6 Months Old!!!!

This week, Silas turned 6 months old.   It's so fun watching him develop and grow.  He's really into making all kinds of noises and screeches right now.   He loves playing with his big sister Abby and also his toys.    We're working on getting him to sleep through the night so that Mommy and Daddy can get some much needed rest.  Here's just a few pics of the last week or so.

Random Dozen

1. Would you rather host party or simply attend a party?
I would rather host a party.  I love having people in my house.   Also, on a selfish note, I would know everybody at my own party (supposedly) whereas at another party, I may become a wallflower if I don't know the rest of the people.

2. Tell us about the most memorable party you've been to.
My cousins and I crashed a wedding reception for a few minutes (when we were lots younger).  Almost everyone there was tipsy or drunk and couldn't tell that we "didn't belong".

3. What is one thing you hope for in the after-life?
Singing praises to my Jesus

4. What do you enjoy most about sunshine?
The light it brings to my world.  (In Arizona, the heat it brings is not always enjoyed)

5. When you attend a bridal/baby shower, do you prefer to bring your own gift or chip in with others to buy a larger gift?  I prefer to bring my own gift.

6. Would you rather have a FREE week of having your house cleaned or all of your meals cooked for you and your family?
Oh this one is SO easy for me - having my house cleaned!   I love cooking and to have someone clean up after me.....this would be a small taste of heaven!

7. What song describes your mood today?

8. What is something you received for your own bridal shower/wedding that you still own or use? (If you are not married, feel free to sub a gift you received a long time ago.)
I've only been married 3 1/2 years so I still have a lot of stuff.  Also, we just took a lot of it out of storage and it felt brand new again.   Almost all of my kitchen gadgets/dishes/knives, etc are from my wedding.

9. Your favorite flavor of ice cream is?
Mocha Almond Fudge

10. When was the last time you felt "tested?"
Right now....

11. "[Fill in the blank] is a food that once I start eating I find really hard to stop."
Brownies

12. "-----" is the best motivation.
Love

Siblings...what do you think?

Here is a pic of Abby at 6 months and Silas at 6 months.....do they look alike?   What do you think?

A symbol of family togetherness

We've been married now about 3 1/2 years.  Not terribly long but a lot has happened in those years.  We now have two children already!   Earlier this week, the table set we had ordered finally came in.   We've been eagerly saving and waiting for just this time.   The dining room table is where my family will eat together, laugh and cry together, read God's Word together, do crafts, do school work and so many other things.  It is the center of the house; where everything happens.   It's also the place where we can welcome newcomers and oldcomers into our house.   We love having people in our house!   When I look at this table, an eagerness arises for the future.   I may have many fears and anxieties about what the future may hold but this table reminds me of goodness that God has given me with family and friends.   I am excited for the day when this table is full with little Mourreales  :)

Random Dozen

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?
Chicken and veggie curry.    I know, sounds exotic, but it really is so easy.  I just saute onions in butter, add curry and then chicken, veggies and sometimes even coconut milk, serve over rice and ....super delicious!!!

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)
Keys

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?
Lake George, NY - my grandparents had property right on the lake and we would visit as often as we could.  My grandparents are now gone but the property is still in the family.   I would love to go again!

4. Share one factoid of your family's history.
My great-great-great-great-grandmother Anne Hamilton was given a verse by God as a promise for our family.  It is Isaiah 59:21  "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.
Since that time, we have had generations upon generations of men and women that love and serve the Lord faithfully.   My great-grandparents were missionaries in Korea.  My grandparents were missionaries in Kenya.  My parents are missionaries still in South Africa.

5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...."
....used to get sleep.

6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be?
Gasoline

7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...."  
I love 'funky' quilts!

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?
If I didn't care about nutrition, I would say McDonald's french fries- they taste so good to me.  Is there a pill I can take to make them not taste so good?   But since I do care about what goes into my body, I'd probably buy an apple.

9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...."
my husband.   I love that man!

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal?
Go running - get out the door!    My personal goal is to get physically fit like I was when I got married.

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?
My favorite thing to do is to send notes of encouragement and blessing.

12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon?
My son sleeping through the night.  I feel like we are on the cusp of him being able to do this.   Have I mentioned how sleep-deprived I am?

Starting Solids

Last night we began solids with Silas.   He's been definitely more interested lately with food and watching spoons and forks.   I made my own rice cereal this time.  By the way, I love this website.  It gives so many great and wonderful ideas about making all your own baby food.   Yes, I guess I am a bit crunchy (I do cloth diapers, hang out my laundry, etc) but not philisophically; just because I am cheap frugal!  I also like to know exactly what my child eats.  Anyway, back to the fun stuff - Silas trying to eat.   He spit most of it out although he kept tipping his head back which helped get some of it down.   The mess has begun!

All my bibs are packed away and I was just too lazy to go find them last night.

This has got to taste so very bland although I did squirt in a bit of breast milk.  (Literally!)

Happy Birthday Andrea!

Happy Birthday to my gorgeous sister Andrea.  She turned 30 today!!!   For more about her, her family and ministry in Zambia, check out their website.

 Andrea is two and a half years younger than me and has been a great friend even from the very beginning.  This is one of my favorite pictures!

Ummmm...yeah, we were role playing parent-teacher
conferences and dressed up as two of our teachers.

Trip to the Zoo

Last week, we went to the wildlife zoo with some friends....Jodi, Will and Paul.   First, we went to the petting zoo before the crowds got there.

Not quite sure about all of this (an unusual posture for my little one)

We saw SO many different animals....jaguars, tigers, leopards, antelope, ostrich, birds, monkeys, etc.   There was even a place where you could feed the giraffes.   You could climb up a deck and put your hand out and the giraffe would come up and stick his LONG tongue out and eat out of your hand.

As a nice break from all the walking, we took a ride on the train.   This was such a nice treat.

We ended up going through the aquarium and then we were all beat!   A great couple hours with friends at the zoo.  Thanks Jodi for the idea.

New Beds

Both Abby and Silas are in new beds!   Abby made the switch to a toddler bed about 3 weeks ago and has done an outstanding job.  I love that she can get herself up in the morning.  This lets her take as much time as she wants without feeling "trapped".   One day after running errands, we came back and I mentioned that it was time for a nap.  I was in the kitchen and when I went to find her, she was already laying in bed.  Until we found this bed rail at Ikea, Abby fell out almost every night.   Poor baby.

Silas also moved out of his co-sleeper and into a crib.   The first night he slept through the night!!!!!!   The next two weren't so great but I think this is a good move for him.  He really likes his bed.  (Thanks Jodi for the bedding and thanks Esther for the crib!)   

In this next picture, notice that Silas also loves his blankie...it's the silk  :)  Thanks Grandma Mourreale!

After Dinner

After dinner, Paul and Abby did the dishes for me.  What a treat!   Abby loves to "paint" herself with soap suds.  I keep reminding myself...someday this will pay off!     

And where was Chunky Silas?

Trying to escape his bumbo.  Look at those rolls.

I can't resist this boy's charm.

Watercolors

We watercolored for a craft last week.   

"Water, paint, paper....water, paint, paper"

It soon became - water, paint, paint, more paint, water, hands

Very fun for our first time painting together.   For a mother who likes control, I am learning that she needs to have exposure and practice with these types of activities so that she learns how to do them.  There is no way that she'll just "know what to do" the first time.

Random Dozen

1. Please share one memory of your high school graduation. Pics would be great!
Cowbells....lots of cowbells.  No matter how many times the administration requested "just clapping", the cowbells would continue.  Oh, and also the air horns.

2. What is one "emergency use" item you keep in your vehicle at all times?
Diaper wipes - what will I do once I don't have babies anymore?

3. In your region, do you celebrate graduation open houses? Addendum: (If so,) how many open houses/bridal showers/weddings are on your upcoming events calendar?
I live in the southwest and I think they do but I've only been to one.   We never had them growing up (southeast) so I was just wondering if it is a new phenomenon or just a regional one.

4. Tell me one truth you believe about motherhood.
Motherhood is one of the biggest gifts we are given - whether to our biological children, our adopted children or to those God simply places in our lives that need a bit of mothering.

5. What was the last thing you broke?
It's been awhile, even for klutzy me.   Can I claim my herbs that are dying a terrible death?

6. On average, how many pieces of junk mail do you receive daily?
Around 2 -3 

7. Do you like to shop by catalog?
Not really.   I do like to shop on-line - is this the modern version of using a catalog?   I really do NOT like shopping.

8. Is lawn maintenance at your house a "his job," a "her job" or "his/her job" or "that's why we have teenagers" job?
"His job"  - we mostly have rocks though.  No grass in the desert. 

9. Which room would you like to redecorate in your home?
The bathroom.  I picked out all the towels/shower curtain a while ago and I am ready for a change.

10. Do you read a newspaper regularly, or do you read most of your news on line?
I read most of it online.  My husband reads the newspaper though - I think he loves having the actual paper to look through.

11. Do you believe everything happens for a reason?
Yes!  Because God has sovereignly ordained it.  We may never know the reason - it may not even be about us.  Actually it's never about us but about bringing glory to God.

12. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
I wish I was more worried about doing the right things  - instead, I often worry that I am not doing something right.   Uggh - God is still working on rooting out pride in me.

Johnny-jump-up

Mother's Day Reflection

Today I am reminded of God's immense blessings in my life.  I look at my children and I see miracles.   That He could take me and give me the privelege of raising these little ones.   Sometimes, like today, I am just overwhelmed to the point of tears when I realize how much I love my children and how truly blessed I am.   I may never be rich with material items but I am rich beyond measure with my family.

Abby's present from Mommy

Abby and I spend so much time together in the kitchen that I thought it would be appropriate to make her an apron.  And of course, keeping with the theme, is has ladybugs on it.  Sewing though is quite a bit harder with two little ones around.   I was frantically finishing it the day before we left for Tucson.   It's actually quite a simple project all in all. 

Baby Names

With our first born, we had a ton of boy names we liked but then found out we were having a girl.   What to call her?  I, along with many teachers, found finding names harder if you have taught a particularly difficult child with a name you like.    Looking back, both my husband and I think that we were the ones to come up with our daughter's name.  It is Abigail but most often we call her Abby.   I love the story of Abigail in the bible and how she is such a model of beauty and wisdom.   Abby's middle name is Sophia which means wisdom in Greek.


Our second born is named Silas Anthony.   I've always loved the name Silas - again from the Bible.  This one I did have to persuade my husband on - he said it grew on him.  That is one perk of having 8 months for pregnancy (I say 8 months because I only go 8 months).   Anthony is a family middle name going back for several generations.

We want to have more kids and I don't want to feel locked in to having a bible name but I also don't want to have one child being the only one without a bible name.  What do you think?  Am I over thinking this?

Abby birthday part two

"How old are you?"

"Two!"

Ladybuggy....so cute

She knows what to do and is wanting to blow it out!

Great-Grandpa Bill helping Abby with the cake.  Trying to be dignified with a fork!

All the Mourreale cousins including brand new Melissa!

Abby is not at all interested in getting her picture taken.  She IS super interested in her new laptop - thanks Grandma and Grandpa!