Love is in the Air.....

1 John 1:19

 19We love, because He first loved us.

We live in an apartment currently. 

 I'm sure I have complained about mentioned that before.

 Because of the face that our walls are standard apartment builder's grade beige (blah.) I try to decorate for the seasons as much as I can.

 Within reason. 

 I do not put something "seasonal" on every surface in our house; but I do try to add a little holiday fun to the kitchen, living room and Lauren's room.  Since Lauren turned 2, holidays are so much more fun for her! (probably because she is aware of the holidays....yes, probably.)

And although the true meaning of different holidays is often forgotten, I try to teach Lauren what the holiday is really about.

Case in point: Christmas. 

 I emphasized as much as possible that Christmas was Baby Jesus' Birthday.  Lauren is ALL about birthdays right now.... so for me to tell her that we were celebrating the birthday of Baby Jesus (whom she loves to talk about and see pictures of), she was super excited! We even had a little mini birthday party for Baby Jesus one day before Christmas (amongst all the chaos that was Christmas this year!)  Wish I had thought to take a picture of our little birthday cupcake for Jesus.

Anyway, here we are to Valentines' Day and I want to teach Lauren about LOVE and GOD'S LOVE for us!

Did you know that the word love appears in the Bible 697 times (give or take)?! 

 Yes, I googled that to be sure.  Guess I could have counted, but I did not.

Lauren has already started associating hearts with love.... remember?

And so in the spirit of love, I have been adding some "Valentiney" decor to our apartment a little at a time.  (It is still January after all).  

I found these little heart-shaped plates at Kroger last year after VDay for like 90% off.  This made them about .10 each!  Are they BPA free? Maybe not...I do hand wash them and I don't heat food on them, so hopefully we are ok.  They are great for sandwiches!

 This is the top of our corner baker's rack in the kitchen (the bottom 2 shelves hold all our cookbooks!) :)

This plate came from Kohl's and just says "love".  Lauren loves the little cupcake!

 The next shelf down holds a little framed Mary Engelbreit picture and our candy jar.  It's a tiny little glass jar from Cracker Barrel (last year) that holds our cinnamon hearts currently.  The heart on top says "hugs and kisses".  I will probably fill it with VDay colored m&m's next. It was about $5.

These kitchen towels are also from Cracker Barrel (last year) and say "Hugs" and "Kisses" in the hearts.  I love the red and white pin stripes!

I think they were about $5 for the 2 of them.

 I found this little red napkin holder at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago on the 66% off clearance aisle.  It was $1.56.  I might repaint it a brighter red color, or I might just leave it.  I love it!

 These towels are new this year and hang on our oven (obviously).  They are from Kohl's and these fall under the "look at, but do not use" towel rule.  :)  I had to teach that rule to Jason recently.  

 This was a $2 craft project that Lauren and I did. I found the heart picks at Dollar Tree for $1 each (pink and red).  We already had the mason jar and the ribbon.  I let Lauren put all the heart picks into the jar (she took them in and out happily for about 30 min. one night while I made supper!)  And then I tied the bow and voila! I think it looks cute on our table next to our napkin holder.

And finally, this is a sandwich cutter from Walmart that cost around $1.50 maybe?  It cuts the cutest little heart shaped sandwiches that are just the right size for Lauren to pick up and bite and it cuts the crust off at the same time.  We use this year-round, but I will be sure to use it especially in February!

I also have some small and large heart-shaped cookie cutters that I bought last year on clearance after VDay. I will use these for cheese and turkey and also fruit (maybe apple slices?) Lauren seems to eat her food so much better when it is cute! :)

I also throw some of the cheap plastic cookie cutters into her playdough tub and let her go to town and make hearts to her little heart's content! 

I will post more of our VDay items throughout the next few weeks!

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 1:7-14

One Thousand Gifts

First of all..... I don't know if I have mentioned Ann here before?

 Yes, I refer to Ann on a first name basis as if we know one another.  

I have never met her a day in my life. 

 But I have been reading her blog for a long time now (years?) 

And from her honest, personal, touching, no-holding-back posts, I feel like I know a little about her. :)

I digress.  

So Ann has written this book, One Thousand Gifts:
A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.

 It has been in my amazon shopping cart for almost a month, waiting for the release date.  Last week it arrived!  

(yes, this is the image from Amazon.com, I was too lazy to take a pic of my book! :)

Anyway....although I am in the middle of about 10 other books right now, I stopped reading those to start reading this one.  

Please watch this video without crying...I dare you!

Moments.  

What are you doing with your microscopic, fleeting moments?

Moments that are holy.

"This is how you spend your one life well..." she says.

And because of my love for Ann (I realize that I am beginning to sound like her #1 fan....), I went ahead and ordered another copy of her book to GIVE AWAY!!

Yes, you heard this right, people.....

MY FIRST EVER BLOG GIVEAWAY!! 

 I realize that there are not millions of people reading my little blog everyday- however,....for those of you that do read my blog, you are welcome to share this link on your blog, or facebook, or make it into a bumper sticker for your car (kidding) 

and have people hop over and enter to win the book.

All you have to do is leave your name in the comment section, and I will choose a winner a week from today.

**This just in: if you don't have a blog, please leave me a way to get in touch with you...email or link to your facebook**

***Unless I know you in real life, then you can just leave your name!***

Please submit entries by midnight next Sunday, January 30th and I will contact the winner for mailing info.

I'm so excited to share this book with one of you!

Also, if you would like to be part of a community of other women who are reading this book, go over to the Bloom group at (in)courage and read more there.  

I will be reading along with Jessica and Angie and hope you will, too!

my brother Ryan

Over at Kelly's Korner, she is featuring "Show us Your Singles" as part of her "Show us Your Life Series." 

While most of my friends are married and have kids, I do know one single person who really deserves someone wonderful, and that is my "little" brother, Ryan. (I say "little", because although I am his older sister, he is taller and stronger than I am!!)

 Ryan will be turning 25 in June, and currently serves in the United States Air Force.  He is stationed In Florida, where we grew up.  Although Ryan is the "baby" of the family, he sure doesn't act like it!

 Ryan is a great brother to me and my sister, but he is also a great son.  He always treats my mom with respect, the same as he treats all women.  I can remember him taking my mom places when he first started driving and he would always open the car door for her. (um, how many 16 year-olds do that??) 
He really is a gentleman!

Ryan and our mom

 Ryan is also a great Uncle to his 2 nieces...Lauren and Kerrigan.  He loves to spend time with them and spoil them! 

Ryan is fun and has a great sense of humor, but I also think that he is very level-headed and loyal. He likes to spend time with family and friends, watch movies, read, eat, and go to the gym and run. And PLEASE don't ever challenge him to a game of Monopoly...he loves to play and will make you play to the end! :)

He is financially responsible and is also not afraid of commitment.  I think that's why he hasn't found the right girl yet, he's more of the "marrying type."  You know: he's fairly settled, knows what he wants out of life, etc.  He just keeps meeting the wrong kind of girls! :) He has great morals and loves God and his country.

Anyway, ladies...I don't know what else to tell you about him, except if you would like to get to know Ryan, or know someone who would, comment here on my blog or email me at colburnslovebama@yahoo.com and I will get your info to Ryan!

sugar and spice

In keeping with some of my New Year's Resolutions, I've been working on decluttering and organizing different parts of our home.  Today I decided to tackle our desk and our spice cabinet.  

The desk had gotten to the point of no return.  I couldn't even see the actual desk for all the papers.  I have not pictures to attest to this miraculous transformation, but just trust me...it's much better! Lauren and Kate were big helpers...they threw stuff in the trashcan for me! :)

Then I tackled the spice cabinet while they were sleeping this afternoon.  I forgot to take a picture of the "before", but here is the "during!"  Needless to say, we love to cook and I'm pretty sure we have every spice that anyone could need.  

Forget about borrowing a cup of sugar....if our neighbors ever need ground marjoram or turmeric...we have it! :)  (WHAT exactly we bought these particular spices for, I have no idea!)

 during

 Ahhh...much better!

The bottom shelf is the spices that we use the most frequently.  (including my huge container of taco seasoning from Sam's...I got tired of buying those little packets each time we wanted tacos or fajitas!)

 This was one of the best ideas I've ever had....I got a lidded, see-through container for the top shelf and use it to store the spices we use less often, plus things like baking chocolate, sprinkles and icing.

The second shelf is baking stuff...vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, etc.  (and clearly, house seasoning, thanks to Paula Deen)  The green basket holds little packets of gravy mix and also some of our leftover Christmas candy that I am saving to bribe Lauren with when we potty train.  :)

Who knew declutterig these two little things would make me feel so happy?!

Also....my sweet Lauren brought me this wooden heart from her shape puzzle this morning.  She told me, "mommy, I brought you this heart acause I yuv you!"  Awww... these are the moments that make being a mommy the best job ever! :)

my little sweetheart!

Here is another picture of Lauren and Kate today 

They are obsessed with having me take their pictures so they can say "cheese."  

Lauren told me she wanted to hold Baby Kate's hand, because she was her "fwiend."

Sweet girls.

Apparently Jason and Lauren played dress up tonight, because these pics were on my camera.  Jason said Lauren wanted to wear his hard hat and safety glasses from work.

I'm sure she thought she was some kind of engineering princess! :)

our weekend

We started Friday off with about 2 inches of snowfall.  Since Jason takes my car on days that we have snow (it's heavier and therefore less likely to slide around on the snowy/icy roads on his way to work!), we were basically trapped inside. 

 All day.  

And the more you tell a 2 year old she can't go outside, the more she tends to beg. 

And whine. 

 

And cry. 

 And plead. 

  I finally gave in.  When Kate went down for her nap, I grabbed the monitor and then bundled Lauren up like an Eskimo.  

2 inches of snow is just enough for making snow balls and mini snowmen.  Lauren thought it was funny to throw snowballs at mommy.  

Mommy did not concur.  

In about 20 minutes, we were frozen, so we came in to warm up and change into dry clothes.  Lauren insisted that she was not tired and didn't need a nap.  So I told her that she could have quiet time for an hour.  When I came in to tell her it was time to get up, I felt like I was looking at a picture of "Where's Waldo?"  

Oh! Here she is! Asleep on the floor.  

Saturday Jason got to sleep in and then we all got dressed and went out to get Jason's hair cut and out to lunch at Real Hacienda; where Lauren consumed pounds of cheese.  

After her nap, (yes, she's back to napping?)  we took down the Christmas tree and now our living room looks so empty! :(

Sunday morning, I got to sleep in, and then we all got dressed and went to the 11:00 service at church.  Lauren was really excited to go to her class, and when I came to pick her up, I peeked through the tinted window into her room to see what she was up to.  

She was standing with one finger up her nose! 

Lovely!

This is her new habit, and I am not loving it.  I ask her if she needs a tissue every time I see her doing it, and I've even told her to stop because it's gross. I really don't think she even realizes she's sticking her finger up there!

The sermon was great again this morning.  Our pastor is preaching from Romans 12 all this month, and this morning was about renewing your mind.  It was just what we needed to hear!

Here is Lauren dressed for church. I was so excited to find this "dress coat" on ebay last summer for a steal.  I thought it was so pretty with her little snowman dress. (her nursery teacher asked me if I had bought them together, because she thought they were so cute.)

She was giving me the "enough pictures, mommy" expression.

After lunch, and reading all 10 of Lauren's library books to her (she's obsessed) Lauren napped, and I went to Rite Aid for some free cereal and a few other really good deals.  If you don't already follow Collin's blog , here is the link.  She does all the hard work for you as far as matching the sales with coupons!!

Then tonight I went to the first meeting of 

Chicks Like Us (our church is one of the first to host this new group for women!)

It was great! They discuss all kinds of things pertinent to women, this month's topic being "family planning."  Tonight's speakers talked about planned and unplanned pregnancies and shared their stories.  As a group we laughed and cried! It was so nice to be able to fellowship with other women from all different walks of life.

I really like our church, and if we move from Owensboro, this will be something that I will really miss! But I won't think about that for now, because as of this moment, we aren't going anywhere! :)  So, I'll enjoy this church and these new friends while we're here!

library day

Today was a crazy day.  I took Lauren and Kate to the library for story time and they were in rare form.  Neither one wanted to sit while the librarian was reading the books! When I got Kate restrained sitting quietly on my lap, Lauren started crawling around and being distracting.  Oh, the joy!  

So I did what any good mom would do....I pretended I didn't know either of them. :)

When we left the library (with new books for Lauren and myself) Lauren was upset because she told me she "tan't go home mommy!"  Too bad, so sad.  It was time for lunch and I was done trying to "shush" 2 squealing girls in the library for one more minute.  

After lunch, Kate was out like a light in the pack and play, and Lauren spent day #3 of "non-napping nap time" reading books to her stuffed animals.  At least she had some new material to entertain them with, thanks to our crazy library trip. :)

On a quick soapbox sidenote, I have to just ask something.  Does anyone else know that it is rude to make comments about people that you don't even know?  For example, I had a woman (who I have never seen before) take one look at Lauren and Kate at the library today and say, "you must babysit her."  (referring to Kate).  Now, I was gracious and said, "yes, I do."  But I could have said, "no, they just have different baby daddies."  


Or what if they really were sisters and one looked just like the mom and the other looked just like dad.  I mean, that happens.  Just because one is blonde with blue eyes and the other has brown hair and brown eyes, doesn't mean it's unheard of, right?!

I have also had someone tell me recently (after questioning the age difference in Lauren and Kate), "wow, you had them close together!" Only for me to clarify that they were not, in fact, sisters.  However, they are a year and one day apart, is that not doable?  I think that it is.

There are other "no-no's" I think that all women should abide by as well.  You should never ask a woman if she is pregnant (this has not happened to me, but I've seen it happen to a friend!)  unless they are CLEARLY pregnant, or bring it up first (as in, they say, "oh, my back is hurting so much from this pregnancy?!)  And by CLEARLY pregnant, I mean 8+ months and waddling.  But maybe not even then; there could be some women out there who have some extra pounds in their middle and also waddle.  Who knows?  

It's just not nice, ladies! Don't you agree? :)  

Ok, off of my soapbox for today.  And if I have blogged about this before, just ignore me!

Onto something completely unrelated.....

I really can't stop listening to this song.  I hear it on the radio, we sing it at church, and I play it several times a day! I think the words are awesome and so true! Have you heard it?

a sad goodbye

Today I'm afraid we are saying "goodbye" to Lauren's nap. 

 This is day #2 of not napping for her!  I put her in her room at 1:30 and then went about my business of emptying the dishwasher, loading it again, doing some laundry, etc, etc.  Then I realized I could hear a very little, high-pitched voice coming from somewhere.  I went over to Lauren's bedroom door, and sure enough, I could hear her having a good old time in her room when she was supposed to be napping!

I opened her door and reminder her (again!) that Baby Kate was napping and that if she didn't want to sleep, it was fine, but she needed to have some "quiet time" in her room until I came to get her.  She said "otay, can you come get me mommy?"  :)  Smart girl.  

I told her I would come get her in a little while and that she should just have some quiet time until then.  

What was I thinking?  Those instructions were entirely too vague for a 2 year old!

I didn't check on her again, because I had some things to get done before there were children running under my feet again.  

An hour later, I went in to tell her she could get up and this is what I saw (love that my camera takes pretty good pictures, it comes in handy!)

Again, she is on the Dora couch instead of her bed.  The potty in the background?  She had drug that out of her bathroom and used it to stand on the turn on her bedroom light!  Then she had all the babies and animals out of her bed again as an audience- and apparently they were not only having a book club meeting, but there was also some sort of tea party going on!

I really couldn't help but laugh! (and take a picture, of course!)  

I realized that we were going to have to have an in-depth discussion on the meaning of "quiet time" before tomorrow's nap.  I helped her clean up all the toys and then we sat down and had a snack together while Kate was still sleeping and it was nice.  It's hard for me to believe that this sweet baby of mine will be 3 this year! The time is going by way too quickly!

After Kate's dad picked her up, I decided to let Lauren "help" me with a few more things around the house.  She stood by the dryer and I handed her each piece of clothing from the washer to throw in the dryer.  Then I let her "look" for white clothes and put them in the washer.  (YES, this took forever, but she loved it and I realized this was a teachable moment for sure!)

Then I sat her up on the dryer so she could help pour in the detergent and watch the washing machine fill up.  She was amazed and told me, "it's like a swimming pool."  Oh, dear.  Now I will have to make sure she doesn't try to go swimming in it!

Then we went to the kitchen where I needed to put away all the silverware that we wash by hand, since our apartment dishwasher has no basket.  (not complaining, at least there is a dishwasher!!)

Lauren went to get her little pink stool from her bathroom and she stood on it to help.  I showed her where the forks and big spoons and "baby" spoons go. (her words, not mine).  Then she put away her plastic forks and spoons in the little cups I keep them in.  These were great sorting activities that I never really thought about!  Yay for practical life experiences! :)

That is something funny about Lauren.  Instead of saying "little" to describe something,

 she says "baby".

 In a sweet, little, baby voice! 

It's kinda hilarious!  

Today we were on our way to Target and there is a car dealership

 right at the light where we turn into Target.  

Out front, was a brand new one of these.

From the back seat, Lauren yells, "MOMMY! Yook out your window! There's a very yiddle geen car!" 

I say, "yes, Lauren, I see the green car" (and try not to laugh).

She says "aw, it's so tute (cute)... it's yike a yiddle baby!"  (said in a squeaky baby voice).

At that point I can't help but laugh! Where does she come up with this stuff?

She tells me, "I yub it" "I yub that yiddle geen car!"

I proceed to tell her that I love it, too, but that we are very blessed to have the car that we have and we won't be getting a new one anytime soon.  (Plus, I don't think even half of Jason's body will fit in one of those "yiddle geen cars" that she loves so much!!)

She says, "otay, mommy, you so siddy (silly)."  

:)