Like a dog on a leash

I was thinking today about how I would describe the way I've been feeling. The title sums it up.

I feel like a dog on a leash. Like a dog with an amazing master who provides everything yet I'm trying to run the other direction. My master loves me enough to not let go of the leash and keep walking forward though I'm trying my hardest to run into traffic.

There are major things going on in the Bindel house. We're buying a house, Stroller Strides has it's Grand Opening this week, it's football season and I'm trying to raise two girls as a football widow. Why on earth do I think I can do this without prayer?

WE GOT IT!

Just found out this afternoon that we won the bid. 4713 Florist will soon be ours!!!!!!!

Do What You've Got To Do

Georgia is just having the hardest time sleeping lately. She has woken up in the middle of the night for so long now that it's normal. I honestly believe it has everything to do with being potty trained. She has gotten up to poop several times and always says she has to pee. Most of the time she wakes up with a wet diaper. Ugh!!

She does not fall back to sleep easy either. Before this sleepless bout she would take super long naps and wake up so pleasant. Now she'll sleep for only an hour and wake up very grumpy. I normally try to do my Stroller Strides stuff during nap time. When she wakes up after only one hour of sleep I have to keep doing some work because she hasn't given me enough time to really get something done. She comes and gives me a kiss (a grumpy one) and then lays down in the living room floor, same place each time, and falls back to sleep.

I'm pretty sure a good and consistent mother would either make her get back in bed or pick her up off the floor. I know she is needing that sleep so much so I've just been leaving her there. I've taken pictures of three different days she's done this. I think I've missed pictures a few days.

She also has all 4 of her 2nd year molars coming in and the bottom ones look like they are bleeding a little. She hasn't complained yet but I think they might be waking her up at night, too. It must be hard being 2.

Grand Opening

Stroller Strides in Wichita Falls is having it's Grand Opening Septmeber 16 at Lucy Park. I'm so freaking pumped about bringing this here that I almost cry when I think about it. Every person that's come to one of my "practice" classes has fallen in love with it . . . just as I knew they would. I'd love to share the joy with you so show up at Lucy Park Monday, Wednesday or Friday at 9:15 a.m. and be ready to go!!!!

www.strollerstrides.com

Please Pray!!

The house I've had my heart set on since May is finally available through HUD. We have until August 30th to make a bid. Please pray that we get this. We won't know what other people are bidding and we basically only get one chance to do this right. I want this house so bad but I want God's will more. All we can do is bid and pray so please help us pray.

Also, school starts tomorrow. Yeah!! No more 2-a-days!!

Real Life

Georgia in Walmart in Bay City . . . forever ago. She was so proud she figured out how to put her burp cloth on her head. I can't wait for SJ to wear that hat. It has little ears on it. By the way, I don't call her SJ, I just type SJ.

Georgia seriously fell asleep in her high chair . . . again forever ago in Bay City. I'm missing that place lot tonight.

Love

Sarah Jane isn't sitting up yet but she did pretty good in the laundry basket. Georgia spent most of this day in her panties and high heels.

I hear this phrase 30 times a day, "Sarah Jane awake? Sarah Jane awake? Sarah Jane awake?" They just love each other so much. Sarah Jane is still in a pack and play in our room at my parents house. I wish I had a pretty picture to show you of the house we're buying but it just hasn't happened yet. I do look forward to the day when Marc and I will be able to carry on a conversation in our room without worrying about waking up Sarah Jane. Then again, I'll probably miss her.

Sarah Jane's First Meal (just for you Jodie!)

Shocker! Chubby cheeks likes food!

So much of her daddy in her.

In every picture where the flash goes off you can see her blond hair. Without a flash she looks completely different. To see her in real life you'd think she's brunette. I've really never seen a baby look so different in pictures.

She's such a joy!! She's seriously such a wonderful baby that I'm ready to have another one right now as long as it's as sweet as her. She loves Georgia so much and only cries when she's just so sleepy she can't function (which isn't alot). I have been super blessed with my girls.

New Crib

I know, I know. It's been forever since I've posted anything. It's still going to be a while. Maybe tomorrow.

For now here's the new crib I got for Sarah Jane this weekend and the StorkLand garage sale. It's beautiful!! Some day we will have a house where I can make a room as beautiful as this crib.
We've got that to look forward to.

Sasha Denman

Here's the link to our friend's update blog. Her sister in law, Ruth, is updating it to let us know how she's doing. Please please please take a minute to pray for Sasha and Jeff. Also scroll down the blog to see a picture of the fire bowl that caused this horrible accident. If you have one, get rid of it and pass it on. It's way too dangerous!!!!

http://www.supportsasha.blogspot.com/

Tsunami Picture Blog

Uncle Booch and Sarah Jane Memorial Day at Barb and Jack's. We get it George, you're tan.

Georgia is such a weirdo sometimes. We keep this blanket in the car and she loves to put it on her head.

We've been watching the bird's nest on our front porch.

I told Georgia that was a mommy bird with her Georgia and Sarah Jane birds. It's been pretty fun to watch this little family. All of a sudden there were two baby birds sitting there. It's like they were eggs one day and then almost grown the next.

These pictures are of course out of order. Here's the new front porch for the playhouse after it's finished. Georgia took the inaugural steps and thought it was pretty neat. When we move to Nommie and Grandpa's house we'll put some potted plants on it and be in it every minute we can. It had a front porch on it when we were growing up with little stone steps leading to the sidewalk around the tree.

Marc putting the finishing touches on the new porch.

"Hard at work or hardly working?" - Shrek

Funny for obvious reasons.

Thank you so much for the ballerina ensemble, Kate!!

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we are at Veteran's Park in Arlington for Stroller Strides. Ducks have been paring up lately to start their own little families. This mom and dad duck were considering the playground we hang out at after our work out. All the kids gathered on this little platform and fed them. Marc was out of school that day so he just happened to tag along. Joanne is the other adult in the picture with all the kids: Georgia and Sarah Jane, Lilly, Kyle, Samuel and Adrien.

River inspecting Grandpa's stache. Just making sure it's real.

The last time all 3 of the Berre kids were home with their families we threw a surprise party for our parents birthdays. Georgia and Cruz waited as patiently as they could for birthday cake.

My mom's not pissed off, she's surprised to find all of their closest friends in the living room. It was a small party but it was perfect!! It was the kind of friends that are close enough to know to get my dad a ham for his birthday. He loved every bite of it!

2 months!!

It's official, she's a HUGE Bindel baby!! Here are her stats:

Weight: 15 pounds 4 ounces
Height: 24 inches
Cheeks: chubby
Percentiles for everything: Over 95%

Here are a few sweet pictures of this sweet, sweet baby girl. She makes me want to have more right now!!

Asleep in mommy's arms.

Smiling at Nommie.

More sweet smiles for her Nommie. I guess Georgia was asleep otherwise she would not let Nommie hold Sarah Jane. In case Nommie forgot, she belongs to Georgia.

Not No, But Not Right Now

So the house we made an offer on is for sure in foreclosure now. Originally it was going to be a short sale but the bank decided to foreclose on it. What does it mean for us?? It doesn't mean we won't get the house. It just means we're not getting it any time soon. The good thing is we're going to live with my parents rent free. The bad thing is we're going to live with my parents. They are of course wonderful in every way but what almost thirty year old wants to go back to their house? I am so thankful for them though.

Healthy living

I'm sure I heard this analogy somewhere else but it's so true. Prayer and time in the Bible are exactly like eating healthy and exercising. I think about this all the time.

Think about it. You hear about all these magic diets all the time where you don't have to give up the foods you love and you don't have to exercise. Guess what, they don't work. Even if you try them and loose a few pounds, it's only temporary and you're going to end up in maybe even worse shape than you started in. The only way to truly live a healthy life is to combine eating healthy and exercising. Yes, you can be pretty healthy by just eating right. Yes, you can be pretty healthy just exercising. But put those two together and you're unstoppable.

It's exactly the same when it comes to having a real and growing relationship with God. People want to get closer to the Creator by reading a certain book, listening to a certain pastor or speaker. Those things are all good but they aren't a substitute for time studying the Bible and praying. Yes, you can have a pretty healthy relationship with God by just reading the Bible. Yes, you can have a pretty healthy relationship with God by just praying. But put those two together and you're unstoppable. The Bible is our food. Praying is our exercise.

There's no other secret to a good spiritual life. That's it. Plain and simple. Study the Bible. Break it down. Get some notes on what was going on at the time a certain book of the Bible was written so you can better understand the context. See if there's any area of your life you can apply what you're reading to. If you don't see anything, just keep it in mind for the future.

Turn around and pray. Tell God thank you for the breath you're breathing. Tell Him thank you for anything and everything. When you feel like you don't have anything to be thankful for, thank Him for paying the price through the death of His Son so that you can even be talking to Him and have Him listen. Tell Him what's going on in your heart. Tell Him what you're feeling, what you're thinking. And just like you would in any other relationship, let Him respond and listen. It's hard to understand His voice right away. When my best friend and I were starting to get to know one another in jr. high, before the days of caller i.d., I'd have to ask who was on the other line when she called. After talking to her for a while, I recognized her voice right away. It's the same with God. The more you talk and listen, the quicker you'll recognize His voice.

When we're healthy in our relationship with God, we're healthy in life. Life's not easier, make not mistake, it's just better. He is our peace.

It's 10:06 p.m. and Georgia is still singing in her bed. The girl is a night owl!!

My girls

How wonderful is life??

Not running behind just more caught up

Sorry there haven't been any new blogs lately with pictures. The truth is that we're actually moving at a good pace here now which means I'm not sitting around "resting" as much. I just uploaded 161 pictures yesterday so I'll have to do a tsunami blog soon.

Moving to Wichita Falls June 20th. Kidney surgery June 25th.

That's it for now!!

I get that alot

This is who my dad thinks I look like with my new hair cut. It's shorter but still, not quite the modern compliment I was looking for.

Tests are done

I had both tests for my bladder and kidneys today and they went well. I got to watch the VCUG, the one where they put dye in my bladder to see if there's reflux into my kidneys. Unfortunately there was into my left kidney, the one with the kidney stones. Don't know what we'll do to fix that. I didn't get to see anything from the IVP, the test where they pump dye through the rest of my body to see everything else going on in my kidneys. My Urologist, Dr. Sambell, should be calling me tomorrow or Thursday to let me know what's next. Keep praying. I've had surgery before for the reflux problem but that was 24 years ago. So weird that I can say I did something 24 years ago.

A bird pooped on my head yesterday.

Cruz on the Cob

Cruzy had corn on the cob for the first time at our house this weekend. He did a great job eating it. Val was taking pictures and when we went back to look at them we noticed Georgia making this face in the back ground. She of course did not touch her corn on the cob.

It was very important that Cruz and Georgia drink their juice together where ever they were. Aunt Val, Duncle Dale and Cruzy came to see Sarah Jane on Sunday and spent the night. They were adorable together!

How cute is Cruzy?

Sarah Jane finally lost her cord so I was able to give her her first official bath. It had been so long since had used the tub. She's HUGE!! She loved every minute of it. Didn't cry one time. Georgia hated her bath the first few times but then grew to love it. Again, she's HUGE.

What a big girl. She likes to have her snacks in Sarah Jane's seat. She angles the little mirror so that she can see herself, kind of like the geek in Sixteen Candles when he and Molly Ringwald are sitting in the car at the school dance. Watch it. Laugh.

My friend Lisa "cooked" Pappasitos for us this past week. What a chef!! We gorged ourselves on awesome fajitas but Georgia loved the bag most of all.

She's helping me do everything else lately so why not cook? She did a great job making pancakes.

Georgia loves wearing my shoes. Yes, I do own another pair of shoes besides my Asics and Crocs.

Sweet sister kisses. No wonder both girls got colds and ear infections.

Grandpa has been stopping by on his way to and from different jobs in the DFW area. Each time he walks in the door he goes straight to the bathroom to get a wet rag and apply a temporary tattoo to each of Georgia's hands. He bought a big supply of Mickey Mouse tattoos that he keeps in his car now.

Catch up Blogs

I'm just going to post pictures with captions because I haven't blogged in so long. We have a ton of pictures and I don't know if I'll be awake long enough to post them tonight. All I can tell you is Sarah Jane is HUGE and getting bigger everyday. For real, she's almost out of 3 month clothes and she'll be 5 weeks old tomorrow. I love fat breastfed babies. Healthy healthy healthy.

The picture above is a great illustration of my life sometimes. Sarah Jane chilling, Georgia being goofy and laundry that needs to be folded and put up.

How sweet is this picture? Daddy and his girls.

Nommie, Georgia and Sarah Jane.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. This was the second time I let Georgia play in the potting soil before her bath time. I should have learned after the first time that I have to bathe her after she plays like this before I put her in her clean bed. This time she was taking fist fulls of dirt and throwing them over hand into the yard. She would start releasing the dirt right as it would pass over her head/shoulder so she was totally filthy.

This picture is pre-potting soil. She brought bear and piggy out to see the bubbles. When she put bear in the wagon she talked to him in her high pitched pretend voice and said, "Look bear, bubbles!" She had worn pigtails earlier that day. She always pulls them out when she's in her car seat. Post pigtail hair = Doc Brown hair.