2012 Lent Praise #2.

This year I chose to observe Lent in a creative way, find out how here.

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This morning I woke up to an email from my brother-in-law's girlfriend offering to take the girls this afternoon.

Have I formally introduced her yet? Logan is Ryan's youngest brother, and him and Meg have been a huge help with the girls during this pregnancy.

This past fall, the happy couple invited the girls (and us) to go to a local pumpkin patch. The girls still talk about the pumpkin patch with Uncle Logan and Miss Meg. 

Something that is impressive to me is how much it is on Meg's radar to help with the girls. Because I can assure you as a non-mom, non-married girl, it was not on my radar. Even with having a full-time job, her own business on the side, a busy social life and tending to a dating relationship, she still makes the time and has the patience to initiate taking the girls. For a couple months, when I was really sick, she was picking up the girls once a week and getting them away from the tv and outside! They refer to a park we have downtown as "Miss Meg's park". 

You have been such a blessing and special friend Meg!

2012 Lent Praise #1

This year I chose to observe Lent in a creative way, find out how here.
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We have had a couple from China, Wudan (woo-dawn) & David, staying with us in our basement for this past month. They are friends of our neighbor, who do a golf ministry in China, and will be in the States for a couple years while David goes to school.

We have often opened our home to people, driven mostly by my husband's heart to do so, and if I'm honest, my initial concerns are always, "how is this living arrangement going to effect my comfort level?" Needless to say, my heart and mind went to that exact place after agreeing to this couple staying with us, especially because I'm pregnant and about to have a baby.

But I have been humbled and blessed. They are such a sweet couple, very engaging, feel like friends already. We've shared meals with them, they cooked us a gourmet Chinese dinner (David was a professional chef for four years!), and there is no language barrier in communicating with them, even with deep, meaningful things.

The unexpected blessing is that Wudan has offered to come EVERY day for 30 minutes to an hour to tidy up our main living space: dishes, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and living room. Basically the rooms that get used and abused by us. I can hardly stand that this is my reality sometimes!

In China, pregnant women and moms either have their mom living with them to take care of the house and/or kids, or they put their kids in daycare so they can work and have a housekeeper. Wudan is amazed that I am alone every day with the kids, without a helper, especially being pregnant. What I can't laugh about is, I am pretty low on the totem pole with energy and all that I accomplish throughout the average day, AND I have a lot of help from my mom-in-law. She should see some of my Type-A friends, or friends that don't have either set of family nearby, they would blow her mind!

We are so blessed to have this gift of friendship and help with the house, especially because I am pregnant and about to have a baby. {oh, the irony.}

2012 Lent Challenge of 40 Praises.

Today is the first day of Lent. How do I know this? Not because I am a diligent observer of Lent, but because I have a friend, Mel, who sacrifices one thing for 40 days in order to practice discipline and dependance on our great God. And it's got me thinking of how I can sacrifice and allow Jesus to change me through that sacrifice during this Lent Season.

I think I've given something up a few years, like caffeinated coffee or sweets, but I thought I would coincide this year's observance with something I'm trying to work on in my personal life.

Having a more positive spirit. One that is quick to praise and communicate things that I'm thankful of throughout my day, rather than be quick to spew out the frustrations of my day-to-day experiences.

I am a cynic at heart. It comes natural to me. My mind actually forms funny, but cynical, thoughts all too quickly. I am a firm believer of keepin' it real, and I enjoy making people laugh, but there is a point where I transform myself into a negative person and effect those around me. And I don't want to be that person. I don't want my daughters to become that either.

So I am committing to recording 40 things I am thankful for this Lent Season. With a baby coming soon, I know it won't be realistic to commit to jotting down something each day, but I desire to keep a log of 40 things where I see the hand of God giving me little or big gifts in my life. I pray it blesses my husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, and that God would use it in my life to realize just how big of an impact I can have by having a thankful and positive spirit.

Who knows, maybe it will even become natural for me!

As of 37 Weeks.

Feeling more huge than last week. And my feelings have been confirmed by most people I see out in public. Apparently I'm a spectacle, I had a store clerk say she was watching me walk up to the store (and yeah, I'll go ahead and name drop, Fresh Market) and felt sorry for me and wondering how much longer I have to go. I will admit that I find it slightly encouraging (only if it ends up being true) that when I tell people my due date (2.5 weeks out), they respond with, "Oh, you'll go before then".

At my 37 week appointment, I was 3 cm dilated, but was assured that women can stay at this for weeks. I found it strange though, because with Alexia I was in full blown labor and when we got to the hospital I was only 1 cm dilated (but got to 4 cm within an hour).

So now it's just the waiting game. If I go early like I did both pregnancies (exactly 14 days early for both), we could have a baby this coming Saturday. I have maintained my jaw line up until this last week, much longer than my past pregnancies. But my face is officially swollen. And an additional awesome surprise is I caught some sinus cold that is something serious. I don't remember being this sick (with a head cold) since I was a working woman (5 years ago). I'm praying my body will kick it, before the endless sleepless nights begin, and it turns into something more serious. But then on the flip side, I would like to have a baby sooner than later. Ugh.

My 38 week appointment is on Friday, should be interesting to see what has developed in a week!

Getting Newborn Ready.

Only because I know I have to, I forced myself to get all the newborn stuff prepared. This is typically an organizational project that is right up my alley, but this pregnancy I have been completely unmotivated to do anything past what is absolutely necessary. Which is: wash burp cloths (this is the first time I haven't used baby laundry detergent, because I got the look of "is that really necessary?" from Ryan when he saw Dreft in my amazon cart), wash bottles and breast pump accessories, get carseat out, buy newborn diapers, get out newborn clothes and blankets from the attic, pack a boy/girl outfit for the hospital, and get the pack n play ready (I don't even care to have Ryan get the crib down from the attic, because it just seems like too much work), and finally, buy my "recovery toiletries". I was so thankful that my sister-in-law shipped clean newborn clothes (returning my girl's stuff she borrowed, and a few boy clothes thrown in), because it eliminated me having to do any laundry! Hallelujah. And that's it folks. Ryan seems to be relieved by what he calls my practical approach. 

For a few days, the girls took turns playing mommy/baby. 

In these pictures you'll also notice Alexia wearing her newest obsession: ballet leotards, tights and shoes. Not kidding, the girl changes leotards 3-4 times a day. She even slept in her tap shoes. She's in a ballet class with a couple of her friends, and there is even a recital in May. I cannot wait for that. 

And I'll leave you with one disturbing picture of another member of our family prepping for a newborn:

I'm trying to pretend that he doesn't have a look on his face that says everything's normal, just another night at the Grossman household. 

36 Weeks. Baby Numero 3.

Four more weeks to go as of February 11th. So close, but still seems so far away. I love that I can start saying in weeks (rather than months) how many more to go. I actually started counting down in weeks at 8 weeks, and felt good about it too, until the buzz-kill stranger at Rite Aid responded with, "Oh, still two more months?" No lady, 8 weeks, thank you very much.

On a more positive note (because I've been trying to work on having a more positive attitude lately), it is amazing to reflect on all the time that has passed already for this pregnancy. And it's even more amazing that I'm still alive. And Ryan too. And our girls for that matter. Okay, I know I don't have to be that dramatic, but it is so nice to think that I'm almost done with being pregnant. I have so many people to thank that helped us literally survive the past 8 months, and a shot out to Dora, Mickey Mouse Club and a new one I just tried out, Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

And without further adieu, here are the 8 months glamour shots. Watch out Olan Mills, don't hate because we don't have a full-length mirror in our house, so I'm standing on our tub to get a full-body shot.

{And just a heads up from a friend to a friend, please don't tell me how huge I am, I have lower back pain, stretch marks and cankles to inform me of that already.}

Here are pictures to compare from my last two pregnancies with one more month to go:

Pregnant with Alexia, April 2008:

Pregnant with Naiya, May 2009:

Top Ten Things I Will NOT Miss About Being Pregnant.

10. Being asked if I'm sure I'm not having twins. And then having to assure the perfect stranger that there was not a second baby hiding behind the first in my 3D ultrasound. (I actually had this same encounter in my last pregnancy.)

9. Endless vomiting. Although I'm happy to report that the last time I threw up was at 29 weeks, which I think was because of a bug that went through our house.

8. Needing to go to bed at 8pm.

7. Having to rock myself and count to three in order to get out of bed or off the couch.

6. Having a live being inside of me pushing, poking and kicking things like its got as much room as a 10-man tent.

5. Heartburn.

4. Gnawing exhaustion. The kind that can't be cured by anything but having this baby exit my body.

3. The inability to be unaware of my body, no matter what I am doing.

2. Feeling nauseous after a short period of being on the phone, computer or socially engaging with people.

1. Having the tv babysit my children or hoping they play just a little bit longer by themselves, while I lay on the couch.

I am ready to meet this little baby. It seems surreal that we will have a newborn around here again. It's a bit different this time around, because it's been over TWO years since we've had a teeny, tiny newborn. Can any back-to-backers relate? It's eating at me to know if this will be a boy or a girl. So many things to anticipate. At this point, I turn a blind eye at the upcoming sleepless nights, because I am we are SO ready for me not to be pregnant anymore!

Six-and-a-half more weeks...

Happy 4th Birthday Sterling!!!

This is a special post {yes, I'm back from the dead} to wish our sweet nephew a happy 4th birthday.

Ryan's sister, Tanya, and our bro-in-law, Tim, and their family have been in northern Iraq for the past two years. And we have missed them terribly. Especially as we walk through the same stage of life, it has been sad to not have them near!

But back to the birthday boy....

We can't imagine all of the mischief you and Alexia (and probably Naiya) would have gotten into in these last couple of years if you were near! 

(Yes, those are panty liners...)

We miss your super blonde hair and baby blues. 

Your mind has always blown us away with what you comprehend at such a little age. 

We hope you have a wonderful next year and that God would continue to grow you into a young man that loves your family and friends. And that you would come to know and love Jesus, and experience your prayers being answered. 

You are such a wild, rough and tumble boy, and we miss you bringing us joy here! 

HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY STERLING!

Christmas Tree 2011

Every year we go pick out our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. For the last few years we have bought our tree from our neighborhood fire station to support them. But this year we went the economical route (we justified that we longer live in that neighborhood anymore) and picked one out from Home Depot. They are crazy cheap there and you can pick out any size tree! So we came home with a monster tree, for half the price of what we've paid in the previous years. 

While Ryan took care of getting our tree on the truck, the girls found some puddles to jump in. 

Godfrey Farm

Our good friend, Alfred, grew up on a farm on the eastern shore of Maryland. And recently his father had an accident that left him with two repair surgeries. So in an effort to help him maintain his farm, we brought the Grossman crew out on a Saturday to help. It was such a fun way to help out friends that are constantly helping us, and letting us borrow heavy machinery, taking us out on their boat, watching our kids, etc.!

And here's the happy couple. Aren't they cute? And before I go on any further, Bailey is expecting! Her due is January 25. And we couldn't be more ecstatic to have them join us on the journey of being parents! 

Jenna and I somehow ended up doing the most back-breaking work of weeding the holly trees. And I'm pretty sure our husbands cruised around on ride mowers the whole day. Sipping sweet tea and eating bon bons. Not really. But they probably could have and we never would have known. We worked alongside Bailey as she pruned the trees. 

And don't hate that Jenna and I requested headbands because sweat was dripping in our eyes because of the fierce sun and the fierce manual labor going on. 

And here are some of the dearest women in my life! 

Bailey is from Jackson, WY (and proud of it) and we prayed for her long before we even knew her as we prayed for God to bring Alfred his perfect wife. She has graciously adjusted to Maryland after leaving her beautiful west coast paradise. And Jenna, my sis-in-law (married to Ryan's brother), was immediately a friend I could talk with into the wee hours of the night, over coffee of course. And the three of us have been meeting for the past year weekly, going through Beth Moore's study on the fruit of the Spirit. A special gift of our friendships, is that our husbands are intimately part of one another's lives as well. Ryan and I are so blessed!

Back to the farm. The girls even got in on the action. They harvested raspberries with Grandma. And got their share of freshly picked berries. 

And the rest of the crew. Logan, Ryan's youngest brother:

Little break from the heat:

And a good friend of Ty's, Caleb, went to the same high school as the rest of the Grossman kids (and Jenna too!) in the Philippines. 

And by the afternoon, the girls were ready to go home.

And ready for nap.

It was fun to get out and do some work, be together with friends and family, and then come home for a family nap.

Hosting a Theobald Mini-Reunion

We hosted our first large gathering at our house. I've been waiting for events like this one to create memories in our new home, to help it feel like home to me.

So starting on Friday afternoon, four (out of twelve, yes, twelve) of my mom-in-law's siblings and their families (totaling to approximately 30 people) all came and crashed at our house. It might sound intimidating or daunting, but the thing to know about these Theobalds is that you will always do less when they're in your home. I'm talking, when they left, my house was much cleaner than when they came. Meals were planned and prepared and a clean-up crew helped after meals. It was so much fun to see so much life going on in our home. Unfortunately, some type of bug got the best of me over the weekend, so I was at a loss of energy for much of the weekend.

The activities that kept most entertained (besides the great conversation and mealtimes), were backyard pick-up soccer games (that left a few injuries), wrestling, and lots and lots of games. I am still sore from the brief time I played soccer on Saturday.

Ryan and I have concluded that Alexia is officially a night owl. She's always been one of those people that feels like she is missing out on something if she goes to bed while people are still here at our house. Doesn't really matter to Naiya so much. Probably one of the few ways Naiya and I are alike: sleep is so much more important. We've fought the good fight with Alexia on many occassions prior to this weekend, and we let our guard down so she could have fun. And what time did she end up staying up until, you ask? Midnight. I'm talking, blissfully happy and playing until midnight. Even when it was just her and Grandma preparing breakfast for the next morning. And what time did our three-yr-old-turned-teenager wake up? Ten in the morning. Thankfully, she is back on a reasonable schedule today.

It was so fun to break in our home in that way. I loved seeing the long line of tables for each meal, full of family members catching up, and getting to know some ones we just met for the first time!

Here are some pics from the weekend:

There was a root beer float stand, which the girls loved:

And Uncle Darryl diligently organized a game show for us on the last night. Contestants were made to wear blindfolds and guess food items using different senses. 

And here are the contestants. I won't name anyone that was taking the game a bit seriously. Here's the clap to get himself ready:

A little stretch before game time:

And the onlookers:

Kari and Kevon are godsons of Uncle Paul and Aunt Colleen, who we get the pleasure of spending time with every summer as they come stay with their godparents in D.C.

Some cousins:

And the fun begins. Smell.

Taste.

And the final round each contestant had to eat what was in this cup and guess the nine ingredients. As well as guess one ingredient that does not belong in the salad.

Again, someone took this final round very seriously. I am not lying when I tell you that he chewed the food for a good five minutes. He was even switching the food to different parts of his mouth. Oh how I love my competitive man. He did crack a few smiles when he felt me taking numerous pictures of him. 

Thank you Theobalds for the memories!

Quirky Thursday: Squeaky Treats

I am a huge texture person. My textures of choice are chewy and crunchy.

Flan? No way.

Scallops? Not a chance.

Raw oysters? I think I just puked in my mouth.

But another texture that I'm not quite sure how to categorize, goes on my black list of food textures:

Squeaky.

Like what Lucky Charms marshmallow-y delishnastiness do when you bite into a big spoonful of them. Those little marshmallow nightmares just squeak across your teeth. Does anyone know what I'm sayin'?

Gives me the heebie-geebies if I think about it too long.

Meringues are a close second with the squeak factor. I don't think about those too long either. {shiver}

Daughters of the King.

I've been reading Beth Moore's blog this morning and found my way to a website As Our Own that is countering child exploitation and slavery.

There is a line in one of the girl's stories that touched my heart this morning. Although the story belongs to a girl whose life was redeemed from the darkness of a brothel her mother was kidnapped to be a slave to, it is very applicable to life as a Mama of two girls.

"She's grown up to be a lovely young woman with a strong sense of her identity in Christ as a daughter of the King. She exudes a steady confidence in God's loving care."

It forced me to gain some perspective in my life. God is rescuing little girls from tragic horrors. He is working miracles to turn their little lives from ashes to beauty.

He is giving them life through identifying with Him and not the life that is surrounding them.

It made me have a lump in my throat as I looked over my laptop at my girls playing with crayons and coloring books. So innocent. Unaware of all the things that will soon compete for what they base their identity in. And I had to try and explain to Alexia why tears were streaming down my face. I think they were tears of sorrow, but also thankfulness of being made aware of the the importance of this identity issue. Because I know one of the biggest impacts on who/what they find their identity in will be my example of who/what I find my identity in. First Peter 3:3-4 came to my mind, because it is a painful reminder of what I battle being the source of my identity:

"Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." (New Living Translation)

And encouragement comes to me from the reminder of Proverbs 31:30:

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Lord, help me to have for myself, as well as teach my daughters, to have a strong identity in Jesus by being made beautiful on the inside, a result of being a daughter of the King. To have steady confidence in God's care for me, rather than inconsistent confidence that comes and goes by how I feel about my appearance. Thank you that you desire for me to have a story that has a praiseworthy ending!

Healthy Popsicles.

I love when I'm reminded of healthy ideas for my girls. Ideas that I'm aware of, but need to be re-inspired by friends every now and then. So in honor of my friend who convinced her husband to go on a smoothie cleansing diet.....

I made smoothies. Masked as popsicles!

I let the girls help me with what they wanted in their smoothie popsicles and they came up with:

Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, apple juice, and yogurt. And I threw in wheat germ, fresh kale and fresh spinach. 

All into the blender, and then into the popsicle molds for the next morning. I promised the girls they could have a popsicle for breakfast.

(A trick I like to do is throw bananas on the verge of being overly ripe, I peel and put in a ziplock and store in the freezer. I've started doing this with other fruit that is about to go bad as well. It's also saved me frustration for the times when the girls ask me for a banana, but only for the fun of peeling it. And then I just use for smoothies!)

And the results?

No melted, spilled popsicle left behind: