Hello all! Happy Thanksgiving! In the spirit of the season, here are a few things I am particularly thankful for this year.
1. Friends. God has taught me this year more than ever what it truly means to be a friend - to not just need people, but to love people, and to bear with people when they don't live up to my expectations, and to let them bear with me when I do the same. So this year, I am thankful for new friends and old friends. Thankful that I have people to show love to and people who show God's love and grace to me.
2. Renewed freedom from all things re: body image and food. You've heard me reference this a couple of times, but having found some freedom in this area has been monumental for me. And I still have room to grow! Without a doubt, living without this extra burden has made this year particularly sweet, and I am thankful.
3. Jesus and his cross. I think it means more to me each year than it did before. This verse particularly has stood out to me lately, "You were ransomed.. not with imperishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19. I just can't get over it! I love it so much that I wish everyone could/would feel the relief of believing that they are fully accepted by God, not because they have tried hard enough, or been good enough, or felt sorry enough, but because God loved them enough to pay for all their wickedness with the precious blood of his Son Jesus!! That old rugged cross makes everything else in life sweet and meaningful. I want to rest in this every.single.day.
Of course this is not all-inclusive, but these are the specific things that made this year sweet to me.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
when are you going to start listening to me?
Here's a little peek into our daily life over here.
Leah to Henry: When are you going to start listening to me and doing what I say?
Henry: Umm, maybe when I'm 10.
Leah: No, how 'bout you start doing what mommy says NOW.
Henry: Now? Ummm, I'll listen to you when I'm four.
Leah: I think now would be a better option.
Leah to Henry: When are you going to start listening to me and doing what I say?
Henry: Umm, maybe when I'm 10.
Leah: No, how 'bout you start doing what mommy says NOW.
Henry: Now? Ummm, I'll listen to you when I'm four.
Leah: I think now would be a better option.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Mom, I'm hungry!
My kids might eat more than I do. Okay, I know that's not true, but they are seriously growing at alarming rates, and they are hungry.all.the.time. Henry averages two breakfasts, two lunches, a snack and dinner. Sam doesn't put up quite a show at lunch and dinner, but the kid can down breakfast tacos like an adult male.
All this to say, I often wonder how I will keep them fed when they are teenagers. And what happens if I add another boy to that mix? All I know is that I think my future will include a lot of m-e-a-t. I had to make the decision to stop buying organic eggs because we use seven eggs at breakfast in one sitting.
A month ago, I went winter clothes shopping for Henry because (sad day) the hand-me-downs we get from my sister/nephew are now too small for Henry upon arrival. I bought his new clothes big, not really on purpose but because he was between sizes, and now - one month later- they fit perfectly. I'm telling you he is getting bigger before my eyes.
Speaking of growing up, Sam is going to start preschool in December, which means that I will have Tuesdays all-to-my-self-oh-my-goodness-really? I'm excited though because these days, Sam whimpers when we drop Hen off at school, and I think he will feel like a major big boy getting to go too. The kid wants to do and say everything his brother does. Your wish has been granted, Sammy boy.
Okay, but back to original topic. You may remember that I don't really LOOOOOVE breastfeeding (and that's an understatement). You may remember that I had no choice but to go the full year with Henry, so I quit early with Sam (6 months) while I had the chance. Well, considering my grocery bill these days, I think my goal with #3 will be to go as long as he or she will let me. Woo hoo! (And by "as long as he or she will let me" I do not mean longer than a year because even though I'm weird, I have to draw some lines.)
Okay. I feel like I just had a five-paragraph-long conversation with myself. Goodnight.
All this to say, I often wonder how I will keep them fed when they are teenagers. And what happens if I add another boy to that mix? All I know is that I think my future will include a lot of m-e-a-t. I had to make the decision to stop buying organic eggs because we use seven eggs at breakfast in one sitting.
A month ago, I went winter clothes shopping for Henry because (sad day) the hand-me-downs we get from my sister/nephew are now too small for Henry upon arrival. I bought his new clothes big, not really on purpose but because he was between sizes, and now - one month later- they fit perfectly. I'm telling you he is getting bigger before my eyes.
Speaking of growing up, Sam is going to start preschool in December, which means that I will have Tuesdays all-to-my-self-oh-my-goodness-really? I'm excited though because these days, Sam whimpers when we drop Hen off at school, and I think he will feel like a major big boy getting to go too. The kid wants to do and say everything his brother does. Your wish has been granted, Sammy boy.
Okay, but back to original topic. You may remember that I don't really LOOOOOVE breastfeeding (and that's an understatement). You may remember that I had no choice but to go the full year with Henry, so I quit early with Sam (6 months) while I had the chance. Well, considering my grocery bill these days, I think my goal with #3 will be to go as long as he or she will let me. Woo hoo! (And by "as long as he or she will let me" I do not mean longer than a year because even though I'm weird, I have to draw some lines.)
Okay. I feel like I just had a five-paragraph-long conversation with myself. Goodnight.
Monday, November 18, 2013
things that are appalling to my mother
My mom was in town this past week for a short visit. While she was here, we discovered a few things about my lifestyle that she just "couldn't believe!"
1. I don't buy napkins. Maybe the last two or three times my mom has been here, she has said, "I don't understand why you and Brooke (my sister) don't buy napkins! I always bought napkins." No, we use the mounds of free ones given out by our favorite fast food restaurants - chick fil a, chipotle, dunkin donuts, or we use random ones we have bought for parties or showers thrown, or we use paper towels. Perfectly acceptable.
2. I don't bring an entree to Thanksgiving Dinner at my in-laws' house. "WHAT!?" She exclaimed, "LEAH! You need to bring something!" Okay, okay, I can see her point. I probably should have started contributing back in 2006 when I got married and technically became and adult, but I have made it seven Thanksgivings with literally no cooking whatsoever. My in-laws are quasi-yankees, so they have a quasi-southern Thanksgiving ONLY because my MIL reads Southern Living. So, I did some investigating and found out that they never have green bean casserole, which is a staple in my family, so I will bring that this year. Problem solved.
3. Confession: I am not really a "Thanksgiving Dinner" type of girl. I mean, it's okay, but I think my favorite dish has always been the rolls served with gobs of butter and/or pumpkin pie, not your traditional dressing and cranberry sauce. My mother was appalled.
1. I don't buy napkins. Maybe the last two or three times my mom has been here, she has said, "I don't understand why you and Brooke (my sister) don't buy napkins! I always bought napkins." No, we use the mounds of free ones given out by our favorite fast food restaurants - chick fil a, chipotle, dunkin donuts, or we use random ones we have bought for parties or showers thrown, or we use paper towels. Perfectly acceptable.
2. I don't bring an entree to Thanksgiving Dinner at my in-laws' house. "WHAT!?" She exclaimed, "LEAH! You need to bring something!" Okay, okay, I can see her point. I probably should have started contributing back in 2006 when I got married and technically became and adult, but I have made it seven Thanksgivings with literally no cooking whatsoever. My in-laws are quasi-yankees, so they have a quasi-southern Thanksgiving ONLY because my MIL reads Southern Living. So, I did some investigating and found out that they never have green bean casserole, which is a staple in my family, so I will bring that this year. Problem solved.
3. Confession: I am not really a "Thanksgiving Dinner" type of girl. I mean, it's okay, but I think my favorite dish has always been the rolls served with gobs of butter and/or pumpkin pie, not your traditional dressing and cranberry sauce. My mother was appalled.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
my thoughts on boy vs girl
I just wrote this post on my other blog (you're really cool if you have two blogs). I thought I'd share it with y'all too.
I think most people who believe in God would agree that he is
probably good and that he wants the best for us. The problem we face is
when God doesn’t give us what we think we want, or when he asks us to
do something really uncomfortable… it’s during those times that our
beliefs are cross-examined, and we learn what we have actually been believing about God.
I am due with my third baby in April, and as I approach the 20 week mark, we are getting closer and closer to finding out if it is a boy or a girl. I have two boys, so I haven’t really kept it a secret that I would like to have a girl. Or at least I think I would really like to have a girl. Until today, I went along feeling completely unquestioning my hope for a girl, but for some reason I started thinking today, “Do I really know what I want?”
If I have a girl, then I “get” to re-do our nursery. We can get new stuff, new girl clothes! If I have a girl, then when everyone’s older, she can come get a pedicure with me while the boys go hunting or something like that. If I have a girl, it will be waaaaaay more fun for the other people involved because, let’s be honest, it’s not fun for other people when someone has three of the same gender. But are these thoughts really true? No, this is my ego talking.
My ego tells me that if I can have a gray and pink nursery with new, trendy bedding that I will be happy. My ego tells me that people will be really excited for me if I have a girl but that they won’t give a rip if it’s a boy. My ego tells me that my future daughter-in-laws will probably think I am weird, so I should just ensure there’s someone who always loves me by having a daughter. My ego thinks it knows everything, but the reality is that it only tells partial-truths. It doesn’t really know. It can’t know the future, it can’t know how things will actually be.
So if I find out next month that it’s a boy, I may still feel some disappointment, but l refuse to believe the lie that God is somehow holding out on me. The Enemy uses his deception alongside our egos to convince us that we know what would be best, and when our egos don’t get what they think they want, the Enemy then tries to convince us that God is a fun-hater, that God doesn’t care for us or love us. Not true.
The other way I see these lies surfacing about God is when I see his word asking me to do something that makes me super uncomfortable… which, if you’ve read the Bible lately, is relatively often. A great example is sharing the gospel with my neighbors. And not just sharing the gospel with my neighbors, but intentionally seeking out those who don’t know him in order to tell them about Jesus. Or maybe another example is giving generously to those in need or to those who have given up their own wealth to take the gospel to people who haven’t heard it. These things can be uncomfortable. Heck, it can even be uncomfortable just to be temperate with food and drink, for crying out loud.
During these times when our ego thinks it would be better to stay comfortable, the enemy comes along to make us believe that God really hates fun. The enemy turns obedience into a drudgery and we really begin to believe that God somehow wants us to be miserable. Do I really have to stop gossiping? Do I really need to love my enemies? Do I really need to stay sober? Gosh, that’s no fun.
These are lies. God is not a big fun-hater in the sky. He doesn’t ask us to do things because he needs us, or to make us prove our loyalty or because he wants us unhappy. On the contrary!! John 17 says that he wants us to share in the glory and love that He has had with himself since before the world began. He wants us to trade in the phony, unlasting pleasure we think we want so that we can take part in ETERNAL pleasure. This is why he gives and takes away, this is why he gives boys instead of girls, or why he is asking you to turn from your sin- so you can have real pleasure, real fun.
The enemy lies and tells you that God is holding out on you, but he cannot. He gave you His very own Son. He loves you.
I am due with my third baby in April, and as I approach the 20 week mark, we are getting closer and closer to finding out if it is a boy or a girl. I have two boys, so I haven’t really kept it a secret that I would like to have a girl. Or at least I think I would really like to have a girl. Until today, I went along feeling completely unquestioning my hope for a girl, but for some reason I started thinking today, “Do I really know what I want?”
If I have a girl, then I “get” to re-do our nursery. We can get new stuff, new girl clothes! If I have a girl, then when everyone’s older, she can come get a pedicure with me while the boys go hunting or something like that. If I have a girl, it will be waaaaaay more fun for the other people involved because, let’s be honest, it’s not fun for other people when someone has three of the same gender. But are these thoughts really true? No, this is my ego talking.
My ego tells me that if I can have a gray and pink nursery with new, trendy bedding that I will be happy. My ego tells me that people will be really excited for me if I have a girl but that they won’t give a rip if it’s a boy. My ego tells me that my future daughter-in-laws will probably think I am weird, so I should just ensure there’s someone who always loves me by having a daughter. My ego thinks it knows everything, but the reality is that it only tells partial-truths. It doesn’t really know. It can’t know the future, it can’t know how things will actually be.
So if I find out next month that it’s a boy, I may still feel some disappointment, but l refuse to believe the lie that God is somehow holding out on me. The Enemy uses his deception alongside our egos to convince us that we know what would be best, and when our egos don’t get what they think they want, the Enemy then tries to convince us that God is a fun-hater, that God doesn’t care for us or love us. Not true.
The other way I see these lies surfacing about God is when I see his word asking me to do something that makes me super uncomfortable… which, if you’ve read the Bible lately, is relatively often. A great example is sharing the gospel with my neighbors. And not just sharing the gospel with my neighbors, but intentionally seeking out those who don’t know him in order to tell them about Jesus. Or maybe another example is giving generously to those in need or to those who have given up their own wealth to take the gospel to people who haven’t heard it. These things can be uncomfortable. Heck, it can even be uncomfortable just to be temperate with food and drink, for crying out loud.
During these times when our ego thinks it would be better to stay comfortable, the enemy comes along to make us believe that God really hates fun. The enemy turns obedience into a drudgery and we really begin to believe that God somehow wants us to be miserable. Do I really have to stop gossiping? Do I really need to love my enemies? Do I really need to stay sober? Gosh, that’s no fun.
These are lies. God is not a big fun-hater in the sky. He doesn’t ask us to do things because he needs us, or to make us prove our loyalty or because he wants us unhappy. On the contrary!! John 17 says that he wants us to share in the glory and love that He has had with himself since before the world began. He wants us to trade in the phony, unlasting pleasure we think we want so that we can take part in ETERNAL pleasure. This is why he gives and takes away, this is why he gives boys instead of girls, or why he is asking you to turn from your sin- so you can have real pleasure, real fun.
The enemy lies and tells you that God is holding out on you, but he cannot. He gave you His very own Son. He loves you.
Monday, November 11, 2013
16 weeks
Only pregnant people are allowed to take pictures of themselves in the mirror and post them online.
In other news, the ultrasound tech told me at the last appointment that I have a "retro-verted" uterus, which may possibly explain why it takes me 20 weeks to really start showing. (Although I hope you will agree that that's a significant bump.)
In other news, the ultrasound tech told me at the last appointment that I have a "retro-verted" uterus, which may possibly explain why it takes me 20 weeks to really start showing. (Although I hope you will agree that that's a significant bump.)
Friday, November 8, 2013
two days in a row!?
Wow. I'm back. Again. And it's still November, not February. Go me.
Speaking of November, I have a total of literally FOUR Thanksgiving decorations. And every single one is courtesy of my mother in law. Thanks, Kathy.
Wait - I take it back. We have five Thanksgiving decorations. The last one is courtesy of Henry who painted a turkey napkin holder last year at one of Home Depot's kids workshops on a Saturday. So thank you, too, Henry.
Speaking of Henry (again), he is really into numbers, counting, etc. The other night after I tucked him in bed he asked me, "Mom, how many months until Sam turns 41?" "Umm, I don't know sweetie... a lot. But he will turn two in ONE month." He is also very into how much "percent battery" my phone has at any given time. Right now it has 33% by the way.
Changing the subject, you may remember that we moved a little over a year ago (which was quite possibly only five blog posts ago), and in my neighborhood there are four girls who are my general age, who also go to my church! Awesome right? Well, God in his great plan decided that all of us should be pregnant and due in the same school year. And SO FAR each of their babies' genders (not mine) has been confirmed "BOY."
All that to say if the trend continues, I might be joining the "mom-with-three-boys" club aka the "bless-you-dear-woman" club. I am preparing myself. I will say they guessed a gender at the 12 week sono, but the lady was less-than-confident so I am still saying it was just a guess. :)
Speaking of pregnancy, as usual, no stranger would be able to tell I am pregnant yet, but when I was about 10 weeks along (I think), Henry said, "Mom, is your tummy getting bigger?" My response was, "Yes, do you know why?" At which point he said, "Cause you've been eating a lot of food?"
Umm, that too.
And along those lines, this year has been one of the best years for me when it comes to that whole food and weight thing... not that I've been super-thin, but I have been free. I'd love to share more about that in the future, but suffice it to say, you probably won't be getting many dramatic stories in respect to my weigh-ins at the doctors office. Sorry, not sorry. ;)
The end till next time.
Oh wait. Since I am TRYING to get back on the blog bandwagon, do any of you guys have blogs you recommend? I would like to revamp my reading list, and I would say about 50% of the blogs I used to read have gone inactive (like mine also did). Please feel free to pass along your favorites!!
Speaking of November, I have a total of literally FOUR Thanksgiving decorations. And every single one is courtesy of my mother in law. Thanks, Kathy.
Wait - I take it back. We have five Thanksgiving decorations. The last one is courtesy of Henry who painted a turkey napkin holder last year at one of Home Depot's kids workshops on a Saturday. So thank you, too, Henry.
Speaking of Henry (again), he is really into numbers, counting, etc. The other night after I tucked him in bed he asked me, "Mom, how many months until Sam turns 41?" "Umm, I don't know sweetie... a lot. But he will turn two in ONE month." He is also very into how much "percent battery" my phone has at any given time. Right now it has 33% by the way.
Changing the subject, you may remember that we moved a little over a year ago (which was quite possibly only five blog posts ago), and in my neighborhood there are four girls who are my general age, who also go to my church! Awesome right? Well, God in his great plan decided that all of us should be pregnant and due in the same school year. And SO FAR each of their babies' genders (not mine) has been confirmed "BOY."
All that to say if the trend continues, I might be joining the "mom-with-three-boys" club aka the "bless-you-dear-woman" club. I am preparing myself. I will say they guessed a gender at the 12 week sono, but the lady was less-than-confident so I am still saying it was just a guess. :)
Speaking of pregnancy, as usual, no stranger would be able to tell I am pregnant yet, but when I was about 10 weeks along (I think), Henry said, "Mom, is your tummy getting bigger?" My response was, "Yes, do you know why?" At which point he said, "Cause you've been eating a lot of food?"
Umm, that too.
And along those lines, this year has been one of the best years for me when it comes to that whole food and weight thing... not that I've been super-thin, but I have been free. I'd love to share more about that in the future, but suffice it to say, you probably won't be getting many dramatic stories in respect to my weigh-ins at the doctors office. Sorry, not sorry. ;)
The end till next time.
Oh wait. Since I am TRYING to get back on the blog bandwagon, do any of you guys have blogs you recommend? I would like to revamp my reading list, and I would say about 50% of the blogs I used to read have gone inactive (like mine also did). Please feel free to pass along your favorites!!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
my crazy boys and other news
Hola long lost blog friends. What's up? I should probably be giving a really awesome reason for why I haven't posted in 10 years, but I don't have one so there goes that...
As usual when it's been awhile, I pretty much just want to write a mini-update about all the funny things my kids are doing and saying so that I have something to look back at in the future. Henry is quite the talker, and Sam pretty much repeats everything Henry says, so we are always feeling entertained - especially at the dinner table.
One of Henry's latest phrases is "No fair!" (Love that one as a parent, right?) Anyway, the first time he said it, it was completely in context and I'm pretty sure he got sent to timeout. Pretty much 99.9% of the time after that he has used it in the completely wrong context, at which point we realized that he doesn't really get what it means but just picked it up while watching Frosty the Snowman. (Still a favorite.) I wish I could think of an out of context "no fair" example now, but I can't.
Of course since Sam repeats almost everything Henry says, he says, "oh fah" (no fair) pretty often himself. Oddly enough, Sam almost always uses it in the correct context. (i.e. Sam, you are going to take a nap in 15 minutes. "oh fah!")
This morning, Henry asked Matt a question, but Matt was across the house in another room. Henry didn't realize this and said, "MOM! Dad is not responding to me!" Definitely the first time I have heard the word "responding" come out of his mouth, but I think it's safe to say Henry will adopt a Gibson vocabulary, which is good bc my SAT verbal score was kind of crummy and Matt's dad still uses words I don't understand.
The latest news with Sam is that he was like the best sleeper ever till about two month ago. We are talking three hour naps every single day, no problems at night... and then one day, he decided not to nap, and now my guess is that he naps 40-50% of the time. He still spends a decent amount of time in his crib, which is like a Pavlovian trigger for him to poop. I kid you not, the kid can poop 5 minutes before I put him in is crib, and he will still poop again when he is supposed to be napping. So Sammy turns 2 on December 8th and has a very "iffy' nap routine. (Even though I leave him in there for 2 hours daily, religiously, regardless.) And Henry dropped his nap when he was 2.5.
NOW, tell me, if you were me and you heard a rumor that four-year-olds in your son's preschool class were still napping consistently everyday, would you be a little jealous? Yes you would, don't lie!
Besides that, Sam's favorite word is "Mow" which is actually "No." Funniest story about that is Matt didn't know Sam was saying, "No," and he said to me, "Have you heard this word that Sam is saying ALL THE TIME now? I can't understand what it is, but it sounds like 'mow.'" Umm yes babe, it's "no" and he's disagreeing with everything you tell him to do.
Well this has gotten long, so I better quit, lest I lose the three of you who are still hanging on... Oh and when I re-read that first paragraph I realized that I wasn't totally truthful... there is at least a small excuse for not blogging in awhile (and well I wasn't really going to tell you, except for wanting to be honest)... and that is that I am 15 weeks into my 3rd pregnancy, and due at the end of April. Woo hoo!
So there you go! Perhaps if I update more often, I won't need to write books each time.
As usual when it's been awhile, I pretty much just want to write a mini-update about all the funny things my kids are doing and saying so that I have something to look back at in the future. Henry is quite the talker, and Sam pretty much repeats everything Henry says, so we are always feeling entertained - especially at the dinner table.
One of Henry's latest phrases is "No fair!" (Love that one as a parent, right?) Anyway, the first time he said it, it was completely in context and I'm pretty sure he got sent to timeout. Pretty much 99.9% of the time after that he has used it in the completely wrong context, at which point we realized that he doesn't really get what it means but just picked it up while watching Frosty the Snowman. (Still a favorite.) I wish I could think of an out of context "no fair" example now, but I can't.
Of course since Sam repeats almost everything Henry says, he says, "oh fah" (no fair) pretty often himself. Oddly enough, Sam almost always uses it in the correct context. (i.e. Sam, you are going to take a nap in 15 minutes. "oh fah!")
This morning, Henry asked Matt a question, but Matt was across the house in another room. Henry didn't realize this and said, "MOM! Dad is not responding to me!" Definitely the first time I have heard the word "responding" come out of his mouth, but I think it's safe to say Henry will adopt a Gibson vocabulary, which is good bc my SAT verbal score was kind of crummy and Matt's dad still uses words I don't understand.
The latest news with Sam is that he was like the best sleeper ever till about two month ago. We are talking three hour naps every single day, no problems at night... and then one day, he decided not to nap, and now my guess is that he naps 40-50% of the time. He still spends a decent amount of time in his crib, which is like a Pavlovian trigger for him to poop. I kid you not, the kid can poop 5 minutes before I put him in is crib, and he will still poop again when he is supposed to be napping. So Sammy turns 2 on December 8th and has a very "iffy' nap routine. (Even though I leave him in there for 2 hours daily, religiously, regardless.) And Henry dropped his nap when he was 2.5.
NOW, tell me, if you were me and you heard a rumor that four-year-olds in your son's preschool class were still napping consistently everyday, would you be a little jealous? Yes you would, don't lie!
Besides that, Sam's favorite word is "Mow" which is actually "No." Funniest story about that is Matt didn't know Sam was saying, "No," and he said to me, "Have you heard this word that Sam is saying ALL THE TIME now? I can't understand what it is, but it sounds like 'mow.'" Umm yes babe, it's "no" and he's disagreeing with everything you tell him to do.
Well this has gotten long, so I better quit, lest I lose the three of you who are still hanging on... Oh and when I re-read that first paragraph I realized that I wasn't totally truthful... there is at least a small excuse for not blogging in awhile (and well I wasn't really going to tell you, except for wanting to be honest)... and that is that I am 15 weeks into my 3rd pregnancy, and due at the end of April. Woo hoo!
So there you go! Perhaps if I update more often, I won't need to write books each time.
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