Picture Post!

At the Park

Tori has learned to write her name!! (She wrote the bottom one)

Cute little poser

Love that smile

Look at that style

The Best friends and their Snow lady

Trials...

Today I was thinking about trials. Some trials are super hard, and you have no choice but to go through them. Like the death of a loved one, or financial burdens... but the more I thought about it I realized some trials we choose to go through. Like college, or having babies(they don't call it labor for nothing!), or getting married, or raising your children. On that note I wanted to share what the Bible says about trials... James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

or check out the Message paraphrase... always love that version

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

God has not given me trials that are tragedies. 

My family is whole, my child is healthy, and my life is good. 

God has given me responsibility that I choose to take very seriously.

Raising Tori in a godly way and training her in righteousness.

This responsibility has taught me the true meaning of pure joy in trials.

It is not always easy to raise my child the way that God wants me to

It is definately not easy to discipline her the way God wants me to

It is not easy to be concerned with her heart, instead of her behavior.

This is my trial! This is my struggle.... and seriously, WHAT A JOY!

Somedays I am not positive about this, somedays I'm a mess and I think I've totally ruined my child and I'm a terrible mother. But, I can honestly say that being Tori's Mommy is worth it. Seeing her precious face each day is worth it. Knowing that she is mine, makes me joyful and thankful to the God who gave her to me. I think this is a perfect example of joy in trials. God knows children are difficult. I am not saying that Tori is horrible or that she is a trial in my life that I am just trying to get through. NO!! She is a gift, a precious gift! And this gift God has given to me is a HUGE responsibility. I am responsible for a human life!! I see this as a challenge, because IT'S HARD!! Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying! So, to wrap this up, the challenge of motherhood is pure joy. I pray that I can apply this to other trials in my life, because they are there and it can be so hard to find joy in the midst of suffering.

Being Tori's mommy has taught me so much. Patience, perseverance, unconditional love, joy, confidence, and so much more. God gave me this precious gift to show me His love for me. I am doing my best to be the best mother I can be, and considering each new challenge PURE JOY!! This verse also encourages me to stick with it, because through our trials, our faith grows. God has already used Tori's life to bring me back into His will. Knowing that all of my struggles have a purpose inside of God's will, gives me hope. He's not finished with me yet! If I have to suffer to be mature and complete, so be it. My goal is for my life to please the Lord, so that one day when I stand in front of Him at Heaven's gates He will say to me
"Well done, my good and faithful servant."

My Dorky Confession

Confession: 

I LOVE CRAYONS AND COLORING!!! I have always had crayons and coloring books. 

My favorite coloring books are Disney Princesses, Lisa Frank, Precious Moments, and the most recent... Strawberry Shortcake(Thanks to my cute little girl) A sharp brand new crayon excites me... I had the 120 count pack of crayons... In College... Seriously, I am not kidding at all! I even colored Adam a picture in High School of Sleeping Beauty dancing with Prince Phillip and wrote him a dorky note about how he was my Prince... I'm a dork and I'm proud of it!!!

Now that you know my embarrassing secret let me tell you what I have done with all of those crayons I collected over the years. I did a major clean out and put all the crayons that were still worth coloring with and put them in Tori's art box... With the huge pile leftover, we recycled our old crayons!!  Tori and I had a blast taking the paper off and breaking them into tiny pieces. We put them in a mini muffin pan and melted them in the oven and turned them into, as Tori calls them, Muffin Crayons!

Here's some pictures of our fun day!

The "fun" colors

The "Normal" colors

Aren't they awesome??

It was so much fun!!

Best Friends...

Tori loves her friends. This past year I have had the joy of watching her and her very first best friend. Taylor and Tori are double trouble. They play together, and search one another out in a group setting. Sometimes they fight like sisters, but for the most part they really love each other. They dance, laugh, and play and really hate when they have to say goodbye. Tori includes Taylor and her family in her prayers each night, and she asks me often when her "Savorite sriend" is coming to play again. Good thing her Mommy and I get along so well haha. It is such a blessing that Tori gets to experience a friendship like this so early in her life. I pray that this friendship will be one she keeps! They will love to look at their baby pictures together one day! haha. 

2009 was a hard year for me. I felt very alone and I missed the people who I used to have close relationships with, but had lost touch as our lives went different ways. I prayed for a friend often. God answered my prayers with Emily. This is Taylor's Mommy, and I have an equally special relationship with her. She is such a sweet, godly woman who just gets me. She is one of those people who is just irreplaceable and I know I can trust her with every part of who I am. I am so thankful to God for putting these precious girls in our lives.  

"A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, 

blesses you with love, and encourages you with hope."

Happy Birthday Big Girl!!

Tori,

Where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday I was holding a tiny newborn in my arms. You have grown from a tiny, helpless, adorable newborn baby, to an independant, spirited, and beautiful 3 year old. You are such a joy to me. Though you are often a challenge, I still love every minute I spend with you. A year ago I would have written all the new words you were saying, or all the milestones you had hit, but this year I have watched your little personality begin to form. This past year has been a year of discovery and wonder as you find out who you are, and how things work.  You have stopped asking "what" questions and started asking "why."

You are an encourager. You tell the people around you what is good about them. You say "good job" and you say things in a way that builds others up.

You have such an amazing imagination. You play make-believe, and dress-up more than anything else.

You love to dance and sing, but you are a little shy to perform for anyone but Mommy and Daddy.

You have finally started to pose for the camera, but only when you want to.

You make conscious decisions between right and wrong, and accept the consequences of your actions.

You are learning to ride your tricycle

You can officially draw a smiley face

You hate it when Mommy or Daddy is sad, and always know how to make us smile

You love your animals: Mya, Sam, and Bella

Your favorite bedtime song is "All the Pretty Little Horses" AKA Hush-a-bye-bye

You love to read books with Mommy

You are almost fully potty trained (minus nighttime which will come with time)

You have pretty good rhythm for a 3 year old, and you love to dance!!

You're cute and you know it!! "I'm a cutie"

We love you big girl!! Happy Birthday!!

Since I'm behind on blogging...

here are some pictures from the last month, 

in no particular order,

until I can get a real post up!

Thanksgiving

Birthday Party, Cinderella and Prince Charming

Cupcakes!!

Sweet Friends

Her new rocking horse, Thunder

Tori and Taylor in Tori's new big girl bed!!

Tori and Taylor at McDonalds

Tori riding her new Tricycle!

Birthday morning with her princess dolls

Her favorite present! A dollhouse

Haha love it

Crazy hair after nap one day lol

I pray that she will be different...

My whole life all I ever wanted was to fit it. My life was a constant battle of pleasing others. What freedom and joy I have experienced letting go of this lie and grabbing onto God's truth that I am not of this world. Choosing to please Him instead of trying to please imperfect people. These verses are some of my core verses for my life as a christian...

First I want to put the message paraphrase of Romans 12:2 because I just LOVE it...

Romans 12:1-2

 "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, 

develops well-formed maturity in you."

Romans 12:2

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the Lord,' 

Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

Plans to give you a hope and a future."

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understand; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight."

I am so thankful that God has opened my eyes to 
the importance of NOT fitting in.

I want to be different 

I want to focus my attention on God

I want God to bring the best out in me

I want God to renew my mind

I don't want to fit in without thinking

I want to stick out
I wanna be different, and I want it to be obvious

I want to trust in God and His Plan for me




I also want my daughter to have the joy that I have found!

I pray that I will be an example for Tori
I pray she will feel God's presence always and desire to do His will

I pray that she will come to know Jesus young

I pray she will see her worth through God's eyes and not the worlds

I pray she will hold onto His promises

I pray she will always know how beautiful she is to HIM

I pray that she will know early on that what the world thinks is unimportant
I pray that she will embrace her purpose
that she will know that she was made to glorify God
I pray she will choose to be different
I pray to the God who gave her to me that He will guide me as I guide her
I pray that He will give me the wisdom, patience, and knowledge in my parenting
I pray that my purpose in life shines clearly through to her
My purpose is to glorify God and God alone


I will remain on my knees for her forever until the day I die
One of the most influential and important things that we can do for our children is to
PRAY FOR THEM
There will come a day when I have no control of what goes on in her life
When that day comes I will not be afraid because no matter what I can always pray
Even when I am no longer in control of my baby, God will be
I am working my way out of a job, I am training her up in the way she should go
and then I will give her back to God...
I pray that God will help me to prepare her for this world 
So that when that day comes 
I can smile as I watch her wave goodbye knowing
God is in control... She is ready... And I am still praying

O sweet Tori, why won't you sleep?

Dear Tori,

 Lately you are driving me crazy! I love you very much and as much as I would like to spend my entire day playing with you, I can't! Can you imagine what our house would look like if I just played with you all day and never cleaned the house, or did laundry?? Do you know how grumpy you are when you don't get a nap? I wish that your little almost 3 year old mind could understand how important it is for you to take a nap. I know the world is so intriguing and you don't want to miss a thing, but I promise little one you aren't going to miss anything by taking a nap!! You have so much time to discover the world and to experience new things. You will feel so much happier if your body gets the rest it needs. I do my very best to be a good mommy. We always read a book, then I put you in your bed with your bunny, and cover you up with your favorite blankets, and rub your back while I sing your favorite song. Why will you not lay down and go to sleep? Don't you know that you are so very tired?? Don't you realize that you can't possibly go to sleep while standing on your head, or throwing your bunny in the air, or balancing him on your feet, or singing/talking/squeeling at the top of your lungs? Haven't you figured out that you wake up so much happier when you get the sleep you need? Don't you know that I will ALWAYS do what is best for you and that if Mommy says you need to take a nap, then I must have a good reason? I know that the past 2 months have been tough for us both. You just want to play, play, play, and I just want you to sleep, sleep. sleep! We are stuck in a battle of wills, and I am sorry sweet baby, but Mommy always wins... not because I want to win, but because I know what is best for you, and that is a nap. I'm sorry that you are having such a hard time with this! I wish I could make this easier for you, but that wouldn't teach you anything. I wish I could explain to you in words that you understand that all of this is for your own good. I wish I could help you understand that one day you will wish so bad that someone would force you to have a 3 hour nap every day. I love you little stinker, you know that!! Please, Please!! Lay down, be still, close your eyes, hug your bunny, and GO TO SLEEP!!! I am begging you to surrender, throw up your white flag, and give in!! You need it, I need it, The pile of laundry on the couch needs it. I love you so much!! Until next time...

Your Mommy

The Pumpkin Patch

Just some pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch!