Out With the Old, In With the New

I have created a new blog. I have switched to Wordpress (another blog website). I am still trying to figure everything out as I know nothing about "html code" and how to post videos, etc. I tried designing it myself, but that is clearly not my gifting. I will no longer be posting on this blog. Please check out the new blog:

http://thetaylorfam.wordpress.com/

Thanks friends! Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Loving Reminder

Today is a great day. Why? Because it is the 22nd.

And currently, the time is 5:22.

And when I was at bible study today, I conveniently turned to the 222nd hymnal while we were singing.

And when I ordered my food at the fast food restaurant my order number was 222.

And when I filled up my gas tank, it stopped at $22.00.

When I checked my e-mails I had 22 e-mails.

I returned my library books and had a fine because of late fees. The fee was of course, $2.20

Why is it that everywhere I look it is 22? I know why. Because I am forgetful. And God wants to lovingly remind me of who He is. God is provider.

(Genesis 22:14).

Half a Year Already

I feel like every mom starts off saying, "I can not believe she is ___ already." But it is so true! Time is flying by, and I honestly can not believe I have a 6 month old daughter already! I have had the best 6 months ever with her in my life. What a blessing she is!

Our day started off at the pediatrician's office where she had her well-check and received her 6 month old shots. She weighs 15.10, she is 25.5 inches long, and her head circumference is 16.75. She got her Hepatitis B shot, DTap, Hib, IPV, Pneum, Rotatea and her first flu shot. After shots, we had to celebrate her being 6 months old, so we went to Eileens Colossal Cookies! I LOVE their cookies! Yes, I was that mom, that called this morning and asked if they could put a #6 on one of the cookies for us! ha! Here is sweet Addie with her cookie! I loved celebrating with her and being the one that gets to eat the cookie! :)
Later on in the afternoon, we drove to Hafer Park where I took some pictures of her! She is such a doll! I feel like every day she is doing something new. She is still smiling all the time and has been laughing more lately than in the past. Hearing her laugh is one of the sweetest noises I have ever heard! She is getting a lot better at sitting up all by herself. There are definitely times when she still faceplants, but that is expected, right? She has been getting up on all fours for a while, and just recently began the rocking motion. I think crawling is coming up soon! She spends a lot of time in her exersaucer and on the floor with her toys. She sleeps in her crib in her room every night and sleeps from 10:00pm-7:00am. She takes a long afternoon nap with a couple smaller naps in the morning and evening. She is a great traveler in the car and has a very flexible schedule. She is always tagging along with Colby and I for different Young Life events, games, bible studies, etc.
She still nurses 6 times a day as well as eats rice cereal 2 times a day. In the past couple of weeks, I have introduced her to sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas, and apples. None of those experiences were totally great. She was not sure of the taste/texture of them. She had some hilarious facial expressions. I am going to try to be consistent so she can get used to this new food in her life!
Some of my sweetest moments with her is when she falls asleep on me and we just cuddle together. Another sweet moment is when I open the back door to our SUV and she sees me, she just smiles from ear to ear! It melts my heart! I love going to pick her up from a nap or from sleeping and she is just smiling when she sees me. I love seeing Colby with her and how she reacts around him. It is so precious! Can we say "daddy's girl?"
I love seeing her new facial expressions. When I gave her sweet potatoes for the first time, her response was as if she hated it and began coughing it out so she would not have to swallow it. Well, that led her to realize that she can make this new noise with her mouth (a coughing, choking, gagging noise) and she does it all of the time. It is actually hilarious, need to get it on video some time. We have also introduced the sippy cup to her. It is definitely in "introduction stage" as she has not really figured out how to pick it up, hold it, and tilt it so water comes out. But she does love sucking on it and biting the lid.

She is close to moving up from size 2 to size 3 diapers. She mostly wears size 3-6 month clothes but is definitely close to 6-12 months. I don't think she has worn shoes once since she was born. Or socks for that matter. I might put them on for a quick pic or something, but it is never part of her daily wear.

I can't say enough how special she is to us. We love her, adore her, value her, cherish her, etc. We have good days, bad days, hard days, easy days, but it is all worth it!

Adelyn, we love you and love being your mommy and daddy! Happy 6 months!

You Know You are a Blogger When...

...when something happens in your routine, mundane life and you immediately have a Title ready.

...when you see someone at a coffee shop whom you have never met and want to talk to her, because you know all about her, until you realize you only know her because you read her blog.

...when you are writing in your journal, but feel like you are writing for your blog. Or think about how you would re-word it for your blog. (what Becca does :))

...when your have this conversation with your husband:
him: "babe, what are you doing on the computer?"
her: "oh, just reading about my friend, Kelly."
him: "which friend Kelly? I didn't know you had a friend name Kelly?"
her: "well, technically, we have never met. And she lives in Arkansas...."
him: "blogs are weird. And so are girls that read them. She is not your friend if you
have never met her." :)

Can anyone relate to any of these things? Or just me? Ha! What else would you add to this list?

It's Not About Circumstances

If I have learned one thing during this season of life, I have learned this:

"True joy and lasting contentment does not come from my circumstances, it comes from the only true source, God."

I have learned this by dwelling and clinging to an awesome verse in Habakkuk:

" ¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior."

I love what I learned from a commentary:

Even in the midst of absolute ruin and abject famine, the prophet was prepared to trust God. He realized that inner peace did not depend on outward prosperity. Habakkuk did not state that he would merely endure in the hour of distress. He said he would rejoice in the Lord and be joyful. God is the inexhaustible source and infinite supply of joy.

Far too many people keep trying to find joy, but happiness is not found in circumstances. Joy is available to everyone, even to those stripped of every material possession, for joy is to be found in a Person.

We were pretty close to being stripped of every material possession. Our house got broken into and they took our t.v., laptop, camera, ipod, etc. Then Colby got in a wreck and his car was totalled, and we lost that. We have been praying about putting our house on the market, so that might be gone soon. I have to realize that my happiness is NOT in these things. They are NOTHING. Take it all away. Will I wake up and be content in a different house, and without some of the items everyone else has? Yes. Why? Because my contentment lies in the Lord. Period. Nothing else.

I am choosing today (and trying to choose every day) to be joyful no matter what. He is my true source of joy, my lasting joy, and my permanent contentment.

She Has Stolen My Heart

A very un-edited compilation of some very short clips I have taken of Addie through the past 5 months:


I sure do love this girl!

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!

This Day....Last Year

It was on this exact day last year that begin a HUGE change in my life.

It was on this exact day last year that I saw this for the very first time in my life:

Yup, on July 12th, 2008 I found out that I was pregnant.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Colby was out of town. I had a huge wedding that day. That whole week I had been feeling really tired and not myself. And I was 'late' which never happens, so that really triggered my desire to take a test. (Oh, and we were trying).

During the entire wedding, all I could think about was taking a pregnancy test. I just had to know.

I left after the wedding and all of my responsibilities were over. It was 12:30AM.

I drove the neighborhood Wal-Mart by my house to buy one thing. Now let me just tell you...this was a little awkward for me. First of all it is 12:30 in the morning. Second of all, I look like I am 16. Third of all, I am buying a pregnancy test. I want you to know that I purchased this pregnancy test with my left hand, visibly showing my wedding ring to the cashier clerk. ha!

I got home, went to the bathroom and did my thing. I was too nervous to look at it, so I just put it on the floor and walked out. I waited and just paced my floors in my house going over how I would react if it was positive or negative. I was really hoping it was positive, so I had to make sure I would be okay if it was negative.

I opened the door to find a positive test. I started FREAKING OUT! AND COLBY WAS OUT OF TOWN! ahhh!! I just found out that I was pregnant and I could not even tell my husband. I could not tell anyone, because I wanted Colby to know first, and I would rather tell him in person then through a text message or phone call.

He was at Young Life Camp and was coming home the next day. Thankfully I only had to wait one day! But that was the hardest day of my life because of pure excitement! I wanted to tell someone!!

Fast forward in time, we are now spending each day with our beautiful daughter Adelyn Ryan who is almost 4 months old. It all began on July 12 when I found out that I was pregnant. What a blessing all of this has been.

(To read more on the pregnancy and answers to questions people asked me all of the time, you can click here.)

Happy Graduation Girls!

I wanted to take a moment and brag on two incredible high school girls....well, now they have graduated. I met Amanda and Bethany when they were in middle school and we have stayed in touch through all these years. They are two phenomenal girls. They love the Lord and have been intentional about knowing Him better and serving Him in their daily life. They come from incredible families that have been there for them and helped them throughout their lives. They have a great group of friends that challenge them and encourage them and hold them accountable. I simply want them to know, today, how proud I am of them!

Amanda, you are a beautiful woman that has such a passion for the Lord and His ways. It is obvious that you want to follow him wherever he leads you. I know you do, because you are doing it right now. How many conversations did we have at Panera and Starbucks and in my living room talking about Mexico, praying over this decision, and trusting the Lord to work out all of the details. And now you are there, serving as an intern. What a sweet testimony of the Lord. And then you are going to start college in the fall. How is possible that my little 6th grade girl is going to college? Man I am old! ha! I want you to know how proud I am of you and will always be here for you!

Bethany, there is something about you that just glows. You are such a beautiful woman and have a genuine love for God and for your family and for others. I love hearing you talk about your family and what you have been through and how the Lord has used it in your life for something so sweet and so beautiful. I love hearing you talk about your the kids you nanny and your neice and nephews--you are going to make such an incredible mom (years down the road!!). I love coming alongside of you and watching how the Lord worked out everything for YWAM. The fall is going to bring such an incredible time in your life. It will be a new transition, and probably a hard one too, but I see the Lord all over it. You are going to grow so much. What a sweet time. I want you to know that I am so proud of you! I am always here through each new season in your life!

Happy 3 Months Addie!!

Today, Adelyn is 3 months old! We went to Cuppies & Joe to celebrate! Actually, I went there with a friend and bought a cupcake for Adelyn, and then I ate it. It worked out pretty good!

Not a whole lot is new from 2 months. Some might be a repeat, but here is what is going on at 3 months:

-She likes to play "kick-the-blanket." We will put a blanket over her legs and she kicks it off and smiles. Then we put it back on her and she kicks it off. She does this over and over and just smiles the whole time.

-She recently does this new thing with her bottom lip. It is hard to explain, but she tries to make a noise by moving her bottom lip in this really cute way.

-She drools a lot. And puts her fists in her mouth a lot. We have to constantly clean her neck rolls because it gets nasty under there. ha!

-She smiles a lot. She has not laughed yet, though. Maybe at 4 months.

-She sleeps through the night. I feed her at 10:00pm and then lay her in bed. She sleeps until 7:00am and I feed her.

-She moved up from newborn to 3 month old clothes.

-Still wears size 1 diapers.

-She has recently just started staring at her feet. She has not touched them yet, but I think she is realizing that she has feet.

-Some events that have taken place: Young Life Work Week in Colorado, House-sit for some friends, lots and lots of weddings that I have been working, saying good-bye to my best friend, Sara, as she is serving the Lord in Slovenia until December, started a summer bible study at our house for all college students, hanging out with friends, celebrating my dad's and Colby's mom's birthday on the same day, Daddy being in Jamaica for 10 days for a mission trip, etc...

Adelyn, I feel like I say this a lot, but you have no idea how much I love you. My favorite thing with you at 3 months old is snuggling with you! You lay on my stomach and just curl up to me and rest your head on my shoulder and I am in heaven. It is the sweetest thing. I want to focus on you before other things! I love you so much sweet girl!

Young Life Camp--- Work Week 2009

What an unexpected surprise! Very last minute, Adelyn and I were approved to accompany my husband and several college students to go to Colorado to Young Life Work Week. I don't think wives and babies are "normally" approved to go, but they had some work I could do with a baby and a place for Colby and I to stay and not bother everyone with a baby, so it worked out!
The purpose of Young Life Work Week is to help prepare the camp for more than 4,000 kids to have "the best week of their lives" and meet with Christ. Some of the jobs consist of cleaning windows, deep cleaning cabins and offices, restaining the wood on the cabins, cleaning underneath rocks, painting, making beds, etc. There are hundreds of college students that go from OU, OSU, Kansas, A&M, Baylor, etc. It is a lot of hard work but it is so fun! Good bonding times with some great girls!

I was slightly nervous about a 11 hour car ride with a 2 month old, but Adelyn did great! She had to eat every 3 hours and change diapers, but we got it all under control! She slept great in the cabin and did great during the day while me and Mandy deep cleaned all the offices. There were quite a few Young Life staff members that didn't mind holding her either while I helped clean. I had so much fun and was so thankful to get to be able to go!
Now I am back home and getting back into some kind of routine. Like has been rather insanse lately and I am ready for it to be back to "normal." Whatever that looks like!

One Amazing Woman...

I remember it oh so very well. It was August of 2004. I was a sophomore in college. I was chosen that year to be a RA (Resident Advisor) of the freshman girls dorm. I was in charge of 24 lovely ladies. I was reviewing all the names of the girls that were just minutes away from entering the 2nd floor and moving all their stuff into their dorm. I came to Sara's name...and her "interesting" last name: Schakelaar. I just stared at her name wondering how in the world do you pronounce this name: shake-eee-laire or shock-eee-lar or what? Who is this girl? Where is she from? What is she going to be like?

Little did I know that she would become one of my VERY VERY VERY best friends!

We have been through so much together. She was threre for me when I was gone for a semester to study abroad in Costa Rica. We have been through family situations together, boy situations together, college together, life together.

Some things that stand out to me about my relationship with Sara:

1. The first time we went running I basically had to beg her and pull her to come with me. She screamed the entire 0.5 of a mile that we ran and hated it. Months later we were training for a full marathon together. We ran so much together. She ran the entire way around Lake Hefner (10 miles) by herself. On one torturous run, she cried and I scratched her back for a mile.

2. We have had the DEEPEST talks about life and God around Lake Hefner. We learned the powerful truth that God is faithful even when we are not. Lake Hefner is a powerful place for Sara and I.

3. We had a horrible philosophy on college tests. We would never want to study so we came up with this: "okay, when we are like 80 years old, are people really going to ask us, "hey Sara, hey Amanda, how did you do on that Earth and Sky test?" ----"No, no one is going to ask us that." So, we would not study. On one occasion, we got our tests back (that we did not study for AT ALL) and we got a 78. We could not believe we passed and did that good on a test that we did not even look at the notes for. The professor proceeded to tell us that the number on the front is NOT our score. It IS the number of questions we got WRONG. haha! We made a 22 on the test. Awesome!

4. I somehow talked Sara into taking a masters level bible class with me that was towards my major and had nothing to do with hers. She hated it. I loved it. One student that sat behind us had terrible gas. Sara and I had to leave this masters level class due us laughing uncontrollably like we were in elementary school. Oh man, I am laughing just thinking of it.

5. We have great memories with our sweet friend Meredith concerning birds and midgets.

6. She is the best back scratcher and would love playing with my hair. Okay maybe she didn't love it, but I sure did!

7. Sara was a bridesmaid in my wedding and a bridesmaid in every one elses wedding too! She has a movie that was made because of her: 27 Dresses. That is because she is the best friend to everyone!

8. Sara lived with Colby and I last summer so she could work and save money and not have to pay rent. She lived with me when I found out I was pregnant for the first time. We had a lot of good talks in her room.

I literally could go on and on and on and on about this incredible woman and all of our memories together. She is unreal. She is the sweetest person you will ever meet.

Why am I blogging about her you ask? Because today, my sweet, dear, beautiful, incredible friend had left for Slovenia until DECEMBER!!!! ahhh... I mean, really people....can you not serve the Lord in Oklahoma? Becca? Sara? Do you have to go to Mexico? Do you have to go to Slovenia?

Sara is going to Slovenia to serve the Lord through a ministry called Josiah Venture. You should check out their website and Sara's blog for updates. She will be blogging for the next 6 months about all she is doing and learning. I can not wait to read it!

Sara, I can not tell you enough how much you mean to me. You have enriched my life in such a beautiful way. I have told you over and over again how much I look up to you and you are younger than me. You are going to be so blessed because of your obedience and your willingness to openly follow the Lord, even if it is hard and uncomfortable. Yes, you are leaving and giving up a lot in Oklahoma and Colorado, but oh Sara, you are gaining so much more. You are gaining a journey to know the Lord in such a deeper way and to be challenged and stretched. You are going to be missed by so many people, but you are also covered in prayer by so many people. You are loved. You are valued. You are going to be thought about often. I love you!!!!

Happy 2 Months Adelyn!

Another month has come and gone. Will it ever slow down? Today, Adelyn is 2 months old. Things are getting a little more exciting every day. Not a lot has changed from 1 month to 2 months. She had her 2 month check up this week and she got her first round of vaccines.

Her stats:
Weight: 10.1 pounds
Height: 21 inches
Vaccines: Hepatitis B, DTaP, Hib, IPV/OPV, Pneumococcal, Rot.

Here are some things I have noticed that are new:

*Her precious smile (which of course I could not get any pictures of today). She smiles a lot. She smiles the most in the morning when she wakes up and me or Colby go and get her. She also smiles a lot on her changing pad when she is getting her diaper changed.

*Now, more than ever I feel like, she fights sleep. We have learned her "signs" of being tired and usually she will cry until she goes to sleep. She just wants to stay awake and look around, but she is too tired and it bothers her so she cries.

*She has strong legs and a strong neck. She is constantly turning her head in all directions and lifting her head up and down.

*There is no consistent pattern of sleep in the night. Some nights she will sleep 8. Some nights 6. Other nights only 4. We are learning what helps or hinders her long amount of sleep. Probably drinking caffeine before bed doesn't help when you are nursing.

*The majority of nights she sleeps in her bassinet next to us.

*I started wedding season full on and have a wedding every weekend. Addie stays at home with daddy while I work the wedding. This has worked out great! I was so nervous about the transition of going back to work weddings, but it has been beyond perfect. So thankful for Colby being able to help me and not having to worry about a babysitter every weekend. The freezer is fully stocked with milk and he will just defrost a bag for her. He takes care of the house and her and I am so thankful!

* My friends and I ran in the Marathon as we were Team Addie. That was an incredible experience.

*Adelyn went to her first wedding: Jeremiah and Whitney Shaw on May 1st.

*Adelyn went swimming for the first time at Lauren's graduation party on May 8. She loves water. Oh, and she loves her bikini. Here are her ruffles on her bikini bottoms. And she is wearing a bathing suit cover up. :) All courtesy of Old Navy for $5.00. (And thanks Elizabeth the picture!)


*I celebrated my first mothers day on May 10. It was so sweet and special! Adelyn made me breakfast! :) And she wrote me a card and had my favorite candy with it. I think her dad might have helped her with a few things! :)

*Daddy got in a wreck and scared mommy on May 11. I know there are more important things than losing a car but it was kind of sentimental. Thinking of all that car has been through. Colby proposed with that car. We brought home our first child in that car. So many trips in that car. His "ministry" car full of high school boys. We will miss it. Here is the last picture as we were cleaning it out at the wrecker place:

*We took a day trip to Kansas to see Colby's grandpa in the hospital on May 14. It was very precious to have him hold Adelyn the entire time we were there.

The past couple of months of have been incredible. I would be lying if I told you they have been easy months. Hands down, we are living in one of the hardest seasons. We have been faced with many challenges and circumstances that are just hard. However, it has been the best season.

We made a commitment that we did not want to look back on this time and see doubt, and fear, and two people struggling to make it. We made a commitment to let God teach us during this time so that we might look back and be so thankful for all we learned and how we grew.

One day there will be a blog about this season. Not today, as I am living through it and learning each day. All I can say is that we want to have faith and believe that God is doing something beyond what we can see. His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher and better. Even if it means living during a very challenging season. We will be better because of this hard time.

Happy 2 months!!!!!!!!

It's True: Adelyn Wants to be Like Her Aunt Becca

This one's for you my dear friend Becca. I hope I don't embarrass you when I tell people about your sleeping habits! :)

Allow me to let you in on a little secret about my incredible best friend Becca. You know Becca is about to fall asleep when her arm goes up and covers her eyes. I have had one too many sleepovers with this girl to know it is true. We still laugh about it to this day. We will be laying in bed watching a movie (pre-marriage to Colby) and all of a sudden I see her lift up her arm and I know I lost her. She is about to be out cold. I know she still does it in Mexico because I found this picture of her on facebook: (the other girl in the picture is making fun of her because who sleeps like that?)
Well, the other day my daughter fell asleep like this:
See? I told you. It is true. Adelyn wants to be like her Aunt Becca. I am so proud!!

What I Never Want to Forget About Today

Today has been a rather eventful day if I must say so myself. It all started off with the following picture:Yes, you are seeing this correctly. My sweet daughter pooped all the way through her diaper and all over her back. I have never seen so much poop in my life. Good Morning Amanda. I started my day with a bath for her and running our sheets through the washing machine and dryer. Colby was not home as he left at 5:30AM for the Young Life Golf Tournament all day.

The majority of my day was spent at home hanging out with sweet Addie. I watched her do this a lot during the day. Oh she has a way of melting my heart. She is so sweet and fun to be around. I love getting to stay at home with her!

Then the scary part of my day happened. I talked to Colby at 3:00 and he said he was coming home soon and had to get some things ready for his last Young Life club tonight. At 5:00, Colby was still not home. That's when I thought I should call him to make sure everything is okay. I called him minutes after he was in a wreck. He sounded okay but couldn't talk much because the police were trying to ask him a lot of questions. He had to get off the phone and I hurried and put Addie in her carseat and got to the scene as fast as I could. I didn't know anything except for the location. I didn't know who was involved. How it happened. If it was bad? I just drove up to see police and ambulance and tons of flashing lights and knew Colby was involved. It was a very scary scene:

Honestly, it looked a lot worse then it really was. When I arrived, I could not see Colby anywhere. That is because they already loaded him up in the ambulance. That was so scary to me. I didn't know why he was in the ambulance. Was he way okay? Thankfully, Rodney was there (Colby's Young Life boss) and said everything was fine, but Colby was bleeding a lot from his knee and got light headed so they wanted him to lay down on the stretcher. They took him to the hospital and then Rodney and I drove there to meet up with him.
It took a while before we could see Colby. They put an injecion and some staples in his knee and wrapped it all up. He has a small wound on his head and they took care of that and then gave him a cat scan to make sure everything was okay. Once they finished the cat scan we could go in and see him. He was great, and if anyone knows Colby, knows that he has the best attitude and outlook. He was so positive and was asking all the nurses how they are doing and where they are from and what their story is. LOL. He is so caring!

Once Colby's lightheadedness went away, he got his shoes on and we walked to a different room where the man was that was also involved in the accident. He is 80 years old and was in pretty good condition. We did hear that there are a few concerns the doctors are dealing with and we are praying that he is fully healed and recovered. Colby was amazing at putting this man above himself and caring for him and his wife.

There are some things that stand out to me from today that I NEVER want to forget:

1. I hope and pray that Colby and I grow up to be like Rodney and Kristen. First of all, Rodney has been celebrating a big birthday in his life. Second of all, he had graduation parties to attend for his high school students. And third of all, he had his last Young Life Club for the semester. He did not do any of those things so he could help us, support us and be there for us in the hospital. His wife immediately arrived to help me take care of Adelyn so I could take care of Colby. They are two of the most incredible people you will ever meet. They did our pre-marital counseling while we were enagaged and have been there for us ever since. Kristen is always amazing and caring and asking how I am doing and being there for me. Today, I learned what being a servant is like, and I want to be like that. Thank you Rodney and Kristen for all you do for us. You make such a huge difference.

2. I do not think I will ever forget the 80 year old mans face and his sweet wife when we went to their room. I have no idea how long they have been married, but looking at his sweet wife's face, I would say a good 50 years or more. She just sat there with tears in her eyes caring so deeply for her husband. Oh man, I was about to bawl. That man was the sweetest thing, and he was in pain because of this wreck. He does not deserve to be in pain. He had the bluest eyes I have ever seen and just looked up from his hospital bed, wondering how long he would be there. I experienced a moment in that room that made me want to live differently. Made me want to care more about others. Made me want to focus on what matters. You never know what might happen.

3. I do not want to foget the mixed feelings I had when I heard Colby's car was totalled. Some of you may know that for the past month Colby has been starting his car with this:

Yes, You are right. It is a screwdriver. He starts his car with a screwdriver because his key broke off in his ignition and could not come out. Because we have spent thousands of dollars on his car in one month, we could not afford to get the key out, so Colby "rigged" it to start with a screwdriver.


The above picture is the inside of his "rigged" car. While we were driving to the hospital, Rodney told me something that made me laugh pretty hard. The policeman asked Rodney who's car the Pathfinder was. Rodney told him it was Colby's, the man that was driving it. The policeman said, "Are you sure? Are you sure it wasn't a stolen car? It appears it is a stolen car since he has to have a screwdriver to start it." LOL. Nope, not a stolen car. Just a couple that can not afford to fix it. LOL.
Our usual morning routine before today consisted of the following conversation."
Colby: "Babe...I need your help."
Amanda: "Colby, I am in bed. What do you need?"
Colby: "My car won't start. Will you help me."
Amanda: "Let me get out of my pajamas. Hold on, I'll be there."
Colby: (as he hands me the screwdriver...AKA- "the key"- "Okay, you start the car with the screwdriver while I use a hammer to hit all the parts under the hood of the car. When it starts, we are good to go."
Amanda: "Colby, this is SO ridiculous..." (then sparks start to fly from the car) "This is not safe Colby. I hate this car. It is not reliable. It is not safe."
Colby: "Amanda, this car is perfect. It's my baby. It is my everything. It has treated me sooo good for all these years (which is true...but the years were quickly fading).
Amanda: "Remember when the car broke out in flames at Pep Boys. You are not safe to drive this car. Can we please trade it in for something cheap?"
Colby: "No, this is perfect. It is going to last me a few more solid years... Then we'll see."

Well, this might just be a blessing in disguise. No more marital fights for Colby and I. We don't have the car to fight over anymore. LOL. I feel sad and happy at the same time.

It was very scary to drive up to the scene and to see the ambulance drive away with my husband in it. However, it really was not as bad as it looked. Thank you to everyone that prayed. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being there for us. We are blown away by people's support. We can only pray we are there for others like they have been there for us.

Thank you Lord for today. Thank you for allowing us to be home now with just a few minor injuries. Please Lord heal that 80 year old man. May he go home fully recovered. Work out the insurance details. Work out the financial details. We trust you this day that you are good and you are faithful and you do provide.

Two Things I am Reading Right Now

I am currently finishing up reading this book. I have heard so many different viewpoints and stances regarding vaccines. I have friends with children that have never given one vaccine. I have friends with children that have given every single one. There is definitely controversy over many issues and of course, everyone has an opinion. I simply wanted to do the research so I know what the vaccine is, why Adelyn is getting the shot, and all the information for it. I feel much more confident in my decision because of this book. I recommend it to any mom unsure of vaccines.

I am also reading this book. And I am loving every single page of it. Once we finished studying Beth Moore's Esther, we decided to start this book and discuss it every week. It is an incredible book. It is challenging and focuses on us putting our priorities back where they should be: on God.

Here is a part of the book that I read recently:

"But it's easy to think about today as just another day. An average day where you go about life concerned with your to-do list, preoccupied by appointments, focused on family, thinking about your desires and needs.

On the average day, we live caught up in ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much...."

This is a little convicting to me (okay, a lot convicting)... I am all about my to-do lists. Making a huge list. Crossing things off. Oh the joy of crossing things off. It feels so good. But honestly, in the midst of my to-do list, I am so focused on getting things done (which isn't necessarily bad), but I am not focusing on God.

Let us not live so caught up in ourselves. Amanda, do not live so caught up in yourself. Focus on God. Focus on others. Focus on what really matters.

Thank you Lord for continually teaching me and changing me and disciplining me for good. I am changed because of it.

There is Something About Crossing the Finish Line

And no, it was not me that crossed the finish line. Hello people? I just had a baby 6 weeks ago. What do you expect from me? I can not run 26.2 miles in this season of my life. However, me and 4 of my friends did run the RELAY in the OKC Memorial Marathon today and I will post some pics at the bottom! But this blog post is focused on what I felt as I was there standing at the finish line waiting for Elizabeth to finish the last leg of our relay......

I do not know if it was because in 2007 I did run the full 26.2 miles in the OKC Memorial Marathon and I know how the people felt today as they crossed the finish line...

Or I do not know if it is because I just had a baby a few weeks ago and am highly hormonal that made me so emotional....

But there was something today that made me just want to sob.....

Was it the woman with one leg that ran the full marathon as she pushed a handicap girl (her daughter?) in a wheelchair?

Was it the man with down syndrome that crossed the finish line with the biggest smile I have EVER seen?

Was it the dad that carried his daughter that last mile and crossed the finish line with her?

Was it the man that held up his hands in the air and loudly thanked God for helping him finish all 26.2 miles and cross that finish line?

Was it the men that wheeled themselves in their wheelchair 26.2 miles? (I can not even imagine how their arms must have felt).

Was it the relay team of girls that were running to fight leukemia and they all 5 held hands as they crossed the finish line?

Was it the people that were running in memory or honor of someone? a family member? a friend? a neighbor? a co-worker?

I do not know what it was, but there was something I saw as they all crossed the finish line:
A huge accomplishment. A mindset that was not giving up. A goal that was reached.

Their faces said it all. It was HIGHLY EMOTIONAL (hormonal or not, okay?) I am so proud of everyone that ran in it. If you ran the full marathon, the half marathon, the relay, the walk, etc, CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a HUGE DEAL!

People ask me how did I run 26.2 miles? How long did I train for it? What made me do it? etc.... It is a rather long story but I will try to sum it up in a relative short way.... (however I am known for making a short story longer by adding details.... I will try to be brief).

I did it for one reason.
For the symbolism.

I ran 26.2 miles so I could learn more about what it means to be a Christian.

For instance, being a Christian is not easy. You do not just "commit your life to Christ" and everything is "hunky-dory" (is that even a word)? It takes work. You have got to "train," if you will, to be Christian. What does training consist of? Getting to know the Lord more. Reading His word. Praying. Talking to Him. Studying. Talking about Him to others, etc.

Same thing with a marathon. You do not just show up on race day, never running a mile in your life, and run 26.2 miles. You have to train. Start off slow. Run only 1 mile. Run only 1 miles a few times in a row. Slowly move it up. Eat right. Drink right. Wear the right clothes (for instance, I can NOT run in t-shirts to save my life... I HAVE to wear a tank top if I want to have a successful run. I know, it's weird. Don't judge). It takes months of training.

You CAN NOT GIVE UP. Do you know how hard it was for me to train for the marathon? You have NO IDEA (unless you have done it before, then you probably can relate). It was the hardest freakin' thing I have ever done. So is being Christian.

You can NOT GIVE UP being a Christian.

Will you have bad days? Yes.
Will you struggle? Yes.
Will you do things that do not make sense to other people and perhaps be judged for it by them or "persecuted" for your decisions? Yes.
Will you give up? No.

You have got to persevere when it gets hard. Period. You have got to trust the Lord that leads you. Period. (I say "you" but please know I am preaching to myself here, amen?) You have got to know that His ways are higher than our ways. Period. You have got to know that there is a purpose for what you are going through. Period.

I ran that day for the Lord.
I ran that day to be changed.
I ran that day as a symbol as my walk with the Lord.

I will train. I will not give up. I will persevere when it gets hard.

You want to get to know God better? Train for a marathon. I promise you, you will be changed. And it will be the most rewarding experience of your entire life. And it will be one of the biggest accomplishments you will ever have.

It will be hard.

But, oh, it will be so worth it!

(These are tiny pictures, but these are from 2007 when I ran the full marathon).

Crossing the finish line.... Can not even describe that feeling!!!!

Below, are the pictures from this morning at the OKC Memorial Marathon 2009.

TEAM ADDIE
Sara- ran 7.6 miles
Amanda- ran 3.1 miles
Tyler- ran 3.1 miles
Elizabeth- ran 6.2 miles
Deborah (missing)- ran 6.2 miles
TOTAL=26.2 miles
WAY TO GO TEAM ADDIE!!!The Finish Line....
19,000 people ran in the Marathon. Thousands of others were volunteers! It was all amazing!

Running for my sweet princess: Addie

Happy 1 Month Adelyn!

My daughter seriously is already a month old! ahh! Time is flying by. Here is a little about Adelyn at one month old:

-She is on a pretty good routine. She still eats every 3 hours (unless she is going through a growth spurt). During the night she goes longer between feedings.

-She is much more aware of things and we find her constantly staring at things.

-She LOVES her swing.

-She is a cuddler and loves to be held and always be next to someone.

-She does not like to sleep anywhere but with us. We love this because it is cute and we love being close to her and cuddling with her, but we don't love it because we don't want her to get used to it and never go to her crib.

-She is great at riding in the car. I sometimes forget shes with me because she is so quiet. Sometimes she gets fussy if we stop at stop signs or red lights, but once we go, she's good.

-She loves bath time.

-We give her a baby massage every night with the sleepytime lotion and it works wonders. The other night I put her to bed at 10:00 and she slept until 4:00am (6 hours of uninterrupted sleep! woo-hoo!)

-Colby does one middle of the night feeding every night with a bottle. I am SO THANKFUL for this. I do not function well with only 2 hours of sleep. I have offered to do all of the feedings but he wants to. It is a special bonding time between him and Addie.

-I read one book to her every day. She usually is looking at the wall or not paying attention at all (ha! what do you expect out of a 4 week old). But it is so fun and I always want to do that when she is older so why not start now. It is never to early huh?

-Her eye color changes and looks different every day. Most days they are brown. Some days they are blue. Some days they are brown with a blue rim around it. Who knows what color they will eventually become.

-I fall more in love with her every single day. I kiss her a lot. I talk to her a lot. I stare at her a lot. And I take pictures of her a lot (but only with my i-phone because I lost the battery charger to my camera---or someone hid it from me because of how many pictures I took those first couple of weeks). Just sayin'.

Okay, enough information and lets see some cute pics!!

How can you not love that sweet little face? Actually it is not little, it is rather chunky. Adelyn, I can not believe you are one month old! I hope you always know how much your mommy and daddy love you and cherish you.