Friday, August 31, 2012

Things to remember~August

It's been 1 year since I started this blog! So special already to look back at all the memories made in just this past year.

It's time for some of my favorites from Breyton in August!

1) Breyton has started picking up on the radio stations we listen to and I love it that now he asks to listen to "Air 1" ( a Christian radio station).

2) Ok so this is a bad habit he picked up and ended in August as well. Saying "shut-up"...not really sure were he picked it up, because Mason and I purposely don't use it around him, but obviously it's everywhere. Just not near as cute when your 3 year old tells you to "shut-up" in target! Took no tolerance action on this new word habit. Anyways, funny part is a week later I over hear him saying, "DON'T say shut-lululu...its bad and will get you a spankin". He wouldn't even finish the word....So now he says "mom, shut-lululu". Hopefully that will slowly phase out as well:)

3)The other night we were laying in bed and he rolled over kissed me on the forehead and said, "mama, your a precious boy".

4)Breyton is starting to want more privacy lately.- He will say he has to go pee and tell me to "stay right there, I'll go by myself". Or if he does need help in the bathroom he will tell me "don't look mama". Oddly enough this is only when he's using the potty because the rest of the day he would run around naked if I let him.

5)One of his favorite phrases this month is "Who bought that?". He will ask it all the time about everything from clothes, shoes, food, toys, and furniture.

6) We borrowed 'gramps' old white truck for a couple days this month and B was obsessed with it! He spent hours each day loading and unloading the truck bed with sutff he "needed for work".

7) Of course I will add on here B's 3rd birthday was this month and so happy to throw him a party he enjoyed. Celebrating his birthday was definitely a highlight of this month!

Very thankful for August and that we had a few weeks of a tad cooler weather. Always much more enjoyable to be outdoors with B when we aren't soaking in sweat:) Ending August with my wonderful hubby's birthday today! Can't wait to celebrate his birthday this coming weekend.....and so happy fall is just around the corner!!!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

You lead, I'll follow.......

Let me start off by saying God is so good!

Just crazy inexplicably good.

A few weeks ago we started the process(aka lots of paperwork, patience, and prayer) to adopt.

I didn't think I'd be saying the words 'we're adopting..now' for at least another 4-6 years. Yet here we are so indescribably EXCITED for what God has in store. It's so amazing to look back at the past year and realize how God has woven together such an amazing plan...every moment that hurt so much was part of a bigger plan I couldn't fathom. I can so clearly see now how the 'valley's' we've been through have prepared our hearts for the path He is charting ahead.
This past year I believe was a 'test' from satan so to speak to see if I'd let the doubts, hurt, and fears to win or if I'd let each moment to draw me closer to my Savior than ever before. That's where I stand now with a faith and peace that I couldn't have developed else wise. I know God is working everything together for the good of those who love him.

I. know. It.

I can't possibly explain everything that has gone in our lives for this complete change of heart. We are not adopting now because of infertility because that's not the case...we are adopting because there is a need and God has given us the abilities to be a part of his work by loving on children who need unconditional love. Just like the love He himself bestows on us.

To do the work Christ has called us to do regardless of how crazy it may seem to some. We are tired of waiting to do what Gods asks us to do....  I've realized that is a lie and trap straight from the enemy to keep God's children off course. God doesn't need 'perfect conditions' he just needs willing hearts. Yes we are only 24 and there will be people who don't understand or may make judgements based on the world's standard. I don't care though. I just want to be exactly where Jesus tells me to be.

I want to be all in.

I'm far from it still, but with every step of obedience I want to be that much closer.

Really there's sooo much I have to say about adoption and what got us to this point, but maybe I'll have a chance to spill more of my heart in future blog posts. For now I wanted to announce (so to speak) our wonderful news.... because I feel like months(hopefully not years) down the road when we have a new addition to our family everyone won't be wondering when in the world that happened. Adoption and pregnancy really do share a lot of similarities. The moment you really decide your adopting and start the process is kind of like the positive pregnancy test. You are overwhelmed with emotions including joy, fear, and excitement! Then you can't help but think of the child who will be yours...I'm already wondering who he/she will be, what they will look, etc. Just like in conception God already has our child/children picked out and He knows every detail.

Then comes the patience and waiting to meet and hold your child.

So that's where we are just waiting and praying not knowing what the future holds, but knowing WHO holds the future.

We are not naive to the possibly difficult road ahead, but currently too busy rejoicing in our new path God is directing!

~P.S.~

I've been reading a blog (louxfamilyblog.com), where they talk about their 10 adoptions...the good and the bad. I highly recommend visiting their blog if you need any conviction to live out James 1:27. Here's an excerpt from a post while they where in the midst of adopting a special needs child:


"I was thinking, “Man, adopting this little boy has been so much work. This is exhausting, expensive, uncomfortable … and it doesn’t feel very rewarding right now.” What am I doing in some little Soviet car in the dark, in the middle of rural Ukraine in frozen December, as the driver dodges cats and potholes? What if Dimitri doesn’t improve at all? What if we get “nothing” out of this? … Ahhh, there it was; that dark, fallen, unreedemed, selfish human love, rooted in the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil”. The love the Greeks called “erao” love. The love where we treat someone as precious and treasured for what we can get out of it. This is unlike “agapeo” love, the God kind of love that treats someone as treasured and precious for their good, not for my good. It’s when I love a person in order to meet their needs, having no expectation of them meeting any of my needs. At a whole new level, God is working His kind of love into my weak heart, and He’s using little Dimitri to do it.

My friends, adoption is redemption. It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can’t even really appreciate or comprehend it, just like Dimitri will never comprehend or fully appreciate what is about to happen to him … but … he will live in the fruit of it. As his Daddy, I will never expect him to understand all of this or even to thank me. I just want to watch him live in the benefits of my love and experience the joys of being an heir in my family. This is how our heavenly “Papa” feels towards us."

Saturday, August 11, 2012

10 random facts about he and I

I saw a similar idea on a blog not to long ago and thought I'd give it a go myself!


1)We both have a major sweet tooth. It gets us in to trouble. We pretty much can't make a 'trip' to town without having to get ice cream!

2)We argue about who has to cuddle who at night....yes it's weird....but I prefer to sleep on my right side and he prefers his left.

3) Both enjoy going to the gun range and can make a pretty fun date night out of shooting targets.

4)We pretty much always enjoy each others company no matter what we are doing. One of our favorite past times is watching movies together during our in home date nights.

5)We are both pretty goofy and it works well together. I think Breyton has no chance of being a 'serious' type.

6) We both love the ocean. A bucket list item is definitely to swim with sharks. We may possibly be in a cage while they swim around us hehe, but either way it's on the list.

7) We've never had cable or satelite in our 5 years of marriage, yet have never been bored. Just recently we upgraded from rabbit ears to having netflix.

8) Sort of old fashioned in our roles in marriage. I don't think its on purpose just the way it works out. He does most of the yard work and I do the cooking, laundry, etc.

9) We went kindergarten through 12th grade together. Even were 'married' once in 1st grade in the presidential play as Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln.

10) Despite going K-12th we never were a couple in school years. However we went on ONE date and junior prom together, but never amounted to much.......until end of summer after senior year. Obviously things went well from there because 6 years later we are still going stronger than ever.:)

                                      Heres us in 1st grade as Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln:


And now:

Monday, August 6, 2012

3rd Birthday-Safari Party!!

Well another successful birthday party has come and gone! I enjoy planning a party, but I really love throwing B's birthday parties because I love seeing him happy and the excitement on his face....so it's worth any chaos that comes with a party.(Though one of these days I'm gonna start planning ahead further to avoid last minute rush!)

Picking the theme is typically the hardest part because Breyton usually loves so many different things and his 'favorites' can change rather quickly- though this will probably be my last year to pick the theme because I'm sure by next year he will be even more opinionated and want to choose himself!

Anyways I went with a safari/jungle theme because B has always loved animals and 'Diego' has been one of his favorite shows for quite awhile. The party went good and wasn't as miserably hot as I expected......

 and MOST importantly Breyton had fun at his party!!!

Pics from the big day below~(Poor Mason was running the slip n slide and avoided being in pics mostly)
                                           
                                               Ready to party!!!!
                                     
                                        Cheesing it big with his cake:)




                                         



                                           Little man and mommy
                                         
                                                A few of his friends

                                              Slip n slide time!!


                 Papa and my sweet niece Brooklynn(during the party)
                                           Opening presents

Trying on a spiderman costume present he got!
                                  Papa and Brooklynn(after the party)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Things to remember~July

July is a fun month with my birthday at the beginning then our anniversary at the end....followed by Breyton and Mason's birthday in August!

 Summer used to be my favorite season, but I think I can officially say I prefer spring and fall now. With how much B loves the outdoors this is heat is just miserable! We are stuck inside way too much!!

Since Breyton's birthday party isn't until Saturday and Mason had to work this afternoon/evening...B and I went random places in town to make the day fun for him-including spending an hour in PetCo watching all the different animals in their cages. Then we spent about 45 minutes in the mcdonalds play-place lol...when its this hot outside you get a little desperate (or creative!). All in all B had a great day which is all that matters:)



 For July I didn't do as good at jotting down some of the random sweet or funny things B says, so I'm going by memory mostly, but here we go~

1)Breyton is already such a backseat driver! I think we are in for some trouble lol. He is always telling us to go faster, slower, stop, or go!

Earlier this month Breyton and I were driving in the car ( going around a curve) and up ahead there were some trees lining the side of the road- so Breyton proceeds to say, " Momma, watch out for those trees! Got to be careful, don't wreck the car.....We get an owie!" then few minutes later he tells me "not to go too fast" because "the po-lice will come get me".

2)At bedtime one night I was singing 'You are my sunshine' and B (repeating one of the lines) said, "you make me happy?" and I said "yes, you make me happy!"....then he says, "no, Jesus make you happy mommy!".

Can I just say I LOVE moments when I know some of the truth of who God is is sinking in to his mind....I want him to never have a doubt of the importance of Jesus in this family's everyday life.

3)One of Breyton's favorite questions this month is "How did that get there??". He asks it about everything!

4)Breyton is still so sweet at this age and I'm trying to soak in all the "I wuv you's" , hugs, and cuddles I can get because the reality of how fast time is passing is a constant reminder that one day he is gonna think he is too big or too cool for mom.

5) On sort of the opposite side of #3 is the increasing independence he wants. One of his phrases this month was, "don't look at me!"....He used that a lot at random moments when I can't help but be watching him!

6)With Mason's switch to evenings(instead of nights) B has become more aware of his daddy's job. He is very interested in all of daddy's equipment and asks to go with daddy every time he leaves for work. After Mason leaves Breyton has told me "When I grow big, I go in police car with daddy!".

7)B also misses Mason at bedtime because that routine used to involve mostly daddy. So B's grammy just got a book where Mason's voice is recorded reading it...so every night B gets to hear daddy read a book still. Breyton loves it!

8) Lastly, one of the new things he has started saying over the past few days is "Hold up!"...it makes me laugh every time he uses it!


My next post will be after the birthday party....so excited to see Breyton's face and excitement! Three is going to be a great year. :))

Few pics below from the mini birthday party we had earlier this week with Mason's parents/grandparents and some from today!