So what's kept me from posting in like FOREVER!!??!! Well as the title tells you, I'm sucked into a really good book right now that I have a hard time putting down (The Eleventh Hour: The Secret of the Rose By Michael Phillips). Even writing this makes me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and the book. But I've told myself after a week of possible posts popping up in my head that if both girls fell asleep today that I would get on here. I so desperately needed to finish the previous post (note that Olivia turned one about a month ago and I just finished the post and published it) and get some of the crazy out of my head and onto here.
Also, although we've had about three or four "Wednesday Nights" at church cancelled due to the very snowy winter this year I've been keeping up with The Story too. My eyes have been opened so much through this study. Whether I've been leading the Sunday School class, Wednesday night study with the youth, or just enjoying the Pastor's sermons on Sunday it has been really neat to watch how God's story, when read in such a way, really helps us to see His plan, His will, His desire for us, His people. I have a hard time putting this book down too. But I'm having to make myself so I don't get so far ahead that I'm not inline with all the studies and getting things mixed and mingled (as happens in my brain often).
Oh and I FINALLY got Olivia's first photo book done. The poor girl was one and she still didn't have a photo book of her own. So I was working on that and can say I have the first of four done (doesn't sound like much when I put it that way). But I'm going to get right one the second one soon (leaving again less time to blog) since I have a coupon for a free one that expires in March- sometimes the right incentive is all a girl needs. Oh but doing the book brought me back to those first three months! It's so funny how when you're not sleep deprived and nursing, what feels like 24/7, how wonderful those first three months seems. When they're so tiny and you could just hold them all day long (in the fantasyland in which I live you can do this- even with your second). In some ways it feels like it was just yesterday and in others ways I have a hard time remembering any of it- it just goes by too quick.
Then there is these gosh darn Olympic games that keep me up late and glued to the TV when I can. I'm just addicted to watching it all. I've enjoyed the new sports they've added and I love learning all about the culture of the country they're in. I don't usually have the TV on during the day but it has been on a lot in our home these days. In fact I think it was the first time ever I wished we had a TV upstairs...which other than every two years when the Olympics is on would never get used. Needless to say I'll be sad when this weekend is over and we have to wait another two years for the summer games. I think I've made an Olympic viewer out of Lauren too. She has enjoyed the special nights when she watches them with me for a few extra minutes while daddy is putting Olivia down. Her favorite is the luge and the skeleton...yikes...she likes the big icey slide. She was bummed after watching the opening ceremony with me to find that they don't have flags waving for each event, lol. Gotta love that girl.
What else has been going on? Well we just got over a week or two of sickness. It started with me, but true to form my "Teacher Immune System" keeps me from being down and out for too long. In fact, this time around I just felt like I was going to get something bad, and was extra tired only to never have much come of it. Then Lauren, and Matt too. Lauren didn't get much more than me- except her nose was runny for a week or so. Matt, also true to form, was down and out for a week, plus. He was still able to go to work but was just done when he came home. Olivia got the worst of it, poor girl. She had a fever, runny nose, and was super tired and crabby once she spent what little energy she had. So by the end of last week I was feeling like a caged, wild animal. Matt was so sweet because he took on full time daddy duty this past Saturday and allowed me so repreve.
So what does a girl do...oh I decided an exercise class would be a great way to get me out the house and shake the muscle atrophy from the week. Well I'm still not 100% recovered from this. I did a class I've never done before called BodyPump. I had no idea what I was getting into. First I show up a minute or two late and didn't realized I should get there early since there was equipment to set up. So while everyone is doing the warm up I'm trying to figure out what I will need. Maybe missing the warm up caused me to ache so bad...yeah that's it. Anyway, I'm keeping up pretty well, muscles burning from each move. The class pretty much does a song per muscle group. So you spend like 3-5 minutes working each of the major groups, while holding weights. It was about halfway through when she instructed us we'd need a "free weight" that I didn't have and needed to get- it was that moment when my eyes opened to the pain I was going to be in. Bless my heart. I was trying not to be obtrusive, I started walking back to get the weight and I have never in my life felt like I did in that moment- the only way to describe the way in which my muscles were acting/feeling was to call myself a robot made of jell-o. I had to look at myself in the mirror when I was walking back to my spot just to see of other people could see what I was feeling. Oh I'm laughing now, but I wasn't then. Mind you I still had the majority of the hour left. I've ached for days- I've never felt so old. I'm hoping Zumba tonight will help shake out the last of the ache that is still lingering behind, a mere five days later.
Oh I also had a wonderful evening out with some friends for dinner that night too. It's funny, sometimes when I get together with people I use to work with I feel like such an outsider. I was thinking about why that is. It dawned on my earlier this week why. When we moved here all the friends I've made since we have been here were work friends. I've made friends at church too, but not too many my own age and not many that I hang with for the sake of hanging with outside of church- except Jason and Josh- I do miss them both dearly and this is just one of the reasons. Anyway, when I decided to stay home it was something that separated me from them and it separated us from a common bond. Now, I can related in a way to their work conversations and enjoy listen to them- but I'm not part of them. This evening happened to be a night with all women who still work at one of my former schools. It was just that when they were talking about school stuff I could just listen and nod my head and then when the conversation turns to me and what I've been up to, it's like we reverse roles- I talk and they nod their heads. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed my time out, a meal I didn't have to cook, and the adult conversation, friendly faces- but it just feels different. As I was continuing to analyze the situation and try to figure out why I feel this way, it has made me realize that the two friends whom I'm relate to the most these days are my sister (who lives seven plus hours away) and Esther (whom I usually see with kids in toe) and so I don't get out with these two ladies very often without kids. I don't feel like I want more friends, I have a hard time keeping up with the ones I have but I just needed to understand why it feels different, so I can get over it and move on. And thus I have. As the World Turns...
Oh I think I could honestly write for another hour, but dinner isn't going to cook itself and these girls are like a ticking time bomb this late in the naptime, so alas I'm forced back to the crazy I love- my life!
"What is God's character like?"..."What you've asked, Matthew, is the most important question in all of life. It is the universal question. Finding the answer to those five simple words you just spoke is the only thing life is really about." ~The Eleventh Hour, Michael Phillips page 165-166
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Thursday, February 20, 2014
Has it already been a year?!?
Oh how the years seem to fly by. Can it be that my little girl is already 1?? I look back and it feels like yesterday I was busting at my seams and ready to get her out and now she's one. I jokingly ask Matt if he thought she'd fit back in, and he looked at me like I was nuts. My little one is approaching toddlerhood and I reflect back on a wonderful year filled with memories because our family grew by one.
It seems like it was just January 2013 and I was anxious. I was done nesting and the house was ready. I was big and uncomfortable. I was just not looking forward to getting bigger and waiting any longer to meet this precious little one snuggled safely in my belly. I kept telling myself that she was going to be late and I just needed to get over that feeling of being spoiled by Lauren's early arrival. But then one Thursday night I started having contractions, and infact I thought she was on her way. After a few hours of pretty good contractions, they went away. Just a few days later though- much to our surprise my water broke, sending us to the hospital. That was a long stay in labor and delivery. Although it was very clear to Matt and I, the doctors couldn't find any traces of fluid making it unclear to them what was going on. After a long night of wondering and worrying, the ultrasound doctor inferred that I most likely broke higher up and that it might have resealed upon itself. After much discussion with the doctors though, we decided it was time for her to come out. Just a few hours later I was holding my second child. With love in our eyes we just couldn't get enough of this gift, this tiny blessing from God.
The first three months of your life were pretty easy going- Olivia loved to sleep and got into a schedule pretty easily. She had no problems nursing and except for a rashy behind, that would not go away, she was happy, healthy, and we just loved on her. We settled into life as a family of four pretty nicely.
Right as she turned three months we had her baptized. Matt parents made it down and it was nice that Olivia's "God Parents" (no we're not Catholic, but we have picked out special friends to be extra special people for each of our children) were in town too. So many people were there to watch us give her over to our Loving Lord and our wonderful church family.
The welcomed warm weather had us going outside and spending time with friends. She continued to be such an easy baby. Thinking back it seems like nothing to just pack one more up and head out- although I'm sure at the time it felt like a daunting task.
Then we were off on our first vacation as a family of four and we enjoyed a week at the beach and Matt's wonderful family. We spent a lot of hot days swimming in the pool and playing in the water in the backyard through the spring and summer. Olivia enjoyed the water but it took her a while to get comfortable in the 'big pool', she was so cute in her swimsuit splashing around with Lauren. Oh what sweet memories.
Last summer was also the first time we camped in our back yard. Easy going Olivia just rolled with plan and enjoyed sleeping in the tent. Olivia started enjoying solid foods this past summer too- her favorites were vegetables and she didn't much care for oatmeal or cereals, but she sure did enjoy food.
Then, before we knew it, we were off on another adventure with some great friends! Melissa and Phil headed down our way to meet Olivia for the first time and spend a week at a lake not too far from our house. It was here that Olivia sat up on her own for the first time. It is so cool to have that memory! It was also the first time she rode on a boat.
I'm looking back at pictures to remember, what feels like the fastest year of my life. We were so busy just enjoying friends and each other. Doing things and adjusted to being a family of four. Olivia just seemed to fit perfectly into our craziness.
She is my little love bug- she loves to be loved on and yet she's also just goes off and busies herself with whatever toy she can find. She loves her big sister and wants to be doing whatever she's doing.
This fall we found ourselves constantly going as well. Playdates, school fun, and friends kept us busy. Olivia, and the rest of us, enjoyed the girls first trip to an amusement park. Enjoying time with Aunt Shauna, Uncle Charley, and cousin Finn while we camped out was tons of fun too. Olivia's rolls of "love" were enjoyed by her Aunt and her plump cheeks were given many kisses by Uncle Charley and Cousin Finn!
Before we knew it Halloween was here and were were enjoy the cool days of fall. Olivia started scooching around- no not crawling- scooching. Oh she was too funny. I think she enjoyed the upright position and the hardwood floors were nice and perfect for this crazy mode of transportation. Lauren was in for a surprise when Olivia could finally got what her eyes and heart so desired, Lauren's trains!
Fall quickly turned to winter and we found ourselves visiting with family again. We had such a great time with my mom, step-dad, sister, and nephew for a week of time away. It was sweet to watch Finn chase after Lauren, and Olivia scoot after Finn the whole week. Then it was time for Olivia's first Christmas, which I've decided might be my favorite one ever. Watching Olivia be more excited about the boxes and paper then the toys was too cute. And Lauren was so into the whole thing, since Christmas is the season I so love she's jumping in with excitement too, and it is starting to make sense in her little world. I know Olivia will catch on that much quicker as she continues to have eye only for her big sister.
This year with them has been an interesting one. My utopian moment of having Lauren fawn all over her little sister was gone before it even started. But I'm enjoying watching them, now more so, grow together to be best buddies. Lauren in her sweetness will out of the blue do the sweetest things for Olivia. Oh does she get praise for this. Then in my next breath Lauren is yelling "NO OLIVIA!!!" because she does want her touching her _________ (fill it the blank with just about anything). The best is when Olivia is clearly, completely uninterested(sometime not even in the same room as her) with Lauren and still Lauren is having a royal fit about Olivia's potential desire to play with her stuff. I can't wait to see how the next 12 months will continue to change their sweet relationship.
Oh my sweet Olivia. I am in awe of how she is 1 year old!!!! This past Monday my youngest girl turned 1. In one fast weekend she went from baby to toddler as she took her first wobbly steps to me at Matt's parents house. And if turning one and taking her first steps wasn't enough- she cut her first tooth somewhere in there too. But with all the packing, traveling, visiting, and excitement it was the doctor, at her one year check up this past Thursday, who noticed she finally got her first tooth. She continues to be an easy-going girl. She will however, stand up for herself now a days when big sister tries to take what she has or when she gets her diaper changed and she'd rather be doing something a lot more fun than sitting still for just a few moments in time. It is a true joy to watch her, play with her, and love on her. I especially enjoy as she hugs us back now and will give you a very wet, and opened mouth kiss (with some tongue if you're lucky- gross). We find that we are holding on real tight to this time before the full force of toddlerhood sets in. The doctor asked if her 'independence' has kicked in yet (or what is commonly referred to as the terrible twos) and I said "no" but with eyes that said do we really have to go there again? Can't this one skip over that stage!?! Honestly I enjoy watching their personalities unfold in front of my eyes- as God's little gift gets unwrapped just a little bit more- I'm not sure I'd really pass it by if I could- the 'good' or the 'bad.' So Amen and praise for a wonderful first year! Prayers and blessings for many more wonderful years!
Olivia may you always remember:
It seems like it was just January 2013 and I was anxious. I was done nesting and the house was ready. I was big and uncomfortable. I was just not looking forward to getting bigger and waiting any longer to meet this precious little one snuggled safely in my belly. I kept telling myself that she was going to be late and I just needed to get over that feeling of being spoiled by Lauren's early arrival. But then one Thursday night I started having contractions, and infact I thought she was on her way. After a few hours of pretty good contractions, they went away. Just a few days later though- much to our surprise my water broke, sending us to the hospital. That was a long stay in labor and delivery. Although it was very clear to Matt and I, the doctors couldn't find any traces of fluid making it unclear to them what was going on. After a long night of wondering and worrying, the ultrasound doctor inferred that I most likely broke higher up and that it might have resealed upon itself. After much discussion with the doctors though, we decided it was time for her to come out. Just a few hours later I was holding my second child. With love in our eyes we just couldn't get enough of this gift, this tiny blessing from God.
The first three months of your life were pretty easy going- Olivia loved to sleep and got into a schedule pretty easily. She had no problems nursing and except for a rashy behind, that would not go away, she was happy, healthy, and we just loved on her. We settled into life as a family of four pretty nicely.
Right as she turned three months we had her baptized. Matt parents made it down and it was nice that Olivia's "God Parents" (no we're not Catholic, but we have picked out special friends to be extra special people for each of our children) were in town too. So many people were there to watch us give her over to our Loving Lord and our wonderful church family.
The welcomed warm weather had us going outside and spending time with friends. She continued to be such an easy baby. Thinking back it seems like nothing to just pack one more up and head out- although I'm sure at the time it felt like a daunting task.
Then we were off on our first vacation as a family of four and we enjoyed a week at the beach and Matt's wonderful family. We spent a lot of hot days swimming in the pool and playing in the water in the backyard through the spring and summer. Olivia enjoyed the water but it took her a while to get comfortable in the 'big pool', she was so cute in her swimsuit splashing around with Lauren. Oh what sweet memories.
Last summer was also the first time we camped in our back yard. Easy going Olivia just rolled with plan and enjoyed sleeping in the tent. Olivia started enjoying solid foods this past summer too- her favorites were vegetables and she didn't much care for oatmeal or cereals, but she sure did enjoy food.
Then, before we knew it, we were off on another adventure with some great friends! Melissa and Phil headed down our way to meet Olivia for the first time and spend a week at a lake not too far from our house. It was here that Olivia sat up on her own for the first time. It is so cool to have that memory! It was also the first time she rode on a boat.
I'm looking back at pictures to remember, what feels like the fastest year of my life. We were so busy just enjoying friends and each other. Doing things and adjusted to being a family of four. Olivia just seemed to fit perfectly into our craziness.
She is my little love bug- she loves to be loved on and yet she's also just goes off and busies herself with whatever toy she can find. She loves her big sister and wants to be doing whatever she's doing.
This fall we found ourselves constantly going as well. Playdates, school fun, and friends kept us busy. Olivia, and the rest of us, enjoyed the girls first trip to an amusement park. Enjoying time with Aunt Shauna, Uncle Charley, and cousin Finn while we camped out was tons of fun too. Olivia's rolls of "love" were enjoyed by her Aunt and her plump cheeks were given many kisses by Uncle Charley and Cousin Finn!
Before we knew it Halloween was here and were were enjoy the cool days of fall. Olivia started scooching around- no not crawling- scooching. Oh she was too funny. I think she enjoyed the upright position and the hardwood floors were nice and perfect for this crazy mode of transportation. Lauren was in for a surprise when Olivia could finally got what her eyes and heart so desired, Lauren's trains!
Fall quickly turned to winter and we found ourselves visiting with family again. We had such a great time with my mom, step-dad, sister, and nephew for a week of time away. It was sweet to watch Finn chase after Lauren, and Olivia scoot after Finn the whole week. Then it was time for Olivia's first Christmas, which I've decided might be my favorite one ever. Watching Olivia be more excited about the boxes and paper then the toys was too cute. And Lauren was so into the whole thing, since Christmas is the season I so love she's jumping in with excitement too, and it is starting to make sense in her little world. I know Olivia will catch on that much quicker as she continues to have eye only for her big sister.
This year with them has been an interesting one. My utopian moment of having Lauren fawn all over her little sister was gone before it even started. But I'm enjoying watching them, now more so, grow together to be best buddies. Lauren in her sweetness will out of the blue do the sweetest things for Olivia. Oh does she get praise for this. Then in my next breath Lauren is yelling "NO OLIVIA!!!" because she does want her touching her _________ (fill it the blank with just about anything). The best is when Olivia is clearly, completely uninterested(sometime not even in the same room as her) with Lauren and still Lauren is having a royal fit about Olivia's potential desire to play with her stuff. I can't wait to see how the next 12 months will continue to change their sweet relationship.
Oh my sweet Olivia. I am in awe of how she is 1 year old!!!! This past Monday my youngest girl turned 1. In one fast weekend she went from baby to toddler as she took her first wobbly steps to me at Matt's parents house. And if turning one and taking her first steps wasn't enough- she cut her first tooth somewhere in there too. But with all the packing, traveling, visiting, and excitement it was the doctor, at her one year check up this past Thursday, who noticed she finally got her first tooth. She continues to be an easy-going girl. She will however, stand up for herself now a days when big sister tries to take what she has or when she gets her diaper changed and she'd rather be doing something a lot more fun than sitting still for just a few moments in time. It is a true joy to watch her, play with her, and love on her. I especially enjoy as she hugs us back now and will give you a very wet, and opened mouth kiss (with some tongue if you're lucky- gross). We find that we are holding on real tight to this time before the full force of toddlerhood sets in. The doctor asked if her 'independence' has kicked in yet (or what is commonly referred to as the terrible twos) and I said "no" but with eyes that said do we really have to go there again? Can't this one skip over that stage!?! Honestly I enjoy watching their personalities unfold in front of my eyes- as God's little gift gets unwrapped just a little bit more- I'm not sure I'd really pass it by if I could- the 'good' or the 'bad.' So Amen and praise for a wonderful first year! Prayers and blessings for many more wonderful years!
Olivia may you always remember:
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all you ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:3-6
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