This week I've been in some kind of a funk. And I finally, finally went to the source of LIFE the other night. This is, lately, something I rarely do. I too often try to fix things on my own. Or I'll make realizations AFTER the fact. But this week, I cozied up in bed with a candle lit at the bedside table, my Bible, and a devotional book I've been meaning to get to for a while.

And I got a little talking to from Mrs. Cowman:

"Go back to thy garden-plot, sweetheart!
Go back till the evening falls,
And bind thy lilies and train thy vines,
Till for thee the Master calls

Go make thy garden fair as thou canst,
Thou workest never alone;
Perhaps he whose plot is next to thine
Will see it and mend his own."
- Mrs Charles E. Cowman in Streams in the Desert

Thank you, I needed that!

Operation: Sleep well away from home

It's no secret that I'm a little passionate about sleep. My kids' sleep, in particular (who isn't?). It's important to me for several reasons- top of my list being: we as parents get down time when they're asleep and are better equipped for when they're awake, they are more alert and ready to learn and absorb after good day and night sleep, they're more fun to be around, and therefore- WE are more fun to be around. Especially on trips away from home when our whole point is to soak up as much good time as we can with family and friends we rarely get to see!

I want to be able to laugh as loudly as we please with family and not clinch my teeth in frustration at barking dogs, car alarms and loud phone rings...while having 2 babies, ages 2 and under with us!

Standing on top of a dresser at the Mills' (Jason's parents) attaching a blanket close to the ceiling was the point that I realized, maybe this isn't so normal!

There have been the good ol' standbys-

bringing a very bulky and loud bedroom fan with us because it was what Christian was used to



And we wouldn't dream of making an overnight trip without monkey or their favorite blankets. And definitely, when Christian was using a pacifier- we had probably 2 or 3 backups with us, along with his very favorite one.





We have tried the "fuzz" sound of an alarm clock in their rooms, but that backfired when it tuned in, and tuned in LOUDLY.



We've used the other side of the monitor's fuzz as whilte noise



Our past few trips I think I've entered a whole new level of "operation: sleep well away from home," as I've come armed with thick blankets to cover the windows. It's the first thing I do when we arrive (and it has REALLY helped, specifically with day sleep).



The white noise app on my phone (I learned the hard way to turn the ringer OFF when trying this method)





And the kids aren't the only ones who need their sleep while we're away- I have my little "kit" of things too!

Earplugs



An alarm clock (throws me off to wake up in the middle of the night and not know what time it is)



And, having started an ongoing travel list that I go back to every time we make a trip. Something about knowing we didn't forget anything helps me to sleep better!

Kate is 8 Months

I can't even believe I'm typing this, but Kate is 8 Months



She is sleeping again, through the night. I can't believe I'm typing that either (knock on wood).



She is upping her crawling speed and pulling herself up to her knees

She is eating, and eating, and eating- she loves her solids!



She weighs 19lbs, 14oz- which puts her in the 50th % for weight

She is 29 inches long, which puts her in the 95th % for height

She flaps her arms and squawks when we head toward Christian's room she sure LOVES her brother



She loves "T." More specifically, she loves to say "Tuhhh!" over and over. We say it back and forth to each other for a good few minutes after she nurses each morning and it gets us both laughing for some reason.



Kate has 6 teeth. We're having a little breather from teething I think- she's had these 6 for a month or so

For the first time in 5 weeks she does not have a runny nose, bronchitis, or a mysterious rash all over, and she's been back in the church nursery. Also, I sat through maybe my 2nd service without being paged (I love that she's a Mama's girl- actually I get a little concerned when they DON'T page me).



She's a real good sport with all the bows, dresses, boas...

"Mamamamama," "Dadadadadada"- music to our ears!

She is still a finger-sucker. She started this thing where after nursing her, I'll walk over to her crib and she'll suck on her fingers and rest her head on my shoulder. This precious time has prompted me to pray for her- I have such an overwhelming sense of joy, peace and thankfulness for this little girl.

Baby Kate, my prayer for you is that you would someday grasp how wide and long and high and deep the Father's love for you is! Ephesians 3:18

Apple Toddler is on Etsy and Ebay!

Apple Toddler is spreading it's wings and getting out there- we're now on

Etsy

AND

Ebay

Whirlwind trip to Orange County

This past week we took a whirlwind trip to Orange County.

Halloween was a hoot. We had dinner and dessert with good friends and family, and trick-or-treated around the parents' neighborhood. Kate slept through the entire evening's festivities- good thing I had dressed her up prior to Halloween night!

Kate was a banana...


Christian was a monkey...




We bowled and went out for frozen yogurt for Jason's birthday...








We celebrated this pretty lady's (my sister-in-law Mindy's) baby girl who is due very soon


We saw Christian's Great-Grandpa


We got to spend some time with this sweet family (whose boys are almost the same ages as our 2)


And this family, and their super cute son Lynk


Our babies got some precious time with their Nana and Grandpa - who worked very hard to make their home perfectly crawling-baby friendly (time for an updated picture!)


Christian got lots of time with his cousin RiWeee


And lots of wrestling time with Aaron (aka Dunkle Aaron/Steve)


Mom and Emily made the trip down for Mindy's baby shower- what a fun afternoon with them for coffee beforehand. And a treat having my two worlds come together like that!


We ate out at some amazing places







There was also a pizza party, a coffee-morning for the Mills men, a disk golf morning for Jason, a play date at the park, fresh grilled fish for dinners, catching up with friends at church, and Jason had a 2-day job. Phew! Fun, but packed!

Apple Toddler Boy set!

Oh, I am EXCITED about the boy monthly onesies- check them out.

Family fun- Jason day!

In honor of Jason's birthday which is coming up very soon, we had "Jason" day this week!

Christian and Kate dressed up in Daddy's clothes (Kate's wearing his socks)...


The countdown until Jason's birthday continued...


I made this centerpiece out of things I found in the kitchen, and pictures of Jason, of course


For dinner we had some of Jason's favorites- slow cooked pork roast, garlic bread, yams, and one of my favorites- broccoli salad. Oh- looks like Jason's mystery wife makes an entrance to dinner (we had a good laugh at this one, I was trying not to cover up the 'Happy Birthday' sign)!


We gave Jason our gift- a Yosemite adventure, staying in housekeeping camp where his family used to stay (canvas tents with beds). I LOVE hearing Jason talk about his childhood memories in Yosemite- now we'll get to experience it with him in his favorite way.


We had imitation chocolate malted crunch, Jason's favorite (oops- imitation won't do! We'll need to have the real thing, REAL soon).


After the babies went to bed we watched Groundhog Day, one of Jason's favorite movies. Oh, and this is how we watch TV and movies. We've spent many hours together this way!




Happy Birthday Jason- you are pretty loved around here!

He sure makes change pretty, doesn't He?

I love how in this picture there's looming gray in the background- framing the obvious BEAUTY of this house that almost doesn't look real.

Isn't that the way?

A gloomy situation, with bright spots?

The most obvious to me is when we move.

Awwww, I'll miss this top flat view (Airlie Street). AWWWW...but I'll have a garden at the other one (Wilton)!

We'll lose a bedroom when we move (Queensborough). But that AWESOME bathroom in the new place- wow (the one prior had a mirrored shower LOL).

I'll miss the neighbors in this apartment complex. But Christian will get a backyard in our new house!

Moving from California to Glasgow- leaving family and the boyfriend that I hoped would someday be my husband (we were engaged 3 months later). Ohhhh, but SCOTLAND. If Scotland doesn't encompass beauty all around, I don't know where does. Who would pass up that opportunity?

When autumn would come in Glasgow it felt like a very sad time to me. Soon, there would be looooong, DARK days. No more gorgeous green leaves. Bare branches, cold hands, and wet feet to come...ALLLLL winter long.

But the leaves! The reds, yellows, oranges- soooo gorgeous.

Just thinking today about how good it is of God to soften the blow of change with beauty and good along the way.

Family fun day - Gardening

Jason ordered some bulbs from Holland, so we had a gardening day and planted them!

We all wore our green...



Jason and Christian dug and dug and dug...



I got to make a plan for where the bulbs would go...blues and yellows over here, reds and purples over there...



We had garden salads for lunch, and the good ol' worm in the dirt dessert



Somewhere during the day a string of ladybugs snuck in (thanks for the spontaneous flowers that went with our theme, Jason!)...



And when it cooled off some, we planted the bulbs



A fun day with my two favorite men, and my favorite little lady!

What we've learned

I am 30 now.

And I like it. Some of my biggest dreams have come true in the past 10 years.

I had this silly thought

"What if our Moms wrote monthly 'updates' on us like we do our babies? Or even yearly ones? hahaha"

I had a good laugh inside about that one.

They'd highlight, I think, some of the things God's done in us the past 10 years that He's going to use our entire adult lives to bless others:

"learned how to cook for tons of people for a ministry event"

"learned how to host people- how to prep the house, prep the bedrooms, work as a team with her husband so they could both be smiling once the guests arrived"

"learned how to breast feed (and formula feed)"

"learned how to get dinner ready and eat at the table despite it's challenges with 2 little ones"

"'learned' how to give birth vaginally and through c-section"

"learned how to burp a baby, get by on little sleep, potty train, change multiple diapers a day..."

"learned how to give when she didn't feel like it. And ask her help when she needed it."

"learned how to live overseas, how to raise support, how to interact with people who aren't real fans of Americans"

"learned how to move multiple times and rely on God instead of digging heals in"

I know God has taught you all the same things and more. We've learned a lot between 20-30. I love the significance of Him teaching us how to SERVE during this time.