All Settled In

We are finally unpacked and each box has had the life flattened out of it and the contents of all the boxes are systematically spread throughout the house allowing it to look like home. Mia keeps walking around the house and blurting out "well, it looks like our home now, mom!" Unpacked the last two boxes today....Paul's clothes. Paul and I finished the last touches yesterday by hanging the shelves. This is actually the hardest part of making our house look like a 'home'. Hanging shelves is NO FUN! But somehow we managed to get them all hung in reasonable fashion and we are still married after such difficult matters! LOL!!! We have now hung and taken these shelves down 3x in one year. We are becoming pros!

As you can see, Lincoln is feeling very at home! I caught him stirring the spaghetti meat the other day. He said he wanted to help cook. Probably against my better judgement, I allowed him to continue. I kept reminding him about the hot metal and he seemed to do just fine. I love this helpful and inquisitive soul that dances around this home. Just hearing his gleeful sounds at 6:30 each morning makes everything feel okay. I hear Buzz Lightyear crash into Star Wars man and Mac is headed into a bedroom door at 60mph. Then I hear girls screaming "get out!" and the slam of a door following the frantic screams. I'm lying in bed wondering how long Lincoln will continue to torture his sisters over the years to follow. I'm thankful for these sounds today. It's the sound of life, home, and our family. I wasn't planning on getting up this early on Saturday morning but thankful still for the familiar sounds. Love hearing Lincoln shout across the house in his echoing dwarf-like voice "mommy...daddy.......time to get up!" Well, time to go fix breakfast!!

Our 1st Ever Family Missions Trip

Well we took the plunge and kept to one of our 2011 family goals.......we took the girls on a missions trip! We felt drawn to Guatemala to help a family, the Radfords, with their ministry in an orphanage. They are missionaries in Panajachel and have been there for about 10 months. An amazing couple that left ATL last year due to an act of obedience. It was our joy to serve with them this past week. We worked on bible stories and crafts with preschoolers. We also had the opportunity to help feed some of the local children at lunch time. We were truly blessed by these moments of tenderness. These children were amazing and beautiful. All smiles, giggles, and chitter chatter in Spanish. I was able to practice my 'spanglish'. I'm awful and I believe Paul enjoys watching me botch up my conversations. I believe I bartered up on a price, instead of down one time. I get 6 and 7 mixed up! The girls are only 6 and 7 and so they tired easily but all in all............great trip. Our hope is that they remember the children and that there are others all over the world that God loves too. We would like our kids to have a world-view and global compassion for others. We are still learning and God is still working in our hearts too as parents. Keep praying for us as we parent. And please keep the Radfords in your prayers. Lee, Angel, Anna Kate, and Parker live in Guatemala and serve each day with willing spirits.

Guatemala 2011

And These Are A Few of My Favorite Things........

Having finally finished Ann VosKamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, I feel like the same person with a different outlook on life. Her thankfulness and gratitude for the simple things in life and for the complexiteis of Grace amaze me! Shouldn't all believers feel this way? Shouldn't I be grateful for small things like giggles and sunshine and most appreciative of challenging ideas like salvation and eternal life? So, she has inspired me to keep a journal of my own 1,000 gifts or blessings that I have acknowledged in my own life. I have also given a journal to each of my girls and they are keeping a list of 1000 gift. Should be interesting to see how their perspecitve changes over the years. My goal is for the girls to keep this journal and complete it in highschool and I will give them the book to read. We shall see...........okay, so here are a few of from my list. Also remember that I just returned from Guatemala! These are gifts of mine and I am thankful for..........

8. seeing a mamma with her baby wrapped tight to her back and a basket full of life on her head- this beauty of motherhood espoused to multitasking is an idea that is not solely owned my Americans but dances across all nations

11. refocusing and realizing that I need to slow down and notice the tiny smiles, flickering wet eyelashes, fading dimples, and snuggles that sneak up on me

16. for seasons in my life.....there are moments that are much too painful for the human soul to last forever

19. giggles of delight and moans of fear from an autistic boy sitting behind me on the plane. I choose to remain in awe of his new wonders and explorations instead of succombing to annoyance. my girls choose to do the same.....

22. for 'one more goodnight hug' from Lincoln knowing that there will be 5 more hugs and 5 more 'one more goodnight kiss' in the next 60 seconds.......

4. finding my kids clothes painted across my wood floor and knowing that this is the result of 'dress-up'. they are not grown up yet!

2. riding with the windows down in the car and the a/c on.....because I can!

39. the ability to receive a judgemental stare from an on-looking parent and in turn reflect a modest smile, knowing that the undeserved grace that I have received allows me to do so

44. the option of turning life's challenges into blessings instead of turning them into seeds of bitterness

48. for honest friends that speak truth which sculpts my heart instead of fearful friends that tickle my ears with complimentary lies

58. an amazing mother-in-law that serves me continuously without expecting anything in return

3. a husband that takes time to 'date' our daughters and plants those small seeds of love and acceptance

Don't Miss It!

Sometimes I just sit and stare at people in airports, restaurants, malls........and I wonder to myself "are they happy? are they suffering? are they okay?" I always wonder what is REALLY going on inside of people. You know, you just can't fake happiness! Go back and look at photos of yourself. I do this all the time and I shine the most in my pictures when I'm truly happy. Then I see those pictures which are not so flattering and I remember "oh yes, I was disturbed or feeling a bit grim that day." I'm reading a wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp and she talks about this 'sanctuary of time'. I want to enjoy each moment, while I can. She quotes a pastor as saying

"Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the way of all the rushing...Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."

She says "I don't really want more time, I want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done- yesterday. - Hurry always empties a soul" and my moist favorite thing that she says....

WHEREVER YOU ARE..BE ALL THERE

Stop looking at your phone, stop checking your dang facebook, stop texting and listen.............I'm slowly learning. I'm sunbaithing in the funny and serene moments with the kids. I love this picture of the girls talking to their cousins on the phone. Look at them......holding one another....sigh......another sigh.......I don't want them to grow up. I love their shade of innocense......although momentary......I love it and want to be stuck in this moment forever. That can't happen, snap my fingers and come back to reality. But atleast I didn't miss it!! Are you missing the moment? Ladies are always asking me if I'm doing the next best bible study or going to the next best ladies event at church. I usually say "maybe later." Nothing wrong with these fabulous opportunities.....but they will be around later and my preschooler won't be. I get that wild horse look when I'm going 100mph and I don't feel comfortable. Right now.......I just want to 'be all there'.

This To Shall Pass.........Ok Go

If you know anything about music, you've heard of this song/group. I love this song and I love their sound. Well, I"m feeling like this right now. Paul left town about 2 and half weeks ago and everything has gone bonkers! It's so funny how these things only happen to moms when the dads are our of town! It's got to be a "Murphy's Law"- when husbands leave town......all chaos must break out!". hahahah...well, our garage door broke during a major storm and on the way home I nonchalantly said to the girls "aren't you glad we have a garage that we can pull into and not get soaked?!" Then of course, the clicker didn't work and I didn't have any keys to the house with me..........after 10 days, and 2 more rain storms, it was fixed! My inter-net shut down, Clifford brought a dead chipmunk into the house and girls were horrified. Lincoln pooped his pants at dinner (Never Happened Before!). Lots of fun moments. But.........in the midst of the chaos, I find myself snuggling with Mia last night and telling her how dang cute she is with those perfectly placed freckles on her nose between those perfectly blue puddles of blue, called eyes. My gaze was locked onto her and I all I could think about was how cute she also looked when she was a baby and she'd bounce in her crib with a smile as wide as the ocean. I miss those days. I'm thinking....where on earth has time gone. Oh, how I would give anything to go back in time and hold her next to me in her snug onesie and thick diaper and chunky thighs. How do you tell a young mom to really realish those moments and stop rushing around, stop cleaning the house, stop fretting over nothing. Just pick up your baby, hold her, rock her, kiss her nose, and you can start cleaning when they are 18 and all grown up! I found Lincoln's dump truck today in the baby buggy. I had to laugh. I love my kids. That little baby buggy is the best yard sale treasure ever! Kennedy puts her guinea pig in it and Lincoln puts his most precious trucks in it. And then there is Mia, she puts herself in it! How wonderful kids are! Hold onto the moment. With daddy gone, we are learning to relax, slow down, and have movie/popcorn nights more often. Laying low is nice. Cereal for dinner is............nice! There will be plenty of busy days to come, so I'm enjoying the 'not so busy days'.

Fun Mommy Tips After 7 years.......I'm Still Learning

I was thinking that it would be fun to share some of the things we do around the Alexander Home that really help us out and hoping these tips help you out too. We have begged, borrowed, stolen, and made it up as we've traveled this journey called life!

1. Never thought that Men's Axe spray would come in handy. Paul won't wear it
but I found it handy to keep a spray can in the bathroom for those un-
pleasant moments. One spray will knock out any scent that might be looming!

2. I like to make banana chocolate-chip muffins or some other type on Sunday
night and warm them up for breakfast all week for the girls! yummy/easy


3. When kids are fighting in the car........I turn up the music really loud
and I feel like loud music is better than 'loud mom!' They eventually stop.

4. You have girls? We do and go through tons of shampoo/conditioner. I've been
buying the pumps at Walmart for $3 per large bottle and it will last for
6-9 months. Pumps get more out and girls use less!

5. Looking for healthy/cheap snacks? Sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But...
Costco saved the day for me! We buy Large Bag Crasins, Lg bag of Sea Salt
Chips, Lg bag of Almonds, Annies all natural fruit snacks, Guacamole, Lg
box of individual all natural applesauces, sweet potato chips, Lg.Organic
strawberry jam, and veggie chips- all for about $50.00 Lasts for a month!

6. Your kid wets the bed in middle of night? We put a fitted sheet under the
mattress pad so that I don't have to put another sheet on the bed at mid-
night. I just wait until am to wash and put pad on. Atleast they have dry/
clean sheet for the night. super easy!

7. Want a cheap reward to give your kids!? We only allow t.v. and dessert on
Fri-Sun. No dessert or t.v. on school nights. So.....Friday is so much fun
and occasionally I'll surprise them with t.v. or dessert in the middle of
week as a reward and they are estatic! My kids are only ages 3,6,7--easy
to please- still!

8. Does your kid suck his/her thumb? Cure it quickly by using painter's tape
and short popsicle sticks at night. I tape them onto their thumbs and they
have no desire to stick thumb in mouth! It works!!!

9. Not sure what to do for your quiet time? Maybe you're 'Beth Moored' out
and ready for something different......but no bible studies. Well, you're
not gonna believe this but I'm reading thru the bible in a year and I
LOVE it. I'm behind on the schedule but just taking my time and journaling
and underlining all the cool tidbits that I'm learning! I thought it was
gonna be boring but........love it!!

10. Wanna get in shape but you HATE running? Go walking or get on a treadmill
and set it too a quick pace with HILLS!! You'll really feel it in your
legs, that's where we want to slim up. Also, lift light weights to help
get rid of the saggy arms and back-fat! I'm dealing with it all now! Got
muffin tops??? stop eating so many carbs/sugar--- get on a large ball and
do sit-ups a few times a week. Keep it simple and low key!!

11. Family devotions at night? What, huh?!! We use the Jesus Story Bible but
we've been though it a million times now. So, we are letting Kennedy read
the stories. If Jesus Story Bible is too hard to read, pick up a simpler
one. We have that too and Kennedy prefers it. It's fun seeing the kids
lead the bible study by reading now and then!

12. Ummm....what happened to table manners? We play a game at mealtime to
see who doesn't put napkin in lap or puts elbows on the table. The
signaled saying is "I don't see any ladies/gentlemen at the talbe..."
That quickly reminds them. Daddy always loses the game cause despises
putting a napkin in his lap and loves to put elbows on table. This goes
for talking with food in mouth too! When you catch em' doing it, you get
a point!

13. Okay one more!! I couldn't get Kennedy to read and now she's the top
reader and writer in her 1st grade class......reading on 3-4 grade level
and amazing writer. Secret?? food!! Find your child's soft spot. She loves
to eat so here is what I do. After she has read 5 pages (you can start
with small number) she can come see more for her bowl of goodies. I give
her cereal, craisins, nut mix, or choco. chips. Each time she finishes a
page, she can put one craisin or chip in her mouth! She will read for 2
hrs. Half the time, she forgets to eat at each page cause she is so into
the story!! If your kids loves t.v./Wii, give them same amount of minutes
on t.v. that they spend reading!! You catching on?

Well people, here are my silly thoughts and I hope they help! Feel free to post any of your amazing tips! I love hearing what other moms do cause I still have a lot to learn!!

The Not So Perfect Mom and Her Family

Because moms are not perfect and neither are their families.......here is a real life photo of our 'happy' family and some great quotes from my own kids! I love seeing the REAL DEAL! It's hard to believe what comes out of a kid's mouth.

-"Next week when I'm an adult, I'll charge my husband to get me a muffin and coffee" Kennedy (daddy had just come home with treats for mommy)
-"Mia, you can't be selfish all your life....you have to share with your sister!!" Kennedy
-"Mom, tell Kennedy to stop..she's trying to spank me and wedgie me!" mia
-"I hear an ambulance and I think there is a mom in there who is falling asleep forever. I guess the kids will have to adopt go adopt a mom, probably one that is poor and has not home."-Mia/Kennedy coversation
-"When am I going to grow up anyways? It's taking a long time!" Mia
-"I saved the day one time" Kennedy
-"Mom, if you don't know how to make strawberry pie than watch Strawberry Shortcake on t.v. and she can teach you." Mia
-"I'm not brave everyday. I'm only brave sometimes." Kennedy
-"Garage door open!!!!" Lincoln stood naked as a jaybird yelling at the broken door to open
-"I feel like I have to go poopy, I'm burping in my pants." Mia
-"I'm sharing with Lincoln, cause I want to be like you, Mom." Mia
-"I wonder why Clifford is destructing our yard?" Kennedy
-"Mom, you're smart when you laugh." Mia
-"I met Jacob Dodd and he's gonna be my husband!" Mia
-"When I'm a teenager, you can pretend I'm little again, if you want, and we can go for ice-cream, mom." Kennedy
-"I'm done coloring,Mom. I have some business to do." Mia
-"Sometimes I just get worried about my life. It's a hard time being a kid." Kennedy
-"I growed so tall while I was napping." Mia
-"I really wanted that cereal (in tears) cause it's the last day of my life that I wanted to eat it." Kennedy (drama drama!!!)
-"I didn't want to come out of your tummy,Mom. I just wanted to roll around but I know you missed me,so I came out." Mia
-"Can we keep Lincoln? He's a good boy!" Mia
-"Daddy knows everything about everything." Kennedy
-"I don't like when your muffins taste like ear wax." Mia
-"I'm mommy's prince." Lincoln
-"Mommy, snuggle me!" Lincoln

Hardest Part About Leaving

This past weekend reminded us of how much we really love the grandparents. As they pulled out of the driveway Lincoln yelled out at the car and blew kisses. He kept repeating himself and chanting "nanna come back, nanna come back". He couldn't understand why they were leaving and why they were not coming back right away. We told him they'd be back later (end of May) but he thought that meant immediately. The kids love their grandparents and are always sad to see them leave. I was sad too, knowing that we would soon be in Arizona and the visits would be less frequent. I'm so grateful that both Paul and I have parents that love our kids. Watching your own parents grandparent your kids is so amazing cause you realize how truly incredible and influential grandparents are! I know how much my grandma meant to me when I was a child and how I still admire her. I'm hoping my kids feel the same way about their grandparents!

6 is soooo Sweet!

Mia turned 6 this week. Where did our little baby go? She's so much fun when it comes to birthdays. She has changed her mind about 10 times about the cake she wants. She's been giving me cake decorating ideas since December. First she wanted a Santa Clause cake, then a Star Wars cake, then a Christmas Tree, then a pony cake, and finally she landed on an Owl cake. So I made the goofy owl! LOL. As far as her birthday experience she insisted that we buy a pinata. She's been asking for a pinata for almost a year. So we took the plunge and purchased the tacky cardboard decoration. We bought a bag of plastic toys and petrified candy and poured it in the pinata. The final problem was to figure out what we were gonna use to hit the pinata. The girls suggested daddy's golf clubs. For some reason, he passed on this idea. Then Kennedy grabbed the Star Wars life savers. So we used the life saver swords. Everyone took numerous swings at the giant pinata, including Pappa and Nanna. This was most certainly a memorable moment.

Mia also chose breakfast for her birthday dinner. She was very clear about it too. She wanted pancakes with chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and whipped toppings. We also added bananas and strawberries to keep it 'healthy'. She also wanted celery with peanut butter. yuck! Throughout the evening she insisted that we refer to her as 'the majesty'. Honestly, I kept forgetting and Mia would stop and ask me why I wasn't remembering her name. Yes, Yes, I needed to take care of 'the majesty'. All in all.................great time!

Easter 2011

Easter was great! We went to the Saturday evening service. We all sat together and it felt great to be together as a family on such a celebratory day! It's kind of funny having the girls in church with us. They are getting so big and becoming little women. Kennedy filled out the visitor registration card. She marked the box that requested more information about 'kids' and said that 'her mom and dad' brought her. Then she wrote in her little journal. Mia pretty much laid across my lap and wiggled and snuggled. Before we left, we went backstage to say goodbye to Brian, the lead pastor. While in his study, Lincoln managed to find a pencil and write on Brian's MAC computer, almost tip over a cup of water, and the girls bounced from couch to couch. Yep, Alexander kids!!

Sunday was spent at the theater with grandparents, having egg hunts in the house, unraveling Easter baskets, reading the Easter Story from the bible, and cooking a large dinner. Great day!

The Next Step For Alexander Family

I've been sitting up night after night trying to figure out how on earth to write this blog. How do I fully express what my heart is feeling and yet steadily bring praise to His name? Yes, there has been hurt, pain, and betrayal. And yet, God is good and He is true to His word.

Paul and I have had the honor of worshiping on Sundays at Westridge and I heard this song last Sunday. It was like God provided an answer to my nagging question. "How do I write my blog?" If you can, look this up on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QwVekS886w. Below are the words......

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost it's sting

Oh, I'm running to your arms,
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign
Visit http://www.xtralyrics.com

My heart will sing
no other name
Jesus, Jesus

Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

So, here we are running...........not running from our rough circumstances or to "the greener side". But we are running straight into His arms. In doing so, God is redirecting our steps and is sending us on. I hope we spend the rest of our lives running into His arms. We are choosing to accept these circumstance, process the pain, and allow them to build and grow us in ways we could have never imagined. It is the riches of His love that move us into tomorrow. We are looking forward to our journey back into the desert, Arizona! I guess we are headed back "home". We are honored to serve at Sun Valley in Gilbert, AZ. It will be an amazing opportunity for Paul!

It will be a new church for us but a very familiar community! We are sad to say goodbye to Atlanta; but in the same breath we welcome this new change. Life doesn't always turn out as we would want but His provision is always what we need......at least this is my thought in my young, inexperienced,and much-to-learn life!

Spring Break at Alexander Home

So, we convinced the McGinnis family to venture our way for Spring Break this year. As you can see, we didn't have any fun at all! Hahahha....actually we stuffed as much as possible. We had a total of 12 people in our home and went bowling, fishing, hiking, picnicing, water balloon fights, and we even hit the nail spa with the girls. That was a treat! The girls had never been in a nail salon before! And of course we watched movies, played Catan, poker, and made lots of desserts. Normally, people get tired of one another after about 3 or 4 days. Not us! We shove 12 people under one roof and can't get enough of the fun! This might go down as one of the best Spring Breaks ever! The best part was seeing Jada, watching KK fall into pond while 'fishing', and seeing Elana bowl! Everyone needs to have friends like these! :-)

An Amazing Connection

It is so difficult to write this blog cause I feel like a big baby. I'm full of tears; tears of sadness and joy. Sad cause I already miss our best friends and happy cause we have great memories together. As we leave the East coast and head out West, we know that we will see the McGinnis family even less. They are our family. Their kids are like cousins to our kids and Aime and Joe are some of the dearest friends we have. We have journeyed together for 10 years now. Part of those ten years consists of them adopting Jada. Of course, we cannot deny that Jada's middle name is the same as mine, joy. I feel like a proud Aunt! So we saw her for the first time and we were in love!! I hate to move away! :-(

Top 10 ATL Countdown....................

Here is a list of top 10 things that the Alexanders really LOVE about Atlanta. We have only been here a short time but have made some really great memories.

10.Eating down on the Square, Sugar Cakes etc.........
9. Hanging with our neighbors, Abattes and the Wytes
8. Vaughan Elementary School
7. Chattanooga trip with the Maggards
6. Eating at the Canoe Restaurant
5. Southern hospitality and yummy cooking
4. visits from our distant friends, McGinnis and Barrineau clans
3. living in the SEC!!!!!!!!!!
2. friends from NMC
1. Dates to the Daily Grind Coffee Shop


And let's be fair, every place has things you don't prefer. Here are 10 things we will NOT miss about ATL

10.mosquitoes
9. cold winters
8. HOA in Brown's Farm.......ahhaha
7. the airport
6. Auburn and Georgia fans (ahhaha)
5. East coast time
4. thunderstorms (Mia goes nuts)
3. Tornadoes
2. traffic
1. humidity

Meet Prince Terrian

Isn't he so adorable? He has won the heart of each and every family member, including Clifford. Yep, even our dog, Clifford, adores him. Every time we have P.T. out Clifford wants to sniff and lick P.T.'s fur off. He even batted at P.T. with his paw. Of course we keep a close eye on those two cause Clifford might find P.T. to be quite tasty. :-) This was the best birthday gift ever for Kennedy. She is passionate about animals and just thoroughly enjoys loving on them and taking care of them. I think pets are a wonderful thing to introduce to children. She has become so very responsible. We told her that we would NOT clean out his cage or take care of him; it was her responsibility. We made it clear that we do not clean up guinea pig poop! Well, wouldn't you know, she was busy cleaning out P.T.'s cage today and I was helping hold the bag for her. She was very methodical about the whole thing and kept telling me 'how' to do everything. Now, you must remember that Kennedy was taught by Paul, my systematic husband, on how to clean the cage. Good thing I didn't teach her. When she was done cleaning the cage she said to me "Dad sure did do a good job teaching me how to clean out the cage." I almost wet my pants. She was so proud of herself and her daddy. She went on to tell me that I would have to take care of P.T when she was traveling to Mexico. When on earth is she going to Mexico? and apparently daddy is going with her and that's why I need to be home to take care of P.T. So I guess the girl has plans, big plans!

In this picture you can see that we had Prince Terrian outside today. We decided to sit out in the front lawn on blankets, pillow, and using an umbrella for shade. We brought out the prince and put him under the umbrella while Kennedy read her book. I sat and soaked up my vitamin D and listened to Pandora Radio. Mia drew on the sidewalk with chalk and Lincoln practiced running up and down the sidewalk as quickly as possible, his head bobbing up and down. I loved my life today!!!!!!! I mean who lives like this? I'm beyond wealthy in so many ways, not financially. It's the simple things in life that are so dang enjoyable. I'm relishing the moments. Hope you are too. Go buy your kid a pet! LOL

Doctors Work As Mircacles........

What kind of doctor allows you to email him and then actually emails you back? Unheard of! Well I happen to have found 2 doctors that we love and one of them is Dr. Stangel. He is a Chiropractic Neurologist and has been amazing for our girls. It was a relief to me to find a doctor that was 'down to earth', emailed me back immediately, and agreed that the girls were sick and needed some help. Most doctors just want to shoot the girls up with allergy shots and call it a day! I wanted more, much more. I wanted healing of the whole body. I believe in getting to the root of the problem and not just pacifying it for the moment. So, we started in on our journey by driving to Chattanooga (an hour and a half away) 3x a week. What a drive, but it was so worth it! We started in January and just finished up. So what have we noticed? Kennedy is calmer and much less argumentative and less agitated. Mia is happier and less anxious. Mia is processing like crazy and has blossomed at school. We just had blood work done to peek at the gut. Our guess is that the gut has an infection and we just need to heal it and hopefully reintroduce the restricted foods again. It's kind of sad saying good-bye to our doctor. When you see someone 3x a week for 10 weeks, you begin to feel like family. We took cupcakes for Mrs. Stangel's bday, food for Dr. Stangel when he was snowed in at the office, and we made valentines cards for them too. My daughters love them! I think the Stangels love the Alexanders too! We will miss them much but it's a good thing when you don't have to keep going back for appointments. With the combination of some food restrictions, vitamins, and Dr. Stangel's brain exercises we are a different family. The girls are doing much better. We are not completely there yet, but almost! I've learned so much as a parent. I believe a parent must trust his/her instincts, regardless of the discouraging comments from family/friends. A parent must always do what's best for the child, and a parent must think 'outside the box' sometimes. Traditional medicine isn't always the best road to travel.

Together......One Day at a Time.......

On such an interesting journey these days. Paul is jobless, we feel homeless, disconnected, and severed from what we once called "home". Finished reading Job last month and how appropriate. Of course, we are still 'oh so blessed' because having a job isn't everything at the moment but understandably vital. Right after Paul delivered the sad news to me, he turned and just stared and said "well, at least I've got you-honey and the kids. We do have eachother." Yep, I have to agree that we are so blessed to have our health and to have our relationships with one another and of course with Christ. This past week has served as a real tester for sure as the fog is clearing and the dust has certainly settled. Feelings of anxiety creep in, as well as self-doubt. You wonder "will we find a job?" "Does anyone out there want us?" "are we worthy?" Well the answers are simple. Christ declared us righteous and He has a plan for us. All too well known but oh so easy to forget, especially in tough moments. But God has shown up in such simple and tender moments during this duration. He has a way of making His presence known. I love His subtle hints of love and whispers of hope. As humans, we botch this up and say the wrong things in the wrong moments or don't say enough to those who are hurting. But He seems to know exactly what to say and what to do. I must praise Him for that. It stinks to be in this position right now but couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be traveling with, than Paul. The other night we fell asleep talking about this and that. Then a few minutes later, I could feel Paul's soft hand lean on my stomach. I reached across and touched his hand. Usually one of us would then begin snoring and out we'd be for the night. But instead we fell asleep holding hands. I know......so corny! But, it's those short and memorable moments that will stain my heart forever. I love that I'm able to journey through this with my best friend. We have no idea what the next step will be but we are confident that we won't be doing it alone.

Mommy's Prince but.......Daddy's Boy

Every night before Linc. goes to bed I ask him 'Are you Mommy's Prince?" and he says "Yes, I mommy's prince......" of course Daddy has to chipe in too and ask "are you Daddy's boy?" and of course Linc. replies "yes, I daddy's boy!". We love our boy and he gets so much love from all of us. He turned 3 this past week and we celebrated today! He woke up and asked if we could eat cake. I of course, diverted his attention to the wonderful bday pancakes and said we'd eat cake later. So, he helped me whip up pancakes and we stuck a candle in them and started singing to himself. This is one song my son has memorized....."Happy Birthday.." I love having friends/family over for special occasions but I must admit that it's so peaceful and meaningful when it's just the 5 of us too. Tonight was amazing! I made homemade pizza (@ Linc.'s request) and we ate cake, opened presents. Paul and I were racing to see who could get the toys out of the Alkatraz wrapping/tie downs the quickest. We each had a pair of scissors and went to work. It's crazy how much packaging and security goes into toys these days. Then we sat down and watched the Cars movie. I about fell asleep during the movie but it was oh so nice. Paul was most excited about opening the presents this year. He told Linc. that couldn't wait to for them to play with the new gadgets and that it was the most excited he'd ever been. Well this is because Paul received a present too. We got him a star wars life saver so that he could sword fight with Linc. Lincoln already has a sword but Daddy needed one too! Linc. also received a talking Iron Man, Storm Trooper, and Buzz Lightyear. I must admit, it was quite noisy during the movie since each child was pushing buttons on all the new toys. I was in zombie land and didn't even mind. We are blessed!