Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts

Act 1- Ponderings, Resolutions, and Lessons Learned

First, Apologies for my absence. I have truly missed the blog world. I am a full time working momma. Leaving my son all day to pay bills truly hurts my heart and the last thing I want to do when I come home is to not pay attention to him. I don't feel like there are enough hours in a day for me to love on him the way I want to. I have prayed for an opportunity to be able to be home more because as I look back on his first year, my only regret is that work has made me miss so many little things. But surely you will forgive me for choosing that relationship over my blog.

Speaking of my beautiful Isaac, he has grown so much since last August. He has six teeth that he got at about 10 1/2 months, he cruises furniture but has no desire to walk yet, I weaned him at 12 months and a week (I reached my goal!!!), he has a huge vocabulary and just learned the word "yellow", he loves Sesame Street, baths, dogs, playing ball, and eating any and everything, he hates sippy cups, carrots, and when other kids cry. He is amazing. I still can't look at him without seeing the absolute miracle that he is.

He turned 1 on February 3. We celebrated with 2 monkey birthday parties. We only invited family because if we invited friends too then we would have to book and arena! We were blessed to celebrate such an amazing milestone. Ryland and I celebrated by watching Isaac's birth video. I still cannot believe that my son is the same tiny baby we first brought home. We have learned so much about giving God control, trusting him to provide help, and leading us to people and situations that will take care of all our needs. We've also learned the finer points of removing poop and vomit stains from just about anything, juggling tough babysitting issues, and how to pray, pray, pray, over the mundane and the serious, it all matters.

Again, the name of my blog has proven so true in my life. For instance, let me tell you about Isaac's first Christmas. As a parent you tend to romanticize all of these "firsts". We had planned to spend a little bit of time with all grandparents and great grands over the Christmas holiday. But then the blizzard of 09 happened and crippled Oklahoma under two feet of snow. We had a picture perfect Christmas morning. We spent the night at Ryland's sister's house, snowed in with his parents and siblings. We had a wonderful time. Isaac's first Christmas morning was spent opening gifts with his cousins, he loved it. I will never forget him in his santa pj's, sitting amongst packages that towered over him. But alas, the day went south from there. We waited until early afternoon before we (STUPIDLY) attempted to drive to Barnsdall to spend time with my family. After 6 hours on the turnpike and only making it to Sapulpa, we gave up and spent the night in a Super 8. To make matters worse, Ryland left in search of our Christmas dinner because we hadn't eaten all day. He returned with a flaming hot beef burrito called "the Bomb". When I started crying so hard that I couldn't talk he left to find something more suitable, like a frozen microwave pizza. We will never do that again. We will accept defeat and go home where I could have at least had left overs for Christmas dinner.

I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. I never have been. I think it is stupid to make promises to do things like lose weight or whatever. You should be doing these things anyways because we should be good stewards of all the things God gives us, including our bodies. But I stumbled across http://myoneword.org/ . This is not a typical NYR site. This is a challenge to take a word where you feel you are weak and make it a goal to improve who you are in Christ. My word for the year is "HOPE". I can get so tethered in fear and worry that I can't see thing for what they are. I am choosing this year to put my hope in the plans that God has for me and my family. Knowing that all things are working for my good, there is no need to fear the unknown because I am in God's hands.

It's nice to be back. I am on spring break this week, so hopefully Acts 2 & 3 will come soon. Depending on how long my first priority naps.

Love and Blessings!

Mindy

Long Time, No Bloggy

Hi Blog friends. I have not forgotten you. I know that all my precious prayer partners are still out there. I hope you are all well. It has been very hard for me to sit at a computer and write for any length of time with a full time job and even more importantly, an almost 7 month old full time baby guy.

Currently, my not so little man weighs about 17ish pounds, is 28 inches long and is sitting up and rolling around like crazy. He is trying so hard to crawl! I think a tooth is in the near future as well. He love love loves all three of his puppies and thinks that bouncing in his jumparoo is way fun. He eats rice cereal, oatmeal, and any kind of #1 or #2 baby food as well as gerber puffs, cheerios, or mashed potatoes and other soft foods from Mommy and Daddy's plates. He is still nursing. I have outlasted many of the other Moms that started with me. For someone who feared nursing as much if not more than an epidural, I'd say that's pretty good! He is generally very happy, even though he has had a pretty rough cold and a case of thrush that he and Mommy have shared. (Ouch!)

Since I have returned to work full time for the fall semester (with tears in my eyes) Isaac spends two days a week with his wonderful babysitter, Miss Alana and her son Nathaniel, and two days a week at Mother's Day Out at church. He spends Fridays at home with Daddy having "guy time". Going back to work after spending all summer at home was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I am praying for a way to stay home, but God has me at work during this season for a purpose. And I am trusting Him for guidance and provision. But I know that even on Monday mornings when I cry because of the long week ahead, I remember that I am so blessed. I have a baby to leave at daycare! I would have given anything for that a few seasons ago.

A girl that Ryland went to high school with lost her little girl this morning. Her baby was a few weeks younger than Isaac and suffocated in her crib because of a blanket. I cannot even begin to fathom that kind of hurt. I literally had no peace until Isaac was in my arms today after work. It has taken me several hours to write this entry because I just couldn't put him down for very long tonight. As I have read "The Power of A Praying Parent" Stormie Omartian reminded me of something that I struggle with now more than I did. It was so much easier at the beginning of my pregnancy to put Isaac in God's hands and to recognize that Isaac IS God's. He is on loan to me, and I have no control over how long that will be. My prayer is that he grows up to be a man who follows God and lives to a ripe old age. But I have to daily put Isaac back into God's hands. I don't have what it takes to raise him the right way on my own. I can only protect him from so much- I have to trust God to do the rest. It's not easy when everything inside of me wants to micromanage and protect and control. Please keep the family who experienced loss in your prayers.

Isaac is going with Miss Alana and Nathaniel to the park tomorrow. Alana home schools Nathaniel and they have a show-and-tell day tomorrow with other home school families. Nathaniel asked me at church yesterday if he could take baby Isaac to show-and-tell. So Isaac will be on "display" tomorrow for a cute little group of home schooled kindergarteners. Nathaniel also informed me today that Isaac is his brother. He told me very matter-of-factly that he already has two sisters and he needs a brother. I told Nathaniel that Isaac could be his brother since Isaac doesn't have a big brother and he loves Nathaniel so much. It's great to know that Isaac is well looked after not only by his babysitter, but by his pseudo big brother.

My friend Miriam is traveling back to Guam tomorrow with her 7 month old son and two year old daughter. Her mother-in-law was sweet enough to make the 32 hour trip with them. You may remember her from an earlier post. Her son was at risk for having hemophilia and there are no hospitals capable of handling such a delivery in Guam. But baby William came out perfect and without hemophilia. Please keep them in your prayers also. It will be a LONG trip.

I hope you enjoyed Isaac's 6 month pictures that were once again done by my friend, Ashley Ofosu. Visit her at http://www.ashleyophoto.blogspot.com/ book her! She is amazing.

Love to you all. I'll try and visit blog land more often. It would be easier if the beautiful blue-eyed boy in the picture didn't spend so much time stealing my heart. :)

Mindy

A Super Summer Indeed

I am sitting in Marshall, Texas on a college campus in a four bedroom shoe-box apartment listening to Pandora radio. I am munching on a pop-tart and I have just put Isaac to sleep for the night. It is 9:27 PM. The last time I was on a college campus at 9:27 PM my night would have been just beginning, on the best of nights it would have included good friends, a walk on campus, a little studying and probably a trip to IHOP. Life has come full circle in four years......



Ryland is leading worship for a session of Super Summer Texas. This is a dream come true for him. And I am so proud that me and Isaac got to witness it. I started crying during worship tonight. Ryland was doing his song "A Thousand Singing". (It's Amazing! Buy it on I-TUNES! - SHAMELESS PLUG!!!) I looked at the little man in the stroller and the big man on stage and I was just overcome with how generous God is. Ryland is so talented and more than that, his heart is in it for all the right reasons. He genuinely desires to worship God and to help others do the same. Good singer/musicians that seek their own glory and a paycheck are a dime a dozen, I know a few too many of those unfortunately. Ry, you are fantastic and I am so proud of you- but mostly proud of the heart inside you. I can't wait to see what other adventures that God has for you. I am so glad that I get to do life with you, my best friend.



We took Isaac to the doctor for his 4 month check-up last week. I cannot believe that we have had this sweet boy for 4 months already. Time flies. He is 25 and 1/2 inches long (75-90%) , He weighs 14.7lbs. (just under the 50% mark), and his head circumference is in the 90% range. The doctor said his brains must be growing a lot. :) He got shots which always hurts me to watch. And we got the green light to start him on rice cereal. He sleeps a 10-12 hour stretch through the night starting at about 9 Pm. He has also learned to roll from his tummy to his back, and uses his exersaucer to practice for the day when he will walk. He babbles a lot, we talk all the time. And EVERYTHING goes in his mouth. He is happy, full of laughs and smiles and absolutely charms me. I know all Mommas arfe probably enchanted by their children but I just look at him and melt. He is the most special thing I have ever laid eyes on, this side of heaven. I just wonder what God has planned for him. I pray that I get many years to watch and be a part of his life.



Our pastor spoke recently about using your gift to share the gift of salvation with others. I don't really know what my "gift" is, but he mentioned blogging specifically. I don't know who is out there in the world that reads my blog. I don't think that I write anything that is too terribly interesting that would make anyone outside of my friends and family take notice, but on the chance that there is, I just want to throw this out to the universe: There is a God, the one and only. He sent his son, Jesus into the world. Jesus was perfect. He never gossiped, or got snippy with his spouse. He never lied, cheated, stole or hurt anyone. He was without sin. He came to be a servant and to bring love. He died in the most heinous way imagineable. He did it because he loves me. He loves you too and wants to know you. He paid for every bad thing that you and I have ever done and will ever do. If you are interested in knowing the creator of the universe, please respond to this blog. I'd love to share with you. I am not crazy. I won't come to your house and make you wear a robe and shave your head and throw away your beer. I just want you to know and share in the best thing that has ever happened to me. I want to share the secret to eternal life with you. Interested???



On the topic of salvation, I have never quite thought about it as much as I have since Isaac was born. Obviously, it is the most important thing in this life, but it is the one thing that no matter what I do, or say, or buy, I cannot provide that for Isaac. But of all the things the world has to offer, it is the thing that I desire most for him. I pray all the time that even now, God shows himself to Isaac and whispers a call into his ears. While I was pregnant my Dad even made the point that Isaac can choose never to believe, never to follow. I can't even imagine the heartbreak that would overcome a parent that has to deal with an unbelieving child at any age. I pray that I never have to know how that feels, but my heart goes out to anyone out there dealing with this. Salvation is a precious gift, bought with a great price.

Good night with love from Texas. God is good and just keeps getting better. All my love,

Mindy :)

Mother's Day

I am sitting in my living room tonight watching a SNL rerun. It's 9:22pm and Ryland is putting Isaac down for the night. My sweet baby has been sleeping through the night for several weeks now. And it has been great! It is amazing what a few more hours of sleep can do for you. He sleeps usually from 9:30 to about 7:15. I am so blessed to have a baby that sleeps and good books to help me sleep train my little guy!

As you know, tomorrow is Mother's Day. MY first Mother's Day. A day to celebrate mothers like ME. The last two Mother's Day holidays were so hard for me. They just served to remind me of what I didn't have. And tomorrow, I will no doubt rush around my house like crazy, be stressed out, forget something, and probably be late. But I will be taking MY son with me, because I am a Momma. I am so thankful for the gift God has given to me. My friend Stepheny gave me a packet of forget-me-nots to plant in memory of my three angels who have gone on to be with Jesus. I will carry them in my heart but know that Isaac is the perfect fulfillment of God's plan for me.

To My Fellow New Mothers: I am so glad to be sharing this sweet time with you. May we never take for granted the wonder and the miracle that brought our babies to us. I love knowing that Joia, Claire, Elliana, Mia and so many others will be sharing life with Isaac. We have so much to be thankful for. I pray that God blesses and guides us all as we raise a new generation.

To My Mother-in-law, Cyndi: Thank you so much for raising such a wonderful son. I am the luckiest woman in the world to get to share my life day in and day out with Ryland. My prayer since I was pregnant was that Isaac would be the kind of kind, loving, generous man that Ryland is. You did a great job and I am receiving the blessings from all of your hard work. Thank you for all you have done and for all the love that you have given over the years. I love you and I am so glad you are in my life.

To My Momma: Mom, I could write a novel and I couldn't say enough. Thank you for singing bye-o, bye-o to put me to sleep, for taking a car load of kids to big splash every summer, for letting the whole neighborhood swim in our pool, for letting cold kids come in for good food during snow days, for sending me to camp every summer, for paying for cheerleading uniforms, for letting me go to Chickasha, for (finally) accepting that I am a slob, for loving my dogs and for helping me transition into being a Momma myself. I love you so so so so much and I hope I can be half as much fun as you were and still are.

To all Moms past, present and future. I am so glad to be in your club. How blessed we are that God let us be women and be present during the act of creation. Happy Mother's Day.

To My Momma- Thank you so much for 26 years of fun and love. I hope I can be half as good as you were and still are.