Catching up...a post of pictures!

Jessie from Toy Story

Eliza the cow!

Our tradition of making homemade doughnuts
and carving pumpkins!  I think she liked it!

Pumpkin Painting

Daddy the master pumpkin carver!

Yum!

Pooh!

CBC Fall festival

Trunk or Treating

My girls!

Hee!  Haw!

Thursday's Thoughts

It's Thursday, which means it is the day that I normally try to muster up my motivation and clean up this messy house.  It is really bad this week.  I'm not sure I have it in me to face the disaster.  In light of this mess, I can be thankful that a messy house which was created by my loving family.  I am sure I added to it too.  I usually give up somewhere around Tuesday. 

Ella is going to be Jessie from Toy Story for our church's Fall Festival.  I had bought her a cute cowgirl outfit with the cutest red cow girl boots form a local consignment store for her to wear.  Secretly, I knew she would make the cutest little Jessie ever!  Her Daddy knew it too and he ordered it for her off of e-bay!  Now we just need to rent Toy Story so she will know who Jessie is!!!  Those red boots are too cute!
I really enjoy scrapbooking.  I know some people loathe it, but for me I enjoy the creative outlet it allows me!  The only thing is that it is one more thing TO DO!  I am scared to get too far behind in fear that I will never again get caught up.  I have made the decison that after this year, I will only scrapbook a baby book for any remainding children the Lord blesses us with.  I will do our yearly family scrapbook on-line.  It will be cheaper, easier and smaller.  Ella and I are the only ones who really enjoy looking at them anyways.  Whew...I feel better already.

Okay, I have a confession.  We just moved Eliza into her room last week at 13 months.  I know!  I know!!  She has napped in there every single day during the day so it was not a new space for her.  I have this thing about my girls being in their rooms.  Fear seems to grip me most at night and I struggle with the what if's.  Eliza's room is even a bit further than ella's and this made it even harder.  I have a large walk-in closet and she has slept in there once she got old enough to call my name if she woke up!  It was dark, furnished with a small crib and close to mommy.  She slept well, we slept well....but it was time (actually past time)!  Thankfully, she is doing great and mommy is too! I have learned to do what works for us as parents!

And last but not least....

What a difference a year makes!!

 I love looking back at pictures of my girls and seeing how much they have grown and changed since the previous year.  Last weekend at the pumpkin patch I kept thinking about how Eliza was just a little bitty newborn in a sling last Oct.  It made me a wee bit sad, but this year was much easier (now that Ella is 3 and Eliza is not just 3 weeks old) I must say!  You can also tell that I now have a much better camera since last year!!  It is amazing the difference a year can make!  Wonder what next year will look like for us??

Pumpkin Patch 2010

 I love the pumpkin patch!!  It is one of those things I always looked forward to doing with my kids when I became a mother, especially after taking yearly field trips there as a teacher!  This year daddy had class all day!  We really missed him!!  We were able to meet up some friends from church, which made it lots of fun!   We had such a great fall day!

Randomness

1.  I finally learned how to do the linky thing last week and it wasn't nearly as tricky as I thought.  Not sure what I did last time I tried it.  So today I am linking up with with Carissa's blog at lowercase letters.

2.  Every few years I have something random happen to my eye(s).  A few years ago it was a corneal abrasion and most recently a corneal puncture???  I am blind as a bat and have had glasses since the second grade and contacts since the fourth.  The other day while at the eye doctor with a fussy 1 year old and a mommy without her contacts in...let's just say when Eliza threw her paci and blankie on the floor, they were as good as lost.  I'd have to have been about 2 inches from the floor to find them.  Thankfully, the receptionist was kind.  Anyways, I have been out of my contacts for about 4 days and yesterday morning they looked and felt fine again and I tried to wear them to church!  By yesterday afternoon, I was back in a mess.  Back to the eye doctor I go!! (Did I mention that 3 years ago I had to wear a patch over one eye for a week!  That was fun!

3.  Ella has her 3 year check-up today.  I started prepping her this morning.  I hate that she is old enough to be anxious about going.  Thankfully, her daddy is off today and he gets to join us! 

4.  Most little girls like to but their babies in a stroller and go for a push!  Not my little sweetie!  It is her most

prized possession that gets taken for a stroll. 

5.Eliza is going to be a cow for our fall festival at church.  The outfit was a hand-me-down from my friend Tara and I have loved letting both my girls wear it.  Eliza also wore it for Ella's farm party! 



Ella 1 yr.



Eliza 1 yr.

6.  I am normally an early Christmas Shopper and I generally buy things on sale throughout the year.  I am WAY behind this year.  I cannot believe that the holidays are right around the corner.  Speaking of Christmas, I have already started playing my Christmas CD's on occasion when the temperature dips below 75.  I just can't help it and a little chill in the air makes me so excited!



Wrestling....

Have you ever prayed and prayed for God to do something and then as God just barely begins to open a door of opportunity, you dig your heels in the ground and have yourself a pity party?  Well, that was my weekend.  I feel as though I have been in a spiritual battle all weekend, unlike any I have faced for a while now. 

When Kev and I surrendered to the ministry, I told the Lord I was willing to lay aside my life and follow His plan for our lives.  Really this is not just for those in ministry...it is what being a christian means!  What if God's plan once again looks very different from what I want, like or feel comfortable with (usually it does)!  What if it means laying down my life and picking up my cross (it always does).  What if it means having less, doing less, and big changes in those things I find fun and appealing (it might).  Do you see why I have been wrestling??

It is so easy to be comfortable in our nice little homes, great churches, and towns with tons of opportunities, families, and things to do.  What if God calls me to a very different kind of life and ministry?  Will I be faithful?  God has really shown us no direction yet, but He has made one thing very big in my heart and life as I have struggled, cried, and wrestled through this in a fresh way this weekend, he cares about my obedience and about people who need to know Him.

There are a few passages in the Bible that I have always struggled through.  One is the passage in Luke 9 where Jesus says "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife, and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life cannot be my disciple."  The other is the story of the rich man in Matthew 19:23, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of heaven."  Both of these two passages of scripture always make me think, Lord???? But when thinking about my own life, my first two thoughts when faced with obedience in my life usually has something to do with family and possessions.  There is the 1)I will miss family side and then the what "good" things will my girls/family miss out on. (I know in reality they won't miss out when serving the Lord but from the world's perspective you think of things like schools, organized sports, libraries, (and a Target for crying out loud!!)  Then there is 2) my furniture won't fit that, the major downsizing and down grading, the, what about my china hutch, and you see where I am going.  The Lord in His infinite wisdom knew the human struggle in these areas.  They are the exact areas I have struggled with this weekend. 

After having myself a pity party and being weepy and grumpy with my family.  It is never easy when your husband has the right spiritual outlook and you know you don't!  I knew it was time that the Lord and I went to battle over this.  I knew He would win anyways.  His Holy Spirit is at work and my heart and my flesh can only stray so far until I relent.  I pulled out Radical by David Platt.  I have been wanting to read it for a while.  Now, I needed to read it.  I knew what I was headed for (Kev has read it a few times and I knew I would be challenged).  It didn't take me getting too far until I felt my resistance letting up and the Lord melting away my fears and disobedience.  As my home laid quiet  and still last night, I told the Lord that once again I will follow where He leads.  I will lay down my pride and silly desires and humbly obey his path no matter how unlovely it may look to my human eyes.  I don't want to one day get to heaven and realize I missed out on God's plan and provision for my life because of a Target and a china hutch.  Thank you Lord for loving me despite myself. 

She's 3!!!

It's hard to believe that my little Ella is THREE!  Three years ago I was sitting in that tiny hospital room enjoying every minute of being a mom, while trying to get a very sleepy baby girl to nurse.  That was a learning experience for sure.  

Three years have passed and she have grown into the most beautiful, spunky and loving little girl!  This past year was a tough one for us.  The combination of having a new baby sister and dealing with the terrible two's...there were days and moments that I felt super inadequate as a mommy.  As the year progressed we have seen you emerge so much more mature and obedient, and we are so thankful for that.  Last year when you turned two you still slept with your paci and were in diapers and this year you are like a little girl.  You have grown so much this past year.

This year we have seen you grow so much in your knowledge and love for the Lord.  Your favorite Bible stories are Noah's Ark and (still) Jesus healing the blind man.  You are still a bit obsessed with that story in your little Bible.  You can't seem to get over Jesus putting mud on the man's eyes.  We have seen you grow so much in your understanding of the cross and that Jesus died for our sins, and you are also a bit fascinated with looking for crosses (even if it is just a telephone pole).  Your prayers have gained depth and you never cease to surprise us.  Every night during your bedtime devotions you require us all to get "bend down" faces to the carpet in order to talk to God.  I love to hear you say, "Dear God, thank you for all the blessings you have given us.  Thank you for my family.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen!"  I cannot wait to see how you continue to grow in your love and understanding of the Lord this next year.  We pray fervently that you will come to Christ at a young age and grow to be a girl of faith and conviction. 

We have also seen you grow so much in knowledge.  You have amazed me with you love of letters and their sounds.  You know all your letters and their first sounds (thanks Leapfrog) and I really think you will be easy to teach to read.  I am looking forward to that!  You can also write your name which is so cute.  Your artwork is beginning to look more like "something!"  Last week you drew a great sun for the first time.  I love watching you learn new things.

You love people!  You are outgoing, friendly and you just love life.  I pray you will always be like this.  You crack me up when we are out shopping and someone says hi to you and you always reply, "Hi, this is my mommy and this is my Lizzie!'  You always make sure we are all introduced.  You love your family and have grown into a great big sister.  You are a good helper for me.  The other day when I picked you up from school I told you that Eliza had been calling your name all morning and when you got in the car you knelt down and said, "I missed you too sweetheart!"  Melt your mama's heart! 

One way I know that you have matured so much is that I am now willing to take you grocery shopping at Wal-mart and let you walk.  Let me tell you...this is huge!!!  Your listening and obedience have grown so much!  This would not have been an option a year ago!  This has made getting out of the house a lot more enjoyable and easier for us. 

Ella, I love you more than I could put in words.  I would rather hang out with you than almost anyone!  You make me smile everyday and you never cease to bring laughter and love to our home.  We are so thankful for you and the sweet little girl you are becoming.  We can't wait to watch you grow this next year!  Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!