The LIfe of a Stay at Home Mom

Deposit into Christmas Fund

2012-02-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

So its been a month and a half since I have started my New Year's resolution to save all the money I spend on Christmas by using online surveys, rebates, gift cards, spare change, etc. I wanted to see if I can stick to a goal and fulfill it. Plus, it would be nice to have all the money earned without having to dig into our monthly budget. So though I am still collecting points on all my survey sites, I have cashed in one site so far.

So here is the break down so far.

Online survey: $20
Ebates: $8.55
Spare Change: $5.19
Gift cards either left over or from buying in bulk: $24.03

Deposit: 57.77
Goal; $600
Left to earn: $542.23

This means I have almost 10% of my goal reached!!! And I haven't even counted the points I have earned and I didn't cash in yet. Woo Hoo!

Trying new recipes

2012-01-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I got a cook book called the $5 Dinner Mom or something like that. And every meal that she has a recipe for also has the amount it cost (all under $5) to feed a family of 4. So lately I have been trying out some of her recipes. Well I have done two so far. And here are my reviews.

The first one was Bacon Wrapped BBQ Apple Chicken.

Sounds amazing right? Well, I think it could be. The sauce didn't penetrate the chicken enough so there was no flavor inside the chicken. If I make it again I will slice the chicken in half to make thinner pieces. And I think instead of putting the bacon in the crock pot I will fry it and add it later. The bacon got soggy and lost all flavor. Now Joel liked it but he tends to like bland food anyways. I wasn't thrilled with the taste.

My next one was Italian Meatball Subs

Turned out really good! Joel was thrilled! Its a favorite of his. It was my first time every making or eating a meatball sub. I was happy with the out come and so was Joel. So its a keeper for sure!

Can't wait to share more with you!

A look back one last time...

2011-12-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

This year has brought great joy. Spending most of the year in a really hard pregnancy and wondering why doctors kept telling me my baby was small and we need to keep pushing your due date back, to having doctors tell me that I wouldn't make it to July. But for some crazy reason Zachary did not want to come out. So we forced him out. I am not sure why some people say being induced is awful. I would so take that over how my labor was with Nathan. But after 9 hours of labor and delivery Zachary was here 2 weeks before his due date weighing over 9lbs. Small baby, yeah right.

Nathan was an amazing little boy most of the time! He is the greatest big brother any sibling could ask for. My favorite is when Zachary wakes up from his nap Nathan is the first in there to stick his arm through the crib and rub Zachary's head and say "hey there little buddy." LOVE IT! He is a learner and loves to try to do new things. But he is also a perfectionist. I thought he had my personality more but I am learning more and more that he is like his daddy more. A content boy with a perfectionist attitude. But what he does have in my personality is the dramatic side. So as you can see with the first two qualities we are dealing with a very expressive boy!

Joel complete a full year at Target. 2 different bosses and a lot of a new learning experiences. It also seems that his boss is really impressed with how he is doing and his willingness to work hard at his job.

I am so thankful for subbing. Jobs have come. Teachers have requested and having a wonderful friend to watch my boys when Joel can't has helped so much with our finances. I am truly thankful for how the Lord continues to provide.

We know more is to come and we can't wait. We love seeing how God moves in and changes our lives. He is faithful and loving and we are blessed!

New Year's Resolution

2011-12-31T07:14:00.000-08:00

So last year I started doing more online surveys. I always did a couple here or there. But this year I did my research and picked up 3 more sites that I know to be legit. Ever since Nathan was born I made it a point to make nap times my rest time as well. Even if I don't sleep, I don't clean or any thing like that. It makes the rest of the day go smoothly. And now with two kids I really rest at nap time (well only when both kids are napping). I don't take naps well so I decided this would be my "taking surveys" time. I spend about an hour at nap time and an hour at bed time to do this. I started in late April last year and I did pretty well. My goal this year is to saved up enough money to pay for all my Christmas shopping this way. Below is a break down of how I did last year (remember I started late April) and my goal for this year. I cashed out as much as I can before then end of this year so I can have a clean slate and show you how I do. Wish me luck! Happy New Year!!! May 2012 be a joyous year for all of you. And may the Lord guide and direct every day.

$380 in surveys and Ebates
over $20 in spare change approx.
Recycle cans $12 approx.
rebates $12
gift card rewards from buying multiples of house hold things (like diapers) $55 approx.
Most of this was started last April
Total last year: $479
Goal for 2012: $600

Life Update and a Merry Christmas

2011-12-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well the end of the year is quickly coming. This has been one amazingly interesting year. Its had its ups and downs but over all I wouldn't change it. The Lord has been good to us. His provision and care for us cause me to shout for joy daily!

I started this year pregnant! And I am ending this year with two of the most incredible boys ever! The pregnancy was hard this time around. And Nathan couldn't have been a more amazing little boy for me while I sat on the couch or napped or waddled around. He was patient and kind and sweet the whole time. Then the moment he met Zachary the love that Nathan shows for his little brother only grew daily. There was never a point where Nathan resented having Zachary around. And Zachary loves Nathan so much. It shows daily that these two are going to be the best of friends.

Also subbing has been a blessing. Joel and I are always looking ahead to the future when I can stay at home full time. We see a light at the end of the tunnel but we don't know exactly how close we are. Every time we set a goal it gets set back because of something or other. I would love for it to be by October of next year so I can start home schooling Nathan in preschool. But we will see. Until then, the Lord provides the jobs I need to help us out with finances.

Zachary is seriously the happiest baby you will ever meet. If he is crying its because he is not feeling well. And he doesn't really cry as much as he just cries out for comfort. He may not be the best sleeper (just as he was starting to sleep through the night, a tooth popped through), but you would never know it. Not a cranky baby. He is huge and chunky but a pretty content little guy. He is rolling over one way. And I think he will be sitting soon. All that extra padding on the bottom helps with the balance.

The holidays are harder to enjoy this year. Joel got a new boss a few months ago and for some reason he loves doing over night shifts on holidays (something his old boss didn't do). And Joel has to do both Thanksgiving and Christmas overnight shifts. With kids and no family around the holidays just become another day to us and that makes me the most sad of all. I love that Joel is trying something new and working hard to get good at it but changes like these make it hard sometimes. But Nathan and I have been enjoying our time of decorating the tree together, making sugar cookies, introducing Santa, and reading about the birth of Jesus, and also learning HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. And Nathan responded before the book was done, "That's not nice, he needs to bring Christmas back!" My compassionate boy.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Next year starts a new resolution for me that I can't wait to write about. A first for me because I don't make resolutions!

Weekly Update on Christmas savings...

2011-11-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

One of the ways that I like to save for anything is putting aside any extra money that comes our way that is not in our normal budget. This week we sold our old stroller on craiglist. A single stroller just doesn't work for us anymore. We now have a sit and stand stroller so I put our old stroller up on craiglist and sold it this week. I put that money into our Christmas fund for the year.

Some of you might be wondering why I am doing this for the first time and not before. Let me explain. When Joel was a teacher he would get a bonus in December every year. This bonus was enough to pay for all our Christmas shopping. Then last year, I was subbing and doing childcare at the same time. That was like an extra amount of income that allowed me to cover for Christmas. Well, this year the boy I use to watch started preschool. I am still subbing and working hard to sub as much as I can but I also have some things in December and January that I am planning for as well. Like my finger print clearance card is due and there will be two weeks in January, because of winter break, where I will not be getting a paycheck. I am trying to get that money set aside now. Plus, I like this challenge and its like a game to me. And I want to win!

Ok, so this week I sold our stroller and all the extra change I have from grocery shopping to add into our fund.

$30 for the stroller
$4.27 in spare change to add to the fund

Total = $34. 27

Old total = 138.31

New total = 172.58

Saving for Christmas

2011-11-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

We are a family of four on a tight budget. I coupon, shop sales and clearance, and set a budget for everything. And I always try to come in below the budget amount. I also take online surveys to help bring in extra cash for stuff. So I started late this year as a test run for next year. I want to earn all of our Christmas spending budget by surveys, saving change, rebates, and gift cards.

Let me explain how this happened. I follow a blog called Couponing to Disney. Its all about this mom of 2 and how she saves for their families annual trip to Disney World. I love her blog. She is always posting the best deals. I got a couple of friends to follow her too. But its so inspiring to see how she does this. I thought I want to do this but I want to start small. So how about Christmas. This blogger can save $3000 in a little over a year, I want to save about $500-$600 in a year. So starting January 1st is when I will kick off this huge Saving for Christmas 2012 campaign. I want to show you where I am at this year since I just started in Sept.

Right now, I have $138.31 in various cash flows that I will break down for you in a little bit. This is just from Sept. and Oct. alone.

So here is the break down.
$40 in Paypal cash that I will transfer to our checking account from various survey sights
$20 in Amazon gift cards from another survey sight
$10 in Target gift cards from another survey sight
$35 for carrying a cell phone around and recording my snack intake for 2 weeks from another survey sight.
$5 cash/check from another survey sight.

So right now we are at $110 for surveys in two months

Now we have $7.48 in spare change (I pay in cash and never use the change but save it)
And another $3.60 for recycling cans (we don't drink a lot of soda and we already traded in a couple times this year)
$17. 23 in various gift cards that I can use towards Christmas gifts.

So that totals $138.31 in two months. I may earn a little more before Christmas but it can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks for some things to come in. I do have some rebates that may come in but I may or may not use them this year.

I hope to share this with you every month next year on my progress.

Nathan is a Big Boy now!

2011-10-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

At the park riding his bike!

With Nathan turning 3 its that time again that I go through all the new things he has learned this past year. First of all, my kid is amazing. I love his positive outlook on everything. And the way he encourages every one he is around. So I thought I would do a run down of last year and the awesome development of Nathan.

He didn't really start talking until he turned 2. But with that came full on sentences!!!!
He can count to 20
He knows his ABCs
He can recognize shapes and colors
He can trace his name and other letters
He has learned how to play hide and seek, candy land and memory
He knows how to ride his tricycle
He can sing his favorite songs from memory
He is the greatest big brother around
he can build sand castles
he can swing and hit a ball with a bat
he helps with baking
he can paint
and he is learning but not great at coloring inside the lines of pictures
and his imagination has finally blossomed and I love how he makes everything fly, jump or race.

I can't wait to see what this next year brings as we start with simple preschool lessons at home.

Just wanted to throw one in of Zachary

Helping Zachary with Tummy Time by giving him kisses

Wow! Its been a while.

2011-09-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Nathan playing Angry Birds on Joel's phone.

Life has kind of taken over since I have had Zachary. I have started subbing again and getting back into the routine. However with an early start time my mornings are rushed and unbelievably crazy. But I love the paycheck again! Zachary is a tank! I can't even get my whole hand around his thighs. There is still an inch or more of space between my thumb and my middle finger! He is just 2 months and in 3-6 month clothing! Nathan is awesome. Energetic but so sweet and loving. But still not interested in potty training. No matter the bribe! L-A-M-E. Joel is good as well. Working like crazy and back to school is quieting down, holiday season is fast approaching. Which means we will never see Joel.

Along with all of that we just had some friends in town. It was wonderful to spend 3 full days with family and friends and do absolutely nothing. Kelly and Sheldon make life so easy and stress free. I wish we lived closer. That is life right now. Joel is working, when he is not working, I am working and the boys are growing.

Kelly and Sheldon with Zachary!

IT'S HOT IN ARIZONA!

2011-06-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

In May we had this beautiful weather. I couldn't believe it. No matter how hard the weather tried it couldn't get into the 90s. That is not normal for AZ. Especially Tucson AZ. I was dreading this summer with being pregnant and chasing a toddler and trying to keep life normal, but May was gorgeous and made life a little easier. However, June came and with it we said goodbye to the 80 degree weather and we never saw the 90s. It went straight to the 100s! Y-U-C-K!

I bring that all up because I am miserable. I usually handle the heat fairly well. But this year with 26 extra pounds all in front of me I hate the heat. I can barely breath and I can barely get things done. But I am so looking forward to the phase of this summer when we finally get to meet Zachary!

Nathan has finally gotten past this terrible twos things! Thankfully in time for a little brother. And with it I have been met with an unbelievably compassionate son! I can't believe how much he cares for my well being. He is gentle and sweet. He cuddles and hugs. He never complains that I can't run or do stink bug rolls or jump on the bed with him. He asks if he can walk in the grocery store but when I say no not today, he says "ok mommy, when Zachary comes out of your tummy". Even his sleeping has changed but his happy attitude has not. He doesn't get cranky when he is tired, he now gets loopy. And just starts to giggle like crazy at nothing at all. I am loving this improved child of mine. The Lord has blessed us with a child that is easy going at the right time!!!! I believe with all my heart that God did this to help ease the pressure of being pregnant right now.

Joel is doing really well. Work is crazy right now with a remodel but his improvements as a manager has been noticed. Now we prayerfully hope that with that acknowledgement will come the pay raise. Our goal is for me to not to have to substitute teach to help make ends meet. And we our hoping that goal can happen by next April if not sooner! Joel is trying to survive the remodel at work and we are actually seeing the birth of Zachary as a two week vacation from the remodel and the crazy long hours that Joel has been putting in. He will go back to work and there will only be about a week left of the remodel!!! That's going to be nice.

We are hosting a small group at our house this summer. We did it in the spring and loved it. I hope we can continue to serve in this way for a while. I love how the Lord is moving in people's lives. Including ours.

Sorry there are no pictures, just an update.

May was busy!!!

2011-05-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

I hate that whenever I go some where special I stink at taking pictures. But I have a few to show of my busy week in May. One of my awesome friends (Kelly Jarvis) got married and she asked me to stand up with her as a bridesmaid. I was completely honored to be there for her. She was the last of my college roommates to get married and I was able to stand up as a bridesmaid for every one! It was so special. I cried my eyes out. I loved being able to spend time with her and talk about her special day and all the stuff that was going to take place and dream with her about how awesome her marriage would be.

Getting our nails done the day before the big day and having a lot of girl talk!

We also spent some time with Joel's 96 year old grandma. She is amazing! I mean it. She still teaching Bible Study, plays piano for worship services and does a whole bunch of other awesome things. And Nathan loved her! She did treat us to McDonalds so I am guessing that's part of the reason for the love! :) We talk about his Ama so much that Nathan felt right at home with her. It was a truly special time.

Not the best photo but trying to get a toddler and timer to work together is hard!

It was also my 30th birthday while we were in CA. We stayed with my sister and spent a lot of time with them just hanging out. Nathan loves them. Especially Ethan who was always ready and willing to go swimming with Nathan. I love spending time with my sister. And she and my mom joined us for dinner at Chilis that night to celebrate. Although Nathan was exhausted and melt down city occurred so not that enjoyable but it was good to see my mom.

We also ended out trip with a night in Scottsdale to celebrate Joel's youngest brother's college graduation. And we got to see some cousins that were in town along with Nathan's other great grandmother that was in town for the graduation too. Whenever we go some where spending time with family is always our priority and we got to do that in abundance. It was a tiring (for being 8 weeks away from my due date at the time) but wonderfully special trip. So glad we did it!

One of my main reasons for wanting to be a Stay At Home Mom full time!

2011-04-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

I love subbing. I also love doing childcare. I love that at this moment both are part time. I also love that at some point both of these things will be out of desire and not necessity. Joel and I are working towards that goal to be reality. And we are hoping for it to happen in the next 12 months.

But something hit me today that made me want it all the more sooner. I was sitting on the couch researching out our (hopefully) annual vacation. When Nathan woke up from his nap. Nathan wakes up differently each day from his nap. But one thing is always the same. He needs a good 30 minutes to be fully awake from his nap. During that time, I usually put in a little video and give him some strawberry milk and we sit and cuddle and talk on the couch. Today was a little different. I went into Nathan's room and found him sitting on his floor in the dark hugging his stuffed animals just waiting for me. He had no desire to leave his room so I just sat in the rocker and put him in my lap.

We were rocking for a good 10 minutes when I asked him if he was ready to go have some milk. All he did was turn around give me a hug and laid down against me. Not in any hurry to go to the living room. So we rocked for a good 30 minutes and just cuddled. This is the reason I love staying at home.

We had no where to go. Nothing to do. There was no rush. We were able to just sit and cuddle for as long as he wanted. I love that about our life. We are never in any rush. We play cars, trains, read books, race, build sand castles, color, play with playdough, take a bath, etc. all with no rush.

I know that when school starts and I need to get lunches ready, backpacks organized, and kids taken to school things will get crazy, but for right now I am enjoying the life of going with the flow.

Its Almost April

2011-03-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

The time has flown! I realized that I have 3 months to go before giving birth. So not ready. Plus, with the waiting arrival of baby #2 I still have two trips to CA in the works and lots of cleaning, organizing and planning to do.

Joel's schedule at work is about to get crazy as well because of a super big remodel that is taking place in his department. Have you noticed produce sections coming to all your near by Targets? Yup, that's Joel's department. So he is getting prepared for being in charge of a whole new section.

Nathan is great. Except for the normal 2 year fits we get with his new found opinions! But his vocabulary astounds us daily since he barely said 10 words at his 2nd birthday! But now we get full fledge sentences 5 months later! We love it. Potty training is pretty much non existent right now because we are too tired to put the effort into it. But I have a feeling Mr. Nathan will be getting big boy underwear in his Easter basket! :)

And I am doing good. Getting more and more excited about another little baby in the house. But also enjoying my time when I get to work. Its been really nice to not to have to sub as much as I did but also when I do sub, I don't pay a sitter. That has been a really blessing! The Lord has been providing the jobs when needed and that has been wonderful.

Ok, its been a while so I just wanted to give every one an update on our lives. Not much going on but I couldn't believe how fast the time is going!

A house of all boys...

2011-02-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

So before we found out the sex of the baby we had every one except for a very few people guess we were going to have a girl or hoped we would have a girl just so we could have one of each or so we could experience a girl after having such an energetic, outgoing boy. And to be honest both Joel and myself thought we were having a girl as well. This pregnancy was so different. It is so different that even after the ultrasound it still feels like a girl. I was talking to a teacher today who is also having boy #2 and how she felt exactly the same way. Does this mean we are disappointed? Not in the least. It just means that we were completely surprised. Having 2 boys has given us a lot to be thankful for.

I guess I am going with orange this time around for boys clothes. And monkeys!

I love my son. Does the idea of dealing with a teenage boy sound all that fun? No, but I am hoping with God's grace and wisdom we won't experience all I have experience by being a youth pastor. Teenage boys will tell their youth pastor anything. Even if that youth pastor is a woman! BELIEVE ME! Whoa! So one of the many fears I had when I first found out we were having Nathan was, I can't be a parent to a teenage boy. No stinkin' way! But the Lord has shown me some amazing things about boys.

First of all. They love you so much. Little boys are so funny! Nathan is a cuddle bug. For being as active as he is, he loves to sit and cuddle and hug and love up on us. He tells us daily that he loves us. And I need that.

Secondly, I have been reminded over and over again that I get to be used by God to raise up the godliest boys ever. All the Christian girls are going to want my boys for a husband!

I have also been reminded over and over that I don't have kids to please myself. I am their mother to love them, serve them, teach them, and help them grow up to be awesome individuals that love God and love others.

Does this mean we are done having kids? Not necessarily. But for the moment is does mean, that no one will make me feel like I missed out or my boys are less special because I didn't get that girl. They will be the best of friends and I love that I have the opportunity to be the mom that is so cool that all their friends want to come over to his house! Let's face it I will always have cookies on hand. :) I am truly blessed.

Well its another boy for the Zehrings

2011-02-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that we are going to have a little brother for Nathan. July 11th is my due date and we couldn't be happier. Today was the big day to find out what we were going to have and it almost didn't happen. This little boy had his legs crossed for most of the exam and didn't uncross them until the very end. Giving us a nice shot of his little manhood! This baby is much smaller than Nathan was but I looked at Nathan's sonogram and their is no missing the resemblance! They will look like brothers. As for hair color, eye color and over all build they will look very much like Zehring boys!

Here are the photos from the ultrasound today...

Here is the awesome profile that we always love to get. Baby boy's arm is right at his side.

This is the point where the legs were crossed giving us a nice view of the bottom of his cute foot!

And the shot you can never miss when you are having a boy.

And our alien! This is the face facing us.

Thought this would be fun to do before Weds.

2011-01-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

So Weds. is the big day. Praying baby's legs aren't crossed and we get a good shot of what we are having! Can't believe we are half way through this pregnancy. So I thought I would go through these and try to predict what we are going to have...

Here’s a list of pregnancy old wives tales:
Old Wives Tale #1: Heartburn
If a pregnant woman experiences heartburn throughout the 9 months of pregnancy, she’ll have a baby born with a full head of hair. Ok, so with Nathan I had heartburn for the last half of the pregnancy and he was born with hair. So far I only had heartburn a few times, so its a toss up.

Old Wives Tale #2: Cravings Curse
This old wives tale is fun to hang over Tarzan’s head. Basically if anyone denies a pregnant woman whatever she is craving, they will get a sty in his/her eye. Personally, I think all men should read this and always give into whatever us pregnant women want! For their own benefit, of course. I know for a fact this doesn't work. With Nathan, I wanted Jack In The Box tacos so badly at 10 pm and Joel wouldn't go get them. Nothing happened except saving a $1.

Old Wives Tale #3: Heart Rate
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy. Well, this is how the doctor already predicted what she thinks we are having and I don't want to give it away. So I won't comment on this one!

Old Wives Tale #4: Ugly Baby
This wives tale is weird. If a pregnant woman sees something ugly, she will have an ugly baby. Um, ok. My babies are all awesomely beautiful. So this is not true! :)

Old Wives Tale #5: Coffee
If a baby is born with light-brown birthmarks, it is said that the mom drank too much coffee or had unfulfilled cravings while she was pregnant. I drank more coffee with Nathan than ever. No birth marks.

Old Wives Tale #6: Full Moon
A full moon was believed to cause a woman to go into labor and give birth. I can't remember if it was a full moon or not with Nathan. But I do know of quite a few women who went into labor at night. So maybe!?

Old Wives Tale #7: Shape of Belly
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy. I am carrying low with a big, round belly. What does that mean?

Old Wives Tale #8: Ring Test
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly. You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle. I did this and it made a really narrow oval. Still don't know what that means.

Old Wives Tale #9: Shape of Mom’s Face
When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl. If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy. I do feel like my face is more fuller than last pregnancy. So 1 for a girl?

Old Wives Tale #10: Key Test
This test involves a key. If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy. If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl. If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins! I pretty much grab the bunch from my purse and go from there. But as I think back I do grab by the top round part. Huh. 1 point for boy.

Old Wives Tale #11: Mayan Tale
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way! Ok so 29 +2010 = 2039 which equals boy.

Old Wives Tale #12: Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones. One of the things I was looking forward to during pregnancy was how awesome my skin was going to look, but nope acne from day one and it never gets better. Another point for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #13: Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl. I like my meat and cheese and pickles but I have been eating cookies and fruit snacks and smoothies and chocolate. And if you know me I don't like chocolate. So one more for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #14: Smell of Garlic
If a pregnant woman eats a clove of garlic and the smell does not come out of her pores, it’s a girl. If the smell seeps out of her pores, it’s a boy. I would never eat just a clove of garlic so I can't try this.

Old Wives Tale #15: Skin under Left Eye
The eye test is when a “V” or “branches” appear when you pull down the skin under your left eye. If you see a “V” or “branches” in the white part, you’re having a girl. I just did this one right now. I have a “V”, so one more point for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #16: Previous Kids
This tale only applies if you have had previous kids. If you have and that child’s first word was momma, you will have a girl. If your first child’s first word was dadda, you’ll have a boy. Nathan's first word was neither. But he did say daddy first before Mama. So another point for a boy.

Old Wives Tale #17: History of Parent’s Kids
You can find out the sex by going off of your parent’s kids and the order. If you are the first born, you will have what your mother had but starting with her second child. If you are the middle child, you will have what she said, but starting with the third child. If you are the last child, you will have what your mother had in the exact order. I think this tale only works when the parent’s had three kids. Ok, so since Joel is the first born and I am the last I will say this is so far accurate. Joel's mom had all boys. So we obviously had a boy first. My mom's order with my dad (not previous spouses) was girl, boy, girl. So that would be I am now having a girl? I don't get this since the man produces the gender.

Old Wives Tale #18: Time of Conception
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be. I don't even know how to comment on this. Plus, I don't exactly know the time of conception.

Old Wives Tale #19: Legs
If your legs get really big, you’re having a boy. If your legs stay in shape and lean, it’s a girl. Legs haven't really changed. I don't work out as much but they are not bigger. So maybe a girl?

Old Wives Tale #20: Moodiness and a Little Pecker
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you. Well, I would say I cry easier but not really moody. How should I answer that?

Old Wives Tale #21: Bread
If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy. If you eat the middle of the load, it’s a girl. I’ve never liked the ends of bread and always have eaten from the middle… Another point for a little girl.

Old Wives Tale #22: Chinese Gender Chart
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%. It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived. This tale tells me that I’ve having a girl.

Old Wives Tale #23: Mom’s Beauty
Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy. It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty. If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy. I definitely don't feel as attractive as I did when I was pregnant with Nathan. But that could also be because I am almost 30!

Old Wives Tale #24: Dream of Sex of Baby
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl. If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy. Dreams show the opposite of what you are having. I haven't had a dream either way yet. So I don't know.

Old Wives Tale #25: Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy. I am always clumsy. So this would be a point for a boy.

Old Wives Tale #26: Toddlers
If a toddler boy expresses interest in a pregnant woman, she is having a girl. If he doesn’t show interest, she’s having a boy. Nathan is my toddler boy. He loves "baby". But his toddler friend hasn't noticed either way. So one point for each?

Old Wives Tale #27: Side You Most Rest On
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl. I have always preferred my right side because I face out from the middle of the bed. So one for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #28: Dad’s Weight Gain
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl. If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy. Joel has just had a physical a few days ago and gained a pound. So one for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #29: Necklace Over Hand
Have someone hold a necklace over your hand. If the necklace swings back and forth, it’s a boy. If it moves in a circle, it’s a girl. Joel just did this and it was back and forth. So one point for a boy.

Old Wives Tale #30: What Do You Think?
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having. Joel thinks its a girl. And mine changes daily. Yesterday I though girl. Today I think boy. Maybe this means I am really ok with either.

Old Wives Tale #31: Morning Sickness
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl. I was never sick with Nathan. And half way through my pregnancy I am still vomiting. One for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #32: Protein
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy. I like my meat and cheese. So one for a boy.

Old Wives Tale #33: Feet
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl. Well feet are cold, but it is winter and with Nathan I was pregnant all summer and wore flip flops. So this is toss up but since it says colder, the point is for the boy.

Old Wives Tale #34: Hair on Legs
If the hair on your legs has been growing at record speeds, you might be having a boy. Um, I would say that they have stayed the same. So one for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #35: Hands are Dry
If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy. Yes. But again its winter. But follow the rules. One for the boy.

Old Wives Tale #36: Urine
What color is your pee? If it is bright yellow, you will have a little boy. If your urine is a dull yellow, plan on a girl. It is duller than normal. So one for a girl.

Old Wives Tale #37: Headaches
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy. I have had headaches but I don't remember having them with Nathan. So I guess one more for a boy.

Old Wives Tale #38: Baby Names
It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particularly baby. This was the opposite with Nathan. We had a girl's name from the start and could not come up with a boys name. But this time we got both names right away! So I guess we will see.

So this was fun and I am excited to see what the outcome is and introduce all of you to our little one... name and all. After we call family of course!

Final tally:
Boy:10
Girl:13

Generic Junkie

2011-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Joel and I have been spending the last six months really working on our budget. We are really getting tighter around it now that #2 is on their way. I have started couponing. Even more than I was. I also work hard to still be frugal about couponing. Even though its a good deal, I don't need 15 of something. It will be a good deal again in a month or two when I run out of it. That's my philosophy on couponing. Granted if its free and I know its something that is never free, I take it. One time Target was having a sale on beefaroni (don't gag, its my easy go to lunch) and they also had an online coupon for it that made it free. I stocked up!

One of the other ways that I have been tightening up is by buying generic on things that I don't have coupons for or are not on sale for the week. For example, I stopped buying Cascade dishwashing soap. I buy Target brand. And honestly, even though this is where Joel works, I think it works better. I have tried other generic brands and they don't work. Of course, there is one thing I can't go generic because of my skin but that laundry detergent. So when its on sale and I have coupons I stock up! But bread is bread. And paying 60 cents for a loaf and putting the extra loaf in the freezer is awesome. Another thing that generic is the way to go... milk, cheese, diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, tissues. Unless its a super awesome deal, I go generic. Most store brands have the extra soft two ply toilet paper for about $3-4 less! I also, because of a husband in retail, see what would be cheaper with employee and Target Check Card discounts than the deal at another store. Sometimes the deal is the same but I save on tax because of the employee discount. And that makes a difference.

The other way that I save on our budget is, we don't have any meat once a week. We have pasta w/ veggies instead of meat, soup, grilled cheese, casserole of some kind, or something else. Meat is pricey and cutting it out for one day week helps. I also use half the meat the recipe calls for on any meal with meat. Plus, we read an article that Americans eat too much meat so its healthier too. We also have a left over day. No cooking, just eating whatever we have in the house for the day. Its cleans out the fridge and we spend no money that day on any food for meals.

Our goal is to cut out $60 from our grocery budget for the month. We are slowly getting there but I think we will be able to get there once my morning sickness is gone and I can eat more things too. But we have had to cut back on certain foods because just cooking them makes me sick. And some of those foods are the cheaper meals. Bummer.

I know a lot of people that are super couponers. And I know I have a long way to go but I have made a point to only put so much time into it a week and I also factor in all the driving I do to all the different stores. All of these are huge factors. We have a gas budget and if I don't have the gas to get to all the stores for the week, then we don't shop there. We never go without but if I miss out on the .33 fruit snacks for the week, then Nathan and Joel will just have to snack on something else in the house!

I am proud of all my friends who have taught me so much and the great example they are being to others about how to save $$$ and not go without during these crazy economic times! WAY TO GO!

Potty Training and the Terrible Twos

2011-01-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

I just want to start out with this... I love my son. He is amazing. Even though most people can't handle is not stop movement or his full fledged energy, I love it. It wears on me and I am exhausted most days but he is able to wear himself out and I never have to fight sleeping or eating with this kid.

But I think its fair to say that we have reached the point where this age is the toughest we have ever experienced so far. Even when he had a bad case of reflux we at least knew how to sooth and make him feel better. But he has reached the age of independence. And the age of disobedience. Oh and to top that off we have started the slow process of potty training.

We know this stage doesn't last forever and we know that for the most part he is a good kid but man oh man I cannot stand the constant tantrums that begin the moment the word NO comes from our mouths. We don't have a kid that takes his frustration out on us. He doesn't hit or bite or scratch, but he throws toys. And that has been awful. But on the bright side, slowly we see the self control that comes with the discipline of making sure he knows throwing toys are not allow. The biggest part of this discipline is introducing Nathan to the idea of not just doing what he told but to honor and obey us because that is what Jesus wants of us. So there are a lot of "I'm sorrys", kisses, hugs and prayer time after every disciplinary action that takes place. I'm sure its easy to get a kid to just do what he is told but we want more for Nathan than that. We want to be honored, obeyed and loved through this. And we want Nathan to feel loved by us through discipline. Its tough and hard to stay consistent and to always keep our cool but I really believe it will pay off.

Now onto potty training. We have just started introducing him to sitting on the toilet. Nathan is a little scared of it but he sits on it and tolerates it. Even though he has yet to do anything on it he knows what it is for and that if does go it will be a good day. But we have already encountered a few mishaps. The "poke it down" model for boys doesn't work on Nathan because he is extremely ticklish in that area. I mean its bad. So now we are trying to figure out if the best course of action is to teach him to stand right away and sit for the #2s. Any advise out there for me would be awesome!

The first time said he actually wanted to sit on the toilet.

My mom said I would always grab a paper to read during potty time, I guess followed suit.

Again, Nathan is amazing and sometimes a mom needs to vent. I don't hide that we are imperfect and that my kid has issues. By no means, my kid is far from perfect and sin is setting in and we are working hard to show him the life Christ has for us. He is a boy that is "all boy". He loves to run, jump, dance, play, read, talk, sing, eat, sleep, pray, and laugh. We have a blast together most days. He is a joy in our life. We can't imagine life without him and hope we don't have to for a very very long time!

A new year and a new change coming...

2011-01-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

I don't have new year's resolution. Mainly because as a substitute teacher and until recently being married to a teacher, our year starts in August. So we are still getting use to the change of the year starting on Jan. 1 for us. The other reason is because I am not a long term planner in that sense. I can make a goal but then for some unknown reason at the time, it won't work out or needs to change into something else and God shows me that there is always something better.

But this year changes are coming whether we are ready or not for them. A new baby in a 3 bedroom house means no guest room. Less space on the floor and the need to rearrange things to turn our guestroom/office into a kid's bedroom. Its going to work. We have been able to move things around slowly. We sold our guest bed and in turn will buy a roll away bed for guests. Nathan has been out of the crib for a while so baby #2 is ready for it. And our desk and computer has been moved into the living room. We would have put it in our room but the baby will be in there with us for a couple of months so that move will wait as well.

Another big change is planning a vacation. This is new for us because we always had to save our pennies to make sure that Joel wouldn't lose too much money by taking time off of work. Now he gets paid vacation and we can go guilt free without losing $$$. Its a very nice feeling. We've got the dates planned now we are waiting to see what we are going to do.

We are excited about this year and the possibilities it will bring. God has provided and will continue to provide. We trust that completely and that has allowed us to not be worried about what may happen or even if something does happen the ability to know God will provide all we need to make sure we have a roof over our head, food to eat and clothes to wear. Thank you Lord for that. (Last year a big leak in our roof happened and we were able to temporarily fix the leak because we didn't have the funds for a new roof but the Lord provided the $$$ right before monsoons and we are truly blessed).

Happy New Year!

Birthdays, Holidays and a baby

2010-12-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Joel has turned 30 this year and on his birthday we got the great news of 2 pink stripes on a pregnancy test. Which means some time next summer around early to mid July we will be welcoming baby Zehring #2 to our home. We are so excited for this new phase in our life but before that time life has gotten crazy.

It all started in Sept. with the weekend visit of my sister and two of her kids for my nephews baseball games. Then we took a trip to Sedona with Joel's family. Then the following weekend we celebrated Nathan turning 2. From there we celebrated Joel turning 30 with his family. Next came Thanksgiving and now we are headed into Christmas.

Don't get me wrong, I love this time of year but what has changed has been the onset of morning sickness. I have never had an ounce of this with Nathan and I didn't know what to expect. With this has meant that I don't get to eat some of my favorite things and all the scents that I love to have at this time of year make me sick so I can't make a bunch of stuff. And shopping wears me out. I am one of those crazy people that waits until everything is crowded. I love that time to shop. The hustle of people trying to get gifts for people and the salespeople trying hard just to be pleasant. And I love being the one customer that makes life a little easier. (I worked retail and Joel is in retail) This is super important to me.

So as much as I love this time of year, I am tired and sick all the time. But I am choosing to let the birth of our Savior reflect in our home as much as possible. I am working hard to be there for Nathan and let him know my love for him as not changed at all. But one of the things that I love about Nathan is his understandable compassion. Whenever I am sucking on a lollipop or lying of the couch, he always says that Mama has to do that because of the baby. And then he pets my belly and gives it a kiss. I am so proud of him.

My dream home

2010-11-20T11:41:00.001-08:00

Some day I hope to decorate my home like the woman from this website and right now she is giving away items to help me do that... Check it out here...

http://theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/

Nathan has turned 2

2010-10-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

So the weekend came and the weekend went. It was Nathan's birthday. My boy is 2. My mom came into town and we went to Apple Annie's Orchard in Wilcox, which was a blast for Nathan. He loves being outside and he loves running. The two things he did the whole time we were there. My mom came out for the weekend and she came with us. It was perfect weather and we got a few apples and pears and had some lunch there. The best part is that its far enough away from our house that on the way home Nathan, Joel and my Mom slept the whole way home! Great nap time!

Then on Sunday we did a two in one party for Nathan. We invited some of Nathan's play friends to the park for a little birthday party. I loved seeing the kids actually play together. Even Nathan played with them (part of the time) my kid loves to explore and the play ground only lets him do some much of that, at one point I was looking for him and I see him across the park pushing his new toy truck on the side walk while Joel follows him! But for the most part all the kids were together. My favorite time was watching the kids actually sit at the table together and eat! It showed me that Nathan is hitting that new stage of wanting to be around other kids more! It warmed my heart.

Then after that, our family met back at our house and we had a dinner and ice cream and present opening. I would of had more pictures of that but my mother in law's camera battery died and my flash broke on my camera (later that night it started working again) Lame. The best part of that time was the present opening! Nathan's reaction to anything with wheels was "Woooooowwwww!" and then signing please for us to open it up so he could play with it. Then signing "Thank You" thinking this would prompt the opening of the toy, so we would quickly bring out the next gift to open and the same thing would happen all over again. Nathan ended up with about 20 new cars and trucks of all sizes! His 2nd birthday was so fun to be a part of and watch! We don't do parties often but I am so glad that we did it this year!

No Longer A Baby

2010-09-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

I think its fair to say that Nathan is no longer a baby. He has always been in the 90% for height and the 75% for weight. But in 3 weeks he will be turn two. And that makes me sad. I think more sad than when he turned one. And I think its because he has learned so much this past year. Things that have made him a little person. He walked before he was one so the things that came the following year were things that made me so excited about the little boy that he is becoming.

Here are some of those things:

Drinking from a straw
using a fork and spoon
sliding down slides all by himself
climbing up ladders
kicking a soccer ball and scoring in a goal
talking (this took a while but we are finally getting words)
learning techniques to swimming
blowing
kissing with his mouth closed
his first haircut
driving his sit and push cars all by himself
being an amazing cuddler
taking gymnastics
climbing stairs
jumping up and jumping forward
reading his ABCs aloud
learning numbers
doing the right dance moves to certain songs (If You're Happy and You Know It)
praying at dinner with us
eating without making a mess
playing with other kids and making friends

And the list goes on and on. There were not that many things in his first year. So to show you all some of those things, I put together a video of the last 12 months of Nathan's life.

Joel's New Job

2010-08-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, its been over a month and Joel has officially been done with his training for a couple of weeks now. So I thought I would update every one on how its going.

First, Joel is enjoying it. We both never thought retail would be his thing but he is really enjoying it. The reasons are that he is still leading and teaching and training people to be the best at what the job requires. And he gets to be a part of something that implements change. These are two things that Joel always wants to be a part of. No matter where it happens. And right now Target is the place for him to do this. He was able to do both of those things with teaching (which is why it was so hard for us to say goodbye to it) but the paycheck didn't allow him to do those two things to the best of his ability.

The cons so far to this job are the hours. We are getting use to them but they are taking quite awhile for us to adjust to them. To give you an idea why its so much harder now than when he was training is because of the store he has been placed at. He is at the only high risk store in Tucson. By high risk, we mean that it has the most potential for theft and asset loss. Also, this is the only store that stays open until 11 PM. So when he was at other stores and they closed at 10 he would be home by 11:30. But with the store closing an hour later and being a high risk store, there is more to do at closing. So Joel won't get home until 2-3 in the morning. Which also means he sleeps the morning away before he has to go to work again or on his day off. The other reason he comes home so late on his closing days is because the routine of having a manager and store manager at this store hasn't been in place for very long. Before Joel's store manager came on the scene the store had gone without a store team lead for a while and Joel's dept. had gone without a team lead for 10 months. So people slacked off and didn't get the job done. Now the bosses are here and its going to take some time to whip them into shape. So the light at the end of the tunnel is that Joel won't be staying that late forever. Hopefully 12:30/ 1 AM will be the norm.

The pros to the job besides the first stuff I mentioned are, first the paycheck. We are able to make the same amount of money in one job that we had with all five of our jobs combined. And there will be a raise. The whole time that Joel was teaching there were budget cuts every year, so there was never a pay raise. Also, days off. We have not known what that was like for 3 years. Joel worked every day and I did too. We now have 2 days off a week together. Its amazing that we are able to have a day where we hang out as a family either at the zoo, the children's museum, the park or at home. Its been a wonderful adjustment. Even with the hours that Joel is working now. I should say that he is not working any more hours than he did before but they are just at weird times.

Well there is the update. I am sure there will be more stories to come. But I wanted you to know that its going well and Joel is enjoying it. Even if Nathan wakes him up after 5 hrs of sleep, he just naps while Nathan naps and then goes to work.

This is one of the ways we spend a day off. Nathan loves to wear his life jacket so we just filled up our little pool and left him in a diaper. He had a blast!

I'm Not perfect and I am ok with that

2010-07-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I have been thinking about what it means to be Supermom. And you know what, it doesn't mean anything unless Nathan sees me as that. I struggle with the fact that I don't get it all done. But then I sit back and realize that I don't need to.

Being Supermom doesn't mean the house is clean all the time, it doesn't mean that I wake up each morning bright and early with the best attitude, showered and ready to start my day. It means that each morning when Nathan wakes up, I am there with a kiss and a hug. It means that each day we are on the floor reading books, putting puzzles together, playing trains, getting wet and dirty outside. To me I am Supermom to Nathan because I am teaching him about life. And how to live life with Jesus as the leader. He may not say a lot or be able to recite songs, but he knows how to help, how to share, how to love. Nathan is learning these things because we are teaching him these things. I am Supermom to Nathan because he thinks I am.

I love that Nathan sees me as some one that is teaching him boundaries and showing him that life is fun and exciting and its centered around Christ. I love prayer time with Nathan, I love how he dances to children's Sunday School songs, and I love how he is ready and willing to love us back. I am not perfect and Nathan is not perfect. But I love that Nathan sees me as Supermom and I don't need to be seen as that by anyone else!

Belly Button Junk!

2010-07-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

That's right! You heard me. How in the world do you clean out the build up in the belly button of a toddler that is super duper ticklish? Well I think I am figuring it out. And if you read this and have your own advise, I would love to know what it is!

Last night at bath time I figured out the best way I can clean Nathan's belly button to the best of my ability. About an hour after dinner is bath time. Just about every night. And Nathan usually has this huge belly that sticks far out. So much that his already outie belly button is pushed out even more. And with that I can get a glimpse of the junk being pushed out! So I take a wash cloth and scrub as much as I can with soap and water until Nathan fights me off. I do that through out his whole bath and I am starting to see a cleaner looking belly button!

Hope this didn't gross you out too much!

Our new schedule of life is here...

2010-06-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Joel has officially started his job at Target. Although we are still waiting to hear about store placement. Rumor is that he may be getting the position at the store we have been praying for. He was told that the job will be opening up really soon and from what we know he is the only option for that slot right now. This store is about 15 min. away and we will be able to stop in and make that our new Target store to shop at. Unlike, the 40 min. drive right now. Still praying and hoping though. We won't know until the end of his training.

His training is going well and its nice for him to have days off. Even though his 1st two weeks have been super busy with us going to Phoenix and then Nathan and me really sick the 2nd week. But the hours are good and so is the consistency!

We have done a lot in the month of June already. We took Nathan to his first water park experience! It was a ton of fun. Nathan lasted longer than we thought he would and was splashing in the kiddie pool and wave pool the whole time. Even after he face planted a few times in the water, he got right back up and went down the water slides!

Gymnastics is going really well too. Nathan is getting more brave with each week. We thought he would be the fearless Nathan we see daily but he is warming up to all the new things and is having a blast. Joel told me that this week he finally made it onto the trampoline! Its the highlight of our week.

The other fun thing is that Nathan is becoming my little helper! He loves to carry the house keys from the car to the front door, he likes to load clothes into the dryer, and he loves helping me water the flowers in the backyard then the grass (even though we have a sprinkler system). New words are coming out of him weekly and he is signing words and also saying old words that we haven't heard in a while. He can also read letters. If we ask him what letter it is, he will tell us. But mostly he loves being quizzed on comprehension stuff!

How to entertain your toddler in AZ during the summer...

2010-05-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

So as of today, I am officially a stay at home mom! I never thought this day would come. Over the past year, we worked hard so that I could stay home as much as possible. And God has provided because of our faithfulness to raising Nathan to become all that God has created him to be. I know we still have a long way to go, but I love being around my kid! I love that we could be outside at a park and he will randomly just run up to me and give a big hug before going off to play again. Or he comes home from and outing with Joel and he runs up to me and rubs my leg to tell me he loves me. If you haven't figured it out my son's love language is touch. Not sure if you really can know at the age of 1 but I can tell that's how Nathan expresses it and that's how he likes to receive it! And I cherish it daily!

So now that I am at home full time, I am thinking of trying to find ways to entertain my very active little boy in 100 degree weather. So I am looking at a ton of indoor, either free or very inexpensive ways, to do something with him everyday. If you are in AZ and thinking the same thing for this summer, let me tell you what I have found!

Starting next week, Nathan and I will be joining a parent/tot gymnastics class. I found a wonderful Christian place for $6 a class! Very nice. A friend of mine and her son are joining with me. I am so excited for this one.

If you can invest in an annual pass to your local zoo, you should. We pay $50 for the whole year for a family pass. And if you go before 11 am you can still be outside in reasonable temperatures. We go at least once a week in the morning for about an hour. About 30 min. after the zoo opens the animals are at their most active! Nathan loves it. And for members, during the summer, the zoo opens at 7 am. Its great to just walk around and enjoy even though some animals aren't awake and out yet.

Lastly, look online for a schedule of story time at your local library. Every Weds. Nathan and I go to the toddler story time. Totally free! the nice thing is that its right next to an awesome park, so Nathan and I go their first, walk over to the library, then come home and eat really fast or take a nap depending on how worn out he is!

The other two days, when Joel is not home, we have grocery shopping and our local neighborhood pool that has a toddler pool in it! We also have our backyard with a sand box and a lawn and swing. So as you can see there is plenty to do in AZ.

We will also be making special trips to the indoor inflatable play zone and free play time at the gymnastics studio that we are going to start attending. The best thing, is that theses are all offered in the morning. Perfectly timed right before lunch and nap time! And the added bonus, Nathan takes super long naps on days like these! I think I spend a total of $8 a week on all the activities. Its going to make the summer go by extra fast and for that I am grateful! I hate how hot it gets here. Let me know if you need more info. I would be glad to help.

The Long Awaited Update....

2010-05-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for months to write this blog because of a few things. One, I wanted to write about our kitchen remodel (still not done), I wanted to write about Nathan and our family, and I wanted to write about the big change coming to the Zehring household.

So the kitchen isn't done yet, so that is for another blog...

Moving on.

Nathan is huge! He is 19 months and growing like a weed! My mom just came to visit and she bought some clothes that she thought would fit in a couple of months but he had to wear them now! He is in the 75% for weight and the 90% for height. He is learning new words every week. Right now his favorite words are outside, bus, truck, and banana. He can't say hi or bye bye but we get these words daily. Such a boy!

I am good. I have been watching another little boy for the past few months two days a week and now that has finished up for the year too. Nathan and the other boy had so much fun together. They are only 3 months a part and really brought out the best in each other! I loved it. I was also subbing about once a week but now the school year is wrapping up and with that so is subbing.

Joel is finishing up his school year, tutoring on the side and still working at Target. This is actually the news that I have been waiting to tell you. There is no shock that all the school districts in the US are experiencing financial hardships. We are among those here in AZ. Because of this, Joel has yet to experience a year without a pay cut and also has yet to experience a pay raise! So after A LOT of prayer and guidance and seeing that our budget just can't be cut any more and working full time myself with Nathan in full time day care was just not an option for us, Joel decided to pursue management at Target.

This started back in March. Joel talked with his store manager to see if he was a possible candidate, and he jumped on it and recruited Joel right away. The timing seemed to be all God. His store manager told Joel that he was perfect for the job and with his experience he would probably get paid way more than starting salary. So we started the process. Joel shadowed another manager for the day, then submitted an application, and got a call for an interview within a couple of days. His store manager also put in a good word for Joel too. Joel went through a series of four interviews. All of them went really fast and we were sort of spoiled by the quick turn around.

However, the waiting began after that. Whether or not they would offer Joel the job. Finally a couple of weeks ago, Joel got a call from his store manager with an offer. It was the exact amount we needed to hear! And the added blessing, a possible pay increase in 6-9 months with an annual bonus in April of next year! Wow! Going from 4 years without a pay increase because of budgets to all of sudden 2 pay increases in one year of working! What a blessing. Oh and the most important blessing of all, Joel will have 2 days off a week! He hasn't had that consistently since we moved to Tucson! I get to stay home full time with Nathan (however, I will sub when Joel is home so we don't need to pay for childcare).

So that is our news for now. June 7th is Joel's first day as an Executive Team Leader at Target. However, we are still waiting to hear where he will be located. Hopefully close!

Thank you for those who knew and prayed for us during this time! Its been one of trusting God in how he will provide. Our motto through it all and continues to be it is, " we know God will provide, its all a matter of how."

Being a new mom and not knowing the signs

2010-02-08T20:50:00.001-08:00

Its the future president. Doesn't it look like a picture a president would take. What a goofball!

I am a first time mom. Yes, I have been around babies from the time I was a baby. I was still in the single digits when my siblings started having babies. But no one, and I mean NO ONE, tells you about all the things toddlers who can't talk are trying to tell you.

Let's just say, mom's mess up some times. And boy howdy, did I today. I watch another little boy who is a little older than Nathan. And they are different developmentally as any two boys could be. Nathan was the walker and the runner and the eater and the ball kicker and the loud one! Logan, is the talker and the fine motor skills one and the calm one! They are teaching each other so many things and its fun to watch. With Logan, he tells me what he wants and shows it to me. Nathan can't talk so his actions and volume do most of the telling.

Well, today I messed up and I am so thankful that Nathan will not remember this day unless I tell him about it. All day today, Nathan was a fussbucket. He screamed and pulled on my shirt, he would cried and throw his water bottle. He wouldn't share or play. The frustration of not being able to communicate to me was awful for him. However, I know he understands a lot. And when these actions happen, time outs come with it! He got more time outs today than I can even remember. Probably the most he has ever gotten since we started doing time outs! That is how bad it was.

This is the start. The chewing on fingers and the drool. I knew the molars were coming!

This shows him about to fall asleep and how miserable he was today.

Finally, about an hour after nap time he seemed to be in a good mood. So I was able to play with him. He is liking it when we let him hang upside down on our laps. That's when I saw it. A MOLAR. We knew they were coming we thought it would be as easy as his first teeth. Drool everywhere and a lot of chewing on things but nothing prepared me for today. I saw the first molar and then I looked all around his mouth. Molars coming from every direction and getting ready to break through at any moment. I can't believe it took me all day to figure out that Nathan was trying to tell me how miserable he was. He was acting that way because he was in pain. Finally some tylenol, daddy time and good bath helped him fall right to sleep and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! Oh and lots of I'm sorries from me.

If you look closely you can see how swollen his gums are. This is right after snack time and he let me play with his hair.

Keeping in Touch

2010-02-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

My missionary friend Kelly home for a couple of weeks in Dec. (we happen to be in the same place at the same time)!

One of the hardest things that has happen to me since moving out of California, resigning from my position as youth pastor and moving away from all family, has been keeping in touch. Motherhood and Wifehood has become my life. People say that the older you get the harder it is to make friends, well its true. Especially when you uproot your life right in the middle of making new friends. Since all of my close friends are either in another state or country or even continent it has been extremely hard to stay connected to them. Even with the wonders of email, cell phones, facebook, and blogs it is still extremely hard to feel like you are still apart of their lives.

Not having the face to face time with these dear people to me has been a true test to faithfully remember them in my prayers. I can post all the pictures and comments I want and email all I want but not seeing their faces daily or even weekly has given me a new sense of truly giving these people up to God. So every night Nathan, Joel and myself pray for all those people that are in our lives but not living near us. It has given us such a peace knowing that we can still keep in touch through our heavenly Father!

The new year...

2009-12-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

So being a part time stay at home mom has become a true blessing for us. Since having Nathan I have a strong desire to stay at home full time. However, our wallet doesn't allow us to do that. I was doing full time child care but again, our wallet would not allow this either. So I went back to subbing part time. I am able to watch children part time as well and be at home.

This new arrangement has its blessings and curses. But I work really hard to see the blessings. One, I am still home most of the time with Nathan. Two, I am bringing in about 20% more income than I did before I started to sub (even after paying childcare). Three, I get to miss Nathan. Fourth, some days I get to sub at Joel's school and we can have lunch together. Lastly, Nathan gets to miss me!

I have these wonderful two college girls that love Nathan and lucky for me, Nathan loves them in return! We have it worked out that on their days off from school and their other job, they sit at our home, play with Nathan, read and relax when he is playing on his own, and take a nap when he does! Plus, they can eat and do homework all they want.

I love that when I come home, Nathan sits in my lap and looks at me with such a love that I am so excited to be with him and play with him every chance I get.

Some day, I hope God blesses us with the finances for me to stay at home full time but for I am ok with being a part time stay at home mom!

Vacation?????

2009-10-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Joel, Nathan and I snuck out to CA. during fall break for a little Disneyland and great-grandparents visits!

We started out with a late start and that got us into Hacienda Heights later than planned because of all the traffic due to construction on the I-10. And Nathan wasn't the greatest of travelers. It was a stressful day all around. But a great reunion with Nathan and his great gram!

The next day was Disneyland day one. It was rainy and cold but we decided to power through. And it was worth it! We got there around noon and stayed for about 3 hours! Nathan loved Small World! He smiled and laughed his way through it! We also took him on Dumbo and the Carousal. He was not a fan of either. He kept reaching for Joel to get him off the horse but we were moving and he was buckled so we had to keep him seated on it.

The one time he held on!

I swear each pumpkin had a different carving.

After a few hours we went to the next Grandma. Nathan's Ama. Totally forgot to get pictures of it all. But he was great and loved up on his Ama! Following her around the house and smiling at her whenever she was around! Good Times!

Day two of D-land was extra rainy and extra uneventful! We got there in the morning before Nathan's nap. The first ride we did was Peter Pan, because let's be honest, that ride rocks! After that Nathan was ready for his nap. So we did what we always do at nap time at Disneyland, we went on Pirates of the Caribbean! Nathan falls asleep every time on that ride. So we got on and within a minute he was out on me! We laid him in his stroller and went to lunch! He slept right through lunch, so Joel and I thought that we would go and hang out in the Animation building at California Adventure! Its dark and plays clips of all the disney movies with their theme songs. Oh and they have the most comfy seats. So we sat there while Nathan took the longest nap ever! But about ten minutes into the rest time there Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible, Pluto, and Dopey (who made out right away) showed up and started making a fuss. So children swarmed them left and right. And of course this all took place right by Nathan's sleeping body. My fear of characters is back in full force after what happened to us! We were sitting there quietly, working at making sure Nathan's stroller did not get pushed and well... you will just have to look at the following pictures to understand my fear!

He kept bothering Nathan and looking in on Nathan and trying to push the stroller and drink from Joel's water bottle. All very disturbing to me when a bunch of kids are waiting for your autograph!

And these are the view I got while he tried to serenade me!

Not the greatest view!

Pluto dancing right by Nathan's stroller! Oh the Choas!

Then at one point Pluto jumped on the seat right next to me and started kicking his legs at me and Mr. Incredible tried to give Pluto CPR! I am totally afraid of Disney characters now!

Then we came home late Thursday night to a note on our door! Our neighbor Jesse, told us that our front yard was flooded and he turned out water off and would be willing to help us with this easy fix! Well, after calling a plumber and scheduling a late morning meeting, out other neighbor Alan came over with a pot of water for us and also told us he would help with this easy fix and also that we needed to get rid of the bees in the wall of our garage! So after stuffing a paper towel in the hole hundreds of bees swarmed there and stayed there. 3 bee stings later and whole bunch of other stuff, they are dead. But that story is to come!

Well, the easy fix was not so easy, after an estimate from 3 different plumbers that told us it was about a $2000 fix, Jesse, said we could do it ourselves and all the men from the neighborhood would help for the cost of cookies! Because that is what neighbors are for! We had to replace the whole pipe line to make sure that we got everything! so 10 hours later, lots of soda and pizza too, the pipes are in and the trench needs to be filled in and we have water! All for the low, low cost of $100, two pizzas, sodas, bread, and a lot of cookies and casseroles coming their way!

open trenches all in our front yard!

Then our neighbors said they have the right stuff to make the bees go away and save us from another $200 bill! So the men sprayed and killed the bees on contact! And now we have one more step that will cost us $5! To fog the hole and kill the bees in the wall!

All the dead bees!

Now we get to redo our front yard and our backyard at the same time! That is the silver lining to the saga that was our vacation!

Church Hopping, House Church, or the Wilderness?

2009-09-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

I noticed that on the Flying Zehrings post Joel wrote that he would hope that I would blog about our recent experiences of where we believe God is leading us.

Well, it started two years ago on a whim. My friend Kadi and I were on our way to Youth Specialties (a youth workers conference) in San Diego. One of the speakers, who also happens to be my all time favorite speakers, was Francis Chan. He just wrote a book called "Crazy Love" which I haven't finished so I can't comment on yet. But he was also talking about his recent sabbatical that he took from pastoring a church. The whole theme of the week was about telling a story. And Francis talked about how churches were today. He said something from the stage that stuck with me. He said, "If all we had was the Bible to use to show us how church was to be, would it look the way it is?" I was pretty much kicked off my seat. I didn't even need to think about it, the answer in my mind was no.

At this time, I was a youth pastor at a church. I was loving what I was doing but I was plagued with this thought. I took it to the staff and tried to talk about it but I couldn't get a peace about what they were saying about this topic. I was confused and very much trying to figure out what it all meant for me and my calling into full time ministry.

At one point, I threw the idea out to Joel about starting a house church. You know doing it how it was done in the Bible. I had no idea what that meant or that house churches even existed. In my mind if a church was meeting in a house it was a church plant. But Joel started taking this idea and running with it .

But my mind was made up. I was called into full time youth ministry how was I suppose to start a house church with this calling. Well, it turns out, having a baby, changes it all. Once Nathan was born and I spent 3 weekends in a row at camps without my newborn, I was ready. God was leading us for over a year to take this step of faith. A step of faith with our future church, our finances and our ministry to people.

We were ready to walk away from the institutional church and start a house church. But of course, we still had no idea of how to do it. So we found the small pocket of house churches or simple churches and started networking. What we weren't prepared for was the way these bodies of God were "doing church" was not what we believed God has laid on our hearts to start.

We are looking to start a church in our home, that does life together. Its not a once, maybe twice a week thing. We want Bible studies that are discussions not sermons, we also feel led by God to have meals together, to "break bread", to serve and witness to others together, we want to help the widows and orphans. We want the Lord to be the leader! No pastors, just facilitators. We want there to be unity with the tithes and offerings. We truly believe that God has laid all of this on our hearts to seek out how to make this happen. Please prayerfully remember this when you think of us.

Is it lonely? Yes. We have stepped away from the comfort of an institutional church with a heart not to sheep steal. So with that means setting aside friendships and relationships that we value so much. We didn't want to, but that kind of comes with the territory. We are wandering right now but we fully believe and are at complete peace about this new calling on our life! Joel and I are more than willing to talk more about this with anyone! So it looks like we may just start one up and meet as a family until some one else joins us. But we are excited and we are ready!

Sorry for the extra long post, but that is the benefit of a blog. Its my heart spilling out onto a post!

As Promised!

2009-08-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

So on Wednesday Taylor got picked up about an hour early which left Nathan and I some extra free time. So we decided to surprise Joel at his school. On Weds. Joel doesn't come home until 8PM because he privately tutors kids all afternoon. So this extra time for Joel and Nathan was well received all around. Since I remembered my camera I took pictures of Joel's classroom. It looks way better than the last time I was there. I just wish I remembered to take pictures of Nathan making laps around desks in another teacher's room or all the teachers oohing and ahhing over him outside as he walked all over the grassy areas. The funniest part was when we got outside on the grass Nathan kept grabbing his feet because he wanted us to take his shoes off so he could feel the grass on his feet. He is our mountain man! This is taken from Joel's desk. He has almost 30 kids and loves to have an open floor space for discussion times. You can see Nathan exploring and making a mess with his snack. Here is the front of his class. Joel's classroom is located to the left of the school and the only one that has a gate by the front door. These are the boards I decorated before school started. I always enjoy doing this part but it was not fun with a little one climbing on your legs the whole time! The mascot is the rattlesnake and the students are called rangers. So Joel has a board dedicated to badges of honor. When the class gets a certain amount he gives them free play or a Super Happy Fun Time Hour! The cleanest his desk will ever be! Let's be honest its the start of the year and Joel hasn't had time to get things piled up.
Just a fun shot to take!

This is a fun Saturday morning for us! Oh and did I mention that Nathan is walking everywhere now. He has the best balance too! Especially when he has juice. He will never give up the juice cup and I think this proves it!

2 days later, The Sand Box!

2009-08-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Joel and I built a sandbox for Nathan. Now, its not your ordinary sandbox and its not very small either. This idea of ours started out about a couple of months ago when we took Nathan to the beach in CA for the first time and he loved the sand. He played for hours before it was time to leave. So Joel and I got to talking about buying/building one for him. We know that there are places that sell already made single person sandboxes and we thought that is an option. But if you have ever seen Nathan he can rival a toddler in size! So a small single person one was out. Next we thought of buying a playground with a built in one but those are way out of our budget. Last, we thought, why don't we build one, I mean, how hard can it be?

Well, technically, not that hard, and the labor not that long, if you don't have a kid that needs attention and job that takes up time. Just to give you the info. of the sandbox, its 138 sq. ft. and has 3 tons of sand in it.

This is Joel laying the boards out so that he can nail them together after he digs the trenches.

Next was the part I did after Nathan went to bed and that was filling in the trenches and laying bug killer down, then the weed blocker. I did it at night so there are no photos of that part.

Lastly, the back breaking part of hawling the 3 tons (that is 6000 lbs.) of sand from the front yard to the back yard.

After that part, which didn't take as long as we thought it would, Joel raked the sand, made it level, washed the table and added some toys and we were done!

And the pure enjoyment on Nathan's face was totally worth it all!

Oh wait! That's my enjoyment. Nathan was still napping when I tested it out. Here is a video to show his...

The life of a stay at home mom!

2009-08-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

School is back in session and with that means having to watch Joel walk out the door every morning and Nathan, Taylor and myself along with any other babies that I may be watching on a part time basis start our day.

Nathan is a full time mobile baby. He will be 10 months on Aug. 10 and already walking and exploring every thing he can. However, the voice of his mom middle naming him usually works to stop him from doing whatever it is at the time that a he should not be doing.

Taylor is her usual keeps to herself baby. She is by far the easiest baby ever! She's lovable, talkative and hardly ever cries! Plus, her and Nathan love each other so much! They are truly buds!

The main thing that they are learning right now is to share things. Mostly books right now. Nathan will sit directly on the book if Taylor won't let him look at it with her! And Taylor will try to take the book away from Nathan. So our lessons right now focus of sharing!

Joel has started school and as much as I wanted to get a picture of his classroom I forgot. So that will be in a later post!

Now the fun begins. Around 4 pm every day Joel walks in the door and so does Taylor's mom Victoria. They talk about their school day and then we discuss babies and how their days were. Nathan starts to fuss because he wants Joel's attention and then the evening begins!

Most days are uneventful but busy. I love nap time because that is when I eat and for a little while there is quiet in the house. Except for the times when Nathan talks in his sleep!

Blogging?

2009-07-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and came from the bedroom and share with Joel something that came to mind. Maybe I should start a blog. "Why?" he asked. I answered with the typical "I don't know, to see if I can." So now with Nathan napping the day away, I thought I might set it up.

I have no idea what may come of this or if it will be interesting but I thought I would give it a try.

You all reading will be my guinea pigs for this experiment.

Thanks and tune in for more to come of whether or not this becomes an addiction of mine!