Swagger.

(Thinking about my friends, both bloggy and 'real', facing the difficulties of the hurricane.  Praying for you guys!!)

Well folks, this happened:

Yep.  

That's right.

I am now in a whole different league all together...

...the league of van owners.

Sigh.

But also...

HOORAY!!!

I have to tell you that I am 100%, positively, completely in love with this thing.  I know, I know.  What is happening?!  Never thought I'd say it, but I do love the van.  Could be because it is the nicest, newest, most luxurious car I've ever owned (even though it's a van).  Could be because of the unbelievable convenience provided through design and tech-y awesomeness.  Could be because we wrote the biggest check of our lives in order to bring this sucker home.  Could be because we hope to fill up those roomy rows with one (maybe two...) more car seats in time.  Could be because it is just plain AWESOME.

Could be any or all of the above.  ;)

I said a sad farewell to my trusty ol' Honda CRV, and I was actually pretty bummed to see it go.  The CRV was my very first car purchase, and we have made many memories that involve that little white SUV.  A road trip to Chicago, road trips to Dallas (where we conceived our first baby...TMI??).  Russell drove me to the hospital twice while I was in the throes of labor, and that car ushered our two little ladies home from the hospital days later.  Little car.  Big memories.

Alas, after pouring waaaaay more money than we ever wanted to into fixing the air conditioning system (which still wasn't really working) plus the need for new tires, it was time to take the plunge.  We waited until the 2012 year-end clearances began, and that ended up saving us a lot of money on the specific model that we wanted.  We'd waited, saved and planned, and we were ready.    

In all honesty, I kind of can't believe I own a van.  If you know me in real life, you'd have heard MANY proclamations of "I will never drive a van...EVER!", and so on and so forth.  Not sure what it is about a minivan that is so, well, uncool.  My best friend (also a van owner) has compared the stigma of van ownership to sort of losing one of the last shreds of your hip, cool, sexy pre-Mom self.  It is the final plunge, if you will.  And I TOTALLY AGREE.  And she helpfully reminded me that van ownership, along with so many other things, is just a season of life.  Not here to argue that vans are 'cool'...

...but they ARE awesome.

;)

Love my swagger wagon.  Very grateful.

PS: On the same day we purchased the van, I found out I needed glasses.  That'll give your 'youth' a swift kick in the pants.  Minivan and glasses.  Cool City, right here!!  ;)

;)

So, I have to know...in which camp are you??  

Anti-Van or Swagger-Wagon-All-The-Way?!

A Small but Mighty Sphere.

A few months ago, I felt a 'holy nudge' to join a women's Bible study that was starting up at my church.  The study is called "A Heart That Can Break" written by Kelly Minter.  Over the past few weeks, I have been trying my best to keep up with the daily readings (not always on top of it, but I try...), and each Wednesday a group of women of all ages meet together to watch Kelly's teaching video and discuss what we've learned.  You know, a typical Bible study scenario.

While I've learned a lot about a book I'd never had much desire to read (Nehemiah), I've struggled with relating to the author of our study.  She is a great speaker, an interesting writer, and she obviously has a passion for the Lord that has led her to some amazing acts of service around the world.  However.  I just found myself sort of disconnected as she described her adventures and lifestyle.  She's in her thirties, not yet married and with no kids, and she works with different ministries and churches.  She has been on mission trips deep in the Amazon many times, and she encourages us to cultivate a heart that can break for those in need.  Totally.  I agree.  Our culture is privileged and posh, and even the 'poor' of America can sometimes be far better off than the poor of another culture.  I get that.  I guess I just struggled to glean anything from this study's speaker, because I had a hard time relating to her life.  I mean, she once described a typical day in her life as spending hours at Starbucks pouring over God's word while sipping coffee.  WHAT?  That would be amazing!!!  ;)

Another thing that I was having a hard time with was her push towards missions and going out into the hard parts of our world to make a change.  Don't get me wrong.  I am ALL FOR THAT.  To think of what some people live through each day in remote (and sometimes not remote...) parts of our world truly makes me ache, and I agree that as Christians (and simply as HUMANS) we should try with intention to help those in need.  I guess my problem is that I just don't feel comfortable signing up for a big mission trip to a remote and dangerous part of the world while I have very young babies at home who depend on me.  Maybe a bit of an excuse?  Maybe just my season of life right now?  Not totally sure.

As with most things in life, one will only take away from a Bible study as much as one puts into it. Thus, my prayer was that God would use this time of study, video viewing and prayer to open my eyes to a way that I could make a change and try to help those in need...while still existing in my current life season of nap schedules, poopy diapers, and play dates.  My life is small.  So very small, especially after I quit my job as a high school English teacher...one of my main sources of contact with those in desperate need of a relationship with Christ.  Over the past few years, I've felt very small and sort of, um, removed (?) from the ebb and flow of life.  Being a stay-home Mommy is EXACTLY where I desire to be, but it can be a solitary and somewhat lonely life if you let it.  And it is most definitely limiting on one's sphere of influence when you consider nap schedules, nursing schedules, early bedtimes, etc.  You know what I mean.  My sphere of influence is small...for the small people I have been given to influence.  :)  And yet I found myself with a nagging nudge to try and do just what Kelly Minter was suggesting: allow my heart to break for those in need and look for tangible ways to help.

And then, I got my answer, my light bulb moment.  That very next week, Kelly Minter's sister was interviewed for our video session, and I found the answer to my prayers for open eyes, an open heart, and guidance on how to influence my tiny sphere of the world: my kids.  Kelly's sister is married with small children, and, after joining Kelly on a trip to the Amazon, this mother of two knew what she had to do.  She said she felt a burden to teach her children to ALSO have hearts that can break for those in need, even though they were very small.  In the video, she said so many of the things I wrote about above regarding feeling like her sphere of influence and accessibility was a bit limited while home and taking on the task of raising two little humans.  However, she felt God guiding her to do something to help those little ones in her charge to know about the hurt and hunger and loneliness felt by so many in our world, and she began to look for ways to help them understand at their level.

Light bulb!

So.  I took this as another 'holy nudge' and began asking questions and doing some planning.  We ordered a few used children's books through Amazon.com dealing with issues of helping those who are in need and looking for ways to be kind through giving, etc.  Once those come in and we have had a chance to start talking with Emery about these issues in a more concentrated and intentional way, we are going to let her choose a child to 'adopt' through Compassion International, and I hope that she really can connect with what we are trying to do to help a little one so close to her own age.  Also, it is time once again to start packing up Operation Christmas Child boxes for church, so we'll let her help pick out items for the boxes and pack them up for the kids who are in need far away.  That's what we've come up with so far, and I am HUNGRY for more ideas on how to help my kids see those in need around them and have tender hearts towards the hurting.  They are so little, thus our sphere of help-i-tude is small, but I want to start small and help cultivate in them a passion for those who are hurting.  Please, do you have any ideas, websites, organizations or projects that you've come across or done in the past that you could share?

Maybe I can't pack up for the Amazon during this season of my Mommyhood, but I certainly can endeavor to expand the horizons and hearts of the little one's God has loaned me for this lifetime.  I'd love to hear if you have any other ideas to help me with this adventure...!  :)

Our sphere may currently be small, but God is mighty to save.  That I know as truth.

:)

Oct-photo-ber: Week 2.

Hello, friends!

Well, that didn't take long.  Yes, I have fallen behind on posting the pictures taken for that October photo challenge.  We all saw that coming, right?  ;)  However!  I actually DID take the pictures on my phone over the last week or so, even during the craziness of a wedding weekend for my sister.

Aren't you so proud?

;)

Here ya go...just a wee bit late.

Day 8: Technology

{My girls LOVE www.starfall.com...and I LOVE the friends who tipped me off to this awesome learning website!  Emery learned her alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, and so much more while we'd click through the learning games together when she was very little, and the site gave me some guidance on knowing what to try and teach her next if she showed interest.  Delia is enthralled with the games and songs, and she's starting to show interest in saying the letters as they pop up on the screen.  I've never really pushed the learning process, but this site is so much fun for them that we end up doing "school" every morning after breakfast by request for about an hour.  We highly recommend!}

Day 9: Faceless Self Portrait

{As expressed in the previous Oct-photo-ber post, it is a momentous occasion when I find and excuse to put together a cute outfit in which to leave the house...and leave the yoga pants at home.  I mean, really.  If I'm just going to be doing laundry and running around in the backyard and wiping booties and boogers all day, why wear nice clothes?  Right?  Just me?  Anyway, on this day, I wanted to send my bestie some photographic evidence that I'd brought my new boots (an extremely sweet surprise from Russell) out of their box and donned an outfit completely void of stretchy pants.  Voila.  She was quite proud.  ;)  Alas, I obviously did NOT find time to clean and/or make my bed.  Sigh.  ;) }

Day 10: Something I Made

{Doodles' first piggy tails.  Had to wrestle with her for at least 30 minutes to make this happen, but the cuteness overload was way worth it.}

Day 11: Close-Up

{These are the yummy cupcakes and naughty toppers from my sister's personal shower I threw for her this past week.  If you are ever in the OKC metro, hit up Cuppies and Joe.  Such a cute coffee and cupcake shop, and the owners are precious people.  Delish!}

Day 12: From a Distance

{This is a shot of my home church as we began to decorate for my little sis' wedding.  This was only the beginning of the decorating efforts.  She had a vintage-y bird cage-y thing going on, and the end result was truly gorgeous.  Those birdcages were pretty huge if that gives you a bit of perspective on the shot, and I wish I could post some of the finished product pics....alas, they are still being processed by the photographer.  Soon!!}

Day 13: Flowers

{Almost daily, Emery asks to do a craft ("twaft") with me while Delia takes her morning nap.  Enter Target's amazing dollar section.  Our craft bins are full of items from the dollar section, and it is so handy to be able to just whip something out for us to do together.  Stickers, bubbles, animal flash cards, DIY picture frames, paints, chalk, and so much more.  Recently, we used a Forget-Me-Not planting kit, and we talked all about how flowers start as baby seeds and need water and sunshine in order to grow.  Each day since, she wants to check on her "babies," and we add a little water every once and awhile.  Moms in need of cheap twafts: Target dollar section to the rescue!!}

Day 14: My Shoes

{A little Tory Burch love from the hubby.  I'll keep him.  ;)  }

There's a little glimpse into our week!  Any tips on other cheap crafty ideas or websites/blogs?  I'm feeling the need to expand my horizons....  ;) 

Have a lovely week, friends.

In Our House, Fall Looks Like...

...spray-painted pumpkins on the mantle.

...apple and cinnamon candles burning.

...hot coffee in giant mugs. 

...tiny craft pumpkins on the kitchen table.  (One of these things is not like the other...)

...Katie Herzig radio station playing on Pandora.

What does your 'fall' look like?

:)

She Did It!

My little sister became a wife yesterday, and she was radiant. So happy to have been part of her special day. She is a beauty!! :)

Target. I Shall Miss Ye.

A couple of months ago, I got the urge to purge.  One major benefit of living in a small space is that you really can't let yourself accumulate too much of the 'stuff' of life, otherwise you'll be heading down the slippery slope towards your very own episode of "Hoarders" in no time.  Thusly, a purge was in order.

I cleaned out a few drawers and the teeny hallway closet.  I rearranged and restocked the girls' drawers and closets with fall and winter clothes.  Delia is fully equipped with a wardrobe of hand-me-downs courtesy of her big sis.  ;)  Next, I cleared out some space under our bed for some craft bins.  And then...it was time.  Time to tackle the big one.  My closet.

You see, our closets are actually not big, but we've managed to come up with some pretty crafty ways of storing clothes and shoes and such.  Extra shelving, hanging door hooks, etc.  But still.  It was getting ridiculous.

I'm a big time clothing pack rat.  I can usually remember how much I originally paid for an item, plus there's always the chance that certain styles might just come back around someday.  (Babydoll tees?  No?).  Also, whenever we travel, we like to procure a destination t-shirt as one of our travel mementos, so the back of my closet was crammed full of shirts I'll never wear.  Genius, really.  ;)  (I can't STAND tightness around my neck.  Gives me a headache.  I'll make the sacrifice for a stylin' necklace or spiffy blazer, but a t-shirt?  No thank you.)

Another clothing surplus issue?  All of the in-between sizes that naturally come from years spent bearing children....and then bearing the post-children-pooch.  You know, the I'm-just-barely-pregnant-so-I-could-maybe-squeeze-into-these-stretchy-tops sizes, and the I-just-had-a-baby-and-am-still-squishy-but-don't-want-to-ever-don-another-pair-of-maternity-pants-EVER-again sizes.  The sizes of clothes in my closet run the gamut, and, since we aren't quite finished with the baby-makin', I don't feel like I should donate the in-between-ers quite yet.

[Side note: I am QUITE aware that this is not a 'real' problem and does not even begin to compare with the real issues of our world.  I get it.  Just a lighthearted post to give a glimpse into my little life.  That's all.  :) ]

So.  Too many clothes.  Not enough space.  A bigger closet is not in my immediate future, so that left one option: purge.

I pretended like the Fashion Police were standing there with me telling me that I could only choose a handful of items from each clothing category to keep (sweaters, cardigans, blouses, jeans, dresses, etc.).  I carefully chose the few items from each category that I really do feel special when wearing, and the rest...they were evicted from Tiny Closet Land.  Upon further digging, I started to realize that I just keep buying the same types of things over and over again with a small variation here or there...but I don't realize it, because my closet is so overstuffed with things I don't even really want anymore.

Sigh.

Ridiculous.

And a wee bit convicting.

So.  After the purge was complete, I decided it was time for a shopping hiatus.  High time, actually.

You see, I shop cheap.  Seriously.  If I have anything semi-expensive or 'designer,' it was either gifted to me or I saved and saved my little monthly allowance for it (or, back in the day, I'd decorate a cake or two to make a big purchase).

But that's the problem: shopping cheap.  The sale racks at Target and Old Navy and Forever 21 trick you into thinking you are 'saving' money...and in a sense, you are.  A $40 sweater marked down to $8?  Yes.  Cheaper.  But my problem was a closet full of inexpensive items that I didn't necessarily love or, the bigger issue, that I didn't NEED.  At all.  I have never in my life used credit to make a clothing purchase (unless, of course, we were on vacation and wanted the credit card points and already had the cash in the bank back home to pay for it blah blah blah).  Even while my husband was in pharmacy school, I shopped with cake money or waited till I was gifted some shopping cash for my birthday or whatever.  But, although I've been paying cash for my purchases, my closet was evidence that something needed to change.

Or..."Hoarders: The Target Edition," here I come.

;)

Therefore, it is shopping hiatus time.  Over the past couple of months, it has been surprisingly easy to avoid frivolous purchases, actually.  My only slip-up: I found myself in the Old Navy dressing room trying on colored denim one time, and I actually gasped aloud!  I'd just wandered in there out of pure habit.  Craziness, I tell you.  ;)  Anyway, my monthly allowance has been put to much better use over the past few months: a fun birthday party for my youngest daughter, a personal shower for my bride-to-be sister, taking my family out to dinner a few times, and having the freedom to surprise my friends and family with little gifts here and there just to show them I love them. We are 'adopting' a child through Compassion International to give Emery a little perspective on the world, and I'm really excited about a few other mission-minded projects we've got cooking.  (I've also enjoyed a few trips to the salon for my fake talons.  That's pretty fun, too...plus, it's one wee hour off of Mom Duty.  Money well spent.)  ;)

Anyway, all that to say, it has been good for me to stop the shopping for just a bit.  Not that things were out of control, but it is always a good thing to scale back and purge.  It's good to refocus my allowance, repurpose my 'old' clothes, and realign my monetary priorities.  Not a 'big' issue, I get it.  But I thought I'd share a little conviction I felt, and, thusly the plan to remedy things for a bit.

Because, really.  Who needs three mustard cardigans when there's so much other fun to be had?

;)

What about you?  Any similar shopping pitfalls?  Doesn't it feel good to purge your house?!

Oct-photo-ber: Week One.

Don't know about you, but I've noticed lots of photo-a-day challenges going around the blog world and on Instagram...and I'm really enjoying it!  Call me nosy, but I like a little sneak peek into the lives of my friends near and far, plus these simple challenges are a great way to spice things up when you hit a blogger's block. 

SO!  Here's a glimpse into our world via a random October photo-a-day challenge found on Pinterest.  

Where else?

;)

(Note:  I'm pretty sure these challenges are supposed to be completed using one's actual camera in order to promote photographic creativity and enhance one's skill set.  Alas.  My photos will be iPhone pics, because, really, I'm no photographer.  I just want to play!)

Day One:  Self-portrait.

{This was a post-nap, "Oh yeah, I need to take a picture for that photo challenge thingy" picture.  I'm extra impressed with myself for remembering to take these pictures this week, actually.  ;) }

Day Two:  What I wore.

{PEOPLE.  Let it be known that at least ONE day this week, I did NOT wear sweats.  You may applaud at this time.  ;) But really...this slouchy sweater hides a multitude of sins...just like sweats.  Hehe.  ;)

Sweater: H&M - Skinnies: Old Navy - Shoes: Michael Kors via TJ Maxx - 

Watch: Michael Kors - Necklaces: H&M }

Day Three: Clouds.

{A very pink sunset.  Gorgeous.  Yay for Oklahoma skies.}

Day Four:  Favorite color.

{Minty/aqua.  My house is swathed in it (thanks to my MIL!), my body is sometimes swathed in it (see above pic), and it is just a very soothing, peaceful color.  Love.}

Day Five:  Someone(s) I love.

{My two blondies.  Mid-snuggle or mid-chokehold.  You decide.}

;)

Day Six: Childhood memory.

{My mom, sister and I would sing the song from this book every single night while I was growing up, sometimes even over the phone when I was away at college and very homesick.  Makes me teary when I sing it to my girls each night.  One of the best books, I say.}

Day Seven: Something new.

{Doodle's birthday present: a "vintage" play kitchen from le Target!  She was also gifted with the cutest Melissa and Doug play food and kitchen wares.  It is quite adorable.  And the girls love it!}

Oct-photo-ber Week One....CHECK!  

(You have no idea how impressed I am with myself for actually completing this week.  

Mommy Brain Cells, unite!)

:)

Patchin' It.

We took the girlies to a local church's pumpkin patch this week, and somehow we were the only ones out there.  Made for perfect picture taking!  They had a blast wandering around the pumpkin patches, playing in the hay maze, and riding in the wagons.  A lovely, pumpkin-y evening with my sweet fam!

(Squinting Beauty.)

(Ta da!)

(A Doodle Bug nose crinkle.  Love.)

(Playing the drums...)

("Mommy!  It's a baby one!")

(Hay maze!)

(IMPOSSIBLE to get them to both look at the camera simultaneously.  This is about the best we could do.  ;)

("Snuddles.")

(Attempt at a group shot...this was the best one if that tells you anything...!)  ;)

(Concentrating.)

(Hunky hubby.)

:)

(Heading home with our pumpkins.)

Happy fall, y'all!

:)

Le Toilet.

(No idea why this post went away for the past 12 hours...weird Internets, I tell you!)

At the risk of sabotaging it all, I will venture to say that Emery is now basically potty trained.  And all the angels rejoiced.  Hallelu.  No accidents to speak of in the last three weeks, and we are just about to conquer overnight training.  But, I'm counting it as pretty much potty trained.

As this has been my first foray into the world of potty training, I will now declare that I am NO expert.  And, for that very reason, I'd like to reflect on lessons learned, mistakes made, experiences had.  Because really.  Who doesn't want to hear about my child's urinary and intestinal accomplishments?   (Read: I won't be mad at you if you choose to stop reading now.  I get it.  Pee pee and poo poo isn't that fascinating to most.  But.  To us, it has been all-consuming for the past four months.  So, bear with me.)  ;)

1.   If they're not ready, they're not ready.  Because Emery was pretty communicative at a relatively early age, I naively thought that translated into being ready for EVERYTHING early.  Even potty training.  So, at 18 months, I decided to give it a go.  It was, how you say, A FAILURE.  She was terrified, absolutely terrified, and it did NOT go well that first try.  So...we stopped.  At the time, I wondered if I was doing the wrong thing by "giving in" and choosing to wait, and now I can tell you that it was right to follow my gut...and her screams of fear.  ;)  Waiting and trying again a few months later was the best choice of all.

2.  Know your kid.  Emery is a million wonderful things, but excessively brave, she is not.  So, the thought of plopping her right up onto the (in her eyes) gigantic white toilet seemed like it would not go so well.  As with most new things, she feels more secure if she can ease into them.  (She isn't a tiny Erin at all.  Not at all.)   ;)  Anyway, I'd heard from a couple of people that the cheap IKEA potties were a great buy, so that's where we started.  They are $5, there are no hinges or flaps or hidden crevices to clean as it's all just one solid piece of plastic, and they are light and mobile.  Since our second potty training attempt began while I had a little nursing baby, I was very glad for the portability of the practice potty.  After a few days, Emery became very comfortable with her little pink potty, and we stuck with it for a couple of months.  Again, I don't think we would have had success had we immediately started with the 'big' potty, but I'm guessing Miss Delia might be a little different.  We'll see.  ;)

3.  Positive praise makes me need a nap.  ;)  We used LOTS AND LOTS of positive praise when she'd have a success in the potty or kept her panties dry for a nap/church/errand, and everyone was right: it gets tiring for the parents.  Fast.  But, we had to keep it up, because it was really working.  We also used Skittles for rewards for the first month or so (one Skittle for #1, two for #2...clever, no?).  The Skittles helped, but really E responded more to the positive praise.  Think insane clown squealing, arm flapping, and excessive amounts of obnoxious cheering and clapping.  From the parents.  ;)  Keep up the positive praise.  It works.  And then go take a nap.

4.  Be ready to invest a little cash in the process.  Some of the gear/accessories that worked for us:

Beamis Potty Seat toilet seat:

After Delia started crawling, the little pink potty had to go.  The last straw was finding Miss D sprawled out and splashing around in the contents of an overturned and formerly full pink potty.  The End.  So, a few friends recommended the above toilet seat.  FRIENDS.  It is amazing.  You simply replace your current toilet seat with this one, and the child seat is attached to the lid.  It is magnetized and stays up in the lid unless your kid needs to pull it down to use it, thus guests don't have to mess with one of those little potty rings when they need to use the guest bathroom.  It also has a silent-close lid.  Priceless.  ;)  I very highly recommend this product.  I found ours at Home Depot, and it was about $30 on sale.  Worth every penny.  :)

Training panties with the thick inner core:

My mom recommended these panties, because they are extra thick in the crotch, and, thus, extra absorbent.  We kind of went the 'cold turkey' approach during the day, and we only really used pull-ups for going out of the house/sleepy times during those first months.  SO, while we were at home and the inevitable accident occurred, these bad boys were life savers in absorbing some of the mess so that my furniture did not.  ;)  We found ours at Target, and it was an extra source of motivation for E since I let her pick her panties out.  Win win.

Waterproof mattress pads:

This is an obvious one.  I wish I had two, though.  Now that we are almost potty trained during sleepy times, I look back wondering why I didn't buy a second one of these mattress pads for those accident days where I just don't have time to do another load of laundry.  Eh.  Live and learn.

Little Looster step stool:

This thing is a beast.  I mean, huge.  In our teeny, tiny guest bath, it pretty much takes over half of the space.  However.  My timid little lady ceased her nervous whining when we switched to this stool.  She can confidently pull her pants up and down without wobbling, and there's plenty of room to turn around and flush the toilet or close the lid.  It is very sturdy...but it's huge.  You've been warned.  ;)

Lysol No-Touch hand soap dispenser:

Another idea I stole from a friend, and this product is great!  Hands-free soap dispenser makes independent hand washing a breeze.  Sometimes too much of a breeze....  If I hear the dispenser going off multiple times, I know it's time to investigate the soapy fun.  ;)  Buying this thing was the final step in helping Emery complete her potty routine all by herself.  Again, hallelu.

:)

5.  "Training" includes an "ing."  Meaning, it is a process, a learning practice, a skill to develop....over time.  I'm sure there exist children who were completely and totally potty trained the very first time they tried, and that's awesome.  I bummed myself out by reading about these kids via blogs, though, and I was very frustrated in those first weeks thinking that this should be a one-and-done kind of deal.  Nope.  Took time.  Patience.  Practice.  For both of us.  Potty training.  Remember the "ing."  :)

Well, there's a little bit of our journey through the CRAZINESS of potty training.  Wow.  My bestie said it best: parents should receive a medal for potty training.  

AGREED.

;)

Any tips, tricks or products that helped you?  I'm still learning, that's for sure!!

(**These product reviews are my own personal opinion and are not paid reviews.)