Monday, November 26, 2012

oldest and dearest

I've got four friends that I grew up with. They're my oldest and dearest friends. We've been friends ranging from 15-24 years.. and I'm 29. I met Alysa in kindergarten. We have been friends ever since. I met Lauren, Leah, and Amy in middle school. We stayed friends through high school, and college, and for the last six years since we graduated. We went to four different colleges. We have lived in different cities, states, and zip codes for most of our adult lives. We all have different careers and life looks different, but all that said, they are still some of my dearest friends. We grew up together. I have spent countless hours at their homes and with their families, and know where they come from. We have celebrated weddings and babies and jobs. We have laughed until we cried and someone peed themselves. We have been there in hard times and cried and prayed for each other. They are friends that nothing changes, despite time and distance.



























This weekend we had our ten year high school reunion. It was awkward at times, but being there reminded me of these friends that I made there. The four friends that are family. I'm so lucky to have them. So thankful for friends like this. Everyone should be this lucky.

best friends since 1990





Tuesday, November 13, 2012

a house update

Remember that day two months ago when my water broke all over our kitchen floor? Yea, well, it was during naptime. Since I wasn't in labor yet, I was trying to distract myself by taking a bunch of house update pictures during said naptime. And just today, I'm finally getting around to posting them. Not that any of you are surprised since this is the first house update since I gave you my 2012 house to-do list back in February. I blame Graham - in the womb and out. :)

I took a ton of living room pictures and am just now realizing that my list only has one thing I wanted to get done in the living room. Oops. Well, I'll give you the tour anyway. We don't really have much of an entryway, but over the summer added some hooks for the jackets that constantly being draped over the couch. Mission accomplished. It's now overloaded with coats, but I can't win them all.





view to the left

view straight ahead - Everett's reading nook

living room (obviously)

view from the kitchen



Ta-da! Finally a home project that I wanted to get done - the collage wall. All the frames are Ikea. The letter is one of those paper mache ones from JoAnns that I spray painted. I'm planning on getting 2 more frames to hang on the left. The large frame had to hang on a stud, so that was our starting point. I've got some cool art my grandma made that I have to cut and put in that frame. Below are close ups of my favorite things hanging on there so far: hometown love and one of my most favorite pictures ever.



And since everyone loves a good before/after: left 2010 and right 2012



And, while I'm at it, the basement. I cleaned out, reorganized, and moved the guest bed to the basement. Okay, so Aaron moved the bed, but still. I divided it into three different spaces: office-ish, play area, and a place for guests. I'd love to paint the side table and bench to bring it together a little more, but it's fine for now. 





So there's your update. I crossed off 6 of the 10 things on the list as of now. Bathrooms still need done and I still need to show you Everett's big boy room. Hopefully, it won't take me as long this time. 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

2 months of Graham

Month two of Graham has been glorious. When we were pregnant with him, we worried that no baby would be as good as Everett was for us. Thankfully, we were wrong. He is quite possibly the most content baby, ever. He rarely cries, sleeps from about 11:30-7 am, and is happy when he's awake. He moved into his own room at about 6 weeks and has been sleeping great in there. I haven't really pushed a schedule with him, he sort of made his own and eats about every 3.5 hours. He is growing great and making his way into his 3 month clothes. I'm in love with his little leg rolls and his sweet little smile. He started cooing and smiling at us a few weeks ago. It is absolutely adorable! I am so thankful for his laid back, easy going nature. He is exactly what I've needed in this crazy season with Everett.











hey ma- i still hate this



Graham man- I just can't get enough of you! I am head over heels!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

growing pains and finding joy

Everett has always been a wild child - into everything, running, jumping, but also as sweet as they come. When Graham showed up, he had a rough time. He was emotional and difficult and not his usual sweet self. Fast forward 8 weeks and we are still sometimes living in that place of disobedience and difficulty. I think we've come to realize that part of his acting out is and was from being dethroned by his little brother. The hard (and other) part is that he's becoming a very strong willed 2.5 year old boy and that these are just growing pains.

soda stealer

So lately, I've been battling with a range of emotions - frustration, anger, sadness, guilt, embarrassment. And it's just been hard. Last week I hit my breaking point. I'm not sure why. Maybe pregnancy hormones or lack of sleep or any number of things really.  My dear friend Calli took time out of her day (with 2 small kiddos of her own) to talk to me and point me back to Jesus. I spent some time with the Lord and was reminded that in all of those conflicting emotions that there is one I've been forgetting: JOY.




We had a rough couple of weeks and I allowed myself to dwell on the bad instead of the good. I've realized that I need to choose joy in parenting Everett, even in hard seasons like this. I need to find joy even when we've been in time out most of the morning,  when I've asked him to do something 4382 times, when he tells me that HE is in charge, or hit me because I told him no. So often joy is a choice and ironically enough, I've had a sign hanging on my wall since last year reminding me of that.




The thing is--- there are so many things to be joyful about throughout the day. Everett is so fun and inquisitive and hilarious. It's funny how when life gets difficult I can let the bad stuff overshadow the good. I mean, what's not to love about this kid?



So that's where we're at, where I'm at. I've got a wild and crazy and sometimes disobedient 2.5 year old. No one ever told me parenting would be this hard. Then again, maybe they did and I didn't understand. Being Everett's mom is still one of the best things that ever happened to me, it just looks different in this season. It's not always easy, but it is worth it. Since last week, we've had more good days than bad, more happy moments than frustrating ones, more joy and less frustration. It's amazing how I just needed a perspective change. This month especially I'm giving thanks and choosing joy and have it hanging on my wall as a reminder.