End of the Month Pics, 2nd Edition

April

May (This was a rough month!)

 

June #1 (We couldn't decide with June we liked better!)

June #2

Bonus Pics:

April Caleb

April Mommy and Caleb taken by Abby

May Caleb

May Abby

June Caleb

June Abby

End of the Month Pics

Last year, every month around Caleb's birth date I took a picture of him in the same toddler chair. This year I've decided to do a picture of both of the kids on the last day of every month in our over-sized blue chair. Here are the first 3 month's worth of pics!

January #1 (Love Caleb's expression!)

January #2

February (Options were limited this month...)

March #1

March #2 (Again with the face)

Some bonus pics:

January Abby

March Abby

January Caleb

March Caleb

Happy 9 Months, Caleb!

My Caleb is 9 months old today! I can hardly take it in! This is a post I've been wanting to do every month but hadn't. I thought this one would be a good milestone on which to finally do it! Here is 9 months worth of pictures taken on or near the 26th of each month in the same chair!

"Nod ehdactly"

Me: Abby, did you put all the animals away?

Abby: Nod ehdactly.

Me: What?

Abby: Nod ehdactly.

Me: Not exactly?

Abby: Nod ehdactly!!

Me: Well, go pick them up!

She runs off and a minute later I hear her running back to me.

Abby: Ehdactly!!!

A Story

On Monday morning, Caleb was sleeping and Abby was in her room listening to Mariah Carey Christmas (what can I say, she loves the "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child" song) so I jumped in the shower. 15 or 20 minutes later I step out to hear them both crying. I run back to find Abby lying on her bed fussing and saying something about "music off" and her tummy hurts. I'm scolding her for hollering and for wanting to get out early (our rule for morning rest time is that she stays in her room until the music is done). I tell her I'm sorry her tummy hurts but I'm not understanding her explanation of why. I almost walk away when I realize that she has a CD case in her hand. I scold her about that and tell her to bring it to me. She again fusses and says "music off". At this point I realize that the CD is attached to her tummy! She wants me to take the "music off" her tummy. She's got a nice little pinch mark, poor thing, and I feel a little bit like a bad mommy! All of the details were there I just wasn't paying enough attention. Ah, well, she's okay and it's a funny story in retrospect.

A Letter to My Blog

Dear Blog,

Hello! Long time no see! Actually I wanted to apologize for not talking to you in so long. You see, I've been a little busy. My husband got a new job so June 1st we moved across the country from CA to IL to a small town (as in there's a gas station, an antique store/coffee shop, and a bank, a post-office and library that are all open part time hours). It's actually very nice to have a slower paced life right now. In addition to the move, the adjusting to the new job and getting settled in a new place, I have a toddler in my care! I recently saw a quote about how having a toddler is like running the blender with the lid off!  : ) Abby is now 2 and fully in the swing of saying no and exploring all manner of things including her independence! She loves to read and sing and listen to the Gaithers and bagpipes and kid songs! She keeps me hopping! In addition to all that I'm due with our second child in only 2 weeks! I have officially reached the "I'm done now, thank you very much!" stage of pregnancy. My husband has been incredibly loving and supportive especially this week when I was sobbing and/or extremely uncomfortable. 2 more weeks....and I can meet our little Caleb Robert! Very excited and ready to experience a different kind of tired.

So there you go, Blog. All of that is why I've been neglecting you. I do hope to speak to you more often now that I've gotten this update of the past 5 months or so done! Ha!  ; )

Your creator,

Sara

7 Days of Praying for My Husband

I follow Kathi Lipp's blog and this week she did a special series on praying for our husbands for 7 days. It was a really neat way to prepare my heart for Father's Day. I copied and pasted and tweaked a little bit so that the following is a list of 7 prayers adapted slightly from Kathi Lipp. I especially

loved days 1 and 2. I sent my husband a copy of this so he would know how I prayed for him this week. If you are married I would encourage you to try praying through this this week. (If you're not married you could pray for your future husband, father, or other special men in your life!) Oh, and check out Kathi's blog!

7 Days of Praying for My Husband

Day 1: Praying For Him When He Feels Inadequate
Isaiah 26:3  You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Lord, help my husband to keep his mind totally focused on you today. May he trust in your steadfast love and in your ability to solve the problems that face him today. Keep him in your perfect peace. Settle his mind and heart. Give him courage because he trusts in you.
Day 2: Praying for His Emotional Health
Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would reign over every area of my husband’s mind. I pray that whoever he is without you is dead, and who he is in you is alive. I pray that his habits and hang-ups that he wants to be free from would be replaced by a hope only you can give. Show him every day who he was designed to be, in you. I am so grateful for the love you lavish over my husband. Thank you for giving yourself for him.
Day 3: Praying for His Relationship with God
1 Corinthians 13:7  Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Almighty God, I approach your throne with Jesus at my side, bringing my husband before you. Lord, I ask your favor upon him this day. In some way reveal yourself to him. Let my husband catch a glimpse of the astonishing. Lord, allow your word to seep into his mind and continue to be relentless in your pursuit of his soul. Father, I ask you to protect him from evil people and evil spirits. Grant him favor and a strong work ethic. Urge him to always be fair and honest and be a man of character. Bless him richly and Father, and continue to reveal your son Jesus to my husband. Open his eyes to see and his heart to more fully know the life-change that is freely his. Lavish your love upon him as I know love always protects, always trust, always hopes and always perseveres.
Day 4: Praying for Our Marriage
Heb. 12:14–15  Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Dear God, Sanctify our relationship with your holy presence, that we might be for each other a blessed oasis in a dry and desert land. Help us to resolve disagreements and hurts gently, with love, patience, and abiding respect, so that neither bitterness nor resentment will ever take root in our hearts. Let the divine light of your love so shine through our marriage that we present a holy example to others and lead them to your truth.
Day 5: Praying for God’s Plan for His Life
Ephesians 3:1 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Lord, Help my husband to fully understand your amazing and passionate love for us. Fill him with this fullness and revelation of you and help him to firmly establish his identity in you. I pray that your love will be the guiding force in his life.
Day 6: Praying for His Work
Colossians 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Father, I pray that every decision my husband makes about his work is influenced by you. Lord, I pray that he would sense your presence at every turn – that he wouldn’t be weary of doing good, being honorable, and working with all his strength as if he were working for you.
Day 7: Praying for His Parenting
Deuteronomy 6:6-7  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Heavenly Father, I pray that your words, your love, your direction would flow through my husband’s heart. I pray that my husband would find time in each day to pass on your wisdom to our kids. Lord, let every moment they spend together be something to grow both my husband’s heart and my child’s heart toward you. And Father, show me ways every single day to call out those things in my husband that are your way – your good and perfect way.