Zoe update

My sweet baby is growing so fast. I am amazed at the new things she is doing. Today she laughed for the first time. She has been smiling and squealing for a while now. But today she let out a few full out laughs at her brother and sister who were wrestling on the floor. It was so cute. She loves her sister and brother and gets excited when she sees them. She is starting to recognize people and react to there presence by smiling and talking and looking around for them. She is even starting to give kisses. She likes to snuggle up with her face next to yours. It is so sweet. She is grabbing things and pulling them to her mouth. I think she might be starting to cut some teeth because she crams her hand in her mouth and chews away. It's hard to believe that in less than a week she will be four months old.

Let me start off by saying that God is amazing. He is awesome, powerful, ever present, loving, merciful, righteous, holy, worthy of worship, all knowing, and I could go on and on. Over these last few weeks He has been drawing me closer to himself. I have never experienced Him quite like I have these past few weeks. It hasn't been one of those revival type moments where He kind of shakes you and wakes you up, but it has been through His still small voice that is always present but is not always heard because of our lack of focus. He has been teaching me to simply trust Him and through that trust comes a deeper understanding of how God is speaking to me. The simple act of learning to trust God with everything brings about a peace that can only come from God himself. I am being brought back to the simple truths of God and who He is. God doesn't want my busyness, He simply wants me to trust and obey.

Weekend Getaway

Craigan and I had the chance to go on a Pastors/Wives Retreat with six other couples this weekend. It was such a blessing to be able to meet with other couples in the ministry and relax. Everybody needs a time to just relax and get away from the everyday routine of life. I am thankful for grandparents who love their grand kids and were willing to take care of them while we were gone. We divided them between the two sets and everyone seemed to have a good time, even my sensitive little Hannah who always wants to be by my side. There were a few tears but she survived.
It is amazing how when God is teaching you something it shows up everywhere you look. Through the Bible study times we had as a group God continued to confirm what He has been teaching me these past few weeks. I am so thankful to our church for allowing us the opportunity to go on this retreat. I can't wait until next year.

Let It Snow! Let it Snow!

Today we had our second significant snowfall in less than a month. This is very unusual for South Carolina and I am beginning to wander if we still live in the Palmetto State. I told Zoe today that she is only three months old and has already had two significant snowfalls in her lifetime. The first one came on December 26th and we ended up with about four inches of nice fluffy snow. Hannah and Cayden enjoyed getting out and doing some exploring. Craigan made a snowman with them and I made snow angels. Hannah loved throwing snowballs and getting hit by them but Cayden was not too sure about that snow activity. That snow was the perfect snow, it came stayed long enough to play and didn't affect travel too much. However, the snow we got today was much different. It was a much heavier snow, and because the ground and roads had been much colder before this round of snow compared with the last, the roads were much worse. We got about 6 to 8 inches in our area and then on top of the snow a layer of ice formed when the precipitation turned over to freezing rain. Needless to say we have not been out in the snow this time. It has been very cold and windy and much slicker than last time. Hopefully tomorrow the temperature is suppose to be a little warmer and we will venture out to play. We did however enjoy a nice family day inside, highlighted by Criagan making several trips outside to gather snow for some snow cream. The first attempt was plain vanilla and was pretty good for his first attempt. The second time he got a little fancier and made orange snow cream with some oranges we had. That batch was very good. I think he is planning on making some more tomorrow. Got to enjoy it while it is here. It was so nice to be in our warm house (thanks to the fire Craigan made in the fireplace) and just enjoy family time. We played games, watched some tv, played the Wii, read books and ate some snow cream. I didn't worry about cleaning and our meals were simple. Just a perfect day in Westville.

My New Declaration

Today was spent trying to get caught up on house work and cooking. I has seemed like over the past few months that I just haven't been able to get caught up on all the house work. I got behind when I was pregnant with Zoe and the recovery time after her birth. It seem like I am just now beginning to get caught up. Cleaning is not one of my strengths. I start doing one thing then see something else that needs done and start doing that task and it just seems like it takes twice as long to complete a task as it should. In the past this has been a point of frustration for me, but I have decided to have a new attitude about cleaning and just take things one at a time. I have been trying to look at the smaller task and not look at the "big picture" so to say. I have also come to the realization that my house will never be the one you see in magazines with every element perfectly placed and organized and not a speck of dust or dirt to be seen anywhere. I have accepted the fact that my house will always have that "lived in" look. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. When you come to my house I want everyone to feel comfortable. I want my kids to remember the fun times we have not a picture perfect house that they feel they can't have fun in. Do I want my house to be presentable? Do I want my children to keep their rooms where you can at least walk into it? The answer to both of those is yes. However, I am vowing that cleaning will not overrun my life. It will no longer cause me strife or effect my self-worth. I will have fun with my children. I will make my guest feel welcomed and I will spend time daily with my husband. Most importantly I will spend time with God, seeking His wisdom and understanding. Therefore, the cleanliness of my home will no longer define who I am as a mother and wife. I believe that by making my family and God the most important part of my day, my house will be presentable and welcoming to all who enter.

Proverbs 3:1-4

As I said in an earlier blog I am going through Proverbs 3 during my Bible study time, trying to get every bit of insight God gives me on these verses. Tonight I went back to the first four verses. It is amazing how the truths of God weave themselves all throughout His Word. Before Proverbs I was studying Deuteronomy and the message that kept showing up in those verses were to remember and keep God's commandments. Over and Over again in those verses Moses was reminding the Israelites as they were getting closer to entering the Promised Land, that they were to not forget the commandments of God. And not only that but were to pass them on to their children. Here again in the first few verses of Proverbs 3 the same theme is revealed. The verses read:
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments ; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. (NASB)

What God wants from us is obedience. His desire is that the teachings in His Word are so ingrained in our hearts that they define who we are. When His commandments are written on the "tablet of your heart" (vs. 3), every aspect of our lives are governed by them. Too many times people "accept Christ as their Savior" but never step beyond their conversion and become a true follower of Christ. God's commandments are not merely suggestions, but they are guidelines for which we as Christians should be compelled to follow. And as in Deuteronomy, along with the command to follow God's Laws is the promise that following those commands bring a reward (vs. 4).
But first in order for us to be able to keep God's commands the driving force in our lives, we must know them. Not only with a head knowledge but a heart one also. They are to be so ingrained in our heads and hearts that when faced with any situation we will be able to stand firm knowing that our actions are a result of godly wisdom and understanding and not our own sinful self. I pray that God's commands will be the driving force behind everything I do.

Zoe Update!!!!

I figured since Zoe is already three months old I need to update on her growth. She is such a sweet little girl and a good baby. At her two month check up she was 12lbs 15ozs. She is definately my biggest baby. She loves her brother and sister and just gives them a huge smile when she sees them. She has dimples and those fat cheeks just like Hannah, which makes her smiles all the more sweet. For the most part she is a happy baby. She gets fussy only when she is hungry, sleepy or just wants to be involved in the rest of the family activities. She is starting to do a lot of cooing. She will carry on a nice conversation with you. She is gaining core strength and loves to sit up with help of course. She can grasp onto objects and is starting to pull them towards her mouth. She likes a pacifier to go to sleep but is discovering that her hands taste pretty good. She is sleeping all night long. I usually put her to bed about 8:30pm and she sleeps to about 7:00am or so. I have been very blessed with all of my babies sleeping well through the night.
Zoe has been such a special addition to our family. With all I went through after her delivery, I do not take any day for granted. Even though she was an unexpected gift from God, she has given us so much joy. I feel so blessed to have two beautiful girls and one handsome little boy. I pray that God will continue to guide Craigan and me as we raise our children under His loving hand.

Trust, Wisdom and Understanding

Right now in my quiet time I am absorbing Proverbs chapter 3. It has those well know verses "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (verses 5-6; NASB). These verses are my life verses right now. I know trust is an issue in my life. I want to have control over what happens in my life and it is hard to let go and trust God in everything. So, I am holding onto these two verses and trusting that God will lead me to a place where I can trust Him fully, without reservation. It is not that I don't trust that God can do anything it is that I wander if He will. It's the "all your heart" part that I have trouble with. I have a very bad habit of worrying about things I can't control and that is what leads to the problem with trusting God with all my heart. So today and everyday afterwards I will start my journey of trusting God with my whole heart, not just the things I can control. I know that it in order to do that I have to change my thinking. I have to choose not to worry and trust God. I know the more I let the worry go the more I will trust Him.

Today's Happenings

Today was a pretty normal day at the house. It started out at about 7:30am with Cayden and Zoe waking up. Hannah spent the night with her Memaw and Grandaddy. We normally end up with all five of us in the bed in the mornings but Craigan had to go get tires on the Montero so it was just Cayden, Zoe and myself. I got some cuddle time with Cayden. I love it when I get to spend some one-on-one time with my kids. Today it was Cayden's turn. He is such a sweet little boy and loves to cuddle. He is so cute when he drinks his milk (which is the first thing he ask for in the mornings and will not stop asking until he gets it) he loves to be cuddled up in your lap while he holds your thumb and he wants you to hold his foot. Too cute. Zoe took a nice nap this morning after her bottle and short awake time. This gave me the opportunity to spend the time with Cayden.
From about 11:00am to about 2:00pm I was in the kitchen either cleaning or cooking. I got on one of my cooking binges, which is where I decide to cook several things at one time so that I don't have to later. Earlier his week I bought some chicken breast on sale for 89 cent a pound which is about as good as it gets for bone in chicken breasts. I got two packs and I needed to finish using up what was left. I had three left so I deboned two and split them in half. I put some garlic salt and pepper on them then brushed them with mustard before coating them with breadcrumbs and baking them in the oven. I them put them on sub bread (wheat of course) and put provolone cheese and a mayo mixture (mayo, scallions finely chopped, cilantro finely chopped and garlic). I them Heated them in a pan on both sides to melt the cheese. I had also cooked some potatoes as a side. Ended up being a pretty good lunch. At the same time I was cooking lunch I started on Chicken noodle soup. I had one chicken breast left and I had saved the bones from a few other ones I had deboned earlier in the week (I put them in the freezer in a bag labeled "For Chicken Stock") I put them in a pot along with some water and veggies I had been saving in the freezer (everytime I cut onions, celery or carrots I save the parts I would normally discard and put them in the freezer in a bag labeled "For Stock") I added salt, pepper and italian seasoning and let it cook until the chicken was done and the stock tasted good. I then took out the chicken and strained the stock to remove all of the veggies. I then used the stock and the chicken to make my chicken noodle soup. All I needed to do was cut up some carrots, celery, onions and garlic and soften them in the post with some olive oil then add the shredded chicken and stock back to the pot then when it was time for supper I just added the noddles and cooked some cornbread and supper was done. And it was good if I do say so myself.
I also made what I'm gonna call a chicken gumbo. Last night I cooked five of the chicken breast in a pot with onion, carrots, celery, garlic and mushroom to which I added some chicken stock, a large can of crushed tomatoes and some italian seasoning and salt & pepper. I let it simmer until the chicken was done (about an hour). I had some of the chicken left over and a lot of the liquid which I didn't want to waste, so I planned on making some veggie soup. However as it developed it kinda turned into a chicken gumbo type dish. I took the leftover liquid and put it in the pot with some cabbage frozen greenbeans, peas and okra and let it cook until the veggies were done. Because it was kinda thick I though about gumbo and added the leftover chicken, leftover rice and some cajun seasoning. This will probably be either lunch or supper tomorrow so I will let you know how the family likes it.
The rest of the day was spent feeding Zoe, changing dirty diapers, trying to get Hannah and Cayden to clean up their room which was a total disaster and giving Zoe a bath.
We had a nice supper together at the table. Until lately we have been eating in the living room in front of the TV. However, I am determined to change that. Tonight we all ate at the table and it was such a nice family time. We even had dessert (fruit salad with whipped cream and cookies).
About the trying to get Cayden and Hannah to clean their room, After a couple of hours of Craigan and me telling them that they had to clean their room or they would loose their toys, Hannah finally started cleaning when we bought the trash bags out to take the toys away. Cayden however did not want to clean and lost some of his toys which he was not too pleased with. Hopefully next time he will understand that we are serious when we tell them to clean up.

Well that has been my day. It ended with me putting Hannah and Cayden to bed because Zoe needed some daddy time. Then me putting Zoe to bed. They are all so sweet and such a blessing from God. I am so thankful for the wonderful family that God has given me.

I hope I didn't bore you too much, but I am using this to keep up with everything I do even the recipes I make. I don't normally write them down but now I can keep up with them on my blog.
Time to put myself in the bed and get ready for a new day.

Something New!!!

So today I have decided to start using my blog more. If you take a look at my blog you will see that I am sporadic with my posts. Part of the problem is that I don't make the time to write and the other problem is that I am not that technically savvy so trying to manage my blog takes me forever. I am currently trying to figure out how to remove the huge picture of the beach at the beginning of the blog. Don't get me wrong I love the picture and wish I could be looking at that scene right now in person, but the picture is way too big and I would like to replace it with another one. Perhaps soon I will figure it out and get some new pics up soon. Anyway, today as I was in the kitchen doing some cooking and cleaning I decided that I was going to take advantage of my blog and use it as a way of keeping up with everything that is going on in my life. There are always things that happen during the day that I don't want to forget but I never take the time to right them down. That lead me to the conclusion that my blog would be the perfect place to keep up with all the small details of my life that I don't want to forget, especially the growth of my children. So I am going to use this space as a way to remember those things I don't want to forget. I figured that with all the clutter I am trying to organize in the house (a task that does not come easy for me) the blog would be a way to organize my life without cluttering up my house with more papers or books. If you follow my post I hope you don't get too bored with the everyday routine of our life, but maybe you will find something that interest you or maybe helps your life become a little easier. More importantly I hope that you will see God being glorified through the life of my family.