MyLove had Giselle wrapped on his back in our new Didymos Jack. She looks so cute with her hands folded.
And here is another precious pic with MyLove holding Giselle after he had rocked her to sleep.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Daddy with Giselle
I was going through some photos and found this stunner. Babe, you're so sexy!
MyLove had Giselle wrapped on his back in our new Didymos Jack. She looks so cute with her hands folded.
And here is another precious pic with MyLove holding Giselle after he had rocked her to sleep.
MyLove had Giselle wrapped on his back in our new Didymos Jack. She looks so cute with her hands folded.
And here is another precious pic with MyLove holding Giselle after he had rocked her to sleep.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Park Time
Wow. What beautiful weather we have been having. We have enjoyed some time outside, but not as much as we'd like because of sickness and trying to get caught up in school.
Recently, we met up with Mike and cousins at the park and the kids had a great time.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Martini's Thoughts
We are doing Social Studies review and talking about what kind of pollution a leaking oil freight would produce . . .
Martini: Water pollution?
Me: Yes! Good job. Hey, remember the oil that was spilling into the gulf because of BP . . .
Martini: Oh, Tony Hayward? (he says before I could finish my sentence.)
Me: Yes. Ok, well next question.
***
After a somewhat tough morning and afternoon of me getting after him during school . . .
Me: Martini, I am sorry for being so tough on you today. Son, you are a smart boy and you have a great brain, so when I see you just staring off into space and not doing your work, it frustrates me because it takes us so long to move on.
Martini: I can't help it. Sometimes I am just daydreaming about gold . . . or Jesus . . . and sometimes about Genevieve and who I'm going to marry.
Me: Son, why are you worried about who you're going to marry? That is a long way away?
Martini: Well, what if I'm daydreaming about Jesus. Isn't it better to dream about Jesus than just do school work?
Me: It's always good to think about Jesus, but He also wants us to be responsible with the things we are supposed to do.
I then wanted to go on about my responsiblities as his mommy and how I can't just sit there all day and think and read my Bible, despite my desire to curl up with a cup of coffee and the Bible . . . but, we were interrupted and we moved on with the lesson.
***
After visiting with Genevieve and her precious family we came home and Martini went quickly to work with a pencil and paper. Later he showed us what he was so intently working on. He made a graph-sort of thing that showed how many years he has to get to 25 and then at 18 he starts dating and then at around 21 gets engaged and then around 23 thinks about what woman he would like to marry in case there are others and then at 25 marriage.
We asked him why 25, and he said that is how many lines he could put on the paper. Since then, he has repeatedly talked about how he will get married at 25. We told him that he will not need a long engagement if he knows who he is going to marry and that he will not get engaged unless he is sure she is the one. He sorted these bits of info in his filefolder of a brain and carried on!
Oh, that boy! He is such a romantic, imaginative, analytical little being. I love him so.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Giselle's Milestones - before I forget!
09.15 - She started crawling, for real. And immediately afterward started pulling up on things. I keep trying to sit her down, but she won't stay down. Time is slipping away from me. Don't try walking yet!!! Please!
August sometime - got her first two bottom teeth
09.30 - her third tooth cuts through on top
09.24 - she says "dada" for the first time!!! What a joy for MyLove. Since then she has said "nanananana" and "ssssssss" and "hu, hu"
She is now eating baby food: MumMum rice crackers, baby puffs, squash (her favorite), carrots, peas, sweet potato, a bit of bread, a bit of rice, rice cereal, and pears*, nectarines, oranges and canteloupe* in her mesh teether.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Ethan's Cooking Show
Here's Ethan's first cooking show. Our creative little boy! This was our third take.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lost Didymos :-(
So, I have been in the depths of despair of late.
OK, that was a gross exaggeration.
Anyway, I have been very sad.
We went to the park last Thursday and played some soccer and let the kids swing. When we were leaving, it was dark and we were rushing to the van, 1.) because I wanted to beat MyLove who was pushing the big three in the stroller while I was holding Giselle and 2.) the mosquitos were out in full force (those pesky things!).
I won, of course . . . well, actually, Martini won because he and Ethan fell out of the stroller trying to race me, but I had to stop because my motherly achings came to the surface as I watched Ethan writhing in pain on the gravelly lot holding his knee. Martini took this prime opportunity to tag the van first and exclaim his victory and run back to check on Ethan.
Moving on, I fed Giselle in the van and then we left. In the midst of all the commotion, MyLove and I believe the wrap must have fallen somewhere between the park and the van, or at the van as we clamored to get inside so the mutant mosquitos wouldn't kill us.
All this to say that my beloved Sequoia Waves Didymos is gone. I went back with the kids the next day and found nothing. We all went back the other night and looked again just in case, and there was nothing. I even posted a "lost" ad on craigslist with the hope that someone out there might find it and not think it is some random, old, good for nothing piece of long narrow cloth and chuck it.
Thank You, Lord, for that wonderful gift while I had it. It sure was one of my best ever baby/toddler essentials . . . I look forward to hopefully getting another!
OK, that was a gross exaggeration.
Anyway, I have been very sad.
We went to the park last Thursday and played some soccer and let the kids swing. When we were leaving, it was dark and we were rushing to the van, 1.) because I wanted to beat MyLove who was pushing the big three in the stroller while I was holding Giselle and 2.) the mosquitos were out in full force (those pesky things!).
I won, of course . . . well, actually, Martini won because he and Ethan fell out of the stroller trying to race me, but I had to stop because my motherly achings came to the surface as I watched Ethan writhing in pain on the gravelly lot holding his knee. Martini took this prime opportunity to tag the van first and exclaim his victory and run back to check on Ethan.
Moving on, I fed Giselle in the van and then we left. In the midst of all the commotion, MyLove and I believe the wrap must have fallen somewhere between the park and the van, or at the van as we clamored to get inside so the mutant mosquitos wouldn't kill us.
All this to say that my beloved Sequoia Waves Didymos is gone. I went back with the kids the next day and found nothing. We all went back the other night and looked again just in case, and there was nothing. I even posted a "lost" ad on craigslist with the hope that someone out there might find it and not think it is some random, old, good for nothing piece of long narrow cloth and chuck it.
Thank You, Lord, for that wonderful gift while I had it. It sure was one of my best ever baby/toddler essentials . . . I look forward to hopefully getting another!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Homeschooling Benefits
During this new journey of ours called homeschooling, we are trying to mix things up and enjoy the benefits. It's difficult sometimes for me to make things interesting when I am trying so hard to wake up early enough to get started on our day and finish before dinner. I have my normal to-do's like feeding the kiddos and cleaning all the while trying to focus and prioritize school.
Well, today is my Mom's birthday and it was a mad rush to finish school so we could go to her house and give her her birthday gift. We didn't finish everything, but one fun thing we were able to do was Martini was able to log-on to his K12 account and do his Spanish lesson while my parents watched. They were so pleased and impressed.
Also, the other day we did Martini's spelling lesson on the window! We just used normal dry-erase markers and were able to erase them easily from the window.
This journey has just begun. It's been a bit slow going, but I am optimistic for what is to come!
During our lesson we spotted this beautiful butterfly which went right along with our lessons of the life cycle of butterflies and insects:
Well, today is my Mom's birthday and it was a mad rush to finish school so we could go to her house and give her her birthday gift. We didn't finish everything, but one fun thing we were able to do was Martini was able to log-on to his K12 account and do his Spanish lesson while my parents watched. They were so pleased and impressed.
Also, the other day we did Martini's spelling lesson on the window! We just used normal dry-erase markers and were able to erase them easily from the window.
This journey has just begun. It's been a bit slow going, but I am optimistic for what is to come!
During our lesson we spotted this beautiful butterfly which went right along with our lessons of the life cycle of butterflies and insects:
Friday, September 10, 2010
Our First Day of Homeschool Pics 2010
On Martini's first day of school for first grade and second grade I took pictures of him. What great snapshots in time of these precious, fleeting moments. So, I wanted to do the same thing this year as homeschoolers.
This was an impromptu event and even though I took many photos that morning, I still didn't get exactly what I wanted. We had fussing and complaining about the pictures, being hungry, taking too long, another one? . . . Any way, at least I still got that snapshot in time!
This was an impromptu event and even though I took many photos that morning, I still didn't get exactly what I wanted. We had fussing and complaining about the pictures, being hungry, taking too long, another one? . . . Any way, at least I still got that snapshot in time!
Carmelita, one of the guys . . . kind of!
So, we were all getting ready to go to the park when we told the kids to go to the bathroom first.
I walked in from the garage and called for Carmelita to make sure she went as well.
"Yes, Mommy!"
I opened the door and there they all were. All three of them. The boys on either side and Carmelita in the middle with their pants down and all aiming at the toilet!
The funny thing is that Carmelita was aiming what she had at the toilet fully believing that she would make the shot just like her brothers.
MyLove and I started cracking up as I told her that she couldn't pee that way and quickly took her to the other bathroom. All the while, the boys just finished their business!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Homeschool
So much, so much, so much.
This week marked the completion of our second week of homeschooling. And, by the power of the Mighty One, we had a wonderful Friday!!! Peace. Love. Completed studies. What a blessing!
This is a beautiful thing, especially after some of the most grueling past two weeks ever. I think I cooked only about two dinners! We either had sandwiches, MyLove would pick something up, leftovers, or egg/breakfast type food.
Here is what the kids are doing:
Martini - 3rd grade. He is officially enrolled and a student of K12-TXVA (Texas Virtual Academy) which is an official state funded public school that uses an online and book curriculum but the students learn at home. (Here Martini is looking at Carmelita's coloring book at the laundromat)
Ethan - Kindergarten. He is using materials from Mardel Christian store (little learning activity booklets), Martini's old kindergarten homeschool materials and will use some of Martini's leftover public school materials from public school (Ethan at the laundromat waiting for me to finish taking pictures so he could use my phone to play a game and/or flashcards)
Carmelita - She is learning through fun activities with cutting, coloring, letters (very few), counting, shapes. Fun little booklets as well and various activities. (Carmelita cutting out shapes for school).
Giselle - playing, observing, eating, sleeping! (Here is my little trooper. She had fallen asleep in the wrap and I was able to lay her down in the stroller to finish up our comforters)
Why am I homeschooling?
1.) To put the primary focus on their character and hearts. Teaching them to honor the Lord in all things. Although my desires are to start every morning with a short Bible story/lesson, this has not happened even once yet. But, we have had numerous opportunities to stop and pray. If they grow up and live for the Lord with all their heart and live to bring Him glory, if they are able to see the value of the Christian life truly lived by faith, their rewards in heaven for eternity will far outweigh any accomplishment here. Amen!
2.) Time with the kids. The last two school years have gone fairly well, but every morning we were rushing to get ready and out the door. It did become a routine and we got good at it, but the day would go like this:
a. get ready, eat, load up all the kids, take Martini to school
b. Martini spends 7 hours at school trying to learn with intense shyness
c. Martini comes home and has a snack. Usually I am on him about taking so much time to eat because he needs to finish all of this homework
d. Martini spends another hour on homework. I have to keep making sure he stays on task.
e. Martini finally finishes and desperately joins Ethan to play LEGOs or whatever.
f. Not long after, Daddy comes home
g. Some nights have sports, some nights eat dinner
h. MyLove gives the boys baths (now they shower on their own) and does their teeth, reads to them and prays with them
i. Then, the night is over, we are exhausted and feel like any downtime with the kids on the weekdays is miniscule.
3.) Martini's shyness and independent learning style, I believe, somewhat impeded his learning. We now have more time together. He can ask questions. We can use tools he enjoys, i.e. LEGOs, computer, drawing and art, learning outside of the home like in the backyard, Mema's house. Also, I require that he reads to his siblings for his reading time, and that helps with his fluency and nerves. Also, near the end of his second grade year I asked him what he did at recess and he said he just walked around picking flowers and grass and saying which ones were nice/pretty and looking at what God made by himself. I asked why he didn't play with anyone. He said the boys he played with were so rough and were not obeying the rules and the girl he played with sometimes was playing with other girls he didn't know. Oh, how this broke MyLove's and my heart. The thought of him just walking around the field by himself just made me crumble inside. He asked me many time if I would just homeschool him.
4.) Language. When we first learned about K12 I found out they offered Mandarin. Well, in my book, that was like the golden ticket. We signed him up and enrolled and found out later that they didn't offer Mandarin until 6th grade. Boy, did that chap my hide. Not that we would have gone with another system, but I was pumped that he could continue his Mandarin studies. Anyway, we decided he would take Spanish instead. He is looooving the program so far and it is awesome. Ethan and Carmelita are learning right along with him; not to mention myself!
5.) His asthma. Last year, Martini got sick various time and had to stay home. Well, because of the asthma, any type of sickness is compounded because it prolongs his recovery. Also, if he has allergies his asthma can kick in and he has to stay home because he needs breathing treatments. Homeschooling allows us to continue his studies anyway in the comfort of our home, on the couch, in his pj's!
6.) I have always loved the idea of homeschooling. I homeschooled as a child. I homeschooled children for a couple of months in Taiwan. I love the freedom. I love the personalization. And, with K12, I love the structure and accountability. I love knowing exactly what my kids are learning. I love the thought that if we were to move tomorrow, we would not be put in the awkward position of finding a new school right away or being subject to different agendas.
Now, I am only two weeks into this. I homeschooled Martini in kindergarten and I am very open and transparent with others when I tell them I became "evil Mom." I mean, slamming the ruler on the desk while trying to understand why he can't get the letter "e" right. Perfectionism and different learning strengths can really hurt you, not to mention a dire need for patience. Because I know this about myself, I have not come to this decision lightly, nor has MyLove. This came about with much prayer and heart searching. Open communication between MyLove and I has been critical. Open communication with Martini has been important as well. I have asked Martini many, many times if he was sure he wanted to do this. That he would not see his friends. We talked about how I was mean to him in Kindergarten. He doesn't care. He just wants to learn at home. I told him he would have the same amount of work at home as he would at his old school. Again, he just doesn't care.
His reasons to homeschool:
1.) He loves to be home
2.) He misses us and wants to be with his Mommy, Daddy (when on Flex), and siblings
3.) He doesn't mind the work, as long as he is at home.
Well, this was good for me to get all of this down. One of the things that TXVA encourages the parents to do is write down the reasons we are homeschooling and keep them available so when the desperate times come, we remember why we made this decision in the first place!!! What a blessing it is to even have this option! I am so thankful to the Lord for His provisions for exactly what we need.
This week marked the completion of our second week of homeschooling. And, by the power of the Mighty One, we had a wonderful Friday!!! Peace. Love. Completed studies. What a blessing!
This is a beautiful thing, especially after some of the most grueling past two weeks ever. I think I cooked only about two dinners! We either had sandwiches, MyLove would pick something up, leftovers, or egg/breakfast type food.
Here is what the kids are doing:
Martini - 3rd grade. He is officially enrolled and a student of K12-TXVA (Texas Virtual Academy) which is an official state funded public school that uses an online and book curriculum but the students learn at home. (Here Martini is looking at Carmelita's coloring book at the laundromat)
Ethan - Kindergarten. He is using materials from Mardel Christian store (little learning activity booklets), Martini's old kindergarten homeschool materials and will use some of Martini's leftover public school materials from public school (Ethan at the laundromat waiting for me to finish taking pictures so he could use my phone to play a game and/or flashcards)
Carmelita - She is learning through fun activities with cutting, coloring, letters (very few), counting, shapes. Fun little booklets as well and various activities. (Carmelita cutting out shapes for school).
Giselle - playing, observing, eating, sleeping! (Here is my little trooper. She had fallen asleep in the wrap and I was able to lay her down in the stroller to finish up our comforters)
Why am I homeschooling?
1.) To put the primary focus on their character and hearts. Teaching them to honor the Lord in all things. Although my desires are to start every morning with a short Bible story/lesson, this has not happened even once yet. But, we have had numerous opportunities to stop and pray. If they grow up and live for the Lord with all their heart and live to bring Him glory, if they are able to see the value of the Christian life truly lived by faith, their rewards in heaven for eternity will far outweigh any accomplishment here. Amen!
2.) Time with the kids. The last two school years have gone fairly well, but every morning we were rushing to get ready and out the door. It did become a routine and we got good at it, but the day would go like this:
a. get ready, eat, load up all the kids, take Martini to school
b. Martini spends 7 hours at school trying to learn with intense shyness
c. Martini comes home and has a snack. Usually I am on him about taking so much time to eat because he needs to finish all of this homework
d. Martini spends another hour on homework. I have to keep making sure he stays on task.
e. Martini finally finishes and desperately joins Ethan to play LEGOs or whatever.
f. Not long after, Daddy comes home
g. Some nights have sports, some nights eat dinner
h. MyLove gives the boys baths (now they shower on their own) and does their teeth, reads to them and prays with them
i. Then, the night is over, we are exhausted and feel like any downtime with the kids on the weekdays is miniscule.
3.) Martini's shyness and independent learning style, I believe, somewhat impeded his learning. We now have more time together. He can ask questions. We can use tools he enjoys, i.e. LEGOs, computer, drawing and art, learning outside of the home like in the backyard, Mema's house. Also, I require that he reads to his siblings for his reading time, and that helps with his fluency and nerves. Also, near the end of his second grade year I asked him what he did at recess and he said he just walked around picking flowers and grass and saying which ones were nice/pretty and looking at what God made by himself. I asked why he didn't play with anyone. He said the boys he played with were so rough and were not obeying the rules and the girl he played with sometimes was playing with other girls he didn't know. Oh, how this broke MyLove's and my heart. The thought of him just walking around the field by himself just made me crumble inside. He asked me many time if I would just homeschool him.
4.) Language. When we first learned about K12 I found out they offered Mandarin. Well, in my book, that was like the golden ticket. We signed him up and enrolled and found out later that they didn't offer Mandarin until 6th grade. Boy, did that chap my hide. Not that we would have gone with another system, but I was pumped that he could continue his Mandarin studies. Anyway, we decided he would take Spanish instead. He is looooving the program so far and it is awesome. Ethan and Carmelita are learning right along with him; not to mention myself!
5.) His asthma. Last year, Martini got sick various time and had to stay home. Well, because of the asthma, any type of sickness is compounded because it prolongs his recovery. Also, if he has allergies his asthma can kick in and he has to stay home because he needs breathing treatments. Homeschooling allows us to continue his studies anyway in the comfort of our home, on the couch, in his pj's!
6.) I have always loved the idea of homeschooling. I homeschooled as a child. I homeschooled children for a couple of months in Taiwan. I love the freedom. I love the personalization. And, with K12, I love the structure and accountability. I love knowing exactly what my kids are learning. I love the thought that if we were to move tomorrow, we would not be put in the awkward position of finding a new school right away or being subject to different agendas.
Now, I am only two weeks into this. I homeschooled Martini in kindergarten and I am very open and transparent with others when I tell them I became "evil Mom." I mean, slamming the ruler on the desk while trying to understand why he can't get the letter "e" right. Perfectionism and different learning strengths can really hurt you, not to mention a dire need for patience. Because I know this about myself, I have not come to this decision lightly, nor has MyLove. This came about with much prayer and heart searching. Open communication between MyLove and I has been critical. Open communication with Martini has been important as well. I have asked Martini many, many times if he was sure he wanted to do this. That he would not see his friends. We talked about how I was mean to him in Kindergarten. He doesn't care. He just wants to learn at home. I told him he would have the same amount of work at home as he would at his old school. Again, he just doesn't care.
His reasons to homeschool:
1.) He loves to be home
2.) He misses us and wants to be with his Mommy, Daddy (when on Flex), and siblings
3.) He doesn't mind the work, as long as he is at home.
Well, this was good for me to get all of this down. One of the things that TXVA encourages the parents to do is write down the reasons we are homeschooling and keep them available so when the desperate times come, we remember why we made this decision in the first place!!! What a blessing it is to even have this option! I am so thankful to the Lord for His provisions for exactly what we need.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Blessed to Serve
We have the blessed opportunity to host my parents and brother this month while they wait to close on their home. It's an exciting and busy time. They arrived on July 29th or 30th and they will be here 'til the end of this month. I know it will be sad when they leave. We have had such fun and my mom has been an endless source of help.
My laundry is fully caught up.
There are no dishes in the sink.
The floors are clean.
I can tend to one of my little ones and not feel bad about the others because my mom is there to comfort them.
Mom has come with me to grocery shop, doctor appts. soccer practices and karate.
She has cleaned up after so many meals as we are rushing out the door for one thing or another.
My brother helped me on a trip to Hong Kong Market, and we looked for apartments for him.
Dad watched the boys while Mom and I went to an appt. with the girls and had a bit of girlie time. The boys had great fun with Papa running an errand and stopping by Whataburger.
Papa came to the Karate belt test yesterday.
We sing karaoke together.
Bonding of all kinds is happening. Papa with grandkids. Mema with grandkids. Uncle with nephews and nieces. Brother with my dear hubby. Me with Mom and Dad and Bro. MyLove with Mom and Dad.
Mom and I wake up and have coffee together. Oh, how I love these times. They are food to the soul.
Mom and I stay up late and talk and watch Entertainment Tonight together. I just love my mom.
I just love my parents and brother so much. What a blessing it is to host them. They feel like we are blessing them, but really, they have blessed us so much more with their stay. Thank you, Lord for such a special time!
My laundry is fully caught up.
There are no dishes in the sink.
The floors are clean.
I can tend to one of my little ones and not feel bad about the others because my mom is there to comfort them.
Mom has come with me to grocery shop, doctor appts. soccer practices and karate.
She has cleaned up after so many meals as we are rushing out the door for one thing or another.
My brother helped me on a trip to Hong Kong Market, and we looked for apartments for him.
Dad watched the boys while Mom and I went to an appt. with the girls and had a bit of girlie time. The boys had great fun with Papa running an errand and stopping by Whataburger.
Papa came to the Karate belt test yesterday.
We sing karaoke together.
Bonding of all kinds is happening. Papa with grandkids. Mema with grandkids. Uncle with nephews and nieces. Brother with my dear hubby. Me with Mom and Dad and Bro. MyLove with Mom and Dad.
Mom and I wake up and have coffee together. Oh, how I love these times. They are food to the soul.
Mom and I stay up late and talk and watch Entertainment Tonight together. I just love my mom.
I just love my parents and brother so much. What a blessing it is to host them. They feel like we are blessing them, but really, they have blessed us so much more with their stay. Thank you, Lord for such a special time!
Ethan's Brain
Super Monkey Ball. It's a game the kids play on our iPhone and it is hard. I am terrible at it. If the kids ask for help, they quickly take it back and say nevermind!
I was on the couch watching Ethan play, "Ethan, how did you do that? It is so hard?"
"I just use my brain! My brain is very smart!"
"Oh, O.K."
I was on the couch watching Ethan play, "Ethan, how did you do that? It is so hard?"
"I just use my brain! My brain is very smart!"
"Oh, O.K."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Bonding through Jesus Christ
The woman I bought our Kirby Sentria vacuum from is wonderful. She and her hubby brought down their asking price from $485 to $400 and just blessed us so much.
I drove to their house with all my children and she immediately let them go upstairs to play with her daughter. She showed me the vac and as much as she could even though her hubby was out of town and knew the vacuum's functionablity better. She let me feed and tend to Giselle and we had a great talk. I shared a bit about Lael ( I am not sure how it came up) and she shared how she lost her 18 month old son who had drowned only the previous August. it broke my heart and we talked about the support from our church families and the only hope you can have through Jesus Christ.
How do people function, cope, survive, live, grieve without Jesus?! We talked about how open and pure our children are about the whole thing. They just get it. They believe unabashedly the truth that their sibling is in heaven with Jesus and they long to be there with them. They talk about wanting to go to heaven and wanting to be with Jesus now. They don't despair. They are full of hope.
Both of us laughed when we talked about our kids wanting to set the table for one more, being for the one in heaven. I told her my loss is nothing like hers. I didn't act like I knew her pain. Her baby Luke was very much a part of their lives. He was their life. The center of the family being the baby. There are still pictures of him in their house as a baby and as a toddler. And his life was taken. She had such hope in the Lord and she gave glory to Him.
Hallelujah! Amen! Amen! Thank You Lord for the opportunity to meet a fellow Christ follower. Thank you for the immediate bond I can have with someone just because they know you, and that bond is so deep. Thank You that we have the blessed hope and assurance of joining our little ones in heaven. Thank You for working all things for good for those who love You. And thank You for being our comfort and strength and peace.
***
I posted these pics because I took them the other day and was just amazed by God's work in the heavens.
Our Kirby Vacuum
Three of our little babes have asthma. Allergies seem to be a part of our lives, and because of this I rejoiced when our vacuum's belt broke. It was my impetus to buy a new vacuum. Sure, belts are cheap, but I am through with putting any money toward a machine that sucks up dirt, hair, dead skin cells, and food and spews tiny little particles of this nastiness back into the air all over every surface it's around.
I talked to MyLove and we were ready to get a good quality vacuum. At the time I was thinking a Dyson. We have a couple of family members who love theirs and I read some good reviews, but when doing research, the one I wanted ran between $300-$350. I decided that since I would be dropping this kind of cash that I would see if there might be a Kirby around that price range. I have always wanted a Kirby but knew it was impossible to buy one because they are rediculously expensive.
Long story short, we found a wonderful couple on craigslist selling their Sentria and we bought it for $400 (07.16.10). That might seem outrageous for a mere vacuum, but when you learn that these vacs go for around $2,000 brand new, you realize that this is a great deal. The vacs are made to last for at least 30 years and usually longer! And plus it's a shampooer and blower as well. Not to mention they are utter workhorses!
First impression: I love the metal!
Second impression: heeeeeavy!
First thing I did: cleaned vac, outer bag, hoses and all attachments. l
First-time using it experience:
A) it drives itself so the weight is no problem, I mean, it literally drives itself! It even has a "neutral" and "drive" setting
B) it sucks up everything! I can hear it sucking up a million things! (of course, it has been two weeks now that I have had a vacuum!)
C) I can't believe what filth is in my carpets!!
D) It actually lifts the carpet with all its suction
E) this vacuum rocks!
I feel like such a homely wife blogging about my vacuum, but if thirty years from now I read this and still have my Kirby Sentria vacuum, it will be $400 very well spent!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Giselle and Her Thumb
So, Giselle is the only one of our precious babes who found her thumb. At the beginning I was afraid 1.) because people are always touching her hands and I didn't want her putting all those germs into her mouth, and 2.) because I didn't want it to become a habit so hard to break. I had talked to a dear teen from our church (who I roomed with at the retreat and I looove her!) who sucked her thumb at night until she was like 13 years old. I also know of a man who I think is in his 50's and still sucks his thumb at night (He's got some serious issues . . . no really, he does. Not mental, but anger and other stuff).
Anyway, when I would see Giselle sucking her thumb I would pull it out and try to feed her or give her a pacifier. The problem is she would gag with them. I tried a few different ones and after about a week of this she finally took a pacifier but would get tense and cry if I moved my hand near her when she was sucking her thumb :-( I felt terrible and decided at once to stop. Now she sucks her thumb and I have learned to embrace it and just love it.
Well, yesterday we were getting soccer pics taken of the kids with their teams when one of Martini's teammates' moms came to me and started talking. While she was talking she all of the sudden reached up and took Giselle's thumb out of her mouth and said, "Don't you suck that thumb! You get that out of your mouth!" I immediately hugged Giselle and said, "Oh, no. It's O.K. I don't mind her sucking her thumb." She told me that her daughter just recently stopped sucking her thumb at night and that it is why she has buck-teeth (which it didn't look like it to me, but then she told me her overbite was really bad).
She is a nice lady and her intentions were good but rash! I have appreciated the fact that Giselle is able to self-soothe especially since I can leave her to sleep when she has finished nursing because she will suck her thumb instead of needing me to lay there with her. She is now able to tolerate the van too!
One day it might be a struggle to overcome, but for now, I will enjoy Giselle and her thumbsucking for the comfort it brings her. What freedom there is when we learn to let go and enjoy what God's given us!
Monday, July 12, 2010
" . . . take the free gift of the water of life."
"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life"
-Revelation 22:17b, The Bible - NIV
Yesterday, we had the son of KP Yohannan come to our church as a guest speaker. His father was supposed to come, but had urgent business in India. KP Yohannan is the founder of Gospel For Asia.
It is a wonderful organization that reaches out to the Dalits, the "untouchables" of India and shares with them the good news of Jesus Christ. They equip missionaries in their own regions to share the gospel and they have schools for children to teach the Bible and feed them. MyLove and I just love what they do and what they are about.
Well, listening to his son, MyLove and I just had our hearts rekindled with the fire to reach those who have no hope. The desire in our hearts is one of the main things that brought MyLove and I together, and we have prayed throughout our marriage that the Lord would use us. We know that we must be willing to be used wherever we are, but our hearts have always loved different cultures and peoples and different languages.
MyLove felt led to Spain after graduating from seminary. When I was a little girl, I had the desire to go anywhere the Lord wanted to send me, especially remote tribes or China (because my dad had lovingly shared stories and books about Jim Elliot and Hudson Taylor when I was a child). Either way, we just want to go wherever the Lord leads.
So, last night, MyLove pulled out our new "10/40 Window" map, and showed the kids where India was, "introduced" them to our new missionary family and observed all we could in the picture. The kids were so interested and excited. The family has two boys and two girls, so the kids liked that. They didn't smile in the picture, so that was really throwing them for a loop. The only one smiling was the eldest boy who is a middle child.
MyLove was so sweet sharing all that was on his heart. He was excited and factual and had many things to share, but with the wee ones feeling the excitement and "meeting our new family," the questions from their imaginative minds were endless and quite random at times:
Martini: "Why are there countries that are named after food, because I heard you say Turkey and Greece!"
MyLove: "Good question." he says, with his nose flaring, trying not to laugh, but smiling. "These names are just coincidentally foods in our language."
Carmelita: (with hand raised, waiting her turn, then called on) "Why are there so many babies in my room?" We all started laughing.
MyLove: "You mean your baby dolls?"
Carmelita: "Yes."
MyLove: "I don't know. And I'm not sure how this fits in." And we all are laughing at this point, including Carmelita.
Ethan: "The Philippines is so far away. How did Mema get here?"
MyLove: "Mema flew here on an airplane."
Martini: "I wouldn't want to fly. I would just want to take a car or a bus."
MyLove: "You can't. You have to fly over the ocean to get there."
Martini: "Mommy, what was that chocolate movie we watched?"
Me: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
Martini: "Yes. Willy Wonka is like God."
Me: (Hmmmmm?!) I'm thinking . . .
Martini: "He gives out these free tickets to go to this wonderful place. Except God gives His free gift to go to heaven!"
Me & MyLove: "Awesome, Martini. That's right!"
Me: "Except, Willy Wonka only gave five people tickets. How many people did God give His free gift to?"
Ethan: "Everyone!"
MyLove: "That's right! It's like God has given everyone the free ticket in their mailbox and all they have to do is go out and get it. If they were to try to go to heaven without the ticket, they wouldn't be able to. They have to decide to go get it."
Me: "And Who is that ticket? What gift did God give us?"
Kids: "JESUS!"
MyLove: "Right. You just have to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that he came and died to take away your sins. And you decide to follow Him. When you do, you will live forever in heaven."
The kids then started talking about Lael in heaven and how we would all get to meet her and be with her in heaven one day.
So, after dinner, MyLove had us all go to the couch and hold hands and pray together. He prayed first and then each of the kids prayed what was on their hearts.
Ethan: Our new family in India, that they could have money and food to tell others about Jesus. That God would help the poor people to have money and food and that we could tell others about Jesus.
Martini: That Uncle Daniel would find a godly and beautiful wife
Carmelita: That Mema would stop smoking and find a nice house and isn't too much money
Giselle: She babbled and smiled and was as sweet as could be :-)
MyLove and Me: Guidance, direction, boldness, fearlessness, compassion and realization of what is eternally at stake for the lost, confirmation, what country, unity . . . And praising the Lord with all our hearts.
***********
Note: spoke with a wonderful lady at church after the service for quite some time. She believes that she and her husband and son will be moving back France in a year. Excited about what the Lord is doing in their lives and we share our desires. We exchange info so I can send her some old pics of her son and my son. She says she really wants our info because she sees how serious and desirous we are to do what the Lord has laid on our hearts. And then she comments that maybe the Lord will have us work together there in Spain/France one day.
Although this is what seems to be a passing comment, it was such an encouragement from the Lord to my spirit at how quickly the Lord works. We have talked many times about how in the Christian life, you wait and wait and pray and pray. But when the Lord moves, He moves quickly. All the while, He had just been preparing you. When He moves, you better be ready!
-Revelation 22:17b, The Bible - NIV
Yesterday, we had the son of KP Yohannan come to our church as a guest speaker. His father was supposed to come, but had urgent business in India. KP Yohannan is the founder of Gospel For Asia.
It is a wonderful organization that reaches out to the Dalits, the "untouchables" of India and shares with them the good news of Jesus Christ. They equip missionaries in their own regions to share the gospel and they have schools for children to teach the Bible and feed them. MyLove and I just love what they do and what they are about.
Well, listening to his son, MyLove and I just had our hearts rekindled with the fire to reach those who have no hope. The desire in our hearts is one of the main things that brought MyLove and I together, and we have prayed throughout our marriage that the Lord would use us. We know that we must be willing to be used wherever we are, but our hearts have always loved different cultures and peoples and different languages.
MyLove felt led to Spain after graduating from seminary. When I was a little girl, I had the desire to go anywhere the Lord wanted to send me, especially remote tribes or China (because my dad had lovingly shared stories and books about Jim Elliot and Hudson Taylor when I was a child). Either way, we just want to go wherever the Lord leads.
So, last night, MyLove pulled out our new "10/40 Window" map, and showed the kids where India was, "introduced" them to our new missionary family and observed all we could in the picture. The kids were so interested and excited. The family has two boys and two girls, so the kids liked that. They didn't smile in the picture, so that was really throwing them for a loop. The only one smiling was the eldest boy who is a middle child.
MyLove was so sweet sharing all that was on his heart. He was excited and factual and had many things to share, but with the wee ones feeling the excitement and "meeting our new family," the questions from their imaginative minds were endless and quite random at times:
Martini: "Why are there countries that are named after food, because I heard you say Turkey and Greece!"
MyLove: "Good question." he says, with his nose flaring, trying not to laugh, but smiling. "These names are just coincidentally foods in our language."
Carmelita: (with hand raised, waiting her turn, then called on) "Why are there so many babies in my room?" We all started laughing.
MyLove: "You mean your baby dolls?"
Carmelita: "Yes."
MyLove: "I don't know. And I'm not sure how this fits in." And we all are laughing at this point, including Carmelita.
Ethan: "The Philippines is so far away. How did Mema get here?"
MyLove: "Mema flew here on an airplane."
Martini: "I wouldn't want to fly. I would just want to take a car or a bus."
MyLove: "You can't. You have to fly over the ocean to get there."
Martini: "Mommy, what was that chocolate movie we watched?"
Me: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
Martini: "Yes. Willy Wonka is like God."
Me: (Hmmmmm?!) I'm thinking . . .
Martini: "He gives out these free tickets to go to this wonderful place. Except God gives His free gift to go to heaven!"
Me & MyLove: "Awesome, Martini. That's right!"
Me: "Except, Willy Wonka only gave five people tickets. How many people did God give His free gift to?"
Ethan: "Everyone!"
MyLove: "That's right! It's like God has given everyone the free ticket in their mailbox and all they have to do is go out and get it. If they were to try to go to heaven without the ticket, they wouldn't be able to. They have to decide to go get it."
Me: "And Who is that ticket? What gift did God give us?"
Kids: "JESUS!"
MyLove: "Right. You just have to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that he came and died to take away your sins. And you decide to follow Him. When you do, you will live forever in heaven."
The kids then started talking about Lael in heaven and how we would all get to meet her and be with her in heaven one day.
So, after dinner, MyLove had us all go to the couch and hold hands and pray together. He prayed first and then each of the kids prayed what was on their hearts.
Ethan: Our new family in India, that they could have money and food to tell others about Jesus. That God would help the poor people to have money and food and that we could tell others about Jesus.
Martini: That Uncle Daniel would find a godly and beautiful wife
Carmelita: That Mema would stop smoking and find a nice house and isn't too much money
Giselle: She babbled and smiled and was as sweet as could be :-)
MyLove and Me: Guidance, direction, boldness, fearlessness, compassion and realization of what is eternally at stake for the lost, confirmation, what country, unity . . . And praising the Lord with all our hearts.
***********
Note: spoke with a wonderful lady at church after the service for quite some time. She believes that she and her husband and son will be moving back France in a year. Excited about what the Lord is doing in their lives and we share our desires. We exchange info so I can send her some old pics of her son and my son. She says she really wants our info because she sees how serious and desirous we are to do what the Lord has laid on our hearts. And then she comments that maybe the Lord will have us work together there in Spain/France one day.
Although this is what seems to be a passing comment, it was such an encouragement from the Lord to my spirit at how quickly the Lord works. We have talked many times about how in the Christian life, you wait and wait and pray and pray. But when the Lord moves, He moves quickly. All the while, He had just been preparing you. When He moves, you better be ready!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tank Top Dilemma
O.K. I have a dilemma.
Tank tops. Camisoles. Sleeveless shirts. Spaghetti straps . . .
I don't wear them alone. If I do, it is rarely and it is when I am with MyLove to play some kind of sport or at home with just MyLove and the wee ones.
When I wear them, they are layered under or over something. I am definitely a layerer. Before it was quite the trend, I used to layer a lot just because v-necks are usually too low on me and I just like the look.
Why, one might ask, don't I feel free to wear them? Weeeeeeeeell, I grew up with a Filipina mother who never let me wear tank tops. I was brought up to dress very modestly and not to show my armpits! I have many a time wanted to, even as an adult, but stopped myself because I felt like I was doing something uncouth. I would see other women wearing them and thought how nice and cool (temperature wise) it would be to wear them, especially in Houston!!
On top of matters, I have tried on things and asked MyLove and he doesn't like me wearing them either. I have even had comments from my Martini telling me I need to put a shirt on (he was only about 3 years old, but for some reason wanted me to cover up my camisole!)
Well, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mindset I had so grown accustomed to and asked my mom why I was always told not to wear tank tops. She said,
"Oh, annocong, that is for ladies. When girls are not yet married, we were taught that they shouldn't show so much skin and that if you show your armpits, someone might see into your blouse."
"What about older women or married women?"
"Oh, yes, it's fine. I wear a sleeveless sometimes and my mother used to wear them too."
Wow, if I had just asked sooner!!! I just wonder if I will ever feel comfortable wearing them . . . ever! Now, I just have to work on MyLove!
Tank tops. Camisoles. Sleeveless shirts. Spaghetti straps . . .
I don't wear them alone. If I do, it is rarely and it is when I am with MyLove to play some kind of sport or at home with just MyLove and the wee ones.
When I wear them, they are layered under or over something. I am definitely a layerer. Before it was quite the trend, I used to layer a lot just because v-necks are usually too low on me and I just like the look.
Why, one might ask, don't I feel free to wear them? Weeeeeeeeell, I grew up with a Filipina mother who never let me wear tank tops. I was brought up to dress very modestly and not to show my armpits! I have many a time wanted to, even as an adult, but stopped myself because I felt like I was doing something uncouth. I would see other women wearing them and thought how nice and cool (temperature wise) it would be to wear them, especially in Houston!!
On top of matters, I have tried on things and asked MyLove and he doesn't like me wearing them either. I have even had comments from my Martini telling me I need to put a shirt on (he was only about 3 years old, but for some reason wanted me to cover up my camisole!)
Well, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mindset I had so grown accustomed to and asked my mom why I was always told not to wear tank tops. She said,
"Oh, annocong, that is for ladies. When girls are not yet married, we were taught that they shouldn't show so much skin and that if you show your armpits, someone might see into your blouse."
"What about older women or married women?"
"Oh, yes, it's fine. I wear a sleeveless sometimes and my mother used to wear them too."
Wow, if I had just asked sooner!!! I just wonder if I will ever feel comfortable wearing them . . . ever! Now, I just have to work on MyLove!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ethan's Sweetness
Ethan is such a sweet soul. He is just precious.
He looooooves his siblings. Martini went to bingo for the first time with Mema the other day, and Ethan was a basket case without his best friend. He moped and cried and said over and over how he missed Martini. One day, Martini was going to get a spanking for being disobedient, and Ethan says, "Mommy, spank me instead." I cried. I hugged him and praised him for his heart. It was a tangible example of what Jesus Christ did for us. Taking our punishment on Himself! MyLove and I were touched immensely.
He lovingly will ask Carmelita to kick the soccer ball with him and include her when playing with toys.
He hugs and kisses and sings to Giselle all the time. He still enjoys holding her and when he sees her in bed, he will climb in right next to her to talk to her and hold her hands.
Ethan can not take music that shows tension or danger. Even if the cartoon has fuzzy bunnies or kids eating cotton candy, if the music changes to something intense sounding, he just can't take it. He closes his eyes, covers his ears and says, "Mommy, I'm scared!" He will run out of the room sometimes too. It is so funny. I have to tell him, "Ethan, it is just a movie/cartoon. Nothing bad is going to happen!"
Thank You, Lord, for entrusting our precious Ethan to us. What a precious soul he is. We have been so very blessed by him. It is such a privilege to be his mommy (and daddy). In Jesus' name, Amen.
Ethan with ranch squirted on his face!
. . . after eating a cupcake . . .
. . . being buried in the sand by Martini and Josiah . . .
. . . telling Carmelita how to spray him with the hose . . .
Monday, June 28, 2010
Kids' Quotes
The kids were watching the making of Revenge of the Sith (a movie they are not allowed to watch, but try to come as close to watching it as possible) and a scary scene of Anakin getting all burned up in the lave came on screen.
Me: Guys, I don't know about this. This might be too scary.
Martini: Mommy, don't worry. Just go ahead and go upstairs.
Hmmmmmm. . . . . Uncle Daniel says it's just the "director" in him coming out!
Martini posing with his cousin David and friend Bryan
*************
Carmelita was using the restroom and I was telling her something and she responds:
Mommy, please don't talk to me while I'm going peepee. I need my quiet time!
What???????? I seriously don't know where she gets this stuff. Sure, I linger on the commode to enjoy a bit of respite, but still!!!
**************
I often hear Ethan playing and then say, "hold on, I want to see Giselle" or "I'm gunna check on Giselle" or "I think I hear Giselle." It just melts my heart!
**************
About two weeks ago, Giselle said "mama." Now, she was just babbling with these particular syllables and had no idea what they meant, but that doesn't matter. She is the first of all our children to say "mama" first. All of our others said "dada" first!
Me: Guys, I don't know about this. This might be too scary.
Martini: Mommy, don't worry. Just go ahead and go upstairs.
Hmmmmmm. . . . . Uncle Daniel says it's just the "director" in him coming out!
Martini posing with his cousin David and friend Bryan
*************
Carmelita was using the restroom and I was telling her something and she responds:
Mommy, please don't talk to me while I'm going peepee. I need my quiet time!
What???????? I seriously don't know where she gets this stuff. Sure, I linger on the commode to enjoy a bit of respite, but still!!!
**************
I often hear Ethan playing and then say, "hold on, I want to see Giselle" or "I'm gunna check on Giselle" or "I think I hear Giselle." It just melts my heart!
**************
About two weeks ago, Giselle said "mama." Now, she was just babbling with these particular syllables and had no idea what they meant, but that doesn't matter. She is the first of all our children to say "mama" first. All of our others said "dada" first!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Giselle in Wrap
I have so many things to remember and try to blog about. I don't want to forget them. I don't want to lose them forever. So, just to get something precious down that I am looooving, here is a pic of Giselle in her wrap. I have wrapped her in the front since birth, but started on the back around 3-4 months. With Carmelita, I waited much longer just because I didn't know how and wasn't confident enough.
Giselle loves it and now laughs when she grabs a fistfull of my hair! We wrap for long trips grocery shopping, to the park and out-n-about where strollers aren't practical, or in the house when tummy time and nap time are no longer an option for Lil' Miss Princess. But, right before she falls asleep, she fusses quite much because she wants to be flat in bed. If I can't, she finally passes out on my back, then I take the 30 seconds and lay her down. It's always a rush to do the next thing around here, you know?
This was taken this morning - Sequoia Waves Didymos
This was taken at a graduation - Sequoia Waves Didymos
Giselle is only a few weeks old here - Moby Wrap
Giselle loves it and now laughs when she grabs a fistfull of my hair! We wrap for long trips grocery shopping, to the park and out-n-about where strollers aren't practical, or in the house when tummy time and nap time are no longer an option for Lil' Miss Princess. But, right before she falls asleep, she fusses quite much because she wants to be flat in bed. If I can't, she finally passes out on my back, then I take the 30 seconds and lay her down. It's always a rush to do the next thing around here, you know?
This was taken this morning - Sequoia Waves Didymos
This was taken at a graduation - Sequoia Waves Didymos
Giselle is only a few weeks old here - Moby Wrap
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Things I want to Remember
Martini - He went on his first field trip yesterday to a play. His Grandpa Ford went with him as a class chaperone (and as comfort to Martini!). When he got back, he told me that he was "delighted to go" and had a great time.
Ethan - He is really learning to read now! He was kind of reading three letter words in December when I was still pregnant. Then Daddy stayed home for the month and really worked with him consistantly in the mornings. He has improved so much. He knows his letters and their sounds and is interested in spelling words on his own sometimes. This morning he spelled "kite." He first started with a "c" but with some help, got it right. Tools we have been using: magnet letters on fridge, Leap Frog videos: "The Letter Factory" and " The Reading Factory", making up spelling and rhyming games with him, giving him an ending sound like "-at" and then telling him to spell "bat" and "cat" and so on.
Carmelita - All the sudden, I realize it is quiet in the house. No singing, dancing, playing with the cd player changing out the cd's . . . where is Carmelita?! She is upstairs trying an different clothes of course! She comes down with a totally different outfit and on top of that, one that makes me cold just looking at her. Usually shorts and a tank or shortsleeve shirt when it is freezing outside! She sings without hesitation or shame. A song the kids are loving right now is "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner. They first heard it on an Alvin and The Chipmunks commercial. They kept singing it around the house (just the part on the commercial) and so we found it on youtube and let them listen to it. They all sing the chorus together. It is precious.
Giselle - She has started smiling more and just started actively cooing when talked to by Daddy or me. I just looooove this time. She has gained a good amount of weight and looks just beautiful and healthy. She is enjoying both the sling and wrap. I have only wrapped her in the front, not the back yet. I am too nervous yet. She has taken a bath with the kids in the big tub and loves the space. I usually bath her in my sing. The kids just love being with her and seeing her move around.
MyLove - He is trying to get on a regular workout schedule. He is using our P90X DVDs and loves them. He can only work out about two days a week, but we really want to make it more regular. He is such a hottie! MyLove has employed my Smoothing King background ;-), I make him a fresh smoothie after his workouts and we sit and sip with him. It's fun.
Me - I need to get this self of mine in shape! Feeling chunky, but so much better than that last month of pregnancy! I praise the Lord for good health. I look forward to getting outside with the kids, when it isn't too cold, but I am still enjoying this cold weather because I know how hot it gets!!! Have some sewing ideas, but can't seem to get to them. Just enjoying these fleeting days of Giselle's infancy. My heart aches at how fast they fly by. Finished the sketch for Lael's gravemarker and we are working with the funeral home to get the final touches done. This is long overdue.
Ethan - He is really learning to read now! He was kind of reading three letter words in December when I was still pregnant. Then Daddy stayed home for the month and really worked with him consistantly in the mornings. He has improved so much. He knows his letters and their sounds and is interested in spelling words on his own sometimes. This morning he spelled "kite." He first started with a "c" but with some help, got it right. Tools we have been using: magnet letters on fridge, Leap Frog videos: "The Letter Factory" and " The Reading Factory", making up spelling and rhyming games with him, giving him an ending sound like "-at" and then telling him to spell "bat" and "cat" and so on.
Carmelita - All the sudden, I realize it is quiet in the house. No singing, dancing, playing with the cd player changing out the cd's . . . where is Carmelita?! She is upstairs trying an different clothes of course! She comes down with a totally different outfit and on top of that, one that makes me cold just looking at her. Usually shorts and a tank or shortsleeve shirt when it is freezing outside! She sings without hesitation or shame. A song the kids are loving right now is "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner. They first heard it on an Alvin and The Chipmunks commercial. They kept singing it around the house (just the part on the commercial) and so we found it on youtube and let them listen to it. They all sing the chorus together. It is precious.
Giselle - She has started smiling more and just started actively cooing when talked to by Daddy or me. I just looooove this time. She has gained a good amount of weight and looks just beautiful and healthy. She is enjoying both the sling and wrap. I have only wrapped her in the front, not the back yet. I am too nervous yet. She has taken a bath with the kids in the big tub and loves the space. I usually bath her in my sing. The kids just love being with her and seeing her move around.
MyLove - He is trying to get on a regular workout schedule. He is using our P90X DVDs and loves them. He can only work out about two days a week, but we really want to make it more regular. He is such a hottie! MyLove has employed my Smoothing King background ;-), I make him a fresh smoothie after his workouts and we sit and sip with him. It's fun.
Me - I need to get this self of mine in shape! Feeling chunky, but so much better than that last month of pregnancy! I praise the Lord for good health. I look forward to getting outside with the kids, when it isn't too cold, but I am still enjoying this cold weather because I know how hot it gets!!! Have some sewing ideas, but can't seem to get to them. Just enjoying these fleeting days of Giselle's infancy. My heart aches at how fast they fly by. Finished the sketch for Lael's gravemarker and we are working with the funeral home to get the final touches done. This is long overdue.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
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