Done, did my hair

With a lot of resistance on one of our parts, without saying names....Liliana got her hair cut @ home today. We looked up places to go, kind of costly I'd say @ $25 & up...no thank-you. Think Gram Lyon was a little disappointed but I think we'll save that trip for when she's a little older.
So the hair cut was needed. Lil walks around, after she's pulled out her hair bows, ties, elastics & its all in her eyes. I've been wanting it trimmed for a bit & then truth be known my mom was definitely on board. Plus with a maiden voyage to Santa, well we needed to have Lil see who's lap she'd be landing on.

So we broke out Itsy Bitsy on Youtube, and played it over & over, with much resistance I think we made it through with about four replays. Bea, I think you'd be rather proud of your brother.

BEFORE:




AFTER:

My Job Today

My one goal was to have outdoor time with Lil today. Not a bad way to start the week off. We made it there about 10am. It was a quiet time at Forest Hills Park. Me & Lil had fun. I just let my heart absorb the cool, beauty of the park on a late fall day. It was beautiful, I was in awe of the colors remaining on the trees & just let Lil run around as we awaited our friends to arrive. It was perfect!

All we needed on this Monday was just a little time @ the park, love it.

(ok....something funky is happening, can't download more pics) :(

FULL

We are full. Full hearts, souls, bellies. We are so thankful for our amazing friends. Coming to our rescue time & time again. This would have been a very different year without friends caring for us, loving us, cooking for us. WE can't even say how much you all mean to us. Thank-you!
Thank-full for family being closer and for family that are so consistently prayerful for us. Thank-you.
Thank-full for each other, for Little Lil. For amazing meals. For challenging times that we couldn't imagine but are soooo much stronger for. 2011 we can't even imagine what more we'll have to be Thank-full for.

We Couldn't Make This Up Even if We Tried

Ok, so you're pretty well versed in our lives right now...bills to pay, shoulder surgery, home for sale (well at least it was for 6 months), more surgery for Eli, job hunting for Eli....and well A LOT of love for each other.

Well today Friends & Family Eli had an interview. A real life, face-to-face interview. It happened quickly, well yes--he's been looking for a year, but between the time the recruiter called & set it up it was relatively quick. We probably wouldn't have preferred that it was the same week he had his appendix out but we're realizing God has a pretty good sense of humor.

So the interview went well, met with directors & VPs and even HR peeps. We've been talking about it for about the last hour or so. While we were discussing it all Eli got a phone call from a colleague in California, someone he worked w/at at his last job in telecommunications. His colleague called to see if Eli was still looking for work, did I say that Eli worked with him 3 yrs. ago. Pretty amazing...there's more. So the inside tip was for a big project that's happening in Raleigh, hiring about 20 PRMs. Then I could hear him say ya, its such & such company & Eli said ya I just came home from interviewing there. We originally thought we was calling to tell us that they already called for a reference...but it was completely coincidence. Or more so God driven.

I cried not for Eli having an interview or even the possibly of getting a job. I felt overwhelmed with emotion cause I've been in these season of questioning, asking why us, wondering why is He doing this to us. And now I'm beginning to step back & really bear witness in being faithful. He truly loves us that much. I'm not gonna say that it ALL makes sense but here I am 30 some odd years into my life & I'm just beginning to open my eyes & heart to His majesty.

Appy. 2010

So many people fall on hard times. I could compare our hard times with others or I could compare our challenges with other fluffy, fun filled lives that I admire. This can begin to get sooo destructive.
We seem to be in this season of crash & burn. I've tried at times to separate myself from all the wants...job for Eli, house to sell, healthy bodies, pay down bills. But honestly it hasn't helped. I feel if we actually seem to be on a better path something else happens. How do I see God in this?

I've had an out pouring of emotions lately--and when I get this way I wonder why. I think initially it all feels like way tooo much for me to handle alone, so I try & turn to Him. And for a while things seem better but then something is layered on top. And so I turn back to Him and this cycle is going on & on & on, and honestly I'm not feeling the LOVE right now. I'm not feeling much, other than being overwhelmed. How can we pay these bills down? Why won't someone give Eli a job? Doesn't someone want to buy this house? We don't need any more bills....

Thankfully Eli is home, he made it through his appendectomy without any glitches, and I feel bad when my mind goes to that place where I wonder how are we gonna pay for it? What are we gonna do?

I know what does keep joy in our hearts is Lil. She is this innocent, lovely child.
Full of laughter, funny faces & noises. Everday seems possible w/her.

DAY Shift

So with a bit of anticipation I did my first DAY shift today, after being away from days @ work for a year. I mainly worked days prior to having Lil, did it for about 1 1/2 yrs. & then I went to nights after maternity leave. It allowed me to cut back a day & get paid more with the night differential. Well, recently my long awaited time of being on the list for 'Weekend Option' was granted (yes-the differential for this is better than working nights)....but its DAYs & not Nights & so I'm just getting use to the switch. I won't work every weekend & will try to figure out the best schedule for us.

Its purely a family decision, if it works for our family I'll do it. Its not easy to be away all day, but hopefully on my days off I won't be as tired. I won't be working all weekends & will supplement my other shifts on nights. We hope & pray to grow our family in the next year & I hope this works well with that too...

Plus I still pray (often) that Eli will find the job that he's been searching for or more so the job will find him, plus it would be an added blessing to sell this house.

*and HAPPY (official) 16 Months to our Lil' Bear---> WE love you so much! ~hugs~

16 months (almost)

Two distinct items are occurring @ our household this week.

1. Lil's sleep pattern is being affected by teething. Since about 9 months she's been predictable in her sleep pattern. Down around 7:30--up 12 hrs. later. Sporadically we've had some random early wake up calls, but overall she's a great night time sleeper. So we've wondered if this was coming, we've read/heard about the changes that can come along with teething. She does have 6 teeth now, but not until now has she it affected her. It comes in waves....no distinct pattern which keeps us on our toes. Sometimes its at bedtime, other times its a few hours after going to sleep or our favorite at 4am. We're trying to see what works best for her: rocking, swaying, holding, teething rings, pacifiers, frozen facecloths, frozen fruit & lastly motrin. We've yet to try teething tablets & didn't see any at Target yesterday.
I know most families with youngings may have experienced this earlier on, but I guess we are just vamping up for them all to come in soon or at least over the next few months & trying to figure out how to ease this transition for Lil & well, us too.

2. Secondly, she's urinating through her nighttime diapers now. Just thought I'd mention it....one day I might wonder did she do this? And well now its documented.

Personalities

Here we are, just short of Lil's 16 mos. birthday. This morning I was talking about personalities with my friend at the park. We stated that we knew what kind of personalities our children had at a very young age.
Lili has always been head strong, fight sleep one minute and then give in on her time. Grab your hand & lead you to her destination, its sweet- she knows what she wants.
The last couple times we've gone to the park other grandmas have said to us, "she's gonna be a handful" or "she's quite forward". Often when we get to new surroundings Lil takes a few moments to take it all in & then goes about her business. Whether thats going up to adults, waving to people walking by or whole heartily going up to other children & grabbing hands, its obvious we are in the season of learning boundaries. She's not always good at giving others their space, yes - she's young & so all of this is a learning experience for her & for us as parents.

I was a shy child & E said he wasn't, I guess being the youngest of so many children he learned early how to hold his own. Guess thats why this morning the grandma asked, "if she was an only child?" Perhaps she acted as if she had older siblings. Somehow she innately can hold her own.
As a mom I'm kind of glad, its hard to be shy, but on the other hand you don't want your child being labeled as the bully either....not that she is, I'm just envisioning the future.

Its amazing how much she learns & understands. She loves sitting at the table in the adult chairs, playing outside & doggies. Wearing & getting shoes is fun too. She loves music, wether its from a phone, the computer the car, anywhere---music is a hit.



Lil w/her favorite puppy-realizing shes got some big shoes to fill




Thinking she might just get that bird @ Duke Gardens