Trustworthy

This week I have found myself in many positions where I've had to exert faith in God... Faith that I will be able to complete my assignments for work; faith that most important is my family and that not being available to do as much work as I used to do is good and right; faith that forgiveness is better than bitterness; faith that no matter how people receive it I must speak truth [in love of course] to them; faith that I am loved [because when people don't receive the truth you speak out of love as a loving thing it sometimes is painful]; and faith that He does provide comfort for others who are finding themselves in positions where they need to know He is trustworthy.

For them, faith that He can heal their heart even when a spouse leaves; faith that He will provide companionship when it seems like all their friends have up and married or moved away; faith that serving really does bring joy; faith that obedience is better than giving in to the "easier" ways the world tries to tempt us with; faith that God is good when a healthy and robust young boy ends up a paralytic; and the list goes on.

While some people say faith is blind, I am glad that my faith in my Heavenly Father is not such a huge leap. I have not seen Him physically - this is true, but there are so many evidences of Him - and so many factual ones, not just subjective - that prove His existence and His Word.

I am so thankful that these evidences exist and that I have been able to "experience" Him as faithful time after time after time after time after time because we all need someone faithful. We all need someone dependable. We all need someone who can guarantee it will get better. We all need someone who loves us no matter what. We all need someone to give us wisdom when we're clueless. We all need healing - whether it's a broken heart or a babies tummy. We all need someone who will listen. We all need someone who can empower us to do good. We all need someone to free us. We all need someone to give us joy.

We don't just need someone for all of those things, we need that someone to be in charge.

He is the one. He is the one. Jesus Christ, you are the One.

Psalm 111: 7 - "The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy."

I am so glad that He is governing my days and the days of my friends, and that He governs all of our days with absolute goodness and wisdom. Praying for us all to exert faith in Him today - He's earned it.

Whew hoo!

So, I finally got some of my friend's blog links back up on my web page. I had changed the background template of my blog and it deleted them! How rude!

Apparently it warned me of this, but I didn't notice. Anyways, then I went to add the new heading for "Friends Blogs" instead of boring old links and I couldn't figure it out. I don't have lots of spare time so instead of continuing to try - okay so I only tried for like 10 minutes max, but still, I didn't want to spend my spare time that way - I left it "Links." Exciting.

Now that I have spent about a half hour adding links back on there I am officially brain dead. It took a lot of effort because I tried to go in alphabetical order! :)

Updates: We visited our family in DC two weekends ago and had a blast! We love our family. Jarod bought Anna an Uncle Ernie doll - er, just Ernie, but we call it Uncle Ernie in honor of Jarod - and she loves it. See -



Unfortunately Ernie isn't very smart...


...he keeps getting into the microwave.

For more pics of our fantastic trip you can check out my sister-in-laws blog here.

Anyways, Anna has had a lot of fun playing this week. She seems to love people. At first she studies them, and then she likes them to pay attention to her and make her laugh. This is good because I can tote her to work with me and leave her in the nursery, etc, not many worries.

She loves the Baby Bjorn now and it's so fun to take her shopping, etc, in it, because she seems to bring a lot of people joy and I think it's mutual - they smile, she smiles, then I smile...Ahhhh.

We're also really excited because we've been getting to know two couples in our neighborhood, each with babies, and one couple is actually having another one on September 4th - she's having a C-section so that's how we know :) It's fun talking C-section business to someone, too, and they don't have family around so I'm excited to be able to help her out with her 2 year old - who Anna loves to have pull on her piggies (for those of you like Daryl, "piggies" are code for "toes") and maybe with some meals.

MMM...what else...Anna is rolling over from back to tummy on her own now and EVEN can get her inner arm out from under her. Before she would roll over but the arm would stay stuck. She wasn't much for that. :)


I am back to working and God has been SO gracious. It is better than expected although not without some glitches here and there. Daryl and I have had to be much more scheduled (okay so mainly Daryl - I've always been crazy about schedules/lists/etc) but it has helped us SO much. There is freedom in those things somehow.

We also got to visit with one of my best friends who is in vet school FAR away and that was a blast! We had a very encouraging visit and I love how God uses people to reveal Himself to us/challenge us to grow.

Lastly, I have been so encouraged by God's goodness to continue to reveal Himself to me and teach me new things. I went to the Beth Moore simulcast at church a LONG time ago now, and while I was there, I knew I was learning/being refreshed, but I didn't leave thinking "WOW!" But so many seeds were planted in me that I am now seeing the fruit of! I love how God works - in Spirit and in truth. I love how we can hear things that don't charge us emotionally, but change us eternally and as we realize it, we then are charged! Pretty fun.

Okay, that's it. D&L time now - horah! Have a wonderful night.

Pictoral Update

Here's an update on Anna :)

She likes to sit up (with help of course)...


Play on her tummy...


And boy, does she LOVE her exercauser. She was afraid at first, but she quickly adjusted as you will see...


"This is amazing!"


"I LOVE this thing! Don't take me out - don't you dare take me out!"


Seriously - she loves how everything makes noises and lights up and she even likes spinning herself around in her little seat. She also is great at entertaining herself on the floor while I'm cooking dinner, etc. As you can see, she isn't so much into playing with her toys as she is into eating them. We have much training to do!!! :)


While Anna was a gem last time I did Once A Month Cooking, this time she wanted to pitch in! Please disregard me - I cook from sun up to sun down so I don't shower til it's all over! By the way, for those of you who are wondering, it was even easier this time and I found some more recipes we like. It was such a blessing to be able to have meals ready to just bake instead of having to cook every night. Whoot, whoot!!!


However, like I said before, I am tired, very tired at the end of the day. Anna was tired, too. Check her out...


She is quickly revived with kisses!


She thankfully loves mommy...


...and Daddy! What a joy she is to us!



She is generally a very happy little girl.



And just in case you're curious on whether or not she knows she's our cutie...


Rest assured...she does.

A blog a day!

Just for today though and only because I came across an article I thought was worth passing on. I debated on posting it, but have decided "better safe than sorry" and know that you all are certainly able to make a good decision in regards to the validity of it's content on your own.

The article is titled "The Case for Caution in the Use of Cell Phones" put out by the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institue and is located here.

By clicking here you can find the level of radiation emitted by your phone.

Happy researching!

Mother-Daughter Fun!

I've been keeping a journal for Anna Grace since before she was born. Simple notes and letters from to her filled with thoughts I have towards her, things I would like for her to know, funny things she has done, etc.

Tonight I was perusing a book I actually purchased for some teenage friends of mine to go through with their moms called Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by the Mahaney ladies that discusses what God intends the mother-daughter relationship to be and how we can attempt to make it that way by His grace. There is a chapter on communication that I was reading today that talked about the importance of pursuing relationships with our daughters even when they don't seem that interested because it's our role to be the initiators with them.

Currently Anna's general looks towards me are of complete joy and love - I can't get enough of them! When I come into a room she usually lights up! Sometimes I honestly just get overwhelmed by how much joy her adoration brings me and amazed by her sweetness towards me. I know it's a gift from God that I don't deserve and so I intend to cherish and be grateful for every moment that she enjoys me so well!

I also know that she may not always be so fond of me, but while that could give me grounds to be nervous, as I wrote to Anna Grace tonight in her journal, I concluded with verses 20 and 21 from Ephesians 3...

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

I know that I don't deserve it - I rolled my eyes at my mom so much it's embarrassing, but it is my prayer that even though we are bound to have conflict and struggle that Anna and I will share many more moments of affection, sincerity, intimacy and joy even as I have found with her now. I intend to ask this often of God and I trust in Him to do better than I ask. I'm so thankful that He doesn't give good gifts based on our goodness!

Just for fun :)

Our little girl is growing up fast!

For those of you who think that when you become a parent you lose your ability for risk taking and adventure, think again...

The above photo was taken the other night when we decided to take Anna Grace to Tygart Lake State Park only hours before her bed time - risk number 1. Risk number 2 - listening to the beloved GPS instead of following the signs that said "Tygart Lake State Park." That lead to Adventure #1 which meant Anna Grace got a very late evening meal and into bed very late as well - but, we got good pictures and found a great trail.

Risk #3 came when I thought I could carry Anna from her changing table in her bedroom to the bathtub without a diaper. Begin Adventure #2.

This parenting thing gets more and more fun, and I absolutely mean it!

Joyful Recommendations: Crockpots

I love the crockpot because I can throw the ingredients in and then walla - our dinner is ready in the evening with little prep!

Here are some of our favorite crock pot recipes as promised:

Spicy Turkey Chili (allrecipes.com)

2 (5 ounce) cans turkey meat, drained (I get fresh turkey from the deli and cut it up or cook & use ground turkey)
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
2 (1.25 ounce) pkgs chili seasoning mix
1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, combine turkey, beans, tomatoes, chili seasoning, chile peppers, tomato sauce, onion and water. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot.

Rich & Tasty Beef Roast (Reita F. Yoder in Fix-It & Forget-It Recipes)

10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
3-5lb beef roast
oil
1 pkg. dry onion soup

1. Spread mushroom soup in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Sear roast on all sides in oil in hot skillet. Add to slow cooker.
3. Sprinkle meat with dry onion soup mix.
4. Cook on high 5-6 hours.

Serves 6-8

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Italian (Sherri Grindle in Fix-It & Forget-It Recipes)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
4-oz. can mushrooms, drained

1. Place chicken in greased slow cooker.
2. Combine salad dressing and water. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
4. In saucepan, combine cream cheese and soup. Heat slightly to melt cream cheese. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cover. Cook 1 additional hour on low.
6. Serve over noodles or rice.

Variation: Add frozen vegetables along with the mushrooms.

Serves 6

And while we're on the topic of slow-cooking, an encouragement about being patient taken from John Piper's book, Battling Unbelief - another recommendation in itself!

James 5:11 - "You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and gracious.

"James wants us to see the purpose of Job's suffering. The word for 'purpose' is telos and mean 'goal.' It was God's goal in all his dealings with Job to be merciful, and fit him for a greater blessing...The power of patience flows from faith in this truth: In all [God's] dealings with us his goal is 'compassionate and merciful.' Faith in future grace is faith in grace that is sovereign, and sovereignty that is gracious."

If you are suffering or have been set back by something unexpected or simply delayed in getting daily tasks done by some interruption, remember that God is sovereign over everything, and gracious in His sovereignty. According to Romans 8:28, if you belong to Him, He will work every set-back together for your good - even if you don't receive the good here, you will in heaven. According to Paul, death now even serves the Christian because it is the way that we receive heaven and there stand face to face with our redeemer and receive every good thing we have only partially tasted in the here and now.

If you aren't a believer, check this out. And even if you are, it's a great reminder!!!

Happy waiting :)

Joyful Recommendations: Once A Month Cooking

So on Monday I took my first stab at something called "Once A Month Cooking." The basic gist of it is that you plan out all the dinners you will eat that month and cook them all on one day and freeze them! There is a website that describes it and has some recipes.

The recipes included on the site typically have "cooking day" instructions and "serving day" instructions. While you are doing most of the cooking on one day, there is always at least the reheating bit, and sometimes you have to add a sauce or something before reheating. A lot of the meals I made also require some sort of side - like a veggie, salad, etc.

I didn't make 30 different meals, but I sure made a lot! The recipes I used from the site are bbq pork, chicken enchiladas, goulash, calzones (these came out HUGE!), mashed potatoes (a big hit with company that recently visited), chicken pie, and some others I can't quite remember right now! The enchiladas were highly recommended to me.

You can also use a lot of your own recipes, once you learn what freezes well and what doesn't! From personal experience, rice doesn't seem to do so hot!

I also made some recipes of my own and from others - sauces freeze great, so my mother-in-laws spaghetti sauce is an easy one to cook lots of and store, marinades, and we loved Megan's stuffed shell recipe, so I cook the shells, stuff them and then on "serving day" I just add sauce and bake.

I planned to cook fresh about once a week, and we usually go out to eat once a week. Knowing that along with other dates when we have plans with friends, I made meals for the rest of the nights leaving us completely covered for the month and then some since it's just Daryl and I! Due to that fact, I separate a lot of the meals in two containers or so, so that I don't have to thaw and cook more than we'll eat. That way we'll have the rest for other times. Btw, most things keep 3-6 months :) THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE DEEP FREEZER which makes this possible for us.

The pros of this are obvious - I don't have to spend a lot of time cooking each night which frees me up for time with my family, to serve more, to work, etc. We also spend MUCH less on groceries when we plan because I only buy exactly what we need. It limits grocery store trips which is a pro for multiple reasons in itself - I don't have to take Anna there again, I don't waste time, and I don't spend more money on gas :) Also, we eat out less and eat healthier. And last but not least, if we end up going out with friends or something last minute, no groceries are wasted because we can just keep things in the freezer for later! Whew hoo!

The cons - well, I don't have any right now! HOWEVER, it is a difficult investment at the beginning of the month, or whenever you decide to do it. You spend a lot of time choosing recipes and then make an ingredient/shopping list. I also had to spend a little bit of time making a plan for how exactly to cook. For example, I tried to chop all of the meat I needed at once, all the vegetables at once and separate them for the recipes, etc. You also spend a while at the store and then of course a whole day cooking and a few hours cleaning up as you can see from the picture at the top of the blog - that was the kitchen when I was done and I was even cleaning up some while I went!

Anna was FANTASTIC that day and I took breaks to play with her, but you may want to get some help with your kiddos if they're around. Also, plan on cooking on a day when you don't have other plans.

If this doesn't sound like something you want to do or could do at current, my other recommendation is this: when you make something freezable - a soup, casserole, sauce, etc, make double and freeze the extra. That way if you know a busy day will be popping up you can put it in the fridge the night before and then just heat it at dinner time for a quick meal! The crock pot has also been a good friend of mine since Anna has arrived, so hopefully I'll get some time this week to post some of our favorite recipes.

Please respond with your own recommendations and recipes as many brains and different experiences are more helpful than one! :)

Just for fun...



Isn't she great? Happy cooking!

Joyful Recommendations: Entertainment and Media

So often, for the sake of desiring to be entertained, people (this of course includes myself) watch things that they know aren't right, but make excuses...like, "well, it's just this one scene," or, "I would never do those things," or, "I'm old enough," "everyone else watches it," etc.

Romans 1:32 says, "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." For the Christian, we often know (whether through the Word or the conviction of the Holy Spirit) when something isn't quite right with what we are watching, but many times because we either are too proud to think we'll be affected or don't have enough courage or don't believe God, we keep watching.

In the book of Psalms David scribes this prayer,

"I will set before my eyes
no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me." (Psalm 101:3).

Granted we can't remove ourselves from every wicked thing in this world, and God doesn't even want us to be out of the world, He does want us to avoid putting ourselves in places where we are being tempted to sin - especially when we are paying $7/8 to do so.

I'd like to have the gumption of David and be courageous enough to stop rationalizing and have the faith to be obedient to God's Word and flee the temporary pleasures of sin (in this case, being entertained) to have the eternal pleasure of glorifying Him and growing in holiness.

There are times, however, when we ignorantly step into a movie theatre or put one in our DVD player without expecting it to be bad and then WAM-OOOOO...a totally raunchy, unexpected image pops up onto the screen and now resides in our minds. While our minds can be renewed, these things aren't helpful. I can STILL recall images from a movie I watched in sixth grade that I would rather not.

So onto joyful recommendation #2 which is a FREE recommendation that can help you avoid situations like mentioned above....

http://www.screenit.com

or

http://www.pluggedinonline.com

Both of these websites allow you to see a general synopsis of movies and then break the movies into categories like language, violence, sexual content, etc and list the instances of those things in the movie. While pluggedinonline.org is run by Focus on the Family, is easier to navigate, doesn't have advertisements, and gives a concluding remark regarding whether or not the movie (in the author's opinion) is worth seeing, I tend to prefer Screenit's site for the sole reason that instead of having to read the instances of language, violence, sexual content, etc contained in the movie, you can just view their table at the top which says whether the language content is "none", "mild", "moderate", "heavy," or "extreme." That way you can often make a decision without even having to read what the exact scenes are which can also sometimes effect our minds and therefore our hearts. PS - you don't have to "join now", you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and hit, "No thanks" and see movie reviews for free.

I'll leave you with a closing encouragement to "watch" what you watch :)

"Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Joyful Recommendations

As I have been seeking to fulfill my role as a wife, mother, daughter, and friend with joy, I have come across some things that have really proved helpful in my humble opinion! So, for the next few weeks or so, I will be passing those things on to you - simply as recommendations, and of course, it's just my opinion!

Today's recommendation to increase your joy as a parent is...


This is a CD with Bible verses set to music. The one that is currently sticking my head is "Trust in the Lord....with all your heart....lean not on your...own understaaaaaaaanding..."

I purchased this CD for Anna and I to listen to as background music when we're playing or house cleaning or preparing dinner. It became an instant favorite in our household and I can't wait to buy the other volumes!

Daryl found the CD in the car the other day after I had been out without Anna and I caught him singing one of the songs the other day in his office without the CD which should clue you in that we love it as adults, too! It is fun and catchy, and very beneficial to our souls! It really helps us to meditate on God's Word and is so encouraging! I have been reminded of God's attributes, encouraged in His promises, and convicted in regards to priorities and obedience.

The cheapest new ones I found were at Christian Book Distributors (http://www.christianbook.com/).

Hopefully someday soon someone will package all the volumes in one at one great price! Until then, we'll buy her one at a time. We think it's worth the investment to get God's Word into her heart (and ours) in as many ways as possible - and this way is so fun!

Psalm 19:7-14

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Here are the verses/songs...

Happy joyful noise making!!!!!!! :)

Great Expectations

Growing up my greatest dream was to be someones wife (or better put - to be the love of some fantastic man's life; be preferred above others to one man; be romanced, pursued, you get the point) and then to be a mother. I can remember as a little girl wanting triplets - all girls with shiny, wavy hair that bounced and swayed as they happily skipped behind me. I of course had no idea what parenting entailed, and now if you told me I was having triplets I am sure I would immediately fall on my knees and tell God that He of course would have to give me the grace to survive that - I mean how do you nurse three babies in the same day????

Anyways, motherhood has been very awesome in many ways. I love talking and laughing with Anna in the mornings when we are all alone. I love reading books to her and watching her startled face when I move her too suddenly or make a loud noise. I love her confused face when she sits in her bouncer seat on the counter and "helps" me make dinner. I love dancing and singing worship songs to her and I love kissing her. However, to my shame I must confess that sometimes I get discontent with my life at current.

When I think of summer I think of hiking, camping, eating fabulous meals on the deck, walking around the lake with Daryl, being able to up and go whenever, vacations, parties, putt putt golf, scrapbooking, etc. This summer is different. Camping wouldn't be up Anna's ally, hiking is often difficult to squeeze in between feedings, and scrapbooking - yeah, right! Whenever we go out I have to think about when I'll need to be home to feed Anna, if I have enough diapers, and what the plan will be if she freaks out in public.

I knew motherhood would be semi-difficult, but I didn't ever think somedays I would miss days pre-children. I would never trade being a mother, but somedays I confess that I look at Daryl playing video games and in my head I want to throw books at him and say "YOU TAKE CARE OF HER!" I go upstairs and vent that I spend all day serving him and Anna and it's just not fair - why didn't God give him the milk or make him responsible for managing the interior of our home? Other times I'll be talking to a friend about how she and her husband just "duh duh duh duh duh all weekend" and I wish I could have a weekend like that.

Titus 2:3-5 says, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, busy at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be maligned." My role is to love my husband and my daughter and to serve them - dirty dishes and all.

While I was reading in Philippians the other day this verse struck me anew...

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (vs. 14-15)

The word grumbling there means "thought, doubt, argument or dispute." The word questioning: "complaint, grumbling, whisper, private talk." WOW.

The Holy Spirit was so gracious to convict me! I had slipped into grumbling and questioning, doubting and disputing, and privately talking against the awesome role that God has in His goodness and sovereingty given to ME.

I have the privilege of being Anna's mother. I have the joy of being Daryl's wife. I am to delight in them, to be busy making my home wonderful and comfortable and appealing to them, and to be kind to them always - even in the midst of vacationless summers, spit up and mounds of laundry.

May God always be so generous to convict me when I forget the goodness of the role that He has chosen to bless me with and may I continue to abide in Him and in His strength to fulfill my calling with joy and vigor.

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strenght." Philippians 4:13.

Father's Day

So it was Daryl's first Father's Day! Yay!

Aren't they good looking???

We got to celebrate with the four generations - my grandparents, parents, us and now Anna! It was so fun! 

I have been so blessed to have such great "father's" in my life. My dad was and is awesome! He has always been so present and active in my life. He is a great support and just fun to be around.Then there is my hubby! He is so great with Anna and is going to make her such a confident and secure girl because he loves her so well and because he loves her mama so well! Since she has been born I have never once had to restock the diapers, the wipes warmer is always full, and somehow the laundry always gets done! :) What a great guy?

And finally there is our heavenly father, without whom I wouldn't have such good fathers in my life! I am so thankful that He has chosen to describe Himself to us as a father to help me understand Him better and that He gave me such a good father to further help me understand Him and now that He has given Anna such a good father to help her understand Him! I love them all!

Big News!!!

We have some big news in the Reynolds household...

Anna has slept through the night 3 nights in a row now! We love it! So does she. Check out our cool video of her smiling and such...It gets much clearer around 40 seconds, so you may want to skip the beginning! I hadn't turned the swing off yet :)

Reynolds Look-alike Meter

So I put in a more recent photo since she's aged so much in the past 2 weeks :) and the results changed.  We'll have to do this often :)

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Pedigree

For those of you who need a humorous story, here's one:

Today I struggled to get Anna in a cute little cowgirl costume for a costume party we were attending at a friends.  The power went out once I started to get myself ready so I packed Anna up and went to leave with a wet head.  

Of course the garage door wouldn't open without power, so I woke up Daryl and he did it manually.  We got on our way (now going to be late), and then hit traffic on Tyrone Avery bc everything was backed up due to the construction on the interstate ramp towards Cheat Lake.  Anna started crying, but thankfully finally fell asleep.

We showed up 24 minutes late and there were no cars in the driveway.  I quickly realized it was Tuesday and not Wednesday.  At least Anna was getting a good nap.

I turned back to go home and hit the garage door button and heard a loud noise.  Daryl came out and said, "uh-oh."  He had locked the garage door so it couldn't open manually to bad guys :) and that meant that when I hit the power button the lock held the door mostly down and it broke the brace that lifts it up.  So now we can't get in and out of the garage.  We'll be sharing a car until it gets fixed...and all for a trip I didn't need to make.

The saga continues when I left Anna to nap in her car seat bc moving her sometimes wakes her.  When I finally woke her to eat she had this explosive bm and I felt warmth on my own belly.  I lifted her up to find her costume covered in poo on the front :)  Lovely.

So there you have it...another day in the life of the Reynold's :)  Who knew motherhood could be so funny?

Reynolds Look-alike Meter

Thanks, Ashley!  This was fun!  We have a hybrid - so they say!

What do you think?

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Another day in the life of the Reynolds...

We have been having more and more fun with Anna Grace as she has begun smiling and trying to communicate (just cooing, etc) and as mommy is learning things like stay home more, take naps, and accept help!

But don't be fooled, we certainly don't have things all together. Let us give you another picture of any given moment in the Reynold's home...






This is our precious one just starting to cry! We like to call her the little raptor because when she gets real mad she lets out these rapid fire yells :) My mom has a friend who thinks that it's a little mean to call her a raptor and that she sounds more like a little lamb, but Daryl and I agree this woman is merely confused and slightly out of touch with reality, bless her heart.

I have learned to deal with her crying more and we are beginning to be able to discern cries although there are still times when we look at each other and just shrug...we have no idea...














To help me cope, I looked up my Biblical responsibilities as my parent again because I needed a refresher. The only specific things I came up with were 1) to love her (the like/delight in kind of love), Titus 2:4, and 2) to reprove her when necessary and to train her, Proverbs 29. Ephesians 6:4 where it says not to exasperate your children (i.e. provoke them to anger) is referring to fathers, so when I took the picture to the left when Anna was apparently done with pictures, I figure I was doing no harm - hee hee. Just kidding. That was my last shot.

In all seriousness though, this motherhood thing has been much harder than I expected - especially when I'm lacking sleep! Anna also is having some reflux issues which means she is more fussy than I thought she would be (although infant Zantac has helped) and has more issues with eating than I expected. While my "trial" isn't much of a "trial" when you compare them to some of my friends trials or other peoples trials, it was still a trial to me that was tempting me to grow depressed at times, especially when I was trying to do things in my own stregnth and not looking to God for help and for hope (I will one day get more sleep, I will one day be able to go in public more often, I will one day enjoy more time again with Daryl...)

The biggest encouragement I received was a verse that God literally brought to me directly in four different sittings - once through a book I was reading, once in my quiet times, once in a card Daryl gave me, and once I heard spoken...

"Fear not, for I am with you;
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

- Isaiah 41:10

How thankful I am that God loves to comfort His people and does not leave us to ourselves. Anna's thankful, too :)

Five Things

Five Things

I got this from many blogs :)

Dislcaimer: I have to confess this is hard for me because I'm way to analytical - is there really anything I can't live without? And regarding question 5, I don't really like that one because thousands upon thousands have impacted my life positively and I don't want to leave anyone out, but it forces me too (much like bridesmaids). So I'll put 5 people, but if you aren't on there and I know you, I can GUARANTEE you that you have impacted me positively in some way and that I can tell you how if you ask without even having to think very hard!

I digress...onto the survey...

1. 5 things under $5 that I couldn't live without

Lotion
Mister Clean wipes (thanks for the idea, Ash)
Thank you cards
Pens
Water - hey, I guess I couldn't live without that

2. 5 favorite movies

Braveheart
Pride and Prejudice
The Count of Monte Cristo
Sense & Sensibility

3. 5 baby names I love

Elle
Eli
Joshua
Nadia
Peyton

4. 5 songs I could listen to over and over again

In Christ Alone
Oh, How Marvelous (the new version)
Jesus, Thank You (Sovereign Grace Worship)
You're My Better Half
Tender Mercies (Enter the worship circle)

5. 5 people who have influenced me in a positive way

My family
The Campbell's
Andrea Raines
Bethany Teter
Daryl

6. 5 things that are always in my purse (okay, maybe not always, but usually)

wallet
cell phone
some type of lip stuff
trash
pens

7. 5 moments that have changed my life forever

When Becky Coburn needed help hanging posters at BHS
Meeting Ben Tuel (how I got into YL/got interested in youth ministry/made morgantown connections)
When I broke up with Josh after college (how I got to Morgantown!)
Kingsfest (where I got to know Daryl)
The night Anna was conceived :) (hey, you wanted to know)

8. 5 obsessions I have now

Hanging out with my husband
Quiet times
Worship music
Working out (although I haven't gotten back into normal routine quite yet :)
Singing to Anna

9. 5 places I would like to go

To bed for more than 2.5 hours
The Europe Tour - Scotland, Ireland, London, etc
Almost any beach
Knoxville, TN - mainly to visit Bethany
Boston and to visit the Outterson's while we're at it

10. 5 appliances or kitchen tools I cannot live without

toaster oven
ice maker
hot pads
rubber spatulas
measuring cups

11. 5 people whose top 5's I would like to see

Sarah Burgess
Lorrie Young
Steph B
My husbands
Yours!

Proper perspectives

For those of you wanting an update on baby - she is cuter than ever! She is constantly changing and we love her! She is spending more awake time after feedings during the day and is less fussy - perhaps it is dairy??? We'll see when we slowly re-introduce it. This is actually a picture from last week, but I haven't loaded the other ones on our computer yet :)


In other news, God has been so gracious to give me time daily for showers (Anna loves to sit in her bouncer seat and listen to the water) and for time in His Word the past couple of weeks. He truly is the only source of true refreshment and I've learned that other things can go before that (i.e. the dishes, my toe nails, etc).

This week I was convicted by a quote from Asaph in Psalm 73:25. It says, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire beside you." This is interesting when he started his psalm confessing his envy of the prosperity of the wicked.

Jerry Bridges commented on Asaph's psalm that he learned that true contentment and the only way to out root envy and jealousy in our hearts is to be content in God. I so often mix up the whole being content IN GOD with being content IN WHAT GOD GIVES ME. Semantics maybe, but there's a huge difference there. 1 Timothy 6:17 says, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, BUT ON GOD, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy."

God gives us much to enjoy - relationships, material possessions, relaxation, beauty, etc, but He is the ultimate joy. Romans 1:25 says that people "...worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." May we not be guilty of doing the same.

For me that means being grateful for everything God's given me and giving Him thanks, but not basing the level of my gratitude based on what I do or don't have or finding my contentment and satisfaction in those things. My contentment can be found IN Him and that will make all the difference. No need to envy anymore because it's not a comparison of stuff or circumstances. No wonder Paul keeps reminding us to keep our focus on God! It's so easy to get focused on all the "stuff" down here.

May your heart rest content in Him today!!!

Oh - and happy belated mother's day to all you mom's out there :)

Uncertain

Life has gotten more routine for us in the Reynold's household and Anna and mommy have been getting out more and more. Daryl and I even took a date last week without her!

However, we have been having troubles with an inconsolable baby at times and it seems to be tummy related. At first I thought she was just fussy, not wanting to sleep during the day time, but now it is more consistently after certain feedings of the day - she'll arch her little back and then pull up her knees and scream. It will pass, but then return - much like cramps.

Poor little thing! Sometimes simethicone drops seem to work, but sometimes not. We are trying to limit certain things in my diet but since the beginning I was already avoiding the large triggers - broccoli, onions, cauliflower, lots of dairy, caffeine, etc. Now I'm trying to avoid dairy completely to see if that helps. We'll see. It's frustrating being afraid to eat anything at all for fear it will make her more uncomfortable, but also knowing I have to stay nourished for my own sanity and to nourish her.

She has brought us so many moments of great joy. It is with pride I take her around with me and with joy I hold her on my chest when she sleeps. I love how she now focuses so alertly on our faces and looks so intently at me when I sing to her. I love her cute little faces and standing over the crib at night when she inadvertently smiles.

And yet I hate hearing her groan and grunt and strain over the monitor as she sleeps, indicating she's not feeling so well. I hate when she screams and screams and nothing comforts her. I hate watching her contort in pain. While it's made me love her more and be more compassionate to her, it is hard to watch your child be in such discomfort. I suppose this will only get worse as time goes by and boys break her heart and friends tease her for her long toes :)

So our baby may be developing colic. She may be allergic to something. Or perhaps it's just a short term issue - like a stomach bug. Regardless, last night while we prayed for her Daryl thanked God for His Sovereignty and I was struck at how quickly I forget - He is in control and He is good.

Today as I tried to soothe our baby, this song by Nicole Nordeman brought me to tears with gratefulness at yet another gentle reminder that He is in control and loving us...

When the sun starts to rise
You are good, so good
In the heat of the day with each stone that I lay
You are so good

When the road starts to turn around each bend I've learned
you are good, so good
When somebodies hand holds me up, helps me stand
you are so good

With every breath I take in I'll tell you I'm grateful again
Cause it's more than enough just to know I am loved (and anna is loved!)
and you are good

So how can I thank you
What can I bring
What can these poor hands lay at the feet of a king
I'll sing you a love song
It's all that I have
To tell you I'm grateful
For holding my life in your hands

When it's dark and it's cold
and I can't feel my soul
You are good, so good
When the world has gone grey
and the rain is here to stay
You are still good

And the storm may swell
Even then it is well
And you are good

How can I thank you
What can I bring
What can these poor hands
Lay at the feet of a King?

So I'll sing you this love song
It's all that I have
To tell you I'm grateful
For holding my life in your hands
You're holding my life in your hands

God sees and knows and He is good. How thankful I am to not be going through this alone!

Isaiah 41:10, "Be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

If you think of it, feel free to pray for wisdom and grace for us and of course healing for our little baby. We need His help so much! :)

ANNA GRACE!!!

I was thinking about labeling this blog something like "Laughter and tears" or "rollercoaster" because that pretty much sums this week up, but mainly it's going to be a documentary of Anna's first week in the real world!

The hospital experience was basically the worst experience of my life... After being awake all day, I was in labor for over a full day and well...ended up with a cesarean. Thankfully though, the doctors and many or our nurses were awesome, but it was rather traumatic, and do they really have to take your vitals/babies vitals every hour at the hospital and serve primarily jello? :)

However, hearing Anna cry out, even though I couldn't see her from behind the sterile sheet was AWESOME! We cried and cried! They took her directly to peds to check her out, but quickly came and got Daryl (WHO IS AN AWESOME FATHER AND HUSBAND!) to go see her. She was perfect on the charts! Praise God! They swaddled her up and while the sewed me back together set her on my chest. Beautiful. If you aren't convinced she's our child...here she is...(her eyes are looking less slanty by the day though!)

Thankfully my family (my poor brother and his wife drove in at 10am on Saturday and waited around all day for Anna to arrive) kept us pretty entertained until things got rather scary at the end. This is a great shot of Anna resting with Grandpap for the first time...
Anna got to meet lots of our WONDERFUL friends! Thanks everyone who stopped by, and everyone who sent flowers! Our room smelt AWESOME! :) And everyone who has dropped by food! You have brightened our days!

She got her first bath at home this week.
Needless to say, that wasn't entirely her favorite. Daddy didn't so much like her crying, but we got to do what we got to do, right?


Anna took her first walk this week in the jogging stroller with mommy and daddy - that was a blast! Thanks to God for a speedy recovery by the way and a great husband and great parents who were so helpful while I wasn't supposed to take stairs, lift things besides Anna, etc.

She also got to go to Wal-Mart and to a doctor's appointment with mommy. She has squirted poop across the nursery (I'm serious), enjoyed her new bouncer, and loved life in the car seat. She has been stuck with needles, and held all night!

We absolutely love her. I must confess, however, that the first week of her life was certainly also one of the most difficult of my life. I guess you can chalk it up to many things - lots of missed sleep, crazy hormones, and my own selfishness (will Daryl and I ever get more than a couple of hours together where we aren't wondering if she will cry and will I ever sleep through the night again?), and fear (is she eating enough, is she eating too much, is she sick, why is she crying, am I doing the right thing?).

But each day gets better and while I still sometimes cry over whether or not I'm doing the right thing or being so tired or missing Daryl time, I have also spent many moments crying over how pretty and amazing she is and what an awesome gift she is!