Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Neighborhood Challenge-They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love

I was very inspired at my MOPS meeting the other week. There was a young woman who was a mother of two (I believe) and a missionary who spoke. Part of her lesson was about raising children and she said, and I paraphrase, that by attending ONLY and primarily to your children's needs that you raise them to be self centered people. You need to model for them the focus that you would like them to have.

About a week later we had something horrible happen to someone right on our street. One of our neighbors murdered his ex-wife's boyfriend then killed himself. In the news article it said that the police were familiar with this family before and had been called for domestic disturbances. This was terribly sad to me because while I was friendly with their two boys (we have chatted it up about hockey a few times). I had never spoken to either the mother (who moved out 6 months ago) or the father and I had no idea that this poor woman was abused or even had even moved out. As I tried to sleep that night a verse kept popping into my head.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31

Obviously I wasn't working on loving my neighbor or modeling the love I want my Bug to have for those around us. I didn't even know their first names. This kicked around my head for a few days and I prayed about it trying to figure out how I could accomplish this. I am outgoing by nature but just going to someones house and introducing myself, uhh do people really do that?

As I thought and prayed over it, I thought about how God made me, my strengths and what gives me joy. God has given me a love of baking and cooking. There are so many things I would love to bake and cook but with working on my weight I am also working on not having so much temptation in my house. LIGHTBULB!! I can bake and cook and just drop off treats to my neighbors with a little note on it introducing our family and letting them know they are in our thoughts and prayers. As we get to know more and more people we can make a neighborhood map with peoples names on it and we can pray for them as a family.

The first neighbor we dropped off treats to was the woman and her children that I had mentioned previously and I was NERVOUS like shaking nervous. I brought Bug and we rang their doorbell, they answered and I just introduced myself and handed them a plate of molasses cookies with a note letting them know they were in our thoughts and prayers. Bug and I just went out today with our second drop of carrot cake cupcakes and met a new neighbor. It is definitely a bit nerve-wracking to me but I am hoping that it will get easier each time. The woman I met today was so sweet and is stopping by with her husband tonight so they can meet the hubs.

We are going to work on doing this once a week and it will take awhile but we should be able to get everyone on our street at least once a year. It is just a small thing but hopefully it will open my eyes and Bug's eyes to the needs around us we can pray for.

What are your strengths and what can you do with them to show others love?

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

5 Month Newsletter


Dear Buggy,

Every month I say I can't believe that you are another month older and its true. I've been staring at you all morning wondering how it is my little 7lb 9oz infant has grown and changed so much! It is a great reminder to stop what I'm doing and just enjoy you. This month has brought about so much change!
look you are all grown up and a Flyers goalie! Where did my baby go?

You started rolling over!! Its crazy watching you because you have to get pretty worked up to do it, you grunt and fuss but eventually you flip over. Once you do you are pleased as punch though.
Also you got two teeth! TWO! On Feb 21st your two bottom teeth came in. I remember the exact moment, we were in the car and daddy was driving and I was riding with you because you were fussing (probably because your teeth were poking you!) You were chewing on my hand then all the sudden you bit me! Wow, those little chompers are sharp!!! Daddy and I are very wary about putting our fingers in your mouth now because you love biting everything! You love kisses too and will just open your mouth and "kiss" all over my face :)
Speaking of biting, you have been so interested in watching us eat lately. Every time I take a drink of water you tip your head back and open your mouth. You watch us most intently while we are eating though. I have even let you start chewing on some veggies; a carrot, celery stick and sugar snap peas. You are VERY interested in that. "this duck is kinda creeping me out"
I'm excited for you to grow and experience new things but the thought of you eating anything other than momma's milk has me so sad. I have loved nursing you, it has had its own challenges but holding you in my arms and feeding you is the most special thing. It allows me the time to slow down and just look at you. I know I'll be nursing you for a long time to come but this coming milestone is bittersweet for me. We will definitely be waiting for at least 6 months to start actually feeding you things (instead of just letting you bite!).
You are so smiley and boy are you LOUD! You love to talk, squeal, sing and screech. Whenever I'm on the phone people are always laughing at how loud you are. You are also quite the flirt, you love smiling at pretty girls. Last Sunday in church you were distracting all the teenage girls behind you (the very gorgeous William's girls) with your smiles. It was so funny! You do that to me though too, I'll want to do the dishes or something dumb like that and you just look at me and smile and a half hour later we are still playing. Making you laugh is like an addiction!
you and your "girlfriend" Kira
You are the ultimate morning person you generally need a diaper change at around 4:30 every day and Daddy generally takes one for the team on that one. You wake up with the biggest smile though, its really adorable. You will just sit and smile and talk and take one hand and put it on my arm and one hand on your daddy's arm. It's so cute, you love our little family :) Most of the time after your diaper is changed you will settle down, nurse and go back to sleep; this month Daddy has even started to need his alarm clock again! Some mornings you will even sleep till 8 or 8:30 (THANK YOU!!), I feel so bad for Daddy when that happens because he doesn't get his special Buggy Time before work. He definitely makes up for it when he gets home and carries you around most of the night. I can't even describe the look you have when you look at your Daddy, just pure Awe. We were in church and singing a praise and worship song to God and you were looking at your Daddy with such love and amazement; I just laughed and told your Daddy it seemed like you were singing to him.
you and your daddy at the Discovery Museum watching HOCKEY!!
We have started being able to go outside more and we both are enjoying that. Although when the wind blows you don't quite know what to do. You just shut your eyes tight and hold your breath!

Another thing you love is BATHTIME!! Oh my you love bath time. You are like a little fish! I'm convinced that you think you can swim as you are always trying to throw yourself underwater or gently lower yourself. You will quietly stick your face in the water and when I lift you out you are like "what? was that a problem?". I can't wait to get you in a pool or in the ocean to see if you are the little water baby I think you are.
making our first craft, Valentine's Day Cards
That's pretty much how things go around here right now. I'm so excited for where we are at and excited for the things to come. While a piece of me mourns every milestone because it means my little baby isn't such a little baby anymore. You are such a sweet boy and your smile lights up my life in a way I've never known before!
Love always,
Your Mama

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Turning Point

We reach a point every day where Bug is so tired that he is literally thrashing around unable to fall asleep. I have to hold him, sing to him, nurse him; just basically help my little boy fall asleep. He doesn't have the facilities to do it on his own so I help.

I feel like this right now. I've been working on losing weight off and on my whole life. I feel like I thrash about and try and try and it doesn't work; I need help. Tomorrow I'm starting Weight Watchers, again. Yes, again. I feel like I need the tools again and to realize what normal is. I need to get into good routines so I can be healthy. There are so many things I want to do and be in life that require me to be healthier.

Deep breath, I'm taking the plunge.