Receiving a Moment

This morning I was standing in the kitchen drinking my coffee and reading my Bible Study workbook when I heard Brielle’s soft laughter coming from the living room. I peeked around the corner (generally if she sees me, she gets up and comes to me) and there she was playing happily with her toys. I realized that this is rare, she usually only does that when there are a few people/kids around. My eyes started misting and I got all choked up! She was playing in a far more grown up way than she’d even done before…on her own. I was happy and sad at the same time. Seems like I’ve dreamt of these moments, getting pieces of my time back to me, and yet it’s hard to let go in ways too. Part of me wanted to run in there and sit down and play with her! Part of me knew that this was an opportunity to actually read the words on the pages of my Bible Study book! Torn, I choked back tears, knowing this was only ONE small step. I actually finished my Bible study chapter and of course Brielle wanted me in that clingy baby way, only ten minutes later. And at that time I was able to savor it instead of feeling slightly frustrated by it. Loving and letting go are such intricately woven parts of parenthood that it is sometimes hard to distinguish how they both work in together through the same threads. I’m certainly more aware of these little things this time around, and I’m learning to apply these life lessons to my tween boys. I’m relearning and experiencing things I’d forgotten, but with a different filter in my head this time. And I guess that is why I get a little emotional and choked up over something so small and yet so big, such as watching my babies grow. I thought this was adorable: Tyler and Brielle watching Josh do his basketball evaluations:

The Party must go on!

I was extremely ill all day on Halloween, as I experienced the "BUG" that Tyler & Brielle had just two days prior. However, the party still went as planned as Grandma and Aunt Kelly led the show. I was grateful since the kids had really been looking forward to the creepy dinner and trick-or-treating. It's great there are now 7 cousins living in this city.

Creepy DinDin:

I almost didn't recognize Tyler on the far left!!!

Little Ducky:

Thanks to Mom for providing these cute pics!

Fall Break 2008

Cheyenne-Brielle-Cherokee: Happy Cousins Together

Fall break went better than I expected. Both of the boys have been on restrictions of some kind for poor performance at school. They are both so smart and when they try and turn their assignments in they do great. It’s when they don’t that they don’t. And they haven’t. So they were on restrictions right through fall break (which generally means no Video gaming devices, Television, or other electronics…oh, and they didn‘t get to go the Grandma & PopPop’s house either). It wasn’t too awful, and this is what we accomplished:
Tyler perfected the pancake.
Josh had a bike wreck.
We walked (they rode bikes) to Aldi one day.
They each wrote a Ghost Story for our local Museum’s contest.
We walked to Walmart another day.

(we stopped at the fish tanks)
With the help of our good friends, Phil and Tim, we started a garden!
We went to the library twice.
We went to CDE’s free event, Community Action Awareness, and a Giant Yard Sale.
My parents were here for a five day, three night stay, broken up.
The tree house became the Fort to Be IN, for free time was spent there.

Tyler the Viking


Josh is thinking about something.


Brielle is sitting on the Little Rock from Arkansas


Downtown Clarksville


Welcoming her PopPop to TN


Aunt Kelly's leaf pile

loves books like mama

Wordle

I found this on another blog and decided to check it out, being a creative word lover that I am, I wish I had time to make more, but this one I just let go random from this blog's feed. It tells you
how on http://wordle.net/create

September 16, 2008

This was funny the first few times. I don't let her do it anymore.

September recap & October musings

I realize it's been awhile since I updated what is going on with our family. I've had flu-like symptoms since Monday, so pretty much everything has been neglected in my life, while I've rested. Will was an amazing help last night with dinner and dishes, my family always treats me so well when I'm not. Yesterday was our 13th anniversary, I felt bad for being sick on it, but I also felt too tired to care much. The weather has increased my mood. I love rainy fall days when the leaves still cling to the trees, when God send the rain at this perfect time to make the colors more vibrant as they change. Every season that comes, I say, "this is my favorite one." Fresh air never felt so good. Last week, before I was sick, I walked to Goodwill, Hastings, and the Dollar General one day. One, to conserve on gas, Two, for exercise. It was so windy and perfect and I felt great about the walk. I didn't spend much money, there was no need. I am beginning to like these frugal exercises.
I know that the cloth diapering business is probably a bore, but I have been doing it for 26 days now. I can't imagine going back to disposables. Why would I when I already have these cloth diapers? I don't have to buy anything anymore. We've also had great success with making our own baby foods. Below are my latest venture, Deo-Disks. Now, they can be bought, but why? It was so simple. Mixing baking soda with water, a few drops of orange oil, and wah-lah: deodorant disks that smell great and can go right into the wash with the cloth diapers. Now, they are setting downstairs right now, hoping they harden. Below that I put pictures that are cute and funny. I put the wrong video in, but I will put the right one in after I post this.

Grandma and PopPop from New Jersey sent this package, and Brielle thought it was a good place to sit!

One of my favorites: Brielle playing nonchalantly while football practice goes on behind her.

Love those chubby thighs!

Brielle's first time out of arms and the stroller, in the library:

Reading her first Library book:

Brielle meets the Gov, who she already knows and loves, she just doesn't realize that inside it's our good friend Elise, the APSU notable mascot!

This face reminds me of our former neighbor, Brenna, who we ironically got this jacket from.

Will's football watching "stance."

What I'm reading:

So, I've been wanting to share some of the books I've been reading lately. But first, here is a website that I am really digging, because it has recipes to make cookies from infant cereal! http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ What a great way to save money on teething biscuits! This website also has other helpful information on it.

Now, I've been reading The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. This book was loaned to me by a dear, sweet, new friend of mine, Scarlet, and it is very informational. You wouldn't believe me if I told you what vaccines contain. Or maybe you would, but you would be appalled. However, the book doesn't lean one direction or the other, it is just very informative. I find information to be very useful in these situations of raising a child. I do wish I'd read it, say before Brielle was born; however, I'm not sure how ready for a fight I would've been, considering our Pediatrician (who seems to be the most open-minded one I've met at his office) takes a pretty firm stance on vaccines and their schedules. It is STILL important that I do now know what vaccines, why, what they are made of and how often they are administered, and how they work.

While I was working my way through that book, I picked up a fiction book at the library a few weeks ago. I could NOT put it down. Maybe it was because I'd been on a fiction hiatus, or perhaps it was just that good! Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen was a historical fiction treat!

Next, I am involved in a twice-a-month Bible Study covering the book entitled For Women Only by Shaunti Feldham. This is a part of the MOPS organization that Brielle and I are attending this school year. It is really very challenging. But as is marriage! I am learning and growing through it, tough as it may be, and I'm anticipating good things to come of it.

My Mt. Time prayer

Well, I wanted some predictability in my schedule and the Lord answered!
Brielle is up and ready to go at 6:22AM every morning now.

By the way...what do you think of having music playing on my blog? Like it or Not?

Cloth Diaper Experience: Day 18

You might be surprised to read that I'm still in there! Worst part: dumping the dirty diapers into the washer (don't worry, it gets rinsed, washed, then rinsed again). Best part: seeing how CLEAN they get and hanging them on the line outside. I don't know why I love the line outside but I really do. I really think it's what keeps me going. Hardest part: being the only one who really changes her diapers. Here is a picture of the "twist" fold:

I thought this was great, Brielle's own gym.

Claps on Tuesday....First tooth TODAY, the day she turns 10 months old!

Last night we (Brielle and I) were up about ten times. No, I am not exaggerating! I seriously thought, "what have I done wrong?"
But, lo and behold. It was for a reason. Our little Bean was cutting her first tooth, of course! I've been watching it for days now, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me. It's her top left tooth! I guess no one told her the bottom two teeth were supposed to come in first. But then...no one told Brielle much about how things were supposed to happen for her. She just sets her own standard, I suppose.
Here is her BRAND new trick. She is looking at Aunt Kelly during most of this video. It's just TOO cute!