Choosing Joy when Mondays are Just Hard

A load of laundry is going in the washing machine, I've already gotten a work out in this morning, my baby is taking his early morning nap, and my coffee is in my hand. Yes, this is a good way to start out a day. The week has gotten much better since Monday, which was just one of "those" days. Not every day starts out with me calmly sitting in my favorite seat with coffee and knitting or blogging... Take Monday for example. Monday offered many many instances where I just had to stop and remind my self to chose to be happy, to chose patience, to chose to be calm. It wasn't anything big, but more one small thing on top of another small thing. Like my baby sleeping amazing, but me having a restless night (something about dreaming of a shark attack...) for no particular reason. Which means that blurred zombie walk (you know the one) to the coffee pot in the morning while my husband and I try to go through the motions of breakfast and getting him out the door for work. The day before I had finished the last of our dish soap, so there were the dishes from the past 24 hours sitting in the sink. Waiting. With no dish soap. Which meant grocery shopping had to come first this Monday, which meant making a meal plan and a grocery list. More coffee. Take a deep breath, feed the baby, put him down for his early morning nap, coffee, meal plan, coffee, grocery list, coffee. Baby is up, time to run to Aldi. Choosing patience and joy... not the easiest thing when you're exhausted and you're leaving the house with a sink full of dirty dishes. 

But grocery shopping first, then home, you can feed the baby again, put him down for his second morning nap, you can then do the dishes, put the groceries away, and sit and eat lunch. Everything will be alright again and you can relax this afternoon. 

Easier said then done. But we got through Aldi, then we got through picking up household items at Walmart, all while carrying a baby in one arm and pushing a cart that didn't want to go straight (you know the kind) with the other. Liam loves to shop. He loves to sit in the cart and look at all the people. But not today. Today he was extra sleepy and wanted me to hold him. By the time I had picked up everything, skipping grabbing shampoo, soap, shaving cream etc, Liam was asleep. Normally I like to wiz through the self checkouts instead of stand in line for 10 minutes, but there was no way I was going to accomplish that with a sleeping baby in one arm. So I stood in line. And I guess this was the week that kids are off of school. Walmart was busy. But I stood in line and I chose patience and I chose joy. 

Its all okay, you're almost done. Sure you didn't get any shampoo or body soap or shaving cream, but you did get dish soap. Everything will bo okay once those dishes are done. Hey, maybe we can all just take bubble baths for a week with dish soap.... haha, just kidding, we had enough shampoo to last the week ;) 

Thankfully I had been able to snatch a close parking spot, and I was back in the car in no time. Homeward bound. Of course Liam slept the 5 minute drive home and once there I was able to carry him right up to bed and deposit him there with his blanket and he stayed sleeping. Boom. Got the groceries carried in, put away, dishes washed, lunch made and eaten, talked to my husband on the phone during his lunch break, and got the kitchen cleaned. Ah sanity again. Finally, a chance to sit down and breath. And the baby wakes up. But I chose patience and I chose joy. And you know what? Liam and I had a lovely afternoon together. 

In other news I've been feeling rather ambitious lately. Between working on house decorating and landscape planning with Emil, I decided randomly that I wanted to make a quilt. So I did. I had a Hobby Lobby gift card from my birthday, and a basic pattern in mind. 

I had seen these fabrics at Hobby Lobby before, and absolutely loved them, but didn't know what I would ever do with them. Until now!

I pieced it together in one afternoon. It was pretty simply, just got all my squares lined up the way I wanted and ran them through the machine. Then I cut out the border and boom, finished. I purchase some backing and some batting and the next afternoon I got all the layers safety pinned together. Using safety pins was a trick I had seen my mom use, and I thought that it worked rather well. 

I've now got the squares all quilted, I just have to do the boarder... and then I need to bind it together and its finished! =) I think my quilting urge has been quenched. 

I've recently wanted to hang some pictures in Liam's nursery. But I wanted to be creative and artsy... So I purchased some little pieces of wood and painted them a minty teal color and then Modge Modged the pictures on. 

The Modge Podge dried clear and they were ready to hang! I also had bought a frame from Goodwill the other day and painted it white and then also chalk painted the glass. Now Liam and I have a good reminder above his changing table in his nursery. The picture is a screen shot from instagram... I didn't have a better one taken yet on my camera. 

I've been kind of addicted to chalk paint recently... 

This was another frame that I got from Goodwill. I chalk painted it and cured it, and now its ready for use! 

Curing the chalk paint is very important if you want it to last and not rub off after just one use. 

Now I've got a cute little way to keep track of the little things for the grocery list! 

And a good reminder hanging in my living room. A quote from one of my favorite hymns. 

Liam continues to grow and learn. He has become a master splasher in his little bath tub. He also is getting SO close with his crawling. 

I've been taking him outside once a day this week. He enjoys looking around and when the wind blows he gets this big grin and loves to watch the leaves blow and rustle. He also loves playing with the grass. 

The Bandy eyebrow.... Pretty sure I've seen this expression on his Daddy... Mostly when I'm talking and making no sense. ;) 

Liam is 5 months

"Something tells me 
I'm going to love him forever..."

Who gave you permission to grow up baby boy? You're 5 months old now. 5 months! It feels like just the other day you were a newborn in my arms! You've grown up so much, learned things so fast, and you are constantly taking in the world around you with those great big eyes of yours. Your Daddy and I are trying to soak every moment with you up; you're only a baby for such a short amount of time. 

Sometimes life can be hard, and there are things you will have to learn and grow from, but as you lay here in my arms looking up at me with those chocolate brown eyes of yours, all I want to do is protect you forever. I just want to hold you and squeeze you tight. 

But then I see you when you're sitting on the living room floor and you fall over, bumping your little head. You look to me instantly, as if I am the one who decides if you're okay or not. And when I give you a smile and ask if you're okay, you smile back as if my concern was all you needed to hear. I love you little boy. I love watching you learn and grow. I love showing you how a new toy works and you repeating my actions, learning to play with it yourself. I love seeing you fit into new clothes, and learn to splash in the bath, and I love that huge smile you get when Daddy walks in the door after work because you know he's going to play with you now. The smile lights up my world. You light up my world, Liam. You challenge and push me, and I love every day that I get to spend with you. I don't ever want you to have a day where you don't know that your Daddy and I love you, but also that your heavenly Father loves you as well. <3 ~Mommy

On Monday Liam turned 5 months old! And today he is 22 weeks! I can't even begin to believe how fast time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday he was the little guy wrapped up in his blanket and nestled into my arms. <3 And now he is sitting on his own, and just Monday I went upstairs to get him after he woke from one of his naps, and he was on his hands and knees! Hands and knees people! No no no no, he just started sitting, he can't want to crawl just yet! And yet he seems determined. He pushes up and gets his knees under him and then he starts rocking back and forth. He doesn't quite understand "how" to move, and I'm trying to teach him to scoot back to a sitting position, but he is learning fast! It was so crazy to see him learn something completely on his own. He was so proud of himself. <3
Liam continues to love classical music, and loves to sit and listen to me play my violin. He is fascinated with music. His smile grows bigger and he continues to be the happy little boy he has always been. All of last week, except for 1 day, he slept completely through the night, which made me so happy. And now I think he may be on the brink of another growth spurt... The other day we gave him his first taste of a mushed pea, which he thought was interesting. :) He is sitting all by himself, loves to play with his toys, and I think his favorite time of day is when Daddy gets home and plays with him. <3 

He will be on the move in no time... ='( Where has my baby gone??

His great big smile lights up my day and I just love this little boy to pieces! 

On Sunday Grace was amazing and took some really sweet pictures of Emil, Liam and I. These shots made me so happy. <3 Thank you, Grace!

This one especially made me so happy! 

Kisses for Mama! We're working on that one... ;) 

My two guys whom I love so much <3 

Happy 5 months, Liam! Can't wait to see what the next 5 months bring! Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so proud of you! <3 

Mother's Day 2016

~ Mother's Day 2016 ~ 

Thanks to my sweet Husband who snapped this shot on Saturday before Mother's Day. Emil was on call all Mother's Day weekend, but he still wanted to make my first "official" Mother's day special and memorable for me. And although he was battling a nasty cold and juggling farmers' calls all day, he took some time and he and Liam went out shopping so that Liam could "pick out something to give to me on Sunday morning. Yes, Emil took Liam Mother's Day shopping for the fist time! <3 Oh my heart. I almost wish I could have been there in the background watching my amazing husband track the isles of Hobby Lobby and Hallmark, while carting the little guy, in search for the perfect gift for Liam to give me. When they got home I tried to get Liam to divulge the secret of what they got me... but he wouldn't budge. ;) 

While Emil is on call he wears this neat headset so that he doesn't have to hold his phone all day. Liam liked trying it on... And then While Emil is talking on it, its so cute because Liam thinks that Emil is talking to him the whole time. The whole situation works out rather well because Emil can be playing with Liam and talking to a farmer at the same time and Liam loves it. My husband can multitask like that. :) 

Liam also loves to watch his Daddy work. Emil installed a new lock and door handle on the front door or Saturday. The new set looks so nice and shiny! 

On Sunday morning Liam and Emil surprised me the treasures that they had found. :) 2 little baby Cactuses, a Yankee Candle, and a bar of chocolate. On Saturday Emil had given me chocolate as well... I think its pretty safe to say that this man knows the way to my heart... And it may or may not be through Ghirardelli ;) 

Aren't they adorable? I want to plant them in some mason jars and put them up by the kitchen sink so that I can see them when I do the dishes. 

On Sunday we got Liam all dressed up in his Sunday best and after church we headed over to Mom and Dad Bandy's house to celebrate Mother's Day over lunch. Liam was showing everyone how good he was getting at sitting and playing with his toys. 

I *love* his little bow tie. We got the polo onesie as a gift and it came with a bow tie attached. =) Quite the adorable accessory for the little guy. He loves to play with the ball that he has in his hands, but his other current favorite toy is Sir Quacks-a-lot, the rubber duck. ;) 

Falling asleep on Aunt Grace may have been his highlight of the afternoon. ;) 

Mother's Day selfie! =) 

After spending the afternoon at the Bandy's, we headed over to my parents house to celebrate over dinner with them! 

Liam and his Aunt Lexi playing together. They are just over 1 year apart... I'm these two, along with cousin Jaxon, are going to be inseparable as they grow up together. Either that or be frenemies... ;) Time will tell. 

Right now Liam and Jaxon are the "babies" to Lexi, but just wait until they grow taller than her! 

Mom and all of her kids and grand-kids! =) She sure is one awesome Mom, I don't know what any of us would do without her! She has raised and is still raising some up with love, comfort, and guidance. She pushes us to pursue dreams and desires, and supports us even when we feel like we failed. Thank you Mom for everything you do for all of us! <3 <3 We love you! 

Lexi really likes to hang out with Emil... Her brother-in-law, I love how that works! Whenever Emil and I come over she loves to show Emil what a pretty dress she is wearing by pointing at it and waiting until he comments that he likes it. SO cute. 

Liam... Being the cute little ham that he is. <3 <3 

Sister picture! I am so blessed to be related to all 5 of the girls with me in this picture! They each bring so much joy, love, and friendship to me in different ways! <3 Love you girls! 

[Photo credit goes to my amazing sister-in-love, Grace! Thank you!!]

I feel so blessed to be a wife to this amazing man and a mother to this amazing little boy. They both bring so much love and joy to my life, they both push me to be a better wife and mother, and they cause me to seek after God in a way I've never had to before. God is the one who gives me the strength to push through the rougher days raising a baby. He is also the one who gives me the joy of being a Mother and a wife. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord for Emil and Liam. I love them both so much <3 *They* are what made this Mother's Day so special to me.