I think we are going to make the move to the toddler bed soon. There are two reasons...
1.) At some point in the next two years I would like them potty trained and I think they should be able to get out of the bed themselves during this process whether to come get me or to go to the bathroom
2.) Widmar will be leaving and I'm thinking that this has potential to be some sleepless nights so I'd rather him "suffer" with me until they get the hang of it instead of doing it on my own with both boys.
With that being said we will probably do this within the next couple months. Anyone have any tips on how to make this transition? Their cribs conver to toddlers beds which are day beds with a big rail on the side.
Here's another advice question...HOW DO YOU GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT? WE don't have eating issues, its not that they dont ever eat, but if its not a fruit its hard to get the boys to eat it. We are healthy eaters and I try not have the boys eat the same things we do. Sometimes it's not possible because it's too much or spicy, but for the most part I try to make one meal for all 4 of us. I also try not to give them something in place of what they eat if they choose not to eat it. (maybe this isn't right of me, but its a habit I try not to start now) There are times when I have caved, but they get fruit or veggies in place of whatever they aren't eating. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance :)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Give it Up
Yesterday at church the pastor talked a little about debt and how if we pay off debt we have the money to give to the things that really matter to us and back to charities, church etc. Not that we are over our heads in debt, but I walked out of church and Widmar and I had a great conversation on our way to Sams and continued on our way home.
I think sometimes (a lot of times) our money goes towards things we don't always need and that are not there to build us up. (I had to fight to say that because starbucks does make me very happy). Let me tell you how many times we frequent starbucks...sometimes everyday sometimes 3-5 times a week, and yes sometimes even twice a day. I do love me some starbucks, but I just think our money could be spent elsewhere to the glory of God and in turn our family. So my goal is to have starbucks once a week. There are some stipulations to this...
1.) if I am asked to go to starbucks by my very dear girlfriend or in need of some girl time we have agreed that it is ok to go even if I might have had it that week already.
2.) If I do find myself at a starbucks drive thru and I have already been that week I will do a drive thru blessing and pay for whoever is behind us. That way we are passing on a blessing from God to someone else that might need it that day.
It became a habit, almost like the car automatically drove through the drive thru every time I was out. We passed starbucks yesterday and guess what? the car does go in the opposite direction from the starbucks. :)
There are a few other things that I can see us cutting back on and I know our efforts will be rewarded. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Stay warm!
I think sometimes (a lot of times) our money goes towards things we don't always need and that are not there to build us up. (I had to fight to say that because starbucks does make me very happy). Let me tell you how many times we frequent starbucks...sometimes everyday sometimes 3-5 times a week, and yes sometimes even twice a day. I do love me some starbucks, but I just think our money could be spent elsewhere to the glory of God and in turn our family. So my goal is to have starbucks once a week. There are some stipulations to this...
1.) if I am asked to go to starbucks by my very dear girlfriend or in need of some girl time we have agreed that it is ok to go even if I might have had it that week already.
2.) If I do find myself at a starbucks drive thru and I have already been that week I will do a drive thru blessing and pay for whoever is behind us. That way we are passing on a blessing from God to someone else that might need it that day.
It became a habit, almost like the car automatically drove through the drive thru every time I was out. We passed starbucks yesterday and guess what? the car does go in the opposite direction from the starbucks. :)
There are a few other things that I can see us cutting back on and I know our efforts will be rewarded. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Stay warm!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011
What a great and refreshing Christmas vacation we just came back from! We traveled all the way to Texas to visit my parents (aka Mimi & Bumpa) and boy did we have a blast! We went to...
Sea World, the Riverwalk (and walked and walked and walked), the Brewery, good Mexican Restaurant, Starbucks X's everyday (my parents have an equal obsession), 2 pedicures, the park, baptism, etc. etc. We had loads of fun! Widmar and I even snuck in a date to the Melting Pot!
Now we are home and I think chaos is about to begin. I think I'll take the road back to Texas :) I don't really think I have an resolutions this year. I have some things that I would like to get better at like
writing Thank You cards in a timely manner
Working out 4-5 days a week minimum (still trying to lose like 5-10lbs from the boys)
Reading/Studying my Bible daily
Things like that, but those are things i"M always working on so I wouldnt really call them resolutions. I have been putting away Christmas decorations and I would be lying if I didnt tell you I was little sad. Next year at this time Widmar will be on his LONG vacation to the desert and won't be around for the holidays. I am not sure if I am looking forward to 2011. In all honesty it has a lot to live up to in 2010. There were some things in 2010 that I wished hadn't happened, but there was a lot that I was blessed with in 2010. God doesn't give us more than we can handle though and I know I will be blessed in 2011. I will just miss my other half.
In the meantime so begins the declutter, organizational nightmare to prepare for our move to NY. We have a lot to think about with this move. It is unlike our last couple moves in that the housing list is 3 miles long and Widmar is leaving within a few weeks/month of us being there. We have to decide if it is better to live off post and have the house settled before Widmar leaves or if we rent until we can live on post. It makes a difference in the packing. :)
All in all here are a few of the things i've been reflecting on from 2010 that I am so very thankful for and am truly blessed to have happened.
1.) THE BOYS TURNED 1!!! I wasn't sure we were going to make it to 1 :) JK! Noone dies from sleep deprivation (thank goodness) I was one tired Mama for the first 12-18 months of their lives, but their first birthday came and went and we are almost 2. They grow up too fast and we are loving every minute with them. They are what bring us Joy every single day
2.) The boys got tubes put in their ears. You might wonder why this is on my list of great things for 2010, but if you knew what we were going through the months prior to that and the hospital visits and ER trips you will understand that between the tubes and us moving houses everyone has been healthy since. (PRAISE GOD)
3.) Jamie and Matt got married!!!! It was wonderful and I was so excited for them. God had His hand in this whole thing. My grandmother was able to make it to the wedding and looking back now that is the biggest blessing. She was able to meet Matt and see Jamie get married and she was also able to meet her grandbabies. Although my Grandmother passed away this past year (the part I wish didn't happen in 2010), I am so incredibly happy that she was able to meet the boys. We miss her a lot, but know her and grandpa are having a blast up there together.
4.) Widmar was home more this past year than he has ever been. (weird because he spent a lot of time away)! :) But it was great having him home for weeks sometimes months at a time. He has built such a great relationship with the boys and he is an AMAZING father.
5.) We were able to visit family in Texas a lot this year. Something I have taken for granted over the last couple of years because we have always lived within driving distance. Looking in to 2011 I am not sure we will be taking too many car trips with just me and the boys to Texas. We have plans though already for the parents to make it up our way.
6.) PWOC! This is a big one for me. For I have met so many wonderful ladies that have done nothing but build me up in my relationship with God. I have grown in my faith and have just really enjoyed the Thursday morning study and fellowship.
7.) Thirty-One. This company is especially wonderful to work for. I enjoy meeting new women and sharing a little of God's love with them. The products are great and the extra money has been nice too.
I know there is more, but this is too long already! I was catching up! I'm hoping to post some pictures tomorrow!
Sea World, the Riverwalk (and walked and walked and walked), the Brewery, good Mexican Restaurant, Starbucks X's everyday (my parents have an equal obsession), 2 pedicures, the park, baptism, etc. etc. We had loads of fun! Widmar and I even snuck in a date to the Melting Pot!
Now we are home and I think chaos is about to begin. I think I'll take the road back to Texas :) I don't really think I have an resolutions this year. I have some things that I would like to get better at like
writing Thank You cards in a timely manner
Working out 4-5 days a week minimum (still trying to lose like 5-10lbs from the boys)
Reading/Studying my Bible daily
Things like that, but those are things i"M always working on so I wouldnt really call them resolutions. I have been putting away Christmas decorations and I would be lying if I didnt tell you I was little sad. Next year at this time Widmar will be on his LONG vacation to the desert and won't be around for the holidays. I am not sure if I am looking forward to 2011. In all honesty it has a lot to live up to in 2010. There were some things in 2010 that I wished hadn't happened, but there was a lot that I was blessed with in 2010. God doesn't give us more than we can handle though and I know I will be blessed in 2011. I will just miss my other half.
In the meantime so begins the declutter, organizational nightmare to prepare for our move to NY. We have a lot to think about with this move. It is unlike our last couple moves in that the housing list is 3 miles long and Widmar is leaving within a few weeks/month of us being there. We have to decide if it is better to live off post and have the house settled before Widmar leaves or if we rent until we can live on post. It makes a difference in the packing. :)
All in all here are a few of the things i've been reflecting on from 2010 that I am so very thankful for and am truly blessed to have happened.
1.) THE BOYS TURNED 1!!! I wasn't sure we were going to make it to 1 :) JK! Noone dies from sleep deprivation (thank goodness) I was one tired Mama for the first 12-18 months of their lives, but their first birthday came and went and we are almost 2. They grow up too fast and we are loving every minute with them. They are what bring us Joy every single day
2.) The boys got tubes put in their ears. You might wonder why this is on my list of great things for 2010, but if you knew what we were going through the months prior to that and the hospital visits and ER trips you will understand that between the tubes and us moving houses everyone has been healthy since. (PRAISE GOD)
3.) Jamie and Matt got married!!!! It was wonderful and I was so excited for them. God had His hand in this whole thing. My grandmother was able to make it to the wedding and looking back now that is the biggest blessing. She was able to meet Matt and see Jamie get married and she was also able to meet her grandbabies. Although my Grandmother passed away this past year (the part I wish didn't happen in 2010), I am so incredibly happy that she was able to meet the boys. We miss her a lot, but know her and grandpa are having a blast up there together.
4.) Widmar was home more this past year than he has ever been. (weird because he spent a lot of time away)! :) But it was great having him home for weeks sometimes months at a time. He has built such a great relationship with the boys and he is an AMAZING father.
5.) We were able to visit family in Texas a lot this year. Something I have taken for granted over the last couple of years because we have always lived within driving distance. Looking in to 2011 I am not sure we will be taking too many car trips with just me and the boys to Texas. We have plans though already for the parents to make it up our way.
6.) PWOC! This is a big one for me. For I have met so many wonderful ladies that have done nothing but build me up in my relationship with God. I have grown in my faith and have just really enjoyed the Thursday morning study and fellowship.
7.) Thirty-One. This company is especially wonderful to work for. I enjoy meeting new women and sharing a little of God's love with them. The products are great and the extra money has been nice too.
I know there is more, but this is too long already! I was catching up! I'm hoping to post some pictures tomorrow!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Baptism
This weekend was a special weekend for our family. Back in May when my sister got married the pastor asked us why we hadnt asked him to baptize the boys yet. Well, I dont know. There's such touchy issues with baptism and when it should happen that I honestly wasnt sure what the right or wrong thing to do was. Let me give you some back ground....
Skip (the pastor) has a special place in our family. Growing up we weren't the church going people and in all honestly other than the surface level understanding of Jesus I didn't know Him. It wasn't until we joined the youth group where Skip was the leader that I accepted Christ. Through his guidance my sister also came to know Him. After that we all started attending church and our whole family came to believe in Him. Skip then baptized my sister, brother, and I. A handful of years later he married Widmar & I. Needless to say, he plays a huge roll in our family. So who better out there than to baptize our boys. After retiring from the Air Force as a chaplain he has his own church in downtown San Antonio. St. Johns Lutheran church is a beautiful church, if you ever visit San Antonio you should stop by.
http://www.stjohnsroosterchurch.org/
It was a decision I struggled with. I was old enough to make the decision to be baptized and I see the importance of that. However, is there anything more precious than welcoming a baby into His kingdom? Each denomination does different things with baptism, something I have learned a lot about in the last year in praying over the decision we did. With all this being said, we did get the boys baptized this weekend. The decision was made with a lot of prayer. It was beautiful and such a great experience for us as parents. We were joined by their godparents, my parents, sister, and brother, and friends who were very excited to be a part of such a special day. We were blessed to have them all there and happy they were able to share in it.
My thoughts on all of this...if the boys decide later on that they want to be baptized again, we would strongly encourage it. For now I am beyond blessed and honored that Skip, the man who played such a huge roll in our lives and our faith as a family, was able to do it.
We are so blessed this Christmas to be at home with family! We have enjoyed the Riverwalk already and some Whataburger. :) Today we are relaxing after a funfilled weekend! Take time away from all the stress with the upcoming holidays and remember the reason for the season. Jesus came into this world, died and rose again for YOU. This is a time to remember that. Don't stress about the presents, or the traveling. Take time to remember and enjoy your family blessings.
Skip (the pastor) has a special place in our family. Growing up we weren't the church going people and in all honestly other than the surface level understanding of Jesus I didn't know Him. It wasn't until we joined the youth group where Skip was the leader that I accepted Christ. Through his guidance my sister also came to know Him. After that we all started attending church and our whole family came to believe in Him. Skip then baptized my sister, brother, and I. A handful of years later he married Widmar & I. Needless to say, he plays a huge roll in our family. So who better out there than to baptize our boys. After retiring from the Air Force as a chaplain he has his own church in downtown San Antonio. St. Johns Lutheran church is a beautiful church, if you ever visit San Antonio you should stop by.
http://www.stjohnsroosterchurch.org/
It was a decision I struggled with. I was old enough to make the decision to be baptized and I see the importance of that. However, is there anything more precious than welcoming a baby into His kingdom? Each denomination does different things with baptism, something I have learned a lot about in the last year in praying over the decision we did. With all this being said, we did get the boys baptized this weekend. The decision was made with a lot of prayer. It was beautiful and such a great experience for us as parents. We were joined by their godparents, my parents, sister, and brother, and friends who were very excited to be a part of such a special day. We were blessed to have them all there and happy they were able to share in it.
My thoughts on all of this...if the boys decide later on that they want to be baptized again, we would strongly encourage it. For now I am beyond blessed and honored that Skip, the man who played such a huge roll in our lives and our faith as a family, was able to do it.
We are so blessed this Christmas to be at home with family! We have enjoyed the Riverwalk already and some Whataburger. :) Today we are relaxing after a funfilled weekend! Take time away from all the stress with the upcoming holidays and remember the reason for the season. Jesus came into this world, died and rose again for YOU. This is a time to remember that. Don't stress about the presents, or the traveling. Take time to remember and enjoy your family blessings.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
While You Were Sleeping - Casting Crowns
I am a huge Casting Crowns fan and never knew this song existed! LOVE IT! Thanks Rebekah for sharing!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
No Inkle Inkle
So we have taken a liking to the word "NO"! For instance Jamie (my sister) asked Jacob to sing Twinkle Twinkle and he promptly told her NO INKLE INKLE and shaking his hand at her. By the way when he sings twinkle twinkle for you it will melt your heart...just sayin!
Everything we ask them they say NO. Jacob is worse than Joshua and it usually follows NO as;dfjaslfjlskdfja (inserted jibberish i dont understand) followed by one word that I asked him. For instance NO asdfjaslfj;asdkjfasdf Apples! or NO as;fdjasd;fjdsf chichen (chicken), or the all time favorite NO Nigh nigh in which case he throws himself on the couch and hides his face in the pillow and pretends to snore.
New songs we know:
Twinkle Twinkle
Bah Bah Black Sheep
Itsy Bitsy Spider
ABC's (they can actually say a lot of it on their own which impresses me) I am however biased
Patty Cake
Its unbelievable how much they have grown and how their vocabularies have expanded. Somedays are harder and more exhausting than others, but my way of looking at it is...they are only this little once. Love on em now!
Everything we ask them they say NO. Jacob is worse than Joshua and it usually follows NO as;dfjaslfjlskdfja (inserted jibberish i dont understand) followed by one word that I asked him. For instance NO asdfjaslfj;asdkjfasdf Apples! or NO as;fdjasd;fjdsf chichen (chicken), or the all time favorite NO Nigh nigh in which case he throws himself on the couch and hides his face in the pillow and pretends to snore.
New songs we know:
Twinkle Twinkle
Bah Bah Black Sheep
Itsy Bitsy Spider
ABC's (they can actually say a lot of it on their own which impresses me) I am however biased
Patty Cake
Its unbelievable how much they have grown and how their vocabularies have expanded. Somedays are harder and more exhausting than others, but my way of looking at it is...they are only this little once. Love on em now!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Words of A Homemaker
Thank you Tamika for sharing this!! So often I feel this way
Words Of A Homemaker
God, I want to do great things for you,
And speak to all the nations!
God replies:
That's well and good,
But for now
Fix your children's complications.
Lord, I want to straighten up the world,
Feed the hungry and fulfill someone's wishes!
God says:
Fine, but for the present,
You need to wash the dishes.
Lord, I want to preach, proclaim your name
And bring salvation to the earth!
God says:
Good! Then teach your children
And preach my name to those you've given birth.
At the end of the day,
I think of all I've done.
But as I look it seems,
I've accomplished nothing for the Son!
God I had no time to witness one on one,
I couldn't join my church group,
They said I missed out on lots of fun.
My household is the only thing
That managed to be cleaned,
My neighbor is the only one,
Besides my family I could feed.
The only ones I've read Your Word
Are those within my home.
God I've done so very little
And I feel so all alone!
God says:
I've seen the way you cleaned and cooked
And taught your kids My name.
Tomorrow morning at eight o' clock,
I'll watch you do the same.
The work you do at home,
Though no one really sees,
Is helping to raise little ones
To grow and worship me.
My ways are not your ways,
I don't expect you yet to see,
But the precepts that you've taught your children,
Will help others bow the knee.
Your children will reach out to others,
Your example in their mind.
They'll do great work for Me
And their children will respond in kind.
The hand that rules the world,
Also rocks the cradle.
Because of you, your children love Me,
All their hearts are stable.
Though your house is your domain,
Your tasks seem rather plain,
Your efforts will reach the multitudes,
Though from humble work they came.
~Author Unknown~
Words Of A Homemaker
God, I want to do great things for you,
And speak to all the nations!
God replies:
That's well and good,
But for now
Fix your children's complications.
Lord, I want to straighten up the world,
Feed the hungry and fulfill someone's wishes!
God says:
Fine, but for the present,
You need to wash the dishes.
Lord, I want to preach, proclaim your name
And bring salvation to the earth!
God says:
Good! Then teach your children
And preach my name to those you've given birth.
At the end of the day,
I think of all I've done.
But as I look it seems,
I've accomplished nothing for the Son!
God I had no time to witness one on one,
I couldn't join my church group,
They said I missed out on lots of fun.
My household is the only thing
That managed to be cleaned,
My neighbor is the only one,
Besides my family I could feed.
The only ones I've read Your Word
Are those within my home.
God I've done so very little
And I feel so all alone!
God says:
I've seen the way you cleaned and cooked
And taught your kids My name.
Tomorrow morning at eight o' clock,
I'll watch you do the same.
The work you do at home,
Though no one really sees,
Is helping to raise little ones
To grow and worship me.
My ways are not your ways,
I don't expect you yet to see,
But the precepts that you've taught your children,
Will help others bow the knee.
Your children will reach out to others,
Your example in their mind.
They'll do great work for Me
And their children will respond in kind.
The hand that rules the world,
Also rocks the cradle.
Because of you, your children love Me,
All their hearts are stable.
Though your house is your domain,
Your tasks seem rather plain,
Your efforts will reach the multitudes,
Though from humble work they came.
~Author Unknown~
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