Let the rain fall in the form of colored leaves...

I love this time of year. It seems like there is something so simple and pure about getting rid of the old dead things in our lives and moving into a time of renewal. I feel like my life is making a turn in such a positive direction now. I am purifying... simplifying. Connecting with myself and my family and God. I have started yet another journey to lose weight. lol. After Summer was born there was the initial 'baby weight' that I needed to get rid of, but there was also the EXTRA weight that, in my struggle to 'be' this perfect mom... and 'be' able to get pregnant.. and 'be' able to do good in school.. and 'be' able to keep my house up, I have put on. I think that their are many reasons for extra baggage to be added to your life in the form of fat. In order to give this baggage over to God and let Him have it, you have to first be able to identify WHY you have it in the first place. In the past five years I have really dealt with why I started to gain weight initially. I believe it was around 4th grade. A lot of emotional things took place at that time and I can see in the pictures how I slowly started to put on weight. I believe it was stress eating.. emotional eating and a bit of depression that kept my formally 'outside' self .. inside. Now that I have dealt with those emotions from so long ago (while some days I still have to deal with them again.. healing is a process and sometimes.. the scars hurt) I have to deal with why I am STILL struggling with weight AFTER the fact. I think the reason is all the bad habits I have formed in all these years of comfort eating. BAD habits! I said that to say this... I have found what Bj and I have been looking for. A plan to get my WHOLE self lined up with the way God intended it. While I am in no way a master at this plan yet I have been doing it for about a week and a half and am slowly adjusting my life to line up with the principles in this plan. It is called the MariMethod. I really feel a connection to this style of eating and life altering. It incorporates exercise.. with yoga.. with a healthy eating lifestyle... and a bit of brain washing! Exactly what we all need! :) I am so excited to be on this path to healthy living. I am beginning to see myself as worth it. I don't have to BE everything and DO everything perfect.. I just need to live for God and let His light shine through my life. If I am eating something that will have negative effects on my body.. like a doughnut. Why am I eating it? How will that effect the way my body feels? My moods? My mind? Is that the way God wants me to feel or is that the best path He has for my life? It is about changing the way I look at myself and the way I think about my life. I love the little changes that I have made! :)

On another note... Summer is doing FANTASTIC! :) she is growing and becoming more and more beautiful with each day. She is about 2.5 months old now. My little angel. She is turning out to be more and more like me and I love it!

















Even though it scares me. lol

She is really starting to move though. She can pick toys up and hold things. When she is doing her 'tummy time' she can scoot and grab something. I am just in awe of this time. I LOVE having a baby. Whenever I look at Lillie, however, I am reminded at how fast they grow up... I am constantly holding Summers little head up to my face and rubbing her little baby hairs on my cheek. She is such a great baby! God is so good to have given us TWO great babies! We were having some trouble with her reflux for a bit but we switched her to a new medicine and she is just so happy now. :) It is amazing how God gives us so much room in our hearts for love.

Lillie is doing really good too. In fact, she is getting so big that it makes me cry sometimes. I bought her a preK work book and we practice tracing letters and numbers.... writing. I think its funny because she cant remember all the letters but she does surprisingly well drawing them. lol. She is so smart. Lately she has been building little towers to get to stuff... its pretty dangerous but I am always amazed by how creative and crafty she can be. I am also blown away with how beautiful of a girl she is. I just watch her sometimes and think... God you really are a master craftsman! She is just so dang pretty! I find myself praying that we will raise her with a good mind on her shoulders and be able to keep her from letting her beauty get her into LOTS of trouble. Instead, I want her to use it to glorify God in her life, well that and to make me LOTS of grand kids with some attractive young preacher lol. What? No child of mine will marry an ugly man and he might as well be a preacher. ;) Any who... we got her a mermaid costume for Halloween and she LOVES it!

I just Cherish this time I have with her. I am so blessed to get to spend most everyday playing with her and loving her. ♥

Bj and I went on our first date night since Summer was born last weekend. We also did something that we have NEVER done, hire a babysitter! We had a girl from our church come over and watch both girls last sat night. Katelynn got here at about 5:45 and I showed her around and talked to her a bit. I was SO nervous, but she has babysat like EVERY kid at our church and she is CPR certified (I KNOW!!!) so I felt I could really trust her. We left and went out to eat at Landry's. Bj was so sweet! We shared a meal and enjoyed each other. Then we took a walk down the waterway and just enjoyed being in love. :) There is a monument by the water of a deer and a doe reaching to kiss and it seemed like there was just love and romance in the air. I was such a beautiful, wonderful night! When we got home (ok I did call once from the restaurant..) Katelynn had Lillie asleep in her bed and Summer had been fed and was almost asleep herself! It wad wonderful! Bj and I got to stay up and talk and enjoy each others company. I am so blessed to be married to the love of my life!