We are getting all geared up for putting a half page ad in the May/June Mothering Magazine...they are doing a cloth diaper edition! We will be having photos of several local babies on the ad, including hit photo!
We have been working with Renee of Little Earthling Photography for the last few months to put together a selection of photos to use in the ad...and Esther will be one of them! She's great at showing the the One Size diaper will fit even super chunk babies! Just look how nicely the diaper fits UNDER her huge belly!! Nice label placement too! LOL!
And Check out the wonderful review and giveaway - OhBabyOh
[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Our Family Dec 2009"][/caption]
I was looking through some old blog entries and found that in Jan 09 I had looked back through 2008 - first looking at it from the perspective of how we survived our most difficult year to date, and then also looking back at how God has richly blessed and upheld us through that difficult year (2008...The Year of God's Blessings ). So I think I should do that again for 2009!
First of all, 2009 was much easier than 2008, that is for sure! But we did have some trials as well. And definitely some major blessings along the way!
Winter of 2009 was centered around Esther's recovery from her open heart surgery. This went really well and she was able to go without her feeding tube in less than two weeks after her surgery - that was a major blessing! We were soon preparing for Jeremy to come home on his pre-deployment leave at the end of February. We had a great week with him, including an open house with lots of friends and family coming to see him (and our new home!).
Springtime found us getting some serious schooling to make up for the previous fall, working with Esther through therapy to gain strength and begin to learn new skillss, putting in gardens, a new front yard, new driveway, and a great check up at Children's for Esther. Esther did end up going to ER once in June - she got croup and was having trouble breathing - but they were able to fix her up and go home - no hospital admits this entire year! PTL!
Summer was definitely busy - we planned and put on the biggest birthday party ever - it was so much fun!!! We also went camping - but I was unable to enjoy it very much as I was sick the entire time and ended up with bronchitus and a sinus infection...we finished out the summer with a great day at the beach! We also dealt with cancer on Esther's face that was so traumatic for us as it bled profusely at the least provocation, but turned out fine after minor surgery to remove it.
Fall was a wonderful time to get back into schedules, schooling and planning for celebrating a whole month with Jeremy home in November - we had a great time with him home that long! We did have some big struggles due to the economic troubles, but God provided for us through it all...even coming through in miraculous ways just when there seemed to be no way to meet all our financial challenges. We also dealt with cancer on Esther's face that was so traumatic for us as it bled profusely at the least provocation, but turned out fine after minor surgery to remove it.
We rounded out the year with our first Christmas in our new home - Christmas tree in front of the window, icicle lights on the house, game nights, puzzles, and best of all, Jeremy was home for 2 weeks again! Esther really enjoyed her first Christmas...especially the wrapping paper and boxes!
Also throughout the year we've seen Esther stop struggling to grow, going from 12 pounds to a whopping 26 pounds from January to June! She's refined down to a nice 25 pounds now due to being so active. When Esther went to her first therapy session at the end of January she couldn't even hold her head up very well, and could not lift it off the ground if she was laying on her tummy....now she's camando crawling all over the house, sits up all by herself, gets up on her hands a knees, wave and says "Hi", waves "Bye Bye", gives the best baby hugs ever, has a great sense of humor, and loves music and Signing Time Videos!
So last year, our blessings far out-weight the slight and temporary troubles of 2009, and I can see God's hand upholding us through all. His mercies are new every morning.
I'll end this post with a comparison photo of Esther just home in Jan, as compared to her at Christmas:
[caption id="attachment_507" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Esther on Jan 9,2009"][/caption]
We had some fun with Esther recently - she has a really unique way of getting around...a mix of camando drawl, the spits, sitting up, and rolling to get wherever she needs to go...
[caption id="attachment_487" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="If there's a will..."][/caption]
And as far as eating is concerned, she has no problems with that either:
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Esther efficiently eats a piece of birthday cake"][/caption]
Did you seen her palm that piece for later with her left hand???
Daryl's surgery went really well. We rested the rest of yesterday. Only problem today is my neck went really out last night so now I'm also limited to the recliner as I can not hold up my head without intense pain. I'm doing OK with some left over pain meds from my oral surgery last summer....Daryl's on pain meds as well...what a pair today - loopy and stuck in our recliners.
My friend, Laurie came through for us and let us pilfer their movie collection so we are now doing a movie marathon....
Daryl is oing to be having minor surgery tomorrow morning. But, as you have probably heard, that any surgery has it's risks, so I'd really appreciate your prayers tonight for good sleep, and tomorrow for a good outcome and quick recovery. He's having an umbilical hernia repaired and we have heard from many that the recovery is very painful and slow.
Thanks also for your encouraging words about my continuing to blog...I promise I will as often as I can!
Sorry this is short, but I had a whopper of a day and have a headache to match!
New seasons of life often bring new opportunities...with new opportunities, former activities may fade into the past or change to conform to the new "normal".
[caption id="attachment_473" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Our Big Happy Family 2009"][/caption]
Nearly 4 years ago, my friend, Renee, told me I should start blogging - that my customers would like to know more about me. I thought she was nuts! Now I have know she was right. I was amazed how quickly my blog picked up popularity, and has stayed popular - getting on average over 1,000 hits per month...even when I'm not posting regularly!
The last year, when Esther was in the hospital, a whole new audience joined the ranks...friends, family, friends of friends and family...complete strangers...last December we had over 12,000 hits! With time on my hands while Esther was in the hospital I was able to share more of myself with my readers...especially what God was doing in our lives.
Since she came home, however, time has not been something I've had much of...life was/is very busy with a large family,a home to run, a husband to love and support, a business to keep afloat, Bible Studies to attend and study for, all the while recovering from our ordeal. Just this past November I felt myself ready to jump back in to doing things like home-making...doing more of the little things that make a house a home. I even commented to Daryl, "Could it really take nearly a year to recover from Esther's ordeal?." He thought it might take even longer! I think he's right in some ways!
[caption id="attachment_474" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Pizza Night - 4 pizzas, 3 crazy bread packs, 3 2-liters of pop...every night's a party at our house!"][/caption]
So, where am I going with this, and why all this introspect??? It's a new year, we've just passed the one year mark for Esther's return home after her heart surgery (marking 1 year without any hospital admittance! Yeah!), and my friend, Renee's, 1000th post on her blog,A Baker's Dozen. She's still blogging away, and has started her own business in photography (she's been doing work for us as well - to debut this year in Mother's Magazine ads for Snap-EZ). Plus she is also the mother to 13 children and one of the way...and inspiring woman to be sure! So that's what put me in the mood to think back....
But where am I going with this...I've been thinking about my blog lately, especially in light of my involvement in Facebook (which, BTW I love - staying in touch with my friends and family on a daily basis, keeping tabs on my friend's blogs better...playing silly games when I find the time...plus advertising opportunities!), which is in many ways like miniature blogging. Do I still want to blog? Can I find the time to blog? Is there enough interest in my blog to keep on blogging? What is the purpose of blogging that I could not fulfil on Facebook? Will this year be different from last year, allowing for time to blog and things to blog about?
Here's what I think in answer to those questions:
Do I still want to blog? I do want to still blog...it's better for more in depth sharing.
Can I find the time to blog? Time is a toughy...but I don't need to blog everyday, right? Just when things out of the ordinary happen, right?
Is there enough interest in my blog to keep on blogging...YOU can answer that - if you like reading my blog, please post a comment and let me know why you are still reading my blog in spite of my lack of blogging lately!
What is the purpose of blogging that I could not fulfill on Facebook? This one take some thought...on Facebook you are limited to the number of letters in an intial post...most people are looking for a quick snapshot of your day...not good for really sharing things that matter to you. So, if I want to share more indepth about things that I care about and event in our lives, then this blog is better for that...so I think the answer is yes here.
And lastly, will this year be different, allowing for tiem to blog and things to blog about? I think it will. One year ago I had a medically fragile child who needed around the clock care, I was recovering from a life threatening delivery and months of stress, and a son being deployed...this year looks like a walk in the park...but then again, I can't tell the future, can you??? So, barring any unforeseen catastrophe, this year should be a better year for blogging....as far as time goes...as far as things to blog about???? With 11 children and a home business I don't think that will be a problem, do you?
So, stay tuned and see if I can be more present here, and to be on the safe side, if you want to see what I'm up to on more of a daily basis, ask to be my friend on Facebook - search for Snap-EZ and you'll find me!
[caption id="attachment_475" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="We've come a long way, baby!"][/caption]
Happy New Year Everyone, and I hope this decade will be your best ever!
Things are coming along nicely around here - we finally got to put up the lights I bought for the house last year - and they are sooo pretty!
[caption id="attachment_457" align="aligncenter" width="800" caption="Our House In Lights!"][/caption]
I also got to finally decorate our stair banister!
[caption id="attachment_458" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Decorated Staircase (with our birthday girl in the shot for good measure!)"][/caption]
And here's some pictures of our Adventures in the Christmas Tree Hunt of 1009:
I hope you enjoy our photos! We sure enjoyed doing it this year! And don't forget, that "Unto Us A Child Is Born" - and little baby laid in a manger made from a tree - "A Savior Which Is Christ The Lord" - a perfect man who gave up his life to pay our penalty for sin, by being nail to a cross made from a tree! Make the most of your Christmas celebrationg by remembering that whenever you see a Christmas Tree!
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