bathtub = babysitter

I love my garden tub for many reasons. One, of course, is that I can escape from all the boyness and sit in warm bubbly relaxing goodness. The other is because it is the perfect babysitter for a stay at home mom. An EMPTY (in case any of you were planning on calling social services) tub full of baby toys is a great way to get ready. Since Sunday mornings are usually the only days I have to get myself and both boys ready on a specific timeline my tub is a great helper. Connor loves playing in the tub! It cracks me up every time. Micah was a big fan of playing in the tub too. It was a sad mommy day when he was old enough to get out of it himself. At least I still have a good two or three 'babysitting' months left with Connor. After that who knows what I will start lookin' like :(

my church

We have friends visiting our church this Sunday. The husband has been friends with Zach since we moved to Conyers. They have two children and his wife (who I love but never see) asked me to give her my opinion, criticisms and all, of our church as a young woman, mother, wife, and child of God. TALL ORDER! I have never been asked that so I just started typing and this is what came out. I am sharing this on here because my church is a part of me and a part of my family and that's what I want blog to share. Who we are. The fun stuff, funny stuff, sad stuff and true stuff...

CCC is the only church I have ever loved. I grew up in the same church from 6 weeks old until I got married and I loved many people there but never felt completely at home. For me CCC is home. However we are not perfect. CCC is still a fairly new church. We've only been around for 8 years and only had a building for 4 months. Therefore a lot of things are still a work in progress. We do not have a janitorial staff, we do not have decorated classrooms (yet), we do not have a lot of state of the art stuff most churches do.

There are discipleship groups before church for children 1st grade and up. From what I know they do a lot of learning and memorizing scripture. It's more than our typical bible story stuff. During the service there is children's church for 3-K. We do bible stories, art, snack. These groups are small because our church is still small, but we pray that they effect the members now and we'll continue to grow as our church grows.

Our pastor does not want to be the facilitator/micro manager of the different ministries in the church so he waits/prays until someone in the congregation feels a call about something they wish to get involved in and/or start in the church. For example I am now the social events coordinator because I felt that we needed ways to get together outside of church and events to invite others to who might not be open to going to church. This is all to say that if you are worried that a certain group or activity does not exist that doesn't mean it won't in the future. Honestly some people at our church have left for this very reason. They feel that there's not enough available or feel that they shouldn't have to be the one's to create things or are afraid to step into that leadership role and get burned out. I don't know if that's right or wrong or irrelevant but it's been a struggle for Zach and I to understand. We both came from small church backgrounds that required more member team work and I guess that's just not the same everywhere. Again, though, I can't judge anyone else's reasoning. There are thousands of churches for a reason!

There are times I get discouraged with how slow things seem to be developing. There are times I get frustrated at others for not stepping up. There are times Dave (our pastor) makes me angry because he DOES NOT mince words, but I have learned more about God, His will, myself, and my place in this world in these past 5 years than ever before. This is not all due to CCC but a lot of it relates. I have been introduced and understand Grace more than ever. I have closer friends who I can have deep conversations with. I feel more encouraged and more loved and more accepted than I ever have. I have a group of women at a bible study on Wednesday nights who will let me share anything good, bad or ugly and smother me we love and acceptance. I have many people who look at and love my children and will do almost anything for them. (This is HUGE to me since none of our family is here.) ...

I thank God for this church family daily. I don't know how long we will live in Conyers or where CCC will go/grow in the future, but I am beyond blessed to be there now.

this is the house

This is the house the Mays bought.

This is the family

that lives in the house the Mays bought.

This is the dog

that stays with the family

that lives in the house the Mays bought.

This is the yard where the dog likes to run

that stays with the family

that lives in the house the Mays bought.

This is the sign in the yard

where the dog likes to run

that stays with the family

that lives in the house the Mays bought.

Haha! I thought a little poetry would brighten my current "why hasn't my house sold" blues. I know this is the worst economy our country has seen in quite sometime, I know atlanta has more foreclosures that most places because idiot banks gave idiot people loans to buy ridiculously sized houses, I know there are other people in this country and world who have problems 87,000 times worse than this little one and I KNOW that GOD has perfect timing and there is a perfect God reason that it's been almost a year since our house has been on the market with out being sold. I know all this. Really I do. Just sometimes my own selfish desires creep in and want to scream PLEASE JUST FREAKIN' WANT MY HOUSE!!!! Ok. I feel a little better now. Thanks ;)

my lil' boys

Micah always sits like this to watch Curious George so tonight before bed Connor decided he wanted to do it too. Micah thought it was hilarious that Connor was sitting up too!

christmas in gainesville

Yes I know it's been almost a month since Christmas. I have been planning to post the rest of our holiday for awhile but we had over 300 pictures from the days we were in Gainesville so I wanted to make cute picture collages to show a summary of our trip. However I am a not too picture savvy sometimes and couldn't figure out how to load pics into the collage. Zach just showed me (again) how to do it so I am ready now. yay for that :)

After our wonderful morning at home we went up to Gainesville, GA for the May/Lee family Christmas. Usually we all go to Charlotte for Zach's turn but they came down to us instead this year. That side of the family is pretty darn big and gets together a lot so it's very fun. I had a good time but honestly spent every afternoon waiting for people to wake up and or go down for a nap and most of the evening trying to figure out where to put Connor to sleep since we were having our meals and family time at the church fellowship hall. In and around sleeping schedules I got to play games, talk to the family and even got a lunch out without kids! Zach had plenty of quality time with his siblings and cousins doing all the activities mays love to do.

Out of us all though I think Micah had the best time. He LOVED playing with Zach's younger cousins which are his first cousins once removed. (I have no idea what they are removed from!) He had them all in the palm of his hand. They played with him, fetched his cars, talked and acted silly, drummed, chased, jumped, and ran. He even ate dinner with the 'big' boys at another table from us. It was so fun for us to watch but a little sad for my mama heart. I couldn't believe how old he seemed!

We were there for five days and were exhausted by the end but looking forward to the next gathering of the families this summer.

cradle

I found this cradle look much less cute at goodwill for $3. My boys have no use for this (obviously) but I wanted to get it and fix it up for one of my nieces. Keelie turned 2 on January 10th and since she was the first birthday since the purchase it became hers. I don't have a before picture but just think plain nasty wood color. I spray painted it lime green and weaved polka dot (or pokies as her mother calls them) ribbon through the slats. I really wanted to make a coordinating doll blanket and pillow but that didn't happen. Sorry kiki maybe soon! Happy Birthday Cutie!

poptarts

Micah has always liked poptarts, I mean most kids do right!? He never really had a favorite flavor. He would eat whatever I brought home, until recently. In our household brown poptarts have become somewhat of an obsession and the reason why is just too too adorable.

About two weeks ago Steph came over during the morning'ish' to hang out with me and the kids. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet so she popped a couple brown sugar poptarts in the toaster oven. Micah might have taken a little bite of hers, but I'm not sure. I of course thought nothing of this because seriously he's seen poptarts, eaten poptarts and seen other people eat them. He on the other hand had some kind of 'ah ha' moment because the next morning as soon as he woke up and I went in his room he said, "mama I want some breakfast. I want a brown poptart like nehnie." This has been going on for almost two weeks except for a few days in between where I ran out of the brown ones. For those days we had to (in Micah's words) "eat a red poptart because we didn't have any brown ones like nehnie."

At the present moment I only have one left. Guess who'll be going to the store tomorrow!

just thinking

This has been a good week for thinking (or bad week depending on the topic my brain is concentrating on). Lots of goings on have been going on these past seven days that force your brain to stop and think. Some have been good, some have been bad and some are a little bit of both.

Micah started and finished potty training in about two days. That's a good thing. I was super scared to start the process because I just didn't know how he'd do and didn't want to add that stress in my life. He did so well though. After a couple hours he had the hang of it and just went with it. With this, however, came the realization that my baby is now a boy. This one act makes him a little boy. There is no baby left in him. Well he'll always be my baby so I guess I can still hang on to that.

My Granny passed away one week ago tonight/tomorrow. She had battled cancer for a year or more. By the end her body was only a shell of what it once was but her spirit had never changed. It's sad to lose someone close to you, even if you did expect it and almost pray for God to take someone home who was in pain. However, it's such a blessing to know where my Granny is and that there was no doubt in her mind where she was going to go. She was firm, and downright stubborn sometimes, in her thoughts and beliefs. No one was confused on where she stood. It made me think about my own beliefs. While I know what I believe and think, do others know. Am I firm enough, and downright stubborn enough, in them that people associate me with HIM? I sure will try to be now.

A country in this world God created was devastated by a HUGE earthquake. Tens of thousands of people died in a short amount time. Millions more have lost their homes or possessions or family members. I can't imagine dealing with a situation this horrific and pray I never have to. This makes you think...ALOT. The last few months God has opened my heart to missions, not to be a missionary but to pay attention to those who are. I would like to say a few years ago I would have been moved to help when this happened but there's a better chance that I avoided the news, conversations, etc. so that I couldn't feel the hurt it would cause. Praise the Lord that's not true and that it will only become more 'untrue' as time goes on.

So anyway. I've just been thinking lately. Thinking about my sweet boys, my great husband, the legacy we leave and the help we can be.

movie night

We have had family movie night only twice but after my friend Rachel posted about her latest one it inspired me to slowly start up the tradition (again). I would love to have a weekly family movie night but don't know what night is best. Maybe will have Nomad Movie Night and it will just travel around to different days and plop down when it can! This time it was on a Saturday.

I pulled a 'Jan and Bruce' and had steak for Zach and myself while Micah feasted on ABCs. He didn't seem to mind. Then we skipped bathtime, donned our jammies, and started the movie of the night, UP! It was fantastic!!! By far my favorite Pixar production yet. It was sweet, sorrowful, entertaining, inspirational, heartwarming, hilarious and thought provoking. LOVED IT!! Micah loved it too. So much so that the next morning when he woke up the first thing he said to Zach was, "Daddy that was a goooooo0odd movie!" Yay for movie nights!

connor's first snow

8 months

My sweet squishy boy...

*just got his first tooth!
*crawls everywhere and pulls up on everything.
*has started cruising.
*talks to himself and anyway else who will listen. His favorite sound right now is 'ta'.
*smiles almost every second of the day. He is a ham!
*loves his music table and dances to the music.
*still doesn't sleep through the night :( and loves to sleep in our bed. (which i don't let him do except for mornings)
*will be weaning soon sometime in the next month (yes I know 1 year is best but me and my parts are tired so no criticisms please!)

bathtub art

One of the gifts in Micah's stocking was bathtub crayons. So far he's had two baths with them and LOVES them. They make a mess but come right off with just a little bit of work.





On another bathroom related noted, Micah started potty training on New Year's Day. I was going to begin first thing in the morning but seriously we were all exhausted so we started after his afternoon nap. The first two hours he peed in his underwear 4 times. I think he was just kinda stressed about what to do because he also freaked out we I made him sit on the potty chair. He did have success that night and has only had one accident since then! I am so proud :) Today he is at preschool so I am anxious to see how he does there. My little boy is growing up :(

sunday song

You turned my way

You heard my cry

You turned my mourning into shouting

Sorrow may last for a night

But with the light I am seeing

I am singing

You lifted me out

You lifted me out

And set me dancing, dancing

Free, now I am free

Your love rescued me

Now it's the anthem I'm singing

Many will see

Many will hear

And find You strong enough to save

Many the wonders You have done

Your light has come, I am singing

I am singing

Lost is where You found me

Shattered and frail

But You love me still

Trouble may surround me

My heart may fail

But You never will

You never willl

new word

Last year I decided against making a New Year's Resolution and instead created a list of goals and desires. I just looked back through the list and I'd say about 50% of it happened. We are still living in the same house, Connor does not sleep through the night yet, there was no fun family vacation, and I don't even want to talk about the amount of time Zach and I spent together on a regular basis. It took me awhile to decide whether I was ok with this or not.

At first it felt the same as those resolutions that you quit after about a week because you feel like a big fat failure. Then I decided that goals, whether you reach them or not, are good. It's good to set a bar, to strive for something, to anticipate fun and new things. There will definitely be a new list for 2010. It excites me to think ahead at what I want to accomplish and how I want to change. However, this year I am adding a twist.

I read on another blog about how one lady is not making a resolution but is instead choosing one word to strive to do by incorporating it into her every day life. Ding Ding! (that's the sound of a great idea) Excellent idea! I thought about it all day and have finally settled on my word(s) and it is...CONTENTMENT (and or be content)

I can make my own plans all day long and let's face it, there's a good chance God will shoot them all out of the water because if they don't agree with His they just aren't gonna happen! So I will make my list. I will set my own goals. I will try to succeed. BUT most of all, this year, I will be content on where He has placed me! I will glean in the field I am in! I will thank Him in ALL things!! and I will grow closer to Him because of it!