Here we go...

    Well, it's only the second day of the year and it's proving to be an exciting one already! Milt and I had decided a few weeks back that if we were going to pursue a second vehicle (and "if" is more like "when") one of us would need to get a second job. Since my job outside of wife/mother is part-time at Crossings on Sundays, it sounded like a nice change of pace to work a couple nights a week somewhere. We knew it would either be a welcomed change of pace or extremely overwhelming and more than I could handle on top of my avg. nightly sleep of around 4-5 hours. The more we talked about it the more overwhelmed I became. The boys are in such unique stages right now (I am starting to get a pre-school routine going at home with Cooper, and Reid is still in a "need mommy at all times" stage.) Thinking of how I would juggle all this just didn't make good sense so it was put on the back burner.

    I have spent a good chunk of time searching for the right preschool resources for Cooper. He is incredibly smart and just outright asks to be taught things. For example, we woke up one morning and Cooper asked to "do school" about fish. We were in a hurry to leave for a doctors appt. so I pulled up a Discovery Channel clip online about clown fish. He watched it happily while we got ready to leave. Once we arrived at the doctors office, guess what I had never noticed before in our doctors' waiting room fish tank?.......Clown fish! Cooper immediately ran up to the tank with three other kids standing there and looked at them and said, very matter of factly......."You know where clown fish live?....In an anemone." I wanted to explain to all the parents who stared at me with dropped jaws that he had learned that info only 20 minutes ago. I decided to let them think my three year old is a genius, because to me he is! Back to the point. I have finally found a site that has incredible, well written Christian based homeschooling items. I am beyond excited to use it! It is going to let Cooper be a three year old and learn through play. I don't want him to grow up before he is ready or learn everything sitting behind a desk filling out worksheets. The lessons are well put together and the teacher in me is having Christmas all over again with the free printables! If you are mother of a toddler or preschooler please check it out. You won't be disappointed. www.1plus1plus1equals1.com

     As far as the second job goes, Milt received an email response a few months ago after applying at the Apple store. He had applied almost a year before. He declined an interview because we had just had Reid and I would have killed him if he was out of the house more than absolutely necessary! He sent them a response letting them know that he was still very interested and to keep his name "in the hat" for future openings, but our current situation required him to not pursue the job at the moment.
Yesterday, we decided that I would not pursue another job, and not 24 hrs later guess who sends Milt an email? .........Apple. He rsvp'd to their hiring event this Friday and we will go from there. Apple has always been a company that Milt would love to work for. He is an incredible graphic designer for Johnson University, but what better second job for a creative than Apple?! It is a great opportunity for our family and we are just continuing to pray that God opens the doors that are best for us and shuts the ones that we don't need to pursue. I know that if this doesn't work out that God is going to provide for our family somehow,  because he always has!

   2013 is going to be a great year. I have the most amazing husband and boys. I honestly cannot imagine what this year holds, but if it is anything like years past it will be anything but boring! I hope that you have a wonderful start to your year and that I can encourage you, and make you smile a little through each post.


~Amber C

 

Merry Christmas

    Christmas is almost here!! I can't believe it. Our family has been so blessed this year from the purchase of our first house to the birth of our second son Reid! I have definitely seen Psalm 37:4 come to fruition in our lives. ("Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart") I have had two main desires this year and I am sitting inside on the couch in one and holding the other in my arms!  God has been so incredibly good to us!

   Milt and I had a conversation the other night about Christmas with the boys and how we want to make sure that the focus is always on Christ a not how many gifts they get. We shared stories of other couples that we admire and how they either put a money limit on each child, or a present number limit. Milt shared about how a couple that he knows give their children four gifts each year. Each child receives these gifts: something they want, something they need, a book, and something meaningful (a bible, devotional, or even a memory making gift) I LOVE this idea! 

   Christmas is such a huge part of my happy memories from growing up, but as I recount my memories I couldn't tell you more than maybe three gifts that my parents gave me. My happy memories are making Christmas cookies with my mom and sister, playing our annual Foosball game with my dad, brother, and sister, sitting with the whole family on Christmas Eve listening to my dad read us the Christmas story out of his bible. I cherish all of these memories and I want Cooper and Reid to have some of the same! 

   I am so excited to spend our first Christmas as a family of four in our home! I have loved taking the boys to pick out their Christmas ornaments, and making our first batch of Christmas cookies. I know we will have many more Christmas seasons here but for some reason this one has been so incredibly meaningful!

                                          ~ Merry Christmas from our family to yours ~

   
  

My Favorite time of Year!

   This is my favorite picture from Thanksgiving break! I have never seen two brothers love each other so much. No one can make Reid light up like Cooper can and Cooper loves it when he gets a smile or laugh out of Reid. I can't believe that 5 months have passed since Reid was born. It has flown by. I find myself enjoying each stage much more than I did with Coop. I don't want any day to rush by or any new stage to get here before its supposed to. I realize even more after having Cooper grow up on me that these first few months are precious and priceless! 

  Reid is in the process of cutting his first tooth and attempting to roll over. He has quite the tummy so he gets angry at me if I leave him on his stomach for too long :D He is such a happy baby and will flirt at anyone that looks his way.

  Cooper and I have started doing a few preschool things at home during the week. He is so smart (witty really LOL) We have talked about homeschooling him. If that happens, I will only have him at home through elementary school. After that I am sure that he will be smarter than me and teaching him would be more of a challenge! 

  I am so excited for Christmas and to start our own family traditions this year. So far Cooper and Reid have had their first taste of Eggnog, we have made Christmas cookies, put up three Christmas trees (two of them at my parents house, and started an advent calendar. I can't wait to be able to share with you the stories that I'm sure I will have of Cooper and the unique way he views the world this Christmas season!

  

  I am one hooked mommy. Both of them have me wrapped around their fingers. I am truly thankful this year for the boys in my life and the amazing husband that just stares at me when I become a pushover at one droopy lip look from Cooper!