Appreciation

I Have to admit, we have had our fair share of challenges since the big move.I think nothing is better and more encouraging than being transparent about issues that arise in marriages and families so here goes.I've been struggling lately with feelings of not really mattering and thoughts of "what is my purpose now?". I love being a mother and wife but sometimes it's a struggle and there are times when I just want to crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head or just walk out the door. It's hard when things just seem so mundane day in and out, when Abigail is fussy and clingy and when Gabe asks me the same question 5 times in a row. What is a mother to do? And on top of that, keeping the house clean and also loving and showing love to your spouse when you have no energy whatsoever.

Johnathan and I have had some pretty good arguments lately. He has a heavy load on his shoulders with work, being in a new place and the worries of selling our house. Selfishness and exhaustion come in and it just doesn't make for a good evening.Thursday night, he wanted to go out and grab something to eat. Well, as a mother I know what this entails, getting everyone dressed, diaper bag packed, everyone in the car and that's just the start. I was already tired when he got home from work and said, "why don't you just take Gabe out to get something." Johnathan took both kids and headed to a buffet which I found out later.(I would have warned him if the plan was known!).

While they were gone, I ate a bowl of cereal in peace, cleaned the house which was enjoyable for some reason, and watched a Sex and the City episode on T.V. I had a great evening! It refreshed my spirit and I actually started missing my hubby and kids.

Two hours later, the crew was home and the first thing Johnathan said to me was "I don't know how you do this everyday." Music to my ears because he understands why some days I have nothing left to give. I also appreciated him for giving me a quiet evening. One of the things I love about my husband is he's not afraid to take the kids out by himself and he's pretty good at it! Gabe loves going out with his Dad and I'm sure getting away from Mom.

Back to the whole purpose thing, I know my purpose right now is raising these sweet kids to be followers of Christ and showing them love and how to love. My other purpose is being one with my husband and  striving to be the woman God made me to be. It' s just hard sometimes.

We have met some really great people so far and we are enjoying our neighborhood and the pool, one of God's many blessings I have realized with this awful heat and being in a new place with not much to do. I have much to be thankful for, the big perspective just gets tangled up and lost at times.

Have a great weekend!

Quiet Time

Spending quiet time with the Lord has become a very important part of my life. I began having quiet time in my early twenties and realized how vital it was for my life. This is a time where I spend reading a devotional along with my Bible and just time spent talking with the Lord and growing my relationship with Him.

Now that I am a wife and mother of two kids, it has been a bit harder to find this time. Ideally, I would like to spend the very first moments of the day with God, but sometimes that just doesn't happen. I have found that the kids nap time has been the best time  of the day for this because the house is quiet and  I can really focus in on the Lord and listening to what He has for me.

Right now, I am using two devotionals, both of which are fairly short readings. The first is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. The second is Journey Magazine that can be ordered through Lifeway.com/journeymagazine.  Johnathan also has a daily quiet time and uses Stand Firm also from Lifeway ministries.

I have found that when I don't have my quiet times, I am a bit more irritable and less joyful and patient. When I can focus on the Lord and talk with Him, He fills me with joy and peace which allows me to get through the day with a better attitude and purpose. I really cherish my quiet times and hope that I can continue to make this a priority in my life.

lifeway.com/journeymagazine

http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Calling-Enjoying-Peace-Presence/dp/1591451884/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310739746&sr=8-1

One Year Check-Up

Abigail had her one year check-up today and I wanted to record her stats. She weighs 20lbs 10 oz and is 29, 3/4 inches tall. The doctor said she is healthy and looks great! We have been concerned about possible allergy issues. It seems like she constantly has a runny nose and at times sounds like she wheezes. She did have tubes put in her ears around 9 months due to numerous ear infections. She also has eczema on the back of her legs and neck. Dr. Harvey suggested we have some blood work done to rule out any allergies and also placed her on Allegra once daily to see if it helps at all.  So, she got blood drawn and 3 shots, so she was not a happy camper when we left the Doctor's office.

I am so thankful and blessed to have such healthy kids. I don't ever want to take that for granted. I thank God after each check-up because I know we are so blessed and that they are a gift from Him.

Abby is talking or at least trying to talk and babbles all the time. She loves to play peek-a-boo with us and will pull her blanket up to her face and hide until we say "where's Abigail?" She is a very happy girl but will definitely let us know the second she does not like something. It has been so much fun watching her grow. Her hair is starting to come in and is lightening up quite a bit. Her skin is just gorgeous and she has a great tan right now!

Thanks Aunt Julie!

                                  Aunt Julie (my sister) sent Gabe a Mickey Mouse guitar. He loves it.

                                 And she sent Abby a Leap Frog music table for her 1st birthday!

                      I think the kids will follow in their aunt's musical footsteps!                                                                         Thanks for the  gifts, we love you Aunt Julie!                                                    

My How Time Flies...

                                                 The day our sweet Abigail arrived!

                                                        

                                                            Your 1st Birthday!

Abigail, you are such a sweet girl. This past year has gone by too fast. You arrived on a very hot July day via repeat c-section. You gave  us quite the entrance. When Dr. Marks pulled you out, you were stubborn and wouldn't take that first breath. Mommy said a prayer and asked Jesus to breathe life into you and at the end of that prayer, He did! You were born with very dark hair and sweet dimples. You have always had a great appetite. I nursed you for the 1st 4 months but you began to not be satisfied so we switched you to formula. You have been on a great schedule since you were about 4 months old and began sleeping through the night at 6 months( I thought that day would never come). You got your first tooth at 5 months. You are definitely more emotional and dramatic than your brother (it goes with being a girl). I have been so blessed to be able to stay home with you and watch you grow. You are very social and go to just about anyone. You love to smile and wave at people!

Now at 12 months of age, you have 10 teeth, you are walking just about all the time now and you love playing with your big brother. You are still a good sleeper and napper. You sleep about 11-12 hours a night and take 2  naps a day. You're a mommas girl and love to be held. We call you our little dare-devil b/c you seem to be fearless and try climbing on everything. You love the water and think you can swim. You also love your Minnie Mouse and give her hugs and kisses. You also love your paci especially when sleeping. You love to laugh and clap your hands and you are starting to dance to music which is so cute. You also love to eat and haven't turned down much of anything. You don't like the car and hardly ever sleep when we're traveling. Your personality is starting to take shape and Daddy says you  favor your momma!

We just love you so much and thank Gd for you each day!

Couponing

I've recently taken up the sport of couponing and I have to admit, it's pretty enjoyable. I remember the days of single life, right out of college and working full-time. I would go shopping and get whatever my heart desired with no concept of looking at prices.

Oh how that changed when we got married and had kiddos and me staying home full-time. Johnathan and I attended a Dave Ramsey conference our church held and it was eye-opening. We now stick to a budget and uses a cash flow system. I ordered Dave's envelope system and really like it. We have envelopes for groceries, entertainment, for the kids and also for ourselves. We sit down when Johnathan gets paid and decide how much to delegate to each category.

When we lived in Cabot, I did all my grocery shopping at Kroger. I would look at their weekly sales ad and match up my coupons to what was on sale that week. Now in NWA, my new friends have told me that Walamrt matches other stores sales ads so I gave it a try this morning. For example, Walgreen's has Kellogg's cereals on sale 2 for 5. I took the ad with me and got 2 boxes of cereal which were over 3 bucks a box and got the Walgreen's price match. I also had a Kellogg's coupon for 75 cents off 2 boxes. I was pretty excited about the purchase.And when you shop with cash as opposed to using a debit card, your more likely to stick to your budget and list.

Check out Dave Ramsey's website for more info and tools at Dave Ramsey.com

Party Time

Abigail had a wonderful birthday celebration this past weekend. She loved her cake, all of her gifts and especially the rocking chair her Gamme and Papaw got her! We sure love you sweet Abigail Grace!