Romans 8:28

Easter Sunday is fast approaching...and with it come memories of last Easter, and I can't believe it's been a year..A year already, really? It was last Easter Sunday that i first ended up in the hospital at 30 weeks pregnant because of a slight amniotic leakage. I remember being so scared that I was going to have to deliver my baby girl early and all the complications it would bring, all the time spent in a NICU, and the time I would spend away from my baby boy. Praise God that none of that ever came to pass, I did however end up on bed rest for 7 weeks and that was a trial all it's own. But here we are a whole year later, and I have a a healthy, beautiful, feisty baby girl, who is in just 2.5 months will no longer be an infant...I can't believe it! I don't know where not only the last 9 months have gone but the last year went..It all seems to have gone by in a blur, except for the 7 weeks on bed rest..those days felt like they never where going to end! Babies change so much in their first year of life, and as mothers we walk around in a Zombie like state (from lack of sleep and with little to no contact with the real world) that they seem to be grow up and we don't know when it happened. It really feels like just weeks ago that Audrey was a BEAUTIFUL new born baby, who was barley big enough to fit into her 0-3month clothes, and was content to sleep on dad's chest, or spend an hour nursing with mom



Now she's eating table food, fighting with her brother, growling at her daddy when he kisses her to many times, pulling shelves of movies down, walking along the furniture, clapping her hands anytime she hears music and wearing 12-18 month clothing. So as you can see a lot has changed in just the last 12 months!



So this time last year I was in a time of trial, I was afraid..Afraid for the health of my unborn daughter, and security of my 1.5 year old son. But we took it one uncertain day at a time and in the end God brought us through and we now have a healthy beautiful family that I am so very proud of. And as a family we again face another trial this Easter season, we know that although we may not understand why God allows certain things to happen, that HE is in control. And we stand on Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Bunnies & Flowers

One of the benefits I have found from blogging is finding fun and creative activities to do with my children, from other mom's blogs! Today I found a blog on how to make bunnies from hand prints, and flowers from footprints, and so that is just what we did!




We had so much fun doing our art projects! John loves playing with paint, and is so proud of his bunny, and Audrey laughed and squirmed while we painted her feet, which of course John & I found very funny too!

No longer a baby

Time is moving a bit to fast for my likeing, my baby boy has turned into a little boy over night.Yesterday I took John to get his 1st buzz cut. Grandpa Wright and Daddy have been pushing for it for over a year now, and I finally gave in. Now don't get me wrong, I think he looks cute, but I have been a tad bit emotional since I had it done...there is now no denying that he has become a little boy, he has completely lost the baby look.






I have also been feeling a little bit guilty lately about not having the time I would like to spend one on one with him. I love Audrey, she's me baby girl! What woman doesn't dream about having a little girl of her own one day? But that being said John will always hold a very special place in my heart because he's my 1st born. The pregnancy the delivery and every moment from there on have been exciting and special because not only is he doing something new for the 1st time, but I am experience it all for the 1st time as well. I miss the days when John & I where exploring the world together with no interruptions. That is why I want to make it a priority to do something special with him at least 2 times a month, just the two of us out on a little adventure! Besides Audrey needs some bonding time with Daddy:) My little boy is growing up way to fast and I want to create memories that will last us both a life time!

A little fresh air mixed with the beauty of God's creation always helps!

This is how I felt today!


Today has been one of those days! You know, the kind that when you look back on it you can't help but laugh but in the middle of it you feel like doing nothing but crying..yeah one of THOSE days! During our bath time this morning which is usually done at night, but because we where out enjoying the weather last night bedtime snuck up on us before we ever got around to baths. So anyway, we where off our routine by taking baths in the am and I should have known that was a bad idea..because not only 1 but both children decided it was a good time to have bowel movements, one in the tub the other on the floor, while mom was trying to quickly pull everything out of tub! once we got everyone cleaned up I decided to let John wear underpants because he has been a potty pro the last couple of days, and we where going to be close to the potty any way while mom was cleaning the bathroom. Well wouldn't you know he pees in his pants!!!!!! I will be honest after cleaning him up AGAIN..the 3rd time this morning....I put both children in their rooms with toys..and told them mom needed some time alone! It's day's like these that a small part of me wishes I had a job to escape to...And I wonder if staying home is really worth my sanity! After I regained composer and cleaned the bathroom it was lunch time. Still a extremely stressed mama, which makes for some pretty unhappy babies, I decided to forgo the house work I had planed on doing for the day..we ate lunch and went outside for a nice LONG walk and a chance enjoy the sun and the beauty of God's creation and that my friends always puts us in a happy mood!So my sink is still full of dishes, my laundry has not been touched today, there has been no vacuuming or sweeping, but my children & I are happy once again, and I know that there is no other job I would rather be doing than raising my children.

9 months already?

My baby girl is 9 months old! This is such an exciting age, Audrey is taking in the world around here, and making new accomplishments all the time. For example I love how I can speak to her and know that she is starting to understand me, and can sometimes communicate back. She waves hi and goodbye, she uses sign language to let us know when she is all done eating, she gives kisses when asked, she claps hands to songs that direct her to. She will look for daddy or John when I ask her where they are...and the one word she likes to pretend she doesn't understand is "NO".
She has also become a baby on the move in the last month..she began the month army crawling and just with in the past 2 days is starting to get around on her hands and knees. She also likes to cruz although she still is little shaky when it comes to balance. O and the most adorable moments are when she "dances" to music. I put dancing in quotations because all she really does is rock back and forth and bounces on her bottom...but still so adorable!
The past 9 months have flown bye! I find it hard to believe we will be celebrating her 1st birthday in just 3 short months. It's in moments like this that I realize that staying at home with my children all day is not always easy, but that these days don't last long, and I will take every moment I can good or bad to spend with my little ones because they aren't little long enough!

8 years and counting!

Sometimes I find myself thinking back through my relationship with Aaron...and lets be honest i have been smitten for a LONG time...I met Aaron when I was 15...it was actually the second time we met In September of 2001 at the Gospel Tabernacle Convention that I first found myself attracted to him. It was the Saturday night service, before the service actually began Aaron and i ran into each other out in the hall and chit chatted for a few mins, then through out the service i kept catching him looking at me...all though i think he wanted to be caught:) After service we ate our meal together and visited..and then my age came out..OOPS! See Aaron was in college and when he found out I was only 15 and a sophomore in high school...well I think he was scared off:)...A few weeks later I found myself thinking about him ALL the time, so i contacted a friend in coudersport and got his E-mail. Now this was so out of character for me...but i E-mailed him and have no idea what excuse I gave for writing him but whatever I said worked:) Aaron came up to see me just a few weeks later on October 26Th for a youth rally...and this people is when I fell in Love :)..That night someone asked us how we met..and before i could dive into the story Aaron says and I quote " It was Destiny" Cheesy? Very much so but a 15 year old girl it was music to my heart! Then at the end of the night I remember standing outside thinking great here comes the awkward goodbye scene..and Aaron so smoothly says how happy he was to have shared the evening with me and then kissed my hand and left...I was awestruck and...well my heart was his from that night to present day. That by no means means that things went smoothly from that day forward...Did I mention that this was the night that my Dad first met Aaron too..and lets just say my dad wasn't so thrilled with his 15 year old daughter crushing on a 19 year old college student. The next 5 years where filled with many ups and downs, but one thing remained true...that as much as I wanted to hate him at times, I never did....My heart always belonged to Aaron David Wright. It was August 1st of 2005 that Aaron asked me to marry him, and August 19th 2006 that I did just that, with my dad's blessing of course :) Now 3 and half years and 2 kids later, I am even more in love with the man that captured my heart when i was but a girl:)

Apple Strudel Muffins

They may not look pretty...but they taste great! Here is the recipe if anyone is interested:








2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 shredded apples
2 chopped apples

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2.In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3.In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs util smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
4.In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5.Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan.


ENJOY!

What Did You Do Today?.

I find myself sitting down at the end of the day and thinking what did I accomplish today? Because it never feels like much. So i figured I would write out our typical daily schedule and see where time goes...

7 AM the kids usally start to wake up if they aren't already up we spend the next hour snugging in bed watching the Disney channel and giving Audrey her morning bottle.

8 AM we get up change diapers get dressed and brush teeth. Then come down stairs and pick up the living room that is a mess from the night before.

8:30 AM Audrey in high chair with a handful of Cheerios and John at table with flash cards while I make breakfast. After we all eat Audrey sits in the highchair with some toys and John plays with his leapfrog alphabet fridge magnets while mom cleans the kitchen.

9:30 AM kids play in toy room while mom checks E-mail, and facebook, and usually starts the laundry

10 AM Audrey goes down for morning nap, John watches a movie, and I workout and then try to shower

11:30 AM Audrey is up and wants a bottle

12 PM Aaron comes home and plays with the kids while i make everyones lunch

1 PM everyone is fed and Aaron is back at work, John, Audrey, & I play. and I try to sneak away from time to time to switch laundry and clean up the lunch mess.

2 PM nap time:).....this is when i squeeze in some house work, talk to my mom, and blog:)

3:30 PM John's up and always a little grumpy so we snug for about 15 mins and then get his snack set up just in time for Audrey to wake up if she hasn't already.
Then it's a bottle for her along with snugging.

4:15 PM If it's a nice day we go for a walk or play outside, if it's not we color or put a music video on to dance to.

5 PM Dad's home! everyone hugs and kisses on dad and fights for his attention before he's back out the door at 5:20

5:30 PM Audrey is playing in high chair again listening to me sing silly songs and make dinner while John watches a movie/plays.

6 PM John, Audrey and I eat and make dad a plate, then try to straiten up the kitchen but dishes can wait till morning I'm beat!

6:45 PM bath time for John & Audrey

7:20 PM Audrey gets her night time bottle, then dad comes home so we get his dinner while he and John look at wildlife and the computer ( 1 of John's favorite things to do with Dad)

7:45 PM Audrey in bed

8 PM John in bed....And finally I got to spend some time with Aaron. When he'll ask me....What I did today?.......And I never really know!

Play Dates Anyone?

We all know that having tea parties with our dolls is a favorite past time for many little girls, and will continue to be so for generations to come. But what about little boys.....

Well they obviously spend some male bonding time with their super hero friends watching TV...in this case Toy Story!

Im wondering if this just might be a sign that John needs more play dates?!?!

He's growing up!

Can you tell that John has a new obsession?!?!?!....Yes we are going Toy Story crazy...We have the Buzz & Woody PJS, the Buzz & Woody shirt and shoes ( thanks Aunt Lydia) The hat, an actually Buzz doll that talks and shoots his laser, and rumor has it that dad just might be bringing a Buzz backpack home!I think that who ever made the Toy Story movies should pay me for using John as a walking billboard! Little does he now Toy Story 3 will be in theaters in June!!!!! We of course will be making a family trip out to see that:) I have so much fun watching John get so excited for everything Toy Story! A little sad and happy at the same time that we have moved on from Veggies Tales (although he still enjoys them)...sad because it's just another sign he's growing up, but thrilled that I don't have to watch the same Veggie Tales tapes over and over and over that we have been watching for more than a year and a half now. Instead I get to watch Buzz & Woody every day...Although I shouldn't speak so soon miss Audrey has taken a liking to the Veggie Tales sing along tape we have. So Veggie Tales may still play a major role in our lives for another year or two...

Where Are You Spring?

Spring can not come for our home soon enough. Last weekend John was very sick with what we assumed to be RSV. Well here we are on weekend number 2 and John is doing much better except for a cough, but Audrey is ill. She has a confirmed case of RSV, and is really struggling with a runny nose, puffy eyes, sore throat , wheezing and a fever:( For those of you who dont know what RSV is, "Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes respiratory infections. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchioles within the lungs) and pneumonia among infants and children under one year of age." We have started her on breathing treatments, and they really do seem to be helping as long as she takes them on a regular basis. So needless to say I am ready for winter to say its goodbyes and take a hike. Then just maybe both my kids will make a full recovery and we can resume a some what normal schedule. Until then we will continue to check temperatures, wipe sore runny noses, run vaporizers, give breathing treatments, rub on the vicks, and of course lots of snuging & prayers :)

Something New Every Day

I know I having been blogging about Audrey a lot lately, but I can't help it she's at the age where it seems like she learns something new everyday and I love sharing it with everyone. Just this past week, she started crawling, waving, clapping, and she figured out how to get from her stomach to a sitting position. I am one proud mama:) It was a very exciting week to say the least.. She is also spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to pull up on things and then once up (which mom still helps in fear that she's going to fall and knock her head on something) she wants to cruzz..If she keeps up at this pace she's going to by walking by the time she's 9 months...and that I just don't think I am ready for yet! I have to admitt that I love this age, we are having so much fun:)