Monday Mumblings

Whenever I write a blog post on Monday, I always feel like its just a bit grumbly.  You?  So, I made sure to have an extra cup of coffee before typing this - and I asked for an extra dose of grace too!

The Lord has been so good to us.  I've been reflecting on all of our blessings lately - even those in disguise - and find myself praising God for His faithfulness to us.

I spent last week in California on a work trip.  I go every year and each time I come home with new ideas to serve the ministry I work for better.  I also come home refreshed and renewed.  There's something abut staying in a hotel room all alone that gives a mommy an extra boost for the months to come.  And when I returned, my family was in tact and the house was in order.  Such a treat!

So, today I'm focusing on loving my kids a little extra (is that possible?) and letting them build forts (without cringing at the mess they're making).  I'm tidying up and thanking God that we have little hands to make prints on windows. 

So Little Time

I'm in a stage where it feels like the days disappear in the blink of an eye.  Wasn't I just nursing a newborn a week ago?  Now my baby is almost 18 months old and saying things like "I need down." 

My oldest baby is walking through the mall with her hands on her hips (Lord help us).  And I'm taking her to see Disney On Ice Princess Wishes tonight.  I'm going to be out of town on a business trip for the week, so I thought a mommy-daughter date was in order before I leave.  Lets just say I'm paying for the experience.  I don't think Annelise really knows what's ahead, other than she gets to wear her pink princess dress and eat a snack with mommy.  I think we can meet those expectations.

So, I'm supposed to be packing for my trip, but it seems a little early.  Besides, there's still way too much laundry to do before I decide what I'm taking.

Happy Saturday.

Product Review: Mr. Clean Reusable Wiping Cloth

Its no secret.  I love to clean.  Which usually goes hand in hand with a love of cleaning products.  My favorite area of the house to clean is the kitchen.  When I cook, I start with a clean kitchen.  I can't sleep if the dishes aren't done.  And I hate, allow me to repeat for emphasis, hate dirty counters. 

So, its taken me a while to find a cleaning tool that really allows me to get my counter clean, without it being bulky, smelly and hard to dry.  I've tried the tradition washcloth, sponges...even a few specialty rags like these.  And while I liked the latter, I couldn't justify spending that much money every couple of months without a coupon.  Still vaguely on the prowl for a good cloth, I had almost given up hope.  That is, until I stumbled upon this...

(Angels singing, trumphets playing...you know, that heavenly music of wonder.)

I debated...but come on, a dollar for two?  That's pocket change and I was willing to spend the dough to see if we could form a marriage out of this deal.

And that we did.  I'm in love.  All the sufficiency of a sponge, without the bulk and occasional dripping.  All the beauty and hand friendliness of these, without the hefty price and fading.

Ladies (and a few gentlemen who made read this), you will fall in love.  Oh, and I paired this new cleaning wonder with my ever faithful spray...

And voila...its cleaning bliss.  So, fork out the dollar at your local Big Lots (that's where I found mine) and tell me what you think.  I dare say you will never go back to your slimy sponge or your stinky dish cloth again.

Oh...and they're biodegradable.  There, you have no excuse.

Health is not overrated

We have battled the icky sickness bug around here for many weeks this winter.  And minus a double ear infection for both girls (which happens to be pretty normal) we are healthy.  We're going to see an ENT about Elli's ears and the potential for tubes, which I think will make our lives so much more enjoyable in the future.

There's still a good amount of snow on the ground here, but Spring is on its way...we hope.  And a busy Spring it will be. 

Happy Monday to all!

Our Weekend Getaway

Ok, so it wasn't much of a getaway, although the hospital here does have great food service.

After my post on Thursday, Annelise didn't seem to be getting any better, even on antibiotics.  So, I took her to the doctor.  And he suggested we consider taking her to the hospital.  Her fluid intake was really low and she continued to struggle with breathing. 

When we got there, I was so glad we made the decision to admit her.  Her oxygen levels were lower than we thought and she had lost 2 pounds from not eating.  And if you know her, you know she can't afford to lose weight.

It was a hard couple of days, but we were able to bring her home on Sunday.  Now she is on the mend and Elli and I are battling the same virus.  It seems like winter has opened the door to lots of sickness in our home.  We're ready for warmer weather and less germs in the near future.

God is still so good to us.  A friend encouraged me with this verse while we were at the hospital and I'm still meditating on it today.

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

Hmph.

I thought we were going to avoid this nebulizer business this year.  Guess not.

I wouldn't characterize us as having sickly kids.  But, it never fails.  What starts with a cough quickly turns into an upper respiratory infection, double ear infection and sore throat.  It only took us three hours at urgent care to figure it all out.  In the doctor's words "Hm...I'm not sure she could have much more wrong with her at once."  Thanks. 

So, we're running on fumes of fumes here.  Really, I'm running on coffee.  Annelise is running on steroid.

Elli however, is feeling just fine.

Cozy.

That's how we feel today.  A roaring fire in the fireplace, steady supply of coffee, puzzles and Sovereign Grace music on Pandora.  Winter showed its hand again today.  Spring teased us with a few warmer days and lots of grass sitings.  But alas, it was just a tease.  By noon today the snow started falling and falling hard.  Within a few hours we had four or more inches of heavy, wet snow.  Poor Matt...his back is sore after one shovel and its going to need more by morning. 

I'm not guessing we'll get a snow day out of it.  Just a cruel reminder that winter in Michigan is no where near over.

Love.

A Puddle on the Floor

While making pizza tonight, Annelise kept sticking her dirty hands in the dough.

"Stop!  You're really frustrating me, Annelise.  Your hands are dirty and you can't stick them in the dough."

I felt the sharpness in my tone.  I took my frustration out on her.  Just as I was about to apologize, I looked down to see her frowny face quickly transform into a huge smile.  She cocked her head, batted her eyelashes and said

"You're a really good mommy."

What?!  I'm a puddle on the floor.

And So I've Resorted...

to bullet points.  This doesn't bode well for the state of my life.  Bullet points?

My mountain climber and her cohort.

• We spent the week catching up.  You know, the kind of catching up after a vacation.  Can you believe a week on a cruise ship causes you to forget how to do laundry, dishes and prepare food?  Well, it does.  And now some of you ladies are seriously looking into a cruise vacation, just for that reason eh?
• The weekend was spent on the couch and in bed.  Yup, we were sick.  Actually, the kids were sick during the week.  I think I missed my first ever day of work to stay home and nurse sick kids.  Then, daddy and I were hit with the plague over the weekend.  I guess that's as good a time as any to get sick.  
• Missing the church super bowl party last night means we have a fridge full of what I think is contest winning salsa...anyone have any good recipes that contain salsa?  Otherwise, I'm going to need to buy stock in tortilla chips.
• I have an aspiring mountain climber.  Elli turned sixteen months and promptly celebrated by crawling on top of everything.  Yes everything - the toilet, table, coffee table, tv stand, bunk beds...she really scares me.  She thinks its hilarious.  I'm predicting a broken bone here in the near future.
• And that brings me to this...do any of you feel like your house is not your own?  Like now that your kids have taken over it looks like a playground trying to be a home?  I'm close to giving up.  I mean, I have fought toys in the living room for three years, but I'm losing the battle.  Is it worth fighting?  I am a self-proclaimed clean freak.  And most would say my house is really never messy.  But its a lie.  I'm just a really nutty mom who cleans crazily before anyone comes over.  I'm learning to give it up.  To stay sane, be a loving mother and helpful wife, I need to give it up.  A dear friend told me once, a house is to be lived in, not looked at.  Thank goodness! 
• Elli is talking like crazy.  She can say...
• Anne
• Mommy and Daddy
• No (her favorite word)
• Yes
• Please
• Cheese
• Hot dog
• Ball
• Juice
• Papa and Gigi
• Baby
• Down
• Up
• Bye Bye
• All gone
• No (I think that deserves two mentions, since it is her favorite word)
• Spring is shaping up to be a busy time for us as a family.  I have a work trip that will take me to California (and Disneyland) for a week in March.  Matt and I are helping to lead a mission trip to Honduras in April and then we're hoping to hit Kentucky for a visit in May or June.
• Said mission trip has caused me to develop a severe hatred for my address book.  I need your help!  Have you found a really good way to keep addresses?  On the computer, in a book, or online?  I can't decide.  I'm computer savvy - and phone savvy - so I love the idea of entering all those addresses into my computer.  But, I also love that I can grab my address book and flip to a page to look up a friend.  It just feels right.  Tell me, how do you keep your addresses in order and up to date?
• I love my blog.  Its been an outlet for me since we moved to Michigan four years ago.  I've recorded so many big moments - our move, our house, the births of our children, vacations, sadness, prayer requests...A friend of mine recently told me about this website where you can print your blog.  Go figure!  So, I'm doing some research to see if this would be a good Christmas present to ask for.  Wouldn't it be great to have a bookshelf that contains entire years of your life as recorded in your blog?  I'm excited about the thought and hope it develops into reality soon.  Guess that means I should do a better job blogging, eh?

Well, its looking like bullet points was the way to go.  We have so much going on - and so much to be thankful for.  

Cruise 2011: Bahamas

This time last week we were exploring the island of Freeport in the Bahamas.  Such a drastic contrast to the exhilaration of shoveling hundreds of feet of snow.

In July, my brother called me to ask if we wanted to go on a cruise with them.  I laughed.  "We can't afford to go on a cruise!"  But, I entertained the idea, secretly hoping by some miracle it would be possible.  And what do you know?  We were able to find a five day cruise to the Bahamas for only $189 each.  The airfare followed suit at $130 each.  The transportation fell in line and before I knew it, we were going on a cruise!

It was such a treat for Matt and I to get away together.  As many of you with young children know, an uninterrupted conversation can do wonders for a marriage.  Uninterrupted sleep can do wonders for the individual.  And an entire meal enjoyed without a spill or scream?  That was icing on the cake.

I love my children dearly.  But I love my husband more.  And a few days away was just what we needed to feel refreshed and recharged.  I'm so grateful for this trip - and humbled because I know its nearly impossible for people at our stage of life to take adventures like this.

So, without further ado, here is a link to view our pictures.  And I'll post just one or two here to give you a taste of the album to see if its worth perusing.

Oh and if you would like to consider a cruise vacation...here's the site we used to get a cheap vacation.  My parents have used it 8 or more times so they come highly recommended.

Its a Blizzard!

 

We're snowed in...at least for a while.  More than a foot of snow fell overnight.  The roads are clear, but that means the snow plow pushed most of the snow from the streets into the end of our driveway.  So, Matt has about 2-3 feet of snow to dig out.  Guess we're not going anywhere for a little while.  Which means I have time to upload cruise photos!  Stay tuned...

An Update...Soon

We've been gone.  To the Bahamas.  On a cruise.  Yes, it was wonderful.

I'd love to share pictures with you, but I've got to find that silly camera.  Probably means I should unpack. 

Oh, but I need coffee first. 

Three years ago

Three years ago today...at this very moment in fact, I was at the hospital hoping to see my sweet baby girl.  I was probably even blogging.  Contractions were heavy and I wasn't able to get an epidural because thirteen mothers were giving birth and the anesthesiologist was tied up, to say the least.  A few more contractions and we would realize that my placenta had ruptured.

I'll never forget the disappointment in my doctor's eyes when she told me that I needed a c-section.  She was my biggest cheerleader and it felt like we had just lost the game.

In a moments time, I was whisked away into surgery and within seconds our little peanut was born.

At 9:18 on January 18, 2008 (lots of 8's in there!) a miracle happened.  Annelise Louise Neal, all of six pounds, thirteen ounces and 18 inches, entered our world.  She was beautiful from the moment I saw her. 

Happiest of Birthdays Annelise.  We love you.

Christmas 2010: Photo Journal

Our Normal

Back to school today.  Two whole weeks with daddy home has left my girls in a funk.   

What?  We didn't know daddy had to go back.  

Well, if we want to eat and live in this house he does. The little things, you know.

So we are back to normal...though I'm having a hard time remembering what that was.  Oh yeah, a clean house, structure, cooked meals, but surely not as much fun as having a full-time playmate in daddy.

The laundry pile is high again (did it ever really get smaller or did I just forget about it during all our fun?).  So today, we're catching up. 

Oh, and I'm doing my annual budgeting.  You know, tweaking the numbers here and there.  We do this more often than annually, but it seems like this is the week where we make big changes.

I'm thinking about canceling DirecTV, lowering our internet costs, canceling the home phone and keeping my free trial of Netflix.

I guess you could call this the week of trimming.  Mhmm...

Welcome 2011

Its a new year...a new day.  Thankful for all that occurred in 2010, the good and bad.  Looking forward to the future and what 2011 holds.

Happy New Year.