Can you tell which baby is which?
Showing posts with label Sharing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sharing. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Above the Law
With each baby boy I have taken pictures of him with his daddy's dress hat from the police department. All of the boys have one at 6 months old and I treasure those photographs!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Lifting Up.
I've always had that sun shine attitude and the ability to share a smile. It's just who I am. What I haven't always had was the ability (or knowledge) to lift up others in thought and prayer. It's so simple. You don't have to spend money,or give up large amounts of time. It's as simple as a thought and/or prayer.
I've been working on this. I have to admit, it makes you feel great when you lift up others! So here are two ideas I have for you...
The first idea I gleaned from our female pastor at our church. She spoke at our MOPS meeting last year and shared the idea that she drives through our town and prays for specific people, but then also pray those people you see that you DON'T know. Pray for their day, their family, their needs.
The second idea I am sharing with you from Pixel Perfect , a photography blog I have stumbled upon and have found is so much more than tips and tricks for photography...it's also tips and tricks for your life. She shared in a post recently how to use social media in a different way. Let's be honest, Facebook and Twitter can sometimes be used as places that people use a little too much indiscretion. They complain, boast, swear, gossip, banter, and other not-so-beautiful things. However it's others' way of communicating needs. Needs for prayer, needs for support, needs for lifting up. You can use this social media tool to do this! You can take those negative statuses and lift those people up in prayer. Pray for their day, for a change in attitude, for a look on the bright side. You can pray for those who ask for prayer, for their needs. You can pray for those who aren't asking, aren't making a statement, but just plain being. Pray for them. Pray for their families, for them to be open to the Lord's plan.
Social media is a great way to reconnect, connect, and stay in touch.
But best of all, you can use it to glorify Him.
~Amber
I've been working on this. I have to admit, it makes you feel great when you lift up others! So here are two ideas I have for you...
The first idea I gleaned from our female pastor at our church. She spoke at our MOPS meeting last year and shared the idea that she drives through our town and prays for specific people, but then also pray those people you see that you DON'T know. Pray for their day, their family, their needs.
The second idea I am sharing with you from Pixel Perfect , a photography blog I have stumbled upon and have found is so much more than tips and tricks for photography...it's also tips and tricks for your life. She shared in a post recently how to use social media in a different way. Let's be honest, Facebook and Twitter can sometimes be used as places that people use a little too much indiscretion. They complain, boast, swear, gossip, banter, and other not-so-beautiful things. However it's others' way of communicating needs. Needs for prayer, needs for support, needs for lifting up. You can use this social media tool to do this! You can take those negative statuses and lift those people up in prayer. Pray for their day, for a change in attitude, for a look on the bright side. You can pray for those who ask for prayer, for their needs. You can pray for those who aren't asking, aren't making a statement, but just plain being. Pray for them. Pray for their families, for them to be open to the Lord's plan.
Social media is a great way to reconnect, connect, and stay in touch.
But best of all, you can use it to glorify Him.
~Amber
Saturday, January 22, 2011
On Pins and Needles: Liam
Over the course of the last month many things have consumed me. A close friend of mine said it best, "You allow yourself to carry the burdens of others on your heart." That is so true. I know it can be both a positive and a negative aspect about myself, but I think that it is just who I am. I'm constantly on pins and needles for others, and sometimes myself.
Recently our oldest boy had us a little in a tizzy. Over the last month, through the holiday season he became more and more withdrawn. He slept more, was more clingy,ate less, and played with his classmates and brothers less. It just wasn't him. He is one of the most energetic, excitable children I know. And the fact that he just let the world pass by him wasn't normal for him.
I began making excuses.
He's sad about his friend being sick.
He's tired from the holidays.
He's fighting a cold or other illness.
He's growing.
Just the other day my husband said to me, "Honey, have you noticed how lethargic he's been?" And that was all it took for me to be on pins and needles. I called the doctor the next morning and we took him in for a more thorough exam.
Upon arrival, the doctor went through a checklist that listed all of his symptoms. It was incredible how many he had that were listed. As she proceeded you could see that she too, was concerned and the ideas swimming in her mind I was not sure that I wanted to know. Next we had the nurses take three pin-poked vials of blood for initial blood screenings. My little guy was so brave, not a trickle came from his eye. These tests were testing for mono, blood diseases,and leukemia. Leukemia!? The doctor came in with a look of relief on her face and shared that the last test was indeed negative. Praise God. She shared with me that she was most concerned about the possibility of this being a different outcome. But all tests were negative. She was still believing that something was "up" with our preschooler. We were sent to the hospital for yet more blood to be drawn and more tests.
Needless to say, the size of the needle that was used for the blood drawn from LJ's arm was a little alarming for the little man. He was scared out of his mind and sobbed while the great nurses at Maple Grove hospital did their work with him. They were consoling, considerate, and careful. This blood is to be testing kidney and liver functions, thyroid disease, mono, Lyme's disease, and other "blood panels".
Following the procedure, I took him out to get some goodies and some not-so-healthy food to smooth over the bumpy morning we had. It was hard for the little guy, and the mommy in me needed to give him more than just a hug for his bravery. We got some goodies from the "Dollar Spot", ate some pizza from Pizza Hut, and drank a mighty Slurpy. It was just the medicine he needed.
Still holding his arm, we ventured out to home in the cold. I watched his eyes become heavy, and slowly he drifted off.
So far the tests he was given have all came back negative, thankfully. LJ is starting to perk up and his appetite is off and on. He's playing with friends more and more each day. For that we are thankful. We'll wait for the remainder of tests to come back, but for the most part, we're content that we're seeing improvements and are no longer on pins and needles.
We're most thankful for his wellness and thankful for the prayers and thoughts of those who sent them.
Recently our oldest boy had us a little in a tizzy. Over the last month, through the holiday season he became more and more withdrawn. He slept more, was more clingy,ate less, and played with his classmates and brothers less. It just wasn't him. He is one of the most energetic, excitable children I know. And the fact that he just let the world pass by him wasn't normal for him.
I began making excuses.
He's sad about his friend being sick.
He's tired from the holidays.
He's fighting a cold or other illness.
He's growing.
Just the other day my husband said to me, "Honey, have you noticed how lethargic he's been?" And that was all it took for me to be on pins and needles. I called the doctor the next morning and we took him in for a more thorough exam.
Upon arrival, the doctor went through a checklist that listed all of his symptoms. It was incredible how many he had that were listed. As she proceeded you could see that she too, was concerned and the ideas swimming in her mind I was not sure that I wanted to know. Next we had the nurses take three pin-poked vials of blood for initial blood screenings. My little guy was so brave, not a trickle came from his eye. These tests were testing for mono, blood diseases,and leukemia. Leukemia!? The doctor came in with a look of relief on her face and shared that the last test was indeed negative. Praise God. She shared with me that she was most concerned about the possibility of this being a different outcome. But all tests were negative. She was still believing that something was "up" with our preschooler. We were sent to the hospital for yet more blood to be drawn and more tests.
Needless to say, the size of the needle that was used for the blood drawn from LJ's arm was a little alarming for the little man. He was scared out of his mind and sobbed while the great nurses at Maple Grove hospital did their work with him. They were consoling, considerate, and careful. This blood is to be testing kidney and liver functions, thyroid disease, mono, Lyme's disease, and other "blood panels".
Following the procedure, I took him out to get some goodies and some not-so-healthy food to smooth over the bumpy morning we had. It was hard for the little guy, and the mommy in me needed to give him more than just a hug for his bravery. We got some goodies from the "Dollar Spot", ate some pizza from Pizza Hut, and drank a mighty Slurpy. It was just the medicine he needed.
Still holding his arm, we ventured out to home in the cold. I watched his eyes become heavy, and slowly he drifted off.
So far the tests he was given have all came back negative, thankfully. LJ is starting to perk up and his appetite is off and on. He's playing with friends more and more each day. For that we are thankful. We'll wait for the remainder of tests to come back, but for the most part, we're content that we're seeing improvements and are no longer on pins and needles.
We're most thankful for his wellness and thankful for the prayers and thoughts of those who sent them.
Friday, January 21, 2011
What I'm Reading
I'm a huge fan of Dr. James Dobson from Focus on the Family and am re-reading this great book that is chalk full of insight on boys, how they're made, and how to effectively raise them.
Making It All Work
Recently at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting myself and several other moms gathered to pray together, chat, support, and learn together. Our meetings are monthly and this month we had a fabulous speaker who shared the importance of financial peace. The woman who shared many words of wisdom about finances gleaned her perspectives on several ways to save money on every day living expenditures.
In past blog posts I have shared sites that I have utilized in saving money. You can find those posts here and here. I have since then found more sites and more strategies to saving money. Here are some of the strategies I use to get the most on what we've been provided.
1) I scour and search for steals and deals on gifts, necessities, and the occasional splurge. Some of the sites that I have added to my money saving scavenger hunt are
PocketYourDollars
Creative Couponing
2) I always buy a Saturday paper ( they're cheaper than Sunday) sometimes I buy 2, purely for the coupon inserts. Both of the above websites alert me as to the number of inserts that will be in the paper for that weekend, as well as the value of the coupons I'll find. It's always nice when someone else does some of the work for you.
3) In order to keep to my $60-$80/week grocery budget for our family of 5, I plan the week's meals based on the foods that are on sale at Cub Foods and Target. Both stores offer deals and they also offer coupons either in store, by mail, or on the web. Many times you can match up a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon to score even bigger savings. I spend a good amount of time each week devising my plan for meals for the week in order to come out with a best case scenario, which usually keeps the pocketbook a little more full. I only go to the grocery store with a detailed list, and I rarely deviate.
These are just my top three things I've been doing to save money recently. It's all become so natural and routine now,that I don't really think before doing it, it's all become habit, and I'm working hard to make it all work.
~Amber
In past blog posts I have shared sites that I have utilized in saving money. You can find those posts here and here. I have since then found more sites and more strategies to saving money. Here are some of the strategies I use to get the most on what we've been provided.
1) I scour and search for steals and deals on gifts, necessities, and the occasional splurge. Some of the sites that I have added to my money saving scavenger hunt are
PocketYourDollars
Creative Couponing
2) I always buy a Saturday paper ( they're cheaper than Sunday) sometimes I buy 2, purely for the coupon inserts. Both of the above websites alert me as to the number of inserts that will be in the paper for that weekend, as well as the value of the coupons I'll find. It's always nice when someone else does some of the work for you.
3) In order to keep to my $60-$80/week grocery budget for our family of 5, I plan the week's meals based on the foods that are on sale at Cub Foods and Target. Both stores offer deals and they also offer coupons either in store, by mail, or on the web. Many times you can match up a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon to score even bigger savings. I spend a good amount of time each week devising my plan for meals for the week in order to come out with a best case scenario, which usually keeps the pocketbook a little more full. I only go to the grocery store with a detailed list, and I rarely deviate.
These are just my top three things I've been doing to save money recently. It's all become so natural and routine now,that I don't really think before doing it, it's all become habit, and I'm working hard to make it all work.
~Amber
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
More Thankful
It seems each year as the holidays surround us, I'm always more thankful. More thankful for the obvious things and more thankful for the intricacies of life in general.
This year I feel more thankful than ever. I feel this is the first time in my life that I gave everything I had over to Him and away he went with my life. So many doors opened, so many new friends, new opportunities, and new ways of living. Amazing. That's the only word to describe what has been done in my life this year.
The things I am most thankful for are too many, but our little guy is the biggest blessing in our life this year. Almost exactly a year ago, I became pregnant with him and twenty weeks into our pregnancy we didn't know what God's plan was to be for him or for us. The ultrasound was missing some vital parts and the prognosis of our Little One wasn't one that we or any other expectant family wished for. We wept, we were scared, and we prayed. We summoned the prayers and hope of others that the follow-up testing would show that the first sonogram was wrong and our baby would be just fine. We prayed, begged, and pleaded. A week later with butterflies in my stomach, I laid on that bed in the ultrasound room and the second ( I'm not exaggerating) that the technician peeked in on our little guy, the vital parts that were once missing were right there. We were elated, excited, but most importantly thanking God for this blessing. Some of the people we shared our worries with said the technician probably just missed it, and maybe they did. I, however, believe it was His handiwork.
This year I feel more thankful than ever. I feel this is the first time in my life that I gave everything I had over to Him and away he went with my life. So many doors opened, so many new friends, new opportunities, and new ways of living. Amazing. That's the only word to describe what has been done in my life this year.
My top ten things I am most thankful for this year are (in no particular order):
- My baby Lachlan
- My busy boys
- Another fabulous year with my husband
- My family
- My friends, old and new
- A job that has brought me closer to the Lord
- Dave Ramsey! :)
- A piece of my personal life puzzle that was once missing
- Health
- 13 wonderful weeks with my boys and just being "Mommy"
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Coupon Savvy
Tis the season to spend money...fa-la-la-la-la -la-la-la-laaaaaa! I love to buy gifts for other people and I've been known to go overboard, to spend too much, thus taking away from the real, true meaning of Christmas.
Since becoming more frugal and taking charge of our spending, see here, I take advantage of any and all opportunities to SAVE MONEY. I'm not cheap, I just look for good deals on quality items. I am not ashamed to say that with some things I am a name brand junkie. I do prefer to buy my kids nice things that last.
I am one of those people who sign up for every "club" at the stores that I frequently purchase from. No, I don't get their credit cards, I only get the "perk" cards. I receive coupons frequently and I only use them when I need something...and Christmas is the perfect time!
Today I shopped for my nieces and nephews since we were iced in at home. I got something for each of them and I saved a bundle! I used both online and paper coupons. One of my favorite sites for online coupons is RetailMeNot.com . It's a great site to find super coupons for virtually every place online. It's free, you don't have to be a member, and you, too, can submit your coupon codes.
If you're looking for an item that is not coupon related, you can look at a bunch of different sites at once by using BeatMyPrice.com where you can enter the name of the product, the price you've seen, and where, and they'll comparison shop for you, listing out the places online that have the same item. It's fabulous! And a penny saved is a penny earned!
Another way to save is to use FREE SHIPPING! So many companies are offering it this season, and if you can shop from home, find a great deal, and have it shipped to you for free...why wouldn't you!?
Enjoy the holidays and be a good consumer! Save yourself money and have fun buying for those you love. I enjoy the "game" of finding good deals, just ask my little Santa's helper!
Since becoming more frugal and taking charge of our spending, see here, I take advantage of any and all opportunities to SAVE MONEY. I'm not cheap, I just look for good deals on quality items. I am not ashamed to say that with some things I am a name brand junkie. I do prefer to buy my kids nice things that last.
I am one of those people who sign up for every "club" at the stores that I frequently purchase from. No, I don't get their credit cards, I only get the "perk" cards. I receive coupons frequently and I only use them when I need something...and Christmas is the perfect time!
Today I shopped for my nieces and nephews since we were iced in at home. I got something for each of them and I saved a bundle! I used both online and paper coupons. One of my favorite sites for online coupons is RetailMeNot.com . It's a great site to find super coupons for virtually every place online. It's free, you don't have to be a member, and you, too, can submit your coupon codes.
If you're looking for an item that is not coupon related, you can look at a bunch of different sites at once by using BeatMyPrice.com where you can enter the name of the product, the price you've seen, and where, and they'll comparison shop for you, listing out the places online that have the same item. It's fabulous! And a penny saved is a penny earned!
Another way to save is to use FREE SHIPPING! So many companies are offering it this season, and if you can shop from home, find a great deal, and have it shipped to you for free...why wouldn't you!?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Bless them.
This month, like every month has many meanings. The most popular being Halloween, but this month is also SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Awareness Month. I wasn't real aware of SIDS until my first son was born in 2006.
The week after Liam was born, my husband's cousin lost her first son to SIDS on his first day of daycare. As a new mother, this event in our family left a mark on my mothering. I became fearful of this happening to my child and followed the Safe Sleep Checklist and read the statistics on SIDS. I gave him a pacifier, he slept in a separate bed, but close for me to monitor him, always slept on his back, and I removed toys, blankets, and the bumper from his crib and cradle. I was just as precautious then as I am now with Landon and now Lachlan.
When Lachlan was born, the hospital he was born at issued Halo sleepsack to the newborns to wear in the hospital. Halo currently works with over 400 hospitals as part of their Safer Way to Sleep Initiative. They were a beautiful white with the hospital's signature on the front and the words, "Back to Sleep" which is Halo's campaign to place babies on their back to sleep which has proven to cut the risk of SIDS substantially. It's a wearable blanket that you never have to worry about riding up over the baby's face. When we left the hospital, the hospital gifted us with a baby blue version of this fleece sleepsacks which we added to our collection of cotton sleepsacks which are perfect for warm weather.
Halo SleepSacks can be found at Target and other retailers. I highly recommend them. Lachlan is quickly outgrowing his sleepsack (he's already a whopping 23 inches long!) and thus, we will be making a future purchase of a larger sleepsack.
I feel better placing our littlest love down to rest in his Halo SleepSack. Bless this company for educating others on the safest way for babies to sleep and to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The week after Liam was born, my husband's cousin lost her first son to SIDS on his first day of daycare. As a new mother, this event in our family left a mark on my mothering. I became fearful of this happening to my child and followed the Safe Sleep Checklist and read the statistics on SIDS. I gave him a pacifier, he slept in a separate bed, but close for me to monitor him, always slept on his back, and I removed toys, blankets, and the bumper from his crib and cradle. I was just as precautious then as I am now with Landon and now Lachlan.
When Lachlan was born, the hospital he was born at issued Halo sleepsack to the newborns to wear in the hospital. Halo currently works with over 400 hospitals as part of their Safer Way to Sleep Initiative. They were a beautiful white with the hospital's signature on the front and the words, "Back to Sleep" which is Halo's campaign to place babies on their back to sleep which has proven to cut the risk of SIDS substantially. It's a wearable blanket that you never have to worry about riding up over the baby's face. When we left the hospital, the hospital gifted us with a baby blue version of this fleece sleepsacks which we added to our collection of cotton sleepsacks which are perfect for warm weather.
Halo SleepSacks can be found at Target and other retailers. I highly recommend them. Lachlan is quickly outgrowing his sleepsack (he's already a whopping 23 inches long!) and thus, we will be making a future purchase of a larger sleepsack.
I feel better placing our littlest love down to rest in his Halo SleepSack. Bless this company for educating others on the safest way for babies to sleep and to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What I'm Reading
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wild With Whimsy
And these perfect photos are why I BEG..BEG..BEG the Lord for a little girl of our own to add to our bay of blue in our house. Our boys are pretty adorable...remember this...
I've made tutus for my nieces (See our oldest modeling one above)...but I love the wild whimsy of this tutu! I think I may have to make one of my own...well, not for me, but for my cedar chest that sits at the end of our bed (or hope chest as I like to call it!).
~Amber
I've made tutus for my nieces (See our oldest modeling one above)...but I love the wild whimsy of this tutu! I think I may have to make one of my own...well, not for me, but for my cedar chest that sits at the end of our bed (or hope chest as I like to call it!).
~Amber
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