student of the week

My boy was student of the week last month and I summoned my inner scrapbooker and created this poster of pictures from his first six years. I kinda love how it turned out. My baby sure has changed. Sometimes it's still hard to believe that he's already in kindergarten. Now I know why, at my high school graduation, all the parents were saying, "It seems like just yesterday that they were in kindergarten."

1,000 Gifts: #550-586

Just another mothering cliche that I discover is true (over and over and over again): the time goes by so fast.

This week, I took Andrew for his kinder testing (a quick, informal skills assessment to help the teachers create the class lists) and watched him walk down the hall, holding the hand of a strange woman as they chatted about Star Wars and Legos like old friends. It gave my heart a little practice run for that first week of kindergarten.

This was him, just five-and-a-half years ago:



And this weekend after he pulled out his first tooth, ten minutes after discovering it was loose.



I was telling my mom on the phone, "He was eating pizza and said, 'Mommy, this pizza made my tooth wobbly!'" when he came bounding down the stairs WITH the tooth! "He pulled it out!" I exclaimed. My mom later commented what I had been thinking: wasn't I JUST calling to tell her he CUT his first tooth?? Where does the time go??

This is why we take pictures. And why we record gifts.

554:: still tweaking out grace-based parenting philosophy

555:: not constantly pining for a night out...but getting one, and enjoying it, anyway

559:: housework done and time leftover to play

564:: Ethan climbing into my lap with a book and saying, "Mommy, I wanna book."

567:: finally scoring the exfoliating orange blossom/apricot body wash I'd been wanting

570:: yummy, fruity popcicles

572:: a husband who encourages me to take some time to myself

574:: Andrew pulling his first tooth

577:: brothers playing together

579:: losing an hour when I dozed off next to Ethan on Sunday afternoon

582:: "coincidentally" having an extra flower with me to donate to the church youth group raffle

584:: Ethan's first Sunday in the 2s class at church. He went right in like he owned the place and reportedly had a great time!

586:: Ethan saying, "It's time for bed, Mommy" with his pouty little lips {and hoping I'd stay}.

View more entries at Holy Experience

My first snow!

Can you believe that I went 33 years without ever playing in the snow??

My first time was this past weekend in Flagstaff, Arizona and it was marvelous. The best part? I could sled without worrying about falling because the snow was so soft that it didn't hurt! And fall I did. Sometimes I fell down just because I was laughing so hard. It was enchanting.

My hubby made this gigantic snowball. This was the view from the back of the cabin!



It was Ethan's first time, too. He liked walking in it but wouldn't wear gloves and HATED having snow on his hands. He stayed inside with my grandmother a lot.



Andrew (in back) must have gone down the sled "run" 200 times. Mostly the cousins rode together. We're so pleased that they will always have this trip as a fun memory.



The only downside was the loooong walk back UP the sled run and trying to hold the darn string while wearing gloves!



They caught some serious air!



Andrew got Drew with a few snowballs, too.



Ain't much cuter than a baby in footy pajamas eating pancakes for breakfast! I can't believe my baby is 20 months old now!!



I think the snow looks good on me. I was excited to get to wear the J. Jill coat I bought on clearance last year. Drew picked out the teal boots for me :)



The boys with the snowman my mom and I made.



And the best part? Quality time as a family.



Put me down as a big snow fan. Especially when we could play in it for two days then return to the 50-degree weather in the valley!

Less talk, more pictures

We are just loving life these days! Besides being in a new house, the perfect Arizona winter weather, the boys being at wonderful ages to really enjoy the festivities, my nephew being born, my grandmother being in town...we are feeling extraordinarily blessed!!

So rather than yack about it, here are some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season so far.

Andrew telling Santa what he wants for Christmas at my friend Chrissy's annual Santa party.



Our family at the party.



The hubs and me, headed out for his company Christmas dinner. It was a fantastic, and much-needed, night out.



My mom and I fulfilling our new goal: to cook and bake together more often!




The boys decorating their gingerbread train on a rainy day (before it collapsed and we ate it).



The JOY pillow I scored at our church women's ministry Christmas party. Yes, I actually took this right off the host's couch. She insisted. Joy is, after all, my WORD for 2011.



My mom and grandmother toasting with the monogrammed wine glasses I got them. Andrew joined in, too.



We're just loving every moment of this holiday season!

More to come....

Melt my heart

Mother's Day 2009 I was 9 months pregnant and two days away from Ethan's birth day. I was eagerly awaiting Ethan's arrival while enjoying our final days as a family of three.



This year I am celebrating being a mother of two amazingly smart, happy, adorable boys that make my heart melt every day.

See what I mean?













And of course none of this would be possible without my mom and best friend.



I have a lot to celebrate!

My boys

Big sentences. Big imagination. Big ideas. My big son, almost 4.5 years old.



He does a little exploring. He's a little mischevious.





Brothers learning to play together.



My new glasses :)



Life is good and time sure flies.

Redemption Baby

Easter is the perfect time, I think, to tell this story.

We call our youngest son, Ethan, our "Redemption Baby."

Here's why.

Our pastor has been preaching this year out of the book of Genesis. Two recent phrases really stuck out to me:

"God's greatest work isn't creation. God's greatest work is redemption."

"Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, He came to make dead people ALIVE."

Death to life. That's redemption. That's Easter. That's our Ethan.

I was born with a mother's heart. I always wanted to be a mommy. I was one of those girls who hauled a baby doll and diaper bag, along with my Bible, to church on Sundays and who took a stroller with a doll to the mall. I bathed my dolls, rocked them to sleep, held them endlessly and loved them like they were real.

I was also one of those kids who were "raised in a Christian home." If it's possible to be saved because of your parents' relationship with Jesus, I would have surely qualified! But I made the decision to repent of my sins and ask Jesus into my heart at the age of 8. I remember feeling an immense feeling of peace that night.

My salvation story was not dramatic. I wasn't at rock bottom when I turned to God. I was just a kid who wanted to follow Christ.

Fast forward to March 2005. My husband, Drew, and I had been married for over two years and thought it was time to start a family. I was doing Fertility Awareness and it took about four "official tries" before we got a positive pregnancy test. We were thrilled!!

My pregnancy was a breeze and we planned to have a home birth with a midwife. I dreamed of being handed our baby, Drew announcing whether it was a boy or a girl and celebrating as a family in our own home, without any interference or interruptions.

On November 26, 2005, I labored for 18 hours at home but due to complications during the pushing phase, I had to be transported to the nearest hospital to deliver our son. His delivery was fast and furious and I don't even remember who said he was a boy. Andrew was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.

He was taken from me immediately to be assessed and because of damage I incurred during the process, I had to have a spinal shot and go into surgery. I didn't get to hold Andrew until an hour after he was born. All of my dreams about his birth (aside from it being un-medicated) were lost. He was, by the way, perfectly healthy, born at 40 weeks and 6 days gestation and was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21" long.

I wanted my second birth to be different. We started trying to get pregnant when Andrew was about three years old and got pregnant on the first try. I was due on December 26, 2008 and eagerly told everyone our news and filled in my pregnancy journal.

It was right before Mother's Day and I was just 5 weeks along when I started bleeding. I attended church on Mother's Day, knowing my pregnancy was over, but with peace, knowing God was with me. On May 13th, before leaving home for work, I miscarried. I was actually very relieved.

We gave my body a few months to recover, then my husband was eager to start trying again. We told our friends, family and church family to start praying, even before we conceived. I was stunned when we, again, got pregnant on the first try. I was thrilled to discover that I was due on May 13th, the very day I'd miscarried the year before. I felt like God was at work, trying to somehow "make up for" the pregnancy we lost.

My pregnancy was, again, complication-free. I did have some hormonal issues and anxiety, but the baby and I checked out perfectly at every appointment. I had decreased appetite so I had only gained 12lbs when I went into labor.

I was at 40 weeks and five days when I went into labor at about 8pm on May 11th. I tried to sleep but finally woke my husband up at about 3am, wondering if "this was it." I worked through my contractions and by 5am, my husband insisted that we go to the hospital. I was checked in at 6am and was already at 7cm dilation, hooray! My contractions were shockingly mild and I felt excited and happy--a far cry from the hours of agony I spent in the bathtub during my first labor.

My doctor was called and said she'd get a quick cup of coffee and I'd be ready to go--she was right. I was ready to start pushing at 8am and Ethan was born at 8:12am. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz and was 22" long and perfectly healthy. Everyone was amazed at how "easy" my birth was. Thank you, Lord!! As soon as he came out, I was thanking my doctor and we were both thanking God!

The nurses handed him to me immediately and we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it. It was love at first sight and I was able to hold and admire him for an hour before they took him aside to clean him up. I finally got the birth experience I wanted.

We named him Ethan, which means "strong." Ethan would have been my name, had I been a boy! He came home from the hospital on May 13th, the same day I'd miscarried the year before. That day will always be a happy day in my memory now. God redeemed that day, the baby we lost, and my first birth experience. God's greatest work is redemption and I am so grateful to have seen it played out in my own life. What a mighty God we serve!

Ethan lives up to his name. He is this exceptionally sweet, happy, adorable baby. Even strangers comment on what an angel he is. He is also very strong and healthy, has hit all of his milestones early and is into everything! He is a tremendous blessing to everyone who knows him and we can't imagine our lives without him.

Since I gained so little weight during my pregnancy, I was at my pre-pregnancy weight by the time I got home from the hospital and within a month, my weight was lower than it had been in over five years. It was just a "happy side effect" of feeling yucky during my pregnancy--but it sure helped when it came to losing the baby weight!

What's happenin'

First of all, Monkey is now 10 months old!

He has been walking for almost two months, but now he walks everywhere, all the time. Check out that concentration!



And he almost always has something in each hand. Maybe it helps him balance?? {Yes, he's wearing Christmas pajamas in March}



He now has a total of five teeth, two on the bottom and three on the top. He looks so different!! Too grown up!!



Booter's new obsession is puzzles. He can do this James puzzle by himself, no problem.



He also went bowling for the first time this weekend. He even got a spare!





Nothing unusual for me these days, just crafting along. Here's me, sporting one of my fabric flowers, and the coffee cozy my friend, Jen, ordered from Etsy. Love it!



My new favorite thing is making fabric flowers for my Etsy shop. Here are the newest ones for St. Patrick's Day, whether you are Irish Catholic or Irish Protestant. They can be pins, hair clips or both.



And these are perfect for Spring! "spring garden" fabric.



That's about it from here...

Head to Roots & Wings on Etsy to check out what's new!