My one goal for 2013

I only have one goal for 2013. I want to be comfortable with a sewing machine.

I know the basics of sewing. I have made a few things and taken a beginners class, but I have never felt comfortable at a sewing machine.

I want to learn how to really sew.

My one goal for 2013 is to be comfortable enough to sew that I am able to make our children matching pajamas and family stockings by next Christmas. This one easy goal gives me plenty of time and leeway to work at my own pace and juggle 3 children in the process.

I am not sure where I will be setting up my new sewing machine. We really don't have space, but it is going to happen. I am going to figure it out. I know that I can do it.

Here are some easy projects that I found on Pinterest that I hope to make before our baby girl gets here:

Source: justanotherhangup.blogspot.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: homemadebyjill.blogspot.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: prudentbaby.com via Jodie on Pinterest

I know that these projects are not going to be too difficult (or at least I hope), I just want to feel comfortable when I sit down at my sewing machine and I don't want to feel like I have to call my mother every 5 minutes to figure something out.

So that's it, my one goal. I'll be posting my progress through out the year. Wish me luck. 

Oh regular life, I have missed you, but you are hard

It is just never easy to get back into the swing of things after a holiday or vacation. Today is no exception.

There has been yelling, there has been punishments, there has been headaches, there has been anything other than peace.

I think both the kids and I woke up knowing that Bob was going back to work. Everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

They are now in their beds for nap time and I am finally enjoying a cup of coffee. I am hoping our afternoon goes 100 percent better. Not sure all of us will survive if it isn't.

We have been nonstop all holiday. They haven't had a regular day at home in 2 weeks and I can tell.

I am working to get us back on routine and my wonderful 2-year-old is not enjoying it.

But who would? Life with dad around is a lot more fun. A day home with mom is lots of rules.

We are working on it. I know when we have a rough morning that it is just that, ONE rough morning. I know that my kids will turn it around and I will be refreshed and the rest of the day will be fine. To be honest before nap time, they were already starting to listen and do what they are told.

They are my cutie pies and I love being around them, but toddler monsters need to stay at bay.

I know once we are in the flow of things we will all get along a ton better.

So I will sit and enjoy my cup of coffee. Sit and relax. Relax and refresh. Refresh and breath.

For I will [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person. Jeremiah 31: 25

New Year, New Hopes, New Challenges, New Joys

I do love the idea of a New Year. I love the idea of starting new. The idea that anything once again is possible and that life just keeps going.

The years are flying by right now. My days and months seem to go by in a snap. I watch my little ones get bigger and I know there is no stopping time. They will be too big too soon. It is almost too much to watch, but I love every moment.

2013 will be another year of change for us as we welcome our latest little bundle of joy into our family. Oh, what an adventure that will be. I'm not sure if I am ready to go back to the newborn stage yet. Although, I can't wait to snuggle her and hold her close. I can't wait to count little fingers and toes and watch my little one sleep. It will be fun to watch Maisie and Calan adjust to another sibling. They love each other so much that I can't wait to see how they react to our new addition.

2013 will be a year of exploring and learning for our family. I love watching my little ones learn something new or explore something different to them. I hope to take them to the zoo, the park, and the library as much as possible. My kids are pretty social little ones and staying home is just not for them. I will do my best to keep challenging them and helping them to grow.

2013 will hopefully be another year where I enjoy the little moments. I never want to feel like I am just getting through this season of my life. I want to embrace the craziness that is our lives and roll with it all. We are truly blessed and I never want to take it for granted. I want to sit and read with my kids more instead of worrying about the crumbs under the table. I want to chase them around the yard instead of folding another load of laundry. I want to sing and dance with them instead of loading the dishwasher.

2013 should be a good year. I have no complaints about 2012, but I am looking forward to 2013 and completing our family. It should be a great year.

Happy New Year!

Here are a few pictures from our trip up north after Christmas:

We bundled up the kids and drove over to Tahquamenon Falls

We just visited the Upper Falls. It was gorgeous. We were basically the
only ones there, so it was fabulous. 

Bob and Calan ready for Calan's first snowmobile ride. 

Calan loved it until it was turned on and Bob went too fast. It took longer
to get dressed and out there, but at least we can say we tried. 

My sister's family was up north with us. It is amazing
to me how much my nieces grow each time I see them. 

Bob and the kids building an igloo out of a snow drift. Maisie sat there
watching Bob the how time. It was pretty sweet. 

The Big Christmas Reveal

It was Christmas Eve night and the big secret was about to be revealed. I was sitting on the edge of my seat feeling very assured that I was right. Pretty confident that what I thought was going to be was going to be. The vision I had in my head was going to be true. I have never felt more confident than I did at that moment. 

And then it was read,"I'M A GIRL!" And my face says it all ....

I was WRONG. I was completely in shock!

Let me explain, we had our 20-week ultrasound on December 10, but decided to hold off finding out if our baby was a boy or girl in the doctor's office. We decided to slip the big reveal into our family gift exchange. Only a few of the 24 people in the exchange knew that the reveal was all wrapped up and waiting to be opened. 

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It took about 10 rounds before my husband's aunt choose THE package. I saw it get picked up and my heart jumped a little. For one quick second I thought to myself, what if she says it's a girl, but then I thought, nope, I know that I am having a boy. Our video camera of course decided not to work at that exact moment, so I was using my phone. I was holding it pretty steady until right before she read aloud. 

And then she said it. We are having a GIRL. Definitely a girl. Not a boy. Calan and Maisie are going to have a little sister. We are having a GIRL. My mind started racing and is still racing.  

I am still adjusting to the shock. I was so positive on what I was having during each of my pregnancies. I was right with Maisie and Calan. I was wrong this time. My thoughts and visions of what our family was going to be like are altered. I am very happy; I am just adjusting. I can not believe that we are going to have 2 girls in our house. I can't believe that Calan is going to be an older brother to 2 sisters. I just can't believe it. 

So our Christmas has been wonderful. I am reminded once again that life plans mean nothing when you are actually living your life. We loved sharing this special moment with family and now need to hunker down and figure out a beautiful girl name. We had a boy name ready to go. 

17 weeks till our newest angel arrives. 

Here is the video of the moment, but I kind of dropped the camera in the excitement, so it is all basically sound. You can hear how shocked we all were.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours

Serving others, 2-year-old style

Here is what I used for the thank-you cards the boys
decorated. I put together the base of the ornament and they
added green and white ribbon to the red ornament and
colored on the white ornament that we signed their
names to. 

Here are the peppermint covered pretzels I made. I got the
idea from Blooming Designs. 

The final ornament that Calan made for the firefighters. 

Here is one of the firemen that
we met. We were there basically 2 seconds
and Calan is already running as fast as he
can to the fire trucks. 

As parents, Bob and I truly want Christmas to be different for our children. We love being able to give them things that they want or need, but we want them to see Christmas as a time where we help others, love family, and celebrate Christ.

We also know that doing those things can never start soon enough. 

Yes, as a 2-year-old, Calan does not understand the things we are doing or why we do them, but he won't know any different as he grows up. The things we are doing now before he gets it will just be the way we do things. 

We went shopping as a family for Children's Hospital's Snow Pile (basically toys bought for the parents of children in the hospital to pick from for all the members of their families since they won't have time to shop and be there for their child in the hospital). We also do several year-end givings to charities that are important to us. 

While those are wonderful things, they do little for a 2-year-old boy. He approved of the gifts we bought, but never saw or interacted with anyone. 

So, a friend and I decided to take some treats to our local fire station to say thank you to the men and women who work there. This station is probably a quarter mile from our houses. I did not expect the experience to be as wonderful as it was. 

I made a treat for them and Calan and his friend decorated thank you cards for them. And then we packed up and headed over to the station. 

Calan driving a fire truck with all the lights going. He sat there
for what felt like forever and then drove the ambulance for
what felt like forever. 

Basically, we got a one-on-one tour of everything! Calan could barely handle his excitement. He sat in the driver seat for what felt like forever. Every time I asked if he was ready to get down, he said, "No, mom, I driving." 

The men were so nice and wonderful to our little boys. It almost felt like our thank-yous weren't enough. 

I am so glad we did this. It showed Calan in a small way that giving to others really gives joy in return. 

I know as an adult when I am helping and serving someone else above myself, I feel happier, more content, and more peaceful than when I am just serving my own needs. 

This experience was definitely the
right way to go to get a 2-year-old started in a serving direction. 

Thank you Royal Oak Fire Station #3. Merry Christmas and God bless you. 

Innocence robbed

I, like every other human being, cried many times this weekend watching the news out of Newtown, Conn.

I, like every other mother, wanted to hold on to my children and never let them go.

I, like every other parent, felt empathy and compassion for all the parents hurting and facing this unspeakable tragedy.

I was a senior in high school when the Columbine shooting occurred. I remember knowing what was going on, but it did not affect my life at all. I was a sophomore in college when Sept. 11 happened and I remember shedding a few tears, but not getting too wrapped up in it.

I am a compassionate person. I was just too young and naive to really understand all that was happening. People said it, but it did not register. It was maybe just too much for me, so my emotions turned a blind eye. I don’t know.

But then I became a parent.

I have now witnessed what true innocence is and have felt the unconditional love that only a child can give.

I ache for any child who is robbed of this. I ache for any child hurt by unspeakable ways. I ache for any child as if it was my own.

I think President Obama was right in his speech last night. We rely on everyone to keep our children safe. We cannot do it alone. It is impossible. And he was right that we are failing as a society at doing this.

Children hurt every day. Children are robbed of their innocence every day. Children are forgotten about every day.

We as a society need to want to do more. We as a society should not be putting our needs above those of children. We should be laying down our lives for children.

For my family, I feel the only way that I can make my children feel secure, loved, and protected in any situation is to give them the gift of Christ. We love because he sacrificially loved us first.

I hold on to my love for Jesus for I know he loves my children more than I. I hold on to his promises to never harm and always to heal. I hold on to his eternal promise of good.

I know that no answer to the ever present Why question will ever be enough. But I know that God’s grace is enough.

So, I will still shed more tears for all the men, women, and children affected by this tragedy. I will pray for all men, women, and children that we are not blind to child innocence and that we learn to do everything in our power to protect it. And, I will love my children and never forget what a blessing they are in my life.

Tis the Season: Handmade Christmas Ornament

The front of an ornament I made for a Christmas party this weekend.
I love that by making my own, I was able to customize it for the event

This is the back side.

I am the first one to admit that I am not crafty and rarely if ever am I able to think of awesome ideas by myself. But thank God for other women, their talents, and the Internet for sharing all that they do.

This weekend, I am attending a Christmas party with my MOPS group that includes an ornament exchange. I searched a few places, but kept coming up empty handed. There are beautiful ornaments out there, but nothing seemed just right.

Then, lo and behold, one of my favorite blogs How to Nest for Less posted a wonderful how-to that very day.

Seriously, all this ornament took was
pre-cut wood, card stock, bells,
ribbon, and Mod Podge.

I went right to work.

I took a piece of pre-cut wood, drilled a hole, Mod Podged cute designs on the front and back, and added ribbon and bells through the pre-cut hole. Viola! Done.

It was super easy and I love how it turned out.

For the images that I printed out on card stock and Mod Podged to the piece of wood, I used these wonderful free Photoshop scrapbooking kits from Scrapbook Ideas. Even the Bible verse design came from Scrapbook Ideas.

I found the pre-cut 4.5-inch wood square (pack of 2) at Micheal's and the bells and ribbon at JoAnn's.

I love this ornament so much. I think I'll be making one for our tree and adding our family Christmas photo to the back.

Beat the winter BLAHS

I think every stay-at-home mom dreads the upcoming winter like the plague. Between bad weather, germs, and bundling everyone, going out is not easy, but staying home can drive a mother INSANE.

So what's a mother to do?

Make a plan and buck up.

Here are somethings that we are doing to help beat the winter:

1. Activities classes: We are continuing to be part of the activities class that the kids currently attend. The class is for 1- to 3-year-olds, so it works for us. Plus, it is only 2 blocks away. I really can't beat location and price, so till the kids out grow it, we are going once a week. We also signed the kids up for swim lessons at our local high school on Saturdays. I would not be able to take them by myself, and the kids will love doing this as a family. (Yes, I will be very pregnant and in a swim suit. Anything for the kids, right?)
2. Craft/Play date swap: I mentioned this before, but a friend and I are each hosting a craft and play  date and lunch for the kids once a month. That is then at least twice a month the kids are doing a little more than the normal play date. Adding the craft to it, really spices up the norm. 
3. Daily routine: I can not stress enough how important having a daily routine is for our family. We play in different rooms and different toys in different ways all through out the day. If we are stuck at home, I feel like this completely helps the day pass by smoothly. When we are stuck in one room, doing the same thing, the day drags, the kids whine, and I want to scream. The more routine we are the better everyone is and the MORE I get done too.



Maisie and Calan playing together at the library. We don't
 let our kids play with our computer at home yet, so the
library computer is a special treat for them. 

4. Turn on the music: I have recently realized that when we play kid-friendly music throughout the day the kids play so much nicer and Calan is not sitting there asking (whining) to turn the TV on every 2 seconds. If the music is on, he knows that it is play time. Plus, Maisie LOVES music. She could sit and listen to music all the time. Everyone is just more pleasant with "Wheels On the Bus" playing in the background. 



The kids playing at Detroit Kid City, a wonderful play area
close to us.It offers so many different things for the kids
to do and role play with. 

5. The good ole library: Seriously, who doesn't love the library with young kids. There is nothing like it in their lives. Free, fun, education, etc. the list goes on. Not only going to libraries in your area, but visit other libraries for their story times. It keeps it all interesting and fun for the kids. 
6. Special day/morning trips: There are so many play areas in our area for young kids, but they all, of course, cost money. So, for us, they are not any every week kind of thing, but we can enjoy them here and there when we need to do something more. 

So, that's the plan. The fact is my house is only 1,230 square feet and some how in the winter that feels like 600. We will try to get out regularly, pray that sickness stays at bay, and enjoy as much time as we can as a family. 

What's on your winter agenda?

When it's good, it's good

You know when your family is running in the right direction. You know when things are just coming together and everyone is just working as a team. You know when everything is just running smoothly. You just know.

That is us right now. I beam when I think about my family right now.

Things just seem to be running on all 4-cylinders absolutely perfectly.

Everyone is eating well, sleeping well, playing well, behaving well, etc.

It is moments like these that I sit back and enjoy my coffee and wait.

You never know when it will end, when tantrums will creep in, when a bad nap will put you on edge, when sickness will strike, or whatever.

BUT, I do enjoy these moments. I enjoy these times that remind me that we are some how doing something right. That despite the gloom outside, there is joy in my heart. I seriously feel like I am beaming.

Right now, I am typing this blog as I am hearing Calan making car noises from his room playing so nicely and Maisie upstairs in her pack-and-play barely making a peep, which usually means she is looking at a book.

I have two little ones and one on the way and I feel peace not chaos when I am in my home.

I know it won't last forever, but I am going to sip on my coffee and soak in the pure blessings that my children are in my life.

Have a wonderful day and remember to stop and enjoy it.