Free to be me

I simply LOVE the lyrics to this song!   It comes on klove about every day, so tune in and I’m sure you will hear it.

Free to be me, Francesca Battistelli

At twenty years of age
I’m still looking for a dream
A war is already waged for my destiny
But You’ve already won the battle
And You’ve got great plans for me
Though I can’t always see, ’cause…

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I’m so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I’m free to be me

When I was just a girl
I thought I had it figured out
See my life will turn out right
And I’ll make it here somehow
But things don’t always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt, ’cause…

And you’re free to be you

Sometimes I believe
That I can do anything
Yet other times I think
I’ve got nothing good to bring

But You look at my heart and you tell me
That I’ve got all You seek
And it’s easy to believe, even though…

And you’re free to be you

Month 5

This month mommy really realized how fast you are growing up.  Mommy celebrated her 27^th birthday this month.  You gave her a sweet bracelet that said “God sends an angel to hold our hand through life and He named her Mom.”  You said your first ‘word’ the day after mommy’s birthday ‘da-da’.  It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!  From that babble on you haven’t stopped talking.  You talk from the moment you wake up saying ‘da-da-da-da-da-da’ to the moment you go to sleep saying ‘da-da-da-da-da-da’  It’s music to our ears!  We moved your bed down to the lowest position this month, and that’s when it hit me how fast you are growing!  You had your first Easter this month and got paci’s, bunnies, formula, baby wash, and a lot of other neat presents from the ‘Easter Bunny” aka Ka-Ka and Nana. You sit for about 30 seconds unassisted by the end of this month, which sometimes ends in bonking your head.  But you’re a tough little dude, and don’t seem to mind it all that much.  You love every type of baby food that we give you, you aren’t picky at all!  We are looking forward to everything that month 6 has in store and we wonder when you will crawl!

Before we moved your bed down

You are a very happy baby!  Everyone that sees you or meets you (even strangers) say how happy you are!

Some Easter Pics

Here’s some pics from our Easter:

His first Easter basket

Checking out the goods

pose, pose

playing with Daddy

Ebin and Mommy

His ‘fru-fru’ easter outfit

Aunt Leah and Ebin

Aunt Misty and Ebin

CJ, Ashleigh, and Maci our nieces and nephew

Ashleigh and Me

The clouds before the storm came in

Since there was storm we weren’t able to take Ebin’s pictures outside … so we did that this week … here’s what we took:

With Ka-Ka (my mom)

cutest baby ever!!

The Dogwood Tree

In Jesus’ time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
‘Twas strong and firm it’s branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:

“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony.”

I know that poem may be based on myth or hear-say, but it has always been one of my favorite things about Easter.  When the Dogwood Tree’s begin to bloom they are always a reminder to me of how my Savior died on the cross for my sins.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Dogwood blooms every year during the Resurrection weekend.  No matter what month Easter is in.

In honor of this resurrection weekend, I took a few pictures of my little man under a dogwood tree.  Thanks to Ashleigh (my friend who is a pro-photog) for the idea of putting the baby in a basket.  I thought that was fitting since it’s Easter.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”- 1 Peter 2:24

Please Pray

For my sister-in-law Dena.  She is having some test run.  Thanks

Words to Live By

As seen on my bff’s blog.

LESSONS TO LIVE BY:

1. Don’t be a jerk
2. Don’t take anyone for granted
3. Enjoy the moment
4. Be honest, always
5. Be humble
6. Be kind
7. Respect other people’s wishes
8. Allow endings
9. Fail openly
10. Have an amazing haircut

Thanks Erin, I love that post and think a lot of people should listen to your top 10’s.

In case you need a reminder of how friggin’ cute Ebin is..

Hope that makes you feel better Leah

Ebs is rocking a mohawk … his name does mean ‘rock’ ya know

The fog

It was super foggy a few weeks back.  Here’s a pic I took on the way to work

Trying a sippy cup

Under mixed reviews I have decided to start Ebin on a sippy cup.  He has been working very well with his bottle for about 2 months now.  He struggles to get the nipple in his mouth because the bottle is too long for him to manage.  My thinking was I’ll just try a sippy cup and see how things go.  Well, he LOVES the cup and he manages it with ease.  I know he’s only 5.5 months, but he is ready and he likes holding his own cup.

 

I would like some thoughts though.  Am I jumping the gun?  I don’t want to mess him up orthodontically, BUT all the books say ‘judge when baby is ready’ and I’m telling you he is.

 

Here’s a pic of the first time I gave him a sippy cup with a little bit of water.

Da-Da

Such a simple little phrase, you wouldn’t think it could warm your heart to hear such a little babble.  But, let those same words come out of the mouth of your sweet 5 month old baby boy and nothing could be sweeter or more precious!!  Hearing those little babbles the day after your birthday makes for the most cherished birthday present ever.

Coach Cal delivers the 1-2 punch to Memphis

Coach Cal. Delivers Memphis the 1-2 punch

 

I’m not a huge sports fan, I’ll be the first to admit that.  I halfway follow the Florida Gators and the Memphis Tigers because it gives me something to talk to my husband about J

 

But, every year when basketball season comes around I cheer for Memphis.  They really are the pride of this crappy city and that basketball team has given our city a lot of hope over these last few years.  Coach John Calipari really refined Memphis’ basketball program.  He brought Memphis together as a city in a way not very many people have in decades.

 

Sure, we only made it to the sweet sixteen this year, but next year was going to be ‘our year.’  We had the top recruits in the nation coming to play for Memphis next season and 2010 was setting up to be the best in Memphis history.

 

Then, this week, Coach Cal delivers the 1-2 punch.  #1 He’s leaving to coach at The University of Kentucky #2 He’s taking all his recruits AND our best players with him. 

 

The shock of this news has been all over every media outlet and our city is just REALING from the news.  I think most people in Memphis feel like they were slapped in the face.

 

Here are my issues:

1. He ‘loved’ Memphis and was here to stay (never believe a salesman folks .. about the only thing those types of people are good for is selling, and sell Coach Cal did)
2. The fact that he didn’t address the City of Memphis himself.  I realize UK probably didn’t allow him to address our local media, but we are really getting a raw deal here and him speaking directly to us MAY have lessoned some of that blow.
3. This isn’t JUST about basketball people.  This affects our local economy.  No one has filled the FedEx forum like Cal did, so there’s lost revenue in that aspect.  Think about all the restaurants and bars from downtown to the ‘burbs that cash-in on game night, there’s lost revenue there.  It has a really bad trickle effect.  I wonder if Calipari thought about that.

 I’ll end by saying, I honestly don’t think that Coach Cal left because of money.  Memphis would have, and I think did, match his UK offers.  I think it’s was the allure of the position at a school like UK that has a basketball program steeped in tradition.  Alls I’m saying is, UK won’t be near as ‘cushy’ as we were here in Memphis.  Cal could do no wrong and was given a lot of grace here.  They will NOT sing his praises if he screws up.  He better stay on his toes, or he’ll be out the door before he unpacks his boxes.