Celebrating the New Year

Today was a great day because I got to spend some time with a dear friend who is unexpectedly home from China. Amy and I first met when we were roommates in China the summer after our Freshman Year. We were great friends from then on out. We ended up living together at Auburn (along with 11 other girls), and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding (along with 12 other girls; yes it's true--13 bridesmaids). It was such an unexpected treat to get to spend a chunk of this day with her. Though we haven't seen each other in months, it was as if no time had passed. It was a bit surreal to hug her good-bye, knowing she was headed back across the Ocean for several more months.

Amy and I have spent several New Years together, the most memorable being four years ago. I was freshly graduated from Auburn with my Master's in Education, engaged to Scott, and briefly living at home until our wedding in April. Rambo (Amy's last name and what we call her) was living and working in New York at the time, and she and two of my other bridesmaids went in together to buy me a plane ticket to NY as a wedding gift. So the day after Christmas I headed to New York for one last hurrah as a single girl.

We had so much fun seeing the sights through the eyes of a local, and we ended the fun-filled week with a midnight run through Central Park to ring in the New Year. It was surreal to say the least.

There I was in the middle of that glorious city with two of my best friends, thinking about all that the coming year held. I was this 23 year old college graduate nervously trying to grasp the gravity of the vows that I would make in just a few months, and I somewhat understood that life was about to get very real. I knew, as I ran that midnight race through Central Park, that 2006 would bring much change. Little did I know that I would ring in 2007 with little Ada growing in my stomach.

Here we are, what seems like a lifetime ago, enjoying a fun dinner before the race later that night. Did I mention that Rambo was born on New Year's Eve. She always gets to celebrate her birthday in style:)

And then in Amy's apartment. (me, Laura Leary, and Amy Rambo)Excuse the quality of the photos. These were taken with a disposable camera.

I can't believe that only four years have passed since that night. It feels like a lifetime. And sure enough, life has become very real. I sat across from Rambo today at a table in Moe's, so very pregnant with baby number two, and we reminisced and caught up. I like to live vicariously through her many adventures--before New York, she lived and worked in Colorado, then after NY, she was in Africa, and now China. There is talk that she might spend a couple of years in the Atlanta area next. I am crossing my fingers.

I am so thankful for the friends that I made at Auburn. The Lord blessed me with so many girls who were very much in love with him. Rambo is one of the many that he has used to mold and shape and draw me closer to himself.

Anyway, four years later, I think I will meet the New Year fast asleep on my pillow. I am 34 weeks pregnant, after all.

update: to answer Mary Ann's question, we did end the night on Times Square after the crowds had cleared. We avoided Times Square before then. We wanted to miss the craziness. There was still confetti floating around by the time we got there, though, and in the wee hours of the morning we hopped on the subway and made our way back to Rambo's apartment. It was the perfect way to celebrate the New Year.

34 weeks

Six weeks to go, ya'll, and I am ready. Last night as I was complaining over aches and pains, I told Scott that I have reached the point of ready to get this baby out. I am no longer nervous about labor, I just want to feel the relief of having my body back and lying on my back again. I predict that John is longer than Ada was because every move he makes hurts me a little bit. My ribs here, my back there. And my bladder, oh my bladder.

I go to the doctor tomorrow morning, and I think I will soon be going every week. I really can't believe that we are already at the end. It has absolutely flown by. Ada's pregnancy seemed to drag, but I suppose that Ada has kept me too busy to really notice the time passing.

I am trying to prepare myself, as much as possible, for the aftermath of birth. You know, the sleepless nights, the crazy days, etc. etc. For Christmas my mom gave me a certificate for a hair cut at a place in Auburn --AP Pearson's. It's where my sister, Sarah, gets her hair cut, and she loves it. I need someone to give me a cute and doable cut before I move into the land of newborn. In the mean time, I am soaking up my time with Ada and my time to sleep. Remarkably, I am still sleeping well at night. I am so thankful. I didn't sleep well during Ada's pregnancy, but this time I am waking up rested every morning, for the most part.

And I find myself wandering into John's room to look at all those little boy clothes. What will he look like? What will he be like? How will our family change as a result of his life? Six weeks, ya'll. Six weeks.

p.s. I will be back soon with more Christmas blogging.

Mae Mae and Pop's House

We began our Holiday at Scott's parents' house. Ada calls them Mae Mae and Pop (Scott's mom's middle name is Mae). Ada loves being at their house because there are cows and horses right out the back door. When we tell Ada that we are going to see Mae Mae and Pop, she always says, "and the cows?" Of course she also loves being at their house because she loves Mae Mae and Pop, (and "Annie," Scott's sister who also lives there).

I was terrible about taking pictures throughout the week, and most of the pictures that I do have are from other people's cameras. Here are the few pictures I took from the first of the week.

It was cold, cold, so I bundled Ada up before she went outside to play.

And those are all the pictures I have from their house. Sad, I know.

We had a great time, and Scott and I were able to sleep in every morning and sneak away for several meals on our own. A real treat, since we never do that here at home. The highlight of the trip was when we stayed up late playing a card game, Skip-Bo. We laughed and laughed and laughed. It was a lot of fun. Scott also stayed up late one night playing Rook, but I was feeling sick and pregnant, and I chose bed over that card game.

In the pictures above, Ada is wearing new Curious George pajamas underneath her coat and hat. Thank you, Mae-Mae, for always providing many Elmo and Curious George themed items. Ada adores them all!!

Will Blog Soon

We are back in Georgia after being gone for a week, and things are a bit chaotic around my house.

You know, piles of laundry, Christmas decorations to put away, new toys covering the floor, and a baby soon to arrive. Yikes.

Plus, we didn't make it home until 10:45 last night. We wanted to go to church yesterday morning to hear Steven preach. He's so good, ya'll, but that's another post for another day. And then we ate lunch and napped, and we planned to be home around 8:30 or 9:00. Well...there was a wreck on 24 that brought traffic to a stand still. So after a serious detour, a stop at McDonald's, and a stop at Ingle's for directions from a local, we made it back to 24 and around the wreck, and we were on our way. It was at this point that the portable dvd player charger stopped working. It was a delightful trip home. Really.

But we made it safe and sound, and it felt so good to climb into bed.

In the mean time, there is much I want to say about our wonderful and relaxing Christmas holiday. We laughed and ate and gifted and just enjoyed time with family. But I will have to save that post for later today (or later this week).

I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday. Here are a couple of photos of Christmas Eve until I can really give you a complete picture of our Holidays.

home from the Christmas Eve service in their matching Christmas dresses.And ready for bed later that night in their matching Christmas pajamas. And Luke is wearing Toy Story, of course.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government shall be upon his shoulder

And his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

He the Mighty King has come!

Making this poor world his home

Come to bear our sin's sad load--

Son of David, Son of God.

He has come whose name of grace

Speaks deliverance to our race;

Left us for his glad abode--

Son of Mary, Son of God

--Horatius Bonar

Christmas Is Coming... as is John shortly after

I just arrived at my mom's house this afternoon, and I think I am about to sneak away for a nap. (Ada is currently down for a nap)

We spent the weekend at Scott's parents' house, and now Scott and his dad are on the way to Georgia with all of John's furniture loaded in the back of Scott's dad's truck. I am one relieved mama knowing that tonight John's room will finally be furnished. And Scott has a few days off of work for New Year's, so I think we will get the painting done then. It will be miracle of all miracles, but John's room just might be done before he gets here. There is a chest of drawers that I would like to purchase from Ikea, but it's not life or death if that isn't done before he arrives. Let's be honest, John would have been fine with a pack n' play in the corner of the master. The nursery is more for the mom, don't you think? But I sure will be relieved to have it done!!!

I am starting to get a bit nervous about his arrival--both labor and delivery and the weeks following the big day. I am anticipating how drastically life changed after Ada was born, and it's hard to ever be prepared for that kind of change. I am praying for peace throughout it all. I remember thinking this before Ada was born, but I can pray all day long for specifics about delivery day, but really, what I need most is peace and the knowledge that God is carrying me through it, step by step, no matter what events take place. Ada's delivery could not have gone more smoothly, so of course, that is what I hope for. Oh there is so much to think about and anticipate and worry about--if I give in to that sin tendency;)

In the mean time, my discomfort level is growing, so I imagine that in another month I will be willing to go through whatever I need to go through to get this baby out!!

For now, I will focus on Christmas day that is just around the corner. I am excited for Ada to see all of her surprises, and it's fun to share the excitement with the cousins. I am sure there will be many pictures to post in the next few days.

Real Life on a Rainy Day

Last night, with nothing in particular on the schedule, Scott and I decided to put Walk the Line in the dvd player and take it easy. Apparently we took it too easy, as we both forgot that the dinner dishes had not been dealt with. That was quite the sight to wake up to this morning. Bowls of leftover spaghetti still on the kitchen table. Oh man.

Now I am dealing with this reality.

Last night I also decided to finally stamp and address Christmas cards, which was going so well until I ran out of stamps. And with the rain currently flooding the streets outside, I am having a hard time gathering up the energy to load us into the car and tackle the post office. It never goes well, even on a sunny day. So, this project is half finished and Christmas is a week away.

In the mean time, Ada is watching too many cartoons and giving into the temptation to open the Christmas gifts that are wrapped only in gift bags. I finally found some gift bags for her to play with, and I showed her how she could put her current toys in the bag and "pretend." She calls the presents surprises, and she keeps saying, "Happy Birthday!"

We have also spent lots of time coloring. My big pregnant self keeps squeezing into these tiny chairs upon Ada's insistence.

In the mean time, the rain just keeps pouring down outside my window.

Random

32 weeks today--woo-hoo. I am quickly making my way through this pregnancy. So soon we will be meeting little John Thomas.

In the mean time, this little bit has molded herself to my side. She doesn't like to be away from me for long. How will she react when John is here? I'll deal with that then, I suppose. Mom put it into perspective for me one time when she said that it will be one of Ada's first opportunities to die to self. She probably won't like it, but it sure will be good for her little heart.

I'm on the computer? She's right there with me.

I need to dry my hair, no problem. She'll just finish her Christmas tree project on the bathroom floor.In the mean time there is still Christmas celebrating to do. Mom sent the garland and the stockings, and I am loving it. Much better than that cheap fake garland that I did have hanging on the fireplace.

And "Cake" is here with us today. Still sleeping of course because she doesn't have a two year old for an alarm clock. Ada and I, on the other hand, like to get up with the sun. Have a good Wednesday, everyone!

Menu Plan Monday

I haven't done menu plan Monday in a while, but I have realized that it is a great way for me to remember what I have planned for the week. I forget what I am supposed to cook for dinner one night? I simply turn to my blog. Plus Scott likes to see it in writing, online.

And, it's fun to link up with every other blogger out there who is also trying to maintain some semblance of order and nutrition and budgeting in their weekly lives.

Anyway, here is our week

Sunday night--we had frozen pizza

Monday night--chicken pot pie, broccoli

Tuesday night--bean soup, cornbread

Wednesday--Kate ("Cake" as Ada calls her) will be here, so I think we might go eat Mexican just to get out of the house, plus I have a BOGO coupon, so you know. Or we may eat Mexican for lunch and then do whatever for dinner--don't panic, Scott, we can talk about this:)

Thursday--the ever faithful spaghetti dinner. We do this almost every week. Ada loves spaghetti, and I use whole grain noodles (that I get for mostly free) and sauce that I get for less than 1.00, and I add some broccoli on the side, and Ada gets a nutritious meal that she will actually eat.

Friday night--probably frozen pizza again as we prepare to leave home for the week.

Scott has the entire week of Christmas off--can you believe it? He normally works all the way up to Christmas day, traveling to Alabama when he gets off work on Christmas Eve, missing the Christmas Eve service and usually whatever yummy meal Mom has planned. Is it Prime Rib Roast again, mom? But this week, we are leaving Saturday morning and spending several days with Scott's family. Then on Christmas Eve morning we are traveling to Scottsboro to have Christmas with my family. All of that to say, that this week I am trying to clean out the fridge and pantry a bit.

For breakfast we will eat the usual eggs, peanut butter toast, yogurt, etc. etc.

And Lunch will be sandwiches, bananas, tangerines, applesauce and maybe mac and cheese one day for a treat.

I am also planning to make buckeyes. I have all of the ingredients, but I need to buy some wax paper. I have done no Christmas baking whatsoever, and buckeyes happen to be what I am craving, so I think I will make those tonight. We'll see if I actually get to it.

So there you have it...the ever glamorous Moore family menu;)

Book Wish List

We are all home from church today as Ada is still recovering from her cold, and we wanted to keep her away from the nursery. And Scott and I are now in the thick of what she has been suffering from all week. I finally took Ada to the doctor on Friday morning, mainly for my peace of mind, and she did have an ear infection. She is taking an antibiotic for that, and she seems to be doing much better. I on the other hand will be glad to get to the other side of this thing.

Anyway, as Ada is napping right now, I am resting in bed as well, with the lap top as my companion. Because we are done with Christmas shopping, and Ada's birthday is still months away, I am excited to begin using my swagbucks to purchase books off of Amazon rather than toys. My book list is long, ya'll. So very long. I have my own book list, two of which I already ordered--For The Children's Sake and Let Us Highly Resolve. I plan to do much reading over the next couple of years as we begin to make decisions about Ada's education. I am glad that she is still only two, and I have much time to read and research before I have to put anything into practice.

In the mean time, I also want to choose wisely the books that I read to Ada. I have already surrounded her with her favorite picture books--you know Elmo and Curious George and Dr. Seuss and such. I stock up often from the dollar section at Target and various other places. And I think those books are great, as any time she spends with a book makes me happy. But I also want to be intentional about the books that I choose to purchase and spend time reading aloud to her.

My current list includes the following books

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
The Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh
A Family Treasury of Little Golden Books
The Real Mother Goose
The Little House
The Little Red Hen
A Hole is to Dig
Make Way for Ducklings
The Little Engine that Could
Peter Spier's Rain
The Story of Creation

Most of the above titles I can get used for very little money on Amazon. And of course with Swagbucks, I will pay nothing out of pocket. And right now, the 5.00 Amazon gift card only costs 40 swagbucks rather than 45--woo-hoo. I currently have 10.00 worth of gift cards, and I am excited to get our library of "classic children's books" started.

Remember you can also get in on the swagbucks action by signing up here. And of course, if you sign up it benefits me because I earn points for all of my referrals;) We were able to spend less than 50.00 to buy all of Ada's Christmas because of gift cards earned on Swagbucks. I have made over 200.00 so far. It's crazy, ya'll. Really, you should sign up.

On another note--what are your favorite children's books? Ones that you remember reading and loving as a child? I am always up for suggestions.

I made my list from this classical education website--check it out.

p.s. I will be sharing many more thoughts about Classical Education over the next couple of years as we approach the age when Ada will begin school. The whole method fascinates me, and I spend way too much time reading about it and researching it and getting my hands on whatever information I can find. The above website is a wonderful source of information. I can spend hours just on that one site. Do I have any readers out there who were educated classically? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Good News on this very cold Thursday Morning

“The heart of most religions is good advice, good techniques, good programs, good ideas, and good support systems. These drive us deeper into ourselves, to find our inner light, inner goodness, inner voice, or inner resources.

Nothing new can be found inside of us. There is no inner rescuer deep in my soul; I just hear echoes of my own voice telling me all sorts of crazy things to numb my sense of fear, anxiety, and boredom, the origins of which I cannot truly identify.

But the heart of Christianity is Good News. It comes not as a task for us to fulfill, a mission for us to accomplish, a game plan for us to follow with the help of life coaches, but as a report that someone else has already fulfilled, accomplished, followed, and achieved everything for us.”

—Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life (Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Books, 2009), 20

(From Of First Importance)

Long lay the world world in sin and error pining
Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Weary is a good word to describe how I have been feeling lately. Weary of budgeting and finances; weary of housekeeping and the mess that never ends; weary of braxton hicks contractions and many, many extra pounds to carry around. What a reminder that anything that might make me weary this morning has been answered in the birth and death of Christ!! I pray that I might rejoice today in spite of trivial circumstances that might make me feel discouraged!!

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend

Sick, sick, sick

We opted out of any and all flu shots here at the Moore household for various reasons, so I have been hoping and crossing my fingers (and really trusting the Lord) to make it through flu season without the flu, especially with a toddler and pregnant mom included in this three person family.

Thankfully, we have made it this far with no flu---thank you, Lord!! But we are suffering from very bad colds around here. I noticed on Sunday afternoon that Ada's nose was a little runny and by Monday night, things had taken a turn for the worse. In fact, little Ada spent half the night asleep in my bed. That has happened, once, yes, once before in her short life. She is not able to sleep in our bed. We have tried it countless times in an effort to expedite the bedtime process in the middle of the night or at times when sickness has taken over her body. She always tosses and turns and shifts and then sits up and asks for Ada's bed. Well, she made it from 11pm- 3 am on Monday night, and then sure enough, she sat up and asked for Ada's bed. Up until 3 am, I was reliving those newborn days--one night in particular.

When she was about three weeks old, I was in Scottsboro for some much needed help from Mom and Ann (have I mentioned that I didn't respond well to the newborn stage?), and mom had to go out of town, so I spent the night at Ann's house. She was living in the rental house at the time, and there was no extra room, so Ada and I took Ellie's bed, and Ellie slept with Ann. I was nervous that night because it was the first night that I felt completely on my own with Ada. There was no Scott or mom to relieve me if I had a mental break down in the middle of the night (I am half joking). Anyway, Ada slept okay that night, waking up every couple of hours for her bottle of pumped milk and a dry diaper, but I lay in bed afraid to move a muscle for fear I would wake her up, and needless to say, I slept none. It was a long night, and I was happy to see morning because I was able to stop pretending that I was going to fall asleep. Ann fixed a big pot of coffee, which helped tremendously that morning.

Well, Monday night, I had the same experience. I was desperate for Ada to sleep, knowing that sleep would help so much in the healing process, so I found myself being pushed out of the bed by a 22 lb two year old. At one point, she was stretched across the middle of the bed, snoring, and I was doing everything in my power not to fall to the floor. I was quite relieved when she made her 3 am announcement that she wanted Ada's bed. I then slept soundly for four hours, and I was reminded of how precious four solid hours can be in the midst of sleepless nights. You know what I mean? In those first few weeks of motherhood when you announce to your husband, and to whomever else will listen, "I slept for four hours straight last night!!!!," and you are so thrilled about this. I think this week is a trial run for me, a reminder that I can do the newborn thing again, that I will survive.

Last night, when Ada was finally asleep for the night, and it looked like it might last all night, I was rudely awakened by a very strong storm outside my window. I can't sleep through storms like that. For the next two hours, I kept hitting Scott on the side, asking him if we should check the news--he wasn't worried about it, by the way. I finally moved to the couch, and I slept for maybe another hour before Ada woke up for the day. I found myself battling the same throbbing in my throat, head, and ears that I am guessing Ada has been dealing with all week. Luckily, Scott took the day off to work from home, and he allowed me to go back to bed for a couple of hours.

I have to say that if this is the worst it gets the flu season, we will take it!!

Christmas Tree Craft--Ada's newest obsession

Today is Monday--obviously--but this means I have two extra kiddos join us for the day. Which actually works to my advantage because I get more housework done on Mondays than any other day of the week. Why? because Ada is entertained.

However, three kids does equal lots of energy inside one house, and today it was just too cold to spend any time outside. So...I moved to plan B. I looked around my house and took inventory of what I had on hand--construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks. And here is what I came up with.

Why the fruit loops you ask? I was inspired by Ann. I thought we could glue the fruit loops onto the trees as ornaments. Turns out that a glue stick isn't strong enough to hold a fruit loop to construction paper. It is barely strong enough to hold construction paper to construction paper. The fruit loops became a group snack bowl.

When they were finished with their craft, Ada thought it would be a good idea to hang the trees on the pantry door. Truly, it was 100% her idea, and of course I complied.
Jessica, please forgive the germ sharing and the zero nutritional snack. They sure did love the community fruit loop bowl, though.

Ada also loved the Christmas tree. And for the rest of the day, every ten minutes, she asked if she could make another Christmas tree. Which would be fine if she would just use crayons to decorate, but she wanted the trunk and the star and the cut out shapes, but she couldn't really figure out the glue stick on her own. So...I ended up making lots of Christmas trees today.

In fact, when I got home from tutoring this evening, here is what I found.
But doesn't the pantry door look festive?

Baby John

Well, Baby John (as Ada calls him, never just John), continues to make me one sick woman. I am curious if this has anything to do with it being a boy pregnancy rather than girl...hmmm...it really has been so different than my pregnancy with Ada.

I was sick all day yesterday, and I eventually had to cancel a tutoring session, and then I woke up at 5 am this morning because I was so sick to my stomach. I went to a friend's baby shower, and once I got home I immediately climbed back into bed and promptly fell asleep for four hours. I didn't feel tons better when I woke up. Ada and I were supposed to go to a birthday party this afternoon, but I slept right through it.

I am guessing that this has something to do with indigestion? Maybe as John gets bigger, I get sicker? I don't know, but it's no fun.

What are happier things that I can tell you? Not so happy, of course, is the fact that Alabama is now the SEC champion. The good news is that Ada continued to scream "War Eagle, hey" throughout the game, and I certainly didn't tell her that Auburn wasn't actually playing. I am glad that she knows where her loyalty lies;)

Happy, positive, what do I want to say? A four hour nap is pretty positive. I am so thankful for Saturdays and Sundays when Scott lets me sleep for as long as I need to in the afternoons. And I am thankful that he is dealing with the dinner dishes as we speak. Thank you, husband, it is much appreciated.

Also good news--my mother made me the stockings and garland that I wanted from Etsy. She says the garland is not exactly like the Etsy one, but I am still excited!!! She is putting it in the mail on Monday.

And...Ada continues to keep me laughing. Though I spend much time praying for patience, she also makes my days so much fun. She is one big party--we spend much of the day dancing, singing, joking, laughing, and the list could go on and on and on. She truly never stops. In fact, I know it is nap time or bed time when she becomes even more wound up than usual. She has no off button--except for when she feels shy, then she becomes attached to me.

Anyway, nothing much to report here, but I felt like checking in. I hope you are all enjoying your Saturday night!!!

Cell Phone Issues

I am having serious cell phone issues--college friends, does this take you back to our days at Auburn?

Seriously, ya'll, one day after finally getting a new cell phone because my other one bit the dust, I dropped my brand new cell phone in a glass of diet coke. I was notorious for things like this.

Well, I have been needing to get a new cell phone for a while, and finally, it has made the decision for me.

So until this weekend, if you need to get in touch with me, call the house. I promise I will answer.

If you need the number, e-mail me--laura_rhodes@hotmail.com. I check my e-mail every five minutes;), so I will get the message.

Worth a Try

This morning's feeble attempt at potty training.
A Curious George Christmas special on PBS and chocolate milk in the sippy cup. Plus I have promised a treat if she actually uses the potty. So far, she jumps up every ten seconds and says, "all done. I want a treat." and then I have to explain that she has to use the potty, not just sit on it, in order to get the treat.She is still running around diaperless, so maybe this will result in a successful potty experience--we'll see.

Update: After an accident on the living room carpet, I have decided to put a diaper on Ada and try again tomorrow. I'll be honest with you, I have been dreading potty training since Ada was first born. It just seems so hard to me. Advice anyone? Too many more accidents, and this 30 week pregnant girl will be putting potty training on the back burner until May, when life has hopefully settled down again.

In the mean time, I have a long to do list, and I need to pry myself away from the computer and get to it.

Great Reminder

I am absolutely stealing this from another blog--one of my favorite blogs of all, in fact--but I really wanted to pass it on. It is such a good reminder of why I need to be in the word every single day--even when life is crazy and hectic in the midst of Holidays and preparing for a new baby and general grumpiness:) (this is when I especially need to be in the word, I suppose).


“Man does not live by bread alone,” God declares in Deuteronomy 8:3, “but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Just as we can’t survive without physical food, neither can we thrive without spiritual food. We cannot live without God’s Word. As our bodies require daily physical nourishment, so our souls need daily spiritual nourishment.Our morning bowl of cereal won’t sustain us for three weeks. Neither can our souls subsist on one dose of God’s Word.

As D.L Moody explains:

“A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”

We can’t truly live unless we sit and listen. So let’s daily “take in a supply of grace” through God’s Word and prayer.

thank you, Girl Talk!!

More about the garland

I decided to peruse Etsy a bit to see what they had to offer in the way of Christmas decorations, and look at this fun garland that I found. I think it would be just the thing to decorate my fire place, especially if it was paired with these stockings!!I don't if Etsy has clearance sales after Christmas, but I am keeping my eyes open in hopes that next year these things will find themselves a part of my Christmas decor.

By the way, this little bit has been an extra big stinker lately. Yesterday she opted to not take a nap at all, and I prayed for patience all day long. Today we spent the morning at the library's story time, and she did, praise the Lord, take a two hour nap. I have been feeling first trimester nauseous combined with third trimester huge, and I just can't handle no nap days right now. One more week of tutoring, and then I am done (except for one student)--hallelujah. Only a few more weeks, and there is much to get done before John makes his appearance.

Who knows what Ada will think of John. Last night she was once again pretending to take John from my stomach, opening her arms and saying in a baby voice, "come here, John." Once she "had him in her arms," she proceeded to toss him up into the air, and she told us he was stuck in the sky. Oh dear. Let's hope that doesn't really happen once he's here;) There was another time that she "had him in her arms," and she tossed him down the stairs. I'm going to have to keep my eyes on this big sister or else John is in big trouble.