Catching up

So much has happened in the past few weeks that I have not written about, so here's a "catch-all" post...

Our Peanut had a great birthday, and we had lots of fun bowling with the fam.

She had been saying for weeks that she wanted a horse cake, so after I baked a 9x13 cake, Hubby came up with this idea:

He used graham crackers for the barn and marshmallows and pretzels for the fence. How awesome!

I've also been trying to get some 3-year pics of Peanut...not sure which one I like the most. Any opinions?

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In other news...my little bruiser is now 3 months old...where has the time gone?! He's over 16 pounds and is still growing. Besides the frequent spitting up and crying (I'm cutting out the dairy now), he's been so much fun and is my little love-bug. :o)

Enjoy today!

This is how we do...

...running in the cold weather...

...dress-up storytime at the library...

...and cold, stay-in-pj's-all-day days.

So Much To Say!

Lately I've been having these epiphanies...awakenings...ok, so we'll just call them random thoughts/occurrences that get me thinking.

A few days ago the kiddos and I were at the grocery store. Here I am, pushing an infant in a shopping cart with a sassy 3 year old walking alongside me, me wearing Adidas pants and a sweatshirt, hair pulled under a hat, no make-up...the typical for a mama of two who sometimes feels like life is spinning way too fast. :o)

Now, imagine with me, if you will...

Walking down the aisle toward me is a tall, young (hey, I'm almost 30...I know I'm not 20 anymore), blond woman wearing her corporate gear, carrying her lunch (a salad the size of my fist), heading toward the checkout. She walked past me, and then it happened: I got the glance. You know what I'm talking about...the one that says it all:

"Thank God I'm not her!"

What?! Did that girl just say that out loud, or am I just reading her mind??? The glance truly said those words to me, clear as day.

That small event set off a day of thought for me. It started with some feelings of missing the working life...the "getting dressed in nice clothes and being around other grown-ups" life.

Then it led to feelings of inadequacy...I'm not good enough, I should be working more and contributing more to the income, etc.

That only led to feelings of guilt...I shouldn't feel bad for being home with my children, they should be my priority and I shouldn't be missing the way things used to be.

Here's the conclusion I came to: We are all in different seasons of life. Some of us are work-from-home moms while others are stay-at-home moms. Some are corporate workers while others are part-time waitresses. Whatever season you are in, enjoy it! Things change in an instant, it seems, and we need to be living up the life we currently have. My children will not be at home with me forever :(. They will grow up and move on, and life will change for me again.

So, for now, I will be the work-from-home mom, feeling lucky to get a shower each day and to be home with my precious cargo. No more feelings of inadequacy. God has blessed me to be who I am and where I am, with what I have, and for that I'm grateful. :o)

More thoughts on other topics to come...

Logan Clark Stoltzfus

The 18th of October will forever be in my mind. Three years ago today our friends Clark and Kara had a little boy, Logan, who lived for a few short hours and then went to be with Jesus. Kara and I were in the hospital at the same time. She visited when I was in labor, and she and her mom where some of the first people to meet Danae the next day. Logan was then born two days after Danae.
Clark and Kara, we are thinking of you today and remembering Logan along with you.

Happy Birthday to my Little Love

Three years ago today my beautiful, clever, talented little girl came into the world, and life as I knew it changed forever.

My Peanut has brought more energy, creativity, and joy into my life than ever before. She taught me how to be silly and talk to imaginary friends (actually, puppies). She encourages me to enjoy the little things in life and not worry so much about what's going on in this world. Nothing makes me prouder than hearing her belt out "Jesus Loves Me" or "This Little Light of Mine".

Happy Birthday, Danae...you will always be my little girl, even though you tell me you need to grow up and drive. :o) We love you!

The Beach

We're back!

We were blessed to spend this past weekend in Rehoboth with Hubby's family. What a time of relaxation and beautiful weather we had! Mid-70's for the middle of October is terrific! And even though taking two children to the beach (one being a nursing infant...yeah, YOU try nursing a baby on a slightly windy beach!) can be a bit stressful, I still relaxed and enjoyed the waves, sun, and sand.

And now it's back to the work week! :o) Enjoy today!

Canning

Thanks to my dear buddy Aimee, I've had a canning itch that I decided to scratch today. So, I bought several pounds of concord grapes and made me some grape juice! This was my first time canning by myself, and Caedon was a bit worried...

...but I made it through!

The results: 11 quarts of juice.

Well, actually, 10...the last one burst in the canner, broken glass and all. I won't show you a picture of that beautiful mess. But I will leave you with a picture of my happy boy.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Fireproof

This afternoon we went to the movies (kid-free...can you believe it?!) with our small group to see Fireproof. We will be starting the curriculum this week and saw the movie to start it off. All I can say is that if you are married and this movie is in a theater near you, GO AND SEE IT! It starts Kirk Cameron (remember Mike Seaver from Growing Pains???) and others from a church in Georgia. Even though most of the cast are not professional actors/actresses, they still did a great job, and the entire point of the movie got across.



I'm excited to start the curriculum! Let me know if you go see the movie!

Hope your weekend was great!

It's Fair Time!

We had a great time with our small group buddies at Wednesday night's New Holland Fair Parade, and then on Thursday night Hubby and I took the kiddos over for dinner and a few rides for Peanut. She had a ball riding on the Dragon, a train, the Merry-Go-Round (with Daddy), and the Ferris Wheel (with Mommy). Danae wasn't afraid of anything. I got a bit nervous when we got to the top of the ferris wheel, but she loved it! Here are some shots from the evenings:

Avery and Danae

Ryan and Mommy Jen

Danae on the train

We're off to walk around again tonight and on Saturday! Have a happy Friday!

Two months

Hi everyone, it's me, Caedon. I'm now two months old and growing like a weed...or at least that's what the doctor said this morning. I now weigh 14 pounds, 2 ounces and am 25 inches long. Daddy says I can play football when I'm older, just like those big guys I see on tv on Sunday afternoons.

I wasn't too impressed with the doctor's visit this morning, since they put three shots in my legs. But my big sister held my hand the whole time and kept telling me that it's okay, so I didn't cry too much. If she says it's okay, then it really must be, right?
Speaking of my big sister: she's a lot of fun. I really like when Danae comes close to me and talks with me. I also like when I get to lay down next to her, except when she smushes my head. Maybe I'll get to do that to her someday.

I also enjoy eating (thanks Mommy!) and can now lift my head up when laying on my belly. Those people that I live with better watch out! I'll be on the move in no time!

My plans for tonight include eating, pooping, snuggling, and going to something called the New Holland Fair Parade. From what I hear, it's some big stuff around here. Mommy, Daddy, and Danae have been talking about it for weeks. I hope it's fun!

See you soon!