The boys have been doing so many new things in the last few days! They keep doing things that surprise me, and the surprises are starting to get closer and closer together.
1. I'm pretty sure that when Micah said "Daddy" yesterday, he actually meant "Daddy." We were playing with Joshua's hat, I put it on and made a silly face, and Micah laughed and said, "Daddy." I put it on again later and he said it again.
2. Canaan has been crawling for a couple of weeks, but just in the last two days, he has started getting into the sitting position all by himself. Today, he crawled underneath the exersaucer and then sat up. I think he was trying to get in it, because he was putting his arms through the leg holes. I got him out and put him in the right way, and he looked like he got what he wanted.
3. When I sing, "The Wheels on the Bus," Canaan sings along when I get to the "The babies on the bus go wah wah wah" part. He makes the motion with his hands, though he doesn't quite bring them to his eyes, and says "wah wah wah." Or, sometimes, "Blah, blah, blah," but I know he is doing it either way.
4. They have started patting my back when I take them to their cribs because I always burp them then.
5. Today, Micah pinched me, and I said, "Ouch!" He smiled and said, "Ouch!" He has also been saying "duck" whenever we ask him to, but I know he doesn't actually know what a duck is. He is just starting to say any small, one-syllable words that we say.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Community
I started reading about the day of Pentecost today in Acts. It's a powerful chapter, with so much in it. I think I'm going to re-read it piece by piece this week, but the last few verses are what really made my heart ache today:
"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Acts 2: 44-47
I think this must have been like a little taste of heaven. The simplicity of the relationships between early Christians is beautiful. I thought about how hard it would be to do this today.
I mean, forget about just selling all of the stuff we are addicted to: our computers, cell phones, etc. Think about what it would take to have a community where people ate together with glad and sincere hearts!
How often do we smile at someone at church, share in some small talk, but deep down we are hiding resentment against them? We let our relationships get so complicated these days. Why can't we sit down and talk about our conflicts openly, and then rejoice in the fact that we are all saved by grace? Why do we have to hide behind a polite smile? How could that possibly be the "right" thing to do?
How could the church have gone from an open, honest place where everyone was loved to a place where people experience fear of rejection and judgment?
Now I need to practice what I preach... I guess this means I have to start being open with people about my own struggles. It means I have to actually work up the courage to tell someone when I have an issue with them. For anyone who knows me, I'd rather just be pleasant, but the truth is, pretense isn't really pleasant.
"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Acts 2: 44-47
I think this must have been like a little taste of heaven. The simplicity of the relationships between early Christians is beautiful. I thought about how hard it would be to do this today.
I mean, forget about just selling all of the stuff we are addicted to: our computers, cell phones, etc. Think about what it would take to have a community where people ate together with glad and sincere hearts!
How often do we smile at someone at church, share in some small talk, but deep down we are hiding resentment against them? We let our relationships get so complicated these days. Why can't we sit down and talk about our conflicts openly, and then rejoice in the fact that we are all saved by grace? Why do we have to hide behind a polite smile? How could that possibly be the "right" thing to do?
How could the church have gone from an open, honest place where everyone was loved to a place where people experience fear of rejection and judgment?
Now I need to practice what I preach... I guess this means I have to start being open with people about my own struggles. It means I have to actually work up the courage to tell someone when I have an issue with them. For anyone who knows me, I'd rather just be pleasant, but the truth is, pretense isn't really pleasant.
Monday, August 8, 2011
August Goals
I've been inspired by Lucy Clement to start writing out my monthly goals (She's also an AWESOME photographer, as you can see from her blog, in the Greensboro area. If you are looking for a great photographer, she's amazing!). Maybe posting them on here every month will help me accomplish them. :)
Here are my goals for the rest of August:
1. Take some time every morning, either during nap time or before the boys get up, to sit with a cup of coffee and my Bible. A little meditation always makes my day seem so much more peaceful, even if it means waking up before I absolutely have to.
2. Work out 3 times a week minimum.
3. Lose 5 lbs.
4. Write out daily checklists and keep my house clean and organized.
5. Spend plenty of time playing with my baby boys.
6. Read two books.
7. Write something every night before bed.
8. Get a KY driver's license and apply for WIC.
9. Get a job! --- I've been offered a job as a nanny, but it is not paying as much as the ad said it would. It won't cover our bills, but Joshua also has a possible job offer at Sylvan Learning Center, so that might help fill the gap. We are still praying about this one and seeing if anything better will come up for me.
Here are my goals for the rest of August:
1. Take some time every morning, either during nap time or before the boys get up, to sit with a cup of coffee and my Bible. A little meditation always makes my day seem so much more peaceful, even if it means waking up before I absolutely have to.
2. Work out 3 times a week minimum.
3. Lose 5 lbs.
4. Write out daily checklists and keep my house clean and organized.
5. Spend plenty of time playing with my baby boys.
6. Read two books.
7. Write something every night before bed.
8. Get a KY driver's license and apply for WIC.
9. Get a job! --- I've been offered a job as a nanny, but it is not paying as much as the ad said it would. It won't cover our bills, but Joshua also has a possible job offer at Sylvan Learning Center, so that might help fill the gap. We are still praying about this one and seeing if anything better will come up for me.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Getting Settled In
We've been in Louisville for almost a week now. We haven't been able to get out and see the city much because we are taking our time with the whole moving-in process. We used PODS to move, so we asked them to leave the pod here for a week so that we could bring things up slowly. We did get out to go to church on Sunday. We had a hard time finding the church, but it was kind of nice getting to see the city a little bit. We are going to try another church this Sunday that we are really excited about. Joshua's mother is coming into town this weekend, so I think we are going to take that opportunity to go downtown and walk around with her and the boys.
Our apartment is working out very well. There are two bedrooms and a spiral staircase that leads up to a small loft with a fireplace. The loft will be Joshua's office area.
We have a sweet neighbor downstairs named Shirley who lives with her dog, Max. I try to not get frustrated when I have to stand and have a ten minute conversation with her every time I go outside, because I know she is probably pretty lonely. She loves NASCAR and football, so she jumps on any chance she gets to talk to Joshua about these subjects. She brings us her newspaper every day when she is finished reading it and invited herself in to talk to us for an hour the other day. It's a little nerve-racking not knowing when she is going to pop in. No kidding, even as I was typing that last sentence, she knocked on our door. I went to the back room because I wasn't exactly ready for company, and by the time Joshua got to the door, she was gone, but the newspaper was there. She loves the boys, but always says that "Max loves the boys." It's kind of funny because just about everything she thinks, she instead says that Max thinks them. She talks about the other neighbors a lot, too. Apparently another elderly lady next door is one of her good friends. When Joshua met her, she already knew all about us and our boys and how much "Max loves them." Oh, Shirley. It's going to be tough drawing some boundaries without hurting her feelings or neglecting her when I should be reaching out to care for someone who doesn't get out much or get many visitors. I know she really loves to see Micah and Canaan.
Well, I should go get something done while the boys are napping. They have a nasty cold and are kind of high maintenance when they are awake lately. Please pray that they both feel better soon. They look so pitiful with their runny noses and sad little eyes.
Our apartment is working out very well. There are two bedrooms and a spiral staircase that leads up to a small loft with a fireplace. The loft will be Joshua's office area.
We have a sweet neighbor downstairs named Shirley who lives with her dog, Max. I try to not get frustrated when I have to stand and have a ten minute conversation with her every time I go outside, because I know she is probably pretty lonely. She loves NASCAR and football, so she jumps on any chance she gets to talk to Joshua about these subjects. She brings us her newspaper every day when she is finished reading it and invited herself in to talk to us for an hour the other day. It's a little nerve-racking not knowing when she is going to pop in. No kidding, even as I was typing that last sentence, she knocked on our door. I went to the back room because I wasn't exactly ready for company, and by the time Joshua got to the door, she was gone, but the newspaper was there. She loves the boys, but always says that "Max loves the boys." It's kind of funny because just about everything she thinks, she instead says that Max thinks them. She talks about the other neighbors a lot, too. Apparently another elderly lady next door is one of her good friends. When Joshua met her, she already knew all about us and our boys and how much "Max loves them." Oh, Shirley. It's going to be tough drawing some boundaries without hurting her feelings or neglecting her when I should be reaching out to care for someone who doesn't get out much or get many visitors. I know she really loves to see Micah and Canaan.
Well, I should go get something done while the boys are napping. They have a nasty cold and are kind of high maintenance when they are awake lately. Please pray that they both feel better soon. They look so pitiful with their runny noses and sad little eyes.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
More prayer, please!
So, Joshua and I went over our budget the other day. Basically, I NEED to get a job. The problem is that Joshua's schedule is going to be kind of unpredictable. Also, I kind of hate the idea of him coming home from work to watch the kids while I go work. I need quality time with the hubs or I get a little edgy.
So, I made a profile on www.care.com. For those of you who haven't seen their commercials, it's a place that pairs families with the right caregiver for their children (and even pets). This would be so great for us because a lot of people are willing to drop their children off at your house, and I could spend all day with my boys, as usual, but with one or two more playmates! I applied to 6 jobs in Louisville. So far, I haven't heard back from anyone. There is one family in particular that I would LOVE to work for, and I'm constantly checking to see if she has responded to or even read my application. It has only been two days, but I am so anxious. This could get us to not only where we can pay our bills, but to where we might have a little more than we need. I feel like this is the perfect job for me, but I know that God may have other plans. Please pray for patience, provision, acceptance of God's will, and maybe even a response from at least one of these jobs!
So, I made a profile on www.care.com. For those of you who haven't seen their commercials, it's a place that pairs families with the right caregiver for their children (and even pets). This would be so great for us because a lot of people are willing to drop their children off at your house, and I could spend all day with my boys, as usual, but with one or two more playmates! I applied to 6 jobs in Louisville. So far, I haven't heard back from anyone. There is one family in particular that I would LOVE to work for, and I'm constantly checking to see if she has responded to or even read my application. It has only been two days, but I am so anxious. This could get us to not only where we can pay our bills, but to where we might have a little more than we need. I feel like this is the perfect job for me, but I know that God may have other plans. Please pray for patience, provision, acceptance of God's will, and maybe even a response from at least one of these jobs!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Just a little update...
Update on the babies? Well, they get cuter every day. I don't really know what else to tell you. Canaan is trying desperately to scoot or crawl, but for the most part, he just rolls around until he gets where he wants to go. I'm pretty sure I saw him scoot backward yesterday, though. He's already getting into stuff. I cannot imagine what it is going to be like once he actually starts crawling, and I don't even want to think about when he starts walking. Micah has been rolling for a long time, too, but mostly, he likes to sit in the middle of the floor and watch Canaan roll around. The last couple of days, though, he has become more interested in rolling around and checking out things he shouldn't-- like drawers and electrical cords.
Joshua is still crazy busy with school. He kind of had a break night yesterday-- he had a one hour meeting with some other students that he was planning a lesson with, but other than that, he didn't have a single assignment. That was very much needed, because the last two nights, he had been coming "home" between 1AM and 3AM. He is doing SO WELL with school. He is taking a total of three classes. One class lasts the entire 6 weeks, and the other two are 3-week classes. He got an A in his first 3-week class! His teachers love him and are constantly telling him how amazing he is. One of them even told him that he "teaches like a veteran." Yeah, I'm pretty proud of him.
We found an apartment. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and spiral staircase that leads up to a little loft above the dining room. There is a fireplace in the loft. It's nice that it is up there where the boys won't be able to get into it. The kitchen is a very nice size... it may be the biggest kitchen we've had yet. There is plenty of cabinet space and a dishwasher. We can get rid of our microwave now because there is one built into the cabinets. It was clean and the paint was fresh when we did a walk-through. There was a lot of light, and the ceiling in the living room is high because of the loft. We are so excited about it!
Joshua was supposed to get his school assignment the day we went looking for apartments so that we could look in the same neighborhood as the school, but unfortunately, they didn't have that information ready for him. It was the only day we could go up there together, so we had to just pick the best place for us without knowing how long a drive it would be for him to get to work. He found out a few days later that he is working at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, which is about 30 minutes from the apartment. Oh well! It's on the West side of the city, and it can be hard to find a safe neighborhood over there from what we have heard. Also, it is not guaranteed that the school he is working at this year will be the same school he works at next year. It could be that he is hired by the school that is three minutes from our apartment-- Fern Creek High School. BUT, from all the reviews I have read online, it looks like Pleasure Ridge Park, or PRP, is a great school. They seem to have a lot of school pride, and Joshua is really excited about working there.
Well, we've got two weeks left in Bowling Green. It hasn't been so bad living in the hotel. I mean, someone comes to clean my bathroom, vacuum the floors, and change the towels and sheets once a week! How could I complain? I am very, very excited about getting to Louisville for other reasons, though. I can't wait to find a church. I want to explore the parks. I want to make some mom friends. You know... basically get on with our lives. :)
Joshua is still crazy busy with school. He kind of had a break night yesterday-- he had a one hour meeting with some other students that he was planning a lesson with, but other than that, he didn't have a single assignment. That was very much needed, because the last two nights, he had been coming "home" between 1AM and 3AM. He is doing SO WELL with school. He is taking a total of three classes. One class lasts the entire 6 weeks, and the other two are 3-week classes. He got an A in his first 3-week class! His teachers love him and are constantly telling him how amazing he is. One of them even told him that he "teaches like a veteran." Yeah, I'm pretty proud of him.
We found an apartment. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and spiral staircase that leads up to a little loft above the dining room. There is a fireplace in the loft. It's nice that it is up there where the boys won't be able to get into it. The kitchen is a very nice size... it may be the biggest kitchen we've had yet. There is plenty of cabinet space and a dishwasher. We can get rid of our microwave now because there is one built into the cabinets. It was clean and the paint was fresh when we did a walk-through. There was a lot of light, and the ceiling in the living room is high because of the loft. We are so excited about it!
Joshua was supposed to get his school assignment the day we went looking for apartments so that we could look in the same neighborhood as the school, but unfortunately, they didn't have that information ready for him. It was the only day we could go up there together, so we had to just pick the best place for us without knowing how long a drive it would be for him to get to work. He found out a few days later that he is working at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, which is about 30 minutes from the apartment. Oh well! It's on the West side of the city, and it can be hard to find a safe neighborhood over there from what we have heard. Also, it is not guaranteed that the school he is working at this year will be the same school he works at next year. It could be that he is hired by the school that is three minutes from our apartment-- Fern Creek High School. BUT, from all the reviews I have read online, it looks like Pleasure Ridge Park, or PRP, is a great school. They seem to have a lot of school pride, and Joshua is really excited about working there.
Well, we've got two weeks left in Bowling Green. It hasn't been so bad living in the hotel. I mean, someone comes to clean my bathroom, vacuum the floors, and change the towels and sheets once a week! How could I complain? I am very, very excited about getting to Louisville for other reasons, though. I can't wait to find a church. I want to explore the parks. I want to make some mom friends. You know... basically get on with our lives. :)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Prayers Needed!
Okay, I was so excited about this day... but now I'm just stressed.
Joshua had to leave with his group at 6:15-- turns out that most of the day, he will be touring Jefferson County schools, and we only have the afternoon to look for a place. I'll be getting on the road around 10AM in order to meet him after his tour of the schools. I don't have a GPS on my phone, so I'm going to have to look up the directions, write them down, and hope that they are accurate... I'm really nervous about driving into a city I don't know with my baby boys in the back of the van, so please pray for me!
We were also given the advice yesterday not to live in West End. Apparently we will be killed in a drive-by or something like that if we do... and of course that is where all of the affordable housing is. I mean, if you are going to live with the violence, they have to give you some slack on the rent, right? Anyway, I had to start my search all over again last night, and we'll be looking at apartments instead of houses. Part of me is sad, and part of me is kind of happy that there is the possibility of living in a community with a pool. As long as my boys are safe, I don't really care where we live... but I was pretty excited about living in a house. :(
Please just pray that I make it there safely and that we find an affordable, safe place to live.
Joshua had to leave with his group at 6:15-- turns out that most of the day, he will be touring Jefferson County schools, and we only have the afternoon to look for a place. I'll be getting on the road around 10AM in order to meet him after his tour of the schools. I don't have a GPS on my phone, so I'm going to have to look up the directions, write them down, and hope that they are accurate... I'm really nervous about driving into a city I don't know with my baby boys in the back of the van, so please pray for me!
We were also given the advice yesterday not to live in West End. Apparently we will be killed in a drive-by or something like that if we do... and of course that is where all of the affordable housing is. I mean, if you are going to live with the violence, they have to give you some slack on the rent, right? Anyway, I had to start my search all over again last night, and we'll be looking at apartments instead of houses. Part of me is sad, and part of me is kind of happy that there is the possibility of living in a community with a pool. As long as my boys are safe, I don't really care where we live... but I was pretty excited about living in a house. :(
Please just pray that I make it there safely and that we find an affordable, safe place to live.
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