Some previous posts from myspace I thought I'd share :)

So blessed, so important! 7/3/07
Current mood: happy

I just got a photo from our Women's Bible Study group leader! There are 14 Mom's in our group! These are women who I meet with on a weekly basis. We go through a Study together that our church staff puts together. Last year we did James, next year is 1st Peter. It's been so incredible having so many friends! I handle sending out all our prayer requests and praises! I love too being able to email any one of them for advice, whether it's about naps for Abby or transitioning to a toddler bed! These ladies are in the same stage of life as I am! We're all working on a common goal too, becoming Godly women, wives and Mothers! What a HUGE blessing our church has been to Robby and I! We just LOVE it!

This doesn't even mention the great THRIVE Marriage Group we have on Thursdays! Our group has been together over 2 years, 6 couples and it's been great knowing them and seeimg their families grow! When we started, there was 1 baby in our group, now there are 7 and 2 on the way!

If you don't have an awesome group of women like this, I suggest you find one! It's so great!




Obedience and patience! :) 6/18/07
Current mood: hopeful

Something else we're really working on with Abby is to obey Mom and Dad and to be patient! We have her say please and thank you since month 10 of life and now she can actually SAY the words please and thank you (in her own baby language)! She's also gotten really great at, when we give her what she asks for, she automatically says thank you now without us prompting her! We love instilling these Godly characters in her :) She also loves to pray at meal time! Since she turned one, we've been taking ahold of her hands and we thank God for our meals! She says "Mamen!" when we finish!

Abby is learning too to not be impatient while she waits for Mom or Dad to, get her juice, make her dinner, get her toy down, etc.

I just purchased some CD's I used to listen to as a child called "Hide Em In Your Heart" by Steve Green. They are scripture verses set to music and, they came with a free DVD of the songs too! These will be great for driving in the car! Robby and I have been listening to some of the Disney DVD's as they play in the backseat and some of them say some words that children just don't need to learn! We were listening to "Madagascar" and they say "damn"! Is that really necessary? Yes, it is rated PG! "Toy Story" says "idiot" and when you listen to "Peter Pan" they say "imbecile"! Not the most edifying word. The worst is when Rose and I used to watch Pinocchio and I called Rosie a jackass after watching it!

Having been raised that babies aren't sinners, I've seen Abby be completely defiant to what I've asked her to do! I definitely see that she has a will of her own and she's not always wanting to follow what her Mommy asks her to do! I'll tell her "no" and she'll look at me and do it anyway, not caring what the consequence will be! She now knows how to say the word "no"! and really knows how to use it! She'll grab my cell phone which is a "don't touch, a no no" and I'll say "give it to Mommy". She looks at me, looks at the phone and then, as she's reaching out to hand it to me realizes, I want to keep this! She says "no!" and pulls the phone back, running towards her room to get away from me!

Our goal for our children is for them to grow up to love the Lord and follow Him. This means that Robby and I need to instill in them Godly morals and characteristics as well as pray for them!

I've started reading a great book called "Dare To Discipline" by Dr. James Dobson and have also purchased "Shepherding Your Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp and a book called "Temper Your Child's Tantrums" by Dobson also. We're hoping that by reading these books, they'll help give us guidance in raising our children :)

Abby's favorite things to do now when frustrated are:
To throw herself on the floor, face down and just scream
To hit Mom or Dad in the face (not acceptable behavior)
Hold her breath till her face turns red in protest!

We're enjoying these challenges as it challenges us to daily try and set a good example for her to follow.

Today I was thinking, wow, only like 4 more years till she'll be in school full time and then I'll be left at home without the kids! That made me a little sad and was a little scary! The plan right now is to send our children to Public School SO I really want to make sure my kids know the truth before sending them out into the world! Right now, Abby's only exposure to other kids is just her church friends! That'll change once we're in school!

I need to make the most of every day with her, hoping that if we "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
[Proverbs 22:6]