Sight.

I got new glasses!!

Okay. Not the right picture. She's cuter. 


































HERE's my new glasses...





















Not really. Ha. These are awesome! But they aren't mine. I don't have a picture of mine. My glasses are cute though!
































I love new glasses.


I love to see.


Every time I get new glasses, I think about when I first got glasses. 


I was in 2nd grade. I read more books than anyone in the second grade that year. I played machine pitch baseball, and hit the ball every time in the game, but not one time during practice. I had glasses in Kindergarden that I never wore. I didn't act like I was struggling.


I didn't even know I couldn't see.


I didn't know what it was like to see clearly. I had been "blind" my entire life.


The nurse's little eye test sent me to the eye doctor.


Dr. Sticksel saved my sight. I was nearly blind in one eye when I finally got glasses. 


My mother still feels like she failed somehow, but there was no way she could know how bad things were!


I can remember that first pair of glasses that were the correct prescription. I can remember the complete awe I felt. I was seeing the world for the first time. 


I told my dad I didn't know there were leaves on the trees. 


I told my parents hitting the ball was easy when you just watch it. Up until that point I had timed my swing for after I heard the machine throw it out. I didn't even KNOW you could watch the ball.


I never took my new glasses off. 


I slept in them.


Bathed in them. 


I STILL wish I could swim in them.


THAT is what God's grace is for us!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Before becoming a follower of Christ, we are blind. God grants us sight! God allows us to see the leaves on the trees for what they really are! His grand creation! 


God allows us to see the peace God holds for us. The joy! 


Every day we should be grateful for the sight God grants us. Not just with our eyes! He grants us sight with our hearts and minds.


We can see the future God has guaranteed us through the death of His Son, Jesus.  


We don't deserve to see. We deserve the death our sin has earned us. 


Let us PRAISE THE LORD for saving us.

1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 

- 1 Corinthians 10:31

Okay,

So I've been a little down in the dumps lately. I lovingly refer to it as "I've been in a funk".

Does everyone get this way?

I usually get out of a funk by exercising excessively, but I haven't even felt like THAT lately.

I haven't felt like cooking. Or cleaning. Or doing dishes. Or really anything. I have cleaned, and done the dishes, and occasionally cooked, but I haven't been very joyful about it.

I'm not sure what set it all off, but I couldn't get it to shut off.

Today was an especially bad day. After 10 days of a my baby being sick with the never ending stomach flu, she finally felt better yesterday and today....only to be fussier than she has EVER been before. I thought maybe it was her last molar coming in, but that came in and she was still a screaming crabby-fest! Sleep deprived, dumpy Bandi had nearly reached her patience breaking point when this song came on the radio:

And as I listened to the lyrics I was seriously convicted.

God was telling me to get up out of my dumpy mood and remember everything I do is supposed to be glorifying him.

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you Cause He made you to do Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face And tell the story of grace With every move that you make And every little thing you do 

I've been cranky about things he chose for me. I've been cranky about an EXTREMELY beautiful daughter he gave me (as undeserving as I am). I've been cranky about the blessing of staying home. I've been cranky toward my husband. 

I've not been glorifying Him in ANYTHING I do....let alone glorifying Him in EVERYTHING I do. 

This is the season I am supposed to be reminded of the great sacrifice God made in sending His Son to the Earth as a baby to save us all. 

After my daughter was born, His sacrifice became much more to me. I understand now the love a parent feels for their child. I cannot fathom sending my child to die for the sins of others. I cannot begin to comprehend His love for us, that he would allow his only child to suffer and die. I am much to human. I am much too selfish. I am much to in need of His salvation.

Who am I to allow my dumpy mood to let me forget why I am here?

I am no one.

So these next few days, remember EVERYTHING you do is supposed to be glorifying the One True God who sacrificed His only son for us. 

Merry Christmas, friends :)

 

The things I never did....

Before I became a mother, life was easy. Ha. No really.

Obligatory picture of sweet Baby Love :) Isn't she delicious? She's helpful too!

I've recently compiled a list of things I never appreciated before I became a mother....

1. Eating whatever I want. When I want it. Where I want it. I now am forced to sneak food behind corners and doors if I want to eat all of it myself. My child suddenly finds she has a serious craving for whatever snack I've picked up, and I must share it with her. Because she's cute. So if I don't want to share. I hide. I'm quite literally a closet snacker. Especially if I want a banana, a yogurt, a carrot, a cheezeit, or really anything else. I do have the worlds best eater, though, so I shouldn't be surprised.


2. Using the restroom, alone. I always have at least one "helper" in the restroom, if not one, three. They follow me in. My bathroom is, like, one foot wide by one foot long. There is not room for ANYONE else in there. Yet, they see a need to help me. Sometimes one of them insists on sitting in my lap. I try to only use the restroom during nap time. It doesn't always work. 


3. Going to the _________ (fill in the blank with whatever place you can imagine) quickly. Children and Hurry should never be in the same sentence. It just doesn't work.


4. Leaving my house. Ever. No really. I'm not a stay at home mom. I'm a work at home mom. 4 children 2 and under need 4 car seats....and a car big enough to take them places....and at least 2 adults to carry/walk slowly with/hold hands with them. So I don't leave. Ever. I'm blessed with a friend who will babysit for me so I can go to the occasional doctor's appointment. I pay her, but I'm not sure there's enough money in the world to show how much I appreciate her. Sometimes I literally go DAYS without leaving my house. 


5. Watching a TV show. Start to finish. I choose not to have my TV on with the children there all day. They don't need it. There is ENOUGH noise at my house without it. Sometimes during afternoon naps I'll turn it on, but I never get through a whole show. There is too much to do. In the evenings after Baby Love goes to bed, I usually watch one show with my husband, then I'm off to bed with a book....and some silence. :)


6. Writing a blog (or anything else on the computer because obviously I didn't have a blog before...) I get "help" on the computer with anything if there is a child awake. Pretty sure Baby Love deleted a document I'd worked on all day (because it takes all day these days), and the recovery of said document wasn't nearly as complete as the deleted document....so it took me ANOTHER day to finish it. She's such a helper.


7. Talking on the phone. I think there's some unwritten baby rule that says "when mom's phone rings...begin crying or screaming". Sorry if you call me. 


There will probably be a time in my life where I don't know what its like to use the restroom without help.....or when I'll miss the "help" when I'm on the computer......or when I'll miss the noise of 4 children giggling together.....


Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being a mama. Seriously. God created me to be a mama. I just appreciate things more when I get them now. Like tonight, I'm going to Sonic. This will be my first time in my car....Since SUNDAY! And, I'm going alone. Cue angelic music.

Go ahead...add to my list. Its fun to remind yourself of what it was like BC (before children).

Yep, God, I get it...

So, I'm a sinner.

Wow.

I know, duh, right?

How often does my human/sinful/prideful nature slip in and let me think I'm all kinds of good? Way too often. Apparently God allows me nice little moments to remind me how desperately I need Him.

He did that this week.

I'm surprised he waited that long. Maybe I wasn't listening before. I needed to be knocked down about 22 notches. I needed to depend on Him. I needed to remember I can do nothing without him.

My heart hurts.

I'm headed back His way. :)

Maybe it will take a little longer before I need another one of those nudges. Please Lord give me the ability to stay close to you. Please Lord keep my pride in check. Please Lord. Please Lord.

He's pretty good about making sure I remember He is my Refuge and Strength.

My heart hurts, did I mention that?

Thank you Lord for my sweet husband. Thank you for blessing me with him. He loves me so well. You created an amazing man in my husband.

My heart hurts, My God is big enough to handle my hurt.

I'm most thankful for that.

A great read

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read"

- Mark Twain

I am a reader. I love to read. I love to get so lost in a book I miss the characters when they are gone. Reading makes me joyful. I will read most anything. My hobbies are reading and some other stuff I do when I'm not reading. As long as I can remember, I've loved to read. 


People are always asking me what I suggest they read.


Actually...


Half the time they don't ask. I just start telling them things they should read.


Strangers on a plane? Yeah, I'll tell you great books I've read.


Friends? Oh yes.


Facebook? You mention a book, and I'll start listing.


I think everyone should be a reader, and my not so silent mission in life is to make everyone a reader.


Don't worry. I probably don't judge you too severely if you're not a reader. I understand. Actually, I don't understand, but I have learned to deal with the fact that not every adult is a lover of books. I will do my best to make you a reader.


I thought I would use my blog to keep a running list of books I love. That way, if someone asks, or suggests through their unknown mind powers asks, for a great book to read I can give one them the link to my blog :) 


VERY IMPORTANT POINT!!! This isn't a list of my favorites; it's a list of books I think any person of any age will read and enjoy. I've also tried to pick books that don't have movies yet so no one has the "I will just see/have seen the movie" excuse.                                                               

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Odds are I have probably suggested you read this book if you've ever asked. This is my number one suggestion to anyone. It is a fabulous book. Fabulous. It is written in an extremely unique way, and is an easy easy read. I laughed out loud, cried out loud, and loved this book out loud. Go find it and read it. Today. Or tomorrow. No, really you should read it today.
2. Peter and the Starcatchers (series) by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. These are seriously imaginative and hilarious books. They seem loooong, but they're quick reads. Read them to your kids and you'll laugh too. I read them before I had kids. I was an adult. My whole family read them. My brother got me one for Christmas and told me I had until the end of the day to finish it. Yeah, we fight over share books in my family. 
3. The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger by Lois Lowry I think most people have read The Giver when they were in school. Not many have read all three books in the series. I went a LONG time on a futuristic-society book kick and these three books were extremely high on that list. They are all different with a common theme. They are quick reads. They make you think, but they are not difficult to read or understand. My favorite was Gathering Blue. Go read them. Seriously. Go. They're probably in the library right now. Go on.
4. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls This is probably the only non-fiction book I'll suggest. I don't read much non-fiction, but this book is incredibly powerful and I think anyone who interacts with anyone else should read this book. 
5. The Host by Stephanie Meyer Does that name sound familiar? Yeah, she wrote Twilight. This book is VERY different from Twilight, so if you are automatically anti-twilight you'll probably enjoy this book. I loved Twilight, but I loved this book differently. It's still sci-fi, but it's so interesting! 
6. My sister (and friend) reminded me to put The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins on the list! It's not yet a movie. If you haven't read this, you must live under a rock. It is a very great series. It's dark. I recommend reading this one first before you suggest your kids read it, but I love it!
7. AAAAANnnd my husband (who said this was my most boring blog yet) informed me I had no "man" books on the list. MOST of the war/shoot-em-up books I read (and loved) have been made into TV and movies, BUT I do recommend Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. It is a powerful look at the war in Afganistan by a former Navy Seal. Wow. 
8. I'll know I have so many more to add, and I'll add more as I come across them, but I wanted to get this posted to get some feedback. :)

If you're not a reader, you should try one of these books. They're both reader and non-reader friendly. I won't judge you if you don't like them. 


Please know, however, I do judge you if you do not read to your children. 


If you are a parent, grandparent, uncle, aunt, older sister, distant cousin, stranger on a bus, basically anyone who interacts EVER with a child, you should read to that child. Read and read and read and read and read to your children. Please. 


Please provide me some feedback. Are there books you think should be on this list? Books you recommend to people if they ask for books? I read almost everything I'm suggested. I'm always looking for suggestions. Feel free to comment and let me know!

Photo Friday :)

We're gearing up for the local Pink Out game today, and it made me think about how TINY our sweet girl was at last year's game (and FYI at the game the year before I wasn't even pregnant! Woah!). Here's some Halloween and Pink Out pictures for your comparison...

Last year. Our little bumble bee.

I sense an insect theme here :)

I really hate this picture of me. I really love this picture of my husband and sweet bee. Seriously, I have one good looking husband. 

We didn't get a family pic with the costume this year. Please note what losing your baby weight does for a girl.

Last year's pink out game :) I seriously love this little picture. She almost made it to game time. Almost.

This year's pink out game. Hee hee. I sure love this little girl.


Happy Friday!

Costume Making (aka What Was I Thinking?)!

One ridiculously cute "Very Hungry" butterfly.

Ok,

You’re looking at that picture and thinking, “that’s so cute! Why on Earth would she say, ‘what was I thinking’?”

Let me tell you.

Sometimes my brilliant ideas are way more stressful than they should be.

Here’s what happened.

I saw this costume in a Pottery Barn magazine.

This picture is from pottery barn's website! It's not my picture! 

Cute huh? 

It better be REALLY cute for $90 plus shipping! Seriously?

I’m too cheap to spend that kind of money on something she may wear 3 times. 

If I’m lucky. (Last year she wore hers once, for approximately 20 minutes total.)

Anyway, I googled around and found some other Eric Carl costumes on some questionable sites for significantly less, but I wasn’t really willing to trust the random website with my money….and again, it’s something she’ll wear a couple times! There has got to be a better way.

I’m creative.

Maybe there’s a way I can do this myself….haha….

Please keep in mind I don’t have a sewing machine, and I have no clue how to use one if I had one, so I had to come up with something sew-free….

I looked up youtube videos on how to make your own fairy wings, and tried to figure out a way to make hangers look like Eric Carl’s art…yeah, I’m glad I didn’t even try….

I found this idea for wings and thought I could make wings like that…except “hungrier” (hee hee, sorry).

Except, after I got home with my foam board, and tissue paper, and great intentions, and decided I was crazy if I thought I could make 4 of the same wings with tons of cut outs like Eric Carl’s artwork and it even look remotely cute.

There had to be a better way. But there had to be a way to make it work with stuff I had here at my house or at Walmart. I wasn’t going to be back in town with a Hobby Lobby until the day I needed the costume done. So I had to brainstorm in a REALLLLLLY short period of time.

I looked in my drawer of crafty stuff….and found mod podge glue. (On a side note Eric Carl paints paper, cuts it out and glues it together to make his artwork…this is as close to the original art as I could get! And it was my last idea…)

Now, I can look at just about anyone else’s art and reproduce it, so I was really able to cut out tissue paper and modge podge it together to get pretty much a decent look-alike wing. Here's what I did:

I originally bought tissue paper, yellow foam board and purple ribbon for my way too cut out wings. I thought i had an x-acto knife at my house I could use (I later found out I didn't, but keep reading, I got creative there too).

 I cut out a general shape of the wing and traced it twice onto the foam board. I wanted the wings to be the same size and shape (ish...I'm not really picky).

I then cut out tissue paper into the shapes I wanted and glued it on the foam board. (That's what mod podge is if you didn't know, glorified spreadable glue). I focused on the bigger shapes.

I then procrastinated for WAY too many days and did the second wing. I probably procrastinated because I had no idea how I was going to make all this stupid gluing work. Sometimes I struggle for ways to get things out of my brain and into real life.

The day I needed the costume I was in town visiting my parents. My mom is creative, so I was hoping she had an x-acto knife...or an idea....or they had a walmart where I could buy one on sale.....

About an hour and a half before the costume had to be ready, we got a pair of scissors out and sawed the wings out. Yeah. Desperate times. (this is my "i should probably take a picture of this if i think i might blog about it" picture.)

You can also tell in this picture that the two wings were not exactly the same, because I really just wanted two wings. They're the same size though, that's what counts.

Then I just tried to figure out a way to get the wings to stay on and stay out....

A moving baby makes things difficult. Eventually, we decided I should tie the two wings together, and make loops for her arms. There was probably a better way, but we were running out of time!

I also realized the back of her wings were blank. And boring. And needed something.

So my poor mama watched another youtube video (because we couldn't find the book) and we took the line from the butterfly page and wrote it on the blank back of her wings. For something so spontaneous, I like it. My handwriting is terrible...if only I hadn't procrastinated...

FYI in the picture I hadn't yet trimmed all the ribbon so Its hard to tell how we tied it together. Sorry bout that. 

I know you're curious about the rest of the costume. I don't know if you can tell from reading this, but this whole idea stemmed from the fact that I really had a problem with how much you spend on costumes compared to how seldom you wear a costume so the rest of her costume is stuff we owned or will wear again.

Her leggings are babylegs. I can't find the exact ones, but these are close. We already owned these, and wear them ALL the time. We LOVE baby legs.

This is her onesie from diapers.com. Technically, I got it for her costume, but I didn't want a leotard or something she couldn't wear again. I got it way on sale, and it's the softest thing ever. She even wore it before she wore her costume. If I weren't so vain/picky she had white long sleeved onesies she could have worn.

I didn't make antlers (or whatever you call them on butterflys). She wore a bow. Because she's cuter in a bow. And she wore some hand-me-down shoes from a friend that we already had. I was going to put her in her black and white shoes but my mama pointed out pink would be cuter.

She had fun at the zoo boo with 2 of her cousins, and I know she'll have fun tonight. I think she knows she's supposed to fly, because she wore me out trying.

Happy Halloween! 

Happy Happy halloween!!!

So...one of the boys I keep is 3 months older than my little girl. I absolutely LOVE him (and his parents). I really really reeeeaaaallly hope the two of them are friends for life so I can torture them with the blackmail pictures I take of them constantly.

This is one of my favorites of all time.

They're so close they clean each other's ears....haha!

And gang up on the bigger ones together. Ha!

So, his mama invited my family over for some pumpkin painting. Maybe it's a new tradition. Tradition or no tradition, it was hilarious! What fun memories!

She found some cute little round pumpkins and some paints and brushes. I was so impressed with the effort she put into this little pumpkin party!!

After a yummy dinner we stripped them down and let them at it.

We showed them how to dip...

They figured out paint wasn't very tasty.

It's non-toxic.




I think.

I'm pretty sure we at least got some paint on the pumpkins.

They had a BLAST!!!

AND they were allowed to make a mess!

Who doesn't think that's fun?


(I wish you could have seen the adults in the background attempting to get both of them to look at us and smile. Ha! The things we do...)

Afterward they took a bath, and.....

raced up the stairs. :)

















All in all we may be crazy for getting two one year olds to paint pumpkins, but we made fun memories.
We're blessed to be surrounded by such great people. 

How quickly....

I'm sure plenty of you read the title of this blog and think I'm about to talk about "where has my baby gone" or "she's just getting so big". It's true. I have a big girl now, but I love it! 

There are a few things I don't do. 

1. I don't complain about my age. Mostly because I'm 28. I think. I lost a year having a baby and now I really have to think about how old I am (I was 26 for 2 years ;)). But also because God created us to get older, and I am grateful to get older! There is NO WAY I want to go back to the person I was at 23...or 21....or 18. I know people who have complained about turning 25, 30, 40 or a lot of other things. I choose to be joyful about what God has given me and enjoy my life. 
2. I don't complain or dwell on the fact that my daughter is getting so big. God intended for her little body and brain to grow and develop and change, it's my job to enjoy the stages in her life! It's my job to be like Mary and "...treasure up all these things and ponder them in [my] heart." Luke 2:19 I love watching her change and grow. I love everything she has done so far and I look forward to what is to come!

I will tell you, though, I'm surprised how quickly her little sin nature has shown up. As she becomes more and more aware of her surroundings, she becomes more and more aware of what is right and wrong, and she isn't always choosing what is right!

Wow.

She's 14 months old!

She's already getting into things she shouldn't be into and hiding in the corner playing with it so she won't get caught!

She runs when I see her with something she knows she shouldn't have!

She cuts her eyes.

She throws little fits.

She fake cries.

Wow. 

Don't get me wrong. I seriously have a very well behaved baby. God has blessed us with a baby with her father's easy going nature. She is full of life and joy that is so contagious! She has a little bit of her mama's stubbornness (Coward stubbornness as my sister lovingly refers to it) and she is an ornery little thing, but even that adds to the fact that she is a great baby who goes with the flow and is so easy easy easy to love.

Yet, she is human. She is imperfect. She is a sinner. Woah.

I'm not grown up enough to be a parent! 28 isn't old enough. God hasn't given me enough wisdom (I pray for wisdom a LOT) to raise a child in this century. 

I'm grateful for His grace. I'm grateful for my parents, and the church and friends He has surrounded my family with. They have much more wisdom than I.

How do we shelter her without being a helicopter? How do we let her assert her independence in a world that is so scary? How do we lead her to the Lord? How do we encourage her to make good choices? How do we discipline this sweet sweet stinker?

Proverbs - Chapter 2:1-6 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

How in the world did my parents do this?

Woah.