Happy 3rd Birthday, Zeke!!!

Can you believe it?  Our little man is 3 years old!  We have been telling him he is turning 3 on January 19th, so if you ask him how old he is, he'll say, "January 19, I gonna be tree." 

Earlier this week he received a fun birthday card from GeeGee that turned into a fire hat and a word puzzle activity from our dear friend, Thalia.  He has already mastered the puzzles and he is having so much fun (as you'll see below).

We planned to celebrate this year by going to the Georgia Aquarium with his cousins, but Georgia was supposed to have icy roads that day.  We rescheduled for later in January.  I'll be sure to post pictures when we finally go.

Then, we planned to have a small birthday dinner with Wynna and Papa on his actual birthday, but Gregg had to leave town for work, so we had to reschedule that too. 

So...we ended up having a fun day together (just Zeke and Mommy).  I put his Happy Birthday sign up the morning of his special day, then we went to the gym.  He LOVES to play with the kids in the Kids Club at LA Fitness.  I let him pick out a Happy Birthday balloon too, which we all know he loves.  We played together at home and he napped as usual.  I decided to take him on a Mommy/son date to Chipotle for dinner.  We waited in line for over 30 minutes, but it was yummy and worth it. 

Loving his sign!

Eating his "taco meat" at Chipotle!

He had fun and I enjoyed the day with my sweet boy.  It was kind of bittersweet because it will be his last birthday as our only child.  I am so thankful for the blessing that Zeke is to us.  God has given him such a sweet and fun personality.  He has been blessed with a smart mind and funny sense of humor.  He brings joy to Gregg and me each day!

Adalynn update:

I didn't post my 32 week picture when I took it, so here it is...

I am actually 34 weeks now and nesting like crazy!  I've been cleaning out everything I can and working on the nursery.  We started late on the nursery, so there is still a lot to do, but I am having fun shopping for little special touches on www.etsy.com.  We were able to put her name on the wall, and I am so pleased with it.  We are using pale pink, white, and grey with touches of ballet in her room. 

Wrapping up December...and some things God is teaching me!

As I mentioned in the Christmas post, I ended up with the flu on Christmas.  Jared had it before Christmas, Sophia and Harper had ear infections, and my mom had a cold.  Thankfully, my amazing Grandma, was able to stay healthy through it all! 

We had the chance to enjoy a nice brunch after church the Sunday following Christmas.  Gregg had to go back to our house since he had to work Monday, but he was able to be there and say good-bye to Grandma.  We took another opportunity to take a picture of the kids together too!

In light of all of the sicknesses, I have been seeking God, trying to figure out what He wants me to learn from this time.  Dena shared this amazing blog post that helped me put things into perspective.

My dear sisters in Christ and accountability partners and I had been learning the same message at the same time, which is always neat.  We each had been dealing with pride.  For us, it came in the area of health.  I felt like I took such care to feed my family whole, natural foods and research the best ways to keep us healthy.  Then, we were hit by one sickness after the other.  It didn't make since until I realized I was putting more of my focus on the foods and remedies than I was on my relationship with Christ and His plan for my family.

I am going to paste the text from the blog post I mentioned.  You can read more of her series on health at www.homejoys.blogspot.com.  I don't know the author, but I certainly relate to the things God is teaching her.  It is a short read, but very powerful...enjoy!

Love versus Pride

I noticed a disturbing result of my health research: pride. 

“Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) 

My health research affected how I looked at myself and others. When I served my children homemade yogurt and whole-grain sourdough bread for breakfast, I began to look down on the mother who feeds her children sugar-laden breakfast cereal. At the grocery store, I looked with disdain at the shopping cart loaded with processed food.

The Lord wants my heart to overflow with love, not facts on the danger of high fructose corn syrup. He wants me to share the joy of the Lord with my fellow shoppers at the grocery store, not criticize their food choices. While I may choose to eat or not eat certain foods, I need to remember that those are preferences—not convictions.

If the Lord calls me to serve Him in a place where my preferred foods are not available, will I refuse to go? Jesus told his disciples, “And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.” (Luke 10:8) If I can't eat raw milk, real butter, and freshly-ground whole wheat flour, will it really matter in eternity? But it will matter if my heart is lifted up in pride and I refuse to demonstrate love. “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” (1 Corinthians 13:4) 

When I am a guest, I can cheerfully eat the food served to me even if it isn't what I typically eat. (Of course, there are exceptions for true dietary needs or allergies—I'm speaking here of preferences, not needs.)

Love will also keep me from looking with contempt at those whom I consider radical in their diet. Somehow I think I have found a good balance, and anyone more or less strict than I am is incorrect. When I roll my eyes at a friend's diet preference, I should remember that others may think my kefir culturing in a jar on my counter is equally bizarre. 

Love will seek to understand another's dietary preferences or needs. It means not being offended when my diabetic friend chooses not to eat some food I have lovingly prepared. It means not forcing my guests to eat sourdough pizza when I know they are not accustomed to such food. 

Love goes both ways—to the one whose diet I consider strict or lenient. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)

Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma!!!

As I mentioned in the last post, I wanted to write a separate post to tell you all about my grandma's 90th birthday party.  First, let me tell you a little bit about her.  She has lived in Amarillo, TX my whole life, but thankfully, my parents made it possible for us to travel there frequently throughout my life.  I loved going to her warm, cozy home.  Walking in the door, it would smell the same each time, and bring back memories of years past.  When I found out she was moving, I honestly cried, but she was ready to move on and be free from some of the responsibilities of owning a home (yard, maintenance, etc.).  She moved to a senior apartment building in Amarillo where some of her friends already lived.  Meals are included, it is close to her church, and there are many opportunities for even more social activities (not that she needs more to do...she's busier than me!).  She seems really happy there, and I am so glad.

Me with both of my grandmas at the Amarillo airport

Jared and me with our cousins, Reed and Ross

As a child, I loved visiting Grandma and Papa, but never took much of an interest in their lives (as you would expect from most children).  But, as I got older, I began to enjoy the visits she made here or us there.  I loved sitting down and learning about her life.  She told me about growing up on a farm, how she met Papa (Roy Stargel), about life as a young wife and mother in a new town, and so much more.  She has always lived out her faith.  When I ask her to pray for something, I know she actually does!  She continues to study God's Word each day, and I am encouraged to know that He will continue teaching us all throughout our lives if we will seek Him.  I can always call her to chat, even if she has to call me back because she is at a meeting or Bible study!  I know I can count on her, and I thank God for her each day.

Us during her first trip to NYC several years ago

When it came time to plan her 90th birthday party, she volunteered to fly to Atlanta because of my pregnancy and Jami and Jared's new baby, Harper.  It was such a gift to us and sacrifice for her not to be there with all of her friends, but that just shows her character.  She is selfless and kind.

We sent the invitations you see above, and were so excited to have some surprise guests for Grandma.  My uncle Lewis flew all the way from NYC (through storms).  My aunt Nancy's long-time friend, Susan, came from Houston with all of the Hablinski's and Ross' girlfriend, Ali.  My mom's dear friend (and ours), Ellen, came too!  We all had a nice dinner at the Atlanta Athletic Club honoring Kay/Mother/Grandma/GeeGee!

Her great grandchildren

My mom and her brother, Lewis

We love Uncle Lewis!

Visiting with Ellen

The spread...

"Happy Birthday to you,..."

Four generations...

What a fun evening celebrating a beloved woman.  We look forward to many more celebrations in the years to come!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!!

Let the Christmas festivities begin...

Yes, I am writing on January 1, 2013, but it has been a busy couple of weeks!  After accidentally burning myself on hot tea, I came down with the flu on Christmas day.  I am going to take the next couple of posts to catch up on all the fun we had while my grandma, Kay Stargel, was in town for Christmas and to celebrate her 90th birthday!

We'll start with the fun we had at the Atlanta Athletic Club's annual Christmas celebration on December 23, 2012.  This year it was a "Grinch" theme.  Jared and his family had to miss it this year because Jared had the flu, sadly.

We began by being served dinner by Thing 1!  Zeke warmed up to him right away.  He also enjoyed the band that played at dinner as you'll see below (clasping his hands watching).  Next, he got to sit with Santa, then had a candy cane painted on his hand.  After that, he got a balloon candy cane, although, Daddy accidentally stepped on it when we got home!  

It was a nice evening, although we missed having Jared, Jami, and the girls there to join in the fun.




The next day was Christmas Eve, so we went to dinner at Di Paolo's with GeeGee (Grandma) and my parents.  I was starting to feel poorly that evening, so Gregg and I ended up staying home from church.

When we got home from dinner, we put Zeke in his Christmas pajamas and got ready for bed.  Zeke doesn't really know much about Santa at this point, so he just went to bed as usual! 

The next morning, he woke up to see that Santa had brought him a Christmas balloon (his favorite thing right now) and filled his stocking.  He was so excited!

Jared, Jami, and the girls came over later that morning so we could all open gifts together and enjoy Christmas lunch.  We decided to donate to specific charities/causes this year in lieu of gifts, but my mom and dad still generously gave to all of us, in addition to all of their charitable giving.  We are very blessed. 

We began our time together with Grandma reading the Christmas story from Luke 2.  It was a special time for us all.

Harper's first Christmas!

The chef!

Praying

Singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus (Gregg was really into it!)

Excuse my look, but I ended up in the ER that night with the flu

Zeke admiring his camouflage band aid!

Cousin fun

I will continue with another post later to share all of the details about Grandma's 90th birthday celebration.  It was a wonderful time with family and friends from Atlanta, Texas, and New York City!

I pray you all had a blessed time celebrating the birth of our Savior, or as Zeke would say, "Jesus' birthday!"