FOR PHIL: RANDOM THOUGHTS

SO, HERE IT IS...NEARLY APRIL. TO THINK--OUR LAST POST WAS IN JANUARY. TSK TSK, YOU SAY. WELL, TIME IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE..WE'LL SEE HOW FAR I GET TODAY.

THINGS ARE WELL..

TO THINK ABOUT: THE DIFFERENCE THE RESURRECTION MAKES IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING AFRAID OF DEATH AS OPPOSED TO BEING TERRIFIED OF DEATH.

KIDS ARE GROWING. MICHAEL GOING ON 21 MONTHS AND CARINA ON 5 MONTHS...

LORD WILLING, LATER THIS YEAR THEY'LL HAVE A NEW COUSIN!! AND SOME NEW FRIENDS!!

MIKE GOT A NEW POSITION AT WORK..WE THANK THE LORD FOR HIS PROVISION...

WE'RE HOPING TO START "HOUSE HUNTING" VEEEERRRYYYY SOON...

(YAY!)

MY BUSINESS IS GOING OKAY...ANYONE INTERESTED IN HOSTING...GIMME A HOLLER--ITS A SUPER DEAL NOT TO MENTION FUN.

FOR THOSE OF YOU NEW TO THE PARENTING FIELD...(I DON'T MEAN TO IMPLY THAT WE ARE BY ANY MEANS EXPERTS)...HERE IS A FEEDING CHART THAT HAS COME IN HANDY...

HMMM...CAN'T REALLY READ IT, CAN WE. OH WELL! IF YOU'RE INTERESTED--LET ME KNOW.

WE REALLY NEED TO UPDATE OUR FAMILY PHOTO...CARINA ISN'T VISIBLE EXCEPT AS A BUMP!! WE'RE WORKING ON THIS--WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET A GOOD SHOT YET

I RECEIVED A DIGITAL CAMERA (EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT)...SO MAYBE IT WILL BE EASIER TO LOAD PICTURES...

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY.

WE WENT AS A FAMILY TO LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER IN JERSEY CITY ON MIKE'S BIRTHDAY. MOMMY'S TREAT. MICHAEL HAD A BLAST. IT WAS PRETTY EMPTY SO HE WAS ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND EXPLORE WITHOUT HAVING TO HOLD HANDS..

THE FOLLOWING IS A PICTURE OF MICHAEL BLOWING AT A HUGE BUBBLE....

MICHAEL AND RENA...JUST HANGING OUT BY THE STROLLER. OUR DOUBLE STROLLER IS GREAT, BY THE WAY. I LOVE IT. ITS SO EASY TO USE, SMOOTH RIDE, AND LIGHTER THAN THE SINGLE STROLLER I HAD! (THANX, UNCLE STEVE!!)

SITTING PRETTY.....

New Boots

This picture is just too cute not to share!! Michael received a pair of cowboy boots during the holidays so now he can be just like Daddy They are a little big, but as you can see, he loves them anyway!

Happy New Year

Well, it is 2008. We praise the Lord for all of the blessings we have received this past year. Where does time go? It certainly goes fast!! We hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday time. After all the rush, we'll be glad to settle back into our "normal" schedule-if we can call it that.

I hope to begin my "business" this month...it will be an adventure I am sure.

Carina is now 7 weeks old...nearly 2 months have gone by already! Michael will be 1 1/2 next week as well. Here are some pictures we took on Christmas of our little "buds" and their cousin, Eric. The picture really doesn't do justice to the size difference between Eric and Carina--she is twice his size.

Michael was a sweetheart holding his sister and then his sister and cousin.

Well, again, our best to everyone. Till next time!!

Mommy Tummy

Awhile back, some of us were talking about how to rid oneself of the extra pounds that just seem to hang on after having a baby...Well, a lot of people say to do "crunches" to flatten the tummy...however, I came across this article by Rachel Rabkin Pechman in the July issue of "Parenting" that says crunches can actually hinder and not help. For those of you interested..READ ON:

"The stubborn tummy (why crunches don't always work)"

"During pregnancy the outermost abdominal muscles stretch and separate to make room for the expanding uterus. Even after birth, though, when the uterus shrinks back to its original size, these ab muscles can stay separated (after a vaginal delivery or a c-section). And crunches can do more harm than good.

'Crunches put pressure on the tissue that connects the outermost abdominal muscles, which can further separate tham,' says Julie Tupler, a nurse and coauthor of Lose Your Mummy Tummy. The key to toning up your tummy: Brace your stomach and focus on engaging the innermost ab muscle, the transverse abdominus, since this is the muscle that really supports the uterus and gut and keeps your belly sucked in. This also helps prevent back pain.

You can engage and tone your transverse ab muscle while you do almost any activity--or when you're just sitting around. How? Sit up straight, shoulders down, and draw your belly button in toward your spine. 'Imagine you're wearing a corset and you're pulling its strings tight,' says Lisa Druxman, a fitness trainer and author of Lean Mommy. Believe it or not, sitting this way (say, while you're reading to your child) or standing this way (maybe while you're waiting in line at the store or changing a diaper) will make your abs firmer and flatter. It'll instantly elongate your torso and strengthen your abs and back. If you think you'll forget to do this, tie a piece of string around your waist while your ab muscles are drawn in, and leave it there. Every time you expand your stomach, you'll feel the string pull and remember to keep your abs taut."

The article continues with a few other excercies and other tips, but I think that is enough for now. "Good luck" to all those "battling" this "condition." I know I have enough in this area to keep me busy for awhile.

Excitement

We hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. We surely have so much to be thankful for!!

So, it has certainly been quite awhile. We do have excuse however...We have been blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Carina Jean Rose was born on November 12th...at home on our living room floor. She apparently did not want to wait to go to the hospital. It all happened super-fast! Quite the excitement. We were then taken by ambulance to our local hospital for a few days stay. We are both doing well.

She is really a good baby..she has been sleeping through the night already at two weeks old!! Again, what a blessing! Its hard to believe she'll be a month old already next week. She has Daddy's mouth and Mommy's nose..and she is dark (skin and hair) as of now. I suppose that could all change.

Michael has been sooooo good with her. He rushes to go see what is the matter if she fusses, he loves to give her kisses and touch her hair. What a sweetheart of a brother. :) I'll have to remind him of his actions when he is a little bit older.

In other news, we would also like to welcome (not even 24 hours old yet) little Eric Joseph to our family...Esther and Joey have a son--born December 4th. He is TINY!! Could be partly because he is 3 weeks early. Welcome little one!We only went to see him today...so no pictures yet.

I know there is so much that I am missing..but those have been the highlights of our past month. Till next time....

Countdown

It is finally cooler...the leaves have changed color. It's beautiful to see.

We're now on countdown for baby #2...Two and a half weeks remaining till our due date. So we're just waiting........... Mike threw us (baby and I) a surprise "sprinkle" this past weekend. It was nice.We had our parents, siblings, and a few friends join us to help celebrate/welcome the upcoming arrival of this little "bud."

Thanks to all who attended and helped with the planning. Once we get some pictures developed, we'll be sure to post some.

2 years

We just celebrated our second anniversary yesterday. Two years...where has the time gone?? Though, as I'm sure it is with most of you, on one hand it seems we've been together always and on the other it seems like it was just yesterday we were "goin' to the chapel." We've been so blessed over these two years...a growing family, our health, a home...the list is really innumerable if we stop to think about it. The Lord is good--beyond our expectations.