A Time Of Change

  Pretty soon, I will mourn the loss of my very wonderful church family at Emmanuel Christian Church. 
I will definitely miss being the Mission's Deacon at Emmanuel.  I will most definitely miss each and every church goer there also.  I will miss watching my children playing with the other children at the church.  I will miss watching my sweet 3 1/2 year old run to see if Miss Kathy is there to teach her Sunday School.

  I will miss going down to the river to pray for my family and putting all my needs on the banks of the mighty three rivers of Pittsburgh, PA.  I will miss those nice country drives with my children sleeping in the back seat of the van or car.  I will miss so very much.

  All that I may miss, may have some wondering, "If you are going to miss all that, then why are you giving it up?  Why move?"  Well, for one, I am moving closer to my husband's immediate family which is where my husband feels the need to be.  Second, we are moving so that we both can have better job opportunities.
But most importantly, we are moving to hopefully better provide for our girls and assist in giving them a stable home.

  As much as I will miss this wonderful place, I find I am following God's will.  How do I know this?  Because door are being opened that are not possible for me to do by myself.  God has already provided me with assistance in finding employment in New York, NY by way of a temp agency.  I am doing all I can to trust in God, that He will provide.  For months, I have felt the calling to leave Pittsburgh, PA where I am comfortable with life to go to Staten Island, NY where I am constantly challenged.  New York is a place I am completely out of my comfort zone.  It is extremely different from where I grew up in California.

  Please keep our little family in your prayers as, we adjust to a new way of life.  Please know that if I don't blog for awhile it is because I'm busy with working, children, and our internet availability will be sporadic until we get settled into our own home.

GPS Joannie

   Joannie has been growing up so very fast lately.  It makes me wish for the simpler days of when she was an infant and was content to just lay in my arms until she fell asleep.  But instead, I have life now, with a back seat driver who is constantly trying to tell Mommy how to get from point A to point B.  I laugh now about it because I'm not in my car driving somewhere or hurrying off to some appointment.  But when I am in the moment and she's trying to get me to go a different way, I'm not laughing.  I very seriously tell her, "Joannie, you can't drive.  Please don't tell me how to drive. Okay?" Quietly from her carseat, she'll muster up "Okay Mommy. I sorry."
   If Joannie was my GPS, the following would most definitely be true.  I would be in a lot of car accidents.  I would drive the opposite of how I drive now.  I would break many traffic laws.  But you want to know something, she does not know these traffic laws or why I drive the way I do or anything about major car accidents.  Why?  Because these are lessons in life that she is just too young to learn.
   How often do we not give God the credit He is due?  Maybe God is telling you, that it's not your time to drive.  If the Bible is our GPS, then shouldn't our lives be following it.  I know for certain my life hasn't always followed Biblical principles.  But now, this is what I strive for and live for. Am I ashamed of my past or what I have done? No, because without those mistakes I would not be the person I am today! 

When you gotta go

  We have been working on for the last 1 to 1 1/2 years potty training Miss Joannie.  Well, she has finally gotten it, for the last week plus, she has been pooping and peeing on the potty.   Last night, she even pooped upstairs on the big potty with her seat insert and step-stool.  Needless to say, we are super proud of her. Because we believe in positive reinforcement, we have been telling her "Yeah!" "Good job!" "Way to go!"
   I think we may have gone a little to far in doing this. Because if we are out and about now, Joannie proudly proclaims so all can hear "Yeah Mommy!"  "Good job, Mommy!" "I knew you could poop/pee!" I'm blushing when I come out but she's so happy that she's encouraging me, just like I encouraged her in order for her to go potty.
   Her treat for doing so well with her potty training last week, was going to the store and getting Tinker Bell big girl underwear.  The day I planned on doing this was last Saturday.  This was also the day, my husband decided to fix our family vehicle. Not once did she ask me on Saturday about going to the store to get her special treat. I was so proud of her, so when her daddy came inside for his' shower because he was finished with the car.  I told her to put her shoes on because we were going on a special trip. She knew when we got to the store aisle that holds the big girl socks and underwear, the reason for our late night trip to the store.  She was so proud of them, that she showed them to her Aunty in Washington state on Skype!
   This so reminds me of what a sweet, sweet child I have.  I love her to the moon and back!

Life Unexpected

   As Gabriella is getting older, Joannie sees her little sister's many firsts.  She has a tendency to get upset over how much attention her little sister is getting instead of her.  We try an explain to her, that sometimes in life it's not all about what I want or having the attention all on me.  Instead things are about others.  I've started telling Miss Joannie bedtime stories, that are about my earliest memories of her.  Tonight, she wanted to hear about when she was her sister's age.  So I told her that her favorite word to refer to any food when she was 18 months old was "Cheese! Please!" I asked her, "Is this still your favorite food?" With a Cheshire cat grin Joannie's response was, "But of course!"  But then again who doesn't like Cheese, right, unless of course you are lactose intolerant or allergic.
  I then told her the story of the first laugh, she ever did for me when she was awake.  She has always had this infectious laugh, that could make anyone smile.  At first she would only laugh in her sleep.  Then one day, she laughed as one of our cats was sniffing her bare toes and the other was sniffing her head.  I swore that on that day a million fairies must of been born.
  These are the moments I treasure and share with my beautiful girls. While, I do wish the rest of my heavenly children were here.  I find myself excited about what is yet to come.  I honestly never thought, I would ever get married after my string of not so great luck with men.  I had resolved to never marry and on my 30th birthday, go to a sperm bank and have a child that way.  But when I was 25 years old I believe, my doctor told me to quit trying to have children because I would never have any children of my own.  Life did not turn out the way I had planned for it to turn out. No, I believe God's plans were far more amazing than the ones I could foretell. 
 

One sick miserable baby + NOT Sticking to a bedtime schedule = TOTAL BABY HYSTERIA

One would of thought that I was skinning Gabriella alive or abusing her in some other way but I wasn't. I was getting the humidifier from Joannie's room to bring into the nursery, so I put Gabriella in her crib for safe keeping. Before heading off on said venture, I had suctioned my sweet baby turned demon child'

s nose with a bulb syringe which I guess set off a chain reaction and made the her turn into a screaming banshee. Needless to say, she must of thought mommy didn't love her cause even after I had everything set up, Gabriella continued on her tirade. She screamed with such force, I fear my hearing maybe permanently damaged. She was still screaming with a bottle in her mouth...a little bit like this..AHHHHHHA...suck suck...AHHHHHA...suck suck suck....Ahha..suck..ah..suck. Well you get the picture, needless to say, my easy breezy but to bed baby...was not so easy breezy tonight...DID I MENTION SHE THROWS THINGS TOO!!!! Ouch my head hurts!!!

Feeling Nostalgic

     As I made breakfast today, which was a wonderful French Toast and Maple Sausage, our weather was cool and rainy. This made me remember my life growing up in Orange County, California when all year around rain or shine my adopted dad would make pancakes or hot breakfast for the family out in the backyard on the gas grill. I also thought about swimming in the pool during the rain, as long as it wasn't thundering or lightning in the area. These are two of my fondest memories as a child, beside eating outside in our covered porch. Maybe this is why, even with my two beautiful girls on Saturdays when nothing is planned I enjoy making our family a hot breakfast, having the doors and windows open, feeling the breeze of fall or spring, and just being in the moment. Yes, it may take a little preparation and planning to do, but quite seriously these are memory making moments that I live for and hope my girls continue on with.
     We are also potty training our oldest, Joannie, and today has me thinking of traveling with multiple trips to the potty with my adopted family. "Jenn, do you have to go potty? Do you need to go number 1 or number 2?" As a creative 5-6 year old that I was I came up with an extra number that usually would combine both number 1 and 2, which would then equal number 3, this would mean that I had an upset tummy and had to go diarrhea. Well, the first time I used it, no one understood what I meant and I was asked "Jenn, what is number 3?" The very brilliant, intelligent me replied calmly, "It's when you pee and poop at the same time and it comes out of my tushy."
   These are just a few of my favorite memories that have me going today, besides sugar and caffeine which every mother has hidden some where in her parenting repertoire.  Wishing all my mommy friends a wonderful and a blessed day. Hug your kids because they just grow up way too darn fast! 

Just One Of Those Moments In Life

            I'm sure some of you have a place where you go, and you can remember the first time you stepped foot into this place. Have you ever just sat there and replayed those events in your mind? Well, this past Saturday, was my youngest, Gabriella's first birthday. Instead of being at home, spending it with her. I was getting the fellowship hall at our church ready. I boiled off the pasta for the macaroni and cheese, which I made all from scratch except for the macaroni. I set up the tables and chairs all by myself, not because I'm supermom, but because I needed to keep myself busy so I wouldn't think about the two angels I have waiting for me in heaven. I sat down for a bit and called a family friend back who had called to wish Gabriella, a wonderful birthday.

              After the phone call, I was sitting in our fellowship hall and my mind started playing all the times, I had been to this building. I was here on my honeymoon in 2008, as a new bride traveling to meet my husband's family. I was shy, quiet, reserve, and very nervous about if his' family would like me. Approximately 2 years ago, we moved to Pittsburgh, PA and I started attending this church with my then 6 month old baby girl. I replayed in my mind her baby dedication with her grandpa, great aunt, and great uncle looking on. Fast forward, to when Chris and I joined the church. Quickly, in my mind I jumped forward again, to when Chris and I announce our pregnancy with our lovely, Gabriella. Little did we know then, that she was going to be a girl who would change our lives. Little did we know then that she would be our last child. My mind moved forward to her baby shower, where we welcomed her to our church family.

All this got me thinking about how many bridal showers, baby showers, engagement parties, birthday parties, wedding receptions, and various different events this church has seen. What would these walls say if they could talk? What would the building say if it could talk? Then I realized, that I am a part of the church, the church isn't just a building it's me! It's me in how I treat my children. It's me in how I treat my family. It's me in how I treat a complete stranger. I am the body of Christ, I am His' Church, and I am His' Bride. The Church is the Bride of Christ. Then shouldn't our lives demonstrate this to others. I have loved and lost, but who knows this very few close friends and my church. Does anyone else besides my church know the reason I write? The reason I blog? That I even blog at all?

                  I'm not someone who wants to be recognized, but I am someone who believes that God has me here for a purpose, just like the fellowship hall has a purpose. I may not know what my purpose is right now. I may not ever realize in my lifetime what my purpose was. But I know that no matter what I do, I am right now fulfilling God's purpose as a mother to my two beautiful young girls. And that for me is just one of those moments in life that I am learning to be content with.

                  May we all have the moments in life, that are just one of those moments that we look and reflect on. May we all have just one of those moments in life always!