Toddlers, Vacations, and Personal Growth

We have made it to October, which means that I missed the 1 year post for E and the 2 year post for AJ. I have no excuses, but life goes on and here we are; so let's get started.

E turned 1 year old last month and I am coming to grips with the 2 toddler thing. She is walking and jabbering and climbing and squealing! She is simply a happy kiddo whose only complaint is teething and exhaustion. I am so grateful for the way that she shows love and cuddles with me when she is sleepy. E also learns quickly and AJ is teaching her how to climb. Right now it's on my yoga block, strewn about boxes and their picnic table.

AJ is 2! I am floored by how quickly these stages are going. She tells me when she needs to poop (yeah, that's a big deal), she's in a twin bed now (which is going great at bed time - not so much with the afternoon nap), and she prefers cakes to cookies ;) She also likes pizza. AJ has such an independent spirit and loves to help PJ and I get things done. It is so humbling to see how much she knows and understands and exciting to grow as a mom teaching her how to serve others.

This weekend my mom is throwing them a Little Mermaid themed birthday party and I'm excited to take photos of the frosting all over their faces! The girls love all of their grandparents and it melts my heart to see their smiles and hear their squeals whenever they see any of them walk through the door. We all joke about how it's because, "toddlers know they can get away with a lot more when they have grands around," but I know that it is so much more than that. My girls have a beautiful bond with their grandparents and I see it in their eyes even when our parents are not around. AJ asks for them and they yearn to spend time together. It truly is precious.

As far as life goes, things have been going really well. I am at the gym 4-5 times a week. Team Training is 2-3 times and I like to swim laps on the weekends. It has been so awesome to feel the progress and see the numbers climb for personal bests. I feel more energetic and see how God is using my fitness goals to grow me in self-control, diligence, discipline and endurance. You can read more on my fitness blog, I won't take up too much space here on the family page.

PJ is doing great at work. I am so proud of his team, and I know he is too. In the past, vacation has been a headache to come back from because things have backed up and the technicians were overwhelmed without him there. Last week we were on official vacation, but he actually left work early on Friday and was gone from his store a total of 9 days. He went back to a great setup and there were no crises while he was out. I do not even remember him receiving a call but once while he was off.

God has been so faithful to soften my own heart and help me put things into perspective this week. I typically dread the end of vacation because that means I am back at home without help throughout the day and I do not get to have as much time to myself. I feel selfish for wanting so much time to myself, but that's where I'm at. The Lord has given me an extra measure of His patience and grace as AJ is bed training and having a difficult time harnessing the freedom during her only nap of the day. E has developed preferences for food and has not been eating as well as she was before; also, she is still using the bottle as a pacifier and takes 2 per day.

As much as I feel like she could probably go down to 1, I'm having trouble letting it go because the 1st is in the afternoon and I think it helps her sleep even though AJ delays that nap. Also, I am putting off potty training because I simply don't want to deal with it. I am being real, here. I know it has to happen, but I will likely wait until after Thanksgiving so PJ can help for her first week.

All that to say, I am so grateful for the Lord's constant provision and faithfulness to help us through every milestone. Thank you all who have been praying for us, I know that has been a HUGE impact for us. We are so grateful for the church family and our families He has surrounded us with.

Familial Healing

As many of you know, last week I was in the hospital for an infection. I had surgery on Saturday and was able to come home Sunday afternoon. It was a rough week, but I am so incredibly grateful for my parents and in-laws for taking the time to come and take care of our little ones while we were gone. It was so hard to be away from them under such a stressful umbrella, but I am happy to be home. We are also blessed by our church community! They are bringing dinners over for us this week so that I can take the time to get back into the swing of things and not have to worry about cooking and meal planning.

God is definitely using this time to humble me, as I tend to get a little ambitious and stubborn in trying to work toward goals and having good schedules. I have been forced to rest, unable to push my limits in my workouts. I have been forced to consider my goals for long term fitness and what this looks like for our family and evaluate my inclusion of hubby and the girls in these goals. I have been forced to pause, which many of you know I struggle to do, so that is the way the Lord has seen fit to get my attention.

I have to say that I am grateful to take this time and have the opportunity to re-evaluate how I can manage our home in a more God-honoring way. As I was able to finish my women's study while in the hospital, I can also re-focus my spiritual goals in the form of devotions and Bible study.

This has been a great time to reflect on God's sovereignty and the call of humility He has placed upon us. I appreciate the chance to repent from my selfish ambition and desires and will probably spend this next week looking at Proverbs 31, embracing this time of rest and honoring this season of motherhood.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I am excited to see how the Lord will use this time of healing and refreshment to strengthen our family.

-Jessy

Defining Success

I just wanted to check in with a quick family update!

PJ continues to do well at work. It was tough for him to receive the December results on their store's numbers and find out that they were not number one, a spot they had held pretty tightly for a few months prior. It was a slice of humble pie for him to remember that there is never a time to stop pushing. However, it was a good opportunity for me to support him and encourage him in the accomplishments that he has achieved beautifully over this last year. Just because they did not make number 1 in December does not negate the hard work that has been put into making his store a success over the last year.

In the last year they have gone from underperforming and stress-filled to a well oiled machine where the environment has been uplifting in the coworker relationships. Please be praying for the growth and maturity of one of his new coworkers who is working to find her place in the store. Also, the lead technician will be taking some time off to recuperate and connect with his family before his paid family leave runs out. Pray for a time of refreshment for him as well as diligence for us. That PJ would take care of the schedules in a timely manner and that I would encourage him every step of the way over the next 3 weeks.


I have been working on finding a flow that works for the girls and I as I am amping up exercise and meal planning. May the Lord help me to be creative in making new meals that keep AJ interested and keep me in check not to deprive myself of so much at once so that I may continue on my weight loss journey with success not only for myself, but also for my family. This journey is not just for me, but it is for me to be a more fruitful home manager and trainer for my little ones, as well as a biblically submissive wife who takes care of her hubby as he leads us through the challenges and blessings of life.

AJ has been testing boundaries day after day. It is a continued challenge for my patience and drawing a clear line of consistent grace and discipline. Each day seems to bring difficult set backs, but when I take her to lunch and she eats well and socializes with our family or I can sit her in a chair while I get my eyes checked at the doctor, it is clear that the Lord is giving me enough grace to successfully teach my children well.

E is taking rice cereal at night, which is elongating her sleep time, but there is still a challenge to get her through the night. Please pray for consistency in her schedule and that we would not be lax in what we know might work for her instead of taking the easy routes of feeding when we know she is capable of rest. She is rolling from back to belly pretty consistently now, in that, whenever she is placed on her back, she flips for a better view then gets frustrated with her lack of strength to hold herself up for an extended period of time. It is adorable and she is enjoying the flip game!


That seems to be all for now. Thank you for your love and encouragement as our little family continues on our journey! It is such a blessing to know the love and support we have from our church family and all those around us. We love and appreciate you all so much!

-Jessy

Life's Encouragements

About a month ago, PJ told me that his district manager wanted him to recreate a panel discussion regarding his store's success at the national conference in Boston for Area Managers for the company. I really wish that my response was, "Oh my goodness, honey, that is amazing! I am so proud of you and the work you have accomplished at your store this last year!" To my shame, however, I responded with, "Well, how long will you be gone?" in a tone of contempt for his accomplishments. I felt the excitement drain from his demeanor and I knew there was no way I could take that moment back.

I was being completely and unreasonably selfish.

I wanted him to say he would bring ME with him. I wanted him to acknowledge how difficult his absence would be for ME. I wanted to feel as needed as I feel I need him.

It is not easy being a full time mommy and housewife. But I think that being a true helpmate and encouraging wife are even harder. As much as I give myself to my precious little girls each day, I have to give my full support and encouragement to my husband each day. That is a lot of work and takes a lot of investment. I want my husband to be successful and I desire him to do well. If I am aligning my life with his, which is what I am called to do, then I need to be more uplifting in my attitude.

Gee, this wife thing is tough, but I am so glad to have this opportunity to love and minister to my husband in this way.

Please pray for PJ as he heads off to Boston tomorrow. There is an ice storm warning in effect this weekend on the east coast and I pray his flight is not delayed or cancelled coming home. He will be flying out tomorrow morning, his meeting will be all day Thursday, and - Lord willing - he will be returning on Friday afternoon.

-Jessy