Friends and Sandboxes

Isn't that what life's all about? Friends and sandboxes? Madilyn is having a blast this summer in Erie! It's the most gorgeous place to be during the warm months... and I remember why I loved it so much when we first moved here. Each day, we wake up and decide if we want to visit the zoo, the beach or play in our enormous back yard (well, enormous on our scale anyway!).

Madilyn's favorite thing right now at the zoo is the sandbox. She and Olivia had a great time playing this week, and there were a few tears shed when it was time to pack up and go.

Another fun exhibit was the petting zoo! This is the first time we've seen brushes there to brush the animals, so Madilyn found an unsuspecting goat and went after it. Notice she's brushing the hind quarters ...right after I took this picture, the goat gave a good kick! :)

I'm telling you ...if you ever want to visit Erie, go to Niagara Falls, eat the original Buffalo wings and see a Great Lake, come during the summer time!

Speaking of friends, one of Madilyn's favorite people here is my friend Sarah Brennan. She and her husband are moving to Pittsburgh next week for him to do rotations, but Madilyn just LOVES Sarah! At first, she called her "syrup" because she couldn't say Sarah. But, now she says her name just fine-- and very often! I am pretty sure she thinks Sarah is her best friend. We are going to miss the Brennan's so much! Sarah is such a fun friend ...but you can usually find us at Starbucks chatting it up after Madilyn goes to bed. It's so nice to have friends that understand the season of life we're in. I know that God has great things in the Brennan's future! We are so glad to have gotten to know them here and look forward to visiting them in Pittsburgh from time to time (only 2 hours away!).

It's Still There...

The beach, that is. It's still there. I kinda wondered if I would ever see it again after all the winter we had this year. I didn't go out there during the snow. I didn't really want to see my beautiful beach/lake frozen and iced over. I guess it was part of my denial that really the whole place was the tundra for month after month.

But, rest assured. It's back! We love going to Presque Isle ("almost an island" in French) and enjoying the beach. Yesterday, we even visited a new restaurant that is located by the beach... Sara's! Let me tell you ...I haven't had any onion rings since we've moved, but that was remedied yesterday. Yummy. We had footlong hotdogs, homemade onion rings and french fries. And a Cherry Coke to drink. So delicious!

I love our beach. I love Lake Erie. I love living in Erie, PA in the summertime. It seriously feels like I'm on a really long vacation. So, we'll soak it up all we can and enjoy the warmth until the snow comes again.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Proof is in the Pudding... or the Lettuce!

Just had to mark this day down in history. Madilyn ate salad. At Olive Garden. She liked it. She ate lettuce and croutons. This makes a happy mommy. I bet her tummy is trying to figure out what to do with lettuce since it's never had the priviledge of digesting it before. But, it will again. Oh, it will again. She loved it!

Life in General...

Life in General...

People always ask me what's going on new in our lives and how we're doing, since to most of our friends we've turned into people who are pictures on facebook and voices on the phone... we haven't seen most of our friends in months or even years! :(

Well, here is an update:

In General, we spend as much time together as we can as a family. We realize that this time in our lives will be over in a jiffy and we'll be in the 'real' world... where Cameron has a demanding job and Madilyn is grown up and into new things...and who knows about me? Teaching? Having another baby? The jury is still out on me :)

In General, Cameron is doing great in school. He's making excellent grades, and it is more than obvious that we heard God by him coming to med school. This was not on our agenda, but most definitely was God's divine plan. Cameron is excelling in ways we could have only dreamed. I am SO SO SO proud of him. He will be a great doctor one day.

In General, Madilyn is a fun, sassy 2 1/2 year old! She thinks she knows EVERYTHING, and she is not afraid to express her opinion on every matter including but not limited to: when Cameron and I are talking and she wants us to be quiet, when we are listening to music in the car and it's too quiet/too loud, when she wants the sunroof or windows open while we drive--even when it's raining. She is my little buddy. She is my assistant in the kitchen. She helps me set the table, do dishes and fold and put away laundry. She serenades me with BINGO and Isty Bitsy Spider while I shop through Walmart. She loves her three friends--Pierce, Autumn & Olivia-- with everything she has. French fries and ketchup are her food of choice...and she has a great day if we eat at Moe's or Steak and Shake. She reminds me how fun it is to play in the Bah-raht (back yard!). She has kept me company though what could've been the loneliest time in my life and just the smell or her hair brings immediate joy to my soul. She is such a blessing.

I'm reminded of how Cameron and I were 'surprised' when we found out I was preganant. Totally unexpected...but what a blessing God's perfect timing is! She has made this season of our lives so sweet.

Okay, back to topic :)

In General, Cameron and I find creative ways to have dates. We have two sets of friends here that we trade babysitting with once a month...so two weekends out of the month, we get dates where we get to go out someplace fun. Other than that, it's Netflix, board games, and blizzards from DQ. But, I tell you what...I wouldn't change a thing right now. I love our simple lives.

In General, I am doing well. Mind you, I've been procrastinating painting our house for months...and slowly it's getting done. I keep myself pretty busy while Madilyn is asleep with friends--making crafts or getting coffee or watching girly movies.

In General, we are good. We are amazed continually by the faithfulness of our God! Just last week, as I was laying M down for a nap, I was flooded with the thoughts of how blessed we are...to be healthy, to be safe, to be provided for. As if salvation wasn't enough...

In General, God blesses us more than we deserve. He has gone above and beyond...and He continues to each moment we live. Every moment, every sunrise, every singing bird, every light breeze, every smile, every kiss, every friendship, every moment we have to show His love...

In General, we have more than we could ask, think or imagine!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

The Zoo Parade!

Well, it's been forever since I've updated. I've decided to try and do an updated blog post once a month... just so everyone can see what we've been up to.

Cameron is finally finished with his first year of med school! Can I get an AMEN? :) He is enjoying being out for a few weeks, and we've been soaking up every minute with him!

Lately, Madilyn has really been showing a preference for her daddy, which I just love. It's so precious to see the special love that a father and daughter can share for each other... unlike any other love. Very sweet! Everything has been, "I wanna hold Daddy's hand." "Mommy, you stay there. I wanna go with Daddy." "No, Mommy. It's Daddy's turn to get me outta my carseat!"

This morning we went to the Zoo Parade, thanks to my friend Allison who let me in on this info. I thought it would be lots of animals parading, but it wasn't. It was mostly the Shriners Temple guys riding around on all of their toys that make REALLY LOUD noises mixed in with a few animals. Nevertheless, Madilyn got some candy and waved at everyone who went by. The tootsie rolls were her favorite! She loved it! After she woke up from her nap this afternoon, she said, "Mommy, can we go to my parade now?"

Life is so blessed living with my sweet little family. I feel so honored and loved by God to have such an amazing husband and a precious little daughter. I just feel like taking a deep breath and saying, "Ahhhhhhhhh..."

Take time today to remember the blessings in your life...(another one of my blessings today was abundant sunshine!). God is faithful. His Word is true. He is LOVE and He loves you!

Shoot! :)

Okay, so I try to watch my language... as a Christian woman and as a mommy. There are times, however, that I'll stub my toe on the endless blocks or kitchen toys that are strung throughout the house (even though I pick them all up about 5 times a day!).
When I do trip or get hurt, I sometimes say, "Shoot!" Well, I think I really must say it a LOT because now my precious 20 month old is saying it! Her version is, "Shoooooo!" and she says it a lot more than I ever did!
It's doesn't sound cute coming from a little girl, so I'm trying to say, "Uh oh" when I encounter a situation that I can add it to our conversations... maybe she'll catch on to that instead??? :/
As a mommy, it's so important to remember what an example we are to our precious babies. God has entrusted us as stewards of them, and they're only in our care for 18 years. (I only have about 16 years left with this one!)
I encourage all of you mommies, be the kind of mommy you want to be today. There are always things we can worry about or busy ourselves with each day. If you've been discouraged and feeling like a bad parent, take some time today to do something that's fun with your kiddo... go to the park, build towers with blocks, make a spring picture with finger painting (those little finger prints would make great flower petals), etc. Have fun. These days go by fast and before we know it, our babies will be all grown up.
"So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34
Have a fun day with your precious blessings!

Update and Mommy Time-Out

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last blogged. Here's some updates in our home:

1. Madilyn is now 19 months old...which explains why I haven't had lots of extra time to blog. :) She's the most precious little thing EVER. As I type, she's naming all of her body parts to me that she knows...hands, belly button, arms, eyes, nose, ears, knees, feet, etc.

2. We are in the process of moving to Erie, PA, which in and of itself is a HUGE deal! It just hit me yesterday, when we got a contract on our home, that it was actually happening... and in 8 weeks, we are set to "close." Therefore, eight more times for me to go to church. Eight more weeks of me packing lunches for Cameron to eat at the hospital. Eight more times of doing our weekly cleaning job. Eight more weeks of Comedy Wednesday on ABC in our home. Eight more times of clipping Madilyn's fingernails in her little bedroom. Kinda sad! :( Although very exciting too. I'm really going to miss our home here... it's small and kinda ugly (a rent house with plain white walls), but there are so many memories here (i.e. Telling Cameron I'm pregnant, giving Madilyn her first bath, grading papers on the living room floor, learning to cook with Madilyn in her little sling, painting and decorating a nursery, making cupcakes and finding out Cameron got an interview for medical school, etc.). I'm feeling a teeny-bit sentimental. Okay, maybe WAY sentimental! :)

3. I am starting to learn to sew. Well, I actually haven't even sewed anything yet, but I did get my sewing machine threaded, thanks to my favorite sis-in-law, Jenny! :) I'm so excited to learn, and I have lots of thoughts in my head... hoping they turn out as cute when I make them for real!

4. God has been showing me a lot about having a "Mommy Time-Out." I feel like many times I'm not the person I want to be in situations... for example, when Madilyn disobeys, I don't always respond the way I want to. When things don't look like I think they should, I get discouraged. The Lord reminded me that being a stay-at-home mommy is my ministry. Just like when I worked at the church on staff, I would never go to preach to kids without spending time in the Word each day... that would be CRAZY! In the same way, I've gotta get filled up for the ministry of my home. When you've gotten your baby all bathed and spent time to even dry her hair with a round brush where it's smooth and beautiful, all the laundry is done and put away (which sometimes is a rarity in itself) and then your sweet baby girls pukes all over her carseat, the living room carpet, and her clothes... it's easy to feel discouraged. (If you can't tell, this has happened to me a few times! ha!) But, when I draw from God's grace and mercy, it's all do-able. It's all okay. It's all just a little bump in the road. I've gotta get a storehouse set up of His grace and mercy each day or else I'm drawing from my own strength...and let me tell you ...I'm not very nice without Him. :) He makes me able to love. I am because HE IS.

So, to all you momma's out there. Hang in there. It's okay to have a Mommy Time-Out. You deserve it. You need it. Spend a little time on yourself so you can be better for those around you.