InstaFriday

 I wasn't very good at this for some reason this week, I usually have a load of them and have to narrow down what to post as to not bore you all to death. But here are the only 3 pics I took this week on my phone.




She just looks so big and she was even singing along to a song on this car trip.




We have had a lot of this over the week and last weekend, we still ventured out



And because of the rain this is what our living room looks like by the end of the day, please notice toddler trying to stand on her head :)

Vocab Fun!

My friend and I were talking yesterday on the phone and laughing at stories of our silly toddlers (Kenz and Lydia are only 10ish weeks apart) Love that about them but so sad they live in DC so we only see them a couple times a year.

It got me to thinking I have not shared a lot of milestones since Lydia hit her year mark and that is just too sad so here it goes. Her vocab skilllz.

Lydia is a TALKER, I have no idea where she gets it from ::looks at floor, shuffles feet, blushes:: I got in trouble for talking in elementary school, my husband says I could hold a conversation with a wall or even a tree stump.

Lately one of my favorites is that she talks with her hands, she will start chatting away about her day (in baby talk obviously, no coherent words or sentences) but she knows what she is saying and she drives hit home with a hand gesture or two. Cracks my stuff up.

She also loves the word Buh-bye. Look outside, see a car, buh bye. See keys in mom's purse, buh bye. Throwing away a dirty diaper, buh bye. Mom flushes the toilet, buh bye. Water going out of the tub, buh bye. See people walking on the street, buh bye. (unless they have a dog then it's doggie, doggie, goggie, goggie with a g when she gets excited)

She also loves the word Hi. I mean a loud enthuisastic HI will get me everytime. Everytime we walk into my Aunt's house for the day, she yells HI. She also says HI mommy every evenening when she hears me walk into the house. She will also say hello to everyone at church, while it's quiet, while father is bringing it home, and all is still and peaceful. HI, HI, HI, HI.

Mamaw, Papaw, baby, cookie, milk (milky), shoes, truck, nose, ears, hair, (we know a lot of the body parts from our neck up), two, tree (three). AND NO.

The girl does not know how to say yes or if she does she is simply not saying it because she has too much fun telling us no. I try and sneak a yes in there all the time to see if she will say it and she comes back with an enthusiastic NO. Are you ok Lydia, NO. Is that a dog Lydia, NO. Are we in the truck Lydia, NO. Did you have fun today Lydia, NO. Yes, NO, Yes, No, Yes Yes Yes, NO NO NO NO NO.

That is all for now, we have a talker on our hands and I love it so much, it makes me laugh to hear her simply talk her toddler talk. Girl is good for a smile from ear to ear after a rough day.

Random Ramblings

 Today my mind is not organizing my thoughts properly so I'm just going to ramble here about some of those thoughts that are bouncin around in there:

1. I love pinterest, I love handmade, I am loving unique one of a kind pieces of furniture. I am really trying to add these types of pieces throughout our home (on a budget of course) to add a little touch of fun and fabulous to our home that is evolving everyday I feel. Sometimes you just need a change and it's amazing what spicing things up with a different color or even just moving things around and perging can do for the soul! 




Got my eyes on this beauty for our bedroom
found here

 2. PRAISE the Lord for great news on the blog front this morning of adopting families passing court and receiving referals, both of which just happened for 2 families in the last day. I cannot explain how this makes me feel as I pray for these families everyday and my heart jumps for them as they prepare for the next step in their journeys. Head on over and congratulate the families HERE (it's Kristi's sister who just passed court and her nephew has been waiting oh so long to come home) and HERE (Eli is going to make a great BIG brother and Rebecca and her hubby have been waiting so long for this news).

3. I LOVE my husband. Sunday he dusted and let me sit on my butt on the couch and watch Grey's Anatomy. Yes ladies, he is mine all mine. Also, speaking of Grey's I know it's had it's up and downs but it's like an old friend to me so I can't stop watching. I cried like a baby, if you watched it you know what I mean, as a mom it hit me so hard. ::tears:: ::ugly tears::

4. ADOPTION GARAGE SALE this weekend :) We have been collecting things over the last week or so from family and friends who have had things pulled aside for us to sell this weekend, our garage is starting to close in on my vehicle but we are excited to see what happens this time around. Last sale in the spring, we met another adopting family who had found their little one on a wait list in Korea. We are also selling Cookies for Congo! --- find out more HERE!




5. Just because I like the #5 and didn't want to stop at 4. Anyone have any really talented blog designer friends or connections that are reasonable in price and flexible to work with. I am hoping to spice up my space on the web and need a change to reflect another change that is coming this fall....cryptic... :)

HAPPY TUESDAY, HAPPY FALL, HAPPY DAY

InstaFriday

sharing a capri sun at the tailgate

my new Lillypie lovelies

Sleepy girl after no nap and tailgating all day

blurry blob of my girl pushing her baby in a stroller

 I hope you all enjoy your Friday... I know I will!

Deposit!

I love when we look at our bank account and through new jobs and a fun old job (Mary Kay sales) we have enough to make a deposit in our adoption fund! It makes me feel that much closer to the child that God has planned for our lives.

I am proud of what we have been able to put away in the last 9 months or so, we have a long way to go and it's going to take time and there will be times where our deposit is much smaller because life happens, emergency's happen, and that will take what we have (bc frankly it's not a lot) but every deposit is one step closer!

Baby E....we pray for you and talk about you daily. You are in our hearts and someday in the near future you will be in our arms. We love you!

A Child Like Faith

Today I am encouraged by my daughter! Sometimes I am driving along, I look in the rearview mirror and see her making faces, watching the birds, or even dancing to the song on the radio and I am reminded of the faith of a child.

The innocence, the love they give completely without holding back, and the trust and faith they have in those who care for them. They have not been broken down by the world around them, their hearts are completely unscarred from betrayal, gossip, or hurtful words. They know nothing of death or illness, or even the cares of finances and the first world problems mom and dad experience on a daily basis.

I am encouraged by the faith of this small child. She gives me hope in our future, hope that she will love the Lord and others with all that is in her. She challenges me to be a good mother and the kind of parent who doesn't wear the anxieties and the problems of this world on my sleeve for her to see and worry but that I can whisper love and encouragement in her ears and to her heart, words that will bury deep down and only nurture her faith as she grows.

Lydia today you encourage me with your child like faith.

Voices 4 the Voiceless

Voices 4 the Voiceless is a new non profit, dedicating themselves to orphan care and simply loving and being a voice to the orphans all over the world.

I heard about this organization through Lauren, who most of you know and love through her adoption journey to her little one Mareto and then again for her design of my cute blog and her love for orphan care and adoption. She is the fundraising coordinator for this orginazation and I knew I wanted to play some part in this organization no matter how small.

Fun thing is now you can also be a part of this organizations mission and their very first project in the Congo.

I will be participating in Cookies 4 Congo on October 1st during our adoption fundraiser garage sale as well as hopefully doing something during the actual time frame of the event which is Oct. 9-16.  

I hope you will consider helping out this great organization as they tackle their first large project as Voices 4 the Voiceless. You can check them out here and learn more about how you can help, how you can purchase a T-shirt or just simply pray for this young organization with such a great heart for the fatherless.

What I love Wednesday

via pinterest

Now that we are not selling our home for a little while I have the itch to update our kitchen, we haven't done anything to it since we moved in except replace a sink and a dishwasher. It's time. Maybe painting some cabinets and definitely adding bead board, we've priced everything and just have to get the supplies and find the time to do it. Stay tuned!

via pinterest

I also have this desire to become crafty, I want to be able to make my own party decorations, holiday decorations, be able to switch up fun decor around the house just because I'm bored and I can make my own stuff and not spend gobs of moola. Maybe one day I will wake up with the DIY gene (you ladies who craft, that happens right?) My grandma did say she would help me learn how to sew, taking her up on that this winter!

What are you loving this Wednesday!

My day pretending to be a SAHM

Today was a GREAT day! A day that I never want to forget and a day that makes me wish so much for the resources to allow me to stay home with my girl. Today we had tantrums (but I got to parent through those tantrums) today we had tears but I got to dry them, we also had A LOT of fun and way more smiles than tears and tantrums.

I also dusted, did laundry and emptied the dishwasher while home girl rocked her 2 hour nap (UNHEARD of!)

We took Bentley to the vet this morning, this was the hardest part of my day (leaving 2 other dogs behind and trying to get Lydia out the door at the same) this was a part of my day where I might have lost my patience a little bit but we survived, I have no idea how people parented before technology and being able to throw Fresh Beats on my iPhone for her to dance around to in the small room while we waited.
 

We also went to the mall where I spent too much at Gymboree (so I have put some back in the bag to take back) Remember, we are trying to live within our means here. Lydia also sat down in the middle of the store and screamed, YES my first full out in public toddler meltdown. Guess what? We survived and were the only ones in the store.

I decided she needed to blow off some steam so we headed to the park and that was fun! Girl was going nuts in the little tubes to get to the fun slide, she was on cloud nine. I might have decided to top it off with some Ice Cream, what's a day off without some ice cream?!?! Plus she's so cute when she eats Ice Cream.

We danced, we read books, we played outside, and there were lots of hugs and kisses. I could definitely get used to this lifestyle but I can't so I will cherish today and head back to the grind tomorrow.

InstaFriday

The little girl in my backseat that looks way too old to be my daughter

This is Club 400, a place with so many memories from my college days. Some of my best friends lived in this house.

God putting on a show as Matt and I were heading to pick up Lydia after our date night

see that blob, that's my feet covered in a fuzzy blanket and football on tv... Fall, I love you, Welcome!



My busy bee at the tailgate, I knew my cheerleading camp days would come in handy (loved that I thought to tie up her sleeves!)



 Have a fun Friday!!

 

Writers Block...

I have a major case of writers block, bloggy writers block! This blog started out as a way to share our pregnancy with friends and family. It has since grown into a passion of mine. It is an outlet, a place where I can share my faith, my mommy highs and lows, our great new adventure in the world of orphan care and adoption, a place where I can find a little bit of the community I sometimes lack in my physical reality that is life.

Today, I have nothing to write about or maybe I have too much and it's all getting clogged in my brain on the way to my fingertips leaving the result a big FAT NOTHING. I feel like spewing about the famine, I feel like ranting about my struggle between material things of this world and living a crazy in love with Jesus lifestyle, I feel like sharing my struggles about what i want out of this so called life, I feel like plastering this page with pictures of my kid but I also feel like crawling in a hole and giving it all up because is anyone really listening anyway?

So today I am not going to talk about any of those things and I am going to share some inspiration through some of my favorite blogs at the moment. I don't know many of the ladies too closely but they touch my heart and trigger light bulbs on multiple occasions throughout my week. So I want to share them.

Moments With Love

Want to see cuteness overload on a daily basis? head on over she has got a housefull and two more beautiful boys waiting to join her family from Uganda. She has such a good heart, she is teaching me so much about what it means to be an advocate for the fatherless and how to love them hard even if you only know a name and a picture because they desperately need someone to love and pray for them. Thank you LOVE!!!

Schilling Times

I just started following Kinze a month or so ago and I wish we lived closer so I could be her friend. She has super cute kids, a wonderful marriage, and a freakin Airstream that I am drooling over. She is moving and living for God and you can feel it coming through the screen as you read her words. She is beautiful and I cannot wait to keep following their journey.

Little Blue Feather

I am so excited that I have stumbled upon the talent that is Michelle of  Little Blue Feather. She is just inspiring from the second you open her page. She is beautiful and young and talented. I love her little doggies and the inspired Boston clothing. She might also be working on something very special  :) 

Happy Days

Then there is Hannah of Happy Days. She inspires me to dive into God's word every week! This girl is master of scripture and how to apply it to your everyday. She is fantastic and I am so glad I stumbled upon her through a linky party. Did I mention she loves hip-hop! AHHH I die.

So go on check out these ladies, lurk away they are worth your time.

Mercy

When trying to think of something encouraging to post today, I was at a loss until I remembered what has been surely helping me through long days and sometimes tough days. That is this:

"Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."  Lamentations 3:22-23

It doesn't matter how awful our day was, what we might have said, who's head we might have bit off, who we failed to forgive yet again, or how lost we may feel. His Mercy's are new each and every morning! Not just on Sunday mornings because that is the sabbath, not just on Monday mornings because He knows we will have a bad case of the Monday's but every morning.

via

I know I sleep a little better when I lean on that verse and on that promise... as the clock ticks away and I try to avoid sleep, "His mercy's are new each morning", even tomorrow morning when I am forced to open my eyes and face a new day.