The End of another year

Hard to believe another year is coming to a close! It sure has gone fast – just like everyone used to say when I was a kid – the older you get, the faster time goes! That sure seems true for me this year!

As I’ve thought over this past year – I’ve realized I’ve done a lot of things that I never thought I’d do. Some of them I would have laughed at if you had told me I’d do or be doing them!

Let’s take a look at some of those things:

• Eat yogurt on an almost daily basis.

• Cook 28 out of 30 dinners at home in a month!

• Get up on a regular basis at 6 AM to do devotions (I’ve fallen out of this habit, but I’m gonna get back in!)

• Lose nearly 14 pounds in 2 months (got about that same amount or just a bit more to go!)

• See my sister engaged to be married and happier than I’ve seen her in a long, long time!

• Eat banana’s.

• Spend almost the whole month of October at the beach.

• One of those weeks spent at the beach with our good friends who live in New Orleans.

• See David eat and like sushi! (This one is more like a dream come true!)

• Go to the gym 5 mornings a week.

• Not go to any cookie swaps this Christmas season.

• On a weekly basis take these classes at the gym: Pilates, yoga, kettle bells and kick boxing!

• Make homemade jelly and enjoy making it!

• Change churches.

• Be so proud of David for losing 20 pounds in 2 months!

• That we’d have snow – almost 5 inches BEFORE Christmas!

• That I’d be taking a Mexican Rivera cruise for my 10th Anniversary!!!!

So there you have it! Lots of new and exciting things this past year!! I sure am blessed and I'm looking forward to all the amazing things God has for me in 2010!

The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord lift His countenance upon you,
And give you peace,
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
And be gracious unto you,
The Lord be gracious.
Amen.

Snow December 19/19 2009

It had been snowing about an hour when these were taken.

And playing in the snow today!

Reason to Celebrate

3 years ago – this week – we had a miscarriage.

We were so excited. This was our second baby – the one we had planned for – right on time, right on schedule. Luke was almost 2 so he would have been well on his way past 2 and a half when baby #2 came along, the perfect age for another baby! Or so we thought.

But God had other plans.

Hard plans.

His plans.

Painful plans.

Plans we didn’t understand.

But His plan none-the-less.

His plan did not include a baby at that time for our family.

I was 5 weeks pregnant – hadn’t even been to see the doc yet when it became obvious that something was wrong. In an attempt to do anything we could we went to the doctor’s office. With that visit came a series of exams and blood work – followed by a follow-up exam and more blood work. And several days of what seemed like a really bad dream. But it wasn’t a dream, it was really happening.

We hadn’t even told our families. We wanted to surprise them. I had put together this really fun, cute little game for our family to play to let them know of our joyous news. It was a very exciting time to find out about a pregnancy as the planning and fun of the holiday season seemed to be increased with the joy of a new life.

Then we lost the baby. And it was weird cause we hadn’t told hardly anyone we were expecting – so now it was strange to tell them we had had a miscarriage. We didn’t say anything at the family gathering as we didn’t want to spoil the fun for everyone. We told our imitate families on Christmas Eve day or maybe the day before that.

Of course the love and support of our families and friends was overwhelming and I’m so thankful for them. There was lots of love and prayers.

It was an experience like none I’d ever experienced before. I’d lost other family members – Grandparents, an uncle even, but nothing like this. I mean how could one love a 5 week old baby so much to mourn like we did?? There was denial, hurt, anger, confusion, loss and in the end a peace like I couldn’t have known without the Holy Spirit in my life.

I didn’t understand why the Lord saw fit to take our baby home early. But I knew He had a plan for us, a plan to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11 says as much. It was still hard and I didn’t understand it. And when the baby’s birthday arrived I mourned all over again.

For the next 2 years – each time when the date of the miscarriage rolled around or the date when the baby’s birthday might have been - I mourned. Each time (and several times in between) I wondered about my baby and what it would have been like? Was it a boy or a girl? Then I would pray and asked God why? Why did He take our baby home? And I asked how the baby was doing? And I asked Him to give my baby a hug from Mommy.

Sometimes it’s still hard. There are days (sometimes random and outta the blue days) – and still the day I miscarried – when I miss that baby, and am sad. And sometimes I take an extra minute or two to cry over the loss. But what I try to do now is remember that not only is my baby in heaven with the Father, but that at this time of year My Father lost His Son too and for me and you - that is reason to celebrate!

The fact that God loved me so much, that He sent his only Son to Earth to suffer for me is beyond what my human mind can understand. But regardless of my lack of understanding, I’m so thankful He did. And that He loves me so much and that no matter what comes along in life – He’s in control and He’s holding me in the palm of His hand.

May Jesus’ love for you be real this Christmas time!

We’ve converted!

Well, we haven’t actually converted – we just converted Avery’s crib! Which was sort of a mess, but in the end I hope it will all be for the good.

We decided to convert Avery’s crib into a bed because she started getting out of it –and then couldn’t get back in. This made bedtime a bit of a challenge, which it had never been before. So we thought giving her a big girl bed would help with the situation!

You see, I didn’t think about the actual size of the bed before we converted it, I just assumed that it converted to a twin. Turns out I was wrong! This was discovered after David went to 3 stores before finding a twin mattress and the store he got it from is a good 30 minutes from here. Then after he got it home and started looking at the bed, he said it wouldn’t fit and he was going to have to take it back.

Great!

Not!

He quickly realized he had thrown the receipt away! Oooppss!!

So he called the store, told them the deal, and asked if he could bring it back. Thankfully they said yes.

So after taking the rails and one end of Avery’s crib apart to turn it into a toddler bed (using the same mattress that she’s been using) we had - ta da –a big girl bed.

We were hoping that this transition would make bedtime (which used to be so simple, but wasn’t anymore) a more pleasant experience – just as it had been for many, many months. I just hope she gets used to it soon and stops sleeping on the floor.
You see – the moment I leave the room she starts crying and gets up out of her bed. It used to be she would just go right to sleep, but not now. She gets out of bed and stands at her door, or should I say lies down at the door crying “Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy!” Which we’ve just been letting her do because that seems to work better than continuing to go in there, cause that doesn’t help, it just makes it worse. So she cries herself to sleep – on the floor – and before I go to bed myself I go in her room, pick her up and put her back in bed. Some nights she sleeps all night in the bed other nights she gets up again and gets back to the floor next to the door.

Really either way is fine with me as long as she sleeps! It doesn’t matter to me if she sleeps on the floor or on her bed. But now, with the bed converted, if she wants to get back in bed – she can! She’s young and sleeping on the floor won’t hurt her one bit. And sleeping all night long whether on the floor or in her bed is more important to me than where she sleeps!

Back on the wagon

After being sick for the last 8 - 9 days starting on Thanksgiving - today I go back to the gym!

I'm actually kinda excited about it, I've really kinda missed it (but don't tell anyone!). So starting today I'm back to my usual Monday morning craziness of getting the kids ready for school, dropping them off, doing a fast grocery run through Wal-Mart then off to Pilates class! It's the Pilates that I think was helping me a bunch and I'm glad to be going back!

I guess the reason I miss it is because I'm starting to see results! Yes, cloths that previously were getting too small to even wear are not almost too big!!!! That's the best feeling! I put on a pair of pants for church yesterday and they were loose, they've never been loose, and even when I bought them they fit kinda snug - but NO MORE!!! And that's rewarding!

That and the fact that the girl I see on a semi-regular basis at Costco (you know it's bad when you know the people working at Costco!!!) says - "If you don't mind my saying so, you've lost weight!" She's now my new best friend!

So as hard as this whole "eating healthy and working out" thing was at the beginning - David likes to say he thinks "we're hittin' our stride with it all!" and I think he's right!

I'm also super proud of David! He's doing great also and his cloths are quickly becoming too big as well! It sure makes it easier for both of us when we have each other to keep us accountable and for encouragement!

Well, I'm off to start the madness of the morning! Then to Pilates!

2 Healthy visits

It’s been a busy week here at the Winslow house! We started off the week with Avery’s 2 year check up at the pediatrician’s office. She did great at her check up! She was very obedient to all their requests! She got right up on the scale just like a big girl – which showed she is up to a whopping 26.5 pounds, and then she turned right around so they could measure how tall she is! She came through the physical exam with flying colors! The Doc was very pleased with her growth as well as how well she did with the exam! I was a proud Mommy!

Then as I mentioned the other day – Luke had a dental check up on Wednesday and today was Avery’s turn! She had her very first visit to the dentist today and she did great! She actually sat right down in the chair – let them do ALL the cleaning, polishing, counting and flossing they wanted to do to her! Her only request was that they do the same to her stuffed bear! And because our dentist and her employees are so very awesome, they did just that! They said her teeth looked great and she has all of them – well her last 2 two year molars are almost all the way in! It was another proud moment for Mommy!

So now that all the little Winslow’s are in the best heath possible – body and teeth – well enjoy a wonderful weekend together! I hope you do the same!

A Dentist and a climber

As I mentioned in a previous post, Avery is climbing out of her crib faithfully every time she gets in it! Unless by chance she falls asleep the minute I lay her down – she is getting out of bed and screaming at her door. This has happened for 3 nights in a row. Instead of just going to sleep like she’s always done – the minute I leave the room she’s up outta bed and crying at the door.

We tried the usual “Don’t get out of bed again or you’ll get a spanking.” Which she did and she did! But that didn’t seem to work very well in the long run, so now we’re just letting her get out of bed, cry her head off and fall fast asleep on the floor right at her bedroom door. Then one of us goes in and puts her back in her bed. We need to get her crib converted to a bed, hopefully that will help the situation as well! It’s always something new with kids, isn’t it?!?!

Speaking of new, I think Luke might grow up to be a dentist! He went yesterday for his second visit. I know I’m a bad mom, he’s almost 5 and has only been to the dentist 2 times! But he did great and he loved all the cool equipment they have at the dentist! Dr. Temple was wonderful enough to let him work the chair and his hygienist showed him all the cool tools they have!

Being a dentist could be a really great thing! They have great hours and do pretty well as far as income goes… the down side… people don’t really like the dentist! I guess since he’s not even 5 yet he has some time to decide what he’d like to “be” when he grows up. I’m just thinkin’ ahead!