Back at it

Hellooo anyone out there? I have been working part time, up to 20 hours a week and because of our hard work, the Lord's provision and Will's wisdom we have been able to cut that number done to about 9 hours a week! Basically it's changing our lives. We have almost never had a regular weekend our whole 8 year relationship. Someone has always worked on Saturday or Sunday either will @ Starbucks or in ministry or myself at Joseph's! This past Saturday I told Will I felt like I was on vacation as we had opportunity to serve each other by letting each other nap/ sleep in, leisurely get yard work accomplished, errands ran, trip to the pool and entertaining friends after church on Sunday.  Because of our experiences I will never take financial stability and family time for granted. Sooo with my new stay at home mom schedule (except mondays) I decided to blog again!
My biggest new hobby is nutrition! I am finally leaning about macronutrients and how to fuel our bodies efficiently. So I'm sure I will be writing a lot about that, and the kiddos and our house remodel.  So drop in and hopefully there will be something to read :)

A quarter of a century

I have always had an older sister, older cousins, older friends, older co-workers, older husband. I have always been the young one. But I too am growing older and just growing, as a lover of Christ, lover of my family. I wish I could go back and tell my 16 year old self to relax... The Lord has THE PERFECT man for you that will pursue you and love you like crazy. I wish I could go back and tell my 16 year old self to be kind to everyone because they are all fighting a hard battle. It's in these perfect moments now in life that will strengthen me when I need it, when things are rough. But I can't help but shed tears of joy now for all of this mercy in this life that I don't deserve.
My beautiful home and sweet son and daughter are what I always wanted. But I want most for them to see that Christ is all that matters. No matter what else happens.

Liam,
You are almost three. I want the time to just stand still with you. You are so full of joy, life, playfulness and love.
You can't stay away from Penelope. You kiss and play and talk to her all day. You call her "p baby" and you are starting to boss her around- telling her shh quiet, no, no, no p baby, etc.
You really enjoy building blocks, playing with trains, coloring. You say build tunnel and trains talk... You always want your stool to help me with any task- doing the dishes etc, you say help clean.
You think daddy and me are so funny. Tonight we were play wrestling in the kitchen and you said you hurt me!
You say momma, me Liam a treat at target :)
You talk about your upcoming 3rd birthday party at the fire station all the time- several times a day. You want to make sure momma and daddy and p baby will be there!
You love staying at grandcraig and Lindsey's. you want to leave our wing and go to their side all the time.
You love to go to church and community group.
You love play place- which includes all about kids, chick fil a and the playground.
Tonight you ate 5 meatballs and sauce and spaghetti for dinner.
You love chocolate milk.
You like to pick out your clothes- your fave is train, car, bike, truck shirts.
You run in our room every morning so happy to see us and you always come to my side, you say hi with a big smile on your face. I say hi and you say morning. I say did you have a good night with good dreams and you say good!
Me and daddy call you and each other friend so you have started mimicking that.
We couldn't be more proud of the big boy you are becoming and pray for God's grace to work in your heart that you see your sin and need for Him.
We pray you love God more than anyone or anything.

Thank you for teaching me patience and to enjoy every minute!

Love,
Your mom

2013 is going to be good

Why is keeping up with blogging so difficult sometimes? I guess like everything else once you haven't done something in a long time it's hard to pick it back up again.

This blog is largely centered around the kiddos so I will start there...

Liam is learning so much everyday. We have seen a huge jump in communication with him these last few months. He can (in his own way) express pretty much anything he wants... I'll write down a few words he can say:

hand, help, more, milk, stay, birds, bar (cereal bar), o's (cherrios), juice, chair, door, open, close, car, train, truck, go, not yet, sorry, love, momma, dada, g (for my mom), gancaig (for grand craig for my dad), church, god, cup, bowl, spoon, house, ball, snack, show, dark, scary, no, yes, potty, shirt, hair, mouth, eyes, boo-boo, ear, party, blue, green, red, yellow, one, two, five, nine, bread, it's hot, it's cold, down, too high, her turn, my turn, baby, big, too big, in there, chase, jack, up, down, snow, rain, tire, water, bubble, wipe, diaper, okay, please, pants, it's all gone, I don't know where it go, I got it, bike, yes ma'am, sorry, thank you, there you go, see it.
He has more words than this, than I can count. If I had to guess I would say 300?

We are so proud of his hard work and thankful that God is allowing his little mind to grow and expand. He is so fun and energetic. Liam is going to be really funny like his daddy, he makes everything in his whole day fun, work, play and everything in between he likes to be silly and laugh. He loves to run and play and be outside. He also really enjoys doing craft time with painting and play dough. He is doing great with potty training. He goes #1 in the potty all the time but we are still working on #2. I am just being very patient with it. Honestly I thought he wouldn't start until 3 so I am pleased with his interest and attention to want to go potty. He adds so much joy to our lives. It's so neat to see yourself and your spouses personalities combined into one little 2 year old.  

He is also learning other things that are more fine and gross motor skills, like putting his getting dressed and undressed, getting his stool when he needs it and brushing teeth more on his own, washing hands more on his own, turning lights on and off, getting things he needs for himself, he is really growing in independence. He still likes to snuggle with his blanket and a watch a show with me after nap time and before bedtime so I am loving that he still needs his momma. 

My sweet little Penelope is a little doll, she is always smiling and now always eating! She was a huge nurser and now she spends much of her day in her high chair eating big girl food, she still wants to nurse often, I do not see her weaning anytime soon. She is 8 months old and she is busy! She has been crawling for a month or more now and she can go from all positions- laying, sitting, crawling, standing. She isn't cruising yet, but I think it won't be long?!? sniff... I think I baby her more than Liam- I still think of her as a little newborn, when I see pictures of her I'm like wow my child is not that big! She has 1 tooth. She still wakes up once a night to eat around 3:00am and goes right back down. She sleeps on her side in the fetal position snuggling with her little giraffe pink lovie with a bink in her mouth. She enjoys big puzzles, stacking cups, baby dolls, Liam's cars, puffs, oranges, waving, saying dada and momma and night night. She is wearing 6-12 months clothes. She is really attached to me but also happy when others hold her. She is the happiest when I hold her and someone else talks to her. She think anything Liam does is the best thing ever even when he pounces on her. :) The other day I took a shower and left them playing- very close by ( 5 feet from the shower) and when I came out Liam had colored on her face and was feeding her play dough! They are definitely getting more mischievous. Side note: I had no idea he could open a container of play dough!

Liam's schedule keeps us busy with preschool 2 days a week and therapy 2 days a week, leaving us with one totally free day. 

We love being back in Louisville. We are still staying at my dad and Lindsey's house and they are so sweet and accommodating to us! They have given us plenty of space to use! We are looking for a house right now. Out target date is beginning of summer but our schedule is somewhat flexible. I surely hope God allows us to find the right home in 2013! 

Will is doing so great at his job and his schedule is flexible so he gets to come home for lunches most days. I still love my job too (I just work 1 day a week). 

We are obsessed with our church. I have grown more spiritually in the last few months than I have in the past few years. I learned to trust God the most when Liam was born so little and sick, but I have desired God more now than ever. Our community group is amazing- truely a group of believers to live life together, to pray for each other, to lean on each other, to have fun with one another. 

The first 5 years of our marriage have been a blast and little chaotic, so we are trying to plan the next 5 years to be a little more boring ;)

I am just soaking up the time with these babies because before we know it they will be in school and not spending their mornings with me playing blocks and coloring/
Loving this stage God has placed our family in. Praying for patience until we are in our own place.

Life is an adventure!

When moving to Florida, It never crossed my mind we would live in Louisville again. In fact I am still struggling with it being a reality in my head. I thought we would never be near family, somewhere familiar, etc. again, and I was okay with that. Jimmy Scroggins once told me I would be happier and safer anywhere inside of  God's will than I ever would be at "home" out of God's will.  Imagine my surprise when Will looked at me after several phone conversations one night a couple of weeks ago and said "what about Louisville? God is calling me to be apart of Sojourn Community Church."
It was difficult to leave Florida. Most can't understand that because "I was getting to go home." But to me Florida had become my home.
We are so happy here in Louisville and love, I mean LOVE our church. We get to hear the Gospel every week and they have a wonderful children's program. I will write a whole post on Sojourn soon. It has been so sweet to get to reunite with family and friends. We think we have the best friends in the whole world, friends that pray for us, spend time with us, help us, encourage us, laugh with us and raise our kids with us.
Will has an 8-4:30 job that he enjoys and that pays the bills as well as interning at Sojourn. I am working for my old boss, Kelli 10 hours a week.
My parents graciously opened up their homes to us, so we are staying with my dad for a few months and then will stay with my mom for a few months. This is such a blessing because we are going to knock out student loans very quickly. We are on a complete spending freeze until we are out of debt. I mean, fun will be days at home and at parks (we are not getting zoo membership, etc), clothes will be washed often because I kept the kids fall and winter wardrobe down to the necessities  we will be joyfully using our I phone 3's until they don't make calls anymore, no vacations, etc. We have everything we need and more and are so content not to make purchases!
Liam and Penelope made the adjustment seamlessly! Two of our precious friends from Florida helped us make the trip up here. And the kids are so flexible they haven't missed a beat.
Penelope has the most personality I have ever seen in a baby! She is always smiling! She will be 4 months tomorrow. She is still exclusively breastfed and Lord willing will stay that way until 6 or 7 months when we start a few solids. She rolls over and does the tripod sitting up, she is pretty tough as her big brother is getting more playful with her. Liam will be 2 and a half next week and he is so sweet and fun! He is slowly but surely improving on his speech, which we are thankful for.

Sometimes it is scary to follow the Lord's will but it is always a blessing.

Always behind on the blog!

Our little family is in a routine and able to spend sweet time with each other. Liam and Penelope are totally bonding! He has started calling her "her", he tickles her, hugs her, kisses her, holds her hands and feet while in the stroller, he wants her by his side, he has started trying to pick her up which is really funny/dangerous! She smiles so big while watching him play and he gladly hands over his toys and beloved blankie to her. Liam is saying too many words to count- outside, snack, hot, down, bird, ball, balloon, nose, toes, eyes, bubble, cheese, the numbers 2, 9 and 11, etc really random stuff. Yesterday we went to chick fil a after a target run and he happily exclaimed PLAY PLACE.

Penelope will be 3 months on September 5th and she is sleeping 9pm to 3 or 4am, it still kind of varies. I would love her to make it until the morning ie 7 or 8, but I really really don't mind getting up with her. Sometimes she wants to eat at like 12, 2, 4, 6: now those nights I am not so happy ;) she smiles and coos but hasn't given us an official laugh yet. She is so happy though, often times I'll be feeding her and she just grins at me so big it's hard to get her to eat because she just wants to look at me and smile! She is a great eater which is awesome! She rolls from belly to back but only 4 or 5 times and never back to belly. She really enjoys tummy time but starts to cry when she gets tired. The girl loves her playmat and bumbo. And enjoys her bouncer too. She plays with her owl and zebra on her carseat. We really rely on mylicon and her paci as she has some stinky little gas (sorry p for telling on you). 

Liam is learning and growing at a tremendous rate. He was really struggling with going to sleep for a couple of weeks and I feel like we are coming out of that. We are starting to introduce potty training. His new ability to communicate has made parenting him 100 times easier. 

We had a few minor issues post labor and delivery but saw my doctor Thursday and I have the official okay to run. I ran 1 mile Friday and 1.5 miles Saturday, boy am I out of shape.  It is so good for my soul to run, I can't wait too get back in the groove and build up my endurance. 

The complications throughout the pregnancy left us with a huge bill! But we trust the lord to provide and can take all the time we need to pay it off. 

The summer is over and will had a great time/ did a wonderful job leading at the camps and me and the kids were able to visit Louisville. The kids great aunts, uncles, and great grandparents, friends, etc were able to meet and love on Penelope. 

We have a new interm pastor at our church and will was able to baptize a precious little girl at church this morning.  Praise the lord for saving her soul! 

We were planning on feeling some strong effects of hurricane Isaac today but it ended up not being too bad for our area just wind and rain.

Will turned 31 on the 11th! I am so blessed to call him mine. I love him on a whole new level parenting our children together and living away from other family. 

Im sure I am leaving plenty out but I want to remember as much of this stage as I can but don't know where to start! 

June

Penelope, you are such a delight to us. You are one week old today. You eat every three hours and during the night you give me a stretch of 4-6 hours. Your GB is here and gets up with your brother at 7 so you and I can sleep until 10. You are starting to be so alert during the day. You like to look at and listen to me, your dad and brother. P, you are now three weeks old. You and your brother dont't give me much time to blog :) you have the biggest blue eyes. You look up at us with them and we say you look like a little owl. I would much rather hold you, play trains with him or get a nap! Your daddy's parents got to meet you last week and of coarse they loved you to pieces. You rolled from belly to back this morning, which is really early- you are so strong! You like being on your tummy but I make you sleep on your back at night so you can safely breath. You are such a sweetheart and you go with the flow. We go to at least 1 place once a day like publix, target, chick fil a, the playground, etc. to get Liam out and to do errands and you happily tag along. I had forgotten a few things about life with a newborn: I have to take QUICK showers, I am exhausted from night time feedings and time is flying! I have learned that 2 babies crying is 100 times worse than 1 baby crying. Liam is saying more words, praise the lord! Wait, there, what's that?, down, more, go, bye, choo-choo, vroom, roar are some I can think of right now.