

2011-02-12T13:12:00.002-05:00

It's been a week since we moved out of our house in Pinewood and into my childhood home in Bethune. Last Saturday was tiring. In fact, the whole weekend was tiring. But, finally everything got packed up and put into a storage unit or brought with us here. It is a miracle that most of our belongings fit in to a 12' X 20' storage unit! Parker is getting adjusted. He has more things here to get into since this house is not as baby proof as ours was. We are continuing to pray that the Lord would open doors for where he has us next. We are learning patience and trust. We are eager to get somewhere where we can make our next home, a place to settle in and call our own. We would appreciate any prayers for us.

Overwhelmed

2011-01-25T10:38:00.003-05:00

Right now I am so overwhelmed and stuck that I have nothing better to do than to write about how overwhelmed I am. I need to be packing, doing laundry, cleaning dishes, stopping my child from eating days old cheerios off the floor, putting clothes away, packing some more...I could go on. My house is in such disarray I don't know what to do next. Yes, I realize that comes with moving, but I feel so disorganized. Right now I could use a little fairy that would go around and with the flick of her wand have everything done. I know I have to climb this mountain one step at a time, but I just don't know what side to start on so right now, I'm wandering around the base of it looking up at the daunting task ahead. Ok, so I got that off my chest so now I got to go do something.

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

2011-01-13T17:52:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday, January 9th, Paul read his letter of resignation to the church. We have been thinking and praying about this decision for months. The Lord has made it very clear that the time has come for us to move on from Pinewood Baptist, but it is so hard to do. We have made so many wonderful friends, and this place has become home. In fact, it is the only home Paul and I have known as a married couple. It's so hard to say goodbye to the youth we have watched grow and change over the past 4 and a half years. We have invested our lives into the ministry in which God has called us to here, and we will leave a part of our hearts behind. Our goodbyes will not be forever because we will keep in touch. However, it is still so hard. Leaving one place means you are going to another. At this point, we don't know exactly where that is. For the short-term, we will be moving in with my daddy and his wife in Bethune. There we will wait for the Lord to open the door to the next ministry. My flesh wants to question God because I want the security of where we are going. I want to be able to settle in somewhere, especially since baby number 2 is on its way. However, I trust in the omniscient God in whom I have placed my faith. I know He has everything worked out for us according to his purpose. I know He has lessons to teach us to strengthen our faith in him. So for now, I am packing and praying. I am so thankful that the all day nausea has become more of just every now and then nausea. I hope that you will pray for us and for Pinewood Baptist during this transition. May the Lord be glorified in all things!

A Baby is Coming!

2011-01-04T13:20:00.002-05:00

Although most of you who read my blog already know, I wanted to officially annouce that Paul and I are expecting baby number 2 on August 2. We are very excited, but at the same time the thought of being a family of four is quite overwhelming. This time around I have had much more "morning" sickness. It's really all day sickness. I absolutely hate throwing up (but who doesn't anyway) so when I feel nauseous I just sit in the recliner and don't move. This makes for a very messy house. I'm so thankful for Paul right now. He has helped out with keeping the house clean, at least as clean as he can while working 2 jobs, and prepared supper most nights. I can't stand to go into the kitchen. It just makes me feel sick. When Parker and I are home for lunch, I quickly throw something together for us to eat and then we eat in the living room. I hope this stage passes quickly. With Parker, the morning sickness that I had ended around 11 weeks. Since today I begin my 10th week, I'm holding out hope that the sickness will be gone very soon. Well, since Parker is napping, and I'm not feeling to sick right now, I need to go do some house work.

The Truth about Santa Clause

2010-12-10T21:25:00.002-05:00

So sorry this is long but I do hope you will take the time to read it. Before even having children, Paul and I made the decision that we wouldn't do the whole "Santa Clause thing" with our children. We want our children to focus more on the truth of Christmas than what Santa's going to bring them. Also, we don't want to lie to our children. Besides, I don't want an imaginary, magic man getting credit for the gifts that we will get for our children.We don't look down on people who do the "Santa Clause thing" with their children. Our children will certainly be allowed to participate and enjoy the fantasy of Santa Clause, i.e. sitting on his lap for a picture, reading stories, and watching movies about him. However, they will know that it is a fantasy. Paul and I haven't announced this publicly, but as it has come up in conversation, we have told people what we are going to do. It kind of shocks me that the typical response in some form or fashion is, "you're going to ruin his Christmas" or "you're going to take the fun out of Christmas." It may not be said in those exact words, but I get what they really mean. It saddens me that Christmas has become all about us and the presents we will get. We will throw in a reading of the Christmas story from the Bible somewhere in our celebrations in order to appease God and "celebrate" the birth of His Son. Why is it that one of the first questions we ask children during the Christmas season is, "what is Santa going to bring you?". Why not instead ask, "what are you doing to celebrate Christ's birth this year?" I'm sorry to get on my soapbox here, but I wanted to share this after I read an article by Mark Driscoll about what we tell our kids about Santa Clause that someone else posted on their blog. Here is the article orignally posted in the Washington Post : What we tell our kids about Santa 'Tis the season . . . for parents to decide if they will tell the truth about Santa. When it comes to cultural issues like Santa, Christians have three options: (1) we can reject it, (2) we can receive it, or (3) we can redeem it. Since Santa is so pervasive in our culture, it is nearly impossible to simply reject Santa as part of our annual cultural landscape. Still, as parents we don't feel we can simply receive the entire story of Santa because there is a lot of myth built on top of a true story. Redeeming Santa So, as the parents of five children, Grace and I have taken the third position to redeem Santa. We tell our kids that he was a real person who did live a long time ago. We also explain how people dress up as Santa and pretend to be him for fun, kind of like how young children like to dress up as pirates, princesses, superheroes, and a host of other people, real and imaginary. We explain how, in addition to the actual story of Santa, a lot of other stories have been added (e.g., flying reindeer, living in the North Pole, delivering presents to every child in one night) so that Santa is a combination of true and make-believe stories. We do not, however, demonize Santa. Dressing up, having fun, and using the imagination God gave can be an act of holy worship and is something that, frankly, a lot of adults need to learn from children. What we are concerned about, though, is lying to our children. We teach them that they can always trust us because we will tell them the truth and not lie to them. Conversely, we ask that they be honest with us and never lie. Since we also teach our children that Jesus is a real person who did perform real miracles, our fear is that if we teach them fanciful, make-believe stories as truth, it could erode confidence in our truthfulness where it really matters. So, we distinguish between lies, secrets, surprises, and pretend for our kids. We ask them not to tell lies or keep secrets, but do teach them that some surprises (like gift-giving) and pretending (like dressing up) can be fun and should be encouraged. We tell them the truth and encourage them to have fun watching Christmas shows on television and even sitting on Santa's lap for a holiday photo if they so desire. For parents of younger children wanting them to learn the real story of Santa Claus the Veggie Tales movie Saint Nicholas is a good choice. The Truth about Santa Claus The larger-than-life myths surrounding Santa Claus actually emanate from the very real person of Saint Nicholas. It is difficult to know the exact details of his life with certainty, as the ancient records are sparse, but the various pieces can be put together as a mosaic of his life. A Gift-Giver Nicholas was born in the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey. He was born into an affluent family, but his parents died tragically when he was quite young. His parents had raised him to be a devout Christian, which led him to spend his great inheritance on helping the poor, especially children. He was known to frequently give gifts to children, sometimes even hanging socks filled with treats and presents. Perhaps his most famous act of kindness was helping three sisters. Because their family was too poor to pay for their wedding dowry, three young Christian women were facing a life of prostitution until Nicholas paid their dowry, thereby saving them from a horrible life of sexual slavery. A Bishop and Saint Nicholas grew to be a well-loved Christian leader and was eventually voted the Bishop of Myra, a port city that the apostle Paul had previously visited (Acts 27:5-6). Nicholas reportedly also traveled to the legendary Council of Nicaea, where he helped defend the deity of Jesus Christ in A.D. 325. Following his death on December 6, 343, he was canonized as a saint. The anniversary of his death became the St. Nicholas holiday when gifts were given in his memory. He remained a very popular saint among Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with some two thousand churches named after him. The holiday in his honor eventually merged with Christmas, since they were celebrated within weeks of one another. Misnomer During the Reformation, however, Nicholas fell out of favor with Protestants, who did not approve of canonizing certain people as saints and venerating them with holidays. His holiday was not celebrated in any Protestant country except Holland, where his legend as Sinterklass lived on. In Germany, Martin Luther replaced him with the Christ child as the object of holiday celebration, or, in German, Christkindl. Over time, the celebration of the Christ child was simply pronounced Kris Kringle and oddly became just another name for Santa Claus. Folklore The legends about Santa Claus are most likely a compilation of other folklore. For example, there was a myth in Nicholas' day that a demon was entering people's homes to terrorize children and that Nicholas cast it out of a home. This myth may explain why it was eventually believed that he came down people's chimneys. Also, there was a Siberian myth (near the North Pole) that a holy man, or shaman, entered people's homes through their chimneys to leave them mushrooms as gifts. According to the legend, he would hang them in front of the fire to dry. Reindeer would reportedly eat them and become intoxicated. This may have started the myth that the reindeer could fly, as it was believed that the shaman could also fly. This myth may have merged with the Santa Claus myth, and if so, explains him traveling from the North Pole to slide down chimneys and leave presents on fireplace mantles before flying away with reindeer. These stories of Santa Claus were first brought to America by Dutch immigrants. In the early twentieth century, stores began having Santa Claus present for children during the Christmas season. Children also began sending letters to the North Pole as the legends surrounding an otherwise simple Christian man grew. In sum, Saint Nick was a wonderful man who loved and served Jesus faithfully. So, we gladly include him in our Christmas traditions to remind us of what it looks like for someone to live a life of devotion to Jesus as God. Our kids thank us for being both honest and fun, which we think is what Jesus wants. My family is choosing to redeem Santa Clause and focusing on the birth of our Savior and how St. Nicholas exemplified Christ through his gifts of charity. My point is not for you to do exactly as we are doing, although that would be fine if you did or didn't. I just want you to think. Merry Christmas!

FYI: Shutterfly Cards

2010-12-10T21:14:00.003-05:00

So, I'm dissapointed to tell you that I'm not going to be getting 50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly. I did what I was supposed to do and was told I would get a promo code email in 3-5 business days, and I never did. Maybe my blog post wasn't good enough to qualify. This makes me sad because I really like the Christmas card designs by Shutterfly, but money's tight and I can't afford a bunch of cards from them. But, I'm excited to tell you that I still got a really great deal on Christmas cards. I got 60 Christmas cards for $5.29 including tax and free overnight shipping! I think that's a pretty good deal. They are not as pretty as Shutterfly cards, but a SAHM's gotta do what a SAHM's gotta do. I found out about this deal using southernsavers.com. The website told me of a deal from seehere.com. You can also get 50 free prints of any pictures from snapfish. Even though my cards won't be as pretty as I hoped, I did my best to save my family some money. Now, my Christmas cards should be out on time (as long as do good to mail them out when they get here), and by on time, I mean before Christmas.

Parker At 16 Months

2010-12-03T17:34:00.003-05:00

Parker had what was supposed to be his 15 month checkup but was actually closer to 16 months. He weighs 25 lbs 10 oz which is just a little above the 50th percentile, and he is 33 3/4 inches tall, which is in the 97th percentile. Parker has added some new words to his vocabulary: nigh nigh= night night, stop, sit, and hey. That's all I can think of right now. He can also sign "please". I'm just so thankful that he is growing and developing!

Wanna Chance for Free Christmas Cards with Shutterfly?

2010-11-29T19:51:00.006-05:00

I absolutely love sending and receiving Christmas cards, especially the ones with photos. Every year I get so excited picking out the picture/s and the style of Christmas card. This year it is even more exciting because I'm using Shutterfly. They have some of the most beautiful Christmas card designs. These are not the same kind of card you would get at a discount store. You have the opportunity to be more creative with their hundreds of cards. It is hard to pick just one. If you want to browse their selection of Christmas Photo cards click HERE. At Shutterfly, you can also do some Christmas shopping. Personalized calendars make a great Christmas present for relatives and friends. To browse their selection of calenders click HERE. If your having a party and want to impress your guest before they even get to your party, Shutterfly also has unique and beautiful personalized invitations. To check out their collection of invitations click HERE. Now, if their selections do not impress you, you are sure to be impressed with their great deals. Shutterfly runs a lot specials throughout the year, so you can always get a good deal. But FREE is always a great deal. Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards if you blog about it! For more information about this deal click HERE.

Gratitude

2010-11-21T13:00:00.003-05:00

I sang a song in church today, Gratitude by Nichole Nordemann. The lyrics to this song are amazing, and I wanted to share it with you. It really makes you think about God's blessings beyond the typical shelter, food, family, etc. that we typically think about during Thanksgiving. Basically, the song says Lord, please fill these needs but if you don't and you choose to provide in some other way, I will still give you thanks. I've been learning more and more about God's sovereignty. Growing up my idea of God was that He was watching things happen and if something bad happened, God would swoop in and makes things better. God is so much greater than that! Because God is in complete control, even bad things come from God. Yes, God is in control of evil. There is nothing that Satan can do that is not ordained by God. Romans 8:28 says, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (emphasis mine) I'm not saying God is evil, nor does he do evil, but he does ordain (to establish or order by appointment) evil in order to bring about his ultimate plan. His ultimate plan is for Him to receive the glory He deserves. One way of doing that in our lives is to conform us into the image of Christ. Hardships, whether just circumstances or schemes of Satan, bring about change in our lives. Have you ever considered a job loss, a death of a loved one, cancer, a house fire, or some other tragedy to be a blessing from God? It is just that. God is so good. He has blessings for us beyond what we can ever see or imagine. I pray that this Thanksgiving you will take the time to reflect on your life, through the good and the bad, and see God's rich blessings on your life. To hear Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waYUzxK8TYA

Growing Up Too Quickly

2010-11-20T21:43:00.004-05:00

Since we have friends and family far away, I wanted to do an update on Parker. I can't believe he is 15 months old! He is growing up too quickly. He amazes Paul and me everyday with everything he is learning. He is starting to point to body parts that we are teaching him. He's saying more words: b00n=balloon, puhpuh (for both PopPop and Poppy), up=cup to name a few. He loves to play with his toy drum, balls, and blocks. He loves to read and look at books. I often find him up in the recliner looking through his hardboard books. He's obsessed with balloons. He can spot one from a mile away. He even notices if they are on tv. Whenever Paul is around, he is attached to him. He eats independently. I still have to help him with the spoon if its something he has to use it with. He looks even more like his daddy as he gets older. He is so adorable(I think his daddy is adorable too)!

Name Change

2010-11-20T21:18:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't notice, I changed the name of our blog. Originally, Paul and I were both going to blog using this blog. However, Paul never does, so I'm taking over. Muahahahaha!! (That was my evil laugh.) I know that most of my blog posts are about Parker, but I want to start blogging more about my everyday life. I want to including things that I've been learning spiritually, recipes, money saving tips, hobbies, etc. I decided to change the name of my blog to Proverbs 31 Woman because that is what I want to strive to be. I'll admit that I am nowhere near the godly woman as described in Proverbs 31:10-31. She is a very strong, hard-working woman. I am very lazy. Hopefully, this blog will hold me accountable in some way. (I know that's kind of a far stretch for an nonliving, virtual website to do.) I do hope that this will be a reminder of the life I want to live, and I hope it will touch your life in a positive way.

Spooktacular Halloween

2010-11-20T19:56:00.006-05:00

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, our church had a Fall Festival. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put Parker in an adorable costume. He was the cutest cow ever! He had fun playing games and going on a hay ride.

This was his favorite game. He didn't want to give the net back, and he wanted to stay and play in the water.

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair

2010-11-20T16:33:00.005-05:00

Back in October, we carried on the Camp family tradition of going to the SC State Fair. Arden took off his usual two weeks of vacation from UPS so he could work with his friends at the fair. I remember the first time I joined the Camp family at the State Fair. I was dating Paul, and he and I met Arden, Elise, Mollie, and Michael outside the state fair grounds. I parked my car and got into their van which was packed full of cakes and other goodies that Elise always makes for their friends. The traffic was bumper to bumper, so Arden gets out of the van with a yellow rain jacket on (it was raining lightly) and a box full of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in his hands and proceeds to walk in front of and stop the traffic to let us in. While we were still in the traffic, Arden walked on to the entrance gate. I will never forget him waving us in like we were an airplane taxing into the gate. That was the first of what is now a yearly tradition for me. This year we got to enjoy the fair with a toddler which makes it a brand new experience. We ate plenty of food (Thanks to Arden's friends at Carousel.), took in all the exibits, petted some animals, rode some rides, and visited with family. We had so much fun that in fact we went both weekends. I took so many pictures that I created a slideshow to share our State Fair experience with you.

Parker's First Birthday

2010-11-18T20:44:00.003-05:00

I know this is three months late, but I finally got around to editing some of the pictures from Parker's birthday. So, better late than never, here we are celebrating Parker's first birthday! We had a family get together at our house. The kids enjoyed some time splashing around in the kiddie pool. We enjoyed a meal together and then, of course, some cake. Parker got many great gifts. We all enjoyed celebrating such a special day with a special boy.

This was my first real attempt decorating a cake by myself. It's not perfect, but I think I did a pretty good job if I say so myself.

Smash cake!

Mr. Independent

2010-11-05T17:23:00.004-04:00

Parker's quest for independence has begun and along with that...tantrums! I've been allowing him to practice self-feeding with a spoon during breakfast time when he's eating oatmeal or grits. He's been doing a great job with that because those foods easily stick to the spoon. Now, he thinks anytime there's a bowl and a spoon he has to have the bowl in front of him and no one can help him. This doesn't work out so well for things like soup. So, of course, a fit of rage follows. This either makes meal time really messy or really loud. Most of the time I choose the messy versus the loud. Parker happily stabs away at his food with his spoon and when all else fails he just picks up whatever he's eating with his hands. Although it is frustrating sometimes because it would be easier for me to spoon feed him, I'm enjoying seeing Parker grow and develop. Parker has his daddy's temper and my dramatic side. This makes for a cute (well, most of the time) fall on the floor tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Most of the time he just whimpers and falls on the floor. Although sometimes that leads to bangs and bruises from hitting some object which leads to wails. Thankfully, we haven't had to deal with these fits in public. Oh the joys of toddlerhood!

The Flock

2010-10-28T15:26:00.004-04:00

Along with cooler weather, football, and leaves changing colors, one of my favorite things about fall is seeing the beautiful flocks of birds migrating south. I am absolutely amazed everytime I see a large group of those tiny, black birds (I'm not sure exactly what kind of bird they are)

moving like a wave across the sky. The flock of birds seems to have one mind as they move up and down and side to side. They move together so elequently as if performing a choregraphed ballet in the blue sky. When they land, they land together painting the fields, trees, and power lines black.

As I watch those migrating birds move together, I can't help but think that is how God wants His people, His church, to be. If it was one bird flying across the sky, I would glance and think that's nice, but what makes me stop in amazement is the flock of hundreds of birds moving together, stopping together, sharing the journey together. Imagine if we, God's children, worked together the way those birds do. It's not about only one person, but about every single person doing their part of the Kingdom's work for the glory of the Father. Then, the world would stop in amazement, as they see the light of God shining through His people. Oh, how I pray that would be true!

Just Sayin'

2010-10-14T15:54:00.005-04:00

I'm so sorry that it has been forever since I have posted. I'm going to try to catch you up on Camp life lately. It probably will take a few posts to do that.

I wanted to share a little of Parker's growth lately. He has left the baby stage behind and is now a toddler, which makes me so sad and excited at the same time. One of my favorite accomplishment is Parker's new words. I could tell for a while that he understands what we are saying and can get his point across using gestures and babbles, but now I'm catching some words. I wanted to write them down before I forget these firsts. Of course, he says "mama" and "dada." Now he says... "ba" - ball "pupuh" in a whisper voice -puppy "lie"-light "key"- kitty "bu-bye" - bye-bye He also moos like a cow and does some sort of a meow. Of course, he doesn't perform on command so if you ask him to say some of these things he might just look at you like you're crazy.

11 Months Recap

2010-08-12T14:50:00.004-04:00

Don't worry. I will be posting about Parker's first birthday soon, but I wanted to recap his 11th month first.

started walking like a pro.
started climbing the furniture.
started the weaning process. (I found this very hard for me.)
loves to eat except vegetables. I have to give him the veggies first in hopes that he will eat some or mix them in with other things.
holds a toy phone to his ear, although sometimes he gets it more on the back of head.
gives out kisses when you say, "give me a kiss."
still loves to snuggle when he wakes up. I hope that continues forever!
started wearing some 18 months outfits. He is such a tall boy.
waves bye-bye most of the time.
loves to push things with wheels and make the vroom sound.
is very good at throwing balls.
still just oh so sweet and lovable!

Sorry for the Boringness

2010-08-01T20:20:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the boringness on our blog right now. For some reason, my background has disappeared and won't let me add a new one. Since I'm not a computer/technology savvy person, I have to wait until my husband figures it out. And since my husband works two jobs, he doesn't have a lot of time to fiddle with our blog. So hopefully one day soon, it will get back to the prettiness.

Sweet Memories

2010-08-01T19:43:00.004-04:00

Last night I made my first batch of peach marmalade. This brings back so many memories. I thought about standing next to my Grandma Bertha as she made the best homemade biscuits ever. I was always amazed at how clean her hands were when she finished. She didn't even need to wash them. I don't know how she did it! When those biscuits were done, we would split them open and top them with butter and homemade peach marmalade. This was and still is one of my favorite desserts. I remember her telling me I could have the wooden bowl in which she made those biscuits when she died. I felt so uncomfortable about that because I didn't even want to think about her being gone. When Grandma Bertha died, my mom and I took over the peach marmalade making "buisness." Every summer we would get a big box of peaches from McLeod's Farm in McBee and make several batches of peach marmalade. Instead of putting it on top of homemade biscuits, most of the time it was the frozen Pilsbury ones. Not as good, but it would do. It takes a lot of practice to make great biscuits. I hadn't made any peach marmalade since the year my mama died. Even though I was married, I still made a batch of peach marmalade with her that summer. I wanted to make some marmalade last summer, but I was very pregnant and just didn't feel like doing it. I couldn't wait to get my box of McLeod's peaches this year. Last night, Paul and I made our first batch of peach marmalade. There's now a jar sitting in my refrigerator waiting on me to make some biscuits. (My biscuit making skills have come a long way, but they are no where near that of my grandma's.) I'm very tempted to just have biscuits with peach marmalade for supper.

Growing Up, a Little Monkey Time, a Fight and a Bloody Lip

2010-07-30T18:56:00.006-04:00

I haven't been doing a very good job of blogging lately so I decided I needed to catch up. Parker is just one week away from turning one years old. I just can't believe how fast this year has gone by. Over the past couple of weeks I've really noticed that Parker is loosing his babiness. He has really gotten walking down. He even attempts to run sometimes; he hasn't gotten that down yet. Personality has really developed. He is beginning to express his independence. Although he still eats a lot, he has become a little picky in what he eats. I have to start with the veggies first in hopes that he will eat some. I've begun the weaning process which I think is more emotionally hard for me than him. And with all his new found mobility and independence, Parker got his first busted lip last night. The accident that caused the busted lip wasn't that bad, but trying to get it to stop bleeding was awful. I'm going to have to buy some popcicles to have on hand for the next bloody lip. Today, we took the children's group from the church to Monkey Joe's. It is a nice, air conditioned place full of inflatables. Parker had a blast exploring in the toddler zone, which I think they call the Mini Monkey Zone. He crawled, walked, and climbed all around the pint size inflatables. He even met some friends and one enemy. That brings me to the fight part as the title suggest. Parker got into his first scuffle with a mean, bully kid. I had turned away for one minute to take a picture of the other children who were eating near by and when I turned back to check on Parker I see this kid, I'm guessing around 18 months or so, tackling and scratching my precious baby boy. I quickly put my camera down, took off my shoes, and jumped into the inflatable to safe my child. He wasn't crying, but he had a look of distress that said to me "Mommy, please save me from this thing." Poor thing had scratches on his face and neck and even lost his sock in the process. A minute later I noticed another mama jumping in the inflatable to save her child from the mean, bully toddler. Of course, the bully's mama was over playing cards with her girlfriends and was oblivious to all of this. Parker's getting tougher and being a little boy, I know these won't be the last of his injuries.

I tried to get a picture of his boo boos but it's hard to tell from this picture. This was after a lot of the redness went down so it doesn't look that bad.

P.S. I tried to upload some more pictures but it was taking forever so I gave up.

Weathering the Storm

2010-07-12T19:43:00.003-04:00

This afternoon was quite a scary adventure for Parker and me. I went to Sumter to do my usual weekly grocery shopping. I saw on the radar there were some storms in the area, but they were small cells. First stop was CVS. When I left there it was beginning to drop rain. I said a prayer that Parker and I would make it inside Walmart before it started to pour, and I prayed for a good parking place near the buggy return. The Lord answered both of the prayers. While in Walmart, it started pouring and popping lightning. Then I got text alerts for a severe thunderstorm warning and tornado warning. I called my sister to pull up the radar so I could know what to do. She told me that the worst was yet to come and I should get out of Sumter. I emptied my buggy. I hate to just put stuff anywhere in the store, but I made an exception today. I was just outside of Sumter when it started pouring again but this time with wind. My sister called to see where I was because she saw on the radar more stuff developing. At that point, I pulled over at a gas station which was open. I crawled in the back seat, got Parker out, headed through the torential rain and wind, and as I got to to the door the lights went out. I thought the power went out, but no, the store had just closed! So I headed back through the torential rain and wind put Parker back in his seat, who is now scared and crying. Next door is a Chinese restaurant, but I'm was not sure it was open. At this time, I knew from talking to my sister that they were reporting rotation in the area. I was too scared to stay in the car so I took the chance and got Parker back out of his seat and ran through the torential wind and rain again into the safety of the Panda House. When we walked in the door, there were four Chinese adults and one child who immediately went "awwww" and started saying something in Chinese. Then one of them quickly brought paper towels and started drying Parker off. They were so nice and were understanding of why I invaded their store. They even offered Parker a little miniture cup of jello, but I politely declined. Finally it cleared enough to set off for Pinewood. I did get into heavy rain but no wind. I was so grateful to open the door to our house and be safe inside. Now I got to go back to Sumter tomorrow to do my grocery shopping since I only came back with two sticks of deodorant and some peptobismal.

10 Months Recap

2010-07-12T11:34:00.002-04:00

standing a lot more on his own.
took his first steps, which made him oh-so-proud of himself.
uses "dada" for both me and Paul.
understands the word kisses and gives the best open mouth, slobbery kisses.
eats like a horse. I don't think he would ever stop eating if I didn't stop giving him food.
loves to push his train and John Deere gator around. In fact he likes to push anything around-laundry baskets, chairs, strollers, toy basket.
grinds his teeth! This one is very aggrevating.
still loves to look at books and play with balls.
is very observant when he is in a new environment. He will sit still and check everything out.
has become a daddy's boy too.
likes to be chased.
likes to climb.
still the most precious thing ever!

A Few Steps at a Time

2010-06-24T11:28:00.001-04:00

For those of you who follow my blog but are not on facebook, I just wanted to let you know that the past couple of days Parker has been taking some steps. He is so thrilled with himself. He can do about five at a time. I'll have to post video later.

Out of the Funk

2010-06-17T13:15:00.002-04:00

I must confess that over the past year I was in, what I call, a spiritual funk. I wasn't in one of those "valleys" or facing one of life's "storms" that resulted in me feeling separated from God. I was being disobedient. I had done what the church in Ephesus had done in Revelation 2:4. I had "left my first love." I was like people who divorce because they have fallen out of love with their spouse. It was a gradual fade. At first, you skip spending time in God's Word one day out of the week in order for you to get a little more house work done or to catch another tv show. Then, it becomes two days, three days, and before you realize it, where once you held a devotion to God's Word, now stood a love for fleshly desires. I was lazy. Yes, every once in a while I thought, "I really should spend some time reading my Bible and talking to the Lord. I'll do it after this tv show goes off." Next thing I knew, I couldn't hold my eyes open, and I would go straight to bed without giving my relationship with the Lord another thought. I continued to go to church and sing songs whose words rang out praises to the Lord, but my heart had been emptied of the joy of my salvation. I'm sure it was noticable. Sometimes when I'm up in the choir loft and look around at people's faces when they are singing, it breaks my heart when the look on people's faces is one of boredom or discontentment. I'm sure that's what I looked like. As I was rolling around in the mud and muck of my sin, I finally came to my senses much like the prodigal son. I was tired of feeling so far away from my Savior. I had wasted too much time. I repented of my sin, and prayed for the Lord's help to get me out of the pit. The Lord is faithful and true to His Word. He says in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." Wow, how he has done just that. No, it didn't happened over night. I had to be disciplined to open my Bible and spend time praying rather than turn on the tv. But, the more and more time I spent in God's Word, the more quickly the joy came back. God's Word is good! I have realized how important His Word is. I understand that His Word is life in a whole new way. The very foundation of my relationship with Him is His Word. I'm a far from perfect, but the fact that my fleshly desires are still at war in my heart even though I have turned my heart over to the Lord is no excuse to continue in sin. (You should read Romans 6 sometime.) That's why scripture tells us to die daily to ourselves. I am writing this for several reasons. One is to confess my sin publicly. Another is I hope that this helps someone else who may be in a "spiritual funk." But, most importantly, I want to rejoice in the work of the Lord in my life. My His name be glorified!

9 Months Recap

2010-06-08T17:42:00.003-04:00

celebrated his first Mother's Day.

was dedicated to the Lord.

went on our first family vacation.

ate his first handful of sand.

continues to cruise around on the furniture.

can stand by himself for a few seconds.

loves to push his walker around.

says "mama" and "dada".

has separation anxiety.

finally got his first tooth! Followed by 2 more in the 2 days after.

chases Isaac around the living room.

loves to pull all the books off the bookshelves.
gives lots of hugs and kisses.
weighed 20 lbs 10oz and 29 3/4 in long at his 9 month checkup.

Baby Dedication and Vacation

2010-05-17T18:33:00.004-04:00

Our church traditionally holds Baby Dedication on Mother's Day for all the babies that have been born over the past year. Parker was one of four babies dedicated this year. He did really well waiting for the ceremony. He even helped Paul with the announcements. However, by the time the Baby Dedication ceremony was over he was ready to get down and play. I'm am so proud to have a son to dedicate to the Lord. Really, Paul and I are dedicating ourselves to raising Parker to become like Christ. Our prayer is that he commits his life to the Lord at an early age and with our discipleship, help him to grow deeper in his relationship and to reflect the love of Christ with his life. What a joyous and scary responsibility we have! We are not alone; we have God's Word to guide us along the way.

That afternoon we left for a much needed vacation to Myrtle Beach. This vacation would not have happened if it weren't for the generosity of a couple in our church who allowed to use a week of a timeshare they have. We are very appreciative! Since Paul is working two jobs, we were looking forward to having time together as a family. Parker enjoyed playing in the sand. He even ate some sand! I must admit I like going to the beach, but I just wish the sand wouldn't stick all over you. It doesn't help to have a sand-covered 9 month old crawl all over you.

He got upset when we told him not to eat sand!

8th Month Recap

2010-05-04T23:09:00.002-04:00

crawling like crazy!

pulling up on anything and everything.

crusing around on the furniture.

squats down to go from standing to sitting instead of just plopping to his bottom.

gets into things he knows he's not supposed to.

When he gets caught, he flails around like he's trying to get rid of the evidence.

loves to explore.

smiles all the time.

loves playing peek-a-boo.

so so very ticklish and has the cutest giggle ever.

discovered that splashing the water in the bath tub is fun.

went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time.

say bababababababa and bubuya which sounds like he's saying byebye (I don't think he realizes that he is actually saying something that has meaning yet.)

bounces up and down to music.

loves the Bill Green commercials for some reason.

gets MAD if you take something he really enjoys away from him. (I hope this doesn't mean that he has his daddy's temper.)

still has no teeth.

gets all the attention from shoppers when we are out and about, especially the old ladies.

weighs 20 lbs 14 oz.

continues to be the cutest thing ever!

He loves to pull all of his toys out of the basket. Green peas anyone?

It Didn't Work

2010-04-20T12:30:00.002-04:00

So putting Parker to bed an hour earlier than usual didn't help with the nap situation. He cried all through his morning nap today. I hope this is just a funk he's in and he will be getting out of it soon because I like nap times. That's when I get the most done.

Success!

2010-04-19T18:05:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I forgot to post about night feeding detox for day 3 and 4. So here's the recap. Night 3 had only a few minutes of crying in the night. Night 4...silence! He slept from about 7 pm to 6:30 am. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get him sleeping through the night. Why didn't I do this earlier!? The hour and a half of crying the first night was worth the nights of continuous sleep (although I still find myself waking in the middle of the night). Although now I have a new sleep problem...the afternoon nap. The past few days Parker has been protesting his afternoon nap. Remembering what Dr. Weissbluth said in his book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, Parker may be a little overtired so tonight I put him to bed an hour earlier than usual. He was already showing signs of being tired so I did our bedtime routine and he is already asleep and it's only 6:15! I hope this helps.

Night Feeding Detox Day 2

2010-04-14T15:23:00.002-04:00

Last night was much, much better. Parker woke up right as Paul and I were going to bed around 11 pm and cried for about 15 mins. 15 mins! I couldn't believe my ears. After that, I would occasionally hear a small cry for only a minute and then silence. I don't know if he was fully awake during those short minutes of crying or just transitioning stages of sleep. Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no bouts of crying tonight.

Night Feeding Detox Day 1

2010-04-13T16:38:00.003-04:00

At one point in time, Parker slept through the night (6 -7 hours), but recently, ok actually about a couple of months, Parker would wake a couple times in the night. Instead of fixing the problem to begin with, I was lazy and would just nurse him and put him back down. Now, a couple of months later, I'm ready for a full night's sleep, but I know in order to get that we are going to have to endure a little more nights of hardship. Last night was the first night of night feeding detox. I put Parker down at 7 pm and before long he had drifted off to sleep. I'm so glad that I got Parker used to going to sleep on his own when he was little so at least I don't have to fix that problem. At 2 am Parker woke up crying. I didn't go in there, but I would keep peeking in on him to make sure he wasn't stuck in the rails or something like that. After about an hour I went to lay down in the guest bedroom since there is no clock in there. Around 3:40 am I woke up after having a weird dream that Parker had broke the rails on his crib and was crawling around his bedroom and jumping off his bed. I heard nothing. I peeped in, and there he was asleep. Whew! After about an hour and a half, he surrendered. I wish I could end the story here and tell you that I awoke at 7 am to a smiling, happy baby, but that's not the case. When Paul got up at 5:15 am, the squeak of the bathroom door woke up Parker. I didn't go to him this time either. He would cry a few minutes and drift off back to sleep. Then, he would wake and cry a few minutes. This continued until 6:30 when I got him up and put him in the bed with me while he nursed. I was very ready for naptime today so I could also get a nap. He hasn't napped as long as he usually does, but that is to be expected when you don't get a good nights rest. I'm hoping there will be improvement tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

7 Months Recap

2010-04-05T14:10:00.004-04:00

As of today, Parker is 8 months old, so that means it's time for the 7 month recap. This month Parker hit a huge milestone. He learned to crawl, first backwards and then forwards. This means there is no stopping him now. He is working hard at learning how to pull up. When he stands up with some assistance, it is really obvious why he is in the 97 percentile for height. He is tall! Parker also learned how to transition from laying down to sitting and from sitting into crawling and vice versa. It is so neat to watch a special toy catch his eye because there is nothing to stop him now from getting to it. I think our cat, Isaac, is slowly realizing he better start getting out of his way. It just depends on how desperate Isaac is for attention. I guess having your tail pulled and being beat up is better than no attention at all.

Parker is now enjoying all kinds of food. His favorites are pears, bananas, and green peas, but he detests green beans. When we have green beans (I buy the frozen whole green beans.), he enjoys gnawing and sucking on it though. He is a very messy eater because he puts his hands in his mouth while he's eating. Then the mess gets transfered to his head, ears, tray, you get the picture.

Parker is a mama's boy. When he is tired, no one else will do. Also, when he is tired, he is ready to go to bed. If I don't get him to bed around 7-7:30, he is not a happy camper. Once he gets in his bed, he rolls over, sticks his butt in the air, and goes to sleep. I learned the hard way not to mess with his bed time. As Dr. Marc Weisbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, says, "sleep begets sleep." This is very true for Parker. If he is overtired, he has trouble going to sleep and staying asleep.

Parker is a very happy baby. I get so many comments about this, even from complete strangers. He is just a delight! I could go on as any mother could about their child, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend all day reading this.

Trying to look like his Uncle Michael with an orange gotee.

I just couldn't resist!

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-04-01T17:06:00.002-04:00

Parker and I spent the day at Swan Lake enjoying the nice weather and beautiful sunshine. I can't wait to go back and take some more pictures. It's hard work to get him to look toward the camera and smile all by myself. Next time we're taking daddy.

Finally, some success!

2010-03-10T20:52:00.003-05:00

After 2 months of very little interest in solid food, I was beginning to think that Parker would want to be solely breastfed for the rest of his life. However, after today, there is hope. For the first time, I didn't have to combat flailing arms and a scrunched face, or putting the spoon up to a closed mouth. (When I did get him to eat some bites, he would just kinda suck it in without opening wide.) Finally, Parker enjoyed his supper of pears and rice cereal, which I might add that I have given to him before. When he would see that the spoon was ready to go, he got his mouth ready. It is so much easier to feed a baby that opens his mouth wide, go figure!

Breaking Free

2010-03-10T20:20:00.007-05:00

I put Parker down for his evening nap today awake but tired. After hearing silence for a few minutes, I peeped in to make sure he was asleep and found this.....

Here's an even funnier view.

I thought about just leaving him that way until he woke up, but then I worried that his circulation would be cutoff (he does have chubby legs). As I carefully freed him, he awoke. After a little consoling, I put him back down, awake but drowsy. After a few minutes there was silence again. I peeped in, and this time I found this...

I think it is so cute that he sleeps with his butt in the air.

6 Month Recap

2010-03-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

Parker's six month has come to an end. I can't believe he's 7 months old! Here's the recap of February.
Parker continues to roll and army crawl his way around. He can get to his favorite toy very quicly.
He has begun to do baby pushups in preparation for crawling. You can tell he is thinking really hard about how to get his body moving.
His trunk has gotten a lot stronger and he can sit up well on his own to play with his toys.

He is very curious and of course everything goes into his mouth.
When he gets tired, he wants his Mama.
If we are out when its his naptime, he fights sleep like crazy. He goes to sleep much better on his own and in his own bed.

He got to see/experience his first snow! (He was ready for his nap when this picture was taken.)

He has gained a little interest in solids. Sometimes I can get him to eat a half of a jar.
He learned how to clap his hands together.
He loves to watch other children.

He continues to be the most precious baby boy ever!

Locked Up

2010-02-28T16:12:00.002-05:00

Recently, the door handle on our bathroom window has been acting up. By that, I mean that it would sometimes get stuck and not open. Around 8:30 this morning I entered the bathroom to get ready for church while Paul left to go prepare for church. Around 9, I tried to get out of the bathroom. And by tried, I mean that I couldn't because I was locked in. No matter how hard I twisted the handle it wouldn't budge. Then, to make matters worse all my jiggling of the handle must have woken Parker who was taking a nap. I felt so helpless. I could hear my baby crying and I couldn't get to him. By then I was starting to panic. There is no window in this bathroom so the door was my only way out. I looked around for anything that I could use to loosen the screws to take the door handle off. I tried pulling out the pins. I knew around 10 o'clock Paul would come looking for me since he would expect me to be at church by then. I just kept waiting to hear those church bells ring. I was very close to trying to break down the door. Then suddenly, I thought about how some criminals use credit cards to break into places. I looked around for something thin but strong. I had some beauty scissors (that's what I call them at least) and I tried to pry back the little tongue thingy part (not sure the technical name). Finally, I got it back far enough to free myself. At least I had a good excuse for why I was late this morning.

How'd He Do That?

2010-02-27T20:57:00.003-05:00

I left Parker in the middle of the living room floor with his toys for him to play. When I returned I found him like this. Someone please tell me how he managed to get that book on his back?

Saving with The Grocery Game!

2010-02-23T15:23:00.005-05:00

I recently started using The Grocery Game to help save money on groceries. After doing some grocery shopping today, I am excited to share about my savings. I got $108.80 worth of groceries and other things for $41.36 (not including tax), plus I earned $0.05 off per gallon at Shell and $2 in Extra Care Bucks plus a Extra Care Coupon for $5 off a $15 purchase at CVS. Here's how I did it. I joined thegrocerygame.com with a FREE four week trial. Every week they send me a list from the stores I selected (Bi-lo, Food Lion, and CVS). The list gives you all the sales, not just the advertised sales, coordinated with the coupons. It color coordinates: green-free items, blue-items to stockpile because they are at rock bottom prices, and black-items that are a good deal but only buy if you need them. I go through the list and print off only the things I'm going to get that week. Then, I go through my coupon binder and pull out the coupons that I need that week. (Yes, I organized a coupon binder.) Then, Monday or Tuesday, I go shopping. The list helps me go through the store quickly, which is such a help with a 6 month old in tow. I love The Grocery Game for so many reasons. Of course because it saves me money, but not only that, it saves me time. They (the people behind the website) do all the dirty work. They find out all the sales, they study the sales trends and know when the item is at its lowest cost, and they coordinate the items with the coupons for extra savings. After my free trial, I will be paying $15 every 8 weeks for 2 store lists (I'm going to get Bi-lo and CVS). That isn't alot of money considering all I will be saving, both time and money. Also, Bi-lo has Fuel Perks which gives you 5 cents off per gallon at any Shell station for every $50 you spend , and that just keeps adding up. The other day I was able to get 15 cents off per gallon. If you use reuseable grocery bags, you get an extra 5 cents off your grocery bill per bag. At CVS, you can earn Extra Care Bucks which you can use toward purchases. I will continue to shop at Aldi once a month because there are some items you just can't beat their price on. I've included a picture of my purchases from this week. It's hard to see what is in the picture so I'll tell you what I got. For $41.36, I got Pine Sol, 3 boxes of Puffs tissues, Crest Pro Health mouthwash, Almay Intense I-Color trio, 6 5 oz cans of Bumble Bee Tuna, 4 cans of Progresso soup, 12 pack Angel Soft double rolls, 2 packs of Pampers Cruisers, Marcal tissues, Smart Balance Sour Cream, dozen eggs, value pack of split chicken breasts, Land O'Lakes sandwich meat, cucumber, 2 Uncle Ben's rice mixes, 2 lbs of grapes, and 6 reusable shopping bags. If this excites you and you want to try or you just want more information, go to thegrocerygame.com or you can email me at kelliepcamp@yahoo.com. If you decide to join, please use me as a referral by entering my email address. This helps me earn free weeks of The Grocery Game. Then, share with your friends and have them use you as a referral.

Update

2010-02-16T19:29:00.003-05:00

Parker had his 6 month checkup today. Going in, I was sure the doctor would want Parker in a helmet since his head still is misshapen. Thankfully, that is not the case. Dr. Mitchner feels that his head shape is improving, and I agree. He explained that perfectly round is not what he is looking for but as long as it continues to improve then he won't put him in the helmet. So we will continue to pray for the next 3 months that his head will continue to move in the right direction, and we ask that you join us in prayer on this matter. I was reminded today that the Lord does answer prayer but not necessarily in the way you might imagine. Oh, by the way, Parker weighs 20 lbs 6 oz and is 29 in long, which is above the 90th percentile for weight and 97th percentile for height.

Snow!!!

2010-02-15T13:16:00.004-05:00

Finally, it snowed in Pinewood! Last year we only got to see it fall from the sky a little bit, but this year we got a snow "storm." We had somewhere around 6 inches of snow. I felt like a little kid. Although Parker won't remember it, he got to experience his first snow.

5 Months Recap

2010-02-02T19:27:00.011-05:00

As Parker creeps close to the half year mark, I decided I would blog about Parker's development during his fifth month. I will try to keep this going to subsequent months, mainly so I can remeber what all happened. So here is a recap of Parker's fifth month.

1. Parker tried his first solid food. He didn't seemed too enthused over his rice cereal but I can't really blame him. After getting all the exciting flavors from breastmilk, I'm sure bland rice cereal is a step back.

2. He also tried his first vegetable, green beans, and his first fruit, bananas.

3. As big as Parker is you would think he would be super interested in eating solids, however, he hasn't shown much interest in eating. Although in the past few days he seems to be enjoying eating solids a little more.

4. Parker got his first two sicknesses this month. The first was a virus that caused him to run fever for one day. The second was a bacterial infection that caused him to be puny for a few days.

5. Parker now weighs over 20 lbs! 20 lbs. 4 oz to be exact well as of last weigh in.

6. Over a 9 day span (between the 2 sicknesses) Parker gained 7 oz. I don't think I have to worry about him getting enough milk.

7. Parker is now rolling over like crazy! He can roll himself all around to get to whatever catches his attention. 8. Speaking of catching his attention, our cat, Isaac seems to be his biggest thrill. Anytime Isaac gets close enough Parker does his best to get a piece of him. Most of the time it's Isaac's tail.

9. Parker's continues to gain strength and muscle control. He can sit up well on his own, although he still takes a tumble over sometimes.

10. He loves to look at the world upside down.

11. Parker has learned some new noises, including the squeal. Sometimes he even sounds like he is saying "MaMa."

12. Parker continues to be a very happy baby. It doesn't take much to get a smile or a giggle out of him. Besides all the "he's so big" comments, I also get a lot of "he's such a happy baby."

13. He showed the first signs of separation anxiety this month. During one of his physical therapy sessions, the therapist had him with his back turned toward me. He started making a scared face and looked around until he saw me.

14. Parker continues to go to physical therapy. He recently started tilting his head again. The therapist thinks he has the range of motion, but he is just favoring that one side.

15. Parker is my little studier. He is very observant and likes to check out new places. He also likes to make eye contact with people and will stare at someone until they look at him.

16. This month we had to move up to size 4 diapers. I can't believe I have a five month old in size 4 diapers! He's also in size 6-9 month cloths, although soon we will be moving to the next size.

I think that pretty much covers the month. Here are some more 5 month old pictures. (The pictures aren't 5 months old, just Parker.)

Ready for the snow... still waitin'

We Survived

2010-01-28T14:24:00.002-05:00

One of the benefits of being a stay at home mom is keeping my precious child out of the germ filled daycare centers. However, this week Parker got his first sickness. He started running fever Saturday evening with a low grade fever but by the middle of the night he had 102 degree fever. Even with tylenol he kept a high fever, so I called the doctor's office Sunday morning. They said to bring him in at 2. I love that Sumter Pediatrics will see patients on the weekends if necessary. Although his ear was a little red with a little fluid, the doctor did a blood test to see if what he had was viral or bacterial. It came back with high white blood cell count which would lead to it being bacterial but also some of the other numbers looked as if it could be viral. They gave him a shot of antibiotics to see how he would respond and wanted to see him back on Monday. Since his fever was down on Monday, we are now giving him amoxicillin (which I'm kinda jealous of him because the bubble gum flavored medicine tastes good). After a few days of him acting puny, he is back to his normal self, and he has finally started to enjoy taking his medicine. It was a wrestling match a couple of days to get the medicine in him. We survived his first sickness, and now we are trying to get back on our normal routine.

Christmas Review

2010-01-17T23:02:00.003-05:00

Here is a review of our Christmas in a picture video. Paul downloaded Pinnacle Movie Maker to our computer so I gave it a try. I'm pleased with the results. Now I can't wait to make more movies!

Prayer Request

2010-01-07T13:23:00.002-05:00

If you keep up with my blog, you already know that Parker has torticollis which caused plagiocephaly (flat spot on head). Physical therapy has been going well but Parker continues to look a lot toward his right side and this week I've been noticing him tilting his head again (a classic torticollis sign). The flat spot is getting a little better which brings me to my prayer request. Please pray that Parker's head "poofs out" soon. I know that is not the medical term but essentially that's what it needs to do. We go back to the doctor in the middle of February. If it is not better by then I have a feeling the doctor will want him in a helmet. Although it doesn't hurt him, I would rather not have to go through the trama of him wearing a helmet 23 1/2 hours a day and of course getting the insurance to cover it. Sometimes insurance companies won't cover the helmet because they see it as a cosmetic issue. If the Lord wills, I do pray that his head will poof out soon. Thanks in advance for your prayers.