Friday, January 30, 2009
Updates:)
Life continues to move forward here at the Gurk's! I am slowly adjusting to having 3 kids and really trying to find enjoyment in the mundane things of each day. I am learning to let things go and focus on the more important things.
Adrianna:
She is growing up so fast! She will be 5 in April and I'm really starting to notice what a sweet person she is. She loves preschool and looks forward to it on Tuesday's and Thursday's. She really enjoys just playing and will either color, or play with her dolls. She LOVES to help me do just about anything which I am very grateful for. She thoroughly enjoys watching movies and would watch some all day if I let her! We are trying to work on her heart attitude right now. Such as being kind to her sister and expressing her thoughts respectfully. I am enjoying her more as I can carry on conversations with her about school or about questions she has.
Eliza:She is definitely 2! She has a very strong will sometimes and wants to do everything by herself. She also wants to do everything sissy does. I am trying to make sure I allow her to make a choice based on her likes or dislikes not what Adrianna wants her to do.
She is still a barrel of laughs and her sweet little voice repeats everything we say. Lately she has been a little naughty thing! She has been coloring on the dressers in her room, coloring on the carpet, unrolling the entire toilet paper roll, and trying to feed Caleb a piece of celery. I need to keep my eye on her! I love our times on Tuesday's and Thursday's when Adrianna is at school. She really just wants individual attention and is as good as gold by herself. She always makes me laugh! Her latest thing is to say "My momma" whenever we ask her to do anything or she hurts her self. I think my favorite quote from her is "Don't touch me OKAY!".
Caleb:
He is 11 1/2 weeks old already! He still is not consistently sleeping through the night so I am waiting for that day! Sometimes he goes 7 hours and those nights are great! He is a very content little guy and smiles a lot. He also coos and it is the greatest sound! I love our times when I nurse him and he is just cooing away! He LOVES the swing and sleeps most of his naps in there. I am enjoying him so much!
I had to throw this picture in there of my nephew Colin, my mom and Caleb. Colin seemed to really like him and it's nice he will have a boy cousin to play with!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Night of Firsts
Eliza got her first haircut tonight! I have been putting it off since it has taken so long for it to grow, but she had a few wisps that needed trimming. I was not going to pay $9 for a few pieces of hair to be cut off! The whole time I was cutting, which took a whole 2 minutes, she kept saying "Don't cut my hair off!". I saved a few strands of course and she wanted to hold it when I was done!
At least she was happy when we were done!
BTW, she LOVES these silkie cow pj's and always asks "Where's my cows, where's my cows?". Her thumb goes in her mouth and she is happy as a clam!
Daddy also gave Caleb a bath for the first time tonight! (Yes, he has had other baths, but just by mommy!) I kept hoping that Caleb would initiate Daddy by peeing on him but it hasn't happened yet.:) I tried hard not to laugh when Daddy grabbed the snowsuit to use as a towel because he couldn't find them!
Caleb survived, smelled like a newly washed baby ( I love that!), ate, and fell asleep.
My Joy Goes Underground Sometimes!
In continuing with the articles I'm reading about Joy, Thelma Wells gave me some more things to think about. She is a speaker and author and recently survived cancer.
Here is a verse to think about:
Habakkuk 3:17-19
"Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Saviour God. Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!" (The Message)
One thing that really stood out to me in this article was that we sometimes look at life through the eyes of our culture: where I should live, what I should drive, where my kids should go to school, what I should have in my house. Most of these things mean little or nothing in the end. We get confused about who we serve and why we serve. It is so easy to become depressed and overwhelmed and then we allow our joy to go underground.
We can't lose our joy. Once God gives it to us, it's ours because the Spirit of God lives in us. (Provided we have asked him to live in our heart!) But we can make it go underground when we let the stuff of this life cover it.
Here are some of my joy stealer's:
1. Not having a clean, tidy house 24/7
2. When the girls are arguing all day and can't get along
3. When I have to be home alone because Shawn has another band thing
4. When I don't have time for myself during the day because there are so many other things to do ( I admit, I need some quiet time during the day in order to function!)
5. When I haven't planned out our meals the right way and we run out of food before payday
6. When I'm not a perfect, patient, creative mom on any given day
I'm coming to realize that all these things don't matter in the big scheme of life! When I am focusing on these things, I lose sight of who God created me to be. He put me right here, with my family, at this moment in time. I can't be in control of everything. I need to have a heart of unceasing prayer throughout my day. I have to realize that the joy of Christ is always inside me and I just need to let it out! I need to make sure I make time for Him to fill me with His joy every minute of every day. It can't be through the circumstances that happen. Those DEFINITELY will take away my joy! I think once God's true Joy fills my heart, some of the things that take it away won't do that anymore!
James 1:2 says: "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy." (NLT)
So I will continually strive to focus on Christ, to pray unceasingly every day, and have more joy in my heart!
Here is a verse to think about:
Habakkuk 3:17-19
"Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Saviour God. Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!" (The Message)
One thing that really stood out to me in this article was that we sometimes look at life through the eyes of our culture: where I should live, what I should drive, where my kids should go to school, what I should have in my house. Most of these things mean little or nothing in the end. We get confused about who we serve and why we serve. It is so easy to become depressed and overwhelmed and then we allow our joy to go underground.
We can't lose our joy. Once God gives it to us, it's ours because the Spirit of God lives in us. (Provided we have asked him to live in our heart!) But we can make it go underground when we let the stuff of this life cover it.
Here are some of my joy stealer's:
1. Not having a clean, tidy house 24/7
2. When the girls are arguing all day and can't get along
3. When I have to be home alone because Shawn has another band thing
4. When I don't have time for myself during the day because there are so many other things to do ( I admit, I need some quiet time during the day in order to function!)
5. When I haven't planned out our meals the right way and we run out of food before payday
6. When I'm not a perfect, patient, creative mom on any given day
I'm coming to realize that all these things don't matter in the big scheme of life! When I am focusing on these things, I lose sight of who God created me to be. He put me right here, with my family, at this moment in time. I can't be in control of everything. I need to have a heart of unceasing prayer throughout my day. I have to realize that the joy of Christ is always inside me and I just need to let it out! I need to make sure I make time for Him to fill me with His joy every minute of every day. It can't be through the circumstances that happen. Those DEFINITELY will take away my joy! I think once God's true Joy fills my heart, some of the things that take it away won't do that anymore!
James 1:2 says: "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy." (NLT)
So I will continually strive to focus on Christ, to pray unceasingly every day, and have more joy in my heart!
Monday, January 19, 2009
What Brings You Joy?
I recently read an article in the magazine "Today's Christian Woman" that asked this question.
I had to ask myself what brings me "true" joy. Before I could answer I was reminded again through this article what joy is. Many times I confuse it with happiness.
Here are a few highlights from the article that stood out to me.
First of all, happiness comes from the root hap, which means chance. Happiness is circumstantial. It's life going the way you want it to go and the feeling you experience when it happens. Like when the baby cooperates with your predetermined schedule. (Boy, do I know what that means!) Or when you have a family event and everyone is in a good mood and enjoys themselves. Happiness is something to enjoy and celebrate on those occasions when it happens. But what happens when life doesn't go the way we want?
The Old Testament describes joy as a quality of life as well as an emotion. Is my quality of life Joy? Here are some things that JOY IS:
-Something deep that celebrates God's character despite the circumstances
-a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days
-connected to hope, to love, to a perspective that sees beyond the immediate to the eventual
The fruit of joy is confidence in God, in his grace, despite the circumstances--despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
So now I ask myself again, "What brings me Joy?" Well.....
--Knowing that despite the sicknesses we have endured..God is our Healer
--Despite the LONG, MUNDANE days of having 3 kids, I can rejoice in them
--When I don't know what tomorrow will bring, God goes before me and will guide me through
--Even though the things we do for our kids are never acknowledged, I can have God's perspective and see that eventually our sacrifices make a difference in the lives of our children
--Even when I have no desire to smile on any given day, God is still holding me in the palm of his hand and encouraging me to press on.
--Knowing that God's amazing grace is given to me every day of my small little life!
This is going to be my pursuit this coming year. I find "true" joy in every circumstance. To bring joy into the lives of my kids. To know it in my heart no matter what is going on around me.
I would love to know what brings you joy!
I had to ask myself what brings me "true" joy. Before I could answer I was reminded again through this article what joy is. Many times I confuse it with happiness.
Here are a few highlights from the article that stood out to me.
First of all, happiness comes from the root hap, which means chance. Happiness is circumstantial. It's life going the way you want it to go and the feeling you experience when it happens. Like when the baby cooperates with your predetermined schedule. (Boy, do I know what that means!) Or when you have a family event and everyone is in a good mood and enjoys themselves. Happiness is something to enjoy and celebrate on those occasions when it happens. But what happens when life doesn't go the way we want?
The Old Testament describes joy as a quality of life as well as an emotion. Is my quality of life Joy? Here are some things that JOY IS:
-Something deep that celebrates God's character despite the circumstances
-a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days
-connected to hope, to love, to a perspective that sees beyond the immediate to the eventual
The fruit of joy is confidence in God, in his grace, despite the circumstances--despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
So now I ask myself again, "What brings me Joy?" Well.....
--Knowing that despite the sicknesses we have endured..God is our Healer
--Despite the LONG, MUNDANE days of having 3 kids, I can rejoice in them
--When I don't know what tomorrow will bring, God goes before me and will guide me through
--Even though the things we do for our kids are never acknowledged, I can have God's perspective and see that eventually our sacrifices make a difference in the lives of our children
--Even when I have no desire to smile on any given day, God is still holding me in the palm of his hand and encouraging me to press on.
--Knowing that God's amazing grace is given to me every day of my small little life!
This is going to be my pursuit this coming year. I find "true" joy in every circumstance. To bring joy into the lives of my kids. To know it in my heart no matter what is going on around me.
I would love to know what brings you joy!
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