Catching up

First of all- let’s start out by saying how lame I am… AGAIN. And I’m done committing to blogging more since that obviously still doesn’t offer me enough accountability to actually DO that.
SO- to all of my “loyal” readers (aka- maybe one person in Ukraine, and my one reader in Oman!)- I am sorry for my laziness and inconsistency!

So let’s get started.

My baby is not a baby anymore. It’s like he sprouted up overnight and turned into a full-blown toddler. Tantrums and all. He knows enough communication to be able to say things like, “Uh-huh” and “Uh-Uh”- which makes it really fun when he’s picking out a snack from an entirely full pantry. We’ll spend about 10 minutes of him screaming pointing at an entire shelf and I have to hold item by item up asking if that’s what he wants. HA! It’s pretty fun, though, especially now that he’s able to pick out what books he’d like to read and what toys he’d like to play with.

He says, “I DO!!!!” very enthusiastically when we ask who wants to take a bath, or go to school, etc. It is funny! He’s also picked up a habit from his decently OCD mother and runs to get clean microfiber dish towels from the kitchen to clean up any mess he makes. And you know, he does a really great job. He even puts the towels back! Monkey-see, monkey-do… and THIS Mommy likes when that involves cleaning up after himself.

My “baby” is still very little at least. He went to the doctor last week for a little bug he had. He’s still just over 21 lbs. Pretty sure that’s what he was at his one year appointment- and now he’s just over 17 months old. That is nuts- and awfully tiny and pocket-sized cute if you ask me! His small stature hasn’t seemed to weaken him or deter him at all. He’s BUSY. He RUNS. ALL. THE. TIME.

And in our new house, we actually have a neighborhood that we can walk around with sidewalks and nice houses that will be PERFECT for trick-or-treating. It will be SO FUN!

Let’s move on to equally important news….

Did anyone else watch REVENGE last night?! I was heated and stressed the whole time- but it’s the BEST feeling. I LOVE that show!!! It is so stressful in the absolutely best way! I mean, [SPOILER ALERT] I really felt the whole time that I knew that Veronica was alive, which as much as she’s horrible- she just adds so much to the show I personally would have been really disappointed to see her go.

And, I’m almost positive that Jack Porter is not Amanda’s baby’s father.

And now I’ll admit- I just read the past two paragraphs, and don’t watch the show, you’re going to think that I probably sit home all afternoon watching some Stories. Ha! Stories… Soap Opera’s… Drama’s. I do NOT by the way. I’d much rather watch some good ole’ Dr. Phil, or Dr. Oz. Or Nate Berkus- that is, until they cancelled his show which is super disappointing BTW.

Oh, and I have a braggy moment about the awesome dinner I made last night. I made the most delicious goat cheese stuffed portabella mushrooms. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Mandy, you’re crazy. That’s so much work and sounds like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant.”

Well, let me tell you- you are correct on the latter and ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT on the former. It was SO easy. Oh, you’d like the recipe? I’d be happy to oblige:

Goat cheese stuffed portabella’s:

Take your portabella mushrooms and cut the stems off.

In a Pyrex drizzle both sides of the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Cook cap-side up at 350 for approximately 15 minutes.

Take them out of the oven and flip them over. Cut up pieces of goat cheese and fill the mushrooms.

Chop up some fresh basil and sprinkle on top of the goat cheese.

Spoon a little of the excess sauce over the top.

Bake at 350 for another 15 minutes.


Mmmm! So good- I promise!!!!!

Three years ago yesterday...

Three years ago yesterday I married my BEST friend. EVER.

I started thinking recently about how I can hardly remember life without him. And I so don't even want to because he made life that much better. Never in my life had I met someone who I had such natural chemistry with. I'd never met anyone who made me feel as special as my husband makes me feel. He's so patient with me. I'm lucky.

It dawned on me- even more so- during our recent move: I've developed OCD in regards to little things around my house. For instance- folding towels in our bathroom. Fold it hot dog style like a hotel and then half way, half way, and VOILA! Perfectly folded towels. My husband literally learned how to fold towels for me.

And you know what he did a couple weeks ago? We use microfiber towels (you know- the bright yellow ones typically used to clean cars?) around our house for everything. I wash them about once a week. While we were folding them a couple of weeks ago, he asked, "Is there any way I should be folding these?" I explained that I like the fold all facing the same way for some uniformity. I felt stupid and silly saying that- but it was true. I would have gone and fixed them later if they weren't!

Instead of telling me I was ridiculous or stupid, Kris' response was, "Well, control what you can control I guess."

Really?

I've got a good man.

Kristopher,

Thank you for not making me feel ridiculous. Thank you for understanding who I am- but not just understanding it- but loving me for it.

Thank you for working so hard. We are so proud of you.

Thank you for still making me laugh really hard almost every single day. :)

You're the best husband and father.

We love you.

Your bride and your first born

Keegan's Update and I'm an Infomercial Sucker

So many random things to touch on!

Let's start with an update on Keegan Michael, and then I'll go from there.

Keegan is still a very little boy. We weighed him this week on our home scale, and it's showing him at 21.5 lbs... However, ours shows 1 pound heavier than my doctor's office scale- so maybe he's just 20.5 lbs? I don't know. I just know he's little for his age- but completely healthy!

He is FUNNY, too. His vocabulary is booming. He's repeating things after us all the time. This morning when we came downstairs he got excited. I said, "Say, 'good morning house!'" and Keegan repeated, "HOUSE." His new thing, too, is to ask for a hot dog all the time. When we ask, "Keegan, do you want some breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack?" He answers, "Hot dog." I promise- we don't just feed him hot dogs! He maybe has 2 or so a week- but apparently they are his favorite.

He's also started asking what everything is. If he's being naughty and into something he knows he shouldn't- I say, "Keegan Michael, what are you doing?" and he replies, "What is it?!" It's so cool to experience him growing up. He is such an incredible little man.

However, I will say that he's started throwing tantrums. He has become much more whiny.Which I do not like. He throws his entire body on the ground and has a total melt down. Also, grocery shopping is no longer a fun time with him since he has started recognizing things on the shelves. He gets VERY upset when I put things in the cart- it's hysterical because it's almost like he thinks I'm purposefully teasing him and taunting him with food that he can't have yet. HA!

And here's a HUGE update: KEEGAN PEE'S ON THE POTTY! About once per day. Before bath time. He doesn't do it on his own. But we are starting to get him accustomed to it so (hopefully) potty training will come easy in a few months.

OH and here's Keegan's new favorite:

We bought this book as a gift for my sister's baby shower- and got a copy for Keegan too. I think I almost have it memorized because he wants me to read it ALL THE TIME. He walks to his room, right over to this book and hands it to me. He sits and excitedly listens to each word. He loves the pictures. I think this may be the funniest children's book EVER.

Pretty much it explains that dinosaurs went extinct because they started fighting over underpants... HA! SO funny.

Kris is adjusting to his new job and really starting to love it. He works a lot of early mornings- but we are SO proud of him. What a guy.

Okay- and now for me to share how I'm SUCH a sucker...

Last month I bought something off an infomercial. I actually felt that I NEEDED to buy the Jane Seymour Natural Advantage Skin Care line. I couldn't believe I did it... but now- I have to say, I'm so glad I did. I was starting to get pretty bad wrinkles on my forehead and it made me nervous. I'm only 25- I shouldn't be going grey AND wrinkling ALREADY!!!!

And let me tell you. It actually works. I took a before photo which I'm not going to share because it was that nasty- and an after photo. Kris and I both agree it really works and reduced my wrinkles a ton. I think I finally look 25 again! HA! Needless to say, I think it's a luxury that I will continue to use for a while. I figure it's less expensive to preventatively care for my skin rather than have to get a facelift when I'm sixty! :)

Oh and another new thing that we're doing: we're working really hard on saving money. God has given us a great opportunity to do that while we're in the house, so one of the way's we're doing that is by MENU PLANNING each week. We want to cut back our grocery/food bill- and eating out/take out really adds up. It's actually kind of fun! I plan a menu out for the week, and then we only grocery shop once a week instead of a couple times. It's a good feeling. But we're only on the 2nd week and I'm already have a hard time recalling meals and/or diversifying our menu. I definitely don't want to rotate the same 7 meals over and over and over.

If you have an easy/inexpensive favorite recipe to add into our options- please share! :)

You Are My Sunshine: The Cessna's Showered!

Molly's shower turned out fabulous. It was at the Steele Carriage House in Adrian- SO darling!

We all worked so hard- and boy was it so fun. My sister is one of the most radiant momma's-to-be I've ever seen. Here are some photos of the decorations (mostly stolen from my sister's sister-in-law!):

Settling In, and Feeling Good

Well, well, well...

First, let me clarify my last blog post. My sweet husband laughed after my last extremely emotional post about moving because he said it made it sound like we were broke and forced to leave our house- so for the sake of my husband's pride- let me clarify that we are not broke, nor were we forced to leave our house. Rather- we've been really convicted to start living life in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ.

Is there anything wrong with nice things? No.

But is it wrong to surround yourself so much with nice things that it would be easy for your children to think that's all that matters? Absolutely.

So we are trying to make good choices. We're trying to be better stewards of our money and change our priorities. And it is a process and a change, but already quite an adventure.

Miraculously we have been able to fit almost all of our furniture from our 2400+ sq ft house into our new little 1300+ square foot house. And it kind of feels like a little doll house inside.

It was kind of dirty but with lots of cleaning (ha- and by lots I mean- hi, my name is Mandy and I'm a neat freak) and organizing it's becoming more and more comfortable. And we are actually kind of loving it.

Anyway- hoping we can finish settling in this weekend. Daddy has a honey do list for while Keegy Peegy and I are at my sister's baby shower tomorrow. She is due SO soon... I think about it and I get an excited nervous feeling because I just can't wait to meet my little Cohey Boo Bear Nephew Boy.

I'll do a post tomorrow just with photos of the shower... And then once our house is finally together I will do a little tour of our new house!

Enjoy your weekend! I know we will! :)

This is our temporary home

That Carrie Underwood has been the theme song playing round and round in my head the last week and a half. We have an absolutely ginormous change going on: we're moving.

We've kept it quiet because we wanted to be sure before we announced it because well,- as we all know things fall through all the time.

We decided to lease our house out. The building in our neighborhood has picked up like crazy- and we're confident that in a couple years once this is full it'll be much easier to sell... Or maybe we'll move back- who knows.

We're leasing to a family who's here for work. In fact- they are even going to be finishing our basement (remember my last post- "The God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine?").

Anyway- we're moving... And FAST. We have to be out of here in two days. And not only is it stressful (thus the reason I'm typing this at 4:00AM), but it is EMOTIONAL. This has been the type of thing that we have been praying for- and so I'm surprised at how emotional and somewhat heartbreaking it feels.

This is our home- I've put my heart and soul into making this house our home. I am going to miss everything about it. I am going to miss the location, the design, and Keegan's nursery tremendously. This is where I lost a baby, and where I brought my first born home from the hospital. This is the first home that Kris and I learned how to be married in. And now I'm a crying mess early in the morning because I already feel homesick.

Since we are moving so quickly we are leasing out a little house over on the Holt/Lansing border. It's fine. Nothing to write home about- but definitely serves its purpose. We will lease for a little less than a year and then decide where to next. Thus the theme song for the week: Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood.

I'm shocked how absolutely emotional and physically ill I feel at the thought of leaving. But it is time to buckle down and do what we're going to do and not regret any of the choices we make. But will you pray for us? Will you pray for my heart- and for a smooth transition for Kris, Keegan and the dogs, too (ha- Henry has anxiety so this is going to drive him bonkers!).

There we go.

When we make changes we like to make them all at once. The last year of changes (2009) we got married, bought a house (moved over an hour away), and I started a new job.

Kris just started his new job at Coke- and this is his first week on the job by himself... So he can't really take any time off to move. So I am going to be doing a lot of the brunt work- and hiring movers :)

Thanks in advance for your prayers. And thanks to anyone who has to ear with my emotions over the next couple of weeks of transition, too!

Immeasurably more...

I've been really working hard at trying to read my Bible more the past couple of weeks. My anxiety has gotten a lot worse over the past couple of months- so I know that I need to focus more on Who exactly it is that I have on my side.

I've been reading through Ephesians, and I've realized that I often disregard the fact that I have THE God of the entire universe on my side. That the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is on my side. The same power that created EVERYTHING in Heaven and on earth is the same God that I proclaim my "faith" in... But He's the same God that I frequently slap in the face through my distrust and doubts. Through my lack of confidence in His ultimate plan and my attempts to control EVERYTHING!

It finally just hit me: regardless of my efforts, ultimately, if it's not GOD'S time- it's not going to happen.

I've been trying so hard bending over backwards to try and get my house sold for an entire year and a half now. That has been so draining for me. But- why don't I have confidence that God will continue to provide- that He is working all the little puzzle pieces of our lives together to guide our family exactly where He wants us.

I started praying over Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,"

I started asking God to do immeasurably more than all I ask or even imagine... In regards to the house situation, in regards to my family, finances and even within my own anxiety ridden heart.

And do you know what?

He has.

When we ask God- He listens and He answers. Especially when I don't put Him in a box and tell Him how to do His job. My mother in law put it nicely: "You want to hear God laugh? Tell Him your long term plan."

Anyway, I am so human and so trying hard to live life contentedly and peacefully and trusting in God's plan. I hope the same for you, because wouldn't the world be a better place if we did?!