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

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....

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

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

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...

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?????

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?

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!