Inevitable Valley in Life

Valleys in life are inevitable, as the video states, sometimes you're on a mountaintop, sometimes the valley. Dr. Charles Stanley talks about Psalm 23 and valleys.

Took a few minutes for me to get into this one, but I'm glad I kept listening, powerful truth!

This Week on TV

quote for today

R.C. Sproul: God just doesn't throw a life preserver to a drowning person. He goes to the bottom of the sea, pulls up a corpse, takes him up on the bank, breathes the breath of life into him, and makes him alive.

resolve

Encouraging blogs, encouraging posts...

I read the blog Blessings and Glory, as you can see on my list on the right.

Quoting what she wrote:

"“When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger.“ Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

Ann writes a bit more about why our words, especially as mothers matter most:

All the words I had ever spoken, they are making my children who they are. What we speak into others, this is what they become."

I can see in reflection times I've messed this one up and the implications of it. What a prayer for a New Year. I pray it for me too, to my husband, to my son, to all whom I encounter.

Spider Monkey

Here we go! The wedding planning has begun. My sister is engaged and to be married in June! She asked me to be her maid of honour. I am honoured!

phew! The day she asked me I prayed that I would not feel overwhelmed over the next 5 or so months, that I would relinquish worry and control over to Him. My first time as a bridesmaid being married and with a child, I'm still honoured!

So, I've obviously been thinking about toning up over the last week (as per comment in Tiffany's post). Since pregnancy and breastfeeding I've been trying to eat better, it's pretty hard to change some of those eating habits after 22 months. Continual eating, snacking, night snacks, it adds up. My aunt who has the metabolism of a spider monkey at 39, said to me she did no exercise in first year of baby, then eased into it after that, oh that was an encouraging comment. I did a small amount of exercise in the summer and fall, now is time for more. The elliptical is ready to go and excited for running in the spring. I have a few people around me to hold me accountable. (insert mother-in-law here ;)

Caden just loves snitching our phones whenever they are remotely within reach. He presses some buttons then wanders around chatting in the phone, almost yelling. Guess he likes the technology overall, remotes, dvd player, our computer, he is there!

little character

When Caden wants a book read to him and I am on the couch, he'll pass me the book then try to get on or make noises so I will help him up to read the book to him.

Just started signing after months of trying to get him there. (persistance pays off!!!) He'll sign Please and More, we're working on Thank You and Drink.

We bought him mega blocks for Christmas, after a couple weeks of destroying what we build or taking apart blocks, he's starting to build his own, so cute to watch his attentiveness.

We have a puppy living across the hallway, when it barks Caden goes to our door and listens closely, then barking back "whoo, whoo, whoo".

The Music! He's such a music guy. He likes having some kind of music playing, if nothing is on, he'll bring the remote to me, and telling me in his babble to turn it up. When we drive he does much better in his seat if there is music on. The vehicle is always running when we go out to it, so the music is on when he's put in his seat, which is helpful, he'll start bobbing his head to music and be preoccupied with it while I buckle him in. At Grandparents Zacks at Christmas, they had they're cd player on a tv tray, with a little stool beside it - didn't take him long to figure out where Play was, he'd climb on the stool, press Play and start swaying.

The Swaying: When music is on, he'll stand at the entertainment unit and sway from side to side, these are his dance moves. Lately he'll also sway to other noise. If the dishwasher is running, and he happens to be in the area, he'll stand and sway to the noise.

The Vacuum: Caden has liked the vacuum cleaner for some time, he'll follow us around the house as we vacuum, sometimes he'll gather the cord and pull it closer to the unit (maybe he's seen me do that for Quinn). He'll sometimes sway to the sound of vacuum too.

Just some of the cute things Caden is up to!