My week so far

So far I feel like I've had a pretty productive week and it's not even half over yet. Sunday we took the teens up to the mountains for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and the teens had a lot of fun exploring and hanging out. And with the exception of Colston eating dirt we had no mishaps.

Monday I took Colston to the library for his first storytime. It was a lot of fun. At first I wasn't sure if he was going to be good and pay attention. He crawled off my lap and found a place on the floor so he could sit with the other kids. He did wander around a few times but was good for the most part. At the very end he did hit two girls but he had just learned the motions to "Shoo Fly" and I think that's what he was doing. At least I'm going to say that was it. We are going to go to toddler story time tomorrow and it will be more kids his own age so we'll see how that goes. I would like to take him to story time 2-3 times a week. It's just a half hour in the morning and it's nice to get out of the house.

Tuesday I dropped Colston off at my neighbor's house for a few hours so I could get caught up on my Beth Moore Study that I had fallen behind on. It was so nice to have a few hours of absolute peace and quiet and meditation. However when it was time to go get him I was very excited and he greeted me with a huge smile and "hi" which just made my day! While at my neighbor's house he had a cupcake for lunch and locked himself in the bathroom with the other toddler and then took a shower and had the best time. I might have to start dropping him off once a week and giving him some friend time. However, when I picked him up he had a fever of 100.8 so I was hoping it's just teething and that he's not getting sick. We don't have time for that junk.

Wednesday, which is today has already been an eventful day. Matt's off work today so he helped me get Colston ready today and that was a bad start. He fussed and whined and was not a happy camper and we're not sure why. Again I will chalk it up to probably teething. He finally got a little happier, which was good because we dropped him off in nursery so I could go to Bible Study and Matt could work on his lesson for youth tonight. I had a wonderful time in Bible Study this morning. Jamie was gone so I had to lead it and that was not my favorite part but it was ok. After Bible Study I had discipleship with one of my friends and that was a wonderful time of fellowship. After that Matt and I got chinese food for lunch and came home to enjoy the cold, gloomy day. Baby Aubrey who I watch will be here in just a few minutes and after she gets picked up at 6:30 we head off to youth group.

The rest of the week is someone planned out. Thursday we will be going to the library for toddler story time and then I have to bake some cakes for my friend's daughter's birthday. Friday I will be decorating the cake and watching Aubrey again from 1:30-6:30. At 7 we head off to small group at the Chappel's house. Saturday the cake will get picked up and Matt will be working so it will probably be a cleaning day! And hopefully I'll actually be able to get some sleep at night!

Hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Not Me Monday

Apparently all of my not me mondays have been waiting to build up and all happen during one week. It wasn't only not me, but it was not my husband and not my child as well. One thing after another did not happen this week. It was ridiculous.

First thing that didn't happen was the beginning of last week. I was at my friend's house for lunch and all of a sudden we heard clanging in the kitchen. When I walked in I certainly did not find my toddler with a mouth full of dog food and his hands in the bowl. Oh no not my child he would never eat that stuff and continue eating it once the nasty stuff was in his mouth. Yuck!

Later on in the week I went grocery shopping to get stuff to make dinner for a family at church that we were taking care meals to. I decided to make them beef stoganoff even though it's something I had never made before it seemed easy enough. I got all the ingredients and went home. Two days later when I went to get the noodles out of the bag for dinner I most definitely did not find the sour cream still in the bag! Ewww! I did throw it away and sent Matt to go get more.

On Saturday Matt and I went up to the mountains to look for a good picnic spot to take the teens for lunch the next day. When we were in the car I absolutely did not give my one year old a chocolate chip cookie to eat. And did not turn around 5 minutes later to see his face covered in chocolate. There were hardly any chocolate chips in that cookie and my child did not rub them all over his face and forehead. And we definitely did not leave him that way until we got home and got our camera and took pictures of him.

On Sunday we went up to the mountains and had a barbecue picnic with the teens. Matt and I took turns taking care of Colston and walking the trails. When Matt wanted to go for a walk and I asked where Colston was he definitely did not answer "he's over there eating dirt." Oh no not my husband he would never let my child pick up dirt, eat it and rub it all over his face. Oh no he wouldn't leave Colston that way for me to clean him up and him go off on a walk instead.

And I realized right before I wrote this that I would never trip over my husband's shoes 5 times before finally picking them up and throwing them where they belong.

Hopefully this week will go much smoother and with fewer not me, not my husband and not my child monday moments!

Mandy

Please Pray

My parents live in the Philippines and where they live has started flooding. I think the worst is over now. They were stuck in their car for 18 hours. My mom has arthritus and was on her way to the hospital to talk about some procedures she is going to have done. Needless to say she did not make the appointment. Also she was without her medicine for 18 hours but God kept her as strong as possible.

Another blessing is they were stuck by a grocery store so they were able to get some food and water that helped them during their long duration in the car. Also one of their church members walked in the typhoon to find them and take them some water and crackers. They had frozen meat that was thawing out so they were able to give it to him to take to his family. When they had to get out to walk to the store my mom said there were snakes, rats and cockroaches floating in the freezing cold water. Three of her favorite things.

While they were in the car they kept getting calls and texts from church members for help. Several of them told them the water was flooding their homes and businesses up to their chests. The area around there church was especially bad. God blessed by giving them a building on the second floor so their church was not only safe but became a safe haven for many of their church members and many others. Their house was not flooded but one of their cars got pushed down the street and they were able to get someone to move it and park it in a safe place for them.

While they were in the car they said people that were trying to cross the street had to hold on to a rope to not get swept away. There has not been a typhoon like this in 20 years. Many people have probably lost their homes and others their lives. Please continue to pray for those that are still looking for safety. I am praying that many found shelter in my parent's church and my dad will have the chance to share the gospel with them. I know God an use this tragedy for good if people let him.

Also I have a dear friend that is flying to the Philippines right now. I pray that he gets there safely and does not get delayed in another country and that he will be able to have someone to get him at the airport. I also have another friend who's 13 year old sister is in the hospital with an appendicitus and her mom is unable to get to the hospital. There is another missionary family with her but it's still scary not to have your mom there. Pray that the doctor's will operate even thought they are unable to get parental consent.

Thank you all for your prayers!

Mandy

Kind of excited

So Matt came home from work today and announced that he is going to start a work out program that a guy at work is giving him. He said he is going to get buff! I'm kind of excited because I've asked him before if he ever thought about working out but he's never had much interest in going to a gym. He is going to do the P90x work out program. This being a program he can do at home he's more apt to do it. I am also hoping that him doing this will help motivate me to do my work out. Especially if we are doing it at the same time I think I will be able to get my lazy butt up and do it.

Also tomorrow we start our new Beth Moore study and I am very excited! We have a lot of new ladies doing it and I think it will be a wonderful time to get to know each other!

What the Doc said

Basically the doctor said that everything looks fine. He didn't feel any tumors or masses. He said it should be fine for me to get pregnant again but it just may be more painful on myself. He also said if I have another c-section he will be able to see if there is more scar tissue than he thinks there is. On the plus side it hasn't been as painful lately so maybe it is healing!

Doctor's Appointment

So after months and months I finally broke down and called the doctor. Ever since I had Colston I've never felt like my c-section was completely healed. It's still sore most of the time and I've been ignoring for 15 months now. The doctor that delivered him is no longer an obgyn so I have to see another doctor in that office. The nurse said he will look at my incision and see him if I'm okay for another pregnancy. Whatever that means. I am trying not to think too much into it or worry too much but I am not doing a good job of it. I think I'm most afraid that the doctor will say it's nothing and I will go on living with it forever. I know God is in control and I am trying to make that my key thought these next few days. My appointment is Monday and we will see how it goes.

What was I thinking Wednesday???

So I am writing a "what was I thinking Wednesday" even though it's Thursday, it happened on Wednesday and that's what I'm calling it. Mostly because I have no idea what I was thinking! Last night Matt and I were getting ready to head to church for youth group and Colston was running around. I had found one of his shoes and put it on him but thought the other one was out in storage so I was going to grab it on the way out. When I put him on the ground his foot with just the sock on made him slip a little on the linoleum and Matt and I laughed. Then we proceeded to go in our room and finish getting ready. Colston had wandered into the bathroom which I thought was fine since the toilet seat was down and he couldn't "fall in".

Matt was getting text messages from the teens that they needed last minute rides so I told him we had better go so we wouldn't be late. No sooner had those words come out of my mouth then I heard a loud "whomp" from the bathroom. It was of course falling by a loud screaming cry. I ran in and checked to make sure his teeth were fine and he hadn't bit his tongue. Everything looked okay until he tipped his head back and then I saw the damage. He must have hit his chin on either the edge of the toilet or the bathtub.

As soon as I saw the cut I told Matt plans had changed and we were going to the hospital because I knew he was going to need stitches. I called his doctor's office which has kid's care after hours and Matt called off youth group. I sat in the back with him and tried to stop the bleeding but he did not like that. He stopped crying as long as I wasn't touching his chin.

Once the doctor looked at him we realized he also had indentions on the roof of his mouth from his bottom front teeth. Ouch! There was nothing he could do about that but said it would heal on its own. They put a numbing gel on his chin but didn't have to give him any shots so that was good. Matt and I had to help hold him while he was bundled, so his arms were strapped down. The nurse held his head back so that the doctor could stitch his chin. Colston was not happy about this but we had the ipod playing "Love Story" by Taylor Swift which is his favorite song and that helped calm him down a little bit. He ended up getting five stitches. The nurse said he was the youngest she had ever seen get stitches and I wanted to say "that's not exactly something we are proud of."

When the stitches were done and we unwrapped him we gave him the ipod and he listened to "Love Story" and he was completely calm. Afterwards we had to run to Wal-mart to go get milk and other essentials. The whole time we were at wal-mart he waved and smiled and said hello to everyone. You never would have guessed that he had just had stitches. He has the best demeanor and we are so thankful for that! I kept thinking it wasn't as bad as it could have been so that helped me not freak out so much. But now that it is over and I can see the ugly stitches I think "my poor baby". The doctor said it shouldn't scar too bad so I will pray and hope for that. However, I'm sure this will not be the last or worse thing he ever does to himself, especially if he takes after his Grandpa Johnson!

Not Me Monday

This being a holiday weekend meant that a part of it had to be a cleaning weekend for Matt and I. I decided to tackle the kitchen while he did the vacuuming and other things. Whenever we are cleaning Colston tends to get antsy and in the way. Which leaves the question what do we do to keep him busy. Since Matt was cleaning the living room that took away that possibility and I don't like to cage him in his crib if it's not nap time.




But I would never strap my child in his high chair and then push the high chair up to the fridge so he can play with the magnets. I figure if I just let him play with the magnets he is not contained but if I strap him in... but I would never do that. I wouldn't want my child out of my way that much. Nope not me!

On the go breakfast

What you need for this on th go breakfast treat is a can of crescent rolls, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and breakfast sausage. I cook the sausage the night before and then put it in the fridge. You scramble eggs however you like them but no need to add cheese. Take the crescent roll strips and put a spoonful of eggs in the middle and then put a small slice of cheddar cheese on the eggs and then put a sausage link or cut the sausage link in half lengthwise (depends on how much meat you want and how many you are making) on the cheese. Roll up the crescent roll (I tuck the ends in to keep the eggs from falling out) and put them in the oven according to the crescent roll directions. And then get ready while they cook!

I made these when we had a breakfast thing at church and they were gone in minutes. You can use bacon or a different cheese if you prefer. Just make them according to your preferences! They are great if you do Christmas breakfast while you open presents. They are not so messy! Matt and I are trying to think of a name for them. I say breakfast roll up and he said sausant. Any ideas?

Mops carwash

Today we had our first mops carwash and it was awesome. It was sprinkling in the morning at 9 so we prayed that by ten it would stop and it did. And the rain stayed away the whole time we were out there! Praise God! We raised lots of money and hopefully we will be able to do a lot more this year because of it. I think the most encouraging thing was how many people came out to help. We are a small mops group but when all of us got together we had a lot more than we thought. It was great to be able to hang out with each other and get to know some of the newcomers we have this year. Also one lady that stopped to get her car washed was very interested in joining our mops group. We are praying that she will come to our first meeting on Wednesday! Today was a great way to start our year off and I hope it continues the rest of the year!

That one friend

So my husband has been telling our teens a lot lately the importance of who you hang out with. Choosing who you hang out with is more than a one time thing but it is a path that you are choosing. He always tells them that if you want to do what's right and always make the right decisions then it helps if you have that one friend that believes what you believe and has the same standards that you do. It is so much easier to stick up for yourself to not do what you know is wrong when you have one other person that will stand with you. And a lot of times other people will follow you and your friend if they were to afraid to stand on their own. But a lot of times when you are all on your own it so much easier to give in to that peer pressure because no one is holding you accountable.


All of this really got me thinking about my friends in high school and why I never went to parties or never did anything that got me hurt or in a lot of trouble. I started thinking about some of my church and school friends when we lived in Kansas City. I had Amy, Alisha, Erin, Caleb, Katrina and a lot more that I hung out with and they were all from church or school or both. We all had the same beliefs and the same things we knew not to so I think that helped keep us accountable to each other. We had a great time just hanging out and didn't have to drink, or do drugs or have sex to have fun time. We just liked hanging out and that was enough.


Then I thought there has to be more. More of a reason why I never felt peer pressure to things I know shouldn't. Why I always felt like I had someone that I could talk to about anything and be myself around. Why I always felt like I had someone looking out for me and standing up for me. Then it hit me...Matt...my brother. We are 15 months apart and have pretty much always right in the middle of each other's lives. We had a lot of the same friends. We started new school's together and new youth groups together. I always had him right in front of me leading the way. Always the good example of what to do and what not to do. He was my rock. I know now that I never would have gotten through high school or life for that matter if I hadn't had him there to lean.



We moved so many times when we were younger but it was always okay because even when we knew no one we had each other. When my parents and I moved to the Philippines my senior year Matt stayed in the states for college. I remember being so upset that I had to leave my friends and my boyfriend right before my senior year. It wasn't until my first week of school that I realized why I was so upset. I was leaving my brother behind. It didn't feel right to start a new school where people didn't no Matt or didn't know me as Matt's little sister. It was strange to not have what had become that other part of me. That was the first time I think I ever felt really alone. My parents were great and we had a great time that year but it still feels strange to me to look back at the pictures and memories of that year and not have him in them.


Even now as I'm 26 years old and married and a mother it feels weird to not be near my brother. Him and his wife, Kat, were able to come visit not long ago and it was so refreshing to introduce him to our church family here and have my friends meet him. It finally felt complete that my life now had caught up with my life before. Even when he walked in to the church with out me people told me they knew he was my brother because we look so much alike.


I know that I was so blessed to have the brother I have. To have someone who was always looking out for me. Even now I have some of the best memories with my brother. I know we didn't always get along and there were times when I was the pesky younger sister but there was no one I would have rather had stick by me than him. He loved me for me and never tried to make me change into something I wasn't. There are still days that I get a longing to see him and for him to be closer. All the time my son has mannerisms that remind me of my brother and when he does those things I think "he will be a great older brother just like his uncle Matt."


Thank you Matt for being the best friend I could have ever had growing and for always being there for me. Even now.

Banana Turon

Sometimes I get homesick for more than just my parents but for the food of the Philippines. We had a picnic at church a few weeks ago and everyone brought whatever kind of food they thought was pirate type food. I used this an excuse to make one of my favorite filipino dishes. It's called banana turon or lumpia and is basically like a banana eggroll. It is delicious and easy to make!




To make this tasty treat you take plantain bananas and roll them in brown sugar and cinnamon. Then you wrap the bananas up in eggroll or lumpia wrappers and then you fry them in oil. When you take them out you roll them in brown sugar and cinnamon again and then lay them on rack to drip off remaining oil. Very delicious with vanilla ice cream!