Yes, I changed it again....

in honor of the upcoming holiday. For those of you that read my blog on a somewhat regular basis, you may notice that I changed the background again. I have become a little obsessed with blogging and like to change the background according to different holidays and seasons.
Speaking of the upcoming holiday, happy early 4th of July!
As ususal we don't have any big plans and that is perfectly ok with me. This time last year we bought a little kiddie pool for Savannah and let her play in it for the first time. She loved it! Shortly after that she was crawling. My how time flies! (unfortunately, our dog ate the pool because we left in the backyard blown up. I guess he thought it looked like a fun chew toy)
This year we will be going to Lake Jordan on Friday for Aric's annual office lake day. Aric's boss bought a lake house a few years back and had it completely re-done and I must say, it is awesome! Not a day goes by that we are not thankful for his job and the great benefits that are included.
Back to our plans for the weekend, Saturday is open to whatever we want to do (I love those kind of days) and Sunday is a glorious day to worship our Lord and Savior. Last but not least, Monday is a holiday for Aric (yay for 3 day weekends!) So as you can read, we are pretty simple folks.

One last thing before I go, I also like to post fun facts about the holidays that roll around. I hope you enjoy as much as I do! (it's the small things)

-When the holiday was declared a holiday. Although Independence Day is a legal holiday, it was not declared so until 1941. This was the date that signified the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
-The introduction of fireworks. The 4th of July is synonymous with firework displays and are a staple in the celebration. History shows that they were originally made in China as early as the 11th century. This was during the time that the Chinese people used pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.
-Uncle Sam. The 4th of July facts surrounding the term "Uncle Sam" was finally clarified and popularized during the War of 1812. This is when the term originally appeared on supply containers that held war materials. The "Uncle Sam" symbol became synonymous with servitude and devotion, as in Uncle Sam wants YOU. Although there was heavy recruitment taking place, Congress did not adopt Uncle Sam as national symbol until 1961.
-Two factoids. 1)Full support of the Declaration of Independence was not supported by all members of the Continental Congress 2)a representative of Congress rode horseback 80 miles to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.
-The Liberty Bell. Originally there were two versions of the Liberty Bell. At the time of their manufacturing, one was found to be defective and had to be melted and recast. The second bell subsequently was also found to be defective. It too had to be melted down and recast. Without any defective places, the third version of the Liberty Bell rang every 4th of July from 1778 to 1835. According to history and tradition, as it rang, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Cheif Justice John Marshall, the longest serving Cheif Justice in the Supreme Court.
-Our national poem. A Wellesley College professor, Katharine Lee Bates, was the author of the patriotic poem, "America the Beautiful" which was published on July 4, 1895.


Happy Independence Day Everyone!

A late Father's Day tribute

So, I know Father's Day was this past Sunday but my funny husband posted this on Facebook and I thought I would share it here on our blog.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did...oh, and thank you to all the dad's out there. We love you and would be lost without you.

p.s. you may need to pause my ipod music player on the right hand side of the blog so you can hear this better.

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Centerpoint Mission Team in Peru

I really feel like God lead me to make this blog post. I am not sure exactly what I am going to say so, hang in there, it should be worth your while.
This past Sunday our church, during the 9AM service, said a prayer for a group of missionaries that are now on the ground in Lima, Peru. Included in this group are mostly youth, some adults and a sweet family that are dear to our hearts. I have always prayed for mission trips and the missionaries that go on them but there was something different about this time.
I have never been on a mission trip, my husband has and I have known other people that have, and always hear wonderful stories about them. I always hear about how the person that went had intentions of being a blessing for someone else and in turn God takes that blessing and magnifies so that the person serving gets blessed ten fold. I have always thought that was so cool. Our God is always with us, working in our hearts and He does not disappoint!
This group that is in Peru is special. They have a heart for serving and they love the Lord. This may sound very cliche but I just have a feeling something extraordinary is going to happen. I'm sure extraordinary things happen on mission trips all the time, but I feel like this is different.
For those of you that follow our blog, if you could take a few minutes and say a prayer with me for this mission team. I am praying that God will reveal Himself in every situation while the missionaries are there and God will fill the team with the Holy Spirit to spread God's love like never before so that those people who may not know Jesus, will really be able to see Him right there, before their very eyes.
This mission trip is a great reminder for me, that even though I am not actually on a trip with a team in another country, that the mission field is right here, every day. I need to constantly put on the armor of God (as mentioned in Ephesians 6) and be a missionary for my family, friends and community. We all do. Now I am not saying that lightly, because I know it can be difficult. We all get caught up in our day to day routines and may sometimes lose track of where we are heading. If we can just always have that mindset of being on a mission everyday and with prayer and thanksgiving, lift our lives up to the Lord, He will show us the way make us powerful missionaries of Him.
I thank God for missionaries. Not everyone has a heart for missions and for some, it may come easier than others. Please pray for our team and pray for other missionaries out there. People need to hear about Christ and it is through us believers that people can hear about Him.

Thank you and God Bless!

just blogging...

We have survived our first week at MDO! For the summer Savannah is only going 2 days a week: Monday and Wednesday. That may change in the fall but we will just have to see. I didn't get as much done around the house as I thought I would with her being gone. I didn't plan very well on Monday by cleaning the kitchen and living room. I can do that kind of stuff when she is here. I should have gotten in her room and tackled it, because that is the most difficult to do. She likes to get in there while I am cleaning and undo everything I have just picked up. It is also hard to clean her room when she is napping. I will plan better next week and try to do stuff that I really can't get done while she is here. Savannah did very well for her first week at MDO. She cried for literally, a minute, at drop off on Monday. I wasn't able to take her on Wednesday because I had to take the 3 hour glucose tolerance test (yuck) but Aric said she did very well. The two teachers in her room are very sweet and on Monday when I went to pick her up she was so happy! On Wednesday she had fallen asleep, took a good nap when we got home and woke up happy. Happy baby=happy mommy! I think she will really enjoy it for the remainder of the summer and then we will continue doing this in the fall and even the spring. I'll be honest, I really wasn't that nervous dropping her off the first day like I thought I would be. It really just felt like dropping her off at our church's nursery on Sunday's. (I guess it did help that we had been there before and met the teacher's so we kind of knew what to expect.) Either that or maybe I was just ready for a break! :)

A couple of weeks ago was Savannah's 18 month check-up. It was uneventful but I will go ahead and mention a few things about it. She weighs 23lbs and is 30 1/2 inches long. Her head circumference is 19 inches! Basically I have petite baby with a big head! (lol) Aric and I tend to joke to one another about how big her head is. We aren't doing it to be mean, I promise, but as big as her head is, she can really pull it off because we think she is still SO CUTE! She got one shot, cried for a few seconds and then was fine. She seems to be doing well developmentally. Everything she does seems to be right on track with her age. For example, stacking blocks, saying a lot of words, mimicking (sp?), trying to dress herself and feeding herself. Those are just few things that doctor asked about. I have to share one cute thing she is now doing that we have been working with her on. Praying. Before meals, specifically. She will take our hands and sort of bow her head while we pray and then at the end of the prayer she very energetically says, AMEN! It is really cute and we hope and pray that this is the start of many more spiritual lessons to come.

I believe I have mentioned before that Savannah's favorite new word is "NO". And she uses it in the right context. She has also become quite the little whiner and tantrum thrower if she doesn't get her way. We are trying very hard to work with her on this but it is tough! Anyone else having similar issues with her toddler?? Please let me know how you handle it because sometimes she acts out in ways I just can't believe! We went to a birthday party last weekend and they had one of the huge blow up/jumper slides. I convinced Aric to carry her on there, since there were mostly big kids playing, I didn't want her to get trampled. Savannah ended up loving it and of course wanted to go again and again and again. I even took her up a few times. When we decided she had enough we told her "no more" and she threw her first real tantrum ever. She pulled out all the bells and whistles for this one. She threw herself on the floor, screaming bloody murder and crying hysterically. I picked her up, looked her in the eye, told her to stop or she will get a spanking. She didn't stop so I spanked her and told her that this was not the right way to behave at a birthday party, then I just let her cry it out. She stopped a little while later and was fine for the rest of the time. WHEW! Whether she understood me or not, I don't know but it was tough! Disciplining an 18 month old is not easy. (for me anyway)

As for the whining, she is the queen of it. I try every day to get her to tell me what she wants, sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn't. I know people say be careful what you wish for, but sometimes I do wish she could just go ahead and say complete sentences so I knew what she wants or doesn't want. I feel like that would ease the whining a little. As headstrong as she can be sometimes, she can also be the sweetest little princess. Oh, joys of parenting. There is never a dull moment.

I recently just had another prenatal checkup. I am now 28 weeks along and everything is looking great. The baby's heartbeat is strong at around 148 and my belly is measuring about 28 centimeters. Everyone keeps telling me how little I look to be due in September but I don't feel little. Getting around is more difficult these days and I sweat at just the thought of being hot. I did fail my 1hour glucose screening. (by 4 points) The doctors like to see anything below 140 and I was at 144. I had to take the 3 hour tolerance test yesterday. I also had to take it with Savannah and everything turned out fine. I am pretty confident that it will turn out fine this time. My next appointment is July 7! I can't believe how fast September 3 is coming. That is right around the corner! I cannot wait to meet my sweet baby boy! (I still have a hard time saying that) I am just so used to girls I don't know what to do with a boy but I am so excited! I LOVE him so much already and look forward to raising 2 beautiful children.

One last thing and I really need to go. It is grocery store day and I'd like to go ahead and get it done before the heat of the day gets here.

I have recently started a new book called "Grace Based Parenting" by Dr. Tim Kimmel. I am only on Chapter 3 but so far it is wonderful. I suggest that every parent purchase this book and read it. It is a very easy read and the author expains a new way of learning to see ourselves and our children through God's limitless tenderness-to raise our kids the way God raises us. The author focuses on the model and guidance provided by God who is the ultimate child and family expert. (I just paraphrased the description on the back of the book)

Enjoy your day everyone! God bless!

Emily

P.S. As for the new picture at the top of our blog. This is one my favorites. This picture was taken while on our trip to the mountains. She had just woken up and already wanted to go outside. That is why she is wearing her PJ's and sandals and her hair is a mess. Anyway, I have tried and tried to capture her "cheesin" face that she makes when she smiles really big and this was the best I could get. I absolutely love it and just had to share!

Summer 2010 Pictures

The first few pictures are from Savannah's 1st day at MDO. Truth be told, though, this was last week when I originally thought MDO started. Either way, you get the point. She looked just as cute today, I just forgot to take pictures. (hmm...surprise, surprise)

The next two pictures are self explanatory. The last set, however, is from our trip to Blue Ridge, GA. I have many more pictures of the cabin and other scenic shots that I am trying to put up on Facebook but it is just not letting me right now. We had a fabulous time! The scenic train ride, took us along the Toccoa River and it was about an hour long. Our destination was McCaysville, TN where we had about 2 1/2 hours to shop, eat and site see. We then hopped back on the train back to GA and enjoyed the rest of the weekend.



Cute lunchbox I got to go with the backpack

Cute backpack I got for MDO

First day at MDO

My sweetie!

Savannah swinging at Ainsley's 2nd birthday

On 0ur hike at Fall Branch Falls

Aric and Savannah on the hike

The train we took to McCaysville, TN

The Toccoa River

Another scenic shot along our train ride

The Scoop

I have been trying to keep up our blog as often as I can, but looking back at past posts, I feel like I have been slacking. For all of our faithful followers out there, I really want you to enjoy what you are reading! So, here's the scoop as to what has been going on in the Lobenstein household.

We recently had a good friend of mine move in with us! Yep, you read correctly. My sweet friend Brandy is now our housemate. I know a lot of people out there probably think we are crazy. We already don't have the biggest house in the world, we have 2 dogs already, an 18 month old and hormonal pregger trying to get ready for a new little one due in September. (hmm...maybe we have lost it?) Did I mention that Brandy also has a dog? It is kind of a complicated story and I really don't think she would appreciate me throwing all of her business out there so I will just say this: We are glad to help and in a way she will be helping us. Yes, this did require some sacrifice, not only on our part, but hers as well. So far things are going well. (I guess it helps that I have lived with her before and know what to expect.) I have always been open to helping friends whenever they need us but you never know when someone will really need you. Aric and I both felt God tugging at hearts to help Brandy and I pray that all of us will be humbled and only grow stronger to the Lord because of this experience.

Savannah is definitely keeping me busy these days. I know I have probably mentioned that before, but WOW, I am worn out by days end and sometimes I just don't know what to do. Before we got pregnant with baby #2, we had discussed the possibility of having another child and we were both on the same page as far as wanting them close in age. It took me a couple of months to warm up to the idea and when I did, I was excited about the the possibility of having another baby and that Savannah would have a sibling so close in age to her. I did think about how it may be a little more difficult with two little ones and my time management skills would definitely be put to the test. That apparently didn't really sink in, however, until just a couple of weeks ago. I have been really overwhelmed lately. Thinking about how busy Savannah is now and how in the world I am going to handle her and a newborn. I am very thankful for MDO and having parents that live close by because those two things are going to be helping me out a lot here shortly. As overwhelmed as I get sometimes, I do not regret this decision to have more children. It is HUGE blessing. (even if I have to remind myself most days) I guess if I wasn't overwhelmed something would be wrong with me!
Speaking of being overwhelmed, my brain has been turned to mush also. For those of you on Facebook, you already know this but, Aric and I took Savannah to her "first"day of MDO this past Monday only to find out that it doesn't start until this Monday (June 14) I was SO embarrassed. Who does that? (Me, apprently) I can laugh about it now I just hope I get my brain back after Thomas is born.

On to more fun things, Savannah has started a month long class at the Prattville Y called Gym and Swim. It is 30 minutes of gym time, and 20 minutes of swim time with a 10 minute break in-between each session so you can get ready for swim after gym. Let me just say that Savannah loves it! The gym time is for infants and toddlers who are walking to help develop motor skills, hand eye coordination, etc. We practice jumping, forward rolls, crawling through, over and under certain obstacles, balance beam time and running then jumping on to something. Of course all of these things are done with assistance by the parent and gym instructor, who is very good with the little ones. I have participated with Savannah during the gym time and then Aric will come to the Y in time for the swimming portion. The swimming portion is not so much lessons as it is getting your child acclimated with the water. There are 4 or 5 teen lifeguards in the water with the parents and children and they are wonderful! They are so good with the kids and make the swim time a lot of fun, even singing is involved! Savannah does very well in the water with Aric. She will even let him dunk her underwater! The classes are every Tuesday and Thursday in the month of June. I wish every YMCA did this because it is a great way to bond with your child and get them used to new and fun things.

We have started on the nursery for Thomas. There really isn't that much left to do but paint. We have primed the walls and all mud work has been done. All there is to do is get the furniture and bedding set up and we can call it good. We are going to keep his nursery a little bit more simple than Savannah's. Not that we don't care about this one as much, but with it being a boy we figured we didn't need to go as fancy, plus we are keeping in mind selling the house soon and want future buyers to picture themselves here.

Savannah had her follow up appointment for her tubes surgery yesterday in Bham. It was a very uneventful visit but good nonetheless. Her ears look beautiful, according to the doctor and she has had no problems! I was one happy mommy leaving the doctor yesterday. We decided to celebrate and took a quick trip to the galleria. It was all good until I realized I didn't have the stoller. Savannah held my hand the whole time and did well, for the most part. A few stores later, she started getting a little fussy and I had what I needed so we decided to head home.

The weekend is now here and it is another busy one, clean house, birthday party, visit with friends, go to church, kickball (yes, Aric joined a kickball league) then come home and try and enjoy some family. I will try and do better a posting 'real' updates. Things happen, then so much has happened that when it is time to blog, I don't know what to blog about besides random stuff.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend and I will be reporting back Monday about Savannah's first really day of MDO. Yes, I am sure that this Monday is the first day. I double checked! :)

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Today I have been married to my sweet husband for 2 years! A lot has happened in 2 years and I am extremely blessed for the time we have had together. I thank God for him and am looking forward to many more years ahead.

I don't want to get too mushy on this blog but would like to say a few things.

It is really cool how God works. God brought us together in the most unexpected way (while I was still working at Regions, he was one of my clients.) I would have never thought I would meet my husband at my job. We just simply went to lunch one day and the rest is history. Aric and I are complete opposites. I am the free spirit and he is the nerd. Yes, I said it, the nerd. I can say that openly because he knows it and we both agree. God makes no mistakes and He knew what he was doing when he brought us together. We learn so much from one another and our differences that I truly believe we grow stronger every day. (with God in the center, of course.) I can literally tell Aric anything. He is truly my best friend and completes me in so many ways.

Aric, if you are reading this, I love you and am so thankful for 2 wonderful years! Looking forward to many more and thanking God for you every day. :)

Here's to us!

I LOVE MY WIFE!!!

Today marks the 2nd Anniversary of the day God allowed me to commit the remainder of my life to my beautiful and amazing wife.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank Him for bringing her to me and allowing me the opportunity to share in a relationship so awesome and special.  Happy Anniversary Emily.  I love you - more than you'll ever know!  Thank you for your strong, Christian love and for being just exactly who you are.  You make me want to be a better man and I'll love you til the ends of the earth!