I am amazed every year by all of the craziness that surrounds Christmas. Traffic, people frantically grabbing gifts, impatience, stressing out about every little detail, etc. Now, don't get me wrong; Eric and I waited much too long this year to buy our gifts, so we were out "amongst them" yesterday! But it seems every year our culture seems to forget why we even have a Christmas holiday. It isn't about a man dressed in a red suit from the North Pole delivering gifts on his "reindeer guided sleigh." It isn't about buying the biggest and best gifts for your family and friends. It isn't about buying more toys for your children than they will ever be able to play with, and then realizing after it's all done you've spent way too much money and will have trouble paying for your bills. It's about SO much more than that. It's about Bethlehem. It's about Mary and Joseph. It's about a baby. It's about a MIRACLE from GOD. It's about our Savior's birth. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be there on that most amazing night in Bethlehem? Just picture the excitement the people must have felt knowing that finally, this baby who was given the name Jesus, was here. Here to save us all. To teach us. To live a life of example for us. To die a most brutal death, taking all our sin upon Himself. To save us. Because He loves us. That is Christmas. Christmas day is wonderful! It is fun to open gifts and watch our loved ones open up gifts we've picked for them, spend time with our families, eat wonderful home cooked meals and share lots of laughter. But just remember the truth as to why we have Christmas. Remember Jesus.
The Michelin family is so blessed. We owe everything we have to God. He never ceases to amaze us by all He has done in and around our lives. We are thankful for His calling for this family and the season of life He has us in. When I look at my children, so precious and amazing, I am humbled. God entrusted us with their little lives, and it's up to us to show them the path to Christ; to live lives of examples, praying that one day they will choose to follow Him. It is a big task, much too big to handle without His guidance. And yet, He has humbled us yet again! On October 26th, Eric and I found out that we are expecting our third child! I cannot explain the emotion we felt! I woke up early that morning and took a pregnancy test. We were trying, but it is still surprising every time you see a positive! I just laughed and cried, and praised God for this amazing blessing. I placed the test on the counter and woke my husband up. I had the video camera on so I could capture his reaction. He totally walked right past the test! So, I had to redirect him, and when he saw it, he said with so much excitement, "Are you serious??!! Baby, that is awesome!!" We are just so filled with joy about having another baby. A little nervous about 3, but way more excited! I am due on July 5th. I have been so sick with this pregnancy! I was sick with both Cole and Raleigh, but this pregnancy has far passed what I felt with them! If I'm being completely honest, it's been really difficult to be sick all day long without a break. But I am so thankful because for a little over a week now, I have been getting breaks! I am not out of the woods yet, but I'm not feeling sick all day, just mostly at night now. So thankful for this! I am now 12 weeks and so I know I will be done with the nausea very soon!
Eric and I will keep everyone posted with the progress of this pregnancy and the wonderful things God is doing in our lives. We pray that everyone has a safe and blessed holiday. Merry Christmas, and happy birthday, Jesus!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Update!
Busy, busy days for the Michelin family lately! But, aren't we all?! However, we are never too busy to praise God for what He has blessed us with and the great things He is doing in our lives.
On August 24th, our "baby" boy, Cole, turned 4. This is really crazy to me. F-O-U-R!!! Where did the time go? I can still remember the evening perfectly when Eric and I got a positive pregnancy test that we were not expecting! I had no idea I was pregnant; we weren't trying, so how would I? But, how awesome is our God! He knows why. We were shocked, but so excited for this tremendous blessing we were given. And four years later, I am still just as humbled and grateful God gave Cole to us. He is truly a blessing to our family and everyone that meets him. He has a charm that is hard to miss and says some of the most hilarious, off the wall things! But that's all a part of what makes him the sweet person he is.
Eric and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on August 28th. We enjoyed a beautiful weekend trip to one of my most favorite places in the world; Boone, NC. We stayed in an incredible cabin with a breathtaking view, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We both agreed that was by far the best trip we've ever taken together. We left feeling very relaxed, refreshed, and very ready to see our sweet babies. It's always nice to take a time out and focus all of your attention on the person in your life that matters the most. We reflected on the last 6 years, and dreamed of the possibilities to come. It truly was amazing and I am so glad God gave me Eric. I love him.
In September, my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary! So, to celebrate with them, Jarid, Wesley, Anita, Jessie, Eric and I threw them a surprise anniversary party. It was so much fun and they were very surprised and honored we did that for them. We were so happy to be able to do that in honor of our parents and had so much fun watching them enjoy themselves and reflect back on the last 30 years of their lives. It was a great evening.
We enrolled Cole in soccer this fall! He is having a blast! Although he loves playing baseball, soccer has been better because he is able to run the entire time! Baseball is fun to a four year old if you get to bat the entire time. Otherwise, not so much! He will be able to begin flag football next fall, so I have a feeling that once that starts, all other sports will be uninteresting to him. :) He also started 4 year old preschool at our church this year. He goes everyday from 9-12 and is loving every minute of it. I am amazed at how much he has learned so far, and look forward to him growing even more.
Raleigh is busy as ever. She is 19 months old and can climb on anything! This is new to me; Cole was never a climber. But Raleigh is totally different. She is very prissy, very dramatic, but can be tough too. It is amazing how different she is from her brother. But, at the end of the day, she is all girl. And I am loving every minute of it! She is talking a lot and putting words together. She is independent and loves to eat! To be so tiny, she eats constantly! She loves to feed herself. She calls me "mommy" which gets me every time and has her daddy wrapped around her finger. All she has to do is look at him, and she gets it. It is really a special relationship and I am so thankful Eric is such a wonderful dad to both of them.
I finished my training at the pregnancy crisis center and am now counseling on my own. It has been a very rewarding experience. I can truly say that I care about each and every one of the women that comes through the door. I am so honored that God would call me to serve in such an amazing ministry. He is using me to reach these girls who are in some very desperate situations, and He gets all the glory for it. There is no way I could do this without Him leading me. I am excited to see what He has in store for the ministry and am also excited to implement some of the ideas that God is presenting to Dana to help even further.
Lastly, God has laid it on Eric's heart to pursue a discipleship program. He will have to blog about that once he gets the ball rolling because he knows way more about it than I do. We are just really excited to pursue another ministry and I'm grateful God placed it in front of Eric and that Eric is getting a lot of support from our Sunday school group. Each and every one of them are a blessing to us.
We are still amazed at where we started, and where we are today. What a difference! God is so good and he will forever lead us in our lives. Our goal is to set a good example for our children by living our lives as servers and followers of Christ in hopes that they one day will choose to follow Him as well. We are very blessed and hope to lead others to Christ as well, just as we are called to do.
On August 24th, our "baby" boy, Cole, turned 4. This is really crazy to me. F-O-U-R!!! Where did the time go? I can still remember the evening perfectly when Eric and I got a positive pregnancy test that we were not expecting! I had no idea I was pregnant; we weren't trying, so how would I? But, how awesome is our God! He knows why. We were shocked, but so excited for this tremendous blessing we were given. And four years later, I am still just as humbled and grateful God gave Cole to us. He is truly a blessing to our family and everyone that meets him. He has a charm that is hard to miss and says some of the most hilarious, off the wall things! But that's all a part of what makes him the sweet person he is.
Eric and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on August 28th. We enjoyed a beautiful weekend trip to one of my most favorite places in the world; Boone, NC. We stayed in an incredible cabin with a breathtaking view, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We both agreed that was by far the best trip we've ever taken together. We left feeling very relaxed, refreshed, and very ready to see our sweet babies. It's always nice to take a time out and focus all of your attention on the person in your life that matters the most. We reflected on the last 6 years, and dreamed of the possibilities to come. It truly was amazing and I am so glad God gave me Eric. I love him.
In September, my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary! So, to celebrate with them, Jarid, Wesley, Anita, Jessie, Eric and I threw them a surprise anniversary party. It was so much fun and they were very surprised and honored we did that for them. We were so happy to be able to do that in honor of our parents and had so much fun watching them enjoy themselves and reflect back on the last 30 years of their lives. It was a great evening.
We enrolled Cole in soccer this fall! He is having a blast! Although he loves playing baseball, soccer has been better because he is able to run the entire time! Baseball is fun to a four year old if you get to bat the entire time. Otherwise, not so much! He will be able to begin flag football next fall, so I have a feeling that once that starts, all other sports will be uninteresting to him. :) He also started 4 year old preschool at our church this year. He goes everyday from 9-12 and is loving every minute of it. I am amazed at how much he has learned so far, and look forward to him growing even more.
Raleigh is busy as ever. She is 19 months old and can climb on anything! This is new to me; Cole was never a climber. But Raleigh is totally different. She is very prissy, very dramatic, but can be tough too. It is amazing how different she is from her brother. But, at the end of the day, she is all girl. And I am loving every minute of it! She is talking a lot and putting words together. She is independent and loves to eat! To be so tiny, she eats constantly! She loves to feed herself. She calls me "mommy" which gets me every time and has her daddy wrapped around her finger. All she has to do is look at him, and she gets it. It is really a special relationship and I am so thankful Eric is such a wonderful dad to both of them.
I finished my training at the pregnancy crisis center and am now counseling on my own. It has been a very rewarding experience. I can truly say that I care about each and every one of the women that comes through the door. I am so honored that God would call me to serve in such an amazing ministry. He is using me to reach these girls who are in some very desperate situations, and He gets all the glory for it. There is no way I could do this without Him leading me. I am excited to see what He has in store for the ministry and am also excited to implement some of the ideas that God is presenting to Dana to help even further.
Lastly, God has laid it on Eric's heart to pursue a discipleship program. He will have to blog about that once he gets the ball rolling because he knows way more about it than I do. We are just really excited to pursue another ministry and I'm grateful God placed it in front of Eric and that Eric is getting a lot of support from our Sunday school group. Each and every one of them are a blessing to us.
We are still amazed at where we started, and where we are today. What a difference! God is so good and he will forever lead us in our lives. Our goal is to set a good example for our children by living our lives as servers and followers of Christ in hopes that they one day will choose to follow Him as well. We are very blessed and hope to lead others to Christ as well, just as we are called to do.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
God's work
It is no secret that God is at work in our lives. I have never felt His presence more in my life than I do now and it is amazing. We are learning to not live for what we want, but what He wants; not our will, but His will. That could mean moving to a foreign country to minister to others; it could be having 6 children because that's what He wants (just for the record, I am in NO way planning for that many! Just saying we will be submissive to His calling!) I know that God has called me to do things before, but if I'm being totally honest, I've not always listened. It's easier to pretend that you don't hear than to get completely out of your comfort zone. But part of my journey is realizing I have ignored Him, not always followed Him, and even hurt Him. But I am living proof that our God is amazing, merciful, and forgiving. I find great comfort in this verse: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 That is so powerful! Even if I was the only sinner in all of the world, God would still have sent Jesus to die for me. For me. It's a love that is above all. We cannot even fully grasp this love. But nevertheless, I am forever greatful for His love, and for this, I give Him back my life. I will serve Him as He has called me to.
In the last few months, I have felt very led to serve at a pregnancy crisis center. It's really cool how it all worked out, but to make a very long story short, I finally listened when He spoke, and it was through this that I heard His calling to serve here. I am in the application process with a good friend of mine, and I too am grateful that I get to serve with her by my side! Also, some really awesome women in our church are starting up a women's ministry team, and I am blessed to be a part of this. We will be reaching out to women not just in our church, but from all over the city, all ages, and from all walks of life. I am really excited to see where God takes this group and I'm looking forward to the fellowship and support that will make up this group.
And lastly, did you really think I could blog without mentioning at least one of my kids?! Of course not! We just returned from a wonderful week of vacation at the beach with Eric's family. It's awesome...his entire family still goes together on the same week every year and stays really close to each other so that we can have beach time and dinner together. There were 30 of us this year, but it was so much fun! One night, Eric's cousin Megan sang "Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone" for us. She will be singing this at Mandi's upcoming wedding. It was beautiful. After she finished, my precious baby Cole decided it was his turn. He is so not shy at all, which is completely opposite from his mommy! So, there my sweet boy stood in front of the entire family, and sang "Jesus Loves Me." We've all heard this before; I hear it from him everyday because he loves to sing. But when you get that many people together, something magical happens; they really listen to the words. There stood Cole, innocently singing the song and giggling, and we were all in tears. I, because I was so proud that he is mine and proud that he loves singing God's songs, and everyone else because of the words and Cole's faith at such a young age. He doesn't question whether God really loves him or not. He just knows, "for the Bible" tells him so. It was a great moment. I wish everyone could have the mind of a child when it came to God.
In the last few months, I have felt very led to serve at a pregnancy crisis center. It's really cool how it all worked out, but to make a very long story short, I finally listened when He spoke, and it was through this that I heard His calling to serve here. I am in the application process with a good friend of mine, and I too am grateful that I get to serve with her by my side! Also, some really awesome women in our church are starting up a women's ministry team, and I am blessed to be a part of this. We will be reaching out to women not just in our church, but from all over the city, all ages, and from all walks of life. I am really excited to see where God takes this group and I'm looking forward to the fellowship and support that will make up this group.
And lastly, did you really think I could blog without mentioning at least one of my kids?! Of course not! We just returned from a wonderful week of vacation at the beach with Eric's family. It's awesome...his entire family still goes together on the same week every year and stays really close to each other so that we can have beach time and dinner together. There were 30 of us this year, but it was so much fun! One night, Eric's cousin Megan sang "Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone" for us. She will be singing this at Mandi's upcoming wedding. It was beautiful. After she finished, my precious baby Cole decided it was his turn. He is so not shy at all, which is completely opposite from his mommy! So, there my sweet boy stood in front of the entire family, and sang "Jesus Loves Me." We've all heard this before; I hear it from him everyday because he loves to sing. But when you get that many people together, something magical happens; they really listen to the words. There stood Cole, innocently singing the song and giggling, and we were all in tears. I, because I was so proud that he is mine and proud that he loves singing God's songs, and everyone else because of the words and Cole's faith at such a young age. He doesn't question whether God really loves him or not. He just knows, "for the Bible" tells him so. It was a great moment. I wish everyone could have the mind of a child when it came to God.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Thankful
First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July! We certainly did. This holiday is so special to all Americans, but I think it really hits home to anyone who has ever had a loved one serve in the military or know of someone who has. I always think of my dad who served in Vietnam, and of course, Eric. I'll never forget what it felt like to be away from him when he was in Iraq. When he went overseas in 2003, they did not have much access to computers and certainly not much access to phones. Even letters were getting lost in the mail. So, everyday was torture. I missed him more than I could ever describe and worried like I've never worried before. His mom and I talked several times a day and really leaned on each other to get through it. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he came home. I was so excited to see him after all that time, and so nervous! Eric's grandparents, mom and myself all drove to Kentucky to see him while he was being debriefed. We drove on the fort and were told not to get out of the car; he would find us. Do you think we listened? Absolutely not! There was NO WAY we were waiting any longer. I remember frantically looking around at all the soldiers, not seeing mine. Finally, I heard a familiar voice. I stopped in my tracks, looked up, and there on the third floor was my man. There really aren't words to describe what I was feeling in that very moment. He ran down the stairs and I ran to him. Almost like a movie, but so real. We just grabbed each other, and I cried. He was home. He was safe. Thank goodness.
July 16th marks 7 years to the day that he flew home from Iraq. I always think of that time during this holiday, and it makes me so appreciative of everything I've been given. And we are so grateful to those who have served and are currently serving our country, being away from their families and friends, and sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice for us and our country. I can't help but think of our friends, Mark and Shannon DeSouza. Mark is serving his second tour overseas, and Shannon is home working and taking care of their precious one year old son, Ethan. My heart hurts for them and we are diligently praying for them daily.
We had my family over on Sunday. I stood in my kitchen for a minute and just took in the sight. Everyone was fixing their plates, laughing and smiling. It's moments like these that I just want to soak in. It was a beautiful sight, and it was a reminder of how blessed we really are. We have incredible families on both sides.
Here are the two pictures of our reunion 7 years ago. I will treasure these forever, and just wanted to share them. I love you, Eric Michelin. You are my soldier, my soulmate, my best friend. I couldn't be more proud of the Godly man you are, the husband you are, and the father that you are.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Update
I can hardly find time to keep up with the laundry, much less find time to blog!
Life is crazy, as usual. Eric is staying busy with work and I am staying busy with the kids. Raleigh just turned 16 months yesterday (crazy) and Cole is very close to four (even crazier). I've been trying to plan his birthday party so that it doesn't creep up on me like Raleigh's did. He, of course, wants a camo themed party with a deer head cake. Seriously, would you expect anything else??!! I mean, he is Eric Michelin's son! So, everyone will have to come decked out in their finest camouflage clothing....in late August! Sorry, guys, it's for Cole. :)
We are still enjoying our minivan. It's grown on me quicker than I thought...I really can't imagine driving anything else. So practical, so convenient, so comfy, and so quiet. (By quiet I mean there is peace in the backseat once again!) Even Eric is loving it. Now, he did just get mud tires put on his truck, which I think helps him a little knowing that's his baby! So funny; I told him we need to go "muddin" like we used to in high school. Oh, the memories. :)
Raleigh is becoming very independant these days. She tries to feed herself with a fork and spoon and DOES NOT want any help. She runs everywhere, has several words, including her new favorite....NO!!! It's lovely. She smiles all the time and laughs, and still loves everything about Cole. Except when he doesn't share; then she screams and yells, "No, share!" to him. Let the sibling rivalry begin.
Last week, Eric and I helped out at Vacation Bible School at our church. We were there Wednesday through Friday. Eric did recreation outside and I was inside with the babies and toddlers, which worked out great because Raleigh refuses to let me leave her without crying most of the time! Seeing all of the children worshiping and praising Christ was so awesome and really inspiring. They are so young, but yet so many of them still "get it." It was an honor to be a part of it, and cannot wait until next year to do it all again.
I am still so overwhelmed by what God has given me in my life. My kids are just simply wonderful to me; they keep me on my toes, are always entertaining and so full of life, and make my heart melt everytime I look at them. I love being their mommy. I have an amazing husband in Eric who spoils me and loves me unconditionally. We are really a team, but he is my rock, my inspiration, my everything. I'm so lucky he chose me. We have two amazing families, both of which are close by. The kids get to see both sets of grandparents weekly. And above all of this, I have a God who is so loving, so forgiving, so wonderful. And I am ever so thankful for Him and all of His many blessings.
Eric and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary this year!!! WOOHOO!!! We are so excited because this year I am not pregnant or nursing, like I have been just about every year now, so we are going away for the weekend! I am really excited, although, I will miss the kids. But, we are going to have so much fun! Come on August....:)
Life is crazy, as usual. Eric is staying busy with work and I am staying busy with the kids. Raleigh just turned 16 months yesterday (crazy) and Cole is very close to four (even crazier). I've been trying to plan his birthday party so that it doesn't creep up on me like Raleigh's did. He, of course, wants a camo themed party with a deer head cake. Seriously, would you expect anything else??!! I mean, he is Eric Michelin's son! So, everyone will have to come decked out in their finest camouflage clothing....in late August! Sorry, guys, it's for Cole. :)
We are still enjoying our minivan. It's grown on me quicker than I thought...I really can't imagine driving anything else. So practical, so convenient, so comfy, and so quiet. (By quiet I mean there is peace in the backseat once again!) Even Eric is loving it. Now, he did just get mud tires put on his truck, which I think helps him a little knowing that's his baby! So funny; I told him we need to go "muddin" like we used to in high school. Oh, the memories. :)
Raleigh is becoming very independant these days. She tries to feed herself with a fork and spoon and DOES NOT want any help. She runs everywhere, has several words, including her new favorite....NO!!! It's lovely. She smiles all the time and laughs, and still loves everything about Cole. Except when he doesn't share; then she screams and yells, "No, share!" to him. Let the sibling rivalry begin.
Last week, Eric and I helped out at Vacation Bible School at our church. We were there Wednesday through Friday. Eric did recreation outside and I was inside with the babies and toddlers, which worked out great because Raleigh refuses to let me leave her without crying most of the time! Seeing all of the children worshiping and praising Christ was so awesome and really inspiring. They are so young, but yet so many of them still "get it." It was an honor to be a part of it, and cannot wait until next year to do it all again.
I am still so overwhelmed by what God has given me in my life. My kids are just simply wonderful to me; they keep me on my toes, are always entertaining and so full of life, and make my heart melt everytime I look at them. I love being their mommy. I have an amazing husband in Eric who spoils me and loves me unconditionally. We are really a team, but he is my rock, my inspiration, my everything. I'm so lucky he chose me. We have two amazing families, both of which are close by. The kids get to see both sets of grandparents weekly. And above all of this, I have a God who is so loving, so forgiving, so wonderful. And I am ever so thankful for Him and all of His many blessings.
Eric and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary this year!!! WOOHOO!!! We are so excited because this year I am not pregnant or nursing, like I have been just about every year now, so we are going away for the weekend! I am really excited, although, I will miss the kids. But, we are going to have so much fun! Come on August....:)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Minivan Club Welcomes The Michelins!
Wow. I never thought I'd see the day. Neither did Eric.
I remember as a young girl, especially in high school, watching these moms drive these awful looking things called, "minivans." They were hideous. The doors would slide open and out came the kids, all 12 of them, running to their soccer game. Yes, the infamous "soccer mom." I promised myself I would NEVER become that. And why? My parents always owned a conversion van. You know, the BIG, HUGE vans that seemed just a step away from an RV. And we loved it as kids. We could get up and walk to the front if we needed anything, watch movies on the VCR (just typing VCR makes me feel kinda old) and swivel the middle row chairs towards the bench seat, set up the table and play games or have a snack. For a family that took a lot of vacations, it was perfect. I just never had any intentions of driving anything even remotely close to it.
*Enter Cole and Raleigh*
And my life changes forever. For the better. I now could care less about what anyone thinks! I'm all about convenience, practicality and what my kids will enjoy. Cole has become very spoiled by my mom's pimped out GMC Yukon, which has every option known to man on it, including of course a DVD player. So, naturally, with every car we looked at, Cole would say, "Does it have a DBD in it?" (Yes, he pronounces it "DBD" which you almost have to hear to appreciate it's cuteness) If it did not, he'd say, "Okay, don't want that one!"
The funniest part to me out of all of this is I am the one who wanted the van. Even against my husband's wishes. You see, he is worried about being seen driving a minivan. He understands why, he's just not completely on board yet. However, he did test drive our new van yesterday and was most impressed with it's smoothness, how quiet it was, and all the bells and whistles it has on it. He is excited about a new family car and reassures me he knows it's what we need, especially since we plan on having a 3rd child in the next 2-3 years. But I still wanted a van?! This is what having children does to you. It completely changes everything you've ever thought you knew.
And so, the minivan won. It's really wonderful, as our sweet son puts it! A 2009 Chrystler Town and Country (I'm giggling just writing this, still in disbelief we actually did it!) Touring Edition. It's really loaded; dual DVDs, satellite radio, hands free phone capability, backup camera, power everything, upgraded sound system (in case you wanted to look cool jamming to your favorite song in a minivan :) ) middle swivel seats, table, and a radio that will hold 8 pictures and up to 500 songs downloaded from your IPOD or MP3 player. It's nice, and I feel completely lost by all the technical stuff on it. So, yes, the Michelin family has officially joined the club of the soccer moms. I got my wish, and I could not be more excited about it.
I just can't wait for our anniversary trip this August. Rollin' in a minivan, minus the kids. That will be cute. :)
I remember as a young girl, especially in high school, watching these moms drive these awful looking things called, "minivans." They were hideous. The doors would slide open and out came the kids, all 12 of them, running to their soccer game. Yes, the infamous "soccer mom." I promised myself I would NEVER become that. And why? My parents always owned a conversion van. You know, the BIG, HUGE vans that seemed just a step away from an RV. And we loved it as kids. We could get up and walk to the front if we needed anything, watch movies on the VCR (just typing VCR makes me feel kinda old) and swivel the middle row chairs towards the bench seat, set up the table and play games or have a snack. For a family that took a lot of vacations, it was perfect. I just never had any intentions of driving anything even remotely close to it.
*Enter Cole and Raleigh*
And my life changes forever. For the better. I now could care less about what anyone thinks! I'm all about convenience, practicality and what my kids will enjoy. Cole has become very spoiled by my mom's pimped out GMC Yukon, which has every option known to man on it, including of course a DVD player. So, naturally, with every car we looked at, Cole would say, "Does it have a DBD in it?" (Yes, he pronounces it "DBD" which you almost have to hear to appreciate it's cuteness) If it did not, he'd say, "Okay, don't want that one!"
The funniest part to me out of all of this is I am the one who wanted the van. Even against my husband's wishes. You see, he is worried about being seen driving a minivan. He understands why, he's just not completely on board yet. However, he did test drive our new van yesterday and was most impressed with it's smoothness, how quiet it was, and all the bells and whistles it has on it. He is excited about a new family car and reassures me he knows it's what we need, especially since we plan on having a 3rd child in the next 2-3 years. But I still wanted a van?! This is what having children does to you. It completely changes everything you've ever thought you knew.
And so, the minivan won. It's really wonderful, as our sweet son puts it! A 2009 Chrystler Town and Country (I'm giggling just writing this, still in disbelief we actually did it!) Touring Edition. It's really loaded; dual DVDs, satellite radio, hands free phone capability, backup camera, power everything, upgraded sound system (in case you wanted to look cool jamming to your favorite song in a minivan :) ) middle swivel seats, table, and a radio that will hold 8 pictures and up to 500 songs downloaded from your IPOD or MP3 player. It's nice, and I feel completely lost by all the technical stuff on it. So, yes, the Michelin family has officially joined the club of the soccer moms. I got my wish, and I could not be more excited about it.
I just can't wait for our anniversary trip this August. Rollin' in a minivan, minus the kids. That will be cute. :)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Update!
It's been awhile since my last update on the kids!
We had an awesome Easter. Eric was off work this year, so that was a nice change! Cole and Raleigh loved hunting Easter eggs. Raleigh was surprisingly good at it! She caught on quickly and it was a race between her and Cole! She just turned 14 months...repeat....14 MONTHS on Saturday!!!! Insane. Not sure where the time is going. She still seems like a little baby to me, when in fact she is growing up right in front of me. She is so full of life. She loves to laugh, play with Cole, give hugs and kisses, play with dolls (she got her first Barbie the other day and loves it; she calls is "Ba Ba!") climb stairs, babble and watch me get ready in the mornings. She is so girly and I love it. It's a nice change from Cole and Eric always talking about hunting and fishing! She seriously loves to watch me get ready. She pretends to brush her hair with me, and I have to pretend like I'm putting makeup on her! She just smiles and I say, "Oh, Raleigh, you look beautiful!" Hopefully one day she will know there is no makeup in the world that could make her any more beautiful than she already is. She amazes us with how much humor, personality and sense she already has. Our daughter is wonderful!
Cole is doing great! He started T-Ball this month. It's been interesting, to say the least! He loves it. However, not sure how much his coach loves him playing in the dirt! Okay, in his defense, he gets really bored in the outfield. And, I believe, rightfully so. He's 3 1/2 and very active. But, this experience has been good for him. He's so outgoing, so he's making friends and is learning what it's like to be in a structured environment. He's at home with me all day everyday, so this is a nice change of pace for him. And he's actually really good at batting! He will start preschool this year, and that's all I'll say for now...I'm getting choked up just thinking about it! We are going to put him in either our church program or another church a little closer to our house. Regardless, I'm really excited for him. Cole is very smart, loves his sister, LOVES his daddy, loves to fish and hunt, and loves to be outside. He is so sweet, very funny and talks constantly! If he thinks it, he says it! I am very proud of Cole and the strides he is taking in his early walk with God. He is really curious about everything. He prays for us before every meal, and that touches my heart to hear my son praying and thanking God for what He has so richly blessed us with. It touches me even more when Cole, on his own, prays for other people. He will not touch his food or snack without praying. He often asks about Jesus and what He did here. He knows what Heaven is, and also knows the meanings of Christmas and Easter. He made a small bank at Sunday School (they had a lesson on tithing) and whenever he gets money from us or his grandparents, he immediately asks to put it in the bank so he can "give it to Jesus." I cannot describe to you what that feels like as a parent to watch your very young child willing give up his money to give back to church, and understanding the importance of prayer. I'm always praying for my kids, asking God to help me guide them on the path towards Him. I doubt myself often, but something is getting through to Cole. I feel an overwhelming since of pride for my son when he does things like that. Our son is wonderful!
In other exciting news, my oldest brother and sister-in-law welcomed their second child into the world last Wednesday! Lylian Nicole Brown is our precious new niece! My nephew is so wonderful with her! He will be 3 next month, and he is such a proud big brother. It was awesome to watch Jarid and Anita with their new baby girl. They too are a family of 4 now. How great is our God. We have, however, conceded to the fact that we will most likely not be getting together for dinner at a restaurant ever again, but rather at each others houses! 4 adults and 4 kids....whew!!!
We had an awesome Easter. Eric was off work this year, so that was a nice change! Cole and Raleigh loved hunting Easter eggs. Raleigh was surprisingly good at it! She caught on quickly and it was a race between her and Cole! She just turned 14 months...repeat....14 MONTHS on Saturday!!!! Insane. Not sure where the time is going. She still seems like a little baby to me, when in fact she is growing up right in front of me. She is so full of life. She loves to laugh, play with Cole, give hugs and kisses, play with dolls (she got her first Barbie the other day and loves it; she calls is "Ba Ba!") climb stairs, babble and watch me get ready in the mornings. She is so girly and I love it. It's a nice change from Cole and Eric always talking about hunting and fishing! She seriously loves to watch me get ready. She pretends to brush her hair with me, and I have to pretend like I'm putting makeup on her! She just smiles and I say, "Oh, Raleigh, you look beautiful!" Hopefully one day she will know there is no makeup in the world that could make her any more beautiful than she already is. She amazes us with how much humor, personality and sense she already has. Our daughter is wonderful!
Cole is doing great! He started T-Ball this month. It's been interesting, to say the least! He loves it. However, not sure how much his coach loves him playing in the dirt! Okay, in his defense, he gets really bored in the outfield. And, I believe, rightfully so. He's 3 1/2 and very active. But, this experience has been good for him. He's so outgoing, so he's making friends and is learning what it's like to be in a structured environment. He's at home with me all day everyday, so this is a nice change of pace for him. And he's actually really good at batting! He will start preschool this year, and that's all I'll say for now...I'm getting choked up just thinking about it! We are going to put him in either our church program or another church a little closer to our house. Regardless, I'm really excited for him. Cole is very smart, loves his sister, LOVES his daddy, loves to fish and hunt, and loves to be outside. He is so sweet, very funny and talks constantly! If he thinks it, he says it! I am very proud of Cole and the strides he is taking in his early walk with God. He is really curious about everything. He prays for us before every meal, and that touches my heart to hear my son praying and thanking God for what He has so richly blessed us with. It touches me even more when Cole, on his own, prays for other people. He will not touch his food or snack without praying. He often asks about Jesus and what He did here. He knows what Heaven is, and also knows the meanings of Christmas and Easter. He made a small bank at Sunday School (they had a lesson on tithing) and whenever he gets money from us or his grandparents, he immediately asks to put it in the bank so he can "give it to Jesus." I cannot describe to you what that feels like as a parent to watch your very young child willing give up his money to give back to church, and understanding the importance of prayer. I'm always praying for my kids, asking God to help me guide them on the path towards Him. I doubt myself often, but something is getting through to Cole. I feel an overwhelming since of pride for my son when he does things like that. Our son is wonderful!
In other exciting news, my oldest brother and sister-in-law welcomed their second child into the world last Wednesday! Lylian Nicole Brown is our precious new niece! My nephew is so wonderful with her! He will be 3 next month, and he is such a proud big brother. It was awesome to watch Jarid and Anita with their new baby girl. They too are a family of 4 now. How great is our God. We have, however, conceded to the fact that we will most likely not be getting together for dinner at a restaurant ever again, but rather at each others houses! 4 adults and 4 kids....whew!!!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Couponing away!
Have you ever been behind someone in a grocery store checkout line, and the cashier rings up all their items, and the customer pulls out a huge wad of coupons???? If you are like I used to be, then you'd silently be wishing you'd picked a different line that would move much faster, probably sighing and thinking, "Who has time for that?" That was completely me. Until a few weeks ago.....
At the beginning of February, my cousin and I attended this couponing class. I've heard of these women who faithfully clip coupons and save an insane amount of money doing so. My sister-in-law first introduced me to the idea, but I never really attempted it. So, Jamie and I went to the "Extreme Couponing 101" class hosted by southernsavers.com. I listened intently and left feeling very overwhelmed and a little uncertain that I could actually make this "work." Most of you reading this know me very well, so you know that I am usually very shy, a bit nervous at times and do not like confrontations. I think deep down, I didn't coupon because I was afraid the cashier would get aggravated with me or worse, tell me that I couldn't use them for some reason. So even after this class, I let about 3 more weeks slip by, doing my regular grocery shopping which consisted of going to Wal-Mart or Food Lion, spending anywhere from $90-$150 and having NOTHING to show for it. So frustrating! So finally, I told Eric, "Ok that's it. I am going to give this couponing thing a try." That next week, we picked up the state newspaper for the coupon inserts, I made out my grocery list, printed my coupons I needed to go with items I didn't have them for, and off we went to Publix. (I made Eric go with me that first time for support!) No joke, we spent an HOUR AND A HALF in the grocery store!!! I was so nervous and wanted to make sure I was buying the right things and had the right coupons for it. So by the end, the kids were getting very tired of being in the store, and rightfully so. So, we went to the checkout line, he scanned our items, and I nervously handed him my coupons, waiting for rejection. To my surprise, he was very courteous and willingly accepted my coupon wad. The final total should have been around $120 dollars. Then, he started scanning my coupons, and the price just kept falling, and my smile just kept getting bigger. Once he was done, he said, "Okay, that will be $60!" WHAT???? I just cut my bill in half?! I look over at Eric whose smile is probably bigger than mine, and he says, "Wow, I am a believer now! Great job; I love you!" We haven't looked back since.
I am getting better each trip I make out and learning more and more about it. It's been such a blessing to our family; already we've saved about $400 in a month! I am happily helping my mom and mother-in-law with it; they are so excited! Just the other day, my mom made a quick trip out, saved a ton, and called me so overjoyed! It was so fun to hear the excitement in her voice. Anyway we can save money for our families is a true blessing.
I wanted to post some of my recent trips:
Publix:
4 boxes of Kellogg's cereal (Normally $3.98 each)
2 jars of Ragu sauce (Normally $3.19 each)
2 International Delight coffee creamers (Normally $2 each)
1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread (Normally around $3)
1 3 pack Publix Paper Towels (Normally around $3.50)
My bill should have been over $30. So what did I out of pocket? $5.60!!!!
The trick is to knowing what stores will "stack" coupons, meaning they will accept a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon on the same item. You also should wait, if you can, until the items are on sale. For example, the Kellogg's cereal I bought was Buy 1 Get 1 Free that week, and I used coupons on top of that for extra savings. I have since then been able to get 1 pack of diapers for FREE, and 3 more packs for a few dollars each. Today, I bought 2 jumbo packs of Huggies diapers (normally 12 dollars each), 1 loaf of raisin bread, 3 boxes of Hamburger Helper, and 2 things of Right Guard deodorant. My totally out of pocket should have been around $36, and I only spent $8! And I used to think I didn't have time for this....
It's so funny to me. I never thought I'd see the day when I was clipping coupons and wishing for a minivan. HaHa, I guess it's called motherhood.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
WHY?????
Okay, so I had a baby shower today at our house for my beautiful sister-in-law, Anita. Everything was so nice; pink and green decor, candles, flowers...very girly. It was wonderful. She got some wonderful things for baby Lylian who will be here in about a month!
So, is it so much to ask that everything go as planned? Apparently so. We were standing around the dining room talking, and all of the sudden Cole rounds the corner, saying "Hey, wha ya think bout dis??" And there my sweet son stands, holding a pair of clippers, missing a HUGE chunk of hair in the front of his head!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!! At first, I covered my mouth in disbelief, and was laughing hysterically. Then, I realized Easter is right around the corner, and I started balling! Then, I laughed some more once I realized it's just hair and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it now. And in all seriousness, it is VERY funny. He looks like an old man. Check out the pictures of Cole's, um, hairdo, and the quick video. My camera died or else the video would have been longer.
So, tomorrow, I will be in the store buying up every hat I can find to try to cover up this mess. I refuse to shave his entire head! Hopefully, the "patch" will grow back in a few weeks and we can even his hair up then. Oh, memories! You just wait until he brings home a girlfriend!!!! :)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Happy 1st Birthday, Raleigh!!
Okay, okay, so I'm a little late on this post, I know. But I did get the pictures up on Facebook within a day!!!
So it's official; my sweet little baby girl is one. O-N-E. Where did the last year go?
I spent the week up until her birthday trying to help mom out with work (we are slammed right now, thank you Lord) and recounting my pregnancy, labor and delivery, and her first year. So much came to mind.
I still remember like it was yesterday taking the pregnancy test. Eric and I had been trying to get pregnant, and were unsuccessful the first month. It was a Friday, and Cole (22 1/2 months at the time) and I went to Wal-Mart to grocery shop. I picked up the test and a few other items and headed back home. I immediately went to the bathroom when we returned home and took the test. For some reason, I glanced at the test as soon as I put it on the counter, and an overwhelming since of disappointment came over me as it appeared it would be negative again. I went into the living room with Cole for a few minutes and decided to check it one more time just to be sure. To my surprise, it was positive! I literally fell to my knees, crying and praising God. Cole ran into the bathroom saying, "Mommy what wrong?!" Bless his little sweet heart. I, through my tears said, "We're going to have another baby." I pointed to my belly, and he placed his hand on my belly, smiled, and said, "Baby." Eric was on night shift so he was sleeping, but that weekend was Father's Day, and although I could have waited 2 more days to tell him, I couldn't contain my excitement. I went into the bedroom, crawled next to him on the bed, and handed him the pregnancy test, smiled and said, "Happy Father's Day!" He was so excited; he grabbed me, hugged me and kissed me, and couldn't stop smiling. Needless to say, he couldn't go back to sleep.
So it's official; my sweet little baby girl is one. O-N-E. Where did the last year go?
I spent the week up until her birthday trying to help mom out with work (we are slammed right now, thank you Lord) and recounting my pregnancy, labor and delivery, and her first year. So much came to mind.
I still remember like it was yesterday taking the pregnancy test. Eric and I had been trying to get pregnant, and were unsuccessful the first month. It was a Friday, and Cole (22 1/2 months at the time) and I went to Wal-Mart to grocery shop. I picked up the test and a few other items and headed back home. I immediately went to the bathroom when we returned home and took the test. For some reason, I glanced at the test as soon as I put it on the counter, and an overwhelming since of disappointment came over me as it appeared it would be negative again. I went into the living room with Cole for a few minutes and decided to check it one more time just to be sure. To my surprise, it was positive! I literally fell to my knees, crying and praising God. Cole ran into the bathroom saying, "Mommy what wrong?!" Bless his little sweet heart. I, through my tears said, "We're going to have another baby." I pointed to my belly, and he placed his hand on my belly, smiled, and said, "Baby." Eric was on night shift so he was sleeping, but that weekend was Father's Day, and although I could have waited 2 more days to tell him, I couldn't contain my excitement. I went into the bedroom, crawled next to him on the bed, and handed him the pregnancy test, smiled and said, "Happy Father's Day!" He was so excited; he grabbed me, hugged me and kissed me, and couldn't stop smiling. Needless to say, he couldn't go back to sleep.
The pregnancy progressed well. I started showing way early, I guess with it being my second baby, and the doctor thought I was having twins. Since both of our fathers are twins and they are everywhere in my family, Eric and I just knew that was going to happen! We had an ultrasound and confirmed it indeed was just one baby in there. Whew! A few weeks after that, I had a cervical cerclage to help insure that she wouldn't come early, since my cervix tore giving birth to Cole. Then, a few weeks after that, we found out we were having a girl. I remember saying to the tech, "Are you sure, are you sure???" The, I burst into tears. I didn't know how much I wanted a girl until I found out I was having one. Eric beamed with joy, and confessed his life was over. :)
Around 32 weeks, the contractions I had been feeling for weeks began to intensify. I was put on bed rest at around 33 1/2 weeks. I was showing some signs of premature labor, which I cannot tell you how scary that was. I didn't want to have a premature baby...I knew the risks with that. I prayed she would stay put. And she did. In fact, she decided to get so comfortable, that I was finally induced at 39 1/2 weeks. After 8 hours of a most painful labor :) (thank goodness it was shorter than my LONG labor with Cole) Raleigh Jean Michelin was born at 5:59pm on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009. She was the most beautiful baby girl we'd ever laid our eyes on. It was the most beautiful moment along with Cole's birth. There is nothing else like it. It's just beautiful, miraculous, indescribable, breath taking, amazing....priceless.
She has filled our hearts with love and joy over her first year with us. She has grown from a helpless infant to a walking, babbling, witty, friendly, smart little girl. She has the most beautiful deep blue eyes I've ever seen, flawless skin, rosy cheeks, and a little bit of blonde hair. (We're getting there!) I thank God everyday for my baby girl and look forward to what the future holds for her.
Raleigh,
Happy 1st birthday, baby! I am so proud that you are one, and I thank God everyday that He made me your mommy. I'm not sure what I did to deserve the honor, but nevertheless am truly grateful. I love you more than I could ever express. You are so beautiful, so full of life, and you make me want to be a better person. I look forward to all the years and memories we will have together. I pray that God will help me lead you on your path towards Him, and that one day you will choose Him to be your personal Lord and Savior. I love you and hope you had the best first birthday.
All my love,
Mommy
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Family photo shoot
In November, Eric and I met with Lucas Brown of Kickstand Studios. Lucas is an amazing photographer here in Columbia, and he is friends with my brother Jarid. We had him take some family pictures for us since we've never done that before. We also surprised our moms with a picture of the shoot as part of their Christmas gifts. Click on the link below to view our favorites from the session. We could not be anymore pleased with the way he captured our family. Thanks, Lucas!!
http://port77.com/kickstandstudio.com/michelin/
http://port77.com/kickstandstudio.com/michelin/
Friday, January 22, 2010
A prayer for all
This has been a crazy week.
Cole is going through a growth spurt, if that's even possible. The child is huge; he's 42 pounds, and very, very tall. And he's 3. T-H-R-E-E. He's been eating everything in sight this week. This is most unusual for my little, well, big boy. He normally could care less about eating because he's way too busy playing, running around wrecking shop, talking non-stop...you get the picture. He never wakes up hungry. Why eat when you can drink juice and milk and go wild?! But when Cole wakes up and the first words out of his mouth are, "I'm hungry!" then you better get ready. He's really eaten more than I thought possible. Of course, I love it because I've never seen him like this before. But, what's the end result? A six foot 3 year old??? Maybe!
And as if he doesn't talk about hunting enough, Eric took him on his first hunt Monday. He went wild! They sat in a ground blind and had a blast. Cole enjoyed walking through mud puddles with his rubber boots and throwing rocks, sneaking around the woods and watching a bunch of baby pigs eat corn off the ground. The best part of it all? It's all on video! Eric took the video camera and documented the whole thing. PRICELESS!!! (By the way, he ate 4 mini bagels while in the ground blind, then left and ate an entire pork chop and green beans for dinner. Yeah, growth spurt!)
Raleigh is great. She's walking like she's been doing it forever, and she's getting fast!!! I forgot how quickly they go from walking to running....she's getting around! I've starting planning her 1st birthday party. Ok, who am I kidding; I've been planning for months now! I have so many ideas; I'm really excited. I still can't believe our baby girl is about to turn one. My, time flies when you're having fun!
Last, but certainly not least, I want to praise God. He has been so good to us, and I could never thank Him enough. He's blessed us with so many things; our families, friends, jobs, a beautiful house, two amazing, healthy children, each other, and His grace and mercy. He is an amazing God, and He can do amazing things. He has been really working in our marriage and on us as individuals, inspiring us in so many ways. This week alone, by His grace, He has brought us closer as a couple than we thought possible. He is teaching us, guiding us, leading us. I can't even describe what it feels like to let go and let God take control of your life. It's incredible.
It's my prayer today that if you are reading this blog, no matter how you ended up here, that you know God and He is your personal Lord and Savior. I promise, choosing Him is the best decision you will ever make. I'm not trying to preach, but I'm just so amazed at what He has done with Eric and I, and I'm so thankful.
Cole is going through a growth spurt, if that's even possible. The child is huge; he's 42 pounds, and very, very tall. And he's 3. T-H-R-E-E. He's been eating everything in sight this week. This is most unusual for my little, well, big boy. He normally could care less about eating because he's way too busy playing, running around wrecking shop, talking non-stop...you get the picture. He never wakes up hungry. Why eat when you can drink juice and milk and go wild?! But when Cole wakes up and the first words out of his mouth are, "I'm hungry!" then you better get ready. He's really eaten more than I thought possible. Of course, I love it because I've never seen him like this before. But, what's the end result? A six foot 3 year old??? Maybe!
And as if he doesn't talk about hunting enough, Eric took him on his first hunt Monday. He went wild! They sat in a ground blind and had a blast. Cole enjoyed walking through mud puddles with his rubber boots and throwing rocks, sneaking around the woods and watching a bunch of baby pigs eat corn off the ground. The best part of it all? It's all on video! Eric took the video camera and documented the whole thing. PRICELESS!!! (By the way, he ate 4 mini bagels while in the ground blind, then left and ate an entire pork chop and green beans for dinner. Yeah, growth spurt!)
Raleigh is great. She's walking like she's been doing it forever, and she's getting fast!!! I forgot how quickly they go from walking to running....she's getting around! I've starting planning her 1st birthday party. Ok, who am I kidding; I've been planning for months now! I have so many ideas; I'm really excited. I still can't believe our baby girl is about to turn one. My, time flies when you're having fun!
Last, but certainly not least, I want to praise God. He has been so good to us, and I could never thank Him enough. He's blessed us with so many things; our families, friends, jobs, a beautiful house, two amazing, healthy children, each other, and His grace and mercy. He is an amazing God, and He can do amazing things. He has been really working in our marriage and on us as individuals, inspiring us in so many ways. This week alone, by His grace, He has brought us closer as a couple than we thought possible. He is teaching us, guiding us, leading us. I can't even describe what it feels like to let go and let God take control of your life. It's incredible.
It's my prayer today that if you are reading this blog, no matter how you ended up here, that you know God and He is your personal Lord and Savior. I promise, choosing Him is the best decision you will ever make. I'm not trying to preach, but I'm just so amazed at what He has done with Eric and I, and I'm so thankful.
Monday, January 11, 2010
New beginnings
Well, I guess that's what everyone says about a new year; with a new year brings new beginnings. That is ringing true for Eric and I this year. I'm just going to be honest, completely honest in this blog and lay it out there.
Eric and I have been married for 5 1/2 years now. It's been wonderful. We have made more memories than I could ever count; we've been through everything as a couple. We've brought 2 amazing children into this world, bought 2 houses and sold one, faced death in our family, had our share of good times and bad; basically you name it, we've been through it. But one thing remained true; no matter how we committed ourselves to better our relationship with the Lord, we always seemed to fall short. It's not that we weren't seeking Him or trying to do better, we just seemed to fall by the waist side and go our own way. We haven't been to church every Sunday. And we said we would join a Sunday school group when we got married. Well, 5 1/2 years later, we'd failed to do so. Don't get me wrong. I love our God; He is at the center of this marriage. I was baptized in August for the second time in my life to recommit my life to Him. And things have been going great. But for the last month, it seemed like everywhere I turned, something was telling me to go to this class our church has for young married couples. They all have children in this class; the men love to hunt and fish and go on trips together to do so. They pray together; do things together; reach out to others sharing God's word and love. It's just what Eric and I have been seeking and missing in our lives.
So finally, after all of this time of just simply not going, we took that step. And it was great.
We loved the class. And the people. Everyone has at least 2 children. Yay for other moms! They are planning some amazing things to do as a class for this year. We left there feeling like we'd found our niche. Cole had a blast playing with the other children. Raleigh, well, not so much! Completely my fault; she's always with me and only been left with my mom or Eric's mom, except for one other time which also didn't go so well! She's just at that age where she has bad separation anxiety and on top of it all is teething. But I know she'll get used to it.
We've volunteered to help with food for next Sunday. We are so excited to be taking a step closer to better our lives as individuals and as a couple, as well as parents to Raleigh and Cole. I'll keep posting on how it's going, but for now, we couldn't be in a better place.
Eric and I have been married for 5 1/2 years now. It's been wonderful. We have made more memories than I could ever count; we've been through everything as a couple. We've brought 2 amazing children into this world, bought 2 houses and sold one, faced death in our family, had our share of good times and bad; basically you name it, we've been through it. But one thing remained true; no matter how we committed ourselves to better our relationship with the Lord, we always seemed to fall short. It's not that we weren't seeking Him or trying to do better, we just seemed to fall by the waist side and go our own way. We haven't been to church every Sunday. And we said we would join a Sunday school group when we got married. Well, 5 1/2 years later, we'd failed to do so. Don't get me wrong. I love our God; He is at the center of this marriage. I was baptized in August for the second time in my life to recommit my life to Him. And things have been going great. But for the last month, it seemed like everywhere I turned, something was telling me to go to this class our church has for young married couples. They all have children in this class; the men love to hunt and fish and go on trips together to do so. They pray together; do things together; reach out to others sharing God's word and love. It's just what Eric and I have been seeking and missing in our lives.
So finally, after all of this time of just simply not going, we took that step. And it was great.
We loved the class. And the people. Everyone has at least 2 children. Yay for other moms! They are planning some amazing things to do as a class for this year. We left there feeling like we'd found our niche. Cole had a blast playing with the other children. Raleigh, well, not so much! Completely my fault; she's always with me and only been left with my mom or Eric's mom, except for one other time which also didn't go so well! She's just at that age where she has bad separation anxiety and on top of it all is teething. But I know she'll get used to it.
We've volunteered to help with food for next Sunday. We are so excited to be taking a step closer to better our lives as individuals and as a couple, as well as parents to Raleigh and Cole. I'll keep posting on how it's going, but for now, we couldn't be in a better place.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Her first tooth!
Yay for Raleigh!!!
After months of wondering if baby dentures were in her future (haha), Raleigh has finally gotten her first tooth! I found it this morning. Eric and I were celebrating. Cole got his first tooth at 3 1/2 months, so we thought she'd be the same way. But oh no, she's a little person all of her own and decided to wait until she was 10 months! She's been handling it pretty well. She has a cold right now, but other than a little fussy here and there, she's been great! I am really excited. Well I say that now; once she bites me, it's time for a bottle....:)
Just thought I'd share my excitement about my baby girls new tooth. It's a big thing to us mommy's.
After months of wondering if baby dentures were in her future (haha), Raleigh has finally gotten her first tooth! I found it this morning. Eric and I were celebrating. Cole got his first tooth at 3 1/2 months, so we thought she'd be the same way. But oh no, she's a little person all of her own and decided to wait until she was 10 months! She's been handling it pretty well. She has a cold right now, but other than a little fussy here and there, she's been great! I am really excited. Well I say that now; once she bites me, it's time for a bottle....:)
Just thought I'd share my excitement about my baby girls new tooth. It's a big thing to us mommy's.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We had a wonderful Christmas. It was so fun to share it with our two beautiful children, especially that it was Raleigh's first Christmas. They got way too many toys, but they loved it; well, Cole loved it. Raleigh just ate the boxes and ripped the tissue paper! Cole got his first bike with training wheels. You should have seen his sweet face! Priceless.
We got to spend Christmas with both of our families, but most importantly, we got to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. I was so proud Cole knew we were celebrating His birth this year. He sang happy birthday to Jesus for Eric's family. Call me a dork, but it brought tears to my eyes. He has that effect on his mommy. :)
Here are a few pictures from the day. Check out our facebook page for more. I'm so upset with my camera; for some reason, it won't let me view all the pictures or edit them. So, sorry about the lack of and all the red eye. Oh well.
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