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I can tell today is going to be a good day!  I get to see my sister and brother-in-law, my dad and my mom, and go on an outing with Finn.  Also, my sister is going to have a baby this summer and I am constantly excited about that.  Finn and his sweet little cousin are going to be the best of friends, I'm sure.

I read something the other day about choosing to respond with joy to every situation.  To respond with joy to joyous things, and to respond to anger and frustration with gentleness and patience.  This is proving very useful with Finn.  He's not old enough to understand or communicate his frustrations in any other way than crying, and it can be so tough sometimes.  Yesterday, Landon and I went out for a run and took Finn in his stroller.  The last time we went, he slept the entire time and basically was a sweet little angel.  But last night, we made it 1.5 miles, and he started flipping out.  We had to turn around and go back.  He cried the whole time, unless we picked him up and walked with him.  So our run turned into running with a crying baby, stopping to pick him up, then walking, then trying the stroller again, walking.

It's really comical to think about now, although last night I was really frustrated.  But I keep mulling over the situation and what happened and how I responded.  Sometimes I feel like a terrible mama.  I talked with my own mom about it and she said, "Well, tomorrow's a new day."  That's so true!  Every day, I get a new chance to work on my own attitudes and practice patience and gentleness with Finn.  God has given me so much grace these past few months.

I'm not perfect, and no mother is, and there's beauty in imperfection and in the daily process of choosing a good attitude over a bad one.  There's beauty in learning and working at being a good example for your precious child who watches your every move.  A happy and good attitude is a choice we all have.
Today, I choose joy and gentleness.

4 months

Our sweet baby boy is 4 months old today!  He is one of the greatest joys in our lives and makes us thankful and awestruck every time we look at him.  We love you, Finn Abram.

lately...

*loving our french press now that I know how to use it correctly and we have some decent local coffee.

*making sure I eat a big breakfast, or breakfast at all, so I can have enough energy for the rest of the day.

*listening to the many birds outside our window and sometimes getting annoyed at them...but mostly loving it.

*making Finn laugh by doing the silliest things ever...like singing to him while I'm in the shower and he's sitting in the bouncer, making pig noises, making duck noises...making any high-pitched noise.

*eating meat - we have had steak, steak pitas, steak again, salmon, corned beef, and sausage all in the course of a week...and we're having burgers tonight.

*watching The Big Bang Theory...I love that show.  Amy Farrah Fowler is my fav; maybe it's because I looked like her when I was 11.

*walking with Finn in the woods, walking with Finn to get the mail, walking around Target with Finn to get some tank tops, walking with Finn into Firestone to get the oil changed, walking with Finn to get an iced tea because I'm sweaty from all the walking.

*working on photos like a maniac - getting jobs done for my boss.  I love looking through all the beautiful weddings she does...it's like flipping through a wedding magazine every day at work.

*enjoying this first day of summer spring and wishing the pool was open....in March, no less.

*playing vegas style solitaire on the ipad.  Landon and I have a running game going; we are in the 1000s, folks.

Life is good and we are a happy little family.  Looking forward to a good week.

Project Simplify: Pantry/Kitchen

Whew!  Last week was so crazy!  We hosted small group at our house, so I got the motivation I needed to do cleaning and organizing.  I basically deep spring cleaned the living room, dining room, and kitchen/pantry since we had guests...and it needed it badly. :)

I finally finished the pantry this afternoon.  Nothing like cutting it close, as the next challenge at Simple Mom is starting tomorrow.

Here are my before and after photos of the pantry.  I had really gotten this area in tip top shape the weekend before Finn was born, so it didn't need a ton of work.  But again, it's amazing how quickly things get out of hand.  It looks a whole lot better now, and I can keep track of all the things we have or need more easily.

Well I hope you enjoy this beautiful, amazing, gorgeous day!!  Can I just say how much I love this warmer weather and the bright sun?  It feels so good to keep the windows open all night long.  Tonight we're having corned beef and cabbage as we didn't yesterday...but we did have green mint mojitos at my sister's and they were delish.
Happy Sunday!!

Project Simplify: Kid's Room

Well I finished organizing and decluttering Finn's room today and I feel so much better!  Everything is clean and in it's own place, and I got to get rid of a few things too.  If you remember, I am participating in this challenge over at Simple Mom.  It was nice knowing hundreds of others were cleaning and organizing this week just like I was.

I was a dunce and forgot that my card was in the card reader when I took before pictures of Finn's room.  Believe me, things were in disarray and it didn't look good. :)

But here are the after pictures.  We don't like a lot of things in our home, so Finn's room was pretty simple to start with.  It's funny how fast things get out of order, even with few things.  Baby clothes are ridiculously hard to keep organized I think!

This can get really messy, so I went through and sorted all his clothes he's grown out of *sniffle* and organized these by outfit type.  All the clothes are on the right and all the "other" things are on the left, like extra diaper inserts, burp cloths, and bibs.

The top of this organizer was out of control.  I took out all the toys and teethers, cleaned it up and left the items I use every day on the left and all his socks and hats on the right.

His "changing" table is a repurposed shelving unit, but it works great for us.  I store all his folded and ready fuzzibunz on the front top shelf, with the disposables in the back, and extra wipes and rarely used items on the bottom.

The bookshelf is small, but gets out of order quickly.  I went through and decided to keep all of these since they all are meaningful and we'll use them a lot.  We don't have a ton of space in our home, so the closet in Finn's room is for our extra storage.  I keep my craft bins in there, so the sewing machine stays in his room as it's the most practical place right now.

I added all the toys Finn didn't have on his play mat into the basket with his stuffed friends.  I use an old crate from college for his dirty clothes.  A fabric liner for the crate is on my to-do list.

And there you have it!  I pulled all the furniture out from the walls, vacuumed the floors, and dusted.  It feels great to walk in and see everything so neat and orderly!  I can actually find the outfits I need for Finn now instead of digging through and messing it all up.

I'm pumped up and ready for next week's challenge - kitchen and pantry.  That one needs it bad!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Tonight, Landon and I are going to see The Head and The Heart in concert!  Can't wait!

thankful...

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Leah on Pinterest

Today I am thankful for...

*My dearest and best friend and love, Landon.  He is always so patient and genuine.

*Good friends. We had small group last night, and I just love the fellowship we have with these amazing couples.  We're living life out together and it is so refreshing to talk and share with everyone.

*Warm weather.  Finn and I are taking a walk in this glorious spring weather today.  I'm done with the winter grays and blues, and ready for the awakening of spring with the greens and fresh air.

*Sleep.  Finn slept 8 hours two nights in a row and I feel like a new person!

*All that we call life.  The little moments, the loving looks, the quick embraces, the laughs, and the hardships that make us stronger.

Monday monday...

Finn was so precious during his bath time last night, I couldn't help but take some pictures.  I can't wait to put all these pictures I've been taking of his first year onto a disc and save for him when he gets older.  Why are babies so cute?  Is it that they're little miniature people, or fat and chubby, or that they giggle?  Who knows, but I love interacting with Finn.

This week, I'm starting Project Simplify which I mentioned in this post.  It's going to feel so good to declutter this month and get rid of unnecessary things!  Landon and I have been talking lately about having very little in the way of "things" so we can be mobile and ready to travel and move around if we want...which we do. :) Plus, my mom always says it's easier to keep your house clean if there aren't very many things to maintain.  So true!

After a rough week last week, I'm looking forward to this week.  My attitude constantly needs adjusting as there are so many little things that can be frustrating about having a little baby.  I think that I must be needing a good lesson in patience, because I'm continually being challenged in this area.  Oh life.

Tonight, we're having homemade chicken soup since we're all feeling a bit drained and somewhat stuffy, and I'm so excited to go to the library to pick up this book.  I've heard that it's like a Coen Brothers' movie in a book form.  I'm all ready for a good read.

Have a great monday!

Project: Simplify

One of my favorite blogs to read is Simple Mom.  I love all the practical and wise advice over there.  Tsh is doing a Project: Simplify again this year, and I've decided to join in with everyone!  It's amazing how soon your home can get cluttered and out of order, and I'm really excited to tackle some major clutter spots in our little home.  Here's a great post that gives a good view on decluttering.

We are going to start on Monday and work on one area each week for four weeks.  We'll get to link up with Tsh and share before and after photos.

I don't know what it is about working in a group, but knowing hundreds of other people will be decluttering their homes at the same time is so encouraging!

So, if you want to join in, you can.  Just click on the button and head over to Simple Mom to get all the info.

Landon and I will be staying home this weekend and relaxing.  Tomorrow, I am going to try to get a haircut as my poor locks are looking pretty sad post-baby.  I haven't gotten a trim since last November! :)

I hope you all have a great weekend, whatever you decide to do!

Sister time!

Today I get to see my seester!!  Can I just say how much I love her and how thankful I am for her?  She's my bestie and we just get each other.
No one makes me laugh quite the way she does.  I predict we shall have great fun today!