Musings On A Morning Walk

Grace wasn't super thrilled about the idea of going on a walk this morning... She really wanted to play inside. But since I knew it was going to be 104 (or whatever) again today the morning was going to be our only chance to get outside. So we went and I tried to make up games for her to play while she was in the stroller. I told her to try and look for different things (like an I spy type game) and her first spotting...

The letters S-T-O-P. Now, we have only covered through letter L in our morning lessons, so I was pretty impressed that she already knew those letters (and the order in which you read them).

Then she kept on talking about how she wanted to climb trees. I asked her which tree she would climb and she said "those right there!" and pointed to the tallest pine trees in sight...


Somebody's gonna have to give this kiddo tree climbing lessons (and it's not gonna be me). When asked what she wanted to do when she got to the top she said, "look around and swing in those branches and stuff... You know." Well, of course! How silly of me to ask!

And can I just add that I love that not only is our neighborhood absolutely beautiful (and yes, I know it is kind of ironic that we are living here in this season of less than abundant income) but the fact that in between this house...


And this house...


Stands this little modern gem...


Makes my little architect heart smile Every. Single. Time. I pass by.

What My 3 Year Old Learned in Sunday School

First, let me say that I am SO THANKFUL Grace is enjoying church again. It just makes Sunday mornings so much more enjoyable to know that your kid is not in a room crying somewhere. I was seriously stressed about what to do with my child who did NOT want to go to Sunday School.

You can imagine how pleased I was to find my girl happy when I went to collect her at the end of church today. She was putting her shoes back on (the wrong feet) and could hardly stop telling me about all the fun she had been having. So what did this girl do at Sunday School today? Allow me to inform you!

She made new friends that I need to meet next time... Hooper(?), another boy who looked like Benny but who wasn't Benny, another girl named Grace, Ella, Georgia Kate and Ryleigh (but Ryleigh wasn't there today).

She heard a story about JESUS! (imagine that!)

She colored a picture of JESUS! I asked her what he looked like and she said he was all different colors like red and blue and pink, but not black because she couldn't find that crayon... and the crayons were in jars with-OUT lids... on the table... and everyone got to color.

She got to sing songs like "This Little Light of Mine" and "The Wheels on the Bus".

She got to dance.

She also told me that Mandy (a good friend who helps teach her class) said she needed to eat a peanut butter and JELLY (we usually have honey) sandwich when she got home. She said this on the way home from eating lunch out.

Last but not least she walked in the door when we got home, found a cross shaped foam sticker, slapped it up on the edge of the kitchen cabinet and declared "That cross is so we will remember Jesus Christ is Lord".

And there you go.

Pinched Fingers!

Jack is starting to communicate. Babbling stuff like Dadada, Bababa, Mamama (though the mama thing not as often as I would like)... You know. Anyway, he also likes to do this screech/scream thing. It's like he's saying "Listen up, folks! It's my turn to talk!"

So the other day Grace was making her peanut butter and honey sandwich at lunch and Jack was standing at the recycling trash can. Jack started doing this screeching thing and it looked like like he was doing it because his fingers were shut it the trash can lid and he was in pain. So I ran over and removed his fingers and told him "no no" and moved him back to his spot of toys. And then as soon as I went back to making the rest of lunch he went right back to playing at the recycling. And then he screeched again and I repeated the previous events. And of course it had become a game and jack went right back over to the recycling. And he screeched again. But this time when I looked at that pain stricken face I noticed that his fingers were not even shut in the can! He was faking! He just wanted the attention! Ha! I love this kid and his budding personality... Screeches and all!

Shai Linne

Who is this person?

Well, that would be Shai Linne. Who is Shai Linne? He is a (reformed) Christian rapper. Why do I have a picture of him? Well, because Jonathan and I went to his concert (till 11:00 PM) on Friday night. I must say that I am not a huge rap fan by any means (I'm more of a sovereign grace/getty's girl myself) and I really only went because I love my husband and he wanted to go. BUT it ended up being a really fun night. And I was really really impressed by the clarity of the lyrics and gospel message that was presented. In fact, it may have been one of the most accurate and clear gospel presentations I've ever heard in that kind of concert setting. So Shai Linne has my stamp of approval (lol!).

Motherhood is an Application

I just love reading Rachel Jankovic. She just cracks me up... Maybe it's because I can totally see myself in what she writes. I dunno. Here is a great article I read this afternoon... And of course it's about Christian mothering. ;-)

Love This Boy!

I mean, how could you not just love this little boy to pieces!?!

Those overalls are just icing on the cake. Thanks Nana and Paw Paw. He's ready for fall!

What I'm Reading Now...

I posted a while ago on books that I was reading and since I have finished all of those I thought I would share my new list. My Amazon wish list was getting pretty crowded and I was in need of some encouragement, so I got some new books this week. Can I just say that cutting back on the TV and internet use and giving myself quiet time while the kids nap in the afternoon is one of the most wonderful things for me right now. I do not nap (like I did when I was pregnant with Jack) but I do rest and give myself a little recharge by spending time in the Word and in prayer and reflection... just one more reason that for me it is better to be a stay at home mom. I very rarely gave time to these things when I was at work all day and then exhausted and busy in the evenings.

So first up is a new devotional book. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. This has proven to be just what I needed. I read the passage of scripture that the main verse was taken from for context and then the short reflection in the book. There are two of these per day. I have been doing one at nap time and one before bed. They are very well written and easy to understand, but at the same time thought provoking and not too surfacy.

I read the next book in one nap time! It's called Loving the Little Years Motherhood in the Trenches. Don't you just love that title?!? It was easy to read, funny, didn't take itself too seriousely and I would recommend it to any mom or dad of little ones! Rachel Jankovic has a 5 year old, 4 year old, twin 2 year olds and a 5 month old. Whew! That makes me tired just thinking about it! She tells lots of funny stories (you can imagine she has plenty) but is at the same time very honest about the trials that come with having small children and how we as Christian parents can make sure we are loving on our kiddos and taking advantage of each opportunity to teach the Love of Christ even when things get chaotic and stressful and all you want to do is go take a long hot shower (in a bathroom by yourself).


Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick is what I hope to get to work on next week. I am very excited about this book and will let you know what I think of it after I have finished.


I also got a book for Grace. She seems to like it so far. We have been doing "school" every morning for about 30 minutes or so while Jack naps. Each morning we look over a different letter. We begin by praying together. Then we do a bible verse that begins with the letter we are talking about each day. Next we do a couple of activities to help her learn a letter and a number... nothing fancy or really too structured. Just something to make sure sure she knows her letters and sounds and numbers etc... We also draw a lot with different mediums and try to incorporate our lesson into drawing time. I thought it would be fun to add a Bible story to our lesson time each morning, and this seems to be a good book to begin with. Each story is just one page, has nice pictures and an easy to remember main point. We did the creation story Friday and it was really fun to talk about how there was a time when there were no people, plants, animals etc... Explaining that to a three year old was interesting to say the least. We learned that God created everything, but the main point about the story was that God has always been. Grace knows this from her chatechism, but telling it in a story format seems to have helped her understand and comprehend that big concept a bit better.

Well, that's a little update... and a file for my memory!

Jack had his first hair cut today!

Here is the before...

And after...











Not the greatest hair cut in the world, but that's the thing about boys... They have to get their hair cut so much that we can just try again in another month or so! At least all that hair is off his ears now! Sorry for the blurry pics... He is reaching the age where the iPhone just doesn't have the appropriate shutter speed if ya know what I mean.

And I must note that he was SO well behaved. He sat in my lap. We gave him a sucker, and he did not so much as turn his head! He sat still as stone and just sucked on that sucker and drooled!

Oh, my baby boy is growing up... But not too much. :) I'm always thankful at these milestones that I have been with him all day every day of his life. I've been there for each thing, big and small... And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

It's What's For Lunch

Every day for lunch Grace wants to eat a peanutbutter and honey sandwich. Everyday she wants to make it herself. Everyday she wants to take "just one bite or maybe two so I can taste the honey". And everyday her plate looks like this by the time I get the rest of our food ready and to the table...

At least she is a pretty good eater!

This Mornin' With Jack

This morning Granny and Papa took Grace to a lemonade stand that some of their Sunday School kids were having and then to Walmart. This meant Jack and I got to spend some quality Mommy/son time!

What did we do? Well, he took a short nap, I had my quiet time, we went on a long walk, we had a snack, and then we played in his room.

What did we play? We played With wet wipes! Who knew they could be so much fun?!?!

Skyping With Samuel

Yesterday morning we Skyped with Graces best friend, Samuel. The kids did great! Grace was not too sure of what to think at first, but after a while started talking.

They laughed, and joked...


And even made spitting noises at each other. It was like they really were together in real life! Ha!


Made us thankful for technology, but sad all over again to be so far from good friends.

1, 2, Buckle My Shoe

After working very hard all summer, Grace can now buckle her shoes all by herself! She can even find the right button hole... But getting her shoes on the right feet is still a bit of an issue. :) I totally remember being a kid and wondering why the buckle was on the outside of my ankle instead of the inside. A buckle on the inside is SO much easier to see for a kid who sits down cross legged all the time!

So, she took them off all by herself and put them back on again... On the right feet this time!


And then we went and walked through the mall cause it's still 100 degrees outside. And we even rode the escalator!!! A Very Big Deal in 3 year old land!



All in all a successful Friday night if I do say so myself!

Chicken Nuggets

Tonight I made chicken nuggets... like soak 'em in buttermilk overnight, flour and fry 'em chicken nuggets... like my Mama made every year for my birthday dinner... like my Mama taught me. (One of the perks to living with your in-laws is always having an extra couple of pairs of hands who are eager to hold and play with their grandchildren while, say I cook chicken nuggets... not a kid friendly fixing meal). Now, the trick to frying good chicken is getting your oil just the right temperature. This can take a while. And while I was waiting on my oil tonight, I was reminded of something that happened this past Christmas... something I don't want to forget... something that makes me SO proud of my southern family.

We all went over to Minden for a family Christmas dinner at Aunt Jean's house. (Aunt Jean is actually Jonathan's dad's Aunt, but we call her Aunt Jean... you know how it is in the south.) So the whole Nida clan arrives and parades into the warm, Santa Clause decorated, wonderful smelling, Christmas time with family house. And of course we head to the kitchen. The kitchen... where we find a beautiful, wonderfully fragrant, dark gumbo ready to be eaten. And also Aunt Jean... who is making chicken nuggets... like, she is frying real honest to goodness chicken nuggets.

She had asked Joe (Jonathan's brother) what the kids would want to eat. He said, "Oh, just get 'em some chicken nuggets" or something like that. He meant throw some Tyson Anytizers in the oven. (This is how all of us with kids would interpret what he said, right?) Aunt Jean, being the wonderful southern woman that she is, just decided to fry up a few (think: huge plate full) of home made chicken nuggets for the boys. How awesome is that! And you know what... I'm pretty sure my mom would have done the same thing. I remember the first time I told her that I had fed Grace frozen chicken nuggets... and she liked them (gasp!). I think she was a little in shock.

Anyway, I am so thankful to have a Mama who cooked me real chicken nuggets and passed down that oh so important skill to her daughter... even if I do only make them like twice a year. I can't wait to teach Grace (when she is MUCH older) and perhaps talk about old Christmases and family members while the oil heats up to just the right temperature.

And I also happened upon this Wiki Page about Aunt Jean! Kind of neat, huh?!

Why I Won't Shoot Your Wedding

My friend Ashah, posted a link to THIS blog that had me literally crying I was laughing so hard today. You should take a minute to read it... only if you like weddings, photography, or laughing.

It's a post by a child photographer titled Why I Won't Shoot Your Wedding...

A TONnel of Fun...

The kids have been playing with this a lot lately...

They both think it is fantastic fun to be in there together screaming and crawling around. I'm so thankful for my little playmates and how well they get along (most of the time)!

Popeye or Darth Vader?

Today I saw this scenario playing out during Graces independent play time...

On first glance I thought Darth Vader was killing Elmo and Mickey Mouse. Poor Elmo and Mickey were hiding in a hole while Darth stomped around above them scaring them and "getting" them! Yikes!

So then I listened in on the dialogue Grace had going and was pleased to find out that Elmo and Mickey were just in the hole because they were playing hide and seek with Popeye the Sailor Man (aka Darth). Whew! I was a bit worried.

Little Stylist

My parents came into town for the weekend and yesterday we all went shopping... Well, we breezed through two stores after lunch. I had not put the double stroller in the trunk, so Jack rode in the single and Grace got to walk with her Paw Paw. Mom, Jack and I were walking ahead and talking, and then we noticed we were missing a couple of folks from our group. And when we turned around to see what was taking the stragglers so long we saw this at the very end of the aisle...

Apparently whoever styled the mannequin had left the bottom two buttons on her little cardigan unbuttoned. Grace was not impressed by this and decided she should help a friend out and button all of the buttons for her. So she worked and worked (while we tried to stifle our laughs), and completed the task at hand...


And then she wanted to hold hands with the mannequin. So I told her to smile for a picture and she did! And then she stopped and said, "Wait and minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute, there, mommy... That mannequin can't smile because it doesn't even have a face! That's so silly!" And then she proceeded to hold hands with and inspect the clothing on each and every mannequin in the store. Ha!

Silly girl... Always on a mission.

A Peek Into The Future

"Mom, this is what I think Jack will look like when he grows up and gets bigger." ~ Grace - 3 yrs. and 2 months

Mail Call

What's so special about this pile of mail on the kitchen table?

Well, it's proof that I have one amazing three year old. She collected the mail today and put it on the table without me even asking her to. We were walking out of the playroom after I changed Jack and she said, "Oh, and Mom, I already got the mail. I put it on the kitchen table, so you don't have to worry about that". *** Our mail is delivered through a little slot in the door, so she didn't go outside by herself.

I am just amazed at this kiddos sweet and helpful personality! She helps me fold and put away laundry every morning, clean up at the end of the day, set the table for dinner, and do other simple chores around the house. And about 99% of the time she is genuinely happy to be helping and willingly chooses to do so. And have I mentioned what a patient, caring big sis this little one is? She is such a blessing to us all! What a fortunate Mama I am!

Corduroy Overalls... and A Revelation

So even though it is like 110 degrees outside Janie and Jack sent me an email about new fall clothes. And there they were... the cutest little girl layette clothes... and the first of this seasons corduroy overalls... beautiful lavender corduroy overalls with floral print ruffles. Sigh.
I know without a doubt that if Grace were still a baby my mother would have already purchased them for her only granddaughter and they would be in the mail on their way to our house right now. Nana and I share an affinity for corduroy overalls. And baby girl overalls are just about the best kind of overalls there are. I was looking through these pictures of Grace in her overalls and I counted 8 pair. That is a little ridiculous, I realize, but I am pretty sure she wore corduroy overalls every single day that first cold winter in Louisville. They kept her warm while she crawled all over those cold wood floors. They held up super well. And in my opinion it just doesn't get any sweeter or more cuddly than a baby in overalls.
And my favorite two pair came from Janie and Jack. There was the light pink smocked corduroy pair and the lavender floral quilted pair... Oh, and a beautiful French blue corduroy pair with sweet little ribbons on the chest. I have several pair for Jack to wear this year, but they just aren't as sweet when they are brown or red and there are no bows or smocking. You know what I mean... boys clothes are just different.
Anyway, all of this reminiscing over when my sweet girl was a baby and all those sweet little corduroy overalls made me SO homesick for Louisville. More specifically homesick for the winter in Louisville... the winter when my baby girl was a baby girl in Louisville. Homesick for a specific night at church when Grace wore her pink smocked corduroy overalls and she sat and bounced on my lap all through the service and then we drove home in snow flurries. And I ached for those times. I think probably because I know I will never get to relive those days again. They are gone.
Things were not simple. They were not easy. But that is life. And all this thinking on how much I enjoyed that season makes me want to make sure I am enjoying today just as much as I enjoyed those times in Louisville. I hate change and indecision and the unknown. All of those things seem to be looming over each day lately... and there is no definite end date in sight. But this is also a sweet time as well. My girl is at such a wonderful age where everything is new and exciting to her. And we are getting to go to so many new places and do new things that she is having a great time with all the travel if you want to know the truth. Jack is growing so fast and doing new things every day. He is really learning to play. It is an amazing thing to see your kids start to play together. Also, we have been away from family for so long that it is such a wonderful thing to be able to spend extended time with our family... extended time when we have not just driven half-way across the country... extended time when it is not a holiday and we don't have 15 places to go and people to see and things to do each day of our short stay before we have to drive back across the country. What a sweet season this is. A season of spiritual growth. And although not easy, that is a blessing as well.
Because as much as my heart aches for those winter days in my Louisville home, my heart should ache more for my heavenly home. My eternal home with my Father. I can not say that I have this ache as often as I wish I would. But I do know that the Lord is growing me in this season (and each season) and is placing in me a greater love for Him and a greater desire to worship Him eternally. I am surely seeing the disgust of the fallen sinful world we live in each day with new eyes. And I am reminded of the blessing of forgiveness that is given to believer through Grace every time I am reminded of sin. I think of Chip often as I think back on Louisville. He is now with the Lord. And I know that he is glad to be free of sickness and pain and the trials that come from being in a sinful world, but I know that he is most thankful to be worshiping and rejoicing in the Lord with the saints in His presence. Because it is not about keeping yourself from hell. It is not about me. It is about glorifying the Lord.
Revelation 4 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Bro. Jerry preached through Revelation when we first moved to Milledgeville. It was one of the best sermons that I ever listened to.

Here you go... a picture of Heaven...

The Throne in Heaven

4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings [1] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

See, it's not about me. It's about the Lord. I pray that I would continue to enjoy the blessings of this life but that I would also grow in a Love for the Lord and in my desire to be with the Father in my eternal life. I pray that this would be the desire of my children and family as well... because as wonderful as it will be to worship with my spiritual family it will be even better to have my earthly family as a part of that group with as well.


And Jack just said "MAMA!" Like, right now just said it! I think I will go enjoy some time with my baby boy... before he is too big to wear sweet corduroy overalls. :)