what is to come

In case you're wondering, here are some of my 'resolutions' for 2010:

• learn to sew (courtesy my new Singer)
• read a ton of books (my list is already large but I'm always open for suggestions!
• pray for Emery every day (hoping this calendar keeps me accountable)
• read my Bible every day
• lose weight (original, I know)
• be nicer to my husband
• be more intentional about staying in touch with people
• invite more people over (I should clarify by saying more variety)
• change-up my menu--I want to try new things this year and buy more fresh ingredients!

What are your plans for 2010??

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009: A Recap

This year I kept a calendar on our refrigerator which may have been one of the best decisions of the year. It started out as a simple meal-planning calendar but I ended up using it to record all our goings-on for the year. I am so glad to have this now since it's hard to think back on a whole year and remember what we've done! Plus, it's handy to refer back to when I'm feeling uninspired for dinner yet again. I also enjoy looking back to see dinners crossed off with 'Date Night!' because that means we were able to have a last-minute date (yes!). It also means we have awesome friends and family who watch Emery to make those dates possible (thanks, guys!)
Here are a few highlights from 2009:
Trips: 1 trip to Nashville; 1 trip to Gatlinburg (we were big fans of Tennessee this year!)
Meals at home: 210! The other 155 were either eating out (probably at Don Pants) or at family/friend's places!
Books read: 63
Jeopardy total: positive $9400! yes!
Movies watched: turns out, I didn't keep track but we've watched a whole lot. We love movies!
Diapers changed: also, didn't keep track because that would be depressing!
Personal Highlights:
Emery: walking and climbing. try to stop her now!
Amanda: personal growth. I've learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. I'm looking forward to how this is going to work out in my daily life from here out.
Nolan: "having our little girl love me." He said there's nothing better than when he comes home from work and she runs to hug his legs and yells, "Dada!". (Seriously, those were his words!)


In 2009 we witnessed four couples begin new lives together; celebrated several sweet babies entering the world, and sadly said goodbye to a wonderful, caring woman. Each year brings some sad and a lot of good. I am excited to see what 2010 will bring. That's my favorite part of starting a new year: fresh potential!

What was your year like? What are you looking forward to most in the coming year?

So I know I said I wasn't going to be able to add anything before Christmas but I found some time! These pictures are from an impromptu lunch with Nolan in Tremont. Emery and I decided to visit him at work and go out to eat as a family before our hectic Christmas schedule started. Aren't Nolan & Emery awesome?! (and adorable!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Monday!

Only 4 more days til Christmas! I'm psyched! My family is heading over to spend the week with us starting tomorrow. I love when we're all together even though we don't have rooms for everyone just yet and we'll be a bit cramped. All will be well because we're going to be making a lot of delicious food, playing fun games, and opening presents! I know I'm 24 now but I still get excited about opening presents! I love surprises! Since my fam will be staying in the 'office' room I don't know how often I'll be able to update the blog so I'll be saying Merry Christmas to all of you now! I thought I'd also add lyrics of a song we do not miss every year! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I'll be looking forward to updating with pictures!

Bless us All who gather here

The loving family I hold dear.

No place on Earth, compares to home

And every path will bring me back from where I roam.

Bless us all, that as we live

We always comfort and forgive

We have so much that we can share

With those in need we see around us everywhere

Let us always love each other

Lead us toward the light

Let us hear the voice of reason

Singing in the night

Bless us all with playful years,

With noisy games and joyous tears,

We reach for you, and we stand tall

And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all.

Anyone know where that comes from? Ried's don't get to guess. Merry Christmas!

thursday thoughts

So I've started a new post about 5 or 6 different times in my head this past week but never got around to writing them out. I decided instead of writing a long 'serious' post about one subject, I'd write little blurbs about all the things I almost started writing about..or things that are just taking up space in my brain. Here goes:

• Em is getting really old. She talks a lot and has her own sassy personality. She now realizes I'm not the only one that can entertain her during our days so she's constantly asking for: Elmo, Abby, Barney, or a cookie.
• I've always enjoyed names. Right now I keep pondering Emmanuel. It's probably my favorite name to describe God. Emmanuel=God with us. What a comfort! As a sidenote, I'm not thinking about it as a child's name; however, I am thinking of 100 others because I have baby fever. Don't tell Nolan (I already did).
• Peace. At first I was thinking on a large scale what a great blessing Peace will be when Christ comes again. Nations will no longer be fighting each other and the world will be at peace. Just imagine that.What a great relief. I also long for the days when life won't be so hard and everyone can be in perfect relationships with each other. I can see everyone taking a deep sigh of relief and a burden being lifted from us.
• My sister and I are going to start a women's Bible study beginning in February discussing The New Eve by Robert Lewis. I love listening to her vision for teaching and I am excited to be next to her in this endeavor. It's so great because that book came into my life by 'chance.' We were on vacation in TN with my fam and we visited a bookstore (of course). I was browsing and saw the title of the book and the author's name. My first thought was, "What business does a man have writing a book for women? If he's going to tell me how to be a woman or stay in the kitchen, I'm going to throw his book!" When I picked up the book and opened the front cover the flap said, "I know what you're thinking, how can a man be writing a book about women?". I thought, " I AM! I am thinking that!" Naturally, I had to read-on. Turns out, the book is awesome and helps define a Biblical description of womanhood and now Shan & I are going to be sharing his insights with the women in our church. I hope it resonates with them and changes their lives like it has mine.
• Speaking of 'chance' I'm also reading Silas Marner by George Eliot and she wrote a great quote: "Favourable Chance, I fancy, is a god of all men who follow their own devices instead of obeying a law they believe in...The evil principle deprecated in that religion is the orderly sequence by which the seed brings forth a crop after its kind." So good, right? I love finding different ways of saying, 'you reap what you sow' because it is Truth.
• Another quote I found recently and love: "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own" -Benjamin Disraeli. Add that to my parenting mantra!
• I would really appreciate some snow. I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Really, I am. We watched part of The Grinch tonight (cartoon style), I've wrapped presents, our tree has been up since Thanksgiving, we actually hung the garland this year, I've been drinking hot chocolate at least once a day, Shan is getting me some boots tomorrow, Em has all her snow gear, I'm thinking about peace...I mean, how much more do I need to do?! I need snow! Please. I plan to make paper snowflakes with Emery tomorrow in hopes that it encourages the real snowflakes to feel welcome at our home!

I hope you all have had a wonderful Thursday and will have an even better Friday!

thursday treat

A trip to Aldi in 15 degree weather to get 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and 2 cups of flour. That's all I was missing. I mean, of course I bought the whole bottle and bag but I was barely short of materials. Plus, I had to drag my adorable toddler in all her snow-gear glory. She kicked off her boots and gloves countless amounts of times. On top of that, when I got to the checkout I realized my debit card was in the diaper bag. In the car. I had to step out of line (after someone was nice enough to let me pass since I only had 3 items and they had a cart-full); grab Em and run out to the car (15 degrees, remember) and then back into the store. All so I grant Nolan's request for chocolate chip cookies. He's worth it though!

Plus, Emery and I had a mommy-daughter bonding moment while making the cookies! I can't wait to actually bake things with her and she's a help rather than an added distraction. She's so adorable that I don't mind it. I mentally prepared for a kitchen disaster but she was actually pretty calm and clean--I was so proud! She poured in the vanilla, the sugar and ate some of the chocolate chips--trying to keep the cookie-to-chip ratio in order. In the midst of baking I was able to capture a few moments. Enjoy the photos while we enjoy our cookies!

Mommy's little helper

chocolate!

"i'm just counting them, Mom"

I don't even pose her this way! It's her natural reaction to 'no'. Love it!

Mom caved!

schedules

I have to say, I love Emery's new schedule. It goes something like this: Bed anywhere from 8-8:30 (normally goes down just fine). Wake up: anywhere from 8:30-9:30 (except today was 10! yeah 10!!). Nap around 1 or 1:30 and in dreamland for at least 2 hours! What a great schedule! It fits perfectly into our lifestyle (or at least the lifestyle I enjoy at home.) Those two hours in the afternoon=letting me do whatever I want. Today that included sobbing over this; browsing this and then watching Ellen. Thanks, Nie. Thanks, Ellen. Thanks, Beks and Thanks, Nolan for showing me how to do links. Now, off for some time with the hubs! (since I don't have to get up early!)

thoughts on motherhood

Normally 17 months is not a milestone that causes a celebration. We're not having a party or anything but since I knew I was planning to take her 'monthly' picture, I've been reflecting on the past 17 months. It has been a challenging year and 1/2 but not without its rewards. Growing up, I always wanted to be a mother; mostly because who cannot love sweet cuddly babies?! As it turns out, those babies don't stay cuddly or easy or necessarily sweet. That's the part I hadn't thought about or prepared for. I think that is why staying at home was a challenge for me at first. Now after 17 months, I can say I have found my calling. I can also say that without these months of staying at home, I would not have the relationship with Christ that I do now. I would also be missing out on this renewed confidence I have in myself. As it turns out, I'm a good mom. I'm certainly not perfect nor do I have all the answers for the next phases of Em's life..but I am a good mom. Being a mother has given me something to be proud of and to really live for. I wake up to Em's sweet voice (most mornings) coming in over the monitor. It brings a smile to my face-what could be a better way to wake up? Granted, once I go in her room she could have the ornery look in her eye or she and her bed could smell (and feel) like stale urine (or worse) BUT the first moments of hearing her voice get me out of bed and ready to start my day. Sure, some days feel mundane and there are certainly days that make me feel overwhelmed but in general it feels great to have a direct purpose in life (especially when that purpose is as adorable as miss emery ruth).
Please bear with me as I give just a couple examples of why I'm a good mom (this is really more of a reassurance for myself, not for you, and not to be braggadocios)

• her baby book is completely up-to-date and I've been keeping a journal of her developments/funny stories/letters from mom & dad
• I mug on that girl something fierce. there's no way she could doubt that her mom & dad love her
• I'm always looking for ways that we can play together or crafts we can do (I can't stop dreaming about mother-daughter dates either!)
• I try really hard to be an awesome wife so she'll know what a good marriage looks like
• we read books and sing songs daily
• I've taken approximately one zillion pictures of her and tried to document our lives
• I'm not going to settle for being a mediocre mom. I'm trying to take care of myself, learn new things, and better myself so that I have that much more to give each day.

Unfortunately, there's also several things I fall short on and I'd appreciate prayers

• I ask for prayers, but I'm not consistently praying for Em
• I'm impatient and I often rush her
• Sometimes I'm selfish (more times than I want to admit) and want to think about what I want to do, when I want to do it instead of being in the moment with her
• I'm not always the best wife to Nolan
• I'm really bad at keeping the house clean (it's orderly but almost always dusty)
• I compare her

I could go on but I think this is enough for now. When constructing today's blog I intended to actually write all about Emery (maybe a love note to her) but I've been reading other blogs that talked about motherhood and it just got me thinking about my role. I am proud of myself (today) but I also know that I'm not working on my own power. There are days that I would like to turn the monitor off and sleep an hour more. There are a LOT of days that I'd rather read a book all day long rather than play with Em. My relationship with Christ and the knowledge that I'm training up a child in the way she's going to go helps me on the days I can't do it myself.

Although I have grown and changed a lot in these last 17 months, I am still working on owning my role. I think the role of motherhood is sacred and I want to be the best I can be. It is not a role to be taken lightly but fortunately there are many rewards (disguised as hugs, slobbery open-mouthed kisses, tears as I her learn and interact, and cuddles when I least expect them) to keep me focused and renewed in my efforts.

Thanks for putting up with such a long post and I hope my thoughts weren't too scattered. Today I'm just full of love for my sweet girl and appreciative of the role and calling God bestowed on me. For your efforts, I'll reward you all with photos from Em's day! Enjoy!

Beginning the day with a bottle, our fave blanket, comfy couch, and Sesame Street

Checking the status of the tree. Yep, still there.

Wearing her "hat". This was not provoked by me at all--she thought this all herself! Bad news: it messes with depth perception and balance; hence, the drunken stagger.

Push the music button and do a little dance!

Practice drum skills on the laundry basket. Gotta start somewhere!

I can't describe what she's doing here but look at that fancy hair! I'm practicing different styles before next week's 'pro' pictures.

That girl would not work with me at all but I did capture this ornery look

She's 'reading'. All the letters are either 'a','b', or 'e'. Love it!

Emery Ruth, I love you sweet girl! Thank you for letting me be your mommy even when I mess up! Can't wait to watch you grow over the next 17 and counting! Love, Mommy

Christmastime is Here!

Hope everyone had grateful Thanksgivings! We enjoyed time with our family and spending time together on the drives to said families. Last night we put up our tree and decorations while listening to Christmas music, drinking hot cocoa, and talking with friends. Just the way we'd love to spend every evening! Enjoy some pictures of the night!
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