Easter in Fort Mill

Apologies for not writing in the blog for over a week, but we were on vacation! Spending a week with Steve's family in Fort Mill, SC made for a very special Easter. From start to finish the trip was so enjoyable! Steve and I were a little nervous about flying with two babies, but both kids put us to shame for even worrying about it! They did so great on both flights and we also were really blessed to sit next to some really nice people who loved kids too.

With all of Steve's family now living in Fort Mill (except for Dan & his family), it made for a packed trip. We wished it didn't go by so quickly!  It would have been nice to spend some more time with everyone, but we're so thankful for the time we did have together.  It was the first time that all of them met Gracie, except for Steve's mom Ercy.  I enjoyed having all the extra arms helping to hold Grace during our stay because she needed some extra TLC as her first two bottom teeth are almost through! 

Benjamin had a BLAST!  He was in his element from the very beginning, playing with his cousins and soaking up the sunshine & fresh air all day long!  He was in his glory playing with Ercy's dog Zoey, playing in the kiddie pool, running in the sprinkler, hanging out with his cousins, going on an Easter egg hunt and the list goes on and on.

The food while we were there was unbelievable! Steve's grandma, Abuela Irma, made us milanesas, pizza de cebolla, pollito asado and empanadas; Ercy made a ham dinner; Natalie made her famous red sauce; and Horace made an incredible Argentine BBQ.  Steve and I were afraid to get on a scale when we got home!

It was an excellent and memorable trip.

A Deeper Appreciation

One very positive thing about living by Fort Drum, NY is how it has
given me a deeper appreciation for our military and their families.
Prior to moving here, my knowledge of all the sacrifices our military
and their families make was very little.  I have an older cousin who
serves in the military.  He now serves as a drill sergeant for the Air
Force in Texas, but for many years he served in multiple deployments.
Still, I never quite understood all that he and his family sacrificed
during those years until now.  It is incredible!

I'd say over half of the moms in my MOPS groups are military wives and
most of them have deployed husbands right now.  It wasn't until joining
this group that I saw just how difficult and challenging it is for these
families.  My heart breaks with theirs when I see the pain in their eyes
because they had to say goodbye to their husband that week, and they
have 2 or 3 children at home to take care of all on their own for the
next year until their husband returns.  I cannot imagine the stress
these families endure.  The spouses, the children, the parents and
siblings of the deployed, and the soldiers themselves of course, all pay
a huge price.  And that sacrifice is for you and for me!  No matter what
your political views are, it doesn't matter!  These wonderful and brave
Americans are not just putting their lives on the line for their
country, but they and their families are doing so for us and our pursuit
to live the American dream.  Without them this wouldn't be possible.

Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with my own circumstances of not having
any family around and being so far away from all of them.  I'm still
adjusting to a new town, trying to build new relationships -- plus the
everyday stressers of being a SAHM can keep my focus on myself and my
problems.  But when I think about the many military families who also
share these same circumstances, PLUS they have a husband who is deployed
for long stretches of time on top of everything else, I immediately
count my blessings and stop my complaining! 

Before moving here, it was my ignorance that kept me from appreciating
and understanding all that our military does.  Now that I know this, I
must do better.  I must reach out and lend a helping hand.  It's no
longer good enough for me to simply pray for them and their families.
Even though my resources are limited, I feel compelled to help in any
way I can.  To let these families know that they are not alone and that
they are appreciated.  It will be easy for me to get involved since I
know military families, but if you don't know how to get involved and
help these wonderful families then visit this website for more info:

  http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/

A Poem

I stumbled upon this poem and thought it was sweet.  Can any other mothers out there relate to it as well???

What Did I Do Today

Author - Unknown

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those windowpanes
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?

I held a baby till she slept,
I held a toddler while he wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone
With deep green eyes and soft brown hair,
If that is true... I've done my share.

10 Things I Love About My Family

These are in no specific order.  =)


1.  The way Benjamin pushes the tip of his nose with his finger when he says "Shhhhhh".


2.  How Grace blows rasberries all day long and Benjamin giggles at her.

 
3.  The way my husband smells like his Argentinean cologne all day long.


4.  How the kids smell like there daddy's Argentinean cologne after he holds them.


5.  That instead of Benjamin needing to go to sleep with a special blanket or stuffed animal, he needs his favorite number 6 from his numbers puzzle.


6.  How Benajmin & Grace take eachothers pacifiers out of eachother mouths all day long.


7.  The way Steve makes the whole neighborhood smell insane with the BBQ he's grilling up on the deck.


8.   How Grace giggles all the time because she's ticklish everywhere.


9.  The way Benjamin likes to slow dance to worship music and has recently tried to sing along.


10.  When Steve gets his guitar out and we sing together.


I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MY FAMILY!!!

Long Live Traditions!

Yesterday at my MOPS meeting our subject of conversation was Easter.  We were discussing at our tables what traditions we grew up with at Easter and what traditions we do now with our own families.  It was a great question and it really got me thinking.  ***Quick side note:  If you are a mother of young children and don't know what MOPS is you've got to check them out!  It is such a wonderful organization and has been a tremendous support to me - I love my MOPS group and don't know what I'd do without them!***


http://www.mops.org/


Okay, back to the topic at hand.  :)  As I was thinking about the traditions I had grown up with in my family it made me realize just how important they are in my life.  I have always known that I love traditions, even as a child it was important to me to do the same thing every year.  And instilling traditions in my own family is something I've always looked forward to and am excited about starting now!  I'm a very nostalgic person and tradition just helps feed that to me.  I find that traditions make celebrating each holiday that much more fun and the anticipation that it brings is so exciting to me.


Looking back on my Easter traditions yesterday made me realize that I have my mom to thank for it all!  She is the one who made them happen and who kept them alive throughout the years.  Even during my teenage years she continued to hide an Easter basket for me to find on Sunday morning.  And when I was in my early twenties, living far away from home in South Africa, she would always send me packages for all the different holidays - Easter, Christmas, and even Valentine's Day (another tradition she kept alive with giving chocolate hearts and other goodies).  It made me feel remembered, connected & loved.


My mom is a traditionaliast and thanks to her so am I.  She has passed this on to me and I am very grateful!  I hope I will do as good as a job as she did as I pass down traditions to my children.  Thanks Mom!

Spring is Here.....FINALLY!

I cannot describe how wonderful it feels to have all the windows open right now.  The fresh breeze is gently blowing through the house along with the pretty chirps from all the birdies outside.  I'm loving it!  It's amazing how quickly the weather changed for us here.  On Friday morning it was snowing outside my window but by Saturday it was 6o degrees and sunny!  It was a perfect spring weekend and I am thrilled that it has finally arrived. 

Unfortunately, not only did springtime arrive over night but so did those pesky springtime allergies.  I'm just so thankful I can take allergy medicine this year, because for the last two years I've been pregnant and haven't had that luxury.  Anyway, I got to put my new double stroller to use for the first time this weekend and it was so much fun!  Our family of four walked to the nearby playground at a local church and Gracie slept while Benjamin ran around and played on the slides and swing.  It was so fun to watch him play.  At first he seemed so uncertain of what to do.  I think it's been so long that he's been able to play outside that he forgot what to do!!  But in no time he was quickly running around and enjoying every second of it.

Walking has always been my favorite way to exercise and pushing 60 lbs. while I'm doing it makes for a pretty good workout!  The lady who sold it to me said she lost all her extra baby weight with this stroller, at which I said, "SOLD - I'll take it"!  I've got 25 lbs. to lose in order to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight before Benjamin and I'm planning on making that happen this summer!  But more than the physical and vain side of it all lies a deep, deep gratitude.  For many years, one of the deepest desires of my heart was to have children and be a mother.  And as I cared for many other children over the years I always yearned for the time it would finally happen for me.  So here I am, pushing my two babies in a double stroller!  It sure puts a smile on my face.  A really big smile!

Mornings Mercies

I must admit, I am one of those annoying morning people.  I can't help
it - it runs in my blood, from my dad's side!  I love mornings and I
always have (except during my teen years of course).  There's
something so refreshing and hopeful about the morning.  A brand new day.
A clean slate.  Mornings are so still and peaceful ... add a fresh cup
of perfectly brewed coffee and I'm all ready for the day.

I think it's definitely to my advantage that I enjoy mornings so much
being a mom.  It seems kids are morning people too, as they are usually
early to rise, sometimes a little too early even for me (waking up at
6am is fine with me, but go any earlier and I'm not too thrilled)!
Anyway, it wasn't until motherhood that a whole new appreciation for
mornings grabbed a hold of me.

This past month or so has been very difficult for me.  Our family has
been sick non-stop with different colds and illnesses and it feels like
we cannot catch a break.  I believe that maintaining balance in our
lives is really key to being content, but achieving balance lately has
not been possible.  I mean, being cooped up in our apartment, taking
care of the kids 24-7, it all gets to me after awhile.  Socializing with
anyone is out of the question when you've got very sick children, and who's got
the energy anyway when no one's getting any sleep.  Not to mention this
winter has been the winter that never ends!  I have literally not gone
for a walk outside for 6 months.  That is CRAZY! 

Needless to say, my patience level is quite thin right now, and I'm not the mother I wish to be on most days.  I'm so easily frustrated & frazzled, and I hate being that way.  By the end of the day I often feel like a failure to my family.  I feel guilty for being annoyed with my toddler.  And I hate myself for swearing underneath my breath when I find myself frustrated once again.

But then God gave me this scripture:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in Him!"

Lamentations 3:22-24 (New Living Translation)

Oh, what a promise He gives us!  What hope it gives me to start each
morning forgiven and loved!  To know His mercies are new every single
morning is such a relief.  Now I start my mornings with a deep breath of
gratitude toward my Father.  No longer stuck in yesterday's failures, I
can start my day knowing He is not only by my side, but on my side too.
Helping and encouraging me along the way.

Real Confidence

Only recently has mainstream media started covering this story. But in
my world, it has been talked about for a couple of months now: the
impending "Government Shutdown."  Usually, it is when things directly
affect you that you are more aware of them.  This is probably the case
for many Americans in this instance (unless you're a news junkie), to
know that there is a strong possibility that there will be a partial
government shutdown this Friday.  Many people could lose their jobs,
either temporarily or permanently.  One of those people is my husband.


This is not new territory for us.  We have been down this road of
uncertainty together before when Steve, among many at his job in
Florida, was laid off a few years ago.  It seemed the timing couldn't
have been any worse, as we were 4-months pregnant with Benjamin.  But it
was during that uncertain time that I grew closer to my husband and
definitely closer to God.  And as always, God came through for us.  He
is our provider, and a very good one too!


So here we are again.  Steve's job is not as secure as we would like at
this moment, but that is life.  We do not put our trust in his job.  Our
confidence does not come from this world and it certainly doesn't come
from our government!  We trust God will take care of us, just like he
always has.  Real confidence comes from Him.


To read more about the possible government shutdown, click on this link:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/06/budget-deal-elusive-congressional-leaders-face-pressure/

"Your Hands"

My absolute favorite Christian artist right now is JJ Heller.  This is one of her songs that I listen to intravenously!  The lyrics are powerful and I hope it grips your heart like it does mine.

They're Growing Too Fast!

In only a few days, Grace will be 5 months old and in only a few months Benjamin will turn 2! Time truly is slipping through my fingers and sometimes I just want to grab hold of my babies and say, "Stop growing so fast!" Of course there are other moments when all I can think about is how wonderful it will be when they're finally older and I can get a decent night's sleep again. =)

Part of me is sad that my little Gracie is no longer a newborn, but has now graduated to being an infant. She now plays in all her "big baby" toys - the jumper, the exersaucer, the bumbo seat, and she now even sits in the highchair. She is full of energy and so active - always wanting to play or watch her big brother play. Her smile radiates from a very sweet and happy demeanor all day long. What a precious jewel she is in our family!

Benjamin continues to capture my heart. His sweet, sensitive nature has gone to a deeper level recently as he continuously lavishes us with his hugs & kisses (including his little sister). Although he's not a big talker yet, he understands every word I say and always helps me when I ask him to do something for me - like pick up Grace's pacifier. At the moment he's really passionate about his books and coloring with his crayons. Ever since his first haircut, about a month ago, he seems so much older to me. My baby boy has turned into such a handsome little toddler!

FYI:  In case you don't know, if you click on the above picture it will bring you to an album full of pictures - ENJOY!