Thank you Lord for this amazing child you have given me. AMEN!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday Blog Hop!- Three Things...
It has been awhile since I took part of the MckLinky Tuesday Blog Hop! It is always fun to be challenged by content in regards to blogging so here I go....
Today's topic is "Three Things That Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids". I would like to share my heart on this subject. I am sure I will write this and then think to myself, "oh I should have said this and that and this" but these are the three things that come to mind for me, based on my beliefs, what I have learned and the things I hope for Emersyn.
1) I want to teach Emersyn about the importance of knowing the Lord as her Savior. I believe that having a faith in God has "saved" me in so many ways. I believe that in the Lord comes self worth, joy, confidence, purpose, fulfillment, peace and so much more. I don't want Emersyn to know "religion" or rules, I want her to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior and for the hope that she has in Him to govern the way she lives her life and the choices that she makes. I believe that the greatest way I can teach Emersyn about faith is to live a life worthy of being admired and let my actions do the talking, moreso then my words. Walk the talk...Lord help me even now!!!
2) I want to teach Emersyn about the importance of purity and the incredible value of being able to give her entire heart to her spouse someday. Brett and I firmly believe that casual dating leads to heartache and baggage. We each have very different stories in regards to this subject and both of these experiences have led to our belief in the importance of trusting the Lord with your heart until He sees fit to give it to someone else. For some reason, our society thinks that having multiple boyfriends and girlfriends in our past as something glamourous. You will never regret purity or friendship. No one ever looks back and thinks, "I wish I would have slept with that guy". More often it is the opposite. I believe that making faith an important element in our lives can help us in this area. I want to instill a value and self worth in Emersyn that is rooted in WHO she is in Christ, not in approval from her peers or the admiration of a boy. I am sure this will be a challenge as she heads into the teenage years. In the meantime, I will PRAY!!!
3) I want to teach Emersyn the importance of being dilligent and having a perspective that looks beyone the "now". Her daddy and I have learned the hard way at times that "no discipline seems pleasant at the time but reaps a harvest of righteousness". When we graduated high school, neither of us saw the need for college. Brett made great money at Nordstrom and I decided that moving out was more important to me, thus creating the need for me to work full time + and not have time for school. I have had some significant successes in real estate and thought that money would never be an issue. It's okay to have expensive car payments when you can afford it, right? Debt is no big deal, etc. Oh how we wish that we would have had a more long term perspective! You live and you learn though, and God has showed us some incredible lessons along the way, lessons I wouldn't trade for anything. I am proud of our decision to live a life that is practical and frugal; not giving into the pressure to have fancy cars and other belongings. Not that there is anything wrong with having nice things, just not at the cost of tremendous debt and the bondage of monthly payments. It is my hope and prayer that Emersyn will make wise decisions, be known as a hard worker and be willing to sacrifice now to reap benefits later. It is our job as her parents to hold her hand until she becomes an adult and show her the ropes, not just toss her into the real world at 18 and hope she figures it out!
Again, none of these opinions have anything to do with how Brett or I was raised, these are just OUR hopes for our daughter and any other children that the Lord sees fit to bless us with!
Special thanks to Shoplet.com-Purell Hand Sanitizers for sponsoring this blog hop.
Today's topic is "Three Things That Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids". I would like to share my heart on this subject. I am sure I will write this and then think to myself, "oh I should have said this and that and this" but these are the three things that come to mind for me, based on my beliefs, what I have learned and the things I hope for Emersyn.
1) I want to teach Emersyn about the importance of knowing the Lord as her Savior. I believe that having a faith in God has "saved" me in so many ways. I believe that in the Lord comes self worth, joy, confidence, purpose, fulfillment, peace and so much more. I don't want Emersyn to know "religion" or rules, I want her to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior and for the hope that she has in Him to govern the way she lives her life and the choices that she makes. I believe that the greatest way I can teach Emersyn about faith is to live a life worthy of being admired and let my actions do the talking, moreso then my words. Walk the talk...Lord help me even now!!!
2) I want to teach Emersyn about the importance of purity and the incredible value of being able to give her entire heart to her spouse someday. Brett and I firmly believe that casual dating leads to heartache and baggage. We each have very different stories in regards to this subject and both of these experiences have led to our belief in the importance of trusting the Lord with your heart until He sees fit to give it to someone else. For some reason, our society thinks that having multiple boyfriends and girlfriends in our past as something glamourous. You will never regret purity or friendship. No one ever looks back and thinks, "I wish I would have slept with that guy". More often it is the opposite. I believe that making faith an important element in our lives can help us in this area. I want to instill a value and self worth in Emersyn that is rooted in WHO she is in Christ, not in approval from her peers or the admiration of a boy. I am sure this will be a challenge as she heads into the teenage years. In the meantime, I will PRAY!!!
3) I want to teach Emersyn the importance of being dilligent and having a perspective that looks beyone the "now". Her daddy and I have learned the hard way at times that "no discipline seems pleasant at the time but reaps a harvest of righteousness". When we graduated high school, neither of us saw the need for college. Brett made great money at Nordstrom and I decided that moving out was more important to me, thus creating the need for me to work full time + and not have time for school. I have had some significant successes in real estate and thought that money would never be an issue. It's okay to have expensive car payments when you can afford it, right? Debt is no big deal, etc. Oh how we wish that we would have had a more long term perspective! You live and you learn though, and God has showed us some incredible lessons along the way, lessons I wouldn't trade for anything. I am proud of our decision to live a life that is practical and frugal; not giving into the pressure to have fancy cars and other belongings. Not that there is anything wrong with having nice things, just not at the cost of tremendous debt and the bondage of monthly payments. It is my hope and prayer that Emersyn will make wise decisions, be known as a hard worker and be willing to sacrifice now to reap benefits later. It is our job as her parents to hold her hand until she becomes an adult and show her the ropes, not just toss her into the real world at 18 and hope she figures it out!
Again, none of these opinions have anything to do with how Brett or I was raised, these are just OUR hopes for our daughter and any other children that the Lord sees fit to bless us with!
Special thanks to Shoplet.com-Purell Hand Sanitizers for sponsoring this blog hop.
Not Me Monday
Surely I am not the type of mother......
...who takes off her baby girl's clothes.....
...on a public beach in Hawaii.......
....JUST so I can take pictures of....
...her perfectly round baby pot belly....
....chubby baby thighs....
.... and adorably dimpled tush....
...not to mention her plump arms.....
....NOPE! Not me!
Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Happy Birthday to my best friend!!!!
Whenever milestones or celebrations occur, I always feel pressured to write some creative and clever blog post. But honestly, when I stop to reflect on the celebration or milestone, I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and love that words escape me. I do want to wish my sweet husband a very happy birthday though! I am planning a celebration for later in the week since we are going to church this evening.
Brett, you are the best friend and husband a girl could ask for. I have loved growing with you as new parents this last year and learning to appreciate you as our daughters Daddy. I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. You make me laugh, you encourage me, you put mine and Emersyn's needs above your own, and are a wonderful example of a Godly man. If we ever have a son, I hope he will inherit many of his Daddy's traits. I love you sweetie!!!!!
In other news....
This week was mostly spent catching up from our vacation. We had our house cleaned before we left for Hawaii and it was the BEST thing we have ever done for ourselves!! Normally, our house is a disaster right before a vacation from the rush of packing, etc. Since it was deep cleaned before we left, we returned home to a sparkly clean house and it made coming home much more enjoyable. Plus, I feel like it gave me a fresh start. I have been keeping the house clean, making our bed (I am guilty of not doing this hardly at all but Brett loves it so I am trying to do it every day), and we have been eating better. We both really want to get healthier so when I got home, I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on fresh produce. Emersyn has a really healthy diet, we need to eat more like she does really! She mostly eats fruits, veggies, chicken, etc. I am going to introduce her to fish soon since it has some great benefits.
Emersyn had her one year Dr. appointment on Friday, even though she will be 13 months tomorrow. She weighs 22lbs, 3oz. which is the 50th percentile. She is 30.5 inches which 90th percentile and apparently she has an unusually large noggin' because it is in the 95th percentile!!! I guess that means her brain is big which means she is going to be a genius! :)
She is turning into a toddler before our eyes now. She is really understanding us now. She can point to things in books, like a banana. We are working on more things. It is so hard to gage where she "should" be, but I think we are being dilligent and doing our best. I have started reading to her in the bathtub where she will pay a little more attention. She likes to stand on the edge of the tub while I read but occasionally I ask her to sit down and she does, which is so cute to me. She is just like this littler person now, when did that happen!?!?!
I started back up in choir last week but we didn't make it to church this morning. Emersyn was exhausted and slept in until 10:30am!!!! She even went to bed early last night. I didn't feel right getting her up, I don't want her immunities to get down and get sick. Sometimes you have to go with your mommy intuition.
I am starting up with our ladies Bible Study on Tuesday, studying Esther. I am so so so excited. I think Beth Moore is anointed and I am excited to learn more about Esther.
Emersyn's "nanny" went back to school last week so I am again faced with the challenge of finding three days of childcare. I know that God will provide. I have considered different options and prayed for peace and I believe that the Lord will send the right person my way. If any of my local blog friends know of any college students or mama's that want to hang out with a sweet one year old, let me know!
Well, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall day! And Brett, I can't wait to celebrate your last birthday in your 20's this week, I have something up my sleeve!! XOXOXOXO
Brett, you are the best friend and husband a girl could ask for. I have loved growing with you as new parents this last year and learning to appreciate you as our daughters Daddy. I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. You make me laugh, you encourage me, you put mine and Emersyn's needs above your own, and are a wonderful example of a Godly man. If we ever have a son, I hope he will inherit many of his Daddy's traits. I love you sweetie!!!!!
In other news....
This week was mostly spent catching up from our vacation. We had our house cleaned before we left for Hawaii and it was the BEST thing we have ever done for ourselves!! Normally, our house is a disaster right before a vacation from the rush of packing, etc. Since it was deep cleaned before we left, we returned home to a sparkly clean house and it made coming home much more enjoyable. Plus, I feel like it gave me a fresh start. I have been keeping the house clean, making our bed (I am guilty of not doing this hardly at all but Brett loves it so I am trying to do it every day), and we have been eating better. We both really want to get healthier so when I got home, I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on fresh produce. Emersyn has a really healthy diet, we need to eat more like she does really! She mostly eats fruits, veggies, chicken, etc. I am going to introduce her to fish soon since it has some great benefits.
Emersyn had her one year Dr. appointment on Friday, even though she will be 13 months tomorrow. She weighs 22lbs, 3oz. which is the 50th percentile. She is 30.5 inches which 90th percentile and apparently she has an unusually large noggin' because it is in the 95th percentile!!! I guess that means her brain is big which means she is going to be a genius! :)
She is turning into a toddler before our eyes now. She is really understanding us now. She can point to things in books, like a banana. We are working on more things. It is so hard to gage where she "should" be, but I think we are being dilligent and doing our best. I have started reading to her in the bathtub where she will pay a little more attention. She likes to stand on the edge of the tub while I read but occasionally I ask her to sit down and she does, which is so cute to me. She is just like this littler person now, when did that happen!?!?!
I started back up in choir last week but we didn't make it to church this morning. Emersyn was exhausted and slept in until 10:30am!!!! She even went to bed early last night. I didn't feel right getting her up, I don't want her immunities to get down and get sick. Sometimes you have to go with your mommy intuition.
I am starting up with our ladies Bible Study on Tuesday, studying Esther. I am so so so excited. I think Beth Moore is anointed and I am excited to learn more about Esther.
Emersyn's "nanny" went back to school last week so I am again faced with the challenge of finding three days of childcare. I know that God will provide. I have considered different options and prayed for peace and I believe that the Lord will send the right person my way. If any of my local blog friends know of any college students or mama's that want to hang out with a sweet one year old, let me know!
Well, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall day! And Brett, I can't wait to celebrate your last birthday in your 20's this week, I have something up my sleeve!! XOXOXOXO
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hawaiian Vacation Continued.....
Emersyn totally judges me for taking too many pictures of her. Hee hee.
On our way to the Smith Family Luau. We suffered through a timeshare presentation for it but got it for free! It is normally $78 per person which is a little spendy but I can handle free!!
I have never seen so many peacocks in one place. Beautiful creatures!
I love tram tours; I am such a tourist. I love hearing all about the plants and gardens and fun facts about the luau family history.
We sat by a really nice couple from Philly and chatted all during dinner with them! It's so fun to meet new people and hear about different parts of the nation. I was so glad to sit by people who were chatty like we are! :)
This was the cute old man who is a second generation "Smith". "Smith" isn't even their real name, they just call themselves that because it is easier to remember then their Hawaiian names. Clever!
Luau men digging up the kalua pig that is baking in the ground!!
Lots of smoke!
Ta da!
Entertainment during the amazing feast!
The luau was one of the highlights of our trip for sure!
There are roosters and chickens EVERYWHERE!!!! Apparently when the big hurricane hit this island back in the late 80's, it took out the chicken coops and now they are overtaking the island!! They "cock-a-doodle-doo" all the time too, not just in the morning. There was one rooster who was determined to wake me up EVERY night at like 3am. I almost went and bought a bee bee gun so I could take him out!!!!
Yummy shaved ice place!
We split this yummy strawberry, coconut and pineapple shaved ice. Delicious!
Sleepy seal on Poipou beach.
The seal was protected by a rope and this sign!
This is what happens when babies get bored in restaurants.
Sharing spaghetti with Grammy. She needed a bath that night, for sure!!
Yeah, I planned us matching on purpose. :)
Emersyn loved sleeping in my parents bed for her naps. My mom started calling her "Queenie Em" because princess just didn't quite seem good enough. So cute.
To be continued..... :)
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