7 Quick Takes -A Big Anniversary, Detachment, and Cloth Diapers

I can’t believe it’s Friday already! This week felt way shorter than most, probably because of the long weekend coupled with a night away with DH (and the baby) for our 5 year anniversary. The vacation mentality has sort of infiltrated the entire week so that aside from working a little harder on blog posts, not a whole lot has gotten done (story time, morning walk, putting clothes way etc.) But, I have so much on my mind, that it’s easy to find 7 things to post about.

Also, ever since I read last week’s QTs The kids and I have been seriously rocking out to: somebody I used to know.

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Over the long weekend we celebrated our 5 year anniversary 😀 DH realized about a week before, as did I, and thought to himself, we should do something! So he asked his parents if they would babysit and we had a night away in Lunenberg. I’d never been but it’s a beautiful little waterfront town. We did have the baby with us, but we still managed to see some great fireworks on Canada Day as well as share cake under the moon and enjoy a nice quiet breakfast out in the sunshine.

Since then I’ve been noticing an incredible deepening of intimacy, at least from my end. It’s amazing what one night away can do for the intimacy in a marriage, but also just hitting the 5 year mark. Looking back on all we’ve been through together- especially over the last 5 years, all the life we shared- it’s so special, and it makes me feel so close to him! I was just thinking the other morning how he truly is my other half. He is the one who compliments me and my characteristics and ways, AND he is the one who truly loves me. He is the perfect calm balance to my crazy emotions, he calls and challenges and fights against my selfishness and inspite of it all he accepts and loves me! Intimacy – ‘to know and to be known, to be deeply respected.’ No one else comes close. After 5 years of marriage and 8 years together, I’ve never felt more in love with him. ♥

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Since my weekend of transformation, most of the time, I have been able to feel the spirit’s presence and thus close to God. And it’s starting to actually influcence my day-to-day life 🙂 Reflecting on how I’ve been responding lately, when something happens, especially something that I don’t like, I have been tapping into the spirit for guidance and grace. Whatever needs we bring to him, he will fill, always, even if it’s simply giving us the peace to accept our circumstances etc. I don’t know why I never thought to try to tap into it anytime, anywhere (instead of just in praise and prayer) Of course, the Holy Spirit is always with us, I was just too caught up in ME most of the time to nice! The difference now is a more constant posture of humility. You are doing a mighty work in me!

– So many mornings when I wake up tired I’ve felt like I don’t want to pray.. but laying in on Wednesday morning I remembered just a little more who God is, and I looked forward to that communion and for his help, on a day where I know I’m more likely to need it!

-From Cornerstone:
‘Material possessions are not bad. God gives them to us to help us. But, we have to afford them the correct place in our lives.
For each thing we own, we should be able to ask ourselves, ‘How does this bring me closer to God?’ For example, if I use my shoes to share the gospel, to go to work, to go to church, to care for my family etc, then it’s probably a good idea to keep them.

Someone asked St Francis ‘what would you do if the Jesuits were completely disbanded ? – (ie, something bad happened to something you cared deeply about). He responded, ‘ I would go on my knees for 15 minutes, and then never think of it again.’ Wow.

It’s not that we overvalue material possessions most of the time, it’s that we don’t value God enough. When we live our lives as if heaven is really real, then we can’t help but be changed by it.’

-The King on a cross, no one could see His kingship… ‘One day llove will wear a crown…’ Love is king. And, it HAD to be that way! (God’s justice couldn’t change the rules, he could only pardon) What a King!

-Through all the reflecting on God working in my life and my testimony and my need for God and longing to bring him to others,  I am coming to understand and relate to Jesus himself, instead of the father all the time. 🙂

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This post is spot on: Conversion-The Scariest Happy Ending in the World

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The baby has been pulling himself up to stand on everything for a few weeks now: chairs, toys, the couch, boxes, the dishwasher. You name it, he’s held onto it. However, he does seem to have a little more balance now, as he seems to fall over less often and be less upset when it happens. Then last night he was standing up at the coffee table and he *gasp* fell-into the SITTING POSITION! He still was really upset by it, but I don’t think he even realized he didn’t bump his head that time! This is a great sign of progress 🙂

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I stumbled on a monthly photography challenge on a friend’s facebook page and I decided to give it a shot. One picture a day isn’t really taking on that much extra work, and it would let me get more practice shooting more than just the spur of the moment. It all starts here: https://starrball.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/monthly-photo-challenge-july/

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Gasp, I am finally making the switch to cloth diapers! I was considering it back in the fall when I was pregnant, but decided that I didn’t need to be a martyr and do everything and I had more than enough work to do with two boys, especially as we were still finishing up with the potty training. But now that both are well trained and I’ve had 6 months to figure out how to manage 3 of them, I feel like I could handle it.

I’d been observing other mom’s with cloth diapers when I would see them, and had discussed with them a little, but last week at the farm I got to talking with another mom more seriously about it. She explained and showed me how easy it is and that it’s really not that much work. She explained how to wash them and gave me a good vendor for the kind I like (which are the kind she has).

Cloth diapers have come a long way since my mom used them on me. There are several different variations, but my favorite is the pocket diapers. They look the cutest and they are fairly easy to clean, all you do is pull out the pad and throw both pieces in the wash. These diapers go on the same was as disposables, but they can also easily pull up like underpants. But probably my favorite thing about the new cloth diapers is the variety! They come in so many different colors and patterns I just know it will be more fun to do diaper shots when it’s not always the same diaper 😀 Color coordinating with his shirts and with the seasons? you bet!

They had a couple specials on, so I ordered a dozen. The other mom said she has 15 although most moms have about 25, so I will try it with these and if I need more I’ll get some in the future. They even come one size fits all up to age 2! In the long run this will save us a TON of money, but I may have to start bringing the laundry into the living room to keep on top of it. I can’t let un-assembled clean diapers sit around when I’m going to need them VERY SOON!

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I’m also starting to try to bring cheese back into my diet. About a month ago I had two pieces of delicious pizza when I would be away from the baby for several hours, but the next day I felt awful. So, I’m taking it in little doeses, but I so look forward to being able to enjoy cream cheese and real cheddar again!

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