For What it’s Worth…

So, lately I feel like God has been speaking clearly to our family, “It doesn’t have to be this way!” I by nature am a “go get ‘em” type of person; when I do something, I want it done well and will do whatever it take to attain the best possible result. This in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, there are also sinful tendencies that accompany this personality, such as taking on way to many responsibilities, acting as though no one else can do a job as well as you, and ultimately laboring in your own strength and failing to depend upon the King, which all lead to a very tired and weary woman. YIKES! So, I know this about myself, but unfortunately, it most recently reared its ugly head in the midst of the craziest season of life yet. Satan knows what He is doing, and he struck when I was least prepared. Somehow, upon having a new baby, Justin beginning a new job, getting ready to move into a new house, and CityView going through a growth spurt, I have been lacking in my time with my Lord. I listened to the lie that, “When your girls get a little older, once Justin settles into his job, after you get moved, and when CityView stuff calms down, it will be easier.” No! I need my Jesus NOW! More than ever, I need His Truth to guide me, His voice to comfort me, and His strength to sustain me! This doesn’t mean my time in the Word and in prayer are going to look like they did in college when I had unlimited time and limited responsibilities, but it does mean that I have to seek opportunities to be filled by scripture and to interact with God in prayer. One of the biggest things this has meant for me is to turn off the TV, or even better, to not even turn it on! There is some kind of comfort for me in hearing adults talk about adult things when I have been speaking and translating toddler all day! I realized though, that when I thought I didn’t have any spare time, I actually did if I could live without watching the Today show discus the same topics they did yesterday or Jay Leno crack the same joke he did the night before. I also remembered that 3, 4, or 5 am are all excellent times to pray when I am up for a feeding. Elizabeth is a captive audience while sitting in her high chair for breakfast, so why not speak scripture over her and into my own heart as I sit with her? Why not hang scripture to meditate upon and specific ways to pray for Justin in the shower? Creativity is the name of the game here! It is just a matter of reworking my priorities and getting things back into perspective. When I recognize my need for God and depend on Him to carry me through each day, I am able to be a much better wife, mommy, and friend! It is not about me doing more “stuff,” but instead returning to the source for my sustenance and allowing Him to fill me up!
Psalm 127
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he give to his beloved sleep.
Behold children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
God is sovereign over our home, our security, our provisions and our family. When I am trusting this truth, regardless of circumstances, there is great peace in my soul. Thank you Lord for your Word and the ways you use it to bring us back to you!

8 weeks and 22 months

My sweetie pies in their bloomers Sisto bought them!

We are blessed with two very good sleepers!
Elaine has gone as long as 8 hours between feedings at night, and she takes pretty good naps during the day too!
Elizabeth sleeps a good 12 hours at night and functions best if she gets a good at least 2 hour afternoon nap. This pic makes me feel like she is still my baby! It is going to be tough to see her in her big girl bed once we move! Lamb, Dora, Blankie, and Paci are all important to her sleep; not sure when we will ditch the paci.
We are also blessed two with Happy girls!
Elizabeth rarely does not have a smile on her face, especially lately as she is continually accomplishing new feats! "All by self!" and "Elizabeth can do it!" are phrases we hear frequently, and it is so fun to watch her exert her independence.Elizabeth's imagination and creativity keep me smiling and laughing!
Elaine is all smiles these days! She loves to sit in our laps and "talk" to us. She also enjoys talking to the animals on her activity mat as well as the birds and butterflies that rotate above her swing.
Today's Sip and See was a success! My Aunt Sisto and mom's good friend Carolyn had a shower for our friends and family to get together and celebrate Elaine. We also got lots of diapers and gift cards which is a HUGE blessing!
Elaine was pretty tired from her big day at church, but she managed to give a few smiles and coos to her audience.

Elizabeth was quite popular at the party as well!

Elaine's third cousin Taylor was also in attendance. He is about a month younger that Elaine and was not interested in chatting today. I am sure the day will soon come when these two get into lots of trouble together!

After a very long day, I insisted on a good pic of the girls together. After a crying battle with big sis (no nap today!), I managed to get a couple of good ones. Aren't their matching dresses precious? Thanks Nana!

Weekend O Fun

This past weekend was filled with lots of driving and lots of fun! Justin's parents rented a lakehouse at Lake Granbury, so we enjoyed a couple of days hanging out by the water. I was able to do some skiing, which I am paying for now- I am super sore, and Jenn, my sister in law mastered water skiing for the first time!
Elizabeth was not a fan of the boat; every time we asked her if she wanted to go in the boat, she responded with and emphatic "NO!" However, she did love her life jacket and have lots of fun playing silly games with Pop and being outside with Grammy. Thanks for a fun getaway Grammy and Pop!

Elaine also enjoyed being in her Grammy's arms; so much that we had to detox a bit on Monday:)

Mixed into the weekend, I had a chance to go to my sweet Amanda's lingerie shower and bachelorette party in Dallas! Amanda and I were roommates together in the Walton house while at A&M. She is so precious to me, and I am ecstatic that God has brought her and Kyle together! I can't wait to be a part of their special day; what a joy and an honor!

Then, on Saturday night, Justin accompanied me to a wedding of a lifelong friend, Lindsay, while Grammy and Pop kept the girls. I think the most fun part of weddings for me is seeing people I haven't seen in quite some time. At this particular wedding, there were a lot of people to catch up with, including my best friend since birth, Tressa, who I hadn't seen since October.

All in all, it was a great weekend, but it has been nice to be home and get the girls back to "normal," whatever that is!

1 Month Already!

It's true! Elaine Karis is a whole month old, plus a couple of days! I am having a tough time discerning what day she actually was a month old, because June doesn't have 31 days. It may seem silly, but it seems to be the little things that really get me flustered!

She is doing wonderfully and is more and more alert each day. We have moved her out of our room into her own room (makeshift until we move), and after she got used to it, I think she has really liked it. She is sleeping about 5 hours at a time at night and taking a couple of good naps through out the day. Hopefully in the next week or so we will have her schedule down. She is eating well, but Elaine is definitely a spitter! Thankfully we have bibs and burpies to catch most of it, and occasionally my shirt or pants! We had an encouraging visit to Dr. Scroggie on Tuesday, he said she is pretty perfect- we agree! Elaine is weighing 9 lbs 7 oz and is 21.5 inches long, right between the 50th and 75th percentile on both. Such a joy to watch her grow!