easterlife

Not ready for this!

2012-02-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

I usually don't post things until much after they have happened but last night as we were fixing dinner Harper was exploring. She likes to sit in front of the refrigerator when we are getting things out, just like Avalyn did when she was Harper's age. She has recently figured out how to get drawers open so she had opened the bottom drawer and was pulling things out. As she was pulling out blocks of cheese and butter (and sunk her teeth into a stick of butter) we laughed that it would be so funny if she stood for the first time in the refrigerator. It was maybe 1 minute later that Harper started to try and pull herself up! Thankfully I had the camera right on the counter so I was able to grab a few quick shots while Josh and Avalyn stood guard in case she fell over! :)

This morning she pulled herself up on the side of the bathtub when she was waiting for her bath and then today she pulled herself up on Avy's helper tower a few times. Wow! I am sure it won't be long until she is standing in her crib wanting us to get her out. She could hardly straighten her legs all the way at first but even today after I saw her do it again a few times her legs are getting stronger and she is able to support herself on her legs much better.

And now, if you know our dog here is proof that she really is calm most of the time and the girls do crawl all over her and she just lays there! Apparently she makes a pretty good prop to pull yourself up with too.

P.S. I promise, Harper does have (and wear) pants. It is just easier for her to get traction to move around on the hard floors when she doesn't wear pants or socks! :)

Harper's Hair Style

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Harper got her hair styled by daddy the other day! She got all sorts of compliments when we went to Costco. All it took was a bath and a tiny bit of pomade!

My Sister Lacey

2012-02-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am linking up with Kelly's Korner again for Show Us Your Life. Today is Show Us Your Singles Day so I felt like I should write about my sister, Lacey! (Lacey, please forgive me for not asking permission first!)

Lacey is 30 years old and a wonderful, Godly person. She is my best friend and has been an amazing friend and sister for as long as I can remember! Lacey has a sweet and gentle spirit and is one of the smartest people I know. She likes to laugh, play games, read, knit, do yoga, hike, exercise, teach, and bake. She makes the most amazing oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Don't play against her in any type of word game because she will beat you every time.

Lacey loves to travel and I am trying to remember all of the places she has traveled to--Germany, Hungary, Kenya, China, Indonesia, Scotland, Ireland, Vietnam to name a few! Lacey is currently teaching at a university in China but trying to decide if she will renew her contract for another year or return to the US. She will be back in the US for summer break and possibly longer if she decides to not renew her contract. When she returns to the US she will be in Colorado and Michigan!

Lacey is a loving and gracious aunt to her nieces and nephews and they get so excited to see her on Skype. When you meet Lacey I think the first thing you would notice is her smile, it is the biggest, sweetest smile and it really seems to come from the inside out. Her smile immediately makes you feel like you have made a new friend.

Lacey loves God with her whole life and seeks to be more like Him each day. She has been an inspiration to me to seek God first and keep Him first in all that I do. She knows that God has someone special out there for her and she is waiting patiently to find him. I know he is out there for her somewhere and we are already praying for him, we just need a face/name to put in those prayers!

Some of my favorite photos of Lacey...

If you are interested in learning more about Lacey or contacting her, please email me (anniemakesit (at) gmail.com) or leave a comment on this post with your email or link! Good luck in your search too. Oh, and Lacey, I hope we are still friends after this! :)

Avalyn - 32 Months

2012-02-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

32 months? Did I add that all up correctly?
Avy, you are growing up so quick! You love to sing and dance, especially trying ballet moves. You are a great helper with Harper and you are doing so well with sharing.

You have been working on good behavior and have made some great improvements! We are still working on potty training, I know you will get it eventually! At this point it feels like a battle of the wills so we try not to pressure you with it too much.
You have quite a few books that you can "read" to us and you really do know them word for word. The same with your songs that you like to sing before bed. We are amazed at what you can remember.
You really like to Skype with Aunt Lacey in China and Grandma and Grandpa Miller in Michigan. You will ask many times each day to see if they are home on the "peeka".
You like going to the park and to the library. Lately you have been asking to go to church every day so I think you enjoy going to church too!

Today you got to eat a Thin Mint cookie and I know I saw you take one bite but then the cookie was gone...smart girl! :) I hope you enjoyed it!

Harper - 11 months!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Harpsy, as Avalyn loves to call you. Or Harpery. How she comes up with these things we will never know!
Harper, you are getting to be quite the talker. You love to make noise, and loud noise at that! You are sliding all over the place on your belly and are pulling yourself up to your knees. You got another new tooth so you are now at 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. Some of your favorite foods are crackers, oatmeal, applesauce, crackers, cheese, avocado, crackers, cheerios, crackers, cheerios....and you also like shredded chicken and peas.
Yes, we are still trying to get you on a more balanced diet with table foods but you know how to tell us when you don't want/like something. You throw it off your tray for the dog to eat and shake your head "no"!
You are doing better with being comfortable around new people and you have stayed in the nursery at church with no problems the past 3 weeks! YEAH!
You also enjoy going to story time with Avalyn and riding in the stroller at the park.

We recently moved Avalyn and Harper into the same room and after a few days of listening to 2 little sisters chatting through the monitor at nap time I think you are finally used to sleeping in the same room and are both getting much more sleep now.

Just had to share...

2012-01-22T21:48:00.001-07:00

I am reading this book and it is amazing. I wanted to share with you something I just read that pretty much had me jumping out of my seat. This is exactly what our pastor has been preaching about at church lately and my small group has been having some great discussions on this same topic.

Excerpt from Driven by Eternity written by John Bevere

From page 82

"It's an exchange; we must give our entire life, and in place of it we get His life (nature). Jesus repeatedly communicates this:

If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. Mark 8:34, AMP

We are to continually cleave steadfastly to Him. It's not just a one-time prayer and then life as usaul except that you are now in the "born-again" club and are heaven bound...It's a definitive exchange; we give up our rights as owners of our lives in order to follow His desires, and in return we receive His eternal life. With the gospel that is preached today, we've not emphasized this extremely important aspect of following Jesus; we've only told the benefits. In essence, we've preached the resurrection promises without preaching the impact and decision of the Cross. "

From page 91-92

"Grace empowers us to serve God acceptably. Why have we not proclaimed the entire Gospel, just half the story? Yes, salvation is a gift--it cannot be purchased, and it cannot be earned. This is all true. However, we forgot to tell people that the only way to obtain it is to forsake all, lay down our lives confessing His lordship, and in doing this we will be empowered to live in accordance to His nature."

Just wanted to share with you what I have been learning lately about God and what it truly means to serve and follow Him. Hope you have a blessed day today and think about what you can do to serve God with your whole life.

Raise your hand...

2012-01-18T15:36:00.002-07:00

Raise your hand if you went to the grocery store today.

Now keep your hand up if you were halfway through the produce section before you realized the zipper on your pants was unzipped!

Oh, was I the only one that happened to? Cool! ;)

Have a good day!

Snow!

2012-01-17T09:34:00.001-07:00

We got a nice amount of snow just after Christmas...or maybe it was before. Either way we got to play in the snow and we had a great time! The video is really cute of Harper. Josh was being goofy and wore my coat so don't worry, he really does have a winter coat that fits! :)

God is good!

2012-01-15T21:56:00.002-07:00

Lots of prayer going on around here for so many different people and situations. Sometimes it is hard when we feel like there is nothing we can do but really, prayer is all that we can do and it is the best thing to do in those situations.

I have really been enjoying our sunrises lately! God is reminding me so much of his infinite greatness and his great love for us. I pray that nothing will keep me from loving and living for Him each day.

Taken this morning from our back door!

2 Corinthians 4:1-9 (NIV)

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Christmas Photos

2012-01-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to take Christmas photos at the last minute before you take down your Christmas tree?
Well, here are ours. We had to get something formal with Harper since it was her first Christmas!

Christmas in Michigan

2012-01-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated an early Christmas in Michigan and had a great time. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Frankenmuth and going to Bronner's. If you are ever in Michigan, you need to go. It is Christmas all year long!

We have been pretty bad with using our camera lately, probably because we are too busy enjoying the moment and making memories and the camera isn't always part of the moment!


The best picture of 4! Notice, my [hot] babywearing husband!

Avalyn & Grace; Tucker; Jackson; Aunt Joyce & Avalyn

Currently

2012-01-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Working on: Wool Longies for baby Beckett. Magic Loop method for knitting two legs at once.

Reading: Driven by Eternity by John Bevere. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.
Cooking: Cheeseburger Salad. The name sounds a little weird but it is worth a try. It was delicious!
Baking: Artisan Bread from this book.

My Handmade Christmas

2012-01-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun making Christmas gifts this year. Thanks to Josh for making it possible for me to make so many things! He has sat through many a movie or TV show so that I can crochet or knit. And taken care of the girls so I can have time to sew. Not to mention his providing the funding for these projects!
;)
So...way back when Josh and Avalyn went to Michigan for hunting season I stitched up 7 pillow covers out of some Ikea curtains that my sister gave me. I thought the metallic style fabric looked festive for the holiday season and it matched our current color scheme. I also made three owl pillows for Avalyn, Harper, and Grace (our niece) for Christmas gifts. There were some pajama pants for Avalyn and a dress for Harper - upcycled from some old t-shirts! I also sewed up a purse that I had cut out over 6 months ago. The purse took way too long to sew but it turned out pretty nice.
Those are all pictured here, Harper is wearing the dress and playing with the pillows.

I, with a little help from my mom, crocheted these toy airplanes for our nephew Kody and made this little learning mat to go with them. Idea came slightly from Ravelry and mostly from my own.

We made this wall hanging for my in-laws for Christmas, it came with some super cute photos of their 3 grandkids that my brother-in-law took. Idea came from Pinterest but I could not find the original source.

There were also 2 crocheted angel ornaments that I know I photographed but the photos have seemed to disappear. I used this pattern. They were surprisingly easy to make and went really fast.

I made a picture hanger for my parents using something similar to this and I never photographed it! I think that is all that I made. Oh wait, I finished a gift for myself too, the Honey Cowl! I better take photos of that today!

All in all it was a great Christmas. We felt like we were celebrating the whole month but it was great to have so much time to reflect on and praise the birth of Jesus.

Harper - 10 months!

2012-01-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

Harper was 10 months in December! Here are the highlights from month 9 to month 10!
-Went on first road trip, to Grandma and Grandpa Miller's house. Slept all night in the car while we drove 1300 miles!
-Shortly after we got there we found out you had three more teeth that came in. We didn't even know! Your Uncle Ryan was holding you and saw them, the fourth on top is still just below the surface and hasn't quite broken through.
-You got to meet some cousins and aunts and uncles that you had not yet met.
-Mastered moving from seated position to your belly and you army crawl everywhere.
-Started trying to repeat our words.
-Had your first Christmas. You tried to help Avy blow out the candles when we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

We can't believe you are almost 1 year old! In some ways it seems like just yesterday we were driving to the hospital to have you. In other ways it seems like you have been with us forever. We love you!

Harper - 9 Months!

2012-01-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

Harper was 9 months back in November!
Some highlights from 9 month checkup:
-weigh 17 lbs
-28.5 inches tall
-2 teeth on the bottom that appeared seemingly overnight
-love to clap and dance
-love to eat crackers...only crackers! It is hard to get you to eat anything else some days!
-still going strong with nursing
-wear mostly 9 month clothes but moving into 12 month sizes

Love you, Harps!

9 months

Worst Christmas Gift Ever?

2011-12-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

The flu.

Thanksgiving!

2011-12-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving day at our favorite fire station and had a delicious meal. Then we celebrated with family on that Saturday and had another delicious meal. We had a great time at both celebrations and are so thankful for so many things.

Avalyn has always been a little bit scared of the fire trucks but every time we visit she gets more curious and this time she asked to get in and drive! She even got to turn the lights on and she thought it was so cool.

(iPod photo, sorry for the poor quality)

Frosting!

2011-12-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

What is the best part of baking? Baking something that requires frosting, of course! And what is the best part of making frosting? Licking the beater(s)!

Avalyn loves to help in the kitchen, we recently made some frosted brownies to take to our favorite firefighter and his crew. She helped measure the ingredients and of course was a great help with the cleanup!

(10/28/11)

Catching Up

2011-12-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

Phew, it has been way too long! I think I better start back at Halloween and go from there to get you all caught up on our life!

I was on the fence about even starting to get into Halloween and I read this blog post and this one. Both captured how I was feeling about the day. And that was only a few days before Halloween so I had to haul out the sewing machine and get stitching!
So without further ado, here are some little sweeties that I had a good time making some sweet Halloween costumes for. Avalyn was Reepicheep from The Chronicles of Narnia and Harper was an owl because I had to use up all those felt and fleece scraps some way! :)


Avalyn Trick-or-Treating

Paint!

2011-12-03T08:51:00.001-07:00

First time with a paint brush!
Usually we just do finger painting but we have been reading Panda Bear's Paintbox a lot lately and she has been asking to paint with a paint brush. Panda Bear uses watercolors but she doesn't know the difference.

Still Thankful

2011-12-01T22:24:00.001-07:00

Ever have one of those days? Or week? Yes? Well, we're having one here. Here's to pushing through with bright hope for tomorrow!
Posting will be slim until we get our computer back from the apple genius people. I can only handle typing short posts on my iPod! Very thankful that we had a few weeks left on our AppleCare plan when our computer decided to stop working. Thankful that my husband was kept safe when his car broke down in the middle of a busy intersection! Thankful that we decided to go with a 4-foot Christmas tree and that no children were harmed when a certain 2-year old was showing a certain 9-month old how to pull the bulbs off the tree and they knocked the tree over! Ha!

But seriously I am so thankful, these things are just a drop in the bucket in light of eternity! None of these things really matter when I consider Christ and the joy of his arrival.

"See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy. (Isaiah 65:17, 18 NIV)

"O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace."
-Helen Lemmel, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Have a good day!

Giving Thanks # 23

2011-11-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

Thankful for your book recommendations today, we have an upcoming trip that I would love to spend some time reading on. Any books you think I should read??

Giving Thanks # 22

2011-11-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful for the home that God has blessed us with. We recently started a project that is taking longer than we thought it would and also requiring a bit more creativity then we intended it to but Josh is doing such a great job with it. I am so proud of all his hardworking! Thanks, Josh!

Giving Thanks # 21

2011-11-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

Thankful that I don't blog for a job so I can take a break for a bit if I need to! :)

Giving Thanks #20 !

2011-11-20T16:27:00.001-07:00

Crochet hooks! And kids who take extra long naps (somedays) so I can work on some fun things! The other great thing about crochet hooks is that I can use them to teach Avalyn counting while I work on projects! She loves to count stitches with me and to count up all of my spare hooks and line them up like a train. Cheap entertainment!