Thoughts and more thoughts

I feel like I haven't written in quite a while, so while my children are playing quietly in the next room, I thought I'd write a little bit.

I have spent the last 10 days at my mom and dad's house in Atlanta for the Thanksgiving holidays, and while I enjoyed getting away from my normal day to day stuff, I am ready to return back home to it tomorrow. I have my MOPS group Wednesday and C's ballet class on Thursday. This weekend my in-laws are coming to visit to watch C's first ballet recital Saturday morning. I have mixed feelings about this recital. See, it is her first one and I know it's going to be adorable and very memorable. I am sure I will take 100 pictures and then post them everywhere. I know I will be somewhat sad as well though because my husband isn't there to watch her first recital with me. I will video it for him, but I know it isn't the same. He's missing a milestone. He'll also miss her first Christmas singing program at school this month. Oh how it delights me when I hear her in the back of the car sweetly singing childish tunes of Mary, Jesus, and Christmas. I can't wait for this performance either - although I know I will feel his absence.

On a different note, I am very excited that thanks to Operation Homefront, on December 4th, I get to go toy shopping for free for both my children. We qualified for their Christmas program. This is going to help out with Christmas for the kids so much! I feel so blessed that we were one of the families that benefited from the generosity of others!! Praise God for this wonderful opportunity!

I still have B's job situation on my heart. It's pretty much constanlty there, haha. God is still having us wait...and wait. I am 100% sure He has a purpose for the waiting, but I can't help but wish we'd get an answer. For those of you that don't know this situation, B has applied for a job within the Army and is very close to getting it and then receiving orders for us to move to the Washington DC area. He and I both want this for him and for our family so much, and we know God knows our hearts. I know that the Lord's plan is without fault and in that I trust Him. I have recently furthered my understanding in, "have faith, trust Him" and mostly, "Do not be afraid." It is so much more than I ever grasped before. Maybe this will be the week that we hear a "yes" and we celebrate, or maybe a solid "no" and we can move on. Either way, today we wait with confidence.

Lastly, if you are reading this please pray for our travels back home tomorrow (Tuesday). We've had a difficult time of sicknesses these past few weeks. C has been on antibiotics for 4 weeks for an ear infection. We had to go twice to the pediatric urgent care clinic here in Atlanta for antibiotic shots since nothing oral seemed to be working. She is now on one more round and is having some bowel side effects. I am concerened about drivng 7 hours with a preschooler who has little control over her bathroom urges. D has also been sick and hasn't been sleeping well. Please pray he sleeps so I can sleep before we drive...and then once we get home so I can survive, haha. I just heard Michelle Duggar (mom of 19 children) say that she was sleep deprived because of a sick baby but that it was just such a blessing that the baby was recovering. She said, "I can sleep later." Well said, Michelle. I can sleep later too. Just remind me of that at 5am when D wakes up. :-)

Gratitude

41. A son that melts my heart.
42. Sisters that make me laugh and listen to me cry.
43. Silly moves while trying to take a picture.
44. Learning to stand...notice how he's gripping the floor with his toes.
45. A daughter following in my footsteps...
46. Cousins that share :-)
47. Child drawn pictures.
48. The wonder of the tree...and of the whole season.
49. Puppy kisses.
50. Baby boys for cousins!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year, I took the kids to B's aunt's house on the other side of Atlanta. Though it is a long drive, I knew we'd all have fun eating good food, mingling with family, laughing with each other, and letting the kids run on the large property. And as expected, we all had a blast! Rather than write about all the details of this fun day, I thought I'd just share some of the pictures. I think you'll get the gist of it...

C and her cousin enjoying some playtime outside.

Running, running, running...

C and D enjoying some love from family :-)

The food!!!

C and big cousin checking out the cows.

Enjoying the wide open spaces.

Pointing out the cows :-)

Here they come!!

Jumping in leaves.

A cousin and her new puppy...the best early Christmas surprise ever!

Generations

Playing in the Coca-Cola room :-)

Parking Lot Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Phil 4:6

After a long day of car troubles yesterday, the last thing I expected was for C to get sick in the evening. Pain in the ear and a fever. Unable to get to sleep and then unable to stay asleep. It was one of those nights that all moms know well...and dread. I knew it was a reoccurring ear infection, but of course we couldn't see the doctor until the morning. Fortunately when I called at 7am, I didn't have to wait on hold like I normally do and was able to make an appointment right at 9:30! Yay!

Our pediatrician here on post is inside the Army hospital, so every trip to the doctor or pharmacy requires parking in the hospital parking lot. This is probably my least favorite thing about the whole "doctor experience" because there is NOT adequate parking at all. Not even close.

This morning as we pulled in the lot, I could see that it was packed and that there were already many cars "circling" like lions stalking prey. I would join them in hopes that I would "pounce" on someone backing out before they did. I have done this many times before and actually have started factoring the 10-12 minute parking spectacle into my time allotted to "get there." Okay, so this morning as I saw that it was going to be misery as usual, I let out a long sigh as I randomly turned down an aisle. C and I were chatting, and I said, "Lets ask God to give us a parking space." I immediately followed with, "God, please give us a parking space..." No sooner did the words leave my mouth that I spotted the reverse lights on a car 3 spaces up. Tears filled my eyes and a humble, "thank you Lord" escaped from my mouth. It was just the touch from Him that I needed right then. C was thrilled! We clapped and thanked God together for our parking space. She told me multiple times that "God gave us that parking space!" as we parked and unloaded. This was actually the best space I'd ever gotten here! I was still somewhat stunned that God had answered so fast, then disappointed in myself for being surprised by what He did. Why do I often pray and secretly not expect God to answer? He hears me every time...even when I doubt. And even if some times, He is silent. He still hears. He never ignores.

This whole incident reassured me of so much. In a season of time where I am praying so frequently for the same thing (Brandon's job and some sort of answer) and hearing God tell me to wait and have faith, it was so amazing to be reminded that His timing is perfect. I am waiting because He wants me to wait, and I got that parking space the moment I uttered the words because He wanted me to have it right then.

This spoke volumes to C as well. Multiple times today she has reminded me that "God gave us that parking space at the hospital!" I have taken the opportunity to reiterate that God hears us when we pray to Him and that He answers us...just like with the parking space.

Lord, Thank you for the parking space. Thank you for reminding me that you hear me. Even when I know in my head that you always do, sometimes after months of waiting, my heart feels like you don't. Thank you for teaching me once again that your timing is perfect...every time. And thank you for revealing yourself to my daughter in such a tangible way. You are an awesome God. More awesome that I can fathom...and I trust you. No matter what.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Matthew 21:22

Protecting kids

For the past three and a half years, I have had a new passion in life...protecting my kids! Protecting them in any way I can that is. I know that there are so many things in life that I can't control...there's illnesses and car accidents, broken hearts and guilty consciences, depression and loss just to name a few. But on the other hand, there are things that I can do to protect my children. And I am very passionate about them...and I hope you are too!

First off is my biggest safety passion of all...carseats. After working in the ER for a couple years, I saw the frequency of car accidents and the possible severity of injuries passengers sustain. For a while I was always a little fearful to drive, but then realized that as long as I took every safety precaution I could, then I could not control what other drivers did. God was still in control of the situation. So, I wear my seatbelt everytime I get in a vehicle. Most importantly, I make sure my children are properly restrained in a car seat as well. C is 3 1/2 and is still in a 5 pt safety harness car seat. Her seat will hold her harnessed until she is 60 pounds. Then I will move her to a booster seat. I will not switch her to a booster seat when she reaches the "minimum" set by the government of 40 pounds and 4 years old. Who wants to only minimally protect their child? Watch this to learn why she will not move to a booster any sooner. Not me! I choose "maximum protection." The exact same thing stands true for 23 pound 13 month old D. He is still happily riding rearfacing in his car seat because it is considerably safer than forward facing. He does meet the minimum to be forward facing of 20 pounds and 1 year old. But again, I choose not to "minimally protect." His seat will hold him rear facing until he is 35 pounds. Does he look "uncomfortable" to you?

Here is a very informative video about why your child should ride rear facing as long as possible...please take the time to watch. It changed my mind about "flipping" D at 12 months as I had originally planned. Hopefully it will change yours.

Next thing on my safety list is vaccinations. A lot of people disagree with me on this one for a whole variety of reasons, but I am still quite passionate about it. I know I cannot prevent cancer, depression, or an even ear infection, but I can help prevent a whole array of childhood illnesses. I have chosen to vaccinate my children on schedule with the American Academy of Pediatrics. They got their first one at birth and have been steadily receiving them ever since. Most recently on the agenda have been the flu shots. I have received the flu shot for the past 5 years, so naturally, I choose to vaccinate my children. I feel that if I can prevent a week long battle of fever, chills, coughing, and body aches, why wouldn't I? Because some people think it may cause a problem in the future? There seems to be tons of controversy around the H1N1 vaccination this year since it is the new strain of the flu. All I can say is to do some serious research about the complications of the H1N1 virus before making your decisions. This can be very deadly to children. I know that the H1N1 vaccine hasn't been out long, but by doing research, I have learned that it is made the exact same way as the seasonal flu shot. It would have been included in the seasonal flu shot if H1N1 had surfaced just a few months earlier than it did. But, because it came out after the seasonal flu shot was already in production, it had to be its own vaccine. I see no harm in giving my kids a vaccination that has been assured to be safe by the CDC and is recommended by every doctor I know and have heard speak. I am not a doctor, so I trust those that are. I will be protecting my children from all strains of the flu this year...even if it causes their leg to be sore for 24 hours and for them to scream while they are getting the shot. That is a VERY little price to be payed for their health. Just ask the 35 families whose children died from H1N1 last week alone.

Lastly, SUPERVISION is on my list of ways to protect my children. In the home. At the store. On the playground...you name it, I am watching them. It is my biggest pet peeve to see unsupervised children on a playground or in a fast food restaurant play area. This is how children get hurt. I have "rescued" numerous children dangeling from monkeybars stuck but afraid to drop, or children who climbed up too high on the playground and froze out of fear. I always give "mom" a chance to save her child, but after an appropriate amount of time where no mom is coming, I step in and help. I have seen kids rough housing near small children playing. I have seen big kids playing aggressively on toddler playgrounds making it near impossible for the young children to play. Where are these parents? Gabbing on the phone in the car, eating their lunch in the peace and quiet of the chick-fil-a, or consumed in conversation with a friend 50 yards away. Please people, SUPERVISE your children!

Okay, there is more, like babyproofing the house, not giving kids under the age of three toys not designed for kids under the age of three, cutting up grapes into quarters, etc...but I will get off my soapbox for the night.

Basically, my take is that there are so many unpredictable things out there in this big world that I can't protect my children from, but there are some things (like proper car seats, immunizations, and supervision) that I can control. I choose to take control and be a parent...and protect my kids. Won't you do the same?

Gratitude in Pictures

35. The love C has for her puppy, Darby.

36. The way every ornament C hung on our tree is dangling from the bottom...and that three of them are Dora :-) And that my kids have played with the nativity so much that there is a wiseman lost somewhere.

37. Chubby dirty preschool fingers putting ornaments on the tree.

38. Fresh air on a bare bum after a warm bath :-)

38. The face I see when I look down. This is D pulling up on my leg and screaming at me for something.

39. Kids in the back of the car :-)

40. Princesses and Pirates

To My Wife...Whom I Miss Greatly

Dear R,

Yes it's me. B. I just wanted to return the favor and write you a little something. I am not the writer that you are, but I will do my best.

It's hard for me to sleep here in this country. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling it has to do with you not being there next to me. I miss waking up early to go to work and then coming home and seeing you and the kids eating breakfast and starting your day. I enjoy kissing you and the kids bye as I walk out the door again to go to work. And, hearing Callie tell me bye about 500 times. I miss the little smile of David and the huge hugs of Callie. I miss coming home and seeing my family waiting for me to walk in the door. I miss our couple of hours together after the kids are in bed. Even though we usually are on the computer, watching tv or doing something not very productive, haha, I still love just being in the same room with you!

I LOVE YOU!!!

B