Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Big Sister
Jewel loves being a big sister, and showing Baby Rose all the cool things in life---like her music drum.
Friday, October 21, 2011
One Horse Town
That is what I lovingly refer to my new town as.
It cracks me up, and scares me just a bit, that I live here now. It seemed much easier to imagine the hubs growing up here, when I wasn't trying to call it my home as well. Now it seems so much harder to imagine an even less expanded area. The hubs was here when the first stop light went up (he was like 16) and when Taco Bell came to town (he was in 5th grade and a horse went through the drive through and made the front page of the paper).
He was telling me the other day that their mall (which is a half hour away in the next town, mind you) consisted of JcPenney and Sears and like 4 other tiny stores. Currently, Walmart is occupying that same building space!!! I have also seen Gap and Old Navy pass through the town, but not stay over the past few years of visiting.... So pretty much my clothing shopping will be at Target, JcPenney, Sears, Dillard's, Foot Fetish and some random other stores. That is, unless I make the trip to Phoenix for a mall or outlets.
I am in slight shock, but I'm sure it will set in eventually and I will learn how to live in a small small town. I do love the peace and quiet, the nice neighbors and family barber, and the fact that the front page of the paper (which only comes out once a week) the other day was a picture of a car smashed by a tree with the title "Car VS Tree". Yes, that was the BIG news that week!
I didn't quite realize the difference in population until I looked it up. The 2010 census showed the population of the town I went to school in (growing up) to be 167,815 and the town I lived in to be 40,971. Whereas the population of the town I now live in is 11, 182. And the population of the "tri city area" is over 95,600. What a difference!
I always wanted to live in a small town..... now I am. I hope I like it as much as I thought I would!
It cracks me up, and scares me just a bit, that I live here now. It seemed much easier to imagine the hubs growing up here, when I wasn't trying to call it my home as well. Now it seems so much harder to imagine an even less expanded area. The hubs was here when the first stop light went up (he was like 16) and when Taco Bell came to town (he was in 5th grade and a horse went through the drive through and made the front page of the paper).
He was telling me the other day that their mall (which is a half hour away in the next town, mind you) consisted of JcPenney and Sears and like 4 other tiny stores. Currently, Walmart is occupying that same building space!!! I have also seen Gap and Old Navy pass through the town, but not stay over the past few years of visiting.... So pretty much my clothing shopping will be at Target, JcPenney, Sears, Dillard's, Foot Fetish and some random other stores. That is, unless I make the trip to Phoenix for a mall or outlets.
I am in slight shock, but I'm sure it will set in eventually and I will learn how to live in a small small town. I do love the peace and quiet, the nice neighbors and family barber, and the fact that the front page of the paper (which only comes out once a week) the other day was a picture of a car smashed by a tree with the title "Car VS Tree". Yes, that was the BIG news that week!
I didn't quite realize the difference in population until I looked it up. The 2010 census showed the population of the town I went to school in (growing up) to be 167,815 and the town I lived in to be 40,971. Whereas the population of the town I now live in is 11, 182. And the population of the "tri city area" is over 95,600. What a difference!
I always wanted to live in a small town..... now I am. I hope I like it as much as I thought I would!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Human Milk Cow
I hear it's a full time job. And I'm starting to believe it. With Jewel I went the way of scheduled feedings.... it didn't work out well. About 5 months in she was completely on the bottle. So this time I decided to do some hard core on demand nursing. And hard core it is! I feel like little Rose is just hungry all the time! Such a difference! But I can already tell its working better this time around. Which I am praising God about!
And everyone says nursing is such a sweet time.... but it comes with its struggles for me. I am a "get it done" kinda person. I love projects and I love completing them! So when I have a baby who is forcing me to sit constantly, not letting me do projects, and eat more than I want, I feel that I'm not getting much accomplished! Butas my wise mother said, the key is adjusting my expectations. I have to find other ways to accomplish things.
And thus- my accomplishment list looks more like this right now:
* Make sure I'm in the WORD every day... I have no more excuses as I'm stuck here, sitting down.
* Figure out how to play with Jewel while stuck on the couch
* Meal plan easy meals for when I can cook again
* Find as many freebees online as I can and sign up for them.
* Learn to crochet and make Christmas gifts
* Read a bunch of FlyLady and understand how her "15 minutes a day" system works and how it will make my house less cluttered
* Organize the house in my head so when the time comes, I will know what to do.
Different than my normal list, but effective none the less in it's own way.
So here's to being a Human Milk Cow! May my sitting be prosperous and may my little Rose get fat!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Surviving
That about sums up my last few weeks. Rose is now 2 days shy of 3 weeks old. And it has been a tough few weeks. The Lord has been testing me time and time again to trust Him, let go of my expectations, and rely upon His strength and wisdom.
In my mind, any 1 of the 8 major events of my life that have happened over the past two months would have been enough. Living away from the hubs for a month, birthing a child, moving states, moving houses, learning how to juggle two kiddos showing both love and attention, having a trip to the ER in the middle of the night, or the hubs starting a new job. But the Lord must think the hubs and I very strong, because all has happened in a matter of less than two months.
It's been extremely testing for me. I keep on thinking back to 1 Cor 10:13 that says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way of escape so that you can bear it". And even as I've failed time and time again in my thinking and attitude and actions, I keep on being reminded of 2 Cor 12:9, which says: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"... And that is my daily, hourly, minute by minute prayer. For the Lord only knows how weak I feel and how weak I truly am. And boy, if His grace isn't sufficient--- I'm in one SAD SAD place. So praise God that it IS sufficient!!!! Praise God that there is hope during this still crazy time. Hope that I might still exemplify Christ in my life and actions, that He will receive honor and that I will survive!
In my mind, any 1 of the 8 major events of my life that have happened over the past two months would have been enough. Living away from the hubs for a month, birthing a child, moving states, moving houses, learning how to juggle two kiddos showing both love and attention, having a trip to the ER in the middle of the night, or the hubs starting a new job. But the Lord must think the hubs and I very strong, because all has happened in a matter of less than two months.
It's been extremely testing for me. I keep on thinking back to 1 Cor 10:13 that says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way of escape so that you can bear it". And even as I've failed time and time again in my thinking and attitude and actions, I keep on being reminded of 2 Cor 12:9, which says: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"... And that is my daily, hourly, minute by minute prayer. For the Lord only knows how weak I feel and how weak I truly am. And boy, if His grace isn't sufficient--- I'm in one SAD SAD place. So praise God that it IS sufficient!!!! Praise God that there is hope during this still crazy time. Hope that I might still exemplify Christ in my life and actions, that He will receive honor and that I will survive!
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