Blessed

How did I get so lucky to have the husband that I do? Tomorrow is our 4yr anniversary, and boy it feels like just yesterday that I was telling him "shut-up" as he proposed to me (that story may come at a later date). We have both grown up so much, and yet I still feel like a child at times. Getting married was more than the wedding for me, it was the start of my dream to have my own family. Jason is such a wonderful daddy, the love he has for Mikayla is something I couldnt have even dreamed of. Here they are:

Doesn't this picture just melt your heart? There is no way I could have even imagined 4 yrs ago that I would be this blessed and fortunate.

Happy Anniversary Jason! I love you!

**Awww don't worry readers, I am not always this gushy!**

Bye Bye Ba-Ba

Mikayla is 18 months. Oh. My. Goodness. Really? I seriously feel like it was just yesterday that I was in labor for 32 hours, waiting on my little girl who apparently had her own agenda. And to this day, she still has her own agenda. She does not do things until/unless she decides to do them on her own.

Yesterday was a day that I decided to make a decision for her. Say bye-bye to the bottle (affectionately reffered to in our home as ba-ba.) For the last 6 months she has just been getting a bottle before bedtime and naps. I dont know how long is too long before you quit with the bottle, but something told me that last night was a good night to do it. I was scared. We have a good thing going with bedtime, should I ruin that?

Well she did just fine. Went to sleep normally. No biggie. Come to think of it, all of her transitions have been no big deal. I am blessed. Shocked, but blessed.

Does she really have to grow up?

Until next week.....

Jason and I are headed to Estes Park tomorrow, and won't be back till Sunday! Our anniversary is next week, and we are celebrating a tad early! Boy will it be nice to get away for a bit!

Wow, has it really been 4 years already?



Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week, and an awesome weekend! Say a prayer for my mom and my mother-in-law, they are on Mikayla duty! I think they may need the vacation after this weekend! :)

Tuesday Tips: Bathtub paints

So I have decided that every Tuesday that I write, I will provide a helpful tip from my vast knowledge and experience with life and motherhood (are you all rolling your eyes at me?)

Today's tip: Do not use too much food coloring when you create your own bathtub paint.

I created this yesterday in an effort to be a cool mommy:

Its shaving cream and food coloring mixed together and separated in a formula dispenser. I put her in the bath with the paints and let her go to town. I then freaked out at the thought of her little body and "unmentionable areas" being stained with an array of color, after examining my own hands and seeing pink and green stains all over them. SO I pulled her out of the tub and set her up at the sink with her fun paints. The mess was worth it, she had fun, and the "unmentionable areas" were all covered:

Messy!

Look at that sweet face!

My little artist!

So, if any of you brave mothers out there try this, which I highly recommend, go easy on the food coloring! As appealing as the vibrant colors may be, your kids will have fun with it regardless of how dark the colors appear!

Happy Tuesday!

Happiness and Contentment....

This time last year I was a bit of a wreck. I was a new mother of a 6 month old, working, and things in my marriage were rough (not rough in the way the world would view it, but things were definitely not optimal). My wish for my birthday last year was for happiness and contentment. Well apparently I wasn't specific with which birthday I wanted happiness and contentment to fall on, because it didn't happen last year.

I am glad to report that the happiness and contentment has come......one year later! That's right, on the eve of my 24th birthday, I am realizing just how happy and content I am. Things are FANTASTIC with Jason and I. My daughter, despite the normal outbursts of emotion, is absolutely perfect in my eyes. I am getting in shape and feel great. My house has never been cleaner. I have new passions and desires for things that I enjoy doing. I have developed a deeper walk with God than I ever thought possible. The best part, you may ask? I do it ALL without feeling like I have neglected something or someone!

So is it truly because I am one year older? Doubt it. Is it because my circumstances have changed? Maybe. I am not really sure why the change has occurred, but I am glad it did. I feel fabulous!

Here's to the next year full of:
*smaller jeans
*a house full of home-made crafts
*a bible falling apart due to being opened often
*a marriage full of fun and romance
*a child who becomes smarter due to my interactions with her
*and happiness and contentment that lasts the whole year long!

Happy Birthday to me!

Dare I say it, but....

I am enjoying working out. **GASP** Yes, I said it. Mark it on your calenders. I have exercised 14 of the last 17 days.

I love Zumba, and the elliptical is more of a friendly acquaintance now as opposed to the horrid stranger it was a few weeks ago. I just finished running 2 miles in 23 minutes, which doesn't put me at marathon status by any means, but I think I have graduated from the running-up-the-stairs-puts-me-out-of-breath category. Big accomplishment.

So, here is the obstacle I run into. As I progress in my attempts to be fit, I find myself feeling guilty for everything, or convincing myself that what I am doing is not good enough.

Have any of you ever encountered that? What do you do to combat those thoughts?

Impression

Mikayla tries so hard to imitate what she sees being done. Take play-doh for instance: I cut out a circle in the play-doh using a cake tip (I hope my mother-in-law doesn't read this, she bought me the cake tips. I dont think she will be thrilled that we use them for play-doh J) and this is Mikayla's version of using the cake tip:



Cute, but not quite the same, it is her own impression.

I was reading this morning in 1 Thessalonians about this concept. In verse 7 Paul is telling the church of the Thessalonains "you became an example to all the believers..." The original Greek word used for "example" was used to describe a seal that marked wax, or a stamp that minted coins. A permanent, constant impression.

It got me thinking. Who's "impression" am I leaving on those around me? Am I leaving my mark, or God's? If Paul was commending the church about the example they were leaving, it was a Godly example, because Paul didnt grant praise to anything that was not Godly.

I was reading yesterday on one of the blogs that I follow that they have obtained 10,000 followers! Well of course that pushed me to lament last night about how I could get more followers to my blog. Then my dear sweet husband asked "What is the reason for your blog?" and I quickly stated "So people can read the stuff I write." I instantly wished I could have pulled those words back in my mouth. That was not the reason I originally had in starting this blog. I feel as though God has revealed some wonderful stuff to me, and I would be doing an injustice by not sharing it. It has nothing to do with me.

So my wonderful followers, all 10 of you, I hope that the impression I leave on you is that of God. And if you are the only 10 followers I ever have, I pray that the impression you receive of me every time I write is that of a Godly one.

I apologize for my "follower envy." Please forgive me J