Back in action

After looking over a few stories I posted last year, I realize that I definitely need to blog! I don't remember all the details I wrote about, especially with what Kaiden was doing as a baby. So, here I am back in action...ready to blog thoughts and happenings. I realize how many millions of blogs are out there with thousands of followers (a bit intimidating at first), yet with this blog I have only one goal... to share our life so I don't forget and can look back and enjoy the stories.

So...before I get dinner started. Here's a debrief from the last 4 months or so...

*We're finally settled in our new town home and really enjoying it-especially decorating it for Christmas this year

*Kaiden... is now 15 mos old and is walking, jabbering, and constantly cutting teeth since his 1st didn't come in until he was 11 mos old...he's got some catching up to do :) He has such a sweet personality that you immediately notice. You'll also notice, he never stops moving!

*Mike... got a promotion at work. He's now a Captain over the Volunteer Department with Durango Fire and Rescue. He's always wanted to work in admin and he fits this job so well with his ideas and care for people. For our family, it means he works 5 days a week now instead of 24 hour shifts. He only works one evening a week and if he has to pull a Saturday or a long day, he can take another day off during the work. His schedule is a super flexible 40 hour a week one that we are really starting to enjoy and settle in

*Me...we did the math and it was a better move for me NOT to teach this year after the 1/2 hour drive in and home and paying a babysitter, I really wouldn't be bringing any $ home. That was bittersweet because I found a school I love but for this phase in my life, my family is more important. I'm cleaning a few houses on the side to bring in a little money. For now, I'm enjoying the days with my sweet lil guy! We're getting into the play date scene and we both LOVE to get out of the house and do our best to do that often! I had a miscarriage back in October, but time heals. One year old kisses bring healing too! Hopefully we'll see our family grow again this next year sometime, with at least getting a puppy :)

Christmas is now over and it's time to embrace a new year. We were very blessed this Christmas in spite of our lack of extra $. I'll miss the lights, the tree, and most of all the Christmas music. Our goals the rest of the winter-to put laminate wood floor in our dining room instead of carpet (that is getting trashed quickly) and for Kaiden and I to go visit my niece in North Dakota. She hasn't met her awesome Aunt Stephy yet, and that is NOT ok. :)

My BTD

I like to blog but have yet to find the time to keep up! I am through and through a definite list maker; however, I can't EVEN claim to be able to FIND my 10 lists I make all the time, but nonetheless writing things down helps me process. So here's my personal BTD, "blog to do", of what I want to catch up on writing about. Ha! Maybe this is a brilliant idea to NOT be able to lose this list. :)



Blog to do:

*packing and moving out of our very first apartment-very sentimental for me



*painting and unpacking into our very first home we've bought (including the HUGE job moving and unpacking is-sheesh!), what I'm enjoying about a new town home



*thoughts on my personal lifetime goals- trying to stop worrying and not judging



*our current battle with K's eczema and the terror I woke up to find last night, hurry up Tuesday!



*simple pleasures I love in life



*books I want to read because I keep losing my list of ones I need to order



*update on K at 5 months, including fun Vday poses by yours (creatively) truly. I love my buddy boo so much!





This should keep me busy for a while!!!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Today Kaiden figured out how to rollover from his tummy to his back! It's pretty cute because he tries to suck on his fingers when he's on his tummy, which then helps him to roll over. He seem to think it's pretty fun.

A few first he's started doing:

*he's found his giggle, it's no longer a cough when he gets tickled! So sweet.

* he's found his fingers and doesn't try just to shove his WHOLE fist in his mouth, progress for sure.

*he's started sleeping 10:30-6 through the night...a big thanks to my co-worker Heidi for the pep talk she gave me to work at it!

Is it crazy to be excited when we can give Kaiden a little brother or sister? I'm so looking forward to having more kids!

It Matters To Him

Cast all your care on Him, because it matters to Him.

A verse that lives deep in my core. This was verse was part of a word given to me years ago at an IHOP conference prophetic time. The word was that God had NOT forgotten me and I was NOT left out. Something I always seem to struggle with...

Today I blog because I want to look back at this blog and remember all the things I learn from, struggle with, and grow in during my life.

Here I am 5+ years later, still clinging to that verse with EXCITEMENT and deep TRUST in my relationship with God. He hasn't forgotten me... and has given me a FANTASTIC husband who is willing to work at making our marriage excel.

It matters to Him...I am back teaching in a Christian school which I have had word upon word prayed over me that this is part of my gifting and calling to do. It's fulfilling.

It matters to Him...He answered my prayer in giving us a child...a son, which was the desire of my heart for a first child.

He's now provided a loan program that literally fell into our lap allowing us to purchase our first home with an AWESOME interest rate when we weren't even looking to buy for several years. Before we even knew about the USDA loan, I was praying for us to be able to buy a home because it looked so impossible at the moment! I hadn't told anyone that I was praying for this,and once again He shows me-It matters to Him...and most recently today I've seen His care yet again.

Mikey and I believe in tithing and do our absolute best to stay consistent at it, and it seems pretty much every time I write a tithe check a week or so later, there's a blessing that comes our way. Whether it was a pay raise, a random check in the mail, or a meal bought...it's pretty amazing. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote our tithe check very nervously. We had company coming and needed to still get groceries and would be using lots of gas, PLUS I hadn't worked over Christmas break and won't get teaching check for another two weeks after school has started back up. We use my teaching checks (not gonna lie on it being the big money check, but it's more so the "I'm happy with my lower paying job" check) for food and gas money. So this week, I'm wondering how we will get groceries and put gas in the cars without credit card-ing it all (something we try so hard to NOT use now). Today I get the mail and there's a refund check from a bill we overpaid last summer... for $500ish!!!! Grocery and bills taken care of again, plus a little fun money too!

Lord, thank you SO much for your amazing care and concern throughout my life and now my family's life.
Thank you for not forgetting.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
Thank you that every big and small detail in our lives MATTERS to you.

The whirlwind that WAS Christmas break

Christmas break....ahh fun (!) but by no means a true BREAK, except from teaching my classes for a couple of weeks :)

Let's see...

*Came down with mastitis again...out of pure boredom, of course-CHECK!

*Got my first cold of the season the same weekend of the mastitis while hubby was on shift every other friggin' day-CHECK!

*Worked on lots of paperwork for purchasing our new exciting home in Bayfield-CHECK!

*Got over the cold, mastitis, and border-line thrush the day before Christmas Eve-CHECK!

*Enjoyed all the gifts Kaiden got this year from both our families-CHECK!

*Enjoyed making birthday cupcakes for baby Jesus and reading the Christmas story to Kaiden-CHECK, CHECK!

*Can't remember everything I enjoyed about Christmas this year-CHECK!

*Husband's aunt, uncle, and cousins came in town to meet Kaiden-CHECK!

*My brothers and sister in law came in town that SAME week to meet Kaiden and stay in our tiny apartment-CHECK!

*Loved spending time with my brothers and sis-in-law, so much I bawled like a baby when I had to take them to the airport. Sigh.-CHECK!

*Got Kaiden's baby book up-to-date...the only project I got done over break-CHECK!

*Back at school now, busy as ever with Student Activities, starting to pack, picking out paint colors, trying to figure out Kaiden's schedule again, trying to think of how I can get to know people while being so sleep deprived and not as socially confident as normal, trying NOT to get stressed about most things in life right, and trying NOT to eat chocolate and sweets-CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK!!!