Sensory Bottles

This is a first of many posts about learning activities for infants and toddlers. When we first moved to Indiana I began searching for ways which J could play and learn at the same time. I came across this idea: sensory bottles! Just sorry that it took so long to post about it!

As you can see, we have a lot of different varieties and options. Some of them are quieter than others :) and I will show you more of them at a later time. The point is that you have things that are fun to look at and your child can learn while playing. 

Bottles from left to right: 1-water, small balloons, pony beads; 2-small pompoms; 3-corn kernels; 4-water beads; 

5-Christmas ribbon, star confetti

More of our sensory bottle choices.

We have these stored where J can reach them and play with them whenever he feels the need. However, sometimes, I will pull out the whole crate and we will look more closely at certain ones. (For example, we have ones that are for a particular season.) These are great learning tools and I didn't expect them to be so popular with him. His favorites are the ones with rice that have objects hidden, the ones with water and balloons floating inside, and the ones with water/food coloring and baby oil.

I wanted to start out with this post--just to show you that we have been busy in the last year--and I will post about how to make these at a later time. Until then, think about what tools you can use at home to make educational toys and activities for your children. Remember, playing along side of them is an important teaching tool too!

Now. Go have fun!

Along For the Ride

Wow. It has been a while since I have blogged. Almost an entire year. Things were super busy when we moved. And, since we moved to northern Indiana, our Internet connection has been a little sketchy at times. 

Alright. Where do I start with this post? I'm not even sure. I feel like I need to re-introduce myself to you. Has it been that long? 

Yes.

Since my last post, we have moved to Indiana, J turned one year old, he started walking and we had another baby! Okay, it hasn't been that long. :) We did have another baby added to our family though. My brother and SIL had a beautiful girl back in September. J and I were able to go out to North Carolina in November to meet her. Our family is extra blessed to have another niece in the family.

                                                                                                                                  

Well, what can you expect out of me this year? I have a lot of blog posts up my sleeve from the last year. Activities that I tried with J and things that we have done to make our lives easier-such as organization! I plan to share those with you starting on my next blog post. Hopefully that will be sooner than a year. :) 

So, hang on! It's going to be a bumpy ride!!
**For more on what we've been up to, check out our family blog here.

God's Will Made Clear

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11

So time has come and gone since I last was able to blog. Things have been insane around here. I read a quote a few weeks back that sums up the very thing that we have been trying to learn for about a month: Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,' -Oswald Chambers.

For a few years, we have been praying for Jeremy to find a new job. At first his search was just in the area and then, when he couldn't find a job, we broadened the search to Florida. After the birth of our son, we decided to search in North Carolina and Indiana where our families live.

Jeremy almost had a job in Raleigh, NC and we were so close to moving there but that didn't work out. When Raleigh didn't work out, we tried to find a larger apartment to rent in Clearwater. We found the perfect place. A quiet condo with 24 hour security. We would feel safe enough to have Jack there. We were so excited and made plans to move and sign paper work and everything. A couple of weeks before we were supposed to move, Jeremy found out that his job would be giving pay cuts. We were devastated. What was God trying to do??

Little did we know, God was working out every detail according to His plan--not ours. A few weeks went by and we were told about a job up in Indiana near where my family lives. We were sure that it would not work out. Jeremy went through many interviews with the company in a period of weeks. Each one seemed to be getting better and better. Finally, on Monday (March 5th), they told Jeremy that they wanted to hire him. Jeremy said that he would like to visit the company before officially saying he'd take the job. So, we were Indiana bound that following Wednesday. He had an on-site interview on that Thursday and agreed to take the position. So, we will be moving to Indiana in a week and a few days!

We are excited about this adventure that the Lord is taking us on and thrilled that we get to do it together! It will be wonderful to see our families more often. We will miss the friends that we have made in Florida and are very thankful that we have Facebook to keep in touch! We might even take vacations to Clearwater! We know our way around . . . why not?? :o)

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we scurry about these next few weeks. When we get settled, I promise to blog more often. Since we'll be in a bigger place, I will be doing more crafts that I find on Pinterest. I will share as often as I can. See you in Indiana!!

The Chaos Surrounding our Thanksgiving

Wow. I really had not noticed that it has been so long since I last posted something. This really was supposed to be more regular but we have had other things on our minds lately. To be honest, these things have weighed so heavily on my mind that I forgot Thanksgiving was this week. Horror of horrors! So, I am waaaaaaaaaaay behind on preparations and this means, I will be finding ways to make the Thanksgiving meal much easier.

First thing I'd like to chat about is a recipe for Crock pot sweet potatoes. Whaaaaaaat??? Yes, put them in the crock pot!!!! They're fabulous! Here's how:

1. Clean the skins (you may eat them if you desire---I, however, do not).

2. Poke sweet potatoes with a fork or knife (ALL over).

3. Wrap with tin foil and place in crock pot.

4. Turn on low for 3-4 hours (or a little longer if you wish).

5. After done cooking: add toppings of your choice. (Cinnamon butter, brown sugar, marshmallows, etc.)

6. Enjoy!!!

Sorry I did not take an after picture. I was too hungry. :o)

Okay, so there are about a million reasons why I haven't posted in a while. There have been a million things that I have wanted to write about. However, when you are a wife and mother, writing seems to fall by the wayside.

We have had sickness in our house on several occasions. First Jack, then me, now my husband. This time I was so sick I did not feel like doing anything but sleeping. It was pretty crazy for a while. I think we are getting back into the swing of things though.

Lately we (okay, mostly me) have been struggling with God's will for our lives. Where does God want us? How does He want us to serve Him? Is His will for us to be in a small house in Florida forever?? Why does He seem as though He blesses others and not us? Will we be okay with His will?

For a little while we looked into the possibility of buying our own place down here. We thought for sure we could make it work since the housing market is so low right now. We are not looking into a big place. Right now we are at about 400 some square feet and anything bigger will seem like a mansion in comparison! We are really looking for something that can accommodate visiting relatives since Jack has taken over "their space." Also, an extra bathroom wouldn't hurt.

We thought that we had found the perfect place. Let me remind you, just because the pictures show a beautiful place, does not mean that those pictures are recent. I figured it wouldn't work when they didn't even put up pictures of the bathrooms. That should have been a sign. Needless to say, it did not work out. I am heartbroken.

Another thing that has been bothering me . . . dare I even admit? It really bugs me though. Let me start off by saying, I absolutely am in love with being a mother and a wife. I wouldn't change that for the world. My duties as mother have taken over my household duties. Laundry, cleaning, etc. Jeremy says that he doesn't mind. I know that I feel incredibly guilty about it. Jack seems to think that I need to be by his side 24/7 and that is okay. (Some day I will tell him that daddy ALWAYS comes first.) I don't have time for Facebook, Pinterest, or blogging anymore. I don't even have time to read or paint my toenails. I sometimes don't even get to eat. (Which is fine because I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight!) Also, sometimes, I forget things. So, if you've called, and I haven't called back or you've written and I haven't written back, please don't be offended. It is not my intention to forget about you. I just have Jack and Jeremy to worry about. They are my priority.

This brings me to another thing. It really bothers me when people put their frustration about someone into their status on Facebook. Why do you do this? Talk to the person first. It hurts feelings. Especially, if you're meaning someone totally different. You have just offended or hurt someone's feelings who you're not even talking about. It's just really stupid. I use Facebook for my family and friends from Indiana or that I met college. Why do they care if I am frustrated about stuff?? They mostly just want to know about Jack.

Moving on . . . .

The Holidays are coming up. How many of you see the people who park in the Handicap spots who aren't handicap?? That happens a lot this time of year. It really aggravates me. Sure you have one of those fancy handicap tags. But . . . if you can walk well, DON'T PARK THERE! Chances are some one is coming along who really needs it. I see this a lot. Especially in churches. Save those spots for the elderly or handicap. *Sigh*

There is a lot going on in the news about people hurting or taking advantage of children lately. I was going to write a post about that a week or so ago but never had time to finish. I am so passionate about this. Especially now that I have Jack. It angers me. I just want to remind you, love your children. Watch over them carefully. Pray every day that God protects them. Sometimes you can't be near them. You have to trust that God watches over them. If you see something that puts doubt in your mind, do something about it. Don't just ignore it. When it comes to children, you can't just brush it off.

Oh dear. Well, I wanted to write more but Jack is calling. Now you see a little bit more of the craziness in my life. If you don't hear from me soon, I hope you understand.