The Callafornia Way

Valentine's Day

2012-02-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

My Valentine's Day card from Drew. He's already so thoughtful!

I realized after this day that these pants are way too small for our growing boy!

It's great when you get to dress them and put things like this on them. I am pretty sure he would have picked it out himself:)

My little taste tester. I am so glad SJ can test the snacks for the youth group. So far she has not disapproved of anything:)

Us Lately

2012-02-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots of what we've been up to lately. SJ loves to climb into her cabinet in the kitchen. She's only gotten stuck once:) Drew is getting a little more tummy time but is not a huge fan of it. I made something I saw on pinterest so I was pretty proud of myself for that. Then there's a sneak peak of my new work space in our play room that I will post better pictures of once I get the room finished-hopefully this week!

Hoop It Up!

2012-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Now that I am getting a good 7 hours of sleep at night I feel like life is going back to normal. I made some goals for our home this year so I can hopefully finish decorating. This month the goal is to finish our play room. The closet is organized (thanks to my mom) so now I am working on a project to decorate the walls. I am blogging about this project so you can learn what NOT to do if you want to attempt it. I never do things smoothly, there are always a few bumps in the road, but if you can learn from them then great! I am trying to make some fabric hoops. I went to JoAnn's last night and got the hoops and some fun fabric. Today I spray painted the hoops white. Mistake #1-I don't think the spray paint was the way to go. I am pretty sure I will be painting them again tonight so there is better coverage. I'll keep you posted!

3 Months Already!

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to get some good pictures of Drew. He's been a little bit harder to get some good ones of. I am not sure if it is just because he is constantly moving or what. I was determined to get some because he is now 3 months old! I can't believe it but I can all at the same time. He's such a happy baby and I tried to capture that but I still have yet to get him when he is really smiling. He continues to bring us much joy.

Sadie Jane wanted to be a part of things as soon as I let her down from her high chair. I kept her up there for most of the photo shoot. Give her some crackers and she is a happy girl!

This is what Drew has to endure every day from his Sissy. She must point out all of his features and here she is showing me his "nosie".

I had to throw in one of the big sister. The great thing about having little kids is they think you are the funniest person in the world:)

A Little Bit of SJ

2012-01-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

I did it. I bought my daughter jeggings! They are super cute on her but they also fit her way better than normal jeans. She needs a little stretch in her pants with her big belly:) She's getting so big. I can now put her hair in a ponytail and pig tails. She really loves Drew and loves getting next to him and talking to him or pointing out all his features (eyes, mouth, nose).

Our friends, the Harasick's, gave us this book for the kids. We try to read it to SJ at night a few times a week. She loves it and calls it her Bible.

SJ loves Wednesday nights. Wednesdays are when the Herd (our church youth group) meet at our house. She gets a kick out of everyone being here and I know she likes the attention she gets. Its a fun time to see her interact with the students and I am trying to use it as a time to train her to stay still as we sing at the beginning.

Now I just need to work on getting some more pictures of Drew. He doesn't do much yet so I have not taken many pictures of the little guy. I will work on it!

Nana Time

2012-01-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

While Andrew was with our students at winter camp my mom came to help out. We completely redid the closet in our play room to create a work space for me. I LOVE it!!! The only bad thing is I didn't take a before picture. When we moved in here a year ago it became the closet I kept shoving things in and it was not useful at all. It is such a large closet so I had a great vision of it being a little nook for me to have a space to work on stuff. My mom helped me make it happen. That woman could be a professional organizer! I'll have to take a picture of it later but it is just so nice opening it up and cringing anymore. The kids loved being with their Nana!

The Dreaded Book List

2012-01-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

Well I did it. I made a New Year's resolution to read more. Surprising? No, because I know it is a common one but it might be surprising for those of you that know me better and know that I am not a reader AT ALL. I want to read many books, we have a lot of books to read, but I just don't find it relaxing so at the end of a long day with 2 little kids it is not the first thing I want to do. I am realizing though that I am missing out and I need to try to make it part of my day in whatever way that looks like. So I made a list of books that I hope to get through this year. One of them is the book "Don't Make Me Count to Three." I am very encouraged to say I already finished it! This is huge for me because I feel like I have very little time to read and I am a super slow reader. I have found that I can read much faster on my lap top through Kindle so I am hoping to do more that way.
I would totally recommend that any mom with young kids read this book. It is a huge encouragement and challenge for those of us that are seeking to know when and how to discipline our kids as we are trying to train them in righteousness. I learned so many things from this book and could apply them daily with our little SJ. The biggest thing I took away from reading this was that I need to know the Bible better. I need to know it better so I can love God more and worship Him but I also need to know it better so I can apply it to my parenting. I need to speak the Word of God to my children as I am raising them. I need to help them see that it is the reason I do what I do and it shapes and molds my thoughts and actions.
Right now you can get this book for $3.99 through Amazon for your Kindle (and remember you don't have to have a Kindle but can put the Kindle app on your computer) and believe me it is worth way more!
I saw that this same author has a book on whining. I might need to add that to my book list. We have some whining issues going on around here! (no the issues are not with Andrew:)
I encourage you, whatever your stage in life, to make a book list. Maybe its 3 books or more, whatever is practical for your life right now but have a plan and go after it. I think it is one more way we can make the most of our time and seek ways to grow so we don't grow complacent. Let me know if you have a book list and what you recommend reading. I would love to hear!

For All of My Non-Pinterest Friends

2012-01-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

I recommend joining Pinterest simply to get some inspiration for meals. I have tried many of the recipes that I have found and I love them. One that I currently eating as we speak is this super easy soup. I made a double batch so I can have it for lunch all week. Yes, it is THAT good!!! I wanted to share it with my non-pinterest friends because something this good has to be shared:)

Super easy super yummy crock pot soup: can of rotel, can of corn, can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 2 frozen chicken breasts, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 packet dry ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder. Mix all the ingredients together except the cream cheese. Put in the crockpot and then lay the cream cheese on top. Stir occasionally while cooking to get the cream cheese all melted in. Shred the chicken in the end. Cook 6-8 on LOW. I only have to do it for 6 hours and it is ready to go.

Sorry I don't have a picture!

Girl Cousins

2012-01-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

My mom bought these matching dresses for all the girl cousins. There are just so many fun things you can do with girls! We decided to get some pictures of them all dressed up in them but my child made it a little hard. First she wanted her blankie in the picture and then it was her pink football. The football went with the dresses but still didn't quite go with the girlie look we wanted. Poor Uncle Dave had to snap a lot of pictures to get one that looked okay. These are just a few pictures I got of the girls once the official photo session was over.

Nelson Family Christmas

2012-01-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

Me and my sweet baby boy

All the cousins had fun watching each other

Micah has learned how to do the Torres smile well

Emmie is a pro at posing with her presents

Our annual happy birthday Jesus cake

We devoured this ginger bread house that our friend Corky made for us

We took a trip to a small zoo in Merced

I told Andrew to not take any pictures of just the animals because what are you going to do with those pictures anyways. He tried hard but squeezed this bear picture in so I let him keep it:)

These 2 became buddies and this picture cracks me up. SJ looks like she is about to do something bad and Micah looks a little worried about her being the driver.

We tried to get a good big sister/little brother picture here but we'll have to try again

SJ had a lot of good cousin bonding time. She is going through cousin withdrawals. She keeps saying, "Emmie? Eva? Minah (that's Micah)?

This is what you do when you have 6 kids and 6 adults staying in a 3 bedroom house. You have a room totally devoted to the luggage:)

Isaiah was so sweet with little Drew. He kept letting Drew know that Drew was his little buddy and Isaiah was Drew's big buddy.

My parents were given some salami and this made my husband happy for the whole time we were there. He felt the need to do a special salami platter for New Year's Eve complete with a mickey mouse face and all.

We had a great time with the family and are already looking forward to getting together again soon!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

Boots

2011-12-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I both agree that SJ is the most fashionable one in our family. She wore these boots today and every time I see her in them I smile.

2 by 32!

2011-12-17T22:20:00.000-08:00

This is how my birthday started off. Andrew surprised me with a peppermint mocha from Starbucks (my favorite!!!) in the morning. I sat it down for a second and left the room (what was I thinking???) and little SJ got her hands on it and when I came back in I found this! Thankfully with a little bit of Shout, actually a lot of Shout and scrubbing I think most of it came out. I am sure this is just the first of many of these little incidents.

I got to go on a date with my two main men (that would be Andrew and Drew:) to Outback. It was so nice to get a nice dinner and little Drew slept the whole time! Andrew always likes to take pictures of our food so enjoy that. You can tell I love getting my picture taken when I am eating.

I had a great day filled with fb messages, voicemails and phone calls from loved ones. What were birthdays like before Facebook? Its so fun to have people from all different chapters of your life wish you a happy birthday. I feel very blessed at 32. Andrew told me my phrase can be "2 by 32". That made 32 sound even better. I also decided like I like being an even number age rather than an odd. I told Andrew that but also told him to not remind me that I said that when I am 39 about to be 40:)

Sister and Brother Love

2011-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

SJ

2011-12-14T03:42:00.000-08:00

Our little SJ is 1 1/2!!! I can't believe it but I can at the same time. I really feel like this is maybe one of my favorite ages. She is talking so much and able to do more and more things every day. I am constantly surprised by the things she can comprehend. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when I realized she can help me with things as she helped me put diapers in the basket we keep them in for Drew. She continues to be a very happy little girl. She wakes up saying, "happy day!" She loves to eat and says please and shakes her head yes to ask for more food. She loves putting things on her head and she loves trying to put on her shoes or any shoes for that matter. Our little girlie loves to dance. The other day she was crying and being a little dramatic then to make things worse she hit her head on one of her toys so the crying got louder. But the toy started playing music and she immediately stopped to dance. I love seeing her joy every day in simple things. My prayer is that one day her joy will come from knowing and loving God.

Our Little Man

2011-12-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas Time is Here!

2011-12-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

I was not sure if it was going to happen but it did, we got to decorate for Christmas! Time is hard to find around here with two little ones so I am so excited we were able to get it done and can now enjoy it for the rest of the month. Andrew put lights up outside and we both agree that we will actually like looking at the outside of our house with lights up. Lights and snow make everything look better. We love having our tree up and its nice smell is already filling our house. Now it will be interesting to see how many times we will have to say "no touch" to SJ as she tries to play with the tree.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

Learning the World of 2 Kids

2011-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Today we thought it would be fun to get out for a walk. No big deal just load the kids up and run one quick errand and then head to some trails that are close by our house. Well 45 minutes later with both crying children loaded into our car we realized that this is what everyone was trying to tell us about leaving the house will take twice as long now. As we drove off both of the kids calmed down and there was silence. Andrew turned to me and said, "Why don't we just go for a drive." It was very tempting but we both knew that it would be better to get outside and let Sadie get some of her energy out. It has been such a blessing to have Andrew home this week. He has graciously allowed me to sleep in and I am trying to let him get some rest during the day as well. This transition to 2 is crazy but it has been fun to just hang out as our new little family and take it all in.

One more thing-I was very skeptical of the Moby and when my mom was here we tried to figure it out together but gave up on step 2! I think the length of this thing alone intimidated us. I was about to return it to Target but Andrew said he wanted to give it a try. I wasn't very optimistic but once again my husband amazed me by walking me through it and getting it right the first time. I am still learning but I think it will be very helpful to put Drew in this as I help Sadie with things.

Our Little Drew

2011-11-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

What SJ Has Been Up To...

2011-11-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

In case any of you have been wondering what SJ has been up to while we adjust to having another little one in the house here's a little summary. She learned how to go down a slide.

She's learning to earn her keep and pitch in around the house.

She keeps herself entertained while Mommy is busy by pulling out everyone of her cards and tossing them to the side.

Then she moves on to her room and pulls out all of her shoes.

She takes over the living room.

Then she stops to admire her little brother.

And today she moved on to bigger things-she learned how to use a spoon!
I feel like my baby girl grew up over night. She continues to amaze me with what she learns to do on a daily basis and all that she comprehends. Its hard having 2 babies that are so close in age but they are both at such fun stages that I can enjoy. SJ is a joy and is our daily entertainment. Its fun to see what she will do next. Drew is our little newborn that eats and sleeps on you and we know those days will not last long. What a joyful challenge parenting is!

Grammy & Papa Jim Visit

2011-11-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Since We've Been Home

2011-10-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Drew's Birth

2011-10-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Okay so here the journey begins. Andrew decided it would be a good idea to get me walking into the hospital. I really hope I was having a contraction during this picture because I look pathetic. I woke up at midnight on Sunday with contractions. Because all week we had just been waiting for anything I stayed in bed a while to see if they were really contractions and to see if they kept coming. By 12:30 I woke Andrew up and said I think I am having contractions but I am going to walk around and see if they stay. So I was up doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen to see what would happen. By 1:30am they were still coming on strong so I got Andrew up to start timing them. We put on the good old Cosby Show to have something to distract us while timing them. By 2:30am I knew it was time to get ready for the hospital. The contractions were coming every 5 minutes or less apart and I was in pain. We called our sweet friend Kristin to come over and take care of Sadie Jane when she got up. She arrived around 3ish and we were off to the hospital. It was a whirlwind to me to see how fast things were going because with SJ I labored at home for around 9 hours! I took one last look at my only child SJ and we got into our car and headed off.

We got checked into the hospital right away and here I am enjoying my epidural. A few things were different this time around. The nurse had to try twice to get my IV in-no fun but it all worked out. The epidural went smoothly but I did feel some weird nerve action in the midst of it. I got my epidural when I was at a 6 or 7. They gave me this wonderful liquid meal as you see in the picture but they wanted me to lay on my side so it was a little hard to get anything down and I was starving! Unfortunately the epidural slowed things down. My doctor was one busy woman on Monday so it took her a while but around 11:30 she broke my water and they put me on pitocin. So we waited a little longer and then around 12:30 I started feeling the urge to push. Well remember how I mentioned my doctor was one busy woman? She was in the middle of another procedure and my pain was getting severe. I kept holding off because Drew was still up high so I thought in waiting maybe he would drop. The pain got to be too much and I knew there was no way I could not stop from pushing so just as Andrew called the nurse in she told us my doctor was on her way and that I could start pushing. Pushing, I hate pushing. I know it is how to end all of the pain but I dread it each time. So now I am in pain and shaky but I am glad I get to do something through the pain and not just lay there. I start pushing and the nurse told me that with the first few pushes Drew moved way down. This was a huge encouragement to me because with SJ she would just not come down and I had to push forever. I kept praying to God before I pushed that He would be gracious to me and He definitely was! My doctor arrived and within a few more pushes Drew was crowning. This was great but probably the worst pain of my life as she told me to wait until the next contraction to push him out. In my head I wanted to say-NO WAY!!! But I knew I had to do it and as I told the nurser, my doctor and Andrew how much it hurt they all encouraged me to hold on and before I knew it my doctor was telling me to push again. He came out and I was very relieved!

Here he is right after he was born. It was such a joy to have him right there with me as they finished things up. I didn't get to do this with SJ because she wasn't breathing when she first came out so they had to keep working on her for a while before I got to hold her.

Andrew James Callaway weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and 20 inches long.

Remember how I was starving??? I was thankful they gave me food right away but who really has good hospital food? Andrew had some leftovers from his lunch and I downed them as soon as I could. My favorite thing about the hospital is their ice and this lovely drink they make-cranberry juice and 7up. It is so good and I probably had 7 of these big drinks before I left the hospital.

Here's SJ and Nana meeting Drew for the first time. SJ really has no idea what is going on but really likes having Nana here to play with and loves saying baby.

So that's it-Drew is here and I am recovering much faster than I did with SJ. I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed us with this little boy. I never knew having 2 children would be so much fun!

Introducing Andrew James Callaway

2011-10-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

We officially became a family of 4 this week! Andrew James Callaway "Drew" to us was born on Monday October 24th sometime in the afternoon. It's all a bit foggy to me but my guess is that it was 2 something. He weighed in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces, just a little bigger than his Sissy. He looks just like SJ and we are overwhelmed by the goodness of God to bring this new little life into the world and allow us to take care of him. More pics to come and maybe his birth story for those that are interested:) Sorry this picture is not the greatest! I didn't get a really good one of just him in the hospital and this is our 1st family picture. It's special because it is the 1st but as you can see SJ is a little distracted by my cell phone and I look like I had been up for 24 hours straight-oh wait, I was! Andrew and Drew look great though!

While Waiting...

2011-10-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

We are trying to stay busy while we wait so here's a little of what we have been up to. Sorry for the lame picture of myself but I found this new technique for curling your hair that is super easy and I feel I must share it! Here's the website that explains it http://mdschoolmrs.blogspot.com/2011/10/pinterest-love-no-heat-hair-curling.html
Check it out and you will not be disappointed. I love when I can get ready in about 15 minutes!

SJ decided she would do her own hair today. She loves putting things in her hair but when I do it she can't wait to get it out. I am thinking she might be a little independent in that way.

This is what happens when daddy comes home. He loves to wrestle with SJ and she mostly just runs around and squeals.

I have been wanting to do this fall project to put on our shelf where I try to decorate for the seasons. I love projects that look good but require no skill. Those are the projects for me! I had some leftover burlap from another project, found this leaf on a tree outside of Michaels, and picked up this frame for $5 at Michaels (these are my favorite frames and they always go on sale there). I gave SJ a granola bar to keep her busy while I put this picture together. If you can do a project during snack time for your kiddos you know its a keeper!

We'll see if our baby boy comes today...

39 Weeks and Waiting

2011-10-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

We are officially on baby watch these days. I am over my cold and I think SJ is too so we are ready for Drew to come. Its such a weird thing waiting for a baby to arrive. You wake up each day thinking-today could be the day. Andrew is very excited to meet his son and keeps hoping we will be at the hospital soon. I am trying to get rest and also soak up as much time I can with SJ. These last days of just me and her are so precious to me and I don't want to busy myself so much that I don't stop and just play with her. So hopefully the next post on our blog will be introducing Drew to you all!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

We got to join several families from our church for a field trip to Hawes Ranch today. It was fun to take Sadie Jane around and introduce her to pumpkins. I was glad to have Andrew's help as my due date is getting closer. I don't think it would have been possible to carry SJ, our pumpkins and baby Drew around this place:)

Update on Drew's Room

2011-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well we finally got to hang what we have so far for Drew's room last night. I am so thankful Andrew likes hanging stuff. I am no good at it! We hope to add a few more things because it still looks a little bare to me but it feels good to get going on the decorating. SJ has found great joy in playing with the base for Drew's car seat. I have found her in there several times just sitting in it. Hey whatever entertains her and she can't break I am okay with! This shelf is my favorite because I love to add personal touches in the room. Here is a picture that Andrew drew when he was little, some of his baseball toys from when he was a kid, and of course something to represent the Lakers. It's been fun putting this room together for Drew and being able to think of things that Andrew would enjoy passing on to him and looking at with him.

Now all we need is a baby for the room!

Our Funny Girl

2011-10-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Sadie Jane not only has a thing for hats but she loves shoes. For some reason she thinks it is fun to just have 1 on. She cracks me up! Sorry about the blurry picture but I think most of SJ's pictures will be blurry for a while. These days there's no stopping for pictures in Sadie's world:)

Random Pics

2011-10-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here begins the random pictures from the past few weeks. I have snapped these here and there and thought I would post them but time is slipping away from me lately. SJ's new favorite thing to do is to pull out clothes and put them on herself. She usually drapes it on like this or puts in on her head. She has a thing for hats.

We were super excited to finally find a dresser for SJ. Her clothes were in a pile on her closet floor for a while because we moved her drawers into Drew's room. We found this one at a consignment store, took the boy knobs off, sold them on Craigslist and bought these new silver ones. I am so glad SJ's clothes have a home now!

It's a little harder to get a good picture of SJ these days. She is constantly on the go and does not want to sit still for a picture. So this is the best one I got for my mom to see SJ wearing the jean jacket she gave her.

I LOVE when this happens! Things get really quiet and I look around to see SJ looking through books all by herself in her playroom. I am glad she likes to be with people but I am also very glad she can have some alone time too.

I took this picture for Aunt Cara. SJ loves all the clothes you gave her (and well mommy does too of course:) but she especially loves this hat. She loves wearing it around the house.

Here I am 37 weeks pregnant. I am so excited that it is finally October. This pregnancy has gone fast but at the same time I was not sure if October would ever get here!!! It's sinking in more and more every day that we are really going to be a family of 4. This week I am hoping to get my bag ready for the hospital. It's funny how I have already forgotten what I will need. It's not like I didn't go through this just a little over a year ago!

We got to have SJ's friend Ashlee come and hang out with us this week. Andrew had the great idea of doing a picnic. It's the best way to feed 2 toddlers with easy clean up!

Today was a full day. We went to a home and garden show at our convention center. We were able to get all the freebies which mostly included candy and pens as well as get a little Lakers' pennant for Drew's room. We also took SJ to her 1st football game to see one of our guys from the youth group score a touchdown! She liked it for the most part but really wanted to get down and walk around-a true toddler right now.

Well I hope you enjoyed the randomness!

SJ Thinks She is 2

2011-09-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

O Happy Day

2011-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Our little singer

Getting Ready for Drew

2011-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

My mom came last week to help me organize and decorate Drew's room. I thought it would be fun to decorate with some maps because Andrew loves maps and would have fun pointing things out to him. So here is his special name sign to go over his crib and unlike SJ's I learned my lesson and did not glue the letters on upside down. I'll take some more pics when the room is done. I am so glad we are getting closer to being ready for him to come join our family!

Daddy's Birthday

2011-09-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

(Told by SJ) Mommy made this overnight french toast for Daddy's birthday. She said it was okay but that Grammy makes a much better one. I thought it was great but then again I am not picky when it comes to food.

I fixed my hair special for Daddy's special day.

We put this banner up for Daddy's birthday so Mommy wanted us to take a picture in front of it. I don't know why they are always asking me to look at the camera. Isn't this my best side anyways???

For Daddy's birthday I let him do the thing he loves the most-play with me. I made sure to bring both blankies along because one is just not enough.

To end the day we took Daddy out to Red Robin. I was pretty content just chewing on this long plastic thing. They tell me to just suck on it and stuff will come out of it but I am not so sure yet. For now I am happy to just chew.

Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!!!

Happy Birthday Andrew!!!

2011-09-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's Andrew's birthday today and we are going to have fun celebrating the life God has given him. I am so grateful for him and blessed by him daily. Happy 31st honey and thank you for joining me!

Update on Drew's Room

2011-08-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

We were able to move in the furniture before our friends came for the weekend. We are getting closer! Now we just need to organize the closet and decorate.

The Skifter Family Visits

2011-08-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Our friends-Erin and Lance came to visit us with their two boys. They are doing foster care and hope to adopt their twin boys. We can't post pictures of the cute little guys but here's some proof that we did have twins in the house!

We spent a few days at the lake, ate good food, but most of all enjoyed great fellowship with our good friends. We love you Skifters!!!

31 Weeks!!!

2011-08-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

Drew's Room

2011-08-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

That's right, we have a name people! We have decided to name our little guy Andrew James and call him Drew. I am super excited for her to be named after his daddy. Andrew worked on painting the room this last weekend. We didn't do anything too drastic but hopefully it is better than leaving it white. We hope to get the furniture in this week. We are getting closer to be ready for baby Drew.

Fun with Daddy

2011-08-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

SJ loves her daddy and I love watching her excitement as he comes home and plays with her. I also love that Andrew is always ready to help out in any way. He has been helping a lot with bath time lately as I am getting a little worn out by the end of the day. We love to see her all wrapped up after her bath-so sweet!

You Just Get Through It

2011-08-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight was one of those nights. SJ started throwing up around 4:30 and I just put her down around 8:30 hoping she will have a good night sleep and feel better in the morning. She's been cranky since Monday so I was wondering if she was sick or teething. I had just prayed that God would make it clear what was wrong when she turned hysterical and threw up all over the kitchen floor and all over me. I found myself standing in the kitchen with a crying baby and I was drenched in throw up. I was hoping to think of a terrific plan to get her to the bathtub with the least possible mess but when you are all alone in these situations there's just no good way to do it. We spent the next couple hours in the bathroom near the bathtub just in case it happened it again. A few hours later I was rocking her trying to get her to go to sleep and I thought these are the times that you just get through it and after the fact you think-how did I do that? I think the answer is clear. God is so kind to us moms to give us strength and grace in these hard situations. As I think back over Sadie's first 14 months there has been late nights, sickness, other lovely throwing up incidents, and it is so encouraging to see that God gets you through each situation. As I am getting ready to be mommy of two I find myself thinking how can I do it? But I was reminded tonight by these not so fun circumstances that God will show His kindness on me with our little boy as well and will allow me to get through those rough situations and even find moments to cherish in the midst of them.

Vacation Photos

2011-08-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Baby Boy's Bedding is Here!

2011-07-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

SJ was pretty excited about it too:)

Getting Ready for our Baby Boy

2011-07-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

As our baby boy will be coming in October I figured it was time to get ready for him. I made a list of things we need to get done that seems a bit overwhelming but I know God is always good to allow me the time to tackle different tasks. I was super encouraged when we got the first thing off our list done last Saturday-organize the garage. This is always such a dreaded thing, not sure why, but once we got started it only took us a few hours. Then a few days ago we were able to get a crib and changing table on Craigslist. I love Craigslist! It has served us well. I also finally found some bedding that I like and that Andrew liked for this little boy and ordered that so it should be here any day. God has already provided above and beyond and fast! Hopefully after our vacation I will feel more energized (yeah right I will be starting my 3rd trimester next week!) and I can start the next thing on our list.

Softball

2011-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Andrew is playing on our church softball team again this year. Its fun to go to the games when we can. We have missed a few being out of town but we got to go last week and cheer him on. Sadie loved it. She was just soaked with sweat by the end of it all. We love being there with everyone but it sure is hot! Andrew even let her wear his lucky Angels hat for a picture and yes, my husband is the only one that wears a headband:)

Family Camp

2011-07-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Oregon coast for our church's family camp. We were happy to stop and stay one night with the Costello's along the way. We got to meet the newest addition to the family, Ivan Tate and after many attempts we got a good group photo.

We got to the coast and experienced rainy weather so that put a damper on things. We were still able to enjoy our yurt (that's what this tent thing is called) and have some fellowship with our church family. We are not campers so this yurt works for us!

My man making me a fire because it was cold!!! I couldn't believe I could be in so much rain and cold in the middle of July.

SJ loved being on the top bunk with daddy. After a long drive we made it back home. Now to conquer the laundry from the trip!

Flock Group at the Lake

2011-07-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

We are lake lovers! We just love any reason to go there during the summer. Last Sunday our flock group met up there to hang out and have a devotional together. It was such a blessing to have fellowship with one another. Andrew and I are so thankful for this special group of people in our lives. I told Andrew as we were leaving that I wished we could do this every Sunday!

Resolved Notes

2011-07-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

For John MacArthur's second sermon I didn't have many notes because I could not write fast enough! He taught on Isaiah 6 but he explained Isaiah 5 so we could understand the next chapter better. I have heard many sermons on Isaiah 6 but never has anyone broken down what was going on in Isaiah 5 to me. It was very interesting and helped me see Isaiah 6 in a whole new way. Once he got to the main passage here are the notes I have:
The person God uses in crisis is one who understands His sovereignty and holiness, one who understands their sinfulness, who are drawn into repentance, and are cleansed and forgiven. God is not looking for perfect people but forgiven people. We must be broken, penitent, and forgiven.

Next C.J. Mahaney preached on Jude 22 "When Someone Doubts".
1. The reality of doubt
-contend for the faith
-contend with our hearts
-contend for others
-satan is at work
-false teachers
-live in a sinful world
*every Christian to some degree struggles with the temptation to doubt-don't be surprised at this temptation!*
Don't be surprised but be prepared!
2. The appropriate response to someone who doubts
-have mercy: remember and acknowledge that we have received mercy, help them understand the differences between doubt and unbelief. Unbelief=refusal to believe, defiance. Doubt=uncertainty, does not mean absence of faith, wavering in their belief. Resolve doubt with God's Word. Those who don't understand this distinction easily find themselves in paralyzing condemnation. Help them discern the nature of their doubt (theological, moral). We are most vulnerable to doubt when going through severe and prolonged suffering. Suffering always has some degree of mystery. Get used to it. "When you cannot trace His Hand you must trace His heart." Spurgeon. Assuring them with the gospel provides assurance.

My last bit of Resolved notes comes from Rick Holland's last sermon. He preached on Lamentations 3.
3 Theological Reminders When Facing Difficulty:
1. The Lord is sovereign over people (v. 37). People are only tools that God uses. He's not responsible for sin but uses sin for His glory. Example: Joseph-you meant it for evil but God meant it for good.
2. The Lord is sovereign over circumstances (v.38). Providence=His sovereignty in your life (Ps. 135:6, 115:3). God's truth is not dependent on our personal experience. It is harder to trust God then to obey God.
3. The Lord is serious about our response (v.39). We think we deserve good. We complain because we are not aware of our sin. Don't complain when God punishes for sins.

"Man's dislike at God's sovereignty arises from his suspicion of God's heart." Bonar.

"God's sovereignty is either your greatest comfort or biggest nightmare." Rick Holland.

You must put your thought of God between you and your anxiety.

Resolved Notes

2011-07-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

At the next session Al Mohler preached on "How to Do the Will of God." It was very practical and helpful.

He said there are many wrong views of God's will out there. Some people view it as something you have to go search for like a buried treasure or a big mystery. Some people don't seek it out because they are afraid of what it might be. These wrong views are an insult to God's character.

15 Things You Already Know About the Will of God for your Life:
1. That you were born
2. That you will die (therefore time is precious!)
3. That you grow
4. That you were made male and female
5. That you believe in Christ
6. That you follow Christ as His disciple
7. That you trust and obey the Scriptures
8. That you obey and respect all authorities
9. That you be married
10. That you be faithful in marriage
11. That you be deeply involved in the local church
12. That you lead (influence others)
13. That you develop your gifts for God's kingdom
14. That you share the gospel
15. That you do everything for the glory of God

I love how this sermon made something that we do view as so hard to know very easy and basic to understand. I wish I had heard this when I was younger! It is good for me to think about now in choosing what to spend my time doing. It is good for me to have this information to share with other young people as well as they finish high school or college and are looking to do the next thing.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have a good 4th of July. Here's a few shots of our very patriotic baby.

24 Weeks

2011-07-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am 24 weeks pregnant today but feeling more like 34 weeks. I am just trying to survive the summer!

Resolved Messages

2011-07-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

I wanted to let you know if you want to listen to these sermons online here is the website http://www.resolved.org/media/

They only have the first 4 sermons up right now but I am sure they will have them all up eventually. Listening to them will be way better than reading my notes!

Resolved Notes

2011-07-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

The 2nd session was with John MacArthur and he shared that there were 2 things early on in his ministry that he was convicted about and that has guided his whole ministry. The first was confidence in the Scriptures and the second was the pursuit of holiness. He preached on Psalm 19 to teach about having confidence in the Word of God for this sermon and preached on holiness in another sermon. He went through every key word in verses 7-9.

perfect=full completion
restore/transforming the soul=the Scripture is complete so it can totally transform the whole inner person. It is the source of salvation.
testimony=God Himself speaking
sure=reliable
simple=open door in a person's brain. Everything goes in and goes out. To people who say they have an "open mind" we would say Scripture says-shut it! They don't know what to keep in or out.
wise=skilled life in daily living-sanctification
precepts=principles, divine doctrine
right=right direction or path
rejoicing the heart=true joy is tied in obedience because obedience will give you a clear conscience.
commandments=these are not suggestions
pure=clear, defeats the statement that we don't really know what the Bible says
fear=worship manual. Reveals how God is to be worshipped. Worship is produced by truth. You can only worship to the point that you comprehend about the glory of God.
endures=lasts forever because it is not stained. It transcends all cultures and all times.
judgments=divine verdict of all cases producing comprehensive righteousness.

The Word of God is:
1. Our greatest possession
2. Our greatest pleasure
3. Our greatest protector
4. Our greatest provider
5. Our greatest purifier

Joshua 1:8-This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

This sermon was so rich in information about this passage and I was so thankful for that. I taught on this passage at our Mom's ministry meeting back in January so I was a little nervous at first to hear this message. I thought-oh great! I am going to see all the verses I messed up in! But God was very kind and I can say now that I don't think I taught anything way off of what John did so that was encouraging. I am excited to add these notes to my study notes on this passage and have a deeper richer understanding of the confidence we can have in the Word of God.

Do You Think She Likes It???

2011-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Family Lake Day

2011-07-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the lake for the first time today as a family. SJ and I went earlier in the summer with some friends from church but I didn't get her in the water. Today she got in the water and loved it! She also ate a huge mouth full of sand-lovely. We hope to have more days at the "beach" as Andrew calls it.

Resolved Notes

2011-06-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed by the Resolved Conference. It was a special opportunity that I had to attend before our baby boy comes. As a mom, I have had to sit out on a lot of sermons and Bible studies this year so it was nice to be able to listen to these sermons without any distractions and feed my soul. I am so thankful that Andrew persuaded me to go and is looking after my spiritual growth.

As many of you know it is so easy to be encouraged by a conference or retreat and then you can easily walk away and forget what you learned or how you need to change. I want to be a faithful steward of what God has taught me over the last weekend so I will be taking time each day to write down some notes from each sermon. These posts are probably more for me than anyone else but I hope you will be encouraged by them as well and inspired to go to Resolved next year!

Rick Holland
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a could of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you might not grow weary or fainthearted."

How Can I Get Traction in my Spiritual Life?

1. Find the intended inspiration (v.1) Remind yourself there are people who have done it. The path has been paved-follow the trail.
2. Eliminate every sin and distraction (v.1) What is hindering your spiritual growth? Can you identify that sin? There needs to be a radical amputation of sin. Are you running the race? Are you tired? Are you postponing obedience which really is disobedience?
3. Concentrate your faith on Jesus (v.2) He is the author and perfecter of our faith. You can't look at the world and Jesus at the same time. We so easily fill our mind with other things rather than Christ.
4. Be motivated by the gospel (vs.2-3) Jesus was rejected by all and still lived by faith.

How do we do this?

1. Learn to compare. Compare the world to Christ.
2. Learn to meditate. Feed your soul or faith will die.

*We must stop and think how much better Jesus is than sin*
*What is between you and Jesus? What is the sin?*

Resolved Conference 2011

2011-06-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. John MacArthur

C.J. Mahaney

Steve Lawson

Dr. Rick Holland

I was very blessed to be able to go to the Resolved Conference this year. I went to the first 2 Resolved Conferences so it had been several years since I have been able to attend. My parents were gracious enough to take SJ for the weekend so I got to go the conference and got a little break from being a full time mommy. Andrew and I got to enjoy the conference with a group of guys from our church. I was the only girl but I thought it was good preparation for having our little boy soon!

Spaghetti Leads to Bathtime

2011-06-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

It's been interesting moving on to feeding SJ real food now. Although it is easier in some ways I feel like it takes a whole lot longer for each meal. Tonight dinner took almost 1 hour!!! We'll figure it out but it has been fun to see her try new things. It is such a weird thing giving them their first taste of all kinds of foods. The last few nights I gave her spaghetti and then we strip her down and put her right in the bathtub!

Father's Day and a Costello Visit

2011-06-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

We got to celebrate Father's Day with some of our favorite friends, the Costello Family. First of all let me just say-Happy Father's Day honey. You are such a godly dad and SJ and baby boy are so blessed to have you influence their lives.

Annette is about to pop and due in July with Ivan. So we had to take a belly picture before the little guy arrives.

Captured this moment when Liam was getting sweet with SJ. Most of the time she was just screaming for joy watching him. You can tell that from the next picture. She obviously excited and he is like-what's wrong with her???

Summer Camp

2011-06-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin...

A little Minute to Win It

Our big 1 year old who loved every minute of camp. She was the only baby there so she got a lot of attention and of course loved that!

SJ's girlfriends

We got to go with the youth group to summer camp up in Oregon. I was not sure how SJ would do but she did great and loved being with the students. We were glad to be able to go along with the group but now we are glad to be home and be in our own beds:)

SJ's Birthday Party

2011-06-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

SJ turns 1 on Monday and we will be at summer camp with the youth group so we threw her a little party today. My sister made this picture for SJ using the invitation for my baby shower so we had it out to use as part of the decorations. These next few photos are for family who want to know how everything looked for the party since they could not be here. Okay, they are for my mom and sister-they love all the details!

Now that she is 1 it looks like Luke is making the moves on SJ. She doesn't seem to mind:)

I thought it would be fun to let her eat a cupcake but really thought she wouldn't eat much of it. I don't know what I was thinking! Our girl loves to eat!!! She gobbled that thing down.

Again for my mom and sister:) Here's a little banner of pictures that I made for each month of SJ's 1st year. I think I made it more for me than anything. I love to see how she has changed so much but it is also sad how fast it happens.

It's a BOY!

2011-06-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that Andrew will be getting the son he has wanted, SJ will be getting a little brother to teach how to treat girls right, and I will be getting a little buddy to take care of. Here's a shot at 20 weeks.

This is me, a little in shock, after hearing we are going to have a baby boy. SJ was super excited about it as you can tell.

Then we gave her this balloon to announce the big news and she was a happy girl. Balloons are her new favorite thing.

My Favorite Muffins

2011-06-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

We have a few guests coming into town this weekend so I thought I would make something special for breakfast. These are my favorite muffins! They are called-To Die For Blueberry Muffins. A cheesy name but once you eat them you will agree!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Topping (I half these ingredients because I think it makes way too much topping)

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. Makes 12 muffins.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

SJ's 1st Real Word

2011-06-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

In the Mood for Baking

2011-06-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

All of this rainy weather has me in the mood for baking. Some things have come out good and some not so good like the whole wheat banana bread I tried to make last week-gross! So I went back to my favorite banana bread recipe that a sweet friend gave me and just added some wheat flour to make myself feel like it is somewhat healthy:) This recipe is so good I had to pass it on!

Sour Cream Banana Walnut Muffins

Topping:

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup butter

3 cups white sugar

3 eggs

6 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 (16 oz.) container sour cream (light is okay)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking soda

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (I never add the walnuts because we are not walnut fans)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda, and flour. Stir in nuts.

Fill greased muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle evenly with reserved cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake.

Alternately, these can back in two 9x5 loaf pans for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes, or until tests done.

Well I can't believe it is pouring rain and in the 60's in June but we might as well enjoy it while it lasts and bake some goodies while we can still turn on our ovens and not pass out!

The Leftovers

2011-06-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

What do you find after a family visit...Dinoco, a barbie comb, and a storm trooper. Don't worry Emmie, Isaiah, and Micah I won't let SJ eat them and we'll get them back to you soon!

2011-05-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

We had the Nelson side of the family here for 2 days and we had a full 2 days of many pictures! My mom's sweet friend bought these hats for all the girls so we had to get a good picture of it. It took about 25 pictures to get this one. See the one below and you'll see what we had to work with-SJ who would not sit still!

We got together to celebrate Emmie's 6th birthday and SJ's 1st birthday. Emmie chose to have a Tangled themed birthday party and it was fun to get her all dressed up.

Nana made this special cake for the girls

SJ was not too fond of being Rapunzel at first but she warmed up to it.

SJ and Eva bonding time

SJ was not too excited of these party blower things

I tried to get a good picture with Eva with this shirt she picked out:) As you can tell I was a little tired.

SJ had fun in her new wagon that Nana and Pawpaw bought her for her birthday

A visit with the cousins is not complete without a fairy picture!

This sums up the 2 days with the family. We had a full house and it was a lot of crazy fun!

11 Months

2011-05-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

SJ keeps doing this. Is she trying to tell me something???

She loves to scoot everywhere and then lift up to her toes

Here she's flexing a little muscle for you

Our 11 month old, soon to be 1 year old!!!

SJ Loves her Dada

2011-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00