walking humbly

A Year With Jesus by R.P. Nettlehorst

2012-02-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

Jesus is not a figure in a book; He is a living presence. ~William Barclay

This is the quote in the front of A Year With Jesus and this is exactly what the book’s author is trying to show. Each daily devotional begins with a portion of Scripture (just a few verses) from Jesus’ words followed by the author’s commentary on those verses. Each page is short so you can read it in about 10 minutes, (perfect for moms with young kids like me!).

This is a book to be read slowly & savored, not rushed through. I couldn’t complete the entire book in order to do this review.

The devotionals are organized into 10 topics: Love and Hate, Truth and Lies, Arrogance and Humility, Friends and Enemies, Belief and Disbelief, Patience and Impatience, Deserved and Undeserved, Good and Evil, Fidelity and Treachery and Life and Death. I love that this book is also numbered like Day 1, Day 2, etc. instead of by date so you can begin whenever you want.

This book would make a great gift for someone longing to hear and understand the words of Jesus. I really enjoyed it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

random thoughts

2012-02-16T13:44:00.010-05:00

The big thing is that my sweet Savannah has slept in her bed {without me sleeping on her floor} for 3 nights now! Yay! She has had such a hard time sleeping without either Ken or myself close to her. She had been going to bed about 9:30/10:00, which I know is late, but she's kind of a night owl. {And comes by it naturally. = )} But, the other night she was rubbing her eyes about 8:00 so I got her to bed by 8:30 & she cried for a few minutes & went to sleep. She woke up a couple of hours later crying so I went up to her room, rocked her for a few minutes & laid her back in her bed. Same thing...she cried for a few minutes & went back to sleep & slept all night! The last 2 nights, she slept all night long once she got to sleep. So, I think we're on track with getting her to sleep in her room again. Score!

~~~~~~~~~~

I get super nervous when I have to call people/places other than my family. I have no idea why. I called a hair salon that I used to go to to make an appointment for a hair cut. I have't been there for a few years because my friend from church has been blessing me with free haircuts {she doesn't cut hair anymore.} & I felt all nervous, like I had to explain. Isn't that weird?

~~~~~~~~~~

I've been trying to grow my hair out. I'm not sure why. I go through phases where I think 'so-and-so has thick hair like mine & her long hair is gorgeous. I bet I could grow mine out to look like that.' But I get to a certain point & it drives me up the stinkin' wall. I'm to that point. Plus I have a little wave in my hair so when it gets to a certain length, I get these weird flippy things that I can't deal with. See, I absolutely hate to spend more than 5 minutes on my hair {including blow drying it!} & absolutely love having short hair. So 'm getting it cut short again on Saturday. I found this picture on Pinterest & love, love, love it!

I'm taking the picture in with me on Saturday. It'll feel soooooooo good to have short hair again. Not that it's long by any means, it's barely touching the base of my neck, but I can't wait to get it cut! Happy Thursday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

I hope you all get to spend this Valentine's Day {& every day} loving on & receiving love from your families & loved ones. Most importantly, please spend some time with the Valentine who loves you more than anyone on earth ever could & love Him back.

~John 3:16~

Happy Valentine's Day!

Salvation Is Here

2012-02-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

Salvation Is Here
Hillsong

God above all the world in motion,
God above all my hopes and fears,
Well I don't care what the world throws at me now,
It's gonna be alright!

Hear the sounds of the generations,
Making loud our freedom song,
All in all that the world will know Your name,
We're gonna be alright!

Cause I know my God saved the day,
And I know His word never fails,
And I know my God made a way for me,
Salvation is here.

God above all the world in motion,
God above all my hopes and fears,
Well I don't care what the world throws at me now,
It's gonna be alright!

Cause I know my God saved the day,
And I know His word never fails,
And I know my God made a way for me,
It's gonna be alright!

Cause I know my God saved the day,
And I know His word never fails,
And I know my God made a way for me,
Salvation is here.

Salvation is here
Salvation is here and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Salvation that died just to set me free
Salvation is here
Salvation is here and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Cause You are alive and You live in me
Salvation is here
Salvation is here and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Cause You are alive and You live in me

Cause I know my God saved the day,
And I know His word never fails,
And I know my God made a way for me,
It's gonna be alright!

Cause I know my God saved the day,
And I know His word never fails,
And I know my God made a way for me,
Salvation is here.

Salvation is here and it lives in me,
Salvation is here,
Cause you are alive and you live in me!
Salvation is here.

What a big girl!

2012-02-10T22:31:00.005-05:00

Savannah has changed so much this year!

(You can't read the signs very well, but it's day 1 & 3 months old on the top, 1 yr in the middle & 6 & 9 months on the bottom.)

1 year!

2012-02-07T22:04:00.014-05:00

Savannah-girl, how on earth is it that you are 1 year old already? Just yesterday, your Daddy & I were in the hospital anxiously awaiting your arrival. Seriously. It was just yesterday. You are such a big girl now. You weigh 22 lb, 4 oz & are 30 in long. You are in the 75% for height & weight which is good. You wear size 3 diapers & 12-18 month clothes.

You have got the most fun personality. You love to giggle & play & be silly. = )

You are also somewhat reserved. It takes you a little bit to sort of feel out a new situation, but once you get used to it, you jump right in. You're like Mommy that way.

You wave bye-bye or hi to people wherever we go & flash your beautiful smile. People tell me every time I take you out how cute you are. It's because you are. = ) You are so well-behaved when we go out. That makes Mommy & Daddy so proud of you.

You had the flu for the first time this month & were such a trooper. You only had it bad for 1 day, but weren't quite yourself for about 5 & you didn't get fussy at all. You obviously have Mommy's tolerance for being sick & not Daddy's. ; )

You do so well in the church nursery. You love to play with your friends. Daddy always looks up at the board to see if your number flashes & it never does. He gets you after the sermon & before the worship songs because you love music. You bop up & down to fast songs & sway back & forth to slow ones. You're pretty right on with your moves. Daddy played a Beyonce song from his phone recently because it had a super good beat & you got on your hands & feet & started shaking your bootie in the air. Heaven help us!

You are pulling yourself up onto everything now & I know it won't be long until you take off walking. Walking! You are so curious that Daddy & I know that we won't sit down again for a long time after you take off. = D

You are such a good eater. You're not super crazy about scrambled eggs, but I haven't given you anything else that you don't care for. But...if I give you something to eat & you see something else that you want more (most recently, it was Daddy's soup you wanted instead of sharing Mommy's sandwich), you won't touch what I give you until you get what you really want. Then you eat up what I've given you to begin with. You're too funny!

Savannah Grace, we are so, so, so blessed to be your Mommy & Daddy. God knew exactly what He was doing when He chose you for our family. We can't get enough of your sweet face & delightful giggles. My arms literally ache when I am away from you & when I am with you, I just want to gobble you right up. = ) I pray that you will always be a follower & worshiper of God. We love you more than you'll ever know. xoxo, Mommy

P.S. Some of these pictures we had taken at Sears Portrait Studio. I bet you can't guess which ones. ; )

God Is Able

2012-02-04T22:03:00.003-05:00

God Is Able
by Hillsong

VERSE 1:
God is able
He will never fail
He is almighty God
Greater than all we seek
Greater than all we ask
He has done great things

CHORUS:
Lifted up
Defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name we overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

VERSE 2:
God is with us
God is on our side
He will make a way
Far above all we know
Far above all we hope
He has done great things

CHORUS:
Lifted up
Defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name we overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

BRIDGE:
God is with us
He will go before
He will never leave us
He will never leave us
God is for us
He has open arms
He will never fail us
He will never fail us

CHORUS:
Lifted up
Defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name we overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able
For the Lord
Our God is able
For the Lord
Our God is able

raising a 'good' girl

2012-01-31T12:40:00.003-05:00

My sweet Savannah is displaying some very sure signs of being an independent, determined little girl. She wants to do things her way, when she wants to & is not happy when she can't do something she wants to do. I understand that some of this is simply her age, but my mom calls her a little firecracker & she is right.

I came across this post today about a mom not wanting to raise a good child, but a God-following adult. It is so good. I'm sure that I will come back to this article because I'm sure that my Savannah will be a fountain loving girl. {You'll have to read the article to see what I mean. = )}

Recipes

2012-01-28T17:12:00.007-05:00

I'm sort of in a recipe rut. I'm on a mission to find new yummy stuff to make.

I tried 2 recipes that I found on Pinterest last week & they were not good. = ( In fact when I made the 2nd meal, Ken said, 'Um, I think I'd rather have the leftovers of that gross stuff you made last night over this...' Boo. I totally agreed, so my feelings weren't hurt.

I did find a delicious pizza recipe on a blog that I enjoy reading. We loved it! Savannah tore.it.up! {Thanks for the new recipe, Tea! I've never had goat cheese before & it was sooooooooo good!}

Tonight, I'm making Philly Cheesesteaks, which are always a hit & I've planned some good old standbys for this week.

I recently bought The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. I love her blog! I'm sure I'll find some new favorites in there.

What are some of your favorite recipes?

Hmmm...I was kind of link happy today. = )

Saturday stuff

2012-01-21T21:51:00.012-05:00

Savannah & I met my mom, sister Amy & niece Maddie at Logan's for lunch today. Maddie & Savannah tore up their macaroni & cheese!

I didn't get a picture of Maddie, but she was 2-fisting it! She was so funny!

Then we all went to Sears to get Savannah's 1-year pictures taken. {Is she really almost 1 year old already?!} They turned out sooooo cute! She was funny. She's usually such a ham for the camera but it was a BIG camera & the lady was kind of loud {but very nice & friendly}. Savannah takes a little while to process new things, doesn't do loud real well & hadn't had a nap yet so she wasn't too sure about all of this & was pretty shy. A couple of times, I thought she was going to start crying, but she didn't. We did get some really sweet pictures. And a couple hammy ones. = D I got a CD of all of the pics & I'll post them, but I'm not sure if I want to before her birthday or not. = )

And my little sweetie fell asleep pretty well in her crib about an hour & a half ago. She's starting to fuss, though. We'll see how long it lasts...or how long Mommy lasts...

OK, she's stopped fussing & Mommy didn't go upstairs. Both good signs. = )

new stuff

2012-01-16T17:27:00.006-05:00

It's a big day in our house. Savannah & I went out & bought her 1-year birthday dress. Isn't it adorable?

The big news is that Miss Savannah has her 3rd tooth! Finally! She's been working on it for a while & we've been able to see her top teeth for a couple of weeks now. But...a bottom tooth broke through today... {Those top teeth are being so stubborn!}

You can actually see it better in the picture above, but here's a closeup...

Her new thing is that she points at you & when you point back, she will reach out to touch fingers with you. When our fingers touch, we make a buzzing sound {like you're getting electrocuted} & she cracks up so hard! It's so funny! I was doing it here trying to get another picture of her new tooth. But you can't see it.

Like I said, we've been able to see her teeth for a while now, so I'm thinking they're going to start popping out like popcorn. = D

sledding & birthdays

2012-01-15T17:29:00.001-05:00

We took Savannah sledding for the first time today. Actually, we pulled her around the front yard for a few minutes. She loved it!

She really liked it when Daddy pulled her 'fast' & over the ~~small bump in the yard~~ hill. = )

Mommy didn't go as fast. = )

Afterwards, we went to my parents house to have some pizza & cake for my sister Amy's 30th birthday. Her little girl, Maddie, was sitting on her lap eating some cake. At one point she decided, 'Forget the fork. I'm going for broke!', grabbed the piece of cake & tried to shove the entire thing in her mouth. It was hysterical! = D

Here's my dad with both of the babies. I love this picture.

I hope you all had a blessed Sunday!

Yeah, I know this is random...

2012-01-15T15:36:00.007-05:00

I got a 3 Tier Bake and Fill Cake Pan from my mom for Christmas. You get a 2-part cake pan that looks like this:

You put the inner part inside the outer part, add your cake batter, bake & when you're through, you have a hole in the center that you can fill with fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc. You get a beautiful cake that looks something like this:

We're going to my parent's house tonight for my sister's birthday party & I volunteered to make the cake. I thought it would be a great opportunity to use my new pan. I chose chocolate cake & am going to fill the center with strawberries.

First of all, the cake doesn't bake all the way up to the top, so my 3rd tier is only about half of what the picture shows. And the instructions say that when you take the cake from the oven, you just need to leave it in the pan for 5-10 minutes before taking it out. Let it cool completely. I'm just sayin'. {I'll be doing some gluing back together with frosting. Just a little on the top tier, though... = )}

It'll still taste yummy & that's what counts. = )

Have a great Sunday!

Sleeping Beauty

2012-01-14T15:51:00.003-05:00

So my sweet girl has ended up sleeping in our bed. It started about 1-2 months ago when she had croup. She couldn't sleep very long laying down because she would start coughing. So we'd bring her down to sleep in her bouncy seat & one of us would sleep on the couch next to her in case she started coughing needed to sit up quickly.

Well, Savannah got used to being next to one of us at night & now she wants that every night. She sleeps really well in her crib during the day {although right this second, she is upstairs crying because she doesn't want to take a nap...}, but she will not sleep there at night. I will lay her down & she reaches for me & sobs & sobs & sobs. I can't take that. When I peek in her room & she's sitting on her knees with HUGE tears rolling down her face, I just have to scoop her up & give her some love.

We decided a couple of weeks ago to just let her sleep in our bed with one of us so ~~we can get some dang sleep~~ Savannah can feel secure. Either Ken or myself will sleep on the couch because our little 21 lb 3 oz, 28 1/2 inch long sweetheart is a HUGE bedhog. = D

2 nights ago was my turn to sleep with Savannah. She would sit up {in her sleep!} & flop down me & then flop on her pillow & then smack me with her arm & then pull my hair {HARD!} & then roll over next to me & then sit up...you get the idea. She.just.would.not.stop.moving. It drove me crazy! I felt wild inside & finally I got up & got her a bottle. Ken took her back to bed saying, 'I think you should sleep on the couch.' I took him up on it.

All that to say, we have got to get this little sweetie sleeping in her bed at night. It's crazy to me that the person sleeping on the couch gets the best sleep. Plus, Savannah can't be getting super great sleep if she's all over the place. I just don't know how to get her comfortable in her bed at night. We have a heater in there, I put a fuzzy blanket underneath her. I've tried putting the pillow she sleeps on in our bed in her crib. I've tried rocking her downstairs until she is knocked out & then putting her in bed. I've tried laying her down awake. She just cries so hard & is so upset. I'm just not sure how to get my Savannah-girl sleeping back in her bed. Any ideas?

I know I'm late...

2012-01-09T23:00:00.003-05:00

...but I just posted about Savannah's first Christmas. = )

11 months

2012-01-07T12:59:00.001-05:00

Savannah Grace, you are 11 months old today! Time sure flies when you're having fun. I know that someday, if you ever read this blog, you're going to think, 'Mom said that every.single.month.' You are the best baby ever. I know all mommys think that about their babies, but really, you are.

You are still in size 3 diaper & wear mostly 12 month & some 18 month clothes. You are growing like a weed & we just got you your next size car seat. We still want you to face the back of the van for a while yet, but you are loving the extra room in your new seat. No more trying to stuff you in the infant one. = )

You love to play games. In fact, that's why the picture above is so blurry. You just wouldn't hold still. I would set you down in the middle of the bed & you would take off crawling as fast as you could before I could get a picture. I would bring you back & you would giggle & giggle. You thought that game was really funny!

You crawl around like a mad woman. You keep trying to get Daddy's computer even though you know you're not supposed to. It's so funny because I will tell you 'no', try to distract you with your toys or Mommy's purse & the second I walk out of the room, I hear you tearing across the floor to get the laptop. You are one determined little girl. You get that from me. = D

You do not like the word, 'no' & when we take you away from something that you really want, but can't have, you arch your back & cry & cry. We are going to have to curb that little temper...

You are an excellent eater. We pretty much give you whatever we're having. Sometimes, if you're ready to eat before we are, I'll give you one of the Gerber 3 foods like Chicken, Vegetables & Stars. You still come up to Mommy & Daddy like a little puppy when we sit down to eat though. = D Some of your favorites are peanut butter toast, pizza {That's my girl!}, chicken, & spaghetti. Daddy hates it when your face gets super messy, but I think it's adorable...

You are a pretty good sleeper, however... you have ended up in our bed & one of us sleeps on the couch every night. You are going through a phase where you simply want to be close to one of us. We both love snuggling with you in bed, but you are quite the bed hog, my dear! You sleep in your crib very well during the day & hopefully you will go back to sleeping in your own bed at night soon.

Your 2 top teeth are trying & trying & trying to come in, but they just haven't yet. We can see the white on your gums, so I think it'll be soon.

I don't think I've ever mentioned this on here, but you do. not. like. hats. For the longest time, whenever you saw your Papa, you would cry & cry. We just couldn't figure it out. I made the connection one day when your brother put on a hat to try & make you laugh & you burst into tears. Now Papa doesn't wear hats around you & you adore him. = ) If anyone is wearing a hat around you {even Daddy}, you get so upset. It's the strangest thing, but there's just something about them that you do not care for.

You are Mommy's girl for sure. You like to be doing your own thing, but in whatever room I'm in. If I go out into the kitchen, you crawl out there to be with me. I ♥ it!

Savannah-girl, I can't say it enough, we are so blessed to be your Mommy & Daddy. You are the sweetest baby & have such a fun personality. We love you so, so, so much. xoxo, Mommy

I did it.

2012-01-04T23:22:00.002-05:00

I merged all 3 of my blogs into this one. It was very easy actually. It took me about 10 minutes & that's only because I wanted to check random posts to make sure stuff transferred over correctly {like pictures}. I've hid my other 2 blogs for now. I didn't delete them yet because I'm not sure if I want to try to fix links that I've made between the blogs...or just leave everything as is & y'all can ask if something doesn't make sense.

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out {maybe through Draft Blogger} what posts are linked to a blog? That way if I decide to fix the links, I won't have to read through the entire blog...

But I'll probably leave it as it is. It's easier that way. = )

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:36:00.003-05:00

I think I've mentioned before that I get daily e-mails from Internet Cafe Devotions. I love them! Last week, this picture was in one of the devotions...

If you look at the verse before as well it says,

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

I love that. Especially as 2011 has ended & 2012 is beginning. So many people make resolutions. Sometimes I do & sometimes I don't. This year, I've just sort of set some goals for myself. The 2 big ones are:

I need to get back into having a daily time with God. It's so hard to sit down & study the Bible with a baby. I pray all the time, but I'm having a hard time getting in God's Word on a regular basis.
I'd love to lose the extra 20 pounds of baby weight that I'm still carrying around. Did I just put that on the internet? = ( When I was first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at age 20, I was on a very strict diet: absolutely nothing fried. I probably didn't eat McDonald's at all for 2 years. My fast food was Subway. I honestly never felt better. I had tons of energy. So it's no wonder that since McDonald's is a staple now that I don't feel that great.

So I love that verse in Isaiah because it says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past..." Don't dwell on the fact that 2011 was a hard year for studying the Bible. Don't dwell on the fact that I didn't exercise hardly at all & ate junk.

"I am doing a new thing." When I look to God alone for help, I see that He is doing a new thing in me. He helps me prioritize & gives me the strength I need to take care of myself spiritually & physically.

I look forward to seeing what God's going to do not only in these 2 areas, but in all areas of my life in 2012. I want to be more like Jesus this year than I was last year. I can't wait to see the new things He's going to do this year.

What new things do you look forward to seeing God do in your life this year?

Savannah's 1st Christmas

2011-12-26T13:10:00.005-05:00

This year, we celebrated with our families on Christmas Eve. Here's my little Savannah in front of our Christmas tree. She wouldn't hold still for anything. She was so excited!

Sitting on big sister Sarah's lap at Ken's parent's house.

We tried to get a picture of Savannah in the middle of all of her presents, but she kept crawling away. = )

After opening all of her presents, Savannah was perfectly content playing with a water bottle! = D

It was Sophie's first Christmas too.

Here's my handsome husband holding his granddaughter Sophia & his daughter Savannah.

I took Savannah to a pottery studio in the mall called 'Your Plate or Mine' & I made plates for her grandparents. I made a Christmas tree out of her footprints. I think Grandma & Papa really liked it. = )

Then we went to my parent's house where we had our traditional fondue dinner. We've been doing this every Christmas Eve (sometimes during the past few years, it's been on Christmas Day) since my sisters & I were little. It's my favorite Christmas tradition. So yummy!

We needed 2 tables this year!

Savannah was a little overwhelmed with all of the presents!

Savannah & my niece Maddie opening their present. It was a princess castle to play in at Grandma & Grandpa's.

The living room was pretty packed. = )

Here's my mom with her plate.

M poor baby was exhausted at the end of the day. She just snuggled up with my sister Carey.

We opened a couple of gifts on Christmas Day at our house. We got Savannah a little board book Bible. It's so cute!

It was a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:20:00.004-05:00

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Christmas Survey

2011-12-15T16:55:00.003-05:00

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes, but barely.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions. Fondue with my side of the family on Christmas Eve & gathering in the living room afterward to read the Christmas Story.

3. When do you put up your tree? Thanksgiving weekend

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper? Heck no! There isn't anything that I need that bad!

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel...but just across town. = )

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory? I think it was when I was still in high school, but our Christmas tree kept tipping over- it fell over like 4 times. My mom ended up bungee cording it to the entertainment center. = D

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time? Elf.

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking and what's your favorite treat? I used to make tons when my kids were younger, but I haven't done any in the past few years. I'd say my favorites are Pillsbury's cream cheese sugar cookies (these were the cutouts that my sisters & I made with Mom growing up) & Saltine Toffee.

9. Fake or real tree? Fake...but I burn pine-scented candles so it smells like we have a real tree. = )

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done? I don't really panic. I panicked more when I was trying to be Martha Stewart & bake a million things & send out tons of homemade cards.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? Yup.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas? Opening presents with the family & watching the kids. It'll be more fun this year with all of the babies - my 10-month-old daughter, 7-month-old granddaughter & 15-month-old niece.

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best? I don't really do any Christmas Crafts anymore. I used to make my own cards with rubber stamps. My sister-in-law made cute ribbon Christmas trees last year that I love.

14. Christmas music, yes or no? If yes, what is your favorite song? Yes, yes, yes! I love 'O Come All Ye Faithful' & Jingle Bell Rock. = )

15. When do you plan on finishing your shopping? It'll probably be the week before Christmas.

good reminder

2011-12-07T22:47:00.003-05:00

I came across this on Pinterest (pinned from here) & I loved it. Such a good reminder.

10 months

2011-12-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

Savannah-girl, are you really 10 months already? My little baby will never be in the single-digit months again. Sigh...

You are wearing size 3 diapers & 12 month clothes. You are 21 pounds, 10 ounces & 28 1/2 inches long. Your doctor says you are in the 75th percentile for your weight & the 95th percentile for your height.

You are the sweetest baby. You love to snuggle. I love it when you wake up in the mornings & I bring you downstairs to the rocking chair. You pop your thumb in your mouth, lay your head on my shoulder & we spend a few minutes snuggling before you eat. I ♥ that!

You have TONS of personality! You babble like crazy & love to make faces & be silly!

This was a big month for you. You had your first Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving was also the day that we finally got a picture of all 6 of us. = )

You started crawling this month. You were up on your hands & knees & you would move 1 knee forward & then the other. Then you'd sit back down on your bottom. I told Daddy that when you saw that one thing you really wanted, that you'd take off. It was only a couple of days later that Daddy was eating breakfast in the living room & set his glass of orange juice on the floor. Well, that was the one thing you really wanted...you just crawled right over to it! Daddy & I are so thankful that we were both there to see it. It was so special.

Of course, this means that you are into absolutely everything now! There are so many things to explore. You are having a great time!

You adore your Grandpa. When I take you over to his & Grandma's house before I go to work, I take you out of your car seat for a last snuggle, but you are always looking for Grandpa. When you see him, you lean towards him with your arms out.

This is your first Christmas too. Mommy bought you a book several months ago about the Christmas Story & I read it to you a lot. Santa's fun & all (& I'm sure we'll do that too), but Daddy & I want you to know the true meaning of Christmas.

You love Christmas trees. You do pretty good with them too. At our house, Mommy tried to put non-breakable stuff on the bottom so you can crawl over & touch the ornaments.

Grandma lets you touch her ornaments, too...

Savannah Grace, you are the best gift that I have ever been given. Daddy & I are so grateful to God for blessing us with you. Happy 10-month birthday, my sweet girl. Love, Mommy

Time to merge?

2011-12-01T16:18:00.003-05:00

So, I've had 3 separate blogs for a while now ~ this one, Sweet Savannah & a running blog {that I don't use much anymore}. I was thinking I'd use this blog for general stuff, Sweet Savannah for baby stuff & my running blog for...well...running.

But...

...since my Savannah has been born, I'm finding it harder & harder to keep that blog separate. I mean, she is obviously part of my everyday life. Of everything I do & think & a huge part of what God is doing in my life.

So I'm thinking about merging all 3 of my blogs into one. This one. I need to do some reading to see how it would work, to make sure everything will transfer over or not. Has anyone ever done this? If so, did it work?

The Lucado Inspirational Reader by Max Lucado

2011-11-25T21:51:00.004-05:00

Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors & “The Lucado Inspirational Reader” is a collection of quotes, illustrations & stories from all of his books organized by topic. I absolutely loved this book! Some of the chapters include: The Bible, Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, Family, God’s Love, Miracles, Peace, Second Chances, Spiritual Refreshment & Worship. It is a great book to either sit down & read a little here & there, or read several pages at a time.

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book are:

From the chapter on Family - p. 150 (last 2 lines of the quote):

The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own. -Cure For The Common Life

Grace – p. 193: Listen. You have not been sprinkled with forgiveness. You have not been spattered with grace. You have not been dusted with kindness. You have been immersed in it. You are submerged in mercy. You are a minnow in the ocean of his mercy. Let it change you! -A Love Worth Giving

You can’t help but feel God’s love when you read Max’s book. It’s a wonderful book & it would make a great gift.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:02:00.001-05:00

"Let not feasting, football & festivity

end in the forgetfulness of God."

~Senate Chaplain, Peter Marshall

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.
~Psalm 107:1

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

With Us

2011-11-20T21:34:00.002-05:00

Here's another song we sing at church that I LOVE!

With Us
Hillsong

VERSE 1:
Before the world
You knew the plans for me
Before my heart believed
You came to my rescue
And now I'm found in love
There's nowhere else to run
You keep my life within
Your mighty hand
Oh God

CHORUS:
There's no end to Your love
There's no end to Your love
You're with us
You're with us
There's nothing in this world
That could take You away
You're with us
You're with us

VERSE 2:
Before I call
I know You'll answer me
You'll make a way
Beyond what I could imagine
What could separate
From the love You give
I put my hope in everything
That You are
Oh God

CHORUS:
There's no end to Your love
There's no end to Your love
You're with us
You're with us
There's nothing in this world
That could take You away
You're with us
You're with us

BRIDGE:
You reign in our hearts
You reign above all
Be lifted on high

CHORUS:
There's no end to Your love
There's no end to Your love
You're with us
You're with us
There's nothing in this world
That could take You away
You're with us
You're with us

His mercies are new

2011-11-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
~Lamentations 3:22-23

Today...

2011-11-18T13:36:00.001-05:00

...I'm very frustrated.

Help me Jesus.

That's all.

Dear health insurance company,

2011-11-17T17:52:00.005-05:00

You have been such a blessing to our family & we are truly grateful.

However, my 9-month-old daughter was diagnosed with croup today. I can't get her nebulizer here in town because none of the surgical supply companies can bill our health plan. I had to fax her prescription to a company 1 hour away.

And...her medication needs a prior authorization from you before the pharmacy will fill it. Hello! It's a medication to help her breathe! Don't you think that's kind of important?

It is now more than 6 hours since Savannah's doctor appointment. We still do not have her medication and her nebulizer hasn't been delivered yet. She feels terrible, sounds terrible & I can't do much for her right now.

This mommy is NOT a happy camper.

I just thought you should know.

Holding Nothing Back

2011-11-14T15:30:00.003-05:00

I played with the praise team at church this weekend for the first time since Savannah was born. It was so good to be back & we played a sweet set of songs. This was one of them. I ♥ it! It sort of makes me wish I played guitar! = D

Holding Nothing Back
Jesus Culture

I am chosen, I am free
I am Living for eternity
Free now forever

You picked me up, turned me around
You set my feet on solid ground
Yours now forever

And nothing’s gonna hold me back
Nothing’s gonna hold me back
Nothing’s gonna hold me back

My chains fell off
My heart was free
I’m alive to live for You
I’m alive to live for You
Amazing Love, how can it be?
You give everything for me
You give everything for me
Everything

You washed my sin and shame away
The slate is clean: a brand new day,
Free now forever
Now boldly I approach your throne
To claim this crown through Christ my own
Yours now forever

And nothing’s gonna hold me back
Nothing’s gonna hold me back
Nothing’s gonna hold me back

My chains fell off
My heart was free
I’m alive to live for You
I’m alive to live for You
Amazing Love, how can it be?
You give everything for me
You give everything for me

I’m free to live
Free to give
Free to be
I’m free to love you

fear

2011-11-11T21:16:00.006-05:00

I came across this quote by Joyce Meyer either on Facebook or Twitter {maybe both}...

When we allow fear to rule us, we unwittingly receive what Satan has planned for our lives instead of what God has planned.

It really spoke to me because ever since Savannah was born I have been doing battle with fear like you. would. not. believe.

When we learned Savannah was on the way, I was overjoyed, but I also was anxious because we had 2 pregnancies where the baby never started growing. So of course I was concerned with her growth. When we had our first ultrasound at 8 weeks & saw her strong little heartbeat, I felt like I could breathe again. We had some scary stuff happen around 13 weeks & ended up in the emergency room, but praise God, everything was OK & we got to see our beautiful little baby again. As my pregnancy progressed, I felt nothing but peace & joy.

Since she was born, I have felt love like I've never felt before.

I've also felt fear. Extreme fear.

I was not expecting that.

I have been so afraid that either something would happen to my sweet daughter. Or something would happen to me & she would grow up without the love of her mother. I have feared things happening health-wise. And ever since the Memorial Day gunshots in front of our concession stand by the lake, I have feared random things happening. The next evening, I was taking a bath with Savannah & I did battle with the devil like I never have before. I had to speak out loud against fear for an hour before I felt the peace of God rule in my heart.

Plus all of the missing kids cases lately just add to my fear.

You wouldn't believe the crazy things that have gone through my head. Seriously.

I'm not a perfect Christian by any means, but I love God with all my heart. And fear is not from Him. It is from the devil. So when I read that

"When we allow fear to rule us, we unwittingly receive what Satan has planned for our lives instead of what God has planned."

it made me look at things in a different way. You see, I want God to rule my life, not Satan. I don't want the devil to have the teensiest, tiniest foothold in my life. I don't want to receive anything from him. I want to receive only from God. I need to continually give my fears over to God. Philippians 4:6-7 says,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When I bring my fears to the foot of the cross, I actually empty myself so He can fill me with His peace. His peace is what guards my heart & my mind against anything not pleasing to Him. That includes fear.

The next verse {Philippians 4:8} says,

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

So, not only do I need to bring my anxiety to God, I need to meditate on what is true, to fill my mind with things that are holy. Then there won't be any room for fear.

Father, please forgive me for being afraid. Thank you for Your peace that covers all of my fear. Please help me to fill my mind with things that draw me closer to You. I love You.

To all of our veterans & troops still serving...

2011-11-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day.

9 months

2011-11-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

Savannah Grace, you are 9 months old today. I can't believe it. {I know, I know, I say that every month!} You are such a big girl. You are still wearing size 3 diapers & are in mostly 9-12 month clothes. We don't see your dr for another few weeks, so I don't know how big you are yet, but you have grown for sure!

You are the sweetest baby & so full of personality. You charm almost everyone you see everywhere we go. You give the biggest smiles. Sometimes, if you don't know someone, you put your head against me & act shy. It's so sweet.

You do, I'm afraid, have a bit of a temper sometimes. Mommy is praying that God will show her how to direct that spirit in a way that glorifies Jesus even when you are upset.

When someone comes to you & you want to be held, you reach up. I absolutely love it.

You are a really good eater. I've figured out that the veggies aren't so bad for you if I give them to you along with a fruit. You polish them right off.

We started giving you puffs to snack on & at first, you made the most terrible faces, but you like them now. You are starting to get them into your mouth all by yourself...most of the time. = )

We've started introducing you to a sippy cup when you eat. You've just been biting it, but today, for the first time, you drank out of it.

You love all of your family so much but you're giving Grandpa a really funny look here...

You are getting very close to crawling. You sit with your left leg behind you & your right leg bent in front of you & push yourself up onto your knees. When you figure out how to get your right leg behind you, watch out world!

You are making more & more sounds & you are definitely in touch with your 'outside voice'! = D This week, you've started to say 'bababababa', 'dadadadada' & 'mamamamama'. I can't wait to hear your sweet voice call me.

You've started doing this thing where you tilt your head to one side & when we copy you, then you start doing it back & forth. It's so funny!

Savannah-girl, Mommy & Daddy are madly in love with you & your sweet personality. We love to see you explore the world around you & learn to do new things. We are so thankful to God for blessing us with you. You are so special & we love you very, very much. xoxo, Mommy

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:33:00.000-04:00

So up until a few years ago, I wasn't that into Halloween. At all. Until I read "Redeeming Halloween". There's lots of good ideas in that book of how to celebrate as a Christian.

And, of course all of my reservations went out the window when my sweet Savannah came along. I mean, how cute is this duck outfit? = )

And her little trick or treat shirt?

And this picture with her cousin, Maddie?

And this cute pumpkin bag & stuffed dog wearing a pumpkin outfit?

We obviously didn't take Savannah trick or treating. We just took her over to my parent's house & then to Ken's parent's house to get her picture taken in her costume. It was fun!

Whether you chose to participate or not, I hope you had a very blessed day!

This is so true...

2011-10-30T18:37:00.000-04:00

I got this from one of my weekly baby e-mails. It's so true. There's nothing like my sweet girl's smile & arms raised for me to pick her up. I also thought this cartoon was great because Savannah always takes a bath with me so it was especially fitting. = )

hmmm...

2011-10-29T16:38:00.003-04:00

This is so true sometimes, unfortunately.

Lord Jesus, I want to hear Your voice. Please help me to not be so distracted, but to be still & listen.

Our Last Great Hope by Ronnie Floyd

2011-10-29T14:42:00.007-04:00

Ronnie Floyd’s book “Our Last Great Hope: Awakening The Great Commission” is about Matthew 16:19, which says, “Therefore go & make disciples of all nations.” It is challenging those of us who believe in Jesus to stop being so comfortable, get out of our comfort zones & start telling people about the saving grace of Jesus.

Ronnie also talked in detail about Acts 1:8 which says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We, as Christians are supposed to be witnesses not only in our own cities (Jerusalem), but in our country (Judea) & to the ends of the earth.

The chapter that probably spoke to me the most was “Transform Our Families”. As a Mom to 3 teenagers & an 8 1/2-month-old, it was good to read a chapter on being a disciple so I can teach my children how to be disciples as well. It challenged me to ”Impress them (God’s commands) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Ronnie shared several examples from his own life & church which I enjoyed. I thought it was a very good book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

2011-10-21T21:43:00.003-04:00

I've discovered a new fun website ~ Pinerest. It's a fun way to sort of bookmark things you like from the internet. People can follow you & you can follow other people to see stuff they like. I just signed up but I'm already finding all sorts of fun things.

I was explaining it to Ken & he just looked at me & said, 'You don't need anything else to play around with.'

He's right. ; )

Grace for the Day

2011-10-21T21:01:00.002-04:00

This is really good: Grace for the Day.

yum!

2011-10-18T22:10:00.005-04:00

I saw this recipe on The Rachael Ray Show yesterday & it looked so yummy {& easy!} that I had to make it for supper tonight. It was delish!

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Serves: 6-8
2 pints cherry tomatoes, stemmed
6 cloves garlic, left in their skins
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling, about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
2 small to medium firm zucchini, diced into small, bite-sized pieces
1 small eggplant (3/4 pound), partially peeled and diced
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
1 pound rigatoni with lines
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Heat oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, spread out tomatoes and dress with a couple of tablespoons EVOO, thyme, salt and pepper. Place garlic on the baking sheet. Roast tomatoes 25-30 minutes until charred and beginning to burst. Remove from oven and separate garlic from tomatoes. When cool enough to touch remove the skins.

On a separate sheet pan, arrange zucchini, eggplant, peppers and onions. Dress with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until brown at edges and tender.

When vegetables have roasted 15 minutes, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving a cup of starchy cooking liquid.

Place roasted tomatoes in a serving bowl while still hot and mash with garlic using a potato masher. Add reserved starchy water and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta and vegetables. Top the pasta with an extra drizzle of EVOO, parsley and cheese.

I made a few changes:

I forgot to buy the fresh herbs, so I just used dried thyme & skipped the parsley.
I accidentally bought a nasty eggplant {Hey, I've never bought one before!}, so I just skipped it.
I had whole wheat penne pasta on hand, so I used that.
I used the grated Parmesan cheese in a can. = )

It was absolutely delicious & I even have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Score!

By the way, the picture is off of the website, mine didn't look anything like that! = D

Savannah's Halloween Costume

2011-10-13T17:45:00.000-04:00

Savannah LOVES it when Ken quacks at her so when I saw this costume at Meijer, I thought it was perfect. But...I was not going to pay $30 to basically dress her up & take her to her grandparent's houses to take pictures. I posted on Facebook this am that I was looking for a duck costume for cheap & my friend from church passed on a link from Craig's List where it was being sold for only $10. SCORE! I picked it up this afternoon & I can't wait to see my sweet girl in it!

plans

2011-10-13T11:26:00.001-04:00

My Facebook friend shared this today. I thought it was good.

what's for dinner

2011-10-10T22:03:00.004-04:00

Tonight, I made BBQ pork chops on my grill pan {don't even ask me how much smoke that thing puts off!}, corn & chocolate chip cookies.

I don't think I've ever shared my BBQ sauce recipe here. It's sooooo yummy. I have a book called 'Miserly Moms' that I got the recipe from:

1 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed {I just chop them & cook them in a teensy bit of olive oil until they start to sizzle.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in saucepan & simmer for 15 minutes.

It's honestly better than any bottled BBQ sauce I've had. I've probably bought BBQ sauce only a couple of times since I found this recipe. It's sooo good. And I usually have everything on hand anyway. I like to use it on chicken or pork chops. I just cook the meat until it's almost done & then brush the BBQ sauce on, turn the meat, brush some on the 2nd side, turn, brush, etc. I do this a few times so it gets nice & sticky on the meat. YUM!

struggles

2011-10-08T21:00:00.003-04:00

It's so easy to put on a 'good face' in blogland. It is for me anyway. It's easy to write about the good stuff. It's not so easy to write about our struggles & difficulties. I want to be real on my blog. Not that I haven't been, it's just that I tend to write more when things are going well. I want to break out of that. I love it when I come across a blog where the writer is completely honest. Because, to tell you the truth, it makes me feel more normal. Not so alone, you know?

Here's the thing: it's been really hard for me to be close to God these last several months. Since my sweet Savannah has joined our family, it's been so hard for me to spend meaningful time in God's word & in prayer. Sure, I talk to God all the time throughout the day, but I just can't seem to sit down & just be with Him. To sit at His feet & listen to his voice. To really study His Word.

I realize that most of it is just plain discipline. As my husband pointed out when he just came in & glanced over my shoulder, being close to God is a choice. I have a little card on my refrigerator that says, 'Refuse distraction. Choose time with God.' The thing is, many times I choose distraction. When Savannah goes down for her nap, sometimes I do things that need to be done around the house & sometimes I choose to do something that is fun for me, like blogging or Facebook or Twitter.

I want to be like Mary & choose the one thing that is needed. I don't want to be so distracted & scattered.

Lord, please help me. I want to be close to you. You said in Your Word that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. Help me to discipline myself to choose You & refuse distraction. Thank You for loving me in spite of my shortcomings. I love You.

8 months

2011-10-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

Savannah-girl, I can't believe it has already been 8 months since you came into this world. These months have flown by, yet it seems like you have been with us forever. You are getting to be such a big girl. You look less & less like a newborn every day. It makes me a little sad, yet at the same time it is so much fun to see you grow & learn new things. You are in 9-12 month clothes & size 3 diapers.

You are a good eater. You have had all of the 1st stage baby foods. You're not too crazy about beans & peas; the orange veggies, bananas & peaches are OK & you really like pears & applesauce. You will eat what we feed you even if you don't really like it ~ you will open your mouth, but you have this look on your face like 'Do I really have to eat this?' It cracks me up.

Anything & everything goes into your mouth!

You are so determined & curious. You are very determined to get to where you want to go. You sort of scootch across the floor on your little tooshie. Today, I put you on your quilt on the living room floor, went to my bedroom for a minute, & when I came back, I couldn't see you because you had already scootched over so you were sitting in front of the chair!

This has been a big month for you. You have gotten 2 teeth...

...& started pushing yourself up on your hands & knees.

You are a thumb-sucker, which I ♥! You only do it when you're tired or your teeth are bothering you. I think it's the most adorable thing in the world! = )

Your Daddy is a big football fan & he taught you the touchdown sign. When we say, 'TOUCHDOWN!', you raise your arms high with a HUGE grin!!

My sweet girl, you are a huge bundle of energy. You love to 'wrestle' with Daddy & are very ticklish. You get that from me! = )

You can roll over, but choose not to. You've only done it about 6 times. You get most of the way over & then decide, 'Nope. I think I'll stay on my back.'

You've been in the nursery at church for about 6 weeks now. They haven't had to put your number up in the service one time. You are such a good baby.

You charm everyone you meet everywhere we go. Just the other day when you & Mommy were at Barnes & Noble for a little 'girl time', a lady asked me if you were always this good. 'Of course!' I replied. You are the best baby. You only fuss when you are over tired, {which isn't often because you go to sleep in your bed so well} or hungry. Daddy & I are pretty good at reading your cues, so you aren't fussy often at all.

Savannah Grace, we are so, so, so blessed & thankful to be your Mommy & Daddy. You have us wrapped completely around your chubby little finger. I pray every day that you will grow up to worship God & love Him with all of your heart. Happy 8-month birthday my sweet girl! I love you with all of my heart. xoxo, Mommy

I'm the receptionist...

2011-10-06T11:28:00.004-04:00

If you don't know already, I work at an assisted living home as a part-time receptionist. I was full-time, but 3 months after Savannah was born, Ken & I decided that part-time would be a better balance for me. And it has worked out extremely well. But, that has nothing to do with this post. = )

I really ♥ my job. I ♥ the residents, their families & my co-workers {most of the time = )}. I'd really ♥ it if my phone was a pretty purple one like the one above, but it's not. Sigh...

There are a few things about my job that ~~drive me up the dang wall~~ make me ever-so-slightly nuts. And I don't think people realize it because they're not receptionists themselves. So I thought I'd take a minute to enlighten the non-receptionist world. = )

Just because I sit at the front doesn't mean every.single.thing is my fault. If maintenance doesn't fix your shower quick enough, I can't do anything about it. But I will gladly put in another work order for you & if I see one of them run by, I will let them know you're still waiting. If you've left a message for so-and-so & they haven't called you back yet, well, I can't physically make them do it so I don't know what to tell you. Would you like their voice mail again? I'll be happy to transfer you. If you don't like the food, I'm not the one that does the cooking, so would you like to go to the menu meetings on Tuesdays? You can share your ideas with the chef.
If the fire alarms are going off because of the monthly checks, please don't call me. I can't hear you anyway. If the building is on fire & you need to evacuate, we will quickly let you know. And trust me, the alarms are driving me crazy too.
I am the receptionist, not human resources. I am happy to assist you with where to find what jobs are available, but please don't call & grill me about available jobs or every little detail about how to fill out the application online. Go to our website ~ it's self-explanatory. If we're interested in interviewing you, human resources will contact you.
Please, please, PLEASE DON'T call & say, 'yeah, someone called me from this number?' Um, did they leave a message? No? ~~Well then, how on God's green earth am I supposed to know who it was? Do you really have nothing better to do than call back phone numbers that show up on your caller ID?~~ We have over 60 people that work in our building, so I have no idea who it would be. Sorry. Someone could have just dialed your number by mistake.

That's all I have to share. Thanks for listening. Oh yeah, & be super nice to your receptionist today. = D

LOVE!

2011-10-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

My ♥ belongs completely to this blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked bundle of sweetness!

Forever Reign

2011-10-02T18:11:00.002-04:00

Forever Reign
Hillsong

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My heart will sing
no other Name
Jesus, Jesus

Oh, I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

Sunday stuff

2011-10-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

My sweet girl's hair is getting long on top & I discovered that I can put a little barrette in it & give her a cute ponytail on top. LOVE IT!! = )

I was in the kitchen this afternoon & Ken was watching the football game with Savannah playing on the floor. He called me into the living room because someone started to push herself up onto her hands & knees...

Savannah is so busy that when she get mobile, watch out world!

Ken taught her, 'Touchdown!' so she was cheering with Daddy today. = D

new stuff

2011-09-28T21:58:00.000-04:00

We have finally put Savannah's crib together & started putting her upstairs in her own room to sleep. It was so hard for me because Savannah's been in our room every night since she's been born, with the exception of the occasional night when she didn't want to sleep & I slept with her in the living room.

I've been sleeping on the couch for the last few weeks because my sweet girl squeaks in her sleep. I can't relax enough to fall asleep because I constantly listen for her to see if she's waking up. And I just decided I needed to do what I needed to do in order to get some sleep. So even though I've been in the other room lately, I still cried the night we put her upstairs for the first time...before we even put her to bed!

It took a few nights, but she's done pretty well. The 1st night she was only up there for 2 hours because she was stuffy & couldn't breathe very well. The 2nd night she lasted a little longer & the 3rd night a little longer still. The last 2 nights, she's basically slept through the night upstairs {needing to eat in the middle of the night once & needing a little snuggle last night}. But she went right back to sleep both times. Yay! We'll see how tonight goes.

The other thing is that our one-toothed wonder, as Daddy calls her, now has 2 teeth! I ~~wrestled with our daughter to try & push her tongue out of the way~~ peeked at her tooth this afternoon & there was another one that had broken through today right beside it.

Savannah basically had a little cold & runny nose before each tooth broke through. As my manager says, 'Every doctor in the world will tell you that the cold has nothing to do with teething & every mother in the world will tell you otherwise.' But she has done really well. She is so wild you can hardly tell she doesn't feel quite like herself. = D

Boo. = (

2011-09-26T16:46:00.005-04:00

I thought for sure I had 2 bags of Hot Citrus Punch in the freezer & I was sooooo excited! It's sooooo yummy & it's a really good day for it!

Turns out it was chicken broth. Sigh...

Sunday

2011-09-25T22:49:00.005-04:00

We stayed home from church today. We all have colds, except Savannah who just cut her first tooth, so she is not quite herself either. It's always so strange for me when we don't go to church. It's such a big part of our lives that my week seems off when we don't go. {I even checked the mailbox today.}

It got me to thinking how easy it would have been so many Sundays since the birth of our sweet daughter to just stay home. So many mornings, I wake up completely exhausted. Sundays have always been the day when my tiredness from the week seems to catch up to me. It would be so easy to just snuggle down under the covers & go back to sleep.

Only I decided not to do that. I decided to get up & get ready no matter how I felt.

Because...

...I have to teach my baby girl how to follow God. I want her to know what it means to get together with fellow believers & worship the God who created her. I want her to look forward to hearing the word of God each week & to know what it means to fellowship with her church family. And she will learn by watching me.

Of course we are to worship God every day, not just on Sundays. If we aren't following God during the week, it doesn't do much good to just show up on Sunday. But the Bible says we are to meet regularly with fellow believers. I'm so glad we have such an awesome church family that loves God with everything they are & will help us teach Savannah to love God too.

I really missed them today.

It's a steal!

2011-09-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

We have been looking for a high chair for a little while now. We've just been feeding Savannah in her bouncy seat & it's worked pretty well, but she's been pretty wild lately so it's time for a high chair. That way she at least won't be able to get her feet in her mouth when I'm trying to feed her. = )

I've been looking at thrift stores & a couple yard sales, but I just haven't found one that was in good condition.

My friend works at the Mom 2 Mom Sale every year {which is basically a day of indoor yard sales} & she asked if she wanted us to have her look for a high chair. She was working in the large items room so it worked out great! She called me the other day & said they had this high chair in great condition for $35! I looked it up & it goes for $90 - $130 depending on where you buy it.

My friend said the shopping opens to the sellers & helpers an hour before it opens to the public so she was able to get it for us! Yay!

As you can see, Savannah absolutely LOVES it! We put her in it & she was squealing she was sooooooooooooo excited! = D

guess what?

2011-09-23T22:01:00.000-04:00

Sweet Savannah woke up today with her first tooth! She had a cold yesterday - watery eyes, sneezing snot all day & running a little temperature. Ken & I have been feeling like we are coming down with something, so we figured we passed it on to her. {Still, we may have.}

I slept on the couch last night & Savannah slept in her bouncy chair because she was so stuffy, I wanted her to be able to breathe. She was sort of awake & ready to eat at 5:00. I realized I hadn't checked her gums in a few days & since she has been drooling like CRAZY, I felt her bottom gum & there it was!

She's still not quite herself today, but she's feeling much better. My mom said she wasn't running a temp, but she was wild at her house today! = D

1st day of fall

2011-09-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of fall, my favorite season! I ♥ the cool, crisp air, leaves changing colors, sweatshirts & Hot Citrus Punch! Have a wonderful weekend!

I know...

2011-09-21T21:34:00.000-04:00

...I'm sooooooo late on Savannah's 7 month post, but our internet has been down for a while. We're back up now, so hopefully this week...

September 12...

2011-09-12T09:59:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, one of my Facebook friends put this as her status:

Wishes that our gratitude towards first responders, our patriotism, our willingness to submit to further screenings in order to ensure safe flight and our reverence for our armed forces wouldn't disappear on September 12. God bless America, today and everyday.

This is so true - in all of the news coverage about 9/11, there were stories of heroism & what our country & military is doing to ensure our safety. But as the media moved on to other things, our sense of gratitude seemed to lessen.

I've been thinking a lot about that, especially in our relationship to God. 10 years ago, after that horrible day, people flocked to churches seeking God. As the days wore on, church attendance dwindled.

Why is that? Why does it take an incredible catastrophe to bring people to God? And why, when things seem to calm down & get back to 'normal', do we think we are any less dependent on Him?

Because, the truth is, we {all of us} are in desperate need of the saving grace of Jesus, every.single.day. Any given day, any given moment could be our last. We just don't know. The people who died on 9/11 did nothing out of the ordinary. They just went to work or got on a plane to go on a business trip, vacation, or return home. Normal, everyday things. I'm sure none of them knew that September 11, 2011 would be their last here on earth.

And we don't know when our last day will be either.

Or Jesus could very well come back before He calls us home, but we don't know when that will be.

But I want to be ready. I want to be ready for when Jesus calls me home or comes back. I want to be like the 5 virgins who were ready & got to go in to the wedding feast when the bridegroom came. I don't want to be caught unprepared. I hope you don't either.

That's why we need to be seeking God every.single.day.

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
~2 Chronicles 7:14

We remember.

2011-09-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

It has been 10 years since 9/11.

I can't believe it. As I stop & think back about that day, it seems like it was only yesterday. I remember it very vividly. Ken & I weren't married yet, but we had been dating for almost 6 months. It was a Tuesday & I had the day off of work. I was in my Garfield nightgown that said, "I'll rise but I won't shine" & I was playing the piano. Sometime just before 9:00 am, Ken called me & said, "You need to turn on the TV."

I couldn't believe my eyes. The World Trade Center's North Tower was in flames & there were reports of a plane that had crashed into it. Minutes later, I watched as another plane hit the South Tower. I remember thinking, "How could this possibly happen? 2 pilots just made incredible mistakes that just cost hundreds of lives." Well, obviously I'm pretty naive because there were immediate reports that it was an attack by Al-Qaeda on the United States.

I sat glued to the TV the Pentagon was hit & a 4th plane went down in Pennsylvania. I watched in complete horror as the towers fell. I wept for the loss of so many innocent lives. I wept for the people who did nothing more than go to work that day or get on a plane. I wept for so many people who died without knowing the love of Jesus.

Who would have thought that September 11, 2001 would be anything more than just a normal day?

But it was.

In the days following, as people rushed to the East Coast to help and donated blood in their hometowns, stories of heroism amidst the horror surfaced. And I found myself feeling so very proud to be an American, to live in a nation that came together & rose above terrorism.

So on this 10th anniversary of that horrible day, I remember the nearly 3,000 people died that day. I remember those who gave so very much of their time searching & cleaning up the aftermath. I pray for the families that have an irreplaceable hole that God will show himself in a very special way to them today. May God bless you today & always.

Fresh-Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson

2011-09-09T17:25:00.002-04:00

Jesus said that He came so we would have life & live it to the fullest. That's exactly what Nicole Johnson invites us to do in "Fresh-Brewed Life". She invites us to wake up and smell the coffee ~ to stop doing & just simply be who God created us to be. She writes about surrendering to God, keeping a journal, listening to your longings, embracing your beauty, interviewing your anger, savoring your sexuality, celebrating your friendships, changing your world, enriching your relationships & enjoying your freedom in Christ.

I thought it was well-written & I love the cover. Being a coffee-lover, it's what drew me to this book in the first place! = ) The part I enjoyed most was Nicole's constant encouragement to keep a journal. I had done this for a few years, but it's been a while & I am encouraged begin again as a way to work out my feelings & surrender them completely to God.

I liked the directed journaling topics that were woven in throughout the book & that it has discussion questions for each chapter at the end.

The only thing I didn't like as well was that the coffee metaphors seemed a little scattered to me. They didn't seem to always flow with what Nicole was writing about so that was a little disappointing to me. All in all, I thought this was a good read. I give this book 4 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

7 months

2011-09-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

My sweet girl, you are 7 months old today. I can't believe it! I know, I know, I say this every month, but it's true. Where did the time go? You are such a big girl now. You wear size 6-9 month clothes & some 12 month ones & size 3 diapers. You are 19 lb 3 oz...only 1 lb less than your 1-year-old cousin!

You love, love, love to play & are curious about everything. You will practically jump out of my arms to get to whatever it is you want to get. You love to 'roughhouse' with Daddy...he makes you squeal & squeal! That is the most precious sound ever!

You adore your Daddy, but you are a Mommy's girl too. You are starting to reach out to me & you lean towards me when someone else is holding you. I ♥ it!

You are sooooooo happy & you charm everyone you meet! You do, however, have a little bit of stranger anxiety, mostly towards guys. That's probably not a bad thing. ; )

You have definitely discovered your voice this month. You chatter away & squeal all day long!

You are a very good eater & you have started eating vegetables. You don't really care for the green ones, although you'll eat them pretty well when I give them to you with something orange. You do this thing where when someone starts to feed you, you get this little smirk on your face & press your lips together. We have to touch the food to your lips so you can taste what it is before you will open up wide. = ) It's soooo funny!

My sweet Savannah, I am so blessed to be your Mommy. I have had to sleep on the couch for the last several nights because your sweet sleep noises keep me up. I'm so worried that you'll need me that I can't sleep. My arms literally ache to hold you in the mornings & when I get home from work. I love you sooooo much!

Your Daddy & I thank God every day for you my precious girl. We love you bunches. Happy 7 month birthday sweet baby! xoxo, Mommy

♥♥♥

2011-09-06T21:40:00.000-04:00

I am so in love with this precious girl!

nursery

2011-09-04T18:26:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking for a few weeks that Savannah was probably ready for the nursery at church. She just is either really active & squirmy or really tired during the sermon that either Ken or I has to take her out. We've probably only sat together for the entire service a handful of times since she's been born.

I think it was 3 weeks ago when I was talking to my friend at church & she said that with her first son {who is now 3}, she finally had to put him in the nursery when he wanted to talk all during church & it was distracting to everyone else. I said, 'Savannah doesn't do that too much yet.' Well, starting that very week, she decided that she needed to practice her 'outside voice' during the sermon.

So we bit the bullet & put Savannah in the nursery for the first time today. It was harder on me for sure. I was a little worried because she has been getting a little stranger anxiety lately, especially with men. But, there were only ladies in the nursery today & she did great! Our church has one of the play chairs like she loves & she played in that for a long time. She probably didn't even notice I was gone. = )

coincidence?

2011-09-03T20:54:00.004-04:00

So last night, Miss Savannah did not want to go to sleep. I guess I should say that she didn't want to stay asleep. She went to bed about 9:00 & she was up at 11:00 just sobbing. I fed her, cuddled her & put her back to bed & she woke right back up. We did this a few times & finally, I just put her in her bouncy seat in the living room & slept on the couch. She woke up a couple of times in the night wanting to be snuggled. Of course, this was one of those nights when I just.wanted.to.sleep. & it didn't work out.

This morning, Savannah was up at 7:30 & fell back asleep while I was feeding her. I was thinking, 'Sweet! We can go lay in our bed & take a nap.' But...when she finished eating, she was wide awake. Oh well.

There was a BAD thunderstorm that came through this morning about 8:15/8:30. It got soooo dark outside & the winds were whipping everything around so hard that I'm pretty sure I saw the wicked witch of the west fly by. Savannah was on the floor in the living room playing & Ken told me to pick her up & go in our bedroom. He was worried about the tree in our yard that has lost a few limbs. If it fell, it would fall on the living room. So I went with her into the bedroom & we were playing on the bed.

I was thinking that maybe we shouldn't be in there because it was so windy & there are 4 windows in our bedroom. I decided that even if Ken & Jacob thought I was silly, I didn't feel safe in the bedroom so I brought Savannah into the bathroom which is on the other side of the house & doesn't have windows.

Not even 2 minutes later, there was this huge crash & Ken went running into the bedroom. He immediately came into the bathroom, hugged me & Savannah & said, 'You were right.' A branch that was blowing around outside bounced off our basketball hoop to the hood of the van & then took out the bedroom window.

I was literally shaking. I didn't want to go into the bedroom, but Ken said there was glass everywhere, including all over our bed & our daughters bed.

I couldn't stop hugging & kissing my sweet daughter. This afternoon, Ken said, 'I know you were frustrated that Savannah wouldn't sleep in her bed, but if she had & the storm had come through last night, we could be having a very different morning than we are now.'

I know.

So, was all of this just a coincidence that Savannah & I weren't in our bedroom on the bed playing or sleeping? Nope. I don't believe in coincidence. The hand of God Himself orchestrated every detail so Savannah & I would be safe.

Thank you God for your hand of protection over us today.

Psalm 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

my new addiction

2011-08-27T18:42:00.004-04:00

Ken: I made this iced coffee. Try it. It's good.

Me: No. Iced coffee is nasty.

Ken: Just try it.

Me: Fine. {sip} It's nasty.

Ken: No it's not. I can't believe you don't like it.

Me: Wait...it was actually kind of good. Let me have another sip. {sip}. Yeah, it's pretty good. {sip} Yup. It's the bomb.

Ken: You're really strange.

Me: I know. Can you make me one please?

a couple of firsts

2011-08-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

Ken, Savannah & I went to the Grandville mall yesterday am & Savannah had her first ride on the carousel. She's too little to ride on one of the animals, so we just sat on the seat, but I think she liked it! = )

But we at least had to get a picture of her on the horse...

And...

...she rolled over for the first time this afternoon! She was at my parent's house & my mom laid her on her back on the living room floor with her toys. Mom looked down at her laptop to sign into her e-mail, looked back up & Savannah was on her tummy! The little monkey waited until no one was looking to do it, silly girl!

tonight...

2011-08-23T21:56:00.003-04:00

...I'm praying for babies...

Savannah
Maddie
Sophia
Sweet Pea {my friend's baby that she is adopting soon...can't say her name on the internet yet}

...that they will be worshipers of God & Kingdom impacters.

rainy day

2011-08-20T15:10:00.007-04:00

It's raining here today & I ♥ it! So cozy...

It's the perfect day to sit down & write a great blog post.

Except...

I have no idea what to write about...

or maybe I just don't want to be completely transparent...

or maybe my days are too boring to write about.

Am in need of some fresh blogging ideas.

On some blogs recently, I found some things to write about that ~ one suggested topics that started with each letter of the alphabet. You write about 'A' one day, 'B' the next, etc. Another had you write about a certain topic on Mondays, etc.

They were really good.

Only now I can't find them.

Why You Should Stay In God's Way

2011-08-15T13:45:00.002-04:00

This is good.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

2011-08-15T11:30:00.005-04:00

'For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.'

God wants to show Himself strong to us ~ we just need to do is be loyal to Him.

I really needed this.

6 months

2011-08-07T15:13:00.000-04:00

My sweet girl, how is it that you are 6 months already? {Yes, I know I say this every. single. month. = )} 1/2 a year! Halfway to 1 years old! Sigh...

You weigh 18 lb - 11 oz, but that's kind of unofficial since you weren't weighed at the dr's office

& you had your diaper on. Your dr appt isn't for 2 more weeks so we'll see what your 'official' weight is then. = )

You wear size 3 diapers & 6-9 month clothes. I even put 12-month jammies on you last week. You are still just eating cereal - you've had rice, barley, whole wheat, mixed grain & oatmeal. You love them all, but it kind of depends on your mood. If you're ready for a nap, you just want your bottle - no messing around with cereal for you!

You love to play with your feet...

...& you have discovered that you have a tongue so it's sticking out all the time. = D

You are still a good sleeper. You sleep all night, but sometimes it takes you a while to get to sleep. I'm pretty sure you are teething as you chomp on everything you can get your hands on. So that makes it a little harder for you to get to sleep.

I ♥ watching you learn new things. You still aren't rolling over by yourself. You grab your feet, whip over onto your side quick as lightning & then decide, 'Nope. I want to stay on my back.' = ) You almost did it once, but your arm was in the way so you didn't get all the way over.

You are sitting up a lot more now. You still need a little help though...

If you are awake, you won't lay back for anything. Once, when Daddy & I took you on a walk, you had your head forward so you could see everything & you fell asleep that way!

You are curious about everything & study new things very intensely...

You love to play & you absolutely love your play chair. Sometimes, I'm sure you're going to just jump right out of it!

Your face is so expressive. I think you're going to be like Mommy in that it won't be hard to tell what you're feeling.

You are such a happy baby & give smiles to almost everyone.

We are so blessed to have you in our family, Savannah Grace. We thank God every day for blessing us with sweet little you. Happy 6-month-birthday my love!

BookSneeze

2011-08-04T17:21:00.004-04:00

I discovered a website called BookSneeze. The name kind of cracks me up, but you get can free books. All you have to do is write a review about the book on your blog & a consumer website like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I ♥ to read & am feeling like I need some ideas about what to blog about, so I decided to give it a try. Plus you don't have to read so many in a certain time frame. Score! And I'm definitely all about free! = ) I'll let you know how it goes...

Savannah's first fair...

2011-07-28T16:19:00.000-04:00

My mom, sister Amy & I took my niece, Maddie & Savannah to the 4H fair in our town today. It was so much fun to take the babies through the barns to look at the animals. They had a ball.

Here they are looking at the sheep...

Maddie was so excited every time she saw a new animal. She would open her mouth WIDE...she is so expressive!

Savannah is a little more subdued, but she enjoyed it too. Honestly, she was more interested in the cage/pen decorations & in Grandma taking her picture. = )

LOOK AT THE GOATS!!!

One of the men working at the fair took Maddie into a pig pen for a closer look...

Savannah is too small for that, so we stayed outside the pens...

Looking at the bunnies...

...& the ducks...

...& the horses.

Maddie even had her first elephant ear! YUM!

Savannah was sooooo hot & sleepy, she conked out about 5.2 minutes after I put her in the stroller.

It was a fun day!

posts

2011-07-24T19:58:00.000-04:00

I'm having a hard time keeping up with my posts as I'm a leetle busy with my sweet girl. = ) So...I'm catching up tonight. I recently posted about a couple of things that actually happened last month...Savannah's first road trip & her first time in the sand.

5 months

2011-07-07T22:20:00.000-04:00

My sweet Savannah, you are 5 months old today. 5 months! I can't believe it. You are mostly in 6 month clothes & jammies & wear a size 2 diaper. You are changing & learning more & more every day. You are sooooo close to rolling over. You get yourself up onto your side pretty quickly...

& then flop back on your back. You have discovered that you have feet & love to try to put them in your mouth. Now every morning, when I look in your bed, I see your beautiful blue eyes, your huge smile & your feet sticking straight up in the air!

You went on your first road trip with Mommy, Grandma, Aunt Amy & Maddie. We went to Frankenmuth & you did so good. I think you loved Bronner's!

You are a great eater & are starting to work your way through the cereals. You love rice & barley & are doing so well with a spoon. You make a 'mmm' sound every time I give you a bite!

You are still a good sleeper. You now go to bed between 9:00 & 9:30 & sleep until 6:30 or 7:00. It's nice! You aren't a regular napper. One day, you will cat nap & the next day, you will take 2 really good naps. The 3rd day, you're back to cat napping. Oh well. You are very well rested, so I'm not worried about it. = )

You put your feet in the sand for the first time this month. You really liked it & just stared & stared at your feet moving through the sand. You wouldn't even look up at me so that I could get a picture of your sweet smile!

You are such a happy baby. You love to play & give smiles & giggles freely. Mommy & Daddy LOVE that!

Savannah Grace, I an still in awe every single day that God has chosen me to be your Mommy. I am so grateful that He picked you out just for us. Happy 5-month birthday, my sweet girl!

Independence Day

2011-07-04T19:04:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

♥,
us

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T08:19:00.001-04:00

Isn't this a pretty cupcake display? I can't take any credit for it. I was just searching for a pretty 4th of July picture & found this one on Martha Stewart's website. You can get the recipe right here.

Have a safe & happy 4th of July!

anyone?

2011-06-26T21:43:00.006-04:00

Does anyone else in blogland get anxious about what they write about? I want to be real. I want to write about what's going on in my life. With my family. What God's talking to me about. What He's doing in my life. What He's teaching me about & correcting me on.

But it's so hard to do. I know my heart & so does God, but I'm afraid of being misunderstood. And accusations of the enemy. So I'm having a really hard time writing lately.

Does anyone else struggle with this?

back at it

2011-06-26T19:26:00.001-04:00

Today, I went on my first run/walk since Savannah was born. It felt sooo good. I can tell that I haven't been running since last summer, though. I get super hot when I run which is not good for unborn babies, so I stopped running when I was pregnant. I tried to go for walks, but it didn't always work.

Anyhoo...

I'm back to walking a block, running 1-2 blocks, walking a block, etc. But it felt wonderful to be out again. = )

hanging out at the beach

2011-06-25T17:15:00.000-04:00

I took Savannah to our store on the beach today. It was so beautiful out. We spent some time just sitting in the shade with Ken.

She had to play on the elephant...

...& stuck her feet in the sand for the first time.

It was so sweet. She just kept moving her feet through the sand & staring at it.

I was acting like a goof trying to get her to look at me so I could take a picture of her smiling, but she would have none of it. She was too busy looking at her feet. = )

{Sorry these pics are such poor quality. I forgot my camera & had to use my cell phone.}

road trip

2011-06-23T22:32:00.000-04:00

Savannah went on her first road trip today. My mom, sister Amy, 9-month-old niece Maddie, Savannah & I went to Frankenmuth, which is about 3 hours away. It's actually probably less, but we needed to stop a couple of times. = ) We went to Bronners CHRISTmas Wonderland. It was sooo fun! The babies LOVED all of the lights & sparklies. = ) My mom has a double stroller, but Savannah didn't really like it today. Luckily I brought my Baby Bjorn carrier along & she hung out in that for most of the day. It worked really well because she could be up & see everything.

Here they are checking out Santa Claus...

Maddie looooooooooooves Elmo!

Savannah kind of liked him too. = )

Of course we had to try on some hats...

Maddie was going after that polar bear. It was a hoot! = D

Savannah was a little more reserved.

You can't see it very well in this picture, but both of the babies have their feet up on their trays. = )

Both of the babies did so good, but it was a long day for them. They were both pooped at the end.

Savannah was sooooo good. The only thing was, she started to get fussy when we were eating lunch. We had a late lunch (around 2:00) & it was her naptime. I just walked in the hall with her & there was a bench out of the way behind one of those 1/2 walls. It was nice because she couldn't see everyone in the restaurant, so I just rocked her to sleep. It just took about 5 minutes & we were able to go back to the table. It was a really nice day.

4 month dr appt

2011-06-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

Today at her doctor's appointment, my Savannah Grace weighed in at 16 lb & 17 oz & is now 25-3/4 inches long!! Where did my little girl go?

today

2011-06-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

We've been debating whether or not to start Savannah on cereal on a spoon. We've been giving it to her in her bottle since 11 weeks & she's now 17 weeks. I've just been holding back because I wanted to make sure her little system is ready for it. I've been reading about how to know when babies are ready to start solids & since she is 4 months old, can sit up with assistance, moves her tongue constantly & ~~bores a hole with her eyes~~ seems interested in our food, we decided today was a good day to start.

She did OK. She wasn't really sure what to do with the cereal & after 4 bites, she had enough, but it's a start. We'll try a little bit each day to get her used to it.

4 months

2011-06-07T18:20:00.000-04:00

Savannah, you are 4 months old today. I know I say this every month, but it really does seem like your birth day was just yesterday. Now you are such a big girl. You are still in size 1 diapers, but I think it's almost time to move up to a size 2. You are still in mostly 3 month clothes & 3-6 month jammies. I'm anxious to know how big you are, but your dr appointment isn't for another 2 weeks.

You are starting to pull yourself up using our fingers & you love to sit up! You are getting so strong. You are 'talking' more & more. Your Daddy says 'you sound just like Mommy. You talk nonstop & it all sounds the same to me!' = D

You eat like champ! We have been giving you cereal in your bottle for about 6 weeks & I think you're about ready for cereal on a spoon. You're getting so big so fast...sigh...

Just this week, when I am nursing you, you will pull away, look up at me with your big, blue eyes & give me the biggest grin! You will nurse for a few more minutes & do it again. I ♥ it!

You love to look in the mirror. You always grin when you see yourself!

You go to bed about 11:00 & sleep about 7-8 hours. This week, you've started going to bed about 10:00-10:30 & still sleeping until about 7:00. It's very nice. = )

You are a very happy, content baby. You are starting to giggle LOTS more & Daddy really gets a lot of squeals!

You will go to anyone & give them smiles, but if it's someone you're not familiar with, you squirm & fuss a little until you see that Mommy or Daddy is close by. Then, you're just fine. That makes Mommy feel really good.

Here you are with your big sister, Kharey...

...& Grandma Patty...

...& Grandpa Jerry...

...& Uncle Mike.

Grandma Sheila & Grandpa Jerry have a play chair at their house. You think it's OK...

They have started taking you to the park by their house. You're still warming up to the swings, but I think you'll like them.

We are so thankful to God for giving you to us, my sweet daughter. We pray that the things of this world will have no appeal to you, but that your desire will be only for what is pleasing to the Lord. Your Daddy & I love you like crazy! Happy 4-month birthday, Savannah-girl!

one year ago today...

2011-05-31T15:49:00.000-04:00

...we found out that our sweet Savannah was on the way! = )

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T19:33:00.000-04:00

We took Savannah-girl to her first parade today. She was thrilled, see? = )

To be honest, I was a little worried what she'd do when the marching bands went by or the ambulances & fire trucks drove by with their sirens on, but she didn't even bat an eyelash. Yet, yesterday, when I was nursing her in our bedroom & sniffed, she about jumped through the roof. Go figure!

She was only interested in her flag for about 1.3 seconds...

Savannah & I planted flowers in our yard & went for a walk today. We went to our store at the lake for supper with Ken, Kharey, Jacob & my parents. My sweet girl is currently zonked out on our bed...

Happy Memorial Day!

today...

2011-05-30T06:02:00.001-04:00

...we remember those who have fought for our freedom & those who are still fighting.

Thank you. We are so grateful.

God Be Praised

2011-05-29T16:20:00.003-04:00

God Be Praised
by Gateway Worship

You saved my life from death
I was all defeated
You spoke Your promises
And brought life to my weakness
Came as a conquering King
And You warred for my freedom
My soul can’t help but sing
Hallelujah

You opened up my eyes
For the first time I saw You
Your love commanding life
And deserving devotion
You told me who I am
Now in faith I believe it
My soul can’t help but sing
Hallelujah

You’ve made a place for me
Silenced all my accusers
Leading me forth with peace
Filled with joy I will follow
Your cross demands my life
Now Your grace is my anthem
My soul can’t help but sing
Hallelujah

Hallelujah, we’re redeemed and made free
By the blood of the Lamb we have won
Hallelujah, we will sing victory
Jesus conquered the grave
God be praised

I am madly in love...

2011-05-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

...with this sweet girl. = )

Savannah's new thing...

2011-05-19T18:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:53:00.015-04:00

Ever since Ken & I got married almost 9 years ago, Mother's Day has brought with it a strange mix of emotions for me. I have 3 wonderful step-kids whom I love very much. And they spend Mother's Day with their mom {which they totally should, I'm not suggesting otherwise}. But, I spend Mother's Day without my kids. Plus, since 2008, I've had 2 miscarriages, so I've just felt like my arms were completely empty the last 2 years. And my heart has ached so much.

But not this year. = )

God has blessed Ken & I with a beautiful baby daughter. My sweet Savannah-girl has brought so much joy to my heart. And I got to spend Mother's Day...the entire day...with her.

And I couldn't wait!

Last night, Ken brought Savannah into our bedroom to check her diaper. {We have a makeshift changing station in there.} I was in the living room & he called out, 'Hey honey! Can you come in here & help me?' I went into the bedroom {thinking for sure that she had a major blowout that required 2 people to clean up}. Ken said, 'I need you to watch Savannah for a minute while I go get her pajamas.' & he walked out of the room.

I went over to my daughter & this is what I found...

Um...I started crying...

This is what I got from my sweet girl for my first Mother's Day as her mom...

Isn't it beautiful? Ken signed the card from Savannah with a note that, 'Daddy helped me pick out the gift'. = )

I have the best husband ever. He knows my heart so well & it was so sweet of him to get me something special for today.

On a funny note, at church today, I totally missed the mother's recognition because I was in the bathroom changing a poopy diaper. LOL!

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

3 months

2011-05-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

Savannah-girl, I cannot believe that you are 3 months old today. These weeks have just flown by. You are so big already. You are still in size 1 diapers, but some of your 3 month clothes are too small & you now wear 3-6 month jammies. Where has my tiny newborn gone? Sigh...

This is such a fun stage for your Daddy & me. We love seeing your little personality begin to come out. You are pretty laid back {unless you are hungry = )} & sooooo content. You love people & will give anyone one of your big smiles.

You adore your Daddy & ♥ to simply hang out with him.

He got your first smile & now he is getting your first laughs. Mommy can make you giggle, but I have yet to make you really crack up like Daddy does. I think this is just because Daddy is much goofier than Mommy is. = D

You have discovered that you have hands & love to study them. You can practically shove your entire fist in your mouth. = ) You have discovered your thumb lately & can put it right in your mouth. I'm pretty sure that you will be a thumb-sucker soon.

You have also discovered that you have a tongue & ♥ to stick it out at everyone. It cracks us up. We love seeing your little personality emerge.

Sweet Savannah, your Daddy & I have been blessed with the sweetest baby ever & we thank God every single day for choosing us to be your parents.

that's my girl!

2011-05-06T21:57:00.000-04:00

Every couple of Saturdays, Savannah & I go to lunch with my mom, sister & niece. We usually follow lunch with a trip to Target. We had our 'girls day' this last Saturday. We spent most of our time in the baby section {surprise, surprise!} & Savannah & I headed over to the shoes. Now, I am a flip flop girl & wear them as much as possible. I saw these adorable ones...

...& held them up so Savannah could see them. I asked , 'what do you think?' & she gave me a HUGE smile! She's definitely a mini me. = D

Here's a cute pic my mom took on her phone...

I wonder what they were laughing about...

35

2011-04-29T22:16:00.001-04:00

Savannah's first Easter

2011-04-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

I ♥ Easter! I love getting dressed up to go celebrate our Savior's resurrection with our church family. I love getting together with my family afterward & I love that Ken's family has joined ours the last couple of years. It's just always a really nice day.

I have really been looking forward to Savannah's first Easter. I had picked out a super cute dress for her to wear with a pretty white sweater & ruffly socks.

But...

...a good friend of our family made matching dresses & sweaters for Savannah & my almost 8-month-old niece, Maddie. So, of course, we decided they had to be their Easter dresses. Isn't it a beautiful dress?

It was so special for the girls to wear these for their first Easter. Here's Maddie with my Mom...

My sweet Savannah was not happy during picture time. = (

Maddie had mashed potatoes & really enjoyed them!

Our girl was napping when my Mom passed out the Easter baskets, so here's Daddy with Savannah's...

She got a Hello Kitty Easter basket with a stuffed bunny, a beautiful heirloom Bible & a water bottle with her name on it. That was really special because we decided on her name when we saw the water bottle at Bed, Bath & Beyond. So it's cool to have one.

She loves her basket, can you tell? = )

Savannah was sooo tired. Here she is conked out in my dad's arms. You can't tell in the picture, but her eyes are totally crossed. = )

I hope you had a wonderful day with the ones you love celebrating His Resurrection! Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T09:30:00.001-04:00

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ~Matthew 28:5-6

I hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord & Savior. Happy Easter!

no catchy title

2011-04-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

I'd love to update much more often, but I am back to work full time & when I get home, I just want to hold my sweet daughter & it's hard to type a decent post one-handed. = )

My Savannah-girl is getting so big already. At her 2 month appointment on April 14, she weighed 11 lb, 2 oz. She was 22 1/2 inches long & her head circumference was 39 cm. She is such a happy & content baby {except for when she is hungry, wet or tired} & is developing quite a personality. See?

It's Friday...

2011-04-22T22:14:00.002-04:00

my little movie star

2011-04-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

sometimes...

2011-04-08T19:29:00.009-04:00

...you need to take a stand

for what is right

because you love God

and He tells us to do what's right

no matter what others think about you

or say about you

or who they make you out to be.

Sometimes you need to take a stand

even if others disagree

or don't understand.

Even if it breaks your heart.