The Human Race 

In light of the recent events that have occurred in our country in this past week, I thought there was no better time to wipe the dust from my keyboard and write again. I’m really not even sure where to begin or what I want to say but I know that SOMETHING needs to be said. As a Christian, I find myself pleaing to God to save this broken world. I, as first responder’s wife, find my self crying for the wives of the fallen officers. And as a human, I find my self heartbroken for our country. When did our country become such a place of hate when our founders created this land for all different types of people to come and flourish? How have we lived through slavery, the civil war, the 60’s, and STILL have not grasped the concept of peace? Thankfully, I grew up in a home that it was taught to us to not see color. That there is only one race, THE HUMAN RACE. It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea of not liking someone, or looking down on a person simply for the color of their skin. Why? Why does that matter? Our souls have no color. God created each and every one of us in His perfect image, so who am I to question the character of one of God’s creations, that I don’t even know? I want to make clear that this is in no way a scolding to white people, because I absolutely believe that this cultural divide is a two way street. I don’t think it is right for me to be grouped with certain people just because the color of MY skin. My heart breaks for this country, black and white people both. For mixed children like my nephew who have to figure out where they belong in this world. Who are made to feel that they have to choose between races. Again, why? Why can’t he look at his white grandpa and his black cousin and only see people who love him? It shouldn’t even be a question. It terrifies me that we live in a world where people think that the answer to violence is more violence. I am so sick about what happened to the two men killed by officers. I am disturbed that the videos of these two killings were so easily viewed by the public. I am sad for these officiers who live in constant fear and put in unimaginable situations knowing that every decision that they make will be ridiculed. I am scared for my husband that walks into people of all color’s homes, not knowing what he is walking into. How does he know that someone didn’t call 911 just to lure him there to shoot him? Grouping him with a group of people who have been called to serve and protect. How is this our life? How is this our world? A world where I have to be scared for my husband’s life just for him doing his job. A job where his calling is to SAVE PEOPLE’S LIVES while putting his own in danger. Can we all just take a minute to remember that we are all human? That we are all creations of God and brothers and sisters in Christ. Can we bridge the racial divide by choosing to view everybody not as several races but as one race, the human race? I look back and see all the questions in this post and it just makes me realize how lost we are. We have so many questions we need to ask ourselves. So many convictions. All I can say is this country has a heart issue and the best thing I can do is start with my own. God bless each and every one of you.

“Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name,” Pslam 79:9

Tabor is ONE!

In honor of Tabor’s first birthday a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would end my sabbatical. First of all, I can’t believe that my sweet, 10lb newborn is now a very active toddler. As cliché as it may sound, time really does fly when it comes to your children. Secondly, how fun is it planning a first birthday party?! I know, I know, first birthday parties are not for the child, they are for the mommy. But you know what? I’m totally okay with that! We made memories that will last forever and friends and family came together to celebrate this little boy that we all love so much.

I wanted to do something different for the party but finding a theme for a little boy proves to be much more challenging than for a little girl. Not that I don’t think cars, trains, or mustache parties are cute, I just wanted something a little bit more original and true to our little boy. Soooo I decided to go with a camping theme. Welcome to Camp Tabor…

The party came together better than I could have hoped for. We had a great time celebrating our sweet one year old!! 

Until next time...

Snow Day

Well, more like ice day.  Ok, ok it was really just a really cold day. Welcome to East Texas, where everybody goes on lock down when the temperature drops below 32 degrees.  But none the less, it gave us an excuse for a fun craft day!  I ran to our local Wal Mart to grab up our supplies. The little town we live in has VERY limited options of crafting material so I did my best  for it being so last minute. We decided to make DIY snow globes! Fun!

Here’s what you need:

1 Mason jar or clear plastic lidded container

1 small plastic toy

Gorilla Glue

1-2 cups of distilled water

1 tbsp glycerin

1-2 tbsp glitter

1.Gather all of your supplies. Wash and dry the Mason jar or clear plastic container.

 I went to Wal Mart looking for a small plastic tree but like I said…our Wal Mart’s selection is pretty minuscule. So I settled for small 98 cent ornaments. I’m not even certain of what they are made out of but I can be certain that a plastic tree would work better. Thanks a lot, Wally World.

2. Attach the base of the toy to the inside of the container using Gorilla Glue (we tried hot glue first but as soon as it became wet the glue popped.) Let the glue dry for 1-2 hours.

    3. Add distilled water and glycerin until the mixture is about an inch from the top. Sprinkle glitter into jar.

(the water made the ornaments look really fat. I'm still unsure if they actually got bigger or it was just an illusion. Either way, Lilly thought it was hilarious so we just went with it.)

4. Screw the lid onto the jar. If you are using a plastic container, seal with glue to prevent leakage. Then shake, shake, shake!

So everything was going peachy until Lilly began to shake. About 3 shakes in….the glue came loose. We made five snow globes and all but one’s glue came loose. Like I said before, I am blaming this on the material of the ornament. I’m pretty certain that a plastic tree would have stayed glued with no problem.

Lilly made these as a gift for her great grandparents…and luckily they won’t mind this slight imperfection.  I bet they will even find it endearing :) Regardless of the outcome, Lilly and I had a blast making them!

Again...

 This was Lilly's favorite. We decided to use different colored glitter on a few. 

Oh, oh, oh...

We also made a gingerbread house! 

Until next time...

The Power of Prayer

If there is one thing I have learned over the years it’s that there is nothing more powerful than prayer. If it’s for praise, desperation, or just to have a conversation with God…it almost instantly gives you peace. That’s how prayer is for me anyway. Just a conversation with God, my greatest of friends. I feel that there are many misconceptions about prayer that may come off as intimidating to some. Do I have to kneel? Aren’t there supposed to be candles to light? Do I have to go to the front of the church during alter call for the Lord to hear me? Although these are ways that some practice…they are not at all necessary. Some of my best times spent with God have been while driving, taking a shower, or crafting (for those of you who know me you understand this.) When something is on my heart, I just pray. Right there and then. Pray.

Something that I have discovered as an adult a woman in a Godley marriage, is there is nothing more intimate than praying with your significant other. Before Josh, I had never prayed with a man. I never knew that you really could.  I have learned that if we are going through a tough time, trying to come to agreeance on a decision, or just feeling grateful for our lives, praying TOGETHER is just so beautiful.  I am a firm believer that Josh and I came together through Him…so what better way to honor Him than to pray in our marriage? Now don’t get me wrong, as much as I would like to, this is not something we do together every day. It is not always easy to come together and pray. But we do our best and try to get better every day.

I have found that starting my day off with prayer, no matter how long or in depth, makes for a much more peaceful day. As a mommy, our busy schedules can become an excuse not to pray but we cannot allow this. We need to MAKE TIME for our Lord. He for sure makes time for us.

Dr. Oz says that if you remove a certain food from your diet for 2 weeks and feel better than you are more than likely intolerant of that food.  So here is my challenge for you. For 2 weeks, I want you to pray EVERY MORNING. It can be long; it can be short. It can be with your spouse; it can be alone.  It’s not however or wherever you choose to pray…it’s that you pray. If you feel better after 2 weeks, you are more than likely tolerant of prayer (hehe…you see what I did there?) Kidding. If you feel better after 2 weeks, you will KNOW how important it is to pray. God works in us every single day, no matter what. Just think about how much more He could do with a little corporation from us :)

Prayer does so many things. It heals, comforts, strengthens, and brings faith.

Until next time…

Good Intentions

Holy 8 months since I have blogged last. At least once a day I think about sitting down and writing but my good intentions always seem to fall short. So what was it that finally made me sit my happy but down in front of my computer to write you may ask? Yesterday Josh and I went and saw Catching Fire, the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy.  As we sat waiting for the movie to start, I began thinking about how much our lives have changed since we saw the first Hunger Games together. That was March of 2012. We had planned a date night of dinner, the movie, and spending the night in Dallas. That was also the night I told Josh we were pregnant with our second baby. Ecstatic, we went on to celebrate with the beloved Jennifer Lawrence.  As the hand full of followers I have know, we lost the baby. That was the second baby that the Lord decided was better off staying with Him.

              

Well, a year and a half later, after months and months….and months of tears, tests, and lots of prayers we became pregnant with our miracle baby. Then 9 long months of holding my breath later, we welcomed into the world Tabor Dean Wilson, our rainbow baby weighing in at 9lbs 14oz. He is absolutely perfect.

We are adjusting to being a family of 4 with ease. Lilly was born to be a big sister and they absolutely adore each other. I had the hardest time wrapping my mind around how I was going to love another child as much as I love Lilly. It blows my mind how much my heart can love. I am without a doubt, 100% head over heels in love with our miracle baby. The best part is…I am getting to stay home with my sweet babies. I missed SO much with Lilly. Between working and going to school, I didn’t get to see all of the ways she changed. I did what I had to do to make a life for us…now…we are getting to live it. Tabor changes so much every single day and I’m not missing a second of it. Blessed is really the understatement of the year. Lilly is loving the time we have together as well. I think she has already forgotten what it was like for me to be working all the time…with is just fine with me. 

I’m hoping that getting to stay home is going to allow me to keep up with my blog a little better…but reality is reality and we will just have to see. Until next time…

***I wrote this over a week ago. Actually it’s been 9 days to be exact. The lack of internet really hinders my good intentions. Dang. 

Nothing is Easy

Tonight I realized something. Nothing about parenting is easy. When you choose to have a child, I'm not sure that this is considered. Sure, they are cute and fun and almost always challenging in a great way...but they are also fragile, innocent, and easily hurt. My daughter, Lilly, will be 7 next month. She is at a tricky age. She has the sweetest heart to go along with her super sassy attitude. She passes out "i love yous" and hugs like it's nobodies business...but that girl can give you a look of 1000 deaths. I had Lilly as a teenager...so we have literally grown up together and as much as I'd hate to admit it....she is just like me. And with that comes some challenges of their own. She doesn't always communicate how she feels but I have learned her personality to a tee. That is why it is so hard when you KNOW something is bothering your child but you are unable to communicate it with them. Lilly just got home from Spring Break in Oklahoma with her dad's family. They are absolutely wonderful and love Lilly dearly. While she was there, her dad and soon to be step mom had a gender reveal party to announce the gender of their baby due just three weeks after ours. From everything Lilly tells me, she had a wonderful time and is very excited. Well, here is the thing...she is telling me one thing...but acting a completely different way. Since she has been home, she has consistently called Josh, daddy. This is very out of the ordinary for her. We have never pressed the issue and left it up to her. On top of that, she has been very clingy and super sweet. Not to say I'm not loving this...I just know that something is up. I began thinking about all that is going on in her life. Both her dad and I are expecting a new addition to our families, making her go from being an only child of 7 years to having 2 little brothers in the matter of weeks. Josh and I have been looking to move out of Canton and Lilly understands that she will no longer be going to school with the only friends she has every really had. And on top of everything I believe her dad will be moving back to Oklahoma sooner than planned...

My poor baby.

Her little life is being turned upside down. I can only imagine that she feels like she is being left behind with all these new, BIG, changes. I think we have been making a good effort at not making it sound like this baby is in any way, shape or form more important than her...but how do I know if we have been successful with this? This little girl's heart is THE most important thing to me in this world and all I want to do is protect it. It makes me realize that every choice we make, every word we say, effects her directly. Like I said in the beginning...nothing about parenting is easy. Even loving them is challenging in its own way. All I know is we have to do the best we can, every single day, to express to our children how much we love them and show them that their feelings matter. 

Being a parent is the hardest job you will ever love. 

Weeks 19 &20!!

Well we are just moving right along! Half way there woohoooo!!! I'm hoping the next 20 weeks fly by like the first ones did. I'm so ready to meet my sweet boy!

Growing bigger every day!

Half way there! Woo hoo!! 

How far along? 20 weeks

Baby is the size of an: banana :)

Total weight gain: 17 uuuugghh. This isnt looking good...

Maternity clothes? Yes :)

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: pretty good lately 

Best moment this week: Lilly finally got to feel Tabor kick! It took her being super sick to sit still long enough for it...but it was worth it :)

Movement: Yes!! All the time!

Have you told your family and friends?Yes! 

Miss anything? Lately...running. Im trying to walk a couple of miles 3 times a week and it just isnt cutting it 

Food cravings: water! Thank goodness! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? no!! 

Gender: Boy! 

Labor signs: nope

Symptoms: My legs are still giving me fits 

Belly button in or out? in 

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to? Starting on his nursery! So fun!

I will be posting another post ASAP! I's staying behind :(