The Porch Light copyright by Revka (2006-2010). All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

S7302723From my family to yours: Have a merry Christmas!

I don't know about you, but I feel like I have lived this past month in fast forward, and I can't seem to figure out where the time has gone. It is during the insanity and bustle of "Christmas" that I tend to lose focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas. Will you join us in making a point to remember that we are celebrating Jesus' birth?

This year, we are once again going to have our children pick out something they can give to Jesus. From past experience, this should be interesting. :)

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Children at Christmas

We (meaning Mr. Incredible) took some pictures of the kids dressed up and sitting in front of our tree yesterday.  Despite dying batteries and moving children, we ended up with some good photos.

Pookie Bear - she's getting to be so grown up

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Miss Muffet - she marches to her own beat

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Baby Bear - little mischief maker

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Buddy Bear - sweet baby but still all boy

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The 3 girls

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All the kids

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Baby's First Year

Buddy Bear newborn

The first year of your baby's life can be the hardest, happiest, scariest and best year you get to experience with your child. You are going to experience so many emotions during the baby’s first year! Luckily there are baby books about every aspect of baby’s first year, and reading several books while pregnant as well as during baby’s first year will make you more comfortable around your little one.

Everyone is always concerned with the next milestone that their new baby is going to reach and if he or she is doing things at the same pace of their peers. In fact, many new moms focus so much on what everyone says their child should be doing that they seem to lose focus on what the child is doing.

Pookie makeup

Then years later, you may look back and wonder what happened to that cute, cuddly baby you once had. While you were looking ahead, he or she was growing up and before you knew it that magical first year of their life was gone. It starts out kind of stressful, with the new parents not knowing what to expect next; from sleepless nights, colic, and spitting up to growth spurts, there is never a dull moment or a time to relax.

Baby Bear 2006

Before you know it those first few months are gone and your baby is sitting up, crawling and finally walking. He or she is talking or trying to and eating real food. The best advice I got when I brought my babies home was to slow down, to stop looking ahead of what comes next and to enjoy what the baby was going through at this time. You can never go back and get these moments again. So, instead of looking to what your child should be doing, could be doing or what is next, live in what is now and keep a record of it, for you and for your child. And enjoy motherhood!

Miss Muffet 2006

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Thank You, Jan!

Jan, a sweet blogging friend, read my last post and immediately contacted me to let me know about Windows Live Writer.  Using this program, I don't have to stress over resizing photos before posting them.  Which should mean that you will see more photos, starting now. :)

Here are a few from our family trip back in October.

Buddy Bear yawning

Buddy Bear in his car seat at the putt-putt place

Putt putt kids

All the kids at the next-to-last hole.  They had a blast.  Me?  I stink at putt-putt, and I'm competitive.  So not so much.

something tastes bad to Buddy Bear

What a face!  It was a sunny day at the zoo.  More zoo pics later...

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This is at Hendrick MotorSports, Dale Jr.'s new home.  Told ya Daddy is startin' him out right!  Pookie and Miss Muffet expected to meet Dale Jr. and kept asking when we were going to see him.  They were a bit disappointed that didn't happen.

So there you have it - evidence that Windows Live Writer works for me.  Thanks again, Jan! :)

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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Perfection Is a Paralyzing Goal

At least for me.

See, it's one reason why this poor blog has been neglected. (The other reason is that I am staying insanely busy, but that's another story.) I have a lot of pictures I want to post, but in order to put them up I have to download them from the camera, pick out the ones I want, resize them, and then upload them into a blog post. In my mind, that's a huge task that I need plenty of time to do.

I kept putting off posting because I was focused on putting up the perfect post with lovely family pictures. Well, ya know what? I'm not waiting for perfection! If I do, you will probably never hear from me again!

So here I am - imperfect me. But at least I'm here. It makes me think of one of my favorite quotes:

"God doesn't expect you to be perfect, just progressing."

How about you? Is striving for perfection holding you back from doing something?

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