Happy Birthday Kyla!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY little miss Kyla! We cannot believe that you are now two. You have grown so much this last year, and we cannot imagine life without you. These pictures remind us of just how much you have grown! You bring so much joy, fun, and determination into our family. We love your smiles, hugs, and "I Love You's". We are blessed to have you in our family, and so thankful that God has entrusted us with you. We know this next year will bring some changes to our family, but we know you are going to be the BEST big sister! We love you Kyla Grace! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Big Girl Bed... or Not

Kyla has now been in her "Big Bed" for a few months. She loves having her own big girl bed. For Kyla's birthday we are going to transition her room and bring in a little larger bed for her to sleep in. Right now she is in her crib transitioned into a toddler bed. Up until a couple weeks ago, Kyla would stay in her bed and have no trouble falling asleep in her bed. She started getting up, so we went in to method one. This consisted of calmly putting Kyla back in her bed, saying good night...we stay in our bed now, and then leaving. We would do this until she didn't get out anymore. This became exhausting!! We went for 45 minutes one night. YIKES! We finally got enough courage to try method two. This isn't probably recommended by professionals, but it came up as an accident one night. Kyla going on 30 minutes one night so we decided just to let her be. Neither Jason or I had the patience to go in and put her back in bed. The patience was already out the window. We waited for about ten minutes then it was quiet. We waited to check to make sure she was asleep. We opened our door and there was little Kyla, curled up on her rocking chair with her monkey and book...SOUND ASLEEP! So, for the last couple weeks, we let Kyla go to sleep on her own. She doesn't play for very long, if at all, and is asleep within ten minutes (on most nights). We still have our long nights, but when we check on her before we head to bed, we find that many times we need to move her back to her big girl bed because somewhere in her room gave her comfort to fall asleep.

House Projects

Coming into the fall, there were two things that HAD to get done. Well, I should say one of them HAD to be done for the sake of the foundation of our house, and the ohter...was for my own sanity.

The first project was creating a french drain in the front yard, right off the front door. Every time it rained of any significance last year (which happens to be 300 days of the year when you live in the Pacific NW), we would get a large swamp area that wouldn't quite drain right. So, we took on the project to fix it. Here are some before and after pictures.

The second project was redoing the dining room chairs. The table was in great shape, thanks to Jason refinishing it when we first got it. However, the chairs are very very old and need a simple touch. Having ugly chairs that are mismatch don't help my efforts of being content with what I have. So, when Jason was a work one day, I marched down to Home Depot got supplies and redid the chairs. All four chairs cost me only $20. Pretty budget friendly and a great new look. Sorry no pictures of the table and chairs together.

Lasting Strength

It has officially been a long time since I have updated our blog! Usually it is because there hasn't been anything new going on. However, this time the problem lies more within me, rather than a lack of activity. We have gone camping, celebrated Nana Great's 80th birthday, traveled to Seattle, traveled to Ashland, gone on an airplane ride, lost Kyla's favorite stuffed animal E-E, found him again, and even worked on a couple house projects.

I think lately that my motivation to update the blog has ben clouded by my lack of motivation to be a mom and a wife. Lately life seems to feel overwhelming on many levels, emotional most days, and apathetic towards the daily tasks of cleaning house and making meals. I would like to attribute (or blame) it on being pregnant, on my husband's long hours of work as a Resident, or on my whiny and sassy two year old, but it just doesn't seem fair.

A couple weeks ago after visiting with some friends, I came away wanting to reevaluate my expectations and try to rethink and re-motivate my purpose and role I play for my family. After trying to look at how other moms' stay motivated in the kitchen and their housework, as well as plan activities for their kids, I found some great motivation and ideas to implement. Thinking I was on the right track, I still didn't feel the JOY that I wanted to. I wanted to love being a wife and love being a mom. It is hard when the "feeling" of service just isn't their for your family. It is so easy as a mom to look at how others are doing and think that what they are doing will solve the void or loneliness that is felt within yourself. God has truly gifted me in a unique way that is specific to my family's needs. I realized that what my feelings come down to are those of exhaustion. Not of a physical exhaustion so much as those of emotional. An exhaustion that comes from trying life on my own. It was at church last Sunday that I was reminded once again of how my efforts as a mom and wife never should rely on my own efforts or strength, but rather on the greater strength I have been promised by the Lord. That when days are long and hard, I have a God who can carry me through. When I feel like the dinners aren't creative and the house is a disaster, God looks down and doesn't really care. When my husband is coming home late and I emotional feel like I can't handle another late night, God whispers that I am not alone. When my daughter chooses a time out for the fifth time in one hour, God can fill up the patience tank to get through time out number six (even 7, 8, and 9).

I know that I can be a better Wife and a better Mom, because I have a strong and better God! It is amazing how tapping in to His strength during little moments throughout the day can calm what could have been an emotional draining moment.