We have a WALKER on our hands!!!

It only took 15 months and a few days…

But today B took several steps WITHOUT the help of his walker!

(Please excuse B’s attire…let’s just say he had already gone through two pairs of shorts by naptime.)

It was a family affair, Ella even cheered him on!

Thank You Lord for all of the milestones that we are getting to experience with B. We continue to be overwhelmed by the gift that he is to us and so thankful for Your goodness. Thank You for B’s legs and for allowing him to use them to walk! Amen

Be blessed.

The End of an Era

It’s official, this morning B was my encourager and helper as I packed up my humble little office, turned in my keys and drove away from my first real job . 

Deciding to resign, has been one of the biggest and most difficult decisions that I have been faced with to date. My friends at school have really been a family to me as they have walked alongside me and watched C propose, C and I get married and cheered me on into motherhood. 

I am so grateful for the opportunities  my first real job provided…it is pretty special to have the privilege to teach in a place where you can talk about Jesus and be surrounded by fellow believers.

Not to mention special to…

-dance with a disco ball each afternoon

-be known as the crazy teacher that sings and dances

-be able to ham it up in effort to gain the respect/liking of little ones

-make things with pasta, paint and glitter

-read some of my favorite childhood stories

-come home with paint and other evidence of a day’s work on my clothes

-have kangaroo & mouse puppet friends

-get hugs from precious little ones

-hear my name yelled at the end of a long school hallway with a kid at the other end smiling and waving

-be be famous for being “Ella Dog’s” owner

The list really could go on and on…

I know that this was the best decision for our family and I have such peace about it, but I am also anxious to see what the Lord has planned for the next chapter in our family’s life…He has been so gracious to us thus far and we trust that His grace and provision will only continue. Thank goodness we are not in control and that He is.

Happy Monday.

Be blessed.

(This photo was taken the day C brought the famous  “Ella Dog”  to visit my class at school…I am sure the rest of the teachers thought that I was crazy…but the kids loved it!)

Rub-a-Dub-Dub…B’s in the Tub

Ready…Set…Go!

 

 

 

All in all, one fun bath and one clean and very tired little boy!

 

Be blessed.

Conquering & Summiting A Step

Since our house is all one level, B doesn’t get much practice with climbing steps..

The other night, C captured B doing a little climbing on porch steps…we’ll just call this B’s way of mountain climbing sans ropes and carabineers…

 

B’s face was priceless when he summited the step! He made it to his goal…his basket of outdoor play toys!

Happy Monday!

Be blessed.

Walking?

B is continuing to practice walking with the help of furniture and his walker. On Thursday, B started to stand on his own and took about 3 baby steps!

Will the big milestone happen this week?

We’ll have to wait and see.

Happy Monday.

Be blessed.

B’s Weekend Time

While C and I were away…

B had his grandparents had time to play…

 

Play time at home…

 

Walking time at the Botanic Gardens…

Lunch and game watching time! GO FROGS!

 

Walking time to get ice cream…

  

Tasting time enjoying ice cream!

Working time at the computer store…

Straw-sippin’ time at home.

After bath play time.

Grandma J & Grandpa B,

Thanks for all the special time you spent with B this weekend. We were grateful to be able to attend the conference and B was grateful to be able to PLAY!

Happy Sunday.

Be blessed.

A Weekend to Remember

C and I were blessed with the opportunity to attend a Weekend to Remember conference this weekend…while C and I hit the road, B spent some good quality time with his Grandma J & Grandpa B.

C and I are still mulling over everything we heard…the conference was great and we would highly encourage any couple to attend, no matter where you may be at in your marriage…it provided a good dose of encouragement, challenge and accountability. 

Praise God for His design in marriage!

Thank You God for sweet grandparents who were able to hold down the fort while we were away! 

http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.5846045/k.8C0A/Weekend_to_Remember__Marriage_Getaway.htm

Happy Sunday!

Be blessed.

A Little Boy and His Dog

I was afraid I might miss this moment if I ran into the other room to get the camera, so I used my phone…

B and Ella have recently become kindred spirits. B will pet her head and say “la la la” (which we think may be “Ella”) when he is in his high chair.  B will crawl up to Ella and pet her and has started to lay on top of her. When B is done petting Ella or laying, across her back, Ella will get up and follow him to his next destination…and usually try to give him a lick or two.

Ella is such a gift, she does more than tolerate him and actually seems to enjoy his company!

Happy Wednesday!

Be blessed.

Encouragement…

A friend from college posted this on her family’s blog, at the bottom she typed that she wanted to share…so I hope that it is okay that she (really I) share it in this way. I find her heart so encouraging as I read her different posts…her love for the Lord is incredible and He has and is working in pretty amazing ways in her life right now. 

From T’s Blog:

“I am always amazed at the way the Lord arranges things in our lives to line up perfectly so that certain lessons are learned well. There have been a few lately that I have been chewing on, and if you will indulge me a few minutes of your time, I will share.
They all revolve around the theme of being in the center of God’s will.
I picked up Chuck Swindoll’s “Intimacy with the Almighty” last night. It is a quick read, but makes some great points. He spends some time talking about what Paul puts forward as his Goal in Life from Phil 3:10. To paraphrase… “That I may know Him… progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving… recognizing… understanding… continually transformed…” I love this, and if you notice there is not a caveat for hard times or hard circumstances. We are to be doing this no matter where we are in life! Paul lives out His goal, and his life was far from comfortable! My point being this, sometimes we are smackdab in the middle of God’s will even when we are experiencing suffering, pain, and hardtimes. Simply because we are believers does not mean life will be easy! Despite the circumstance, our goal should be the same as Paul’s goal. Intimacy with God.

“Just where you stand in the conflict, there is your place.
Just where you think you are useless, hide not your face.
God placed you there for a purpose, whate’er it be;
Think He has chosen you for it; work loyally.
Gird on your armor! Be faithful at toil or rest!
Whate’er it be, never doubting God’s way is best.
Out in the fight or on the picket, stand firm and true;
This is the work which your Master gives you to do.”

One theme in the midst of this has been Stillness and Silence. I can’t get away from it! It is all over the psalms, all over the devotions I have been reading lately, and even all over the book I read last night. Have you ever heard someone say “God never speaks to me”? Perhaps you have said it. I know there have been giant seasons in my life where I could not hear His voice. Trust me friends… He is speaking… we are not listening. Scripture commands us to take the time to hear and know God. Read Psalm 46:10 in a couple different translations…
“Be still and know that I am God” NIV
“Cease striving and know that I am God. Stand silent! Know that I am God!” TLB
“Let be and be still, and know- recognize and understand- that I am God” AMP
“Give in,” he cries, “admit that I am God.” Moffat
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God.” TEV
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” The Message
Literally STOP and contemplate the Lord, ask Him to speak and wait in silence for Him to speak. The verse from Isaiah 30:21 comes to mind. “And your ears will hear a word behind them saying ‘This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.’”
How about you dear reader, do have time in your day where you get solitude and silence before the Lord? Do you know if you are in the center of His Will? Can you hear His sweet voice speaking to you?
“Be still! Just now be still!
Something thy soul hath never heard,
Something unknown to any song of bird,
Something unknown to any wind, or wave, or star,
A message from the fatherland afar,
That with sweet joy the homesick soul shall thrill,
Cometh to thee if thou canst but be still.
“Be still! Just now be still!
There comes a presence very mild and sweet;
White are the sandals of His noiseless feet.
It is the comforter whom Jesus sent
To teach thee what the words He uttered meant.
The willing, waiting spirit, He doth fill.
If thou would’st hear His message,
Dear soul, be still!”
I have more to this lesson that I long to share, but this post is getting long. So in hopes that u will read it, I will stop here, and write the rest tomorrow!
All my Love
T”

___________________________________________________

T, Thanks for the encouragement, I hope it is okay that I shared it with family and friends…keep on keeping on!

Happy Monday.

Be Blessed.

Future Frogs?

We decided to celebrate summer and the Frog’s first trip to Omaha this weekend by having some fellow Horned Frog families over for dinner.

Each future Frog seemed to have fun (though this was the most still the group was all evening) and the adult company was quite enjoyable as well!

Go Frogs!

Be blessed.

Our Little Walker…

Gotcha!

No, B isn’t walking yet, but he has become quite proficient with his little walker. In effort to encourage B to make progress with his balance and confidence, C and I decided to take him and his walker on a little adventure as a sort of finale for our Father’s Day celebrating.

So, C, B, his walker and I walked to get ice cream after dinner…

We brought the stroller just in case, but later learned that the stroller could have stayed parked at home…B WALKED THE ENTIRE WAY!!! His little eyes lit up as he walked past trees, acorns, branches etc. He had an “I’m working hard and proud of myself” smile on his face the entire time.

We are guessing that B will sleep hard tonight as a result of his big adventure and hope that he might be resting up to take some big steps on his own someday in the future!

Happy Sunday.

Be blessed.

Our Super C

(In this photo…pretend the baby backpack is a super hero cape that has the letter “C” on it)

"Wearing nothing but blue jeans and a t-shirt, you defend this family from the evil forces of suburbia…

when the house needs work-

you’re there.

when the car needs fixing-

you’re there.

you are a super husband.

and, while you might not wear tights, have a side kick, or be a hero to millions-

you’ll always be a hero to us!”

(taken from a Carlton greeting card)

C,

I wouldn’t trade our little life for anything else here on earth, you make an incredible teammate and I am so thankfully for all that the Lord has provided us with. You do a whole lot more than this silly greeting card depicts…but I thought these words did a quite humorous job of articulating some of  your most important (even if you feel like they are mundane) tasks.  B and I are so grateful for you and all the ways that you lead and serve our little family of three (really, four because Ella is grateful for you too).

Thank you for all that you do!

We love you!

Happy Father’s Day!

Also, Happy Father’s Day to my dad, C’s dad and to our grandfathers! We love you all.

Happy Sunday.

Be blessed.

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood…

 (taken from wikipedia)

I recently “read” (really listened to) the book  The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor by, Amy Hollingsworth.

As a little girl, and even now as a grown up, I never knew that Mister Rogers had the faith that he did.  Listening to the book provided a really neat glimpse into Mister' Rogers life, he really did first and foremost have a heart for the Lord and secondly a heart for little ones.

Since listening to the book, I discovered another book that someone gave us as a baby gift, The Mister Rogers Parenting Resource Book: Helping to Understand Your Young Child and encourage learning and pretending by, Fred Rogers.  I had honestly forgotten about the book until this afternoon when it caught my eye sitting on a book shelf as B and I were playing together.

My new admiration for Mister Rogers and heightened curiosity led me to open the book and read a few pages…

In my couple minutes of reading I found this that stood out to me:

“Early childhood is the most important part of our life. It informs all that we do thereafter. All our lives, we rework the same struggles from our childhood needing to feel loved, finding a healthy balance between independence and dependence, being able to handle separation from loved ones, dealing with aggression, and working on self control…”  p.15

This is exactly what I learned in all of my early childhood education classes in college.  However, at that time in my life I lacked any personal classroom experience or children of my own. Retrospectively, I realize that I didn’t have a grasp of importance of children’s earliest years.

It is true, the lessons that B is in the midst of learning are lessons that C and I are still putting into practice  on a regular basis…I am humbled by the task of parenting…humbled that the experiences that B is experiencing right now will have impact on his later life, but also so grateful to experience such a privilege.

Thank You Lord for entrusting B to our care. And thank You for Mister Rogers and his legacy.  Amen

Happy Friday!

Be Blessed.

 http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Faith-Mister-Rogers-Spiritual/dp/0849918944/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276896980&sr=1-3

A Fact of Life

There are definitely benefits of choosing to live in a home that is almost 90 years old, there is charm and there are details that newer homes don’t have…BUT there can be downsides too…

Our sweet little house seems to have little dust factories in every room, though I have not seen the factories I am convinced they exist…maybe under the baseboards or somewhere! I think the factories work overtime at night, because each morning I find myself amazed by the little dust bunnies floating on the floor almost asking to be picked up by the vacuum. I am sure that having a big dog doesn’t help the situation either.

All this to say, B has become quite accustomed to my almost daily routine of vacuuming. He has started to follow me around the house with the help of his walker. Our vacuuming routine reminds me of  little kids who follow a parent mowing the lawn pushing a  toy lawnmower.

I felt the need to capture a photo of  my vacuum helper this morning, in effort to provide a daily glimpse of our life…no, it is not glamorous by any means, but in all honesty, it is a good reminder for me.  This morning, I am convicted to look at mundane tasks in my daily routine with more joy because in all honesty, I don’t think I could trade it for anything!

Happy Friday!

Be blessed.

Welcome Baby E!

 

B got to go meet his “cousin” baby, E, yesterday afternoon (it was easier to get a photo of E than B, he found himself quite busy wanting to explore the hospital room).

This is B’s first cousin on C’s side of the family.

B told baby E that he can’t wait to sure here the ropes!

Welcome Baby E!

Congratulations N & B!

Happy Friday!

Be blessed.

My Knight(s) in Shining Armor

I alluded to C celebrating my birthday in my recent brownie pan post, but feel like I need to give him a little more credit, let me explain.

Over the past few years, C has realized what a gift it is for me to have my birthday be celebrated. I by no means want or expect a singing telegram, airplane banner or fireworks but do feel so honored with a  little bit of celebrating because having a birthday in the middle of summer can be easily forgotten or overlooked.

With all that said, my birthday this year was quite fantastic. I woke up to the two boys in my life singing a sweet (and low) rendition of the Happy Birthday song …

Then I got to go to church (which we had been absent from for 5 weeks due to traveling/family events).

After church, C & B took me out for lunch to one of my favorite Cowtown spots, Central Market. We enjoyed a low key lunch and then perused the aisles of the store to pick up some groceries for the week (another birthday treat because the fruit and veggies are exceptional at Central Market –but a little pricey).

Later, B went down for a nap and C surprised me with a gift certificate for a massage as my gift from B. C said that B had thought that I might enjoy/need that after the escapades of all of our emergency room trips in Colorado.  Words can’t describe how incredible the massage was…though I am still a little sore. The masseuse noticed that the right side of my neck and back was tight….hmmmm, do you think that might be from carrying a 27 pound friend on my hip? No, he still isn’t walking!!!

Later, some friends (who I think are really angels in disguise) offered to take care of B so that C and I could go to dinner. It was a treat to sit and talk and not worry about tending to B and his needs. We caped off the evening with my favorite cake which is Black Forest Cake from the Swiss Pastry Shop….if you haven’t tried this cake you need to add it to your bucket list whenever you find yourself in Cowtown, it is DELECTABLE!

I thought my birthday was quite complete with the massage and brownie pan…BUT later in the week the Post Man delivered a nondescript brown box…C encouraged me to open it and much to my surprise and awe I found KEURIG COFFEE MAKER!!! Again, let me explain….

Recently, our coffee maker, that we received as a wedding  gift, decided that it wanted to dispense the brewed coffee onto the kitchen counter as opposed to the coffee maker’s pot. After trying to resolve the mess of a problem, we came to the conclusion that the maker had seen happier days…which meant no more morning coffee at the house.  This left me working to find ways to justify stopping at Starbucks and even McDonalds for a good cup of joe…UNTIL NOW!

 

B helped me unpack my surprise gift…and yes, as soon as it came out of the box, it found a new permanent  home on our kitchen counter!

To make it even more special, C ordered Caribou Coffee pods for the maker…Cowtown is very unfortunate to not have this splendid coffee house to enjoy, BUT now I can enjoy it in our neck of the wood, even though I am not in Minnesota, all because of C’s thoughtfulness.

So if you ever find yourself in our neck of the wood, please stop in to enjoy some of our house blend coffee…I (of course humbly) believe that it is the best in town!

I feel so honored and celebrated…both of my knights…especially the older one whisked in and made my birthday (and mornings) so special and I am so grateful!

Happy Thursday!

Be blessed.

Just Because…

  

I can hardly resist this smile and the plaid…so grown up, though I am still trying to figure out how I can press pause to slow all this growing up down!!!!

Still happy it’s Tuesday.

Be blessed.

Trial Run

I will be honest, I follow a couple of blogs (I justify it as my source of naptime entertainment)…one of my favorites is www.flythroughourwindow.com.

A few months ago, one post was totally devoted to this mom’s liking of her “Perfect Brownie Pan”.  She talked about using it to make brownies and other treats for her small group which left me quite intrigued, I’ll admit, I watched a couple utube videos about it. I mentioned the pan to C and he pretty much laughed it off, or I thought he did…

UNTIL…

I unwrapped my birthday gift and discovered by very own “Perfect Brownie Pan”! C really did a good job of listening and then locking the gift idea away.

So today, B joined me in the kitchen and the two of us took the pan for a little test run, to see if it was all that was cracked up to be?

        

B made sure I read the instructions…

We talked about the ingredients as I took them each out of the pantry and refrigerator…

B helped me pour the water and oil into the mixing bowl…

B was quite fascinated by the “all natural” chocolate mix…

He stirred…

Watched the batter get poured…

And even tried to sneak a taste of some of the batter (though I was faster and wiped it off his little hand before he got a taste).

 

Afterwards, he helped me wash the bowl, measuring cup and spatula…

He even helped dry!

In the brownies went…

In effort to make time pass as the brownies baked and cooled, B found some fun outdoor entertainment…

After B’s fingers and toes turned into raisins we came inside to see if the brownies were cool enough to taste?

It was like magic…

And they tasted good too!

B took my lead and agreed that milk is the perfect pairing for an afternoon brownie!

All in all, I am pretty impressed by my gift…a little silly, maybe…BUT, in all honesty I really am looking forward to using it to make treats for our small group and for other visitors who may make their way over to our neck of the wood.

Happy Tuesday!

Be blessed.