Trying to have a Godly Perspective

I haven't been doing very much blogging lately...life is busy...my head is constantly spinning with things I want to write about but never do but I just can't sit back on this one.

Last Saturday night I ran to Wegman's after the kids were in bed to grab a few necessities. When I got to the register, my total came to around $22....no biggie...and then, my debit card got declined. Yes. Declined. I was mortified and stood there, shocked and completely embarrassed trying to explain to the cashier that something must be wrong because this was our bank account and surely we could afford $22 in groceries. Because my purchase included baby formula that I needed the next morning to feed my child, I started searching my wallet and came upon a Wegmans gift card that I forgot that I had (God is good, all the time). We don't use credit cards anymore so I am not sure what I would have done otherwise. When I got to my car, I pulled out my iphone and quickly looked up our bank account information...it was overdrawn. WHAT!

After looking through a few transactions, my first thought was disbelief that my husband who never spends a penny would go on such a shopping rampage. Especially since we had already decided not to buy each other gifts for Christmas this year since money is already a little tight. Well, I quickly realized that someone had been using our debit card in New Jersey and it was not Tom. (I did apologize for having mean thoughts about him for 30 seconds...I'm forgiven)

So, I quickly called the number on the back of my card and cancelled our cards and then started laughing. My gas light was on. So was Tom's. Apparently we were both being lazy and waiting until we were running on fumes to fill up! Well...it is hard to fill up without money!

So, I was bummed...not only did I feel violated and used, but now I wasn't sure how we would even make it to church the next morning and I could not finish my Christmas shopping.

On Monday the bank reversed the shopping spree fees that we did not authorize immediately (Thank you again Lord!) however, it had caused 5 things to "bounce". One of them was literally a check that I wrote for $2.25. Yes...it bounced! So now we find ourselves in this little mess of straightening out fees and trying to get refunds. The bank is great on their end but it is still a really big pain and is making the week before Christmas a not very fun week.

On top of all of this, Janessa has her 3rd ear infection in 2 months and Keira has bronchitis. I'm tired.

So, that has been what I would normally consider a horrible week. But not this week. Any other week and I think I would have lost it completely by now (and don't get me wrong...I am on the verge but am holding it together)

This week I am grateful. I am thankful. I am blessed.
I am hurting for the families who lost their children and family members last week.

My family won't go hungry this week. We have a roof over our heads. We have the birth of Jesus to celebrate together.
I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow that these fathers and mothers are feeling right now. My Christmas might be missing a few gifts but I will have my children near me.

We can all have a bad week here and there....we can even feel like the world is crumbling in on us and we can't do anything about it. Let's try to keep things in perspective though. Here in America, we do not usually understand true suffering but there are people around us that really are suffering. We need to pray. We need to love them. We need to appreciate the time we have with the people around us.

As we go into the week of Christmas, I urge you to enjoy your family. Don't worry about the stressful parts. If making a pie is going to keep you from your family, go and buy one. Let's appreciate the true gifts that God has given us this year In our family and friends and most importantly in his Son.

She's on the move folks

My life has just changed dramatically. Janessa learned to crawl for real today! Although she has been scootching  and rolling for a while and had a reach you wouldn't believe...she is moving a LOT further a LOT faster. I caught a video of her second attempt this morning and just love how excited her big sisters are for her.

Little do they know how quickly she will be getting into their things! ha!

One of my favorite things about parenting is seeing each little thing they learn....now onto protecting the Christmas tree from 2 tiny hands!

5 Minutes on Wonder

Today I am linking up with 5 minute Fridays. Today's topic is Wonder and this is my first time doing something like this. I will write for 5 minutes and stop...no editing. Here goes!

Wonder. When I stop and try to think about Wonder, the words amazement, admiration and awe come to mind. When I stop to think about those words, I automatically think about my beautiful family. I am in complete wonder that God would give this to me.

No matter how little money we have or how many times we aren't sure how the bills will get paid, I still have everything I ever dreamed of. It's truly amazing. On top of that...the bills always somehow get paid. Amazing!

Multiple times a day I am completely frustrated with my children for being little sinners. ha! But more times than that I realizing that I am completely admiring who they are and what they are becoming. Even the baby amazes me with her sweet personality. Wonder.

So, yes, I am in complete wonder that God would give me an amazing husband and three beautiful little girls. Just to throw out another definition of this little word, I also wonder where we will be in a few years and who my kids will choose to be as they grow. I pray for the decisions that they make and situations they will face. But I know that I will still be in Awe of where God takes our family. Blessed and in Wonder.

Dining Room Table done!

I finished my dining room table project! Thank you Purple Painted Lady for the awesome Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Wax....so easy to use and it looks great!

I am so happy with the results and would HIGHLY recommend trying this paint out...not only was it super easy to use, but it cost so much less than if I had done this with regular paint...and took so much less time than sanding it all down first! Great product!

So check out the Purple Painted Lady  for more information on this amazing chalk paint!

and now for the chairs...

Dining Room Table & Amazing Chalk Paint!

A few years back, my wonderful parents were downsizing and gave us their dining room table (or...one of them because they had multiple now that I think about it!). Anyways, it is a solid oak table and chairs that has lasted a long time and has many years left in it. However, it just isn't my style. Also, it very badly needed to be re-stained and the finish on the top of it was almost sticky at times. It actually felt like the kids food was all over it all of the time (well...sometimes it probably was kids food) but most of the time, it was just the sticky finish. Well...re-staining a table and chairs is quite a big undertaking with all of those spindles and curves...so it has been put off...over and over again.

At one point I decided I would just sand it all and paint it black...but still...LOTS of work. so again, it got put off.

Until last week...my aunt told me about chalk paint that a  friend just used to paint her office furniture! Not to be confused with Chalkboard paint. Anyways, this paint is a miracle in my mind. She connected me up with a little store in Palmyra (also have a location in Greece) called The Purple Painted Lady. I went out there to ask questions and fell in love with this product. Get this:

• paint can be used on ANY surface INDOORS OR OUT!
• No need to strip, prime or prepare

So...I have started my table project. Although it is far from finished, it is in the works and is looking great! So...here are some before pictures.

What I decided in the end is to re-stain the top of the table and use the Graphite colored Chalk paint with a dark wax over it on the rest of the table and chairs.

At this point, the Table has a newly stained top and one layer of the paint. (not pictured yet!) I have not started the chairs...but stay tuned...I WILL add more pictures as I complete this!

Here is a link to the finished product (the table...not the chairs!)

The Ugly Envy Bug

So....we all have our issues and today (or this week) I have really felt the ugliness of envy creep into my life. I think I go through this from time to time and I know that it is wrong, but still...if I want to be real about myself, than I must admit...envy can be a real issue at times for me. (and I doubt I am alone in this)

So...here I am trying to be thankful for everything that I have and yet, it is so easy to slip into these worldly thoughts about what I don't have. So...I confess:

I an envious of people who have time to spend with their spouses. (With Tom working full time/schooling full time...well...there isn't much left!)

I am envious of those who own their own home and can paint and decorate to suit their taste.

I am envious of those who can just go out and Christmas shop for their loved ones when I find things I know they would enjoy rather than hoping there is enough in the bank account to run out the week of Christmas and hope to find something that will suffice.

I am envious of those who seem to be able to keep their houses perfect with little ones running around!

I am envious of people who are creative. 

Picture Credit

And yet...I know the truth.

James 13:14-15 "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic."

Envy is horrid. It really does cause us to dig into a deeper and deeper hole. It is easy to feel sorry for ourselves sometimes. It is something that we are ashamed to admit most of the time.  The more we think about what we don't have, the less we think about what we Do have...and that just isn't good. 

So...putting things in perspective....

I have a husband who works hard at his job to provide for everything we NEED...he is working hard at school all the time to hopefully, eventually get a job in the field that he really enjoys working in (as much as anyone can enjoy working of course).

I have a home with a roof over our heads, comfortable beds to sleep in and a landlord who fixes things when they break.

Christmas is about Jesus and I really am thankful to be in a place that really has forced us to focus on the "reason for the season".

I have three precious babes who mess up my house constantly because they are healthy, playing, living and having fun...with me!

I am thankful for pinterest...because even though I am not great at coming up with my own ideas...I am FANTASTIC at copying them and making them my own! haha

So...if life has you in a place where you are more focused on what you don't have, rather than what you do...try to flip it around. Gain some perspective and remember...

...this too shall pass.

James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Thankful for Lots and Loving More

With everyone's posts on Facebook and blogs this month about the things they are thankful for, It has really made me realize what I am thankful for as well. Today (and every day for that matter)  I am SUPER thankful for an amazing husband. He is hands on with our kids, helps with so much around the house (including things like going to get me a glass of water late at night when I don't want to go back downstairs!) and he works so hard to provide for our family. He has almost no time to simply relax and do the things that he so enjoys because besides working full time, he is in school. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that the Lord brought us together to "do life".

I have often thought, "I don't know how I could ever be a single mom." "Being a single mom must be hard."...etc. But today I had a revelation of sorts. What am I doing to love on the single mom? What are you doing to love on the single mom.

This mom chose to give her baby life rather than aborting. That cannot be an easy decision in today's world...it is so tempting to hide sin.

This mom may have sin that is more visible to others than my own sin, but that doesn't make me or you better.

This mom has to do bedtime routines with her children every night by herself (I am not a fan of the bedtime shenanigans that go on in my own home...I cannot imagine doing it alone.)

This mom has to get her kids ready for the day and feed them each meal....alone. 

Yes...I am super thankful for a husband that doesn't mind that I wait until he gets home at 5:15pm to start making dinner so I can cook without kids attached to my legs

But couldn't I be doing something to help that mom who is doing this alone?

If I feel desperate to have time by myself at times, imagine how this mom, who decided to let her precious babe grow and live, feels at times. 

This mom is a child of God...just like me and just like you.

This mom has probably had to endure judgement on her mistakes that may be more visible than your mistakes.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  -John 13:34-35

So here is my challenge, and it isn't just about single moms. My challenge to you (and myself) is that in this month of being so thankful for the things that we do have...let's try to see where others may struggle in that area and love on them in a way that maybe, just maybe....next November, they will be thankful for the same thing!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ok...those who know me well know that I am not one to pick up a head of Cauliflower and eat it...but in lieu of eating healthy, I am also trying to find creative ways to get more veggies in our families diet...without them knowing! (or me knowing for that matter!) This recipe is good....really good. AND, the best part is that you can make it your own by adding whatever pizza toppings you want!

Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Servings: 2 (I doubled it and made 2 pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (directions below)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (you could lessen this...we really like garlic)
• Olive oil (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. diced cooked mushrooms
• pizza sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Sundried Tomatoes
• 1 Cup spinach (fresh) wilted
• Additional cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. crumbly Feta cheese

Directions:

• To "Rice" the cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves. Chop florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. (try not to over-do it). Place riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (or you can steam it on the stove). DO NOT ADD WATER...the natural moisture is enough for it to cook. ***One large head of cauliflower  gave me 4 cups... you can store extra in the fridge for up to a week)
• Pizza Crust:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with olive or coconut oil. Stir together,  cooked, riced cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano and garlic, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and use hands to pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush with olive oil to help it brown. (it will seem moist but as long as it stays in the round formation, it is fine) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under the broiler at high until cheese is melted (3-4 minutes).

I made one pizza with above ingredients and a second that had half mushrooms and half just cheese for the kids. I was skeptical and thought that I would surely taste cauliflower but I didn't. It was awesome and healthy! Yay for yummy healthy food!

Janessa Faith...7 Months Old

So, with everyone sick, I am a couple of days behind but 2 days ago, Janessa was 7 months old. I cannot believe how time is flying by...I just want her to stay a baby! She is still the worlds easiest baby. She is a fantastic sleeper, loves her bottle and still is not much of a fan of baby food...but I don't really care about that.

She has completely mastered the art of rolling around the room and now I am terrified of what the older girls are going to leave around...just this morning while I was doing dishes, I put her on a blanket to play (sitting up I might add) and when I came back, she had devoured a fallen animal cracker a few feet from where I left her. I think she is also moving herself forward a bit although I would not go so far as to call it crawling yet.

Also this past Sunday at church, we dedicated Janessa. I will [hopefully] share more about that later today or tomorrow so stay tuned! 

Other than that, I don't have much new to share about our happy little baby. She is a joy and blessing!

Showing Love...

So...in the last few days, I have found myself in situations where I had to catch myself from "judging" others... or some situations where I hoped that I wasn't being judged! Let's love everyone we come in contact with and realize that we do NOT know everyone's story...I just tried to think of situations where judgement seems to come easily. While Stereotypes happen for a reason, we need to remember that not everyone that is in a si

Don't judge the mom in Target with 3 screaming kids at lunchtime. That mom was waiting for medicine that was needed to help her children get better.

Don't choose just to witness to the happy family at the mall...talk to the struggling single parent who is just trying to get their child some new shoes.

Don't judge the family in the doctor's office who is using Government health insurance. Her child may have special needs.

Don't judge someone by where they work or how much money they make. They have no debt and don't need the same as you.

Don't judge the mom who is feeding her baby from a bottle. You have no idea how hard it was for her when she couldn't nurse her child.

Don't judge the mom who is breastfeeding. She is providing nourishment to her child.

Don't judge the person who is using a thousand coupons in the grocery store. This is why she can stay home with her children.

Don't judge the Parents using WIC Checks to buy food for their family. They are foster parents.

Don't judge the family who has 15 kids. They are happy and enjoying life together.

Don't judge the man that is preaching loudly from a street corner. It might not be your style, but He loves Jesus too. If a seed is planted, does it matter how it got there?

Don't judge the family that has 1 child. They had 5 miscarriages.

Don't judge the family on the airplane with a screaming baby. They just adopted that baby and are still adjusting.

Jesus says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."-Matthew 5:44

Let us work together as Christians in letting those we are in contact with us on a daily basis feel the love of Jesus through us.

Our Pastor shared recently that if we aren't working together...we are working against each other....even within the church. Let's work together and show God's love. We all have different gifts that make up the body of Christ. The body just isn't as strong without all of its parts.

Will you join me in living this way? It's harder than you think. Please comment below with other ways that we easily judge each other.

Doctor...Doctor...Doctor

Yesterday...all three kids woke up sick...fun fun fun! Not just a little sick but REALLY sick. Fevers...coughing...the whole nine yards! Sooo....off we went to the doctor.

Keira has pneumonia

Libby has a sinus infections (I didn't even know this happened to 2 year olds!) AND...

Janessa has her first ear infection...I guess I jinxed her with my last post!

I Don't even remember a time when Keira and Libby have been really sick at the same time but all Three...that was fun!

So...being the person who is always looking for the positive in things...here is my positive in all of this.

At least they didn't all get sick several days apart from each other this time so that I am stuck in the house for weeks...we are hopefully getting it all out at the same time and we can MOVE ON!!

Janessa...updates on her condtion

A few things to update on....There's good news....and not so good news....

Last week on Tuesday afternoon, I took Janessa to meet the surgeon who will fix her Cleft palate. Dr. Girotto is a plastic surgeon and does this surgery all the time. We really liked him. He obviously knows what he is doing and gave me all of the information that I had been wondering about without me even needing to ask...seems that most people have the same questions as me...go figure! 

What we can expect is that the one night she will spend in the hospital will be awful. She will be uncomfortable, not want to eat and won't sleep well. Then we will get up in the morning and will be told that we can go home. Dr. Girotto told me that we will think they are CRAZY for sending us home. Then, by 12 or 1pm, all of a sudden Janessa will turn a corner and start acting normal and we will be ready to leave. 

I know all of this sounds really strange, but it was so comforting to me to know that these are the emotions that I should expect. It now won't be a shock to me when I feel this way.

Also, he eased my fears about the arm braces that she will wear for 2 weeks (to prevent her from putting her hands in her mouth). He said, at this age babies basically wake up from surgery and think..."oh...God took my elbows away. Oh well." and they just go on with life. Also, she will need to be without her pacifier for 2 weeks which means that sleeping will definitely be an adjustment during that time. We are trying to get her attached to a little blankie that she can snuggle with....we'll see....she really likes the binkie!

On Friday, we met with the ENT, Dr. Benoit, who will be putting the tubes in her ears during her surgery. (Because her mouth isn't formed correctly, she is very prone to ear infections and fluid in the ears).We also got to see a Nurse Practitioner, Keri, that I used to babysit her kids! She eased my anxieties in telling me that Dr. Benoit did her own daughters tonsillectomy. Thankfully we have made it thus far with no ear infections....supposedly that is rare. 

They decided to do a hearing test while we were there so they would have a baseline to compare to after her surgery....this is where the not so good news comes in. 

She fell asleep before they started the test and stayed asleep through the whole things which actually makes the test more accurate.

And then she failed the first test SIX times!!! Three times in each ear. The audiologist was obviously not wanting me to worry so she passed it off as a "not to worry" thing, and said they have a more accurate test in a sound proof room...so we headed over there. She failed that too.

To give you an idea of what it was like this would be what the results would look like in a "normal" exam.

Although I can't find a good picture of what Janessa's looked like, the arc was somewhat like this...

Yep...not so great. 

So, what does this mean? Well, basically it means that our baby girl has lots of fluid behind both of her ears. She can definitely hear us because she responds, however, it would sound to hear as if we are under water. So...the ENT called me on Friday afternoon (of course I had left my phone in the car) just to make sure that I wasn't worried all weekend. Then, she called first thing this morning to make sure that I understood and wasn't worried. 

They contemplated doing to the tubes now to get the fluid out, but with the palate not being fixed, it could cause more issues (uh...the poor kid already has milk come out her nose...well...it would then also come out her ears!) so they are going to wait unless she starts having ear issues. 

The Surgery will be in February...I should hear back today on a date! Like any mother, I am nervous about the anesthesia but I also know that without this surgery she would have a multitude of problems. In the grand scheme of things, this is an EXTREMELY minor problem for a child to have.

Sorry for the long post...this is as much for my own memory as it is to keep others up to date!

Catch up!!! Libby Grace 2 years 9 months & Keira Marie 4 years 4 months

Ooops....life caught up with me..I was on a roll and now I got behind...but I am just gonna catch up and keep going!

So....with our family vacation (that  I still have yet to blog about) and then everything in life being back in full swing, I haven't made a whole lot of time to actually write on the blog. I struggle with this because I must come up with at least 10 things a day that I should blog about...I just never actually sit down and do it!

So....for now, I will just catch up on the two big girls:

Keira Marie--

In September, Keira moved up to the 4&5 year old Sunday School and church time...this was all very exciting to her but nowhere near as exciting as the fact that she is now a Pioneer Girl at church. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this is somewhat like Christian Girl Scouts. For some reason, being a "Scooter" in Pioneer Girls means to Keira that she has somehow "made it"! She is a big kid in her mind....she announces to random people in passing that she is a Pioneer Girl and pretty much brings it into every conversation. It is crazy. She is also loving Community Bible Study every week, being part of MOPS and of course has not lost her passion for Irish Step Dancing. Anyone who is worries about her socialization as a home school kid should please stop worrying. This kid wakes up asking where we are going.

Libby Grace--

Libby on the other hand....would LOVE to stay home whenever possible. She is no longer in the nursery at church (mommy sheds tear) and is now in the 2&3's class. She LOVES it! She is so proud of her art work and tries each week to tell us what she learned (we usually need to refer to the sheets she brings home in order to get it right). She is also loving Community Bible Study, MOPS and a Wednesday night program at church. On the off days, she is still happy to stay home and play with Minnie Mouse.

A melt your heart moment....

After a busy morning at CBS last week, I conceded and allowed the girls to watch a show together on the computer after lunch before rest time. It was worth it to hear this conversation.

Libby: Kee-wa, I missed you today at CBS
Keira: You did?
Libby: Yeah
Keira: I missed you too
(girls hug)
Libby: I love you Kee-wa
Keira: I love you too!

Although I am sure they fought about something shortly after, that is what I remember...and why I love being a mommy!

Janessa Faith...6 months old!

Happy 1/2 Birthday to my baby girl! Janessa has got to be one of the EASIEST babies to take care of. On our trip to North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, she barely fussed at all in the car. She sleeps like a champ and eats like a champ. She just adores her big sisters (although she may fear Libby a little more than Keira!). Oh how I love to just watch my girls as they develop their own little relationships with each other.

Janessa looks more like Keira most of the time...and sometimes like Libby...and sometimes just like my sister, Jessie...and sometimes just like my dad.....and sometimes yet, just like my papa. So strange how genetics can work that way. 

Janessa is now mostly sitting by herself (with pillows around just in case) and love to play on her tummy and scoot herself around in circles. She rolls both ways (FINALLY!) and I have been finding her sleeping in some interesting positions. So cute and sweet. She can squeal the highest pitch squeal I have ever heard (may have something to do with her cleft palate) and does it whenever someone is not paying attention to her...almost her way of saying, "hey...I'm over here!" Also...it seems she has been saying "mama". I know it seems a bit crazy and I will admit, I am skeptical. However, whenever I walk away from her....we hear it! "mamamamamama" in a whine. When I come back, she just smiles and squeals. haha.

Love this little peanut!

Janessa weighs in at 15lbs. 10oz (50%) and is 27 inchest tall (90%!) with her head being in the 50th percentile.

I could have guessed since she keeps growing out of her clothes lengthwise!

Still weighs the least of any of my babes at this age!

Family Summer Fun & Precious Moments

So most of our big fun has had to wait until the end of the summer due to Tom's schoolwork, a small baby and a HUGE house re-organizing project (which is still in progress but the end is near!). Next weekend we head to the Outer Banks for a week with my parents, sister and her family and a few friends! I am sure we will have fun and I will post about it but for now, I will catch up with Seabreeze and Niagara Falls/Buffalo. Also, I REALLY want to be a mom who captures every moment with the camera. I LOVE to look back at fun pictures, but I find that I get lost in enjoying and soaking in the moments so often that I forget to take a picture. Trying to get better at that!

 Last Saturday, we took Keira and Libby to Seabreeze (an amusement park about 25 minutes from our house)...here are a few pictures. Janessa enjoyed a day with my Grandma, Aunt and any cousins or other family that stopped by their house that day...I am sure she was much happier there than in a hot stroller with no naps! Also, we spent 3 hours of our day in the water park (though I have no pictures of that) which we would not have been able to do with our sweet babe!

At the start of the day, Libby was a little unsure of whether she liked rides or not. Keira loved all but the ride pictured above in the bottom right corner. She said it made her tummy tickle too much. I think that if she had tried it later in the day, she would have liked it much more! By the end of the day, they couldn't get enough. I thought we'd leave Seabreeze by 5pm and we ended up staying until past 8! We had a blast though!

Mommy gets to ride with Kiddos on anything that goes in circles so daddy doesn't get sick! Keira LOVED the acrobatic show that they did (picture above with gymnasts who she now aspires to be).  She LOVED going on the log ride with daddy and is still talking about how brave she was. Libby got to ride on the train many times while Keira was going on some bigger rides, but she loved it!

We will definitely be making seabreeze (or some other amusement park) part of our summer each year!

Today, we were headed to visit Tom's grandparents who live in Buffalo, as well as some of his cousins...one of whom was visiting and is in the Air Force and headed to England for the next 4 years! So, we wanted to catch him before he left. We decided to leave earlier than anticipated and stop in Niagara Falls to show the girls and have a picnic lunch. The kids were great and Keira was sooo cooperative with eating a lunch that she didn't love and her willingness to walk so that I didn't have to carry the baby (It was REALLY hot!) They don't quite understand the enormity of Niagara Falls but I just love to reflect on how God gave us such amazing things to enjoy. Also, it is amazing to me how many different countries and states are represented there in the tourists. I think we take it all a little for granted living so close.

Then we headed to Buffalo. Keira and Libby had a blast with their second cousin, Autumn who turns 5 tomorrow! They took turns on the swing and slide, jumped on the trampoline and took some rides on a kid size (and speed) 4 wheeler! Janessa hung out mostly with mommy and daddy and rolled around on a blanket!

On our way home tonight, we were looking at how amazing the moon was (it was HUGE), and out of nowhere, Keira said, "When I am big, I want to be a gymnastics like the girls at Seabreeze." (We giggled of course at her lack of knowing the word "gymnast." She went on and on about how she just loved how they jumped and did tricks and how when she was big, she wouldn't be scared if it tickled her tummy. She said that the girl "gymnastics" were so pretty.

Then she prayed. "God, please let me be a gymnastics when I get big...etc."

After she was done praying, she said, "God liked my idea."

I said, "Did you hear Him tell you that."

Keira said, "No, I just...know that He liked it. I can feel it."

Precious moments!

Keira Marie 4 years 3 months

Officially 4 1/4 years old, Keira  is a little miss sassy pants. We have had to do a LOT of "training" this month in terms of how she is allowed to talk to not only Mommy and Daddy but also to her sisters! Really, most of the time, Keira is a sweetheart but they all go through these testing phases and Tom and I find it really important to nip it in the bud before it turns into a bigger problem Hopefully, it is working out. I guess only time will tell because right now it doesn't ever seem to be working! haha.

Anyways, Keira has started Irish Step Dancing Class this summer and last week, the teacher allowed us to come in and watch at the end of rehearsal. She is absolutely loving this and we are going to try to keep it going. Not only is it really fun for her, but it is also some seriously good exercise!

No matter what she is doing, she is usually singing and/or dancing while doing it....here is the song we sang for Pre-school last week...

Also....the big news for Keira this month is that she decided to get her hair cut! I think this was harder for mommy and daddy to deal with than Keira but I am honestly still shocked she wanted it. For the past 2 years she has been patiently waiting for her hair to touch her bottom and her life goal was to be Repunzel. Anyways...here are the before and afters!

Before, very excited!

After...feeling very cool!

Sassy pants and all...I just love this kid.

Janessa Faith 5 Months Old

Janessa is five months old today...I really can't believe it! I still remember how uncomfortable I was in March like it was yesterday.

Libby and Her "new baby" as she fondly refers to Janessa!

This month, Janessa has started to sleep through the night consistently. She sleeps from 8:30pm(ish) to 7:00am(ish) and better than that...she has joined the girls bedroom! I will not complain about this child's sleeping because we can literally walk into the bedroom lay her down and she goes to sleep all while the light is on and Keira and Libby are running around [loudly] getting ready for bed! She is an angel baby.

Janessa seems to be happy wherever she is as long as she can see what is going on. The only time she actually gets a little cranky is when she wants to sleep, eat or be changed and as soon as said thing is done, she is happy again.

Right now, this child seems to want to shove EVERYTHING in her mouth...including but not limited to, her shirts, burp cloths, bibs, MY shirt, toys, rattles...etc.

She still is not even trying to roll from back to front although she has been rolling the other way for 2 months now...but she loves grabbing her feet and trying to eat them! She also really wants to sit up but isn't quite there yet!

Janessa is a sweet little doll....yesterday, when Keira was having a rough moment with Libby, she said, "Libby needs to find a new family, but I want to keep Janessa.". No worries, we talked about how that wasn't nice to Libby and all that, but I was still happy that she at least wanted to keep one of her sisters=)

A Peaceful Yet Unpeaceful Sunday Morning Drive

This past Sunday morning, I got in the car at 8:05am to drive to church by myself. I was singing on the worship team so Tom would bring the kids at 9:30 when church began. And oops...I was supposed to be at church by 8:00! Ok..I digress..that is not part of the story!

Anyways, I was driving along smiling because everything was so peaceful. the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, there were no kids yelling or taking toys from each other in the back of the car, and there weren't many people to be seen between my home and my church. Then it hit me. There weren't many others on their way to church. My peaceful attitude quickly changed and it has been on my mind ever since. 

Now, I do realize, I was leaving early and many people go to church at different times, but still, it made me think of how most people these days spend their Sunday much like they spend their Saturday. Back in the day, everyone went to church. It was expected. When was that lost and why? When did it become acceptable to sleep in on a Sunday morning or schedule other things in place of going to church?

Do not misunderstand what I am saying. I do NOT believe that going to church is what saves you. I most definitely believe that we are saved by God's grace, through forgiveness of our sins, by believing that Jesus is the one and only Son of God and accepting him as our Savior. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" We are NOT saved by works (doing good, going to church...etc.). However, I do see commitment to church as EXTREMELY important. As Christians, we need fellowship. We need growth. We need encouragement and We need to meet together to worship!

Hebrews 10:24-25  ^"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

I realize that we all have things that we struggle with and have fault with, and trust me...there are plenty of things that I know that I need to allow God to change in me, but going to church on Sunday morning just isn't one of them. It just doesn't occur to us in our household on a Sunday morning that church is optional. It is something that I love and look forward to each week. I would never want my children to be out of the habit of going. I think that part of the reason that it has never been an issue for me, is that we went to church every Sunday. Not only going, but serving within the church and setting an example for me. As a child, it was enjoyable to me and I loved it and so far, my children feel the same way. 

It is important to Tom and I that as our children grow and get involved in more and more that they will not be involved in activities that occur on Sunday mornings. It just won't be an option. I really hope that if you are reading this and this is an area of your life that you struggle with, you will be encouraged to change it. Make God the priority in your life. Realize what example you are setting to those around you. Understand that if you make time for the Lord, He will make your schedule work out. If you are "too busy" than consider cutting something out that is not as important. Sure we want our kids to be involved in things and we want to as well, but it is more important that they form a relationship with their Savior that is lasting.

Wow...all that from a drive to church.

5 Years married!

Today marks the 5 year anniversary of our marriage. I have to say that it has been amazing.  Looking back, we barely knew each other really but we knew that we agreed on the big stuff...Faith...Family...Church...Friends...etc. and we have had a great time getting to know each other better all the time. So many people told me when I got married that by 5 years we wouldn't mind being apart but I am happy to say that they were wrong and I hope to keep it that way...Niether one of us sleeps well without the other by our side!

When we got married I remember saying that for our 5 year anniversary we would go somewhere tropical or far away...but instead we managed to already have 3 kids! Crazy but more amazing than we would have ever imagined! Thanks to my parents, my Aunt, my Gramma (yes, we spell it that way!)  and my cousin, we were able to away get last night to Niagara Falls...we definitely missed the kiddos and felt a little empty handed without them but really enjoyed being able to just talk to each other and walk around (and spend a LOT of money on pretty much nothing!) I'll blog about that trip later but for now...here are a few pictures from our awesome wedding day!

And for any of you that might be worried that I spent our anniversary blogging..no worries...I wrote most of this ahead of time!

Keira's Preschool...week 1

Many of you know that we have chosen the path to home-school. Although I have been given the advice from other home-school moms that I don't need to do pre-school and that it could cause me to get burned out quickly, Keira has basically asked for it. I thrive on structure and schedules so we decided as a family that we would just get started a year before Kindergarten. I know that it seems early but with vacations that we have planned and knowing that Janessa will need surgery sometime this winter, I wanted to make sure we would still be done with the program before Summer.

The week started off....funny...to me at least. I am not sure where she got it from but suddenly when I mentioned that we were going to start pre-school, Keira started whining and complaining about it! When we actually sat down to do it...SHE LOVED IT...but then said that she was done (after the first day) and didn't need to do it any more. haha.

At the end of week one...I am happy to say that she loves it and looks forward to it. She has even said her Bible verse a few times when I have told her that she needs to listen to me at other times during the day!

Most days I feel like I can't do anything the way that I want to (keep the house clean, keep up with laundry, have a hot dinner on the table, not yell at the kids...etc...the list goes on...and on...and on) but so far...I feel like Homeschooling is exactly what our family is supposed to do.

Ask me again when I am teaching complex math and we will see how I feel! haha.

Libby Grace, 2 years 7 months

Today Libby is 2 years and 7 months old. We think that she is absolutely hysterical! She is at a stage where she wants to keep up with big sister and most of all wants to talk as much as her. This results in random phrases being used when they don't make sense and just saying things that don't pertain to each other.
For example: She came downstairs with her minnie mouse and a few books and said, "I got some books to red to Minnie. That's the question." Um...what's the question..haha! I LOVE IT!

Libby is completely in love with Minnie Mouse and sleeps with a [disgustingly gross] stuffed version who she refers to as "Big Minnie". This is probably because all of her other Minnie's are smaller but in my opinion...it isn't very big :)

Also, this week, we began potty training. Let me pre-empt this by saying that if there was one part of parenting that you could send your children away for, it would be potty training for me...I despise it! Becuase of that, I choose to be the mom who does it as fast as I can, all at once, not dragged out and YES...I BRIBE!

When I potty trained Keira, it took 6 days. she was 26 months and the first 5 days were brutal  (she never went in the potty at all). Day 6, I stripped her down, put the potty seat in the living room, turned on a movie for her to watch and waited. When she started to go, I stuck her on the potty and that was that. She has only had a few accidents ever...even at night!

So...when Potty training began this week, we went straight to having Libby be naked. My schedule conflicted a few times so I actually had to put her in a diaper to go places on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday was Wednesday and although she cried all day long (because she was holding it and HAD to go!), she went in the potty twice! (She also peed on the floor twice and in her diaper at nap time). Today, she woke up dry (Wahoo!) and about mid morning, she came downstairs from playing with Keira, sat on the potty and went...no crying! She made it through the entire day with no accidents! Success!

We are still waiting for her to do number 2 but this is an entirely different experience than it was with Keira! In some ways, it is easier and some ways harder but regardless...I still HATE potty training.

for future embarrassment purposes! (Don't look at my messy living room....when I am potty training, nothing else seems to get done!)

Keira 4 years 2 months

Keira makes me laugh everyday. This is a conversation that we had today:

K: "Mom, when I am six, can I stop taking naps?
Me: "Yes, when you are six."
K: "But Libby will still take naps, right?"
Me: "Maybe"
K: "Then I can say to her, Goodnight Squirt!"

haha....she is great! So...today when she took her "rest" time, she was given a pile of books and told that she could not come downstairs until the clock said 3. When I checked on her, this is what I found.

I have no idea where the doritos came from or how she got them up there without me seeing!

 Keira wants her hair to grow as long as Repunzels (oh I hope not).

She will spend hours drawing and coloring and "making cards" for people.

Keira is very sensitive and gets her feelings hurt easily. But, she has a big heart and a lot of Compassion for others.

The other day, she asked if she could sing with a microphone at church about Mermaids and Fairy's. I politely told her that at church we sing praise to Jesus. So...she made up this song:

Oh what will the next month bring!

Where everything stands

So...a couple of weeks ago, we actually sat down and talked to the Army recruiter for our area. Unlike how it would be as an 18 year old trying to join the military, they don't try to sell you on the idea. The recruiter is aware that Tom has already served and he knows what Army life is actually like. 

We found out that day that it isn't very easy to get back into the military once you have gotten out. Each month a list comes out with available jobs for "prior service" enlistments and your job has to on there. Basically, Tom would have to go in with the same job he had back in 2005 which was a light wheeled vehicle mechanic. There were a lot of things that he liked about that job and the way we figure this would be sort of short term regardless. Once he completes his Bachelor's degree, he will be able to apply to become an officer and at that point, he would move into a computer field in the Army. 

Of course, if they didn't let him become an officer for whatever reason, we always have the option to get out of the Army in 4 years. 

So...Tom's job (91 Bravo for anyone who cares) was one of the few on the list 2 weeks ago. (since the military isn't really recruiting a whole lot right now, there aren't many jobs on the list for someone with prior service.). However, the new list came out Monday and his job is not on there this month. 

This means that right now, Tom cannot get back into the military. Again, this list changes every 30 days and depends on current openings. We will talk to the recruiter again in a month and see if his job is on the new list.

Until then...we are still praying!

From the Beginning

Ok...now that our potential news (and that is what it is to be clear...Potential news) is out, I can rewind a little bit and tell you how this all came about.

The reality is, that since I met Tom, the military has always been in our minds as a "backup" plan. We never talked about it very seriously but casually mentioned it when discussing our future as something that was a potential idea....until recently, that is all that it was.

As most of you know, Tom served in the Army from 2001-2005 so he has already put in 4 years towards his retirement. (At least with the way things are set up now...as we all know, anything could change in a heartbeat). This means, he could retire in 16 years with half pay and be able to get a job in the outside world to supplement. Of course...those are our plans...not necessarily God's plan.

Also, Tom has been in school for the past few years. He finished his associates degree in Computer Science about a year ago and is currently working towards his Bachelor's. Because of this, obviously, our future is a bit undecided as his current job is not in computers although we are very thankful for a steady job that he has been in for almost 5 years.

So, as many of you know, my grandfather passed away at the beginning of June. He was a Marine and proud of it. I would say that being a family man and being a Marine pretty much defined Papa. At his burial with the family, there were Marines there and it reminded Tom of the camaraderie of being in the Military as well as the great feeling it is to serve our country in this way. I think that my grandfather would be proud of anyone in our family who chose to serve in the military.

That being said, there are also many things that Tom did not care for during his time serving and we are well aware that some of those things would still be the same.

Again, this is something that we are pursuing carefully and slowly with much prayer and consideration. If we do go, it will not be until after Janessa has her surgery at the end of January for her Cleft palate. I trust the doctors here and would not want to move somewhere where I was unsure of their capabilities as this could effect her speech.

So....as we learn more, I will keep you all updated but covet your prayers while we make the decision to stay or to go.

Janessa Faith 4 months old

Janessa Faith is 4 months old today...

She is an absolute blessing.  Keira and Libby can't get enough of her and love to be mommy's little helpers when it comes to Janessa.

She is starting to eat baby food now which has been interesting since she has a cleft palate and the food often comes out her nose!

Her favorite things to do are play in her exersaucer, lay on the play mat and bat at toys (she even grabs them and gets them in her mouth from time to time, and watch everything her sisters do.

She currently sleeps from about 8:30pm to 6:30am with an 11:30pm feeding jammed in there.

Janessa is happy, giggly and LOVES to be snuggled. She is also our first baby to suck her thumb (which makes life a little more difficult down the road when she has her surgery.

At her 4 month check up she weighed in at 13lbs. 1 ounce (50%) and 25 1/4 inches long (85%). Her head circumference is 41cm (50%).

Oh the Places we MAY go!

So...I am writing this at the risk of getting reamed out by a few people but I am going to go ahead and write it anyways since we would covet any prayer for us in a HUGE decision to be made.

Let me start by saying that NOTHING has been decided yet at all...but we are in the beginning stages of Tom possibly rejoining the United States Army.

Yes, there...I said it...it is now public knowledge!

There are more positives and negatives to this decision than I care to list right now. Obviously, the fact that both of our families live here as well as our cherished church family and many of our friends which is what makes this decision far more difficult that it would be for some.

However, that being said, there are a ton of great things that could happen for Tom as well as the girls and I if we decided to take this leap. Let's face it...it would be a bit exciting.

All in all, we can make all of the pro/con lists that we want. We are completely aware of the meaning of this and the terrifying parts as well as the fun ones. What our decision comes down to is God's will for our family.

I would ask that you please hold us in your thoughts and prayers as we make a possibly life changing decision not just for us, but our kids as well. Please pray that we will clearly hear God's voice in this and that we will be at peace 100% with our decision either way.

I will continue to post more as God places things on our hearts and minds about this decision. It has honestly been the only thing on my mind for about 5 weeks now so it is time to get it out there and gather some other prayer warriors!

Fun at the Zoo

I think most people know how important it is for mommy and daddy to spend time with their kids, right? Well, I hope so. However, I feel like I have been reminded this week of just how important it is for mommy and daddy to spend quality time with the kids at the SAME time...together as a family.

We had kind of a rough week in terms of behavior with Libby and Keira. There were a few times that I really wanted to rip my hair out. Let's face it...without the grace of God, I might not have survived.

With Tom and I both taking classes and him working full time, we really need to be intentional about our time with the kids. Yes, I am with them all day, every day and he is home at night...but it is hard to not just let them play so we can get our own "stuff" done around the house.

Well, today, we decided to take them to the zoo. It was awesome. We had well behaved, wonderful kids and had FUN as a family. We laughed, we played, we saw the animals, we talked, we taught, we learned and both Tom and I didn't want to go home in fear that the kids would start to act out again...we we took them out for lunch and ice cream. What a treat it was for them. When we got home, no one fought us on rest time, and everyone is still having a good day. We needed this. They needed this.

Here are some pictures of our fun outing. I obviously like to take more pictures of my kids than the animals!

Keira Excited to go see the animals!

Mommy...look at me!

Me too..Me too  (Libby's favorite term)

Daddy is a good sport!

Janessa was not pleased...but eventually she calmed down and took a nap!

Sisters

Taking a Ride! "Up High Daddy?"

We love the Elephants!

Silly Baboons.

She LOVES to pose for the camera

We found our cousin Carter at the zoo!!! yay!! He didn't want to stand still long enough for a picture so this is the best we could do! 

Playing in the creek...the bottom of her dress was soaked
but it was a hot sunny day!

Apparently we are now into making silly faces for the camera!

And finally...the Lions! Our zoo just added lions and made a whole new part of the zoo that  has the african animals. It is pretty cool. You can pretty much be guaranteed to see the Lions up close from one spot or another. We were very happy with the new addition to the zoo!