Learn Bible Verses!

I am teaching a children's class on Sunday nights now and one of the goals is for the children to learn a verse every week. My goal is to learn the verses with them for I need to hide God's word in my heart just as much as they do!

Now, there is an even better way to learn more bible verses with music! The CD is called Fighter Verse Songs and I'm pretty sure the people who produced it are connected to John Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist. We listen to music all the time and what could be better than listening to music that will help us hide God's word in our heart?!

The best part? You could win the CD! Go to this blog and check out the details! Even if I don't win, I'm going to buy it. Happy singing and memorizing!

Southern Savers

I wanted to pass along a wonderful couponing blog. It is www.southernsavers.com and I have found so MANY great deals on her blog. She covers most grocery stores in the southeast as well as CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and Target. There is often alerts about free stuff and great coupons. The other week there was a great deal at Snapfish.com. If you were a new member, you got 50 prints free and there was free shipping the week of labor day. We take tons of pictures, and I spent about $9 for 150 pictures.

The best deal this week: diapers at Rite Aid. Last night I went to Rite Aid and this is what I got:

3 packs of Huggies Pure & Natural
1 case of Nestle bottled water
1 A&D diaper rash cream
1 small box of vanilla wafers (Josh's reward for staying with the kids and he needed it since Josiah decided to cry the whole time I was gone - poor Josh!)

Total out-of-pocket: $17
Total rebate check: $10
Total spent: $7

If you don't coupon, you are throwing away money!! The diapers alone were $11 each! Yes, I had tons of coupons - $3 Huggies coupons, $2 Rite Aid Huggies coupons, $5 off when you spend $20 Rite Aid coupons, $2 off A&D diaper rash cream, & $.50 off bottle water and it was on sale for $3.88.

Look at this site - you will save money!

3 Months!

Josiah turned three months on the 13th and is no longer officially a "newborn." And you know what? I'm not sad about it. To be really honest, the newborn stage is the hardest for me. Don't get me wrong, I love my babies at every age, but when they are newborns everyone is still adjusting to a new baby, and he is adjusting to life outside the womb. At three months, I understand him more and can adequately (most of the time) distinguish between the "I'm just really fussy" cry and "I have a dirty diaper and you need to change me NOW" cry.

Here are some other things I love about this age:

• Awake longer. Newborns are SO sleepy, but now Josiah is happy and content for about an hour. Usually, at the hour mark he begins to fuss and that is my cue to lay him down.
• Smiles and "talks" to us. I LOVE interacting with my children and Josiah is such a happy and "chatty" baby. He loves it when we talk to him and usually gets very excited. Seeing his sweet smiles make my heart melt.
• Great naps! Around 10 weeks, he began to take great naps. I would lay him in his bed and he began going right to sleep with no fussing. He normally takes 4 naps a day for around 2 hrs.
• Sleeps through the night! Around 9 weeks he began sleeping about 7 to 8 hrs, but between 10.5 to 12 weeks he hit his 3 month growth spurt and was sleeping around 6 hrs (I'm certainly not complaining about 6 hrs!). Thomas ate more during the day and continued to sleep all night, while Josiah ate the same during the day, but couldn't last as long at night. Right at 12 weeks, he began sleeping 8 hrs again and now is consistently sleeping from 10:30pm to around 7:30am. I'm beginning to move that 10:30pm feeding back and eventually would like his last feeding to be around 8pm. It will happen sometime in the next couple of months; I'm not in a big hurry.

I honestly think that Josiah does so well because we are on a routine. Our basic schedule is eat-awake-sleep or the acronym EASY. It has worked great with both of my boys and I really think it helps to regulate their metabolism. I do what the ole' wives tale says not to do: Wake a sleeping baby. Why? Because I want him to eat during the day and sleep at night! The only time I woke him during the night was when he was tiny and I wanted to make sure he was getting enough.

Well, it is time to go wake my sleeping baby. I'll post some new pictures soon of our sweet three month old boy!

You Lie!

Yesterday, Josh and I were talking and of course Thomas was in the room. In the midst of the conversation Josh said, "You lie!" (Side Note: He wasn't speaking about me!) As soon as it was out of his mouth we heard, "You lie! You lie! You lie!" Don't you just love how children repeat the things you don't want them to say?!

Thomas is talking a lot, but he still isn't completely clear on everything, but the peditrician said he is right where he needs to be for two. Everyday he picks up something new. We are trying to teach him to sing "Jesus Loves Me" or to say "I love you," but instead he says the things you don't want him to say. I guess we need to be careful what we say around little ears.

Now let's just hope he never meets President Obama...

Staying Behind

Most of you who read my blog know that my husband, Josh, is a pastor. Currently, he is the only pastor on staff at a church with around 150 people. Obviously, we aren't at a huge church, but one pastor for 150 people keeps him busy. On average, he preaches 3 times a week and has many different meetings to attend and to deal with the "business" of the church. This month is an especially busy month as we are getting ready for a new church year.

Right after we got married, Josh was pastoring a church in Indiana of about 20 people - yes, it was really small! While we were there, I was able to do everything with Josh. If someone was sick, I went with him to visit. If there was a wedding or a funeral, I was able to go. Of course, there wasn't nearly the amount of work to do for a congregation of 20 as there is for a congregation of 150. But even still, I was able to go because I had no other responsibilities than to serve with my husband.

Things are a lot different today than they were 3 years ago. We have two beautiful baby boys who require most of my time and attention. They need their mama and I cherish the time I can love on them and share the gospel with them. However, by caring for them I'm not as available to minister alongside of Josh. I am realizing that my role is different now. I have the primary responsibility of taking care of our children and home. The biggest role I have in Josh's day-to-day ministry now is prayer. And over the last few weeks, I have realized that prayer is more important than all the other things I could be doing.

I won't lie and say it is easy "staying behind." I love my husband and want to be with him. But I can't go to all the funerals or weddings or special services or to visit the sick. The hardest time for me was a few weeks ago when Josh was on his mission trip. I wanted to be there with him, but the Lord has placed me in the home with our children. I am trying to remember that our children will grow up all too quickly and one day, I will have more time to be "hands on."

Every season of life has its positives and negatives. Even though I can't participate in ministry as much right now, I can diligently serve my husband by fervently praying for him and by training up our children in godliness. What an awesome responsibility!

Brotherly Love

The picture above is the highest example of brotherly love at our house. Yes, I know the picture is only of Josiah holding a stuffed animal, but that isn't just any ole' stuffed animal. That stuffed animal is Thomas' beloved puppy, or better known around here at "Vu-vu." If any of you have ever met Thomas, more than likely you have met vu-vu. It is a rare occasion that Thomas isn't holding him or at least has him within sight. Not only was Josiah holding puppy, but Thomas wasn't even in the room! Yes, Thomas even placed him in that position after seeing Josh do it earlier.

I think Thomas is going to be a great big brother :-) Although, I do wonder what his response will be when puppy isn't freely given, but taken by his younger brother...we shall see!