My Front Porch Looking In

He's Like a Bird

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 04 May 2015 14:11:00 +0000

Happy Monday!

Today marks the 10th day since I broke my foot and the 4th day since the last time Luke breastfed.

Yes, that's right...Luke is basically 100% weaned and my emotions have been all over the place about it. Here's the thing: of all my children, Luke was the only one who NEVER had a bottle. We didn't necessarily plan it that way, it just worked out. He loved nursing and I loved nursing and it was the easiest, cheapest option so there was no need to do things differently. At about 6 months, his growth started to plateau and the doctor suggested we supplement after feedings with a little formula or pumped breast milk. The thing is, I didn't HAVE any pumped milk so we tried formula and it went...horribly. After several tries, with him screaming and pushing the bottle away like it was poison, we gave up. But at 9 months it became obvious that I was having supply issues so we got the ok to start him on dairy and we never looked back. He is still iffy about drinking milk from a sippy but he gets 12 oz of (full fat) yogurt a day and has plumped right up.

He was also eating table food like it was his job and was still nursing 6-7 times a day, but was really starting to lose interest in it. During the day he would only eat for a little bit and then pull away because he wanted to get down and play. The only time he would REALLY nurse well was during the night (OF COURSE!) but I knew we needed to cut that off now that his growth was where it should be.

But....that had become our special snuggle time! Weird as it is, and tired as I was, it was literally the ONLY time of day where he would snuggle and it was sweet and precious and I didn't want to let it go. (Cue Elsa)

Then I broke my foot and needed surgery. The instructions were to pump and dump for 24 hours after the surgery and for the entire time while I was taking the prescription narcotics.

I was SURE that the second Luke saw me after we came home from the hospital that he would whine and beg to nurse. And I just knew the night after would be torture because no matter how badly I wanted to go nurse him and comfort him, I just COULDN'T. I was bracing myself for the inevitable.

But you know what??

He was FINE. I mean, totally, completely unaffected. Seriously. That first night he woke up and cried for a bit, then went back to sleep and he has been sleeping blissfully through the night ever since and he never, not once, has even *hinted* at wanting to nurse during the day. Seriously, it's like the whole past 11 months of my life that I sacrificed and nursed through pain and sickness and extreme lack of sleep NEVER EVEN HAPPENED.

He's all, "We're good, Mom! I don't need you for that anymore!"

There is a *tiny* part of me that is sad. Because that breast feeding connection is really, really special and it's something you never get to do again.

But mostly, I am SO happy that he has transitioned so well. I think that is the irony of parenting right there - you give and you sacrifice and you love and you work until the time comes for them to take that next step of independence. And as much as you might wish a little for the days when they were dependent on you, deep down you know that what you really want is for them to move forward successfully without you. You want them to take that first step out of the nest and FLY, not fall.

Parenting is like a long series of "letting go", little by little, until one day they leave the nest for good. So today, I am sneaking in extra snuggles with all my little birdies while they're still in our nest, AND I'm relishing in the newfound freedom that comes with having an infant that is weaned.

(I could leave the house and be gone shopping or getting pedicures or whatever ALL DAY and not have to be back to feed him!)

(Theoretically.)

(If my foot wasn't broken.)

(But it is, so I'll be celebrating my newfound freedom by reading with my foot propped up on the couch.)

(That actually sounds better than a pedicure right now :)

(I'll stop now.)

Have a great day!!

The Broken Foot Reading Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Fri, 01 May 2015 20:55:00 +0000

YOU GUYS!!

I did it again. If you're a long time reader of this blog than you may remember that five years ago, when Sophia was an infant, I broke my wrist.

Well, I'm at it again, only this time it was my foot, and not only did it break it, I also had to have surgery.

BLERGGGGHHHHHHH!!

In case you're wondering, breaking your wrist is better than breaking your foot. (Of course, breaking no bones at all is preferable, but if you are a hopeless klutz like me, that may not be an option.)

Surgery was yesterday, and it went well, the anesthia and pain meds have not made me loopy, only very, very tired. My parents are near and have been helping by playing chauffeur, watching kids during doctors appointments, cooking meals, etc. They are amazing! Unfortunately, my mom injured her back a few months ago and is banned from lifting Luke so Dave's parents dropped everything and drove all the way out here to stay with us and help for the next week and a half - yes, they are the best in-laws I could ever have hoped for! They have been wonderful and along with Dave, have been working their tails off doing all the stuff I can't.

I'm still not sure how we will make it work once they leave, but right now I'm just enjoying the chance to rest and put my foot up - quite literally - and doing what I can to recover and prepare for being on my own!

And since I have all this unexpected downtime, I've decided to take the opportunity to do some reading! I put my Amazon Prime account to good use and ordered several books I've had on my wish list for awhile. So here's what's on my Recovering From a Broken Foot Surgery reading list. Maybe you'll find something for your own list, too (although I don't recommend breaking a bone to make time for it :)

1) Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson

Of course you all know how much I adore a good Sally book. She has decades of wisdom from raising and homeschooling four children. Her vision for living a big picture kind of life with eternity in view is constantly inspiring me. I'm only a couple of chapters in to this one, but it promises to be as good as her others!

2) Women of the Word:How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin

I can't say enough about this book! Every Christian woman (and dare I say, even the men?) should read it! Jen is a member of Matt Chandler's church in Dallas, TX (a pastor whose sermons both Dave and I have been tremendously impacted by), and is a gifted teacher of the Word. Here's an excerpt from the first chapter to whet your appetite:

(Speaking of Moses and the burning bush) "Moses asks the wrong questions: Who am I? What should I do? Rather than answer him, 'Moses, you are my chosen servant. You are my precious creation, a gifted and wise leader,' God responds by completely removing Moses from the subject of the discussion and inserting himself. He answers Moses's self focused question of 'Who am I?' with the only answer that matters: I AM."

We are like Moses. The Bible is our burning bush - a faithful declaration of the presence and holiness of God. We ask it to tell us about ourselves, and all the while it is telling us about "I AM."

...The Bible does tell us who we are and what we should do, but it does so through the lens of who God is...In fact, there can be no true knowledge of self apart from the knowledge of God."

And finally,

"We come to understand who God is, and we are changed - our affections detach from lesser things and attach to him. If we want to feel a deeper love for God, we must learn to see him more clearly for who he is. If we want to feel deeply about God, we must learn to think deeply about God...

We must love God with our minds, allowing our intellect to inform our emotions, rather than the other way around." (emphasis mine)

Aaaahhhh!!! isnt that GOOD stuff??? I'm just going to be a little bit bossy and tell you that you need to read the rest of it ASAP! :)

3) Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel

This has been on my list to read for YEARS!! I know that no book can give us all the right answers for our parenting, but I want to immerse myself as much as possible in quality, grace saturated, gospel focused books that take me back to God's Word and remind me of what my focus and intentions in parenting ought to be. I'm hoping this book fits those qualifications! But, disclaimer, I have not even started it so I can't make any recommendations yet. I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished! (Assuming you are interested in my opinion? :)

4) Housewife Theologian: How the Gospel Interrupts the Ordinary by Aimee Byrd

This is new on my list but comes as a recommendation from Nancy Guthrie, an author of several Bible studies that I highly recommend. From the description:

This book is for women—for all women who want to explore beneath the superficial and get to know God, and themselves, better.

While striving to find meaning amid the mundane and ordinary, many women find themselves swallowed up by culture's expectations, trying to escape the labels that trap and define them. But Aimee Byrd is determined to reclaim terms like housewife, which have divided many women, to unite them instead in their common calling.

What is this calling, and how can women rise above what the world offers? By taking back another term—theologian—and knowing God intimately. Aimee will help you evaluate your Christian life and see your world from a different perspective.

Again, haven't started it and I know very little about the author but I'm looking forward to diving in and seeing what she has to say!

5) Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home by Gloria Furman

Perhaps you are noticing a trend of Gospel + Home + Parenting here? :)

I read an excellent book last year by Gloria Furman (Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full) and SO enjoyed the nuggets of wisdom she had to offer. I am looking forward to reading this one as well!

6) In This House We Will Giggle by Courtney DeFoe

I don't know about you, but the longer I'm a mom, the more I realize how profoundly my attitude impacts the tone of my home. Mom being grumpy/cranky/moody = often equals a grumpy/cranky/moody and generally unpleasant atmosphere. I am so excited to read her take on how to lighten up the atmosphere of my home while teaching my children virtue!

What do indoor picnics and funny face contests have to do with loving Jesus?
More than you realize!

As a mom in the throes of parenting, Courtney DeFeo believes that instilling virtues in children starts with laughter, not lecture. That perspective propelled her to create this idea-packed book, in which she offers motivating reflections, real-life stories, and a sandbox full of inventive ways to help you turn your kids’ hearts toward God.

Each chapter focuses on one virtue that is key for developing your child’s character. Along with insights into how this virtue plays out in the nitty-gritty of life, Courtney includes a memory verse, activity ideas, and discussion questions to reinforce that virtue throughout the month. Here you’ll find a full year of ways to draw your children closer to God through delightful antics like Family Olympics, One Fancy Feast, and Light ’Em Up.

In This House, We Will Giggle shows you how to capture the hearts of your children through fun—so that they experience the goodness of Christ, the joy of following Him, and the difference they can make in the lives of others. (Water balloons not included!)

So there you have it! That's the stack of books that are keeping me and my sore foot company for the next few weeks. Do you have any I should add?

Why Being A Mom Is Worth It

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 13:41:00 +0000

Last year I went with some friends to watch the movie Mom's Night Out - if you're a mama then you might be familiar with it. It was adorably funny and relatable. At the time, I was hugely pregnant and swollen, wondering how on earth I was going to keep our home from descending into total chaos after we brought our third child home from the hospital.

(Spoiler alert: I didn't. Barely/not-at-all controlled chaos has been the name of the game for the past ten months or so. The infant stage is tough, y'all.)

My favorite part was when the husband comes home from his business trip and follows a trail of chocolate wrappers to the closet where he finds his wife, hiding from the messy house and having a mini nervous breakdown. If you haven't hit a low like that in your mothering career already...your day is probably coming ;) Later on, Dave and I rented the movie to watch together - mostly because I wanted to show him proof that I'm not crazy - or at least only as crazy as the average mom.

He liked it and we laughed but at the end he said, "Man, that really makes being a mom sound horrible."

And I stopped, because I realized he was right.

Now, let me be clear, I don't think it's wrong to admit that being a mom is hard sometimes and I don't think it's necessary to pretend like we always love every second or that our kids fart rainbows and we flit magically through life with nary a problem. In fact, it can be super, super encouraging to hear another mom admit that they so do not have it all figured out.

Sometimes we need to be able to have a good cry with our husband or friends and just get it off our chests that this mothering gig can be rough, and for Pete's sake, we need to be able to laugh at our troubles because it's good for the soul and reminds us that the world will not end because our child wrote her name on her bed in black permanent marker and the baby pooped in the tub and nobody took a nap and there is yogurt on the ceiling for some inexplicable reason. Laughter says, "Guess what soldier, YOU SURVIVED. And everyone in your house is still alive and breathing and the world will go on turning whether you ever get the yogurt cleaned off the ceiling or not. It's going to be ok."

But.

But.

Too often I expertly communicate in great detail all of the bad things without really doing any justice to the awesome things. Usually I throw out some pithy statement,

"Oh, but it's sooo worth it!"

Well, yes, it is. But why?

Because last night when Luke was up every few hours fussing with a nose so plugged up he couldn't nurse, I sat and rocked him and he snuggled on my chest and he kept taking his impossibly soft little face and giving me kisses until I thought my heart would melt right into a puddle on the floor. Because I am his mama and he needed me and in his little baby way he was telling me, "I'm so glad you're here, Mommy, because I don't feel good and you help make it better."

It's that moment when the doctor lays your screaming newborn on your chest and you say her name and she instantly stops crying because she knows your voice and instinctively feels, "This is my mama and she will make it all better."

It's that moment when your six year old tells you about a friend who hurt her feelings and she's trying to be brave and hold back her tears until you take her in your arms and she sobs because this is her mama, and she will make it feel better.

It's that moment when your four year old has a nightmare and cries out for you because you are her mama and you will help make it better.

It's their chubby hand in yours, the easy way they forgive you when you've wronged them, the way they are always happy to see you.

The way they bounce and chatter and share every moment of their day with you, because you are that person to them, the one whose opinion matters above all else, the one whose encouragement can help pick them up again and whose disapproval can crush them.

It's the way they giggle and sing and dance with abandon and remind you not to take life so seriously.

It's the way their eyes light up when you come into the room, or they catch your eye on stage. The way they run and jump and hug you with all the strength they can muster when you return from being gone.

It's the way they remind me that life is not meant to be lived only for myself.

Jesus, while he was on earth, did not come as the political king his followers were looking for, but as the servant king.

In those last moments before his death he wasn't walking around demanding to be pampered and hoping people would feel sorry for him, he was washing feet.

When I am up all night with a crying baby and I feel as though I will never sleep again...that's foot washing.

When I'm cleaning puke out of sheets and stroking feverish heads...that's foot washing.

When I'm reading Goodnight, Moon for the five trillionth time instead of vegging in front of the TV or reading a grown up story...that's foot washing.

When I'm sacrificing my comfort and my desires for the sake of my children, I am being the hands and feet of Jesus.

The truth is, someday my children won't be so dependent on me. And I hope that when that day comes I will not take all my free time and turn it inward. I pray that my sunset years will find me still working, still serving, still sacrificing my free time for the sake of others, still washing feet.

If I spend my life constructing a sand castle kingdom of self, in the end when the tide comes it will wash away and all I will be left with is myself. Selfishness promises satisfaction and brings emptiness. He promises life - abundant life.

I'm so grateful for these little faces He gave me that have helped me see that - glimpses of His grace. My love for them is but a mere echo of His love for me.

Yes, being a mom is hard, but it is way more amazing than it is hard. And it IS worth it, because He is worth it. Press on, Mama, you are doing kingdom work!

Adventures in Tooth Fairying

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:17:00 +0000

I mentioned last week that Lily lost her first tooth, which meant that we had our first ever visit from the Tooth Fairy!

When I told Lily that she needed to put her tooth under her pillow so the Tooth Fairy could take it away and leave money, she said, "Mom, just give it to me straight: are you the Tooth Fairy?"

Nothing gets by this girl ;)

She also was very concerned because she wanted to KEEP her tooth, not give it away. I told her she needed to write the "Tooth Fairy" a note and ask her if she could please keep it.

Here's what I found under her pillow:

Dear Tooth Fairy,

i want too keep my tooth PLeAse

Biy

from Lily To Tooth Fairy

Translation: Dear Tooth Fairy, I want to keep my tooth please. Bye.

Then there was the hurried postscript on the side:

i hav lost my tooth i men lidrly

Translation: I have lost my tooth. I mean literally.

Which she scribbled when she couldn't find the little plastic Baggie she was keeping her tooth in. There are so many things I love about this note, namely the Kindergarten spelling and her use of the word literally.

(By the way, I'd like to say that I think everyone's lives would be a little bit easier if we just changed all the words in the English language so they were actually spelled phonetically)

Luckily she did end up finding it and shoved it under her pillow. Sophia, not wanting to be left out, also wrote a note:

This is what it says as translated to me by Sophia:

Dear Tooth Fairy, Please let my sister keep her tooth.

(It also has holes poked in it, but I have no idea why)

So I crept in after the girls were asleep (nobody ever mentioned how nerve wracking it is to be the tooth fairy!) and left some money under Lily's pillow and notes for them both.

And it looks like we'll be doing it all over again soon, as Lily has two more loose teeth waiting to come out!

Now please indulge me while I reminisce over pictures of baby Lily when those loose teeth were brand spankin' new:

STOP.

This growing up stuff. I can't handle it.

Loose Teeth and Shamrock Shakes

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 21:14:00 +0000

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Do you do anything special to celebrate?

I'll be honest, this is one of those holidays that I've never paid much attention to, other than the requisite green-wearing to avoid getting pinched!

But having kids makes it so fun to do little things to celebrate! We don't do anything too crazy, just little touches here and there :)

This morning we had a few errands to run and while we were out we picked up a fun cupcake to surprise Daddy at work. I also let the girls pick out a cupcake to split!

The girls each picked out their own outfits this morning - note Sophia's head to toe green. She was disappointed that she wasn't able to find a green hat to wear!

Also, do you notice something missing from Lily?

She lost her first tooth! She's had two loose teeth for a couple of weeks now, one on top and one on bottom. The bottom one came out last night when she was trying to get her bottle of shampoo open using her teeth (crazy girl!) She was excited at first, then terrified because it started to bleed a little. Then there was a harrowing moment where she couldn't find the tooth on the bathroom counter where she'd set it and thought it had gone down the drain...because, tooth fairy!! I assured her the tooth fairy would still visit and then we discovered the tooth on the floor so all was better.

And she maaaaayyy have carried the tooth around with her in a plastic baggie all morning because she was so proud of it.

I remember when she first got that tooth! *snnnifff* It was the first one to come in and the first one to come out!

Anyway...

This has nothing to do with St. Paddy's day, but we stopped at one of my favorite consignment stores while we were out and I scored some super cute stuff!! All of this for $31, including a pair of sparkly Bob's for Sophia that were JUST what I'd been searching for. I can hardly stand to pay full price for kids' shoes because they grow out of them sooo fast!

Tonight I'm going to *attempt* to make cabbage rolls, and if they're super gross, there's always frozen pizza ;) And for dessert...shamrock shakes!

That's about as festive as we get here! Anyone else do something fun to celebrate? Eat green pancakes? Go on a treasure hunt? Eat Lucky Charms? Dance an Irish jig? Do you wear green or do you risk the pinching?

Have a great Tuesday!!

A Slice of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 19:49:00 +0000

Helloooooo!!

Anybody out there?

Anybody?

Bueller??

It's been I can't even remember how many months since I've written on here. For multiple reasons, mainly a busier schedule and adjusted priorities. I'm not sure how much of an audience I have left, or if I've even got one apart from the grandparents!

But I know this - I've missed this little space. It's not because I've ever been a successful blogger or because I think anyone really cares all that much what I write here - it's just because this is a fun creative outlet for me. One that requires no money, unlike decorating the house, much to Dave's delight.

I kind of debated just shutting the whole thing down for awhile, but I've got so many fun memories captured here! So for now, it stays. I don't know for sure how regularly I'll post - or if anyone even cares anymore - we'll just play it by ear!

So I'm not going to try and play catch up because it's too overwhelming and I'm too lazy ;)

Currently...

All the kids are having rest time and I'm catching up on episodes of 19 Kids and Counting and having a slice of this pie:

It's been super warm here the past week or so, so we've been spending all our spare time outside doing stuff like this:

Dear Spring,

Please don't leave me.

Kthanksbye.

Today it's forecasted to be in the 80's and we plan to take advantage of the DQ Free Cone Day once rest time is over.

We are soclose to being done with our homeschool year. We are working hard to have everything but our last week of phonics completed by the end of April. Then we're taking the months of May and June completely off. I'll probably start to sprinkle in some of the phonics and math review sheets in July and I've got a list of some fun educational activities to do here and there to break up the park and pool days this summer.

This, of course, sounds good on paper but ask me how that plan is going in July ;)

Anywho...that's a slice of our life lately. And speaking of slices, I'm gonna go finish that pie and enjoy my last few minutes of quiet :)

I Qit!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 22:30:00 +0000

Sweet Lily...frustrated with the time it was taking her to write her numbers on her math worksheet, wrote this on the top of her page...her version of the word "quit" (which she sounded out all by herself).

It about broke my heart to see her so frustrated because, as I pointed out to her, a) her numbers look GREAT and b) I recognize in her the same perfectionist spirit I find in myself. That inner, critical voice that leads me to be frustrated at myself for doing something well simply because I couldn't do it perfectly and because it didn't come easily.

So we talked...about how learning new things takes work, how the right kind of practice can help, how learning to read and write well is the goal, but that it's a process that takes time. I told her I want her to know I don't expect perfection, and that it's more important that she do her best work. I told her not to "qit" because something is hard, since almost everything worth doing in life is hard and messy and definitely not perfect. And I told her that Mommy has lived for almost 31 whole years and is still learning those lessons. (And truth be told, my handwriting is kind of awful, but I've survived)

I tried to help her see the progress she's made since the beginning of the year when her numbers were almost unintelligible, and congratulated her on the initiative she took to try and sound out the word "quit", something she couldn't have done a month ago.

Every single thing I told her was something I needed to hear myself today...because you know what? Being a mommy is hard and quite frankly, today I wanted to "qit". I'm often so tempted to focus on current imperfections instead of marveling at how far I am from the pit out of which God's grace lifted me.

I am so thankful for God's perfection in the absence of my own, for His grace that urges me to keep going even when it's hard and I make mistakes, for His forgiveness that reaches far, far beyond the extent of my sin. And I'm grateful for His reminder today through the eyes of my child...don't "qit"!

Tasty Tuesday: Tastefully Simple Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:39:00 +0000

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I started a new "business" venture as an independent consultant for Tastefully Simple. (I don't know why I put business in quotes, because that's truly what it is, after all, the government is going to want a cut of the money I make ;)

Anyway. I've debated as to how much I should write on here about it, since I don't want this to become a BUY TASTEFULLY SIMPLE FROM ME!! blog, nor do I want you to feel like I'm just trying to push product on you because I make a profit.

So I decided to occasionally share a recipe that includes Tastefully Simple products. I might also occasionally share if we have a good special going on, but it is important to me that you understand that if I share something it is because I genuinely feel its worthwhile and good, not only because I'm trying to make a buck. Make sense?

Honestly, knowing someone makes a commission or is getting perked to share a product with me automatically makes me a little suspicious as to their true feelings about it, because I wonder how much that colors their opinion.

Sooooo, multiple disclaimers aside, today I'm going to share what my favorite Tastefully Simple products were BEFORE I joined as a consultant and hope to not come off like a cheesy used car salesman :)

1. "Oh My Chai" Drink Mix

The first time I ever tried any kind of Chai was at the very first Tastefully Simple party I attended. Prior to that I had always WANTED to order it, but didn't want to spend money on something I wasn't sure I'd like. But oh, my, one sip of this stuff and I was SOLD. Maybe it's because this was the first one I tried, but I prefer this mix over any Chai from any other coffee shop I've tried.

And it is literally SO easy. Hot water, 3T mix, stir it up, you're done. I always feel a little sad when I get to the bottom of the bag of mix. It's instant without tasting instant, if that makes sense! Cheaper and more convenient than driving to your nearest coffee shop!

Find other recipes you can make with this product here.

2. Garlic Garlic Seasoning

I use this ALL the time. My kitchen would practically shut down without it!

Ok, that's a tad dramatic.

But, honestly, I use this in basically every recipe that calls for garlic. 1 tsp = 1 garlic clove. Because peeling and mincing fresh garlic? Ain't nobody got time fo' that!

You can also mix with mayo and sour cream to make garlic dip, but fair warning: it's VERY garlicky. Like, you could kill a vampire with your breath. I happen to like it that way, but if you're not a big garlic fan, maybe add a little less than the recipe calls for.

Find other recipes you can make with this product here.

3. Absolutely Almond Pound Cake

This stuff. Oh, my.

Ok, so I have an AWESOME recipe for almond wedding cake that I use for birthday cakes all the time. A friend of mine gave it to me a few years back and it is just, so, SO good. I get compliments every time I make it. It's super moist, super flavorful, everything you'd want in a cake.

Well, THIS stuff - is just as good, but it's like 12 billion times easier to make. You just add butter and water. THAT'S IT! Butter and water...I seriously don't know how they do it but it turns out the most fabulously moist, delicious cake and its incredibly versatile! Serve traditionally with whipped cream and berries, add chocolate chips to the batter before baking, make it into cupcakes...the possibilities are endless!

Find other recipes you can make with this product here.

4. Artichoke and Spinach Warm Dip Mix

This is a GREAT little dip to take to any holiday parties you might have in the next couple of months. You just add cream cheese and shredded Swiss, heat and go! This is another dish that I have a recipe for that is WAY more work, takes WAY more time, and requires WAY more ingredients! This tastes as good or better with minimal effort!

Find other recipes to make with this product here.

5. Bountiful Beer Bread

This is the one TS product I had heard about before I ever went to a party. Actually, prior to my first party, I had even tried a copycat recipe for beer bread that was pretty good. But again, it's Tastefully Simple for the win with ease of preparation, because with this all you do is add beer or your favorite carbonated beverage (I wouldn't recommend root beer but any other pop would do), mix, and bake! If you are like me and always in a time crunch to get dinner on the table, this is the way to go!

There's also a recipe on the Tastefully Simple website for a sweet version using cream soda and butterscotch chips, or this Bacon Bacon Cheddar version, which I can't wait to try because, bacon!

Find other recipes you can make with this product here.

Speaking of recipes, you can go here to browse recipes that you can make with Tastefully simple products. You can search by category (appetizer, main dish, breakfast, etc.), product, or ingredient (chicken, beef, etc). There are TONS of great options!

Rustic Herb Slow Cooked Turkey Breast

Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells

Chipotle Chicken Bacon Pasta

Ultimately, this is what Tastefully Simple was created for - giving busy people simple, easy, and versatile ways to feed a home cooked meal to their families! It's cheaper and more nutritious than fast food!

If you are interested in buying a product, let me know (even if you aren't local, I can hook you up)! If you are interested in hosting a tasting party or a Freezer Meal Workshop, let me know! It's a great way to get free product or fill your freezer with yummy meals ready to pop in the oven on busy nights!

I've Become One of "Those" People

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 02:19:00 +0000

The kind who starts putting up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween....

My 20 year old self would be disgusted with me. Then again, my 20 year old self wasn't trying to care for an infant, a preschooler, and a kindergartner, two of which she was homeschooling. And she also didn't have a big house to take care of or a husband to cook for or a five people's laundry to take care of. Come to think of it, the extent of Christmas decorating for 20 year old Amy would have been a strand of Christmas lights entwined around the bookshelf in her dorm room, so...

The thing is, even though my former self always staunchly opposed early Christmas decorating/preparation, my current self understands that things will be much more relaxed and run much more smoothly come December if I get a little jump start on things now. If I do it right, Thanksgiving AND Christmas can both be relaxing and stress free(ish). Theoretically. ;)

Besides, Starbucks has their red cups out now. How can you NOT feel festive? ;)

(I'm trying to justify myself here. Is it working?)

Anywho. The point of all this is, I started doing a little Christmas decorating this past weekend. Nothing too crazy - we'll still wait on the tree until post turkey - but just a few touches here or there. And one of the things I did was make some Christmas-y pillow covers.

I love the idea of having fun holiday pillows, but can't handle the price tag for something I'll only use a month or two out of the year. So when I saw these napkins at World Market the other day, my wheels started turning...could I use these to make some pillows? The answer is yes. Yes I can. And I did.

It was super simple. I'm not really all that great with tutorials, but I will do my best.

I just took two napkins...

I probably should have ironed them first but I didn't. Learn from my mistake. It's easier to iron them when they're like this.

Anyway, then I cut one of the napkins in half like so

And then I laid the whole napkin right side facing down to the floor, and on top of that, matched up the two halves of the other napkin, right side facing down with the hemmed edges towards the middle. Is this making sense? I didn't think so. Pictures are good.

Then I just pinned it all the way around and sewed around the edges. Flipped it inside out and voila! A pillow cover!

The napkins are $1.99 each, and I already had the insert, so this cost me a whopping $4! I made two. And I've got plans in the works for another pillow using a placemat.

Now. So help me I am going to restrain myself from listening to Christmas music until AT least mid-November!

Anyone else caught the holiday bug?

**********

Btw...I feel I should explain that I'm not complaining about my husband, family, and home that I "have" to care for. It's my job and I love it :) It has just obviously changed my priorities and the amount of time I have to spend doing fun stuff like decorating :)

Can You Die From Lack of Sleep?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 19:14:00 +0000

...is a thing I Googled recently.

(The answer is: possibly)

It can also make you forgetful, feel depressed, decrease sex drive, have car accidents, and gain weight (well, duh, said every mom ever).

Luke has been our most challenging sleeper. (Translation: little man wakes up a lot.)

Early on he was sleeping 6 or 7 stretches at night which was, I thought, promising. But then we went on vacation and I fed him basically every time he made a noise at night because we were in a massive cabin with every other member of my family and I didn't want to wake anyone up. And after a week of those shenanigans, I guess he decided he didn't want to give up his late night snack(s). He was still little and I have never had a baby who didn't naturally sleep through the night on their own within the first few months so I just figured it would all work itself out but it didn't and after close to 5 months of sleeping only three hour (and sometimes less) stretches, mama was feeling it.

The good news is, after just a couple of days of sleep training, he is sleeping 8 hour stretches at night and waking up HAPPY every morning! Hallelujah and amen.

Aaanywho.

The point of all this is to say that I'm getting a lot more sleep and I'm starting to feel like a real live person again. Someone who can make meal plans and cook and clean and play with my kids and talk to my husband at night and not feel like I'm going to collapse in a heap by 8 pm. (Oh, who am I kidding. 7 PM)

Sleep deprivation tends to make me weepy and pessimistic so the world is looking a lot more beautiful this past week.

And actually, the world IS a whole lot more beautiful because we are having a gorgeous fall! The weather has been perfect, the trees have just reached their height of glory, that shining moment when the leaves are blazing with color that happens juuuust before they all fall off. I'm trying to soak it all in before the cold sets in.

So, lets see. What's been happening around here. Ummmm....hmmm.

Homeschool stuff. Lily is an eager student which makes my job easier. Sophia sometimes sits with us, sometimes does her own thing. They are both super smart but in different ways and I find researching different learning styles fascinating.

They both had birthdays and we had fun celebrating them.

We had family pictures. And I had my times mixed up because I'm a super organized person who never remembers to write things down in her planner so we had to race to get there. And we got a speeding ticket from the mobile speed cam on the way, so, expensive lesson learned.

Luke is adorable and smiley and awesome. He melts me into a great big puddle and I can't stop kissing him and hugging him and praying that we can stretch out this baby phase as long as possible. (Whhhyyy do they have to get big so fast?)

We have been super busy with work and church and family stuff and its been good but we've also had to intentionally schedule some downtime because: introverts.

Group Selfie: Take 12,000

I said, "Let's take our picture!"

He said, "....why..."

I'm kind of obsessed with the show Fixer Upper on HGTV and had an actual dream that we moved to Waco and Chip and Jo renovated a house for us. There was also a weird bit in there where I was playing on a professional soccer team so there's a good chance this will never happen in real life.

Life is very full, very messy, very chaotic, and oh so very good. We are grateful. For the things we've learned on the hard road and for a brief sojourn on an easy one.

(Edited to add: I started writing this on Saturday and finished it yesterday...guess which little stinker woke up three times last night? Oh, the irony...he has also been drooling like a maniac and running a fever off and on with no other symptoms so I'm gonna guess he's teething. But really. Who knows? We moms are just making it up as we go along ;)

Weekend Update

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 13:29:00 +0000

Man...let me tell you...September is kicking mah BOOTY! I feel like the entire month has been me trying to keep several balls in the air...and dropping most of them. I'm pretty much an unorganized, scatterbrained MESS these days, can't get caught up on laundry or housecleaning, doing everything at the last second. I just wonder, how many times can you tell someone, "I'm not usually this unorganized," before you realize that, uh, you ARE usually this unorganized!

Anyway...trying to keep things in perspective. Someday I'll get more sleep and be a little more on top of my game...right? Mamas of three can you confirm or deny? :)

This past week/weekend was particularly long as Dave had to work a beast of a schedule. It only happens once or twice now (although he used to work this once a month!) but when it does, it's a doozy! He worked late (as in, till 10 pm) both Monday and Friday nights and then turned around and worked alllll day Saturday. Which means I was single parenting it for a majority of the week...I have major respect to all the single moms and dads out there. It is not for the faint of heart!

I always like to try to plan something "special" for Friday night when he works this schedule - as much for myself as for the girls! We have been reading Anne of Green Gables and I told the girls that if we finished the book, we could watch the movie. We weren't quite finished by Friday, but close enough :)

We ordered cheese pizza with extra cheese

And snuggled up in the couch. Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time FAVORITE movies. I've watched it dozens of times and can practically quote it. It's one of the few movies that I think truly represents the book well - they did such a great job casting it! I was so super excited to get to share it with my girls, I knew they would love it, and they did!

After my pizza I folded some laundry.

Too bad there's like, four more baskets and a full hamper besides...ugh! Laundry wins, every time!

(I know, I know...first world problems! "We just have sooo many clothes, I can't keep them all clean with my fancy machine that does alllll the work for me!")

Anywhoo...after pizza I popped some popcorn. Favorite treat: regular white popcorn drizzled with REAL butter and sprinkled with sea salt. Perfection!

Dave's sister gave us these fun popcorn bags for Christmas last year. Just like at the movie theater!

(Yes, Sophia is wearing a pajama top and a cheerleading skirt. Choose your battles :)

This little man wasn't very interested in the movie ;) He got a bath and then got all snuggly in his PJ's

Sidenote: I've thought for some time that Luke, minus the hair looks an awful lot like Lily as a baby. Check it out:

I sort of underestimated the length of the movie - it said 195 minutes and somehow I converted that to two and a half hours...instead of almost THREE and a half hours (hey, I'm sleep deprived over here, and my mental math skills are a wee bit rusty ;) So bedtime was a smidge later than normal!

Saturday morning we all got ready and headed out to run some errands. We went to the mall to get a cute hat for Luke for family pictures

Then we made a stop at Bath and Body Works. I had a gift card that I've been saving for the fall. I love their fall scented soaps and lotions!

While we were there I found a candle with a unique scent that I loved:

And it was actually $.50 cheaper to buy TWO candles than to buy just one...so I got another one, because, duh!

We dropped Lily off at a friend's birthday party and then Soph, Luke and I headed to pick up Lily's birthday presents!

By the time the party was over it was too late for a nap for the girls so we came home and I let them have "rest time" with a movie. They picked...Anne of Green Gables! :) I got Luke fed and down for a nap and then I started cleaning and fall decorating!

I'm not done yet, so I'm not going to post any more pictures yet :)

Dave came home, we ate supper, did baths and bedtime and then we crashed on the couch.

Sunday I was determined to actually make it to Sunday School in the morning since we've been AWOL basically ever since Luke was born. I got up extra early and got the kids all ready. Luke then promptly spit up allll over his shirt while I was in the shower so Dave changed him and then he had some play time in his play mat. He is really into batting/grabbing things now. I love the look of concentration he gets. Playing is hard work!

We got home from church and after lunch and clean up the kids all went down for naps...and so did I! I slept HARD for a good two and a half hours! It felt soooo good!

After bedtime that night we got some things ready for Lily's birthday! Dave made some of his special blueberry muffins and I wrapped presents

And TODAY this girl turns SIX!

Love you so much, sweet girl!! Can't wait to celebrate your life tonight!!

Friday Favorites: All Things Pumpkin and Plaid

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:55:00 +0000

Whew! We made it to Friday! Honestly, it's been a little bit of a heavy week for us, but I'm keeping it lighthearted for today and linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for Friday Favorites.

1. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Via

You all know how I've professed my love for the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Well, last year in the drive thru, the barista offered me some of their PSL Via coffee - it's instant, you just add water. I was skeptical because I normally HATE instant coffee. But it tasted so good! It wasn't exactly like a latte right from Starbucks, but it was pretty darn close! I bought some and made myself a cup with homemade whipped cream on top...mmmmmm. Now that we live so much further away from Starbucks, it isn't really convenient for me to get a drink regularly (probably a good thing). So this will be my substitute!

2. 25 Jonathan Taylor Thomas Posters You Definitely Had In Your Room

What tweenage girl in the 90s didn't have a crush on JTT? He was our Justin Bieber...only not as stupid ;) My mom wouldn't actually let me have posters of boys in my room, which was, like, so unfair (totally get it now Mom, bt-dub) but I do remember smuggling in a poster of him by way of a magazine i bought at the Scholastic Book Fair once when I was in 8th grade. I was such a rebel ;) A friend posted this link on Facebook and it totally cracked me up.

3. The Best Twitter Reactions to Gilmore Girls Coming to Netflix

Another friend posted this on Facebook last night. So funny. Love it! Who wants to come have a marathon Gilmore Girls watching session with me? :)

4. Fall Candles

We are in full throttle fall mode here. The weather is super chilly so we've busted out the jeans and long sleeved shirts and boots. And I'm hoping to bring out some fall decor later today. Last night I went to a friend's candle party and ordered a new fall candle from Gold Canyon: Pumpkin Berry Spice Cookie

I just love their candles!! Can't wait to get this and start burning it!

5. Pumpkin Spice Cheese Ball

Speaking of Pumpkin Spice, we had a team meeting for Tastefully Simple on Monday night and got to taste a bunch of recipes from the new fall/winter catalog. This was so yummy!! Serve it with some Twisty Grahams and BAM! You've got an instant dessert for a fall get together. I wish I had some right now to go with my Pumpkin Spice Latte. On second thought, that might be a pumpkin overload. Can you have such a thing?!?

6. All Things Plaid

I'm no fashionista but I'm noticing a major trend towards plaid this fall. Here are a few of my favorites:

This plaid scarf is so cozy and would instantly turn a plain shirt or sweater and jeans into an outfit!

I also love this plaid shirt.

It would look so cute with this boyfriend cardigan in navy or red.

Or this puffer vest.

That's all for today. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Just Some Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 21:01:00 +0000

Oh, friends. I wish I could write a peppy little post about how awesome life is right now, but the truth is, I'm struggling this week. I am oh so very tired and when I look at our jam packed calendar for the months of September and October, the introvert in me wants to just curl up in a little ball and pretend I don't have any responsibilities.

I really struggle with the desire for a simplified, less busy life in a culture that practically demands busy-ness. We could cut some things out...but what? How do we go about determining what are God ordained activities for our particular stage of life and what aren't? How do we engage with our neighbors and others in the world around us if we aren't participating in the activities they are? Must we be swept along with the busy tide of the world in order to reach it? How do i balance ministering to my family with ministering to those outside of it and not make either ministry into an idol? These are questions I don't have answers to, but that I am pondering this rainy day.

I know that "the good old days" are a myth. But there is something in me that yearns for a time when people were less connected digitally, and more connected personally - where people sat on their porches and talked or just dropped in for surprise visits to their neighbors from time to time.

What are we losing with our constant participation in scheduled and organized activities, where there is little opportunity to sit and quiet our hearts?

One thing I am grateful for is our decision to homeschool - though it may, on the surface seem to increase my busy-ness with the need to plan lessons, etc. etc. - it also has done something wonderful in that it forces us to be at home more, during the day. For those hours of the day I am focused on my girls, giving them my undivided attention and the conversations we have had, the quality along with quantity of time has been good for our souls. And it is good for little Luke, to have the blessing of restful naps in his own bed, to get into a rhythm of living rather than rushing. Our nights and weekends are bursting to overflowing with activity but our mornings and afternoons are quieter and more scheduled, and for that I am thankful.

Ironically, I've just recently taken a new opportunity that is going to put a little strain on my schedule - although hopefully not too much. After a couple of years of considering and waiting for the time to be right, I decided to become an independent consultant for Tastefully Simple! My sponsor, Kim, has been (gently and very graciously) asking me for some time and she finally made me an offer I couldn't refuse ;) They've got some great incentives going on so I decided to give it a try.

Because we homeschool and I stay at home all day, I have been looking for opportunities to get outside my four walls a little more and interact with new people. I'm praying this will be a good way to develop relationships with others in our community. I know it's going to take some trial and error to figure out how much I can schedule without sacrificing the precious relationships with the people in my home, and it will likely be something that I can only pursue to a smaller degree right now while we are in this exhausting "little people" stage of parenting, but I'm praying for God's wisdom and direction in managing it and my other responsibilities. And, though we don't need the extra income, we can hopefully use it to reach some extra financial goals, or to be a blessing to others. Right now my goal is to have two parties per month. We will see how that plays out!

In other unrelated news, this morning I tripped on a toy that one of the girls left on the stairs and fell super hard on my tailbone. It is reaaaallly sore...as in, I can't sit on it and am even struggling to walk or bend without it hurting...does this mean I broke it? My light Googling this morning basically told me nothing except that it could be either bruised or broken. And that there is no treatment for a broken tailbone anyway, other than time and painkillers, and possibly one of those embarrassing little donut pillows to sit on. So.....yeah. Awesome. What is it with me sustaining embarrassing injuries when my children are infants?

So tell me...do you feel busier than you'd like? What do you do to stop the crazy train? How do you manage stress? I pray. And eat Oreos ;)

Homeschool Happenings: Why Homeschool? Alternately Titled: Are You A Crazy Religious Nut Job?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:11:00 +0000

Without a doubt the thing I get the most questions about on this blog is homeschooling, mostly from people who are considering it for themselves and wondering if I have any advice/suggestions/thoughts.

And, listen: I am about the furthest thing from an expert that you will find. There are so many other homeschooling mamas out there who have done it longer and better. But because there seems to be so much interest in my thoughts on the topic...I'm going to give them to you. I'm going to call this new series "Homeschool Happenings" until I can think of a title that isn't so nauseatingly cutesy ;)

If you have absolutely no interest in homeschooling and could not care less what I think about it, feel free to ignore this!

The first and most obvious question I'm going to tackle is simple: WHY?

What made me want to homeschool?

This is a question I get most often from people who don't homeschool. The implied question within that question is: Are you crazy?!? Or, alternately, a religious nut job?

And I guess the answer to that question might be....depends on who you're asking ;)

Let me give you a little background to start. From the time I was in Kindergarten until 4th grade I attended a small private Christian school in Pennsylvania. My dad was a pastor, and in March of my 4th grade year he accepted a job at a church in Kansas. Because we were so near the end of the year, the teachers in our old school worked out a deal with my mom, where they sent her with all the materials to finish out the last two months of our school year at home. This was my first and only experience as a "homeschooled" kid. My mom knew that homeschooling all four of her children just wasn't in the cards for her long term. There weren't any private Christian schools that were a) close enough and b) affordable enough, so I began 5th grade in our public school and graduated from that same school 7 years later.

And, listen. I have no regrets about the time I spent attending traditional school, both private and public. Seriously. Zero. I don't hate traditional schools, I am not "against" the public schools. I look back at my experience there and see how God clearly used it to test and strengthen my faith in Him.

My parents weren't really all that thrilled about the prospect of sending us to the public school initially, but they believed this was the best option for our family, and you know what? God used it. He isn't limited in His work in our lives or our children's lives by the educational choices we make. HE'S A BIG GOD.

So I guess that's the first thing you need to know. We are NOT choosing to homeschool our kids because we think God is a cosmic vending machine who will drop out spiritually mature, well adjusted children if we just push the right buttons. That's not how it works. We know that.

Which brings us back to our original question: why?

And to be honest with you, I don't know that I can give you a completely concise answer, but I'll try to sum it up as best I can.

1) Freedom. We have the freedom to choose our own curriculum and to tailor our methods to best fit each and every different style of learning that our children bring to the table. They are unique and we don't have to give them a one size fits all education. Traditional school teachers can't do this, or at least, can't do it as well. That isn't a criticism - they are just up against a lot more odds than we are. If you have a class of 20 kids, there just isn't time to spend one on one with each child the way you can when you are only teaching 2 or 3 or even 4 or 5. They also have to spend time each day doing administrative stuff that we don't: taking attendance, lining up to go to recess or lunch or PE or Music, etc., etc.

2) Worldview. Yes, we have a specific worldview that we hope to impart to our children. EVERYONE does. If they say they don't, they are kidding themselves. People who are "religious" often get painted as people who want to brainwash their children, but there is a world of difference between brainwashing and teaching what you believe to be true. Don't people who believe in evolution want their children to learn evolution too? Won't people who don't believe in God present a heavy bias against God when presenting the case to their children? Of course! We recognize that our children might choose to disagree with our worldview, but they are our children, which means we have the privilege of giving them what we believe to be the truth.

Do I think teachers in public schools are evil, manipulative people whose goal is to get their tentacles into my precious children and undermine my authority? Uh, no. I worked in a public school for a few years before Lily was born. I know lots of really great teachers. I have friends who are teachers. I'm sure there are bad teachers out there just like there are bad doctors and bad lawyers and bad bankers and so on and so forth. That doesn't mean the establishment as a whole is bad. But you are kidding yourself if you think that a teacher's worldview won't affect what they teach. I had a history teacher in high school who told us it was her goal to turn all of us into "good little Democrats". She said it tongue in cheek, of course, but did her political views have an impact on the way she viewed history? Yes! What we believe, we live. What we believe, we teach. The idea that an education at home will be presented with a bias but an education at school won't is ludicrous. You could probably find a teacher that is completely neutral if you looked hard enough, but they would be the exception, not the rule.

A sidenote on this: I actually plan on teaching evolution to our children, but it will be in a different context. They need to know about it because it is widely accepted and I think they should have an understanding of it. The difference is, we will offer alternative answers. We aren't afraid of differing world views being presented, but we will present them to our children along with what we feel is the correct worldview.

Will our children ever question our worldview? I hope so! I want them to think through these things themselves. Grappling with questions is healthy, and I'm confident enough in what I believe to know that it can stand up to questioning. I don't want them to blindly accept what I say like little robots, and neither does God - that's why He gave us free will!

Sidenote number 2: Do I believe that homeschooling is the only way to impart your worldview to your children? Of course not! GOD IS A BIG GOD (see above) My parents did it. Other parents are have done/are doing it. But homeschooling does have an advantage in that you have a lot more time with your children to work through these things, which brings me to my third reason:

3) Time. This is one of the most beautiful and at times maddening things about homeschooling: you are with your kids 24/7.

You are WITH YOUR KIDS. 24/7.

Which creates awesome potential for conversations and experiences with them, and, also, nervous breakdowns.

This is why we have mandatory Quiet Time every day.

It is a blessing that can sometimes feel like a curse. But the big benefit is you have, not just time, but unhurried time. Time that isn't squeezed in between homework and dinner and sports practice and bedtime.

You can spend an afternoon reading classical literature or take a nature walk in the fall or stop your phonics lesson for a discussion on why Jesus came to die or take a rabbit trail to explore the process of osmosis during a science lesson.

You can make a recipe with them to help them learn fractions, or teach a lesson on pulleys and then send them out to ride their bikes and see one in action. You get to connect the facts on a piece of paper to the real life they are living. You get to show your kids that school is so much more than rote memorization (although that can be a part of it). It is about the endless possibilities for knowledge. God created this huge, complex world and you get to explore it with them!

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

And ultimately, I think that's what it's about for us. Homeschooling is this big, huge, awesome opportunity to light a fire in our kids. To give them a thirst for knowledge and then provide them with the tools to quench it. I could never teach them everything there is to know about the world, but my goal is to create a hunger within them to know and let that hunger drive them towards lifelong learning. I want them to know that education does not begin or end with "school time", but that it encompasses their whole life. This is what I think drives many teachers, and I just have the privilege of taking that mission and applying it to my own children instead of someone else's. Homeschooling is a privilege.

It's also kind of crazy, and maybe a little weird. It's definitely not conventional. It's definitely not for everyone. If you aren't homeschooling your kids, please know, no judgement here. Shoot, we are only at the beginning, there may very well be a time when we change course and enroll our kids in traditional school. But for right now, this is what we are doing and this is at least part of the reason why.

Whew. That was a lot of words. If you've made it this far, get yourself a cookie, you deserve it.

Believe it or not I still have thoughts on this topic and I'm willing to bet some of you still have questions, so now it's your turn to talk. What are your thoughts? Do you have questions I didn't address? Objections? Concerns? Words of encouragement? Feel free to let me know. My only requirement is kindness and thoughtfulness. It's fine if you disagree, just use your manners, please :)

My Husband is 98% Awesome, And Other Things I Learned From the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:49:00 +0000

I have a confession to make.

I love taking those quizzes people are always posting on Facebook.

I never share my results because I'm too embarrassed to admit that I just spent time trying to figure out Which 90's Boyfriend You Would Date? Or that some person on the Internet guessed that I was a 50 year old man. (As opposed to being mistaken for a 15 year old girl, which is what happens in real life)

(I am a thirty year old woman with three children and a mortgage thankyouverymuch)

I've managed to successfully avoid getting sucked into any of those pointless games, like Candy Crush or Farmville, but for some reason I feel this irresistible pull anytime I see one of those pointless quizzes. I need to know:

Which Disney Princess Are You?

(Snow White)

What is Your Old Person Name?

(Myrtle)

Which Friends Character Are You?

(Rachel)

(Ok, fine. It was Chandler.)

Which High School Stereotype Are You?

(Rebel)

(This literally could not be further from the truth)

I'm just putting this out there so I can get the help I need. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I might need you to stage an intervention.

(But not before I find out What My 80's Theme Song Is!!!)

Is anyone else a closet Facebook quiz taker? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Watch Luke Grow: 2 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:08:00 +0000

So while we were on vacation this little dude turned 2 months.

I just can't even with the cuteness.

Dave likes to joke that he is turning me into a total softie. And he's right. He just melts me into a puddle. Which is fine right now when he's a snuggly baby but when he starts needing some discipline? Oh boy are we in trouble. Tough love, mama, tough love.

Anywho.

When we went to the doctor she told us that he looks so, "advanced" and "mature" which is a pretty hilarious description of a 2 month old. But I get what she's saying, because he really does act older than 2 months. He is thee smiliest, most interactive baby. Yesterday while I was out for a couple hours Dave told me he got his first belly laughs. He just loves to be around people, loves to watch what's going on around him and LOVES to be talked to and cooed at.

He's been holding his head up almost since he was born - like, literally, the doctor laid him on my chest and he was pushing up with his arms and holding his head up when he was all of two seconds old. And he's been rolling over for weeks now. So, you know, he's probably going to end up being a professional athlete someday. But I'm totally not biased ;)

He's also 12 pounds 10 oz, which is a milestone I'm pretty sure neither of the girls hit until they were, like, 6 months old. For real.

The downside of his being so "advanced" and "mature" and all, is that he never really had that newborn "I'll sleep anywhere at any time" phase. And, in fact, he does not sleep well at all in his carseat which means I have to spend a lot of time at home if I want him to take decent naps, which means I am at home a lot during the week which sometimes makes me crazy. However, good sleep habits are so worth establishing, and i know from having two older children that we'll all be better for it in the long run.

Plus I don't spend nearly as much time at Target which means I don't spend nearly as much money at Target, so there you go.

I'm at that paradoxical stage where I am kissing his chubby cheeks and hoping he never gets older, while simultaneously praying that he will start sleeping through the night soon.

Also? If you watch Jimmy Fallon at all then you will appreciate this next picture.

It's Baby Rob Ford. Please, Lord, let this be the only time in his life when he resembles him!

I've been trying to write out the story of his birth for weeks now, and every time I do I get so so emotional. It's hard for me to put into words what his life has meant to us! God's grace is so inextricably intertwined in it.

Luke, we are so thankful to God for the gift of your life, so blessed to be able to know you and hold you and love you here, on this earth! Happy 2 months and praying for many more!

A Little R & R

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:40:00 +0000

Hey all!

We are back from spending a week of vacation with my entire family on a lake in Minnesota! We've been trying for several years now to find a time and a place that could accommodate our large group - there are 20 of us in all! And to be honest, I was beginning to think it just wasn't going to happen. But then this summer, miracle of miracles, we were able to find a week that worked for all of us, and a cabin that would hold us.

And then the cabin fell through.

And we started searching for other places but everything was too expensive or booked solid.

But THEN! We ran across a resort with a fabulous lodge that would hold every single one of us and it was available for a reduced price for five days at the time we needed it! Everything fell into place so perfectly, and I'm so grateful the Lord worked it out this way. Though we would love to make this a yearly thing, it just isn't likely that will happen and I'm so grateful for the time we had together there!

I think it's safe to say that this resort totally ruined me for any other resort. It was by far the best place we've ever been!

It wasn't fancy but it was clean and comfortable. They had free activities for the kids every day - crafts, turtle races, a nature walk, a sand castle building contest.

A huge stretch of sandy beach. Kayaks, canoes, water bikes, standing paddle boards, all free.

They served ice cream sundaes on Sunday night, and had a party on Thursday night with ribs, live music and a little limbo :)

We rented a pontoon for the week but the only thing we caught were crayfish...

Seriously! One day it was super windy and a ton of crayfish washed up on the beach. We got two big bucketfuls and boiled them. The guys were bummed that the fishing wasn't better, but according to the dock boy at the resort, it's been an off year. I didn't really care about the fishing :)

They also offered free water skiing and tubing in the afternoons. And on Friday morning, the most AMAZING homemade donuts I have ever tasted!

Before we left I had been feeling like we really hadn't had much of a summer - having a newborn, while wonderful in many ways, tends to inhibit your ability to get out of the house sometimes :). This was the PERFECT end to summer for us. We got to be outside, enjoying the sun and the sand and the water with some of the people we love the most. Each family took turns cooking so we got a break the rest of the week. The girls made priceless memories and wore themselves slap out with their cousins.

And if you know my family, you know there is never a dull moment. We are a goofy bunch :) We made so many fun memories - like my dad falling into the lake, fully clothed ;)

But now we are back and throwing ourselves full swing into the months ahead. September brings the start of Kindergarten for Lily - I'm so glad we are homeschooling or I'd be in a puddle right now - and of course, birthdays and family pictures and our first day of homeschool co-op and football and bonfires and AWANA and all the pumpkin things!

Before vacation I was desperately holding onto summer, but now I'm ready to embrace fall. Routine and schedule - we need it!

Midweek Randoms

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:04:00 +0000

Hump DAY! Love that commercial :)

So I had planned a different post for today, but you know what they say about the best laid plans.

This has been a little bit of a rough week. I haven't showered since Sunday.

(But I don't want to talk about that.)

Instead I'm just going to post a few random pictures from the past several weeks.

I was trying to take a picture and Sophia insisted on putting "her baby" with mine. Luke was not amused.

I unintentionally coordinated their outfits one day. Love them!

(And, yes. The hair! I know.)

Sophia had this MASSIVE bug bite on her arm one day. I have to admit, it was a little unnerving, but she said it didn't hurt. I don't even really like to think about what it was that gave it to her. *shudder*

I love Luke's face in this one :)

We had some friends over this weekend and Dave made his famous grilled chicken recipe.

Ok, so it's not actually his recipe, but he did discover it and its amazing. I could eat it every day of the week.

They crowned him Prince of Narnia ;)

Teaching the girls to be responsible for their room just might be the death of me.

But I love them anyway. Precious little mess makers :)

Happy hump day!

For My Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 15:31:00 +0000

Today is my Dad's 59th birthday. And I don't really have a good intro or a clever opening paragraph, but I want to take a moment to honor him here.

I was fortunate to grow up in a home with two loving parents who were committed to each other and to God. They weren't perfect, and they knew that very well, but they were faithful. When I think of my dad, there are so many things I admire, but here are just three (and like a good preacher's daughter, they all start with the same letter ;)

Hard Work

My dad grew up on a farm and the work ethic that was instilled in him as a child has never left him as an adult. Working as a pastor in a small church doesn't exactly come with a fat benefits package. I can remember when he began serving as a pastor in one town, the church was in financial trouble and couldn't even afford to pay him at first. He didn't complain, he just worked extra hours doing construction work on the side to help pay the bills.

He built two houses for our family with his own hands and has spent all his life working long hours at more than one job to make ends meet. Though we never had much money, I never felt deprived as a child. We always had food and clothing and my dad's example of hard work and self discipline has made an impact on each of his four children.

Humor

If you've met my dad, then you know he has a great sense of humor. He doesn't take himself too seriously and is constantly cracking jokes that will make you groan and smile at the same time. When we were growing up he was always making up funny stories (ask him to tell you about Hiram and Henry sometime!) He's always had the ability to make me laugh, even on my worst days.

Humility

If there has ever been an example of humble, servant leadership in my life, it has been my dad. He served as a pastor for over 25 years in various small town churches. He was never too proud to do the small things that needed to be done. And he never took credit for the work God was doing. His was not an explosive, rapidly growing ministry that bore the marks of what might be considered success in earthly terms. He didn't grow a mega church or build an empire of churches but he gave faithfully of his time and energy, constantly listening and counseling and preaching and discipling.

When I was in college, I can remember hearing people ask what my parents had done to raise children who didn't rebel - weren't preacher's kids supposed to be bad apples? My dad's answer was always the same. "I have no idea. It's only by the grace of God, because we made a lot of mistakes." And he meant it sincerely every time. He didn't view his "success" or effectiveness as a parent as HIS at all, and recognized that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, his efforts would have been fruitless.

Even after being led away from a formal pastoral ministry, he has never stopped serving. He now works for not nearly enough money using his construction skills to serve as the head of maintenance at a Bible college. He and my mom have a revolving door of college students who they've welcomed into their home and lives at various times over the past ten years. We joke that they have never REALLY had an empty nest, as theyve used their home to provide for kids they see who have a need. And he's spent almost a year and a half serving as the temporary pastor for a church in a small town nearby. After working more than 40 hours a week at his day job, he spends his "spare" time preparing sermons, praying, leading Bible studies, knocking on doors to reaching out to people in the community.

People so often look to the outgoing, charismatic leaders of the evangelical world and admire them - and there isn't necessarily anything inherently wrong with that. But I think so often we overlook the value of quiet, faithful, committed service to the Lord. It might not be as flashy or exciting, but it is no less important. Someday I believe there will be a line of people in heaven who had seeds planted in their lives by my dad that he never had the opportunity to see take root and grow.

I could go on and on about the lessons I've learned from my dad - the way he taught me to respect the authorities in my life, even if they hadn't necessarily earned it.

The way he challenged me to think from a different perspective when I was complaining about a teacher at school - he never let me get away with blaming other people for my problems without forcing me to look at the part I played in the equation.

He gave me a good dose of tough love when I needed it and wasn't afraid to speak hard words to me if necessary. And yet, I never once doubted his love for me. He was strict, but the rules he set forth and the punishment he delivered came within the context of a loving relationship.

But most of all, the thing I appreciate about my dad - about both of my parents - is that they told me about Jesus. Through their faithful teaching and the work of the Holy Spirit, I came to know the One who made me and loved me and sacrificed to save me. There is no greater gift they could have given me.

Dad, I love you so much and am so thankful for the privilege I had to be raised by you! I'll always be your little girl...and your favorite daughter ;) Happy birthday!

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 16:40:00 +0000

Happy Friday, friends!! It looks like its shaping up to be a GORGEOUS day! The weather this summer has been total craziness, but we are loving it!

Today I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for some Friday Favorites and sharing a pretty random line up of some of my current favorite things.

1. Amazon Prime - I'm not sure if I mentioned that I kind of sort of accidentally signed us up for Amazon Prime a couple of years ago when I forgot to cancel our free 3 month trial. *Ooooops*

We decided to make the best of it and ended up ordering almost ALL of our Christmas presents (along with a bunch of other stuff) through Amazon that year. The membership more than paid for itself with what we saved on shipping, and I became totally sold on the benefits of online shopping. You'll deliver right to my door for free within two days? Sign. Me. Up.

BUT. The free shipping is only part of it! I just recently discovered Amazon Video, which lets Prime Users stream tons of movies and TV Shows for FREE! Dave and I just started watching the very first season of 24 (I know, we are way late hopping on that bandwagon)

They have tons of kids programs for free too, AND wait for it....

EXERCISE VIDEOS!

Guys. Jillian Michaels, streamed for free, right to our TV. Craziness! Fingers crossed that I can start losing the extra pregnancy pounds soon!

AND. Last thing, promise.

Amazon Music. Kind of like iTunes, you can download songs and Prime members have a pretty extensive collection of songs and albums available to them, again, for FREE. Then you can listen to those through their Amazon Music app on your smart phone or tablet (including Apple products). It is AWESOME!

LOVING listening to this album by Shane and Shane!

And just to be clear, Amazon isn't perking me to say any of this (yeah right, I wish!), I just love it that much! If you're not a member, you should look into it! There are other benefits too like the Kindle Owners Lending Library and special Amazon Mom deals on things like diapers and wipes.

Ok. PHEW, that was a long one!

2. Aveda Hair Potion

This stuff is crazy! The stylist used it on my hair last time I got it cut to add more volume. You just shake a little of the powder on your roots where you want more volume, and it gets COLD! So weird. Then you use a comb to tease it a little. It works great! When I explained it to Dave he was like, "So it's like Gold Bond?" Ha! I wonder if the active ingredients are similar? Anywho, all I know is it works like magic!

3. Noosa Yoghurt

I decided to try this a couple of weeks ago when it was on sale and it is AMAZING! You'll never want to go back to regular yogurt again! It's so thick and creamy and has amazing flavor, not too sweet and not too tart. Plus it's high in protein so it's filling! I've only tried the Strawberry Rhubarb and Lemon - both are yummy but the lemon is my favorite. It's almos like eating dessert! The only downside? It's pretty pricey. If you see any good coupons or sales for it, let me know!

That's all for today. Hope your weekend is great!

Tasty Tuesday: 3 Ingredient Oreo Ice Cream Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 20:29:00 +0000

I would just like to note that currently all three of my children are sleeping all at the same time and I am using these precious moments of quiet to share this pan of deliciousness with you. You're welcome :)

After we had Luke we had people bringing us meals for about three full weeks. It was awesome. Almost everyone brought us a dessert. Also awesome, except if you consider the fact that in one week's time we received approximately one month's worth of desserts. And somebody was going to have to eat all that dessert so it wouldn't go to waste! Challenge accepted ;)

This was one of the desserts we received and it was probably my favorite. I knew immediately I needed to find out how to duplicate it and I was thrilled when I found out how easy it is!

The funny thing is, it consists of three ingredients that I'm normally just so/so about.

Vanilla ice cream? Meh

Cool Whip? Unless its on my coffee, I can take it or leave it.

Oreos? Only if there's no other chocolate in the house

But mix them together and something magical happens.

It really could not be simpler:

Three Ingredient Oreo Ice Cream Cake

-1 tub (16 oz) Cool Whip

-2 packages Oreo cookies

-plain vanilla ice cream

1. Soften ice cream.

2. Thaw Cool Whip.

3. Crush Oreos (do not crush into fine crumbs - you want them to still be kind of chunky)

4. Mix ice cream, Cool Whip, and half of the Oreos together and spread in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Oreos on top.

5. Freeze until hard.

6. Eat.

You know what's a great motivation to get some exercise?

Knowing you get to eat dessert afterwards.

Or Oreo Ice Cream Cake.

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Update

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:03:00 +0000

Good morning, friends!

Hope you all had a refreshing weekend! For the first time in a long time, we had a nice low-key "normal" feeling weekend. It was wonderful!

Friday night is usually our pizza night. For something different this time, I made a version of Old Chicago's Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls.

I kind of combined a few different recipes and wasn't really sure how they would turn out...they ended up being super yummy! I'm going to try to write it down so I can remember it and I'll hopefully share it here once I do!

After supper the girls and I went for a walk to play at our neighborhood park while Dave gave Luke a bath, put him to bed, and cleaned up the kitchen.

*Sidenote: Dave is AWESOME about helping me clean up after dinner almost every night and he's made the effort to learn how to do it the way I like it...it's probably one of the sweetest things he does for me...he knows that my love language is acts of service! Forget the flowers, help around the house is my preferred expression of affection!!

Speaking of cleaning...Saturday mornings are when we get most of our deep cleaning accomplished. I take the upstairs, Dave takes the main level, the girls pick up their room and occasionally help me with the dusting or bathrooms. This isn't how we've always done it, and I kind of hate that I need help in this area, but it's working in this season of life.

This is what happens when you don't fold your clean laundry for two weeks...

While I was tackling Mount Laundry, I decided to turn on an episode of The Pioneer Woman to watch while I folded. The girls were playing in a different area of the house, but it wasn't long before this happened:

If you turn on The Pioneer Woman, they will come :) It just so happened that on this episode, her boys were making their own "clubhouse", which led to this:

This is the area under the stairs in our basement. The girls claimed it as their "clubhouse" when we moved but hadn't really done anything with it. Watching the show inspired them to start working on it! I had to give them a little guidance (aka, let's not take all the cushions off the couch to cover the floor) - Dave had the idea of using the Christmas lights - they loved it! So cute!

As I was folding laundry, I looked at these piles of little clothes and just felt so unbelievably grateful. Two daughters and a son!

Later that afternoon, I took Lily "school shopping". Back to school shopping with my mom is one of my favorite memories from when I was a kid. I was that nerdy bookworm that got excited about new school supplies :)

Even though we are homeschooling, this will be Lily's first year of "official" school and I still want her first day of Kindergarten to be a big deal for her. I'm hoping she (and some day Sophia and Luke) might have the same fond "Back to School Shopping" memories that I do.

A couple of weeks ago, I was super excited to learn that there was a Gap Factory Store in a town nearby! I like the Gap Factory Store even more than the regular Gap, not just because they have super good deals, but also because the clothes they have there just seem to fit my style a little more. I had a coupon to use, so we headed there to get a couple of new clothing items.

I buy almost all of the kids'clothes a season ahead and shop end of season of clearance, consignment and thrift stores, and garage sales so I can get high quality clothes for less. However, Lily is a little hard to fit in pants - she's tall and skinny so pants that are long enough are often too big in the waist and vice versa. I've found that the Slim jeans at Gap fit her best, and I'm willing to pay a little more for them because of that.

We were lucky to find some cute jeans in her size that were on clearance - we ended up paying around $8 for them! We also got this clearanced dress for less than $5! She can wear it this fall with a jean jacket and boots and it should still fit her next summer.

Lily was sooo cute trying clothes on. She's definitely a girly girl and I love sharing moments like this with her!

Our next stop was Target for school supplies. I had a coupon for Buy One Get One Free frappucinos that I'd been saving for just such an occasion :) Double Chocolatey Chip for her and Mocha Cookie Crumble for me. Sweet girl decided to save part of her drink to take home to her sister! I tried very unsuccessfully to take a picture of us with our drinks...

I don't even understand what happened here. Why are we on a postage stamp? Whatever man. #ihateselfies

This little guy came with us, because he has yet to take a bottle and we were going to be gone for awhile. He spent most of our time in Gap doing this:

But after a few minutes in Target he was D-O-N-E, done.

I spent most of our time in there trying to bounce and hold him to keep him from crying with one hand while pushing the double stroller with the other. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, "You've got your hands full," I'd have...about ten dollars ;) But we made it through, got our supplies and headed home. You've gotta go with the flow when you have a newborn!

Monday morning = lots of coffee and low key activities.

Hope your day is great!

I Read A Book

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 12:20:00 +0000

I know, I am really rockin' with the clever titles this week. Just leave me alone, I'm not getting a whole lot of sleep these days :)

Anyway.

It's true, I read a book. A really simple, really short, really good book and it was so awesome I knew I had to spread the word.

Moms.

Buy this book.

It's only 8.99 on Amazon right now which is roughly the cost of two Grande Iced Caramel Lattes with Whipped Cream and Caramel Drizzle which may or may not be my favorite drink at Starbucks.

And believe me, this will be money far more well spent.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, got it in the mail on Tuesday, sat down with it that night fully intending to just read the first chapter and ended up reading the entire book. Yes, I am a speedy reader, but the book is really a quick and easy read.

The basic gist is: a mom struggles with reading God's Word consistently. Same mom struggles to teach her children the Word consistently. Lightbulb goes off - why not combine the two? So she commits to reading one chapter of the Bible at breakfast every morning with her kids -- I should note -- young kids, her oldest was four at the time. The book details the blessings that came from that time.

I love the simplicity of it. One chapter a day. Five days a week. Always at breakfast. If you're thinking, "I couldn't do this because I'm not disciplined" - read the book - neither was she!

If you're thinking, "I couldn't do this because my kids are too small," - read the book - her kids were too (she had three under four when she started).

If you're thinking, "What about the hard passages? What if my kids don't sit still? What if they won't listen?" Read the book - she covers all that!

I'm telling you, it had such an impact on me that we started reading the Bible together at breakfast the very next day. I'm so excited to see how the Lord uses this time in the lives of our children. He promises that His Word will not return void!

In conclusion: I read a book. You should too :)

Parenting is Hard

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 20:38:00 +0000

Profound, I know.

But really, there is no such thing as coasting in this parenting gig. You always have to be on your toes, constantly instructing and discipling and encouraging.

Since bringing Luke home I've really struggled with consistency in disciplining the girls. I'll give them specific instructions on something I do or don't want them to do, then not pay attention to whether or not they actually follow through...and by the time I realized that they didn't throw away their Popsicle stick/put their plate in the dishwasher/pick up their Barbie dolls/you fill in the blank...I'm tired. And it feels easier at the time to just ignore it and pick up that Popsicle stick myself.

Except, it's not easier in the long run, because they figure out that I'm not paying that close of attention and not following through on the discipline and this leads to more disobedience, less respect, more problems in the long run. Which actually makes life more difficult.

The longer I live, the more I realize, no matter what you are doing, you have to put in the hard work now to reap the benefits later. You don't scatter seeds on your front lawn and expect a garden to grow. You have to till the ground. Plant at the optimal time. Weed. Water. Cultivate. SWEAT. You have to spend tedious hours doing the same things over and over. Pulling up those weeds, and then going back and pulling up some more when they pop up again. You can't sit back and watch, you have to get your hands dirty.

Augustine once said, "If you want to eat your BLT later, you must cultivate your tomato plants now."

Ok, I made that up.

But the principle is the same here. You can't expect to reap a harvest of tomatoes if you don't do the work of cultivating. Could you throw some seeds on your lawn and get some tomatoes? Maybe. Could you work hard at cultivating the seeds and still not produce any good fruit. Absolutely!

Of course I pray for the Holy Spirit to do His work in my children's hearts, but that doesn't mean I sit back and twiddle my thumbs waiting for Him to work. He has given me the responsibility of nurturing and training my children's hearts and of pointing them always, always to Him. I am working (hopefully) in conjunction with the Holy Spirit!

Here, in this job. In the sweeping up of the toast crumbs for the millionth time. In the teaching how to fold washcloths and the supervising of the toy pick up. In the reminders to "speak sweet words to your sister." In the follow through - even when I'm exhausted - of the obedience of my children to my requests.

Don't give up.

Don't be lazy.

Do the hard things.

Be faithful.

That's all that He requires.

Till the ground, plant the seed, pull the weeds, and let the sun and rain do their work.

Do the work, let Him take care of the results.

Parenting is hard. But sometimes it's in the hard places that we see God most clearly.

Press on, Mamas!

Transitions and Baby Blues and Why the Crying Doesn't Bother Me Anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@My Front Porch) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:59:00 +0000

Life with three kids. Oh, friends, it is gloriously difficult!

Before we had Luke, I remember unofficially polling all my friends with more than two kiddos. What was hardest? I asked. The transition to two or the transition to three? There were a few exceptions, but for the most part everyone said: three is hardest.

You are outnumbered.

You have more kids than you do hands.

And my friends with more than three said: After three, you just get used to the chaos, and what's a couple more? :)

To be honest, I think the hardest transition FOR ME was going from 0 children to one.

When we had Lily, I wasn't used to having a tiny little person who depended on me for everything.

I wasn't used to having my free time not be "mine". (Although I now recognize that my time was NEVER really mine) Sure, I had a husband, but Dave and I pretty much agreed on how we should spend our downtime. Now, suddenly, there was very little downtime at all!

I wasn't used to living on very little sleep. And if you know me, I need a lot of sleep to function normally! Or at least I USED to need a lot of sleep ;)

I had read tons of books in preparation for parenting, and I knew *theoretically* that there would be lots of diaper changes in a day, and that I would be up in the middle of the night to feed the baby, and that I would be tired, but the difference between knowing those things and actually LIVING those things? Is like the difference between seeing a picture of the Grand Canyon and visiting it in person. You can get a sense for the scope of it, but you'd don't really feel its massive grandeur, the sense that you are dwarfed in comparison to what's in front of you until you've experienced it for yourself.

And that was how I felt. Next to the task of caring for this tiny little human, I was completely dwarfed. Overwhelmed. I remember feeling a sense of panic when we left the hospital - like, wait a second. You actually think we're prepared to take this little person home? Without the nurses? Like, ALL BY OURSELVES? Suddenly, I didn't feel very much like a grownup anymore.

Add to that all the physical changes your body is going through after birth - the crazy hormones and night sweats and milk leaking everywhere and the soreness and the "after pains".

And then the crying. Oh, the crying! Prior to that I had thought that once you fed the baby at night, you'd put them back in the crib and they'd just go back to sleep. And some babies do, I guess, but that wasn't Lily. She cried. A lot. Often for seemingly no reason at all. I actually called the doctor and made an appointment because I was sure there must be something wrong with her. We'd fed her and burped her and changed her and bathed her and cuddled her and nothing stopped the crying. So we went to the doctor. The diagnosis? Fussy baby. Nothing was wrong with her, she just needed to cry.

In addition to all that, looking back after the fact I realized that I was also battling a case of the baby blues. That chapter I had skipped over in my baby books because, "that's not going to happen to me?" Yeah. Should have read it, because if I had I might have realized that post-partum depression doesn't necessarily mean you want to hurt yourself or your baby. I never felt like that.

But I did feel anxious. I remember getting nervous when nighttime was approaching, like, an actual physical tightening in my chest.

I felt overwhelmed and incapable to perform simple tasks like giving her a bath or putting her in her carseat.

I felt like I might never be happy again. Even as I type that, it makes me feel crazy, but the truth is, lots of women experience it, and I think first time mommies with fussy babies are particularly susceptible.

Fortunately, I had a great support system. Dave was a huge help - he was, and still is, a tremendously hands on daddy. My mom received many a tearful phone call pleading for her to "come-help-me-cuz-the-baby-didn't-sleep-at-all-last-night-and-i-can't-make-the-crying-stop!" We had sweet friends and coworkers bringing us meals and offering a listening ear.

So what is the point in writing all this? Well, because its my blog and writing is how I process ;)

But also, because I'm sure there are probably women out there who have experienced or are experiencing what I did and I want them to know: you are normal. It's ok to ask for help if you need it.

And trust me, it's a temporary state. It gets so much better. The first time I got a smile from lily, I felt like my heart would explode with joy.

And, if you're feeling like you don't ever want any more children...I can tell you, it won't necessarily be that hard every time.

Because my second baby? She was so easygoing and laid back, I wanted to have ten more babies.

And now, with our third? He's a lot like his biggest sister in that he fusses a lot, but this time around I've been able to take it all in stride.

Maybe it's because I'm a more experienced mommy and I'm more confident in my abilities.

Maybe it's because I'm better at learning his cries and knowing what to be worried about and what to let go.

Maybe it's because I know how to help him learn to sleep on his own.

Maybe it's because I can look at my beautiful almost six and four year olds and remember that this time is so short and so fleeting and that they get bigger and more independent and self sufficient and they can be POTTY TRAINED! ;)

Maybe it's because we waited so long and went through so much heartache and so many days of holding our breath and wondering if he would really ever make it here ok.

Realistically, it's probably a combination of all of those things mingled in with the grace of God.

All I know is, this time around I have relished in every sweet moment that I rushed through before. The snuggly naps on my chest and the sweet scent of baby lotion and the chubby cheeks and tiny diapers and precious baby grunts and noises.

We are almost six weeks in, and this little guy is already starting to not look so little.

He's sleeping 6-7 hours most nights and is on a pretty predictable schedule during the day. He's smiling and cooing and just being all around adorable.

And also giving us some pretty hilarious facial expressions.

Transitioning to three hasn't been without its difficulties, but it has been far easier and far more wonderful than I ever expected! More and more I look at our three little people and just think, "This is what I was made to do!" I am beyond grateful that God has called me to this kind of ministry, even with the long hours and the sleepless nights and the days of discipline.

So in answer to the question that you didn't ask ;)

Transitioning to three - crazy wonderful. And yes, I'd do it all another time if the Lord allowed :)