Thursday, October 27, 2011
The pirate slays the monster
I could come up with many clever stories to accompany this post, but the pictures say enough :) enjoy.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
7 months.
Yikes I'm late writing this, and I actually sat down to do it the day he turned 7 months. I put it aside because I hadn't taken a picture yet and he was grumpy that day and never got one, and here I am a week later and finally getting to it.
Asher, You are 7 months old (and one week!)
You are rolling all over the place and trying so hard to crawl.
You push yourself forward with your feet but you haven't figured out the coordination yet to get your hands and feet moving together.
You love to eat. You will go nuts over anything we eat if we don't share with you.
Sweet potatoes and Bananas (baby food) are your favorites, which comes as no surprise since it was both Kyley and Elijah's favorites as well.
You sit up so well now, most of the day when you're not in a sling or sleeping you are sitting on the floor playing with Kyley and Elijah and you love it.
You love your cups but we're still working on getting you to drink out of them on a regular basis, though I'm in no hurry, you just like to have a drink when you eat.
You love to be outside. Even when you are at your grumpiest, taking you outside usually makes you happy.
Kyley and Elijah are still your favorite things, you love to play with them and their toys.
You also LOVE the jumperoo. You make that thing dance and bounce and will be so happy in there for long periods of time while mommy cleans something or gets the kids lunch, etc.
Asher, You are 7 months old (and one week!)
You are rolling all over the place and trying so hard to crawl.
You push yourself forward with your feet but you haven't figured out the coordination yet to get your hands and feet moving together.
You love to eat. You will go nuts over anything we eat if we don't share with you.
Sweet potatoes and Bananas (baby food) are your favorites, which comes as no surprise since it was both Kyley and Elijah's favorites as well.
You sit up so well now, most of the day when you're not in a sling or sleeping you are sitting on the floor playing with Kyley and Elijah and you love it.
You love your cups but we're still working on getting you to drink out of them on a regular basis, though I'm in no hurry, you just like to have a drink when you eat.
You love to be outside. Even when you are at your grumpiest, taking you outside usually makes you happy.
Kyley and Elijah are still your favorite things, you love to play with them and their toys.
You also LOVE the jumperoo. You make that thing dance and bounce and will be so happy in there for long periods of time while mommy cleans something or gets the kids lunch, etc.
Another one bites the dust.
Last night, Kyley lost her first top tooth!
She has wanted it out for a while but wouldn't pull it, even though it's been ready for a while as well. Last night she finally decided she wanted it out, and out it came!!
She has wanted it out for a while but wouldn't pull it, even though it's been ready for a while as well. Last night she finally decided she wanted it out, and out it came!!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Bedtime Routines
So this week we have implemented a new bed time routine.
We are the kind of family, that specific schedules typically don't work for us, because we're busy, on the go, and we're never doing the same thing at the same time from day to day.
So my kids have never had a "set" bedtime.
Nor have they had a bedtime "routine"
This has worked for us for the last 6 years, however now that my 6 year old has her own opinion about bedtime, and my 3 year old who is WAY more feisty than she ever was about going to bed, we NEEDED some structure.
So yesterday Derek and I talked through our plan for the evening and had a great idea of what we wanted bedtime to look like.
We sat the kids down, and told them how it would happen.
8:15-8:30 Final clean up of rooms (we've now added getting dressed for bed to this time period as well)
8:30-8:45 Fun time with mommy and daddy, this could be reading a story, or playing a quick board game, etc.
8:45-9:00 Bible story, prayer requests, prayer.
9:00 sharp, kids in bed, lights out.
Fast forward to about 7:45... Elijah falls asleep on the couch. *THIS CAN'T BODE WELL FOR OUR FIRST NIGHT OF OUR BEDTIME ROUTINE*
Then, the alarm Derek set to go off at 8:15 to alert us that it was time to start the routine (we'll eventually grow out of needing this, but right now it's necessity) failed to go off. So far bedtime:0 everything else: 2
So about 8:20 we realize the alarm didn't go off, and we get Kyley started on the routine. 15 min cleaning went well, followed by 15 min of playing 2 rounds of dominoes. 15 minutes of prayer/bible story and last minute convos about our day. This went pretty smoothly for her, with a few hiccups because well, she likes to stall and she thought that this was the perfect opportunity to test the waters on what she could get away with. Once she realized we meant business, she got in her bed and was pretty quiet.
Derek moved Elijah from the couch, still sleeping to his bed. This was great until about oh... 9:40ish. Guess who woke up.
In the mean time, Kyley had been good in the bed, but not asleep, so as soon as Elijah woke up she thought that meant free reign of whatever she wanted. WRONG.
We finally got her to sleep, but it took much much longer to get Elijah back to sleep because he thought he'd had a nap and was ready to go for a bit.
Overall, considering what went on, not a bad experience, and we were pleased.
SO, tonight, 8:15 the alarm goes off.
The kids cleaned their room, and then we played UNO for 15 minutes (3 games worth if you were wondering, and Elijah won 2!) We prayed together and talked about a Zacchaeus and about our favorite parts of the day. (I love this part!) And we sent the kids to bed. They did pretty well tonight, they didn't go to sleep right away but for the most part we didn't have to say anything to them. After Kyley fell asleep Elijah wanted to come out and play a little but we nipped that quickly and he is fast asleep. Not bad for a 2nd day of a routine. I pray they get better and better at this!
And a bonus for the day. Asher fell asleep during the game/prayer/bible time and has been asleep since their bedtime as well. SCORE: Mommy: 3 Bedtime:0 I like that one.
We are the kind of family, that specific schedules typically don't work for us, because we're busy, on the go, and we're never doing the same thing at the same time from day to day.
So my kids have never had a "set" bedtime.
Nor have they had a bedtime "routine"
This has worked for us for the last 6 years, however now that my 6 year old has her own opinion about bedtime, and my 3 year old who is WAY more feisty than she ever was about going to bed, we NEEDED some structure.
So yesterday Derek and I talked through our plan for the evening and had a great idea of what we wanted bedtime to look like.
We sat the kids down, and told them how it would happen.
8:15-8:30 Final clean up of rooms (we've now added getting dressed for bed to this time period as well)
8:30-8:45 Fun time with mommy and daddy, this could be reading a story, or playing a quick board game, etc.
8:45-9:00 Bible story, prayer requests, prayer.
9:00 sharp, kids in bed, lights out.
Fast forward to about 7:45... Elijah falls asleep on the couch. *THIS CAN'T BODE WELL FOR OUR FIRST NIGHT OF OUR BEDTIME ROUTINE*
Then, the alarm Derek set to go off at 8:15 to alert us that it was time to start the routine (we'll eventually grow out of needing this, but right now it's necessity) failed to go off. So far bedtime:0 everything else: 2
So about 8:20 we realize the alarm didn't go off, and we get Kyley started on the routine. 15 min cleaning went well, followed by 15 min of playing 2 rounds of dominoes. 15 minutes of prayer/bible story and last minute convos about our day. This went pretty smoothly for her, with a few hiccups because well, she likes to stall and she thought that this was the perfect opportunity to test the waters on what she could get away with. Once she realized we meant business, she got in her bed and was pretty quiet.
Derek moved Elijah from the couch, still sleeping to his bed. This was great until about oh... 9:40ish. Guess who woke up.
In the mean time, Kyley had been good in the bed, but not asleep, so as soon as Elijah woke up she thought that meant free reign of whatever she wanted. WRONG.
We finally got her to sleep, but it took much much longer to get Elijah back to sleep because he thought he'd had a nap and was ready to go for a bit.
Overall, considering what went on, not a bad experience, and we were pleased.
SO, tonight, 8:15 the alarm goes off.
The kids cleaned their room, and then we played UNO for 15 minutes (3 games worth if you were wondering, and Elijah won 2!) We prayed together and talked about a Zacchaeus and about our favorite parts of the day. (I love this part!) And we sent the kids to bed. They did pretty well tonight, they didn't go to sleep right away but for the most part we didn't have to say anything to them. After Kyley fell asleep Elijah wanted to come out and play a little but we nipped that quickly and he is fast asleep. Not bad for a 2nd day of a routine. I pray they get better and better at this!
And a bonus for the day. Asher fell asleep during the game/prayer/bible time and has been asleep since their bedtime as well. SCORE: Mommy: 3 Bedtime:0 I like that one.
Friday, October 14, 2011
New Journeys, New Beginnings.
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
So as many of you know, Derek & I have taken on the role of Children's Pastors at Lakewood Christian Centre. We have been there since June and we are loving it! God is blessing the ministry and using our calling and talents to reach kids, which is our desire! So, I thought I'd show you guys around and tell you a little bit about who we are as a ministry.
Welcome to Lakewood Kids. Derek and I, with the help of a handful of volunteers, transformed this room from solid black walls, to everything you see here. We are so blessed by the help we had, we couldn't have done it near as quickly on our own.
It is our desire to ensure that every child knows Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. Beyond that, we are dedicated to teaching children the truth in God’s word, what it means to live a life of worship and prayer, and how to share compassion through God’s love toward others.
We based our entire theme off of this Scripture:
We are so excited about what God is doing, and if you'd like to check out what is going on you can join us by clicking any of the links below.
Twitter
We would be thrilled if you'd follow us at any of those three locations and keep up with what the kids are up to!
We would be thrilled if you'd follow us at any of those three locations and keep up with what the kids are up to!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Sippy Cup
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
Guess who loves his sippy? :)
Guess who loves his sippy? :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Six months/ 3 1/2 year stats!
So, I want to document this so I remember :)
Today Asher weighed in at 14 lb 7 oz, and 25 1/2 inches tall!
Elijah is 36 lbs even, and 38 1/2 inches tall !
My boys are growing so quickly (and my girl too!!!)
On another note, WOW do you get a lot of baby food if you breastfeed from WIC.
Asher gets 64 fruits and veggies, and 31 meats a month. I hope he's hungry! :)
And a HUGE thank you to any of you who have checked out the Scentsy Fundraiser for Malerie and Kevin! And if you haven't yet...
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Last night's dinner.
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
To finish it off I made some garlic bread, and some lemon pepper chicken (for my husband in case he didn't like the pasta dish). In reality we could've done without the bread or the chicken. The pasta and salad were perfect together and needed nothing else.
Photo courtesy of my husband and his android phone.
Ok, So I've been in a rut and I felt like I was making the same thing every week for dinner. So last night I tried something new. A friend sent me the link and it sounded great so I thought, hey why not, let's try it and it was mostly things I already had on hand.
So. We tried it. Garlicky Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups chopped plum tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 6 cups hot cooked campanella (about 12 ounces uncooked pasta)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, basil, cheese, salt, and pepper, tossing gently to combine.
To finish it off I made some garlic bread, and some lemon pepper chicken (for my husband in case he didn't like the pasta dish). In reality we could've done without the bread or the chicken. The pasta and salad were perfect together and needed nothing else.
Photo courtesy of my husband and his android phone.
Asher's first food
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
I just wanted to share a few pictures of the first time Asher ate real food. I chose to start with bananas, we don't really do the cereal thing, especially since we wait until six months to start food, he was MORE than ready for some real stuff!!! He is loving eating, and I'm sure in no time with be a pro!
I just wanted to share a few pictures of the first time Asher ate real food. I chose to start with bananas, we don't really do the cereal thing, especially since we wait until six months to start food, he was MORE than ready for some real stuff!!! He is loving eating, and I'm sure in no time with be a pro!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Art
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
So recently, we turned these crayons into art. I saw this on someone's blog, that they'd found on pinterest (no I haven't jumped on that bandwagon yet, but I'm sure I could if I tried hard enough).
We took 4 boxes of crayola crayons (we being me and kyley mostly), and we grouped them together into like colors that we thought would look good together. Then we hot glued them to the top of a canvas. (3 actually)
Next we rigged up a cardboard box with tin foil in the bottom to catch our splatter, and I turned on the hair dryer and pointed it toward the crayon points to melt them and let them drip down the canvas.
Simple as that :) Now, go try it and enjoy yourselves so I can see more pretty artwork.
So recently, we turned these crayons into art. I saw this on someone's blog, that they'd found on pinterest (no I haven't jumped on that bandwagon yet, but I'm sure I could if I tried hard enough).
We took 4 boxes of crayola crayons (we being me and kyley mostly), and we grouped them together into like colors that we thought would look good together. Then we hot glued them to the top of a canvas. (3 actually)
Next we rigged up a cardboard box with tin foil in the bottom to catch our splatter, and I turned on the hair dryer and pointed it toward the crayon points to melt them and let them drip down the canvas.
Simple as that :) Now, go try it and enjoy yourselves so I can see more pretty artwork.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Random - Asher
Don't forget to join us for our fundraiser to Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
This is Asher and how he thinks he should use his swing.
My boy has some beautiful lashes
Asher's first soccer game with daddy
And his first time in the grass... he was less than thrilled.
Playin' with his toes on the back porch
This is Asher and how he thinks he should use his swing.
Asher's first soccer game with daddy
And his first time in the grass... he was less than thrilled.
Playin' with his toes on the back porch
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Help Bring Baby Hugs Home!!
Y'all I am so excited to be a part of this. And I'm even MORE excited that YOU get to be a part of this!!!
I've been so tremendously blessed to know Malerie since highschool. She was a beacon of light to me in some hard times in my life and I'm so grateful that God allowed us to get to know each other way back then (feeling old yet Mal?)
Malerie and her sweet husband Kevin are amazing. If you don't know them, you should. They are such sweet, gentle, humble people and you'd be so blessed to know their hearts. They have a passion for God's word and His people and it's apparent in their lives.
So here is where YOU come in.
Malerie and Kevin are in the process of adopting from Korea.
As we all know, adoption can be expensive, so they are working as hard as they can to raise the money they need for their expenses.
Another sweet friend of mine, Cheryl has offered to have a fundraiser for them. Cheryl (also an amazing woman of God, y'all I am so blessed with amazing friends!) is an Independent Scentsy Consultant and she has so generously offered to give 100% of the profit made from these sales to Malerie and Kevin for the purpose of their adoption!!
Here is a bit of what Cheryl had to say about these products:
Are you excited yet???
If you've never tried Scentsy, this stuff is AMAZING. I've clumsily spilled the wax several times and it doesn't burn so it's safe for kids, and there is NO FLAME. I love that!
If you want to know more about the product you can also check out Cheryl's Facebook Page.
SO, get out there and get shopping, and let's help bring Baby Hugs home!!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
I've been so tremendously blessed to know Malerie since highschool. She was a beacon of light to me in some hard times in my life and I'm so grateful that God allowed us to get to know each other way back then (feeling old yet Mal?)
Malerie and her sweet husband Kevin are amazing. If you don't know them, you should. They are such sweet, gentle, humble people and you'd be so blessed to know their hearts. They have a passion for God's word and His people and it's apparent in their lives.
So here is where YOU come in.
Malerie and Kevin are in the process of adopting from Korea.
As we all know, adoption can be expensive, so they are working as hard as they can to raise the money they need for their expenses.
Another sweet friend of mine, Cheryl has offered to have a fundraiser for them. Cheryl (also an amazing woman of God, y'all I am so blessed with amazing friends!) is an Independent Scentsy Consultant and she has so generously offered to give 100% of the profit made from these sales to Malerie and Kevin for the purpose of their adoption!!
Here is a bit of what Cheryl had to say about these products:
With the days growing cool, we are preparing for Autumn and the coming winter months. Thinking of the Holidays as they approach quickly leave many flustered. Not anymore...Scentsy is the perfect gift for everyone.
Scentsy warmers will brighten any room- safely because it's powered by a light bulb- and fit any decor you have in mind!
Our scented wax..If you've not tried them, once you do, you'll fall in love with them (and they are economical). Frosty "Whiteout" confures images of icy cold mint and crisp apples. Love to horseback ride? "Weathered Leather" is a mix of suede, leather and oak. As many scents you can imagine will be found in 1 of 80 scents!
NEW to Scentsy...You can now layer Scentsy fragrance in the most fun and personal way with our new Scentsy Solid Perfumes! Five amazing scents to choose from and take with you to all your holiday parties!
Finally, children can choose their favorite scent too, as we introduce more scented paks for the adorable Scentsy Buddies to go along with our NEW Scratch the Cat and Patch the Dog....but don't forget about our old friends, Ollie (elephant), Molly (monkey), Lenny (Lamb), Penny (pig) and Ribbert (frog)!
Be sure when you place your order, go to www.meltingmoments.scentsy.us and click "Buy" next to "Baby Hugs Fundraiser Here". 100% of the profit will be donated towards this family's amazing journey!!!Please email me at mrsbes@yahoo.com or call me at 410-241-8992 with any questions about Scentsy you might have.
Are you excited yet???
If you've never tried Scentsy, this stuff is AMAZING. I've clumsily spilled the wax several times and it doesn't burn so it's safe for kids, and there is NO FLAME. I love that!
If you want to know more about the product you can also check out Cheryl's Facebook Page.
SO, get out there and get shopping, and let's help bring Baby Hugs home!!!
Don't forget when you click on Cheryl's link to go to the party titled Baby Hugs Fundraiser and click BUY next to that!!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
6 months old!
Asher, you are 6 months old!! (and 3 days)
I cannot believe how fast you're growing! It seems like just yesterday you were born!
You love to roll over from front to back and back to front.
You are very good at sitting up on your own now, though I still leave the boppy behind you or stay close by because when you get excited you fling yourself backwards into the floor and then you're not so excited anymore.
You still wear a size 1 diaper, but I think that will be changing VERY soon. You are wearing 3-6 month clothes and some just 6 month, and I've even had to put away some of the smaller 3-6 month things.
You LOVE your toys and your brother's toys as well. You love when he plays with you, or when Kyley plays with you as well.
Kyley still thinks you are like a baby doll and she can play "house" with you. She likes to carry you around and pretend to put you to bed and you think she's the funniest thing.
Just this weekend (2 days ago!) You started making actual syllables instead of squeals. You are saying "ma" very well, and it's funny to watch you study our mouths as we talk and mimic the movement.
Your toes are one of your favorite toys, and chew toys at that.
You want to crawl so badly, but you need to work on your strength in your arms and torso first, but that will come soon enough sweet boy. You want to be able to 'hang' with Kyley and Elijah and go wherever they go.
You've been trying a little bit of food here and there, though we aren't pushing the issue. You've so far had banana baby food, and banana baby puffs and cookies to play with, though you aren't really eating them, I put them on your tray while we eat so you can practice picking them up.
You LOVE cups. You want to steal anyone's cup that you see, and you love your own cup if it has something yummy in it (so far I've only put breastmilk or water in it, and you much prefer the milk haha)
I am so in love with you sweet little man, I can't wait to see what the next six months brings as well.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Work In Progress.
I have so many things I want to write about, but I just can't put them into words. I've pondered this post for almost 2 weeks. And my blog has been silent. That was almost the title. SILENCE.
Forgive me in advance for the wordy post. It's not my typical style, but I can't do anything but obey what my spirit feels right now.
I am... a work in progress.
I don't understand the things God is doing in my life, but I know this. He is working.
So many times I've sat down to address the issue of faith, here on my blog, but I just cannot seem to get the words out right. But now's the time.
Several years ago, God gave me a vision. A vision of our future. A vision of our third child, one of hope and fulfillment of His promises in our lives. He spoke life into existence in our hearts years before it was time to be fulfilled.
A few months before I got pregnant with Asher, I saw this same exact vision, so vivid, and so real. I got anxious, and excited. God was stirring up something in me I didn't understand. I was longing to be pregnant and have our 3rd child more than ever now.
In late June 2010, I had another vision. This time also very vivid and real. God gave me a date, a time, and confirmed the gender he'd revealed to me in the earlier visions. With this date in mind (March 15, 2011 at 4:53am to be exact and HER name was to be Kinsley Faith) I thought He was crazy, it was already late June and I'd already have to have conceived or done so right around this time to get pregnant and be due by then, and I just didn't see how that was possible.
But I believed.
And on July 6th, I took a test at 9days after ovulation and sure enough it said pregnant. (not everyone can get a positive that early, I just happened to)
So began our intense journey of faith. Derek and I both felt through this entire pregnancy He was leading us and guiding us to homebirth. We stepped out in faith and went with what we felt He was calling us to. We believed in Him. We believed in His sovereignty. We prepared to have a little girl. We gave away all of our boy clothes, and washed and put away all of our pink, girly things in the drawers as March drew near.
We had faith.
March 15th was on a Tuesday, and when I started having contractions on the Sunday before, I prayed, and asked God to continue to guide us and lead us in His will. I knew it would be a long few days before she was here.
So Tuesday came and went. And there was no baby. Um... excuse me God...??? What is going on here?????
But I believed.
Finally, during the wee hours of the morning on March 17th, I felt like it was time. Yall, let me tell you, even as I labored, I sang to "her" and spoke to her and encouraged her through the birth process.
I REALLY believed.
And birth was amazing. Derek told me as soon as he was out... "It's a boy!" And I questioned him, because ya know, sometimes things are swollen and you never know... "For real?" He confirmed it for me, and as I turned over to pick him up, I called him by name. "Hi sweet Asher" I said.
I'll be the first to tell you how in love I am. I am head over heels in love with this little boy. He rocked my world, in a good way.
But, can I be honest with you and tell you that I had to grieve? Not right away, I was too blown away by the whole experience of birthing at home and having a new baby and being absolutely smitten with him.
But as the weeks and months passed by, I felt a sadness, and I realized that it was something I needed to deal with inside of me.
I felt like God had lied to me. I questioned my ability to hear from Him. I questioned my relationship with Him. I questioned my sanity even sometimes. My grieving has nothing to do with not having a little girl. We are blessed either way. But I had to grieve the loss of the solid FAITH I'd found suddenly shaken.
There are days that it is hard. When Kyley pulls out something from the tiny little girl stuff I had sorted and put away... I silently cry to myself and wonder where I went wrong. For a few weeks in the beginning, when Elijah would ask about Kinsley (because that is what we'd prepared him for!) and I had no way of explaining to him how he would understand, it was HARD. But again I say, he is my WORLD.
I ran hard after Him during this time in my life, and I've asked many questions. I won't know the answers to many of these questions, but I can tell you this... He is working, and I am a work in progress.
I have no idea what God's purpose was for all of that in my life, but I know this. I passed the test. I ran hard after what He was showing me and I fully believed in His words to me, and I don't say that to pump myself up, but to tell you that HE sustained me during that time. HE gave me the faith to stand up to those who questioned me. and HE saw me through the time when everyone thought I was insane because it turns out, hey, he's a boy.
I ran hard, and He caught me in His grace.
I can't begin to tell you that this journey is over, I still have moments of doubt and fear of the unknown since that time.
Just last week Kyley shared her heart with me, and she broke mine into pieces in the process. She said "Mommy, I was so excited when I woke up and Asher was born, but I was kinda sad that he wasn't a girl."
Sweet Jesus, be near to her.
In six months, she'd never spoken a word of that until this week. I told someone earlier in the week about it and said, ya know, I am so glad she shared that with me so I know that she's grieving in her own way, but I could have went a million years without hearing those words.
God has a perfect plan, and maybe it's only to see my faith and trust. I have no idea. But He does.
I am a work in progress. He continues to shape me and mold me through the things I experience and deal with on a daily basis.
Yes, sometimes I will question Him, I'm human and I'm a sinner, if I wasn't I wouldn't need Him.
But I know this much: No matter what I go through I'm going to run hard after Him and into His sweet grace.
And in case you were wondering... I adore my sweet boy and wouldn't change things for the world. :)
Forgive me in advance for the wordy post. It's not my typical style, but I can't do anything but obey what my spirit feels right now.
I am... a work in progress.
I don't understand the things God is doing in my life, but I know this. He is working.
So many times I've sat down to address the issue of faith, here on my blog, but I just cannot seem to get the words out right. But now's the time.
Several years ago, God gave me a vision. A vision of our future. A vision of our third child, one of hope and fulfillment of His promises in our lives. He spoke life into existence in our hearts years before it was time to be fulfilled.
A few months before I got pregnant with Asher, I saw this same exact vision, so vivid, and so real. I got anxious, and excited. God was stirring up something in me I didn't understand. I was longing to be pregnant and have our 3rd child more than ever now.
In late June 2010, I had another vision. This time also very vivid and real. God gave me a date, a time, and confirmed the gender he'd revealed to me in the earlier visions. With this date in mind (March 15, 2011 at 4:53am to be exact and HER name was to be Kinsley Faith) I thought He was crazy, it was already late June and I'd already have to have conceived or done so right around this time to get pregnant and be due by then, and I just didn't see how that was possible.
But I believed.
And on July 6th, I took a test at 9days after ovulation and sure enough it said pregnant. (not everyone can get a positive that early, I just happened to)
So began our intense journey of faith. Derek and I both felt through this entire pregnancy He was leading us and guiding us to homebirth. We stepped out in faith and went with what we felt He was calling us to. We believed in Him. We believed in His sovereignty. We prepared to have a little girl. We gave away all of our boy clothes, and washed and put away all of our pink, girly things in the drawers as March drew near.
We had faith.
March 15th was on a Tuesday, and when I started having contractions on the Sunday before, I prayed, and asked God to continue to guide us and lead us in His will. I knew it would be a long few days before she was here.
So Tuesday came and went. And there was no baby. Um... excuse me God...??? What is going on here?????
But I believed.
Finally, during the wee hours of the morning on March 17th, I felt like it was time. Yall, let me tell you, even as I labored, I sang to "her" and spoke to her and encouraged her through the birth process.
I REALLY believed.
And birth was amazing. Derek told me as soon as he was out... "It's a boy!" And I questioned him, because ya know, sometimes things are swollen and you never know... "For real?" He confirmed it for me, and as I turned over to pick him up, I called him by name. "Hi sweet Asher" I said.
I'll be the first to tell you how in love I am. I am head over heels in love with this little boy. He rocked my world, in a good way.
But, can I be honest with you and tell you that I had to grieve? Not right away, I was too blown away by the whole experience of birthing at home and having a new baby and being absolutely smitten with him.
But as the weeks and months passed by, I felt a sadness, and I realized that it was something I needed to deal with inside of me.
I felt like God had lied to me. I questioned my ability to hear from Him. I questioned my relationship with Him. I questioned my sanity even sometimes. My grieving has nothing to do with not having a little girl. We are blessed either way. But I had to grieve the loss of the solid FAITH I'd found suddenly shaken.
There are days that it is hard. When Kyley pulls out something from the tiny little girl stuff I had sorted and put away... I silently cry to myself and wonder where I went wrong. For a few weeks in the beginning, when Elijah would ask about Kinsley (because that is what we'd prepared him for!) and I had no way of explaining to him how he would understand, it was HARD. But again I say, he is my WORLD.
I ran hard after Him during this time in my life, and I've asked many questions. I won't know the answers to many of these questions, but I can tell you this... He is working, and I am a work in progress.
I have no idea what God's purpose was for all of that in my life, but I know this. I passed the test. I ran hard after what He was showing me and I fully believed in His words to me, and I don't say that to pump myself up, but to tell you that HE sustained me during that time. HE gave me the faith to stand up to those who questioned me. and HE saw me through the time when everyone thought I was insane because it turns out, hey, he's a boy.
I ran hard, and He caught me in His grace.
I can't begin to tell you that this journey is over, I still have moments of doubt and fear of the unknown since that time.
Just last week Kyley shared her heart with me, and she broke mine into pieces in the process. She said "Mommy, I was so excited when I woke up and Asher was born, but I was kinda sad that he wasn't a girl."
Sweet Jesus, be near to her.
In six months, she'd never spoken a word of that until this week. I told someone earlier in the week about it and said, ya know, I am so glad she shared that with me so I know that she's grieving in her own way, but I could have went a million years without hearing those words.
God has a perfect plan, and maybe it's only to see my faith and trust. I have no idea. But He does.
I am a work in progress. He continues to shape me and mold me through the things I experience and deal with on a daily basis.
Yes, sometimes I will question Him, I'm human and I'm a sinner, if I wasn't I wouldn't need Him.
But I know this much: No matter what I go through I'm going to run hard after Him and into His sweet grace.
And in case you were wondering... I adore my sweet boy and wouldn't change things for the world. :)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Coolest Win Ever
Ok, I am officially in LOVE. I won these sweet beads from a blog giveaway over at We are THAT family. They came from this sweet little etsy shoppe! The Adopt Shoppe
Go check out the amazing stuff. I promise you won't regret it!!!
These particular beads, are handmade (fair trade!) from Uganda! They are teaching women to make a living for their families by making beads out of magazines! how awesome is that?! I love them!
Go check out the amazing stuff. I promise you won't regret it!!!
These particular beads, are handmade (fair trade!) from Uganda! They are teaching women to make a living for their families by making beads out of magazines! how awesome is that?! I love them!
Friday, September 2, 2011
busy week, tired mommy!
No pictures today! Sorry! I just wanted to say hi and update!
We had revival last weekend, so my week last week and into this week consisted of planning lessons, buying props/prizes, organizing help, making sure everything was ready for the weekend, and pulling off 4 services in 3 days. It was a LOT of work leading up to it, but we had a blast and God is so good. The kids had a lot of fun and even a few adults got in on the action a few nights. I probably won't share any pictures on my personal blog from anything we do there, but you can check out the Lakewood Kids BLOG if you are interested and there are also links on the Lakewood Kids FACEBOOK PAGE.
My intentions were to start school on Monday, but with the long weekend we had, I decided to put it off until after Labor Day, so we will start this coming Tuesday so that I have time to make sure my lesson plans are done, etc. Kyley is so excited about starting school, and I must say, so am I!!! I can't wait to see what this year holds for her and Elijah as they learn and grow!
During the week, all 3 kids have come down with a cold, so my last two days have been spent mostly working on things I need to do online to catch up, and snuggling a grumpy baby who has a stuffy nose and can't breathe well and just overall doesn't feel good. He's so pathetic, but I'm happy to say that he seems to be slowly on the mend. The older two have stuffy noses, but haven't really acted much different than normal so I'm hoping we got by easy this time.
Asher is sitting up so well now, we still don't leave him by himself because he does still fling himself backwards at times, but he's doing great! And last night I laid him on his tummy and he got his legs all pulled under him and held his torso up with just his arms and knees. YIKES, he can't be starting this yet!!! He LOVES his toys and loves to talk to people, he will squeal at you if you pay him any attention. I love all the smiles and giggles we are getting these days!!!
We had revival last weekend, so my week last week and into this week consisted of planning lessons, buying props/prizes, organizing help, making sure everything was ready for the weekend, and pulling off 4 services in 3 days. It was a LOT of work leading up to it, but we had a blast and God is so good. The kids had a lot of fun and even a few adults got in on the action a few nights. I probably won't share any pictures on my personal blog from anything we do there, but you can check out the Lakewood Kids BLOG if you are interested and there are also links on the Lakewood Kids FACEBOOK PAGE.
My intentions were to start school on Monday, but with the long weekend we had, I decided to put it off until after Labor Day, so we will start this coming Tuesday so that I have time to make sure my lesson plans are done, etc. Kyley is so excited about starting school, and I must say, so am I!!! I can't wait to see what this year holds for her and Elijah as they learn and grow!
During the week, all 3 kids have come down with a cold, so my last two days have been spent mostly working on things I need to do online to catch up, and snuggling a grumpy baby who has a stuffy nose and can't breathe well and just overall doesn't feel good. He's so pathetic, but I'm happy to say that he seems to be slowly on the mend. The older two have stuffy noses, but haven't really acted much different than normal so I'm hoping we got by easy this time.
Asher is sitting up so well now, we still don't leave him by himself because he does still fling himself backwards at times, but he's doing great! And last night I laid him on his tummy and he got his legs all pulled under him and held his torso up with just his arms and knees. YIKES, he can't be starting this yet!!! He LOVES his toys and loves to talk to people, he will squeal at you if you pay him any attention. I love all the smiles and giggles we are getting these days!!!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Better is...
Some of you may remember THIS POST.
Recently, we were at the first night of revival at our church and Elijah had to go potty right as service began (surprise right???) So as I was waiting for him to come out of the bathroom, I was enjoying the praise band from the foyer, as they were playing "Better is One Day"
A few minutes later, Elijah emerges from the boys restroom singing at the top of his lungs... They'd reached the chorus by this point (come on, sing it with me, better is one day in your courts ,better is one day in your house...)Anyhow, they'd reached the chorus and Elijah is trying his best to keep up and sing along and he blurts out this gem...
"Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your mouths..." Yes, my friends, he said MOUTHS instead of house. Hey it sounds alike right?
I wish I had a way to document every single thing the kid says, he cracks me up all day long, every single day!
Recently, we were at the first night of revival at our church and Elijah had to go potty right as service began (surprise right???) So as I was waiting for him to come out of the bathroom, I was enjoying the praise band from the foyer, as they were playing "Better is One Day"
A few minutes later, Elijah emerges from the boys restroom singing at the top of his lungs... They'd reached the chorus by this point (come on, sing it with me, better is one day in your courts ,better is one day in your house...)Anyhow, they'd reached the chorus and Elijah is trying his best to keep up and sing along and he blurts out this gem...
"Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your mouths..." Yes, my friends, he said MOUTHS instead of house. Hey it sounds alike right?
I wish I had a way to document every single thing the kid says, he cracks me up all day long, every single day!
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