Tagged...

Shelley K. tagged me.  The things in bold apply to me () added for clarification.  I tag Rockie and Jennifer!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (world in college...road trip with Joslyn!)
8. Climbed a mountain 
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (ok, there were a few that lived)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance 
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (I came close!)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book 
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I'm horrible at coming up with fun titles...

I began writing this post last week right before Radez went back to work after his two week vacation.  I've been trying to find time to get back ever since!  Radez has been in Boston for five days and boy have we missed him:(  Logan and I have had a great time bonding together!  We even got to spend the night with Mimi and Papa.  I feel like maybe I have a better idea of how what my days would look like if  we had more children...crazy!  

We had a blast hanging out as a family and with friends this while Radez was home though.  We really tried to take advantage of our time...  Radez biked his longest distance yet last weekend - 58 miles!  Logan turned 17 months old, and has learned his basic colors and shapes.  He's really started having more of an interest in colors since he got his table and chairs and easel for Christmas.  Although some days he can tell me every color correctly, and others he won't.  He learned his shapes several months ago, but colors have been more difficult.  I've heard that some children who learn shapes easily have a more difficult time with colors and vice versa.  I think that all the variations in colors can be confusing to transfer from the primary colors on crayons and books.  Maybe Logan is a more concrete thinker like I am.  It's so neat to see his personality unfold.  He loves to paint and draw now, and can even draw a circle!  I think he really loved moving on to the next step in shape sorters too - the little ball that's red on one side and blue on the other for those of you who have kids:) He also made a major accomplishment of screwing the lids all the way on his toothpaste and a water bottle.  He has been screwing the lids back and forth for a long time, but now he screws them on so tightly that he can't get them off!  I guess that comes next.  Logan can sing the "clean up" song now.  He loves to sing, dance, and do motions to songs and rhymes!  He also loves to slither around the house and make hissing sounds like a snake!  OK, so he only actually slithers backwards, but crawls forwards.  One more super cute thing that we've been doing that I don't think I've written about is having "conversations" with Logan where we say something then he says something and so on.  Whenever Logan tells us something, it's almost inevitable that it's followed by him nodding his head in agreement with himself!  He must tell a lot of jokes, too.  He's always cracking himself up!  Sometimes we understand what he's saying, sometimes we don't!  The same probably goes for him too.  I think Logan understands quite a bit, though.  He follows directions very well (when he's obeying).  But whatever he does or does not know is exactly where God would have him to be right now.  My prayer is that God would show me how to most effectively teach Logan as an individual, and that Logan would learn from the way that I teach him so that ultimately I can be an instrument in Logan learning his need for a Savior.  

We also got to go to Marbles and Monkey Joe's (inflatable jumping) as a family.  Logan eventually warmed up better to jumping with Daddy along.  We had a great time catching up with some old friends from college at the Braddy's for a New Year's party.  We had a blast playing the infamous "Celebrity Name" game.  We also got to meet baby Isaac Mehaffie!  Check out the pic of Radez holding him...I think he's starting to get the itch for another one!  What do you think?  Logan on the other hand camped out by the sweets.  Check out his sad puppy dog face after being told he couldn't have any more!  Don't feel too sorry for him though.  He shoveled in his fair share of chocolate covered pretzels and puppy chow before that!  He was very obedient, just looking and not touching... somewhat uncharacteristic of his recent behavior patterns.  He's been testing us quite a bit.  I've had a difficult time dealing with the fact that we need to discipline him more firmly now that he's getting older and less responsive to what we've been doing.  It probably hurts my feelings as much as his to see him be disciplined sometimes.  I've even selfishly overlooked a few offenses not wanting to have to follow through in discipline.  

Thankfully, God is faithful to give us exactly what we need when we need it.  I've been reading Feminine Appeal, and just finished the chapter on discipline.  I highly recommend this book, and this chapter has been particularly convicting as well as encouraging at this stage in my life.  In Titus 2, women are commanded to love their husbands and children.  The type of love Paul is referring to here is the Greek "phileo" which describes the love between very close friends.  It is tender, passionate, and affectionate.  It enjoys and respects.  Carolyn Mahaney argues that women have a much easier time showing love by sacrificing and serving others than passionately enjoying them, hence the need for this specific command.  In regards to my struggle with discipline, Proverbs 13:4 says that the avoidance of discipline is an expression of hate, not love.  I certainly want to love and not hate my child.  I pray that God would give me love and that this love would stand out to him as love that can only come from the Lord.  

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook