Set Free

Today marks the day. Thee day. :) hehe This morning one year ago, it was a Monday, and I was uncontrollably delighted and in awe. Just awe. I didn't feel any different, but was considering the fact that I might just be pregnant. After taking the test, I had to wait.  Oh...the waiting.... In the mean time Jon was getting all dressed up for a presentation.  He had to put on a suit and everything.  He was totally focused on this presentation.  It was a BIG deal.  Unfortunately I had to take the test while he was still at home.  I told him I wouldn't tell him the results.  But shortly after taking the test I thought I already saw "the line."  However I knew it was too soon to look at it, so in the back of my mind I told myself to not over think it. So there went the tissue.  I threw it over the test so Jon wouldn't see the results while he finished getting ready in the bathroom. But the whole time I was pacing the bedroom. Our...

Some things to mention while writing this post.... This is my husband. this is his "im playing my video game" face Excuse the "stuff" on the table behind him.  Just pretend like we spent our gloomy Sunday at home with a spotless house. ;P He helps with our baby girl.  And loves her to pieces. I love our little family. While our little family was growing we had to move away from family and friends.  It's been rough for a first-time mom and in the cold cold cold. So for awhile I was sitting at home, feeling guilty about EVERYTHING. -my apartment wasn't clean -no one could just "stop by" without me feeling bad about how awful our place looked -i would feel like a horrible host -when people did say they were coming i would have to run around like a crazy person (not fun with a newborn) -i dont mean just typical picking up daily "stuff" but i mean deep clean like dusting, bathrooms, etc. -and not spending time with Jesu...

2013 brings on some blessings I am so going to take time to enjoy. smile and enjoy. auuhhhh :) For one, this time last year in less than a week I was about to find out we were pregnant. But now I have the privilege to enjoy not being sick and pregnant but hold my bundle of joy.  I will be able to enjoy February, March, April, and May.  oh yippee!! :) Now, just as long as I don't get pregnant. Don't quote me wrong.  I like Ellie and I love what she brings to our life.  However pregnancy is 9 months of life I don't want to repeat.  I will have to be given LOTS of grace when I get pregnant again.  I dream of giving Jon another sweet baby someday, but hoping I could just pass the agony of pregnancy.  Some people are gifted with a nice, wonderful pregnancy.  However I am not.  Far from it actually.  If pregnancy wasn't as awful as it is for me, I wouldn't mind how close my kids were in age.  However pregnancy (especially f...

Depending on when I weigh myself, how much I've eaten recently, or just a lot of big meals and snacking (aka parties, holidays); I'm about 10-12 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Yippee!  However I don't feel like I have 10+ extra pounds on me.  I feel like I have 10 pounds of stretching skin here and some there. :p  Let's get real here.  Grab my tummy and take it where you want.  I'm wondering how far it would go? Just kidding, but seriously here.... Spring 2010 That's a picture of Jon and I before we got married.  That's the best picture I could find of myself to see as much as my figure as possible. I'm skinny, I know. Then I got married to that wonderful man. June 2010 Now, sometime between my single life and first year of marriage I gained weight.  I think it was just typical God planned womanly weight. ;)  I didn't change my eating habits.  Except in high school I could eat THREE donuts at church on Sun...

The end of September, 2010 (three months after getting married), I made a list of 25 things about Jon and myself.  I decided to copy & paste and *add input to add to what has changed since then.  Now I know Jon even more and things have certainly changed! :) 25 things Here's a list of 25 things you may or may not have have known about Jon and Mary! ONE If Jon could own any car he would want a Porsche, while Mary would rather have a SUV with plenty of space for traveling with around the three children she would like to have. :)  Otherwise she would pick a purple intrepid. *I would still pick an SUV/van type.   Something like this is what I've been looking at recently: TWO Jon loves sleeping with the fan on his face to keep himself cool.  Mary would rather have a ceiling fan on low with a bunch of covers on. *Still is the same.  Even when its freezing outside he still asks from time to time to turn the fan on. ...

Dishing piling up in the sink, on the counter, just everywhere. Dirty diapers filling up the garbage. A shower.  Oh, a shower.  Needing a shower. Bathroom in need of a deep scrub.  Twice. Dirty laundry. Clean laundry waiting to be folded.  Put away. A bedroom desperately desiring to look like this: A hungry belly, aching for fresh, healthy food. A soul longing for stillness. In awe of my Savior. Because through all of this.... I can rest. The Lord has blessed us with such wonderful things. Quiet.  Don't miss it. Close your eyes.  Listen to a worship song. You will hear it. God's waiting. That moment "I need for myself."  Is not true. You need a moment with the One who will give you peace through all the moments you are facing ahead. If in the past week, I've only learned one thing (which isn't true, I've learned so much!), it's to patiently sit still.  And let God.  Let God take over your moment to yours...

Here is Ellie. Like you don't see enough photos of her already. But still.  Work with me here.  I'm posting them again for a reason. I think it would be fun to look at her cousins and see if they look anything alike at the same (or about the same) age. Here's my sisters boys.... Sam [Ok, so I found all these pictures on facebook.  And facebook wasn't really "around" when my nephew Sam was born.  So there's a small chance I got any of Ellie's older cousins, and if I did they're a little older.] Jack I think Ellie is wide-eyed too. :) What about this baby boy?? Max Ellie And then one of Max and his contagious smiles.... Max Ellie And then Max has a little brother.... Frank And Frank has similar eyes as Ellie with tummy time... But unfortunately, as of now, I don't have a picture of Ellie on her tummy. My other sister has girls.... Evelyn 2 months Can you say wide...

Last Friday (four days ago to be exact), Ellie had her three month birthday!  Poor firstborn has a fourth-child for a Momma (can't always keep up).  I was out of town so of course I couldn't do my normal photo shoot and blog post.  So forgive me future Ellie. She is adorable beyond any mother's dreams!!  Seriously though.  Her photo shoot this month was hard for different reasons than the past.  She kept TALKING! :)  So all her facial expressions look so silly in a picture. But her shirt says it all.  She is just so precious! Can't get enough of her!  When she's happy anyways...which means please allow me to let her sleep. :) She does a lot better with bath time now.  Just as long as the water is not cold.  (oops, won't ever try giving her a quick bath in bathroom sink.  When I turn on the water and it's not warm it's not so fun!) To check back at her growth I put her in her bouncer seat again. one month...

After all the holidays I knew Jon and I would not be traveling much.  So rather than make myself go crazy before the holidays trying to get a million things done (that been needing attention), I decided to wait until things slowed down January-March.  Especially since going outside is not really fun when you have a baby these days.  It would help keep me motivated while I sit home with Ellie waiting for her Daddy to come home. :) So this is what I see in the living room today... Yes, Christmas tree and all.  We haven't fully unpacked yet from Christmas/New Year's festivities.  Shortly after we returned I left with my sister back to my parent's house so that stopped me right away.  But now it's just sitting there.  Starring at me.  Like, don't you like me?   Don't you appreciate you have me now? Sure thing.  However I stopped unpacking because I got busy with a baby who wouldn't take long naps (beyond my ability to eat food and l...