Wit by Amanda

November and December 2017

2018-01-01T11:22:00.002-08:00

I have tried to do a monthly blog for about 3 years now...off and on been blogging since 2010. It's nice to look back and see all the pictures and cute thoughts. In my life right now, its not going to be possible going forward in 2018. I am learning to find places to say NO to really good stuff because we can't do it all...you know? I still want to find a place to put the Phillips life out there so I am going to do more intentional posting in social media vs. just a picture. I think I am also going to mix up the Jack and Francine Sunday photo hashtag to include a silly quote from one of them that week...that will include some humor and cuteness overload and see how that works vs. going forward with a blogpost monthly. So consider this the last one till I see fit. Jack and Francine are almost 3 and almost 5 and I think the "digital baby book" has served its purpose. I have been able to record milestones and funny stories. So without further ado...here is the final post.

November & December
We made some great holiday memories together. We also spend some good time with family. I attended a really cool event for business in November and one of my favorite authors did a really cool event in Nashville. Our friend Hunter did an Enneagram Retreat which was awesome to attend! This year it was our second year doing a real Christmas tree! It was also our first Holiday season where we stayed home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Two Christmas concerts that were amazing that Christopher put on! First time we hosted Christmas at our place this year. It was fun and chaos all mixed together. But I think it was great! Thankful to end a really succesful year being on a trip to Chattanooga with Christopher celebrating 10 years together and planning and preparing for 2018!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

When we are on Facetime the other day talking to grandparents. She was "reading" to them and when she ended the story...they said, "Francine who gave you that book?" And she said, "I dont know if it was Jesus or Santa".

Another one of Francine being silly is she was reading the Advent book and she said "And Joseph told the reindeer to go up the mountain"

Jack was telling me about a song in the cars movie and he said the word "vroom" and he said I don’t think they speak the same language...I think they speak England!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack asked at bedtime one night, "after you turn 99 do you turn zero again?"
Personality/Growing up - When jack was 3 he want to be a train conductor. Early 4s he wanted to be an astronaut, doctor, and train conductor. Late 4s (Christmas this year) he said he want to be a raise car driver. He's growing up!
Learning - We were driving in the car and Francine saw the train on the side of the highway and she said why is it not moving and Jack said because it doesn’t want to...he wants to take a break!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Thanksgiving day Francine decided to jump out of her crib for the first time...so now she is in a big girl bed.
Personality/Growing up - She is very demonstrative and when she is telling stories she always used the word "HUGE" except she says HHEEEWWWJJJJ!
Skills - She loved Christmas as does all toddlers. But at one point before Christmas we asked her where Santa got the presents from and she "Jesus gives them to him". She is also getting really smart and logical (SOMETIMES) in her thinking. Before bed one night, we were singing Away in A Manger and Twinkle Twinkle (As we have for the past 365 days....only this time she said, "Mommy did you know that both of those songs talk about stars in the sky?"

Here are some photos from life lately!

October 2017

2017-11-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

October has been a crazy month for America. A lot of scary stuff out there...I saw this quote that was so beautiful from the late great, Mr. Rogers and I dont ever want to forget it.
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster', I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in the world".

October is our anniversary month and one of my favorite months because of the perfect weather. It was a busy month but we had a lot of fun! We celebrated a lot and did a lot of "pumpkin fun". Jack and Francine were in their first wedding and they were adorable.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

So Francine...not sure if she was admiring me or making fun...I came upstairs and she had her backpack on and pretend phone and she was saying, "Hi this is Amanda, and this is Amanda's voice".

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - This kid has a routine every week on Sundays. We head into the coffee shop, he gets a coffee cup, a water bottle, and turns on a floor lamp (that for some reason is never on when we walk in).
Personality/Growing up - This kid! When he is needing some attention, he will go into the living room and turn on my favorite music or Christopher's...depending on whoever he needs time with at that moment.
Learning - We like to go to the library on Wednesdays after Jack's school. Each week, I have been trying to teach him more and more about the library system and how it works. He loves the library and his favorite part is he likes to look up books on the computer and then go find them. That's my boy!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - She has been quite obsessed this month with unicorns. I had their Halloween costumes picked out (Woody and Jane from Toy Story). It was going to be perfect, then... she found out about unicorns...and it was all she could do. Anyway, it ended up being absolutely perfect! She was the most adorable unicorn ever.
Personality/Growing up - Francine woke up and told me that her elephant wants to be a unicorn, and her baby bear wants to be a caterpillar, and she wants to be a cow.
Skills - This child has reasoning down. She is 2! If Jack has two toys in his hand and he is headed out to the car, she tells me "Jack has two toys so I need two toys". This is literally the storyline all day every day. If Jack does anything, it has to be fair and Francine will make sure and let me know!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Her Hair! :)

Her teacher sent me this from school!

Fall at Cheekwood!

Holiday decor up!

September 2017

2017-11-23T12:42:00.004-08:00

September - one of my favorite things happen each year during this month! We go to beach in Seaside! It literally is one of my most favorite places and I love just being there! I also have happened to be there for 3 of my birthdays the past couple years and that makes it even more fun! Came back from the beach and fall kind of hit Nashville it seemed. My mom and brother came and visited us for a few days. We went to a wedding for our "little bro" this month in Chattanooga and got to spend time with Christopher's parents briefly.

I got this quote from a friend's Instagram and it just made me feel so convicted about how and what we say to our kids. I want to do better at this!
"Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become"

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
We watch the CBS Sunday morning show most Sundays before church and the 1st commercial break is always the same guy from Belmont University doing the same commercial - Jack asked if that guy is in Nashville and I said, "Yes he's at the college thats on the way to children's hospital". Jack then said, "What?! We should go visit him!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack is excited about a lot but one of my favorite highlights of this month is his point of view when it came to sunsets. He just glowed when he realized that the sun was setting at the beach. He made sure everyone stopped what they were doing to see it with him!
Personality/Growing up - This kid melts when I tell him I am not happy with him. In our enneagram work, we have definitely had to work on making sure we dont use that as a manipulation with Jack. He wants to please his parents so much and we want him to learn right from wrong not because he wants to please us but because its the right thing to do. Definitely think he is in the dependent stance.
Learning - He has been learning a lot about coloring and art this month. He loves to draw the ROYGBV rainbow or put his crayons in that order. He always looks for patterns or how things are connected. We got ourselves one smart little guy here!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - So Francine is picking up on reasoning. She will say to me, "Are you happy with me?" I will say, "No, Francine I am not. You made a bad choice." So she will say, "Ok I wont do it again...ok?"
Personality/Growing up - She is definitely our "Sassy Francine". She knows right from wrong but she chooses whether she is in the mood to make good choices or not. I have been trying to tell her over and over that she is not a bad person, but she makes bad choices. She is a good person. :) She is a character and definitely the reason for us to be on our needs daily praying! ;)
Learning - This kid is so smart. She is in the phase of "why?" all the time. At the 2-day school, she is doing great and she always loves coming home and telling me what she learned.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

the Sunday photo has become a highlight each week!

Seaside!

Francine's heart checkup

Mom and Phillip visit!

Phil and Kendra's wedding!

Children's Museum in Chattanooga

August 2017

2017-09-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

August! Back to school this month. It makes me a little sad/teary that this will be our final year as "play" school. We really have a child starting school in 2018. I remind myself constantly to enjoy these moments because this may be the best it will be. We did a potty training boot camp this month with Francine and she is doing pretty well with it! The big/tragic event of the month is Jack broke his tibia bone at a trampoline park at the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, he was back to normal, but there was a little while there where he couldn't put weight on his leg for 8 days...and he had to be carried around at all times. We still were able to do most of the things we wanted to do for summer and he was able to start school the first day with all of his friends (and his handy walking cast). We had friends visit from Japan this month. We said goodbye to some friends who moved away. For the most part, August was a great month and we were able to make some really great memories together!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack and Francine are going to be in a wedding in October (Say a prayer for us!) The other day Jack was talking to Francine about it and he said, "I'm going to be a bear down the aisle" (ring-bearer). Oh lord...we don't need any bears at the wedding. :)

This might be the best thing out of Francine's mouth...EVER! Christopher told Francine to stop whining a couple weeks back. And Francine responded, "I'm not whining...I'm just talking!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Wah-Wah - our first broken bone in the family! :( He has been quite the trooper through it all but it was definitely an unknown and unexpected turn of events in our life!
Food - This month has started a new thing for Jack. He asks with almost everything, "is this healthy?" He still eats it even if its not, but man at least we have a mindful kid!
Personality/Growing up - Sometimes I just look at Jack and he is that little boy that we love and cherish and sometimes I look at him and he is like a grown teenager. It feels in those moments that I want the days to slow down for sure and not get away from me. He is so inquisitive to his surroundings. He experiences everything in such an uninhibited place. I am learning through raising this sweet boy!
Learning - Jack started in the 3 day program at Christ Church Dayschool this year. Preschool is here! :)

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Potty training happened this month, while we had a broken leg boy at home and there was not much leaving the house. Over all I will say its been a success for sure!
Food - I think this month she has turned a curve on being not as picky as she one was...Amen!
Personality/Growing up - We were at West Elm and as we were going inside I told her to not touch anything in the store. So she walked around the store and was putting her head on everything and keeping her hands far away from the furniture. Welcome to the world of Francine...where she listens but just wants to cross the boundary a little bit! :)
Skills -She is becoming quite the mommy to all of her animals and babies. And sometimes to her brother even. They were in the bathtub playing and I heard her a couple weeks back saying "Little boy, little boy...you need to listen to me...you need to listen to me". :)

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Add caption

They all fit!

One of his friends Harlow came to visit him on the floor!

Yes that is pizza in a box and sleeping Francine!

She loved the elephants at the fair!

Walking cast!

Its all cleaned and put away!

Had to say goodbye to our friend Paxton!

A night out at the ball park!

First day of school photo!

Nashville had an amazing view of the total solar eclipse!

Our Japanese friends visiting (and Amish country above)

walking out of the hospital cast-free!! Ready for the beach!

A glimpse into what she may look like as a teenager?!

July 2017

2017-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

July! Summer in full swing. Another thing in full swing this month was Whole 30. It felt like so many people around us were doing this program and we thought we should try it out. In the end, I dont think I felt better and wasn't groggy in the afternoon. Other than that, all I wanted was some cheese and some bread. :) We celebrated the 4th of July this month, went blueberry picking, went to a big splash pad, and did a whole lot more summer things! We stayed put this month and didn't travel much. Some friends visited us and we celebrated a lot of birthday parties this month for our kid's friends. Christopher and I went to this cool event called Liminal, an evening with Jeremy Cowart. I took away some good ideas for my business. I started something called a "Mastermind" group and I am pretty happy about it! July... its always nice to see the summer come...and also yearn for it to go about now.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Where to begin...there were a bunch this month. Jack and Francine have been getting a monthly book from Dolly Parton since birth. This month Jack asked when the book came "So does Dolly Parton get on her bus and drive our book all the way to our house?" Oh...to be so naive and little. He knows Dolly Parton has a bus because when we went to Dollywood last month he saw it. :)

Another funny thing Jack said was with Christopher. Christopher ask Jack if he has a beard or a mustache and Jack said "Nope. I just got a chin".

Francine is getting her own funny stories of the month! She will tell us something and then at the end she always says, "you understand me?"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - We have an eye roller in our house. Its cute right now...because its new. He really has perfected when to use an eye roll.
Food - We have become the routine "Pancake Friday" people and Jack just loves it. He was made for a routine! :)
Play - Jack has really been been into running around the downstairs floor of our house. Our house kind of makes a circle so he just continues to chase himself or Lucy or his sister. Its kind of impressive how many times he goes!
Personality/Growing up - We started the reading lessons book with him as a New Year's Resolution for us. He has done amazing with it. He really is enjoying the process I think
Learning - We have had an awesome teacher this summer at his 2 day program. Miss Tammy has taught him a lot of things about underwater animals and he is loving telling me all his new facts!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Poopied in the potty for the first time! way to go Francine!
Food - She likes to help make our juice in the morning when I make it. She definitely eats whatever we serve when she is involved in the process. She will tell you all the items in her juice: carrots, celery, lemons, ginger, apple, cucumber
Personality/Growing up - We definitely can tell she has bloomed this past few months. I know that God will keep me praying for patience with her but I know that her tough/strong will is going to serve her so well in the future so I just need to guide her and help her to use that really strol skill for the good! ;)
Skills - She uses her hands on FaceTime like an Italian person to tell her stories (usually to her grandparents). She likes to re-enact things with her hands too. She was telling her grandparents about how she got hit in the head with a pinata at a birthday party and she kept banging her hand into her head and Christopher made her do it over and over again because it was so funny.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

A lot of sass!

4th Of July!

Blueberry Picking!

Epic Splash Pad

Bradbary's!

The family that wears navy blue sandals together...

One of our favorite neighborhoods, 12th south....working it up the "hill" with two kids on a stroller.

Jeremy Cowart Photography!

June 2017

2017-07-15T12:05:00.004-07:00

June! Summer is here! The kids started a 2 day school program at a different place for June and July. They both love it. Their teachers they new from the Y-play at the gym. We had quite a few people over for dinner this month. Its funny how that ebbs and flows. But literally I think we had 5 different sets of people over for dinner on weekends in June. It was great to catch up with all of those people. Jack went to his first Vacation Bible School at the church for a couple of days. We got word Christopher's grandpa died so we headed to Georgia for the funeral and to spend time with extended family. I went to Naples on Passion for Baking business and spent some good time with our dear friends, Maren and David and their family. We took the kids to their first theme park, Dollywood. They both loved the rides and if they could they would have done more. We got our house painted white this month and its amazing!! All in all....the summer is off to a good start. Jack and I made a summer wish list and we have checked off quite a few of the things from it this month.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

In our many road trips this month and small towns we drove through Jack would always point out the water towers and say "is that a milk tank or a water tank?"

This is a sweet story but also just...man...out of the mouths of 4 year olds.
We asked Jack why he went to Georgia when we got back the next day. He said "Because grandaddy got dead." Later that night we were putting him to bed and he asked "Is Grandaddy going to grow back?" I love how little minds are working and trying to comprehend such big ideas.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack is becoming quite the self-starter and completer. I have noticed that if he gets something out to play with like a puzzle he always wants to finish it.
Food - He is a boy after my heart. This kid loves all things olives and pickles!
Play - We have a new game in our house where we take all of the tote bags of the house and fill them up with toys and carry them around the house. Its called, "Going on a trip".
Personality/Growing up - These kids are great travelers. They love to sleep in the car and it has made our many trips this month quite pleasant. Also - we might have a kid who is a little semi-obsessed with TV. I try to not allow tv at all during the week but on weekends and on road trips, this kid loves it!
Learning - Jack is becoming quite the little artist. He is drawing trees and flowers and people. He also is letting everyone know that he draws in the lines and that is what everyone is supposed to do not just scribble scrabble.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - I painted Francine's little toes for the first time and she loved it. I can see pedicure dates in our future very soon!
Food - She is definitely branching out more and more with food. Her whole life she has not be a fan of avocado (whose child is she)...now she loves it!
Personality/Growing up - Right now she has an intense stare into your eyes when she asks you a questions. This girl has got confidence for days, but I can see a sensitive side to her. Lord help me to help her balance these intensities.
Skills - When she is talking to you she sometimes end her sentence with, "You understand me?" It cracks me up and I am not sure where she got it from. Or she will say something and then say "Okkayyy?"

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

May 2017

2017-07-15T11:38:00.001-07:00

May! We had a good time this month! You work hard and you play hard right? That is definitely the theme of my life right now. I took a girl's trip to Chicago with my roomie from before marriage. Had a blast! This month ended the kids school at Christ Church. Manuela and Maren came in town for a week of researching all things sweets and Nashville for Passion for Baking. Usually when you have little kids you got to toddler birthday parties. This month, we went to two 90th Birthday parties. Also Mother's Day was in the middle of the month and we celebrated by going to a fun new brunch spot and the children's theater to see Goodnight Moon. I love these little nuggets to pieces that call me Mama.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

I dont know why I think this story is so funny, but here it goes. We were doing a reading lesson with Jack and the word was WENT. And he said it in a sentence, "Ya know...like we went to the cemetery". For those that dont know, we walk to our church's Memorial Gardens (aka cemetery) often since its in our backyard, but still...it was so funny to me. Not...we went to get ice cream or we went to the toy store...we went to the cemetery!

Francine is getting to be a funny kid these days too. We were hanging out outside and she was sitting next to our friend Hunter and she looked up at him and said "Do you like my crocs?" in the biggest NY accent I have ever heard in a while. It was amazing and I was beyond joy! Lately when they get something right, Christopher and I both same "Boom!" Francine has been beating us to the word...she will do something good and come show us and say "Boom!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack is becoming quite the self-starter and completer. I have noticed that if he gets something out to play with like a puzzle he always wants to finish it.
Food - I have continued to encourage them to try new things but man, American kids are American kids...nothing makes this kid happier then chicken nuggets, french fries, and ketchup!
Play- the playroom has not gotten old in this new house (well 15 months new!) He still enjoys spending a lot of time in there with all the toys
Personality - He has always been a very aware child. I am so thankful for his kindness and his intentionality and just he is very intune with people and what is going on around him. Those are usually not things that you describe a 4 year old with but they are instinctual for sure. He also loves to just have fun and not be worked up about things.
Learning - We are halfway through our reading lessons book and he is starting to read things wherever we go. Its so awesome to see his face light up when he sees something he can read.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Francine and I were watching the CBS Sunday morning show and they were showing a picture of the country of Japan...she looked at me and said, "Is that poopie?"
Food - Alert Alert!! Francine likes broccoli! Its amazing. I have tried everything to get this girl to eat greens...finally one green! ;)
Personality - Lets just say this child is blooming. She is so spunky and funny....in a highly confident way. It makes me so happy to see her come out of her shell.
Skills - we now talk about "best friends" in our house....oh Lord! Francine will say to Jack are you my best friend? And then he is required to move her chair closer to him because thats what best friends do! Another thing she is killing me with is she will ask me a question and then she will say "Yes or No Mom...Yes or no!"

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Dont ever want to forget these piggies

April 2017

2017-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

April! This was a good month. Lots of exciting things happened. We did all of our annual Easter traditions. We tagged along on a work trip with Christopher to North Carolina. Christopher celebrated his 36th birthday and we had an awesome party where some of our best friends did a 10 course meal called the 10x10 at one of our favorite restaurants, Josephines! We did for the first time this month take our kids out on day dates. I took Jack and Christopher took Francine. I hope this is something that we can continue to do as they get older.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

We were looking through Jack's Thomas the train magazine and we found a train named Phillip and I said "thats just like your name" and he said "No Mom...mines got an S in it".

I put Francine to bed one night this month and I walked by her door and I heard her sing Happy Birthday to herself and then at the end she said "Happy Birthday Francine!" It was hilarious!!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack has a special skill that Christopher and I have noticed. He knows how to turn music to the perfect level for certain environments. Its amazing. We say to each other...we couldn't do it as good as he can.
Favorite color - Red. Still!
Favorite food - I would say its Mac n Cheese this month or Chick-Fil-A
Favorite hobby - We are definitely into playing outside right now
Favorite song - Let's Go Fly A Kite from Mary Poppins. It makes me so hapy!
Learning - I have found that he is really good at teaching. He will show Francine how to do something and then he will explain it to her on her level. Its really cute!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - On Good Friday, we attended a stations of the cross service and there was one part where the group was asked to carry the cross. Francine heard that and she said "I want to carry Jesus' cross". Others heard her say it and they told me after the service how it moved them. I know it meant a lot to me to hear her say that and also carry it...but it was such a sweet moment when others came up to me and told me.
Favorite Color - Blue. Still!
Favorite food - We still aren't a greens lover over here yet, but she is enjoying freeze dried broccoli...so thats a win!
Crying - She has definitely warmed up to many people this month. People laugh and say, "I think she likes me now..."
Skills - I think the best part of Francine is she is starting to play with Jack as a friend. She is also getting to be silly and joking.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

2 year and 4 year checkup!

Cheekwood Easter!

Easter cuties!

Hosted Friend's Easter Dinner at our house!

Vacation to Gatlinburg and Asheville

Hotel living!!

March 2017

2017-05-10T19:23:00.003-07:00

March! It was one for the books for sure! Francine celebrated her 2nd birthday at the beginning of the month. Christopher recorded 2 new records in the studio. We had a big snow in the middle of the month too! Yikes! And a big life change for me is I took a job doing some freelance work for a baking blogger from Sweden (http://www.passionforbaking.com/). I took a quick trip to Chicago with her and David Reme, a good friend of ours that introduced me to Manuela. We were in Chicago for a tradeshow and experienced a lot of great things. The Chicago trip was my first time away from Francine (2 years!! I was with her every day!!) Christopher did a great job playing both parents for 4 days! I am thankful for this month and for the milestones that are involved here. We ended the month at an Enneagram "Know Your Number" Conference with Ian and Suzanne. The information always is so incredible at these events

On Francine's Birthday!! Family photo!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

He was on his swing in the back yard and he saw a brick in the dirt and I said "Look its a buried treasure". He said, "No - God put it there". The back story to this is we are teaching them that God made things...even bugs...and so we don't want to kill things that God made.

Another funny story is we were in the car and we passed a plumbing truck that had a picture of a guy and a girl like on a restroom door...he said "Mommy is that a bathroom truck?"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack loves when candles are on. I have been reading lots of books lately about Hygge, the Scandinavian word for calm/rest/peace and a whole lot more...anyway lots of candles have been going in the house and he loves it!
Favorite color - Red
Favorite food - Chocolate oatmeal
Favorite hobby - I would say doing puzzles or trains right now
Favorite song - Trolls Theme Song still!
Learning - We are almost half way through the reading lesson book that we started at the beginning of this year. He is definitely picking up lots of reading.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - She loves the animal hippopotamus. Her cute little lisp says it so cute. She also says "sassy Francine" now...the lisp and all those SSSS...so cute!
Favorite Color - Blue.
Favorite food - she is still a carb lover but she does love when I make fresh carrot/celery/lemon/ginger juice. :)
Crying - I think we have turned a good leaf with her. It is not nearly as bad as it used to be. It could also be because she is starting to communicate more and so she is able to tell us what she wants
Skills - I think the best part of Francine is she is starting to play with Jack as a friend. She is also getting to be silly and joking.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

February 2017

2017-04-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

February was great. We celebrated a lot this month. Definitely we celebrated having Francine sleep much better this month. When everyone gets good sleep, everyone is happy. Valentines Day was this month and we celebrated our annual friends/family Valentine dinner. Jack turned 4 this month and we had a joint birthday party for the kids (since they are 9 days apart). Christopher's parents were in town the end of February. One of our friends got engaged this month. I have continued to work my side job with Dinner Belle which is going great. I love Laura and working for her and getting her yummy food. I love still working at the church while the kids are in Mother's Day Out...what a blessing! February has been a kind of warm month. Not really a lot of snow. That comes with sickness and crud of course, but I enjoy not having to constantly bundle us all up!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack was talking about his balloons from his party that popped and flew away and he said mama did they go to heaven?

A babysitter texted me one night when we were out and she said "Francine says she wants a pencil!?" I said if she is in the kitchen she means pretzel...if she is in the playroom she wants a puzzle! Man - mama's really know what their kids are saying!!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack turning 4 made me a bit nostalgic for sure. He is my first born and my boy! He was such a delight when he came into this world. And to this day he is just a delight to everyone who meets him. He is even keeled for the most part. He loves to learn. He is so handsome and has a contagious joy. He is a great big brother and has so much compassion and grace even when she doesn't deserve it.
Favorite color - Red all day every day
Favorite food - Chicken and french fries and green juice
Favorite hobby - He has enjoyed his teepee a lot this month.
Favorite song - Trolls Theme Song still!
Learning - Jack has loved his reading book. He either gets one on one time with mommy or daddy to make sure Francine doesn't get in the way.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight -Francine is gaining quite a vocabulary. She is definitely using 3 words together. I think compared to Jack at this age she is speaking a lot more.
Favorite Color - Blue!
Favorite food - pasta or pizza. She is our picky eater. I guess every family has to have one. Its the bain of my existence though...
Crying - We are working through our January issues. Definitely coming into her own personality though
Skills - She is definitely learning a lot and not near as clingy to mommy and she use to be. I think she is definitely growing up. Its hard to believe she is going to be 2 in just a few days!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

January 2017

2017-02-16T09:41:00.001-08:00

2017! January! How do you make January feel as magical as December? Well - you dont unfortunately. You figure out how to just survive through the cold and dark days of January. We had some fun moments of January but really I must say January was really hard!!! We are happy to see February come for sure. Francine's 4 incizor teeth did pop through this month so that means the end of some of this stress. We did get some snow for about two days and that was nice. It was definitely worth buying the snow items at consignment for that one moment! :) The joint birthday party preparations have begun and its going to be so fun next month! Stay tuned! We tried some fun family outings on the weekends this month (some were successful and some were not). Jack started taking swim lessons again this month! Christopher and I went to a really cool, new restaurant for a date night this month. At the end of the year, I started helping a friend with some admin help for her small start up business. Its been great and I can totally see myself doing more of this in the future with more small business people.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

To preface this story I must say that Jack is really into playing doctor right now. So we had some friends over and we told them to go clean up the playroom. He responded with "I'm a doctor, I dont need to pick up". Hmm...Fair Jack...most doctors have nurses...but until you have the letters behind your name...you are going to need to go clean up your own mess.

Another funny quote from this month fro Jack was "Mommy did you know that when you do the hokey pokey you can put your whole self in?"

Sibling story of the month - we are trying more and more to get them to play alone upstairs. Well one time this month it was really quite and they were playing upstairs and then I heard a bunch of laughing. They had taken their whole medical kit and had put it in toilet and was trying to flush it! Help us all!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - Still Red
Favorite food - I would say ice cream and Chic-Fila are the things he requests most often...who doesn't
Favorite hobby - We are really into playing some of his new games he got for Christmas and still into puzzles
Favorite song - Trolls Theme Song!
Funny quote - We had a friend babysit for us who is Indian. While she was there, he asked her "what is your color? I'm white." -- Oh Lord. My friend text me immediately and was laughing thank goodness. Kids say the darndest things.
Learning - We started this month teaching Jack the basic phonetics of reading with this incredible book. He is doing so well with it! He loves to learn!
His quirks - We still have a thing for Santa in January. He told me this month he wishes it was still December so we could still celebrate Christmas. He also prayed one night this month "Thank you for santa moving all my stuff so I could have my bunk bed".

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - 22 months old! She still did quite a bit of teething this month, but we definitely saw a light at the end of the month.
Her words - We taught her to say "silly mommy" or any of our names with Silly. Her little lisp kind of melts both Christopher and I.
Sleep - We regained our routine of sleep by the end of the month, but she did refuse a lot of naps and was up at 4 and 5 am many mornings in January.
Food - We regained some normalcy of food with her at the end of the month too but she still isn't completely back to the way she use to eat. She really has never been a great eater, but we think we may have a vegetarian on our hands at 1 years old.
Crying - Lots of tears! My Lord... lots of melt downs.
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months and some 2T clothes still and she wears size 5 shoes
Diapers - Size 5!
Skills - She loves playing with her babies...stuffed animals or baby dolls. Every baby she has definitely needs a blanket! Which cracks me up! Francine also peed in the kid potty two times this month...just because! That was pretty cool!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Play date with Nelson and Natalie at their new house!

Graham and Annabelle sleepover - our friends from San Francisco!

Poppy came in for a quick trip!

Jack Started swim lessons.

It was pajama day at school and Jack and his friends all got in this bucket!

Sassy Francine!

Dec 2016

2017-01-17T12:41:00.003-08:00

December was definitely a brutifal month. We celebrated Christmas and Jack was in his zone. That boy is Mr. Christmas. We had a lot of stress with Francine. She was getting in some teeth, refusing food at times, and not sleeping well...also known as the perfect toddler storm! Even with that, we managed to have some pretty great moments in December. Christopher did another amazing Christmas Concert this year. We did our annual visit to see Santa. We went to the movies as a family for the first time to see A Muppet Christmas Carol at the Franklin Theater. We were able to be in our home with our kids and my in-laws for Christmas. It was so nice. Really...being at home in your own house with your kids...its great! We took a quick trip to Memphis to see some things we had never been to before. And as always, its nice to reflect on 2016 and all that happened but also December brings an anticipation an an excitement for a fresh, clean year. So 2017 we are coming for you. We want to bring more magic and fun for our kids in 2017. We want to have more experiences and less stuff in our lives. And at the end of the day we want to give and receive more grace, love, and joy!

This is US!

A quote I heard this month from a book I was reading is "surprises of grace come to us when we make room for the unexpected/unplanned". My takeaway from that quote that I want to ask myself "Is there any room in my life for the unexpected? If not, we miss the grace."

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Christopher: Jack, I think you have a play date this morning!

JACK: Oh! With Kathryn?!

Christopher: No… Not Kathryn… Who’s Kathryn? Kathryn Palma?

JACK: Yes, that’s it!

Christopher: Oh yeah. She’s coming on Wednesday.

JACK: [totally perturbed] Dad! Mommy said Kathryn is coming on THURSDAY!

Christopher: Oh yeah! It’s Thursday!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - Red
Favorite food - He is really are like chocolate chips in our oatmeal right now!
Favorite hobby - He got a construction site from a lady at church and we are really into having "damage" done in the playroom and the construction site has to clean it up. :)
Favorite song - Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Funny quote - Jack asked Christopher what was on his face. Christopher said that he burned himself. Jack's response - what did you do run over it or something?
His quirks - Right now he needs to know the day of the week and the month and the day. He has quite the fascination with it all right now. We also did the countdown till Christmas every day. So he had that in the front of his mind for sure.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - 21 months old! Teething and full on hitting two! She had her first fever this month. It was definitely the start of the worst teething issues I have ever experienced
Her words - She is definitely gaining quite the vocabulary. I think with Jack he was just starting to talk around this time and with Francine having an older sibling her words may be more advanced.
Sleep - One nap for sure. Sleep has been our nemesis this month. We have gotten into some bad habits with sleeping on the couch for naps or sleeping on me.
Food - We definitely progressed at the end of the month but the first of the month I think she refused all food for almost a week.
Crying - I know we have two different kids and that there personalities will never be the same...but Francine has definitely become our more stubborn child. She cries a lot and if she has not suggested it...she doesn't want to do it and lets you know it!
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months clothes still and she wears size 5 shoes
Diapers - Size 5!
Skills - I'm crossing my fingers and hoping this becomes a new normal, but both her and Jack have been able to play independently in the playroom for the first time this month. Usually they want one of us in there with them but we have definitely gone like 20-30 minutes where they entertained themselves! Hallelujah!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

See you later 2016!

November 2016

2016-12-28T07:23:00.001-08:00

November was a good month. We have a lot to be thankful for as a family. We went to Phoenix to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my parents 40th anniversary with my side of the family. Another thing that Jack and I got to do today was help with a block party at an apartment complex down the street from us that houses many refugees from all over the world. It was so nice to experience missions with Jack. He passed out Thomas stickers to all the kids around his age and he loved it. We also got our house ready for Christmas before we left for Arizona. It was fun to set up a new house for Christmas. The black and white photos are the kids school photos. Francine and Jack's personalities definitely are showing through in the photos.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
This is the sweetest thing that I have seen Jack do with Francine. One day this month I overheard him telling Francine in our driveway, "You see up there (pointing to the chimney)...that's where Santa is coming in".

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - Blue
Favorite food - Macaroni and cheese and peas (from home not at a restaurant) :)
Favorite hobby - Trains
Favorite song - Any Christmas song!
Funny quote - We were leaving the YMCA and the Y play coordinator is named Amanda. Jack told me when we were leaving..."mommy she has beautiful hair".
His quirks - Right now we are struggling to keep him in his toddler bed. He comes out of his bed multiple times in the night and during nap. I know this is a temporary thing and it wont be forever...but man its tough right now. The other day he came down from his bed and said he was "having a really bad day".

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - 20 months this month. Time is flying by
Her words - She is definitely a repeater right now. She has a lot to keep up with thanks to her brother
Sleep - She is a great sleeper at nights. We have had some early mornings lately. Again - in the big scheme of things its only a short amount of time. We have definitely gone down to one nap a day for the most part which I kind of miss 2 naps , but we are able to get out and about earlier in the day.
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months clothes. She wears size 5 shoes
Diapers - Size 5!
Food - We are having a hard time with this for sure.
Skills - One of her favorite things to do is play with play dough.
Crying - again....another area of improvement is needed. :)

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Jack gets a B+ for his 2nd dentist visit!

Francine's 1st dentist appt. She recevied a D- on her visit. :)

Helping out at the Stonebrook festival!

Our church was a presidential voting site and we rolled out the red carpet for everyone. It was a lot of fun!

We love Fran!

My little Brit!

REALITY!

The whole family!

Sunday best!

5 weeks apart! Cousins!

She enjoyed the farm in Arizona a lot!

Getting ready for church!

Captive audience!

Hideout!

October 2016

2016-12-21T19:47:00.001-08:00

October - the best month in my opinion! We started off with our anniversary...9 years! My parents were in town visiting some family friends and so they were able to keep the kids while Christopher and I went out to celebrate. Phillip (my little brother) also came and we were able to spend about a week with him at our house while my parents traveled. October is the perfect month to do outdoor activities. We went to a craft fair in Centennial Park, Visited a pumpkin patch (or 2), and of course "Fall at Cheekwood"! Another fun guest at our house was my old roommate Lynn. We had so much fun with her! We hosted a costume party at our house the weekend of Halloween with my friends and their kids. At the end of October is always Halloween and we had our annual Beam Halloween bash.

A quote that I heard this month about parenting is "Going from one child to two is like going from owning a dog to running a zoo!"

Another great quote is "Pain is the rent we pay for being human, some say; but suffering is usually optional"

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack is just starting to warm up to the idea of bandaids. Most kids his age love to have bandaids...not him. So the other night I was taking his bandaid off of his foot...and he asked if we could pray for his toe. Its the first time he has ever initiated a prayer outside of a meal or bedtime and I thought it was so sweet.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - blue
Favorite food - ice cream
Favorite hobby - trains!
Favorite song - Still Veggie Tales theme song or the Water Buffalo song
Funny quote - He really got into trick or treating this year. When he finally got the hang of what you do...he would walk by a house and say... "Mom they are open"...meaning...the light was on! :)
His quirks - I never want to forget Jack singing into naps and bedtime

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - 19 months she turned this month!
Her words - She is definitely started to speak a ton. Something that is kind of sad this month is she has stopped saying "LaLa" for Lucy and has gone to "Loo-she"
Sleep - The morning nap is slowly fading away this month. I thought it would be hard to hold onto with school happening and vacation
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months clothes. She wears size 4 shoes moving into 5.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers moving into 5!
Food - We got spoiled with Jack when it comes to eating...Francine is not the same kid for sure. She knows when she doesn't want something and when she does want something...thats for sure!
Skills - She says "puh" a lot and is eager to play with PUZZLES but we are working on that right now.
Crying - I am not sure if its a girl thing, or a 2nd kid thing, or she had to come out kicking and screaming thing...but she does a lot of crying!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Oh Lynn....I miss you!

September 2016

2016-10-14T13:09:00.003-07:00

September was a great month! We started off on the beach in Seagrove for a week and it was my birthday! Started a new Bible study with some friends called BSF (Bible study fellowship). Great childcare program involved in it. Started teaching a class at church on wednesday nights. Staying pretty busy with schedules for sure! Went to our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm for a celebration. It was great! I got terribly sick for almost 5 whole days. It was awful! The fall is slowly coming in and that makes me happy.

A quote that I heard a while ago that rings true for me for sure is: "I think the best vacation is the one that relieves me of my own life for a while and then makes me yearn and long for it again".

I receive a daily devotional email from Richard Rohr and have tried to do better with reading them more lately. This one was incredible and thought it would be great to share!

We each carry a certain amount of pain from our very birth. If that pain is not healed and transformed, it actually increases as we grow older, and we transmit it to people around us. We can become violent in our attitudes, gestures, words, and actions. We must nip this process in the bud by acknowledging and owning our own pain, rather than projecting it elsewhere. For myself, I can’t pretend to be loving when inside I’m not, when I know I’ve thought cruel, judgmental, and harsh thoughts about others. At the moment the thought arises, I have to catch myself and hand over the annoyance or anger to God. Contemplative practice helps me develop this capacity to watch myself and to connect with my loving Inner Witness. Let me explain why this is important. If you can simply observe the negative pattern in yourself, you have already begun to separate from it. The watcher is now over here, observing yourself thinking that thought—over there. Unless you can become the watcher, you’ll almost always identify with your feelings. They feel like real and objective truth. Most people I know are overly identified with their own thoughts and feelings. They don’t really have feelings; their feelings have them. That may be what earlier Christians meant by being “possessed” by a demon. That’s why so many of Jesus’ miracles are the exorcism of devils. Most don’t take that literally anymore, but the devil is still a powerful metaphor, which demands that you take it quite seriously. Everyone has a few devils. I know I’m “possessed” at least once or twice a day, even if just for a few minutes! There are all kinds of demons—in other words, there are lots of times when you cannot not think a certain way. When you see certain people, you get afraid. When you see other people, you get angry. This is why all healing and prayer must descend into the unconscious where the lies we’ve believed are hidden in our wounds. During contemplation, forgotten painful experiences may arise. In such cases, it helps to meet with a spiritual director or therapist to process old wounds and trauma in healthy ways. Over a lifetime of practice, contemplation gradually helps you detach from who you think you are and rest in your authentic identity as Love. At first this may feel like an “identity transplant” until you learn how to permanently rest in God.

SOO GOOD!!

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
We were picking up a lamp I bought from a website. The ladies house I picked up from her name was Jessica. When I got back in the car with the lamp...Jack said "whats that ladies name?" I said Jessica. Later down the road he said "Ambrose got a Jessica...is it the same Jessica?" haha.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - red
Favorite food - Chic Fila!
Favorite hobby - digging in the dirt outside or playing with trains would be a close tie I believe.
Favorite song - We are in a Veggie Tales love right now.
Funny quote - I put perfume on and then jack came in and he said "you smell like ketchup"
His quirks - As of this month, he always requests a big plate and fork for mealtime. No more of that plastic kids stuff...he wants the real deal! ;)

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Francine loves the color yellow! So random and so young!
Check-ups - she turned 18 months old this month and had her heart doctor checkup and pediatric checkup. Both amazing!
Her words - She is definitely gaining a vocabulary for sure. Her favorite animal is a duck and her favorite animal sound she says is the duck noise!
Sleep - The morning nap is slowly fading away this month. I thought it would be hard to hold onto with school happening and vacation
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months clothes. She wears size 4 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - Francine is a carnivore still. She likes bread too. And fruit! Bananas are her favorite food for sure!
Skills - If I think of Francine in the moments between her fighting me on food and throwing tantrums... a real funny girl is coming out. She is beginning to be really silly and that makes me happy for sure!
Crying - We have definitely entered 2 year old temper tantrums at 17 months old. Its crazy how different boys and girls are or just every kid in general.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Late night arrival to Seagrove!

Beach babe!

Fun in the sun!

My Birthday at the beach!

Family Photo on the beach!

Family Photo on the beach! Day 2

This is our favorite place to visit as a family!

We dont want to miss a year!

Waiting to go eat dinner! Precious!

Alys beach! The best!

They road in style at the beach!

Duckies - cute toy store in Seaside!

On of our last nights on the beach!

The road trip home!

First pig tails! They didn't last long but they were real cute!

I randomly find these kinds of photos on my phone all the time!

again!

Check up time!

She did so good for the doctors!

My birthday present is my new light fixture that I love!

Fall is slowly approaching!

And long sleeve weather!

Lucy has taken up a new sport of chewing up books this month. :(

Jack and his art! :)

August 2016

2016-10-14T12:28:00.001-07:00

In August we did some new things that we had never done before. We went to a kids museum that I heard great things about. We went to a splash pad downtown and one out in Spring Hill with some friends that was a lot of fun. We went to the Williamson County Fair...lots of fun! Also a lovely lady from church gave us tickets to a water park. We went to an amphitheater for a Michael McDonald concert. We also did a little traveling and took a road trip to Spartanburg, South Carolina. We had some house guests. The kids started Mother's Day Out (Francine's first year)! Lots of good things!

One of my favorite quotes this month I heard is "Maturity is the ability to joyfully live in an imperfect world" - Richard Rohr

A mommy quote that I took from the instagram that I feel I need to be reminded of

everyday "You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they'll be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Breathe and notice. Smell and touch them; study their faces and feet and pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today mama. It will be over before you know it. " - Jen Hatmaker

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Man - we sure are getting more and more funny stories. For breakfast one morning Jack saw a box of Kashi cereal and he was trying to figure out what the shapes were. He said "Whats in this cereal...granola, blueberries and dog bones?"

We were also at a Mexican restaurant and Jack saw a guy wearing a yellow and blue striped shirt and he said "that guy kind of looks like a bumblebee"

The kicker for me this month was when I was putting Jack down for his nap and he asked "mommy what kind of things do you like about me?" I tell him dozens of things and then at the end he said "you like when I clean up my toys too right?" Man - it broke me. So we have been working on being ok with messes around here a little more because I dont want him to be a neat freak and think his mommy is only happy when she sees him picking up his toys.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Library fun!

At the fair! his first ride!

Favorite color - the whole rainbow!
Favorite number - 3 still
Favorite food - biscuits, sausage, and eggs...he is quite the southerner.
Favorite hobby - art right now for sure. He has a rolling art cart that cracks me up when he gets it out of the closet. It makes me so happy.
Favorite song - He has definitely gone secular this month and requested beyonce "put a ring on a it" quite a few times.
Funny quote - We were in Spartanburg and Jack was on our friend Phil's shoulders. He leaned down and looked at Phil and said "Do you like muffins?" It was so random and out of the blue that it made us all laugh and repeat it many more times.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Pretty girl.

Homegirl is hilarious sometimes.

Highlight - Francine started her first Mothers Day Out program and she has adjusted quite well to be honest.
Her words - She is definitely gaining a vocabulary for sure.
Sleep - Great sleeper still. We thought we would be giving up the morning nap with school starting but we are not. Holding on strong.
Clothes - She is in 18-24 months clothes. She wears size 4 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - Definitely this is our big struggle with her for sure. She knows exactly what she doesn't want to eat and seals her lips shut or just throws it on the ground. Its so great (sarcasm). We have noticed her favorite food is meat of any kind. Cant get enough!
Skills - She is becoming quite a compassionate mother to her babies (stuffed animals and dolls). She carries one around pretty much all the time.
Crying - We have definitely entered 2 year old temper tantrums at 17 months old. Its crazy how different boys and girls are or just every kid in general.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Bradbar's reading before bed to Jack!

Hanging with friends!

At the fair!

Adventure science center!

Concert with the Dudney's

Date night - lots of courses and fun!

Lucy is 8!

In Spartanburg, SC at the coolest playground we had ever been to

Many fountains in spartanburg!

Mini golf with 2 kids under 3...it was eventful

At the Fair!

Snack pile from Big Lots! Best deals

My handsome boy!

Daddy and his kids first day of school!

First day of school with the kiddos!

Being a helper!

Consignment sale! Good stuff!

Oh Costco! seriously!

Friend's date!

We are so close to the beach we can feel it!

July 2016

2016-08-22T08:01:00.004-07:00

July was a fun month. We were home for most of July. Celebrated the 4th, had some house guests a couple days, and had quite a few people over for dinners. At the end of the month we took a road trip to Douglas, GA and stayed a few nights there and drove half way back and stayed the night in Atlanta one night and did some furniture shopping. My dad came to visit as well.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
So we were driving down the road and Jack was in the car seat and randomly asked "What's Jen and Scott's babies name?" I told him that his name is Baby Aiden and he is going to be here really soon but he's in Jenn's belly still. And then he said "his number is zero he doesn't have a number yet."

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Favorite color - dark blue
Favorite number - 3
Favorite food - Pancakes
Favorite hobby - Play with his friends he says.
Favorite song - We are still enjoying the same songs from last month (A LOT!) Come People of the Risen King by the Gettys and He's Got the Whole World. We also are singing a lot of Christmas music for some reason...specifically Away in a Manger.
Funny quote - "Hey Dad did you have a good day at church?"
He's a genius - We have no idea what is working and what is not working you know. Sometimes we encourage him to memorize bible verses and say them to us and he does it for a reward. The other day we were going down the road and I heard him saying Psalm 95. I stopped and realized that is not one of the verses we have worked on....he has been in service every Sunday morning and he sits and listens to us recite that at the beginning of each service. We had no idea and were completely blown away!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - had her first real boo-boo this month on 7/4 she fell on our pavement and scratched her nose pretty bad.
Her words - Hi, Bye, Mama, Dada, Jah (for Jack), and LaLa (for Lucy), Water, Hello, Whoa, book, baby, all done, and tons more
Sleep - Great sleeper still.
Clothes - She is in 12-18 months clothes. She wears size 4 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - She has been a great eater pretty much this month. She kind of is on the way out of eating baby food.
Skills - One of her favorite things to do is the yoga position "downward dog". Its quite funny she will just randomly do it at the funniest places and time.
Crying - Still wants her mama a whole lot.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

4th of July!

The house is coming along!

"Uncle Scott"

The coolest highchairs - bar height at 5 Points Pizza

Nonna and Papa time!

Playing zoo!

Annual Tradition of getting new shoes at the local shoe store in Douglas

4 generations!

Pool time at Nonna and Papas!

Toured an olive oil farm near Douglas

Ikea for to long!

Poppy comes to visit!

A really hot day at the zoo!

We have had quite a bit of Ice cream this summer!

We love Poppy!

This one!

I love my kids!

#Ilovemyfamily

Jack with his first big boy hair cut! We love it!

Storytime fun with William and Lydia

Francine is about to start Mother's Day Out so Jack is showing her the ropes of a napmat!

Pondering Thoughts

Outside my window...My beautiful backyard
I am thinking...about how I stayed up wayyy to late last night!
I am thankful for...my home
I am wearing...Madewell Tshirt and the most comfortable pants in the world from Anthro.
I am remembering...all the things we are separately and together doing this week in our family
I am going...to try to pull from my strengths and work hard and also find some time to play hard and rest!
I am reading...The Royal We and The Soul of Shame
I am hoping...that I can handle all that I have committed to this Fall.
On my mind...in doing this exercise I realize how much my thinking time is consumed by financial and organizational stuff. I am a future thinking person and so I am always thinking about the next step and the process to getting there most efficiently.
Noticing that..I need to choose joy and practice joy.
Pondering these words...contentment.
From the kitchen...well this morning it was a juice I made and coffee. Think I need another cup and something else to hold me over till lunch!
Around the house...its mostly clean and picked up and I think thats a great start to a Monday morning!
One of my favorite things...quiet time in some amount each day! Gotta have it!

June 2016

2016-07-08T09:43:00.004-07:00

"This is my circus and these are my monkeys" - Uknown

June. It was good. Ok parts of it were bad...but we made it right? Christopher was in Japan for the first 10 days. My mom flew in for some of those days to help with the kids and take a trip to Indiana to visit some family. She was definitely a huge help. However, Francine for the month of June was a piece of work. She denied food for like two weeks, she was teething, she full on started walking, she screamed when I would put her down, and we stopped nursing. So there was a lot of good and a lot of bad. Definitely I didn't win a parenting award this month. I know that I am tough on myself and on my kids and usually I am able to get through the hard phases of kids growing up (in my 3.5 years of parenting experience)...however this month was maybe the most challenging of them all.. Man - I did feel like June was a circus but so far July has been a breath of fresh air.

Something else I read this month that has touched me and I have tried hard to do this with my kids is "warm hellos and warm goodbyes!" So good! Children should never feel like we are not happy to see them. When they wake up in the morning or when I drop Jack at school or when I get Francine out of her bed from a nap...it should always be warm. I gotta do this better! I will say Christopher does this very well. So I just need to look to him to make this happen more with me.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
We were at church one Sunday and he saw the people that were getting baptized that morning walk up on stage in there white clothes. He said in a not-so-quiet voice "Mommy why dont they have shoes on?" It made me smile because it was such an innocent look at life.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Jack started a summer program two days a week at Community Bible Church. I think he has really enjoyed it. We have gone to the library a few times and been working on some summer reading. He loves books! We are definitely getting more comfortable with singing. The kid love music. This year he was still to little to attend VBS at our church but next year he will be 4 and thats when they allow kids to go. We did stay and listen to the openers most mornings of VBS just so he could see what all it was.

Favorite color - white
Favorite number - 3
Favorite food - Chocolate Chips in his oatmeal. Its changed breakfast!
Favorite hobby - Cutting. He has gotten really good at cutting paper
Favorite song - Come People of the Risen King by the Gettys and He's Got the Whole World

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - She is a full on walker and she is starting to blow kisses to people.
Her words - I cant believe I am writing this all down - Hi, Bye, Mama, Dada, Jah (for Jack), and LaLa (for Lucy), Water, Hello,
Sleep - Great sleeper still.
Clothes - She is in 12-18 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - We are done with nursing. She definitely had her moments this month where she didn't want anything to do with food but she came back around.
Skills - She started holding up her index finger for showing us she is 1. :)
Crying - We have had some serious separation anxiety since about 3 months old. Its hard to help her sometimes

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

May 2016

2016-06-24T09:19:00.001-07:00

May. It was definitely a busy month but not with huge things. A lot of little things like parties, strawberry picking with the kids, Mothers Day, zoo day, and lots of people over to the house for dinner. We definitely are in full on summer heat around here. We have really enjoyed our backyard so far. In the late afternoon the house shades the backyard so its not near as hot as it really is...at least it feels that way so that's nice.

I read something this month that inspired me. I want to make home more fun than any other place. I definitely have not mastered this but I try to make sure that we have a fun activity to do at home and that home is not a boring place. Right now, Francine is still taking a morning nap so that is when Jack and I have a "project" that we like to work on whether its puzzles, painting, coloring, games, etc. It helps to have that time to do older kid things. These days are long but I know the years or short. Its important to cherish the hard stuff and find spots of fun in the middle of it all.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack asks this lovely phrase multiple times a day - "What can I do for you?" Its very sweet and it really means "mommy I want to be with you so how can we make that happen". I know he is not going to always say such cute stuff like this so I need to make sure and try and remember to write these things down.

Another one has to do with spanking. Yes, we spank. Jack was getting in trouble and Christopher said "Jack I am going to give you a spanking because you did 'X'"...and Jack responded "Is it a little spanking or big spanking?" We both smiled and laughed a little because it was so funny and sincere at the same time. Poor little guy. He

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Jack got his toddler rail put on his crib this month! He also went to a really cool pediatric dentist for a check-up this month. One thing we decided it was time to give up was Jack was sleeping with a bid dog called "Frank". It was to big and bulky and for the summertime I thought it was going to be so hot in his bed. So we have officially removed Frank from nap and bedtime and it has not been such a traumatic thing.

Favorite color - dark blue
Favorite number - 3
Favorite food - Every morning he wants me to juice for him.
Favorite hobby - "mommy do you want to dig with me?" - In the dirt outside with his trucks.
Favorite song - Veggie Tales Theme Song right now or I Love you More by Harry Connick Jr...its a toss up this month!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Two Princesses!

Highlight - We attended our first Mother Daughter tea at the church for Mothers Day. It was really sweet
Her words - I cant believe I am writing this all down - Hi, Bye, Mama, Dada, Jah (for Jack), and LaLa (for Lucy)
Sleep - Great sleeper still. We gave up her wubanub paci with the lamb on it and are only doing a paci this month. Slowly moving away from pacis before she is in kindergarten with it. :)
Clothes - She is in 12-18 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - Went down to 2 nursings a day. She is really getting into smoothies this month!
Skills - She has taken her first official steps (may 14, 2016). Its about 2 weeks earlier then Jack did.
Crying - She has only had 2 teeth for her first 14 months of life poor thing (Jack had 12 at 12 months!!). So this month has definitely been dedicated to teething and getting quite a few painful teeth in.

Pondering Thoughts

Outside my window...No windows from where I sit right now.
I am thinking...about the ways I can choose joy over stress
I am thankful for...my husband
I am wearing...Madewell jeans and button up shirt and gold sandals.
I am remembering...the days are long and the years are short.
I am going...to cut myself some slack. My expectations are sometimes impossible to meet.
I am reading...To Kill A Mockingbird....a great summer read.
I am hoping...for success in finding some pieces for our house this evening shopping.
On my mind...how I want to buy so many things. So many things...so little time! (And $$)
Noticing that...I need to choose who to put in my world that brings me joy. small doses of the people who don't.
Pondering these words...inspiration.
Thought I am processing right now...gratefulness. I have a lot to be thankful for.
From the kitchen...well this morning it was two awful frozen waffles with almond butter and a to-go cup of Irish tea.
Around the house...I am thankful to be able to walk this afternoon into a freshly cleaned house!
One of my favorite things...holding my children!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Picture taken at "The Nashville Mom Birthday Bash"

Francine is into everything!

We can walk to church, school, YMCA now thanks to our new gate installed at our house! :)

So big!

Mother-Daughter tea with Linda!

These two are going to be best of friends!

Love her!

Zoo Day!

My dear friend Whitney's birthday party!

Cant get enough smoothies and juice with this heat!

First and last day of MDO year 2

Our weekly favorite activity...library time!

April 2016

2016-05-20T06:53:00.001-07:00

April was a great month. Highlights include attending a 5-day enneagram bootcamp that was just incredible for Christopher and I, my in-laws in town for those days watching the kids, and Christopher's birthday!

Last year around September (turning 31 was a crazy time for me) I started doing some "personal work" and going deeper into cultivating a healthier me! That led me to reading a lot of books. I couldn't put down Brene Brown books. I read them all. I read Elizabeth Gilbert, Desmund Tutu, Marie Kondo, Edith Schaeffer, and lots more. While reading these books, a close friend of ours introduced us to the Enneagram. It has been a tool that has helped people find out how to be the best them and then share it with others to help people face this crazy thing we all have called a personality. Its equipped with christian beliefs and therapeutic techniques and self help solutions. Its an all package deal and man it has rocked my world. I have found so much help through it and it has been a blessing to share with so many people.

I could literally talk about it for hours but let's move on.

This month for Jack and Francine has been a great month. Francine and I have been able to attend Gymboree classes that were a lot of fun this month. Jack had his first allergy appointment and good news...he is not allergic to gluten! What a relief! We think right now his rash he had on his skin before christmas somehow was connected to weather but definitely not a gluten allergy. Until something else flairs up, we do nothing. So that is good.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Francine is a sponge and will be talking in full sentences before we know it. Until then, here are some funny and really smart things that Jack said this month. It's crazy to see his little wheels turn in that brain.

Jack has noticed that we have been having people over a lot more these days now that we have the space to accommodate. So pretty much every day he says "who's coming over tonight?" Well, the other day I said "Ashley is coming over Jack". Now this is someone who has never been over before...he replies by saying "Is that the one at church who plays the violin?" - Ding Ding he was right. I couldn't believe it. Anyway. It made me very proud!

We love to listen to music in the car. I have been trying to listen to more classical music with the kids in the car. So we were listening to a piece of Mozart. Jack noticed it and said "this is from Veggie Tales!". I did not know what he was referring to but later we pulled up the Veggie Tales song and it's the song about King Darius...who knew...I didn't (Jack did!).

Before I left for work one morning we were talking about something and my friend Jessica's name came up. Jack chimed in and said "Jessica...whose mommy is she?" I said Ambrose. He still seemed puzzled...then he said "Who is her baby's name?" I said Oliver. He said... "Yes, yes Oliver". His little mine is definitely learning and connected different people to different things. So big!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!
We have enjoyed many walks down to the church cemetery since living in our new place. Jack enjoys pushing Francine's stroller sometimes. :) We also got a new swing for the backyard and this has definitely been a highlight of playing outside. It will definitely be a key component of summer 2016! :) Our local Kroger grocery has purchased many child-size shopping carts and this has definitely been a treat for Jack. He looks like such an old man pushing his cart around...it definitely makes me laugh.

A proud moment for me this month is pictured below. Jack has always been a little bit scared/afraid of bounce houses or those kid themed places, indoor playgrounds, and trampoline places. This past week after picking him up from school he asked to go in the church indoor playground...I was shocked. Its two stories tall and when he is at school the teachers have told me that he always just plays on the ground while all the kids play in the playground. Well today was his day and he got up there and was so brave. It made me so proud...and teary eyed. That week also we were at a festival and he saw a bounce house and asked to go play in it. He is growing up!!

Favorite color - orange
Favorite number - 3
Favorite food - "chicken nugges, yellow french fries, and red ketchup"
Favorite hobby - art
Favorite song - "Baby Baby" - new Amy Grant Version

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - She is still not walking but she is cruising around furniture and at the end of April she started standing independently without holding on. We are close!
Sleep - She loves her new room and loves sleeping still!
Clothes - She is in 12-18 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 4 diapers!
Food - Went down to 2 nursings a day. I think she is almost weening herself and it makes me sad. I will be happy to see a pump go (I did a lot of pumping over that 5 day bootcamp!). She has started getting goat milk from our farmer that I got milk for Jack from. So thats good and she loves it. She is also eating lots of different things now too.
Skills - We think Francine loves music. She is a dancer and loves all of the toy instruments we have.
New things - She says "mama", "dada", "Hi", and sometimes "bye". Her phrase she says is when Christopher walks into the room she says "hi dada"
Crying - Still has super separation anxiety. We also have had to work on sharing this month with her brother. She definitely cries when things
Favorite thing she does right now is when she plays Jack's train whistle. For someone so young and so tiny she knows how to blow into the train whistle. Its soo cute.

Pondering Thoughts

Outside my window...I am not looking out any windows. Just at a cubicle wall right now
I am thinking...about my list of things to get done and how far behind I am on so many things
I am thankful for...being able to connect with wonderful people
I am wearing...Madewell jeans and a button up
I am remembering...how to write letters. A girl I have been connected to for a long time is in the Mercy program and her main form of communicating now is through letters.
I am going...to get to work just as soon as I finish this.
I am reading...The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. INCREDIBLE STUFF from the 70s.
I am hoping...that my list will be under 8 things before the end of the day. :)
On my mind...unfortunately finances. I always have money on my mind and am thinking constantly about where and how and when it should be spent or saved.
Noticing that...people dont take things nearly as seriously as I do.
Pondering these words...creativity
Thought I am processing right now... I want to learn how to do things in excellence not just get them done.
From the kitchen...well this morning it was two awful frozen waffles with sun butter on them as I was rushing out the door. One fell on the floor and I still ate it.
Around the house..There is always going to be new things to update and buy...finding an OK place to just be fine with where it is right now is important.
One of my favorite things...my sleep!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Happy Birthday to Christopher

Relaxing in the backyard.

The biggest rose I have ever seen

Birthday festivities for Christopher!

She still loves her Paci!

Jack got a new train from Nonna and Papa

Enjoying the swing in the backyard!

March 2016

2016-04-28T08:41:00.003-07:00

Spring at Cheekwood!

She loves her carbs. This was her first sweet (a cupcake) and she loved it!

So thankful my mom was here for Francine's 1st birthday and to help us move!

March was an exciting month. Francine turned 1 and we had a party, my mom visited, and we moved into our new house...all in 72 hours! The transition from a townhouse to a "big person" house was anxiety inducing before hand. After moving in with out stuff and our people...its just home! That is a great feeling to have something that feels like home. We have had quite a few get togethers here already and I know there are more to come for sure. We have definitely learned that in order to be social in this season of our life it requires us to hire a babysitter or to have people come to our house. Normally when we hire a babysitter its to go out on a date just the two of us. So now that means when we are social and not on a date...it probably is going to be at our place. I have been reading through Edith Schaefer's work this spring and this quote stood out to me in regards to having people over...and just life in general right now:

"There must be no pressure for perfection perfection is not possible" - Edith Schaefer

Something else that I read this month that just hit me pretty hard was this quote by Elizabeth Lawrence: "There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever before".

I want my kids to not be tainted by american culture that includes obsessive amounts of TV watching, moving to quickly through the day, and looking constantly on all of our tech devices. I want them to find the enchantment of the next morning. But still be of this current world...where technology is such a huge piece. #balance

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
We have been trying to teach Jack compliments. He said to me this month he liked my shoes when I wore heals. Another funny thing I love about him are his love for lipstick

Another cute story about Jack, is when we tell him to say hey to somebody he tells us to say hey back. Also he'd he takes the initiative and tells us to say hey to people whenever he wants us to say hey to them. He also likes in barest me by saying mommy what's that guys name or what's that girls name and it should be sometimes people that I know and I don't know their name and I should know their name

Siblings!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Jack got registered for summer mothers day out at the same place he went last summer. Its a real small program and it will be nice for him to have 2 days away from Mommy and Francine.

At the zoo!

Favorite color - orange
Favorite number - 3
Favorite food - mac n cheese
Favorite hobby - trains
Favorite song - "Veggie Tales Theme Song"

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

I love this girl!

Sweet Francine!

Highlight - Francine had her 12 month follow-up with Dr. Frank Fish. Looks like her heart rate was higher than it had ever been on the EKG which is very promising for her heart block
Sleep - She loves her new room and loves sleeping still!
Clothes - She is in 12-18 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes. Definitely in need of some cute early walking shoes.
Diapers - Size 3 moving into 4 diapers!
Food - 4 nursing sessions. I am getting sad to giving that up knowing this is probably our last kid. She is a quick eater now which is a good thing. Doing baby food at each meal. She has also become our picky eater I can tell. It may be because we focused so much on it with Jack.
Skills - Francine is walking around tables and couches now. She got a walker for her birthday and she pushes it all throughout our new house. She loves it.
New things - I guess her new things is just everything. She is learning so much. She says "mama", "dada", "Hi". She is working on sign language right now. She wants to make a mess wherever she is. She also loves to put things away. Haha
Crying - Only when her mama leaves her. Still has super separation anxiety. But once I am gone from the room she is fine
Favorite thing she does right now is when she plays Jack's train whistle. For someone so young and so tiny she knows how to blow into the train whistle. Its soo cute.

Pondering Thoughts

Outside my window...cars and a parking lot at the Starbucks.
I am thinking...about my kids.
I am thankful for...new mercies and grace. I know that God grants those and I am forever grateful
I am wearing...Madewell jeans and a white/black polka dot shirt
I am remembering...that a lot of my life I have always tried to BE someone and now I am trying to learn how to be myself.
I am going...to seize this moment in my life.
I am reading...The Patron Saints of Liars by Anne Patchett. A fiction book.
I am hoping...that I get to find more alone time so that I enjoy the family time and mommy time even more when I am with them
On my mind...I am blessed. I am so thankful in this season of my life.
Noticing that...My age is starting to show. I cant consider myself a "young" person anymore. I have two kids. I am called "Ms" now!
Pondering these words...Intentionality and being present
Thought I am processing right now... how can I read more and learn more! All I want to do is read this days.
From the kitchen...It was a frozen pizza before leaving tonight!
Around the house...Its in good hands. Its not perfect, but its good enough.
One of my favorite things...my time!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Dying eggs!

My Mom came to help with the kids when we moved. It was helpful to have 2 more hands!

Bye townhouse! You were great for 8+ years!

He loved the petting zoo at Cheekwood

Spring at Cheekwood!

Zoo time!

Happy Easter!

Love my sweet baby and that she still enjoys the Ergo!

SHOES! :)

Happy Birthday Francine!

Friends for life!

February 2016

2016-03-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

February was maybe one of the craziest months of my life. We started the moving process. We had guests from Japan with us, Christopher went to Norway, my friend Lynn came for a visit and to help me with the kids, sold our house, packed more boxes than I can count, closed on our new house, worked with contractors to update our new house, and celebrated Jack's birthday, and a whole lot more.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack is one sweet dude. He has a stuffed dog named Frank. One day we were upstairs playing in his room and he turned his sound machine on, turned out the lights, and put "Frank to bed". He walked out of his room with me and said, "Frank is sleeping...shhh".

We had some beautiful playground days in February!

Tried a new breakfast place called Proper Bagel...that is a kale bagel and it was delish!

Had my first Sprinkles Cupcake with Lynn and it was amazing! and have been back 2-3 times since. ;)

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack is one sweet dude. He has a stuffed dog named Frank. One day we were upstairs playing in his room and he turned his sound machine on, turned out the lights, and put "Frank to bed". He walked out of his room with me and said, "Frank is sleeping...shhh".

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update
This boy of mine turned 3. How is it that I have been a mom for 3 years? I cant remember life clearly before kids. I know I had 28 years of life before kids...but there is something that has happened to me in the past 3 years that has made me a better person...ahh yes becoming a parent! :)

Every year for Jack's Birthday I want to have him answer the same questions. Here is what we got on his 3rd Birthday!

Favorite Color - orange
Favorite Toy - Thomas
Favorite Thing to eat for lunch - Strawberries
Favorite Show - Thomas
Favorite Movie - Thomas
Favorite Outfit - Dinosaur shirt
Favorite Toy - Gorilla
Favorite Song - Row the boat
Favorite book - Caterpillar book
Best friend - Paxton
Favorite Drink - Lemonade
Favorite Thing to eat for Breakfast - Sausage and eggs
Favorite Snack - Crackers
Favorite Thing to eat for Dinner - Macaroni and cheese
Favorite Game - zingo
Favorite Thing to play outside - Ball
Favorite Holiday - Birthday
What do you like to take to bed with you at night - Blankies and dogs
What do you want to be when you grow up? - Daddy

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

I knew Jack was an easy baby and I guess I expected the worst with #2. It has not been bad at all. She has been a great baby. After getting her sleeping through the night around 7 months old...it has been smooth sailing. We have definitely bonded these past 4-5 months very much and she is just awesome.

Sleep - She is a great sleeper still.
Clothes - She is in 12 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 3 diapers and moved up to 4 this month
Food - Move to 4 nursings. Doing baby food at each meal. I have definitely store bought her baby food more than make hers.
Skills - She started standing in her crib now.
New things - This isn't really a new thing but something I dont want to forget from around this time with francine. It takes a lot of photos and time to get a picture of Francine smiling. Its almost impossible to get a smile out of her unless its a solo picture and the people behind the camera are doing everything in there power to make her smile. :)
Crying - Usually the only time she cries is when she is sleepy or when her brother takes something from her.
Favorite thing right now about her is her hair and how fast it is coming in. I cant wait to put her hair up in a little ponytail or topknot.

Right now...

Outside my window...sunshine, trees, and birds
I am thinking...I have a blessed life. I have my health, my husband who is amazing, two great kids, a beautiful new home, a great church, an awesome job and boss, wonderful friends, and a God who is gracious and kind. What more could someone need/want?
I am thankful for...the place I am in right now. I feel like I just came through a pretty stessful few weeks/months and its nice to have some calm.
I am wearing...jeans and a long sleeve stripe shirt with a blanket around me.
I am remembering...to embrace this moment and not always want to go to the next thing.
I am going...to go pick up some goats milk from a farmer for Francine to try when the kids get up from there nap
I am reading...Jesus, My Father, the Cia by Ian Cron. Its incredible.
I am hoping...to get our budget in order for what we are now spending with all these new things...2 kids eating, new utilities, furniture, etc.
On my mind...I need to choose to self-educate myself more and more. Instead of becoming stuck to my phone or computer...listen to more podcasts, read more books and the Bible....there is SOOO much I dont know.
Noticing that...I get stuck in ruts of being alone and then I remain alone. Rather than reaching out and spending time with friends...I go inward and continue to remain alone. Its a chore to be friendly and put myself out ther sometime.
Pondering these words...friendly and sacrifice
Thought I am processing right now... I shared this with Pastor Dan. In reflecting on his sermon from a few weeks back...a part that stood out to me was "As the vast crowd prepares to erupt in praise, the Lord knows whom he can really count on. So he enters the city, sincerely thanking the people for their praise but moving on, nonetheless, to a place of prayer where he weeps over a city that despite its outpouring of praise, is already lost." I am not really sure why it hit home so hard...but I am trying to unpack it.
From the kitchen...the fridge making ice...the kids monitor from there rooms making a "hush" noise
Around the house...so many unhung photos/art. So many bare walls. In time...in time!
One of my favorite things...wanting a simple life. Wanting things around me that only bring me joy!

Until next time....here are some photos of life lately!

Valentines Day 2016

Saying bye to Lynn

Family Photo from Jack's Birthday!

So fun!

We bought our 2nd house!

Jack and his friends!

Happy Birthday Jack

Packing, Packing!

January 2016

2016-02-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

We had quite the snow storm in January. The last time that it snowed and shut down the city was the 2nd day of Francine's life. We were in the NICU together and man have things changed since then. This month we bought a house and put our house on the market. A lot of change and details and "to-do" lists has come from this move. But in the middle of all of that I have got to remember that my kids still need to feel a sense of normalcy.

I have been reading this book Design Mom which is just incredible and I came across some words that have inspired me and challenged me - Cherish, Engaged, Present, and Enchanted. These are all words that I want Jack and Francine's childhood to have. I dont want to always create it for them but I want to allow them to be able to find things that they cherish and to be enchanted with things that they come up with in their own little minds.

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
I think this is just a new constant thing that has started this month. Francine looks up to Jack so much already. If he is doing something she will try to imitate the best she can. I will also say that she is definitely learning how to get

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

His new favorite thing is the mini-carts at Kroger and Trader Joes. They are a little tough to maneuver for a 2 year old but he is definitely getting the hang of it. This was the day we walked to Kroger in the snow...my little tiger took the lead on the cart!

Favorite color - orange

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - chicken

Favorite hobby - trains

Favorite song - "Do Do" song (Bruno Mars song...HAHA!)

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Man we rush to much. My baby is 10 months old. I may only nurse her for a few more months and then she will be independent of me. I have never left her before and the thought of her needing me these past 10 months has sometimes been so prison-like but now I feel only sadness for thinking she might spend a night away from me. Of course I am happy to but man motherhood is one tough roller coaster of emotions. As Glennon Melton says its "brutifal" - brutal and beautiful

Highlight - Francine got her 2nd bottom tooth and is working on her top 2! She started climbing stairs this month (Oh boy!) Power chords are her thing!
Sleep - She is a great sleeper still. Love my happy, all night sleeping babies!
Clothes - She is in 12 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 3 diapers!
Food - 5x nursing still. Doing baby food at each meal. She has started eating carbs with her fingers (waffles, chips, and bagels to name a few!)
Skills - She has definitely taken to crawling this month. She definitely is getting around very well now.
New things - She got her first boo-boo and stomach bug this month :(
Crying - Only when her mama leaves her.
Favorite thing she does right now is if we are in her room, she will reach in her bed between the bars and get her lamb paci out on her own. Its so stinkin cute.

Pondering Thoughts

Outside my window...Out backyard....The last month that I will see this backyard.
I am thinking...constantly about our new house. Paint, updates, floors, decorating, WORK!
I am thankful for...a place that we have called home for 8+ years. Our little townhouse has been perfect for us.
I am wearing...Navy blue sweater and jeans
I am remembering...Everything is a season. We can think of negative/hard times as just a season and no that they wont last forever. Also good/exciting times are not forever...so cherish them
I am going...to go to Costco after Francine wakes up
I am reading...I thought it was just me by Brene Brown
I am hoping...for smooth movings,closings, packing, etc!!
On my mind...a need for more gratefulness and mindfulness. A good conversation with a friend last night brought these back to my thoughts for sure!
Noticing that...I am becoming a "big person". With a new house and repairs and updates... I feel that I may have just grown up in January.
Pondering these words...meditation and quiet
Thought I am processing right now... how little I know about so much. The more you learn the more you realize how little you really know.
From the kitchen...beeping from the dishwasher saying the dishes are clean.
Around the house...all cleaned up for an appraisal appointment that is about to happen.
One of my favorite things...my church! my friends! my co-workers!

Until next time....here are some photos of my munchkins!

December 2015

2016-01-07T08:18:00.001-08:00

December...I do love this month 99% of the time. At about 4:15 when it is getting dark every day...not so much...but most of the rest of the day...its my jam! We had a busy and fun filled December. I took Francine on a trip to Florida for my cousin's wedding and for her to meet her great grandparents. Then we spent 8 days in Arizona with my entire family. We had some beautiful weather for December....definitely spent Christmas Eve outside eating lunch in Tennessee. Jack and Francine are definitely starting to interact more. I am anticipating the day where they are each other's playmates and I am not the cruise director anymore. Soon! Very soon! :)

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack randomly asked "where's daddy's computer?" I said "Its with him at work" and he said "praising the Lord?" Haha. Where does he get this stuff? I guess a computer can praise the Lord. :)

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - orange

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite hobby - art projects

Favorite song - Row Row Your boat (He thinks its Francine's favorite so he always wants to sing it "for her")

I self diagnosed Jack this month with eczema from gluten. His skin has cleared up so much on his cheeks and his arms. I am so thankful a mama's intuition and wisdom about her child is real. I can definitely see a difference.

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Lots of FIRSTS THIS MONTH! Her First Christmas! She turned 9 months old. Started crawling, pulling up, and she got her first tooth. She had her checkup this month (12/1/15) She is 17lbs and 1oz. and 271/4 inches (50% percentile for both).
Sleep - She is a great sleeper still. Love my happy, all night sleeping babies!
Clothes - She is in 9 months clothes and lots of 12 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes.
Diapers - Size 3 diapers!
Food - 5x nursing still. Doing baby food at each meal. I have realized over Christmas break that she is a fruit lover. Jack use to (still does) eat anything you put in front of him as a baby. This one...not so much!
Skills - Crawling when she wants to. I dont think she is a "CRAWLER" just yet. But she knows how to do it. She definitely knows how to pull up on furniture though.
New things - I guess she is starting to hurt herself a little more because she doesn't know caution yet. Its crazy to think that you have to teach that to someone. Jack was and is such a cautious child I felt it came naturally for him. Francine...not so much. I think she will need all the baby proofing we can get.
Crying - Only when her mama leaves her.
She did get sick for the first time in her life. It was pretty miserable for about 3 days in Arizona. I felt so bad for her. She almost stopped eating food completely and she was congested and lethargic. We made it through it and I am thankful to have my healthy, happy baby back.
Schedule right now - no changes the past 4 months.

Thought I would start writing some more pondering thoughts at the ends of my blogs...see how it goes.

Outside my window...Sunshine
I am thinking...about all the "Things" I need to do. Updates, photo organizing, thank yous to write, birthday party invites to address
I am thankful for...my health, my kids, my home.
I am wearing...a big sweater, scarf, KALE shirt, and Jeans! (and a blanket...its cold outside)
I am remembering...to find ways to not be alone. It gets easy to be lonely to me...especially during the winter.
I am going...to find joy with my kid when they wake up from there nap
I am reading...Forgiveness by Desmund Tutu. Sooo Good!
I am hoping...to take the kids outside this afternoon so I can get a little sunshine even though its cold
On my mind...dates...dates...lots of things floating around in my head. Our calendar has filled up this winter. Christopher going to Norway, Valentines Day, Lynn visiting, Jack's birthday, Francine's birthday.
Noticing that...I need to find ways to age better. I need to take care of my skin and hair better.
Pondering these words...HAPPYISH and BRUTIFUL (beautiful and brutal all the time...both/and/or)
Thought I am processing right now... I have an Incredible desire for connection but also to constantly retreat. I want friends but I dont want to leave my house. Not sure if I am social person or a hermit. -- Glennon Melton
From the kitchen...The smell of roasting sweet potatoes
Around the house...Train tracks on the floor and dust all over the floor.
One of my favorite things...Avocado right now. Listening to podcasts and youtube clips that are inspiring.

Until next time....here are some photos of my munchkins!

At the downtown library for a puppet show!

Christmas Eve (beautiful day!)

Both kids did great seeing Santa!

Seeing Santa!

One of my favorite photos of 2015 (At Cheekwood)

At the Cheekwood Christmas Lights!

Francine with her Great Grandma and Grandpa Florida and Poppy!

All the grandkids!

Cousins that are 5 weeks apart!

November 2015

2016-01-06T19:44:00.005-08:00

November is the month where the holidays begin. At least the anticipation of the holidays. For as long as we have been married we have traveled (flip flopped) for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So usually this month and next has traveling in the picture. We drove to Georgia this year for Thanksgiving. We definitely had never done that with 2 kids before. Man - they did great. We really do have some great kids. We had family photos taken this month and I am just in love with them!

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack was in his crib before we went and got him from a nap...he was singing the song "Oh where is my hairbrush" (A veggie tales song). He sang it over and over and over and then all of a sudden he said "I found it!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - orange

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite hobby - art projects

Favorite song - Row Row Your boat (He thinks its Francine's favorite so he always wants to sing it "for her")

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!
I think this is the month that I really fell in love with Francine. She has been great up until now, but now she is consistent, stable, in the groove, and loves LOVES her mama. Thats my kind of girl. I think she is just the best. I am so thankful for her in this season. I am thankful for her health and how she has just rocked having a heartbeat that is half as fast as everyone else her age. She is one strong little lady already.

Highlight - I guess this is not a fun thing but she got her first cough this month. She is almost 9 months old (12/3/15 she turns 9 months).
Sleep - She is a great sleeper still. We have had a few cold nights but mostly beautiful weather so far this year. She has worn her monogrammed sleepsack a few times. I love it. Its White with green polka dots and her name on it.
Clothes - She is in 6-9 months clothes and some 12 months. She is wearing size 1 or 2 shoes. Her papa got her a pair of brown minnentoka moccasins for Christmas that I just love.
Diapers - Size 3 diapers! Ordering off Amazon subscribe and save! Love! Its great only having to buy diapers for one kid now.
Food - 5x nursing still. She is deinitely enjoying baby food a lot more. She has had prunes, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and homemade oatmeal still. No new changes. Wont touch avocado with a ten foot poll...hilarious! :) I have been very relaxed on adding foods to her world. I hope that doesn't cause a pickiness.
Skills - She is learning to stand holding on to things this month. Not very good though.
New things - she is definitely entertaining the idea of crawling. She did get up on her knees and kind of rock back and forth.
Crying - She is becoming such an easy baby as long as mama is around.
Schedule right now - no changes the past 3 months. Honestly, I am fine with this schedule for life.

7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
9:00 nap
11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
1:00 nap
3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
5:30 catnap (Sometimes)
6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
7:45 down for the night
9:30 - dream feed

Until next time....here are some photos of my muchkins!