Wordless Wednesday

Now that's a sandwich!

More than corn...

There's more than corn in Indiana...
there's a favorite family of ours! 


We were able to go and visit Ginny's godparents and their 2 beautiful daughters.
We had a houseful, but Katy and I managed to get 1 project off her "before baby arrives" list. Her hubby Mark loves when Katy and I get together and do home improvement projects. 
This one we actually did start to finish without spending any money and had 5 kids awake and around at the time (baby #6 was well behaved in utero during the project as well). 


Here's a few pictures from out time with them!

Ginny and Olivia: Olivia is totally ready to be a big sister again and loves holding babies. We compromised and she helped Ginny sit up quite a few times while we were there! (Also, a happy birthday note to Olivia...she turned the 05 while we were there! Where has the time gone?!?)

Chloe helped entertain Ginny while the moms worked in the kitchen! She too will be a great big sister very soon!

Poor Murray...a house full of girls. Katy's sister-in-law (a friend from college) came by with her 2 kids for the day and we had some nail painting fun. Murray did partake and walked away with green nails. Maybe he'll get lucky and Katy will have a boy in March...I'm not holding my breath though...

Ginny loved catching up on Katy snuggles, we're all super excited to get to meet the new baby this spring. 


Overall it was a great couple of days and I had a wonderful time catching up with an old friend while Nick delighted in class discussions working towards his masters (we're almost there...). 

Towers with Murray

The other day Murray asked to play with Ginny. She was happily sitting up banging stacking cups around. Murray went and sat by her and built towers for her to knock over. She loved it, laughing and hitting them as they fell into a pile. Murray laughed and built them again and again. It's so fun to see them learning to interact more as Ginny gets bigger. Can't wait to see what they'll do with her once she's on the move!

Ginny verses the Avocado

On January 5th Ginny tried her first food. It was a small taste of Avocado. She was very excited to be doing more than chewing on a teether while sitting in the high chair. We did it during dinner so she could feel part of the eating adventure.

She's been eating awhile now, and she definitely still prefers nursing to real food. While she likes the idea of eating she's not too sure about it once it makes her to her mouth. To date we've tried avocado, banana and squash. We're going to work backwards a bit and try some cereal to see if she can get the idea of it down a bit more then move forward again. 


Here's to a lifetime of eating adventures!

Hair!!

Lucy was born a punk rock star...at least according to her hair. I'm most certain that on the day a baby is born one of the activities/conversations that take place in the hospital room with friends and relatives is not usually giving the newborn a mo-hawk and talking about the bows to be bought (the next day) to put in her hair. 


But that's our Lucy girl! Her hair has been so much a part of her since the day she was born. Her dad measured it...1.5 inches of jet black hair. She never got a bald spot, it never fell out...it just kept growing. For awhile, it grew mostly around her ears and that was a topic of discussion.


She's had haircuts. Her first around 15 months, with regular trims following. The time had come...there were tangles, lots of tangles. There were tears over braids taking too long, and then the sad realization that her hair would never be long enough to toss out her window for Murray to climb up it!


There is a local charity that makes wigs for children with hair loss giving each child one free wig a year. Lucy became excited about another girl getting to have beautiful hair like her. 


Ginny's half birthday seemed the perfect occasion to celebrate...


BEFORE

AFTER

She loves her new hairdo. We're growing it out (again) in hopes of her donating again when I donate for Ginny's first birthday (or shortly there after). We're enjoying less tangles, and new quick and cute hairstyles. We knew it would make her look older, but man...she's SO BIG now. Gone is the mo-hawk from the day she was born, but this beautiful young lady is joy to share each day with!


We're proud of our little lady for thinking of others and sharing the beauty God has given her. We're amazed at what a difference a haircut can make.

Evangeline 6 months old

We're half way there...every month I'm amazed that we've reached another milestone, but this is getting crazy. From now on...each day that passes my sweet girl will be closer to turning 1, turning into a toddler than she is to that snuggly newborn I held just yesterday. 

Ginny continues to amaze us. Continues to feel like a miracle, continues to show us how perfectly chosen she was for our family at this time in this place. Continues to teach me so much about love. Continues to grow..she just happily grows!

Six Month Stats include:
Weight: 19 lbs 1 oz (90th percentile)
Length: 28.5 inches long (off the charts baby!)


Some milestones she's hit this month are sitting up and her first tooth breaking through on January 5th. She's rolling over more, and maneuvering to reach toys around her while playing on the floor. 


Ginny had her first food just days before turning 6 months old; we gave her a bit of avocado to celebrate her tooth breaking through, she really just thought we were crazy and did not think eating was exciting as it looks!


We can get you to laugh more now, and if you don't laugh out loud we can see it in your eyes. You continue to be a happy baby. Still not sleeping through the night (well, you did it 2 nights in a row and then thought that was for the birds and gave it up!), but I appreciate our time together when the house is quiet so I try to be thankful for it and remind myself I'll sleep when you're older. 


When you're older...don't do it sweet Ginny...don't get older just yet...just stay still and continue to be my sweet, happy, wonderful joy of a baby who doesn't know the word "no" yet!


Happy half birthday sweet girl! We're already planning for when you turn 1...just don't rush there too fast!

Intention vs Intentional

I think I'm going to do it this year...the dreaded New Year's Resolutions.

It's not so much about the New Year as it is where I'm at. My baby is 6 months old, it's time to   stop pretending my body will magically go back to the way I hope it to be and actually do something about it. 

We're just about half way through our first year of homeschooling. It's going great! I love it...but could I be doing a better job of adding to the school day?

We have a lot of things we'd like to do or purchase this year...things we need, things we want...things we probably should just forget about. 

Of course I could go on about the DIY projects I'd like to do, decorating my room, organizing closets and toys, sewing more, baking more cakes, run a 5k, bike more, spend more time in quiet, be a better wife, be a better mom...the list of things I'd love to do is never ending. 

That's where I have to think about good intentions versus being intentional. I could make a list of at least 20 resolutions for the year. All of them made with the best intentions. The intentions of being the person I dream of being with time left over at the end of the day. In my years I've learned about having the "best intentions", sometimes it isn't enough...in fact, most of the time it isn't enough. Myself or someone else is upset because the best intentions usually means you didn't follow through...at least not all the way. 

So, my New Year's resolution is to be more intentional. I'm leaving the best intentions behind. I don't have to wake up and remind myself of all the things I want to do...I want to do them...I don't forget about something I enjoy! I also don't have to wake up and remind myself of where I've failed...I've failed! It stares me in the face...or the belly, hips and thighs...or right in my eyes in disappointment of others. 

If I'm intentional with my prayer, my time and my choices...the rest will follow. 

So, this year I'm choosing to be intentional, intentional about the shows I watch, the way I discipline my kids, they way I love my kids, the way I teach my kids. I'm going to be intentional about the shows I watch, the way I use MY time and the decisions I make each day.  I'm going to be intentional about they way I treat my husband. I'm going to be intentional with my money.


I'm hoping to remember 2012 as the year I gave up on good intentions, trusted in the Lord more and became intentional about living my life!

Phew!

Phew! I feel like I just survived something huge! It was really just the holidays!

We started out with the flu just 10 days before Christmas and with no time to get my feet back under me, the race began. I'll be back blogging soon, my computer shuts down anytime I do pictures so I have a few blogs written awaiting pictures to be posted.

Christmas is a busy time of year, filled with extra fun and excitement and when married to a Pastor it's filled with lots of extra duties at work. When you're married to a youth Pastor working on a 2nd masters it's filled with lots of extra church services, a lock in and final projects!

I do my best to do special activities and traditions with the kids while focusing on the true meaning of the season. I also try to keep sane! This year we scaled back a bit in not only the extra activities but in the presents. Do you know what surprised me most? Lucy's comment later in the day on Christmas "wow! This is SO MUCH STUFF!" Guess they didn't mind the scaling back!

Most of the decorations are put away. The holiday books are out, the tree is up and we have 3 wise men candles waiting for Epiphany on Friday. We also just set up a new Nativity for the kids to play with (at the table so we don't lose any pieces)!

We're ready for 2012! (It's the year of 2,000 Aaron Rodgers at this house). 

Look for posts and updates in the coming week from all our fun festivities and our goals for 2012!