A very happy Valentine's day, indeed!
My confirmation saint, Saint Valentine, pray for us!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Weak tummies
Being a kid of ours means always being prepared with a vomit-catching apparatus. And so he is.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Blessing Bags
My kids - they amaze me!
This week we've been discussing the corporal works of mercy. This really struck a chord with the girls.
Monday we made a list of things people need to live. The obvious things were discussed: food, drink, shelter, clothing....
But then Molly went on to say "nice words to know we're loved." I was amazed that she would come up with that as a necessity. But reality speaks to say she's right. Those that don't seem to find love from others in this world, don't survive.
Molly then asked if we can do a corporal work of mercy for the homeless. She has a heart for them - that's for sure.
After a little brainstorming, we decided on blessing bags. We would go shopping to pick up some small necessities to fill bags that we could deliver to the homeless.
We included toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, soap, lotion, razors, kleenex, bottles of juice, cereal bars, sandwich crackers, a pair of socks, HotHands heat packs, and finally a note or a picture hand-drawn by the girls letting them know that THEY are valuable people, worth caring for, and that we prayed for them.
It was inspiring to watch the girls work so diligently making sure we had enough of each item, sorting them all out on the floor, and then filling the bags with care not to tear or smoosh anything.
Next I learned exactly why it is important for me to want to shelter my kids from the ugliness of the world.
I had spoken to a couple people about what we were doing and they both brought up what seemed like valid questions of "Is that safe?" "Isn't it a bit scary?" Truth be told, I was a bit nervous too. But I assured them, I had a safe plan. We were going to head downtown and find a park bench and run out unseen to drop it off, and walk away.
As we pulled into the streets of downtown Omaha, the girls were on the lookout for these alleged homeless people. Quickly, they spotted a group. Molly shouted, "Right there, Mom! Those people need us." I hesitated. I couldn't hand these out personally. What if they did something to my babies? Or they started to fight over the bags in front of my kids?
I drove around a few blocks, all the while listening to the girls eager requests to go back to that group. I started praying for guidance. The girls kept begging. And as I passed the corner again, there was an open parking space. If you know anything about parking downtown, you know that's a sign. So we parked.
The girls unbuckled, and jumped out of the van. I started handing them the boxes of bags, and without an ounce of hesitation or fear (and without waiting for me to go with them!) they carried the boxes up to the group of people, sat them down on the ground, and walked away with their heads down.
There were shouts from the group, "They're for Valentine's day!" "What cute little girls!" And what seemed like a million thank yous. Not a single bad or scary thing happened. One man even walked over to our van and asked if we needed help unloading. Unfortunately, that was all we had brought.
The girls scurried back into their seats to watch out the window as the bags were all claimed within seconds. Molly excitedly says, "They love them, Mom! It's really blessing them!"
I drove around the block to drive back by. The girls saw many of the people digging through their bags, eating their cereal bars, and opening their heat packs. They were blessed. My girls. Giving to others in desperate need, receiving thanks from the appreciative people of downtown Omaha had not only blessed the receivers, but deeply blessed my daughters. Watching their faces in amazement, seeing their innocence go untampered, while they were able to directly serve other human beings blessed me so incredibly.
These kids amaze me! And as we drove away, the first word from the silence was "When can we do that again!?"
Perfect!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Hehehe!!!
Rachel just rolled from her back to her belly!!!
She has been going the other way for a while now...but today on her 5 month birthday is her first time back to belly! Woohoo!!! What a big girl!!!
She has been going the other way for a while now...but today on her 5 month birthday is her first time back to belly! Woohoo!!! What a big girl!!!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Rough night
I really wanted to get on here last night and write about this...but I didn't figure it would make it any better.
We've been completely blessed for the last 2 months with two beautiful daughters who have been sleeping completely through the night. Then last week at some point it all came to a halt. And they've both been getting up at least twice in the night.
As always, it takes us a good week or so to decide to put the brakes on, get a little meaner (to ourselves mostly) and get Molly to sleep through the night, in her own bed, alone. So last night was the night.
Richard and I got to bed around 11:30.
First wake up: Miss Rachel - 1:30am. I went in to nurse her back down.
In the meantime: Miss Molly wakes up. Rich got up with her and she needed to go potty. That's tough for us because she has recently learned the potty. But can't do it on her own yet. And while we want to encourage NOT peeing her pull-up at night, it's really tough when she has to go a lot. Because it means we're up a lot. Anywho, he put her back down but by the time I was done nursing, she was up again.
I'm not exactly sure of all the details on the next 2 hours...but it included Rich going back to bed, Molly going potty 2 more times - really, and one time just pretending, and me sitting outside of her door as she screamed for me to come to bed with her. Each time she would come to the hallway, I would carry her back to her bed.
As I sat out on the floor wishing I could be sleeping, I had several thoughts run through my head. Many including how scared I would probably be too if someone was sitting outside my door with a tummy rumbling as loudly as mine was then. - And if my body will ever just give up and decide it doesn't really need as much sleep as it thinks it does. That would make life easier too. -
And then just before 3:30am I thought how thankful I am that I have a daughter that's so polite that after all this time of screaming at me to join her in bed, finally comes to the door and says, "Just go to bed, Mommy!!! Go away! Go to Daddy's bed!!! Good night!!!" shuts the door, and gets into her bed. LOL
It was really nice to have been given that permission!
I stayed for 15 more minutes just to be sure. I was still hearing her move occassionally.
So at 3:45 I got back to bed.
At 4:15 Miss Rachel is awake again. I go take care of her...Get back to bed after getting her to sleep and hear her cry again. I went back to check on her and she was asleep. Back to bed I go.
Then Molly's up again...it takes me 30 minutes to keep her in bed this time. Not quite as bad.
I get back to bed around 5am. And Rich apologizes and wishes that I get sleep soon. I did the same for him. He said he was uncomfy. I asked if I could do anything and he said it was the temperature...so no. I told him he could go stand in the hallway for 30 minutes...it cools you down nicely. And you don't have to worry about getting TOO cold because the frustration of having to do it warms you up to a nice level temperature. ;)
Then at 6:30 Rachel wakes again. Whew! I go take care of her and get back to bed just in time to get back to sleep and hear the alarm buzzing at 7am. Of course, he has a snooze plan where he hits snooze for about 30 minutes or so...but still. I tell him that he should probably just turn it off and go to work late and get some sleep for a while. He said he couldn't but went 30 minutes late and has skipped his lunch break. I hope he's doing ok.
Rachel woke up around 8:15 and was just chatting herself up while he was leaving. So he brought her to me and she snuggled with me and went back to sleep until around 8:45 when Molly woke up.
You can only imagine how bad I'm already getting baby fever this time!!! Ha!....(Sarcasm!)
Wow! Let's hope for a better night tomorrow!!!
We've been completely blessed for the last 2 months with two beautiful daughters who have been sleeping completely through the night. Then last week at some point it all came to a halt. And they've both been getting up at least twice in the night.
As always, it takes us a good week or so to decide to put the brakes on, get a little meaner (to ourselves mostly) and get Molly to sleep through the night, in her own bed, alone. So last night was the night.
Richard and I got to bed around 11:30.
First wake up: Miss Rachel - 1:30am. I went in to nurse her back down.
In the meantime: Miss Molly wakes up. Rich got up with her and she needed to go potty. That's tough for us because she has recently learned the potty. But can't do it on her own yet. And while we want to encourage NOT peeing her pull-up at night, it's really tough when she has to go a lot. Because it means we're up a lot. Anywho, he put her back down but by the time I was done nursing, she was up again.
I'm not exactly sure of all the details on the next 2 hours...but it included Rich going back to bed, Molly going potty 2 more times - really, and one time just pretending, and me sitting outside of her door as she screamed for me to come to bed with her. Each time she would come to the hallway, I would carry her back to her bed.
As I sat out on the floor wishing I could be sleeping, I had several thoughts run through my head. Many including how scared I would probably be too if someone was sitting outside my door with a tummy rumbling as loudly as mine was then. - And if my body will ever just give up and decide it doesn't really need as much sleep as it thinks it does. That would make life easier too. -
And then just before 3:30am I thought how thankful I am that I have a daughter that's so polite that after all this time of screaming at me to join her in bed, finally comes to the door and says, "Just go to bed, Mommy!!! Go away! Go to Daddy's bed!!! Good night!!!" shuts the door, and gets into her bed. LOL
It was really nice to have been given that permission!
I stayed for 15 more minutes just to be sure. I was still hearing her move occassionally.
So at 3:45 I got back to bed.
At 4:15 Miss Rachel is awake again. I go take care of her...Get back to bed after getting her to sleep and hear her cry again. I went back to check on her and she was asleep. Back to bed I go.
Then Molly's up again...it takes me 30 minutes to keep her in bed this time. Not quite as bad.
I get back to bed around 5am. And Rich apologizes and wishes that I get sleep soon. I did the same for him. He said he was uncomfy. I asked if I could do anything and he said it was the temperature...so no. I told him he could go stand in the hallway for 30 minutes...it cools you down nicely. And you don't have to worry about getting TOO cold because the frustration of having to do it warms you up to a nice level temperature. ;)
Then at 6:30 Rachel wakes again. Whew! I go take care of her and get back to bed just in time to get back to sleep and hear the alarm buzzing at 7am. Of course, he has a snooze plan where he hits snooze for about 30 minutes or so...but still. I tell him that he should probably just turn it off and go to work late and get some sleep for a while. He said he couldn't but went 30 minutes late and has skipped his lunch break. I hope he's doing ok.
Rachel woke up around 8:15 and was just chatting herself up while he was leaving. So he brought her to me and she snuggled with me and went back to sleep until around 8:45 when Molly woke up.
You can only imagine how bad I'm already getting baby fever this time!!! Ha!....(Sarcasm!)
Wow! Let's hope for a better night tomorrow!!!
Dillons Finds 3/22/10
Here's what I found at Dillon's the other day:
These toys were on clearance...I'm not sure how good of a deal they actually were at these prices..but they fit in my budget for Easter gifts...so it worked.
3 - Etcha Sketches: $2.50 each
3 - Slinky Pets: $2.50 each
3 - Poof Pal Amphibians: $1.40 each
Fisher Price Blocks: $4.50
= $19.20
Quaker Rice Cakes: $2.75
5 - 3lb bags of Chicken Tenderloins: $4.98 each
= $24.90
Kroger Cookies: $1.38 (Not a great deal...but we're out of cookies, so I had to get some. I went with intentions of stocking up on the Keebler ones for $1.48 plus coupons...and was quickly reminded that that was only a 1-day sale. :( )
2 - Irish Spring Soap 3 pk: $1.00
Coupon: $.50
Multiplied: $.50
= $1.00 (or $.50 each)
4 - Pace Picante Sauce: $2.49 each
Coupon: $.40
Multiplied: $.40
Coupon: $.40
Multiplied: $.40
= $8.36 (or $2.09 each)
4 - Classico Spaghetti Sauce: $1.49 each
Coupon: $1.00
Coupon: $1.00
= $3.96 ($.99 each)
6 - Mott's Apple Juice: $.99 each
= $5.94
8 - Del Monte Diced Tomatoes: $.49 each
= $3.92
Add Tax: $5.03
Cash Paid: $81.53
Except I didn't pay cash, I paid with a community rewards gift card, so I also sent $4.08 to my church. :)
Didn't get anything free this go round...but I did get a little better stocked up on several things at about the lowest price possible given the coupons I had on hand.
These toys were on clearance...I'm not sure how good of a deal they actually were at these prices..but they fit in my budget for Easter gifts...so it worked.
3 - Etcha Sketches: $2.50 each
3 - Slinky Pets: $2.50 each
3 - Poof Pal Amphibians: $1.40 each
Fisher Price Blocks: $4.50
= $19.20
Quaker Rice Cakes: $2.75
5 - 3lb bags of Chicken Tenderloins: $4.98 each
= $24.90
Kroger Cookies: $1.38 (Not a great deal...but we're out of cookies, so I had to get some. I went with intentions of stocking up on the Keebler ones for $1.48 plus coupons...and was quickly reminded that that was only a 1-day sale. :( )
2 - Irish Spring Soap 3 pk: $1.00
Coupon: $.50
Multiplied: $.50
= $1.00 (or $.50 each)
4 - Pace Picante Sauce: $2.49 each
Coupon: $.40
Multiplied: $.40
Coupon: $.40
Multiplied: $.40
= $8.36 (or $2.09 each)
4 - Classico Spaghetti Sauce: $1.49 each
Coupon: $1.00
Coupon: $1.00
= $3.96 ($.99 each)
6 - Mott's Apple Juice: $.99 each
= $5.94
8 - Del Monte Diced Tomatoes: $.49 each
= $3.92
Add Tax: $5.03
Cash Paid: $81.53
Except I didn't pay cash, I paid with a community rewards gift card, so I also sent $4.08 to my church. :)
Didn't get anything free this go round...but I did get a little better stocked up on several things at about the lowest price possible given the coupons I had on hand.
Walgreens Finds 3/23/10
Here's what I got yesterday at Walgreens:
3 - Huggies: $8.99 each
Coupon: $3.00
Coupon: $3.00
Coupon: $3.00
= $17.97 (or $5.99 each)
Add tax: $1.70
Cash paid: $19.67
Plus I received $5.00 in Register Rewards on my next purchase for buying 3 making them $4.32 each.
Grand total at Walgreens: $14.67
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