You better get your heart right, girl!

My brother-in-law has this quaint way of reminding his son to get his behavior in check. (He also says it with a Louisiana accent.) If my nephew, starts throwing a fit or talking back to his momma, his Daddy tells him, “You better get your mind right, boy.”  I couldn’t help think about this as I read part of Matthew this morning.

“'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Matthew 15:8-11

Jesus is talking about the Pharisees, and right before this calls them hypocrites because they are upset about tradition being broken over honoring God. How easy is it for us to read about the Pharisees and say, “Wow, I am so glad I am not like them?” But if we stop and examine our words and actions, do they match our hearts?

Do we sometimes, or often, attend church because it’s Sunday and it’s “what we’re supposed to do.” Do we take communion, sing the hymns, kneel in prayer, simply because that is the order of service and we know it by memory? Do we read our bible in the mornings, or bow our heads to pray before a meal or bedtime, as a ritual? God doesn’t want our methods, or our routines! God wants our hearts!

He wants my heart! He wants me to come to him with a heart ready to worship. A heart ready to be changed by prayer. A heart humbled by what communion represents! When I speak, and it is coming from my heart, does it match with my religious acts? Does my heart match with the motions I am going through? If it doesn’t, God is telling me, “You better get your heart right, boy.” (or girl in this case)

Dear Father God, I come before you and confess that my heart is not always in a place of worship when I come to you. So many times I let the outside world distract me, when Lord, I truly desire to honor You. I pray for your forgiveness, God, and I ask that you would continually remind me to make sure my heart is in the right place before I begin worshipping, praying, singing your praises, so that I am not a hypocrite like the Pharisees. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Not sure of a title

Wow, I have not blogged in quite some time.  That may have a little to do with the fact that the last 3 months of 2011 came and went in a flash. If I didn't take so many photos I wouldn't have even known what happened. Life with two "big kids," and a newborn is quite hectic, especially when your hubby's job sends him away a lot. The good news is I no longer have a newborn, according to my weekly emails from  "The Bump" I now have an infant. Maybe that will lighten the load... Ha!

Regardless of the craziness life is fabulous, and our God is faithful!  I wouldn't change it for all the riches in the world.  Each day I am learning new lessons about organization, time-management, and humility. I have never considered myself a proud person, but when I am drowning and refuse to ask for help isn't that a good definition of proud to a fault?!?!  So, that's a big lesson 2012 has already taught me. I sometimes need help, and it's ok to ask for it. I am so thankful I have friends that will sometimes insist on helping when they know I need it.  Here we go then, onward and upward in 2012.

I don't have a set way I do "resolutions." This year I decided to make a list of 12 goals I would like to accomplish in 2012. Want to hear them? (Or read them, rather)

Katie's 12 for '12 (in no particular order)
1. Read 25 books (suggestions are welcome)

2. Try one brand new recipe a week (52 recipes!!!)

3. Plant an herb & vegetable garden in the backyard. (I'm thinking we'll start with tomatoes and peppers)
4. Finish Jaxon's quilt (I started a cross-stitch quilt about 6 weeks before Jax was born... needless to say not much got done on it.)

5. Write a devotional each week Zach is gone this year (there's gonna be lots of time for this at least at the beginning of 2012 ;))

6. Put in a flower bed in the front yard. (I am really going to try out this green thumb of mine, hopefully I have one!)

7. Relearn to play the guitar

8. Start my Master's degree (still debating between an English or Education Master's)

9. Pay off at least one of our major debts

10. Learn to sew

11. Run a 10K (already registered for the race, March 25!)

12. Write a poem or short story twice a month (I LOVE writing and just haven't made enough time for it.)

With these goals I am trying to go back to some things that I know are productive and make me happy, others are new and exciting, and some are continuations of things I started in 2011. I am excited for what 2012 will bring. I will be writing about some of my adventures (look for a weekly update on my recipe trying, I know I'm already a week behind), and some just ask and I'll let you know how it's going.

I have no doubt 2012 will be as busy as 2011, but my earnest prayer is for it to be filled with productivity and purpose, not just busyness.

Ready... Set... Let's Go!

Birthday #10?!?!

I can't believe that it has been a decade since I welcomed Kristyn into this world.  My life changed in obvious ways and in ways I never knew I could be changed. My life was no longer about me. I wanted more than anything to make this little girl's world amazing, exciting, safe, loving... She is a sweetheart who is always willing to share a smile and a hug. I couldn't be prouder of who she is today, and the beautiful young lady the Lord is molding her to be!

So how did my "Stinkerbell" spend her day.  The started with chocolate chip waffles, the Birthday Girl's request.  Then she headed off to school, and I took her McDonald's for lunch. Normally she gets a Happy Meal, but today was different. You see, I remember what I had for lunch for my 10th birthday.  I have a vivid memory of that meal.

We were visiting my dad in Joliet, Illinois and my mom asked what I wanted for my birthday lunch.  As many 10 year olds I wanted McDonald's, and up until that day I always ordered Happy Meals. (They weren't as expensive, and the toys held up a little better, but I digress)  That day I decided that I was now double digits, and this meant I was too old for such childish things as Happy Meals. My older sister, who was 12, always ordered a quarter-pounder with cheese when we went to McD's. By golly, this was what older, mature girls ordered, so from now on that is what I would be ordering. I love this memory. I love that I remember it so detailed, and I wanted to share that memory with Kristyn.

She enjoyed her first Quarter-Pounder with Cheese

And I enjoyed the time with her.

That evening she chose to eat dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  I am pretty sure this is the main reason for it...

She wasn't shy about getting to ride the saddle!

Lastly we opened gifts.

Priceless!

All in all, I would say birthday #10 will be incredibly memorable!

Lessons Learned

I have been a parent for nearly ten years... I can hardly believe ten years ago I was anxiously (and I was a bit terrified) awaiting the birth of my daughter.  During each pregnancy, The Lord has drawn me nearer to Him, and taught me incredible, life-changing lessons.

With Kristyn I learned about consequences, unconditional love, and forgiveness. With Branden I was taught to trust and rely on Him and putting my trust wholly in Him and not in worldly possessions or other people. I LOVE how God can continue to teach me, mold me, and ultimately humble me!

I have always heard about how "prayer is powerful."  I believed it, but didn't always practice it.  I have prayed daily, as a family, as a couple, as an individual. But I feel as though I usually pray "safe" prayers, "bless our family" "bless our food" "keep us safe"... I admit I did not pray boldly. However, the night of August 31 that changed.

I knew that for me to deliver our new child by a VBAC I needed to go into labor soon, because I had 2 previous C-sections the Dr was hesitant to let me go to my due date.  I had evaluated my motives, and was confident I was not desiring this delivery because of my pride, but because I knew this was better for my child and for me. After coming home from my Dr's appointment, I began boldly praying. Taking my requests to the throne, I also asked many friends and family members to pray that I would go into labor soon. We had friends praying for us across the country, and around the world!  Zach and I prayed before we went to sleep that I would go into labor and deliver our son as soon as possible.  We were detailed in our request... That was about 9pm.... 1:30am I was awakened by contractions. At 2:45am the contractions were getting stronger and coming every 12 minutes.  We called our Dr and headed to the hospital... Within hours God had answered our prayers.

At 2:40pm Jaxon Wade Fulton was born.  Within minutes they whisked my newborn away to the nursery, later we learned he he had transient tachypnea. This is when the fluid in the lungs from being in the womb is not completely extracted from the lungs.  Essentially Jaxon had "wet lungs" causing him to have labored breathing.  He was taken to the NICU.  Zach and I listened to the Dr as she told us the specifics Jaxon needed to overcome to be taken off the oxygen, eat from a bottle, what his bilirubin level had to be before he could be released.  Zach, Jaxon and I spent 5 days in the hospital, and Zach and I had never prayed harder, more boldly, or more specifically.  By the end of our stay we were literally praying for poop!  (Moms of kids who had jaundice understand)

The beauty of it all was Zach and I were in constant conversation with our Heavenly Father. Yes, he answered our prayers, but more importantly He taught us how much we needed Him. We needed to lean on Him when in the middle of the night in the hospital room I was awakened to pump milk instead of the cry of my son wanting to eat... A sad feeling that would bring me to tears, but instead of wallowing I fell into the arms of God and let Him console me and give me strength.  Zach and I were humbled as we were taught how to pray: continuously, without ceasing, boldly, with the absolute trust that God's will is perfect.

In his first few days of life, God used our son Jaxon to teach us lifelong lessons that Zach and I will carry with us and teach our children. 

Thank you, Lord for you unconditional love, and for humbling us and teaching us!

Cloth Diapers: Week 1& 2

We started cloth diapering last week after being home from the hospital a couple days.  We have been using our cloth diapers in combination with disposable ones for two main reasons:

1. We only ordered 7 newborn sized All-in-one (AIO) diapers because I wasn't sure how big Cub was going to be. Branden had to be squeezed into newborn size diapers and after a week couldn't fit in them anymore; however, Kristyn was in newborn size for over a month.  Since I wasn't sure which way the pendulum would swing with Cub, I decided not to buy too many.  Plus my sister had given me a few of the newborn sized "gdiapers" that she uses on her daughter. These are hybrid diapers and with the right insert you can reuse these a few times before they have to be washed.  (We don't have a the right insert)
2. All of the suave diaper changing moves I may have acquired 7 years ago have vanished... On more than one occasion since Cub's birth, I have been peed on, pooped on, put a new diaper under him only to immediately change it because he pooped more in the brand new diaper. We have had to change multiple onsies in a single changing, and changed sheets on the bed because the changing pad doesn't take into account the arch fountain that is my son's pee stream.

So with these factors, we have been cloth diapering in combo with some disposables.  My only complaint has been I didn't purchase enough so I am doing diaper laundry every day, but that will be over soon because he is just about ready to be in the One-size AIOs we bought. The cloth diapers are the only diapers that have not leaked on Cub regularly.  I can say definitely is that Huggies are my least favorite diapers of all time. They have been leaking on my kids for 10 years! LOL. 

So for our first two weeks of cloth diapering I can say I LOVE my bum genius newborn, AIOs. They are absorbent, have a great fit, and are just adorable on Cub's little bum.  Not to mention the laundering of the diapers is much easier than I anticipated. I was concerned that since I cannot dry them in a dryer they would take forever to dry, but that is simply not true. They have dried quicker than I expected.

I am pretty excited about this cloth diapering business, and pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is than I was anticipating! :-)

Top 10 Memories of Year # 28

These memories are in no particular order, but I thought it would be fun to look back at the amazingly blessed year I have had!

1. Taking the kids to their first day at a new school!  It was roller coaster school year, but to see them start at a new school with a smile on their face was awesome.
2. Learning that a boxer WILL eat a raw turkey if he can get to it and is not supervised. (This is probably one of my all time favorite holiday memories!)
3. Spending Christmas in St. Thomas.
4. Meeting my niece Sophia Jean.
5. Learning we were going to have a baby!
6. Sissy and Bubba's reactions to having a new brother or sister.
7. Seeing Zach's face when the sonogram tech told us "You're going to have a boy."
8. Spending quality time with my 93 year old great-grandmother, and seeing her fawn on her great-great grandchildren.
9. Hearing Sissy tell me that she was happy my job was to stay home and take care of her and Bubba.  She said it was the most important job.
10. Anytime Bubba asks randomly if he can cuddle with me. 

I have been blessed beyond measure... I have so many more memories that are also collective. This was our first full year in Abilene and the friendships I have made have helped me grow in the Lord, and helped make this first year, the transition year, a memorable and wonderful one.
Each day my husband and kids remind me of the Lord's love. He has blessed me with an incredible family and their love fills me with joy. Year #29 will be just as memorable, even more so since I will have an extra member to our family to add to our memory books. Cheers to a new year!

Wow... What a Summer!

The biggest roadblock in blogging, is when you don’t have a computer on which to blog… I realize my last post was back in June, and Cub has grown into a watermelon, but Zach has been cross-country multiple times since then and that means the laptop has also been across the country.
            Sunday was the 36 week mark of my pregnancy. Which means I am officially 9 months pregnant!  I am so anxious to meet our Cub.  Sissy was born at 37 weeks and 2 days, and Branden was born at 36 weeks and 6 days, so obviously we are anticipating that Cub will make his arrival soon.  The hardest part of this is not getting disappointed with each irregular contraction that is not productive…  Today is my birthday, and what a cool present that would be, but clearly it is not my timing. This is a lesson I should know by now, I should know it and be able to teach it; however, when you are nine months pregnant, have been pregnant through the hottest summer on record, feel like the size of house, and every movement takes effort because my body isn’t my own, the idea of an impending birth is awesome!!!! One thing I do know… you can’t will your body into labor. I am all about “the baby will come on his own time,” I just have to keep reminding myself of that, and keeping busy.
           And wow have we been busy!  Our summer has been filled with trips, visits, pools, sunshine, preparing for Cub, and loving all over Sissy and Bubba!  Those kiddos got to go back to school with amazing stories. Trips to the beach in CC, cross-country road trip to Elizabethtown, PA, Hersheypark, Connecticut & Hammonassett Beach, a cruise with their dad to Cozumel and the Yucatan, and a vacation to Branson with Nanny & Dadad. I am so excited for the upcoming year for our entire family!  It is going to be Legen… wait for it… dary! J