My little Picasso!

Blessings!

I am so lucky to have so many blessings in my life - specifically all my great friends. As I mentioned earlier our ac/heat was broken. I called one of my friends whose husbands owns a heating/air company. She didn't get my message till like 6pm but as soon as they heard our problem they jumped in the car and fixed the problem and refused to take any money for their work. What a blessing they are to our family!!

Grocery Bags

Carrie over at With All I've Been Given had a great post today on grocery bag use. It's something I've been meaning to address myself but have procrastinated. So today when I was at the grocery store I decided to purchase the reusable bags that the grocery store sells instead of using the usual plastic bags. Normally they sell the bags for $.99 each. So I put 3 up there to purchase and for whatever reason the cashier didn't charge me for them and maybe I should have asked why - but I didn't. She knew they were brand new cause they had to break the seal to use them so I looked at it as good karma for deciding to go green! Anywho, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED using these bags. Normally I would say the amount of groceries I got today would have taken 7-8 plastic bags and that is not bagging my milk. However, all of my groceries easily fit in the 3 bags including the milk. Also, the straps on them are GREAT for moms. I was able to bring ALL my groceries inside in one trip because I could carry the bags over my shoulder. I also loved the way the groceries stacked inside the bags - nothing got smooshed. Overall, it made grocery shopping MUCH easier for me AND I'm helping the environment!

Aggravated..

I can't get my heat pump to work. It won't kick on. I'm so frustrated cause I don't want to pay an A/C guy to come out and it be something silly. But I can't even get the whole house fan to kick on. But what if something is really wrong and we go all night with no heat. UGH! I'm hoping it's something John can fix when he gets home but if not, we are in trouble. At least it isn't too cold and some space heaters should get us through. But some weeks I feel like all I'm doing is shoveling money out of our pockets to repair people and such.

Okay, thanks for listening to me complain...so here is something I'm thankful for to balance out my complaining. We have had a ton of windy storms lately and most of my neighbors have lost roof shingles or siding and in large amounts. Thankfully our house held strong through all the storms with not a shingle out of place. Another thing I'm thankful for is having a VERY handy husband so we have really been spared a great deal of repair expenses over the long haul.

What is that?

Joshua's new question is, "What is that?" He asks that about EVERYTHING! Sometimes it's really hard to come up with an answer cause I might not really know what to call it. Or he'll be pointing out the window of the car saying, "What is that?" Of course, it's hard to narrow down what in the world he might be looking at. It's quite interesting though the words he remembers and the incredible vocabulary he is continuing to build.

Another cute thing: this morning I was laying on the floor stretching and Joshua acted like he was about to pounce on my stomach so I told him to be careful because of the baby and he bent down and gave my stomach a hug and a kiss. SO SO sweet! I can't wait to see him loving on his new brother or sister.

Easter Brunch & Hunt

Today's easter egg hunt & brunch was so much fun! The kids had an absolute blast and the mommy's had a great time munching and chatting. Here are some pics from our day!

Ladies Easter Brunch

Tomorrow I am having an Easter brunch at my house for five friends and their children. Everyone is bringing something and I have lots of eggs filled for the kids to hunt in the yard. The weather is supposed to be perfect. I'm very excited. I had hoped to plan some other clever things for us all to do together (ie.crafty)...but am still in my "I'm really exhausted cause I'm pregnant and am sleeping horribly after chasing a toddler around all day" phase so...I have yet to even sit down and try to think of anything. So if you have any clever ideas that I can throw together last minute I welcome them...if not, I will just enjoy the fellowship of my lovely friends and their precious children.

2 weeks

Two weeks from today my handsome little boy will be turning 2. This is always a fun time of year for me as I reflect on what I was doing two years ago. And this date two years ago we had no idea we would be parents in just two short weeks. Joshua's birthmother contacted us on March 16th but we had talked to several birthmother's and didn't really think she was for real. I'm so thankful for our busy little guy and just love watching how much he has grown and changed over the past two years.

Sayings of an almost 2 year old...

Joshua's vocabulary is really amazing to me but not as amazing as it is to watch & listen to the thought processes of an almost 2 year old little boy.

Seeing that I'm pregnant, we now frequent every restroom that we pass which included a stop today at the grocery store. Of course, Joshua has to come in with me and enjoys running around the stall while I'm going 'pee-pee'. Well, afterwards, Joshua thought it was SOOO much fun to say "bye-bye Mommy's pee-pee" as he flushed the toilet. The most amusing part is how he liked to tell everyone we saw afterwards in the grocery store as well.

Which reminds me of a story my mom loved to tell about how when she was VERY pregnant with me (I think I recall her saying I was like 4 weeks late because of course back then they didn't induce) that one day my brother & her were at the grocery store when he put his hands in between my mom's legs and yelled out, "don't worry mom, I'll catch the baby."

I just love these days of laughing at all the cute things toddlers do and say!

NEWS!

As most of you know we experienced several years of infertility where we literally tried everything. In all MY plans, I never thought we would become a family through adoption but God's plans were different and I'm so very thankful. God knew that Joshua was meant to be our family and that infertility was the way to get Joshua here. I am so thankful for that struggle and where it has brought us.

Well, in January, we were absolutely thrilled and SHOCKED to find out that we are pregnant. Praise God for His amazing plans!!! Not many people have the chance to experience the blessing of adoption AND the blessing of being able to give birth. I am so very, very humbled by God's grace.


I feel over the last few months I've had to be so cryptic and haven't been able to really write as I've waited very anxiously to share this news to you but wanted to wait till we were at the "safety" point. We just had an ultrasound again today and were able to see our precious baby doing well. I am due Sept 25th. Your continued prayers for the health of this baby are greatly appreciated!

P.S. Also, I have the most precious shirt that Joshua's aunt made for him that I was going to use to announce the pregnancy...and can you believe it is LOST somewhere in my house. I looked for it for literally an hour and could not find it. SOOO...as soon as I do, I'll take his picture and put it up.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Yummy & moist Banana bread recipe!

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 eggs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Stir ingredients together. Coat chocolate chips with flour then fold in. (keeps them from sinking). Bake for 50 minutes.

Recipe Cards

Go HERE to get some cute Recipe cards that you can print yourself from The Homespun Heart.

Guilt & Gossip

A few things I don't like are Guilt & Gossip. I think these are some of the hardest things that society - including me - struggle with.

First, I feel like we often want our own desires met and therefore use GUILT to try to persuade others to get what we want. It's really frustrating to me to have people try to guilt me into things especially when I already feel like I'm giving more than enough of myself and my family. I know I'm guilty of this but I don't seem to notice it as much until it's done to me. So this is the first area that I am going to personally work on by not letting others guilt me into things and also not guilt others into my desires.

Second, GOSSIP. Gossip is just bad, bad, bad. Two of the most dangerous forms of gossip, in my opinion, is gossiping under the guise of a prayer request or gossiping about our own friends or family members especially as a way to "help" them or to vent. This is an area where I have been working hard but need to work harder. Ways to accomplish this is by stopping others when they start to gossip to me and bringing our vents/frustrations to the Lord. I heard a great phrase the other day which was, "Before you go to the phone, go to the throne!". I love it!! We need to stop gossiping and running to the phone and instead bring it to the Lord. My oh my that is hard.

Some pictures...

Ho hum....

I wanted to post something today just cause it's been a few days and I can't think of anything to write. I know I keep telling you things will get better with this blog and they will. I promise. I have lots to tell you but haven't really been able to yet. So frustrating. Well, we are off to enjoy a beautiful sunny day and lots of time at the park.

How many kids would do this?

I'm sitting in the family room when I hear Joshua go into our freezer. (Our freezer is a drawer on the bottom.) Two seconds later he is walking in the family room with a bag full of frozen broccoli saying 'fix, fix'. I said, "You want me to make you broccoli?" And he said, "Yes" as he ran back in the kitchen and got himself a fork out of the drawer. So I made him a big bowl and he sat at the table and quietly ate the whole thing. I wish I liked to snack on broccoli like that.

Love One Another

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

Today's devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries is entitled Love out loud and is about actually listening & applying the word of God in our lives. She focuses on 1 Cor 13 - the chapter of Love. I think she says it best - but what a challenge to me and everyone to make sure we are truly living with a loving spirit.

This is from "Love Out Loud" by Karen Ehman

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

How would you describe your love for others? Are you a patient soul or do you drum your fingers and tap your toes while you stew and sigh not-so-patiently? Is it hard to bring you to a point of anger or does flying off the handle come much too naturally? Do you keep score with those who have wronged you, ready to dredge up the past and become “historical” to make your point? Do you boast? Got a case of the green envies? Ever been rude to someone? How will we ever learn to love the way this passage urges us to?

Dear Lord, help me to accurately reflect the love you show to us by my actions to others. When I want to live in the flesh, help me to walk in the spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Power Verses:
1 John 3:18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”

Joshua's Room Makeover

I've been making over Joshua's bedroom so that he can move into a twin bed. My thought is to get the room a more boyish theme that goes with his new twin comforter. I will keep the twin bed and his crib in the room together for a while till he gets use to seeing the twin bed there. In the interest of saving money, we are repainting John's brother's old bed that he used when he was little. It looks SOOO good painted...very pottery barnish. I'm very excited about the transformation although it's taking me quite a while to get it done. The pictures are only the 1/2 way mark. I still need to paint above the chair rail and the bed is taking several coats of paint.

Spring Forward

We have had a few days that have been nice and warm. It's really giving me spring fever. And I'm super excited that Daylight savings begins this Sunday! I could use an hour more of daylight. It makes it so wonderful when it comes time to taking walks in the evening once John gets home from work.