Our little Mia is 10 months old!

It's hard to believe how quickly Mia is growing up.  She's been practicing her sign language so she is able to communicate what she needs - without getting frustrated.  LOVE IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFA4M-nGEmY

A Mother's New Years Resolution!

This is a GREAT message that I got from my good friend- Caryn (Brion) Wooster - a wonderful NEW YEARS RESOLUTION to live by! Thanks for sharing this with me, Caryn! It truly is an honor to be a parent to our children...

"... But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:13b-14 (ESV)

Devotion:
It's that time when many of us are making New Year's resolutions, so how about some resolutions for mothers? Here are mine:

I will put my Bible before the television, the radio, the telephone, and even before good Christian books, for my children will know my priorities by the way they see me spend my free time.

I will make my prayer requests known before God and my children, enlisting their help in the process and informing them of the outcome, for by letting them help when I petition our Lord will they learn of a living God who still answers prayer.

When times of crisis, conflict or confusion arise, I will hit my knees before I hit the phone knowing that by my example my children will discover that although friends are important, God alone is the one who holds the solution to life's every problem.

I will erase the words "luck" and "lucky" from my vocabulary and will instead by my speech point my children toward the One who orchestrates every detail of our lives and brings all good things to pass, for by this my children will learn of an omniscient God.

When bad things happen, I'll neither grumble nor complain, but will instead help my children see that in the scope of our lives even the bad times are allowed for a reason, for by this my children will learn quiet trust in their Maker.

When normal childhood mishaps occur, I will remember that although difficult, it is still easier to remove grape juice from off-white carpet than to erase harsh and unloving words hurled at a child whose chubby little fingers have failed her, for by this my children will see a God who understands when our best efforts fall short.

When my children have witnessed something ugly in me - unkind words, an angry temper, "harmless" gossip, biting sarcasm or even my infamous "mommy pout" when things don't go my way - I will confess it as sin before them seeking their forgiveness, for by this my children will develop the much needed habit of wiping their spiritual slate clean before God and man.

I will teach my children the importance of cleanliness and order while at the same time remain sensitive to the fact that a skinned knee or hurt feeling is more crucial than a spotless floor or uncluttered counter, for by this my children will learn to value people above things.

I will make time for the lonely, the sick, the elderly, the difficult to love, and will bring my children along, for with each afternoon visit, each ride to the doctor, each raked lawn or washed window they will have opportunity to serve Jesus by serving the "least of these."

I will make our home a haven of rest and retreat from the outside world and a welcomed place for my children's friends, for with each impromptu backyard soccer game, each video viewed on a rainy day, each cup of hot cocoa or chocolate chip cookie, my children will have opportunity to practice the art of Christian hospitality thereby learning to share all God has given them.

I will by my actions and my speech let my children see a mom love their dad, for by this will my children sense family stability at a time when marriages all around them are crumbling.

I will not require of my children obedience, honesty, patience or kindness without first being willing to submit to the same rules whether in speed limit, in miscounted change from the grocery store or when answering a toddler for the fourteenth time, for by this my children will see a mother who is also learning and not a perfect parent to whom they'll never measure up.

In all things will I remember that more is caught than is taught.

There are little eyes upon you, mom. You are the first Bible your children will ever read.

Dear Lord, may my goals this year spring from a right relationship with You and may carrying them out point others heavenward. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Power Verses:
I Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (NIV)

II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (NIV)

Commander Daddy - July 2007

Kiawah Island in October 2007

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Dog Bella

We watched a movie called MY DOG SKIP this weekend... and as always, Daddy Dale fell asleep and missed it all (thanks for working so hard, daddy - we love you!). It was a great little movie - about a dog's unconditional love and loyalty to a little 9 year old boy who needed a friend. If you don't know me, I cry when I watch movies. What can I say, it's true! As I was watching this movie I looked over at my sweet daughter Daniella and she was totally crying, too! She's six years old and I LOVE that she is sensitive and caring and emotional! She is a true pet lover and adores our dog Bella! Even as a little girl (2 years old) - she completely bonded with Bella like no one else had, other than me!

My Dog Bella is 12 years old (that's 84 in dog years!). When I married Dale - we moved to Italy and it was a BIG transitional stage in my life. I was 25 years old, newly married and living so far away from family & friends - in a country that I couldn't even speak the language! We ended up living off base in a duplex home in a town called - Misterbianco, Sicily (Italy). We had ONE CAR between Dale & I (my little black Acura Integra) and the Naval Base was about 20 minutes away. There were days when I stayed home the whole time because I didn't want to drive Dale to work and pick him up... if you could imagine driving on small small streets where no one paid attention to the road signs - I wasn't prepared to drive in that situation - not yet, anyway! So in the beginning of our 4 years in Italy - I was home A LOT!

Our friend and neighbor Larisa came home one day with this sweet little Mutt of a Dog that she took home and picked out of a box in front of the commissary on base. She decided that she wanted to give it to us as a Housewarming gift. We had lived in Sicily now for almost 2 months and when she brought Bella home - I fell in LOVE instantly! She had that sweet puppy breath and was so tiny and cute! Dale was a bit apprehensive... but I convinced him that I would take care of her and she immediately became part of our family!

My dog Bella distracted me from the loneliness of living so far away. She needed me as much as I needed her! I held her, snuggled with her, sang to her, talked to her... she was my little companion. When she looked at me I really felt like she understood everything that I was saying! She loved running around aimlessly and playing with rocks. Eventually I taught her how to fetch and play ball... the basic tricks of sit, stay, down, play dead... speak... at one point she even "smiled" by showing her teeth! Little did we know she was preparing us to an even bigger task - PARENTING!

My dog Bella is my furry little child! She has watched & still watching all my babies grow! She is patient and tolerant and most of all loyal and loving! Wherever I go... she goes. When we come home she is always there wagging her tail to greet us! As I type this blog she is laying down behind my office chair - still by my side, loyal, faithful & true! I am so thankful that she came into our lives twelve years ago! She continues to bring us so much JOY!

Let the Journaling Begin...

Wow! I signed up for this blog when I was pregnant with Mia and did one post and never touched it again. Not sure why... got busy, forgot my password... didn't think much of it! Well, it's a NEW YEAR (2008) and I'm excited to be joining the world of bloggers! Seems easy enough... because I have lots of thoughts and lots to share - after all, I am a momma of 4 incredible little ones & a wife to a funny & fantastic man! I guess the best place to start is now... just start. So here we go...

This past Christmas (2007) was spent in Lake Wales, FL at my parents place. My older brother - even spent the holiday with us, which is always a treat! It was our sweet little Mia's 1st Christmas and being all together made it even MORE special!

Silly Daddy with our sweet little 
Mia Elena Carin

(9 months old)

 




Our oldest son - Morgan (9 years old) enjoyed playing golf with my dad, mom & big brother! My dad bought him is 1st set of golf clubs this past fall and this was his first time to actually play on the course! He played 2 rounds of 18 holes with no problem! And on Christmas Day we played 9 holes together! I was so surprised to see how well he was hitting! In fact, my little man said to me after my 3rd hole, "Mommy, I thought you were better than this..." OUCH! Thankfully with some tips and coaching from my dad & bro - I was able to at least connect and show my little guy that Momma still had it! Hee hee!! Those few hours on the course were absolutely priceless!! When you're busy raising 4 kids... some one on one time with Morgan was a GREAT gift on Christmas Day!

The highlight of our kids week was spending it with their cousins - Megan & Jared Jacobs from New Market, Maryland. We spent the week hanging out and just having fun "being together" without rushing around trying to be somewhere. Does that make any sense? The best part about our Christmas Holiday was being in the PRESENT and not worrying about where we had to go or who we had to meet.