Water!

Before we move we wanted to take advantage of the pool here on base. We had a blast! Moriah still loves the water and did not want to leave. The weather here was gorgeous but the pool was a little chilly. She was shaking and her lips were turning blue but she still wanted to stay and play. I can't wait for our trip to FL where she can swim in Nana and Papa's pool. Only 6 days!
I will leave you with a video of Moriah making a dash for the pool, I love this little girl!

Moriah's 1st Pick Tails!

When I was doing my hair this morning Moriah was, as usual, watching intently and sitting on my lap for a good part of it. After I was done she let me play with her hair while she sat so perfectly in front of me. I ended up being able to put what little bit of hair she has into her first pick tails. I have to say, I think she looks so girly and cute! I am looking forward to many years of doing this little girls hair. I am so thankful it is finally coming in.

Happy To You

Just wanted to share because it was too cute to keep to myself. We went to a birthday party today (one of Moriah's friends turned 2) and had a blast. It is always fun to have mommy interaction while Moriah gets to play with her beloved friends (she asks for certain ones everyday). Anyway, we sang happy birthday to the birthday boy. The whole drive home and even when I put Moriah down for her nap she kept saying, "Happy to you, Mommy, Happy to you!" I just replied back, "Happy to you too, baby, you make mommy so happy!" So to everyone out there, "Happy to you!"

An Update of Sorts

Zack decided not to officially apply for the jobs in TX and CA. After he did some asking around and research, we discovered that the majority of those in the job he wanted are deployed. Zack would gladly serve in the desert if they asked him to but doesn't feel like he wants to volunteer to be in a job where he is almost certain to be sent over there. So after praying about it we are staying put here until they send us somewhere else. Which brings me to my next big update...
WE ARE MOVING! We are still staying in the area but since we might be here for a little while longer we have decided to check out places for rent. The places we have looked at so far are less per month than where we are now, and bigger. The idea of living with more space while saving money sounds great to me! It is going to be a whirlwind summer....

Trip to Disney in less than two weeks!
Moving as soon as we get back
June 24th camp starts
Possibly finishing the summer with another trip to FL in August

Bring it on!

Sweet Breaks

I have to say that I love nursing. I never got to experience the joy of it with Moriah. We had too many issues, which I wont go into now. I was desperate to give nursing another try with Levi and prayed over it the whole nine months I was carrying him. God heard my cry and he has blessed me with such sweet breaks throughout my day. I love that I have to stop whatever I am doing and take a break with my little guy. I love providing him with something only I can give. I love the boyish, adorable smiles he gives me when he has a full tummy and we just sit and smile at each other. Ahh, thank you for sweet breaks.

Praying It Over

If you have a mind to, please keep us in your prayers.  Zack is in the process of applying to volunteer jobs in TX and CA.  I would absolutely LOVE to move to either place.  We would still be in the military but the possibility of being stationed state side instead of a 15 hour plane ride away in Korea is so appealing.  There isn't a very big chance he will get these jobs, as they are very picky about how long you have been where, and according to the "rules" we haven't been in here long enough.  But, God is a big God and He could have them bend the rules for us.  Zack is applying anyway.  Just thought you might like to see a photo taken from our favorite hiking spot when we lived in CA before.  It is also where we got engaged.  Oh, how I would love to go back there!

Veritas

Right now our church is in the middle of doing a series called The Truth Project. It is a Biblical Worldview study that has been really thought provoking. We watch videos in our small group and have great discussion on them and then on Sundays there is a message that relates to the weeks topic. I find it really useful for equipping me with truth to go out and share. I know something I struggle with is knowing what to say to some people when they start talking about philosophy, evolution and such and I want to share what I know about the bible, but in a way that gets their attention. A lot of the time I just get tongue tied and am not confident in what to say. When I look back at these conversations I can think of things I should have said. This study is helping me to have the truth to share. To be ready. Take a look at the trailer. Even this 4 minute clip is encouraging. I love that the teacher uses scripture to convey the importance of living out a Christian life that is infused with truth. I know that Satan is the father of lies and I want to have the truth to fight off the lies he throws at me. I am so thankful for scripture, that I can stand firm on the truth.

Pee Pee on the Potty, Mommy?

A couple weeks ago Moriah spent the morning at one of my friend's house.  She is currently trying to potty train her three year old son.  While Moriah was there, he pooped on the potty and my friend showed such a strong positive reaction to it (whooping and woo hoo and yahoo) that Moriah decided she wanted to get that kind of attention too.  Starting the very next day, she was asking to go pee pee and poop pooh too.  I have to say I have been very impressed with her so far.  We still aren't pressing the issue but rather just letting her tell us and taking her when she asks. 

The conversation goes like this:

Mo: "Pee pee on the potty, Mommy?"

Me: "Do you need to go potty?"

Mo:"Okay!  Pee pee on the potty!!!"

And up we go to the bathroom.  She even does a little song that goes to the conga line tune.  We have a routine and as soon as her little tush hits the toilet she goes.  Afterwards come her rewards.  She LOVES to wipe, flush, wash her hands and get chocolate (one M&M per potty experience and she gets to pick out which color she prefers).  She narrates every procedure too, as if I would forget that she needs her tush cleaned or her hands washed.  It is cute.  I am not sure just how long it will be till we can claim she is fully potty trained but we are headed in the right direction.      

Super Sling

I received a sling as a gift from Zack's great aunt.  It was such a thoughtful gift!  I had actually been wanting one since I had Moriah but they can be pricey.  Levi LOVES being in the sling.  He calms down 99% of the time I put him in there.  He has been having a fussy hour or two at night (thankfully after Mo goes to bed) and the sling has come in handy for me to just stick him in.  I especially love it when we are out and about.  It is nice to have my hands free to help Mo with things and the fabric is thick and strong but not hot.  Needless to say, I love my sling.  Even the name is just so cute.  Its called a Peanut Shell.  Adorable.  Who comes up with these things?

She Amazes Me

On Tuesday we went to the playground and there was a hurt butterfly.  Moriah was very interested in the wounded bug.  She got to see a butterfly up close since it couldn't fly away.  We went to the playground again yesterday and Moriah went about her usual playing (swings first then fun on the slides).  She stopped in the middle of her sliding and asked me where the "fly" was.  How does she remember??  I know I am biased since she is mine but she just amazes me with her memory and abilities.  I was chatting with another mom at the playground last week and she was commenting on how at Moriah's age she could tell her daughter that she could have something later and she would forget.  In reality, this mom was saying that she lied to her kid to get her to stop bugging her and knew she wouldn't remember it later.  I totally do not condone this, I think honesty with your kids is best.  I am modeling for my children how I want them to behave, and I don't want them lying and tricking people.  But if I did want to use this less than ideal parenting tip I was given, I can't.  My daughter is too smart for that and would remember in a heartbeat if I promised her chocolate after nap.  Thanks for keeping me accountable Mo!  

Here are some pics of her searching for the missing "fly" and a bonus of Levi patiently watching his sister play.

JC Penney Pics

Here are my favorite photos from our family pictures we got a couple weeks ago. I have to say I think they turned out just lovely.

Mother's Day 2009

In keeping with tradition I spent Mother's Day being a mom.  This is only my second year having kids but I have to say I hope I spend every Mother's Day this way.  I spent the entire day with my sweet family just being together.  I love it!

To start off, I got to sleep in till 9 AM!  And that wasn't because Zack got up with the kids, although he would have.  They both slept in till 9, an unbelievable first!  I think it was their gift to me =)  Unfortunately, Moriah woke up with a fever.  She was crying hysterically and just wouldn't calm down.  We didn't have any infant tylenol or motrin (I can't believe it it!) so Zack had to make a run to the store.  While he was gone Moriah continued to cry.  For those of you who know her, you can personally attest that it doesn't take much to make her vomit.  She started getting really worked up and then threw up all over me.  So off to the tub she went and I gave her a bath and tried my best to calm her down.  Zack arrived with the meds and took over while I got a shower.  Her fever came right down, so off we went for a walk around a lake near by and for our annual Mother's Day picnic.  

I love picnics.  I love that I didn't have to do anything to get ready for this picnic.  Zack did the shopping for the supplies and got everything ready.  I got to just enjoy being with my family.  Moriah LOVED being outside and pointed out all the wild life to us.  Her favorite by far was the turtle we saw in the lake.  She is constantly asking about turtles now.  Zack showed her some on the internet so all she wants is to look at them on line all day.  It was sad to have to tell her she couldn't play on the play ground.  She didn't understand that since she was sick she couldn't slide or swing.  We left the park after our walk and picnic and the kids went down for a nap.

During nap time, Zack watched a chick flick with me.  It was really sweet.  We just had some time together.  We watched Australia.  It was a good movie over all.  It totally made me think of my Grandpa though.  He loves westerns, and while this isn't a western set in the 1800's I think he would approve.  Since Mo had a fever, we couldn't go to church.  I was really disappointed about that, because we are doing a really cool study right now called the Truth Project...more on that another day.  So, instead, Zack went out and got us Chili's to go and we had a nice dinner at home.  

All in all, my Mother's Day was great.  I love that we just spent it being together...I love my family.  Zack kept asking me what I wanted to do for the day and I just kept telling him, I want to spend the day enjoying being a mom.  I want to savor the day with my husband and my kids.  They are growing so fast.  So that is what we did, and it was fabulous.

 (I also got a really thoughtful Mother's Day gift.  A day to myself.  Hair cut, pedi, and mani while Zack keeps the babes...I think I just might cash it in right before our trip to FL.)

Looking to Summer

We are going shopping today, woo hoo!  We have some things we need before summer starts.  The most fun thing on our list to buy today is a pair of tiny swimming trunks for Levi.  SO CUTE!  We are headed to FL in June and need to be prepared for the weather there and all the pool fun we will have.  We are actually going to be spending the week at Disney!  I can't wait to see how Moriah reacts to all the characters and rides.  I am so looking forward to spending time with my family, who will all be there.  I will be sure to post pictures of our trip.

We are going to be kicking the summer off on Memorial Day Weekend by seeing our good friends on Saturday and then spending time at the pool that will finally be open!  Then off to Disney in June.  

The end of June thru the beginning of August are taken with GADC (Grace Adventures Day Camp).  I am SO excited to be spending the summer working at this camp again.  My position has changed from counselor to coordinator.  I will be overseeing the nursery and junior camp portions of camp.  I have been spending a lot of time helping with pre camp things (writing curriculum, interviewing potential counselors, and such).  I am really excited to see what God does this year with camp.  

To end the summer we hope to make another trip to FL in August.  The plane fares are really cheap but we aren't sure if Zack can take the time off work.  We will see...

So that is our summer in a nut shell.  I love having things to look forward to.  We truly are blessed!     

O Messy Mo

My little girl has been making a mess lately.  She used to HATE being dirty or having anything on her hands.  If you recall, she made us take off the icing on her first birthday cake because she would scream when it touched her hands.  Recently she has proven herself capable of getting messy.  Here are some shots of her playing with chalk, painting, and eating pudding.  Enjoy!

The Art of Sharing

Moriah has learned to share, or rather she has learned that others should share.  She sees a toy she wants and requests that whoever has it, shares.  She does this by saying, "SHARE!" over and over to the kid and the adults.  She looks with pleading eyes and almost begs the adults to intervene and insist that the kid share.  She also tells others to share when they are trying to take her toy from her.  We are going to be working on the true definition of sharing in the days to come.  Don't get me wrong, she will share with others, especially Levi, who she tried to share her yogurt snack with this morning, and she likes to give him her lovie blanket.  But recently she just has been insisting that others share with her.  Ahh, my baby is a definitely a toddler approaching two.  It is hard to believe.      

Moriah's 1st Trip to the ER

Moriah decided to do her first somersault this morning.  She did a perfect job of getting her feet up over her head, using her head to push off and finishing off landing on her back.  The unfortunate part is that it was down our hard wood stairs.  It was SO SAD!  I went into protective momma mode and swooped her up.  (I had just told her to wait for me before going down.  I should have moved her away...hind sight is 20/20)  She was of course crying and had an indentation on her forehead.  My initial reaction was that she would be fine, every kid falls down the stairs at one point, right?  Then my mom spoke reason into me and told me to call the pediatrician.  The nurse on call said we needed to take her into the ER for a CAT scan.  I guess she could be acting normal but be bleeding internally and just die one or two days later, SCARY!  So off we went (we including Zack who fortunately could leave work to come too).  All in all, the ER was very quick and we were in and out in 2 hours.  Thankfully, Moriah is fine.  She has a nasty bruise but the CAT scan came back good and the Dr. said she looked great neurologically.  She was a trooper.  I wasn't there for the scan but Zack said they had to wrap her and tape down her head because she had to lay still.  He was awesome and sang to her to keep her calm.  She didn't cry at all during the scan, just before and after when they were getting the stuff to keep her still on and off.  I was so proud of her for being so brave.  Also, I didn't cry once.  I am taking this as a good sign, proof that my hormones are returning to normal.  I came close to crying, and I just might have, if I had been the one to be with her in the scan, but I didn't.  Needless to say it was a crazy afternoon.  Now both babies are sleeping and I am just thanking God that Moriah is going to be fine.         

Levi is 7 Weeks!

I can't believe how fast the time has flown by.  Seven weeks ago I gave birth to my son.  My son!!  Things are going very well all things considered.  We are adjusting to being parents of two.  Someone asked Zack the other day if I went to take a break and he replied that with two there are no breaks.  So true!  Unless they are asleep we are chasing, feeding, disciplining, soothing, etc...  Levi has proven himself to be a sweet asset to this family.  He loves to sleep and does so between each feeding.  He will eat, be alert for a little bit and then sleep till it is time to eat again.  He does HATE to be wet or poopy, so if one of those things happen he is sure to let us know.  It is funny the difference between kids.  Moriah didn't mind waiting to be changed and never cried for a dirty diaper.  She cried for other things, a lot, but not that.  He has been such a great night time sleeper too.  He has given me a couple night where he has gone 8 hours between feedings.  Most of the time he just goes 6 though.  I can't complain about that!  He has been having a fussy time every evening, which has been challenging, but God is good.  He doesn't usually start his fussy until Moriah goes to bed.  BLESSING!  We only have to deal with it when we only have him to focus on.  He has been smiling and cooing more and more.  I am excited to find out what his personality will be like.  He already seems to have a bit of a temper and is a feisty thing when something is not going his way.  (ie. when he is hungry or has a diaper change)  I have to say, being a mom of two is challenging but rewarding.  I am not sure how people do it once they are out numbered.  Two is enough for us, for now.    

It's Been A While...

So I kind of fell off the blogging planet.  I have been crazy busy getting to know my little Levi and spending quality time with Moriah (so she doesn't feel replaced).  It has been tricky, this mothering two thing, but totally worth every minute.  I promise to return to the blogging world soon with updates.  Posts to look forward to:

Levi turns One Month!  (almost two now, but I plan on back tracking so I have it blogged)

GADC (Grace Adventures Day Camp)

Moriah and Potty Training

Family Portraits

Amazing New Sling

Exciting Summer Plans

Truth Project

Ok, I think that is enough for now.  Look for these posts in coming days...I promise I'll be back.  Till then, let me leave you with Levi's first captured smile (I got him smirking really) and Moriah entertaining him in his bouncie.  It has been such a joy to see him smile more and more the last couple weeks.  He loves being talked to but isn't nearly as vocal as Moriah was at his age.  We all know she turned out to be quite the chatter box.  It will be interesting to see if he has a quieter personality.