Re-Learning

Does anyone love Beth Moore as much as I do? I sure would love to meet her one day. Maybe in December when she comes to Oklahoma. Maybe I can invite her over for dinner. Okay, that was totally stretching it! ha!

Well, I have done a lot of her bible studies and have read a lot of her books. Which isn't saying much since I have a hard time living out everything I am learning. Why is that? Why do I complete these bible studies that "change my life" and then I live in unbelief or doubt? I really need a transformation in this area.

Today I have decided to go back over some of the bible studies that I have completed and "re-learn" what I learned in years past. I really pray I can let these words sink deep and live in such a way that I truly believe what the Word says. I need a community of people that want to join together and truly believe and live like Christ would. There are too many mediocre Christians wondering around (including myself at times). Things must change!

In 2007 I completed her bible study, Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith.

She focuses on a 5 Statement Pledge of Faith:

1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is alive and active in me.

God is who He says He is. Who is God? God is our provider, father, creator, life-changer, healer, etc.

God can do what He says He can do. God says in Genesis 22:14 that He will provide. God says that He will never leave us or forsake us. God says He can move the mountains. God says he will carry our burdens and make our heavy load, lighter.

I am who God says I am. Take all the insecurity away because God has created us in his image. We are valued, loved, treasured, beautiful. He is enthralled with our beauty.

I can do all things through Christ. I can serve my husband when I am tired. I can take care of my daughter when I would rather be with a friend. I can serve people at work even when I don't like my job. He gives us the strength to do things we can not do by ourselves.

God's word is alive and active in me. His word changes us. And it changes others. I need to spend more time memorizing His life changing words.

May we be changed by this life-changing truth!

Not Me Monday

Have you ever read this blog? If not, then check it out! -It definitely was not me who forgot to restock the diaper bag full of diapers. Then Addie had a blow-out in a public place and I could not change her.

-Then it was not me who stuffed paper towels into her diaper so the blow-out would not run out all over her clothes and car seat.

-Who forgets her daughter's diaper bag when you go to church? Not me.

-It most certainly was not me who begged my husband to watch Adelyn for an hour simply so I could "get a break" and go journal, read, get away. I am too good of a mom to do that. ;)

Wow, I am so thankful I would never do things like that! ;)

5 Months Old!

Yesterday, Addie turned 5 months old!

A lot has changed from month 4 to month 5:

-She started rolling over! She first started rolling over from her back to her tummy. As of two days ago, she just started rolling from her tummy to her back.

-She started rice cereal. I gave her one bottle of rice cereal first that was super thin so she could still drink it out of the bottle. A week later, I mixed it into a thicker consistency and fed it to her with a spoon.

-She sleeps from 10-7 still with a usual, short 4:00AM wake-up time. She wakes up, either wants her paci or to eat, and then she goes right back to sleep. I am hoping this stops soon! I am not functioning that great at 4:00AM.

-She likes to play in her exersaucer, and sometimes watch Baby Einstein while she is in it.

-She likes to be on the floor with her toys (rattle, books, etc) and then just roll all over the floor.

-She is not a big fan of her swing that she used to love.

-We removed the bassinet from the pack-n-play and now she just sleeps in the bed part. She will be moving to her crib soon. I will miss her laying right next to us! ha!

-She does not sit up yet, maybe by month 6?

-No teeth as of now. We thought she might be teething due to excessive drooling and middle of the night wake-ups, but we have not seen any teeth, so just waiting!

-Her nap time has been totally random. She was on a perfect 2-4 nap and now she hates that time for napping. She barely naps 30 minutes in that time frame. But she has been taking a 2 hour nap from around 11-1. I would like to get on a set nap schedule, but as of now, we are trying to figure that out!

-She wears 3-6 month clothes. Sometimes I put her in her 0-3 month clothes and some of it fits. I think I am in denial that she is getting bigger and 0-3 month clothes do not fit her anymore.

-She wears size 2 diapers. And boy do we go through diapers. It is insane how many cases of diapers you will go through. Has anyone calculated how many cases in a baby's life? I am curious. Maybe I should try cloth? ha! We'll see!

-She loves, loves, loves her daddy. She is definitely a daddy's girl. Colby is super sweet with her and helps out SO MUCH so I can work from home and plan weddings.

-She is more talkative and grunts a lot. She makes a lot of noises.

-She reaches for anything that is placed in front of her.

-She loves her Aunt Becca that just got home from Mexico, but only for 2 weeks! :(

-She likes sitting in her bumbo chair, and bouncy seat.

-My favorite thing in the world with her is when she falls asleep on me and lays on my stomach and rests her head on my shoulder. Oh.My.Word. I am in love.

She is getting more interested in the things around her, is more alert, and learning so much so fast. I am enjoying her being a little more active and involved with things. I feel so blessed to be her mommy. Can't praise God enough!

No Title

I want to blog and have nothing to blog about........

Cool post, huh?

Any ideas, suggestions??

Hey Moms!

I need some feedback from YOU! I have a couple of questions I would LOVE to hear from you to see what your thoughts are:

1. Do you have any books that you recommend for raising a baby. It can be on ANYTHING. (baby food, developmental milestones, advice, etc)

2. What advice would you give to learn how to balance being a wife, mom, friend, worker, etc?

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
Oh, and so would Addie!

Daily

This one word has not left my mind for quite some time.

Daily.

Am I the only one that struggles with consistency? It really doesn't matter the area, it is hard for be to be consistent. Going to the gym. Eating healthy. Being a 'good' mom. Blogging. Spending time with God. Living on a budget. Etc.

It always starts out the same. I start out SO STRONG and ready to change the world! I have so much motivation and nothing can stop me from achieving this new goal of mine.

Then something gets in my path. It is usually a distraction, selfishness, circumstance, etc. And down I go. I slowly lose focus on what my goal was. And before I know it, my goal is no where to be seen. What I was striving to be consistent with, I am no longer doing anything with.

One area that is really on my heart is my relationship with the Lord. Why is it that I can have such a powerful quiet time in the morning, and forget about it the next day? Why is it that the Lord teaches me in an area and I feel so refreshed and changed, and then something happens, and I do not remember it at all? Why is it that I memorize a scripture that is exactly what I needed at that time and I can sense the reality of the Lord, and the next day my actions are proving the opposite? Why can I not be consistent in my walk with the Lord?

I think it is because I feel that I can read the bible once a week and that scripture will carry me through everything that happens for that week. I think I can go to church and I am good for the week. What I am learning is that my time with God has to be DAILY. Even better than daily is consistently. 24/7. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day. One of the very best books that I have read is The Practice of the Presence of God. In this book, he talks about depending on God at all times. Every moment you are in conversation with God. In the mundane. In the routine. In the rut. In everything, you are experiencing the presence of God. At work. At home. With your husband. In everything.

I am currently striving to learn what it looks like to live consistently with God. Daily. Every moment. Continually.

4 Months Old!

At her 4 month check-up appointment she weighed 12 pounds and was 24 inches long. She has started using her voice a lot more. She has found her feet and just started realizing that they reach her mouth and she likes to pretend that her big toe is the equivalent to her paci. She loves sucking on her toes. She has not rolled over yet but is very close. She is getting more fun each and every day! She has been sleeping through the night continually from 10-7, but since we went on vacation she has been a little thrown off. She will sometimes wake up once or twice in the middle of the night, but just want her paci back in, and fall right back asleep.

Everyone in Colby's family in Kansas thinks she looks exactly like me. The majority of people in Oklahoma say she looks just like Colby. People comment on her eyelashes and her tan complexion a lot. You can thank her daddy for that one.

I love being her mom. I love everything about it. It is definitely hard, but there is just something so sweet about being a mom. I am so thankful!

Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast

Is it seriously already August? Man, summer flew by. How has your summer been?

My summer was good! It consisted of the following:
-Being a mommy. Swimming with Adelyn and spending time with her.

-Being a wifey. Love my husband. Tried to be as supportive as I could as he traveled and was in Jamaica and Colorado for youth trips.

-Being a co-Bible Study leader with the hubs. We lead a college group all summer at our house. We provided dinner and dessert and a study on Galatians. We absolutely love the college students we know!

-A lot of weddings. June and July are crazy months for weddings and I have been extremely busy with those.

-Working on my new wedding business, Embellished Weddings.

-Trying really hard to balance everything on my plate and not get overwhelmed.

-We celebrated our 3 year anniversary in July. I love that man!

-Got a 2nd vehicle.

-We went on family vacation with Colby's family.

I am ready to get back into routine and start this next new season!

I do not have a lot of pictures to show from summer. But here are a few of my favorite of sweet Adelyn.
Tell me about your summer!!!

Before and After

Who grabs their camera at such a time as this? Oh, don't worry, I do. I have a very healthy daughter, which I am very appreciative of. We have approximately 3-5 "blow-outs" a week. And, no, I do not grab my camera for all of them.
All clean! And happy!

Coming Soon...

...More consistent blog posts.

For whatever reason, I have taken a small break from a lot of "technology": blogging, twittering, facebook updates, etc. Does it get overwhelming to anyone else besides me?

I just took a week vacation and I am home and refreshed and ready to try to be more consistent with blogging (and a lot more important things).

Check back often as I will try to post more often. Oh, and maybe leave some comments to encourage me! This is great accountability! Ha!

That is all for today. Tomorrow will be a new day. And perhaps even a new blog post!