Early Family Updates . . .
Brandon is breathing a little easier at work. We recently hired a great guy to take over Jr High. Luke and his fiance Jessi are great and we are so excited they are here. Brandon is "fun dad" but also firm and loving. Owen invited his dad to Special Friends day at school. He was so excited to show his dad off. Miles has been trained to state on command, "I am daddy's boy!"
Owen is my helper. He loves to help, he loves to love his brother, he loves to say sweet things. He is very thoughtful and kind. He knows no strangers and especially loves babies. I also recently learned that he likes the New Testament better than the Old Testament. That kid knows his Bible! Now, we do have our not so sweet moments. We are currently going through the "I think it is more fun to be bad" stage. At least I'm hoping this is just a stage!
Miles is a hoot. He has so many different faces and voices. When he knows he is in trouble, he smiles this big smile where his eye are all squinted shut. We are half-heartedly working on potty training. I'm in no hurry. Miles is learning to pedal his tricycle. He has a pretty solid bed time routine that he has come up with. It includes a kiss, a buzzer, a hug, and three blankets.
I am doing good. I am enjoying the warmer weather and looking forward to an early anniversary trip with Brandon next month. This summer we will celebrate 10 years of marriage. That is crazy!!! I was thrilled to learn that I will still have my job next year. I also continue to be involved at church with women's ministries and Jr High.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Sickies
Ugh. Sickness has hit our home in full force. Owen got things going with a nasty stomach flu one night. Miles, not wanting to be left out, chimed in with a horrible cough and cold. Brandon seemed to then come down with a touch of whatever Owen had. Just when things were finally looking up, I started in with a nasty cold. Now, Owen is well on his way to a cold too. We have all been a bit grouchy and tired which doesn’t play out well. None of us are very hungry so we end up eating stuff that probably isn’t helping the situation. In summary, the Early home is not at its best these days.
In spite of all these sickies floating around, we do manage to have a good time. Owen entertains us with his very logical 5-year-old brain. In the car today, Brandon was naming various animals that we could have as a pet. Some examples were: a mosquito, an eagle, and a tree. Bless his little heart, Owen very calmly and logically explained to his dad why each of those options simply would not work. Owen’s final conclusion was that we needed a hamster. I explained that we have a pet dog named Daisy who just happens to live at Grammy and Grampy’s house. That seemed to work for the moment.
Miles is finally perking up a bit as well. That kid makes the most hilarious faces. Some of them, such as the Soccer Monster, are mean, scary faces, but even they are funny. He is so animated and has such a great vocabulary. It is quite entertaining. Today he told Grampy that “I’m big enough to do it myself” when given a bag of fruit snacks (aka juicies).
I look forward to having toys instead of tissues strewn around our house, but for the time being, we are trying to make the best of a not so great situation. A big shout out to Grammy and Grampy for risking their own health and sanity to give Brandon and I a break from time to time.
In spite of all these sickies floating around, we do manage to have a good time. Owen entertains us with his very logical 5-year-old brain. In the car today, Brandon was naming various animals that we could have as a pet. Some examples were: a mosquito, an eagle, and a tree. Bless his little heart, Owen very calmly and logically explained to his dad why each of those options simply would not work. Owen’s final conclusion was that we needed a hamster. I explained that we have a pet dog named Daisy who just happens to live at Grammy and Grampy’s house. That seemed to work for the moment.
Miles is finally perking up a bit as well. That kid makes the most hilarious faces. Some of them, such as the Soccer Monster, are mean, scary faces, but even they are funny. He is so animated and has such a great vocabulary. It is quite entertaining. Today he told Grampy that “I’m big enough to do it myself” when given a bag of fruit snacks (aka juicies).
I look forward to having toys instead of tissues strewn around our house, but for the time being, we are trying to make the best of a not so great situation. A big shout out to Grammy and Grampy for risking their own health and sanity to give Brandon and I a break from time to time.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Birthday Week Festivities
What a great birthday week! I have rung in 32 with style. Here is a glimpse of my week:
Tues 19th-Mom and dad treated us to dinner at Texas Roadhouse
Wed 20th-Brandon and I took the boys to JMK Nippon’s for lunch. Owen kept trying to address the hostess, chef and wait staff to tell them it was my birthday so they would sing to me. His wish came true when the staff came out with my pineapple bowl complete with candle. He enjoyed the attention much more than I did! Church was cancelled this night due to ice, so I had a nice quiet evening with Brandon.
Thurs 21st-Well, this day was not so great. Poor Brandon woke up with a really bad case of vertigo. Anytime he would lift or turn his head he became dizzy and nauseous. He was pretty much bed-ridden all day. I stayed home from bible study to look after him. I love bible study and missed my group, but enjoyed some quiet time at home to read and study.
Fri 22nd-After work, mom and I headed up to Madison, Wisconsin to see Little House on the Prairie the Musical starring Melissa Gilbert. I have loved Little House since I was a little girl. I know every television episode forward and backward and even read some of the books. I own a Laura collector’s doll and an 8x10 of the Ingalls family. Hey, we all have our stuff. When we got to the theater, we learned that our tickets were in the front row! I’m pretty sure we had the best seats in the entire house. It was wonderful! I even got a little teary when the music started playing. In my head I started to think . . . this is heaven! However, I became even more overwhelmed by the fact that Heaven is going be (insert biggest number possible here) better than even Little House! Now that is something to look forward to!
Sat 23rd-Today is my really good friend Tona’s birthday. This is our third annual Tona-Keri birthday event. Year one we saw Brian Regan at the Coronado. Year two we went to an Ice Hogs hockey game. Year three (today) we had a spa day! Oh my was it wonderful. I have never had a facial or massage and received “mini” ones today. We also had a pedicure which was wonderful. After that, we grabbed lunch. It was such a fun way to celebrate and it is becoming something we both look forward to.
Sun 24th-Tomorrow I will attend week 3 of the Sunday School class I helped organize. I have been learning a lot from the class taught by Pam MacRae. After church, I get to spend a few hours with some of my favorite 7th grade girls. We have a great time together. After d-groups, I have BSB with a few good friends. We are reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan and I can’t wait to discuss what we are learning!
Tues 19th-Mom and dad treated us to dinner at Texas Roadhouse
Wed 20th-Brandon and I took the boys to JMK Nippon’s for lunch. Owen kept trying to address the hostess, chef and wait staff to tell them it was my birthday so they would sing to me. His wish came true when the staff came out with my pineapple bowl complete with candle. He enjoyed the attention much more than I did! Church was cancelled this night due to ice, so I had a nice quiet evening with Brandon.
Thurs 21st-Well, this day was not so great. Poor Brandon woke up with a really bad case of vertigo. Anytime he would lift or turn his head he became dizzy and nauseous. He was pretty much bed-ridden all day. I stayed home from bible study to look after him. I love bible study and missed my group, but enjoyed some quiet time at home to read and study.
Fri 22nd-After work, mom and I headed up to Madison, Wisconsin to see Little House on the Prairie the Musical starring Melissa Gilbert. I have loved Little House since I was a little girl. I know every television episode forward and backward and even read some of the books. I own a Laura collector’s doll and an 8x10 of the Ingalls family. Hey, we all have our stuff. When we got to the theater, we learned that our tickets were in the front row! I’m pretty sure we had the best seats in the entire house. It was wonderful! I even got a little teary when the music started playing. In my head I started to think . . . this is heaven! However, I became even more overwhelmed by the fact that Heaven is going be (insert biggest number possible here) better than even Little House! Now that is something to look forward to!
Sat 23rd-Today is my really good friend Tona’s birthday. This is our third annual Tona-Keri birthday event. Year one we saw Brian Regan at the Coronado. Year two we went to an Ice Hogs hockey game. Year three (today) we had a spa day! Oh my was it wonderful. I have never had a facial or massage and received “mini” ones today. We also had a pedicure which was wonderful. After that, we grabbed lunch. It was such a fun way to celebrate and it is becoming something we both look forward to.
Sun 24th-Tomorrow I will attend week 3 of the Sunday School class I helped organize. I have been learning a lot from the class taught by Pam MacRae. After church, I get to spend a few hours with some of my favorite 7th grade girls. We have a great time together. After d-groups, I have BSB with a few good friends. We are reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan and I can’t wait to discuss what we are learning!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Object Lesson: Priorities
I am all about object lessons. As a visual learner, seeing things helps me better understand and remember information. Several years ago, my good friend Tona did an object lesson for the Jr High small group we were leading together. Little did I know that day how much that lesson would impact my life.
The lesson materials included a large glass vase, 3 or 4 ornament-size balls, a bag of small pebbles and some sand. Tona demonstrated what happened when she first filled the vase with the sand and then the rocks. The balls did not fit. She started the process again. This time, Tona placed the large balls in the vase first. She then added the pebbles, followed by the sand. Guess what? It all fit! The lesson . . . when we daily put the "big things" in our lives first, everything else falls into place.
What a great lesson! I began thinking about what those "big things" needed to be in my life. I eventually figured out that having quiet time with God, living a healthy lifestyle (diet and exercise), and keeping a clean home were the "big things" I needed to put first in my life. This is where my Tresolution (3 year plan) came into play.
How does it all work? My quiet times with God have given me perspective on life. I am reminded of who God is and His plans for me. Living a healthier lifestyle has increased my energy and strength to live out what God has called me to do. My hope is that decluttering and organizing my home will eliminate some of the distractions that material possessions can cause and allow our family to be better stewards of what we are given. As an added bonus, improvements in each of these areas has great potential to positively impact my family.
I want to serve God with all that I am and all that I have. When my day begins to fall apart, I remember that object lesson and ask myself the question . . . What's in my vase?
Friday, January 1, 2010
Top 10 for 2010
Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2010 (in no particular order). . .
1. Little House on the Prairie the Musical (22 more days!)
2. Two new nephews due to arrive this month
3. Group's Simply Youth Ministry Conference in February
4. Jr High missions trip to Kentucky in June
5. Two good friends getting married
6. Celebrating 10 years of marriage in August
7. Sending Owen to Kindergarten in August (he'll love it, I'll probably cry)
8. Being a diaper free house (hopefully sooner rather than later)
9. Decluttering my home, the Salvation Army is my new best friend!
10.Continuing to study God's word, cook, and exercise
1. Little House on the Prairie the Musical (22 more days!)
2. Two new nephews due to arrive this month
3. Group's Simply Youth Ministry Conference in February
4. Jr High missions trip to Kentucky in June
5. Two good friends getting married
6. Celebrating 10 years of marriage in August
7. Sending Owen to Kindergarten in August (he'll love it, I'll probably cry)
8. Being a diaper free house (hopefully sooner rather than later)
9. Decluttering my home, the Salvation Army is my new best friend!
10.Continuing to study God's word, cook, and exercise
Monday, December 14, 2009
New Year's Resolution Update (Tresolutions II)
I was reading though my blog the other day. For all intents and purposes, it is my journal. While perusing the various entries, I was reminded of my New Year's "Tresolution". This is my post from Dec 29, 2008:
As 2009 approaches, I am entering year two of my new Tresolution plan. This past year has been focused on developing a more consistent quiet time for bible study and prayer. 2009 will be focused on taking care of my body. I decided to get a head start and am already finishing up week 3 of an exercise plan a friend of mine developed for me. In true Tresolution fashion, I will be continuing to focus on my quiet times as well. Specifically, I'm hoping to work on scripture memorization during my time on the treadmill. Multitasking at it's finest! Year three is really going to be exciting-decluttering! Check back in December 2010 to see my progress!
So, how is that body of mine shaping up? I just mentioned to my mom the other day that something really weird is happening. All of my pants are simultaneously shrinking, imagine that! I may be putting on a pound here or there, but overall, I have developed some healthier habits this year. Beginning in January, I played in a women's soccer league for a few months. I could hardly walk the first few weeks, but I survived. It was fun being on a team (even though it was a losing team), but I think my soccer playing days are now officially over.
Somewhere around March I fell off the exercising train. Although I wasn't regularly exercising, I did discover a great service to assist me in the kitchen. I blogged this year about Menu for the Week. Each week, I receive 5 dinner recipes, 1 dessert and 1 breakfast recipe via email. These menus also come with a complete shopping list. We have been eating at home very consistently now. Of course, we still enjoy dinner out from time to time, but how wonderful to be able to provide home cooked meals for my family. Eating home is much healthier for all of us and saves money too! I am learning a ton about food and cooking. Can't say I love it yet, but I'm gaining some confidence and not dreading dinnertime.
I just completed my 7th week of consistent exercise. I'm using the same plan I did last year. My friend Tona developed two different exercise plans for me. I just finished the first and will start the second one on Wednesday morning. It combines using the treadmill and elliptical for cardio along with abdominal exercises and some weights. I have used my time on the treadmill to work on memorizing the books of the Bible along with their keywords as well as reviewing my memory verses. Using a simple plan I read about on Beth Moore's blog, I have memorized 20 verses already this year!
2010 is year 3 of my Tresolution . . . decluttering. I have a strong desire to do this. The biggest obstacle is simply knowing how to accomplish this seemingly huge task. I'm sure this year will be another adventure. I will again continue to find new ways to grow in my quiet times with God. I'd really like to further develop my prayer life. We have been learning about the Lord's prayer in church and this is definitely an area that I can grow in. I'm hoping to persevere in my fitness routine and eating habits. I'm sure there will continue to be ups and downs, but I'm ready to give it a go.
As 2009 approaches, I am entering year two of my new Tresolution plan. This past year has been focused on developing a more consistent quiet time for bible study and prayer. 2009 will be focused on taking care of my body. I decided to get a head start and am already finishing up week 3 of an exercise plan a friend of mine developed for me. In true Tresolution fashion, I will be continuing to focus on my quiet times as well. Specifically, I'm hoping to work on scripture memorization during my time on the treadmill. Multitasking at it's finest! Year three is really going to be exciting-decluttering! Check back in December 2010 to see my progress!
So, how is that body of mine shaping up? I just mentioned to my mom the other day that something really weird is happening. All of my pants are simultaneously shrinking, imagine that! I may be putting on a pound here or there, but overall, I have developed some healthier habits this year. Beginning in January, I played in a women's soccer league for a few months. I could hardly walk the first few weeks, but I survived. It was fun being on a team (even though it was a losing team), but I think my soccer playing days are now officially over.
Somewhere around March I fell off the exercising train. Although I wasn't regularly exercising, I did discover a great service to assist me in the kitchen. I blogged this year about Menu for the Week. Each week, I receive 5 dinner recipes, 1 dessert and 1 breakfast recipe via email. These menus also come with a complete shopping list. We have been eating at home very consistently now. Of course, we still enjoy dinner out from time to time, but how wonderful to be able to provide home cooked meals for my family. Eating home is much healthier for all of us and saves money too! I am learning a ton about food and cooking. Can't say I love it yet, but I'm gaining some confidence and not dreading dinnertime.
I just completed my 7th week of consistent exercise. I'm using the same plan I did last year. My friend Tona developed two different exercise plans for me. I just finished the first and will start the second one on Wednesday morning. It combines using the treadmill and elliptical for cardio along with abdominal exercises and some weights. I have used my time on the treadmill to work on memorizing the books of the Bible along with their keywords as well as reviewing my memory verses. Using a simple plan I read about on Beth Moore's blog, I have memorized 20 verses already this year!
2010 is year 3 of my Tresolution . . . decluttering. I have a strong desire to do this. The biggest obstacle is simply knowing how to accomplish this seemingly huge task. I'm sure this year will be another adventure. I will again continue to find new ways to grow in my quiet times with God. I'd really like to further develop my prayer life. We have been learning about the Lord's prayer in church and this is definitely an area that I can grow in. I'm hoping to persevere in my fitness routine and eating habits. I'm sure there will continue to be ups and downs, but I'm ready to give it a go.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Turkeys, A Ham, and Advent, Oh My!
Sunday, November 22
At 3:00pm, I undertook the enormous task of baking and decorating 90 turkey cupcakes. In honor of Owen’s 5th birthday, I volunteered to provide a dessert for the Mom’s Day Out Thanksgiving Feast, which involved 3 different classrooms. Somewhere around 6:00pm, I enlisted the help of my mom and Brandon in the turkey cupcake-decorating marathon. Mom was on frosting duty, Brandon was on eye duty, and I was on gobbler, wings, and feather duty. We finished up around 10:30pm. Who knew making turkey cupcakes was a full time job! Brandon and my mom loaded up the little turkeys and took them to church so they would be ready in the morning. Things I learned from this experience . . . 90 turkey cupcakes is a huge undertaking, my mom is not a great eye maker, you need 2 boxes of mini cupcakes to make that many turkeys. Everything turned out just great and all the little pilgrims and Indians had a delicious special treat at their Thanksgiving feast.
Friday, November 27
We spent Thanksgiving with Brandon’s family in Van Wert, Ohio. This week was jam packed with celebrations. On Wednesday we celebrated Owen’s birthday, on Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving, and on Friday we celebrated Christmas. There were about 25 of us in the living room at my in-law’s home. Brandon’s Aunt Lorie was busy taking some pictures of the gathering. Miles was making the rounds and saying thank you for his Christmas gifts. Aunt Lorie wanted a quick picture of Miles. She said, “Miles, say cheeseburger for me!” He quickly responded by saying “Cheeseburger, for you!” The entire room erupted in laughter. What a ham!
Sunday, November 29
This past summer, I did a bible study called Feast. I learned about the feasts of the Bible and how these feasts helped people remember important events. This made me think about my own family and our lack of traditions. With this in mind, I began researching ideas to make Christmas a more meaningful celebration for our family. One of the major ways we will remember the reason for this season is through Advent. Advent means “to come” and is a great way for us to remember that we are celebrating how God came to earth as a baby and that we are now waiting for him to come again! Sunday is pizza night at our house. This week we sat at the dining room table and lit our first candle, the Prophecy candle. I talked about what prophecy means and Brandon read from the Bible. After our meal, we watched the new Veggie Tales movie “Saint Nicholas” which further explained the real meaning of Christmas. I hope that this new tradition will become a meaningful part of our family’s celebration in years to come!
At 3:00pm, I undertook the enormous task of baking and decorating 90 turkey cupcakes. In honor of Owen’s 5th birthday, I volunteered to provide a dessert for the Mom’s Day Out Thanksgiving Feast, which involved 3 different classrooms. Somewhere around 6:00pm, I enlisted the help of my mom and Brandon in the turkey cupcake-decorating marathon. Mom was on frosting duty, Brandon was on eye duty, and I was on gobbler, wings, and feather duty. We finished up around 10:30pm. Who knew making turkey cupcakes was a full time job! Brandon and my mom loaded up the little turkeys and took them to church so they would be ready in the morning. Things I learned from this experience . . . 90 turkey cupcakes is a huge undertaking, my mom is not a great eye maker, you need 2 boxes of mini cupcakes to make that many turkeys. Everything turned out just great and all the little pilgrims and Indians had a delicious special treat at their Thanksgiving feast.
Friday, November 27
We spent Thanksgiving with Brandon’s family in Van Wert, Ohio. This week was jam packed with celebrations. On Wednesday we celebrated Owen’s birthday, on Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving, and on Friday we celebrated Christmas. There were about 25 of us in the living room at my in-law’s home. Brandon’s Aunt Lorie was busy taking some pictures of the gathering. Miles was making the rounds and saying thank you for his Christmas gifts. Aunt Lorie wanted a quick picture of Miles. She said, “Miles, say cheeseburger for me!” He quickly responded by saying “Cheeseburger, for you!” The entire room erupted in laughter. What a ham!
Sunday, November 29
This past summer, I did a bible study called Feast. I learned about the feasts of the Bible and how these feasts helped people remember important events. This made me think about my own family and our lack of traditions. With this in mind, I began researching ideas to make Christmas a more meaningful celebration for our family. One of the major ways we will remember the reason for this season is through Advent. Advent means “to come” and is a great way for us to remember that we are celebrating how God came to earth as a baby and that we are now waiting for him to come again! Sunday is pizza night at our house. This week we sat at the dining room table and lit our first candle, the Prophecy candle. I talked about what prophecy means and Brandon read from the Bible. After our meal, we watched the new Veggie Tales movie “Saint Nicholas” which further explained the real meaning of Christmas. I hope that this new tradition will become a meaningful part of our family’s celebration in years to come!
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