Some Snow

We got a little snow today. Jay's first time to get to really experience it. Lizzy napped through it. :)

As expected Jay ran, jumped, climbed, splashed in puddles, looked for deer then said he was cold. It was a fun and busy 20 minutes!!

This also seemed like a good idea. (not sure what this face is about...)

Hello, friends. :)

Enough.

I have gotten to spend a teensy amount of quality time with a few friends over the past few weeks and in our broken-sentenced, train-of-thought-derailed, constantly-interrupted conversations a few truths have emerged about us. and life. and motherhood/wifehood/friendhood.

Their sentiments are mine and we all seem brought down at different times for different reasons.

Oh, the guilt. 

We wonder how to ever be the mom our kids deserve. The women our moms wish they could've been.The wife our husbands want. The friend we'd like to have. The housekeeper we dream to be. The one who has it all together and still manages to be sweet and kind and cute and thoughtful. Never overwhelmed, overworked nor overtired.

But sometimes, we feel like we are not enough. Sometimes, we feel the guilt creeping in and feel guilty about feeling guilty. Sometimes, we allow other's standards, bragging rights and ideals make us wonder if we'll ever have "it" all together.

Whatever "it" is. 

I am reminded that I am enough. She is enough. You are enough. Each of us is exactly enough. God's divine wisdom and planning made me enough of this and you enough of that.
All different.
All perfect.
Better together.

And when the world pulls us down and the guilt of a life that is not ours weighs on our shoulders we have to see the beauty in what it truly is...

We feel "down", "sinking" types of feelings and we shouldn't ever be ashamed for that is our Lord and Creator whispering to us. Whispering that these feelings, comparisons  guilt, are too much for us to carry. Too heavy of a burden and we are to lay them down.

Right at His feet.

Lay them down and not pick them up again. Lay them down and raise ourselves up. That's all he wants us to do. When we have feelings that we feel we shouldn't have the guilt can be a blessing. That guilt is your cue to drop this load you've put on yourself and walk in the Light.

You are enough. 

How wonderful that the Lord takes our burdens and whispers for us to let them go, give them to Him for they are not meant for us. We have all that we need. Far more than we deserve.

We are enough. 

Nine {lizzy}

Lizzy's 9th month can be summed up on one word--CHANGE.

Weight: 23 pounds
Height: 29.75 inches
Sizes: 18 Month, 4 diapers, 5 shoe

She had a great 9 month appointment and we got the green light to start the transition to whole milk and table food. Since Lizzy is my daughter--we went with my standard way of changing things--right off the deep-end.

Yes, the week of Christmas I took my sweet, happy 9 month old off of the bottle, off of formula and switched to table food--and we all survived. In retrospect it might have been smarter to wait a week when we weren't traveling, Christmasing, teething and otherwise stressing Lizzy out. Hindsight is 20/20 and she did well it's over now. Actually, I'm teasing, she really did great with all that we had going on. I did the same with Jay and it was fine, so I knew in the end Lizzy would be fine. I think the difference was that Lizzy had been drinking formula from a bottle and juice from a cup (whereas Jay didn't have juice until he was 2) so when I replaced a bottle of formula with a cup of milk she was ticked that it wasn't juice. (While we were in Nashville I gave her some juice in her cup and she was all smiles again, but once we got home no more juice. Lots of fussy but she has come to terms with it.) I will give her juice again, just not until she is older. Sorry, sis.

Now that we're off the bottle and formula and on to table food she's trying new things and adding more "approved" foods every few days. She loves yogurt. She's also had applesauces, oatmeal, biscuits, bagels, graham crackers, crackers, goldfish, chicken nuggets, meatballs, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, chinese (homemade), beef stroganoff, spaghetti, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, avacado and chicken salad. She will tolerate a banana if you mash it up with crushed up graham crackers, but that is really the only fruit I can get her to eat--hopefully we'll add more by the next post. (sorry to bore, but I don't remember what I fed jay at this stage and I want to record it if there is ever a third baby. I am sure I"ll have completely lost my mind by the time that child is eating table food and I may need a guide.)

Two top teeth are making their grand entrance today! We've all lost some sleep over these two, but it looks like they'll be worth it--they are whoppers. You can see them under her gums in this picture--they finally came through tonight before bed.

She sleeps most nights, but sees 3 a.m. more often than I would like. We moved the good rocker into her room so I can try to rock her and sleep--so far it hasn't really helped because she isn't accustomed to being rocked (second kid syndrome?). She's actually sleeping a little better since coming off of the bottle, which seems like it would be the opposite.

What else is different? Look-hair! Headbands are optional now. We can get a decent sized bow to stay in her hair alone so we don't have to rely on the bow to support our bigger bows, but still rock them for our biggest bow days.

We've also moved her crib all of the way down and she has graduated to the BIG carseat (still rear facing).

She's also really liking brushing her teeth lately. Let's hope it continues this way forever!

Great job with all of these changes, Liz! This next month should only be about changes you decide on--like pulling up and standing and what you will and will not eat.

some funnies these days

Just wanted to make a note of some funny things seen and heard around the house these days...

a few days before Christmas, Daddy asked Jay what Santa says--his response, "Merry Christmas, Ho." 
Said like a gangsta.

Jay was "working" on the computer in the office and I was trying to get him to stop--his response, "Wait me a second. (pointer finger extends) JUST WAIT ME A SECOND!"

Jay was getting onto Gus one recent morning. Gus was oblivious and Jay was following behind him-- "Gus, do you HEAR ME TALKING TO YOU?!?!"

Jay is constantly looking for/listening for deer. He also pretends to see one and gets his ultimate surprise face going and points and says, "Look a deer!!" (You respond in surprise and ask where??) "Deer! 'Hind you!! In da bushes!! Hiding!! Shhh!" Just the same exact way. A thousand times a day.

He will tell anyone, anywhere that "Daddy gone hun-tin'. Daddy no find deer. Big deer hiding in da bushes."

Lots of things these days are "not for mommy--jus' Jay and Daddy" like overalls, "Monster Truck" (daddy's new truck), hashbrowns, etc.

Not that I'm proud, but the first and most common pretend game Jay played is "drive-thru" he always orders "chick-chick and hash browns with lemonade and dip-it please sirs".

Sir is always plural and knows no age or gender. 

12.14.12

On my knees, alone in my dining room I recited The Lord's Prayer 27 times over.

I couldn't bring myself to sing "Jesus Loves Me" when I put the kids to bed tonight. I just couldn't make the words come out--my heart felt like it would burst. 

I've prayed with every fiber of my being today for those who are suffering both from today's tragic events and those who are heartbroken, afflicted, grieving or lost for any other host of reasons. 

I pray that the light of Christ will burn brightly in the darkest depths of grief.

I pray that the light of Christ will light the way to teach the world a great many lessons from today's terrible headlines and stories. 

I pray that the light of Christ will shine in me and reflect onto everyone I'm close to and every single person who may cross my path. 

Lord, let your light shine and remove darkness from every corner of the Earth, from every secret place in our souls from the most forgotten depths of every heart. Now and Forever. Amen. 

Y'all.

We got our quintessential Santa photo for the year.  

Join me in celebrating the how perfectly these pictures represent these two kiddos at this moment in time---

Another one the director sent from Santa's visit. Please note that every child in Jay's class is sitting listening to Santa--except for one. 

Nice. 

Christmas decor [2012]

Keeping it easy simple this year. 4 Trees and just a few things around the house.

Our only real tree is the one in the living room. The dogs insist on sleeping under this tree day and night. They constantly "nest" on the tree skirts. I am prepared for the day they pull down the tree doing by doing that, but for now I've moved dog beds around the tree to try to appease them.

Peacock tree (formerly master Bedroom tree) now upstairs at the New House....

Lizzy's Tree....

Jay's Tree.....

Kitchen.....

Hall Table.....

Entry Table....

I am starting to hang our cards on a door, but always run out of room-so who knows where else they'll end up.

oh, and Jay made this at school...

.. I LOVE it--mostly because he can identify the Holy Family and tell you about Jesus' Birthday.

I hope to do more every year, but with Jay and Lizzy both being so small; less really is more. I want to keep everyone safe and happy (kids AND ornaments. :)) It isn't perfect or awe-inspiring, but its our Christmas this year. We are richly blessed in this house and are having the best, most Holy Christmas I've ever known. Thank you Lord for these precious gifts and the gift of your Son and everlasting life!!

I'll be linking up to Kelly's Korner and with The Nester this week--Merry Christmas!