.:Catchin' Up:.

Just realized that it's been a loooong time since I've put up some family pics. Here you go friends and family far away =)

Kai and his best bud Ty at the park (our favorite place):

Us at the Rose Parade (ya, it's been a while):

Kai's favorite new past time is building forts out of our couch pillows - these were just taken tonight =)

Now that my camera is finally unloaded, I'll be taking more and posting more =)

Love you all!

Proverbs 31 Woman Challenge!!!

For the past month or so, an idea has been brewing on my heart and mind. An idea that I hope will help grow me in my role as a woman, wife and mother and further the gospel in my home and community.


This idea first showed it's beautiful face when I started reading through Mark Chanski's book, "Womanly Dominion - More Than A Gentle & Quiet Spirit". (I HIGHLY recommend reading this book by the way - no matter what season of life you're in) What has really stuck out to me so far in my reading of this book is that we as women are to cultivate a spirit of ruling the dominion God has assigned to us. Being a godly woman is more than just having a "gentle and quiet spirit" that trusts in the Lord and does not worry about tomorrow. We are to do something about the "today"! Where God has placed us TODAY, whether it be in a season of singleness and going to school, newly married or raising a family of 7 and preparing for "empty nesting", God has called us to be hard workers. We are to rule and manage what He has lovingly assigned to us in our God-given roles as men and women.
In light of this revelation, the Proverbs 31 Woman came to mind since this passage beautifully portrays a woman who faithfully helps and serves her husband and children through her words of encouragement and her determination to manage & keep the home - but above all, she is praised for how she is a woman who fears the Lord.

So! Here's the challenge! Starting March 1st, I will be taking the Proverbs 31 Woman passage and meditating on it one verse at a time each month and seek out ways to applicably & creatively do the things mentioned in that verse. (If you like this idea, feel free to go on this journey with me and I would LOVE to hear the creative ways you put each verse into application and what God showed you through out the month).

My first verse is Proverbs 31: 10: "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels."
"WHAT do I do with THIS one?", I asked myself. So I did a little research and found a gal who took on the same challenge and focused on 2 areas in her life that could use a little more "excellence".

CHALLENGE:
The 2 areas that I will be focusing on this month will be:

1. My Husband: My #1 priority is to be an encourager and helpmeet to Ryan as well as seek to minister to him and be ministered by him before anyone else. I also really want to grow in seeking to look good for him, no matter what my day was like. Who wants to come home to a grumpy, tired sasquatch?
2. My Home: Being on top of my daily chores so that Ryan has a peaceful and clean home to come home to as well as managing my time so that I can prepare and have a delicious meal on the table by the time my family is hungry. (Ryan and I joined the Abundant Harvest Organics and are also going vegetarian for the month of March as a body cleanse - can you believe this was RYAN's idea?! I can't wait to try out the new veggies and grow in meal planning)

There are SOOO many other things I could work on too but, I will just get overwhelmed and discouraged by the long "to do" list so, I will keep it simple.

I will keep you posted on what happens =)

Any Advice?

I need help!!!

So, how do you do it? How did YOU do it?
That is, getting everything done like: keeping the kitchen clean (& that's just the dishes, not to mention sweeping and moping), making it so that your living room doesn't look like a bomb of toys and clothes and diapers went off - and that's 10 minutes after you JUST cleaned it!!! Making sure your kid is fed even when the things you give to him make you want to puke, and then there's making dinner???

I've been really struggling lately with where to draw the line between needing rest through out the day and being lazy. I've been talking to Ryan about it and he gave me some great advice about just doing it! Get up and do the things you have to do and if you find that you are exhausted - don't beat yourself up - just rest. So, that's what I've been trying to do lately. Just do it!! ....and then go sit on the couch until the next wave of energy hits me....sometimes, I feel like it checks out for the day by 2pm.

I need your advice, mothers =) Can you share with me what your mentality was for keeping up with your God-given call as a wife and mother during the first trimester of pregnancy or even through out the whole pregnancy?

Oh ya, and can I start to drink coffee now that I've gone 3 months with out it?

Change...

Life is full of constant seasons of change. In fact, that's what we're called by our glorious Creator to do - change. Change by "putting off the old self" and putting on the new self, "created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness". (Galations 4:23-24)

For me personally, the conviction of a need to change in a certain area has been growing on my heart and mind over the past few months. And that conviction is this: the need to change the way I blog (and even facebook for that matter).

I couldn't ever quite put my finger on what was bugging me each time I went to write a post. Something kept nagging me in the back of my mind and I finally felt like maybe I just needed to ask myself a few questions: Why do I blog? Who am I seeking to honor and bring praise to? Is it to my wonderful Savior? Or to my self? Am I seeking to encourage and build up the faith in my blogging friends? Or am I selfishly trying to gain the approval and envy of those that I envy?


Well, I can tell ya that after asking myself these questions I felt very convicted that I could better use my blog to serve others and glorify God.
"But, the WHOLE point of a blog is to write about yourself" I would argue to myself. Truueee....however, I think that there's a way that I can share the blessings and the stories that God brings into my life in a way that directs the focus back to Him. I need to confess that the majority of my posts have been to boast about my home, possessions, children and my husband (although, I love to praise him so I don't think that that will change ;) or to complain about the current state of my home and the amount of work that I have to do (something which also needs change). Instead of these, my desire should be to share with you the things that God is teaching me through daily life and the ways that He shows His love for me through the blessings of family and friends.

I write this because I know that the temptations I am experiencing (even in the blogging/myspace/facebook/twitter world) are not unique to me but they are common to man. We should all be challenging and evaluating our hearts and motives in every area of life, but especially in the web world. That's where we speak the loudest and the boldest and that's where we can either be a good representative of Christ or a poor one.

So, as it should be in all areas of my life but more specifically as it relates to my web world, from here on out, I am going to make it my aim to glorify the Savior, encourage and build up!

And if you happen to come across a "me" monster of a post in the future written by yours truly, please slap me in the back of the head with THIS post and let me know =)

On Vacation...

I'm sorry for being so absent lately. The holidays + morning sickness + visiting family far away has kept me away from the computer.

I have lots of pics to post and will post when I get home =)

Love you all!

.:Turn Your Partner Round-n-Round:.

Here's a funny clip of Kai rockin' out to his barnyard music - hee hee....

.:An Early Christmas Present:.

SURPRISE!!!

Soooo..... ya, we're pregnant =D (beeeaming)

Baby # 2 has been discovered and I am so excited I can't hold it in.
My plan was to wait and tell Ryan and his family on Christmas morning but again, I just couldn't wait.
Plus, I need your prayers now - please pray that I have a good and healthy pregnancy and that nothing goes wrong.
Please pray for God's provision of energy and joy as I enter into this new season of motherhood and needing to care for my toddler. Please pray that God will continue to provide for our family financially and that His will be done as far as where we live.

YAYYYY!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!