:: martin family living ::

night

2012-02-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

sweet daddy moments at night :)

caught me :)

iPhoto

2012-02-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

These images always pop up on my iphoto first when I try to upload pics.

Cade @ 35weeks {5 weeks old :) }

miracles. every single day. a miracle.

january 2012

2012-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

did that month seriously happen? I feel like our January can be summed up in one photo...

well it really wasn't that bad. the Lord was very very gracious to us. We are out of the forest of pox and a few colds and trips to the doctor, and a nebulizer later, everyone seems to be doing better... very thankful for a full nights sleep. I felt like we had two infants for a few weeks. wow. I forget how draining that stage is!

but thankfully, the Lord graciously, graciously gave strength when I felt I had none. Hey, I even lost a few pounds in january! ha! I remember being wide awake watching Special Agent Oso one night... yes, this was Reese's pick, not mine :) and just being in awe that I was awake, had energy, and wasn't in tears.
It felt similar to night after night in the NICU. When you come to the end of YOU, its where the Lord can clearly be seen. And its a cool place to be. Not fun, but neat to see the Lord literally be the one holding your eyelids open.

So, thankfully, here we are. attempting Dland tomorrow with the kids. poor cade, i told him the day before his pox broke out that we would go to disneyland {the first week of january... no crowds!} then... pox... 2 weeks later when he was in the clear... I told him we would go the next day and ... Reese broke down... so, praying for a fun day to let these cooped up kids out of the house!

pox 2.0

2012-01-31T14:43:00.000-08:00

yup. Reese got um. and sadly, worse than cade. more spots and way worse flu symptoms. whew. what a month it has been. But the Lord as gotten us through it and thankfully both kids have immunity to chicken pox now!

"iiiihhh-seee" {itchy} . she just moaned for about a week straight :/

visiting the doc making sure the wheezing and coughing were okay. thankfully, her O2 was normal and she was ok.

this is where the pox look the worst, but she was actually laughing :)

and today... all scabbed over. still can't go out really... but so so so thankful she is feeling better!

Again... our verses of the month {which the Lord obviously knew i needed to memorize last month!}

"Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. and more than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Romans 5:1-5

DIY jewelry holder

2012-01-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who struggles with finding a cute and functional way to store jewelry?! well, here's an idea for ya!

DIY Jewelry Frames... I've seen a few versions on Pinterest, but I needed something to fit my space a little better...I found a sheet of aluminum at Lowes... Home Depot online also has a bunch and its free shipping!

You can find it in the metal hardware section. Aisle 17 at the Burbank Lowes ;)

Use some heavy duty snips and cut away!

I used the backing of the frame as the template for the aluminum sheet. You could also use the glass of the frame, since you won't be needing it in the frame anymore.

and there you have it!

I used a variety of frames to make a jewelry collage on our bathroom wall {which was in desperate need of some decor love}

yay!

i also took apart a little hand towel holder and made a place for bracelet and watch storage

pretty easy and inexpensive and my husband loves it... well i think he loves the fact that my junk is off the counter, and he likes the "look" that adds to the bathroom :)

my sister's bridal shower

2012-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

such joy. my sister is getting married!!! in less that two months!

so of course we had to just go all out and celebrate!! what a special day it was!

laura is so loved and its so obvious that the Lord has used her in great ways, just in seeing all the lovely people who came out to support her!!

here are some details from the shower :)

my mom's best friend hosted the shower at her home/estate. wow. it was stunning. when you have a location as beautiful as this, you don't have to decorate much!!

the main room. 25 ft ceilings make everything look better!!

we included a recipe card in the invitation for guests to fill out and bring to the shower!

the entry way

a delightful devotion and thoughts from the sweetest susie muxlow :)

FOOD! all the bridesmaids helped with the food and it was delish!

i added some fun "did you know" facts about the happy couple. so fun!

my mom's recipe. for another post. so yummers!

the sweet bride

my mom and sis and me

the mom and mother in law!

bridesmaids {minus my sister Amy, who will be joining us for the wedding! yay!}

a "cookie bar" favor... with bags for guests to take some cookies home!

love this couple!!!

so excited for march 17th!! and no... there will be NO green in the wedding :)

distant

2012-01-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

I remember seeing this painted on a building on our regular route to church. as a kid, i didn't get it, and I feel like only now, am I really getting it.
DOES GOD SEEM FAR AWAY? GUESS WHO MOVED... ya, it wasn't God... I get that now.

Think with me for a bit as I probe my own mind and heart. When I feel distant from God, apathetic toward spiritual things, no desire for the Word or to talk to Him... what should I do?

In my flesh, I say... ooh well, the desire will come soon I guess, and just keep living in the mediocrity of blahness- spiritually speaking.

However, God tells us the exact opposite. When I am desiring God the least, it's when I need Him the most. When I want to do everything BUT sit quietly before the Lord, I have to FIGHT to just SIT DOWN and open His Word. It's a fight, its a battle, and sometimes the wars seem more fierce and difficult to endure, but I'm commanded to come none the less.

When my cup is empty, its not that the faucet is turned off, it is that I have chosen to tilt my cup, little by little, away from the source of blessing, when soon enough, I'm completely upside down taking in no spiritual water, and feeling pounded by the pressures in the meantime.

The analogy of Jesus as the Living Water has been a cool picture for me lately. In John 4, Jesus encounters a woman at a well and though she is speaking of the physical sustenance the actual water will bring, Jesus deepens the conversation by speaking of the only water that will truly quench the soul of man. The life giving refreshment that only HE can give. Those who are children of God, brothers of Christ, united with Him in the likeness of His death and resurrection, have free access to that soul satisfying water. And, what is even better, the source never runs out. Because, it flows from the eternal fountain of the Living, Immutable God who created the Universe.

Our flesh tells us: retreat. Don't bother coming to God, it won't help...
The flesh tells us: relax. You don't need to check and examine your heart for sin that might be hindering that fellowship.
The flesh tells us: hide. Sin is so deceptive, it tells us that we are alone, and that keeping it all in will make it better, not worse. It tells us: hide. Hide the true state of your heart from others. Don't let even your husband know what you are thinking...

Instead, I need to constantly be renewing my mind with the Truth.

God's Word says: RUN. Run to Him, and if you feel like He is further away, don't stop running until you've found Him.
God's Word says: FIGHT. Fight off any sinful thought, attitude, conversation, word... Repent right away and keep running.
God's Word says: EMBRACE. Embrace help. Embrace other believer. Embrace the wisdom and counsel of others to help you in your fight against sin. Embrace your husband... Don't run from accountability, but seek out help and be honest. {this has been huge for me as my husband has been a well of encouragement and love, even though I thought he would think I was crazy for thinking some things! :) }

Because when we do these things, God promises to fulfill us. When we are walking in His Spirit, there is JOY, PEACE, and the list goes on... all things that we want! Things we rightly desire.

Does this resound in anyone's heart but mine? I don't think I'm alone in this. I know this stage of my life is draining, lots of people and stuff to manage and feed and bathe and take care of, but I have to constantly fight my sinful flesh with the truth and RUN to the things that God tells me will help my soul. Because how much blessing will I be able to pour into my family when my cup under the faucet is upside down!?

This message has been a HUGE blessing to my heart this week... It's pretty much THIS book, summed up in an hour log sermon. It is worth your time, trust me.
Experiencing Christ - By Rick Holland

pox

2012-01-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

yep. cade got the chicken pox. i was a little more freaked out at first but my mom and mother in law reminded me... its normal. now, you might ask... what about the vaccine?! well. i think vaccines are great, wise, and i read an article that said the reason people are living longer is due to two factors: clean drinking water and vaccines... i am fully supportive of them and my kids have had every one... except the varicella. of course! :)

since they both have a history of febrile seizures, we space their shots out over the year rather than getting a ton at once which in them, might cause a high fever... and guess what was cades next shot... varicella ;) oh well, natural immunity right?! :)

anywho, just to get that out of the way because everyone is asking me! :)

ian had a mild shingles outbreak and his doc told us the kids had been exposed and would probably both get chicken pox... and cade did...

sicky, fever, cold at first... then SPOTS! our favorite book this week is "Put me in the zoo" ;)

and more spots

a preview of teenage acne!

and this little jewel just got all the same sicky symptoms, but no rash... so, we are keeping her away from other kids for another week or so just to be sure...

ah, i was just feeling like i need to be home more and devote more time to developing my skills around the house, and BAM. pox. can't leave the house or bring the kids anywhere! thanks Lord! :)

i think the hardest part has been teaching Cade through it. He asks "why can't Jesus just take my owies away?" "I prayed and they are still here!" ... i've been reading through Job and helping Him to see that even when we don't feel God, we can still thank God! been so good for my heart too...

anywho, so if I haven't called you or have flaked out on any commitment, I'm totally sorry, my mind has been in the chicken coop!!!

Simple Wall Art

2012-01-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

for the shower we threw for Angel, i wanted to incorporate some Scripture that has to do with baby things in the decor... so, I designed these and printed them up at Costco and they were ready at the 1 hour photo counter! 12x12 for $2.99 ... Cheap art and inspired words to dwell on!

you can easily format a document on photoshop, microsoft word or publisher... create a document the exact size you would like to have printed... save it as a .jpg file in RGB color mode ... and upload to the Costco Photo Center...

Costco Art Gallery

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

I accidentally came across a magical treasure! so fun when that happens!

it's called the Costco Photo Center Art and Image Gallery

It is an legal online database with thousands of images that you can print at your local Costco in whatever size you desire.

You can also have the image printed up on a fancy canvas, or have it framed and matted... But the cheapest option is to print up the image as a regular photo enlargement and frame it yourself...

search by style, location, color... so many options! and rad rad photos!

how cute would these be printed up in 4x6's and made into a little book as a shower gift!

yup... 13 cents each!

easy and inexpensive enlargements!!

these are way cheaper than any print you can purchase in the store or online anywhere else. and its ready for pickup in an hour!

Oh Costco, how I love thee... let me count the ways...

DIY whiteboard

2012-01-12T20:57:00.000-08:00

this is quite possibly the easiest and cheapest DIY project ever.

i tried to come up with a way to make a cute way to display the verses Cade has to memorize for Awana and preschool every week...

it had to be like a whiteboard, but 99% of whiteboards are ugly, and the cute ones are expensive... so, with a simple fame and some cardstock, i think it came out great.

steps... they are so easy, i don't even feel right calling them steps!

1. choose any frame...

2. put any paper in the frame with glass on top... {lightly patterned paper will work too, but too dark and you can't see the writing} glass is a dry erase surface...

i found these awesome plastic frames at ikea for $4.99 months ago. they were sitting lonely in a cabinet... until now! :)

3. write and erase away!!

ok, the most expensive part might be purchasing a dry erase pen... :)

a super easy way to make a white board! and you can use gigantic frames or itty bitty ones! no limit to creative possibilities :)

showering a dear friend

2012-01-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

little sneak peak from the shower we hosted on monday...

so so so much fun! angel is a super talented and in-demand high class wedding designer so we had to go all out with fun details and goodies! i'll post more pics later :)

stone family christmas

2012-01-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

my sisters gift :)

tradition :)

Ian made me let him take pictures. in the moment i don't like it, but afterwards, i'm thankful for the them. I always like looking at my mom in our baby photos :)

race cars

my grandpa - poppy :)

thankful for the family God has put me in ... more evidence of His grace

have yourself a very martin christmas

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Gran Gran taught Cade how to play chess. not really, he mostly gave ian tips :)

Reesey in awe of the french nativity creche.

very thankful that the extent of our holiday traveling was 3 miles away :)

helper

2012-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

one of Cades favorite little jobs :)

questions.

2012-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

i don't know about you... but i feel like people are always asking me... are you going to have more kids? most of the time, it is from strangers, and I just don't have the time to go into the ins and outs of why my body doesn't feel like going to full term with pregnancies...

but i still get the question... and here's the answer: if the Lord wills. eventually, if the Lord would grant it, we might think about having another... i'm content with two and that might be where the Lord sees our family completed... if it were my plan... which obviously doesn't mean much, we would like to have one or both kids in school so bed rest would be more manageable during the daytime... but thats just us... i'm trying to get my body back in shape and to just be a healthier mom for my family

with my history of two preterm labors and c-sections, i'm pretty high risk... and dr. frields did say about a 2-3 year gap is ideal for spacing bedrest and c-sections out...

some things I miss... and don't miss about pregnancy:

i miss the second trimester... feeling good, energy returns, starting to show the baby bump...

i miss the token "belly shots"

i miss little newborns...

but what I don't miss so much is the itty itty itty bitty babies, will they/won't they survive moments...

that our little ones have gone through...

{granted, the Lord could allow me to carry to full term and we would praise Him just the same! But, just in the past our two little ones have spent lots of time hospitalized ...}

i mean, i am very very thankful for the NICU. I can say that now. I am thankful the Lord saw us fit to endure that trial, twice. I am thankful for the lessons is taught me. Thankful for the awesome people we met and still keep in contact with. I'm thankful for the sensitivity it has brought to my heart. The many people who we can empathize with knowing the very lonely and scary road they are on. So so so much good came out, but that doesn't mean I want to be right back in the thick of it. Does that make sense?

Though sometimes when I'm feeling super lazy, I miss the bedrest :)

but for the most part... I don't miss the bedrest at home...

I really don't miss the bedrest in the hospital... though I do miss my daily broth meals and super sweet nurses :)

i don't miss the chubby...

this picture makes me laugh... hard... because not only am I fatty vonFatterson... but I am casper too... months on bedrest, mostly indoors doesn't give the best sun tanned results :/

SO... for now, we are enjoying our two little ones, who seem to be growing into little people before our eyes. trying to be thankful for where the Lord has us NOW. not missing the moment of today by coveting the things of the future...

8 years ago

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

january 3rd, 2004... he proposed... ya, we were 19 :)

just the start of so many memories and journeys together :)

this was january 17th, 1999!

our wedding . july 23, 2004

first weekend getaway - november 2004

first anniversary - july 2005

new york + boston - july 2005 . and yes... that guy on the left is totally a combo bill murray/oompa loompa :)

and now...

so thankful for this man

2011

2011-12-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

quite a busy year... but every year seems busy... such is life i suppose, and with growing kids, it seems to be speeding up...

i went through our photos to sum up our year. beware.. there is a lot of them :)

some fun disney memories:

some disneyland trips:

some fun showers:

lots of babies and baby showers to throw!!!!!

for JENNIE + Declan

for ELIZABETH + evelyn

for ELYSE + shiloh

for CARLY + Tucker

for CARLA + Jack

for MEGHAN + Aaron

some fun parties!:

This little JEWEL turned ONE!

This crazy kid turned 4!!

This awesome couple is getting married!

some local city fun:

burbank on parade. cade with ron howard

spent a lot of time on the bikepath... & kids spent a lot of time being escorted around in a stroller :)

lots of time to visit the zoo animals...

cade helping at the bird show :)

now that i am not on bedrest, we we able to go on some dates!! yeah for concerts, musicals, and cirque du soleil!! :)

lots of trips to our fav restaurant.. 94th aerosquadron... aka the airplane restaurant!

kidspace

some fun events:

My sister graduated from UCLA and moved to East Asia!

cade started preschool!

ian leads the worship band at church

easter

halloween

my sister LAURA is engaged to a super rad guy!!!

some fun trips:

Girls business trip to SantaMonica

palm springs: twice...

1. Resolved in june

2. Ian's business trip in october

The Oaks for our Young Adult ministry winter camp

fun house stuff:

dejunkified and demoldified the garage!

and... gutted a bathroom... no more mold!

Special people:

my wonderful uncle wes went to be with the Lord in July.

again... my sister moved to asia!

Christmas cheer

and then the two sweetest kiddos that the Lord has allowed us to take care of...

lots going on ... but a lot of lessons learned... thankful for all the Lord brought us through...

2011 reminds me of a passage that we've memorized this season...

"therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace, in which we stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and more than that, we rejoice in our sufferings. Knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Romans 5:1-5

praise be to the Lord for another year..

B!

2011-12-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

so we walked into Trader joes and reese started saying B... B... B.... B... B...

I didn't know what she was talking about so we just kept shopping and every now and then she would start yelling B B B B B!!! again...

she was getting frustrated that we kept moving around the store until I realized what she was yelling...

and she was yelling B B B B B B and people were beginning to stare... mostly at me because I couldn't figure out what she wanted...

lo and behold... the honey section...

a Bee!! :)

she's not crazy, she's observant! :)

sweetie

2011-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

this girly :)

Reesey say cheese ;)

through their eyes

2011-12-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

sometimes i forget that kids see things differently than adults...

so there is a park literally one block from our house, we love it, its small, super quiet, never busy and they did a big major renovation and we were super excited to see the finished project...

well...

we saw an incredibly lame, dumb, poorly designed and totally waste of money NEW park...

BUT...

the kids... they see the coolest, most fun and exciting place ever...

the biggest slide... serious

cade the photog

guess i should embrace life more like them :)

heres a little video i took of them today... its a little shaky, and its mostly for my sister in East Asia who we skype play with a lot, she just couldn't be there today :)

Giveaway

2011-12-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hey... i don't really ever do this, but hey... who wouldn't want a free gift huh? :)

we are giving away one of our baby books this week on a blog giveaway...
THE CRAFTY NEST

need one for yourself, or a friend, or a sister, or anyone?! check it out and totally enter! i'd love for someone I know to win it!! :) :) :)

a year

2011-12-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

lots has changed in a year...

chubby and a brunette ;)

and now...

only pic i could find of me alone recently :)

i haven't talked much about weight loss and healthy eating, but a post is coming... and i'll post my before {oh my yikes} and after photos... i wanted to get to my goal... which i am close to... and then i will post... but pics like these are encouraging. its hard to see change along the way so going back and looking at some before's definitely help in the motivation department! :)

with her own hands...

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

Proverbs 14:1

a convicting verse, no? obviously we all strive to be builders! investors! architects in the framework of a glorious mansion we call home! no one wants to tear down their house. at least not on purpose. but... this verse has quite a warning packed inside 16 little words.

The wise woman is building. active. working.
The foolish is working too... working at undoing, tearing down, demolishing.

From Proverbs, we know the only true source of wisdom is from God. And, as creatures, the way we access the wisdom of God is by fearing Him. Honoring Him. Respecting Him. Obeying Him. And, over time, this practice cultivates a heart that trusts Him. Which in turn, leads to wise and Godward choices. This isn't an overnight thing. In our microwave culture, this is heavy. LONG hard faithful days of doing what is right in God's eyes. For HIM to see... and he promises that if we fear Him... it will produce a wisdom in our heart [proverbs 9:10].

So, in regards to our homes... it seems that the woman who is building her house has first laid the foundation in the fear of the Lord. And super-naturally, all building that is done on top of the sturdy foundation will prosper. Now, this isn't to say you must be married, or have children to start building your foundation of wisdom. Not at all! It just says a woman! And, the word HOUSE, means much more than the windows and pipes in a pyiscal structure...

The Hebrew word literally is Bayith... It is translated house, household, dwelling, family, family members ... and defined as:
abode, where one dwells
those belonging to the same household

1. family of descendants, descendants as organized body
household affairs

So... we can conclude that a wise woman cares to build up her family, or those who live near her, in addition to her physical and daily functioning of her literal home...

but... the warning comes in the second half of the verse. The foolish woman [contrasted with the aforementioned wise woman] is demolishing all that her home/family are/was. And, she's not doing it with tools or with other people... the blame lies fully on HER. Her own bare hands are ripping to shreds all the effort she, or others have put into it.

In a sense, it is a lack of doing that is literally undoing. Does that make sense? So, its not like a crazy person going nuts and ripping down drapes and kicking around your nice china... It is that she is NOT doing the things that she should... Like when Solomon mentions the field of the sluggard... it is overgrown with thorns and thistles... The fool didn't go out and try and then fail, but by his lack of work, everyone saw how foolish he was. It wasn't hard to see...

So, it seems that one can be a foolish woman by NOT doing what is rightfully her duties to do...
This is hard. Especially because it is SO easy to do nothing. I mean, you can literally have a functioning home and yet not really be present there... Now, I am not saying that if you take a nap during the day you are undoing all the good you have done that day... No! There is balance. I think it is more in the choices where you know you should be doing something else... you know, that little inkling inside you that is saying... there is a better way to spend your time... am I alone in feeling that?!
So by not cleaning up messes, i'm making it harder for myself in the future... by not taking the time to talk with cade for a time of discipline and training, i am letting seeds of sinful habits take root in his heart... by not putting away leftovers and using up the food i have in my fridge, i am letting food go bad which is a habit of wastefulness... sure, less work now... but the fruit of that laziness is future turmoil...

"A woman who has no fear of God, who is wilful and wasteful, and indulges her ease, will as certainly ruin her family, as if she plucked her house down."

Matthew Henry

Let me start off by saying these little practical thoughts have been ringing in my ears too. I'm pointing the finger at myself and letting you look into my thoughts, hopefully something can help you too!!

How many times do you choose Facebook over cleaning your home or taking the time to prepare a new recipe?
With reagrds to kiddos... do you ever NOT take the time to discipline or pretend you didn't see what you just saw???
Do you find yourself using words like "tired, overwhelmed, out of it" to give yourself a little wiggle room to indulge your fleshly desire to get out of doing household chores? ouch.
Do you ever go out of the house just to find something to do, knowing full well, you should be home and attend to all the things you have been putting off?
How much time an energy have you put into teaching your kids the Bible? Not awana, not sunday school teachers... YOU!!!!
Do you take time to analyze where you are spending money?
Have you asked the people in your house how you can be a blessing to them?

I had to apologize to Ian because in my laziness, I was showing him that I was tearing the house down. I had a desire to do everything for everyone else, and no desire to do things around the house. I've got plenty of energy to do business stuff, design a card, even do projects for other people... but I was making every excuse in the known universe to myself and to him, as to why I just couldn't get on a cleaning schedule... or have the kids play alone so i could cook a meal... thankfully that was a few months ago and the Lord has been super super gracious to help me put off my laziness and invest in cultivating wisdom with my time... still a battle, but its amazing that it is possible to keep a relatively clutter free home. dear goodness, 7.5 years of marriage and I'm just tipping this iceberg?! yikes... thankfully the Lord knew I needed the most gracious man on the planet to help me :)

***watching TV or being on the computer, doing business stuff, or even taking time for you to get your hair done or go to the spa... NOT talking about those things in an of themselves... but I know for me... I put off a lot of my responsibilities to indulge myself in things that I know should wait...** thats all :)

Its the little choices. The choices in everyday life that lead to a life of wisdom or a life of foolishness. So, its a matter of choices. A moment by moment choice... But what is so cool is that God will never leave us or forsake us! Hebrews 13:5.. We are not alone in the building! God Himself will faithfully give us the energy to do it! It's up to us to tap into His resources and let the living water flow from Him into our homes.

So... work hard to diligently build up your house, investing in the people of your house and creating an abode for them that fosters a love and desire for the life of wisdom and fearing the Lord.

DIY snowglobe

2011-12-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

take a figurine... glue it to the bottom of a mason jar lid

fill with water, almost to the top ... add lots of pretty glitter...

seal the lid shut

turn over and enjoy...

ya this was a royal FAIL. so... don't listen to me... instead, laugh at my foggy cloudy day snow globes, where the blizzard never subsides :/ and toys are forever sealed in a fog of gloomy sadness...

PS. if you try this on your own DONT use tacky glue... or any other non clear adhesive... seeps right into the water and dilutes it... sad times... o well. ian and i got a good laugh out of it :)

OH... and they LEAK!?! could more go wrong!? i think not! :)

cars

2011-12-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

cars cars cars... 90% of playtime in our house includes cars... and Reese loves them too... oddly enough, she found the only girl car and loves that one... interesting!

cade lines his guys up all the time. everywhere. all the time. and everywhere... i just thought.. in a few years, he's going to be over this stage and i'll miss all the cars lining up all over the furniture... :)

the french racecar ;)

counting counting

goofy boy

love this little silhouette

so fun to see his little imagination run wild... ka chow!

cade

2011-12-10T21:05:00.001-08:00

our little miracle...

i just love this picture. captures so much of his sweet and spunky little personality :)

dress shopping

2011-12-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

no sneak peaks of the bride OF COURSE... but reesey had quite the fun time running around davids bridal... she lasted an hour in the stroller eating and with iphone tactics... but then... she was go go go.

so dramatic

soon enough...

randomish

2011-12-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

is it crazy to anyone else that it is december already?!

and... does anyone else notice that it seems like its always a "busy season" no matter what the season!

lots going on in our house... my sister is engaged...!!!!!!

so... wedding plans are in full swing!!!!

which means bridal showers and more bridal everything! yippee!!! super excited for them!

and super excited my other sis gets to come home for 5 days for the wedding! yeah's all around!

planning for 3 showers in january! start the year with a bang right?! two bridal and one baby! whew!

lots of photoshoots for christmas cards. i am really enjoying this... its become a fun little hobby.

if you want a merry Christmas, put THIS on your list! :)

lots of holidays and events means lots of designing. i love love love this kind of designing so its fun.

but its still lots of designing... i tend to get in design ruts and need to get out and lately.. run.. clear my head and start anew. it sounds so stinkin cliche but its so weirdly true. i guess doing anything other than staring at the computer screen would be a refreshing break... wow im random tonight

its funny this time of year is so busy. but filled with so many good things. its a good busyness per se. but trying to slow down and think about the incarnation of Christ. Emmanuel. God literally with Us. lots to chew on...

anywho. sorry for the randomness... welcome december and welcome Christmas!!

stash

2011-12-05T15:09:00.001-08:00

"look mommy, i have a mustache like daddy!!"

Thanksgiving Part IV

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

BOCCE ball... the stone family tradition continues!!!

the Thanksgiving holiday would not be complete without our annual tournament. family from all around the country joins us... well they come for thanksgiving too, but mostly for the bocce tournament :)

we got there early and took some pics of ourselves :)

sacred bocce balls

my dad and his measuring tape

aunt robin was a little distraught over her throw

my mom and ian

ahhh family

us :)

missing my uncle wes this year. especially because he was the all time bocce champ/referee/measurer/enforcer :) but so thankful for his life and that he is pain free worshipping!

the siblings... 4 of 7

outdoorsy

2011-11-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

pretty weather means jackets and yard time!

i LOVE her sweet expression here. it really sums up her little personality.

obsessed with Buzz

working on his stance :)

enjoying nice afternoons with these kiddos :)

Thanksgiving Part II & III

2011-11-26T21:09:00.001-08:00

back to the stone house for T-giving part 2!

bummer this was blurry... still learning how to use my new little lens :)

my grandpa sharing stories... how he came to Calvary through Uncle John {macarthur} :)

Ticket to Ride... becoming a thanksgiving tradition!

i love her expression :)

he picked me flowers

THANKSGIVING Part Three! Ian's side of the fam!

a group shot :)

sweet boy

ian & his older brothers... erik + thor

and to my wonderful Mother in Law's delicious feast!

turkey and stuffing from scratch

best whipped potatoes & my uncle wes' cream corn recipe!

pear + berry pecan salad. yummmma

pecan pie from semi sweet bakery downtown

her world famous green beans. these things are amazing. maybe she'll let me post the recipe! :)

so incredibly thankful that we have to "deal" with scheduling time with both families who live close. very very thankful for that. and i know so many of you have family all over the place... heaven will be so nice. everyone so close! :)

DIY ornament wreath

2011-11-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

i've seen the super cute ornament wreaths everywhere for years and finally decided to make my own...

1. find cute ornaments

used about $6 worth of metallic ornaments from good ol ikea

2. find wreath form

classic foam wreath form . use your 40% off Michaels coupon and this is $6

Or you could use a pool noodle! of course, pool noodles aren't in stock at this time... and for glueing ornaments, it helps to have a flat surface, not a rounded one, to work on.

Source: theartofdoingstuff.com via Robyn on Pinterest

3. cover with ribbon or fabric

my favorite teal grossgrain ribbon from RABOM ... teal and ruby red Christmas at the martin casa this year!

4. start gluing

using a hot glue gun, i just randomly started gluing... my plan initially was to cover the whole thing... but, getting into it, i realized its a little more funky and different to just have the side... i like how it turned out.

5. hang!

enjoy for the next month! :)

it was super simple and took about 30 minutes to glue them all. yeah for Christmas!

Thanksgiving . Part I

2011-11-23T23:26:00.001-08:00

the traditional Stone Family Thanksgiving... Thanksgiving Eve...

story:

my parents first thanksgiving as a married couple... my grandparents made a surprise visit to my uncle and left my mom and dad to do their own thing. one problem. they were expecting a full meal and with no money... they went to the grocery store... and bought whatever thanksgiving food they could afford... 2 turkey TV dinners... :)

so... every year since then, they have celebrated the night before Thanksgiving as a night to remember the blessing and provision of God...

this was the 30th time they celebrated this tradition :)

a few side dishes have been added over the years :)

playing outside before dinner :) .. my sweet husband

cade being silly

three varieties of martinellis!

and... my sister who is overseas serving in east asia... made it just in time for "dinner"! :)

laura and her boyfriend nick :)

my mama

daddy

my special sweet aunt jackie jewel {who reese's middle name is after}

baby girly

cade was busy not eating :)

yeah!

so so so thankful for family. that my parents, after 30 years are committed to each other because they love Jesus Christ so much. so much to be thankful for... but that is for another post :)

"and we all have received grace upon grace" john 1:16

17+ months

2011-11-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

Wow. I completely did not realize Reese is almost 18 months... I have been telling people for a while now she is 15 months... oops.

Anywho... a little about Reesey for our records...

She loves to drink anything, but really isn't fond of eating much other than berries, cheese, and turkey meatballs...
She sleeps about 12-13 hours at night and has been taking 2-3 hour naps.
Oh, and when she is awake, she is constantly moving... hence the need for so much sleep! :)
She runs.
She is talking constantly. This is so fun...

She said her first sentance "hi dada" :) followed by "hi mama" "hi cay" etc... hi everything :)
Some words she can say

Mama, Daddy, Cay! {cade}, mimi, papa, gran, gigi, looo, amy, tooor {thor :) } ... jack jack, baby,
baba, cup, miiiiik {milk}, rasssie {berries}, banana, crack-ah {cracker}, o's {cheerios}, nigh nigh,
coooow, dog dog, kitty, hoe-see {horsie}, seep {sheep}, ki-kin {chicken}, duckduck,
block, leeyo {lego}, book, ah-main {airplane}, car, truck, bus, nain {train}
shoe, sok, ka-ket {jacket}, hat, bow, preeeety {pretty=headbands}
go go, up, down, nano {piano}, guitar
mickey, minnie. buzz, wooooy {woody}, ahhh {her little elephant}, oso {from special agent oso}, gabba, {tuuuti, boooo, leexxx, faaa, muuu ... her rendition of the characters :) }
soooofff {soft}, harrrrrr {hard}, silly
i feel like i'm missing a lot.. all that to say, her little voice is getting lots of use :)

She does great in the church nursery.
She loves animals.
She loves the piano.
She loves her brother. wants to be around him at all times. playing with the same toys, reading the same books,... cade is learning to enjoy it :)

So much to say about our sweet Reese... we are so thankful to be her parents. What a treasure she is!

they wrestle all the time...

i love her profile here... she was singing in this pic :)

rest time

2011-11-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

ya... not a whole lotta resting going on..

caught in the act :)

what does the cow say?!

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

why do you always crave the black cow on mondays?

because its closed and you can't have it..

just like frontier wok on sundays..

moving on.

we love going to lunch with my sweet grandpa. i call him papa. the kids call him poppy. and reese can say his name now so it is the cutest thing. and the black cow was our destination this week!

poppy and cade playing during lunch . so precious

reese enjoying the show

my mom raided my dad's sparklette bottle full of coins and seriously brought $20 in quarters.

this is cades "excited to ride every ride" face :)

reese is finally big enough to appreciate the fun

and poppy insisted cade pick out a toy at the toy store...

the hot wheels track poppy bought for cade. he was SOOO excited. and LOVES it. thank you poppy!! :)

ps. the black cow is still on restaurant.com for $25 gift certificates for $3! use the code TRAVEL at checkout :)

legos

2011-11-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

theres something about boys and legos... cade loves it when reese sleeps so he can play with his little legos. :) ian snapped these pics the other night

lego rocket

silly boys

ah-main

2011-11-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

reese's affectionate title for an airplane. which she was yelling almost our whole lunch. it was seriously the cutest thing ever.

cade's response to the planes

cade asks every time if we can take a picture here... its where amy took a picture with him right before she left for east asia ;)

we sat outside at the airplane restaurant... so much fun. loud. not too loud. but so much fun. and there is a duck pond. what more could two little kiddos be excited about. oh, and there is free ice cream with the kids meals ;)

the calling...

2011-11-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

i blogged about the book Loving the Little Years months ago, but the author continues to write articles for Desiring God. this one from july has really ministered to me tonight...

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

by Rachel Jankovic | July 14, 2011

"A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, “Wow! You have your hands full!”

She could have just as well said, “Don’t you know what causes that?” or “Are they all yours?!”

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone."

click HERE for All articles by Rachel

i hope this was a blessing to you too :)

sin. ugh

2011-11-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

its like that chocolate you bite into and think it will satisfy your craving, and you realize its nasty coconut...

sin promises pleasure, satisfaction, and joy... not only does sin prove to be an empty promise EVERY time... the consequences of sin can hang around for a while. you think it will give you a feeling of self accomplishment, happiness; and yet... in reality sin is gross. even worse than anything coconut!

ugh. sin is so ugly. little insight into my world. my parents always told me i should be a lawyer. i can finagle my way out of any argument and make you feel horrible in the process. its not a gift. let me tell you. and in my marriage, its proven to be my most crafty little tool, that wields the most destructive power. i want to make my point and make my husband change. i'm right. all the time, just trust me. oh dear. how nasty does that sound.

the Lord was SO incredibly gracious to give me Ian. in more ways than I knew when we tied the knot seven and a half years ago. the humility, kindness, and grace that he shows me, despite ME, wow. blows me away. thankful that He loves Jesus Christ more than me.

looking back at sinful reactions, sinful manipulation, sinful everything makes my heart hurt. how often do I care more about getting my way, coming out on top, being right? proving i care more about my own selfish pride an accomplishment than the heart and soul of those i offend. the promise of pride is so incredibly deceptive.

makes me so thankful for the ability we have to forgive others. that others have the ability to forgive me because i am in great need. because of the true and eternal forgiveness that Christ offers. one of my favorite passages in Scripture is found in Colossians 2:13-14.

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

He nailed my decree of death to His cross. Effectively paying the penalty for my sin. Mind blowing. what grace. and yet, i am so quick to dabble back in the sin that was paid for on the cross. my sinful manipulation, guilt tripping, yuckyness is not a reflection of the Savior who bought me. I need to BELIEVE that sin will not satisfy. But by respecting and submitting to my husband, God uses it as a means of BLESSING in my life.

anywho, that's what has been swirling through my mind lately. thankful for forgiveness and a super gracious husband :)

bathroom reno

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

ahhh construction.

my sweet grandpa asked me to post pictures of our bathroom renovation so here we go!

BEFORE. my face is but a mere reflection of the horribleness that was our bathroom. the previous owner never really finished it {i.e. didn't seal the tile, didn't finish baseboards, no caulking around anything, no drywall patching...} so... we were left with a moldy/nasty/ugly bathroom... three years after moving in, we finally jumped in...

prep - our bedroom for a few weeks...

demo begins

the water damage was so horrible, they had to rip off a side of the house. that was fun to come home to

sad

gross

icky . all of my 'holmes on homes' training came in handy . lol

ucky

yeah, clean and sturdy framing

yeah we have an exterior!

sealing the shower

tile begins

new green drywall

tile is done! we went with a "rain" colored 6"x12" glass tile in a subway pattern with a 1" hexagon pattern on the floor

solid black granite 18"x18" square floor tiles

ready for the vanity

yeah for fixtures. oodles of chrome!

she makes her debut!

hallelujah, the water works!

glass door install

clear glass. lots more glass to clean now!

finished shower

finished vanity . light gray walls . white vanity with white marble countertop . chrome fixtures

thankful to be done. and thankful the yucky mold is gone. a bummer reason to have to do a renovation, but hey, it worked out in the end :)

we also were very, very pleased with our contractor. His name is Jorge Atilano of JA Handyman Service. 818.653.0280 .We highly recommend him for big projects, but he also finished our garage, fixed some leaky pipes and other random stuff around the house... Call him up!

disney day

2011-11-16T16:25:00.001-08:00

last minute disneyland trips are the best. and really last minute disneyland trips are that much more fun...

we had a fabulous day. perfect weather... happy kiddos {for the most part... :) }

jackie got to be mommy while cade and i went on the dizzy rides :)

jealous she can't ride the jellyfish :)

one of Cade's favorite disneyland tradition... watching ME ride the roller coaster... i don't mind... its fun :)

soarin with mommy

buzz with the gang

so pretty for Christmas!

cade was enthralled :)

thankful we could go with jack jack. so much fun!!!

stories

2011-11-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

cade likes the show SUPER WHY on pbs and for those of you who have watched the show, you'll understand Cades creative genius in this story:

I told cade we were going to go out instead of stay home and play with toys... Cade exclaimed "Mommy! Guess what, lets look at my story! It says Cade goes out... but look ZAP... I changed my story! Now it says, Cade stays home! See we have to stay home its in my story!"

:)

cbd Christmas

2011-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

call me crazy, but when we were little one of our favorite catalogs was the CBD catalog. ok, the toysrus one was a big deal too... but I loved looking through the Christian Book Distributors catalog. I'm weird...

moving on...

the Christmas catalog came in the mail the other day and there were some super fun kids toys that Cade {and I} really liked ;)

More realistic Noah's Ark

Nativity Set

Galilean Boat play... learn the 12 disciples!!

The armor of God costume

Jonah and the Fish Playset

VeggieDough Play set

VeggieTales Queen Esther Playset for girlies

A personalized little Bible. {it also comes in pink or blue}

More of a keepsake than a toy. but a super fun shower gift or stocking stuffer!

These were just some of the few things Cade pointed out that he would like... and lo and behold, my own child loves to look through the CBD catalog as well. He even asked for it as his book to read at rest time!!

baby food guide

2011-11-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

i know one of the most daunting tasks for me in being a mommy is feeding. how many times should they nurse a day? how much should they be getting in each feeding? how much should i put in the bottle? solids?! dear goodness how do I know how much is too much?! when is dairy ok?? lots of questions...

so, my pediatrician, who we love... gave me this super helpful baby feeding guide that has been a gem for me to use as a handy reference for feeding my kiddos. [sorry its a scanned copy :) ]

obviously, talk to your own pediatrician if you have specific questions and concerns, but as a guide, this chart has been very useful.

Here are the full pdf files that you can download and print out:

BABY FOOD GUIDE

BABY FOOD GUIDE side 2

hope it helps! :)

seeds

2011-11-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

we've been loving the new SEEDS family worship album

SEEDS of CHARACTER

straight Scripture to really awesomely composed and performed music. ian and i listen to it when the kids aren't around. its good.

memory verse cards

i've been just so convicted to hide God's Word in my own heart and impart that in a major way to our kids. with my sister in a very far land encountering people who have never ever heard the name of Jesus and to hear of the eagerness to eat up Scripture... humbles me. this album, as well as all of the others, have greatly helped me treasure the prize of the Bible and keep it in my mind and heart.

#5 on this album is a recitation of Psalm 1. Cade and I had it memorized in 2 days. And Reese gets super excited when the music in the background comes on and she stays quiet while we both quote it along with the track... I don't say that to brag in any sort of way. at all. God wants His Word to be memorized. Effort and persistence really pay off. and what thing could you fill your kids minds with than the living and enduring Word. They are sponges.

Anywho, that's been my latest conviction and what's on my heart.

and, what a perfect Christmas gift!!

Whats also cool, I would buy the actual CD instead of downloading it from itunes. Each CD actually comes with 2 legal copies, 1 for you, 1 meant to pass on. Its an awesome company/ministry.

slow cooker liners

2011-11-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

have you heard of these beauties?!

REYNOLDS SLOW COOKER LINERS

some very wise, and now rich, mom probably thought of these... liners for your crock pot.

i found them at the grocery store when we first were married and refuse to cook in a crock pot without one. i guess that makes me a crock pot snob!? oh well.

no mess. no scrubbing your crock pot. toss the liner after cooking and the stress is gone. I've even managed to burn the whole meal and yet, it still peeled right out of the pot and there was no gunk stuck on my crock pot!!

+ they are always on sale! less than $.50 per bag.

they have been tested and are safe for cooking... no bpa or yucky things leaking into your food.

yeah for easy cleanup!!

long long ago, in a galaxy far far away...

2011-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

jedis roamed the earth :)

yoda just wanted to run...

and run...

run some more...

and run!

caught by the rebel force of dad

happy kiddos

enthralled by pumpkin lights

even a gumby spotting

thankful for our little jedis :)

a nice stacked pile...

2011-10-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

...turned disaster zone...

oh well. they were so cute when they were messing it up :)

cardboard play time

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

due to the house construction, the kids and i are banished from the outdoors... tools,sawdust, nails... not so conducive to kids...

so for some indoor entertainment... I found this cool cardboard house for $20 on Overstock.com that has kept the kids plenty busy... playing in it and coloring it.

it would be a great basement play house for you people in cooler weather places that have nice basements :)

its held up to quite a bit of playing and though a little large for our living room... its a nice temporary playhouse :)

yoda in action

2011-10-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

my talented friend shauna snapped a few pics of cade at cubbies for the dress up harvest carnival. my little jedi [who insisted on wearing the yoda ears]

yoda in action... against... iron man ;)

this is the absolute best shot ever. i'm still laughing!

gospel gals

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

my sister invited my mom and i to a fall event at grace church and among the awesome teaching and corporate worship, the one and only Logan Carr led The Gospel Gals choir...

here are two songs i recorded...

it was incredibly fun and exciting to worship the Lord in an upbeat way!! enjoy :)

destructo

2011-10-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

always a little nervous when someone comes and completely destroys a room in your home

like they knocked out his teeth. so sad. not really. i hate that block wall.

its not supposed to be a door. too much water damage and the whole side needed to be ripped off... ahhh construction :)

yoda

2011-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

a little sneak peak of our little jedi :)

super woman?

2011-10-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

a friend posted this on her fb wall and it was SO so SO good and convicting...

what type of woman do you want to be? what type of woman are you most like right now?

a good little spiritual well-check :)

pumpkin lawn art

2011-10-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

like our fall decor? the kids left them {fake pumpkins} out after playing and i think it has a very Mod artsy feel to it. very stonehenge-esque :)

weight gain has a name...

2011-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

..joe joe

dear goodness ... these things will be the end of me! and the gain of all my weight back!!!

I thought I could buy some and keep them in my house and my willpower would be enough to keep me from consuming a sleeve of these puppies at a time. no no. I am weak... still cant keep crapola in the house... its good for everyone i suppose.... but they. taste. sooooo. soooo..... sooo... good!

TJ bag fun

2011-10-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

from so happy...

to sooooo dramatically sad ...

silly boy ;)

palm springs with kids

2011-10-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

my mom and i spent our palm springs trip figuring out stuff to do inside with the kids... she is definitely creative in this area...

playing in the westin hotel ballrooms

gorgeous chandeliers

dinner with the duckies

baby wakes up with the sun

target was a big event {well, its kinda always is, but with mimi it was extra special}

finding fountians

mcdonalds play land... indoors woot woot!

midnight walk with reese... baby didn't sleep well in the mini crib :/

cade a bouncin

a video of his moonwalking

sleepy girl... air conditioned car :)

adios palm springs. its been real

Marble Art

2011-10-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

cade was super excited about the craft this week at his preschool.

its so fun and so easy too.

use a box of some sort. they had box tops of paper boxes. anything not too deep.

lay scrap paper to cover the bottom of the box

squirt paint in each of the four corners

drop the marbles in.

roll them around for art.

the marbles pick up the paint and the kids had a blast racing the marbles around the box :)

round 2 & 3

its a super fun & easy & inexpensive craft and the end result is actually really cool looking :)

pool

2011-10-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

we took a little trip to Palm Springs with my parents last week. my mom and the kids and i tagged along to the business conference/meeting my Dad and ian attended....

whew. vacationing with kids is not much of a vacation... {aka, relaxing by the pool... nap whenever you want... catch up on good books... watch movies in the hotel...} nope... not really a typical vacation when you bring along two little ones... but it was a new definition of vacation and fun and the kids really had a blast.

we stayed at the westin mission hills resort and villas and the highlight of the hotel were the pools...

The one foot wading pool. Perfect for the kids. reese just ran around the pool for an hour!

the water slides!! SO SO fun! Cade did awesome and was hooked.

His ride with Papa

with daddy

Field trip! Peterson Auto Museum

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cade's little preschool group took our first field trip to the:

PETERSON AUTOMATIVE MUSEUM

right near the La Brea tar pits

Cade started out so happy! :)

sports cars

old cars

cool movie cars

old fun cars

little hot wheels cars!

moto- "cars"

the best part... a PLAY area of cars! :)

a super fun place to take your kiddos. daddies might be more into it than mommies... but it was still fun!! :)

adults - $10 ... kids 5-12 - $3 ... kids under 5 - free!

this girl

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

oh the many faces and emotions of sweet Reese

she's developing such a fun + feisty personality... what a jewel

helps

2011-10-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

i love check lists... who doesn't... well, I don't like lists if they are full of things I don't want to do :) But... the Lord has taught me a lot, as well as other people, friends, and some websites...
A list of things that have helped me lose weight... control my appetite... and not go crazy being hungry!

Now, I must say... of course, if you are pregnant or nursing, your body is being used for what God has made it for. Enjoy it! Its ok to carry extra pounds, because it is a love gift to your little one in the form of a comfy place to grow {being pregnant} or food to eat {nursing}... Restricting eating while in this stage of life is not only unhealthy for you, but it can harm your baby as well... There is a time and season for everything and

Another area where I had to submit to my hubby... I had to ask him... do you want me to lose all this weight, or nurse the baby... He, of course, said... feed the baby... its more important to feed the baby than workout like crazy to get the weight off... I'm sure mosts husbands would say the same thing :)

So... for the rest of us... here are some tips, a list of things that have helped me control what goes in my face. because if it weren't for the grace of the Lord I am sure I would eat the moon... {isn't it made out of cheese?! and yes. cheese is my weakness....}

1. Pray
Seems simple right... well, if your mind is set on the Lord and pleasing Him, you will consider all you put in your mouth as an act of worship to Him. Seems like a lot of work? constantly evaluating what you put in your mouth before the Lord? sounds like "praying without ceasing" to me! :)
It's not work when you consider our loving Lord and Master who gives us the grace and spiritual discipline to say NO to the flesh.

2. Drink water
My sister was a nutritionist and personal trainer for a long time and her top tip was always... drink water... most times you think you are hungry... you are actually thirsty. Drink a big bottle of water before each meal to help control how much you eat.

Also... drinking your calories is a big waste. Not only are you not satisfied by those calories {you don't feel full by drinking a glass of juice... but it has as much calories as an omlette!} Try adding more water to your daily routine... Your skin will thank you too!

3. Don't graze
This is hard for me. Especially with church functions. Why must there always be FOOD and LOTS OF FOOD at every single event?! Well, that's the way it is, and I must control myself!
Make a plan... if you know its dessert... allow yourself one cookie... eat that cookie slowly and really enjoy it!
Also, don't congregate around food! If possible, try to have conversations NOT by a bowl of Peanut M&Ms! You will find yourself unconsciously gobbling down hundreds of empty calories.

4. Don't eat leftovers
Not that you can't save food and eat it another day... Don't eat what your kids don't finish on their plate... I remember eating up goldfish off of cades highchair and finishing the last half of the string cheese... I realized that I consumed an extra 200 calories PER MEAL of leftover food...

Now, you might protest.. ITS WASTING if I throw it away!!

Now what is worse... throwing away a little extra... or the inevitable feeling of guilt and pudge after eating way too much...

Its just not worth it. Do not see your kids "leftovers" as your second lunch. You'll just feel guilty about it later and it will hinder any efforts you make to lose weight.

5. Don't keep crud in the house.
If you are tempted by cookies, DONT BUY COOKIES
If you are tempted by candy, DONT BUY CANDY

It will make the battle a lot easier to fight if you don't keep your enemy in your panty!

6. Ask for help
Its totally humbling but, accountability helps. My husband has access to my online food journal and he always makes sure I stick to the running routine that I have set. Helps when you have to give a report to someone. Just like when the dentist looks you in the eye and asks if you have been flossing... :)

7. Stay busy
I've found, for me, that laziness increases food consumption. I was super convicted about my lack of busyness in my home. Not the bad busyness... the good busyness... Busy with keeping a clean and tidy, functioning home. It takes work... not much time to sit on the couch and veg... which means, not much time to mindlessly snack on food while watching the tube.

these are just a few things that have helped me... and are helping me... i hope some of it can help you too! you are not alone!! :)

bedtimes

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

night time fun time

ian getting excited for kids bedtime

this girl is a splasher

cade is more of a watcher. or splashee

these kiddos... just wanna squeeze um!

sand box DIY

2011-10-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

cade is addicted to playing in the sand, what kid isn't is suppose... but sand is messy... And, for some reason I feel like nighttime in our neighborhood is a scene right out of Aristocats. Cats everywhere... So... a sand box would be a royal litter box for them... No thank you.

I found a cheap, easy, convenient way to give the kids sand play time, but make it super easy to clean up and store!

I found this big plastic underbed storage box at Lowes. with a lid!!`

BIN

PLAY SAND {$3.99 per 50 pound bag at Lowes!}

Its in the outdoor section by the soil

SAND BOX ... Hours of entertainment!!

When you are done, you can easily cover it up, leave it out, or put it nicely in the garage!
If you wanted an even easier box... get one with wheels... then you could easily roll it to and fro. The wheeled boxes I found didn't have lids, which wasn't an option for our feline issues :)

happy tuesday!

casting crowns

2011-10-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

need some good music?!
if you haven't heard of them yet... check them out..

casting crowns...

the are a down to earth, real, solid, band who's music is Biblical and really high quality music.

Mark Hall, a youth pastor in Atlanta + the lead singer said.."someone once asked me why my songs all sound like sermons." = a good thing! :)

some of our favorite albums... though all are good...

CASTING CROWNS - self titled

UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS

LIFESONG

{this includes "praise you in this storm" ... my uncle wes + aunt robin's favorite song... much emotion and joy wrapped up in that one! which of course, along with Glorious Day, they sang at the concert too}

Christmas!!!

PEACE ON EARTH

my dad took us to the Casting Crowns concert and what a blessing it was... Another band we will, Lord willing, always try to see when they come to LA... Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns... don't miss either of them... don't worry, i'll blog to remind you to get tickets when they come back ;)

what an exciting night of worship and music...

our concert buddies... meghan, brandon, and aaron :)

ian was really excited ;)

me + my love

boot solution

2011-10-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

I've got boots to store but not a ton of space... And, boots are floppy and should stay straight up...

So... I used my own skirt rack thingy to clip my boots and make them ready to hang!

three pairs of knee length boots and one pair of ankle booties, all hung nicely and compactly...

ahhh i like solutions! :)