Family Trips Part 1

The Stinson family--Kenneth, Jamie, and Magan--and our family took a road trip in April together that was so much fun! Kenneth is a truck driver and has driven through the winding mountain roads of North Arkansas probably a thousand times, but has never been able to stop and explore the little towns and sites along the way. So he and Brian started talking about all of us going on a driving tour of North AR sometime. We finally go to go in late April and it was great to explore AR and to see the gorgeous views in the mountains. Our trip took us to Mammoth Springs, AR on the border of AR and MO, then to Eureka Springs, farther west, to Fayetteville home of the Hogs University of AR, and then back down to Rison. It took us from Thursday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, and we spent A LOT of time in the car, but it was really fun!

Our first stop--the spring in Mammoth Springs. It bubbles up and creates a lake that feeds into a river with a dam and waterfall that was all so pretty. You can sorta see the color of the water in the picture, it was bright turquoise like tropical water. And it was COLD!!!

This is Kenneth, Jamie, and Magan. They are the sweetest family. Magan is 14, and she is not at all like a typical teenager. She is so nice and polite and she carried Jack around the whole time. They love Jack, and he loves them back!

This is a nutria rat we saw in the lake--yuck, I know! But Jack loved seeing it, and he still talks about it now, 2 months later. He tells us how it was "swimmin' in the wah-er" and "eatin' the grass."

Here's where Jack's train obession began! You should have seen his face! PRICELESS! After this we saw a bunch more trains go by our motel room balcony. Every time one came by Jack was enthralled.
The second day we went to a park where you could look at these deep ravines and walk down into some caves. This cavern type thingy was down a steep flight of 119 stairs. It might not sound like much, but I was carrying Ali Grace and she got HEAVY! Brian had Jack and I know he was heavy too! We were all huffing and puffing on the way up--going down wasn't too bad--but it was so peaceful and pretty down there.

Friday night we were in Eureka Springs. They have a passion play that we heard was incredible, but we weren't able to go because of the kids being so tired. We did go to the park where they do the play and there is this Jesus statue there. It was huge!

Slacker.

Yeah, that's me. Sorry for the lonnnnnggg absence. :)

I hope you're ready for a few pictures, cause here they come, along with some Chisholm family updates. :)



This is a favorite spot for both Jack and Ali Grace--behind the chair looking out the window. Sometimes they just look outside, other times they play with cars on the window sill. And you should see the window sill! The thing has more dents in it than poor old bullseye used too! They love it in this spot. Jack is pretty good about sharing it with Ali Grace, and I think it will be the site of many hours of play and plotting for a while to come.

Another favorite spot is the bookshelf. Most of the kids' books are on the lowest shelves and Ali Grace's absolute favorite thing to do is to pull as many books as she can off the shelves, look at them, and get mad at them when they don't do whatever it is that she wants them to do. This involves a lot of squealing which the girl is a pro at!!!This is AG's first bath in the big tub! This was a few weeks ago and she's an old pro at it now. She loves the water and is FEARLESS! She tries to crawl around and stand up and chase the toys.
Sweet girl! We haven't tried giving Jack and AG a bath together yet....I"m a little nervous about that one! Maybe in a few more years. ha

Here's the little one getting all dried off. We have a picture a lot like this of Jack when he was tiny. Im going to have to find that one and frame them together I think. AG is very expressive with her faces (and her voice too) and I love her big bright blue eyes! This girl just melts me. She's so darling!Dirty boy playing in what once was my herb garden until I forgot to water it for like a whole summer! :) This kid is ALL BOY! Give him dirt, sand, water, mud, bugs, grass, tools, guns, dogs, outdoors, and anything that makes noise and hes happy as can be! This day he was FILTHY dirty with black potting soil all over him! I love it!
If you can even see this picture, it's an idea I got off the blog: filthwizardry.blogspot.com. You draw a town on a shower curtain liner, tape it to the floor and let the kids drive their trucks/cars/trains...on it. Jack and AG really enjoyed it. You can also let them color it, I'm saving that for another day though.
Cars, trucks, trains, planes, tractors, anything that goes Vroom Vroom is Jack's favorite things too. Ever since we saw some trains up close in North AR he LOVES them. Also, I'm slowly redecorating his room with a planes, trains, and automobiles theme, I'll post some pics of that progess later.

AG liked the town too, but she's not quite as into transportation as Jack is.

And here's what the kids are up these days:

Jack:

*Talking a mile a minute and putting sentences together so well!

*Singing all the time. He can sing his ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, and Old MacDonald. He loves being sung too, especially before bed.

*Playing in the pool. He loves water!

*Getting mad when Ali Grace gets in his things.

*Getting sassier! He gave me a dirty look the other day that was incredible! I was about to "snatch him right up" but Brian took care of it.

*Being just as social as ever. He loves going to church and asks to go daily. He has a great time with all of the other kids. There are a ton of little boys about his age and they have a blast!

*Getting so excited about the beach. Whenever he sees a picture of the beach he gets really excited! He talks all about the sand and the water and all of the fun he's going to have.

*Being such a sweetie! He's doing great with his pleases and thank yous, and we're working on changing "yeah" to "yes ma'am/sir"

Ali Grace:

*Getting more mobile by the day. She crawls soooo fast and she is pulling up on everything in reach and starting to cruise. She crawls after Jack wherever he goes and wants to be just like him.

*Babbling and talking all the time too! "dadadada" is one of her faves and she says "mamamama" when she's upset and wants me. And somethings similar to "ahh-good-ahh-good-ahh" is one she says too.

*SQUEALING!!!! Oh the girl has a good set of lungs! When she gets going it is hilarious! The other day she was around a teeny baby and she got so excited every time she saw her--just squealing and talking--that poor little girl was probably scared to death.

*Being fearless! She pulls up on the furniture and just lets go, tumbling all over the place, and she bumps into things constantly but it doesn't phase her. She just keeps on going.

*Being the cutest and cuddliest little thing! Oh this girl and her big eyes, smiles, and hugs just gets me!!!

So....we're all doing great. We have a ton of trips planned this summer and I'm going to try to keep the posting up MUCH better! I'll try and post sometime soon!

Easter Pictures

While we were in Madison for my Mom's birthday, we had the kids' portraits taken, and I love the way they turned out! It was pretty hectic, and at the time I just knew they didn't get any good shots, but they DID! We sure do love these little ones! Praise God for them!

My favorites are of course the ones of them together and the seperate ones of them in the white chairs. I also love the close ups of Jack with the black background, and the bathtub ones of Ali Grace!

The last one of Jack was taken to match a picture of my dad taken when he was about 2, they look a lot alike, and we're going to have the pictures framed together.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

If you have never seen/heard of the Discovery Channel's series "Planet Earth", you have got to see it! We just recently saw a few of the episodes at my parents' house, and we are hooked! They are re-airing on the Discovery Channel at 8:00 Sunday nights and we've been recording them.

Basically, each episode highlights a different zone or feature of the planet, like Mountains, Jungles, Caves, etc. The animals, plants, histories, and other interesting facts about that place are featured and it is AMAZING! My only problem with it is that they talk about evolution, and things that are millions and billions of years old....but if you set that aside, and just watch in awe of the incredible array of totally unique and amazing plants, animals, landscapes, and places that God created it is such a wonderful series.

Something that struck me as I watched the "Caves" episode, was that this certain cave in New Mexico wasn't discovered until 1986! And the formations in this cave were unbelieveable and beautiful and rare and so unique to anything else on earth....but humans didn't even know about them for a very very long time. So in my human-centered little bubble I thought, "Why did God make them if we didn't know about them?"----and God showed me the answer! WOW He made them because He wanted to, He could, for His glory and His pleasure. It wasn't about US--it was, and is about HIM! And so is everything else, whether we see it, or know about it, or whether it's buried in a cave, or at the bottom of the ocean, or hidden by God--IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM! NOT US!

God is so big and so great and so all-knowing and able to do anything. And "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, He created all of the unbelieveable things that I've gooten to see on "Planet Earth" and so many other unimaginable things, and He created ME!

Here are some pictures I found of some things that stuck out from the episodes I've seen:

These are the cave formations I was talking about.

This is the largest living thing on Earth it is the General Sherman redwood tree in California. It is 249 feet tall I think.

And the blue whale, the largest mammal. We humans still don't know much about it. But God sure does.

Chisholm Family Update

Sorry for the absence of pictures, but I have a wonderful new camera that must be installed on our computer and I haven't had the time (or the real desire) to do it, so....no pics, just words.

We have lots of changes going on around here! Our kiddos are growing like crazy and changing drastically every time we blink.

Jack:
~HE IS ACTUALLY TWO YEARS OLD NOW!!!!
~Talking much clearer and in sentences now.
~Favorite phrase "I don't want to"--many spankings to come
~Continued obsession with cars, trucks, and the movie Cars esp. Mater
~Loves music, esp. making it by banging on "drums"
~Loves being outside
~Just got rid of one (of the two) paci that he sleeps with, we're giving him a little break before going for the last one
~Is about to embark on potty training time! Fun fun
~Thinks that Ali Grace is the funniest thing ever! He laughs and laughs and laughs at her, and she just stares at him--he's doing it right now and I LOVE IT
~Likes giving Ali Grace a guitar (golf club) or a gun (golf club) so she can play with him--also likes to snatch said toy away from her (we're working on it)
~Loves yogurt, cereal, chicken nuggets, "fishies" (Goldfish crackers), cheese, fruit and "chee-chup" (ketchup)
~He's starting to look more and more like a little boy every day! He's so big!

Ali Grace:
~SHE IS 6 MONTHS OLD!
~She is sleeping really well, some nights she wakes up at 2 and then 5, sometimes she makes it all the way to 4 or 5 before waking up
~We just started weaning her from being swaddled and rocked to sleep which has been hard--she's been crying it out--plus I miss wrapping her up and rocking her--but it is time :(
~Likes to have lots of attention, she will grunt, growl, cough and squeal until you look at her--so funny
~Her hair is getting longer on top and is almost long enough for a bow, and it sticks straight up, we decided she looks like a Cupie Doll
~She still will not take a bottle--now she just plays with it, I'm ok with it
~I still think she's going to be our wild one! We'll see.

Brian and I:
~We're both working hard at our respective jobs and trying to figure out how to fit it all in each day
~Brian's job has been really busy, and very stressful lately--I don't know how he does it--he works so hard to provide for us and we appreciate it so much!
~I'm still trying to find a way to get the housework all done each week, any suggestions?
~We're looking at a busy busy summer--Brian's guys weekend, going to the beach, spending time with both sides of the family, going to Memphis, and lots more--and we're looking forward to it
~We may also be doing some home improvements like putting up gutters and possibly painting a few rooms and I am itching to get more stuff up on the walls, we've lived here for almost 2 years and the house is still pretty bare

All in all we're doing great! We miss being closer to friends and family, but we like our little town. We are seeing God's grace in new ways all the time through our kids and we're both learning a lot. God is good and He is here and we're trying to walk with Him daily in faith.

This Mommy I've Become

I have noticed that I have changed a lot since becoming a Mommy, and as I sit here thinking about that, I'm wondering what exactly made those changes???? Like what minute actions and occurences have made me into the Mommy that I PROUDLY am today?

Here are some I can think of off the top of my head:

-Not being able to bathe whenever and for however long i want to
-Not being able to go to the bathroom alone
-Finding myself sitting on the potty while stretching out a hand to rock a crying baby and singing "twinkle twinkle little star"
-Witnessing my son's and my daughters' first moments/breaths/cries/smiles/laughs/rolls/crawls/steps/burps/bites of food/etc...
-Not being able to sleep whenever and for however long i want to
-Doing the Mommy lick-my-finger-and-wipe-something-off-kids-face-thing
-Panicking that I'm not doing anything right as a parent
-watching my babies sleep/play/cry/fall down/get up/make friends/sit in my parents' and grandparents' laps
-trying to get them to make semi-decent faces for the Christmas picture
-BREASTFEEDING---one of the most selfless things EVER!!!
-holding them while they sleep/eat/cry/laugh/read a book/talk/bounce
-watching Brian with Jack and then watching him with Ali Grace--so different, yet still the same too
-disciplining Jack---UGH it's hard
-Letting God be in control--even of MY CHILDREN
-Praying for them before they were born, as they were being born, and afterward too, and for the future of them both
-Letting Jack cry it out----HEART WRENCHING
-Freaking out when I don't know what to do
-Laughing at them
-Taking care of them when they are sick (and telling Brian a thousand times that Yes, they are OK, they're going to be OK)
-Hurting with them
-Actually seeing them grow and learn
-Realizing that Brian and I are responsible for 2 little bodies and hearts and souls--and how would we ever do this without Jesus? WE CAN'T!!!
-Seeing our parents be so in love with our children
-AND LEARNING TO LOVE MORE THAN I HAVE EVER LOVED BEFORE

I LOVE BEING THIS MOMMY THAT I'VE BECOME! THANK YOU LORD!

My New Year's Goals

Though it is February, I'm just now making my lists of goals and to-do's. I've been really brainstorming and praying about what I need to rearrange, reorganize, and delete from my everyday life. And I thought that sharing them with all of you would give me some encouragement and some accountability too!

So, some of my daily goals are:
1. Get up early, read my Bible and pray, take a shower and get dressed before the kids get up
2. Read a chapter of the Bible to the kids after breakfast
3. Spend an hour a day one-on-one with each of the kids
4. WATCH LESS TV
5. Get cleaning chores done
6. Spend time with Brian

So far I'm doing pretty good. #1 hasn't happened quite right yet, I have been reading and I get to take a shower at some point during the day, though it might be at 8:00 at night. I'm not too discouraged though because Ali Grace is still waking up every 3 hours to eat at night, so I think I'm doing alright. :)

I have been reading to the kids though, and on days that I've forgotten it's been so amazing because Jack has actually reminded me! He has 2 small New Testaments, and every once in a while he'll ask for one, and that reminds me, so that has been a huge blessing!

Spending more one-on-one time with the kids hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. And it's been sooo much fun! Jack is verrry into playing with his cars and trucks, so we've been doing a lot of that. And Ali Grace is so much fun to roll around with and bounce on my lap! They are a blast!

The TV thing is a struggle for me. I just want it on! It's such an idol for me, and I'm reeeeally working on it. I am doing better, and I've cut out a couple of shows that I felt convicted about watching--the verse that God showed me that has helped tremendously is Psalms 119:37, "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your way."

Cleaning the house has gone by the wayside BIG time since Ali was born, and I finally made a new cleaning schedule and it's going OK--I pretty much have to force myself to do it most days, but so far the house is looking better, and I feel better. It really affects me when things get too disorganized and dirty around here.

And last but certainly not least, though things are crazier than ever around here (this past week Brian worked at least 25 hours overtime b/c of the ice storm in North AR) we are setting a side a little time each day just to be together and laugh and talk and vent about whatever. I love Brian so much and he's been so great and supportive as I've made my lists of goals and to-do's. I've really missed him as he's been working more, but I'm seeing that God is using it to stretch me and to make me rely on Him more. Plus it has shown me how VERY much Brian helps around the house and with the kids, and just how blessed I am to have a husband like him!

So, lots of changes are happening around the Chisholm house. God is working in me and in our family tremendously! Another verse that God gave me for this time is Psalms 51:23, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God." That has encouraged me soooo much! I have a few more lists of goals and to-do's, but this post is long enough, so I'll spare you, but please pray for us and for God to continue to teach us to order our conduct aright.