Sick and tired

This past week Aubrey and I have not been feeling very well. It started with Aubrey a week ago on Friday night. That poor baby was up ALL night long, and so were we. I never heard anybody cough that much, until I caught it, and coughed my lungs out too. Anyway, we laid around the whole weekend and slept when we could, and Aaron and Alyssa hung out and went to church and the movies and grocery shopping. It has been a week now and the congestion and and cough is still lingering, but we are better....Thank goodness:) We are finally sleeping :)
Aaron and I have been seeing a different doctor now when we get sick. His name is Dr. Daniel Chartrand in Mckinney. He isn't your typical doctor. He lives in an historical house in downtown Mckinney and that is also where his office is. He has this old 50's ambulance that says "Dr. Dan" on the license plate that he drives when he does house visits. Yes. He is old school and we like that. He is oldschool, but not old. I would say he's in his early 30's. He does just about anything. Anyway, a lot of what he does is natural and wholistic healing. He uses drugs when really needed, but his view is a lot of it isn't necessary when there are other natural things you can do. We like this concept, because we don't like taking medicine when it's really not needed. Anyway he suggested to me to use a "Neti pot." It looks very much like a tiny tea pot. Anyway, I put ecchinacea and goldenseal drops and sea salt and water in the neti pot, and breathe through my mouth and poured the water in one nostril. It poured into my left nostril and the water drained out of my right nostril. Then I repeated and did the other side. Not the most fun thing in the world, but it really helped a lot. It flushes out your sinuses. If you are really good, you can tip your head back and pour through the nose and let it run out of your mouth, but I just couldn't do that. This is where I wish I knew how to post pictures under my posts :) It was quite a site to see and entertainment for the whole family. Patti Ramsey was always trying to tell me to sniff salt water up my nose when I get colds, but I just couldn't do it. The neti pot made it a little easier. I would recommend this for those with sinus problems or allergy problems or colds. It immediately helps you breathe easier and sleep better at night. You can find neti pots at Wal Greens. I got all my things at Mike's Health Collection in Mckinney. Whole Foods would be another place for the drops. Now I realize this isn't the most exciting of posts, but hey, I've been at home sick with a sick child all week....what can you do?
There will be more exciting things posted soon I am sure. We leave tonight to go to the marriage encounter with New Hope. I know for sure God will be doing some amazing things. Aaron and I have had so much spoken to us lately and a lot of it needs to be processed and weighed, but when the time is right, I will share the exciting things God has been speaking. Stay tuned:)

Market Street

Every time I visit Market Street stores I feel the need to blog about it, so today I have decided to do so. I just have to say that every visit to Market Street is consistently pleasant. I think I notice these things because I grew up in grocery stores and worked retail most of my life until I had Alyssa. I enjoy grocery shopping in places like Market Street and Central Market and Whole Foods. I enjoy looking at all the beautiful, artistic produce displays and the way they set their stores up. The way you display your products makes a huge difference for enticing the shoppers to buy that product. Market Street just has a really nice set-up. The workers are always super friendly and helpful. Every person I pass that is working there makes it a point to look up and say hi and ask how your day is going. There are always smiles on their faces, and they ALWAYS carry your bags out to your car and load them up for you. Each person that has ever carried my bags out has been super friendly and outgoing.
I find this kind of customer service now-a-days rare and refreshing. It makes me want to go shop there all the time.
Also on a side note, I was at a birthday party this past weekend and a woman I was talking to mentioned that Market Street provides everyone, children and adults, with free generic prescriptions. So if you don't have insurance, like us, next time you go to the doctor, ask if there is a generic brand for your prescription and go fill it at Market Street for free. I haven't tried this out yet for myself, but it is definitely worth checking into.
Market Street also happens to be one of our greastest customers in the summertime with okra and squash as well. They are just as easy and friendly to work with as they are to shop with. So this summer be sure to go and buy local at Market Street :)

The "Toe Wedgy"

The "toe wedgy" is a term my very funny 4-year old has made up.
One day, when helping her put on her socks, she started whining and got mad and yanked the sock off her foot and said,"Mom, you don't know how to put it on. You just gave me a toe wedgy." hahahahaha! hohohohoho! hehehehehe! hoohoohoohooohoo! I laughed so hard and said what on earth is a "toe wedgy?" Apparently it was a very real thing because she explained to me that it is when the seam on the sock is crooked, and it bothers her.
Ok my dearheart. I will try my hardest to never cause you to have a toe wedgy ever again!

So small but so big

Tonight we had a corporate gathering at church. We do it every now and again asside from the regular service. Sometimes it's informational, and it's also a time to go deeper.....deeper worship and more opportunities to dig deeper with the Lord. Tonight I was having a hard time during worship just "going there." I was singing the words, but my mind was racing in all directions. Then there was a part where the worship team started singing" You reign on high. You reign on high," over and over again. All I kept thinking was, ' Lord I just want to focus on you right now.' So I closed my eyes and invisioned myself singing to Him in heaven. I was picturing Him physically sitting up on His beautiful throne in all His glory in a solid white room. I pictured Him holding a golden staff, wearing a white robe, with flowing white hair and a long beard. I do this often just to try to invision just me and Him in a room together and me worshipping Him. This time was so different. My vision kept leaping to another vision of another version of Jesus standing in front of me wearing blue jeans and a plaid button up shirt with brown shaggy hair and a scruffy beard. In this vision He was excited and jumping up and down and clapping His hands and dancing in front of me while I sang for Him. At first I didn't get it. I closed my eyes tight again as I sang the words " You reign on high," and I tried to picture Him sitting up on His throne smiling at me while I sing for Him. As quickly as I tried to picture that thought again the other more scruffy looking Jesus was in front of me again.....dancing and clapping, full of joy and excitement, cheering me on. As my eyes were still shut I sort of made a whincing face and thought to myself 'what is this?' And then He whispered as clear as day to me...."THIS IS ME, STACE. THIS IS ME DANCING WITH YOU WHILE YOU SING FOR ME. THIS IS ME BEING SO EXCITED WHEN YOU COME TO WORSHIP ME. NOTHING MAKES MY HEART HAPPIER THAN TO SEE YOU SINGING AND WORSHIPPING ME." Wow! I was so surprised. I am still shaking even now as I type this one out. It was just so sweet!!!!! Of course immediately the tears started to stream down my face and I was overwhelmed with the REALITY of who my true Jesus was.
My husband had just had an amazing encounter with the Lord just 2 nights before. You know how you hear a lot of people refer to God as " Father" and sometimes you hear "Daddy." Well, "Daddy" has always been difficult for Aaron to call God. He could call Him Father all day long, but Daddy just seemed awkward. So he was worshipping God the other night alone and God gave him a revelation on what "Daddy" was all about. Anyways, the next day Aaron was sharing this with me and I was glad for him that God showed him this, but I still didn't quite get it and understand and grasp it either. Well...I guess you could say that I mentally understood it, but my heart didn't get it and it was still awkward for me as well. Tonight as God was showing Himself to me in a whole new light, He also told me that He wanted to be involved in my life. He didn't want to just watch and be proud from His throne. He wanted to encourage me and cheer for me and show me that He loved and appreciated me.
I thought to myself in that moment that I kind of got a better grasp of the daddy thing a little better. I still don't totally have a grasp of it, but I'm getting closer, and it excites me to no end to know that He is trying to show Aaron and I the same thing....His amazing and unconditional love that He has for us. It was just so very very sweet of Him to do that for me. It was really good for my heart. I struggle a lot with feeling like I need to be perfect for the Lord before He can use me. I think Aaron struggles with that sometimes too, but here lately He has been showing us that He wants to use us in our weaknesses. I was thinking tonight 'how terrible...I can't even clear my mind and focus on God just for 20 minutes of worship. How on earth would God speak to me or through me being so spiritually blah as I am right now'......and He goes and shows up like this. It was a small vision but had HUGE meaning and meant the world to me. It just reminded me of what a loving, personal and so very gentle, precious and sweet and thoughtful God we serve. Thank you Jesus for loving ME, Stacy from Wylie, enough to show yourself to me in such a wonderful way. I Love you and am truly grateful for this.

Food Fight

From my experience as a mom and aunt, my kids and neices and nephews always ate a ton when they started eating table food. Between the ages of 1-2 they couldn't eat enough. The little ones would always out-eat the big kids. Then when they hit 2 they just stop wanting to eat, and you have to make them eat or spoon feed them again.
Aubrey has been no acception. Even though she has been a little pickier than Alyssa ever was, she has always been a great eater. She would eat a whole head of broccoli if I let her, but still no bread products.
In the last 2 weeks I have noticed she has made this transition to running to the table at dinner time and eating her food with no problem, to telling me no everytime I ask her if she wants to eat now and hardly touching her food. I was hoping she wouldn't go through this little stage, but it looks like she started a month early. So the fight begins AGAIN!

it fits again.

As some of you may know, I have recently lost a few pounds....33 now, 50 total since I gave birth to my little Aubrey.
Anyway, I was searching for something in the back of my closet when I came across my wedding dress. I started wondering hmmmmm, dare I try it on? A little corny...Yes, but I wanted to see if I could get that thing back on. So I tried it on aaaaaannnnndddd.........sure enough it fit. A little snug where I grew my babies, but it fit me :) I walked out to show my girls and Alyssa looked up at me like I was a princess...so very very sweet. She gave me a big hug and said,"Momma, leave it on for a while." So we played wedding and I took a few laps around the house while Alyssa and Aubrey carried my train grinning from ear to ear, and Aubrey tripping a few hundred times over it. Alyssa then ran and put on her princess dress too.
So fun to be able to put my princess dress back on and play with my girls. Not to worry, it won't become a habit. I promise I won't be folding laundry and cleaning house in my wedding dress ;) Now I know :)

So very Blessed

Tonight Aaron and me and the girls spent some time worshipping and dancing in the living room. I had just bought a new worship CD by Kari Jobe. If you have never heard of her, you should check her out. Her voice is so beautiful and her songs are very worshipful. I find it easy to let everything fade away so that it is just me and Jesus in the room when I'm listening to her.
Anyway, that's basically what we did. At first it was fun. We were slow dancing with each other and dancing with the girls. At one point I looked over and Alyssa and Aubrey were slow dancing in an embrace, copying me and Aaron...SO CUTE!
Then we sat back and just watched the girls dance. They were so very precious. I just had an overwhelming indescribale blessed feeling. I knew in that moment that these are THE BEST days of my life. So many days I get caught up in housework, and messes, and laundry and tantrums that I forget how AMAZINGLY blessed I am. I have this awesome husband who loves Jesus with his whole heart, who is THE absolute nicest and best person I know. There are true times when I don't feel like I deserve him. But that's just how awesome God is! He thought I deserved him, so he gave me Aaron. Then I have these 2 beautiful healthy sweet as could be little girls, who besides Aaron are the best gifts I have ever been given. Again what an amazing God to feel that I deserved to be blessed with the wonderful job of being Alyssa and Aubrey's mom.
I just took in the moment and thought of how fleeting these times are! How precious they are, and how short this one life is that we are given.
I just felt like God was sort of opening my eyes to things that we all as Americans can take for granted. We get so caught up in this busy, fast paced, "things focused" world we live in, that we can forget about or take for granted the important things and the most amazing lives we get to live!
So I was so grateful for that moment of awakening....that precious visit from the Lord in my living room. I am so truly thankful to God for my awesome family He has allowed me to have, and I am so very grateful also for God's presence and His peace that comes like rain when I least expect it. I look forward to more in 2010. My heart is to be more "others focused" in 2010. It's gonna start with my husband and my kids :)
Also, on a side note, Aaron and I signed up to go on the marriage encounter with New Hope at the end of January. At first I was reluctant...didn't want to have to face any problems or bring up things that needed to be worked on, but now I am so very excited! I know something good is going to happen. We have been to several literally life changing encounters before, and I am very excited to go to one that focuses on marriages. I can't wait! It will be a great start to 2010 for Aaron and myself that will for sure filter on down to our girls :)