Summer List Preview

This summer I took a little inspiration from Meg and created a summer list for us. 

We have done some really fun things this summer. More on everything later. Today I wanted to put up a few pictures of some of our fun. Can you guess which picture below coordinates with which activity from the list?

One of the things on the list is Tent Camping. Todd and I bought a tent way before we ever had kids but never used it. I understand now that Todd hates camping and only bought that tent to make me happy and because it was on super sale at Target. We had never even unzipped the bag it came in.

So a couple of weeks ago had a nice weekend with pretty mild weather and Kara and I set up the tent in the back yard.

Sophie helping out too

Checking out the air mattress

Mom and Dad let us borrow their fire pit to roast marshmellows and make s'mores. Yummy! And our wonderful neighbors came over to enjoy the evening. Once we put the Sophie bear to bed we started up the fire and waited until dark to make our treats. 

Crossing her legs like Mommy....

After mashmellows we stayed up and the adults talked while we let Kara play games on my Kindle. Then around 10 pm, Todd tucked us in and we tried to go to sleep. About 45 minutes and one bathroom trip later, I think she actually fell asleep. So do you think we made it until morning....

WE DID! 

And as a side note, the best part was the cuddling little girl in the middle of the night...at least for Mommy. 

Big Day

 Today was a big day at our house....


Most kids get their first bikes on a birthday or at Christmas. But let's be honest. Kara's 3rd birthday in January was only 5 days after Sophie was born and being outside teaching her how to ride a bike was not in my plans.

So we waited...and last night we went out at 8pm, picked out a bike and put it together.

 So....technically Todd put it together--but that's just details.

Working hard to help Daddy

Yup..that's a Pinkalicious bike. Even comes with those cute handle bar streamers and a bike seat for Baby Doll. 

 We had fun. And she did SO GOOD. I mean really, Todd and I are possibly the two least athletic people I know. And she picked up on that bike like it was nobody's business. She even has braking down for the most part. I am such a proud Momma bear!

Beach Babes

Last week we took our annual beach vacation to Hilton Head, SC with my whole family. We look forward to playing on the beach, eating out way too much, and being frozen to death in our condo by my sister who likes the temperature to be below 70 at all times.... :)

This year I got my calendar confused and scheduled our vacation the same weekend I was coming back from a work trip. So, Kara went to the beach with my sister and her family on Saturday and Todd met me at the Charlotte airport with Sophie and we drove down on Sunday. To say the least this was all a fiasco so I will make sure to not ever do that again.

Our first day on the beach was super fun. 

Then Sophie got pretty sick...she had broncholitis with a fever of 102.4. So she stayed at home most of the days while Kara and I went to the beach. Sophie was on the beach a total of like 5 hours the whole week. But we got some cute pictures. And yes...they did have matching swimsuits because I am that kind of Momma. 

Kara looking not so happy. On the boogie board with Aunt Claudia. Eating lunch. Skipping in the sand.

 

In case you wonder, that top left picture is when Mommy wasn't watching she put sand in her mouth. And yes that is me in my incognito look (sunglasses and floppy hats) with Sophie--how she spent 3 hours of the 5 she was on the beach. Sleeping on me.

Woah...water. Jumping in the pool. Reading a story with Granda-da. Walk on the beach

Kara loved the pool. Sophie even got in on a little pool action some evenings...when she wasn't giving me super kisses from her car float. 

 Sweet girls. Fun times were had by most. Can't wait until next year!

Loving my body

When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see much beauty there. I've spent my whole life that way. There are a few times in my life--so few that I can count them on one hand--that I have liked the way my reflection looks.
The world has told me that I am soft where I should be sculpted and round where I should be flat and too big where I should be small. And I listened to the world. I listened when the world told me that I was ugly. And to comfort myself from the hurt feelings that those words produced, I just did more harm to my body with food.

This body of mine, that I loathe most days, has created, carried, and birthed two of the most beautiful girls I have ever laid eyes on. I know I am a bit biased...but you have to admit they are pretty adorable.
And they must..they need to know they are beautiful. They need to know that it isn't about what size clothes they wear or if they have frizzy hair or what body shape they have.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10

I struggle in so many ways as a parent. To learn how to teach my children to love God, watch how I speak so that they also speak in kindness, curb my anger so that they will not react in anger but in love...I could go on and on. But today I watch my girls as they watch me. As Kara mimics every word I say and every action I do. When I am frustrated with her tantrams I can see that she is expressing her frustration how I do--with anger.

And I don't want that. And more than anything I want her opinion of beauty to be different. I want her to look at herself, her body, her mind, her attitude and see that what God has created is beautiful.

Is precious.

Is good.

Is God's masterpiece. 

I will not put myself down in front of my girls anymore. Today I will learn to love my body. And when you love something you don't talk down to it or say bad things about it or treat it badly. Yes, I love this belly that carried two healthy baby girls to term, these arms that rock them to sleep, my eyes that watch them growing up so fast, this crazy hair that she is starting to get.

I have been on a journey over the last two years to become more healthy. I was motivated by some health issues that stemmed from an inactive lifestyle and unhealthy diet. I initially started so I would lose weight. But I'm learning that weight I need to lose is the weight of sin. Over-indulgence of the flesh. And what I can gain from that loss is a more rich life, not fulfilled by food but fulfilled by Christ.

I'm not perfect and I fall backwards ALL. THE. TIME.

But today I will succeed. And tomorrow, who knows. But I stand on the grace of God and his promises that he will always have my back.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience - Colossians 3:12

You are holy and beloved.

Be cloaked in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness (being gentle) and patience.

Now, how beautiful would that make you???




  

Sophie: 5 Months

 My sweet little green pea,

Tomorrow you turn 5 months.Where did those 5 months go? Last year at this time I was contemplating an overdose of Zofran and wondering when and if I would ever NOT feel nauseated. But I knew it was all worth it.
Boy, did I ever underestimate how worth it.

Seriously kiddo, you are the cutest thing since Kara. You bring such joy to my days. I cherish all the time we get to spend together rocking and playing and having you just be a babe.
You started eating "real" food last week. Yum Yum. You love it. Daddy even wondered if your sitter secretly started feeding you early because you mastered eating from a spoon in like 3 days. And you cry because we are just not fast enough. You don't even do that really frustrating "I'm gonna stick my tongue out as soon as you put the food in" thing. It's great.

 You are happy and you giggle a little more now. And you love to roll side to side. Over and over. So much so that I can't leave you on the bed anymore, and I can't really leave you anywhere without a pile of pillows all around you so you don't roll into a wall or onto a hard surface and crack your head.

And Kara still loves you to pieces. She left you with me to go with Grammy today and she only said goodbye to "Sop-sie". Not Mommy, you know, the woman that feeds her and clothes her, and lavishes all her energy on her..nope-only to her sweet baby sister. I'm sure she misses you much more than me. You guys are going to be buds..and probably gang up on me more than not. But I'm okay with that. I guess....

 Mommy and Daddy love you and are loving getting to see your little personality grow.
Happy Father's day to Daddy this weekend!

"Well Hi There!"