Green beans and carrots

My little Rilyn is five months old and such a treasure.  She's eating green beans, carrots and cereal.  Not sure what we'll add to the menu next.  She is rolling over, sitting up without much help and talks up a storm.

As challenging as two girls can be, I cannot imagine my life without them.  Karsyn is an amazing big sister.  She helps with what she can - fetching things, putting things away, holding baby's hand while she cries, making baby laugh.  I am so incredibly blessed.

Outside circumstances try to steal our joy and happiness, but when I look at these girls - no matter what is happening around us, I know God is bigger than any situation Ryan and I face.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

I am clinging to that verse.  I repeat it in my mind, heart, and aloud.  I am claiming God's promise for my family.  I don't know how things will work out - I just know they will.

Faith, like patience cannot develop unless it is tested.  We are relying on you Lord.  See us through.

I hope all of you are well and have the happiest holidays.

The Power of Words

 Prevailing Faith  > Streaming Sermons > Recently Added Streams > Faith The Word System part 1 and 2

I must say, God surely works in amazing ways.  I have visited Prevailing Faith Church twice and both times my heart is just full.  

The sermons I listed above are lengthy, but worth every second of your time.  I know my heart has changed because of the message.  

I will learn to "pause my mouth," and remember that my words have power over my life.

"There is nothing so chaotic in your life that the spoken word of God in faith cannot bring light out of the darkness and put things back in the right place." 

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Our little family is doing well.  Rilyn will be 5 months old on the 21st.  At her last doctor's appointment, she weighed in at a whopping 15.2 lbs!  She's rolling over, drooling, and cooing like crazy.

Karsyn is officially 3 1/2 years old.  She LOVES to remind me that she's going to be four soon.  Of course, I'm happy to watch her grow and learn, but it stings just a bit to think about how quickly she has grown.

Ryan and I are doing well.  Some of you know, Ryan has been suffering from migraines/general pain for several years now.  Thanks to God and good doctors, we see a light at the end of this tunnel.  Ryan will have surgery December 6 to help clear up a majority of the pain he feels in his sinuses.  After this surgery, we will re-evaluate the other symptoms and decide where to go from there.

Enjoy the sermons.  I pray you will find time to listen to them...I'm listening as I type...turns out, I'd rather listen than blog.  =)

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Parenting - the most rewarding, frustrating, thankless, rewarding job ever.  There is no greater satisfaction than holding those little miracles and knowing God has trusted us to raise them.  Ryan and I are both determined to raise our girls in a manner pleasing to Him.

Karsyn - the most beautiful, kind-hearted, intelligent, creative, happiest little girl I've ever known has been testing boundaries in ways I never could imagine.  The challenge:  how to properly discipline a 3 year old for lying, stealing, and disobedience? 

I'm posting this in hopes some of you experienced parents could lend some advice.  

Once we discovered she stole from a store, we took her back to the store where she returned the merchandise and apologized to the manager.  We have also taken away her TV/Movie privileges for a week.

In response to her lying, we have taken away some of her toys.

Time out doesn't seem to work.  Spankings don't work (we gave up on that a loooong time ago).

Of course with every offense, we discuss the situation, explain why it's wrong, brainstorm ways we can do the right thing, and exchange hugs and kisses along with reassurance that we love her, she's a good person, we just don't like her behavior....

Feel free to chime in.

Kim and Ryan

My my, look at the time.

Is it August already?  Seems like yesterday since I blogged last.  Apparently time really does fly when you're having fun. 

My last post was in April and I believe I was worried (as always) about something.  Most likely, my concern was finding a place to live before A) my lease ran out or B) the baby arrived.  I suppose I'll start there.

May - Ryan and I found a wonderful rental home in the Ellington Field/South Belt area.  3 bed, 2 bath, dining room, detached garage, on a cul-de-sac street filled with children Karsyn's age.  

Our home is blue with a red door and shutters.  It has two large palm trees, three crepe myrtles, red rose bushes, honey suckles and other pretty landscaping that I LOVE.  Of course we've added flowers of our own, including a vegetable garden that Karsyn started when we first moved here.  We're still waiting for her crops to come in, but it's been fun watching everything grow.

Our neighbors are wonderful - a couple of SAHMs, a couple of teachers, and about five children whose age range from 3 years to 6 years.  Everyone is very friendly and laid back.

We moved in May 21 (which was exactly one month from the baby's arrival).

June - I made it to the end of the school year without having the baby (we were all surprised and relieved).  She was due June 14 but decided June 21 was a better day.  

Delivery Day unfolded with several twists and turns.  I was originally going to be induced at 4 a.m. Thursday (June 21).  Wednesday, I was extremely nauseous and unable to hold down the meds to help with my symptoms.  I was admitted to the hospital early Wednesday afternoon for IV fluids.  Around 8 p.m. I started having contractions, so the doctor put me on pitocin for the night.  

All was going well.  I had my epidural.  I got a little rest.  I had a MAD craving for M&Ms but wasn't allowed to eat anything.

Thursday morning, I made no progress.  The baby was still high and there was no indication she was ready to be born.  I was informed I would have to have a C-Section (which royally freaked me out).  At this point, I was feeling contractions even though I had an epidural.  

Little did I know my epidural was falling out and was rendered worthless for the rest of the day.  

                     This is where I give a shout out to Ryan and my sister for holding my hand throughout that  ordeal.  Seriously, I could have broken bones I was in so much pain.  Ryan will tell you - I tried to get up out of bed so I could "go home and deal with all of this mess later."

After I stopped freaking out and decided I was okay with a C-Section, the nurse checked me to discover I was a good eight to nine centimeters dialated AND the baby had dropped and was in position.  

A short time later I was ready to rock and roll.  Four pushes, several swear words and a couple of screams later, Rilyn Brianna came into this world.  

July - There was a lot of rain in July.  I think Karsyn and I truly developed cabin fever for a couple of days.  Whew.

We did a lot to keep busy - circus, library days, crocodile encounters, etc.  There was a lot of turmoil - I won't bore you with details.  All is better now with only a few loose ends that need to be tied.  We can give all the praise to God for helping us with that.  

August - Here we are.  This month has been weird too.  Prayers for my Memaw, Papaw, Mother-In-Law, neighbor - Jerry, and our four-legged-friend Gibson.  Each of them need healing.

  Gibson is Ryan's dog who has become our dog.  Karsyn and I have grown to adore him.  About a week ago he was not his happy-go-lucky self.  We took him to the vet to discover his heart is too big, working too hard, and is very deteriorated. Ryan knew all along Gibson had heart trouble, but we never dreamed it would get to this point. Sweet Gibs is going to be on medication for the rest of his life.  It's been a very sad week since we found out the news.  Of course, Ryan is taking it harder than anyone (who can blame him?).  Gibson doesn't act sick.  I don't even know if he knows he's sick.  We were told to just make him comfortable.

  In other news, I'm gearing up for a new school year.  I've been moved from a four-teacher team to a two-teacher team.  The awesome part is that I'll be working with Rebecca (who was my MOH in the wedding).  

I'm not going to lie - I called her earlier to vent about all the stress I can feel building up inside me.  I'm nervous about teaching two subjects - especially ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading) because it's a tested subject.  There are other factors I'm not 100% comfortable with.  Leave it to Becca to snap me out of it and pull be back down to reality.

I think it's interesting I've been put on her team.  I really sense that God is working through this situation.  I've been doing a lot of reflecting and I can see things about myself that need to be changed.  Funny thing about change - it's not easy.  I feel like I could be a nugget of gold being held over the fire to remove impurities.  In the end, I'm going to be so much better.

So I think this gets us up to speed on some things.  To summarize:  A) We have a great home B) We have a precious new baby, Rilyn C) Drama sucks, but good things come from crappy situations sometimes D) Pray for our loved ones E) God is working on making me a better person.

There will be a quiz on all of this in the morning.

K

 

Leap of Faith

When I hear the phrase "leap of faith," an image of Indiana Jones pops in my head.  You know the one, where he is to walk across an invisible bridge.  Brave as he is, ole' Indiana hesitates before taking that first, big step into what looks like thin air.

I took a "leap of faith" about two weeks ago.  I don't think I ever prayed over an email before that day - but I did.  I sent in my 60 day notice to the apartment complex.  Not that big of a deal, right? 

Let me explain.  We are scheduled to move out of our apartment by June 14 (the same day the baby is due). As of right now, we don't have a set place to move in to.

Awesome thing about having faith  - all you need is a mustard seed.  Mrs. C (Becca's Mom) and I had a wonderful convesation just a couple of days after I hit send on that email.  She reminded me that we have all the faith we need already  inside us - we just have to trust in it. 

Since the email, we have found a realtor who has been very helpful.  She gave us a list of several homes that match our criteria, we gave her a list of about 11 homes we were interested in.  She was able to weed out homes and show us ones worth looking into.  Our number one favorite is under contract - but thanks to her, we got to see our number two and three pick.  Turns out, we LOVE the number two pick and we are planning on putting in an application for it in the morning.

This is where faith comes in.  We've asked God for a home.  We have faith that God will provide.  Now it's just a matter of details - which I feel will be handled for us.  I know that if we are meant to have this house - God will provide it. 

I will keep you posted on the results!  Pray for this situation for us!  Thanks!

Talk about a tear jerker!

Ryan here.

So tonight Kim and I were going through the bedtime routine with Karsyn and out of her tiny little mouth came a sentence that shows she has a heart of pure innocence that only a sweet, little, (soon to be) 3-year-old can have. A heart that has yet to be touched by this difficult thing called life. A heart so full of love and kindness that it could take even the pesimistic person to a greater place. A heart so pure that it's almost as if you can hear an over tone of Jesus himself.

So Karsyn is lying down, Kim is sitting on her bed, I am on the floor, and Gibson is laying at the foot of her bed. Sunday nights, Kim's parents keep her over night. We were telling her how Gibson was looking for her and was so sad that he couldn't find her.

Out of nowhere she said it - the phrase that melted my heart. "I will ALWAYS Come Back To Gibson! Always!" (This is what Kim and I tell her whenever we drop her off somewhere.  "Mommy and Daddy will always come back for you.")

Such sencerity, Such Love! She is his girl and even more so he is her puppy!

Then as if that wasn't enough to bring tears to my eyes she starts leading us in our night time prayers!

"Dear Jesus thank you for all our blessings, for blessing Mommy and Daddy, June Bug, and Karsyn. I love you very much."

I couldn't be prouder. I couldn't be happier. More important though I couldn't have had a better reminder to be thankful. Even more so I couldn't have had a better reminder to simply let go and let the love in my heart shine.

It's so simple... so simple that the complexity of our adultness seems to overlook it. Sometimes it really does just take the innocence of a child to remind us to push all the BS of life to the side and let the love in our hearts shine.

So with this said, I am thankful for my beautiful wife, my precious daughter, my best friend Gibson, the health of my daughter on the way, and the fact that we are all here under this tiny 2-bedroom apartment roof together to share each other's company. May tonight forever be a memory embedded in my heart.

My Husband the Hero

Third trimester aches and pains make easy tasks extremely difficult.  Even just getting off the couch without help is a challenge. 

Thank goodness for Ryan. 

My after work to do list looked something like this:
- Dr. Appointment
- Pick up Karsyn
- Grocery store
- Cook dinner
- Night time routine
- Pass out (eventually)

Here's what I actually did:
- Dr. Appointment
- Picked up Karsyn
- Hung out at my parents
- Ate some dinner
- Night time routine
- Blog

This husband of mine - who HATES crowds - ESPECIALLY grocery stores took my mile-long list (and coupons) and came back with just about everything we need to get us through the week.  He even got extras - icy/hot patches for my sore back and a reusable hot pack for everything else that hurts!

Talk about blessed.  Seriously. 

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In other news, Ryan recently went to the doctor to figure out the cause of his frequent migraines, fatigue, etc. 

After extensive blood work, the doctor thinks he has the answer to our questions.  We are thankful because now we can discuss treatments that will actually HELP him instead of just taking things to treat the symptoms.

Keep the situation in your prayers and as we learn more, we will share more.

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My my how quickly time flies

The countdown begins! 

Less than 9 weeks until summer vacation.  

Thursday will mark the 10 week countdown until baby June Bug arrives.  

My lease is out June 15...

Do you get where I'm going here?

We have a lot to do and very little time to work with. 

Priority numero uno:  Find a new place to live.  

We are searching for a rental house with at least 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   

I am confident we will find a place that suits our needs, we just haven't found it yet.

Any and all leads, tips and prayers will be greatly appreciated!

Oh, and volunteers to help us move - when we do find a place to move to....  :-)

Proverbs 13:24

Proverbs 13:24

24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Oh parenting.  With all the instruction manuals out there - why doesn't one come with kids?  

I guess part of being two is testing limits and boundaries.  Karsyn has gotten REALLY good at testing her limits with me. I'd say six times out of ten, I don't give in.  The four times I do give in don't help the situation (inconsistency).  Luckily, Ryan doesn't fall for her big alligator tears and sweet little voice.  I learn something new from him every day.  There is a way to discipline a child with respect - and he's really good at it.

Karsyn had a roller coaster evening as far as emotions (happy one minute, borderline fit the next).  Ryan told her at one point (during an almost fit moment) that if we had to get on to her one more time she'd have to go straight to bed (no stories).  *Sidebar - if you know Karsyn, you know the WORST thing you can do is not have a bed time story.*

While we were finishing up dinner, she did something I specifically asked her not to do.  Karsyn didn't even have a chance to blink.  Ryan scooped her up and put her in her bed.  Of course, this had never happened before.  In the past, I'd take away stories and at the last minute read one anyway. 

 Not tonight.  Ryan had her tucked in tight within two minutes of her infraction.  He explained everything to her - in a way she understood.  Me, being the bleeding heart I am, decided that moment would be a great time to take a shower.  When I got out, Karsyn was laying quietly in her bed.  Ryan informed me that she would like to apologize for not listening.

She was still pretty upset about having to go straight to bed, but she understood that she didn't listen.  

 I've heard parents and grandparents say, "This will hurt me more than it hurts you," when it comes to disciplining their child.  I never understood that until Karsyn.

I just hope that in the end she learned. 

I hope as parents, Ryan and I are doing the right thing.

Nothing major to report...

I'm sitting on my side of the bed...typing this blog.

Ryan is on his side of the bed...looking at new cars.

Karsyn is snoozing.

June Bug (the baby) is doing acrobatics in my belly.

Gibson is staring out the window.

Oh married life!

In other news, Ryan cooked dinner tonight!  Sloppy Joes - they were good!

Feels like things might be settling.

I like it!

Kim

P.S.  I feel like we've made some headway with some big decisions. In an earlier post, I was troubled about whether to switch Karsyn's school. I think Ryan and I are both comfortable with the decision to leave her where she is for now.

One Month

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a41324d6a45784d44513d0d0a&blogview=true

Enjoy!

Love,
The Snell Family

Change is in the air...

With so many things already in the air, why would I consider adding more change to our plate?  

It's bizarre how opportunities for change present themselves.  This one came in the form of an unexpected email.  Prior to this electronic proposition, the thought of making this particular change never once occurred to me. My first thought was, "Nope. I'm happy with the current situation."  If that's the truth, why did I give this idea a second thought?

Not just a second thought...I am fixated on the idea.

Problem is, I am not a huge fan of big changes - and this one isn't small.

I've been doing research all day.  Websites, phone calls, talking to people about it...my brain just won't stop.

I know this falls under the category of:  Give it to God and He will guide us in the right direction.

The problem is:  I'm a control freak and letting go is hard.

Oy.

In other news, Spring Break is right around the corner and I don't have anything planned!  We were going to try to spend a few days in Denver, but the travel industry is sneaky and jacked the prices WAY up for the week.  So it looks like the Snells will be staying local this spring break. 

I'm thinking about hitting up the zoo, some museums, painting, catching up on some good books and catching some R&R.  Oh, and possibly finishing up some thank you notes since we are slowly (but surely) getting to open some of our wedding gifts.

Speaking of wedding gifts - we received a wonderful spice rack and a set of Pyrex, but the card that went with these items are nowhere to be found...so whoever gave us the spice rack and Pyrex, identify yourselves so we can send you a thank you note!

Alright.  Enough typing.  Karsyn needs a bath and I've got a home to maintain.  

A woman's job is never done...is it?

Two Weeks Later: Ryan's Point of View

So after 14 days of happiness I have come to the conclusion that marriage is tricky.. Not bad.. just tricky. A LOT of give and take! For some1 who enjoys solitude you get basically no privacy which is an adjustment.

 It's strange not having an escape after an argument but even better that you have the ability to make up and not let it linger. It's very nice to be able to be part of things such as b...ed time and stories. I rarely got to before and even though I'm not a huge part of that routine it's comforting to just be there.

 It's also nice to sit with each other, even if I'm playing playstation and Kim is blogging there is just something about being bored with each other that is so much more uplifting then being bored alone. 

One of my favorite things has been to see all the little quirks come to life. They are so annoying (as I'm sure mine are to her as well) but now that they are there I just can't imagine my life without them.

 The tricky part has been "How do you maintain individuality while living a codependent life?" I don't have the answer to this question yet. Maybe the answer is you don't. Maybe that's what makes a marriage special... or maybe the ability to live individual lives within a greater circle of dependancy is what makes a marriage special. Regardless of the answer I feel confidant, happy, and hopeful.

 To a lot of people 2 socially damaged people, a 2 yr old, a baby on the way, and a giant mutant slobbery boxer in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment would be the example of how not to wind up. For me that is exactly what my life is. It is exactly what suits me and defines who I am. It is exactly what God blessed me with and I couldn't be happier or more thankful that he did. 

While some people have huge houses, lots of $, fancy clothes, or flashy cars we have a loving household full of clueless people from me down to Gibson but we are making it work. Not only making it work but thriving in the love that holds this family together.

 For those that know me I never thought I would say this but I absolutely love my life & maybe that is the trickiest part of all for me. Accepting the fact that I am happy, that I do love my life, that I have the girl of my dreams, a wonderful daughter, a healthy baby on the way, and my best friend in Gibson here to share it with me.

 I thrive in chaos but nothing is chaotic. Everything is wonderful. To quote a friend of mine "This is a smile that I've never shown before, somebody wake me cause I must dreaming." But if this is a dream I say let me sleep forever. 

For a little punk to grow into a half decent man to have everything he could ever want before he turns 30... Not too shabby. =)

(Almost) Two Weeks and Counting

13 days of happily ever after.  Things seems to be gelling pretty well for us.  Some of our big worries have proven to be non-issues whereas things we (I) didn't give much thought to have reared their ugly heads. 

Ugly head:  Living Situation

Ryan and I are going to stay in my little two bedroom apartment until our lease is out (and we can find a bigger place). The biggest challenge so far is consolidating two homes into one.  He has the nicer stuff, I have basics. Making room for everything and deciding what stays and what goes has been an interesting process.  From what I can tell, we are switching couches, TVs, and possibly bedroom furniture.  Any volunteers to help us with this venture will be greatly appreciated...especially since the closer to June we get, the closer we are to meeting June Bug (our pet-name for the baby).

Non-issues:  We were concerned about how Karsyn and Gibson would get along living under the same roof.  Anytime they were together prior to living together, they would annoy each other.  Now that we share a space, they are pretty cute together.  They follow each other around, he wakes her up in the mornings and helps tuck her in.  She LOVES taking him for walks.  Karsyn even tells Gibson secrets.

Some fun things to report:  I was Ryan's date to a N.A.P.E (National Association of Petroleum Exploration) party.  IT WAS AWESOME!  His company hosted a party at the House of Blues downtown.  I loved dressing up, meeting his coworkers, and best of all, being introduced as his WIFE!  [Insert high-pitched squeal here]

Oh, if you're wondering - we haven't opened all our wedding gifts yet.  We are still working on that, so please don't think we don't appreciate you for your awesomeness - because I promise you - WE DO!

Love,

Kim and Ryan

Ryan and Gibson reading Karsyn a bed time story.