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.

So this is Christmas

Yeast dough made.  Cinnamon rolls and yeast rolls rising. Chicken lasagna made and waiting to be baked.  Egg nog in the fridge.  Pumpkin pies baked...the aroma in our home is wonderful.

Oh and the fireplace is fixed...so we're enjoying the smell of wood burning as we hunker down and enjoy the holidays.

We're striving to push the world aside and focus on the reason for the season: Jesus Christ.  Our kids don't quite get it this year, but that's ok.  The innocence is beautiful.  They have no idea that presents should line the tree or candy stuffing their stockings.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

I Won! I Won!

I never win anything.  Guess I can't say that anymore.  Because I won this thanks to Money Saving Mom!

And here is where I shamelessly tout Money Saving Mom.  If you haven't read her blog, you're missing out.  Its a daily read for me...I scan for deals, giveaways, coupons...anything that would make my life easier and cheaper.  I have benefited so much from the wisdom that she imparts about home finances, health, minimalism for God's glory and more.

So, for all you ladies out there that wonder, "Is it worth entering?" - yes, it is!

Matters of the Heart

Disciplining your children is difficult.

For me, its mostly two-faceted.  (Is that even a correct phrase?)  I fall under two extremes: venting my frustration through discipline and ignoring sinful behavior because I'm lazy or tired or its inconvenient.


Are you with me?  The past couple of weeks have been difficult in the discipline arena.  I want my children (namely my almost three year old) to behave rightly.  My reasons seemed appropriate: I want her to grow up to be a responsible, godly adult.  I want her to respect authority, which starts in the home.  I want children whom others look to as examples of how they should live their lives.


Responsible, godly, respectable, example...these words kept ringing in my ears as I struggled to punish and correct.

In a moment of "last resort" - I stopped by the pastor's office yesterday after church to see if I could borrow the book, "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp.  I first heard of the book years ago in Bible college, then it was referenced again in a few biblical counseling seminars I attended, even friends recommended it.  I won't say it was pride, but more a lack of need that caused me to dismiss it.  I wasn't at a place yet to truly understand what shepherding my child's heart would need to look like.

Then parenthood came...what a busy time!  I spent so much of my nesting on material things, like getting the nursery ready, buying diapers and bottles; little did I know how important it was for me to be focused on the eternal during those days.

Hear me, I haven't neglected the Lord in my parenting.  If anything, I have desperately thrown myself at the foot of his cross each night, begging for forgiveness and guidance...and new mercies the next day.

So, yesterday, I borrowed the book from my pastor.  We ate lunch and with anticipation, put the children down for afternoon naps.  I couldn't wait to dive in.  (You know the feeling of "want" when it comes to the Lord...knowing He has a word for you that meets exactly your need at the moment.  It was with that kind of anticipation that I opened the book.)

I'm only through chapter four, but Lord has already begun to do a great work in my heart as it pertains to correcting and guiding my children.

My focus in parenting has been justice, really.  An eye for an eye, a consequence for a wrong action.  I mean, isn't that what they need to know to enter this scary world we live in?  Yet, behavior isn't the root of the problem.  Behavior is really only the fruit of the problem.

As I prepare to continue to read and learn today, I'm shifting my focus to the cross.  My children are sinful.  They need Christ more than ever.  Every wrong action they commit stems from a heart condition: selfishness, greed, malice, revenge...(I'll say those three, because they are prevalent in our home).  Their hearts need rescuing.

My prayer today is this:  Lord, help me to be your agent of change for my children.  Draw them closer to you as I guide them on the path you have chosen.  Help them to see a picture of Christ and his grace through me.

Now, where's that book...

That 28 Year Old Memory

My last post wasn't completely truthful.  Unintentionally.  After listing all of the presents we had purchased I began wrapping them on Tuesday night.  Just three presents each?  Is that really all we had?  I felt like something was missing...something big.  Oops!  Matt remembered we still had a few in his car trunk!

We bought not one, but two of these shopping carts.

And I can't find a picture of the other one, but its an etch a sketch/magna doodle combo.  So, after a few stocking stuffers from the dollar store, my kids are set.

Now, off to get the rest of the presents that we have been neglecting to purchase...

Its a Snowy One

In the last 24 hours we've gotten over six inches of snow.  I especially love watching it from my living room window.  We've lived in Michigan for five years and still don't have a snow blower.  We're gluttons for punishment, I guess.

I also love Christmas shopping from my computer while its snowing.  Does anyone else enjoy the blessing of Amazon this time of year?  With free shipping, I can hardly justify putting makeup on and fighting the crowds to pay the same price (or more) for items I can buy with a click, click, click - from my cozy home.  Plus, Money Saving Mom alerts me to all the latest deals, so I feel like I'm saving.  And now I'm starting to sound like a commercial...moving right along.

Which begs the question...What do you buy your toddler for Christmas?  I am loving the Melissa & Doug toys - classic, wooden (not technical, beeping, buzzing...you get the idea) toys that make me reminisce about my childhood and feel like my kids are developing skills versus killing brain cells.  They are a little pricier than I'd like, but I can see my kids playing with them for years.  Have you found a product you couldn't live without for your kids?  

Here's what I've purchased so far:

 Punching Balloons (because what kid doesn't love those?)

 

50 count Wooden ABC/123 Blocks

 Leapfrog Fridge Phonics (yes, electronic, but educational) 

 Maggie Leigh Magnetic Dress Up Set

 Playdough Case of Colors

Sort & Stack Shape Sorter

Believe me, the goal for us on Christmas is not quantity, but quality.  I've never been one to lavish presents (though I do love gift giving), because I want my loved ones to feel valued in so many other ways.  But, I also love the memories I have of Christmas mornings...presents piled under the tree.  The excitement on my parents' faces...knowing we were going to love whatever we found under the packaging.  Even getting up at 4:30 am because I couldn't stand it any longer (and I was 17 at the time!). 

So, what are you buying for your kids this year?  What are you excited to give/see them enjoy?