Top Five on Friday

 This is my first link up post and I hope its not my last. This week I have challenged myself to enjoy every moment of life, even the stressful times! I did fairly well and here are my favoite memories from the week.

1.Hunter slept in his bed all night for the first time since October! It was glorious to sleep without an elbow in my ear or a foot in my face. I love the little guy, but so thankful for a peaceful night sleep.


2. To encourage me to enjoy every moment I started a 30 day photo challenge. I am hoping this also forces me to pick up my camera and capture life's little moments. Day 1-photo of me and child

3. Taylor has been working late at the fire station this week, which has allowed me some one on one play time with Hunter. So thankful for that candid time, just doing whatever he wanted to do.

4.This sunrise....

5. Taylor and I have a date night of sorts tomorrow night. Its the Fireman's Annual Sweetheart Dance. So fun and a night out is needed.

Thankful Thursday

    I am going to start by saying, winters are hard on us as a family not only financially (Taylor's laid off), but emotionally and physically. This year seems harder for some reason, it seems we can never prepare enough. But in light of knowing it could be worse I want to take the time to count my blessings, and name them one by one.
I am thankful for...
-Our warm home
-My loving husband, whom sometimes lets the little things get to him during the winter
-For our amazing, healthy, smart, and funny little man who doesn't care what we have or don't have
-My parents for being supportive and for being our grocery store some days (Mom, thanks for the taco seasoning last night!)
-Our Jobs... and although Taylor is laid off now, we know he has a job waiting on him come March.
-The rest of our Family, knowing you have our back makes the day so much more peaceful.
-Our Friends, God only knows where we would be without you! You have been our rock lately.
- And most of all God's love and promise of providing for us if we just trust in him
  "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
-Genesis. 28:15

Sunrise this morning...didn't last long but it was beautiful!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."
-Psalm 28:7

Hunter says...

A few things Hunter is saying right now that I don't want to forget.

-When we drive by a large hill, ditch, or creek
"Danger bump mommy...OK?" "Becareful mom that's a danger bump"

-When going to bed at night he trys just about everything to get out of going to bed. And recently he has started wanting a thousand hungs and kisses from Daddy before bed.
We will be walking back to his bed, and he will run back to Taylor and say "hug hug hug" and kiss kiss kiss" Its the cutest especially when we says "love you too daddy". He does this at least 3 times before we finally say "Last hug and kiss for the night".

-This past weekend we fed cows each morning with my Dad and Taylor. Each morning we would ask Hunter what he wanted to do today? and his response was always "Fed Cows". We had to tell him the cows where sleeping this morning, so he would leave quietly with me for daycare. Hes been told he can fed them on Friday, and I know he won't forget it.

Feeding cow is almost like a science experiment. Lots of measuring and weighing for several hundred cows. 

Bapa and Hunter going to fed in the fed truck

*I know I have said it before, but watching and hearing his language develop is truly so gratifying. He is so smart, and really does remember everything. His sentences are really starting to form, and becoming more clear. It been so cool to listen to him and now have conversations. Hunter has always been sensitive to discipline, yelling, and stress. He can detect each and if something is bothering him he will tell you about it. If someone looks at him cross or even deepens their voice he comes close to crying. He truly has a soft heart and wants everyone happy and smiling all the time.

 

Reading to Nana with Papa's glasses

What I have learned and What I hope to in 2014

    2013 was a great year. One with a ton of great happy moments, and lots of sad trying times also. It was a learning year for our family. We are learning to trust and confide in each other, become the best parents we know how to be, and to love each other unconditionally. All of these things we knew how to do, but learning them on a deeper level is so important for a family. Our greatest lesson was learned toward the end. We learned how to completely trust in the lord, we knew how and why we need to trust, but maybe haven't mastered letting it all go, but we are close. The lord knows the path that we choose before it is taken, he knows the good and the bad outcomes, and he is beside us the entire time! Psalms 139: 16 is my reminder that I truly have no control of my outcomes, all I can do is trust that the Lord does, and he will prepare me for them.

Psalm 139:13-16

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[a]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them 

       I have never set New Year Resolutions before, and I don't intent too. Of course I would like to loose wight, give more offen, and be super mom/wife, but I know that other things will need to come first. I am making small goals for myself, and posting them here to hold myself accountable.
1. Slow down!... Enjoy the small stuff and be thankful for what I have.
2. Express my gratitude for what God has given us.
3. Focus on being a good friend/listener and in that focus on my true friends.
3. Learn to be the best wife I can.
4. Accept the fact I am not "supper mom" and that Hunter is only small for a short time.
5. Enjoy life.. laugh and love everyday for tomorrow is never a promise.