A day off...

Okay, so if you've been checking every day to see if I've updated, I'm sorry I've been procrastinating so! You see, Sunday I'm finishing up laundry... Monday is usually my easiest day for blogging lately, this week I had a lot of school work that I didn't get finished at school (shocker).....Tuesday night is small group bible study...... Wednesday is now (and I'm STILL doing laundry and school work) and since my NKOTB concert is tomorrow and Halloween is Friday, I figure I'll just wait until next Sunday/Monday to update with LOTS of pictures!

There's my excuse(s). I hope you'll grant me a pardon!

:)K

Taking a Stand...

This weekend, we took a stand for several different things.

Alex and I have continued our aim to become runners, although I must admit, the plan for a half-marathon in April seems a little out of reach. We, as parents of a little one and full time employees, just don't have time to train the way that we need to. Going on 2 - 3 hour runs just isn't a possibility for us right now, but the hope is still there. In the meantime, we're content with running everyday at whatever time we can (I get up at 5 a.m. - he usually runs in the heat of the day while Ivy is napping) and we run a longer run on Saturdays. We are definitely stronger than we were, and that was the point... to find our strength. This weekend we participated in the Race for the Cure. This is something I've been saying I would do for several years now, but after last spring's fun at the March for Babies, I knew I wanted to do the Susan G. We couldn't run the 5K because we don't have a jogging stroller and Ivy was with us, but we still had a great time as a family!

Another stand I took was committing myself to find a brighter place in this world. For several years, my dear friend Brooke has been suggesting we start a small group bible study for friends from work, school, and our random paths that cross, to come together for a little fellowship. This year it came to pass. We've met just a couple of times, but already it's something I look forward to in my week. A chance to talk with other young - yes, young - women who are struggling to balance life, work, family, friends, faith and to do it in a way that is pleasing to our heavenly father. Tuesday night we focused Exodus 3: Moses and his burning bush. Amanda, who did an awesome job leading the discussion, said to us, "What's your burning bush?" Well, I didn't really have an answer for that because to me, the burning bush is God calling you to a mission. I can't say that I've ever felt called to do anything... but I answered with a rambling, scattered version of this. "Every night I pray that I can be a reflection of God's love. I want other people to see me and know that I'm a child of God. Not because I say so, but because they can see God's love through me. I want to be the mirror that reflects his light. I want, more than anything, to be this example for Ivy." So Thursday morning, on my way to work, I was thinking about my place in life and about how I can become what I want to become. I thought to myself, I need a constant reminder of the desire that I have in my heart... something that I will see and say, "God is the light in my life, and I want to reflect that. I want to be a small little point in the dark for someone else to see His love." Aha! I've been wanting another tattoo for a couple of years now, but what to get? where to get it? My tattoos are not a fad... they are very symbolic of pivotal moments in my life, and now, I knew that the right reason and the right emotion had come! I would get a single little star on my foot, reminding me of all the stars or blessing in my life, and reminding me that I want to be a blessing, a light, to others. Where should I get this tattoo? Well, if His word is light unto my feet, then on my foot this little light should go!

And here it is. I'm taking a stand, and reminding myself of the kind of person, the kind of Christian that I want to be. I must admit... I like my little star so much that I'm tempted to get a whole galaxy, but in truth, this one little star is the reminder that it's supposed to be. Every morning when I see it, I smile and know that I am blessed... and that perhaps my call is to be a little light of God's love in the world.

She's got my vote!

After another disappointing presidential debate last week, I've decided that I'm giving my vote to a write-in candidate... Ivy! She's decisive, determined, bilingual, she has a sense of humor, and she understands that a little bit of play-doh time can cure the ills of the world.

Ivy was sporting some really cute fallish clothes last week...

but then the weekend came and so did the warm weather! We didn't mind! We had friends over for the second 12th night gathering. Gigi drank from her Jesus cup, and Ivy danced as we all rocked out!

Before the rocking began, Ivy took it all in fair-style. She walked right up to me and said, "Onna bite chicken ween." Well, I don't eat chicken wings, I don't touch chicken wings, but Papa had made wings on the grill and Ivy thought they were appetizing. It was one of the funniest moments of her sweet life seeing her tear into the chicken wing like it was a turkey leg, and she cleaned it down to the bone!

Yellow Week

This week Ivy's school learned all about the color Yellow. So, Ivy wore yellow to school every day. Since it's a color she already knows, it was fun for her to help me pick out her outfits. "Ivy, can you find a yellow shirt?" Whatever she brought was what she wore, although with the cool fall weather that meant layering! In fact, she doesn't have ANY fall clothes that are yellow, luckily the summer bags haven't gone up to the attic yet!

On Tuesday, my school's PTA sponsored a Chuck E. Cheese night for our families. Alex, Ivy, and I decided to check out the fun! It was Ivy's first trip, but she quickly figured out how to have fun!

This morning Ivy was feeling particularly baby-ish which is REALLY unusual! She didn't even like being held like a baby when she WAS a baby!

So after her papa wrapped her and held her a while, we got ready to visit with Sissy and Pa. Then she looked like a BIG girl!

She is a big girl, really! This week's funniest Ivy quotes are: "Yes, sir-ma'am." And "Rock-a-my-baby." That one just melted my heart when I heard it... if that's not a better way to sing it, I don't know what would be! Almost everything she says now is a sentence, or an attempt at one. It's just amazing what brilliance God puts inside one so little, and how wonderful that He would share that brilliance with us!