Happy Scrapper!

Well, I am home - after a blur of a whirlwind week-end. Okay, so I didn't quite make all of my goals, but I am totally thrilled with the week-end and all that I was able to get done. I got my Christmas album caught up to date - except for the pictures of when we went to Maine this year because I'm waiting on some from Mom, and I did a couple of months worth of Kaden's life (so, not totally caught up there, either)......but my GREATEST work of satisfaction is that I finally, seven and a half years later, totally and completely finished my wedding and honeymoon album!!! What a burden that has been lifted off of my shoulders! In total, I completed 71 pages! I still have SO much to do to ever be totally and completely caught up, but I don't think that will ever happen anyway!

All of us girls had SUCH a blast, the retreat center was beautiful, the meals were yummy, and it was just such a fun and refreshing little getaway. AND, when I came home, Kev had organized a couple of closets AND totally rearranged our bedroom - which looks awesome! He is totally the interior decorator of the family!

Kaden had so much fun this week-end with "just the boys." He has been telling me all about his adventures and how they went to Cabella's and fed the fish, to Cracker Barrel and had pancakes, and to church to sing songs..... AND "I had long long naps, and I missed you SO much!"

Good times!

A Surprise Gift!

Last year one of my new friends and I went on a week-end long scrapbooking retreat at this beautiful retreat center a couple of hours away for 3 night/2 day week-end. The entire week-end cost $150, but included two nights, all meals, and endless hours of scrapbooking fun! I did Kaden's entire album. Money well spent.

Needless to say, this year we do not have that kind of "fun" money to just spend at will, so a bunch of us were going to take a Saturday where our hubbies would watch our kids and we would just camp out in one of these empty apartments for the day.

ANYWAY, two nights ago - very last minute - the lady who runs this whole retreat called me and said that a bunch of girls cancelled, their tickets are nonrefundable, and would a bunch of us girls like to go for FREE this weekend???? Oh my word!!! Soooo, my dear hubby said he would take Kaden for the week-end, and in about an hour I am off like the wind!!!

Want to hear my lofty goals for this week-end? Esther - you'd appreciate this. Okay, I want to finish our wedding album (only 8 years in the making), get Kaden caught up to his two year birthday (3 or 4 months' worth), get our Christmas album caught up to this year (going back 4 years), AND start my baby album (just ultrasound pics, how we told our families', cute pics of Kaden kissing my tummy etc.)!! We'll see how far I actually get. I'm pretty die-hard at these retreats, though. Gotta' make the most of my time away. I have not done a stitch of scrapbooking since I went last year!!! Good times! Good times!

For the time being, I won't think about the two hundred pages and reports I need to read and write by the first of the week.......Joy unspeakable.

Cute Kaden Quote

I was leaning over Kaden yesterday pulling up his jeans while wearing a tank top that doesn't quite cover my belly anymore. He glanced over at me and exclaimed, "Wow! Your tummy is bigger with that baby in there!" It's the first time he's actually really noticed a difference in how his Mommy has changed. I thought it was so cute - I died laughing! So, now that he knows his comment made me laugh, he likes to make remarks every time he sees my belly.

This COULD get old.......

A Question For You Ladies

Well, I really should be reading or writing papers, but there's just something about sitting down at the computer when my little nest is quiet and catching up on my friend's lives via the blogging world.....oh wait - I think they died. Was Maine hit with a massive snow storm that I know nothing about and my people all lost electricity so that they're unable to update their blogs? JUST KIDDING!!!...ahem...cough cough.....kinda'......Shan.....and Esther.......Come out come out wherever you are! I miss you!!! Seriously, I am totally kidding. Life is crazy, I know.

However, I do have a question for those of you who read my blog. For this last class of mine, my final project is to prepare a ten minute sermon/lesson on my topic of choice to my audience of choice. (The class is Teaching and Preaching. The men will preach, the women will teach...the format is somewhat comparable to both. Anyway......) For some reason, I'm having a mental block on what to prepare. I think because the subject is so wide open, you know? "Just teach Scripture!"

So, anyway, my comfort level of teaching has always been to the Junior/Senior High age, but I don't know anyone out here at that age; besides, I kind of want to do something that pertains to my life in the here and now. So, I'm going to invite a bunch of the young wives/moms from our complex over and teach SOMETHING. Got any suggestions? Where are you at right now? What are you learning? What are you wanting to learn? What is challenging you? What do you want to be challenged or inspired about?

Some thoughts running through my head......James 3 and taming the tongue, Titus 2: 3-5 where the older women are to teach the younger, something on motherhood, or something on marriage. I don't know - nothing specific has really hit me yet. I only have 12 minutes to teach, so that narrows things up a bit. I'm praying and asking for the Lord's wisdom and guidance. Thought I'd get some from you all, as well.

Reflections

I'm re-reading a book I've had for years - "Fresh-Brewed Life: A Stirring Invitation to Wake Up Your Soul" by Nicole Johnson. Love it for many reasons - lots of coffee illustrations :0), and it's also just beautifully written, inspiring, and challenging to me to live intentionally, to respond to God's passionate love for me, to embrace my identity as a woman, my gifts, and my dreams, and to live and love others that way that God has intended.

In the first chapter, entitled "Surrender to God" I came across two really great quotes that I wanted to pass along. Maybe they won't do anything for you, but they just stuck with me for some reason.

"A quiet spirit is one in which all of those mixed emotions are sorted out, understood, shared with trusted friends, and submitted to a spirit of contentment. The butterflies in our stomachs don't die; we just teach them to fly in formation!" - (Karen Lee-Thorp and Cynthia Hicks, Why Beauty Matters)

I want that simple, contented quiet spirit in my life - no matter the circumstances.

"Usually, when the distractions of daily life deplete our energy, the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need the most: quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, time to think, time to seek God's face, time to contemplate what's working and what's not, so that we can make changes for the better." - (Sarah Ban Breathnack, Simply Abundance)

How often do I make the mistake of cutting out this quiet, reflective time when my days get crazy and busy? Usually, it's the first thing to go, yet the very thing that is the most needed to stay. Teach me, Lord.

Another One Bites the Dust!

I am thrilled to announce that I just passed in my final 15 page paper for my last class, and I am now embarking on my VERY LAST professional class for this program! The end is truly in sight! Other than this last class and my massive final book project, I only have 6 credits of Gen Ed classes that I have left to take and then I am DONE! No more studies for me for a little while after this. I can see myself going on to take some Master's courses someday. For the most part, I really do enjoy learning and studying. But, I am ready to be done for awhile and focus solely on mothering and family life. What I am REALLY ready for is to be done doing homework during every single free moment that I have! I would much rather be puttering, cleaning, cooking, scrapbooking, nesting and finding room for baby #2's things, etc. etc. I'm ready to not always have huge projects looming in the back of my mind and feeling pressure when Kaden wakes up early from a nap because I didn't finish my blasted paper on "Can believers expect the literal rebuilding of the Temple in the Millennial Kingdom?" Important, stuff? Sure - just not really up my alley right now, you know? (Gasp! Blasphemy!) No - I just really want to be focusing on things that are pertinent to my life in the here and now - mothering, being a great wife, keeping a happy, fulfilled, and organized home, teaching and training Kaden, figuring out how to do the whole Mother of 2 thing - and the like! So, in light of these thoughts - today I celebrate that another class truly has bit the dust. It was good, it was great. I truly enjoyed it....but moving on, moving on........

While My Sweet Boys Slumber....

This is one of those rare mornings where Kaden is actually sleeping past 7:00 and where hubby doesn't have to rush out the door as soon as he wakes up. I love these days. This semester is actually going to be busier for Kev as he is taking more grad classes, but his hours are much nicer. So, this morning, while my sweeties are sleeping, I was able to actually sleep in a little too, but then I got up and had the whole place to myself where it was nice and quiet, and I was able also to have some really nice uninterrupted time with the Lord.

I've been reading this book for my devotions lately. It's called "The Intentional Woman," and the entire point of the book is to get you to be thinking all throughout your day about living intentionally and purposefully in all that you do. What is on your plate that doesn't need to be there? What is out of balance or not in proper priority in your life? What do you need to be doing to further develop yourself as a woman, wife, and mother? Good questions! Probably since late Fall I have been feeling like my life is just kind of going by, you know? Like I was doing lots of things, but at the same time I was just existing.

I have found this study to be very helpful in showing me what I need to pray about weeding out, what I need to arrange in the priorities of my day, and what it is okay to say yes or no too. It is okay to be doing things that develop me in ALL areas of my womanhood - it will make for me to be a more balanced woman, wife, AND mom. So, as of late, I feel like I am getting back on track in taking care of ALL of me - emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and physically.

This semester, Kev's schedule has allowed for me to go the gym any morning that I want to, so I am really taking advantage of this. This is helping me to get back in my rhythm physically AND it's making me strong for labor - not to mention it's good for my emotions! I am also being much more purposeful in giving the Lord the firstfruits of the alone time in my day - which is Kaden's nap time. This has always been a battle for me, as this is the time that I set aside each day for homework, AND I have a boatload this semester. But, this is a faith and trust issue for me, and so far - each assignment has been passed in on time.

Even being more focused on these two areas alone in my life is helping me to reap great rewards. I feel stronger and more focused, I feel like I am savoring Kaden more as I have also carved out a little time to better take care of myself, and I am learning where it is all right to say yes and no to things that are maybe even good things - but that are just not great for me right now. There are other areas that I feel the Lord is growing me and teaching me in, but as usual, this post has become a book, so for now - those are a few of the musings going on in Amy's life these past months!

New Baby Update

We had our "Stage Two Anatomy Ultrasound" today. I don't ever remember having this with Kaden, but it was very fun. We looked over each part of the baby's body and took measurements - bones, organs, limbs, brain, face, etc. to ensure that all is well. The doctor says that everything looks great. The baby now weighs 8 oz. and is 13 inches long! We also were able to see the ultrasound in 4-D. Very cool and slightly eerie. It looks like a baby....kinda...well, really more like a little skeletal alien. But, cute nonetheless. We bucked the trend and decided against finding out the sex. This was our last chance to know, but we really do love the surprise. I have my suspicions, but we shall have to wait. The ultrasound confirmed the June 10th due date, so in a little over a week we are halfway there already! Crazy, crazy!

My Hubby - My Hero

I must say - I fall more in love with that man all the time. He truly knows me, you know? Better than I know myself even. He gets me, he knows how to speak my love language, and he takes such good care of me.

On the days I feel frazzled in my mothering, he totally builds me up and points out specific things that he's noticed and appreciated that I have done with Kaden. During the times I'm overwhelmed because I've added too much to my plate, he gently steps in and shows me where I can very easily say "no" and helps me to realize that the world really won't come to an end as a result. And on the days my "baby brain" causes me to forget really important things at church (which is almost an hour away) for an assigment that is due within a day, he swoops in - calms my nerves, helps me finish, and goes the extra mile for my perfecionist personality until I am satisfied with the end result of my project.

So, because my heart is so full of this man that I married - and I have only listed a very few things that he has done in these past couple of days - Kaden and I are having a "We Love Daddy Day" today. All day long we've been working on this really fun mural that Kaden is going to hang on his door for Daddy to find when he gets home, and I am making him his favorite pie. Kaden colored a huge poster, and now we're gluing macaroni noodles onto it that says, "I love you, Daddy." Kaden said to me just before he went down to nap: "This is hard work, but Daddy's gonna love it. He's gonna say, 'Oh my word - this is cute!'".....Hmmm, gotta start teaching him some more manly words - but adorable nonetheless!

Home Again!

Well, we have safely arrived back home to our little apartment after spending 2 1/2 weeks with friends and family. We had SUCH a nice time reconnecting with friends and spending some great quality time with both of our families. We may not get home again until after the baby is born, so we really wanted to spend as much time with our families as possible.

Kaden had a wonderful time with his Grampy's and Grammy's. He totally remembered them and loves them so much! He went running to both Grampy's when he saw them and died laughing when he saw his Grammy's because he was so happy. He kept saying, "It's nice to be here! I love to be here! I'm not ready to go home yet!"

We brought SO much stuff back with us - I'm slightly overwhelmed. I had to bring all of the baby things that I will need, plus all of our Christmas gifts, PLUS all of our junk. So, both Kev and I have spent the good part of yesterday and today finding room for everything. We brought Katie home with us and she's spending a few days with us until the campus reopens. Poor thing - we have been deadbeat hosts as we're trying to get back into the swing of things. She has been a doll, though, and has played so sweetly with Kaden who absolutely adores her!

Well, I guess that's all for now. Sorry for the boring post. I just wanted to let you know that we are back up and running! Happy New Year!