Multi-functional: jumper cables

Turns out, jumper cables can serve more than one purpose. Curious? Tune in tomorrow. =)

Little Man's Big Adventures - Washington, D.C.

We had a wonderful weekend visiting our friends Lauren and Greg. They live about 45 minutes from Washington, D.C., so Lauren and I plotted an agenda that included a trip to the capitol to enjoy the Smithsonian National Kite Festival and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

To say that this trip was a long-time coming is an understatement. Lauren and I have been coordinating calendars since the end of last year, but every time we thought we had our date set, something always came up. Needless to say, we were ecstatic that we finally managed to pull this off. Especially since Lauren and I were pregnant at the same time and our babies are only 10 days apart. We've been eager for them to meet!

Here are a few pics I managed to get.

Jerry and Little Man in front of the White House.

The kite festival at the Washington Monument.

Hundreds of kites were sprinkled in the sky. It was spectacular!

And the cherry blossoms were divine.

They wrapped around the perimeter of the lake and made a great frame for the Jefferson Memorial.

Griffin (Lauren and Greg's little guy) and Alex enjoyed the cherry blossoms, too.

The cherry on top was that we got to have brunch with Lauren's parents on Sunday. I worked for them in college and haven't seen them since mine and Jerry's wedding seven years ago, so this was a real treat for me! I loved getting the chance to sip mimosas and catch up (and to see how much they LOVE being grandparents to sweet Griffin). 

Lauren and Greg, thank you for having us. It was sunshine for my soul. =)

Mission: THRIVE (reflection)

At the beginning of this year, our pastor asked the congregation this question, "How are you at dealing with change? Are you open to new things, new ideas? Or are you stuck in the old?"

Since I was beginning my Mission: THRIVE journey at that time, I thought, "Ok, God. You've got my attention." I was, after all, looking to try new things, find new ideas that would help me get out of the rut I had been in since we moved here. And I was seeking affirmation for some of the changes I had recently made - namely, quitting my job to stay home with Alex and focus on our family and our home.

Then the pastor shared this verse of scripture.

"Forget the former things; 
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; 
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert 
and streams in the wasteland."
— Isaiah 43:18-19

This hit right smack dab in the middle of my heart.

Have you ever had the experience where you know beyond the shadow of a doubt God is speaking directly to you? I mean, I know that's why they call scripture "the living word," but I've only had a handful of those experiences in my life, and this, my friends, was one of them. Because when the pastor shared that scripture, this is what I heard.

Amanda,
There may be times when you think to yourself, "But I used to (fill-in the blank: have my family and friends nearby, have a fulfilling career, be able to spend without worrying as much about the budget, get recognized for doing a good job at work, etc.), and now I don't have that anymore." Don't. Because I am calling you to a new season in life. I want to do a new thing in you.


For the last year you have felt empty and desolate. I will change that. Trust in Me, and I will take you to a place where you will thrive again. I will teach you new things about Me. And about yourself. 


I want us to be close again. But you have to be open to the change. Will you join me?
God

You know, sometimes I still dwell on the "former things." But mostly I try to think about them and acknowledge the blessings they were, but I try not to pine away for them - it keeps me stuck. I'm a big believer in counting my blessings and being grateful for what I have and where I'm at today. I think it helps me not take things for granted.

I'm really and truly loving the new season. I love getting to work on the house. I love time with Alex. I love having time to do creative projects. I feel like I've been able to slow down a little bit and enjoy life.

I've got my April goals lined up and ready to go - some I'm carrying over from March. I want to...

• make a window treatment for our guest bathroom 
• learn how to make ruffles with my sewing machine 
• set a date to host a "girls' get-together" for the women in my church small group 
• begin a new bible study
• continue walks with Alex outside on the warm-weather days
• get the porch ready for spring
• enroll in the "Weekend to Remember" marriage conference 

All kinds of good things on the horizon. =) I'm looking forward to another month of thriving.

A Fun Find

Today Little Man and I hit the thrift stores. We've got some really good ones in town. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I came across this fun find.

It's an old handmade card from a piano teacher to one of her students. It reads,

"Never B flat...
Sometimes B sharp...
Always B natural.
from G.I. McCord, 1937"

"With sincere wishes for a very happy Christmas and the best of health and progress in the New Year - 1938.

Your Teacher of Piano,
G.I. McCord"

This card was made with such care that it tugged at my heartstrings. Translation: This card came home with me. =)

Little Man

If this hairdo doesn't make Little Man look like a "little man," I don't know what does.

The best kind of weekend...

...is the kind where you get to spend quality time with an old friend. And meet her sweet baby girl.

Lauri and I have stories and memories that span two decades - some that would make you laugh and some that would make you cry. We've shared a lot of life together. She is one of my dearest friends, and I love that our stories and memories now include our babies.

We had a low-key weekend just getting to catch up on life and soak up some sunshine. It was a treat and a very special time together, indeed. Lauri, thank you for coming and many thanks to Jeff for watching Connor so that we could have this time.

Fondue and Craft Night Fun

Last Friday, I joined the ladies in my small group for some fondue and craft night fun. I was having such a great time that I didn't get home until after midnight - I don't even remember the last time I stayed out that late! 

Lauren, our hostess for the evening, made everything look so beautiful. It was a real treat.

And for our craft we made a fabric flower pin. I had been looking forward to this all week long. I've seen lots of these out in blogsville. But my first attempt fell a little flat. So I came home and tried it again. I was NOT going to let the fabric flower defeat me! I'm much happier with the second go-round. Can you tell which one was done when?

Do you know?

Oh, Alex. Do you know how you delight my heart?

Do you know how you make me smile?

Do you know how excited I am to greet you every morning when you wake up?

Do you know how much I love to watch you play?

Do you know how you bring out power laughs in me?

Do you know how much you are loved?

Do you feel it in the very depths of your heart?

Do you know how proud of you I am?

Do you know how much joy I get out of watching you learn new things?

Do you know how you amaze me?

Genius

Have you seen this "Lost Generation" video submitted for the "u @ 50" project for AARP by a 20-year old? It is genius.

A quick setup:

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward.  Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite. This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant.   Make sure you read as well as listen forward and backward. 

Random Stories

Tonight I gave Little Man a piece of apple to chew on through his mesh chomper thingy. Looks like he's not too sure about it.

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His crawling is taking him on to new adventures. He's excited about expanding his world beyond his toys.

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In the mornings, Little Man watches Special Agent Oso while he's playing. Oso gets his "missions" from Paw Pilot. Meet Paw Pilot.

Whenever Paw Pilot comes on to sing about the "three special steps" Oso needs to follow to accomplish his mission, Little Man's face lights up. It's hilarious! Who knew that three special steps could bring such delight?!

On a related side note, do any of you watch Special Agent Oso? I'm on the fence about this one. I do like that it tackles problem solving skills, but Oso is not the sharpest tool in the shed. In fact, I keep wondering how he became a "special agent." He always forgets the instructions he's been given, and he has to ask the kids to help him. And he doesn't ask in a way that reinforces what they've learned; he asks like he doesn't have a clue. I may eventually have to ban Oso.

FINALLY!!

I have been looking for the first buds of spring EVERYWHERE, and I keep coming up with NOTHING! Until yesterday.

Alex and I set out for a walk. I knew just the place to go.

Last year I found the very first flower of spring across from the Wildflour Cafe in our neighborhood.

I wondered if that very same flower might be the first flower of spring again this year. Sure enough!

Little Crocus has made its debut, and spring is on the way!

Wonderful Life

Tonight, Alex and I went for a walk. The lady who lives across the street stopped to say hello. The last time she saw Alex he was just a couple of months old. She looked at him in his stroller and with her British accent said to me, "He's going to have a wonderful life. I can see it." I just smiled. I think so, too.

Lock-down update

Noni and I went back to visit the commenter's site, and apparently I had hallucinated x-rated copy. I think the naked tattooed woman he used as a picture threw me for a loop. Anyway, now that that's cleared up, sorry if I caused any alarm. I was alarmed myself for a while! We're still using the privacy setting. My opinion about that hasn't changed.

Lock-down

For the last couple of weeks my mom has been telling me that it creeps her out that so many random strangers can read our blogs. I have to be honest, it never bothered me.

Then today, my friend Solar made a post about how she has become a little freaked out when she thought of how much info she has put out into cyber space for people to see. Especially pics of her cute-as-a-button daughter.

Well two comments of the same nature that close together got me started thinking that maybe I should be a bit more discreet. Or perhaps limit blog access to those I know and trust.

And just when I was going to check out my options, I logged in to see the comments from my latest post and some sicko with a blog containing x-rated content had left a message about "marketing my blog."

That did it. I went from no concern whatsoever, to full lock-down mode in about two seconds flat. So if you're reading this blog, it's because you've been invited to join us as we continue on our little adventures in happiness.

This is a sad day for me. I love blogging and sharing our stories. But I love our family more. And if shutting off access to our blog keeps our family a little safer, then so be it. I can live with that.

Sammy and Alex - 8 Months

The days of "traditional" photos with Sammy are apparently a thing of the past. Because at eight months, Alex is more interested in chewing, scratching, poking, and climbing on Sammy than he is in sitting still next to him. I just consider myself lucky to have gotten a picture where Alex was looking at the camera because he has absolutely noooooo time for pictures these days.

No, no. He's waaaaaay too busy for Mommy's camera. He's busy crawling.

He's busy sitting in the front of the grocery cart.

He's busy sitting in the high chairs in restaurants.

He's busy standing up and playing with his new toy.

He's just busy, busy, busy.

He's also got two more teeth coming in for a total of six. His upper two front teeth are joining the fangs.

We've been trying to introduce him to table foods of sort, but it's a slow go. We've tried banana - hit or miss. We've tried avocado - he gags until he throws up. We've tried Gerber Graduates banana puffs and strawberry yogurt bites - he'll eat them with reservation. If you have tips, please do share.

I still wonder where the time has gone. People always told me it would go so quickly. I just didn't realize...

Playtime

Now that Alex is pulling up, I thought he might enjoy a toy that he can stand up and play with.

He loves all the gadgets.

Sweet little angel is growing up so fast. Where does the time go?

Spring's a-comin'

Sunshine. Aren't the days just a little happier when you can get a good dose of it?

Alex and I went to the park today to soak it in.

He picked grass. I tried to keep it out of his mouth.

It was a delightful afternoon. I am so thankful for a beautiful warm day.