Control...or lack of

I'm a control freak, yes I am. I'm entering a new phase in life that I'm giving up control, and learning to trust the Lord. When I say, "I'm entering a new phase", what I really mean is that I've been working on this since about my junior year of college. That was 7 years ago folks. Does it take anyone else that long to learn to trust?!

I'm a planner, I've always been a planner. I want a plan of action for everything. I want to know what time the party is, who else is going to the party (so I can plan my attire, conversation starters, and conversation avoiders in advance), what will we be doing at the party, how long are we expected to stay, and on and on it goes. Crazy? Yes, I’m quite aware of that.

 Here's what got me kick started into a whole new way of thinking...Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

It took me so long to realize that the Lord's purpose for my life is so much better than what I ever could have mapped out! I think back to college, and I had decided I wouldn't get married until I was 28. I was going to get a job, live on my own, and support myself before I ever tried to fit some man in my life. I was going to go to church, get involved, and hopefully run some type of children's program.

I look at the life the Lord has given me and I am one blessed woman. My best friend introduced me to my amazing husband that I married at age 23 while working at Applebee's. Um, not a real job and definitely not 28. So..I compromised my plan and decided we wouldn't have kids for five years. Five months later, I found out I was pregnant with Isaiah.

Now I am 28. I have been a wife for four and a half years, a mother for three and a half years to two beautiful boys, a bookkeeper-who-could-never-support-myself-on-my-salary for four years, and I've been a small group leader for 2nd and 3rd graders for one month.

I love my life and I am so so thankful for an amazing God who is in control of it. He has blessed me far more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. I think giving up control is working for me! Thank you, Jesus!

9 Weeks

9 Weeks. That's how far along I am in my pregnancy. I'm thrilled to be having another baby! I'm also exhausted! It's so crazy to me how a tiny little thing can make me so sick, so tired, and so emotional! I cry at everything. I MEAN EVERYTHING. Happy? I cry. Sad? I cry. Tired? I cry. My boys disobey me? I cry. You get the drift. Everything makes me cry.

I get out of bed, make the boys breakfast, take my medicine, and lay on the couch. That's my mornings in a nutshell. I doze, letting the boys tear the house apart as long as they are playing nice together. When I finally start feeling better and start going about my day (which is seriously around lunch time), Isaiah usually says, "Mom, you feelin' better now?". So cute! He is so in tune with how people feel. Love that boy.

So, here's to 7 more months of pregnancy! Hopefully they go by quickly and this sickness passes soon!

Zoo...a bit like my life

We went to the zoo while my older brother, Ben, was in town. We were such a crew. There were two 3 years olds, two 2 year olds, one 1 year old, and one on the way in Meghan's belly. That's a whole lot of strollers, diapers, snacks, and photos. FUN!
We had a great time despite tired toddlers and the rain that threatened to fall. Here are a few pictures of our day. The pictures are way more fun than my writing!



I love this pic even though Isaiah is crying







Madi & Elias in the Eagle's nest



Most the group...Josh is hiding



There he is with my adorable niece, Lily





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My smiley Elias







Fabulous Week - So Tired!

What a week! We started at Lincoln City last Friday. My entire family from Idaho and my Uncle David from Georgia met us there. We stayed in a beautiful house with amazing views of the ocean. On Saturday, my brother, Ben, and his family flew into Portland and drove to Lincoln City. It was so fun!

First of all, I haven't seen Ben and his family for almost three years! Folks, that is far too long to stay away from a sibling. We had so much fun just hanging out and getting to know each other's children. Ben had met Isaiah when he was just a baby, so he met Elias for the first time. Isaiah and Madison (Ben's little girl) were best buds this whole week. They followed each other all over and had lots of laughs. So cute!

We celebrated my Grandpa's, my Uncle David's, and my birthday. It was a bit wild having so many people in one house, but I loved it. The crazy part is that we had five kids ages 3 and under. NUTS!

On Tuesday, everyone headed home, but Ben and Karen came back to Portland with us. We crammed nine extra people in my house for four days! My house is only 1500 square feet! We hung out, ate, went to the zoo, played in the park and just enjoyed each other's company.

I'm exhausted, but I am so thankful for such a wonderful family. They are fabulous, funny, down to earth, and just plain wonderful. I am a blessed woman! I have a million more pictures and more stories, but it's about time my head hits the pillow. More later!

Good night sleep tight

My favorite time of day is bedtime. Not because my kids go to bed (although sometimes that is true), but because of the bedtime routine.
Bryan reads the boys books, and I just love listening to it. He makes voices and gets the boys giggling. It's so stinking cute, and it brings tears to my eyes often. He prays with them before he tucks them in, and I love listening to their little prayers. I am pretty sure there is nothing more precious than little babies praying. I'm going to have to plant a hidden camera to get in on tape because I HAVE to get it all on video for the boys to see when they are older. Bryan is such a good daddy and I'm so thankful for him!

A picture will have to do until I get this on video!

28!

My 28th birthday is just around the corner, and it's already been fantastic! Bryan took the boys to his parents house on Saturday night so we could hit the town! We got all dolled up and went to Portland City Grill. Have you been? If not, you should go. It was on the 30th floor and the views were spectacular! It was  beautiful, clear day so we had a gorgeous view of Portland. The food was amazing!

It was such a quiet calm meal with just Bryan and me. I loved it. We headed home so I could get some jeans because I was freezing in my dress! We had huge plans of a movie and maybe dessert, but we opted for a Redbox and frozen yogurt for home. I love, love, love that Bryan and I don't have to be out and about and constantly on the go. We are both perfectly comfortable at home with each other.

Don't get me wrong - going out on dates is a huge plus as a stay at home mama, but I love nights when Bryan and I can just stay at home and be. Makes my heart happy to have such a wonderful husband by my side through everything!

The best part of the birthday was....Bryan bought me a camera! I have always had an interest in photography, but always felt selfish spending money on a hobby for myself. I'm in love with my new camera (Nikon D5000). I cannot get my home computer to upload the pictures which is very frustrating to me right now. Bry will hopefully fix that when he gets home! I'm dying to show the cuteness of my boys with a new camera!