Fun in the Sun

Mmmmm Sand

Discovering sand for the first time....

eating it....

And spitting it out.

Thanksgiving 2008

Taber, meet the Spray Nozzle

Oh, the innocence of a child :-)

A Sound Mind

This Thanksgiving we are visiting Rory's family in Hawaii. It is so much fun to come here and visit with all of the extended family. We try to make it here at least once a year for a couple reasons:

1) Rory's dad is in his mid-sixties and I (we) feel its important for Rory to get to spend time with him as often as possible. I have the incredible privilege to see my parents on a weekly basis....once a year is not that much.

2) It's important for Taber & Titan to get to visit with their uncles, aunties, cousins, grandparents and all the other extended family. There is such a legacy and Ohana (family) is a large part of the Hawaiian culture.

3) Ok come on, who wouldn't want to take a vacation in Hawaii :-) We are incredibly blessed to have a place to stay when we come.

Since Hawaii is in the middle of the ocean, obviously we aren't able to drive here (although that would be one very cool bridge to drive one :-)). For the past 8 years I have lived with anxiety/fear of flying. About 1 week before we're leaving if I even think about the airport, getting on the plane etc. I get knots in my stomach, nauseous and just all around panicky. On every flight we've taken in the 7 years we've been married, I've had to take some sort of medicine to calm me down. At one point it was so bad that nothing worked except a perscription from my doctor. But this time it was different!!!

I had absolutely no problem at all!!! No sickness, no panicky feeling, no medicine. God has healed me and delivered me from all fear and anxiety. I arrived to the airport with no fear, got on the plane with no fear, had no anxiety when there was turbulence....I am absolutely healed!!!!

All of these years I've wanted to travel in peace. Every time I've gone on a trip I always prayed for peace and that I would remain calm. I clung to 2 Timothy 1:7 on every flight, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. " God has given me a sound mind!!!! He has removed all fear and taken every thought that would cause me to be uncomfortable while flying. Thank you Lord for healing me!!!!!

Taber's Big Boy Bed

A few weeks ago we moved Taber from his crib to his new "big boy" bed and thus began the boys sharing a room. Woo Hoo!!!

Here's some pics of Taber in his new "big boy" bed. He's super excited about it. The best part of it all....when I went in to get them up in the morning Taber was standing next to Titan's crib. Titan had pulled himself up on his knees and they were having a brother conversation. So cute!!!

Local Flooding

The Rock Church has been officially activated as an American Red Cross Shelter for all people being evacuated due to the local flooding. Volunteers and city officials are on site.

It is so awesome to be part of a church that cares so much about people! If you want to help, pray for those being displaced from their homes, bring cookies and just love on people.

As a side note: in order to accommodate those in need of shelter, there will be no All Things New or Youth Services tonight, Wednesday, November 12th.

Aeroflex

This morning I attended Pastor Melinda's Aeroflex Reach Team at the GRID. It's basically a cardio workout using small hand weights. It was such an awesome total body workout. I've been going to the Y with some other TRC ladies on a pretty regular basis, but this was a perfect way to mix it up a bit. Definitely worked some areas that I haven't in quite a while :-). I can't wait for the next one. Come check it out Thursdays & Saturdays from 9:30-11am @ The Rock Church.

A Moment in History

Tonight as I watched the coverage of the election results I couldn't help but think about what a privilege it is to be a part of such a momentous moment in our US history. I'm sure some day I will be telling my children all about where I was when Obama was elected President.

Pastor Jeff put it into words very well on his blog. You can read it here.

Long Lost Twin

This is my 2.5 year old Taber (sorry it's blurry)And this is his long lost twin (aka the nephew of a girl I went to high school with)
Crazy huh!!!

I Heart This Book

This morning I went to make Titan's (8mos. old) breakfast and realized that we were out of baby oatmeal. So, I busted out a book I had purchased shortly after Taber was born to see if I could find any sort of backup options and came across this recipe:

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not the quick-cooking ones)
1 cup water

Place water on the stove to boil in a small saucepan. Place rolled oats into your blender (or food processor) and grind for 2 minutes until it turns into a fine powder (some chunks are fine depending on the age of your child). Once the water boils, turn the heat down to low and add the oatmeal powder. Stir briskly with a wire whisk and cover. Cook over low heat for approx. 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching and to remove lumps. Makes two 1/2 cup servings and will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

I mixed the cereal with some homemade applesauce and Titan absolutely DEVOURED it. You can also make the same cereal from brown rice, barley or other whole grains. I froze the unused cereal, which will keep for 2-4 weeks.

For both of my boys I've made their food myself. Not only is this much lighter on the budget, but to be honest it tastes so much better than the jarred food. I will say though that jarred food is always good for those unexpected last minute outings :-).

I highly recommend this book for anyone with little ones under a year old. It has an extensive section of fruits & vegetables, which outlines the best methods to cook them, what age it's best to start each one at and what vitamins are found in each. It also outlines what your baby should be eating based on their age (this section is by far the best!!!).

What are some of your best baby finds? I'd love to hear them!