Month: June 2014

Five Years and Counting….

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Wow! Five years ago I began an incredible adventure with my best friend.  July 27th 2009 I got a new name, wife, and the blessing of becoming joined to someone else. No, the marriage ceremony, the vows, or even the communion we shared after the vows did not cause a magical or miraculous change, but they symbolized our commitment to God and each other as we spend the rest of our lives working to become one in Christ. Now, just like this whole mommy thing, I am no expert, nor have I got the whole wife thing down either, but after five years of marital adventure…..here is what I know:

 

1. Marriage won’t make you happy. Sorry, but If you think that “putting a ring on it” will be a quick fix and turn your frog into prince charming, think again! Girl, marriage is hard!

2. Your spouse will not make you happy. Okay, hopefully he/she will bring you lots of fun, excitement, and love, but they CANNOT be the SOURCE of your happiness. Your true joy must stem from your walk with Christ.

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3. You won’t be able to “fix” your husband. Yes, he will throw down his dirty laundry  2.3inches away from the hamper, and it may drive you bananas. BUT…you will always be five minutes late to events because you couldn’t find the (insert accessories, shoes, clothes) for the occasion, and it will baffle him every time! You can try to compromise and improve, but you will not change him/her…..

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4. Food always tastes better when you are sharing with a friend! Dieting is hard when you are married, or at least it is for us. We love to indulge (and share)!

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5. Bearing someone else’s burden is hard. Often times I find myself telling friends and family members that I will pray for them, or I am sorry for their loss, or etc…but when your spouse is hurting your whole world is turned upside down. The purpose of marriage is to become more Christ-life, and nothing could be closer to that than sharing in heartaches and being with your spouse through stormy seas.

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6. COMPROMISE! Does this really need an explanation?

7. Enjoy the moment. Work will be there, and you can sleep when you are dead!

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8. SAY YOU ARE SORRY (and mean it!) Okay, so I admit that this is an area in which I often struggle. If you know me, you know I am pretty opinionated and in the heat of an argument my pride often gets the best of me, but learn from my mistakes….

9. Love the flaws. Is my husband perfect? No. I love him BECAUSE of his flaws, not in spite of them. God created him with a plan and a purpose and he is fearfully and wonderfully made.

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10. Becoming one takes time. True unity is something that develops over a period of time. It is something that develops through purposeful spiritual growth and devotion towards one another and Christ.

 

I want to become old and gray with this man. I want many more anniversaries, but most of all I am thankful for the time that I have been given with him.

I love you Waring.

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Baby Travel Tips

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Okay, so I am by no means a professional at this whole mom gig, but my husband and I just took our first big trip with baby in tow. The trip was a combo plane/road trip (five flights and 10 hours driving in total). Here are some of tips and lessons we learned along the way…

 

1. When in doubt, PACK IT! This motto has never been my mantra before. No matter whether we are traveling to Charleston or Capri my husband and I like to pack all of our belongings in a carry-on bag in order to save time and possible lost possessions. That rule was out the window with a baby in tow. When you are traveling with a little one extra baby wipes, toys, books, pacifiers, etc… are not creature comforts, they are lifesavers!

2. Baby Carriers are the way to go. I want to KISS the makers of the ERGOBABY carrier. They made our life so much easier. Our little girl quickly outgrew the cheaper carrier that I registered for when I was pregnant (rookie mom mistake). In hindsight I should have spent the extra mulah up front and bought a carrier that would hold up to 45lbs and checked the reviews for which one was most popular. I ended up getting the one we took on the trip secondhand from a friend at just a fraction of the price. Addie loves to be held and she often cat naps in it!

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3. Leave the Stroller! We used the stroller a total or two times on the trip and it was a big hassle pushing it up hills and packing it in the car! Also, it was super inconvenient having to check it on the plane.

4. IF you have to take the stroller, GATE CHECK it! This way you get the benefit of using the stroller while you are in the airport and you get it right as you get off the plane instead of at the baggage claim carousel.

5. Don’t go it alone! Travelling with our best friends made it so much easier. When hubby was tired of driving he could switch off with Justin. If I couldn’t make Addie happy, Aunt Meri could make a silly face and get her to laugh. You know the saying…”it takes a village…”

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6. Plan for some down town. We like to go go go on vacation, and for the most part we were able to keep a pretty jam packed itinerary, however it was important to plan a bit of down time in the morning or in the evening of every day. Addie just wants to roll around in the floor from time to time so it was best if we already had time scheduled out in the day that was just for her.

7. Use a Mesh Feeder. Feeding an infant on the road can be difficult, especially one who is used to having homemade baby food. I was able to take a banana or avocado and place them in her mesh feeder to eat. I didn’t have to worry about her chocking in the airport or out for the day, and she was still able to get in some solid foods.

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8. Practice nursing in public. For me, nursing my baby is something I have become surprisingly passionate about, but it can still be a bit awkward in unknown public places. Make sure you bring a cover up that you have practiced with and that the baby and you are both comfortable with if you decide to go that route.

9. Bring a hand pump. Hand pumps are small and take up relatively little space. I did not use mine on the trip, however I felt more secure knowing that if I decided to make a reservation at the SPA or just have daddy feed the baby I had the option.

10. Disposable Bibs are life savers. We learned this the hard way….I packed a few of both types of bibs, but those soiled cloth bibs start to smell pretty ripe after a few days.

11. Ziploc bags are a mama’s best friend! I always keep a stash of these in Addie’s bag. They work great for blow out diapers when you don’t have a trashcan handy, soiled bibs and cloths, extra pacifiers, mesh eaters, bows, etc…

12. Pack baby outfits in ziploc bags. If you pack the complete outfit, complete with socks and bows, you won’t have to worry about that microscopic missing sock!

13. Stay in a vacation rental (think VRBO, AIRBNB, HOMEAWAY) instead of a hotel. You will have so many more comforts from home, more space, and a unique perspective for the same price as a budget hotel room.

14. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Yes, you baby may have a blow out in the middle of Yosemite. Yes, you may have to change her on a tree stump because the ranger station is closed. Yes, you may receive cheers from a whole bus full of onlookers, but you will make some the best memories of you life along the way!

 

Happy trails!

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Lessons From the Road

Published on by aprillynette2 Comments

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Sometimes it takes getting back to your own zip code to be able to clearly reflect upon the journey. While traveling through California we saw a lot and ate a lot, but looking back I also learned a lot.

#1: I love to travel,but I am a small town kinda gal. Don’t get me wrong, I love San Fancisco but I am much happier exploring smaller towns like Monterey, Carmel, or even Portland.

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#2: I love family owned establishments. Nothing warms by heart like a mom-pop restaurant where they truly take pride in their trade and make sure the you are enjoying your time with them.

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#3 Home rentals are the way to go! Whether you use VRBO, Homeaway, or AirBnB, rental spaces are the way to go for vacations. We stayed in four different places over seven nights! Each place we stayed was unique. rentals give you the conveniences of home, such as a washer and dryer, full kitchen, and more space to move around. With a 7 month old baby in tow it was great to have the luxuries of home wherever we stayed. The added bonus is that you always get to feel like a local and the owners take care to personalize your stay and offer advice!

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#4 It is just stuff….On one of our flights we accidentally left Addie’s bag of toys on the plane. Since our flight was the last one of the night for our plane the United workers told us to come back when we departed from the airport a few days later and we could pick up the bag then because the mechanics were available to open the plane back up that night. When we arrive back at the airport we secured the toy bag from the United desk, but it was missing 3 of her toys, a necklace we had bought her in Yosemite, and our iphone power cord. I could have screamed when we I got that bag back! How could you steal toys from a baby? Really!? And to know that it was one of the workers because they were the only ones on the plane make it that much worse!!! In retrospect, however, I know that a few toys is nothing compared to the riches that I already have in my family, friends, and little girl. I am truly blessed beyond measure, and no stuff lost, stolen, or otherwise could ever change that.

#5 Good friends are hard to come by, but when you do they are priceless! We were so lucky to be able to travel with some of our very best friends, Justin and Meredith. They are so easy going and great with Addie. We made memories that we will remember for a long time to come!

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