God Cares About Your Daily Life as a Mama!

I have to begin by thanking Good Morning Girls for this wonderful Bible study I've been going through for the last few weeks.  I must admit that I am about a week behind in the study, but the Lord knew what He was doing and positioned this passage at the perfect place in my life. 

Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 

Wow!  How did God know exactly what mamas struggle with?!  So much from these verses struck me, but what hit me hardest was the fact that God cares about my day to day struggles at home.  Many times, a mom who stays home is treated differently by society and peers, and is often asked when she is going back to work at a "real job".  I'm thankful for this blog on the subject.  Mamas, whether we stay home or work outside the home, God truly understands our daily struggles and cares about our situation enough to give SPECIFIC directives to us.  So, moms, when you feel like no one understands the depth of your day to day life and the seemingly menial tasks you do throughout the day, remember that God sees and He created your position as one that is to be honored and not trivialized.  You and I both know that the our day to day existence is far from luxurious and most of us who stay home are sacrificing deeply to follow the conviction in our hearts.  Whether we stay home or work outside the home, God views the job of mothering and homemaking as a necessity for training the next generation to love and serve Him. 

Here are some of my observations from this passage:

1) Our behavior is to be reverent.  Respectful, honorable, deliberate are words that come to mind for me. 

2) Not slanderers.  So often, women tear each other down with words, but as believers, we are called to never take part in this.  How Christ-like is it for me to rip apart a fellow believer and sister with hateful speech about her?  Ladies, we're in this walk together and we must encourage and uphold each other to further the cause of Christ.  Especially SAHMs vs. WOTHMs (not sure if that's an actual acronym yet or not, but it should be!)

3) Not slaves to much wine.  This communicated to me that we should not be given over to any vices whether that is alcohol or wasting hours on facebook.  Whatever addiction we struggle with, we must daily lay these at the foot of the cross. 

4) Teach what is good.  Finding fellow sisters in Christ to invest my life in is something God constantly has on my heart.  With a toddler running around like a crazy banshee, it's hard to figure out the logistics of making this work consistently, but God gives opportunities when we ask Him.  And we never know how those short conversations and God-appointed meetings can be used by God for His glory. 

5) Love our husbands and children.  Selfishness is the opposite of love, so when I am tempted to act selfishly or put my trivial wants (for time mindlessly browsing pinterest...) ahead of the legitimate needs of my family (for clean dishes, folded laundry, or simply for my attention), I am not acting in love.  Loving my husband and my son means putting their needs ahead of my own.  I must also know when I need to be still and rest since my family needs me to be a kind and patient mommy and wife.  At the Christian camp where I worked in the Summers during college, we were encouraged that "sometimes the most godly thing you can do is take a nap".  Being intentional about resting (as much as possible with little ones) and not burnt out is something that I must make a priority to be able to effectively show love to my family.

6) Be self-controlled.  Not lashing out in anger when my son throws a toy at my head or dumps cheerios and milk all over my freshly mopped floor.  Not biting my husband's head off when his clothes don't quite make it to the hamper (especially since mine have been known to do the same thing from time to time).  Keeping my cool and disciplining my stubborn 2-year-old with a response that mirrors the response I'd like him to have should be my objectives.  (I'd hate for him to learn more bad behavior from me!)

7) Pure.  In mind, heart, desires, and speech.  Thinking and speaking so that I would not be ashamed for anyone in the entire world to hear (because, oh yeah, remember, God hears it all...eek!). 

8) Working at home.  Striving to be a hard worker at the job God has given me in my home is something I struggle with.  It is easy to let things slide until they get to the point that the task is overwhelming and I then have no motivation to get them done.  Moms, we know there are days when cleaning your house is like eating oreos while brushing your teeth.  And on those days, I have realized that the best way to clean my house is to keep a closer eye on my child to prevent more messes from happening and to worry about my to do list later.  The key for me is to use my time wisely and not waste time with things that don't matter like all of the fabulous contributions to the world that sites like buzzfeed have given us ("22 Things Every 90's Girl Understands", "What Downton Abbey Character Are You?" to name some of my recent time-wasters).  There is obviously nothing wrong with these little things, but when it becomes a way for me to put off tasks that are necessary for my family to function optimally, I am not being a hard worker in my home.  I'm am being lazy. 

9)  Kind.  Treating others the way I'd like to be treated.  (Luke 6:31)  Being kind to my son even when he is not so kind to me.  Being friendly to my neighbors when I would rather just take out my trash, pull my hood over my head, and get back inside my warm apartment. 

10) Submissive to their own husbands.  Supporting my husband as he leads our home without trying to usurp his role or treat him like a child.  Encouraging him and letting him know how proud I am of him (I truly am incredibly proud of the godly man he is!).  Not allowing my own thoughts or people who do not respect their husbands (or just men in general) to create discontent in my heart. 

11) That the word of God may not be reviled.  Woah!  My actions in these areas truly matter for the kingdom!  If I'm not striving to do right in these areas and teach other women to do so as well, I am tearing down the kingdom by giving those around me a poor opinion of my God. 

A summary of what I have learned in this passage is this:  My life matters to the kingdom.  My day to day, menial grind of wiping up spills and boogers matters.  Realizing that God sees my days at home deeply impacts how I go about those little tasks and it gives me encouragement that my job is not just important, it is absolutely necessary.  It, like any other job for a believer, is the mission field God has called me to, and I must treat it as such. 

What are some things you glean from these verses?  How has God spoken to your heart lately about your role as a mama?

What I Learned from James' Disobedience

I've always been an advocate of honesty among mothers and I hate that so much of what we see of other's lives via social media and shallow passing chats is just the pretty picture each of us wants to portray.  I feel that it is vitally important to share our struggles and failures and to give glory to God in all things knowing that in our weakness, He is strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 -  9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

With that being said, I felt led to share a small struggle that we have currently been dealing with...

To give some background, in public, our little man is typically a very well-mannered child for being almost two.  People continually ask me if he is always this good, to which I reply, "Ha! No."  He is very observant in new or unfamiliar situations and is great at sitting quietly through church (and usually falls asleep).  He has never been aggressive or mean to another child and has often let other children take toys he is playing with without retaliating.  At home, he plays well, has learned not to throw toys (for the most part).  He gets upset when he doesn't get his way and is disciplined for that.  If he gets frustrated with a toy or that a certain car won't fit in a place he wants it to go, he will scream, which is something we are working on as well.  He gets into things he shouldn't, tries to collapse on the ground when we are getting into to the car and he wants to stay out and play, along with other typical 2-year-old antics.  At this age, I've learned, discipline is hard work.  I do my best to be consistent and to figure out what works best for him.  Some days it is exhausting. Some days we have a blast most of the day.  I try to exaggeratedly praise him when he chooses to do the right thing or chooses to obey when I catch him about to do something he shouldn't.  I have been committed to teach my child right and wrong and that our actions have consequences.  I don't feel that our routine is much different than that of many other families with almost 2-year-old boys.

Now, the real reason I am writing this is because of a situation that has made me feel completely overwhelmed and helpless in the last few weeks.  We have a close friend who has a 1-year-old.  James has always loved his buddy and up until a few weeks ago, has always been very gentle and sweet to him.  We get together multiple times a week for walks and spend time in each other's homes letting the boys play.  A few weeks ago, James started to play rough with his buddy.  He would continually try to push him down or knock him over.  At first, I thought he might be mimicking football since that is a big part of our lives.  Of course, he was disciplined and firmly talked to after each offense.  I continually tried to help him understand that he was hurting his buddy and that pushing him was not OK.  At home, he would come to me and say, "I push buddy.", and we would then talk about how that was not OK and that his buddy would be sad if he pushed him.  This buddy is the only child he has ever acted this way with, and though we have worked and worked on this issue, it continues to be a big problem.  When we spent time with these friends this weekend, it was almost constant and by the end of our time together I was exhausted emotionally from continually dealing with it.  My friend and I talked about what may be causing the problem and honestly, my heart broke that this had become something that dominates our time together.  I held back tears as I told my friend that I was out of ideas and that I don't know what else to do, but remain consistent in disciplining him.  I honestly felt like I was totally failing in this area of motherhood.  I got James into the car and was crying before I left their driveway.

As I drove home, thinking about my beautiful child and wondering why he was choosing to be so disobedient, I was overcome by the realization that this must be, in a small way, how God feels when I continually disobey Him; when He gently calls me back to Himself, lovingly disciplines me and I turn around and continue in my sin, rejecting His loving guidance.  My cries turned into sobs as I was overcome by conviction of my own rebellion as a child of God.  James fell asleep on the way home and I sat in my parked car and asked for forgiveness for my continual rebellion against my Heavenly Father.  I cried out for wisdom as a parent in dealing with this situation knowing that God fully understands what I'm feeling.  I poured out my broken heart to the Lord.  I'm still at a loss for how to "fix" this problem.  I am still broken-hearted over it, but I am so thankful that God used this struggle to help me understand the way my sin and rebellion hurts Him, and to gain a new perspective that I would have never been able to see so clearly otherwise.  I am so thankful to be His child.

Hebrews 12:6-11 - 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.



If you have questions about faith in Christ, feel free to go to this link and find out more about what God says about being a good person and how we can accept His gift of salvation. http://www.areyouagoodperson.org/

Also, check out this link for answers to some questions: http://www.wayofthemaster.com/faq.shtml

What I Learned From James Lifting Weights

Today we went to visit Evan in the weight room and took some breakfast casseroles to his incredibly hard-working staff.  While we were there, James wanted to go "lift". :)  This is a common occurrence and we love to watch him imitate his daddy and the athletes he sees working out.  I snapped a quick picture of this cuteness and when I looked at it later on, it got me thinking...

This is such a good representation of our relationship with the Lord.  

2 Corinthians 12:9 came to mind. 

 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

As a mom, I constantly feel inadequate for the monster-of-a-job God has given me in raising James and soon, Layla.  I struggle to be consistent in discipline, schedules and educational activities.  I feel inadequate as a wife when I realize I have failed in making my home a haven for my husband to retreat to after long tiresome days.  There is, more often than not, laundry left unfolded and dishes piled in the sink. I struggled especially with these feelings of inadequacy this weekend.  I have high hopes for what I can accomplish each day, but I tend not to reach those goals.  I'm sure many of you can relate in some way or another.  I have found that I am easily discouraged because I try to do all of these things in my own strength, not realizing that I am very, very weak.  But, praise the Lord, when I am weak, His strength is complete!  I am learning that I was never meant to tackle this life alone.  My Lord lifts the loads that I am too small to bear and gives His grace to me daily when I submit my heart, my goals, and my day to Him.  I am so thankful for this sweet and unexpected reminder that the load of responsibility that I continually fail bear on my own is borne with me by my Lord each day.

"Sometimes when we get overwhelmed, 

we forget how big God is." 

AW Tozer

He is big.  Bigger than my worries, my doubts, my fears and my problems.  Today I am praising the Lord that He is big and strong!

New Fall Favorite: Pumpkin Pancakes

It irks me to no end to find a blog that says it includes a recipe and then have to scroll for 20 minutes to actually get to the recipe, so I'll save you the trouble.  Here's the recipe I devised this morning:

Scratch-made Pumpkin Pancakes

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (I plan to make a batch using whole wheat flour soon)
2 TBSP granulated sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg slightly beaten
(1) 12 oz. can evaporated milk + about 1/4 cup water (you could use regular milk instead)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (mine was a bit more than 1/4 cup)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Bring a greased griddle or pan up to medium heat.  Pour batter onto griddle or pan and cook one side until bubbles pop and pancakes are puffed up.  Flip.  Enjoy with maple syrup!


These were an experiment as is most of my cooking and they turned out surprisingly well.  They were thick and fluffy and James has eaten 5 (sans syrup) so far this morning so they must be good :)  That brings me to another plus of these pancakes.  They are a perfect toddler treat.  Easy to hold or they can be cut up for your little one.  The pumpkin gives them lots of good nutritional value and there's no oil in these which cuts down the fat content.  When I can make a batch with whole wheat flour we will really be in business!  Feel free to experiment with the amount of pumpkin and spices you use.  Ours weren't over the top pumpkiny.  Let me know what you think!

I've got the remainder of this can of pumpkin to use up today so I'd love to hear some of your favorite pumpkin recipes!  Feel free to comment with the recipe or provide a link.

Happy Fall!

7 Ways to Use Up Those Extra Baby Food Purees with Your Toddler

Like many of you ladies, I made and froze all of James' baby food when he was little.  I'm obviously not making purees anymore, but I still have some sitting in my freezer begging to be used up.  I also happen to LOVE couponing and even now when I am able to find organic baby food purees for less than 20 cents, you better believe I'm picking it up for traveling and all-day outings.  These came in SUPER handy for our 10 day trek earlier this Spring to visit family.  Since James is a "big boy" now, we've gotten creative with how we use these purees.  Here's a list of a few ways we use purees in his "big boy" diet:

1) Vegetable baby foods over whole grain pasta or brown rice with chicken or beef

-This is the first way I started using up my purees.  Cook your pasta or rice and meat as usual and the puree becomes the sauce!

2) Use vegetable purees on deli sandwiches instead of mayo and mustard.  (Sneaking goodness in there!)

3) Substitute fruit purees for jelly in your PB&J's.

-Or do just the fruit puree w/o any peanut butter.  That's a favorite in our highchair.

4) Mix purees with a scrambled egg to up the nutritional ante.  

-When I'm scrambling an egg for James I usually smash up a banana with it, but if I'm out of bananas I'll take a puree from the pantry and mix it in instead.  He loves it!

5) Make a wrap with fruit puree as your spread and any fresh fruit you have on hand.

-Throw in a whole banana for a quick and yummy snack or add some sliced strawberries.  A swipe of peanut/nut butter adds some protein to make it a filling lunch.

6) Let them use purees to practice feeding themselves with a spoon. 

-James loves yogurt and applesauce and those have been our primary spoon foods for him to feed himself.  He's doing a great job lately!  There are also some really yummy (yes, I tried them) organic fruit and granola purees that are a little thicker that he does well feeding himself.

7) Make a smoothie!
    
- Our frozen ice cubes of pureed fruits and veggies have come in handy for throwing into smoothies!  Spinach is a favorite in our smoothies because it's so jam-packed with goodness.  Throw in some frozen fruit or purees and you're golden!

I'd love to hear how you use (or plan to use) your purees in the future!  We need more ideas :)  Leave a comment below!

Remembering His marvelous works

Psalm 105:1-6
1Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name;  Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
3Glory in His holy name;  Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
5Remember His marvelous works which He has done,  His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

This was one of those times when I just flipped open my Bible and read the first thing my eye was drawn to. I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I really love doing that.  God seems to always point out a verse or passage that I really need to see.  It's also great since being a stay-at-home mom of a toddler doesn't always afford a large block of time to sit and study.  God gives me these little nuggets that I can meditate on throughout the day and that's exactly what I need right now (that might have something to do with "mommy brain").  All I know is that it is so much easier for me to see how God wants me to apply His Word to my life when I read (and re-read) short passages and let them sink in throughout the day. I do get some time in the evenings to dig in and commune with my God before I go to bed and that time is SUCH a blessing.  Please don't think I am knocking a scheduled quiet time with the Lord.  I can't tell you how much God works in my heart through those special times.  Really.  I long for that time away with the Lord.  I must also admit that I have been guilty of being so determined to finish reading a passage or set number of chapters that I miss the application part altogether and it ends up being nothing more than a task to check off my to do list.  You don't get much more counter-productive than that.  God's still working on me :)

But anyway, these verses really reminded me that I need to be talking about what God has done in my life.  I need to be talking about the amazing salvation He gave me by sending His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life and die on a cross because of my sin, about the blessing my husband and my son are, about the little blessings He gives me throughout the day just to remind me that He loves me extravagantly.

Going back to the subject of "Mommy Brain" (it's real!), I tend to forget things a lot more since I got pregnant with James.  Like things that happened earlier in the day, what I ate for breakfast or even remembering what day it is.  So it is so so important that I write things down or work hard to meditate on them so I can remember.  I wanted to take a moment here and "5Remember His marvelous works which He has done,  His wonders,".  A song that keeps running through my head today says "The only thing that's good in me is Jesus", and I want that to be my theme.  The Lord Jesus Christ alone deserves all the credit for anything good that has come from my life.

Things God has done for me:

Most importantly, He saved me from what I deserve, which is hell.  My sin separated me from God because He is perfect, holy.  To bridge the gap between us, He sent His perfect, holy Son to Earth to live life here and to do so without sinning, not even once.  He was a perfect and spotless Lamb.  He allowed Himself to be hung on a cross to take my punishment and my shame.  He took my place and allowed me to have His righteousness.  Because I believe He is who He says He is, that what He did completely took away my guilt, and I've decided to turn from my previous way of life where I lived only for myself, and to live my life to glorify Him, I can be with Him for all eternity.  I can glorify Him in heaven forever.

He gave me the opportunity to learn about Him from an early age.  My childhood wasn't picture perfect, but I can look back and see that God was pursuing me the entire time.

He has brought me back when I have strayed (which is a lot!).  My heart is fickle.  It is so easy for me to get off track.  When I get discouraged after I have strayed yet again, I think about the children of Israel and how many times they turned from the Lord.  I see how God corrected them and brought them back to Himself and I see that in my own life.  I am thankful that God is still pursuing me.

He brought a godly, loving, hardworking man into my life who is now my husband.  I could talk for days about how perfect God's timing was when I met Evan.  We were both at a point where we had given up on ever finding someone.  We were both broken.  Evan is the best gift God has ever given me besides my salvation.  He is kind and quick to forgive me when I have wronged him...again.  The Lord has used him to show me how much He (God) loves me and that His love is not based on my performance.





He has given me the sweetest, silliest baby boy.  Being a mom has taught me so much about God's love for me as well.  Being a parent puts the Gospel into a completely different context.  I am able to understand God's love so much better, because I understand the sacrifice God made in sending His only Son to Earth to die an excruciating death for people who don't "get it".  

My little man has given me the opportunity to show him the love that God has shown me.  I'm reminded daily that God loves me when I throw my temper tantrums, or when I want something that's not good for me and He gently guides me back to His arms. Every. Time.


He has given my husband a wonderful job that he loves.  He has given me friends here who have similar values and beliefs.  In a field where the norm seems to be work first and family and religion somewhere down the line, He has put Evan on a staff with other men who profess Christ and make it a point to treasure their families.

He has allowed us to live in an apartment that meets our financial needs while being super close to Evan during the day.  We are able to walk over to meet Evan for lunch or to just run around on the football field.  This has been key in helping work out with the logistics of having one car.  The Lord also packed our apartment full of little blessings.

This place was built in the 60's or 70's so my kitchen is made for someone who cooks.  It's U-shaped (all you FCS majors will appreciate that!) and has a big window over the sink where I can see birds and squirrels scampering about :)  The layout is perfect for us, with both bedrooms on the same side of the apartment.  I love being able to hear the little man without a monitor.  We have a laundry area and a huge closet for lines and cleaning supplies (This is a big deal since I make our laundry detergent in 10 gallon batches).  Our King bed fit in our bedroom!  There was a little 12 in. or so knock-out in one wall that it slid into perfectly.  The same thing happened in the little man's room.  There was an alcove between his 2 closets (yes, 2) :) and I almost cried when I slid his crib into that space with about 2 inches of clearance on each side.  That gave us plenty of room for his toys, furniture and most importantly, our guest bed which we didn't think we would be able to keep.  We also have a HUGE grassy area in front of our apartment which gives James so much room to just run!

I have been overwhelmed by all of these little things, but the most breathtaking blessing of our apartment is out our living room window. We have a gorgeous view of the mountains.  You can't seem them in this picture because it was snowing so hard over them.  I am convinced that our apartment must have the best view in the whole complex.  God's creation truly does sing His praises.  It is a constant reminder of His love and sufficiency.  I love our apartment!  Baseboard heaters, no AC and all!  It's been such a sweet reminder of God's love for us and that this is part of His plan for our family.

I also want to praise the Lord for the sweetness of my little boy each day.  Today he was sitting on my lap and out of the blue he said, "Ba-bath! Ah nee ba-bath!" and hopped down and ran to the bathroom door.  He was so upset when I told him we needed to wait until Daddy got home and we ate dinner.  Bath is typically Daddy-Jamesy time so I try to reserve that for them, but I was so impressed with his determination and ability to verbalize his desire.  He is growing up SO FAST!

He also got into my embroidery thread today and brought me a roll declaring that is was a "fooball! fooball!" :)  LOVE him!  Building towers with him just so he can knock them down (read: make them explode all over the living room) is a highlight of our days right now and I couldn't be more thankful to get to spend my days with him.


This was a bit lengthy, but I so appreciate you hanging in there and praising God with me for the blessings He has showered on us.  I am truly thankful that I am able to "Make known His deeds among the peoples!" and "Talk of all His wondrous works!".

I would love to hear how God has blessed you!  Leave a comment below sharing God's wondrous works in your life.  
  

Buffalo/BBQ Chicken Primavera

This was what I threw together for a quick dinner tonight.  I decided to put it on here because I am notorious for losing recipes or forgetting that I ever made them :)  If you have a question, feel free to leave a comment and I'll elaborate.  It was really simple though and so so yummy!

1 lb cooked pasta (mine was frozen then thawed by filling my ziplock with warm water)
1 lb or so cooked shredded chicken (mine was frozen when I put it in)
1 lb frozen broccoli
1 bell pepper or 1/2 of 2 peppers
Tabasco to taste
1/4 cup or so of ranch (I just drizzled it)
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Put pasta, chicken and veggies in a casserole dish.  Slice cream cheese into 1/2 inch thick slices and lay it on top of pasta/chicken.  Drizzle sauces over everything and place into the oven for 15 minutes.  Stir.  Put in the oven for 10 minutes more.  Stir. Top with cheese. Put in the oven for 5 minutes more so cheese melts.

Life begins when?

When I posted this on facebook today, I felt the need to apologize for "ranting" since I'm not typically one to throw out my opinion in a way that may be confrontational.  That thought was quickly replaced by the realization that ranting is exactly what I should be doing.  My anger and heartbreak is justified in this.  


As I wrote that status, there was so much more I wanted to say.  So much more information I wanted to share so that maybe someone who does not fully understand "what the big deal is" could see that, logically, abortion cannot be justified as anything other than killing a defenseless baby.  Here is what I wrote along with a link to an article written by an abortion survivor that I'll link below:

The Gosnell trial has broken my heart while at the same time stirring up so much anger in me toward those who attempt to justify their stance that an unborn baby is not "living" or "human" and therefore has no rights. Preemies born at 25 weeks are loved, prayed for, and given amazing care in the NICU, yet a mother who decides she no longer wants her child in her 3rd trimester (or up to the point of birth in Victoria, Australia), can choose to kill a baby who, if born in a hospital the same day, would, in normal circumstances, survive. I, just like each of my mommy friends, have felt life inside of me. Each week, we have compared our unborn babies' size to fruits and poured over all the details of how our precious child is developing. Hearing James' heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I was able to see his heart pumping in an ultrasound when he was 7 weeks along. Life begins at conception and your "choice" occurs prior to that. Your child has their own body systems separate from yours. Their own blood type. Their own unique fingerprints and DNA. These facts make it undeniable to me that, no child who is conceived is an accident. God creates each child uniquely and has a purpose for his or her life. "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord" - Ps 127:3

I'd like to expand on some of the points in the paragraph above:  

"those who attempt to justify their stance that an unborn baby is not "living" or "human" and therefore has no rights"

The same science that many pro-choicers use to justify their denial of God in creation and in the world around us (while still not being able to nail down a 'first cause', I might add) is hushed away when the issue of abortion is the topic of the day.  It matters not that when sperm and egg unite, your baby (zygote) has a full set of 46 chromosomes, or that this baby's heart starts beating at 6 weeks gestation which is 4 weeks after conception.  So for many of us, by the time you know for sure that you're pregnant, your baby's heart is pumping blood.  I'm not sure about you, but that seems like a sign of life to me!  

"Preemies born at 25 weeks are loved, prayed for, and given amazing care in the NICU, yet a mother who decides she no longer wants her child in her 3rd trimester (or up to the point of birth in Victoria, Australia), can choose to kill a baby who, if born in a hospital the same day, would, in normal circumstances, survive."

I know mothers whose babies were born prematurely.  Their babies were loved and prayed for during their stays in the NICU.  I know nurses who have spent years of their lives caring for preemies in the NICU.  We have amazing medical facilities, medical professionals, medicines and procedures devoted solely to the intensive care and recovery of children born many weeks early.  What is the difference between those babies and babies who are aborted at the same gestational age?  Nothing!  Why is it that some children are not given the same opportunity to survive that others are.  These babies are being literally thrown away while other are hooked to life-saving machines and having extensive surgeries.  The only difference is that one mother has decided to fight for her baby's life while the other has decided that her life/lifestyle is most important and that her baby's life is of such little worth that it can be thrown in the trash.  

James at 20 weeks gestation

Life begins at conception and your "choice" occurs prior to that. 

When I first suspected I was pregnant with James, I took a pregnancy test.  I actually ended up taking 5 in all and they were all negative.  Of course my next step was to go to WebMD and try to figure out what was up and why I was having the symptoms I was having.  After thoroughly scaring myself, I made an OB appointment and made sure my husband would be present so we could find out which of my WebMD self-diagnoses were correct.  I went through the standard initial questions and urine sample and went back to the waiting room.  Much to my surprise, the CNA came and asked me to step into the doorway of the waiting room (within earshot of my husband and another couple who were also waiting) and said words I will never forget. "Did you know you were pregnant?"  I looked at my husband in disbelief and stammered "No" with a shocked smile on my face.  What she said next made me stop in my tracks.  "Oh! Did you wanna be?"  I don't know exactly what came out of my mouth, but what went through my mind was "That is not a legitimate question."  Thankfully,  I quickly regained my previous shock and glee and with tears rolling down my face, Evan and I sat together and took in our new reality.  To us, this was a new, and somewhat unexpected turn in our lives.  We had immediately been given the most important responsibility we could be blessed with.  There was no turning back.  And that's the point.  Once you know there is life inside of you, there should be no question as to what you will do.  Your choice happened at least 4 weeks before that moment.  I'm sorry if this offends anyone, actually I'm not, please feel free to be offended, but if you didn't want a baby, weren't "ready", had goals that could be derailed by having a child, already had more children than you could handle, etc., don't have sex!  I'm serious.  It's not that difficult.  Ladies and gentlemen, abstinence is the only contraceptive that works 100% of the time.  Plus, God truly blesses those who choose to obey His Word and wait until marriage.  If you choose to have sex before you're "ready" to have a baby, be a responsible adult/teenager and keep your baby.  If keeping your baby after he or she is born is not possible or not best for your child, please consider putting them into a loving home with a family who longs to have a child and who will bring them up in a solid, stable home.  Families like this wait years to be able to have a child to adopt.  I am so overwhelmed at the bravery and selflessness of mothers who have their baby and allow a family to adopt him or her to give them a better life.  It is a beautiful, wonderful thing.  


I, just like each of my mommy friends, have felt life inside of me. Each week, we have compared our unborn babies' size to fruits and poured over all the details of how our precious child is developing. Hearing James' heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I was able to see his heart pumping in an ultrasound when he was 7 weeks along. 


My son's kicks were so strong in my second trimester and only got more and more vigorous as the weeks went on.  He was definitely living while he was in my belly.  I have videos of my pregnant belly moving around like a water bed to prove it!  There was no doubt in my mind throughout my entire pregnancy that my baby was a human.  We picked out names early and called him by it as soon as we knew he was a boy.   He was never just a fetus.  He was James.  

Your child has their own body systems separate from yours. Their own blood type. Their own unique fingerprints and DNA. These facts make it undeniable to me that, no child who is conceived is an accident. God creates each child uniquely and has a purpose for his or her life. 

It's true!  A child has their DNA intact before the mother knows she is pregnant.  DNA which determines every tiny detail about this tiny person.  Their gender, eye color, and nose shape is all coded and determined before the mother has a positive pregnancy test.  This is a person.  A person with a separate body from their mother.  It's amazing!  Their blood is completely separate from their mothers.  This baby's tiny heart pumps its own blood!  This baby's body is not a part of the mother's body.  They are separate entities connected by an umbilical cord.  God intentionally created this little person with the precision and detail that a craftsman creates a masterpiece.   He has a plan for him or her.  In Jeremiah 1:5, God explains to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."  How powerful is that?  No matter whether or not your parents intended to conceive you, YOU WERE FORMED BY GOD HIMSELF!  You were not an accident.  This has been a powerful truth for me to understand.  No baby is an accident.  God is forming each child in his mother's womb for a purpose.  

In closing, I'd like to say that I feel that Abortionists like Gosnell, many times, prey on scared, uninformed women who do not know the facts about what they are about to do.  Many of these women feel that their lives will be ruined if they choose to have a baby that was unplanned.  Can I please say that a baby will not ruin your life.  Your attitude and reaction to whatever trials you face in life will determine where your life goes.  Bitterness and resentment, no matter what the cause, will ruin your life.  Please don't blame an innocent child.  The joy and love a child brings far outweighs that physical and emotional strain of motherhood.  

I personally, applaud all mothers who have chosen adoption for their child over abortion as well as hard-working mothers who have kept their babies and are fighting to make a good life for their child.  You are truly strong women.  Friends, we must share the information we have with the world around us.  We must support and encourage women who need our help and we must make our world a place in which abortion is not an option.  

Check out these links:

Life United - Videos, information and resources:
http://www.lifeunited.org/

Mayo clinic on a baby's development week by week:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-care/PR00112

Abortion statistics:
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces/family_planning_abortions.html

Just a little bit of our afternoon

We had fun playing outside (<- a current favorite word of James') and a fun walk with some buddies this afternoon! Here are a few highlights :)

He loves grass...

but not pictures apparently :)

He's so fast!  I'm amazed I got this picture.  Usually, I just get the back of his head.

We stopped by Daddy's office and had to have a "na-na" because Daddy was eating his lunch.  James devoured it like always.

Squinty face grins are the best! 

We walked into one building for a potty break and I found this piano on display which was supposedly the first piano West of Asheville!  The History nerd in me just loved this.

All tuckered out. :)  

I'm so thankful for this wonderful afternoon and our amazing Creator who gave us such a beautiful place to live along with giving me the blessing of being James' mommy.  Love this little fella!

Home (Pre) School

The little man has recently had an explosion of verbal skills which I am loving!  (I realize in a few years, I may not feel the same way.)  He has a few that are spot on like, "dada", "mama", "apple", "Hey!", and the newest favorite, "Amen!".  I'll translate the rest:

"nana" = "Mom, I'm hungry" also "I would like to eat that banana."
"uh oh" = "I dropped that on the floor so you'll pick it up and give it back to me so we can repeat the process."
"muh" = "big kiss for this stuffed animal" or "Here, you kiss my animal!"

There are lots more that aren't consistent yet, but he's getting REALLY good at copying us.  This is making me a little more aware of what I say...it is also making me catch myself speaking to adults in toddler-speak...FABULOUS!

Since James is picking up on everything, this weekend I decided that since things are starting to slow down a bit from the mach-speed move a few weeks ago, it is high time I should be getting myself and the little man into a set routine in our new digs.  His eating and nap schedule haven't changed much but I needed a concrete schedule that incorporated a specific time each day for educational/developmental activities, music, outdoor/messy play, and most importantly, a time for learning about our God.  So far these things have been peppered into our days sporadically which means my brain is all over the place.  I thrive in a structured environment and as a SAHM, I have struggled to create that structure for myself.  (I typically have no idea what time it is.)  Since homeschooling is a path we are looking into for the future, I decided to have a trial run at it and treat our days at home like I would if I was in a classroom setting (except we stay in our PJ's and cuddle a lot).  I am a very visual person, so to accomplish this, I need something in front of my face to keep me on track.  Enter, technology.  When the little man first came home, I created a Google calendar with his feeding and sleeping schedule that gave me reminders throughout the day.  The only problem was, I had to be at my laptop to see it.  It invariably fell by the wayside.  I've since used a notebook, a dry erase board, etc, but nothing has worked as well as my current system does.  My husband got a free iPhone a few days ago so I inherited our iPod touch which I've been super pumped about.  I opened my Google calendar for the first time in ages and there was our schedule from the days when the little man nursed every 2 hours.  That made me a little teary eyed, but then I realized I could have his current schedule in my hand with alerts throughout the day (yay!).  I entered his current schedule along with some new elements I wanted to incorporate and customized the alerts.  It has been so great!  I also made some printable schedules and worksheets for myself. (Remember, I like visuals!)  The schedules are going in frames in the little boy room soon.  (pics to follow)

The worksheets are simple.  They just give me a place to write out ideas I have for each of the "subject areas" I want to cover.  I have our afternoon split up into the following categories:

1) School Time
     a. Letters, Sight Words, Reading
     b. Numbers, Counting, Math
     c. Sensory play
     d. Motor Skill Activities
     e. Bible Time

2) Music Time
     a. Listening
     b. Making Music

3) Outdoor Time
     a. Messy Fun
     b. Games, Being Active

I realize that I may not get to each of these points every day, but I like to aim high and try to get in as much as I can.  For now, our School Time lessons consist of me writing words on a white board that James says already while showing him the object or person, counting our noses, eyes, hands and feet, scribbling with a crayon and reading sensory books, and Bible stories.  I hope to branch out to include more hands on activities, crafts, etc.  That's why I made these sheets.  When I find an activity that fits into what we are working on, I'll write it in for that week.  I'm so excited to be able to do this!  I will be happy to email you the printables I've made to help me keep things in order.  Just shoot me a quick message requesting them and I'll send the pdf's on to you.

Fun with Cheerios

I've seen lots of blogs showing scooping and pouring activities for toddlers using dried beans or rice, but my first thought when I see those is...I would be fishing beans and rice out of little J's mouth non-stop.  I've let him play with containers many times and even one time filled a bowl with water for him to dip and scoop...but as you can imagine, that ended up being a splash fest and somehow the water that started out in the kitchen ended up in a HUGE puddle on my carpet...I'm a first time mom.  So having learned my lesson with water and knowing all to well how things would end up with dry beans, I had the brilliant idea of using Cheerios for our scooping/counting/sorting activity today.  We don't typically eat cheerios, but my dad left them here the last time he was here and I figured, if little J eats these it's no big deal, it's a fun snack even!

This is how things began. Containers neatly arranged, measuring spoon to scoop, sun shining, birds chirping

This tranquil scene of learning and exploration...

Quickly turned into this...

:)

He did explore the containers...

...placed Cheerios into containers one at a time...

  

...and crammed lots of Cheerios in his mouth.

 

He's really cute!

And he had a blast :)  So proud of himself!

Lots of love from James! <3 

Leftovers for breakfast? Yes please!

Looking at this picture makes me want to eat it all over again!  Oh man...it was so good!  Even if I did have to eat in 3 second shifts between James bringing me books "boops" to read.  

So here's the quick and easy recipe:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 a leftover baked potato, peeled, chopped

1/2 of a small onion sliced

1 egg scrambled

your favorite seasonings, salt and pepper to taste

A sprinkle of cheese (optional)

Heat up the oil and saute your onion and potato until they are nicely brown and the onions soft.  Pour your egg over the onion and potato.  Add your desired seasonings.  Let your egg cook.  Your done!  

This dish is really great by itself, but I sprinkled mine with some mozzarella since I've been dairy-deprived with a sick (nursing) toddler recently and being unable to have something makes me crave it all the more.  I typically try to limit dairy, but NOT TODAY! :)  Oh so yummy!  And you should know that I have quite the aversion to eggs (believe me, I've tried to love them).  This was the perfect dish for me since it was quick, it gave me lots of flavor and textures to hide the attributes of eggs that I'm not a fan of, and I didn't sacrifice my AM-essential protein.  

Oh! Idea!  Top this with some black bean and corn salsa instead of cheese and you've got a Southwestern breakfast feast!  I'm going to have to make some more tonight for the hubs to take with him for breakfast tomorrow morning!

Try it!  I'd love to know if you love this as much as I do!

Snow day!

This was a few weeks ago but I haven't taken the time to share it. Little guy's first time in the snow! There are great videos too :)

Owl always love thrifting!

I found this adorable pair of owls at a local thrift stores whose description on their sign literally included the word "junk". I knew I had to check it out. There were lots of fun items but these love birds (hehe) caught my eye. I had to have them. They weren't priced so I asked the man at the counter and he concluded that $4 for the pair was fair. I agreed. So here they are enjoying the view! Don't they make the cutest couple!

Smoothies = So much nutrition, so little time!

As the mom of a 1 year old, I, like many moms, do not take the time to make myself a proper breakfast or lunch.  I say to myself, "I'm not going to cook a meal just for myself."   It feels like a waste of time and energy to do anything but warm up leftovers or eat some cereal which doesn't always make for a well balanced diet.  And, since the little man gets the majority of his nutrition from me, I know I need to step my game up.  My diet lately has been close to horrendous...I have my excuses but I won't bother you with them since there really is no good excuse for a poor diet.  Especially in our country where healthy food is at our fingertips.

Cutting out junk and adding in as many fruits and veggies as possible is my strategy and one really easy, super yummy way for me to accomplish this has been by adding smoothies to my dietary line-up.  We have a little blender that allows me to make one smoothie at a time and drink it right out of the cup I blended it in.  This makes it a little easier for me to make one concoction for myself and a slightly different blend for my husband.  If you don't have one of these, never fear!  Any blender will do the job!  One thing I started doing when our little guy was a newborn was add spinach to whatever smoothie I was making.  You really can't taste it and spinach is chock full of SO many important vitamins and minerals.  I have also been trying to keep lots of different produce in the house which helps us stay excited about our fruits and veggies.

With my husband's busy schedule and a mobile baby, I feel I can dedicate about 5-10 minutes to meal prep for breakfast and lunch.  That means, if there is any chopping, slicing, measuring, washing or anything other than "throw in ____.", it's not going to happen for these 2 meals.  That's why smoothies have been so great for us lately.

Here's my basic go-to recipe right now:

1-2 bananas
a handful of frozen fruit
appx. 1/2 cup of liquid (water, almond milk, juice, apple sauce, etc.)
appx. 1 cup of organic pre-washed spinach

I throw the banana, frozen fruit and liquid in the blender first and get it nice and liquefied.  Then I stuff (when I say "stuff", I mean cram in as much of that goodness as possible!) the rest of the cup with spinach and blend it in.  Insert a straw and voila!  You are holding 2-3 servings of fruit and a serving of vegetables in one hand!  Enjoy!

Tips:

1. All measurements are approximations because remember, measuring is not a part of this recipe :)

2. For your liquid, use almond milk if you want a milkier smoothie, water if you don't want to add extra calories, juice or apple sauce to sweeten it a little more. We are trying to cut back on our dairy intake since there is more and more research that suggests that dairy isn't a great source of nutrition for us, but if you have dairy milk or yogurt on hand and you feel ok about using, feel free!  The liquid really just helps the fruit blend more easily.  If you have a super powerful blender, you may not need it.  If you like a thicker smoothie, use less liquid, if you like a thinner smoothie, use more liquid.

3.  This gets its own point because I think it is great and I don't want you to miss it!  Cranberry juice is the liquid I use most often right now for my smoothies.  There are many health benefits associated with drinking cranberry juice.  When I got a UTI, my doctor's office told me to try drinking cranberry juice since I wanted to avoid taking antibiotics if possible.  It helped tremendously.  I would recommend buying a juice that is just cranberry if possible since you use very little in each smoothie.  Most 'cranberry juices' have much more apple juice or grape juice than cranberry juice. Check the label.  Straight up Cranberry juice is VERY tart so you will probably want to add a little more sweetness than normal to your smoothie if you use it.

4. The number of bananas you use is based on your desired sweetness and the other ingredients you choose.  For example, my typical smoothie has 2 bananas since I use cranberry juice as my liquid.  If you are using other fruits that have a lot of sweetness, like peaches or mangoes, you'll be ok with 1 banana.

5. In my opinion, it is totally worth it to spend a little more to get organic pre-washed spinach.  I don't usually buy things pre-washed, pre-sliced, or pre-anything if it means I have to pay more, but in this case, doing so means I will actually use it before it goes bad since I have it ready to go and I've learned the hard way that wasting food wastes money.  I also rest better knowing there are no harmful pesticides or fertilizers in my smoothies.

6. From time to time, I will find a good sale on fresh produce and stock up.  In that case, I take some time during nap time or on a weekend to clean, slice and freeze my fruit.  I love when I am able to do this, but when I can't, I find the best deal I can on frozen fruit.  Some of our favorite frozen fruits have been a berry blend with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries as well as the bags that have peaches, pineapple and grapes. The latter is a bit sweeter so I only use 1 banana when using those.  I love these bags because you can get a little bit of a few different fruits in every smoothie.  In the morning, I don't have the patience to prepare a quarter of a peach, 4 grapes and 5 pieces of pineapple for 1 smoothie, but since these are already sliced and frozen in one bag, I have the luxury of getting all of those flavors at once.  Again, for us, the convenience means we will actually eat the food therefore saving us from wasting money.

What are some of your favorite smoothie combos?

Today's Walk

I realized today that the little man and I have too few pictures together over the last few weeks so on our walk today I snapped a few to try to remedy that :)

Beginning our trek

We took a break to warm up and see Daddy in the weight room.

Sleeping boy...all the excitement wore him out :)