Dedication Postponed

We decided to postpone Eden's dedication so that Grandma Barbara can attend. Im not exactly sure when the next one will be, but I believe they have them every few months or so at our church. We'll keep you posted!

Julian = PIE!

We ventured out today on a little roadtrip with the girls. We headed up to Julian; a little town, on a little mountain, about an hour and a half away. Julian is known for its pies, and they do not dissappoint. It was a nice afternoon, but a little chilly - the best part was of course the yummy pie (can you say 'apple mountain berry crumb'?), the worst part was the poo of epic proportions. Ugh! After a wetwipe bath for Eden in a public restroom (gross!), both girls were tuckered out and slept all the way home.

Two Peas

We skipped the park today because it was too cold and wet to venture outdoors, so Emma's friend Brandi stopped by for a little playdate. It was a lesson in sharing for our two little toddlers, and it was a very hard one for both of them...but we're confident that they'll be fast friends once the whole concept kicks in.

Summer Fun, Here We Come!

Its been hot out here! And thanks to a very good friend, we now have access to a local pool and splash park. We took the kids over there today to cool off and tried it out. Its going to be a great summer! Here's a pic of Emma modeling her new swimsuit.

Friends Are Friends Forever

Every once in awhile there are special people that come into your life, albeit briefly, that you know God sent them especially for you. That was, or is, my friend Mara. I learned alot from her and Im going to miss her dearly - her and her family are moving away. Emma's going to miss her and her girls (and Toby the puppy) too. She always had so much fun over at their house, and I never worried about her over there - she was showered in kisses and love from the moment she walked in the door, and she most definately was never bored. Love you Mara!

Wild Animal Park

The girls and I headed off to the San Diego Wild Animal Park today. It was a lot of work, and a long hot day, but we had lots of fun. Emma saw all her favorite animals: Elephants, Monkeys, and Lions; and Eden slept through the whole thing(thank goodness).

Its My Party And I'll Bake My Cake (and eat it) If I Want To

I was awoke this morning with a very sweet "happy day Mommy" from Emma...I have to say, it was pretty cute, even at 6:00am.

Now that its 'tradition' (this would be the second year now), I baked my own birthday cake today...however, this year I had a little help in the decorating department. Emma helped with the sprinkles and the candles, and as you can see from the picture, she did a fine job. She was very excited making Mom her "happy day" cake; and for the rest of the afternoon she was wishing me "happy cake Mommy" instead of "happy day". I walked away briefly while she was decorating, and low and behold, a big crater about the size of a toddler pointer finger, was missing from the frosting. After a short interrogation, she finally admitted that she did it, and then quickly tried to fix it (or hide it?) by filling it with sprinkles. Austin got the coveted piece, not necessarily because of the crater - more that it was the biggest one. 

Children Are A Heritage And Reward From The Lord

Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. - Jesus, Son of God

You Are Invited to Eden's Dedication/Baptism

Who: All Family and Friends

When: Sunday, June 8th @ 12:45pm

Where: Our Church (we'll email directions later on)

Eden will be dedicated next month at our Church, and it would mean so much to us for all our family - and friend's - to attend. Afterwards, come on over to our home for refreshments and a good ol' time of visiting.

Children Are a Heritage
The Bible says that children are a heritage and a reward from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). God has given Christian parents the tremendous responsibility of raising their children in the ways of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). He entrusts parents with the responsibility of establishing a foundation built upon Jesus Christ early in the lives of their children.

Why Children Should Be Dedicated
In view of this responsibility, baby dedications are actually family dedications. The entire family needs to be lifted up in prayer so that family members will be empowered to keep their responsibilities.

The Bible gives us an example of dedicating a child to the Lord through the account of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:11, 26–28. Unable to have children, Hannah wept before the Lord because of her condition. As she was weeping, she made a vow to God and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a man child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life . . . " (1 Samuel 1:11).

Christian parents are to do all they can to "set apart" their child to God until that child can make his or her own choice regarding a relationship with Jesus Christ. By dedicating a child to the Lord, parents make a vow to raise their child in God's ways and not their own. They commit themselves to this promise and must do all they can to keep it.

The responsibilities God has entrusted to Christian parents include continuously praying for their children (Job 1:5), instructing them in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), setting a godly example (Proverbs 20:7), and disciplining them as the Lord would discipline us (Proverbs 29:15,17; 13:24). These responsibilities can only be fulfilled in Christ's strength (Philippians 4:13).

Happy Momma's Day!

Happy Momma's Day to Me! I had a nice Mother's Day weekend with 'the fam' this year - dinner ordered in, my favorite pie from Julian's Pie Co., got my hair trimmed, and was able to do a little shopping by myself while both of the girls napped at home with Daddy. I also got a pretty new bike from them as a gift! So, along with a hand-me-down bike trailer I got from a friend, and once Eden has a little more neck control, we'll be set! Im looking forward to getting a little outdoor exercise...as opposed to the indoor exercise I currently get: the diaper changing squats, chasing Emma around cardio, the baby bouncing aerobics; and lets not forget, the energy-sucking extreme breastfeeding boot camp! Ha!

I hope all you other Momma's out there had a nice day as well!

Out On The Town!

Well, we finally did it! We attempted an outing. It may not sound like much, but I was seriously worried how I'd manage a toddler and a baby on a trip to the grocery store. Grocery shopping in the past was always an interesting endeavor with just Emma - add a screaming baby to the picture, and welcome to my nightmare come true. The whole experience is mostly a blur - I never shopped so fast in my life. All in all though, it went pretty well: a granola bar, fruit leather, wheat-free cookies, a cheese stick, and a bottle of juice was all it took to keep Emma in the cart; Eden, was her usual sleepy self and only grunted her displeasure at being jostled around getting in and out of the sling. There's a few things I'd do different next time - like bring a book or something to distract Emma so she doesnt eat the entire store; but all that to say, hopefully in the near future we'll manage getting out and about a little more often - Mary, let us know when you're up for a visit!

Here's an updated picture of the little peanut...in her lovely newborn glory: baby zits, a receading hairline, flaky skin and all! She's keepin' it REAL, yo!

May Day!

Happy May Day everyone! The girls and I celebrated by making a little May Day basket for Daddy. Emma worked really hard coloring, putting stickers, and gluing flower pictures on the basket. Eden helped by snoozing through the morning so Mommy could monitor the glue stick action. We brought it over to Daddy's jobsite, chock full of treats, and Emma couldnt have been more proud when she handed over her beautiful "bakit".