Christmas Cuteness

Merry Christmas season!  These girls are pretty cute!  Please excuse the snot all over Eleri's face...I was headed to the clinic with her right after I took these pictures.  They were all dressed up and ready for church but Eleri was acting sick so we had to miss and visit the clinic instead!  They were still pretty cute!

Family Fun Time

In the midst of this crazy season we have had some fun moments.  Friday night we had a family night and made home made pizzas and then Eric grilled them.  Sadly, they burned because we didn't account for the fact that the crust was already pre-cooked...but the toppings were good and the dogs enjoyed a little starchy snack.  Then Saturday night, the girls and I had a girls night of watching The Santa Clause in our pajamas and drinking hot chocolate.  I love these simple family moments we have.

28 weeks...7 months

I'm on the verge of a panic attack...you see I just realized that 28 weeks divided by 4 weeks equals 7 months!!!  I had no idea I was already at 7 months.  This last month has gone really really well.  I've felt pretty good and have not been exhausted.  I've only napped if Eleri has kept me up and have had lots of energy to get things around the house accomplished.  And apparently it has gone so well this month that I've gained 7 lbs!  7lbs!!!  7 is NOT my number today.  The nurse informed me that she is glad I gained that and that I really needed it.  Even though I just gained that much weight, I don't feel like my baby belly is as big as it was with Eleri at 7 months (You can compare if you'd like).  I think it might be the walking back and forth to school with Mali, which I've actually enjoyed!  My OB appointment went really well.  Everything looked great.  I measured on target and baby's heart beat was great.  Eleri was so good during the appointment and lifted up her shirt and put my phone on her belly while the doppler was on mine.  Her eyes lit up at baby boy's heartbeat and she looked around the room. Dr. Carrasco scheduled my next appointment a month out instead of the two weeks out because of Christmas and we will have another ultrasound that day (January 5th). I have started to have lots of Braxton Hicks but my OB just said the more pregnancies you have the more you have because your muscles are so weak.  Last Thursday night I did wake up at about 1am with some pain and realized I was having real contractions.  It only lasted about 30 minutes and then I fell asleep as I prayed that God would help me know if I should go to Labor and Delivery or not, so apparently the answer was not since I fell asleep!:)  I haven't had any more since then.  I have felt that baby boy has moved positions and is really low now.  I wonder if he is breech too like Eleri was at this point.  I sort of miss the little pokes in my side as opposed to kicks down much lower! We will schedule baby boy's arrival at my next appointment! I really can't believe we have 2 very short months until Baby Boy's arrival.  And if you haven't guessed, he still doesn't not have a name, a room, or bedding..you know all those essentials moms feel like they need before they have their babies.  But at the same time, I'm not really stressed about.  I'm not sure I have the time to do any of that and I'm not in a hurry to kick Eleri out of her room.  I did just realize that Eleri may not need time to transition but Mali may need time to get used to the idea that her room is to be shared with Eleri.  Yesterday, Mali helped me move all of "her" letters, and pictures, etc. to her side of the room on the wall.  I think that's a start!  Eric and I did decided on baby bedding, but I think he just gave in!;)  We have yet to order it, but I'm not really worried.  I think we should have at least 3 months after baby is here until he needs his crib.  Although I'm not worried and I'm not ready to have all these preparations done, I feel this sense of panic that he has to be done but I can't do it, I don't have time to do it, or we just need to get through another celebration (i.e. Christmas, Florida trip, Eleri birthday).  

Crazy Dave Ramsey

Just a quick update into our lives!  We are doing our best to live in financial freedom.  With the help of Dave Ramsey and Matt Carr!!!!:)  We are now a one car family.  It has been interesting for sure.  Today was my day with the car and it has been CRAZY trying to get all the errands run I need to when I have the car.  Eric has mainly been taking it.  It really isn't so bad but on the weekends will be tricky.  Eric needs to be at school Saturday at 5:30am and will be home around midnight that night.  Neither times I want to be up to pick him up or drop him off.  So I would just let him have the car, but I've scheduled a client at 3pm Saturday!  It will be interesting for sure.  I'm so thankful for the direction we are moving in and how much of a sacrificed Eric willingly took on so we can live in financial freedom.  We are so excited about our future and how we will be freed up to enjoy our dreams because of this year what we hope will be a year of sacrifice!

The Polar Express

Saturday we ventured to Lubbock to spend the day with our friends, The Dallas Family.  That morning Zach and Calyn had their 6^th birthday celebration at Chuck E. Cheese.  The girls loved it and played and played.  Mali loved seeing her friends and Eleri loved seeing Chuck E Cheese.  After the party we stuck around because we had tickets to ride The Polar Express.  Mali went to the Science Spectrum and made Christmas Crafts with the other big kids while the babies rested at home.  Nana bought the cutest matching polar bear pajamas for the girls and they were so excited to wear them.  On the way to the “station”, I stopped and got us bean and cheese burritos from Taco Villa to eat for dinner before our ride.  BIG mom mistake…both girls’ beautiful while shirts were covered in some sort of taco sauce (we usually only get burritos from Rosa’s which don’t have sauce so I was a little inexperienced).  I was so frustrated with myself, but luckily had an extra set of clothes anyway that happened to match fairly well.  We waited in line with the entire Dallas family and Tracen Williams who gladly took Eric’s spot, until it was time to board the train.  The girls were excited and couldn’t sit still for all the excitement.  Eleri, Mali and Calyn started out sitting with me but Calyn soon moved.  Mali spent the rest of the time crying and pouting that Calyn wouldn’t sit with her.  However, Eleri really enjoyed the experience. She was dancing and clapping and singing and just couldn’t stay in her seat.  She loved looking out at the Christmas lights as we rode along. We were fortunate to know our conductor, THE Jason Trook. He made the ride really fun.  He punched our tickets with a “P” and an “E” for Polar Express and made sure that the holes landed all over Zach and Calyn as they were punched out! The conductor and the servers danced through the aisles to the theme from the movie The Polar Express.  We enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies.  Then the book was read aloud over the loud speaker.  We finally arrived at The North Pole.  Mali was less than thrilled and informed me it wasn’t the real North Pole because it was a paper house. It wasn’t quite paper, maybe wood and signs, but she knew it wasn’t THE North Pole at any rate.  Then Santa Clause came aboard.  The girls were excited to see him.  Santa gave each girl a bell and they have thoroughly enjoyed ringing it since.  In the quiet of the moments as we approached the “station” to return to our cars, Mali said “mom, I believe”.  I asked her what exactly she believed and she said “I believe in Jesus and that He is in my heart.”  My heart just melted!!! I couldn’t be happier with her response.  I don’t really push her belief in Santa and was glad that it is her belief in Jesus that she thinks of when we read, watch or experience the Polar Express and they talk about “believing.”

Waiting for the train to arrive

Ready to board

The train has arrived

SOOO exciting

NOT in the best mood

Hot Chocolate

A little warmed up with some warm hot chocolate

Eleri's bell

Yummy cookie

Mali's bell

Having our tickets punched

Eleri, Santa Clause, Zach Dallas, and Mali

Book Review: Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

I finally gave in and read Same Kind of Different as Me.  I love a good and love a good read, but sometimes the over excitement and tendency for Christians to almost over like a book (some what like Prayer of Jabez) has kept me from reading Same Kind of Different as Me.  However, when it was offered  as a free book for blogging, I did decide to go ahead and read it.  I really enjoyed the book and am sad it took me four months to read.  The story is captivating and mainly because of the truth of it all.  This book is the true story of  Ron Hall and Denver Moore and how their lives intertwine in a way only God can do.  The story is also well assembled and plays more into this theme of intertwining. I think overall the book just shows how we all have such similar stories and similar difficulties in life.  What draws us together is the life changing redemption that God offers us, first of all through Jesus and the shedding of His blood, as well as the power of changing our story and giving us a new masterpiece written by Him.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Love and War: Devotional for Couples

This devotional is an 8 week “adventure” taken from the most recent book by the same title written by John  and Stasi Edlredge.  I have enjoyed reading this devotional that is broken down into five days per week. Each day includes an excerpt from the book and then a prayer for you to pray with your spouse, or even separately.  At the end of Day 5 of each week is also an exercise for each spouse to do.  What I really enjoyed about this devotional is that is real and raw.  It helps you see that the struggles that you may face in marriage are not unique to you and that marriage is just hard and takes work.  In fact, the first day starts out like this, “We probably ought to just start here: marriage is fabulously hard.  Maybe that’s an odd way to begin, but it is true, and everybody that’s been married knows this, though years into marriage it still catches us off guard, all of us.” I could go on…because every sentence of this devotional is so freeing.  However, there is also lots of hope given in the subsequent days and weeks of the devotional.  The weeks are divided into categories as well with the focus of that week being that category.  I highly recommend this devotional and think it would make a GREAT stocking stuffer for every couple on your list.  Another great aspect of this book is that it doesn’t have to be done with your spouse.  In some cases, spouses may be unwilling to do this together and the book is set up so that it can easily be read and accomplished together or separate. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Waterbrook Multnohmah book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”