Christmas Card Time

Wow! Thanksgiving is just days away, which means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas cards.  Last year I decided to get creative and made out cards.  This year I just can’t seem to find the time.  I’ve learned that having Anna Kate takes up a LOT of time, probably because I’d rather play with her than do anything else.  That being said, I’ve been looking all over the place, online and in stores, to find the right card for this year.  I really want something special for this year, because it has been such a special year.  And I really want a photo card, because we have one very lovely lady we’d like to show off!

I found out from another blogger that Shutterfly is giving away 50 free cards for blogging about their cards.  I love their Christmas photo cards.  There are so many that we really like, such as Pop Art Ornaments, Very Merry, and Snowing Joy.  As for the one that I think we might go with, well, you’ll just have to see!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!  If anyone is getting out and doing some shopping on Black Friday, hope you have fun and good luck finding what you want.  I’ll think about you while I’m still snuggled in my warm bed at 5 in the morning!

Our Growing Girl

I was going to name this post "Our Growing Babe" but she's not such a baby anymore.  Anna Kate is growing so fast! I must admit that while I'm loving this new stage, I wish she had stayed a baby longer.  She still loves cuddling with me, but not nearly as much as she used to.  She wants to get down and play and get into things.  And to think, only 4 months left til her first birthday! That just can't be, it's going by much too fast.

 

These days she's crawling around like crazy and cutting her two bottom teeth.  We're pulling up on everything and exploring all around.  The other day she climbed up in the dishwasher!  I tried getting a picture of her in it, but of course she wouldn't do it again.

I think her favorite things to do are to look outside and hang out in our bathroom.  She loves looking out at the flowers and the outdoors.  She will also sit/stand at our patio doors and look out for Daisy.  She usually will stay there until Daisy comes to the door and pays her attention. 

 

She also loves to look at herself in the bathtub faucet.  She will stair into it and just laugh, who knows what she's laughing at!  She also likes to get into the shower and lick the water up! She used to just spash at the water, but the other day I caught her doing this..... and when I picked her up there was water all over her chin.  I tried getting on to her about that (because that's just gross) but she had such a big smile and was so happy, I couldn't help but laugh!

 

 She has started "talking" some.  She will say "lalalalala" or "dadadadada".  She will wave and say "hi" and has now begun clapping her hands a little.  She is such a fun little girl, and her Daddy and I have such a blast with her.  We have so much to look forward to!

A Great Mommy Lesson

I received a GREAT email today from my friend Emily.  It came from an email devotion she receives from Crosswalk.com.  Some great "Mom" advice from one mom to another. 

Friendly Not Feisty

Karen Ehman

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."   I Peter 4:8-9 (NIV)
Devotion:


"Okay ladies," the guest speaker urged as she wrapped up her talk to my moms group that night, "Now go home and be friendly in your homes."


Ouch! Had she been in my home just a few hours earlier? "Friendly" was far from the way I had acted toward my brood. Unkind? Yes. Snippy? Certainly. Even caustic and cutting? Well, if I were honest, I'd have to declare a resounding yes.


Just what made this Jesus-professing mama behave in such an un-Christ-like manner earlier that evening? Had someone acted rudely toward me? Did my kids disrespect me or my husband utter something hurtful? Just what pushed my interior emotional buttons and sent me verbally over the edge?


Soiled socks. Smeared strawberry jam. Trailing bread crumbs. Dirty silverware and plates. And notebooks.


Oh, it wasn't just the presence of these items that sent ugly words soaring out of my mouth. It was the fact that, just moments earlier, I had spent vast time and great effort getting our great room spic-and-span clean. That meant a living area devoid of clutter, kitchen counters and tables wiped, all floors vacuumed and surfaces dusted. I wanted the house tidied up so my husband and kids could just relax while I was gone.


Then, in the short time it took to change from my daytime outfit of jeans and a t-shirt into something more suited for a night with the girls, spruce up my hair, add a dab of make-up and grab my purse, my kiddos had, in my eyes, completely undone all my hard work! They'd whipped off their socks, made a snack of toasted homemade bread slathered with strawberry jam and strewn their weekly scripture memory books from a program at church all over the place. It made my mama blood boil and resulted in feisty, not friendly words.


I was working on a book on hospitality at the time and had been unpacking today's key verse for my readers. I wanted to drive home the fact that hospitality—using our homes and lives as avenues of God's care for others—and love—the sacrificial placing of another human being above yourself—are closely connected. And, the most important element, we must both love and offer hospitality to others without grumbling. You know, be friendly!
Now, for the most part, aren't we able to do that when we have guests in our home? We smile and serve and really don't get upset at crumbs and such. We happily wipe them up. Why is this so? And on a grander scale, why do we find it much easier to be friendly to complete strangers than to our own flesh and blood? Do our tempers stay in check with the grocery store cashier or even the dentist (whom I hate to see twice each year, for crying out loud!)?
Why is it so easy to snap at our kids, give our husbands the cold shoulder, or roll our eyes at a dear family member, but remain gracious with those we meet in public, even when they do something that really grinds us?
I fear that many of us live out just such a contradiction in our daily lives. And just what lasting pictures are our cherished children depositing into their memory banks? "Mom held it together when the dry cleaners completely ruined her favorite sweater, but she yelled at me for accidentally spilling grape juice on the floor." Oh, sisters, this should not be!


Perhaps it is time to offer some friendly hospitality to the members of our own home; to keep our tempers in check and our grumbling at bay; to let perfect love wash over a multitude of sins. Not the jelly-smeared, crumb-laden kind, but the hideous-word-hurling, mama-mouthed variety.
Oh may we Jesus-lovin' women choose to hesitate before we hurl. Rather than feisty, may we be friendly instead.


Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I take out my temper on my family. I want instead to act like You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

How many times have we been guilty of this?  I know I have.  This week will definitely be a test for me.  The cleaning lady came today and the house looks GREAT!  And we're having a big fish fry at our house Saturday night.  My goal this week - no matter how bad the house may get between now and then, not to get upset or fuss about it.

Happy 6 Months Anna Kate

I cannot believe that Anna Kate is 6 months old today! On one hand, it seems like we were just finding out that we were pregnant.  But then on the other hand, I can't remember what life was like without her!

These past few months her personality has really come out!  We have learned that we have an independent child, just like the both of us!  She thinks she's a grown up already.  She likes holding her own bottle, thinks she can feed herself, and wants to be in the middle of everything!  And she thinks it's SOO funny when she sticks her tongue out and blows raspberries! (see picture below)

Her favorite toys so far is her lion (Leroy), her "rings", phones, and the remote control! She LOVES seeing it light up!  And we don't go anywhere without her paci and Ginger (her giraffe blanket).  She gets so excited when she sees Ginger, and she loves sucking on her antlers and ears.  I picked it up by the antler one day and slobber just oozed out!  I need to get a video of her reaction when she sees Ginger.  She starts laughing, kicks her legs, and reaches out to grab her.  The she presses Ginger into her open mouth for what I guess are kisses (more like open mouth licks)!

We're eating Green Beans, Squash, Bananas, and Sweet Potatoes.  She LOVES bananas! I can't feed them to her fast enough.  And she loves her juice.  She gets a little juice after her meal in a bottle.  She'll take the bottle, drink a little, then put it down and laugh!  She gets so excited about it! And our newest accomplishment - we are sitting up!  Not for huge periods of time, but we're getting better everyday!

We have been having such a great time and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this little girl.  I know it will be great things!  Hope everyone has a great week, I know we will!

A Sad Night

It was a sad night in Starkville tonight... and at our house too!  Jake taped the game so we wouldn't miss it while we ate supper.  Afterwards, Jake cleaned up while Anna Kate got geared up for the game!  Jake gave her a big pep talk about her college future.  It seems Daddy's alma mater will be Anna Kate's future alma mater.  No matter that she's only 5 months old. (By the way, she'll be 6 months this upcoming Tuesday- so exciting!!)  Here are a few pictures of Daddy and Daughter. 

Never too early to learn to use a cowbell! Daddy was SO proud!

All ready to watch the Bulldogs play!

Gettin' comfy! It's gonna be a long night!

Had to get a bloomer shot.

Not a happy ending!

No matter how loud or hard we cheered, we couldn't cheer our Bulldogs to victory.  We even made up some cheers, but it still didn't work.  I think Anna Kate may have a future as a cheerleader!  She loved it when we'd bounce her up and down and wave her hands!  I was so impressed though.  She stayed awake through the whole game and was a great sport.  We're talking about taking her to a real game sometime when it cools off some.

Oh, and to our friend Taylor, we looked for you everytime they showed a crowd shot but we couldn't find you!  Maybe next time.