Why I blog??

I have been thinking about this lately and searching my motives for why I choose to keep a family blog. I have decided that I enjoy blogging for several reasons.

-Some days it is therapeutic for me to sit down and sort through my feelings.
-I enjoy sharing pics of my girls for my friends and family who live far away.
-I enjoy journaling our life. As a child, I remember enjoying reading the things my mom wrote about me in my baby book. For example, I used to call the church nursery the "nubey" and the living room the "liv-liv." I have never forgotten those things. I want my girls to one day be able to read about their lives and what they were like at different stages.
-It is a place I can look back and see God working in my life.
-I want to turn my blog into a blog book so that my girls will one day have a hard copy! I just recently realized you could do this and I am so excited that it won't someday just be lost out in cyberspace!!

I enjoyed reading Mckmama's blog today on blogging boldly. I liked what she had to say about being authentic and real. It is so easy to portray the sunny sides of life on blogs or facebook so that others think you have it all going on. In fact, I have been thinking a lot about this throughout this past Christmas season as I strolled with my two cuties through the mall. It is so easy on the outside to "appear" all put together. For instance, I can have my two girls dressed in the cutest clothing, matching bows...I can have showered, straighted my hair smoothly, and tried to choose a trendy and fashionable outfit (which I am not sure ever happens even when I try). I can try to give off the impression of having it all together....but I so don't have it all together. While i don't think there is anything wrong with "cuteness," I want so much more for my girls than this. I want them to be real and authentic. (Don't worry right now ella has this one down. She has no problem sharing her feelings quite freely...in the middle of Target...in the car...grocery store...wherever and no matter who is looking! Guess that is a plus of being two!)

So all that to say...I enjoy blogging. I want to be a more authentic blogger! I want to share my life and what the Lord is teaching me. I want to store up memories for my girls and help them to learn about what our family life was like when they were small. So...that is why I blog!

A Look Back and a Look ahead!!

January-We celebrated Samuel's 3rd Birthday in heaven and

found out we were pregnant again which came as a big surprise!

February-We decked in red and pink and

braced ourselves as we waited for our little one to grow.

March-We visited Disney for the first time and

played at the park.

April-We finally shared our good news at 16

weeks that we were pregnant!

May-We went to the beach...not nearly enough!

June-It got hot...and mommy grew!

July-We were busy preparing for miss eliza...mommy

sewing and daddy painting!

August-mommy got put on bedrest...and we couldn't wait

for eliza to arrive!

September-so richly blessed by this healthy

bundle of cuteness!

October-We celebrated another Birthday!

November-We feasted and were thankful as we

survived a rough season of sickness!

December-We enjoyed a blessed Christmas with our

two girls!

I am naturally a planner and organizer and sometimes drive myself and others crazy. This is the way God wired me and I enjoy making list, crossing off lists, making goals and keeping my ducks in a row. As I reflect back on 2009 there are many things I can cross off my list...yet so many more things I want and seek to accomplish.

2009 was a blessed and yet difficult year at times. We started the year by finding out we were pregnant again right on the tail of a miscarriage. My doctor didn't even believe it was true and at 5 weeks we had a major scare and thought for sure this pregnancy too was ending...yet God had other plans for miss eliza. This year was more difficult as a mother. I found it challenging to be pregnant and HOT while caring for a toddler. I also found it challenging as my sweet and compliant baby turned into a toddler who had a mind of her own. I struggled to find my way as a mom in disciplining and being patient. I still have a lot to learn in this area. Kev took a much needed break in teaching Sunday School on a full-time basis and devoted more time to school work. He always seems to stay really busy!

This year was so blessed as we watched my belly grow and also watched our ella grow. It seems she went from a baby in Jan. to a big girl in December. She learned so much this year and talks all the time. She constantly entertains us with what she says and does.

My goals for 2010 are to read through my One Year Bible! This was my goal for 2009 and I was consistent through March and stopped! I really sense my need to be in God's Word on my own daily! I struggle in this area and want to experience God in a new and real way in 2010.

I also want to get outside more. I am not naturally and outside person. I am not sure why because I do like being outside! I want to get my girls outside (in the backyard, on walks, to the pool and to the park) more this year than I did last year! I think we need us more Vitamin D!!!

As a family I would like kevin and I to go on more dates and to spend time praying together...not just before a meal. I also want us to visit the Children's museum and the aquarium!

What are your goals for 2010?

some traditions are just worth keeping

2007


2008

2009

In case your wondering...it is kev's shirt! I realized last year that he'd worn it two years in a row on Christmas Eve. This year I suggested a different look...but you can see who won. He said this is his official Christmas Eve outfit! I may have to hide it in a few years!!

I love looking back at our pics througout the years. It's amazing how much growing and changing happens in 365 days! I wonder what 2010 will hold?

Our Christmas

Christmas Eve...we didn't get a dog...our neighbors did
and we got to puppy sit! Guess who wants a puppy now!!
Everytime we leave our house and drive past our
neighbors ella says, "No Whit-nee dat my doggy!"
Of course she is two and thinks everything is hers!


Oh how she loved the puppy!

Opening her new pj's!

Me and my eliza

Daddy and his girls and the puppy!

Daddy and Eliza

The girls!

Ella on Christmas morning by her tree!

She looks so excited! (note the miss patty-cake

dvd cases that she carries everywhere!)


Eliza's tree

Ready to begin!

Eliza's loot!

Dr. Ella checking out sissy!

We had such a fun and busy christmas! We are blessed with so much..more than we need!

Merry Christmas!

We've shopped
We've crafted
We've baked and gingerbread house constructed

We've wrapped
We've seen the lights
We've movie watched and we've cookie decorated.

Christmas clothes have been worn and ornaments broken
Cards have been mailed and Carols have been spoken
We've decked our halls and waved at Santa from afar

Yet there seems like something is missing
There must be something more...

Tonight we will worship with both young and old
We will sing Silent Night and remember so long ago
How the King of this World left His home of Splendor
For rags and a cross
Oh Lord Let Help us to Remember

For without your Great Sacrifice
There would be no Christmas Glow
No Candle Light, No Merry Night
No presents, cheer, or mistletoe!

So on this Christmas Eve with my to-do list almost done
I find the one thing left that I must do
Is to worship the King in Heaven above.

Look who is already 3 months

This post is a little old. I have been slow on uploading my pics,

Little miss Eliza is growing so fast. It definitely goes faster the second time around... which is so sad.


At 3 months
-eliza is wearing 0-3 month clothes but is almost ready to start trying on some of her 3-6 month wardrobe! (I love that I have two girls that were born in the same season. She can wear all of ella's clothes and I love getting to see them on her and reuse them!)


-She is now wearing size 2 diapers! We have come a long way from those teeny tiny preemie diapers! (Last week after several diaper explosions,I decided it was time to go to a bigger size! Now, I really think it is just the huggies! I hate huggies for (breastfed babies)! I feel they are just not absorbent enough for runny poo! Is it only me or has anyone else had this problem? I love huggies for bigger babies! And why does huggies put out a ton more coupons than pampers??? Okay...off subject but that has been a big issue lately!


-eliza weighs about 11lbs 4oz. as of today! That is a gain of 5 lbs 3oz. in 3 months...so she has almost doubled her birth weight!


-eliza only likes to eat for about 10 minutes at a time! This is great, but I always hope she is really getting her tummy full enough! I always worry about my girls not eating enough...probably because they both started out tiny and I feel like it is my job to "beef" them up!


-eliza is a SUPER sleeper! She is sleeping from about 9:30pm until 6:30 or 7:00am. She needs no paci and doesn't even cry! I swaddle her and but her in her bassinet and she looks around until she falls asleep! Oh how I love her (i'd still love her ...even if she was waking all through the night..but this mama loves her sleep!)


-eliza is so sweet! She gives the best smiles! All you have to do is talk to her and she can't hold back! She is especially smiley after getting her tummy full! She seems to have a sweet and calm personality...so far (i do know they can change!)


-eliza loves her sissy and loves to smile at her. She pulled ella's hair for the first time yesterday and ella looked like she didn't quite know what to do! The beginning of the sister wars!!


-she loves to be held! She will stop crying immediately when mommy or daddy pick her up!


-she likes her bath


-she finally found her fingers and can't decide if she wants to suck her first two or the two middle ones. She is still alternating between the two. I am still trying to talk her into being a paci girl because they seem like a less germy option and an easier habit to end...but I think she will win!


-she is growing a full-on spike! Her hair is coming in stick straight and sticking straight up! It is def. going to be light brown or blonde. She's got her daddy's hair and hairline for sure!


-She is really changing in her looks. I still think she favors her cousin landon the most. She has a def. look of someone in my family and I just cannot figure it out!



A year ago this past Saturday...Dec. 19th was when we had a miscarriage at 10 weeks into a pregnancy. I never understand the "why's" of all that but I would never want to trade my eliza anne! If we hadn't had a miscarriage then we wouldn't have her. God is good when we don't understand or even like what is going on. He always knows what we need and has a bigger plan than we can see! I have seen this over and over in my life and I know that it is true. Happy 3 month Birthday!

Almost ready for Christmas!

I cannot believe that it is the week of Christmas. I have been a bad blogger this week. Life seemed to be busy with finishing shopping and then my ella girl got sick again! She ran fever from Thursday morning until last night. It is gone today and she never got any other symptoms. We took her in on Friday because her cousins have all had strep so we thought it was probably that, but it wasn't...just another viral fever thing! I have had several moms tell me that it is just her age in attempts to make me feel better. I think she has just gotten run down and is having trouble fighting all the germs out there right now. So much from avoiding playgroups, Chucky Cheeses, the play center at chick-fli-a(the poor girl wants to do the slide so bad), and using hand sanitizers! It's not working for us! I am just thankful she is better...now if we can stay well until Thursday, I will have all I want for Christmas! I guess when there are 7 cousins under the age of 8, in one house...someone is bound to be sick!

Kevin and I saw the movie, The Blindside on my birthday. We both loved it and thought it was one of the best movies we'd ever seen. I highly recommend it! It was funny because as we were getting in the van to go...Kevin said, "wow, I've never driven a mini van on a date." And then I looked down and realized I was carrying my diaper bag rather than a purse (in my defense it doesn't look too much like a diaper bag)! We laughed at how life changes. In fact, we loved all 2 hours and 6 minutes of the movie just sitting there in silence. It was so nice to just sit and relax and know that we didn't have any responsibilities.

I have one more present to buy, which is a gift card for my dad because he is the hardest person I buy for. I did get him one little gift, but it is basically the same thing I get him every year. I also have a hard time shopping for Kevin. He never really wants anything. This morning he pulled out a new shirt with the tag still on it that I gave him for Christmas last year. I should have re-gifted it...he'd never known. He tried it on and decided he liked it....must be his new muscles! He has been working out like crazy for several months now. I am really proud of him. He seems to really enjoy it. He is wanting me to start P90X with him in Jan. but I am just not a good work-out girl. I enjoy walking and I would love to be a runner one day. I want to try it because I think it is one activity we could do together and that would be good for us!

We had to cancel seeing the lights this past week with our "older"friends from church due to ella's fever. I am hoping we can work it in this week. I also still need to make our Christmas cookies and a few reeses cookies that I make every year. I hope to have some good family time this week and enjoy Kevin being on vacation. So...it looks like we are...almost ready for Christmas!