Healing power of pictures – Sanctification through Motherhood

Have you ever noticed that?  No matter what the day (or days) have held…there is something so calming for me to reflect on pictures.  To remember the beauty.  To focus on joy.  Not in a way that takes us away from reality – and I’m not suggesting that conflict or issues aren’t tackled or dealt with…but that sometimes I need a refresher on what lens I should be looking through.

   

Our kiddo blog is largely for our family and friends who don’t see these two lovelies most days.  But, it’s also a little journal for them.  That as they grow up being in this family…they can look back on the comical – on the great – on the crazy – on the lovely-- look back on lessons learned.  They can gain some insight into our life during these years.  A look back on the REAL of life.  The lens of honesty.  Some times this little beauty just gives me a run for my money.  Oh goodness.  And I’m a bit scared for what life will look like when she’s 13.  Oh wow, do we know how to push each other’s buttons.  As I often joke with my momma, I’m sure she has NO idea what I’m talking about!  Being a mother to a daughter makes me so much more thankful for my momma!

But, as I look at pictures of her, her goodness shines through.  I see the sweetness, the innocence, the beauty.  My lens isn’t tainted by my own frustration or anger…it’s just quiet and still.  These pictures heal.

*more of Texas State Fair 2011 pics to come soon!

Trip II – Fort Worth Zoo

We love making the short jaunt down I-30 to visit Fort Worth.  Good people, good sights, always a good time!  This time we made the journey with a class load of 3&4 year olds!

Our welcome to the Fort Worth Zoo: Abi had been saying that she needed to go to the bathroom (my fault for the coffee shop stop on our way out of our neighborhood)…I asked her if she could make it to the cool zoo bathroom – and that seemed like a good idea to her.  Which was a relief to me, because we have an annoying tendency of running late, and stopping at a bathroom wouldn’t help that situation!  So…we made it to our parking spot…I was popping up the double stroller…and Abi peed on the front seat.  Thank God for leather.  Seriously.  I literally stood there with my mouth open.  I didn’t know what to do.  I don’t bring extra clothes with me anymore – and we were in FORT WORTH.  And this girl had been drinking a lot of fluid that morning.  Amazing solution: her phenomenal teachers had thought ahead and brought a change of clothes for girls & boys.  Oh happy day.  We were back in business.

Oh silly me once again…left the good camera in the car.  Thank you, iphone.  You have come to my rescue yet again.

I mean, I just love her…we’re two peas in a pod…we both just love the zoo.  I love sharing that with her.  As silly as that sounds, it’s just a momma-daughter thing.

Nope…not gray flamingos…flamingo babies!  They’re at the Dallas Zoo too!  (You knew I was going to get a plug in somewhere!)

 

Two bonobos…they were awesome!  They just played in front of the window while abi & I watched, what a treat!! (What’s a bobobo?  Think chimpanzees, and then add in a bit more interesting – in my opinion)

 

Always in for a good time…such a trooper!!!

I was so excited to visit the MOLA (Museum of Living Art…they’re ROCKIN’ reptile & amphibian building)…it did not disappoint!  We’re so excited to take Donald out so he can share in the awesome-ness.  I know he is just as excited as we are.

 

Abi and her friend, Abigail…they were in parakeet heaven.

Oh sweet darling Abi…sharing these memories with you is such a treat.  You just make me smile and appreciate goodness.

Painting Pumpkins

I so desire contentment and thankfulness to be a hallmark of our family’s life.  OH so much prayer over that.  Because let’s be honest, it can be dang-hard to have those things mark our days.  But, it is what we are called to do.  I smile over the moments where I can see that the Lord is extra gracious – he makes contentment and thankfulness go hand in hand – and they come easily.  How undeserving I am of these times, yet I am so grateful.

Last week was one of those times for our family – thankful for fall / content to live in a place of beauty and alongside community.  A treat of a day!

Our Early Childhood PTA met and had the kiddos decorate pumpkins (and not just pie pumpkins, legit pumpkins!).  One of the things I love about my girl – she is a pumpkin lover.  As soon as Christmas is through, this child begins to ask about when the pumpkins will return to the arboretum.

Starting out the day right: eating tacos, I mean wallets.

Getting their workout in!  I just casually walked with my friend while the big sis’s did all the work.  Now, there is the beauty of family!

Paint and Pumpkins – yes, please!

It is exhausting work…and so little understood.  Naturally, the girls needed to just relax.

And then the nerve…they had to give up their sweet spots.  Content to go with the flow.  I should learn some lessons about contentment and the beauty of not needing to control things from these two!

Class Fieldtrip? Check.

I was telling a friend today that I had one of those strange, out-of-body experiences this past Tuesday…because I took my son and chaperoned my daughter’s fieldtrip.  I took who and did the what now?!?!  Surely I’m repeating a sentence of my mother. 

(oops, forgot camera – thank goodness for phones!)

When the State Fair is in town, Abi’s school 1) visits the fair during the first week 2) Takes field trips during the second week and 3) has no school during the third week!  We’re in week two of the good ol’ Texas State Fair and so we’re fieldtripin’!

Destination: John Bunker Sands Wetland Center

SO GREAT!  The school has done a great job finding (additional) really interesting places that promote nature and inquiry based learning.  This little gem was just 40 minutes away and we felt like we got a little retreat from urban living.  Wide open spaces / Horses & Cows on the side of the road / country music at the gas station – it was a treat.

We started our time with a discussion of habitats and each picked an animal (abi was a butterfly, a monarch I believe) and stood in the state of Texas (as represented by a large rope in the shape of Texas).  When different events happened (drought, farming, etc) their habitat shrunk – and they either had to squeeze or leave.  Pretty cute to watch (I was squeezed out early due to my initial pan handle location)

Then into the classroom to talk about insects and different tools they’d be using to collect them!

Then back outside to do the good stuff – getting dirty and collecting water samples!

Mr. John & Miss Linda (who is from Michigan!) taught them what to look for: things on top – things swimming in the middle – and things that have sunk to the bottom.  These sweet 3&4 year olds were way into being field scientists!

Back in the lab…Nate was such a good buddy.  Just along for the ride.

I highly recommend going.  Such a cool place with a great staff.  Our last outing before we headed out, a bird watch/walk out in the wetlands.

{Today}

Waiting for Daddy to get home…

 

Nate the Great at 7 months

And yet again…the 23rd of the month has come and gone.  And I continue to be surprised.  OH, how I love this little fella!  He brings such joy to our family and such a tenderness to my heart.  Love.

I love all of these pictures b/c they show him how he is…BUSY!  So, they’re all blurred.  But, there’s something wonderful in that!

Weight: Don’t know exactly, I’m guessing between 19.5 and 20 lbs.

Length: 29 inches (at 6 months…let’s say 1/2 inch more!)

Head Circumference: 45 cm (at 6 months – probably the same?!)

Eating: 8-10 ounces 4 times a day (wake up / around 11:30 / after nap / before bed).  This boy still LOVES to eat!  And he is quite impatient!  He will start to get a.n.g.r.y if he does not receive nutrition at the proper time (according to Nate).  He loves sweet potatoes the most.  And he prefers them baked (just like the animals at the zoo).

Bedtime: 7:00-7:30pm

Awake: 7-7:30-The glory days have gone away.  There is an occasional 8:00 or 8:30 thrown in there, but they are not the norm.  Oh well.  Those mornings with Abi really are special and we treasure them, when it is just the two of us.  We are still working on them sleeping consistently in the same room.  They’ve both been battling colds – which makes for more frequent wake-ups in the night – which leads to the pack ‘n play being brought out of retirement.

Naps: Morning Nap (1-2 hours), sometimes a little catnap still if he’s in the car / afternoon nap with sister.  No more evening cat naps.  Just grumpy if he woke up from the afternoon too early!

Diapers: size 3, and cloth when we’re at home.  If we’ll be out all morning – it’s just easier to throw him in a disposable.  So, we try to stick to the organic ones.  But not all the time…our house is always in “reality” mode!

Clothes: 9 months or  12 months (depending on brand)/ 12 month  and 18 month (haha, if they’re hand-me-downs and have been washed many times!)sleepers…this boy is LONG, and that makes sleepers a bit tricky, because of their cute “closed toe” feet.

Favorites: FOOD & Abi, jumping in the jumperoo, being outside! and “singing.”  Bouncing on knees (remember “the Noble Duke or York?!), snuggles with his momma , laughing and doing shenanigans with his daddy

Latest "tricks": Eating more complex food, sitting for longer periods of time, and working on the crawling motion.  I think I’m an enabler.  Hopefully that’ll be in our 8 month report (that’s when Abi crawled) – but if not…it’ll happen eventually.  And let’s be honest – they’re pretty easy when they just hang out.  The crazy starts when they can move on their own!

It’s grocery time!

The first of many to come…

First time shopping just with momma (we both missed Abi and thought it was kind of nice just the two of us!)…

First time sitting up in the cart the big boy way…

Oh, brother bear…you’re growing!