The Macs

pray for paxten

2012-01-28T07:52:00.000-06:00

This is the sweet little girl I mentioned in my post on Monday. Her name is Paxten Pearson. She is 22 months old and was diagnosed with leukemia in December. Please join me in praying for this sweet family and for the healing of their precious daughter. My heart aches for Paxten. My heart aches for her mama and daddy. I am praying that the Lord would give them perfect peace at a time when their life feels anything but peaceful as their world has been turned upside down. You can get updates and read Paxton's story on their CaringBridge Page.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:3-4

quilt fabric & a few other things

2012-01-27T15:22:00.002-06:00

I have received quite a few comments and emails asking what fabrics I used in Griffin's quilt and how I chose them...and since I never get around to answering all of your question...here you go...

I buy most of my fabrics from fabric.com, quilthome.com, or locally (quilt shop, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics). Hawthornethreads.com and etsy.com are also great places to look too.

I knew that I wanted a red, chambray blue, and gray color scheme for the quilt. I just started searching those colors until I found prints that I liked and thought would look good together. Matching colors is a little bit of a gamble online, but I only ended up with one print that I didn't like. I usually buy online because there is a much better selection and the prices are generally cheaper. Plus they deliver it right to your door and you don't have to drag your two little boys out to look at fabric. Definitely a bonus!

These are the twelve fabrics I chose (plus white for the background):

Michael Miller Ta Dot Stone
Michael Miller Quarter Dot Red
Micahel Miller Children at Play Dot to Dot Blue
Michael Miller Children at Play Racer Stripes Blue
Michael Miller That's It Dot Cherry
Michael Miller Mini Mike Orchid Gray Dot Duo Grey
Michael Miller Dumb Dot Peppermint
Michael Miller Rouge et Noir Stitch Petal Red
Annela Hoey Sherbet Pips Playdot Red (from local quilt shop)
Moda Bella Solids--white, blue, gray (from local quilt shop)
Dark gray polka dot (from Hancock Fabrics)

My mom is using this pattern for the quilt. She finished piecing it and then we decided to make a few adjustments...which has taken awhile. Hopefully it will be off to the quilter next week!

* * * * * * * * * *

A few pictures from the phone...

1. The boys got a new ride.
2. Brothers.
3. Happy baby + happy hippo.
4. Riding his bike with milk and snack on board (of course).
5. Helping dad.
6. Uncle James is home from China. Yay!

You can link your Instagram pics up too at Life Rearranged.

* * * * * * * * * *

DaySpring's after Christmas sale ends Monday. Most of the Christmas stuff is 25% to 75% off. Make sure to check it out...you might score a good deal!

The Numbers of Faith items are also 50% off. Here are a few of my favorites:

Let Your Light Shine - Tealight Candleholder

~~$14.00~~ $6.99

Child of God - Layered Wall Art

~~$20.00~~ $9.99

And if you like the Life Collection, you can get a really good deal on the 4 piece place setting...

Life Collection - 4 Piece Place Setting

~~$48.96~~ $20.00

...or just the bread plate, which is my favorite.

Life Collection - Bread Plate
~~$5.99~~ $2.99

You can check out all other sales and monthly specials here.

And if you find something you can't live without here are some coupon codes:
Use code 15OFFGIFTS to receive 15% off gifts.
Use code 10off60 to receive $10 off orders of $60 or more.

Have a great weekend!

Disclosure: DaySpring affiliate links used

griffin {four months}

2012-01-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement you left on my last post. This blog has been one of the many, many unexpected blessings that has come out of losing Cora. I am so thankful for my readers and your prayers on behalf of my family. I know...without a doubt...that God is using Cora's death for good and to bring glory to Himself. How awesome that we serve a God who can bring such beauty out of ashes. I am thankful that although we will not get to see the big picture until we get to heaven, the Lord is so graciously allowing us to see glimpses of how He is using Cora's story in so many different ways to bring people closer to Himself. Praise God! And although these January days still tend to be hard, they are also filled with a sweet baby who turned four months. How did that happen already??

* * * * * * * * * * *

Griffin was so squirmy for his four month photo shoot. Hands in his mouth, rolling on his side, chubby feet in the air, sweet smiles, squealing at his mama...this is Griffin at four months.

You've definitely got those cute baby rolls. Mac babies don't come any other way, right?! At four months you weigh 17 pounds 7 ounces and are 26.2 inches long. You are wearing 3-6 and 6-12 month clothes. You almost skipped right over the 3-6 month size! We just finished up your size 2 diapers and now you are starting to wear size 3.

You are so sweet. Not only do you remind me of your sissy in looks, but your personality is more and more like hers everyday. You smile with those blue eyes of yours and I keep wondering if they are going to stay blue...another similarity to your sissy. Your smiles are pure sweetness and I love sitting and talking to you. We found out you are very ticklish too. Those first giggles came this month. And you started giggling at your daddy too...he can always make you and your brother laugh!

The moving has begun. You are grabbing and holding anything you can get your hands on. And if you are not grabbing at something you are sucking on your little fingers...or your whole fist. You are wiggly and even rolled over already! I was so surprised because your brother and sister didn't roll over until they were like six months old!

You love watching your brother. He still doesn't pay a lot of attention to you but he does think your baby toys are cool. You took your first bath together and Levi thought it was awesome to be able to dump water on you. Someday you will be able to dump water on him too! You are babbling all the time and can be pretty loud. What am I going to do if I get two little boys who talk all. the. time.?

Happy four months sweet boy! You are so loved.

Love, Mama

Griffin I 1 month

Griffin I 2 months

Griffin I 3 months

these january days

2012-01-23T21:31:00.000-06:00

These January days are always hard for me. Yesterday was the anniversary of the day we took our Cora to the hospital. Not a day that I necessarily want to remember or relive, but a day that is forever etched in my mind. That day our lives were turned upside down and our family was changed...forever. The next day we reluctantly handed our sweet girl off for surgery and the doctors confirmed that Cora had cancer. In many ways I still grieve that day. We were so, so thankful that Cora made it through surgery...that the doctors seemed so hopeful for her chances of recovery...that the Lord was going to allow us more days with our daughter...that there was an army of prayer warriors rising up behind us. I am still so thankful for all of those things, but those moments we spent with Cora before her surgery were the last moments I spent laughing and playing with my daughter...the daughter that I had grown to know and love so much over our almost eleven months together. We saw glimpses of our sweet Cora again through the ups and downs of her seventeen days in the hospital, but she never returned to the same little girl that her mama knew so well. So, I grieve that day. And that is why I think these calendar days of January and February tend to be so hard. They are not just numbers to me. They represent days that I battled for my daughters life. Days that are attached to so many hard memories. Days that I know have a purpose, but often wonder why God didn't allow them to end with the healing of my daughter. Days that are still hard to understand.

These January days are often marked with tears, and flashbacks, and doubts, and fears. I think the Devil knows that my husband and I are vulnerable on these days and he uses them to test us. It is on these days that we often start to question God again or fear creeps in and we can't seem to find peace. We have to battle to keep our minds focused on Truth and remind ourselves that Jesus is the only answer to our deepest needs.

These January days are hard but they are also filled with reminders of a God who cares about the details of our life. Our God, who has been so faithful to us through death and heartache. Remember last year? It was on January 22nd that we found out we were expecting our sweet Griffin. I know that wasn't a coincidence. The events of that day felt as if God was sending a gigantic hug straight from heaven to us. A hug that we desperately needed. And this year has been no different. {Don't get the wrong idea, there is no announcement this year!!} We didn't find out we were expecting again...but the day was filled with reminders of a personal God who understands our pain, even three years later.

I am pretty sure that every song we sang at church on Sunday was picked just for me. There was one that really stuck out though...a new song that I have heard but hadn't really paid attention to before. You should listen to it too. The message is so good.

He is peace...when my fear is crippling.He is truth...even in my wandering.He is joy...the reason that I sing.He is life...in Him death has lost its sting.
I needed to sing those words yesterday. I needed to be reminded of the peace, truth, joy, and life my Savior offers to me on these hard January days...and everyday. And I need to remember to run into His arms for strength to face the day when I feel like hiding under the covers instead. The riches of His love will always be enough.
After church a friend stopped me and was sharing about a little girl who is battling for her life in Kansas City right now. She has leukemia. She is the firstborn and only child to her parents who are from Wichita. I don't have a link or many more details, but my heart just ached as I can understand a little of the pain and fear her parents are experiencing. And I was reminded that I am not the only one facing pain and heartache right now. In fact, there are so many that have really hard things going on in their lives right now. It reminded me to keep looking outward instead of focusing on myself. It reminded me that I needed to be on my knees praying for others too. And it reminded me that in all of these hard circumstances, the riches of His love will always be enough.
We were making our way out of church (as I was processing through some of these things) and a sweet lady stopped me to introduce herself. She had been reading my blog for awhile and wanted to tell me how much she appreciated some of the things that I had shared. I was so humbled. Not because I have an amazing story to tell or great things to write about, but because He is using this little blog to speak Truth to others. I love that. It is my prayer that God continues to use the Truths that I have been standing firm on to encourage you and remind you that the riches of His love will always be enough.
I didn't fully process all these little parts of my day until I was sitting at home talking with my wise hubby last night. He commented that it was pretty neat that the Lord prompted that lady to stop and introduce herself to me on a day that I really needed encouragement. So true. Even though I might not have realized it at the time, none of those things were a coincidence. I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who speaks so personally and directly to me. Sometimes, I just have to stop and listen...because He is there.

And I can't forget that these January days are filled with the smiles and laughter of two little boys this year. My, how quickly life changes. There is nothing better than having my arms full (literally, because these two are heavy!!) when my heart is feeling sad. These boys are such a blessing and joy to me...especially on these hard January days.

These January days...My heart will singno other NameJesus, Jesus

his big boy bed

2012-01-19T23:02:00.000-06:00

He has been right beside me ever since he was born. I like to keep my babies close...there is something comforting about being able to peek over and see my babies sleeping. But eventually they outgrow the bassinet and I have to let go and move them to their own room.

Cora and Levi both moved out of the bassinet and into their cribs around three months. They were both sleeping through the night by then and it was a pretty natural transition.

But Mr. Griffin is just about four months and still no sleeping through the night for him. He's not sleeping but he definitely is growing. We thought since he was head to toe in the bassinet that maybe it was time for his big boy bed. Maybe.

We are on day three of sleeping in his crib. The first night was rough. I did a lot of stumbling back and forth between his room and my room with very sleepy eyes.

But the next two nights went so much better.

I think he is liking having a space of his own...even if that space isn't quite finished. :)

And I can still peek in and check on him...I just have to walk a little further.

Griffin loves to be swaddled. He's getting big enough now that he wiggles his little hands and feet out. I'm sure it won't be long before he has outgrown the swaddling too. I am loving the aden + anais swaddle blankets with him. I was given some as a gift and they are the best! If you haven't tried them you definitely need too. I have these and these from Target...and there are so many more cute prints!

everyday

2012-01-17T23:52:00.001-06:00

I am feeling tired lately...like the perpetual tiredness. Oh, you know that feeling too? It is probably because of that sweet baby who has decided he doesn't want to sleep through the night...ever. But a certain busy two year old definitely can wear me out too. These winter days tend to get long when the three of us are stuck inside all day. The everyday can get tiresome and monotonous. But there are so many sweet things about the everyday that I don't want to forget. What a blessing it is to see the everyday through the eyes of a two year old.

Everyday after you wake up from your nap you want to watch a "moo-vie". And not only watch a movie, but you always request milk and a cheese stick too. The funny thing is that you would hardly even watch a movie until a few months ago and now all of a sudden you are obsessed. We made a rule that you can only watch one movie after your nap...to keep you from asking to watch movies all the time (although you still ask!). You always choose the same Veggie Tales movie and you pretty much have it memorized...and so do I.

Everyday you pull a chair into the bathroom when I am getting ready. (Okay, so I don't really get ready everyday, but on the days that I do...you are there too.) You always bring in the red chair and a few toys to play with. And of course you bring snacks and milk too...you don't go many places without those two things. Every once in awhile I wish that I could have a little privacy, but I know I would miss your company so much.

Everyday you do some sort of farming. You prefer to go to the real farm with dad, but if you can't you do your farming at home. You have tons of tractors and you are always pretending to haul poop (manure) and corn. You also like to set up all your little cows in the pen and feed them hay...you take such good care of those little cows. If you could choose, you would spend everyday in your jammies too. You like to be comfy and cozy!

Everyday you play the piano and sing at the top of your lungs. Papa plays the piano with you whenever you visit him and you have decided that you like to play at home too. You always need music just like Papa. It can be any book though. It is so awesome to hear you belting out songs like "Holy, Holy". I hope you always love to sing your heart out. And you still have your milk and snacks...just in case you get really hungry while you are playing your songs. :)

Everyday you ask to play "pee-dough". Your mama doesn't always have the energy to get out all the play dough stuff and make a big mess, but the play dough comes out quite often. You got new play dough toys for your birthday and you are loving them. This particular day your Uncle Owen stopped in to play with you. You thought that was pretty awesome. You love when people spend time with you.

I love that I get to spend everyday with you, Levi. What a gift. You are turning into quite the little character as a two year old. This is just a small peek into our everdays. Nothings special, but things I don't ever want to forget.

a few oldies

2012-01-15T21:04:00.000-06:00

Okay, so they are not really that old. But when your babies are growing up so fast, three months ago seems like a long time! My friend Laura took these when she was here visiting...Griffin was two weeks old.

Our first family picture with two boys. Look how little Griffin was...and those cute dangling baby feet!

A daddy and his boys. Nothing sweeter.

Laura also took a few big brother, little brother pictures. I am laughing as I think back to this little photo shoot because Levi was SO not interested. I am amazed Laura got the shots that she did.

Levi tried really hard...he just does everything so fast. When you tell him to hug his brother, he does...for about one second. When you tell him to hold his brother, he does...and then pushes him off one second later.

When you tell him to lay by his brother, he does...and then one second later he is ready to play. When you ask him where his brother's nose is, he shows you...he just honks it really hard. At least that only lasts about a second too!

Such is the attention span of a two year old, right?

But it is always worth trying. Because every once in awhile you catch a moment like this. This is the one that we used on Griffin's birth announcement. My favorite. Pure sweetness.

Thank you for these precious pictures of my boys, Laura!

his name

2012-01-13T22:52:00.001-06:00

birth announcement (front) I west willow designs

I had forgotten all about telling you how we chose Griffin's name. It seems like I do that a lot lately...the forgetting part. I think I have already told you, but choosing our boys names has been really hard. We have a huge list of girls names that we like, but our list of boys names has always been pretty short. But the Lord keeps blessing us with little boys, so little boy names are what we must choose! Maybe someday we will get to choose from the girls list again. :)

The meaning of the name we choose for our kids is really important to us. You can read about Levi's name here. I don't think I have ever written about how we chose Cora's name...maybe someday. With Griffin's name we really struggled with the whole meaning of the name thing. Every name that we liked, (which wasn't very many names to begin with) we didn't so much like the meaning of the name. And Griffin's name was the worst when it came to meaning!

Do you want to hear some of the meanings of the name Griffin?
*hooked nose
*fierce creature with the foreparts of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion
*reddish
*mythological beast
*strong lord

Nice, right!? Such deep, significant meanings.

We kept coming back to Griffin as our favorite boy name, but I just couldn't commit 100% because of the meaning. Joel assured me that no one but us would know all off those meanings when they heard the name Griffin. I tried to trust him. Guess what? As soon as my brother came to the hospital to meet Griffin he asked if I knew that Griffin was a half eagle, half lion. Thanks for boosting my confidence in the name I just chose for my son!

Anyway, we obviously chose the name Griffin (~~creepy~~ crazy meanings and all), but decided to go off of the "strong" lord meaning. We would create our own meaning for Griffin and ignore all the other ones. We chose this verse from Jeremiah for Griffin:

This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about his: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

It is our prayer that Griffin would grow up to be a man of strength because he understands and knows our Heavenly Father. We naturally want our boys to be strong and smart, but we are praying that Griffin would have the kind of strength that only comes from Him...the kind of strength that points others to Him.

Griffin's middle name is James. We chose this name after Joel's brother, James. James is the best brother and brother-in-law. We have seen him finish high school, go off to college, grow into a godly young man and be willing to do the uncomfortable and move to China to follow Jesus. James has a passion for people and for others to know Jesus. As we pray for Griffin to understand and know God, we pray that his life will also overflow with a passion for the things that concern our Heavenly Father...just like his Uncle James.

birth announcement (back) I west willow designs

One more thing...

A month or so before Griffin was born we had our name list narrowed down to two or three names. We would tell them to Levi and say, "Should we name your brother ____?" No matter what name we said he would always say "noooooo" and laugh. He was just starting to talk and so we asked him what we should name his baby brother. All of the sudden he started saying Griffin...and he said it in such a cute way--"gif-in". He just might have helped us decide on baby brothers name too! :)

griffin {three months}

2012-01-09T17:02:00.000-06:00

I made sure to take these three month pictures before Christmas but never got them posted. I decided I'd better get them up this week because I'm pretty sure that I will blink my eyes and Griffin will be four months already. He is seeming so big all of a sudden. Here are a few of my favorites from the three month photo session. I love some of those faces!

Griffin I 3 months

3 months I I'm not sure how much you weigh these days...but I know you are one heavy little boy. I get a major work out just lugging your car seat around. Somedays I wonder how much longer I am going to be able to carry that thing! You wear size 3 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. You have only been wearing 3-6 month clothes for a few weeks but I think you are about to outgrow them already!

3 months I You have found your hands and you are constantly sucking on those little fingers of yours. If you can get your sleeve or blanket in your mouth you are sucking on those too. You are starting to like toys and bat at the rattles and toys we put in front of you.

3 months I You definitely don't get as many baths as your brother and sister did as babies. It is getting harder to find time to squeeze in a bath during the day...I can hardly find time to take a shower myself! :) But you love your baths. You never cry and are instantly relaxed when you hit the water. Your little toes are even starting to splash in the water.

3 months I You have such a sweetness about you. You smile at us all the time, but it is not a silly smile...just pure sweetness. I think we might be getting a little glimpse into your growing personality.

3 months I You are not sleeping through the night yet. I keep thinking that one of these nights you will surprise me, but not yet! You are usually waking up once between 3 and 5 in the morning...and then again around 7. Good thing you give me those sweet smiles in the early morning hours too because your mama is pretty weary somedays!!

3 months I Your brother doesn't interact with you much yet, but he sure likes to talk about you. He always wants to know where you are and if you are going with us when we leave the house. When you cry he tells me "Griffin fussy" or "Griffin so hungry". He seems to already know just what you need!

We love you sweet boy!

Griffin I 1 month

Griffin I 2 months

red ball party {levi's second birthday}

2012-01-06T23:54:00.000-06:00

I debated and debated about a theme for Levi's second birthday. I knew that I would probably be throwing many, many tractor or farm theme birthday parties in the years to come so I thought I would avoid a tractor theme for now...not that there is anything wrong with tractors, it just might get old! :) Levi has been really into playing ball lately so I thought a ball party sounded fun. I searched "ball party" on pinterest and came across this adorable classic red ball party that Jessica threw for her two year old daughter. Red + balls...perfect.

I got tons of ideas from Jessica (great name, right?). She is definitely the creative genius behind this theme. Her party was beautiful so if you need any more inspiration make sure and check out her red classic ball party here.

Jessica also happens to be the talented designer of Pen N' Paperflowers. I emailed back and forth a little with her and she hooked me up with these adorable print-at-home party invitations. She also designed little tags to go on the party favors. Thanks so much Jessica!

For the dessert table, I made cupcakes in red polka dot cupcake liners and put a red gum"ball" on top.

My friend Julie made the awesome red ball cake. She has been making/decorating cakes to help raise money towards their adoption from China. She does an amazing job and the best part was that I didn't have to worry about making a cake! I love planning a party and evening making cupcakes, but cake decorating...not so much. If you are local and need a cake, make sure to check with Julie!

The dessert table had lots of red candy too. Licorice, lollipops, swedish fish, and red m&m's...m&ms are Levi's favorite.

We had red balloons...and of course red and white striped paper straws (I can hardly throw a party without these cute straws!).

I picked up these red frames for Griffin's room when I was at IKEA. They were perfect for the party. The table was covered in a white tablecloth, red polka dot fabric (from Griffin's quilt), and a piece of red polka dot wrapping paper (from Christmas). I love red, so it wasn't hard to come up with things I already had to use on the table.

I made three garlands for the dessert table. On the chalkboard is a garland made out of red punched paper circles + thread. I sewed them together on my sewing machine. The other garland is red felt circles + red bakers twine. I sewed the felt circles onto the twine with my sewing machine too.

The garland on the table is red styrofoam balls + jewelry wire. I (actually, Joel did it for me) spray painted the styrofoam balls with floral spray paint and I used a long crochet needle to string them on the wire. You can't use regular spray paint because it will melt the styrofoam. I found this idea on pinterest too!

For party favors, we sent the kiddos home with a giant red lollipop and a ball of homemade red play dough. I put the play dough in clear cellophane bags and tied them with bakers twine and the circle tags from Pen N' Paperflowers.

We set up a kids table in the kitchen for Levi and all his cousins...he has a lot! We added some red circle punch "ball" confetti to the table after I took this picture too.

Each place had the party favor and two red crayons to draw on the table (which was covered in paper).

And here are a few pictures from the actual party...

It was crazy and loud and Levi loved every second of it. It was so fun to see him so excited about his birthday! He had been singing happy birthday to himself all week. :)

I still can't believe Levi is two. Happy birthday sweet boy!

Sources (for those who are wondering):

Invitations & favor tags : Pen N' Paperflowers
Polka dot cupcake liners : Sweet Kaity
Paper straws : Garnish
Red frames : IKEA
Styrofoam balls & red floral paint : Michaels
Polka dot napkins and 2 candle : Target
Cake : Julie Johnson

levi {two}

2012-01-03T23:37:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take some pictures of Levi on his actual birthday. I thought maybe I would try to take a few outside, but it was pretty cold. Levi had been with his dad that morning hauling manure out of the cattle pens into the fields. Sounds gross, I know...but apparently it makes for the best birthday ever when you are a two year old boy. :) He came home from the farm and was walking around the house with his monkey hat still on. I had wanted to take some pictures with the red balloons from his party, but they were all deflated the next morning. Bummer. So, I plopped him up on the table around the sad balloons and it actually looked pretty cute. These pictures were a happy accident...empty dessert table, deflated balloons, and cute monkey hat. And Levi was making the best faces. I love them.

Dear Levi,

Two months after you were born, your big sissy would have been turning two. I remember wondering what it would be like to be the mama of a two year old. And now YOU are two. You have shown me what an awesome privilege it is to be the mama of a two year old. Two year old boys are the best and your dad and I think you are pretty awesome.

You talk and sing ALL THE TIME. I have a constant companion to talk to and I love it. You say so many words and even talk in complete sentences sometimes. These are a few of my favorite things that you say..."Mommy hold you" - when you want me to hold you, "There we go" - when you finish something, fix something or obey, "Oh my, Levi", "ba-nan-nan-a" - banana, "oh-sailor" - four wheeler "BIG" - you say it with much enthusiasm. You can count to ten and sing your ABC's. I have no idea who taught you to do that. You sing all day long and you always want to be sung to before you go to sleep. Your favorite song is Holy, Holy. You learned it at BSF and it is so sweet to hear you sing those words. You also like Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and we started singing Away In the Manger a lot over Christmas. You especially love when Papa will play the piano and sing with you too.

You love to eat cheese sticks (or any kind of cheese, really), goldfish, oranges, macaroni and cheese, tacos, M&Ms, and you love to drink milk. You do not love ice cream or anything too cold in your mouth. And you won't drink juice or pop...milk and water only!

You love to play with tractors and cows, build towers with blocks and knock them over, ride your tricycle around the house, play playdoh, throw balls, drag chairs around the house, "help" mama cook, color, and wrestle with anyone who will let you jump on them...but that is just when we are inside. You would live outside if you could. You love to explore, ride your four wheeler around the yard, collect rocks, go on walks, build sandcastles in the sandbox, and swing. And if you could go to the farm everyday with daddy you would love it. Riding in tractors, trucks, and getting rides on the real four wheeler is the best. You love to talk to your daddy about what is going on at the farm and you go along with him at any chance you get. You probably know more about the farm than I do! I love the special bond you are building with your daddy.

And even though you are already such a farm boy, you love to read too...that makes your mama so happy. You would read books all day if someone would sit and read to you. Your favorites right now are the Knuffle Bunny books and the Otis books. Your daddy and I have read them so many times that we have them memorized. Good thing your favorite books change every once in awhile.

You have a blanket ("ba-ba") and an alligator named Ally that you sleep with. You got Ally when you gave up your pacis and he hasn't left your side since. And I can't forget your imaginary friends. You have two...Ishama and Bobby. When we ask you where they are at you always say Walmart or Bammy's house. Silly boy.

This year you became a big brother. It was a hard transition at first, but most days you love your baby brother, Griffin. You always want to know where he is right when you wake up. You are dying to wrestle with him, but we always tell you he is too little. And you just started saying "lub (love) you Mama, Griffin" when you head up the stairs to bed. So sweet.

You have such a fun loving personality, silly laugh and those big brown eyes of yours know how to melt your mama's heart. Some days you wear me out, but I am so thankful that I get to be your mama and spend my days with you. I can't wait to keep watching you grow...just don't grow too fast.

I love you so very much.

Mama

hello 2012

2012-01-02T23:26:00.001-06:00

A new year...2012. My mind is racing with resolutions, goals, and hopes for a new year. I love the idea of a fresh start, but being the perfectionist that I am, I am kicking myself for not having a list of goals all written out and ready to start on January 1st. And now it is January 2nd and I feel like I am behind already!

Last night was a little wake up call for me as we started the new year. A reminder of what is important. A reminder of the Rock in whom I need to be constantly grounding my life in. A few moments of perspective.

We spent the evening celebrating Levi's birthday surrounded by family. My baby boy is TWO today! I love birthdays. We never got to celebrate a birthday with our sweet girl, so the two years we have been able to celebrate of Levi's life have been such a gift...and I like to make a big deal of it! Levi was so excited for his birthday which made it even more fun to plan a special party just for him. Our house was filled with party decorations, noise, laughter, and lots of cousins eating way too much sugar. I went to bed completely exhausted but with a heart full of joy as I thanked God for my sweet two year old boy.

At 2:30 in the morning Joel and I awoke to Griffin choking in his bassinet. We both jumped out of bed and I picked him up. It seemed like he was having a really hard time breathing. My kids have had respiratory infections before but this seemed so different. We have a breathing machine so we gave him a treatment and it seemed to help a little. He still sounded pretty bad so we called the ER and talked to the pediatrician on call. I prayed that the Lord would make it very clear to us whether we should go ahead and take Griffin to the ER or see a big improvement in his breathing and stay home. One of those moments when you need wisdom...and you need wisdom fast. Thankfully, after the pediatrician's guidance, his breathing slowed down, he relaxed, and went to sleep. He is doing so much better today. Thank you, Jesus. Talk about scary. It is during those panicky moments when my mind flashes through moments of being in the hospital with Cora. If I'm not careful I think of the worst. If I'm not careful I fail to trust God. As I struggled to calm down and go back to sleep, I had to remind myself to keep my mind fixed on Him.

So...in just a few hours we went from such joy and celebration to fear and wondering if we would be spending the rest of the night in the ER. Our circumstances can change so fast, even in the comfort of our own home. This morning I was paging through a journal I have kept this past year. I wanted to remind myself of the things the Lord had taught me in 2011. I came across these words I had written down from Psalm 62:

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken...

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation...

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge...

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.

I needed to hear those words this morning. And I need to write those words on my heart as I look forward to all that God has in store for me and my family this coming year. Whatever this year holds I can be sure of this:

God is...

my salvation

my rock

my fortress

my hope

trustworthy

my refuge

strong

loving

In Him alone we can find...

rest

salvation

security

stability

hope

refuge

strength

love

God is the Rock that I want to stand on as we plunge into 2012. I had big plans for today. A house to clean, Christmas decorations to put away, blog posts to write, goals to begin, and a birthday to celebrate. But instead we ate lots of leftover cupcakes to celebrate Levi's birthday and I held Griffin as much as I could. I was just so grateful for my boys...nothing else on my to-do list seemed to be as important as spending time with them.

I think I am ready for 2012...and I guess if I'm not I'd better get ready because we are two days into it already! I want to choose to find security and stability in my Rock. I want to rest in the One who loves me and in whom my hope is found. I want to find strength for each day of 2012 in Him alone...no matter what the day holds.

And just in case you are wondering...
There is lots to catch you up on here at The Macs. You can look forward to these upcoming posts: Griffin at 3 months, Christmas, Levi turns two, Levi's second birthday, a little progress on Griffin's room, journaling for my boys, and maybe a few thoughts on some goals I have for the year. And if there is something you are wanting to know...leave a comment and maybe I'll answer your question in an upcoming post too.

Happy New Year!

merry christmas

2011-12-25T00:18:00.000-06:00

We pray that your Christmas was filled with abundant reminders of God's great love and faithfulness to us. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but along with it comes many mixed emotions...especially as we send out our Christmas cards. Our family picture represents the life that God has entrusted to us this year...not one, but two sweet boys. We love those boys so much and feel incredibly blessed to be their parents. But when we look at our family picture we cannot help but be reminded of a huge hole. A hole that our daughter Cora left behind. A hole that forever makes our family feel incomplete. We are so thankful that Christmas is about more than pretty decorations, presents, fun traditions, or even a "complete" family Christmas card. We celebrate because Christmas is the time God kept his promise to send a Savior. It is amazing to think that God sent his Son to the earth as a tiny baby to save us...to save me. What an incredible truth to celebrate. A truth that assures us that because of that tiny baby in the manger and His death on the cross for us, we can have a personal relationship with Him. And we can look forward in great anticipation to the day we will stand "complete" before our Heavenly Father. A solid truth and HOPE that we can live by.

This little blog has been an unexpected blessing. Thank you for reading. Thank you for crying and laughing along with us. Thank you for praying for us and encouraging us along this life journey. We are so grateful for each one of you. We thank God for all that 2011 held and look forward to seeing what God has planned for our family in 2012.

Merry Christmas!
Love, The Macs

cousins + candy...lots of candy

2011-12-21T23:46:00.000-06:00

Last night when I was putting Levi to bed, I told him that when he woke up his cousins were going to come over and we were going to decorate gingerbread houses. He was so excited that his cousins were coming over.

I don't think he had any idea what decorating gingerbread houses meant. But he sure was excited when he saw all the candy the next morning.

I hot glued the gingerbread (grahm cracker) houses together the night before. Messy projects with little people always go so much better when you are prepared. I learned that from teaching kindergartners.

Levi helped me set everything out on the table. And then we had to wait for his cousins to arrive. Man, waiting is hard. Especially when candy is involved. I kept catching those little hands of his reaching into the candy bowls.

I tried to get a picture of Levi with his two cousins before they got all messy. This is the best we got. Ellie tried so hard to get the boys to cooperate and smile. :)

Ellie did such a good job helping Levi. When I watch her with him, it gives me a glimpse into what it might be like if Levi's big sister were here. Always watching to make sure he is doing things right and helping him...sometimes bossing him around and putting him into a headlock to try to get him to smile for pictures. :) Maybe that is how Cora would have been too!

I was surprised that the gingerbread houses kept Levi's attention.

But he was very intent on spreading his frosting...all over his house and all over himself.

Of course they had to taste some too. Tripp really liked the frosting.

When the houses were frosted we had to take a break and play with Griffin.

My kids are well loved by their cousins.

Back to work. Now it's time for the fun part. Candy.

They all worked so hard to decorate their houses.

I am pretty sure a certain little boy ate 500 pieces of candy for every one piece he put on his house. I have never seen him consume so much sugar. Every time I looked over, his mouth was packed full like a chipmunk. Can you say sugar high?

And here are our finished houses...

Griffin (made by Mama)

I was sitting next to Tripp and every once in awhile he would look over at my house and say, "Good job, Jess!" or "That's good!" His kind words were so good for my gingerbread house building self-esteem. :)

Levi

Tripp

Ellie

And even when we were finished, ever so often a little hand would sneak back into the kitchen for more candy off of his house. It was such a fun project...but it is a good thing we don't have that much candy around here every day!

today

2011-12-19T16:03:00.001-06:00

I really have nothing today...except this sweet picture I took when my hubby was home for lunch.

Sweet, huh? Our little Griffin is a snuggle bug. And thank goodness he is sleeping right now because he sure did not sleep much last night. He still isn't sleeping through the night, but he has only been waking up once and going right back to sleep. It was very unlike him. But in the middle of the night when I am frustrated and can hardly think straight because of lack of sleep...I try to remember those horrible nights right after we lost Cora when I would have done anything to have been up in the middle of the night holding her...I would have done anything to have been awoken by her cries. It makes those middle of the night moments with Griffin a little more sweet. It gives me perspective. It makes me thankful that he is here to hold.

So, today I was planning on posting some pictures of Christmas-y things around our house and taking Griffin's three month pictures (he is three months tomorrow!), but it has been raining ever since I got up this morning. It is so dark and dreary in our house...except for the twinkling Christmas lights! And tomorrow it is supposed to be snowing! So, my plans will have to wait. And Griffin's monthly post will be late like usual. :)

Hope you are having a great Monday. We have a fun week packed full with Christmas celebrations and time with family. I can't wait to celebrate with my boys. Now...I'd better get back to wrapping presents and addressing Christmas cards before those sleeping boys wake up again!

a very tacky christmas

2011-12-16T18:37:00.000-06:00

We have always hosted an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party for our small group. This was our fourth year. But thanks to a new couple in our group, I'm pretty sure the theme has changed to "A Very Tacky Christmas". Most of us just threw on an old Christmas sweater or sweatshirt, but last year this couple created their own outfits...complete with red spray painted boots. It was awesome. This year they sent out a text saying we better bring our A-game. So we had to step it up a notch.

Here we are...A Very Tacky Christmas 2011. Joel and I brought back the turtlenecks. My outfit was all too familiar...something I probably would have worn back in junior high...maybe not the Christmas motif but definitely the turtleneck and baggy shirt. I had some red and white stripped rudolph the red nose reindeer knee-high socks on too. I even embellished Joel's turtleneck for him. Doesn't he look cute?

And here is the rest of the group. The super creative couple was dressed as a Christmas tree and present. Cute. We have such a fun time together and we are so thankful for each one of these couples. And I am sure they are thankful I am putting their pictures on my blog! :)

This year we went to a Japanese grill for dinner and then met back at our house for dessert and white elephant gifts. That meant we actually had to wear our outfits out in public. We made a lot of people smile.

And we had the best cook (I forget what they are actually called). He was funny. And he was even more than happy to pose for pictures.

The Christmas celebrations have begun! Hope you are having a wonderful week preparing for Christmas and celebrating with your friends and family. Happy Friday!

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

The winner of the DaySpring giveaway is...

Sara

I collect nativities and would love the hurricanes to add to my collection! :)

Please send me an email Sara!

And don't forget today is the last day to use the 30% off coupon code for these three items:

Use coupon code Macs30 and get 30% off...

The Greatest Shepherd of All

Christmas Angels

Nativity Hurricane Candle Holder Trio

**Coupon code expires Wednesday, December 14th**

DaySpring has all of their Christmas items on sale now. So, if you are needing a last minute Christmas gift or want to shop ahead for next year, go check it out!

Use coupon code shipping25 to get free shipping on $25+ orders.

This post is part of DaySpring's affiliate program.

sam shirt {take two}

2011-12-12T11:43:00.000-06:00

Remember Griffin's Sam shirt? Well, a sweet reader sent Levi his very own Sam shirt...she thought he needed one too. Thanks so much Jessie. I really have the most thoughtful readers. Let's just say Levi was thrilled!

Lately, Levi has either not wanted anything to do with the camera...or he is a total show off when I pull the camera out.

I asked him if he wanted me to take his picture with his new Sam shirt on. He was all ready to ~~show off~~ pose for the camera.

He even pulled a chair over to sit on. He is really into dragging chairs all around the house right now. Nice shirt Levi!

I wish I could remember what he was saying. He was cracking me up. Almost two year olds are so funny.

Our little photo shoot lasted a few seconds and then he was off. We always have to keep busy and keep moving around here.

Levi really likes stickers and coloring. I am starting to find stickers stuck in random places around the house. And someone is learning that they can only color on paper...not chairs, or walls, or couches, or carpet. Such a hard lesson to learn...and somedays he is a slow learner. :)

Those pretty crayons are so tempting. Who wouldn't want to draw all over their mama's house? Don't worry...I don't let him. And he is learning the rules of coloring with crayons!

After coloring we had to get back to the mounds of laundry. Another lesson he is learning is not to unfold mama's folded clothes. He gets such joy out of knocking over a stack of clothes. Such a boy!

I'm sure this one will be knocking over my folded stacks of laundry before I know it too. How do they go from sweet sleeping baby to crazy energetic toddler so fast?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget to enter the DaySpring giveaway. Giveaway closes tomorrow night. Click here to enter. There is a coupon code too!

let the christmas decorating begin {dayspring giveaway}

2011-12-10T12:12:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. It is a little late to be just beginning my Christmas decorating. We usually get our tree right after Thanksgiving, but it just didn't happen this year. The day we were going to go was so cold and so windy...so we stayed home instead. We finally got our tree and got it all set up and then we went to Colorado. So it sat undecorated for awhile. Now the lights and ornaments are on and our house is beginning to feel Christmas-y. I forgot how much I love that.

Last year I read Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper. It gave me a whole new perspective on traditions. I remembered Piper saying something about how we decorate our houses for Christmas, so I pulled that book out again this year to refresh my memory. Here is what she says...

How will our home look if our celebration is a picture of anticipation and waiting for God's plan to be completed, a picture of our joy in the salvation he has begun for us? What visible things will fill our house as we celebrate what God has done through Jesus?

I had never thought about being intentional even with my Christmas decorations. It got me thinking about my Christmas decorating in a new way. I want to make sure that there are things around my house that point to the whole reason we even celebrate...Jesus!

I added these Nativity Hurricanes from DaySpring to my Christmas collection this year.

They are really pretty and I love how they tell the story of Christ's birth. Levi even likes to show me where baby Jesus is!

I also picked up this Carved Wooden Serving Tray. I think I am actually going to give it as a gift, but I just had to pull it out of the box and take a peek.

Simple joy, unending hope, wonderful grace, authentic peace, unfathomable love...are the words carved around the edge of the tray.

Levi even got in on the DaySpring goodness. Remember how I told you I was looking for some Christmas books to add to our collection? Well, I found two on the DaySpring site and thought we would give them a try.

The Greatest Shepherd of All and Christmas Angels are both great board books to use as we teach our kids what Christmas is really all about. The Greatest Shepherd of All tells the story of three mischievous sheep that follow the shepherds' trail looking for Jesus. Christmas Angels tells the story of the angels that appeared to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds surrounding the birth of Jesus. The Greatest Shepherd of All was a little too long and the pictures are pretty small to keep Levi's attention...but it would be a great book for older kids. Christmas Angels was perfect for my {almost} two year old!

Would you like to add some of these items to your house for Christmas?

DaySpring is offering one of my readers a

$50.00 gift certificate to use in their online store!

Giveaway Details:

$50 to DaySpring

ONE winner chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 13th at 9pm (CST)

To enter visit DaySpring...

then come back to this post and leave a comment

telling me what you would buy with your gift certificate.

AND...

DaySpring is offering a special discount to my readers on any of these three items!

Use coupon code Macs30 and get 30% off...

The Greatest Shepherd of All

Christmas Angels

Nativity Hurricane Candle Holder Trio

Hooray for 30% off! Thanks DaySpring!

**Coupon code expires Wednesday, December 14th**

Use coupon code shipping25 to get free shipping on $25+ orders.

This post is part of DaySpring's affiliate program.

cora dress {adoption fundraiser}

2011-12-08T15:56:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that Mindy at Marigold Road is hosting an adoption fundraiser for my dear friend Julie and her family. The Johnsons are adopting from China and I am so excited to be able to partner with them in a very small way. I know they would love for you to partner with them too! Mindy is giving away a different "bundle" every day this week. There is some really great stuff. And if you win one of the bundles, just think of how many Christmas presents you would have covered! Today, Bundle #4 includes a Cora dress. If I remember right it is a 24 month dress. You can leave a comment for every $5 you donate to the Johnson's adoption fund (at Marigold Road...NOT here). So if you are wanting a chance to win a Cora dress head on over to Marigold Road. And make sure to check out the bundles from the rest of the week too!

I love Julie's heart for adoption and the orphan. She is a friend who constantly challenges me in my own relationship with the Lord...she challenges me to look outside my immediate family and love others well...even when it is hard...I love that. To read the Johnson's adoption journey click here.

a BIG trip {colorado 2011}

2011-12-07T15:50:00.001-06:00

Our little trip to Colorado came and went way too fast. We were glad when the eight hour car ride was over, however. Levi decided that he would fight sleeping in the car as hard as he could. Why is it that when you are rushing to get home for nap time they always fall asleep, but when you are in the car for eight hours they don't sleep at all? We told Levi that Colorado was very far away...like China. :) He kept telling us that he was on "a BIG trip".

We spent the weekend with my friend Laura and her family. Laura and I have been been friends since fourth grade and she is like a sister to me. I love her family too. We had so much we wanted to do, but the time flew by. And really, with four boys between us...there isn't time for much else!!

Here are a few highlights...long car ride with a non-sleeping one year old, after the first hour of driving Griffin was an angel baby, arrived in CO late Thursday night, lots of talking, lots of laughing, staying up too late, Chick-fil-a, girls only {+Griffin} trip to IKEA...yes, I got to go to IKEA!, more Christmas shopping checked off the list, angel baby lasted four hours in IKEA without even a peep, tried a new steak and fries place {I can't remember the name}...yum, football watching, more talking and laughing, four sweet boys...far away friends, sleeping in a little later than usual, yummy breakfast every morning made by Michael, quick trip to HomeGoods, more Chick-fil-a, lots of hanging out and playing at home, cute little boys running around in jammies, quick family picture for my Christmas card before we left, so sad to say goodbye on Sunday, another eight hour car ride home with very little sleeping from same one year old, so thankful for the smart person who put a Starbucks in the middle of nowhere at the halfway point of our Kansas/Colorado trip {thank you!}, Griffin wins best little traveler award, and we finally arrived back home. It was a great trip.

Thanks for the wonderful getaway M + L. We loved our time together...now it is your turn to come to Kansas!

stuck

2011-12-01T11:32:00.001-06:00

First, I want to say that I did not mention the comment about the diaper line in Griffin's 1 month pictures to be mean. I actually laughed when I read that comment because I am so used to those crazy diaper lines being green that I hadn't even noticed...they stay dry for like one minute, right? I just mentioned it because I liked that both the one month and two month pictures showed a little glimpse of real life with a newborn. That's all. The sweet lady who wrote that comment emailed me right away because she felt so bad that I might have taken her comment the wrong way. I felt horrible that some people thought I mentioned it because I was offended and wanted to make her look bad. It is never my intent to use this blog to say anything mean or hurtful about others. Never. And I know the lady who left the comment feels the same way. Okay. Glad we got that cleared up!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Did you notice that the blog got stuck on Tuesday last week? Oops. We were a little busy around here and then we decided to take an impromptu trip to Colorado to visit some of our besties. We really needed to get away and it was such a great weekend. More on that later.

Someone else was stuck last week too. This little boy is getting himself into so much trouble lately. He likes to climb on, go behind, and crawl through anything he can.

But sometimes he gets stuck. And then it is not so much fun anymore.

Especially when his mama is giggling and grabs the camera to take a few pictures instead of helping him get out.

This almost two {how can his birthday be less than a month away?!} stage is so fun. I love watching him try new things. Even when it doesn't always go as planned...and he gets stuck!

Happy Monday!

griffin {two months}

2011-11-29T14:18:00.001-06:00

My mom put the quilt together just in time for Griffin's two month pictures. Isn't it fabulous?? I can't wait to see it all quilted and finished. It will be a great addition to Griffin's room...you know, the room that we will hopefully finish before Griffin is too big for a nursery. :)

I was smart this time and did our little photo shoot while big brother was sleeping. I think Griffin appreciated not having to worry about being sat on while his mama was taking pictures.

Griffin's eye is a little red in these pictures. He has an overactive tear duct and sometimes it gets a little red from trying to keep it clean. Poor baby. Levi had the same thing. Someone mentioned in Griffin's one month pictures that the little stripe on his diaper was green...meaning his diaper was wet and needed to be changed (diapers are so fancy now, huh?). Obviously I should have changed his diaper before his one month pictures. And maybe I should have waited until the next day for his two month pictures so that his eye wouldn't be red. But, I kind of like the real life pictures that are not so perfect. They tell the story of life with my growing baby:

1 month - changing wet diapers all the time

2 months - wiping goopy eye all the time

That is real life.

Here is a glimpse of Griffin at two months...

You are definitely trying to keep up with your "big" brother. At your two month appointment you weighed 14 pounds, 10 ounces and were 23.5 inches long. You eat every 2 to 3 hours which feels like ALL THE TIME. But you are a growing boy, right? Hungry boys will probably be the story of my life. I'm good with that. I just might need to learn to cook in larger quantities.

You are smiling all the time now...although I didn't catch many smiles this day. You love to be talked to and talk and coo right back at us. You actually have a pretty loud "talking" voice. Maybe because you want to make sure you are heard over your loud brother? :)

We haven't quite gotten into a sleeping schedule yet. You are pretty predictable during the day...eat, play, sleep. You even usually take a longer nap during Levi's nap time. You must know your mama needs a little break. Thank you sweet baby.

Your nights are not so predictable though. You are waking up 1-2 times a night...and I never know when that will be. Lately you have been going to bed between 10 and 11pm, waking up between 2 and 5am, and then going back to sleep until 7 or 8am. You usually go right back to sleep though, so I won't complain. Tiredness is just part of being a mama...and it is so worth it!

You are a snuggle baby. You are so happy as long as someone is holding you. It is a good thing I have to take care of your big brother because otherwise I might just sit and hold you all day. When I am holding you, your big brother always wants to sit in mama's lap too. He loves you just as much as I do...he just doesn't always love sharing his mama with you. :)

You are such a sweet little boy...the perfect addition to our family.

At two months we all love you so much!

You can see Griffin's one month pictures here.

the two of them

2011-11-25T23:31:00.001-06:00

Oops...some of you got a little preview of this post already! Here is the completed version. :)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas lists and plans are already spinning through my head. No black Friday shopping for me yesterday. Joel was working and I stayed home with the little boys. I did shop online though and scored some great deals. I actually got quite a bit of Christmas shopping done. Yay!

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. We are so blessed with such great families. I think I only took one picture though...so much for capturing the memories of Thanksgiving 2011. But I don't want to rush into the busyness that usually comes along with Christmas and forget about cultivating thankfulness. I want thankfulness to be my attitude toward life and the condition of my heart...ALL THE TIME. I want to remember to even be thankful for the mundane little moments when I get to hang out on my bed with

the two of them.

I hate to admit that before they were born I was praying for both of these sweet little boys to be girls. I had no idea that I needed boys in my life. Only God knew that. What a precious gift these boys are. What a privilege it is to be there mama. I am so thankful that the Lord entrusted me with the two of them.

I have longed to see my kids together. That is something that I didn't get to experience with Cora and Levi. I can't describe how amazing it is to watch the bond begin to develop between Levi and Griffin. Of course Levi has his not so nice moments...many times a day. But he loves his little brother so intensely. Just this morning he was yelling from his crib, "Mama, Griffin, Mama, Griffin". I love that he thinks of Griffin right when he wakes up. I am so thankful I can watch the two of them together.

The keep me busy. They make me tired. They challenge me to be a better mama. They draw me closer to my Father. They make our house noisy, and messy, and fun. I am so thankful for the two of them.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Don't forget about the DaySpring Super Sale. Use code SUPER30 to get 30% off the entire store. The sale ends Monday, November 28th (Cyber Monday). And make sure you check out the Super Specials...you can check out some of my favorites here. (The 30% off does not apply to the Super Specials because they are already such a great deal!)

DaySpring also has their big canvas sale going on now. You can get 30% off all canvases...including the new canvases by Jones Design Company.

I ordered the Seek First His Kingdom Print. It usually retails for $54.99 but with the 30% off canvas sale you can get it for $38.49...AND if you use the 30% off super sale code you can get it for $26.94!

There are lots of other great canvases and tons of other deals. Make sure you check out DaySpring before Monday!

This post is part of DaySpring's affiliate program.

defining thankfulness

2011-11-23T23:58:00.000-06:00

My church shared this video at our Thanksgiving Eve service last night.

I wanted to share it with you too.
Thankfulness...it is powerful.

As I have been thinking about what it looks like to live out thankfulness in my own life, I went back through this video and wrote down all the things that define thankfulness.

THANKFULNESS...

BONDS FAMILIES

STRENGTHENS FRIENDSHIPS

UNITES COMMUNITIES

THANKFULNESS IS THE...

DEFENSE AGAINST MATERIALISM

ENEMY OF ENTITLEMENT

CURE FOR SELF PITY

THANKFULNESS...

IS GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT

WAS MODELED BY THE SON

HONORS THE FATHER

THANKFULNESS...

IS BORN OUT OF HUMILITY

SUSTAINS FAITHFULNESS

IS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR JOY

LEADS TO GENEROSITY

THANKFULNESS IS...

A COMMAND FROM GOD

AN ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE

A CONDITION OF THE HEART

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

FOR HE IS GOOD

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.

PSALM 107:1

I pray that thankfulness would always be the condition of my heart.
I have SO much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

dayspring super sale

2011-11-22T14:00:00.001-06:00

I was wanting to post this earlier this week but never had time to sit down and blog. So...I wanted to let you know before it is too late that DaySpring's Super Sale is going on right now. This is their biggest sale of the year and there are tons of awesome deals. Use coupon code SUPER30 to get 30% off the entire store. This sale started Tuesday, November 22 and lasts through Monday the 28th (Cyber Monday).

You may be heading out way too early on Friday morning to score some Black Friday deals, but not me. The thought of getting less sleep than I already do is not appealing right now! :) So, I am excited to do some shopping from home and not have to go out in the crazy crowds. Not only can you get 30% off the entire DaySpring store, but they are also having Super Specials with huge discounts...I mean really huge discounts ranging from 60% to 75% off! Here are some of my favorites.

Inspirational Message Blocks

~~$49.99~~ $15.00

Wonderful Grace - Carved Wooden Serving Tray

~~$48.00~~ $18.00

Nativity Hurricane Candle Trio
~~$59.99~~ $23.99

Give Thanks Wooden Caddy
~~$29.99~~ $9.00

Aren't those deals amazing? And there are even more. DaySpring also has all their canvases 30% off and their totes are buy one get one free through the end of November. The canvas art by Jones Design Company is my favorite. I just ordered mine and can't wait to get it. These would make some great Christmas gifts too. And don't forget the cards...DaySpring cards are the best.

You can get free shipping on $25+ orders using coupon code: shipping 25

Keep checking back...there will be a DaySpring giveaway here at The Macs in the near future!

Happy shopping...and more importantly, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
We have SO much to be thankful for.

This post is part of DaySpring's affiliate program.

giveaway week winners

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

What better way to start off the week then with a few more sock monkey pictures?

It has been getting cold here, so we have needed our sock monkey hats to keep warm.

I love for the boys to wear them when we go out because they just make people smile. We like to make people smile. :)

You all rocked the comments during giveaway week. Wow! I don't think I have ever had over 600 comments on a giveaway before. So fun.

We are just sad that we can only pick a few winners. We would send you each one of everything if we could. Really, we would. Levi thinks every little boy needs a sock monkey hat.

But, if you are one of the winners...your Monday will be even better!

Here are the winners from giveaway week...

Flitty, Twitty, and Itty Bitty

Tara - My girlies are very into Dr. Seuss so 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' is very popular in our house!

Melissa - I LOVED The Velveteen Rabbit when I was little!

ImBlessed

Amee - Hi! My favorite is the Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Heart on a Chain with a Pearl - Whimsy Heart. I would give this to my future daughter in law on Dec. 31st, as she is to wed my oldest son. :) I would put her new intials SME. Thank you for hosting this give away! I love your bracelets too! Beautiful sentimental jewelry.

A Perfect Treasure

Lindsay Jo - i'm loving the rudolph one!

Sock Monkey Hat

Tiffany - I'd give it to my sweet 12 week old, Graham! Then i would have to find one for my 21 month old. The hats are precious and so are your boys.

RV Parties

Angela - I would adore the quatrefoil plate in turqoise and red! Thank you. Griffin is absolutely precious. Congratulations!!!

If you were the winner of one of these giveaways please email me at:

contactthemacs {at} yahoo {dot} com

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And if you weren't one of the winners here are a few great deals for you...

RV Parties

Rachel is offering my readers 15% off any order using code MACS15.

Coupon good through November 30th.

All orders need to be placed by November 30th to arrive by Christmas.

A Perfect Treasure

Karen is offering my readers 20% off any order using code griffin20.

ImBlessed

You can get free shipping on orders of $50 or more through December 10th.

Enter coupon code FREESHIP at checkout.

(The silver cuff bracelet like I have is listed in the shop again!!)

giveaway week {flitty,twitty, and itty bitty}

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Levi and I LOVE to read.

One of the best things about being a kindergarten teacher (besides the kids of course) was all the books I got to read everyday. I have always loved children's books.

As Levi gets older it has been so fun to share some of those books with him and read new ones that even his mama hasn't heard before. It is funny how Levi picks his favorites. Every few weeks it seems like he has three or four favorites that he wants to read over and over and over...and then in a few weeks he has new favorites that he wants to read over and over and over. Joel and I are thankful that his favorites change...you can only read the same book over and over and over so many times. :)

These are his favorites right now:

Otis by Loren Long

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Thank You, God by PK Hallinan

No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli (a silly book, but he LOVES it)

I'm sure in a few weeks he will have a new list of favorites.

Last week we were given two new books. How exciting! The author of these books, Mary Ellen Tippin, is a friend of my family. In fact my family was introduced to the Tippins when we first moved to the area many, many years ago. Mary Ellen and my mom have been best buddies ever since.

These two books are about three little birds--Flitty, Twitty, and Itty Bitty--and their birdie family. They are a little long for Levi's age, but I was actually surprised how they held his attention. I only had to paraphrase a few pages because he was ready to move on. :) He loved the birdies and was always looking for the nest in the illustrations. My nephew and niece are almost 3 and 5 and they love these books. They ask to read them whenever they go to Grammy's house. I think in a few months Levi will love them too...maybe they will even make his list of favorites.

What I really like about these books is that they allow you to talk about God to your children and how he cares so much about every part of our lives...He even cares about the little birdies. Flitty, Twitty and Itty Bitty is based off of these verses:

Not one little birdie will fall to the ground without your Heavenly Father knowing all about it. So why should you be afraid? You are even more valuable to God then birdies.

Matthew 10:29 and 31

Here is an overview of Flitty, Twitty and Itty Bitty from Mary Ellen's website:

Does anyone really care what happens to baby birdies? God does. If God cares about baby birdies we can be sure He cares about each of us, too! The Birdie Family: Papa, Mama, Flitty, Twitty, and little Itty Bitty find out God is watching over them and their family when trouble "blows" their way.

I have been on the search for some Christmas books to read to Levi and Griffin that talk about the real meaning of Christmas. I would love to have a stack of Christmas books that we pull out every year to read. The Christmas Birdie is the perfect addition. What a fun way to recall that most important day of Jesus' birth through the eyes of a little birdie.

Here is what Mary Ellen's website said about The Christmas Birdie:

How would you like to have witnessed the birth of the most important person who ever lived? That is exactly what happened to a little birdie named Flit. What started out as disaster turned into wonder in a stable in Bethlehem one winter’s night.

Mary Ellen is giving away TWO sets of her books along with an audio CD of Flitty, Twitty, and Itty Bitty (there is also a birdie song and bonus story included on the CD).

Giveaway Details:

Flitty, Twitty, and Itty Bitty by Mary Ellen Tippin

Flitty, Twitty, and Itty Bitty audio CD

The Christmas Birdie by Mary Ellen Tippin

TWO winners chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 19th at 9pm (CST)

To enter tell me your favorite Christmas books (I need some ideas!)

-or-

just tell me your favorite children's book

You can find out more about Mary Ellen and her books on her website.

These books are available for purchase on the website or through Amazon.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To enter the RV Parties giveaway click here.

To enter the Sock Monkey Hat giveaway click here.

To enter the A Perfect Treasure giveaway click here.

To enter the ImBlessed giveaway click here.

All giveaways close Saturday (tomorrow), November 19th at 9pm.

giveaway week {imblessed}

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have always loved silver bracelets. I wore one all the time that Joel gave me while we were dating until it broke. I was so sad. Now I wear three...I think I could even wear more! I wear a circle tag charm bracelet that my parents gave me on my wedding day. They engraved it with my new initials JCM. Did you know that my middle name is Cora? I have always loved my middle name, but after losing our sweet Cora I love that it is my middle name even more. I also wear a Cora bracelet. A sweet lady who owned a local jewelry store in my town (it is now closed) made one for me and many others when Cora died. We all wore them to the funeral. And I have worn mine almost every day since. And now I have a new bracelet! Misty from ImBlessed sent me a hand stamped cuff bracelet after Griffin was born.

Now I have a bracelet with all of my babies names. Love it.

When I am out with my family people always assume I am a mama of two boys. Cora is not a visible part of our family anymore. Sometimes that is still so hard.

So, I love wearing this bracelet as a reminder that I am a mama of three kids...one girl and two boys. My sweet girl isn't with me, but she is waiting for me in heaven. In some ways it is a reminder that this world is not my home...to always keep an eternal perspective. I love that.

Misty from ImBlessed is giving away a $30 gift certificate to her shop to one of my readers. Now you can have a piece of your very own hand stamped jewelry...or maybe there is someone on your Christmas list who would love a new necklace or bracelet!

Giveaway Details:

Gift Certificate to ImBlessed

($30 value)

ONE winner chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 19th at 9pm (CST)

To enter visit ImBlessed...

come back and leave a comment telling me your favorite item.

You can find ImBlessed on Etsy.

You can get free shipping on orders of $50 or more through December 10th.

Enter coupon code FREESHIP at checkout.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To enter the RV Parties giveaway click here.

To enter the Sock Monkey Hat giveaway click here.

To enter the A Perfect Treasure giveaway click here.

All giveaways close Saturday, November 19th at 9pm.

giveaway week {a perfect treasure}

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Griffin got a new onesie from Karen at A Perfect Treasure.

I wanted to show it to you, but Levi noticed that I was taking pictures without him. So he plopped down beside his brother and opened his book right on top of Griffin.

I think he was wanting to make sure that Griffin wasn't getting all the attention. Levi wants to be the only star on his mama's blog. Poor Griffin.

I finally got Levi busy with something else for a few minutes so that you could see my cute baby in his new onesie. Joel calls Griffin G-Dog sometimes...nice. And Levi has started calling him Baby G. At least that is better than G-Dog. I guess this onesie suits our sweet Baby G pretty well.

I got a few pictures taken and then Levi was back.

More books. He LOVES to read. And he loves to read next to Griffin.

But if I don't keep a close eye on him I will turn around and find something like this. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of what Levi was doing. But I decided I needed to put my camera down and intervene before Griffin got squished. Levi can't wait for the day when Griffin is big enough to wrestle.

Griffin is going to be one tough little guy. Maybe the name G-Dog is a little more fitting for him than I think.

All too soon, Griffin will be as big as his brother. I'm sure they will be wrestling and causing all kinds of mischief. But for now, I am enjoying these days of my sweet little Baby G.

Isn't his little g onesie cute? Karen from A Perfect Treasure is giving one away to you too! You can pick a onesie or tee of your choice up to a $28 value. The initial onesies are adorable and Karen has all sorts of other cute things in her shop.

Giveaway Details:

1 onesie or tee of your choice

(up to $28 value)

ONE winner chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 19th at 9pm (CST)

To enter visit A Perfect Treasure...

come back and leave a comment telling me your favorite item.

Karen is also offering my readers 20% off any order using code griffin20.

You can find A Perfect Treasure on Etsy, Facebook, and Karen's blog.

And that was our simple onesie photo shoot turned circus. Griffin was worn out. :)

Thanks for the cute shirts for my boys Karen!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To enter the RV Parties giveaway click here.

To enter the Sock Monkey Hat giveaway click here.

All giveaways close Saturday, November 19th at 9pm.

giveaway week {sock monkey hat}

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Remember Levi's owl hat from last year?

Well, sweet Amber emailed me before Griffin was born and said she wanted to make the boys each a hat for this winter. I was so excited! She didn't tell me what she was making this time...it was a surprise.

Oh my. I LOVED them the second I opened the box. Can it get any cuter than two little boys in sock monkey hats? I couldn't love them any more. And all I wanted was ONE picture of my two boys in their new hats. ONE.

As you can see they were both thrilled about it. Levi couldn't figure out what Griffin's problem was. He tried so hard to help.

There we go...now you are both having fun, right?

But then Levi remembered that I had interrupted him from building sand castles. That is his famous whiny face...we are working on that. And Griffin remembered that he was starving. Mean mom.

But really, a sock monkey hat even makes that sad, sad face look adorable.

I let Griffin go back to being held by his daddy and Levi back to his sand castle building. Everyone was much happier. And Levi really did love his monkey hat. He wore it the whole time he played outside.

You too might be a little sad when you find out that you can't buy these cute sock monkey hats. Boo. I know. I didn't realize Amber was no longer selling them until I was figuring out the giveaway details. She is keeping busy right now with her own two little ones. I totally understand. If only we all had Amber's mad crocheting skills, right?? The good news is Amber is super sweet and wants to give one sock monkey hat away to one of you anyway. Yay!

Giveaway Details:

1 Sock Monkey Hat

ONE winner chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 19th at 9pm (CST)

To enter leave a comment telling me who you would give the sock monkey hat to.

Thank you Amber. The boys love their sock monkey hats and so do I!!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To enter the RV Parties giveaway click here.

All giveaways close Saturday, November 19th at 9pm.

giveaway week {rv parties}

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

I love using melamine plates for Levi. We have some cute ones from Target. But it is so much more fun to have a cute plate with your name on it...at least Levi thinks so.

He was pretty excited about his new "Levi" plate. He was even more excited when I asked him if he wanted to go outside and have a snack on his "Levi" plate.

Apples always taste better when you are eating them off of an awesome plate outside. The plate was magical and Levi sat still and ate his whole apple quietly...

...just kidding. I mean really, what fun is it to sit and eat quietly when you are one?

He did eat a whole apple though. Such a healthy little guy. We are trying to make up for all the candy he consumed from Halloween. Yikes! :)

Guess what? Levi and I get to give away a plate to one of you too! Rachel from RV Parties is giving away one personalized melamine plate plus the cost of shipping.

You get to personalize your plate, choose your colors, and choose your pattern. And there are tons of colors and fun patterns to choose from.

Here's why Rachel says these plates make the perfect gift for your little one:

*Extremely durable (since your kid will probably throw this on the floor 100 times)

*10" diameter (which means the area is about 78.5 square inches)

*Dishwasher safe (a necessity for kids' plates)

*BPA free (because BPA is gross)

Giveaway Details:

1 Personalized Melamine Plate + Shipping

(custom with name, initials and colors)

ONE winner chosen at random

One entry per person

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 19th at 9pm (CST)

To enter go visit RV Parties...

come back and leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite color and plate pattern.

Rachel is also offering my readers 15% off any order using code MACS15.

You can find RV Parties on Etsy and Facebook.

Thanks for the great plate Rachel. We love it!

sunday

2011-11-13T16:12:00.001-06:00

Today is the last day of The Happy Day Project. How did you do? We failed pretty miserably around here. But we are going to keep spreading some happy...it just might take us two or three weeks instead of one to get them all done. And I don't want to stop there. This project has got me thinking of ways that I can make blessing others a natural part of my week. What if each week I thought of just one way that I could be a blessing to someone else during the week? The Happy Day Project has given me some great ideas on ways to do just that. And how awesome to start teaching this to my boys NOW?! I would love it if they grew up with giving hearts, hearts that put the needs of others before their own...that needs to start with ME!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have been so blessed to receive lots of fun things in the mail recently from some of my readers. You all are so talented! And guess what? They want to share some of the cuteness with you too. So, tomorrow starts giveaway week at The Macs! Woo-hoo! Everyday this week I will be hosting a new giveaway. This is just a peek at a few of the awesome things you can win. So check back tomorrow...and everyday this week. You don't want to miss it. Hey, maybe you can even get some Christmas ideas!

See you tomorrow!

daddy & ducky

2011-11-11T14:26:00.001-06:00

Levi's two favorite things this week...

daddy & ducky (or duck on a stick as we like to call him).

All of a sudden Levi seems to be noticing that his mama is a little preoccupied with his baby brother. He is not a big fan. Whenever he asks me to do something with him and I say that I can't right now he says, "Mama feed Griffin". That's right buddy...feeding Griffin seems to be taking up most of my time these days. But it won't be like that forever. I am trying to be more intentional about spending time with Levi and not always be busy taking care of Griffin, but either way he is always thrilled when his daddy comes home. He knows he will get his daddy's undivided attention. And I am thankful for that too!

Levi loves for his daddy to draw tractors for him.

And after daddy gets done drawing one Levi always says...

"daddy draw tractor gin (again)".

How can you say no to that?? So daddy fills the whole sidewalk with tractors and Levi admires them. Every time we go back outside he will tell me about the tractors that daddy drew.

Levi's grandparents came back from China this week and he was so glad to see them again. They brought him this duck on a stick toy. It makes lots of noise and he drives it all over the house. It has been so nice outside the past few days that we decided duck on a stick should go outside for awhile. :)

Levi likes to take ducky on walks. He will tell me "ducky on a walk" and then drive him up and down our little rock path,

through the flower beds, and all over the yard.

Duck on a stick has been great entertainment for this little guy. It keeps him occupied when mama is busy with Griffin.

And it makes the time go by until daddy comes home again.

It will be so fun when the day comes when these two little boys are busy all day playing together.

Happy Friday!

the happy day project: days 1-3

2011-11-09T13:52:00.000-06:00

There hasn't been much to blog about around here this week. And I don't even have any cute pictures to show you. Boo. I think I have been in a little bit of a funk this week and I need to snap out of it. Monday it rained all day...one of those dreary days. Tuesday was rainy again and then it even snowed a little last night. And today I woke up feeling yucky. All that to say, I haven't kept up with The Happy Day Project like I was planning on. But I'm not giving up! (Man that sounded like a lot of whining...really the week hasn't been that bad...let's talk about something a little more happy!)

The Happy Day Project: Day 1

I made some little loaves of pumpkin bread and added the free printable tag. So cute. The original plan was to deliver them to the "neighbors". But, remember I said it was raining on Monday. We live in the country and our closest "neighbors" live 1/4 mile down the road. I thought it would be a little weird to show up on their front porch in the pouring rain in the dark with my banana bread. Plan B. So, we delivered our bread to some friends whose sweet baby boy was born that day. I still would like to do something for our neighbors, but I think I will wait until the sun is shining. :)

I made my mom's pumpkin muffin recipe. So good...and so easy:

Pumpkin Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
1 3/4 cups pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 T cinnamon
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
brown sugar and chopped walnuts for top

Blend eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add rest of ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

What about Day 2 and Day 3? My cards for day two are all printed out and ready to write in. Levi and I are going to send some notes to his aunt and uncles who live far away. We will work on that today. I haven't bought my gift card for the homeless yet either. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.

Although I am behind, I am loving this project. It has got me thinking about other ways that I can be a blessing to the people around me on a more continual basis. It has helped me realize that I need to be thinking outward more often. I needed that reminder.

How about you? Are you participating in The Happy Day Project?

the happy day project

2011-11-06T16:21:00.001-06:00

Have you heard about what Julie and Jeannett are up to this week?

They had this great idea to do something meaningful for others leading up to the holiday season. They are calling it The Happy Day Project. I think it is an awesome idea and am so excited to join them. The Happy Day Project starts tomorrow. Here is the plan for the week:

I don't know about you, but my mind is already swirling with things to do, things to buy, things to make, and decorating to do with the upcoming holiday season. All of those things can be good, but sometimes all of those things make me start to focus way too much on myself. I can't tell you how many times I have been blessed or refreshed or encouraged by others...many times by people I don't even know. I want to be more intentional about thinking outward as the holidays approach. I want my family to be a blessing to others. The Happy Day Project is the perfect way to get started!

Do you want to join us? Visit Julie and Jeannett's blogs for more information and to grab "The Happy Day Project" button. And spread the word! Thank you Julie and Jeannett for your big hearts and love for others. You both encourage and challenge me greatly and I can't wait to see what God does through your project this week!

Now...what treat to make tomorrow??

firsts - halloween 2011

2011-11-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

I have been a mama for three almost four years now. And this will be my third halloween to celebrate with my kiddos. You can see Cora and Levi in their cute cow costumes here. But this halloween was full of firsts for us.

It was the first halloween that I got to plan and make (part of) the boys' costumes. Levi was a K-State football player and Griffin was a football.

It was the first halloween that Levi knew what he was dressed up as. He is very into football right now. Once we got through the trauma of getting those shoulder pads in, he thought he looked pretty awesome...and he wanted to tackle everyone he saw...including his little brother.

It was the first halloween that Levi was excited to go trick-or-treating and fill up his little bucket. Oh, and he wanted to show you his "biiiiiiiiig muscles".

It was the first halloween that I had two little ones at home to dress up. And man did they look cute.

We tried really hard to get a picture of them together, but Levi wasn't too interested. Sitting still wasn't on his agenda...only tackling was. :)

It was the first halloween to go trunk-or-treating. What a great idea and so much fun! The kids got their candy and the adults got to hang out too.

It was the first halloween with cousins.

One certain little cousin led Levi around to all the cars and made sure he got his bucket filled with candy. Levi's other cousin is the little giraffe in the background. He wasn't too excited about the whole costume thing.

It was the first halloween that Levi got to eat candy...

and man did he love it. In fact, he plopped himself down right in the middle of the parking lot and ate and ate and ate. And he hasn't stopped asking for candy ever since.

It was the very first halloween for Griffin. But you wouldn't know because he isn't in any of the pictures. He slept through trunk-or-treat and didn't even get to show off his cute costume.

It was the first halloween full of costumes, friends, candy, and two sweet brothers. I can't wait until next year.

* * * * * * * * * * *

How about a little tutorial?

I found a picture of a football onsie on Pinterest and used it as my inspiration.

Football Onesie:

Materials:

brown onesie {mine is from Hobby Lobby}

white fabric scraps

iron on adhesive {I used Heat n Bond}

embroidery floss

1. Iron fabric onto Heat n Bond (follow adhesive directions).

2. Cut strips and arrange on onesie.

3. Iron strips onto onesie (follow adhesive directions).

4. Sew strips onto onesie using embroidery thread or sewing machine (I used a backstitch).

So simple! I realized after I had already ironed on the strips that I should have stitched the middle strip first before adding the little strips. But it still worked. Using a sewing machine would be much faster but I liked the look of the embroidery thread. Also, I think the football onesie on Pinterest was made using felt...which would be really cute and wouldn't fray. All I had was some leftover white duck cloth...so that is what I used.

5. Put football onesie on a cute, chunky baby. :)

I know Halloween is over...and you are probably already thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, bookmark/pin this idea for next year. Or, make it for your little one to wear to his/her next football party!

griffin {one month}

2011-11-01T17:20:00.002-05:00

Let's go back a few weeks and pretend that my little Griffin is only one month old. Because really, one month is old enough. What is up with my baby already being six weeks old today?? I love how Griffin already seems like such a part of the family. I love that I can hardly remember what life was like without him. I love watching Levi's love for his baby brother grow. But seriously...this little guy needs to stop growing up so fast!

My mom is making Griffin a baby quilt. I was a little slow at ordering the fabric...it is so hard to choose! But the fabric is here and my mom has the quilt all cut out now. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

I also had a really hard time deciding how I wanted to take Griffin's monthly pictures. There are so many creative ideas out there! Can you tell that decision making is not one of my strengths?? Anyway, I pinned a few of my favorites on my Pinterest board...you can check them out here. I finally decided that it would be fun to take Griffin's pictures on the quilt my mom is making. I was inspired by these monthly pictures:

source

She is taking each monthly picture of her baby boy on a different quilt. So cute...I love that idea. Unfortunately I don't have that many quilts...wouldn't that be awesome to have twelve beautiful quilts?? Griffin's pictures will all be taken on the quilt Grammy is making...which will be awesome too. There is just one problem...the quilt isn't done and Griffin is already one month old. So, I had to be a little creative and lay all the fabric out to look "quilt-ish" for this first picture. Hopefully by month two the quilt will be done!

What do you think? Should Griffin's monthly pictures be taken in a onsie or just in his diaper? Guess what...I couldn't decide, so I just took them both ways. I can decide next month, right? :)

Here is baby brother at one month:

Sweet Griffin,

I have to be honest and say that I wasn't so sure about having a house full of boys. But now that you are here I can't imagine life any other way. You are such a sweet, laid back baby. I thought your big sister and brother were pretty easy babies, but you definitely win the prize. You eat well, sleep well, and hardly ever cry (that is changing a little at six weeks!). And just like your sister and brother you are gaining weight like a champ. I guess Mac babies have to be chunky! At one month you you weigh 11 pounds, 8 ounces. You are wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. Your big brother can hardly wait until you can wrestle with him...I am sure that will happen all too soon!

You have cracked one little smile at me and your daddy. We were laying in bed late one night and you were wide awake. I asked you if you were going to stay awake all night and you gave us a little smile. I can't wait to see you smile for the first time at your brother. He loves you and always wants to know where you are the minute he wakes up in the morning. I hope you guys will grow up to be best friends.

I can't believe how much you look like your big sissy at times. It catches me off guard. Of course you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God and completely unique. You are the only one like you. But, what a gift to see glimpses of your sister in you. She continues to be such a big part of our family...even in her little brother's life.

We love you so much Griffin! Now that you are here, my hands are always full and I am always busy and tired. I love it that way. What a privilege it is to be your mama. I can't imagine life without you...and I can't wait to see what you are doing next month!

Love, Mama

newborn pics

2011-10-31T09:07:00.001-05:00

A few of my favorite newborn pictures.

Griffin James...nine days old.

photos by Megan Duerksen

Baby Mac #3.

How can he be almost six weeks old already??

Happy Monday!

instafriday & a few other things

2011-10-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Two boys on an airplane...yikes!

Last weekend my cousin got married in Arizona. Before Griffin was born I booked our tickets. Joel couldn't come because this is his busiest time of year on the farm. But my sister agreed to travel with me so I thought I could handle it. By the time we got the two little boys along with two car seats, two strollers, and our bags on the plane I was wondering if it had been a good idea to go. The boys did awesome though...such good little travelers. And of course I couldn't have done it without my sister along.

We stayed with my cousins on the other side of the family who happen to live in Phoenix too. They were fabulous hostesses. Thanks Andrew and Sarah!

Here we are before the wedding all dressed up and ready to go. It was hot in Phoenix...in the 90's. It didn't feel like fall at all!

My cousin Amy looked gorgeous and the wedding was beautiful. I wish I would have taken more pictures. Here she is walking down the isle with her daddy.

And this was the best picture I got of the happy bride and groom....

because I spent the rest of the wedding way back here trying to keep my two boys quiet. It seemed like my hands were always full...either feeding my baby or chasing my other baby. But I was so glad we got to be there to help my cousin and her new husband celebrate their special day. Congratulations Amy and John!

Even though I didn't take many pictures at the wedding, I did manage to snap a few other important ones on my phone. Like eating at Chick-fil-a...yum. And my first trip to H&M. I found out their clothes weren't really made for mama's who just had a baby. They looked super cute on my tall, skinny sister though. And I did manage to find a cute coat that fit, so I didn't walk away empty handed.

On the trip home the stewardess was so nice and told us to take an extra seat for each of the boys so that they wouldn't have to sit on our laps. It was awesome...especially for my sister because a certain very active little boy was the one sitting on her lap. So Griffin had his own seat to snooze away on and Levi had his own seat to play away on. Perfect. I was so tired by the time we got home. These boys wear a mama out!

The rest of the week...

The rest of the week we have just been trying to catch up and recover from the trip. Levi has been making messes and Griffin has been super baby. These boys keep me busy...and I love it.

To answer a few questions...

I am so, so behind on responding to emails. Sorry. Someday maybe I will catch up. In the meantime, I thought I might answer a few questions that keep coming up lately...

Will you be posting any pictures of Griffin's nursery?

Of course! Decorating Griffin's nursery has kind of come to a standstill since he was born. Joel has been so busy with work, but that should be slowing down in the next week or two. And we will have to get that crib done before Griffin grows out of the bassinet...at the rate he is growing that will be soon. I promise he won't be 15 months old before I post pictures!!

How did you come up with Griffin's name?

I will be posting on that soon.

Where did you get the bedding from the Green Eggs and Ham post?

Is this a preview of Griffin's nursery?

The red striped duvet cover is from IKEA.

The blue/white polka dot sheets are from TJMaxx several years ago. They are made by Ralph Lauren.

And yes, this bed will be in Griffin's nursery.

Did you make the pillow on the bench in the Seriously Spoiled post?

No. It's from Target.

What camera/lenses to you use?

How do you edit your photos?

Canon 50d

Canon 50mm f/1.4 (this lens is my favorite)

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

I do a little bit of editing in iPhoto, but that's it. I don't have any great photography tips...I am still learning a lot. I just enjoy taking pictures of my kiddos! I highly recommend Ashley Ann's online SnapShop course if you are wanting to learn more about photography. It is awesome!

How do I find you on Pinterest?

Instagram?

My username on Pinterest is Jess McClenahan.

On Instagram you can find me under jessmcclenahan.

Where do you buy your fabric online?

Most of my fabric I buy online from these two sites:

fabric.com

quilthome.com

If I am looking for something specific sometimes I look on Etsy too.

The Plum District deal...

If you were wanting an Erin Condren planner (or something else from her site) and didn't purchase your Plum deal yet...your procrastinating paid off! I got an email today that said you can get an extra 30% off through Monday. Just enter the code spooky30 at checkout. That means you can get a $50 gift card to Erin Condren for $17.50. I think the Erin Condren deal ends tonight?? So, hurry! Go here to sign up for your Erin Condren Plum Deal.

Hope you have a great weekend! I have lots of posts lined up for next week and some giveaways coming soon too.

I'm linking up with Life Rearranged (for the Instagram part of this post).

the sam book

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Levi loves to read. Lucky for him, his mama loves to read children's books too...except when I have to read the same book ten times in a row. I don't so much love that. Thankfully, Levi sometimes likes to "read" to himself sometimes too.

Lately he has started coming up with his own titles for all of his favorite books. He likes to read the "dog book" and "tractor book" and "farm book" and "baby brother book"...there are so many more. He named Green Eggs and Ham the "Sam book". Cute. It is definitely one of his favorites and definitely not one of his dad's favorites. Don't worry Levi, I like it too.

Levi was super excited the day we got out Griffin's new "Sam" clothes. He had the biggest smile on his face when I told him Griffin's shirt was just like his Sam book.

So we got out Levi's Sam book and he read it to Griffin in his Sam outfit.

He read it over and over and over. And then he wanted me to read it over and over and over.

I may need to get Levi his own Sam shirt someday. Thanks B family for Griffin's cute outfit. We all love it...especially Levi!

Green Eggs and Ham onesie and pants from a local baby boutique - The Healthy Baby Boutique

another plum deal

2011-10-24T17:17:00.000-05:00

I have always loved planners. Back when I was in school I loved school supply shopping and starting the year off with a brand new planner...that and a new box of crayons. It was the best.

A few weeks ago Julie posted a picture of her new planner on Instagram. It was from Erin Condren. I had never heard of her but was instantly in love with the fun, bright designs. I clicked over to check it out and knew I had to have one. But the $50 price was a little much for me...even for an awesome planner. So today when I was checking my email I almost jumped up and down in excitement when I saw the Plum Deal: $25 for $50 worth of personalized Erin Condren Holiday Photo Cards, Calendars, Custom Labels, and More...

Woo-hoo!! Half off. Can you believe it? I started looking around the website a little more and there are so many other awesome products. Here are a few of my favorites...

Weekly Life Planner

{This is what I will be buying!}

Weekly Schedule Pad

{Perfect for making lists}

Enclosure Cards

{A little note...great for gift giving}

Teacher's Lesson Planner

{I would have loved this when I was teaching}

So, I will be adding that pretty planner into my cart for half off. Awesome. I may even pick up a few Christmas gifts...but that would be very unlike me to be Christmas shopping before December! Who knows, maybe my new planner will turn me into an organized and prepared kind of girl. One can only hope. And even if it doesn't...at least my planner will be pretty. :)

Go sign up for your Erin Condren Plum Deal here. Don't forget if you are signing up for Plum District for the first time you get $5 off...just for signing up. That would make it an even better deal!

And one more thing...I saw on Julie's blog today that you can get another 15% off your Erin Condren purchase by using the code FABULOUS at checkout. Thanks for sharing about your pretty planner Julie! I can't wait to get mine.

Okay, go quick! This deal only lasts one day.

Disclosure: referral link used

instafriday {weekend edition}

2011-10-23T12:09:00.001-05:00

The weeks seem to keep flying by and I can't seem to keep up with anything! I am enjoying my babies though...and that is what is important! Oh, and speaking of babies...a certain baby in this house decided to turn one month old. What? How did that happen already? I'll post more about Griffin at one month later this week...or at least I will try to. :)

I am away this weekend for my cousins wedding. Thankfully my sister agreed to travel with me so that I wouldn't have to take two boys on an airplane by myself. I don't even know how that would be possible. Thank goodness for sisters! So while I am away, here is a peek at what has been happening around here over the past two weeks...Instagram style.

1. There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby.

2. Except maybe a sleeping baby and his daddy.

3. So fun to spend the weekend with my college girlfriends and introduce them to Griffin.

4. Griffin meeting his new cousin for the first time. Hello baby Leo.

1. Griffin's cow towel reminds me of his brother and sister in their cow costume.

Too bad he is too little to wear it this year!

2. Hello fall...love seeing bright orange pumpkins everywhere.

3. Love these pretty pumpkins too.

4. Trying to keep my little guy out of trouble. He is busy, busy, busy.

1. Sleeping again...conked out on the couch.

2. Matchy-matchy. Anne and Griffin matched for her birthday party.

3. Time to pull out the hats. It is getting cold in Kansas.

4. The rocking chair is done. Just have to get the wrinkles out now.

1. My sweet husband made my morning and surprised me with Starbucks.

That is a major treat when you live 45 minutes from the nearest Starbucks. Love him.

2. Pajama days are the best. Especially when you have monkeys and bears on your feet.

3. Griffin is trying to break the scale already at one month old. Gotta love a chunky baby.

4. These came in the mail this week. Can't wait to see the quilt my mom is making Griffin.

And that is what has been happening around The Macs lately. Hope you are having a great weekend!

I'm linking up with Life Rearranged.

seriously spoiled

2011-10-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Before Griffin was born I was a little worried about how Levi would feel about not being the center of attention anymore. I had no idea what to expect. Although it has taken a little time for him to get used to sharing his mama, I should have never been concerned about him not getting attention. Having a baby brother was probably the best thing that ever happened to Levi. Our friends and family have been so sweet to him. And the gifts this little boy has been given...insane!! He is one loved little boy.

There were many days when daddy would come home from work with gifts for Levi and Griffin. Always very exciting. One of the best days was when daddy came home with a gift from his John Deere salesman. Awesome.

Everything John Deere that a little boy could want. Lots of green tractors of course.

And the camo John Deere hat. It has hardly left his head since.

Levi got several other tractors after Griffin was born. We have been playing lots and lots and lots of tractors around here.

And trains too.

Just today Levi and Griffin got a combine {so exciting!} and new shirts in the mail.

They even got a gift all the way from Australia from a blog reader. Thank you Michelle! Levi is loving his Australian ABC book. So fun. Levi shouldn't run out of toys for awhile. Between the tractors, balls, sand buckets, crayons, play dough, and books I think he should stay busy...for a least 5 seconds, right?!?!

Joel and I joked that if we would have known how many toys Levi would get, we would have saved half of them for Christmas. Our Christmas shopping would have been done!! Don't worry...we let him open them all.

Thank you to the many people who showered us with gifts and loved my boys so well.

We are beyond grateful.

And seriously spoiled.

pumpkin patch {2011}

2011-10-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

Friday we went to the pumpkin patch with some of Levi's cousins.

The weather was beautiful and although I still haven't figured out how to go out with both boys and not get completely exhausted, it was such a fun morning.

There is tons to do at this pumpkin patch...most of it having nothing to do with pumpkins. Levi was in heaven. It's so fun to watch him explore and try new things.

You might have noticed that you won't be seeing much of Levi's eyes in this post. He has a new hat. He loves his new hat. And no matter how many times we pull it up so we can see his face, he always pulls it back over his eyes. So don't mess with his hat. I guess that's how he rolls.

Levi was so sad to leave. His mama was ready though. By the time we left I had gone back and forth to the car twice to feed Griffin, changed Griffin's clothes because he decided to have his second blow out in his life at the pumpkin patch, pushed a stroller all around dirt paths that weren't really made for strollers, and jumped my car because it had a dead battery (actually my sister-in-law did because I couldn't remember how to use jumper cables...and thankfully she did). Oh, and Griffin really was there too...I just haven't figured out how to take pictures with two boys yet either. :)

Here he is. Still a cutie-pie. Still super sweet and such a good baby. And now he has officially had his first trip to the pumpkin patch...he just has no pictures to prove it!!

Happy Monday!

a little photo shoot

2011-10-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

When Griffin was about a week old I attempted a little newborn photo shoot.

Some of the pictures reminded me so much of some pictures I took of Cora when she was just a few days old. What do you think?

{griffin}

{cora}

{griffin}

{cora}

It is crazy how sometimes I can look at Griffin and totally see his big sissy in him. There are times that it brings tears to my eyes and reminds me of how much I miss her. But most of the time I just can't believe what a gift it is to be able to see glimpses of my daughter through my sweet baby boy. She is still such a huge part of our family in so many ways.

I didn't get very many pictures of cutie-pie Griffin because I made the mistake of trying to take them when Mr. Levi was awake. He thought it was his job to oversee his baby brother...which would have been fine if he had just sat at a distance and watched.

But most of the time he was standing in front of the camera...

or drinking my water (which he later spilled all over the floor)...

or rearranging Griffin's room (no progress on the nursery in case you were wondering)...

or smothering his brother (no pictures of that because I was too busy rescuing Griffin).

I think photographing newborns is so hard anyway. It doesn't seem like it should be because at least they sit still! That is why we spent the morning with Megan a few weeks ago...so that she could capture my sweet boy as a newborn.

photo by Megan Duerksen

I am so glad we did.

Megan always does such a great job capturing my kids. And it is much more relaxing to just sit and watch her take the pictures! This picture was just a sneak peek...I can't wait to see the rest.

griffin {two weeks}

2011-10-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

We're back.

Still here...still doing really well...still pretty sleepy...still adjusting to life with two boys.

Griffin has been a dream baby. He is so laid back. I could just hold him for hours and hours. But somehow that doesn't work with another little munchkin running circles around his sleepy mama. Levi is pretty much back to himself and I think he is even starting to love his baby brother. Yay. Everyday isn't perfect. Somedays have even brought some tears. But I am loving watching my boys together and learning how to be a mama of two...I have a lot to learn!

This is the last picture for my pregnancy collage. I tried really hard to get Griffin to curl up in a ball...it didn't really work. My arms are too short and he kept trying to stretch way out. He is still pretty cute though.

Griffin is two weeks...tomorrow he'll be three weeks! How did that happen already? At his two week appointment he weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 21 inches long. His little cheeks are even starting to get chubby already. He is eating great, sleeping great, and pooping lots! I forgot how many diapers newborns go through. Like I said, other than the pooping, he is a dream baby.

My bestie from Colorado has been here for the past four days to love on Griffin. It was wonderful having her around. She cleaned, cooked, did laundry, spent lots of time playing with Levi, and kept me company while Joel was busy working. It was pretty much like having a full time nanny...except I would have loved having her here even if she hadn't done all those "nanny-ish" things! She is a dear friend. If only we didn't live so far away. Thanks for coming Laura...we already miss you!

I have lots more pictures of my babies to share...coming soon!

first week {griffin james}

2011-10-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Griffin will be two weeks tomorrow. Crazy how fast time goes. We already can't imagine life without him. And talk about a good baby...he is pretty much perfect. Good sleeper, good eater, and pretty laid back. A mama's dream. Here are some highlights from Griffin's first week.

{Birthday} Griffin James born September 20th at 4:13 in the afternoon.

{Day One} Spent the day hanging out in the hospital. Lots of visitors to welcome Baby Griffin.

{Day Two} Home from the hospital. So glad to all be together. Grammy stayed the night to help.

{Day Three} Sleeping so good at night...three to four hours at a time. Auntie Anne stayed to help.

{Day Four} Official due date. So glad you are already here! Auntie Anne stayed again.

{Day Five} Backseat buddies. Off to church for the first time as a family of four!

{Day Six} First full day at home...just mama and the boys. We survived!

{Day Seven} One week old. Hanging with your brother outside. Weight check today - 8 lbs 4 oz

And of course we can't forget Levi. Here is what he has been up to since Griffin came home.

1. Checking the beans on his four wheeler. Just like daddy.

2. Sidewalk chalk on the porch.

3. Waiting anxiously for daddy to get home from work.

4. Cheeseburgers outside. Levi's request for lunch.

1. Staying up way too late thanks to Baby Brother.

2. Riding the barrel train. He could have stayed on this all. day. long.

3. So much fun at the Country Fair.

4. Watching football with Daddy and Griffin.

A new favorite past time (and bedtime stalling technique).

We are slowly figuring out a new schedule and trying to be flexible all at the same time...because is it really possible to have a schedule with a newborn?? Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement!

levi + griffin

2011-09-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

There are many moments that I wonder how our days would be different if there were two little kiddos running around my house as we welcomed Baby Brother into our family. I wonder how different things would be if Levi had to take on the role of little brother instead of only knowing what it is like to be the oldest child...and now big brother. I wonder how my sweet and serious little girl would have interacted with my silly and ornery little boy. And I wonder how she would have responded to a new baby coming home. I think it is okay to wonder. Cora will always be one of the siblings after all. But when I dwell on "what should have been" it makes me so sad. So sad for Levi and the relationship with his sister that he has been missing out on. So sad that our family will never be whole here on earth. So sad that all my babies aren't here...together. I have had to grieve all of those "should have been" things, but I am learning that I can't dwell there. That wasn't God's plan for my family. When I start focusing on what "should have been" I am often reminded of these words that the Lord pressed deep on my heart at the Respite Retreat: invest in the living.

Levi has been my only child here on earth for the past 20 months. And now I am the mama of two boys. I can choose to dwell on "what should have been" or I can invest in these little boys that the Lord has entrusted to me. What a gift they each are. The Lord has used Levi's little life to restore our joy in so many ways. He has brought noise and laughter to our house again. And in many ways his being our "only child" has been a gift. I treasure the time that we have had together, just us. And now the Lord is using Griffin to remind me of the life that God continues to bring to my family even in the face of death. A reminder of His continued faithfulness through both sorrow and joy.

I have only known what it is like to have one child at a time. So, this transition of going from one to two kids has brought on some big emotions for me. I have longed for the day when I could see my kids together. I dreamed that Levi would love Baby Brother the second he laid eyes on him. While I still treasure that moment when I first saw my two boys together in the same room...that is not exactly what happened. In fact, Levi was so out of sorts the first time he came to the hospital that I didn't even really think to take any pictures. I was too overwhelmed. Levi wouldn't even come see me. He started crying when they put him on my bed. I think the hospital bed and the IVs scared him. And then it was time to meet Griffin. They put Griffin in his lap and he pushed him away and said "done now". Those are words we have heard quite frequently lately. :) Levi was definitely not himself and he didn't stay at the hospital long. I knew that probably could happen, but man it is hard to see your baby not acting like himself.

Levi came back the next day and did much better. I wasn't hooked up to the IV anymore but he still didn't really want to sit with me on the bed. He preferred to look from a distance.

He was much more interested in Griffin though. Griffin often has his little fists clinched and every time Levi notices it he tries to give him a bump (fist bump). So cute.

He leans in to give him kisses, but usually doesn't actually kiss him. It is more of an air kiss. :)

We had a little gift for Levi at the hospital from Griffin. Levi loves his soccer ball and whenever you ask him who it is from he says "Baby Griffin". I love hearing him say his brother's name.

We even got Levi to sit still long enough to hold his baby brother the second day.

He is very interested in Griffin's paci and ~~gently pushing~~ shoving it in his mouth whenever he can. Amazingly, he has only tried to put it in his own mouth once. He always says it is "baby's paci". Thank goodness taking away Levi's paci didn't backfire on us!

So here are my boys together. Love. It has been a hard transition for Levi to not be the only one at home anymore. And it has been a little hard on his mama's heart to see him not acting like himself and not lovin' on his mama like he usually does. But we all are transitioning. Each day has been a little better and I think Levi is almost back to himself. So glad.

So here we are. Another transition that we made it through. Two sweet babies at home now.

I can't wait to invest my days in raising my two boys.

country fair {for the locals}

2011-09-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

The weather here has been gorgeous.

Hello fall...goodbye yucky, hot summer.

Are you looking for something fall-ish to do this weekend?

Are you local {sorry far-away blog readers}?

Do you want to help bring a sweet little boy home to his forever family?

If so, check this out...

Our friends Ryan and Christy Vogt are in the process of adopting a sweet little boy from Russia. Their family and small group have put together this great fundraiser event to help raise money to cover adoption expenses. How fun!

Here are just a few things that will be going on at the Country Fair:

*face painting

*paintball

*water balloon launch

*bounce house

*carnival games and prizes

*hay bale maze

*hay rack ride

*petting zoo

*barrel train ride

*photo booth

*silent auction

You can even come dressed and ready for family pictures. Andrea Siebert Photography will be there to take family pictures for just $25. What a great deal! All the proceeds will go to the Vogt's adoption fund. For more information check out Andrea's blog.

You can get more information and a sneak peek of some things going on at the fair over at

Christy's blog or Amanda's blog.