Despite this transition being less than easy…
One thing that is really cool is where we live now.
WITHOUT traffic we are only like 45-50 minutes from downtown Atlanta, where the Olympics were in 1996. So cool!
We got to see a lot today… so hang tight, this post may be picture heavy :)
We decided to take a break from the transition.. and just have a day trip out… My dad gave us some spending money before coming here -and I sold our Litter Robot on Craigs List (since we have no cat now, we didn’t need it) – with that money we purchased an annual pass for the Atlanta Georgia Aquarium. It will pay for itself in just two trips.
We are so glad we did too… because theres SO MUCH to see… that one trip would not be enough. I look forward to many many more :) – it really was just neat to walk around the downtown area… and see all the high rise buildings and beautiful open parks. Travis said he could totally see himself living in the city. Surprise to me, since he is such a country guy.
To start our trip we made our way to the tallest (or one of the?) buildings in Atlanta. The Westin. They have a restaurant at the very top you can eat at, or you can just go up to see the sky line. Since we’re on a budget, we just did the skyline :) – Which in the end was best, because I got so sick to my stomach!!
The trip up the clear elevator made my stomach turn… I had to step away from the edge and shut my eyes. It was a very uneasy feeling. I guess maybe because I had just watched some show on TLC about the 911 terrorist attack… Not wise to watch that before going up a tall building… and only a few days away from the anniversary of 911….
After a few minutes I was done and came down early :)
After the Westin we enjoyed lunch out at the Centennial Olympic Park.
It was beautiful…
And during our lunch break, this happened….
The boys got a kick out of feeding Pigeons.
After lunch… we walked some more to get to the Aquarium. I must say, it was nice not having to worry with a stroller. Babywearing is awesome for situations like this. Just make sure you have a comfortable carrier ;-)
This next photo makes me smile ;-) – if you are on Travis’ facebook, you saw the photo he took in this.
Owen has to do everything the boys do…
Kinda scary sometimes :) – but he keeps up, with Calebs help! ;-)
After a few hours, we wrapped Owen back up, and made our way back to the parking deck…
All the boys did great. I don’t remember hearing one complaint about walking either.
Do you ever have those moments in your life that you feel as if you are being tested?
That for some reason you are having every weakness… every trial and every failure all thrown together in one big nasty meatball (ok, that makes no sense!) – slapped onto your pile of already tangled up spaghetti. (Yea… really makes no sense at all… it does in my head though).
Thats me right now.
My life feels like a jumbled up mess.
Even though we are well provided for… and healthy, blessed in so many ways… it doesn’t seem to matter on certain days. Or maybe I am just failing to see the blessings and only noticing the hardships.
I read this today… after a busy morning out… and really felt it fit what I was going through and feeling perfectly…
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[a] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” – Phil. 3:8-11
I don’t know who is out there reading my blog today.
I get around 800 unique visitors per day… and sometimes up to 1,500 page loads… so someones reading it. You may be a friend of mine… a family member… a former church member… or even someone who hates my guts, but for some reason can’t stop following our family. Whoever you are… just know, you aren’t alone in your struggles.
These streaks down his chest, arm and face leave a mark.
It of course will eventually go away… but the other day, it took 2 days for it to come off his arm. It looked like someone had taken a purple permanent marker to his inner arm. The constant drip of the pop dyed his skin!
You can imagine what his diapers come out like too. Ok TMI ;-) but you get the point.
If you want to entertain my boys for a moment, this works great. It takes care of their munchies too.
Ever since I can remember, I have been a picky eater.
So picky that I have no memory of eating certain typical foods until becoming an adult. Like Pizza, Chinese w/ fried rice & other classic American foods.
Maybe this was a blessing? :) or just a way of testing my mom. Either way, I was and still am very picky.
As a mom now I am seeing the importance of demonstrating to our children important eating habits. While I as a kid did not eat A LOT – and refused most, I do have memories of my mom eating healthy. I think those memories are very important… and it has encouraged me to really eat healthy now and direct my kids that way too. My mom to this day is one of the healthiest eaters I know. She is borderline vegan and looks & feels amazing because of her healthy life style choices.
So Horizon ask "How do you get your kids to eat healthy food?"
and my answer… by example and by keeping healthy food in my home. If the kids see chips around, they will eat them. If you keep fruit around and less chips ;-) – they will be encouraged to make a healthy choice.
Also for those who are picky, hiding fruits and veggies into foods you typically eat and love is also a great option! :)
Intro's are never easy for me. I guess because they force me to sum up myself and our lives into a short paragraph. As non-complex as I am, this is hard :) - so in short...
I am a daughter to a Savior, a wife to a Pastor... & a mother of 3 sweet, loud, adorable, charming, fun boys.... [read more....]
“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. " - Jeremiah 32:17
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins... Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you" -Psalm 25:16-21
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ” -Jeremiah 29:11
"Confessing sin, turning from it, and making restitution should be a way of life" (1 John 1:9; Lev. 6:2-5).
".... always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men." — Acts 24:16
Despite this transition being less than easy…
