One thing I LOVE about using the camera feature on my iphone is the discovery of pictures I didn’t know I had! Here’s my latest one…& it gets me every time!! This picture was taken just hours after Faith’s birth, after our company had left for the night & we were alone with our new baby girl!
Can’t believe Faith is 9 months old!!
Where has the time gone??
These are my chronicles of life after kids….
#1….the dog gets bathed only as a necessity!
Doesn’t he look so thrilled?! Last night John let Murphy out to go potty before bedtime….he returned a little different than when we first saw him. A big muddy mess. Needless to say, this earned him a spot in the tub. It had been a long time!
Since Faith arrived, my time revolves around feeding, changing, playing, napping, repeat multiple times throughout the day. Murphy has sort of taken a back seat. This sounds terrible, but our idea of bathtime for Murphy has become a trip to the vet which involves a haircut & a bath. I know, I know….I need to work on this. Stay tuned for more of my confessions.
So….fess up! How has your life changed after having kids??
So, this past week at stuCo, we talked about transformation. Any type of transformation is a process…not something that happens overnight. John summed it up really nicely in his blog last week. In case you’d like a little recap, here it is:
“If there is one thing that can hinder transformation, its pride. If we do not pursue transformation in our own lives, we will never experience it. And we will never pursue transformation until we recognize our need for it. We don’t like to share our weaknesses with anyone. We have learned to hide them away, even from ourselves if we can. But Paul warns us to be honest in our evaluation, according to the faith we’ve been given. We have to evaluate where we are on our journey with honesty, before we can take the next step.”
The whole idea of transformation got me thinking this week. Looking back over this past year, I can see so many ways I have been transformed. Don’t get me wrong-I still need some major work…but again, it is a process. I like to think of the transformation process as being a mom.
When Faith was first born, I didn’t have a clue. I had no idea how to feed her, when she was sleepy, how to get her to sleep, etc. I would cry when she cried because I felt so clueless. I knew already I loved her more than life itself, & my heart hurts sometimes I love her so much. But I needed to learn the basics. The ropes of motherhood. Here’s a pic of me…just hours into my momma journey:
Fast forward eight months, and yes, sometimes I still don’t have a clue. But I gradually figure it out. I can look back & see how much I’ve learned. I feel like a mom. I know what Faith needs (usually!) when she cries. I no longer cry with her because I know how to take care of her. She is growing & thriving. And so am I. Most days I feel confident & competent in being a mom. I look forward to the future & seeing what kind of mom I turn out to be! Here’s one of our more recent pics…looks a lot different than delivery day:
I think it’s the same way with our Christian lives. In the beginning, we are so full with excitement, love, & even fear. We can’t wait to see what God has planned for our lives. But we don’t know yet how to find God’s will, how to share Him with others, or how to grow in our Christian walk. We have to learn the basics.
It’s always easy to look back in our lives & see the transformation that’s happened. What’s difficult is looking ahead, & staying encouraged that it will continue to happen if we pursue it.
Just like my transformation into being a momma, life with Christ & our spiritual growth is a process. And it will happen. We just have to keep at it, even when things get tough. And then one day, we look back & realize we’re different. Changed.
We’ve been transformed.
Two years, John & I decided to sponsor a child. We made the decision while attending the 2008 National Youth Workers’ Convention & hearing an adult Asian woman tell the story of how she came to know Christ, survive in a poverty-stricken land, & eventually enter the ministry, all with the help of an organization called Compassion International. This is a video I received recently in an email from them:
We chose our child; an eight-year old boy from Ethiopia. The average monthly income in this country is around $8.00. I spend more than that in one day so often. It was a hard realization for me; God had blessed John & I so much…I knew we had not been fully giving to others as we should or could.
Fast-forward two years later, & our sponsored boy is now a growing ten year old. He plays soccer, football, & sings. His parents are married, selling cabbage & firewood to help support the family. He attends Sunday School & church, personally writes us letters every few months to tell us how he’s doing, colors us pictures, & we send him updates on our family as well.
Through Compassion, it has been so easy for us to write to our child. All we have to do is log on, type our letter, & submit. Translators convert it into his native language. Sponsoring a child has been such a blessing, & I hope to pass this on to Faith one day when she’s old enough. I’m already looking forward to helping her write him letters, or maybe even sponsor a child her own age. I want her to learn there is so much to life besides her own little world, and so many others in need of help.
With the recent Haiti earthquate, Compassion is accepting donations to help the families & children of Haiti. If you’d like to help & are able to donate to a reputable Christian organization, click the Haiti earthquate link.
9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.
Ok, so here it is folks. Probably the number one New Year’s Resolution in America. And yes, it is also one of mine (notice the word, one, meaning, I have multiple resolutions!). Weight loss. Exercise. Eating healthy. However you want to phrase it, in 2010, this baby once again tops my resolution list.
Unlike saving $$$, to which I’ve actually been successful so far, I have failed miserably at the eating healthy/weight loss/exercise goal. Let’s just call it a “lifestyle change” for short. Yes, I know I gave birth to Faith almost nine months ago. Thanks to nursing her, I was able to lose the pregnancy pounds without even breaking a sweat. But that won’t last forever. Nor will it tone up my abs unfortunately.
Now, it’s just time to get serious. Or at least get off the couch for a start.
My goal is to be a fit mama, no laughing please! No, I don’t secretly long to be a fitness guru, but I do want to be in shape. Fitting exercise into my day is hard. I blame my lack of time. If I’m honest, it’s more my lack of motivation. But when I think of how I’d like to add another baby Lovell to our family at some point, I reason that I should get moving (literally!) because I would like to be in shape before I get pregnant with #2. Plus, I want to wear my bikini again at the beach this summer!
So…all you fitness/health buffs out there, how do you do it? Count calories? Carbs? Work out?
What do you do (or plan to do) to get in shape for 2010?
So, one of my New Years’ resolutions for 2010 was to save money by cooking more meals at home. I spent a day adding up how much money John & I spent on take-out food alone, & I was astounded! I love to cook, and although I would never claim to be a great one, I do love to try out new recipes for dinner. So I decided to put my love for cooking to some good use.
Since we’ve kicked off 2010, I have kept true to my resolution. Yes, I have cooked dinner. Almost every. single. night. I can already tell a big difference in our bank account as well, and I am loving it!
My newfound way of saving money has motivated me to look for even more ways to cut back on unnecessary expenses, freeing up extra $$$ to save, give, or have fun with. Some of ideas we’re implementing in our household:
What I need now….details & tips on how to make this plan realistic. So, I am curious about YOU & YOUR FAMILY!
What do you do to save $$$ ?
Today’s just been one of those days. I’d say this picture sums it up quite nicely:
It started off at 3 am. Faith decided to wake up and carry on random conversations. Till 6:30 am. I think somewhere we got a bit of sleep and up for the day at 9 am. Things around my house today have just been chaotic. Off schedule (not like we really have a “schedule”), just off kilter I suppose. I’m not excited about the snow. I’m feeling stir-crazy already because I’ve been off work for five days & ready to get back to normal. Add to it a clingy, teething baby who won’t sit still.
It seems like so much of the time I’m wishing I didn’t have to work, or could be at home full-time. I think I am finally learning to be thankful for having the best of both worlds. John & I have been very blessed to have a very flexible working schedule that allows each of us plenty of time home with Faith.
Today I am just more appreciative of the working side than I usually am.
Seven years ago today, I entered into what would become the greatest journey & love of my life. I married my best friend. I had no idea the places this journey would take us, the joys, the challenges, the rewards, & the frustrations. It amazes me to think back at how little we knew, how young we were, & to see where God has taken us now. Just check out these pictures I dug up….
I loved our winter wedding, and was so thankful for all our friends and family who stood beside us in support and love that day. Don’t we look so young?
Being a wife to John has been the greatest blessing of my life. Our wedding verse was Song of Solomon 3:4 “…I have found the one whom my soul loves.”
Seven years later, there has never been a more true statement. I’m excited to see what the future holds for us as a couple & family.
John’s favorite verse has always been Ephesians 3:20-21; “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!”
My prayer for us is that the words of this scripture continue to be in the forefront of our lives as we serve Christ together.
Happy Anniversary!
So it seems like the day Faith turned 8 months old, everything changed. She went from having a sweet little toothless, granny grin to having two tiny teeth poking through her bottom gums. She decided crawling was a good way to get around the house, even if she crawls backward at first! Waving bye-bye is a new hobby, but the thing she really LOVES to do, is play pat-a-cake. John even managed to capture it on camera:
Looking at this video amazes me…especially compared to this one I found:
I remember when Faith was first born, many moms told me to enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast. Now I truly understand what they meant. My baby is growing up way too fast!
On Christmas morning, John & I spent time wondering exactly what we did last year for Christmas. I know we celebrated the birth of Jesus, ate lots of dinners, & exchanged gifts. But for some reason, it is all a hazy memory compared to this year’s festivities.
Perhaps that’s because our brains haven’t adjusted to the change in our sleep habits since having a baby, but maybe it is more than that. This Christmas, I realized there is just something different about celebrating the holiday with a little one. I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s there. And whatever it is, is awesome! This “it” motivated John & I to get up early on Christmas morning, make a big breakfast, play Christmas music, & drink hot chocolate. We played Santa, putting out Faith’s big toys under the tree, took stock in C & D batteries, and lounged around in our festive pj’s all day.
Is “it” the Christmas spirit? I don’t know.
I admit though-I’m a little sad it’s over.
Here’s a pic I snapped of Faith checking out her first ever Christmas gift left under the tree from “Santa.”
Looking back, 2009 has been a great year for the Lovells. God has blessed us so much more than we deserve. I am excited to see what He has planned for us in 2010.
And honestly, I can’t wait till next Christmas!
 | Kristy on Life after kids….part… |
 | Evan Elewa on Time to get off the couch… |
 | Nancy on My Momma Transformation |
 | dressingmyself on Time to get off the couch… |
 | itsjustmehillary on How do YOU save $$$ |
