Well I have been in Israel for the last week and I still have another week to go. I really miss my girls, but was able to enjoy some site seeing this weekend. Here a video of the Rosh HaNikra grottoes.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Attitude Adjustment
It is truly amazing how God can be at work without us even realizing it. By the end of this past week, I felt like I was losing it. After a busy weekend last weekend, preparing for Billy to leave for Israel on Thursday, Billy getting a flat tire on Wednesday morning that required us to replace two tires on the car, and a busy week at work for both of us, by Saturday morning I was at my wits end. In the span of a few hours, I allowed that feeling of being overwhelmed to overtake my better judgment, which lead me to be cross with Billy for not being on Skype when I thought we had agreed to talk, yelled at Audrey for being antsy when she was sitting at the computer desk waiting for her daddy, and was unnecessarily rude to my mom when she wanted to chat on the phone and I wanted to focus on making lunch. Each time, I prayed that God would give me patience and help me stop being crabby.
God answered that prayer by giving me a break from the fussy toddler and the constant running, and by allowing me some much needed time to relax and visit with my girlfriends. That, in conjunction with a fitting message on Psalm 103 at church, renewed my heart and mind. He helped me to take a look at my life through someone else’s eyes, which helped me to see that I was only feeling overwhelmed because of what I was choosing as my focus. I was letting my mind dwell on all of the tasks that I was not getting done because of my current single-mother status while Billy is in Israel. Now, I am trying to praise God for all of the blessings in my life. So, here is a list of just a few that are on my heart today.
God answered that prayer by giving me a break from the fussy toddler and the constant running, and by allowing me some much needed time to relax and visit with my girlfriends. That, in conjunction with a fitting message on Psalm 103 at church, renewed my heart and mind. He helped me to take a look at my life through someone else’s eyes, which helped me to see that I was only feeling overwhelmed because of what I was choosing as my focus. I was letting my mind dwell on all of the tasks that I was not getting done because of my current single-mother status while Billy is in Israel. Now, I am trying to praise God for all of the blessings in my life. So, here is a list of just a few that are on my heart today.
- Praise God for giving me a husband that wants to serve God, loves me unconditionally and works hard to provide for his family. Praise God for using our struggles to make our marriage stronger and serve as a testimony to His power and grace.
- Praise God for entrusting me with a beautiful, growing, talking, singing daughter.
- Praise God for bringing me into this world as part a family with a mother that puts up with my attitude, loves me anyway, and continues to help me praise God.
- Praise God for making me part of the Nance family, who have accepted me and loved me for who I am, even if we don’t always see eye-to-eye.
- Praise God for my best girlfriends who will listen to me ramble endlessly about all of the little dramas in my life, when I know their hearts are heavy with all of the struggles that they are facing.
- Praise God for bringing Billy and I to Central Presbyterian Church almost five years ago and for all of the wonderful people that have become a part of our lives as a result.
- Praise God for giving me a job that challenges me, allows me to use the talents he has given, and helps me provide for my family. Praise God for the understanding and hard-working people with whom I work.
- Praise God for my two cute puppies that keep the bed from feeling empty when Billy is gone and greet me with enthusiasm every time I walk in the door.
I could go on and on…each time I finish a line, two more pop into my head. I pray that I will be able to maintain this attitude, or at least quickly return to it when my focus becomes diverted. I know God is at work in me, and the way he has turned my attitude around this weekend is proof. Even if I forget the gratitude that reigns in my heart right now, he won’t give up on me. “Praise the Lord, Oh my soul…who redeems your life from the pit and who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” Psalm 103:2, 4
Friday, February 18, 2011
Where is Daddy?
Billy is currently on his fourth trip to Israel in the past 12 months. Each trip has kept him away for approximately two weeks. I have gotten the routine down to balance taking care of Audrey and the dogs with work and getting things done around the house without cutting into my sleep time too much. So, this first full day of the fourth trip, I feel like I am basically on autopilot. What I am struck by is how, as Audrey as grown, her interpretation of and reactions to this recurring situation have changed. Here is a quick recap:
April 2010: Audrey had just turned 1. I had gone on a couple of trips the month before and returned to a child that wanted only her daddy for the first couple of days after I returned. I expected the same for Billy, which wasn’t true at first. Initially, Audrey was excited to see him, but after that wore off, she was a mama’s girl for a long time after that. Audrey was a little fussy the first couple of days after he left, but quickly returned to her normal self. She also didn’t have much interest in talking to her daddy on the phone, which I think was harder on daddy than on her. Overall, her daddy’s trip went by without much notice by her.
July 2010: This time Audrey was more aware of the fact that her daddy was gone. From time to time, she would look around and say his name as if to say, “Where is daddy?” She was much more interested in talking to him on the phone too. After he returned, for the first few days, when he would leave the room or drop her off at school, she would start crying, seemingly out of fear that he would be gone a long time again.
October 2010: Audrey was definitely aware of the fact that her daddy was gone this time ‘round. Every morning when I got her out of bed, she would look up at me, shrug her shoulders and say, “Dadda?” Enter Skype. Before Billy left for this trip he set up Skype for us to use. This was a huge blessing, because Audrey could actually see him when she talked to him, which I think gave her a sense of security that she didn’t get from just hearing his voice over the phone. Despite the daily inquiries as to her daddy’s whereabouts, Audrey was largely unfazed by his physical absence.
Now, back to the present. Billy started telling Audrey Wednesday morning that he would be leaving the next day and would not see her for two weeks. From that point on, when he would leave her (i.e. dropping her off at school, getting out of the car at church, etc.) she would scream and cry. After he left her school yesterday, her teachers said that for the next few hours, she was distraught. Every little thing would set her off screaming and crying. Last night when we got home, each time she heard someone in the hallway, she would get excited and say “Dadda,” only to be disappointed when no one came to our door. It is clear that she is much more aware of what is going on and how it affects her. Even though she showed signs of awareness before, it is more constant. It always seems to be in the back of her mind, which I believe is a clear sign of her increasing maturity. She is not as easily diverted; she has lingered on this sentiment more like an adult than an easily distracted child. This is such a different reaction from that of the 1 year old Audrey from last April.
April 2010: Audrey had just turned 1. I had gone on a couple of trips the month before and returned to a child that wanted only her daddy for the first couple of days after I returned. I expected the same for Billy, which wasn’t true at first. Initially, Audrey was excited to see him, but after that wore off, she was a mama’s girl for a long time after that. Audrey was a little fussy the first couple of days after he left, but quickly returned to her normal self. She also didn’t have much interest in talking to her daddy on the phone, which I think was harder on daddy than on her. Overall, her daddy’s trip went by without much notice by her.
July 2010: This time Audrey was more aware of the fact that her daddy was gone. From time to time, she would look around and say his name as if to say, “Where is daddy?” She was much more interested in talking to him on the phone too. After he returned, for the first few days, when he would leave the room or drop her off at school, she would start crying, seemingly out of fear that he would be gone a long time again.
October 2010: Audrey was definitely aware of the fact that her daddy was gone this time ‘round. Every morning when I got her out of bed, she would look up at me, shrug her shoulders and say, “Dadda?” Enter Skype. Before Billy left for this trip he set up Skype for us to use. This was a huge blessing, because Audrey could actually see him when she talked to him, which I think gave her a sense of security that she didn’t get from just hearing his voice over the phone. Despite the daily inquiries as to her daddy’s whereabouts, Audrey was largely unfazed by his physical absence.
Now, back to the present. Billy started telling Audrey Wednesday morning that he would be leaving the next day and would not see her for two weeks. From that point on, when he would leave her (i.e. dropping her off at school, getting out of the car at church, etc.) she would scream and cry. After he left her school yesterday, her teachers said that for the next few hours, she was distraught. Every little thing would set her off screaming and crying. Last night when we got home, each time she heard someone in the hallway, she would get excited and say “Dadda,” only to be disappointed when no one came to our door. It is clear that she is much more aware of what is going on and how it affects her. Even though she showed signs of awareness before, it is more constant. It always seems to be in the back of her mind, which I believe is a clear sign of her increasing maturity. She is not as easily diverted; she has lingered on this sentiment more like an adult than an easily distracted child. This is such a different reaction from that of the 1 year old Audrey from last April.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
What's Your Name, Little Girl?
I now have that Lynyrd Skynyrd song in my head. I’ll hum it in my head as I write about Audrey’s latest fascination…her name. For a while now, Audrey has been able to say her own name and uses it to show possession (Audrey hat, Audrey blanket, etc.). Over the past few weeks, however, she has started to use her name to actually identify herself. Moreover, she has learned her last name. If you ask her what her name is, she replies with, “Audrey Nance.” Even if all of the syllables are not crystal clear, it is obvious that is what she intends to say. The cutest part of the whole interaction is the pride that beams from her face as she announces her name; she is so excited that she knows her name and how to say it.
Billy also started singing a song to her to the tune of Frere Jacques, that consists of her first and middle name repeated followed by made up lyrics that change each time he sings it. To our surprise, Audrey caught on quickly and now sings “Audrey Rose, Audrey Rose.” We tried to get a video of her singing and saying her name, and here is the result.
Billy also started singing a song to her to the tune of Frere Jacques, that consists of her first and middle name repeated followed by made up lyrics that change each time he sings it. To our surprise, Audrey caught on quickly and now sings “Audrey Rose, Audrey Rose.” We tried to get a video of her singing and saying her name, and here is the result.
In addition to verbally communicating her name, Audrey is growing increasingly interested in writing. She drew valentine pictures this past week, and I noticed her making small marks in the corner of the page. I asked her what she was drawing, and her response was “Audrey.” She was trying to write her name. Granted, there are no identifiable English letters in her doodles, but the fact is that she understands that writing can communicate specific words and thoughts. It is truly amazing to see.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Super Bowl, Baby!
Last year was Audrey’s first Super Bowl. As I recall, she did not make it through the entire game, and I spent much of it trying to entertain her….Fast Forward to 2011…It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how much our little girl has grown in a year. This past Sunday, she proved that she is developing her independence and can be entertained without constant attention from her parents. We took a few toys, but most of what she played with were things that you wouldn’t necessarily label as a toy: a rubber band ball, loose change she sorted using her hollow blocks, and her shoes and socks that she managed to put on her baby doll. She was busy the entire night and only really got fussy when we told her that she could not have any more chocolate.
At the same time, she is still my baby; when she started to get tired Sunday night, she still came to me for a little snuggle. I think that time she spent laying her head on my shoulder was really the only time she watched much football. She liked the commercials that had music though, and she danced to parts of the half-time show. It was a pretty tame party until she took her pants off during the 4th quarter. She really enjoys running around in her diaper these days, and I guess it is a compliment to Loom that she was comfortable enough at his house to do that. You would think she would be cold though! I am just glad at this point that she does not know how to take her diaper off.
At the same time, she is still my baby; when she started to get tired Sunday night, she still came to me for a little snuggle. I think that time she spent laying her head on my shoulder was really the only time she watched much football. She liked the commercials that had music though, and she danced to parts of the half-time show. It was a pretty tame party until she took her pants off during the 4th quarter. She really enjoys running around in her diaper these days, and I guess it is a compliment to Loom that she was comfortable enough at his house to do that. You would think she would be cold though! I am just glad at this point that she does not know how to take her diaper off.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Go Blues!!!
Audrey is really starting to enjoy going to Blue's hockey games. I just love telling her in the morning that we are going to the hockey game tonight and then getting a report from her teachers at day care that she said "Go Blues!" all day. As you can tell from the video her passion for hockey is growing.
Now it is only a matter of time before I can talk her into putting on the pads and lacing up the skates for some hockey.
Now it is only a matter of time before I can talk her into putting on the pads and lacing up the skates for some hockey.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snow Day 2.0
Well Audrey was off of school for the second day and Leslie had to go to work due to the Federal Reserve's contingency plans. That leaves me with Audrey and I think both of us are starting to get cabin fever. Here is how the day started:
Daddy: "Audrey what do you want to do today?"
Audrey: "XBOX!"
Daddy: "You want to play Xbox?"
Audrey: "Yes!" (In running motion as she is trying to play the sprint game)
Today's Lesson:
The results:
She does a better job without me trying to hold the camera and give her instructions. You should see it in person. It is pretty impressive for a two year old.
Daddy: "Audrey what do you want to do today?"
Audrey: "XBOX!"
Daddy: "You want to play Xbox?"
Audrey: "Yes!" (In running motion as she is trying to play the sprint game)
Today's Lesson:
The results:
She does a better job without me trying to hold the camera and give her instructions. You should see it in person. It is pretty impressive for a two year old.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Snow Day
Well Audrey and I are snowed in today, but we are enjoying not having to go to school or work (Boeing called off work today). Today will be a Lego day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)