Keira's Testimony

So...I never get around to blogging, because when I think of doing it I have SOO much that I want to blog, that I don't know where to start.

But- this is a really important post, that I don't want to lose, so I am putting it on here for storage sake...and if you want, you can read it. :)

October 9, 2013. 

A couple weeks prior to this Austin and I were putting Keira to bed and talking and reading books with her like we typically do. Somehow, the topic came up  and she asked, "How do you get saved?" Austin proceeded to then say: "You have to believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, and that there is nothing you can do to get to heaven, but accept his gift...etc." Keira agreed and said, "I believe that" to each point he made. Austin then said, "Not only do you have to believe that in your head, but you have to want Jesus to be Master, the one who is control of your life, not you. Keira thought about it for a bit and said, "I am not sure if I want that". Austin then said, "That's ok, you can think about it", as we weren't going to pressure her into anything. 

Then on October, 9 (last Wednesday) Pat Green passed away, and she was aware of what had happened as she heard Grandma and Grandpa talking about it all day and how Pat went to heaven, etc. 

On the way home from AWANA she was sitting quietly in the van and all of sudden pipes up, "Mom, I want to go to heaven, but I don't want to die". I told her that would be nice, but the Bible says that we don't go to Heaven until we die. We can't go and visit, and then come back. I then explained, the good thing about dying though is that if we know Jesus, we will go to Heaven when we die and it will be perfect and everything will be happy. Keira then said again, "I don't want to die, because that is no fun". I agreed, and then reiterated that if we know Jesus death is only for a short time and then we get to be in Heaven where it is perfect and happy forever!

Keira then got very quiet for a few moments and then said, "But I don't want to die because I think I might go to Hell". I then asked her, "Why is that?" Instead of answering my question she then sat there and thought for a few moments. She then piped up, "Mom! I want Jesus to be my Master. I want Him to be in control of my life". It then clicked with me, as I realized she was putting together the pieces from our conversation a couple weeks ago. She remembered what we had talked about, and understood that she was not saved until she wanted Jesus to be her Master, and that is why she was worried. I then told her that was great, and if she really meant that in her heart and continued to believe that as she got older she was a Christian and would go to Heaven when she died or Jesus came back. 

She then acted relieved and looked over at Lainey next to her and said, "Well what about Lainey mom?! We have to make sure she goes to Heaven too!!" I then said, "Well we will tell Lainey about Jesus as she gets bigger so she knows how to get to Heaven too and we will pray she wants Jesus to be her Savior and Master too". Keira then said, "Well we should tell her right now!" She then proceeded to ask Lainey, "Lainey, do you want to live for God or SELF?" Lainey responded with "GAH". Keira: "Good. Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins?" Lainey: "Yeah" Keira: "Do you want God to be your Master/ In Control of your life?" Lainey: "Yeah". Keira's response was then, "Mom! Did you hear Lainey? I think she is saved and going to Heaven too!!" 

We then went home and put Keira to bed. Every night we ask her who she wants to pray for. She had her normal list, but also said, "Mom, we need to make sure to pray for Lauren, because she is my BESTEST friend, and I want to make sure she goes to Heaven too!" 

The next day Keira asked about going to school. I then told her she didn't have school because it was closed for Parent-Teacher conferences. She then proceeded to beg and say, "But I NEEED to go to school!!" I asked her why in a little bit of an exasperated tone, Keira then said, "Because, I need to tell my friend Alexis about Heaven, so she can go there too!" I then said to Keira, "Well you can tell her on Monday, the school is closed today, and no one is there, including Alexis". Keira's response was, "Well I hope that isn't too late!!". 

Over the past week Keira has totally melted my heart and I have seen this excitement and passion in her as she seems to understand the pieces and be making conscious decisions for Christ, not just saying things to go along. Her zeal for sharing with others and praying for them is convicting and encouraging, as she realizes time is of the essence, and there is no time like the present!!

I pray that as she grows bigger and becomes an adult that her profession of faith is real, and she grows up to not only be a "Christian" but a true "Follower of Christ". 

It is also so encouraging to me to think that Pat Green, who was in many of my childhood memories from the early days of Southview, and had an impact on me as a child through her ministry, now had an impact on my child...that she does not even know of, through her death. 

Philippians 1:20-21 "According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.For to me to live in Christ, and to die is gain". 

A Summer Update, and Eating Healthy...er

Hi Friends!

I hope your summer has been going well! Ours has been full of activity, and we have taken every possible opportunity to be outside as much as possible!

We have not done any large trips this year, due to the age of the girls, but we have enjoyed doing a lot of local activities around town each weekend (we go to the Farmers Market almost every Saturday), and we have enjoyed lots of time with friends and family.

Austin and I did make time for a quick little getaway to KC last weekend. It was a much needed R&R for us as a couple without the kids. We enjoyed, eating, shopping, and having uninterrupted conversation (which is a rarity in our house!). We checked out quite a few restaurants, the coolest being Oklahoma Joe's which is one of the most famous BBQ Restaurants in the world, featured on all sorts of shows. It was delish...and did I mention its in a gas station??? The picture below shows the line wrapping around the outside of the gas station. We waited for almost an hour just to get in the door! We also checked out their farmers market....called the City Market. We went about 2:00 in the afternoon, so the morning rush was over, and we were able to get some good deals. We got some homemade bread from Amish women (50% off by that time of the day), and then just walked around taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and food samples. There are over 140 vendors, and in some spots in felt like you were in a foreign country. I thought the spices sitting out in the open were one of the most unique things I had seen. You could go up, take a bag and fill it from the spice boxes, and then pay per pound. It was all just sitting out in the open market. So cool, it reminded me alot of the markets we went when we were in Paris a couple of years ago.

We (or rather I) have also become more aware this summer of how unhealthy some of the processed/ convenience foods that we were eating are for us. I by no means have ever felt like I was a health nut, nor would I liked to be called one still...but we have taken some steps to try and eat healthier.

I think you can overboard with healthy eating (like anything else), and an important thing to keep in mind is that our end goal here is not to live forever...but rather to have an ETERNAL perspective, as that is what last forever and really matters. "Our lives are but a vapor..." However, with that being said, I do feel we should take the best care of our bodies that we reasonably can, and that includes eating healthy foods that are not filled with ingredients that I can't even pronounce. :)

You can do all sorts of things when trying to eat healthy, but it can definitely get overwhelming and EXPENSIVE quickly. So- we have not gone to all organic foods (although I don't necessarily think that is bad, just expensive!). Listed below are some pictures of my latest round of freezer cooking:

What we have done is this to become healthier:

1) Cut out all processed/ boxed foods.
2) Switch to all unbleached, whole grain flour
3) Cut out pop, except for special treats, and even then....no Mt. Dew, that stuff can kill you in a day. ;)
4) Buy alot of produce at the farmers market
5) Avoid BHT, BHA, and high fructose corn syrup

To give you a realistic viewpoint on how this has changed our habits:

Before: We were what I would call a fairly healthy family. We ate most meals at home (went out maybe 1-2x per week), and we usually had some sort of casserole, vegetable, and fruit. We did not eat a ton of dessert or drink alot of soda. However, most of the casseroles would have some sort of boxed potato, rice, cream soups, etc in them. Typically vegetables and fruits would be canned (especially in the winter). We would do frozen pizzas or other quick foods alot on evenings I had worked all day.

For snacks the kids typically had fruit snacks, cereal, or a cookie. The girls drank a lot of juice.

Now: We still probably eat out 1-2x per week (those are our cheat days....as I said, live a balanced lifestyle!) ;) Now for dinner we typically have a freezer meal (a meal that I have put together with fresh ingredients ahead of time, and it has cooked in the crockpot during the day), or we grill meat. We typically have a side of FRESH veggies (either from farmers market or Fareway), and FRESH fruit. (typically from Fareway).

I wash the fruit and veggies in a wash to take pesticides and such off. You can buy it in the produce section, or make some similar to this:  (http://chicnsavvyreviews.net/vinegar-fruit-wash-keeps-fruit-fresher-and-stays-fresh-longer/20130405).

If you are interested in some of the freezer recipes I have done, alot are listed on my pinterest page under "Freezer Meals". I have found that the "dump recipes" where you take all raw ingredients and put them in a ziploc bag seem to be the easiest and best tasting as well.

For bread: I have started buying bread without high fructose corn syrup in it (that is like the second ingredient in most breads. This bread you can buy for $1.99 at Fareway. Sometimes I will buy bread at the Farmers Market, but that is a bit more expensive.

For yogurt: I use to buy normal yogurt, on sale for about .33 a can. I now buy greek yogurt (alot more protein and nutrients...the other stuff is mainly just sugar). I also typically only buy chobani brand greek yogurt. It is the only one that I have found that does not add any sugar (just fruit), and that does not put corn syrup in it. All other greek yogurts that I have seen do add sugar and corn syrup. Chobani is a bit more expensive (normal price is about $1.25 per 6 oz container. On sale, I can get it for .80-.90 usually every other week). I know you can make yogurt, however for me, since I work I do not currently have the time for it...so this has been a good solution to finding a healthy yogurt. :)

For snacks: We do Cheerios (one of the few cereals that does not have BHT), we do fruit, cheese, clif bars, veggie straws (you can buy these at Walmart even...in lots of flavors!), or sandwiches.

For waffles/cookies: I make from scratch, it doesn't take much longer, I can use healthy flour and they taste way better!

I have found a few things that I love at Trader Joe's....alot of things I don't think are awesome from there, however I do love to get their natural "doritos". They are made with cheddar cheese, organic products, and ingredients I can pronounce the name of. They taste awesome, and are only $2.00 a bag...which is typically cheaper than Doritos! http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=655

Doing this I have not increased our grocery budget (in fact...I may have cut it slightly). I buy a TON of produce each week (approximately 15 lbs of fruit) for our family of four. However, I buy what is on sale for fruit and veggies, so it has not been too expensive. :) I love Fareway as they have great produce (in addition to meat!).

So- I am interested, what do you do to keep your family eating healthy? What tricks do you have?? :)

It's Summer!...An Update on Us

Life has been busy! Today is the first day of June, and although it was a chilly, cloudy day with jackets and jeans, it feels like summer is around the corner as our school year activities are coming to a close! :)

Keira has one week of dance left, and AWANA has now finished for the school year. So- after this week we will only have one schedule activity in the evenings each week!!! That is alot better than the 4-5 that we have had this school year. I am looking forward to some down time where we can enjoy the girls, take lots of evening walks and bike rides, and just get to enjoy some quality time OUTSIDE!! :)

I just looked back, and it was January when I last blogged...so, here is a quick rundown of the past six months.

Keira: Keira got to experience lots of firsts in the past six months! We were SUPER blessed, and given free tickets to both the circus, and the figure skating championships this winter. Keira loved all the animals at the circus, and it was fun to just do something as the two of us.

The figure skating was a hit as well, as Keira thought they all looked like princesses. We got to go there with a group from Southview.

Keira is now 4.5 and her favorite activities currently are to ride her Barbie Jeep and to "play with the boys" in the neighborhood. They all play water guns, and chase each other in their battery-operated cars. Its great fun! We got a steal on her jeep this spring on Craigslist....and she LOVES to drive it all over the open lots around us. She usually has a passenger that looks like a bobble head doll, and goes by the name of Lainey. :)

We are preparing for Keira's first dance recital a week from tomorrow. Keira has three songs, and she likes the singing part more than the dancing part...but she loves the dressing up, and time with friends. We are SOO blessed to have found a christian dance studio. I have enjoyed becoming friends with the other moms, and Keira has enjoyed being apart of a class. She also loves that her "best friend Lauren" gets to be in the same class!

At her last doctors appt (4 year check up) she was 34 lbs and 42 inches tall...and mini Austin for sure! She is still in the 10% for weight, and 90% for height.

Lainey: She is now 17 months old. Wow, we have our hands full with her! She is a spitfire...who is absolutely adorable and a terror all at the same time. We love her to pieces, but she is ornery! She eats as much as Austin or I do at every meal, and then eats plenty of snacks throughout the day. Our grocery bill has definitely gone up since she started eating! Her favorite food is a banana that she eats whole...and it is usually 3 or more a day. We buy at least three large bunches a week, and just call her our little monkey! :)

She does a great job of keeping up with big sister Keira too. She LOVES to be outside AT ALL TIMES. She plays on her little ATV, sandbox, or whatever the big kids are doing. She not only walks, but runs quite well anymore! :) I think God was gracious by letting her take awhile to walk, as now I can hardly keep up with her.

Just within the past month, she has really started talking alot. She now repeats almost anything you say. She can say "Hi, Bye, Thankyou, Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Papa, Puppy, Eat, More, Down, Bite, Hungry, and just this week added 'Keira' to the list". It is amazing...once she started talking it has just taken off.

Despite her feisty side she is quite the lover too. She will come toddling up to me, hold up her arms, and say, "Mom". When I pick her up, she will just scrunch up her shoulders, lay her head on my chest and hum happily. If that doesn't melt my mommy heart, I don't know what would!

At her last doctor appt,  (16 months) she was weighing in 18 lbs, and her length was 29 inches. She was not even on the charts for weight, and in the 10% for height. Maybe I will get one who looks like me!! Her hair is lightening up a lot as well, so I think we will have a little blondie on our hands! :)

Austin: He has been keeping very busy with work (which is good!). He has also kept busy with church by being involved with door to door evangelism, and has been building friendships with some of the younger guys, and some of the older guys as well. He has taken up golfing/ biking with one of the newer guys who is a bit older and can be a mentor to him. I think it is a great thing for him!!! :)


We are now hosting the 20's small group every week at our house, and love it! It has been fun to get to interact with the college age people more and be a blessing to them. PLUS the study is great!

Ellie: I have been extremely busy with work. I have definitely been learning patience, which is a good lesson for me to learn, although I do not enjoy it. ;)

 I have also been trying to slow down on organized activities, so I can enjoy the girls and just doing things with them. We love our days at home together!!! We usually go out and about to do something (grocery shopping, childrens museum, etc), but I have found that I usually like to go with just us, or one other family...that way it is not so chaotic and I can get to play with them more without just doing damage control. One day I went to the OCM without another mom, and it was fun to just play with them and focus just on how they do things! Its those little smiles and their new experiences that are such a joy to see! :)

I have also found a new way of cooking! A friend and I  have been doing some freezer cooking, where we will buy ingredients for 12 or so meals, and then put them all together one evening. They are usually all crockpot or grill ready meals. It is nice to have it all done in one lump time, and a ready made menu! We like to do "dump" recipes, where you put together all the raw ingredients, and then freeze. When you are ready to use, you just thaw it out and grill, or stick it in the crockpot in the morning, and "VOILA!" dinner is hot and ready when I walk in the door. I definitely love this way of cooking, and hope to continue to do it. Plus- when you do it with one other person, it is a ready made girls night as well...without spending any extra $$ ;).

Well thats all for now folks...thanks for reading! :)

CELEBRATIONS!

Ok Friends...I am self admittedly the worst blogger on the planet!

I should just give up this whole thing, as I see it on my list and never rarely get to it.

However, WHEN I get to it, I love to do it...and I love to look back and see what I have written.

Lots has gone on since I last posted. I had visions of writing all sorts of different things, but since Blogger does have a data limit, I will keep it to the post important things that have been going on.

We are FINALLY getting back into the routine after moving. Our new house is starting to feel like home, and I am loving being able to meal plan, and have our own family routines again. It was so odd right after we moved in, as I felt like I should still have a 6 month old, not a 12 month old...as I almost felt like time stood still for 6 months while we were in transition. It honestly took me about two months to figure out which way was up, and figure life with two kids out again (I was SO spoiled with help from my MIL that I had kind of forgotten how it was with two!). So- we have slowed things down some, but are thoroughly enjoying game nights at home, and just sitting on the floor and playing toys with the girls. I know these days are numbered, so we are making a conscious effort to slow down, and spend quality time with the girls before they are all grown and too cool for mom and dad.

We enjoyed the holidays, spending time with both families. It was a bit different, as we had just gotten into our house so all our normal holiday memories were out of place, and we didn't quite feel at home in the new house yet. However, we had all the family around, and that is what made it great!! Keira got a Baby Alive doll that she LOVES and takes most places with us. Lainey was completely uninterested in anything, except spending time hamming it up for the grandparents. :)

Mommy with the girls at Christmas at Grandma Jane's House

Making a Pinterest Project on Christmas Eve after church, and before PJ stockings and driving to look at lights

Christmas Jammies!!

Right after the holidays we had barely taken a breath and we were in birthday mode (note to others:...if at all possible, avoid having kids at Christmas time! We have two birthdays within a month of Christmas. Every year seems chaotic, and now I am FINALLY realizing that this just might be the way it is. So- next year in an attempt to be prepared, I am just planning on STRESS from November- January. :) ). On serious note though- we have had a great time celebrating, but I am glad to have it all behind us for a bit.

Rora (2)and Lainey (1): BIRTHDAY girls...one year apart, exactly. 

Lainey turned the big ONE on December 31, 2012. It is crazy to think that her first year is already behind us!  She weighs in at 16 lbs 7 oz, and is not even on the growth chart for weight. She is only in the 3% for height, at 28.5 in long. She crawls like crazy, blabbers to tell you what she is thinking, and smacks her lips to blow a kiss when you say, "Love you!" She waves goodbye, LOVES to eat, and LOVES the water. If she hears the bath water running, she comes crawling at breakneck speeds from across the house to get in. She is a fish! This is my facebook post from on her birthday this year:

 "A year ago at this time I was in the hospital, well on my way to delivering our second, precious little girl. She was born at 7:36 am and weighed in at a petite 6 lbs 8 oz. She didn't have a name for over 24 hours as she came earlier than expected and we hadn't decided on one yet. In the end we named her Elaina Jane- which was not even on the list! :) this last year has been a whirlwind as we have lived in three different places, and have juggled life with two kids, jobs, etc. we are so thankful for this feisty little person God has given us- the fun with her is only beginning I imagine! ;)"

She is definitely a little spitfire, but she is just so much FUN!!! She is not walking yet, but getting close- as she has started standing on her own this week. She also jabbers like crazy, and does her best to keep up with big sister Keira at all times.


Keira turned FOUR today, on January 26, 2013. We had a great day going to brunch at my moms (and saying good bye to Faith who had to go back to Spokane), and then taking NAPS in the afternoon. Even I got one, wahoo! We then went out to Applebees for dinner (Keira's pick) with Austin's parents and then came to our house and played Princess Yahtze over icecream and cake. It was a nice relaxing day...exactly what we wanted to have to enjoy her. :) She is getting so big, and I can just see her graduating already, it will be here before we know it. She is so responsible and loves to help, with chores, Lainey, etc. She LOVES to do crafts, and can make something out of the most random supplies. She is not very outgoing, but more the wallflower, who fades into the background. She loves to be busy and active, but often times would prefer to stay home and play dolls or Barbies rather than going out. She LOVES to ride her bike and go on walks with the family.

In between the girls actual birthdays ( on January 12) we had a large, chaotic party with friends and family for both of the girls. It was a ladybug theme (per Keira's request), and was a ton of fun...although I was EXHAUSTED by the time the chaos was over. We had a pinata, and did a baked potato bar...which was a huge hit. :)

Wedding day!

 

 

Here are some random shots from the day!

Grabbing some lunch quick before the ceremony. :)

Keira LOVED being a flower girl!- 3. 5 years old

Lainey thought this poofy dress was over rated. ;) - 7 months old

Hair done! Headed to the ceremony site! :)

Austin and I finished off a long, fun day with some food and drinks in the Old Market with Charis and Nate.So thankful to add another couple to the family this day!

Charity was a BEAUTIFUL bride!!

Andrea did a great job playing hair stylist. :)

Aren't they adorable? We found matching dresses for them super cheap! It was fun to have TWO little girls all dressed up. :) 

Keira was using a package of Kleenex as her cell phone...she had a lot of logistics to coordinate that day!

Grandma Lea was a lifesaver that day!

We took pictures at Creighton after the wedding. So thankful for my Groom...6 years later!

Me and my girls in the dressing room.

Keira's hair in progress

Liz and I still needed a little work at this point to look presentable....

Our little family of Four!