chadandmelody

Over the Rainbow

2011-10-26T08:43:00.007-04:00

Since the girls' birthdays are only 1 month apart, this year we (meaning the pregnant mama) decided to have one combined party for both. They're still young enough to like the same things (Addie basically loves whatever Juliana says) and they still have the same friends, so why not? I must say, this was a genius idea on my part. A lot of chaos for one a few days, but at least I only had to do it once.

We've never gone overboard with themes and such, but I like to have *something* to base everything on. This year Juliana and I decided we wanted a rainbow party. I have seen pictures online (thank you, Pinterest!) and knew I wouldn't be doing anything as extravagant, but I was very happy with the outcome ... and I think the girls loved it too!

My parents were able to fly out to help with the party prep and big event ... could NOT have done it without them!

Present time was a *little* chaotic. Addie was a little slow in opening presents, but EVERY present she opened evoked giggles and squeals. It was PRICELESS.

***On a pregnancy related note: I HATE belly shots, but for those of you out there who care, this is about as good as you'll get (especially this time around). I was 31 weeks in these pictures, and the belly continues to grow.

Four

2011-09-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: Well, I think it's fair to say that this measly little blog has been neglected as of late. Blame it on being pregnant, blame on three very busy toddlers, blame it on planting a church ... blah, blah, blah. There's just not enough time for everything, and computer activities are the first to go. AND my computer died recently, which makes it even harder to get online. BUT ... my oldest turns 4 today, so I am using nap time to jot down some thoughts. I also don't have any current pictures since they had to be rescued from the laptop, but here are a few faves from the past years.

I was so sure this day would not come so soon ... having a 4 year old seems surreal. I tear up now thinking *official* school starts next year. But, whether I like it or not, my baby girl is growing up. Even just in the past few months Juliana has started acting more like a little girl and less like a toddler (sniff, sniff). She has become quite a helper to me, and I can't wait to see her become a big sister for the third time. She is intrigued with changing diapers, but loses her courage every time I say I'll let her change Breck's.

This little girl had her first ballet lessons and loved it! Although, sometimes she would just do her own thing instead of what everyone else was doing. She LOVES wearing dresses ... some days we compromise by leggings with a long shirt. I love that she is girly and always wanting to carry a purse of some sort. Juliana is an utter and hopeless chatterbox! The talking simply does not stop. She still loves having people over, and her kindness and sense of hospitality continue to develop. Here are some of our other highlights right now:

Still loves eating (that really hasn't changed at all). Will eat almost anything, except cantaloupe, mushrooms, and chunky tomatoes (but this has been consistent since she started eating solids).
LOVES to read, for which I am so thankful. Even reading on her own -- she'll just curl up on her own sometimes.
Loves playing with her babies/stuffed animals, and is quite the little mother to them.
Loves being outside
Loves her baby brother!
Loves running and giggling with Addie
Is doing great with her *preschool* work right now. Nothing too fancy, but she is catching on quickly. She would LOVE to go to school right now and keeps asking if she can not do school at home and can have another teacher.
Still loves to sleep. Still naps every day for 1.5-2 hours, and sleeps 11-12 hrs at night. Do NOT wake this child before she is ready.
LOVES to sing -- all the time. Will even make up her own songs if necessary.

This beautiful brown-eyed girl brings us such joy and happiness ... I am excited to see all that God has in store for her.

Only Jesus

2011-05-03T16:45:00.004-04:00

Father of grace, You've sacrificed
Your only Son for us, the crucified Jesus
Enlarge our hearts to love Your Son
O grant to us the grace to walk with Him always
To make Him our great delight
Bringing worship with our lives
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
Give us Jesus, we cry
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
The Pearl of greatest price
Spirit of grace, You've shed Your light
Upon our darkened eyes, unveiling Jesus Christ
Come change our hearts, conform our ways
To honor Jesus' Name, His glory our refrain
Let His love compel our own
As we worship at His throne
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
Give us Jesus, we cry
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
The Pearl of greatest price

Jesus, our great Savior,
Lord of heaven, Son of God

(Words and music by Doug Plank, Valley of Vision)

Lists

2011-02-10T19:18:00.002-05:00

Apparently Juliana is a little list-maker in training. Give her paper and a pen, and she will just sit and make "lists" ... and make up stories to go along with her lists. Today she was sitting on her tricycle making lists, and I heard her say, "Oh, this is great - we have two lists. Dear God, thank you for these great lists. And patience and also safety."

Love her. Can't wait to see how God uses her gifts. And her lists.

Maybe I need to make more lists. After the kids had all been napping for about 45 minutes I remembered I put Addie to bed without a diaper. She is NOT potty-trained for sleep yet. Whoops.

Snippets

2011-02-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

ince we've been stuck inside the past two days due to insanely cold temps, I decided to take a few videos of the kiddos ... you know, since I'm sure you're dying to know how we spend the day. My girls are very girly girls ... into purses, dress-up, babies, the whole shin-dig. BUT ... they LOVE to wrestle. Addie kills me ... she loves to go up and tackle Juj. Besides, who can resist their giggles? And Breck seems to enjoy it, but I have the feeling soon he will be the one tackling the girls.

In other news, I think Breck is officially a walker. All this week, especially today, the little man prefers to walk across a room instead of crawling. I just don't know that this kid can get any cuter.

Right now our guest bath upstairs is filled with miniature toilets. Yep, I finally have two girls who know how to use those nifty little contraptions I've had for far too long now. Still haven't mastered no. 2, but hey, I'll take whatever I can get at this point. Juliana wears her big girl underwear for naps and night ... no accidents! Little miss Addie - not quite yet. But I love that they are doing this together. Juliana is so motherly - she will insist on taking and helping Addie use the toilet (she even wants to help wipe!).

Speaking of my firstborn, she has a HUGE heart. I catch her putting her arm around Addie all the time, talking to her, and helping her in any way. She tells me all the time, "Addie is my sister and I love her." If anyone is sick, she will freely say, "I hope you feel better" - with no prompting. And since we learned the Bible verse "Blessed are the peacemakers" she has been telling me all day that she and Addie were being peacemakers (if only that were true). Love her.

I made some incredibly tasty protein bars this week. Truly delish and so healthy. But I also made a coffee cake tonight for our ladies' coffee tomorrow. Not quite so healthy, but so yummy. In fact, I think I'll have a piece tonight. It's been that kind of a day, anyway.

Baby Boy

2011-01-31T11:25:00.005-05:00

Yesterday my baby boy turned one ... we celebrate God giving us a whole year with him already! As much as I was so nervous about having a boy, I say with no hesitations that I LOVE him so much and I LOVE all his boyish ways. I tell Chad that I wouldn't mind having six more just like him. Breck truly has been a gift of grace in my life this past year. This poor baby has been pushed to the limits in many ways ... he is living in his third house in his first year of life, he moved across the country when he was only 5 weeks old, he had no bed of his own for a whole month while we waited on our house here in Colorado, and he lives with two older, very spunky and very motherly big sisters. I must say, though, I am enjoying this phase with Breck right now. With both Juliana and Adeline, I was very pregnant when they were this age, and with Addie we were packing and moving our entire household. So, I really feel like I am soaking him in right now, because I know how fast the time goes. He is a big boy, weighing around 23 pounds and wears either 12-18 months or 18 months clothes (SUCH a difference from my girls). Here are some of his highlights right now:

SUCH a mama's boy! I am definitely still his favorite, but I have the feeling that very soon he will become best buds with his dad. (Although I'm not rushing that along ... it's nice to be so needed)
LOVES to eat and will eat anything. (A trend that has continued since birth - weighed 7.2 at birth, dropped to 6 something, but then weighed over 9 pounds at just 3 weeks!) No more baby food for this guy! Really prefers anything that he can feed himself, but still eats some things from a spoon (yogurt, applesauce, refried beans). This kid can easily pack away two scrambled eggs in one sitting.
Completely off of a bottle and formula now. Drinks almond milk from a cup and LOVES it. Except we're still working on dropping his early morning bottle. He's been waking around 6-6:30 for an early bottle, but would go back to sleep for 1-2 more hours. So now we're dropping that feeding and moving his wake time to earlier ... he is NOT a fan. Cried from 5-6:45 am this morning (on and off).
Can walk across a room unassisted, but doesn't prefer to do it all the time.
Finally knows how to clap!
Has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom.
Naps twice a day (sometimes 3) and sleeps 11 hours at night.
Loves his big sisters, but has a special fondness for Juliana ... he adores her (with good cause, too).
Already loves to wrestle and wallow around.
Doesn't really say any words (except mama of course), but still babbles and *talks* a lot.
Is REALLY fascinated with outlets. He has an uncanny ability to find them anywhere we go.
Loves to be held.

Things we're working through:

Loves to be held (yep, it's both).
Manners. Definitely working hard on manners instead of grunting.
Sleep. For the most part, he's settled into a great sleeping routine, but every time he gets sick or starts teething things go awry.
Gentleness. Even though he has a very gentle spirit, he needs to learn gentle touches. He scares the other babies in the nursery right now!

This little boy has captured all of our hearts! Breck, your mom and dad love you so much, but not as much as the love of our Father. We pray fervently that you will love Jesus more than anything and would be a man of God in a world that desperately needs to see real men love Jesus.

Second

2011-01-19T22:05:00.006-05:00

Since I failed to write a post for Addie's second birthday, I thought I would write it now. Better late than never, right? This little person has delighted us in so many ways for the past two years. She adds so much spunk and spice to our family! Even though the addition of Addie was a surprise to us, I cannot imagine our lives without her. Here's a quick synopsis of what our crazy gal is to these days:

LOVES her big sister and copies everything she does. Loves Breck, but mostly so when he keeps his distance. Chatters non-stop, but thankfully it is intelligible chatter. Ask her what she's doing, and she will most likely answer, "nofin." Loves to read and be read to. Total girly girl ... loves to carry purses, wear necklaces, wear sunglasses, and wear shoes. Still loves to be held. Daddy's girl. Every morning when she wakes up and walks into our room she has to be carrying something. Still has the tiniest little face, voice, and features. Likes to narrate what she's doing (i.e. "I'm running, mom", "I'm walking," "I'm marching..."). Still loves to eat. Not very picky. Still a very emotional and very sensitive little girl. Doesn't really know a stranger. Loves to make people laugh.

I love seeing my two girls grow to be best friends, and I love seeing their personalities grow and develop. I am constantly amazed at how much I love each one of my kids, and how that love grows and changes. Adeline is our Addie ... our second-born ... our crazy girl.

(For those interested, you can read here birth story HERE)

10.

2010-12-02T16:34:00.004-05:00

It happened. Mr. Breck is 10 months old. That's right, TEN months. What in the world? I don't know what happened to my little baby, but that little baby will soon hit the one year mark. Here are few highlights of the many happenings in his little life.
Loves to laugh. Loves to eat ... will try anything. Definitely ready to move on to big boy finger foods more if only his lazy mama would fix more for him. Has five teeth and more coming. One word: FAST. Likes to stand, cruise around, and walk with assistance (Note: I am NOT in a hurry for the walking to come). Definitely a mama's boy. LOVES Juliana. Loves to bug Addie. Hasn't gotten the hang of any cool tricks (waving, clapping, signing), but we keep working on it. Thinks it's hilarious when you tell him "no." Loves the Christmas tree. Still gets up to eat before 6:30, but lately has been going back to sleep right after for another 2 hours. Only bottles now for my big boy (insert sad face). LOVE HIM.
Caught in the act.
Helping pull out decorations.

Random Goodness

2010-11-24T15:32:00.005-05:00

Since this blog seems to go for weeks without any TLC, I thought I would show it some love today. Nothing spectacular, just what's on my mind. I will want to remember these things one day, and I cannot rely on my brain power to keep it stored in an easily accessible place. So here goes. I know you're just dying to know these facts. :)

I'm never caught up on laundry. Nor on housework. I just have special tricks to make it seem that way. Some things are WAY more important.
I never tire of reading to my kids. Thankfully, they love to read, especially Juliana. It's probably her favorite thing to do. Her fave book - The Jesus Storybook Bible. It is so loved that the covers have fallen off ... and I'm okay with that. Her favorite person right now is Noah. Ask her any Sunday what she learned at church and it's always Noah.
Dr. Jack Klem would be proud of my OT scholar.
I seriously have the most amazing kids. I am so amazed at their little personalities, quirks, and traits.
I love being home with my kids. I am so thankful that God allows me this incredible blessing and responsibility. I'm so pathetic ... I miss them even when they're gone for a few hours.
If I have errands to run, then we all go. I am too tired to go out at night once they're asleep (plus that's Chad and Melody time), so we go during the day. It's hectic, chaotic, and usually a little stressful, but it's also an adventure. I also count it as valuable training time, for me and them.
We actually enjoy taking our kids out to eat with us. They do great at restaurants (most of the time), and almost every time someone stops by our table and remarks on how well-behaved the kids are. This is DEFINITELY a work of grace!
Breck has four teeth and a few more coming in. Addie had only two teeth until she was 18 months old.
This is the longest I have gone in between kids without being pregnant again. And yes, we would love more. There's just other stuff right now that is not conducive to having a baby (i.e. no maternity insurance).
I still use and love cloth diapers. And yep, I still have three (most of the time) in cloth. I have to wash every other day, but I have do laundry anyway so it's no big deal. And no, I never thought Juliana would not get it by now. We have tried EVERYTHING. Addie, on the other hand, just may get it before big sis. I'm okay with that.
I hardly ever get a shower every day. Since my little man has decided that he prefers waking by 6:15 every morning, showers have to happen at night or not at all. Good thing he's so stinkin' cute.

Keeping an eye on all three kids every second of the day is impossible. Because of this, Breck has already eaten a band-aid, various pieces of dog food, toilet paper, and various pieces of dirt off my floor.
The little girl who used to never smile for the camera loves to ham it up now.
Addie sporting her black eye. She's a mess.
Hello heart-breaker.

Thankful

2010-10-15T14:44:00.003-04:00

In order to combat the discontent, complaining spirit that I seem to be struggling with these days, I have been trying to focus on being more thankful. The negative words and griping sessions seem to flow more easily. Sure, it is crazy having three kids who are 3, 2, and 9 months, a husband who works two jobs, a house that always seem filled with guests, bills that seem to always need paying, mounds of laundry to conquer, cloth diapers to wash, and friends and family who are hundreds of miles away. So instead of focusing on what a difficult week it has been, this is what I am thankful for:

The Gospel, which has changed my life and continues to on a daily basis.
A husband who is so hard-working and so committed to spreading the Gospel in Centennial, CO that he is willing to work a very stressful and demanding job.
Juliana, Adeline, and Breckinridge. Three of God's greatest gifts to me.
For the first time since we've been married, we live close to family.
New friends that God has given us here so far.
Our core group at Sola Church. They bless me with their commitment to living the Gospel here in the Denver area.
Even though Addie seems to be highly emotional these days, I am grateful that she still wants me to hold and cuddle her when she's upset.
I am so thankful that Breck is so healthy and on track developmentally. While learning to crawl and pull himself up will add more busyness to my day, I am thankful that he is healthy and can do these things.
Even though Juliana has started thinking that she is the boss around here, I am so very thankful for her sweet spirit. The other day I was crying about something, and she came over and asked why I was upset. They she hugged me, kissed my cheek, and told me it was alright. I melted.
Even though they fight, I love seeing my two girls growing to be such good friends. It has not been easy having them only 13 months apart, but it is all worth it when I see them playing together, giggling together, sleeping together.
I am incredibly thankful that we are no longer sweating it out in our home, thanks to cooler weather and a new attic fan, which Chad installed for us.

This doesn't by any means cover everything I am thankful for, but it is what is on my mind right now. I do not want to relegate the goodness of God in my life to a mere list that I compose, but renewing my mind is how change will occur. I am already refreshed and ready to go scoop up my babies and clean my house, but ... I am ever so thankful that all are sleeping right now. (And since I can't resist this face, I had to leave you with a picture of my favorite little boy)

For my firstborn

2010-09-22T17:45:00.009-04:00

*Disclaimer: Long and sentimental post follows.

I remember the day, three years, as clearly as it is today. September 21st, 2007 was a gorgeous fall day in Lexington, Kentucky. There was just something about being pregnant with my firstborn that made that fall oh so lovely. It didn't matter that it was still fairly warm out - all of my maternity clothes were summer ones anyway. I had an appointment with my midwife that Friday, the second appointment of the week. Since 35 weeks, I was being monitored more closely due to a very small baby and borderline low fluid. Much to Chad's dismay, extra ultrasounds and stress-test monitoring meant more co-pays. At 38 weeks, we started trying everything recommended to help this baby come. Let's just say Chad even had me drink a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar. We surely thought the baby would come (I was dilated and effaced at 35 weeks with a very low baby). My midwife wouldn't strip my membranes until I entered that 40th week, because of the baby's small size. Part of the concern was the fact that my measurements kept getting smaller and smaller. At my 40 wk appt, I measured 31 weeks. So, at that point, the attending doctor wanted me to come in on Friday to discuss induction. Friday comes. No baby yet. Since I was measuring so small and was already dilated to 4-5 cm, my midwife suggested we just head on over to the hospital so she could just break my water and get things moving. Plus, the labor/delivery ward was pretty empty so we could have a big room with a tub.
I couldn't believe it was finally happening! We checked in, got our room, filled out paperwork, and started goofing off while we waited. My midwife came in and broke my water right after 1 pm. Nothing really started happening for a while, so we just ate, hung out, and laughed a lot. I was having mild contractions, but they weren't painful or very consistent. Besides, I had Braxton-Hicks since I was about 25 weeks pregnant, so this was no big deal. Things started to pick up a little, and my midwife came back to check me around 6 pm. I was still only dilated to 6, and the baby was actually turned with her face up instead of down. So, they had me get on all fours for a while, and then switch to lying on my side. Around 8 pm, I was feeling the contractions and having to really concentrate and breathe through them, but I still hadn't dilated any further. My midwife asked me to consider getting the tiniest amount of Pitocin just to get things moving a bit more. So we did ... and still no drugs! That seemed to do the trick, because around 10:30 I was finally ready to push. I remember this part so vividly still - my contractions were only coming about 4 minutes apart, so we were still cutting up in between them. It took about an hour and half of pushing, and finally just after midnight our first child was born ... a GIRL! I was so excited!!!! We had just decided the week before on her name, Juliana Piper.
She was so tiny, weighing just 5 lbs and 15 oz, but she was perfect. Right away her huge, dark eyes and long, black eyelashes were so evident. It was such a dream. Those first days, and even the first months, with our firstborn were so special.
I look at her today and wonder where the time has gone. I can still see my baby girl in her little girl face. I can hear her addictive baby giggle in her spontaneous little girl laugh. I love my Juliana Piper so much - it literally brings tears to my eyes. Sometimes I just hold her and breath in the scent of her, knowing that the days are fleeting. God has given us such a special gift by entrusting this child to us, and I pray so desperately that we honor God in our parenting of her. Happy 3rd birthday, Juliana ... we love you.

Days

2010-08-26T23:08:00.006-04:00

I noticed today that it has been two months since my last post. YIKES. I must say - the days often seem to run together. Most days I forget what day it is. My days are known by who's coming to dinner and what after work appointment/meeting Chad has. Some days seem VERY long. Yesterday was one of those days. A day filled with crying, whining, screaming, sassing, more crying, and more screaming. Then there are the other days. The days when I have so much to do, yet very little gets done. It must be because we lost some hours somewhere along the way.

My house is not as clean as I would like it to be. I have a never-ending special projects list that hasn't changed much since we moved to this house. And meals, well, let's just say they've been a little lackluster. But one thing I know...my babies need me. And if nothing else gets accomplished in my day, at least I will have loved, cared for, and trained my children. I know that it is so much more important for me to have spent time with the kids rather than spending that time cleaning like a madwoman. Seriously, though, who can resist that little munchkin voice saying, "Mom, come sit with me"??? Makes my heart melt. Especially with those cute little piggy-tails.My Juliana is about to turn three. And let me tell you - she is so.very.adorable. Caring. Charming. Girly. Sassy. Hospitable. She is a regular chatty-cathy as well.
And this little impish one....oh, the trouble she finds. Seriously, look at those eyes -- don't you feel the need to pray for us even more? This kid kills me. So funny. So stubborn. So snuggly. So irresistible. She loves to say "I love you," even when unprompted. And what of this charmer? Well, Breckinridge FINALLY sleeps through the night! After six LONG months of no sleep, I am now sleeping through the night as well. It is SO true what they say - each child is different. I'm sure all you baby-wising, schedule loving mommas out there gasped to hear it took so long .... don't worry, I felt the same. But, the first few months of Breck's life were so crazy that I'm surprise he adjusted so well overall. He is a FANTASTIC baby. Loves to cuddle, give hugs, give slobbery kisses. Sits on his now. Sprouting two bottom teeth. Eats like nobody's business. Weighed almost 18 pounds at six months (still 60% for weight and 75% for height). He's definitely a keeper.
Just this week the girls and I were dressing their baby dolls -- with clothes that I wore as a baby and dressed my baby dolls in all throughout my childhood. As I sat in their floor, putting a ruffly dress on one very dirty and worn Cabbage Patch doll, I felt the tears well up in my eyes. As a young girl, I would dress my babies, pretending and dreaming of one day having my own ... all eight of them (yikes! I have downsized that number since then). And here I am, living that dream. Dressing baby dolls with my own baby girls. I am so blessed. So, in spite of the long days and the emotional exhaustion, these days are sacred. God has given me this brief window of time to live the Gospel in front of my kids and shape their lives for eternity. Wow. What a great God.

AC

2010-06-28T15:58:00.007-04:00

No, this post isn't to bemoan the fact that we do not have ac in our house. (And yes, you did read it right -- NO ac! And we're still alive ... gasp!) This post is dedicated to my middle child, Adeline Carmichael.

She is twenty months old already ... closer to two than not, and definitely showing signs of the "terrible toddlers" (I do not believe in terrible twos -- I think the concept spans the whole of the toddler years ... just based on my experience). Adeline is definitely her own person! She LOVES her big sister and will try to copy almost anything she does, good or bad. And when I say that I dread taking all three out somewhere by myself, I do blame it on Adeline. This child has no fear, no sense of boundaries, and knows no strangers. She will climb anything, talk to anyone, and run anywhere. Yes, we call her the crazy one, but I wouldn't trade any piece of her for anything!
The Goods:

Addie remains quite the cuddler. She loves to sit in a lap, give hugs, kisses, etc.
She is turning into quite the dancer.
I love how she will grab her purse, her shopping cart, and tell me bye-bye!
She LOVES having people over and loves to shake hands :) Strange little child...
Her vocabulary is EXPLODING! She can pretty much say anything you ask her to repeat and even has quite a few sentences she says. Her most commonly used is, of course, "I want a snack" or "I want milk."
She is learning to count, learning her colors, and learning letters.
I love how her hair gets all wavy and flipped out when she's all sweaty from sleeping.
She is polite, if nothing else. For MONTHS now, when given something, she has been responding with the cutest little "thank you" you can imagine ... umprompted too.
She's a great eater! She loves broccoli and salad especially, and will usually eat that before anything else. And she FINALLY likes bananas.
We have finally dropped the morning nap (except on a few rare occasions), which is resulting in a great afternoon nap ... yay!
Her weight remains a little below average for her age (22.8 lbs), her height just above, and her head size just below.

The Bads:

The fits.
The tantrums.
Did I mention the fits? :)
Loves to say "no" ... and actually means it.
The fighting with Juliana.
She remains quite the messy eater. And, unlike her sister, messes do not scare her. In fact, she delights in them and loves to make them.
She has learned how to get in the food cabinet and help herself to whatever she feels like. Her snack of choice right now is uncooked pasta. She also loves to eat out of the trash.
This child still only has TWO bottom teeth. Two. She does have her two molars on top, bringing the top count to six. Breck may outdo her in the teeth department.

Even though the days with a 20-month old (plus a five month old and an almost three yr old) can be very trying, I am learning to cherish each moment. Adeline is so full of joy and so much fun! I absolutely love seeing her own personality develop and flourish. She definitely is a strong-willed little girl, but I continue to pray that God will redeem that strong-will and use it for His glory. (These pics were from a father's day shoot we did ... find the rest here)

Mr. Breck

2010-06-10T23:07:00.004-04:00

My goodness, but my son is already four months old! My mind is having trouble fathoming that. Time just keeps right on slipping by. Being a third (and a third in 2.5 yrs) puts poor Breck at a disadvantage. His parents do not have the time to take pictures all day, get them developed, chronicle his every move, and so on and so on ... sometimes it is hard to remember when we did all that for Juliana. Also, because of our move and change of insurance, Breck never went for a two month check-up. So, for today, Breckinridge gets his own post. And as I am continually sleep-deprived, hence emotional, I feel quite sentimental tonight.

Things I love about this boy:

His incredibly soft, perfectly tan skin
His big brown eyes that light up when he sees me (or anyone else, but for me the most!)
How he laughs at his big sisters, sometimes for no reason, other than the sheer adoration he has for them.
He takes a pacifier, but will pretty much suck on anything he can (i.e. thumb, finger, toy, bib, etc.).
He is a TERRIFIC sleeper during the day -- he will sleep on his tummy or his back. He doesn't have to cry much to go to sleep (thank you, Mr. Pacifier!).
How he curls up his knees under his stomach when he sleeps.
How incredibly sweet and snuggly he is.
How content he is.
How much I see his daddy in him.
How much he looks like his Grandpa.
Did I mention how incredibly sweet he is???
How he is, in every way, exactly what I needed during this phase of life.

Not so favorite things right now:

Night-waking. Ugh. Four months already. That's probably all, at least for now. But it is enough. I am having some difficulty making enough of what he needs, so we are trying out some different options. And praying. A LOT. Mama needs sleep.

Four Month Stats:

He weighed 15 lbs, 6 oz (60th percentile)
Measures 26 inches (75th percentile)
His head, as we knew it would be, measured 75th percentile.
He is my chubbiest baby so far, but still isn't off the charts.

Big Achievements:

He is a rolling machine! This has also disrupted his night-time sleep, but as with all new phases, it will pass.
Loves to talk, and loves to laugh.
Can actually hold a toy and bring it to his mouth (of course).
Somehow, he scoots all over his crib. I think because he pulls his legs up under him when he sleeps, he is able to move. He can also do a 180 degree turn in the crib. Not sure how, but it freaks me out when I go get him and his head is facing the exact opposite direction.
Has tried cereal and loves it. Poor hungry boy!

Our lives were pretty much chaotic before his entrance into the world and for the first few months of his life. Even his birth was a little out of the ordinary. But, Breckinridge fits so perfectly in our lives, and I cannot wait to see God's plan for His life unfold. Oh, how I pray that he will love God and serve Him. I also pray that he will have the character and the strength of his daddy. Breck, we love you so so much -- how I thank my God for you.

Treasures in the Back

2010-05-07T11:40:00.008-04:00

I decided to kick off the house tour by starting in the backyard. There are just too many treasures out there to ignore! I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that I've yet to take pictures of the inside.
I LOVE seeing little treasures like this in my backyard now. Sigh...it makes my heart happy.
This sight also makes my heart sing. My incredibly sweet, delightfully funny, and amazingly creative (not to mention downright GORGEOUS) Juliana running under our GIANT tree. Chad actually just trimmed up the bottom, so now Juj has the best time playing under there. Yesterday it served as both church and Grandma's house. And yes, she moved her little stools out there and was giving instructions for the service ... a song was even included.
If there is something to be found, including trouble, this 18-month bundle of energy knows how to find it.
Yes, Addie, that is amazing dirt.

One of my favorite things about the back are the labels. Yes, I said labels. The older lady who lived here before apparently loved gardening and loved irises even more. We will have hundreds coming later in the summer. But for now, I just read the labels and let my imagination run wild.
Yes, who doesn't need a little frivolity in their lives?
Obviously, if frivolity isn't enough, you need a good thrill. Times two.
I think a mom came up with this title. And finally, my favorite...
Cannot wait to see this beauty.

Call us crazy...

2010-04-14T23:10:00.005-04:00

...but yes, we painted our bedroom Carnival orange. And yes, it is indeed much brighter than the swatch shows. (Sorry I don't have a better picture yet, but I hated to leave the question unanswered for too long!) Chad is very happy. I am still deciding. We definitely still need some throw pillows and something on the walls, but for now we are happy to have our room...complete with the cutest little roommate you'll find!

It's a carnival here ...

2010-04-12T12:24:00.005-04:00

Here's just a little snippet of what's going on in our new home. Too bad the batteries in our camera are dead ... for now this will have to do!

Any guesses as to what this is???

Oh baby...

2010-03-31T12:49:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was March 30th. Yikes...that means Breck has been with us now for a full two months. How in the world do I already have a 2-month old??? The time has FLOWN! It is no wonder, considering our life circumstances for the past two months. All I can say is PRAISE GOD for a mellow, flexible baby.I mean, look how adorable he is. And look at those cheeks. This kid obviously loves to eat. He also charms us daily with his delicious smiles.
We have spent the past four weeks living at Grandma's house (Chad's mom) ... all five of us in one bedroom ... with a total of four generations in the home. Talk about a lot of people. Abnormal has become our new normal. But, once again, PRAISE GOD ... we are FINALLY moving in to our very own home, after five months of living in other people's homes. Oh, and did you know that you can fit three pack-n-plays into one bedroom? Crazy.
Here is Breck sleeping on the floor, which is a common occurrence around here. With the girls, I was very diligent about always putting them to sleep in their own bed (crib, cradle, or pack-n-play). Before Breck was born, though, I said I wanted a baby who would just sleep anywhere. Little did I know that it would be a matter of necessity, not just convenience. For the most part, Breck is a fine sleeper. He likes to nap on his tummy sometimes, but he also sleeps great at night ... on his back, still swaddled. He does, though, like to eat throughout the night. We seem to be reaching the once-a-night feeding, but that is still not consistent.
He also takes many a naps in the swing and in his carseat. Oh - and of course in arms.
Look at those eyelashes. Yum.

Faces

2010-03-16T16:46:00.003-04:00

Broken Bones and Babies

2010-02-26T23:45:00.004-05:00

Our household has been in a constant flurry for the past two months. Two days after Chad returned from a trip to Colorado in January, he fell, broke his leg, and was in surgery the next morning … to be on crutches for four weeks! Not that this in and of itself is the end of the world, but remember that at this time I was VERY pregnant with our third child (Juliana not even 2.5 yet and Addie just 15 months) and we live 30-45 minutes from town and all our friends. AWESOME.

Yet as I write this now, Chad is driving the girls down to meet my parents, who have so graciously offered to let them visit for the week. The cast is off and the crutches are gone – all that remains is a walking boot. There is a three-week old chubby-cheeked little boy sleeping away in the baby Papasan chair. And we are moving to Colorado in a week … A WEEK! God has so mercifully carried us through the difficult weeks that now lay behind us. And when I say mercifully, I mean MERCIFULLY. He is so patient … and His mercies are indeed new every morning. Here are a few lessons learned from this particular trial:

Our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend Jesus Christ is indeed ENOUGH. I remember so vividly sitting in the waiting room during Chad’s surgery, feeling VERY alone. The surgery started much later than anticipated, and the hours kept ticking away. Finally, I was the only one left … the girls were with our dear friends, but I had to keep calling and make sure they could stay just a little longer. The burden I felt at that moment was tremendous, but God’s Word never fails and comforted me.

Chad and I really do like each other. Love each other. After four weeks of being at home together non-stop – him dealing with an injury and me being very emotional – we are happy to report that still get along great … still enjoy each other’s company … still want to spend time together…still make each other laugh. God is good.

While not my first choice, I can be a pioneer woman/supermom mix. I didn’t know how I would manage taking care of both girls by myself and taking care of everything at home, but somehow we managed. AND … I learned that I can even bring in firewood and sweep snow while in labor. A cinch, I tell you.

on the couch

2010-02-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

Over the past four weeks, I have been laid up with a broken leg. Besides the pointless hours I have spent watching television and reviewing three seasons of House and three seasons of the Office, I have also spent some great time reading. One of the sad parts of this injury (other than all the hard work Melody has had to endure) is that all my books are boxed up for the move. Luckily, I had a few books that I had left out of the packing to read and this gave me the perfect opportunity. Here are the books and a few thoughts about what I have learned.

Bible – Melody and I are reading through the Bible this year. Reading both the OT and NT at the same time is helping me to see the bigger picture. It has been amazing how many times my reading in Genesis and Matthew have the same themes.
Why We Love the Church by DeYoung and Kluck – This book has been a great reminder that most people aren’t frustrated with the church, but they are frustrated with God. Sure the church is full of crazies, but in most cases people are frustrated with the way God is just to those people or in reality to me. They also argue from the perspective that the resurgence to the home church is not necessarily as biblical as some would like to prove. The book is fair not to bash the home church movement, but to biblically evaluate that it isn’t the only way. I would recommend this book to any who are frustrated with church.
Total Church by Chester and Timmis – This book is a slam at our American church view of evangelism. Although they write from a modified home church model, their view of the mission of the church is right on. Before we sign up for another evangelism program, I challenge everyone to see evangelism not as a program that we do part-time, but the mission that God has give to the church to live out 24/7.
The Didache by the Apostles – I have never taken the time to go back and read some the early church writings. Many times we rely on our favorite theologians to quote from these documents, rather than simply reading them ourselves. What I found to be interesting is that this document gave me such a new view of what the early church was like. At one point I found them clearly making a statement about an issue that we as elders spent several hours discussing (if only I would have read this earlier).
Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris – Every time I recommend a book by Harris to people, they say, “Isn’t that the I Kissed Dating Goodbye guy?” Yes it is! But he also has a great gift from God to write on issues of the church in such a way to interest any reader. This book is the best book he has written. Thank you Josh for giving us this great tool for the church. The two chapters on the Holy Spirit and the Church are alone worth the cost of this book, if not more. He ends this book with a chapter called “Humble Orthodoxy.” Summing up this book, Harris emphasized doctrine (as this is what the book is about) must not be forgotten, but lived out humbly. I will recommend and use this book in future ministry.

Go Away SNOW!

2010-02-16T09:13:00.003-05:00

This years winter has made us ready for our move to Colorado. You may be saying, "They get more snow in Colorado, right?" Maybe they do, but at least it goes away. We have had nothing but snow and rain for the past two months. Also, country living is not conducive to the snow unless you are Annie Oakley or Grizzly Adams.
We don't have trash pick up, so this morning Melody was driving the trash to the neighbors, because they do have trash pickup. She got the van stuck in the driveway because the snow drifts were so high. Hopefully the sun will come out today to help get the van unstuck. We are thankful for where we live, but city life is calling us in 2 1/2 weeks!

Girl in LOVE!

2010-02-03T13:28:00.009-05:00

Valentine's Day has come early in the Mondragon home.
Juliana has never been so affectionate toward anything like she is for Breck.
The minute he came home, she can not take her eyes off of him.

Addie on the other hand is curious, but not impressed.

What happened???

2010-01-21T16:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I blinked. And today I find myself past Christmas already. OH. MY. FLYING. TIME. How in the world? For our single digit readership out there, I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of any new posts. Let me just give you the skinny on some possible reasons.

Late summer – Chad and I feel God calling us away from our beloved church in Lexington and to possibly church-planting in Colorado.

September – we decide for sure to pursue this calling … announce to elders…Juliana turns TWO…we announce to church … put our house on the market…house sells in less than two weeks (yes, two weeks!).

October – learn that our third child will indeed be a BOY … take respective trips to Colorado and Georgia, only to come back and pack up our house in a week … Adeline turns ONE … we move out of our house!

We are living in a temporary housing situation (praise God for this!) out in the middle of nowhere …. Paris, KY. We have no cable and no internet (except on Chad’s phone). I can look out the breakfast nook and see cows on the hills around and sometimes the neighbor’s horses on the side of the house. These are the sounds I hear during the day: tractors, the occasional horse trailer, and sometimes the train going down the tracks. VERY different than living in Lexington!

So now here we are in January, weeks away from welcoming baby boy into our family. And even more weeks away from moving across the country. We are so behind in posting, but we will try to catch up.

Happy New Years!

2010-01-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

New Years with great friends and new beginnings. We will miss KY, but anticipate what God is going to do in this new year! (this picture has not been altered by makeup, hair goo, or showers...obviously)

Political Theft

2009-12-19T12:46:00.002-05:00

Everyone says that politicians are crooks. Today, my bank card had been hacked and used to purchase things online. Some of the things purchased where electronics and webgear. The surprising thing charged was a $5 donation to BarackObama.com. Now we all know how these crooks get their money.

Christmas Considerations

2009-12-15T16:19:00.001-05:00

THIS is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas-day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day, and the observance of it is purely of Popish origin; doubtless those who are Catholics have a right to hallow it, but I do not see how consistent Protestants can account it in the least sacred. However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us; particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more. Still, although we do not fall exactly in the track of other people, I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus. We do not wish to be classed with those

"Who with more care keep holiday
The wrong, than others the right way."

The old Puritans made a parade of work on Christmas-day, just to show that they protested against the observance of it. But we believe they entered that protest so completely, that we are willing, as their descendants, to take the good accidentally conferred by the day, and leave its superstitions to the superstitious.
(Dec 23, 1855 C.H. Spurgeon)

Faith Trials

2009-12-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

Matt Chandler challenges his people just prior to going into surgery. Video from Matt.

Ministry Getaway

2009-12-03T18:02:00.002-05:00

Melody and I are leaving Lexvegas and heading to Denver for the weekend. It is exciting to have the opportunity for the two of us to go and meet some new potential church planters. We will be looking at houses in Centennial on Friday, meeting with potential core group members on Saturday, and having a core group meeting on Sunday. We are also looking forward to worshiping with friends Jason and Jennifer Janz and the Providence Bible Church in Downtown Denver in Sunday AM. Pray for us as we leave the girls in KY with Melody's parents. Also pray for opportunities to connect with potential core group members.

the Launch of Plant Denver

2009-11-14T16:37:00.003-05:00

Check out our new ministry site at www.plantdenver.com

Give Me Jesus

2009-09-18T14:58:00.001-04:00

Fernando Ortega - "Give Me Jesus" from Adamson.TV on Vimeo.

Just Another Day

2009-08-20T22:17:00.008-04:00

WARNING: There is nothing incredibly exciting about this video -- at least to non-family members. Oh, and Gina from church, for whom Juliana has developed a fond affection. This is just another morning at home -- no bows, no cute dresses, and thankfully, no tantrums!

And here a just a few pics of the girls. NOTE: I think Juliana has FINALLY learned how to smile for the camera.

No. 9

2009-07-29T11:54:00.010-04:00

That's right. Our delicious second-born is now 9 months old! I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where the time has gone. Something about having two dependent babies that makes time fly.
Addie has gone from a scrawny newborn to a healthy, bubbly infant. Forget what they say about second-borns being the easy ones -- you know, content, easy-going, etc. Not our Addie. If there is mischief to be had, she will find it. She especially loves to touch (and eat) everything she shouldn't.

As you can see from the picture above, nothing about this child is below the fifth percentile weight wise. Today she weighed in at a healthy 17 pounds even (pretty much average) and measured 28 inches long (a little above average). She crawls everywhere, pulls up on everything (has several bumps to show for it), and is cruising around furniture. And yes, that is Addie sitting in Juliana's baby stroller. For the most part Addie is a great sleeper -- she'll sleep 11-12 hours at night and 3 hours during the day still. She does NOT like to stay up late (8 is her limit), but she does love to wake fairly early.
Adeline truly is a cheery baby -- smiling is her favorite. Unless, of course, you tell her no or her sister takes her toy. God has given us two beautiful girls with two beautiful, yet different personalities. We are anxiously looking forward to the day when Juliana and Adeline will be best buds!

Tim Tebow

2009-07-24T13:30:00.001-04:00

The latest cover story of Sports Illustrated is on the ministry of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Another entry!

2009-07-21T16:12:00.002-04:00



Well, I didn't win last time, but you never know!  I've been
eyeballing these Grobaby diapers anyway, so it would be
fantastic just to win a free one.

for the love of shoes

2009-07-13T21:52:00.003-04:00

Mystery of the Lions

2009-07-06T16:55:00.006-04:00

We had a great day in Louisville as a family on Friday. When we returned home on Friday night, I caught a glimps of something weird in my yard as we were coming closer to the house. So I turned into the street before our house to see what was in our backyard. Melody and I cracked up laughing to see two lion statues sitting on our deck.
The funny thing is that on Sunday, in the middle of church it hit me..."I have seen those lions before." Then the mystery was over. Our friends Herb and Leslie just bought a house in Paris, KY and these were on their front entry. I forgot that Herb and Josh Marlowe were in town on Friday and Josh knew we were gone since he and I were unable to hang out. Very funny!!!

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

2009-06-27T12:40:00.002-04:00



These are great cloth diapers ... here's hoping we win!

Did Jesus go to hell?

2009-06-18T11:08:00.001-04:00

For the answer to this question go to www.provpress.com

It is FINISHED

2009-06-16T12:49:00.002-04:00

Finally finished with the fence, pergola, and deck!

New Church Blog

2009-06-03T16:39:00.003-04:00

Check out the relaunch of our church blog.
WWW.PROVPRESS.COM

New Fence and Deck

2009-05-27T14:31:00.007-04:00

before

after

before

after

So for the past few weeks I have been working on a new fence, which separates us and our neighbor's annoying dog. With the help of my friend Justin, I was able to get it all done in a few days. I also reworked our pergola. Under the pergola were cement pavers. The problem was that they were beginning to sink as the whether washed our the sand from under them. I removed them all and built a deck under the pergola that would extend in front of it to give us more room.

Congratulations Josh and Bethanne

2009-05-05T12:38:00.002-04:00

Our good friends Josh and Bethanne Marlowe welcomed their first child into the world. Meranda Kate Marlowe was born Monday night at 8. She was 7 lb 15 oz and 21 in.

Friday Mornings with Daddy

2009-04-17T15:03:00.004-04:00

Today, Juliana experienced her first breakfast burrito. When daddy cooks, we eat what he likes. She loved it!

Good Times

2009-04-13T09:46:00.003-04:00

I LOVE Easter. I LOVE celebrating the culmination of Christ's life here on Earth. I LOVE singing about the Resurrection. I LOVE dressing up. And I definitely LOVE coloring Easter eggs. All of this has magnified since having the girls. Sure, I do love dressing up my girls in all their girly glory. But as a mom, focusing on and talking about Christ's death and Resurrection surely takes the cake. I feel tremendous responsibility to teach my girls how incredibly special this day is. How incredibly sinful we are. And how incredibly merciful God is.

This Easter turned out a lot different than I anticipated. I was so stoked to get the girls dressed and to church on time. They were picture perfect of course. I noted, though, that Juliana woke up in a foul mood. She was definitely off -- real clingy and cuddly -- so not like her, especially at church. Chad and I had decided to take her in for the music portion of the worship service.

All was going well, and I was getting proud. Juliana was so quiet while I held her; in fact, she almost went to sleep. Then, it happened. I noticed she wasn't looking so good ... then stuff started coming out of her mouth. I quickly made an exit to the back (of course I had chosen THIS day to sit towards the front). We made it to the back trash can just in time ... if you know what I mean. We exited out to find the bathroom, trash can in tow. Let's just say that at this point both Juliana and I were, um, *dirty.*

So, I let the moment pass, retrieved my sleeping Addie from the nursery, and went home with the girls. On Easter. Before the message. All by myself. Covered in *yuk.* So, we have no Easter pictures so far, but rest assured, this mama will be playing dress up the first chance I get. And yes, I still worshipped my Savior. I still marveled at His gift. It was a special day.

The scoop

2009-03-24T19:34:00.013-04:00

Well, I said I would update on the whole cloth diaper scenario ... so here goes. I love it. Really. I must be crazy.

So far I have been tremendously pleased with the experience. The only ones I'm trying right now are Thirsties and Bum Genius. They are both all-in-ones ... no diapers and covers for me (at least not yet). The Bum Genius are one size, so they're pretty bulky on Addie. They definitely wouldn't work on a Mondragon newborn ... little peanuts. I've had a few kinks to work out -- like how to give my tummy sleeper more absorbency where she needs it. I haven't made the switch at nighttime yet, but we're working up to it. And I also am NOT taking them on our trip to Virginia Beach next week -- hello, I am not that crazy.
The new diapers definitely make the girls' clothing fit differently, so I do have to take that into consideration. (I don't have any cute pics yet of the diapers on, but the one above shows how it makes Juliana's pants fit) I will say, though, I love the colors! I actually matched Juliana's diaper Sunday night to her outfit ... yes, I am that pathetic. The other aspect I was concerned about was the laundry, but honestly it has not been too bad. It really hasn't added more work -- just a few extra minutes to put everything in and mash the buttons.
My motivation for this was simple -- save us some money! Juliana is showing signs that she's ready to potty train, but until then, buying diapers for two is expensive! I can appreciate the environmental benefit, but we're going green in another capacity ... more green in the bank!
Okay, so I couldn't resist adding these pictures of the girls -- they are too precious!

Blessings from Calvin

2009-03-20T11:11:00.004-04:00

Being the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, this years Ligonier Conference began with a pre-conference dedicated to Calvin. I have watched and listened to the first two addresses by Mohler and Duncan. Both of these have blessed my heart towards ministry and encouraged my walk towards holiness. To all my Calvin hating friends, this history lesson is great and you will be blessed too. Much negativity towards Calvin comes from those who have never studied him, nor picked up any of his literature to read. His Institutes have been a personal blessing in my life and as Duncan concludes this address, he draws us back to read the Institutes and examine the Scripture to pursue changed lives buy the holiness and work of God! Click here to view messages.

my days

2009-03-16T21:54:00.004-04:00

This week....

Upon receiving *correction* for throwing a fit and throwing her cup down, Juliana promptly picked up her cup when told, walked over, and threw it in the trashcan. Ah, obedience.
I walked back in the downstairs living room to find Juliana SITTING on top of Addie. Yes, sitting.
Before church on Sunday, Juliana found a cup she stashed in her toy drawer. She took a big drink. Curdled soymilk. Yum.
Juliana tried to cover Addie with a blanket ... on her face.
Juliana tried to put her baby to bed in Addie's cradle. Addie was already in the cradle. Let's just say lots of crying ensued.
Juliana learned how to take off her shoes AND socks in the car.
Tonight Juliana tried to stand up in the Baby Papasan...with Addie in it.
Juliana helped herself to a snack. Out of the trashcan.

Notice a trend here? Let's just say we have definitely entered a new realm of parenting = the toddler. We are in an intense time of *instruction* and *correction* for sure. And this mama begs God daily for wisdom, grace, and patience.

This is also the week we started using cloth diapers! So far it's going great, but we (actually just me - I had to make a deal with Chad that he wouldn't have to change any if he let me switch) are just beginning! I'll post more on it once I get a little more experience...

Our girls are such charmers! Addie has charmed her parents with lots of sleep, giggles, smiles, coos, and cuddles. Juliana has charmed us by -- well, I think you get the picture.

The New Calvinism

2009-03-12T18:10:00.003-04:00

The Reformed journey, as I chose to call it, has been a discovery in my life that has brought more clarity and conviction to the Scriptures. It is a journey that I did not choose, but discovered (or maybe it chose me?). It has never been forced or too systematic, in fact my previous convictions cautioned me to stay away from it.

I can remember back to the first time I went to hear John Piper speak. I went as a critic, pessimistic about the popularity of one man’s ability to speak about the gospel. But I came away amazed, not at his speaking ability, but amazed at the way the Scripture connected to my life. Over and over again, I could tell stories about things closely connected to Calvinism that I dismissed or treated in a pessimistic way, only to be rebuked by the Spirit and convicted by the Scriptures. Yes, Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy!

The teaching of God’s sovereignty in Scripture has opened up my understanding of the perfect plan of promise being revealed from Genesis to Revelation. It is the promise of God’s sovereignty that has helped me most to cope with the suffering and loss in my life. It is that sovereignty that makes me see the world as needy of Christ’s promise. It is that sovereignty which establishes my purpose on this earth as a follower of Christ.

Is it no wonder that Time magazine has named “The New Calvinism” as #3 of the Top 10 Ideas Changing the World. It has changed my life, ministry, family, and purpose completely. I stand amongst a small group of other reformed believers, but in the shadows of great thinkers such as Edwards, Spurgeon, and Calvin. And we look forward, toward the reform of the church, where the gospel is no longer a watered-down emotional speech. But like Peter in the book of Acts, we can stand with conviction that God is sovereign, the gospel has been his perfect plan since creation, and your acceptance and denial of it is not based upon human reason, but on God’s sovereign will.

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-02T11:03:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday!

Well, here we go again. Time for a little honesty and a microcosm of our crazy life. Relax, enjoy a cup of joe, and be thankful you are SO NOT like me! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week was NOT the busiest we've had since Addie has been born. It did NOT result in me wanting to pull the covers over my head this weekend and never get up. Oh no -- I have boundless energy.

This week I did NOT attempt to take both girls to lunch to meet a friend, and it was NOT at the busiest lunch hour. Of course girls behaved beautifully -- they did NOT both need me at the same time. The woman ringing me up at Chick-fil-A did NOT reach out and grab my daughter's arm (when she thought she might be reaching for a display). I did NOT want to reach back out and strangle her.

While holding Juliana because there were NO high chairs, I did NOT look down to find that she was indeed helping herself to MY nuggets. I mean, why would she want to eat nuggets when she had apples, sweet potato fries, and almond butter bread???????

Once she was finally in a high chair, she did NOT dump over her entire plate of food while I was holding Addie, who was NOT crying. And of course this was NOT the only food I had for her, and it was NOT at the beginning of the meal. My poor friend, whose little newborn was sleeping BEAUTIFULLY in a sling, had NO IDEA what she was getting into.

Of course, I was not stressed because I only had two nuggets left to share between the two of us. We both did NOT leave starving and did NOT come home and eat again. What pigs. Surely I am NOT that cheap where I refused to spend more money so we could both have more to eat. Not me!

Finally, late Friday night I did NOT realize that I had forgotten to bring down pjs for Addie. So, I did NOT find a pair on the floor and simply put those on. And, in the morning, I did NOT discover that Addie had a blowout in those pjs. Good thing this did NOT happen -- gross.

No Excuses - Mark 2:13-14

2009-02-22T06:18:00.001-05:00

I find in life’s unstopping flow that we amuse ourselves with excuses. Yes, I speak about myself when I note the unwillingness to give up my personal bliss to submit to the ever present voice of a Savior saying, “Follow me.” We flatter ourselves that our excuses are good enough for God. But the simplest reminder is his Word. Jesus called sinners. The sold out ones didn’t make excuses, but they quit what they were doing to be sold out to the cause of the Gospel. They were sold out to the cause of the kingdom. They were sold out because there is forgiveness of sins in Christ. What is our excuse?

she's a lover

2009-02-18T19:46:00.010-05:00

This video is evidence. There's no hiding it. She's obsessed. Juliana is a lover. The love that she shows Addie in this video is the same love every child and baby at our church is so *blessed* to receive.

Juliana pretty much ALWAYS acts this way around her baby sister ... so stinkin' sweet and adorable. I can only hope and pray she still loves her this much in a year.

BUT, she doesn't just act this way with Addie. Case in point: Sunday night in the nursery. Juliana and her BFF Evan were already sitting together on the picnic table enjoying a little snack. I turn my back for a minute, and when I look back, Juliana has scooted herself RIGHT UP to Evan and is now STROKING his hair. That's right - she was stroking his hair. And he took it.

I am in TROUBLE.

Oh yeah, here's another peek at sweet baby sister.

Coldplay and Grace

2009-02-17T04:45:00.002-05:00

Checkout this article on Coldplay and Common Grace at Blazing Center.

cleanse us from all unrighteosness

2009-02-14T19:21:00.002-05:00

1 John 1:8-10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

for my southern friends

2009-02-04T11:52:00.015-05:00

If you know me at all, you know I grew up in Georgia and I HATE cold weather ... especially cold weather that brings snow and ice. Ugh. Kentucky has been in the news all week because of the massive ice and snow storm that hit. Yep, it got us too. Thankfully we never lost our power! I know this is nothing like MckMama and her MSC face in the frozen tundraland up north, but wow -- it is cold. Yesterday we got hit with ANOTHER round of snow -- 3.5 inches worth! Today, the high is in the teens and the wind chill is in the negative digits. I briefly contemplated letting Juliana "play" in the snow on the deck, until I remembered how cold it is outside. Oh darn.
Here is my attempt at "shoveling" snow. I got so hot this morning cleaning and baking (chocolate chip cookie dough brownies ... sinfully delicious ... thanks Bakerella!) that I didn't mind. Joey hates to walk in the snow and since it is so deep he refuses to go to the yard to do his *business* ... so I thought I'd help him out.

Yes, there is still a sheet of ice underneath.

Here is a picture to bring some warmth (in addition to the thought of those delightful brownies cooling on my counter)...

Driscoll on Nightline

2009-02-03T12:23:00.002-05:00

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-19T15:03:00.008-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. Ah, props to MckMama for advocating such brutal honesty. You really should check her blog out, but be warned, you will be addicted. And I refuse to take the blame ... well, I will actually, but you're on your own once you're addicted. Join us, won't you? Here goes...

This week, I did NOT eat an entire tin of Altoids dark chocolate peppermint mints. They did NOT taste exactly like Junior Mints, which is why I did NOT polish those jewels off in a matter of minutes. And I certainly did NOT tell myself it was in the name of *fresh breath.*

While changing one of Addie's MANY blowouts this week, I decided to give her a quick *bath* in the sink. She most certainly did NOT pee all down my pants leg while in route. And I did NOT promptly remove the offending pants and finish bathing and dressing ... pantless. Nope! I also am NOT totally grossed out by changing dirty diapers. I am a mom, after all.

I did NOT wear the same sweater three days in a row. And it certainly was NOT until the third day of wear that I realized this ... if it had actually happened.

Date night was NOT almost completely ruined Friday night. It did NOT start out with us driving to two separate restaurants, only to leave because of incredibly long waits. We did NOT give up and settle for Chili's. We did NOT have to rush through dinner to get home because we left Addie with the sitter and she refuses to take a bottle.

To demonstrate my awesome parenting skills, I did NOT put on the "move it" music video in Madagascar and dance like a mad woman -- just to see Juliana dance. I would NOT lower myself to such humiliating behavior.

Finally, I did NOT put off going to the grocery store one day, simply because I would have to put on make-up and change out of my sweats. What kind of lazy slob would I be? Good thing I do NOT think like that.

So, whether you blog about it or just talk about, what crazy things have you NOT done or thought this week?

Get Real...

2009-01-15T13:24:00.006-05:00

Shortly after Chad and I were married, I remember telling a friend that I never knew how selfish I really was ... until I got married. Nothing like matrimony to bring out the best in you. Now that was a fun lesson learned -- yeah right. Everybody just loves to see their own selfishness. Fast forward a few years ... no, I am not completely selfless, but at least I now recognize my selfish tendencies and can deal with them appropriately. But now... now I am faced with a new challenge. My own incompetency. Becoming a mother has made me realize, well, what an absolute mess I actually am. I tire of pretending that I am anything else, so here is me being real. Really real.

I would drink coffee ALL DAY if I could. I only drink hot cocoa and hot tea when I've already had too much coffee.
I am still scared of the dark.
I leave clothes in the dyer until I ABSOLUTELY HAVE to take them out. Then they probably sit in the basket for a few more days. And, I don't iron our clothes before I put them away.
I do love the IDEA of eating all-natural, organic, and healthy all the time. But I don't think fish sticks, corn dogs, and ramen noodles fall into that category. I LOVE ramen noodles.
I do not know the best way to clean tile grout. Which explains why the tile grout in my shower is never clean.
I am still a nerd at my core -- I love reading, learning, and even writing papers. I would love to get a Ph.D one day.
I once used Pledge on our wooden stairs in our condo in Virginia. I thought it was a great idea and would keep me from having to clean them so often ... until Chad almost died falling down them because they were so slick. NOT a good idea after all.
In spite of being a "pastor's wife," I am not an overly compassionate and merciful person by nature. I prefer the "Get real and grow up" method of counseling.
I have the world's smallest toenails. Seriously. And it appears Juliana has inherited them.
I actually asked the pediatrician if Juliana had some sort of vitamin deficiency, which would explain the lack of bountiful hair on her head. I'm that vain.
I love being pregnant. I love laboring and birthing my babies, without meds. The whole thing fascinates me.
I actually love watching tv. I can also tell you what programs are on at any given time during the hours of 12-5 am. Insomnia loves me.
I sometimes still get really annoyed by screaming kids. Too much noise bothers me.
I have only taken both girls out by myself a handful of times. And I use the *cold weather* as an excuse, when in reality I don't feel like managing two babies in the grocery store.
My desk pretty much stays cluttered and chaotic. A messy desk is my vice.
Chad makes the bed better than me. But I don't even care. I can now admit this and it doesn't bother me.
I take my wedding ring off to sleep, and most days I forget to put it back on.
I do NOT like to be crowded when I sleep. We have a "no touch" rule in our bed. Except when I let Addie stay in bed after her 4 am feeding.
I get embarrassed when my babies cry a lot in front of others. I also get embarrassed when their outfits are "not just right."

I know I could go on and on, but I know I need to save some face. Every other area of my life is perfect and put together. And so I dedicate this post to the rest of you who have such perfect lives. Now I'm going to go feed my toddler enchiladas while my newborn entertains herself.

Sweet Blessings

2009-01-12T20:33:00.012-05:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of finally meeting sweet baby Emma Wilson. She is, without a doubt, a true gift from God and a miracle. Her parents, Rob and Dana, have been faithfully attending our church, and we have grown to love them tremendously. Dana faced some complications late in her pregnancy and was in and out of the hospital for several weeks. The doctors tried to keep Emma in as long as possible, and she finally was born about 3.5 weeks early. Then, when she was two weeks old, she was hospitalized with a severe case of RSV, which at one point involved her being intubated. She is now home and doing much better, praise God!

It is during such times that we have seen the Body of Christ act like the Body of Christ. The people at Providence have surrounded them with unceasing prayers and steadfast love. We have seen God answer the prayers of His people! It is so heart-wrenching to see our friends experience such a difficult trial, but I am so thankful that God has shown Himself to this precious family during this difficulty. I am so thankful for the blessing of the Body of Christ, especially the body here at Providence Community.

Here is another one of life's sweetest blessings ... Adeline Carmichael.
Since my last post about Addie, we have experienced a dramatic change in the Mondragon household. At her two-month check-up (weighing in at 11 lbs even), our lovely pediatrician prescribed Zantac ... and that has made all the difference! We feel like we have a completely different baby now. Addie is the sweetest, most cheerful baby (at least most of the time ... she's still not perfect). Her smiles and giggles keep us laughing, and it is hard to resist snuggling her! On a side note, Juliana finally passed the 5th percentile at her 15 month check-up ... she weighed in at 19 lbs, 8 0z (with clothes) and is now hovering between the 5th and 10th percentile!

Not Me Monday

2009-01-05T10:55:00.008-05:00

The longer I have two children, the more *situations* I find myself in. I have long admired the escapades of those who have "Not Me" material to publish, especially MckMama and her posts here, but ironically enough, I am finding plenty of escapades myself.

This week, I did not want to shake my fist in the face of the Ikea-masters while carrying a screaming, hungry baby through the upstairs showroom, lost and desperately trying to find the quickest exit downstairs to go feed my baby. And of course I did not give up and try to nurse Addie in an alcove by an emergency exit, which did not result in me banging my 2-month old's head on the glass doors, and I'm pretty sure I did NOT flash any of the peaceful shoppers. I was NOT livid and ready to cry when I had to give up that peaceful nursing area and try again to find the exit. Who would rather carry a screaming baby and push a stroller through the crowds and winding showroom to find a private area rather than just get over it and not care who saw me feeding my baby? Not me, that would be ridiculous.

But, on the slim chance that I would try that, I am most certain that I did NOT accidentally *bump* one such shopper when she would not get out of the way of a screaming baby being carried by a very frantic mother, pushing a quite large stroller. No way I would EVER do that. Hello -- my husband is a pastor.

I did not stand and nurse Addie in the bathroom for twenty minutes, while someone waited outside the door. I was not desperate for a moment to collect my thoughts and calm down so that we could salvage the rest of the fun at Ikea.

I did not re-wash a perfectly clean pair of pants because the previous washing apparently *shrunk* them. No, that would indicate that my backside is still a little big from having two babies in thirteen months, which is so NOT the case. Of course my clothes fit me perfectly. And, that would be a waste of detergent and energy. I am NOT that careless. I did not pick up a piece of banana off the floor and feed to Juliana. That's just gross. Nor did I watch her pound down some soymilk after I brushed her teeth for bed. No way would I let my child go to bed with un-brushed teeth.

And, I most certainly did not use wet paper towels to change a child's diaper in the nursery. The mess was NOT too much and the wipes were NOT too small. Not me -- that would almost be like child cruelty. I'm pretty sure that the "mess" also did NOT get on the dress and did NOT need to be wiped off.

I Think My Wife is a Calvinist

2008-12-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T13:59:00.000-05:00

"The true light...was coming into the world." John 1:9

2.

2008-12-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

First, let's clarify. We are still alive, and yes, despite the lack of pictures and updates, we still have a new baby. Oh yes, we are adoring parents of two gorgeous daughters. We relished in that feeling of euphoria in bringing home a newborn. We loved the surprise of announcing a second daughter. We even loved finally deciding on a name.

Then the vicious and relentless guest known as *reality* came to stay. For this child, reality came cloaked in something the medical world has termed "colic." Something so vague and non-descript that there really is no real definition. All it means is that my baby cries. A LOT. And not just cries, but screams. A LOT. Yes, God, in His sovereignty, decided to graciously give us a high needs baby. I tried to convince Him that I'm really not that strong, but He is wiser and seems to think we can handle it. Funny, huh? We noticed right away how much fussier Addie was than Juliana was. Addie would pretty much only sleep if being held, and would only stay asleep if being held. Mercifully, she did great at night. Then, just when I thought things were already hard, the nighttime screaming started. For no reason.

Thankfully, the days have gotten a little easier since I made the *flip.* Yes, Addie sleeps on her tummy during the day. It is the only way I have been able to put her down and try to take care of the rest of life. I haven't made the switch yet at night because she still does okay, although she has been sleeping in our bed quite a bit. I do call her my Jekyll and Hyde baby because she is pretty mellow and so sweet during the day. She is incredibly smiley and is already quite the talker. Pure sweetness. Until the evening, that is.

Juliana is also the picture of pure sweetness, unless she is bothered by her molars coming in, which, ironically, happens to be now. Overall, she has done beautifully filling her role of big sister. She loves to give Addie kisses and loves to pat her on the back when she is crying. Juliana is also becoming more of a helper, and she now loves to go get her own diaper when it is time for changing. This kid is so crazy and has so much energy - she is a laughing, dancing machine.

All in all, having two babies to care for has not been the greatest challenge. Having a very demanding newborn is what makes the process difficult. I just try to survive each day, and hope that the next day will be better.

Liam Edward Swanson

2008-12-03T12:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world Liam! We have been waiting and praying for you for a few weeks and are glad that you finally made it out. Your parents are our good friends and we look forward to getting to know you. You can call us Uncle Chad and Aunt Mel! We will begin to pray that you will know Jesus one day. We love you!

Pray for Pryor Family

2008-10-28T13:58:00.000-04:00

Monica Pryor is now at rest from her cancer. She is rejoicing with the angels about how great our God is! Pray for Monica's family that they will also rejoice in her home going. Her funeral service is Thursday morning at NHCC in Greenville, SC.

It's a GIRL!!! Adeline Carmichael

2008-10-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

Adeline Carmichael was born this morning! She was 6 lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long. Everyone is doing well.

changes

2008-10-15T15:59:00.000-04:00

Change is good -- so everyone says. Here are some of the many changes going on in the Mondragon home.

Juliana Piper -- my sweet baby girl is no longer my sweet infant, but my little toddler girl (even though she's not much bigger than a six month old infant). JP is such a busy, busy person, with so much to do and learn every day. She runs, not walks. She dances. She sings. She climbs. She falls. She bangs things together. She waves at the tv. She even tackles. She is, in a nutshell, quite hilarious. We have cherished the past year with her, to put it mildly. Even now as I type, I hear her singing to herself in her crib ... so sweet! Of course, along with turning one comes many *not so sweet* qualities. Somehow she has inherited a stubborn, at times impatient, streak. I am praying that God calls her to salvation early and will use all that personality and spunk he's given her for His glory.

Sweet baby #2 -- We have less than three weeks until this baby is *supposed* to arrive. My body started early preparations for labor about 3 weeks ago, but then it was the same with Juliana. Apparently my body needs lots of time to prep itself for labor. Go figure. We had the same scare with this one (at the same exact time) as we did with Juliana -- low fluid. This time, the fluid was even lower than with Juliana, but it did go up enough for the baby to keep baking. Good thing -- apparently we're also having another peanut. In the meantime, I'm supposed to be *resting* as much as possible ... yeah right. And no, we still haven't figured out exactly where the baby will sleep (after the first couple of months). And no, we still don't have a girl name.

Providence Community -- The church continues to grow and change. There are many faces in the crowd now, with many needs. The time demands placed on our family continue to grow. Chad still works at Starbucks, which continues to sap his energy. We are praying for more changes here!

On a side note, our dear friend Anne took some gorgeous pictures of our gorgeous girl. Here is the link to see more of her handiwork.

ESV Study Bible Countdown

2008-09-27T19:57:00.001-04:00

Sarah Palin

2008-09-04T17:46:00.000-04:00

I have got to say that I wasn't that enthused about John McCain until last week when he added Sarah Palin to the ticket. Last night at the RNC, she blew the roof off the building. Here is an article I enjoyed on her church.

My Thoughts on the Vols

2008-09-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

This picture was the best part of the game. We were all (Juliana and I in UT apparel and Mel in UGA) able to go to Chick-fil-a for our free chicken strips and then we came home and tried to finish off the great opening weekend of college football. I would like to say that UT had an incredible first half, but the second half is where all the problems began. First, the whole game was not lost by Lincoln. Yes, he may have missed the final field goal, but it should never be left up to the kicker. Second, Crompton is partially to blame, but not all. He did fairly well for his first starting game. I can see great potential in him, once he works out the nerves. Third, we can't let the defense off on this game. I am still unsure how they could shut down the UCLA offense the whole first half and then fail the second. It seemed to me like there were too many first downs for UCLA. Their offense was horible, even in the second half. All in all, the Vols were the better team, they just did what is common for the Vols, they choked! They better get it together because Florida and Auburn are in a few weeks.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

2008-08-26T08:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, confession time. Sometimes I'm nothing more than a *blog lurker.* I justify in my mind that I have too much to do to spend time writing on all the blogs I peruse -- but now I can't anymore. I have been in love with this blog for quite some time now, admiring all the greatness that it holds -- and the free giveaways. For some reason, I've never taken the time to enter, but now I decided I will after all. This talented mom is an amazing seamstress (I keep telling myself one day I'll be there!) and gives away her creations. This week is a simply delicious little outfit that makes me yearn even more for fall. Click on the link to see it -- you'll be hooked!

Apple Orchard Overalls GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

In other totally unrelated news, I have hit the 30-week mark of this pregnancy ... yahoo!!!! I have already started all my "nesting" projects and can't wait to meet this little one. Chad and I go back and forth on whether we'll add more pink to our home or blue. I am pretty much carrying the exact same way (except I feel bigger this time -- but of course, my body only had about 4.5 months to recover before it started changing again), the heartbeat is the same as Juliana's was, but this baby moves ALL over the place!

Juliana is starting to walk, which we didn't think she'd be able to do on her tiny little feet! I think she is finally going to outgrow her size 1 shoes by her first birthday! Still not much hair, unfortunately, but that little girl has loads of personality -- she is learning just how loud she can be these days. Chad and I just love to sit and watch her play sometimes. She is also finally getting more teeth -- she's only had two since 6 months. We like to joke that she also takes after her Meme Patty Burtch in her sleeping habits -- this kid LOVES to sleep. At least once a week she will sleep in til 9 or 10 am ... very nice for mama's to-do list!

Finally, this Sunday we have our Grand Opening Service at church. We will be canvassing the surrounding neighborhoods this week to let families know we are new to the area. We are praying for a great crowd and planning to have no extra seats!!!

She Walks!

2008-08-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

i heart paul

2008-08-14T08:14:00.000-04:00

Sometimes in the morning you just need a little time in the New Testament epistles to get you going. I did not want to get up early this morning, trust me. I have been sleeping better at night, but last night was not one of those nights (or at least the wee hours of the morning). So, when my alarm went off, I wished to just stay in bed until Juliana started chattering through the monitor. I knew my whole day would be off if I didn't force myself up, so I did. I am so glad.

I just finished reading Galatians and started the book of Ephesians. And even though it is a book that I have studied quite a bit (thanks, Chad), this morning its message was so fresh and so pointed. The Holy Spirit really used the words of Paul to strengthen my faint heart. This morning I was reminded that: even though I was a child of wrath walking in darkness, God in His rich mercy loved me and made me alive in Christ. I have been seated in the heavenly places in Christ. I am created to now walk in good works, as God's workmanship. Although once far off, I have been brought near by the blood of Christ. I have access to the Father through the Spirit. I am a part of the household of God! I am a partaker of the promise in Christ through the Gospel.
How could I not want to start my day after reading this??? And if this wasn't enough, I was especially strengthened by Paul's prayer in 3:14-21. Whenever I usually read these verses, I always read them as prayers for others (again, thanks Chad). But not this morning. This morning the Spirit gently reminded me that this was also for my life. God wants me to be strengthened with power in my inner being by the Spirit. God wants me to have the strength to comprehend and know the breadth, length, height, and depth of the the love of Christ -- the love that surpasses all knowledge. He wants me to be filled with all the fullness of God.

What a timely message of encouragement for my heart this morning. God knows I surely needed it. After studying, I do feel strengthened to persevere in my day. Now on to my second cup of coffee.

The true Gospel

2008-08-04T11:14:00.000-04:00

Chad and I just experienced the two-year anniversary of our move to Lexington, KY this past week. When we moved, we had great plans and great visions, but we had no idea what to expect and what our lives here would hold. We knew, though, that God was calling us here and we were to follow. Period. No questions. There was a city where a dearth of biblical churches existed, and so we came.

And now, two years later, we rejoice to see the Hand of God working here in Lexington. Granted, we are not seeing fireworks or masses of people follow Christ every Sunday. But -- God IS working. In our new sanctuary, we are already approaching capacity. Our nursery is booming (we actually rejoice for this problem!). But most importantly, the Gospel is being preached and lives are being changed. Just yesterday, we had two new couples visit our church -- praise God for this! Amazingly, both of them found our church by finding and liking what they saw on our website. Since I am married to the man who puts so much effort into this aspect of our ministry, I was especially grateful for this. I see the time he puts in at the computer, doing "mundane" tasks like spell-check, updating sermon series, new classes, etc. He is a workhorse, no doubt. I really can't say enough about how wonderful he is -- those who know him know how he can pretty much do anything, and do it well. From taking care of Juliana, cooking a meal, prepping the house for company, cutting my hair, maintaining our lawn, building stuff ... he is amazing. Anyway, I digress.

As I was talking to one of the visitors, she commented on how difficult it is to find a church that actually teaches truth ... so many water down the truth of the Scriptures. I couldn't help but reflect on what I had been studying this past week in Galatians: "If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:9). My heart is so very thankful to be involved in a church where the true Gospel is being proclaimed, because in so many places -- even in seemingly *good* churches -- this is not the case. My heart was also overwhelmed with the burden that the elders of our church carry on their shoulders (which of course includes my wonderful husband!). Our days here are not just to pass the time, entertain people, raise our family, make ends meet, etc. We are involved in the greatest undertaking in all of human history -- spreading the true, life-changing Gospel of Christ. Praise God that this work is not dependent on us, but on the work of the Spirit and the words of Scripture going out.

I desperately pray that God continues to protect the Body here at Providence Community. He has given us such sweet people to minister with and to -- only by His grace are we kept under His protective wing.

just for fun

2008-08-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

10 months

2008-07-31T21:28:00.000-04:00

We have been in full swing around here since our trip to CO, and I am much overdue in posting! I think everyone has given up on us putting any new posts ... oh well. Anne -- you can be my inspiration to do more!!!

I can't even believe our sweet baby girl is already 10 months old! She is such a busy person these days, with so much to say and do. I never posted her 9-month stats, but at her check-up she weighed 15 lbs, 14 oz, and her height was the same (they actually measured 3 times just to make sure!). She's so petite and adorable -- at least I'm not having to buy new clothes all the time since she's not really outgrowing anything. She does eat a ton, however. I'm not sure where it's all going -- but she loves her food. She especially loves her finger foods, although I think she's beginning to grasp how to slip some to Joey ... lucky dog ... apparently he also enjoys Cheerios, peas, cheese, carrots, and all fruits.

Juliana is very social and loves to be around people, especially all her little friends at church. She loves to wave (sometimes at complete strangers) and is fascinated by her new skill of clapping. I just love it because when I do it back, she thinks I'm absolutely hilarious. She is definitely a mover, once she figured it out. This week she learned how to go up the stairs ... scary! We're expecting her to take her first steps any day now ... she's tried a few times, but lands on her bottom. Juliana Piper is such a love -- my heart literally melts every morning when I go get her up.

Anniversary of Greater Life

2008-06-23T12:31:00.000-04:00

Today we remember that one year ago, Dad moved to a greater life in Christ. I still remember the moment when I saw him take his last breath and very peacefully it was over. No more sorrow or pain for him, but for those of us who remain, there has been quite the opposite. We have been recounting the last year as the fastest and yet the slowest year. Each week, the pain remains. It feels as if the hurt should become lighter as time goes on, but the reality is that as time goes on, I miss him more. I miss him calling, just to see what I am doing. I miss talking to him about the latest project I am working on. I miss his constant reminder that life is short, so don't worry about everything being perfect. I miss the fact that he could never meet Juliana. She will never know his laugh or the love he had for her before she was born. She will never know that she could have him wrapped around her finger. This is the hurt that remains.

There was a time before Dad got leukemia that I was concerned about his walk with God. Little did I know that the Lord would take Dad through an intense boot-camp in his trial. Dad left us with a legacy that God is Sovereign. I remember talking to him on the phone and him saying that he was not worried about his illness or his future because he believed that God's plan was best. Many tireless nights Dad spent in the Word because his medication would not allow him sleep. It was through that time that God showed him the greatness of his salvation and perfect rest we have in Christ.

Today I pray:
Thank you Lord for giving me a father who was not perfect, but always taught me love, responsibility, leadership, hard work, and that the world doesn't owe me anything. Thank you that he not only knew you as Savior, but now he knows You in your presence. Thank you for the strength and faith you have given my family to persevere in this trial. Your grace is sufficient and my heart will chose to say, "Lord blessed be your name!"

Day 1

2008-06-18T03:06:00.001-04:00

It's 3 am on day 1 of our trip to Colorado. Somehow, already, this trip is not going well and we haven't even left yet. It all began yesterday when I woke with a pretty awful headache, questionable stomach, and a baby who decided to throw her schedule out the window for a day. A fine day to choose to be even more of a momma's girl! Let's just say this did not help my head feel any better, so by the end of the day it is pounding.

We drop Joey off at the neighbor's right before 10, make it to bed at 10:30, and set our alarms for 3:30 AM. That's right, AM! I am awake when Friends comes on at 11, but fall asleep shortly thereafter. 12:45 am -- I awake for the first time and notice that the nightly chorus of snoring has started. Nice. After a kick and a *gentle* shove, I am able to return to my slumber. 1:30 am -- same scenario, except this time I hear Juliana hitting her crib toy. 2:17 am, and yes, I am awake again. My head is still hurting, my stomach is churning, the nightly chorus continues, and now all I can think about is handling a 2.5 hour flight on no sleep, with a baby who won't sleep unless she's in a bed or moving carseat. The clock keeps ticking, and now I am done with gentle pushes in order to stop the snoring. I wonder if Chad would notice if I simply pushed him out of bed. My luck, he would probably really hurt himself on the way down. At this point, I decide I should nurse Juliana right before we leave the house at 4:30 in order to give us enough time at the airport (instead of waiting until we arrive there) and so that her next feeding would coincide with take-off. This means getting up before 3:30 ... good thing I'm awake already.

for the fam

2008-06-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

Joey had to make it in the video too, of course.

from the kitchen sink

2008-06-14T20:50:00.000-04:00

Dishes, dishes, and more dishes. After that, thrown in a few loads of laundry and a few dirty diapers. Don't forget the meals to be cooked, the dog to be fed, a baby who wants to "walk" all the time now. It's true -- this is my day these days. Somehow, I feel as though I spend all my time in the kitchen or in the laundry room. We only have 1 kid ... how is this happening already? These past few weeks have been a teeny bit strenuous in the Mondragon household. Add one husband insanely working at Sbux and at the new church with one pregnant, overtired, hormonal mom ... and you have a mess. Oh yeah, don't forget the ridiculously cute 9-month who is going through a "phase," which is the nice way of saying Juliana has become a bit more cranky at times, for some crazy reason.

We haven't posted in a while, so I thought why not be honest about what life is really like these days. Don't get me wrong -- I love this phase of our life. I love taking care of my family and our home. But, truth be told, some days are just tiring, lonesome, stressful, and way too emotional. I have been doing much meditating lately on my circumstances and my reactions -- pregnant or not pregnant, hormones or no hormones, plenty of sleep or lack of sleep -- I am still responsible for joyously and graciously submitting to God and the work of the Spirit in my life. I really do hate when people (chics, really) blame reactions on hormones. Sin is sin. So why do I allow my *feelings* to get the better of me at times? This is crunch time, and no matter how I feel, God does not change, nor does His sovereign calling on my life change. As a follower and soldier of Christ, I must be committed more to God's Word than to my circumstantial reactions.

I am currently reading Don't Waste Your Life by Piper (yes, somehow I have never read it), and every page seems to be challenging every area of my life. Funny how that works. I am just so incredibly thankful for a Lord who loves His own enough to not leave us as we are. God is stretching our family in so many areas, and it is so very exciting to trust Him. He is growing our church body at Providence, and the new building is an answer to prayer. To me, our new nursery area is the most exciting part! He has brought us very loving, kind, and dedicated people to shepherd and disciple. They love God, us, and each other. How cool is that when the Body works.

In closing, I leave you with some thoughts of our most adorable daughter (for some reason I can't get any pictures to post). I promise she gets cuter and cuter by the day. She will get up on all fours (from the sitting position) and rock, but hasn't quite figured out how to move forward. On the other hand, she loves to stand on her own and walk all around the house. Today she actually walked with one of those walk/push toys. She's getting too big for her britches!

Praying for the Chapmans

2008-05-22T15:47:00.001-04:00

We were saddened today by the news of the tragic death of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter Maria. Their family has done so much for the cause of adoption that their pain is in our prayers. To read more, click here and here.

Juliana plus one

2008-04-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

The month of April was probably our busiest all year! Now that life has settled a bit, it is time for an overdue update.

Juliana is now seven months old and FULL of personality! Whenever we take her out anywhere, she acts like she is in a parade and everyone around is there to look and ooh and awe over her. She is definitely a charmer! We have so much fun just watching her, simply because she's a little crazy. She has not yet started to crawl, but she never just sits still. Juliana will try to pull herself up and "wallow" all over you. She is not yet saying "ma-ma" or "da-da," but the kid never shuts up really. Right now she is really into making this growling type of noise, which she alternates with high-pierced shrieks. Quite fun.

Juliana had her six-month check-up last week, even though she is seven months. She is still in the 75% for her height, but her weight dropped from the fiftieth to the tenth percentile (she only weights 14 lbs, 11 oz. which is one pound more than two months ago). I was quite shocked, because I thought she was really starting to chub up. I told the doctor she really does eat A LOT! Oh well, right now she seems to be putting all her growth into her height (that is definitely Carver, not Mondragon!). Oh -- her hair also continues to get lighter and lighter. Definitely not Mondragon hair.

In April we also let the cat out of the bag -- we are expecting the next baby Mondragon! This baby will be born either late Oct. or early Nov., so the two babies will be about thirteen months apart! We are very excited about this, although I am sure we will be quite busy come late fall! Of course, we are divided -- Chad wants a boy and I want another girl! We are so very thankful for this second little miracle!

Giggles

2008-04-08T12:33:00.000-04:00

Video that only a grandmother could love!

2008-03-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

Remember When...

2008-03-25T11:54:00.000-04:00

And no Anne, that's not me!

true love

2008-03-13T13:20:00.001-04:00

I will go ahead and apologize in advance, because this post is only about Juliana. She is now almost six months old, and she continues to woo us everyday with her adorable charm and personality. Saying that Juliana is a happy baby does not capture who she is completely. She has so many different smiles -- her unsure smile, her full-blown open-mouth smile, her "gummy" smile, her flirty smile, and her charming smile ... each has its own nuance, and each one makes her parents melt. I fear that her first words will be "you're so cute," because that's pretty much all she hears.

She has been sitting up now for a few weeks and loves her new ability. This allows her to play more freely with her toys, which actually means putting more items in her mouth. One of her favorite activities during playtime is simply shaking her toys. Juliana recently learned she is now coordinated enough to do this, so I give her a rattle and let her go. I take this amazing talent as a precursor to her being a musician prodigy.
At her four-month check-up she weighted 13 pounds and 11 ounces and was 25 inches long. She is now in the fiftieth percentile for her age, although judging by her cheek size you would think she would be bigger! I guess she has to have big, squeezable cheeks to match those big brown eyes. We started giving her solids two weeks ago, and so far she is doing great. She really loves her avocados, but isn't completely crazy about her sweet potatoes. Of course, she still loves her mommy food best -- so much so that she still refuses to take a bottle anymore (problematic since I teach on Tuesdays). We're really trying to work on using a sippy cup, but that is a slow process!
Just in case you can't tell, we are absolutely crazy about our daughter, and for good reason. She is nothing short of a bundle of delight, joy, and true love.

Expelled

2008-03-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

Watch the trailer to this new movie against Darwinism.
http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php

for the love of coffee

2008-03-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

Everyone who knows us, knows how much we love coffee in our house. Not only does the aroma linger from our kitchen, but we have pictures and emblems on the wall to remind us of how great it is. Funny thing is that our friends, Justin and Anne, also love coffee and have pictures of it on the wall as well.

Anyway, my love for coffee has inspired me to talk about my love for Starbucks. A few weeks ago, many of you know that all of the Sbux stores nationwide shutdown for training. First, it is great to have Howard Schultz back as CEO of Sbux. Second, I appreciate his incentive to make sure that the final product that we hand to a customer, not only reflects good beans, but good barista skills. Third, I appreciate the work that Sbux does to find the best beans. Sbux does not buy the same beans that Folgers and McDonalds do, but only buys the best beans at higher than market value. If you ever wonder why Sbux is more expensive, it is because the product took more effort and money to buy. Along with that, Sbux takes care of its farmers by giving them loans, building hospitals and schools in third world countries, and not buying beans off of the “black market.”
Those of you who love coffee as we do, understand that it is not simply about the value, but about the flavor of the best cup of coffee!

Pray for the Fosters

2008-02-26T16:26:00.001-05:00

This is my cousin Tatum and her husband Dave. Tatum gave birth on Saturday to twins who were born 10 weeks too early. Both boys are stable, but still need prayer. Wyatt was 3 lbs 3 oz and Jacob was 2 lbs 15 oz. They were both 16 inches long. I talked to Tatum last night and she said that she is still really weak from loosing so much blood. She said that the boys stability changes from day to day, so I promised her that we would continue to pray for them. (The picture is from two Christmas' ago...they are holding the quilt that Melody made for their first born, Mia)

Remember When Mondays

2008-02-18T20:15:00.000-05:00

Remember when Melody lived in the duplex with April and had the worlds largest pineapple couch. That couch was passed down from the Daveys. While we were dating, we use to pull it as close as we could to that little 12 inch TV to watch movies with G and April.

more than a seminary degree

2008-02-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

Our very good friends, Pat and Patty Burtch are with us this weekend. They flew in from Virginia Beach to visit with us and to see Juliana. We met the Pat and Patty while in seminary. They knew Mel and I before we were married and have been a great inspiration of how a marriage works. We gained more than a master's education while in seminary, we gained forever family.

Remember When Mondays

2008-02-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

I want to start a new series called "Remember When." I was talking to my friend G this week and he reminded me of a remember when. Remember when I had an awesome VW Bus named Lola. Ahhh, I miss Lola. Anyone who knew me then, knew that Lola was my life. We use to cruise down to the beach in Lola, ride around VB in Lola, listen to the sounds of horns honking as jealous men gave me "thumbs up." Oh and there was the trying times in our relationship. Being broken down, not having any brakes, no AC. All in all, Lola still has a place in my heart! She was there when Melody and I first met. Through that rocky first month, it was Lola that set me straight into realizing Mel was the one. It was from Lola that I called Mel's dad to ask if I could date his daughter. And it was in Lola that I realized it was time to grow up and pass on my dream to another.

New Mudroom!

2008-02-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

For the past week and a half, I have devoted myself to working on our basement. Ever since we moved into this house, I have wanted to put up a wall to make a laundry-mudroom in our basement. Well we finally had some money to do it, so we did. Although I have been censored on other blogs (Anne's), I would like to give a shout out to Justin and his hard work in helping me complete this masterpiece. Justin volunteered to help work and maybe learn something about carpentry. It made me think a lot about my dad, who taught me everything that I know. He loved to teach others, so it was great to be able to teach Justin the little that I know. Here are some pics.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 2

Finished!

Finished!

Finished!

Almost Finished!

4.

2008-02-04T10:15:00.001-05:00

No, we are not pregnant! Just wanted to clarify that from the beginning ... BUT, we did become a family of four last week! Many of you know that last year Chad and I completed our training to become foster/adoptive parents through the state of Kentucky. Our goal has always been to adopt, and this seemed like the best option for us at the time. So ... last Tuesday we received a call of a little girl needing a home, so we said YES.

Shelby is a fifteen-month old, blonde-hair, blue-eyed cutie! It is so funny to see her and Juliana together! They love each other already and smile so big when the other wakes up. I will admit, it has been fun having two girls (although I think Chad is overwhelmed by all the girl hormones!). Adjusting to two has not been as difficult as I thought it would be. Juliana is just so awesome that she has made it easy to make this transition. I am not happy though about having another dirty diaper to change ... yuk!

When we were first presented with this situation, it seemed as though this would be a long-term placement leading to adoption. Now they are telling us it will be more short-term. We want to love and minister to Shelby, but feel pulled at this point -- short term foster care is simply not a good fit for us at this point in our lives. We know that God's perfect will is orchestrating all these events -- we just pray that we will act wisely and that He will continue to give strength as it is needed.

Our Life

2008-01-24T20:31:00.000-05:00

2008 is already keeping the Mondragon household humming! Now that the holidays are over, life is settling back into a routine, busy as it may be. Chad is still working at Starbucks -- he opens (5 am) 4-5 days out of the week. Ironically, this is supposed to be his part-time job! Of course, along with the church work and all the home projects, he is one busy man -- he is actually remodeling the basement as I type! Me -- I rejoice on the days when I manage to take care of Juliana's needs, help her develop physically and cognitively, make sure we have food to eat, make sure Joey has food to eat, make sure we have clothes to wear, and make sure we have a tidy home to enjoy. Some days I am extra industrious and manage to grade papers ahead of time or work on a special project, such as cleaning out Chad's clothes.

We praise God that the church is keeping us busier these days! Next month will be our one-year anniversary ... we cannot believe it! Sunday morning attendance averages anywhere between 40-50 people (unless you ask Chad, then it is 50-60). We also have a community group in our home each Wednesday night. Chad is teaching through Ephesians, and about 15-20 people attend ... we love our group!!!

Juliana is absolutely amazing, of course. I cannot get enough of her (well, most days I can't). Each day she is changing in some way and learning something new. Just this week she has found her thumb!!! She would take a pacifier occasionally, but only when she was going down for sleep. Now, though, if she wakes up early from a nap, I don't have to go in to keep giving her a paci ... she takes care of herself! Today she has been blowing bubbles all day ... pretty cute, but also a little gross. We are actually working on learning to sit-up now -- she thinks she is such a big girl already that she doesn't like to recline for her bath anymore. No, Juliana thinks she needs to be sitting up, which creates more work and more backache for me!

I am trying to be diligent in praying Scripture over Juliana -- I am currently trying to read through and pray through Psalm 119 for her life. I know that if I equip her with the Word, I am giving her something much more valuable than giving her the best clothes, books, toys, etc. I am also painfully aware of my own need to be saturated in the Scriptures. The demands of everyday life reveal my weaknesses more than a major crisis ... it's amazing how I allow my attitude to be tainted when Juliana wakes up early from a nap. I desire that the glorious Gospel of Christ would consume my every action and thought ... consume me more than thoughts of my husband or my daughter, my church or my friends.

Our Family as Princesses

2008-01-22T14:58:00.000-05:00

As stated in the previous post, Chad and I had the opportunity to travel to Asheville, NC this weekend to help with the In Search of a Princess Conference being held at the Grove Park Inn. This was the ministry that I worked for before Chad, so it was so wonderful to be "back in action." Tim and Kimberly are our wonderful friends whom we love dearly, so it was a joy that we were able to help them. Chad and I played tag-team all day Monday with the baby, each of us taking turns with her and taking turns running the conference. I think Chad was a little disappointed that he didn't get to sit in his bathrobe all day, eating bon-bons and getting a pedicure. Poor baby. Although, he was pretty pumped that we met and took a picture with Mrs. North Carolina, Angela Ramsey, who was at the conference as well.

Let me just say, I was VERY nervous about taking Juliana because in the past she has been known to melt-down when she is lacking a full nap and surrounded by lots of people (just ask anyone in our entire church body!). But, God was gracious to us this weekend, and she did AWESOME! Actually, she was pretty much the hit of the party. She hardly cried at all, happily went to all the mommas who wanted to hold her, and smiled at all the pretty girls there! I thought I was already pretty proud as a momma, but I think I'm even prouder now. Juliana is four months old today and continues to get cuter every day (why beat around the bush .... it's true!). We have the best time with her, and I love watching her move through all the new developments. She started laughing out loud before Christmas, but now will get so tickled that she actually squeals and shrieks a little. Our little angel has also learned how to arch her back and throw her head back ... usually when she is mad ... what a drama queen. Last week she rolled over for the first time (tummy to back) and continues to do so sporadically. I think she is such a determined little girl -- stubborn actually -- that she will be going from back to front before we know it. She's still a little peanut ... most of her 3-6 months clothes are still way too big, but she'll get there soon enough. She's such a diva already ... I'm in trouble!

Grove Park Inn Here We Come!

2008-01-18T10:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, our good friends Tim and Kim called and asked Melody if we would be willing to come to NC to help them with a conference at the Grove Park Inn. We were thrilled that they called and doubly thrilled that this meant we could get away for a night. The Grove Park Inn is a magnificent hotel in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. So we are packing our bags to leave right after church (since I am preaching) on Sunday and come back Monday night.

this will be me

and this will be where I hang out! (j/j)

New Chair

2008-01-03T20:07:00.000-05:00

Juliana loves to sit in the new chair that she got for Christmas. Thanks Mimi and Popi!

New Favorite Picture

2007-12-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

Well, the cards are in the mail, the presents are all bought, and the family is coming tomorrow. There is no turning back, Christmas is here. Praise God that we of all people have something to celebrate this year, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As much as we emphasis family, this years Christmas has had a different twist without my dad. Although we will still enjoy family, this year I want to emphasis Christ more than ever. I want to lift Him so high and worship Him so well that all the joy of season will remind us of the hope of our eternal inheritance. It really is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. So yes, even before family, and most definitely before presents, let worship Christ!

Man Cold

2007-12-13T15:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks Anne for the link!

chadandmelody

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Call us crazy...

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Tim Tebow

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2.

Liam Edward Swanson

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It's a GIRL!!! Adeline Carmichael

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i heart paul

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Day 1

for the fam

for my southern friends