New Years Thoughts - Happy 2017!!!!

Hi Friends,


So with 2016, came many changes (good, bad, and completely unexpected).

The past year has been pretty amazing, and I wanted to talk about some of the past year, and also what we are looking forward to in 2017!

• January - With this month, came an excitement of no longer having to go to the hospital for surgeries. Todd was healed, and we were getting over that awful experience! We had family time with my sister and her husband (delayed Christmas fun with them), and it was special as always. Then the bad - I was in a car accident and the insurance company didn't believe it was worth the cost. So we had to get rid of it and move on. We found Todd a car (Ford Taurus) that was quite old (but to this day is in good condition - so far). Plus, we only paid $600 out of pocket for the thing! YES! Thank you God!
• February - We had our Ohio primary for the election. If I had known then what I know now about the election, I don't think I'd believe it! But, I was able to vote for someone I wanted (he didn't win Ohio). We also celebrated Valentines Day and we made homemade pasta with a pasta maker my parents had gotten us from Italy!! YUMMO! That was a fun experience, and seriously...the best pasta!
• March - It was nice and warm, and spring came much earlier than in previous years. We celebrated Easter and my Dad's birthday. Caleb had his first egg hunts (one at church, one with his grandparents, and one at home with us). It was a fun month and pretty low key.

Always loves the swings!

• April - Caleb is growing and learning how to count and knows his ABCs very well. We also enjoyed springtime and a wonderful vacation in Virginia Beach with my sister and brother, Wes! It was soo nice and Caleb's first roadtrip and first trip to see the ocean!! He had a ball! As we all did!

Our family photo in Virginia Beach!

• May - May was overall a very nice time. Caleb gave up the binky on his own (YAY!). We enjoyed more park days! Unfortunately, he got very sick close to his birthday, and we were in the hospital (twice) because he ended up getting some awful virus that caused his breathing to be very bad, and then the second time, we were in the hospital due to pneumonia. The last visit to the hospital extended over his birthday, so his 2nd birthday plans were postponed for Memorial Day weekend. But, the hospital treated Caleb like a king, and gave him an Elmo balloon and toys. And thankfully, we were discharged on his birthday. So he got to go home and eat his birthday cake! It was a rough month for sure, but thankfully, we had a good ending to the month.

Our birthday boy!

• June - June was mostly uneventful. We enjoyed a lot of time outside and the summer warmth! Caleb had a ball and actually liked walking in the grass! He made a friend with a neighbor girl, and they loved playing with bubbles!

Caleb finally tackled the tunnel and slides at the playground! And he loved them!

• July - We celebrated Indpendence Day with friends in Columbus, and I made my first ever pineapple upside down cake (I did good!). And then a lot of fun memories were made at the park or at Riverscape in downtown Dayton with Caleb. He found his love for cities and tall buildings when we would go there. He became so obsessed with the cities, that I have NEVER known anyone to be as excited to see a city as him. In fact, on one of our Friday dates, G-Pa met me and Caleb at Riverscape after he had a meeting and we had icecream and walked along the bridge, etc. It was a nice time!

Caleb had fun with William at the annual Independence Day picnic we have with friends

• August - More fun in the sun with Caleb. He also really started to sing a lot of songs on his own. He loves to sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "This is the Day." I also tried my hand at making banana nut bread. I enjoyed making yummy food this summer! It was a treat for me (and Todd would say for him too). I also broke my crown and had to have a root canal for the first time. That was no fun! When you see smoke coming from your mouth...yeah...not cool!
• September - This month started pretty good. We celebrated Mom's, mine, and Wes' birthday (since we are all September birthdays). It was so nice to spend time with the family, play corn hole competitions, and enjoy watching Caleb playing and laughing. I turned 36, and Todd treated me to a spa day! So heavenly I tell you what! Plus, he took me to our favorite Jeff Ruby restaurant! It was a good birthday weekend! Sadly, the happiness of September ended on the 28th. I was laid off from my job at CH2M. I had been with them for almost 11 1/2 years! It truly was the end of an era! It was nothing I did...they were making cuts, and I was one of them. It was incredibly hard and emotional for me. And as the person that had 2/3 of our income coming from me, I had to find a job fast!
• October - Well, I spent all of my time looking for jobs. In the first week, I sent 14 resumes. I needed a job, man! But thankfully, I was also able to do some work for my parents too. It helped keep my mind sharp and also busy (instead of sulking and worrying). We also enjoyed the fall weather and went to parks and walked through the leaves. Caleb also loved going to Hobby Lobby (his favorite store - seriously, I mean it). He loved going there to see pumpkins, leaves, trees, and flowers. We also went there a lot to get craft supplies so he could paint, and do many different fun crafts. Caleb got to go trick-or-treating three times!! We went to the Renaissance Fair for a Halloween weekend, did trick-or-treating as a family in a nearby town so Todd could be there, and then Caleb and I went around our neighborhood on Halloween! He made out like a bandit with candy! But this momma made sure he only had 1-2 pieces of candy a day. And it lasted him until mid-December! Not too bad! I also had a phone interview with KMEA (the company I am currently set to start on January 9th). It seemed to go well then, and I was right.
  
• Our Curious George (or George Monkey like Caleb calls him)
  
  
  
• Fall outing with my cutie pie!

• November - Todd and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary in Red River Gorge (Kentucky) in a beautiful cabin. It was so peaceful and a perfect getaway for us. And thankfully, we had already paid for this trip before I lost my job, so it didn't cost us hardly a thing! I will briefly mention we also had an epic election! We are now getting ready for Trump as president in this new year. What?!! I really didn't see this happening. I may not have voted for the guy, but I do hope he surprises me in a good way and ends up better than I expect. I have many doubts about that, but I still hope it is better than I expect (end of the political discussion). We also celebrated Todd's birthday and Thanksgiving! Jen and Wes were with us for Thanksgiving, and that was super special! Caleb got to help us pick out a Christmas tree for the first time too! He really loved getting a Christmas tree and seeing all the lights and decorations! After Thanksgiving, I had an in-person interview in Cincinnati with a company that has a joint venture with KMEA, and the company I will be getting most of my work from).

Admiring the tree

• December -  this month was full of beautiful Christmas fun (looking at lights, making cookies, watching Christmas movies, etc. Caleb and I visited the Carillon tower that looks like a Christmas tree as well! He calls it a tower Christmas tree! We also went to Clifton Mill with Caleb so he could enjoy the lights again this year. HE DID!! He was the loudest kid there during the light show with his Ooohs and Wows! It was sooo cute! I had a third interview in December over Skype with KMEA. This company is based out of California, and I will be going there quite often for work. I waited all month to find out they were offering me the job (found out the week after Christmas). I am going to be an Environmental Project Engineer focused on environmental compliance. The job sounds very exciting, and I am truly looking forward to the fresh start (and the income again).

Christmas morning with Caleb!

So with the upcoming year, not only do I get to start with a new job, Todd will be switching to days! YES! Such incredible timing too. I mean, with my travel for work, Todd will be able to watch Caleb and spend much needed time together. God orchestrated this completely. I am truly thankful for His wisdom and help in all of this. I got discouraged quite often September through December (especially when I was waiting to hear back from KMEA), and thankfully, God always provided the right encouragement when I needed it. He gave me peace, when I shouldn't have had it. He provided hope when I needed it. He also encouraged me to remember who I was and Who I belonged to. He also reminded me time and time again that he didn't just care about me and my job, but my husband and son too.



And another testament to the amazing sitter we have, when I found out I lost my job, this woman was incredibly gracious and told us that she believed God wanted her to NOT take any money from us until I found a job again. I couldn't believe it. We tried to argue with her and tell her we would pay her anyway, but she wouldn't take it. To say we have the best sitter ever is an understatement. She has become family to us, and we are beyond grateful for her! I look forward to being able to pay her again! She is worth every penny we give her!




So as I look back at the highlights of 2016, while there were some definite lows, I see the amazing hand of God in all of it. I see how he provided when I didn't know things were coming or how or when. So really, most of my thanks for this year goes to Him. When life happens and things get bad, Jesus provides so much more hope and peace than anything else.


So here's to a new year...full of new challenges (I'm sure), and full of new and fresh starts, and of course beautiful memories! Happy 2017 to all of you!


Love,


The Taber Family

Focusing on the Good - Caleb is 2 1/2 and Family Updates

So Caleb is officially 2 1/2! I can't believe how fast time is going! I swear he looks more and more grown up! 

He has been learning so much in these past 6 months. His vocabulary has exploded, and very rarely do we not understand what he is saying. He loves to talk, and will talk your ear off! He has an opinion about everything in his world. Ha Ha! He is an avid reader, and he loves to "read" books to us. He doesn't know how to read, just yet, but he tells the stories to us on each page. There are some words that he remembers from our reading to him and knows what they say. He knows that C A L E B is his name! It's not unusual for us to spend part of our evening each day reading 10-20 books. This kiddo loves to learn, and I have been surprised quite often with the things he knows and remembers. His vocabulary has also improved in how he says each word. He's leaving some of the cute baby talk and saying many words correctly (Though, part of me is sad about that because it's so darn cute)! With the reading, he knows all of the ABCs, upper and lowercase (he sometimes mixes up lowercase p and q, but not all the time).

He LOVES to count! Any book that has more than one of anything, he will count! And if I say something is in the microwave, he will count the time. He can sometimes count up to 20 (though a few of those numbers are tough for him), but he has been improving upon them. He knows typical shapes (circle, square, triangle), and he knows shapes like octagon, rhombus, diamond, etc. I have been amazed at his ability to just remember things we have taught him after only telling him once. 

We also have a singer. I have published some videos on Facebook and Instagram of his singing, but seeing him in person is even better. He loves to sing! He will even just hum. His favorite songs are "Jesus Loves Me" (two different versions) and "This Is The Day!" But with Christmastime upon us, I am sure he will love to learn other songs like Jingle Bells, etc. His affinity for music is so fun! He really loves to "make moozik" on his Daddy's keyboard too! 

He can open many doors now, including the refrigerator and our bedroom doors, etc. He loves to open and close doors! He thinks the refrigerator is fun to open, and we are working with him to teach him that it isn't a toy and we can't just leave the door open. Ha Ha! He also loves to help with chores, whether that is partially helping Mommy with the vacuum, helping "carry" the trash out with Daddy, helping to wipe down stuff and clean it, helps with the laundry, etc. He even does the same at Jane's house. She is always telling me what a happy little helper he is.

He understands moods like happy, sad, crying, mad, tired, hurt, etc. Whenever I have bumped my knee or tripped or gotten hurt in some way, he has such a compassionate heart. He will come over and see Mommy's "boo-boo" and kiss it! He knows that Mommy does that for him, and so he wants to do the same for us. It's so sweet! Or if we are sad about something, or he sees a character that is sad, we have taught him that hugs are important to help when someone is sad. So he does the same. He loves to hug. He is such a great hugger! I love that about him! He really gives the best hugs and can improve any mood! He will just say "I love you" without prompting too, or he will come around my backside and put his arms around me and squeeze me tight. So much love from such a sweet boy, and it just makes me melt! 

This summer and fall have been great because we have been able to go outside a lot, and he has a love for trees, leaves, pumpkins, clouds, nature, etc. He loves to watch bugs, and he helped water flowers. He loves to learn about all the different animals there are, and what sounds they make. He loved dressing up for Halloween and getting candy. He still has a decent amount of candy left from his stash. :) I think his favorite part about fall is the leaves and pumpkins. He was obsessed with those when we would visit Hobby Lobby, and then when he would see them outside or at other people's homes, he was so happy!

 Hike with Mommy in the woods! We enjoyed all the fall leaves!

Now, he is soo excited for Christmas. Not sure how he learned about Santa, but he knows what Santa looks like and learned about Christmas trees, etc. We also taught him that Christmas is Jesus' birthday! I have to say, I think because he understands a little more and seems super excited about it, I am looking forward to doing more Christmas traditions with him! I can't wait to see his face when he sees the Christmas lights at Clifton Mill again this year, or when he sees our Christmas tree all decorated. I truly look forward to new memories with him this year, and I'm thankful for this special little boy. He makes life so much better by being with us!

In family news, most know that I lost my job in September with CH2M due to a reduction in force. I was sad....very sad to leave. And it hasn't been easy, but thankfully, God has been providing for us during this time. We have been saving our pennies where possible. I have had a few phone interviews, and I am about to have an in-person interview next week (11/29), so if you would, please say a prayer for me. I actually think this could be a good company to work for, and I know they have contacted my references (my references have told me so). So this sounds promising, but I also don't want to get too excited either in case it falls through. In the end, I know God will provide the right job for me and my family. 

Todd and I also recently celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Can't believe we have been married 8 years. Seems shorter than that at times, and sometimes longer too ;) But, we went to a cabin in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, and it was awesome. I was thankful we paid for it prior to my job loss, as it wouldn't have been feasible to go away had we not done that. The cabin was amazing, and they called it "Peaceful Palace." It was very peaceful. We had a huge area of caves and caverns in our "backyard." We were told they had waterfalls there, but we haven't had much rain, so we didn't get to see much water falling. But, if we had, then we couldn't have hiked in there and seen the caverns up close. And the fall leaves were soooo gorgeous! Sometimes we would just sit out there and just listen to the birds, and the wind, and then watch leaves falling off trees. It was sooo nice! It was so relaxing and nice to get away just the two of us. When we drove back, we took a detour and went to Mammoth Caves for Todd's birthday present. That was a lot of fun as well! We did a lot of hiking and relaxing! Perfect weekend if you ask us! :)

 

 Our view right outside of our cabin

 In our "backyard" - we saw a lot of caverns and caves. Looking up, then you see beautiful fall foliage

Looking up inside Mammoth Cave. So cool! 

Stalactites inside Mammoth Cave! Loves these!

As we come upon Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to say I am thankful for my family. My husband who has been very supportive and encouraging of me during this hard time and for helping so much with our home and with Caleb. My son, Caleb, who makes each day ten times better by giving me his smile and hugs, or making us laugh! For my parents who are truly the best parents in the world and for their love, support, and prayers. And for being incredible grandparents to Caleb! And my sister, Jen and brother in love, Wes! They hosted us earlier this year at their place, and it was such a wonderful time in Virginia Beach! And we are also thankful for their love, prayers, and support! And for the friends who have stood by us through thick and thin, and have been more like family to us! We love you and are so thankful for you! And even for this job loss. I believe in the long run, this change is best for us. I can't go into the reasons why, but I think there is a good reason behind it. I miss my friends there at CH2M, but we have kept in touch, and I am thankful for their continued friendship! I am thankful for God's love and mercy. I am thankful that God is here, even in the midst of the unknown. I am thankful that I can trust my unknown future to a known God. I don't have answers, and I still have times where I am nervous and scared, but when I keep my eyes focused on God, I feel His peace. God will provide. I know it.

I am thankful for this verse, which is a reminder to trust Him. 

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 1:6

I pray you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and/or family! I pray that you take time to remember what you have and the good that has happened in your life. I think it is important to not to lose sight of the good! When I focus on the good, I tend to forget or at least temporarily forget the bad. It's good for the soul to keep focused on the good! I know it is for me! 

Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings to all of you!

Much Love,

The Taber Family

A night like this....8 years ago!

It was a night like this, where others were out trick-or-treating or going to Halloween parties
But, we all dressed up as characters for our wedding rehearsal
It was filled with laughter, fun, excitement, nerves, and all with our friends and family
It was beyond special as we got ready for the start of the rest of our lives

With all the excitement, I didn't feel anxious or nervous.
We were with friends and family and enjoying this special celebration
We would always look back on the night before our wedding
As one heck of a rehearsal and full of fun! Never have I enjoyed a rehearsal so much!

We opened some gifts that night, ate some food, laughed
And then one final hug and kiss goodnight as two single lovebirds
I remembered thinking many times that night
Wow, this is the last night where I have to say goodbye at the end of the night

I will admit, that really excited me. We dated with you in Columbus and me in Dayton
And only on one weekend day would we see each other.
We could drive I-70 in our sleep with as much time as we drove it
We knew that road backwards and forwards

I was ecstatic about spending the rest of my life with my best friend
The one I loved since I was sixteen
The one who always made my heart beat 90 miles an hour
The one who knew me when I was a teen and now as a young woman

You always knew how to make me laugh
And you always knew how to make me smile or what would make me want to kiss you
You always put me before yourself
And loved me way more than I sometimes deserved

You were the one I prayed for as a young teen wondering if I would ever meet a guy
That loved me like God wanted for me
Or the one I prayed for when I asked for a guy that thought I was pretty
You wrote me several love poems expressing how much you thought I was the most beautiful

You were the one that I prayed for when I asked for a guy that would be my best friend
And that I would always love
And look at us now - 8 years later after saying I Do
And You are STILL the one!

I didn't have a clue what 8 years would bring to our marriage
And neither did you
But we have had some amazing times, both good and bad
We have had so many joys and so many highs

And when I think about the lows, I am sad that we had to go through those lows
But then I am reminded that I had you the whole time as we fought those battles together
I had my best friend and a cute guy that thought I was pretty
I had a guy that put me before himself and loved me as God wanted for me

And when I think about the highs, I start to cry at the beautiful memories
And I remember the laughs, the passion, the smiles, the hugs and the many kisses
I had a guy that was my best friend and could make me laugh like no other
A guy that put me before himself and loved me as God wanted for me

So tonight as I look back, I think about us!
The beautiful, the crazy, the amazing, the miraculous
The wonderful that is us!
The 8 years of a wonderful us!

Happy 8 Years to the Prince that God gave me!
I love you now and always!

Summertime 2016 with the Taber Family

Well it has been quite a while since I last posted something about us or Caleb.

This summer has been flying by fast. And Caleb is growing into a spunky, smart, little boy! He is very stubborn (like us), and is incredibly challenging at times (after all he is two) but always lovable!
We have had some fun with friends and family this summer (Independence Day in particular), and we have had some family fun going to parks, downtown Dayton (Caleb calls it the "Cittee!!"), and we attempted the Columbus zoo. The zoo didn't go quite so well because it was soo stinkin' hot, and Caleb isn't used to being around all those people and all that space to run around in. No such as seeing things in an orderly fashion with him! ;) We also enjoy his pool and sand table and many walks!

Caleb talks a ton now, and he says so many things now that I can't even possibly put them all down on here. But Facebook had a cute little quiz to ask your toddler, so here is just a bit of what he says and thinks right now:

What is your name? Cayeb! (This is how he says his name)
How old are you? Two! 
When is your birthday? my birday (hahaha...already being smart with me ;))
How old is mommy? Two!
What is your favorite color? red
What is your favorite food? cookies
Who is your best friend? no answer on this (doesn't understand the word friend yet)
What is your favorite TV show? Jordge munkee (Curious George)
What is your favorite movie? Bawoons (not sure he understands this question)
What is your favorite song? Jesus yuz you (and then he breaks out in song singing it) ;)
What is your favorite animal? Keekat (kitty cat)
What makes you happy? Water flowers (not sure he really was answering the question here, because he remembered we hadn't done that yet). ;)

Caleb is incredibly helpful and loves to help with laundry (putting clothes in washer and dryer), and loves to pretend he is vacuuming with his own little toy vacuum. He also loves to water the plants and flowers and will definitely remind me! When Todd takes out the trash, he wants to "help" carry the bag with him!

He is so sweet and compassionate because when I stub my toe or get a "boo-boo," or when he saw his Daddy's scar from all of his surgeries, he says he will kiss it! It's too much sometimes to take, he is so darn sweet! Or when someone coughs, he always has this look of concern and says "okay?"

We are singing now...he can sing his ABC's and "Jesus Yuz You!" It's the best thing ever other than hearing him tell me "I yuz you!" :) He loves to dance and jump in his bed. We let him jump in his bed with supervision only, and then when he does it, he hands us his Dory fish and wants Dory to jump with him. Because after all, you can't jump alone! ;)

He loves to make us laugh. He will make silly faces and noises just to get us to laugh! And if he gets us to laugh by doing something, he will keep doing it and doing it!

He loves to be cuddly still, which I am happy he hasn't grown out of yet. He loves to just sit and watch Curious George and hold my hand or Todd's. It's so sweet.

And he still loves Ms. Jane, his sitter! Because he gets to see Ms. Jane, his pal (Jane's son), and the babies! According to Jane, he loves to help with the babies and plays and talks with anyone he sees! I believe that, because we have been on a playground and Caleb will talk to anyone and is so friendly! I love seeing him so social!

He knows his ABCs and can count pretty well to 15. He tries to go past 15, but all the numbers sound the same. He knows lots of shapes and colors, and he remembers things you tell him just once. I think he has excellent vision as he will see a letter or number while we are driving or walking, and I will be like "what?" And then I notice he sees a letter or number from far away that I didn't even notice. I hope his vision stays that way. I half expect him to need glasses at some point because Todd has them. But we'll see.

We got our first big boy potty! I have no expectations of him being potty-trained soon. In fact, today, I showed him the potty and tried to talk to him about it and read "P is Potty" book to him. And then later, I said, do you want to use the potty. He said yes, and so I showed him what to do and sat him down. He didn't want to do that. He likes to put the lid down and up, but sits on it for like two seconds. But at least we are talking about it. Maybe in a few months he will be interested. At least the conversation has been started....

Caleb also got his first professional hair cut this summer! He picked a cool spiderman car to sit in and while he wasn't happy for party of the hair cut (because he was a little scared),  he loved the fact that he could honk the horn on the car, and he got a blue lollipop! Haha!

Before and after his haircut

As for Todd and I, we are just working and trying to keep up with our boy! We have had some dates (whether during the day or the evening), and that's been nice! We were excited about Todd's work schedule changing to days, only to be let down recently that it won't be happening any time soon. I keep hoping and praying it will happen though as it would be nice to have Todd around during the evenings! But, even if that doesn't happen soon, we will make things work like we have!

I hope to share more once the fall comes! Until then...enjoy the rest of your summer! And if you need prayer about anything, let me know. I truly do want to and love to pray for people!

Many blessings to you all!

My Daddy's Shoulder's

Caleb, You are Two!!!

To my dearest Caleb! You are turning 2!!

I don't know where the time went this year, but it seemed to really fly by. But we have loved getting to know your quirks, the things you love, seeing you learn, seeing you grow, making memories with you, and laughing so hard that we cry! You make our lives so incredibly full!

In the past year, you have gone from a little wobbly on your walking to full blown running. You love dance, you love to count, you love to say your ABC's, you love to be cozy with Mommy, you love to be tall with your Daddy, you love walks, you love to swing, and you just love life!

I remember taking you to the park when you were just 6 weeks old and we would stare up at the trees. To this day, you love the outdoors and you love to look at anything and everything. You point out EVERYTHING you see. You are very smart and catch on to a lot of things (words, numbers, phrases things you see) very quickly! You love to play "I see you" (your version of Peek-A-Boo) with blankets or behind furniture, etc. You are also incredibly sweet.  You care about animals and the things that you really do love. You try to hug the TV if it has your favorite animals on it. You try to hug a picture that I have drawn on the Magna Doodle. You have such a sweet heart for your Mommy and you adore your Daddy.

You love to "call" your G-Pa on your pretend phone and watch birds out on their deck. You learned quickly that Grandma (or Gamma) will give you cookies anytime, anyplace. And that she is just as cozy and warm as Mommy. You made some special memories this year when we visited your Aunt Jen and Uncle Wes. They adored having you there, and you loved it too! You were in awe of the ocean (but you didn't want to touch it as I think you recognized the amazing power of those waves). You really enjoyed building your first sand castle! And you did SOOO well on your first road trip! You loved to watch all of the trucks go by! And even though there were all these milestones, some of the simplest acts that made you laugh and laugh were throwing cards at your Aunt Jen! Or when Uncle Wes chased you at the playground. I think it is safe to say that your aunt and uncle are your buddies for life!

You have grown into this sweet, fiery little boy, and no longer a baby (though you will always be my baby). You have tantrums more often because you are learning how to communicate and express your frustrations, etc. But we are also learning how to respond and how to handle those situations as well. You push limits, and we know it. But it's because you are such a strong and fiery personality. I believe this personality will make you go far in life! God will use that for good. I know it!

You are stubborn and like what you like. And sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to almost "force" you to try the new stuff to see if you will like it. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But you are learning a little more that it is okay to try things. If you don't like it, you tell us. If you do like it, you definitely tell us! And if you like something or want to do something, you repeat it over and over and over!

You are such a boy! And it's fun! You love dirt. You love trucks. You love forts. You admire and try to act like your Daddy and G-Pa. It has come so natural for you to want to be like them.

But when it is bedtime.....you are mama's boy! Daddy isn't allowed to touch your back when it is bedtime. You want your Mommy all to yourself and don't want to be "bothered." Sleepy time is serious business! And speaking of sleeping, apart from the current coughing and illness you are overcoming right now, you sleep very well in your bed. You have been doing that for the past few months now. We walk to the bedroom and close the door, and then Mommy holds you and we rock and pray to Jesus for our bedtime prayers. And then we cuddle some, and you point to the bed and say "bed." And I place you in your bed and tuck you in! I make sure you have your turtle blanket, your bedtime penguin, monkey, and turtle as well. And then I turn on your penguin light that shines stars up on the ceiling, and we both say "Bye Bye Night" (as this mean goodnight to you), and I love you! And then I close the door. You go to sleep as you watch the stars and are usually out within 10 minutes time. I sure love those sweet moments with you.

You love to pray to Jesus too! We started out just praying in the car on the way to Miss Jane's house, but then we also added in bedtime prayers to Jesus. And sometimes, at nap time you want to pray. And then there have been times when you just asked to pray (and it wasn't in a car or bedtime). I love that! I love that you are starting to learn more and more about Jesus and that you can talk to Him ANYTIME! You also ask for Mommy to sing the "Jesus song." You love the "Jesus Loves Me" by Chris Tomlin, which is different than the "Jesus Loves Me" that most kids learn.  However, you love both. And you love most songs you hear on Hoopla Kidz (a website of animated nursery rhyme songs) and Elmo's World.

You used to be addicted to your binky. Binky was your friend, and if you lost it, you would sing-song "Binky - where'd you go?" It was so sweet. We were concerned that you would never be without that binky. However, you started only "holding" the binky over the past month. Your Daddy even thinks a few weeks back when you went for a walk with him that you two passed a little boy that didn't have a binky, and you took the binky out of your mouth and just put it in your hand. So maybe you are learning that the binky is for babies and not for big boys.  And then, one day, when you were throwing a tantrum, you just threw it out of frustration. It went under a car, and I couldn't get it. So I told you that it went "Bye Bye." And you repeated that "Binky went Bye-Bye". But you weren't upset about it being gone. You have gone several days now without a binky in your mouth or even in your hand. If you want comforting, you just come to us directly, which is nice! I thought this would be harder to wean you off of the binky, but much like everything else you have done, you have self-weaned from the bottle, you led on the rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking on your timing. And I think that is the best thing we have learned. Us following your lead has been good! No fights or stress. So with potty-training in the next year, I think we are going to do the same thing.

And even though your Mommy and Daddy work during the week, you love staying with Miss Jane during the day. You love playing at her house, as well as learning. She has such a sweet love for you as well. And when Mommy or Daddy come to pick you up, there is always the biggest smile and hugs for us! It's so special to be your Mommy, and I know your Daddy feels the same way about him being your Daddy.

We are so blessed to be your parents. I can't imagine this world without your sweet face and laugh! It hasn't always been easy, but our lives are so much better with you in it! I mean look at where we are right this second. You are in the hospital, and I never want that for you. I hate when you are not feeling good, and I hate when I can't make it all better. I am sad that we aren't able to have your party when we wanted, but we will still have it (just later). But we will make your birthday great even if you are stuck inside a hospital. Mommy will get you a piece of your birthday cake and we will still sing Happy Birthday and make it as wonderful as possible. My prayer and hope is that you can leave on your birthday to come home. But regardless, your Mommy and Daddy are always here for you and are your biggest advocates. Even when things get hard or rough, we are always here for you! You also have an abundance of friends and family that adore you and love you too. Always know how loved, how special, and just how much of a blessing you really are!

We love you, sweetheart! Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Oh Apathy...Oh Complacency...Are you going through the motions?

For the past couple of days, I have contemplated even writing a post about some of my feelings. I have posted on Facebook some very frustrated feelings, but I mostly get ignored. And honestly, there is a good chance this blog post will also be ignored. But I hope not. I feel led to share....

This message is for Christian Americans. No one else. The reason being is I am disappointed in the American Christian. We live in a country where freedom is one of the most priceless things we have. Other Christians in other nations would do anything to have that freedom to practice our faith as freely as we can. And while many of those freedoms are being challenged, the Constitution protects those freedoms. Our founders viewed faith to be just as essential as freedom. And we are fortunate that we can do that. Not everyone is free. In fact, I don't actually think Christian Americans really appreciate their freedom. It is way too easy to take it for granted. I say the same thing to myself. I don't think I have really appreciated what I can do as a Christian that I definitely cannot do in other countries. Just look at the Christians in other countries who are being slaughtered by ISIS. There are underground Christians all over the world. There are people starving for Christ...longing for truth and to hear this truth, while American Christians are stagnant. We like to pat ourselves on our back for putting quotes or verses on our wall as a way of saying "see, I'm a Christian." I in no way think those things are bad. They are good. But that doesn't mean we know what it means to suffer for Christ. I don't even think I really know what it means to suffer for Christ. But you ask those people in Iran, China, Iraq, etc who are literally laying their lives on the line for Jesus Christ, and they don't flinch in their faith. They will do whatever it takes to save their family members, save their friends to know Jesus. Even if it is illegal to do so. But here in America, we have "tolerant" Christians, we have people who flip flop on their beliefs, we have "Christians" that go to church on a weekly or almost daily basis, and yet they live the same lives as people who are not. This isn't what the Christian faith is about. Again, I point the same fingers at myself. I am incredibly flawed and fall short every single day.

But I think American Christians need to get out of their apathy, stop being complacent, and actually take their faith seriously. It's time. Our future as a nation is very questionable right now. When more than 50% of people claiming Christianity voted for a man who claims he is a Christian, but can't even tell us what he values, what his favorite verse is, when he jokes about how he would date his daughter because she is hot, where he brags about the number of women he has slept with, where he claims that his sex life is his own personal Vietnam, where he calls people nasty names and lies soo frequently that it has become a joke, and where a man who flip flops on his views almost on a daily basis - we have a problem.

If we are so passive and say "Well, I don't want a pastor-in-chief" or "I just want someone to win for the Republican party," then i would say we are compromising our values as Christians just to "win." I never claimed any man was perfect or that any man is a savior other than the only Savior we have - Jesus. But, we aren't supposed to compromise our values either.

Let's look at what happened last year with the videos that showed that Planned Parenthood was selling aborted baby parts, and where was the outrage? Do you realize, that maybe 5% of my Christian friends even expressed outrage on that? Or the numerous times in the past year that religious freedom has been on attack. Or how many even mentioned the be-headings of Christians in Egypt, etc.How many of your Christian friends and family did? Did your church say anything?  Did your pastor? If they did, then you are in the minority. Why are we staying silent? Is it because we don't want to be attacked? Labeled?

I hate to remind you - but staying silent isn't something Jesus wanted for his disciples. We were told to spread the gospel. We were told to speak out against injustices. We were told and shown how to live by Christ himself. He laid His very own life down. I think of this verse: "Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." ~ Micah 6:8

Again, I am pointing the finger at myself on this too. I have failed on this. And while God gives us much love and grace, he doesn't want us to be passive. He demands we stand for something. I am reminded of Revelation 3:15-16 - " I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

I don't want to be lukewarm. I want to stand for something. And when there is injustice, when there is violence, when there is evil occurring, we should be standing up and speaking out. We should be paying attention to what is going on and knowing what is going on in our country and in other countries. And we should know more about that than what Beyonce's newest song is about. We should be using our rights to vote (how many Christians are NOT voting and should?). Our pastors and clergy should be doing more. We have the right to peacefully protest against injustices as well, and we should. I just think it is way too easy in America to be passive and to be complacent. And we should be uncomfortable with what we are seeing. We should be looking for ways to volunteer and help organizations that fight against abortion, help in ways to protect children from sex-trafficking, stand in the gap for our fellow Christians in other countries and speak out for them. We should be on our knees praying for forgiveness for our apathy as a nation. We should be praying and seeking God in all we do. We can do more. I can do more.

And part of that is in our lifestyle and how we speak about others. How we work. How we treat others. How we show compassion. We are supposed to vote differently. We are supposed to BE DIFFERENT.

This isn't a tirade full of anger. I promise. But I am frustrated. And I am even frustrated with myself. I know I could have said more and done more. But I don't want to live my life with regrets. I don't want to just go through the motions anymore. And Matthew West's song "Motions" really hits home with me on this:

"I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking

What if I had given everything

Instead of going through the motions?" 

We can do it. We can be strong. With Jesus, anything is possible. Anything!

Don't compromise who God made you to be and trust in Him to do this. Are you with me?