First of all - it is cold! C-O-L-D! It has been around 15 degrees when I am leaving in the morning to go to work with the exception of yesterday when it was a balmy 34 degrees. Who knew 34 would seem warm? Well, let me tell you it does when you have been going out in 15 degrees. Everyday I get on the internet looking for a tropical vacation for Ethan's track out in March and everyday I shut my computer down discouraged because flying 5 people to the Caribbean for a week is slightly out of our price range right now. Sigh. One day. One day. Thank goodness (or thank my mother in law - Hi Barb!) for our mattress pad heater. That is the closest I am going to get to the Caribbean heat for awhile I am afraid. I get good and toasty and almost asleep when Chris comes to bed whining, "I'm so cold" and then sticks his frigid feet on me to warm them up. EEK! That's cold - get off! Anyway, on to better things.
Eliza is trying so hard to crawl.
She knows what she needs to do.
She leans forward, balancing her weight on her hands.
Concentrating
And then frustration
Try again.....
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can
She is yelling here, can you tell?
She is not quite there, but it won't be long. She just needs a little more strength in her arms and legs to hold her weight and she will be off.
I took Eliza to have her 6 month pictures taken yesterday.
And these are some of my favorites.
This dress is from Gloria (GoGo). I promised her I would have Eliza's picture taken in it. And I think they turned out lovely. The blue is so soft.
And look at this little priss.
And this....she's a flirt already. I'm in trouble.
And doesn't she look like a future ballerina here?
And in case you ever wondered what Stan Bordman would look like in a tutu, wonder no more.
She was such a good sport through all the wardrobe changes.
We also had this dress But I couldn't get the bow to sit just right. Smocked dresses rank right up there as one of the top 5 reasons I love having a little girl.
If you don't believe me, give it a try. You may be surprised.
So this week has been hard. And to be honest, hard doesn't describe it. I have learned a lot about myself; my strengths, weaknesses - the whole lot of it. And believe me when I tell you your children can show you in bold print what your weaknesses are.
I was driving to Ethan's school today for his learning experience and I had an epiphany of the Highest power. I bought a new cd when we were in Point Pleasant, the David Crowder Band and I love all of the songs. And this one was playing when I got in the car today.
And it brought me to tears. Chris and I had a fight earlier this week because he chose to go out with his new acquaintances rather than call and talk to me. I felt alone, betrayed, alone, mad, alone, lonely and did I mention alone? You see, he doesn't know this but he is my strength. Whether he is here in person or on the phone he fills me up (what I call my "love tank") when I am completely empty at the end of the day. Just his presence can do this for me. It is like a huge weight lifts from my shoulders the minute he walks in the room. He takes my breath and the butterflies commence. And because he hasn't been coming home to me at night I needed him on the phone to tell me all the wonderful things that I fish from him daily and when he didn't call the other night and I later found out where his evening had led, I was devastated. Hurt. I actually cried myself to sleep for the first time in awhile. A girl at work said it best today when she said "he just comes home." And that echoes so true. He just comes home; that's all it takes.
And then God spoke to me today through this song. As much as I love my husband he should not be the one to fill me up. God should. Chris is human and as much as he thinks he won't hurt me or he doesn't mean to do so, he does, more often than I show. When I have my moments like I have this week, instead of being devastated that my husband isn't there for me, I should drop to my knees thank the One that is there for me. The One that doesn't leave me or forsake me.
He is jealous for me Loves like a hurricane I am a tree Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
Truth is, He is crazy about me. Knows me inside and out.
For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11
So, I am human too, and it is hard to step back and let go of humanly desires and live by faith. But I am going to try, the next time Chris hurts me to stop and think about the One who hasn't, who wouldn't. I know there will be times when I will fail, but I also know He will not give up on me and I will also succeed.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:17-19
I took off work this afternoon to go to Ethan's school for his Learning Experience. This one was building gingerbread houses. (Last quarter it was Watermelon Fest).
He always gets so excited for when I am able to come to his class to volunteer and I hope to be able to do it more once Owen and Eliza are in day care.
Each child had a milk carton to build the walls around and icing for the glue.
Once they had the walls built, they iced the outside and started with the candies. They had gum drops, hershey chocolates, snow caps, coconut, marshmallows, m&ms, red hots and twizzlers.
It took a lot of concentrating. And even more concentrating not to eat the candies. :-)
I think they turned out really cool.
And the children had so much fun making them.
Thanks to his wonderful teachers for coming up with such fun activities for our children.
She knows what she needs to do.
She leans forward, balancing her weight on her hands.
Concentrating
And then frustration
Try again.....
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can
She is yelling here, can you tell?
She is not quite there, but it won't be long. She just needs a little more strength in her arms and legs to hold her weight and she will be off.
Do you know that the boys didn't hold (or even try to hold) their own bottle until they were at least 8-9 months old. They just weren't interested.
Leave it to a boy to want their momma to do everything for them as long as possible.
I can hear it now "I do it!" It isn't that far off in my future. We are starting to emphasize "bye bye" and raising her arms and saying "touchdown."
As a side thought, do you think Pat White looks at photos on Facebook that tag him?
Because I have considered uploading this one to facebook and tagging Pat White.
And these are some of my favorites.
This dress is from Gloria (GoGo). I promised her I would have Eliza's picture taken in it. And I think they turned out lovely. The blue is so soft.
And this....she's a flirt already. I'm in trouble.
And doesn't she look like a future ballerina here?
And in case you ever wondered what Stan Bordman would look like in a tutu, wonder no more.
She was such a good sport through all the wardrobe changes.
But I couldn't get the bow to sit just right. Smocked dresses rank right up there as one of the top 5 reasons I love having a little girl.
and someone else benefited from it.
I hope our weekly ice cream trips stick around for awhile.
They have cappuccino chocolate chip now. Yum!
He always gets so excited for when I am able to come to his class to volunteer and I hope to be able to do it more once Owen and Eliza are in day care.
Each child had a milk carton to build the walls around and icing for the glue.
Once they had the walls built, they iced the outside and started with the candies. They had gum drops, hershey chocolates, snow caps, coconut, marshmallows, m&ms, red hots and twizzlers.
It took a lot of concentrating. And even more concentrating not to eat the candies. :-)
I think they turned out really cool.
And the children had so much fun making them.
Thanks to his wonderful teachers for coming up with such fun activities for our children.
