A Keira Update...LONG overdue

Hi All-
Just to warn you, this post is going to be a bit lengthy...I have been wanting to catch up on Keira updates, and finally got around to it. This part of my blog is mainly so I can go back and look at the things she has done, as I know I will forget, so please don't feel obligated to read this whole post. I am sure that you all do not think my child is quite as smart and charming as I do! :)

To start with:
Keira's 2nd birthday party (which occurred 2 months ago) was a great success! :) The theme was Pink and Puppies, and was alot less expense and stress than the first party. Austin made her cake, and Leighanne and I spent ALOT of time working on a puppy jello mold that turned out adorable. She had a lot of fun playing with her little friends, and got spoiled rotten with lots of new toys. One of her favorite being the Barbie ATV that Ama Lea and Papa Steve bought for her. She calls it her "bike" and loves to ride it in the bank parking lot across the street!

Another thing that Keira and I love is our cuddle time at night. We have made a habit of sitting and rocking, reading books, etc. for about a half hour before she goes to bed. I LOVE this time, as I get to relax at the end of the day, and pretend she is a little baby again. She always looks up me and pleads to rock by saying, "Mommy...gock a bit" :) She loves to read "GOORGE monkey" books (Curious George)....I think 1/2 the reason she likes these is because they are some of the longest ones that we have! haha!

She also likes to practice her songs at night. We have been teaching her Sunday School songs that I learned when I was little...it is funny how those things come back years later! Her two favorites right now are "Who's the King of the Jungle" (because she LOVES to act like a monkey and blow bubbles), and "My GOD is so Big"....which she also loves for the actions!

She has also been learning to "obey" which is a term that Ama Nane (my mom) uses with her quite frequently! I normally say "listen" but she has picked up on "obey" from Grandma Jane. If you ask her about obeying, she normally begins her list of people that she should obey...starting with mommy, daddy, Ama and Papa, and usually ending up with friends such as Thomas and Levi. She has quite the list of people to obey!

One night I was rocking her to bed and she just kept saying the cutest things!!! First of she said, "Ama Nane...My naughty!" (which is her way of saying that she was naughty for Grandma Jane). She is SO honest, it is hilarious! She now has a habit of telling people "My naughty" even when she hasn't been. At least we know she has a sensitive conscience! :) She then went on to talk about Daddy who was at class that night. She looked up at me while putting her hands on both my cheeks and said, "Daddy at Tass....my miss him!" It was the most precious thing, and just about melted my heart. Needless to say, I couldn't resist, and let her stay up to see Daddy a bit when he got home that night! :)

She is also very big on saying her prayers at night. She will remind me by hollering, "PAY MOMMMY!!!" if I start to walk out before saying them with her. I have made a habit recently of not only praying with her, but asking her who she wants to pray for each night. It is so fun how she always comes up with a different person/ group of people. I can tell what she is thinking about, based on who she picks. It is normally someone who we have seen recently, and the people that she categorizes with them. For example, last night I asked her and she said, "Nennon, Mia, and Mia Mommy"...which are some of the people in our small group. None of them had been at our house, but another couple from our small group had been at our house that same night. She is great at knowing what people are together, and who their kids are. :)

Keira recently is very interested in what Mommy and Daddy do in the day when she goes to Grandma's house. She knows that Daddy work at the "Nank" (bank) and that she gets "Huckers" (suckers) when she goes to visit. She even knows which branch is his, and that the other one in town is his bank, but not the one he works at. She also knows that Daddy normally wears a tie to work each day. One Friday she was up early, and saw Austin getting ready to walk out the door. She noticed he didn't have a tie, and went frantically running to the bedroom saying, "Daddy! Wait, a tie for Bork!!" He tried to explain to her that he didn't have to wear a tie on Friday, but ended up just taking it with him, and she was having a breakdown that he would not take it to work. TOO FUNNY!

A week or so ago, she got to come to work with Mommy for a little bit one morning. She was so funny as she walked right behind me, and did exactly what I did. She was SO excited to come to the "ossice" (office). I walked in and leaned around the corner to the conference room where some of the guys were meeting. I said, "Morning!" and kept walking. She preceded to do the SAME thing...including leaning her head in, saying "Mooring" and keep walking. They all busted up laughing, as she seemed to think that she was the newest employee on payroll! :)


She does a VERY good job of talking now, saying 4-5 word sentences all the time. She can say pretty much everything, however her name still sounds like, "Tia". Austin and I have actually made the mistake of calling her Tia instead of Keira because she calls herself that SO much! She also says, My, instead of I/me when she is talking. She only uses one tense, and that is "my". :)

She likes to watch sports with Daddy, but thinks that all teams are "Huckers" (Huskers). No matter what sport is on/ who is playing she will stand and scream at the top of her lungs, "GO HUCKERS!!!"

Her favorite drink right now is "Bah-berry milk" (strawberry milk). Most days she thinks she is TOO big to drink out of a sippy cup, so she insists of sipping it out of a normal cup, or on some days a plastic wine glass! She is quite particular in picking out her eating utensils! :)

She is getting better at playing with other kids and sharing, although her favorite phrase is "My HURN!" (my turn)...I say that we are making progress, at least she know what a "turn" is! :)

We are noticing just how BIG and non-baby she is getting, as we are slowing getting rid of all her baby type habits/ things. She has not had a Paci since November!!! I thought we would never get rid of that darn thing, but Austin was an AMAZING dad and broke her of it when I was gone for a week in November for work. It is so nice not having to keep track of one of those things! :)

We are also working on potty training, but not vigorously. I have decided that I am not really a fan of the whole process, so we are going to take it slow, as I really do not feel like having potty training horror stories, if at ALL POSSIBLE! So far, she is doing really good for how little time we put into it. She will tell me sometimes if she has to go, and we will put her on there. She will also usually go anytime you set her on the potty, as she gets two M&M's...and likes to work to get those as often as possible. :) We just need to work on being more consistent, so that she not only is going on the potty, but also NOT going in her diaper! :)

Well, I was going to post one more thing about her 2 year old appointment, but it is late, so we will save that for another night! :)

Missing Bullets!

So, Keira got a HUGE nerf gun for her birthday from the wonderful Thomas Peace and Levi Anderson. They got it for her as primarily a joke (who gets a two year old girl a Nerf gun that is a big as her?!) However, she has decided it is great fun, as she can push the button and the thing just starts spitting out bullets with a fast and furious pace! She has come up behind me in the mornings and I turn to see her saying, "SHOOOT mommy" SHOOT puppy!" I have told Levi and Thomas that they "may" not be setting the best example with that gift, and they just laugh. :)

Anyway, it is hilarious to listen to Keira, as she will say, "My BOOLETS, My BOOLETS" when she runs around the house after she has shot them all out, and can't find any more. The thing started with about 20, and we were down to have none at one point. We joked that the bullet monster stole them.

However....tonight we found out who the true bullet monster was! I kept doing laundry, and finding one here, one there, in the laundry. I couldn't figure out why they kept coming up in there, but didn't worry too much about it.

Tonight we put Keira is some jammies from the laundry. They were the kind with the feet in them. She put her left food down, and said, "OW!" and starting pointing to her feet. Austin then stuck his hand in there to see what the huge mound was, and guess what?! There were bullets in the bottom of her pajama feet. He pulled four out, and I started laughing hysterically. Then he continued to pull more out...and she kept complaining, until we had pulled out close to TEN BULLETS, plus all the ones from the laundry! Apparently Keira was stockpiling for the next war by placing all of her bullets in her pajamas. :)

So...the moral of the story is "WATCH OUT...Keira may look innocent, but she is packing bullets in those fuzzy little kitty jammies of hers!"

I took the night "off"

This week has been one of the most insane as of late.

Work has been crazy, as I am juggling still being the billing manager, managing all partner and vendor relations, all of my normal business operations duties, and also heading the project of moving all of our staff except me to new offices. I have gotten into a really bad habit this week of having coffee in the mornings, some chips, and then nothing till I get home for dinner at night. Today was more of the same, and by about 4:00 I had hit my limit for stress. I bluntly dismissed every one who needed something, and then actually got down to work. I called Austin and had him pick Keira up and told him that I was not coming to AWANA tonight. I stayed at the office till 7, and when I left felt the most relaxed that I have all week! :)

I then decided to go tanning, and pick up some good deals that I had coupons for at Walmart. I felt bad that I missed AWANA and didn't get to see Keira until 8:30, but the catch-up break was much needed!!!

Now, if I could just get caught up on those mounds of laundry at my house, I would REALLY be doing well! haha! :)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

This has been a topic that I have been thinking about quite a bit over the past week or so.

The first thing that prompted it was a business meeting where one of the guys asked, "When we meet again in 5 years, what do you think we will be talking about?" I thought it was an interesting question, as it is always fun to dream about the future, although it almost always ends up WAY different than we ever imagine.

This got me thinking...my dad always used to ask this question when we were younger. When we were on family vacations he would always ask where we see ourselves in 10 years or something like that. Looking back on that, it seems so ironic what my answers were. I always thought that sounded so far away, and I also had the most ambitious dreams. I remember answering with things such as "I see myself married, and being a top level exec in business" or something similar. Through the eyes of an 8 year old, life is always so much more simple. I always thought that time was an endless resource, and that I could do whatever I dreamed. There was no such thing as obstacles, and the sky was the limit.

As I was driving the other day, I started thinking about how naive and ambitious I used to be, and I was wishing that I was still that way. Then I realized: if I look at my life as an outsider, it is beyond what I dreamed of wanting "in the next ten years" as a little girl. I have been blessed with a husband who was made JUST for me, a BEAUTIFUL little girl (which was always my dream to have), a job in business getting to do TONS of different things that I love, supportive friends, and a GOD who loves me and cares for me all of the time. When I think about it that way, it just blows my mind to think that while I was often looking at the spec of dirt under my nose, God was guiding my every move to bless me with all that I have now. THANK YOU LORD!

We were watching family videos over at my parents tonight and there was video of Faith, my youngest sister, at Keira's age. It was AMAZING to see how much alike they are! They sound alike, act alike, and even have the same facial gestures. (So I guess Keira does have some Oswald in her!) It just hit me how quickly life flies by...as that was 14 years ago, and it seems like just yesterday! Once again, a good reminder to making the most of our time on Earth for JESUS, and this is only a temporary spot for us.

So...I guess the summary of this post is this: I think it is fun to look at the future and plan and dream about what options it may hold. However, I think it is just as important to look at the past and realize how much God has blessed me and guided my every decision, in the times I was seeking his guidance, and even when I was not.

A week Away

Whew!
The last week has been a LONG one, as I was out of town for most of the week to Orlando for a work trip. Work trips are an emotional roller coaster for me, as I dread leaving Keira till I get on the plane, then I usually have a great time while I am gone for the first two days, and then after that am waiting anxiously to get home. I love being able to experience new things, however there is nothing like family!!!

When I am gone I use the free time as my sanity time to recharge for when I am at home, and have many more duties to do. :)

I got home LATE Friday night, and Keira was already asleep. I didn't even make it to bed, but rather fell asleep on the couch while talking to Austin, and proceeded to sleep the whole night there.

Around 7:30 am I heard a sweet little "Up, mommy!" and then...."Hair-Pane, come back!" (Interpretation: You came back on your airplane!). Keira and I then had a WONDERFUL little cuddle session as she climbed up onto my lap and said, "Love you" and gave me a big hug. Priceless!

One of the great things about being gone for a few days is that I notice little things that she is doing that I think I normally miss in the everyday monotony. When I got home I noticed that she crinkles her nose in the _CUTEST_ little way when she is trying to be extra sweet (or convince you of something). It absolutely melts my heart when she does that! I also noticed that she is talking _VERY WELL_ now! She is consistently using 4/5 word phrases that are clear to understand. We were leaving the house on Saturday, and she said, "Diaper bag mom"....as she thought I forgot it on our way out. What a smart little girl!

One of her favorite places to go with me now is Target to get a "Hogog" (Hotdog). She shrieks and pumps her arms in the backseat as soon as she can spot the Target sign from a 1/2 mile away. She thinks that Target is a glorified hotdog stand, and it is essential that we pick up a hotdog each time. I figure for 85 cents as a trade off for my sanity is well worth the price! She then munches on her hot dog as I shop. I have become a HUGE target fan in the past month or so as I have started enjoying the hobby of couponing, as they usually have 1) great coupons 2) great sales and 3) I can combine a manufactures coupon! Yesterday we went and my bill of $57 was $15 when we left. I was ecstatic, and came home and told Austin...who just thought I was a bit nutty for being excited about something like that! :)

As for Florida: I had a couple firsts. I tasted alligator for the first time, which tasted alot like chicken, only more tender. I was really surprised that I LOVED it! I also had the BEST steak of my entire life, at a place that smokes their steaks. I had a 24 oz ribeye which I ate every bite of! I was quite proud of that accomplishment! :) I also saw the last launch off of the Shuttle Discovery, which was actually quite anti-climatic. It was cloudly in Orlando, which is about 50 miles from Cape Canerval, and so we only briefly saw it. However, the experience was still cool to know we were watching history be made!

Well, I am going to cut this short. Thanks for reading friends!!!

Snow=Slow weeks and Crazy Love

Hello All!

I keep thinking of things that I want to blog, but never seem to have the time/energy to sit down and actually get things put down on paper....err the screen! :)
So,here is the latest update on what has been going on in my life/ and my thoughts on it.

First of all:
The last couple of weeks have been insanely slow for us compared to our normal hectic pace. I have actually really enjoyed being home more, and just relaxing, reading, and spending time with Keira and Austin. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a home body, so this is very unusual for me! I told Austin that I am learning contentment...it's that or my iron levels are severely low; which could be the case since I have been WIPED OUT lately, and cannot get my energy back! Speaking of, I have actually started taking vitamins to boost my iron, so hopefully that will solve my tired issues soon. :)

One of the things that I have been doing on my sabbatical at home is to read the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Any one who claims to be a Christian...actually no matter what you claim, you should check it out. It is a great book, and challenges us to think for ourselves, but to be on fire for GOD as he deserves nothing less than that! It has been a great challenge/conviction for me! The part that has stuck out the post thus far to me is this paragraph:

"Put into perspective the brevity of our lives...In about 50 years (give or take a couple of decades) no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore."

WOW. That is all I can say about that. That was a great thing for me to read and think about, as I have always heard "life is short, flies by, etc". However, putting it in terms of 50 years (which is only 2x what I have currently lived) really puts it into perspective about how short of a life I have left...and that is considering that I actually live to be an old person (which is definitely not a guarantee, especially with me!)

As stated directly after that paragaph, "This can be terrifying or reassuring, or maybe a mix of both". Exactly my sentiments. This is so reassuring to me, as I naturally an the type of person who has to "keep up with the Joneses". My personality has always been one to want to "fit in but be spectacular...all at the same time". I have come to realize that to do that, you put alot of unneeded stress on yourself! It is alot of work to always have a car, house, clothes, kid, job, etc, that not only meets my own unrealistic standards, but also what I "think" everyone else expects! I am realizing how much time and energy I often waste on things that don't really matter. Whenever I start wanting a newer house, or feel the need to shop because I need "the newest ________ (fill in the blank)", I just remind myself that in 50 years NONE of this will matter. For me, it has been a great way to put things in perspective. I realize most of you who are reading this are probably thinking, "Duh, Ellie...did the lightbulb finally turn on?!" However, for me I have "known" all of this for a long time, however actually internalizing it for myself is a new and wonderful thing! :)

This statement is terrifying to me in a sense because it reminds me that I only have a SHORT time here on Earth. I feel moved more than ever before to make that time worthwhile. I need to be using that time to serve and share the love and truth of Jesus as much as I can, regardless of what other's think!

Whew! After that whole speech I am not saying that I don't think we should enjoy our time on this Earth...rather make good Long term decisions, and make the most use of our time here! I am learning it is always a learning process, we are never perfect, but that is not an excuse for continued failure. :)


Well...I guess I am going to have to cut this post short...the hubby thinks it is his turn to use the computer! ;)

I will post shortly with some updates on Keira, and also what one of my other new hobbies is. :)

Crossroads

Do you ever feel like you are at a huge crossroads and wish that you could see the future to know that it is going to turn out ok? I know that is not possible...and actually am happy that we can't see the future. However, sometimes it seems like it would make things so much easier!
Right now this is where I feel like my life/mental state is.

Keira will be turning two in a week, and I am sad/happy all at the same time. It seems like just yesterday she was born, yet so much has changed in that time! I have had alot of friends as of late who have gotten pregnant/had babies, and it really makes me wish that I was going through that stage again. However, at the same time I do not think that I am ready to move onto the "second child" stage yet...as I just LOVE having our little family of three. I almost wish I could just go back and relive the past two years over...as they have been absolutely wonderful! (Not sure what my deal is tonight...I am very reminiscent, which is not normally me, but writing always seems to be good for that!)

There are many other changes going on right now as well. I am in the process of transitioning to a new position in my company where I will be working at the office 3 days a week instead of 5. This is something that I have wanted, begged God for, and yearned for since the day that Keira was born. However, oddly enough rather than be exuberant for this, I am SCARED. I am scared to move out of the position that I know well, to a position that I am less familiar with. I am nervous about failing, or hating what I am doing, or losing my status in the company, and having to start my career over. However, at the same time I feel that this is a door that GOD opened wide for me, and I need to take advantage of it, and spend more time with Keira while she is still little! All of these changes have been great in the fact that they are teaching me to 1) not worry 2) trust God, as HE is in control and has obviously given me this opportunity. I AM very excited about being able to spend more time with Keira/ and ministering to others by being in the office less.

Some other exciting things that are going on right now: I have just started doing a bi-weekly Bible Study with a close friend of mine. I have always wanted to have an accountability partner for devotions, but have never actually had one. I am so excited to be able to build into her life, share my struggles and joys with her, and grow closer to God through this!

I have also been very encouraged by some other women in our church who are pursuing business ventures. For awhile I was very discouraged in our church as I felt like I was one of the few women pursuing a career as well as a family. I felt like there was no one who I could share my situation with, without being judged for being a working mom in the business world. However, whenever we thought about going somewhere else God made it very evident that he wanted us where we were...by giving us opportunities to serve in the church, or reach out to new attendees, etc. It is wonderful to see how God is blessing! We are thoroughly enjoying serving in the roles that we are able to, such as AWANA, nursery, and fellowships, and it is great to have some like-minded friends who I things in common with as well! In my mind Christian friends who I am able to go through life with make life 100% better, and I am so thankful that God has placed people in my life to encourage me, and be there through all of the curves life throws at us!

I didn't post much about Keira this time...she is a book in and of herself lately. I will try and post soon about all that is going on with her. :)

Thanks friends for reading!