So long 2013

I've been doing a lot of reflecting today as this year draws to a close. I'm really looking forward to what this next year could hold. No doubt God will continue to guide and bless our family.

As I mentioned the other day, I'm not into resolutions this year, but instead, life changes. I found this step chart and I have found it very helpful in trying to organize my upcoming health adventure.

 

 

So far I've got the first two steps down.
1. Set goal-lose 10% body weight
2. Make a plan-eat more cleanly, focus on portion control, lean on my accountability partner, exercise 15-30 minutes 5 days a week

Steps 3-5 will come as I begin this new journey of health.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As I prepare myself for this challenging and exciting time in my life, I'll spend today savoring these precious moments before I return to work on Thursday. This is the first New Year's Eve that I've ever spent by myself. With my hubby at work and a baby that hits the crib by 7:30, tonight will be pretty mellow. I will however follow through with our traditional Harry Potter marathon.

 

I'm trying a new Sesame Seed Chicken recipe today. I've been wanting Chinese food, which did not happen yesterday, and since I've vowed not to get out of my pajamas today, I'll be trying an at home recipe. Wish me luck!

 

Tomorrow we'll celebrate the New Year by having brunch with our close friends and their little one. It will be a wonderful way to start making memories in 2014.

 

God bless and Happy New Year!!!

Five on Friday: My Most Memoriable Moments from 2013

I'm linking up with Darci, Ashley and many others for this week's Five on Friday.

This year has consisted of many challenges and double the blessings. I'd like to take this time to share my top five most memorable moments of 2013.

[one]

Our number one blessing and most memorable event of 2013 would most certainly have to be the birth of our beautiful daughter. In April, weighing in at 8lbs 2oz and 19.5 inches long, our miracle baby was born healthy and strong. We could not have asked for anything more perfect.

Minutes after birth

A couple hours after delivery

[two]

Another wonderful moment for our family was the March wedding of my brother-in-law. I gained a wonderful sister-in-law who not only became family, but a wonderful friend.

[three]

I most certainly have to mention the God-ordained adoption of little Zac. Our friends adopted this precious little guy from China in October. So many prayers went into the anticipation of him coming to his forever home. He is a blessing to his parents and his family remains a blessing to us. (I post this with a saddened heart...this wonderful family is moving across country. We'll miss them terribly but know they will do great things.)

[four]

December has held a lot of wonderful things. Two spectacular things come to mind. The first would have to be the birth of another long awaited miracle. Cadence was born to our close friends on Christmas day. This child has been prayed for and long anticipated. God has filled their home with such joy in a way that many thought would never be possible. God's ways are perfect.

[five]

The second thing, and final thing I'll mention from 2013, is that of our daughter's first Christmas. At 8 months old she was in awe of the lights, bounced to the Christmas music, heard the Christmas story of Christ's birth for the first time, and gave her best try at opening gifts. It was such a wonderful time!

I look back at this year and I think of all the firsts we'll never get back. There are many things I'd like to do over, things I'd say and not say, and things I'd do or not do. While I can't go back, I look forward to moving on. 2014 holds so much promise! May God bless you and your families in this upcoming year.

Into His Hands

This morning we woke up to no power. We waited, hoping it would come on before we needed to get ready for church. It did not. We rushed around a darkened house and attempted to make ourselves presentable for our big day.

G and Daddy taking a nap as we waited for the power to come on...

What made this Sunday so special? Today we publicly dedicated our daughter to the Lord. True, from the moment of conception, we have constantly placed her in His hands, but today we were charged before the church during a dedication ceremony to raise her in a Christ-centered home. I've seen countless families make this profession of faith regarding the rearing of their little ones...and what an honor it was to join others on this occasion.

G's life verse can be found in 1 Samuel 1:27..."For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him." This verse became our hope throughout my pregnancy. It is so important to remember that our children are gifts. They are placed in our arms to be protected, loved and raised in a way that would honor the Lord. It is our honor and our great responsibility to handle them with such care for the time that we have them. They are ultimately His. With this in mind, I have since focused on 1 Samuel 1:28a..."So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” We willingly place G into His hands daily and what a blessing to be able to share this commitment with our friends and families.

 

During the brief ceremony, our pastor charged us with the responsibility of raising our daughter to love the Lord. We are called to live a life pleasing and committed to Him. We are to show her Christ's love in word, action and thought. Likewise, our church family is charged with helping us to do so. They are to help hold us accountable and serve as examples for us. We are so grateful to have been able to make this commitment in front of such a great cloud of witnesses.

We are so blessed. Today will be forever held close to our hearts.

G all dolled up...

She's already for church!

Re-inventing Resolutions

The New Year is quickly approaching. With it comes the resolutions. Resolutions to lose weight, become financially savvy, etc. I found some interesting, yet not surprising statistics. I thought I'd share...

Rank	Top 10 New Years resolutions for 2014
1	Lose Weight
2	Getting Organized
3	Spend Less, Save More
4	Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5	Staying Fit and Healthy
6	Learn Something Exciting
7	Quit Smoking
8	Help Others in Their Dreams
9	Fall in Love
10	Spend More Time with Family

Type of Resolutions (Percent above 100% because of multiple resolutions)	Data
Self Improvement or education related resolutions	47%
Weight related resolutions	38%
Money related resolutions	34%
Relationship related resolutions	31%

Length of Resolutions	Data
Resolution maintained through first week	75%
Past two weeks	71%
Past one month	64%
Past six months	46%

These results and more statistics can be viewed here!

In the past I've set resolutions and have fallen into at least one of the failure rate categories more than once. After a visit with my doctor yesterday, it's evident that I have to do more than make a resolution. A few years ago I was diagnosed with Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome. It has a variety of unpleasant symptoms. There is no rhyme or reason to this medical condition. We can simply (and not so simply) treat the symptoms...some studies even say that it is possible to reverse some of the symptoms, but I'm not there yet. Two issues among the many that I experience are difficulty losing weight (more than the average person) and conceiving children.

Yesterday's visit came a little over 8 months post-pregnancy. My body is falling into its old ways and I knew it was time have a conversation with my new doctor. She is so patient and thorough in answering my questions. I left yesterday relieved that we now have a treatment plan, but it's still a waiting game. My husband and I have a dream to have several children, and with the difficulty we had conceiving our first, we wanted to go ahead and speak with an expert on what we can start doing now to hopefully help us in the future. One thing that I must continue to work on is losing the weight. Due to a very limited milk supply, my nursing came to an end after only 3 months. At that point the remaining baby weight began to cling to my body and due to an altered schedule and recovery, my weight-loss became null. I'm now 3-4 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. This is great news, but I still have to work towards losing at least an additional 10%. Since pregnancy I've also been having difficulty with blood pressure...just one more thing to deal with. ::sigh::

I've struggled with my self-image forever. There was one point in my life, just a few years ago in fact, that I began to like my physical appearance. Since then I've lost sight of that person. During yesterday's discussion with my doctor, she looked me in the eyes and told me point blank that I have to start caring about myself. I have to make myself a priority...doctor's orders. Having her tell me this, along with all the things we discussed yesterday, have really put some things in perspective. I have to do this for me. I have felt guilty for so long over thinking of myself when I have a wonderful husband and a daughter who need me...REALITY CHECK: If I don't take care of myself, I won't be able to take care of them.

What does this mean for 2014 resolutions? Nothing. I am not making one this year. Instead, I am refocusing and renovating myself from the inside out. Prayerfully, I'll no longer fall into one of those failing statistics.

Over the next couple of days I plan to get January's menu together using lower-sodium recipes. I'm working on a game plan that will allow me to once again incorporate exercise into my daily routine, even if it is only 15 minutes. I have to start somewhere. I have to follow-up with my family doctor regarding my blood pressure and I have to have blood work done in the next couple of days. After using an extremely large amount of energy sanitizing and organizing my home prior to my family's arrival, I get to do it all over again thanks to my sister's 24 hour flu bug and the mess of Christmas past. I'm trying to find joy in these circumstances. The glass is not only half full. In reality, thanks to the goodness and mercy of my God, my cup is running over! I must take what is set before me and make my move. I hope you'll join me in going after the change you wish to see.

I am making the decision to try in 2014.

Five on Friday: All Things Christmas 2013

This week has flown by! We'll be ringing in the New Year before we know it...so as not to rush time, I'll savor moments from this week as I join others for this week's Five on Friday.

 

 

[one]

We were so excited to celebrate our daughter's first Christmas. This time of year has always been treasured, but this year it has meant so much more. We began the 12 Books of Christmas tradition with G this year. Beginning twelve days before Christmas, G unwraps one book each night. We read it to her and then add it to her collection. We loved this and looked forward to it every night.

 

 

[two]

Each year we are home, we eat a Christmas meal and exchange gifts with the in-laws. This year we opted to do a brunch. Everyone loved it! It allowed for quality family time prior to us having to part ways for other holiday obligations.(Plus I LOVE breakfast food!) We opened gifts and enjoyed watching G play with her goodies.

Diggin' in!

G opening gifts with daddy and Granny

G opening gifts with Granny and Papa

(Boy I look tired...Family picture)

 

[three]

This year we parted ways with our dollar store stockings and I opted to make "Goody Bags". Each fabric is a reflection of the person to whom it belongs. We had so much fun helping G pull things out of her bag.

Can you hear me now?

 

So excited about your new toy

 

[four]

Look out! It's Rudolph! I found this adorable breakfast item on Pinterest and just had to make it for our family. (I forgot to take a picture, so what you see is original to the website).

Learn how to make these tasty treats Chef in Training

 



[five]

My family means the world to me and to have my mom and sister willingly drive 500 miles to spend Christmas with us is one of the best gifts I could ever receive. We've laughed, caught up and continue to avoid eye contact when someone mentions them going home. I'll be a mess come Saturday morning when they pull out...

Time for a nap already!

Granna and Aunt Karla (KK)

KK opening gifts in her festive garb

 

We still have a day left with my family and more pictures to come. Stay tuned for some more precious memories. Until then, here are just a few pictures of our precious G in celebration of her first Christmas!

 

 

 



for this He came...

A steady rain patters against the window. Dawn's early light is stifled by the clouds, heavy with life giving moisture. My cold stricken husband sleeps soundly in the arm chair while my thumb sucking, blue-eyed babe nestles close. Her breathing is rhythmic...perfect. These moments are so rare. So precious. The house is dark save the colored lights of our Christmas tree and the faint gray of morning slipping in through the blinds.

I sit still. Afraid to ruin the moment.

As the tree sparkles and shines with lights, bobbles and memories from years gone by, I become overwhelmed with a sadness...a heartache. The last couple of weeks have brought so much loss to those I love. These brave, faithful hearts mourn while trying to keep face during this joyous Christmas season. Again, my heart breaks. I think of the expectancy of celebrating a first Christmas, much as we are this year. Our answered prayer, our strawberry-blonde miracle, will be learning how to unwrap gifts, become familiar with our favorite Christmas carols and will hear the Christmas story of Christ's birth. Her 8 months of life on this earth will be reflected upon and her delight in all things new will be captured in freeze frame. Even though our journey to her existence was not easy, I feel guilty.

I sit here in the quiet. A nudge of understanding touches my heart. God knows. He knows how I, as a fixer, would love to heal the wounds...ease the ache. He knows how I want to collect those tears and cast them in the ocean to be forgotten. Such is not real life. His Word reminds me that there is a time for joy and a time for sorrow.

I consider these faith-filled families brave, courageous and beautiful. In their own ways, they are accepting God's plan and finding ways, through Him, to cope and carry on. As I reflect on Christ's birth and the importance of His coming, I am struck with a humbling thought. God gave willingly. He willingly sent His Son to a world that would hate Him. It would reject His Gift. It would turn against His sovereignty. He gave anyway.

These moments...these quiet, humbling, awe-inspiring moments are why He came. He came to grant peace, to bring comfort, to instill joy and to remind us that our lives are not hung on a balance. They are nestled safe in the hands of a mighty, powerful, compassionate and merciful God. He turns sadness to dancing. He provides manna in the days of desert wandering. He serves as a pillar of Light along life's dark walk ways.

These truths...these beautiful God given truths take hold of this guilt that I unnecessarily harbor. They crush the lies that attack my soul, that would strangle my thankfulness and instead, rekindle my gratefulness anew. I have been given a powerful tool that allows me to help intercede for these hurting hearts. I can pray for their comfort, their peace and their healing. I am not left defenseless against these moments of sorrow.

This song by Bebo Norman has been replaying in my head for the last week. I hope you will take a moment to meditate on God's goodness and lift your eyes to the Maker, our Calmer, the Healer...lift your eyes to Him. You are why He came...

If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.

Jeremiah 29:13

Five on Friday: Five Reasons I Love Christmas Break



My break began Wednesday! In honor of this blessed time I'm linking up with The Good Life and others to bring you this week's Five on Friday.

 



 

 

[one]

The #1 thing that I love most about break is spending time with my precious little girl and wonderful husband. On the days he has off, it's nice to be able to spend the whole day together catching up on life. For the last week we have been enjoying reading G's 12 books of Christmas. It is a major highlight of our evenings together.

 

[two]

Next to family is friends. I love the way break gives me extra time to spend catching up with friends that we hold near and dear to our hearts. Yesterday G and I went to her first pajama party! Her little friends were so cute! There were reindeer sandwiches for the kids, chili and Christmas treats. We enjoyed dancing to Christmas music and laughing at all of the little personalities present in the room.

 

 

 

 

The fun won't stop there. This Saturday we get to catch up with Ashley and her sweet family. We'll enjoy dinner, exchange gifts and make memories. This friendship is going on 8 years. It's hard to believe! (not really because this friendship is awesome and God-strong) We've seen each other through dating, engagements (that happened on the same day and mere hours apart), weddings, new homes, highs, lows and now growing our families. I wish this type of goodness for everyone.

 

[three]

I love cooking, baking, and being crafty and being home over the holidays allows me to work on new recipes and dive wholeheartedly into some of my Pinterest pins.

 

Here are just a few things I hope to work on over the break...

BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese

Draft Dodgers for the doors 

Reindeer Donuts for our Christmas brunch at the in-laws

A big bow for my outdoor wreath

 

[four]

One of the most wonderful things to happen over break is getting to see my mom. She and my youngest sister will be spending Christmas here with us this year. We have not seen each other since we went down in July. 500 miles is such a long distance. I'm looking forward to her Christmas Breakfast Casserole, shopping, our ornament exchange and catching up on some much missed mother-daughter, sister-sister time.

 

Christmas 2012 (It's crazy to think I was about 5 months pregnant in this picture!)

 

 

[five]

Finally, I love having time to put up the remainder of our Christmas decorations. I am very far behind in this department this year. Normally just about everything is up by the end of the weekend after Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!

 

I hope all of you have a great time counting down the remaining days until Christmas. It's hard to believe that this time next week we will have celebrated Christmas 2013 and will only be a few short days from ringing in the New Year. Soak it up!

It's Christmas Time in the City!

If only you could see the rockin' happy dance I'm doing right now...it's Christmas Break!!! As an educator with thousands of dollars of student loans, this two week break is one of the few things that makes that lingering debt worth it. Be sure to check out this Friday's post where I'll share my top five reasons for loving this time of the school year.

For now however, I'll catch you up on this past weekend's events. A friend of mine told me about a company that provides carriage rides in the city a couple weekends in December. Since taking a carriage ride was on my 30 before 30 list, I jumped at the opportunity.

The weather was AWFUL! We had heavy periods of sleet down pours and the wind would occasionally pick up making the temperature that much colder. We stuck it out anyway. With our bundle of joy all bundled up, we waited our turn.

G was not a fan of the sleet
 

We were also able to grab a quick picture with the Grinch

G loved the horses and she did really well on the ride. It was a short route, but for a total of $4 and a pleasant driver and a comfy seat, we could not complain. We'll definitely be putting this on our list of "must do's" for Christmas seasons to come.

After the ride, we went inside to stroll among the vendors in the holiday market. Since it was early, we treated ourselves to a handmade danish from one of the local shops. We then happened upon Santa Clause! He was much more jolly and of good cheer than the other "Santa's Helper" we met a couple weekends ago. To make the visit even better, he had his sweet wife, Mrs. Clause, with him. It took G a second to warm up to them but within a minute or so they were old friends.

Sunday was pretty uneventful...which was a nice change.

Yesterday was the complete opposite. The last couple of days prior to the holiday break are always crazy. I had most of the prep done for today's party complete...with the exception of a gift for the kids. I decided to make Snow Dough. I found a recipe for it on Pinterest but opted for a no cook recipe instead. The only downside to this particular recipe is that the quantities for the ingredients were off. I ended up doubling (at least) the flour and using only about 3/4 of the amount of hot water. Over all, I was really pleased with how it turned out. I picked up the containers from the Dollar Store, added some glitter to the dough, and, for a total of $3 and some change (because I had all of the ingredients at home), I had 15 tubs of Snow Dough for my first grade darlings.

 

 

We have a lot to do on our list tomorrow. We're taking advantage of being able to take G to the sitter and getting some much needed tasks checked off of our list before my family arrives on Christmas Eve. Fingers crossed that we'll be productive. We also have a few other things going on this week. G and I have a play date with friends on Thursday, as well as a visit with another family that afternoon. Friday will hopefully be simply preparing for our friends that are coming to do a little Christmas celebrating on Saturday.

Truth on tear-stained pages

Above the clouds, light never stops shining. A.V.

 

While this week has held so many wonderful, festive things, it has also held the hard eucharisteo. Moments of "hard to be thankful", "hard to find grace" and "hard to rejoice." The Lord calls us to rejoice always (1 Thes. 5:16)...and yet, when the skies grow dark, the heart grows weary and the soul is wretched in pain and lack of understanding, how do we rejoice? Without going into detail, I have been mourning with close friends the great significant loss of new life. These lives have been long prayed for and anticipated and yet God has purpose in calling them Home.

God knew these moments would come. 

In continuing to list my 1000 gifts and reading through Ann Voskamp's book of the same title, I have been continually reconnected with the precious little moments that God places in my everyday living. Even this morning, as the wind howls through the mountain crevice, I am reminded that while dark days come, there is life to be lived, love to be shared and gifts to be counted.

I've realized that I will rarely have the right words to comfort the mourning heart who, like most of us, cannot find God's purpose in the pain...at least not in the midst of it. We cannot understand how a God of such goodness, love and mercy can allow such a void to enter into a person's life. And yet, God is good. His love is unmatched and unconditional. His mercy floods our lives.

It is hard to stomach the reality that we may never know God's purpose for our loss or painful circumstances on this side of Heaven. It is hard to believe that all things really do work together for good (Rom. 8:28). So when loss comes...when the sting won't subside...when the memories pound in our skulls, how do rejoice? How do we not fall into the dark, deep pit that the world says it is okay to wallow in instead of raising our faces to the One who loves us? In times like this, we so quickly forget His sovereignty.

This week has led me into some familiar scripture and my reading has brought some forgotten truths to the forefront.

"Only the Word is the answer to rightly reading the world, because The Word has nail-scarred hands that cup our face close, wipe away the tears running down, has eyes to look deep into our brimming ache, and whisper, 'I know, I know.' The passion on the page is a Person, and the lens I wear of the Word is not abstract idea but the eyes of the God-Man who came and knows the pain."
(One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp, p. 87)

 

 

Only through this lens, the mindset that comes from remaining in scripture and diligent in prayer, can we see the light above the darkness. Only through our belief in God, the One greater than ourselves, do we have the hope and peace that surpasses all understanding. So while I search for words that comfort, pray for mending, comfort and restful sleep, I cling to His promises. While our heads and hearts may not always be in sync, I know what feels like the end is far from the truth. And while these are not my battles directly, my heart shudders at the thought that at any moment, these sorrows could be mine in an instant. So for now, I will pray. Since words have yet to come, I will pray. Since sleep is restless, I will pray. Since my friends will face these memories for years to come, I will pray.

 

I. Will. Pray.

 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present  your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7

 



The Elf on the Shelf gets canned, PCP and other things

Baby girl slept in a whole half hour this morning! It seems a little sad that 5:30am would look so good. So now, while she is working on an early morning nap, I thought I'd post an update (since yesterday).

Yesterday was a busy day. As Christmas Break gets closer, the kids get crazier, schedules are out of sorts with benchmark testing and excitement is everywhere (even for the teachers). Friday was no exception. Not only was it Friday, but we had a big event at our school. Every year the SCA does a canned goods collection contest among the classes. Normally the winner is the class with the most cans. This year however, they decided to have two contests. The first would remain as "The Class with the Most Cans". The second contest, which turned out to be ridiculous fun, was to use the cans you have to build some type of sculpture or artistic display.

We talked about what we could do with our limited amount of cans and a few ideas were thrown out. I got to thinking. All week long my students have been sharing their adventures of his/her Elf on the Shelf. Bingo! We decided to build our own Elf on a Shelf out of cans! It took some problem solving, ingenuity and some arts and crafts know-how, but we did it! And might I add, we took 1st Place in the K-2 division! I could not be prouder!

 As many of you know, I'm all about coming up with new recipes or trying out tasty finds from various cookbooks, blogs and Pinterest. Last night I made a recipe that was not only delicious, but was seriously one of the easiest meals I've ever made. I'd like to introduce to you PCP (Parmesan Chicken Pizza). Now, I know you could made this meal a lot more gourmet than what it was, but I must say, after a long day, it could not have been more perfect. You need 4 ingredients: garlic bread, chicken, pizza sauce and shredded parmesan cheese. Tada!

*I did not use the breaded chicken fingers called for in the original recipe. I used some precooked rotisserie chicken pieces instead. I also used left over spaghetti sauce as opposed to pizza sauce...but you get the point.

I had to throw this picture in simply because I love her adorable little face. She is really doing well with her pincer grasp and was enjoying her ability to feed herself bananas.



 

Seeing as the weather is a cold wintry mix today, I'm not sure what we'll end up doing. There are a few things going on in the city...maybe we'll head to town and add to our list of Christmas activities.



Five on Friday: A Chill in the Air

Another week has come to a close and with it comes Five on Friday. I'm linking up with several ladies to share this weeks five.

 

 

 

[one]

On Saturday, we took advantage of G's early rising and dolled her up for Breakfast with Santa at my hubby's elementary school alma mater. She was not sure what to think of Santa but quickly warmed up to his wispy white beard. I must say, he was he thinnest Santa I've ever seen (are kids getting stingy with their Christmas cookies?) and the fact that he kept his hair of white all in his face made it difficult to see his rosy red cheese and cherry nose. At least the elf was super sweet.

 

 [two]

The weather stations were calling for some ugly winter weather beginning Sunday, on into Monday. We had our share of ice. All of the glistening led to slick roads which kept us home from school on Monday and then resulted in a 2 hour delay on Tuesday.

 

 

[three]

We put G in her Christmas pajamas a little early in order to join in with The Good Life for the Christmas Pajama Party!

 

 

Adorable!!!

 
 

 

 

 

[four]

One of my latest finds and savings go-to websites is www.forthemommas.com I've found several awesome deals and because I am on their mailing list now, I get emails with the latest freebies and discounts for tons of practical items and retail stores that I'd visit anyway. I have also started using www.ebates.com but find that the "big fat checks" they talk about require you to spend a ton...at least that's how it seems. I've been told it's a lot more profitable when booking hotels and making other large purchases. We'll see. Regardless, the money that I've been able to save with FTM is well worth visiting the website and joining their mailing list.

 

 

 

[five]

I took advantage of our Snow Day on Monday to complete a couple crafts with G. I just adore how the "Mistle Toes" turned out. We also made clay ornaments for the grandparents. I was going to make the salt dough to make these, but when I found a couple of kits for next to nothing, I just could not pass it up.