Quiet ramblings....

I love my life right now. It's raining outside and cozy inside. My children are sleeping at the same time!! Zucchini bread just pulled out of the oven. Hubs due home in a few hours. Maybe I should take a nap?? Or update this blog....it's been a month since I've posted anything!

We had a wonderful, BUSY Christmas trip to California...it was quite challenging traveling with 2 very small kiddos. They did well overall but you just have to be flexible for those extra diaper blow-outs, few naps resulting in an overly emotional 2 year old girl, 10 minutes of shrill screaming from a 3 month old while all the airplane passengers stare at you as you try to smile and shove the pacifier in further, really long lines at security, 2 check-ins, a carseat, 3 backpacks, 3 carry-ons, a purse, and a double Bob jogging stroller. Phew! We really enjoyed spending time with our families and we miss them. But it is really good to be home and getting into our own routine and schedule again.

I was just reading on a woman's blog that she picks a word each year to pray about, think about, and strive towards (such as patience, discipline, etc.). I couldn't pick just one so my words will be compassion and thankfulness. I pray that the Lord will soften my heart and help me to love others with compassion the way He does, and that I will be continually grateful for God's faithfulness, provision, and peace He tenderly pours into my life. What word/s would you pick? (It doesn't have to be super spiritual or deep--organization would be another I could've chosen!).


Here are a few pics and highlights from the last month:

The little one nursing her little one

                                   Building gingerbread (graham-cracker) houses with dear friends

                                                          The hubs deep in concentration

                                                 She loved her broom she got for Christmas!

             Spoiled by attention from all her aunties and uncles (and grandparents and great-grandparents!)

                                                                         Christmas Eve

                                                 Opening her stocking from Papa and Nana

                                                        Little man napping with Grandpa

                       Little man napping with Snoopy (upper left corner: handmade napkins for Nana and Papa!)

SO much fun with the lovely Taylor family

Little things I love...

-Clean sheets
-Lists (ha!)
-Apple crisp (esp. the topping)
-A full tank of gas
-Uncluttered counters
-Yellow lab puppies
-A hot bath
-Reading in a hot bath
-Reading in a hot bath with dessert
-Being called "Mama" and "Mommy"
-Yankee Candle's Fall scents
-Finding a great deal at the thrift store

...What're some little things you  love?

What I've been up to...

Parenting two children is exponentially busier than one. Let me just put that out there before listing what's been going on in the last 6 weeks (so you'll hopefully be understanding and sympathetic).  :)

- Changing diapers (one in cloth, which has been suprisingly easier than I expected, and one in disposables, which we are praying will not be much longer--see next sentence)
- Encouraging potty-training
- Washing diapers
- Running errands with 2 kids (3 hours to go 2 or 3 places--see next sentence)
- Running errands alone (6 places in less than 2 hours)
- Fighting a nasty cold that left me with a chain smoker's voice for a few days
- Suctioning the...err..gunk....out of my 6 week old son's nose as he is also fighting a nasty cold
- Dreaming about sewing and creating, but have yet to carry out that plan
- Eating for two, as I'm keeping my son alive with my milk

- Thanking God for my sweet and helpful husband, two wonderful children, and a life that I wouldn't trade for anything-- although I will be thankful once we find a routine and my 2 year old learns a little self-control (like not sticking her finger down her baby brother's throat...). Ahem. I will leave you with a picture:

New Baby!

Sheesh, it's been a looooong time since I've posted anything! However, life with a newborn and a toddler is crazier, busier, and more prayer-invoking than most any other time in my life :) And I'm SO thankful for my new normal...which is anything but normal now (although I'm assured by older, wiser mothers that a routine will eventually be established in say, 3 or 4 months!). Here are some pictures of the new love of my life, my son, Little JIG (initials only to protect my sweet children from weirdos out there who may happen to stumble upon my blog):

                                                     (black feet from getting footprints taken)

Making soap

I made my own laundry soap for the first time a few weeks ago! It was really easy to make and it works well (trust me....we were all sick with the stomach flu last week, and a two year old can't quite make it to the toilet to throw up...we washed a lot of clothes and towels and sheets....). Here's a link to the recipe I followed: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap2.htm. I ordered the washing soda and Fels-Naptha soap online and had it shipped to a local store so I didn't have to pay shipping. I use about a 1/2-3/4 cup for each load (depending on the size of the load and/or how dirty the load is). It was so simple to make and I like that I'm saving money (and I also know exactly what's in my soap!). Here's a pic of what it turned out like:

Part of it is kind of liquidy and part is sort of gel-like (and the little pick cup is the scooper I use) :)

New haircut

I don't know what it is about having a baby (or being very ready to have a baby), but a lot of ladies cut their hair short. I'm no exception. After making sure my hubby wouldn't mind, I got my hair cut the shortest it has been in the last 6 years. I really felt like I wanted a change and my current "style" (if you could call pulling long hair back in a ponytail everyday style-haha!) just wasn't doing it for me. Here's the result (and I didn't realize how swollen my face was beginning to look until this pic was taken yesterday!):

38+4 weeks!! (Like the Chaco/dress look? We were just about to go on a walk :) )

A Birthday

A little Someone around here recently celebrated a 2nd birthday. This year, she got the hang of opening her gifts, had a yummy cupcake, and thoroughly enjoyed herself:

Happy birthday, my sweet firstborn. What an incredible blessing you are!