Indoor Fun!

Instead of taking pictures of the snow, which we've all seen before anyway, I thought I'd show you the fun we had being snowbound!

Hubby and Munchkin wrestling

I made cookies!

Hubby looking a little worn out! (He says he was just pretending)

Playing

Me singing and playing with Munchkin on the kitchen floor.

Thank you God for the snow. It was an unexpected day together for all of us. We're so blessed to be able to love on each other for an entire day! What an unexpected gift!

Snowbound!

My girls night last night was fabulous! The Chinese was DELICIOUS, and the company was pretty good too! :)

Well, I was supposed to go to a baby shower this morning. I attempted it, but turned around and came back home. It was pretty slick out there. We've got at least three inches of snow on the ground and it just keeps coming! So that means I'm snowbound with the boys today. I made breakfast, I've been working on my Sunday school lesson (I'll tell you more about that tomorrow), and enjoyed some unexpected time with Munchkin this morning.

I'm now in the basement doing some "work" on the computer. I've noticed it has gotten pretty quiet upstairs. If Munchkin is napping, I think I'll join him! Hopefully I'll get some pictures of the snow today and post them for you later!

Happy Saturday!

Chinese and Engineers???

Tonight I'm getting together with my Teacher Friends. We're meeting at Abby's house, and staying in for the evening. I think we're ordering Chinese, from the best Chinese place ever! An evening in with the girls! What bliss!

Munchkin and Hubby will be spending the evening together. I'm sure they'll miss me, but only a little. Those two are so much fun together. They're always chasing each other around the house and screaming. Not screaming because they're mad, just screaming for fun. And Hubby is always teaching Munchkin - pretty much about everything. Hubby's an engineer and so knowing and wanting to know how everything works is just who he is. And we're seeing signs that Munchkin is going to be so much like him. Munchkin listens intently as Hubby teaches. My men are too cute!

Tomorrow I'm going to a baby shower out of town. Please pray for safe travel as it is supposed to snow!

Sick and Tired

Even though Munchkin has a cold, overall, he is doing well. But today he was t-i-r-e-d! (But that didn't stop him from charming all the ladies at CVS today when we went to pick up some more Pedialyte.) All he wanted was to be held and rocked. Have I mentioned before that he only wants to be rocked in his room? I spent a total of three and a half hours rocking him in his chair today (not counting the amount of time I rocked him in our living room while he watched Sesame Street on TV and video) while he slept. He also slept in his crib a couple of stretches too. All I can say is my back, shoulder and arm hurt! He weighs 28 pounds for pete's sake! Here's hoping he sleeps well in his crib tonight!

Oh by the way, I'm giving up ice cream for Lent. I've always loved ice cream, but ever since Munchkin was born I can't get enough of it! I seriously have some every day. Weight Watchers sells a variety of really yummy ice creams. Are you giving anything up for Lent? If so, please share. I'd love to hear from you.

Our day

We started the day out by going to the doctor. Munchkin has a cold. (Conley's, if you're reading this, don't blame yourselves. I think he started getting it before you came over. And if it is your fault :) thank you for helping to boost up my son's immune sysytem!) He's been coughing quite a bit while he sleeps and his nose is flowing like a waterfall. Thankfully he hasn't run a fever. Today green stuff started coming out of his nose (not that you wanted to know, but I told you anyway) so I decided to take him to the doctor - just to be safe. It turns out he just has a nasty cold that, according to the doctor, will take him at least a few weeks to get over.

We were supposed to meet a friend for lunch today and got out of the doctor sooner than expected so I drove around for 45 minutes to let Munchkin get a good nap in. He does well napping in the car and since he's sick, I thought I'd give him the time to rest. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, letting the sunshine beam in on me, and simply enjoyed being able to sit.

Lunch was fun. Munchkin made a mess! I felt so embarrassed at how the floor underneath him looked by the time we left. Thankfully we had a really nice waiter who saw Munchkin's MU sippy cup and gave a shout out to the Tigers. Needless to say, he got a good tip!

Right by where we had lunch, there's a Petsmart. Munchkin lllooovvveesss dogs. So we ventured over to look at some puppies. Munchkin loved it and I'm sure that's a trip we'll be taking again.

After we got home, we played outside in the rocks. An older man with his bulldog walked by on the other side of the street. We started talking as he was walking and Munchkin barked at the dog. The man asked if he wanted to pet the dog. As the man was crossing the street to come to our yard he started saying "Be nice Beuford, be nice Beuford." My first thought was how funny the name Beuford the bulldog is. My second thought was, "is Beuford typically not nice? why would you feel the need to tell him that? if he isn't a nice dog, why would you approach my one year old with him?" Thankfully, Beuford was nice, and thankfully Muchkin could have cared less about the dog.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing, snacking, reading and napping. Now daddy's home and mommy gets a break!

How was your day?

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Hebrews 2:1
This one popped out at me yesterday. Go and read it people. It's a short one, so it won't take long.

Feeling blessed

First here are just a few photos from grandpa's bday party. Sorry we don't have better ones. We were having too much fun to take pictures! If you'd like to see more, head on over to my sister's blog.

Getting ready to help grandpa unwrap gifts.

Playing behind the recliner

Playing the piano

Oh, and just so you know, Munchkin slept all night! We even made it to MOPS today.

We're Back!

What a fantastic weekend at home! Grandpa's birthday was so much fun. I'll be posting pictures soon.

Having all the cousins together was great. Munchkin loved getting so much attention! And me and Hubby loved having so many people around ready and willing to feed him, play with him, change diapers, give him baths, etc.! Not that we don't love being parents, but it was certainly nice to have a break.

We're now home and getting back into the swing of things. Munchkin has a cold though, so please keep him in your prayers. I'll probably take him to the doctor tomorrow as he's been wheezing. I'm hoping for a full night's sleep, but it isn't really looking like that is going to happen. Typically when he wakes up in the night, we rock him back to sleep in his room. There have been times when I've had to sleep with him in the chair in his room. I don't sleep well there at all. I'd love to have him just sleep with us in our bed if he's having trouble sleeping. That way I'd get some sleep, too. But he's never been one to sleep well in our room. In fact, he's never spent one night in our room. Not even his first night home from the hospital. We tried it, but it didn't work. But hopefully tonight it won't even be an issue.

Now I'm off to bed - hopefully for the whole night! :)

A Weekend Away

I won't be posting for a few days. This weekend we'll be going home (the homes where we grew up) for my grandpa's bday celebration! Can't wait to see the fam. My cousin has a three year old little boy. Munchkin will have so much fun following him around. The last time the two boys were together was Thanksgiving and Munchkin couldn't walk yet, so it will be interesting to see how he interacts now that he's mobile. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Deuteronomy 6

No, I hadn't forgotten. I was just trying to find a good enough chunk of time to write this post. Actually, I've been writing it in chunks as I've found the time. So let's begin. Why did I name my blog "Symbols On My Hands"?This chapter in the Bible is one that I've read before. However, last month in church, it was brought to my attention again - and this time it impacted me in a way it never had before. Does that ever happen to you? I just love how God uses different scripture in different ways at different times in our life. Some people don't see the Old Testament as being revelant to today and the truths in it don't hold true today;s society. To that I say, if any part of the Bible isn't relevant or true, then none of it is. Besides since when has the culture and society determined what truth is? Sadly, some people believe it to be so. Anyway, I digress.

I suppose one reason this chapter has impacted me more greatly is because this was the first time I'd read it since being a mother. With my grandpa just turing 89 and losing two other grandparents just within the past couple of years (along with becoming a mother myself) I am realizing more than ever how important it is to pass our faith on to the next generation. If we don't, who will? It's as simple as that. And if a generation is born that does not love the Lord, well, just look in the Old Testament and see what happens. Let's just say it's not good people. Not. Good.

Ok, on to Deut. 6. Moses has just given the people the Ten Commandments and begins the chapter by telling the people to follow the commands in the land they are about to enter - you know the one - flowing with milk and honey. (But that generation doesn't get to enter. If you want to find out why read further in your Bible. But again, I digress) Read what God promises the people if they keep his commands: enjoying long life, it will go well with you, you will increase greatly. Hey, sounds good to me!

Verse 5 is one that many of us have heard before. Easier said than done in my opinion, but I'm working on it. Verses 6 through 9 really have been hitting home for me recently. Have the command be upon my heart? Press them on my children I can understand. Talking about them I get. Tie them as symbols on my hands? Bind them on my forehead? Write them on my doorframes and gates? Now keep in mind that I am in no way an expert on the Bible. But I do know that people used to actually do these things. I know that they had boxes tied around their heads which contained written Scripture. Well, no one I know does that. So I got to thinking, how am I supposed to do these things as a mother in the 21st century? What does that look like?

What I feel God telling me is that in my life it should look like studing His Word. Memorizing it. Quoting it and teaching it and reading it to my children*. Having frequent discussions with my children about God and who He is. Although I don't have anything tied to my hands, I can remember God and honor Him by everything I do with my hands. And you probably won't see me with a box tied around my head anytime soon, but I would like to live in a way that whenever someone sees me they see a resemblance of God.Which brings me back to my blog. I had thought about starting a blog for some time before reading Deut. 6. I thought it would be a great way to keep all the family up-to-date on the Munchkin. But then I realized it could be so much more. I could share my struggles and accomplishments. Maybe encourage others who are going through the everyday motions while trying to live a life for God. Try and find God's hand in the small things. I know God has called me to be a stay-at-home mom, but sometimes I feel like it isn't bringing anyone any closer to Christ or bringing Him any glory. So I've got to find ways to make that happen. I'm struggling in life, just like everyone else, but every day I wake up determined to move one step closer to what God has promised me, my land flowing with milk and honey. His Heaven. For some reason I feel an "amen" is appropriate here. So...amen.

I would love to hear how God has spoken to you about Deuteronomy 6. If it is one you haven't read in awhile, did He reveal something to you in a new way? Or, is there a particular scripture (besides this one) that has recently got you thinking about things in a new light? Please share. Leave a comment if you like. I'd love to hear from you.

*No, I am not pregnant. Yes, I realize I only have one child. But some day we hope to have more.

Wordless Wednesday

Quandary

How can you be wide awake in the back seat of the car when we are only five blocks away from home laughing, babbling, and waving your arms, and then be sound asleep and snoring by the time I pull in the garage? Then how can you stay asleep and snoring while I take all the groceries into the house, slam the car doors, take your shoes off, take your hat off, unbuckle your carseat, unzip your coat, take you out of your carseat, slam the car door, close the garage door, take your coat off, and carry you upstairs with the sound of the babygate creaking and latching as we go through? How can you stay asleep through all of that and then wake up as soon as I lay you in your crib? Seriously!? Amazing.

Thoughts

I know that in this life, God is preparing us for eternity. I know that in this life I am constantly being molded to be more Christlike. I know that God is ever changing me to know Him better, worship Him more, etc. He is the potter, I am the clay.

There have been several circumstances in my life when I have felt broken before Him. Broken in the sense that I feel Him everpresent, yet hard to find. Times when I feel lost, like I can't see two feet in front of me, but know that He is lighting my path. All I am called to do is trust Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, and He will do the rest. Some of those cirmcumstances have been when my dad had a heart attack 11 years ago, had major bypass surgery, and I faced the possibility of losing him. Or the time I was terribly homesick my freshman year of college, and questioned God's will for my life. Or today, as a mother, ever questioning myself and my ability to raise my son. Am I doing the right thing? Is this what is best for him?

Actually, is goes way beyond just today. In fact, since the day Munchkin was born I've always had this feeling of self-doubt, urgency, and just plain ache that my son knows how much I love him, want the best for him, want him to always feel and be safe, etc. I just need to know he is ok. At all times. My mom says this is a natural feeling that all mothers feel. It seems like I'm constantly handing my son back over to God - for he is God's first anyway. I know that every time I worry about Munchkin, I'm doubting God. Doubting God is exactly what I don't want to do. There is no reason to doubt. My dad was healed, I found God's direction for my life at college, and Munchkin will always be ok for he is in the hands of the Creator of the universe. Which is exactly where I want to be and where I want my son to be.

Random Ramblings and Birthday Blessings!

A few new discoveries Munchkin has recently made:

How to put a hat on himself!

He loves scrambled eggs and broccoli! Not together mind you.

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Tomorrow is my grandpa B's 89th birthday! Happy Birthday Grandpa! We're going up home this weekend to have a birthday lunch with the family on Saturday. It will be so good to have a family dinner. Not everyone will be able to be there, but it will still definitely be worth the trip. I just love our family dinners. We always have amazing food and lots of laughter.

I am so thankful to my grandpa and grandma for passing on this legacy. Family is important. Super important. You need to make time for one another. Keep in touch. I'll never forget my grandma cherishing these family dinners. (She passed away suddenly in August of '07.) Not only did she cherish family dinners, but any time we would stop by her house or talk to her on the phone. She would frequently say, "Now I'm just going to sit here and listen. You go ahead and tell me anything you want." And she would smile, laugh, and just be totally engaged in whatever I was saying. I always felt like the most special person in the world around her. She made everyone feel that way. No one was ever a burden. She was never too busy. How I long to be like her.

I'm sure grandpa is especially going to miss her tomorrow and Saturday. She was such an incredible wife. She loved him unconditionally and selflessly. Good grief she cooked him three square meals a day, every day, and NEVER had a dishwasher a day in her life! Hubby's lucky if he gets one good meal a day.

Grandpa and grandma also did a devotion together every morning. When the grandkids spent the night, if you were awake in time, you were part of the devotion. They taught us that top priority is worshipping God - together and as individuals. I'm convinced that's why they were happily married for 65 years!

So as we celebrate grandpa's 89 years of life, I want to reflect on how he has molded and influenced me. Often I think about what an amazing life I have. When I think about this world, I'm blown away at how easy I have it. I'm thankful that my grandparents have been faithful followers of Christ. My whole family has reaped the blessings of that faithfulness. I pray that I will only use those blessings to bless others.

Happy Birthday Grandpa! I love you! ~Sugarplum

Who's the cutest one year old in the world?

That'd be me, Munchkin!

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Today Munchkin took his first trip to Sam's Club with Mommy and Daddy. Mommy shopped while Daddy took Munchkin around to try all the free samples! No kidding! :) Then we made a Target run. It seems everywhere we go people ooh and aahh over Munchkin, and boy does he eat it up. There was a lady working at Target today to was telling him how cute he was. So naturally, he followed her! We let him out of the cart for awhile so he could stretch his legs and he proceeded to find the nice lady who told him how amazing he was. What a ham! Any tips on how to keep your kids humble? My first guess would be not blogging about your child all the time and posting pictures of him with titles stating how cute he is would work.

laugh your way to a better marriage!

The past two nights Hubby and I attended a marriage seminar held at our church. It was called "Laugh Your Way To A Better Marriage". The speaker was Mark Gungor. When most of us hear the words "marriage seminar" we think about being bored out of our minds, watching the clock, listening to so-called experts talk about how much they know and how much we don't. Ok, maybe that's just what I think when I hear those words. This was anything but that! Our church had been promoting the seminar for quite awhile and showed a few clips of Mark at church. Once I saw the clips, I knew I wanted to go. And boy am I glad I did. I have just one word for you: HILARIOUS. Please check out the link and watch some clips.

Now I wouldn't say the Hubby and I have a perfect marriage. But I also wouldn't say we have an unhappy marriage. We just know what a blessing this marriage is, and we need to embrace opportunities that will help us make our marriage more and more as God intends it to be. And this was such a refreshing way to do just that. Hubby and I have bought the DVD of the seminar. Let us know if you want to check it out.

My Hometown Needs Your Help

VOTE for the Fairfax Softball Field!

Frosted Flakes is rebuilding ball fields. Fairfax ( my hometown) is a town of 650 people and could use an upgrade badly on their ball field. I am asking you to take one minute out of your life and vote on the Fairfax softball field and I ask that you let everyone you know that you believe would vote on their field out of the kindness of their heart.

They need new equipment a score board a outfield fence and seating for the community. It would also be nice to have to have a playground area for the children to play on. I understand that hard times are hitting our economy and this is something that will allow a small town that has always made it on its own to have hope from the kindness of others to vote on field that you may never get to see or your children may never get to play on. I would ask you to vote on a community that has a wealth of volunteers and a community that is wonderful place to live if you would like to vote on our field and give them a chance to have frosted flakes rebuild their fields this is what you need to do:

go to www.frostedflakes.com
click on plant a seed
click on search nominated fields
then put MO and 64446 for state and zip
vote on this Fairfax Softball field

It takes very little time and all the votes would be appreciated! Oh..and you will get a $1.00 off coupon for Frosted Flakes for voting..not bad!

Help!

Update #2: Disregard my first update. The symbol is now showing up again. What is going on with this crazy thing? Where is my computer engineer husband when I need him? Oh yeah, being a good hubby and daddy by giving Munchkin a bath and putting him to bed so I can blog. (sigh)

Updated: I figured it out! Woohoo. You may disregard this post.

Original Post:
Ok, do you guys see the little tools symbol next to all my stuff? Why is it there? How do I get rid of it? Help! Usually it only shows up when I am signed in to my blog account. I click on it if I want to edit that feature. Then it goes away once I sign out, but now everyone can see it! Ok all you bloggin' folk, help me out here.

Sweet Relief!

It is thunderstorming here tonight. Crazy. Man I have had some spring fever lately, and so has Munchkin. As it was so warm here today, we got some much needed outside playtime in. Munchkin wore his new baseball cap he got for his birthday from Uncle J. He loves that hat!

For the past month-ish Munchkin has had some pretty major knots on his gums. He has eight teeth and his molars were swollen, but not breaking through. Finally we have three that we are beginning to see! Most of his teeth have come in more than one at a time. The pain is horrific for him with so many teeth coming in at once, but I'm glad it looks like teething will be quicker with multiple teeth coming in at once. But what do I know, I'm just a new mom! :) Oh how many times I have been proven wrong before.

This weekend Munchkin's teeth were bothering him more than they ever have. Even the ladies in the nursery at church told us he was crabby. And if you know anything about Munchkin's behavior in our church nursery, you know that he had to be in some major pain to be crabby with them!

Hubby and I were about at our wits end by Sunday night. Then, after supper that night, as I was changing Muchkin's diaper he was actually happy! So, in an attempt to keep him happy, I got his new diaper on and we just kept playing. I didn't take the time to put his pants back on b/c he was so happy. You can see the joy on his face in the picture above! (Note: He isn't wearing any socks in this picture either b/c he is constantly pulling them off. He loves to go barefoot!)

If you're wondering what exactly he is doing in this picture I'll explain. Those are my legs he is standing next to. Hubby took this picture with his cell phone as Munchkin was laughing up a storm....for no reason. Well, no reason other than he loved the sweet freedom of just a shirt and his diaper.

Prayer Request

Through one of the other blogs I read, I found out about this family that just lost their 10 month old daughter Cora to cancer. They just found out 3 weeks ago that their daughter had cancer. Thankfully the family is Christian. Regardless, I cannot imagine losing my little one. Goodness. So sad. They have pictures of Cora in the hospital. Man, it just ripped my heart out reading their blog. Please please say a prayer for this family and visit their blog if you wish.

Foods Munchkin Loves

1. Bananas
2. Toast
3. Apples
4. Cheese
5. Peas
6. Green Beans
7. Peaches
8. Pasta
9. Pears
10. Applesauce
11. Crackers
12. Tortillas
13. Corn

And a brand new one that he just discovered....hummus! Yummy!

(All the carbs he eats are whole wheat/whole grain. I don't even know if he's ever had white bread in his life. He has had some non whole wheat pasta and crackers before and likes that, but we prefer to say whole grain as much as possible.)

Why did I post this? Because we just finished lunch and I don't have anything else to write about. Now it is nap time. Aaahhh.

A day at the park

Yesterday Munchkin and I went to the park. It was almost 70 degrees outside! But boy was it windy. We went to a park not far from our house - one of our county parks. It has a small lake and everything! Hubby and I took Munchkin there to go fishing last May for my birthday. I just love to fish!

Anyway, me and my now one year old ventured out for some fun. Unfortunately, it was way too windy to even enjoy ourselves, so after almost an hour, we came home.

Today I had a day with the girls. While I was out, Aunt N. came over with Maggie the dog. The park where Munchkin and I went yesterday also has a dog park. So that's where the crew went while mommy was away. Here are some pictures they took while they were out.

Cute hat Aunt N.!

And a few more...

With my dad, grandpa K.

With my sister, Auntie D.

With my grandpa, great grandpa B.

With my mom, grandma K.

More Bday Pics

Enjoying his new toy from grandpa and grandma K.

Munchkin with great grandpa and grandma V.

Opening presents with mommy and daddy.

With Aunt N.

With Uncle J. and Aunt A.

Keep sending pictures my way fam!

You can also check out some pics on my sister's blog.

Cake

A few people have asked me how I felt about Munchkin not eating any of his birthday cake. I'll admit that at first I was a little disappointed. I mean, I had worked hard on the cake and couldn't wait to see him dive right in and cover himself with cake and icing. But then, I was actually glad he didn't want any. I am happy that he isn't automatically drawn to all things sweet. Also, he had just had supper. If he was full, I'm glad he didn't want any more food - even after he saw everyone else eating the cake. And that got me to thinking...why, how and when do we lose that skill? Who can say that they always stop eating once they are full? Or who can say that they don't indulge every now and then when they see everyone else eating? So, all in all, I'm pretty proud of my baby boy. I certainly don't ever want to force food upon him. There truly is only one reason to eat - if you're hungy. I think more of us should listen to our bodies and stop eating when it is time to stop. Believe me, I am preaching to myself people.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Oh yeah, pictures.

Hubby and I didn't take many pictures at the party as we were hosting and trying to fully take in every minute with Munchkin. So family please start sending pictures our way. (Once you're all feeling better. Yeah, sorry about that!)


Here's me holding Munchkin not eating his cake. He's just looking at it. That's my brother's wife with us.

Here's what the cake looked like. Many many thanks to Pete. I had so much fun working with you on the cake. By the way, how are you feeling?!

Here's Munchkin with his two aunts on my side of the family. My sister is holding him. She brought him the bib he is wearing. It says "Birthday Boy".

Here's Munchkin with my brother. Munchkin is wearing the gift his uncle got him - the hat. Isn't he too cute in the overalls and cap?

Hello...? Is Anybody There..???

My deepest apologies for not blogging in such a long time. I'm sure you all have been dying to know how the birthday party went, how the cake turned out, and what the heck we've been up to lately. Ok, maybe you haven't been dying to know, but here's the scoop.

On Munchkin's actual birthday - the last time I blogged, Hubby came home sick from work with the stomach flu. He was locked in our bedroom and never heard from again....ok, not totally true, but he did pretty much stay in the bedroom for like two days because I told him I refused to get sick. He ended up staying home from work Friday as well.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Munchkin wasn't feeling well in the tummy area. (Let's just leave it at that people) He sometimes gets that way when he's teething, which is what we assumed it was. So, on with the party.

Everyone came to the party (17 people at my house celebrating at once). Hubby still wasn't feeling so hot, but Munchkin was feeling much better. He definitely lllooooovvveeeedddd being the center of attention. Then, the big moment came - cake time. After hours of decorating his cake that morning I couldn't wait to see him dive right in! He didn't take a bite. Not a one. Yep, go back and read those last two sentences again. Not. One. Bite. He stuck his finger in the icing, but didn't even like his finger. Oh well, at least everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Although Munchkin didn't eat his cake, the party wasn't a complete failure. At last count, 13 of the 17 people at the party have now had/are currently suffering from the stomach flu!

Happy first birthday Munchkin!