We Are The Proud Owners Of...

We finally got to go to our Charlotte IKEA last week.  It is the coolest store EVER!  They have a kids play place.  Zeke didn't meet the height requirement but Rainy went and had a blast.  Then, we all ate at the food court for about $12.  Not too bad for 4 people.  The store ended up being less than 45 min. away.

We did have a purpose in our trip though.  We have literally been saving up for months to get the kids a set of bunkbeds and a dresser/cabinet so we can upgrade for the new baby.  (Which, by the way, we find out is a boy or girl on Wed.=))

Zeke absolutely LOVED helping his daddy put their bed together.  His phrase of the night was "Daddy, where is my 'that thing'?"  He wanted his version of whatever tool Josh was using at the time.  

Areyna sleeps on the top and cannot get enough of it.  As soon as we got home from church yesterday she ran to her room, climbed up the ladder and laid on her bed until lunch was ready "just to rest";)

Saturday night was their first night in their new environment and it will take some getting used to.  Since they can no longer look at each other they think they are farther away than they really are so they were singing and talking A LOT LOUDER than normal and for A LOT LONGER.  They were still up when Josh and I went to bed which made for quite a morning at church, but that just goes with the territory of change.  

Zeke with his THAT (power drill)

Hammering together

The finished product!

(Can you believe this is the only wall in the house that can 

fit a bunk bed besides our bedroom?!)

Their new dresser/cabinet

Slow Me Down

Josh's isn't sure who this person is in his house because it sure isn't his wife=)  I think I'm finally past the NO ENERGY, NO MOTIVATION, LAY ON THE COUCH while the kids climb all over me, CAN'T HARDLY COOK DINNER because of the smell of the first trimester.  I have now entered the CAN'T GET TOO ORGANIZED, HAVE WAY TOO MUCH ENERGY, PERKY second trimester.  

Just today I...

• woke up at 5:45am
  
• got the kids ready to go 15 minutes early!
• lead worship at Ridge Church
• got home and made lunch
• got my CVS scenarios together
• put the kids down for a nap
• went to CVS and racked up!
• came home and cut my coupons (shew, finally caught up for the first time in weeks)
• got caught up on ministry work
• started laundry
• made dinner (I never make dinner on Sundays)
• folded laundry
• posted something on CraigsList and sold it less than 2 hours later
• gave the kids a bath

...and am now about to watch a movie with my baby.  I should sleep well tonight!=)

The Sweetest Thing

Two nights ago we were sitting on the couch after our family devotion time and the kids wanted to kiss and talk to the baby before they went to bed.  Zeke lifted my shirt up over my belly and went on to tell the baby his favorite colors.  Areyna and Josh wanted in on the fun too so they joined Zeke!  Not 2 minutes into the craziness did I begin to feel little movements in my belly in response to the chaos on the outside.  It was a sweet bonding time for our whole family.

Then, last night, the kids were wired for some reason (maybe because of our IKEA trip we went on today!!!).  It was 10pm and the kids were finally calming down.  We'd been listening to them sing, tell stories and giggle for 2 hours!  I LOVE those sounds...

Obsessed

I just finished up Crazy Love by Francis Chan this week.  What a GREAT book.  It has definitely opened my eyes and convicted me to change some things in my own life.  Here is one more take away that I got toward the end of the book.

"A Person who is obsessed thinks

about heaven frequently.  Obsessed 

people orient their lives around

eternity; they are not fixed only on

what is here in front of them."

Francis Chan - Crazy Love

Here is an example of a life obsessed with Jesus:

During the intermission of a play that Francis attended with some family and friends he leaned over to his wife's grandmother and asked how she liked the play.  She said, "Oh honey, I really don't want to be here right now."  When asked "why" she replied, "I just don't know if this is where I want to be when Christ returns.  I'd rather be helping someone or on my knees praying. I don't want Him to return and find me sitting in a theater."

"Therefore, be alert, since you don't know when the master 

of the house is coming-whether in the evening or at midnight

or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning.

Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping.

And what I say to you I say to everyone: Be alert!"

Mark 13:35-37

I don't know about you, but when Christ comes back I don't want to be sitting in a theatre or caught in the middle of denying him when the rooster crows.  I want to learn this lifestyle of anticipation of our Great God!

5 More Months Of Braxton Hicks

The last 3 months or so of my other 2 pregnancies were full of Braxton Hicks.  It's crazy to me that some of my other friends who have had children have never felt this uncomfortable tightening of the abdomen.  

I just started my 18th week and have already been feeling Braxton Hicks for over a week now.  This may be an interesting 5 months=)

Debunking A Common Coupon Myth

"I just don't buy anything that I see coupons for."

This is the most frequent phrase I hear (and which I even used to believe) when individuals contemplate starting to get into the couponing scene.  But, unless you have a food allergy or are just Brand-partial you can always find at least a few coupons that could save you a couple bucks.

Example:

What I bought this week-

Blueberries, Strawberries and Bananas

2 cans of Diced Tomatoes

1 box of whole grain spaghetti

2 boxes of brown rice

2 boxes of pop-tarts - 12 count

7 boxes of Celestial Seasoning Tea (Josh drinks this before singing)

2 1/2 dozen eggs

32 oz. of coffee creamer

3 kinds of face wash (we've been using free travel sizes and were in desperate need=)

1 box of ziploc baggies

2 boxes of sandwich meat

1 carmel syrup

1 bag of tortillas

1 package of highlighters

The 3 items highlighted in black are the only items not on sale or which I bought without a coupon.

Total before discounts - $95(ish)

I spent $45 out of pocket

Saved $50.10

(about $30 in VIC card sales and $20 just with coupons)

This is not to brag, this is to give you hope that you can do it and still eat healthy within a budget using coupons.  Now, go out there and get some GREAT deals!=)

Just In Case You Thought He Was Perfect

Can you tell where I'm going with this?

This is the bathroom AFTER Zeke peed all over the rug.

Just a few hours later Zeke came out of his room soaking wet.

Oh yes he did, he pulled all the clothes out of this drawer,

climbed in, and peed in it.

Then, after church on Sun. I asked him to go sit on the potty

before nap time.  So, naturally he pulled off his dry pull-up...

looked at me, popped a squat and peed on the carpet.

In desperation Josh picked him up mid-way through his "session"

and decided that the rug by the backdoor would be better?!

(later Josh told me, "At least it wasn't my shoe which I was about to grab for him to pee in!)

Finally, a potty break in the potty, shew!

Zeke started pooping in the potty and then for some reason

he decides to scoot to the back and dangle his feet in the NASTY water!!!

Ugh...BOYS!

Sardines On A "Rainy" Day

Tinkerbell Areyna

Well, we did it. We pulled off the Tinkerbell party of the century, (j/k)=) But we did cram 19 people into our little house on a rainy day. Good thing we had stickers to play with, pizza to eat, juice boxes to spill, lots of presents to open and cake to eat! Several of Rainy's cousins drove down from the Raleigh area along with a few of her local friends who joined us for Areyna's 4-year celebration. Here are a few pictures from the day!

1.Everyone Hangin' Out 2.Making Foam Sticker Doorknockers

3.Josh and Mike staying out of the way=)  4.Opening presents

5.Cousin Cana and Areyna        6.Cake Time

Yup, Again

Thinking ahead because I KNOW the doorbell will ring 

at 9am with a porch full of kids;)

I'm sitting here after a very restful and relaxing Sunday afternoon and watching yet another snow storm.  We've been working on this one for days though.  It started raining on Friday afternoon...I mean really raining!  This morning we woke up to thunder and the temperature has been dropping by the hour.  The wintry mix started this afternoon along with the ice and now it is a very wet thick snow.  It's supposed to snow all night long and not get above freezing until tomorrow night!  I don't think we'll be going anywhere tomorrow;)

Rainy had a GREAT birthday party on Saturday.  I'll post pictures tomorrow...