The Hardest Thing I had to do (part 3)

Last Day

     The next morning was magnificent. As soon as my nephew and I ate breakfast my boys were at the door ready to take me back home. Funny though, my son was more excited to see his cousin more than me. I loved being back home with my family and they were happy to have me back. David and I decided to have Julien sleep in his own bed we created for him. He adjusted to it quickly making the night so much better for the both of us.
     It was a process, but we all are coming out of it with rewards.

The Hardest Thing I had to do. (part 2)

Day two...

Another night down. Today I've made it a stay in day with my nephew. David FaceTimes me and gives me an update about the night. Julien seems more excited to see Jeremiah than he is to see me which proves he's doing fine with my absence. David tells me that the night was not bad at all. Julien woke up once during the night to use the bathroom and another time to cuddle, but not successfully. As soon as he noticed that it wasn't "Momma" that he was tying to cuddle with he completely pushed David away and fell asleep on the other side of the bed. David admitted that he was offended by this but at the same time it was good to know that Julien had attempted to put himself to sleep instead of relying on him for comfort. My heart hurts a little while talking to them, but I also am urged to remember that tomorrow morning I will be reunited with them once more.
The day goes by kind of fast. I am preoccupied with taking care of my nephew and having "me-time". Its nice to be able to do the things that I don't have to do, but enjoy doing. Finally my sister and brother-in-law return home from work and I get to wash my hair. Its really nice to fully take care of myself without other responsibilities to think about. After washing my hair I remembered a couple of personality tests that I've wanted my siblings to take since moving down to Buckeye. I get all my paperwork together and begin taking them through. It was interesting to see what their personalities were. In no time it was time for bed and so much closer to reuniting with my boys.

The Hardest Thing I had to do. (part 1)

Day one...

  Last night David and I planned to have me stay over my sister's place for a few days. Mainly its because Julien has created a link with me. He has to be touching my upper chest area for him to be able to go to sleep. Its even more annoying in the middle of the night when he wakes up. Yes, he does still sleep in the bed with us... for now. We gave my sister our crib for their new arrival. We figured since when we get to Cambodia Julien would end up sleeping in our bed with us anyways so why not start while we are living with my mom. Well....I think we (more me than David) are ready to have Julien be more independent.

Saturday night was trial night. I slept in a spare bedroom upstairs while David began the new regimen for Julien. Julien did well, but Sunday night was hard. We tried to warn him that I was leaving. We had a long goodbye which ended up being very confusing to him. Then I was driving off with my sister Julien took one very sad look at the van driving away and I knew he finally understood what we were trying to tell him breaking my heart at the same time. I wanted to cry, but my sister refused to let me. This first day is okay. I'm having fun with my nephew, but I am missing both my husband and son. I got to FaceTime my boys in the morning. Its so funny that though Julien got to see me he was more excited to see his cousin sitting next to me. David said the second night was a bit better, he thinks. Julien woke up in the middle of the night a couple times and one of those times he was expecting to find my chest noticing only David there. He then pushed David away and slept on the other side of the bed.  Julien had a hard time taking a good nap today, but I know that he will learn to sleep by himself which will be great in the long run. I'm having fun with my sister in the mean time. The night is a little lonely though. Not sure, if I am doing as well as Julien not being close. We'll see.

Another Trip to Buckeye

I miss my family. Its feels like its been forever(Thanksgiving) since I had been down in buckeye. It was good for Julien to spend time with family. We were able to relax the first half of our time there and then we visited a lot of places. We were able to go the Phoenix museum for the first time. It was a great experience.

 We were able to see a lot of Asian art and artifacts which we both enjoyed.

I also learned that I really like oil based paintings the most. There is just something about the texture and shine that gets me every time.  David was even able to see a piece from his favorite genre.

 Going to the museum was something we've always wanted to do and we are so glad that we were able to. Julien to enjoy it too. Its amazing to see the amazing things some people are gifted with. If you are able to I would definitely encourage anyone to go and visit their museum and experience the amazing things that have been created through the years.

God Is Good!

It started with a car and ended with a blessing. Our car had broken down right after Christmas due to timing belt issues. David and I discussed looking for another car, but when we puts things into perspective it would not have worked out. So, we decided to do the cheaper option and fix the car, but we did not have the money to do that. Luckily my mother generously lent us money to get the car fixed and we were able to get our car back. Time had passed and we and tried to travel with the car again, and again we were faced with a broken car a month later. This really discouraged David and I with our plans and our finances. We could not continue planning for the future without knowing where I finances stood. As of that moment, we were already in debt, had broken car, and many other things to worry about on top of that.
We immediately were put to our knees and prayed for a miracle of some sort. The next day, God answered our prayers and we received an anonymous donation to help us through. Right now we are in the midst of praying about what is the right thing to do with our blessing. Either we fix the car again or we get another car. We are so grateful for God's provision of over our lives. Praise God!

Valentines Day Is Coming

So it's that time again. Valentines day! You either love it or hate it.
This year I decided to do the 14 days of Valentine. I folded up little boxes and inserted tickets of "I owe yous" into them for my husband to use at his leisure. So far they are working wonderfully. He is enjoying it the tickets and is eager for the next ones to come. I get to show my love to my husband each day and not just on Valentine. I figure that it will be good thing to do outside of Valentines day in the future too.

Here is the link to making the box
Box tutorial
...and the link to the tickets
Tickets of love

I've been back and forth on the day and now that I have someone it is definitely exciting to show how much you love them. I also started to realize that  it doesn't have to always be just because you have a significant other for you to participate. You can definitely show love to your friends, family, and acquaintances on this holiday. Not only your love but also the love of Christ. Christ loves us so much that he gave us the gift of his son taking our place and bearing the burden of our sin. To really know what love is and how to give it to others we need to take a look at Jesus' life and what he did for us. I pray that I can always show that love to my friends, family, and especially to the people around me.

Welcome 2014

Another year has passed and we are ready to get going for 2014 as a family. Its so exciting to go into this new year with our beautiful baby boy and only a year left of school for me. 2013 had wrapped up with quite a few things that has shaken us financially, but no worries! God has got everything under control. Both David and I made resolutions to become more committed to our devotion time with God individually and together as a couple. I have a bible app that has many devotions to choose from. For the new year I decided to go through the chronological bible devotional. It should be an interesting way to read through God's word.
Julien is growing so big and fast. He is cooing a lot more often now which is so rewarding to see him interact with me. I am trying my hardest to love everything I am experiencing right now in these moments, but I am totally looking forward to seeing start to move around more on his own and develop that cute, hearty baby laugh. Overall I am thankful for all 2013 and look forward to 2014.