Pictures

Just had to share the link for this pretty girl's senior pictures from the other day.

Love her.

Click here for more.

Favorites

We made the day a day of just favorites, for our favoritest little birthday girl.

Strawberries, syrup and homemade waffles,

followed by a morning of baking with her momma,

interrupted by a few happy birthday song calls.

Jonah and the Whale is her favorite all-time story (“Don’t bite me!” She always squeals when we get to that page in her Storybook Bible) so we made sure to sneak in her new Veggie Tales movie,

And then an outing just the four of us, a first for all of us, actually.

And little El built her own little bear,

a new car-companion favorite, picked out her stuffing, pink romper

and bows,

a little overwhelmed by it all, actually.

Followed by a totally unhealthy favorite meal of burgers and fries.

But worth it.

Finished by a momma's favorite, a mini-photo sesh in way too much wind,

Oh sweet thing, you're growing so very fast.

Each day that goes by, you change, you blossom, you bloom, you shine.

I don't want to keep you small, your dreams must be so very big,

And our world, our life, needs you for all you were meant for.

You were meant for big things, good things, great things.

My little girl, you have such joy.

Just be you, little girl, always.

You're beautiful.

So then our favorite day was completed by our fav birthday cake, candles,

and our favorite birthday girl was happy.

Side notes:

For your own celebrations and decor, check out a fav friend's new business, The Lovely Apple. They're running a giveaway right now!

And in case you're in need of more fav websites to check out, "like" my photography page here and blog here.

Three

The joy you are.

The quiet you are.

The spunk you are.

The dreamer you are.

The cautious you are.

The wild you are.

You are three, my little light.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Big

Just one more thing that makes him seem just so big these days...

I felt the little one making him a big brother moving the other day for the first time.

Actually it was a kick I first felt.

Brought tears to my eyes, mid-sentence, mid-everything.

A big reminder of the miracle this all is.

It's just a miracle becoming a mother,

difficult, painful, uncomfortable, at times.

Just like life, really.

But a reminder of just how blessed I am.

Minutes

Sometimes,

just a few minutes at the park are all that's needed

to enjoy the day just that much more

to make life just that much brighter.

Bein' there with daddy is that much better.

And having a yummy meal to come home to makes the evening just about perfect.

At least in my book.

Life

With two birthdays next month and our little ones growin' up by the day,

I decided a little update would be nice.

See, our youngest, soon to be our middlest, is just about as active as can be.

Whether it's the Y chromosome that makes the difference between him and his XX sibling,

or simply the personality he's born with,

my sweet hubby and I continue to be baffled with the difference in raising these two babes.

Turn your back for a second and it's the edge of the bed he's diving off of, and

we swear,

he heads for the top of the stairs any chance he gets,

going down them head first is what he's aiming for.

He's more ticklish than any child I've ever seen,

in the best of moods, we just point our finger at him, under his chin,

and he throws his head back in a fit of giggles.

He's weathered several colds and been a trooper through countless inhalers, steroid syrups, and bubbling humidifer nights, but, I think we just about have him breathing clear now.

He crawls like a Navy Seal, but it's quick enough to get him anywhere,

he's pulling up and into things,

and not even steep flights of stairs slow him down.

He'll wave to everyone and everything,

and often tries to repeat what we say.

He's a watcher, though just like his sis,

his eyes study everything.

His favorite though, above all, is daddy.

I know a few times he's strung "Hi Da-Da" together.

I pray verses for my children and our little man's verse fits him perfectly.

Now, his older sister, she's maturing exponentially by the day.

The other night was a teaching moment when she was tickled and responded with,

"That's annoying!"

And when we asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, after a few prompts, she responded,

"I want to get casserole."

We took that to mean she wants to be a chef.

Bring it on, girlfriend. We like to eat!

She loves her babies and puts them to bed every night, tucking them in, never without a thorough rocking.

Legos and coloring are her favorite, but getting the chance to have a book read to her will trump just about anything else she's doing.

I pray this daily for her little life.

Otherwise we're busy, happy in our everyday.

Our week in Instagram pictures:

1. A night with T and El's two crazy uncles.

2. Little man never slows down.

3. Party time in the car with three babies and an aunt.

4. Hide and Go Seek with El, another "must" each day.

5. A pretty morning, that's all.

6. "Hey, good lookin'"

7. Dinner with T, an adventure.

8. Bedtime books.

9. This little girl's got a 'tude sometimes.

And life is good.

Marveling

Climbing out of my car this morning, my routine begun, it’s memorized, really, ingrained. Mundane, in fact, most days.
I swung around quickly,
purse across my chest, keys in one hand, thumb on the auto-lock, breakfast in the other hand, Target sacked lunch looped onto the same arm.

I threw open the door behind me, thumb pressing lock as the other hand closes the first door I climbed out of, reached across one car seat to snag my gym bag jammed up underneath the other car seat.
Our program from church a few days ago threatened to blow out into the morning air and a dirty Kleenex from a toddler nose flew to the floor chased by an escaped nectarine crayon joining two too big pink Sunday best shoes and the tissue paper I had stuffed into the toes to keep them on my little girl’s feet.
I quickly sorted through the contents of my gym bag grabbing my tennis shoes from the floorboard with a miraculously free hand, picking a little boy’s stocking hat out of them and throwing it back into his car seat to nuzzle over his ears later, his teething ring, Sofie the Giraffe, had somehow made it into my bag too,
smiling, I tuck it also into his car seat to hand to him later.
The gym bag somehow wrangled into grasp also, a balancing, juggling, comical dance.

I breathed my routine in deeply this morning, the chaos of everyday life.
We all have it, we all live it differently.

But it was so beautiful this particular morning, it glistened, it sparkled,
and I find myself somehow marveling this morning in what so often,
too often,
could be considered mundane.

Today, I can marvel in the messes strewn across the car floor.
They’re a send-off of well wishes,
blessings for the day,
a reminder of the precious life I’ve been given.

Just a few years ago, these were my dreams.
If only I would ever have so much...
Over the years, this statement has ended differently, a sort of fill in the blank.
We all have our fill in the blank dreams and ambitions,
once fulfilled, we assume all will be complete.

And yet, like us all, I would imagine, the answers that have come, I’ve often let them slip from my precious grasp,
these once sparkling hopes deteriorate into disappointments through nothing but my own envies and worries and comparisons, setting my sights on something more.

I’ve heard it said, comparison is the thief of joy.

And if this is true, perhaps, then, it is contentment that is the sustenance.

And, in case you were wondering, I didn’t ever make it to the gym.

Wedding

I'm posting over at a our photography blog today.

I'm sharing the thoughts and joy about someone's happily ever after.

Click here.

We are sharing pictures of a beautiful, beautiful day.

Guest Post: Energy

A few weeks ago, a dear old friend contacted me and asked if I might be interested in debuting a guest post on the blog. She hosts a healthy living blog and thought young families might be interested in learning natural ways to achieve and keep up maximum energy. I took one look at my kitchen, my toy-strewn office area and the loads of laundry awaiting me and had a resounding affirmative answer for her. Molly's always been full of energy, enthusiasm and insight so hosting a post from her is a privilege! Check out her blog here!

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Welcome! My name is Molly, and I am currently a Registered Nurse with my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. I am also an Adult Nurse Practitioner Student, and planning to graduate May of 2013 from Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

I love seeing patients, and helping them reach their optimal health.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Dave, our dog, Kansas, spinning, reading, and being at the lake.

My favorite quote to live by while practicing is:

“You treat a disease, you win, you loose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”-Patch Adams

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at mollybrown@creighton.edu

--

Let's talk energy boosters...

1. Make sure you are getting enough Magnesium. Magnesium is an electrolyte, mineral, and vitamin! It's needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body--including taking your glucose and making it into energy. So, even if you are slightly deficient it can make you tired!

How do you know what your magnesium level is? If you go to your healthcare provider for a physical, they probably include it in your blood work. If your annual is not for awhile, try adding a handful of nuts such as almonds, or cashews to your daily diet, whole grains, and fish.

The recommended dietary intake of magnesium is: 300 mg for women a day. You can also check out your multivitamin to how much magnesium intake you are getting there!

2. Take a daily walk. Even if you are feeling tired, studies have shown that walking just for 10 minutes boosts energy

levels! Plus, you get a little Vitamin D if you go outside for your walk, double points! The studies also showed the energy levels were sustained for up to 2 hours after the walk.

3. Take a power nap. Some studies suggest an hour. If you don't have time for an hour, even 15 minutes can help you reset for the day. A little nap helps you focus more, and it helps you to retain what you have learned for the day. One little tip I've heard along the way is to let your bed, or wherever you are going to take a nap, "hold you." This simply means to let your muscles relax, unclench your teeth, and let your eyeballs roll back into their sockets. Then, when you set your alarm, say, "I'm going to wake up at _____ and feel refreshed and reenergized." If you believe those words, it really does help!

4. Eat your breakfast. And don't skimp on your other meals, either! Studies show people who eat breakfast and have their meals have less fatigue than people who do skimp. I think it's important to start off with a high-fiber and high protein breakfasts. It sets the tone for your body the whole day. Eat your fruits and veggies, too, skip the processed snacks!

5. Drink your water. If you filled a 32 ounce water bottle up twice a day and drank it all, you would be hydrated with a good amount of water. In turn, if you drank 3 cups of coffee in the morning, and no water, your cells will be dehydrated, eventually you will come down from your coffee high, and it can actually increase your blood pressure. I'm not saying to quit your morning coffee, I'm just saying for every cup of coffee you drink, add a cup of water.

*Helpful Hints to getting all your water you need: Fill a big water bottle up the night before, and put it in the fridge. It will be cold for when you wake up, and an easy way to remember to drink your first water bottle. Add some lemon, add some crystal light, do whatever you need to do to keep those cells hydrated!

6. Eat whole foods. I'm sure you've heard this 1,000 times. Eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fish. I know this is extremely hard to do, but if you can even swap out one meal for a big course of fruits and vegetables, you can slowly change your habits. Then, you can reap benefits of having a nice blood sugar, low blood pressure, and low cholesterol! If you need a sweet treat, try to keep it in moderation. Way easier said than done!

7. Have your Thyroid checked. Your healthcare provider can easily draw your Thyroid levels on a routine visit. If you are feeling unusually tired, fatigued, anxious, hot, or cold all the time, talk to your healthcare provider. Sometimes, it effects more women after childbirth, so don't be shy to ask.

8. Take Vitamin B-12. Studies have shown Vitamin B-12 can increase your energy. It's available at any of your local pharmacies, or a nutrition store. It's over the counter, and a water soluble vitamin.

If you have any questions, or would have suggestions for blog posts you are interested in, please do not hesitate to ask! I can be reached at mollybrown@creighton.edu

Thanks for reading!

Sources:

http://women.webmd.com/features/10-energy-boosters?page=4

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12/

Blessings

In the blessings that are busyness lately,

in the routine, the normal, the survival mode mothers run in mostly,

I've been reminded of the miracle found in chances for quiet,

letting my daughter run in silence, exploring and dreaming, lost in the wonder of independence,

watching my son take it in, the strong one he is, the mover, the goer, but all with a sense of observation as his eyes study.

My own wise mother has reminded me often over the years of this need we all have for quiet,

more and more meaningful as I learn my children and who they were born to be.

She's gently prompted me to sit and just read every now and again, not even to them, but silently, reading to myself, in front of them, modeling a peaceful ability to be doing nothing. She's encouraged me to ask them for time where they're not talking, a feat to take on training for this discipline, knowing this is a life skill easier for some than others.

And in an age of blogging and youtube and facebook and texting and email, all ready for me with a swipe and tap, this grows more of a challenge the longer I take to practice this all.

But when I do, as I do, I can't help but know, the best is yet to come.

For the full effect of my daughter's singing, scroll to the bottom of this page to pause the background music...

The blessings have just begun.