Life Lately

~Life lately has been nothing short of busy. My two littles & the demands of everyday life have kept me on my toes for sure. We are inching towards K.G.'s 5th Birthday this month and Logan's 3rd Birthday in May and to say I've been a little nostalgic these days is an understatement. I've started pining through all of their newborn photos and keep begging for time to slow down a bit! Im looking forward to doing their Birthday posts here on the blog as well. In other news, Greg is now with Converse in conjunction with Saladmaster. It was too nerve racking to be without health insurance these last few months (first time since birth I had been without any) especially with K.G. and her asthma I was just a wreck not having the assurance that we would be ok if something major medically happened to one of us. He has been there for a few weeks now and has loved it so far,  there is a huge support system for him in this company which makes me super happy! He is busy hiring his staff and all that entails & his new store in Chandler will open up in April. What I am super excited about is that Converse is owned by Nike and so we get the discounts there too..wooohooo, momma desperately needs some new workout gear! I am just so graeteful for the Lords provision over us and that I have had the ability to be home with our kiddos full time since they were born . Financially there are sacrifices that have to be made and quite honestly we are happy to make them because our kids will (hopefully) never know the inside of a daycare! This weekend is full of Birthdays parties for little special people in our life and so we are super excited to be able to join in the celebration. Sunday is always a day of refreshment at Church & we also get to be with our small group family Sunday nights too for study & family dinner. Looking forward to re-caping those events in the next day or two! Happy Friday, the kids are celebrating with a trip to our favorite place...Target!! ha!ha!


Philippians 4:19 "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in Glory in Christ Jesus".

New Blog Look

~Well its only taken a year-plus for me to blog again and Im lucky I keep a journal or my kids would have no record of their milestones..ha! I love the new spring look and Kelly over at Kellys Anenue Blog Designs is just the best! Thanks Kelly!!

My Mother's Day wish list..

**First of all, I know I am sporting the Christmas motif still. I really need to finally get with my girl Kelly over at Kellysavenuedesigns.com to get a blog makeover. Its way overdue and I know she is ready to do some magic here on my blog!**
     

       Ok, so I have been reading a lot on some of my favorite blogs about "Mother's Day wish list's". I thought that was so fun and decided to do one of my very own. So....what would my day look like if I had the day all to myself to spend with some gal pals? Well, let's see..


~I would start the day with some Bikram Yoga to get myself feeling strong for the day!

~ Next I would meet some of my favorite girlfriends for a coffee over at Kierland ( Joy, Jen Peterson, Shelley, Ne'Ne', Emily and Laurie-Laur would all be flying in for the day too), we would meet up with some of my Phoenix girls.

~After doing some damage at Anthropologie over at Kierland we would hit the Biltmore and do some more damage at the Vera Bradley Store, followed by lunch over at the Cheescake Factory (calories son't count on Mother's Day).

~Next we would end up back at my place (nobody there but us, of course!) we would fire up the blender and make some mango margaritas complete with the little umbrella too. We would head out to the pool and spend the rest of the afternoon hanging and gabbing poolside while getting our tan on!

~The night would end with all of us making dinner and watching a cheesy movie like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", which of course would be followed with hours of laughing and reminiscing! Inevitably we would end up talking about our kids and our hubby's  and about what God is doing in our lives and so on.  For me this would be the perfect kind of day because I would get to spend it with all of my favorite girlfriends who I don't get to see often enough because of distance or just plain busy lives. While many people are wishing for tummy tucks or tropical vacations on their wish lists ( which are not bad things at all) I am wishing for the relational aspect of life, its who I am. I crave people and the memories that I get to make with them. I am a simple person, I just want to love and be loved!


                ~"Ointment and perfumes rejoice the heart: and the counsels of a friend are sweet to the soul"
                                                              Proverbs 27:9

Land of the beautiful people..

~Last week I had an experience I havent probably had since maybe Junior High or High School. I had been out and about running errands and feeling pretty good about the day. While I had showered before I left and threw on some make-up, I was feeling a little lazy with my new growing hair so  I threw on a cute hat and a sundress and headed out the door. While I was out, one of my stops was meeting with a bunch of Women to discuss some ministry opportuities for the following year. When I walked in the door I immediately noticed two totally beautiful girls around my age, dressed to the nines no less with their perfectly manicured nails and perfect hair.....and for the first time in like forever I felt like a turtle that wanted to go back into her shell. Immediatley I though to myself."dangit, I should have done my hair today"! My countenance shrunk to about the size of a mouse. Holy smokes, I don't have any idea what came over me in that moment, but it was such a crappy feeeling and it was as if the devil was whispering to me "Jeanette, you are not pretty enough, you are not thin enough and you will never measure up to the calibur of those beauties you see over there". Well shoot, what am I..like 12? I felt guilty for even having an ounce of jealousy towards these gals, but it was like all of the sudden I was confronted with my own insecurities. Honestly though, until that moment I hadnt really realized I struggled with too many. Not that I am never insecure about myself, but its just not something that I really deal with on a regular basis. I am fortunate to be a rather confident and secure person and while there are things I would like to improve about myself, I just dont typically judge myself against other women..I really am OK with who I am and I think its becase I find my security in the Lord. Honestly, the brief interactionwith those gals truly did put sort of a damper on my day and I began to rip myself apart...totally lame. Its not like those girls could help being who they were ( and wonderful Christians nontheless) and having a beautiful outward appearance. I just needed to get a grip, which by the end of the day, I totally did and I got over it. I'm not even really sure why I chose to write about it, but I guess I wanted to remember it because Satan is a sneaky little fella, he gets in our heads and makes us feel "less than"when the Lord sees us as "Stinkin awesome"!! We are HIS creation, he made each one of us unique and special and exactly how he wanted us to be and quite honestly, that's something to get excited about!!


          ~" I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the enemy!" Luke 10:19

Monkey see, monkey do!

So, recently the kids and I were having a dance off here at home, that's pretty normal around here. We love music and we can't seem to sit still when its on so we boogie! As I took a much needed break the kids were still in full swing while "Rolling in the deep" with our good friend Adele. I sat back and watched my little sweeties in all their glory and then I was starting to pick up on something. Logan would copy every move that Kiely made or he would try and repeat the words she was singing.  This went on and on and then over the next few days when they would be playing again I noticed him repeating her words or the things she would be doing. While all of this was pretty cute, I was not happy about the fact he would "copy" K.G. when she was being sassy....OH NO, UH UH...not in this house!! I had to sit Kiely down and remind her that her little brother was watching her every move and listening to every word she said and how she needed to be the best example she could be to him because she was the "Big Sister" and she was his role-model. As I was in full mommy mode telling Kiely how she should be acting, I was quickly reminded about my own shortcomings. How I am acting or re-acting in certain situations when they are present? Was I being a good role-model for my own kids? I'd sure like to think so, but I know that I fail at this sometimes( Unfortunately, I can be a sass myself). Quite honestly as I was thinking about this I began to get a little freaked out! In that moment I was reminded of the HUGE responsibility I have as their Momma. I am their #1 role model. I cant think about a bigger & greater job than that and at the same time its a bit scary. I was so grateful through watching the interaction of my kids how I need to "check myself before I wreck myself"...or my kids for that matter. I want them to see me as a loving wife, mother, family member, friend and so on. I think they are on the right path, They are surrounded by family & friends who love the Lord and want to instill good moral character into my sweeties. As I was thinking through this I was contemplating my relationship with God and how it could always use improvement. If I'm not putting him first as my "Ultimate Role Model" then I cant expect that my actions are always going to mirror the goodness of God. TOTAL REALITY CHECK. It made me want to get up close and personal with my God on an ever consistent basis. I need him. My kids need me to need him! Enough said. Monkey see, monkey do.
"May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" Psalm 19:14

Perspective

~Yesterday I was reading a blog that had a link to Lysa TerKeurst's blog. She is a wonderful Christian author and Bible Study leader. She is also a Momma and her post yesterday put my thoughts on Motherhood into a better perspective. You see, I too have a very spirited child..her name is Kiely-Grace! Some days I feel as though I have no idea how to parent her, mostly due to the fact I think she may be smarter than me..Ha! She fills my heart with so much joy, I call her "My Life. She is spunky and social, and could have very lengthy conversations with just about anyone. She is compassionate and is very concerned about the welfare of others.  She is also very spiritual and loves the Lord, even at the ripe old age of 3.  K.G. is a natural leader and likes to do things in her own way. Some days she is hard to contain, not because she is a wild child (well not always), but because she is strong willed and persistent. I will admitt, some days I feel like a total failure of a mother. Not because I think I am a bad Mom, but mostly because sometimes I find it hard to know how to parent her and her personality. Its because we are the same person you see. God is funny! She is the kind of kid who constantly needs to engage, she always wants to learn, and she asks a million questions until she has the answer she needs. Some days I am simply worn out!  Trust me, I am beyond grateful she is how she is..I wouldnt change one thing about her...she rocks my world!  Its just that I am trying to find the balance in parenting my two different children and being effective in the process.  I am always so encouraged when I talk with other Moms and they are open about their parenting frustrations.  I think our frustrations are really due to our own insecurities, or maybe I am just speaking for myself . I think I have the tendency to be overly cautious about how my children are acting for worry that they may percieved as acting "naughty", when really they are just being kids. They are curious, they are learning, they are exploring..I need to get over it! My kids are rad, I am a good Mom and I am just doing my very best on this parenting journey.  I love this part in Lisa's post. She say's regarding her daughter Hope: "Maybe God's goal for me wasn't to raise a good rule following child. God's goal was for me to raise a God following adult. An adult just determined and insistent enough to fufill a purpose he had in mind all along".

~ Wow, totally needed to hear that! I don't need to raise "good rule following children". I need to raise "God following adults". When they are following God, everything else falls into place.....UMMMM DUH! Total perspective shift right? Yes, I think so. Love my kiddos and are so grateful for who they are and who they are going to become. Praying that the Lord will show me day by day how to love and direct them in the ways they need to be led!

**Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.**
~Proverbs 22:6

Blog Design by Kelly King

I am super excited to be working with Kelly King over at www.kellysavenuedesigns.com, she is working on a new design for my blog so I can have something cute and sassy for the Christmas Season...hopefully this will motivate me to transfer my journal entries onto my actual blog :-) For the week of Thanksgiving November 21st-Nove 27th she has a special on her "Elite" and "basic" blog designs. Please go on over to her website and check it out! I know I can't wait until mine is finished!!

30 days of Thankfulness: Day 2

Today I am thankful for the messes I clean up after my little sweeties. Not saying that I wholeheartedly love messiness, but I love "the signs of life" I find all over the place. From dropped cheerios on the floor to smeared lip gloss on the counter (from Kiely hijacking my Mary Kay goodies), I loved that our home is "lived in". Sometimes I find myself frustrated with cleaning the same things over and over, but more and more I find joy in it because I know "The days are long, but the years are short" and this season of life will pass before I know it! So today I choose joy in the mundane and know full well that doing these small tasks please the Lord immensely!

~"Do everything you do to the glory of the one who made you." 1 Corinthians 10:31

30 days of Thankfulness Day Day 1 ( a day late)

~I have seen on many blogs and on facebook the idea of going through 30 days of Thankfulness and since I have sooooo much to be thankful for, I thought I would jump on board. I have no specific order to what I am thankful for, but what I am feeling at that particular moment.. My friend Lotte put on her Facebook this morning how she is" thankful for music and the way it ministers to us in the best and worst of times". Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself! I love music and primarily listen to Christian music because that is what speaks to my heart and helps me through the ins and outs of my daily life. Last night I had the opportunity to relax and have a hot bath and just sit back and have some time to myself while Greg & Kiely spent time together downstairs. I found myself watching all of my favorite "Hillsong" music videos on "you toube" and just having flashbacks about how all those different songs have played a part in my Christian life..and my life in general. Some songs take me back to different missions trips I have been on and some remind me of our days ministering as Youth Leaders with the H.S. group back home at LGCC and so on. I am so thankful for Christian music and how its used to show us God in the moments we need him most!!

A bunch of Random Thoughts..

It is never a dull moment around here and we are busy little bees. Just wanted to jot down some things have been on my mind:

~Logan has been killing me with his cuteness lately, he is SO much fun!! Needless to say I am in love with my boy!!!

~One of my closest friends Laurie is getting married a week from tomorrow and I am so stinkin excited for my weekend away on a "Mommy trip" with my best girls!!

~ While I am away I get to hook up with our good friends the Joy & David Ashworth, they moved last summer and we miss them terribly, I get to spend a night with them. I have a feeling we are going to be up late drinking coffee- catching up and laughing!

~I am completely loving the song "Stronger" by Hillsong Live right now..I am addicted to this song, it is so powerful!

~I am grateful for my business with Mary Kay, it is the opportunity of a Lifetime, I am so excited to be building my team!!

~Kiely is spunkier than ever these days, she is beyond her years and she makes me laugh everyday. I am so grateful to have her as my daughter, I pray we will always be close!

~ Our Phoenix weather has been rocking my world..it is perfect right now, although I know the 112 temps are right around the corner!

~I am grateful for a husband who works hard to support our family and allows me to be an at home mommy!

~I WILL do the P.F. Changs 1/2 marathon in January (no suprise pregnancies I hope).

~ On that same note, I miss being pregnant, I feel really pretty while pregnant

and to be quite honest, I dig the attention!

~I am learning to put myself as a priority...that means even if I have to get up at 5am for my Turbo Fire work-out then that's what has to happn, I am worth it!

~I really need to work on my quiet time with God-it has been lacking and I am realizing the hard way that if I don't put him first..nothing will run smooth!

~I am re-reading the book "Shepherding a Child's heart"..it is an amazing book, I really want to parent "Biblically" and not out of my own emotion. I want Kiely and Logan to have Godly role-models in Greg and I. I really want to pass on a Godly legacy for my kids, I think its priceless!!

~I really would love to join the worship team at Church, I am nervous at the thought of it and not sure how I would fit in.

~ I am so grateful for healthy children, I know sometimes I take it for granted. I know so many people who have kids with serious health issues.

~ I am learning to have "An attitude of gratitude" in all circumstances.

Just some randomness from this crazy head of mine!

Logan's First haircut

My little sweetie is growing up so fast!! He is about to turn 1 on May 13th, I have no idea where this year went. Logan is about as sweet as they come, he is turning from a little baby into a little boy. These last couple of months his hair has really taken off and grown. It was sort of morphing into a mullet unless I combed it just so. I knew it was time for the inevitable...The 1st haircut! I found myself getting a little emotional about it because it is truly another one of those milestones that kids come to. Well, I put my bootstraps on and headed down to Little Chops for the big moment. Suprisingly I wasn't as emotional as I thought I would be, I remember when Kiely got her 1st haircut last May about 4 days after Logan was born and I was a total mess. I think it was the post-baby hormones that did me in on that one. Anyhow, Logan did SO well, and didn't get to fussy until the very end as you will see from the pictures below. The next big milestone I am looking forward to with my sweet boy is him walking, which is about to happen any day now...I guess its time to child proof the cabinets all over again.

Mommy is so proud of you my little Logi-Bear, here is to many more milestones!!

This and that

Well, it has been a busy few months to say the least! I have the best intentions of blogging about all of our happenings, but there is just so much to blog about that I feel a little overwhelmed trying to put it all into words, so basicly I have decided to do a short summary every day or couple of days so that I can keep a record of all the fun things that go on. Anyhow, back in the beginning of February Little Miss Kiely-Grace started the Mom's Day Out (MDO) program at Northwest Christian. She only goes 1 day a week on Monday's from 9-3 and she just absolutely LOVES it. I thought it would be great for her to meet some more new kids and it is great for me because it gives me some one on one time with Logan and it gives me the opportunity to run errands and do a few things that are a little harder to do with 2 kiddos in tow. Needless to say K.G. has completely thrived in this environment, her teachers love her and say what a social butterfly she is...and how can she not be, she is totally my kid! ha!ha! One of the things that they shared with me is how she is such a good friend to the other kids. This made my heart so happy! They went on to say how she is very "mothering" and is always trying to help and comfort the others kids around her. The funniest thing I think they have shared with me is how K.G. got a bunch of the kids (mostly boys) to set up a "beauty shop" in the corner of the classroom. Teacher Kelly said K.G. got everyone set up with bibs and started pretending to cut everyones hair and how it just went on forever. All of the boys were very mezmerized by my Kiely and her little beauty shop, it cracks me up..for peets sake she is only 3! Anyhow, I need to get caught up on the last couple of months, but that may be for a whole other post. I need to start blogging in the "now" so I don't get too behind again. Happy day

Not taking it for granted....

Tonight I was reading up on my blogs and ended up reading one about this sweet first time Momma who lost her son Ayden to SIDS...he was only 4 months old. As I was reading on I saw just how much she loved her baby boy and the way she described her feelings about her son were the very same feelings I have for my Logan. I honestly cannot even fathom the loss of a child. As I was reading her story I began to sob and sob-you know the kind of sobbing where you almost can't breathe? Yep, that was me. I began to think of my own kiddos and how head over heels crazy in love with them I am, and to imagine losing one of them is literally my worst fear EVER! My mind began to wander and I was thinking about how I would react if one of my little ones were taken from this earth-would I blame God? Would I become angry at the world? I guess we don't really know until we are put into those sorts of circumstances, but I hope and pray that I would lean on the Lord as my stregnth! What impressed me so much about this Mom is that she really left all of the details in God's hands. She was praising the Lord for the 4 months that she DID have with him. She really was just so grateful to God for her baby and she knew that God had a bigger plan in mind on how he was going to use the testimony of her family on how they got through this tragedy. I was so grateful that I ran across her story. It reminded me how much I need to cherish every single moment with my little sweeties. As soon as I finished reading her story I went straight upstairs to kiss my sleeping kids. Kiely was fast asleep and Logan was stirring so I took the opportunity to rock him and nurse him back to sleep. I NEVER want to take simple moments like that for granted, I know how deeply blessed I am. I love you Kiely-Grace and Logan-James!!

There's just something about Coffee....

Those who know me well know how much I love my coffee..its a part of my very being! Am I a little dependent on it? Sure! Am I a coffee snob? No! Well..maybe a little, but I love everything from Folgers to Starbucks and so on.. The very smell of coffee can set me for my day, there is something so exhilirating about that special aroma that tells me with conviction.."You can face the day ahead". I love going to places like T.J. Maxx, they have that special little isle devoted to people like me-you know the isle I am talking about because you all roam that isle too...you know the one filled with all those special treats and delicous coffees from around the world! It is a dangerous isle to go down, so proceed with caution!

I think I can thank my Dad for my early love of coffee, I remember sitting in the Flames Coffee shop with him as a youngster sipping the remnants of his java..fast forward to my high school years when Starbucks made its mark on society-oh my we all just went wild with the caffiene craze didn't we? Now that I am a Mom I realize that I need it often just so I can make it through the day, but more than anything I just love the taste, it takes me to my "happy place", a place where I can close my eyes, breathe in that special smell and know that a new day has dawned!

My Kiely-Grace

My Kiely has been a mover and a shaker since she was in the womb. I remember endlessly watching my stomach and thinking to myself-"Wow-this baby has so much energy, she literally never stops moving"! Life outside the womb has pretty much proven to be the same. Kiely is filled with boundless energy and always has to be doing something which usually entails following me around and mimicking the things I am doing. If I am cooking she wants to help too, if I am doing my make-up then she is applying her lip gloss as well. The girl is a crack up, she is a total spit fire and she has a such a little personality all of her own and I think to myself "This kid knows so much more than we think she knows". Kiely's wheels are always turning..you can see it in her eyes. She is always thinking and processing things. My girl is smart as all get out. I know all Moms think their kids are geniuses, but really..I think Kiely is!! She responds to conversations in total context and the girl has a wild vocabulary. She takes things in and then responds accordingly. God has big plans for my girl, there is no doubt about it. I will admit that sometimes her little independant and strong willed nature can drive me up the wall and I think to myself "Lord, what made you think that I could handle this wild thing??" And when I sit back and think it all becomes clear ...She is just like me! Of course! God has a humor too!

Kiely is her own person, she is unique and totally crafted by God to do many wonderful things in her life. As much energy as it takes to keep up with her I wouldn't trade her for ANYTHING. Her heart is sweet and tender and at the ripe old age of 2 years 10 months old there is no doubt about it that she has a heart for God and a heart for people. She tells me all the time that "Jesus is in her heart", and I believe her! My favorite part of the day with her is when I tuck her in a night, she is a real cuddle hound. We talk for a bit and then we pray. As I leave her room the words I most often hear from her are " I love you Mom-you're my baby girl!"

In moments like those I realize that "My hands are full, but so is my heart." Yep..I am blessed!

Blogger in the house!

Finally blogging! I spend so much time reading other blogs and I knew it was crazy not to be doing one of my own. My main reason in starting this is to chronicle what's on my heart and share the ins and outs of our life, and the things that keep life exciting. And since I am not a great journaler or scrapbooker..this is perfect! I also love that I can connect with others and keep up to date on what's new and what's on the hearts of those I know and love! Stay tuned for more "Mundy Madness"!