Benjamin - 6 months

It's hard to believe that my little guy turned seven months old today.  It just so happened that we also received his six month portraits this morning.  He hasn't changed too much in the last month, except for the fact that he has found his feet and loves to grab his toes.  Enjoy!

A New Year Has Begun

Today is my 28th birthday.  I can hardly believe I just wrote those words.  It has been a very interesting year and an especially crazy few weeks.  (More to come...)

I see this as the start of my "new year" instead on January 1st.   I finally took down the pathetic Christmas banner this evening and look forward to having a new one posted tomorrow.  Here's to a new year of more frequent postings and more photos!

Our New Life Has Begun

As you can see, it has been quite a while since I last wrote.  After the first of the year, I resumed my life as busy working mom but this time with two kids in tow.  There was no rest for the weary as I adjusted to working 10 hour days, up to 1 1/2 hours of commuting, and still trying to squeeze in time with my two boys and husband before cooking dinner, cleaning up the house, and collapsing into bed.

I've noticed that every time I think I am starting to gain some sort of control in my life, God throws a wrench into the works.  Gone are the monthly updates to my blog heading (note I still have Christmas pictures posted), the time usually devoted to mindless crafting, and the times of lining up all of Brady's toys perfectly each night.

On Valentine's Day, we received some particularly devastating news.  We see this as the beginning of our new life, our new normal.  My father-in-law, Gary, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Now for those of you who don't know, this type of cancer does not have a very good prognosis.  We never expected to be faced with losing a parent at such a young age.  We raced down to Florida the next day to take family pictures, go to Disney World, and spend time together..."just in case."

Over the last month we have been crying together, getting angry together, and rejoicing in the memories we've made over the last few years.  There have been practical discussions about final arrangements, hospital visits, and the reminder that even though we are in our twenties we need to buy life insurance.

There have also been problems in our church.  I will not go into details, but will comment that it's always hard to be a church staff member during times of transition.  The stress related to Garrett's job has been frustrating, but we feel loved and supported by parents, students, and session members alike.

Needless to say, we need your prayers.  Garrett and I know that we will make it through this time and the stress will pass.  It's just hard when you're in the moment.  Sorry to be so depressing, but I think it's important rejoice together in good times and mourn together in times of sorrow.  Thank you for your love!

Thoughts of Thanks

Brady Edition:
31.  Hearing him sing "Jesus Loves Me"
32.  Watching him take pride in putting his shoes in his "shoe house"
33.  How he lines everything up
34.  How he recites lines to "Finding Nemo"
35.  Seeing his joy in reading his Bible
36.  His infectious smile and laughter
37.  What Brady calls Ben - "Benja-boy William Walston"
38.  Fingerpainting Valentine's Day cards
39.  Cuddling on the couch while reading books
40.  Playing catch with his football on Superbowl Sunday

Thoughts of Thanks

21.  Handmade Quilts
22.  Embroidery Thread
23.  Macaroni and Cheese
24.  68 degree days in January
25.  Brady's cute sayings
26.  Reading the "Adam Book" Together (known to the rest of us as the Bible)
27.  Pottery Barn Catalogs
28.  Phone Calls with My Brothers
29.  Babies That Sleep Through the Night
30.  Getting Out of the Office on Time

Baby Ben - 4 Months Old!

Baby Ben is officially 4 months old, 12 lbs 4 ounces, and 22 inches long.  He still has a lot of catching up to do (in the 2nd percentile for weight and 0 percentile for height), but we're working on it.  The best part, he sleeps through the night! 

Thoughts of Thanks

Ten more things I am thankful for...

11.  My grandparents

12.  Heated seats in my car

13.  Buy 2, Get 3 free soup at the grocery store

14.  Friends getting engaged

15.  Friends having babies

16.  Texas Pete hot sauce

17.  Bleach wipes

18.  Hot coffee on a cold morning

19.  My digital camera that captures so many of our precious family moments

20.  My new Bible...thanks Gary and Lisa! 

  

Sign of the Apocalypse

Brady received this as a toy for Christmas.  He asked me, "What's that?"  I responded, "It's a phone."  To which he replied, "Okay, cell phone."

We only have cell phones in our home, and I do believe there is a good possibility that Brady and Ben will never know what it is like to have a landline at home.  Crazy, isn't it!

In Constant Motion

I have been slacking off in my blogging duties!  I love writing and sharing our life, and I get really sad when I find myself neglecting my posts.  Last week, I returned to work full-time.  Needless to say, I feel like I never stop moving from dawn to dusk.

I am thankful to be busy.  Without this activity, I am sure I would be very sad to leave my two little boys with our wonderful babysitter.  I vow to get better at posting on a regular basis.  As Brady would say, I am a little bit of a "Hot Mess" right now.  At least my house is almost clean, my laundry is almost all folded, and all the Christmas decorations are almost all up in the attic.

One thing I know for sure is that my children and husband are definitely loved, and I am definitely putting in a strong effort for my employer that has been so faithful to me over the last few months.  My life is pretty good right now even if it is not exactly perfect.  I hope you find time to finish your "almosts" this week and definitely find the time to be thankful for your "pretty goods." 

Thoughts of Thanks

Several of my friends spent last year recording what they were thankful for.  I have been inspired.  Here's numbers one through ten!

1.  My wonderful husband, Garrett
2.  My two boys, Brady and Ben
3.  Snow days
4.  The smell of new fabric
5.  Food for our table
6.  Heat
7.  My fuzzy blanket
8.  Bath toys
9.  A clean kitchen at the end of a busy day
10.  Panera Bread

Couponing

As you may remember from a few posts ago, I set out five goals to accomplish this month.  I attempted to tackle one goal during my weekly shopping trip two days ago - couponing.  TLC ran a special television show on extreme couponing last week, and I must admit that it was very inspiring.  I watched four people cut their grocery bills by almost ninety percent.  One lady cut her bill from over $600 to about $3!

I was very skeptical about this task at first, but I am always one who wants to save money.  With my weekly menu plan, I searched a few Internet sites for coupons that I could possibly use.  I also purchased a Sunday paper.  More often than not, the majority of my purchases are store brands or produce.  I did not want to purchase a national brand item if it would still be more expensive than the store brand, even with the coupon.

I am happy to report that my shopping trip was very successful.  I managed to save almost $28 at one store and $6 at the other.  Pretty good for my first attempt!  My best buy was on Mueller's pasta.  Their website offers a $.55 and $1.00 off coupon, and my grocery store had it on sale.  I ended up getting four boxes of pasta for $.52!  I can't wait to fill you in on my total monthly savings in a few weeks.  Happy couponing!

The Moment Has Come

The day has finally come.  After twenty-two weeks of bed rest and maternity leave, I have to return to work tomorrow.  I feel very fortunate to still have a job at such a wonderful company, but I am very sad to leave my two little boys.  We have a great baby sitter, and I know they will be in good hands.  Wish me luck tomorrow!

Fantastic Five - January 2011

I have decided to set a goal to accomplish five new tasks each month.  I am going to strive to do more things that bring us closer together as a family, bring joy, add order, and allow me to explore my creative side that I often ignore for more "practical" things.  Each week, I am hoping to update you on my progress so you can share in the fun as I go along.  Happy 2011!