Ways I Wanna Be Better in 2013

It's a new year and I've been thinking a lot about how I want to be better.  These aren't resolutions, more just areas that I want to look back on in December 2013 and be able to say I've grown.
The time is now.

-Be a better reader of the Word.  Memorize more, study more, meditate more.  True growth will only come if I'm depending more on the Lord to help me.  I want to depend on him and the truths he gives me, not on my own abilities.

-Be a better wife, best friend, communicator, servant, lover, help-mate.  We celebrate 11 years in June and I pray this year will be our best. But with four kids it takes work to make it thrive. 

-Be a better mom.  I want to be more intentional and present in my kids lives.  I want to have more one on one time with them.  I want them to never doubt how much I love them, even in the midst of working through discipline issues.

-Be a better friend.  Take time to pray more for my friends.  Take time to send special notes and gifts to friends to show them how much I cherish their friendship.

-Be better to my body.  I'm still nursing so it's not like it would be too healthy for me to try and drop 20 lbs right now.  But I just want to be more conscious of the choices I'm making and I want to move towards being more active.

-Be a better seamstress.  I've got lots of projects that I'd like to complete for my kiddos and even want to try my hand at making some things for myself.  Most of all I want to learn how to use my serger.

-Be a better photographer.  I've had my camera for almost three years now and although I can get good shots of my kids and family from time to time, I want to get GREAT shots.  I need to read up on rule of thirds, composition, etc.  And I want to learn more about photoshop.

Here's to a year of growth!!

Comparison: the poison of parenting

Today a friend on facebook quoted her daughter (younger than Lincoln) using real words, full sentences in fact.  And I let the poison that is Comparison creep in.  All I want in the world is for Lincoln to start speaking.  I long to hear his sweet voice say "love you momma."

We are all guilty of letting this poison in.  Me, sometimes so much so that it consumes me.

Why is my kid in the 10 pt club when others his age are in the 25 pt club?  I wish my baby was sleeping through the night, so and so's is.  Why isn't my toddler saying words when others younger than him talk in sentences? Why are my girl's letters backwards, her friend can sound out and spell words?
And on, and on, and on.  Well I've decided I'm stopping.
God blessed me with my kids, they are "fearfully and wonderfully made."  And I need to cherish them as such, not compare what they are and aren't doing to someone else's kid (or worse still, comparing my kids to each other).  This poison of comparison has two side affects, pride and shame.  I either become prideful because my kid is doing so well compared to others or shameful because my kid isn't measuring up. I want to guard against both in my life, so I'm going to stop comparing.  Yes, I'll be proud of my kids and the little victories they have, but I'll also stop feeling shamed that my kids haven't succeeded where others have.

God has us all on an individual timeline, and this poison made me forget that.

No more. 

Enjoying Life {I Heart Faces}

I haven't blogged since I don't know when.  I was busy this spring gestating a baby and then three and a half weeks ago birthing said baby.  Thought I'd jump back into blogging with a link up to I Heart Faces July photo challenge. 

I love this picture of sis holding baby Sawyer for the first time.  She prayed and prayed for a sister, but God had other plans for our family.  And even though she cried when dad told her we had a boy, when she got to the hospital to meet brother she was so sweet on him.

New Socks

It's actually Thursday.  And even though she constantly gets her feet stuck while sitting like this way, it's still her preferred choice. 

ETA: My friend Sheyenne wondered about this pic, so here is the sooc, and final edit along with some details. 

 ISO800 * 55mm * f/5.6 * 1/15 sec shutter speed.  

Here's what I did with it in photoshop elements.  I ran Urban Grit action from Coffee Shop Blog. I painted just on the socks to apply the affect.  Then I ran Purely for the Web action from Pure.  That's it.  

I obviously am by NO means a photographer or expert photoshopper, BUT I'm learning, and it's fun to learn.  As a result of me learning, you'll probably be seeing lots more short photo posts like this one.

Year in Review Photobook

                                           Click here to view this photo book larger

I made this book as a Christmas gift for my parents and Ben's parents (and myself).  I love it!! Can't wait for it to get my hands on it.  Yes, I'm lame and didn't get it done till yesterday, so estimated arrival isn't until after the new year.  But that's ok.

And I'm sure you've noticed my absence lately.  I have good reason.

Not that I've been sick or anything.  I'm one of those people most other pregnant people hate.....never been sick with any of my pregnancies.  PTL!
So there you have it, we are so blessed with three kiddios and will prayerfully be welcoming a fourth this June.  Hopefully I'll get back to more regular posting.  But I will say it's been nice having lots of time away.


(lame disclosure in case anyone cares: I paid for these books myself, just thought I'd share the cuteness w/ you)
Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

10 months...

Remember this little dude? That face. That drool. That (black!) hair. 

He isn't LITTLE anymore.  

Five months ago...This face kills me.

And now...

WOAH!!  Can I please just freeze time?!
I'm not normally the emotional 'cry over my kids getting big' type, BUT Mason starts KINDERGARTEN next week and Lincoln is really starting to change, so I have a feeling it's gonna start to hit me.  And I don't really like change, and having one of your kids gone all-day, everyday is a big change, but I know he is going to thrive so for that, I'm excited.

InstaFriday

Another installment of InstaFriday.  We just got back from MOVE in Carbondale, IL, so most of these pics were taken there.  On a side note, I have to brag on my kids.  It is about a six and a half hour trip and on our way home yesterday, they did AWESOME!!!  Traveling by yourself is never fun, I was actually dreading it.  Three hundred fifty plus miles all by myself, not my idea of fun.  But God shone down and blessed us with a great trip.

  Big boy eating some toast. CAN NOT believe he is almost 10 months old. 

Sister, the day we left, got herself all dressed and packed.  Momma had to make a few vetoes to this getup, I bet you can guess why.  She forgot it is summertime.

Loving our new Beco!

Posing on some piggies in front of the bbq joint where we had lunch on Wednesday.

Lincoln getting a quick snoozer at lunch that day.

Praise time

Given a big empty space, Mason likes to push Lincoln at super speeds in the stroller.

BUT, he also likes to cuddle with baby brother.

No words needed <3

Heard of planking?  Yeah, me neither. But I guess it's the new thing kids (and by kids I mean high school students) are doing.  We got Mason in on the action. 

Even tried the baby plank.

On our drive home yesterday the temp kept rising, and rising, and rising.  I'm SO looking forward to fall and winter.

Linking to:

InstaFriday at Life Rearranged

Better Late than Never....

Our fourth of July in pictures.

  Sunday night we celebrated with our homegroup.  Hard to get a picture with all twelve sweet faces looking at the camera.  I love these kids (and their parents)!

We had quite the spread.  Super delicious ham and cheese sliders.

Layered drinks, like these.

Stars koolaid ice cubes

With fancy red, white and blue straws.

Fun cupcakes.

And jello.
Also had red, white and blue popcorn (you can kinda see it in the background behind the jello), cake balls, and covered pretzels.
What can I say, we like to eat.

Kiddos on the Fourth.  It was this picture that made me realize how long Mason's mop really was and that it needed trimmed.  ASAP.

Happy {belated} Fourth of July!!

I can Can

You can all call me June or Betty or Martha.  I learned to can today.  Now I do it all.  I cook, I clean (sometimes), I sew, I bake.
And I can. 

source
Ball sent my friend Donna a huge stash of canning paraphernalia so we could all learn.  She had a House Party last week but Lisa (Donna's SIL and my homegroup buddy) and I couldn't make it, so we went today.  It was so fun!  And NOT AT ALL over-whelming like I thought it would be.  

Lisa mashing away at our strawberries.  Donna in the background cutting berries.  We made freezer jam and cooked jam.  Both of which were super easy.

For our freezer jam we did strawberry/blueberry mix. 

Lisa in a vintage Wendy's apron that was Donna's mom's.  

I am excited, I mean SCARY excited about my new canning skilz.  Watch out world!  My mind is reeling thinking of all the things I need to can.  More jam, apple butter, salsa, bread n' butter pickles, and on and on and on. 

Stirring jam, topping off jars and getting bubbles out.  Strawberry jam almost complete.  And see that cool white & green collapsible funnel, we got to take one of those home, along w/ a recipe book and TONS of coupons.  SCORE!

Our assistant underfoot.  The rest of the kiddos {all seven of them} ran wild in the basement while we were making jam.
The jam turned out so yummy.  Now all I have to do is head to the store and pick up some bread.  Yes, it's true we have no bread.  What can I say?  It's summer and Ben is gone.  At least I have fruit and milk in the fridge.

Do you can?  Have any great recipes I need to try?  Tips & tricks to pass along?  

Eating, Lounging and Losing Teeth

Unlike my other children, Lincoln isn't so big on eating the solids.  Let's just say he loves his momma.  I think he has some texture aversions, he won't do applesauce or cereal.  I gave him a bite of mashed potatoes once, it looked like I was trying to feed him lemons or something.  His face was utter disgust.  But he's does eat some things.  I tried avocados the other day.

He wasn't overly impressed, but I think he got some of them down.  At least he thought they were fun to play with. 

And then he does this to signal he's over it and ready for the good stuff.

My girl lounging. 

I don't know about you, but that looks super comf-ty (as my kids say).

Mason is officially a big kid now. 

 First lost tooth!! He did AWESOME and pulled it himself.  The one next to it is loose now.  As he's loosing these I wish Lincoln would start cutting some teeth of his own. 

Today

Avoiding this

So I can focus on this. 

And then we went swimming. 

Fun day