Busy Busy Busy

This week and next week are choc full of activities.

The week started pretty slow but quickly picked up. Tuesday night we had one of the Pastors and his wife over for dinner. (although that was not hard b/c they brought it to us! How wonderful). WE had a great time chatting with them and getting to know them.

Wednesday I had a mommy park date with a few moms from our church. WE are slowly trying to build up this group of woman and encourage each other. It was perfect weather for it, and we had a great time.
Last night my in laws arrived. What a joy to see Carson now recognizing them and interacting with them since we can see them a little more frequently now that we live only 5 hrs from them. (his age might help with that too) but what a joy to have them in our house.

Today I'm taking a meal to a wonderful new mother in our church, then fixing dinner for us and my in laws, then we have our life group tonight. Full of activity and I love it.

Tomorrow we head down to Denver to spend the day with our other family that lives there and cousins. So happy to be able to see these family members more often (although, boy do we miss the two families out East, and Carson misses those cousins too, I hate that we have to live so far away from someone, and we can't all live close to everyone, in Colorado of course. hehehe)  Richard will meet us down in Denver for dinner and I'm pretty sure we are going to Casa Bonita!!!!! (it's been since childhood I think since I've been to that restaurant, and it is a great experience especially for kids, if you're in the area with kids, try to go there, it's a trademark)
On Saturday I will be flying out to Minneapolis with the boys to see my mother and sister who just had her very first baby!!!!! (Congrats! Juli you're doing great as a new mom)  i cannot wait to spend this time with my sister and mother, although the trip out there does make me a little nervous. Richard will stay home and hold down the fort for us, and be responsible and work. :)

I get back late Wednesday. We are busy on Thursday and Friday night with activities and then Saturday the 22nd is my big 10K race! WOW! I feel ready now, but have no idea how I will keep it up with being gone and being so busy. So let's hope the training I did ahead of time will pay off with a week and half small break. I hope to at least run 3 more times before next weekend, we'll see if I  can pull it off.

So needless to say - I"M BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!
My boys are sensing it too - they are really off their rockers since they were sick last weekend, and since mommy is a little stressed out. so we'll see how it goes. Lots of fun things, but busy things.
I probably won't be posting much = but I hope to post pictures of all the activities and things as soon as I can!

the last 3 days

Ok - I know rule number one is to not post pictures of poor quality - but sometimes that's all I got - so please ignore the poor phone quality pictures.

So many things wrong with this picture

Note:

1. Flip flops on the table ??????

2. 1 yr old standing on an object with wheels

3. 1 yr old probably eating stale gross food from his high chair

4. literally seconds after this, the blur of a 2 yr odl pulled the object out from underneath him

5. mother standing by taking picture

6. cup on table, probably has gross spoiled milk in it. 

We have had some sickness in this household :(
It makes a mother's heart so sad to see her kids sick. First it started out with Landon on weds late afternoon barfing all over himself in the stroller very unexpectedly. He made it almost 24 hrs before he threw up again and it was so sad. He was a trooper though, and the only thing he really demanded was lots of cuddles - I'm not complaining about that. Friday Carson woke up and shortly after starting barfing. :( poor kid. It's so sad seeing him hate it so much. All you can do is hold him and say "it's ok", "I love you". and hold him as tight as possible. But by evening he was full of energy again.

Richard and I are feeling under the weather last night and today but we hope that's all we experience. So I've been homebound for what feels like a VERY LONG TIME! We all know how that makes me feel. :)
But I can't help but appreciate the fact that I CAN stay home with them, that I can set everything else aside and sit on the couch all day long with them. And all I need to worry about is my 2 boys staying hydrated.

(Tonight my friends is something very special planned! I'll be sure to post it as soon as I can. Just hoping that we all stay healthy enough to enjoy it)

talkative? what an understatement

"I can't wait until Carson can talk to us" Richard would say to me often about 8 months ago.

Well Folks! HE CAN TALK NOW!!!!!

He talks non stop. His personality is full of energy and he is sometimes CRAZY!!!!
he repeats things like a million times before he moves onto something else. He requires a response to it each time he says it. And he definitely says whatever comes to his mind.
He points out EVERY SINGLE airplane in the sky, or you know those trail of clouds they leave behind? yeah, he notices every single one of those too. Anytime we are outside or in the car - he is not only saying, but YELLING - "mommy see an airplane, mommy see an airplane?" It's always very loud and excited!
he has no sense of "try not to interrupt" when mommy's talking on phone, to a friend or to daddy. I sorta feel bad b/c he requires the same constant responses from other's he meets, and they don't realize it, he just starts getting more animated and louder and repeating more! ha
His biggest thing right now is "mommy, watch this, watch this mommy, mommy watch this"
My response - "ok, I'm watching" (I have to say it EVERY TIME)
then he does something as simple as literally lifting his finger, or moving his foot, or touching something, or doing something so silly! He wants me to watch everything. As frustrating and annoying as that is, I never want to ignore him or not treat him respectfully.
But boy - it gets tiring.

Richard and I laugh sometimes b/c his energy and talking can get very tiring and overwhelming. At dinner we both look at each other and say "boy, this kid is crazy"  He never walks anywhere, it's always running. He never sets anything down gently, he throws it or drops it.

He can be exhausting to me throughout the day, and I'm feel guilty b/c there are some days I'm just dying to put him down for a nap or to bed. he literally is going NON STOP all day long!

But - I wouldn't change him for the world!!!!! He has so much spunk and so much energy it's contagious. He walks into the room and screams something like "I see Noah (his new friend)" or "I want a donut" (at church for fellowship time) or "I went pee on the potty" and the whole room turns and looks at him and laughs. He is already lighting up the room with happiness when he walks into it. Now that is a great trait to have, my friends. What a gift he has to be so easily excited and so easily entertained and so happy all (well most) of the time.

He makes his Friends and people we hang out with feel so welcome b/c he loves them all! he gets so excited when they come to our house or he sees them at church. What a gift! How many people can make you feel so warm and loved? Well, just become Carson's friend and he will for sure!

Sure there are days when I wish he would be calm or be a little quieter, but I can't help but laugh and smile when I see how excited he gets about literally EVERY LITTLE THING!

And you know what?!?! It's contagious! You can't help but smile when you see his excitement. And I think anyone who meets him would say the same!
Sure I can compare him to other calm kids and wonder what did I do differently to make Carson like this. But really he is a GIFT! He is 100% about everything he does, or doesn't do. No medium ground - and I LOVE THIS ABOUT HIM!

P.S. I've already prepared myself for plenty of embarrassing moments in the future in public settings with things he'll say. :)

Porterbrook

Here at our church, The Crossing, we have gotten involved in this leadership training program called Porterbrook Network. Two men from England put it together and it's wonderful curriculum. I'll stop writing about it before I sound too dumb. I actually don't know too much about it, but Richard thought it would be a good way for us to get to know people and learn more things and get involved so I agreed to go through the course. This is also the first time the church has gone through the curriculum, so we're all learning about it together.  It is a little demanding on our time, but not excessive. There is weekly "homework" and things to read and write about. We meet together in small groups to discuss what we've been learning and once a month all meet together to have a formal teaching time through the material. There are parts of it that are "way over my head" or just require more thinking that I've gotten accustomed to, (you know b/c I'm a mom and just blog all day and don't do anything that involves thinking, hahahahahaha please note sarcasm)  but some parts are so encouraging and exciting.  Overall it's been great. The material is very informative and helpful but also very practical. I'm learning how to better understand my bible, how to talk with my community and engage them on what I believe, and also am encouraged in my own relationship with God.

This last week we were looking at "the cross" and what that meant to us."Following Jesus means following the way of the cross" (taken from the text in Luke 9:23) What did Jesus do for us on the cross? He gave up everything for us. We looked at John 13:1-17, the passage of Jesus' washing the disciples feet before he was crucified. We meditated on what that act meant in that culture and what is the equal to it for nowadays, and we contemplated the facts that Jesus had all power, he knew what was going to happen, and yet he chose to do the one thing that in that time frame spoke of utter service to someone. And he even washed the feet of the one who would betray him. (which btw He knew that also) How convicting to me. A quote from  the workbook - "Christ's love for us, in his sacrificial giving of himself, is our model as we seek to live "a life of love".  (I think that pretty much sums up this paragraph) The Cross should affect every aspect of our lives especially with how we deal with people in our daily/weekly lives - Humbly serving, sacrificial.

Then it moved onto looking to the cross for our acceptance. This was the best part for me because I can tend to feel guilty about what I do or don't do. How much I do or don't do - but none of that affects what the "cross" means for me. "We are accepted by God so that we might be free to follow the way of the cross" and we don't follow the way of the cross to be accepted. We are under "no condemnation" b/c of the cross - Jesus took our place. In talking in our small group, a friend mentioned she had heard that once we are saved we should never think about condemnation - we need to be convicted but never feel condemnation. How Freeing!!!!! "there is no need to earn approval, no need to prove yourself"  C.J. Mahaney states, "God is glorified when we believe with all our hearts that those who trust in Christ can never be condemned". How wonderful and encouraging to read this.
And this love that Jesus had for us - that he died in our place before we had any good in us, when we were at our worst state before we did anything "good" - never changes, he has died and that will not change. He died for me - and that should give me confidence to take up my cross and follow him, to live in service to others and him, to be joyful and to praise him. Even in the mundane things that "us mothers" do daily. Cooking for family, cleaning, laundry, dressing toddlers, correcting/disciplining toddlers, helping neighbors and people we run into regularly - All of it needs to be seen through the lens of "the Cross".

I loved this chapter that we read. It was wonderful to meditate on. I pray that I never stray from the cross. I pray that it will often be in my mind and on my lips, that I will relish in the Cross and what that means for me, and then in turn my actions will also show that.

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Fall???!? I don't think so

Fall is my favorite time of year. (but I think it's a lot of people's favorite). The change of cool air from the hot summer. The colors, the flavors, the smells, the food - everything it's just perfect. I love wearing jeans and sweatshirts. I love being cold at night. I love the fresh air outside. I could literally go on and on with how much I like Fall.

This year has been really weird, even for CO. It's been over 80 for more than week now. It's Oct 3rd and I'm in shorts and t-shirt and it's so hot outside. i cannot believe it. The nights are getting cool, so that helps, but I just can't believe how warm it is. I know it's like over 10 degrees over the norm which is crazy!

So needless to say - I don't feel ready for fall at all. I read other's on FB stating how much they are cozy in their house, what they are cooking and how good it smells, candles, leaves and crafts all revolving around Fall! I have not even started that mind set yet. I'm afraid it will rush right into winter and I won't even get to enjoy all these things that I love.

So despite the temperature - we tried some things. Now don't get all comparing to me and how great of a mom I am (b/c that's exactly what I would do, compare and feel guilty) - this is not normal, I am not crafty nor do I have good ideas.  This is not the norm, although i wish it was. Most days we sit around with me trying to figure out how to entertain these boys. I know Carson needs more "purposeful activities" at his age and this has scared me a lot. I would just as soon play outside at the park every single day - but I know this will help him. So I tried something with leaves, and pine cones and berries from the trees around our neighborhood. I guess it was fine. He more wanted me to draw trains (remember the notsocrafty factor?yeah, not pretty, I can't draw either) and trace his hands. But hey - whatever. Maybe I'll look on pintrest for more things. :)

Another thing this crazy weather has caused is the boy's room to blow up. Some nights are chilly, some days they need pants, other days it's so hot they are in tank tops and shorts. Their dressers are not big enough for everything, so i have piles and piles and piles of the next season and sizes and am just waiting for the weather to mellow out before I put it all away. (does anyone else have this issue? i never know what to do besides have a mess for a long time)

I'm not necessarily complaining at all either! We have taken full advantage of the SUPER sunny days, long mornings at the park and picnics, walks outside and just enjoying tons and tons of sunshing. I LOVE SUNSHINE.  I know come winter in this small apartment I will be longing for days like this. So we are soaking them in fully. But it just makes it seem weird that it's already October

 

yeah - this happens very frequently
Poor Landon

 Happy Happy Boys

Boy, do I have a busy october too! I cannot wait for all the different activities we have on the calendar. Stay posted to hear all about them!

National "what" day

yeah, i refuse to call it national coffee day b/c I have not found one "deal" in the town of fort collins. Probably 

the biggest complaint I have with this place. 

There is no krispy creme, cariboi coffee or dunkin Donuts around here!!!! And they seem to be the only places offering a deal. :( There is only starbucks and Panera and they don't seem to even realize it's National coffee day!

Yeah, so you guessed it - I LOVE COFFEE. Go ahead and judge all you out there who are against it and who think it's bad for you, and even you who think its sinful. It doesn't bother me that much. :)

I have been drinking it since I was 2 yrs old. Just part of the Culture in Ecuador. But since I've been "americanized" I drink it totally different now. I'll drink it anyway you please. Black, with cream, latte's, iced, hot - you name it, I'll drink it.  (but I prefer black if it's hot, and DD's if it's iced)

Again - judge if you want - but the other day I realized I drank a whole pot of coffee ALL BY MYSELF (except for a tiny mug that Richard got before he left for work). Now that I admit is a little bad. If it's there, I'll drink it. Now that it's cooler out, I feel myself wanting to drink it all the time. 

It's one of the first things I think of when i get up! I go to bed in anticipation for that warm cup of wonderfulness in the AM. 

I don't think it gives me a buzz or helps me feel like I have more energy, I just love drinking it. I love the experience of holding this warm mug filled with goodness, I love the coffee shop atmosphere, I love meeting friends over coffee. I love feeling chilly and drinking a wonderful cup of coffee with my husband. (I"m so glad he likes it too)

So Happy National Coffee day to everyone else who got a free one. I just drank a normal cup here at home. :) (still good though).

Why do I blog?

Recently I've started getting comments about my blog - and I'm constantly surprised at how many people read my blog that I would never even dream of - mostly b/c it's hard for me to imagine anyone besides the grandmother's would be interested in what I write. I've never considered myself a "writer" at all!!!!!! I'm not very creative AT ALL! So it got me thinking - 1.why do I blog? And  2. what do I want to accomplish with my blog?
I LOVE blogging! Let's just start with that. I have become enamored with other women's blogs that I've come across. Mostly all mothers but all in different walks of life. Different amount of kids, some working, some staying at home, some believers, some not, some I know and others I don't know personally. And I find it so very interesting to read about their lives. I love to see how the express themselves and their creativity. (ps. I always think I'm not good enough to be like them b/c I do not write like them). But in looking to other's blogs I became inspired.

You see - MY blog is where I can say anything without being interrupted! I can get my whole point across and tell the entire story without getting cut off due to some of life's interruptions. (b/c let's face it - what mother can have a conversation with someone else while kids are present and not have interruptions???) I can tell what part I want to tell. I can write about my kids and what they are doing. My family - who is all very far away from me- can keep up with my life - It's a way to communicate with them effectively. I can also share my heart and what I'm learning and how I'm growing as a woman and as a follower of Christ. I can share how I'm being changed through God's grace. I'm learning to love, I'm learning to show love, I'm learning to share God's love through my life.

I'm like my mother in the way that I love communication of any form - but mostly letters, emails, FB comments or even comments on my blog. I love interaction in this way - and maybe for me it's because this is mostly the biggest way I communicate with my family. (b/c my parents are overseas) That's not to say that I absolutely love talking in person or over the phone. I just like socializing in general - whatever form it may be. I need it!!

I never want to portray to the world that I am perfect or that I have everything figured out! But i do want other's to see the satisfaction child-bearing and being a mom can bring. God designed it to be that way! I myself am learning how to Live a "Gospel Centered" life in my mundane, monotonous, seemingly trivial happenings of the day. I'm learning that "there is now No CONDEMNATION" b/c God has saved me through giving his Son, and that affects EVERY aspect of my life. Even wiping snotty noses, or dealing with tantrums from a 2 yr old, or teaching a 1 yr old to walk, or making another pbj sandwich. I fail OFTEN in acting on what I say I believe as far as God being good all the time, and showing unselfish love to my sons or my husband, but I"M LEARNING.  I'm learning what it means to love my neighbors but keep a balanced life at home! I'm learning how to give everything I have (time, money, energy and resources) but also keep my family healthy and stable and thriving. It's a challenge that ALL mothers face.

I blog to share my heart. I blog to maybe in some way encourage someone else. I blog to satisfy that "communication" longing in my heart, and because I like it! I've fought the fear in my head of "what will people think?" "Do they think I'm dumb?" "do they think I'm always on the computer?" "do they think I don't get anything else done?" "will people criticize this?"  But you know - I write for my family! I write to hopefully be a light shining for God and bring glory to Him in this way, by sharing what I'm learning and experiencing. My hope is that I share the reality of motherhood, but also the joy of motherhood and the blessing it can be.

and lastly - since our newest endeavor - I want to share how God leads us, and provides for us, and guides us and takes care of us in our new move to Fort Collins, CO.

So there you go, take it or leave it. :)


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