Simeon-Rolls and Lijah Bear

My friend Jen told me today that her two year old calls cinnamon rolls...Simeon Rolls. I thought that was so cute and funny because our other friends daughter calls Simeon "cinnamon." So, here are some pics of my Simeon-Rolls. (yes...its very fitting because of all his rolls! :)

Now some of my Lijah-Bear.

Thanksgiving Challenge

Saw this on facebook and thought I'd do it on my blog. Every day until Thanksgiving I will post one thing that I am thankful for! I think this will be a good reminder of all that I am blessed with and often take for granted. Please feel free to comment and say things that you are thankful for every day too. I would love to hear them!

Today I am thankful...

November 11th. for my two Dads & their service to our country My Dad is retired from the Air Force where he served all over the world for over 20 years. My Dad-in-law also served in the Army and was in the Vietnam War. I am proud and thankful for these two men as well as so many others that I know. Thanks to you all ---the veterans and military that I know and don't. I am blessed and thankful to live in this country! Happy Veterans Day!

November 10th. for bananas & instant oatmeal! With two kids that both want & need something right when they wake up ---I am so thankful to have quick, easy, & healthy options for Eli's breakfast when its too chaotic for eggs, toast, etc. And I'm really thankful for days that they wake up at different times! :)

Unexpected Opportunities...

I have been absolutely amazed at how many unexpected opportunities God has placed in my lap to share with people about my relationship with Him and all that He has done for us!

We named our baby boy Simeon as a reminder of all that God has done for us and that He hears our prayers. When I was 22 weeks pregnant and in the hospital last April the doctor had given us a pretty discouraging and seemingly hopeless prognosis regarding the pregnancy, my safety, and the health of the baby. I was devastated and scared and spent that VERY LONG night praying for God to change the situation so that I could stay pregnant and have a healthy baby boy. Well...it was a long 24 hours or so and you can read the whole story here. In the end, God chose to answer our prayers and heal me. This experience was a refreshing wake-up call regarding the power of prayer. It was the most concentrated stretch and most desperate prayer I've ever prayed. There were so many people praying for me! It was an amazing time of God revealing himself to us in a new, painful, and beautiful way! Simeon means "God is Listening." We named him that because he is our miracle and he was a part of a miracle...a part of God listening to the cries of His people and answering them.

Matt and I love the meaning behind names and that was very important to us when naming both of our boys. I knew Simeon would be a meaningful name and that is what God wanted us to name him. However, I had no idea just how far God would use this. I have had so many opportunities laid in my lap to talk about my relationship with Christ just by people asking me why we named our son Simeon. Time and time again, with total strangers that I would probably never talk to about my relationship with God. Almost all of them have said something to the extent, "I've never heard somebody named that. What is the meaning? Why did you name him that? Is there significance? " I then have had the chance in a very natural way to tell them I had a hard pregnancy and that we prayed and many people prayed and that my God answered those prayers and we wanted our son to have a name that honored and represented all that God did by healing me! The people that have brought this up with me and asked the reasoning for the name are found in the oddest places: Two other moms at storytime, the elderly greeter at Walmart, the lady cutting my hair at Great Clips, the pharmacist filling a prescription for Simeon, and just today the lady from the health insurance place asked me over the phone why we named him that. So unexpected and fun to talk about. I pray that my story encourages these random strangers and spurs them on in the right direction towards their journey to Jesus Christ.

Update.

Wow...I can't believe its been over a month since my last post. So lame! I just don't have as much time with two kiddos. Especially when they don't nap at the same time most days (yet), which leaves little time to spend on the computer (or reading, or napping, or cleaning, or doing things I like to do around the house). haha! Life is fantastic though! Matt and I were just reflecting together about how much we love this stage of life. It's so fun to have two boys. And it is even more fun to have a two year old and be blessed with another little tiny baby boy! We will be sad when this stage of life is over and I'm trying my best to enjoy every second of it and soak it all into my memory! I'm sure every stage will be great though! Both of the boys just seem to be growing so quickly. Simeon is quickly looking like a "baby" rather than a "newborn" and Elijah seems to be maturing and learning at the speed of light! So...if you know me at all then you know I love lists. So here is a set of bullet-point small paragraphs that discuss what has been happening lately.

• Lots of changes with Matt's job (hopefully you got our newsletter). This has led to lots of dreaming and conversing together about what God may have for Matt and our family in the future. Its been exhausting and refreshing all at the same time! ;)
• Elijah has learned all his letters and the sounds they make. (my Language-therapy side is so proud of him)
• Elijah is doing great with potty training and is very close to being ready to wear his big boy undies out of the house. Woohoo!
• A group of ladies and I have started going through Beth Moore's study of Esther. It has been a great journey so far and I'm really enjoying my time spent doing that. Beth Moore writes great studies...I would highly recommend them!
• Something clicked a few weeks ago while playing outside with Elijah and I realized I'm 27 and losing weight and being healthy is just going to get harder as the years go on. I needed to change my lifestyle and break some bad habits! After some encouragement from my good friend Paula, I decided that night to join WeightWatchers. Its been a little over two weeks and I've already lost nine pounds! :) Hooray! I feel like I have a fresh outlook on life and feel empowered to make good decisions for my health. It really has been a great experience so far. My husband and two boys are totally my motivation and inspiration. I want to be healthy so that I can take care of them and have an active and fun life with them. I know I can't do that long-term if I'm not taking care of myself. The way the Weight Watchers diet is set up is great. I can keep track of my points, but also don't feel tied down to a diet. (granted I have yet to go out to eat since being on it). I have been to four places with dessert the last two weeks and have had it every time. I just make better decisions at other times to offset the dessert. WeightWatchers, I guess, has just given me more of an awareness and a limit for me to follow. I'm really wanting to continue to just view this part of my life (nutrition and fitness) as an act of worship to God and an act of love towards my family. I want Eli & Sim to grow up with a good example not only of character --but also a good example of how to care for yourself and eat healthy and have balance with food (which includes eating dessert). haha! :) Well...only about 30 more pounds to go and I will just have to focus on maintenance! Yay!
• On October 26th, Matt turned 30. I threw him a surprise party and got him the new Vince Flynn novel. It was fun! I like to tease him about being in his 30's now, whereas I will remain in my 20's for quite some time still. =) Thanks Bill & Jen for all your help with the party and for hosting. You guys rock!
• 
• Been really praying and thinking about what it will be like if I get another part-time SLP job in January. It sounds appealing (the work and the pay), but the thought of leaving the boys for ten hours a week makes me sad. I just love all my time with them. We'll see what happens and what opportunities come about.
• Simeon is so smiley now and loves to interact and coo. He also really enjoys toys now, which is fun to watch. Eli gets so excited when he pry's Simeon's hands open to put a toy in them and Sim actually holds onto it for awhile.
• I am totally amazed by how much Elijah loves Simeon and is so sweet to him. I constantly am praying that they would have a life-long friendship and always be close. I think they will!
• For Halloween, Eli was a monkey and Simeon was a banana. Eli was going to be a fireman, but at the last minute I saw a banana costume for 50% off at KMart and it was so cute. So I ran to Walmart and found a brown hoodie. Sewed some ears and a tail on it and made Eli a monkey. He was excited about it! We bought him a fireman costume too just to have to play dress-up. He looks adorable in it as well. Apparently we missed the memo that all the alternative indoor trick or treats were on Friday the 30th instead of on Halloween...so we ended up going to the only indoor place, Walmart! Eli had fun because he was with his buds Emerson and Braeden...but trick or treating at Walmart is pretty lame. We took him to the Hamiltons and next door when we got home to do REAL trick or treating. We decided next year we were doing it the old-fashioned way and just going to all the houses on our street ---no matter how cold it was! We survived as kids without all the indoor carnivals. Regardless of the venue...the boys looked so cute and had a good time! Eli enjoyed his first experience with candy too. It took him three days to eat one lollipop, and he sure enjoyed it.
• We've managed to keep our two goldfish alive for almost a month. Mostly thanks to Eli always reminding us to feed them. I always forget!
• Hmmm....what else has been happening? Eli is currently under the weather. That has been rough and I feel so bad for the little guy!
• Not sure what else has been happening. I need to blog more! I promise to try to do better!

Need to go for now! Peace out!

2 Months Old

My Sweet Baby Simeon

Two Months Old!

Loves to be in his swing (most of the time).

Loves to be close to my face and smiles when I talk to him.

Has a fuzzy head.

Starting to enjoy looking at toys.

Will focus really hard and swing his arm up to hit a toy on his mobile. This of course completely tires him out and must be followed by a two hour nap. :)

Is starting to be awake more.

Loves to be swaddled tightly and hugged close.

Has outgrown all his newborn clothes.

Is losing his baby acne...and brand-new look.

Looks like me...and my Dad.

Has his Dad's eyes.

Loves to eat and does so every three hours.

Has sweet smelling breath. (most of the time)

Loves to sleep in Daddy and I's bed.

Is learning to sleep on his own.

Loves his big brother.

Loves taking baths with big brother even though he gets buried by bath toys. :)

Loves his car seat.

Loves to be carried in the sling.

Loves to be outside.

Is full of chunky baby fat that is absolutely adorable.

Has no neck and hates getting this part of his body cleaned.

Is absolutely loved and adored by me, his Daddy, and his big brother.

Is a miracle that I can't imagine life without!

Buddies

The words I've been trying so desperately to find!

The last five months have truly been a whirlwind of emotion ---disappointments, victories, total amazement, stress, excitement, pain...you name it and I've probably felt it! Through it all, Matt has been my rock! He has been consistent, loving, sacrificial, encouraging and has had an amazing heart to serve me. His love has been unconditional and extravagant. At times I have fought against this. I have allowed myself to feel guilt and shame, instead of accepting him as my husband and his desire to take care of and love me.

I am not the eloquent writer and speaker that Matt is. I have struggled with how to explain how amazing he has been to me. I've struggled with how to thank him for all that he has done and continues to do for me on a daily basis. I've struggled with what I feel is an inability to "pay him back" ---although my heart knows I will never be able to do this.

A few days ago I was reading a blog that I regularly follow. The woman is 21 weeks pregnant with a one year old and was just put on very strict bedrest. Their family is experiencing much the same journey that Matt and I did last April. I read her blog and the tears came. It totally consumed me ---as I realized her words were exactly what I've felt...what I've at times fought against, as so many of us do. Her words were exactly the words my heart has known but not been able to express to my dear beloved husband. In her words, I feel my own thoughts and experiences as I reflect on the second half of my pregnancy. As I reflect on my life now in this stage of transition. In her words I feel overwhelming thankfulness that God has given me a husband this great and that I must accept him. That God loves my family enough to be alive and active and among us.

Although these aren't my own words, they are my heart. They describe what I have seen and see every day as Matt interacts with me and our boys. I thought I would share them. (This woman's husband is named Matt too.)

the greatest

he hands me a cup of water & i spot her drool on his arm. i lay here & he glances my way while rushing through our house with her in his arms. his eyes are tired, but it would take a lot for him to actually admit his exhaustion. he pushes through the unique challenges of our new way of doing life with such humility, determination, & love. at the same time, he's honest in the difficult moments. he schedules the baby's week with moms-day-out, grandparents, friends, & sitters so he can attempt to work & oh, i don't know, make a living in the midst of this. he comes home from work. he lays on the floor so she can crawl over him, around him & then up to his face. they laugh together & play for a while. he empties the dishwasher, then fills it. all the while with the little girl pulling on the leg of his jeans that really need to be thrown in the wash. he prepares my dinner, he prepares her dinner. he feeds her, bathes her, puts her to bed, then actually feeds himself. he picks up from her dinner, sweeps the millions of cheerios from underneath her highchair, then does more dishes, then a little laundry, then putting away the toys.

all the while, i sit & i watch. he does that which i currently can not. i watch him do the routine daily things with her that i took for granted & now miss terribly. i watch him serve me & wonder what it now looks like for me to be his wife when all i've ever known is what i now can not do. it's only a short while. in my head i know that, but my heart is having a hard time adjusting to my role as a mom & wife completely redefined...even if it's only a short while. i wonder a lot. my mind goes all kinds of places & most of these are places that blur the picture before me.

in front of my very eyes is something spectacular that i've been too immersed in myself to see.

yes, it's matt.

yes, it's the greatest, out-of-this-world daddy.

yes, it's the greatest husband who relentlessly loves his wife.

but really, when the picture focuses just a little, i see that it's actually Jesus. it's been Him all along. (theatypicallife.com)